The Brass Quarter

[Trillian]

Welp.

It was a surprising twist of a question and it put him on the spot. This guy was 'seeing' Luke, who was Jake's Sheriff, a man who was warning Harm away from vampires. And Ben was Jake's opponent, who Luke knew and could recognise and was able to grab him off the street like his fucktard of a boss had done, to deliver a warning or beat him up or who knew what? Ben was little more a constituent at the moment. An opponent, though, meant the lens was very carefully situated on both him and Jake. Jake might not make a move but how tight a leash did he have on his people? He remembered Lisa-Joe coming to spit fire at Kerr over his friendship with Jake. He couldn't control his babysitter, so Ben doubted he would be able to control his Sheriff.

And knowing this, knowing the trouble he would stir by accepting to be Harm's first bite, something that he could live without because he had donors lining up for him... he wanted to anyway. Because it might stir up shit. Embrace the darkness, right? Tally ho.

He smiled, also flattered to be asked. Being someone's first bite was a big deal. "Sure, we can set something up. When are you off your shift?"

[Existentially Odd]

Harm’s excitement fell a little as he realised he was being put off until later. It didn’t quite meet the simplicity of the scenario in his head - vampire walks into clinic, nurse talks to him, vampire drinks nurse’s blood and leaves - but it was parallel enough not to matter. It was the same guy, it would just be a different time. And place. That Harm agreed to go to to get bitten.

He imagined himself explaining it to Luke (and the fact this was his boss’ opponent and, for all he knew, part of the reason why Luke had been warned off visiting him at home, because that had been about ‘sensitive politics’) and the brevity of the situation wasn’t lost on him. What could it hurt, though? It would be one time and then Harm would know and he’d be satisfied.

“Midnight,” he answered after only a brief hesitation. “I’ll get out on time unless there’s an emergency. You want me to meet you tonight?” he asked for clarification, feeling breathless with excitement.

[Trillian]

"Why not?" Ben asked through a smile, shrugging. "You're keen to try it out and I could go for a drink."

Ben re-assessed Harm as a package, now seeing a little more than just a nice-looking nurse. Harm was keen for the bite, excited and a little scared, almost self-groomed to perfection. It had taken next to no effort to win him over and Ben liked being someone's first. He knew he was good at it, that he could make the experience desirable. Another donor in the world was a good thing, especially someone as handsome as Harm. And if Harm and Ben consented to it, then it was nobody else's business but theirs.

With the soup-kitchen pamphlet still in hand (now in his left), Ben reached into his pocket again and pulled out his wallet, taking out one of his business cards. He pulled out the Academy ones first and then hunted in again for the Lovebite ones, which had the Luminary's address on it - specifcally Luminescent, as well as Venture. He handed it over to Harm, who would see that it didn't have Ben's name on it - it was just a contact card, though it did have a different membership registration ID number to the one in the newspaper.

"So I'll send an Uber to you when you're off your shift to take you to that address, okay? If you do join Lovebite, use my reference number, it'll bypass a lot of security questions. And I'll see you a little after midnight, okay? We can talk more at Luminescent."

He put the extra cards back into his wallet (save for one Academy card) and into his back pocket, and the folded up soup-kitchen pamphlet went back in his pocket too. A bit of a bulge but it was okay.

He handed the Academy card next. "If you want to know more about the supernatural world, the Academy has a lot of classes available. There's a website you can check out. My phone and email is on there, too." As well as the information that Ben was its founder.

[Existentially Odd]

Harm beamed at Ben's casual attitude. I could go for a drink. It was just so... well, kinda sexy, actually - that offhandedness coupled with the knowledge that the whole setup was inherently dangerous and wrong. And definitely against Luke's rules for how he should be living his precious life. He wasn't sure if he was more excited by the prospect of finally having his wish come true or by rebelling against the stifling restrictions his relationship with Luke came with.

He took Ben's card with a smile that became more dazed as he received another and so much information that it slightly overwhelmed him. It was hard to believe it was happening, that he'd actually taken a chance and had it pay off like this, yet his body was alive with tingles that told him it was very real and imminent! The Luminary, Lovebite, Luminescent, founder of the Kerr Galvin Academy, supernatural fucking classes? Seriously?! Harm's head was swimming and he knew he'd need a little while to process it all. The only thing he could focus on at that moment was his independence.

"Uh, no, don't send an Uber, I have my bike. I'll ride over, it's not that far," he smiled gratefully up at Ben and then turned his attention back to the cards in his hands, trying to take in all the information they were giving him. He could ask to have the Uber pick him up from his place and Uber back later but he preferred having control over his own transport. He went everywhere on either his bike or buses and it felt appropriate to have the bike there. Like he could leave any time he wanted (whether that was true or not).

