A pale young man sat casually away from the crowd at a table by himself. The table was for two, but he alone occupied it. It was in a back corner where the dance lights did not hit. He wore a tight black sleeveless shirt and black pants. Upon his wrists were odd looking black wristbands.

Juan took in his surroundings, his blood red eyes not missing a single detail. This was not a place he normally hung out at. His usual hot spot was the White Mice Nightclub. But he had longed for something a bit more old fashioned after running into an old aquaintance that reminded him of his past.

He pushed some of his black hair out of his face, but left his left side alone. He knew nothing could be done about the portion of hair that hung down, covering the left half of his face. So he simply let it be. The rest of his raven black hair hung down a bit past his ears and wasn't at all bothersome.

As he took a drink from his glass, he scanned the crowd for someone that might like to "join him for dinner".

Although not as high-class and sofisticated as he usually liked, the King's Brewery: Tavern & Inn was a good place to find company and be able to take it a little more easily. Reiel had left his top hat at his current residence, thinking it wasn't neccessary for the current scenery.

As Reiel walked in, he got a glum look from some of the people inside. His attire was a little much for the place, but Reiel didn't care about what they thought. Simple mortals, prey and food. His blonde hair, shoulder-length hair slighty swept back and worth as he walked, but his black bangs remaining in place on either side of his pale, fragile face. Reiel's eyes scanned the room for someone to join, when the multicolored spheres fell upon a man in the back of the tavern, the smell of a vampire ever-strong.

Avoiding the gazes of others, Reiel walked to the back of the tavern to join him, his squared-off shoes tapping against the fooden floorboards as he walked. When approaching the vampire Reiel got a closer look at the vampire and realised that he looked younger. Never judge though, Reiel... he told himself, He could very well be older...

"Well hello," Reiel started, flashing him a fanged smile, "Mind if I join you?"

Juan looked up and saw an oddly dressed man standing before him. He looked him up and down and judged that eh appeared about twenty-two. But he had a strong smell of death coming from him, the scent of a vampire. He doubted that he looked his age, especially after seeing his attire.

He smirked and shook his head a bit, "Are you trying to let everyone know what you are? Or do you just enjoy the attention of standing out in a crowd?"

He motioned nonchalantly to the seat in front of him, signaling that it was fine for the man to join him. He didn't have anything better to do for several hours anyway.

Reiel quirked an eyebrow at him. "I do it for the style, the attention is just a benefit," Reiel said, sitting in the seat across from the other seemingly younger vampire. "And what about you Mr. Dark? Mr. Emo-looking? You with your hair covering half of your face when it probably doesn't need to. But that's just part of our curse I suppose," he looked around for a second, "Being unable to physically change that is."

Reiel leaned his silver dragon-head cane on the table and leaned forward. He was resting his head on the backs of his clasped hands, elbows on the table. "In any case, Mr. Dark, what is the formal name by which I should call you?"

“You really are an odd one aren’t you?” he questioned, his lips curling into a half amused smirk, “I had the misfortune of trying something new before I was turned. But at least I don’t look like I just stepped out of a Shakespearian play.”

He gestured to Reiel’s clothing with his hand as if the clothes spoke for themselves. The other vampire did look rather odd in the bar setting, wearing old English clothing. Top hat, cane and all.

“But I am forgetting my manners as you have pointed out,” he replied, “I am known as Juan Marcos, the resident Spaniard of this area. And you would be?”

Reiel quirked an eyebrow at the other vampire's comment about his clothing; he liked them rather much. "I guess you could call me that,. I personally love the classic style of my time. But then again, I guess everyone has their preferences," Yes, he loved his clothing much more than Juan's nearly skin-tight shirt and leather pants, though he thought Juan looked good in them. But Reiel shrugged after speaking, a sly grin on his face and a devilish touch in his eye.

"But excuse me for not introducing myself, as I was the one who joined you," he bowed his head to Juan, the spainard, "My name is Reiel Aderet. The Jewish vampire of the area, and as far as I know, the city. And believe me when I say the pleasure is all mine," he put out a gloved hand across the table for Juan to shake.

Juan gave him an odd look and shook his hand like it was a snake that he thought might bite him, “Charmed… I’m sure.”

He sighed and looked around, “Not much to choose from tonight.”

The bar was filled mostly with men, only three ladies present. And Juan was not excited at the prospect of having to woo the women that were there. Perhaps he would have to pick up a bite to eat in an alley somewhere. Maybe outside the theater after a late movie…

“Usually the bars in this area are packed,” he bemoaned at the lack of selection, “But enough of that. What brings you to this town? I’m new here myself, but I haven’t seen you around before.”

