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[Astrid (DELETED 6933)]

There are some people that just have to learn things the hard way; Astrid was a major player in that department. One of those lessons was that her newly acquired hematomania came with a few bumps and bruises, or more like burns. If only her A.D.H.D. hadn't kicked up around the same time that Alex had explained the does and don'ts, such as not getting caught outside during sunrise. Yep, hard lessons learned.

The sting from the burns was still a sharp memory that crept over her now healed skin. The only telling sign that there was ever any marks, is the faint pink that still lingered on the surface of her skin in spots, a bit of a reminder of sorts. Yes, lesson learned.

Sitting in a coffee shop, Astrid rubbed at the bare spot on her shoulder, where the over sized neckline of her shirt fell from it and exposed the length of her neck and most of her shoulder. Her black nail polish was a stark contrast against her alabaster skin.The polish was flaking off on the ends, from where she had many times taken to chewing the tips of them. It was a nervous habit that she had since she could remember.

Besides the whole getting burned thing, it had been a pretty daunting couple of nights. Since she wasn't able to return to her flat, she found herself ducking into old abandoned warehouses for shelter. Even though she had become a blood sucking vampire, bullets hurt like hell. It's amazing how many gun totting thieves one could run into; just that evening, she had at least three encounters. The wounds healed up fast enough, but still...

She sighed a bit as her blue eyes lifted from the full cup of coffee that sat in front of her. Astrid looked around and then back to the opaque brown surface of her drink. She leaned back in her chair and ran a few of her fingers through the thick red locks of her hair and scratched a bit at her scalp.

What is she to do next? Her bag was now full of the things that she had picked up from around the city streets. Maybe she should head to the nearest shop and see what the rip off twat would offer her this time. Surely it wouldn't be even half of what the true value of it was. Sure, she acquired some of the stuff in a not so legal fashion, but who really cares about logistics? It's about supply and demand.

She reached into her bag, causing a bit of a clinking sound as the items moved up against one another. Pulling her hand out, her fingers curled around a gold wrist watch. There was writing carved in the back of it. Astrid ran her finger tip across the cut in letters which spelled out: To my Beloved. She couldn't help but wonder a bit the story behind the words.

[Anton Verrais (DELETED 6958)]

Another morning, another hour soon to be wasted.

It was difficult to determine whether this was habit, tradition, or downright addiction for Anton. Every morning before work, he would roll out of bed, pull on whatever clothes he might happen to be wearing that day, get his messy features cleaned up to... at least an acceptable level, and drag his still half-asleep self to the coffee shop only a few blocks from his small apartment. It was here that he would truly prepare himself for the day (at least, that would be what he called what he was doing), with coffee in hand, newspaper in the other.

Nothing seemed to be different about today, as he pushed open the front door, falling into the short line at the till as he had done a thousand times before. He knew what he would be ordering before he stepped into the building. After all, it was the same thing every day. How numbingly dull. As he waited for his turn to place his order, his sky blue-eyed gaze slipped from patron to patron. The shop was unusually busy today. Lineups, booths filled. He could only spot one or two empty tables, and they seemed to be quickly filled by those ahead of him in line. Three... two... one... just like that, his options had run out. Every table was occupied.

A few moments passed, and it was he who was being served. He quietly placed his order - a medium espresso, one sugar, nothing else - before slipping along the counter to wait near the corner for his drink to be served. He turned around, resting his lower back against the edge of the counter. The wait might be a little longer today, he figured, now debating whether or not to simply pull out his paper and start perusing already. It did not look like he would be getting a seat any time soon, anyway. Perhaps he simply should take his drink and get a move on early? He shrugged lightly to himself, at that. All of the tables were occupied, but there were still a few chairs that were empty. Perhaps he could simply sit across from someone. They wouldn't mind, would they?

He begun scanning for available seats, deciding which he would make his way to, when his drink arrived. There was still a spot left in four-man booth he could take. No, no, too close and personal for a 'drop-in'. Across from the booth, a large, burly looking man sat alone at a two-seater table. From, what Anton could tell, he had a single large black coffee, and a scowl to match the size of the beverage. No thanks. His head swept to the other side of the room, looking for better options. Finally, his orbs settled on what appeared to be the last available seat. It was across from a woman, silent and observant. Her blue eyes seemed to do the same as his own, every now and then. Scanning the surroundings, take note of what lay within the vicinity. She did not seem hostile, nor talkative. Were it not for her red locks, she would be all but a ghost, especially in a crowd like this. Still, she seemed the perfect candidate to... well, not cause him trouble, were he to sit for long enough to finish his coffee.

