Pain is a Demon Magnet

[rhiannon_lee]

Tragedies left fingerprints on people and places. Death, pain, and sorrow all built up a psychic energy that outlasted any attempts at therapeutic intervention, any renovations made to physical structures. You could paint over smoke damage, tear up bloodied carpet, knock down an entire building and the atmosphere wouldn’t change. The ground itself pulsated with what came before. Such was definitely the case with the MGM Grand. No matter how many millions developers channeled into the hotel or what its new owners called it, the building remained the home of the worst disaster in Nevada history. Fire, smoke, and heights had pooled their resources to kill 85 people. The psychic juice was enough to bait the dead into spending quality time on the premises.

As Rhiannon sipped a drink in the lounge on the ground floor, she contemplated what she felt: A buzz in the top of her spine, a knowledge of otherness in the room, maybe a remnant of hell flexing its muscles, five years later.

And if the fuzzy police reports were to be believed, it was vampire central.

Just like them, she thought, to clamor over the echoes of tortured screams.

The outfit was a new purchase. Nothing in her duffel bag was up to the task. If you were going to hang out in a prime piece of Las Vegas real estate, you needed the right gear. She compromised on a tight pair of black trousers with a wide belt, a black top with lace overlay, a flared jacket, and heeled boots. An assortment of silver necklaces jangled when she stretched her neck.

Whistler thought he had whiplash?

You’re damn right, you’re paying the bill, she had grumbled upon finding the hospital costs covered.

Her elbow still felt like murder. Rhiannon hissed when she forgot and rested her weight on the bar.

[Thread: Open to Valerie]

Comments

[valerie_vause]

Half the fun in living in a new location was discovering new places. Well, for normal people anyway. Valerie on the other hand tended to go to the places that created a certain kind of hype. Hushed whispers had lead her to look into the MGM, the history that surrounded the building had sent up warning signals within her mind due to the tragedy that had befallen the place years before. That kind of thing left a bitter aftertaste in the back of her throat. So when she stepped into the lounge for the first time and looked around she tried not to think about scorched flesh. The sounds of screams as lungs filled with smoke, as limbs charred and skin melted. Fire could be the cruelest way to end life.

One slow deep breath in and the blonde turned her attention to the bar. Though she didn’t belong there she blended. Adapted to suit her surroundings the way a chameleon hid itself from prey. The shirt she wore was simple, white, and ironed perfectly to create all the right creases. This wasn’t the kind of place where a pair of jeans would work, so she’d had no choice but to adorn a pair of black pants. Skirts and dresses, while she enjoyed them, restricted her movement and weren’t worth the risk when she went out with a single purpose. The boots were a comfort, laced up halfway to her knees, not that anyone would find that out. She’d left her hair down, tussled it just a little, and walked over.

Before she’d gotten across the room she felt it. The familiar tingle that caused the little hairs at the back of her neck to stand on end. Valerie had learned over the years to listen to it, actually felt grateful sometimes, just for having it. She ordered a cocktail that came with a little pink umbrella to match the contents in the glass. When she paid, the blonde turned to look around casually while her lips found the straw. She took a slow sip and ran the liquid across her tongue. Fruity, yet surprisingly strong. Might explain the price, that she’d grudged despite the smile she’d offered when she heard how much it cost.

She couldn’t decide where to sit, so stood for the time being by the bar as she eyed the patrons. At least one of them was not what they appeared to be and she planned on finding out who it was before she left.

[rhiannon_lee]

“Thanks,” Rhiannon said. She accepted the bartender’s offer of a refill on her vodka tonic. Yeah, thank you for the price gouging and the sucker punch to my dwindling bank account. A shame, but it wouldn’t do to order a Pepsi in a setting such as this one just to be a cheapskate. Not only would she look as out of place as a nun in a whorehouse, but the brunette craved a salve for her nerves, which could be steely in the right circumstances but had never fully adapted to posh surroundings. Always she had the sneaking suspicion that the truth was spelled in neon above her head for anyone perceptive enough to read her:

Does Not Belong Here.

“Tell me about this place,” she nudged as he wiped down the meticulously clean counter. He was either running on autopilot or hoping to whittle away the time with menial tasks. “Is it true it’s haunted?” Her expectations for credible information were low, but if anyone had seen the strange apparitions rumored to linger in the lounge, it would be a bartender forced to stay until closing in the twilight hours. If he dropped a hint that she should watch her back on the way out, she could presume he knew about the crime rate, too.

She gave the blonde a neutral look as she entered their proximity, figuring the more the merrier; a regular could have as much insight as an employee.

[valerie_vause]

The question to the bartender caught the blonde’s attention and she turned slightly to lean one elbow on the bar. Valerie’s gaze lingered on the brunette who’d asked it before she looked towards the guy for the answer. If she didn’t know herself it was a safe bet that she wasn’t a regular. Though she could still be local. A weird feeling ran through her, not familiarity, the woman was a stranger. It wasn’t unpleasant either, no tingle of warning that danger lurked. So what was it? Valerie couldn’t put her finger on it and welcomed the distraction as he finally paused from cleaning to look at them.

“I’ve never seen any ghosts but…” He leaned on the bar, lowered his voice so nobody else heard. “You know, freaky shit happens all the time. A month ago some guy went to use the bathroom, runs out screaming, said the door handle burned him. They found his skin still stuck to it.”

