Re: University, by Day or night
(No worries, it happens.)
(Though, when you said that you wanted to do the NPC's once more I must admit that I was hoping for more than a bare outline. Better than nothing but...)
(Actually atrocities wouldn't bother him much, they were pretty much par for the course in medieval warfare. Without a siege train, about the only way one could harm an enemy who withdrew into his castle was to slaughter his peasants and livestock, set fires in his crops, and so on. A nation without a hereditary nobility or a state Church is completely outside his experience however.)
The American language lesson had given way to an impromptu American history lesson. Julio listened, asking the occasional leading question but content for the most part to listen, facinated and horrified by parts. A nation conquered not so much by force of arms as by disease! And then founded by peasant revolt! And then those same peasants had decided that they would set neither King nor God above themselves! And yet he had seen both noble estates and churches. He was missing something.
And then, with no source of morality he was quite astounded that they had not simply descended into anarchy and depravity. How had the nation survived? Yet it obviously had. The young matron displayed a strong sense of morality, stronger (if he was being honest) than his, but there was nothing to install it. Again, he was missing something.
At least the current politics had some resemblance to sanity. "So there are two Great Houses, these 'Republicans' and these 'Democrats', yes? And whichever of the two most pleases the mob during the elections rules for four years, yes?" " Genoa had 18 Great Houses and elections for the Doge tended to have more knifing in the back and poisoning than speeches, but he could sort of grasp it. With only two he would have suspected that the Democrats and Republicans were strawmen set up to satisfy the mob with the real ruler carrying on quietly in the background but Alice was firm that they actually ruled, cheeks bright and heart pounding with excitement as her hands fluttered like birds.
The thunder of her heart drew him in, his gaze fixing on the throbbing vein in her neck. It would be so easy to draw her close and sink his fangs gently in...
But Julio had not reached his present estate by being foolish, and feeding on her in such a public place would indeed be foolishness and he drew his gaze back, thrusting out one hand to avert bad luck as he looked away. She had fallen silent, flushing red and pulling at her lapel to cover more of her modest cleavage. How much of his hunger had she seen in that unguarded moment? Not too much he hoped. Still, there was the obvious excuse. "My apologies" he told her, "that wasn't fair, was it? Yet, I am a man and you are an attractive young woman, it does happen. Do say that you forgive me?"
(Tempted becomes -2)