Heme and Jose (Raquel)

[Axel Rosen]

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--

<Axel> He sends her a quick text, sitting at the bar. The drinks of the woman next to him make him think about her. He has to try and remember her name, which makes him feel like a dick, but he sends the text. "What are you doing tonight, do you want to get drinks?"

<Raquel> Raquel had just wrapped a towel about herself, fresh out of the shower. Reaching for her blow dryer, she heard her cell vibrating against the sink's ceramic ledge. She stared at the number for awhile, trying to figure out who it was before finally realizing it must be Axel, recalling those numbers from the glimpse she got of the paper she tore a piece from to write down her own. Sweeping up the device, she read the message quickly then tapped out a reply before setting it aside: Nothing much. I had planned to get some reading done and maybe watch a bit of t.v since I hadn't heard from you! But drinks really do sound good. If you don't mind me taking a bit of time to get myself together I can still come out?

<Axel> The bar is quiet and he doesn't mind sitting here. He's already fed for the evening and his eyes are their proper blue color like steel. He looks to the bartender behind him then shrugs. "Sure, take all the time you need." His fingers text a little more, a maggot crawling out and touching the screen before wiggling it's way off his phone. He sighs and keeps going. "I'll be at Lancaster's waiting for you."

<Raquel> If she stood there and dried her hair completely, it would mean a set 45 minute setback, at least. Instead, Raquel raked the dryer with comb attachment through the silk curtain until it was dry enough to be twisted without causing damage. In the slightly damp state, it was easy to see how the strands near her scalp progressed from a white blonde to deep golden tips, all of which was worked into a bun atop her head. She put on a quick face of makeup, topped off with coral red lips, and followed through with her normal regimen. Jeans, a blouse, and flats would suffice. Dressed, Raquel shot Axel another text: I'll be there shortly. I don't text and drive so I'll see you in 15-20.

<Axel> Looking around the building, it’s only the second time that he’s been here, and he’s still only mildly okay with the setting. Then again, he's not really a fan of the Necropolis either. His blue eyes look to the door, waiting for her to come in. He sniffs, now looking around, feeling the auras of the people around him. There's a vampire in here, his aura a little more powerful than the humans. Leaning his head back, Axel sighs. He has already ordered a drink because the place actually serves blood. Still his mind wanders to his ideal library-- maybe when he gets his own place he would fill it with books and rituals. His fingers move down along his pants to his knee. He can still feels the millipede that has made it's home in his body scuttling around in his ear.

<Raquel> Arrived at Lancaster's 30 minutes after sending her text to Axel-- the roads had been busier than expected. The lot looked full, so she parked along the street not terribly far from the establishment. Long legged, her strides cleared much space in a short time span and Raquel's hand was soon reaching outward to pull the door open. Stepping through, she paused on the spot to glance around. Spying Axel, she gave a small smile and pushed her shades atop her head as she moved toward the bar to meet him. "Hola!" she said playfully when she was close enough for her voice to be heard.

<Axel> He looks over to her from his spot at the bar. His legs are only partially clad due to many holes in the denim legs of his jeans. His shirt is red and simple in design, with a leather coat covered in patches left open over it. "Hey!" Turning to the bartender he waves his attention. "Can you get a margarita for the lady please?" His head turns around again to meet her gaze with his own. It’s the first time she'll be able to see his steel blue eyes. "Took you awhile...I was beginning to think you flaked."

<Raquel> "Thank you!" Raquel chimed in, hearing Axel place a drink order for her- he chose well. A frozen drink sounded perfect. "And send along another of whatever he's having when he runs out." she added, speaking to the same bartender before meeting Axel's eyes, which she noticed were a lovely sliver of sky. "No, I wouldn't do that. There's the fact that I'm female, coupled with Harper Rock's mysterious traffic tonight." she joked, sliding onto the vacant stool beside him. "I hope the wait wasn't too painful?"

<Axel> Shaking his head he looks back over to her then to the television on the other side of the bar. His eyes study the happenings before turning back to her again. "Not painful at all. Just figured I'd wait an hour before heading back home to write." His eyes gaze her over, being sure not to linger on one spot or another for too long. A breath leaves his lips, that millipede threatening to reveal itself. He snatches up a napkin and grabs the miniature monster, squashing it after. He keeps his back to Raquel the whole time to be sure she doesn't see what he pulls from his mouth. "And thank you for the refill."

