It was her first computer class. Colleen had never been to any kind of college before, let alone a university, but with computers becoming ever-prevalent in the modern world and the night life starting to seem at least slightly monotonous - something like sixty odd years of it could take its toll on anyone - had pushed Colleen to seeking out some new hobbies. She'd already taken a couple of agricultural classes and was actually doing quite well with the greenhouse she'd set up at home. Now she'd bought a Gateway laptop computer and an eight-gigabyte thumb drive and she'd read the manuals, warranties, and other such accompanying literature. It was time to take the next step, though, as she now only knew the basics - how to turn it on and how to use the thumb drive, though about ninety percent of the terminology was completely foreign to her.

After two weeks of studying, though, she now had the basics down pat. She could get on the internet all right and work with folders and files pretty well. Needless to say, her own experimentation and the nightly classes (except on Saturdays and Sundays) had at least given her a semi-decent knowledge of computers. Tonight was Monday night. She had passed her test the previous Friday evening with a high score and the class was now supposed to start in on learning how to use Word, a word processing program. They were also supposed to cover e-mail this week.

As she did every night when she first walked into the classroom, Colleen booted up her laptop and inserted her thumb drive. She had only the essentials saved onto her computer - the applications and other such things (Word, Excel, My Computer, My Documents, etc.). She had been saving files needed for the class onto her thumb drive. As she glanced around the class, she once again noticed all the cute boys in here. Why was it that ninety percent of the class was made up of people around her own physical age? Yet there was one vampire here, and though a bit plain he nonetheless had a bit of an attractive sway to his looks. She smiled slightly, wondering why it was that he was always gone practically before the class had ended. Perhaps he didn't like computers. She wouldn't have been surprised, considering how many vampires she'd met that could care less about computers and knew even less than they cared about them. Still, it would have been nice to catch him. It would give her something to do - someone to associate with in the class that didn't tempt every time she looked at them to seduce and feed from them. She turned her attention toward the teacher that had just walked in, though, as he got ready to teach the evening's class. She opened up Notepad, one of the things she'd learned to do on her own, and prepared to take notes. Why use pencil and paper, after all, when you could use what you were supposed to be learning about? She was even taking a typing class and was getting quite skilled at it, so taking notes in this manner was swiftly becoming very easy for her.

He hated this class. He hated everything that had to deal with computers and technical shit. He didn't need to know these things. He didn't have to take this class.
So why teh hell was he here? Because Carina told him to. Carina Elisabeth. He frowned, a little disturbed by the thought of his rapidly declining sister, twin actually- fraternal not identical.
He was Konrad, the less attractive, the less spontaneous, the less dangerous. Konrad The Lesser. Yep. That was him. He was an average vampire, but possesed a rage deeper than any well. His siter though, was definitely the extreme twin, wallowing in her wrath and reveling in everything vengeful.
Now, he had his angers but they were fueled towards certain people, descendants- those with blonde hair, blue eyes, and those with German accents. Wheres she- she wasn't discriminatory. If the horrible memories had taught Carina anything- it was that everyone was equal and everyone deserved to die for their sins- no matter how small. He wondered how her sins registered in her own mind.

Konrad returned from his reverie as his hp labtop beeped softly as he turned it on. He sighed as the professor entered the room. Unwilling to pay much attention to the authority figure, Konrad scanned the room- his eyes passing over aged mortals and then over- the female vampire who had been in this class as long as he.
He had never spoken to her- didn't really feel he needed to. He supposed he could have said hi to her, but he never did. He looked away from her blue eyes that scanned the computer screen and sighed once more, running his hand through his slightly unkept brown hair.

This class was such a drag. How had he let Carina talk him into this? Sure- he was bright enough to have a B in the class presently but that was only because he studied with Carina before every test. She was the real wiz. He wasn't. He was a bartender and a vampire- perfectly happy to live a mediocre life, haunted by the faces of those dead like himself- yet not walking the earth.
As the professor droned on, Konrad pulled up a game of Solitaire on the computer and tuned out the ridiculous teacher.
He had to do something to keep himself from falling asleep. He was glad he sat in the back of the class. Prof Snore never noticed him.

Konrad wasn't really sure why he was so- apathetic lately. He supposed he just wasn't as passionate as his sister anymore. It seemed- that the death he wished upon her hadn't made him happy- yet she was exhilerated by her powers. Maybe it was just a phase. Maybe his life just had nothing new in it to interest him. Maybe the monotonous life he was living just wasn't satisfying enough. But what else was there? Ah- well, it didn't really matter.... He wasn't living life at all. He was dead.

