She chuckled and shrugged. “Me neither really. I mean, I wouldn't mind if my family had a little more money, just to help take care of things but I wouldn't want to be one of those people who just rub it in everyone's face.” she told him. “I agree that it would attract thieves but we also have better security than just locked doors. And the very rich even have their own private security teams… It almost seems paranoid but everyone knows the reason.” she added. She smiled at his question and nodded. “I’ve started on it and I think it's really good. You have some talent in writing, I think.”
Mari chuckled a little and smiled almost nostalgically. “Yeah, that tooth had been loose for a week. Mom had to hide any string we had in the house so my brothers wouldn't tie it around the tooth and try to pull it out themselves.” she told him. “It finally fell out when the two were climbing a tree and Cory slipped, bumping his jaw against a branch. I’m a little surprised he didn't swallow it.” Her life wasn't perfect, of course, but it was a good life and she wouldn't trade her family for anything.
She let out a calm steady breath before taking off in a sprint, trusting Damien to time her well enough. She enjoyed running, it was so exhilarating to feel the wind whipping past her and the steady constant thudding of her feet against the ground. She reached the tree easily and let her fingers brush against the rough bark as she turned back.
(Are you seeing the weird text replacement?? lmaoo)
(Yes, I am. I'm laughing so hard at some of these. Happy april fool day.)
(Beautiful move Notebook, well played haha. Happy april fools :")) did u get pranked in any other way today?)
(personally, no. I'm not around a lot of people and I’m not much of a prankster either. How about you?)
"Its also a little rude to be fair, teasing people for something they do not have and cant obtain easily. Why do that? Also, what kind of security do you guys have? Is it a dog?" he asked innocently, after frowning for a little bit at the thought of people being jerks just because they had wealth privileges. The paranoia did seem like something rich people got however, that much wealth made anyone worry, especially if they never shared it willingly.
"Oh, you really think that…? Thanks…" The boy blushed faintly at the end, as much as his pale skin would allow it.
The end of the story made Damien cringe a little bit with his entire being - surely there were more humane ways of removing a loose tooth than in an accident, especially hitting one's mouth on a branch… There could have been more damage than that if he had been less fortunate.
"That…. was a little scary to be fair… why not let them remove it with string though? It would have been way less dangerous…" String had always been his mother's go to solution, and he had always been fine with it - sure, it may have been a little scary at first, but by the fourth and fifth time, all stress was gone.
Even so, he found Mari's home life to be quite lovable, if not ideal. She had loving parents, two playful little brothers and he could also bet her home was nice too.
The boy pressed the button as soon as he saw her take off, looking at her go as he kept his thumb ready to press the button again at her arrival - from where he stood, she seemed so intriguing and fast, like a deer sprinting among the trees in a forest. When had he last had the opportunity to gaze upon someone else moving like so.
The day dream ended as soon as he realized she was sprinting back towards the bush and panicked to press the button, missing her arrival by a few mere seconds. He hoped she wouldnt be mad at him for the extra seconds
“Yeah, it is very rude of them. But haven't the very wealthy always been like that?” she asked rhetorically but gently, not expecting an answer. She laughed lightly at his question and shook her head. “No we don't have a dog. Some people do, especially German Shepherds. I think I heard those make some of the best guard dogs. There are even some working with the police.” she answered. “Our security system is… It’s electronic and actually installed in the walls. There’s a keypad we use to turn it off and on.”
Mari raised a brow slightly when she noticed Damien’s reaction to her story. It might have been a little unpleasant but there were a lot of worse ways to lose a tooth. “My mom didn't want them to get any ideas about trying to pull any teeth that weren't ready to come out yet.” she explained. “That and… Honestly, I was too scared to do it that way when I lost my baby teeth. I guess I got my parents into the habit of waiting for them to just fall out.” she admitted with a shrug.
She ran past him and slowed to a soft jog as she came back to his side, breathing heavily but smiling. “How’d I do?” she asked, standing next to him as she looked at the clock in his hand.
Unfortunately, the rich and powerful had always had this tendency to stray away from the average man's common sense the more their wealth grew, and it was a tale as old as time.
"And how does an electronic keypad keep you safe exactly…? What can it do against a thief or invader?" he asked, finding it weird how people like the police had dogs, which could actually pursuit and defend against a criminal, but regular people didnt - at least not all of them at least.