"So I'll text you when I get to... Luminescent?" he queried, checking the name one more time. He stood up, figuring any other questions he had could be answered later and that someone as important as Ben didn't want to be hanging around in an exam room talking to him all night. He pocketed the cards so he could concentrate on giving Ben his attention, his stare intent on those unbelievably blue eyes.

[Trillian]

Ben, now smiling like the Mona Lisa, nodded at the refusal of an Uber in favour of a bike. He wasn't sure if Harm rode a pushbike or a motorcycle but it didn't matter, really. As long as he came.

"That's a good idea. I'll only be a lift ride away," he said, standing also. He wanted Harm to see Luminescent, to marvel in it, to enjoy it for a few minutes at least. They would sit and chat about what might happen next. Ben's first time with Kerr had been amazing but it could've gone so wrong. He wanted Harm to have an awesome experience too. With him.

"I'll have time to walk around the Quarter a bit more, see what else is going on. Thanks for talking to me," Ben said, his little smile growing again. He liked the way Harm was looking at him, liked the recognition. It was very different from the modelling recognition. Those admirers had only liked him because of his looks - it was a superficial worship. This was so much better; it was because of what he was doing, what he could be. What he was... also something he'd worked hard to achieve.

[Existentially Odd]

Harm scoffed and blushed as Ben thanked him for his time. He supposed he had been the one to sacrifice work but he was the fucking vampire that had made time for an insignificant human. "Ohmygod, no, not at all, it was my pleasure!" he gushed, pushing a hand against his chest as he flushed with pride, staring into Ben's eyes. They were practically the same height; he loved that they had such easy eye contact, it made everything feel so direct and sent a zing down his spine.

Realising he was just standing there gazing admiringly at the guy, Harm broke out of his reverie suddenly. "Wow, okay, sorry! I better let you out of here!" he cried, leaping for the door to the exam room. He opened it and scurried out, striding towards the security door. He swiped his ID card and hastened to open the door once it clanked and beeped. Holding it open, he bowed low and swept his arm towards the exit, preceding Ben with his arm then following him through it only far enough so that he could hold it open with his foot, extended behind him.

"I'll see you later," he told Ben breathlessly with a little wave, his gaze lingering on the retreating vampire's back until the reality of the waiting room sank in. With a sigh, Harm turned his smile on Mrs Warburton. "Come on, sweetie, let's get that foot looked at!" he urged, beckoning her to wheel over to him so he didn't have to reopen the door.

[Trillian]

With Ben once more out on the street, he headed farther along, keeping an eye out for the soup kitchen even though it had a high number. It would be quite a way up.

Not many cars moved along these streets - not as many as on other city streets, certainly - but lots of cars were parked along it. Almost all of the vehicles were over twenty years old, and not in that cool, classic kind of way. There were small groups of people hanging around on the steps up to their apartment buildings and they eyeballed Ben as he went past. Some of them insulted him while others cat-called. He didn't know whether to turn and look at them or to keep going. With a distinct lack of anything to say, he kept walking.

The pavement was cracked and lumpy enough for him to have to keep an eye on where he stepped. As he moved deeper into the Brass Quarter, the few alleys he looked down were devoid of tarmac completely. He hesitated when he saw washing lines between windows of two buildings over the alleys. There was a distinct dog smell around here, and his gaze caught another of those tags. Ah shit, he'd forgotten to ask Harm about it. Werewolves had even come up in conversation! He could hear actual dogs barking though, which accounted for the dog smell. Ben wrinkled his nose. The laundry might not smell as fresh as their owners would like.

While staring into the alley, two Ward Officers turned into it and walked down it, approaching him. Ben loitered at the mouth of the alley until they were closer, and then he stepped into it, walking up a little way to greet them. He saw their new nametags, calling them Wardens instead of Ward Officers. One of them was a Senior Warden. Cool.

"Hi, how're you two going?" He greeted. They would recognise him because he recognised them, but he didn't remember speaking to them before. The woman looked really familiar, though. "Is this area part of your rounds?"

[Existentially Odd]

"Good, thanks," Fred answered, smiling tightly at Ben. He wondered why the youngling was out here, now, asking them questions. He supposed it was to do with his campaign. Fred had been made at twenty-one and had been a vampire half a century. He knew enough about the way things worked between supes and mortals to not care too much about this election business but he was fiercely devoted to the work the Ward did in the city. It was for the good of everyone.

"Great! How're you?" Charli asked, speaking at the same time Fred did. She giggled when their voices blended together. The last time the weather demon had seen Ben, she and Owen had rescued him from some sort of trouble at the White Rabbit and delivered him to his sire. It became evident later on what had occurred, when there was an awful trial against that hideous Lazarus. Her heart had broken for Ben. "You look good!" she complimented with a beaming smile.

When the question about this being their patrol area came, the Wardens exchanged looks with one another but Charli was the one that answered. "Yup! The Quarter's our beat," she confirmed, resisting the urge to ask why he asked such a silly question. Why would they be here if it wasn't where they were supposed to be?

