New Friends at Flannigan's

Aishe had to walk doubletime to keep up with Peter, but she was up to the challenge. They came around the corner where Peter had parked his car, and immediately saw Cyrus and Fallon standing outside what looked like a little pub.

Smiling at them, she looked up at the building.

"Looks good! I've worked up an appetite. I think it was that amazing interception."

"Thank you."

She smiled and walked into the pub. Having coffee with Aishe and Peter would be nice...getting to know people in Nachton was a priority for her...but a small part had thought to see Cyrus' leopard again. Now that she was out of shock, she realized she had missed most of what had transpired at the garden maze.

She also had questions for him about the cat, and what it was like for him...but they would wait. It wouldn't do to get involved in such a discussion with two other people joining them shortly.

"So Cyrus...tell me...do you suspect either Aishe or Peter of being...like us?"

It was the most she felt she could ask, given the short amount of time they were likely to have.

"Thank you."

She saids to Cyrus, as she smiled and stepped out of the car. She had rubbed the sand off her feet and put her shoes back on back at the marina.

Before she could say anything to Cyrus, Aishe and Peter came into view.

"Wow...you guys are fast!"

Still smiling, she had hoped to get a few more minutes alone with Cyrus. The drive over was so quick, they'd not had time for more than a few random comments about the time on the beach. But she could wait...tonight wasn't the last time she'd be seeing Cyrus, and she was glad of that.

"I can't vouch for the food, but they have great whiskey!"

The roman juggernaut exited the vehicle and entered the establishment. he gave his clanmate a respectful bow as he held the door for him.

Hearing Fallon's comment on the whiskey, his eyebrows perked.

"Well on that note, I believe its time for a drink!"

Apollyon walked up to the bar and looked at what the bar had to offer. Seeing his mark, he made his order to the Bartender.

"A Bottle of Johnnie Walker blue label please."

The bartender looked incredulously at Apollyon, inferring he didn't have enough money to buy a bottle of beer thanks to his attire

Apollyon returned the look as he took $500 out of his wallet and put it on the table.

"Sometimes things aren't as they appear," Apollyon paused as the bartender brought him his change.Flashing him a freezing glance, he left $20 for a tip.Taking the expensive scotch in one hand,he spoke to the bartender again.

"Oh yea 4 glasses with ice."

flashing an apologetic look, the bartender quickly placed 4 scotch glasses onto the bar and put a generous amount of ice into each glass.Apollyon stretched out his mammoth hand and perfectly balanced the four glasses on his left hand.he made his way to the table the other three were sitting at now and placed the bottle of scotch on the table, followed by the glasses. Opening the bottle, he began to fill each glass and smiled at each of them saying,

"Drinks on me!"

"Food is great if you dont mind traditional Irish. Excellent service. Plus if we find an available booth we may be able to converse."

Cyrus laughed as he directed the ladies to a booth on the far side of the room. The waitress from the night before spotted him and nodded happily. Leaving hundred dollar tips does that. She bustled ahead of the women and wiped down a perfectly clean booth for them.

Offering Fallon the inside seat he took his place between the loud room full of lively drunks and his fledgling. The urge to rake his claws down the wooden walls to mark his territory was strong but easily resistable. Somehow he thought even the drunks might sober up at that sight.

Grinning at his clan mate he nodded and raised a glass in thanks. Before Darius could sit the barmaid had brought out three platters of appetizers. Cyrus slipped her a large bill and dug into the warm plater of chips.

Aishe gave Peter a small smile but held her hand over her glass and waved to the waitress.

"Just a coke please."

She gave an apologetic shrug to her companions. "I don't drink," she explained.

When the waitress returned with her soda, she dug into the appetizers with gusto.

He looked at the sparsely spaced booth he was about to cram himself into.He lowered himself into the booth as gracefully as he could, even though he could feel his stomach grazing against the table.Raising his glass he proposed a toast

"To new friends, and acquaintances"

Taking the seat Cyrus offered, Fallon slid over the seat making room for him next. She marveled at the way the three of them so easily bantered back and forth, as if they had known each other for months, rather than hours.

Accepting the glass from Peter, Fallon held it up and toasted along. She admired Aishe for not drinking. There was a time once when Fallon didn't care for the taste of alcohol, and had no need to feel its buzz. But that was years ago. Now, it helped her deal with a great many things, in a much easier manner. Though she was far from an alcoholic, she did enjoy it especially when in the presence of people.

Helping herself to a few chips, she sat back in the booth, and smiled at her new friends.

"I'd like to make a toast too. I just got an apartment yesterday, and am moving in later. I'd like to toast to new beginnings, and invite you both over for dinner, once I'm settled."

Though no one at the table would know it, that had taken a great deal of guts for Fallon to offer. With Ted the only people who dared to come visit were his obnoxious friends. Any friends she had from school, or the restaurant, she would have never invited over. She could just never be sure what kind of scene they might face when her husband came home.

