Underneath it all [Chance]

[Myk]

Myk rubbed the petals of the dandelion between his fingers watching how his porcelain skin took on the sunny hue. Afterward, it looked like he'd spent the evening painting instead of lying on his back in the meadow - perfecting the art of emptying his head. There was only so much theorising one could take before he needed a wide open sky to pour his thoughts into. The Northern hemisphere of constellations winked back at him as his pewter eyes searched the void around their glittering brightness. He longed for tranquility, for emptiness and silence. Instead, he could hear their voices in his ears, condescending, seething, "You’re wasting your eternity! You’re wasting your gifts! You could fix things, but you’re too busy thinking about greed, your lust, your pride, and wrath!" He let a breath out slowly and closed his eyes. The voices didn’t go away - they never did - but at least he could distract from them in other ways.

Inevitably, Myk opened his eyes and rose to his feet. He brushed the plant fragments, dirt, and other debris from his white blouse and leather pants, and picked the pieces out of his hair. Being the terribly vain creature that he was, it wouldn’t do to walk around looking as though he’d just jumped out of a bush. Of course, he would prefer to comb through those platinum locks to ensure that there weren’t any creepy crawlies lingering, but there wasn’t much he could do without teleporting home. And that was certainly one of the last places he wished to be so early this evening. What he needed tonight was a distraction from the ordinary; a time away from the men and women in his life that served to irritate and confuse him. Perhaps even a fresh face would be the best choice.

As the Telepath considered the possible candidates, his thoughts paused and shaped into the face of a sombre looking man; one with profound chestnut eyes and dark brown hair. It wasn’t a face he saw that often and it certainly was not one he was used to conversing with. As a matter of fact, Myk didn’t even know the man’s name, just a sweet kind of pseudonym that he preferred now that he was in Harper Rock living as a Vampire. The Telepath supposed that he knew how that felt; to strip away the flesh, sentiments, and monikers that bonded you to your former existence. Still, this wasn’t about sharing familiarties or a series of getting to know you dates, this was about sharing an adventure!

“Oh, Chance! Come out and play with me!” the Vampire summoned telepathically as he simultaneously Appraised the other male. “Meet me at Thornside Park. I want to go on an adventure.”

[Chance]

The music blared loudly but clearly across the boat as he straightened up his newest acquisition, of course the stereo was the first thing he made work after the purchase completed. He likely overpaid for it especially in Harper Rock’s real estate market but it suited his needs and that meant more to him right now. It didn’t take long to make the place livable for his needs but it would take much longer to actually have it the way he wanted it to be, yet time had a limited meaning for him anymore nor was it something he worried himself with.

“Oh, Chance! Come out and play with me!”

The sudden intrusion of the telepathic link instantly sent a cold chill down his neck and spine as the almost unfamiliar voice reverberated inside his own mind. He unconsciously found himself looking around the cabin trying to find the speaker although he instantly knew better, the whole sensation being relatively new would take some time before he became completely comfortable with it. The unique voice left little doubt in his mind on who it was sent by regardless of his relic’s little warning.

Planting himself on the back of an armchair, he quickly searched the map for the park in question before he focused his own thoughts. “From Honeymead station if that works for you?” he answered telepathically. “Leaving in just a moment”. He had seen first hand how easily and effortlessly others used telepathy while he was forced to work at it for now but it was slowly becoming natural for him too. Changing his shirt into a long sleeved tee along with his jeans, he turned the lights and music off as he made his way to the door.

He put on a brown leather jacket that hung by the door as he pulled on the door but quickly reached back inside to grab his weapon while the door bumped into the outstretched arm. A small smirk appeared on his face but with weapons in hand, he locked the door, setting the alarms on the boat before he walked towards the dock.

“Might want these as I really have no idea of what Myk considers an adventure!” he mused as he secured the gun into his jacket before zipping it halfway up..

He sprang onto the dock and headed towards the dark and quiet areas where his unnatural speed wouldn’t be noticed. He no longer felt the need of using the trains to be chipped, tracked, or even harassed instead he found as many ways to avoid using the transit. Once the darkness engulfed him, he took off at an incredible pace that brought him to a deserted spot inside the park. How long it actually took he didn’t know but it didn’t seem long at all before he stood in the park and slowly strolled towards an empty path as he waited.

