Sharing Secrets

[Roderic]

Skylar is obviously very excited, if not by her body expression, then by the way she throws the word 'like' around. I look at my wife from the side and give her a wide grin. "Like, okay." I tell her, teasing her on her over usage of a filler word. "But sure. Whatever. I don't really drive cars, so I guess I'll leave that all up to you. The planning and the driving." I tell Skylar as we hit the station and I search for the cab. I grab my phone from her and look at the time on it, noting we're about five minutes early. I like early. Early is okay. Late is not okay. "I wonder what side of the road they drive on." I've always wondered why everyone just can't get on the same page and drive the same way, but I guess some countries like to be special or something. Who knows what the reasoning is.

I shoot a hand up in the air when I see a taxi slow down and stop not far from the curb across from the station. "Come on." I tell Skylar with a nudge of my head before crossing the street with my bag in one hand and her hand in my other. "Maybe we could sign up to do some other hunting or fishing if we find ourselves with too much free time." I suggest before making sure it's our cab and it was going to the airport. Once that's done, I have the guy pop the trunk and I put both our bags in it. "Or you could do something else while I do some fishing or hunting." Fishing at night isn't ideal, but it doesn't mean I won't try to do it. And hunting? Well, I never let lack of light bother me. It's what they made night binoculars for.

The cab right is spent planning some things to do during our down time, and checking out these scenes Skylar found on my phone. I have to admit some of them do look pretty wicked, and wonder if Skylar realizes they won't look the same at night. I'll mention it later when we get to our final destination. Check in ran smoothly, no one even asked me what our business was in Iceland. I guess that's what happens when you keep a very low profile. Very few bank accounts, no credit cards, I'm practically untraceable. Which could work for or against someone. When I'm done dropping off my bag and getting my passport scanned, I wait for my wife on the other side. Once she's with me, I check our flight status and everything seems to be on time. Very few flights are delayed. We've had a decent winter-for Canada that is.

I watch the other people board and even though it was time for us to board, I decide against it. I'm not in any hurry to sit, when I'll be sitting for a long enough duration, no need to make it longer than it has to be. I wait for final call, before I allow us to board the plane. "We'll be alright." I tell her with a nod, but it was more for my benefit than my wife's.

[Skylar]

Ric teasing me is kinda ******* adorable. He has this playful side you really wouldn't expect and when he lets it out, it always makes me feel super happy. I resist the urge to try and jump on his back and bite him. It's a powerfully strong urge, so I'm damn proud that I manage not to tackle him to the floor. For some reason I think he'd be unimpressed with me doing that out here when we're on a schedule.
"Cute Ricky. Real cute."
I'm kinda in shock that he'd let me drive. He's a bit of a control freak, sometimes. I half think he'd insist on flying the pane if he knew how. It's not long of course until we're at the airport and getting ready to board the plane. The thought of sightseeing in Iceland has me super hyper, still. I love being an allurist sometimes. I mean yeah my emotions can turn on a dime but sometimes I just get to hang on to them. Like now. Only the closer it gets to boarding time the more apprehensive I get. It's not me, though. I know that. Could be Ric. Could be a number of other passengers. Well that sucks.
Wait... was the excitement mine or theirs too.
Great now I'm not sure where their emotions start and mine end. Fantastic. Oh well. I guess so long as we have more positive people on the plane than negative I'll be good. If the turbulence gets bad I'm fucked though. People will worry. Making me me worry. I hope to ******* go I don't freak out on a plane. I'm so ******* strong I'm not sure even Ric could stop me.
I squeeze Ric's hand a little harder than intended.
No. I'm good. He's smart. He'd figure a way to stop me, distract me.
"Don't doubt it babe. So long as these people keep their fears under control I'm golden."

