Muse Snake fact #5: They smell with their tongues
#1

backdated to the 5th. vibe



A gay bar. Boy, she hadn't fucking been to one of those in a while. The fact that it was their designated meeting spot made it all the more entertaining, though. It could've been coincidence that this location was chosen, or it could've been some test of character for all she knew; homophobia was as real as the speciesism between shifters and the undead.

She'd realized that evening days prior, just after closing the tab on her phone, that they'd not exchanged names when they'd texted, but that ultimately mattered little when one could sense the other. And as such, here she was some two nights after the full moon, on time as agreed: it was 11:03.

The place, as expected, was lively at this hour, filled with chatter and music alike. She'd taken a seat by the bar by 11:05, and by 11:07, she'd ordered herself a double whiskey that she most definitely couldn't drink—but hey; maybe she would later. Just for the taste of it.
#2
It was easy to sniff out a vampire from the crowd, no one smelled as dead as them unless they rolled in a rotting roadkill...

Red got used to that, though. No judgement here. It was surprised to see them around the bar though.

"Wouldn't that make you sick?" He asked as he approached.
#3
Well, wasn't he quick to show!

Definitely spotted her a bit quicker than she had him, but ah well—she would too if he smelled of decay. Really though, what did he smell of?

She angled herself towards him as he neared. "It absolutely would," she agreed easily. "But by the same token, so would lactose to a lactose-intolerant person—and yet so many just can't seem to give up cheese." A grin at this, and she extended her hand towards him if he was the type for handshakes.

"Renée."
#4
"Well, I'm not judging." Red said and accepted the handshake with a soft smile. "I'm Rian, nice to meet you."
#5
Now, it would've been pretentious if he did, wouldn't it? After everything the Initiative was advertised as?

"Pleasure," and really, so far it was. "Where would you rather take this?" They could converse here, of course, but she didn't imagine it to be the most ideal spot.
#6
"To my office, if that's okay." Red said. He had all the papers there and it was more quiet. "It's upstairs."
#7
Ah, an owner, then.

She made a loose gesture around them. "Lead the way."
#8
And so Red did, lead the way to his cozy office with the terrarium behind the desk. As per usual, it was empty...

Since his guest had a whiskey, the club owner retrieved a can of Redbull from the minifridge, so he had something to drink too.

"Please, tell me about yourself."
#9
She'd purposefully forgo drinking just yet; it was the reason she'd not gotten whiskey on the rocks after all.

The fact that he delved straight to business was appreciated.

"Well," she pressed her tongue against the roof of her mouth momentarily. "I've been a vampire for over half a decade now, turned under less than ideal circumstances," a faint wave of her hand. "Ditched by the one who turned me when our views on what was humane and what wasn't didn't align; I was apparently 'too human' for the lifestyle." Which was all very true, if not purposefully vague; Rian hadn't asked for a detailed review of her life's story.

What else was there for him to know?

"I've worked with both vampires and psychics to help them with mastering control over newly developed abilities, though as you can imagine, working with the latter can be more challenging at times." But surely, she was telling him things he already knew; the fact that psychic blood was basically the undead equivalent of drugs.

She decided to go on for just a little longer.

"Shifters, I've cooperated extensively with during my stay in France a couple of years back; the group I had helped in the creation of aligned themselves with the local werewolf pack, and after a time, we were even able to share common headquarters—which was a step in the right direction if you ask me, considering the..." Another wave of her hand, almost dismissive. "Pointless rift between shifters and the undead."

There. For now, she'd let him mull over everything.
#10
Red listened intently, taking a sip of his drink from time to time.

"So, you have some experience in, let's say, diplomacy between species. That's good to hear." He said with a nod. "That's something that can be very useful here."

Since many different people would be coming here...

"Now... I can say that I had a soft launch for the initiative, but we're not in full steam yet. I'm glad to have found another vampire, because... well... it's been kinda quiet on that front. Pointless rift aside, I feel like the old guard tends to be rather neglectful of the fledgelings."
#11
Diplomacy, after all, was one of the reasons she'd reached out; it was always good to have connections.

"I think a lot of vampires are so old they've forgotten what it feels like to be human, and how difficult it can be to accept that you've died—that things as simple as eating or drinking are off the table. That you..." another wave of her hand– dismissive now.

"My point is that a lot of them have lost touch. Be it a conscious choice, or the inevitable toll of time, it doesn't really matter. A fledgling is a liability to them, and when you can in theory live forever, why bother helping one who's struggling when you can simply snuff them out and spare yourself the trouble?" She trifled with her glass, twisting it with index and thumb before refocusing on Rian.