There was love. There was always love. But what was love, exactly? A series of electrical impulses spontaneously (or perhaps not so spontaneously) firing off like gunshots in one's mind, sustaining the very emotion that drove people to sacrifice themselves for others? Was it merely a desire to know something greater than oneself? Whatever it was, it was hardly the focus of this class - and it was presently the furthest thing from Colleen's mind as she started typing up what was on the screen. She went through the motions and sucked everything up like a sponge, but she got the distinct impression that she was being watched. She turned her laptop just enough to catch the light from above and reflect it backward. She saw the vampire from earlier watching her - but now he was back at his computer. Playing solitaire, but the sound of the mouse clicks. She turned back to her own screen with a smile.

She'd always liked the 'bad boys' - the ones who didn't pay attention in class and didn't really give a shit what other people thought. Some of them were like that becacuse they had pretty deep scars, she knew. But that was what had gotten her here in the first place: a boy everybody thought was bad news, the kind of boy her parents both nearly had heart attacks when they saw - not to mention their reactions when they'd found out their daughter was dating the guy. But then again, that was sixty years ago. Things were different now. Now, parents were more worried about STDs and school shootings than the outcasts of society who drank all night and partied all day. This wasn't the forties anymore; this was the new millenium, baby.

As the class drug on, Colleen's sponge of a brain continued to absorb information. When the class started approaching the time to get done, she and the others were told to set up an e-mail for homework. They'd been given several good sites and she fully intended to look into them. She put away her flash drive, and then her laptop, and got ready to leave. Finally, the class was dismissed. She made a beeline for the door and was one of the first ones out of it. She waited just outside and down the hall a short ways for the other vampire to pass by. She was curious, and maybe that was a bad thing - but when had bad ideas ever stopped her before?

Konrad won about ten games of Solitaire by the time the class had ended. He smirked as the professor assigned homework. Konrad frowned. Damn homework. he had more important things t do. Oh wait- he didn't. he didn't have anything important to do. Well, making money was important- not very exciting- but important. It kept him in a home for God's sake.
Home was different now- with carina gone. It was- peaceful, but he couldn't help but worry about her. She was hanging with a bad crowd- too many coven mebers for his taste.

His spirits did lighten though, whent he class dismissed. He felt a sort of icy brush of wind when the other vampire left the class. Konrad packed up his laptop and his bookbag, swinging the green pouch over his back. His brown eyes looked around the classroom with distaste before he exited.

The mortals in the class had always bored him. They weren't much of a tempation though- Konrad found he was less hungrier nowadays.

But someone inhuman was waiting for him. He usually left before her. But she had gotten out first today- and there she waited, an expectant look on her face, just down the hall. Maybe she wasn't waiting for him, but he had a feeling she was. He walked towards her and gave her a slightly apathetic smile as he passed her.
"Hi" was his brief greeting. If she was waiting for him- she'd make it clear.

Sure, she was attractive, but Konrad didn't get all that riled about vampire girls. He preferred the worthless humans who couldn't kill him. Perhaps Carina had convinced him that all female vampires were psychotic. Yes, perhaps that was it. They were all mad.

"No, we're not," Colleen said as she stepped away from the wall.

She hardly realized what she'd done until about a moment after she'd said it, but her face was completely cool. Maybe her telepathic abilities were growing stronger; she'd lived for eighty years, after all. Regardless, she had caught his last thought. Her face showed nothing, though; she was as cool as ever.

"Kinda odd for a vamp to be taking night classes. Not to mention two of us, don'tcha think? Esepcially when one of us doesn't want to be here."

She said all of this very nonchalantly, as though she didn't really care one way or another, but she was curious. Why is it that someone who didn't want to be here would be taking classes?

Konrad smirked at her. He could tell she hadn't meant to read him- but she had. Perhaps he should guard himself more carefully around her. A metaphysical door slamed shut as Konrad closed his mind to her. He was older anyway- not by much, but it was an advantage.

"It's rude to eavesdrop..." he commented, smirking lightly, not angry at her- only amused by her remark. "Only a madwoman would intentionally hone in on a stranger's thoughts-- I do hope you have control over your telepathic-- uh- powers..." he smiled and nodded. He didn't think she had much control at all- it felt as if she slipped into his mind- not outright invaded it. Well, that meant she still didn't have the hang of being dead yet. Granted, he wasn't perfect- but women tended to learn quicker than men- at least- that was what he had observed.

