Path of the Vampire forum

Dhara: Glancing at the clock on the wall, she finished filing the last of the paperwork in her boss’ office. Looking around one more time, she gathered her bag and left, turning out the lights and locking the door behind her. If she timed it right, she could get to the store, run to Ali’s place to drop off her purchases, and be home with several hours to spare for reading or composing. As she left the building, she gave a small wave to the ever present security guards and slipped from the main doors.

Her steps were light and quick, heading for the transit station. She managed to slip through the train doors just before they hissed shut, wrapping tiny hands around a pole for balance, she idly watched the scenery blur past until her stop came. Blending (mostly) with the crowd, she left the train and headed for the shop. She was particularly fond of this location because the area of town was a nice mix of shady and safe, and, oddly enough, had very little foot traffic. This meant there was less of a chance of someone catching her or seeing what she was up to.

Easing through the door, she caught the eye of the shopkeep who simply smiled at her. He had long since gotten used to her coming in and making her strange request. So used to it, in fact, that when he saw it was her, he turned and began gathering the items she was after. At first it was a lot of questions. Most of them along the line of “what was a pretty young thing doing in a place like this?” She had pretended not to understand him, only speaking in German. And from there, a strange pantomime to get what she wanted. Now though, he simply set a nondescript paper bag on the counter and slid it over, just as she slid the cash to him.

Taking the bag, she made her way to the door, not really paying attention as she shouldered it open. She was too busy trying to stuff the paper bag in to her satchel and walk at the same time. Her lack of attention would be her downfall on this night. For the first time that she could recall, as she burst from the shop door, there was another person on the streets. A very solid person. To her, it felt like hitting a brick wall. The air left her lungs and the bag, half in the satchel, half out, tumbled from her fingers.

She made a low sound of dismay as the contents spilled out of the bag, some of them breaking open as they splattered on the sidewalk, releasing the coppery tang of blood. She managed to jump back and avoid splattering herself. Her mind was far too busy trying to come up with excuses to this stranger about why there was now blood congealing on the sidewalk, and still more of it in their donor bags.

Rhett: The last two nights had been a whirlwind of events. And emotions. Rhett usually preferred to get blood by the bag, but one night he was running close to daybreak and so the guy decided to be quick and what he assumed was safe about getting it right from a person. He hated the idea of taking blood from someone who needed it. Granted the human body could lose a couple pints before anything detrimental happened, but what if someone took blood before him, and someone before them? The idea of potentially killing someone, when all he knew how to do was help people in varying degrees turned the guy off blood completely. Except this one night a couple nights ago. And now? Now he was running around the city like an idiot looking for the guy he somehow turned into a vampire. He still didn’t know how it happened. Rhett didn’t have the intention of siring him-or anyone. Not now and maybe not ever.

And now that he had sired someone, Rhett wanted to do what was natural to Rhett. He wanted to find the guy and get **** sorted. For a few reasons. Jesse would probably have a thing or two to say if Rhett didn’t find the guy and he got into some ****, and the fact he sired someone and he was out there with no help made his conscious heavy. It made Rhett’s gut wrench. It made him sick deep down.

He shoved past people, which wasn’t Rhett’s usual style, but he was focused on this task and this one alone. As he bumped into people, he looked at the faces, hopeful for one of them to be the guy he made a vampire. He passed stores, none that he was going to go in, because he doubted the guy would go in a store for anything his first few nights. Then again, maybe he would. And maybe he would do something stupid and maybe even die for it. He frowned at the idea of it. That he would be responsible for the guy’s death twice over.

“Hey, watch where you’re goi-” Rhett said as someone opened a door and smacked it into him. Hard. From the side, but still. And then there was blood everywhere. His blood? Their blood? Whose blood? Then he saw plastic bags with the blood. Bags he knew all too well. Bags he liked as much as the blood he got off a random human. His eyes traveled up to the vampire that seemed to be stocking up for a few nights to see her again. Dhara. That was her name, right?

His mouth stood agape for a second. She was a vampire? It made sense now, didn’t it? Her obsession with weird and creepy things at night. In the city. Rhett smacked his forehead as if realizing too little too late this truth about the woman he met. Did she know he was a vampire then too? Was that what she really wanted to talk about that night? But was afraid to because wasn’t it wrong or something to talk about being a vampire? “Hey.” Rhett said as he bent down to save the bags that hadn’t busted open to help her with the mess and get potential eyes off her. Eyes of hunters and other pesky humans.

Dhara: She was so startled by the collision, the mess and the shock that she started to respond in a smattering of German, but the voice above her gave her pause. She recognized that voice. Rhett. Though they’d only spoken briefly a few nights ago, she would know his voice anywhere. His words turned from anger to surprised calm when he recognized her. She gave a faint smile, a blush touching her overly pale cheeks as he bent to rescue the blood and she joined him. Her hands were shaking slightly as she grabbed the bags that hadn’t broken open, avoiding looking in to his eyes. What was she going to say to him? What could she say to him? She decided to start simple, sneaking a glance at him before looking back to her task. She’d salvaged the paper bag and was putting the blood bags back into it.

“Hello, Rhett. I am sorry for colliding with you. Sounds impossible but I really did not see you.”

Rhett: He watched her put the bags back, not really even looking at her. How could he have not known? Vampires should have a secret way of letting other vampires know that they were a vampire. When he did look up, he noticed the blush on her cheeks, but he’d seen that before. Was she one of those Allurist vampires? They ate, and he knew Dhara drank coffee. Or at least she told him she did and he did take her to the coffee place. But he didn’t actually see her drink it. And she had blood. Yep, Allurist. Like Esmeralda. Eating, blood and the blush were all telltale signs in Rhett’s mind. “Hey, no problem. I didn’t exactly see you either.” Which was true. Dhara was much smaller than him and was going out as he was walking by. He hadn’t been paying attention to what was going on in the stores around him, because he wasn’t going to spend any of the money he had on him. “In a hurry?” Rhett asked as he looked back at the bag. The bag with the blood. “Did you find everything you needed?” What else should he say or ask? “Hope you got the good stuff?” None of it seemed good to him, it all sort of tasted the same. Especially the bagged stuff.

