Innocent in the eyes of god

[Jude Iverson]

His gaze tracked the man's fingertips as he reached up to brush aside hair that had fallen into his face. What happened? Being told he would be taken care of instinctively made him feel protected and safer but at the same time... Take care of him? Why? Ivy was accustomed to being the one who cared for everybody else. It was a strange new position to be in, having to be taken care of by somebody else. Weak protestations rose up but they were bare whispers against nothing. Unable to find his voice or the words to say he would be fine, he instead laid his head back against the man's shoulder for a long moment.

Everything felt strange, new, and wrong. Yet he could not yet put his finger on why that was. All he knew was that he felt weak and shaky and a little sick. Something seemed to be happening inside of his body that he couldn't define. Maybe he should have gone to medical school, the way his brother did. That might have been handy right now. A lot handier than teaching children and growing plants and taking care of kittens.

But he liked shouldering multiple tasks like that. He liked keeping busy.

His arm, formerly limp against the man's shoulder, moved and he held onto that shoulder as the man stood, raising the two of them together.

"My... I live just a couple of blocks down this way," he said, lifting a trembling hand in the direction he had been heading in before... this.

[Adrian Kwon]

"All right," Adrian said simply, moving carefully in the direction that he was bidden. The flash storm was intensifying. Thunder and lightning crashed and flashed up above and Adrian couldn't help but wonder: was it a sign? A sign that he had committed the greater of two sins? There was nothing worse than killing a man but... to doom him to everlasting life...

Guilt crippled him but he kept moving, navigating them out of the storm and into the man's home. At the entryway he sought for the light switch and flicked it on. They were both saturated, like drowned rats, and water pooled on the floor but at least the storm was outside, and they were safe here inside. With a low sigh, Adrian glanced around, searching for the bathroom. A hot shower, that was what they each needed, although he didn't know if he ought to leave this man alone just yet.

The moments right after the change were... difficult.

"You like plants," he remarked, as though some off-hand casual observation could restore both their lives to normality. The abundance of greenery around the place could hardly be missed, though. Almost belatedly, he asked, "How do you feel?"

[Jude Iverson]

Shock.

He thought that was what it must be.

The entire way home, Ivy was quiet, shaky, and uncertain. Something happened. Something big. Something huge and even he was afraid. It wasn't that Ivy was fearless; merely that usually he was calm and composed and hard to rattle. It took him time to let things sink in, and because of that, when things happened quickly, instead of startling, it took his poor little brain a few more seconds to really soak in what happened. But even as they walked, he couldn't think. All he could focus was on the beat of water against the shallow puddles they walked through.

He was so cold.

He couldn't remember the last time he felt this cold.

And all the while, beside him, he could hear the man's heartbeat. So fast, so strong, so flush with life. His head swam as they stepped through the door into his apartment and he braced himself against the door. Head still spinning, he took in a breath but it felt strange. Like he couldn't catch enough air. Out of pure habit, he slid his shoes off and straightened up. His hand went to the side of his throat.

"They're like my..." Ivy trailed off at the sound of tiny paws on the wooden floor and the high pitched cry of kittens as they rounded the corner around the couch to greet them. For some reason, however, they stopped short of the both of them... and started to hiss. Their hair stood on end and they all backed away. Ivy stared down at them, perplexed.

"What is it?" he asked, starting forward, only for the kittens to skitter away from him in terror. "I've never seen them act like this!"

[Adrian Kwon]

"Don't... worry about them for now," Adrian said placatingly, pulling on his arm to get him back and away from the kittens. Animals were notoriously skittish around vampires. Probably because they, like all living things, could sense the great evil that emanated from the undead. Adrian's grasp tightened around the man's arm, briefly.

"There's a lot I have to tell you but before that, we should get out of these wet clothes." And maybe stop flooding the entryway. Adrian gently toed off his shoes and nudged them onto the doormat, where they could drip without fear of adding to the growing puddle surrounding them. It was highly unpleasant to be wet from head to toe--but far more unpleasant was the confession to come.