[Trillian]

"Huh, I thought you were closer to the White Rabbit," Ben said after a moment, finally placing where he'd last seen her. He wanted to thank her for her part in saving him but the moment passed as he tried to think of a way that didn't sound weak or patronising. She'd done her duty, after all. "I know that the Captain has boosted patrols in Central." Him and everybody else who read the supe news sites. "Anyway, I wanted to ask if you knew anything about that?" Ben asked, looking over at the graffiti of the werewolf before he actively pointed to it.

He hoped they would tell him it was some random werewolf with a penchant for spraypaint... except the tags were different colours and this one didn't look as fresh as the hot pink one he'd seen first.

[Existentially Odd]

Charli smiled at the thought that her patrol area was near the White Rabbit and wanted to make a joke along the lines of her going wherever the wind blew her but it seemed inappropriate. Ben had been having a terrible night when she'd been there last and he didn't need to know she'd gone out of her way to help him. She looked where Ben pointed but Fred answered first.

"Ah, them. Not a lot. They started appearing about a month ago. We haven't managed to sight anyone putting them up, though," Fred shrugged apologetically. "There hasn't been any noted activity accompanying them, no new gangs or violent incidents. They just appear. We log the date they appear, their location and colour but... there's not much else we can tell you, sorry." Another shrug accompanied an actual apology this time.

"The log is available at the office, if you want it," Charli offered, feeling like she needed to offer some sort of consolation after having provided nothing concrete or overly helpful in answer to Ben's question.

[Trillian]

Without anything to ask about the tag, Ben shifted topic.

"What do you do when you patrol? Do you just walk around or do you talk to anyone? Do a lot of people here know that you're Ward Officers? I mean Wardens?" He had more questions but held back on them to get a proper answer for the ones already asked.

He wondered how long they'd been calling themselves Wardens for. It was a much better title than Ward Officers and he hadn't really been paying attention since pinching Owen for his Academy. Other than the brief meeting with the Captain a short while ago, he'd stayed out of their way.

[Existentially Odd]

"I like to talk," Charli giggled, "but you have to pick your crowd," she admitted, glancing at her patrol partner.

"We approach people when we can," Fred explained. "Having a relationship with the people around us has been proven to pre-empt trouble and diffuse difficult situations more quickly. We know most of the supes by name and quite a lot of the humans, too."

"Most people know we're Wardens," Charli added, "and even if they don't know what that is, they know we're a security patrol, placed here on behalf of the city. They've seen us make enough arrests that they're wary and know we mean business."

"We get respect," Fred nodded. "It's a mix of walking around watching, making tighter passes around the homes we know are likely to have trouble on certain nights - based on patterns we've observed over time - and making contact with the folks we pass in between."

"It helps pass the time on slow nights," Charli giggled again.

[Trillian]

"There are slow nights?" Ben asked dubiously. The clinic had been full and he could hear people yelling abuse to one another in the buildings they were standing beside. He could isolate them if he wanted to; he could hear a domestic close at hand - husband and wife screaming at each other about his expensive brand of cigarettes, above them and farther back in the building someone was looking for something and accusing whoever was with them of taking it and 'sticking it in their arms', a couple floors above that were two women squabbling over a fight their kids had got into. There was more but he stopped listening to them and to the Wardens' answer.

He thought Fred was full of shit about getting 'respect'. Criminal neighbourhoods didn't respect the law, they resented them.

"What kind of arrests? What's the most common problem that you face?" Ben asked, wondering what needed attention first. He could get the arrest information from the Captain if she cared to give it, but finding out what was the most common issue was best gleaned from the people who had their boots on the ground.

[Existentially Odd]

Charli laughed again at Ben's doubt there were slow nights and even Fred smiled. Ben's next question had them answering in unison. "Demons using their powers."

"Out in the open, breaking the masquerade rules of every district," Charli continued. "Or stalking helpless mortals for their souls."

"Mmn, nah, vampires scaring mortals, trying to get a drink in a part of town they think will be easy pickings - but they aren't, even when they're high - has to be second," Fred argued with Charli, who merely shrugged as she looked back at Ben.

"Demons and vampires," was her final assessment. "Those two compete for prime position. Days it's definitely demons, vampires probably top the list of nuisances at night. Usually young ones."

"Thirsty ones," Fred amended, sounding mildly annoyed as he frowned at his partner. She gave him a little smile in return.

[Trillian]

"When you bust them, are they registered? Can you find them n the system? Or are those new vampires freshly made and without permission? Without sires?"

He was thinking of the free blood cup that new vampires could get from Brannigans and knew even that wasn't enough to sustain a newly fledged vampire. The craving was constant the first year and only tolerable in the second - maybe only because they'd learnt how to live with it. He felt it all the time still, even being more than a decade old, an undercurrent of need that transcended all other wants and desires.

He didn't even know what to say about the demons. He'd have to talk to Zeus.