Chapter Six - Part Two

"Are we ready?" Tidus said, and the screen door closed again. He was standing next to Claudia now, looking down at me with his hands in his pockets again, impatient.

"Ask her." I replied.

"Yeah, we are." Claudia said, standing now too. "Bottoms up."

Tidus and I watched Claudia as she quickly drained the mug, burped, and wiped her arm across her mouth. Meanwhile, my heart began to thud as I grew nervous again. I trembled to even think of what she might possibly have to say of her next vision.

"This might take a while." she said, with a yawn, and re-took her seat again, setting the mug on the edge of the table. "Make yourselves comfortable..."

Claudia's head drooped, and her shoulders hunched, as she leaned backwards into the seat cushion. And at the same time, Tidus used his lightning speed to zoom forward and catch her mug, before it could fall and break.

"That was close." I said in approval.

"Could have been closer." He replied, with a smirk, returning to his standing position by the wall.

Meanwhile, Claudia lay - content and seemingly asleep - for several seconds, until her chin suddenly lifted from her chest, and her eyes opened, unblinking. They were gray no longer, but now a shiny, spotless white instead, reminding me of the eerie glow of television sets that have no signal.

"Have you ever seen her do this before?" I asked.

"No," Tidus said, and shook his head.

"Because, honestly, this is crazy. I mean, magic? I can hardly believe it exists."

"Well, you exist, don't you? Aren't you from the same... fairytales?"

I ducked my head a little, feeling heat rising in my face. Of course he had heard - weren't Vampires considered just as famous for their heightened senses?

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean -"

"I know you didn't." he assured. "And the answer is yes - we do deal with the bloodlust. It's part of the curse."

"Curse?"

"Yes, the curse of vampirism. Because that's what it is - a perversion of nature and life... so they say."

"Wait a minute." I said, with my heart beginning to beat almost painfully hard within my chest.

"I know some of the history behind what we are. Your family, and mine are descendants of the first two people to be turned. They were brothers - one became Vampire and the other a Werewolf. So if Vampirism is a curse... then that means so is Lycanism. Right?

"Correct," he said simply.

"But, I don't understand. I don't feel cursed. I don't feel like what I am is wrong..."

"Maybe, but you don't feel right either, do you, Naomi? When you observe the complicated yet blissfully shallow world of the Humans, or when you feel your bones snap as you start the change - well, has any of that ever felt truly right to you?"

I stared at Tidus. It were as if he had plucked feelings from down within my soul to hold them outstretched for me to see. Was my story written in ink across my face for the whole world to view? Or was I just that easy for him to read?

"No," I said quietly, looking away. "I guess you're right."

"Well, there are some things about Supernaturals that you won't be able to find out from the Internet..."

"Hey, screw you ok?" I said, throwing myself back in my chair, with arms crossed petulantly over my chest. "The majority of what I know about being a werewolf, I found out the hard way. I didn't have my family around to hold my hand and walk me through the process."

I could feel Tidus watching me as I stared indignantly down at the carpet. But I didn't look back at him. I didn't wanna have to see the indifference in his face. I had experienced it so many times already, that for some reason, I couldn't bear to see it in him now.

"You wanna know how I first found out what I am?" I went on, quietly. "I was thirteen - a dumb kid - in and out of trouble, and always looking for more. And then one day one, I started waking up in the mornings, naked, in my foster parent's yard. I was always filthy, covered in scratches, and sometimes I even had animal blood on my skin. I spiraled, panicked. And for a while, I thought I was going crazy. But then I got this letter in the mail from a man claiming to be my biological father, and he started telling me all these irrational, insane things about who I supposedly am - things that didn't start making real sense until I got to Harbor."

I paused, took a chance and actually looked into Tidus' face. And what I saw there wasn't indifference, but actual empathy. He was looking back at me as if he truly did understand what I meant, which reassured me enough to keep going with my story.

