"Howdy there, friend! I seem unable to answer at the moment, but you just leave a lil message right here, and I'll get back to you, quick as a bunny hop!"
[True to his word it doesn't take long for Tesla to arrive at the chapel, once it's been agreed upon as a meeting place. It's still one that seems a little strange, but he supposes it's a decent enough neutral meeting ground.
It occurs to him also, as he steps into the chapel, that he doesn't know what the person he's looking for actually looks like. But he doesn't recall the chapel ever seeing a lot of visitors, so it shouldn't be too hard to find someone who also seems to be looking for someone. (And if it is, he's not above asking, either.]
[Steve heads to the Chapel immediately following the audio conversation. His mind races with so many questions. He wasn't foolish enough to think himself the only vampire on the Barge, but having not seen one since his arrival, it was enough to assume that as default. He'd even put in the effort to act as human as possible.
And then to see someone simply admit it so openly... Wonders of the Barge continued to impress him.
He arrives dressed impeccably in a suit of all blues, strolling in what he hopes is casual, but his restless, nervous energy is very visible. He's all but bouncing on his heels.] Howdy! Thanks so much for meetin' me here. I know, its not the most... normal of places for, um, our kind? [It occurs to him, only that second, the different universes thing. Maybe they're not exactly the same? Maybe that was an insult????] But, you know. I work here and no one comes in here and... Yeah.
[Paaaause. He actually takes a large, deep breath. Caaaaaalm. Doooooown.]
[Tesla, by contrast, is wearing pretty much the same thing he always wears. Which, since his personal style hasn't moved past the era where waistcoats were considered fashionable means that he looks semi-formal simply by default, even though he wears it completely unselfconsciously. As if it's normal (and to him, it is.)]
It's a decent neutral ground?
[There's a shrug to go with the words. He's perfectly aware of what the general beliefs are, in regards to vampires, but neither is he showing any sign of discomfort about being in the chapel in the first place.]
And if I'd had a problem with it, I would have said so.
Right, right. Well... [Steve makes a grand, sweeping gesture, meant to encompass the pews and any other available seats.] Were they mine to offer, and I ain't too sure that they are, I'd say take a seat anywhere.
[Steve will settle into a pew opposite him, leaning into it casually. He drums his fingers on his knees and tries to organize his thoughts or, failing that, pick what to ask first.]
I just... [Licks his lips, well aware its becoming a tic of his.] I've been pretending to be human as I thought, hey, if there's no others like me... I mean, I figured I couldn't be the only one ever here, but its hard to know... Ya know? It's not like there's a guidebook on how to act or what to do. [Pauses. Blinks.] I'm sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself. What's your name, kind sir?
I'm not sure there's anyone here to argue the point?
[He gets what Steve is saying though, and after a brief moment he does take a seat in one of the pews. Sure, it might be a little strange to be doing so again after all these years but... it's not like a wooden bench is going to hurt him. Not without some kind of outside force anyway, and he's pretty sure there aren't any of those in the works.]
And there aren't really any guidebooks? Not here, anyway.
[The Barge is the Barge, and there's not much like it. Not that he doesn't get the idea of playing at being human - he's done it a number of times himself, after having faked his own death (there's only so long one can get away with quite literally not aging) - but on the Barge he's generally found that most people don't care. Although in fairness, neither is he really going around biting people.
But that pales to the idea of anyone calling him 'kind sir.' It's not particularly objectionable, mind, but it something that he's more used to hearing in British accents rather than Steve's twanging drawl, and even then it's been near on a century since he'd last heard that kind of thing meant mostly-genuinely besides. (Or what he assumes to be mostly genuine.)
Still, a question is a question and it's not one he much minds answering either.]
[Alright so no guidebooks. Great. He's not really surprised. The Barge didn't provide any maps it was really more of a 'draw your own. no, colored pencils aren't included because screw you, that's why.' He supposes they should all feel lucky they have their cabin keys upon arrival. Heck, not even that is certain, really. How many arrived as he did? And how many awoke in luxury?