[Myk]

Myk couldn’t believe his luck when Chance not only foolishly agreed to come out and play with him, but also gave him the coordinates by which he would be approaching from: Honeymead train station. This would provide the Telepath with the perfect opportunity to play a little prank on the man when he arrived. The park was resplendent, with acres of lush space for benches, ornamental trees, flowers year round, and water fountains in the clear lake that was stocked with koi carp. There were vendors with hotdogs and burgers, vendors with coffee, vendors with ice cream - though none were open at night of course. There was always music, however, sometimes clashing from various sources - none of them official. They played for the clusters of Humans that could always be found walking the park at night, either making their way home from work or looking for a nice vista as they pondered their choices for the evening.

Myk made a quick check of his surroundings and cast an illusion of darkness around his physical form before he walked in the direction of the train station. The temporarily-invisible Vampire kept silent as he stalked the paths. He had decided that when he’d found Chance, he would sneak up behind him and gently blow on the back of his neck before reappearing in front of him. As far as Myk’s pranks went, this was strictly, ridiculously harmless. Still, he expected the other male to be somewhat jumpy and to probably lash out at him in surprise. He was prepared for this in the same way he was prepared to deal with Cat’s wonton attacks: by taking it on the chin. The Telepath wasn’t afraid of pain in any sense of the word and he wasn’t afraid of death either. He was prepared to exchange a little bit of blood for a laugh.

It wasn’t long before the Telepath, cloaked in shadows, had spied the Allurist. The boulder-like contours of the man’s back cut through the gloomy night. It was calm, yet the chill of early spring chased the breeze and the moon was barely higher than the trees. Chance walked towards the lake, following the path. His boots made a rhythmical noise against the causeway; solid and regular like a soldier. Myk decided to act. He crept as swift and silent as a knife toward the base of Chance’s spine and was ready to blow an icy breath, then vanish, reappearing in front of him, prepared to howl a scathing laugh. He couldn't believe his luck when he was successful. He almost doubled over, laughing.

"I am sorry, mon cher..." he managed between gasps of air. "But I couldn't help myself!"

[Storyteller]

==========AUTOMATED POST==========

Myk attempted to steal from Chance, and was successful!

[Chance]

The hair on the back of his neck rose instantly, nothing else mattered as he tensed for the expected pain of an attack as he searched for his assailant. Fights were nothing new to him especially in Harper Rock and he wouldn’t stand by to wait for it, he never considered himself a victim or prey and he wouldn’t start now. The familiar weight of his gun sprang from it’s holster and was in his hand without even a thought after he spied his attacker, he leveled the gun into the center of mass, a single small quick breath before held it but knew it would be hard to miss at this close of range with even the slightest bit of aiming. His finger automatically slipped inside the trigger guard as the figure stopped and stood before him laughing.

Recognition dawned on him as he played perfectly into the man’s joke, he twisted the gun away and up into the sky while he emphasized clicking the safety back on. “Do you realize how close you were to being SHOT?” He growled as his anger flared, unceremoniously he slammed the gun back into the holster inside his jacket. He hated the hazings he usually received in every new place especially when he realized his own tactical error in the response he had given, however the sight of the normally somber and almost melancholy man’s humour dissipated his own anger rather quickly. “Mon cher, my arse! Just remember what they say about revenge. ” he retorted with a hint of good nature creeping back into his voice.

He stepped to the side of the path which was effectively around Myk, giving himself a little distance between himself and the other. “Please tell me you didn’t make me come all this way just pranks at my expense?” he said dryly “Because you know if it is just this, I could have stayed home watching the paint dry.” Turning he continued down the path as he attempted to change the topic of conversation away. He walked slowly, waiting on the frenchman, or so he assumed, to regain his composure.

“You didn’t say what you actually wanted, who or what are we hunting tonight?” Although he doubted that his help was needed as he had seen Myk’s work before and knew he was quite accomplished on his own but he wasn’t sitting at home either so he couldn’t complain. Having a reason to get out these days seemed like a blessing between the virus affecting the humans and the new laws on vampires, he left for equipment and while he roamed the city to keep his hacking habit away from being traceable by anyone.

