Later~
Sometimes he wondered whether he should have taken a job at The Succubus Club instead. It offered easy pickings, and on the odd occasions that he'd been Tristian never failed to attract a few months to his sharp flame. There were more people like him there, which was always a plus. He had always been notoriously popular with Kine who were part of his subculture, so he was sure the tips would have been much better.
But The Blue Velvet had something The Succubus Club didn't: prestige. Everyone knew why kindred found themselves at the latter, and it wasn't for the atmosphere. The Succubus Club was seedy and inelegant by comparison, and unlike The Blue Velvet, offered fewer protections to its night-dwelling patrons and staff.
Having high standards could be terribly inconvenient sometimes.
Even so, there was a cross-section of patrons who could always be relied upon to fatten up his earnings. Their eyes always lingered on him a little too long, and many liked to distance themselves from their normie friends before approaching. The short brunette he was currently serving definitely fitted the bill, and he made sure to give her a number of appreciative sidelong glances before he finally handed over her cocktail.
"Your makeup's really pretty," the kine pointed out.
"Pretty?" Tristian blinked, as if his flawlessness had somehow bypassed him. "You think I'm pretty?" He smiled and turned away for a moment, looking bashful. "Thank you, you're too kind."
She was clearly still fawning. "And your fangs look so real." The Malkavian put on his best performance of humility again and combed his black nails down a length of pale hair. "Well, they're as real as I'm ever going to get. Father Sebastiaan, based in California. He does incredible work."
She paid for her cocktail and nodded, miming this is great after taking a sip of her drink, but Tristian was already distracted and not for the first time that night. He could feel Cian's presence even if he couldn't see him, although really, he should have been able to see him.
Surely he'd come and say hello, wouldn't he?
Leaning against the bar he sighed wistfully to himself as the brunette woman eyed him patiently, clinking her stirrer against the cocktail glass to remind him of her presence. "You know I don't normally ask but-"
"I'm gay. I don't want your number," he cut in and went to serve another customer.