Dhara: “Well I had everything, but I seem to be a little bit of a klutz and now I’m a few bags short.” Why didn’t he seem suspicious? Why was he being so calm about this? There was blood all over the street, but luckily no one seemed to notice. And yet he wasn’t giving her the third degree about anything. Just asking pretty benign questions. “And yes I am… in a hurry that is… I mean not that I have a reason. I was just going to go read or maybe play my violin…” The good stuff? How in the world would she know? She didn’t drink this stuff.

Her hands went still and she blinked at the bags she was holding. The good stuff… did that mean he knew what it tasted like? He had to, why else would he ask? A faint frown curved her lips, there and gone before anyone could notice and she cleared her throat softly, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Rhett are you… you know…?” She asked as quietly as she could without looking at him

Rhett: “I would be too.” He said as his eyes left the bag and looked at the ground around them. “If you care about that kind of stuff.” Rhett didn’t know what his stance on being a vampire was yet. Supposedly he was supposed to keep it a secret, and most days he did want to keep it a secret. Other nights, it was harder to do though. When he had to do what Dhara was doing right now. How did the shop people or customers not know? They couldn’t suspect he wanted it for anything other than to drink it. What the hell else did people do with blood? Actually, as he thought this, he thought about how he didn’t want to know. People were weird.

“Am I what? Familiar with blood?” He suspected he knew what she was going to ask, but didn’t she know he already was a vampire? She kept talking about things the circled around vampires the other night, so she should know, right? How funny neither of them knew the other was a vampire. “Well, I hear AB is pretty rare. I remember that from college. So, I figure that stuff would be more expensive and hard to come by. What’s all this for?” I look down at the ground where most the blood is at, and then back at her.

Dhara: “It is rare, and expensive. And of course it’s the ones that broke.” She said, her voice dismayed as she poked at an empty packet with long, pale fingers, then sighed. She was avoiding his gaze still, and hadn’t missed how he skirted the question. “I suppose familiar is one way to put it.” She hedged slightly. What was it for? Oh just a vampire friend so she doesn’t have to eat humans… yes that was a winning answer right there. So she settled for something far simpler. “It’s for dinner.” Spoken in a low voice, for his ears only. And it was true. It was dinner, it just wasn’t hers.

Rhett: He blinked when she said it like it was. “I knew it! Well, not until tonight, but all that werewolf, zombie and other stuff we talked about last night partnered with this. I knew you were a vampire.” Rhett said the last few words in a lower tone, as he grinned from ear to ear. “Is that why you were telling me all that stuff the other night? Because you knew? How did you know? Is it easy to tell?” Rhett looked at the bag that had the blood bags in it, as he tried to figure out what gave him away.

Dhara: “I didn’t know… I was just making conversation. You just confirmed it with all your talk about blood and types and taste.” She smiled weakly. She wasn’t a vampire, he was. Now the question was, did she confess to being human and risk him making her a vampire or did she try to keep the lie and pretend she was one. It was a mess and she was a terrible liar. Her hands curled slightly in to her palms as she finally looked at him. “Maybe we should go somewhere less… open.”

Rhett: “Well, just so you know, I do happen to know a thing or two about blood. I was a paramedic. Until-” He let off with a shrug before nodding. “Good idea.” Jesse probably wouldn’t like to learn about him standing around in public talking about blood. Even if it was with another vampire. “So, where to?” He said as he moved out of the doorway so she could get out and they could go wherever she wanted to go. Or wherever they decided together.

Dhara: She got to her feet, closing the bag she held and looked around with a sigh. Where could they go? Where should they go? She nibbled on her lip, trying to think of where they could go that was private and that he could get into. Then she remembered her boss was rather generous with her bonuses and gave her co-ownership of an apartment. She should be able to invite him in and then she could confess. Or maybe she should make him stand in the hall while she confessed so he wouldn’t kill her… She drew in a breath, looked up at him and smiled a little. “Well if it’s not too forward or improper, we can head over to Corvidae Flats. I’ve got a place there.”

Rhett: Improper or forward? Rhett hadn’t thought about that when Dhara was said and done with inviting him over to her place. Maybe most people would have thought differently, but somehow he didn’t get the vibe that she wanted to try and jump his bones and he hoped he hadn’t given her that vibe either. It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate an attractive looking face (and she was rather pretty), Rhett just found himself wrapped up in the idea of them both being a vampire and how it all came out to play before either found out. Wrap in the fact that Rhett wasn’t currently looking to be involved with anyone, it was safe to say that nothing was going to be happening on either spectrum. His or hers. At least, he didn’t think so. “Okay.” He finally said with a shrug, then stuffed a hand in his jeans with a nod and started to head in that direction. “So how long have you been doing this? Buying blood? And why in mass quantities?” It actually made sense to Rhett. Buy more to keep from coming in every night and drawing attention to yourself. If that was the reason why. Or maybe she just liked to keep some handy. Not a bad idea either.

Dhara: She moved with him to the apartments, holding the bag close. This wasn’t the same apartment that she and Ali lived in, which was good because she wanted to protect her best friend. She could just stick the blood in her fridge for now. “Um… almost a year now, I think?” She said honestly, at least she didn’t have to lie to him about that. She was such a bad liar and she knew if she had to do it too much, he’d see right through her. “Well I find buying in bulk is a lot easier. Sometimes I forget to eat.” Again the truth, it was why she was so painfully thin. She got so involved in her projects that she just couldn’t be bothered to remember. “I think it’s easier having a stash in the fridge just in case something happens or I forget.” She sighed as she saw the building come in to view, moving to the lobby doors, she pulled one open and smiled. “After you.”

