Path of the Vampire forum

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

Dhara: For a little over two months, she had been dating Rhett. One date had turned into two dates. Two dates had turned into three and so on and so forth. They spent almost every night together, going from his place to hers and back again. They watched and pretended to watch countless movies. They spent nights talking until the first hint of sunrise. Her sipping coffee while snuggled against him. The connection they had was one that grew slowly, built up over time and many countless hours spent in each others company. The nights they spent alone were the exception rather than the rule.

And now Germany had been brought up again. Germany… home. She hadn’t been back in more years than she could recall. The first time Rhett had mentioned it, she’d offered to tag along and play tour guide. Now they were thinking of going together, but as what? She gave the question only half a thought as she sipped her coffee. It didn’t matter ‘as what’, what mattered was that he and she were going to Germany and they were going to have fun. She checked the clock on the microwave and smiled, Rhett would be here any minute. She drew in a deep breath, taking in the scent of warm streusel. She’d baked, just to give Rhett a hint of what the streets smelled like in the smaller villages. With her hands wrapped around the mug, she let her mind wander over her homeland while she waited for Rhett. Maybe, just maybe, she’d even go so far as to share a hotel room with him on this trip.

Rhett: Germany. Rhett had suggested it a couple months ago and now with the ******** he was dealing with in Fforde, now seemed like a good time to say bon voyage and enjoy the life he had been living for months now without anyone putting their .02 in. No one knew he had been ‘seeing’ Dhara until he asked if she could come to an event, so how there was any danger to anyone was beyond him. The only real person that was in danger was him, since he let it slip he was dating a human (not that Rhett cared or saw any difference). Well, and maybe Dhara, but no one even knew the name of the human he was dating and before they did, Rhett would rather die. Or be shunned from the family. All they did was talk about sex, drinking and nothing important anyways. So getting the boot really wouldn’t affect Rhett any. He wouldn’t miss talking about sex or drinking. Or talking about absolutely nothing at all. Rhett had thought about broaching Jesse about it one on one, but it seemed he had his mind set. Dhara would never be invited to a Fforde function unless she was a vampire and there was no way Rhett was going to sire someone just to date them. That logic was all kinds of twisted for the guy.

The night Rhett made up his mind, he went to put out the application for a passport and sent it in the following night. It should arrive in about a month he was told as long as everything checked out and he expected it would. Rhett was a pretty upstanding citizen. Or had been until he died and became a vampire. But he had his concerns; primarily the time it would take to get there. They would have to stop and take night flights because nothing could wake the guy up during the day time hours. Something he had told Dhara once before and needed to remind her again so she wouldn’t be disappointed with not getting there faster.

On his way to her apartment, Rhett stopped at a flower shop and picked up some flowers that the woman talked him into. Some yellow things. Acacia’s or something like that. It represented how he felt about Dhara. To an extent. It represented his respect towards their friendship and his attraction for her. Even if he hadn’t told her it, she should know by now. At least he hoped so. But she told him that those were the flowers to get her. He didn’t think they were all that nice looking-but she swore that he should give these to Dhara.

Rhett stood at the door of Dhara’s apartment, showed the nicest looking side of the bunch towards her and knocked. They had a lot of things to discuss. Their trip and were they, or weren’t they actually dating? And what did that actually mean?



Dhara: The knock on the door had her abandoning her mug on the counter, even setting the hot pot of coffee straight on the formica surface. She fairly skipped to the door and pulled it open. Her entire face radiated happiness and her eyes shown with delight when she saw who was there. She didn’t even mind that he was holding yellow flowers. She hated yellow, and yet, the gesture was so sweet she didn’t say anything. Open the door wider, she stepped aside, still grinning like an idiot. “Won’t you come in?” She asked sweetly, then bounced off towards the kitchen again. Rhett knew her apartment well enough to know the way in. He had even slept in her guest room a time or six.

She retrieved her cup and the pot of scalding hot coffee, refilling the mug and placing the pot where it belonged. She turned to him as he came into the kitchen, then belatedly dug a vase out from under the sink and filled it with water. “Thank you, they’re lovely.” She said as she set the vase in the center of the scarred table, then pulled a chair out for him. “So… Germany?” She asked happily. Never one to hesitate or beat around the bush, she dove straight into the heart of the matter.

Rhett: She was like a breath of fresh air. Rhett always thought that when he saw Dhara. The way she smiled, her overall body posture and just the overall feeling he got when he was around her. No, he didn’t hate being a vampire; but sometimes he disliked things about it. He was sure others did too, and not that he was the type to vocalize what he disliked (the feeding/blood thing, being unresponsive at day time hours and remembering to breathe), but they were still remembrances that he wasn’t alive. Until he was with Dhara. Rhett felt alive when he was with her. She never (or rarely) reminded him that he was dead, unless Rhett somehow brought the topic up in a side conversation. He put the flowers in the vase she grabbed, and just watched the way she moved. “You’re welcome.” He wasn’t going to admit that he had a lot of help picking them out; it was the thought that counted, right? He wanted to get her some flowers and he did.

“Germany.” He confirmed as Rhett sat down in the offered chair, still grinning. “I sent in for my passport already.” He sounded a little excited, even if Rhett’s body didn’t express that as he sat in the chair. “It might take three or four weeks they said. Tops.” Again, he didn’t suspect they would deny him a passport, but he understood these things took time. “Are you excited?” He inched closer to the table, eyes still on her.

Dhara: “I am!” She said happily, watching him move closer. Shyly a tiny hand reached out, long fingers hooking around one of his own digits. Holding his hand while giving him the option to pull away if he chose. She couldn’t help the shy feeling he gave her. She had no idea what their relationship status actually was, but being close to him made her happy and so she didn’t care. Then again, she’d be lying to herself if she denied that the thought of him dating other people didn’t make her jealous. She pushed that thought away and smiled.

“Maybe we can go to the office and speed it up? I have my passport already, though I am not really needing it since it’s Germany and I am a citizen.” She shrugged, looking thoughtful, “Though funny enough, I do not have a German stamp on my passport. Perhaps I will go through customs with you so I can get one.” She laughed at the idea. Being a citizen meant that passing through customs for her was a breeze, not like when she went to other countries. “Three or four weeks… it’s so long. I want to take you to Oktober Fest.” The more excited she got, the more her German accent affected her words, even if she didn’t realize it.



Rhett: She was excited, and he was glad because he was too. Maybe it was just because he was finally leaving Harper Rock, or maybe it was because he was going somewhere with good company. Maybe both. Her response had Rhett watching her facial and body dynamics, as he felt the excitement radiating off her. The finger that brushed against his was met with a thumb that caressed the top of her fingers, enjoying the feel of her flesh under that very thumb. Rhett had no intentions of pulling away, but he had no intentions of not reciprocating the gesture she put forward with his own gesture back.

“Going there would do that? If it does, then we should try and go as soon as we can. Do I need to make an appointment or something?” Rhett didn’t really know much about traveling or what was actually needed. He went to a travel company who had to tell him the things he needed to do and when he should do it by too. First was the passport. Then was the traveler’s cheques, then informing his bank of the dates he was traveling and where he would be, so if he used a credit card on the way there for something, they didn’t lock his account in good faith. That he would do the week before they left.

“When is the fest? What dates?” He asked, because it was obviously something she wanted to do and something she wanted to show him. “Maybe we can hit the tail end of it?” Rhett was a positive sort of person. It would be unfortunate to miss a lot of it, but some of it was better than nothing, and the truth was, if Dhara was from anywhere else, that’s where he would have suggested going anyways. It was then he realized it didn’t matter the location, he was excited about going someplace with her.

Dhara: The touch of his thumb across her fingers had her sliding her hand fully into his, entwining their digits together and giving his hand a gentle squeeze. She could hear excitement in his voice, and she was certain she wasn’t imagining it. He was looking forward to the trip. “It is all month long. From the first to the thirty-first. But on Halloween they do something truly special.” She was practically bouncing in her chair, her coffee forgotten as they talked.

“I do not know how Canada works, but I think going down will make it much faster. I had to renew my passport and I went to the office. It only took a week.” Her eyes shone with happiness. She couldn’t help it. There wasn’t anything she was looking forward to more, or more excited about, than going away with him. She was even doing a fairly good job of silencing the little voice in her head. The voice that said he would leave her in Germany. He wouldn’t do that. She wouldn’t come back to Canada alone. Not this time.

Rhett: All month long. They couldn’t miss the entire thing, right? Rhett’s gaze moved from Dhara’s face to their hands after she linked them together. “Then I’ll look into it. It couldn’t hurt, right?” Rhett was a determined individual, and with her excitement for going to Germany, he was pretty much willing to go the extra mile and then some to make sure he got the passport and got it as quick as he could.

With his line of vision still on their hands, there was something in the back of Rhett’s mind that had been on his mind since he suggested the trip and she accepted the suggestion. “I went to a traveling company and picked up some books. For things to do and hotel locations.” Rhett removed his eye line from their hands, to her face. “Any suggestions on where we are going in Germany and where we should stay?” There was more to the questions he asked...mostly-should he book two rooms, or one?

Dhara: The grin that curved her lips was one of pure, unmitigated delight. “I think we should start Rhineland-Palatinate. I was born in Bavaria, but maybe we will find time to go there. There is a Castle there, that is turned into a hotel now. Auf Schoenburg.” She realized, once the words were out of her mouth, that she had just suggested an incredibly romantic Castle as their first stop on what could be a long trip. She shrugged it off and continued.

“They have a four course breakfast and dinner, and it overlooks the Rhien river. The Castle is very old and they tried to keep it very authentic with some modern touches. I think you will like it. From what I understand, the village hasn’t changed much either. It will be good seeing some historic sights.” She moved her chair closer to him, her knee touching his gently. “How does that sound?”


Rhett: “We should go to Bavaria.” Rhett said before he said anything else. She lived in the city he was born and raised in, so it sort of interested Rhett to see where she had been born and lived in at some point. The place that made Dhara who she was.

“But the rest sounds good too.” If she wanted to stay in a castle turned into a hotel, Rhett was fine with that. She could have named any place, and Rhett would have been fine with it. It wasn’t as if he had any idea where to start, where to stay and where not to stay. She was a German natural, so he took her opinions to weigh more than some person’s suggestion he didn’t know from a traveling company. Rhett wasn’t sure how to broach the two room or one room topic, so he sat there, deep in thought, as if he were thinking about other places he might want to go, being a tourist to Germany. “Will it be difficult to get a couple rooms there? I’m not really sure when Germany’s travel peak season is.” Or any country’s peak season, actually. Rhett looked around the room, then in the direction of where her computer was. “Maybe this would be easier to plan if we got a map of Germany and point out all the places we absolutely have to go to. And go from there?”

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

Dhara: “I think that is a good idea.” She blushed lightly when he said they should go to her home region first. “
is the village I come from. There is a beautiful Castle, the Neuschwanstein, that we can tour if you want.” She rose from her chair and moved to the computer, motioning him to the chair with a smile. “Oktober Fest draws many tourists. This late, I think it might be hard to find more than one room to rent. Hohenschwangau is very small with not very many hotels. There is also the option of staying with the locals.” She shrugged slightly.

She’d given sleeping arrangements a lot of thought in recent days. Every time she stayed with him, or he stayed with her, they were always in separate rooms. Maybe it was time to change that, and perhaps that could happen on this trip. Especially if they went to her hometown first. She knew her home was no longer standing, but that didn’t matter. The quaint little village was both historic and romantic and she hoped that it wouldn’t scare him off to be in such an enchanting little village with her.

Rhett: Rhett followed her to the computer after she motioned him over. He claimed the seat since she hadn’t, and tried to look for the places she said on the map. Rhett realized he wasn’t even sure how to spell the places, so decided to wait until she pointed him in the right direction. “I’m not sure staying with the locals is a good idea.” Rhett might not have the urge to sink his fangs in any of them, but the idea of sleeping all day with people he didn’t know, that she probably didn’t know...made Rhett uncomfortable. “If all else fails, maybe we could just stay right outside the bigger cities and drive in on the days we want to hit the...towns? Cities?” It was obvious Rhett had no clue on anything Germany as he talked. “If you’re worried about the room situation. That might be easier to secure two rooms.” Rhett squinted at the map, still trying to find Bavaria.

Dhara: She claimed his lap and gently nudged his hands from the computer, typing in the name of her home village. “It is just here.” She pointed to the small dot on the map and smiled as she snuggled against him. “I can drive, I think that is better since you are not from Germany.” She pecked a light kiss to his cheek, listening as he spoke. “I think it will be difficult reserving two rooms this late in time. Are you okay with one room? With sharing I mean?” She blushed when she asked, she couldn’t help it. She had just suggested something that would elevate their unknown relationship status to something more intimate. One small hand settled over his larger one, her fingers naturally settling between his.

