Around the Corner [Maddison]

[Robin Little]

Robin was too anxious, yet, to feel much guilt. The guilt was there, but it was secondary to the urgency he felt to help Maddison feel comfortable. Which wasn’t entirely possible. He couldn’t take away her pain, and nor could he make her happy with what had gone down. It wasn’t what either of them had intended, but here they were. Robin had learned a lesson, but this was the price. A small voice in the back of his mind told him it could have been worse – look at her! But, no. He couldn’t think that way.

”No, you’re thirsty,” he said. His palms were flat against his thighs, but now he stood and hurried to the kitchen. Although he preferred to drink from the source, it wasn’t always possible to find a source that was willing. It was preferable when they were willing. So he kept some blood bags in the fridge – they were tucked in amongst other things, given he could still eat and drink, it was nice to keep some of his favourite foods.

He occupied himself by pouring one of the blood bags into a large mug and nuking it in the microwave for twenty seconds. He then pulled it out, stirred it, and put it back in for another twenty seconds. Once it was done he stirred it again, stuck in his finger to test the temperature, and brought it back to the living room, and to Maddison on the couch.

”Blood. You have to, I’m sorry,” he said, then flinched and laughed. ”I –“ he stopped himself. He was about to apologise for apologising again. He cleared his throat. ”It’s not so bad. Eventually, you get used to it,” he said with a vague shrug.

[Maddison (DELETED 8452)]

Thirsty, hungry. What was the difference, she still felt this desire in her stomach and it needed to be filled or she felt like she could crawl out of her skin. She sat up and curled in on herself. In a matter of seconds, he was gone and out of her sight. She picked at her dress and then smoothed down her hair. Why did it matter what she looked like? Because he was cute. She shook her head, couldn't be thinking like that right?

How did this sire/childe thing even work out anyways?

She had no clue.

He came back with a mug and her brow raised. Oh right. She had to drink blood now. She took the mug with thanks and sipped from it, blanching at the taste. However, her stomach seemed to want more. She took small sips and then looked over at him. He really wasn't a bad looking dude. A little rigid but not bad really. He was sure to have some kind of girlfriend or something. Maybe a boyfriend. She didn't judge either way.

"So what now?"

[Robin Little]

So what now?

It was a loaded question. It shouldn’t have been a hard question to answer, but for a few long seconds Robin was stumped. What now, indeed? He had to think back to what happened after his own siring; it was hard to remember past Lorelai’s guilt, but he did recall that she was there, at least, to answer questions. She tried to explain what she could to him, beyond what he already knew. Which, he had known quite a lot. The adjustment hadn’t been so bad, because he knew what to expect.

Maddison – did she know anything at all? Or would he have to start from scratch?

He took a deep breath that he didn’t quite need, and rubbed his palms against the denim at his thighs. The breath rushed from his lips, eyes darting around the small apartment as if searching for an answer in the thin air. Of course there was none. He had to figure this out on his own. What now?

”Well,” he started and stopped, bright eyes landing on Maddison only for him to lose his train of thought. Regaining his wits, he started again.

”Well, there’s a lot to get used to. I should… tell you about it. And… figure out what ‘path’ you are. And… well, I don’t know. I kind of knew what I was getting into but you probably have friends and family and a job… you probably can’t do that job anymore, depending on what it is? I have a few people I know, I can introduce you to them. And I’ll help… in whatever way I can,” he said, flinching. What, really, did Robin have to offer?

He realised, in that moment, he probably had to get off Fluer’s couch. He probably should find a place of his own. Be a responsible adult, for once in his life. Was this what it was like being a parent? He couldn’t help but laugh. He shouldn’t be laughing. This wasn’t a laughing matter. He had to cough to stop himself from laughing – to stop himself from apologising for the hundredth time.

[Maddison (DELETED 8452)]

"I mean. I know what vampires are and everything." Or did she? She had heard stories, but really like everyone was different. Supernatural was really beyond her capabilities of understanding. She finished her mug and then sat it down on the coffee table, causing her to lean over some. She had already exposed enough tonight, might as well throw some boob action in there right?

She coughed and then leaned back against the couch and then looked at him. He seemed really nervous. He was probably regretting his choices tonight and what had happened. She took an unnecessary deep breath and then locked her gaze onto his. "I meant between us." She then gestured with her hand between them.

