fangednconfused (fangednconfused) wrote in birthrightrpg, @ 2020-09-30 20:21:00 |
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Entry tags: | derek mitchell, penny norton |
In the Valley of Fire
Who: Penny, Derek
What: Differing Perspectives
Where: Valley of Fire State Park
When: Present, Evening
Ratings/Warnings: Mild, Reference to violence
The Valley of Fire State Park was beautiful this time of year. Perhaps it was a bit of a tourist place, but Penny had been dying to see it once she saw it advertised on a moving ad in one of the bathrooms at a club.
Valley of Fire is Nevada’s oldest and largest state park. Ancient trees and early man are represented throughout the park by areas of petrified wood and 3,000-year-old Indian petroglyphs.
It was a breathtaking view. Of course Derek had come with her and it was refreshing to be outside of the haze of Neon and the loud sounds of the strip. Nature had always been her go-to considering what she was, though she enjoyed the city, too.
“Oh, look,” Penny breathed. She lifted her free hand up to point at something. Her other hand was twisted into Derek’s as the thrill of the sights overtook her. She smiled, dropping her free hand.
Around them, in the safer and more public places, some couples and families were picnicking. Others stood in groups waiting to tour the park officially. Some waited for the descent to hike and ATV at the bottom.
Derek squeezed her hand, smiling at the way her green eyes widened and sparkled slightly every time she saw something of interest. It was like a shot of warmth inside him, knowing that something could still elicit that reaction from her, even after being alive for 100 years. It made him feel hopeful about the long span of time that seemed to stretch before him. An endless, shapeless kind of future that before just made him feel somewhat trapped. The idea of having someone like Penny to share that with tempered the mild kind of panic that brought out of him.
“This was a good idea,” he told her, eyes sweeping over the blush pink landscape. The sun had recently set, his favorite time of the night. He liked the color of the sky, then. And, of course, she looked beautiful there, next to him. The vampire turned to kiss her softly, lips brushing chastely over hers. There were families nearby, after all.
“I feel like I’m on a Star Wars set,” he admitted.
For a while now, Penny had been collecting ideas on where to go that wasn’t necessarily inside the city limits. While she liked the clubs and the vibe of the city, places like these existed and in her time within a city (she had been many places) there was never a good reason to get outside of that zone and admire the Earth for the rich wealth of beauty just beyond the cusp of the limit sign.
“Star..?” She paused, face contorting in thought as she reeled through what that reference was for. And then she remembered. A nod of satisfaction. Derek had shown her Star Wars, the older ones with Harrison Ford, and while she didn’t understand fighting over stars and moons or flying spaceships, she enjoyed them.
That kiss still lingered on her lips. She smiled with it and leaned in closer to him. “They have a lot to do here,” she explained.
“I’m happy just seeing it all with you,” he told her, an arm slipping around her shoulders. His hand brushed over the material of her long-sleeved shirt, soft and warm. Derek was a tactile person. His fingers found their way into her hair, as he leaned in and kissed the top of her head, he could smell her shampoo. The vampire never got tired of touching her, but also never stopped appreciating the fact that she let him, and loved him, and had chosen him. It was still a mild source of wonder.
“If I could do it over, I’d probably propose to you here,” Derek mused. “It would be very cinematic. He lifted both hands like he was framing a shot. “Let’s pretend that I did.” He grinned.
Her demeanor brightened instantly. Any time he touched her, even in the smallest ways, her body reacted and her heart fluttered. She didn’t mind being close. And she would do anything to make sure Derek was always happy and cared for. He was the most important person in her life next to her family.
“Really?” She inquired, looking around. It only took a moment but she smiled and pointed at a couple not far away from where they were standing who were doing exactly that same thing - a proposal. She shriek and hopping from the woman told her that the inquiry was accepted.
And Penny laughed softly at Derek’s display. “I like the real story more.”
Derek watched the display before them with a soft smile. “Don’t get me wrong,” he told Penny. “I do, too. Especially the outcome. But I just...I think you deserve more. I wish I could give you more.” He took her hand again as they kept walking and exploring.
Her head tipped a bit. Penny smiled and walked along, happily. “I have everything I need with you. You give me more than you realize.” Whatever he had in mind she wouldn’t argue about, he was thoughtful and always so sweet.
Hand in hand she moved with him, staying close. Her eyes turned out toward the canyon and the line of the pink cliffs as they jutted into the stars.
“I feel like everything is starting to come together,” he told her. Their footsteps echoed softly over the smooth stone. “Veronica is gone, I have you, and now Ronnie might be our neighbor.” Derek smiled. He paused at the precipice of a smooth slope. The shades of pink and orange ridged together reminded him of a salt lamp. The vampire knelt down to touch the ground. It was slightly cool against his hand. He wondered what it would look like at sunrise.
“I ran into the building manager, I forgot to tell you. Apparently, that unit is pretty coveted. It’s super lucky that couple finally decided to move out. I guess they had been holding out for a while.”
She smiled as Derek knelt down. Letting go of his hand would always be hard but she knew it wasn’t for long. “I’m so glad you’re happy,” she admitted, feeling a surge of joy. All she wanted was to know his life had meaning, purpose, and happiness.
