[Mousen]

"Very well," he said, and then turned his head towards the door and called. "Brennus!"

There was a scuffling sound, too soon after Elias' words to be anything other than someone stood behind the door. The pale-haired butler who had lead the two vampires into the drawing room came to Elias' side and tried not to look blatantly suspicious. "Fetch those two up to their rooms. The ones either side of mine, if you please. Come straight back down once you've finished. I imagine they're both exhausted after tonight."

Brennus nodded and gave a small bow. "Please follow me," he said to Eleanor and Erasmus.

Moving with a steady kind of grace he took them up a grand staircase made of dark wood, through a gallery overlooking the couryard and up a set of smaller stone steps into a wide corridor with several rooms coming off it. He paused. He was a tall man, white-blond, green-eyed. His age was difficult to place, early forties, perhaps? Though he was almost certainly older, if his master was anything to go by.

"Please--" he paused, cutting himself off. As if he were about to say something he shouldn't. "Elias can be... impulsive. I don't know what game he's trying to play with you, but-- I watched him grow up, he's a far better man than his father ever was. If you can find it in your heart to have any kindness towards him, please do so. You'll find it returned to you." He spoke in a low hurried voice, then stiffened slightly, inclining his head towards them. "Your bedroom on the right, Miss Eleanor, yours on the left, Master Erasmus. If you have need of a member of staff, don't be afraid to ring. The servants quaters are on the other side of the courtyard, should you wish to go looking for us yourself. Have a good evening."

Brennus left them both stood there and headed back towards the drawing room. Elias was sat by the fire, his feet firmly planted on one of the rugs, pleased to be away from the icy flagstones.

The butler stood a little behind him. "Sir-" he said, his tone imploring.

"Brennus," Elias said, lackadaisical.

"What the hell do you think you're playing at? Did you not trust that they would have come around in time? And offering yourself in this ludicrous agreement, I can't think of anything more unwise! You have damaged your own chances at happiness all to make a theatrical statement," he paused. "Is this penance, Elias? Or are you so stupid as to harm yourself to get back at him?"

Elias stood, his brows furrowed. "Have you forgotten your station?"

Brennus shrunk back, deflating slightly. "No, Sir."

"There are strategic advantages to this. The moment those two land in the hands of another family there are people working out how to pry them away. This is something that takes more thought than just a better offer. If we fall, there's a good chance those two come with us. It makes us confusing, difficult to deal with."

"And your happiness?"

"The only person I ever truly cared for was unavailable to me. Any marriage was going to be a sham, at least this way both parties can get something they want from it."

"Sir, please. This is foolishness."

"Your disagreement is noted."

"Elias, I practically raised you, watched you grow up. Would it not do to listen to me but for a moment?"

The master of the house softened a little. "Old friend, I've made my mind up. I need your support in the interesting times ahead."

Brennus dipped his head. "Of course, sir."

[crow]

If either twin was surprised at the sound of the servant at the door, they hid it well. Erasmus greeted Brennus with a slight inclining of the head, Eleanor with silent downcast eyes. She rose swiftly to follow her brother out, bobbing a last curtsy to Elias, the motion hurried but graceful all the same.

Erasmus took in their surroundings with a keen interest as they were led up to their rooms. It wasn't a tour by any means, but this was his first look at the rest of the mansion. He made sure to commit its layout to memory. Elias had said they would have free run of most of it, but it was an old habit to be as familiar with his surroundings as he could be at any given moment.

What did surprise them was Brennus's speech at the door. "We did not know his father," Erasmus pointed out.

Eleanor attempted a smile. "We will keep your words in mind," she said, more gently. "Thank you."

Erasmus opened the door to Eleanor's room as Brennus took his leave, and waited for her to enter before slipping in after her. Wordlessly, he closed it behind him and leaned his back against it, arms crossed against his chest. Eleanor seated herself on the edge of the bed. He raised a brow at her. She held his eyes for a moment, chin stubborn, then sighed. "He was speaking the truth when he gave us our terms," she said.

"Ah," said Erasmus. "Good. I was hoping he might."