Rhett: He kept his focus on the map as she pointed out what it was he had been looking for. "Probably a good idea.” He agreed with a small chuckle. Rhett had no issues with admitting his shortcomings, and driving in a place he wasn’t familiar was one of those. He didn’t even need to think about her questions. “I don’t mind sharing.” Rhett said slowly with a small shrug as his gaze left the computer and moved to her. “I’ll try not to hog the bed.” Rhett rubbed at the back of his neck and started back peddling more or less. “I mean, if there are only rooms with one bed. Or no couches in them.” Just because they were going somewhere together, Rhett didn’t want Dhara to feel like that actually meant she had to do something she didn’t want to do, or that he was expecting anything either. “So the castle?” The hand at the back of his neck came to rest around her waist as Rhett’s brown eyes glared at the screen of the computer, hoping what he said didn’t sound as awkward as it did in his head.

Dhara: Her blush intensified and she stared at the screen for a long moment, nibbling on her lower lip. “I don’t take up much room in bed.” She said finally, trying to ease the awkward tension that seemed to fill the room suddenly. She didn’t move on to the topic of the Castle, she had so many questions to ask about them. The status of their relationship, if they even had one. And yet it felt like her tongue was frozen in place, nerves keeping her mute. She could always ask in German, but then again, he wouldn’t understand it and they’d be in the same situation. “Rhett I…” She started, but her voice died and she looked away, her gaze falling to her lap as the words died in her throat.

Rhett: The color in her cheeks was apparent now, more than ever, even out of the corner of his eyes, Rhett could see it. He nodded at her comment about her in bed, and was fine with moving on. Only, she wasn’t. Rhett scooted away from the computer a little bit, and even turned the chair away from it, so that when he was looking, he was looking directly at her, even if she wasn’t looking at him. “It’s cool. I can ask for two beds. Or a suite set up or something. It’s not a big deal.” His hands rubbed her arms, assuring her he was fine with going to Germany with her just like they were now.

Dhara: She nestled into his chest as he rubbed her arms, her fingers twisting together as she tried to find the words. “Don’t be silly… a suite is excessive, don’t you think?” She finally peeked at him, searching his face. “I mean we’re sort of dating… hanging out?” She questioned. She was terrible at this sort of thing, and something told her that Rhett wasn’t much better at it than she was. “I’m… um… I’m okay with sharing a bed… I trust you.” She added, those last three words containing more confidence than the entire three sentences before them did. She knew, without a doubt, that Rhett would be the perfect gentleman, no matter how big or small the room, even if they shared a bed. But she couldn’t stop fidgeting, her fingers moved to the small violin that hung around her neck, and from there, they twisted in a lock of pale blue hair.

Rhett: He laughed when she said it was excessive. “Yeah. Probably.” Rhett agreed with a nod, still grinning, even as she asked the second question and what seemed to be his stance on their situation. “We have been hanging out a lot.” He admitted slowly, looking at Dhara as he talked. He wasn’t sure what she thought about their situation, and nothing on her face seemed to give away her opinion on it. “But just because we’re dating, doesn’t mean it changes how things are. Just because we’re going to Germany together.” Rhett had decided in his mind that they were dating a few seconds before he had said that. There was no one else he spent his time with, no one else he would rather spend his time with in this capability, other than Dhara. “But it’s good to know you don’t take up a lot of room.” The hands on her arms found a new location. One at his side, just hanging there, the other under her chin, making sure their eyes stayed on the other and didn’t deviate anywhere else as they talked about this.

Dhara: When he said they were dating, she couldn’t help the grin that lit up her entire face. It was good to know he seemed to have the same train of thought that she did. There was no one else in her life that she was romantically involved with, and really, there wasn’t anyone else she was interested in getting involved with. Her hand came to rest on the back of his neck as she searched his eyes, her free hand finding the hand he had hanging at his side, fingers lacing together. “So, we are a couple.” It was half statement, half question. Being a couple was a serious thing for her. It meant meant monogamy, it meant intimacy, it meant sharing things with each other that no one else knew. “If that is the case, then I suppose I should warn you that my feet get very cold at night…” She chuckled softly and then leaned in shyly to brush a kiss against his lips before leaning back to watch him for a reaction.

Rhett: “We are.” He confirmed for her before she mentioned the cold feet thing. She kissed him, letting his statement sit between them. “I have to warn you that I’m cold the majority of the day and night.” He chuckled as a hand found a home on her back, denying her the possibility of leaning back anymore than she already was. “And that I haven’t dated someone in a long time.” Rhett couldn’t even remember the girl’s name he dated last, or much about their relationship. Just that she had been a friend of one of his friend’s who tried to hook two friends up. They might have went on two or three dates? It wasn’t worth spending much time thinking about. Not with Dhara sitting in his lap.

Dhara: “Well… I suppose I’ll just have to wear socks or something to bed to keep my feet warm.” She teased, relaxing into his embrace, giving his hand a squeeze. She felt ridiculously happy over their mutual declaration, and the small voice that urged caution was soundly ignored. “I have only had one serious relationship.” She said quietly, though her eyes didn’t leave his. “I don’t have much experience. So I suppose we can suck at dating together?” Another light joke, and a soft kiss to his cheek. “In all seriousness… I don’t know what I am doing in relationships. And I think you are the same, so we will figure it out as we go. Just like we figured out we will share a bed in Germany.” She let her head come to rest on his shoulder. “Rhett… would you like to sleep here today?” She asked softly.

Rhett: Suck at dating. That reminded him of their first ‘date.’ How bad it sucked, but it ended up alright. At least he thought so. “Absolutely. No expectations, Dhara. Just go at our own pace, like we’ve been doing.” Rhett’s hand on her back flattened so that he touched as much of her solid form as he could as he thought about her question. “Do you like the apartments here?” Rhett asked Dhara, not having forgotten about her question. “I’ve been looking to move, and I haven’t heard or seen much noise while I’m here. Would it be stalker-ish to live in the same complex of your girlfriend?” He grinned wide as he asked that, not at all serious about the stalker part. “But, yeah. I do want to stay here with you.” Rhett replied to her question finally, the hand that was connected with hers, giving it another squeeze.

Dhara: “Well at least if I have a stalker, I know he is good looking, charming and very sweet.” She teased, happy that he agreed to spend the day with her. “I like it here. It is rather quiet on the upper floors. It can be a little bit of a pain, getting from here and into the city proper.” She looked thoughtful for a moment. “So… this is going to sound strange, but maybe stay here until we leave for Germany? This way you can get a feel for the building and see if you like it or not?” She slid free of his lap, but didn’t release his hand, standing beside the chair. “It is up to you though. I agree that nothing should have to change. Especially since things have been very wonderful how they are.”

Rhett: Though Dhara seemed content on standing next to him, Rhett turned the chair so that he was facing her, and Dhara was more or less trapped between his legs. “I don’t think it sounds strange. It sounds like a pretty good idea. Why waste money on a place you won’t be happy with? And then we can finalize our trip details before we go. Makes sense to me, anyways.” Rhett gently tugged Dhara closer so that he could initiate a kiss this go around. “Thank you for the offer. And for coming to Germany with me.” Rhett’s hands found her arms again and rubbed up and down the length of them. “So, what should we do tonight? Movies? Games? Hit downstairs and steal the piano?” Rhett’s options were a little all over the place, but he was letting her know that he was pretty much up for anything tonight.

Dhara: She laughed and snuggled closer, draping her arms over his shoulders and kissing him again. “Mmm we could steal the piano… I’m a fair hand with the ivory.” She chuckled and kissed him again, her fingers dancing in the hair at the nape of his neck. “Ooor… we can go to bed…” She trailed off, her tone implying a little more to that rather innocent suggestion. Sure, she was nervous, but she also knew if she didn’t want to do anything more than make out like teenagers at a drive in, then she didn’t have to and Rhett wouldn’t push her.

Rhett: When Dhara mentioned the piano, Rhett was sure that was what their plans were going to be for the night. Fine by him. Rhett was about to rise from the chair, but stopped all movement when the woman before him suggested going to bed. And the way she said it, seemed to imply that they weren’t just going to go to bed to sleep. “Come’ere.” The two words blended together as both his hands found a home at the back of her legs and helped collapse them, so that she could sit in his lap, facing him, a leg around each side of his waist before their lips met again. The night still had a lot of time in it, and while he wanted to get Dhara in bed, he wasn’t going to rush things either.

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

***********Hohenschwangau, Bavaria, Germany - Oktoberfest**************

Dhara: The weeks since they had planned their trip had gone by in a blurr. Every day she went to work, every night she returned home and waited for Rhett to join her. Over dinner they talked about Germany. They spent hours at the computer, planning, plotting, picking out hotels and destinations. She even went as far as watching movies in German with him, trying to help him get a basic grasp of the language. She thought he suffered admirably on her behalf. And now, here they stood, in the lobby of their hotel room. Their home for the next few days. She held his hand, a ridiculous grin on her face as she conversed with the hotel clerk in German, the words flowing rapid fire back and forth between them. When she paused for breath, she looked up at Rhett, a blush on her cheeks. “Uh… they have us listed as Mr. and Mrs. Keyes…”

Rhett: He would probably never be able to speak German, but he did try. Good thing he didn’t ever need to worry about asking someone where a bathroom was. Thankfully,. Dhara spoke the language and could translate for him, which she did a couple times on the plane ride and at the rental desk for the car they got and now here at the hotel. He heard the mention of his last name as he listened to Dhara and the clerk converse. When Dhara returned her attention to him and talked in English, a hand went to the back of his neck. “Uhm, I don’t even know how that happened.” Rhett had told the travel agent that the room had to be big enough for two...but, he never felt the need to explain more than that. The agent must have just assumed he was married. “Sorry.” He didn’t know what else to say about the screw up, but moved to grab his suitcase and hers. “I guess it doesn’t really matter? I doubt anyone cares that we’re not married. There’s no rules or laws about sleeping in a bed with an unmarried woman in Germany, is there?” He teased her lightly as he stood there, wondering which way their room was.

Dhara: She laughed as she watched him, and she couldn’t help but tease just a little. “It’s our honeymoon… shouldn’t you carry me across the threshold?” She snickered and turned back to the clerk, finishing their conversation and accepting two actual metal keys with a small tag on them, then moved to his side. “The elevator is over here.” She said, pointing. We’re on the third floor… and I sort of used our newlywed status to get us a bit of an upgrade.” She was utterly shameless in her statement. The hotel had them booked in a second floor suite. She’d managed to get a third floor suite with a balcony, just in case he needed to make a quick escape. “Welcome to Bavaria!” She said excitedly, bouncing in place and clapping her hand with a little squeal of delight.

Rhett: He laughed at the joke and then turned to offer his back. “I’ll carry you. Jump on.” He was in good spirits, even at the mistake of the travel company. How could he not be when she was bouncing up and down? “Upgrades aren’t a bad thing. Getting free perks on a once in a lifetime trip is worth it. They’ll never see us again. ” Maybe the room would be better than those on the second floor. And maybe that meant they would mostly be undisturbed since they were ‘newlyweds.’ It was a good, smart plan on Dhara’s behalf. “Wonder what else we can get out of them.” Rhett said with a laugh as an arm wrapped around Dhara for a second before he grabbed her luggage and then his own. “Come on.” He nudged his head in the direction she said the elevator was in and let it take them their room on the third floor.

Which was a lot nicer than those on the second floor. Rhett didn’t even need to second guess that thought. Everything about the room seemed to scream romance, marriage and bliss. “Hmmm.” Rhett said as he stood in the doorway and just looked at the room. And mostly at the large bed in front of a large fireplace, with a private balcony to the left of the bed, and tucked away in a corner on the right of the bed was a large oval shaped hot tub with a couple steps leading up to it, all nestled on marble. “This is quite the upgrade.” Rhett said, still standing in the doorway.

Dhara: She laughed and hopped on his back, skirt and all, managing to cling securely to his back without choking him. She rode the elevator up like that, moving in time with his body as he walked so she wouldn’t throw his balance off. When he paused in the doorway she peered over his shoulder, taking in everything with a low sound of appreciation. The hot tub brought color to her cheeks. Countless weeks of sharing a bed with him, and yet the sight of an innocent oval tub made her blush. She couldn’t help it though, even though they shared a bed every night, he’d still never seen her completely nude. “Wow…” She trailed off, slowly sliding down his back. She moved under his arm and into the room, pausing to take her shoes off. “Well, Mr. Keyes… what would you like to do first?” She asked with a grin, backing into the room, her amber eyes on him.

Rhett: It seemed Dhara was as shocked as Rhett was, the upgrade for exceeding both their expectations. But, she didn’t waste any time going in and even started getting comfortable with taking her shoes off. He still stood in the doorway, even as she went further into the room, eyes on him. What wouldn’t he like to do? With a room like this, his mind went there, because even though he respected Dhara, he’d have to be dead (no pun intended) to not have those thoughts about her as they slept together, or as she made herself comfortable in their suite.

His eyes remained transfixed on her face, noting the blush. It was something he liked about Dhara. Something he found so simple, but yet so attractive. “Well,” Rhett pondered on calling Dhara Mrs. Keyes, just because of the situation they found their way into, but decided against it. “First, I want to put these suitcases down,” Rhett said as he walked over to a decorative table to set them down, “So that I can do this.” He followed after her and collected Dhara in his arms so that he could give her a kiss. Not one of those quick ones that couples did, but one that meant a lot more than the kisses earlier in the airport, on the plane and while they waited for the car rental to be figured out. “And then,” His arms went around her as Rhett picked her up and took her out to the balcony. “I want to see Bavaria in all it’s night time glory.” He put her down on the balcony then and took it all in. Why had he never traveled before? Or, why had he allowed himself to get so wrapped up in things that didn’t matter?


