lover_man

*he stands still, all six foot seven of him, gleaming darkly, smiling so his teeth show bright and white against his skin* Hey there. *bows deeply* I come to say hello to all you fine folk. My name is Osei, and I'm pleased to meet you all!

Seems I should say a thing or two about myself. Firstly, I suppose, is that I ain't human no more. Not since ... oh, round about 1842, I think. I remember the date of the newspapers on the boat, 'fore she sank on us, and the River Boys come take us away. Come eat us, the injured ones. They was monsters, Les Jeunes, the River Boys. Real monsters, like the old stories. They touched me, and I started to rot. Even when I escape, I know I'm done. But I ask the Baron to hold his hand, to leave my grave undug a little longer, and he does. He sends me my Lady Loa, La Belle Dame Verte, and she makes me not rot no more. Takes my heart, and pours her blood in my veins. Makes me not human.

I don't rightly know what I am, no more. Got swamp-blood in my veins, the blood of the loa, my dark maman, my lady-love. She make me new, make me last, and here I stand. Young as the day the riverboat sank in '42. Old as the swamps themselves. *smiles* So long as I love her, and feed her, that is. So long as I give myself to her. But that's the way of the loa, and she loves me too, ma belle dame, so I'll not complain.

Why you need to know this? Well, because I look around, and I see things here as ain't human themselves, so maybe it's safe to say, I think. And too, because there's folks here as drink the blood of humans, yes? Because you gotta keep away from my blood. Swamp-blood, the blood of the loa. Kill you if you taste it. If you lucky, that is. Just to warn, is all.

So. Here I am, and here you are, and I am pleased to make your acquantaince, one and all. *grins, and bows once more*