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He hadn’t paid much attention to anything since he was turned earlier in the year but especially Harper Rock current events so when the new bill passed it took him completely by surprise. He had simply dealt with the recent change to his life and getting used to it, all his previous plans had been completely discarded as he changed and his old priorities developed into something unexpectedly new.

Chance no longer felt like he could sit back and let the world pass by, this new law on the surface endangered his well being and he now played catch up with Harper Rock current events. He waited at the bar with a drink in hand as he watched the door and listened to everyone around him. His ‘date’ was on her way, more of his willing helper for the evening to keep people from suspecting that he was actually eavesdropping on them.

He used the time wisely as he waited, he learned what he could as he absently rubbed the area his tracker had been inserted under his skin a few days ago, the idea of being tracked appalled him but it was a necessary concession for the current plans. This kind of treatment had never worked out well in the past and he doubted it would now but he needed the information and able to move around easily so he would play the game for now and remove it if or when he needed privacy for certain more discreet situations as they arose.

He hoped playing the sides would allow him the time to decide on what he needed to do and where to do it. He swirled the ice in his glass as he listened to a pair of businessmen talked to each other next to him. He grinned inwardly as he doubted if either of them went to the Quarantine Zone at all anymore.

Some beautiful woman walking the Quarantine Zone.

He paid little attention to this rumour as he had heard it since he turned, he had never seen anything like that except maybe a vampiress or two but he couldn’t see how that would cause fear in the way they talked. So many superstitions abounded around with no real reason behind them but what could he do about it except to make a note of it in case he found more information on it. Most vampires ignored the world or at least him it seemed but he really expected they were more solitary creatures or maybe just self centered. Besides his sire he had only met a couple of other vamps, good suspicious on a couple more from Crownet, and a few he believed from his snooping in the police files and now he planned on keeping all that information to himself.

Gigantic creatures outside the city.

He overheard many similar comments around the bar as he waited for his thrall, he went for a walk shortly after his arrival which quickly showed him the error of that way and it wasn’t anything he wanted to repeat anytime soon. Now with the new law in effect, he technically couldn’t leave the city and for now that was fine with him, let the corrupt police and government agents deal with it if something was out there.

That train of thought was quickly interrupted as he noticed his thrall just inside the doorway, nicely dressed to play her part in the evening's events. The ice in his hand watered the drink badly, he placed it on the back of the bar before he stood, dropped a tip on the bar while he made his way toward the door, and politely weaved his way toward the lovely woman waiting at the entrance. Most of the crowd ignored him but a few gave him dirty scowls, likely noticing his own status.

He accepted her jacket as he approached and added his own at the coat check before he offered her his arm. He slowly worked their way through the crowd to a small high top table in the middle of the bar area. His expectation was that it would be a good spot to listen, he pulled the chair out for his beautiful companion.

“Thank you” he stated with a smile as she sat back in the chair while waited for him to sit down next to her.

He pulled a chair around to sit close to her. “Do you mind if we sit close? So we can discuss things quietly” he asked her politely enough but the question was more for the people around them, taking notice of the couple that just arrived.

He took note of the surrounding groups as she cornered a young watier and ordered them both drinks before the pair looked at the menus the waiter brought them. Chance watched the group of businessmen that sat at a large table beside them. They rather loudly discussed their feelings about vampires and how they thought it was a good idea ‘feeding them to the sun’. The new law seemed to bring out all the crazies lately, he figured he could take the lot at the table without even breaking a sweat but the repercussions from the fight in the bar would be far greater especially if a certain vampire found out. His date noticed the conversation as well as she eyed him cautiously to judge his response.

“Order for the both of us, if you would like. I’m not feeling hungry at the moment.” he told her quietly, a slightly humorous grin transfixed his face for just an instant. He beckoned one of the waiters over to take her order.

Chance chatted with his thrall after she ordered their meals to keep up their charade as they listened around them. Of course the shady side of Harper Rock was always evident no matter where you went, although some of the bars and clubs seemed worse by far and from what he could tell it was in a downward spiral. Pick pockets, gangsters, and all kinds of thieves with the ‘multitude of provocative offers’ of all different natures they overheard although a couple of them amazed him on the raunchiness of the requests. Even with no longer being human being himself, treating or talking that way to others was atrocious to him, yet they called him a monster all the while and that really made no sense. He had never been a petty thief, into any kind of drugs, so most of these he paid little heed to them except where to find such transactions in the future, only time will tell on how life turns out and if it would be needed for anything. Information was always a precious resource no matter the situation.

Once their dinners arrived, Taria attempted to hide her disgust at the conversations around them with eating her meal. He couldn’t blame her either, under normal circumstances he would do the same but tonight it didn’t as badly as he needed information. “I didn’t expect this place to be as vulgar as it appears to me, sorry for that” He apologized quietly to her and although he really was but he knew it was necessary..

“Harper Rock isn’t what it used to be, that is for sure and many nice areas have been taken over by gangs it seems. It isn’t all that surprising really” Her reply showed more composure that he hadn’t expected, her strength and resolve showed more of her that he hadn’t seen before.

“I arrived too late it seems to see the city in its true form, too many people have already left and too many businesses are gone. Makes me wonder how many vampires own business and what they will do if the government tries to take them away?” Although he was pretty sure of several vampire businesses his personal trust issues wouldn’t allow him to discuss the information with her or just anyone. Nor did he trust his new abilities just yet, he needed time to adjust to them before he trusted them.

He pushed his own plate forward as he finished his meal before he drained the drink in his own hand to give them a good excuse to leave the table. He pulled enough cash from his jacket pocket to cover the meal and a tip for the waiter but not enough to make the waiter remember them. He passed the bills to the waiter as he walked by, which allowed the couple to make a circuitous route around to the other end of the bar while he checked out the remaining people.

The dinner crowd cleared out quickly and was replaced with a rougher crowd that was more intent on drinking and quite heavily. With all the negative sentiments that he had heard lately, he knew the bar wouldn’t take long to get rather ugly. He really didn’t worry about his own safety but knew others would get hurt which would then involve the police or military and he really didn’t want that kind of attention. He often felt scrutinized himself without doing much of anything so he really didn’t want to hit the police wanted list for actually doing something. He spent enough time deleting evidence of reckless individuals from the police files to know how to stay off of it himself.

“I think we should leave while it is still civil, don’t you?” He asked quietly but she only nodded in agreement. Although he trusted her, he had never quite figured out how or why she trusted him so.

They exited into the cool night air with their coats in hand. The street was rather quiet in comparison as they turned down the street. “Do you need anything else tonight?” She asked.

“No, that should be enough for now. You should go home now and stay until morning for safety.” He hailed one of the few remaining cabs. “Thank you for a lovely evening.” he said more for the driver's ear than anyone else's as he paid the driver for her. He wondered how long before all the cabs were gone from Harper Rock, it already was harder to find one these days especially at night.

As the cab turned the corner, he pushed a single thought into her mind, “Be careful of course”. Her mind had become familiar as he often sent her information or questions this way, he couldn’t be more discreet and completely untraceable to his knowledge.

He mulled the little he learned in his mind as he walked, something was brewing for his kind he knew although he wasn’t sure what exactly it was or how to stop it. Information had finally started flowing to him and it left him feeling a little more comfortable here. These excursions had proven how to find some strange happenings around the city that usually turned out to be some kind of organized gang. He had helped take out a couple of them successfully helping his sire and a few other vampires but they kept reappearing rather too often.

For now he debated on finding dinner for himself, a contraband shop or if he wanted to find a lone human in a park. The extended time around humans tonight sparked his hunger and he was not sure if a blood bag would suffice.