Cat and Coffee (Ru/Ari/Open)

[kilnarak]

"Allright. They have um. Nice food there, it's a good place to just hang out if you don't wanna dance or anything. And if you do, we can just go over to REM..."

Ari glanced over at Ru now and then as they walked. He had seemed fairly impassive before, but maybe excited to be going out? Now, the way he looked around as they walked... he seemed nervous. Was he expecting something to come at him out of the night? Or maybe he was worried about possible nighttime threats in this urban area - gang members or muggers or something? They had been a problem other places Ari had been, but here... well at least near the club, the area seemed to be fairly safe - perhaps some influence of Malthiel's.

"You uh... I mean, you don't have to worry? It's pretty safe out, around here at least. I mean, so long as you stay to the main streets. I wouldn't suggest going down near the waterfront after dark, just a lot of, you know, warehouses and stuff, but it's always pretty dark and... I mean you know." He trailed off a little awkwardly, not sure how to articulate his concern. After a moment he huffed, his breath steaming in the cold air like dragon-smoke. "It's probably fine most of the time. Just uh, sometimes there's... scary sorts around there? Like... the kind you don't wanna get involved with..."

He had gotten involved with them, and in the end it seemed to have turned out pretty well for him but... well. He had been lucky, the Boss had taken... pity? an interest? something... had decided not to kill him. He had thought he was dead, though, if things had gone differently, he might have ended up that way... Ari was quiet for a bit after that, although when Ru asked him a question he seemed to startle out of those quiet concerns.

"Oh! Uh. I donno. I'm pretty boring most of the time. REM can be fun sometimes. Ah, a... a lot lately I just stay at home, though... watch Netflix, play games, you know?" He quirked an awkward sort of smile, just shy of a grimace, then continued: "I like... like nature stuff too. Uh. Going on walks and stuff. When it's warm anyway. Less fun in the snow..."

"What about you? What do you like to do for fun?"

[jarahamee]

Ru's expression changed subtly. He wished he could eat food like he did before. Drinking, drinking he could still do, to an extent, and a modest one at that. Dancing, he had gone with friends a few times but the club scene was not his thing admittedly. He wondered about this REM place as well and the distraction seemed to calm him.

"I think that sounds good. Well, I mostly stayed inside. I liked listening to music and doing some autotune work. I also do a bit of painting and reading. Occasionally I went out to goth clubs with friends, sometimes we went to the arcade. I know it isn't very exciting but I guess that's just kind of me overall."

Me overall before I became a vampire.He reminded himself as he walked along, his tension fading. If this person was not so worried here, he should not have been so concerned. And yet he wondered. There were plenty of things that lurked in the darkness that would love to... do a lot of things with a vampire, and that had always worried him.

"You aren't boring. I'd like to spend more time in nature. I can only go on night hikes though. What about you?"

[kilnarak]

Ari was caught up in his thoughts enough that he did not notice the odd expression to cross Ru's features. His attention did turn back to the other man after he asked his question, however - he listened while Ru answered. His lips twitched in a slight smile at the other's answer.

"Creative, huh? That's uh, that's cool. I read sometimes too, though not so often uh, lately." He caught his lip in his teeth, worried it a moment, then continued: "There might be some arcades around here, I haven't uh... really looked though... Ah, if you don't like Lucid or REM, when we get there, I can look things up... But you might like it? There's uh... a lot of gothy sorts, usually?"

He considered making a comment on Ru's gothiness, but bit it back for... being dumb. And possibly too... not intimate but just... close? Like he knew Ru better than... well, just meeting him in a coffee-shop. He glanced aside at the pale man a little nervously, then turned his attention back to the sidewalk infront of him, breathing out another heavy gust of dragon-smoke.