He stood up with a shudder and grabbed the nearest glass to clean.

Valerie arched her eyebrows and nodded. “That sounds…” True. “Awful.” Well, she wouldn’t be using the facilities in the place, that was for sure. Ghosts or not, something had caused that, and she knew it would be highly unlikely that anyone would seriously entertain the thought. Beyond the spooky what if, that cloaked the supernatural so well. She sipped at her drink and shared a look with the brunette to see her reaction. Not everyone chose to believe these things were fake. There were a rare few that saw past the surreal and found the truth. The blonde thought of Brian, then remembered why she was there and focused.

“I heard a girl got attacked here last week, is that true?” The question that rolled off her tongue had been a lie, but a plausible one that Valerie had no issue in using. She sipped her drink and cast her gaze to the bartender.

[rhiannon_lee]

Rhiannon’s mouth twisted downward at the idea of burnt flesh on a door knob. It sounded god-awful and that unique odor was one the slayer got exposed to on the regular. No matter how quickly vampires went up in flames, they stank to high heaven like any ordinary human. But it lent an interesting angle to the building’s story: that kind of haunting bore striking resemblance to a poltergeist getting its rocks off. She had read newspaper clippings about the original fire and its cause: friction-damaged wires sparking in the kitchen wall.

Sure. Likely culprit.

She was drawn back to the moment by the blonde’s question.

Rhiannon watched the bartender debating his next move. On the one hand, he wanted to keep the women around for a chance at a better tip. On the other, this gruesome conversation was a hell of a lot more entertaining than wiping dishes. He opened his mouth. Clamped it shut. Leaned over the counter between them and muttered, “Yeah, but you didn’t hear it from me. It wasn’t last week, it was in July. They said she bled out in the stairwell. I heard somebody stole her wallet and cut her throat, but— ” He jerked his head. “Sounded like B.S. to me, you know why? No cleaning crew. A mess like that, they’d have to bring in professionals.”

“Soooo… use the elevator is what you’re saying.” Rhiannon gave him a thumbs-up and clucked. “Got it.”

[valerie_vause]

That poor woman might have had her throat ripped out but it wouldn’t have been slit. No cleaners meant no blood, and no blood meant one fully fed vampire had drained her dry and robbed her corpse. What was a little five finger discount between the dead? Admittedly, Valerie had treated them in kind, whatever cash they had left in a jacket pocket before they dusted became hers. Well, she had to eat and the Council didn’t offer annual bonuses. Slay fifty a fortnight and get a hundred dollars. If only it worked that way. The harsh reality was that they didn’t fund her at all. Any of them. So when it came to what she could scavenge off the supernatural she got what she could, she had too, besides it was better off in her pocket than going up in flames.

The brunettes comment caused the corners of Valerie’s lips to twitch into a slight smile. It might have been inappropriate, a woman had needlessly been slaughtered, but the morbid humour was appreciated. If you didn’t learn to cope in some way you’d go mad. At least, that was the blonde’s perspective.

“Did they ever catch who did it?” The question, though genuinely curious, felt light to her own ears. Casual so as not to cause suspicion. It was one thing to back and forth in a way that said gossip but if she asked seriously she’d come off as interrogating, and nobody liked that.

He shrugged uncomfortably and rubbed his large hands together as if a chill had just come over him. He shook his head before saying, “Between us three and the bar?” He cast his gaze towards the end of the counter where a man tried to signal him for a refill. “Either the cops here are fucking useless or the criminals are smart as hell. I’ve worked here for about two years, and with everything that’s happened maybe three people were charged, and not even with murder, but petty stuff like stealing and fraud.”

He shook his head again and walked off to serve the middle aged man who sent a sour look towards the blonde and the brunette. Someone apparently didn’t like to be kept waiting. Valerie ignored him and glanced around the lounge. It made her wonder why anyone would keep coming back, then she realised maybe they didn’t. The place was akin to a tourist trap, new feet crossed the threshold everyday, a steady stream of individuals who had no idea what they were stepping into. “Well I don’t know about you but I feel safe.”

The tone was sarcastic but gentle as Valerie turned to look at the woman with a slight smile that said she was joking. No real surprise that the police couldn’t catch the ones responsible for such things but then they had a tendency to cover up what they couldn’t explain. In some ways that seemed worse. Fabricated facts never helped anyone, except the demons that carried on picking people off.

“I’m half tempted to rent a room for the night just to see how haunted this place really is.” This time she was serious, even if she did fiddle with the pink umbrella before taking a sip.

[rhiannon_lee]

“I’m with you.” Rhiannon plucked the lime wedge from her drink and tossed it on a saggy napkin. She tipped the glass again and captured a piece of ice with her teeth. Its crunch was audible over murmured conversation and piano music piping through speakers. It was her second drink and despite having a decent tolerance, the bartender had made them strong enough for the slayer to feel warmth spreading in her belly. The tension in her neck was subsiding, too. She saw lipstick on the glass rim. Rhiannon touched her fingertips to the corners of her mouth.

“I bet people come here a lot just to say they’ve done it.” She looked around. The furniture was lush and soft. A low stage took up one wall, though it was unoccupied for the time being. The ceiling recessed in places to soften the acoustics. It was a nice refurbish. Still, she wasn’t crazy about the vibe. When she picked up a demonic presence on the street, Rhiannon got pumped. Pick it up in a place full of innocent people and it just made her think of lambs on the way to slaughter.

