Rin traced her fingers over the dusty rail, her saddened blue gaze following the trail her silken fingertips made. A heavy sigh escaped her slightly parted lips as she stood.

It was dark in the theatre that night, her breath the only sound, and not another soul was within the antique walls. She stood center stage, as though an leading actor would before an audience. The curtains of black and crimson velvet hung about her in a setting of Gothic beauty. Her face was pale from going on without blood, and the black in her sleek silk dress only served to bring it out more.

She had gone many long days without talking with anyone, or for that matter even looking upon them. Her loneliness had consumed her, trapping her in a depression ... with nothing but dark memories to visit her. Quietly she looked out over the seats, to her invisible audience. 'Immortality at it's finest ...' She said softly in a weakened whisper.

Orestes after his encounter with the ancient and beautiful Nafretiri found himself wandering the new city. Exploring all Demaitre had to offer, he stopped at a theater called the Last Curtain. There were no shows currently showing, but thats not why he had stopped. Inside he could feel the presence of a being inside almost as lonely and broken as he.

Normally, Orestes would've continued walking but this city so far had already made him do things he had not in centuries. If ever. And so he walked around back and with minimal effort entered the dark theater.

From the shadows he watched as a young blood drinker stood center stage. Just watching her expressions was enough for Orestes to know what she was feeling. How well he could relate. How many times had he stood alone in a vast space knowing thats all he could ever have.

And then she spoke. Barely audible to even Orestes' enhanced senses.

"Don't you mean at it's cruelest?" Orestes asked as he stepped out from the shadows. He slowly moved towards her, while trying not to look threatening. When he was within a few feet of her he stopped and turned to look out at the empty seats. "The emptiness and loneliness we must endure. If mortals could see the world through our eyes for just a moment they would never long for immortality. Don't you agree?" Orestes asked as his eyes remained on the vacant seats.

Rin had sensed him before he had entered, though none-the-less was frightened when he had replied to her question. There was a pause as her gaze lifted cautiously to his, her pale optics glimmering in the light that leaked from a crack in the cieling. She slowly raised a slender hand and gently brushed aside a few strands of auburn hair that fell in her face.

'Indeed I do.' came her quiet reply. She studied him for a few seconds before speaking up again her mind racing. 'My name is Rin ... Rin Hart.'

She agreed with him. Orestes had expected she would. Why shouldn't she. It was the truth. A sad truth, as most truths are.

When she introduced herself, Orestes turned and looked at her again. Compared to the dark-eyed, and darker-skinned Nafretiri, this Rin looked as pale as a ghost. "Orestes-" he said with almost loathing. How clever he thought himself when he took that name. Life imitating art. But now it served as a constant reminder. As it should. "It is what you may call me." Orestes added as he studied Rin. Was she part of one of the five covens of Demaitre or a loner like him? Had she been in Demaitre long or just arrived like he had. Orestes considered looking into her mind for the answers but that was always so boring. So instead he asked a question. "Do you come here often?"

Rin felt somewhat embrassed as he studied her, she hadn't fed in weeks, and her pallor was beyond it's usual tone. She nodded, 'Yes ... I come here to clear my mind ... ever since I was a child the theatre soothed me ...' Her gaze fell to the ebony stage floor then back up into his eyes. He was much older than her, she could see it in his optics that examined her now.

'You are new here?' came her voice through slightly parted lips. Whether she wanted to or not she could hear his thoughts, just as loudly as their spoken words. She could hear the questions of her and her origins, and whatever else she struggled to keep out of. Her expression hid it though, and she chose to give no hint of it hoping he wouldn't notice her intrusion.

Her eyelids grew heavy as she awaited a reply, she had gone too long without the precious blood. Every second she waited was a second she grew weaker.

Orestes smirked slightly at the question. It lacked in specifics, but Orestes knew what she meant. "Yes, I am new to Demaitre." Orestes replied while considering the answer she had given him. So she had come to this very theater as a child in her mortal life. Looking around, he doubted the theater had seen even a hundred years. Probably more around a fourth of the century. Which put her somewhere around that age.

So she was a young blood-drinker as he had presumed. That explained her unintentional intrusions into his mind. The dark gift was strong with her and she had not learned to control it properly he assumed. Orestes was careful though to keep his dark secrets safely guarded from her.

As he thought on all this, he continued to look at her, noticing now how tired she looked. And as he looked into her eyes he saw now why she seemed so pale. In her eyes he could see her hunger. "How long since you've fed?" He asked with a hint of concern.

Rin suddenly realizing she had been staring into his optics the entire time, she turned her gaze quickly from his before answering curtly. 'A few weeks ...' she mumured, not wanting to go into specifics. She was afraid to place in him too much trust, though she probably already had without knowing.

Her gaze slowly returned to his. He had been kind to her though, which was a rare thing to cross her path these days. A simple smile graced her lips in gratitude and she fought the urge to say thank you. Thinking he probably wouldn't understand just how much his company was appreciated.

Slowly she stooped and lifted her furlined coat from the floor, pulling around her in hopes to warm her cold flesh.

Orestes winced at Rin's answer. A few weeks? Orestes was amazed she still had the strength to stand. Sure he had gone that long before without, but that was when in a long sleep. How one could consciously go without blood for so long bewildered him. Especially one so young. Orestes in his long years had seen what happened to vampires centuries older this one when they went without blood for so long. They became consumed by the bloodlust and revert into a more bestial being. But somehow she seemed to only be suffering fatigue.

"Why may I ask you have let so much time pass between your last feeding?" Orestes asked. Then another thought entered his mind. He had heard of it happening many times in his long life. Cruel vampires siring new ones then leaving them without teaching them anything of their new life. Orestes had to ask. "Did your maker not teach you to hunt?"