[Myk]

His scathing laughter scaled back as the waves of aggravation rolled off of the other Vampire. Myk could practically feel them crash over his skin like ice water, forming gooseflesh beneath his clothing. The discomfort couldn’t entirely wash away his amusement, but he could withdraw his malevolence for Chance’s sake. The boy looked utterly horrified to be on the receiving end of Myk’s tiny prank. The Telepath’s pupils narrowed to slits as he considered the barrel of that gun being pointed at him and - oh my, how it chased a thrill down his spine. The white-haired man hadn’t noticed, and maybe Chance had, which was why he’d twisted the gun away from the other Vampire, but the smile on Myk’s face had changed from childish amusement to dark desire. Perhaps he’d wanted to be shot.

“What is such the big deal?” Myk growled back at the man, his accent slipping into a silken dress of an Eastern European accent. “I have been shot on numerous occasions, I’ll have you know. And it hasn’t done me any harm.” A pause. As the Vampire raised a finger to his lower lip to consider whether or not the countless blows to the head had resulted in any long-standing, irreparable damage to his cognitive functions. Pewter eyes dashed left and then right as if he could see into each chamber of his brain to determine the answer, then he spoke once more, grinning. “Probably,” he said, then laughed again - cackled, really - at Chance’s mention of revenge. His accent morphed into the familiar Parisian purr as he stepped into the man’s comfort zone; his dark eyes twinkled murder. “I invite you to try.”

While his body remained motionless, the Telepath’s eyes twitched to watch as Chance rapidly stepped around the path to get away from him. Pewter eyes followed browns, causing his head to turn as if he’d been snared by a fishing wire. Yet when the connection broke and Chance quickened his pace to flee the immediate area, Myk followed suit. It wasn’t entirely wise to allow Myk to haunt your shadow, but the Telepath decided that he’d allow the Allurist the small mistake since he’d tormented him once already tonight. He matched the man’s pace, walking at his side and listening to the tirade of complaints that were being hurled his way. Myk wore a pleasant smile nevertheless, the corners of his pale lips kissed his dimpled cheeks and made those pewter eyes of his sparkle gently. His hands were clasped behind his back, pushing his chest out ever so slightly, and he exaggerated each step with long strides.

“Well, I didn’t say that we were necessarily hunting anything,” the Telepath corrected - his accent now a suit of PR English. “Just that I wished to go on an adventure. Though, as luck would have it, in Harper Rock, you’re likely to encounter something that requires murdering in order to get to what you want. If that is what you want, dear.”

Although Myk’s tone appeared to be slightly acerbic when he questioned Chance’s motives, he wasn’t one to hold such pious beliefs. It would be rather hypocritical to consider himself above it all, as if he weren’t a biological machine compelled by basic urges to feed and **** and fight. However, he was also compelled to have fun and found that fun in exploring the lesser known parts of the city’s dungeons and crawl spaces. Myk had found a hollow space located behind one of the sewer walls one night while he was traversing the area below Thornhill Park, as it happened. So as they walked closer to the park’s edge, to Westwall station and the sewer entrance there, Myk was preparing to give Chance the details of his little plan to explore what could potentially be a gold mine of fun!

“I have found a place where we can explore. It’s probably quite dangerous, but out of the eye of people. So, what do you say, mon cher?” he asked, his brow arching as they stopped above the manhole. “Are you ready to go on an adventure with me?”

[Chance]

“Maybe getting shot doesn’t harm you or us anymore, but I haven’t found that it hurts any less either.” Although he found it to be true, he fully understood Myk’s point as well. From his understanding he couldn’t truly die entirely anymore and as time passed any concerns with it just seemed to slowly evaporate away as he had heard others return from this shadow realm easily enough. The hard look shot towards him wasn’t anything unexpected at all, but it wouldn’t bother him regardless how capable he knew the older vampire was.

A sly smile crept across him as he mused that he was being mocked by the ashen figure next to him. Was that really how the man saw him, it probably wouldn’t be that far off? It was a common enough stance and he had seen it many times during his service, except for the hands behind the back it could easily be him if he were to be honest with himself. He willed himself to slow down slightly almost in retaliation but knew it was a part of him and it would be a long time before that changed much as it had been a part of him for far too many years.