"I don't know what happens between us? I'm not wanting to impose or anything. I do have a job, or well I did. I'm a model and I work in fashion." Of course. "I probably won't be able to now, but that's fine, I guess." She could probably make a way for it to work.

Maddison sighed and then ran her hand through her blonde locks. She was just feeling tired and rundown from the whole night. Maybe when she went to sleep and she woke up, this would all be a bad dream.

But it wasn't and she had no clue what to do now.

[Robin Little]

Robin’s eyes widened considerably. On a couch that wasn’t even his own, in this apartment he claimed as home, there sat a model. Of course she was stunning enough to be a model, but to have actually accidentally sired one seemed… well, beyond his good fortune. And now she was asking about what happened between us.

Suddenly, the twenty-seven-year-old was trying to remember just how long it had been since he’d been laid.

And, just as suddenly, he was internally slapping himself. That’s not what she was referring to. Surely she didn’t think that now they were ‘sire and childe’ there was some requisite romantic relationship involved. No, it was obvious in what followed: I don’t want to impose. She wasn’t talking about physical contact but instead… what?

”Ah… you aren’t imposing. I really am easy-going. This is kind of my bed, though,” he said, gesturing to the couch. There was a blanket and everything, kind of a mess, too. He was never really known to be tidy, or neat. The pillows were crumpled, but at least he’d had the good grace to move dirty dishes back to the kitchen. It wasn’t like he was here often enough to make too much of a mess. On the coffee table behind him sat his laptop, on the floor at their feet was a knocked-over pile of books.

”Which isn’t a bad thing. I mean you’re welcome to it. But this isn’t my place, is what I’m getting at. But I’m working on getting a place of my own,” he lied. He had done no such thing, but it would be his first priority as soon as he got the chance.

”And you’ll have a room in it. I mean… that’s a bit too much when we’ve only just met, isn’t it? Asking you to move in…” he shook his head and cleared his throat. He was doing it again. Common sense kicked in and told him to shut the **** up. He was talking too much. He took a breath and shook his head for a second time.

”My point is, accident or not, I should have known better. And I will spend time with you to show you the ropes, and would hope that we don’t lose contact afterwards. I do have a ‘family’, kind of like a bloodline. They’re all pretty quiet, but there’s an online hub, thing. I’ll introduce you. They can be cool. You’re not in this alone,” he said, at least finally gaining some confidence near the end.

”We’ll figure out what your ‘path’ is. And what you’ll be capable of. I think you’ll be able to work it out, with your job. Hopefully,” he said. She was, kind of, in the arts. The arts could be flexible.

[Maddison (DELETED 8452)]

Maddison listened to everything he said, taking it all in. She made a face when he told her that she was sitting on his bed. Bluish-Green hues traveled to the blankets and things. She wrinkled her nose. What was all done on this couch? He had to have a girlfriend or something. Look at him.

She shook her head to clear the thoughts and mentally slapped herself. Stop thinking about that, Maddison. He was now her sire, there wouldn't be any physical connection, right? She groaned and leaned back against the couch, blushing soon after she realized she had groaned out loud.

She ran a hand through her hair and stood up, tugging down the bottom of her dress since it had ridden up. "I have an apartment...A flat type of thing sort of. I mean it has more than one room. If that's what you're looking for." She ducked her head. "Not that...I..yeah." She just groaned again. Wow, cool, Maddison.

"I mean, I won't just like up and leave. Kind of my fault too right? I'm willing to learn and all of that. Plus it'd be nice getting to know others like me." She picked at the hair band around her wrist.

"Should I leave now or...?"

[Robin Little]

Robin laughed. It lit up his eyes and spread over his lips like wildfire, the sudden mirth – it came at the realisation that they were both as awkward as each other. Though he found it hard to believe that someone who looked like Maddison did should be awkward at all. She should be ordering him around. She should have him wrapped around her little finger. It would be easy enough for her to do.

The groaning was dismissed as dismay at what had happened to her, nothing more and nothing less. Robin was on his feet half a second after Maddison was on hers.

”You don’t HAVE to leave but we can,” he said. It didn’t even cross his mind that he should let her walk out that door without him by her side. Although Robin could be a complete **** up, and most of the time he could be oblivious to it, he knew that this was too big, too momentous to let Maddison deal with it on her own.

