A New Lease on Life (and an Apartment) [Open]

[Aisha (DELETED 7303)]

It is a new night at the Sanctuary, and where the freshly turned have come to understand their new immortality. The Sanctuary, began by Pi sometime long ago, and now inhabited by many others, what a haven for those vampire still trying to understand what they are.

One vampire in particular, a frail young girl, stood awkwardly outside the Sanctuary building. Her silver hair trailed down to her waist, and Aisha curled a lock of it around her finger. Her small frame was drapped in conservative clothing to say the least. A long pastel lace dress that reached almost to her ankles, which was covered by a greyhoodie. Underneith was a pair of black holey tights accompanied by two dingy lace of boots. All those years wearing hospital frocks had left her a bit fashion blind to say that least, and most of what she had on was the few things she had picked up from the salvation army. It was strange to realize how little she had actually owned, since most of what she used was owned by the hospital. She hardly minded, and was almost happy for the fresh start at life.

Life. The word rung in her mind like a thousand tiny bells, and gave her a giddy sort of feeling. She had walked three miles earlier that day, just because she could. Aisha almost regreted not walking more, not running through the streets singing and shouting like a mad person. Every inch of her body tingled at the thought, and Aisha twirled her hair faster around her finger while rocking back on her heels. Every time her feel hit the pavement was like music to her ears, and she relished every strong step. 'I have Lancaster to thank for that...' she thought fondly.

Aisha couldn't lie though, the change did...scare her a bit. The hunger that never went away, slithering and crawling around in her stomach and mind. The first time she felt it, the pain had her writhing and crying out. She couldn't bring her self to feed from humans, not after all she suffering she had seen. Blood packs also were a bit iffy to her, but there wasn't much of a choice in that. Her new freedom distracted her from the whole of it, but there were somethings Aisha just couldn't shake.

Thankfully, there was The sanctuary, which Lancaster had directed her to after her siring. The whole thing was quite overwhelming, and beyond strange. The worst of it was, Aisha had yet to hear from her brother Kestrel, making her quite uneasy. Of course, he was often busy, but not busy enough not to answer her calls. A eirie feeling ached in her chest, but she brushed it aside as she took at step into the well lit building.

The place was clean, startlingly so, and Aisha blinked as she peered around her. "H-hello?" she called out, her voice fluttering.

[Stryge (DELETED 7204)]

Stryge was on his two hundredth rep or so when he heard the voice from the entry way. He turned down the newly pilfered iPod he had acquired on a recent warehouse run (currently blasting his favorite Radiohead album) just to make sure he had heard correctly.

"H-hello?"

Yes, it sounded like the voice of a younger woman, and one he did not recognize. Certainly not Sia, or even Skylar. Stryge suspected he might be the only other person in Sanctuary at that moment. Lancaster and Pi were not conducting any trainings tonight as far as he knew. Considering Sanctuary's purpose, he imagined that the voice could be that of a newly turned vampire needing assistance. Stryge decided that his workout would have to wait.

He wasn't even sure how important exercise actually was for him at this point from a physical standpoint (he had not yet seen a fat vampire), but Stryge found the routine of engaging in a regular workout helpful with his mental stability. Of course, that was on nights when he wasn't out practicing his other newly honed skills, such as breaking and entering into offices or warehouses, or target shooting zombies with his Fareye pistol. Stryge got up from the weight bench and pulled his jacket on. He had noted early on after his turning that he never sweated anymore when exerting himself. It turned out that was going to be useful for greeting fledglings unexpectedly without feeling like he had to take a shower first to keep from offending their sensibilities.

Stryge walked out into the lobby and came face to face with the source of the voice: a young girl with silver hair. She seemed somewhat hesitant or nervous about being there. She's not an allurist; that's for sure, Stryge thought. The aura she was giving off was loud and clear. The young lady was a vampire. Well she came to the right place, he thought, and smiled.

"Howdy. Welcome to Sanctuary. My name's Stryge. What can I do for you?"

[Aisha (DELETED 7303)]

Aisha could sense the man presence before she ever even saw him. It was a strange dark feeling that tugged at the darkness of her mind, and she turned quickly to watch him walk towards her. She blinked her rather large eyes up at him, her gaze always curious and watchful. Aisha's head tilted to one side a bit as she observed her fellow vampire. He was an oddly lax looking man, with hooded dark eyes that reflected every bit of light around them. His lazy sort of half smile seemed genuine enough, though his posture was as mellow as his eyes. The most peculiar thing about him was, ironically, how normal he appeared. Aside from the strange feeling his presence enticed at the back of her mind, he could pass as human. Although, Aisha knew better than that.

