"I was in Philadelphia. There was a storm, and I was out during the day — something I was not completely comfortable with yet. I knew standing in the rain would attract attention, so I ducked into a little half-empty diner. My eyes were dark enough that no one would notice them, though this meant I was thirsty, and that worried me a little.
She was there — expecting me, naturally."
July was the wettest month of the year in Philadelphia; not that rain was unusual for the area to be pouring. Typically, it was way above the national average, which meant it was safer for types like Alice to be strolling through town. Nevertheless, she frequently favored to be out at the day's twilight, in case clouds became scarce and the precipitation halted. She had arrived in town when the weather wasn't as kind, by mid-February when the sun still soared and the drought was more constant. Alice could appreciate that type of climate; although it didn't leave her much room for flaunting herself in public, it did bring a likable glimpse of what the city looked like without all the fogginess. But Alice had come there with a purpose.
The vision had come to her as clear as water to where they would meet. Although when still hazy, it didn't discourage her from traveling south. She had been renting a place in Vermont for the time being, until it grew too overwhelming to stay put anticipating. No specific decision had been made yet, all Alice knew was that he would only come when the rain fell heavy, but she could wait a few months. What were a few months when one had expected twenty-eight years to that encounter? She wasn't foreseeing it to be a straightforward development, though.
She had seen how troubled he had been, influenced by his surroundings. Alice couldn't thoroughly predict how he would behave, there were just several different possibilities floating through still, and they all depended on numerous distinguishing circumstances. When he would decamp, how starving he would be, whether he fed or not before they met, what happened undeviatingly his departure... Things she would only get a more solid grasp as time progressed, and their encounter grew closer. But she braced firmly on that very first image she had all those years ago when she had been created...
Alice opened her eyes widely, amazed by the blonde form before her, but she beamed at him, unlike her startlement. The force between them seemed like an aura of delight, bliss, understanding, love... It was all so serene, so calming. Took over her entirely. Every inch of her soul, every bit of her felt loved, desired, whole. Who was he? And then he uttered.
"Alice." His smirk, too, took her off balance; she grinned even further.
"Yes, Jasper?" Jasper. What an elegant and familiar name.
"I love you." He didn't need to say it out loud, she knew so in her soul. By his gaze, by their simpers. But that still soothed her in ways one couldn't be quite articulate about.
Alice wasn't quite sure at first if she was, in fact, remembering something or seeing its future. But it felt as if that was what was meant to occur rather than her yore. She understood then, glimpsing him clamor her name, who she was, and that Jasper and her were fated for each other. With time, Alice saw more and more of him, things that happened in his existence throughout the years, what they would come to be once they found each other and their family, and all bestowed her hope. Not the visions itself, but the possibilities.
Somehow she had made peace with being on her own and not recollecting anything of her past. Those future glimpses gave her hope that a promising eternity was ahead, awaiting. Alice sure as hell did a lot of that, but time was unfolding closer now.
Rain had plummeted thick on that entire July. Alice made a routine of going to a diner by the road where she had seen they would come together. Once Jasper decided, she would know time truly arrived, but she relished wasting her time there in the hopes she might be stunned by his presence. Deep down, she knew it was unlikely, though. Some days Alice would replay the vision in her mind, of Jasper wandering into the restaurant, rain seeping from his locks. She would contemplate herself gawk at him, stand and walk up to the man she had long-awaited, beholding his complexion closely for the first time...
The waitresses all gossiped how Alice, the frequent and uncommon client, daydreamed a lot.
"She hardly touches her food, you know? She's very slender; maybe she has a condition." One would murmur to the other, over the counter, inconspicuous to most humans, but not to Alice. Served to prompt her to simulate grabbing a nibble or two every once in a while.
"Not polite to say, I reckon. Poor thing might just be deluded or in love." And indeed she was, but Alice didn't wish to attract any excessive interest to herself. Rather, she would periodically make a habit of carrying a book or a journal to blend in more.
They were decent past times, got her mind engaged in the tales, whether she was examining or creating them. Alice had remarkable drawing skills, so she often made sketches as well. The empty diner, two shadows meeting by the door. Golden eyes, a crooked smile, and half-moon shaped scars. It was often him, eternally him. Until she didn't need the pictures anymore.
