[open] a birthday celebration

[perfectdevil]

WHO: lestat & all of you~
WHAT: lestat is hosting a party for a certain someone's birthday!
WHERE: a bistro in district 3
WHEN: october 4th
WARNINGS: N/A so far. will update as needed!



[ In the early morning hours of the 4th of October, a photograph of a handwritten notice goes up on the network. It’s in flowery but surprisingly legible script, as if he’s learnt to create letters purely by reading them and has jumbled together an amalgamation of different typefaces to make each letter he writes as interesting as possible. The details are as follows: ]

This is an invitation to any and all, to attend a soirée this evening, in celebration of my companion’s birthday.

I’ve attached a photograph of the location; a fashionable little bistro highly recommended to me by someone who clearly knows a thing or two about style. Festivities start at 6 o’clock this evening, though you are more than welcome to be fashionably late. We will go until sunrise. The dress code is: eye-catching.

There will be food, there will be wine, there will be merriment. Games, dancing, live music. Who amongst you could turn their nose up at a free bar and the chance to boogie? I know that technically this entire place is a free bar, what with the distinct lack of economy, but I’ve acquired the assistance of a bartender, just to tempt you…

And, failing all else, there’s the certainty of stunning conversation - and isn’t that something that we all can enjoy, even those of us who don’t groove with the party scene?

Be there, or be square.


xoxo

[ Some of you might remember him posting asking for help planning this little get together, and it’s going ahead with all of Lestat’s best intentions for a night to remember. Whether you know him or don’t (and haven’t been put off by his hip use of old slang he still thinks makes him sound cool) you’ll be welcomed to the festivities with open arms and a warm, sharp smile.

Come on down, don’t be shy. Have a little dance with the devil. ]

The Bar

[ Gleaming in hard wood painted a stunning chic black, the bar is the first thing to delight your eyes with upon entering the bistro. Bottles line the back wall, shining in the low amber lights, and so too the bottles lined up in front as your gracious bartender for the evening, Daan, sets up shop. Perhaps you have a drink in mind, or would like him to surprise you (with varying results), or maybe you’re here for the crowd gathered around and chatting amicably as they nurse their chosen poison.

Lestat himself has taken up prime position there, often with a rather steadfast arm around Louis, whose expression isn’t exactly dour but isn’t particularly placid, either. He gives off the very clear expression of someone who’s been tricked into coming here under false pretences. Probably because Lestat had been positively evasive of even mentioning the B word (birthday) all evening, even going as far as to ignore completely any mention of Louis discovering his plotting before tonight… though whether that be from embarrassment over failing to make his post private despite Armand’s very clear instructions, or simply down to his impish nature, isn’t clear.

What is clear, is that Lestat is having a lovely time in wonderful company, and is a veritable font of energy. He’s usually pretty upbeat, of course, but tonight there’s a particular vigour about him that is clearly different, though not in a strictly bad way. When he’s not hanging off Louis’ side or parading him around to introduce him to people he hasn't met yet, Lestat is leaning over the bar to watch Daan work, or perhaps butting into a nearby conversation or starting a fresh one up with someone looking a little too quiet. ]

The Stage & Dancefloor

[ Great care and attention has been made to stagger the assortment of tables in the room so that each one has a perfect view of the man-made stage and its attached square of space serving as a dance floor. It’s nothing more than a few flat platforms on which the players can stand along with a wall of lined up instruments and some speakers Lestat found at the music store in the mall, but it’s unmistakably the intended highlight of the evening's entertainment.

A dark blue electric guitar beside an acoustic one, a simple spruce violin, a small drum set, a standing keyboard and three microphones is his haul, and they are left available for anyone who'd like to jam. If Lestat sees you looking with the barest hint of interest, even if there is not a single musical bone in your body, if he will pull you over to try something out - what better way to learn than in a room full of people watching you? :)

Toward the middle of the evening, Lestat will take Louis' hands in his own and kiss them, and then kiss him, and leave to climb up onto the stage himself. He’s dressed in a burgundy corduroy jacket over a crisp black shirt; the collar undone to reveal a host of twisted chains at his throat, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows and his wrists and fingers adorned with similar finery. Tight leather pants, and black boots with a red sole. His nails are painted black, and there’s a smudge of dark red around his eyes, which makes the pale silver-blue of them look almost eerie in the spotlight. (Well, he did say eye-catching was the dress code.)

