Electric Feel

[Maxpphire]

He had walked into the Library with a smile, holding some books and a couple of tapes, one of his more favorite places to be. He had set down his stack at the front counter to turn them in, made some simple small talk with the Librarian before he went off to his usual corner of the Library. The one specifically for the sight impaired. He would feel the binding on the books one by one, he seemed to be looking for something. His blond hair was in a loose and low ponytail, and while looking at some of the books on the lower shelves some of the shorter strands had escaped and moved in front of his face. He gingerly just moved those strands to behind his ears.

Once he seemed to pick out a couple of books, he moved to the Audio Books. He sat down on the floor in front of the shelf as he would pick up CD's or Cassettes and open them up to feel the inside cover of them, where the Braille titles existed. He didn't exactly seem hard of seeing at all, he didn't have a cane, a dog, or anything to guide him. He also seemed to know where he removed the CD or Cassette from and would put it back in the same spot without having to count how many it was inwards. The same went with the books. He was clearly feeling the titles, but it seemed as if he could see. He quietly hummed to himself as he was searching through the audio section. He was having a pretty good day today.

Not like many people where over by the visually impaired section anyway, but any who was tend to keep their distance from Dreki. The look in his deep blue with specks of light gray eyes had these very intense kind of piercing stare to them, almost as if he could see deep into other's souls without having to try too hard. It was either the look his eyes gave off or the fact that he smelled of more than just mortal, caused others to leave him be most of the time, however it was known to draw a couple of people from him from time to time. Given that he was a bit of an introvert he didn't mind the fact that others mostly avoided him, but was always polite to those who did approach him.

[Existentially Odd]

Samuel Taylor had slunk back into the city a couple of weeks before, single and ashamed. He hadn't decided on a permanent address yet - or even if he was going to stay - so he'd been residing in a modest hotel overlooking Pisky Memorial Park. He walked to the library every night, finding its very aroma a balm to his troubled soul. He always began his night catching up on the latest news in the Eternal Chronicle - the supernatural newspaper - and then spent the rest of the night reading (restlessly) and thinking.

When he'd left the city nineteen months before, it had been with Vomas, in a haze of love. It'd taken a few months for him to figure out Vomas had hoodwinked the citizens of the city, stealing the Oligarchy's money and deciding to use it for his own business. The acting Luminary had had a myriad of reasons, of course - the Oligarchy was no more, the money would be put to better use with him, he'd pay it back once his hotel started profiting - but none of them had sat right.

Broken, Vomas had eventually confessed the truth to Samuel. He'd overspent and the business wouldn't get a chance to recoup any of the money. Sam had been stunned. And ashamed. His Southern sensibilities didn't compare to his lover's; he knew the embezzling was wrong and he couldn't get past it. They couldn't get past it and the relationship had disintegrated four months in. He'd tried to make a life nearby, knowing the Oligarchy was gone in the city, trying to find a place where he belonged again. It was humiliating to realise he'd surrendered so much of himself that he'd lost sight of who he was.

He'd heard rumours about the districts here, about the strife. It hadn't appealed but then he'd got hold of an Eternal Chronicle that told him something miraculous. Kerr Galvin wasn't dead and he was back! Samuel's unbeating heart dared to hope that he might find a place in the city again, believing the ex-Luminary would resume something akin to his former duties. Surely he'd need a lead researcher/librarian/chronicler? He'd returned to the city almost immediately but, so far, nothing else newsworthy (except a mildly interesting trial involving the trophy wife) had arisen. Sam had read all the back articles multiple times but none of them gave him a clue about where and how to kickstart his life again.

It was intensely frustrating.

Tonight, however, as he walked through the library from the digital archive section towards the place he usually liked to curl up and read, something different struck him. A fragrance that promised some respite from his tangled emotions. On a whim, Samuel followed his nose (literally) and found himself in the sight impaired section. There was only one other person there, a lanky blonde sitting in front of a shelf, examining CD cases. Sam loitered, watching the guy's fingers do the reading while he hummed a catchy tune.

Gene.

He smelt like another of Samuel's past crushes, sweet and delicious, though he didn't have the ethereal looks to go with it. Mind, Samuel couldn't tell properly, from only seeing his downturned profile. He leant on his shoulder against the bookcase, crossing one sneakered foot over the other - kicking the leg of his jeans away when it momentarily got caught awkwardly - as he considered how to bring attention to himself. He shoved both hands in the front pocket of his black hoodie while lame openers ran through his head. He wasn't looked at, despite the ruffles of his clothing not being silent. The guy seemed blind but... he also seemed to be looking at things purposefully. It was strange. As Sam gazed at him, he tucked a few wispy strands of hair behind his ear, the gesture endearing and causing the vampire to smile.

"Hey, what's that tune y'all are humming?" he drawled, his accent making him sound far more casual than his roused interest actually made him inside.

[Maxpphire]

He noticed the vampire approach him and could tell by his aura that he was indeed a vampire as it was a similar feeling that Drew had given off but of course different in it's own personal way. He paid no mind until the vampire spoke to him, he stopped humming and looked up at the Vampire, their eyes meeting, much as if he wasn't blind. He smiled with an inviting warmth, and had put back the most recent thing he removed from the shelf without even looking at the shelf itself, but putting it back in the same spot he removed it from without much effort.