Eleanor's gaze sharpened. "Erasmus. Why did you come here? Why did you offer yourself to him like this? If it was for my sake---"

"You need not concern yourself. This is merely a working arrangement." His voice carried the same dispassion that it had when he had spoken to Elias earlier.

Eleanor shook her head. "But you cannot possibly..."

"Love him? No. No more than he loves me. You heard it yourself. I am the snake he wraps around his neck so I do not go wandering after his chickens." One corner of Erasmus's mouth lifted in a small, wry smile. "It does not matter. And whatever you think I have lost in the bargain, I assure you, the cost must have been far greater to him." Erasmus had no connections, no prospects, beyond what his reputation had earned him, and even then he was seldom more than a tool or a dog on a leash. Elias might have married for power. But perhaps it was just as well that he felt comfortable enough to squander his chances; it spoke of confidence, if nothing else.

Eleanor had risen, closing in to lay one hand on his shoulder, to beseech him to look at her. "Erasmus, I beg you, stop bartering yourself away like this."

Erasmus met her gaze, and raised one hand to lay it over hers. "His court will be kinder to you. That is compensation enough for the price of my threadbare honor, Eleanor."

"But will he be kind to you? If he thinks you a snake, what assurance do you have that he won't cut off your head one day and be rid of you altogether?"

"It's a wager I'm willing to take," said Erasmus. Eleanor's grip on his arm tightened. He smiled at her, tugging her hand gently loose. "He is bored, Eleanor. It is likely no more than that. Let him needle his relatives with my presence if it pleases him. My face will not suffer for a little scorn."

She looked unconvinced, but the fight had gone out of her. Moving away, she wrapped her hands around her own arms, as though there were a chill. "We should never have let them turn us," she said.

Erasmus stared out through the window at the rain-drenched night. "I'm afraid it's too late now." He pushed away from the wall. "You should get some rest," he said, turning to take his leave of the room. Unspoken went the addendum that neither of them knew what awaited them tomorrow.

[Mousen]

The slap across the face caught him off guard. It echoed through the candlelit chamber. He felt ancient fingernails scrape across the surface of his skin. Dark pinpricks of blood, black in the limited light, welled up where she had struck him.

"Nanny Eormenhild," Elias said, sweeping his hair back from his face and wincing away from her. "How on earth have I displeased you?"

The old sea witch gave him a stern look. Her skin was crumpled parchment, white whispy hair fell down her back past her hips, but her eyes were bright and reflective in the dark. "I think ye know well, Elias Brodnax. Don't be coy."

"Surely," he said. "Marriage is a happy occasion?" For a moment he thought she was going to slap him again and he dodged out her reach for a blow that never came.

"Aye, when you're not a dizzard," she spat.

"Nanny!" Elias was acutely aware he was whining. He could see, sat in the high backed chairs at the bottom of the room, a couple of smiles. Cythethryth and Eadwulf were using this as an excuse to laugh at him no doubt.

The old woman huffed, wringing her gnarled hands together. "Let me read you the bones." Already she was reaching for something out of her pockets, an old wooden box, and making her way to to a heavy table with a stone bowl placed upon it. She upended the contents of the box into her hands, spat on the fragments of bone and threw them, clattering into the bowl. She glanced down, trailing a finger through the  spaces.

Elias had stopped breathing again, suddenly nervous. He watched as the woman turned towards the back of the room and waved someone over. "Osred," she said, and something else in an old, guttural language.

The old man stood with some difficulty, but Elias knew better than to go over and help him. He waited for the ancient figure to slowly move across the room. It took longer every time, he was sure. Osred's eyes were milky-white, long clouded by cataracts. When he reached them, Elias said something to him in the same guttural language. The old man snorted. He reached out his hand and Nanny Eormenhild took it, brushing his fingers along the stone bowl, and the bones scattered within in.

Osred turned to Eormenhild, something was whispered between them.

"What does it say?" Elias asked.

Osred answered, in the language of their people, of moors cloaked with heather, white horses painted on the hills in chalk and high standing stones. "It says its always the damn fools that are the lucky ones."

Nanny Eormenhild sighed. "We won't oppose this, youngling."

