Who:Isaac Holt & Introducing Irene Putman Where: Territory 30, Holt Tower When: Saturday, June 15th, 2501 @ 8:00pm Rating: PG-13 for language Status: Completed
It was just turning dusk as Irene turned off the unkept freeway and into the Chicago metro area on her motorcycle. There was no traffic, of course, there usually wasn't much to begin with since the collapse but especially not this near to night time. Everyone in their right mind was already well indoors and hidden away from the creatures that came out in the night. Irene wasn't worried for herself so much, she could see the towers ahead of her that was her ultimate destination. It would be close, but she knew she could make it before dark.
The vampire was eager to see Isaac again, as it had been a handful of years since she had checked in. That was totally unlike her considering how loyal she was to him but with everything going to hell in the last few years it had been easy to lose touch and also lose track of the time. She'd started her search at the last place she had known him to live. That being the home he and Diego had been living in together. Upon finding that house basically nonexistent anymore, the vampire's search took her to the leader of that sector where she got the full story of what had gone down. Well, at least the story as far as the other vampire had known it. The important part was that Irene soon had a destination of her maker's final whereabouts, having learned that he was now a territory leader in Chicago.
Just as she had anticipated, the sun was just dipping fully behind the horizon as she pulled to the front of the towers. There were guards there to meet her and she gave them each a friendly greeting. Her helmet was pulled off so that her face was easily seen and, when asked, she told them her name and her intentions. She didn't recognize any of them and she imaged they didn't recognize her either but it was really no matter as she was soon waved into the underground parking garage where she could leave her bike and enter the tower.
Isaac, after dealing with Territory issues all day, finally had a few moments to himself. Still without a Second to pick up the slack while he slept, Isaac was pulling double duty during his waking hours. Almost every Sector in his Territory had needs that required his attention such as disputes that couldn't be resolved by it's Leader; Daily reports needed to be looked at in order to stay on top of Territory-wide issues, like the rising problem of food shortages, etc. It seemed like if it wasn't one thing, it was another. Now that he had a moment to himself was when Isaac sensed Irene was in the area.
Of course, he had known the exact moment when she'd entered his Territory, as he could sense all his Fledglings, but Irene's presence in his mind grew stronger as she traveled ever nearer. What had started out a pleasant awareness in the back of his mind—white noise of a sort—was now something almost tangible in the silence of his room. The arrival of one of his Fledglings could not have come at a better time.
In a near blink of an eye, Isaac was on his feet with fingers combing his hair back into tidiness after having been sprawled on his bed. The vampire hastily changed his shirt—twice—before making the final decision of donning the black t-shirt he'd initially been wearing once again. The double doors leading into his bedroom flew open and Isaac was standing in the middle of the office mere seconds before one of his guards opened the door from the hall to let Irene in.
The guard seemed slightly surprised to find the blonde vampire in the office, but recovered enough to begin, "Sir, I was told from downstairs—"
"I know," interrupted Isaac, a smile already growing on his face at seeing Irene and his arms lifted to spread wide for a hug, "Thank you, Jack."
Irene was eager to see her maker but she still took her time gathering her things before going up. She was nothing if not organized and, as silly as it was, she didn't want to seem too eager in front of the patiently waiting guard. He watched her as she grabbed the duffel bag from the back of her bike as well as the grease smudged tarp that she used to cover the motorcycle she loved so much. Keys were pocketed, helmet tucked under her arm and bag slung over her shoulder and then she was ready to go.
She followed the guard upstairs and to a row of elevators, dark eyes watching the bustling tower around her with interest. None seemed too interested in her despite being a new face in the area. It seemed like the two towers were centralized and busy enough that new faces weren't all that unusual. Only when the elevator dinged open on the top floor did Irene begin to get antsy with anticipation. She could hardly contain herself when she caught sight of the blonde vampire over the tall shoulder of the guard. Her bag and helmet were both slumped to the ground and, with a laugh, she ran and leapt into the hug Isaac was offering her.
"It's so good to see you!" She declared, hands cupping each side of her maker's face and she laid a big kiss right on his lips. It was brief however, and her thumb soon followed to wipe away the lipstick she had left behind. Her smile was wide and her eyes sparkling as she stepped back and looked him over, "Well, you look fantastic." She complimented, feeling grungy in her own well worn clothes. For traveling she wore simple skinny jeans under motorcycle boots and a black tank top under her leather jacket. Her hair was pulled back into the simplest ponytail at the nape of her neck but it was probably a mess from being under a helmet for several days. The vampire was honestly looking forward to a hot shower.
