Invitation [Ru//Fao]

[qhostqrowls]

The apartment was perfectly clean in preparation for Faolan’s awaited guest. It was always neat and incredibly hygienic, but tonight he had had poured all his anxious energy into polishing the countertop and dusting the windowsills, and it showed. He had always prided himself on being tidy and organized, and it helped him to feel less stressed, both the action and the finished result. It gave him something else to focus on.  

Although he wasn’t that anxious, come to think of it. Not as much as he had thought he would be, knowing he was willingly inviting a vampire into his house. 

The blond immediately chided himself for even thinking of it in that term. Ru was more then just his species. He was his friend, and Faolan wanted him to visit. He enjoyed spending time with him, and was excited to see his powers. And in all honesty, he also wanted to encourage the other a little. Ru was always so timid, and if anyone needed a confidence boost, it was him.

And so he sat neatly on the couch as the night wore on, the city glittering from behind the glass of the large window that stretched between the kitchen and living room. Jake, the cat, sat on the arm of the couch, dozing as usual, tail twitching now and again. Faolan scrolled through his phone to pass the time, and waited.

[jarahamee]

The appointed hour came, perhaps more slowly than Faolan had thought possible. There was almost a feeling of depressurization in the area around the room, before he heard the telltale knock on the door. It was gentle but clear, and relatively loud in the quiet room. Then, a moment of silence before a decidedly timid voice called out.

"H...hello?"

There was an unsure hesitation to it. Clearly, the vampire was not entirely sure this was the right room, but instinct and the notes he had written on his paper had lead him here, and this is where he had decided to try his luck. His body was tense, and he looked about, unsure, but perhaps, reasonably prepared. A deep breath where none was required.

[qhostqrowls]

There was a brief rustling from within the apartment, and a moment later the door opened. Faolan smiled as the vampire came into sight, a welcoming expression as he gestured for the other to enter.

"Hey Ru! How are you? Please come in." Faolan was clearly happy to see the other, and slipped the required welcoming phrase into the greeting with ease - a practised ease, considering he'd been overthinking and mentally rehearsing before the other even arrived.

Jake stirred on the couch from behind the doctor, ears slicking back as he fixed his gaze on the new arrival. It was not a friendly look, or a friendly posture, and his tail lashed the longer he took in Ru's strange scent.

[jarahamee]

Ru smiled, it was decidedly sheepish on his otherwise dignified face, and he pushed his hair back with long, thin fingers. He was dressed as casually as Faolan had ever seen him, in a slimfitting black suit, with a tie tucked into his vest and ordinary, modern black pants. It was formal, but less ethereal or vampiric than he had appeared in the past. The illusion of ordinary personhood, perhaps. One could pass him in the street and would not have noticed anything unusual about it.

"..Hey... I um, oh, your cat!"

The vampire avoided locking gazes with the cat. It was rude; cats liked to be ignored until they decided to initiate things. Engaging them directly was threatening, and a visceral part of him knew that. It considered the matter, rolling it around in his brain. For now, he'd just have to greet Fao, and ask the cat questions when it came to it. He bowed to Faolan, and walked through the door with two long strides, before making his way to his friend.

"How have you been?"

He asked, rubbing the back of his head as he pondered the recent events that had taken place. So much, and yet so little. He wondered if Faolan spent a lot of time at home. It seemed like a nice place, modern. Furnished well. Did he have other friends? Lovers? People who came here to see him? He did seem nice. He wondered why he had never asked him those questions, but they blossomed naturally in the back of his head.

[qhostqrowls]

Faolan stifled a smile at the others bow. He thought the others formal, old-fashioned habits were very sweet - very Ru. He did smile, a little apologetically, at the mention of his cat, glancing back at him. The animal was still staring at the two, front paws tucked neatly under his chest.

“Ah, yeah, that's Jake. He's not very friendly, I apologize in advance.” The doctor smoothed his hands down the front of his beige trousers as he spoke, almost nervous about the vampire talking with the cat - whether or not Jake would talk at all. He let out a breath, looking back to Ru.

“I've been busy, but good, thanks. How about you, you look well?” He looked the other over lightly as he spoke, taking in his more casual than normal attire. It was nice to finally have the other over. As much as he enjoyed exploring the cities many coffee shops and libraries and bookstores with Ru, some nights he preferred to stay at home, especially now it was winter. So it was good that they'd gotten around to arranging a meet up in their own homes.

[jarahamee]

Ru shook his head, eyeing the animal out of the corner of his eye, before striding inside and closing the door firmly behind him. Not too firmly, so to startle the cat, but firmly enough, turning about and standing bolt upright in the process. He might have changed clothing but his movement seemed overly-dramatic, almost staged. It had a way of clashing with his actions and his speech, but he had accepted it now. It had been part of his life as an actor, but now it was part of his life as a vampire.

