Realizing she fidgeted with the pendant, Victoria let it fall back to her neck. Her brows rose at his question. “I don’t think it’s even possible to truthfully use your name in the same sentence as ‘showing off.’” She adjusted in her seat and took another swig of her latte, trying to think of a time, any time, she had seen him be a showoff. She came up empty, and her lips quirked at the thought.

She glanced back out the window, where the deluge slowly begun to diminish. Her mind wandered beneath the rhythmic sound of the rain tapping the glass, treading again to the question and worry of who her still absent roommate was, and to the few things she still had left to get in order back in her dorm before classes the following morning.

Victoria reached into her purse to check the time on her phone. Though she did not want the evening with Alex to be over so soon, she knew she needed to return. She sighed sadly as the screen faded to black, then replaced it in her purse.

“I should probably be getting back.” Her voice sounded more downcast than she had intended. Things to do, people to avoid, she added to herself.

Alex smirked. 'What about "Alex has never been showing off as far as I am aware?"' He downed the last of his coffee and looked out of the window. The rain seemed to be slowing, and he wondered if they should take their leave while it was quieter.
Alex turned to Victoria as she spoke. 'Just what I was thinking.' He agreed. 'I have a few things to arrange before things start up again tomorrow.' He smiled, though there was a ghost of sadness just behind it. He tried not to let his loneliness show, but sometimes it slipped through the cracks.
Luckily, his worry was not bleeding through. He could feel a storm on the horizon, and it had nothing to do with the weather. Something huge, dramatic and very chaotic was going to happen. He could feel destruction in the air, reverbing back to him. He didn't want to think what it could be, but part of him thought he knew. Something was familiar, and if it was, he would need to be involved. If nothing else, he would need to protect Victoria... Somehow.

Victoria returned his smile. She stood, the legs of her chair sliding noisily over the floor as it pushed back. She swirled the remainder of her latte in the cup, trying to gauge how much still remained inside, and whether or not it would last the walk home.
Back to campus, she corrected herself dismally.
Her aunt and uncle’s small, quaint home--though it wasn’t much and felt fairly crowded with just them, her thirteen-year-old cousin, Tristan, and her--suddenly felt far less crowded than where she planned on returning to. The place where, besides Alex and the library, there was little to be found familiar or comforting.
“Want to meet up for lunch tomorrow?” she asked hopefully, already half-expecting his usual affirmation. “Same place we met up today?” She grabbed her purse, slung it over her shoulder, and took a slight step toward the exit.

Alex nodded. 'Do I ever say no?' He winked and stood up from his own chair, walking around and it moving it back in place, tucked under the table. 'Want me to walk you back to campus?' He asked. Of course he would offer, he was a gentleman. He knew times were different from when he was a young man, but he couldn't shake the gentlemanly nature that had been instilled in him as a boy. He had always been taught to pay for any date he may have, to always walk a lady back to her home. Of course now he knew that the main reason behind walking a lady home, to protect her, wasn't necessarily needed, as a lot of females could probably outrun, or even defend themselves against, a lot of attackers.
But what if she runs into a vampire?
That was the question that was always in the back of his mind when he offered to walk her home.

Victoria smiled when Alex winked at her. “No, but it’s always polite to ask. I mean, maybe one of these times you’ll already have other plans.” She watched him push his chair back into place, which reminded her to do the same.
She moved to stand beside him as he spoke again. “Yeah, that’d be great. I think I can remember the way back, but it’s better safe than sorry.”
Besides, she always felt far more comfortable with him by her side. Safe, even. Though the sun had yet to set and the usual unofficial curfew had not come around, the thick clouds cast an eerie grayness over the city, the kind that often bought night sooner than normal. Though she had never said it aloud and did everything she could to hide the fact from everyone--even Alex--she had had a fear of the dark for as long as she could remember. Perhaps, she had long since reasoned, it was because she knew what lurked in the shadows of society.
She went to the door and opened it. “Ready?"

