When Old Meets Young

[socrowdedinhere]

Who: Evangeline and Vivena
What: Two vampires meet... 
Where: Arizona
Warnings: Who knows...?

Vivena was just getting herself settled in a new place. She just hoped she didn't royally blow it again this time. For now, though, she needed to get her mind off of... everything. Moving. Where he next real meal would come from, or rather... who her next real meal might come from. Maybe she should call up that one guy again...

Maybe, but for now she just wanted a distraction. And so she found herself stepping into the Curated Curiosities museum. Apparently it had been around for quite some time, and it sounded like a fun distraction. She loved to learn, and she loved museums. So she set her worries aside, set aside the thought of calling up someone she'd not seen in months and who lived in another state, and... let herself just enjoy as she paid admission and started to slowly wander the place.

Comments

[socrowdedinhere]

She was so very uncertain about following Eva, and yet almost too eager for answers to care. She... she had to know if she was safe here. Maybe she'd made a big mistake with this move...

And then she was shown the truth and her eyes widened a bit. Her fangs weren't obvious without intent, and so when she opened her mouth, pulling her lips back, her fangs showed too. Her heart fluttered still. The fear was still there, but much of it had been replaced with relief... and perhaps hope.

[bloodbatsandbeyond]

"Oh!" Eva seemed delighted at the reveal of Vivena's fangs. "Why, yours aren't there all the time. How interesting!"

She turned so that she could keep an eye on the displays while still speaking with Vivena.

"I must admit, when you set off the scorpion, I was wondering if you were a magician, a witch, a werewolf, or like me."

Here, she gave Vivena a sympathetic and gentle look.

"You must be wondering where to even start in a place like this, I'd imagine. Tombstone isn't exactly what it used to be, but there's life in this old town yet. Or, rather, unlife."

[socrowdedinhere]

Her soft huff was something between a laugh and a barely contained sob of just... raw emotion. There are no tears, she's not crying, but she is overwhelmed and barely containing her emotions. "I guess magician might also count."

She did relax a little at the last comment, however that last word earned Eva a confused frown. "Unlife?"

[bloodbatsandbeyond]

Eva startled at the sob-like noise.

"You poor dear, your nerves are practically exposed to the quick. Do you take tea or coffee at all? It might do some good. I myself can tolerate a little of it. As for unlife, well...I'm of the variety of vampire who is, on sheer technicality, undead. I take it by your confusion that doesn't apply for you?"

[socrowdedinhere]

"I uh... yeah. Yeah, I do, tea sounds good." She also didn't take in much aside from blood, but she could. "It's just... I've only been on my own for a short time, I'm... still feeling a bit lost and out of sorts..."

She looked at Eva again and shook her head. "Um... I just thought... that was fearful propaganda that probably started ages ago..."

[bloodbatsandbeyond]

Eva gave a firm nod, one that carried all the authority of a grandparent.

"Oh, some of it is propaganda, certainly. But some of us really are undead, needing that blood to keep looking alive. ...Tell you what, I'm just about done here. Lavender, the current owner, will be in shortly. If it's not too forward of me, I think you could use a friendly tea with someone who's got centuries of advice. I won't claim all of it is good, but be damned if I'm going to let a sweet young thing like you flounder on her own."

[socrowdedinhere]

"I... think I'd really like that." She smiled a gave a nod. She really, really could use some resources, or at least someone to talk to. And... this lady was so far her best bet, and also apparently much different from what even she was. It would be interesting to see what all their differences really were.

[bloodbatsandbeyond]

"Then it's settled! As soon as Lav gets here, we'll go on over to my house and I'll make some tea."

Eva smiled warmly at Vivena before taking one final sweep of the museum. Everything was where it should be, the demon horn hadn't grown any, no one had placed food on the cursed shelf again, and the badly done taxidermy platypi were still getting raucous guffaws. It was only another 5 minutes until Lavender came back, and with that, Eva gathered her things. Given that the sun was still in the process of setting, she took up a thick parasol and motioned for Vivena to follow her once more.

[socrowdedinhere]

To her house? Was that wise? It's not like Vivena had any backup around here, people she could inform of her whereabouts incase she went missing, and while so far friendly, and apparently a vampire as well, she didn't know Eva. She found herself fretting, silently debating with herself as they stood there, waiting for Lavender to show up so Eva could leave.

On one hand, she needed to go. She needed resources, and if this lady was a vampire, she might know people who were open to being fed from. Having people who knew, and accepted, who were willing to let someone take some blood, would make life so much easier. She'd had that in her mom, but neither of them had really known how to break her secret to others to try to create any kind of support network, and so when her mother passed Vivena had been left with no easy blood meal and had resorted to tricking men into a one night stand so she could feed from them and disappear come morning. She'd also come to learn that one of her spells had limitations that made targeting the same person too many times impossible. It's why she'd fled, why she was here now, hoping to go unnoticed. So... not having to resort to such means could mean not having to wonder, not having to wait until she was starving, not having to wonder when she might be arrested and left to die of starvation in prison, or end up murdered by a frightened mob.

But then... she didn't know Eva. Was she just playing nice to get Vivena somewhere private? Maybe having another vampire around was a threat, someone impinging on her territory or something. It was clear Eva was very different from her, and that made Vivena nervous. It couldn't be wise to head to a stranger's house after just a few minutes of conversation and a confession of her true nature after some mechanical scorpion outed her as "strange."