"It's a song from Foster the People, it's called 'Sit next to me' from one of their newer albums." He explained in a slightly quiet tone, they were in a Library after all. He had an interesting thought and wondered if the vampire would take that as an invite to do just that. He debated on whether or not he should introduce himself quite right away or if he should stand up or something. He felt his heart beat a little quicker as a sense of nerves seemed to wash over him and make him a little anxious. He wasn't always the best with one on one interactions with people he didn't really know, he was better at handling a crowds, making him a pretty decent teacher as he usually dealt with his students as a crowd first then once he got to understand them a bit better, one on one interactions took naturally at that point. He was mentally overthinking things but kept a cool exterior trying to hide his mild nervousness as much as possible.

[Existentially Odd]

Samuel grinned when he heard the title of the song. It gave him the perfect opening and the sweet-smelling mortal’s actions were intriguing enough that he wanted to know more - the way he’d looked at him had felt intense, yet he read with his fingers? He was the first person to pique Samuel’s curiosity in a long time.

“Don’t mind if I do,” he announced and dropped fluidly into a cross-legged position on the boy’s right, his back to the shelf so that he could face his new interest. He had a lovely, delicate face - almost pretty - now that Sam could see it all; striking eyes with effects in them his vampiric gaze exulted in examining, the cutest nose, creamy skin and truly kissable lips. Mainly, it was his scent and that cultured hum that had garnered Sam’s attention but the guy wasn’t lacking in the looks department.

Sam pulled his hands out of his hoodie pocket and shuffled so that he was slightly turned towards his interest, settling his right shoulder blade against the shelf behind him. His knee was very close to the mortal’s - though he was careful not to be too forward and press his leg against him - and Sam was highly aware of the heat coming off him. Delicious. His cool hands dropped back into his own lap once he was comfortable.

“So... you sing, right?” he smiled at the mortal, his gaze roving over this new and delightful face. “Because I may not know that song or that band but even I can tell you were doing a good job.” The song had been joyful because it was in such a high key, filled with jaunty little runs that showed the mortal’s skill off as he hummed up and down the scale so effortlessly. Samuel was impressed and it could be heard in his voice as he referenced the other man’s musicality.

[Maxpphire]

He softly chuckled at Sam's response to what song he was humming and him sitting down, it was quite the sly move and Dreki appreciated it. He payed attention to how Sam got comfortable, noticed that Sam's knee was close to touching his leg. Dreki wasn't the best at reading body language, given how he was fully blind for the first 18 years of his life, and this past 10 years he's only been able to see basic outlines of things and people, but he had a feeling that this new found friend in the library was at the least interested in getting to know him. The question helped confirm that for him. The smile after his laugh didn't fade from his face, but turned into a more calm and warm smile.

"That I can, I also own and can play a few instruments," he added on, "I suppose my hobby helps with the fact that I teach music at the local mortal high school." He choose his words carefully, in a way, letting Sam know that he knew what Sam was without saying it out loud. Or at the very least, hinting that he was already in the know. Also pointing out that Music was both a Hobby and a Job for him, that it was something he at the very least knew a lot of. He leaned a little bit closer, clearly not minding the company. He rested his hands on the legs while they talked, the leg that was close to Sam's knee, well he put his hand on the part of his leg that was closest to Sam's knee, almost as if an invitation.

[Existentially Odd]

Samuel expelled breath in a puff of a laugh, impressed by the mortal's ingenuity in letting him know that he understood the difference between mortals and supernaturals. He clearly recognised that he and Sam were on the same team, so to speak, though Samuel had no idea what made the other's blood smell so sweet. He glanced around, instinctively gauging who was in their vicinity and might overhear him if he spoke openly on the topic. There were folks milling about all over the place, moving randomly from one part of the library to the next, depending on their interests. He decided it was too risky and looked back at the blond.

"A few instruments?" Samuel repeated admiringly. "Man, my parents tried to make me learn the piano as a kid and I had two left hands, it felt like. Go on, tell me, how many instruments is 'a few'?" he chided playfully, touching the mortal's hand briefly in encouragement. He was nice and warm, his skin as soft as it looked. Sam decided he should not get overly familiar too quickly and pulled his hand back to his own lap again.

[Maxpphire]

"Well, there are 7 of them I can pick up on by ear, wouldn't mind learning more but I'm just not sure what to pick up at this point. Piano was my first and I still feel like I'm learning new things with it." He smiled as he spoke, enjoying the company that Sam gave. He felt the cool hand brush up against his, and his smile curled a bit more on the edges. It did give him a curious thought however. Were vampires always that cool to the touch? He didn't quite remember Drew feeling as cold, but he was also fairly drunk that night as well so maybe he just didn't pay attention.

"So what do you do as your hobbies? I feel like I've already talked plenty about mine." He asked in attempts to get to know his new found friend a bit more. He didn't mind to continuing about talking about his but at the same time, he didn't want to be rude and take up all the conversation either. While he did have more hobbies than just music, he figured he would talk about those in due time, just letting the conversation carry itself in whatever way Sam decides to take it after his question.

[Existentially Odd]

"Seven? And you want to learn more?!" Samuel laughed, taken aback that the number the mortal named was so high. He'd expected two or three, seven exceeded his expectations, especially since there was still the lingering question about whether the guy was truly blind or not - as he thought it, the other's words about picking instruments up by ear made sense. He couldn't read sheet music, he had to learn everything by listening to it. Damn. This guy was impressive. Did he teach reading sheet music, though? How did his vision impairment affect his teaching otherwise?