<Raquel> "Mhm. Well, I'm pleased that you waited, or I made it on time I guess." She watched him closely, interrupted shortly after by the sound of glass on wood as the bartender slid a margarita her way. "Thank you" she said to the man, lifting the icy drink to her lips and drinking deep. "How about your drink, is it good?" it didn't look like anything she'd ever had and her curiosity was piqued.

<Axel> "Its quite bitter but it has a taste that I kind of prefer." He looks at her and smiles a little bit, "Tastes like copper wire, and it's rather thick." He leans his head forward, arms crossed around his drink, eyes glancing up to the television again. He's doing so to avoid giving her body too much attention from his eyes, which look into hers after a few moments as he takes a breath, hands drumming the table beneath his arms. A grin comes across his lips as he gives in, finally glancing down at her body once more.

<Raquel> In contrast to the blonde atop her head, Raquel's brows are her natural brown. They lift now in response to Axel's description of his drink-- it didn't sound like something she'd like. "So...metallic is the flavor profile?" she answered, trying to keep a straight face. "Interesting..." her emerald eyes followed his lead, glancing upward, dancing around as she took note of what was playing on each of the high mounted screens, slowly but steadily doing damage to her drink until it disappeared altogether.

<Axel> When he glances over and looks at her drink, he notices that it's empty and takes another sip of his own before flagging down the bartender and ordering her another. "Please bring the lady another margarita.." He glances over at her. He leans forward and tells her, "Feel free to decline when you start to hit your limit." He smiles and sips the red liquid again. It stains his lips and drips, but he wipes it up, licking it a bit.

<Raquel> "You're on top of it!" she laughed softly. "I'm not going to turn down a margarita...and could you bring him a Sangria, on me? Make it extra strong." she winked. Turning back to Axel, she caught the tail end of him licking his lips, a faint stain remaining behind. She wiped her own mouth to signal he needed to wipe his. "I have a rather high...limit, technically. So, I usually mix it up with water as you've seen. It's good I had a light supper, so I won't have to put in too much extra work at the gym to combat these calories."

<Axel> His hand moves to his mouth and he wipes the blood away before looking to her a little bit. His fingers move back down into his pockets again. There is something in his eyes. He feels it and he quickly turns his head so that she only has a split second chance to see the larva that had come from the bottom of his eye and crawled it's way up into his hairline before digging it's way back into his skin. "Ah, go to the gym often?" His body is stuck in its present state, and he enjoys it, being eternally physically fit. The blue eyes look over to her and he takes a breath, "Thank for the drink order.", he eyes the man behind the counter, pretty much saying. 'I would prefer not to be deathly ill,’ knowing he’d understand.

<Raquel> "I do go to the gym often...or rather, I work out often. Between reports and lessons plans, sometimes I can't make it in at the city gyms, but I run, and do workouts at home when that's the case to stay conditioned. And you're welcome. I hope you like it. Sangria is a favorite of mine, especially the infused fruit." she nodded, sipping slowly at her margarita, prolonging the onset of her buzz.

<Axel> He drinks the red liquid so that it is all gone and the man bring him out something that looks just like it. His eyes glance up to the television again, before looking back to her, "I can tell that you work out often." He smirks and leans forward, looking up to the screen again. "I work out often", he thinks that is what he could call it. Killing ancients and zombies and the thing he did today. When he went with his sire and grandsire to help and try to hit a masquerade violator with Tytonidae, he thinks that's like working out as well.

<Raquel> "I think that's a compliment, so thank you." she said in response to Axel's comment. She loved her body as much as she was self conscious about it. Her curves paired with her height and blonde tresses made her nearly impossible to miss, which sometimes wasn't a 'good thing'."Oh? What do you focus on?" she posed the question. She took her workouts seriously, as she did her eating as well. Alcohol was her guilty pleasure but when she restricted the carbohydrate and fat intake throughout the week, she felt comfortable splurging a bit come the weekend. He probably thought she had a drinking problem, for easily she knocked them back the past two nights. Really, it’d been awhile since she’d had anything other than wine with dinner.

