Oleander made sure to keep his eyes wandering. He was very curious about the human in front of him, a small smile on his lips. "I'm afraid so…" He murmured quietly, his eyes softening as he adjusts himself in his chair. He pauses for a moment before taking a deep breath. "My siblings would read through it to make sure it doesn't have vital information. But I'm sure it would be fine." He dusts himself off before gazing over Estaban. ""I'll be back shortly."
"Really?" Estaban sat up a bit straighter. Even if he was going to die here, at least he could give his mom closer.
He remembered growing up, everyone always asking if they where siblings. She'd had him when she was young, and Estaban had always been grateful for that. He'd always thought he'd have many years with her around. His home to run back too after he finished an adventure.
Estaban rubbed his wrist where her name was inked into his skin after the vampire left. He offered a small prayer to whatever gods would listen, to keep his mother safe.
Oleander exits the prison stalls and inhaled sharply. He wondered for a moment, what it would be like to have such a close bond with a parent. He couldn't remember what that was like. He had been around his siblings for so long. He could still remember what life was like before he let his sister turn him. But… He had never had parents growing up. He couldn't remember his mothers face, or her laugh… or what it was even like to be held. He startles when he feels something fall down his cheek. A tear? How odd… He wiped it away quickly before hurrying down along the hallways to his room where he could gather some writing material. Once he made sure that he had what he needed, he returned to the cells, waving the guard off once again before settling in front of Estaban's cell. "Here." He hands the paper, quill, and ink carefully through the bars.
"Thank you," Estaban's hands shook as he took the items. He hated that fear still had hold of him. He took a few moments to think of what to write. How would he even begin to explain, if he should explain at all that was. At last he put the quill to paper. The pirate couldn't sit there all day struggling to find his last words to his mother.
The note was quick and simple. explaining that he'd messed up, and probably wouldn't ever see her again. It contained enough apologies to full- or so he hoped- a life time. He would never leave her willingly, and he prayed that she knew that. At the end he assured his mother that he loved her very much, and that she shouldn't worry to much about her son. For that reason he didn't go into detail.
Estaban could already imagine the look on his mothers face when she read his letter. The way her hand would go up to her mouth and sobs would escape her, no matter how hard she tried to hold them back.
His hands shook even worse now. The quick note to the crew he'd been traveling with these past few years was bearly legible. To them he simply said goodbye.
With that Estaban handed the note, quill, and ink back through the bars to Oleander.
Oleander took the notes, smiling gently at the other. "I'll make sure these get delivered, alright?" He folds them neatly and places them into his pocket. "And I will talk with my siblings about what to do with you." He stands and takes a deep breath. "Well then. I'll get going. Alert the guard if you need anything. He'll bring it to me." He offers a kind smile before waving and leaving. He wandered down the halls quietly. He didn't know what he was going to do. But hopefully things would go well.
Estaban gave a small awkward wave back. He most definitely would not be alerting the guard to anything. Especially not after that interaction. In fact, all Estaban wanted to do was sleep.
He was tired, cold, and unsure of how he felt on the whole situation. On one hand, brutal sounding death. On the other, he would basically be kept as a pet. It was actually sickening to think about. Which was saying something because Estaban was a pirate, and he had seen plenty of sickening things.
(Small timeskip?)
(Sure :))
A few days had passed, and the treatment from the guards was alright, they weren't as harsh or strict. Mostly they just left Estaban alone unless he needed something. Maybe it was because he was under the protection of Oleander, maybe it's the fact that he had been here for a few days and the guards had gotten bored. Oleander hadn't been heard from in the past few days, but today he came down to the chamber looking troubled, muttering to himself as he waved the guards away before taking a deep breath and walking to Estaban's cell.
Estaban looked up when Oleander sat before him. "Finally decided?" He asked grimly. He'd had plenty of time to think it over these past days, he didn't like either of his fates.
Estaban espessily didn't like how troubled the other looked. "Ya look a little out of it." He said, not really caring to stop himself.