"I think the selection is fine..." Reiel said tilting his head from side to side, making a content guesture. "But me? I'm a wanderer. As of now this city has had the most of... us... that I've ever just even bumped into. I think I might settle here though, it's starting to grow on me." As the words rolled of Reiel's tongue, he thought about what he had just said. He's been moving for so long, was he really ready to finally set in?

"In any case, what brings you? Spain is a long ways way from here," he said that so casually, considering he himself came from London, England originally.

“What brings me here? Here as in the continent? Or here as in this town?” he replied wittily, “If you meant the former than I have been here for quite some time. If you meant the latter, I am not quite sure. I just happened upon this place and decided to stick around for a bit. Afterall, Spain is only an ocean away.”

He stood up and stretched a bit. Juan looked around some more before giving up and sitting back down. All he had seen were a couple of burly guys who looked like they could be lumberjacks and one or two girls who looked like their BAC was threateningly high.

“Would someone please remind me why I picked this place to come tonight and not the White Mice nightclub?” he threw up his hands in frustration as he plopped back into his seat.

"The White Mice Nightclub? Ugh, such a horendous place," Reiel started, looking around, "I suppose this place isn't any better, but it is certainly more relazing than the White Mice place. I've passed by there several times, and besides the fact that I don't think I could fit in that well, I do believe the blaring music and flashing lights would drive me to near insanity." Reiel rolled his eyes and rubbed his head just thinking about it.

"Although I do believe it would be a good place to pick up people... In all the madness that seems to go on, one could easily seduce a mortal." Reiel leaned his head back, looking up at the ceiling, allowing his blonde hair to fall back, his black bangs soon following. "What I would do to have someone young and fresh like that, rather than the unfortunate older mortals I've been dealing with."

Reiel looked back up at Juan, "Not that much older mind you, usually only past their second and a half decade of life, maybe past their third sometimes. Picking is rather hard for me sometimes, I have a very unique preference. Not to mention the younger they are, the slightly harder they are to seduce because of fear." Reiel frowned slightly, he didn't like how resistant the younger people were.

Juan looked back at him, "Really? I haven't found it that much more difficult. I actually prefer them younger, although the older blood does have that vintage taste to it..."

He trailed off for a moment, still debating internally which tasted better. Although he enjoyed the company of the younger ones much more, but if there were none available there wasn't much he could do. He had to feed, he just preferred to have a little fun while doing so.

"All you have to do is smile at the teenage ones and they swoon like crazy," he replied, "They'll be all over you in a matter of minutes. But the really young ones still listen to their parents about not trusting strangers. They can be a challenge."

Reiel quirked an eyebrow at Juan. "So you say. Believe me, I've tried. It hasn't worked so well for me because most of them, the ones I've met, are all unsure of themself. I do wear, what is considered, a 'normal' attire sometimes, not often, but sometimes. It's mostly then that I try to get them when younger, teenage that is." Reiel was quite enjoying the company of Juan and their discussion of mortals. It was apparent that he and Juan had similar thoughts, which was good.

"Either way, I don't think I could go for anyone before the age of 16, really. Before that they're too young and their blood tastes odd; at least for me." Reiel made a semi-disgusted face, recalling the taste of such a mortal, 15, who's blood tastes odd, just odd. Reiel himself couldn't think of a better word to describe it.

“I’ve found out that they are attracted to what, long ago, would have been a reason to run far away. The more you dress like a bad guy, the more they swoon over you,” he remarked, “Which of course, makes our line of work much easier. As for the younger ones, it’s a preference. Perhaps you don’t have the taste for it.”

Juan stared off into space for a moment. His mind was obviously elsewhere. Not in this place, nor, quite possibly, even in this time.

“Taste doesn’t matter much though, not when you are desperate,” he muttered distractedly, “You may just find yourself eating rats.”

Reiel shuddered at the thought. "I don't think I could ever bring myself to drink the blood of one of those disease-ridden sewer beasts. Disgusting, grimy little creatures," he shook his head, trying to get the thought out of his head. "I'd much rather drink the blood of the dead then to go and pick up one of those things and bite into it. Thankfully I can too, and not get sick." Reiel remembered the days the rats roamed the streets freely and you couldn't walk two feet without running into one and/or stepping on it, since they didn't move since they were so used to humans.

"Either way, they get so cute when seduced," Reiel scrunched his face in cute admiration, "Aroused at nearly any touch, and then they think they're at peace when you bite them," he put his elbow on the table and rested his chin in his hand, smiling. "Then they finally realize what's going on, and it's too late. Oh well, at least they left semi-peacefully. Although they usually let out a little screech before going," Reiel let out a little giggle-like chuckle, squirming in his seat.

