Kiyah rolled over and
opened an eye lazily, wondering where on earth the sheets had gone.
She shivered involuntarily and finally opened both eyes to see that
Rin had all the covers. For being so small, the girl took up more
room than a determined cat lying in a sunbeam. She's managed to
sprawl herself over the whole bed and still keep the covers just so
that Kiyah didn't have any.
"You would do that," Kiyah said
groggily, sitting up and brushing a few strands of messy, white hair
from her eyes, "and I know you're awake, so cut it out."
"I thought for sure I had you, that time," Rin replied with a cute giggle, shrugging of the covers and hopping out of the bed.
Their hotel room was extremely cluttered and smelled sort of musty, but that was probably from lack of time to clean. Despite Rin's clean habits eight years ago, the girl now reveled in letting things get as messy as they could; and she didn't have to clean a thing!
Kiyah yawned and looked around. Had it really been eight years? She marveled at it every day when she woke up, always admiring her good looks in the mirror before going out to fetch breakfast. A lot had happened over the years, yet she always remained the same, down to the last centimeter.
She even remembered in detail the first time Mireille had tried to make them drink blood. There had been quite an argument over it with Rin, whose bruises had slowly disappeared and confidence had grown significantly. The girl had refused to and nearly killed herself in the process.
Eventually, though, Kiyah managed to talk her into it. Rin could be reasonable and tended to think things over before making any final decisions. Kiyah herself had found it to be easy, drinking blood. It felt good running down her throat, and she knew that it was necessary for her to live.
"Hey, we're moving on, today," Rin said excitedly, then lowered her voice as not to disturb Mira—the old woman's bed was in the next room, but she had the ears of an elephant, "did Miss Mira ever tell you where we're headed?"
Kiyah shook her head and said with a shrug, "I know that its somewhere to the south, because all this snow is really getting to her. Mira hates the cold, you know. The old bat's always complaining about her 'old bones' and such-"
"I heard that, you young brat!" Mireille interjected loudly from the other room, "And I expect you have better things to do than talk about me! Go make yourself useful and fetch some food for later!"
Kiyah grinned and she and Rin threw on a change of clothes before heading out. Their coats weren't particularly warm, but their vampire blood was enough to keep them going for the half-hour or so it would take to get to the mall—yes, there was a mall. The two had been cheering the whole way to town when Mira had mentioned the mall, and the old vampire had given them permission to go, so long as they were back by nightfall.
The two girls exited the hotel and began the trek to the mall, walking close together for warmth and protection. The streets could be dangerous, not for the girls though, but for the people who were walking past them and with them. If someone tried to mug either if them, that person's life could be in serious jeopardy (Kiyah often lost her temper with people and ended up yelling).
Kiyah's strides were long, and she stood tall and proud. Rin's were shorter and she had to take quicker steps to keep-up with her friend. Both were wearing long cloaks that covered most of their bodies—black for Kiyah and gray for Rin—and both wore matching gloves that were slim but hid their hands well enough that any kind of 'vampire hunter' wouldn't know what they were.
There were a lot of hunters, now, but most of them were neophytes and didn't really understand that vampires were different from the books, all of which said that holy water and crosses could stop vampires. When Mireille told them it was false, Kiyah had reveled in the idea of tracking-down a hunter and pulling a big joke on him. She'd even mentioned eating the cross as a finale.
"So, what should we get for dinner, huh?" Kiyah asked Rin, deciding she'd let her friend choose, since she'd chosen the night before, "Chinese sounds good, and Mira didn't specify, so it's her own fault if we bring something she doesn't like."
Rin chuckled and responded surreptitiously, "Weeeell…I suppose it's what she gets for lazing about all the time…even though she can't come out into the sun!"
They giggled and continued walking, but there was an odd tug at the back of Rin's mind, and she knew Kiyah felt it too. There was someone following them; she was sure of it. He was very discreet, though, so they were lucky to have noticed it. The man was tall and muscular, with black hair that was held back into a tight ponytail running down the back of his neck. He was quite big, give or take, so the girls decided to switch to plan B. Kiyah gave Rin a nod and they waved goodbye to each other cutely, hugging and then walking in opposite directions. They had worked out numerous plans of escape, but in a city this was the most potent.
Rin watched as Kiyah disappeared across the street and went on down the block, then darted into an alleyway, herself. The man followed her. Swearing silently to herself, she quickened her pace considerably; he did the same. Too busy stealing glances back at him, she failed to notice that the alley led into a dead end. She was trapped.
Turning to the man tautly, Rin set her face into as cheerful an expression as she could manage and said politely, "Oh, why hello! I didn't realize this was a dead end," she smiled brightly, "I must've taken a wrong turn. Excuse me."
