fangednconfused (fangednconfused) wrote in birthrightrpg, @ 2021-03-04 17:56:00 |
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Entry tags: | derek mitchell, npc |
What Are the Chances
Who: Derek/NPC Christopher (Written By Rae)
What: A Purchase
Where: Las Vegas, T-Shirt Stand
When: Present
Ratings/Warnings: Low-ish
It was another night at work, which Derek didn’t really mind. He watched as his co-worker counted out his ‘till’, which was actually just a strongbox chained to the t-shirt stand underneath the counter. It was the vampire’s job at the end of the night to take all of the cash earned, put it in a cloth zippered envelope, and drop it off at the bank’s deposit box. His manager pretended not to know that Derek was a vampire, but he had some inkling, especially when it came to trusting in his ability to fight off would-be robbers.
Once the teenager who worked the shift before him left, Derek settled in. He perched on a battered old stool, one earbud in and the other dangling, listening to a 90s rap mix on Spotify, content to watch the passers pass and the browsers browse.
Christopher had seen those sneakers before. The stranger had worn them leaving the trailer he now had memorized without ever setting foot into it. A curl of smoke left his lips. Dark eyes caught the outline of a couple approaching the tee shirt stand as one of the employees left for the night.
The idea of purchasing a novelty souvenir from such a little place was comical; was a linen purchased on a whim that important to need it to advertise you’d been somewhere? Perhaps. He never really understood the craving for novelty gifts or trinket do-dads from the tourist traps.
A leather sole would grind the cigarette into the pavement. Anyone passing by had turned into a shadow, a blip on the radar of the night as Christopher brought the tall, tattooed tee shirt salesman into his singular focus. He knew this man; he had seen him visiting Ronald’s trailer. Rocky had mentioned a similar set person every other word at the bar the few times they’d drank together.
Doing the dirty work. The corners of Christopher’s mouth twisted like the tie on a sack of bread. He dove into the shadows, coming up quickly to the stand only to make a loud sound in hopes of startling the vendor.
Anyone else might have been startled by a loud, sudden noise. But even with music playing in one ear, Derek’s vampiric senses had picked up the sound of someone approaching. He pressed pause on the app and looked up from his phone, spotting a stranger with dark blond hair combed back in a Clark Kent-ish swoop and piercing eyes. “You okay there?” he asked, standing up from the stool and peering across the counter.
Christopher couldn’t help the faint look of disappointment etched into his features. He smiled regardless. “Sorry about that.” Eyes flickered over the wears - an airbrushed ensemble of motivation, a brightly fabriced number declaring Vegas to be the best place to visit - before they found the familiar face again. That smile came easing back.
“Little bit clumsy.” Christopher waved a dismissive hand. “I am looking for something for a friend, and I couldn’t help but stop over once I noticed this charming little place. Could you help me find something?”
Derek’s expression brightened slightly at the possibility of a sale. He came out from behind the stand and looked at the items on display, though he pretty much knew them by heart. “Yeah, of course,” he answered. “What’s your friend like?” The vampire pointed to one t-shirt that was bright and flashy with a bunch of Vegas tourist attractions grouped together.
“Do they like to stand out, or blend in?” He put on a salesman-ly tone, though he couldn’t hide his ubiquitous grin.
At that grin, the way the strange, familiar man moved toward him, Chris couldn’t help but mirror the expression. It was toothy, he nodded. “A little of both, actually. When they’re out they’re almost always the life of the party. When they’re on their own, they’re a bit more…” he paused for a moment to find the right word. His mouth twisted in thought and his eyes slid to the side. “...reserved.”
“I know they love color, something bright.” That smile crept back slowly. “Do you have something like that?”
The vampire had to laugh at that. “Something bright?” He looked again at the wares on display. “I think you may have come to the right place.” Derek stood and studied the items closely, seriously. He knew souvenir sales wasn’t a career, and most people might be dismissive of it, but he liked the job and he believed in doing it well.
After a moment, a quick hand reached out and grabbed a shirt. He held it up to the other man. It was midnight blue, with a galaxy of swirling purples and dots of light representing stars. The text was splashed across the front in a mid-century font. The Stardust Resort and Casino, 1958-2006.
“What do you think? Colorful, yet kind of…” Derek searched for the right words. “Nostalgic and thoughtful?”
Christopher leaned backward on his heels as the stranger searched for what might live up to whatever bland and vague standards offered. “Oh good. I really appreciate your help….sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”
As the product was held up he gave a nod. A moment of consideration, fingers tapped against his own chin. “I think they’re going to love it. They’ve been having a rough time lately, this is really going to cheer them up.”
His grin widened. “You’re a real life saver.”
“Derek,” he offered, holding out a hand to shake. “We also have some keychains,” he added. “Everyone has keys, right? They’re an underrated way to express yourself, as far as I’m concerned. You can tell a lot about someone by what they keep their keys on.”
