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He's never been so happy to have a flood pass him by. He doesn't know what would happen if someone else had taken his place and taken him away from Eric.
He still insists on sleeping together, on keeping Eric with him close by, even if he can feel him, and ensures that they both have plenty to eat. Godric keeps bottles of real blood in the fridge, but it's magical, from Archer, and slightly more potent than what the Admiral keeps, which he retrieves for them when Eric needs or asks for it. It feels good to take care of him again, though. Having him here, in the cabin or taking him along to the library for his shifts, makes it feel...normal.
Even Freyja, the black kitten Godric's adopted, has come to accept Eric in her home and will occasionally wander over and sit by his side if he allows it.
One evening, just as midnight passes them by, Godric sets down the book he's reading.
"Would you like to come on a walk to see the Enclosure?"
He still insists on sleeping together, on keeping Eric with him close by, even if he can feel him, and ensures that they both have plenty to eat. Godric keeps bottles of real blood in the fridge, but it's magical, from Archer, and slightly more potent than what the Admiral keeps, which he retrieves for them when Eric needs or asks for it. It feels good to take care of him again, though. Having him here, in the cabin or taking him along to the library for his shifts, makes it feel...normal.
Even Freyja, the black kitten Godric's adopted, has come to accept Eric in her home and will occasionally wander over and sit by his side if he allows it.
One evening, just as midnight passes them by, Godric sets down the book he's reading.
"Would you like to come on a walk to see the Enclosure?"
Once he'd realized he had one, Eric learned of the situation that had swept the barge. People coming in, family of sort or close ties to citizens of the barge and he wonders, being so new, how badly he would react to someone they knew coming in place of Godric. And he's relieved that they don't have to find out.
Sleeping is easier now, but there is a lurking uneasiness of the time coming where he should return Godric's privacy to him. That isn't to say that he thinks right then, or even for the next little while, that either of them could stand to be apart from each other much longer than they absolutely had to, but there were people here that needed his maker, too. And as much as that makes him the tiniest bit jealous, he keeps telling himself that he has something with Godric that none of them have.
He's staring at the cat when the question pulls his attention to his maker. "Of course, I would," Eric replies softly. "I have no idea what that is but a walk with you I can't refuse."
Sleeping is easier now, but there is a lurking uneasiness of the time coming where he should return Godric's privacy to him. That isn't to say that he thinks right then, or even for the next little while, that either of them could stand to be apart from each other much longer than they absolutely had to, but there were people here that needed his maker, too. And as much as that makes him the tiniest bit jealous, he keeps telling himself that he has something with Godric that none of them have.
He's staring at the cat when the question pulls his attention to his maker. "Of course, I would," Eric replies softly. "I have no idea what that is but a walk with you I can't refuse."
Godric nods. "I thought you wouldn't. It's a system, of a sort, where you can input any place, any time, and it will change the room around you to match."
He thinks about getting shoes, but ultimately he decides against it and simply waits by the door for Eric.
If they're going to talk about this, then they need to be out of his cabin, somewhere they can both roam.
He thinks about getting shoes, but ultimately he decides against it and simply waits by the door for Eric.
If they're going to talk about this, then they need to be out of his cabin, somewhere they can both roam.
"Hm. Interesting," he hums. It's almost unfathomable a thought, though the kids back home were raging about something called virtual reality. He wonders if it's similar. "So where are we going tonight then?"
Eric tosses a shirt over his black tank top, and decides against wearing any shoes, too. He misses when walking barefoot didn't result in injuring his feet and trailing blood all over the place.
He heads to the door and slow to allow Godric to take the lead.
Eric tosses a shirt over his black tank top, and decides against wearing any shoes, too. He misses when walking barefoot didn't result in injuring his feet and trailing blood all over the place.
He heads to the door and slow to allow Godric to take the lead.
"Home. Where my new home is. Where your home will be," he says. "I miss the ocean."
He leads the way out of his cabin, padding softly down the hallway towards the elevator.
"I miss the trees."
He misses nature. Dallas was terrible for that reason alone.
He leads the way out of his cabin, padding softly down the hallway towards the elevator.
"I miss the trees."
He misses nature. Dallas was terrible for that reason alone.
Eric can't help but hear the wistfulness in the way he says 'home', an elusive thought that constantly evades him when he's thought about finding somewhere more long term. In their world, it was always a constant move from place to place, making sure they were never revealed. For a lot of vampires, it meant their true death.
Still, the way Godric sounds makes him all the more curious about the place. "It obviously has both," he smiles, watching his maker intently as he follows with his arms behind his back. The fact he's included in it warms something inside him that otherwise should be impossible. "Where is it?"
Still, the way Godric sounds makes him all the more curious about the place. "It obviously has both," he smiles, watching his maker intently as he follows with his arms behind his back. The fact he's included in it warms something inside him that otherwise should be impossible. "Where is it?"
"You will no doubt find it amusing," he says easily, leading them to the stairway so he can start up to the deck. He could run, make it in a fraction of the time, but Godric sees his years stretching ahead of him. There's no need to hurry.
"Oregon."
"Oregon."
"Oregon?" Eric is amused, yes, but more curious than anything else. "What made you decide on Oregon?"
Out of all places in the world where he could have had the ocean and some trees, he picks Oregon?!
