Vivica stood on the empty subway cart, leaning on the metal pole that ran from the floor to the cealing. She wore a pair of black tights, a short black skirt, knee high leather boots, and a black under the bust corset over a lose, over-the shoulder black shirt. Her amber coloured eyes gleamed, and her black hair fell around her shoulders loosely.

It was strange, being undead. It had been less than a week, and she'd killed 5 people as if they were cows. Well, in a way, they were now. But blood was her only solice now.

Her eyes closed in thought, her soft lips in a slight frown. She was slightly thirsty, but had already drunk tonight. Vivica didn't want anymore.

The train car halted at the East Madison entrance where Victor entered to get back to the St. Mary Church. His face was all flat, high cheekbones with narrow, almost slanted eyes and long, straight black hair. If he hadn’t been any more ethnic, he’d have been craved in stone, surrounded by snakes and Aztec Gods. He wore a pair of dress khakis with an olive green sweater and a long trench coat.

There was no sitting room left in the car, so he opted to stand by a pole. His black eyes were neutral with no indication of feeling. He looked so still, that he almost appeared lifeless to onlookers. It looked like he was a three dimensional painting that was only an illusion.

Before the train even started, he sensed that there was another vampire on the train. It was a weak presence that you get from the newly dead. He bet that it was less than a week because he could still feel lively presence inside of the creature. He cocked his head casually to scope out his prey, for lack of a better term.

There she was standing next to a pole looking weak, vulnerable, and confused. He wondered if she had a leader. He doubted that because since she was so young that any leader wouldn’t lhave left her out of their site. It only seemed natural. He looked away before she could notice, but keeping her in his peripheral vision.

Vivica suddenly felt on edge. She didn't know why or how, but her arms would be covered in goose bumps if she had still mortal skin. Her amber eyes darted around the cart. No one else was in hers, but the cart infront was packed full. She noticed one different from all the rest. It wasn't that he looked extreamly out of place, just he lacked movement of any kind.

She looked at her watch. It was only 9 oclock, she had a long time before the sun would rise. Vivica was curious, but not curious enough to find herself a way into the other cart. Vivica looked at the ground, thinking about what had happened this last week. Why was she on edge? She didn't know, and there was still another 15 to 20 minutes before the subway would reach her destination.

Victor could taste the unease on the newly dead’s skin. The sensation was pleasurable with a hint of excitement. He kept this urge inside of himself by making a deep swallow looking away from the girl. Five hundred years was a long time to attain self-control, but he fell short when he hasn’t fed in a long while. It had been about five days; he could go a little over a week without blood. He knew that he couldn’t feed on her, but she could curb his appetite in other ways.

The night was just beginning giving him many possibilities for the night. He wanted to have to get a feed before he left Demaitre. He didn’t plan on staying long after he talked to the Nephim Leader, which he still didn’t have his or her name. For all he knew, Nephim was in a state of anarchy.

The train stopped fifteen minutes later. He waited to see if the newly dead would get off here. His plan was to follow her off of the train. He would stick to the shadows and wait for an opportunity to introduce himself.

This was her stop. Vivica got off the train and walked slowly up the stairs to the main street. It was slightly cold, but her body didn't feel that anymore. Only three more blocks, and then she'd be to her apartment. She had ordered a coffin to be delivered yesterday, so it was most likely already there for her to sleep in. The wind blew through her black hair, until finally she opened a door to a shabby looking building, and climbed 6 flights of stairs. At the top, she walked to the end of the hall way, opened the door with her key, and walked in. Vivica was so relieved that her coffin was indeed there, that she forgot to shut the door. Flicking the black light on, that she had installed so it wouldn't hurt her eyes, Vivica looked at the coffin in awe.

It was exactly as she had ordered and described. Of course, it came of the black market, but she wasn't worried about that. It was shaped to fit the body, much more like the old coffins than the ones they used now. It was a dark red stain, and on the front there were many tiny engravings. She took the lid off, and inside a martice was built to the floor. The sheats were black silk, and a small pillow lay at the top.

"I think I may be getting used to this whole undead stuff."

She said outloud, shutting the door but not locking it, and getting into her coffin. There was a lot of extra room, but she didn't care.

As the newly dead vampire departed from the subway car, Victor followed her silently seeming as a casual person in the urban metropolis of Demaitre. It was uncertain where the girl was taking him, but it was almost certain to him that she was unaware of him following her. Three blocks later, she entered an apartment building. If she only knew that she was leading a five hundred vampire to her apartment. She had a lot to learn about being dead. Was Victor willing to teach her? He’d need a name first, and then they could talk.

