#thread.valentin

[djinnoffire]

@valentinstjohn

Notelaih was not a creature who held certain beliefs towards others. He acted out of what he believed to be true, and did not let opinions of others sway him certain directions. He wished to make his mind up about people himself, and he was always kind in his opinion.

Though, knowing what he already knew of the man who'd brought both happiness and sorrow to Bella's life, he thought they'd most likely become vast friends. After all, their minds did sway a certain direction. Perhaps he could grant Bella more happiness if he too got along well with the man who was so important in her life.

Finding Valentin alone and outside of the large mansion, Notelaih did not waste any time to introduce himself properly. "Good day," he said with a smile. "We've not formally met though I think we know plenty about each other," he stated. "I'm Notelaih Saldores."

[thevaaniiofcrirtha]

@valentinstjohn

Mansions and castles and palaces weren't anything new to Vanathi, perhaps she'd even grown to dislike them rather than to enjoy their splendour like she once had. In her opinion, those with horrible taste usually occupied those spaces.

She had a whole box of produce with her, order by someone around this part of town, but she hadn't exactly paid ample attention to the directions, nor had she written it down. Leaving her, rather annoyingly, to just knock on doors and ask around. Surely someone had need of veggies and fruits.

The box in her hands, she knocked on the big door with her feet. Hard enough to kick it in should it accidentally be locked.

This place could come straight from one of those steamy novels she used to read on long trips.

"Hello! Anyone home?"

[djinnoffire]

No further words were offered, which made Notelaih question if only for a short moment if Valentin and Bella had anything to talk about. Perhaps the Vampire was one of few words, one who placed a lot of worth on them, decided they shouldn’t just be meaninglessly expressed. He could only guess, fearing his curiosity would be matched with silence.

Then a carriage came by and the Djinn realised he did not know how to properly end this conversation - he’d need reading material on Alchemy if he wanted to catch the other’s attention, he decided. Perhaps the occupant of the carriage would allow for him to cut out. Instead, someone with a connection to Valentin jumped out. He considered his options, then turned to the friend of Bella with an apologetic smile. “I’ll have to take my leave,” he said. “Perhaps before I go I can help your friend get everything from the carriage?” he offered.

Valentin gave a nod just generally to indicate he had heard and understood and did not speak on it further. It wasn't his place to offer any opinion or advice though he certainly did have an opinion. Valentin was simply this way, he would not offer these things unsolicited, most people understood their own selves well enough so to meddle as essentially a stranger was pointless. He had nothing else he wanted to inquire after that and so just carried on smoking in silence entirely at ease, not minding at all either way if Notelaih remained to try and make another attempt to converse or if he left.

The grating squeak of a turning wheel crunching over the stone and dirt covered road paired with the clomping stamp of hooves signaled the arrival of an approaching buggy. It came to a slow stop just before the St. John estate, a few feet away from the two gentlemen and out from the door of the carriage hopped out a stout and surly looking but well-dressed gnome. "I thought I told you to oil that wheel," Valentin commented without lifting his eyes toward the carriage. Clearly the two were familiar with each other. The gnome gave a grunt followed by an apology then went on to busy himself with unloading the carriage. The gnome made an obvious show of side-eyeing Notelaih a few times and clearing his throat as he went on to struggle to remove a large crate from the back of the carriage. The crate was bigger than the gnome himself! It made one wonder how it even got into the carriage in the first place unless he'd had help loading it in.

[djinnoffire]

Instead of the answers Notelaih was hoping for the Alchamist placed his interest upon the Djinn’s eyes. He smiled kindly, though he was disappointed that he saw no way to continue the conversation upon the direction he wished for it to go. He’d entertain the other, merely because he wished to have a good connection with someone so important to Bella. “They do,” he admitted. “Though if I wish I can alter them whichever way I like,” he added. “I simply do not see reason to do so, as I’d only guard them when I feel I need to hide myself.” And he hadn’t felt that way in Destarin for a long while now. He was openly of his own kind, openly offering his services. He shifted the colour of his eyes back to their natural greens. 

Valentin noticed the shifting tones of the djinn's eyes, an abstract variable he did not yet understand the meaning of but he had seen enough of one color to make an educated guess. Opal seemed to be present just before the djinn asked a question, a color to perhaps signify interest or a desire to find connection. An unfortunate trait, the vampire concluded, if one's eyes gave away their innermost feelings so readily. His own eyes gave away nothing of his internal thoughts and feelings and this was just the way he preferred it. "Yes," he replied simply, not elaborating further on the subject. He instead shifted it to his own interests and questioned, "Does your gaze reflect your feelings unconsciously or are you capable of altering it to suit your interest?"

