Claude was working like a robot. Order, mix, sell, next! He didn't stop to chit chat with the other bartenders nor any of the customers. He didn't take any of his breaks although his boss insisted that he relax. He had even threatened to send Claude home early. He had worked tirelessly three nights in a row until the wee hours of the morning. He hardly spoke to anyone anymore, hardly reacted to any sort of outside stimulus... He just seemed like a work zombie.

Inside Claude's mind, however, he was a wreck. "You lost your fucking wallet," chimed like a mantra and he could think of nothing other than making as much money in as little time as possible or else he would be out on the streets again. He hardly heard the music that was usually loud enough to drown out everything else, nor could he hear the words of his shift manager. He never failed to order up the correct drinks however.

He had searched everywhere. He had lost his coat, one of his most prized possessions, and his wallet, which contained every last dollar to his name. He knew where they were... Or rather who had them, but he didn't know where to find her. He had spent countless hours pacing around the library with no avail and the librarian wouldn't disclose any information to him, so he basically figured he was screwed, unless Helen magically showed up in his life again. He had considered checking out that book of hers and holding it hostage, but that seemed ridiculous. He felt as if he was on the verge of a nervous breakdown and all he could do to keep from losing it was order, mix, sell, next!

Helen had stared blankly as Claude ran off in the blink of an eye, yelling a good-bye, telling her he needed to be at work, and the likes. He didn’t even get his coat back! She had merely watched him as he ran away and failed to even mutter a good-bye back. Afterwards she’d gone to the park, walked around a bit, and then returned to the library. After a moment of cruising through some old history… She’d realized that she knew where he worked! The… The White Mouse? He said? She thought so…

She walked back out from the library, watching street signs, and seeing where the White Mouse actually was. She’d never been to a bar before, except once, and that was when Catherine had taken her out for a good time. Bought some nice clothes for her, made her take her hair down… It was the most awkward thing she’d done since her grandmother had forced her to waltz with one of her suitors without any music just to see if there was any chemistry. And there wasn’t. None at all, whatsoever! Not to say the least, she was not amused by that maneuver.

After a few minutes of walking, Helen finally came upon the White Mouse. Lights and sound blared from within, and Helen raised her lip slightly in disgust. He worked… there? She stared at it for quite some time, mentally preparing herself for whatever idiotic encounter she would have to face socially, physically, or anything else. She walked up to the door, only to be greeted by a bouncer in a tight black shirt to accentuate his muscles for the whole ‘intimidation factor.’ She looked up at him, he being considerably taller than she and his big voiced boomed down ontop of her. “Where do you think you’re going, little lady?”

Helen rolled her eyes and stared at him for a long time, taking slow control over his thinking process. “I need to return this jacket to a friend of mine, who works in there. You will let me in.” She nodded and slowly, the bouncer nodded too. Helen pushed past him and into the club. She hated looking so young, and hated using her mesmerism. It was so low; but then, it wasn’t like that bouncer was top notch society, either. She looked through the crowds, until she came upon the bar, and later Claude. A small smile crept across her face as she walked up to the bar nonchalant, and ordered out: “May I have a cool, glass of wine, please?”

"What kind of wine?" Claude asked without looking up. He rattled off a list as he prepared a drink for another customer. He gave a single nod at whatever request she made and went about preparing it for her. "Seven dollars," he said automatically, still without looking up. This was how he functioned now. He didn't even take the time to count his tips until the night was over. He couldn't even think about it until his work was through.

You lost your fucking wallet!

"What kind of wine?"

Helen bit her lip, and thought for a moment, and folded her arms on the bar, leaning in slightly. "Hmm... I'm not sure... What's your best red wine?" Helen reached into Claude's coat pocket, and pulled out his wallet, thumbing through all the little papers, driver's license, and finally a crisp ten dollar bill. She pulled it out of the wallet, and laid it softly on the counter for Claude to take. She smirked slightly, at her cleverness, and found a stool, and sat upon it.

She stuffed the wallet back into the jacket pocket and waited for him to calm down long enough to look up and actually act human. Which he still was, right?

Claude finally looked up as she leaned closer to him, her dainty hand placing a ten on the counter. He gawked at her, standing stock still as his face turned white. As she went to put his wallet back into his coat, he reached out and grabbed her wrist, albeit gently, to stop her. He was almost shaking, such was his shock. "Oh thank God," he finally choked out.

