The Vampire's Apprentice

He almost smiled when she rose to leave. "I had not given it," he said simply. "Good night, Miss." He tipped his hat and walked away. He could not help his curiosity. Would she be there tomorrow night? Perhaps he would stay and "help" her find a vampire. It was an amusing thought, and it was something new and different to do.

Curiosity was one of the most dangerous things for a vampire to be stricken with. It was deadly! And dangerous not only for the single vampire, but the vampires as a race. What should happen if the humans at large learned that their secret fears and hopes were true and vampires really did exist? Nothing good. Oh, there would be plenty welcoming them with open arms, and, in a way, they were far more dangerous than the ones who would be outright hostile. The hostile ones you at least always knew where you stood. The ones that were fascinated with you, wanted to like you, wanted to be enslaved by you... often times, they were unstable to begin with, and vampires - through no fault of their own - were a bit harsh on the mental stability of a human. You never knew when your adoring fan would turn against you.
 
She stood for a moment longer, watching him, before she turned and continued on her way. Perhaps the library was still open....

Oh, the insurmountable number of questions running through her head on a daily basis. It seemed the only thing to keep her going, having little else to live for at the moment. That, and perhaps this stranger she had met. He didn't seem particularly amused by her questions, but answered them nonetheless. Hopefully, she might see him again the next night. There was something she wanted to know.
 
Clancy found himself some dinner elsewhere in town before returning home. It had been a lovely evening, one of the best he'd had in a long time. One person could really make a difference. He spent some time cleaning his house then went to bed.

A new night darkened, and Clancy dressed in blue tonight, but with his ever present black hat. He strode along with a slight bounce to his step. He made his way toward the park, taking his time so as not to arrive too early and seem too eager. He stopped by a little shop on the way, getting there minutes before it closed then walked through the park.
 
Kitty yawned, long and drawn out, peering with a watchful eye at the darkness engulfing the area. The moonlight cast strange shadows as it shone through the trees thick with leaves, enhanced by the gentle breeze that caused things to shift in the most unnerving of ways. Still, it was the same as it always was. A handful of people milled about in the dark distance, but she saw no sign of the stranger from last night.

Patience, she reminded herself. That odd thrill of excitement was making it difficult to take her mind off the encounter, and she had to frequently tell herself that he was not likely to return. There were other things she had to think about....

The girl's fingers drummed against the jar on her lap. There was no stopping the the torrent of thoughts concerning the red-haired stranger. Kitty closed her eyes and tried to focus on another topic. It wasn't working.
 
Clancy approached the strange girl slowly then stopped perhaps ten or eleven feet away. He'd approached so silently in her blind spot that she hadn't noticed him. That was a skill very few humans had. Sometimes, it was fun being a vampire! He counted to three under his breath then smiled. "Ah, still seeking your night monsters?" he asked, his voice like honey. Only the tiniest tinge of an Irish accent sang in his tone.
 
Scared her half to death, that's what. She jumped up from the bench and turned to face him. There was nothing worse than someone sneaking up at you in the dark, especially if one knew what you were looking for to begin with.
Kitty, with a mild glare, exhaled in relief. "Don't do that.... It's terrible. And it's dark, which is worse."
 
Clancy smiled, a flash of white teeth showing only briefly. "Indeed, it is dark. And you are here, alone, in the dark, in the park, at night," he chuckled lightly. "I wondered if you would truly be here or not." He held up the bag and a disposable cup. "I thought I might bring you a doughnut and a coffee if you were here. If not, oh well, no loss." He held them out, showing the label of the bakery he'd stopped at. "Round with sprinkles. Cream and sugar are in the bag. Forgive me if that was too forward of me, but in truth, I did not seriously expect you to be here."
 
"Thank you," she took his giftings and settled herself on the bench again, leaving space to one side if he cared to sit as well. She set both the bag and cup beside her feet, saving them. "I did imply I'd be here, but I had doubts you would return, myself. Much less did I expect coffee. I almost feel bad, having so many questions for a nameless stranger I practically just met."
 