[djinnoffire]

Notelaih’s eyes shone, the colour of opal to signify his interest, curiosity. They did tone down a bit however, slightly shifting back to their natural emerald green colour when Valentin said he would not show him. He was hoping for some kind of bond with Valentin, or at least something to make them connect, to make it easier for Bella. Of course, he also had no idea if that was something Bella wanted, perhaps it would be easier for her to keep these two worlds completely separate. But he’d approached the other now, he should make the best of it. 

He listened intently as the subject was offered, it sounded like something created with Bella in mind, though perhaps she wasn’t the sole focus of the experiment. He already thought of what would possibly be needed in order to find the answer to such a question: what was it about blood that sustained a Vampire. He wondered if his would do, or if there was too much sunlight and fire in it. “That is incredibly interesting,” he said, eyes once again turning opal. “Have you been able to find what it is about blood that a Vampire needs?”

Valentin exhaled another lungful of smoke, there was an element to it when it caught the light which made it shimmer, much in the way faerie dust did. "I do not," he replied to the inquiry on whether he wanted to know what it was about them that made Bellamy like them. He knew what reasons Bellamy had for attaching herself to him and he knew enough of why Bellamy had attached herself to Notelaih based on what she had told him, beyond that it didn't matter to him because whatever she had told him was enough. He didn't need more than that nor did he wish to go digging for more than what she was willing to share. If there was a similarity between the two of them it simply didn't matter to the vampire. "She likes me. This is enough. She likes you. This is also enough," he stated plainly. As with all things regarding the mind or the heart, it was his own belief and experiences which led him to the conclusion that such things did not often make sense and nor did they need to. One could waste away entire decades of their life contemplating about the feelings of another only for those feelings to shift and change on a whim.

"I will not show you," Valentin was always incredibly secretive about his work, it was the reason he wrote all his notes in his own created cypher of which no one but him knew the key to decode it. He was, however, not opposed to speaking on what he was working on for this was not secret, only the specific formulae and experiments he made were and only really shared bits and pieces of them with a small circle of associates. "I am working on the formulation for an artificial blood substitute which can satiate the needs of a vampire."

[djinnoffire]

Notelaih blinked, taken a back - which was new to the Djinn, who had been around for such a long time that very little of people still surprised him. He did not mind however, he was one who was curious, and the idea that someone could throw him off made him want to stay closer to that person. It was what he loved about Bella. She allowed him the room to get to know her, while also wanting to know him, and with everything he learned, she became more of a person. He loved learning all the things there were to learn. 

His smile returned quickly however. “Apologies, I’m afraid it’s very much my person to leap onto small talk,” he said. “I’ll try to tone it down.” 

He frowned a bit. “You do not wish to know what it is about us, what could be similar between us to explain why our mutual acquaintance likes us both? I find it fascinating, I’m not a scientist, or alchemist, but I find it fascinating. I’m not against experimentation, if anything, it interests me a lot. I’ve seen much in my life, but I am always seeking for things to give me wonder.” He held his hands together behind his back. “Alas, if you have no interest in perhaps finding a like-minded soul, I will not bother you further. But I’d love to know what it is you’re working on? And if you wish not to talk about it, perhaps you could show me?” 

There was a shift of his languid pale blue gaze away from the djinn before him when he carried on speaking, declaring his reasoning for approaching and subsequently this official introduction. The reasoning for it seemed to Valentin to be dull, uninspired friendliness that so many seemed to insist upon and the pairing with a thank you almost resulted in a break in the vampire's relaxed expression. Inwardly, he rolled his eyes at the interruption and the forward pretense of being thanked by someone who had not been party to the event in question.

Following the question, Valentin in his usual manner, did not deign to reply quickly. He always took time at his own leisure, with a life eternal he had no need to hurriedly respond in the way mortals did without hardly a break or pause for thought and so it came to be that everything that Valentin did decide to speak had been well considered.

Valentin decidedly opted not to respond to the question nor even acknowledge it, it was boring and would only confirm what was evidently already known and so ultimately unnecessary. "You can drop the platitudes and pleasantries," came his reply, "I abhor small talk," his attention now directed to producing a small metal tin box from his inner coat pocket and from it drawing out a pre-rolled cigarette which was then placed between his lips and ignited by touching the tip to what appeared to be a small pebble that glowed orange. The tin box with the rest of his cigarettes and pebble were returned to his pocket as thin smoke was exhaled, appearing to almost shimmer before it was filtered away by the light breeze. As a vampire, naturally he did not need to breathe and only did so in this moment for the purpose of smoking as so many things he did or took part in had meaning and if there was no viable purpose then he simply did not do it, simple things like miming human life were therefore forgone, such as feigning to breath or blinking; his gaze constant and unrelenting, reprieve from it only found when he decided to look away.

