The Nearness Of You

[Maxpphire]

For Existentially Odd

Dreki had been surprised to have found out that Sam was there to see the Academy open, and even more so to find out he got a job working there as well. Just having heard Sam's voice voice had melted his stress away, and he felt more comfortable than he had even before he interacted with Dr. Barrow. He had a reason to feel safe at his new job now, and felt even better about possibly leaving the other two. For celebration he offered a date of sorts, for them to go out and enjoy a dinner at the place Sam had mentioned before and of course, offering to pay for it all. He didn't call it a date, but then again, he had never dated before. If anything, he played things overly cautious as he didn't want Sam to run away from him. His clothes seemed to fit a bit better, which was mostly due to Dreki making more of an effort trying to eat better, he looked healthier despite recent stress taking a toll on him. All of it came from the Facility, and he didn't want to talk about it unless Sam brought it up first, again, out of fear of chasing the man away.

He accepted the ride there from Sam, and even added in a joke about how he'd offer to drive but it would be a terrifying experience. After all, while he can see outlines, his depth perception differs from sighted beings and glass is seen as a solid object to him, as in, he can't see through it. Their car ride was filled with light conversion, about everything and nothing all at once. The facility seemed miles away in his mind, already enjoying the company, and knowing that Sam was likely to stay around the city now that a job had become accessible, filled him with a calm happiness. Once they got there, the entered quite the parking nightmare. Dreki, being a man of public transport and rideshares, was not even aware that such a thing as Valet existed until tonight. While he was very booksmart, sometimes his shelteredness does show through in moments like this. He offered to pay if they couldn't find a spot, but ultimately they found one a couple blocks away.

"Sorry, if I had known parking was going to be an issue, I would have offered to call us an Uber or Lyft." He mentioned getting out of the car and closing the door with a gentle force, but making sure it closed properly by feeling where they met, making sure they were flush. He would follow Sam to the restaurant, walking along side him on the sidewalk, while he felt a bit bad about the parking situation, he did have a warm smile on his face. He just overall was happy, happy to be away from the academy and the mental stress he found there tonight, and happy that he knew that even if he went to bed alone tonight, that he wouldn't be alone for most of the night, and was spending his time with someone whom he truly enjoyed.

[Existentially Odd]

Samuel hastened around to Dreki's side of the car, ushering him away from the gutter and onto the footpath. He considered wrapping Dreki's arm around his to guide him to the restaurant but decided against it, holding his companion's hand instead. He was still assisting him in reaching the restaurant but this way felt less helper-y and more date-y. He didn't consider Dreki's sight impairment to make him lesser somehow - if anything, his vampirism was the key to their unequal dynamic - and he enjoyed holding the mortal's warm hand in his much more than having a hand on his suit sleeve.

"Naw, don't worry 'bout it," he demurred when Dreki mentioned the parking. "The valet'd prob'ly be as much as an Uber, this way we've both saved some money and I get a nice walk in the evening air with you by my side. You look really good, by the way, did I mention that?" he grinned, lifting Dreki's hand to press the back of it to his lips. He was in an ebullient mood thanks to Ben's generosity and Dreki's scent only added to the feeling of euphoria. Kissing his hand was the absolute tamest thing he was thinking of doing with the mortal but he resisted the urge to smother him so early in their date. "Step down here," he warned as they came to the corner of the block, looking both ways before he walked Dreki onto the cross street, also telling him when to step up.

"So, snuck into any piano bars lately?" he grinned, interested in what Dreki had been up to since they'd last... well, met was a very tame way of putting it. He felt a thrill of lust run through him at the mere memory of what they'd done together and how compliant Dreki was. Sinfully so.

[Maxpphire]

His heart raced a little out of an excitable nervousness as Sam grabbed and held his hand. He of course reciprocated, a little relived that it was his right hand that was grabbed. While he would have been fine with his left hand being grabbed, it for sure had a different texture to the palm given the burn scar that covered it all and didn't want anything to go wrong tonight. Things didn't have to be perfect by any means, but they had the very least had to be good, if not great, amazing, or fantastic. He was a little worried of what Sam would even think of his scarred hand while holding it, but that was a worry for later. For now he followed Sam's lead. He blushed lightly at the compliment and the hand kiss and lightly chuckled over being told where the beginnings and end of the sidewalk were.