He was diverted from his thoughts with a gentle nudge about his own. "I could listen to you talk all night about yours," he demurred, "mine are nowhere near as interesting. I like to research. Supernaturals, powers, magical artefacts, histories... it's pretty boring to most folks that like living in the here and now, but I find it fascinating. I come here every night to read. I'm between jobs at the moment so I have plenty of time to indulge my interests. I guess you could say it was them that drew me to you," he hinted, glancing past the mortal at the other library patrons around them. No-one had reacted to his hobby descriptions but that didn't mean no-one was listening to him. His time at the Oligarchy had maybe made him paranoid but he preferred being careful. He resisted the urge to ask his companion about his species, though the desire to know more was evident in his voice.

"I'm Samuel, by the way," he introduced himself. He didn't hold his hand out for shaking because talking to this man wasn't a business venture and he'd have felt awkward being so formal when they were just having a casual chat (nice as it would be to get his hand on that warmth for real).

[Maxpphire]

"Oh no worries, learning new things is anything but boring. It's part of the reason why I want to learn a new instrument, also part of the reason why I am here grabbing hopefully a months worth of things that I haven't read yet. I also teach about Myths and truths of the supernatrual and of the like at the Kerr Galvin Academy, so if anything I'm pretty sure thats just a hobby in common between us." He said having caught on to what Sam said about his hobbies having drawn him to Dreki. He caught onto the fact that Sam was a vampire so it only made sense that Sam likely caught on to the fact that Dreki was a little more than human.

"I'm Dreki" He said and did actually reach out his hand for a handshake, it was his left hand implicating his lefthandedness, but also the burn scar that covered his entire palm. He also noticed little nuances in Sam's head movement to suggest he was maybe looking behind him.

"Do you wish to head elsewhere?" He asked, wondering if it would be a smart idea to invite Sam to his place for some privacy, much like Drew had done for him, or if they could go somewhere quiet in public where they didn't have to worry about any potential listeners.

[Existentially Odd]

“Dreki,” Samuel repeated, tasting the unusual name, letting it roll around his tongue until it felt like he’d remember it. He eyed the hand that was held out, grinning wryly as he reached his left hand across his body to connect with it.  He didn’t so much shake the man’s hand as hold it and explore it with his fingers, caressing its features and savouring its warmth until it seemed the right time to let it go. He didn’t want to seem weird.

When asked if he wished to go sone where, Samuel was embarrassed. It sounded like Dreki thought he wanted to get away, which definitely wasn’t the case! “Oh, no, no, I think we’ll be fine. I’m just wary of breaking all these new district rules is all and I’d hate for someone to overhear us. No-one’s paying us any extra mind, though. We should be fine, as long as we keep things quiet.”

To demonstrate, he shuffled closer to his companion, no longer maintaining a respectful distance because his leg was pressed alongside Dreki’s and the vampire leant into his space conspiratorially. His face was mere inches away from the blond’s. “There. This’ll be just between the two of us,” he murmured, taken by Dreki’s scent as it flowed in and out of him with his breath. “I gather you have partial vision?” he hazarded. It was only logical, since the other man had been aware of him looking around to the point where’d he’d asked if Sam wanted to leave.

Plus, there was the directness of that gaze.  Something other than full blindness had to be going on.

[Maxpphire]

He payed attention to how Samuel shook his hand, how it felt much more like how he would feel one's face rather than a normal handshake. He didn't mind it so much, but it brought himself to remember that he does have quite the scar on his left hand, so the fact that Samuel was gentle and seemed to explore his hand instead of a normal handshake seemed more appropriate to him. He wasn't quite aware that people who could see normally don't do that so it didn't bother him any, particularly since that was indeed his scarred hand.

He also understood the worry about the rules of the districts, as he was just learning about them himself. A semi-recent run-in with a certain detective had brought his attention to the rules of the districts and past that he went to learn more about the rules on his own in his spare time to have not accidentally cross them again. When Samuel moved closer, he matched a bit to meet him half way at least. Also the fact that Samuel had repeated his name after being told what it was, didn't surprise him. He knew he had a unique name, and it had to do with the naming schematic on his Mom's side of the family. Everyone's name had to do with a mythical creature or being of some sort without being too obvious about it.

"My sight, or rather how I see, is unique," He started with keeping his voice low and quiet so they couldn't be overheard, "I can only see the basic outlines of things, the closer the object is the more detail I can make out on it, but fine details or flat details are not something I can pick up. The two what I assume are colors that I can see contract eachother quite well but I wouldn't really be able to tell you what colors they are. An example being is that you're close enough that I can see the outlines of the opening of your eyes. Since eyes have that bump where the lens sits over the pupil, I can tell where someone is looking if they are close enough, you having darted your eyes around a bit was noticeable to me in that way. That being said I cannot see your eyelashes, your eyebrows, your face shape, and other details of your face beyond the opening to your eyes, mouth, nose, and since you are leaning this close, I can kind of see how your brow bone connects with the bridge of your nose. I cannot see that with everyone which leads me to believe that some people have flatter nose bridges." He explained in as much detail as he could. When it came to books he was still effectively blind as print on paper was a flat detail, hence why he was in the visually impaired section.

[Existentially Odd]

Samuel simply smiled through the whole speech, listening raptly. It was a fascinating description - and detailed, which he appreciated - and he tried hard to reverse their positions and imagine what life would be like for Dreki.

