After the altercation with Pearly

[onceaviking]

He feels heavy and sluggish.
He looked down as he sat down on the bed and lifting his face feels like more of a chore than it ought, but he manages, looking at Pam.

His cheekbone seems to have righted itself, but it is still fully visible.
His flesh is torn, red and charred. His skin is white as paper.

He blinks slowly a couple of times.

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[lazy_but_loyal]

Pam is also watching -- and listening. Listening to Emcee's heartbeat in case Eric drinks too deeply. And he'll have to drink as deep as possible to heal completely, but without damaging the man. It looks as if his blood is already working, though, and she steps closer to watch.

There may be relief in her eyes, even if nothing else shows in her expression.

She can still feel Eric's pain and discomfort, but it won't be long now until he is rid of it. That's all that matters to her.

[onceaviking]

Eric's free hand moves up to rest at the nape of Emcee's neck. His fingers burying themselves in his hair.

Just like he would with a woman.

It's soothing, stroking someone's hair.

His mouth moves as he suckles the wounds, his grip on Emcee still tight.

He trusts Pam to pay attention to his prey for all he can sense is the blood filling his mouth and the pain as the wound on his own face finally, finally, close, the skin stretching white and whole across his bones and flesh.

He moans loudly against Emcee's wrist.

[i_am_your_host]

Now two sensations stand out, Eric's fingers in his hair and his lips on his skin, stroking him almost in tandem.

His eyelids flutter and he leans slightly into his touch. It's as soothing for him as it is for Eric. And it gives him something to brace himself against as he begins to feel faint.

He fights it for a while, keeping himself alert by watching Eric's skin regrow over the exposed bone and flesh, becoming smooth and flawless, with no scars whatsoever. It's amazing.

But not amazing enough to keep his eyelids from drooping and his shoulders from slumping.

[lazy_but_loyal]

Pam watches intently, her eyes darting darting from Eric's face to Emcee's and back again.

She steps closer to Eric's side, watching his skin mend. And she can hear Emcee's heartbeat begin to slow down.

Almost...just a little more...just a little more...

"Eric."

Her voice is soft, but firm. And relieved.

[onceaviking]

For a moment it looks as if he hasn't heard her - and then he reluctantly lets go of Emcee's wrist, licking his lips.

His other hand moves from Emcee's neck to cup his cheek.
Gently.

His fingers have stopped shaking. His skin is no longer frigid.

"Emcee? "

[i_am_your_host]

He forces his eyelids open and blinks blearily at Eric.

The blood on his lips is stark red against the white of his skin.

"Oh, good," he breathes out in a dazed, lethargic murmur. "You are handsome again."

[lazy_but_loyal]

Okay.

She has to agree with that.

"I think he'll be just fine."

[onceaviking]

Eric looks at Emcee, taking in the way his eyes look. And his skin.

He bites down on the pad of his thumb and strokes it across the bite marks. Watching them close.

Then he reaches up and runs his thumb across Emcee's bottom lip.

[i_am_your_host]

He sucks Eric's blood off his bottom lip, letting his eyelids fall closed again. After a moment he can feel himself regaining some equilibrium, as his heartbeat picks up and his limbs lose their sluggishness.

With a soft groan he runs his fingers through his hair. He is still pale (he has always been pale) and feels somewhat drained, but he's fully conscious and in no danger of passing out.

"Thank you..."

He looks at Eric more clearly.

"You are all right now?"

[lazy_but_loyal]

And Pam eyes the Emcee.

He may be a soft little thing, but he's pretty resilient. Mentally, too.

She briefly leaves the room and enters the bathroom, where she fills a glass with cold water. Ambling back out, she gives it to him without a word or a change in her expression.

It might be her way of thanking the human.

[onceaviking]

Eric retracts his fangs and licks his lips before opening his mouth wide.
His skin stretches with no hint if pulling or tautness.

He nods.

"Yes. Everything seems to be as it should," he says, his eyes flicking down to see if the same can be said for Emcee's wrist.

It can.

[i_am_your_host]

He glances up at Pam, a little surprised, but he smiles wanly and takes the glass of water.

"Oh. Thank you, Fraulein."

He sips from it thirstily, washing down the taste of Eric's blood.