"I can see the outlines of the sidewalk you know." He spoke playfully. "I'm used to traversing using either the public transport or ubers." He lifted Sam's hand to his face and kissed it much like Sam did to him. He felt a bit more relieved and relaxed as it seemed as if Sam was indeed treating this as a date as well, which made him much more comfortable with the idea of tonight in general. "But it does make me feel a bit like a prince with you doing that. It does drive the point that you think I look nice home, so thank you. I had a few people point out that my hairstyle was quite feminine tonight, which felt a little silly." He did have his hair up still, he never took out the two braids that lead into his ponytail. He had worked hard on it and he was going to wear it for the rest of the night, no matter what was said about it.

"As for the Piano bars, sort of? I think I've gone out and done so twice since our last interaction. It's a bit hard for me to remember the exact amount since a certain block in my memory is a bit fuzzy, but I also had quite the cold so I did a lot of sleeping it off." He mentioned, trying hard to think back, but there was about 3-4 days of just nearly nothing. "But I went just to play, went home alone both times. Sometimes it's just nice to have an audience for a little bit, play out the songs that I'm feeling in the moment, then leave. Almost like a form of therapy." He had explained in a way telling Sam that he had been stressed about stuff without directly coming out and saying it. "Beyond the job hunt, whats been keeping you busy? And good books you've read at the moment?"

[Existentially Odd]

"Shit, sorry," Samuel apologised sheepishly when told Dreki could direct himself along the street. He was relieved when the mortal followed up the admonishment by declaring it made him feel like a prince. "Oooh, that's better than Mister. You can be Prince Perfect," Sam teased, referring to their last encounter when he'd called Dreki Mister Perfect. It would be awkward if Dreki didn't remember but he was soon given something else to think about when the mortal's hairstyle was brought up. Samuel leant back to regard it critically. "Well, I guess it's a bit... frilly?" he declared honestly, having not given a great deal of thought to the topic, "but it suits you. I like the way it pokes up at the back. Makes me want to twirl my fingers around it - or grab a hold and tug you around by it," he finished meaningfully, leaning in to impart this information to Dreki privately.

He listened to the description of Dreki's piano bar sojourns, admonishing himself when he was surprised to hear Dreki declare outright he'd gone home alone both times. He shouldn't have been surprised that the mortal used his skills as a pick-up technique; he hadn't ever been coy about his lifestyle. It made Sam smile appreciatively, though his expression faltered over the fact that he'd had a cold and used his bar visit as a form of therapy. He squeezed Dreki's hand in an effort to give comfort, looking him over with concern. He looked healthier than he had last time, so Samuel hadn't noticed the haunted look about his eyes until it was hinted at. He guessed it had to do with that doctor and facility he'd been told about but got the impression Dreki didn't want to talk about it - especially when he asked about his life.

"Oh, yeah. I've been down a deep rabbit hole lately," Sam enthused as they entered the lobby of the building Echelon was in. He directed them towards the lift and pressed the button to call it, doing his best to keep his conversation light and entertaining even while he watched Dreki more closely for signs that he wanted to talk or ask for help with his issues. He knew it was a slippery slope, though, what with Emma in the mix, so he didn't dare push too hard.

"It's a long and winding story so I'll give you the abridged version," he began, drawing Dreki into the lift when the doors opened. A woman in a navy blue outfit was perched on a stool near the columns of buttons just inside. She smiled and bade them good evening. "Evening. Echelon, please," Samuel told the lift operator, inclining his head to her before turning back to talk to Dreki. The doors closed immediately as she responded to his wishes, sending the lift hurtling upward.