“Does light have an effect? If it’s brighter, is it easier for you to see some details?” he enquired. If so, being out at night might not be as preferable as day.

[Maxpphire]

"Light has no affect on me visually," He mentioned, "Much like colors I don't understand the difference between light and dark. Well I do, in a verbal sense. I can tell you the differences, but I've never experienced them. It's like how I can't tell you what two colors I see. I've been told that shining a flashlight on my eyes and it will constrict and dilate as a normal person's, so my eyes understand what it is better than I do."

After thinking for a moment he then mentioned. "The easiest way for me to see details is to feel them with my hands. Which is why I read Braille written books. I can't see printed type, I know how to write, but my handwriting is kind of garbage I've been told, given my inability to actually see where I am writing."

[Existentially Odd]

Sam chuckled, offended on Dreki's behalf that someone would bother telling him his handwriting was garbage - he was blind! What did they expect?

"You've been hanging out with the wrong type of folks if they feel it necessary to tell someone who can't see that their writing sucks. Seriously!" he scoffed, shaking his head as he shared his offence. Dreki didn't seem to mind, he was obviously a much nicer guy than Sam was. Since he was still lingering up close to him, Samuel had a good vantage point from which to look at those eyes. They were fascinating, peaks and troughs of multiple colours swirled together like a lollipop. The thought of such sweetness led him to think again about how sweet the man smelt. He decided he had to know.

Forgive the intrusion, he thought into Dreki's mind, hoping he wouldn't freak out from having a voice that wasn't his own in his head, but I was wondering... your blood's not like the usual mortal's... you smell delicious to me and I was hoping you could tell me why? As he asked his question, his hand moved sideways out of his lap and onto his knee, close enough that he could brush the backs of his fingers against the side of Dreki's, silently connecting to him physically in case his mental intrusion was too much. Not everybody reacted favourably to such impoliteness and Sam understood why. You can just think your answer, that way no-one will overhear us. But I'll hear you.

[Maxpphire]

He chuckled at Sam being offended at his handwriting issue. "It was old school teachers whom have told me as such, I didn't willingly hang out with any of them, my students sometimes ask about it but I try to do most things online now." He didn't want Sam to be too angry at something that doesn't matter way too much to him.

He wasn't quite expecting Sam to enter his mind, but he seemed quite used to having someone there. Mentally Dreki would seem almost locked away, as if he was hiding most of his mind away on purpose. It would also give a sense of loneliness and sadness most forthcoming out of whatever he has mentally hidden.

'I feel a bit lucky then, my usual invader doesn't give me much of a chance to speak back.' He offhandedly mentioned, in a way to let Sam know he was used to this, but also it gave a much more sinister peak into what he has been dealing with as of late without him actually having meant to mean it in such a way either. 'I'm a little more than just human, guess it's obvious to most other supernatural folk that I'm a little more than mortal. My DNA has been altered to include Angel DNA. He kept it a bit simple. Figured he would maybe let Sam more in the know if he really wanted to know. At this point he didn't think the benefits of being part angel was worth the negatives of dealing with the facility anymore. He honestly wanted out, but knew as long as they continued to hold Emma over his head, he won't be able to leave.

[Existentially Odd]

Samuel got an answer he was in no way prepared for. He pulled back sharply and winced when his head contacted the book case behind him. It didn't hurt, his reaction was from shock, not pain. The sensation of being in Dreki's head still enshrouded him; it was dark and isolated and left him feeling cold all the way through. What the hell was going on here? And why was he being shown a little girl?

Your usual invader? Altered DNA? How? he queried, astounded.

Who was altering DNA successfully? And how did they get hold of Angel DNA in the first place? His heart went cold as he connected Dreki's scent with Gene's and thought about how Gene's number hadn't connected when Samuel had got back into town and tried to call him. Could something have happened to Gene? Something to do with Dreki?

[Maxpphire]

'Are you ok?' He had first asked noticing Samuel's reaction to when he first popped in, a little worried and not exactly sure to make of such a reaction, then he heard Samuel's questions. He figured that he was likely ok and that hitting the bookcase didn't hurt too much. He wasn't even aware that he was giving off images of Emma. She is 19 now but it's hard for him to see her as an adult given her mental age of like 4-5.

'Oh, my doctor keeps an ear out for me usually right after any visits or if he wants something out of me. His presence gives me a headache so knowing when he is around or not is kind of easy. Also I'm not sure how exactly, it happened 10 years ago and I remember being very sick for a few months, but my memory of those few months is really fuzzy. It wasn't pleasant.' He was actually kind of worried that after the last time he saw Dr. Hofflan, that he did something to make Dreki even more angel like. He had gotten ill for a short while after his last appointment and even learned that he had powers that were new to him anyway. He had a few concerns and regrets about having agreed to do such a thing, but in the back of his mind he knew that he would have been forced to do it he hadn't willingly agreed to it. Who knows what his fate would have been then, he probably wouldn't be as free as he had been allowed to be thus far.

[Existentially Odd]

A doctor did this to you? What sort of doctor is he? Is he a vampire? Where did this even happen?

Samuel was stunned that Dreki's thoughts were so calm. He supposed the mortal had dealt with it for ten years but that didn't make it any easier for Samuel to wrap his mind around the story. There was so much more to this guy than just smelling good. What had this fucking city come to? How had Samuel never heard anything about this when he worked at the Oligarchy?

