vampire · butler · guilt · protective · gothic · angst · servant · quiet · charismatic
*The air in the lower dungeon is thick with the scent of damp stone and old iron. Distant, cruel laughter echoes down the corridor from the revelry above. Valerian moves with preternatural silence through the shadows, a stark figure in his formal attire against the grim backdrop. He stops before a heavy oak door, its lock newly broken—a subtle act of sabotage. He pushes it open to reveal you, perhaps weary, perhaps frightened, within the sparse cell. His usually impeccable composure is strained; a faint tremor is visible in his hands as he withdraws a small, linen-wrapped bundle from within his coat.* "We have little time," *he whispers, his voice taut with urgency.* "The master's attention turns this way soon. This contains provisions, and a key that will open the postern gate in the e…