"See, I've heard rumours about some amazing artefacts in my time but I recently got hold of a book - from a very old and forgotten part of the library - that linked two of them and gave me a possible location for both. I haven't managed to confirm the abilities of either artefact (though I have my suspicions and sooooo many stories alluding to what they can do) but... " he trailed off, realising that the elevator woman was sitting right there and able to hear everything he said. He didn't want to have what he had to say be overheard by the wrong ears, so he switched to communicating with Dreki telepathically.

... apparently, The Shard of the Mother and The Cry of Infinite Silence might be found in The Binding Desert of Unending Ecstasy! I dived into the research but answers have been frustratingly elusive. I'm looking forward to getting back to work at the Chambers - well, it's The Luminary now, apparently - and getting my hands on some real ancient texts that can help me narrow it down!

If Sam hadn't been holding Dreki's hand, he'd have rubbed both of his together with glee. Even in Dreki's mind, he spoke with a southern accent. He didn't explain why he'd switched communication styles midway through a story, but he expected his companion would understand his desire to keep delicate information between those he could trust. "Man, I hope Ben is willing to fund me going out on location, like the Oligarchy used to," he finished aloud as the elevator doors opened.

They stepped out into the expectant atmosphere of the top floor and Samuel guided Dreki towards Echelon's entryway. He wondered if there'd be a table available or whether they'd be forced to wait a while. The restaurant wasn't excessively large but it was an unusual dining time. He thought their chances of being seated quickly were good.

[Maxpphire]

"Nonsense, I'm no prince" He chuckled upon hearing the new nickname, very much remembering their last encounter and how much he had enjoyed it. He wondered if it would end in the same way, and if so, the real question was where? Back at his place again or in Sam's Hotel room? He wouldn't mind either way, but it was for sure a question to ask for later. His smile turned into more of a sly smirk when Sam had leaned in close commenting about his hairstyle. "There is always time for that later tonight." He offered, quite clearly welcoming the prospect that one might go home with the other for the rest of the night. He was happy that the style suited him, but not really sure how to thank him for the compliment, beyond the way he had responded already.

The biggest reason why he asked Sam about his life is that he was also interested in what Sam had been up to. He was a little surprised when he felt him squeeze his hand when he mentioned he was sick for a time, and used playing the Piano at the bar to get out his emotions. Was Sam, worried about him? He wasn't quite used to having anyone be worried about him anymore. He felt bad for causing Sam to feel anything such as that in regards to him. As a result he was starting to become worried himself. Was this really a good idea? He didn't want to cause an issues for Sam or hurt him and was beginning to worry that it might be a possibility. He seemed to almost get lost in his thoughts for a moment until he heard how excited Sam was over his findings. He smiled listening not sure what Sam was talking about, but Sam's excitement was infectious. He wanted to know more about whats those things where, and what they do.

"I hope he does too, sounds like it would be exciting to go look for them." He said happily as they got off the Elevator. He didn't seem to mind with part of the conversation happened mentally, and just naturally went with the flow of the conversation as if it was nothing. Once they got off the elevator and walked up to the Host Stand, they were sat fairly quickly. When types of menus were requested, a supernatural one and a normal one for the sight impaired were requested and quickly brought out. Dreki was relived that they had a braille menu as not all restaurants do, but the place seemed really nice from what he could gather. While feeling along the menu for what he wanted, he decided to ask more about the artifacts.

"So your excitement over those artifacts got me excited about them as well and I have no idea what they are or what they do." He started, with a curious but happy tone of voice. "Do you mind explaining a little further?" he asked out of legitimately wanting to know now. He was interested in Sam's hobbies, although he wouldn't be able to help too much. While he was multi-lingual, his lack of sight and lack of knowledge about ancient languages would for sure be more of a hinder than a help. He was still kind of new to knowing about Vampires and their culture. His class was more based on human culture around the supernatural and not the supernaturals' culture themselves. He did sort of expect Sam to pop into his mind again to explain better, considering he did that to prevent the elevator lady from listening in, he figured Sam wouldn't want the restaurant goers to either.

