it's not so bad Who: Grayson and Saoirse Where: Saoirse's house When: Around three in the afternoon
When Grayson said he always had time for Saoirse, he wasn't kidding. Not even for the fact that Azraelan vampires didn't sleep, which naturally added more time to anyone's life, but he'd meant what he said about always being there for her. Grayson considered Saoirse to be a close friend, regardless of the fact that they'd been sired into the same house, and he'd been worked about her since picking her up a few days prior. Grayson could keep his curiosity at bay for a while, but he did want answers eventually.
Talking with Liliya the day before about what happened to Amanda Blake didn't make him feel any better. Though he doubted Saoirse's troubles were in some way related to the attack, he didn't know that for a fact. The last thing he wanted to see was a friend hurt again, by another vampire, or by a hunter, or anyone.
For now, though, Grayson decided to keep those thoughts to himself as he pulled up to the home Saoirse lived in. Since he wasn't going to Heme for the night just yet, he was dressed more casually than most usually saw him - nice dark jeans and a simple black button down shirt, the sleeves rolled up. He took off his sunglasses as he went inside, unwilling to spend more time in the sun than he had to, at the moment; he forgot to have a bit of fae blood before leaving his condo. Giving an easy smile to the first vampire he encountered as he started to head up the stairs to Saoirse's attic room, he said, "Nothing to worry about, I'm just stopping by to see Seer." And that was all anyone really needed to know about why he was there.
After the first twenty-four hours, where all Saoirse could really think about was the pain, a new enemy had filtered through. Boredom. When she healed enough to try and distract herself, she did so. There were a lot of hours to fill, and she didn't do the greatest job of it. She rotated between playing, singing, and composing. And there was drawing. Painting. And at one insane point, somewhere around five in the morning, she'd dyed her hair back to its natural red. She was actually having trouble getting used to that, of all things. After she'd been turned, the first thing she did was change her appearance - that included dying her hair black. But now... well, at some point in the night she had well and truly realized she was starting to accept that she didn't need to hide anymore. Neil was here to stay, and the kicker was, she didn't want him to go. She'd been rather furious with him for keeping secrets from her, but she knew she had no chance of letting him go now.
And she'd made vampire friends - one of which was making her way to see her now. Despite being a little nervous about that (her explanation was ridiculous, she realized this, and she wasn't sure how Grayson would react to it), that, perhaps more than anything, made her feel comfortable in her own skin again.
Dressed in an old pair of jeans and a black tanktop (well covering the wound that was still not completely closed), the second she heard Grayson in the halls, she smiled nervously and headed over to open her attic door. "Hey Gray," she greeted.
Seeing Seer waiting at the top of the stairs, Grayson excused himself as he brushed past the other vampire and went up to join her. In spite of the conversation he knew they were going to have, and that the details to be discussed in said conversation would not likely be happy ones, he was still glad to see her, and always would be. "You look a lot better than the last time I saw you," he said.
And then he noticed the fact that her hair was no longer the black he remembered, but a bright red. Grayson smiled, tilting his head to the side as he looked over her appearance again. "And the hair is lovely on you," he said. "Your natural color, I take it? When did you change that?" The black had worked for her too, but Grayson had never seen what Saoirse looked like before she dyed it.
"Thanks," Saoirse smiled, gesturing for him to come in. "The wound's mostly closed. I think I can come back to work tomorrow without wanting to om nom on customers." That part? Terribly important. She smiled at the compliment, unconsciously running a hand through her hair at the thought. "Yeah... once I got numb to the pain I was just bored, so... I've done just about every chore or activity available in this house. This morning my hair came under attack." But it was nice, knowing she could no longer destroy her hair with chemicals. "How are things at Heme?"
Following Saoirse instead, Grayson mostly closed the door behind him, only a crack of space left between the door and the frame. Whatever Saoirse had to tell him, it wasn't the business of anyone else who might be in the house at the moment. "I'm glad to hear that, on both counts. It's been a long few days without you at Heme. We've survived, of course, but the newer bartenders have required me to keep a better eye on what's going on downstairs." Much to the chagrin of everyone else working there, if Ian's reaction had been any indication, but that was neither here nor there. "Of all the ways to ease your boredom, it seems dying your hair is working out quite nicely. It'll give everyone else we work with quite the shock when they see you."
"Well that's what I love for," Saoirse joked, lightly rolling her eyes. At least this time she'd be the one doing the surprising, as opposed to 'hey look, another human that thought Seer was dead!' That game could die any day now. Saoirse eased down onto the edge of the leather couch, finding she actually missed work. A lot. When had she become such a workaholic? "You'll have to start visiting the bar when I'm back. Keep everybody guessing and all."
