Kashia placed a hand on Ambrose's arm, taking her "rightful" place next to him as they led me to other vampires, their coloring all so pale you could have sworn they Irish, considering they were in a bar. A few of them glanced at me, but not like humans did, they saw me as nothing too exciting and had not a single question to giggle about through whispers. "Kashia," a tall older looking man kissed her cheek "Ambrose!" he took him in his embrace laughing. I stood, feeling like a was intruding on something farther than my comprehension, but I shrugged it off. I folded my arms, watching them talk and mingle, asking each other about how they were doing and such. The older man had dark grey hair, streaks of black and one long stripe of white flashed like lightning, almost like he used "A touch of gray". Kashia grabbed me by the arm gently, pulling me over to her. "This is my new friend Rowan." She smiled slyly, "She loves showing off her new toys." I heard someone mutter to another agitatedly, making me feel even more embarrassed. "Rowan, what a lovely vampire you have made." The man grinned a friendly smile, he was so tan I was convinced he wasn't a vampire at all, observing a few wrinkles as well. I forced a smile back. "Thank you, the transition was hardly a choice." She joked, making him laugh a great hoarse sort of laugh, Kashia and I laughed along, though her laugh seemed real. "Isn't he just lovely?" she giggled a snipping little chortling giggle. I nodded smiling at him. "Amato Di Lazzaro" he introduced himself, hugging me "Welcome to the family." He rubbed my arm welcomingly, he was like the big Italian uncle I never got. "Thanks." I replied, seeing Ambrose talking to a tall woman, her cheekbones were stunning, and her long thick black hair was tied back into a bun which had gold studded flowers decorating it. She was like an old 40's Hollywood star, her pale slightly wrinkled skin was glowing. "So how do you like the world so far?" Amato brought my attention back over towards him.
"Oh I uh, I uh, it's great, minus the eating people and feeling bad about it sort of thing." I shrugged, trying not to offend anyone to badly. He laughed his loud contagious laugh "Don't worry about it, were you a vegetarian before you met my boy Ambrose?" he asked proving a point. I shook my head, thinking about it. He laughed softly this time, patting my shoulder comfortingly "See? There is population control all over the world, in every species, it's nothing to get your panties in a bunch about." His hold chain clinked when he laughed, his whole chest moving , almost like Santa Claus's laugh. I brushed a piece of hair from my face nodding, not looking at him I still thought it was up there in the things I didn't enjoy doing. He walked off soon, going to peruse with other vampires. I stood in the crowd of people, they were so silent yet so loud, their voices were quiet but their words were so bold and loud, nothing short of modern day poetry, I felt like I was back in time when I spoke with them.
Soon Ambrose came back with a goblet of wine for me, or what I thought was wine until it met my lips, the iron taste slipping down my tongue. "How are you adjusting to this all?" he asked quietly, close to my ear while placing a hand on my shoulder. I felt so comfortable speaking to him it was refreshing. "Just fine, but I feel awkward, I know none of them." I responded softly. He looked at me and smiled, admiring my "childlike stupidity" is what he called it. "You know all of them, you just have to meet them." He led me to the bar, getting me "white wine" which was just a watered down sugary blood, I had to admit it was delicious, almost like a syrup. I tried to keep my composure and not gulp the whole thing down at one time. "Hello my lovelies." Ambrose kissed the hand of a woman, her eyes darted from him to me, a look of competing fire in her murky green eyes, they were a lot like mine, only more inhumanly glossy, her cherry red lips formed a scowl. Ambrose took the hand of the man sitting next to her, and kissed it as well. "Ambrose, who is your new little flower?" the man purred interestedly, making the woman even more icily unwelcoming. "This is Rowan, my newest doll." He said, placing a hand on my arm, and smiling like a performer with a puppet, making me feel a little used. "She is..interesting." the woman finally spoke, her voice was low and stormy. I bit my lip, trying not to be a weak backboneless baby and get offended, but they really weren't being as fair as I thought they should have, I was just ripped from my life, stolen of my heartbeat and ability to mingle with humans normally, so wouldn't it be maddening for anyone if they were new on the scene of vampirism? "It's nice to meet you both." I said, fighting her brutality, offering a hand. She looked at from the corner of her eye and shook my hand. "Minerva was my very first real other vampire friend besides Amato." Ambrose explained their connection, also making it obvious to me why she gave me such cruel looks, I was her replacement, and I was just a silly new weakling vampire. "Well isn't that lovely that you two have such fond memories." I smiled as sweetly as I could, mother always said kill them with kindness. "Mhm, yes." She laughed lightly, turning the other cheek towards the man next to her, as if dismissing me. I turned towards Ambrose "Was there a reason of taking me here?" I hissed. He looked at me with a monotone stare before speaking "These are who you have to please if you want to make it anywhere in the community, the world specifically." He hissed back, dragging me along to the bar, and requesting more wine for himself. I rolled my eyes "Like I WANT to be dressed in old Victorian style outfits and be bitter about life?" I whispered to him. "Come, we are leaving now." He took the glass along, Kashia ran after him trying to catch up but he didn't bother to stop just leaving her behind in the bar, he just pulled me into the alleyway. I felt his anger, just by the way he walked. He pushed me against the alley wall, smashing the wine glass onto the ground, he fumed at me. I closed my eyes, afraid of what might come next, I could feel his face closer to mine. "You will behave yourself." He said in my ear, rubbing my shoulder softly, he began to laugh a little seeing how scared I was. "Relax." He cooed, his voice turning my legs to jelly. I nodded like a helpless little puppet. "I'm sorry." I choked out pleadingly trying to get out how bad I felt. He nodded, leaning his hands on either side of my face and staring me right in the eyes. "I know." He said, before gently pressing his lips against mine, it wasn't as romantic as I would have pictured my first kiss with him, but it was still nice, the way I ran my hand through his dusty white and brown hair, and the way he kissed the side of my cheek near my ear. "Come, you look tired." He said, examining my. He could have said anything at that point, I just wanted to leave. "Yes, I am." I admitted, taking his hand. I could hear them talking still, as we got ready to leave. "That girl is troubled." Minerva groaned, sipping some whine. Kashia nodded, sure that Ambrose didn't really love her like he told her he did, he played games with new breeds like that. "But he really seems to like her." The man next to her waved his hand in the air dismissively. "No?" Kashia said, placing a hand on her hip. Minerva eyed her raising an eyebrow "You don't seem too sure?"
"I'm not."