[Existentially Odd]

Samuel placed his menu on the table, knowing already that he'd order a medium glass of blood filtered through chicory smoke, which gave it a sweet, coffee-like flavour. This was the only establishment he'd visited that tried different effects with the blood - most others only went as far as labelling by blood type - and he greatly enjoyed the flavour profiles they were able to invest into his rather generic-tasting source of sustenance. The unknown factor was what Dreki wanted to eat. Since he'd offered to pay, Samuel expected he would order for himself first when the waiter returned.

"Well, technically I haven't had confirmation on their powers yet, either," he warned, folding his arms and leaning forward so that his elbows supported him, resting casually on the tabletop. "But, supposedly, the Shard of the Mother is a crystal - or possibly a blade of some sort, I'm not sure - that has the ability to impregnate any viable source just by either holding the crystal under the tongue for twenty-four hours or by pricking the flesh, if it's a blade. It can only be used on females (or whichever bears offspring, in different species) but every species is susceptible to its power, meaning a pureblooded vampire might be born, untainted by having lived a mortal life. It could potentially save species from extinction or bring back dragons," he stated wistfully.

He was less worried about being overheard in the restaurant, not because they were somewhat isolated (which they were, but that wouldn't stop those with supernatural hearing from listening in - and he was definitely not the only one in the room) but because eavesdroppers weren't likely to be ignorant to magic and the concept of magical artefacts. He'd had no way of predicting what the elevator operator knew, nor what she'd repeat within the confines of her little box, with a little incentive. It'd been safer to redact parts of his commentary.

"The Cry of Infinite Silence is even more powerful. Supposedly, it's a musical instrument of some sort - I read piccolo in one place and harmonica in another - where, when a certain note is played, every living thing within a certain radius of the cryer will freeze, trapping them in eternal silence. Their frozen ignorance lasts until another, different note is played and then they're released, none the wiser that everything was held in suspended animation for an extended period of time. Theoretically, infinitely, hence its name. Anything untoward could be accomplished in that time, as only the cryer remains unaffected by the spell and can move freely in the frozen zone. People would have to have some serious artefacts of their own to resist magic like that!"

Samuel sat up as the waiter arrived just at the end of his description (had he been watching and waiting for the perfect time to intervene??), pressing his lips together. He'd wait for Dreki to order then he'd give his. Once the waiter left, he'd feel confident enough to encourage his companion to offer his thoughts on what he'd just been told.

[Maxpphire]

The first artifacts abilities made him, uncomfortable to say the least. He was reminded of his last visit to the facility, it wasn't for a check up, but rather to visit Emma, as she had a 'surprise' for him. Of course those having been Hofflan's words. She never leaves the facility, and is heavily watched given her ties to him, so it was done purposely. Of course when he found out, and how happy she seemed at the prospect of being a mom and showed no signs of having been abused like she had in the past, he responded happily towards her, but was deeply angry on the inside. Emma had a hard enough time grasping what her period was and going through puberty was just something that lead to a lot of confusion and being able to process what was going on. Of course after she left the room, him and Hofflan had quite the confrontation, in which he learned that Hofflan was a vampire who would suppress his own aura markers that show his vampirism. It's why Dreki didn't catch onto it before hand, and it was a terrifying bit of information on it's own, but to hear some of the shit Hofflan had been involved in from past events made him more uncomfortable. But the abilities itself also gave Dreki questions. Didn't vampires not age? Wouldn't the being birthed just be a clone of it's mother? He wanted to ask but also didn't want to dwell on it. He was aware he probably shifted uncomfortably enough at hearing about it.

The second artifact interested him greatly, with him being a musician and all. Of course he never really learned to play a woodwind instrument or harmonica, but he could learn if Sam wanted someone to test it with, but he thought about it a bit deeper. Wouldn't these artifacts be guarded in someway making them dangerous to get? Sam eluded he's done this before, but he wondered how Sam managed to stay safe. He worried about what happens if Sam weren't to come back. As these thoughts entered his head the waiter came back. He simply ordered some of the wood grilled salmon and the sides it came with, some roasted red potatoes and seasoned steamed asparagus. He handed his menu off to the waiter then turned towards Sam.