She watched a gentleman place his hand on the small of a woman’s back. He led her into the lobby. Wedding rings flashed on both of their hands. Nothing amiss there.

“That’s why I’m here.” Rhiannon reconsidered. “Well, not to say I’ve been here, but to see it for myself.” She rubbed her lips together and observed her bar buddy. There was a calm presence to the blonde, something she liked instinctively. “I’m Rhiannon.”

[valerie_vause]

Valerie’s lips twitched before she gave in and let the smile take form, the brunette got her kind of humour, it felt quite nice. Classical music might not have been everyone’s thing, but in such an opulent establishment it made sense that the guests would be the kind to appreciate it. If she were honest with herself she quite liked it too, and her head tilted to listen for a second to the tune of the piano. Moonlight Sonata, if she wasn’t mistaken. The blonde enjoyed it because of the emotional journey she could hear taking place, hauntingly beautiful, and let her gaze wander the crowd. No, not a crowd, these were people with plenty of money, that enjoyed the finer things in life, they didn’t stand around in groups. They sat at tables, a party of individuals, and not the kind with rock music and streamers. The blonde’s eyes flicked between them, a few seemed like business meetings, others might have been celebrations of some kind. Then there were the couples that sat by themselves, talking intimately around the sides of the lounge, while the odd few sat or stood alone, like herself.

Well, maybe not alone anymore. Valerie turned to the brunette when she spoke, let her teeth catch the straw to chew on it a second before she sipped at her cocktail. Sweet though it was the fruity liquid almost burned as it travelled down her throat and she felt it begin to hit her system. She’d only had little over half and yet she felt almost fuzzy around the edges, pleasantly so. One hand lifted so that fingers could push a few strands of blonde hair behind an ear and she nodded in agreement. “Or been dared into doing it. People love a ghost story.” Usually when the ghosts weren’t real.

Valerie’s eyebrows raised in question when the brunette said that was why she was there and she wondered if she meant the dare aspect. “Ahh…” Not a dare then. “That’s kind of why I’m here actually, to see for myself.” The blonde grinned slightly, “I’m Valerie.”

Another sip was taken before she added curiously, “I can’t imagine why anyone would stay here more than a day or two, you know? The place has some seriously creepy vibes.” Valerie lifted her shoulders in a half shrug, a slight laugh escaped with her next words. “Maybe they don’t feel it so it could just be me.”

[rhiannon_lee]

“Kinda hard to imagine not feeling it,” said Rhiannon. “It’s like…” she twirled a finger at her nape, “Like that shiver you get when you hear a dentist drill on a tooth, or when you feel your fingernail bending backwards. Take your pick.” And every once in a while, she got the smallest whiff of smoke, perhaps a real air quality problem only masked by the renovations, but maybe… just maybe… it wafted on the air through a mystical window into times past.

“However,” she announced, lifting her glass, “They don’t skimp on the liquor, so I could learn to like it.” She gulped a few swallows. She was thirsty and not just for water or booze. It was what brought her to the city’s most darkly infamous location. Aside from the scuffle with Vehicular Manslaughter, she was sorely short on slayage.

“You’re not here by yourself, are you?” she asked, a spike of worry coming to mind as she considered the situation: Pretty girl around Rhiannon’s same age hanging out in a crime-infested bar by herself. Could be rife for disaster.

Nevermind what a hypocritical question it would seem.

[valerie_vause]

“I’ll go with the dentist drill.” Valerie said with a slight nod. It fit, the uneasy feeling that sound left behind pretty much summed up the unease the environment caused right now. Whether the brunette realised it or not the answer had made the blonde pause. Not from suspicion so much as it was rare to find someone who picked up on those kind of things. In a sense it made her feel at ease, for once she wasn’t alone in how she felt.

Valerie had lifted her own drink to find the straw with her lips, had almost finished it too when she heard Rhiannon, and just managed to swallow the liquid before she laughed. “At first I resented the price but now I’m thinking it might have been worth it.” Then she did finish it, and set the glass down on the counter just to pluck the straw free. She’d motion for another in a minute. “If they’re usually this strong it makes me wonder if they’ve been told to make them that way. Tipsy people aren’t usually spooked easily, and if they are, another drink could help that.”

She was thinking out loud because it felt like the right thing to do. Teeth chewed on the end of the straw as she gazed around again, then as the question was heard she wondered if it looked like she was looking for someone. The blonde shifted to look at Rhiannon again, bemused as she stated, “I am.” Then gently as if it were no big deal, “Aren’t you?” Though if she was, she’d have to keep an eye on her, and not because she thought she was incapable of looking after herself, but because in the brief time they’d talked Valerie had decided she liked the brunette.

[rhiannon_lee]

“Busted,” Rhiannon said. She was faintly amused by the hammered end of Valerie’s straw and wondered if it served its function after her teeth did a number on it. The lime wedge in her vodka tonic came with a blue plastic sword that looked better suited to swashbuckling than any sword Rhiannon had ever used on a demon. The useful ones tended to be shorter, broad implements with heft to them.

“I’ve got an idea. When one of us decides to leave, the other goes, too,” she said, striking the bargain to remove any chance of argument. “That way, neither of us gets mysteriously offed.” Though in no particular hurry, Rhiannon retrieved a thin wallet from her pocket and counted bills to cover her drinks and tip. She didn’t desire a third and she wanted the flexibility to jump out of her seat and take off whenever. “I doubt we’ll get iced at the bar. It sounds like trouble happens on exit.”

