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vampire_compton ([info]vampire_compton) wrote in [info]silverage,
@ 2011-07-26 14:06:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:!log, bill compton, lily evans

Who: Bill and Lily Evans
When: a warm Tuesday evening, just after sunset
Where: Battery Park
What: Bill gets out of the house
Rating/status: Completed





For the first time in what felt like months, Bill wasn't hungry.

He had gotten fairly lucky this week. Sure, drinking from that patient at the hospital had made him a little sickly, but since then he had the fortune to run into several people alone in the park. All of them glamored to forget, all of them making it home alive, if a little anemic.

So Bill felt healthy and strong as he walked through Battery Park, admiring the smell of the ocean, the sound of low conversation, the shrill cry of seagulls diving in and out of the water. Though he had never been one for city life (Hollywood, in particular, he held a special distaste for), he had to admit that there was a completely different essence and life to New York. If it weren't for the other vampires that lived here (ruthless and smug, all of them) he could consider making this city his home.

After walking up and down the shoreline for a mile, Bill took a seat on a bench to people watch. They were all starting to head home - not much reason to be out in the park on a Tuesday night - but the few that passed by gave him warm nods and smiles. Whether they were unwittingly attracted to his vampirism or if they were just friendly he didn't know, but returned all of them with "Hellos" and "Good evenings".

Bill sighed with satisfaction. It was a lonely life to be sure, but at least he was able to savor these little moments.


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[info]just_lily
2011-07-27 04:31 am UTC (link)
"Evans," she replied to his prompting. "Lily Evans," she continued before she took a step closer to extend her hand to him to shake if he was inclined. She was fairly certain that was still a customary greeting, though she imagined he'd correct her if she was wrong.

"I'm new here," she began even as she cast a slightly anxious gaze toward the darkening sky. She couldn't even pretend there was a hint of true sunlight left now, and as bold as she might be at home in the dark (she was still cautious, just not a chicken), she was a stranger here in a world that was strange to her and held things her own world did not. "And I'm afraid I've gotten myself a bit lost. You wouldn't think a person could, but I swear I've been wandering in circles, like I've missed a path somewhere ...? I was wondering if you could simply point me toward the exit ..."

She trailed off because she was fairly certain there were multiple exits, only she didn't know which one she should be asking for. She sighed, and made a mental note to pay a little more attention to the street names and landmarks if she was going to go wandering about so close to night fall. "Well, at any rate, I'm trying to get back to the welcome center, and I'm not sure which exit is closest to that," she continued before she fixed her emerald gaze on him, briefly searching his features.

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[info]vampire_compton
2011-07-27 04:46 am UTC (link)
He took her hand after a few moments, resisting the natural reflex to kiss it as a greeting. He wasn't used to shaking women's hands, even if they'd been doing it for, what, twenty years now? Thirty? Maybe more than that. He had lost track.

But even beyond his rather old-fashioned outlook, this woman was definitely more modern than he was accustomed to. She was confident, relaxed, eager. It was refreshing, in a way, but worrisome as well. Indeed, very lucky she chose to approach him tonight. Even in a few scant hours, it would be hard to resist the life pumping through her.

"The welcome center? I am afraid I'm not quite familiar with it," he admitted, folding his hands behind him. He had heard of it, sure, but that was about the end of it. "Do you happen to know what street it is on? I'd be more than happy to help you, from there,"

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[info]just_lily
2011-07-27 04:54 am UTC (link)
She nodded to his question before she recited the address she'd memorized. There was that, at least, and she thought it was a major enough street he should at least be able to give her the general direction. Granted, then there came the matter of getting there. It had been a pleasant enough walk in the afternoon, but she wasn't sure she was looking forward to it in the dark.

She could take a cab, she supposed, but she hated to waste what little money she had just yet. She had some, yes, but in the event she couldn't actually find a job, she was trying to save as much of it as she could so it would last and she could put off selling her wizarding coins.