"Oh it's so cute when guys let out a little scream like a girl. They can really make it as if your heart were to start again, know what I mean?"

((:suave: <--- It amuses me.))


Juan had been zoning, still remembering something that he had appeared to have not thought about in quite some time. He shook his head when the other vampire mentioned his dislike for the thought of eating rodents. Obviously, he had been fortunate enough not to have gone through the same difficult times as Juan had. At the same time, Juan's eyes were still scanning the crowd for any helpless or senseless people that might be his next meal ticket.

He nodded, "Yeah... wait! What? Did you just say guys?!"

"Hmm?" Reiel 'said' with a questioning look on his face. He was wrapped up in his own little fantasies when they were abruptly ended by Juan's comment. "Yes, I said guys. Weren't we talking about them? I thought we were..." he had a confused look on his face, his head tilted slightly to one side.

"I personally have no preference for women. Always been that way," he leaned on the table again, fingers clasped and head resting on the back of his hands, "What about you? You weren't talking about guys?"

Juan leaned back a bit from the table so that his was sitting upright in his chair, "Um... No. I really wasn't. I assumed we were talking about women."

He shifted in his seat slightly, "So... you weren't?"

"Didn't I just say that? Nope," he had on a devilish grin, "Does that make you uncomfortable? Now knowing that I'm gay? Does it really matter though?" Juan looked so uneasy at this point, it actually was making Reiel more attracted to him. Funny how things work like that sometimes; that you want what you can't have. Ah well, Reiel had his ways.

(Yay for Juan adapting to the times outwardly, but still being old fashioned in thinking!)


He was sitting completely upright and stiff in his seat at this point.

"Yes... as a matter of fact," Juan replied cautiously, "And uh... yeah! How in the world did you survive before the 90's?!"

"Unfortunately I had to keep this little fact under wraps for quite a while... not there weren't others like me, but I just couldn't be as outward with it... especially not back in the 1600s..." Reiel became uncomfortabley quiet. He didn't like to talk about the old days and the way he was beat up, and constantly at that. Reiel shook his head, trying to forget the memories right now. He had made a friend, so he thought, and it wasn't time for being depressed.

"Either way, a toast to friendship!" he called over a waitress and asked for a beer for Juan and a wine spritzer for himself. It wasn't his usual type of order, but he didn't think that he could get red wine at a place like this. "Can I assume that even though I'm gay, I can call you 'friend'?"

The vampire had a puzzled look upon his face.

"Friends?" Juan repeated as if he had not heard the word spoken aloud in a long time.

Juan was not familiar with the concept of friendship. He had left his parents at a young age to learn how to be a soldier and shipsman. Then he had traveled a world away to join Cortes in his explorations. There he quickly met his fate when he was turned and immediately after, the one who changed him, left him. He did not understand emotional attachments all that well, he had never had a chance to.

"We met by chance and talked for little more than an hour and you consider us friends?" he asked, still wearing a bewildered look.


(Emo tear...)

This time, it was Reiel with the puzzled look. "Well, yes. Why not? You seem like a nice guy, and we're both immortals... Most vampires aren't exactly nice, or at least of the few I've met," he pondered what he had just said. Maybe he shouldn't have said most considering the few he really had had any contact of conversations with.

"Well in any case, the drinks are ordered, on me, so why not take a free one while it's free?" he had a cheery look on his face as he smiled at the Spanish vampire. The waitress came over a few minutes later, placing the beer bottle in front of Juan and the wine spritzer in front of Reiel. Reiel quickly took out a few bills from his right lower pocket on the front of his coat and handed them to the waitress, still smiling at Juan.

"Alright," he said taking the drink, "To friendship then."

He decided he liked the way that word sounded and that he would use it more often. Juan gave his companion a toothy grin. Maybe he didn’t have to do everything by himself. Suddenly another thought came to mind.

“Let’s not get too friendly though,” he added to his earlier remark.

Reiel chuckled about his last comment. "Aww, someone is afraid of getting close," he crossed his left leg over his right and leaned back in his chair, taking a sip. "But don't worry, I'll respect your boundaries if you want. But please, order as much as you want. I have plenty of money to spare, and seeing as you've been the first vampire to be nice to me, all your drinks are on me." He held his drink in his right hand, out in the air, as his left hand was on his chest in correspondance to when he had just refered to himself.

“Thanks,” Juan replied, “But if you were looking for a 'good' person, you’d better quit while you’re ahead. I am far from that. And you’re very… cheerful.”

