Double Date part 2
AN: This chapter written by Metropolis Kid, based on an outline given by Ladykirie. Hope you enjoy. :)
When Integra was done looking through the various trinkets that caught her eye, 'Alison' suggested that the group go visit the military museum of Le Infantre. "It's the home of Napoleon's 'wonderful-war-stuff'." The vampire informed with a polite smile.
Pip and Integra both looked thoughtful for a moment, but then their faces shifted into an accepting expression. They both had a fondness for war history. And though it was a suggestion made by her 'pet', which made Integra a bit nervous, even she didn't see what possible harm could come from paying a visit to the museum of Le Infantre.
The young knight nodded just as Steve walked over and rejoined the small group. The geek tapped his 'girlfriend' on her shoulder, causing the vampire to quickly turn on him, a measure of annoyance in her expression. But before Alison could snap at Steve, he handed her a medium sized box. "I thought you might like these," the geek said. And the gesture was just unexpected enough to overcome the vampire's annoyance at the boy touching her without permission and drawing her attention away from her master.
A curious look passed over Alison's face, and she opened up the box. To her surprise, it was filled with chocolate covered strawberries. The vampire's lips curled into a slight, but genuine smile.
Chocolate covered strawberries was one of the few deserts... human desserts that she could actually enjoy. The strawberries may have been covered in processed chocolate-rich, delicious... but processed chocolate. However, the strawberries themselves were still 'raw'. And raw fruit, like raw meat, was a thing that her vampiric body wouldn't reject.
The treat wouldn't hold anywhere near the nutrients found in fresh blood, but then even humans' didn't eat candy because it was good for them. In fact, the chocolate delight would've been less healthy to a human than a vampire. No, they ate things like that because they enjoyed the taste, and so would she. "Thank you." The vampire replied sweetly... and actually meant it. She pulled out one of the smaller strawberries, popped it into her mouth, closed the box back up and then reached out and playfully pinched the right cheek of Steve's face.
Steve smiled. Pip grinned, finding the small display of affection quite cute. And, safely hidden beneath a mask of indifference, Integra glared. "I thought we were going to the museum of Le Infantre." The young knight stated with just a tad more force than she'd intended, though her displeasure was still subtle enough for the two human males to remain completely oblivious to it.
Ah, but Integra's 'pet' vampire was anything but oblivious. And as the small group set off for the the museum, Alison came up close behind her master. Tell me, Master, are you upset that your own boyfriend didn't get you any chocolates... or is something else responsible for this jealousy? Alison thought with a smirk.
I'm not jealous! Integra insisted a bit too emphatically. And keep your thoughts to yourself, Vampire!
Beneath the fifteen-year-old-girl mask, Alucard chuckled to himself. For once he'd actually displayed some minor affection, towards the young geek, that wasn't geared towards manipulation. However, making his master jealous was still a delightful bonus.
Pip, Integra and Alison all seemed to be enjoying their trip to the museum filled with ancient weapons. Steve, on the other hand, was not. It wasn't that the geek disliked museums... or even weapons. He actually thought weapon construction was interesting; he'd even managed to cobble together a flaming sword during the 'zombie invasion'. No, the only reason Steve wasn't enjoying himself, as much as the rest, was that he felt like a complete rube.
Both Pip and Integra were constantly discussing the history of the weapons' development and improvement and how everything, from reload time to accuracy, effected the battles fought with them. Even Alison piped in on occasion, though she was quieter than the other two and usually only interrupted their conversations to correct a factual wrong.
To Steve the whole thing felt like something out of the Twilight Zone. Both Pip and Integra, two teenagers, seemed to know enough about ancient weapons and battles to rival a college professor. And as for his date, it was like Alison had actually been around when each new innovation was first made!
Oh how Steve wished that they would come upon a room filled with Federation phasers, Romulan disrupters and Jedi lightsabers. Then he could show off too. But alas, it was a history museum, not a sci-fi one. And Steve could do nothing but hang back and listen to everyone else drone on about ancient weapons and battles fought long ago. Oh well, the geek thought to himself as he moved a little bit closer to Alison. At least he was getting to spend some time with her, without having to deal with mischievous ghosts or anything else that scared him half to death. So, the day wasn't a total loss.
Eventually, the small group, reached a room filled with various holy and blessed weapons; and as soon as Alison crossed the room's threshold, she felt uneasy. It wasn't a painful feeling, though the room was filled with enough holy objects that a weaker vampire would likely have passed out. But for Alison, the only discomfort was a... 'fluttering' feeling in her stomach.
Were she taking part in a battle, the feeling would've been completely overpowered by her own adrenaline... and blood lust. However, she was not in the midst of a fight and the fluttering feeling was beginning to make her slightly nauseous.
So, while Pip was pointing out a blackened piece of mettle that some claimed to be one of the fragments from Joan of Arc's shattered sword and discussing how the sword had broken when Joan struck it into the back of a prostitute in Saint Denis, Alison separated herself from the group. The vampire headed out of the room; and as soon as she crossed the threshold again, the uneasy feeling in her stomach vanished.
Steve followed his 'girlfriend' out of the room. He asked her if she was okay, sounding very earnest and attentive. But Alison just brushed the topic aside. "I'm feeling fine," she said, and it was even the truth. She was feeling fine... now.
