OOM - Fangtasia, late at night, "Jim" from IT

[onceaviking]

The door opens in a hallway.

The walls are painted dark red and the floor is painted black. That, however, is not the first thing you notice.
The first thing you notice is the music.
Really loud techno from the room at the end of the hallway is making everything vibrate.

The second thing you notice is the smell. Beer. Sweet drinks. Strong liquor.
Blood.

Sex.

Eric turns to Jim and points down the hallway, away from the door leading into the club.
"My office is down there," he says, his voice carrying just fine over the noise.

Comments

[just_cant_lose]

'He was stupid enough to keep someone a teenager forever?'

God. Why? Teenagers are the worst.

'I assume you're not interested in any of this.'

Beat.

'But that teal lipstick would really bring out your eyes.'

Just sayin'.

[onceaviking]

"He killed another vampire. Having to turn a little Christian homeschooled teenager was his punishment."

Not one Eric agreed with necessarily.

He doesn't blink at the lipstick comment. He just says, "I prefer them with more shimmer."

There is quite a lot of clothes strewn about. Not of it gingham.

[just_cant_lose]

'That's a pretty harsh punishment. Why is killing a vampire against the rules? You looked like you were going to do that tonight.'

He flies towards the wall opposite the open door, giving a few of the hallway to check it's clear before heading out.

'And...where to?'

[onceaviking]

"It's the principle of the thing. At the time, he didn't hold a position of authority which made the killing unlawful. If I had torn Jimmy's head off -" literally -" it would have been within my right."

He moves a little closer, lean and cold, leaning against Jim's shoulder.

"Down to the left and into the Master bedroom."

[just_cant_lose]

Actual leaning. Okay then. Jim purposefully relaxes into the touch, partly to give the impression he quite likes it and partly to let him know that he's not fazed, intimidated, or otherwise frightened by it.

'I hope there's at least some kind of throne in here. Or sex swing. Iron rings on the walls?'

He'll be so disappointed if there isn't.

[onceaviking]

Aw.
Eric enjoys it when people are intimidated by him.

"That's my dungeon you're describing. These days Mr. Compton is a mainlining poster boy wishing for nothing more than to be able to settle down in domestic bliss and teach kindergarten."

And no, it made no more sense when Compton said it the first time.

"Of course, when I first met him, he was really into ripping whores to shreds, so who knows ..."

[just_cant_lose]

He's letting his heart beat a bit faster, how's that for a compromise? It's easy enough to do, he just has to let his thoughts wander in the direction of Sherlock for a minute. But Eric's free to interpret it as he will.

'He sounds boring.'

His bedroom is boring too, at least at first glance. Le sigh.

'What are you looking for in here?'

[onceaviking]

"He is incredibly boring. Unfortunately, he is also in a position of power and that means I have to take him into account. And we are looking for documents pertaining to a cocktail waitress and correspondence with other vampires. He's never really moved away from paper and pen it seems."

A pause.

"And bookkeeping. The IRS went after his predessessor."

An elevated heartbeat is always a nice touch.

[just_cant_lose]

'Doesn't he have an office? People like this usually have offices.'

Case in point: Eric's own office, in which they are now sitting. Jim stretches his neck to the side - habit, not invitation - and has the sudden desire to crash the drone into the window. Just because.

He doesn't do it. He just scans the room, and heads back towards the door.

'Where are the guards likely to be? Are they allowed in the house?'

[onceaviking]

"I would assume that he - despite his many shortcomings - would know better than to keep anything interesting in his office," Eric replies.

And it doesn't matter what the cause is - a neck stretch will always earn the pointed and focused attention of a vampire.
Not that you could tell just from listening to Eric's voice as he continues, "They are. At least some of the time. Though mostly downstairs. Which is idiotic given that some of us can fly."

[just_cant_lose]

'Useful skill.'

He hovers out in the hallways for a moment, then heads towards another open door. Spare room? Bathroom?

Jim finds it hard to wrap his head around someone writing stuff down, and then potentially leaving it lying around. Like, haven't these people heard of actual security? Computers? Remembering things?