Oleander sighed and rubbed at his face. "My siblings are arguing so far. So no. On one hand, I've been trying to convince my sister to let you stay alive, but she's intent on killing you off." He sighed and glanced at the other. "Not to mention she's been driving me to the ground with work. Not only am I a diplomat, but a poison expert as well… that originally what she hired me to be actually." He paused in thought. "I know you don't want to be a donor, but so far, that seems like the only option of you staying alive."
"Poison?" Estaban quirked a brow. "You make Poisons, do you test them too?" Suddenly he wasn't so sure he trusted the food or water. But then again, what would be so bad about poison? It would probably be quicker then whatever the guards would do to him.
if he didn't end up as a donor, and by the sounds of it, that chance was becoming slimmer and slimmer.
"I make poisons, and yes I test them. However, I do not test them on prisoners. So no need to worry." He rolled his eyes and hummed quietly as he leans back into his chair. He seemed to be lost in thought. "Here's the thing. If you do agree to be a donor, you will be assigned to one of my siblings. My sister made it blatantly clear that she has no intention of keeping you, so it's me, my sibling, my brother, or my elder brother." He shrugs simply. "If you choose not to be a donor… we have no choice but to kill you…" He sighed deeply, looking rather frustrated.
"Well thats good to know," he said in response to the poison. At least he wasn't a guinea pig. Well that he knew of. Estaban still wasn't sure how much he trusted Oleander. Sure the guy was making an effort to save him, not to mention he allowed Estaban to write a letter.
He wondered if his mother had read it yet, almost immediately he cringed. Just thinking of Her reaction to it was painful enough. He didn't need to wonder if it actually ever got sent.
"Permanente juice box, or death," Estaban found himself staring Oleander down. He really didn't know where else to look. Sure there where plenty of options. Like the far wall, or how own feet. Heck even the place in the corner where he'd vomited sometime that night. "Personally I'd take the juice box option. I've thought it over a lot, I'd be pretty damn grateful to be alive. Miserable, but greatful in a way."
Oleander was quite skilled when it came to the art of poison, he had a whole collection of dangerous plants and animals that he used for his experiments. Oleander was… calmer compared to his siblings. His sister hated human kind, he had been lucky to change her mind. His eldest brother was strict, only joking when around his family, and even then that was rare. His other brother, well… he wasn't interested in man kind. He was more focused on practicing and harvesting magic. His sibling was a war monger, they'd probably use Estaban as a dummy for practice…
He hummed in thought when the other spoke, "Unfortunately." He replies quietly, gazing at the other, easily keeping the eye contact. "You would be taken care of. Fed, clothed, a bed, whatever you wanted. However… the cost is that you offer your blood, and… you can no longer go to the outside world." He gazed at Estaban thoughtfully. "Alright. If you choose to be a donor, you'll have to choose a sibling."
(Heads up I'm gonna be taking a brake from notebook for a while)
(That's okay! Take as much time as you need!)
((I'm still gonna be a bit spotty, but I'm back! :)))
This was a mistake. Estaban should just ask Oleander to end him right then and there. And yet he couldn't. Death terrified him, especially the kinda a vampire might offer.
"Wow didn't think I'd get a choice." Was there really a need to think on this? For all Estabn knew this was all a sick joke. He balled his fists to keep from them trembling. Man up, he tried to tell himself. But it didn't work. Because for once in Estaban's life of adventure and freedom, he felt trapped. He was stuck, and couldn't come up with a way out of it.
"Well if we're being completely honest none of your siblings have even came to vist me in my wonderful suite." This really wasn't the time for sarcasm, but he couldn't seem to stop himself. "Not to mention it sounded like one of them really wanted me dead. She'd have to wait in line for that." fake your confidence, he said it over and over again in his head like a prayer.
"So I guess you. I mean if you want." if you want!? What kind of question was that. Estaban cringed at himself. He should have been close to black out drunk for this kind of situation.