"I'm not sure if you need any help researching them, but I could help out with The Cry of Infinite Silence. You've seen my musical talents, it lies with more than just the piano, but I must admit I've never played a woodwind or harmonica before. Harmonica I'm not particularly worried about, but the woodwind I am a little given how it has a reed on the mouthpiece. You need to blow on it in a certain way for it to work right." He mentioned offering at the very least. He had no idea if Sam even tests these out or not but figured he could offer his help where he could. He didn't make comment on the first artifact at all. He wasn't sure how to go about that yet given his own personal and recent feelings into the mix. He'd wait for Sam to ask him about it if anything before responding.

"Also, is it dangerous to go on these excursions to get the artifacts?" He asked with a curious and concerned voice. "If so, how do you prepare? How do you stay safe?" He wasn't going to dissuade Sam from going at all in the slightest but was concerned and wanted to know that Sam would indeed come back.

[Existentially Odd]

Samuel frowned as Dreki's excitement changed into... something else. Something that froze the air between them, filling it with a weird tension he couldn't define. He gave his order to the waiter and watched him walk away before he looked back at his companion; Dreki fidgeted, looking uncomfortable for some reason, but then he went on to offer his help with Samuel's quest.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Sam chuckled, holding a hand up as if to stop the mortal, not thinking about the fact that his gesture wouldn't be visible. He dropped his hand, curling it around his arm again and leaning towards Dreki. There was something about that first artefact, that much was clear, but he wasn't sure if he should ask what, delve into the mortal's mind to find out without added trauma or just drop it altogether. He decided to wait and see, for now.

"You're getting way ahead of yourself there, partner. I don't even know if the artefacts are real, let alone if they do what has been hinted at and then I need to figure out their possible location - 'The Binding Desert of Unending Ecstasy' isn't likely to conveniently pop up on Google Maps. It's a clue. Yes, getting to these places is often dangerous. I'll have to travel a lot before I even narrow down where it could be - it's never somewhere obvious, these names are always metaphorical - and the conditions are unpredictable. How I prepare is... well, I only go out at night and hope for the best," he grinned nonchalantly, downplaying the seriousness of the situation.

Sam reached across the table and took Dreki's hand, linking their fingers and caressing the side with his thumb. "There's no need to worry. I'll be fine. I'm pretty indestructible and what you're imagining happening won't even come to pass for at least a year - probably much longer. These things often turn out to be nothing at all, though... well, I'm pretty excited about this because the information seemed reliable. I think it will turn into something this time but who knows if I'll even get permission to pursue it? I won't see my employment contract until tomorrow night. Does that... make you feel better? You seem... upset," he hinted, wondering about that odd, initial reaction.

[Maxpphire]

He had watched Sam's hand go up then go back down and listened as Sam explained. He wasn't sure if he should feel bad for having offered to help at all or not now. He was ok if his help wasn't needed at all, but wanted to offer anyway. He smiled at Sam assuring that he's be ok going out to look for these things when that time came, but that for now it wasn't a big deal. He was relieved in the fact that Sam was "pretty indestructible" and would be fine looking for such things. When Sam's hand reached for his, he wrapped his fingers around and found comfort in it, even though Sam had the wrong idea about why he suddenly grew uncomfortable. His smile was more from the fact that he appreciated Sam trying to ease his worries.

"To be fair unless the texts are in braille, I don't think I could help out much. I know it probably won't be for a while if at all, but I wouldn't mind helping out in anyway I can really. Hence the offer." He mentioned explaining his actions a bit better. "Hopefully it's something you can talk about with them and see if it can be made apart of your arrangement if it isn't already." He said with a smile offering maybe a solution to the whole deal. "I can't see why someone who just said they were running for leadership not want more power personally." He half joked there also giving Sam a hopefully angle to go at of it wasn't thought about already.

