In The Night

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upscalerat

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Hunting alone really wasn't so bad. There were disadvantages- there were always disadvantages- but there were things to be relished, as well.

For starters, it fit in much better with the cliché. Nicholas was a sucker for those. Hell, they'd even been original in his time. He'd loved Lenn dearly, but these pairs strayed from what he knew from books and movies. And they were both young, both new to the world: they didn't know what they were doing. The solitude was nice, he supposed aside from the quiet; he no longer had to share his meals, and no longer did Nicholas have to abide by a shared schedule. It was freeing, living life as he wanted to. The vampire pretended that he couldn't still hear his voice, and what he would say, in every day situations.

Tonight was one such evening. He'd never approved of his going to a bar. Too risky, he said, and he was too young to join Nicholas, not that there was ever a problem. Drink in, Lenn would say. It was depressing, drinking alone, Nicholas would argue. Now there was nothing to stop him. It was a bittersweet feeling.

He arrived, and took a seat at the end of the bar. No mirror staring across from him; not that anyone would be looking for his reflection. The pale man knew what her reflection looked like, well enough- or rather, what it would have looked like. He hadn't seen it in decades, but he remembered he had brown eyes, and brown hair. One of the perks of dying was that he hardly ever needed a haircut anymore. It hadn't stopped growing, but it was much slower than what it had been during life. As for the rest of his face, the pale man had run his hands along it many a time, in disbelief, but the image constructed was more from memory than feeling. Soft cheeks, a sharp chin, dominating eyebrows. He ordered a drink. At least any sense of vanity long abandoned him.

It just wasn't as fun, any more. This wasn't the first time that Nicholas had done this- new city, far away from the last one, find a bar, relish the dark wood and the quiet murmur over and under the music, drink for as long as he could stand it before a sense of guilt had him fleeing. This was a form of mourning, in its own right. Cash on the counter, collect his coat- appearances were important to not be caught- and walk out. Tonight was no different. Nicholas paid, put on his navy coat, and walked back out, into the night.
 
Jack had always been uncomfortable with who he was. Now, for most people, this could mean a few things. He could possibly not liked how he looked, or how he acted, or how he lived. Unfortunately, Jack wasn't most people, and he'd love to switch out his problem for one of theirs. His problem was much larger.

Lycanthropy- put simply, of course -was a pain in the ass. Turning into a wolf every full moon may seem fun at first, but in all honesty, it wasn't. Jack had been dealing with this for 6 years, it had been that long already, and he hadn't gotten used to it, or learned to accept it. If he could, he would try to get out of it and live a normal life.

That, of course, wasn't about to happen though. He'd have to continue eating like he did, as well as changing like he did. This was made worse by the fact that his partner, a vampire he had in the second half of his first year, was dead. Well, deader, as he was dead already as it is. It had happened fairly recently- about a week ago, if he remembered correctly -and he still wasn't used to the change. Sure, the man was a bit annoying, but he was likable. And he also helped out a lot with the whole hunting thing.

Jack sighed, walking down the street, and glancing around every now and then. The sky was clear of clouds, and for once, the young werewolf could see the stars. That managed to relax him a bit; he had always been a fan of stargazing when he was younger. Eventually, though, the hobby was spoiled by obvious things. While it did throw a wrench in the cogs, he could still derive good memories from them, even if he couldn't make any more.

He did what he was doing right now a lot. He'd walk down a street, with no idea of where he was walking to, and he would think things over. Nothing specific. It was more of things like how his family was doing, or if he had forgotten to get groceries. He tried to not to think of anything too complex, as that would usually ruin his mood. His walks were to allow him to ignore the deeper problems for a while, not to suck himself into them further.

However, thinking did get him zoned out, and he soon found himself accidentally crashing into another man. He stumbled back in surprise, gazing at the person with wide eyes. That had most definitely been his fault. Hopefully he hadn't managed to somehow injure the other person.

"Uh....sorry..." He mumbled, voice a bit rough "I wasn't paying attention. Are you okay...?"

He figured they were, but it was always good to ask. It was polite, after all, and he wasn't about to be impolite. That would cause more harm then good, and he didn't want to start any fights.
 
The daze that Nicholas had put himself into, the memory of Lenn, slipped out of his mind as the vampire walked into someone. Even as they both stepped back, he could still feel the residual heat from the other person. That was certainly something to miss about being alive: being warm. It wasn't something that he noticed often, but it did remove any chance of intimacy from his life, even when he could otherwise blend in with the humanity around him. Such was life. Or death, he supposed. What a pity.