His mind goes completely blank when at least one question is answered. Oh, there is definitely staring, followed by blinking, and then an awkward chuckle.]
...Wait, wait. Ok, that's... Of all the answers. The guy who invented electricity is an immortal? I mean sure, why not? That tracks. Yea, that makes complete sense.
[It starts as hyperbole, evolving into sarcastic acceptance. He knew tales of influential priests being vampires, so why not a mad(?) inventor of sorts? He laughs a little and shakes his head; sometimes the sane ones have to become mad to fit in. Steve inhales as instinct, pauses with brows furrowed, and sniffs again. He looks quizzically at... Tesla.] If you're a vampire... why do ya smell human?
It's not something you'll find in any history books [with good reason], but yes, I am.
[Which also raises the question of how he managed to pull off appearing to age, since it definitely doesn't look the 80-odd years he would have been at the time of his supposed death, but that is, perhaps, a question for later. Be that in this particular conversation or another.
The question about smelling human, on the other hand, catches him a little off guard.]
What do you think I should smell like?
[It's not an answer, of course. But he can't help but be curious all the same.]
[That question only gets a second of staring as if to silently ask if he were possibly joking. Steve would've thought that obvious... But then, different universes, different rules, etc.]
Well, we're dead. At least, where I'm from, we are. Animated corpses. So, setting aside colognes or ambient scents, that's what we, technically, should smell like. Just death.
[It's not a surprising answer, to be perfectly honest. Not one that's accurate to Tesla's version of vampirism, perhaps, but one that he's at least familiar with the concept of. (And it's not like there aren't stories with the undead sort of vampire back in his own world either, despite their factual inaccuracy.)]
Being a vampire doesn't mean being dead, back home.
[He's... just not going to talk about the ones that were very literally animated corpses, since those had been deliberately created.]
We're a different species to humans.
[Which probably raises some questions about how he ended up as a vampire, but he'll get around to those explanations in a bit.]
[Steve mulls that over for a second. Its a little bit of 'sorry, what?' and 'right, we're more evolved'. Contrasting what he knows, and yet also the same. Very confusing. He slouches a little in the pew, getting comfortable.]
I'm gonna need some elaboration on that, if you wouldn't mind. It makes sense... up until it really, really doesn't.
[He was paying attention. Mostly. He thinks on the answers; an entire scientific species name... Yea that was new. They didn't have that where he was from, or if they did, no one saw fit to tell him. Like so many other things.]
"Abnormals"... Like, X-Men? Mutants, evolved from humanity, is that where we're going with this?
Close, but no. The term "Abnormals" can cover beings that are essentially human but with few differences. But it also covers beings that aren't human and never were human. Basilisks, elementals, and - more relevantly - vampires being among that latter.
[Alright that makes sense. A simple enough concept to wrap his mind around anyway.]
So, effectively, you were born a vampire, and were not bitten or turned? Just like a werewolf or werepanther? [Pause.] I'm sorry if I'm askin' so many questions. You're the first vampire I've seen that was so drastically different to what I know. Excluding Nadja, of course.
It's not something that's transmissible through a bite, no. But I was born human. I didn't awaken to the truth of my ancestry until some time afterwards.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chapel spam
It occurs to him also, as he steps into the chapel, that he doesn't know what the person he's looking for actually looks like. But he doesn't recall the chapel ever seeing a lot of visitors, so it shouldn't be too hard to find someone who also seems to be looking for someone. (And if it is, he's not above asking, either.]
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And then to see someone simply admit it so openly... Wonders of the Barge continued to impress him.
He arrives dressed impeccably in a suit of all blues, strolling in what he hopes is casual, but his restless, nervous energy is very visible. He's all but bouncing on his heels.] Howdy! Thanks so much for meetin' me here. I know, its not the most... normal of places for, um, our kind? [It occurs to him, only that second, the different universes thing. Maybe they're not exactly the same? Maybe that was an insult????] But, you know. I work here and no one comes in here and... Yeah.