Dhara: Her arms twined around him and she snuggled against him, reveling in the lingering touch of his lips on hers. She giggled when he lifted her up, and she curled against his chest, gazing lovingly up at him. Her fingers toyed through his hair as he headed for the balcony. She missed his closeness as soon as he set her down, and her arm slid around his waist. “This is only a tiny part of Bavaria. Germany is broken up like Canada with different provinces. This is the village I was born in.” She looked out over the twinkling and flickering lights of the village, turning slightly and pointing. “Just down there, but the house isn’t there any more.” She fell silent as memories swamped her and she leaned tighter into him. She didn’t have very good memories of the house that used to be, nor the small family that had lived there once upon a time.


Rhett: Usually, when people talk about their houses, they mention their family or something, but Dhara didn’t. In fact, they hadn’t really ever talked about their family. Maybe in passing, but nothing on a deeper level. It wasn’t because he was being secretive about his family, both his parents were alive and they got along fine, it just hadn’t come up before. So, he left the comment alone. If Dhara wanted to talk about it, he’d listen, but if she didn’t, he would respect that too. “Well, I think tomorrow you should show me the place you liked to go the most when you lived here.” Rhett suggested as his arms wrapped around her to secure Dhara to him. “How does that sound?” He was fine with suggesting things, but only if Dhara was okay with it too. It seemed to be one of their strengths in their relationship-respecting the other. “I don’t think I’ve ever been in a hot tub before. Something we’ll have to do before we leave. One thing off the bucket list. Though, I guess I don’t really have a bucket list anymore.” His eyes moved away from the direction she had pointed at, to another part of the city. “What’s on your bucket list?” Rhett looked down at the top of Dhara’s head as he asked that. Was it weird that he never thought of Dhara as being human and him as a vampire? And that her life span was significantly shorter than his? He hadn’t thought about it until now, but even now, he didn’t take her life span to heart. It would just ruin the mood.

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

Dhara: “Mmmh, I will have to make a phone call or two but I am sure I could do as you ask.” She grinned at the thought. She had a few things up her sleeves. Like trading her traditional hobo-chic outfit for a rather traditional German costume typically worn during Oktober Fest. And then there was the bakeries, and the horses, and the castles. She had so many things she wanted to do and see with the man at her side. “I’ve been in a hot tub before, but not one like that…” She said, pointing over her shoulder. “Something tells me that’s the kind where swimsuits aren’t allowed.” She teased him and drew a breath of the crisp fall air. It smelled like home. The scent of coffee, fresh bread, sauerkraut and schnitzel floated on the air and she felt her heart clench. She really did miss Germany.

“I don’t really have a bucket list. I’ve filled three passports already. There’s not much I haven’t done or seen by now. That sounds arrogant really, but I’ve done so much travelling since I left Australia at 16. What about you? What else have you got that you want to do?”

Rhett: As she talked, Rhett was glad the conversation didn’t turn somber. That Dhara didn’t take into account her mortality, because that hadn’t been his intention when he said that. But he thought about how it might have sounded for the briefest of seconds. “Well, it’s a good thing I didn’t bring a swimsuit then.” He said casually, grinning from ear to ear. “And I don’t know. I only started making my bucket list after I saw the hot tub.” Rhett admitted with a chuckle, eyes on Dhara still.

Dhara: She felt his eyes on her, then looked up at him with a slow smile, though his words brought that blush to her cheeks, making her look flushed, her freckles standing out in contrast to her blush. “I don’t have a swim suit either…” She murmured, her eyes moving from him to the hot tub and back. She imagined he could probably feel the heat radiating from where she was pressed beside him. Adrenaline surged through her body as her mind took off at a gallop, picturing all kinds of things having to do with him, her, the hot tub and the ridiculously large bed that sat near it.

Rhett: “Darn. I guess we’ll have to miss out on the hot tub experience then.” Rhett said with a joking tone in his voice as he kept his gaze on Dhara’s face. He really couldn’t look away because of the color that painted her cheeks, even if she was unaware of the effect it had on him. “I’m going to be honest, “ Rhett started out, his tone in a low murmur. “I know I said things didn't have to change between us when we came here." Rhett paused as he swallowed, eyes still on Dhara's face, "But I'd be lying if I didn't tell you that I wish I hadn't said that now."

Dhara: She blinked up at him and her lower lip caught between her teeth. She knew that nothing would change unless she initiated it. That whatever she wanted or didn’t want, Rhett would agree to it. The ball, as they said, was in her corner. She moved away from his side, shivering in the breeze that caressed her skin and did nothing to cool the blush that continued to brighten her cheeks. She took his hands in hers, staring silently up at him.

She had so many thoughts running through her mind, so many doubts and things she wanted to say. Her voice was soft when she finally spoke, her head tipped back to see his face clearly. “Me, too…” She licked her bottom lip and sighed out a breath. “I’m scared…” She confessed in the faintest of whispers, knowing he’d hear her any ways.

Rhett: He didn’t say or do anything as Dhara moved away from him. Rhett just waited. It wasn’t quite the response he was hoping for, but the drawn out silence let him know that she was unsure of what to say. That Dhara was thinking of what to say. Maybe even debating with herself.

Which could go either way. Maybe she was debating on how to say what she wanted to say, keeping his feelings in mind. Or maybe, Dhara was too afraid. She needed help getting from point A to point B. He would wait to find out, even if he had to wait for an hour. Until tomorrow. His mom told him when he was little, all the time, that good things came to those who waited, and so Rhett learned patience from his mom and that saying he heard at least two dozen times before the age of six.

And his mom was right. Dhara felt the same way he did. Back when he was a teenager, the guys would all ask the other if they made it to second base, third base and used other stupid analogies, but it was what came to mind when she implied she wanted to take their relationship further. But there was a hang-up. Rhett nodded, wanting to understand what she was scared of, exactly. “Because I’m a vampire?” He asked, taking a few steps forward. “I would never hurt you, Dhara. Ever.” He wanted to make sure she knew that when he said that, that Rhett meant it in every way. That he wouldn’t take her blood without asking (not that he drank much human blood anymore), that he wouldn’t be excessively rough with her, just because he was stronger than she was and he could be, and that he wouldn’t hurt her in any other way either. Any way that a person could be hurt, Rhett would never do that to her. Dhara had been his friend first, and he grew to respect her and from there, they started dating and his respect for her only grew larger. “We won’t do anything you don’t want to do. And if you get scared, just say something.” Rhett finished closing the distance between them and let a hand cup her cheek. “I’m patient. But whatever this fear is that makes you scared, don’t let it make you miss things. And I don’t mean that for just us.” Rhett tangles his hand in her hair so that he could lift her head up a little more, allowing his lips to find hers with ease.

Dhara: The kiss made her weak in the knees and she leaned in to him, standing on her toes to reach him better. Her arms twined over his shoulders to hold him close. Time seemed to stand still for her as she basked in the kiss, but finally, slowly, she pulled free of him. She gazed into his eyes with a small smile, searching his face. How in the world could a man like him be with a girl like her? It had nothing to do with him being a vampire and her being human, and every thing to do with the fact that guys like him didn’t spare girls like her a second glance. And yet here they were, kissing on a balcony beneath a German sky.

“I’m not scared because you’re a vampire… I’m afraid of being left behind again.” She didn’t want to bring up her ex, but she realized, in this moment, that her past had a choke hold on her future and wasn’t letting go any time soon. “I was dating a professor from the University. I think I mentioned it? I fell deeply in love with him. We went to Italy together… and I returned to Canada alone and broken hearted. I’m scared it will happen again.” She had trouble keeping her eyes on his as she spoke and was now staring at a spot on his chest, but her arms tightened around him without her realizing it as she finally voiced her fear.

Rhett: He nodded when she mentioned the professor she had been dating, recalling the few vague references about him from time to time. His mood altered slightly when she mentioned being left in a foreign place. His stance grew stiffer as she continued talking, only to have Rhett nod. No matter what the reason was, or what happened, leaving someone in a country they weren’t familiar with made Rhett think the guy was a flat out dick. “I understand, but that’s impossible.” Rhett said with firmness in his voice. “If you aren’t on the plane back for Canada, then I’m not either.” It was that simple. Even if they broke up in Bavaria, Rhett would make sure she was on a plane ride back to Canada. You just didn’t do that to a person, in his mind. “Nothing to fear anymore.” His grin returned once again, eyes still on Dhara, even if her eyes weren’t on him. “With nothing to fear anymore, that means we can go back to enjoying our trip.” His hands roamed over her arms and found their way to her back, securing her to him as they stood there.

Dhara: “What’s impossible?” She asked, stepping as close to him as she could get, her arms twining around his waist. “That I go back alone? Or that you seem to be utterly perfect?” She smiled, chuckling softly. Something about his firm tone and the way he held her made all her worries disappear. That small, silly smile returned to her lips as she looked up at him and she swayed slightly in his arms. “Soo… if we pretend you never said that whole ‘things don’t have to change…’ bit, what would happen next?”

Rhett: “I’m not perfect. Got the whole vampire that doesn’t want to drink blood thing going on.” Rhett chuckled as his gaze pierced her own. “You won’t go back alone. I promise.” Rhett said with a nod, as his hold on her got tighter, as Dhara swayed. He wasn’t restricting her movements, just making sure she was safe in his arms as she moved in them. There was some silence between as Rhett contemplated what would happen next. While he was a patient man, Rhett would be the first to admit that his thoughts had gone past the point of where they were in their relationship. Rhett wanted to taste Dhara’s flesh with his lips. Feel the softness of her skin under his hands as they wandered over every inch of her body. Rhett could have answered Dhara, but he chose to show her instead as Rhett lifted her off the floor, an arm around her waist, the other up the length of her back so his hand secured her to him, right between her shoulder blades. His lips pressed against hers in a smoldering kiss as the duo found their way to the gigantic bed.

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

******Day 2******

Dhara: She woke before he did, which wasn’t a surprise since the sun was still up, though it was low in the sky. She gazed sleepily at the man beside her and a slow smile curved her lips as she thought about the night before. Perhaps their first time was a bit cliche, coming on the heels of such a declaration that he wouldn’t abandon her and that their relationship was serious, but she had enjoyed herself immensely. Rhett had been patient and gentle with her, treating her, at times, as if she might break beneath his touch.

Shaking out of her daydream, she rolled out of bed and hopped in the shower. Ten minutes later, she was leaving a note on her pillow and slipping out the door. She had a surprise in store for him, something that was truly unique to this part of the world. She only hoped he knew how to ride a horse.

Rhett: The first thing Rhett does when he wakes up is take a large, deep breath in. He doesn’t need to, but he does this to expand his chest, since the literally sleeps like the dead. Though, he doesn’t realize he’s doing it to expand his chest, it’s more like a shock to the guy’s system that he happens to wake up again because Rhett does not dream while he’s sleeping. Rhett does nothing while he sleeps. He just lays there, not moving, stiff as hell.

His eyes are wide open as they adjust, the look of shock on his face as his body starts to loosen up. Whatever limb he moves first, the look disappears instantly as he realizes he woke up to see another night again. This time, he moves his neck to look at Dhara, only, she isn’t there. He’s not bothered by this; she always is up before he is. Rhett notices the note, grabs it with the hand closest to it and reads it. A small smile etches the corners of his lips before Rhett’s upper body finds its way off the bed and he sits on the bed and gets reaquainted with the hotel room. Depending on their time frame, he might suggest the hot tub tonight.

While Dhara is out, Rhett carries on with his routine. He showers first, changes and usually goes to that farm Dhara showed him about back home. Tonight, he would have to rely on his necromancer powers, and maybe while they were out, stop at a butcher shop or something for animal blood. Something he would figure out later. While Rhett waited for Dhara, Rhett made himself comfortable on a couch, browsing at pictures in a magazine that was all in German; something for tourists.

Dhara: The sun had set by the time she made her way back to the hotel. But this time, she wasn’t alone. The dainty girl was perched side saddle on a giant looking horse. The Black Forest Horse was a rare German specialty, with it’s silky black coat and silver-white mane. There was another horse being led by a man in traditional lederhosen, dressed for the festival in the heart of the village. Dhara was clothed in a long black skirt embroidered in flowers and a flowing white peasant blouse that was off the shoulders. Her long blue hair was divided into pigtails and curled into ringlets. A black lace up corset vest encircled her delicate ribcage and was embroidered with the same flowers. Looking up to the third floor, she took out her phone and sent a text to him. “Come out to the balcony and look down.”

