//------------------------------// // No More Coffee? // Story: Those Red Eyes // by Dustchu //------------------------------// Vinyl popped her lips a few times, drumming her fingers on the table as she looked around the apartment. It was rather bland, a few paintings of an old looking Manehattan as it was just getting built years ago. Back then it had been a series of small islands connected to the mainland, which had been blasted out and rebuilt upon as a large shipping community during the Exodus Period from Prance and Trotland. Vinyl sighed, rubbing her nose as she gazed at the photo for the longest time, there were others, some of Octavia's family and some friends that Vinyl recognized from the young woman's collage days in Manehattan. She recognized one of them very well... After hearing a flushing noise coming from the bathroom, Vinyl turned and saw a nicely groomed Octavia step out. Her long deep charcoal colored hair was combed and slightly wavy near the bottom, her light purple eyes shining a bit more brightly and there was the barest hints of a smile on her face as she adjusted her clothes which consisted of a nice warm jacket and pants. Thankfully she had some in her bathroom so she didn't have to go back into her bedroom... Yeesh! Once her eyes caught sight of Vinyl, she frowned slightly. Vinyl stared back, drumming her fingers awkwardly on the table as Octavia stood nearby, nervously twiddling with the hem of her shirt tail. Both women just looked at one another, one unsure of what too do now, and the other... well she was having a craving for coffee. "Got anymore coffee?" Vinyl asked. "this morning has just been wheeeew~" She made a whooshing motion over her own head, as Octavia dumbly made her way over to the cupboards. After a quick search, Octavia said, "Uhm... no, it appears I'm all out." "Aww." Vinyl pouted sadly, slumping in her seat. A sigh from the cellist. "Oh come off it!" Octavia said, turning to look at the vampire. "Don't your kind drink blood for a living?" "Hey! That's... okay that's kinda true..." Vinyl muttered, before she she quickly added, "But we can drink other stuff you know... I just happen to like coffee." Octavia rubbed her eyes, breathing in through her nose as she wondered what to do now. She had no work lined up for today, and she had plenty of food stores so she didn't need to go to the store, and her social life left much to be desired. Another sigh escaped her as she turned to Vinyl, wondering how best to deal with this... vampire. But first, the door knocked... or rather one knocked on the door. "Oh bollocks." Octavia cursed silently and was about to make her way there, but Vinyl had beaten her to the punch and was looking through the eyehole. The woman grinned before opening up the door, revealing two tall men in black clothing who eyeballed Vinyl. "Hey guys, glad you came." "Made another mess?" The bald headed one asked, narrowing his eyes. "Uhh... maybe?" Vinyl offered. The two men sighed before walking inside, and spotting Octavia. They paid her little attention however, only moving into the apartment to clean up Vinyl's mess. Who are they? She wondered. "I swear anytime you call us its because you want us to clean up one of your messes." The bald man said, frowning as he sniffed the air. "Never, oh hey guys, wanna go grab a beer? Or maybe catch the game tonight? Never a hello! Just, hey, I eviscerated a bunch of dudes, can you clean it up for me?" "Hey, I'll have you know its just one dude, not a group." Vinyl told them as the one wearing a hat made his way into Octavia's bedroom. "Geez! Vinyl, did you miss any of his limbs?" The man yelled out. "Shit, you went to town on this sucker... damn wolf." The man complained. "Oi..." The bald man groaned before making to exit. "I'll get the supplies." As he left, Vinyl turned to Octavia. "Hey, wanna go for a walk while they clean up?" Octavia just sighed heavily, rubbing her eyes as she walked over to her bedroom, making a face at the other man who was covering his nose. She hesitantly stepped into the room and grabbed her purse nearby and her cellphone, before making a hasty retreat towards the door leading outside. Vinyl soon followed her, closing up the door and walking up next to Octavia and matched her speed. Once they were outside in the chilly air of Manehattan, Octavia shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket and tried to ignore what all just happened. A werewolf breaks into my apartment, tries to kill me. Then a vampire breaks in and saves me, eviscerating the werewolf and leaving hi a bloody mess on my nice carpet. She sighed, pulling out a hand to rub her eyes again. If she hadn't pestered her uncle for information that day, would she have reacted differently? I'm surprised I'm handling this so well... Shaking her head, she wondered how she ended up being the lucky human to end up with a vampire in her midst? She looked over at Vinyl, the woman who looked like she was in her mid twenties at most. Her hair spiky and hanging down one side of her face, and the purple sunglasses she whipped out along with her current attire made her look like she was about to hit up a club or two. Her loose black hoodie and black pants and sneakers, she looked like a girl who'd be causing trouble at said club. A rowdy club hopper, a troublemaker if Octavia ever saw one. The woman didn't seem to even mind the cold, her body didn't shiver, and her breath came out in wisps of white smoke that billowed out of existence. Octavia wasn't sure what to make of Vinyl. She was