[onceaviking]

Bathroom.

"We likely won't find anything interesting here," Eric says.
"I've looked it over. Some time ago, but -"

He shrugs.

The tub is nice.

[just_cant_lose]

Jim thinks it's tacky, but elects not to say anything.

'Is there likely to be any other place up here, or do you just want to go downstairs?'

[onceaviking]

"Let's have a look at the master bedroom. It'll be down the hall, I think."

Maybe he is just idly curious.
Maybe he wants to see just how far Compton's fantasy stretches.

He can feel the faint heat from Jim's skin through his shirt.

[just_cant_lose]

And Eric is very cool, which is never not going to be odd. It's not weird enough to make him move away, and he wouldn't if he wanted to. There's no harm in keeping options open.

Down the hall, down the hall, down the hall...the master bedroom has to be good, right? If nothing else, Jim appreciates good interior design.

[onceaviking]

Well, there is no accounting for taste?
William Compton age shows in his choice of furniture.
And the quilts.

At the bedside table is a framed photo of a blonde woman in a floral dress, beaming at the camera.

There is also a coffin, discreetly pushed up against the wall.

No chains. No swings.

No shredded prostitutes.

There's a writing desk as well. Small and old.
"Can you get closer to the papers on it? " Eric asks.

[just_cant_lose]

'Of course.'

God, this place is a taste nightmare. Vampires need to get with the times. Never mind; Jim flies past the picture to get a closer look at it, then heads to the desk.

'Who's the woman?'

[onceaviking]

"She's the half fairy," Eric tells him.
"Compton tricked her into falling in love with him, but now she knows. And he has fallen out of favor."

He sounds very pleased with that.

On the desk is a paper with some rough calculations on it, a notebook, and a letter from Nevada. Or so the letterhead proudly proclaims. The writing looks like it's been done with a quill.

[just_cant_lose]

'She's attractive,' he says, in a voice that suggests he's being polite because he knows Eric likes her.

Not that she isn't, but she doesn't look that special either.

'Do you want a still shot of this stuff to read later? Even if it doesn't look important now, you might as well have it in case.'

He tilts the drone up so the angle's better for reading, focusing in on the words.

[onceaviking]

"You can't tell from the photo," Eric says, "but she has amazing tits."

"And a picture would be good. Especially of the letter. I want to know why he is approaching Nevada."

[just_cant_lose]

Jim is not going to comment on tits. They're all right in general, but everything is starting to pale in comparison to recent events.

'What's in Nevada? Is the vampire world basically a parallel to human stuff, with state governments and all that? Clans? Whatever vampires have.'

He takes the photo, and sweeps around for anything else of interest. He wants to go and find some guards to evade, but this is also providing interesting insight to the vampire world. It may never be useful, but it's still good to know.

[onceaviking]

"Nevada is a person. The current regent is referred to be the name of his or her state. Others would refer to Compton as Louisiana. And Mississippi."

Others.

Not Eric.

"Technically, the world is divided into fiefdoms. The names have changed, but it's essentially the same. We're ruled by Kings and Queens, except that it's all a charade. Everyone knows that."

Some know it anyway.

There's a small stack of index cards on a chair. The cue cards from Bills speach earlier.

[just_cant_lose]

'You mean it's a charade if it suits you to not to be part of it?'

Breaking into the King's house to snoop around says it all regarding Eric's attitude to all this. Jim can't blame him. Rulers are stupid.

'Want to take a look at those cards? I'll have to knock them over if you want to see if there's anything interesting on them.'

[onceaviking]

"It's a charade, because the real power lies elsewhere," Eric replies, leaning a little more on Jim's shoulder.

"Yes. Do that. It probably isn't important, but who knows?"

[just_cant_lose]

Subtle, Eric. Jim turns his face up to him, looking like he's starting to get it, a hint of a smile on his lips.

'Okay,' he murmurs, then brushes the stack so they fall as if a breeze from the open window might have done it. He takes a few photos of the text that's visible.

'There you go. Are you done in here?'