Locking her car, after quietly spewing a few choice epithets at it, Shay put a reminder in her Blackberry, to call the shop and get the car in for a check up. But once that had been done she forgot about the issue and happily turned towards the quaint and very lovely little cafe.

She saw Amberelle immediately, and was glad her new friend had chosen to sit outside. The night air was cool and refreshing, and Shay liked being out in it.

"Sorry it took a little longer for me to get here...my car has decided to start giving me issues. Hopefully it's nothing a tune up and oil change won't fix, though she is getting up in years." Shay smirked and sat down in the empty seat across from Amberelle.

"This is a really cute place...I love the ambience. I must have driven by it several times before and never noticed it though. I guess that's kinda sad...how sometimes we just don't take time to look at the things around us. And I think maybe since having just returned from visiting a foreign country, and being so caught up in seeing everything, I may just be still experiencing that...though I hope not."

The waiter, a cute guy with dimples, stopped by their table to take their orders. Shay waited for Amberelle, then asked for a simple iced mocha with a shot of caramel, and no whipped cream.

A couple of minutes passed so Amby stretched in her chair some and checked her watch. Realizing she hadn't gotten a cell number or a way to contact Shay, the vampire wanted to smack herself on the forehead but she figured that would look a little silly. About the time that she was beginning to get concerned that Shay either had gotten lost or had some kind of trouble, this was a city occupied by a large number of vampires after all, her Mercedes came into view. She exhaled a soft sigh of relief and gave a small wave to make sure she would be seen.

While Shay made her way to the table, the Anantya pulled a slim silver case from her pocket and removed one of her calling cards from within. Their use was incredibly old fashioned, but it was something that her grandparents had always insisted on everyone using so now she didn't give it a second thought.

She felt really bad for a moment when the reason for her friend's delay was explained. However, it wasn't as if she had been in the middle of a deserted area, which alleviated some of the guilt.

Ahh.. I appologize, I didn;t even think to get your cell number in case you got lost. Here, take one of my cards, she slid the soft blue linen card with embossed navy script reading "Miss Amberelle M. De'Espionne" and her cell number written smaller text below.

I'm sure a mechanic can figure out whatever problem it is and take care of it for you. Do you have triple A, just in case? In a big city like this it's never good to get stranded somewhere alone after dark you know. "Except for big bad vampires like me who just hope someone's idiot enough to try something. Then they make a nice dinner,"Â? she chuckled to herself at that.

This is one of my favorite places in Nachton. It reminds me a lot of Café DuMonde back home. I used to spend hours there watching the tourists. Now, I watch them here! Very enlightening, sometimes.

Their waiter came up then and Amby ordered a café au lait and a large order of beignets for herself. While her companion was ordering, she took the chance to check out their waiter. Cute, in a sweet kind of way. But probably too short she thought. "Since when have I gotten all caught up on sizing every man up for a potential date?"� Probably since she couldn't remember the last time she'd had one, she blonde realized.

After the waiter had gone for their order, she turned back to the other woman. So tell me where did you go, and was it business or pleasure, hmm?

Taking the card, Shay skimmed it, then handed Amberelle one of her own that was tucked into the pocket of her clutch. While she had two kinds, the ones Lucile had given her with the publishing information on them, Shay handed Amberelle her own personal ones, with her local address and contact numbers. Shay waved off Amberelle's concerns, but did appreciate them. It was only a minor inconvenience though, and nothing Shay would get upset over.

"Yes, I do have triple A, though I'm glad I didn't need to wait for them, and I'm sure whatever is wrong can be fixed. The issue is really now more like do I want to put a lot more money into that car, or cave and buy a new one. I've loved my little 'sadie', as it was always the car I wanted, and it does have some significance, but I may be outgrowing her now. The final decision will be based on what's wrong with her though."

Nodding in agreement, again Shay smiled at the feeling of comfort the small cafe gave her.

"I like people watching too, but we had poor substitutes for places like this in L.A. I think that's one reason I've never gotten in the habit of enjoying these little eateries."