"Still, its commendable that they even had the initiative to pull them out early by themselves." Damien commented. "Its alright to be scared of losing teeth, its a bit of an experience whenever it happens. I know i was nervous about losing mine, at first at least. Waiting for them to fall off is also a good idea, just a very long one, with an unexpected end i suppose."
Honestly, that period of his life where he'd lost his first set of teeth had also been a pretty weird one, considering thats also when his fangs had showed up, making him stand out even more than he already had until then.
"Uh, uh, i might have added or taken a few seconds, i have no idea…" he stuttered, letting her see the watch. "Im sorry, i got a little panicked right when i had to press it…."
The difference wasnt that much, it was almost impossible to see had he not mentioned it, so all seemed okay. Compared side by side now, their results were pretty close, with Damien's being a little better, but most likely due to his slim and light built, coupled with the slight misstiming of Mari's route. Overall, not a big difference between them at all.
"Do you want to redo it? For a better timing this time…."
“There’s… sensors that are in the doors and windows. When they're opened they send a signal to the keypad which sets of an alarm and contacts the police if the alarm isn't turned off after a little bit.” she explained. “Though usually, the sound of the alarm scares off any burglars and our neighbors can hear it too. We turn the system on and off using the keypad.”
“Yeah, I guess it was a good thing that they weren't scared by the idea.” Mari chuckled a little and shook her head. “I didn't mind losing my teeth… It was more the sudden action of having them pulled that bothered me. Though when they were loose enough I did gently take them out myself.” she admitted.
“Oh, that's ok. We’re just getting an average reading so a few seconds won't hurt.” she assured him. “I’m a little surprised that we’re so close though… but that's a good thing for you. Honestly, do you get a lot of exercise around here?” she asked as she wrote her time down in the notebook.
"Sensors…? That's a weird way to keep a house safe…. I mean, i guess calling the police is a good idea, but is that it? And how does it manage to contact the police on its own?" He continued to probe for answers, scratching his head at all the complicated details he didnt understand. Just how did an object manage to do all that by itself? Despite wacky inventions having been around for more than two hundred years, Damien hadnt really been exposed to any of them, for various reasons, either monetary or just preferring the more simple life style.
"Well, you were brave if you managed to get over your fear in the end." the boy smiled gently, wanting to seem reassuring. "Sure, its not a nice sensation but it had to be done eventually. "
Damien sighed a little, relieved she wasnt mad at him for messing up the timing.
"I uh, wouldnt say i do too much, aside from the daily chores and the green house work. If you mean running and the like, not really, i havent ran in like, what, years? Not on long distances at least. I rarely go too far from the house."
“And the alarm. It's very helpful. It's loud enough to warn everyone in the house.” she nodded. “Well, the same signal that sets off the alarm, also goes to the company that installed it. From there, someone doesn't deactivate the alarm, they call the police and say what the problem is. Or there's a button on the keypad we can push to send an emergency signal directly to the police.” she tried to explain, hoping she answered his questions well enough.
“Yeah. I don't know if I would call myself brave on that one… they were pretty much ready to just fall at that point.” she chuckled. “But it was reassuring to know that everyone had to go through it.”
Mari nodded, smiling a little at him as she closed her book. “Then your time is even more impressive. I have P.E. … Uhh, physical education every day at school so I run like that pretty often. But since you don't and our times are so close… Well, I’d say you're in pretty good shape. Athletically.” she told him, smiling proudly.
"Oh so the sound is to alert whomever is there that someone is breaking in? I get it."
While the signal part was a little bit confusing to him, he did understand the order of events in order to come to a conclusion.
"And the signal is like, instant? Thats very fast… Faster than i could have ever imagined… Thats so cool…" he confessed, quite impressed at the improvement. At least people could now contact help way faster than before.
"Well, im sure some people wouldnt have touched them until they fell on their own so i supposed you were brave for deciding to take them out yourself, even if they were about to anyway." he tried to explain, chuckling awkwardly.
Damien raised his eye back at her as she closed the book, giving her a questioning look.
"You think its impressive…? wow i- i never thought i might be particularly fast or anything… thanks" he smiled, genuinely happy to know she throught he was pretty fit, despite his small build. "So um, what test do we do now? You said there'd be multiple, no?"
“Pretty much.” she nodded as he seemed to understand the basics of the alarm system. “I’m not sure how fast it is but, it's electric so yes, it's very fast. Faster than you can snap your fingers.” she confirmed.