Alex chuckled. 'I never have other plans. I hate people, remember?' It wasn't strictly true, but he was a little anti-social. Over the years he had realised that the only people worth knowing were those you couldn't resist. The pain caused by the loss of a loved one was worth nothing less than those who made immortal life worth living. He lived for people like Victoria, who would make him feel alive again.
He smiled at her. 'Your sense of direction is not what worries me. I know what people our age are capable of.'
He followed her to the door and gripped the edge, gesturing toward it. 'Ladies first.' He knew that his gentlemanly ways didn't fit into the time period, but he couldn't resist it. He had the undying urge to want to make people feel special, important even. He knew, especially in recent years, that lots of young women worried about how they were perceived.
He would never admit, even to himself, that he could love anyone. Love was too dangerous. Too close. Too morbid when it ended. So relationships were not something he would pursue, or open himself up too, but he did prefer the company of young women, to that of young men. The problem was in the minds of modern men. They were uncultured, ridiculous and somewhat dull. He preferred a good woman, a lady who could not only accept your friendship for what it was, but also provide a stimulating conversation.
Modern men and neanderthals had too much in common, in his opinion.

Victoria frowned at the reminder of the extra threat of her own race. As if just the supernaturals running around were not enough. Sometimes, she wondered how many of the attacks attributed to the supernaturals were, in fact, fabrications of cunning criminals, and vice versa.
Her frown turned to a smile when Alex gripped the door’s edge. She ducked under his arm, then faced him.
“Why, thank you, kind sir.” She gave a rather clumsy curtsy, lifting the skirts of an invisible dress. She straightened, then exited the café.
The crisp scent of rain saturated the air, overpowering many of the foul city scents. The slick streets and sidewalks glistened in the light shining through windows and the little remaining sun filtering through the cloud-cover.
Victoria stepped to the side of the doorway and looked back, the rain drumming against her. She watched Alex for a moment, thankful for the millionth time for the friendship they shared. Lately, she had felt herself crushing on him. She hated the feelings. Victoria valued the relationship she and Alex already had too much to even imagine it being more. The last thing she wanted was to risk pushing him away. She had already lost far too many friendships in her lifetime before she had simply stopped trying, and this was one she wanted desperately to keep.

Alex chuckled at the curtsy, but it saddened him that his behaviour wasn't considered the norm anymore. The fact that it warranted such a reply was a rather saddening fact.
He inhaled deeply as the scent of petrichor filled the air. He loved the fresh scent of a storm.
He followed Victoria outside and was instantly soaked again. He had dried a little in the cafe, but within seconds his hair was soaked and his clothes were beginning to stick to his skin. He looked at Victoria, catching her watching him. He smiled to himself a little before they began walking. He liked Victoria, and he sometimes felt himself feeling something similar to romantic feelings for her, but he wouldn't let those take hold. He was a vampire, of course he couldn't date her. Especially considering that, one day, she'd find out his secret. And, of course, even if she didn't, he would have to leave before she noticed he wasn't aging.

Victoria walked slightly behind Alex. She inhaled the fresh, crisp scent of the rain as a few droplets slid down her scalp. She reached back and messed with her hair, trying to dispel the unnerving tingling sensation the water left in its wake.
The rain slowly began to let up as they neared the school. She was torn between relief and disappointment at being capable of getting out of the rain. As tired as she was of her wet clothes, it meant her evening out with Alex would soon come to a close.
Sooner than she would have liked, they reached the back of one of the girl’s dorm buildings.
“This is it, I think.” She dug her keycard out of her purse. She went up to the door where a pad waited on the brick wall, a little red light shining at its top. She quickly swiped her card over it, and the light turned green as a metallic click sounded in the door. Victoria opened the door, looked back at Alex, and smiled thankfully. “Thanks for showing me around. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Alex bowed, dramatically. "As you wish, my lady." As he stood he winked at her and took a step back. "Same place as today. Lunchtime." He confirmed. "I'll see you then." He inclined his head in her direction. He allowed himself a few more seconds before turning and walking away. He didn't want to hang around too long, for fear of staring. He was beginning to feel the pull of companionship toward Victoria. Friendship was too far as it was.
He flipped his hair to the side, it was getting quite long now, and looked back over his shoulder, checking to see if Victoria had gone inside the dorm yet.