Whatever worries weighed on his shoulders, Isaac felt instantly lighter at seeing Irene walk through the doorway. He grinned, enveloping the younger vampire in a bear-like hug as he chuckled, spinning the both of them around once before he set the woman on her feet again. Irene's compliment had the Territory Leader laughing again and he shook his head, lifting hands to smooth back her hair as he replied, "Never as good as you, my dear. Even if you do look a little rough around the edges," he teased, and then looped his arm with hers, "Come, we have a lot to catch up on. But, I'm sure you'll want a shower before we do any of that."
Before Isaac lead Irene into his bedroom, he stooped to pick up her dropped items and then dropped the bag onto the nearest easy chair to the door. With the helmet in hand, he turned toward his Fledgling and arched a brow, mouth quirked into an amused grin while he asked, "Into motorcycle riding are we?"
She let him lead her off, all smiles as being near her maker always put her in a good mood no matter what was going on around them at the time. She was willing to sit down with him right then to catch up but she didn't think she could bypass on his offer of a shower first. Hot, running water was not something one came accross easily in this post-collapse world and she was definitely going to take advantage of it.
"I don't know how much traveling you've done..." She told him when he mentioned her motorcycle, "But it's a million times easier to get around on bike. Besides," she grinned playfully, "I look damn good on her. Maybe I'll take you for a ride later."
"My car suits me just fine, thank you," said Isaac with a grin and he set aside the helmet, but quickly returned his attention back to his fledgling to add, "However, I wouldn't mind a ride." The Territory leader then remembered the seemingly never ending work to be done and sighed before adding, "...When I have time." Isaac then indicated to the door that opened to his bathroom.
"The bathroom is through there. Take however long you need, use whatever you like." The Territory leader said with a smile and then pulled her close for another hug, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, "Jag har saknat dig, min kära." I've missed you, my dear.
A brilliant smile was given to her maker despite that glimpse of exhaustion she had spotted in him for that moment. She made note of it however, it was something to ask over when she was refreshed. He had given her permission to take as long as she wanted but she didn't plan to take long at all. She was too eager to catch up with him.
"I missed you too." She told him genuinely, tossing a glance over her shoulder as she disappeared into the bathroom. The door shut behind her but she didn't bother locking it or anything. She trusted him completely and that was saying quite a lot for her. Irene liked giving people the benefit of the doubt and she tried her best to be pleasant for everyone but trust was something that was earned.
Her shower only took long enough to wash her hair and scrub her body with the comforting scent of Isaac's body wash. She soaked in the hot water to loosen the muscles tight from her long ride. When she stepped out, the steam felt great on her skin. She grabbed up one towel to wrap her hair up in a turban and a second towel to dry off with then she wrapped it around her nude body and stepped out of the bathroom. She didn't care if Isaac saw her in such a state of undress. It wasn't as if it would be the first time and besides, her clothes were mostly dirty and in the bag out in the bedroom anyway.
"God, that was exactly what I needed." She sighed, going over to her bag to try and find a clean pair of underwear at least. "You've got some pretty sweet digs here. Seems like it pays off to be Territory Leader." She said, teasing him with a toss of a grin over her shoulder.
Isaac grinned back and shrugged, "And it pays off that I owned the building before everything went to shit." He chuckled from his seat on the sofa until a ping sound came from his personal computer and captured his attention. Unfolding his tall frame, the Territory Leader stood and weaved his way around furniture to sit at the desk. It was a notification for a video call from one of his Sector Leaders. Specifically, an individual he'd asked to keep his ear to the ground regarding any information on Elijah.
The older vampire turned toward Irene with an apologetic look on his face, "Excuse me, Irene, I need to take this regarding a personal matter." Isaac was reluctant to mention that the matter in question was about Elijah, knowing that, at some point, Irene had been heavily involved with him until they lost mutual interest in one another and parted ways. He wasn't sure how Irene still felt about him, but considering their parting had been amicable and they got along well enough at Isaac's annual Thanksgiving dinner... He didn't want to risk upsetting her just yet.