He took a long sip of the scotch and savored the rich flavor.Scotch was a little too strong for some, but once he had acquired the taste of it, scotch became his favorite liqour to drink.He noted Aishe's refusal of the drink he offered, and shrugged it off. Apollyon took a couple stabs at the appetizers Cyrus ordered and bowed his head respectfully before he took a bite. His attention turned to Fallon as she spoke,



"I'd be honored to." Apollyon replied.Once again, he lifted his glass to his mouth and he took another sip.In his short tenure in Nachton he had been more social than he had in over a hundred years. Most of the time he only preferred his own company.But he had enjoyed all the company he's experienced while he was here.His eyes turned to Cyrus now.He was glad Cyrus hadn't revealed his identity.Even though he strongly suspected Aishe was connected to the vampire community.She might have even figured out what he was. He decided he would come clean with her later on.Turning his attention to Fallon, he asked her a question

"Pardon my asking, but what brings you to Nachton?"

Fallon had brought the attention on herself, when she invited everyone to dinner. But she had expected an acceptance, or decline, and that would be the end of it. When Peter spoke to her directly, she almost did a double take. People rarely spoke to her...she rarely allowed herself to be noticed...but since arriving in Nachton, it seemed she was no longer blending into the woodwork. It would take some getting used to, but it didn't seem terribly unpleasant.

That didn't stop the quick shadow from passing in front of her eyes. She didn't want to change the atmosphere of the group, by going into the true details of her arrival, so she decided to just skim over the reasons and try to be as vague as possible.

"I needed a change. North Carolina had too many...bad memories...so I just got into the car, and drove. Just outside of Nachton the car had a flat, and I took that as a sign of providence."

That, she hoped would satisfy. But to be on the safe side, she offered just a little more.

"I have an interview tomorrow for a teaching position with the city...and am hoping to be in Nachton for a long time. Everyone I've met...well, almost everyone, has been terribly nice."

Her hands had been resting in her lap, and when she referred to 'everyone' she reached over to casually pat Cyrus' thigh. She then reached up and took her glass for a sip. The scotch was good, and helped warm her inside. At the moment, she was feeling warm everywhere.

"And you Peter...how do you spend your days in Nachton?"

Darius listened to Fallon as she answered his question



"I too have left some bad memories,New York was great until a few weeks before I had departed."

Bad memories.....He had his share..... that was one of the crosses one had to bear being stricken the curse of undeath.Darius had lived many lifetimes of men, each of them tainted by either the crimson stain of blood or the black emptiness of death.He had enough bad memories for 1,000 people and would still have half of them left over for himself. Taking another sip, he enjoyed the subtle burn of the alcohol on his throat.Another moment passed then he answered Fallon's question.

"I've been fairly relaxed since I've came here. I figured since I could afford it,Id take my first few months here a little easy.But I have some property I'm ready to buy for my newest auto garage.I'm mainly an auto mechanic, but I'm also a jack of all trades."

A smile came across his face as he remembered Cyrus' table marking incident at the Creation ball.He felt like asking him why he didn't bring his spear this time,But he didn't know how much he had divulged to his female counterpart. he turned to Aishe and continued to be the conversationalist.

"So Aishe, any other late night sports ya wanna try out soon?"

Aishe chuckled, remembering the earlier misunderstanding with Tristan regarding 'late night sports'. She sipped at her soda and pretended to give the matter serious consideration.

Finally, she shook her head. "Nope. I'm just acting on my whims as they come up. The social life in this city is so different from where I come from, it's just been fun to go with the flow."

Turning to Fallon, Aishe asked, "What do you teach?" The woman seemed so nice, she could envision her surrounded by children just as easily as she could see her at the head of a high school science class.

Cyrus raised his glass to both Darius' and Fallon's toasts. At her invitation to dinner he smiled happily at her. These two were all right he figured. One small woman and his clanmate should pose no threat to her.

He found his curiosity peaking as she patted his thigh. It was a shame she was so young, he would have contemplated a relationship if she at least had a few centuries under her belt instead of a few days. Ah well, the ability to help her and perhaps mentor her a bit would suffice to fullfill any yearning he had ever had for creating his own fledgling.

The appetizers in front of them were just as good as the other night. The chips, frenchfries to an American, were still hot and crispy with just as many dipping sauces. There was a pile of sausage and small handheld pastries that contained meat, cabbage and potatoes. Good food to compliment good friends.

He motioned the waitress over and placed a very quiet order. Shortly she returned with a bottle of Guiness and a bottle opener. Casually he opened the beer and laid the opener on the table between him and his clanmate who had somehow squished his huge frame into the booth. Trying not to laugh he listened to Aishe ask Fallon about her upcoming career.

About to take another sip of her scotch, Fallon halted with the rim of her glass pressed to her bottom lip. The glass went back to the table, to be toyed with as she spoke.

"I teach English...and filled in for Home Ec and a few other classes when needed...middle school, that's about the youngest child I can deal with effectively. The smaller ones...and I don't get along."

The truth was smaller children frightened Fallon. Growing up around abuse all her life, she didn't want to take any chance that she might pass that on. NOt that she had ever had the inclination, but she refused to put the opportunity there, especially on a regular basis.

"The position I am applying for is to teach English as a second language, and I'll be working with adults. But before your eyes glaze over in boredom, how do you spend your days Aishe?"