He’ll take the microphone, lift the electric guitar into his arms and begins to play, and to sing. It’s a cover arrangement, of course, as anyone who enjoys 70s rock music will be able to tell.. but he sings it well, with a practised and enchanting stage presence that is hard to look away from; snaking hips, spectacular crowd work. No, it’s not his vampiric thrall (probably), it’s just that Lestat really was born to perform and he knows it.

He also picks out another song to play a little later on, assuring the crowd very loudly that they must keep this song's existence a complete secret and then "accidentally" name-dropping Steve Tyler as the guy he was jamming with when the song was created. ]

Party Games

[ Lestat has assigned a little space toward the back of the room and has littered the tables with a handful of silly party games, packages of cards, even a small set of plastic chips for gambling (though what exactly the ante will be is entirely up to you). It looks very much like he’s raided the toy aisle in a supermarket which… isn’t untrue, but he’s done so with at least a little care and attention for what kind of party he’d like this to be. There’s no board games, put it that way.

Who Am I?: Take a sticky-note and ask someone to write the name of a famous figure on it, and stick it on your back. You must walk around and ask the other patrons of the party yes/no questions in order to figure out who you are.
Treasure Hunt: Take a paper from the table; on it you'll find a series of descriptions such as "Someone who's favourite colour is blue" or "Someone who has siblings", "someone who's broken someone's heart" etc. Talk to party goers until you find a person who matches each prompt. You may only use one person once. The winner gets a prize!

Bulla has graciously offered to host a round or two of games for all in attendance; the assortment will be varied and both she and Lestat will be no doubt open to any suggestions of things to play. If you aren’t the type to get involved in such things, it’s quite unfortunate because oh, it looks like this one needs a partner and here is Lestat without one! ]

The Veranda

[The way outside through the large glass doors at the back of the bistro is lit in an almost storybook manner, with lights pinned from the doorway to the exterior fence in loose criss-crosses. The furniture has been moved to accommodate a large table running down the centre of the floor, full to bursting with plates of food. It seems the intention here is similar to a “pot-luck” - a concept that has Lestat gleeful as a child over the absurdity of such a thing - only as this place has no real necessity for cooking and as Lestat has no idea what kind of food typically is seen at parties, the guidance is simply to go into the kitchen and take advantage of its seemingly unending capabilities in order to emerge with a bowl, plate or tray of whatever you deem appropriate for a party such as this.

Obviously, this has resulted in the table being full of an incredibly disorganised array of treats in all shapes and colour - which naturally has attracted Lesat into staring at it all like a magpie, asking questions of every meal that people pick at, questioning the flavour and the method of preparation, all the while twisting a glass bottle of some thick scarlet substance around and around in his hands. ]

--
[ happy birthday louis!!! feel free to mingle, thread-hop, eavesdrop, do whatever you'd like. go wild. it's a party!

lestat is down for anything, so if you want to assume your character has made a playlist, brought a game along, has suggested a party game and is bullying people into playing it, or even if you want to assume that lestat saw you in the street nearby and whisked you in to the bistro against your will, please go for it. literally anything goes, i am SO easy and so is lestat. :) ]

Comments

[perfectdevil]

[ Lestat isn't even technically lying - things had got a little out of hand since his meeting with Dorian and between tearful explosions of the truth between him and Louis, and the turmoil of upsetting Armand again, and getting himself in chains once more, he hadn't really the time to even think of alerting Ethan to his friend's arrival. But more than that, of course, he was concerned for what Dorian might have said of their conversation, and when Ethan says that... well, Lestat lets out a small breath of something that might be surprise or laughter. ]

He made quite the impression on me in return, I can assure you that. I see now why you said we might get on, we have a lot in common.

[ Hoping that might be the end of it, Lestat can't resist goading Ethan a little. ]

But two incidents of handcuffing, you say. My my, you don't waste time, do you, Monsieur Chandler?

[lupusintus]

I'm hardly a saint, but I can only take the credit for one incident. I was an unwilling participant in the first. Seems I got handcuffed to someone with an interesting diet and an aversion to sunlight, I thought I woke up next to a corpse. I'm starting to think this place has it out for me.

[ Are you sure you want to stop talking about Dorian, Mr. Rock Star? Because the cat is out of the bag, despite how cordial Ethan seems to be right now. You know that look a parent gives you when they say I'm not mad, just disappointed? Guess who is wearing it now? Know any redheads, Mr. Lioncourt? Just as quickly as it appears, however, it's gone. ]

He'll probably be here tonight.