"You always do manage to keep us on our toes," he agreed, taking a seat next to her on the leather couch. Grayson too could deal without Saoirse's human exes showing up in the bar, if only for the drama they seem to produce. One of these days, he'd run into one of said exes himself... and that could prove interesting indeed. "And I will. And I will make it quite clear that I'm there for the company, not to make sure everyone's making their drinks properly." Because hello, screwing up a Long Island Iced Tea, who did that? Grayson was just sad to see the liquor wasted, a part of him still willing to drink it anyway.
"You do know I never bartended a day in my life before Heme, right?" Saoirse asked, grinning at the thought. "An elder told me they had a job for me, and I poured over books for a few days. I took a two-day class, and I hid note-cards under bottles the first night. Nobody ever complained, so I guess I got it right. Or maybe the tourists were afraid to send their drink back to the vampire bartender."
Grayson chuckled, an easy grin coming to his face. "I never found the notecards," he said, "so I'm going to assume that means you're a quick learner, and I appreciate that, more than you know." Just having someone he knew he could rely on was a bonus in his book; you didn't get far in his line of business without that. "It reminds me of when I first came to the States as a young man. A friend of mine had acquired a business and asked me to help run it. I assumed it was a restaurant of some sort, it was what I had done back in London. It wasn't." He didn't mind telling Saoirse a bit of his personal history; to Grayson, it still didn't seem like it happened all that long ago.
This was rather fascinating. And much more favorable than launching into the explanation that made Saoirse look like an idiot. She didn't actually know a lot of Grayson's history - what she knew about him was based in the here and now. She tended to ask other vampires when they had been turned, but she'd never even done that with Grayson. Probably due to initial intimidation over the 'boss' factor. "What was it?"
He smiled to himself a little, remembering the look on Eric's face when he stepped off the boat from England, so excited to show him the little hole-in-the-wall place he'd found in the middle of Manhattan. "It was a speakeasy," he said, shaking his head. "Eric had no idea how to run the place, and the fact that we couldn't legally sell alcohol at that time, it made things... interesting. I learned fast, though." He certainly drank enough at that time to know how most of the drinks were made, at least what went into his favorites. All these years later, Grayson still wanted a dry martini. "So I do know exactly where you're coming from, in that respect."
Saoirse grinned widely. She could only imagine Grayson during prohibition, and couldn't help but wonder what he'd been like as a human. Had a hundred years (give or take) of this life (or unlife, depending on one's perspective) changed him much? Or at all? "To fast learners then," Saoirse commented, mock-saluting briefly. It certainly made sense for how Grayson had ended up here. And while she would have liked nothing better than to hear stories of Grayson's human life, she didn't feel right ignoring the elephant in the room. "About that." Oh yeah, great start right there. "You said the other day you knew what it was like to make mistakes as a young vampire. Well... I may have broken the stupidity barrier."
In reality, Grayson didn't think he'd changed all that much, from human to vampire. It did force him to clean up his act a little, since the alcohol didn't do anything for him anymore, so he no longer had those nights when he couldn't quite remember all that happened, or the fights that broke out because someone dared to insult him while he was intoxicated. If Saoirse was ever curious, he didn't mind talking about it - but it wasn't, however, why he'd come here. Grayson sat back a little, hands folded in his lap, watching her face. "We all make mistakes, it's part of how we grow," he said. "What happened?" If she realized it was stupid, then maybe it would help her realize that she shouldn't do something to get impaled again.
And at this point, were Saoirse still capable of blushing, it was possible she would have. It was embarrassing, saying it out loud. "I found out a particularly stupid ex-boyfriend of mine was trading blood for drugs with a local drug-dealing vampire. And I went to ask her to stay away. When politely asking got me nowhere, and tempers were triggered, I threatened to expose her. And her house." Saoirse couldn't help but cringe a little. "Needless to say, she didn't take it well. God, I can't believe she didn't kill me."
Seer and her ex-boyfriends - somehow, Grayson was unsurprised to hear that it all looped back to that situation. It was a long running joke at Heme that a new one stopped by to see her every week, but Grayson didn't discuss it with anyone else, trusting Saoirse to have everything under control. This? Was not under control. Grayson rubbed at his chin, listening to the story. "She's a drug-dealing vampire," he pointed out, "who's likely a good deal older than you are, could even be older than me. I know you've a temper, but going into a situation like that... Seer, what were you thinking?" There was a part of him that was more than a little protective of her, and while he didn't give a damn about what happened to her ex, he didn't want to see more trouble come her way. Pissing off that kind of vampire? Likely it wouldn't end with just the one confrontation.