Turning back toward the computer, Isaac hit a key and greeted the vampire on the other end with a brief, "Da," before asking a question in Russian and falling silent while it was answered. The exchange, brief as it was, continued in this matter until Isaac thanked the vampire and ended the video call. Anyone that knew him personally would know by the set of his shoulders and his brief silence as he digested the information was disappointed in what he leaned. Despite that, Isaac forced a smile on his face for his guest and stood, "I've been rude. Would you like a drink, Irene?"
Irene let Isaac do his thing with only a bit of eavesdropping, unfortunately she didn't speak very much Russian at all and so the conversation was lost on her. Meanwhile she dug out a clean pair of panties and slipped them on under her towel. Then, turning her back to her maker she let the towel slip away so a tank top could be put on instead. She was brushing out her wet hair by the time Isaac was paying attention to her again, turning to face him again with a smile and a small shake of her head.
"No need to apologize to me." She said, and then, dropping her brush back into her bag she found a pair of pajama shorts and slipped them on to finish dressing. "I could use a real meal but I can go until tomorrow no problem." She answered his last question, grabbing up her two towels and returning them to the bathroom to hang up and dry.
In Irene's brief absence, Isaac felt a sense of loss from the information—or lack thereof—he'd gotten regarding Elijah. Turning away from the bathroom, the blonde vampire lifted hands to his long hair, running fingers through the long locks and pushing it off his face. Eyes were closed and he sucked in a calming breath before releasing it. Perhaps it was time to stop kidding himself and stop being in denial. The reason he couldn't feel Elijah's presence anymore was because he really had been dead these many months.
Yet, if that were truly the case, then why did I not feel his passing? Isaac asked himself as his hands dropped back to his sides. The vampire turned back to the door of the bathroom and in the blink of an eye, he was suddenly standing on the threshold watching Irene putter about the small space. Then, before he could change his mind, he blurted out the reason for the video call.
"The call I took... It was about Elijah." Isaac paused, gulping, "... He's missing."
"Elijah?" She asked, turning toward her maker and then, when he explained, her eyebrows rose in surprise. No wonder Isaac seemed so removed, she thought to herself, noting that the older vampire had seemed more distant from her than he usually was when they visited. He was probably worried sick. "What happened?" She asked him, concern leaking into her voice, not only for her maker but for Elijah who she had been close to regardless of their current relationship status. "How long has it been?"
Irene slipped past Isaac in the doorway to head back out to the couch and, when she did, she took his hand to bring him with her. She sat on the leather cushions, curling long legs underneath her and gestured for him to join her with a pat on the cushion next to her.
"Too long," Isaac murmured as he sat beside his fledgling and heaved a sigh, fingers lacing with Irene's. He stared down at their entwined hands and thought, not for the first time, how startling the contrast was between their skin color. This, of course, was not thought of in any negative fashion, but one of fascination and amazement. His thumb gently passed over the back of her hand just as he began the uncomfortable tale.
"There was a Revenant attack on one of my safehouses..." Isaac proceeded to muster up as much detail as he could regarding what had happened to Trent Grayson's safehouse, including the vampire's own sense of dread, and concluded with, "I don't know, Irene..." he said, lifting his gaze to meet her's, "Maybe it's time to stop denying what can only be the truth. He's gone. It's just--" Isaac shook his head and shrugged.
"If that's the case, then why did I not feel his passing?" Diego's death had been painful both emotionally and physically. There had been a gut wrenching pain when his maker had died and an ache in his heart. Those feelings were common he was told by friends who had also made fledglings and had the unfortunate luck of feeling their deaths.
Irene listened closely to whatever details Isaac had to offer her and though she didn't let it show, she was already making plans to investigate. It was obvious to her that Isaac already had his hands full and whoever he had on the case was just not getting the job done. She cared about Elijah and she certainly cared about Isaac, she could almost feel the emotions in him as if they were her own.
"You didn't feel his passing because he is still alive." She told him firmly, turning more towards her maker to slip a bit of his long hair behind his ear and then stroke comfortingly across his cheek and behind his neck. "I'll go out tomorrow and dig around. See what I can find."She promised him. Of course she had no idea if Elijah was alive or dead but it would be completely pointless if she wasn't at least optimistic. Either way, she would find out.
"I heard what happened with Diego." She said after a moment's pause to change the subject. It wasn't a nicer subject but it was something, "I'm really sorry, Isaac. The collapse has been difficult for everyone but it seems some got it worse than others."