Rhett: He listened and nodded. So a year. She’s been a vampire for a year. In a year, he imagined people would just notice things about people that were like them. “That makes sense. If you like it from the bag.” Rhett went in since she pulled open the door. He wasn’t that kind of guy. Not when a woman made it a point to do what Dhara had. Had he gotten to the doors first, maybe he would have held it open for it, but chances are he would have went in and then held it at the top of the door, so she could follow in after him. “Did you know about, you know, before last year?” He asked as he moved to the elevator and stopped outside of it. He didn't push any buttons because Rhett didn’t know where he was going, so he just waited.

Dhara: She slipped in and headed over to the elevator with him, pushing the up button and watching for the car to arrive. “Sort of, yes. Knew I mean.” She fidgeted slightly, feeling her palms sweat, she tried to wipe them on her skirt without him noticing. As the doors opened, she stepped inside, pushing the button for the 6th floor. “I’ve known almost from the first day I got here. What about you? Did you know before it… before you were turned?”

Rhett: “No.” He professed with a shake of his head. “I’ve seen a lot of things. Heard a lot of things too on how people got injured. Heard the vampire thing once or twice, but sometimes people will tell you anything to save face on what really happened.” He looked at the button she pushed and then looked away. He shouldn’t be worrying what floor they were going to get off on. And that’s what he told himself too. “And I worked too damn much. Until the end, really.” He shook his head, wondering how much time he wasted if this was how his life was going to turn out. Sure, he could still buy a house, but what was the point with Jesse giving him a place to stay and others doing the same too?

Dhara: She nodded and fell silent. Now that he thought she was a vampire he was telling her so many things. She felt washed with guilt because he seemed to relaxed. She wanted to keep talking because the silence was making her nervous, but by the same token, she didn’t want him to confess any more than he already had. She was worried he was going to be furious with her as it was. “Here we are!” She said a little too quickly as the doors slid open with a ping. “It’s just down here.” She headed down the hall and paused in front of her door, pulling out her keys she unlocked it and practically ran in side. She swallowed hard and gazed at him, her heart was racing with adrenaline and nerves and she wondered if he could hear the way it slammed against her ribs, the sound of the blood rushing through her veins. She set the bag on the table and turned to face the open doorway. Her hands curled into fists to keep from fidgeting again. “Won’t you please come in, Rhett?” She asked softly.

Rhett: Rhett doesn’t notice these things because he isn’t looking for them. He believes wholeheartedly that Dhara is a vampire, so he pays attention to other things. People in the area, smells of what’s cooking in other apartments, sounds coming from other apartments. When she invites him in, he nods and steps in. “Thanks.” He does a quick look around, not looking for anything other than the way to a more bigger space; which he presumes would be the living room or something like that. He doesn’t really pay attention to any decor in her home, because he’s not that kind of guy. He’s not nosy, he said the same to Esperanza a while back. Sure, he knew Jesse, but the guy should have some privacy. At least Rhett thought so. “So, here we are.” Rhett said with a chuckle before he waited for Dhara to take them in the direction of either the living room or dining room.

Dhara: “Here we are….” She said quietly, slipping her shoes off and setting her satchel down. She picked up the paper bag and started walking. “The kitchen is this way.” She said, leading him to the cozy, sparsely furnished space. “Can I get you anything?” She asked, opening the fridge and to put the blood away. She looked over her shoulder at him and gave a small smile. “Have a seat?” She asked, gesturing to the simple wooden chairs.

Rhett: “No thanks.” He said with a shake of his head. “I can’t really do the eating thing like you can.” He chuckled and then took a seat once offered. “And I’m sort of having an issue with the whole blood thing. Bagged or otherwise.” Rhett shrugged his shoulders, not really wanting to give any more detail than that. “So what’s life like a year into this one?” He asked, both hands lacing behind his neck as he got comfortable.

Dhara: She blew out a breath and gripped the back of the chair before moving to make herself a pot of coffee. Her back was to him and she mulled over his question for a moment, then sighed, knowing she couldn’t keep up the lie. Instead, she pulled a bag of blood from the fridge and sloshed it into a mug before tossing it in the microwave, heating it up the same way she did for her best friend. When the microwave dinged, she stirred the contents of the thick mug and set it on the table in a silent offer. She was stalling even more as she then poured herself a cup of rich, black coffee, leaning nervously on the counter when she ran out of small tasks to occupy herself.

“I don’t know… I’m um… I am not a vampire, Rhett. There is nothing supernatural about me. I am just a plain old boring human…”

Rhett: He looks at the offered blood on the table and then at her as he waits to hear what she tells him about the last year of her life. “I know another vampire that can eat and drink too.” He says, still waiting because it’s sort of weird that it was she was being so quiet. Until she finally spoke and admitted she wasn’t a vampire. Well, ****. Rhett blew out a breath of air from his mouth and just looked at her. Jesse wasn’t going to be happy if he heard about this. Not that Rhett was planning on telling him. Jesse might be his sire, but Rhett was older than Jesse and had been taking care of himself for a long time. “Oh.” Rhett said at first and then shrugged. “Well, that was a little unexpected. What’s the blood for then?” Rhett wasn’t sure he believed Dhara, mostly because of the blood surplus she bought tonight.

Dhara: “Well that one is for you, if you’d care to join me for a drink.” She lifted her coffee mug slightly, then took a sip of the bitterly dark brew. Her amber eyes were wide, fixed on him, and oddly trusting. She should have been terrified. She never should have invited him in. She should be running around screaming for help. In fact, there were a lot of things she should be doing and she wasn’t. Mostly because she was surrounded by vampires. Two of her three bosses (possibly all three), her best friend, her best friends boyfriend, and even her casual acquaintances. All vampires. The only human she knew was gone, left for Italy.