"Good," he then says, flexing his fingers, feeling nothing wrong with his wrist. "I hope whoever did that to you has been dealt with."

[lazy_but_loyal]

Pam makes no remark and looks to Eric. She leaves it to him to decide what to tell the human about this situation, as Eric knows him better than she does.

[onceaviking]

"It seems so. Security stepped in and stopped our little - discussion," Eric replies breezily.
"So he got to keep his jaw."

Emcee has seen a little if what he is capable of. He will know he is not exaggerating.

"He sounded Irish. And there is something wrong with the way his face moves. And with his eyes. I think it will be wise to keep your distance should you meet him."

[i_am_your_host]

He blinks at him, wide-eyed.

And he nods quickly.

"I would do my best to avoid him altogether."

The man doesn't seem like the type to take to his kind, in any case.

He then drains the glass of water in a few swallows and licks his lips.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?"

[lazy_but_loyal]

Pam takes the empty glass, hovering near with a hand on her hip. She looks to Eric again with a subtly raised eyebrow as if to ask, Is there?

He seems to have the Emcee trained. Or at least he has his trust. And he's completely harmless. She's never come across anyone like him.

(Well, Ginger is completely harmless, but half her brain cells have been glamoured away, so she doesn't really compare.)

[onceaviking]

Eric likes to think that he knows what Emcee is like.
And what he likes.
And sometimes it pays off to give them just a little bit of what they want. Not all of it, not all the time. Just every once in a while. Just a little bit.

So instead if answering, he leans in, saying, "There's a drop there," and kisses away the last bit of blood that may or may not have been left on Emcee's bottom lip.

It's a very soft kiss. Barely a kiss really.
Without fangs.

[i_am_your_host]

His breath hitches in surprise and his eyelids flutter closed for the few brief seconds when Eric's lips touch his. He immediately flushes warm, and his head swims dizzily with all the reasons why he should never kiss Eric.

Exhaling a short chuckle, coy and almost bashful, he glances away from Eric's mouth, avoiding his eyes. Even though he knows it means absolutely nothing, his blush isn't going away.

He turns and reaches for his shirt.

[lazy_but_loyal]

Well, that was interesting.

She can smell Emcee's blood rise as sweet as anything.

Such is the effect that Eric has on some people. She can't help a little smirk.

Saying nothing, she goes into the bathroom to return the empty glass, and also to take her time fixing her hair and lipstick.

[onceaviking]

"I am glad you were around," Eric says. Quietly.


"I hope I can call on you as a witness if I need to? Some might be reluctant to believe in a hurt they can no longer see."

[i_am_your_host]

Eric is supposed to treat him coldly and dismiss him, but okay.

"And I am glad I could help," he murmurs, looking down as he fastens a couple of buttons on his shirt.

But he then glances up at him at his request, brow furrowed slightly.

"Of course. Anytime."

It's said with firmness and sincerity. He's aware that vampires aren't always perceived in fair terms here, so if he can counteract whatever bias may arise against Eric in particular, he's willing to do so.

[onceaviking]

Sometimes, you have to do or say things to keep up whatever illusion you are crafting.

Which is of course the reason that Eric says, "Thank you." The only reason,
He doesn't owe humans anything. Certainly not his gratitude.

But Emcee could have stayed away. And he could have lied just now.
But he isn't lying. Eric can tell.

And the have been other things. Times. Incidents.
He doesn't dwell on them. But perhaps, perhaps, there is a little more to it than just maintaining a fantasy.

[i_am_your_host]

He nods.

"You are welcome."

He won't dwell on whether or not Eric means it. Sometimes the words are enough, as one familiar with keeping up an illusion knows.

Standing up slowly, he finds that the room doesn't spin as much as he expects it to, so that's good.

[lazy_but_loyal]

Pam emerges from the bathroom. She'd done her best to not overhear anything that was said in the other room, but a few words might have slipped through. Nothing too important, though.

She glances from Eric to Emcee, her expression now morphed into something a little more pleasant.

"Leaving so soon?" she says, her tone still dry.

[onceaviking]

Eric gets up from the bed. Smoothly.

"Since we skipped the proper introductions," he says.

"Pamela, this is Emcee. He is, surprisingly, the MC at a Berlin nightclub. Emcee, this is Pamela de Swynford De Beaufort, my Progeny."