Just as he finished deciding where he would be headed, the barista behind the counter called out his order, to which he smiled and nodded, taking it from her hands. Ah, nothing like fresh brewed, steaming hot coffee in the morning. To be perfectly honest with himself, he was not sure how he could function without a cup in the morning every day, anymore. He had done it for so long, surely it ran in his very bloodstream by now.

Turning away from the counter once more, he took a short breath, and began to walk toward the woman. Were she to look up at him, she would see he was dressed in... fairly casual clothing. One could imagine he would not be headed to any corporate offices after his drink, no fancy restaurants. His type would be more likely to work in this very coffee shop, than anything high-end. Slightly faded jeans and a white button-up shirt beneath a black jacket, with grey lining and zipper. A grey messenger bag was slung over one of his shoulders, resting at his hip.

Upon reaching the table, he spoke up, trying to catch her attention. "Mind if I take a seat?" He asked simply, figuring that there was no sense in beating around the bush. After all, he just needed somewhere to sit for a little while. His voice was smooth, somewhere in the high notes of bass, perhaps low tenor. There was no rasp to it, like so many men carried. It cut clean from his throat, not unlike what one might expect to hear from the narrators in the documentaries all over television.

[Astrid (DELETED 6933)]

Laying the watch down on the table in front of her, Astrid lifted the coffee mug, cupping it in her hands. The warmth from the heat of the coffee radiated into her palms, giving her the added benefit of a sense of comfort. She was glad that this particular shop still used glass mugs, where the other big boxed companies used the paper cups and plastic lids. There was something to be said for the way coffee tasted from a real mug. Blowing over the surface of her coffee, ripples traveled from the indent of her breath to the sides of the mug. The aroma lifted up with the wafting steam and filled her nose as she breathed it in to her lungs, the sweetness of the cream with a nutty scent mixed in from the hazelnut flavoring.

Just as the warm porcelain touched her bottom lip, Astrid realized that there was a man standing at the table she was sitting at, talking to her. She sat her coffee back down onto the table and looked up at him. Her blue gaze traveled the length of him, taking in every single detail that was openly available to her. His voice cut through the buzzing of conversations that moved around them, which had come from the many patrons that filled the other booths and tables. He asked her if she minded if he took the empty seat that was at the table she was sitting.

"No, not at all." Astrid gave him a genuine smile, causing a dimple to push into the side of her right cheek. After the last couple of days she had had, it was actually a respite to be in the the company of a person that she wasn't having to dodge a bullet from, even if that person wasn't actually company, but just another person looking for a place to sit to get their caffeine fix.

As she watched him take the seat, Astrid did her best to act normal. She sat up a little in her seat, straightening her spine against the back of her chair. She looked down at her lap, her eyes zeroing in on the white threads that stretched across a hole on her thigh in her blue jeans and then back up again.

[Anton Verrais (DELETED 6958)]

Acceptance. Her words, her expression, it drew a smile to his face before he truly thought about how to respond. He simply nodded, to start, as he pulled the chair out for him to sit down. Given her thorough examination of him (and yes, he did seem to notice the look she gave him), she would fairly easily see that his own gaze seemed quite observant, itself. He watched her with some measure of curiosity, the way she shifted. It was minimal, almost non-existent, but he knew something changed. Was it the shifting of her eyes, or was that simply a habit of hers? Everyone had habits, after all. Perhaps she was simply less comfortable with a stranger across from her. Whatever the change, it did not some to bother him, much. It was nothing to worry about, after all. Just a shift.

After blowing on his espresso for a moment or two, he took his first sip. The liquid burned in his throat, only just brewed, completely fresh. But it was not painful. In fact, it was quite the opposite. It was the burn he woke up to every morning, for the past three years of his life. It warmed the body and soul, stirred memories of times passed, perhaps at this very table. In spite of so frequently carrying out the same routine every day for such a very long time, he still had his fair share of good memories here. Perhaps today, the twist it had brought, would become another one of those fancied recollections, in due time.

He let his gaze slip over her form once more, before dropping it down to the messenger bag on his hip. He undid the small latch on the front, opening it up and beginning to rummage through it. As his hands sought out whatever it was he was searching for, he glanced up, offering the woman across from him yet another smile.