Rhett: Rhett’s phone played a basic sample tune, indicating he had a text message. He didn't even bother to look at who it was, Rhett knew it was Dhara as he swiped his pointer finger over the notification to read what it is she wrote. The phone found a home in the back pocket of his jeans after Rhett stood up. He moved to the balcony and looked down, seeing Dhara on a horse and an unidentified male on another horse. He smiled at the sight of her, feeling a little out of sorts. His clothes were mostly jeans and t-shirts or tank tops, though it was a little cold here to be wearing tank tops outside the hotel suite. Not that the cold bothered him, but he was told to be careful by two people in Fforde, so Rhett would do his best to try and be careful. If not for himself, then for Dhara.

He knew nothing about true German heritage and culture, but Rhett saw a commercial with a couple of women who were in advertising beer in a get-up close to what Dhara was wearing. He wouldn’t say that, but he couldn’t help but think it. That went away as soon as he realized how stupid that thought was, because Dhara knew he couldn’t drink beer and while Dhara might be able to, he’s never seen her drink anything that had alcohol in it. Never mind the horses that were in her possession. “Should I change or something?” Rhett didn’t know what he could change into, but he offered it anyways.

Dhara: She grinned when she saw him, giving a little wave. She slid off her horse and her shoes clattered against the cobble stones. She spoke to the man with her, handing over a decent sized roll of colorful German marks. He wandered off with a grin, whistling drunkenly as he left. Looking back up at Rhett, her smile returned. She barely had to raise her voice for him to hear her.

“No, just come down!” She called out with a gentle, excited laugh. “I need a good morning kiss, after all!” She reached out to the horse she had been on, resting a tiny hand against the broad, silky neck, feeling the heat radiate from the animal. “I hope you meant it about my favorite thing. And I hope you can ride a horse!”

Rhett: Rhett couldn’t ride a horse, but that didn’t slow his desire to be next to Dhara down. After all, she wanted a kiss and he was all too happy to give her that kiss. When he got to Dhara, his smile was large as an arm wrapped around her shoulder and his hand came to rest on her shoulders. “I don’t know how to ride a horse,” He admitted, “But, I know how to give a good morning kiss. Or two.” He laughed for a second before Rhett leaned down so that his lips crushed hers, securing his hold on Dhara with his hand on her back. “Morning.” He said as Rhett leaned back a little, his dark eyes on her own brilliant set. “If you’re trying to sell me on Germany, I’ve been sold on it since the night we met.” He chuckled a little, giving Dhara credit for his feelings towards Germany and its country so far.

Dhara: She leaned in to him, eager for the kiss, her own hold just as tight. His words made her laugh and she snuggled even closer. “You mean since the night you tried to turn me into a snack?” She teased him, recalling that night easily. And marveling how things had changed and how Rhett had single handedly pulled her out of her depression. “You fell in love with Germany then?” She snickered and snuggled into him with a soft sigh.

“Help me up?” She asked as she reluctantly pulled away and moved to the side of her horse. The saddle was a traditional side saddle, whereas his was a classic western saddle. “You don’t have to worry about much. Just keep your back straight, your hips relaxed. These two are stablemates so yours will follow mine.” She grinned at him and showed him her only stirrup. “For you, you’ll just slide your left leg in one of these, pull yourself up and swing your right leg over. There’s a stirrup on the other side. Just make yourself comfortable, move with your horse and don’t pull the reigns unless you really want to stop.”

Rhett: “Well, they do say a way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” He teased back before he moved closer to the horse and assisted Dhara with getting into her own horse, keeping in mind the fact that it wasn’t a traditional saddle. He had rode a horse once, probably when he was around the age of nine or ten on some family outing one summer. Rhett didn’t recall anything negative or positive about the experience, just that he had done it and live through it.

Once Dhara was on her horse, Rhett moved on to his horse and to tackle getting in the saddle. It actually wasn’t all that hard, the hardest part was being the lift up off the ground and using his upper body strength; which wasn’t all that hard. His legs came to a rest exactly how she directed him, and grabbed hold of the reigns. Rhett’s eyes focused on Dhara, more specifically her great legs in that German get up before he refocused on her-all of her with a grin. “You going to give me a hint on what your favorite thing is, or is it a surprise?”

Dhara: The heat in his eyes made her blush and she adjusted her long skirt to cover the creamy paleness of her legs. “You said you wanted to see Bavaria in all it’s night time glory…” She chuckled softly. “Riding through the village is my favorite thing, along with several others. We are going to ride through the village and go to all the little places I stopped at. We’ll finish at the Castle for the midnight festival.”

She legged her horse closer to him, leaning over, she placed a hand at the small of his back, the other on his shoulder, giving a gentle push and a tug to straighten his posture. Her hand trailed down his arm and landed on his thigh, creating a small spot of warmth. “You have terrible posture…” She teased him, picking up her reins and looking up at him with a smile.

Rhett: What she had planned sounded right up his alley. It was low key, but interesting and fun. And different too. “So tell me about this festival.” Rhett said as she adjusted him on the horse how he needed to be. At her comment about his posture, Rhett straightened up a little, though it was probably more to do with her, than him making the conscious effort. “Sorry. I dropped out of ballet class when I was five.” He stuck a tongue out at her, and laughed in good heart before he reached out for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Lead the way.” His hand untwined from hers and found a home back on the reign of the horse, even if it wasn’t really needed.

Dhara: She grinned and legged her horse into motion. It was a shame Rhett couldn’t eat or drink, because the first place they went to was a baker that could have come straight from a fairy tale. Small, quaint with a tendril of white smoke coming from the chimney. The gingerbread style carving edged the peaked roof. Shutters were opened to reveal the inside of the small home, warmth and light spilling on to the cobblestone street. “Well, there is going to be lots of beer and music and dancing and stargazing. A tour of the Castle, too.”

She swayed gently with her horse, even sitting side saddle. The clopping of the shod hooves lulling her to relax as they neared the bakery. She waved to the white haired, white hatted man leaning on the wooden counter, staring into the street and he waved back. “I used to come here with a couple of pennies once a week to buy a treat. I learned later I never had enough money, but the baker always gave me a tart to take home.”

Rhett: He listened to the sounds of the city and her talking as they went through the streets on their horses. A thought came to mind when she stopped talking, conscious of the fact that she still ate and had positive memories of the place. “Maybe we should stop one night and get you something for old times sake. And leave a generous tip.” Rhett suggested with a shrug as he did the same thing Dhara did to her horse, with his own. “Do you dance?” Rhett asked Dhara, because in truth, Rhett didn’t know how to dance. Not any type. It wasn’t that he was against dancing, he just never went anywhere that provided him with the chance to dance. Not that he was going to openly admit that either.

Dhara: She stopped in front of the baker’s house and winked at her boyfriend. “You read my mind.” She chuckled, leaning over to speak with the baker in German. The elderly man’s eyes lit with recognition and he vanished from sight. She sat up and looked to Rhett with a grin. “I do dance. All kinds. I started dancing when I started learning violin. I think around 3 or so.” Her gaze was pulled away as the baker returned to her. She leaned down and accepted a paper wrapped parcel with a smile. There was a small squabble about money, but she won’t out in the end, handing over far more than the cherry tart was worth.

Straightening up once more, she let the reins lay as she opened the paper and nudged her horse into motion. “So… you can’t eat… but can you taste? I mean, how does it work? Can you chew gum or have a piece of hard candy?”

Rhett: Rhett listened to Dhara as she shared a glimpse of her past with him. It wasn’t a lot, but somehow, he suspected that anyone that was good at playing music, was probably good at dancing. After all, it was about beat, right? Rhett didn’t have much luck with finding or keeping a beat. He watched the older man and his girlfriend work out the details of the pastry he brought her, Dhara winning in the end.

He laughed and then shrugged his shoulders. “I actually don’t know. I was told to stay clear of food, so I haven’t tried anything since; well, you know.” Rhett returned his attention to Dhara completely after the older male left. “Could your friend eat? Or taste?” He looked at her curiously, wondering what brought up this conversation after months of being around her while she ate or drank.

Dhara: “Which one? Ali? No, but Elliot could.” She looked thoughtful, then legged horse to the edge of the road. “Let’s try something…” She said impishly. The pastry was resting in one hand and she used her finger to get a bit of filling. She applied the sticky cherry like lipgloss, then beckoned him closer for a kiss. Maybe this would work and he’d at least be able to have a small taste of Germany. “Don’t laugh…” She warned him.

Rhett: Ali and Elliot. Names he made note of; they were spoken, so they must be important. Ali must have been the roommate, but then again, this was the 21st century and guys and girls could room together without being together. At least Rhett thought so.

When Dhara mentioned trying something, Rhett shifted his position a little so that his attention was on her most the time, and not what was in front of him and the horse. Rhett watched what she did and almost did laugh, but it was cut short due to uncertainty. Would he get sick? On his girlfriend? Could vampires get sick? He seemed healthy when he was awake. As healthy as a dead guy could be. Rhett decided, what the hell? Dhara invited him to try it. Maybe she knew something he didn’t. She seemed to know a lot of about all things vampire.

Rhett leaned over and brushed his lips against Dhara’s quickly, just in case he could get sick and then licked his own lips. And then hers quickly. “I don’t taste anything.” He admitted with a small shrug. Just to make sure he gave her another kiss, leaned back and shook his head. “Nothing that time either.”

Dhara: She gave a semi-playful pout and sighed. “I was hoping that would work. I thought that if it did, you could enjoy all the tastes of Germany, not just the taste of your girlfriend.” It was a saucy, lewd joke and totally out of character for her. In fact, it made her blush saying it, but nevertheless, she gave him a wink before legging her horse into motion again. They clopped along the street, mostly in silence. The occasional greeting was exchanged in German between Dhara and festival goers. And the sparse crowd was meandering its way towards the Castle that sat on a hill. Every so often the wind would shift and music reached their ears, only to be spirited away as the breeze changed direction again. Her Amber eyes never stopped roving over the street and the houses. She wouldn’t tell Rhett, but a part of her that lived in her mind, the young child hidden in the recesses of her memory, was terrified of an all too real boogeyman jumping out at her.

She paused in front of an empty lot, the shape of the house that used to be was barely visible in the stone foundation, mostly covered over as nature reclaimed the spot. No one would ever rebuild here, the lot was rumored to be cursed. It was also where she used to live. In a tiny, one room home with her father and her mother. There was no sign of the white picket fence, the tiny, wild garden, or the little dirt corner where she used to play. “This was my house, once upon a time…”

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

Rhett: He grinned at her remark, eyes on her blush as they painted her cheeks. He could say something lewd back to her; comment on how she tasted, but refrained. There was no need to comment on something like that-they both knew he enjoyed the taste of her flesh from the night before. Some things were better left unsaid; and better shown.

When she was talked to her in her native language, Rhett listened, but watched more. Trying to get a sense of the type of people that lived in Germany. And to make sure the conversations appeared to be light and casual. Everyone might be dressed like Dhara was, but she pulled the look off the best in his eyes. It wasn’t because he was possessive of Dhara. Or because he was protective (even if he mildly was), there was just a way you talked to people and he learned that after his stint in the streets and defined his life later on.

They stopped at a place that looked a little run down and he frowned when he heard she used to live there. “Shame it’s so overrun with weeds and things.” Rhett commented idly, not knowing that sometimes it was best to let memories of places and people disappear, much like the home that was covered from top to bottom. “I think the apartment my parents lived in before I was a couple months old wasn’t much bigger than that. We needed more room, so they sacrificed location for space.” He said before shrugging. Rhett wasn’t judging his parents choice-he was never a parent and never would be. He understood that some choices were better than others or needed to be made for everyone’s benefit. They could only afford and do so much with what they had.

Dhara: She gave one last, long look over what used to be her home, then turned away. It was better to leave before the memories came back. Her eyes landed on a familiar face peeking from a window nearby. As soon as she made eye contact with the old woman, the lacy curtain dropped, and Dhara just smiled and shook her head. “That is Oma. Though she really isn’t my grandmother. Just a very kind old lady who looked after me sometimes.” She chuckled softly again. “Oma used to have these giant dogs, and I used to sneak into her house through the dog door. We were quite a mess, the two dogs and I.”

She fell silent as they continued wandering through the town, every now and again she would point out some landmark or one of her favorite places. When they came to the bookstore, she once more stopped her horse to talk to her lover. “I used to come here a lot, too. This town doesn’t have a library, but Herr Heinrich was kind enough to let me sit in his store and read to my hearts content. There were several occasions that I found my favorite book, hidden in my little satchel when I got home. And I always knew that Sinterklaas would bring me books for Christmas, because Herr Heinrich was Sinterklaas. Though I didn’t know that for a long time.” She chuckled and fiddled with the ends of her hair for a moment. “He died a few years ago, and his family gave me every book in his store. They’re stored away right now, because I travel so much it was just easier that way.”

Rhett: To Rhett, it seemed that Dhara had a lot of great childhood memories of not only Germany, but of this city. Rhett never had the urge to leave Harper Rock, regardless of his good and not so good memories; but he internally wondered how someone could leave a place they seemed to be attached to in a variety of ways.

He didn’t ask that, but there was something he did want to ask because she brought it up with her final sentence. “Do you think you’ll ever give up travelling, or is the world just too big?” He asked with a small laugh, eyes on Dhara before he nudged his horse with his legs, prodding it to start walking again as she decided on her answer.