“But usually I buy it for my best friend to keep in her fridge. Just helps her out a bit, keeps her safer than hunting on her own.” She took another sip of her coffee, still watching him. “One time I didn’t have enough in the fridge for her, and these hunters broke in and hurt her. It’s the only time I’ve ever let a vampire feed on me. The only time I have ever been fed on.” Her voice was soft, but it was steady, and her racing heart was easing back from it’s galloping pace since he hadn’t leapt across the table to try and kill her.

Rhett: He still looked at the blood in the mug as he listened to Dhara. Her best friend. Her best friend was a vampire. That wasn’t all that uncommon. Jesse and him had been close a while back, and he was a vampire. Along with who knew who else. “Well, don’t worry. I won’t try and feed off you. You’re not my type.” Rhett said as he grabbed the mug and finally took a drink from it. “I mean, that’s not exactly, I mean you’re human. I mean, I just would rather find some other way to get blood without taking it from someone or from a bag. Some nights I can get by with some things I’ve learned, but not always.” He said after swallowing some of the thick, red substance down. He made a face and even coughed when it trickled down his throat. “Are you afraid of your friend? Is that why you won’t let her feed off you? She might kill you?” He asked as he set the mug down and pushed it to the middle of the table.

Dhara: She moved to the table and slid in to a chair, smiling up at him. “I know what you mean. About wanting to find another way. I know there’s animals that some people use. One of my friends even owns a pig farm for that reason.” She took another swallow of her coffee and sighed, looking thoughtful. “No I’m not afraid of her. She would die before she ever hurt me.” There was complete and utter conviction in her voice. “Even when she was bleeding out, we argued over her taking my blood. She didn’t want to. I won in the end though.” She laughed softly, the memory had faded to a sepia toned picture in her mind. One that didn’t hurt to remember any more. “When we first became roommates, she made me a solemn oath that she wouldn’t ever feed off me. And she’s kept it. I have done everything I can to help her keep her secret, too. It’s a rather symbiotic relationship, I suppose.”

Rhett: His attention and thoughts drifted to the mention of a pig farm. Why hadn’t he thought about that? Probably because he hadn’t thought about it. Even though he was a Harper Rock native, Rhett was more city than outskirts and often forgot about life past the city. “Where’s it at? This farm?” He asked as his eyes moved to the mug he set to the middle of the table. He then thought about the first time he met Dhara, which had also been unintentional, much like tonight. Rhett rubbed at the back of his neck and returned his gaze to the woman not far from him. “I tried to-that first night when we met, I, uhm, tried to, you know.” He looked away from her. “Bite you. It wasn’t an ideal situation. I’m sorry.”

Dhara: “It’s outside town, I’ll have to get the address.” She sipped her coffee and smiled warmly at him, his confession barely dimmed her smile. She’d already put two and two together and dismissed his attempts from the first night they met. Rhett seemed like a nice enough guy and frankly, people had to eat. “It’s alright. It happens. You need to eat just as much as everyone else does. Is it hard? Trying to get blood when you don’t like it from the bag?”

Rhett: Rhett gave the question some thought before he nodded his head. “There are rats, but I don’t go down in the sewers. A friend of mine keeps having bad luck down there, so I thought I should stay clear until-” He paused. Until when? He was stronger? Rhett doubted he’d go down there even if he was strong enough. “Until I absolutely have to.” Rhett didn’t like the idea of feeding off rats. They were full of disease and full of fleas and other nasty things he bet. “And not all the time. Sometimes I don’t have to feed at all. I’ve got an ability that lets me regain the blood I lost. But I can’t do it all the time. It’s a difficult trick, I guess.” Rhett shrugged with a small laugh before he looked at her. “Is it hard living with a vampire? Your schedules must be different. And the things you do? Or is she a Shakespeare fan too?”

Dhara: “I hate the sewers. I try to avoid them when I can but my flat is there so…” She chuckled and sipped her coffee. “Finding naked people in the sewers is just creepy. I don’t blame you for not wanting to go down there.” She set her mug down and looked at him with a smile. “It’s not hard. We’re both up all night, pretty much, and have a lot of similar interests. We actually lived in the same city in Australia so there’s that.” The thought of Australia made her smile, though most people wouldn’t have guessed she was from there given her German accent. Then again, if one listened close enough, they could hear hints of an Aussie twang. “And honestly, I have no idea if she likes Shakespeare, it’s really never come up, but I know she loves to read.”

Rhett: Australia. Rhett’s never traveled past the blocks he’s always walked on to get to work or walk back from work. Maybe once he deviated from his routine, but if he had it had been years ago and he didn’t remember. “What’s Australia like? I’ve never been anywhere outside of Harper Rock.” He didn’t want to say outside of where they were within a five mile radius. “Do you like living in these apartments? I’m looking to relocate. For obvious reasons. And if some place caters to the nightlife, it might be ideal.” Rhett looked around the immediate space of the apartment, wondering if it was big enough-not that he had a lot of thing either.

Dhara: “Australia is amazing. I spent a number of years of my childhood there. But I was born in Germany, as I am sure you can tell.” She smiled warmly at him, then looked around the apartment. “It’s nice enough. Though the lobby can get a little touch and go when I’m trying to leave or come home.” Yes the lobby, chock full of zombies and feral vampires. A tiny, warm blooded pacifist like her was a prime target. “I just bought this place, which is why it’s kind of bare.” She looked around her rather cozy apartment. Bare yes, but comfortable. All the furniture was second hand, but it matched. A book and a blanket marked her favorite spot on the couch. The table they sat at was scarred but sturdy. Maybe some day she’d actually put art on the walls and some decor around the place to make it seem more lived in.