[valerie_vause]

For some reason that one word made Valerie grin. As if Rhiannon had been caught alone, rather than simply being alone. Though she didn’t know the brunette very long, she wondered if she chose to be by herself or if it had just worked out that way tonight. She caught the bartenders eye and signaled for another drink as she fished out her own wallet to pull out a few bills with enough extra to leave him. At the very least she had made the right choice to visit tonight. With a chatty bartender she could get free inside information about the spooky going ons within the place. Leave him a nice enough tip and he’d be more inclined to talk for longer.

Valerie abandoned her chewed straw on a napkin, folded it up with one hand, and proceeded to sip through the new one that partially floated within a sea of pink. The suggestion made the blonde look over to Rhiannon, the first thought in her head was a what if. What if she had to leave to follow whatever was in here? Then again, she could always make sure the woman left safely, then come back again. Valerie took a much longer sip.

“You mean there’ll be no murder mystery tour around our chalk outlines? How will this place survive?” Valerie laughed just a little before shoulders lifted in a shrug. “Sure why not, safety in numbers, right?.” Then, as if the brunette’s words had caused suspicion, the blonde narrowed her eyes, gave Rhiannon a look and all but leaned closer to whisper, “Unless that’s what he wants us to think...”

The seriousness lasted barely a second before her own face gave her away. The smile twitched at the corner of her lips and she sat up straighter, “I think he’s harmless.” Then, as an afterthought more to herself, “I think this is my last drink.” They were strong, but ridiculously fruity and moreish. She felt a buzz already, and that was more than enough.

[rhiannon_lee]

“Maybe we just need to rewrite the tour guide’s script,” said Rhiannon. She pivoted on the cushion of her stool to face Valerie and held up her fingers in the vague shape of a marquee. “Come see the place where two innocent young women fought for their lives… and won. Then the chalk outline is the dead guy.”

The brunette picked up her glass, which contained a watery mixture of its original contents. She peeled the moist napkin off the bottom and set it aside and then tipped her head to capture another cube of ice, so melted that contained sharp edges. The coldness numbed her mouth. Rhiannon thought she might bite her cheek when she added, “I think it could still be interesting, don’t you?”

She raised her eyebrows. Nothing like a feminist sentiment between girls. “I mean,” Rhiannon stuck out her leg, “These aren’t really my fighting shoes, but I think I could work around it.”

[valerie_vause]

“That has a nice ring to it.” Valerie said, clearly amused by the notion of it all as she twirled the straw in her glass. It bobbed to and fro once her fingers released it. Briefly she pictured it all in her mind, camera’s flashing, people asking questions, the police attempting to keep people from walking across the chalk that had lined where the body had been. Novelty and nothing more. Reality didn’t quite turn out the same way as it did in movies.

The blonde tilted her head as Rhiannon spoke, “I do.” Valerie admitted, then let her gaze wander down the woman’s leg to find the heeled boots in question. “Ooh, pretty.” She said, lifting her gaze to nod towards the brunette. “With a heel like that you could do a lot of damage, they might be fighting shoes after all.” Maybe she shouldn’t really say things like that but it was the way her mind was wired. If you didn’t get creative with what you’ve got you could end up dead. All took was being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Valerie caught the straw between her lips and took a long sip. Used the time to ponder what Rhiannon had said, and decided to just go for it. “Do you feel like exploring the place a little before leaving?” The tone held hints of mischief and she quirked an eyebrow. “The bartender gave us two locations, maybe we’ll get lucky and spot something ourselves.”

[rhiannon_lee]

“Mmm, men's bathroom or stairwell.” Rhiannon held up her palms and balanced them like a scale. “Choices, choices.”

She was aware of the danger involved in inviting a civilian to tour a known vampire hot spot but truth be told, she didn’t anticipate much happening, except receiving a clearer vibe from the scene of the crime. It might be enough to kick her slayer dreams into gear and let her know if this place needed to be dealt with in a more permanent way. She curled her fingers into her palms, flashing fingernails coated in a dark red color that jarred alongside fair skin. “I’m saying men’s bathroom,” she decided. “We could always claim we’re too drunk to know the difference, and who knows? Maybe we’ll see someone’s penis. I could go for that.”

The drink was finished in a quick manner. Rhiannon patted her pockets to confirm that her lighter, cigarettes, and car key had been stowed in their proper places. With slim fingers, she eased her wallet into her hip pocket. “Ready when you are. You can finish that if you want, since it cost a month’s rent.”

[valerie_vause]

Choices indeed. Valerie had weighed the risks of wandering around with the brunette and had come to the conclusion that she could better protect what she could see, rather than waltzing off to investigate all on her lonesome while leaving Rhiannon to be potentially picked off by a vampire. Then again, perhaps that put the woman in danger. The blonde gave herself a mental shake and focused on what had been said.

The mens bathroom had spiked her attention too, even if the idea of melted skin repulsed her. Pretending to be pickled felt like a valid excuse if they were caught, and so she agreed with a cheerful, “Then we have a penis.” Only to blink, and spit out as she blushed,“Plan! Then we have a plan.” Of all the things she wanted to see tonight, one of those didn’t make her list, and evidently the prospect had flustered her just enough to make her tongue tied.

