Drefast was slowly drenched in morning. The early rays of light washed darkness into long shadows, which in turn ebbed away with the rising of the sun.
In the orphanage, the children were awaking. Their crystal laughter and sounds new enthusiasm reached its way to the chapel of Falloes, where Ocyari had been brought. The adventurers, if not up already, woke one by one from the familiar footfall on the stairs. A moment later, a knock on the door sounded Ormander’s arrival.

The old patron of the orphanage was carrying a tray with a pot of tea, cups, and a few slices of bread. When he came in he looked around the room to see if all of them were there. Puzzled he asked: “The messenger from Ocyari’s father… where is he?”

Now they looked around the room to find that the vampire named Yothrick was indeed nowhere to be seen. Since nobody could answer him, Ormander placed the tray on the altar and started dividing tea over the cups he brought.

“Pao has told me everything that happened yesterday. At least, what he knew had happened. I have a feeling this Stuart fellow is just leading you guys on a path that will suit him. What can he know that will help us? But I hope I’m wrong, and it’s your only lead so far.”

He handed them all a cup and passed the tray with bread around.

“Well, I suppose you could try the courthouse again, once things have settled down a bit. I heard that an error had been found in the archives? The kids were buzzing about that all evening. Perhaps Councilor Velch can free up some time in his schedule to deal with you guys? I would go myself, but the man doesn’t want to meet me.”

(OOC: Just a little something to get us going again. It is morning, and everybody awakes, including Ocyari. What is done next is up to you guys.)

[Slight backpost, since I'd like for Ocyari to wake up before Ormander comes]

With a big yawn, Ocyari stretches her arms, and groggily sits up.

"Now that..." Ocyari murmurs sleepily, "Was a crazy dream, and I've had many of those."

Jumping to her feet, Ocyari looks around, "Wait... this isn't my room."

Noticing Miran and the others in the chapel as well, Ocyari shakes her head, "Great, now you're going to tell me it wasn't a dream, right?"

"Oh well, I can think about it later." Ocyari decides, quickly beginning more stretches to warm up her body.

However, just as soon as she starts, she freezes, her ears twitching. Footsteps in the hall, and not just anyone's, there is only one person who has footsteps like that in the orphanage.

Urgently, Ocyari whispers to Miran, "I'm not here!" before rushing to hide behind anything that could conceal her small frame (including Miran or any of the others if nothing else will work).

As Ormander passed the cups of tea around, he stopped, and cocked an eyebrow.

"On another note... where is Ocyari? I didn't see her with the other children at the breakfast table. I assumed she was still here."

He looked around slowly, like a lion taking in its surroundings. Then he spotted her, in a dark corner of the room, between a cabinet and an old tapestry. She blended in so perfectly that a smile curled the old patron's lips.

"You can come out now, my little shadow. Pao has told me about the claim made by the vampires. I'm sure we'd better stay on good terms if we want to work that out, now don't we? Which doesn't mean I will forget that you stayed out against my will."

He continued passing out cups until everybody had one, including himself.

"Now, what do you think is wise? Do you want to meet this lord and find out if you could see him as your father? Or do you want to wait. He can't make you if you don't want to be at his side, you know."

Here's the perfect place... Ocyari thinks, finding the corner, Well, no... the perfect place would be underneath the sink, and then I could chat with the spiders... focus! Hide!
"On another note... where is Ocyari?"
Hehehe, you're not going to find me. Ocyari thinks, closing her eyes so that they can't reflect any possible light and give her away. She stays still, which is rather remarkable considering her rather upbeat nature.

"You can come out now, my little shadow." Ormander's voice came, and from the sound of it, directly toward her.

"Awww... caught!" Ocyari murmurs, sheepishly walking out of her hiding place.

"Pao has told me about the claim made by the vampires. I'm sure we'd better stay on good terms if we want to work that out, now don't we? Which doesn't mean I will forget that you stayed out against my will."
Ocyari winces slightly at the last part, No, I didn't think you would... She thinks, perhaps a bit sourly.

"But I know I can help! You know too!" Ocyari says defensively, her eyes wide and pleading, yet with a sense of stubbornness that easily says for her, 'and you know I'm going to anyway'.

Eventually, after all the cups of tea have been handed out, Ocyari sits, slowly sipping her tea, and making sure to blow on the top of it to cool it a bit first.

"Now, what do you think is wise? Do you want to meet this lord and find out if you could see him as your father? Or do you want to wait. He can't make you if you don't want to be at his side, you know."
Ocyari chuckles nervously, and averts her gaze, "I was trying not to think about it..."

Ocyari falls silent, and seemingly for once her eyes are distant and serious.

"In all honesty, I don't know." Ocyari says, a hint of fear in her voice, "I don't even know anything about vampires, and yet if I'm supposed to be a princess of vampires..."

Ocyari pales, and trembles slightly, "Am I even human?" She asks, her voice faint, "And if I am, does that mean I'll have to become a vampire in order to be their princess? What does it mean to be their princess anyway? Do I have things I have to do? What about manners and stuff? Will I have to learn all that? What if they don't like me?..."

((I'm pretty sure someone's going to say 'Calm down' right about now, if not, well, I think you get the idea of where Ocyari is going with her panic ))