She moved to pass him, but he pushed her back again and advanced, cracking his knuckles menacingly and said, as he pulled out a cross, "So, little lady. You think me a fool, eh? I know what you are…"
She felt so stupid now, having talked about the sun aloud. He had to have heard and figured it out. She shrunk back against the wall, prepared to fight if she was forced—she never had to. A swift blow to the back of the head knocked her assailant forward. He fell with a heavy thud and lay motionless at her feet. She looked up to see her rescuer.
The guy—for it was, indeed, a guy—looked about college age or so, and had dark hair the color of coffee, with bangs that hung in his face slightly. He was fairly tall and wearing shades, which made sense since the glint of the sun off the snow could really blind you if you weren't careful. He held a trashcan lid, which she assumed was what he'd struck the goon with, but let it slip to the ground as he saw she was all right.
"I noticed him follow you into the alley and figured you might need help," he said casually, running a hand through his hair.
"Thank you so much!" Rin exclaimed, relieved, but at the same time worried that he'd overheard the part about him knowing what she was, "I knew he was following me, so my sister and I split-up to lose him. It didn't really work, I guess. I'm Rin, by the way. Rin DeAyora. Thank you again for saving me."
That they were 'sisters' was their cover story, wherever they went. Rin and Kiyah masqueraded as Mireille's granddaughters who were visiting on holiday. Nobody ever suspected two teenage girls and an old woman, lucky for them.
"I'm Steve," he responded with a cocky sort of grin, "Steve Leopard. Glad to be of assistance. I couldn't tell exactly what was going on, but that guy looked dangerous."
Rin nodded, "Yeah, I thought I was done for."
"So, Rin," he studied her expression, "what brought you and your sister out by yourselves in the city? Anybody with common sense knows it's dangerous, these days, what with all the attacks and such."
Rin hesitated to answer him, thinking about the attacks, then regained composure, "Well, we were going out to get some breakfast. I expect she's not home yet, though, since we wouldn't want him to follow us home."
He nodded, listening to her talk intently, and replied smugly, "You must not be totally dense if you thought to do that, at least," then his expression softened, "but I guess I can't leave you to wander the streets alone. Why don't you walk with me and I'll go with you for breakfast. I'm starving."
Something about his voice made her feel like he was analyzing her, but she didn't want to make him mad, after seeing what he was capable of, so she agreed. He did have a point about the danger. There was a mad Vampaneze loose somewhere in the city, which was why they'd been there in the first place, but had Mireille finally decided to call it quits. She said that if she hadn't been able to find him so far, then there was no point staying longer.
They walked at a fairly leisurely pace, as Steve wasn't in any hurry. Rin felt more relaxed with him, knowing full well that she was safe as long as he was around, but something nagged at the back of her mind. His hand, on one palm, had a cross-shaped scar—the symbol of a hunter—and she knew she would have to be careful around him.
He made easy conversation, seeming to be a lot more carefree than she suspected. They talked about all sorts of things: Food (both being hungry), The snow, school (she had to improvise a bit), sports, movies…but then she mentioned something which, she realized afterwards, was a bad idea.
"Yeah, my sister and I saw that movie together. It was really moving, in a way. She's my best friend in the world," she smiled and glanced up at him, "you seem like an extroverted kind of guy. Hang with your friends a lot?"
Steve's mouth was set in a thin line and he responded coldly, "My 'best friend' and I aren't currently on speaking terms. He went behind my back and did some things to hurt me. He'll get what's coming to him, though…" and then he was silent.
They eventually reached
a small Chinese restaurant and he held the door for her as she
entered. The sign on the front read Forbidden City and it had
some Chinese characters below it, which made it look all the more
decent. A woman inside seated them, in a booth by the front window,
and handed them menus.
"Thank you," Rin said to the woman
appreciatively and added in a whisper, "and could you sing for us,
do you think? Its his birthday," she pointed to Steve, who was
taking off his coat.
The woman's face broke into a broad grin and she nodded enthusiastically, "We do that all the time," she said in a heavily accented voice, "I'll fetch the crew."
Rin thanked her again and, after removing her jacket, took a seat across from Steve, "So, this is interesting," she beamed at him, "I feel like I've known you for a long time. Thank you for inviting me to breakfast."
He shrugged and leaned back nonchalantly in his chair, "Yeah. You like to say think you a lot, don't you?" he gave her an appraising sort of look and she blushed slightly under his gaze, "but I understand what you mean. Most people who I tell about my friend, I kill."
He laughed and she did too, but she got the distinct impression that he was being truthful. Pushing it out of her mind, Rin tapped her foot in eager anticipation for what was about to happen. She had a feeling that not many people got the chance to 'get to know' Steve, and she had decided to take it upon herself to do so.