<Axel> "Oh, I work on upper body and cardio." The fact that he says cardio almost makes him laugh but he stifles it into a smirk. It's funny that he can call it cardio when it's really just him training himself to be able move longer. It should be called endurance. His hands move up and grab the drink, taking a sip from it again and then he leans toward her. "I fence, too."

<Raquel> "You...fence?" she was a bit skeptical. Well, he was rather limber...tall...slim, so he did have the ideal build for it. Perhaps it was the edgy persona throwing her off. "Mhm. I have some hobbies of my own" she admitted.

<Axel> His eyes set on her as he leans back against the bar, back against the wooden edge and drink glass in his hand. "Oh?" He questions. "So you're a college instructor, avid bar goes, avidly work out , and there's more? I'm starting to think you have a time machine to fit all this time into one day."

<Raquel> Her head fell back, coral lips parting as a loud laugh left her-- the tequila was clearly working on her, just a bit. As Axel ticked off his list about her, a smile set onto her mouth. When he finished, it opened.."Mmm, close! But it's more like...university lab instructor, morgue employee!...then an occasional bar goer, and yes, avid fitness and health enthusiast."

<Axel> He claps slightly with two fingers from one hand into the palm of the other. There is a moment where he bends forward, messing with his shoe laces. His eyes look back over to her. "So, what else is there?" He smiles, knowing there has to be more. "Are time machines small or do they take up a room like this one? Where do you hide it?" He grins at her, hands down to the legs of the stool, before grabbing his drink again.

[Raquel (DELETED 4638)]

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--

<Raquel> She scoffed, her hand waving about in the air to dismiss the comment as she finished her drink and got rid of the glass. "It takes more than two margaritas to get all my secrets." she said, smirking. "And if I had a machine, I'd let you know...though, I figure in this day and age they'd be pretty sleek and compact don't you think?" her eyes followed him as he moved and she noted he seemed to move a lot. "What exactly do you want to know?"

<Axel> He taps the bar, "Please get this woman a screwdriver, it seems like I'm gonna need more to pry her lips into telling me all her secrets." He laughs then takes a breath, he has to remember to breathe. "You said you had hobbies?" He takes another sip of the blood.

<Raquel> “You took that to heart!...but, I must admit screwdrivers are pretty delicious. I think this will be my last one for a bit." she said, more to the bartender than to Axel. Shifting in her seat to get comfortable after sitting so long, she reached up to tuck a stray strand behind an ear, mulling over how much she felt comfortable disclosing. "I do have hobbies, as I'm sure everyone does. Mine are nothing too spectacular...reading, experiments related to my field, dancing. Those types of activities."

<Axel> His head nods up and down once, listening to her say something about not wanting to drink another one for a while. He’s not sure what to say about the drink but as she tucks a few pieces of her hair behind her ear, he smiles, then looks to the television to make a note of the score. "Oh?" He tilts his head a little to the side. "Dancing, that thing you do far better than me." He chuckles. "Right now I just fence a lot. I'm thinking of getting a dog..."

<Raquel> "Hardly. The kind of dancing that goes on in clubs is not really the style I'm comfortable with." He was paying attention to the games on the flat screen displays and she wondered if he had a team he rooted for, which sports were his favorite. "You seem pretty interested." she motioned to the nearest t.v, letting the drink the bartender slid her way remain on the counter for the time being. "I like dogs."

<Axel> Nodding his head up and down, "I'm only interested in sports. I watch it when there is nothing going on." He smirks at her then leans over toward her. "I don't really have a team or anything that I root for." He smiles softly then looks at the woman again, "I want a hound or something like it, that could walk with me as I walk around the city." He lies a little bit. He should have said, 'while I hunt my prey'.

<Raquel> "See. I don't know much about breeds, I just know what I like when I see them." she spoke, of dogs. "And I don't watch these types of sports...football. I am partial to the Olympics, though. I’m looking forward to watching this Winter!"