In the end Vivena decided to just go. She was tired of running, tired of hiding, so either this was the last mistake she would ever make, or the best decision she's ever made in her life. So when Eva started walking, Vivena walked beside her, still nervous, but accepting.

[bloodbatsandbeyond]

Eva could tell from Vivena's posture alone that her invitation warranted no small amount of concern. She tsk'ed at herself and spoke to her newest acquaintance from underneath the shaded safety of her antique parasol. Never can be too careful when the sun will vaporize you in three minutes flat.

"Oh, my dear, I'm sorry to stress you like this. I know I'm probably coming across as too pushy or even certifiably insane by inviting you to my home after just having met you, but I really don't mean you any harm. Goodness knows you've probably had a time of it, coming to grips about living with this condition, and not a good time either. I just want you to know that there's people out and about who get it."

She placed herself at a non-threatening but still inviting distance from Vivena as she walked, and kept an eye on the mood and feeling of the situation.

[socrowdedinhere]

She wasn't sure if it was a good or bad sign that Eva acknowledged how unsettling such a quick invitation was, but what before Vivena could really comment on that something else caught her attention. "Condition? What do you mean, 'coming to grips about living with this condition'?" There was no offense in her tone, only confusion. Eva made it sound like Vivena had only been a vampire for a short time.

[bloodbatsandbeyond]

"Oh, I'm sorry, that was rather vague, wasn't it. Well," and here Eva leaned in so that to others it'd look like a bit of cheeky gossip, "vampirism, I mean. I don't want to assume, since we all know what that does, but you seem younger and I thought perhaps you'd been turned recently. That and loneliness does take its toll, too. That's something all supernatural beings can speak to. But again, I'm sorry. Don't feel as though you need to answer the chatterings of a strange lady you only just met."

[socrowdedinhere]

"Um." Vivena started to say that's not how it worked, but... but maybe there really was some merit to the pop culture beliefs? Or at least some of them? So she changed what she was going to say. "That's... not how it worked for me, but loneliness has... certainly been an issue in the last few months." Thoughts of her mother still made her want to cry; she wondered how long it would take for her to not be fighting tears whenever she remembered her mother...

[bloodbatsandbeyond]

"Not--oh! Well. I should like to know more, if it's not too much trouble. And I'm sure you've had more than your share of melancholy." Eva gave Vivena a soft touch on the shoulder, not enough to be strange but enough to convey support and empathy.

"Ah, here we are."

They came upon Eva's house, a charming heritage home which had been updated only out of necessity to replace those parts which were now out of date or out of code. Otherwise, it was a preserved piece of history, much like the lady herself. It was a two-story wooden house, painted in white with blue accents, complete with a front porch and garden, as well as a full garden in the back. The front planters contained various roses and peonies, and some night-blooming plants peeked around the corner from the back garden. Eva produced her keys and unlocked the door, ushering Vivena into some markedly modern air conditioning and motioned for her to take off her shoes at the welcome mat. The front entry opened up into a sitting area and dining room, kitchen beyond that, with stairs leading to the upper floor directly ahead from the door. The couch in the sitting area, opposite a grand fireplace, held a quilt with a pattern so garish, so clashing, so incongruous, that mere mortals may very well have been unable to be in proximity of it for more than 30 seconds.

"Please, make yourself at home, Vivena! What sort of tea do you like? I'll get the kettle on. Do you eat? I might have something around to offer."

[socrowdedinhere]

She gave a little shrug in response. "I don't mind sharing... I'd... like to... compare our experiences, if you'd be willing." Eva's willingness to do so would go a long way to helping Vivena feel more at ease.

The quaint house was another step. She was glad for the air conditioning, and did politely leave her shoes at the door. She found herself just looking around, taking in everything she could. That horrible blanket was impossible to not notice. Like most people first stepping into a strange home, even with an invitation to make herself at home, she lingered a little awkwardly in the entry. "I can, yes, but don't feel you have to go out of your way to get anything." Food didn't do much to sate her hunger, it was just a pleasant experience of flavors for her. "Any tea is fine. I've not found many I don't like."

She finally did step into the living room and to the couch with that terrible blanket, and took a seat, clearly not truly settled, but not sure what else to do with herself as her host saw to (maybe) snacks and drinks.

[bloodbatsandbeyond]

Eva nodded resolutely, even though Vivena couldn't see it through the walls.

"I'd be happy to share and compare experiences with you, dear. In my experience, the whole condition can vary from country to country, even! We can discuss once I've got everything prepared."

She put a kettle to boil on the stove and took out one of her good teacups, acquired on one of her trips away from Tombstone. The cup had a white base with a colourful pattern of cherry blossoms on top, and was just the right size for a small drink.

"I have some blueberry tarts I can offer you? I won't subject you to my tiramisu just yet, it's been centuries and I still can't get that right. As for tea, I have a few but perhaps a nice Japanese green might suit? I brought that home from a very memorable trip, and keep it for special guests. Now, before you go protesting, you very much count as one."

[socrowdedinhere]

There was that word again, condition. She knew about the pop-culture beliefs, but never expected another vampire to refer to what they were as a "condition" as though it was something to be cured. It was like someone saying the skin color they were born with was a condition, rather than just part of who they are. It baffled her, but they'd get to that soon, for now, it was tea time.

Or rather, time for her to choose her tea. "That sounds amazing, thank you. The tarts and the tea, that is."