CLancy moved to stand more beside her so she could see him easier but did not take a seat. "I take this route home from time to time. It is quiet out here," He smiled a bit at her. "And it is alright. How else are we to learn anything if we do not ask questions, hmm?" He made a show of looking around the park. "I take it you have not yet met your vampire? None were near to count your pebbles?"
 
"True, and no. Not unless you happen to be one, in which case you've already counted my pebbles." There was a point to her statement, as she was still wondering what to think of him, but said nothing more of it. "Besides that, I'm still alive. You'd think I'd be dead by now if I had found one."

Kitty looked around herself for a brief moment before locating and retrieving her jar. "I decided to try something other than pebbles... but even I think this one is pointless. Water is just water, no matter what you do to it. But still, it's not like I have enough funds to try something else; something not possibly deadly." Her nose scrunched lightly at the thought; she didn't like thinking too hard about it.
 
Clancy smiled at her point then squinted at the jar. "Is that holy water?" he asked uncertainly. He straightened with a shrug. "I am inclined to agree with you, but who knows? Perhaps you will come across a staunchly Catholic vampire. faith and belief can lend power to a lot of things that would otherwise be inert," he pointed out calmly. "I have to admit, I am curious about one thing. Why are you so determined to find something that will most likely kill you?"
 
"Do you happen to be a staunchly Catholic vampire, and would you be afraid if I decided to open this jar?" She asked him back, hand on the lid, though she didn't turn it. There was a note of humor to her tone despite the fact that she was serious. "I'm determined to find someone that could kill me because... I actually have no idea why I decided to do this. Curiosity? And don't you dare make a pun on my name."
 
"Oh, my, I am so terrified, please, I beg you, spare me from your holy liquid!" Clancy drawled, putting up his hand as if to fend her off. "I am so incredibly afraid. Please, do not let it touch me." He chuckled softly and returned his hand to his pocket. "May I remind you, I do not know your name. Although now I can presume it is something to do with cats." He hesitated a moment then stepped forward and held out his hand toward the jar, palm up. He smirked at her, inviting her to splash him.
 
She pointed at him. "You're right. I never did tell you. It's Kitty, and I do not want to hear about curiosity killing me." The girl didn't bother to open the jar, placing it discouragedly in his open palm and dropping the subject entirely. Something tugged at the back of her mind; another lore that had to do with names, but she couldn't remember the specifics and shrugged it off. "It's, however, now your obligation to tell me your name. Only fair, after all."
 
Clancy took a moment to look at the water curiously. Yep. It was water. Fascinating. He handed it back. "Oh, very well, I suppose you are correct. My name is Clancy. It is nice to meet you, Kitty cat who is definately not going to die from curiosity." He waited a beat. "Instead, you'll likely die from getting dismembered or similar." He smirked at her.
 
Kitty looked back, taking the jar from him. "Either you're joking, or you know something. Can I ask you outright why you're even here? I wouldn't think you'd be the type of person to go looking for something foolish like this. You don't seem... suspicious enough for it, if you'll forgive my bluntness. For all you know, I could be a vampire. Wouldn't have seen that coming, would you?!" She giggled, smiling at her silliness. It'd be a little counter-productive for a vampire to look for other vampires, one would think. She was clearly not serious.
 
"I'm not searching. I am checking up on the person doing the searching as I pass them on my way home," Clancy pointed out. "As for thinking you are strange... My bar for strange is rather high. I once knew a woman who loved red so much, she owned only red, had her hair dyed red, and even her skin was shaded slightly red. Another man I know collected toenails. Not all of them were his own."
 
"Point taken." Kitty's face scrunched as she considered these obsessions. Especially the toenails one. It was disgusting. "You don't happen to be a vampire, do you?"
 
Clancy chuckled softly. "Is this like that rumor that if you ask a police officer if he is a police officer, he is compelled to answer? If I am a vampire, I must say yes?" He eyed her in amusement. "Would you believe me if I said yes? Would you believe me if I said no? I highly doubt the second."
 
"You dodged the question. Besides, all you're doing is making me suspicious. Yes or no? That's all I asked." Kitty leaned back against the bench. She was not compelled to believe anything he answered with, rather, it was to put her mind at ease so she could focus on something different for a time, regardless of what he said.
 
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