[perfectdevil]

[ Oh my god? Why is talking to Ethan like navigating a field full of landmines??? Talk about the guy who you're constantly two seconds away from biting or considering making a vampire, or talk about the fact that Ethan now knows vampires exist here and that they have, uh, all the same qualities you did when you were chained to his pal. Well, Lestat? What are you going to choose? ]

.... Do you want another drink, Ethan, I think your glass is looking a little empty.

[ And off he goes Very Quickly to retrieve whatever Ethan has in his glass a second time, along with something warm and smelling of cherries for himself. ]

[lupusintus]

No, I--

[ But nothing, Lestat flees the scene like a bat out of hell and Ethan is left staring at the spot he once stood. Seriously? But he can't help but chuckle at the fact that a freaking vampire just ran away like the kid who just got caught with their hand in the cookie jar. He wasn't even going to interrogate him; he just wanted him to know he was aware of things.

When he comes back, Ethan has a hand on his hip and a quirked brow. ]

My glass wasn't empty. That was some impressive speed. [ Okay, maybe he'll poke a little. ]

[perfectdevil]

[ Lestat feels a little foolish, but it's such a foreign feeling to him that it is quickly quashed by his instinct to be defensive. ]

Well, you already know I'm fast from our race, no?

[ He feels a strange kind of energy about him as he stands here, struggling to think of a topic to shift the subject to and all too aware of the rather glaring elephant in the room between them both now. Does he mention it, or does he just continue feeling this anxiety around someone he'd greatly like to consider a friend? He thinks about recent events and the events of his past, about his realisation that saying nothing and hoping for the best so rarely works out in his favour, and the ultimatum drops like a weight in his stomach. ]

Armand is a much different creature than I am, despite our similarities.

[ Lestat wishes he could drink his drink, but he does press the glass to his lips and inhales the powerful scent of cherries. It's slightly soothing, but only slightly. ]

[lupusintus]

Yeah, I remember. I still think you let me win.

[ His anxiety is nearly palpable but that isn't the only thing keeping his temper in check. If Lestat had intended him any harm, he has had ample time to do so -- especially at the graveyard. Ethan is aware of his strength and, after having a night with Armand, he's certain he hasn't seen the half of it. If it is a ruse, it's a damn good one. ]

You, him and Louis, you're from the same place.

[ He doesn't say vampires, he doesn't have to. After a moment he lets out a sigh and rubs at his mustache, pausing when he witnesses him "drink" the beverage. Can they actually consume other things? A conversation for another time, maybe. ]

You can say that again, I probably would have been a goner if this happened anywhere else.

[perfectdevil]

[ Ethan's words are a statement, which is just as powerful as him telling Lestat straight up that he knows exactly what kind of creature he is... And it's strange, this trepidation over someone knowing that he's a vampire, because in his experience before he arrived here he was either met with disbelief or disinterest at the reveal, whereas here people for the most part have been almost welcoming. Ethan was the first person he'd met that had shown his kind any ill will.

He's reminded of the Witches Place in his village, where all those women had been forced to die purely because of what they were, or were suspected to be. He thinks of the fury in Ethan's eyes when he thought Lestat had tricked him. ]

We are from the same place, yes. [ He admits, then sets his drink down and fixes Ethan with a look as he forces what he needs to say out: ] You must understand why I had to lie to you. It was for your own benefit as much as it was mine, and for the sake of those I care about.

[lupusintus]

Then I need you to understand my hatred for them.

[ Contrary to the last time he "thought" Lestat was a vampire, his eyes are fierce but not with rage. Ethan steps a little closer and lowers his voice, he's more than certain the other man will have no trouble picking up the words. ]

Most of the vampires of my world are bloodthirsty and live only for the hunt, for the next meal. They're driven by hunger and only that, they're more like wild animals fighting over scraps. They're nothing like the three of you save for their master, who they follow without question. If he shows up here, I'll finish what I started no matter the cost.

