It was one of those rare occasions that Alice ventured out of the house, but she had figured that her friends would drag her out for a drink sooner or later. She had a couple of days off work though, which seemed to ease her on the idea that maybe dancing would be fun for a change. Certainly, the constant mewing of her cats would drive her crazy before she turned twenty-five, and the knowledge that the middle aged man downstairs would knock on her door for 'extra bread' or 'run out of milk' supplies every time he knew she was in, made her frown. People on a whole, made no sense to her, and people individually made her even more mystified.

Now Alice was in one of the clubs that was quiet, yet played good music and served good drinks. She had lost her friends to one of the clubs down the street and had very bravely broken off with goodbyes, to venture here on her own. The last time she had been in a public venue on her own was at the coffee shop in Ontario, and that was when she knew someone was picking her up. She seemed to be testing the water and was extremely nervous in doing so. With a deep breath, she walked over to the bar diffidently and leant over the bar, barely making eye contact with the tender "Advocaat lemonade with a rum top please....yes, ice...thank you" she smiled and tucked a lock of red wave behind her ear, sitting down on the barstool awkwardly whilst glancing around at the people who danced and sat and drank. Alice crossed her legs, the simple jeans and fitted blouse making her blend in, looking plain, not attention grabbing in the slightest.

The trouble was, she looked out of place because her shyness, her awkwardness. Everyone here seemed so alluring and dark, like they could move faster than the music. What bar had she stumbled into? Now she felt like she was completely out of place, and slipped from the stool, before backing up. Her heel swashed onto something shoe-like and soft, then hard and bony. With a small gasp, thankfully inaudible due to the music, she turned around and grabbed her bag "Oh...I-I...I'm sorry I didn't mean to, I just....I'm quite clumsy. I've never really been one for this sort of thing and..." she smiled and blushed brightly, stopping herself from talking more, in fear of making a fool of herself in stuttering.

Argen sat down in his ordinary spot, drinking a white wine, but he couldn't help but notice a mortal woman making a fool of herself, she was stuttering constantly.
"Feh!...Mortals"
Argen sat and watched her, it was pleasing to him to watch a woman act like this, she had beauty but it was hard to see under all the layers of upset and shame.
Argen couldnt bare it any longer he decided to talk to her and at least make her feel less distant , he walked up to her and sat down next to her, he ordered another glass of white wine and grasped it with left hand as the silver rings wrapped around slender frame of the glass he tilted his head in her direction not fully turning his head and spoke.
"Hello, there" His soft yet husky voice echo out of his pursed lips.

Alice blinked, as if she were about to make an excuse for being late to a school class. Her chest heaved as she pushed down her quickening pulse and her urge to run from the place like a frightened girl. As the man sat down next to her, she saw the bartender push a tall class of yellow alcohol over, and eyed her for the money. She clutched her purse and sat herself down, handing him the cash he wanted for the drink. Taking a sip of the drink soothed her a little, before she answered the soft hello of the stranger "Hello. I assume you saw me making a fool of myself? All of the patrons in here seem so sure of themselves. I wonder if I have fallen down a rabbit hole at last" she said with a murmur, pushing a cube of ice with her straw "I...my name is Alice" she struck out of her quite suddenly, and tilted her head to one side, wondering if people didn't shake hands anymore, or felt that there might be a better way of introducing yourself in a bar.

The man had odd coloured hair, and a presence that she felt was far superior to hers. Not in a sense that he was better than her, though she was sure he would be, but in a way that made people feel quite stupid and innocent. Actually, a lot of the people in here had that effect. Maybe they were politicians, insanely rich socialites who had enough money to party until they were ninety-six. With no other experience in making conversation with people she didn't know, Alice felt like a deer in the headlights, caught bare and stripped. Like the average woman she was, she smiled and nodded her head towards the crowd "Are you a regular here?" it was a simple enough question, but even as it left her tongue, she felt the heat rise in her cheeks at its ordinary tone. People didn't make small talk anymore, or so it seemed in Demaitre.

Argen turned his head more, and smiled.
"My name is Argen"
Argen looked foward sighed and then looked at his nails and thought what was this woman thinking about, but he brushed it off and answered her question.

"You could say im a regular, for the week that I have been here ive come here quite often, looking for friends you see"

Argens young face (as he was about 22 today in looks) started to chuckle,
"Well on another note I only come here, because I dont know anywhere else"
Argen ran his hand through his hair and yawned he was hungry.

"So you quite obviously dont come her often, but do you live around her?"