Penny’s eyebrows lifted but her smile didn’t falter. “Oh, they didn’t move. Not really,” she explained. And she wasn’t surprised about the apartment. It was a good location, pretty large for a unit of its size and perfect for whomever was staying there. “Did you ever hear if Ronnie decided on it or not?”
Derek stood up, a puzzled expression on his face. “What do you mean, they didn’t really move?” He brushed his hands together to get off any dirt as he looked at her curiously. The vampire noticed they were drifting into an area less populated by people, and their voices were echoing a little around the peaks. “I think he’s waiting to talk to Mikey about it.”
“They didn’t move out,” she replied, tilting her head to look up at him. “They won’t be coming back. I ate them.” Her voice had dropped just in case there had been anyone lingering around. But her expression began to turn a bit more serious. “So Ronnie could move in. That’s what you wanted, right?”
“I…”
Derek looked at her, trying to work out at first if she was joking, even though he immediately knew that she wasn’t. A lot of thoughts rushed through his head at once, a Three Stooges moment where they all tried to fit through a narrow door. “I wanted Ronnie to be closer, yes, but...he could just as easily move somewhere else in our building? Or a place nearby?”
The vampire rubbed the back of his neck. Was he being a hypocrite? He couldn’t tell. He wasn’t even exactly sure what he was feeling. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Or, like, beforehand?”
Penny blinked.
“He’s part of your family. Why wouldn’t you want him to be as close as possible? And you know we always complained about the neighbors.” The noise. She didn’t know if they had a dog in their place or not but something was always crashing around or making terrible noises. They loved to slam the door, thud against the walls. It was a miracle she hadn’t eaten them sooner.
“It only happened a little bit ago,” she explained. “And I never talk about eating people with you. You have a promise to keep.” She felt as if her stories might be tempting.
Derek’s eyes widened. He was momentarily at a loss for words. “Yeah, they were annoying, but...we had dead bodies in our apartment. For days.” The vampire continued walking, to give his mind something to do besides stumble over the cascade of thoughts. His feet moved over the rock.
“I get what you were trying to do.” The vampire flashed back to their first real date. He had been excited, learning what she was. They had killed people together. Then everything had changed. Derek realized that it had only changed for him.
“I don’t know if I can deal with Ronnie living there and not tell him. And if I tell him, he…” He trailed off.
Her eyebrows lifted a bit as he spoke. She didn’t see the problem but then she also didn’t think about situations and circumstances like Derek would. Humanity wasn’t something Penny knew at her core. She was a predator and her view on the world was colder, more direct.
“Why?” The apartment was perfectly tailored to suit Derek’s friend’s needs. It was close enough to offer friendship, security, and an upgrade in lifestyle. “You aren’t happy with this?”
That part puzzled her a bit. Her smile broke, expression flattening out.
Derek had a choice. He could lie to Penny to bring her smile back, tell her that she did a good thing. He could take the easy way out.
“No, Penny, I’m not happy with it,” he told her quietly. The vampire reached out to grab her hand. “I’m sorry, but I’m not.”
“Oh.” She nodded. Her brain began to fill with a lot of things; questions, replaying information, the touch upon a few avenues reserved for feelings. Even as he held her hand she felt something lingering there. Penny frowned. “I thought you would be.” Shaking her head, the siren twitched a bit as the processing began.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know what I was thinking.” Her gaze would fall to the ground and she looked upon the pink rock beneath her shoes.
Something twisted in his stomach when she said that. Derek felt a wash of guilt come over him. He had told her that he accepted her no matter what. Had he been lying? Or stupidly idealistic? Whatever the case, he didn’t want to hurt her. It was so complicated. The vampire was still struggling over morality, humanity. Finding his footing.
“I know you want me to be happy,” Derek told her. He squeezed her hand. “I think maybe I wasn’t clear about how important this was to me? I don’t know. I don’t want people to die if they don’t have to.”
Penny continued to look at the ground. She nodded. “Okay.” A soft breath would be uttered and her gaze would lift. “I won’t do that anymore.” Killing was part of her survival, she couldn’t live on animals the way he could, but she understood the impact of what she had done.
He had to look away from her. There was a terrible feeling inside of him as something cracked open. It was dark. Bottomless. Out of odds with the landscape they currently found themselves in, everything rosy pink and tinged in night. And lonely. A little lonely. “Okay,” he answered back.
The vampire thought of the ways Penny had shown she cared about him. Throwing herself at Veronica and telling him to run. The sweet little small things that added up on a daily basis. It had made him feel special because he knew she was that way with him, and not many others. Was that a good thing? He didn’t want to think anymore, not tonight.
“What would you like to do now?” Derek asked her.
Penny only shrugged. “I don’t know.” It was the honest truth. They were an hour away from home, at least. The sun had set and twilight crept upon them, as well as the slight drop in temperature. She didn’t mind either of those.
Her eyes crept around. The shadows of couples, families, hovered around. She didn’t feel like being out anymore but it seemed selfish to declare as much.
Derek watched her closely. He knew her by now, and he could tell that magical feeling was gone. “We can go,” he told her. The vampire gave her a wan smile. A family with small children were nearby, the kids were giggling and running around. It was so...normal. They had no clue who they were next to.
She nodded.
“I can drive if you want,” Penny offered. The drive home would be silent, she could tell already. And the walk would be that way, too. Beneath her feet, back the way they had come, was pink stone that seemed to shimmer in the starlight.