[IC] They Live Among Us (Vampiricchild x Siaya)

[Riven Wight]

Before Victoria could bring up the memory of her classes, the reverent quiet of the library called for her attention.
From what she could tell, they came through a back entrance, the carpet of the hall turning into well-worn wood paneling. A large, wooden bookcase stood in front of them, the spines of old and new books alike staring at them in greeting. Two armchairs identical to the ones they had seen the girl in the hall on sat to the right of the door, their indented cushions empty. A table rested between them, a couple books sitting messily atop it.
Victoria pulled her arm from Alex’s as she glanced up at the fluorescent lighting above them. She wandered toward where many of the shelves created an aisle, relishing the familiar, welcoming smell of ink, glue, and paper both aged and young that hung heavily on the air.
About ten rows of shelves up, she could see multiple desks placed together in a circle to create the circulation desk in the center of the library. A boy who looked like an upperclassman sat in a chair near the center of the cluttered desks. He spun around a couple times in his chair, before rolling it over to one of two computers.
Careful to not look at the student librarian long enough for her ability to kick in, Victoria looked back to Alex and smiled. Two signs in the shape of an arrow hanging beside the door caught her attention. One reading “Study Rooms” pointed to the left, and the other pointed to the right with the words “Front Desk.”
“How many books do you think there are?” Victoria asked, her voice instinctively hushed to keep from disturbing the magic of the books. “Have you read them all, yet?” she finished with a grin.

[vampiricchild]

'A good library is a thing of beauty, and they are becoming fewer. It's a shame that so many are having to resort to desperate measures to remain open. This one, however, I am glad to say, has remained excellent. The number of books is in the thousands, at the very least. There are text-books, non-fiction books and all the paperbacks you could wish for. I wish I could spend my summers in here, sometimes.'
While Victoria looked around at the vast library, he watched her, watching for her reactions, her interest, her awe. He watched her face as she took in the scene before her. He didn't know why he was watching her, he just felt compelled to, by some unseen force he was not, as of yet, familiar with. Victoria was a very interesting type of human, unique in the most literal sense. All humans are unique in some aspects, but she was unique in much more of them, and he was bewildered by it each and every day.

[Riven Wight]

Realizing that Alec watched her, Victoria felt her cheeks grow warm.
“Study rooms,” she said awkwardly as she pointed in the same direction as the sign. She hung her head as she hurried down the space between the wall and rows of bookcases, hoping her hair would conceal the gentle brush of pink on her cheeks.
She just managed to resist the urge to look back to see if he followed her lead or chose to stay behind. She adjusted the hem of her shirt as she went, compelled by a sudden bout of self-consciousness, then fiddled with the purse strap on her shoulder.
Why do I care? she scolded herself quietly. He was watching me. So what? People watch people. She cleared her throat as the thought only worsened the matter.
She took a breath, and her steps slowed as she felt the heat in her face fade.
A series of doors lined the far right-hand wall, a thin sliver of a window in each door. Victoria cautiously peered through one of the windows.
A small table surrounded by four chairs sat in the middle of the vacant room. Two more armchairs that looked more comfortable than the others she had seen so far were shoved into the far corners.
“So, uh,” she finally glanced behind her, “anything else I should see in here, or is it time to go to the next place?” For once in her life, she was not sure whether she wanted to stay in the library, or put as much space between her and it for the afternoon as possible... though not for too long; she swore she could already hear the books begging her to read them.

[vampiricchild]

Alex smirked as Victoria half-ran away from him. He had watched her reaction as she noticed him. Embarrassment, but why? Not many people would be embarrassed that they had caught someone else looking at them. He had followed her, of course he had, and he looked at where she had stopped. 'Well is there anything you specifically want to see? I mean, the signs point everything out pretty clearly, so unless there's something specific you need me for, I'm sure you can manage in here on your own. If there's nothing else, though, we can move on to the classrooms?'
His mind was working overtime, still trying to decipher the behaviour of his only friend. No human had ever confused him as much.

[Riven Wight]

“Yeah.” Victoria nodded. “Yeah, the classrooms sound like a good idea.” She cleared her throat and slowly headed back toward the back entrance door. She glanced at the shelves of books, noting their call numbers.
She looked up, then startled back as the door they had come through opened only a couple feet in front of her. Before she could think to look away, the woman they had seen in the hall looked over, her gaze meeting Victoria’s.
Victoria held her breath, then looked down as the girl offered a quick, friendly wave. She suppressed a sigh of relief; that girl, at least, was human, as far as she could tell.
Apparently oblivious to Victoria’s behavior, the woman hurried toward the circulation desk as Victoria went to the door, holding it open for Alex.
“After you.” She gestured for Alex to exit first.