He was getting sick of all these questions, he anticipated Dreki's patience with him asking them would be growing thin also. He'd apologise soon... once he got some answers to satisfy his ravenous curiosity. Just a few more...

[Maxpphire]

'At a facility of some kind. I don't know the answers to the rest.' His answers in tone grew a bit cold with a hint of sadness behind them. He was taken sightly aback by Sam's reaction, as he wasn't expecting it to be so intense. Of course he didn't speak about this to everyone, but the one person he did tell beyond Sam seemed much more calm about it all. He did speak the truth but part of him wanted to cry now. His heart rate raised a bit now out of feeling pretty anxious and upset. He hid that he felt that way physically, but mentally, it was harder for him to hide it.

Flashes of his time at the facility passed though. None of the flashes seemed particularly happy. 'How is it that you still can't fight? We've been training you for months!/Hrm a fever of 110, never seen anyone fight through being so warm, I wonder if he'll even make it. It would be a shame if he didn't./What do you mean you don't want to do this anymore? How do you think Emma would take that news?' Were the major flashes that passed through in his mind, he didn't even mean to show to Sam. The hint of sadness that accompanied his current shift mood was a very deep and vast sadness. Almost as if he had little will to live. Of course he'd never do anything with Emma still alive as he didn't want to cause her pain, but there seemed to be quite a lot of pain hiding under his usually cheerful demeanor.

[Existentially Odd]

Dreki's sadness permeated Samuel's emotions, compounded by the painful memories that flashed at him like so many awful movie moments. When told Dreki couldn't answer anymore, he felt awful for pressing him. He only wanted to help the youngling, but it seemed he didn't know enough for that to happen. All that was left was to comfort the mortal.

"May I give you a hug?" he asked quietly. "I wish I could help you more but... that's all I can offer right now." If given an affirmative answer, he would lean in and wrap his arms around Dreki gently, resting his cheek against the blond's.

[Maxpphire]

"Sure." He spoke in a much more even and calm tone. He didn't verbally sound sad. When Sam went in for the hug he hugged back with a decent grip, part of him wanted to cry but he didn't. He just didn't have any more tears left to cry at this point, after all, this was the life he choose for himself. Something about the embrace was comforting to him however, and he didn't want to quite let go.

"Sorry I don't know much about the place itself." He said while still in the embrace. "I wasn't expecting you to react as intensely as you did. I gave one other person similar information and they were calm about it. I guess, it's not really a thing to be calm over, is it?" He hypothetically asked starting to realize each passing day just how much shit he was in with this place. They had him by the neck and there was not much he could do about it. He wanted to be free, he knew he would never be fully mortal again and that didn't bother him, he just wanted to not be in their grasp anymore.

[Existentially Odd]

"S-sorry again," Samuel apologised, feeling emotional enough that his stutter made a minor appearance. He pulled back so that he could look at Dreki while he spoke but he didn't completely let go of him. His hands trailed across Dreki's shoulders, down along his arms and to his hands. He held them gently in his, mostly in Dreki's lap, toying with the warm fingers as he spoke, his head tilted toward the hybrid and watching him from beneath his brows.

"It's... definitely intense. I dunno' how anybody could hear your story and be calm about it. Unless they're into slavery, of course, because that sounds like what you're going through with this facility place. Were you willing? At the start? You, uh," he glanced around again because they were speaking aloud but he felt he'd pushed too hard when he was in the youngling's mind, so he didn't want to go back to that. There was no-one nearby, they were alone. "You wanted to have Angel blood? Or was it forced on you?"

[Maxpphire]

"I choose the angel blood, but I was 16 at the time. I wanted to see, they promised me that, but at such a price it isn't quite worth it." He explained a little bit. "My parents died when I was 16, after the first foster home I was put in didn't work out, they found out about me and adopted me, and the little girl I met in that home on the spot. I think the choice was more of a facade and if I didn't agree to it then they would have just choose something for me. They tried to train me a bit both before and after so I'd be useful to them, and for a while I didn't think any of us thought I was. Apparently the last time I saw my doctor, I think he altered me a bit further. I had a lapse of memory, a run in with the law and the facility saw something in that event during my memory lapse." He seemed worried about it, but he spoke quietly. He only mentioned his parents death because he didn't want Sam to blame them for something that wasn't their fault. He spoke how he truly felt about his situation.

"I'd like to be free but right now it just isn't possible. That girl that was adopted with me is someone whom I grew to see as a sister before the facility adopted us both and is being held over my head. She is mentally a toddler but a sweet child who doesn't deserve any harm that she had received in the past, let alone, them doing anything to her. With her living there, I am stuck like this." This was the first time his sadness shown in his voice during this whole conversation. It was her he was worried about. He played around a bit with the vampire's hands a bit too. The cooling sensation on his skin felt nice, almost like a cool breeze during the summer. He sighed and went back to a more cheery demeanor.

"Thank you for listening, I've never quite talked about all of that before. Not even to that other person. I guess it's a way to protect her and whoever else I speak with. I feel relaxed with you, I normally don't talk about this, but, it felt nice to for once." He smiled and nice warm and welcoming smile. He was thankful and at the same time not sure why he told Sam all of this, maybe he knew Sam would find out somehow anyway. He felt he could trust Sam, even if they had just met. He wanted to get to know Sam better as he never felt this way around anyone before, it was even different from how he felt around Drew. He hoped that whenever they finish talking that they continue to stay on touch at least.