"Also, sorry that I seem upset. It's not you at all. It's just," he took a moment to take a deep breath and looked away from Sam as he spoke, almost as if he was ashamed about even speaking about it. "Well, Emma is pregnant." He came right out and said it, "It was done purposely, but not in a way that she sees as abuse. I was refused information beyond that. I don't mean to bring up my personal issues while the both of us are trying to enjoy ourselves and I'm sorry about that." He explained as he held onto Sam's hand kind of tight. It didn't seem like that was the whole story but again he didn't want to sour the mood, he didn't want to chase Sam away. In a way he was kind of scared right now feeling as vulnerable as he did opening himself up to Sam more. It was clear that Dreki wanted this date to go well and to not dwell on bad things.

[Existentially Odd]

"If you can be of any help, when the time comes, I won't hesitate to call on you, don't you worry," Samuel assured Dreki with a smile, biting his tongue rather than comment on Ben's apparent penchant for power. He'd always loved power, that much had been obvious, though Sam had always figured the blonde for the type to ride under it, rather than wishing to be the one wielding it.

Dreki's statement about Emma was shocking and Sam stared blankly at the mortal for quite some time, processing. He'd said Emma was... eighteen? Nineteen? And mentally challenged. So she had no understanding whatsoever of what she was about to go through. He felt like an absolute idiot when he connected that knowledge with his blathering on about The Shard of the Mother. Fuck. That was unpredictably insensitive. He was lucky that Dreki was understanding enough to have avoided making a scene about it, even though this was obviously a very fresh wound.

He gripped the mortal's hand in return. "You have nothing to apologise for," he said thickly. "That's fucking horrifying. Whether she was raped or not, she's been violated. Is there absolutely no way you can get her out of that place? Some authority you can report this to? I mean, that's a violation of her fundamental human rights!" he exploded, appalled at how such a horrific situation might be endured - by Emma and Dreki. Could they not rescue her illegally, if legally wasn't an option? Samuel's mind raced, trying to catalogue all the powerful beings he knew that might be willing to help.

[Maxpphire]

When Sam had asked if someone of some authority could help, something had hit his mind. A memory of him in a police station, but he couldn't tie it to anything. He's never been the one to do anything that would either land him in trouble nor seek out help knowing that it would also land him in a different kind of trouble. He seemed to have a weird look on his face and was rather confused. He snapped back to it only after a moment and shook his head not entirely sure what just even happened.

"I'm aware she's been violated. I had nearly killed Dr. Hofflan after she left the room." He mentioned, his hand was shaking a bit, out of anger? Being afraid? It was hard to tell the exact emotion behind it, but it certainly wasn't a happy one. "But when I went to attack him he easily dodged and elbowed me in the back of the head. He told me not to do it again, revealing I guess his aura? He always just seemed like a normal mortal to me before. Usually when I come cross someone supernatural I can tell, part of their being has a different feeling to them than mortals. His had the same feeling as you and other vampires I've met. I don't know anything of his powers other than he was able to hide his vampirism to me. I don't even know if he's been altered like myself or a full fledged vampire. Plus I don't even really know where the facility's location is." He explained feeling a bit more comfortable doing so when Sam said that he had nothing to be sorry for.

"I wish there was more I could do, but without knowing where she is, and him being her legal guardian, makes things very very difficult. Plus I feel like he would turn it around on me even if we did manage to take her. Can you even get charged with kidnapping a 19 year old?" He asked part rhetorically and part not actually sure. He sighed and looked at their hands, intermingled and let out a soft smile behind all the emotions. "Thank you for caring enough to want to help, I'm just not sure how to implement it. It means a lot to me though." He brought Sam's hand close to his face and kissed it.

[Existentially Odd]

Samuel watched his hand go towards Dreki's mouth, remembering the sense of helplessness he'd felt that first night when Dreki had told him about his unique situation. It welled in him once more, prompting him to turn his hand and cup Dreki's face inside it.