"I'm happy to help in any way I can, even if the Initiative hasn't been properly launched; the safety net the task force provides for the supernatural and gifted is a joke." And for better or worse, Amy didn't believe they were doing it out of the goodness of their hearts; no one was as selfless—especially towards someone who had the capacity to kill you with one well-placed swipe of a clawed hand.
#12
"I have one pretty ancient vampire that joined me to help. She's like... as old as fucking Sparta or..." Red still couldn't process that. "That's a lot of years, it makes me head hurt. I think often times the issue is... well, power tripping."

Which was something he absolutely fucking hated. Hated it back when he was a cop, hated it among supes, hated it...

"And yeah, about that..." No offense to Bear, but Amelia was absolutely right about task force. "I'd say, what safety net? Towards supes? Towards victims of supernatural crimes? I feel like these people are running like headless chickens, not really knowing what to do."

Siiiigh...

"Like... They offer a bloodbag a week to vamps, but a new vampire needs to feed every day, right? And those who are strong enough to need only one a week usually have better resources at their disposal..."
#13
Power tripping- he wasn't wrong. "It's easy to develop an ego when you're taught you're immortal and subsequently superior; you'd be surprised how many vampires view shifters as animals and humans as just food, my own sire included." Hell, even Amy herself initially; but how the tables had turned now.

She sighed.

"I know I'd personally starve if I signed up for their help program, but even then... Who guarantees me that having me catalogued won't come to bite me in the ass? Supernatural rights are a gray area; next thing I know we might be facing a second holocaust." After all, they weren't secret anymore; their weaknesses had to be known.
#14
"Well, I'm myself am outed to the force, but I keep the identities of my employees anonymous for this reason." Red said truthfully. "I've talked to one of the detectives, a friend of my in fact... he's trying to list the Initiative as a proper resource, but I haven't heard anything from his superiors."

Siiiigh...
#15
"I appreciate the anonymity," she said. "But–"

"At the same time, I'm not sure if playing it by the book is the right move here; it might open the door for more resources from the task force—assuming they'd so much as humor a supernatural organization working independently of them." It was all risky, though; risky for him, most of all.

She leant forward, scanning his face with an openly troubled expression on her own. "But it also runs the risk of biting you in the ass, Rian."
#16
"I know how it works, I've been a cop myself." Red said with a small shrug. "If something nasty goes down, I know how to protect myself."
#17
Ah. He was a cop.

Used to be?

'Have been' implied the past.

"You no longer are?"
#18
Red threw deuces, but kept rather serious face.

"Sergeant Red Salazar, Garda Special Detective Unit... Well, now it's National Bureau of Criminal Investigation." He reintroduced himself. "Retired after nearly puking onto Assistand Commissioner while holding back stress shift."

He had a lot of things going on in his life back then.
#19
Ah shit, an Irish cop, huh?

"Well, damn." Because yeah—damn.

"Did you get turned before or after joining the force?"
#20
Well, now that was a complicated part. Red winced and downed his drink.

"Ahhh... Well, see... Issue is, I wasn't turned." He said. "I'm born this way. Happy Pride Month."
#21
Was this an allusion to Lady Gaga? She was gonna take it as one.

Fucking smooth.

She grinned, amused at the supposed reference.

"Shit- for real? I didn't know you guys could be born."

Was he any different? Did he share a link with an animal?
#22
"It doesn't happen often, as shifting tends to..." Oh my God, don't say 'yeetus that fetus'. "Cancel the pregnancy. But my mother was a Queen, pawned her snake off to someone else and carried me to term..."

Too bad she didn't paid much attention to him afterwards. Perhaps she didn't knew that the sweet baby will become a mature adult in just 6 years...

"And growing up a shifter is... Well, complicated to say the least. You grow up to adulthood in 6 years."
#23

tw for brief mention of pedophilia



So, a few interesting things: were leaders could apparently pawn off their beast? Holy shit? And Rian was a snake?

And also, born were children grew up exponentially fast?? What the fuck? How old had the youngest wolf she'd hooked up with been? Twenty? Did that mean there was a chance—

Nope.

Nope. Deleting the thought.

Deleting that fucking thought immediately.

"That's..." fucked, she wanted to say, but instead: "Do you at least get any perks turned weres don't have? Are you and your snake... One?" If he was born from a snake shifter, it only made sense that he and his animal be one and the same, right?
#24
"...fucked." Red finished her thought for her. "Yeah, it is. I'm glad my instructors at Garda Academy caught onto the fact I'm a bit younger than I appear and protected me..."

Mostly.

