driftfleet | Experiencing some culture

Entry tags:

Experiencing some culture

Who: Biffy and YOU
Broadcast: No
Action: Planetside
When: Various points through the month

Shopping

[Anyone who knows Biffy will know that of course he is going to take advantage of the shopping that is available here. Not only does he need to be shopping for himself but he also needs to be shopping for a certain captain who signed his wardrobe away to him. (Minus pieces of sentimental value naturally.)

That means that he can easily be found in various shops looking through what is available. At times he can be seen with some nicely wrapped packages or with some bags. Never more than a few at a time though. He would never burden himself so utterly with an overflowing load of purchased items. He has far too much pride in his appearance for that obviously.

But this does mean he's quite easy to run into it. Feel free to do so. He's even willing to give recommendations for items for you to purchase.]

Theater

[It's been a little while since he's had the chance to properly go to the theater. This life doesn't appear to really allow for it. A shame really since he's terribly fond of it. He remembers going to plenty of shows years ago when he was but a drone. Supporting the other boys in their artistic endeavors. Even now he smiles fondly at the thought as he stands in the lobby waiting for the show to start.

Everyone knows that you don't go your seat immediately, after all. One must first mingle a little then find your seat just before the curtain rises. That way various fashions can be compared and admired. It's terribly obvious really.

More than likely he's brought someone he knows to the show with him. If not then feel free to run into him. He does love to socialize.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I see and what did you do for your former master that you were able to build this skill?

[He really is curious. Especially since it sounded like this was something he had decided on early on in life that he wanted to know about fashion]

He insists that his drones look good at all times. I was eager to please him and be his favorite so I mastered the skill quickly so I would always be in his favor.

[That might sound bad in a way but he doesn't appear to mind admitting that.]

[Drones have a different meaning to Ulaz, but that was completely beside the point. Also Ulaz doesn't see anything bad about that. That was about par for the course in Galra society]

And you were successful?

[His smile turns sad in that moment. However, he doesn't hesitate to answer.]

I was his favorite.

[He notices that sad look on his face even though it was brief. He wonders for a moment the reason for that. He had clearly wanted to be the favorite, so what other reason was there for that smile. He knew basics about Sandalio's history from Lyall. Did that come into play here? He wouldn't pry though]

Then you were successful in that. Your employment is different now?

I was never in the employment of Lord Akeldama. To be a drone is something a lifestyle choice. You devote your everything to your vampire master in the hopes of becoming a vampire as well. In exchange they will offer things like patronage for your arts and often will also provide clothing and board as well.

[He pauses with his hand on some cloth. Like he's seeing it but he's not at the same time.]

I was wanting to become a vampire.

[That made Ulaz silent for a long moment. He had spoken to Lyall and even though the other hadn't gone into much detail, he knew there had been issues regarding Sandalio's being turned and now he could see one of them - he hadn't been intending to be a werewolf, but a vampire instead]

Life does have a way going in directions we don't want it to go, changing the course of our decisions. It's what we do with what life hands us that matters.

[For a time he doesn't say anything. He's just standing there in his own thoughts. Finally though, he lets his hand drop.]

I wish it to be known that I do not hate the life that I have now. I am not angered any longer nor saddened by what took place all those years ago. Where I am now is where I am meant to be.

[He has yet to look up at the other, eyes locked on the cloth before him. Save for Lyall himself, he's realizing he's never actually had the chance to really talk about this with anyone. He's had starts of conversations here but nothing quite to this extent.]

With that said, when I was first changed I was something of a mess and could barely control my abilities since my heart was rejecting what my body had become. Rejecting the fact that everything I had ever known and loved had been stolen from me with...

[His voice drops now and his eyes close.]

...with a single bullet.

[Ulaz does not press him for answer. In fact he probably wouldn't have thought more about it if Sandalio had changed the subject. Others had things they wished to forget and he respected that enough to allow them those secrets.

Then Sandalio spoke again and he looked up at him.

Well, that definitely answered the question alright. Now it was Ulaz's turn to be silent again, looking at a shirt that he had had his hand on when Sandalio had spoken, but he wasn't quite looking at it either]

It is a shame that something like that made the decision for you. Destiny is not always in our control as much as we wish it was. It seems that you have come to think of it more positively, which isn't easy.

If you wish to share more, I'll listen.

The only one I've ever really talked about this with is Lyall. Something I am only realizing now. It was always easy to because he was there when I was changed and he was there when I realized what had been done to me after I passed out.