Lily also had to wonder if his lack of familiarity with the welcome center meant he had no idea what sorts of people stayed there. Not that she had a complete grasp on the situation, but it seemed to her it was primarily a place for people like her -- the ones who had somehow fallen out of their own reality.

She really, really needed to come up with a good cover story. Maybe she'd work on that before she went to sleep tonight.

"Really, if you could just point me in the right direction, that would be fine. I don't want to impose," she insisted. Which was true, but she also wouldn't object to an escort if he was inclined. Which yes, was dangerous, she knew, but there it was.

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[info]vampire_compton
2011-07-27 05:05 am UTC (link)
"I'd be more than happy to, but -" he paused, unsure how to phrase it. He wasn't sure what was offensive these days, and didn't want to unnecessarily step on any toes. "I notice, miss, that you seem to be unescorted. And as I gather you are not quite familiar with the city, I'd hate to think of you becoming lost...even more so than you already are. Would you mind terribly if I hailed a taxi for you?"

There, that seemed polite enough. It's not like money was any object for him, though things certainly were more expensive these days than they had been in years past. A loaf of bread was more than fifty cents, nowadays, not that he was buying much bread. He'd had only to worry about rent and clothes, occasionally, so was happy to give a young lost girl a few dollars for a cab.

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[info]just_lily
2011-07-27 05:10 am UTC (link)
Her lips pursed slightly before she reminded herself that she was in a fourteen-years-ago time and they still had a different mindset about independent women then. Now. Her brow furrowed as she tried to work out the appropriate phrasing before deciding it didn't matter since she was only thinking it and she knew what she meant. This time wasn't like her time.

"I don't mind," she began. "But really it isn't ... that far," she said. Which might have been a bit of a stretch, and it was common knowledge that what seemed like a quick trip in the daylight could turn into a forever-long winding trail in the darkness. She rubbed at her arms with her hands, thinking that a cab would make the trip quick, and it would be warmer.

But walking would keep her warm enough and there was no need to spend the money on such luxuries. Still, he did have his points. She was alone, and there was no promise she wouldn't get lost once she did find the exit to start back along the streets.

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[info]vampire_compton
2011-07-27 05:22 am UTC (link)
"I am more than happy to do so," he said softly, an amiable grin plastered on his face. He noticed that the girl was rubbing her hands - hopefully she hadn't thought the icy temperature of his hand odd. He always forgot about that, somehow. He needed to be more careful when it came to touching people.

He stuck his arm out towards a path that led back to the street, gesturing for her to follow at her leisure. With the same self-sure smile, he struck up more conversation as they walked.

"Truly you picked a pleasant night to lose your way. Have you been to New York City before?". It seemed he met so many women from the United Kingdom these days, even more so than when they were coming in droves to flee the Germans in the 30's and 40's. Of course, he had been in New Orleans at the time, which didn't quite seem like the immigration magnet New York was.

"I'm not a native, myself. If you cannot tell," he chuckled at himself, referring to his soft Southern accent. It didn't raise many eyebrows these days, thankfully. This country was indeed becoming smaller.

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[info]just_lily
2011-07-27 01:34 pm UTC (link)
"I've been here for all of five days," Lily replied. "This would be my first time in the States at all," she continued. She didn't add that it was completely involuntary and she had absolutely no desire what so ever to be here. Even with the war at home and the constant threat looming over all of them, she'd rather be there.

Granted, she still didn't have an explanation as to why she would be here voluntarily. She supposed she could just say she was traveling the world after school. Enough wizarding children did that that she reasoned enough Muggle children did that, so it shouldn't be a horrible stretch. Surely even in 1964 people traveled simply for the sake of traveling.

She thought the less said, the better, though she'd explain if prompted. It seemed better that way.

"No, I met another gentleman, my first ... my first day here who had an accent as well. Not quite the same as yours, but not native to here, either. He said he'd been born in Texas. But New York's a bit of a gathering place, isn't it? One of the more popular cities?"