Deeply embarrassed and feeling very much like a child, Saoirse looked down at her hands. She didn't shy away from it or mumble out some half-assed answer, however. Grayson deserved a real one. "I'm not really sure. I know I had my arguments for it at the time, but they've all fallen apart into pieces so tiny I can't remember or decipher them now. I think..." Crap. Saoirse had done a lot of soul searching the past few days, trying to figure out why she was the way she was, and she had not cared for most of her answers. She cared even less to voice them out loud. Admitting it to herself was hard enough. "Humans from my human life keep popping up, and I still trust myself so little around them. I'm around humans at work every day and it's no problem, but it's different with the people I care about. I could never live with myself if I hurt them. And when I hear about any of them getting into bad business with vampires... I feel like it's my job to protect them. I want to keep them untouched from this world. I know it's unrealistic, and futile. And maybe now that I've had a dose of reality I can reign myself in. I just felt so justified then."
Grayson reached over and covered one of Saoirse's hands with his own. He had not forgotten how young Saoirse actually was, how new she was to this lifestyle. It made sense that she would still fear hurting the human friends she'd been forced to leave behind, but she didn't give herself enough credit. "I think," he said softly, "that regardless of your desire to protect your friends from what we are, they aren't in any danger around you. Adjusting to what we are, it's never easy, and I won't lie and tell you otherwise. You're a good person, and your heart's in the right place. The decisions you've made might not always be the right ones," including paying a visit to that drug-dealing vampire, "but they were made with good intentions. There comes a point when you realize you have to let those you care about go. Unfortunately, we live in a world now that it's impossible to keep them safe from the - less unsavory characters of our kind. Sometimes, they must fight the battle themselves. Human or vampire, those types exist regardless."
Saoirse just couldn't win. One minute she wanted to crawl into a hole and re-die of embarrassment, the next she felt like she was getting off way too easy. Her brain just hated her, it was official. All the same, she looked up at Grayson and cast him a small smile. "I'm working on it," she promised. "It's harder with some than others." Take Neil for example. She knew, just knew, something was wrong there, and it was vampire related. But there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. "The guy I did this over... I'm never going to see him again. In all truth, I don't really want to see him again, he drives me insane. I found out by chance and... my IQ took a hit, I guess. It was so stupid, I know she considered killing me after I was staked. I was no match for her at all, and I should have just minded my own business."
"It always is," he agreed. Saoirse herself was a good example. While Grayson had not met anyone from her human life, and that was likely a good thing, considering how intimidating Grayson could be when he wasn't even thinking about it, he had been tempted to see if he could find who the vampire who staked her was. He had not, of course, but the thought was there, in case the other vampire decided to come back for Seer again. "Perhaps that would be for the best, for you both to move on. His decisions are not your responsibility - he's the only one who will have to deal with the consequences of those choices. I just - I don't want to see you in such trouble again."
"I don't want to be in that kind of trouble again," Saoirse replied, with a wry smile. "But I'm sorry I put you through that." As it was, she was going to have a hard time letting go of this Jezebelle thing herself. She couldn't forgive the woman, and now her pride was hurt. Part of her wanted vengeance. She was just smart enough to not go after it.
"Again, I'm glad I was able to help. For the record, you can call me for anything, not just in situations like this." Grayson offered her another, stronger smile, hoping she knew what he meant by his words. He understood that the situation wasn't ideal, and he doubted this Jezebelle would let this die with just the one encounter, but hopefully Seer understood that vengeance wasn't the answer. He also hoped Jezebelle, or the ex-boyfriend in question, didn't come into Heme, because then it would become Grayson's business, as well. With any luck it wouldn't come to that, and the whole thing would become but a memory. Maybe.
"That works both ways," Saoirse pointed out, smile becoming slightly more genuine. "I can be called for anything. Not just 'lesser ranking vampire, go do bitchwork' stuff." Though she'd certainly do that, too (not that her house gave her a choice). "I do think of you as a friend, Gray. It was a hard transition, maybe, but it's definitely been done."