When the waiter had left, Shay shook her head and closed her eyes for a few seconds, enjoying the smells and soft breeze that caressed her cheek. The evening really was perfect. It made her wish that there was a small, secluded yard off of her home, where she and Alexi could make love under the stars. The idea so enamoured her that she decided to check into having something built tomorrow. The thought was so entrancing that she almost missed Amberelle's next question.

"Pleasure..." She smiled, as certain images came to her. "My...boyfriend is of Russian heritage, and he showed me around places where he had grown up. I saw Kiev, and Istanbul...the churches, and people...countrysides...it was a marvelous visit and seeing it through his eyes was quite a history lesson." Shay smiled at that comment as well, unable to explain that Alexi's history was several hundred years old.

"It was a perfect trip for us both...my father was very ill just before hand, and thought to be possibly dying, so I had gone home to be with him. Mathias was also feeling a little homesick I think, and needing to re-establish his roots. Sharing that with him really allowed me to see into parts of him that he'd never shown me before. I can't really explain it..." And she laughed. "Which is a little sad coming from a writer." She shrugged and rolled her eyes. "But then I do write fiction."

Talking to Amberelle was easy, and Shay wondered if the woman's calm demeanor had that effect on everyone she met, or if Shay was just feeling talkative tonight. The conversation with Ginnie earlier may have set the tone for the evening.

"How was it you came to move to Nachton...do you have family here?"

As she listened, several small things the writer said rung little bells in the young blonde-haired woman's mind. In a town like Nachton when people mentioned history lessons, well.. Sometimes one wonders, Amby thought to herself with a smile. Especially the comment about re-establishing one's roots, that made her very curious. And, it occurred to her that in a hundred years she could feel the same way about returning home. It was an odd, surreal thought.

"You could be reading way too much into this," was her rational voice's comment. But, having met Carol and confirming the petite woman knew several of the Tacharans that Amby did, it made the Creole wonder just how much, if anything, the Californian knew about her boyfriend's 'company'.

The waiter returned with their order, giving Amby a moment to collect her thoughts and plan her questions some. He set down her plate of beignets, covered in fresh powdered sugar almost like small piles of snow. They perked her up and she bestowed a brilliant smile on the waiter and thanked him, and managed to not giggle at the silly grin her gave her in return. After he had retreated, she stirred some sugar into her café au lait and took a sip. Warm liquid gold sliding down her throat, it almost made her purr. Cupping the mug in her hands, she leaned back and relaxed slightly. Once her companion had sipped her drink, she spoke.

Oui, I have some distant cousins who live here. Luckily, for me, I had moved here a couple of months before Katrina devistated New Orleans. My family is still there, and they all were able to leave ahead of the storm just fine, it was second nature now for her to add that since so many people she had spoken to about it since were always curious. But our home is in the Garden District, which wasn't affected as badly as some of the lower lying parishs were. They just went to Europe and stayed a while until things were cleaned up and ready for their return, from what my Grandmere wrote me.

Thinking a moment, she unconsciously tapped a freshly French manicured nail lightly on the coffee cup. After a moment she shook her head appologeticly. A writer, hmm.. Sorry, I don't recognize your name. What have you done? I'm afraid I've not read too many modern fiction books, I prefer the classics. Or an.. occasional.. racy romance. Her topaz eyes twinkled and the corners of her mouth lifted as she suppressed a grin. While she said occasional she meant almost daily, but it wasn't some

thing she just admitted to.

"Cousins? I know I've got some back here on the east coast as well, but just haven't had the opportunity to look them up yet. I hadn't lived here any time at all before meeting Mathias, and from that point on I just don't know where my time has gone. Settling in wasn't that difficult, but then my brother came to visit, and that brought a few interesting aspects with it, and then I've had to make a few trips into New York, for the book..." She waved her hand at that, hoping it was a sufficient explanation. She didn't talk about the medical problem any more. It was easier to move on with life if she ignored it, and thinking about it brought her nothing.

"And then the trip. Now I've got a deadline to meet to finish the book..." And that was that. Time had gone so quickly that she was nearing a year in Nachton, and felt like she'd just arrived, blinked, and the year was up.

