Fifth Floor Common Room, Tuesday Morning

[stars_and_money]

Last night, something peculiar had happened for the very first time: Jeremy Darling had gone grocery shopping.

And as was the case with most things involving money and a member of the Darling family, he had maybe gone a little overboard. He'd ended up having to lug three bags of foodstuffs back to the dorms, on his own, and dearly wishing Clark could have moved to Fandom with the twins to help with this stuff.

Still, the good thing was that he had three different kinds of cereal to choose from this morning when he wandered on down to the common room, wearing his glasses and his pajama bottoms with the planet print, his red silk dressing gown hanging open. After making his daunting breakfast food choice, he flopped down onto a couch with his bowl of cereal (two kinds at the same time) and turned the television on to start channel surfing.

It wasn't long before he was considering buying the common room a nice new TV set.

[ooc: It's an open common room!]

Comments

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

"Fascinating," Wesley murmured, mostly to himself. Because, yes, he was a total dork for all things paranormal, and ghosts were one thing he didn't know a whole lot about. He made a mental note to spend his library shift on Thursday looking into it.

[therewaslife]

"I haven't really met someone with such an interest in ghosts before," Bod admitted, pleased. "Usually they just look at me askance and wonder what other strange things I could be hiding."

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

Wesley smiled abashedly. "Yes, I'm -- well, I have a particular interest in the paranormal," he admitted. "Vampires, ghosts, all sorts of things. I suppose ghosts are particularly interesting because they don't seem to be explicitly malevolent."

[therewaslife]

"My guardian is a vampire," he supplied, half smiling. "I suppose I've run the gamut, then. I've known a werewolf as well. The graveyard I lived in seemed to be quite the gathering place for all sorts of supernatural things."

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

"Oh," said Wes, pleased to finally have something to contribute to the conversation. "Yes, graveyards are often convergence points for paranormal creatures. For instance, before I came to Fandom, I spent several months in a town in California where nearly ever night there were vampire risings in the town's, er, many graveyards."

Sunnydale had just been wacky like that.

[therewaslife]

"Oh?" Bod asked, now interested himself. He leaned forward some. "What were the vampires like, if I can ask?"

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

"Mostly the hostile sort," Wesley replied, smiling. "With one notable exception. But for the most part, they were single-minded creatures intent on feeding and killing."

He could make this a day-long lecture, actually, as he'd studied eleven years of vampire lore at the Watchers' Academy. Fortunately for Bod, he'd try to control himself.

[therewaslife]

"That's unfortunate to hear but not unsurprising," Bod said, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "I've heard about but never run into hostile vampires. They've all been controlled and passive towards me for the most part. I always find myself wondering what makes a vampire become aggressive or non hostile."

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

Oh! He knew this one. Or rather, he knew it in his own universe.

"Well," he said, puffing up at the ability to disclose new information. "Where I come from, a vampire's aggressive nature is created by his lack of a soul. They function as a moral compass, so to speak, and vampires are notably devoid of them. I'm only familiar with one vampire who managed to re-ensoul himself. Prior to that, he was among the most vicious and destructive vampires in existence, but once ensouled, he became much more passive. Moral, even."

Watchers were big on ghost stories. It was kind of a thing.

[therewaslife]

"That's...an interesting way to think of things," he said honestly, looking even more intrigued now. "It's not something Silas -- he's my guardian -- ever mentioned. He didn't really speak about that part of his life to me either but I'd figured it out over time."

It was something to ponder and maybe something to broach to Silas at another time. "How would you acquire a soul? I don't think they're just for sale that easily."

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

"No, no, they're not," Wesley agreed, laughing. "It requires a complex ritual. I've never seen it performed, but it's largely Latin-based, and it hinges upon the correct use of a number of mystical items. Rosemary, an Orb of Thessala, that sort of thing."

Yes, Wes, everyone in the whole world knew what an Orb of Thessala was.