"As for the animal... Nope." He shrugged. "We have our disagreements rather frequently."
#25
"That's so fucking unfair, what the hell." Because he gained absolutely nothing? AND lost years from his life? What the actual fuck?

How selfish did a shifter have to be, knowing this, and still going ahead and having kids anyway?

"I imagine it must've been quite the adjustment," she said. "Like fuck— I was nearly twenty when I was turned and hadn't the slightest clue what the fuck I was doing." That, meanwhile, had yet to change.

"How the hell does a six-year-old even adult?"
#26
"Mum's let me sort of vent my energy out on motorcycles and then pushed me to Garda Academy as soon as I could pass as an adult and knew how to properly answer questions." Once again Red shrugged. "The two instructors who noticed that something is off helped me adjust..."

Filled in the blanks. Essentially becoming very confused dads...
#27
Awh, shit. Shitty parents, too? It seemed like it.

Amy could relate.

"Your mother didn't sound too thrilled about parenthood," a soft hum, pensive, thoughtful. "I'm glad you were able to adjust, though—we wouldn't be here today otherwise."

She leant back a little, then, crossed one leg over the other.

"But I think I've interrogated you enough, so let's turn the focus back on me," this said with some amusement as her mouth curled at the corners. "What questions do you have?"
#28
"Well, I have a vacancy on security team..." Red said, scratching his nose. "I know vampires have powers, what is yours?"
#29
Security, huh?

"I can turn myself intangible—fully, or partially," she answered. "This also extends to objects and living things, provided I'm in physical contact with them."
#30
"That can be very useful. You could get people to safety easier or just get faster on the scene..." Red smiled softly. "So, how about that? When there aren't any vampires in need of help, you could help me with security around the club."
#31
Security around the fucking club.

Out of all the odd, questionable, low-paying and downright weird jobs she'd done when the whole music thing was still taking off, she'd never once imagined she'd be working as security at a gay club of all places.

"You definitely have my attention," she hummed. "But since we're going to be working together, I'm inclined to tell you that I'm on rather poor terms with the clutch in Alder Heights, courtesy of my ever-loving sire."

A beat.

"I know the Initiative is built with neutrality in mind, but security work is different, and I'd hate to cause you a headache if you have vampires from Eventide who frequent here."
#32
Red had pretty good relationship with Eventide. However, safety of his little sanctuary and neutral ground came first, before any of his personal friendships.

"Well, if they have any problems with you working here, they'd need to raise them with me" he said calmly. "But... What happened, though?"
#33
"I guess the better question would be what didn't," she scoffed.

"But shit, all right. Let's take it from the top." At this point, really, he did deserve honesty considering his willingness to talk things out.

"I was turned by woman named Carmen. By choice." A beat. "Carmen knew the Alder Heights leader, who at the time was in the process of bringing the group together. I met with him and everything was smooth-sailing, up until- well." A wave of her hand. "I get a call from a friend of mine in a panic some maybe two weeks after I get turned. Some asshole vampire had turned her after bloodlusting, and so I- I go to help her, because what the fuck was I to do? Ignore her?"

"So I help her clean up, nearly tripping in the process because she's a psychic and I'm still wearing baby teeth. But I pull my shit together, and go to my sire's place, who in turn nearly bloodlusts, because how dare I bring a psychic to her sanctum?" She sighed. "But anyway, Carmen makes me choose between her and my friend, and the friend wins, because I don't fucking ditch people."

A pause as she reached for her glass. "Are you following thus far?"
#34
Oof...

That was a lot. Red was friends with Beauregard, but he didn't knew how much he was involved in this whole thing and he never heard about that Carmen person.

"Well, obviously someone you know longer and is your friend wins in this situation..." He said with a nod. "I do follow, go on."
#35
He was following, and there really wasn't anything about his body language that suggested hostility or defensiveness. But still, she debated how much she wanted to divulge.

"So I cut ties with my sire, and Eventide, since joining their group was something Carmen wanted more than me, and since I'm not with Carmen anymore... What's the point?" She tipped her glass a little, watching as the whiskey sloshed around before refocusing on Rian. "And, well– here I am, vampire in diapers trying to teach someone else how to vampire. But we manage, and things go relatively well minus a few bumps on the road, but that's to be expected, right?"

She'd take a sip then, toying with the notion of downing the whole thing right then and there.

"Except one night they don't, and my friend bloodlusts and nearly kills some unfortunate homeless guy—straight out guts him—and he's bleeding everywhere, and I—" she cleared her throat, blinking as if that'd spare her the sting in her fucking eyes. "I put him out of his misery, because the one who turned me had never let me in on the healing properties of vampire blood."

She sighed, feeling the beginnings of a headache brewing.