* * *

We've been in Iceland a few days and it's been ******* amazing. I love it here. I'd definitely come back. Sightseeing is definitely best done in the twilight hours. Can't get much of anything done by way of drawing at night but for stargazing it's cool. Like anywhere, you have to go away from civilization or like to one of the little local towns where everyone's in bed by ten, so the streets are dark and stuff, but I don't mind that.
Don't get me wrong. I love a bustling night life, but Ric don't. And well, I don't mind the quiet. So long as I have Ric to entertain me I'm five by five. Left alone for too long I do go a bit cray cray. Can't help it. I'm not the best person to keep me company. I bore myself. I mean yeah, if I'm lost in my music I'm good. Creating ****, I'm dandy. But silence. **** that. If I have too much time to think and be in my own head, my mood seriously goes downhill.
I've literally wiggled - for Ric's benefit - into my hunting outfit. Tonight we're off doing the reindeer thing. Not sure how I feel about tracking down Rudolf's cousins but I'll give it a go. Feels a bit like cannibalism/murder what with my alternate form and all, so I'm trying not to think about that. Nope. Not gonna think about killing Bambi's mum. That **** just ain't right. So instead I'm concentrating on my guy. That's easily done and I ******* love watching him when he's in hunter mode.
Okay. So I'm a bit biased. I love watching him in any mood. He's fascinating. To me at least. I sketch him sometimes while he's working and he thinks I'm doing the same. If he knows I do it, he hasn't let on. His ability to focus on a task and get it done still astounds me. He's driven. I'm driven too but I'm not like him. Not even close. I can only focus for short periods at a time, unless I’m doing something I ******* love doing. Ric, he just gets **** done. He's not a flake like me. If he says he's gonna do something, you can bet your arse he'll do it. I could try to be more like him but well... let’s face it, that's so not me. That's never gonna be me.

[Roderic]

It's the night of the hunt, well, early evening. I've been up for about an hour as the sun started to set, showered with my no scent soap, used my scent killer shampoo for my hair and have already been dressed for about fifteen minutes before Skylar comes out wearing her gear we picked up earlier in the week. Most people wouldn't find anyone attractive in hunting gear-but I think it's hot. Or maybe I think it's hot that she's going to be shooting at something with the compound bow I got her. Me? I'm sticking to a recurve, because I've never been good at using a regular long bow. And since my wife's a first time bow shooter, compound seemed ideal for her. She definitely has the strength for a recurve, but I'd rather not risk it by trying to see.

Skylar looks so ******* hot that had I not been afraid of our scents getting combined and my efforts being wasted for the last twenty minutes-I would have initiated sex in that moment I first saw her. Which is a pretty rare thing between us. It's not that I'm unattracted to my wife, I just don't see the need to perform the act when it's really not necessary to perform it. We're not having kids. Even if it was possible-we're not having kids. could you imagine me with a kid? Actually, I could. He'd be pretty bad ***, because I wouldn't raise a sissy. Men are men. Not some little *****. I'm at a point where I can admit that I like my brother-but our dad was a *****. And he didn't do Nathaniel any favors in my mind.

"Ready, Sparky?" I ask my wife before I turn away from her, grab our bags, sling one over each should and open our hotel room door. I know she'll follow me when she's ready, so I don't wait for her. I just go straight to the car and wait for her to open it up and start our progression to the location I circled on the map and had laying on the dash board.

[Skylar]

I love how Ric looks at me once I'm ready to go. Love, love, love it. I feel it too, which is kinda distracting cos I know for a fact that he's hot for me right now. It's not a feeling I get from him all that often, but when I do, oh man, it's like super amazing. Problem is we're set to go out, so the timing is hardly perfect. Damn him. I could almost swear he does this on purpose, like he enjoys getting me all hot and bothered and then doesn't follow through and put out that internal fire he started. Still, not his fault I feel what he does. Not my fault either, really. Hopefully his emotions will swing back around to lust later after we've hunted. Hell, who knows, maybe he'll even lust after me harder if I bag a reindeer. Not that I want him getting off on death or anything, but it's an adrenaline rush...right? Hunting and stuff. There's a saying about there being the 'thrill of the hunt'. I'm sure Ric feels that.
I shake off what I'm sure are now feelings of my very own too, and follow him out of the apartment. I should offer to carry something but he seems to have everything in hand and I kinda like it when he does the chivalrous thing. So I get the door to the car, open the trunk, help him get everything squared away for the drive.
Once we're in the car, on the road, music playing, I decide to ask him what the plan is for the night. I know he has one. He always has one. And since this is his thing, I'll follow orders. I've gotten good at that. Even learned a few of his gestures and what they mean. It's easier to follow non-verbal communications when hunting. I also know to keep my hair up, pay attention to wind direction, etc. It's all stuff I'd never planned to know, but it's stuff that's becoming second nature to me now. I've even started paying attention to how Ric tracks. You know, what he's looking for, what these signs tell him, that kind of thing. Even in the dark, he's a **** hot tracker. At least I think he is. Again - I may be biased.
"So... You got a game plan for tonight or what? We walking a grid or going where the wind takes us? Are we competing to see who can take down the biggest critter or anything like that?"
I don't need to compete with Ric, and honestly I'd be happy if he won. Just being with Ric I win. Corny I know, but that seems to be who I am these days, at least when it comes to him. So yeah, if he wants to compete I will, if not, who cares. We win regardless, right? It's the animals that lose. Especially with me hunting them. I'm not sure I can claim a clean kill yet, and that's kinda important. I don't want the poor things suffering cos I suck. Though I'm getting better. I am. I've been practicing on those fuckers in the sewers.