Dhara: She moved easily with her horse as it ambled along beside his, drawing a breath of the cool air. The smell of different foods and pastries made her mouth water and her stomach growl with hunger. For as tiny as she was, she could eat as much as most grown men. She thought over his question and smiled. “To be honest I’ve seen most of the world. I just never thought of settling down really. I started travelling because… well things got complicated with my home life. I left when I was 16 and Harper Rock is the first place I’ve stayed more than a week.”

She tilted her head slightly and looked up to the castle as it grew closer and closer with each plodding step. She thought about her past, the tragic event that lead her to live the life of a nomad. The abnormal childhood that had her convinced families and friends weren’t a real thing. Families could never be trusted and friends… well she never was able to make any because of her family. She looked over at Rhett and smiled. He’d come along at a time when she was thinking of leaving Harper Rock for good. And because of him, because of the new experiences with him, she was staying, even if they were travelling.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to stay in one place. I always feel the urge to just get up and leave, but lately things have been keeping me in place. Not things. People. People that make me happy. People I’m not ready to say goodbye to.”

Rhett: “Well, it’s a good thing all I’ve ever been is Germany and Harper Rock.” He didn’t know if he wanted to travel as much as she seemed to have in her past, but he wasn’t against it. Especially if he was traveling with Dhara. “You know. If you ever get bored and want to go do something different for a little bit.” Rhett added on, realizing how egotistical that might have sounded. That he was the sole reason she wanted to stay in place. He knew that wasn’t true-that Dhara had other people in her life. Like that guy she casually mentioned once before, and her old roommate.

As the horses kept going their route and gaining on the castle, Rhett cleared his throat and leaned back in the horse, almost losing his balance a little. He took a solid minute of leaning forward, hanging on tighter, making the horse unsure what the rider was doing and coming to a stand still until Rhett found his balance again. “I was hoping, that since you knew the city in and out, you might know where there might be a butcher shop is.” He said with a nervous laugh as Rhett sat taller on the horse and looked at Dhara. “In case it might be needed.” Rhett was hoping to use his necromancer abilities more than anything else, but what if there was an emergency or he couldn’t use them after a while of being here?

Dhara: She’d been watching him out of the corner of her eye, wondering what he was doing. He was going to fall off if he wasn’t careful. And his docile mount was looking nervous as he kept shifting around. His question caught her off guard and she blinked, trying to puzzle out why he would even need one. Then it hit her and she blinked, wondering how she could have been so stupid.

“Careful, you will fall.” She cautioned as they got closer and closer to the castle. The crowd had thickened and she thought of how to answer him while still being subtle. “I do, but I also know they are closed tonight. Just let me know what flavor you want to have on hand and I’ll grab it tomorrow?” She only made it a question because she didn’t want to seem like the obsessive, overly clingy girlfriend and imply that he couldn’t care for himself.

Rhett: “Alright.” Rhett nodded, figuring that was solved and there was no need for him to say anything else about needing special things from the butcher shop in front of the masses. “I don’t think he likes me.” Rhett said as he once again tried to reposition himself. He felt awkward being on a horse-probably because he hadn’t been on one in a long time. Did he look ‘normal’ while he was riding the thing? He had to work on not being so stiff and then the breathing thing. He hoped he looked average at least. Passable for a human. No one seemed to be looking at him too much. They actually mostly seemed to be looking at her as they passed people. Not that Rhett could blame them.

“Is that outfit coming home with us?” He blurted out as his eyes stayed transfixed on some guy that was sizing Dhara up as they went by him and then past the guy. “It’s a nice outfit.” Rhett bit the inside of his cheek, thinking how young that sounded. How inexperienced on compliments even. “You look hot in it.” There. The compliment he really wanted to give her when he first saw her in it.

Dhara: She nodded, then chuckled softly as she watched him. “You look fine, and the horse likes you. It is just you are so stiff he is not sure what to think.” She chuckled as she watched him trying to get comfortable and adjusted on the giant animal. She watched the guy that was watching her, listening to Rhett’s questions. Her eyes tore from the stranger and moved to Rhett’s, a blush crawling across her cheeks. “Well… I suppose it will just have to come home… maybe I’ll even get the shorter skirt that they offered me…” She teased him as they clattered under the portcullis. She looked up and pointed. “Can you see the tiny openings? They were used to for archers sometimes. Gates come down in front and behind and trap you in here. And if it’s not archers, then it could be molten metal, boiling oil or even hot tar and pitch.”

Rhett: He looked away from Dhara when she started talking about the castle and he looked at the openings she was talking about. Archers. He had read something like that before in history class in middle school. The other methods of defending the castle seemed vaguely familiar, but not like the archers. “So it was sort of like the last line of defense?” Rhett asked Dhara, his eyes going back to her, hearing the faint sound of music from the depths of the castle. “I don’t really know my castle lore.” Rhett admitted with a laugh. “I guess I never thought I’d be here, so I sort of paid attention to other things. Like Math and Science. Mostly Science.” He said with a shrug. Things that were practical for getting a job.

Dhara: “Sometimes it was the last line, sometimes the first. I suppose it would depend on the situation. Castles like this are usually built on the side of a hill or mountain to avoid being sieged. I love history.” She grinned at him as they clopped through the tunnel and into the courtyard. Her fingers were tapping along with the music, though she didn’t seem to realize it. “I like math, I am really good at it for some reason. Maybe because of the music lessons. Science I just couldn’t seem to grasp.”

She guided the horses over to a line of others and hopped down, with the assistance of an attendant who held his arms up to catch the tiny sprite as she slid off the horse. Once her feet were planted firmly on the ground, she looked up at Rhett and grinned. “Are you ready for this?”

Rhett: Their common ground would be math and it seemed they would help the other on history and science. If those topics ever came up. Rhett watched the interaction between some random guy and Dhara, making sure he didn’t get too handsy. A lot of guys were like that, if they could get away with it. When everything seemed to go on without a hitch, Rhett slowly dismounted from the horse. When his feet hit the ground, he still held the reigns, getting used to being on the ground again. The male gave the horse an appreciative pat because, hey, they made it in one piece, even if they had a couple of difficult moments.

At this point he hadn’t answered Dhara’s question yet, Rhett decided to wait until he was next to her. “With a native at my side, I’m more than ready.” He shot a grin at her direction before an arm came around her shoulders.

Dhara: She nestled into his side, an arm sliding around his waist. From the forecourt, they followed the crowd into the sprawling castle courtyard. There was a riot of sound, colors and smells floating on the air, carried by a cool evening breeze. There was a huge clearing in the center where an intricate dance was taking place, the crowd making a human circle around the dancers, stomping their feet, clapping and even whistling a time or two. Dhara couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear, and it almost seemed as if she melted into Rhett’s side, every muscle relaxing as the unique flavor of home washed over her. She hadn’t been back since moving to Australia, but nothing in the tiny hamlet had changed.

She tipped her head back and grinned at Rhett, checking his hip lightly to direct his focus downward to her. “What would you like to do first?” She asked, just loud enough to be heard over the fiddles, accordions, flutes and drums. Her eyes barely stayed on him before they roved around the scene, taking it all in with delight.

Rhett: The whole place was full of life, loud and unfamiliar, but Rhett took it in good stride. His life was relatively mundane-maybe even boring to the majority of the world, but he was comfortable in it. But the point of vacations was to do something different and try something new, right?

What did he want to do first? Rhett didn’t know. Actually, he knew what he didn’t want to do first and that was dancing. That would be saved for later, after he watched a couple people dancing and got a feel for it. “Something I couldn’t do in Harper Rock.” It was a vague statement and pretty open to just about anything, which was how it was intended to be. He would do everything if they had the time and she suggested it.

Dhara: She tapped her foot in time to the music, wondering if she’d get Rhett to dance with her at some point. She ran over a list of ideas, vetoing anything that involved food or drink. She spotted a booth and, as childish as it might have seemed, she dragged Rhett over to it with a smile. A stout German woman with strong, but dainty hands, was painting on the cheeks of the children and adults that sat in her chair. And even as they stood in line, she was already eyeing another activity. Rhett might not be able to eat, but he could at least learn how some of the breads were made and get his hands a bit dirty.

As the line moved forward, it was finally their turn. She pushed her boyfriend onto the stool with a soft laugh, watching as the woman began painting his cheek, wondering what design she would give him. “I have not done this since I was a child!” She said with another laugh. “Thank you, for bringing me back to Germany.”

Rhett: He sat on the stool after a small chuckle and let the woman start to paint his cheek. She pointed to a picture that she was going to put on him; a simple snake. She hadn’t gotten that far on the design when she had accidentally brushed his face with a finger. The woman’s reaction wasn’t hard to miss. She said something in German, but Rhett didn’t have to speak it to know what she was commenting about. How cold he was.

“Bad circulation.” Rhett looked at Dhara for help in explaining that in German, knowing she could and would. And she did. After a few seconds, the woman was back coloring the snake outline a dark blue instead of the typical green.

Dhara: She followed Rhett’s hasty explanation with a far more detailed one in German, watching the woman paint the blue snake on his cheek, she couldn’t help but smile, even if her amber eyes were filled with apology as she looked at him. She hadn’t given it any consideration, him being a vampire and what might happen if he came in contact with others. The painting didn’t take long and the woman was very skilled, making the creature look almost lifelike. Once Rhett stood, she took his spot and grinned up at him, the woman leaned in and began painting a pixy on her pale cheek.

“You are going to have to dance with me at some point, you know.” She pointed out with a gentle laugh. “But you can watch first if you want. Just watch out for the frauline’s. You seem to come across as quite a catch.” She hadn’t missed all the admiring glances cast towards the tall, tattooed male, even if he was oblivious. It also didn’t bother her in the least. The village was small and people were remembered for generations. Outsiders, even during Oktoberfest, were rare. And Rhett cast quite the striking figure. “You’ll probably need to share a dance with one or three…” She laughed again and winked at him playfully.

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

Rhett: He grinned at her and nodded. “I didn’t forget. And as for those other frau-women-” Rhett wasn’t even going to try and slaughter the word, he’d done that enough on their trip so far. “Once they see me dancing with you, they’ll move on to some other unsuspecting stranger.” He chuckled at his words and his inability to dance. “Can we check out the rooms inside the castle? I wouldn’t mind seeing what made a castle back then.” This would probably be the first and last time he would see a castle, so Rhett wanted to make sure that if he could see what one looked like, he did. And who knew what they might find inside?

Dhara: “Frauline.” She said slowly to teach him, but she didn’t mind that he didn’t speak German. He tried and that was enough for her. “And yes we can see the inside. They are doing tours later, but perhaps we can go poke around before then?” The woman had finished and Dhara stood, thanking her and pressing a few Euro’s in her hand as a tip. She moved to Rhett and slid her arm through his, holding him close as they began to walk around the well lit courtyard. The smell of the delicious food was making her mouth water and her stomach gave a little rumble that she ignored.

Slowly they made their way towards the castle entrance, finding the doors standing open and music filtering from inside. A smile lit her face as she recognized the sound of Beethoven’s Fur Elise played on piano and violin. Her fingers tapped lightly along Rhett’s arm, keeping time with the music that seemed to wash over her. “I love Germany…” She murmured absently, not realizing she had spoke out loud, nor aware of the longing in her voice, though a pang of homesickness made itself known in that moment.

Rhett: “What’s Germany infamously known for? Other than its dark beer and beautiful ladies?” Rhett looked right at Dhara as he said that, a large grin on his face as they entered through the castle entrance. “Is skiing still a thing in Germany?” Rhett had never skied before, though he could have. It wasn’t as if Canada didn’t get snow and didn’t have hills. “I think it was a thing. I remember commercials about beer and girls and skiing when I was in high school. Or around there.” Rhett said with a small chuckle, unsure of what he was actually talking about. Or if it was actually a real thing. Maybe it was just something made up by the beer company to depict a certain feeling about German beer. “I wouldn’t mind giving it a go if it is a thing. I don’t know how feasible it is at night though.” Rhett frowned a little, realizing how much their trip might be constricted because of him being unable to do things during the day; not that Dhara made any complaints so far.

Dhara: She chuckled softly and her hand slid down his arm, fingers lacing with his. “I do not think that Germany has ever recovered from two very dark things. Hitler and The Wall. But there is so much charm, so much history and culture. It is a shame those things cloud her history.” She looked thoughtful for a moment. “We could ski, there is places here and they have runs at night.” She smiled up at him, pausing by an expansive buffet table and selecting a couple of small tarts.

They continued to walk, passing the small string quartet and grand piano. She took in the castle, thinking about his questions a bit more. “Although… if you want to cut our trip short, we could do something cheesy and kind of cliche…” She looked up at him and grinned. “We could go to Romania and then go to the castle of Vlad the Impaler… there’s even a small village at the base of the Carpathians and I bet they have skiing, too.”

Rhett: Vlad the Impaler. Everyone knew who that was; if not for the supposed vampire lore that surrounded the guy, then his historical reputation for impaling his enemies. Rhett looked at the buffet as Dhara grabbed some things off it, thinking about it.

