Breathe a Little

[Storyteller]

Noelle
Noelle quit

Cristiana
Cristiana was working behind the bar, as usual. She wiped the bar passing drinks as they were ordered. In her uniform, the tee shirt that said Metronome club and the black jeans. Typical uniform. Another drink, and another. When the door opened she looked up and smiled. "Hey there, what can I get ya?" Her small accent disappearing the more she spoke.

Alaric von der Marck
It was not often that Alaric found himself in the middle of the city. Being easily overwhelmed by the noise and chaos of it -- both mental and physical -- he preferred to stick to the edges. But he couldn't live his life as a recluse, as much as he tried; he wanted to bring the von der Marck name out of the corporate mud it had been dragged through. He wanted to take his seat as CEO to do so. He could not be CEO and recluse. The two didn't jive. And thus he found himself where he'd prefer not to be -- a busy club in Wickbridge, busy despite the zombies outside, looking for one of the board members. They'd wanted to meet here, to go over some numbers. There was a heavy frown creasing Alaric's brow as he stepped through, pristine in one of his usual suits -- a navy blue, complete with vest and sensible tie -- he shook his head as he was asked what he wanted. "No, danke," he said. He'd had issues with blood lately -- even if they served it, he didn't want to push himself.

Cristiana
She smiled sweetly, laying the rag on the bar and heading around the bar. She showed the man to a table, "Kak khotite" (As you wish). There was so much to do in the club, but sometimes people just needed a bit of privacy and he seemed just that type. The way he walked in confused, the way his brow creased and eyes squinted like he didn't want to be here in the bar. She brought him to the back, the quieter area in the vip section. "I am Cristiana." She offered the booth seat, the most lush and comfortable. "Anything you need, and beyond I am at your service. Are you awaiting anyone?"

Alaric von der Marck
The woman came out from behind the bar, which Alaric had not expected. In places like this, so loud, with so many of its patrons with their phones in their pockets, and surely a computer in an office somewhere, and a modem and wifi signals flying through the air, Alaric found it hard to concentrate. He found that if he focus on one thing, it blocked out all else. So he focused on the woman who called herself Cristiana. Mental fingers reached out -- most of the time it happened without thought, this need to mentally engage. And he knew that she was a vampire. That she was an Allurist. "Ja," he said, taking the seat that had been offered, feeling a little more at ease in the quieter section of the club. He hadn't seen Nathaniel yet. But, Alaric had to smile, then. Even to laugh a little. "Beyond what I need? That is an obscure offer..."

Cristiana
As an Allurist, she flirted without knowing it. It was also part of the job to gain bigger tips, not that she needed a dime since she was wealthy. She slid into the booth beside him leaning in, "You tell me what you would like I am will make it happen, within reason of course. This place can be a great source of delight. Although sometimes it is .... overwhelming. Darling, you look like you need some calm..." She laid her hand on the table trying to be warm and inviting. "Back here, there is no people which makes it calmer. But the best part..." She pulled out the remote dropping the door and really sectioning off the room, shutting off the music coming from the speakers. "Is that better? Quieter?"

Alaric von der Marck
The things that Cristiana offered, the way she offered it -- the things that she did, allowed the elder to believe that she must be management. The way she suggested delight, he wondered what kind of an establishment Nathaniel had suggested. And Alaric had not been the recipient of much flirting in his time -- and in this day and age he was still trying to understand it, to come to terms with it. Women were so forward, now. He might have said that it bordered on inappropriate but if he said that to any woman in earshot he knew he'd be hounded, lauded as a misogynist. So he said nothing, despite appearing slightly uncomfortable. "Yes, thank you. But I am afraid that my business associate will not find me, now..." he said. "Is this a..." he struggled to find the words, knowing what he wanted to say but wondering if he'd got it wrong. "Stripping club...?"

Cristiana
Cristiana nearly burst out laughing, instead she let out a small coy chuckle. "Not hardly a strip club. But your associate will find you with ease. This is my club and people will report to me." She slid out of the stool and pressed a button, the phone on the wall (old fashioned phone) she spoke softly and sweetly. "Please let us know if anyone comes in looking for the gentlemen I have back here." After hanging up she slid back in. "There darling. It is all handled. Now, you look like you need to loosen that collar and need an ear. I am told I have two good ones." She was always pretty forward, it made her good at her job... "And you can tell me anything you wish. We all need to.... have a friend. A cutie pie like you needs to have friends." She smiled sweetly.