[But somehow it feels good to actually talk about this, even if the feelings are old and have long since healed. They cannot hurt him anymore but that doesn't mean he wants to just keep them to himself, something he's had to do while he was a new wolf and then a Beta and now an Alpha.]

If it would not be too much trouble, could we go somewhere to sit and come back to our task at hand?

It usually is easier to talk to someone who intimately aware of the situation. There is less explanation needed that way.

[He didn't have many people who would understand what he had been through, but he was expecting there to be a day when Shiro tried to get answers about what had happened again. A chance where he could give Shiro the closure he needed, something that Ulaz was the only one who could assist with.

At the question from Sandalio though, he nodded]

It's not any trouble. If we want to talk, that would be easier than in the middle of a store.

Thank you.

[He carefully puts the clothes away so they can head out. To a cafe nearby where he politely orders tea so they won't simply be sitting here with nothing at all.]

Has Lyall told you anything about when I was changed?

[Ulaz followed only a few paces behind, measuring his steps to keep distance with Sandalio rather than getting in front of him. At the cafe, Ulaz ordered a tea as well]

Just that it was not voluntary and it was the first one in a long time that wasn't.

It's true. It's considered a great cruelty and rather criminal to strip away the choice over someone trying for immortality.

[That's right. Trying. He means exactly that word.]

There is more to the story than that, of course.

[He had also heard about the difficulties those who wanted to become either a werewolf or a vampire had so he was not surprised by it being phrased "trying". It sounded like it was unpleasant even in the best of circumstances]

From what I heard, it sounds like it would be or should be considered that. It is not right taking away the choices that others are supposed to have.

[Pot? Meet kettle]

I would assume there is. That should never be the entire story.

I had lived with a vampire I had grown very...fond of.

[Translation: He was very in love with him.]

He was, in turn, very fond of myself.

[Translation: They loved each other.]

I was his favorite as I have mentioned. Before I share the rest of this I should explain something important about vampires. They have a tether to a territory of their choosing. They do not break this except for in extreme circumstances because it can be very dangerous to do this. It is far better for a vampire hive to settle into one place and to simply remain there for eternity.

[He reads those translations loud and clear. He had been in love when all of this had happened]

So a hive of vampires will be one location pretty much indefinitely unless they have no other option.

[Considering he knew nothing of vampires, it was interesting information all the same]

Correct. Usually because they are attached to a Queen who cannot leave the location unlike the rest of her hive. My former master had his own hive. There was very little that could cause him to leave without warning. So the one who wanted him to do so did the only thing he could think of.

[He looks down into his tea.]

He captured me.

Yes, that would seem to be the most effective method in that case. Take something that is important to them and hold it for ransom. It seems to be a universal tactic of desperate and cruel people. It's something I've seen more times than I want to try and count.

[He is curious why a vampire "queen" cannot leave a specific location and other similar questions, but that wasn't the point of this. This was about what had happened. He might check with Lyall to see if he knew the answer if it was not volunteered here]

You're right. It was the most powerful move one could make if they wanted to keep the one person with all the answers in the city from being anywhere one could get to him. I was kept there for days with no hope of rescue until Lyall and his Alpha dove into that water to free me. They broke the glass case I was in and swam me to the surface where they were faced with a battle against those who took me. In the fight, shots ran through the air and I was hit in the heart. I remember feeling everything growing cold, Lyall's panicked face...then nothing.

[Ulaz was silent listening to the story. It sounded like something Galra like Sendak would do. No, Sendak would have done worse than that, though others would have thought about that. Even without the Empire, there were people like that and it was disappointing.

But he could tell now what happened]

So Lyall's Alpha at the time turned you to try and stop the inevitable?

He would have let me die, I think. Not out of hatred or indifference. But because I wasn't his to change or save in that manner. Lyall begged for him to save me though. He couldn't let me die. He begged and begged until finally it happened. I woke up a time later to learn all that had taken place. My former master learned at that time as well. He likely would have started a war over having what was his stolen from him if Queen Victoria hadn't entered the room in that moment.

[He sighs softly.]

I hated what I was for quite awhile. I had little to no control over my abilities as a result. My Alpha didn't know what to do with me either. In that time Lyall was a great comfort to me.

It must have been disappointing for both you and your master when you learned what had happened.

[By trying to save him, it had separated him from the life he had known and the plans that he had had. Of course life just worked out that way. Not like he had planned a lot of the things in his life]

Sounds like Lyall has been good support for you. Even now.

Lyall has been wonderful. I was very disheartened when he had to leave for twenty years. We weren't sure what we were to each other when he came back as a result.

Twenty years? Where did he go for so long?

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