"I'm glad your loved ones weren't hurt, or didn't suffer any worse than they did. Growing up in California makes it somewhat difficult to understand just how devestating a hurricane could be, or how it would feel riding one out. Then again, I guess a lot of people on the east coast have difficulty understanding how we can live through earthquakes too." She shrugged, grinning softly.

Shay also waved off the apology from Amberelle.

"No need to apologize...it's not like I've achieved the notariety of King, or Rice, or even Hamilton. I hope to one day, but for now I'm just glad my books are selling at all.

The first one was called 'Life Changes'...it was based loosely on my college roommate's murder. Back then I'd planned on getting a teaching credential. But somehow that no longer mattered as much as it once had, and I graduated from the police acadamy, and took a job with the LAPD. My second book was 'Badge on the Beach', and kind of took off from where the other one ended. They never found my roommate's killer. After a short stint as a cop, I got too frustrated not feeling like I was really much help there, so I quit, and decided to write. I guess I figured the college should count for something." Again she offered Amberelle a smile.

"So that brings you up to book three...'Blood on the Moon'...which...don't laugh...IS rather romantic, and racy, but also has some mystery, as it deals with vampires." Shay winked at the mention of romance, then laughed lightly. She had given up trying to figure out how a person would react to the information on her current book.

She sipped her coffee and eyed the sugary confections Amberelle ate. Shay would have loved ordering one...or a half dozen...but was trying to cut back on sweets.

"What classical authors do you favor?" It never hurt to get a feel for who a person read. Even if it wasn't her, having a finger on the pulse of the public's likes and dislikes helped Shay when she considered how to direct her own writing.

Tai wasn't sure where he'd picked up the habit of following people. He'd done it last week to Yuu, and now he had caught sight of another interesting character. The woman from the Mayor's ball, who had so rudely, if unintentionally, brushed past the two of them in her eagerness to meet her friends.

Yuu's face and voice faded away and in their place came Ellis' smile, Ellis' tone. The city receded into a fog once more, leaving no one but Tai and this stranger, maybe flashes of her companion around the periphery. Tai's mind put on the backburner all ideas of dates, of pleasure and softness. In their place now was the edginess of the predator, the concealed energy barely hidden he was so used to.

It took no time to pick up a magazine and find himself a table outside, not far from the woman. Relaxing, or pretending to, Tai crossed his legs at the ankles and opened the periodical. His eyes scanned the pages and his fingers turned them at regular intervals, but he paid attention to this woman most of all.

Tonight was a good night for a little extracurricular activity.

Richard had come to miss one thing about England since the War. The Tea and the Coffee. It just wasnt the same here - especially now that there were a million kinds of each, all with various things added into them. Richard still didnt see the need for such complicated drinks. But he was able to have his coffee the way he liked, though his tastes had changed slightly over the years. And that growing...yearning, was not for regular food. He would need to feed soon, and he realised it was better to start looking for a potential target then take his chances.

He found himself at the Cafe, seated outside next to two beautiful women - one french by her accent - and ordered himself a cup of coffee, his accent clearly marking him as an Englishman. He had always liked the outdoors - it was better then being trapped inside when something bad happened. But it let some one hunt him too.

As Shay waited for Amberelle's response, she glanced around the small cafe and noted a few of the patrons. An attractive young man had just sat down nearby, and Shay couldn't help but pick up on his slight British accent. The group at the cafe was certainly an eclectic bunch, if nothing else.

There was another man who's face was partially obscured by a magazine, but even in the little bit of him she could see, Shay thought she recognized something familiar about him. What that familiarity stemmed from though, she had no idea...she couldn't recall having seen him before, or having been introduced to him at any of the functions she had attended in Nachton last.

Blinking the fog away from her brain, Shay turned her focus back to Amberelle, even as little thoughts of Alexi drifted through her brain. She was rarely anywhere, with anyone, when thoughts of her love didn't filter by at one point or another. He was as integral to her being as the breaths she took. But the images and thoughts were so common place these days, that they no longer distracted her from the other things around her. The lack of those thoughts and images would probably have done that though.

