~ What If I Seek For Love? ~ (Aiden)

[rhoslyn]

What if I seek for love of thee?
Shall I find beauty kind, to desert that still shall dwell in me?
But if I sue and live forlorn then alas never was any wretch to more misfortune born.

She can't believe she's been reduced to this.
Rhoslyn Cape sits on the ground in a place she had found with lots of people with money on hand; a boardwalk. It's just that this wasn't a gig, this was a street performance. In the most literal sense. She sits down on a towel she had laid out so she wouldn't get her bum dirty, criss-cross with her beloved lute in her lap. Slender white fingers fly across the wide frets to bring forth a charming, sweet melody constructed by a Mr. Robert Jones, and her voice tries to keep up with the lovely song. Rhoslyn really doesn't think her singing does this song justice, but people toss dollar bills at her either pitying her or they thought otherwise.

Though thy looks have mine eyes, I can't forbeare to love.
But if ever sweet desire set my woeful heart on fire, then can I never remove.


Luckily, Rhoslyn had pulled her long, midnight black hair into a hair tie on the back of her head before leaving her cheap hotel room, otherwise it would be all in her face. Wind curls through the air like invisible smoke, rustling clothes and chilling skin. Unluckily, however, she left her sweater. Great. It's kind of hard to preform when your shivering to death on a boardwalk in a city foreign to you. It's her last week in New Orleans, and Rhoslyn needed a bit of extra cash to grab a flight back home to Hollywood. No clubs would take her and her lute as the nocturnal entertainment, so this was all she could manage.

Frowne not on me unless thou hate, for thy frowne, cast me down to despair of my most hapless state.
Smile not on me unless thou love.
For thy smile will beguile my desires if thou unstead fast prove.

Gray eyes, the color of rain clouds brewing on a summer day, dart from the neck of the instrument Rhoslyn plays to the crowd around her. An old couple cooing over the love song, a little girl, and some rich looking lady. It hurts her pride that really no one was stopping to watch her, but she supposes they would rather shop. If she were them, she would be worrying more about getting new shoes then a looser wanting a couple of dollars too.

If thou needs will bend my brows, a while refrain my dear.
But if thou will smile on me, let it not delayed be, comfort is never too near!

The song is done, echos of the ending chords rolling off the lute and evaporating into the air. Ten dollars, that's the total as the mini crowd departs, leaving Rhoslyn alone. Was that enough to get home? Not by a long shot. Sighing deeply, Rhoslyn rubs her forehead and stands up to straighten her ensemble; a pastel blue t-shirt and dark blue jeans. Then she stuffs what money she had managed to gather into her pocket, deciding to pack up and call it a day. No one else wants to hear her old Elizabethan rhymes. Looking northward, she rubs her arms, white skin covered in goose bumps.
It's times like this when she didn't particularity like being a traveling musician. Yet, Rhoslyn loves it most when it's hard; that means she had to work harder, and working harder meant getting better. While packing up her lute, she looks around at the people passing by. Hm. No one even looks at her...

[crue]

[shadow=gray,left,300]aiden[/shadow]

[/color]

With a yawn, Aiden opened his eyes. He was lying on a bed in his small apartment in New Orleans. Rubbing his eyes with one hand, he reached to pull off the blankets. Finding none, he rolled over onto his side, squinting at the red digital numbers displayed on the clock which rested on the endtable. One-fifteen in the afternoon. A quizzical look crossed his face as he struggled to make sense of things, and he rubbed his fists against his eyes once more. Warning bells went off in his head. I have to get up... I needed to be at the library to meet... who? And what time was I supposed to be there? Eleven-thirty?

In a fluid motion, he leapt out of the bed and landed halfway across the room, stumbling into the bathroom. He cleaned himself up and changed into a pair of torn jeans and grabbed a shirt with some sort of retro-looking decal on it, putting it on as he slipped his socked feet into his untied Converse shoes. Maybe, if he hurried, whoever it was that he was supposed to meet would still be there.