[Roderic]

Backdated to Feb 13th

Ric: I'm listening to her over the sound of some..I don't even know what to call this music, but it's not something I would listen to and I'm surprised she's listening to it. Maybe she wants to give it a shot since it's different. Euro-rock or something. Bit too heavy for my tastes, but I'd rather listen to this than listen to Euro-pop. I accidentally found that garbage on the plane ride here when flipping through stations. She's asking me if I have a plan. Some people might be insulted-but I'm not. I know Skylar is asking me specifically what the plan is. She needs to know stuff. I think all women do. It's a woman thing, I think.

"I have a plan." I tell her as I lean forward and turn the music down a little bit. Can vampires get headaches? If they could-this garbage would give me one. "I have all our gear in the trunk. Separated in two bags. Yours and mine." I inform her. "And no-we just can't go where the wind takes us, I want one-if not both of us to get a deer. So we'll have to do some tracking with the night vision goggles." It's not hard to track when you've learned what you are looking for and go from there. "And no. I don't want to make this a competition. I would just be happy if we both got a deer. You especially." I look at my wife, indicating what was more important, getting an actual kill, rather than who got the biggest.

Skylar: I glance over at him while I’m driving. I know. Me driving. It’s the kinda thing that Dillon would tease me about cos I’m so easily distracted. He even had the cheek to avoid getting in a car with me if I was behind the wheel cos he said I had the attention span of a gnat, or something. I mean it’s true. I’m pretty ******* easy to distract but I’m not dangerous or nothing. Well… mostly. I’m learning to be a battle babe for Ricky, but that’s like something totally different to being dangerous behind the wheel. If I can stay focused with Ric at my side, then Dillon really had nothing to worry about.

‘Kay, ‘kay. So I’m just gonna follow your lead then, learn what I gotta and then what? Do you want me to try tracking my own deer, or do you wanna track one for me?”
I pause for a beat, realise the music we’re listening to sucks and start flicking through the stations. Thankfully this is something I can do without much issue, since there’s a handy little button on the steering wheel for it. Once I find something a bit more to my liking, I stop. “Oh and even if it’s my shot, you be ready to put the thing out of its misery, okay? Cos I’m not sure I’ll be able to do more than put it down, like on the ground put it down, and I don’t want it suffering.”


Ric I think about everything Skylar has said and everything she has asked me. "You'll follow my lead, initially. Learn what needs to be done and then, I'll let you get your feet wet, babe." I not, thinking this would be the best course of action. There should be very few people, if any out hunting. Most people go back in after the light starts to dwindle, but some stay for about an hour in. Trying to get that last possible kill. "I'll make sure the reindeer won't suffer too long." I assure my wife, because wouldn't you know it-anything that has fur or is potentially cute just trips her emotions and logic goes right out the window. "How much longer until we get to our destination?" I ask, grabbing the map and try to figure out where we are at currently, by glancing at the scenery we pass.

Skylar: “Put that map away.”I all but giggle, and I rarely giggle. “We’re on a magical mystery tour.” We’re not. I’m teasing. I know we need to head down this road for a bit and then go right. I’m assuming there will be signs that will help me once we get closer. All else fails I’ll use the GPS on my phone. I’m practical like that.

