Dusty "THAT DUMBASS THAT SLEPT WITH COBY" Baker (dusty_storm) wrote in light_of_may, @ 2009-11-07 00:09:00 |
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Entry tags: | 2009-06-21, ava |
Great Minds Think... Not Really Alike
Who: Ava and Dusty
Where: Phonecall!
When: 2:04am, onward
Dusty was feeling good -- too good -- after the hunt with Gareth, the death of the weredoberman and the light feeling that came along with finally feeling full for once. It was the first time since his change that he'd felt sated, truly energetic... perhaps a bit like his old self, before that fateful evening. The blood in his veins made him feel powerful; he could smell everything, hear everything... It was nothing like he'd ever experienced after drinking from Gareth, and left questions on his mind. Questions that, while not all that important, compelled Dusty to examine the card Ezra had delivered. He'd picked it up off of the floor where it had landed the day before and stared at the numbers. Making a phone call wasn't necessarily going to be easy for him, given that they didn't have cells or a land-line to utilize. After debating the decision for a while, and listening to Gareth's heavy snoring from the couch, Dusty finally chose to leave the trailer in search of the nearest telephone.
Eventually Dusty happened upon a telephone booth and settled into it, closing the door behind him to lean against one side of the glass. He glared at the card a while longer, not sure he really wanted to do this, but at long last dropped the money in and began punching in the numbers. Every bit of his mind was telling him this went against his morals, but... what choice did he really have? And, really, it might be the better choice for him in the long run. With that in mind, Dusty waited as the phone rang, the cool black plastic propped between his right shoulder and ear.
God damn his stupid life.
While Ava did have a personal line that went straight to her cell phone, the number she'd given the human had been one reserved for strangers, screened by an answering service before being forwarded to the small vampire. So she was quite certain that, when her handset rang, she would be at least marginally interested in speaking to the caller on the other end.
She was just finishing a late lunch, going over her shooting schedule for her current project, and noting down a few tasks for Cara to handle during the day when the call came in, and she reached over and picked it up without hesitation. "Ava Carlisle speaking," she answered politely as she made a notation on her copy of the schedule. Her voice was cool, professional, but still quite obviously young.
The youthful voice on the other end of the line gave Dusty reason to pause, his mouth hanging open as he shifted in the phone booth. He turned, leaning heavier on his right shoulder instead, blue eyes glancing through the glass as though someone might be watching. "Uh... Ava?" he said, leading into the conversation without even a touch of grace or tact, "You uhhh... um, I ain't exactly sure what I'm supposed to be doing right now. I got this card offa some guy and he told me it'd be in my best interest to contact you." He paused, licking his lips before shifting his weight again. He felt indefinitely uncomfortable; this entire scenario seemed so bizarre to him. He hated that he was being forced to make contact at all, but in light of Ezra's visit he'd finally decided it might just actually make sense... or would at least keep him and Gareth safe for the time being. "So uh, what's up or whatever?" Dusty sighed and waited to for the girl to respond, snagging his bottom lip with a fang over and over again to pass the time.
Ava knew exactly who was calling, of course - the new Fallen, the one who'd killed his sire and was exceptionally ignorant of everything about Gabriel House. But she didn't let Alejandro get away with such a lack of manners, and she wasn't about to start with this child, either. "You may begin with a salutation, perhaps," she suggested, "and an introduction so that I might know with whom I'm speaking." Too many people this day and age forgot common courtesies, but Ava was born in a different time and was determined to drag the graces learned there into the twenty-first century.
Dusty almost laughed at the voice, nearly unable to help himself. It carried into his speech when he answered her, his slight amusement easy to pick up on. "Ah, alright then, hoss. M'name's Dusty. Rest of it don't matter none anymore, considering I ain't exactly alive." He wasn't really all that sure about what the legalities of being a vampire were these days, but he wasn't about to bother asking... not right now, anyway. For the moment, he was content to hear what she had to say.
Ava wasn't pleased that he apparently found her amusing, but she was rather used to the reaction as a first impression - unless she was hunting or playing, at least. She doubted he'd find her amusing for too long. "Neither am I, Dusty," Ava said, "and yet I retain my full legal identity." Her original, in fact, though she'd had many names over the decades. She didn't pursue it further just yet; she had a feeling he was twitchy enough and phone contact was tenuous enough to call for caution. "I am pleased you decided to call," she told him, deliberately failing to mention either of the two ways he could have received her card. He and his human friend didn't know she'd sent Ezra. "I assume you've realized the necessity for an education on your new status?"
"Hm," Dusty said in response to Ava's claim to retaining her full name, jaw out forward as his lips pursed, tongue moving around absently behind his teeth. It wasn't exactly a flattering expression, but she didn't have to look at him just now. "Yeah, I uh... I guess I just wanna see what all this hub-bub is about or what-have-you. All this shit about bein' a Gabriel vampire or whatever it is and what I gotta find out to keep myself alive... er, as alive as it gets, I guess." He snorted, though he was feeling uncertain about where this was going. This shit seemed political, and that wasn't a strong suit of his -- not by a long shot. "Look," he said, starting up again right away, "I ain't int'rested in playin' games or any of that, really. I just wanna find out what I gotta and just... I don't... I didn't want this life and these fangs an'wings, y'know? I just wanted to do my own damn thing, get old an'die the normal way. Now... if I wanna do that, I gotta set myself on fire, an'that just ain't right. I ain't expectin' a lot of sympathy or whatever, but maybe some uh... what's that damned word... y'know, like..." He trailed off, sighing heavily. "Whatever."