"That night is a fucking nightmare and the cleanup is a damn mess. Police start sniffing around, and here I am, trying to figure out what to do short of leaving the state and never coming back, and— well." She took another sip. "Some asshole decides to mindfuck me to never cause Eventide harm? Just out of the fucking blue. Except I've no idea who said asshole is to this day, since they decided to but a rotten cunt on top of everything else and memory wiped me, too."

She placed her glass back on Rian's desk.

"And that concludes my lovely introduction to undeath, after which I cut my losses, packed my stuff, and left."
#36
Ah. He would have had appreciated if she told him that police might be looking for her before. But it was fine, it was some time ago and judging from her description, it was... a mess...

Red exhaled, thinking about it all...

"It really seems like you've burned yourself badly here. Why did you come back?" he asked. "By the way, the bathroom is behind you if you need it..."
#37
Why did she, really?

"I'd say it's less me coming back with the intention of staying, and more so me passing through during my break from music—I got curious about Ridgefield. It's been well over half a decade."

Which was all very true.

At the mention of the bathroom, she spared a glance towards where he indicated, but ultimately refocused on him. "I think I'll manage for now."
#38
Red nodded, getting clearer picture of the situation.

"I see. Well, my offer stands even if it will be temporary." He said.
#39
Well, shit.

Color her fucking surprised. Like– genuinely.

She huffed, incredulous, but also... Sort of grateful? Was relieved the word she was looking for?

"And here I thought I botched my interview," it was, honestly, said only half-jokingly. Because holy shit?
#40
"Why? I think you'd be very valuable to my team, despite the unfortunate past." Red said. He wasn't himself always squeaky clean either. "I mean, you're talking to a guy who lost his cop job because of... well, I told you."
#41
"I'd live with the embarrassment of stress vomiting any day over this disaster." But hey, at least it was said with some mirth.
#42
Red offered her a handshake, just welcoming her with a soft smile.

"Well, welcome aboard. I'll show you around and show you the equipment." He said.
#43
So this was official now, huh? Legitimately?

It quite honestly took her a moment to wrap her fucking head around it, because well- because what the fuck. Of all the things to happen tonight, confessing to a murder (a mercy kill, really, but people never really cared for the distinction) to an ex cop of all fucking people and still being welcomed aboard? Without judgment? It hadn't been what she expected. Granted, she couldn't read his mind, but either she was dealing with a really skilled pretender here, or he genuinely understood the struggle of being new to things and trying to navigate a life you were supposed to be guided in instead of kicked out, and heh. So, yeah- good luck, you're on your own now.

Still what the fuck.

"Before you do that," she said as they finished their handshake (his hand was, surprisingly, not the startingly warm kind she'd come to expect from shifters), "I think I'll take you up on the bathroom offer." She had time, still, before the inevitable happened, but ah- no thank you. Rather get it done with now instead of worrying later.
#44
"Knock yourself out..." Red sighed.

Vampires had it rough, he knew. Especially with food and scarcity...
#45
Honestly, hardly the most thrilling aspect of vampirism, but she supposed one couldn't have it all. She'd try to get this over and done with rather quickly, for all there was nothing charming about a vampire heaving lukewarm whiskey back up, but hey- it was liquid, and as such was less troublesome.

For Rian's sake (as much as her own dignity), she'd leave the water running during the whole ordeal, after which she'd wash and dry her hands and just come back to the reality that was that the undead and food were simply incompatible.

Woe.

If only she could at least get a buzz from the alcohol, but alas-

After maybe two minutes or so, she'd emerge, and gesture towards the snake. "Let the tour begin," since it was now official and all. "And do let me know if you need a resume, too—I could email you one shortly."
#46
Well, he could start with his own room.

"My office doubles for security room." He turned the computer screen to her. "The cameras let you see everything that happens on the club floor, in the near perimeter of the club as well as the closed off, sound-proofed section for housing supernaturals who need help and the Initiative activities."

He clicked a button that switched the modes.

"It also comes in thermal vision."
#47
He wasted no time, and it was something she could appreciate about him.

Cameras were the standard; they were everywhere, always watching, but thermal?

"Clever," she commented.
#48
Red invited her over to the storage room where he also kept equipment issued to security team.

"These are the radios. Also, for involuntary shifting or bloodlusting incidents, we have these dart guns." He loaded one. "As you can probably guess, these have belladonna extract."
#49
And so, after the snake she followed.

"I should let you know I haven't fired a gun in a few years, tranq or otherwise." She'd always been the up close and personal type.
#50
"Well, we can practice. Or I could equip you with syringes instead." Red sighed but felt that would be a bit messy.
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