Victoria grinned at Alex’s bow. She returned his wink with an equally theatrical curtesy—partially to keep the red she felt flooding to her cheeks hidden. “Until the morrow, then, milord.”
Casting him only a quick glance for fear he would notice the coloration she was sure tinted her face, she ducked into the building.
Victoria hesitated at the door to her small, third floor dorm suite. She took a deep breath, then unlocked the door with her keycard.
Inside, a miniature living room with enough space for a couch, mini-fridge, and a few storage bins separated the two doors to the bedrooms on either side. She glanced over as the door of one of the bedrooms opened, her gaze still more on the floor.
“Vic!” the human girl, Amber, greeted, a smile on her pudgy face. A freshmen, like Victoria, the girl bounded out. A second, slightly older woman followed. “I want you to meet Cali. I talked her into taking my extra bed.”
The other girl stepped beside Amber. “Pleasure.” The girl held out a hand to Victoria. Victoria swallowed, then tentatively reached to take the girl’s hand, her gaze shifting to Calli’s tan face.
For a moment, relief washed over her. Calli’s human form did not waver.
She started to return Calli’s smile. Then, the girl’s form flickered, like a glitch in a video game. Whatever enchantment Calli used melted away for Victoria.
Goat-like horns sprouted from Calli’s auburn hair, and her ears were long and folded.
A-a faun! Victoria thought, swallowing back her panic. She took her hand from Calli and looked back to the floor, her hair falling in her face.
“I-I… things to do.” She pointed a thumb toward the opposite door, then rushed inside, leaving Calli and Amber staring after.
For the rest of the night, Victoria refused to leave her room, busying herself with anything she could until she fell asleep with her bedroom door locked.