He looked as if he were about to faint, his hands trembling a bit. Various customers that were standing around Helen were calling out other orders, but he heard none of them. He let her go and took a step back, bumping into Alice, his shift manager. "Oh, er... Sorry. Break, Ally?"

She nodded her head with a smile, "Bout time. Git. I don't want to see you back for an hour." He nodded absently and left the counter.

He stepped around and came to stand before Helen. "I have been looking everywhere for you and... Oh my God, I thought I was going to have a breakdown." He reached across the counter and took the ten, then held out his hand expectantly for his wallet. "This is all the money that I've got in the world."

"I know you're not old enough to drink," he said quietly. "You can't possibly be... But either way the drinks are on me tonight. I could use a few myself. Come on, let's move away from the bar. You look awfully strange sitting up here." He offered her his hand and led her away to one of the booths along the wall.

"Do you still want that glass of wine? Or would you like something a little harder?" His face was still deathly white. A few shots of vodka would put a little color back on his cheeks and calm his frazzled nerves.

Helen’s grin spread into an amused smile as Claude finally looked up, completely surprised to see her there. He mumbled out a call to God, which Helen deemed a little unnecessary. Her head scanned the people around them, yelling for more drinks. Jeez, mortals and their alcohol… It was a bit humorous, to see their urgency… But she supposed that vampires and their blood couldn’t be argued either. Claude requested a break, and upon hearing that he had an hour, Helen was a bit grateful. She figured that trying to talk to him from behind that bar would have been damn near impossible.

As he held out his hand for his wallet, Helen rolled her eyes and pulled the wallet back out of the pocket and handed it to him. She crossed her arms, a bit disappointed that he’d caught her. It was really quite sneaky, if she were to say so herself. With how busy he looked to be working, Helen couldn’t imagine that he was racking up more cash than that. Maybe that’s why his manager was so eager to get him off shift… Ah, she didn’t work, so she wasn’t exactly sure how the mechanics of a job really worked.

“You look awfully strange sitting up here.”

Helen raised an eyebrow as he accused her firstly of not being old enough to drink, and secondly looking strange sitting at the bar. Now, the first the she wanted to say to him is that she’d been drinking fine wine since she was old enough to know what fine wine was. And that was in her early teens, about eleven or ten. Of course, she withheld, and looked at him oddly. “What do you mean I look strange up here?” She looked around her, watching some drunks fling their shots, their beers, what have you. Being drunk was so… Barbaric. Helen thought it might even be fun.

"Do you still want that glass of wine? Or would you like something a little harder?"

Biting her lip, Helen thought a moment before answering, “I don’t mind, you’re the one paying for all of this, correct?” A simple grin formed at the side of her mouth, curing it upwards. What did she care what it was? She didn’t have to worry about the price, and even though she hadn’t really worried about the price originally… Still. She would have preferred her wine, but there was always room for something new… Right?

Claude put his wallet in his back pocket and sat, rubbing his hands on his face. He was still in a sort of denial. He had expected that once he had everything back he would feel more at ease, but he still felt as if his heart was gonna explode at any moment.

"Hmmn?" he asked when she contested his remark. "Oh, er... We just don't see many young people sitting up at the bars very often. Usually they just stalk some older gent, slip him a couple bills and back off until he brings the drinks to them. How old are you, anyway?"

He snorted at her answer to what kind of drink she wanted. "You don't drink much, do you? I don't think you'll like some of this stuff. It's got a bit of a kick to it. I'll be right back. Stay put."

He stood and walked back to the bar, off to the side where he could talk to one of the bartenders without being crowded by the customers. "Hey, open a tab for me, alright? I was two shots of... That stuff," he pointed. "No, make it four shots... And a Merlot. And two cokes."

As he waited for his drinks, he took his wallet out of his pocket and leafed through it. Nothing appeared to be missing. Good. No more worries then. He brought a small tray over to the booth with him and sat down.

He handed her the wine he had gotten for her and pushed two of the vodka shots her way, as well as a glass of coke. "Feel free to try it. Knock one of these back and then drink the coke right after." And he did just that, only he drank both shots consecutively and then drank a few large gulps of coke, not bothering to without the squeamish gag that followed. He hated the taste of this stuff, but he wanted to feel the relief of it and fast. He'd sit for a few minutes, wait to see if she drank her vodka. If not, he'd drink it himself. If she did, he'd go get some more.