He finished this last statement. The tell the truth, the other vampire’s cheerfulness had set him on edge from the moment he sat down. That and his forwardness, one did not simply walk over to another vampire and begin a conversation. There were complications like coven rivalry and if you were an independent, any coven member would come after you for no reason. Juan was not a perky person nor a people person. Sure, he could act cheerful to lure in a human, but being cheerful was something else entirely.

"So... moving away from one uncomfortable subject to another..." Juan decided to find out more about his new "friend", "Are you in a coven?"

"Yes, indeed I am. Enashe. And you? Coven or independant?" Reiel tipped his glass towards Juan, but already thinking he knew the answer. He didn't seem like the type to like to be in big groups or to be labeled. but that was just as far as Reiel could tell. The gruff attitude, the way he dressed, the way he spoke, in Reiel's mind, it all lead to 'loner'.

The waitress came over with another beer bottle and placed it on the table. She asked if Reiel wanted another drink, but he refused, saying he'd get another one in a bit. Reiel would drink more, but the fact that it wasn't really his favorite drink, red wine--next to blood--meant that he probably wouldn't drink as much as quickly. Not that Reiel was known or ever truly was an alcoholic, he just really enjoyed the taste of red wine; even though it's taste had been dulled, like all tastes besides blood, since his turning.

"Although you don't seem like the coven type to me, if I had to place you in one, I think I'd place you in the Ishak. But you tell me," Reiel really was enjoying Juan's company, it was nice to just talk to someone for once.

It was Juan's turn to laugh, but it came out as more of a scoff, "Really? Ishak?"

He pondered this for a moment and shook his head decidedly, "I do not think so my friend. I do not fear crosses in the least and my reflection is over there." He motioned with his free hand to a mirror across the room. One dark and blurry figure could be seen in it.

"I have considered the Nephim or the Tarepha. I even visited the Tarepha on one occasion,” he continued, “But that would involve too many rules. And following a leader. Far too much aggravation for my taste.” He took another sip of his drink.

Reiel raised his eyebrows, shocked at his response. "Really? Nephim or Tarepha? I didn't think you would be that mean. You've been really nice to me so far," He tried to think of Juan angered, "No, I'm sorry. I just don't think I could see you in one of those covens. But I don't suggest going into the Tarepha; they're all gloom and 'I'm so depressed' and all that unpleasantness. Really, it starts to get old after a while," he flopped a hand down, rolling his eyes at how stupid he thought some of the members of that coven could be.

"I'm telling you, from what I know of the mortals there, they either threat and/or attempt to commit suicide, or they are just begging to be turned; as if they know what it's like," ge frowned as he sipped his drink; the annoying mortals of the Terapha coven truly annoyed him, some of the only mortals to do so.

Juan glared at him, "Really now? Have you stopped to consider that as long as there are mortals stupid enough to think that and venture in there, that there will be a constant supply of fresh blood? Biting people does not turn them."

He grinned a bit at this as he remembered one such occasion where he had pulled the same trick. He had been at a party in New Orleans, which was considered Vampire Central after several movies about their kind had taken place there. The idiots had practically bared their necks to him.

"I figured you for an Enashe from the start," he commented, "You're far too soft-hearted for our kind. Even the foolish Aztecs were more vicious than you, what with their human sacrifices and such. And they were mortals!"

Reiel was appauled and upset. "No, I thought you could only turn mortals," he said in a sarcastic tone, "But you think I'm too 'soft-hearted'? Well, I'm telling you now, when it's needed I have been noted to be quite... nasty... not that I am often. And while I don't know if you remember your turning, or if you hear the screams of the girls, which you prefer, as they are being bitten, but I know that the mortals who throw themselves to vampire know not what they are doing. And for the mortals who I have to taken, I'd rather them die in, what they think is, bliss, than in pain." Reiel was not known for being arguemental, but that was something he defended. Realizing what he'd just blurted out, Reiel placed his glass on the table and hand his hands over his head, slicking his hair back slightly.

Juan was just annoyed now, "I do happen to remember my turning, but the fact remains that I was turned and not left to die. Humans are food, nothing more."

He glared at Reiel and gave him a look that clearly showed how much he disagreed with him, "They do not care for the feelings of their cattle, why should we feel any different? And screams are simply noises uttered by another being. They do not bother me in the least."

The hardships Juan had endured over the centuries had made him cold, perhaps even cruel. He had to figure out how to survive as what he was and had even lived off of animals for a time. He could not change what he was, so why bother. There was no going back.

"You are a predator! Why not act like one?!" he ended harshly.