Nyaira strode through the dark, dank corridor of the rotting warehouse, her high-heeled sandals clicking against the floor and echoing off the graffiti-covered walls. Everything about her screamed designer and wealth. From her lacy off-shoulder top and decadent scarf, to her high-heeled shoes and dark skinny-jeans, she looked as if she belonged on a runway. The contrast between her and the ripped wallpaper and dirt and dust caked onto every surface was almost painful.
The sharp scent of mildew saturated the air. A couple puddles formed in the hall where the ceiling had caved in above, serving as a reminder of the rain that had passed through only hours before. Ahead, light glowed from a window, the illumination barely breaching the layer of grime smeared over the cracked glass.
Nyaira stopped at the door and scowled down at the rusty doorknob. With her lips curled in disgust, she reluctantly gripped the knob with as few fingers as possible and pulled the door open.
A round table took up a good portion of the room’s molding carpet, surrounded by chairs. Battery-powered lanterns hung from a couple rusty chains dangling from the ceiling. Black paint blocked out the large windows on one side, trapping the light inside.
Three men and two women sat in the chairs. One man had the dark skin and pointed ears of a drow, and a second, whose muscles budged against his shirt, leaned precariously in his seat.
A tall man stood at the table with his side facing the door, the high collar of his gray duffel coat pulled up. His attention stayed on the table, where a thin pile of papers sat. He held an air of authority. Of elegance. Of power.
“’Bout time!” the man leaning back in his chair growled, his voice gruff. His eyes shone an eerie yellow, and Nyaira could smell the stench of wet dog wafting from him.
“You’re late, mon chéri,” the man standing said with a French accent as he picked up one of the pages and put it to the side of the pile. His voice was menacing despite its soft tone. He and one of the women shared the same cold beauty as Nyaira.
“It took me ages to find the place.” Nyaira brushed her feathery brown hair from her shoulder with the back of her hand as she sashayed toward him. “Really, Luc.” She rubbed a hand over his back seductively as she moved to his other side to stand between him and a seemingly teenage girl with fiery red hair. “Must you always pick places like this?” She leaned into him, her hand running down his arm.
Luc finally turned his crimson gaze to her, a brow raising irritably. “When it iz your turn to choose where we meet, Nya, you are welcome to pick somewhere more pleasant. Until zen, you are expected to arrive on time. Sit, and we will begin.” He pulled out the empty chair between him and the red-head.
Instead, Nya turned the chair around so its back rested against the table, and knelt on the seat, her body stretching over it. Heat rose from the red-headed girl and the boy beside her who could easily be the girl’s twin, the warmth brushing over Nyaira’s skin.
Luc examined everyone at the table, his eyes lingering a short moment on each supernatural. “Tonight iz zee last time we will meet before our plans commence. In two nights, zis city will feel the might of us supernaturals.”
The werewolf pumped a fist in the air with a boisterous, “Oorah!”
Luc acknowledged the outburst with little more than a slight cock of his head.
“In two nights from now,” Nyaira added, wicked pleasure in her eyes and a dark grin on her lips. She placed her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her hands. “Streets around the entire continent will run red with the blood of humans and traitors alike.” She licked her lips at the thought.
“We’ll take zis final opportunity to review our missions once more, and add any information,” he tapped the pile of papers with one hand, and brandished a pen from a pocket with the other, “zat iz still missing.” Luc pulled out the chair he stood in front of and sat. “Edmond?” Luc placed his pen to the paper and looked to the werewolf, who straightened in his seat and gave a quick salute.
“My pack and I are ready, sir.” Edmond crossed his arms smugly. “We’ll be at Club Ember well before the attacks begin. They’re scheduled to have The Dueling Rockets playing that night. They’re a popular local band on the rise,” he added at the flash of confusion that crossed the drow’s face. “The place’ll be packed more than usual.”
“Zee number of other supernaturals will be unpredictable. Will you ‘ave enough wolves?”
Edmond looked offended. “More than enough.”
Luc nodded in approval, wrote something down quickly, then looked to the other female vampire. “Nicole?”
“Lake’s Edge Community,” the vampiress purred, her blond locks bouncing in tight curls. “A community of about two hundred near the center of town. Stakeouts have revealed about fifteen supernatural families. My clan and I will have most of them and the humans dead before they know what’s hit them.”
Luc made another note. “Karlor?” His attention turned to the drow.
The drow stood. “My warriors and I will… occupy the 911 dispatchers and officers at the police stations for as long as possible. By my current calculations, our numbers outweigh theirs by at least five to one in all instances. Our best estimate of the number of supernaturals in each shift for the night in question is between a meager five and ten. We have improved our defensive abilities, and tripled our training for the past three months. Our casualties will likely be few, if any, to their many.”
“Excellent.” Luc made another quick note as Nyaira leaned over as if trying to see what he wrote. “Evain? Nick?” His head turned to the twins.
“Set fire to the city hall.” Nick smirked. “With the council still in it.”
“The city council has a late meeting planned,” Evain specified quietly. “They won’t go out after dark, so will likely be staying the night there. We’ll block off their exits, then burn the place down from the inside.”
Luc’s face darkened, and the seemingly young teenage twins squirmed beneath his gaze. “And zere will be no mistakes this time.”
“N-no sir.” Nick swallowed hard and looked to the floor.
“Good.” His face softened slightly as he looked to Nyaira. “Nya?”
“I and a few dozen other supernaturals will stir things up at the local college.” She stretched across the chair, the action feline. “Eat a few people, break some necks, all that good ol’ stuff.”
Luc’s eyes narrowed when she did not continue. “I am missing your reports. ‘Ave you done any research? ‘Ow many staff? Students?”
Nyaira smiled at him. “Of course I ‘ave, mon cœur,” she said with an exaggerated hurt pout, perfectly mimicking his accent. “It’s a surprisingly small college, considering, but most of the kids of the local higher-ups go there. The dorms only hold about five hundred students. The rest live off-campus or school online. A few of the supernaturals working with us have moved into the dorms.” She scowled as she continued. “There are about a hundred supernatural students that we’ve seen, not on our side.” She snorted. “There could be more. Out of two-hundred staff members, though, there are only about twenty supernaturals. Only a 'wolf janitor remains on campus for a while after-hours. He won't pose any problems."
“Good.” Luc wrote quickly on his piece of paper, then scanned the faces at the table. “Are zere any other concerns anyone wishes to address?”
Various forms of “no” rose around the table.
“Very well.” Luc pulled a large folder from beneath the pile of papers, then stood. “We will reconvene four days from now. I will contact you with the details once it iz safe. The best of luck to you all.”
Luc sat back down and began to place his papers inside the folder with deliberate slowness as the others dispersed.
Nyaira hung back. Once the door closed behind the last to leave, she turned around in the chair, spread her arms on the table behind her, and tilted her head back to look at the ceiling. “I thought they would never leave.”
“You really must learn to be punctual, mon chéri,” Luc looked to her, his voice light and accent thickening slightly with the others gone. He smiled lustfully at her as he stuffed the final paper into the folder and closed it. “Zis is zee zird time you ‘ave kept us waiting.”
“Iz zat so?” Nyaira stood with him, and leaned into his chest. “Per’aps you should give me more of an incentive to arrive on time, mon cœur.” She traced a light line down his face with a perfectly manicured nail.
“Incentive, you say?” He pulled back slightly, and tapped a finger to his chin as if in contemplation. “Per’aps somezing like… zis?”
He gently lifted her face with a fingertip to her chin, and bent forward. Their lips locked in a passionate kiss until Luc pulled away.
“We shouldn’t linger ‘ere.” He went to where one of the lanterns hung and reached up to unhook it from a chain.
Nyaira leaned provocatively against the table as he placed the first lantern on it then went to the other.
“I saw someone quite interesting today.” She examined her nails.
“Is zat so?” Luc returned to the table and turned one of the lanterns off. “And who might zat be?”
“Alexander Williams.”
A snarl twisted his face. “Que est-ce que ce traître le besoin?” he spat. He stood in front of Nyaira in an instant, his gaze boring into hers.
“He doesn’t want anything.” She pushed slowly from the table, her every move serpentine. “I only saw him. He attends the college. He was with this rather timid human.” She spat the race as if it left a foul taste in her mouth. “I saw them leave together, and that was that. I had other things to worry about.”
Luc snorted, then moved to turn.
“But I was thinking,” Nyaira leaned against him, keeping him from turning away. “If we could get him to join us, that would be one more on our side to help.”
His eyes narrowed dangerously. “Iz zat zee only reason you wish to speak wiz ‘im?”
Her brows furrowed in a look of innocence. “Mon coeur appartient à vous, l'amour. My heart will always belong to you.” She placed a gentle hand on his chest and looked up at him. “Alex was once a friend. He’s strong, and would be useful to us. There’s no other reason.”
Luc stared at her a long moment.
“Very well.” His jaw hardened. “But you are to tell ‘im nozing of our plans unless ‘e proves ‘e iz on our side. Am I clear?”
“I wouldn’t dream of doing otherwise, Luc.” She leaned back, grabbed the extinguished lantern, linked her arm in his, and together, the two vampires stole out into the night.

