Topic #246
#246: What are the five steps to a successful negotiation?
Percy watched the men carefully from the corner they had backed him into. The rotting wood that held up the old churches roof creaked, rocks tumbling as the hunters disturbed the serine calm that once inhabited the abandoned building. The Frenchmen seemed a bit unsure what to do with the lone vampire they had injured, cornered against a crumbling wall.
“We could just bring it down on his head, and burn it.” One suggested, fidgeting as he shifted from on leg to the other. His pistol was shaking a little, but clearly leveled in Percy’s direction.
“No,” the leader commented dryly, “no we cannot kill him yet. Always two, with these creatures. Always two. So where did the other go?”
Rubbing at the mud coated on his face, Percy shifted weight off his broken, bleeding leg. Six men, he counted, four in the back, and the two standing right in front of him. Even if he got past the first two, he would never make it out into the woods again. He licked his lips, looking at the shattered remains of windows, the shuttered bolted over them.
Damn, he thought to himself. Fucking rat…
How could he have let himself be cornered like this?
“You didn’t expect us to track you, did you?” The leader said, coming forward. He put his pistol away before pulling up an empty, rotting barrel to sit carefully on. “I am Jacques Prevost…” Percy watched as the man pulled one glove from his hands and then the other, laying each of them carefully over his leg before smiling at the vampire. “Oh please, do sit. You look as if you could use a good rest.”
“What do you want?” Percy asked, his French clipped and guttural, lacking the fluidness of the native. It made Jacques smile as he watched the vampire teeter.
“Where is the other one?”
“Why should I tell you?”
Jacques tsked, shaking his head softly. “Now, my boy, that is no way to think. If you helped us, we might be inclined to let you go.”
“Unlikely…I know your kind.”
“Just as we know your’s. Come now, surely you aren’t that loyal to your companion. He obviously has no loyalty to you…” Jacques smirked, before waving his hand around. “You seem quite alone in here, Vampire. No one here to help hold you up.”
“If he isn’t here,” Percy growled, “how should I know where he is?”
“Oh, well I suppose you might have had a plan. Someplace to meet should something like this ever occur.” Jacques hummed and hawed for a moment, before he laughed. “If you cannot tell me anything, Vampire, then perhaps we should just kill you.”
“Why don’t we play a game instead, eh?” Percy countered, hobbling a bit closer. Death was not an option for the vampire. “If I win, you can go to hell in my place.”
The robust laugh that garnered from Jacques made Percy smile. Bait. “Alright, Vampire, what game is it you wish to play, mm?”
Percy took a seat, settling onto a rotting box as he smiled at the Frenchman. “Oh, it is a simple game. A game of wits, mind you.” Even the odds, “between you and myself. No one else…” He nodded toward the men that were coming closer to the pair with each step. “They should wait outside…”
“Jacques,” one warned, but the man only smiled darkly.
“Take the others and go outside Jean-Louis. I do not imagine this will take all that long at all…” His over confidence made a smile sparkle in Percy’s eyes. When the men filed out, Jacques smirked. “We are alone now, vampire…”
“Percy, call me Percy.” Though Percy knew he would not live long enough to truly take advantage of that knowledge.
“Percy…What is this game?”
Seduce…
“You are a charming, charming man.” Percy smiled softly, “I hate that you would have to soil your hands with my death.”
“It is nothing my soul will weep over,” Jacques assured him, the roof popping against the push of the wind.
“Of you are to kill me, allow me to beg for my soul at the feet of someone holy.”
“You may beg at mine…” Jacques snorted, “for what good it will do you.”
Sliding down to his knees, Percy moved awkwardly toward the man. “Holy Knight of God,” he murmured softly, reaching out to touch the man’s leg. “Oh Knight, I have sinned terribly…”
“Tell me of your sins,” Jacques smiled kindly at Percy, before reaching out to rest a hand on the boy’s head gently. “He who seeks the Lord, and is contrite shall walk in Heaven…”
“Will I, Knight of God? My heart is heavy, terribly heavy…”
Lure.
“We are all heavy in sin, my child.”
Percy turned his head, closing his eyes as Jacques’ hands ruffled his hair. “Will you forgive me?”
“Why should I?”
“Because I forgive you….” Kill.
Jacques was not prepared for the sudden attack. His body froze, even as his eyes went wide as fangs broke against the soft skin on the inside of his wrist. His death was quick, painless. And full of the mercy that so few ever received.
