[ If there's one thing these two can agree on, it's that they're not fond of being made to feel emotions other than their own. Fern's become good at tamping down on her emotions despite the fact that shifters are known for feeling everything quite strongly, and that's reason enough to not like when her perception of what she's feeling is disrupted.
Especially when there's no explanation for why the rave made her feel that way. She hadn't eaten or drank anything in there, nor had she noted any sort of smoke or gas...
Briefly, she wonders if this man before her with his ability to apparently crush metal with his mind might have some idea. Although the fact that he's out here venting out his frustrations certainly tells a story, as well. The way that he tries to greet her with a smile in spite of everything is almost comical, and Fern raises an eyebrow. ]
No, I just wanted some air.
[ She glances over her shoulder, back to the door she just left through. She can still make out the thumping baseline of the music and her lip curls into a scowl before she returns her attention back to her alleyway companion. ]
Were you in there too?
[ There's little other reason for why he would be out here, but he doesn't exactly look the type, either. ]
[She doesn't seem to mind the fact that he is turning a dumpster into a wad of useless metal, though Henry suspects that he should turn his attention properly to the conversation at hand. He steps closer to her so that they needn't make their voices carry to be heard down this back alleyway.]
I did.
[He looks back at the building behind her, thudding with base and the sound of people trying to enjoy themselves. And, unsurprisingly, the flicker of his polite smile falters for a moment. He feels that their disgust is shared to some degree.]
And I hated it. I might've hated it in normal circumstances, too, but... Did you notice? There's something in there that needles in, that tweaks the mind to feel more complacent.
[ The fact that he abandons what he was doing to move closer is unexpected, but it seems that speaking to her is as good a distraction as any. She continues to move away from the exit door, wanting to separate herself from that overwhelming noise, and so she meets him in the middle. It's definitely not as bad out here as it was in there, but her ears do still feel like they're ringing.
So it wasn't just her. Fern expected as much, but it's good to have some sort of confirmation, to know that she wasn't simply imagining things. She heaves out a breath and nods, taking the somewhat childish chance to kick at a metal can and send it clattering down the uneven concrete of the alley. ]
Neither do I. [ Who would, she wants to ask, but plenty of the people inside seem to have no issue with it. ] But I would imagine someone like you would find it even more bothersome than most. [ Given that he's psionic, as he put it. She can still barely believe that, but she also knows that it might mean something different where he's from. Or at least be a little less rare. ]
Do you have any idea what could have been causing it?
[ Maybe he has some way of sensing it, given the little she knows of what he can do.
She moves to the opposite wall and leans herself against it, shutting her eyes for a moment. She's still working on pushing down her frustration over how the attempt to apprehend Laszlo turned out. Of all the places that vampire had to come, it was here. ]
[Still entirely rare, being a psionic hailing from his version of Earth. But not so rare as to be non-existent, just one of a handful, once. And now? One of less than that.
But that’s neither here nor there.
The metal can skitters down into the road, echoing as Henry gazes back towards the back exit of the building which he had come from. Right above it, a neon light buzzes, and he considers making it pop and crackle and break, but reigns that impulse in for now.]
If I had to guess? It would have to be another psychic. A powerful one. My own mind has its defenses, especially against mental manipulation like that — it’s no easy feat to override it.
[Maybe he should seek out the one in charge of the establishment, confront them about it. Learn more about them. He can keep that idea in his back pocket for now.
He turns his blue-eyed gaze towards her, assessing.]
In other words, probably not someone you’d want to confront without giving some thought to what you’d say or do first.
[Smiles, tilting his head.]
…Why were you in there? No offense, but you don’t really strike me as the “clubbing” type.
[ That seems like a decent theory, based on the little that they know. Once again, Fern can't understand how everyone inside the warehouse is apparently fine with having their mood altered against their will, but then again, people also imbibe things like alcohol willingly.
So, someone powerful enough to be able to push past the man's notable mental defenses. Fern doesn't like the sound of that; she sends a wary glance back in the direction of the building. ]
Is that your plan, then? To confront whoever it is once you've thought through your approach?
[ It's not as if Fern hasn't done similar in the past. To say nothing of Strahd, there was also the abbot. She knows firsthand that it's important to be fully prepared when confronting anyone with that level of power, and it would be no different here.