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[info]vampire_compton
2011-07-27 07:15 pm UTC (link)
"Indeed, it is that," Bill agreed, now thinking of Texas. The last time he had been there was 1945, in the middle of the war. He hadn't enjoyed it terribly much - though the vampires there were kinder than here, the infighting within their ranks was near constant. It seemed they had a new king or queen every decade. There was something to be said for stability.

"I myself am from Louisiana. You sound like...Norfolk?" he guessed. He had only spent seven years in England, and most of those he hadn't stayed in one place for long.

They arrived at the street. Bill stuck his arm out to try to hail a cab - though he had never been good at this.

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[info]just_lily
2011-07-27 07:29 pm UTC (link)
"London, most recently. Schooled in Scotland, grew up around Manchester," she elaborated. Most of it was extraneous, and he was likely just making conversation -- but then, so was she. She missed having people she could drop in on for a chat, or for tea. So she'd have to make some friends here.
She stopped beside him when they reached the street, though she turned to regard the park from this angle so that hopefully she'd know it if she saw it again. "That's in the south, isn't it? The deep south?" She added, a hint of a smile in her voice. "What's it like down there? And what brought you all the way up here?"

Sliding her hands down her sides, she sought her pockets, mostly to have somewhere to stick her hands so she didn't fidget with them. She also thought about mentioning again that she could walk home from here, but ... Well, a cab would be faster. And safer. So she held her tongue for now.

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[info]vampire_compton
2011-07-28 06:35 pm UTC (link)
(ooc: d'oh. END of the war for the last post, not middle of the war. Sheesh)

"Yes," he replied with a smile. "It is rather deep. I quite love it down there but, then again, it is my home. It's hard to not get nostalgic about something like that,"

And he did, often. He would remember Caroline, his children. Their plantation in the daylight, when rays of sunlight cut through the dense mist of the swamp. Why was he thinking about Caroline so often these days? Now that was twice in two weeks.

He gave up on trying to hail a cab that wasn't coming. Might as well wait for one.

"I'm sure you feel the same way about your own home, do you not? Manchester is probably very dear to you,"

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[info]just_lily
2011-07-28 07:14 pm UTC (link)
"There are ... memories," she conceded. Many of the happier ones of her childhood had been tainted by changes though. Her memories of Severus were shadowed by what had come between them, and the ones of Petunia ... well, her sister's jealousy and anger had dulled those. But there were memories of her parents, the house, the cat, and these were pleasant enough.

"It isn't a place I'm like to go back to," she confessed. "Not willingly, at any rate. There's little left for me there." If she got to go back at all ...

Well, it was a bit different now, wasn't it? Faces with the idea of never seeing Petunia again made her wish for the opportunity to at least try to mend the bridge between them.

Emerald eyes played over the street before she lifted her gaze to catch his. "I can walk," she murmured. "If you'd rather not wait." She'd only meant to get directions, after all, not drag him out of the park and chat his ear off.

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[info]vampire_compton
2011-07-29 06:52 am UTC (link)
"I am sorry to hear that," he replied, a soft smile still present. He truly was, though he understood, at any rate. Though he dearly missed Bon Temps and the life he once had there, he was not in any hurry to return. It held nothing for him anymore but a life that was robbed from him.

"Oh, I could never leave a young woman unattended," he quickly dismissed, "Though I never seem to have much luck hailing a taxicab. Might I walk you to the nearest subway station? The welcome center is a rather long walk from here,"

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[info]just_lily
2011-07-29 01:44 pm UTC (link)
She smiled gently in response to his words, but she never did quite know what to say. It's all right? Hardly your fault? Didn't mean to bring the mood down, my apologies? So she just smiled and nodded and let it go.