[ While he is intentionally being vague, the details should still be enough for him to understand. Vampire or not, Ethan is firm in his belief that just as he would do anything for Vanessa, Lestat would do the same for Louis. Unlike his choice, he has a sneaking suspicion that he would set the world ablaze for Louis. ]

He turned the woman I love, I killed her to save her. [ The events that transpired in the graveyard should make sense now, as should his prejudice. While he might be amicable towards the three of them here, there will always be that doubt in the back of his mind that things could sour fast: all it would take is one bite. ]

[perfectdevil]

[ Lestat's pulse jumps a little - not in fear, but in realisation of how important this conversation is to Ethan, and therefore how important it is to Lestat himself in turn. He dips his head, eyes on the same level as Ethan's, his serious expression staying in place as he listens attentively. Once the extravagant French dandy, now the sombre conversation partner; he really does have many facets.

These vampires Ethan describes sound like the horrifying wraith-like things that he knows once haunted unpopulated villages and towns back when he was still a young vampire; he and Gabrielle had seen a few, had dispatched a few, even, and he knows Louis and Claudia saw them too.. but he doesn't feel particularly comfortable sharing that revelation with Ethan, that their kind is capable of such violence given enough time and enough starvation without the courage to die. Ethan's vampires sound like the thing of storybooks, horror novels meant to scare mortals, not the true awful elegance of his Dark Trick.

But he does get it, now, why Ethan had been so furious to think that Lestat was one of these things sent by their master to torture him further in this place. The idea of having to kill a lover to save them puts ice in Lestat's heart, dread filling him at the thought of it alone, because he's certain he could never be that strong. ]

I understand. The more time I spend here, the more I realise that what might be commonplace or normal in my world is not necessarily the same in another. These vampires you talk of sound like underlings, like mindless things that serve a God. [ He grimaces, shakes his head. ] We are not that way. We serve no-one but ourselves, and though you are right to be wary of us as I know you are, because you are a smart man... I can assure you of your safety. You, and those you care for.

[lupusintus]

God or not, no matter how many years it takes me, I will kill him.

[ Ethan lets his words soak in, stepping back to glance over at him with some hesitation. He wants to believe that, wants to believe that the man before him, who he has come to respect, will never raise a hand to him or his loved ones. But his suspicion is deep-seated and stubborn, that nagging doubt will always linger in the back of his mind. What if the blood bottles run out, what will they do then if there are none willing to feed him?

Vampires need blood. ]

You say you serve no one but yourselves but I doubt that would keep him from trying to recruit you if he did ever show his face here. [ While he doesn't think they would follow Dracula, he also doesn't know exactly how much power the creature holds. ] He would lose some of his strength here but he would still be formidable, I'm no match for him as I am now.

[ On the night of the full moon? Maybe he could do some damage, the creature had fled and left him to his minions before Ethan had a chance to test the theory. Even now the bitterness is tough to swallow, it isn't as if he has stopped looking for him. He follows the papers, listens for even the slightest whisper of activity. He will follow him to the ends of the earth if he has to. ]

He's called Dracula.

[perfectdevil]

[ Lestat firms his expression a little at that; he can clearly tell how much of an impact this man has had on Ethan, and he wonders if the pale faced woman he'd seen on Ethan's first night here has anything to do with this level of ire toward the vampires of his world, and their master. If that's the case, then it's no surprise that Ethan would have dispatched him without a second thought - or tried to, at least - had he not defused the situation when he had. ]

I am loyal to you, as a man who's shown me kindness despite having more than enough reason not to.

[ He had lied, after all, and misled Ethan for his own sake. He hadn't been worried about what a lie might do to Ethan's mental state then, he'd only been concerned with staying out of having to defend himself against a man much more accustomed to fighting than him — what a mess it could have become if he hadn't. Now, though, he feels guilt for hiding it for so long but also defiance that Ethan would doubt his resistance. ]

I am a strong vampire, very strong. The strongest here, I don't doubt. A formidable vampire means nothing to me, lord amongst minions or not. [ He puts a hand to Ethan's shoulder, his blue eyes intent and boring into Ethan's, his expression plain and his voice firm. ] I mean what I say, Ethan. I can't be swayed by any thrall. I won't kneel.

[ It feels a little strange to be siding so resolutely against his own kind, but then this creature sounds so far from what he would consider familiar that perhaps that's why he believes the words he says to Ethan so thoroughly. ]

Should he arrive here, you won't have to worry about meeting his power. I'll give you any and all opportunity I can to exact what revenge you feel you need. I give you my word.

