Forever No More (Lancaster)

[CharlotteC]

Charlie nodded as he confirmed that he had not meant that she should feed from him while they were down in the main part of the bar. It eased her mind a bit, though from what she knew of him, she doubted he would have been for public feedings anyways. The thought of feeding from him though, the vampire eyed his throat for a moment, while the girl she was still saw him as her mentor, almost like another brother, though he had got a hint of grey that made him look more mature than he had been before.

So there was a big part of her - the part that held onto the humanity - that felt as if it would be wrong to feed from him. Still, she was hungry, the more she sat there, the more she felt it, she wasn't drained by any sense of the word, but she did feel that hunger. Charlie smiled softly and she relaxed a little, especially when he said that he would look into another of those relics, especially if he couldn't find the one he once had. The fact that he said he was confused about where he had left it made her wonder, and maybe even worry a little bit.

"If you can get a hold of one, I'd totally love it, for sure. However, don't worry if you can't find it, between my powers, buying blood, and Rhett, Wilber and now you, I don't doubt I will be covered for a meal here and there." she said, then glanced around again, making sure that no one was really listening in. Thankfully, the one good thing about Lancaster's, the people there, mortal and immortal alike pretty much minded their own business.

"I think I should feed though, I don't know if it's just the fact that it's coming from you or just that I'm hungrier than I thought, but the beat of your heart is actually becoming a little distracting." She really was starting to hear that soft beat more and more, she would have to reflect on it later. Was it just that was she hungry? Was it because it was him? Perhaps it was some mixture of both.

She figured that if she fed, if she took him up on her offer, either she would sate her hunger or her curiosity. One way or another, Charlie would know.

[Lancaster]

Lancaster chuckled, though it probably wasn’t a laughing matter.

That his heart had suddenly become cause for hunger was an entirely new sensation. If his beating heart had ever caused anyone any kind of distress in the past, they’d never told him about it. Though perhaps it was his beating heart that had caused his own demise. If he remembered correctly—and he didn’t quite trust his own memory—it was only that he’d seen something he shouldn’t have. He’d often wished he hadn’t seen it, that he’d picked some other bar to go get his steak sandwich from. But then he wouldn’t be here. He might be home and married with children. He might still be traveling the world. He might be a famous musician. These days, he no longer played music. The inspiration was lacking.

Lancaster peered at Charlotte five seconds longer before he gave a curt nod.

”Okay then,” he said, hands upon the armrests as he pushed himself to his feet. When he moved, his bones ached. His body was still getting used to being human again; he pushed himself too hard sometimes, accustomed to the stamina he once had. He rolled his shoulders and stretched, the muscles in his back aching in a way that he liked. It proved that he was alive. That every step he took was another step toward natural death. Soon, he presumed, purpose would resume in his life.

”C’mon,” he said, rounding the armchair and heading back toward the stairs. He nodded to one of the regulars who said hello to Lancaster. When asked how he was, Lancaster responded by saying he was fantastic, his broad smile the same as it always had been—talent and practice made that smile look genuine, rather than the mask it really was. It wasn’t that Lancaster was depressed, per se—he was just stressed. The light at the end of the tunnel had been a lie. It was only a fork in the tunnel, and the prong he picked was as long and dark as the one he’d left behind.

At the top of the stairs he glanced around. It was quiet. The main space of the backpackers had a lived-in feel to it; the TV was still on, so someone had been there earlier. The couches and bean bags were empty, the main desk manned only by Lizzie. She, too, gave a nod to Lancaster.

”You wanna go on break, Lizzie? Go eat something, I’ll cover for a bit,” he said. Lizzie brightened and accepted, gathered up her bag and moved passed Lancaster to head down the stairs. He and Charlotte had the place to themselves.

[CharlotteC]

When Elliot beckoned her to follow him, she nodded and stood, following him to the door that led up towards the bunk, a place she knew well at one time. She just hoped that it was how she remember it. It would have gave her a sense of comfort. Her chocolate eyes lifted as they ascended the staircase. And though there was a new face the place still smelled the same and looked the same. Charlie looked at the girl and smiled kindly to her as Elliot sent her to lunch. Granted, at this time of night it was probably more like the girl's dinner than lunch but either way, she took the offer to head out for a bit.

Once they were alone, Charlie turned her attention onto Elliot and for a moment, she was actually shy. With Rhett and Wilber she could just randomly jump on them and just feed. Or she would just ask them to sit so she could feed. With them it was almost ninty percent clinical. Elliot was different. He was her mentor for so long, almost like a father figure. She cared about him in a far different manner than the boys. They were her brothers in a manner of speaking. He was more.

Charlie watched him for a moment and with them alone, the sound of his heart beating was that much louder. Without the music, the rush of blood in his veins was like the sound of Niagra Falls. She took a step towards him but then stopped. She glanced at the desk and the chair that Lizzie had just vacated. "You know, this would probably be better if you sit, that way we don't have to worry about you getting light headed. Granted, I'd never let you fall or hurt yourself, but I like to plan ahead in the case of my meals." She said with a smirk. A smirk that revealed that her fangs had descended and the tips now dimpled her lower lip.

[Lancaster]

Before he’d been turned, Lancaster had often given blood. No matter what county he was in, there was always a shortage of blood. That’s what plenty of people worldwide didn’t understand; it didn’t matter where a person was born the same blood rushed through the veins of every single person on the planet. Slight variations, of course, but the principle remained the same. Racism was a pointless endeavour when life and death was the same worldwide.

When he’d given blood, he’d never got light-headed. As tall and as strong as he was, they could take twice the amount they needed to and he’d still be fine. But he’d humour Charlotte anyway. Rolling his eyes he instead meandered over to one of the couches, folding himself down into a corner. It would be more comfortable, and if a customer did happen to walk up the stairs they’d at least not be witness to a vampire feeding on the owner of the business while they sat behind the counter. Wouldn’t that be a scandal?!

He patted the seat beside him.

”I’ll be fine,” he said. And he truly believed that he would be. Ever since the ‘cure’, he’d been fine; he’d never felt more human. He ate and slept and passed wind, he sweated and thirsted for water and felt aches and pains after long, hard days at work. Sure, he had an evil shade out in the world attacking people on a whim, often bringing soldiers to his door. Sure, he sometimes felt this gnawing sense of unease, of something missing that he couldn’t quite put his finger on, but he figured that had only to do with the amnesia. He had no reason to believe that his blood was anything other than normal, and that Charlotte would be just fine if she drank from him. He’d been replenished, and whatever ‘disease’ had been in his body had been fought and abolished, his blood now clean and replenishing every day.

”Go on, eat up,” he said with a smirk, rolling back his sleeve so that he could offer Charlotte a wrist.