"You could also cut off your head," Ava pointed out, "or perhaps go for a swim in a vat of silver. And I believe the word you're looking for is 'consideration,' or perhaps 'compassion.'" Two things Ava had in very short supply unless she was wooing someone she had a use for, and she hadn't yet determined what, if any, use this vampire could be to her. "I shall do my level best," she said, "but it is quite hard to show any form of consideration or compassion to a vampire who continually mopes about without even the faintest attempt at reconciliation with his new lifestyle. Do you understand, Dusty?" she asked him, leaning back and crossing her legs. "I would like to help you, give you the knowledge you seek. However, I require a certain amount of willing participation from you. I want you to approach these experiences with an open mind. If you can make an effort, I imagine I will be similarly motivated to give you as much consideration as you need." Even as an eight year old girl, newly turned by the man who'd stolen her from her parents, she'd quickly adjusted to her new lifestyle.
Hm, yeah, Dusty thought sarcastically, brow rising at her words, why hadn't I thought'a that one? He sighed at Ava's tone, recognizing right away that her intelligence level was going to be something to contend with. She was smarter than he was and he knew it; he was at least with-it enough to be able to understand that much. He was silent for a long time, almost long enough to be prompted to speak again, his expression very obvious to anyone who happened to pass him by on the street. He was extremely thrown off, unsure of himself and of what she was saying to him. He didn't want to have to do all this shit. He was only talking to her to avoid things getting messy... and because he wanted to know what to expect from his life, but... Dusty sighed, groaning a little just so she knew he was still there. "I'm willin' to learn... cain't that just... be enough for now?" His voice was quieter than he'd meant for it to be, but his emotional state was getting the better of him.
Almost long enough to prompt him to speak, were Ava a less patient woman. Her well-developed hunter's instincts kept her quiet, however, until he spoke again. With that plaintive little question, she knew she had a decent hook in him. Determined to hate vampires? That was harder to overcome. But freshly turned, confused and seeking knowledge? She could work with that.
"It's a good start," she said, voice softening as if to reassure him. "It takes courage to make that first step." She paused, as if making an admission of her own. "Though you may not believe it, I know very well how you feel, Dusty. I only hope that you will come to me as open-minded as possible." She sounded sympathetic, but there was a malicious little grin on her face. "When would you like to meet and begin your education?"
Sighing, Dusty ran a hand over his head and glanced to his wrist briefly, as though he might find a watch there. No, no such luck. He wasn't sure what to tell her, when they should meet... "I dunno. Give it a day or somethin'?" It was Sunday now, technically... sometime after midnight. Dusty realized just then that he honestly had no idea what time it was. "How 'bout Monday night? Like... 'round eleven or so?" He licked his lips. "So like, not this night that'll be coming right up all fast and everything... tomorrow night." He figured that would give him enough time to gather himself, make sure he didn't show up scattered. While waiting for Ava's answer, questions flew through his mind -- what would Gareth say? Would they end up fighting over this? Was this the right decision? What if he were taken away and never allowed to come home...? If it were possible to be racist against vampires, Dusty was very much a racist. Despite having met Gideon and even sleeping in his home, vampires were not to be trusted. Over all, they mostly meant harm to others... or at least, that's what he'd been told, and that didn't make them a good thing in his book.
"The evening of the twenty-second," Ava clarified for him, checking her calendar. "That is acceptable. I'll send a car for you - will ten o'clock suit?" She wasn't sure how long it would take to get a good handle on him, but that was early enough that he'd have time to attend to his own errands after the sun set but she'd still have plenty of night left once they were finished.
"Uh, yeah..." Dusty nodded, though she couldn't see him. "Ten o'clock works just fine, I s'pose. I hope you don't mind me not showin' up in nothin' fancy, 'cause I don't really got anything like that." He was anxious about the meeting already, and they hadn't even hung up the phone just yet. He only hoped that she'd be as patient face to face.
"I'll expect you to be clean and presentable," Ava said dryly, "but what you wear is of no concern." She reminded herself that he'd grown up this century, where the belief that bathing regularly was bad for the health had largely died out. With the exception of certain residents of Alabama, that was. "If our business is concluded for the evening," she said, making a final note on her calendar and closing it, "then I will see you tomorrow evening. Have a good night, Dusty."
Dusty offered a brief 'hmph' in response to Ava's demand; he'd do what he wanted and she would fucking deal with it. "You too," he returned, and finally moved to hang the phone up. The effort was a little more on the rough side than he'd meant for it to be, not that he could do much about it afterward. He would see her soon enough anyway, and they could sort everything out face to face. He wasn't really looking forward to it, but knew it had to be done. "Fucking vampires," he grunted, and left the booth with a foul look on his face and anxiety in his movements. It was going to be a long couple of days.