Alaric von der Marck
Alaric watched, curiously. He still had his doubts that Nathaniel would be able to find him. "His name is Nathaniel Stone," Alaric said, even after Cristiana had returned to her seat. "And my name is Alaric von der Marck. That is if he asks. He may not," he said. It was more likely that Nathaniel would find a seat, would wait for Alaric and, when Alaric did not come, would leave again. Most the board found it infuriating that the CEO refused to carry a mobile phone. Those who wanted to see him gone used it as a point of contention. "It is... common, that strangers tell their woes to strangers?" he asked. He did not know Cristiana, and Alaric was protective of his trust.

Cristiana
She reached up tapping a finger on the temple of her forehead, "They know who to look forward to seeing and who sent the request out for it. When he comes, he will be brought here. My thralls are out in the bar covering for me, while I get to know a handsome man as yourself." She kept the smile, a cheerful one, on her face, "It is a hazard of the job I am afraid. But it is not the only place in the city I own. I also own a wedding shop and recording studio... oh and home decorating company. What about you? I have been gone from the city for a while traviling... tell me what has become of the city please?"

Alaric von der Marck
These were safer topics, Alaric mused. Business, work. The city. The political climate, as it were. The way Cristiana tapped at her temple had Alaric delving deeper; she was one of those who'd had extensive training with wraiths. Perhaps she had more power than the elder, who'd lived centuries beyond this young vampire's timeline; but Alaric had never wished to have more power than he was naturally capable of. Not when he was overwhelmed enough as it was. "What has become of the city, I think, if a matter of opinion," he said. "It has... how do you say... gone to the dogs? They will say it is because of the rift, because of the zombies, ja? But I did not like it much before then. I have not been back long myself," he said with a coy smile.

Cristiana
Her eyes met his, "You have gone on an extensive vacation as I have?" She let her European accent slip a bit. It was rare she did let anyone hear the Romanian accent. Reaching up, she pulled the long flowing hair down. After coming out of the tight bun she kept it in at work, it touched her waist. It was hard to keep in tact while she was here. "It does seem to have hit some hellish points." Reaching to him, she gently touched his hand. "Welcome back home to you. And now this city seems a littel brighter with you here."

Alaric von der Marck
"I am not sure that I would call it a vacation," he said, voice low, frown returning as he recalled those centuries spent in darkness. A darkness he did not think that he would return from. Why should he? Death was death. There'd been no 'shadow realm' back then. There'd been no hope for a return. The touch was unexpected, though it shouldn't have been, given how cosy Cristiana was getting. The way she held his gaze was disconcerting. But it opened up the mental airwaves. He was learning more about her than she was saying. "You do not know me. How do you know that I would make the city brighter?"

Cristiana
She looked him up and down, seeing him inside and out. "You look to me like someone who has a tiny bit of hope inside. Someone who has the courage to do things, a go getter. You seek greater things than you have been given. You seen more than most should have, and you want to never see it again. Am I close?" She asked just curious. She had seen darkness, in people and life. Maybe she was just speaking how she felt. "Alaric is a lovely name. You are more entertaining than you give yourself credit for. I like getting to know you." Since he hadn't pulled his hand away, she gave it a little squeeze. He needed some reassurance it seemed. There was something... something he seemed to lack tonight. Maybe it was confidence, maybe it was he was just tired. Either way, she was there to help. Always there to help others

Alaric von der Marck
Alaric was wary of strangers and slow to open up. He did not believe that everyone deserved to hear his life story, such as it was. Not upon a first meeting. Not unless they asked. And only then, he would judge them by their character, by what he saw in them. But even being a telepath and having access to the inner life of others, still he could get them wrong. People were unpredictable in so many ways. The corner of his lip turned into a wry smile. He had a feeling she was using his own tricks against him, though he was not perturbed. He could not do unto others and not expect them to do the same unto him, if they had the ability. "Close," he said. "I do not seek greater things for myself, not always," he said. No, whatever he did he did so for others. "And you... you desire to be loved," he said. It wasn't a question, but a statement. He knew its truth. He didn't know how, but he did. ".. and you feel that you have not yet truly been loved," he said.

Cristiana
She sat back, shocked. He laid it on the line. It was the moment she couldn't speak. No words formed even though she wanted to say so much. Instead she nodded. "You have a special touch, don't you? Nathaniel or whomever you are meeting tonight, is missing out." She had a moment where the smile faultered on her lips but came back. She scooted closer in the seat. "A wise man sees without seeing, a wise woman hears without listening. The perfect couple is a blind woman and deaf man, yet I highly doubt that is truth. It was an old joke I heard. What do you think?" She started to trace small circles on his hand. Something to distract his attention to help him feel more at ease.

