[color=#BC6101]“What’s your species, again?”[/color] Stride found herself giving the man another once-over, avoiding looking at the markings upon his wrist for too long. She hadn’t seen any fangs, and he didn’t seem to have an umbrella or anything on him, so that ruled out him being a vampire. Definitely wasn’t a fairy, seeing how damn tall he was...before she could put more mind to it, Zephyr mentioned her name. Casually, incredibly casually, but it was still her full and proper name.

Stride winced in spite of herself, then inhaled sharply and stepped back into her apartment. [color=#BC6101]“Close the door behind ya, I guess,”[/color] she said, then walking to the kitchen, added, [color=#BC6101]“and it’s Stride. None of that ‘Miss Phoebe’ bullcrap, ya hear?”[/color] 

Despite what the roguish, devil-may-care attitude of the woman might have implied, the apartment (or, at the very least, the living room) was rather well-maintained. Stride’s jacket was slung over the couch, and a game controller and near-empty glass of whiskey was left lying upon the coffee table, but it made the place feel more lived in than it did sloppy. 

On an end table placed in arm’s reach from the couch, there was a small, framed photograph of Stride and a pair of grinning faces. It was hard to tell, seeing as the mask was on even in picture, but she seemed happy. 

After a minute or two, Stride returned to the living room, holding a pair of unopened bottles of bourbon in one hand and a dining room chair in the other. She set the chair some distance away from the couch and went to offer a bottle to Zephyr, shaking the contents about and letting them slosh. [color=#BC6101]“Here,”[/color] she said. [color=#BC6101]“Case ya need it as much as I do.”[/color]

With that, she plopped down onto the couch, finishing off the glass laid out on the table and deftly refilling it. Her wrist was on fire, but there would be no way that she’d get all touchy-feely with a stranger right out of the gate. She could take it.
Probably.

[@Daemanis]

[hr]

[color=#0A8558]“Colleges certainly don’t make things easy for their students.”[/color] Madison smiled sympathetically, the look warming a bit as Stefany moved the papers out of the way for him. [color=#0A8558]“I almost failed a few of my courses, back when I was attending.”[/color] Seeing as the unnatural paleness of his skin likely marked him as a vampire, it would likely be a bit difficult to determine just [i]how[/i] far back these courses happened to be. 

[color=#0A8558]“I finished my work for today, so I should be all free until something comes up.”[/color] He took another gulp from his drink, and lifted his head just in time to see Stefany wince in pain. It didn’t take rocket science to figure out what was troubling her. Placing the coffee back down, Madison absently rubbed his own wrist before reaching out to the other. [color=#0A8558]“Here, ah,”[/color] he said, [color=#0A8558]“if you don’t mind, I’ll just…”[/color]

He gently placed his hand upon Stefany’s forearm, held it for a moment, then released and drew back. Just as he expected, the pain fizzled out almost instantly, leaving a pleasant warmth running beneath his skin. [color=#0A8558]“There we are,”[/color] he said. [color=#0A8558]“I apologize for how sudden that was- you just seemed like you were in quite a bit of pain, there.”[/color]

[@ineffable]