He let out a low chuckle, "That it does. Though you've certainly moved up from the position of mere 'bitchwork,' as you put it." Though he would call if he needed someone to cover a shift at the bar, but that was business. And, he couldn't lie, he did like the fact that she was comfortable enough to call him Gray, so few people, human or vampire, were anymore. "I'm glad for that, truly. You are one of my closest friends here, Seer. Regardless of the fact that I also happen to be your boss."
In all honesty, calling him Gray was instinctual to Saoirse, and something she possibly would have doubted if she was conscious of the fact that she was even doing it in the first place. Her friends and loved ones usually got nicknames (some more flattering than others). "I think that as far as people I met after being turned go... I am closest to you." It felt a little odd admitting that, but Saoirse knew that was because she went so long without letting anyone in at all. She never made friends in California, and she'd been there an entire year. The Light of May - and Heme - had been the best thing in the world for her.
Grayson tilted his head to the side a little. That had not been what he was expecting to hear, and he was actually quite touched by it. Perhaps it had taken her a long while to adjust to this new lifestyle - though he did not know all the particulars of what happened, he knew she hadn't chosen it for herself - and that was why. "I'm glad that I can be there for you," he said, honestly. "This life - it isn't always easy, but that's when you remember you're not alone, that there are people to turn to. Friends." He gave her another smile, "Which means we should hang out outside of work sometime, and not because of being attacked by other vampires."
That caused Saoirse to crack a wide, fang-baring grin, and to feel a little less shy. "You know how to do things that don't involve work? Are you sure?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "I might have to spread that around. Not that anyone would believe me." Which was all really a way of saying she would have liked that immensely. When was the last time she did something not work- or school-oriented, anyway? And whenever it was, it wasn't with company - and such good company at that.
Grayson laughed at that, his own fangs visible too, something he only did when he was around other vampires. Holding the position he did, it made humans too nervous when he was obvious about what he was, and after years of hiding said fangs, it became like second nature. "I'm very sure," he said. "I'm quite the social creature, after all - and Heme seems to be doing well enough that I might be able to step away from it a bit." When he'd been younger he'd been all about seeing what clubs were around, what bars he could cause trouble in; now he just liked to go out for the atmosphere. "Regardless, the offer is out there. Perhaps a show of some kind? A concert?"
Wow, a concert with Grayson. What a novel concept. "Sounds great," Saoirse answered, still smiling. And it would give her a good chance to find out what kind of music Grayson actually liked. She always found it fascinating, seeing what vampires who had been around through so much actually enjoyed. What had staying power, maybe. "It's been a long time since I've actually seen a show, as opposed to performed one."
His tastes in music actually varied greatly - he had several originals he'd kept over the years, some nothing more than useless antiques, which was really quite the shame. Grayson was even waiting to hear some of Ian's music outside of Heme; the DJ had promised to email him a link or two to the work on his website. Any genre Saoirse picked, he'd be more than happy to go with her. "While you are absolutely talented on stage, it'll be good to step away for a while, see something new. Perhaps early next week?" It was easier to leave Heme for a night when it was not a weekend, as they always tended to be busier then.
"I'm free," Saoirse agreed, which was a bit of a joke. When wasn't she free? Classes ended early enough, and past that, Grayson made her schedule. She didn't have a social life. "Sounds perfect to me." More than perfect, it sounded normal. She missed normal, very much.
Truth be told, Grayson hadn't had much of a social life since moving to Scarlet Oak, either. Being that he'd always been the type to network wherever he was living, be that for business or for his own reasons, it was about time he started doing that here, too. Going out with Saoirse was a good start, in his opinion. "It's agreed then. Why don't you pick what we'll see, and I'll rearrange things at Heme accordingly?" Oh yes, sometimes it was good to be the boss.
Yeah, Saoirse was definitely seeing those benefits right about now. "You're a brave man," she agreed, but that was in teasing. She wouldn't pick anything traumatizing. Odds were good she'd narrow it down to a few options - there was always something to do in a college town, even on the weekdays. "Thanks, Gray."
"I'm a man of eclectic tastes," he fired back, still smiling. "I'm sure I'll be fine with whatever you pick." If her tastes fell along the lines of what she performed at Heme, he was sure he would like it - though he suspected that, as a music major, she liked much more than the few songs he'd heard her play over these last couple months. "And of course, Seer. Anytime."
Saoirse still had to marvel at how easy this was. She'd gotten off rather easy all around, with both Grayson and Neil, the only two people who knew the story. Maybe she was too hard on herself, in all things. She'd come here to try and move forward, and she was able to truly believe she could do that now, and had already started the work. She was glad to have a friend like Grayson through-out it.