Truthfully, he looked like a mess, but he took no notice of it. His hair was not so much as brushed, but that didn't bother him either. Rushing down the hallway to the staircase that led to the outside, he suddenly felt awake. The burning rays of sunlight, however, caused him to reconsider and he contemplated turning around and going back to sleep. With the thought in mind, he almost acted on it.

Then, the most beautiful music came to his ears, and it enticed him outside into the sunlight and down the street toward the library, which by now was long forgotten. Yes, there were traveling musicians that always passed through the Big Easy, but he never missed a chance to reward them for their skill. Still searching for the musician, his wandering gaze stopped upon a young woman with a lute perched on her lap. Even from his apartment his sharp sense of hearing caught her singing.

Soon, he realized that she was packing up to leave. Guessing that she had not gained much from her dejected appearance, he hurried slightly. "That... that was beautiful, miss," he said as he halted before her. "You truly have talent for your wonderful instrument. And your singing was lovely. I'm Aiden. Aiden Wolff. Here's a tip for pleasing my musical taste." Since he had been listening for so long, he pulled out his wallet, removed a twenty-dollar bill, and handed it to her. He knew that she would find it odd, but he would feel as if he had cheated her out if he had done any differently. To avoid the confusion, he kept talking.

"I assume that you'll be in New Orleans for a bit longer? Frankly, I haven't seen you around, but that could contribute to my never being home. I don't wander the streets that often." With a chuckle, he realized how terrible he must have looked, and began to apologize. "I'm terribly sorry for my appearance. I don't always look quite so bad. Today, I had the feeling that I was supposed to meet someone a couple of hours ago and instead, I slept in. Your music attracted me here, however, and I was curious in hearing you sing."

[rhoslyn]

"That... that was beautiful, miss."

Rhoslyn whirled around, lute shielded in it's large black case. A man stood before her, and not too hard on the eyes. A little messy in the clothes and hair department, but still easy to look at for her. Cracking a smile, Rhoslyn feels her porcelain face turn snowy pink at the compliment. Though she enjoys praise, Rhoslyn tends to be rather shy about her instrument. Her gray eyes briefly glance at her shoes before darting quickly back up to the man.

"Thanks so much, Aiden. I'm Rhoslyn." She reaches out a hand to shake his, but gets a twenty slapped there in her palm instead. In surprise, she blinks a few times before turning the bill in her hand. A tip, he says? ...whoa.

"Whoa," Rhoslyn says it aloud too, quietly. A twenty dollar tip? She's never gotten anything above ten! A smile breaks out across her face, but disappears from her lips almost as soon as it had come. She can't possibly except this much money for a song this guy probably even hadn't heard all of. Rhoslyn may need cash quick, but her conscious is just too present in her thoughts to let her just take unearned cash.

"Oh-...oh wow, big tip. Surprised me, hehe." Rhoslyn laughs a bit nervously, rubbing the back of her head. "Thank you so much, but I can't just take this much..." Biting her lip briefly, she thinks. The money is definitely needed, but how to get it fair and square? Ah, she knows. "Here, let me play something else for you or something."

Kneeling down to set her lute out again, Rhoslyn flicks a bit of ebony hair that had escaped her pony tail out of her eyes.

"I assume you'll be in New Orleans for a bit longer?"

"Yes Sir, I'll be here for another week. Going home next Wednesday." Rhoslyn smiles up at Aiden, flicking the switches to open the lute case. "I live in good ol' California. Well, mostly, anyway."

She listens to him explain his "just out of bed" appearance, nodding and smiling, her gray eyes drifting to position her instrument correctly every now and then. "Ah, I sleep in all the time. It's kind of like an instinct to just press the snooze button on the alarm clock, ya know?" Rhoslyn laughs a bit. "It's really flattering I got you so curious as to be even later for that appointment of yours. Do you like Elizabethan music?"

[crue]

[shadow=gray,left,300]aiden[/shadow]

[/color]

"Thanks so much, Aiden. I'm Rhoslyn."