Alice saw the decision being made a week before their meeting. Jasper was leaving Maria to seek something. A better eternity, perhaps an optimistic one like he had witnessed two of his friends share, he was done fighting. The day before their first meeting would take place, she saw the minor pieces unfold in her mind. He would be hungry, deep onyx irises. The precipitation would be pouring thick, and her favorite waitress would be on call. Good. Alice loathed seeing her intact orders, in her tries to seem human, go to waste. Caroline, the young girl waiting tables that afternoon, never really bothered when Alice just wanted a coffee or teacup. After all, Alice was a generous tipper. In the end, it would give Alice the focus she needed to have on foreseeing his arrival.
It was almost the turn of the decade, and the clothing style was already shifting. Alice always stood up to date with that. In the past twenty-eight years, Alice had perfected her vegetarianism and learned how to control her thirst for human blood. She also educated herself of history, as her recognition of who she was and the world had seemed to disappear when she found herself a vampire, Alice found a past time in fashion as well. She enjoyed how it changed throughout the years, improved, or became more inclusive and practical. The years of the Great Depression, then the time after World War II, how things became more functional and straightforward. And now the flare seemed to be returning steadily. People had higher incomes to consume, more places to go. Almost like life was getting back on track even after all that had been lost.
Alice hadn't had anyone to lose, but she watched how people changed because of that. She saw some ache and succumb into that whilst others took the fall to rise and thrive. Always, fashion followed humanity in their paths, emerging in the most fascinating ways.
Although unnecessary, Alice wanted and desired to blend in with humans. That aided her to find a sense of empathy and belonging in herself, as well as help her test her limits and push her to become a better kind of vampire, someone her family would admire, and Jasper would look up to as an example. During these attempts to become more human , Alice worked at different clothing boutiques. Some produced custom made clothing, and that resulted in Alice getting herself into learning how to sew.
With her skills and enhanced senses, it grew all too simple to understand very rapidly. At work, she would oftentimes dumb herself down as not to bring any further awareness to her abilities. People were already mesmerized by her appearance and wit. But her designs at home were breathtaking. Alice got to showcase the outfits she had been working on when she relocated to a new town. But there was one she had been saving for that one particular meeting.
The day dress was a pale blue that contrasted gorgeously with her light skin. It had sleeves that went to her elbows and folded up in a darker blue shade topped by a delicate white lace. The collarbone was exposed slightly in a V cut, and it also had an out fold with the same petroleum blue tracing down her chest modestly. Although her bust was small, the upper part wrapped around her slim figure gorgeously down to her waist, where a belt circled and buckled with tiny gems. Below the waistline, the skirt opened flowy all the way down to just below her knees. And the shoes had the slightest heels to pump up her height. She added a beautiful petroleum blue side hat with little lace inserts and just the softest tule falling over her forehead. Her hair was nicely brushed to stay slightly curled on the edges that hit just the start of her neck. She didn't need all that to look breathtaking; most humans would turn their heads if she simply made the smallest effort. It was in her nature to drawn them. Alice did not only enjoy putting all together, but this was also a special occasion.
Equipped with an umbrella, not to ruin herself, and a dark grey trench coat that would help her blend in with the mere humans, Alice unbolted the door to face her future.
It seemed now, that time finally had come, the clock was running slower than expected. What if he had changed his mind at the last minute? Alice told herself she would have seen that occur; she couldn't have missed such an important choice, especially now that they were so close to forever. Her fingers tapped the counter impatiently, and Caroline, the quiet waitress girl, came over with a smile.
"All good with you, Alice?"
Politely smiling, Alice nodded. "Just waiting from a friend."
"He wouldn't stand you up." The waitress said warmly as a reassurance, and Alice knew she was trying to be sympathetic to her.
"I sure hope not!" Chuckling out air, Alice tried to tell herself that wouldn't be the case. She knew it wouldn't, yet excitement seemed to be overtaking her.
Caroline looked at her, strangely grinning. "No one in their right mind would stand you up." Alice smile, knowingly her vampire outlooks spoke for her over the human. But this, the one she was waiting, he wasn't a human who could easily be lured to her as all preys were.
"You're too kind." Majestically, Alice laughed softly. "He just always keeps me waiting." It was an understatement if one would know just how long Alice was anticipating to meet Jasper. Still, a scanty moment when one had eternity.