[lupusintus]

Looking at what you did to the headstone, I know you could have killed me if you wanted to a dozen times over. You had the chance to and didn't, I don't question your loyalty. We all have our secrets and our monsters.

[ There's a particular emphasis on monsters but, before anything can be read into it, he reaches out after a moment and places his hand over Lestat's. If someone had told him a month ago that he would befriend a vampire? He would have called them mad and likely been angry about it. Truth be told, he is still struggling with the concept on a daily basis and hasn't even told Vanessa about him and Louis. ]

I'm not worried about myself, I'm worried about her. She's here, Lestat, and her reaction to vampires would be worse than my own. I'm not the only one who lost someone important. [ It isn't his story to tell, however, so he will leave it at that. ]

We don't know who is going to arrive here or when, I'm doing what I can to keep her safe. I don't know if it will be enough but as long as I live? I'll do anything and everything to protect her from whatever this place throws at us.

[perfectdevil]

[ Lestat nods, slowly. Ethan is right that anyone could arrive here without any kind of notice, and though Lestat can't think of anyone who he might feel genuine fear to see disembark the train, he isn't naive enough to think that means he's safe. He knows all too well — from personal experience, in fact — that sometimes it's those who seem the most friendly who are the most dangerous. ]

I think I saw her in your thoughts before we spoke. A pale face, very beautiful, intense eyes.. I didn't realise she had been brought here, too.

[ Obviously this puts him in a difficult situation, given her aversion to vampires... but Lestat has spent all his life fitting in with humans, so he isn't exactly a novice at hiding the truth. It just so happens that, fortunately or unfortunately, he also isn't the best at recognising and staying away from a terrible idea, particularly when it puts himself in danger. ]

Then let me help. Should you need me, you can call on me, Ethan. Envision this monster of a man in your head, and your lady-friend, so I can see them and get a good look at them. I'll keep my eye out for danger alongside you. Two pairs of eyes are better than one, and if anything happens to you, I'll help you to keep her safe.

[ He squeezes Ethan's shoulder, just once. ]

I'm sure you'd do the same for me if I asked you to watch over Louis.

[lupusintus]

[ Lestat mentioning seeing Vanessa in his thoughts makes him frown for a moment, but it isn't as surprising after having Armand unintentionally pick up his fleeting memory of Brona. It's unnerving not knowing what thoughts he might unintentionally share at any time but, at least in this case, the reward outweighs the risk. ]

I didn't find her until after meeting you, I thought this place was playing tricks.

[ Oh, Lestat, the man has no idea what he is offering. Considering Vanessa is currently psychologically torturing a vampire in November for daring to bite someone she cares for; he could have his hands full on this one. He hasn't even told her he's been friendly with a pair of vampires, that's a conversation for another time, one he has been avoiding purposely. Even now, despite the fact that Lestat has been nothing but courteous, that nagging sense of doubt lingers in the back of his mind, so much so that he's yet to give him her name. ]

She'll be more perceptive than I was and I'd rather she not find out we were acquainted though anyone other than myself. Truth be told.. [ He sighs, pressing his lips together before scratching the back of his neck. ] I'm still trying to figure out how I didn't notice what you were sooner. I'm chalking it up to the sudden arrival here or maybe, deep down, I did notice something was off and chose to ignore it because you helped me. On any other day? I would have killed you.

[ And he means that. Just because Dracula fled after their encounter doesn't mean Ethan suddenly hung up his guns for good. Settling down and living the good life was never in the cards, he would always be looking over his shoulder with his finger dancing on the trigger of his gun. He has been fighting for all of his adult life in one form or another, that is unlikely to change even here. Him squeezing his shoulder snaps him out of his thoughts. ]

I trust you, the man before me, but I'll always harbor a hatred for vampires, Lestat. I know that there are people fighting their own battles here, against their inner demons, and that faulting them for that is something I shouldn't do. I know firsthand that you can't fight against what you are. [ At the mention of Louis, he finally gives him a defeated smile. ]

You wouldn't even have to ask. I'll accept your help.

