Path of the Vampire forum

There was always something magical about that time of year when you could look up at the sky and see nothing but a deep black blanket holding up the sporadic lights of a million stars. In the southern reaches of Sub-Saharan Africa, it was often so clear that you could make out planets with the eye on its own. Strangely the same could be said for the country that Harold now found himself in. Well in the rural areas at least. As for the city of Harper Rock, it was a little less visible due to the variety of light pollution that would wind its way up into the quiet night’s sky.

As for the man that was staring up he felt as if he was about as alien to the country as an extra-terrestrial would be. Sure, he spoke the language and knew of the culture, but he still felt like a sore thumb in the place. For one thing, he felt safe as he strolled down the side streets from where his small hostel room has opened onto. There was plenty of working street lights even out in more rundown parts of town. Though he guessed, in the long run, it didn’t bother him all that much. The ex-police officer was used to feeling out of place within society. He had grown up as a black man in a white family as the apartheid movement swept across his homeland. He was outcast by both as a child, not that he had minded. He remembered enjoying his time alone whether studying or listening to music.

As he came to the main road Harold managed to get a cab to take him further on into the city. More specifically the Metronome Club. His plan was to try and meet some new people in town and according to one of the other guys within the Zombie Task Force this was the place to be.
The car ride was smooth, the traffic not a major issue and the cab driver polite enough to give him a quick run-down of places to go and more specifically where to avoid. Harry made sure to tip the man as he stepped out into the cool night's breeze once more. He stopped for a moment to wave as the man drove away before turning to take in the site of the bar. From the outside, it looked nice, nothing too fancy but a good feel about the place. He walked over to the door and made his way inside.

The lights were dimmed but by the looks of things mostly a mixture of gentle colored mood lighting and then the stage illumination. On said stage stood a fairly interesting group of individuals playing a selection of Jazz and keeping the environment of the whole bar relatively relaxed. Harold allowed himself a few more moments to take in the place before he sided up to the bar and waited for service. As we waited the tall African looked out across the other people within, most were well dressed. Smart casual was the de-facto by the looks of things. Luckily, he had taken that route when dressing for the night and found himself in a pair of dark jeans with a white and blue patterned shirt finished with his blue suit jacket.

Finally, the woman behind the bar made eye contact with him and took his order. Double scotch, on the rocks. He wasn’t a particularly high-class man, but he had developed a love for a few of the finer drinks. Harold slid a $10 note across to the woman and winked as took the glass and proceeded out to find a place to mingle.

The cold night air had awoke this woman who was sleeping in a abandoned building. Cecilia could feel her body shivering beneath her clothes. She had been calling this building home for a few days but it seemed time to move. The woman made her way out into the city. heading down the streets of Harper rock she could only wonder how long she been here now and how everything she was told wasn't real was. Cecilia kept herself calm as she quickly made her way deeper into the city not exactly sure her destination there were plenty of places that got over looked in the city. It took awhile to find but she had finally found herself in front of the metronome club. Cecilia made it inside standing back for a moment getting used to the music and scenery she made her way to bar standing out in a bright blue sweater that looked to big for her and a pair of blue jeans.

He had barely made it two paces back from the bar before his eyes fell onto the stark blue of a jumper across the way from him. Her eyes seemed lost as did the rest of the young woman’s general posture. Her sense of fashion, while standing out when compared to the other patrons within the establishment, seemed casual. He watched for a few moments as she glanced around the bar. He wondered whether she might be looking for someone or was she just as alone as he was. Either way, he couldn’t help but follow her as she crossed the floor.
Harold took a sip of his drink as the song seemed to wind down and come to an end. He had been to plenty of clubs in his time. Damn he grew up through the nineties in the second richest country on his continent, he had seen a few sights, but this was far more passive. Nonetheless, a pleasant experience and one that he could definitely see himself returning to. Harold allowed the burning sensation to stop as the golden-tinted spirit ran down his throat before stepping forward and sitting down within one of the lounge areas.

Harold polished the rest of his drink off and felt the warming effect of hard alcohol run through his veins before signaling over one of the drink’s servers. He slid a pair of ten dollar bills out of his wallet before speaking to the waitress.

“I’ll have another of these for myself, and you can send another of whatever she is drinking to the young Vrou over there.”

He pointed over to the woman in the blue jumper before sitting back into his chair.

“Oh, and keep the change mis”

Harold set his empty glass on the wooden table in front of him and listened as the next part of the Jazz set came out onto the stage. He had a strange nervous tingle run up his spine as he sat, hoping that she would come over even just to say thanks. Whatever happened this was his night off, his night to relax.

She had barely started out on her destination to the bar it seemed inevitable that she would be noticed everywhere she went. Cecilia had received a drink from one of the bartenders saying it was bought from her when she inquired by who the bartender looked around the room and pointed to a man sitting by himself at a booth. Cecilia looked over raised her cup before downing the liquid courage. The small woman was never much of a drinker. Cecilia headed towards the man curious but keeping her guard up after all you never know what can happen in this city. She was almost there before another man blocked her path. Cecilia had a strange feeling he wasn't just going to let her by.