At his question, though, she scoffs and shakes her head. She doesn't even know what "clubbing" is, but setting that inside... ]
I tracked someone here. [ And there's no reason to keep it a secret, so she adds: ] A vampire who I suspected was up to no good.
Hm. Maybe. I hate not knowing what I'm dealing with.
[Moreover, maybe there is a part of him that hates not being the most powerful psionic in the room, because that means he relinquishes control; and Henry Creel does love his control when it comes to applying his powers to others. Not necessarily the other way around.
That last part, though... That totally derails him a bit.]
A vampire? [Now, given the nature of this world, this shouldn't surprise him. What's really curious is why Fern felt the need to track them at all.] Is there a bounty on them, or something?
Edited (you are NOT seeing me edit this ages later just bc i saw my grammar mistake helppppp) 2025-10-02 21:13 (UTC)
[ Fern can agree with that sentiment, though he doesn't seem to want to admit to anything right here and now. Perhaps because he doesn't trust her to not point fingers if whoever is behind the mind control ends up injured or worse.
(Little does he know, she's an assassin by trade and doesn't lose much sleep over murder unless it's acted out on innocents.)
Either way, she lets it go to consider his question. A bounty...? She hasn't seen anything quite like that, though maybe she's been looking in the wrong places. She shakes her head. ]
... I have some history with vampires, and for the most part, they're scourges on society that leave a bloody trail in their wake. [ She won't get into her whole vendetta against Strahd unless he's truly that curious. ] We had a brief encounter at a diffusion zone, and then he happened to wander into my workplace. After that, I kept an eye out for his vehicle, which is... ostentatious, to say the least.
[Now, there's a tale. What kind of history? The sort of history that makes her want to hunt and kill them? It must be a dark, twisted tale — and one he wishes he could hear.]
So you're saying this man is dangerous. Should I be keeping an eye out for any telltale signs of vampires? And what kind of vehicle?
[ It's not as if Fern has said a thing about trying to kill said vampires so far. Tracking one doesn't mean she intends to kill them. And in truth, she didn't, though whether things would have played out differently without the calming effect, she can't say.
Either way, she's going to be careful with her words, especially with the knowledge that this man uses mind magic in some form. ]
Yes, you might want to take care. [ Though with how he was able to crush that dumpster with just a thought, chances are he could handle himself. ] As you can imagine, they'll drain people of blood to sustain themselves. Usually it's fatal. Most vampires are... [ She trails off. It's hard to be anything close to objective when talking about this.
She huffs out a sigh, letting her arms fall from his chest to her sides. ] They're usually quite vain, so they dress nicely, in some sort of finery. They're tend to be rather self-important, but what will stand out most is you'll only find them out at night. This one's car is... [ ...... ] an ambulance.
[ Her pronunciation of "ambulance" is slightly off. ]
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no subject
Especially when there's no explanation for why the rave made her feel that way. She hadn't eaten or drank anything in there, nor had she noted any sort of smoke or gas...
Briefly, she wonders if this man before her with his ability to apparently crush metal with his mind might have some idea. Although the fact that he's out here venting out his frustrations certainly tells a story, as well. The way that he tries to greet her with a smile in spite of everything is almost comical, and Fern raises an eyebrow. ]
No, I just wanted some air.
[ She glances over her shoulder, back to the door she just left through. She can still make out the thumping baseline of the music and her lip curls into a scowl before she returns her attention back to her alleyway companion. ]
Were you in there too?
[ There's little other reason for why he would be out here, but he doesn't exactly look the type, either. ]
no subject
I did.
[He looks back at the building behind her, thudding with base and the sound of people trying to enjoy themselves. And, unsurprisingly, the flicker of his polite smile falters for a moment. He feels that their disgust is shared to some degree.]
And I hated it. I might've hated it in normal circumstances, too, but... Did you notice? There's something in there that needles in, that tweaks the mind to feel more complacent.
[He scoffs.]