<Axel> He has no opinion on the Olympics. He glances around and then looks to the television again. "Well, I was thinking something like a blue tick.”

<Raquel> ..."A what?"

<Axel> "It's a breed."

<Raquel> "I...figured that much" she mumbled. She'd wanted more explanation, but it seemed she wasn't getting that.

<Axel> "The blue tick hound is a sort of hunting dog." His finger, index, moves around the glass' edge, toes tapping the floor beneath him. It's faint, but he can hear the sound of his finger against it. It's not musical like those videos you see of kids doing this, must be some sort of science to it. "I don't hunt, just like the breed." He lies, he hunts daily. He hunts ancient zombies, tracking them down and shattering them.

<Raquel> "Is it a large breed? For some reason, 'hound' gives me that sort of mental image, but I know that's not necessarily the case."

---

2 hours later

<Raquel> A chance glance behind the bar counter gave Raquel a shock-- it was late. Much later than she'd planned on being out initially. Sunrise would be along in a few hours no doubt, and she had a work day ahead of her. The conversation with Axel had been a rollercoaster of subjects both comical and serious. Talking, paired with drinking always seemed to render time irrelevant, until one reached a moment much like this one, where they were pulled harshly back to reality. Her face screwed up into an expression that clearly said I hate to have to do this but…"I didn't realize how late it is! I have a long day of work tomorrow, and if I don't get a decent amount of rest I'm like a zombie. Can we pick this up some other time?"

<Axel> Her words reach his ears, especially the part about her being a zombie. Were he a less careful vampire, he’d tell her about the fenced in district of the city where zombies really do roam around. "I doubt you could be that bad." His face cracks into a smile, and he sets his glass aside. "We can go out for drinks another time." There's not much that he can say work is, a big deal, even he has a job.

<Raquel> Relieved the abrupt announcement of her need to depart didn't seem to offend Axel, Raquel slid slowly from her stool. The hours that'd come and gone had left a small collection of glasses in their wake as testimony. She'd had enough alcohol to quell her appetite for awhile, and a glance at her planner would more than likely tell her she'd not have the option of late nights at bars for several weeks anyway. Feet firmly planted, an audible groan escaped her lips, as another realization rolled in.

<Axel> There are fewer glasses before him than there were before her. About five or so. He doesn't take the time to actually count them, just looks them over. He wonders, what else he could do this evening. He could probably go to the catacombs and hunt the ancient undead there, but with the sun was going to be coming up soon and he’d be so tired by the time he got there. He hears a groan as clear as the moon is against the night sky, and turns his head to her, giving his full attention. "Something wrong?" His hands in his pockets now, he's sure that he'll leave at the same time or shortly after she does.

<Raquel> Well, this was embarrassing. "I shouldn't drive..." she sighed. How could she be so irresponsible to exceed her limit? This wasn't like her at all. A taxi would take forever, and she wouldn't dare phone a friend at this hour. "So I might as well sit down and wait for the buzz to wear off, huh?"

<Axel> Shaking his head he turns his whole body and then his face goes straight, the faint line of a smirk still there. He hopes that his tone will let her know that he's being serious about helping her, "You don't have to. I haven't been drinking for a while now." He looks her over again, hoping that she would take him up on it. There's something about her, maybe it’s potential. He's not sure.

<Raquel> "What do you mean?"

<Axel> "I mean that if you'd like, I can take you home." He leans his body back against the bar and then places a tip on the table. Taking a breath, he feels that he hasn't done it enough while they've been sitting here, feeling that he's not blending properly. "Just an offer."

<Raquel> Buying time as she thinks, Raquel feels around in her pocket for money to pay off the drinks she'd ordered for Axel. Once done, she faced him again and nodded. She didn't really have many other options, and all she could hope is that the gentleman he'd presented himself as was his true nature, and that he wouldn't try to carjack her, or worse. "I'll take you up on your offer then." she said, handing over a small ring of keys.

<Axel> As she hands him the keys he looks them over, taking the one that looks like it would both start and unlock the car between his thumb and index finger. "You're gonna have to point the car out to me, or just walk to it.". Elsewhere in the city he has a Harley Davidson motorcycle. He's sure that she would be able to tell, what with him wearing a patched leather jacket and a shirt depicting a necropolis.