Carefully taking a bite of the puffy pastry, she savored the warm sweetness. Amberelle had enough experience with them to not spill the mounds of powdery sugar all over herself as she ate. But, when Shay mentioned her book being about vampires it was a close call. 'Her boyfriend certainly sounds like kindred. But who would let their woman write a book about us?' While she knew the Tacharans were a bit less discreet, by reputation, it was a puzzling idea. Setting the beignet onto her plate she dabbed her mouth and gave the author a curious look.

Vampires and romance.. that's different. Is it a tragic type of story? Shaking her head she shrugged. Vampires have been quite the thing in New Orleans.. Guess it was all Anne Rice's influence. It's certainly become a popular topic around there. There are tons of tours and themed tourist attractions. . Gets old after a while. She smiled. Those books had been highly entertaining, and their innacuracies were amusing.


Out of her peripheral sight she saw that a very attractive man had taken a seat not far away and she took note. His crisp British accent sent a shiver down her spine. Hopefully he'd be dining here more often, she liked the view much better now.

Well, my tastes were influenced by the large collection my Grandpere has. So many pieces that are by relatively unknown authors. It's been passed down through the years. 'Yeah by him to himself..'

I'd say some of my favorites are.. hmm.. Dostoevsky, Alexandre Dumas, Shakespeare of course.. Charles Dickens.. Volatire, oh and Tolstoy. Well that's more than a few huh? What about you? Who are your influences..?

Oh, I meant to ask earlier and I forgot. Do you know any of.. Mathias right? Any of his co-workers? Carol and I have a few mutual friends, I found out before she had to go.. Made me curious to know if we may have some in common as well.

"Yes, I can imagine how annoying it would become to have your city overtaken by 'lookie-loos' tromping through your antebellum mansion gardens, in search of anything relatively 'vampiric'. Which is one reason my book takes place in a fictional setting. I plan on making it as authentic as I can, but have no plans on bringing notoriety upon Nachton...or the people I know and love."

No, contrary to what those around her might think, Shay would rather cut out an eye than cause harm to anyone she loved, and cared about. If nothing else, she was being very careful in the writing of her latest book, and was looking forward to its release and the sighs of relief it would bring to those doubtful ones.

"I love Shakespeare's comedic works the best, I mean I enjoy everything he wrote, but particulary the humorous works. I can't say I was ever a fan of Dickens or Tolstoy, but Dumas was always entertaining. Dostoevsky...I know a few of the things he wrote, but am a little embarrassed to say I've never even read 'The Brothers Karamazov'."

Not that Shay had come close to having read even half of the most well known classical authors, but being an author herself, she felt it might not reflect well to admit that. She really could do nothing else though, as facts were facts.

"As for who might have influenced me...I can't really point to any one author. I've many favorites, and most of them have had at least some effect on me. My writings are contemporary, so I'd have to say if I were to choose any, they'd be that as well."

Shay shrugged slightly, though no longer embarrassed. She imagined there were song writers who didn't know all the classical composers either.

"I know a few of the people he works with..." Only hesitating long enough to remember that Amberelle did already know Carol, and thereby figuring it wouldn't harm anyone to just mention a few names.

"There is Ginnie, and Alec, and Addison...and a woman named Alex..." She was sure she'd met others, but since she hadn't any real contact with the others, refrained from mentioning them.

"Have you met them?"

Amberelle's face beamed with a wide smile and she nodded happily. Oui! I have.. some of them. I met Alec when he'd first come to town. It turned out we had some business contacts in common in New Orleans but we'd never met. And I was friends with some of his cousins here in Nachton so it was a nice co-incidence. Taking a large sip from the rapidly cooling coffee, she caught their waiter's eye and motioned for another before continuing. I met Ginnie not too long ago.. Here actually. Amby chuckled and smiled faintly as she remembered that night. While we were chatting he came up and we put two and two together. We went out, had some dinner and did some shopping.