“Mmh.” Valerie hummed, the glass had already been lifted so that she could clamp her teeth lightly around the straw. Several swallows later and the glass was empty, literally, because she’d kept the straw to play with again. There was no need to leave any money for the bartender, she’d paid with a tip when she got the second drink. So it was with a slight grin that she said, “Shall we?” Then walked slowly through the lounge.

The tingle at the base of her neck happened again, stronger as she passed a table that had around four people at it. The blonde turned slightly to watch them as she walked but only for a few seconds. Anything longer would have been entirely too obvious and suspicious.

[rhiannon_lee]

Rhiannon raised her arms to squeeze past a line of people making a beeline for their abandoned barstools. “I have to get out before you can get in,” she muttered and was relieved to emerge from the crowd into the less populated seating area. She felt herself drawn to the same table as Valerie had been (six chairs, four people) but traversed the room, skirting between the clusters of upholstered chairs. The lavatories nestled in the farthest wall of the lounge with an anterior room to buffer any noise from flushing toilets. The area was poorly illuminated to lend privacy to those patrons using the facilities. Left hand men’s. Right hand women’s.

She waggled her left hand at Valerie – “Oops.” – and pushed on the door.

Inside, the room was clean and sleek. A black marble countertop ran the length of one wall. Across from it, a row of porcelain urinals with chrome trimmings and a single stall. Rhiannon felt a current of cool air grace her shoulders as the door sucked shut behind them. She opened her mouth to say something off color about roasted weenies to Valerie, but stopped when she heard it.

A little snick.

A scuffing shoe.

Silence.

[valerie_vause]

The purely intentional accident and the oops to accompany it humoured Valerie. She followed the brunette and sneaked into the men’s room, the place itself much cooler than the lounge. Were warm people more inclined to drink? The blonde wasn’t sure. What she was sure of though, was that the only stall in the bathroom just locked. Green eyes slid a look toward the brunette and she frowned. If a guy was using it for the intended purpose, he wouldn’t be able to reach the door from where he sat. So either they’d just missed someone, which felt unlikely as there was no noise of a zipper or even a belt buckle being undone, or someone was in there for an entirely different reason. The small hairs at the back of her neck stood on end and she pointed towards the cubicle.

Someone’s in there. She mouthed silently.

They might not even be alone. Nobody was that silent without a reason.

There were no hushed breaths, so she struck sex off the list. Nobodies bowels appeared to be moving either. That still left the possibility for a vampire feeding.

One hand lifted to say hold on as she walked towards the sinks. Deliberately letting her boots echo with each loud step. Heavy, like a man’s. Valerie turned on a tap, flicked her fingers through the water to make it sound as though someone was perhaps cleaning their hands then strode back. Pale fingers grabbed the door handle, and she pulled it wide open, then let it go to shut naturally. The idea had been to make whomever, or whatever, think that they had left.

When the door finally slammed shut she shared a look with Rhiannon and tilted her head to listen.

[rhiannon_lee]

Rhiannon almost protested the departure of Valerie, fearing that the blonde would barge into the stall door and come face to face with a demon or blistery ghost. The boogeyman didn’t have to be physically dangerous to scar you for life. She sucked in a quiet breath in preparation to give the verbal advice to wait, but when she saw the blonde at the sink, she understood. Okay, whew. The girl was smart.

As they stood side by side, the silence became as heavy as a blanket settling over them. Rhiannon eased to a crouch and looked for feet under the wall. There was a single pair of men’s shoes and nothing else reflected on the smooth expanse of floor, not that a reflection meant much. Vampires didn’t have them and toilets made good foot stools. She narrowed her eyes to analyze the stance of the feet because there were only so many positions one could assume in a—

There came a sob. A tremulous word. ‘Please...’

“Fuck.” Rhiannon’s fingers fumbled with the hem of her pants. She yanked it up to her calf to expose a small Velcro strap with a carved piece of wood inserted there, its point down. “Valerie, go!”

[valerie_vause]

Two things happened when that plea was heard that changed everything instantly. Valerie’s own hands went to her pants leg to pull it up over her boot. Fingers grabbed the top of the stake she had tucked away there as the brunette urged her to leave. That was when the blonde stood up, her gaze went from her own weapon to the very similar one in the woman’s hand and she blinked. “Why would you…?” Cogs inside Valerie’s head turned over at a remarkable speed. Either Rhiannon knew about vampires, plausible since the area seemed to be crawling with them, or she was…

”No… No!”

There was no time for questions. The blonde moved quickly, free hand wrapped around the handle of the stall and pulled. The lock inside the door broke, pieces clattered to the floor as she yanked the thing open to reveal the back of a tall man with dark hair. Behind the figure, or rather in front of, crouched upon the toilet was another man attempting to curl into a ball out of fear. Valerie didn’t think as instinct took over, if Rhiannon had a stake and with the way she’d told her to leave, she would know how to use it. The blonde reached in and grabbed the front of the vampire’s jacket as he turned to see what was going on and threw him towards the sinks.

“Come on, get up!” She ushered fiercely, all but lifting the man up by his tie to push him out of the cubicle. Steady fingers caught his chin and she turned his head from side to side. No visible bite marks, no scent of blood. “Get out of here.” Valerie commanded, then locked the door behind him to stop anyone else stumbling on the events unfolding.

[rhiannon_lee]

“No way.”