Rhoslyn. A beautiful name; not unheard of, but not exactly popular with the new generation. Her scent came to him with the passing wind, and he instantly knew that she was human. Just as Jessica was... The thought crossed his mind, and he almost considered not engaging himself in any further conversation with Rhoslyn, but he found himself unable to leave. Maybe he just didn't want to. Or maybe he couldn't.

Embarrassment in the form of a blush crept across her face, but he brushed it to the side. Her Elizabethan lyrics had been lovely to listen to, and they were not wasted on the busy public like she had thought they were. He just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

Seeming to forget about his previous appointment with so-and-so about such-and-such, he acted as if he did not remember the matter at all. Truthfully, he was not worried about finding out who it was or what it was about. For once, Aiden was actually enjoying himself. Partying with Augustina, Rylie, and Grace was fun, a spark of laughter in his monotone life, but this seemed like something more could branch from this. Unconsciously, he was already attracted to her, but that was more than he could possibly foresee. She seemed like a spark of life, a sense of normality that he could never have again, but she could.

"Whoa... Oh-...oh wow, big tip. Surprised me, hehe. Thank you so much, but I can't just take this much..."

His acquaintance's gasp of utter surprise brought him back to reality, and he recalled how much he had given her. "Of course you can. Playing as well as you do means that you should deserve a little more than most." A quick glance to her face gave him what he was looking for that she would not willingly tell him: she needed this money, but did not want to seem greedy or selfish.

"Here, let me play something else for you or something."

The words appeared to ease her conscious, and he grudgingly agreed to her terms. "If you must," he replied jokingly, but he was still interested in hearing her play.

"Yes Sir, I'll be here for another week. Going home next Wednesday. I live in good ol' California. Well, mostly, anyway."

Another week and she was gone?

Wednesday?

He wasn't sure how he felt, but he was sure that he felt something for her. True, they had just met, but there was just something about her that he agreed with--in a way, they had already 'clicked.'

"California, huh? Quite a treat for the eyes, if I do say so myself. Too hot for me though." Trailing off, he became quiet and watched the lutenist prepare to play something new for him.

"Ah, I sleep in all the time. It's kind of like an instinct to just press the snooze button on the alarm clock, ya know?"

"The snooze button just so happens to be my best friend," he said with a smile, although it was true. On those nights when the full moon was aglow, he could not resume a regular schedule and would push the snooze button all day long, or would just unplug his alarm clock all together.

"It's really flattering I got you so curious as to be even later for that appointment of yours. Do you like Elizabethan music?

The appointment. She hadn't forgotten. "I'll just get back to them later. If it was that important, they'd call me." Patting his pocket that concealed his cell phone, he thought for a moment, then continued. "Elizabethan music is stunning, although I do enjoy modern music as well." His hazel eyes watched her with a gentle gaze as she readied herself for a new song. "And please, he added, "call me Aiden."

All of a sudden, he realized that she was just a human. Only a human. Not a vampire, not a werewolf, a human. Did she know about them, or was she blissfully ignorant, as he had been? There was one thing that he knew for certain: somehow, perhaps without her knowing, he needed to keep her safe. His vampire friends and his few werewolf friends could hold their own against another better than Rhoslyn. Wherever she went, then, he would have to follow, just to make sure that she was safe. No human would want to go through what the undead and the wolves had. He would protect her for as long as possible, which would be difficult given the circumstances.

One, bloodthirsty immortals would be after her flesh, and two, he could never let her know that he was saving her from a terrible end, or in the case of a werewolf, a new beginning.[/blockquote][/color]

[rhoslyn]

"Good thing I must then, Aiden." After letting out a quiet giggle, Rhoslyn's pale fingers begin working across the lute, plucking out a John Dowland piece: My Thoughts Are Wing'd With Hopes. When the strumming comes more complex, Rhoslyn gently lowers her gray eyes away from his hazel, as if to concentrate more. But truthfully, she felt the barely noticeable heat in her cheeks again and wished to hide it. Why is she blushing so much? It had to be admitted that she did feel particularity safe around Aiden, though she hasn't even known him for more than ten minutes or so. So that confused her, and made her let her guard down. It's been a long time since Rhoslyn has had a sense of security; a year, to be exact. It felt nice to feel comfortable, and it showed in her playing. Rhoslyn's posture loosens up, her hands gliding along the strings of the lute with more relaxed fluidity. For a moment, it was just her, music, and Aiden.