Their waitress reappeared with a small group of workers, and they formed a neat semi-circle around Steve, who shifted uncomfortably and raised an eyebrow at Rin.
The girl giggled and said sweetly, "Happy birthday, Steve."
The color drained from his face and he mouthed, "You didn't."
The color returned to his face when they began singing 'Happy Birthday' in Chinese; his face turned a bright shade of red. Leaning on his elbow and trying desperately to hide his face, Steve glowered at Rin as she sang along in English and clapped when they'd finished. Still blushing furiously, he took a sip of his water, determinedly looking out the window and away from the rest of the restaurant, which had been watching.
"It isn't my birthday," he said stiffly.
She chuckled and replied, touching his arm, "I know that, silly. You just looked so serious that I figured you could use it. After all, it does get us a free dessert."
He shook his head and finally smiled for real. She knew it was real because his cheeks were still a slight shade of pink. He was cute when he wasn't faking a mood, and she found herself gazing across the table at him fondly.
"What, something on my face?" he asked curiously, noticing her silence.
"No," she replied, embarrassed at being caught staring.
Their waitress returned and asked them what they wanted. Rin instantly said that she would like a pot of tea and Steve inquired about some kind of rice with seafood. They agreed on the dumplings; those were definitely good.
"So, how long are you in the city for?" Steve asked her once they'd gotten their food and were settled, "or do you live here?"
"Well, my sister and I are here with our grandmother, visiting some friends of hers. We're supposed to be leaving tonight, though…" Rin trailed off and stared glumly at the tea in her cup.
"Ah, that's a shame," he replied almost wistfully, "well, I guess-"
"Actually!" Rin interrupted quickly, "Today is Thursday, isn't it? Grandma said that we'd be leaving on Sunday! I totally forgot!"
It was a complete lie, of course, but it had been so long since she'd talked with people and hung out with them that she hadn't realized how much she missed it.
Steve's eyes brightened, "Well, in that case, we should meet for breakfast again tomorrow, or something. If you want."
She bobbed her head earnestly, "Of course! I'd love to!" then she looked thoughtful, "oh, do you live here? Or are you visiting, too?"
He smirked deviously, "I'm visiting, if you must know-"
"I must," she responded immediately, "who, then?"
He laughed and continued, "I'm visiting the city, of course. Oh, yes, I do have an aunt who lives around here somewhere, but I got lost trying to find her pace."
Rin grinned at him. She wasn't the only one lying, she saw. He obviously had no aunt in the city, but she didn't want to spoil the fun.
"Hm…so then, what shall we meet for tomorrow?" she asked coyly.
He shrugged negligently, "Didn't we agree on breakfast? I thought we did."
"Oh, but breakfast isn't long. We should go to the mall. That's where I was going anyways," she said brazenly, "why don't we go today? That would be so fun! Besides, I need new gloves, so why don't we?"
He looked startled then tilted his head to the side, "Why are you still wearing gloves, anyway?" he asked her curiously, "We're in a restaurant, after all…"
"Er, bad circulation…I know, it's pathetic, huh?" She made up an excuse quickly.
"Oh, no, not at all!" he looked relieved, and that reaffirmed her fears that he was a hunter, "I thought you might be hiding something, or…uh, I dunno. It doesn't matter. Let's go when we're done. You can call your sister and tell her where you are on my cell."
Call Kiyah? At the hotel? How? Rin grimaced internally. She didn't know the hotel number. She'd have to feign dialing and such. Her web of lies was quickly growing and, if she wasn't careful, she was going to get caught.
"Oh, I couldn't do that!" she said, trying to look apologetic, "grandma might be sleeping! I'll just, uh, drop by later so she doesn't worry too much."
There, that ought to keep him at bay for a while, she thought proudly to herself.
Steve took a sip of tea, gingerly because it was hot, and nodded understandingly, "I suppose that makes sense."
She watched him for a moment, realizing for the first time how unnerving his grayish eyes were. There was no joy in them, and that sort of explained why he was the way he was. Something had to have happened, to make him so dead inside—she recalled the 'best friend' he'd mentioned—but it was still possible he had always been like that.
"Yes," Rin nonchalantly nibbled at a dumpling, holding it expertly between her chopsticks, "I suppose it does."
Steve glanced at her over the rim of his cup, a look of curiosity on his face. He hadn't really talked with anyone like this since…well, it had been quite some time. She reminded him faintly of Darren, and he absolutely hated it, but…in a way, he sort of felt relieved by it. Still, though, it made him remember things he'd have liked to forget, but her carefree attitude and ever-present smile—a kind, pretty smile, at that—were refreshing, now that he thought about it.