After checking that Victoria had gone inside, and no one was watching, Alex smirked. He had been itching to run. Really run. He picked up his pace before moving into a sprint. He became a blur as he sped to his apartment. No human would spot him with the speed he was using. He loved running like that, it was exhilarating, even now.
When he arrived at his apartment, he unlocked the door and headed inside, locking it behind him. He sniffed the air. There was nothing different about it, other than what he had sensed earlier. There was danger on the wind. He thought he had sensed someone familiar earlier, someone from his past. He hoped he had not. Things could become very complicated if she was here.
As a creature without the need of sleep, he tended to ace college without needing to really study during the day. He pulled open his laptop and started it up.
He walked over to a seemingly ordinary section of the wall and opened the secret door that was there. Inside there was a small refrigerator. He opened the door and pulled out a small plastic sack filled with a thick red liquid. He had struck a deal with a local butcher some time ago. Animals were better than nothing, but it didn't compare to human blood.
He filled a cup and put it in the microwave for a short while. Blood was always better when it was as close to body temperature as possible.
The beeping of the microwave filled the room, and he quickly took the cup out, placing it by his laptop. A drink for him while he did his research. There would be something on the internet, there always was.

*A FEW HOURS LATER*
After searching the usual sites, and coming up empty, Alex resorted to looking for patterns, trends, dead bodies, strange reports. He knew he was unlikely to find anything, they all appeared human, and they would be being very careful.
He found that there had been 3 killings in the past few days, one with all the blood drained, and a large gaping hole in the neck. A rather carried away vampire had obviously gotten that one. One with it's throat ripped out, seemingly by a very large dog. Alex could have recognised a werewolf attack anywhere. The final victim had a large hole burned through his body. Alex knew what that meant. Magic was being used. There weren't many supernatural races that could use magic of that kind. Generally speaking, he was probably looking at some sort of elven creature, or perhaps even one of the fae.
He dropped his head to his desk. If there were three different races in town, and they were working together, then there was an army on it's way. He couldn't take all of it, but he had to do something.
He wrote a note down on a piece of paper and set fire to it. He had a good friend he could turn to in this situation. Illyad would help him.
The message smoldered, and then vanished. After a few seconds, a hole appeared in the wall of Alex's kitchen, filled with a purple light. He sighed and stepped through. Illyad was a careful one.