Rin sighed softly as her gaze fell to the floor. 'My sire did not teach me how to drink ...' There was a pause and she looked back up to him. 'I've known how ever since the day I was taken from my mothers womb. It's just that ... when I sank into this depression ... I lost the taste for it ... and refused to drink ... wether or not my body craved the blood. And I just went on ...'

Her hand combed through her hair as she spoke, 'Most vampires I have met see a side in me stronger than what those who are young have ... It is because I have the blood an an ancient ... all my life I have carried that ancient's memories ... knowledge ... and image. I'm not new to this game of mortals and immortals ... don't be surprised.'

As she smiled her eyes glimmered in the small ray of moonlight. Pulling her coat around her she took a few steps towards the left exit of the stage, her shoes tapping lightly on the hollow floor as she walked. Her slender frame seeming fragile as she paused in the darkness and turned her head slightly so that she saw him out of the corner of her pale eyes. 'Shall we go then? ... I doubt any human with half a brain would wander into such a haunt at this hour.'

Orestes listened carefully to what she told him. He'd never heard of such a thing but he could feel she spoke the truth. She did seem different than most young blood-drinkers. To have already lost the taste for blood? Orestes couldn't even relate to that. He silently wondered if this one, who was so young and already in such a depression, would have the endurance for immortality.

Perhaps that ancient powerful blood in her would give her the strength. The strength to endure the centuries even in utter despair...like he had. But Orestes did not want to dwell on such thoughts. She had suggested they leave, to feed he presumed and hoped. For her sake, not his.

"Where shall we go then?" Orestes was still not familar with the city and since she had grown up in the city, he would allow her to choose.

Rin could see the puzzlement in him and couldn't help but smile. 'it's probably best you don't think on it ...' she said softly already feeling better having someone to accompany her.
Quietly they walked through backstage, the blackness almost overwelming. Rin found the door leading to the outside and pushed it open. The warm humid air caressed her face and she gave a soft sigh. Her eyes looked to him as she thought about where they were to go. Wondering if she could last in the clubs.

A frown came to her the more she thought about her beloved hunting grounds, knowing she couldn't take the pressure like this. 'We'll have to choose some place calm ...'

She leaned over slightly to look around the corner and smiled. 'How do you feel about a coffee house?'

Orestes followed Rin as she led them through the theater and to the exit. He remained silent as she thought to think of where they might hunt and when she suggested a coffee house. The suggestion caused Orestes to smile for a second. He loved coffee houses. And so he nodded to her "A coffee house would be fine."

It's not that Orestes liked coffee. He didn't drink coffee or any other mortal drinks for that matter. But oh how he enjoyed that warm aroma that overflooded his senses. Since their rise to popularity, Orestes had spent many nights in coffee shops simply watching the lives of mortals while inhaling that scent from a warm cup. He often wondered if anyone found it odd when cleaning up after him that never his cup was always full and untouched.

But in all his visits to coffee house he had never hunted one. Did she mean to kill their prey right then and there in the shop, or stalk them after to their homes or some dark alley? And from whom did she drink? Evil Doers? Innocents? Orestes had to ask... "Tell me, Rin... from whom do you drink? What kind of prey do you go for?"

There was a pause as Rin looked to him, 'Depends on how I feel really ...' Her personality was strictly labled complicated, all that had met her had yet to see all sides of it, and marveled at how far their assumtions where from the truth. Tonight ... She felt rather passive, far too weak to cause as much havoc as she wanted. She pulled her coat around her as she turned fully towards him. 'I guess I prefer those who are unjust ... evil ... not worthy of the life given to them. And what about you if I may ask?'

A light smile graced her lips. He asks alot of questions, she thought. She wasn't about to blame him though ... he was merely curious about her, and if anything, she encouraged curiousity. She grew tired quickly and yawned, 'Forgive me ... we best hurry before I pass out.' a soft laugh escaped her and she turned towards the coffee house, walking slowly so he could keep up.

Orestes gave a concerned look as she turned and headed towards the direction of the coffee house. He sighed heavily before turning and following. As he caught up to her, he realized she had asked about his feeding habits as well. Over his fifteen hundred plus existence he had fed off nearly all the human race had to offer. Great leaders to homeless beggers, beautiful young women to old grandmothers on their deathbeds. Rather than recount his different habits he decided to answer like she had. "I suppose we are alike in that aspect. For it depends on my mood as well." Orestes spoke as he looked over at his new...friend. Friend? No... Orestes didn't have friends. His new acquaintance. "I too try to find the Evil Doer...I suppose it eases the guilt. Makes it easier to go on being what we are. But sometimes the temptation can be overwhelming." Orestes said as he thought of the young woman he had saved earlier that night. He had wanted her, but the arrival of Nafretiri had prevented him. It hadn't occured to him at the time but now Orestes wondered if that hadn't been by chance she had shown up at that very moment. He continued to think on this as they walked through the night towards the coffee house.

((New thread now??))

Rin walked across the somewhat moist street, stepping lightly over puddles as she listened to him speak, occaisionally nodding her head in reply. She hesitated a second and looked to him seeing the concern on his face and smiled. 'I'll be fine ... I've been in worse situations.' Rin searched her mind trying to actually find a situtation like that but couldn't, she kept up the smile anyways not wanting him to worry.

As they reached the doors she looked to him, 'Thank you ...' she said quietly hoping he would understand why she was saying this. Had he not appeared at the theatre that night, she probably would have been stubborn and refused to eat. Probably would have collapsed only for the mortals to find in the morning, and then who knows. He may not have realized it but his company was more help to her than it appeared.

(guess so)