"I'm just... just heading to the lady's room."
"Are you sure you're okay?" Steve asked after a moment. Alison always looked a little pale, but he'd caught a tinge of green entering her cheeks, and he was worried about her.
"Now don't start getting clingy." The vampire half teased, half warned the geek. "Go back and listen to Pip's little history lesson. I'll catch up in a few minutes." What she meant was that she'd rejoin the group once they'd left the room of holy weapons; and until then, she wanted to insure that the perverted little, French frog didn't get anymore alone time with her master.
"Alright," Steve slowly replied, "if you're sure."
"I'm sure that you're not coming into the ladies room with me... if that's what you're getting at." Alison replied sternly and then laughed when Steve's cheeks flushed in embarrassment.
"T-that's not what I-I was getting at."
The vampire smiled. "I know," she replied and messed the boy's hair before walking away from him.
Alison headed towards the Lady's room. After all it was best too keep up appearances, and it didn't much matter where she was. She could 'keep an eye' on her master from anywhere in the building. So the vampire walked down the richly decorated stone and marble hallway, eventually turning a corner that led to a room filled with nineteenth century canons. And it was then that she heard a familiar voice.
"Ah... Alison, so good to see you again. Tell me, what brings such a beautiful creature to Paris?"
The vampire immediately stiffened. She remembered that voice. "Maxwell." Alison nearly growled as she turned to look behind her. Sure enough, there stood the annoying little Catholic acolyte who'd been her unwanted shadow for the better part of a day.
In his left hand, the young man had a book; and as Alison looked more closely at the spine, she noticed it was a copy pf the same book on erotic artwork that Pip had used to tease her master. The vampire absently wondered if it was just a bizarre coincidence, and the acolyte happened to own another copy of the book... or if he'd been at the flee market, bought the same exact book and stalked her all the way to the museum of Le Infantre.
But Alison's train of thought was interrupted as Maxwell quickly snatched her hand. "Ah, so you remember me? Good. Good." He kissed it softly, causing a shiver of disgust to run down Alison's spine.
The vampire's eyes narrowed. "Did I say you could take such liberties?"
Maxwell released the hand and let it fall back to the vampire's side. "I beg your pardon, Madam." He replied, doing his best to sound suave and seductive... and, in the Count's experienced opinion, failing miserably. "After that little... incident at the pre-party, I didn't know if I'd ever see you again. And I'm afraid that, when I caught sight of you just now, your beauty overwhelmed me; and I quite forgot my manners."
Well, Alison had to give the little Catholic credit for one thing. He knew the right lines. If he ever managed to fake sincerity and deliver them properly, he might actually become a half way decent seducer someday. "My beauty is hardly justification for your brutality, Sir," the vampire replied coldly and turned to walk away, but Maxwell ran around and placed himself in her path. Oh, not this again, Alison thought.
"I offer you my apologies, once more, Madam," Maxwell said. "But perhaps I can make it up to you. There's a charming little cafe not more than a block from here, and their pastries are to die for. We could sit, talk... pick up where we left off."
"The pastries are 'to die for'?" the vampire questioned. "You must not place great stock in your life if you're willing to surrender it for one moment of carnal delight." She continued before huffing and attempting to leave once more.
Again, Maxwell intercepted Alison; and the latter wanted so desperately to just rip the annoying little acolyte apart and be done with it. But alas, she was not allowed to indulge in such fantasies. She had to be 'a good pet' and follow her master's rules.
"Touche, touche." Maxwell laughed. "True, I do not consider the pastries worth my life," he consented and then leaned in until his face was closer to Alison's than was appropriate. "However, I do believe that there are certain other... 'carnal delights' that are worth such risks, don't you?"
The vampire raised one of her eyebrows. "Indeed? What a strange little Catholic you must be," she replied, her tone slightly distant, as if she was thinking to herself more than talking to the acolyte. "Tell me..." Alison continued, her voice dropping to a low whisper. "Would you be just as willing to surrender your soul for these other 'carnal delights'?"
Maxwell took a step back. There was something in the 'girl's' demeanor that made the acolyte wonder if, perhaps, they'd moved beyond harmless banter. "I-I-I," he stammered for a moment, as a little voice shouted a silent warning in his head. "The soul... the soul is not something to be gambled with," he finally stated.
Alison grinned coyly and took two steps forward, pressing her body against his. "Ah, but we're not talking about a gamble," she whispered into the acolyte's ear. "We're talking about a trade," she continued and gently nibbled on the lobe.
Maxwell's body began to tremble. However, years of listening to Anderson's Bible readings and lectures had given the boy just enough spiritual sensitivity to realize that he had gotten in waaaaay over his head. "I-it'sss not... not something to be t-traded either," the Catholic acolyte replied and was just barely able to pull himself free of the 'girl's' soft, alluring, tempting form.
"I-I'm afraid that I must go. I-I just remembered I have a very important appointment, and I can't be late," the Catholic continued. He bent into a hasty bow and then practically ran out of the room.
Once Maxwell was gone, Alison promptly broke out into a fit of girlish snickering and giggling; and the vampire briefly wondered why she hadn't thought to deal with the acolyte like that last time.
(Well, we hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please leave a review and let us know what you thought. Thanks.
Have a good day, and God bless.
Metropolis Kid and Ladykirie.)