Rhett: He listened and nodded his head when she mentioned Germany. No, he wasn’t quite sure that was where she was from, but he knew the accent wasn’t from around here, and wasn’t spanish or french. Maybe Swedish, he had thought, but hadn’t given it any real, honest thought. “I never really knew this place existed before I became a-you know.” He grinned, flashing his fangs at her. “Vampire. It’s kind of weird that you can live somewhere and not know something about a place.” He commented idly, thinking about what else to talk about. He liked talking to Dhara, but then again, before tonight she hadn’t know he was a vampire. “You aren’t going to tell anyone what I told you, right? I wouldn’t have said anything if I knew you weren’t a vampire.” He rubbed at the back of his neck, and leaned back further in the chair. “I don’t think the guy who turned me would like me spouting off about what I really am. There’s some group that he was part of-I’m still not really sure who they are or what they do. Not that I’ve gone out of my way to ask either.” He admitted openly. “Anyways, I’d appreciate it if you kept another vampire’s secret.”

Dhara: “I had no idea either. For me, this place was just another dot on the map. I hadn’t intended to stay, but here I am, for whatever strange reason. This is the first time I’ve ever owned my own place. I usually stay in hostels. Which is what I did when I first got here. Then I got…” She paused and looked away for a moment. “Well… lets just say my first introduction to vampires was a rather painful one.” She took another swallow of her coffee.

“I won’t tell anyone Rhett. I know people say you can’t trust a human but you can trust me.” She laughed and shook her head. “Wow does that ever sound cliche. Along with saying ‘your secret is safe with me’ and it really is.” She looked up at him and smiled warmly at him.

Rhett: He just nods his head. Oddly enough, he does trust her. She lives with a vampire and seems to be into that sort of thing-the supernatural, that was. He doesn’t want to talk about her first experience with vampires-even if she did bring it up. The fact she cut herself off implies he shouldn’t go there, but if she decided to, he wouldn’t object. A hand goes to the mug she had poured him earlier and he finishes it, even if it takes him a few gulps. He’s not ungrateful for the effort she’s put forward for his benefit, so Rhett sucks it up and finishes the drink Dhara made him. “Maybe you could take me to the farm your friend owns. I don’t really know a lot about the outskirts of the city.” Rhett looks at Dhara and really takes in the appearance of his friend. He wants to get to know her. How she dresses, their height difference (even if it’s hard to tell because they’re sitting), and the way she wears her hair. Was it the same way last time? He didn’t remember. He never really paid attention to that stuff before. “Maybe we could do dinner. Or something.” Rhett suggests. “You eat first and then I eat later.” Rhett frowns realizing how stupid that sounded. “Or we could just hang out somewhere near there. That’s cool too.” Still sounds stupid.

Dhara: She peered at him and brushed the white locks from her eyes. This time she really seemed to study him instead of just a fleeting glance. Tall, muscular and clean cut, he looked strong and capable. Yet it didn’t take a mind reader to know he was compassionate and caring. A small, but genuinely happy smile crossed her lips and she nodded. “I’d like that. Dinner or hanging out.” She paused and sipped her coffee, then teased him. “I won’t even watch you eat.” Her smile became a grin to show she was teasing. “I’ll take you to the farm, too. Before or after. Or maybe pack myself a lunch and we can have dinner together at the farm. I’ll just need to get in touch with my friend.” She bit her lip, cutting herself off from the rest of the words that wanted to pour from her lips. That was her, world class babbler when she became nervous.

Rhett: He watched her longer than he should have. The way she moved her hair from her eyes, like she wanted to see something better. Look at something better. Rhett resisted the urge to look behind him, sure that something was behind him. Then again, he doubted she would be sitting there so calmly, still talking like nothing was going on other than their conversation. Dinner or hanging out. It would probably be hanging out because they didn’t exactly eat the same stuff. He laughed when she said she wouldn’t watch, not that he was exactly shy of eating what he had to eat-he just wasn’t comfortable with taking from someone who needed it, or might need it. Like the bags from the shops. “Maybe make it a whole night. Unless you have a bedtime?” Rhett gave her a grin that indicated he was teasing her right back.

Dhara: She laughed, then gaped at him in mock surprise, putting a hand on her chest. “How did you know? I have to be home by midnight or I turn into a pumpkin.” She grinned at him and tilted her head to the side slightly. “I think I would enjoy making an entire night of it with you. Unless you turn into a pumpkin, too? If that’s the case, then we’d make a pie, not a date.”

Rhett: He laughed softly at her sense of humor, and then rubbed at the back of his neck. Date. Was that what it was? What they were talking about? What he was making? A date with her? She wasn’t unattractive and she had a decent sense of humor and knew he was a vampire, while not screaming for the hills. So, why not a date? He liked what he saw and he enjoyed being around Dhara. Rhett didn’t correct her perception of what it might be. “Cool. Sounds good.” Rhett was agreeing to whatever it was they were going to do. A date, or just hanging out. Either way, it was a win. He would find out where the farm was, while hanging out with someone he liked hanging out with. Double win. “So, this weekend?” Rhett looked at Dhara, then at a spot on the table. Not because it was dirty, but because he noticed the variation in the pattern of it. But that wasn’t exactly why either. He sounded too eager. Maybe to a fault. “Or maybe next.” He offered, sounding less eager than before.

Dhara: She reached out and lightly poked his shoulder to draw his attention back up to her. She wasn’t sure what the sudden awkwardness was, but she smiled warmly, her dainty hands resting on the table top once more. “This weekend would be great, if you’re not busy of course.” She looked him over, feeling suddenly shy. Was it really a date? She’d meant it as joke, but he hadn’t
corrected her. Instead he had agreed. She hadn’t dated anyone since Calen. But maybe it was time to change that. Rhett was incredibly sweet and she enjoyed his company, so if it was a date that was fine with her. And if it wasn’t, that was still fine with her. She could still enjoy his company.