Oleander could see the gears whirling in Estaban's mind. He tilts his head a little bit as Estaban seemed surprised by the fact that he could choose. "There's five of us, so yes. You get to choose." He shrugged a little bit. There was no way for a human to escape the palace. Coming in was easy, getting out however was nearly impossible. Only the siblings were allowed to come in and out of the palace. He raised a subtle brow at the sarcasm in the others voice and paused slightly. He chuckles. "My sister does indeed want you dead. You're human. She hates humans." He shrugs slightly. He glanced over Estaban, noticing the fake confidence, the sarcasm, all of it. He hummed softly as he gazed over Estaban, seeming to mull over his offer. "Very well then. We'll get you cleaned off and into more suitable clothes before you'll come with me." Oleander stands slowly and overs a hesitant smile to the other.
Estaban attempted to returnt the smile, but he was just to tense. It really looked more like a grimace.
"I mean i feel quite fabulous in my under garments, but if you say so."Estaban actually hated that Sarcasm at the moment. But it was better then letting Oleander see him like a fearful child.
He stood on shaky legs. It could have been the fear that made him tremble so terribly, or maybe even the withdrawals from alcohol. Actually it seemed more like a bit of both. He hoped Oleander would just ignore it.
He gazed at the other for a moment before chuckling quietly. "You're actually quite funny. But then again, sarcasm was never my forte." He sighed softly as he stood and smiled slightly at the other, noticing the shake in his legs. He kept quiet, simply walking to open the door. It clicked open and he offered a hand. "Shall we get going then? I have no doubt you'll probably want to get clean and have something to drink?"
Estaban actually seemed to perk up at the mention of a drink. Though the two might have completely different ideas, there was still that chance they where on the same page.
"Absolutely," he took the others extended hand. For now Estaban would drop the sarcasm.
He was out of the cell, granted he was just exchanging it for a larger one. He didn't want to give Oleander any reason to throw him back in. At least not yet, and especially not for something such as being overly sarcastic.
Oleander smiled faintly. He pulled the other up with surprising strength, and nods slowly. "Alright then. Follow me." He hummed as he quietly guides the other through the palace. It was vast and filled with beautiful designs, relics, and different portraits. He guides Estaban to a bathroom. "Go ahead and wash up. I'll be waiting in the room." He explains simply.
"Rrrright," Estaban nodded a small thanks before closing the washroom door behind himself. The pirate quickly washed up. Taking extra care to untangle his hair. The curse of curls, his mother had always said. Estaban smiled at the thought. He already missed her.
Surprisingly his hair wasn't to bad, worse had happened when he was out at sea for to long. Granted then he'd at least had a hair brush. Nonetheless by the time he was done his hair looked soft and fluffy once again. A triumphant smile crossed his face. It actually looked better then when he'd first showed up extremely hung over and confused.
Estaban moved to where some clean clothes had been left for him. Pulling on the simple tan slacks and gray tunic. With a once over in the mirror Estaban emerged from the wash room.
He didn't really know how long it'd all taken him, nor did he really care. For all Estaban was concerned, Oleander could wait.
He watched the other enter the bathroom before sighing deeply and walking around his room. He wasn't sure about this. Even if Estaban had chosen him, it was likely that his siblings would want to torment him in some sort of way. He hesitates before having a few servants set up a bed in the room, since Estaban would be staying in his room with him. That was the rule, after all. He sighed deeply and settled onto his own much bigger bed and stared at the ceiling for a time, not wanting to think about it too much. A human staying with him… he worried that he would go to far. Oleander was the only one who as his sister said "Had a shred of humanity left in him." He didn't know if he should take that as a compliment or an insult. He was dozing when the other had exited the shower. He looked rather pretty like that. HIs long white hair was spread prettily along the pillow or along his shoulders, his lips parted prettily. His chest rose and fell slowly, and his hands rested peacefully on his stomach. He hadn't been sleeping well, having to deal with his siblings regarding the human.