"I also do not care to propagate an acquaintance simply because we share a companion. If that is your only motive for your attempt to converse with me then you may please cease in your attempt. Otherwise, tell me, what need have you for a scientist?"

[thevaaniiofcrirtha]

Vanathi had lost her good manners, obviously, at the sight of the massive tail, their eyes growing large and then a grin appeared on their face. “Who am I?” they called. “Who cares!? What is that?” They pointed at the tail and hoisted the box on their shoulder in order to have one hand free to hold out to the tail. “Did you catch that? If so, where?” They imagined fighting such a creature, one handed perhaps. They checked the stranger for injuries but saw none. Frowning and reaching for the creature. 

The box completely forgotten, Vanathi wanted to know everything there was to know about the tail. And if questions did not come soon, the Vaanii was already holding out their hand to touch the green goo that sizzled out.

The knock to the door went unheard. No one was home to hear it. In fact, the homeowner was only just arriving. A carriage taxi that was commonly seen throughout the streets of Destarin pulled up outside of the building. It seemed a bit strange for such an average looking carriage, weathered and old to stop in front of this opulent looking home, enough to make one wonder if perhaps the taxi was simply in the wrong place because surely the owner or whoever lived here wouldn't be taking a taxi. Surely they should have their own private carriage. And yet, the door to the dingy carriage was opened and out stepped a man. He was dressed well, his suit clearly tailored, but it was perhaps the only thing which looked nice about him. Generally he had fairly average features but the most surprising part about him was the fact he was carrying a large severed reptilian tail that was dripping lime-green blood that ate away anything it dripped onto like a highly concentrated acid. Perhaps this was why he took the taxi rather than his own carriage for after exiting the taxi it was quite clear that the entire bottom had nearly melted away completely and the only parts which remained were one small section near the front to be used as a foothold.

"Send me the bill for the repairs," he stated plainly and the one driving the carriage taxi, a nervous looking kobold, simply nodded emphatically before snapping the reigns and ushering the horse drawn carriage away quickly before anymore damage could be done.

Valentin looked at the one stood outside the threshold of his estate and after giving them a brief but quick appraisal, asked unceremoniously, "And who are you?" The tail he held was massive, it was longer than his abdomen and was partly draped over the front of his shoulder, the severed part held away from his body as it dripped a puddle of sizzling green onto the stone ground.

[djinnoffire]

You are the Djinn.

It was not the reaction he was expecting but it was not incorrect. The the suggested he was a Djinn of some importance and he smiled a little smile to himself at the thing of Bella talking of him. That must be why he was recognised and named as the Djinn.

He nodded. “Indeed I am,” he admitted, not the least thrown off by it taking Valentin a moment before being able to adress him. He’d been in the employ of many masters and some did so purely because they could, while others truly did need a moment of self reflection before being able to draw their attention away from what was at that moment occupying their time. What little Notelaih knew of Bella’s maker did explain the latter.

“I know not if Bella would appreciate me attempting to converse with you,” he said. “But I thought it just to at least have an introduction, I have heard little of yourself, but Bella did tell me that you saved her wings from the flame, and I’d like to thank you for that.” Her wings were important, he had seen the raw hurt when they had spoken of them. Valentin had made a choice to save them instead of his precious work, which made Notelaih respect his heart.

“If I am correct you are a scientist of sorts, are you not?”

Valentin was seated outside of his estate upon an intricate looking bench, intricate and interesting in the weaving way the wood was twisted together and seemed to sprout up from the ground like a complex root system, giving it the appearance as if it had sprouted up from the earth for the sole purpose of being molded into a comfortable resting place for passersby. Within his hands, Valentin held a small notebook, big enough to write in comfortably but small enough to fit into the inside pocket of his coat, which he wore not to warm him from the cold but for the utilitarian access of pockets in which he stored various other items deemed important.

It was just after sunset, a warm glow of a recently lit roadside lantern illuminated and cast flickering shadows across the vampire where he sat, writing in a complex and unique script, a language of his own creation to protect his most important aspects of his study. The vampire scrawled in this neat writing, aware of an approaching being, but did not look up to look at him, not even after he was addressed and spoken to. It would very much give the impression that perhaps Valentin had not heard this one speak to him in the way he continued to write without pause or lifting of his head, not once acknowledging the spoken words, until a moment later where he finally stated, "You are the djinn." It was only after he finished writing his next sentence, finishing with a dot that the vampire looked up.

In mere seconds, the pale blue of his eyes quickly took in the outward appearance of the djinn before him, information flooding his mind with every insignificant seeming detail though his expression remained as unaffected and languid as ever, not an ounce of interest gleaned in the half lidded, unblinking stare.