Directions ((attn Fallon))
The waves came in with a soft regular swish. The sea was calm, like the sky above it. Aislinn sat in the sand watching the sun go down in its fiery blaze, painting the sky and the ocean in pinks, oranges and crimsons. She had lost track of time having sat there for at least an hour deep in thought. She was considering looking for work. Not that she needed the money, with her share of the inheritance and the exchange rate moving over to the States, she was a millionaire here. She had checked her balance again today to find that the funds had finally cleared. She would never need worry for money.
But it was not money that drove her, it was boredom. She could not just continue to roam aimlessly. Getting a job would at least force her to be sociable, make friends, maybe even meet someone...special. She wondered what it would be like to go home to someone who loved her, paid her attention just for the fact she lived. Not someone after her wealth or title, to groom her into becoming just another member of the aristocracy. It was partly why she had left. Here she was completely unknown, and had done her best to try and lose whatever ghastly airs and graces she might have picked up growing up in the castle. It was not so much that she didn't like the upper class lifestyle, but to her it was too restricted, people choosing her friends for her, the circles of people she should be seen with. It was time to fit in, to be allowed to be herself somewhere. Working would allow this, wouldn't it?
She frowned as she shifted her weight off her now numb backside and stood, shaking life back into her limbs. She pulled her shirt tighter round herself. The sun had set now, and a pale moon was illuminating the quiet waters. Yes, she would find something to occupy herself with, something, or if she was lucky, even someone to give her a purpose in life, a direction to take.
She looked up at the pale orb of light hanging in the sky and suddenly smiled. She would worry about a job tomorrow, tonight she would enjoy the night again. She closed her eyes, feeling the sand under her bare feet and the moonlight on her skin. She raised her arms in an almost pagan reverence, and then oblivious to anyone who might have been watching, she twirled in the sand, spinning around with her arms outstretched like she used to do on the shores of the loch by her home, until she landed giggling in a dizzy heap on the sand.
"Fallon...we all make ...we all make fuck ups." She smiled. It felt so good to say 'fuck'. "I am here because I left home, I left my entire life behind. My brother basically bought my share of our lands, I gave up my rights to it in return for the money to go start a new life. I have nothing but that and my title which cannot be taken from me as I cannot change my birth. If I had stayed he would have just married me off to some noble or another as is his duty. But I did not want that."
She paused, taking another sip of her coffee and gauging Fallon's reaction, but continued regardless.
"I don't mix well with people, I wasn't raised that way. I've certainly never used feminine wiles to bring attention to myself. But I will learn. I have nothing left to lose really, but I do not want to die. I want to move onwards and upwards, wherever it might be."
She paused again, not really sure she had made herself clear but she had tried.
"Oh...and about last night, I won't ever mention it if you don't want your husband to know. It's not something I ever did before. I mean, I enjoyed it, really! But if you want to forget it I understand that..."
She finally trailed off, realising it was probably the most she had spoken in one go since they had met. She only hoped that Fallon understood and would see that above all, Aislinn wanted a friend, a place to belong.
Teary eyed, and in a shaky voice, Fallon tried to give Aislinn reassurance, while thanking her profusely.
"No matter what you say, I will forever be saddened that I took your human life from you, but I do understand how you feel otherwise, as I myself feel the same. In that respect I can't thank you enough for your quick acceptance of all this, and the desire to learn how to make your life the best it can be now."
Breaking from the embrace, Fallon swipe her hand across her eyes, and was glad she had no make up on yet.
Something picked at the back of her mind though...something she couldn't identify yet, and wasn't sure if it was her own thought, or one generated by Aislinn. In just a couple minutes she discarded the worry, and focused again on what was at hand. With luck the idea would resurface soon, and bring along more information to enable Fallon to deal with it.
"You do see how you will need to change a little. It will be imperative that you learn how to mingle. You may be able to keep your feedings isolated, and solitary for the most part, but you do need to be prepared in case you find yourself in an emergency situation, and have no other choices."
The night after Fallon's party, when she was forced to feed from Ana, was what prompted her to think along those lines. The situations were vastly different, but the theory was there.