"I uh. I don't know. Mm. I kinda live like... out in it, right? So I get a lot of uh... nature-walks just, you know, coming and going to work." His lips twitched again in a nervous smile and he shrugged. "Why uh, if it's not too... like... prying? Why only at night? I mean... you just a night owl? Or... like... at first I thought... like maybe you had a job at night, but then I realized you sorta uh, said you didn't..." Maybe it was some sort of medical condition? He glanced aside at Ru again, a touch uncertain.

[jarahamee]

Ru looked amused. It was a subtle expression on his face, and one he was not used to wearing. He was sure REM and Lucid would be just fine for him. All the better if they were relatively safe places for vampires to stay. He looked directly into Ari's eyes as he considered his next few words. What would he say about bars?

"That's good, so I won't look out of place. Then again, I am sure that there are always some people at any place who are dressed up kind of gothy."

He put his hands in his pockets. There were so many things that were factors in his choices. He supposed as long as he did not spend excessive time outside, he would not be losing anything. He was very cost-effective when it came to going out places. He hardly ate out and rarely drank.

"Well, I um. I am different in some ways... I uh. What sort of super are you, if you don't mind me asking?"

He asks, looking at Ari thoughtfully. He was not sure, admittedly, and he should know before he disclosed what he was to another. What if this person was some kind of vampire hunter? He didn't look like it. On the contrary, he seemed like an ordinary shy kid. And he had seemed oddly nice. And if he was one he was not that good at detecting vampires.

[kilnarak]

Ari paused a moment at Ru's question, looking a bit startled. His hackles twitched, the short hair on the back of his neck raising. Then he laughed, a bit more nervous, and resumed walking, freeing a hand to scratch at the back of his head and neck, absently rubbing his thumb over the thicker scar tissue of the Pact-brand beneath the collar of his shirt.

"I, uh... Am-Am I that obvious? M-Most people just, uh, just think I'm, you know, a splicer. It's uh, I mean, I guess uh, if you're uh. A super yourself. I guess that uh, makes it easier..." He wondered abruptly what Ru was - he had been acting under the assumption that he was just an especially pretty, gothy human. He wondered if he was dangerous. He wondered if he was glamoured. Could he be glamoured, anymore? Would Marchelute feel it through their Pact?

Ari caught his lower lip in his teeth, worrying it a moment, before he spoke again. "I'm uh. Shifter. I uh. I know a little magic, too. Uh. What, uh, what about you?" He sounded nervous. He smelled nervous - he could smell it on himself. He folded his arms across his chest again, fingers curled and catching slightly in the sleeves of his jacket.

[jarahamee]

Ru noticed that Ari seemed concerned and seemed as if he might blush again. This time with shame at how badly he botched this social situation. How was he supposed to make new friends if he was awkwardly pointing out the inhumanity of his fellows? And he was honestly a little terrifying as a vampire. He looked down at his feet. Maybe this wasn't the sort of person he should tell he was a vampire too. They might be scared. Though he wondered, at what exactly? He was not much of a man to be completely honest, and he certainly was not much of a vampire. How frightening could he be? He realized, possibly very frightening. He looked worried, as if he said too much, and took one step farther away from Ari.

"...Well, uh. I can sense the difference between supers and humans. They just feel different to me because I can sense auras. I was not sure what sort of being you were though, my senses don't get that specific."

He seemed very concerned about the second part of the shifter's questioning. This was too soon. They had barely met. Maybe he could avoid the subject. But that time was too late. Maybe he could just come clean and tell him the truth: That he was a pretty awful and harmless vampire. It was so pathetic no one would fake that sort of a story. Especially the part where he did not feed on people anymore.

"...Uh. Well, I hope it isn't... too scary but uh. I was turned into a vampire against my will and I'm something of a runaway. I don't even hunt honestly."

He spoke quickly, stuttering as he spoke. Had he been human, adrenaline would have rushed through his system at top speed and he would have not been able to speak much at all. But his undead state offered him something of a bit of clarity. He rubbed his cheek as he spoke, worrying all the more. He supposed if things went south, he could always run for it, and become a bat. Then again, cats eat bats, he chided...