"Oh- yes- I'm fine. My bad." Nicholas chuckled. "I also wasn't paying attention. Must be one of those nights." The man in front of him looked so.... Alive. Much like Lenn had. In fact... No, it had to be wistful thinking, but Nicholas tilted his head nonetheless and sniffed, as subtly as the distance would allow. Well, blood was blood, and the man certainly had some of it rushing through his veins. He couldn't sniff out a wolf- would he be able to, one day, with experience?- but maybe he could get lucky. Maybe this wolf would be able to sniff him out, under all the alcohol.
 
"Yes, it must be...." Jack began, before trailing off and frowning down at the other. Something smelled off here. Now, he didn't say that being a werewolf didn't have it's perks, because it certainly did. He had piqued senses, and could pick up on certain things a human couldn't possible even try to. Of course, sometimes they were overbearing, but at times like this, they were rather useful.

The smell was covered. Covered well, in fact. The smell of alcohol was almost overbearing, but under it was something else. He wracked his brain, trying to remember where he had smelled this before. It was very familiar, which made it even more annoying. He grimaced more, knowing he probably looked odd just staring at the man, but he had to know what this was.

And then, it came to him. It smelled like Ivaan. And Ivaan was a vampire, so if this man smelled like him, he had to be the same. At the same time, though, he was wary. He couldn't simply mention it, could he? That would just be odd, especially if he happened to not be a vampire like Jack assumed.

He chewed at his lower lip in thought, before saying "......Are you a vampire?" Well, that came out more bluntly then he intended. He was going to go for more of a subtle way, but he just happened to blurt this out instead. Figures he would do as much.
 
Well. Straight, and to the point. Nicholas blinked, once, twice, and felt his mouth tear, into a sort of grin. Then, a genuine grin, entirely gleeful. "That's one hell of a question," he started off. "But, yes, I am. Please, do tell me that you're a werewolf?" His lips were moving of their own accord- his brain was sluggish, seconds behind, delayed by alcohol. Wait, now, coming out with that information straight away wasn't good, now, was it?

Hunters still existed, or whatever it was that they were calling themselves nowadays. If this was just some human- why, he would terrify them, or incur their blade, depending. If this wasn't a human, he wasn't necessarily any more safe. But why would a human ask such a question? But why would any creature ask such a question? This had to be a trap of some sort, no?

But then again, he reasoned, did he care? He was drunk, and he couldn't care much for consequence now. An hour prior, sure. The following night, certainly. But at the moment? At the moment, well, the worst that happened was that he saw Lenn again, saw his partner. Not the worst fate to befall a drunken vampire.

But better yet, maybe, maybe this was another wolf. Where there was one wolf, there was bound to be a way to find others, and there he could find one that needed a partner. And he'd be back in the game, and things would be normal again. Yes, that was alright. Satisfied with the outcome, no matter what it was, Nicholas widened his grin, waiting.
 
That was just as blunt as Jack had been, and he had to say he was surprised. At first, he stumbled over his words, searching for an answer. How was he supposed to respond? The simple answer would be 'yes', but what else would he say? This wasn't a normal conversation to start with someone, and he regretted it a bit. After all, it really gained him nothing. The vampire probably already had a partner, and Jack would be no better off than he was before. Which was a shame, considering how miserable he was. Either way, though, he couldn't back out of the conversation now, so it was best to keep going with it, and find a polite way to leave a bit later on.

"Ah....yea." He said slowly, crossing his arms and looking quite awkward as he spoke "Yes. I am. Ah....you're blunt, aren't you?" He paused, chewing his lip "Wait. Wait, that's a bit hypocritical. Ignore that."
 
"I-" Nicholas nearly had to repeat the words to understand what had been said. But, a few moments later, his brain caught up to the situation at hand, and he grinned even more widely, and chuckled on top of it. "No worries. Glad we've gothen- gotten, excuse me- that out of the way." Perhaps the trip to the pub hadn't been his best idea. But it was having a better outcome than staying on all night would have, already, so could Nicholas really complain? "Nicholas. Lisle." He glanced around for a moment, then returned his gaze to the wolf- the wolf!- in front of him. "Er, I'm young. I doubt you or your partner would know me..."

The funny thing about being a more modern vampire was that you didn't know anyone. Older bats seemed to have a wide network, and ancient history with everyone. But now? Nicholas could hardly even name five other vampires if his life- his death?- depended on it.
 