The girl tried her best to open up a bit more, and her eye glimmered as her lips curled up at one side into a honest, but slightly awkward smile. "The names Aisha...Aisha Marten," there was a bit more confidence in her voice this time, but only a smidge, "Its nice to meet you Stryge! I was almost afraid no one would be here." Truth be told, that had been one of her biggest fears, so she thanked fate again for letting at least someone be here to welcome her. "So this is the sanctuary? gosh..." she let out a sigh in awe, head swiveling left and right, her hair swishing around her as she took in the surroundings. The place was quaint, but in a way Aisha enjoyed, and a lot of its simplicity reminded her of Lancaster is subtle way. She had no idea where the older vampire was at the moment, but this seemed as good a place as any to wait.

"Erm...Im actually quite lost, " Aisha let out a bit of a nervous giggle, her polite midwestern accent very distinct, "Haven't really been walkin' around this town much, n'all...but I think now im in the right place. I suppose it can't hurt to mill about here for a while, no?" 'Haven't really been walking at all period,' she thought almost jokingly. Aisha hesitated for a moment, but decided it was best to appeal to her curiosity than to let the questions bottle up inside, "If you don't mind me prying...when were you turned? You just don't seem...." Aisha trailed off, her eyes widening in embarrassment. The question seemed like a decent one at the time, but it suddenly sounded uncouth, "Sorry maybe I shouldn't have asked..."

[Stryge (DELETED 7204)]

..when were you turned? You just don't seem....

I guess she's not completely green, he thought. If she can spot me right off as a vampire. Unless she couldn't, and was just taking a shot in the dark. In which case someone ought to tell her how dangerous that was.

Stryge chuckled at her question. She seemed so nervous. He figured as the only one there, he better put his best foot forward and not be stand-offish. At that moment he was basically representing his clan.

"I was turned about a month ago. But before we get into the rest of it, let's have a seat. No sense standing around like clocks at midnight." He lead Aisha to some benches. After they were settled, he continued, "So tell me, Aisha, what is it that I don't seem?" Stryge grinned, and his eyes shone like polished stones.

[Aisha (DELETED 7303)]

Aisha noded in agreement, realizing that standing out the in the open here was a bit awkward. With one swift movement, she tucked her dress under here, and plopped down on the bench beside Stryge. Aisha felt slightly less nervous, and let her muscles relax. Her fellow vampire was friendlier than she had expected, which gave her a visible feeling of relief.

It also surprised her that his turning had taken place not all too long ago, which brought her to question just how common and occurrence this was. Harper was a sleepy little down, always had been, at least since she and her brother had been here. Despite never really spending much time outdoors, Aisha did have access to television, and the towns one local news channel. She figured the vampires that did reside here, were good a concealing what they were, something she would have to emulate.

"What I mean to say is...," she paused, thinking for a moment, "...you just don't seem like a vampire at all." It was true, he didn't, but then again neither had Lancaster. Aisha supposed, neither did she. The only thing that might set her apart was the strange color of her hair and left eye, but even that wasn't so peculiar. Aisha guessed that her childhood images of vampires should be laid to rest. "Im still pretty ignorant to the whole thing...even after all that Lancaster taught me."

[Stryge (DELETED 7204)]

Stryge nodded. "I get it. I was the same way, not exactly knowing what to expect as I got to know other vampires. There's a few that dress so's you got no choice but to assume they're either a vampire or really into that Goth ****. One thing I've noticed about vamps, they surely do love having a certain sense of style about them." He chuckled. "But otherwise, I haven't yet encountered any guys in black capes who say 'I vant to suck your blood!'" He smiled at Aisha, but there was a serious look in his eyes as well.

"What you gotta understand about vampires, first and foremost, is that they're people. And we all know what happens to people when you give 'em too much power. Some know how to handle it, know how to be just and kind. Some don't. And that's probably where the idea of vamps being monsters came from. You give a guy off the street the power to do pretty much whatever he wants when he wants, the power to control other people or take their lives on a whim with no real consequences; you do that, and you got about a fifty fifty shot of turning that fella into the worst kind of monster."