She laughed a little with him and nodded. “I guess so. Some people are pretty squeamish about that stuff.” she acknowledged, not sure what else to say about it.
Mari nodded, smiling encouragingly at him. “I think so. I'm sure you’ve had experience running but I have to admit I'm impressed.” she told him honestly. “Uhh, yes. I did think we could do some more tests, if you're up for it. Maybe we could test your hearing? I know you've heard me before when I came into your house but… One of the myths said that vampires can hear a person's heartbeat.” she told him.
"That's… very fast" he said, giving her fingers a long look, imagining the motion in his head, which meant that the signal she talked about was much faster than the snap sound the fingers made. Was it even possible to go that fast?
Damien shrugged, not really sure how other people were - again, he'd never met that many people in his life,and those that he had didnt have any particular fears of that kind; who knew, perhaps they were all just braver when it came to that part of their life, or he just assumed they were.
"Yeah, im up for it i guess, its been pretty fun so far" he smiled, feeling his face warm up a little at her praises. "Hmmmm, hearing you say? Well, truth be told i knew you were in because i knew the noises that the house makes… As for your heartbeat… I think i can hear something, vaguely, im not too sure. It could be my own, i have no idea."
Honestly, he could hear something and it wasnt coming from him, but rather her - most likely from having just ran several feet to a tree and back. But even so, the sound barely made it to his ears, aside from the noises of the forest next to them.
“Yeah, it is.” she nodded. “A lot of electronic signals are that fast. They have to be… the stuff that uses those signals used to be a lot slower but they got faster.” she told him, thinking about the old computers her parents grew up with.
“Alright. Well, I’m glad you're having fun with this.” she smiled sincerely. Honestly, she suggested this test because she knew her heart was still beating hard from the run. She figured it would be easier for Damien to hear it right now. He probably just needed practice recognizing it. Plus she didn't want to push him too hard on any of the physical activities they were going to test. “That’s ok. Uhh… Here.” she said, holding out her wrist. “Put two of your fingers on my wrist and let me know if you feel anything.” she instructed gently.
"How long have people been using those anyway?" he asked, curious of the age of the strange device she spoke of. While the boy was aware of certain things existing back in his time, he wasnt exactly sure what had and had not been a thing back then, nor how it had changed.
Damien reluctantly put two fingers where she indicated, at first very gently then pressed a little harder when he felt the pulse too vaguely. It sure moved a lot stronger than his own, far faster than he expected it to.
"Whoa… How come i can feel your heart from all the way here?" he asked, in awe
“Using what? Electronics?” she asked just to clarify. “Well, we've been using them for quite a while. Thomas Edison invented the light bulb in… 1879, I think. And that started the whole thing as far as I know. It just grew from there.” she explained, still willing to answer more questions about technology as best she could.
Mari chuckled a little and gave a small shrug. “I think it's because the veins are closer to skin. You can even kind of see them, the sort of blue-ish lines. Fun fact; blood is actually blue until oxygen touches it.” she told him with a small smile. “Does what you hear match what you feel?” she asked.
Damien seemed intrigued at the prospect of just one small light bulb kickstarting what would later appear all over the world -all from just one ball of illuminated glass. There were a few in the mansion, if he recalled correctly, but most of them had burned out over the years, leaving him with just the light provided by fire and sunlight, though his eyes were usually good enough.
"So, aside from alarm systems, phones, TVs, household appliances, what else do you guys have?" he asked.
"Oh yea, i can see them. But… if the blood is blue, how come its red when you bleed?" the boy inquired, surprised by the new fact. How could blood be blue under the skin and yet be red upon being cut? And why did oxygen turn it red?
"Yeah, it matches somewhat… I can feel it more than hear it now. Probably because you've rested for a little."
She blinked for a moment as she tried to think of all the modern technology that was available and common that they hadn't talked about. “Well… Honestly, I'd say we have a lot.” she admitted. “Household stuff is kind of a broad field. But… Let's see, I know I told you about music and movies… I might have mentioned boats and airplanes. We have cars too and, well, there's helicopters also. Umm, is there anything, in particular, you want to know about?” she asked, hoping for a better direction instead of trying to ramble on.
“Because our blood has iron in it. There's actually a chemical reaction called oxidation. When certain things change color because of oxygen touching it.” Mari explained. “For most metals, it takes a long time but I think because the iron in blood is so small, it reacts quickly.” Honestly, she wasn't entirely sure if that was why since she only knew some facts about chemistry and not a lot about the why or the how.
