(no subject)

[onceaviking]

There's a vampire lounging in a booth.
He has an empty glass in front of him, next to an open book. It appears to be a book on art.
(It's a biography of Caravaggio. In Italian).

He is neither drinking, nor reading. Not right now, anyway.

Comments

[just_cant_lose]

That's right, he's not. He's talking to Jim, that's why.

'Eric.'

He sits without waiting for an invitation.

'You haven't paid up yet.'

[onceaviking]

Eric looks at him. Stonefaced.

Then he fishes a tiny vial out from the inner pocket in his leather jacket and holds it up.

The content is so dark a red it looks black.

"V."

[just_cant_lose]

Jim tilts his head at it, then holds out his hand.

'And how much did you tell him could be safely taken in one go?'

[onceaviking]

"In a non-feeding setting? A couple of drops."

[just_cant_lose]

Yep, hand is still out waiting for it.

'So I'll safely assume that's still a bit too much. You've no need to keep him from OD'ing, after al.'

[onceaviking]

Eric sighs.

"He does drugs already. I've factored it in. I have zero interest in corpses laced with blood here."
Or elsewhere. But mostly here.

[just_cant_lose]

'Mm, but I don't. And you're giving it to me.'

As soon as he decides to stop being a tool, and hand it over.

[onceaviking]

Eric looks him over.

"With your weight and height, hmm, I'd sat two drops would be okay."

He smiles.

"Physically. "

[just_cant_lose]

Jim rolls his his eyes.

'I'm not going to take it.'

As he thought they already established, that is not the point of this.

'Hand it over, Eric. We don't have to make it a protracted thing.'

[have_no_mercy]

Tess eyes him from a nearby table. "It seems to me lounging dramatically all the time would be exhausting."

[onceaviking]

"It's an art form," Eric replies with a small smile.

"Hi."

[have_no_mercy]

"I bet." She smiles back.

"Hi."

[onceaviking]

"Want a seat?"

He'll even move a bit.

(Gracefully for a guy his size. Effortlessly.)

"And a drink? "
Seeing as how she's already got a seat. One she might want to swap out for the one he is offering though.

[have_no_mercy]

How chivalrous. Or something.

Tess nods and rises to slide into the booth next to him.

"A scotch, please."

[onceaviking]

Eric gives a rat a small, two-fingered wave and it scurries off, returning quickly with a top shelf scotch.
Scottish.
No ice.

Up close, Eric's face is pale with a hint of stubble. His eyes are red rimmed, but it just makes them seem more blue.
He nods at her glass.
"Do you like it?"

[have_no_mercy]

She sips the scotch carefully, giving it her full attention for a moment. "It's better then what I usually drink."

Not that she isn't a fan of good scotch, it's more that she saves the really good stuff for special occasions.

[onceaviking]

"It's the kind of stuff I'd like to stock at my bar, but honestly, the locals wouldn't appreciate it," Eric says.

[cook_the_rude]

"Art, is it now?"

That's Dr. Hannibal Lecter, walking past the booth with a glass of wine in his hand.

[onceaviking]

"Yes."

Eric looks up at him.
Blankly.

[cook_the_rude]

Dr. Lecter sips the wine, a white one this time.

"That is almost difficult to believe," he says. "You don't strike me as someone with artsy pretensions."

[onceaviking]

"Because I don't have them, " Eric replies. "But there's some art I like. This, however," he holds up the book, "I'm mainly reading for the descriptions of the cities and towns. I've travelled in that area. "

[cook_the_rude]

"At that time?" Dr. Lecter asks.

[onceaviking]

Eric nods.

"It's always interesting to see what's survived, as far stories about people go."

[cook_the_rude]

"Did you ever meet him?"

[onceaviking]

"Briefly. He was incredibly annoying."

As people often are.