Then the song ends.

Does that mean their speaking ends, too? It certainly meant the reason they're talking to one another is over, since she has given him what he paid for. It didn't feel like the everyday quick customer chat she tended to pick up, but something a bit deeper then that. Like meeting the person you know you're going to have a great friendship with for the first time. Or something more. Rhoslyn pinches the inside of her thumb to keep the color from her face as she smiles up at Aiden. She flicks a bit of hair out of her face, then packs up her instrument yet again, tucking the case under her arm.

"I hope that was worth twenty bucks." She smiles at him, standing up again to her full 5'3 height.

It crosses her mind that she didn't want to stop talking to him. Rhoslyn hasn't the faintest idea why, but she just doesn't. Maybe it's because she's in an odd city alone, as she has for a month. Or perhaps she just wanted company. No, none of those. She kind of liked this Aiden guy. How to keep conversating without coming off as weird or something? Ask him to have coffee and discuss...um...music? Maybe. Get "forgetful" and ask for directions back to her hotel? Possible. Tell him where her next gig is? Probably too...formal or something.

Maybe she's just being ridiculous and should stop plotting with herself?

Blushing a bit still, she bites her lip momentarily. Then she remembers his California comment from before.

"California, huh? Quite a treat for the eyes, if I do say so myself. Too hot for me though."

"You've been to Cali before? Ha, well, it wouldn't be surprising, it's a vacation hot spot. How many times? This is my first time here. Hehe."

She laughs a bit, feeling a little bit too much like a newb for her taste. But hey, if she's lucky, maybe he's a Cali newb. Who knows? In the back of her mind she still ponders over her options from before, the other part of her brain working the blush from her face. Ugh, she still doesn't even know why she's doing that...

[crue]

[shadow=gray,left,300]aiden[/shadow]

[/color]

"Good thing I must then, Aiden."

A soft smile crossed his face at her joke, but failed to fade away as she daintly handled the instrument. It seemed to be her security; without it, she would be more frightened in a new place knowing no one. Her muscles relaxed, and he could tell that she had let down her guard with him. Good. Maybe it would be easier to get to know her this way. She certainly appeared to be more comfortable, her small hands gliding over the strings with ease, and she dropped her gaze from his to 'concentrate' more on her playing than on him.

It was funny how now, being the monster that he was, he could read people better than he once could. Werewolves, vampires, and humans all acted alike, and all betrayed their emotions by the contortions of their faces. Bodily motions told a story as well, and it came so easily now that he wondered how he could have missed it to begin with. Scent did nothing but discern what race one was a part of: vampires had an odd, sickly sweet aroma, werewolves with a strong musty scent, and humans had no smell in particular, but had mixed scents about them. Flowers, smoke, etc.

The music abruptly stopped, and he found himself mentally shaking himself out of a daze. Imagining the look upon his face when he had been temporarily 'out,' he chuckled a little, but returned his attention to the human. "Bravo," he said softly, just loud enough for her to hear him."That was certainly worth twenty dollars, or more, if I had it."

Soon, he realized that she was packing up to leave, and she lifted herself to her feet, instrument case in hand. This feeling of not wanting to quit talking to her emerged once more, and he knew that even if they weren't talking and she left, he would follow her still. He didn't want to leave just yet. He was facing an empty apartment and a beckoning bed, and wasn't quite ready to go back to being alone.

"Perhaps we could go out for coffee, if you weren't doing anything and actually want to? Or, perhaps, we could go for a walk around town for a while, which I don't find preferable, seeing as you're probably hungry from being out here all day long. Come on, I'll treat you to something." The day was beginning to feel more like October, with the wind chilling the air slightly more every day. For a moment, he wondered how his newest friend, Augustina, would take this if she ever heard tell of this happening, and sought immediately to hide it from her. Who said that he wasn't allowed to have friends? Race didn't matter to him. After all, he was human with a sliver of wolf hidden within him.