As she entered the door, victor noticed that she had dropped a small amount of money from her purse. He bent over to pick it up in a quick, brisk motion. He stuffed it into his pocket. He didn’t need money because whoever said that they you couldn’t use money when you are dead was right. It was kind of useless.

He walked up the steps to her apartment without any inclination that there was another being going up the stairs. Vampires could stay unhidden from weaker vampires when they decided that they wanted. It really wasn’t any physically thing that you obtain when you are over five hundred. It is that he could cloud somebody’s mind without that person being aware of his entry. What the mind doesn’t sense, the eyes can’t see.

She entered the apartment without shutting the door. It did him little good because vampires can’t cross the threshold of certain households. This unfortunately was one of those places. No need to worry because he had done this before. All he needed was her permission to enter the house. Wait for her to close the door, and then he could knock on the door. Here’s go for improvising.

She turned around and shut the door without seeing him. Clouding the mind is a beautiful thing. Now, for an excuse to knock on a stranger’s door. He stuffed his hands into his pocket. He felt the money that he had picked that the woman had dropped. Great, he was going to look like a Boy Scout giving back her money. He thought he was going to get sick.

Nonetheless, he knocked on the newly dead vampire's door…….

Vivica debated on wiether or not she wanted to get out of her coffin and greet the visitor. It was probably the landlord, she hadn't bothered paying the rent last week. Vivica had been busy that night . . . getting her blood sucked out from her neck. But even if it was her landlord, she could do with a midnight snack.

"Hello . . . do I know you?"

Her smooth voice asked as she stood in the door way, it wide open. Something was different about him, he didn't smell like a mortal. No, this was another vampire, she was sure. But what would he want? Perhaps she was treading on his teritory? Whatever it was, she didn't mention it. Before he could answer her first question, Vivica asked him another.

"Can I help you sir?"

Vivica asked. She was now learning that blood lust wasn't the only type of lust vampire's experianced. The mere fact that he was a vampire made her even more attracted to him. She couldn't point out his ethnicity, but it didn't look like anything recent. Perhaps he was far older than even Jack, or the vampire who had turned her.

Victor stood there face stone cold in the doorway examining the girl's mind flutter. He sould sense her thought, but didn't bother to distinguish them. It woudl have been rude to read the mind of a stranger, well without a reason of course.

On his face he placed a forged smile. It appeared genuine. five hundred years of practice did help. He looked a little more warm, but it was an illusion. It was something that many of the young don't pick up on.

"I am here to help you, actually. After you got off the subway, you left your money on the ground. I just thought that you may need it, mi chica."

He stood there silently hoping for an invitation into the house. He belived that otherwise he couldn't enter. Stupid vampire myths are often true, but they have loopholes.

Vivica nodded, and smiled in an amused sort of way. She really doubted that money would be of real need to her in the future. None the less, she brushed her hair out of her face and smiled.

"Thanks."

After a few moments of awkward silance, she decided to invite him in. What the hell? If this was a normal guy (and she assumed it was, despite the reality) then she would have no trouble killing him if he tried anything funny. Besides, if she got hungry again she didn't want to have to go out. However, Vivica didn't really know how to explain the coffin that was behind her. Maybe he'd just think she was another one of those mortals who loved the goth-glam scene? Hopefully. Not to mention she was lonly.

"I don't really know how to repay you, I doubt anyone else would do this in the city. Would you like to come in for a cup of coffee or something?"

She asked, leaning in the door way.

"Coffee would be wonderful," he said walking through the doorway into the apartment of the the girl. He looked around the apartment. It seemed that she had made great adjustments for living the vampire life. He was new in town, he needed a place to stay. This had possibilities, but he would wait to see if he would want to stay here. Besides, he wouldn't want to impose.

"Nice, coffin for two," he said slyly looking back at the girl. He shook his head feeling emabrrassed for making such a comment. He rebounded saying," Sorry, my name is Victor." He extended his hand to shake.

"I'm Vivcia."

She shook his hand before walking over to the tiny Kitchen, where she turned on a small, dull light. After a few moments of searching the cabnits, she finally found a few backs of coffee beans. Ginding them and then putting them into the coffee machine, she sat on the counter and sighed.

"You new to the city?"

She asked in attempt to start conversation.