Elias smiled, bowed his head towards both of them. "Elder Osred, Nanny Eormenhild."

He climbed narrow set of stairs upwards, and eventually made it to the corridor where he, Eleanor and Erasmus had their rooms. He'd only been back there briefly, spending the daylight in his study instead, working. The sun had only just begun to set. Soon, Brennus would come around to light the lamps.

He slipped into his own room for a moment, finding something to tie his hair back, and a hankerchief to mop the blood from his face. He dug out his old smoking jacket from the ornately carved wardrobe while he was there. It was a dark velvet, a little loose on him around the shoulders, but very comfortable. He knew it suited him, even if the silver spotted mirror in the room gave no real likeness. His face shifted in it, he looked like a dead thing. He stuck his tongue out at it.

Sufficiently dressed, he left his own room to knock at both the doors of the siblings. First Erasmus, then Eleanor and stepped back to await them.

[crow]

Erasmus woke from a dreamless sleep. It had become a customary thing by now, though he'd been plagued with nightmares in the first few decades after his turning. In time, however, even his subconscious mind had apparently acclimated to his circumstances. His surroundings disoriented him briefly, but his memories returned to him almost immediately. For a scant few seconds, for the measure of a heartbeat, Erasmus allowed himself to lay there in the too-soft bed and contemplate the scope of what had come to pass last night.

The moment passed, however, and he rose, dressing himself in brisk movements. There had been, amusingly enough, nightclothes laid out for him on the bed the night before. The real mattress and the silks were such a drastic change from sleeping in his coat, out in the woods or jostled in the seat of some vehicle, that he had nearly wanted to laugh.

Very well. His sister had played the role of trophy long enough. If he was to take a turn at it, he would enjoy what it had to offer, even if the comforts were merely superficial.

He was nearly finished when he heard the knock at the door, but didn't bother to button up his shirt as he went to answer the door. He never had cared much for his own appearance, and in his experience it was best not to run the risk of keeping his masters waiting. What he did not expect was to be greeted with Elias himself. He had presumed it would be a servant come to fetch him, in which case it wouldn't have mattered anyway. His short, dark hair was still messy, having only been combed roughly back with a hand. Surprise lent his features a briefly youthful cast--- he had not been older than his mid-twenties when he was turned, but his graveness of expression had a tendency to age him.

"Elias," he said, mostly for Eleanor's benefit. She would hear him through the door. What she decided from there was her own choice, but he could give her that much warning, at least. It felt odd not to preface the name with a title, the same way the bedclothes had been odd. "Did you have need of me?"

Eleanor's door opened a moment later. She was neat and fully clothed, already half-way into a bow. "Master Elias," she said, before catching sight of Erasmus. Her eyes widened a fraction as she took in his appearance, which he answered with an incremental shrug. "To... To what do we owe the pleasure?"

[Mousen]

"My apologies for disturbing you," he said, looking between them. He took in Eramus' uncombed hair and their surprise at seeing him. There was something rather endearing about it, and he made a mental note to not get too attached. There was still a very good chance this particular set of strays would turn to bite the hand that fed them.

He dabbed absent-mindedly at his face with the hankerchief, the bleeding had just about stopped now. Damnable thing she was sometimes, for all her wisdom. "I spent the day in my study. I've sent letters to our closest allies out of obligation. I don't imagine the news of my, well," he cast a glance at Erasmus, "our engagement will go beyond them in the next few days. There's another meeting, discussing who gets your fallen master's seat on the council. I would like you to come with me." It was the perfect opportunity, really. Elias had always loved a bit of drama.

"But before that happens, you'll need something tailored. Eleanor as well, just in case the need arises. Brennus and his daughter are waiting. Are you all right to have your measurements taken?" he asked. It wasn't the most interesting task in the world, but it wasn't particularly unpleasant. "Oh, and I thought it best to introduce Eleanor to her companion. It's nothing official, just, someone I'd like you to seek out should you decide to leave the estate or wander far into the grounds. I chose her in the hope that you might find some common ground."

[crow]

The scent of blood hit them both at the same time. It was faint, but now that Erasmus had gotten over the initial shock of Elias's presence, he took in the man's appearance--- and the scratches on his face.