"I want to be able to do more but... it seems impossible. You don't even know how far away this place is? How do you get there to be able to see Emma, then?" he queried. It wasn't that he doubted Dreki was telling the truth, he just couldn't comprehend how this all worked and he wanted badly to find a solution. "Or even this Doctor Hoffian for a checkup, how does it all work?"

[Maxpphire]

He closed his eyes and raised hand up to just place it over Sam's. He felt comforted by talking about it with Sam when originally he just wanted a distraction from it all. He was trying to think about how long it takes but couldn't come up with an easy answer.

"All I know it's out of the city. Usually I'll get two texts, one telling me why I'm going with at the very least what day they are going to pick me up on, sometimes the time. The second one requests for me to wait at a certain spot at a certain time for someone to pick me up and drive me there. It's always a different waiting spot and they always take different paths, even then my mind is a little fuzzy memory wise on the way there and back. It's never my own choice to go, and I can't even contact anyone from there on my own as the numbers are all spoofed" It was then when a particular question hit him "Can vampires mess with people's memories?" He asked what seemed more out of his own concern. "I ask because my memory seems mostly weak when it deals with the facility but not with much else. When I was called this past time for myself and not for Emma, I remember when being called to the facility, I felt fine when I went, but felt like absolute garbage afterwards and I lost a few days memory wise. I remember only going there, getting a few shots, then waking up in my bed, mostly recovered from whatever made me sick, but having vague awareness that I was indeed sick."

[Existentially Odd]

"So they tell you why you're going there but once you're on your way, they wipe your memory? Or they do it once you're there, I guess, because yes, vampires can definitely mess with people's memories. He can't be young, though. It takes a long time to develop those sorts of skills," Samuel explained, his thumb stroking Dreki's cheek.

"It's no wonder you have no idea what's going on, if he's messing with your head like that," he said softly, sitting back as his blood was delivered to the table, closely followed by Dreki's grilled salmon. "Thank you," he said to the waiter, taking a sip and savouring it. It didn't taste the way he'd expected it to - it was stronger - but he liked it.

[Maxpphire]

He gave the waiter a small nod as if he was agreeing with Sam's thank you. He put his napkin in his lap as some form of table manners that he had, began to eat his food, and it tasted divine. He hardly ate out and mostly managed to cook for himself but it was never this good. He smiled as he enjoyed the first bites of his food, as it was seasoned and cooked to perfection. He took a moment to stop eating so he didn't speak with food in his mouth.

"How's your meal?" He asked Sam, knowing this place did serve different kinds of unique takes on blood. He wondered if it had any affect to the taste or if it was just fancy sounding. This did seem like a fancy place, he knew it was gonna be pricey at the end, but beyond that he isn't really aware of how fancy stuff worked. His food was fantastic, that he knew, he had hoped it worked that way with Sam's meal too. He wondered if there was anything he could try at home to make blood taste nice as well, whether it be his own blood still inside of him, or even experimenting with it outside of it him, or if it was even possible or worth doing.

"Also, thanks for letting me talk." He mentioned, "I've never really found someone whom I felt comfortable talking about this to, or really just in general felt this comfortable around anyone before. It's to the point where in a way I'm kind of afraid to talk about my issues more so than usual because I don't want to chase you away. So if I'm not entirely forthcoming with you at first in regards to the facility, please be patient with me. I'm aware that I have a lot of emotional baggage and it's a lot for me as it is, let alone for others. A lot of this whole dating thing is still really new to me in general and I'm beginning to feel in lots of ways that are still new to me as well. I guess what I'm trying to say is, if it all becomes too much for you to please let me know, ok?" He asked after a slightly ramble of being candid about his emotions and feelings. With that he went back to eating a few bites as he would listen to Sam's response. Sure he was worried about getting rejected by Sam, but was even more worried that Sam would eventually cut off all contact. He wouldn't blame Sam for ever doing such a thing, but in this moment, he had wanted freedom more than he had ever wanted it in the past. He didn't want to have to worry about that being a possibility.