Vampire Residence

XL

"So she just dies like it's no big deal and you just simply bring her back?"

Mioara, unbothered by the bluntness of Garrett's question, responded in her usual cool manner. "Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say she dies. It is more like... a temporary disappearance from this plane. The term 'dies' seems a bit... grim, you must admit?"

Avery, in the middle of having taken a sip of his drink, suddenly sputtered slightly, almost choking on the liquid.

"Grim? Grim?? What do you mean, grim? You're talking about a person here. A living being. You just came in here and- sorry, who even are you?"

Dorothea, who was once again watching Mioara with a weary gaze, quickly cut him off with a short, sharp comment.

"Shut up, Garrett."

He looked more than frustrated at Dorothea's interjection and was about to say something more before Mioara's voice cut in.

"No, no, let him continue. He appears to have... opinions."

"-and, Eleanor, you knew? Then what was all of the screaming for"

Eleanor, who had been quietly listening to the conversation up until then, finally spoke up, irritated and slightly defensive.

"I knew, but hadn't seen it happen until- I'm sorry, would you prefer that I'd been calm and collected while seeing my wife's corpse?"

Avery, who in the background appeared to be fighting against another rude comment, simply huffed in response. Dorothea, growing more and more impatient with his hostility towards Eleanor and Mioara, spoke in a sharp, no-nonsense tone.

"Enough. We don't exactly have the luxury of time, so it would be nice if you would drop this little attitude."

Garrett, who was about to reply, was forced to keep his mouth shut as Dorothea's sharp tone cut him off. He, in a childish sort of gesture, huffed in frustration, and mumbled something about "annoying people".

Dorothea was visibly growing more and more impatient and irritated. "I heard that, by the way."

Mioara, meanwhile, was watching their exchange with a small, amused smirk. "Are you quite finished?"

Avery, now looking embarrassed at the small scene he'd just caused, mumbled out a low "Yes.", before falling silent.

Dorothea, who was once again watching Mioara out of the corner of her eye, still looked mildly irritated.

"Wonderful."

Mioara, now wearing a small smug smirk on her face, looked back at each of them with the same amused gaze from earlier.

"Now, if you truly want to understand what has happened... I will have to start from the beginning."

Everyone in the room, even Eleanor, looked at Mioara with a slightly baffled expression, their interests now having been piqued.

Dorothea, who had now turned to face Mioara directly for the final time, spoke cautiously.

"...What do you mean, 'the beginning?'"