03 | Gem of Amarra | OTA

[herotherhalf]

Harth was stunned.

The sun was bright and brilliant, gleaming off of his glasses. Even as a human he had seen so little of it under the blanket of smog over Haddyn. You had to give it to whoever was in charge, creating the universe, be it god, demon, powers that be, they had a particular poetic ism when it came to beauty. The sun gave life, life that sustained even those who were no longer living.

He walked through the courtyard, clumsily climbing onto a stone slab that seemed to have served a purpose at one point, but no longer. He sits there, enjoying the sun on his face warming his otherwise room temperature skin.

It was so warm.

But that warmth only served as a reminder about how much he yearned to have a decent meal. He he was starved, and no amount of birds or rats would satiate him. He needed a meal. Human. The problem was finding someone naive enough and gullible enough to follow him.

What he'd give to have that witch in his clutches, just now. Watch her scream into his hand before he bit her. Bonus? He wouldn't have to deal with her exposing him. But that would be too easy.

Comments

[tophbeifong]

Toph smirked when she noticed Harth lying there. Luckily for him, she'd just sat down to relax under the tree.

Once she'd taken a moment to cool down, Toph decided to mess with the boy. Without warning and with as much movement, she raised the slab he was on and made him slide off and to the ground.

She grinned to herself and raised a hand in greeting.

[herotherhalf]

That was certainly a surprise! He hadn't expected that, not when he slid down just as clumsily as he had climbed on, having opted to play up his weak looking physique.

"Toph." He said, snorting with dry amusement. "Why'd you do that?"

[tophbeifong]

"I wasn't totally convinced you were alive," she told him, smirking. "Sitting in the sun like that, and all. It's hot! Come sit in the shade."

She patted the ground beside her invitingly.

"Didn't you tell me you couldn't be in the sun, anyway? Burn easily?"

[herotherhalf]

Harth hesitated, but stood up and walked over, sitting next to her on the turf under the tree, crossing his legs and leaning his arms on his knees.

"It sometimes makes me feel ill. I don't know why. Sometimes I can, sometimes I can't." He said, tapping his thumb against his sneaker.

[tophbeifong]

"I've heard about that," she shrugged and let out a relaxed sigh.

A long moment of silence passed before she spoke again.

"... so... I can't help but notice that you don't have a heartbeat. ... Is that normal where you come from?"

She quickly added, "You don't have to explain if you're sensitive about it."

[herotherhalf]

Harth raised his brows at the news, her being able to dense as much as his not having a heartbeat was almost alarming, if she even knew what it meant. He'd have worried if that were the case, but he didn't worry at all. He just smiled.

"My heart doesn't beat because I don't have one. It's a machine. It doesn't beat. It just pumps blood." Also explains why the sun makes him sick, he supposes. "Had heart problems, weakness. Ever since I was small."

[tophbeifong]

"Oh. Sorry."

She turned her head away and leaned back against the tree, stretching out and relaxing.

"I think that's kinda cool. Duo just thought his colonies were nifty, but hey- here we have a prime example of technology and machines saving lives. We even have entire people made out of it."

She cocked her head to the side, giving him a grin. "Kinda makes me embarrassed of my hot air balloons."

[herotherhalf]

"Hot air balloons sound great. If we had one here now we'd be free to leave, wouldn't we?" Good point, Harth. He looked around the courtyard and shook his head.

"We should look for a way out, Toph. Make ourselves useful."

[tophbeifong]

"But where do we start? Do you have any ideas?"

She tried her best already. She'd tried exploring as much as she could on her own, but she could only get so far without others with her. Not only would doors not open without at least one partner, she also didn't feel much like getting caught by the shadow beasts and not being able to fight because she couldn't see them.

But what else might work?

"I can't tunnel out. I've already tried that."

[foolnornovice]

There's a noise from the side - a grunt and suddenly there's a body on the ground nearby, rolling to break the fall from a jump he misjudged. Straightening up and standing on his two feet once more, he took a look around, noticed the stranger. Raising a brow, he watched for a moment to make sure that the other was real, not a trick of the mind.