But there was no mistaking it. A weapon could mean a freelance demon hunter, but only a slayer could toss a vampire like a rag doll. The demon crashed into the mirror and splintered it before landing hard on the countertop. He snarled and scrambled to get his legs under him and leap from the balls of his feet to Valerie’s back. If he couldn’t have the man for a meal, he wanted the blonde.

“I don’t think so!” grunted Rhiannon as she threw herself into its body. The pair of them landed on the glossy floor and slid in a tangle of limbs, stake, and fangs. Their momentum was stopped by the wall. Both struggled to be the first to get up and gain the upper hand. The slayer’s boots slipped and squeaked in a puddle of water that had leaded from under the sink. She elbowed the vampire in the face to distract him. They tumbled and she climbed on his back and latched herself around him.

“This was a bad idea,” she groaned as the demon stood up, looking like a spider with his four limbs plus Rhiannon’s jutting out from his sides. He rammed himself backwards into the wall and let the slayer’s head absorb the impact with a hand dryer. Her stake clattered under the plumbing. “Ow!” But she clung to his head and got her hand into position around his jaw with the idea that she might be able to snap his neck.

“Valerie!”

[valerie_vause]

The struggle that broke out behind her while she got the man out of the facilities had been heard, but it was the call to her that signaled things had taken a turn for the worst. Valerie burled to see the vampire, even with Rhiannon wrapped around his back, he loomed above the blonde. The snarling snap of his teeth as the brunette’s hand tried to grab under his chin to break his neck bounced off the walls. “Fraggle!” She hissed, as the vampire tried to dislodge the woman viciously.

There was no two ways about it, he was a big guy, and anyone normal would have been knocked out by now. Valerie ran the short distance, an adrenaline fueled, “I’m on it!” Left her lips as she raised her hand to plunge the stake into his chest. The problem with big guys though, were how long their legs were, and the vampire used one of his to kick her straight in the gut. The noise that escaped her on impact was muffled by the thump when she landed hard after sailing through the air like a little blonde pinata. Oh, she’d be feeling that later.

Quick as she went down, Valerie got back up faster and offered a snarl of her own through frustration. When he kicked out again she was ready for it. The blonde brought her foot down across his shin with inhuman speed, the strength of it broke bone and he let out a strangled cry of agony. That split second was all she needed to ram the stake home and he crumbled away to nothing. Through the dust Valerie tried to grab Rhiannon’s arm, an attempt to steady the brunette as she landed.

“Are you alright?” The question was asked through a cough. She waved her hand through the dust to clear the air, the stake still firmly clutched against her palm.

[rhiannon_lee]

Rhiannon watched over the demon’s shoulder as the stake drive home. She unclamped her limbs just before the vampire turned to dust. Bent knees absorbed the impact and she righted herself against the wall. Coarse grains of dust clung to her lashes and lipstick. She fluttered her eyelids. “Yeah. Pppbttt. Pppbttt. God, that tastes bad.” Her sleeve served as a makeshift handkerchief before she recognized the flaw in her logic: her clothes were just as dusty and they were in a bathroom full of tap water.

“You okay?” She went to the sink and washed her hands under the cold faucet. A cupped palm scooped water into her waiting mouth. Rhiannon swished and spit. She moistened a paper towel to take care of the rest of her face.

‘There is a vampire slayer in the bathroom with me. I’ve met exactly one of my kind and that one’s dead.’

There was a delay in her eye contact with Valerie because it crossed the brunette’s mind – briefly and egocentrically – that she might be a plant sent by the Council.

‘Don’t be stupid. You saw her face. She didn’t know, either.’

Rhiannon shut off the faucet and bathroom fell into the same eerie quiet of before.

[valerie_vause]

The Council didn’t even enter Valerie’s thoughts. She hadn’t heard from them in almost a year. What did though was how strange it felt to come face to face with someone like her. The blonde had never met another one like her, and as far as first impressions go, Rhiannon appeared to be nice. Which in a way eased the shock of it, but not by much. “Yeah I’m fine.” She mumbled, thinking about lightning and how rare it struck the same place twice as she pushed the stake back into her boot and fixed her pant leg.

If she were a gambler, Valerie would have thought she’d win the lottery long before she met another of her kind. The odds, at least, had seemed that way.

Valerie brushed off the dust that clung to her shirt, all too aware of the silence that happened once the tap was turned off. The blonde rolled her shoulders, stretched just a little, then let out a half laughed sigh. “Well, I think we found out what happened in the stairwell. On the bright side, we still have both of our hands.”

[rhiannon_lee]

“Our hands?”

Rhiannon frowned in confusion. “Oh. Yeah, the door knob. Sorry. I’m just a little— I’m a little thrown.” At a loss for words, she gestured vaguely around the room in an all-encompassing way, as if to say ‘you, me, vampire, men’s room’. But why was it so strange? True that their kind was rare and growing more so every day on an increasingly populated planet, but she got a feeling that the fact of one wasn’t nearly so jarring as the sight of one. It felt like looking in a mirror at an alternate version of herself.

She put her back to the countertop and curled her fingers around the ledge. Rhiannon let herself examine the other woman—blonde to her brunette, green eyes to her brown, about four inches shorter but otherwise similar in stature. Neither of them looked like a shit-kicker. But that was the physical and what Rhiannon found herself searching for was some trace of familiarity in the look in her eyes or the way she held herself. A droplet of water rolled off her chin and she wiped it away.