It was probably cliche. Cheesy? Rhett wasn’t sure about that. It could be a really good history lesson-which was what Dhara was into or it could be a bunch of mythos about vlad and vampires. Which could be interesting to hear and maybe even funny. “Since we could do both with the last option, let’s do that.” Rhett could bring back some stories about Vlad and maybe some comparisons to the lore of Vlad and this version of vampires compared to those of Harper Rock. “What’s that?” Rhett pointed to something that was in a bowl on the table, it looked like pudding, but had a different kind of consistency to it and was red.

Dhara: She gave a small squeal of excitement when he agreed they could go to Romania and her hand tightened on his. She had been to Romania many many times but never to Vlad’s castle or the village that was at the base of it and now she wished they were there right now. His question distracted her and it took a moment to track what he was saying. She finally found the dish and smiled.

“Rote grutze.” She said with a chuckle, “It tastes much better than it looks, I assure you. It’s got red and black currants, raspberries, strawberries. Then you add a touch of sugar and some sweet cream and viola.” She chuckled softly and couldn’t resist taking up a spoon and sampling a bit of the treat, then placing the spoon in a bin just for that purpose. “I really wish you could taste it.”

Rhett: Her hand tightening on his let Rhett know that he had made the right choice after all. That Dhara had wanted to go there, probably more than to some place where all they could do was ski at night. “Rote gruce.” Rhett tried to say the dish, but again failed just a little bit this time. “Do you think it will be hard to get a place now that we’re changing things up?” Vlad’s castle was probably a big tourist attraction, but October had to be an off season because kids were back at school, which meant people were back at work, right?

“I kind of miss food. But, I think anything tastes better than a days old blood from the butcher shop.” He admitted with a laugh and shrugged. There wasn’t anything he could really do about it, other than sink his fangs in a person and that wasn’t something he was about to do. “So maybe I don’t really miss it. I just dislike the having to drink blood thing.” Rhett made sure to say it low enough so only she would hear, just in case someone happened to have the same idea of coming in early and looking around.

Dhara: She listened closely to him and gave his hand another squeeze. She had finished the little tarts and now they were wandering about, luckily only she could hear what he said. Her amber eyes turned upwards to look at him. “I wish I could change that for you. Or help you some how.” They’d never spoken about him feeding on her. She had never offered and he had never asked. Perhaps it was just a quiet understanding that he didn’t like feeding on humans and she refused to be a midnight snack. In spite of Rhett’s aversion to feeding off humans, she had considered offering. She couldn’t imagine drinking day old blood was very appetizing. The only thing that stopped her was fear, plain and simple. She knew Rhett wouldn’t hurt her, but she also didn’t want to become a vampire. “So… what would you like to see first?” She asked, trying to change the subject.

Rhett: “You did. With the pig farm. And here in Germany, it’s only temporary.” He said with a small shrug before moving past the subject and thinking about what he wanted to see first. Maybe it was cliche and very guy like, but Rhett didn’t actually know a lot about what made a castle. Bedrooms, kitchens, entertainment rooms and then there was the room he wanted to see the most out of those he knew about. “The weapons room.” Rhett said with a small chuckle before shrugging. “I’m not much of a cook and now there isn’t really a need to learn…and I’m sure the room we’re staying in has better amenities.” He ended with a grin, eyes on Dhara.

Dhara: She blushed at the way he was looking at her and cleared her throat gently. “That will be down near the dungeons, at least the main weapons. They have a small room usually on the main level in case of attack. Sort of a way to hold off while the main force gets ready.” She took his hand and lead him down a hallway, finding the room he was most interested in. “Here we are.” She said softly, pausing in the doorway. While she could appreciate the history of a room like this, it just really wasn’t her thing.

Rhett: Dungeon. How could he forget castles had those? He certainly remembered reading about those in history class. He followed Dhara, his hand grasping hers tightly as they walked. He waited until they were in the room to ask a question; one that had been on his mind before. “Does the cold bother you?” It seemed random, probably because it was; but Rhett’s eyes shot down to his hand around hers, indicating that he was talking about his body temperature and not the temperature of the room.

From there, his eyes moved around the room to the various weapons on display, their name on the wall next to the weapon and what it was primarily used for by guards and military. He probably wouldn’t remember any of them once they left the room-weapons weren’t really his area of expertise or forte, but it was cool to see how changed weapons had become over the centuries at least.

Dhara: The question caught her by surprise and she looked at their joined hands, then up at him with a small smile. “No, not really. When we’re together it’s like you absorb the heat from my body. You never feel cold to me.” She looked around the room with a small smile. “If you could use any one of these weapons, which would it be and why?” She asked curiously. She knew her choice, she wouldn’t use a single one. She had no idea how to fight or protect herself. At least not with any thing more dangerous that a book of literature.

Rhett: He nodded his head and smiled a little bigger. He hadn’t thought about that possibility, but it made sense. It was basic science, really. Rhett looked around the room at the weapons and then pointed to one that kind of looked like an axe of sorts. “That one.” Rhett leaned closer to read what its name was. “That one. The francisca, because I’m sure I could cut some wood with it and to start a fire with that wood.” It was probably a really lame answer, but Rhett wasn’t really the fighting type, he was more the practical type and fire did a lot of things. Kept people warm, cooked food and well, as a last resort, maybe even keep people at bay.

Dhara: She laughed at his rather practical answer and smiled warmly. “I do love a good fire…” She didn’t finish her sentence because her mind wandered to things that weren’t very family friendly, things that made her blush to think about. Like how firelight would play across his skin. Instead she cleared her throat and looked around, muttering an excuse about it being warm in the room. “Do you want to go see the dungeon?” She asked instead, moving just a bit away to step into the hall. She figured going down into the depths of the castle would be a far better idea that staying here where her mind was travelling to places it had no right to go.

Rhett: The dungeon. They were already by it, weren’t they? Not that that had been his first thought that crossed his mind. He cleared his throat at the ideas that cropped up in Rhett’s mind and then nodded. “Yeah. Sure.” He said, his voice a little scratchy as he said that. “We’re already here.” Rhett added to his thought, finding his voice again. “What’s your favorite room in a castle?” He asked, at her side once again as she took him towards the dungeon.

Dhara: “No, this is just the small weapons room.” She paused and grasped a thick metal ring, tugging hard to pull the iron banded wooden door open. Behind it lay a dark stone staircase, spiraling down out of view. “Down there is the dungeon.” She said almost softly. “My favorite? I like the tower, because you can see for miles… it’s an amazing view.”

She took his hand and began the slow descent, each cautious step placed carefully on the worn stone. The sound of dripping water could be heard faintly echoing up the stairs. “There are some things about dungeons which are complete truth, and others that are just made up. Like Iron Maiden’s. Those are fake. But the rack… now that is a real and painful torture.” She shivered at the idea as her voice echoed back to him.


Rhett: ”Didn’t they put people in the tower before they killed them?” Rhett asked, sure that he had read that somewhere. “Sorry.” He said with a chuckle, realizing how morbid that sounded. “Were dungeons always in the basement?” He asked, genuinely intrigued. It probably made the most sense, there probably were little to no windows, which meant the only way out was through the guards. And good luck with that.

“Was it the rack that was painful, or the tools used on it?” Didn’t they stretch people on that? Cut things off too? Was that what was used to disembowel people? Or had Rhett just read too much garbage on it growing up? He had read a lot of stuff on the Iron Maiden and thought for sure that had been real. But if you took all that nasty stuff away, all you had was a real steady surface and, well, yeah. He coughed into his free, closed palm and took a look around the room once they hit the last stairs.

Dhara: “The rack was used for a few things. Ripping limbs off mostly. Drawing and quartering was usually done by horses.” They stood in an antechamber, with only a strong, scarred wooden table and some low stools, along with a large fireplace. The crackling firelight danced along the walls, showing them slick with moisture. “This is where the guards sit, usually listening to the screams of the damned.” She tried to stick with history but her mind seemed to have one thought and one thought only. She looked around the room and then chuckled. “It depends on the Castle I suppose? Some tower rooms are just where the princess was kept. Some were where the ladies of the castle sat and did their sewing. The towers could be used for anything.”

Rhett: ”Hmmm.” Rhett said as he kept eyeing the room up, thinking on what Dhara had said. It seemed like punishment to him-to be kept in a tower, way up high, away from the main area of the castle. But it probably kept members of the royal family pretty safe too. Seemed like a catch-22 in his head. “Do you think this is the real, deal?” Rhett moved closer to the wooden table, his hand slowly pulling free from Dhara’s as he did this. “Or is it a really detailed replica of the real deal?” A hand went to the table, knuckles cracking down on it as he rapped the top of the wood surface, checking to see if it was wood all the way through, or if it was wood covering some cheap plywood or something close like it. “Sounds real. Or at least real wood.” The fist uncoiled as his hand became flat so that Rhett could run it over the surface of the table.

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

Dhara: “I’m certain it’s the real thing. This castle has been here for hundreds of years. Nearly everything in it is authentic. I mean there’s a few things that have been replaced, like mattresses and some of the curtains. But they stayed as authentic as they could with it.” She watched him near the table and smiled as she took in the sight of him. She moved past him to a large wooden door with a tiny window covered in bars. A window she was nowhere near tall enough to see through. “In here are the cells. Of course they’ve been scrubbed clean and mocked up, but the cells are original to the castle.” She tugged on the ring, but lacked the strength to pull open the heavy door with its rusted hinges.

Rhett: It was real. Rhett just nodded his head, agreeing and figuring as much. It sounded real when he thrummed his knuckles on it. The mention of cells moved Rhett’s attention off the table and to Dhara who was struggling to open the door. “Here.” He said after pushing away from the table and over to her. His hand closed over hers and he pulled the door with her assistance. When it creaked open, he let out a whistle as he took in the sight. It was exactly how he imagined a cell to look from a long time ago. “It’s cold in here.” He commented as a draft of air came towards them. “I can’t imagine they kept prisoners for any long period of time.” Because they probably all died in a couple weeks tops-if they weren’t killed by treacherous methods, was what he thought but didn’t say. He pulled her hand with his off the ring and waited for her to go in. She could be a natural historian or tour guide in Rhett’s mind.

Dhara: She slid her hands in to his, shivering with the cold draft. “Prisoners were kept packed in the cells. Sometimes dozens in one tiny cell. Usually dressed in rags with dirty straw and blankets filled with bugs. Food, if any was given, was dry bread and stale water. Rotting meat if they were lucky.” They walked down the chilly stone corridor, hand in hand, pausing before one cell with an open door. “Those rings are where they would run chains through to shackle prisoners to the wall.”

She rubbed her free hand over her arm, chasing away imaginary ghosts that seemed to be lingering in the dank room. “Sometimes the prisoners would struggle so much they left bloody wounds that were left to fester and rot.” Her nose crinkled slightly. “Being in these cells was often a worse torture than being interrogated and stretched on the rack.”

Rhett: His eyes stayed on the rings where chains once were as he listened. Rhett nodded for a second time. Between the starvation, the smell, overcrowded cells and whatever else-he would have to agree. Being interrogated to death would probably be a better scenario than ending up in here. He looked down at Dhara’s arm as she rubbed at it, and then nodded his head back in the direction that they came from. “Enough doom and gloom for me for the night. I could think of a lot of other things we could be doing.” His eyes roamed down to her, while a small grin played on his lips. “Come on.” He turned on his feet slowly, letting her decide if she was coming or wanted to look at a few more other things in here.

Dhara: That look. That was all it took to make a blush heat her cheeks, revealing the freckles that sprinkled across the apples and over the bridge of her nose. Her hand was still tucked in his, and she had no doubts that he could hear how her heart thudded against her chest with that small grin he turned on her. She knew this feeling, she had felt it before. But rather than call it what it truly was, she simply put it down to lust. And though she knew she could tell herself that, she also knew it was a lie. Maybe some day the truth would come out, but not now, not tonight.

“Yes, I agree…” She said, once she realized she’d been staring at him dumbly for far too long. She only hoped he hadn’t been able to read the emotions crossing her face. An open book, all the time, she mentally crossed her fingers that Rhett would ignore whatever he thought he saw. “Do you want to see more of the festival or head back to our rooms?” An innocent enough question, especially when she turned those wide amber eyes up to him.

Rhett: Dhara was staring at him, and he was staring at her-or mostly the color on her cheeks. There wasn’t anyone else in the room but them, so the variation in her heartbeat was heard. When she talked, Rhett looked away, scratching at the side of his neck with the three cross tattoos on it.

Her question was a heavily loaded one in Rhett’s eyes, even if she didn’t know it. If they left now, would Dhara think he didn’t appreciate all the effort put out by her? If they stayed, what would she think? “There’s one thing we should do before we go back to our suite.” Rhett said after remembering one thing from earlier in the night. He didn’t say what that was until they were out of prison area. “I think I still owe you a dance.” Again, even though he couldn’t dance, she had mentioned it once or twice and so, Rhett could be a good sport about it, look like an idiot for a few minutes and end the night on a positive note. At least he hoped so.