*UNDISCLOSED LOCATION*
"You've taken a risk, old friend." Illyad told him.
"I know, but I have to try." Alex replied. "They're going to attack-"
"I know." Illyad nodded. "I feel it, too. But I am a lot better informed than you are. I know exactly what they are doing."
"How?" Alex asked.
"I have my ways. There are several stages to their plan, but they are going to be carrying them out in unison. Vampires will be attacking the college. You should stay there, defend as well as you can, and keep the girl safe, she could be useful. Werewolves will be attacking a club in the town, I will be sending some of my allies in with the crowd, there is not much more I can do for them. There are a couple of elementals in the mix, who may be a problem. They plan to set the council ablaze. I'll be sending my best water mages to deal with them. There is only one more issue. There are magic users in the mix, and they are somewhat resisting my probing. I am sure there is another section to this plan, but I can not find what."
"Logically speaking, they are going for places with lots of people, or powerful people. They would be targeting somewhere else similar." Alex said, before it suddenly clicked into place. "Or not. They would be aiming to prevent anyone from being able to help. Emergency services, for example?"
"Yes! I'll collect the necessary forces. You must go back to the college. Try and avoid any confrontation, and keep an eye on your human. She has the sight, does she not? She will be a big player, I am thinking." He opened the portal back to Alex's apartment. "Leave me, I have planning to do."
"Yes, Illyad. I thank you for your assistance." Alex stepped back into the portal, bowing as he left the elven warlock to his plans. He didn't realise he had already done so much. Somehow Illyad was always so far ahead of him...

Victoria’s phone blared out the alarm she had set for nine-thirty, stirring her from her already uneasy sleep. She shouted and nearly fell off her bed, her heart racing as she struggled against the blanket wrapped around her.
Realizing what had woken her, she forced herself to go about her usual morning tasks. She got ready for her day as much as she could without leaving her bedroom, then hesitantly went to the bathroom the three girls were to share. To her relief, she did not run into Cali.
Not entirely sure what all she would need, Victoria shoved her laptop, the books for that day’s couple classes, a few pens and pencils, and a couple folders into a backpack just large enough for the items. With her already well-folded map of the school with the routes she should take in hand, and Alex’s tour the other day in mind, she went to the dorm door.
She stopped in front of the door, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath to steady her nerves and try to tame her fears.
Only two classes today, she reassured herself. Taking another deep breath, she opened her eyes then stepped into the hall. She kept her head down, as always, avoiding people as much as possible.
She made it to the classroom for English without incident. She instinctively ignored the other faces already there. Choosing a seat near the back, she sat and took out her computer.
When the teacher, Professor Witkins, entered and the class began, Victoria’s attention wavered from her laptop only long enough to look over the syllabus that got passed out. She found herself glancing to the time on her laptop frequently. The minutes ticked by sluggishly as Witkins went over the syllabus.
When, at long last, the class ended, Victoria eagerly packed up her things and hurried to the courtyard to wait for Alex.
Choosing the same seat as she had before, she pulled her phone from her pocket and checked the time. Eleven-twenty. Unsure when he would arrive--and hoping it would be soon, with her growing stomach already angry from her lack of breakfast--Victoria sat in the same place as yesterday. She dropped her pack to the ground at her feet, pulled out the book for English, and began to read the pages assigned for Wednesday.

Alex checked his watch. Time always seemed to escape him. He had no classes that morning, so he just had to remember to meet Victoria at lunch time. 10am. He should probably start getting ready.
After microwaving another cup of blood, to keep him going, he showered quickly, and changed into some lighter clothes than yesterday. It was a couple of degrees warmer, and there was no sign of rain ahead.
He spritzed some cologne and then headed out the door, locking up behind him.
He had only a day left before the massacre. Today he would need to be strategic. Today he would need to convince Victoria to leave the college.
He knew they would attack at night, it was the time when they were at their peak, and people were more vulnerable.
His only idea was to convince Victoria to stay at his overnight. He had a spare room, he never knew when he would need one, and so it would be easy enough, logistically.
His only thought now was of her safety, and he found himself wondering whether it was because of Illyad's description of her, or because he cared, far more than he ought to about someone he would outlive by a very long time...

