#blackthorne hall
Just tossing this up here, I had to do it. Let me know if there’s a need for a “translated” version of this, as the dialogue here is in an older dialect of English than is used today.
This is a series, Masterlist Here!
TW: Vampire whumpee, house fire mention, Dehumanization, humiliation, leash and collar mention, a flaming row/shouting match over it, domestic violence/manhandling, threat of whipping/beating.
1579
Under the newly knighted Sir William Nightley’s directions, building work was begun in earnest on the new home for his family and posterity. The people of Atcombe town had already begun to call it Blackthorne Hall, after the little hamlet of Blackthorne that had stood close by, and the old Nightley Hall itself, which had both burned down in that fatal night last Autumn. Until their new home would be finished enough to live in, Sir William rented his family the finest house he could get in Atcombe and rode over daily to oversee the work.
Yves had taken up some of his former duties in the oversight of the household but his role was still unclear, and Agnes Nightley was still not entirely at ease with having a vampire servingman in her home, and around her son or little infant daughter. She pretended to be, for her husband’s sake, but Yves could hear heartbeats now. He was learning what a tight smile but an elevated pulse meant, when people did it at the sight of him. Fortunately, she had taken the children to run about on the village green when the painting arrived.
It was brought by a courier, wrapped in clean rags and canvas to protect it. Sir William pulled the covering from it and leaned it against a heavy brass candlestick on the table in the main room of the house, where there was light enough to see it best.
Yves emerged from doing up the beds in the bedrooms, coming down the stairs. “What, is this that painting commissioned in Spring, brought from London at last?”
This is a series, Masterlist here
TW: home invasion, violence, blood, death
1992
The breaking glass was the first thing Yves heard, followed by a scream.
“Yves!!”
The vampire dropped the dustpan and brush he’d been using and ran, taking the stairs two at a time and bursting into the Mistress’ room.
“Yves- Help!!” Miss Edith was standing in her nightdress beside her bed, grey hair sliding out of its neat bun, swinging a broken table lamp like a bat, inexpertly but with the energy of terror. Her crossbow was over the mantle, and she couldn’t get to it.
It was the other figure in the room, between Edith Nightley and her crossbow, who had Yves’ full attention- a barefoot man in raggedy clothes, with a bloodstained shirt and fingernails like claws. A feral vampire.
Am I the only one who’s tired of seeing bad liars in media like anime, manga, and webtoons? Like I get its usually done for comedic effect or to let the reader know, but honestly it’s so tiring at this point.
Give me a character that can lie with a straight face and smile. Give me a character that can bluff super well about stuff they didn’t even find out till just seconds before. Give me a character that can’t act for shit but can make up a lie so well even they’re a bit surprised. Give me a character that DOESNT LIE AT ALL but skirts around the actual truth all the time. And finally give me a character that doesn’t feel guilty for their ability to lie, because to them that’s just how they learned to protect themselves (or some other reason).
Yves is such a habitual liar it’s actually hard to get the straight truth out of him on some subjects- his entire life has been about skirting things that aren’t “suitable topics” or avoiding saying certain things. He can be a master of obfuscation.
Lies Yves has told repeatedly:
“I’m quite certain.”
“Everything will be fine.”
“There’s nothing worth bothering about here.”
“Nothing for you to worry about.”
“No, it’s no trouble at all.“
“We’re happy to help in any way we can.”
“I understand Sir.”
“It’ll be done, Miss.”
“No, it barely left a mark.”
“I’m quite alright.”
“Doesn’t even sting anymore.”
“I’m not tired yet, you get some sleep.”
“I accept your decision, then.”
“I will do as I am ordered Sir.”
“No I haven’t seen them all day, Sir. Don’t know where they might be.”
“I am merely a servant of this house.”
“It doesn’t hurt anymore.”
And the worst and most common:
“I’m fine.”