Alice blinked and sniffed back the urge to tell him that his name was odd. Wasn't her name odd? Well, names. Matilde was her real name, and sometimes she wished she had changed it back to that when she found out her parents weren't her real ones. But Alice was what she was used to being called by, and would likely become quite confused if someone started shouting 'Matilde' or 'Tilly' at her "Argen. Hmmm. What country...well, where does your name originate from?" it sounded like a racial jibe, but it certainly wasn't. Names intrigued her to no end, and the thousands of them all had meanings. Matilde was French and meant 'Battle Might' and Alice was English and meant 'Of a noble kin'. Or so she had read.

"Yeah, I live around here. Have done for a while. I just don't get out much. Still, it's good to mix with people every so often I think, because ones own company can make you a little upstairs..." she made an odd gesture over her head, part way between wiggling fingers and the shape of a cockerels quiff. She lowered her hand and raised her brow momentarily at her gesture. Of course, he would think her a little odd, but Alice just thought she was a general shy girl who didn't know how to make conversation. It wasn't like he knew her, but still, she blushed all the same "So, you're from out of town. Where from? You just seem to have this....no-from-here look about you?" she laughed nervously and scratched her ear, turning her face away in shyness.

Argen smiled of course his name was odd he made it,
"My name Argen is latin from the word Argentum, which means silver, I have quite a liking to silver aswell you see"

Argen sighed and wondered how to approach this next question, well he thought it over and decided.
"Well Ive just come from new york, but the way I act wouldnt show that now would it"
Argen had hit another road block, he had been an American for so long, yet not really caught the American vibe he thought over how to prove his distinct aura, ah ha he had it .
"I have originally come from Rome, but I travel alot, as I have in my life"
Argen rubbed his hands over before ordering a white rum.

"So where did you come from before this... Alice"
Argen said her name softly a trait he had picked up, to speak a persons name sweetly and softly.

Alice placed her straw down upon the bar and took a sip from the glass, the mix of the alcohols giving quite a kick. These mixes were nice, but only in moderation unless you wanted to get out of your face. Then if you did, a couple and you would be anyone’s. But Alice didn't want to be anyone’s, and she had only intended on mingling for a few minutes until her shyness got the better of her. With a confused smile, she nodded "Yes, Argentum" a confusion not to the Latin meaning or phrase, but to the way he had said it, as if he had named himself. Of course, he could have had his name changed, but it was still an odd thing to say "You changed your name?" she said, her tone curious only, and not condescending in the least.

"Rome? I think it must be a beautiful place. I would like to see The Colosseum, however bloody and brutal it's history may be, it is still an impressive piece of architecture, don't you think?" her voice was airy, her imagination wandering to how it would be to travel outside of these boundaries. Oh, she liked Demaitre well enough, but you had to see the world, and the cultures and hear the languages spoken. At his last comment, she was pulled from her vision, starkly aware that h didn't look anything like an Italian. A stereotypical way of thinking maybe, but how else could she judge this man? He was so odd "I come from Ontario. I think I have family from Europe, but I'm not entirely sure" she leant her chin in her hands and wondered if she should learn French or not, to honour her original parentage, as it were. Though, she had no idea whether or not they deserved the honour.

"If I changed my name ey, well in a way you, basically Ive had this name since I came into the world"
Argen smiled to himself, it was funny thinking of it, of how long he had been Argen.
It had been so long, since he had been called Argen, he remotely remember his old name, yes Antonio it was oh how the years had passed.

"Ah the Colosseum tis indeed a marvelous site, yet alas I was born to late to see the true beauty of it, a fact I often think about"

The Colosseum was indeed a great site, for a little while he had seen hunts occur and other things happen while he site lived in Italy, but it had mostly died down.

"Well you could say I have an identity issue seeing as I dye my hair, Possibly changed my name, and know over 20 different languages"

Argen chuckled he was acting so young and free, free from the shackles of the night, here he could enjoy his time with young woman.

"So would you care to tell me about yourself?"
Argen spoke softly, charm and kindness rolled out his mouth, it was more of a statement than a question, but it still sounded no aggressive more like friendly.

She smiled one of her shy smiles and tried to ponder on how people decided on the names for their children, and figured it was just a question of liking the name, or liking the meaning. But very few people looked into the meaning of a name these days "I'd like to change my name. To something that suits me. Do you think Alice suits me?" did her other name suit her better, or did she need to find a different name for herself entirely? Such questions were better left alone until her mind wasn't so addled "Of course you were born too late. They started building it between seventy and seventy-two AD, so....you would b rather old if you had seen it newly built" she smirked, though not in a malicious manner, and more in a hint of light sarcasm more than anything.