Alaric von der Marck
Alaric was curious. Curious about whether he'd been right. And when Cristiana sat back, shocked, that look on her face said it all. How had he known that?! He couldn't read her mind. He'd never been able to read anyone's mind -- not their thoughts, as they ran through their heads. Only memories, disjointed as they were. Only little things that had no bearing on their current state of mind. But here he was, and he knew what Cristiana desired most. And here she was, scooting closer, her touch strange to him and yet he did not pull away. "Nathaniel... is late. And would not know, regardless, what it is there is to miss out on," he said. If Alaric was closed-off with Cristiana, he was more so with his business associated. It was not their business to know his personal life, or vice versa. "I do not see how that joke is funny, and I do not think that it is true," he said. "I believe that love has many faces. Are you lonely?" he asked, quite happy to turn this conversation around. He'd listen to Cristiana's woes. He'd help her, as much as he was able.

Cristiana
That question posed many answes on many levels, "Aren't we all lonely in this city? You can be surrounded and feel lonely too." She said staring at him, her body pressed close to his. "Not all jokes are funny, there is always an air of truth to every joke. Isn't there?" He was interesting, to say the least. Speaking what she yearned the most, the hidden thing within her, had caught him off guard. The flash across his face said it was not something he was use to. "You are a gifted man, the gift of sight. In the gypsy world you would have been highly regarded and cherished. Protected by a tribe for your gifts." then as if on instinct, she gave an answer, instead of cat and mouse games, she was being straight forward. "Yes, I am lonely."

Alaric von der Marck
Alaric was not accustomed to having his personal space so invaded. Was it just love that Cristiana desired, or was it also the comfort of proximity, of touch? Alaric had boundaries. Traditional boundaries that his family often laughed at him for, but they were habits that were hard to break. He cleared his throat; as uncomfortable as he was, he didn't move. Would he offend her if he did? "I am not special. There are many in this city with the same gifts. I think that you, too, share, them," he said. "And loneliness is a state of mind," he said with a frown. He himself was lonely, but he did not think there was a cure for his particular brand. If there was a cure, it would take centuries to curate. "Seek to understand those around you, and allow them to understand you in turn. That, I think, is a cure for loneliness."

Cristiana
She stopped to ponder a moment, what was it he said. She could feel the tension coming off him and the contrast that he didn't move away. Neither did she, not even a movement, she liked being this close. He smelled good, like a man should. He had a musky smell coming off him, not some pansy oceanic scent. She looked up with her violet eyes into his. "I do, to an extent. So tell me Alaric, what is there to understand about you? You enjoy business, thrive in it to hide how you feel and have something to do." Now that was spoken from her heart, and her own experiences. What had she yearned, someone who loved her enough to really break her out of work, out of business. Someone strong enough to appeal to that side and keep her distracted from her old go to... working. The smile creased her cheeks, "You are something else, I am glad I took this chance with you. Not everyone gets this treatment."

Cristiana
She leaned in whispering, "Do you even believe in love?"

Alaric von der Marck
Alaric shook his head. "Business is only a means to an end. It is something I created to that my family would be provided for. So that their children, and their children's children, would be provided for. In my absence is has been corrupted. My goal is not just to have something to do. It is not even something that I enjoy. I do it only so that the company may be cleaned of its dirt and will once again do as it was created for," he said. That was how he felt, in regards to business, and he had no qualms admitting it. He wondered what Cristiana's goals were, here. He was getting special treatment. Why? Did she think that he would be able to provide for her what she was missing? "I believe that I loved my wife, and have loved no other woman since. When I think of love, I think of her," he said.

Cristiana
She nodded, "That is sweet. I once believed in love. Every time, I failed it. I am what you would call... unloveable. So, this, mild flirting is what I stick to. It is safer. Working is safer." There it was. The truth. She had no one to pass the company or money to, she had no one to share in the wealth. He was right, she was lonely. It was lovely he seen his wife in that aspect, maybe one day she would be that loved, yet... she doubted it. "So tell me, what was she like? Is she sleeping or travelling?"

Alaric von der Marck
"I would not say any person is unloveable. If those you have loved have not done so in return, that is a fault of theirs, not of yours," he said. If it was a relationship, that was. Alaric had thought that he was falling for someone, recently, but he realised now that it was only an attachment based on shared experiences. An attachment that was not shared, nor reciprocated. He still mourned the loss of what could have been, a friendship based on understanding, but he let it go. "Anja was.. she was the sun. She was gentle and kind," he said. He'd rarely seen Anja lose her temper. When she did, it was more adorable than terrifying. The latter question had Alaric's eyes go cold, as if his grief were a thing that could seep out of his pores. "She is four centuries dead."

Cristiana
Her hand rubbed his arm, "My deepest sympathy. She was blessed to have such a wonder man as you are in her life. You must have been the light in the storm for her, because I know you are here tonight for me." She yearned to reach out and comfort him more but didn't want to scare him off. She was within the edge of their comfort zones, "Alaric, perhaps you can come visit me here some other nights? I do enjoy your company." Her eyes looked hopeful. "You can tell me of the happy times in your life. Prior to this city, prior to this time and place. Back when you were happiest." She loved hearing about peoples pasts, since couldn't remember hers prior to waking a vampire it was amazing to hear stories.