“Thank you for taking time to negotiate, Jacques.” Now, about those windows…
===
William Percy Hastings
Original Character
word count: 886 words
Percy watched the men carefully from the corner they had backed him into. The rotting wood that held up the old churches roof creaked, rocks tumbling as the hunters disturbed the serine calm that once inhabited the abandoned building. The Frenchmen seemed a bit unsure what to do with the lone vampire they had injured, cornered against a crumbling wall.
“We could just bring it down on his head, and burn it.” One suggested, fidgeting as he shifted from on leg to the other. His pistol was shaking a little, but clearly leveled in Percy’s direction.
“No,” the leader commented dryly, “no we cannot kill him yet. Always two, with these creatures. Always two. So where did the other go?”
Rubbing at the mud coated on his face, Percy shifted weight off his broken, bleeding leg. Six men, he counted, four in the back, and the two standing right in front of him. Even if he got past the first two, he would never make it out into the woods again. He licked his lips, looking at the shattered remains of windows, the shuttered bolted over them.
Damn, he thought to himself. Fucking rat…
How could he have let himself be cornered like this?
“You didn’t expect us to track you, did you?” The leader said, coming forward. He put his pistol away before pulling up an empty, rotting barrel to sit carefully on. “I am Jacques Prevost…” Percy watched as the man pulled one glove from his hands and then the other, laying each of them carefully over his leg before smiling at the vampire. “Oh please, do sit. You look as if you could use a good rest.”
“What do you want?” Percy asked, his French clipped and guttural, lacking the fluidness of the native. It made Jacques smile as he watched the vampire teeter.
“Where is the other one?”
“Why should I tell you?”
Jacques tsked, shaking his head softly. “Now, my boy, that is no way to think. If you helped us, we might be inclined to let you go.”
“Unlikely…I know your kind.”
“Just as we know your’s. Come now, surely you aren’t that loyal to your companion. He obviously has no loyalty to you…” Jacques smirked, before waving his hand around. “You seem quite alone in here, Vampire. No one here to help hold you up.”
“If he isn’t here,” Percy growled, “how should I know where he is?”
“Oh, well I suppose you might have had a plan. Someplace to meet should something like this ever occur.” Jacques hummed and hawed for a moment, before he laughed. “If you cannot tell me anything, Vampire, then perhaps we should just kill you.”
“Why don’t we play a game instead, eh?” Percy countered, hobbling a bit closer. Death was not an option for the vampire. “If I win, you can go to hell in my place.”
The robust laugh that garnered from Jacques made Percy smile. Bait. “Alright, Vampire, what game is it you wish to play, mm?”
Percy took a seat, settling onto a rotting box as he smiled at the Frenchman. “Oh, it is a simple game. A game of wits, mind you.” Even the odds, “between you and myself. No one else…” He nodded toward the men that were coming closer to the pair with each step. “They should wait outside…”
“Jacques,” one warned, but the man only smiled darkly.
“Take the others and go outside Jean-Louis. I do not imagine this will take all that long at all…” His over confidence made a smile sparkle in Percy’s eyes. When the men filed out, Jacques smirked. “We are alone now, vampire…”
“Percy, call me Percy.” Though Percy knew he would not live long enough to truly take advantage of that knowledge.
“Percy…What is this game?”
Seduce…
“You are a charming, charming man.” Percy smiled softly, “I hate that you would have to soil your hands with my death.”
“It is nothing my soul will weep over,” Jacques assured him, the roof popping against the push of the wind.
“Of you are to kill me, allow me to beg for my soul at the feet of someone holy.”
“You may beg at mine…” Jacques snorted, “for what good it will do you.”
Sliding down to his knees, Percy moved awkwardly toward the man. “Holy Knight of God,” he murmured softly, reaching out to touch the man’s leg. “Oh Knight, I have sinned terribly…”
“Tell me of your sins,” Jacques smiled kindly at Percy, before reaching out to rest a hand on the boy’s head gently. “He who seeks the Lord, and is contrite shall walk in Heaven…”
“Will I, Knight of God? My heart is heavy, terribly heavy…”
Lure.
“We are all heavy in sin, my child.”
Percy turned his head, closing his eyes as Jacques’ hands ruffled his hair. “Will you forgive me?”
“Why should I?”
“Because I forgive you….” Kill.
Jacques was not prepared for the sudden attack. His body froze, even as his eyes went wide as fangs broke against the soft skin on the inside of his wrist. His death was quick, painless. And full of the mercy that so few ever received.
“Thank you for taking time to negotiate, Jacques.” Now, about those windows…
===
William Percy Hastings
Original Character
word count: 886 words