“Let’s try this again. I’m Rhiannon and I’m a vampire slayer.”

[valerie_vause]

“That makes two of us.”

The phrase itself seemed funny now to her own ears. Valerie shrugged lightly, her remark about hands had been the only one she could think of to break the deafening silence. Though, maybe silence was preferable to being studied. The blonde shifted slightly, pushed a few strands of blonde hair behind an ear and cleared her throat. Naturally she was curious, several questions ran through her head.

What age are you? When did you get called? Do you live here?

None of them got vocalised though, as she eyed the brunette back cautiously. Belatedly her mind went to the odd feeling she’d gotten when she first met the woman. Perhaps the source of her power had responded to another being so close. Perhaps, subconsciously, she’d merely recognised something within herself. Whatever it had been Valerie didn’t mind.

The blonde might have felt awkward in that moment but she kept her head up, back straight and arms by her sides. Not defensive, but confident in her own body. Though when Rhiannon spoke next, a short almost huff of breath escaped as a quiet laugh. Okay, there it was, out in the open. Valerie had to admire the straightforward way she’d delivered the information. She replied in kind with a gentle, “Hi Rhiannon, I’m Valerie, and so am I.”

[rhiannon_lee]

Rhiannon chewed on her lip. The conversation that had flown so freely at the bar had slowed to a trickle, but only because of the shock of finding another person that had lived through the single most important aspect of Rhiannon’s life. She wanted to know everything: how was her relationship with the Council? did she ever question her place in this bizarre calling they both shared? did she like it? The pipe under the sink dripped and added to the puddle on the tile.

Plink… plink… plink…

Rhiannon opted for something a little less pressured.

“There should be a handshake.” A smile tugged at her hips. “Or another signal. We’re a secret society, so why not?”

[valerie_vause]

Secret they were, but society? She wasn’t so sure. The Council liked to keep them apart, spread out and alone. Valerie quite enjoyed the idea of them being one though. Which could explain the way she smiled back with a slight wave of hand, “We could always make our own.” Though as she surveyed the damage the smile changed to perplexed. “Just not right here in the middle of a leaking men’s room.”

They couldn’t stand there any longer. Sooner or later someone would want in and see the destruction. What if the guy they’d saved ran straight to management? With all the questions filling her mind the blonde would rather be somewhere else to talk to the woman. “How about we sneak out before his friends come to find us? I think I could go another drink after all, and hey, we can work on that secret signal.”

Valerie gave herself another quick dust down before she unlatched the door and pushed it open. Life was full of surprises, and for the second time in hers, Valerie felt a little overwhelmed. Though, optimistic all the same.

[rhiannon_lee]

“Good idea. We’ve got a lot to talk about.”

Rhiannon uncrossed her feet and followed Valerie out of the men’s room. Although the contents of her previous drink still sloshed in her stomach, she could use another one now, and a change of venue was requisite if the victim called the cops or management was notified. She wasn’t into police questioning. Her hands actually trembled as potential consequences of meeting another slayer – good and bad – flitted through her brain. It could be great for a slayer to have her back during big fights. It would make slow patrols a hell of a lot less boring. On the other hand, what if Valerie was in thick with the Council?

One way or another, it was going to be a big deal.

[valerie_vause]

They did, but the statement sent a slight chill through Valerie. More from the unknown than the tone of it. What kind of relationship did the brunette have with the Council? Did she trust them unconditionally or did she question the methods and means? The blonde questioned a lot of things, she realised quickly though that those kind of questions never truly got answered and she suspected the Council kept tabs on the things she had asked. Valerie had learned quite quickly to keep them to herself, most of the time. Once out of the bathroom Valerie turned, rather than walking back through the lounge she found the fire escape and eased it open. Unsurprisingly there was no alarm, and she shook her head and stepped out into the warm night.

“So have you been in this area long?” She asked casually, adding, “I’ve been here maybe a month, give or take a week.”

[rhiannon_lee]

“Me, too, about a month,” said Rhiannon. She took the opportunity to light a cigarette and bounded down the metal stairs. Each step echoed off the walls of the hotel. “Don’t ask me why I stopped here, I have no clue. I just got off the bus.” Her boots splashed in a small puddle. It had rained while they were indoors. It was a light shower and rare to the area, but she found she liked the moisture, liked the sounds of car tires rolling through water in the nearest street. “Funny timing though. You know what they say. There aren’t any coincidences.”

She began walking in a random direction. Her car was stashed in a parking lot at the cheapest hotel she found in the city, so she was on foot in the search for an acceptable bar or club. “They tell you to come here?” It could be interesting if so. Maybe Las Vegas was the new hot spot of demonic activity in America.

[valerie_vause]

“Huh?” Valerie turned her head to look at Rhiannon as they walked, a light shrug rolled her shoulders. “No. I haven’t heard from them in about a year.” She tipped her head up to look at the dark sky, a few small clouds dotted above them. “I’d always planned to come here, at least for a while.” She said, a faint smile caught the edges of her lips. “I worked as a waitress for two years to help save up enough to attend UNLV. When I had enough to enroll I made my way across the country.”

The blonde had no reason to hide that information, so she shared it freely as she watched their shadows shrink and elongate with the streetlamps.