And how would he ever be able to tell her what he was? What was out to get her? Here, there be monsters, and I'll be your savior for the rest of your life. How may I help you? The comical scene played out in his head before he got down to business. He was never supposed to tell the mortals what there was walking around with them, but she would, eventually, have to know. How to do it? Not now, I'll deal with it when it comes around.

[rhoslyn]

"Bravo."

A large smile breaks across her face. Ah, this is why she loves her job; the feeling of accomplishment after playing. Rhoslyn bows low playfully, then straightens back up quickly, her ponytail swishing behind her head. "Thanks! Hehe!" Rhoslyn feels her face heat up a bit more, and she bites the inside of her cheek. That was getting annoying, and the spark of irritation was replaced with satisfaction when the color in her face mellowed back down to frosty pink.

"Oh!" She was surprised by his offer, but very pleasantly surprised. That means she didn't have to nervously plot about in her head and could still talk to him. Perfect. With a nod, she replies, trying to keep the happiness out of her voice. Her tone stays smooth, but she just can't keep the grin off her lips.

"Um, sure! Coffee sounds great." Rhoslyn hasn't eaten anything but microwave-able Ramen for two weeks, so anything besides that sounded great to her. Gratitude flooded over her like the chilly wind that made her shudder for a moment. True, she had just met this guy, and Rhoslyn has a rule about talking to strangers...but hey, wouldn't she be getting bad vibes if he meant to abduct her or something? He just seemed so nice and not...weird like that. She suspects nothing out of the ordinary, and tucks her lute case under her arm, breaking out with goosebumps with the movement.

"So...where do you suggest we go? I wouldn't know, since I'm such a bumbling tourist." She smiles a bit, looking up at Aiden from her height. It felt good to be talking to someone she could at least call an acquaintance.

[crue]

[shadow=gray,left,300]aiden[/shadow]

[/color]

As Rhoslyn took a bow, he smiled, admiring how humorous she was. She brought a light into his life, and now he felt as though he actually had a reason to be here. Ever since he had been turned, he'd hated his very existance, and knew that one day, it would all end. But now, this was different...

"Um, sure! Coffee sounds great!"

Her emotions seemed to be on a rollercoaster; having their ups and downs every so often. Embarrassment was something that she tried to avoid, he noted, and giddy happiness was smothered as well. At least he knew that she wanted to come.

His eyes flashing to her face, he realized that he used to be just like her; human. Real. Not just some myth that only the 'fruitcakes' believed in; the gypsys, the old ones; until it was too late.

The air bit with a frigid snap at the streetlife, which dispersed quickly into the nearest stores. Unlike the vampires, who were corpses, he was still living. He differed from humans in many aspects, few of them noticeable. His body radiated heat, reason unknown, and he was always warm to the touch. Hot, too hot. He was also quite tall, standing at six feet tall, and had to look down at the lutenist, which he found amusing. This factor made him an extremely large wolf.

He did not feel the air chill, but by watching the girl's reaction, he frowned and extended his hand for the instrument case. "Here, come on. We'll go now, because you seem to be freezing." Wishing to put his arm around her to keep her warm, but knowing that she would suspect something, he walked alongside her instead.

The scents of humans, fellow werewolves, and vampires mixed with the lovely aroma of grinded coffee wafted out of the door as they approached the shop. Holding the door for her, he glanced about, searching already for an empty table at which to seat her. Taking place of a waiter, he snatched a menu and seated them both. Not a person seemed to care.

"Excuse me, sir," he called as he flagged a waiter down, "can we have some assistance over here?" At the same time, he slid the menu across the table to Rhoslyn. "Buy anything. It's on me."

[rhoslyn]

"Here, come on. We'll go now, because you seem to be freezing."