The Creole glanced around, observing the delish looking Brit for just a moment longer than would be necessary before turning her golden gaze away and noticing they had another neighbor.. a younger, possibly Asian man. She couldn't quite tell from her angle. With an inward sigh she knew that she'd have to keep the conversation discreet with people close enough to overhear them.

Has Mathias been working with them long?

Never at a loss for talking about her love, Shay returned Amberelle's wide smile as she spoke of Alexi.

"He's known them for a while I believe, though how long I don't know for sure...as long as he's lived in Nachton, I'd imagine. He only took a position along side them recently, but seems to really love the work."

Shay's own voice had grown somewhat quieter, since she began discussing the Tacharans. Ginnie's words had an impact on her, and she didn't see the need to have anyone else upset with her about clan information, even if she wasn't imparting anything specifically connected to the clan.

"And I've found both Ginnie and Alec to be charming as well, though I don't see as much of them as I'd like. It's difficult to keep friendships going when everyone is so busy."

Not that she needed an excuse, but Shay did enjoy fraternizing, and sometimes wished she and Alexi did so a little more often. Of course his time was much more limited than her's was, so while she was able to be out and about during the daylight, as a couple they had to restrict themselves to the few hours each night gave them. She couldn't really complain that sometimes those few hours were spent enjoying each other's company rather than out scouting up parties to attend.

"I hope you can meet him soon...he's quite a lovely man." She blushed as she described him as such. It was the way she felt, but saying it out loud sounded a little funny, if not purely biased. But once again, fact was fact, and to Shay, that comment about Alexi constituted the truth.

Smiling at Amberelle, Shay had to wonder how this pretty young woman had gotten by unattached...or was she?

"Certainly you've someone special in Nachton? I've seen many a handsome man...or...several very pretty women...since arriving here." Sexual preference meant nothing to Shay, outside of her own preferences, that was. She often wondered about Addison, but didn't really know him well enough to form any opinion, nor was she concerned one way or the other, beyond idle curiosity. But she also didn't want someone to feel uncomfortable around her if they happened to have a significant other who shared their own same clothing styles, and bodily functions.

Tai stifled a yawn. From what little he could hear of the two womens' conversation, it sounded like idle chatter. He kept an ear tuned anyway, not able to hear enough to be useful even if they had been discussing something of interest.

Flipping the pages of the magazine, he lowered it briefly to sip at the cup of black coffee by his elbow. Let the woman see him, if she even remembered him. It didn't matter. He could wait patiently for the perfect time to catch her alone.

A brief concern flickered through his mind... something smacking of morals, perhaps. He was only planning on having her as a meal and then getting rid of her afterwards. What did he care about right or wrong? He scoffed at himself and raised his magazine back up. Too much time spent with Yuu.

He made a concentrated effort to bring Ellis' face to the fore of his thoughts and any reservations he'd felt melted away.

Yes, he would enjoy this.

Draining her cup, she set it down just as the waiter arrived with a refill. Amby thanked him quietly and turned back to answer Shay's last question. She shrugged a shoulder slightly and shook her head. Non, there's no one in my life. I've met lots of new people since I moved here but no one has caught my attention. A dry chuckle escaped her lips. I haven't even been on a date since months before I moved to Nachton.

That thought was quite depressing. The Creole looked at the woman sitting across from her and thought about how happy she seemed as she talked about her boyfriend. It was like an inner glow warmed Shay when she spoke of him. For the writer's sake, Amberelle hoped either her boyfriend was not a vampire like she had first suspected, or that the couple both were. Which seemed unlikely considering her book's subject matter, but smoke and mirror tactics could vary widely between the clans' ways and the Orphans'.

You know, she spoke slowly as she wrapped her hands around her fresh cup of cafe au lait, I've found the fact that I choose to be a night owl makes meeting anyone more difficult. "That could draw her out if she knows more about kindred.." Now granted, it could also be because I'm more of a loner. But still.. she shrugged with a sigh and stared into her coffee.