Dhara: She laughed softly at his story, picturing it in her mind. “I was never a clumsy child I don’t think. I started very early with ballet and music. No growth spurt for me though. I’ve been this tall for as long as I can remember.” She looked thoughtful, twining a lock of hair around one finger, thinking. “Oh! Here’s a strange one… my favorite instrument to play is the lute and I can play both the 15 and the 24 stringed lute.” She had plenty of strange facts, but was doling them out one by one as they talked. It wouldn’t do to spring all the weirdness on him all at once. “And not wanting to drink from people isn’t that strange. Now being human and buying bags of blood? That’s pretty strange.”

Rhett: He laughed and nodded his head. “Yeah, you’ve got me beat on the strange factor.” He laughed in good nature as he teased her a little more. “I don’t even know what the lute is, or that there are 15 stringed or 24 stringed ones.” He admitted with a shrug. “So what’s your favorite thing to do? Other than read Shakespeare.” Rhett shifted on the couch, angling himself so he could see her better, even if he was right next to her.

Dhara: She found she liked him being so close to her and she looked up at him. “I like to stand on a street corner and make money.” She let the words hang in the air as she rose to her feet, vanishing in to her bedroom. She came back minutes later holding the neck of a potbellied instrument covered in brown leather. She settled right beside him, her knee brushing his as she set her lute on her lap and began to unlace the cover. “By playing music that is.” She finally followed up, sliding the cover off to show him the elegantly carved, 15 stringed instrument. “This is a lute.”

Rhett: His jaw just drops after the first sentence she says and she leaves him sitting there, thinking on it. He imagines Dhara being a call girl, hooker, prostitute, or whatever they want to be called these days and shakes his head and laughs. There’s no way he can see it. She comes back with a large instrument, that he assumes is the mysterious lute she talked about and it’s confirmed it is that when she says it. His attention isn’t quite on topic as his eyes glance down to his knee, the one she just touched with her own. It hadn’t stayed there long, but he had definitely felt it. “That looks like a weird guitar. I think your handle is broken.” He tells her, noting the bend in the neck of the lute.

Dhara: She laughed and set the cover aside, shifting the lute across her body. She let it rest against her torso for a moment while she pulled her long hair over her shoulders, letting it hang down her back. “It’s not broken. It’s ergonomic?” A true question since she had no idea why the neck was bent that way. “I suppose you could say this was the forefather of the guitar. And it’s pretty strange to play this, then play a guitar. I keep wondering where the rest of the strings are.” She wrapped a tiny hand around the neck of the lute, her other coming over the top of the body. Long fingers were quick as lightning as she played a jaunty, upbeat, renaissance inspired tune. Her eyes sparkled at the sound and from the pure love of music. In all honesty, she could play all night, but managed to restrain herself to just a couple of minutes.

Rhett: “Oh.” Rhett said with a laugh, feeling a little stupid now. How was he supposed to know? How did anyone who didn’t play the Lute know that? He watched her play in silence and then realized that he might have known what the lute really was from a few movies he saw that took place centuries ago. He didn’t tell her, because she might stop playing if he shared this recognition, so instead, Rhett just listened and watched her play. “Do you make a lot of money on the street?” He inwardly groaned when he realized how that sounded and rephrased. “What I mean is, what happens if no one gives you any cash for the day? Does that happen? Not because you play bad, I mean.” Rhett didn’t know how a lute was supposed to sound, but what he heard hadn’t sounded bad or awful. And since he hasn’t heard her play anything else, he doesn’t have a lot to go on other than this one experience.

Dhara: She chuckled as she let her hands rest on the strings. “It does happen. It’s happened in every city across the globe. Some nights are better than others. And when it happens I just move on. I usually keep enough money on me to buy a bit of soup and some water. My music will never make me rich or famous but I think it’s about the love of music. At least for me.” She trailed off, realizing she was babbling, then just dove in. “Sometimes I even switch instruments if the violin or the lute doesn’t seem to be drawing a crowd.”

Rhett: He listens and nods. Rhett can relate. Or could relate. Being a paramedic wouldn’t have made him rich, but he liked doing it. Now that he wasn’t able to do it, there was a void in his life. He was adapting to things and knew in time he’d find something to do that worked to his new style of life, but for now he had a lot of free time and that free time had him thinking about the job he missed doing. “Adaptability.” He puts his hands behind his head, links his fingers together and sits back. “Guess in this city you kind of have to learn to be that, huh?” He chuckled and then looked around the apartment, seeing what she owned. Not out of judging, but just trying to get a broader sense of who Dhara was. The things she did outside of music during her free time. What she liked. How the two could relate better.

color=#0040FF]Dhara: [/color] “You really do. I’ve never stayed anywhere more than a week and yet I’ve been here over a year now.” She looked around her small apartment, trying to see it through his eyes. The furniture was second hand but in good condition. A small collection of books had found it’s home on the coffee table. There were no pictures on the walls and the empty spare room had absolutely nothing in it, though he couldn’t see that from where they sat. She looked back at him and smiled. “What’s something you’ve never done that ‘normal’ people have?”

Rhett: “Travel.” He says after a few minutes of thought. Rhett could say a lot of things, but none of them sounded good. It made him seem like a hermit or something and maybe he was? Rhett didn’t think he was, but personal perceptions were sometimes incorrect. Had Rhett said he’s never been to the movies, bowling, a bar, a club-he was sure whatever Dhara had to say next wouldn’t be as ‘nice’ as the idea of him never traveling. Then again, maybe a lot of people never traveled. “I’ve never left the city before.” Rhett loved Harper Rock; all the elements put in to it and the diversity of the city. Rhett knew he was going to live and die here. And he had. So now what?