"That seems a reasonable compromise," she agreed with a little smile to him. "If you're sure you don't mind." She supposed getting familiar with the underground was the better way to go in this city. Walking was fine for day time things and close things, but he did have his points.

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[info]vampire_compton
2011-07-30 03:34 am UTC (link)
"I'm absolutely sure," he replied with a slight chuckle, "Please, it's the absolute least I could do,"

He began walking towards the nearest subway station, hands in pockets. The night was pleasant - warm and comfortable, the sound of traffic and the rumbling of grates the only thing he heard. In Bon Temps, of course, it was bugs and the occasional nightingale, but here it was all a manmade quality. There was something comforting about it, if only because he knew he had nowhere else to go.

"So what brings you to New York City, if I might ask?" he finally asked after a few steps, "Are you a student?"

He glanced at her, noticing her blood flowing with the ease of youth - swift and steady, pumping in her neck, and at this thought, he shook his head briefly. He had just eaten last night. There was no need to get excited.

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[info]just_lily
2011-07-30 03:44 am UTC (link)
She fell into step beside him, glancing around to note landmarks as they walked. She laughed softly at his question. "Fate, I suppose," she quipped before she shook her head and shrugged. "I needed a change of scenery, apparently. So here I am, halfway around the world." Halfway around the world, jobless and essentially homeless. It wasn't a pleasant position to be in, but she thought she was doing all right.

"I'm not really in a position to look into continuing my education just now." Nevermind the fact she wouldn't even know where to start. It wasn't as though Hogwarts prepared its students for higher education in Muggle colleges in the States.

"Some day, perhaps," she added, a smile on her lips that didn't get anywhere near her eyes. If she was here long enough to be considering school, then she would be full and firmly settled here -- and she didn't want to be.

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[info]vampire_compton
2011-07-30 03:59 am UTC (link)
Bill nodded. He understood the need to get a change of scenery, a fresh perspective on things. In fact, lately it seemed that was all he did. Drift from place to place, without a destination. It was a lonely life.

"I understand," he finally said, a serious tone taking him. He let his response sit for a few moments before continuing. "Well, I hope you find the United States to your liking,"

He walked a little more slowly, looking back on his past few years of untethered life. Las Vegas, Phoenix, Dallas, Birmingham, Savannah - they had all passed by so quickly, so meaninglessly. Where was he headed? What was his plan? He supposed that, as a vampire, he was excused for not having one, but he felt so hollow, and it had only just now hit him.

Noticing that he was becoming melancholy, he put a smile back on his face. No sense burdening this poor girl.

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[info]just_lily
2011-07-30 04:06 am UTC (link)
She wondered if he did understand, or if that was simply his way of putting an end to the topic. She thought it would be nice to find someone who really did understand. Someone she could really talk to about being displaced and everything else that came with it. But it wasn't as though she wanted to go shouting about the fact she could do magic. Maybe there was no Statute here, but she wasn't in any rush to find out.

"I haven't decided yet," she replied with a little smile. "I'm sure once I've been here a bit longer I'll have formed some opinion or another of this place." She had met a few nice people, after all, and if it weren't for the fact that she had no choice but to be here, she might have a more positive opinion of the place so far.

"What do you think of New York, compared to other places you've been?" she prompted.

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[info]vampire_compton
2011-07-30 04:23 am UTC (link)
He considered this question for a few moments. What did he think of New York? It was loud. Expensive. Brash. And yet it held a touch of magic, a life that existed nowhere else. It was beyond compare, and he felt he owed a certain debt to it. After all, it had been his main destination since he had left Lorena and Los Angeles behind. It was a city of hope.