Apparently, I'm not doing something right. So, tell me.. how did you meet Mathias? Maybe I can learn from you! The Anantya turned her eyes back towards Shay and gave her a look of rapt attention, with only a hint of playfulness underneath it.

Shay thought Amberelle was very pretty, and bright as well, so hearing the woman had no one to share her life with seemed more than a little odd. It also occurred to her that Amberelle didn't mention men or women in her revelation, so that would remain a bit of a mystery, for now anyway.

"Oh...you've done it now...my books and my man are my two top loves in life, but not in that order." Shay grinned, hoping she didn't now go overboard, and start rambling.

"Since meeting Mathias, I've also become much more of a night lover...well, that's not really true, as I've always been the kind to rise late and go to bed the same...but even more so lately."

Skirting around details seemed to be the stuff Nachton folks were made of, and Shay was learning.

"I was just lucky...and I think in the right place at the right time. It was kind of funny really, how it all came about. I'd been shoe shopping, once again..." And she chuckled now at the coincidence. "I'd met a couple people at the shoe store, and we'd agreed to meet at this place called 'The House of Pain', to go dancing...as it turned out, not only did we meet there, but that's when I ran into Mathias. Something about him took my breath away, and apparently I had the same effect on him. The rests is...as they say...history. We saw each other a couple times after that, but it was as if we were meant to be together...you know? Like we're two parts that fit perfectly together, and apart, we're not whole. I know that sounds a bit romantic, but I can't explain it any better."

Blinking away the dreaminess, Shay sipped her drink, and shook her head a bit.

"Don't get me wrong...we've had some issues of course...but again, we've been fortunate to have found ways to work through them, so that I'm sure there will never be anyone else for me."

Struck by the fact that once she died, she hoped he would go on to meet and fall in love again, Shay had to fight off the tears that immediately pressed against the back of her eyes. Learning to do that was becoming easier and easier over time, but she knew no matter how much she'd want it to happen, it would always strike a bittersweet chord within her.

Again blinking back her straying thoughts, Shay reached over and patted Amberelle's hand.

"I think that may be the key though...just getting out and about more. It's nearly impossible to meet anyone if you keep to your own company too much, no matter how pleasant it is."

Amberelle blinked and found herself unable to picture the, so far, sweet seeming Shay in the House of Pain. There were obviously layers there to explore, she mused. The Anantya smiled and nodded as the writer explained her two halves of a whole theory. Actually she had no clue what that was like.. but she liked the idea. Amby found her practical side scoffed at such things existing, but the romantic in her longed to believe it was possible. But, finding love for a vampire could be a dual edged sword. Would she turn someone and rob them of so much like she had been? Or be willing to watch them age and die? It wasn't something she ever wanted to decide.

I have to agree, if I get out more then maybe I can make a few friends outside of my family. We're a big clan.. Amby used the word purposefully, to see her reaction. And finding someone outside of it who shares my interests has proven difficult.

The Creole took a delicate bite of pastry and studied her new friend's face.

Though she wasn't sure, of course, Shay kind of got the impression that Amberelle either had never been in love like she was, or, wasn't the type to romanticize life. Shay was a terrible romantic, and always had been, even while on the force. She took considerable amount of ribbing for it as well, but never had the desire to change. Even seeing life in some of its more seedier moments, Shay refused to believe that on the whole people weren't good, life sucked, and there wasn't someone for everyone to love. But then again, she'd been relatively lucky, and she recognized that.

Wondering if she might need to start thinking about getting home, and seeing Alexi, Shay finished her coffee. The word 'clan' wasn't missed when it crept into Amberelle's statement, and more or less confirmed her earlier decision that Amberelle was a vampire. True, she could be a familiar saying such things as a means of protection, but Shay doubted that. And being from the south, maybe Amberelle used the word clan as just another term for family, but again Shay found that difficult to believe.

But the hour was growing late, and Shay wanted another answer or two before suggesting they meet up again somewhere down the line. Enough information had been laid on the table, in Shay's mind, to go for broke now. And again Shay leaned slightly closer to Amberelle, speaking in hushed tones.