Adrian tried to steer him into the apartment. The kittens scrambled further away, hiding beneath the couch, skittering to be out of their way; their tiny, rapidly fluttering pulses marked their positions. "Some tea, I think, will help warm us." At least physically, though nothing could remove the chill deep down inside--the chill of death, of a soul removed.

[Jude Iverson]

"But I..."

How could he not worry about them? It wasn't just the other man. The kittens seemed just as afraid of Ivy as they were of the stranger. That didn't settle well with him. Slowly, he raised a hand to the side of his head, wondering if he was concussed or dreaming. It didn't seem like it was all really happening. Everything felt so surreal. Even the way he saw things seemed sharper, clearer, and it hurt his head trying to wrap his mind around it.

And was it just him or could he hear them? The kittens? Not their soft growls and hisses--of course he could hear that--but their little heartbeats?

It felt...

wrong.

"Tea," he said, grasping onto the first thing that made sense. Tea. Ah, and getting out of wet clothes. Of course. He looked down at the way his clothes were unpleasantly gripping his body from head to toe.

"I can make the tea," he said. For once in his entire life, the sound of tea didn't sound as appetizing as it always had before. "You should get in the bath. I'll find you some dry clothes."

[Adrian Kwon]

"I--ah..." He was about to suggest that they bathe together, but it sounded lurid. Adrian didn't mean it in a suggestive way; rather, he wanted to keep a close eye on his new... fledgling. "I think you should bathe first. I'll dry off out here." It was only a little rain water. Not as if they would catch a cold, or fall prey to viruses and disease. Their eternal curse had, at the very least, that small consoling side-effect.

Somewhere behind him, he heard the skittering of little paws; the kittens were making their escape from the living room, undoubtedly to get as far away from them as possible. Not all animals behaved like these but it appeared that they had never been exposed to a vampire before. Undoubtedly whatever this man had been before, it was something gentler in nature--less of a monster.

Adrian rubbed the back of his neck lightly, feeling the damp hair plastered against his skin. "Please, look after yourself first. I'll be all right." His voice was softer, gentler, as though he could make up for the violence earlier by speaking quietly.

[Jude Iverson]

"I... but I know where everything is. I can have it all ready for you when you get out."

This was true. And he could make them some good, healing tea that would help keep them from getting any colds or anything. An ounce of prevention, as they said. The man seemed pretty stubborn but Ivy could be just as stubborn! And he wanted to make sure that the man--the vampire...?--was comfortable before himself. He looked in the direction of the kittens and felt a terrible pain in his chest. Seeing them act like, so afraid of him... They felt it, too, didn't they? Whatever felt... wrong.

"And you," he said, feeling somewhat weak and faint even as he spoke, "didn't look so good out there."

True. Maybe whatever he had, Ivy caught. He bit me. Was that all it took? He supposed it could. He reached up to lightly apply his fingertips to the place where he'd been bitten. He half expected there to be nothing there but there was still a pretty nasty wound there... though it felt as if it might be healing. Maybe I can make a potion for it. He did it for hurt animals all the time.

[Adrian Kwon]

"I'm much better... thanks to you."

Adrian moved forward as he spoke, reaching out to lightly grasp the man's wrist--the one upraised as he felt his neck. The bite mark was still there, two conspicuous holes, perfectly round and darkened with congealed blood at the edges. They were closing, but slowly. He would have to feed and to take in fresh blood in order for his body to completely repair itself.

But they weren't getting anywhere standing here arguing, and Adrian was, yes, stubborn in his own way. He peered into the man's eyes, holding his gaze. "You go first." It was more of a command this time, a directive aided by Adrian's powers of persuasion. He was older and more powerful (though his abilities paled in comparison to others', those who fed freely and grew powerful off of the blood of innocent humans). At the very least, he could talk this man into getting into the shower first and drying himself off.

"I will make tea." Adrian's lips curved briefly in a small smile. It was a strange thing to have someone be that adamant about taking care of him--a rare thing, but... nice. "Don't worry. Go."

[Jude Iverson]

"Ah."