[therewaslife]

"I have no idea what that last one is," Bod admitted, shaking his head. "Latin, I do know, but I wouldn't know how to perform a ritual like that. Can it be dangerous?"

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

"Oh, certainly," he said emphatically. "I suppose if it were easy, people might be doing it right and left, given the prevalence of vampire attacks," he reasoned. "And Orbs of Thesulah are spherical glass objects used for restoration spells, though amateurs have been known to use them as paperweights."

Ohhh, Bod. Getting him started on this topic? So not a good idea. He could keep this up for hours. Literally.

[therewaslife]

Hey, he'd probably found someone who would listen for hours too. He'd never heard things like this and his interest was hitting a peak now.

"Once the vampire is given a soul, do their behaviors immediately change?" Bod asked, curios. "Or does it take time to acclimate?"

[And I might hit some AFK for awhile soon uuuugh work.]

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

Huh. That one he had to think about for a moment. Since there was only one historical example and he hadn't been present when it happened... but then he remembered all those books and histories he'd read on the vampire in question.

"The change is immediate, I believe," he said, trying to sound like an authority on the subject. "Once imbued with a soul, the vampire begins to feel strong remorse for all of the actions he committed while soulless. Historically, the only ensoulled vampire with which I am familiar spent the century following his ensoullment living out of garbage cans and sewer rats out of guilt."

[Alrighty, no worries!]

[therewaslife]

"That's...quite the effect," Bod said, eyes widening. "Can they lose their soul again or is it a permanent change once it's given?"

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

"Oh, it can happen numerous times," Wesley replied, a faint hint of a smile twitching at his mouth. "Souls are surprisingly volatile. The same vampire I described to you lost his soul a second time due to a gypsy curse that was put upon him that stated that if he ever achieved perfect happiness, he would lose his soul. Unfortunately, he wasn't made aware of that clause."

This is what happens when people don't read the fine print.

[therewaslife]

"Vampires are very complicated in your world," Bod said, sounding enthralled. "Fascinating but complicated. What made you so interested in them?"

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

Yup. Complicated was one word for it.

"Well," he said, "In my world, vampires are traditionally fought by one girl who is appointed as a sort of soldier, known as the Slayer. It is her responsibility to combat vampires, demons and all sorts of malevolent paranormal creatures. Traditionally, she is appointed a Watcher, or a guardian of sorts, to advise her regarding combat strategies, weaponry, spells, and things of that nature. I spent the last eleven years training to be a Watcher at the Watchers' Academy in England, so a focus on vampires was somewhat inevitable."

[therewaslife]

"Wow, eleven years?" Bod said, impressed now. "How long does the training take since eleven years doesn't seem to be the end for you?"

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

"Oh, it depends," Wesley replied easily. "Some people can train their whole lives and never be chosen, while others might be picked as young as -- oh, seventeen or thereabouts?"

Okay, yes, he was one of the seventeen-year-olds, and yes, he'd missed his chance. Hence, Fandom.

[therewaslife]

"Are you hoping to finish your time here and the become a Watcher?" Bod asked. "Or do you have more training even after this?"

[wesleynotponcy.livejournal.com]

"That remains to be seen," Wes replied, with all the fake dignity of someone who had long since been fired. "I'm rather hoping I'm re-acc-- er, accepted after my time in Fandom, but it's possible I'll need to fulfill a field experience requirement."

"And yourself?" he asked, because this conversation was heading into lies territory and it was always best to avoid that. "What are your plans for after Fandom? More, ah, exploring and graveyard-hopping?"

That was meant as a joke, by the way, Bod. Sometimes his jokes were a little too... British.

[therewaslife]

"Actually, that sounds just like what I've been thinking about once I'm done here," he said and chuckled lightly. "I've made no solid plans mostly because I don't really plan ahead like that. I'd love to explore the parts of the world I haven't seen before and I'd love to meet people from cultures I've yet to experience. I think immersing myself in a new place, learning a new language and adapting is one of the most amazing experiences you can have."