Eleanor didn't entirely manage to stifle a soft gasp. "Forgive me, sir, but are you alright?" she said.

Erasmus's reaction was merely one of casual curiosity. "You didn't acquire those in your study, I presume?" It was not the sort of liberty he would have taken with his previous masters, but then, his previous masters had never allowed him the impression that he was anything more than a servant at best. Part of him knew it wasn't wise, but the rest wanted to see just how far he could go before Elias brought him up short.

It earned him another one of Eleanor's furtive glances. "We'd be happy to oblige," she said. The prospect of a companion for her caught them both off guard--- the second time in one morning. Erasmus tensed, while Eleanor glanced off to the side, sensing his unease and unsure as to what to do with it.

Erasmus hadn't liked that particular part of the arrangement when Elias had mentioned it last night, but it hadn't been his place to argue. It wasn't his place to argue now, or to forbid Eleanor to leave the grounds, if that was what she wanted. Still, after having lost her once so recently, he was reluctant to let her out of his sight again.

It wasn't practical. He knew he would have other obligations, and that she wouldn't be left to fend for herself. Nevertheless, he couldn't help the feeling of unease that surged up in his chest.

"I... Yes, of course. Thank you," said Eleanor. "Although I don't think I'll feel up to venturing out for a little while yet; so much has happened so quickly." If she sensed Erasmus's gratitude, she didn't show it. "But I'm sure it would be lovely to meet her," Eleanor added earnestly.

"Forgive me for prying, but who has been chosen for the role?" Even with the assurance that Eleanor had given him, he wouldn't feel reassured until he knew the nature, at least, of her companion.

[Mousen]

Elias opened his mouth to give some explanation and then stopped himself, letting a small laugh escape him. "I'm starting to see the downside to this gift of yours," He glanced at Erasmus, meeting his eyes. "And, no, I did not." Apparently freedom suited him, if his attitude was anything to go by.

"I went to see the Elders, and," There was no delicate way to say that he'd been slapped across the face by his many-times great grandmother, but he made the attempt. "Nanny Eormenhild didn't take the news of the engagement well. Still, she came around in the end, once the surprise had worn off." He smiled, taking amusement from the situation himself.

Elias nodded at Eleanor. He hadn't expected either of them to be thrilled with the prospect, but it made sense. There was too much to be lost in giving Eleanor the freedom to travel where she liked alone. She was simply too vulnerable. "She's the 19 year old daughter of one of my human cousins. She's a nice girl, and her abilities make her suited to a defensive role, should the need arise. Her name's Morgan." Elias knew that would raise as many questions as it had answered, but Erasmus would shortly be able to see for himself the nature of his sister's newly chosen companion.

"Shall we?" he said, gesturing to the corridor.

[crow]

"My pardon, Master Elias," said Eleanor, smiling apologetically at him. She listened to his explanation with tactful silence; mercifully this time Erasmus also declined to comment, and the two fell into step behind Elias, making their way down the hall. The look on Erasmus's face suggested he wasn't fully satisfied with Elias's description of the girl, Morgan, but if he had any objections, he was withholding them for the moment. Neither of them had seen her for themselves, and both were aware that people were seldom what they seemed in the courts of vampires.

Erasmus finished buttoning his shirt as they walked, though the effort only made him marginally more presentable. Still, this was enough as far as he was concerned. They were only going in for measurements for better clothes anyway; and in a more general sense, he had found in the past that cultivating a slightly feral image worked to his favor more often than not.

One question nagged at him, so he asked it now. "At this meeting," he said, turning back to what Elias had said earlier. "How am I to conduct myself? I confess that my experience does not go beyond that of a master's guard, in such settings." Elias's words had made it clear that Erasmus would be attending in his capacity as Elias's affianced, however, and he doubted what he knew would serve him there.

What he did not ask outright, but wanted to know more than that, was how Elias had decided to frame their engagement in the eyes of outsiders. It wasn't inconceivable that he would disguise the true nature of the union, but if he expected Erasmus to play a role, Erasmus would feel more comfortable knowing what that role was.