Alaric von der Marck
He'd revealed his age, which was not something he often did -- though it was something he'd started to do more often lately, choosing not to hide. Cristiana had not been surprised; maybe she'd seen it already, with the telepathic powers that they seemed to share. Maybe she'd been prepared. Or maybe he wasn't the only elder she'd met. He would not share how he'd let Anja down, how in the end he would never know what he had been to her. Back when he'd been happiest, he'd had the sun on his back and the earth in his hands, and three boys crowing cheerfully in the distance. He wasn't sure he was ready to tell that, just yet. But he nodded anyway. "Perhaps here. Perhaps elsewhere, where there is less electronic interference," he said. Even in this room with its quietness and its closed door, he could still feel the radiowaves wanting to pervade his mind.

Cristiana
As he said that, she pulled a card out of her back pocket and slid it over to him. This was not her normal business card. It was a private one, one that was not shared with many. "Anywhere you wish. I have places all over the city, we can go to one of them." She was enjoying the closeness of him being there. His scent was enchanting. But the night was ever enduring and it seemed like his business partner was not coming. She didn't want to let that on and scare him off just yet. "Alaric, I don't recall being human. It is great to hear about other people lives where the sun touched their skin. Where the rays shined into their eyes temporarily blinding them. Where they can tell me stories so vivid I feel as though I can feel it myself." She closed her eyes a moment as if in that moment she was reflecting on a moment, her eyes fluttered open looking at him. "I am always here though if you need me, but really, all you need to do is reach out with your mind, anywhere in the city, and talk to me." The hand slipped over his again, if he had been actually asking her out it went over her head.

Alaric von der Marck
Alaric would not know what it was to 'ask someone out', and that had not been his intention. Truly, his intention was only to meet somewhere where he would feel less overwhelmed and bombarded by modernity. He took the card and peered at it before slipping it into his inner jacket pocket. "Danke, Cristiana," he said, wondering if she was about to get up and go back to work. When her hand slipped over his again, he wondered if he ought not to have shifted it, pushed it into a pocket. Sat on it, perhaps. But he was too late. "I am not sure why you should seek to learn about the thing that you would miss. To forget what it feels like to have the skin on one's skin, I think, would be a blessing."

Cristiana
"What does the color red look like to a blind person. You want to know the things you cannot have. A morbid curiosity. Like you are to me, a curiosity. Perhaps not morbid. But you are something indeed." She took his hand into hers, flipped it over and looked at the lines of his hands. "You know, I could joke you have a long lifeline, but that you already know that. How does it feel to have felt loved, to feel the sunshine, to remember life before it became this zombie ridden dog eat dog world, survival of the fittest world? When life was .. better and the quality of life was precious?" She looked up from his hand, "Don't really answer that now, save it for the next time."

Alaric von der Marck
Alaric opened his mouth to respond but before he could utter a word, he was told to leave it for next time. It would give him time to ponder the depth of the response -- or lack thereof. He understood curiosity. He was curious, too, about those of the modern age. They were built differently, made of different stuff. There were plenty of ways he could respond, and none of them were particularly optimistic. "Okay," he said with a simple nod. He just watched Cristiana, then. He'd have wanted to know her story, but she'd just admitted that she could not recall it. There were plenty of questions he could ask, however -- they could wait until next time.

Cristiana
Cristiana pulled her hand away and took the remote out opening the door. "I am afraid our time is going to be cut short. It was a pleasure to get to know you briefly." Before she let him leave, she leaed over and loosened his tie a bit. "Sometimes, you just need a little breathing room. Even if you don't need to breath." She smiled and motioned to the door where his business associate was standing there, looking at them. Cristiana slipped out, she stopped momentarily looking back at Alaric. "If you boys need anything, Misty is yours to command. Good evening." With that she turned on her heel and left for the hidden office in the building.

Cristiana
leaned*

Alaric von der Marck
Nathaniel had turned to look only after the tie had been loosened -- he'd never seen his boss with a loose tie. He'd never seen his boss look anything other than stern and commanding. To witness said boss revealed to have been alone in a VIP room with a woman who was something to look at... well, Nathaniel could only stare, stunned. Alaric straightened and, only after Cristiana had left did he reach up and tighten his tie again. "Nathaniel. You are late," he said, offering no explanation, and gesturing to the booth across from him.




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This thread was submitted via a live roleplay chat in the Metronome Club area. Participants and rewards were: Noelle earned 3 RPP. Cristiana earned 2982 RPP. Alaric von der Marck earned 3360 RPP.