[kilnarak]

"You can... see auras?" He almost sounded relieved to hear that. Perhaps Ru was a witch? Or... something like that? Most of the witches he had known hadn't been too bad, the sorts that owned those 'magic' shops that sold incense and crystals and books about harnessing your chakras... Of course there were others that had been... more frightening, like Morgan, but... Well. Ru seemed more like the first type - and thinking of him as that sort of benign individual helped.

At least, it helped until Ru continued talking and brought up what he really was. Ari tensed again, a nervous uncertainty hanging about him. A vampire. While he had grown more used to them as there were often a fair number around REM, the word still brought up flashes of his life before he had come here, still made him expect the worst. He took a step back from Ru, offering up a nervous laugh.

"Uh. You're uh. I guess... That'd be... why you can't go out in the day, huh? Uh... You're not uh. You're not expecting a meal out of me, right? 'cause uh. I mean if it had been normal food, sure I'd pay, but uh... I mean, you know?" Ru didn't seem like a bad sort, but then they usually didn't, not until the fangs came out. He fidgeted, glancing up the street toward the neon lights on the buildings up ahead. They were getting close to the club...

[jarahamee]

Ru shook his head violently and made a hand gesture as if to ask Ari to wait. Admittedly the reaction was a little stronger than he had anticipated but maybe he should have waited to disclose something like that. But wasn't truth the most important thing to share with people? Maybe not all truths were good truths, he had to say. The vampire's pale complexion appeared to become slightly paler somehow, and he shook his head again.

"No not at all, I uh, I was given blood rations at the WDSA station from sanctioned sources. I was just uh, hoping to be friends."

Ru looked down at his feet and shuffled them a little in the snow. His pace slowed a little. His immaculately combed white-blond hair fell into his eyes then, obscuring them. He held his coffee close to his heart, clutching it in thin gloved fingers, and looked somber, and rather deflated.

[kilnarak]

"Oh. Uh. Okay then." Ari nodded slightly, still watching Ru a bit warily. He felt a little bad for the vampire, but he still wasn't sure he could trust him. He did work with vampires but... well, he still didn't especially like them. The thought that they might see him as prey was distressing - but moreso was the thought that they might see him as a plaything.

... he did realize it wasn't really something he needed to fear, at least not from them. Not with the Boss looking out for him, and the Pact to protect him. But still... it was hard to shake the sensation.

He had slowed to match Ru's pace, and he heaved a sigh, folding his arms over his chest. "Well uh. We can still go to the club if you want. There's other," don't say leeches, "Uh, y'know... people like you? V-Vampires. So uh, maybe you'd... fit in, and stuff."

[jarahamee]

Ru cringed visibly, just slightly, at the idea of spending time around other vampires. He ran his hands through his hair a little nervously and then licked his lips. The faint gleam of his fangs shown for just a moment before he drank from his coffee, the steam from the hot drink creating much more steam than his actual 'breath' if he had any. He then turned back to Ari.

"...Um, well, we can go, but to be honest with you, other vampires scare me too. They... are almost all really mean and if they are powerful, they uh, abuse it. I've met nice vampires but usually not on the street."

He rubbed his arm, as if it was cold or sore, but Ari knew he was likely immune to cold. He seemed a little ashamed of his fear of vampires. What sort of world could this be if a vampire was terrified of other vampires? He kept stride with Ari, keeping his eyes averted. He probably would have been red-faced had he still been able to blush.

[kilnarak]

Ari glanced aside at Ru as the pale man spoke, one of his ears twitching slightly as it tried to flick back to better listen. He found himself quirking a brow as he listened to Ru, a bit startled to hear the vampire's opinion on other vampiers. It... well... it did make sense, and more or less lined up with Ari's own thoughts on the matter. Though he had to wonder if the man weren't pulling the thoughts from his own head to trick him or... something. Still, Ru did seem sincere.