He marveled at the almost whimsical way Myk slipped from one accent to another with practiced and definite ease, any assumptions of the man’s origin were obscured further and further away. He listened as they walked across the park before they abruptly stopped on the street. “I have to say it sounds like fun anyway but your call is the reason I came out tonight so of course I am.” he replied eagerly as the thought of something new and maybe even slightly dangerous enticed his own sense of adventure. He could make out homes a short ways away while he knew the train station was near but he knew little else of the area around them. The sewer cover laid between them as the only real place that might be away from the aforementioned eyesight.

Chance looked from the dirty cover below him to the smartly dressed man. “Are you intending that we go below into the sewers?” He had been in the sewers before, just once, and didn’t overly relish the idea of returning to them. The idea of the sewers bothered him more than anything else, probably a lingering idea from when he was human he thought as he bent down to a knee and slid his fingers under the cover and dragged it off to one side. Warm moist air gently wafted up from the tunnels below with a rather pungent odour.

Not knowing whether he was assuming too much or not, he laughed as he looked at Myk. “Or am I getting way ahead of myself as usual? I have never been very good at waiting around for directions, always preferred taking action instead.”. He rested his elbow on his knee as he leaned back onto the heel of his other leg wondering if he should drop down or put the cover back in place.

[Myk]

There was this thing that had come to bother Myk about his companion: there was no sexual chemistry between them. Certainly the male was physically attractive, he was intelligent enough, and Myk enjoyed his company. Chance talked in just the right amount to get the information across without over or under explaining things. He seemed to be capable of being socially adept, perfectly amicable, neutral, and inoffensive. He was adept at being a Vampire too; hadn’t fumbled over his powers or made a spectacle of himself and needed saving. Chance had his moments where he had been a little less than nice to the Drag-pire - by now, who hadn’t? - though none of it had sparked any hot coals of desire in him. Myk was convinced that Chance was either straight or asexual as he hadn’t seen the man chase anything with or without a pulse, and while this was normally something that tantalised the white-haired man - because he always wanted what he couldn’t have - Myk couldn’t find that to be particularly charming either! It was all so puzzling.

Overall, Chance was just… nice. Friendly. Fine. Someone with whom you could get along with, and someone who could get along without you.

Before the other male bent down to reach the sewer entrance, the Telepath drew his bottom lip between his teeth and eyed him from head to toe. With one arm, the Allurist lifted the heavy lid of the sewer drain up and pushed it onto the surface, revealing a tunnel down into an abyss. The unmistakable perfume of sewage rose like a burp, burning his cool cheeks. The look of disgust marred Chance’s features for a moment, but he appeared to brave through it and looked back to the Telepath with bravado. Myk’s nose crinkled, but he was able to ignore the smelly invasion for the most part as his mind ulcerated, latched to this current conundrum. He afforded the younger Vampire a wry smile and a suggestive wink before he slipped his long body into the darkness. When he landed, the rubber of his boots impacted with a solid splash as ankle-deep grey water dispersed around him; the sound echoing up the curved walls.

“Come now,” the Telepath insisted when Chance made his way down. “It’s only around this corner and through a gap in the wall, you can’t really miss it.”

Myk’s words stretched over the terrain they travelled to reach the entrance, as it happened. Where the left side of the wall started to bow toward the arched ceiling was a number of missing and loosened bricks. In places, the mortar had completely crumbled away and it appeared as though the bricks had just been stacked on top of one another to conceal an entryway - however, unsuccessfully. The sewers beneath Harper Rock were littered with mysterious offshoots just like this one; some of them being sanctuaries belonging to other Vampires, but a few were linked to structures such as the Catacombs and the Abandoned Subway. There was a hint of charcoal, iron, and dirt in the stagnant air behind the wall. There was a dryness too, that crusted across his senses, giving him the impression of a mine or a pit. Myk was eager to explore, but, he was not so willing to pull a Clan member into danger and for one final time, he sought the consent of the other Vampire.

“Well… What do you smell? What do you hear? What do you feel? What do you think?” the Telepath asked excitedly, the Parisian accent having taken hold as he latched a hand onto Chance’s shoulder. “If there were others like us down here, they have not been here recently. I think. We should be fine.”