He hadn't thought about it but... The man--vampire--had not been well until he fed. Now that he had fed... Ivy's gaze slowly slid over the hand that grasped his wrist and up to the soft eyes that watched him. There seemed to be more color in his cheeks now, though not much. After their eyes met, it seemed impossible to remove his gaze. For a long moment, he stared back at him, into his dark eyes. Although the words were far from romantic you go first, it still made Ivy feel... it made him feel strange.

"I'll go first," he said finally, echoing the words in a dreamy tone. "And you'll make tea."

For some reason, he was no longer fretting over whether the man would be able to find the kettle and the tea and everything he needed to make the appropriate tea. There were plenty of plants throughout the entire house. Swallowing hard, Ivy nodded. Go first. Bathe first. Don't worry. The second the man said go, he took a step back and then another, and then he turned and headed down the hall, now a man with a purpose.

It took him a moment for the fog to lift. When it did, he was standing in the middle of the bathroom, with the hot water running, the mirror steamed up, and his wet clothing draped over the towel rack. He looked down at and ran his hand over his cold, clammy arms. Then he approached the bath, turning off the water and stepping inside. He let out a hiss as the heat seemed too intense. Then he stepped in with the other foot and forced himself to sink into the hot water.

Admittedly, once he was completely bathed in it, it felt good. But he... he couldn't help feeling like there was more to worry about. Especially as he began to warm up and thaw out. He remembered there was a man in his house, tea. Blood. Vampire. Visions, memories began to flash through his mind and he raised a hand to press against his forehead.

Clean and warm, he got out of the bath and quickly dried off before grabbing his bathrobe, stepping into his slippers, and opening the door to the bathroom, half expecting nobody else to be in his apartment.

"Hello?" he called. "Are you still here...?"

[Adrian Kwon]

It took Adrian a while to find everything--the teapot, cups. But the tea bags. No tea bags. Adrian stood in the middle of the immaculate kitchen, completely stumped. Surely, he thought, surely this man drank tea. He agreed to tea earlier and said that he would prepare some but all Adrian saw were herbs and plants. Nothing that resembled tea.

After a long moment of utter confusion, he put some water to boil on the stove, laid the cups out and resigned himself to looking stupid. He was no magician; he couldn't conjure tea out of nowhere. But he could remove some of his sopping wet clothes, laying them out neatly folded by the door so that he could take them on the way out. That left him in damp pants and a simple white t-shirt, also damp. Adrian didn't feel quite as good but at least he wasn't soggy.

For a few moments, he stood in the middle of the living room and studied his surroundings. Evidently, this man loved plants. Plants everywhere, as far as the eye could see. Adrian went over to inspect some of them but he could place no name to them. Most were leafy. Some were twiggy. Others, distinctly flowery. Curiosity got the better of him and he bent to sniff one--and was immediately repulsed by the odor that assailed his senses.

He sneezed just as a voice called out, and then sneezed again and quickly backed away from the plant. It looked innocent but... good Lord, the smell was something else altogether. Yet, it only seemed to release its scent once Adrian got near. He couldn't smell it from a pace away. "I'm--" Another sneeze. "I'm here! In the living room."

[Jude Iverson]

Sneezing.

Even without the man telling him where he was, Ivy could follow the sound of sneezes. He entered the living room with a perplexed expression on his face, then took in where the man stood. It was a special sort of plant, the kind that was hard to find and even harder to cultivate in a home. It had magical properties and it was said to reject those of the... vampire persuasion. Ivy had kept some in the apartment for spells that could ward off vampires or keep people safe... Then he walked right into one and even invited him into his home.

And let him bite him.

That couldn't hurt, though. It wasn't like the bite changed a person, really. That didn't explain the taste of blood in his mouth, though. There was a sort of dawning horror in the back of his mind that he firmly seemed to hold at bay so that he didn't have to look it in the face.

"I thought you might have left," he said, which was sorta silly since the man was still there. "Ah, so the shower is all yours now." He paused. "I'm... I'm Jude Iverson, by the way. But my friends just call me Ivy."