[Existentially Odd]

That explained the image of the girl he'd seen. Knowing all this happened to a babe of sixteen only made him feel worse for the trapped man Dreki had become. What sort of life was he living? Taken to a facility from a foster home after he was orphaned and now they were using his only attachment in the world against him, to control him? What a terribly lonely life he must have.

That thought was only reinforced when he was told he didn't usually share his story with others. He wouldn't either, in Dreki's place. Samuel leant his head back against the shelf, smiling despite himself. The intensity of their connection had blossomed only because he'd been driven to investigate the scent of an angel and a connection had been forged that he, admittedly, had forced on Dreki. He didn't regret it and from the way Dreki was playing with his fingers, he seemed to like the connection, too. Samuel hoped so.

"You're welcome," he murmured, when he was thanked for listening. "Thank you for trusting me with your story. It's... pretty unique," he said wryly, withdrawing his left hand from Dreki's lap and dropping it in his own because it was an awkward position, now that he was leaning back against the bookcase. His right hand remained, playing with Dreki's. The warmth of his hand was nice, as was the lean strength of Dreki's thigh beneath his forearm. He couldn't help but wonder whether the man would taste as sweet as he smelt but did his best to push the inappropriate thought away.

Samuel turned the conversation to a less stressful topic then, asking what it was like to teach music to mortals. Samuel watched Dreki's face light up as he talked, the way his hands moved and he smiled. He barely even heard what he said, he was so interested in the way Dreki looked when he was talking about something he loved. The conversation went on, comfortable and entertaining - this was definitely the most interesting time Sam had had in the library since returning to the city. As he listened, his hand moved away from warm fingers and came to rest on Dreki's thigh, loosely grasping it. Sam stretched out his legs, his left knee raised. It swung towards Dreki as they spoke.

"So... am I keeping you from getting your CDs out and getting on with your evening?" Samuel drawled, glancing past his shoulder at the shelf Dreki was sitting in front of. He couldn't remember if the other man had chosen any or not. "Do you have somewhere important to be?" Samuel grinned. He didn't want to end their conversation but he was feeling slightly guilty at having such a good time, especially if it was at someone else's expense.

[Maxpphire]

When Sam asked about things that Dreki liked instead, he took off explaining. It seemed to be something he could do for hours and Sam would grow to know that Dreki loves learning other languages as well as playing instruments and knows several on top of that as well. The amount of information that Dreki could retain as a 28 year old was fairly impressive to most mortal standards. The sadness hidden behind his eyes had left and replace with their normal look.

"Honestly I have nothing better to do at the moment so you're not keeping me from anything. If anything I want to know more about you." He mentioned leaning against the shelf a little. "I've honestly talked enough about myself tonight, I feel a little bad about it, so give me some details about yourself." He requested as he looked towards Sam with an inviting smile. Who knows maybe this would be done better over food or something, but what can a vampire eat beyond blood anyway? He didn't want this conversation to end either and was at the very least debating on asking to meet again somehow, but felt a little nervous at the prospect of doing so. He wasn't sure why he was nervous, after all he dumped upon the poor guy his life story and it was fine.

[Existentially Odd]

Samuel chuckled, pleased that he wasn't going to lose Dreki to the night any time soon but also uncomfortable with giving details about himself. He supposed it was fair, since Dreki had shared some really intimate stuff but the potential for his companion to find something a little off about Sam was always there, lurking in the back of his mind. Best to keep some of the more sordid bits to himself.

"Well, as long as we're being honest," Samuel teased, cheekily pointing out the way the mortal/angel had used the word twice in rapid succession - making him sound a little sketchy, 'honestly'. He glanced around to see that they were still isolated before he launched into his friendliest speech about himself.

"I'm Sam and I'm a hundred and ninety-eight years old. I was sired when I was twenty-one by a woman who was truly ahead of her time. I haven't seen her in centuries. I hope she's still alive. I'll be a hundred and ninety-nine this year but I'm looking forward to seeing two hundred next year. My starsign is Libra and it's pretty accurate because I'm anal about organisational shit and I need balance in my life or it makes me cranky. I love reading and, I must confess, I know next to nothing about music," he grinned, lifting his hand off Dreki's leg to swipe it in the air between them, emphasising just how little he knew about the topic.

He'd strategically put something Dreki was passionate about last, to distract him from thinking too hard about the rest.

[Maxpphire]

He noticed at the whole poking fun at his word choice and smiled, sometimes when nervous it verbally comes out in that way. He didn't mind it, but noticed that Sam used it to segway into other facts about himself, he smiled hearing him list things off, and figured it would be best he follow suit.

"Well, I'm Dreki and I'm 28 years old. I've been told by my doctor however that I've seemed to have stopped aging when I hit 25 so who knows if that's actually a thing or apart of my angel genes. Likewise I'll be 29 this year and will celebrate being 30 when you turn 200. I'm also a Libra who is an organizational specialist, but part of that comes from me being blind. Changing things around too much makes things difficult for me to this day, because I can't read traditional text or anything I keep my kitchen in a very specific way so I know what I'm cooking and that I'm cooking it correctly. I also love reading, and I'm sure you know more about music than you realize. Do you read poetry at all?"