"The ones at the club uh... I mean, Jade's kind of a dick, but she's not too bad. Uh. Though, I mean, if you'd rather not... I uh, I donno." He bit back suggesting they go somewhere else. It was safer for him here, where the Boss might maybe protect him. Maybe.

[jarahamee]

Ru read Ari's less-than-trusting face, and he worried that maybe that was all something he should have kept to himself all this time. But then again, when had deception ever helped him either? He puzzled over all of these matters and then sighed again. There is no right answer in any of these matters. He was always disappointed at how poorly the truth came off in any of this though.

"Oh.. well, I'm not too worried I just wanted... to let you know. I um...I trust somewhere that you like being."

He smiled hesitantly. They were new friends but he did not want to make Ari feel uncomfortable in any way. He seemed to be more at ease with how things were progressing, and he hoped that any fear he might have caused would settle after a while. He studied the other, watching their heat aura thoughtfully.

[kilnarak]

"'Like' is a strong word," Ari cracked an awkward smile at Ru, rubbing at the back of his neck as he regarded the vampire. "But it's all right, I guess. I uh, I work there sometimes."

Ari rolled his shoulders and shrugged, glancing away from Ru and down the street. After a moment, he began walking again, glancing back to make sure Ru was following (and wasn't doing anything creepy).

It wasn't a long walk to the clubs, and when they arrived, Ari spent a moment talking quietly with the big man at the door, before gesturing for Ru to walk with him inside. The interior was dimly lit, and while where they were now the music wasn't too loud, the pulse of it could be felt vibrating through the walls and floor. Ari didn't lead Ru toward the music and the dance floor, but rather off to the side toward a lounge with a bar. He waved to a few people - a feeling a little awkward as he had really just left here to get coffee and then head home a little while ago...

"Is uh, is this okay? It's a little loud I guess, but... not as bad as the other room, yeah?"

[jarahamee]

Ru considered Ari. He did not seem like the type that would work at a nightclub. But what sort of person did he imagine would work at a nightclub anyhow? Not everyone was covered in tattoos with dreadlocks and many chains on them. He hoped this was not a club where people would stare at him after he was settled. It always made him feel a little anxious.

The vampire walked along at a hesitant clip. His long legs carried him far, but he seemed to be afraid of outpacing Ari. He was not doing much of anything frightening, except for the strange glow of his greyish eyes when they caught the light just right. He did not notice the temperature difference from the outside to the inside.

Ru walked inside with Ari, looking a little intimidated. It was loud here, but that was not the problem; he had previously come to nightclubs to feed at least in the most recent past. Coming here for recreation was a new beast entirely. He looked over the bar and the lounge and smiled hesitantly.

"Yes, this is good. Um."

He wanted to ask 'tell me about you' but there was something awkwardly intimate about that phrase he was not sure he was comfortable with. What could he say that was not completely off? How do people interact again? He rubbed his neck and looked over the drink menu. He could not really become intoxicated unless he drank the blood of someone who was drunk, which left the drinks little more than pleasant-tasting water to him.

"...So uh, do you have family here?"

[kilnarak]

Ari found them a place to sit and sighed as he sank into the padded seat, leaning back. Maybe in a bit he would get something to drink - he hadn't planned on it before, but it felt like a missed opportunity, if he was going to be here and not get something. After a moment he glanced up at Ru, studying him in the low light. His own pupils had dilated to make up for the lighting, and also caught a bit of iridescent 'glow' from certain angles.

"Family? Uh... I mean I... guess?" He blinked, a little startled by the question. "Not like... parents or uh... siblings or anything but... But I've got people. I've found people, here, anyway. And that's... like family, right? Might as well be family, even if we're not... you know, blood." His lips quirked slightly, a nervous hint of a smile. That would have different connotations to a vampire, wouldn't it?

"I uh... What about you? Your family? I mean uh, before... this?" He gestured awkwardly at Ru, hoping he wasn't being rude.