Christopher smiled, accepting the outstretched hand. He shook and then let go. “Oh really?” The morsel about the keychain had him nod, “What can you say about me? I don’t really have a key ring.” He held up a single car fob that didn’t have an actual key itself.
“If you had to pick one for my friend, which one would you choose?”
He looked at the plain fob and felt something strange stir inside him. What it told Derek was that this man didn’t have many attachments. The vampire subtly leaned forward, trying to discern anything from his scent. He could detect shampoo, laundry detergent, and that was pretty much it.
“What’s your friend’s name?” Derek asked casually. “We have some items with popular names printed on them.”
That smile never left Christopher’s lips. It cut into his cheeks broadly, in fact. When the examination of the single fob was concluded the device disappeared into a pocket.
“I’m not sure you carry anything with initials,” Christopher began. A shoulder would rise and fall in a shrug. “They go by RC. You know, not proud of their Christian born name. I suppose I couldn’t really blame them. Being named after a loved one who falls short of being a saint would be challenging.”
Derek paused in his movements, though the friendly smile still remained on his face. There was a cold sensation running through him. He instantly thought of Ronnie. His initials were RC, and he was named after his father. The vampire’s first instinct was to take this man into a dark alley and find out exactly who he was and possibly kill him. But what if he was wrong? As he grappled inwardly between instinct and reason, he directed the man’s attention to a number of keychains.
“We have these that look like old school motel key holders,” Derek said, trying to keep up the same level of enthusiasm as the gears in his head turned. “Hey, I don’t know if I caught your name?”
Christopher caught that little pause. Inwardly he reveled a bit at finally shaking Derek, but he didn’t let himself show the pride. Instead he waited to see what the offer would be. “Oh, hmm. I think that could work,” Christopher nodded. “My friend has an odd name, you see. It’s a task to find anything that isn’t customized. That can be expensive. Unless you had something with Reginald on it, of course.”
His smile broadened a bit. “Christopher,” he said, adding, “So, how much do I owe you for the shirt and the keychain, Derek?”
Derek nodded and went back around the counter. “I have the price list on my phone,” he lied, picking up the device and pretending to scroll. He angled it just enough to take a picture of Christopher without making it obvious that was what he was doing. “Let’s make it an even 35.”
Fumbling through the pockets of his pants, Christopher produced a billfold. It was crisp leather, could have been close to brand new. He took two similarly starched twenty dollar bills out of the wallet and offered them to Derek. “That’s a fair price for a bit of a surprise, isn’t it?”
As the bills were accepted he drew back and put the wallet into a back pocket.
“Well, I hope Reginald -- or RC -- enjoys it,” Derek replied as he pulled out a five dollar bill and handed it to Christopher. He took the t-shirt and folded it carefully, deliberately slowly. “Does he live around here?” he asked conversationally, watching the expression on the other man’s face, listening for his pulse, the pattern of his breathing, to see if there was any kind of reaction or excitement going on.
Christopher waved his hand at the change. He wanted Derek to have it for his trouble. “Thank you, but you keep it. Really, you’ve been so helpful.” His pulse quickened as the next question bubbled up. “Actually, he does. In a nearby town.”
He set the bill down on the counter. “Thank you. That’s awfully generous of you.” Derek picked up on the change in heart rate. He decided to press his luck. “Oh, you know what, I think there is something with his name on it.” The vampire rifled through some items. “Wait, no, this is Ronald. Not Reginald. Sorry.”
That heartbeat picked up again though Christopher looked curious, eyebrows arched and chin jutted forward a bit. “Oh, darn. You had me excited for a second there.” His smile became easy again. “The perils of being unique, right? Not plain and boring like me.” A bit of a laugh. “Thanks again, Derek.”
“No problem, Christopher.” He held his hand out again to shake, an idea in mind.
Taking the bait, Christopher reached out for the hand. The gesture of greeting so formally had tickled him; part of him found it redundant yet he used it to his own advantage once in a while. His other hand moved to collect his purchases, already an idea was formulating in his mind.
When his hand connected with Derek’s squeezed, and this time he let a little supernatural strength show in the gesture. Still holding that hand tight, he looked directly into Christopher’s eyes. “Thanks for the purchase. And be careful out there. Vegas can be a crazy city.”
That pressure was unexpected. This time his poker face faltered a bit but the crack in the mirror only seemed to last a second or two. Christopher’s grin widened. “I’ll be seeing you around.” He lifted his purchases in his free hand, a signal that the transaction was completed. “Nice shoes.”
Derek looked down at his feet. They were red and white Nike low pros. “Thanks,” he said. “My friend bought them for me.” Beneath the counter, he slipped the five dollar bill into a ziplock baggie in the hopes of keeping Christopher’s scent on it. He couldn’t recall seeing the man around Searchlight, but if he was mostly out and about during daylight hours, that would make sense.
Pulling his hand back, Christopher nodded. He didn’t know much about shoes, nor really did he care. “Isn’t that nice of them?” A small nod and the etheric pivoted on the balls of his feet, wandering off into the evening with a whistle.