<Raquel> "It's just outside." she said, speaking as she began simultaneously inching toward the door at a steady pace. Holding it open for him to follow, her other arm extended to point at a sleek black sedan along the curb. "And that's the car."

<Axel> He takes hold of the door after her-- he won't make the mistake of letting her get to a door before him again. As she moves outside, he steps around her, unlocking and opening the passenger side door, then moving aside to let her sit down. He stands patiently, until she is seated then moves to the opposite side to let himself in. This car is not his style; then again, it's not his car and he'll just drive it to where she needs to go. Key in the ignition, he turns it and cranks the engine. It starts relatively easy like a fairly new car. Backing up slightly, he pulls away from the curb, watching the traffic behind them. Pulling out onto the street, he heads for the corner light.

<Raquel> She wasn't drunk, nowhere near it in fact. All the same, she wasn't the drinking and driving type if she exceeded what she knew to be an acceptable amount of alcohol. Hell, her life was spent calculating limits. Gesturing, she gave Axel directions, half wondering if she should be concerned he'd know her address now. She didn't bring people home often, at least not unless she trusted them and foresaw them being around awhile. Oh well, what could she do now? He didn't know which condo was hers, so there was at least that. "Thank you for doing this. I truly appreciate it."

<Axel> Taking her directions, he keeps his focus on the road. He wasn’t inebriated in the least, because none of his drinks were alcoholic. His movements are calculated. He still watches the road, because it is indeed, late in the evening and things could happen. His fingers drum at the steering wheel, as he pulls up to the complex she lead him to. He stops the car, puts it in park, and gets out. Swiftly, he moves over and opens her door.

<Raquel> "You're good at this." she teased, clutching the door frame as she climbed out. Perhaps her reflexes were slower-- it seemed almost as if he'd made it around to open her door before she'd even been able to form a thought telling her hand to do it herself. "...Wait. How are you getting home?

<Axel> "I'm walking, taking in the night air before I rest." He helps her out of the car, offering his hand and then letting go as she stands. He hopes that she's well enough off to walk up to where she lives on her own. He's not going to impose himself on her if she doesn't need it. A look at his watch tells him it's getting close to time for him to rest. In his other hand he has her keys, which he hands to her, making sure she has a good grip on them before letting go.

<Raquel> This was the awkward part. Should she give him a hug? A kiss on the cheek for all his troubles? She settled on patting his hand gently when she took her keys from him. "That sounds nice. You don't live terribly far, do you?"

<Axel> Considering where exactly they were in the city, he thinks for a second then takes another breath, blending in this moment so that she doesn't notice at such close view that he's not breathing often enough. She is educated, and he needs to remember that she works in some sort of medical department. "No, not at all.' His eyes look down at her patting his hand and he grins a little bit. He wants to tease her but the night is growing older by the moment and he should get moving, just like she should.

<Raquel> "Good. Just be safe then, alright? I'm gonna get to bed so that I can get at least a handful of hours rest under my belt. I'll give you a call sometime…perhaps for something other than drinking?" she laughed.

<Axel> "Sounds good to me. I have plenty of time as I don't work too often." He smiles and then gives her hand a quick squeeze, then starts to take a step backwards. "Sleep well." He takes another step, stalling to make sure she doesn't want to say anything else.

<Raquel> "You too!" Raquel called out, turning. Trotting up to the building entrance, she slipped in quietly. A shower sounded ideal, but she was too exhausted-- washing the makeup off her face would have to do for now. Sliding the key into her door, her shoes were kicked off within seconds of crossing the threshold. Going through the motions, she scrubbed her face, changed into a worn tee and shorts, then collapsed into bed, using her little remaining energy to turn on multiple alarms before sleep pulled her under.

<Axel> No longer in the presence of a human, the vampire doesn't fake breathing. He just turns around, making his way down the street toward the Veil, knowing he will pass out relatively quickly once there. It has been a fairly decent night-- long but decent. There should be an easier way for him to get home as a vampire, he thinks to himself. Still he walks, and when he makes it home, he crumbles onto the nearest couch and passes out.