Alice had though about different languages of course, but had been too nervous and preoccupied at that certain time of her life to try. But now she did actually consider it, and with nothing else better to do, why not? She took a long sip of her drink and nodded "So you will know French then? Of course you will. Can you tell me something in French?" she tilted her head, and smiled with one edge of her mouth, curious to hear someone speak it in close proximity. Maybe it would bring back some memories.

"About myself? Why would I want to tell you about myself hmmm? Okay....I liked classic literature and old horror films. Like Dracula with Christopher Lee" a soft chuckled caught her in a relaxed moment, but she dulled it to a smile and held her glass more tightly, wondering whether Argen though her a little flightly or naive. Probably.

"Do I think Alice suits you, well I am not one to decide what suits you, for you yourself, knows your inner and outer self and therefore can decide what suits you better."

Oh it was funny that he was only a few hundred years out of date to see the great structure being built, never the less, he was still to young.

"Rather old indeed!" Argen laughed at this for he felt he could older no more. His hands were supple and young, and his face looked boundless of fatigue, but his heart was old and crooked.

"Speak french? hmm let me think Je suis vieux et j'ai senti la douleur de la perte! there you go" Argen wondered if he had said it right, oh well.

"Dracula ey, Ive heard his name pop up so much"
In fact he remembers the year he was invented.
"But I never quite got round to reading that book, nor watching the film, is it good?, And do you like the idea Of Vampires and things that scare you in the night"
Argen smiled but then broke out into a laugh the whole concept was laughable, but not in a rude way, just the way that Lee portrayed Dracula.

Argen was feeling fresh,and a little bit over bearing, so he ordered another wine.
"would you like another drink?"

Alice flashed a rare grin and swirled the creamy liquid within her glass, watching as the transparent cubes hit the sides. She then let it fall to a smile "Well then, I think i shall have to rename myself Gary, or John. I think John would suit me" plus, she was all for unisex names, which seemed to be growing more popular now. There was the rock star who had the name Alice, though she was sure it wasn't his real name. Nonetheless, she had an odd way of figuring things out in her mind.

"I have no idea what that means, but it sounded lovely. I always thought the Italian and French accents were the..." she was going to go on, but blushed brightly, her mind trailing on to the thought that she found them alluring, sexy. Silly, a woman of twenty three who flushed at the idea of speaking so boldly to someone of that subject. She had been so repressed on these issues, that she forgot she wasn't a coy little girl.

Figures, heh?

Vampires, knights, winged woman of the dark. They all had been so exciting for her when she was younger. The idea and mysticism of the creatures always held a fascination for her "I have read the book many many times and see many versions of the film. Some are good...but most are bad!" she laughed, placing a hand over her mouth to be polite, and took it away again to air her enthusiasm "I do...kind of yes. The whole being killed, or being drained of blood and left to die doesn't appeal, but the idea of Vampires holds...holds an allure and something very erotic and sensual and darkly powerful yet surreal" in her explaining, she had forgotten her shyness and brightened, becoming more confident. Realising this, she shook her head gently "No thank you. I'm afraid I will get quite drunk if I have anymore"

"If you feel you are a John I cannot stop you, I personally think you should just pick a name that you feel shows you, as a person"

Argen started to think about his name, and what he might change it to again in the near future.

"Were... The ?"
Argen wondered what she was going to say but decided to let it drop.

"It meant I am old and my heart as seen many pains, or something to that effect!"
Argen looked into his glass who said answers couldnt be found at the bottom of a glass.

Argen Icy blue eyes were becoming a more stone gray over the last few days his face looked flushed of color but he still looked lively, this woman seemed to be loosening up maybe it was the booze, well hopefully it was the booze.

"I have read so much and seem so many letter of many different script I have no more time to stare into books, nor do I like watch the television so maybe one day Ill take a look at this book."

Argen started to get more interesting the speak of vampires from mortals had always pleased him. He personally never killed good mortals, when he feed nor would he feed from bad mortals he killed. Argen was picky with his food, from that day when he was but young had, tasted blood most foul since then he was careful his meals.

"Yes vampires are indeed sexual and erotic, in how some people portray them that is. Dark maybe, powerful yes, so do you think that they exsist then?"

Argen ordered yet another drink for himself, this time a double Jack Daniels on the rocks.