[Mousen]

Elias lead them back towards the drawing room. He turned briefly over his shoulder to look at Erasmus. "Well, our allies think this stems from a genuine affection," his face faltered slightly. "They're old friends and I couldn't bear to hear them nag." Titus and Augustine were really too nice to be playing with the politics in the vampire courts. They worked hard to live virtuously, something Elias hadn't even considered until he'd met them. It was just just lucky Titus was so old, and so powerful. "Stay by me and be polite. There's no need for too much of an act, the court will write it off as nerves. Just, try not to flinch if I take you by the arm or extol your virtues. Oh, and keep your wits about you." They'd all be shocked of course, that was what Elias was relying on, with Erasmus on his arm they'd know that the girl was close by. And if he could keep up the pretence he was marrying from an eccentric kind of affection, they couldn't even begin to guess what his plans were (which, would hopefully give him some time to make them).

Elias pushed open the door. Heavy velvet curtains had been drawn across the windows, and the lamps were all lit, there was a fire burning low in the grate. There were two servants stood by the door, one of whom was Brennus, and the other was almost certainly his daughter. Her hair was redder, a pale strawberry blonde that was tied into a neat bun at the back of her head, but her features, the long, slim face and high brows were all Brennus. She bobbed a curtsey as they entered. Brennus inclined his head.

Elias smiled at them both. "Eleanor, Erasmus this is Brennus and Linnet. You've seen Brennus briefly, of course. Are they alright to take your measurements? If you stand over by the lamps they'll be a little more light for them."

"You're so old-fashioned, Uncle Elias, why couldn't you have just got me to take them shopping?" A voice from by the fire piped up. She pushed herself up from one of the high-backed chairs and turned to face them. She was young, in her late teens or early twenties. Her dark hair was cut short, fringe dyed green. Her eyes, one green, one brown glimmered with well-meaning mischief.

Elias' face softened when he saw her. "Hiding in the shadows again, Morgan?"

"Psh. You're just unobservant." Spotting Erasmus and Eleanor her smile turned a little nervous, and she pushed up the sleeves of her hoodie, an absent-minded habit. "Is this- um, are you Eleanor?"

"Eleanor, in case you hadn't gathered as much, this if your companion, Morgan. I know its an unusual arrangement, but I hope it will become of benefit to you." Privately, Elias was rather hoping to see what reaction the unassuming nature of his sister's new protector would have upon Erasmus. Not that there was much change he'd let Elias see, he was good enough at pretending to be made of stone when it suited him.

[crow]

"My... virtues," said Erasmus, slowly. It was with some restraint that he withheld from asking why Elias hadn't done just that, then--- married for affection, if he was concerned enough about his friends to lie about it.

However, he doubted that Elias would give him a satisfactory answer; in fact, he was beginning to think that Elias did not have a satisfactory answer for himself--- not one that would have satisfied Erasmus. Whatever answer he had come to was apparently enough for Elias to have acted on it, all the same.

But everything that Elias had mentioned sounded easy enough. Stand there, serve as an ornament, and try not to look too terribly aghast at whatever antics Elias had in mind. It would be a little odd to be at the crux of the theatrics, but it would hardly be the first time he'd been present at a gathering of lords and their ilk, and it would be a good opportunity to learn names and faces, figure out what exactly he was dealing with.

The twins entered the room in Elias's shadow. Eleanor acknowledged the servants, while Erasmus paid them little attention, opting to scope out his surroundings instead. He smelled the blood scent of the girl before he saw her, but at first he dismissed her as merely another servant. It was only when she spoke with Elias that Erasmus turned his gaze on her, sharp with wary interest.

When the girl spoke her name, Eleanor smiled. "Yes, I am. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Morgan." She dipped into another shallow curtsey. If she was uneasy, it did not show in her bearing. She stepped into the light as she was bid, but Erasmus did not. He had moved from watching Morgan to glaring at Elias, the lines of his body gone taut.