Jack forced an awkward laugh "Well, I don't. I wouldn't know about my partner, though....." He paused, clearing his throat, before continuing "He's....dead. So I can't really ask him about it." He hoped the humor would bring attention away from his obvious discomfort around the subject at hand. He hadn't been TOO close to his partner, but he hadn't been distant, either. So, it still stung a bit to talk about it, and have to face the fact that he was dead and Jack was still in a horrid situation.

He decided to introduce himself "I'm Jack." He said after a moment, deciding that's all he really needed to say name-wise "And I doubt you or YOUR partner would know me. I don't put myself out there too much, so.....there's that." He smiled a bit "It's nice to see someone that isn't completely human, though. I have to admit, I haven't talked to anyone 'supernatural' lately."
 
The grin fell away, as did Nicholas' cheery demeanor. It was sobering to hear, even if it was a stranger. Too similar a situation, and too inebriated to be distanced- and clearly, it had brought this wolf down too much to get past, as well. This Jack. Nicholas returned he smile, but it was so much less than what it had been before. "My partner's in the same situation," he replied, softly, then tried to perk up a little. "But I agree. Far too long out of the community." An idea came- but was it too forward?

Nothing to lose, the vampire remembered. "You know, Jack, standing around here, talking, it's a bit unorthodox. Want to move inside?" He glanced around, for show, and looked at the bar he'd just walked out of. "Perhaps I could get you a drink? I think they've got food there, too... And I've had considerably fewer expenses since my passing, so plenty to sit around and collect interest."
 
Jack paused a moment, a bit unsure about whether he should go with the vampire or not. On one hand, it was a opportunity. On the other....Well, it could turn out badly. He didn't know exactly how, but there was always a chance for danger with company like this. Or company of any kind, for that matter. You couldn't trust just anyone, no matter how they looked or seemed. But, after a moment or two, he decided this might be worth it. So, he nodded a little.

"I don't drink." He said at first, running a hand through his hair "But.....yes. We can movie inside. Food wise, I probably won't get anything either, but thank you for the offer." He tried to be as polite as he possibly could. After all, that couldn't really hurt anyone. If anything, it'd help Jack to not offend the vampire, and at the moment that was his main goal for the night.
 
That was a yes! Sort of. It was a no on the food and drink- that really wasn't a bad idea, though, when it came down to it; just because they were monsters, it didn't mean that they had to stop listening to their parents' advice to not accept food from strangers (though perhaps more in Jack's case than in Nicholas')- but it was still a yes to step inside, and so a yes to spend more time together. It was enough for the vampire.

"Of course, of course," Nicholas replied, trying to stay as nonchalant as possible. "If you change your mind, the offer still stands, though," he added, turning and walking back towards the bar. He'd have to order something, regardless, to justify the table. He might even nibble on whatever came himself, as well. Just because he didn't need food anymore didn't mean that he didn't enjoy it, as well.
 
Jack trailed behind him, not sure what to say. It seemed a little surreal that he had managed to randomly meet a vampire without a partner. It was almost a bit too lucky for him to believe. Also, the man seemed to be a decent person, which made him more suspicious than he was originally. After all, he had expected to at least take a year to find someone to work with, and suddenly, a few weeks after the death of his former partner, this man shows up, conveniently alone himself.

"....Thank you." He decided to say, running a hand through his hair as he studied Nicholas. Even if Jack was suspicious, he wasn't sure what motives could drive the vampire to do anything, or even what he would do. He saw no reason to fake not having a partner. Though, that might just be because he wasn't creative.
 
It only took a moment to make it back to the door, and as a small group of people left, Nicholas grabbed the door and held it open for his new friend. What luck! Unless it wasn't. Unless it was fate's cruel trick- this werewolf is a liar, and has a partner, and will only string you along. The business-like relationship between werewolves and vampires was very similar to a romantic relationship, needing as much trust, care, and work as any did. And so it was just as easy to cheat on such a relationship.

But, no- no, that couldn't be the case. This wouldn't be something to fail, something to regret. Hadn't Nicholas already gone through enough? Hadn't dying on its own been bad enough? Let alone losing his partner? And the wolf had shared his woe first- so it couldn't be a ruse to slip in. And why would he want to do that, anyways? No- this was serendipitous, and it would be plenty a pleasant time.
 
Jack walked in, watching Nicholas all the while. He'd give the vampire the benefit of the doubt until he did something to lose it, but he'd still watch him carefully. He wanted to be safe, not sorry, and though this was a casual situation, it could easily change. That tended to happen with vampires, or werewolves, or any supernatural creature, really. There were just too many factors, and too many secrets. Too many people wanting to kill others, with a reason or without one.