a vampire, a creature thought to be something of mere fiction and legend, and yet here she was... walking next to her with a smile like she was out on a walk with her friend. To anyone else, she may have looked like a very pale, yet quite attractive woman wearing baggy clothes. Maybe she was out with her best friend, the better dressed of the two and more... reserved then the other. What do I do now? She wondered as they walked down the slightly snowy streets of Manehattan. Looking back ahead, she noticed they were approaching a cafe. Vinyl took the lead from there, strutting up to the door and opening it up, holding it until Octavia walked past her with a muttered, "Thank you." Before entering the warm establishment. Upon heading inside, Octavia shook herself a little and let the warmth wash over her before going over to take a seat in a booth. Vinyl had followed shortly, taking a seat opposite of her and keeping her glasses snug on her face. Octavia sat her purse aside, brushing aside some of her hair as she took in Vinyl's relaxed posture. She didn't even look like she was winded from the earlier fight, or disturbed by it as she looked around the cafe with a slightly bored expression. Octavia looked around, and noticed they were the only customers inside at the moment, business was slow it seemed. "Miss Scratch." Octavia started, clearing her throat afterwards and continuing, "If you don't mind me asking." "Vinyl." The blue haired girl told Octavia, who gave her a questioning look in response. "Just call me Vinyl, Miss Scratch makes me sound old, which I'm totally not." "... Okay then, Vinyl." Octavia said. "If I may ask-" "You may." Interjected Vinyl once more, causing the hairs on the back of Tavi's neck to bristle. Taking a deep breath, the woman spoke. "... You said earlier that you've been watching me for twenty years." She told Vinyl. "Why?" Vinyl just smirked. "Well someone had to watch over you after what happened twenty years ago in the countryside." She said as a waitress came over, pulling out a notepad and a pen from behind her ear. "Hello, welcome to Earl's, what can I get ya?" The rather attractive waitress asked, chewing on her gum. "Ya'll got coffee?" Vinyl asked, and when the girl nodded Vinyl asked. "Gimme a cup of that would ya?" Turning to Octavia, the cellist said. "Can I get the breakfast special?" "Got it, I'll have your order in a bit." The waitress nodded as she wrote down their orders and went away. As they waited, Octavia continued her line of questioning. "Still... while I'm grateful for what you did, I still don't see why you felt the need to..." She gesticulated wildly with her hand. "Watch me for two decades, i'm aware you're immortal but... didn't you have better things to do?" The cellist wondered, raising an trimmed eyebrow towards Vinyl. "Oh believe me, I could have been doing plenty of things." Vinyl responded, sniffling. "But watching you struggle with life was kinda cute~" She cooed, to which Octavia scoffed. "I am not struggling thank you very much." Octavia retorted, crossing her arms. "Then what do you call living on the lower side of Manehattan in a cheap run down apartment building sweet cheeks?" Vinyl smiled at Octavia's infuriatingly cute pout. "That's what I thought." Octavia was going to reply, but their order came. A plate was sat down in front of Octavia, containing freshly cooked bacon and eggs, with buttered pancakes and a cup of what looked like freshly squeezed orange juice. It smelled heavenly to Octavia as a cup of coffee was sat down in front of Vinyl who paid up front for it all. Tavi made no move to stop her however as her stomach protested its emptiness and she dug in. Vinyl just drank her coffee silently as she pulled out her cellphone and scrolled through it. Any conversation died there, the two just tended to their orders in silence. Octavia ate with as much grace she could, but she was starving and getting a nice meal was something she had been craving since yesterday after a failed performance at a concert hall. Stupid drunks. She cursed, they had booed her performance and threw vegetables on stage. She had barely saved her Cello, she had spent the latter part of her night cleaning it of the juice and gunk that caught on her strings and tuners. She was mad of course, but she cleaned it and it looked brand new, even though it was older then she was. After some time, Vinyl spoke, "Well it was nice actually meeting you Octavia." Vinyl told the younger woman before standing up and pocketing her phone before downing the rest of her coffee. "But I have to get going, duty calls~" Octavia blinked. "Duty calls? What on earth kind of business would a vampire have to do in the middle of the day?" She asked, then her eyes went wide. "Wait, aren't your kind allergic to the sun's rays? Why aren't you bursting into flames?" At that, Vinyl laughed. "What?! I'm serious!" "Hahaha! That's what makes it so funny." Vinyl told her, wiping away a tear. "I'll explain some other time, I gotta get moving. Catch you later kid." Vinyl told the girl before exiting the cafe, leaving behind a confused Octavia. The cellist watched as Vinyl put in some ear buds before turning on some music and walking away, bobbing her head as she put on her hood and vanished into the morning crowd of Manehattan. Octavia sat back in her chair, holding her fork in one hand and fiddling with it as a thought crossed her mind. My apartment better be clean when I get back. With that in mind, she went about devouring the rest of her food in peace... For now.