I don't like being treated that way by anyone.
no subject
So it wasn't just her. Fern expected as much, but it's good to have some sort of confirmation, to know that she wasn't simply imagining things. She heaves out a breath and nods, taking the somewhat childish chance to kick at a metal can and send it clattering down the uneven concrete of the alley. ]
Neither do I. [ Who would, she wants to ask, but plenty of the people inside seem to have no issue with it. ] But I would imagine someone like you would find it even more bothersome than most. [ Given that he's psionic, as he put it. She can still barely believe that, but she also knows that it might mean something different where he's from. Or at least be a little less rare. ]
Do you have any idea what could have been causing it?
[ Maybe he has some way of sensing it, given the little she knows of what he can do.
She moves to the opposite wall and leans herself against it, shutting her eyes for a moment. She's still working on pushing down her frustration over how the attempt to apprehend Laszlo turned out. Of all the places that vampire had to come, it was here. ]
no subject
But that’s neither here nor there.
The metal can skitters down into the road, echoing as Henry gazes back towards the back exit of the building which he had come from. Right above it, a neon light buzzes, and he considers making it pop and crackle and break, but reigns that impulse in for now.]
If I had to guess? It would have to be another psychic. A powerful one. My own mind has its defenses, especially against mental manipulation like that — it’s no easy feat to override it.
[Maybe he should seek out the one in charge of the establishment, confront them about it. Learn more about them. He can keep that idea in his back pocket for now.
He turns his blue-eyed gaze towards her, assessing.]
In other words, probably not someone you’d want to confront without giving some thought to what you’d say or do first.
[Smiles, tilting his head.]
…Why were you in there? No offense, but you don’t really strike me as the “clubbing” type.
no subject
So, someone powerful enough to be able to push past the man's notable mental defenses. Fern doesn't like the sound of that; she sends a wary glance back in the direction of the building. ]
Is that your plan, then? To confront whoever it is once you've thought through your approach?
[ It's not as if Fern hasn't done similar in the past. To say nothing of Strahd, there was also the abbot. She knows firsthand that it's important to be fully prepared when confronting anyone with that level of power, and it would be no different here.
At his question, though, she scoffs and shakes her head. She doesn't even know what "clubbing" is, but setting that inside... ]
I tracked someone here. [ And there's no reason to keep it a secret, so she adds: ] A vampire who I suspected was up to no good.
no subject
[Moreover, maybe there is a part of him that hates not being the most powerful psionic in the room, because that means he relinquishes control; and Henry Creel does love his control when it comes to applying his powers to others. Not necessarily the other way around.
That last part, though... That totally derails him a bit.]
A vampire? [Now, given the nature of this world, this shouldn't surprise him. What's really curious is why Fern felt the need to track them at all.] Is there a bounty on them, or something?
no subject
(Little does he know, she's an assassin by trade and doesn't lose much sleep over murder unless it's acted out on innocents.)
Either way, she lets it go to consider his question. A bounty...? She hasn't seen anything quite like that, though maybe she's been looking in the wrong places. She shakes her head. ]
... I have some history with vampires, and for the most part, they're scourges on society that leave a bloody trail in their wake. [ She won't get into her whole vendetta against Strahd unless he's truly that curious. ] We had a brief encounter at a diffusion zone, and then he happened to wander into my workplace. After that, I kept an eye out for his vehicle, which is... ostentatious, to say the least.
[ tl;dr: she's in it for the love of the game ]no subject
And she is so valid for this]History?
[Now, there's a tale. What kind of history? The sort of history that makes her want to hunt and kill them? It must be a dark, twisted tale — and one he wishes he could hear.]
So you're saying this man is dangerous. Should I be keeping an eye out for any telltale signs of vampires? And what kind of vehicle?
no subject
Either way, she's going to be careful with her words, especially with the knowledge that this man uses mind magic in some form. ]
Yes, you might want to take care. [ Though with how he was able to crush that dumpster with just a thought, chances are he could handle himself. ] As you can imagine, they'll drain people of blood to sustain themselves. Usually it's fatal. Most vampires are... [ She trails off. It's hard to be anything close to objective when talking about this.
She huffs out a sigh, letting her arms fall from his chest to her sides. ] They're usually quite vain, so they dress nicely, in some sort of finery. They're tend to be rather self-important, but what will stand out most is you'll only find them out at night. This one's car is... [ ...... ] an ambulance.
[ Her pronunciation of "ambulance" is slightly off. ]