Post by arielle on Jun 13, 2008 22:21:11 GMT -5
::Honey orbs watered, unable to stop the tears Arielle Dillard looked away from her manager. Maggie was a werewolf. Arielle had been able to tell from the moment she had met her and she never cared. Besides, Maggie was beautiful. She stood 5'9 with a slender figure and a year-round even tan that she insisted was a blessing of good genetics. Her thick auburn hair always fell neatly past her shoulders and her emerald green eyes always had a mischievous twinkle. Who could dis-like anyone so beautiful. Tonight something had been wrong, Arielle knew the moment she came in for her shift. There was no twinkle in Maggie's eyes. Only the deep wisdom that gave her true identity away. She should have called out sick.
It almost seemed that Maggie was hurting almost as much as Arielle. Almost. Arielle couldn't bear Maggie's pain. Looking away from the ancient eyes she distracted herself by looking over the bar. She had to focus, focus on anything other that Maggie's painfully intoxicating voice and the pain it brought.
In 1993 the bar had been a gentleman's club-if you could really call it that. Midnight Pleasures had been a vampire strip club. Humans would come and drool over the dancers. Of course, the 'entertainment', employees, bouncers, owners, and management were all vampires. The dancers would come onstage and give the humans a show they would never be able to forget. In 1998 it was shut down because of rumors of be-spelling the patrons and even a few missing persons cases. The Authorities were never able to prove anything. Still, vampires need little persuasion to relocate. For a little over a year it was ran as a cheesy dance club, but people were still weary to come. It eventually died out and the Bar was shut down again. Finally in 2000, Maggie and a few associates re-opened it. Now, in 2008 Blood and Chocolate had been booming with business. The majority of the patrons were vampires and werewolves. The majority of the humans that did come in were vampire junkies. It was your typical bad-ass Grunge-Punk bar. You could usually catch a pretty awesome show. Good booze, great service, and a comfortable environment were you didn't have to be afraid of slipping up and showing a bit of fang.
Arielle's' gaze traveled over the pictures lining the walls. It froze on one of her and Crash. Crash Ledford had saved her from a massive beating. He had introduced her to Maggie and helped her get a job as a bartender. He had also helped her along with her new 'life style'. His band had been offered a spot touring with a band that she had never heard of, then he was gone. He had been sending her post cards, letters, and even called her from the road occasionally. That had stopped months ago. She spent two years falling in love with someone and then he abandoned her. She had a problem with that.
"Arielle, are you okay? Do you need to sit down?"
The dull orbs slowly pulled back to Maggie's face. It was now tear stained. Arielle tried to swallow, but couldn't. Her throat suddenly felt as though she had tried to swallow cotton. She blinked slowly. She could hear soft giggles from a female in the corner of the room. To the right of them, at the far end of the bar she could hear the beginnings of an argument that help promises of worse. She didn't want to hear what Maggie was saying. Don't tell me this Maggie..don't take everything from me...
Arielle slid slowly away from Maggie toward the back door that lead to the balcony and fire exit."I just need a moment." It came out barely a whisper, but she knew Maggie could hear it clearly.
Outside, sitting with her back against the railing she let out a huge sob. There was a pack of cigarettes sitting on the steps beside her. She took one, and after lighting it she inhaled slowly. He had lied to her. During her last phone conversation with Crash he had told her that the tour had been extended. The actual truth was that Crash had went on a suicide mission so to speak.
There had been 'rumors' around that in South East Asia a new breed of 'mutated human' had emerged, only coming out at night and feeding off the innocent. They meant vampires, but obviously couldn't say it in police reports. Vampires don't exist. Ri-ight. Authorities started a modern-day witch hunt. Anyone that they suspected of being a 'mutated human' was being slaughtered. Crash had signed up to go and fight against the mortals. Selfish bastard.
Arielle hung her head while tears streamed down her chin. He would be killed, if he wasn't already, and it would be for nothing. The despair and contempt of what she had truly become started to sink in. Vampires lived for nothing, why not die for the same?
He had told her that he loved her. She should have known that something was wrong then. Crash was light hearted and witty. He was never serious. Now he might never come back. What did she have to live for now? Few people chose to be vampires. They weren't dead, they weren't living...they just were. It was sweet in a way-like chocolate. But after having too much it always turns bitter in your mouth. Arielle had just found a reason for living again, and now it was fighting for nothing in Asia. She opened her mouth, but only a faint whisper approached the loud night.
"Blood and Chocolate"