[vampiricchild]

Alex nodded and left the room ahead of Victoria. He was beginning to worry about her. She seemed very distressed when seeing new people, he knew it was because of her ability, and the whole fear element that surrounded the mere mention of the paranormal, but surely she, of all people, would understand that they just want to live regular lives...

Again he found himself worrying about when she found out the truth about him, and how she would react. He'd been her best friend for a while now, and he wasn't sure if that meant she'd be quicker to come around, or if it would make the betrayal sting that much more...

[Riven Wight]

Victoria trudged quietly behind Alex as he led the way once more through the halls. She kept close to him. Her gaze shifted from his feet only when she felt sure no one else was around, taking those moments to get a better look at her surroundings.
After passing from one building to another, they entered the center of the building. They stood on the first level, the center allowing them a view of the railing surrounding walkways of the upper three floors. A honey-combed glass dome created the ceiling over the opening, a flood of rainwater streaming down the glass and casting moving shadows. Various plastic plants decorated corners. Chairs, benches, and tables were strewn about in out-of-the-way places.
To Victoria’s dismay, this room proved the most trafficked of the ones she had visited thus far, excluding the dorms.
A faculty member led a group of about twenty students and parents in a final tour of the day. Other groups of students strode through, paying the larger group little more than an amused glance.
Victoria instinctively stepped closer to Alex, her gaze shifting from the activity to the tiled floor. She stifled a yawn as the activity of the morning started to catch up with her.
“I could really use a cup of coffee after this.” She ruffled a hand through her hair. “Know any good café’s nearby?”

[vampiricchild]

Alex led her through the hallways to the main space. The classrooms were mainly around this area. There were corridors leading off the main circles on all floors. Off those hallways were all the classrooms. He watched as Victoria became more timid as a lot of people began walking through.

He realised, all of a sudden, that Victoria didn't want to see the truth behind the disguises. It was obvious now, by her behavior.

He nodded. 'Sure, I know an excellent little café off campus. It's normally pretty quiet. We can go there.' He suggested, knowing she'd prefer not to see many more people. The less people there were, the less likely one of them would be a supernatural of some kind.

[Riven Wight]

The mere thought of a quiet place aroused a longing in Victoria. The noise of the voices echoing off the high ceiling only strengthened it quickly into a consuming desire. A side effect of avoiding everyone in general for so long, she reasoned, but if it meant her ability wouldn’t be discovered and she wouldn’t have to risk seeing hiding supernaturals, it was worth it.
Sure, she had met and seen many a supernatural in high school--her first math teacher had been a werewolf, his eyes always glowing an eerie yellow for her and he always smelled like wet dog, before she transferred to another class with a normal teacher--but she always knew she could escape it. She knew her home neighborhood better than anyone; she knew where supernaturals rarely went, she knew the most deserted places and where and when to avoid the more popular locations. But here…
Realizing she hadn’t actually responded to Alex, Victoria finally nodded, trying to dispel her thoughts and tune out the others. “Quiet would be great,” she muttered, glancing to him to be sure he had heard her soft answer. "Add the coffee, and it's practically heaven."

[vampiricchild]

Alex chuckled. 'Interestingly, the name is quite similar. It's called Haven.' He smirked. The café was an interesting one. The reason it was called Haven was because it was somewhat warded. Any supernatural with negative intentions was warded against and wouldn't be able to enter. Most supernatural's nearby avoided the place, feeling that the ward may be confused if they were so much as in a bad mood, which wasn't true, but it kept the place quiet either way, and Alex was glad of that.
He had stumbled on the place a while back, when he was wandering around on an evening, it was open rather late for a café. He had been chatting with the owner when the secret of the name was divulged. As it turned out, the owner couldn't see supernatural's as Victoria could, but a rather magically potent one had approached him and offered his services.
Alex took Victoria's arm and smiled 'Let's go then.' He led her outside, where it was a little more open, and took a slightly more scenic route. In the first few days of school, certain areas got rather crowded, and he would prefer to avoid them. He led her off campus and down a few streets until he found the café.

[Riven Wight]

Victoria thought on the name for a short second, then smiled. “Especially for college students, I’d imagine.”
She startled slightly when Alex took her arm. She adjusted her light hold, and happily let him lead them outside. She eyed the rain as they neared the doors, the image of the exact placement of her umbrella in her mind; e it sat at her aunt and uncle’s house, forgotten in the back of the hallway closet. The unrelenting cloud’s tears soon soaked into their clothes as Alex expertly led the way.
Victoria tried to keep track of the streets they took, thankful for the scenic route. Though the whispers of the rain pounding the ground and buildings around them created the only form of conversation, the silence between them was a comfortable one, as it always seemed to be.
She felt thankful when they finally came to the café. Tucked at the far end of a building strip, lights shone out invitingly from the storefront windows. The name of the café was scrawled across the window in large fancy lettering. A mechanical bell rang as they entered, and the inviting scent of coffee wafted over her.
Inside, various sizes of tables sat around the room surrounded by chairs, packets of sugar organized in plastic containers at the tables’ center. The café was empty save for a man reading a newspaper, a styrofoam cup on the table in front of him.
Victoria slowly approached the counter at the far left-hand side. Her attention turned to the chalkboard menu hanging on the wall, its contents written in various colors of chalk.
She looked over as a man in his mid-twenties with a goatee emerged from a door at the back of the counter. She held her breath, her eyes not quite meeting his as she waited to see if his form would waver for her. To her relief, it did not.
“Welcome to Haven!" he greeted in his deep voice, smiling at the college students. "What can I get for you?”

