Found

[Xiomara]

The nights had gone by so fast since the reopening of the coven that Xio had missed the days spend being leisurely, but there was still plenty of work ahead. The herb garden needed tending to, it required fresh air to be filtered through it and the unclogging of the drains and de-rusting of the pipes. Some of the plants had suffered in the uncontrolled climate and died, but they had left behind seeds which she could use to replant. The starry sky hung overhead and she climbed one of the ladders up to it, pushing the window panes open like a trap door before leaning against the metal frame and breathing in deeply.

The sound of water rushing into soil could be heard down below; the feeling of life filling the veins of the plant life soared through the air and from her headphones came a soft melody she had grown fond of. Her fingers toyed with a tear shaped pendant at her neck, a precious gift. And though she was happy to be home back in Lacrimosa, a part of her yearned to be with her people; with the one that had made her separation from those in the coven bearable. She no longer kept her hair pulled in a braid, letting it waft freely with the breeze. Pouted lips pursed in revere over what she had left behind in the ice caps, though when there she often lingered on thoughts of who and what she had left behind in Lacrimosa.

With a smile she tucked errant strands of soft and silky snow-white hair behind the shell of her ear and looked back down below. She couldn’t leave the latch open, but she had wanted to see the stars for just a few minutes before immersing herself back in the dirt of hard labor and tender care. Once she’d made it back down she sat down along the border of one of the areas housing the tropical poisonous flowers, the temperature much higher than that of the others and within its own small greenhouse. A journal was in her lap and she jotted down the temperatures and conditions as well as properties of the plants and their poisonous extracts, a hot cup of tea set in front of her and her lips curved into a peaceful smile.

[Crazul Longfang]

There was a small patch of Russian plants over in a far corner of the Greenhouse. They had been cultivated from seeds he had brought with him attached to his clothes from sleeping in them. He was glad they were hearty plants, used to going for lengths of time with little to no water, such as in the winter months when most of it was frozen. He had personally restored the flow of water to this particular spot a few days before. He was currently curled up among the plants taking a nap, and actually managing to relax for one of the first times since he had departed the estate last. A small breath of air brought a scent to him, and he snapped awake, twitching, and causing a small twig to snap. He froze, trying to remember where he was. Looking around, he could see a few small, empty, blood packets, the packets he had drank before taking his nap. He flexed his hand, and could feel a modicum of strength in his muscles, it felt nice.

[Xiomara]

The snap of the twig did not register as she continued to jot down the properties and smile to herself along the way, the music filling her mind heart and body all at once. It was such a bittersweet sound it nearly made her want to break out in song. Instead she hummed to herself a moment and paused in her writing, tapping the pen against the journal and looking around. Her eyes swept throughout the greenhouse, her own little home away from home and as they found a body in the corner, the chewing on the end of her pen ceased and she pushed the headphones down onto her neck before setting the journal down and sliding off the edge.

Quiet footfalls led her towards the corner, wary of who had made themselves at home though at the same time her mind was telling her that no one could possibly get inside without Sauri or Ajax knowing. It must have been another member. Seeing Crazul she sighed and tucked the pen away into her pocket, smiling at the male. Her feet pushed the empty blood packets aside to clear a path. "I'm sorry, did I disturb you?"

[Crazul Longfang]

When she turned the corner, he was already in a crouch, ready to flee. He shook his head. "N-no, you d-didnt disturb m-me." He said, forcing it out around the stutter. "This was just the first time I've had a peaceful sleep since I left for R-Russia." He said, relaxing his tensed muscles. "These plants are from what I used to consider my home, the scent soothes me." He added, looking away, cheeks reddening slightly.

[Xiomara]

"It's okay to be a little homesick, I too brought a few seedlings from my land to keep a piece of home with me at all times."Moving to the side so as not to make him feel cornered she pointed to another smaller and more colorful greenhouse within the bigger greenhouse. It had a variety of flowers already in bloom. From red to green, yellow and orange. "The Amaranth is my own flower, it reminds me of the people I've left in lands far away from here, and the man who cultivates them every summer and autumn." She spoke fondly of flowers, land and people, including the one who cultivated and helped the flower blossom. Hoping to give him a little reassurance that she didn't think his notion was silly. "What type of flower is yours?"