That last question was a bit of a stretch, Sam hasn't mentioned anything about Poetry or even referenced anything poetic, but that's usually the first place he started with anyone with any musical non-goings. Particularly if they liked reading or writing, usually in school there is always a poetry section in their English Class at some point, he didn't know how it would go over with a Nearly 200 year old being. But even he had to have heard of poetry, it was older than that.

[Existentially Odd]

Samuel laughed when Dreki started copying his style of talking about himself, finding humour in the mortal’s mimicry. He made a show of sobering up and grinning once he started listening properly, sitting up straight with his hands folded primly around each other in his lap. When the final questioned registered, he rubbed his nose self-consciously.

“Well, yeah I read poetry. I’ve even been known to write some myself,” he shrugged, embarrassed.

Writing ‘some’ was a massive understatement, considering the books he’d filled with his poems - most of it terrible, some of it worthy of not cringing at when he pulled it out into the light - and the sheer amount on his computer (he was fanatical about backing up his work). A lot of it was about Vomas and their breakup, the fall of the Oligarchy, Gene. Dreki would likely feature in one soon but Sam wasn’t about to admit that out loud.

“What’s that got to do with knowing what song’s playing on the radio and what band’s singing it?” he queried.

[Maxpphire]

"You write poetry?" He asked sounding a bit excited "You know, you're basically writing song lyrics, right? Most lyrics are in some poetic form. You don't need to know the bands of the century to know music." He smiled as he spoke, he did actually seen excited about the fact that Sam even wrote poetry. He would love to hear it and might even think of tiny little melodies for it in his mind, or on his piano if Sam was willing.

"I wouldn't mind hearing your poems sometime, and if you want, I could give them a musical backing to them" He had a pretty big smile on his face. He didn't seem to care that Sam was nearing 200 tested old. He seemed relaxed and not worried about much in the way of the world right now, until his phone went off, 'Text from Unknown number', it spoke in a robotic woman's voice, only once. His smiled faded a bit but was still there. He just recently had a doctors appointment, what else did Dr. Hofflan want from him.

[Existentially Odd]

Samuel shook his head, grinning as Dreki responded so enthusiastically to his poetry writing. He hadn’t shared it with many people and he’d had varied reactions from those he had. He’d read one to Vomas most recently but the reaction had been awkward enough that he’d ended up trying to explain the words he’d chosen until his stammer had been so strong he could barely speak. He hadn’t shared again, after that. It was always a risk, opening himself up to criticism like that.

“You are imagining far more quality than I’ve got, if you think you can put them to music!” Sam laughed but he sobered and fell quiet as a text overrode him and Dreki’s demeanour changed completely. He didn’t get the text read out - Sam supposed he’d have to put some headphones in to listen to it, otherwise the whole world would hear all his texts and private business - but it seemed like he knew who was texting, judging by his reaction. “I gather that’s not just a random telemarketer?” Sam hazarded.

[Maxpphire]

"It's not." He left his answer to that short and simple. It wouldn't read the text out loud without Dreki requesting it as thats how he had the program set up. Now trying to forget about the text for now and to continue their good conversation, as he didn't want anything to sour it right now. His smile had mostly remain, no reason to make it leave fully right now.

"Anyway, artists tend to be their own worst critics. How many little tunes do you think I've come up with that no one has ever heard before? Although to be fair my only audience for them in the past was Emma, it's not exactly hard to please her, nor is it hard to make things sound pretty on a Piano, even if you have now idea what you're doing." He said just massively underselling his abilities, he didn't think his own written work was that good, which is why whenever he went out to bars to play, he played a pre-select list of songs unless he got requests. The only one who's ever heard his own personal work was Emma, and maybe others at the facility if they had ever bothered to listen but he didn't really care about them in particular.

[Existentially Odd]

Samuel didn’t pursue the text, not wishing to pry. He smirked as Dreki downplayed his musical ability in much the same way he’d demurred the quality of his poetry. The kid was smart; the irony wasn’t lost on him.

“Well, now, I’m pretty sure I could sit at a piano and nothing pretty would come out,” he laughed, enjoying the challenge of conversing with Dreki. It amused him that they were competing over who was the least talented.

“I tell you what,” he began, leaning towards his companion in a relaxed and friendly way (though he had to admit, getting close to his sweet warmth held a certain allure that was only growing, the longer they spent together), “if you play me something of yours, I’ll read you something of mine and we’ll see if we can’t decide who’s the worst at what they love once and for all, hmn?” he grinned.

[Maxpphire]

He smiled a bit more at Sam's reaction to him playing piano. Honestly he knew better, you could plop right on a few keys and make a little ditty out of nothing. He liked the idea of Sam's little game of 'I'll show you mine if you show me yours, and was honestly beginning to really enjoy Sam's company. He got a bit of a sly idea, and wondered how offering this would even go.

"Well, if you want, my apartment has my instruments in it. Do you know any of your poems by heart or have any of them on you?" He asked just straight up offering to bring Sam to his place. A much more intimate setting, one where they could talk even more freely than having to worry about the extras in the Library. It was also something he hasn't quite done, usually if he invited someone over, more alcohol and promises of sexual behavior was involved. Now here, it was more of a friendly gesture, but that didn't mean Dreki wasn't open for more depending on where things lead them.

"Of course you don't have to now, or today even, but the offer is there" He also added on as to not chase Sam away. He liked his new found friend so far. Likely even more than he realized, he didn't want to mess this up. While he had friends while in the facility, his connections outside we're slim. They were slowly growing, and for the better. He felt this was a good change in his life thus far, but that text sitting at the back of his mind, he wasn't entirely sure. He felt like a kid leaning how to walk in some respects, and in other respects felt like that same learning how to walk kid with no legs.