[perfectdevil]

[ Lestat isn't exactly sure what he's supposed to take from this, nor how Ethan expects him to react to all of this; hearing that his lady friend is untrusting of vampires is no surprise given what happened to her in their world, nd given how Ethan had already reacted to him. Perhaps it's a personal flaw on Lestat's part that he can't exactly take the criticism lightly - but he's never really had to face this kind of prejudice before, and usually when he does face criticism it's because he at least deserves it. Oh, he's seen foolish humans in years gone by strapping garlic to their door frames and sprinkling salt outside their doors to ward off creatures of the night, but not one who was ever brave enough to hunt their kind, nor harboured such hatred of them as palpable as Ethan's is. In his world their species is careful, romantic, eternal and ethereal; like angels of death. Murderers still, yes, but not anything like what Ethan describes. ]

Your vampires and what I am are two very different things.

[ If he sounds a little terse it's because he is. ]

There were revenants in my world who were led only by hunger and had no creed to follow like the one I do, but they have long since been exterminated. They couldn't survive being so reckless, killing so indiscriminately. Hate the creatures who have wronged you all you like — Hell, I'll hate them alongside you, they sound as though they've earned your ire — but do not tar me with the same brush as them. We are not the same beings. I have no inner demon. I am fighting nothing. I kill by my own code because it is how I have chosen to live with what I am, not because I have some dark passenger I must please.

[ This could all be much easier if he'd admit that he only kills evildoers as a rule - or perhaps it would make things worse, who knows. But Lestat refuses to pander to any vision of himself as 'good'. He still kills, that is inescapable. He just does it with restrictions, with rules. Like a gentleman would. ]

Anyway. I'm sure I'll bump into her sooner or later, if she's so perceptive. We both know that the City is not a largely populated place enough for her to fly under my radar forever, and I am quite the sociable scamp.

[ He shrugs lightly, all traces of his earlier annoyance all but evaporated. ]

Call on me should you need me for anything, then, Monsieur Chandler, in whatever way you see fit. You have my word I'll do what I can to help.

[lupusintus]

I know that. If I thought you were in any way similar, I wouldn't have shared this information with you but because you were honest with me, I returned the favor. You've given me no reason to hunt or harm you, I've already made that mistake before and I'm not in any hurry to repeat it.

[ He expected him to react similarly to this, despite still learning how his mind works. Lestat is an outgoing and garrulous personality that feels larger than life so any attack on his character would, of course, be deeply frowned upon. At the mention of a dark passenger his expression, at least for a fraction of a second, becomes pained. He's accepted what he is to a degree, normalcy will never be an option, but he often wonders what it would feel like to not have so many bodies at his feet. To not be a slave to something he's unable to control. ]

Friends are a luxury I've only recently been afforded and, despite what I said, I count you among them. It's not a matter of if, I know he will try to recruit here by force if necessary if he ever finds his way here. I don't want you, Louis or Armand to be caught unaware. From the sound of it, you know exactly what his servants are capable of.

[ Looking to be struggling with something for a moment, he eventually speaks up again after nodding to the last statement. ] The ones that hunt Miss Ives might not be here but I'm not foolish enough to believe she's safe. The dark hides many hidden dangers, and, on some nights, I feel like this place can be just as dangerous as home. If something happens to me and I can't protect her..

[ Finishing the sentence is unnecessary, Lestat knows what he's asking. If he should disappear or die, he wants to know someone will be there to watch over her in his place. ]

[perfectdevil]

[ It does soothe Lestat a little to hear Ethan refer to his previous assumption as a mistake. It's too easy to harken back to that uncomfortable tension he'd felt around Ethan, torn as he was between considering him a friend and warning Louis about him to protect him. He understands better now, though, that Ethan's fury had come from a similar motivation to his own; if some creature had hurt Louis, Lestat would probably have a hard time trusting others of its kind, too.

He finds himself strangely surprised to hear that Ethan isn't a man who can boast having many friends… though, Lestat wonders if it's less a matter of no opportunity and ore the issue that Ethan won't allow himself to get close to anyone, wound up in the supernatural and hell-bent on revenge as he is. He feels adequately touched, therefore, to hear him finally admit that they are, indeed, friends. ]

Yes, I know what you mean. Louis told me when I first arrived that this place creates figments to mess with your head, and it armed me to not be so trustworthy and to not take everything I see as the truth, to not be so easy to effect, but... A place like this? It won't be long before it starts to resort to drastic measures and people get hurt. That, I'm sure of.

[ A small pause. He won't let Ethan's honesty go to waste just as he won't allow his own promise to become broken in it's infancy. ]

I will help you protect her, but I will also protect you, so that I need not step-in in the first place and risk her hatred of my kind as I've dealt with from you.

[ Another shrug. ]

Then everyone wins.