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As Ellie spoke, Vincent could tell she was no longer terrified like she was before. She was quickly becoming comfortable with him, and he was happy for this fact. "Well, now that you're with me, you'll have time to start thinking about who you are, and what you truly want out of life..." he said softly "So start thinking about your dreams, and whatever they may be, I will help you make them come true."

"As far as my dreams go..." said Vincent, answering her question "Well, I've always dreamed of meeting my true love. Getting married, having children, starting a family. And now that you're here, I know that this will come true, and we'll be happy together."

Soon enough, a beautiful palace built high in the mountains came into view. It's architecture was a traditional Asian style, and it appeared to have been built hundreds of years ago. Vincent began to spiral downwards gracefully, coming to a gentle landing outside of the palace.

Vincent waited for Ellie to climb off of him before shifting back to his human form. He then wrapped his arm around her, leading her towards the ornate front doors of his house. "Well, here we are..." he said "Home sweet home!" He then brought his lips to her cheek, giving her a gentle kiss.

The sound of Ellie's purring was sweet music to Vincent's ears. He could tell from her reactions that she was happy with him, and he was glad for this fact. He knew that no matter what happened, they would share a bright future together.

Vincent smiled when Ellie squeezed his hand. "Yes, of course I'll give you a tour!" he said kindly. Soon enough, they had stepped through the ornate double doors and into the dragon's lair. It was every bit as grand and opulent on the inside as it was outside. Despite the fact that it had been built hundreds of years ago, it had all of the modern conveniences. The old and the new didn't clash as one might expect them to. Rather, they blended together harmoniously in an elegant, timeless style.

Vincent led Ellie down a grand hallway, lined with marble columns and arches, and lit by massive crystal chandeliers. As they climbed a staircase and turned a corner, a man could be seen sweeping the floor up ahead. However, as they drew closer, it could be seen that this man was not a man at all... but what could best be described as a mummified corpse. The creature's body was withered and dessicated, and it's skin was a light grey. A pale blue glow could be seen from inside it's hollow eye sockets. The undead was wearing a spotless butler's uniform, and there was no foul odor or other sign of decay. Clearly, whoever had created these creatures was a very skilled necromancer.

The undead looked up at Ellie, letting out a low grunt. It then turned it's attention back towards it's chores, sweeping the floor once again. "This is one of the undead servants I mentioned..." said Vincent, gesturing towards the creature. "Zombies, Draugr, greywalkers... they are known by many different names, depending on where you're from. I have complete and total control over these beings, and they are tasked with keeping my lair clean and organized. I can assure you, as frightening as they may seem, they are totally harmless."

Their next stop was the master bedroom. It was every bit as beautiful and elegant as the rest of Vincent's home. It's central feature, of course, was a large four-poster canopy bed, covered in crimson silk sheets and fur blankets. There was also a cozy fireplace here, as well as spacious 'his and hers' closets, and a balcony with a lovely view. "This is where you and I will be sleeping, Ellie." said Vincent with a smile "I hope that you find it to your liking, my dear."

When Ellie asked Vincent where he got the bodies from, he steepled his fingers, grinning deviously. "My servants were all 'hunters' before I killed them." Explained Vincent. "They were vile men who devoted their miserable lives to hunting and murdering dragons, vampires, and other supernatural beings. Some were motivated by the perverted notion that what they were doing the right thing or protecting humanity... others merely wanted heads to hang on their mantles, and the bragging rights." He then chuckled. "Take Darius here..." he said, gesturing towards the zombified servant as they walked past him. " 'Darius the Dragonslayer', he liked to fancy himself. He was truly one of the worst... Now, his corpse is condemned to clean my halls for all eternity. A fitting end, wouldn't you say?"

Vincent smiled as he watched Ellie stretch. He was glad that she was enjoying her new home so much... Once she stood back upright, he wrapped his arm around her and led her through the halls of his lair once again. This time, their destination was a kitchen. It had all the amenities one would expect to find, plus a few one wouldn't - a flat-iron grill and a tandoor-style oven, among other things. "This is the kitchen, where I prepare all of my meals." explained Vincent, smiling "Cooking has always been a passion of mine, and in my travels I have learned recipes and culinary styles from around the world." He then kissed her upon the cheek. "Now that you're here, I can't wait to share my passion with you. So... what would you like for dinner, my love? Some grilled salmon, perhaps?" He figured that she would like fish, considering that she was a neko.

When Ellie placed her hand upon Vincent's, a small smile crossed his face. He liked the fact that she was so accepting of his affectionate nature. "Very well, grilled salmon it is, then..." he said, smiling. "And for dessert, we'll have a hot blackberry cobbler served a la mode with vanilla ice cream." He began pulling out all of the ingredients he would need to make dinner. In addition to the salmon, he decided that he would fix some wild rice pilaf with porcini mushrooms and a nice green salad as sides.

Vincent put the rice on to boil. At the same time, he coated the salmon in a teriyaki glaze and began to grill it. As he worked, the kitchen was filled with the mouth-watering aroma of cooking fish. He looked over at Ellie, a smile on his face. "So, Ellie... do you like to cook?" he aske, wondering if they could work together.

"A la mode..." repeated Vincent "It means that it's served with ice cream on top. But be warned, if you ever go to France and order something 'A la mode', they will probably look at you like you're crazy. You see, the term A la mode merely means 'fashionable' in French. It's use in a culinary sense was first coined in the United States, and the term is mainly used to describe American and Canadian desserts." From the way Vincent spoke, it was clear that food in general was something he was very knowledgeable about.

Vincent had finished cooking the salmon and he set it aside, keeping it warm while the rice for the pilaf cooked. In the meanwhile, he used a knife to begin slicing up lettuce and other vegetables for a salad. "No, you won't distract me at all, my dear." He said reassuringly. "Go ahead... ask me whatever you want." At this point, he wasn't looking at what he was doing at all - yet he still managed to cut the vegetables perfectly.

"I've been alive for many hundreds of years now..." said Vincent softly "And no, this is my first and only time visiting a slave market. I've been in quite a few relationships in my life, and they've all ended miserably. I've been lied to, cheated on, used, and I've had my heart broken." He then gazed into Ellie's eyes, a smile on his face. "I know it's going to be different this time, though. You're going to marry me and spend the rest of your life with me... And someday, we will even have children, and a beautiful family of our own."

At last, Vincent was finally finished with dinner. He divided it all onto two large plates, setting them down on the table. He then poured a tall glass of milk for Ellie, and kindly pulled out a chair for her before sitting down himself. "Dinner is ready, my dear." he said softly. He took a bite of the salmon, smiling as he enjoyed it's rich flavor. He only hoped that Ellie would like it just as much.

"It will be a beautiful future indeed..." said Vincent softly. "And you're welcome for the food, my love. It's the least I can do for you." He could tell from the way she reacted to the food, her tail swaying behind her that she was enjoying it... and he was glad for this fact.

Vincent ate his meal in silence for a while, enjoying the rich flavor of the fish. About halfway through his meal, he turned to Ellie once again. "You know, I feel so filthy after setting foot in that horrid slave market..." he admitted. "I could use a bath, and I imagine you'd like one as well. So... after dinner, how would you like to take a long, hot bath with me?" He smiled at her, hoping she would say 'yes'. Bathing together definitely sounded like it would be a relaxing, romantic experience for both of them... and it would give them a chance to get comfortable with one another.