He paused in thought for a second. "The reason I'm telling you all this ain't to scare you. It's to protect you. Arm you with some knowledge. This world comes with a whole new set of rules. Most people are pretty good at following them. Some aren't. And there's a group out there that's a little too anxious to bring down the hammer if you don't abide by the rules. That's why Pi founded Sanctuary, to keep us young bucks on the straight and narrow and out of trouble."

He smiled, but his eyes gleamed like dark, polished stones. "Whatever you think about how a vamp is supposed to seem, it's best just to forget it. You're still you, Aisha Marten. Whether you're a vamp or a human, the most important thing is you just keep on being the person you know you are."

Stryge looked a little sheepish. She probably hadn't asked for an extended monologue with her question. He felt like a fraud giving a new vampire advice. He was a fledgling himself. But he had also once looked death in the face, because of his despair and hatred of the world. He never wanted another to go through that the way he had. And he knew the threat Tytonidae posed to his kind was real. Thus, he found himself feeling a sense of protectiveness over this newly turned vampire who he had only just met. **** Pi, he thought. Is this why you gave me the apartment at Sanctuary? Cause you knew I'd end up giving speeches like this to the newly turned? It seemed like exactly the sort of move Pi would pull. He had to respect his sire for how she thought things through.

Stryge gave an "aw shucks" grin, trying to lighten the mood. "So tell me Aisha, who's your sire?" It felt like the vampire equivalent of asking "what's your major?" A sort of standard conversation kickstarter. But it was also important. He didn't know many vamps yet, but he knew that her answer might determine how much help she was going to need here at Sanctuary.

[Aisha (DELETED 7303)]

Aisha listened intently as the man spoke, blinking twice the normal amount as the average person, but trying to soak up as much information as possible. There was something oddly familiar about the way he spoke, his accent drawn out and mellow, complimenting the lazy smile on his face. Stryge reminded Aisha of her brother, in all the best ways.

The was some thing very disconcerting about Stryge's, speech, but Aisha knew she had to hear it. She was green to the way of vampires, for sure, but not completely naive to the mannerism of humans. Evil was something universally understood, and was a trait she tried her best to notice first. Humans were capable of the most terrible things, that it left one to wonder what a vampire could do given the circumstances.

"No i'm glad your telling me this," Aisha gave the man a gentle smile, "I would be foolish of me to stay in the dark about these things." Aisha laughed softly, realizing what she had said," erm...no pun intended." It felt good to laugh, and it gave a light feeling in her chest again.

She knew his every word was true, and Aisha was thankful for his honesty, as well as his advice. Still, it was a sign that things had changed, and so had her perspective of the world. Danger could lurk everywhere, but she supposed, it always had, only now she knew how to look for it.

"My sire?" Aisha thought for a moment, "oh! My sire is Lancaster...but I should refer to him as my savior." Aisha had a thoughtful expression on her face, and her smile was warm, "He saved my life after all." After a moments paused, Aisha tilted her head slightly to one side, "And your sire? If you don't mind me asking?"

[Stryge (DELETED 7204)]

Lancaster, eh? He certainly gets around. Between Skylar, Sia, and now Aisha, most of the vampires whom he actually knew in the family were sired by Lancaster. Still, it was good news for Aisha. He felt like she would be in good hands with Lancaster as her sire. He was, after all, one of Sanctuary's founders.

Stryge liked Lancaster. The Austrailian vampire, even though Skylar had told Stryge some things that might put that opinion into question. Nonetheless, Pi trusted him. Well, was in love with him as far as Stryge could tell. And if Pi trusted someone, that was good enough for Stryge. And speaking of the French woman...

My sire is Pi d'Artois, the founder of our clan, yours and mine. She's an amazing woman. She founded this place with Lancaster. They also own the pub together. They were the first vampires I ever met. I was a real mess before I met her, but Pi saved me from myself, from the darkness that filled my head..."

Stryge realized he was gushing. It had become a real problem, and had lead to some folks getting the wrong idea about how he felt about his sire. But he couldn't seem to help it. He idolized the woman.

"So," moving the conversation along. "You said you were lost, but you knew what this place was. I reckon Elliot told you. Which means I also reckon you had some reason for stopping by today. Were you looking for Elliot, or just for some help in general?"