[Paaaause. He actually takes a large, deep breath. Caaaaaalm. Doooooown.]
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It's a decent neutral ground?
[There's a shrug to go with the words. He's perfectly aware of what the general beliefs are, in regards to vampires, but neither is he showing any sign of discomfort about being in the chapel in the first place.]
And if I'd had a problem with it, I would have said so.
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[Steve will settle into a pew opposite him, leaning into it casually. He drums his fingers on his knees and tries to organize his thoughts or, failing that, pick what to ask first.]
I just... [Licks his lips, well aware its becoming a tic of his.] I've been pretending to be human as I thought, hey, if there's no others like me... I mean, I figured I couldn't be the only one ever here, but its hard to know... Ya know? It's not like there's a guidebook on how to act or what to do. [Pauses. Blinks.] I'm sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself. What's your name, kind sir?
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[He gets what Steve is saying though, and after a brief moment he does take a seat in one of the pews. Sure, it might be a little strange to be doing so again after all these years but... it's not like a wooden bench is going to hurt him. Not without some kind of outside force anyway, and he's pretty sure there aren't any of those in the works.]
And there aren't really any guidebooks? Not here, anyway.
[The Barge is the Barge, and there's not much like it. Not that he doesn't get the idea of playing at being human - he's done it a number of times himself, after having faked his own death (there's only so long one can get away with quite literally not aging) - but on the Barge he's generally found that most people don't care. Although in fairness, neither is he really going around biting people.
But that pales to the idea of anyone calling him 'kind sir.' It's not particularly objectionable, mind, but it something that he's more used to hearing in British accents rather than Steve's twanging drawl, and even then it's been near on a century since he'd last heard that kind of thing meant mostly-genuinely besides. (Or what he assumes to be mostly genuine.)
Still, a question is a question and it's not one he much minds answering either.]
Tesla. Nikola Tesla.
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His mind goes completely blank when at least one question is answered. Oh, there is definitely staring, followed by blinking, and then an awkward chuckle.]
...Wait, wait. Ok, that's... Of all the answers. The guy who invented electricity is an immortal? I mean sure, why not? That tracks. Yea, that makes complete sense.
[It starts as hyperbole, evolving into sarcastic acceptance. He knew tales of influential priests being vampires, so why not a mad(?) inventor of sorts? He laughs a little and shakes his head; sometimes the sane ones have to become mad to fit in. Steve inhales as instinct, pauses with brows furrowed, and sniffs again. He looks quizzically at... Tesla.] If you're a vampire... why do ya smell human?
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[Which also raises the question of how he managed to pull off appearing to age, since it definitely doesn't look the 80-odd years he would have been at the time of his supposed death, but that is, perhaps, a question for later. Be that in this particular conversation or another.
The question about smelling human, on the other hand, catches him a little off guard.]
What do you think I should smell like?
[It's not an answer, of course. But he can't help but be curious all the same.]
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Well, we're dead. At least, where I'm from, we are. Animated corpses. So, setting aside colognes or ambient scents, that's what we, technically, should smell like. Just death.
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Being a vampire doesn't mean being dead, back home.
[He's... just not going to talk about the ones that were very literally animated corpses, since those had been deliberately created.]
We're a different species to humans.
[Which probably raises some questions about how he ended up as a vampire, but he'll get around to those explanations in a bit.]
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I'm gonna need some elaboration on that, if you wouldn't mind. It makes sense... up until it really, really doesn't.
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[Assuming Steve was paying attention to that part of his answer to Crais as opposed to just the part where he admitted to being a vampire.]
We are, very literally, biologically different to humanity; one of the first races of Abnormals.
[This still doesn't explain how he could have been born human, but it's a start nonetheless.]
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"Abnormals"... Like, X-Men? Mutants, evolved from humanity, is that where we're going with this?
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So, effectively, you were born a vampire, and were not bitten or turned? Just like a werewolf or werepanther? [Pause.] I'm sorry if I'm askin' so many questions. You're the first vampire I've seen that was so drastically different to what I know. Excluding Nadja, of course.
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