[rhiannon_lee]

“Twelve months, that’s the magic number,” she said. “Your phone’s about to ring.” At least Valerie wasn’t riding along in one of their breast pockets. Rhiannon knew her loathing was irrational, that it wasn’t fair. Good people did good work in the Council; unfortunately they weren’t the people in charge. It was the aging set she worried about. When they lived that long and saw so many slayers come and go, they began to feel like old world gods, comparatively. She puffed on her cigarette and ashed onto the asphalt.

“How long ago were you called?” It felt invasive to ask it, and yet ‘time in’ was a fundamental statistic she needed in order to understand her new acquaintance. It might be better if she anteed up the personal information first. “1978 for me. I was sixteen.”

Trash was strewn about the alley. She sidestepped a black plastic bag with a tear in the side. It smelled like old leftovers.

[valerie_vause]

“Urgh.” Valerie’s face fell and she slumped slightly as she walked. The idea of being checked on made her nauseous. Tests would probably follow, they usually did, with a series of personal questions she’d rather not have to answer. Demons she could handle, the fear had been gradually conditioned out of her. When it came to the Council and their tests fear was always present within the blonde. One slip up, one bad day, and they might just decided she’d past her prime. It had been so long since the last time they’d shown up that the blonde had tried to put it out of her mind. She’d have to be careful, she didn’t want them snooping into her personal life. “I hope not but you’re probably right, they’re routine like clockwork.”

In the distance a stray cat ran off when it heard their footsteps and Valerie puffed out her cheeks with a sigh. Sixteen. She’d wondered what it would have been like if she had gotten to that birthday without being called. Party, proms, the potential date or two before being shipped off like property. The blonde wasn’t envious, just curious, since she’d never known the ages others had been chosen.

“I was the tail end of fourteen.” Valerie said lightly and stuffed one hand into her pants pocket to retrieve a pack of gum. She pulled out a piece and stuck it in her mouth to chew. “I’m twenty-one now.”

[rhiannon_lee]

“So around the same time as me,” Rhiannon said. “Makes you wonder if something hectic went down seven years ago. All those girls dying at once.” She hated speculating. Why wasn’t it on the record when a girl died? Why couldn’t a slayer know who she was called to replace? There had been a pat answer when she asked, something about it being better to start fresh and not get mired in guilt or fear over taking someone’s place.

The scent of Valerie’s chewing gum permeated the air and it was a welcome substitute for the garbage. “Anyway, when they contact you, I’d appreciate if you didn’t tell them you met me,” she said carefully and softened her voice so it didn’t sound sarcastic. “We’re on the outs and I need some time to figure things out before I deal with them again. There’s actually a watcher in town. She’s like a fucking bloodhound.”

[valerie_vause]

“I think about that sometimes.” The words were hushed, remorseful as she reflected on the deaths of so many girls, like a terrible decaying family tree. When one branch rotted away to nothing another began to grow in it’s place. “Who she was, what she was like, how she died…” The blonde shook herself, literally, because it didn’t matter how much she thought about it. The reality was the Council would never tell her, and to be honest it bothered her. There were so many secrets locked up within the place. Secrets she’d never know but wanted too, all the same. “You’d think they’d tell us these things. We’re destined to die young anyway, why not with some answers?”

Valerie paused mid chew to glance at Rhiannon as she spoke. Whatever had happened must have been… Well, anything, the blonde just didn’t want to pry quite so soon as to the why of it, so instead nodded with an easy, “Sure, I can keep my mouth shut.” She didn’t want to cause trouble for the brunette, she was still out there risking her life, so as far as Valerie was concerned she wasn’t rogue. Though at the mention of a Watcher, the blonde almost swallowed her gum. “Wait, there’s one here?” Now? Why? Paranoia crawled up the blonde’s spine and her thoughts went to Brian. “She sounds nice already, what did she look like? Not that I plan to avoid her but I’d like to be prepared for when we meet.” There wasn’t an if about it. She’d learned that over the years.

[rhiannon_lee]

Rhiannon rubbed the pad of her thumb against the cigarette filter. “Julianna. She’s white, I’m guessing in her sixties. She told me she’s a linguistics professor at UNLV. She looked as surprised to see me as I was to see her, but then she made it her life mission to try and personally administer my Come to Jesus appointment. I hope she’s breaking a sweat over it. I hope they’re eating her alive.” One final puff on the Marlboro and she tossed it.

“Don’t worry. I’m pretty sure you can take her.” Rhiannon winked. They reached a corner pub. She stopped outside of the doors, willing to go inside if Valerie wanted to get that drink or to keep walking.

[valerie_vause]

Either the Council was slipping and didn’t keep track of the whereabouts of the chosen girls, or they didn’t bother to pass on their information to the Watcher nearest to them. Valerie wasn’t sure how that made her feel. On one hand, she liked the way she could attend UNLV without being bothered. On the other, she’d been there for weeks, and apparently so had a Watcher. Maybe they just collected information from the sidelines. Though, she hadn’t bumped into anyone of that description yet. Either that was good or very bad.

“Yeah.” Valerie agreed, though she had no ambition to take on anyone. The rift between the two women was theirs. She shrugged lightly and pushed open the doors. One drink wouldn’t hurt.

[rhiannon_lee]

Rhiannon followed Valerie into the pub. There was a lot to catch up on if they were going to cohabitate in the city: biographies to swap, war stories to tell. It was nerve-wracking and an entirely new experience, but as the brunette took a seat beside the other slayer, she found herself in a surprising position.

She was hopeful.