"An unusual arrangement," he said. "That is what you are calling this? Our agreement was contingent on the condition that my sister would be protected." He did not have to say that a half-grown human girl would not be sufficient; the conclusion ought to have been obvious, so much so that he suspected it was some sort of ruse specifically to get a rise out of him. As foolish as it was to play into a master's games, however, his sister's safety was the one matter on which he could not hold his tongue.

[Mousen]

He hadn't expected for Erasmus to take the sight of his sister's new protector well, but Elias hadn't anticipated the outburst. As far as Eleanor was concerned, it was apparently much easier to make the vampire loose his composure. He blinked slowly, eyes flicking from Erasmus to Eleanor, as if deciding whether to digify him with a reply.

The young girl had her arms folded, but her expression had dropped from her previous cheerfulness to something with a stark intensity. It was... serene on the surface, her face calm, but there was a boiling intensity just underneath the surface. Even in her hoodie and tiny skull earrings, she looked otherworldy. She looked to Elias, who gave her something that might have been a shrug.

She took it as permission, and stepped away from Eleanor towards Erasmus. "If you have a problem, take it up with me directly." She brushed her hair from her eyes. "I assure you, Lord Elias would not have given me this position if he did not think me more than able of protecting your sister from whatever danger she may face."

She took another step towards him. "If you require proof, I'm more than happy to turn all the blood in your veins into seawater, so you have to open yourself up and scratch the salt out before you turn into a whithered husk. I could grow barnacles on your ribcage, make that unbeating heart of yours into an octopus and watch as it squirms in your chest. Don't you smell the sea magic on me? The pull of the tide? I'm more than some human whelp. I'm a Brodnax." Morgan squarely met his gaze. She could hear the wind outside, and the sea, not far away. Deeper still, there were the echoes of things calling out to her from deep beneath the ocean, if only she could separate it from the sound of her own beating heart...

She let out a small huff, and took a moment to collect herself, the intensity in her eyes disappating. "I just enjoy being nice, it's better than being terrifying and esotetic. But I can, and I will do whatever it takes to serve this family. Are you happy to let me do my job?"

[crow]

Erasmus did not so much as lean back at Morgan's approach. Her words should have been just the reassurance he wished to hear, even if the form it took left something to be desired, but instead he found himself tensing, everything pulled tight like a bowstring stretched to its limit. He had been wound up too quickly, and now he was spoiling for a fight. His eyes flashed, not quite red but rapidly brightening. The voice of reason was a distant memory. He opened his mouth, sharp words dancing at the tip of his tongue---

A quiet gasp from somewhere behind the girl. His sister. Eleanor.

Erasmus closed his mouth again, ground his teeth together so tightly that the sound of bone against bone was nearly audible in the quiet that had fallen over the room. A muscle twitched in his jaw. With effort, he tore his eyes away from the girl, glancing in Eleanor's direction. His sister was wide-eyed with fear, her hands at her mouth, but she caught his gaze and gave him just the barest hint of a nod. He could see her pleading with him silently not to do anything foolish. It was not an unfamiliar thing.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, they were fixed on Elias. Erasmus saw the smile--- Elias was enjoying this. All along, it had been a set-up--- bait the dog and see if he'll bark. And if Erasmus had been fool enough to get himself killed, well, that would have been one less creature of uncertain allegiance for Elias to contend with.

"A Brodnax," he said tersely. "Yes. I am beginning to see what that means."

"I--- I apologize on my brother's behalf," Eleanor said, but Erasmus held up a hand to stall her.

"Please. Allow me to make my own obeisances, Eleanor," he said. He straightened, forcing the tension from his limbs. The smile that he gave Morgan was tight-lipped and sharp, but it was a smile all the same. "I beg your pardon. I must confess that I am not yet familiar with the workings of the family, and your dear uncle neglected to give us a proper introduction."

He had his doubts as to whether Morgan would accept his apology, such as it was. He was an outsider, and her affection for Elias was as obvious as it was incomprehensible to him. But Eleanor was the one who was going to have to bear this girl company. He would not have her take on any burden of blame for his mistake. "Of course, it is my sister you will be accompanying, so I will defer to her judgement."

"... I am in your care," said Eleanor, but she did not meet anyone's eyes.