"I'm Anton, by the way," His voice pipes up. "Pleasure to meet you, Miss..." He trailed off, almost as though indirectly requesting her own name. Or, at least, something he would be able to address her by. 'Miss' seemed just a tad old fashioned, he felt. An alias, a real name, anything would do.

[Astrid (DELETED 6933)]

She had remained silent as he sat down. The smile that he offered her gave a small boost of reassurance, enough to allow the tightened muscles in her shoulders to relax, just a bit. But just in that same moment, the black pinpoints of her pupils had grown, as she looked a bit more scrupulously at the newly arrived patron. He had started rummaging through the inside of a grey messenger bag, that rested on his shoulder and hung at his hip level.

She was instantly alert; every muscle in his neck, the beating of his heart beneath the surface of his skin, every little tightening or twitch was now on her radar. If there was a weapon screened by his bag and he if he was about to pull it out, She was anticipating it. Then he spoke again, an introduction. Her eyes remained on the concealed hand.

"Astrid." Her answer was quickly followed with the lifting of her gaze; she was seeking out the look in his eyes (so much can be read in a person's eyes). "It's nice to meet you, as well, Anton." She lifted her mug once more, just cupping it in the palms of her hands.

Had she been incorrect in her first assumption that it had been a casual happenstance in that he had chosen her table to sit at? Or had the last week's complications taken yet another form to have yet another go at her? She couldn't help but feel a slight pang of discontentment with even the sightest consideration of that having been the case.

If he was a threat, he surely didn't seem the part. He had the most relaxed manner about him, from his casual attire to the tenor of his voice when he spoke. Nonetheless, she was prepared for what ever it was that he was pulling from the bag.

[Anton Verrais (DELETED 6958)]

It would soon become apparent that Astrid had been worrying for nothing. The hand that had been browsing his bag would be pulled from concealment a few seconds later, a rolled-up newspaper in it's grasp. Just a simple newspaper. A single elastic band kept it rolled up so snugly, at least until he begins to roll it off the paper. Not needing to watch what he is doing for this simple task, He kept his sight on the woman across from him. Given her studying of him, ever-so frequently, she would see the relaxation in his eyes. The total sense of normalcy. It did not take an expert to realize that this was just another day for him. Whether that meant he really did simply come here for coffee in the mornings, or if having some ulterior motive was his norm, she would have to decide for herself.

She was not the only one who could read people, however. He was far from a professional at it, but he knew a thing or two. She was nervous. Anxious, almost. For the life of him, he could not figure out why, however. She looked so normal, otherwise. Was she running from something? Expecting someone? Was he being perceived as a threat? Thinking he might simply be better off trying to ease her nerves, he tried to speak to her again, take the edge off of this meeting, whatever that edge happened to be.

"Do you come here often?" He asked, using as friendly a tone as he could. It was not difficult to force, if one could call it that. He did not try to hide his efforts to be an approachable soul. It was simply in his nature. "If you don't, I'd highly recommend coming back here again. Experiment with the options on the menu. They've got quite a few options, and I have yet to find one I'm not a fan of." He began to unravel the newspaper, having it now stripped of it's binding band. He flattened it against the table, but did not yet open it, or even look down to it. He seemed intent on listening to her, showing he was paying attention.

[Astrid (DELETED 6933)]

If Astrid had been holding her breath, she would have felt it escaping her lungs in the moment that she saw a tightly rolled newspaper come into her view. Anton’s hands were clutching the printed paper as he pulled it from his bag. Her smile revealed the relief that she felt.

Though, she couldn't help but feel a little silly, as well. But could anyone had blamed her? After the week she had and the new circumstance that she found herself in, it was definitely a valid reason for her feeling the need to be guarded and a bit paranoid. If anyone had seen and experienced the things that she had since her encounter with Alex, they would not only understand, but they would have questioned their own reality and sanity.

Anton’s voice cut through any remaining tension, as he asked her if she visited the shop often. He then gave a few suggestions and made it obvious to her that he was very familiar with the place and she realized that he must be a regular there. She also felt herself relax a bit more as a reassuring calmness seemed to flow from him to her.

Lifting the mug back up to her lips, Astrid blew, once again, across the surface of her coffee. She watched as he unrolled the paper onto the table in front of him, she looked up from the printed words and caught his gaze. Her eyes were locked with his.