"You're not cold? Man, what is it, negative ba-jillion degrees out here?" Rhoslyn half-smiles up at him, laughing quietly before having to stop and press her teeth together; they threatened to start chattering. She felt very fortunate to have met Aiden today, and she thought it went beyond that fact that she felt rather safe. Maybe that's because he's tall and that set some sort of security with her being so short, she doesn't know. But fate was definitely grinning down on her, because now she has the sense of a friend for once. And he was being so gentlemanly to her, something she didn't see often when she traveled at all. It was a nice change.

After a moment of staring at his hand, Rhoslyn finally understands he meant to hold her lute for her. A small pink frost tints her face before she fights it away, smiling. "Aw, you don't have to do that-...I can hold it..." Yup, definitely gentlemanly. It made her feel bad though, that he was so pleasant to her and was giving her coffee, she could at least carrying her own instrument.

After settling down in the shop, she sighs in content; it's warmer in here than it is outside, that's for sure. Laying her lute case in the seat beside her, then giving it a pat, she folds her hands into her lap, staring at the table. Her embarrassment was starting to kick in. How could she let someone so nice just pay for her? ...she'd have to pay him back, even if it's just coffee, and even if she had to track him down when she had a bit more money.

"Buy anything. It's on me."

"Huh? Oh!" And, she had temporarily zoned out in her thoughts. Rhoslyn looks at the menu, scanning it quickly, then quietly ordering a small cup of latte. As soon as the waiter left, she talks still softly, finding it a little hard to meet Aiden's eyes. Was she being...shy? That's out of the norm for Rhoslyn, but she guessed she was just tickled he was being so nice to her. Her stomach sure felt tickled; it's like a butterfly sanctuary in there.

"Thanks so much for doing this-...you know, being so nice. It means a lot." After a moment, she gets her gray eyes to meet his without trouble. Again, gratitude ran over her frame like a gentle waterfall, and she found herself wondering how to pay him back for his kindness.

[crue]

[shadow=gray,left,300]aiden[/shadow]

[/color]

"You're not cold? Man, what is it, negative ba-jillion degrees out here?"

A grin made its way across his face, revealing pearly whites. "Not really. It takes a lot to get me cold," he lied. He was never cold. You could toss him into a snowdrift and he'd end up melting the snow. Watching her shiver killed him, because he knew that she would be warm if he so happened to graze her arm with his, but he kept his distance, her lute case in his hand. She'd end up suspecting something, but maybe he could pass it off as fever or the like? The thought crossed his mind, but he shrugged it off.
_{[ooc] I just back-tracked a little, sorry.}

"Thanks so much for doing this-...you know, being so nice. It means a lot."

"You're welcome, don't worry about it. Hey, don't be embarrassed. I'm enjoying myself. You'll remember me though, won't you?" he grinned softly. When he noticed that all she had gotten was a latte, he jumped at the chance. "Get something to eat too, will you?" he joked. "I'll get something too." He flagged down another waiter and ordered a latte and a muffin. Hunger was not a factor right now for him. Neither was embarrassment.

"There's no paying me back either, you know. I won't take it." He wanted to tell her something else, but didn't feel right doing it in front of the waiter. It was personal; just for her.

[rhoslyn]

"You're welcome, don't worry about it. Hey, don't be embarrassed. I'm enjoying myself. You'll remember me though, won't you?"

"I don't forget gentlemen too easily," Rhoslyn said with a grin, folding her hands on the table. She had no intention of forgetting Aiden, and hopes he doesn't forget her.

"Get something to eat too, will you?"

Tempting, but she didn't just want to eat right in front of-...ah, he's eating too. "I'll hop aboard the muffin train too, then, Mr. Generous," she laughed out a bit. Her right index finger traces the lines of the wood on the table, and she watches the invisible trail she makes briefly before watching the waiter leave.

"There's no paying me back either, you know. I won't take it."

"Oh really?" Rhoslyn smiled over at him, cocking a brow. "Guess I'll have to pay you back by force."

[crue]

[shadow=gray,left,300]aiden[/shadow]

[/color]

"I don't forget gentleman too easily."