"I quite like it," he finally said, considering all of the elements in play. "It is like no place that I've ever been. I've been to London, Paris, New Orleans. New York is simply...singular," he was lost in his thoughts for a while before adding, "I quite like it,"

He glanced at her, and noticed she was just as distant as he was. "I'll admit," he murmured, "It took me a while to adjust. I'm sure it will win you over, in time,"

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[info]just_lily
2011-07-30 04:35 am UTC (link)
I don't want it to she thought with a touch of bitterness. She didn't want anything here to dim her desire to go home, but she did have a bad habit of fighting the inevitable, tooth and nail. If she was well and truly stuck here, she'd get used to it. Learn to like it, perhaps love it here. She closed her eyes in case her thoughts were broadcasting themselves there, and she inhaled slowly.

"I'm sure it will," she said quietly. "Whether or not I want it to," she added. It wasn't home right now, and she didn't want it to become home. Not unless James showed up.

She bit at her lower lip, chewing lightly on it before she caught herself and released her lip. It was a bad habit, one she thought she'd broken until recently.

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[info]vampire_compton
2011-07-30 11:26 pm UTC (link)
"Why wouldn't you want it to?" he inquired, now genuinely curious. He'd give anything for someplace - anyplace - to feel like home. He couldn't understand the desire to avoid that feeling.

"Then again, not everyone is quite the drifter you are,"

He cleared his throat and elaborated, "Are you afraid you'll become to attached to a place to want to leave? You can certainly always return. I don't imagine New York City will be going anywhere anytime soon,"

He laughed to himself, shaking his head. "Of course that's easy for me to say. I'm rather without ties, at the moment."

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[info]just_lily
2011-07-30 11:59 pm UTC (link)
There were at least a dozen answers she could have given him about why she didn't want this time, this place, to become comfortable enough to be home, but all of them involved one sort of fib or another. "It's ... complicated," Lily replied. "I suppose I'm just not quite ready to accept my place here."

It probably wasn't vague enough and it probably raised more questions than it answered. She had ties at home, and none here. This wasn't home, and if it ever did become home, then England and her life there would be lost to her. Even if she did return, would she be able to fit back in?

This place was going to change her, and she might not be the woman that James fell in love with when she got back. Or she might have fallen out of love with him along the way. No, these were things she wasn't ready to deal with or accept yet.

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[info]vampire_compton
2011-07-31 12:39 am UTC (link)
There was clearly something terribly the matter with this girl. Bill could do nothing but sympathize - what did he know about a teenage girl, lost in the great big city? He knew he should be ashamed, but he was somewhat relieved when they finally got to the subway station.

"I hope you have a change of heart. You'd be surprised what you'll find if you open your mind to new things," he offered sincerely. He managed to mask a look of cynicism - after all, when he had opened HIS mind, he wound up drinking the blood of human beings.

"Now I believe you will take the red line - that's the one train - all the way up to 242nd street, and from there it should be a very brief walk," he paused, and gingerly added, "Do you have any money for the train?"

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[info]just_lily
2011-07-31 12:43 am UTC (link)
Lily smiled to him, but she wasn't going to dive into any sort of explanations. "I'm sure it'll grow on me," she replied quietly.

She listened to his instructions, nodding slightly as he'd finished them. It was nice to have an idea of which one to wait for; it would save her the trouble of attempting to decipher one of the maps. "I do," she assured him. "But thank you," she added preemptively for the offer that she was certain would have followed if she'd replied opposite of what she had.

"It was lovely to meet you, and thank you again for the escort," she said softly before she managed a genuine smile to him. With a wave, she turned away to head into the station to find a ride back to the center.

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[info]vampire_compton
2011-07-31 12:52 am UTC (link)
He smiled, and added a brief "pleasure to meet you" as she left. He felt a little guilty letting her run off by herself again - really, he should've escorted her all the way to the front door. But like clockwork, he felt the biting tide of hunger beginning to wash over him - better to get rid of the girl quickly than get into a situation where he wouldn't be able to control himself.

He removed his hands from his pockets and made his way up the street, glancing around for someone else by themselves. He genuinely hoped the girl did well and found her way in the city, but being anywhere around a vampire couldn't help her very much in that regard.

He turned a corner, and went on into the hungry night.

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