Dhara: She looked thoughtful at his statement. A lot of people had never travelled, and she knew she was lucky to have been all over the world, and to some of her favorite countries many many times. “It’s a beautiful city, in spite of all the strangeness.” She paused a moment, realizing how she might have come off. “And I don’t mean vampires. I mean zombies and… these…. creatures with a dozen eyes and razor sharp teeth… like Frankenstein's monster gone wrong.” She shuddered at the thought. Her one run in with a mooncalf had literally sent her screaming the other direction. She wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing her hands up and down as if for warmth. “I’ve never been to the movies…” She offered, lightening the subject. And true enough, she had never been to a movie theater. And, regardless of all her travels, hadn’t seen many movies on DvD either.

Rhett: “We should do that then sometime.” Rhett blurted out, but not sharing that he hadn’t been to the movies either. “If you ever think of going to the movies, you should give me a text.” Rhett finished up before thinking about what Dhara said. “What creatures?” Rhett only ever stayed in the QZ, his apartment or Jesse’s place, so he had never seen anything remotely close to what Dhara explained. “Where do you find those ones at?” Rhett wanted to know so he could stay clear of it. Very clear of it.

Dhara: “I will. I’ve thought about it a few times, but I have always been too chicken to go alone.” She smiled at him, though it faded. “I do not know what they are called.” She frowned faintly, then leaned forward and shuffled some books and papers around, finding a rough drawing of the mooncalf. She leaned into his side and placed the drawing in his lap. “See? It’s all just bits of… of body parts… and eyes… and teeth. So many teeth…” She shivered again, pointing out the details. “I saw it here, in the QZ… I was walking home on my usual route and there it was.”

Rhett: He grabbed for the picture to examine it further. He had seen it before, but didn’t know the name of it. “Yeah, I know what you’re talking about now.” He said as Rhett set the paper aside on a table and looked at her. “Do they ever come up here? On this floor?” Rhett didn’t see one as they got to her apartment, but that didn’t mean it didn’t happen. “Ever worry about them breaking inside?” He wasn’t really worried or scared at the idea of it, but it was unsettling. That something other than dogs, cats, birds, humans and vampires lived in the same place she did. That any of the people in this place lived in. He wondered what the appeal was of the property, but didn’t ask. He would try and see if he could figure it out himself another night. “I doubt they can take an elevator.” He laughed and shook his head, reassuring the both of them.

Dhara: She laughed, his joke making her relax, leaning against his side without thinking about it as she was still staring at the picture he’d placed on the table. “I’ve never seen them on the elevator. And, in fact, I’ve never actually seen them inside the lobby. Lucky for me.” She sighed out. “Zombies can’t use the elevator either, so another bonus.” She kept staring at the picture like the creature might jump out at her at any second.

Rhett: Rhett smiles at her laugh and then shrugs his shoulders. He has less to be afraid about then she does, so it seemed idiotic to be worried about something that probably wouldn’t mean a lot of anything. Other than a missing door and some things ruined. If he ever got a place in this complex. Rhett wasn't sure if he was going to buy a house any time soon, but he did want out of his other apartment and soon. The guy was a real dick and slum landlord. “That’s good to know.” Rhett commented a few seconds too slow after he realized that he was looking at the picture a little too intently. When he looked up, Rhett noticed that she was doing the same thing. “Hey.” He said as a hand went to her shoulder. “He can’t get you up here.” Rhett assured her with a squeeze to the shoulder before he removed his hand. He didn’t want to be that guy that creeped women out because he didn’t know when to stop touching them. “Do you have a gun or anything to help protect you?” Rhett didn’t have a lot of weapons, at least not any good ones, but he had a couple spares. “Just in case?”

Dhara: His touch brought her out of her staring contest with the picture and she looked up at him with a smile. “I hope not. I hope none of them can. I can’t afford to move anywhere else. And I’m not used to living alone. I lived with my best friend for a long time, then her boyfriend moved in and I felt it best to give them some space.” Reluctantly she straightened up, creating space between them again. At his next question she shook her head. “No I don’t have any weapons… I-I don’t know how to fight or anything like that.” She looked away, feeling oddly ashamed of her pacifistic nature. “I don’t like violence of any sort.”

Rhett: “I’ve lived alone most my life. Well, my adult life. I just went to the tech college and tried the roomie thing for a couple months and decided it wasn’t for me. The other guy wasn’t as focused as I was.” He shrugged. Rhett didn’t have an opinion on the guy personally, but it was hard to study when all the guy did was drink and party and play his game console all the time. “I never owned a weapon until Jesse gave me one. Even then I don’t use it a lot.” Rhett shrugged, not being a big believer of violence either. “Something we have in common.” He chuckled and then had a thought. “I’m not asking for any reason other than curiosity, but do you think you’ll ever take the plunge? The vampire one?” He repositioned his body so that he faced her even more. “I mean, you sort of are one. Minus the drinking blood thing. You’re surrounded by them and your lifestyle could be day or night. With the music thing. I mean, don’t you wonder or think about twenty years from now? Since all your friends, or a good majority of them won’t age.” It was a heavy weighted question, but since Rhett worked with saving lives, or having some lost, he’d seen a lot of people that wouldn’t probably think twice about becoming a vampire if given the opportunity to escape death.

Dhara: She shifted on the couch so she was facing him, warm honey-amber eyes looking in to his as she gave his question some serious thought. Without thinking, her long fingers came up to toy with the violin charm hanging around her neck. “I haven’t really. I suppose it’s always a possibility I could run across a vampire who doesn’t care about what I want and turns me any ways. But all the ones I used to hang out with, they would never even think about it. I was in a relationship once. He was human though, but he’s gone. Stayed in Italy to take a once in a lifetime job offer. He hated vampires. Didn’t like me living with one, didn’t like me being friends with them. Never tried to stop me though.” She realized she was rambling but she didn’t really care. Her words were coming slow and thoughtful, as if she was verbalizing her thought process. “He’s gone now. And so are most of my friends.” She said honestly. “In twenty years, I’ll be 40 I think, if I stay human…” From the charm to a silky lock of white hair, her fingers twisting it around and around. “Not to sound silly or overly romantic, but if I fell in love with a man who happened to be a vampire and it was real love, not the fleeting kind, but true eternal love, I’d consider it then, so I could stay with him.”