“I have to be honest, I just ducked in here for the first time.” She had left out the whole bit of how she was almost caught in the sunrise again and needed to make it to the first available open door to her. The case of it being that it was a coffee shop, was just an added bonus.

It had been a full week since she had even eaten or drunk anything that wasn’t from a blood bag or the neck of a stranger. In fact, if she really thought about it, she had no real craving for the coffee she held in her hands. Jumping in line was more off a second nature kind of thing to have done. She made her order and sat down in a sort of trancelike, this is what one does when they are at a coffee shop, sort of thing.

“But I will definitely have to give that a go.” Astrid looked around and then back him. “this place definitely seems to have a pretty good vibe about it.:” She paused for a moment and spoke up once more, “we have established that I am new to the place, how about you? It would seem to me that you have been here more than once, maybe more than twice.” She smiled and sat the coffee back down on the table in front of her.

Astrid hoped that her response wasn’t too lengthy for him. What if he was just trying to be nice and he really just wanted to read his paper. She lifted the nail of the index finger on her right hand to her lips and started to chew a little on the end of it. But then again, the man had given her his entire attention.

[Anton Verrais (DELETED 6958)]

A first-timer, here, Interesting. It was not often one found newcomers to a coffee shop. Most people would find one they approved of, and make their proverbial home for whenever they desired their morning fix. Then again, everyone had to start somewhere, right? Perhaps she was only just beginning down the long, dark road that was becoming addicted to caffeinated beverages. It sounded much darker in his head, thinking about it that way. Jeez, it was just coffee.

When asked about his own attendance here, a quiet chuckle escaped his lips. "I... yeah. I've been here just a few more times than once or twice." Pausing to take a sip of his coffee, he then added, "I've been coming here almost every day for the past three years. So... I guess you could say I'm a regular." A charming smirk slipped over his thin lips, at that. It did not seem forced, by any means. This personality of his, whatever one might call it, seemed so natural to him. This was simply Anton being who he was.

It seemed their conversation, however small it was, had drawn his attention fully from the newspaper. He had not looked down since he pulled it out. Was he simply being polite? Did he really find Astrid that interesting? One could sit wondering about what he may or may not be thinking, what the reasons for his actions might have been, but perhaps the easiest way to move on would simply be to give him the benefit of the doubt. That he truly was merely being friendly.

[Astrid (DELETED 6933)]

His smile was both engaging and calming. So every time his lips stretched into a smile, she found herself feeling a bit more at ease around him. His relaxed manner seemed to be extending itself toward her, which caused her to unknowingly lean a little closer to the table as she pulled her finger from between her lips.

"I think I shall have to definitely visit this place, again." Her smile was the punctuation to her words. "I usually didn't venture out that far from the University, so this side of the city is a completely different world to me." Astrid reached for her mug once more and spoke as she brought it to her lips. Her thoughts spun into the web of memories that was formed from the more recent days that she had spent in Harper Rock; indeed, it was a completely different world. All of it.

Her memories were then capped off with the swallowing of her coffee. It was still warm and she felt the warmth of the liquid make it's way down the length of her throat and into her stomach. Before she could take another swallow, her eyes became wide as saucers and the seemingly innocent coffee that she had swallowed became launched back up, without much warning. She was able to at least turn her head and avoid covering Anton in a morning shower of regurgitated coffee.

[Anton Verrais (DELETED 6958)]

He was quite pleased to see that edge being taken away, layer by layer. He liked knowing he could have that effect on people. Not for some ulterior motive, nothing that sinister. But rather, he simply liked knowing that he could have an impact on others, that he was not... in a way, meaningless. It caused his smile to grow, but only briefly. Only until she began spitting up the coffee she had just drank.

He leaned forward, looking somewhat alarmed. "Astrid, are you alright?" He looked as though he was ready to assist at a moment's notice. Perhaps the coffee was hotter than she expected? No... who spits up their coffee out of the blue like that because it was at a good temperature? Did she not like it? Well.. she seemed to appreciate the scent of it. Why would she dislike the taste? He was struggling to wrap her head around it. For now, he thought, the best course of action may simply be to wait for her to recover, until she was ready to speak.

"I'll get some napkins," he said, eyes remaining on her as he stood, and went to find some to clean up what mess might have been made.