[Adrian Kwon]

"Oh... no, I--" Adrian trailed off. He had so much to tell him. Ivy. Jude Iverson. It didn't take a genius to figure out where 'Ivy' came from, out of his name, and the plants were something of a dead giveaway. "I'm Adrian. Adrian Kwon," he offered, having a hard time looking Ivy in the eye.

Now seemed like the perfect time to talk about the vampire business but... He couldn't go through with it just yet. So instead, he said, a touch sheepishly, "I couldn't find the tea." As though on cue, the kettle began to hiss and whistle and Adrian turned quickly toward the kitchen to rescue the kettle from the stove.

"Ahh... maybe I wasn't looking in the right place..."

[Jude Iverson]

Adrian. Now he had a name to the face. Ivy smiled, although it didn't seem like Adrian was in any mood to return it, if the way he turned his gaze carefully away meant anything. Thinking back on it, even in the darkness out on the street, Adrian seemed pretty reluctant to look at him very long. Somewhat self conscious, Ivy pulled on his sleeves and then ran his hand over the back of his head, through his damp hair. Even after bathing, he felt... cooler than usual. Not like rad cool, either. But like... colder.

Something felt off, inside and out.

He was probably just tired and feeling unwell. (No probably about it--he definitely felt lethargic and not altogether healthy at the moment.) Blinking, he looked toward the kitchen as Adrian rushed to the whistling tea kettle. Couldn't find the tea? Ivy tilted his head slightly, then followed Adrian into the kitchen.

"It's ah... I make mine loose leaf...? Is that what they call it?"

Rather than the cheaper tea bags, he had his own collection in the pantry. He opened it up and pointed to a group of small tin canisters that were lined up along the side of one shelf.

"Do you have a preference?"

[Adrian Kwon]

"Oh! I thought those were..." Actually he didn't know what they were, and he didn't want to touch them in case they were for some other purpose. Witches, for example, typically used dried herbs for potions. Or chefs used them for flavoring dishes. Adrian didn't want to take some of what he thought to be tea, only to discover he'd been steeping oregano or thyme in the pot all along.

He smiled at his own mistake and ducked his head. For all of his insistence that he could handle everything, he wasn't doing a very good job of it, was he?

"Do you have Oolong?" He moved forward and stood beside Ivy, inspecting the array of canisters. It appeared that he had quite the selection and Adrian studied the labels on them while steadfastly avoiding looking at Ivy.

Maybe it was impertinent, but... He really thought that Ivy was one of the most handsome men he had ever seen. Having never believed in the concept of love at first sight, Adrian didn't know what label to apply to the quickening of his pulse or the way that he felt towards a virtual stranger--albeit one who saved his life.

Guilt aside, he knew that he was attracted to Ivy but... it seemed inappropriate. Lurid, almost, because Ivy was now also his fledgling and his responsibility, not unlike a child. Adrian turned away, rubbing the side of his chilly arm with one hand. "After we make the tea... there's something I need to tell you, Ivy."

[Jude Iverson]

"Oh yes. Of course!" He ran his hand over the tins to look for the correct one, his gaze on Adrian but for a few seconds. It seemed he was looking over the labels to find it but Ivy was the first to grasp the tin and pull it out. He smiled at Adrian as he held it up, though it was difficult not to notice that Adrian had a hard time looking back at him. With some confusion, Ivy looked down at the tin instead, wondering if it was something he had done. He told me to leave. To run, to get away. Fighting the urge to touch his throat again, Ivy brought the oolong tin over to the counter so he could open it.

It didn't help that Adrian bodily turned away as he spoke, like whatever he needed to speak with Ivy about was not going to be a good thing. Swallowing was difficult but Ivy nodded. For some reason, he felt a deep sense of loss. There was no discernible reason for it--he just felt a profound and strong sense of it that briefly stung his eyes.

He realized it was anxiety. Fear of what Adrian had to tell him. Or perhaps a foreboding knowledge of what he might have to say and that still, soft voice in the back of his mind that he politely tried to quiet with a slight clearing of the throat.

"All right," he said. He looked up at Adrian and held out the tin. "Do you mind that it's loose?"