He smiled softly, watching her fold her hands on the table, near where his own were. Chancing everything, he touched her frigid hand, then set his back on the table. Only wanting her attention, he waited until the waiter had disappeared, and the waiter soon returned with their items.

Moving his own to the side, he looked over at her. "Rhoslyn... I know that we don't know each other that well, but there's just something about you that drags me to you. I... I don't want you to leave." Sighing, he began again, "I guess what I'm just trying to tell you is that I'm going to miss you when you leave."

"Pay me back by force," he scoffed. "I did this for you because I wanted to. You'll ruin my fun if you pay me back."

[rhoslyn]

Rhoslyn had gasped noise-lessly, knowing her fingers curled up at the heat Aiden's hand had minutely supplied to her cool, gradually warming skin. Touch was something Rhoslyn doesn't normally tolerate, her mind scarred from the violent abuse of her childhood. But at his fingers, she didn't flinch. That perturbed her, and she looked down quickly to hide her confused expression as a muffin and latte is set out in front of her. Her hand trembles once before clenching up tightly.

When the waiter is gone, she peeks a glance back up at him. That touch had been nice; just like kindness, a touch was a rare gem in her life. So, bucking up the courage, she reaches both her hands out and lays them on his, feeling goose bumps go up her arms at the heat. Rhoslyn gives his fingers a gentle squeeze before pulling back, happy when she feels no blush on her face. Then, feeling shy again, she tears off a bit of her muffin and chews on it in an almost thoughtful way.

She looks up when he starts speaking, though, meeting his gaze without trouble. And again, she's very pleased when her cheeks don't color. He...felt the same way? Perhaps the same sort of attachment?

"...that's...weird, Aiden, because...I kind of feel the same way," Rhoslyn smiles gently, then bites her lip. "For some reason, you make me feel...safe." She takes a sip of latte, then inhales slowly. To have an affection returned gave her such warm feelings of happiness. How long has it been since she felt this happy?

"Then New Orleans is going to be my home for a while...I don't want to leave..."

Rhoslyn looks down at her muffin, counting the blueberries in it before glancing up at Aiden through her eyelashes.

[crue]

[shadow=gray,left,300]aiden[/shadow]

[/color]

"You know... I have to give you the option to leave first. I'd rather that you stayed, but it's really not safe. Go hide yourself far, far from here. Stay only with family or friends and hide. Nowhere is safe anymore." He sighed, as if he was dying to begin pacing the floor, but could not do so here. She squeezed his hands back, and he resisted the urge to bolt. This wasn't safe for her. With him or without him, she was in danger. With him, she had more of a chance.

"...that's...weird, Aiden, because...I kind of feel the same way. For some reason, you make me feel...safe."

"That's the problem. I'm not safe. Neither is anyone else." His heart was being wrenched every which way. "When you're finished, I need to tell you something. But--" he paused as a vampire passed their table, the deathly cold passing with him. "--not here. What about your place? Somewhere where no one will be able to hear. I promise I'm not trying to harm you. In truth, I'm trying to save your life."

Muffin and coffee untouched, he watched her intently for a few seconds, then dropped his gaze so that she would not feel awkward. Not like the conversation after this one would be any less awkward.

[rhoslyn]

"You know... I have to give you the option to leave first. I'd rather that you stayed, but it's really not safe. Go hide yourself far, far from here. Stay only with family or friends and hide. Nowhere is safe anymore."

"..." Rhoslyn looked up immediately and blinked in confusion. Did he change his mind, or did he really care? It stung a bit; Aiden was pretty much her only friend, she has no family. She draws her hands away from the table, letting them ball up into tight fists in her lap.

"That's the problem. I'm not safe. Neither is anyone else."

And another sting in her heart. He was safe, he was. Rhoslyn bit her lip hard once, then grabs to her lute case and hugs it to her chest, rising out of her seat stiffly. "Oh no, no, you don't gotta talk, I get it. You changed your mind and don't want to see me anymore. I understand." Her appetite had definitely died.

Now she remembers why she doesn't talk to strangers; she might make friends with them and they'll change their minds.