Dhara: Her face lit up when he mentioned dancing, though she couldn’t help but laugh softly. “I suppose I could spare you… and just let you watch…” She looked very thoughtful as the music for a rather common Zillertaler Hochzeitsmarsch began to play and she laughed, almost wickedly. “But I am not that nice!” She tugged his hand and dragged him towards the dance floor. She slid her hand into his, and then placed his other hand on her tiny waist. “Watch the others, follow with me… it’s a good thing you can pick me up.”

She laughed again and then suddenly tugged him to the side managing to keep time with the other dancers. Was it cruel to throw him into the deep end with both feet first? Probably. But by the same token, he had vampire reflexes and could keep up. They hopped, they turned, they spun, there were lifts and flips and lots of hooting and cheering. She couldn’t help the sound of pure, joyous laughter as they danced, her cheeks flushed from the exertion and the slightly cold air, her eyes sparkling with happiness. Was the dance perfect? No. Rhett was new and she was out of practice. And the other dancers were drunk or tipsy. But it was fun, and that was the entire point.

Rhett: Rhett hadn’t done as bad as he thought he did-but then again, it looked like no one really cared and a lot of people were just here to have a good time. And it helped that he had a good teacher and leader. Rhett wasn’t the type of guy to not let someone lead-if they had the ability, capability and knowledge to lead. But, when the song was done, Rhett stayed true to his course. One dance, even if it had been kind of fun, was all he promised for the night and now he was ready for the crowd to be left behind.

With Dhara still in his arms from a final lift, Rhett couldn’t help but gawk at her. The dance had brought a flush to her face again, her heart was racing from the dancing and her eyes were a brilliant light brown that radiated right through him. She captivated Rhett in everything Dhara did.


Rhett brought the small woman down, but didn’t let go of her. Instead, he kissed her, because he felt like it. Because he hadn’t in awhile. “Let’s ditch the party.” Rhett suggested with a grin that was bigger than before, his fingers squeezing her petite ones as he led them away from the drinking, music, dancing and festivities.

Dhara: Hand in hand, they slipped from the castle courtyard and collected their mounts. The ride back to the hotel was one of comfortable silence and anticipation. Once they got back to the hotel, their horses were collected by a surprisingly sober young man and taken back to the stables. They made their way up to their room and settled on the balcony. They had the perfect view for the fireworks that lit the night sky over the castle and when it was over they went inside to make some fireworks of their own.

*******Wallachia, Romania - 1 week later******

After the first party, they had spent the next 7 days exploring all parts of the village she had spent part of her life in, and the surrounding towns and cities around it. They had taken in museums, theater, and she had eaten more food than she could remember. Then it was a train ride in a private car to Romania where they holed up in a quaint hotel. The village they were in was at the base of the mountains and on a clear day, you could just glimpse the historic Poenari Castle. At this rate, she was starting to think she’d never want to return to Canada.


Rhett: Was it a little cliche for a vampire to go to the epi-center of where vampirism supposedly originated from? Maybe. Some people would probably say it was, but Rhett didn’t care. Dhara had suggested it and he wanted to know. Was it possible Vlad the Impaler had been a vampire? And to find out what was real and what was a bunch of heresay, was to go to the source. Cut the middle man and the stories out.

The hotel was smaller than the one in Bavaria, but that wasn’t a disappointment or a surprise. It had been short notice on their ends, so anything that had a room with a bed big enough where they both could sleep in was fine with Rhett.

After they were settled in the hotel, Rhett put some brochures he had picked up from the check-in counter on the bed for Dhara and him to both look at. He had skimmed a couple of them on the elevator ride up to their room, but hadn’t figured out which tour, if any, was better than the others. “So, there’s a weekend with Dracula and then a mysterious night with Dracula.” Rhett pointed to each brochure as he mentioned it. “The weekend one would be cool, if most of it wasn’t during the day. But, my schedule shouldn’t hamper a once in a life-time opportunity for you. Maybe we could try and schedule both?” Rhett’s gaze moved off the brochures and to Dhara as he waited to hear what she had to say about it.

Dhara: She flopped on the bed and leaned against his side as they read the brochures. “I’d love to do both, but I worry. What if we have to stay at the castle? What do we do for you during the day?” She nibbled on the corner of her lip as she looked them over. She was excited to share this with him and wanted them both to have the best time possible. “Don’t you think it would seem strange if you only came out at night for the tours? Then again, it is about a vampire, so maybe not so much?” She looked up at him with a grin and snuggled closer to his side.

Rhett: “Both would be great and a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Rhett admitted before his gaze returned to the brochures. “But, for me, it’s just not going to happen. I’m lucky to be able to stay awake when I see the first sign of dawn in the horizon.” Rhett’s attention moved more towards the night tours, as he set the other brochure down on the bed to his side, opposite of the one Dhara was sitting against. “I don’t think anyone would find it strange. I’m sure a lot of people come and only do one or two of the tours and skip out to do other things.” Rhett nodded his head confidently. “I’m just concerned on where to get my food from.” Food meaning ‘blood,’ without Rhett actually saying it. “Don’t suppose you know Romania all that well, do you?” He set the last brochure down, putting it next to her, so Rhett would remember that this was the most promising option out of the others.

Dhara: She shook her head slightly. “Not as well as I know Germany. But the language is similar and I bet I can find dinner for you.” She smiled as she cuddled against him, relaxing in their new room. Small and cozy, she found she liked it a lot better than the lavish suite they’d had, even though that one would always be in her memory. Her small hand ghosted lightly over his until her palm settled against the back of his hand. Long, dainty fingers laced easily with his as she thought about what to do. She was ravenous and she imagined Rhett was, too. And while dinner was easy for her, it wasn’t so much for him, and once again she had the fleeting thought of offering him her wrist. She shied away from the idea as she always did, holding his hand and thinking quietly.

“I think there was a butcher a couple of doors down, actually. If you’re hungry, we can make that our first stop. Luckily we’re in a part of the world where ordering that kind of thing is normal. Blood is used in all kinds of recipes so it’s not strange to ask for a pint or two.” She looked up at him again and smiled warmly.

Rhett: Dhara focused on the one part of the conversation that came up last, and for now Rhett would let it be. They came here to see the vampire mythos and after they figured out the dinner situation, he’d broach that topic again. “Why don’t we stop there first and then hit a place for you to get something to eat? Maybe we could take that to go too, like my dinner, and bring it back here and relax for the night?” There would always be tomorrow to bring up the tours again, but tonight? Tonight Rhett wanted nothing more to do than to take care of some basic needs and shamelessly some basic wants too.

Dhara: She studied him for a moment, and it was almost as if she could read his mind. Or perhaps it was simply the look in his eyes. A blush crept across her cheeks, making her usually invisible freckles stand out and she nodded with an equally slow smile curving her lips. “That sounds like a plan to me.” She agreed, pressing a kiss to his cheek, she slid off the bed and retrieved her shoes. Once he joined her, they set out for dinner to go, and came back to the hotel as quickly as they could. The rest of the evening was spent in bed, though not much sleeping was done that night.

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

*******Wallachia, Romania - Day 2******

Rhett: For a usual go getter when the sun set, Rhett wasn’t in a hurry to leave the bed, or Dhara’s side. After doing his usual routine of inflating his lungs and working on his limbs, Rhett rolled over on his side and let an arm come to rest around the tiny woman that shared the bed with him. “Hey.” He said with a grin as his hand found the top of the bed as his arm came to rest on Dhara comfortably. His lips came to the back of her neck and in what he thought was a Romanian accent, he spoke in jest, “I vant to suck yer bloooood.” It sounded nothing like a Romanian accent, either lost because Rhett was a foreigner or because he was chuckling while saying it. “Or a kiss.” His regular dialect and tone returned to normal as Rhett unwound his arm from Dhara’s form so he could come to rest on his back.

Dhara: She shivered and snuggled closer as Rhett put his arm around her and kissed her neck. “Mmm” She said with a soft laugh. There was no better way to wake up than at his side. When he rolled on to his back, she rolled over and snuggled against him, giving him a light kiss before mumbling something about ‘morning breath that could kill a dragon’. Was it that bad? Probably not. Was she ultra self-conscious about it? Absolutely. But instead of rushing off to brush her teeth, she snuggled contentedly against his muscular body and let herself wake slowly.

Rhett: Rhett heard the comment but didn’t make his own comment about it. He wondered, silently, if Dhara knew that his hearing was more amplified than hers probably was-but figured she had to know. Dhara knew more vampires than Rhett probably knew. But to push aside any personal concerns, Rhett wormed down in the bed so the two were eye level, where he could initiate another kiss. “Are we going to go meet a real vampire tonight?” Rhett asked her, his eyes highlighted with humor as they focused on Dhara, wondering what was on her mind for the night.

Dhara: She chuckled and snuggled closer, tucking her head beneath his chin for a moment before she leaned back to look at him with a grin. “I already know a real vampire.” She teased as they held each other. “But yes, we’re going to the castle tonight. There’s a couple of horses who will take us half way, but we have to hike the rest. I hope you’re up for it.” She chuckled again and snuggled deeper into the covers and thought about the evening ahead. She had taken the time to read the brochures when they lay snuggled in bed, basking in the afterglow. “Shower and food first though. I worked up an appetite last night.” She teased him shamelessly, even though she was the one blushing.

Rhett: A grin stretched on his lips when she referred to knowing a real vampire; which was talking about him. Sure, he was a vampire through and through, but Rhett wasn’t your cookie cutter type of vampire. As Dhara was learning-not that she complained or talked down about the way he choose to live life as a vampire. Which was not feeding on any humans or even buying blood bags that humans might need later. Buying animal blood would be the best way for Rhett to ‘live,’ but not many people sold that in Harper Rock. Here, on this side of the world, Rhett was actually more comfortable with who-or what he was since becoming a vampire.

His grin didn’t fade when Dhara mentioned being hungry because of last night-but Rhett didn’t comment on it. He wasn’t the type of guy to talk himself up or be cocky over what happened last night. “We could order in and take advantage of the time we would waste looking for something to eat somewhere.” There was a small chuckle as a hand ran up Dhara’s thigh and came to rest on her butt. “By showering. Or something.” He wasn’t going to brag or gloat about last night, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t thinking about last night and how it could continue to tonight.

Dhara: She chuckled and nestled closer to him, tucking her head under his chin and sliding a leg over his hips. “I like how that sounds. I can’t decide what sounds better… hot coffee or hot boyfriend… I mean shower…” She drawled out, her German accent was thicker, hiding all trace of the touch of Aussie that normally lingered in her words. She knew they’d have time for breakfast, a hot shower, a…. work out… and a little sightseeing before the tour began.

Rhett: His smile turned into a slightly devious one as the hand on her butt remained, and another wrapped around her, tugging Dhara up on him. “Well, let’s see if I can help your decision sway in my favor a little bit.” A kiss to her forehead was given before Rhett sprang up out of bed, towing Dhara with him in his arms as they headed to the bathroom to start their night.

Dhara: She moved willingly and happily straddled him, her mind most assuredly not on the shower. Especially when he placed a kiss to her forehead. Usually those kisses trailed downwards. So when he sprang out of bed with her in his arms, a soft yelp of surprise slipped free, followed by a laugh as he carried her. When they reached the small bathroom, she slipped free and went immediately to brush her teeth while he started the shower.

She watched him, the smile in her eyes as she did. He was certainly easy on the eyes, and she stared shamelessly. The tattoos only enhanced every thing she loved about him. She rinsed her mouth and toothbrush, then picked up the small plastic compact off the sink. Extracting one of the tiny little pills, she popped one in her mouth and washed it down with a swallow of water. She was certainly glad she’d started on those little gems almost a year ago. Wandering over to join him by the shower, she tested the water. Rhett didn’t seem to realize when he made it far too hot for her. But he was learning. With a grin, she hopped in under the spray, stealing his chance to be first.

Rhett: While Rhett played with the water temperature, his eyes would wander from the water, to Dhara as she brushed her teeth. It wasn’t as if someone brushing their teeth was all that fascinating-it was one of those things you needed and had to do unless you wanted to get a mouth full of metal or whatever they used to fill cavities, but just watching Dhara do her routine was what had Rhett’s attention. The way she moved around. The way she stood and her reflection in the mirror. Just stupid things he liked about Dhara. Maybe not stupid, but things that were probably unimportant and stupid to other people.

With his attention on Dhara, or the actions of Dhara, she managed to sneak in the shower just before he could and he simply shook his head, still wearing that grin. Arms slid around the woman’s upper body as he followed after Dhara, facing her as Rhett took most the water given his height advantage over Dhara, as his back faced the spray of the shower. His lips grazed the top of her head, as his hands trailed down over the front of Dhara’s petite frame, discarding the idea of a productive shower for a more pleasurable one.

Dhara: “We’re never going to get anywhere…” She murmured, giving in to the demands of desire. And while she was partly wrong, they did spend longer than normal in the shower. Eventually emerging satiated, squeaky clean, and wrinkly from the constant water. Surprisingly enough, at some point, breakfast had been delivered, though she couldn’t remember ordering it. Wrapped in a thick robe, she shuffled over, drawn in by the smell of coffee. Another carafe was sealed tightly, the contents inside it strictly for Rhett.