”We should. I mean, we can walk and talk. There’s a lot of stuff you need to know,” he said. She seemed keen to uproot herself from what Robin had declared as his bed. But who could blame her? Her life had been turned upside down. Who wouldn’t want at least the comfort of home?

”Did you just offer me a room?” he asked, rather forwardly. He was trying to understand what Maddison was getting at in her awkwardness; while he asked, he absently lifted his jacket from the back of one of the chairs and tossed it over Maddison’s shoulders, making sure he had his keys and his phone and his wallet.

[Maddison (DELETED 8452)]

She rose a brow when he stood up and mentioned that they were going to leave. That hadn't exactly been what she meant, but she shrugged. If he wanted to walk and talk with her then who was she to decline? Why the **** was she so nervous. It didn't seem like he was some killer...

Well. That had just been a thing that went wrong. Then he blatantly asked her if she was offering him a room. She didn't exactly know. She just felt bad that all he had was this couch and she had a nice two bedroom condo on the outskirts of town.

"Yeah, I guess so." She muttered. "I mean, I have a two bedroom condo and obviously one room isn't used. If you need a place to stay, then you can stay there." She rubbed over her face and then looked over at him. "The offer is out there if you want it."

Really, all she wanted to do was go home, shower and change into sweat pants and a sweatshirt. She wanted to just be as unpleasant looking as she could be.

"So what will it be?"

[Robin Little]

There were moments in time that Robin could bumble around and wait to be told what to do – or, he wouldn’t have a clue that he was meant to do anything, and would need to be slapped and shoved into action. In this situation it finally dawned on him in a violent manner that he needed to take the lead. In this new relationship between sire and childe, he had the upper hand, because he had the knowledge. This was his responsibility.

”I’m only lazy. It’s habit,” he said, glancing at the couch. He’d moved through life as a penniless writer, the money he did make spent frivolously on booze or drugs. These days, he had a regular job that paid well, and though he could drink he could no longer get drunk – less money was spent on wasteful past times. He remained where he was on this couch simply because he lacked any reason to do otherwise – but now he had one.

”I don’t really need a room. I can get a place of my own – it might take a few days, though, and I should probably stay with you…” he said. He remembered his first couple of weeks, the urges and the sudden discovery of various abilities. They came out of nowhere, sometimes.

He opened the door for Maddison and led her through to the elevator, pushing the button that would take them down. He was taking the lead – though she would have to once they were down on the street. He didn’t know where she lived.

”You’re going to be capable of things, now. Some cool things, some terrifying things. You probably shouldn’t be alone,” he said. He wasn’t trying to come on to her, or make up excuses to spend time with her. He genuinely believed she shouldn’t be alone – but he knew how it might sound. He could only try to convey honesty.[/justify]

[Maddison (DELETED 8452)]

She made a face. At this point, the blonde was getting frustrated with the male. Her sire, now. Why'd he have to be attractive? She turned to face him. "Look. I don't care if you get a place or not. I'm just saying. I have an extra room that isn't being used. You can stay there or not." She didn't mean to snap, but come on look at what she had just went through.

She walked to the elevator and in it, waiting as they hit the ground floor. "So I'll be learning new things, developing new things. Awesome." It came out more sarcastic than she had intended but it was all a little much at the moment, when all the blonde wanted to do was become as unappealing as she could.

"You don't have to find your own place. I mean, I guess it's whatever you want to do." Maybe she was sounding too forward? It might be a little awkward being that close to each other, sharing a bathroom and all that jazz. She couldn't help when her eyes traveled his frame as they stepped out onto the street. The blonde half-grinned and then cleared her throat.

"We might need to stop and get blood bags? Right? I don't have any, obviously. I just have regular human food. And if you need anything, you'll have to grab that too." She tightened the coat around her much smaller frame and headed in the direction of what she hoped was a store. For now, she was going to be charge and then when they made it back to her place he could be the one in charge or be sirely.

After they perused the store, she came out with multiple blood bags and some other girly items, make up and the like. She started back down the street back towards her condo. It wasn't very long before they were stood in front of her modern looking place. She fished out her keys and opened the door so they could step into the modern looking condo. Everything was abstract but warm. She had a taste for decorating, and it smelled like her berries and cream.

"Well this is my place."