"Well, let me know if you need a refill." With Alice's nod, the waitress strolled off. Just then, her senses tuned outside, hearing the rain pour heavier. If she had a heart, it would have skipped a beat.
The time had come. Alice had seen it with clarity now.
She eyed outside to see a figure moving, just a mass trying to approach the diner at a normal speed. But it wasn't genuinely usual for outsider eyes. He was there so fast that Alice had to brace herself.
It was finally time.
Jasper hated inviting attention. Ever since he decided to leave Maria and her clan, he had been strolling without a course, trying to get somewhere he would find himself, discover what he wanted next. Jasper knew two things for sure: there had to be something better to be lived, and that he was done fighting. Killing had become complicated as he wasn't any longer influenced by Maria's toxic triumphs. It had always been hard feeling his prey's disturbances through all these years. He yearned for something more manageable. But as he was on his own, more intimate with ordinary feelings that didn't involve war over territories, he unearthed hunting was tough. He tried to look for targets that wouldn't be a waste to disappear humanity, people he felt the emotions to be the sinful nature. But who was he to judge anyone? For long, that had been his reality. He sought not to overthink it. He had to feed somehow, so he might as well do it only when extremely required. Although it didn't help him when the thirst was too intense. It helped to go unnoticed, not like walking in the rain as he was now doing.
He spotted a diner not too far and not too crowded. It would be hard with his throat burning so badly to be in that closed environment, but the pouring rain didn't truly help. His mind quickly circled on the number of bodies there. Jasper could take them all down quickly, in mere seconds, but at the cost of way too many victims. If he started, he would have to go through with them all. That would drag unnecessary attention. So he decided it wasn't worth feeding just yet. He would hide from the rain, and when darkness settled, Jasper would find his food.
Stepping inside the diner, he removed the jacket immediately, tapping his boots softly on the welcome mat. He clothed very southernly for that portion of the country, but Jasper knew it hadn't been that what dragged some eyes toward him. He took the hat out second, hanging it with his coat. Even with it, his hair's locks were soaked, dripping over the floor and his shirt.
On the other side of the diner, Alice observed it all happen. He pressed the door open slowly, making the little bell reverberate in the entire place where the few people chatted low. Some heads spun, but hers had been the first. Her eyes grew intense, anxious. Too keen to restrain herself, Alice jumped out of the stool just as he lifted the jacket. Her sight focusing pronto on how his body motioned as if in a dance, arms flexing as the clothing was hung. Her mouth watered when he peeled the hat, and she got a clear glimpse of his face. Alice admired jealously how the raindrop contoured his cheek down to his chin. Alice couldn't wait any longer.
She walked up to him just in time to catch him still at the door. Jasper's eyes turned to her, and Alice felt herself sinking in them just as she stopped, half a foot from him. She noticed the shock. The worry arose on his features, but all Alice could do was beam, overwhelmingly delighted with his arrival. It was pure and utter joy.
"You've kept me waiting a long time, soldier." Her voice was nothing but a hum, audible just for the vampire before her.
His hesitation seemed to dissolve right as his gaze found her amber irises. Jasper had no clue how they had gotten to such a shade, but it instantly captivated him. She was one like him, and yet she felt so unconventional from all he had ever undergone. The emotions exhaling from the dainty gal were nothing like Jasper had ever sensed before. They were the most intense and most calming he had ever felt from someone. It was an inexplicable feeling.
He ducked his head then, striving to be respectful. "I'm sorry, ma'am."
Alice felt something flutter inside her like she imagined a heart must fell when it's terribly and puzzling in love with someone. It was forward for anyone without her abilities to have such confidence of feelings for one they had just met, but Alice had a different outtake in life thanks to her talents. She had kenned Jasper for twenty-eight years, and now it was his time to know her.
She held out her hand for him and, for the first time, was surprised how he had caught it so swiftly. Her skin felt almost as if it was burning against her palm. They were creatures doomed to be forever cold like the first rains in Philadelphia, and yet she felt that her skin was tingling heta where it met his and that fire clasped her body in whole. That wasn't in any visions she had foreseen, and yet it felt utterly right. Hope took over every inch of her. Maybe it wouldn't be so intricate after all. It was an even sounder possibility.
"We have a lot to talk about. Shall we take a seat?"