"Is it odd for a vampire to learn? Is it odd that one of us might choose to make something of ourselves?" he questioned her. He had no problem with vampires learning and didn't think an undead killer taking computer classes was weird at all.
Konrad smiled. "Eh- yeah I don't want to be here- I make that clear, but it's not surprising that I'm not the only undead creature in the class- this is the world's most highly populated city of well- us." Konrad gestured down the hallway.
"Walk with me." he didn't wait for an answer, simply began moving away from her.

"I wish I could drop this class but I already paid for it... so I have to finish. I swear this has to be hell- Maybe I'm not undead at all... Maybe I'm in hell. Yeah... sounds about right." he joked, laughing softly. He always thought he was funny. Carina thought he was funny too... but ya know how it is- not everyone enjoys good humor.

"Sorry," she said, smiling apologetically at him. "I control it well enough with mortals - their minds are my playground," she said with a wicked grin, "but that's the first time I've ever read a vampie before."

She rolled her eyes and smiled slightly at his jokes as she followed him, easily keeping pace. They might as well have been in hell sometimes, for real; after all, they could never see the sun again and had to live on blood. Granted, they enjoyed the taste for the most part, but let's face it: no more thick, juicy, delicious, mouthwatering steaks? No more chocolate cream pie? It was sad, really, what Colleen had given up when her first boyfriend had turned her. But she'd dealt with it for sixty years now, and she probably wouldn't have given up her immortality even if there was a way to do so. So, yeah...maybe they really were hell.

"So, what were you learning in there? How to cheat at Solitaire without getting caught?"

She smiled, sarcastic laughter dancing in her eyes as she watched him. Even an idiot could have known that he wasn't paying attention, and the mouse clicks and tiny sounds of the muted game not heard by mortal ears were all too familiar to one who'd played around with computers for a week or two before the class started.

Konrad shrugged off her apology. She hadn't meant to do it anyways... so it was no big deal.
He was secretly pleased when she laughed at his jokes. THAT was a small confidence booster. maybe he should take up stand up comedy? Yeah- that'd be a hoot down at the White Mice Club. Konrad smiled to himself, just picturing the different drinks and classes being hurled at the poor vampire comedian on the stool at the front of the bar- a riot ensuing because the music had stopped.....

Funny.

Anywho-- Konrad looked over at the other woman and arched an eyebrow at her.
"We haven't been introduced." he admitted, holding out his hand. "I'm Konrad Durr." He laughed at her comment. "Yeah- Solitaire is my game of choice in that class- but I don't cheat at Solitaire." He paused. "And... I've got a B in the class whilst not paying attention. I'm happy with a B, why try for higher when I'm content?"

But he wasn't content. His life was boring him, leaving him bored and restless evry night. He did have a small fear that he would end up like his sister... but something told him he wasn't that psychotic. The female thing- yeah, that was the reason. He couldn't go insane- he wasn't a woman. Whew- what a relief.

Her eyes danced with a sarcastic laughter that he liked and approved of. She seemed a nice enough girl.
"And your name is?" he inquired before shrugging. "I don't even know the professor's name so don't be offended." he added, grinning.

She laughed lightly. Well, at least she wasn't the only nameless one in Konrad's mind, then. That was definitely good to know. She smiled as she shook his hand, her soft yet firm one enveloped in his. Of course, that was only the initial physical touch; vampires were always stronger than they looked by far.

"Colleen. Colleen Jaeger. And yeah, the class is pretty easy all in all. I'm taking it as an interest class, but I'll probably end up getting a degree - two, actually, as I'm also taking the agricultural classes. I was bored," she said with a chuckle.

In truth, though, it wasn't much of a joke. She'd been getting bored for real. The party scene was fun, but somehow it just wasn't satisfying her anymore. Overall, the computer and agricultural classes weren't necessarily a fun thing either, though they were kind of fun. They were more of a distraction than anything else, and Colleen damn well knew that.

"Two degrees. My, my- You're impressive," Konrad complemented, flashing her a smile that came off as suave though Konrad didn't know it.
Her laugh was sweet sounding. He liked it. It m,atched the sarcasm in her eyes.

