Vladimir's reaction to everything very much astonished him, and he stared with a neutral expression for several long moments, considering how this could be. He wasn't sure he could trust such an easy acceptance of what he was, even if the future apparently did count the living dead as viable members of society. It was just so deeply ingrained in him, that humans were the enemy even as they were also like cattle to his kind—there were many perfectly valid reasons why vampires of his sort were normally forbidden from revealing themselves to humans. And to form ongoing friendships with any? Unfathomable. Brief liaisons of the sexual variety weren't entirely unheard of, which was how the succubus and incubus myths evidently got their start, at least in his world, but the human partners were never privy to the truth. Better to think they'd been seduced by imaginary demons than to realise factual vampires were living among them.
"In the world I come from, there's a powerful organisation of other vampires like myself, tasked with enforcing the one law we're all expected to abide by. And that's to never reveal what we are to humans, upon penalty of death for all parties involved. Their reach doesn't yet extend to the wizarding world, but some caution couldn't hurt, and I do truly appreciate it."
Again he couldn't help but marvel at how well the Baron was taking this information. Jasper would certainly be capable of sensing any deception where emotions were concerned, but there was none. There seemed only to be curiosity, understanding. Even compassion, which seemed almost to reverberate as a palpable substance to his spice-enhanced senses. He would have a difficult time putting into words how something incorporeal could have such a marked taste and texture to him.
"Direct sunlight reveals us for what we are, but does no physical damage at all," he explained, reminded of his embarrassing slip up with A in his garden. He masked his discomfort easily enough. "Garlic, religious artifacts, blessed water, rice, stakes through the heart are all likewise useless against my kind. There's little in this world that can even pierce our hard skin, much less our hearts. We have no traditional weaknesses. Save one, perhaps."
It was there that he finally looked away from Vladimir, crossing his arms over his chest, seeming almost to withdraw into himself. It was a gesture more suited to someone like A, and was at odds with how Jasper usually presented himself; there were shades of insecurity. "The smell of human blood," he said, elaborating. "Most other vampires don't perceive it as a weakness, but I do. If it's too strong..." He set his jaw. "I'm not known for my self control," he muttered. "It's a large part of why I behaved—very strangely—when we met. It's difficult," he said, determinedly not looking at the Baron, "to be even this close to you. The smell of your blood... It's unusual. More appealing to me than human blood normally is." He risked a brief glance toward the Baron, wondering how he'd react to being told that he was indeed an almost irresistible temptation, just not in any way he'd probably hoped for. "I did expect you to be far more upset about all of this. Though I'd never consciously try to harm you, I've put you at considerable risk simply by being here."
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2009-05-25 07:54 am (UTC)"In the world I come from, there's a powerful organisation of other vampires like myself, tasked with enforcing the one law we're all expected to abide by. And that's to never reveal what we are to humans, upon penalty of death for all parties involved. Their reach doesn't yet extend to the wizarding world, but some caution couldn't hurt, and I do truly appreciate it."
Again he couldn't help but marvel at how well the Baron was taking this information. Jasper would certainly be capable of sensing any deception where emotions were concerned, but there was none. There seemed only to be curiosity, understanding. Even compassion, which seemed almost to reverberate as a palpable substance to his spice-enhanced senses. He would have a difficult time putting into words how something incorporeal could have such a marked taste and texture to him.
"Direct sunlight reveals us for what we are, but does no physical damage at all," he explained, reminded of his embarrassing slip up with A in his garden. He masked his discomfort easily enough. "Garlic, religious artifacts, blessed water, rice, stakes through the heart are all likewise useless against my kind. There's little in this world that can even pierce our hard skin, much less our hearts. We have no traditional weaknesses. Save one, perhaps."
It was there that he finally looked away from Vladimir, crossing his arms over his chest, seeming almost to withdraw into himself. It was a gesture more suited to someone like A, and was at odds with how Jasper usually presented himself; there were shades of insecurity. "The smell of human blood," he said, elaborating. "Most other vampires don't perceive it as a weakness, but I do. If it's too strong..." He set his jaw. "I'm not known for my self control," he muttered. "It's a large part of why I behaved—very strangely—when we met. It's difficult," he said, determinedly not looking at the Baron, "to be even this close to you. The smell of your blood... It's unusual. More appealing to me than human blood normally is." He risked a brief glance toward the Baron, wondering how he'd react to being told that he was indeed an almost irresistible temptation, just not in any way he'd probably hoped for. "I did expect you to be far more upset about all of this. Though I'd never consciously try to harm you, I've put you at considerable risk simply by being here."