"I've been thinking through what I want to do with my life...You know, going forward... I guess I have a lot to think about. I'm trying to find a new apartment, but my job is going pretty well."

The vampire looked across the room at Jake. Jake the cat seemed to be judging the quality of his character, never letting the stranger leave his sight. He supposed that cats had the right to be concerned with strangers entering their small domain. He looked for somewhere to sit, crinkling the bag in his hand between his fingers as he considered the matters he could attend to. He turned around, and then handed the bag to Faolan, his greyish eyes travelling over the other's features.

Fao had been a little tense after they had talked about the reality of his life. He supposed, he understood. Vampires weren't good even on, well, a good day, though he supposed they were popular enough with most people. It did probably explain some things about him, but that was in the past now. Something that big could not have stayed hidden anyways.

Ru hesitated a moment, and then smiled broadly. It was a little dorky and it exposed his fangs a little more than he would have liked, but it felt natural. Good even. He was at home here. He spent just a moment scanning the room around and then continued.

"I brought some tea...Oh, and Jake..I should greet him too..."

Ru sat down on the floor, facing away from Jake, and focused his eyes on Faolan...or the wall. His body crumpled on itself like a spider's, but it was elegant somehow. Staring at Faolan felt weird, even if he was glad to see Fao again. He focused on his powers. Opening his mind, his dialogue. The real trick was to focus his attention on Jake without making it seem like he was paying too much attention to Jake. That was the key to him answering, and not fleeing. He decided to start.

//Jake... I am only visiting. It is good to meet you. I am a friend of your housemate.//

He spoke the words aloud, his voice low, even, a little inhuman, but the true power of his strange magic could not be heard by Faolan.

"Do you want me to ask him any specific questions?"

[qhostqrowls]

Ru strode into the room with his usual flair, and Faolan was glad, if not surprised, to hear the assertive, confident note to the vampires voice.


“That's really great. In what area of the city are you house hunting?” he queried, smiling back just as brightly as Ru did. “and thanks, you didn't have to bring anything,” he took the bag - tea, Ru had said - with another smile, holding it by his side.


He watched as Ru elegantly lowered himself to the floor, noting how Jake pricked up his ears at the moment. He didn't say anything, but watched the two of them with a quiet curiosity. The cat had already taken interest, before Ru had spoken or even acknowledged the animal. He supposed Jake could tell that he wasn't human. Surely they smelt different, or had some kind of sixth sense that alerted them.


“You can sit at the couch, if you like.” He interjected, just as Jake jumped off of it. The oriental cat padded across the carpet in an overly casual manner, tail waving behind him, and not looking at either Ru or Faolan. When the animal neared, he wove between the doctors legs and rubbed his cheek against his ankles, finally looking at Ru. An ears twitched forwards, and then he sat at Faolan's feet and briefly licked his paw. The cats body language was almost uncertain, but it was clear he was trying to assert his ownership of the domain and those in it.


[Hello.] Came the eventual meow. [What. Do you want.] His tail swept across the floor. [No heartbeat. Human does not like.] A brief glance at Faolan. [But friends with you?]


“Ah,” the doctor laughed a little at Ru’s question, unsure of where to start. He shrugged slightly, glancing down at the cat. “Maybe ask him if he likes me? I can't tell if he just puts up with me because I feed him.” his tone was light and joking, while Jake continued to stare up at Ru with an almost challenging expression.

[jarahamee]

"I'm aiming for central. I thought, it would be nice to find a place nearer to my friends. I um, enjoy spending time with everyone. I know you like tea, and it's a gift, so don't worry about it."

Ru settled himself across from the cat, not quite looking at him. To look at a cat and lean forward with intent was a threat, and any cat should be aware of such a thing. He focused on Faolan, and smiled. It was good to see him again, even if the contact was passive. It made him wonder if they would have been good friends in another life. Maybe they could play music together, though he could not imagine Faolan being a musician. He seemed like someone who would enjoy at least listening to it.

He then crouched down low to appear reasonably submissive to the feline, before speaking. He touched his hand to his head and shook it slightly, before speaking to the confident feline again. Well, confident and not so confident. He was asserting himself but seemed hesitant as well.

"Hello. I may have no heartbeat, but I am a friend, to both animals, and to him."

He paused, as if waiting for a reply. His voice trembled, dipping into deeper tones as he ventured a glance towards the cat. He did seem to at least like Faolan a little bit. The body language was friendly. He wanted to be in contact with him. These were all positive signs.

"He wants to know if you like him at all, as well."

Ru phrased it in the most vague way possible, but he meant any form of like. Even if it was the vaguest of attachments, as cats tended to feel such a thing, this was what he was focused on. What he cared for.