"But anyway, suddenly I ran faster than all the other guys, and I could jump further and exercise for longer. I didn't need as much as sleep, I was hardly ever tired, and I could party for days if I wanted. And through my father's letters, I learned how to control the shift. I stopped changing in my sleep, and then I realized how important it was to hide my abilities. Because as it turns out, boys don't really like it when you can a throw a football farther than they can..."

A rare smile flitted across Tidus' handsome face, and for a moment we forgot who were. We could have been just two good friends sharing deep conversation.

"But my point - in reference to your earlier accusation - is that I didn't just learn from the Internet. My father told me what he could when he could in his letters, and the rest I picked up on my own. I just didn't know that what I am - what we are - is a curse."

"Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but it's the truth." Tidus replied, with no trace of sadness. "He always refused to elaborate afterwards, but Drake Noble often claimed that what he and his brother were should have never come into existence. He told me once that no Human deserved the life that he had been given - but of course he said this right before he slaughtered my family and then raised us all from the dead."

"Tidus, I'm sorry." I said. "I... I didn't know it happened that way."

"Turning is always bloody. And it was no different for my family." He paused to give a deep, soulful sigh.

"The guy sounds like a real piece of work. Where's he now?"

"With his brother - dead." Tidus replied nonchalantly, as if dying were really no big deal.

"And did you know Drake's brother?" I asked, leaning forward.

"No, I never met Samael. Drake didn't like to talk about him, and frankly, I was never really interested in the guy anyway."

"Yeah? And why not?" I asked, like a child in reverence during a bedtime story.

"Because back then, I had my mind on other things, namely blood." he replied.

"Oh. Right." I said, and sinking into the cushions again. "And just how old are you, by the way? I mean, Supernaturals have been around for a really long time, right? So that would make you..."

"Ancient." he replied, suddenly looking tired of all the questions.

"And yet, you look -"

"Twenty-five. I was twenty-five when I died."

There was a short stretch of silence, and I realized that then was the perfect opportunity for me to get closer to Tidus. And even though I knew that we weren't friends - and probably never would be - I recognized that having compassion for him now, might save me later.

"Well, now you're immortal." I said, thoughtfully. "And you get to stay as young and... good looking, as you were when you were turned." His eyes traveled openly up my body, but when I our eyes finally met I didn't look away. "Not to mention, Vampires are naturally stronger than wolves, and you also can't be killed nearly as easily - but those are all just facts of life."

He smiled again, and some of his polar ice began to melt. Catching me off guard, he used his super speed to move invisibly. He disappeared and then materialized again, just inches from my surprised face. He leaned in closer still, with both of his hands gripping the armrests of my chair.

Suddenly, it was much warmer in the room.

"Naomi, stroking my... ego will only get you so far. If you have a question, just ask."

"I still don't know much about Werewolves," I said slowly, magnetized by his perfect lips. "But I know even less about Vampires. So what other toys do you keep hidden in that bag of tricks? What other powers do you have?"

"I would tell you, but the best secrets are usually worth keeping." he replied cryptically, and proceeding to use his tongue as a distraction. And I knew that for now, whatever secrets that Drake had supplied him with, would stay hidden within Tidus. There was still no trust from him to be given, and persistence would only irritate him. So for the time being, I decided to forgo on the questioning.

Besides, at the moment, he seemed to have other things on his mind anyway...

* * *

Though Tidus didn't kiss me as a lover would, he went out of his way to ensure that I wasn't disappointed. With his hands, he kept me pressed into the cushions, kissing me like a stranger, or maybe someone he missed. And even though I knew later on he would somehow hurt me for this, I kissed him back, and wished it could last for an eternity.

But eventually, Claudia's moan snapped us back into the present. Tidus pulled away from me, and was at her side in an instant, kneeling. And with my adrenaline still high from necking with Tidus, I watched as Claudia closed her eyes with another, soft groan. And when she fluttered them open again, they were their normal grey.