[vampiricchild]

Alex looked around the well-lit room and picked out a table, furthest from the only other customer, tucked away in a corner, away from the windows, almost hiding from everyone. He turned to face the young man in front of him and smiled, his teeth glinting in the light. The man looked slightly shocked, but only for a split second, not enough for any regular human to even register it.
'Just a coffee for me. Victoria?' He asked, turning to look at her. His anxiety at her seeing him was somewhat lessened here. She seemed to be more alert when she was anxious, or expecting to see what she didn't want to. Here, where he was the only non-human in sight, she would be more relaxed, less expectant. Of course, that didn't wholly explain why she hadn't seen him for who he is already. But that could be because she didn't want to see it. Human minds had a way of protecting themselves. They would block out things, ignore facts, deny the truth, in a way that was almost foreign to Alex. Perhaps that was what was happening. He was a comfort for her, and for her to know that he was what she feared, it could well cause some problems.

[Riven Wight]

Victoria looked back to the menu, double-checking her choices and missing the short exchange between the two men. Though she couldn’t quite put her finger on it, there was something about this place that just felt… comforting. She felt her usual paranoia diminish slightly, her nerves settling down.
“Victoria?”
“Huh?” She looked to Alex, her gaze taking a moment to focus on him as she pulled from her thoughts. Her gaze shifted to the barista. She blushed and cleared her throat as she registered why Alex had said her name. “I’ll take a Campfire latte. Small.”
“Good choice. This is the last week we have that.” The man quickly rung the total up. “That’ll be four-twenty-eight.”
“You got it last time,” Victoria began with a glance to Alex, setting her purse on the counter and reaching inside for her wallet. “It’s my turn.” She found her wallet, pulled it out from around the book inside, and handed the barista her debit card.

[vampiricchild]

Alex sighed, shrugging his shoulders. 'You know you really need to learn to just accept things. I don't mind paying for stuff.' He said, sighing again when she handed over her card.
Of course, it helped Alex's gentlemanly nature that he was brought up in the age of chivalry. Men always held doors open for ladies, paid for meals, and so on and so forth. Of course, it was different now. Women were more outspoken, they stood with men as equals. Worked with them, fought with them, drank with them. Things you would never hear of when he was a child.
The differences were staggering, but he couldn't quite get used to it. He preferred to be around Victoria, because she appreciated the little quirks that were from his past. The way they linked arms, the way he would give her his jacket if she appeared to be cold. He would have offered her it on the way here, but he knew it wouldn't have made much difference. They were both rather wet anyway.
A droplet of water slid down the side of his face, similar to a teardrop, but coming from his hair. He quickly brushed the wet strands away from his eyes, for fear of water dripping into them.

[Riven Wight]

Victoria returned Alex’s shrug lightly. “It’s not fair for you to always pay for both of us.” She took her card back from the barista and put it back in its place. “Besides, it’s the least I can do for you showing me around… and walking in the rain to get here.”
The shrrritt of the café’s latte machine sounded, and the robust smell of coffee beans burst anew as the barista expertly began to make Victoria’s latte, and put on a fresh pot of coffee. She glanced to Alex as he brushed aside his hair, then reached up and brushed her own from her face, the strands sticking to her skin. She gathered it up in a ponytail, and squeegeed it out a bit, the droplets falling to her already soaked shirt.
Letting her hair fall back around her face, she inhaled deeply at the smell of energy as if just the smell would imbue her with the pep from the coffee.
Alex’s coffee finished first. The man behind the counter placed a brown glass mug on the counter, steam rising from the dark liquid inside. “Fresh from the pot. Twenty-five-cent refills today. Start of school special. Help yourself to the creamers,” he nodded to a plastic organizer at the right of the counter packed with various flavors of creamer cups, “and sugar’s at the tables.” He went back to finishing up Victoria’s latte.
Once she had her warm beverage in hand, Victoria turned to the room and scanned the tables. Wanting to watch the rain, she headed toward one by the storefront window. Droplets beat down on the glass, creating thousands of streaks. The rainfall seemed to have diminished slightly.
“Mind a window seat?” She looked out the window at the mostly vacant street beyond.