She nodded a little at that. “Makes sense. I guess this means that you can hear someone’s heartbeat. At least when it's racing or beating fast.” she smiled a little, glad at their progress so far.
Damien kind of realized he didnt have a good answer to her question, mainly because he didnt know what to ask about. Just what could he ask about?
"Uh, how about that helicopter thing you mentioned?" he grabbed the first opportunity he was given.
"Oh, but thats actually pretty interesting. I didnt know blood was red because of iron… Its a bit like rust, isnt it? Thats what oxydation is, right?"
Comparing metals with iron in ythe blood was what led to that comparison, and it honestly made sense. But wasnt rust toxic?
Damien fussed a little bit, internally glad he seemed to have completed one of the tests she suggested.
"Well, is it that uncommon to hear one's heart beat? Or is it strictly a vampire skill?" he continued to question, curious about this strange trial, if it could even be called that.
Mari nodded, feeling a little bad that she hadn't been able to give Damien more general information. It was likely because when you live in the middle of things like that, it's easy to overlook them. “Helicopters are… another way to fly basically. They're not very big, usually holding two to five people at most. But they're very loud.” she told him. “It’s because of… Well, it flies using motorized propellers on the top and in the back, like a rudder. The blades move very fast and the ones on top push the air down and cause the machine to be lifted into the air. I… I'm not sure but I think Leonardo da Vinci may have come up with the basic idea.” she shrugged slightly.
“I never thought of it that way but yes, that's a good comparison.” she admitted thoughtfully, smiling softly at him.
She shook her head slightly. “As far as I know, no human can hear another’s heartbeat unless they put their ear against someone’s chest or uses a stethoscope.” she explained with a proud smile. “So, yes, I think it is a vampire skill.”
"Wow… It sounds like something between a carriage and a bird, a bery large one… Have you ever used one of those?" Damien asked, interested in these flying machines his friend spoke of. "I think i heard of that DaVinci person, in one of my books! It was something about art i think… No flying contraptions there though, but he was a really smart man, wasnt he?"
The boy paused a little bit, seemingly thinking about something before speaking up again.
"But isnt rust dangerous to the body? Or is it a different kind of rust?"
"Oh, i see, I see… Whats a stethoscope though? And does that mean i passed this test?"
Honestly, if Damien had to admit it, he was enjoying these tests a little bit; a little bit of running, and then testing out his hearing, all of them had been rather harmless, if not fun, and he wished to proceed further
“Well, if a car is a modern horse and buggy then I guess you could call a helicopter that. But no, I have never flown or ridden in one… at least not yet and I have no immediate plans to.” Mari smiled at him. “I think I’d be a little surprised if you hadn't heard of him. He was an incredibly talented Renaissance artist, and so much of his work is still on display as masterpieces.” she explained, a little more comfortable talking about this topic. “But yes, he was also an inventor, in a way.”
She raised a brow at the news and shrugged slightly. “I… I don't know. I’ve never heard of that. It may be a different kind.” she paused for a moment. “Then again… There is a little danger of blood clotting in the veins and getting to the heart… I always thought it was because of just having a small object in the way of blood but I wouldn't be too surprised if there's something about that.”
“A stethoscope is a medical tool that goes in your ears and has a small bell shape that goes against your chest, just over your heart, and it sort of amplifies the sound.” she explained, smiling kindly at him. “It’s not a matter of passing or failing. This just a little experiment to see if you can do these things.” she reminded him.
"Well, why not? Are you afraid of heights?" he proded curiously. The boy'a assumptions were however a little further than he thought, as he didnt know not anyone could own or at least use a helicopter as they desired, unless on special occasions .
"Yeah, yeah, i read about him! He was also an architect i believe, and a mathematician, and a few other things. He had a lot of talents, didn't he?"
Damien pouted a little bit, frowning over the information like he was trying to make sense of it. Was oxydation like the traditional rust?
"I think a doctor would know the answer to this one…" he concluded, hand still on his chin, in his thinker pose.
"That… sounds a little terrifying i wont lie. So its basically just something to help someone hear the heart more clearly? Why not just put your ear against the person's chest? Or is the sound there not good enough?" he asked.
"Oh, okay, i see. So, then, what else shall we try next?"