"Because although you and whatever hardships happened to you have made you cold, mine have made me realize what a better 'life' I have now. Unlike you who probably just gets angry and goes off on a killing spree, I'd prefer to take the lighter road and calm myself down. Besides, I will never get over the feeling of having to kill. Yes, I've become accustomed to it, but that doesn't mean it doesn't still bother me. Not everyone is as psychologically able to just kill off people."

Reiel just could not believe what Juan had said. Yes, humans are food for vampires, but that doesn't mean they should be considered cattle.

"Also Juan, although, like most vampires, my memory of my emotions is fading, I'd rather cling to them as long as possible. It's very apparent though that you obviously have abandoned them long ago though," Reiel said this in a very matter-of-factly way. Even if he couldn't persuade Juan to believe that vampires weren't all thoughtless, blood-sucking killing machines, he would try.

Juan scoffed, "You know how good it feels when you drink their blood. Just add the killing to it. It's really just like a game. First you earn their trust, then you wait for the perfect moment to strike, and in the end you get what you need."

Juan could not believe that this victorian style vampire was still clinging to his emotions. Emotions only got in the way and made it more difficult to get what you wanted and needed. Humans were food and entertainment, they served no other purpose. Perhaps this was why Juan had never made another vampire.

"And it's technically not a killing spree if you do not take more than you fill," he added as an afterthought.

Reiel knew that Juan was right in some of the sense, though he refused to accept it. There was just no possible way he could bring himself to be so cruel and so psychotic as that. There just was no way. From the minute his prey matched eyes with Reiel, he made sure to put them under his spell, to reduce their pain and realize that they felt none.

Reiel was clenching his teeth, his retractable fangs ever present. After several minutes of breathing deeply, he finally calmed down, slightly. "It doesn't matter if we were cursed to act as such, we have the choice not to. Yes, we need the blood to sustain ourselves, but you have the choice to take only was you barely need rather than until you're full." Vampire discussions were always a controversial discussion, between both vampires and humans alike, especially those who are part of the Church.

Juan shook his head at the naivety of what may have almost been a new companion. He had been around for some time, to be sure, but not nearly enough. This vampire cared so much for the lives of humans that would not give him a second thought before killing him if they were to discover his true nature. He could try all he wanted to be kind to them and show them mercy, but he would never receive any in return. The centuries he had spent alone had shown this to Juan and he had learned the hard way that humans were the real animals in this relationship. Even if they appeared to trust you, they would turn on you at the slightest sign of suspicion.

“Listen to me,” he said angrily to the irritated vampire across from him, “You have no idea what these things can be like. They are the animals, not us. We feed on them like they feed on their cattle because that is how it is supposed to be. Try to have any sort of relationship with them and they’ll be the one’s biting you!”

Juan breathed in sharply, he had said a bit too much. The vampire had not meant to expose so much of himself. But in that last short sentence, even a moron could have figured out the basics of what he had experienced. He had no idea why he was so angry and emotional about such a simple thing. Juan had not felt any sort of emotion for centuries. He could never be like he was again, not like this vampire who still cared for humans.

Reiel could have lashed out. Reiel should have lashed out. He too was not shown much kindness in years of existance. But he was one to not get mad at the mortals of the earth, but pity them. He pitied them for their ignorance and fear. I suppose they do have every right to fear though... Reiel thought to himself.

"If you can build a relationship on trust and kindness, rather than fear, you will be fine. It's happened to me plenty of times already, and thus proven. Just because you find it necessary to only worsen their fear of you doesn't mean every vampire must be so. Whatever happened to you, happened. There's not much you can do about that," Reiel said calmly; he truly had a wide range of emotions still within him, rather than the cold, arrogant vampire who sat before him, "But rather than getting in a huff about it and only showing anger, you could at least try to be kind. Whether you like it or not, you still are part human, every vampire is, and there has to be some trace of emotion in you."

Reiel sipped his wine, sitting upright in his chair. He had dealt with such mortals and vampires before, and although they can get under his skin at first, remaining calm and being sensible always proved to be stronger for him. This spainard would not aggitate him more than he had.

“Sorry my friend,” he replied with a shrug, “Whatever was left of my humanity disappeared long ago. You can keep searching but I doubt that you will find a vampire that is human enough for your liking.”


The fool could search all he wanted, but he would never find a single one that had remained completely inoccent. Juan was sure that he himself was no saint. But something about Reiel confused him, Juan simply could not understand where Reiel's feelings for humans came from. He had lost his and now the things he said were not meant to be cruel, he just could not see what Reiel was saying. Juan no longer understood such emotions.