[vampiricchild]

Alex smiled. 'You know I don't mind.' He took his coffee and followed Victoria to the table.
He shrugged. 'I don't mind if you don't.' He mused, briefly glancing at the table he had expected them to sit at, before sitting down. The raindrops pattered against the window, it was a soothing sound to Alex.
He quickly added sugar to his coffee and stirred it a little before turning to Victoria. 'So, what are your opinions so far?' He asked her, curious as to what she thought of the school, the grounds, the people, this café, and everything else. It was a big change, and though she may settle in quite well, he knew that it was different for her than for most.

[Riven Wight]

One thing Victoria liked about the rain, was that it so often drove everyone to stay indoors. Here, in the odd little café nestled in an out-of-the-way spot, the streets were virtually deserted. It was one of the few times she could comfortably gaze out windows, or walk the streets, even if the latter meant coming indoors soaking wet.
Victoria sipped at her latte, the perfect blend of toasted marshmallow and coffee flavoring, as Alex sweetened his coffee.
Alex’s voice drew her attention as a car rushed by.
“Rain’s always a good way to start a school year.” She placed her paper cup on the table and wrapped her hands around it, letting the warmth of the beverage soak into her skin. “The school’s not too bad. Navigating will be fun this week,” she finished sarcastically with a small smile. Her mind shifted to the still unknown roommate, and a knot clenched in her stomach. “Only one of my roommates was moved in when I left, though. Hopefully the other girl will be…” she faltered for a second and looked to her cup’s lid, catching herself before she said ‘human.’ “Nice. This place is great, though.”
She glanced around the café, careful to avoid the only other customer as he noisily flipped the pages of his newspaper. The barista had disappeared into the back room.

[vampiricchild]

Alex chuckled. 'Well if you ever need a break from your dorm, you can come and visit me. I have an apartment just off campus. The joys of inheritance.' He smirked. His wealth was really what he had accumulated throughout his rather elongated life, but to explain his situation he had convinced Victoria that he had inheritance from his parents, who, he had told her, had died in a car accident only a year before he had met her. He had told her he was living with his aunt and uncle, but of course he couldn't introduce fictional people, and so always made excuses for her not to come to his home, or made excuses when she did about them working away or some such lies.
He followed her gaze around the room. He had known, when they had walked in, that the people in here were human, but Victoria evidently wasn't. He made a mental note that her power still wasn't fully developed and tucked it away in the mental file he kept of information he had learned about her.
The only problem, was that somewhere deep within him, he could feel something was going to happen. Something terrible. He knew something was coming. A storm was brewing, and he had no idea what kind.

[Riven Wight]

“Yeah, yeah.” Victoria rolled her eyes playfully at the reminder. “Okay, Mr. Inheritance.”
One of the things she admired about him was that he never acted like those pompous rich people she heard about or saw on television, or gone crazy when it was signed over to him when he came of age. But then, the reason of the inheritance was sobering in and of itself. Though the faces of her own parents were scarcely more than pictures on the wall and the blurry memories of a five-year-old, his memories, she thought, were surely far more vivid. More recent.
She glanced out the window, and subconsciously reached up to finger the vial pendant hanging around her neck, a necklace that had belonged to her mother. She almost never took it off. A miniature rose rested in the upside-down teardrop suspended by an ornate metal stopper.
Her gaze went back to Alex and she gave him a warm, sincere smile. “Seriously, though. Thanks. I’d love to see your place sometime."

[vampiricchild]

Alex chuckled. 'Do you really think that was me showing off?' He shook his head.
Alex would always downplay his wealth. He never wanted to overstep the mark. Having anything too expensive would be enough to question it. The story about his parents death and his inheritance covered 2 bases. How he got his money, and where his family were. He could hide behind the lies, and no one would question it too much. Anyone of his perceived age was generally to self-centered to probe much into his history, or too scared of bringing up bad memories, or offending him. People tended not to ask too many questions of him, for whatever reason they may have, anyway. He liked it that way.
Alex eyed the pendant that Victoria had subconsciously touched. She seemed to have a habit of doing that whenever the subject of his parents or the inheritance they had left came up. Part of him felt bad that he had picked that lie, after he had learned of Victoria's past, but of course, it was far too late to backpedal by that point.
Unfortunately, immortality did have it's drawbacks. Alex had seen a lot of death in his time. So many lives lost to disease, war, murder and, most of all, time. It was not something that could be stopped or cheated, he knew that, but when you lived as long as he did, you craved someone to share it with. That was why he made friends with Victoria. A sort of companion. Of course he knew it was only temporary. He would have to somehow leave when she began to notice his true nature, perhaps it would be his lack of aging that would spark her interest, or it could be that her power kicks in before then, but either way, eventually, he would have to take his leave.