Waffle Palace from rrichie08 to mychemicalbunny04

jeans and green t-shirt, old sneakers
10 PM

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Veronica was here, waiting at a table, tapping her cracked and unpolished fingernails on a cup of coffee she couldn't even drink. She thought about just jumping the counter and sinking her fangs into a server's neck while she waited. Decided that wouldn't be good for her personally and took a breath.

Impatient always but especially as a vampire. She waited for mychecmicalbunny04, not knowing what they looked like or anything else about them. Wondered distantly if anyone else would have seen the Reddit thread and reported it?

All she could do was wait. See if they showed.

jeans and hoodie

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This was, objectively, a bad idea. He shouldn't have offered, or at least should have gotten back up with him. But, too late. And he did have back up: his shadow doctor.

Meeting with Hilargi had helped in more ways than one. He was all healed up, of course, and maybe that made him feel more confident. But overall, the warmth from her had gotten to him. He had focused on happier things while working on his palm scar, and almost cried when it got so subtle you had to squint to see it.

So maybe, if he gave blood, he could... fix it after. Ahhh, blood :( These poor vampires.

So he got inside the restaurant, already craving chocolate pancakes, and looking for Richie. They should have exchanged some physical info, but then again, a vampire would find him immediately.

Veronica continued to tap anxiously on the coffee cup in her grasp, her long red hair greasier than she'd like in her face. She noticed a bit of dirt beneath one of her nails and began to pick it out with her thumbnail, trying to look more presentable despite always being hungry every single day.

She slid her elastic off her wrist and threw her hair up in a ponytail, taking a breath because she still wasn't used to the fact that she didn't need to breathe anymore. She got a whiff of something incredibly delicious. She froze mid-tie, elbows bent and hands still holding her hair in a ponytail shape as her gaze snapped up and toward the door.

Was that them? She could already feel her fangs protruding uncomfortably from her gums, aching with the need to press into flesh as she kept her mouth firmly shut.

Finished with her ponytail and made eye contact - or tried to - with the man with a bunny sweatshirt. A bunny! He smelled like freshly made chocolate and she had to stop breathing. Why? Why did he smell so good? Was it cologne?

She raised a hand, hoping to signal his attention.

The hand would get noticed more than the eye contact, because while he was okay with helping out, he didn't want to be mind wiped or something.

He walked to her, and pointed at his hoddie. "Bunny." Duh. "Are you... Richie?"

Voice low. Almost conspiratorial.

Veronica looked at the hoodie as he pointed at it and confirmed his identity and hers in one fell swoop.

"Yeah," She replied in a low voice.

'Why do you smell good' was not something she could willingly make herself ask again to another stranger she'd just met but Veronica did wonder it silently.

"Do you want... coffee?" Her cup had gone cold, otherwise she would have slid it over. Or thought about it. She sort of enjoyed having something to grab onto right now. Impatient as she was, she wasn't a monster. Or at least, she was trying not to be in this moment.

Oh, she was offering. This was nice?

"Maybe a hot chocolate, if you don't mind?"

He did want to sleep tonight after all.

A hot chocolate. Okay. It fit the theme so far. She nodded and flagged down a server to finally place another order for her guest.

"My name's Veronica," She told him as the server left to make his order. She didn't stretch out a hand in greeting but she did nod a little. Her fangs were likely showing while she spoke to him, even as she tried to will them back into her gums.

"Alaric." He replied, keeping his hands in his pockets for now. Would offer a wrist later. "How long have you been, uh. Like this?"

He doubted an experienced or connected vampire would turn to the internet.

Veronica frowned a little at the question and hummed.

"A few months? Not long certainly." She knew the exact date and time she died in May but that sounded sad so she kept it to herself.

"I am not very good at it so far." She picked absently at her nail again as she spoke.

A baby. Which was a weird thought to have about a woman likely older than himself.

"It's okay to ask for help when doing a new thing." He commented. "You're a good one."

A good one. She couldn't tell if it was patronizing or not. One of the good ones. Ugh. Was she? Veronica didn't feel that way. She felt like she'd made a mistake in trusting her ex to stick around once he turned her. Now she was alone and sad and fangry. All. The. Damn. Time.

"Right," She replied and took another breath, met with his scent again. Good god why???

"Have you... done this before?"

"Not willingly." Alaric replied. "One like you sent me to the hospital."

Weak smile.

"But you asked, so you're nice, so I trust you."

Veronica wasn't nice. She was desperate. There was a big difference, at least in her mind. But she did frown that he was sent to the hospital because of a vampire. One like her. Ugh. Humanity! Was! So! Difficult!

Just because she wasn't nice though, didn't mean she actively wanted to hurt people. At least, not if she could help it.

"Thanks," She replied. But there were more vampires in the area then? That was... good news right? Like someone could help her?

"Is that the only other one... like me... you've met?"

A shake of the head.

"There are others. I have a friend, I can ask her if she wouldn't mind giving you tips." He replied.

And maybe more, but he wouldn't make promises on Zoya's behalf.

Veronica raised an eyebrow. He had a friend who was a vampire? She tried not to think of the worst case scenarios immediately. But. She let it go.

"Let me think on it?" She suggested instead, suddenly nervous to make herself known to more vampires. She needed to... well... figure her shit out first, right? Not be someone's problem to take care of. Wasn't super into the idea of being abandoned again either.

The hot chocolate arrived though before she could say anything else and was placed down before Alaric.

"Oh, yeah, sure, no pressure at all." He replied.

Weird, he would have thought a lost vampire would have jumped at the prospect of getting more help, but... well, that was okay too.

"Thanks for the drink." He added.

She nodded.

"Thank you." For the drink. Eventually. See, Veronica still had her manners! It was just better if she didn't breathe in whatever cologne he was wearing. So, she grew uncannily still in her seat as she cradled her cup of cooling coffee in her hands.

"Sugar is probably good for this sort of thing, right?" Didn't blood donors get biscuits and juice afterward?

"I think so." He replied, taking a sip.

Should he have taken it to go? They couldn't exactly do the full exchange right there... could they?

"Do you need me to drink this fast?" He asked.

Veronica was trying her damndest to be polite about this whole thing but the question made it feel all the more urgent.

"Maybe?" She suggested, leaving it up to him to decide. "Or. We can take it to go?" Another suggestion? So, he could have it after? Why did she care so much? UGH. Being a vampire was so hard. :(

Well, okay, his turn to flag the waiter. Asked for a to-go cup instead.

He didn't need this to last longer than it needed to, and he had a way of contacting Veronica later, or rather, she had, if she wanted this vampire contact of his.

"Okay, um, good to go." He said.

Nervosity skyrocketting but that wasn't surprising.

Veronica took a breath, which was a mistake, so she stopped breathing again and nodded.

"Okay." She paid for their drinks, and lead them outside feeling quite apprehensive about the whole thing. Would the same thing happen to her that happened the last time?

She turned the corner into the alley and figured it would do as a location. Ugh. Dirty though. Was that a rat? Don't think about it, Veronica!

"Where would you prefer I bite?" She asked. Polite!

"Wrist." He replied quickly.

Easier to defend himself. Easier to survive.

He pulled his right sleeve up and extended his arm. Naked. Vulnerable.

Please don't go scary, Veronica :(