He nodded. "Well, I don't find degrees much use- I'm a bartender so yeah.... unless I'm trying to persuade a Harvard graduate to get wasted- I don't think I need a degree." He paused thoughtfully. "Maybe I should take a speech class so I can figure out how to talk my customers into drinking more." He supposed he could use vampire wiles to get people to drink more, but where was the fun in that? Where was the challenge?

He liked challenges occasionally, but lately- life had been dull.
"Winter is so dull. There's never much to do. I hate it." Konrad frowned. "I can't believe my sister dragged me to this city." He added after that, "Don't get me wrong I like the summers here but I hate winter. Period."

That suave smile of his actually made her offer up a little smile. He was actually kind of cute when he smiled like that.

"Oh, I always loved winter as a mortal. The snowball fights, the snowmen...it was fun. Girlish, maybe, but fun. Of course, that was a long time ago. I haven't really done anything like that since getting turned."

She didn't bother to mention that she hadn't played in the snow since the death of her sire and first lover. She always remembered spending all day building a snowman, then having a snowball fight, and ending up rolling in the snow and making out. That was how they did romance. Kind of expected, really, considering he was her 'bad boy'. They didn't do the fireplace and couch thing. But after his death...

She strayed from those thoughts. She couldn't bear to think of him. It was amazing, really; it had been eighty years and she still loved him. She'd mostly grown out of that phase - but had she really? Vampirism had offered an endless supply of years as a twenty-something: party all night, sleep all day, rinse and repeat. Yet she wasn't happy. Maybe she really was growing out of the party scene, but had done it so long that she didn't know how to grow up. And when you have all of eternity before you, the things you wanted to do as a mortal - get a fantastic job, live the high life, then retire and live happily ever after with a husband and a dozen kids out there doing all your work for you - doesn't really seem all that important anymore. Perhaps because you never get old enough to retire.

She returned his smile and added that she, unlike him, liked winter.
"Bah humbug.." he grinned. "I don't know. I just. I'm really not fond of cold weather. I think I've had my share of snow. My sister should know that."

The snow that he had to trod through at the camp. The snow in which so many fell asleep. The snow dotted with those who had died at the hands of those....

Konrad turned away from her for a moment, his fingers noticably shaking. He clenched his fists and the tremors went away, his rage flushing itself out of his body. His anger flared and burned and metaphysically sparked in the air. He knew she could feel that one. He felt the snap and crackle of his electric fury.

"Sorry..." he murmured, turning back to her- his smile returned and his manner normal- or as normal as the undead can get. "I just don't like cold. Period." He hoped she'd let it be. Ignore his obvious wrath and forget everything he just expressed without meaning to, but sometimes he just got so angry he couldn't control the leak in his metaphysical sheilds.
But that wouldn't happen again. Not with her. Not with anyone.

He watched her eyes fade away as she fell into some sort of internal dialouge. It was interesting, how every thought flickered across her eyes. he couldn't put everything together, but only recognized that the gaze in her eyes was one of love. he was quite confident that she had not been taken by him so she must have been remembering someone else. Most likely someone gone, or dead. They were two different things. Gone really is the worse of the two. Gone is when someone leaves you. At least when a love dies you're not left feeling rejected and thrown away.
"Beer for your thoughts?" he inquired, figuring he might as well socialize with this woman. She seemed interesting enough. "I am a bartender" he added. "Besides, money isn't worth that much to vampires. Now.... alcohol, you'd be surprised."

She wasn't immediately aware that she was picking up the thoughts of another. Deep in her own thoughts, she quickly began to realize it as his anger intensified. She started slightly and turned to her companion; as she focused on him, she realized that was exactly where the thoughts were coming from. A dead body floated across her mind and she blinked, but then the thought was gone. Over the last sixty years, she had found it almost ridiculously simple to manipulate and torment the minds of mortals. However, until only a month or so ago, she had never even though of trying to read another vampire's mind. Yet she had realized it was all too easy when a vampire's thoughts had drifted across her consciousness. It had taken a moment to realize it was coming from the vamp near her, not the mortals around her; she had thought her mental blocks sufficient before, but clearly she was experiencing something entirely new.

She mentally shook herself, though, and ignored it. It was none of her business. Even the youngest vampires sometimes had tragedies that she was certain they didn't want publicly known. Thus, she was at least trying to learn how to strengthen her mental blocks; if she could do that, she'd be able to use her mental abilities more easily as well. At any rate, returning her attention to the present physical moment, she realized she was being asked out for a drink. She shrugged.

"Sure, why not? Though I'm more of a vodka with 7-Up kinda girl," she said with a smile.