“You know I kinda love it when you call me babe. Makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.” Yep. Still teasing. I do love it, but he probably doesn’t want to hear that as he’s not the flowers and romance kinda guy. Though that much should be obvious right? I mean most people cuddle up on the sofa this time of year, eat too much, play games and ****, and what are Ric and I doing? Oh yeah, we’re hunting Rudolf’s cousin down and pretty much planning to butcher him. I mean dead’s dead, right? Good job I love the freak next to me, else this would really ******* suck. Actually, you know what, I can’t imagine ever doing **** like this with or for anyone else. Damn him.I glance over at him, narrowing my eyes slightly. I’m beginning to think someone spelled my arse.

Ric: When my wife tells me we are on a magical mystery tour, I toss the map aside and stare at her. This better take us to where we need to be, or I'm not going to be very happy. I don't like mysteries. I don't like wasting time. I want to get a deer, or two and get out of dodge. "I'm only calling you what you call me." I inform Skylar, there was no reason I called her babe, other than that very one. I don't know how I feel about being called babe, but I think it's better than Ricky. "So this tour takes us to where we need to go, right?" I'm pretty sure Skylar wouldn't screw with our trip and the only night we are hunting, but...I know she doesn't exactly like hunting. So who knows, actually.

Skylar: I laugh and pat Ric on the knee. “Chill babe. I’m pretty sure we’re on track and as we get closer there should even be signs to prove it. ‘s not like I’m driving you out into the middle of nowhere so I can kill you now is it.” I shake my head, my tone mock serious. “What a waste of a fine piece of arse that would be.”

**** Skylar. What the **** is wrong with you? You’re going hunting your stupid, horny cow. I blame Ric. I do. It’s his fault. Emotions can linger and he really did have me tingling all over before we left. If he doesn’t **** me after we’re done hunting I might actually have to stab him or something. What can I say. The guy rubs off on me. My inner battle babe is a bit of a bloodthirsty whore – apparently.

Ric: She was pretty sure we were heading in the right direction for the right place I picked out based off what the local folk told me. And then I just facepalm. Both hands meet my face as Skylar talks about offing me and then back tracks to let me know she won't be doing that because she wants my ***. My wife can say the strangest stuff sometimes. "I'm not worried about that." I'm not because I'm pretty sure I could kill my wife if I had to. I mean, I'm not going to let her-or anyone kill me without a damn good fight. "Stop being crazy." I tell her with a slightly strange laugh. Not because I'm scared, but because I'm wondering if she's wigging out before we start doing what we're going to do. "Are you going to be alright for this?" I look out the window of the dash as I ask this.

Skylar: Okay. This is a first. My weird behaviour is rubbing off on Ric. I grab his knee and shake it slightly before putting my hands back on the wheel. “I can’t stop the crazy Ricky, it’s just who I am. But yeah. I’ll be five by five. No worries. I’m just… well… you know I vibe off other people and that I pick up on emotions and stuff… Well a few are lingering and they’re kinda difficult to shake. Probably cos I like ‘em. And it’s your fault. It’s always your fault.”

I smile as I say that. “Even when it’s not. Cos that’s like one of those things. You know. Like you get to blame the other half for pretty much everything. So yeah. If I’m acting cray cray, it’s all cos of you babe.”

Ric: She says this in my fault and I just can't stop staring at my wife. How is this my fault? I'm not being the crazy one right now-she is. She comes up with this whole theory and I just figure it's best to let her believe what she wants to believe. I'm starting to think her entire lineage is sort of delusional. First, her sire, that Pi ***** and now my wife. Cytherea I'm still on the fence about, but she doesn't seem like she's always in the right mindset. "Okay." I go back to a mental check list in my head. Not that it would help or matter any. If we forgot anything, we would have to make do. Everything I think about, I tell myself it's been packed, in what order and in what pack. I figure if I concentrate and go silent, she'll at least go silent and concentrate on getting us to our location

Skylar: One word. One word that’s all I get. Well that and whatever it is he’s feeling now. Disbelief probably. He thinks I’m lying maybe. I’m not. He just doesn’t really understand relationships the way most people do. It’s not his fault. It’s who he is. It’s why he has me. I always set him straight. “My weird mood is totally your fault Roderic Hawthorne.”

Yeah, I full named him. That ought to get his attention. Ha! Yeah right. “You don’t think I couldn’t tell you wanted me back in our hotel room? I mean the way you looked at me would have been clue enough. Add in that I kinda feel what you feel. And that I feel enough on my own without that. And yeah… I’m kinda squirming in my seat here babe. I’m horny as hell and trying not to let that pull focus. So see… Your fault.”