[Crazul Longfang]

"Um, this is Russian Sage." He said, bending down to stroke one of the plants at his feet. "And the grass is Russian Wild Rye, its very soft to me for sleeping." He explained, his English breaking slightly. He turned to look into the distance, muttering in unintelligible Russian under his breath, then stopped, and shook his head. "I'm sorry, that, that is new to me as well. Usually that does not happen." He said, trying to explain his lapse of mind.

[Xiomara]

She chuckled and nodded, raising a brow when he started to speak in Russian and she had no idea what it was that he was saying. But she didn't comment as it seemed to be passing, she knew what it meant to feel a little out of it. "That's okay, I was crazy for a little while. Is there something that has caused your... lapses?" There was no better way at putting things and she appeared to be past the conversation regarding the Russian Sage, that was until she got up and went to get her journal, coming back to take a seat in her previous spot.

[Crazul Longfang]

He shook his head. "No idea, well, one idea, but, that would mean that they managed to break me this time." He looked away for a second, fighting himself. "The group that caught me well over a thousand years ago, use me as a hunting animal. They were able to do it by starving me to the point of frenzy, an then giving me the scent and blood taste of what they were looking for. Once that blood touched my lips, I was lost. They, um, they managed to capture me again while I was back in Russia." He admitted, pulling the collar of his shirt away, revealing newly scarred flesh, a lot, of newly scarred flesh. Looking ashamed with himself, he turns away. "This wouldnt happen if I could fight, but, when they press in on me, I break and run." His voice trembling, nearly breaking. "Then, when that happens, all they do is hound me until I am cornered somewhere."

[Xiomara]

She paused in her sketch of the plant to listen more attentively to Crazul's story, nodding in understanding when he mentioned being cornered. Perhaps his instincts had not been honed enough, and he appeared to have lost his memory because he acted as if he did't know her. Though their meeting was brief, she had met him before and in this very greenhouse when Ajax had first found him and brought him into the protection of the coven. "Do you mean to say that your instinct to take flight is stronger than your instinct to fight? I have always been the opposite, I will choose to fight every single time."

[Crazul Longfang]

"Yeah, I would fight, but, when I fight, I drink their blood, and when I drink their blood, I get the memories, and the feelings, the physical feelings, of when and how they died. So, they die at my hand, and, when I drink their blood, I get their terror, their blind, unseeing terror, as well as the physical pain it happened." He explained, looking away still. "Its how its been since I was born, and it has haunted me my entire life, which, which began shortly after the genesis of the human race. I have yet to meet a vampire older then me. My, mother, she was one of the first vampires, she died in giving birth to me, granted, I was self sufficient from birth, but, the pain from feeding on those terrified animals." He said, voice finally breaking, he stopped, tears hanging heavily in his eyes.

[Xiomara]

Xiomara shifted a bit in her seat, feeling somewhat uncomfortable with the way the male had teared up. She had never seen a grown man on the brink of crying, and she had spent plenty of time with Cerverous. The thought of the male made her smile, but she quickly covered it up and nodded. "I am sorry that you have suffered so, but I can't be of help to you. You must stand alone against your demons."

[Crazul Longfang]

He shook his head. "No, I am sorry, I shouldnt have broken down like that." He said, as he took a deep breath, straightening his shoulders. "Its not so much demons, its more just the nature of what I am, and how I have been given my gifts. Between that, and the fact that for most of the time while I was in russian, I was hunted like an animal, and captured. And when I was captured, I was used to hunt and track other animals, it kind of got me into a bad mindset." He said, trying to apologize.

[Xiomara]

Xiomara smiled and shook her head, setting a gentle hand on Crazul's shoulder and applying slight pressure to try and help the male calm his nerves. "Would you like some tea?" Retrieving her hand she gave a small sigh and tilted her head back to stare at the sky through the glass of the greenhouse. The mention of being hunted down like an animal and then being forced to track and hunt others was something she knew all too well.

"Your story reminds me of a time when my stripes were removed, when I went back to my clan. They forced me to change, and then took a knife to my pelt and cut out the strips of black flesh along my fur. It was punishment for deserting the clan and coming here, yet I do not hold it against them and my stripes returned. They cannot strip you of your freedom anymore than they can strip me of my stripes, Crazul."