Out of all places in the world where he could have had the ocean and some trees, he picks Oregon?!
"Because I promised to have a house for someone else. For a friend I made and helped here. She's a surfer, but I refused to live in California. Oregon was the compromise," he explains with a laugh. "I fell in love with the tall trees and the ocean. And if we roam far enough north, we can find snow for you."
Another friend and a female surfer to boot. Oh, how things have truly changed.
Eric lets out a soft chuckle. "Does it actually exist beyond this..Enclosure?" It's a little unclear.
Eric lets out a soft chuckle. "Does it actually exist beyond this..Enclosure?" It's a little unclear.
Eric keeps his gaze forward but something changes in his profile and what smile was there is gone. At the mention of leaving, anxiety stirs and he swallows thickly before the next question comes out.
"You can leave whenever you please?" he asks, without looking at him.
"You can leave whenever you please?" he asks, without looking at him.
"So, it's a choice then. To leave," he guesses, much like deciding when you want to die. Some do and others let fate decide.
Eric keeps his focus on Godric, hardly showing any interest in anything else, He doesn't exactly like the idea of 'disappearing' for no reason. There's always a reason. Was his maker really that unsure? Or was he protecting him from a world of constant worry?
"What exactly does that mean?" he continues with urgency.
"What exactly does that mean?" he continues with urgency.
"Death here is not permanent. Not even ours." He opens the door to the Enclosure after programming a very familiar place. He opens the door to the night scene. The trees grow tall over their heads, reaching almost to the ocean itself. The moon is bright, not that they need it, and the wind is biting cold. Godric smiles.
It's bracing. Familiar. He steps onto the smooth rocks and waits for Eric.
It's bracing. Familiar. He steps onto the smooth rocks and waits for Eric.
He takes that in, not exactly if that's a perk or a downfall to being on the barge. Does it make sense? More than it should. Clearly this Admiral character doesn't want them to die, even if technically they are.
But then the unraveling of the scenery around them steals his attention and whatever question that might've come next, dies on his tongue as he steps past the door and further in a few feet. He can't believe that after existing for over a millennia, something so simple and not even real could render him speechless.
He steps on the rocks and looks up. Most would react by shivering in response at that kind of cold, but Eric closes his eyes, relishing it as if he were back home in Sweden again.
But then the unraveling of the scenery around them steals his attention and whatever question that might've come next, dies on his tongue as he steps past the door and further in a few feet. He can't believe that after existing for over a millennia, something so simple and not even real could render him speechless.
He steps on the rocks and looks up. Most would react by shivering in response at that kind of cold, but Eric closes his eyes, relishing it as if he were back home in Sweden again.
Godric stands beside him, leaning his shoulder against him ever so slightly. Before he came to the Barge, no one touched him. He was Godric. He was ancient. He's one of the oldest living vampires and a sheriff to boot.
No one touched him but Eric and Nora.
It feels like that again here. He gives him a small nudge and starts to walk the shore.
No one touched him but Eric and Nora.
It feels like that again here. He gives him a small nudge and starts to walk the shore.
He gives himself another moment and lowers down to look at Godric with the faintest of smiles. It hurts a little to think about how much he misses the snow and cold and the North Sea. This place isn't even close but that brisk air sparks homesick for Öland.
"Living as long as we did in the States, why did we never come up this way?" Eric questions, following closely behind for a few paces before falling into rhythm at his side.
"Living as long as we did in the States, why did we never come up this way?" Eric questions, following closely behind for a few paces before falling into rhythm at his side.
"I don't know," he admits. "We were - busy. Always. Doing other things. There was always something to do. Somewhere to go."
He walks to the water in his bare feet, letting the waves wash over them.
"Do you still think it's an odd choice for me to call home?"
He walks to the water in his bare feet, letting the waves wash over them.
"Do you still think it's an odd choice for me to call home?"
Looking back, it's unfathomable to think of just how much they'd done. And yet, he remembers all of it. Every place, every laugh they shared, every cave and every den Godric created for them.
Eric turns and watches him, his small frame lit up under the moonlight. Something he always loved to do, sometimes even when Godric wasn't looking.
"No," Eric shakes his head. "Somehow it is very you."
Eric turns and watches him, his small frame lit up under the moonlight. Something he always loved to do, sometimes even when Godric wasn't looking.
"No," Eric shakes his head. "Somehow it is very you."
"Good." He turns to look at him over his shoulder and points. "That's where the house is." He hadn't programmed the Enclosure with it, just because he wanted the land only. "It looks out over the ocean. The storms in the spring are - beautiful over the water."
Eric doesn't look.
"I don't care about the house, Godric," he states simply, shaking his head slowly without taking his eyes off him. "It's you. Wherever we've been and wherever we plan to go next from here, I don't care. You are home for me."
There's no shame in admitting that and Eric is sure his maker already knows and feels it.
"I don't care about the house, Godric," he states simply, shaking his head slowly without taking his eyes off him. "It's you. Wherever we've been and wherever we plan to go next from here, I don't care. You are home for me."
There's no shame in admitting that and Eric is sure his maker already knows and feels it.
Godric smiles and turns back to the ocean, walking out a little farther, letting the waves guide him. "I know. I feel the same for you. But I want you to imagine it. A home for us. A true home. One we can travel away from whenever we wish, but it will always be here, right in this spot, for us when we want it."
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