“No. I'm not scared of heights. It's just pretty expensive to even rent on for a ride. Never mind owning one. And if you wanted to fly one, you’d have to take special flying lessons.“ she explained. She smiled a little at him and nodded. “Yes, he was. I believe he actually designed Venice’s most famous waterways in Italy. He was one of the original men of many talents.” she half-joked. “He really did a lot of wonderful things.”
Mari shrugged slightly and nodded. “That would probably be the best person to ask, yeah. If you want I can look into it.” she offered since she was curious about it now as well.
“It’s really not. A little cold sometimes but it's not scary, I promise.” she assured him. “I think it does have better sound than just putting your ear against someone’s heart… and some people are a little uncomfortable with that action anyway.” she explained carefully. “Umm… Let's see. Do you know how much you can lift?”
"Oh i see. Helicopters must be pretty complicated then, if they require so many things, even money for just renting it alone." he chuckled nervously, waving a hand as if to say never mind to all of the thoughts he had about the peculiar vehicle. "Italy? Where is that?"
"Mhm, yeah, id like to know more about that, if its not too much of a bother" he quickly jumped at the opportunity, genuinely curious about the matter as well. There was so much he wanted to know, and the questions only kept piling up as he kept exploring.
"Well, its just that… The thought of putting something in your ears just… Feels a bit awkward to me. But then again, i have no idea what it really looks like, so i might be exaggerating a bit much in my head." he explained, unsure of what his tone was supposed to be. "Though i guess i can understand some people not wanting someone else's head that close to them… You never know what migh happen"
Damien took a bit of time to ponder over the question, trying to remember the heaviest thing he'd ever lifted.
"Umm, im not exactly sure… i didnt really go around lifting heavy things so i have no idea whats my limit…"
“Very complicated.” she agreed with a gentle smile. “It's across the Atlantic Ocean and just north of Africa. And south from England, I think.” she explained, hoping that cleared it up a little for him. “Actually, you still have that atlas book I gave you?”
“It shouldn't be a bother. I’ll look into it for you.” she assured him while mentally adding medical books as well as a book on Renaissance art and arts to Damien’s list of future reads.
Mari nodded a little at that. “I guess it could be a little weird at first, which is why I got you the headphones that go over your ears, but it's really not that bad. Nothing you put in your ears is made very big or to go in very deep.” she clarified, nodding a little as she stood up. “That’s ok. We’ll figure it out.” she smiled encouragingly at him, offering her hand to help him up, as she looked around for something to start with.
The boy paused for a little, trying to place the name of the countries he was hearing, with somewhat little success. Most maps he had were of the world not the countries themselves, so aside from a few names, he didnt have a clue what she was talking about.
"That… sounds far away… Of course i still have it, its in the pile you brought yesterday." he answered, remembering the covers of the books as he'd arranged them.
"Alright then, thank you" Damien smiled softly, relieved at her answer. "I have a lot of catching up to do, and im really glad you're here to help. Though i am asking so much of you…"
"But isnt it bothersome to have something in your ears?"
Honestly, Damien hadnt really tried on the headphones yet, given he had been far more interested in the books than the strange device, which he also wasnt sure how to operate properly.
Being offered a helping hand, the boy didnt hesitate for too long, allowing her to help him up while looking around for something.
"What are you looking for?"
She nodded slightly. "It is pretty far but I've heard it's very beautiful." she smiled softly for a moment before it grew at his answer. "If you'd like, I can show you where Italy is on the map." she offered.
"Don't worry, you're not asking too much. I'm very happy to help you catch up the best I can." Mari assured him. "Besides, some of the questions you have give me a lot to think about and makes me curious as well."
"Not really." she shook her head. "I mean there are days when it is a little but… I don't know. I guess I'm just used to it. A lot of people wear and use some form of earpiece to either listen to something or talk to someone." she explained before answering his next question. "Oh, I'm looking for something that we can lift to test your strength. Maybe a tree branch or a rock or something."
The boy nodded in agreement, curious to see the country itself on the map. After all, he didnt even know too well where he himself was, having not been shown a map with explanations in a very long time.
"Yes please, i want to know. Could you also show where we are now?"
"Well.. Im glad too im not a bother. You didnt wonder those things either before?" he asked, tilting his head while looking at her.
"Wait, how does one speak with someone else through those ear pieces? Dont people talk face to face anymore?"
The thought of speaking to some pieces of material instead of another person felt trully wild.
"Oh, i see. How about one of those rocks over there?" the boy pointed at what was once a possible wall now turned pile of rubble, covered in grass and flowers.