He felt like he could trust him, though, for reasons previously mentioned. He'd just agree to take no food or drink, and he would stay in public places til he was sure. It seemed like a solid plan, and he was sure he could easily follow it without seeming like he was going out of his way to do so.
 
Luckily, the wait for a table was short- just a few moments passed between Nicholas confirming a party of two and the man by the door leading Nicholas and his new acquaintance to the middle of the large room. The table was small, shuffled next to a wall with two seats facing each other. "We'll share a plate of wings," Nicholas told the waiter as he sat. When the human had walked off, he looked back to Jack. "So they won't mind us," he explained. Was it obvious? He wasn't sure. Part of him was still too elated to think straight- and part of him still too drunk.

The alcohol was multiplying his giddiness, undoubtably, and only getting worse by the moment, but Nicholas would be able to handle himself. He hadn't had that much, he told himself, and recent, frequent trips to bars such as this one must have done wonders for his tolerance- and anyways, how much could a dead man absorb, anyways? He would get more of an effect drinking from a leaving patron than the tap.
 
Jack sat there for a few seconds, unsure of what to do. His hands were folded in his lap, and he glanced around the room awkwardly. What did he even say now that they were here? It was a awkward situation. He grimaced to himself, before his eyes flickered back to Nicholas. The man didn't seem like he would be offended by much right now, or mind if the conversation started badly. So nothing too bad could happen.

".....So." He began lamely, leaning back in his seat "You're without a partner.....? Can I ask how long?" He was curious to see if they had been without someone for a similar period of time. He hoped the topic wasn't too bad, because he didn't know what else to speak about. He honestly didn't even know what he was pulled in here for in the first place.
 
And just like that, the werewolf jumped into the conversation. If asked, Nicholas said that he wasn't expecting that sort of a start- but then again, if also asked when he did expect the wolf to say, he wouldn't really know. He didn't particularly know how to start, either. It was just as good as anything else, he supposed. "About a year and a half ago." He glanced at his fingers, and curled and stretched them quickly, one by one.

"Hunters are trigger happy. Even if wolves are endangered." He offered a small grin, and glanced up, but only for a moment. The topic was sobering, and Nicholas looked back at his fingers. "Do you mind if I ask the same question of you?" It wasn't often, these days, that you saw a creature with a dead partner. Former partners broken up, or never paired was one thing, but dead? At the very least, Nicholas heard little of it being the case.
 
"...Only a few weeks." Jack replied, feeling a bit bad that he himself hadn't been without a partner for long. He regretted bringing the topic up a little bit, but not too much, as he did want to know more about the Vampire across from him. This was a good place to start, even though it was a sensitive topic. Of course, the other man could've just shrugged it off and gone on to another subject, so Jack was assuming he was okay with it. That, or he was just polite about all of this.

"Basically the same story, though. There isn't anything too special. He died, and here I am now." He shrugged a little bit, sitting back in his seat and tapping his fingers on the table to a rhythm. It was a nervous habit of his. He was always moving, in one way or another. He bounced his leg, tapped on the table and other surfaces, paced, moved his hands as he spoke....it was just something natural to him. He supposed it just felt odd to stop moving completely, so he always found something to do.
 
The vampire nodded. "I'm sorry. It must be tough." The recent wound was a hard one, from what he remembered. Whoever said that time dulled pain, however they said it, had had a point, even for immortal and long lived creatures like themselves. Perhaps Nicholas still being relatively young helped that as well. When he looked up this time, he stayed looking up at Jack, and around the bar as things moved and caught his eye. "You'd think that we'd know all the tricks by now."

But they didn't, as evidenced by the two men sitting there. "Have you managed to hunt successfully, since it happened?" In the year that Nicholas had been alone, he'd found mastering hunting on his own to be the most difficult part of his partner's passing. He'd been hungry, stiff, and in dire need when he finally did manage to catch something. And to think, that vampires had once hunted alone! Without werewolf partners! As the months passed, Nicholas got the hang of it, but it was a much longer process than it once had been.
 
Jack paused a moment, thinking over what to answer, before sighing a bit and leaning on the table. "....No. Not exactly." He replied, grimacing a bit afterwards "I.....wasn't really much help even with a partner. I've never been one for the whole hunting things, I just do it because I have to."

Of course, he did help. He made it a bit easier. He just wasn't the best at it, and he accepted it. Actually, if he were honest, he was close to the worst. Not the complete worst, mind you. But he did have some things holding him back from doing a good job with it.
 
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