"Well... yes..." the drow replied.

"Vampires have a certain... pedigree to them." he said.

"And those like him can water down their reputation." he reasoned, referring to Jaden.

"Why?" he asked.

"I mean, this surely isn't something an Encrae should concern themselves with, right?" he asked further.

"......." Jaden was still silent, unsure as to what was happening right now.

'Syraene, what are you doing...?' Vincent thought, as he watched the scene unfold.

"Wh-wh-what!?" Jaden exclaimed, as he backed away from Desree... until he was stopped by the wall.

"N-no! No!" he pleaded, as Desiree merely approached.

"...." the drow was silent for a moment, before he burst into laughter.

"Ah-HAHAHAHA! HA! HAH!" his laughter rang out.

"Perfect!" he exclaimed.

"Dhampir, you cling to your precious humanity, now watch as it's torn from you! By the one you love, and who claims to love YOU!" he yelled.

"Such sorrow is EXQUISITE!" he proclaimed, as tears started to fall from Jaden's eyes.

"....." again, the drow was silent, before sighing.

"I suppose." he said.

"I mean, really, all I need is that image right there." he reasoned, as he looked at Jaden, on his knees, despair in his eyes and defeat in his posture.

"I suppose that's enough." he sighed.

"Plus, I know better than to go against an Encrae, even if what they're just making a suggestion." he added, before turning and heading towards the door.

"Besides... my services are required elsewhere in this world." he finished, before he exited the building, still laughing to himself.

Just as he left, Desiree was right up at Jaden, and had her mouth open, the tip of her fangs barely piercing Jaden's skin.

Jaden's change in attitude was sudden and jarring. He'd gone from sorrowful and despondent, to outright terrified, and frozen in fear... even though Syraene wasn't ordering him around, or yelling at him.

A few seconds later, Vincent appeared in the building, and cleared his throat.

"Mm, yes, of course." he said.

"Jaden... come on." he then said to the dhampir.

"Uh... uh... r-right..." Jaden stammered, shaking a little, as he and Vincent disappeared in a small whirlwind, returning to the manor.

Vincent was as predictable as he was intelligent.

She found him there, of course.

He noticed she had come in, and sighed when he saw her.

"Welcome back." he said.

"My apologies for involving you like that, but it was the best way I could think of to deal with the situation." he explained.

"...how IS Desiree, anyway?" he then asked.

Vincent sighed in response, relief in it.

"Good." he said.

"I'm glad it worked out." he said further.

"If you feel you need to clear out, then I won't stop you." he then told her, before pausing.

"Does Desiree have any recollection of what happened?" he suddenly asked. "Or is it all hazy, or a blank, or something akin to that?" he asked further.

"I know it can different, depending on what the drow wants... and I also don't know if new control messes with that or not." he admitted.

Vincent nodded in response.

"All right." he replied.

"Good to know." he said.

"...ngh." he then groaned, as he buried his eyes in the palms of his hands.

"I'd really hoped that the drows would just live and let live." he told her.

"You'd think I wouldn't be so naive." he muttered.

"I guess I wanted to believe that the drows would be content with just being alive again." Vincent replied.

"I wanted to believe that drows were good people." he said.

"I mean, in general." he then clarified.

"Individuals can be different. Like yourself and Ashley." he told her.

"I just hoped that drows would be different from humans, in general." he sighed.

"....indeed." Vincent responded quietly.

"At any rate, I shall not keep you any longer." he said.

"If you need to leave, feel free to." he told her.

"Thank you again." he then said further.

"That would have been devastating, had you not interfered."

Vincent watched her go, and sighed.

"I'm such a fool." he said.

"So naive." he muttered.

"Well, I DO hope Vanessa is happy." he then growled.

"She has successfully defied the laws of the universe."