Fallon completed the sip of her drink and smiled at Cyrus. She wanted to include him in the conversation, but already knew how he spent his days. The thought caused her to grin.

Aishe had pressed herself up against the wall on the inside of the booth to give Peter enough room; she was small enough and didn't mind, but Peter looked something like an accordion, all folded up onto the bench. Fortunately she knew just how agile he was from their frisbee game, or she might not have thought he could deal with the cramped booth.

"Oh, English," Aishe said with a laugh. "Never my best subject, but I learned how to get by." It was a self-deprecating little joke, poking fun at her very noticeable Egyptian accent. Although she spoke English as if it were a native language now, she would never be able to shed her accent. She didn't mind though.

"I'm afraid my job is even more boring. I'm an archaeologist. I live to make mudpies and dig around in the dirt hoping that one day I will find the missing link between mankind today and our ancestors."

She gave a grin to her company. "I am hoping to find a job here in Nachton. But I don't think I have the kind of patience required to teach." That was said with a little nod of deference to Fallon.

Hearing how well Aishe spoke, Fallon had to assume the other girl was being modest. But she didn't feel she knew the girl well enough to make that comment. Further, Fallon adored teaching, and thought it was far from boring. Her reference was to the idea that no one else would have thought it to be exciting, in the manner she had. Any time Fallon spoke much about anything, she ultimately felt she was probably boring the person listening...except in school. In school, she could often see the interest in the eyes of her students, and that made her love teaching all that much more.

Sometimes, as with Cyrus, she didn't get the impression that he found her boring. But then she would realize that he just hadn't spent enough time with her...and that he eventually would find her as tiresome as the others.

"I think what you do sounds very exciting, and is similarly as interesting as..."

She almost said Cyrus, and his work with antiquities. But quickly decided she didn't have his leave to discuss his business with others, and covered her mouth, and her eyes flashed him with a look akin to fear. It was habit, pure and simple. Years of saying things that Ted didn't appreciate had taught her to say very little. This was one of the reasons why...she didn't know how to keep things private.

"Oh...I'm sorry..." She whispered to him, before taking another sip of her drink, and sitting just a tad lower on the seat. Had she been sitting on the outside of the booth, she probably would have taken that time to run to the bathroom. As it was she could only sit and feel ashamed.

Cyrus arched a brow. Why had she appologized? Strange creatures women.

"No need to appologize." He spoke quietly to Fallon and placed one hand on hers. "Its ok, I dont mind."

While he respected Aishe's profession he rarely had use for it. Most of what he collected was passed down for generations. He rarely sought any lost or missing dusty old artifact. Perhaps Chryseis would be interested in speaking to her though.

"You might try the museum. They probably need people to restore or even identify things." The comment was directed at Aishe. If his last romp through that place had been any indication there was plenty for someone trained in the handling of artifacts to do.

Relief filled her body when she saw there was no reprimand forthcoming, and his hand again gave her strength.

She knew from what she had already experienced, and from what both Panos and Cyrus had told her, that she was much stronger now, physically, and mentally. As soon as that reality took hold, she hoped she could put this insanely constant fear of being hurt, behind her. Time...she suspected...would play a part in that.

"Cyrus buys and sells antiquities...rare, things from the past. That's why I thought of the similarities. I'm sure he can explain it better though." She smiled politely at the man next to her, and this time didn't worry about his reaction.

"The museum sounds perfect too...I would imagine they must get things delivered there all the time, that might require authentication."

She smiled her thanks to Cyrus, though she wasn't sure if he would understand.

"And even if you don't want to teach, there might be something available at the university. They may even have a local dig they are involved in, that you might be able to assist them with."

Aishe smiled and nodded at the recommendations her companions gave.

"I'm still just starting out, but those are good ideas. Most of my experience is in excavation, however, and surveying... I'm more of a field worker than a lab worker. I was excited to learn that Meridian Apex is headquartered in Nachton. They're big. I'm not sure if my resume is sufficient for a company of that caliber, but it never hurts to try."

She looked at Fallon. "And regardless of where I end up, I think I may take your advice and check out the university as well. A local dig would be wonderful to help with."

Turning to Cyrus, Aishe asked, "What sorts of antiques do you deal with? I can imagine in such a city as Nachton, with all of its history, there must be a good deal of interest in such things."

Cyrus twitched an eyebrow at the mention of Meridian. Perhaps "Peter's" little friend was more than a snack. Busying himself with his beer he kept the same expression on his face.

At her question his head tilted slightly to one side and he replied thoughtfully. "I have never considered looking for artifacts in Nachton. I mainly collect weapons and armor from Mongol and Hun era's. Most dynasties of South East Asia in fact around 1000 AD."

With an elegant shrug to one shoulder he continued. "I have several companies buying, apraising and selling. It is an interesting enterprize. I suppose someday I shall move on to other areas and times, but for now I am quite comfortable in my current niche."

He figured he had spoken in enough detail to drag more out of her so he probed delicately. "Have you been to see anyone at Meridian? I hear they have a huge antiquities department."