[herotherhalf]

...

Certainly the first new person he meets in days isn't such a spazz. He just cast his eyes on the man, flinching only slightly to keep up his frail image.

"Who are you supposed to be? Friend of Kadar?" The clothing gave him away.

[foolnornovice]

Approach with caution, Harth. He hardly relaxes with that flinch, not sure how to approach at the question. His cover was already out at this point, so he lowered his head.

"If I am? What is your relationship with him?" That brow quirked, his eyes never left the other.

[herotherhalf]

"If you are, nothing. I've met him once. Not sure what to make of him." Harth admitted. A homesick needs at first glance.

[foolnornovice]

"You have your answer already." Shoulders lifting for a moment, they dropped with his exhale.

"How can you expect to know someone after only a single meeting?"

[herotherhalf]

"I didn't imply that I knew him. Only that I was aware of him." Don't put words in his mouth.

[foolnornovice]

"Fine then." He raises a brow to the other. "Shall we leave it at that?"

[herotherhalf]

"If that's what you want to do." He shrugs, raising his own brow. He didn't really have any business with the assassins at the moment, but he knew from Malik and Kadar that they were clever enough to be careful around.

Didn't know about Vampires, he suspected. No need to worry about getting in a broil.

[pridegoesbefore]

[Despite knowing (and casting) several charms to prevent sunburn, Narcissa still avoids the sun when she can. A severe sunburn as a child left her with a healthy respect for her skin, the vain thing, and so she can be found in the shade of a leafy tree, idly people-watching as others seek the warmth of the day.

She knows him as soon as she sees him - the vampire who'd carefully trapped and knocked out his victim, then bandaged his bite-wound.

The problem here, of course, is the sunlight. Perhaps the castle was playing tricks with her mind...]

[herotherhalf]

Perhaps the castle was playing tricks on her mind, and the ring of amarra wasn't exactly detectable through magic. That's what, as legend said, made it so difficult to find over the ages.

It was his now. He found it through his memories, his dreams. He knew he'd need it. And when he saw her? He knew her as soon as he saw her.

He didn't give her any thing more than a passing glance however. No stiffening, no fear. As if he didn't know her. But he did.

And as far as he was concerned, she was either going to submit or be killed. All he needed to do first was get around her magic.

[pridegoesbefore]

[She hadn't expected him to know her - he hadn't seen her watching him that day, after all. But-- there's something else about him that nags at her subconscious, and not just the innately Slytherin part of her that recognises dangerous intent in others... and she'll be damned if she can put her finger on what it is.

Narcissa continues to carefully watch him through the fall of her hair as she pretends to read under the shady oak.]

[herotherhalf]

He ignores here for the moment, looking up through the trees from the rock he sat on. Looking towards her, he offered a nervous smile.

"Hello?" She knew who he was. But he wanted to see what he could get away with. Hm. If she's a witch, chances are many of her spells were vocal. That was an idea.

[pridegoesbefore]

...good afternoon.

[There's no need to be rude, after all. Why antagonise someone she's seen knock someone else unconscious and take a bite out of them? Better to be civil.]

[herotherhalf]

Very curtly, he nods to her in greeting and leans back in his arms, basking in the sunlight. Without a change in his expression, he thought to himself. Perhaps she knows of the type of vampire he is. Perhaps he knows that he's the type to burn in the sun.

In that case this is a brilliant form of mockery isn't it?

[pridegoesbefore]

[Well.

That can't be right. If he's a vampire, as she suspected, he can't go in the sunlight at all - and no spell or potion was going to help him with that. So if he's not the dark creature she suspected, then that leaves some rather unsavoury alternatives, not the least of which are that he's a cannibal.

She also notes that he doesn't return her greeting other than a cursory nod - but cannibals aren't really known for their good manners.]

[herotherhalf]

Oh, but she was right in the beginning. He appeared to suck in a breath, a habit he was growing accustomed to as he played the weak little human.

"It's rude to stare, isn't it?" He leaned forward, arms over his knees. "Can I help you with something?"