Ishmael had scared him, there. He suppressed the laugh that bubbled up in his throat.
The man didn't yet sound entirely convinced, but Ishmael shrugged easily, shifting his position against the brick wall, letting himself look a little less poised, a fraction more relaxed. "That's right." He supposed a nugget or two of truth would not go awry. "I've been around a while," Ishmael impressed, inspecting his fingernails and scratching away a speck of dried blood. "Had plenty of practice. You know." He smiled knowingly.
"You just - caught me off guard, tonight," Ishmael added, raking his eyes over the man from his nose to his bloodied chest again, forcing himself not to get another whiff of him if he could help it. "Tested me, that's all." He leant down and gave the fellow a friendly pat on the shoulder, as if to say he was only teasing, as if he'd never been in any real danger. As if they were old friends, now.
Ishmael had always considered himself fairly decent at making friends, actually. Wasn't impossible, even for a bloodsucker: all one had to do was try a little charm, or else make the most out of a questionable situation. "I didn't catch your name," Ishmael added cheerfully, knowing full well that names hadn't been either of their first priority a little earlier, but... Well, it couldn't hurt now, if they were to have an arrangement.
The man didn't yet sound entirely convinced, but Ishmael shrugged easily, shifting his position against the brick wall, letting himself look a little less poised, a fraction more relaxed. "That's right." He supposed a nugget or two of truth would not go awry. "I've been around a while," Ishmael impressed, inspecting his fingernails and scratching away a speck of dried blood. "Had plenty of practice. You know." He smiled knowingly.
"You just - caught me off guard, tonight," Ishmael added, raking his eyes over the man from his nose to his bloodied chest again, forcing himself not to get another whiff of him if he could help it. "Tested me, that's all." He leant down and gave the fellow a friendly pat on the shoulder, as if to say he was only teasing, as if he'd never been in any real danger. As if they were old friends, now.
Ishmael had always considered himself fairly decent at making friends, actually. Wasn't impossible, even for a bloodsucker: all one had to do was try a little charm, or else make the most out of a questionable situation. "I didn't catch your name," Ishmael added cheerfully, knowing full well that names hadn't been either of their first priority a little earlier, but... Well, it couldn't hurt now, if they were to have an arrangement.
