[center][img]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/dHRmLjcyLmIzYjVlZi5RWFpoSUUxaGNuTmxhV3hzWlEsLC4w/keraton.regular.png[/img] [hr] [color=a6c4ff][b]Time:[/b][/color] Night [color=a6c4ff][b]Location:[/b][/color] The Pit [color=a6c4ff][b]Interaction with:[/b][/color] Helene [@Ithradine] [/center] Ava tended to the glass of rum and coke as Helene spoke, taking sips in between her words. The sweetness of the soda was quickly cut by the slight burn and spiced aroma of the alcohol passing through her throat. Though food became less enjoyable over time, Ava was grateful alcohol still had the same effect as it did when she was human. In addition to all the wine she had consumed from the art exhibit, she began feeling a quiet numbness settling into her extremities and mind. As Helene spoke, Ava was intrigued by the way she smiled in several nuanced tones, from a small, saddened smile to an excited and bright grin - it all seemed too [i]lively[/i]. It was so different from the grisly looks of many vampires, who had become desensitized to the act of murder. Ava didn’t doubt that her features carried the same grim characteristic - but for a moment, in the midst of her conversation with the chipper girl, she almost forgot that the girl was nevertheless, a vampire. It sent a shiver down her spine to realize that Helene was nearly successful in taking Ava’s guard down. Though it seemed silly to fear such an innocent looking girl, a part of Ava began to worry that Helene’s amicable demeanour would be capable of softening the hate Ava had for vampire-kind. As she continued to observe the strange girl’s expressions, Ava decided that a fitting description for the human-like vampire was summed up in the word, [i]uncanny[/i]. Putting aside Ava's discomfort towards her, she also got the impression of how guileless Helene was from her reply to the question about her surname. Though she stopped herself from saying ‘mother’ the first time, it seemed that her solution was to append ‘close friend’ to the statement. Despite the effort Helene made to avoid admitting this, it seemed likely that she was Catherine's elusive 'Phantom Princess', and Ava had the good fortune of being one of the first to meet her. When dealing in business with the Sinclaire Foundation, it was hard not to come across rumours about the sheltered girl, and Ava had heard her fair share. It quickly dawned on her that this could’ve been the origin of Helene’s naive disposition - a pureblood princess hidden from the world, with riches and comfort all provided for her. Nevertheless, Ava decided to play along with her ruse for the time being, though she was rather curious about why she was out of hiding in the first place. [color=a6c4ff]“Well, I happen to have worked for [i]your mother’s close friend[/i], just a handful of times.”[/color] Ava felt her lips tug into a smirk. [color=a6c4ff]“She has a problem with rogue employees every now and then. I happen to have a hobby for [i]dispatching[/i] vampires. Supply and demand, really.”[/color] Ava finished off the rest of her drink, and promptly ordered a Manhattan right after.