He approached the area where he had met her the previous day, and saw her reading a book. He smiled to himself. Did he expect anything less.
He hovered for a moment, before approaching, smiling at her like a fool, until he realised what he must look like. He shook his head to clear it, and stepped toward the bench.
"Good morning!" He called, cheerily.

Victoria felt the presence of someone watching her. Pulling what little of her attention she had invested in the book, she looked up in time to see Alex shake his head and step toward her.
The familiar excitement at seeing him buzzed through her as she quickly closed the book and reached to put it in her backpack. She stood and shouldered her pack.
“Morning!” She turned her gaze to the bench as a few students passed by, pretending to make sure she did not leave anything behind.
When the students had passed, she looked back to Alex and smiled. “So, what’s good around here to eat?” Her stomach grumbled softly at the mere prospect of food.
I should pick up granola bars or something. Victoria stepped to Alec’s side, waiting for him to lead the way.

Alex resisted the urge to mention any places where blood might be on the menu and simply grinned. "Do you trust me?" He asked, looking at her. He had a restaurant in mind, but he wanted it to be a surprise. He didn't know exactly why, but for some reason he just wanted to take her there without actually telling her where they were going.
He remembered the place well. It was set in the style of a 50's diner, and though it mainly centered around ice cream, they also did some regular food as well. It was surprisingly accurate in it's design.
He waited for her reaction, holding his arm out for her to take, as usual.

Victoria’s eyes narrowed and brows rose in mock suspicion at Alex’s grin. Instead of a straight-forward answer, he answered her question with a question.
“Of course.” More than anyone, she added to herself. There were few people in the world whom she trusted, and Alex made it to the top of that painfully short list. “Well, unless you keep smiling like that.” Amusement glittered in her pale blue eyes.
She linked her arm through Alex’s, happily letting him guide her to whatever mystery location he had in mind. After all, everything would be right with the world for the short time they had together that afternoon... or until her gaze lingered too long on a supernatural server.
Victoria gave a quiet frustrated sigh at the thought. She instinctively hung her head slightly, and focused on the ground as if it was suddenly something of interest.

Alex smiled and led her down a few streets, noticing her lowered head, he knew she was avoiding looking at people. He guided her through some of the sidestreets, avoiding main roads for both of their benefit.
Eventually, they stopped outside of the diner. "HAPPY DAZE" was written in large letters above the door. He pushed open the door, gesturing for Victoria to head inside first, the small bell above the door chimed as he did so.
Alex, being who he was, was always thorough in his plans with Victoria. He had been to this place several times before, and had confirmed that there were no supernaturals working there. He had made absolutely sure of it before bringing her here.
He kept a list of restaurants and cafés where there were less, or no, supernatural beings involved. It made it easier to be with Victoria if she could relax a little.

As soon as she saw the outside of the building, Victoria knew the era it was designed after. From the accent pink and blue paint, to the neon lights hung around the top, it screamed 50s diner.
She couldn’t help but smile as she stepped inside. Seats upholstered in red sat in front of a bar with red and silver stripes running down it. The booths sported a matching pattern. A single waitress worked the tables, her pink poodle skirt twirling slightly with her every turn.
Victoria quickly averted her gaze from the waitress, not giving her ability the chance to act up. Just in case. Though, she had noticed over the years that Alex had a knack of picking places with fewer supernaturals... at least, as far as she could tell from the rare times she let her guard down and looked at someone longer than intended.
“Have a seat anywhere, dears!” the young waitress called, placing plates from a tray in front of a group of teenagers at one of the booths. “I’ll be right with you.”
Victoria offered a quick nod at the checkered floor, then turned, wanting to let Alex choose their seat.

Alex lead Victoria into a booth in a corner, away from people, and away from any prying eyes. He knew they were at risk of the attackers, especially him. Because she was here.
He smiled at her, plucking a menu from the small metal holder at the side. He flipped open the page and began to browse.
"So. How are your liking college so far?" He asked, looking up at her after he had asked, waiting for her reaction. He noticed he was trying to look at her less. Perhaps out of fear of getting too attached, for several reasons. Humans were just so much more fragile than most creatures. And, of course, even now he was beginning to be suspected by some of his inability to age at all...