Taking her strong black coffee and his carafe, she found a seat on the edge of the bed, offering him ‘breakfast’ as she relaxed with her coffee. “You’re going to be on a horse again.” She pointed out with a grin, sipping her drink. “One smaller, I think. Sturdier. But they say the ride is tougher. So just remember as we’re climbing up the mountain, stand up slightly and try to lean over the horse's neck, that way you can help them climb.”

Rhett: Rhett claimed a spot on the bed next to Dhara after the ‘shower,’ and looked at down at the offered breakfast. After he shifted on the bed so the towel on his waist wasn’t constricting any lower extremities from movement, Rhett poured it in a cup, much like Dhara’s own coffee cup, and thought about what she said about the way to travel on a horse. The last experience on a horse had its hiccups, but Rhett had hoped after a bad first time, the second would be much easier, or a better outcome at least. “Stand up a little and lean forward.” Rhett repeated with a nod. Hopefully he would remember, but horses had a mind of their own. Or Rhett just had a weird aversion to them because they were unpredictable. It was probably the latter, but not something he was going to openly admit. “By the time I get used to riding a horse, it will be time to go home.” Rhett said quietly, taking a drink of his breakfast. “Just means we’ll have to go to other horse riding places.” He finished off the thought on a typical high note, refusing to see any negative in the fact that they would have to return home soon. “Thanks for coming with me again.” His eyes moved to Dhara’s face before Rhett took another drink from his coffee cup.

Dhara: She sipped her coffee as they talked and smiled when he suggested going riding back home. A smile that only grew when he thanked her for travelling with him. “Truth be told… I needed to get away as much as you did.” She wouldn’t mention the memories she was running from. This trip was about them and had no room for ghosts of the past. “So thank you for letting me tag along.” She leaned in to him and kissed his cheek before polishing off her coffee.

It didn’t take them long to dress. Her in her usual skirt and blouse, him in jeans and a t-shirt. She reminded him to take a coat to help blend in, and before long they were standing near a string of horses with a dozen or so other people. The excitement was clear in her amber eyes as they all mounted up and she moved her horse near his. “Remember, stand slightly and lean forward.” She demonstrated for him and then they were off.

As they clopped through the town they were able to ride side by side, but as they headed for the hills, the group turned into a string, the horses naturally falling into a line. Rhett was behind her and that was some what by choice. She knew he was nervous on a horse and she was an experienced equestrian, so she would provide a good visual example when the climb got steeper.

Rhett: Rhett had been all too happy with letting Dhara go in front of him, because he knew the view would be great. And he wasn’t wrong. He did just as she did, but sometimes he had to remind himself that he shouldn’t be staring at her as much as he was. There was a time or two when Rhett either leaned too far forward and heard a very nasally ‘baaaaach,’ from a man behind him who was trying to help Rhett stay on his horse when his attention was on Dhara and not what was going on around him.

He didn’t mind riding horses to get where they needed to go, but when they finally got to the castle, Rhett didn’t wait to more or less jump off the horse and find ground again. He gave the horse a good solid brush on the side, along with a pat and a couple words. “Thanks for seeing me through.” As in, thanks for not letting him fall off the sides of the mountain and die.

Rhett moved over to where Dhara was and waited patiently for her to dismount from her horse before he stretched an arm out and captured one of her hands in his. “Can’t have you wandering too far. Who knows what type of vampires live in this part of the world.” He grinned down at her, his other hand scratching the side of his neck, where the three crosses were before he looked around at the people and the size of the castle.

Dhara: Her hand was enveloped in his and she moved closer to him, looking up with a grin. “Afraid Dracula will steal me away?” She teased as they climbed the last few feet to the crumbling castle. Her laughter and teasing fell away as she took in the awe inspiring sight. She could almost feel the things that happened in this place so so long ago. It made her rather somber as she took in the sights. The tour guide joined them and began speaking in heavily accented English, leading them into the dark interior of the castle.

Rhett: He chuckled at the question and shook his head lightly. “Nah. I hear that guy has an aversion to garlic and sleeps in a coffin. Kind of puts a damper on a dinner date and other things.” He squeezed her hand as they walked inside the castle, the tour guide flicking on a light that turned an old fashioned chandelier that once upon a time used to be lined with candles, on thanks to modern electricity. Rhett’s eyes took a couple seconds to adjust as the guide welcomed them to the home of Vlad Drăculea, Vlad the Impaler, or better known as Dracula himself. She informed them that by the time they left, they would hear what was fact and what was myth and that it would be up to each person to decide who Vlad Drăculea really was.

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

Dhara: “Doubt it…” she breathed softly in regard to the tour guides comment about separating myth from fact. The legend of Dracula was a worldwide sensation, fueled by books, movies and trash that was supposed to be literature. It would be far too hard to separate things completely these days.

They walked through the castle listening to the guide, with only the occasional barely spoken comment from Dhara. Comments only Rhett could hear. Some were serious, others were mostly designed to try and make him laugh. Her small hand stayed tucked firmly in his, and she kept close to his side. The thought crept in that soon they would have to leave this magical place far behind and return home.

Rhett: For the most part, Rhett was a pretty serious, no funny business kind of guy. But with Dhara and her quirky personality, a different side of Rhett reared its head every once in awhile. A more laid back, casual and even fun side of Rhett. It was difficult not to be a little more relaxed with Dhara around and the things she said or did.

“Ever known a vampire to really sleep in a coffin?” Rhett asked quietly as the tour started to head to another room, leaving behind them a room filled with plastic molds of food served back then, along with Vlad the Impaler's supposed favorite thing to eat...and drink. The latter being blood. “Could be kind of cozy.” Rhett commented with a chuckle before he wrapped an arm around Dhara’s waist, scooped her up and ditched the group for a different room in the opposite direction. This room had a large wooden writing desk pressed against a wall, a clock made of the same type of wood on the opposite wall and various dead animal skulls. Something with horns, maybe deer. That would be Rhett’s best guess, but he was no animal expert; especially not when it came to the wildlife of Germany or Romania. “Seems like a regular guy to me. Hunts, writes letters. Doesn’t scream...vampire.” Sort of like Rhett. Maybe vampires back in Vlad’s day lived by some of the same codes Jesse talked about the first couple of nights Rhett was a vampire.

Dhara: She giggled as he carried her off, looking around the room for a moment, then shrugged. “A coffin wouldn’t allow much room for anything but sleeping. And they say he only became a vampire after his wife threw herself from the parapets to escape the Turks.” She looked around and moved closer, not liking the dead animal parts everywhere. “But then again, who knew what he did before that? I mean being given to the enemy probably messed with his head more than a little.”

She looked around again, then moved to the desk, stroking her fingers along the wood. She loved the old styles. The carpets, heavy woods, towering bookshelves. She swore she could still smell the faint scent of tallow candles in the air, but knew it was probably her overactive imagination. “And no, I don’t know any vampires who actually sleep in a coffin. Do you?”

Rhett: “Not a single one.” Rhett shook his head before he shrugged a little. “Guess we could write that down as a myth.” He muttered as Rhett spun around to look at the room entirely and not just sections of it. “I don’t know any that are bothered by garlic or crosses either.” He confessed-but if his time wasn’t spent with Dhara, it was with a few Fforde members and it wasn’t like they sat around talking about the things they could and couldn’t do. “Sunlight though-that we could put in the truth category.” He stopped spinning around and let his focus return on Dhara as she stood next to the heavy, ancient wood desk that Vlad used at some point in his life.

The couple only had those few minutes by themselves before the group entered this room and the tour guide gave them a look that was along the lines of ‘what are you doing in here?’ “I had to go to the bathroom. Got lost on the way back.” Rhett spoke up as the lady’s eyes landed on him. “Guy was a good hunter.” Rhett spoke absently as he found a place next to Dhara once again, their hands interlocking for another time tonight.

Dhara: She pointedly turned away so the guide wouldn’t see her smile, muttering something under her breath, her fingers still on the cool wood of the desk as the woman began rambling again. Dhara’s voice was pitched just for Rhett’s ears. “I heard once that sometimes holy objects bother some vampires. And I mean heard it recently. I think it just depends on how deeply your beliefs run. Belief is the catalyst for all things.” She tucked her hand into his and leaned in to his solid frame.

Rhett: Rhett hadn’t heard that, but it’s possible. Very possible. Dhara knew a lot about vampires and knew a lot of vampires; well, a lot for one person. Jesse had told Rhett that there were dozens upon dozens of vampires, but Dhara knew a couple. That seemed like a lot for a human. Rhett wondered if he should be concerned. Dhara was a nice person, much like himself, but what if she ran into the wrong vampire for a second time? Another scratch at his neck, as Rhett pondered this idea, but realized that what would happen was she would bring them back to that apartment and any bad ideas from other vampires would be turned off when they ran into him. It was stupid to be concerned about Dhara. Especially when she has a good head on her shoulders. Still, Rhett couldn’t help but be a little protective of Dhara. Of his girlfriend. The arm around her shoulders probably said that more than him actually needing to say that.

The tour started leaving the room, but Rhett wasn’t moving yet. Not until everyone was almost out of the room before he nudged them both to the door. “Ready to go back to the land of real vampires?” He was torn. Rhett knew he had to go back home-that they couldn’t stay here forever, or for too long, but he was oddly comfortable here. Was it the place, or was it because of Dhara? If it was because of her, then no matter where they were, Rhett knew he could be comfortable.

Dhara: “Not really.” She admitted, her arm around his waist, the comforting weight of his arm over her shoulders. Her tiny frame was tucked securely against his much larger one and she sighed at the thought of returning home. “But I know we have too. I just don’t want to give this up. This month has been amazing.” They were lagging behind the group, earning dirty looks, given the lateness of the hour. “I mean… when we get back our lives will take over… you’ll find an apartment, we won’t see each other as much. There’s work and being responsible and blech.” She crinkled her nose and held him tighter. “I am determined to savor our last nights away.”

Rhett: “An apartment in the same complex.” Rhett reminded her, but hoped that didn’t sound too crazy, stalker boyfriend. “If there’s openings. It’s a really cool set up. With all the shops and the atm on the main floor. Definitely useful.” He said with a casual shrug on his shoulders. “We saw each other before we came here.” He added in. Would they see each other as much as they were now? Probably not, but that didn’t mean Rhett wouldn’t find a way to see her, as long as Dhara was willing. “We’ll figure it out. Work things out.” Rhett assured her, because he wanted to keep seeing Dhara. The trip had went surprisingly well, and he liked spending time with her. His arms wrapped around her as the group progressed to another room, and held her in the room. “We will figure it out.” He assured her before his lips kissed the top of Dhara’s head. “Tomorrow we should do something different. Out of the ordinary and not so touristy.” Rhett gave her a small squeeze before he picked up a leg and headed in the direction of where the tour went.

Dhara: She chuckled and nodded, feeling more and more reassured thanks to him. She moved with him, following after the tour and then finally murmured quietly. “What if we explore the town? The hidden shops and things that tourists don’t find?” She suggested. She wasn’t huge on shopping, but here they were, in a tiny Romanian village, where they might never be again, so why not? “Maybe there’s a little gallery or some elderly people playing chess we can talk to. Hear local stories?” She was getting excited at the idea of just exploring the town.

Rhett: Explore the town. Why not? There had to be more than vampire tours that the city had to offer. “Yeah. Good idea.” He nodded his head. He wanted to get Kaelyn something anyways because he had skipped out on her Halloween party and felt a little guilty about it. Only because she was one of the few he knew and had a good opinion of. “I have to get something for a girl.” Rhett frowned as he thought about how that might sound. “She’s somehow ‘related.’” Didn’t Victor sire her? Rhett was pretty sure that was who her sire was, not that he talked to Victor a lot-but if he remembered right. “I skipped out on her Halloween party. Any ideas on what to get a girl?” Maybe Dhara would know since she was a girl once-not that Kaelyn was really a girl. A teenager, but it was still a little weird to him. He couldn’t ever sire someone, let alone someone that was not at least legal to drink. To each their own and not his business, even if it wasn’t his thing. “I don’t really know what she likes.” He confessed with a small laugh.

Dhara: She nodded at his explanation and nestled into his side. “I am sure we can think of something.” She said with one of her ever present smiles. The group had gone back outside, the tour was over and they were heading back to the small village and their quaint hotel. Contrary to their normal nightly activities, on this night, they simply snuggled up and talked until the first rays of dawn stole the life from him. She gave his cool cheek a kiss and snuggled in beside him to sleep the day away, knowing that the next night was their last one before going back to Canada. She wanted to be well rested so that they could spend as much time as possible exploring the village before coming back to the hotel for one last time.

Rhett: They would talk about a lot of different things before the sun rose and claimed the day once again. The highlights of the trip, primarily; the first things they would do when they got back home, his need to see Jesse as soon as Rhett could see him and how life would be the same between the two of them, as it was today, only in Harper Rock. Sure, they had their lives to get back to, work and other things, but Rhett was confident that their free time would be spent together for the most part. When the sun settled, they would spend the last of their night in the city finding that gift for Kaeyln and doing last minute things on a whim that they didn’t know existed before they traveled the city depths tonight. And as promised when it was time to leave, Rhett and Dhara left together.