Rhett: “I guess I could understand his point of view. I’ve heard of a few vampires losing control. Or then there’s a couple who can just turn people vampires without intending to, just by feeding off them.” Rhett rubbed at the back of his neck thinking about the one accident he had just a couple nights ago. Another reason he was trying to find some other way to get blood. “And I get that. I mean it’s not silly. Not really.” He nodded. “Makes sense. If you find that and that someone. To stay close in age. People give looks at the whole cougar thing.” He laughed and then elbowed her playfully. “Kidding. But it does make sense.” He circled away from the joke he put out there. “I guess it’s nothing to really worry about. Just wondered things from the other side of the situation.”

Dhara: She chuckled and shoved him back gently. “I suppose they do. But then again… you don’t look like you’re twelve. I can’t imagine looking like this forever.” She chuckled softly and brushed her hair back. “I had one encounter….” She trailed off, then took the plunge, deciding to trust him. “When I first got here, I was staying in what I thought was an abandoned apartment. Well, it wasn’t and this scary vampire with tattoo’s all over his face… he came in and he shot me in the back. Next thing I know, I’m waking up in the park. Found out later I was teleported. Managed to get to hospital and they pulled out the bullet and patched me up.” She rubbed her back without thinking, feeling the scar tissue through the thin fabric of her pesant blouse.

Rhett: “That’s crazy! Couldn’t he have just told you to get out of his place?” Rhett frowned, not liking what he heard. Was that a typical vampire thing? Or like humans, did vampires go crazy? Or did people sire crazy people? “Have you seen him again?” Rhett wasn’t asking because he was going to make any trouble, he was mostly asking so he knew who to stay away from and where to stay away from. “I get being protective of your property, but that takes it to a whole new level. I mean, I don’t think most humans can take on any vampires. Not really.” Sure, he had some trouble with the paladins, but Rhett was sure that if he applied himself to learning to fight that he could take them. But that wasn’t who he was, so Rhett moved on when they tried to attack him to handle whatever business he was doing for the night. “I’m sorry that happened to you. Most vampires aren’t like that. I think.” Rhett thought about Fforde and while a lot of them talked a big game, he was sure they talked first and sorted out things how they should be sorted. Maybe. He wasn’t 100 percent sure. Rhett was still trying to figure a lot of them out.

Dhara: “Thankfully no. And I haven’t gone back in that apartment. I didn’t know anyone lived there. The door was open and there was dust all over.” She shrugged and folded her hands in her lap. “He’s the only one I’ve ever met like that. Everyone else has been nice. Elliot gave me a job and a place to stay, I also worked in a bookstore for a bit. Eventually I met my best friend. She was given a key by Elliot so that’s how we met. And, well long story longer, I finally bought a place of my own.” She looked around the apartment and smiled faintly. “It’s strange living alone though.”

Rhett: “Really?” Rhett asked, because he had never found it strange. “You can do what you want, when you want. You don;t have to worry about disturbing anyone and when the place gets cleaned, no one’s bitching about it. Or about anything.” Rhett offered, attempting to show her the positives of living alone. “I mean, you could go out, mingle and meet people, then when you’re tired of it, come back home.” Not that Rhett knew much about that. He never went out. But he heard a lot of the guys at the station say the same thing and agree with each other, so he assumed it had to be true.

Dhara: “I suppose that’s true.” She said thoughtfully. “I think I’m just used to always having people around. I usually stay in hostels when I travel so there are six to 12 people in any one room at any given time. It’s strange to have such a huge space all to myself.” She looked around the apartment again, seeing it through different eyes. While some people might call the place tiny or miniscule, to her it was practically palatial. She realized it wouldn’t seem so huge and empty if she put something on the walls instead of keeping the space bare.

Rhett: “Six to twelve strangers?” Rhett looked at Dhara, which might have looked like he was either shocked or thought she was nuts. Rhett didn't think he could trust one stranger in his room, let alone half a dozen to a dozen. “That’s pretty brave, but to each their own, I’ve heard.” He finally concluded snapping his jaw shut so he didn’t look like an idiot. Especially since Rhett called Dhara brave, which indicated he would never do something like that. When he caught her looking around, Rhett wondered if maybe she was bored or remembered how she had something to do somewhere in here. “So, our date. This weekend?” He asked before standing and shifting on his legs, just because it gave him something to do. “If something comes up, just text me? I’m pretty flexible” And that was true. Rhett wasn’t sure if that was entirely true because he didn’t hang out with a lot of people, but hanging out with Dhara seemed easy enough and Rhett didn’t seem at all flustered or uncomfortable.

Dhara: She stood up when he did, revealing just how short she was at a mere 5 feet. She looked up at him, figuring he was getting ready to leave for the evening. “Well when you don’t have a lot, it’s easy to protect your things.” She smiled up at him at the mention of their date. “Nothing will come up, I promise.” She wasn’t sure what else to say, so she simply looked up at him, waiting.

Rhett: “Yeah, well life happens. You’ve got my number anyways. Use it whenever. I never use all my minutes or data plan.” That sounded lame, Rhett realized after he said it, but couldn’t take it back now. “Text you soon?” He bumped her shoulder with a fist before Rhett turned and threw a wave over his shoulder. “Stay safe, Dhara.” He said before Rhett left the apartment, making sure the door was good and closed before he left just in case those things ever figured out how to use the elevators.

Dhara: Nothing said ‘friendzone’ like a fistbump to the shoulder. The thought made her smile as she followed him to the door. “Have a safe night.” She said quietly as he slipped out. As soon as the door latched into place, she flipped the locks and headed for bed.