Harold smiled as his second drink was delivered by the waitress he had earlier tipped. He let his eyes run over her features. Her clothing was uniform to the rest of the bar’s staff, her hair either black or a very dark brown. It was always hard to differ in the dark. Nonetheless his eyes trailed down her hair to the rest of the woman’s body as she placed the drink in front of him and started to walk away. Harold made sure to catch her eye for a second and to let his lips curl into a smile. He watched her smile back and shake her head.

As she walked away he turned his head back to the woman in blue and made eye contact as the drink was delivered. It seemed she had taken the gesture well and he returned her gesture before opening his palm to gesture towards the seats next to him before sipping once again at his drink and leaning back into the chair to watch the band once more.

Truth be told it was a bland and boring night. She was wiping the glasses dry from the mini dishwasher tucked behind the bar for quick use as a just in case, but the mini dishwasher became something of a monster where they all seemed to use it instead of sending the mass to the get washed in the kitchen. She watched the new comer slip in and wondered who was a bouncer today. Depending on who it was that one might have had to wait behind the velvet line for a bit, perhaps he slipped the bouncer a few bucks. It wasn't something she exactly happy about but they deserved some tips from time to time too so she let it slide.

Finally she set the glasses aside, wrapped the arpon around her waist because it was an OSHA requirement and walked to the table. She didn't bother to say much over the music, it was hard enough to hear. Luckily for the man she was an expert at reading lips. When he ordered she walked off with a nod. Not that people noticed what she did behind the bar, but the ice was one solid ball. The round ball sat perfectly in the glass where it hugged the corners but wouldn't fall and slap the man in the face when he went to sip it. She poured the double shot over the ice ball and set the glass on a tray with a napkin meant as a coaster.

After leaving the glass on the paper coaster, she took the bill and walked off without so much a smile toward the man. After the $5 for the drink, it gave the man enough for one more round. She made the mental tally and walked off to the band putting in a special request of something festive for the season. Now the bandmates who were local to the town, were a bit of smart asses, so when she turned the tune of "Baby, it's cold outside," filled the bar which caused the frown on her face to form into a slight crack of a smile. She went back behind the bar and busied herself with fixing some drinks for the band so they didn't get parched under the lights.

Cecilia had grown more curious as to what this man had wanted when he gestured to the seat next to him she could only imagine. She headed to the seat the man gestured to. The woman paying more attention to the burning sensation she could still feel from the alcohol, as she bumped into another patron apologizing then finally making her way to the seat. Cecilia cautiously sat down next to the man her guard staying up as she her eyes fixated on this man next to her taking in every detail. She would admit this wasn't really her scene. Hearing the music change to something more festive she started humming the tune.

The burning of whiskey ran over his lips only to be cooled as the perfectly shaped ball of ice made contact with them. As he set the glass back down he saw the woman make her way down to the seat next to him. He waited a few moments before reacting even once she had sat down and started to hum the tune. When he did speak his voice was deep in its pitch yet loud enough to be heard just over the music and all the while his accent gave each word a foreign twang.

“This is a classic tune, but I can’t say I have heard it in this style before.” As he spoke his eyes stayed fixed on the band while his body language stayed relaxed in the chair.

“But I think they might be right with their words on a night like tonight. It is cold outside. Which means I plan on staying here for a little while. The question then is on how long you plan on staying and if so, what I can do to find out your name.”

Harold finally allowed his attention to turn to the young woman next to him. His posture straightened up a bit and he pulled his suit up by the edge of the collar to have it sit back in position. His eyes fixed onto hers and the large man didn’t break the deep brown gaze until reaching for his glass and taking another sip. He allowed the contents of his glass to sit in his mouth as he set the vessel back down onto the paper placemat and finally swallowing.

Cecilia sat quietly next to the man at first just taking in the scene she would admit she never came to these places before it never seemed like a place she would hang out. The woman's blue eyes staring at the man as he began to talk listen carefully to his accent she figured he must not have been here long. "Name's Cecilia what's yours?" her voice loud enough for him to hear. Cecilia was feeling the effects of the one drink all ready another thing that was a first for her. she tried to play it off just waiting to find out who he was. "I don't know how long I'll be here honestly." she gave him a half smile as she looked to the band.

Harold had always had a forward personality and liked to think of himself as an outgoing person. He spent time outside and always tried to live life to the fullest. Yet even as his words made their way across the other individual he had felt a slight twinge that his old ways may be better left with his old life. Though for tonight it seemed it was too late and he already had a reply as the fermented beverage joined with his bloodstream to push the feelings of self-doubt away and the warm embrace of carelessness that alcohol brought with it.

“Cecilia, eh.” He watched her posture as she spoke with him. She seemed disinterested if not maybe distracted or perhaps she was merely out of place. He forgot that a place like Harper Rock was likely to have a somewhat more reclusive population than downtown Pretoria.

“Can’t say I have met any Cecilia’s before, I’m Harold. It’s a pleasure.” He took a moment to meet her half smile with a full one of his own. With this, his approach seemed to shift and he spoke with a warmer tone. “Well if you have no plan on how long you intend to stay here you may at least enjoy yourself eh.”

He sipped at his drink again as she shifted off to face the band. He liked the songs and the relaxed nature of the place was just what one needed after some of the days he had been through.

“So, Miss Cecilia, may I ask what you do for a living?” He tried to keep the conversation going. Hoping that if at the very least he may meet someone outside of the police force for him to call an acquaintance if nothing else.