[Existentially Odd]

"Daaaamn, you don't mess around, do ya'?" he laughed when Dreki took up his challenge and referred to his apartment holding all his instruments. No punches pulled; he liked that.

"No, no, tonight works. I have no life and you're not busy right now, so there's no time like the present, as they say," he insisted when Dreki tried to roll his offer back and transfer it to another night. "I'm pretty sure I have some stuff on my phone," he mumbled, hurriedly scrolling through his notes and seeing a few passable attempts at poetry - mostly they were snippets of ideas that had come to him when he was out and about that he might later turn into something but there were also some truly awful ones. Certainly not the most impressive examples in his repertoire but that was his secret weapon in their war of crapness.

"It's definitely not my best stuff but that's kinda' the point, right?" he chuckled, getting to his feet. He reached down a hand in front of Dreki's face. "Here, lemme' help you up," he said, gently drawing the other into a standing position once he had his hand. He was surprised, once they were both standing, that they were the same height. "Well," he breathed, pressing himself up close and in Dreki's personal space, liking the feel of his warmth radiating so close against his front, "you're taller than I thought," he grinned.

Dreki didn't seem nearly so helpless now and it helped Samuel move his thoughts away from thinking him fragile to... someone he didn't have to be entirely gentle with.

[Maxpphire]

"Yeah, although to be fair I don't have much of a way of writing things down, so either there is some hole punched paper I can read and play, or I can just let my fingers do whatever." He explained not expecting Sam's best, as he wouldn't be pulling out his best either. Or what he thought was his best. He would save that if things seemed to be going well.

"You weren't expecting us to be the same height now were you?" He playfully asked when Sam made his comment about Dreki's height. He for sure was a tad bit thinner, but roughly around the same size as Sam was. He always felt a bit weaker than most others given how he wasn't exactly good at fighting, but he was good at other things, things that felt more at use to him given his job and his hobbies.

"Do you wish to stop anywhere first? Would offer you a cup of coffee or food or something at my place but I don't think you can have any of that." He mentioned debating mentioning that he's been fed from before but the requires a more intimate setting, but again didn't want to be super forward.

[Existentially Odd]

His grin only widened when Dreki teased him about assuming he'd be shorter. He liked Dreki's sass, it suited him and it made Samuel feel like responding in kind. He enjoyed a bit of gentle flirting, it was a sign he was feeling comfortable with his companion. "No sir, I was not," he admitted his expectations in his most coy Southern drawl, "but I like it," he added, feeling secure in the knowledge that Dreki wouldn't be able to see the way he was contemplating how level their lips were.

"Naw," he answered when asked if he wanted to stop anywhere in between the library and Dreki's apartment, chuckling at the mortal angel's wish that he could offer him some form of sustenance. Though his answer covered both comments, he chose to elaborate. "I don't need to stop off anywhere and the only thing I could eat at your place would be you," he said slyly, brushing a fingertip down Dreki's cheek. "And that doesn't sound too hospitable, now does it? Do you have some things to borrow out, first?" he enquired innocently, looking down to see if Dreki had anything in his hands or had put something aside on the carpet before he was interrupted by Samuel.

[Maxpphire]

"I'm glad you like my height, not much I can do to change it now." He joked back holding the items he wanted to check out in his hands. He knew that Sam was looking at him but that was about it, his smile stayed upon his face, as he was happy that Sam seemed to be enjoying his time as well.

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time I've been a willing donor, but if we do that," He seemed to get a little nervous as he put together his next words, his eyes dotted away from Sam for a moment, "things would get quite a bit more intimate." he explained remembering his encounter with Drew and just how intense that was in just the right ways. He wanted to feel that way again, but to someone who was willing to be even more intimate with him before, during, and after. Then he took the second part of that statement in. He didn't really have much shame in talking about such things, part of growing up as he did with very little friends and sheltered for the better part of his teenage years. His social skills weren't exactly lacking, but they were different to say the least.

"Yeah I suppose I should head to the counter and get these in my name already, do you have anything you want to check out? Do you want to just follow me to the desk or just wait by the doors for me?" He asked not minding whatever Sam wanted to do, more or less excited to spend time with him outside of the library.

[Existentially Odd]

“Lead on, I’ll follow,” Samuel smiled amiably. “I usually don’t borrow, I just come here to read. I like the atmosphere,” he added as he slid his hands into his pockets and trailed after Dreki. It would be a shame the mortal’s hands would be full on their walk.

Sam looked Dreki over as they went, thinking about his comment regarding feeding. The vampire hadn’t planned on broaching it (well...) but now it was definitely on his mind. Would that scent impact Dreki’s blood? The mortal angel had been so casual about the ‘intimacy’ (so polite, too) of drinking... and he hadn’t sounded against it. It certainly threw a new light on his going back to Dreki’s place. One that excited him even more.

[Maxpphire]

He nodded as he brought the books and listening pieces up to the counter. While the Librarian was making note of when to bring them back and putting them on his account, he took one of those reusable grocery backs out of his pocket, unfolded it, and put the books and stuff inside for easy carrying. He motioned at Sam to follow as he walked out of the Library and would bring him to his place.

(Thread continued in The Garden of Everything)