Ric: "It's not my fault your mind only has a two track mind. Sex and alcohol." I tell her with a shrug. I heard my full name alright, but it's still better than that nickname Ricky. "You're always horny." I tell her that in a factual tone. "Not my fault you're using some sort of weird allurist power or something to try and feel what I'm feeling. Some things should be personal." I cross my arms at my chest in the passenger seat and stare out the window in front of us.

Skylar: “You think I do this **** on purpose? **** that for a laugh. If this gift came with an off switch I’d ******* use it. Do you have any idea how annoying it can be? Do you think I want to feel other people’s pain? Cos I do you know. When I chase those fuckers down in the sewers. I feel what I do to them. It ******* rips at my soul but I do it anyway. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows Ricky.”

I hit the steering wheel, cos yeah, I’m pissed. Partly cos he thinks I do this on purpose and partly cos he’s making it out like it’s a bad thing that I can tell when he’s horny. That’s like seriously the only perk this power has. Well that and when I’m kicking arse on stage, cos the high I get from the crowd is intense.

“And in case you haven’t noticed. Alcohol isn’t a priority for me these days. Thanks for ******* noticing. And if my mind is so simple as to only have two ******* tracks, it wouldn’t be sex and booze. Been there. Done that. If that’s all I was, I’d be ******* some guy in the stalls of some local bar, but I’m not am I? No. I’m here. Here on holiday with you, you prick. If I can only have two tracks it’s you and music. Though right now I’d love nothing more than to derail your train, you ******* arsehole.”

Ric: I laugh. What else can I do when she's all riled up like that? "Okay, Sparky. Try not to crash the rental or something." She's a dramatic one, my wife. Always has been, always would be. "And you're not doing all that stuff because you know, I'd kill the pair of you." Yeah, I say it. Because she knows it's true. I'd kill her and disappear like it's nothing. Maybe go back to my own home turf, or go some place new. I'm not really tied to anything other than my wife and my faction, but I couldn't even think about being anywhere near her if Skylar fucked me over in that way. Because I'd forever be making her life hell and sending her to the umbra. "Music and sex then." I correct myself, meeting her halfway in the middle. That's what you do with people who are very emotional about things.Try and appease them in some small way.

Skylar: I stamp on the breaks and put the hazard lights on. I’m so ******* annoyed right now that if I don’t get out of this car and go kick something I’m gonna end up driving us into a tree and that would just be all kinds of bad.

I practically rip the seatbelt out as I throw open the door and stalk into the field next to us. I don’t give a **** about much of anything right now. I can’t see straight. Can’t think right. I married an arsehole. I know it. He knows it. How I ever forget that fact I don’t know.
So here I am coping how best I can. I scream out my frustration and then punch the crap out of the ground beneath me. Why do I let him get to me? How can he hurt me like that? Like not how as in he’s doing it on purpose but like how is it possible. No-one hurts me like he does It doesn’t seem right. It’s fucked up.

I wanna scream at Ric and call him a ****. I want to tell him that it would ******* destroy me to hurt him like that again. Not that I consider sleeping with Dillon cheating, but still. I’d never ******* go there and the fact that he can be so blasé about pisses me off something fierce.

Ric: She leaves the car and I just roll my eyes. Why is everything so dramatic with this one? I blame Elliot because he's a big ball of drama and emo. And so it has to stem from him. I let my wife get her crazy out of her and watch her punch the ground. I bet that accomplished a lot. If she was going to punch something-she should make it an effective tactic. Like punching someone. Or punching a reindeer. I sort of chuckle to myself when I think about Skylar punching a deer in its neck. Right, time to focus what's really important here and that's getting to our destination. I open my car door and then stand, leaning against the open door. "What did the ground ever do to you?" I tell her.

Skylar : I don’t know what happened to the good vibes I had. I’d say they flew out the window, but the damn thing wasn’t even open when Ric decided to piss me off. Ric tells me to get in the car but I don’t want to. He’s still being an arse. Sure he said please, but he didn’t apologise. He didn’t take back what he said. And yes. I’m aware of the fact that I sound like a goddamn child.