"And as for using sex appeal, my sister...best friend... doesn't operate that way...she just engages her choices in conversation, then hits them before they know it. She's got a lot more on the ball than I do...she's really good at this, and she's been at it even less than I have."
Fallon found many things to admire about Aishe, but her simple, and successful approach to feeding was a huge one.
"That's why I said that we need to find what works best for you."
When Cyrus' came up, Fallon smiled a wistful smile, but shook her head.
"No, no...I don't keep things from Cyrus. He's seen me at my worst already, and I have a terrible memory...if I began keeping things from him now, while unnecessary, I would just make myself a nervous wreck besides.
I'm sure he'll understand, but even if he doesn't, I'm sure he'll deal with it amiably...its just the way he is."
And talking about it brought back some of the feelings Fallon had experienced last night...feelings that made her tingle in places she hadn't tingled in for so long. She glanced up at Aislinn, between her eyelashes, and grinned seductively.
"I not only don't want to forget it...but...well...I was thinking...if you aren't busy later..."
She left it at that, with a throaty laugh. There were other issues they needed to resolve tonight, but who knew what they might have time for later. Hell, maybe when Cyrus returned the three of them...well...that would need to be discussed later.
Not giving the mess in the kitchen a second thought, Fallon clapped her hands, and grinned from ear to ear.
"Alright then...I'll give you two choices, and that will determine how we dress tonight. Do you want to go to this club on the strip, or would you rather try out the quiet library at the marina? Both places have shown themselves to be wonderful places to hunt, but both are drastically different.
The Club Eternity will give us greater numbers to choose from, though most of those choices will probably be laced with alcohol, or stronger. I've found that doesn't really hurt the blood, but it can make you a little tipsy. As long as you know that, I don't think it should worry you. The fact that there is alcohol involved also makes the hunt easier in the long run too, since everyone is less inclined to fight against an approach.
The library will limit our choices considerably, but often times you can corner someone right in the library, or just outside, and take care of business much more quickly. Both equally good places, but both different."
Fallon's eyes were bright now, with anticipation. She was looking forward to seeing how Aislinn did, and helping her through it all.
"We can go to Club Eternity if you want...and don't worry about alcohol, I am Scottish remember?" She smiled, leaving it at that is if Fallon would understand. One thing Aislinn was good at was holding her drink. She had never done drugs, but it would take a considerable amount of alcohol to affect her badly.
Fallon's excitement was rubbing off onto her and she grinned back at her new friend.
Fallon returned to the bedroom, removing the clothes she had just put on, one by one as she walked. By the time she reached her closet she had everything wrapped into a ball that she dumped into the hamper. Standing nude before her clothes, Fallon flipped through some of her flashier dance dresses, trying to decide on which would suit her best tonight.
If it had been only her going to feed, she would have remained dressed as she had been, and sought out the people leaving the club. With Aislinn along, Fallon wanted to show the girl how feeding could be fun, so maybe a dance or two before hand would do the trick. Fallon had no trouble getting inside the club, not with her being Mrs. Arslantai, so why not take advantage, and perhaps impress Aislinn a little as well.
"Do you want to try something of mine, or shall we swing by your hotel so you can change?"
Remembering she had just bought some flashy new boots , right before Cyrus had left for his trip, Fallon took them out of the box, and dropped them onto the floor at her feet. In seconds she found the perfect dress, and was dressed and ready to go in just a few minutes.
"This is so NOT me, but I have found that sometimes that can make this kind of evening go a lot smoother...does that make sense?"
Putting on a persona, as easily as she did the clothes, gave Fallon a feeling that she could do anything she wanted...well, within reason of course...and not suffer any guilt from it. It was one thing to know she didn't need to feel guilty, yet another to actually make it real.
A spritz of cologne, some flashy earrings, and then removing her wedding rings, and Fallon stood at the door. She had called Ginger, and the woman would be waiting with the limo out front.
"Shall we?"
(Fallon out pending)
Aislinn smiled at Fallon. "Let's go then." She then followed her out the door to the waiting Limo.
(Aislinn out)