"I can't honestly say I know how big Tacharan is...I'm not really all that involved in the workings of it, and try to stay as removed as I can. If it weren't for Mathias, I'd surely not have any dealings at all. Which is not to say I wouldn't have Tacharan friends...I really like many of them a great deal." Now Shay had given Amberelle more information than she'd been provided. It was a test of faith, in a way, and Shay would see what it reaped.

But she had one question for the pretty blond.

"Are you a member of Evenhet, or Anantya?" And though Shay knew very little about either of the other two clans, she did know their names, and that they existed.

Shay was perceptive and picked right up on her wordplay, which pleased Amberelle. She leaned in as the other woman did to catch her whispered replies with a look of relief. Chuckling quietly, she smiled faintly at confirmation that this Mathias was indeed another vampire.

Matching her friend's quiet tones when she responded, she kept her timber low and eyes sharp for anyone with too much attention in their business.

I am part of Anantya, she said with pride evident in her eyes and words. And I had suspected that Mathias was kindred from things you said. Merde, it can be hard to tell, and you can't just ask! I am assuming then you're a.. familiar? The blonde tried very hard to keep the word neutral, to remove all traces of sympathy such a position made her feel. It wasn't a pleasant thing to be in her experience.

"Ugh...there's that word again." Shay wrinkled her nose, and refused to hide the look of disgust. She wasn't angry or even the slightest bit upset with Amberelle, after all it was part of their culture. But it wasn't part of Shay's, and she refused to even consider it as such for a moment.

"Mathias and I are lovers...partners...friends...roommates...call us any of those things, but a familiar in the technical eyes of the clan only. He does not practice bleeding me on a regular basis for that specific reason...I'll not be his servant, any more than he'd ever be mine."

She said the words with conviction, but again, there was no hint of anger. If anything, she probably sounded a bit weary.

"I'm sorry if I've offended you and your beliefs, but we find our arrangement works beautifully, and he has always recognized me as a peer...nothing less. However, the protection of the clan is something he also recognizes as something I may need at some point in the future, and that is the only reason I ever agreed to accept that moniker for even the shortest span of time."

Shay hoped Amberelle understood what she was trying to say. It wasn't anything either of them had real control over, but at least Alexi had been loving enough to agree to Shay's terms in this respect.

She laughed softly, and patted Amberelle's hand, trying to show she held no ill will.

"But I do agree, it is a difficulty trying to find out about people here in Nachton. Most often it really doesn't matter, one way or the other...well, that is unless you're afraid of becoming someone's dinner." Again Shay chuckled softly. She hoped Amberelle had other means for tonight...and that she hadn't intended to make Shay her main course.

"And in that regard, mentioning Mathias, and Tacharan, and implying I was his familiar, I guess does have another benefit. Anyone who knows Mathias would probably think twenty or thirty times before marking me for their nourishment...he can be quite imposing."

The dreamy quality that crossed her face was momentary, and just a habit invoked by love. It soon passed as she brought her mind back to the present.

I... wow. She blinked slowly, golden eyes showing her suprise as Shay explained the relationship she shared. Maybe the pedistal the familiar set her man upon wasn't completely undeserved. No, Amby corrected herself. Shay was not deserving of the label familiar. That was something much less than what the couple shared. The idea of her Elders permitting such an intimate relationship with a human long term was pretty far fetched, but at least now she knew it did happen. Well, with other clans. The Evenhet influence on Tacharan perhaps. For about the millionth time since coming to Nachton, Amberelle wondered what twist of fate decided she got stuck in such a restrictive clan.

It doesn't offend me, she waved her hand faintly to brush that thought away. But, I've never heard of such an arrangement before. Then again, she said with a hint of bitterness, my Grandpere did love making us obedient. That's one thing I hate about those relationships. She shivered, remembering those days.

And for the record no, she smiled, you weren't going to be for dinner.. Amby was glad she had decided that. That was one scenario she'd happily avoid.


What is so funny though.. almost everyone I've met and made friends with in town has been Tach. It's like I'm pulled to them. Maybe it's since I'm so young, and they tend to be. She shrugged.