[Mousen]

Elias had expected a reaction, but not one as tightly wound as all that. For a brief moment there was something almost like surprise writ across his face and he tensed, as if ready to launch himself between Morgan and Erasmus. It was't that Morgan couldn't take care of herself, she had proven that much, but it was certainly better for Erasmus to tear into him than her. She was still human, after all, bloodloss could still kill her. Elias had no such weakness. The moment, however, passed, and Elias watched how it unfolded with interest.

Morgan flinched visibly when Erasmus tensed, she lifted her hands and there were barnacles, ghostly-white, along her fingers. "It's never wise to underestimate us," she said. "But next time, you can just ask, as a rule we're not assigned to things to be useless at them." There was something softer and concillatory in her tone. She brushed the barnacles from her hands, and they fell to the flagstone floor, leaving little red rings where the shells had grown. "Please don't worry that I'm not capable of looking after Eleanor, if you'd like a demonstration-- one not at your expense-- it can be arranged." She was in earnest, her eyes fixed on Erasmus.

She turned to look at Eleanor. "I'm sorry for startling you both. I just... don't like being thought of as powerless.  Maybe we can start again?" She rubbed at a spot on one of her hands, the places where the barnacles had been looked slightly sore. She pulled the sleeves of her hoodie down.

"If that is all your concerns taken care of, Erasmus, would you step towards the lamps and let Brennus work? The sooner its done the sooner I can leave you to your own devices. Unless there's anything you require from me?"

[crow]

"Trust isn't the sort of behavior I'm traditionally rewarded for," said Erasmus, moving so he stood next to his sister, "but I will do my best to adapt." There he stood, his face impassive, waiting for Brennus to do what he needed. There was a briskness to his motions that suggested that he also wanted this over with sooner rather than later.

By contrast, Eleanor drew out of herself a little more at Morgan's words, her gaze sliding over Morgan's hands and softening with concern as she saw the sore spots there. "Are your hands alright?" she said. "I could help you put something on them when we're done here, if you like... It's the least I could do, when you're the one who will be watching over me." Eleanor smiled, and though it was tired and worried at the edges, the goodwill in it was genuine.

At Elias's question, she began to shake her head, but Erasmus cut in. "What are our feeding arrangements here?" he said. There had been mention of ewe's blood last night, but neither of them had eaten since they arrived, and while Erasmus would hold up a while longer, he knew that Eleanor was not in such good shape. There was also the unfortunate matter of her fangs, but if they were all drinking drawn blood here, then perhaps it wouldn't be the issue it usually was. "I presume, from everything I've been told, that you don't approve of drinking from the family or the help?"

[Mousen]

Brennus was swift with the tape measure. He had a good eye for estimations, after serving master, after master. All this did was confirm his guesses. On the other side of the room, Linette was a touch slower, but just as careful. Occasionally one of them would pause to ask for an arm to be raised, or a stance to be adjusted.

"Glad to hear it, darling." Whether the pet name was a slip of the tongue, or a way of reminding Erasmus of his current predicament, it was impossible to tell. Elias' face was as unreadable as ever. "As for feeding, there is always fresh animal blood to hand. I have requested a regular amount of human blood to be delivered for Eleanor. She may ask Linette or another member of staff to fetch it whenever she wishes." He shot a smile in her direction. "As for the rest of us, we tend to venture outside the premises to hunt. Please be discreet about it, though. Having human relatives has given me something of a soft spot, I prefer not to kill the wee things. I just leave them with a bit of a headache and some serious concerns about the company they were keeping the night before. Really though, its your choice what you do with them. The family and staff are out of the question, unless you ask nicely first, but you might want to get to know them a little bit more... intimately before that."

Elias headed for the door. "One more thing, I did mention that meeting I want us to attend is in two days, didn't I? Well, be ready for just after sunset. I'll collect you myself."

It was just Morgan and the servants alone with the two vampires now. "Thank you. I'd appreciate the company if you're offering, Eleanor," she smiled, her eyes flicking nervously towards Erasmus and back again. "It won't take a minute."

"You're all done," Brennus said, interrupting the conversation and rolling up his tape measure. "If there's any clothing you need, let us know and it can be acquired for you."