"Oh, er... We just don't see many young people sitting up at the bars very often. Usually they just stalk some older gent, slip him a couple bills and back off until he brings the drinks to them. How old are you, anyway?"

Helen watched Claude for a moment, noting his uneasiness. Even though she was there, back with his wallet and coat, he still looked like he was going to throw up. She patted him on the back, trying to get him to relax. Really, the sky wasn’t about to come toppling down on his face so there was no reason to fret. Great, the question: How old was she? Well, she could both be mysterious and answer nonchalantly that she was much older than she appeared to be, or that you should never ask a lady how old she was… Or, she could answer how old she was when she died, which she deemed was the best answer. “I’m seventeen.” It was a short, blunt statement and Helen traced the outlines of Claude’s face with her brilliant blue eyes.

"You don't drink much, do you? I don't think you'll like some of this stuff. It's got a bit of a kick to it. I'll be right back. Stay put."

Raising an eyebrow, she grinned. “You mean I don’t drink for getting wasted? No. I don’t. I invest my time with fine wines, to be honest…” She rolled her tongue thoughtfully over her teeth, as it paused at her fangs for a moment, then carrying on until it rested within her pallet once again. She watched him walk off to retrieve some glasses full of mischievous liquids that would definitely make the night more interesting. Her grandmother definitely wouldn’t approve of such behavior. Even during dinner, when wine was allowed during her mortal youth, her grandmother had always scolded her after having a glass too many and developed a loose tongue.

As Claude returned, holding more than a simple wine glass, Helen looked down and considered not taking it at all. She watched Claude down the two shots, followed by the coke… Which Helen watched her own two shots for a moment or two, before down them as well. She choked for a moment, downing half of the coke, and swallowing deeply. “Oh God Claude, what is that stuff?” Sure she was going a little over kill and drinking them both… But hey, she wasn’t going to be ruled as an alcoholic pansy! Peer pressure had never been her strong point… But hey, this night was taunting her with new possibilities she couldn’t turn down.

After letting the alcohol settle for a moment, she raised the wine glass to her mouth, taking in the strong smell for a moment, until she took a dainty sip, then put the glass back down onto the table.

"It's vodka," Claude answered simply. "It burns a little, doesn't it? I don't like the stuff very much, but I need a little pick-me-up. Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker." He smirked and then took another swig of coke. "You should have only done one. Hopefully it won't make you sick."

He watched Helen as she tasted the wine. "I don't suppose you'll like that either. From what I hear, our wine is shit." He was quiet for a moment and then shook his head. "I'm sorry... I get a filthy mouth when I'm in here. Anyway, people just get it here to get drunk, so it's got a high alcohol content. Even our white wines are bitter." That was pretty much the extent of his wine knowledge. He didn't like wine much either. He didn't like having to sip it in order to not taste the alcohol. His grandmother made good wine though.

"Can I taste it?"

"It burns a little, doesn't it? I don't like the stuff very much, but I need a little pick-me-up. Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker."

Helen’s eyebrows furrowed as she nodded, rubbing her neck slightly. It was a strange feeling… As she felt the liquid roll down her esophagus, entering her stomach, giving it a cool, hollow feeling that made her a bit uncomfortable, until she became used to it, and learned to even enjoy it a bit. This alcohol thing didn’t seem too bad, and Helen looked up to Claude, noting his little smirk, which was followed by one of her own. Catchy little saying. She giggled slightly, unsure of why, really. It wasn’t that funny. A nice ring maybe, but not necessarily funny.

"You should have only done one. Hopefully it won't make you sick."

Her eyes widened slightly, unaware of getting sick from alcohol. She knew you could, but this quickly? She’d always figured it would have to take many, many, many drink before anything serious like that would happen. And… upchucking around Claude probably wasn’t the best idea; especially since they had just met. But who knows… Maybe an upchucking togetherness would only bring them closer? It was a strange little thought, and only the proceeding of the night would be able to tell.

Helen shrugged as he called the wine a little lacking on quality. She didn’t really care… She just wanted that awful taste of that vodka out of her mouth! Though it had been followed by coke… It still lingered like an unwanted guest. Helen took another sip of the wine, and offered the glass as Claude asked for a taste. “Sure, go for it.”

Claude smiled softly at her giggle. He wondered if he should feel guilty for buying her alcohol. He was right. She was a bit too young, and if they got caught, he could lose his job and end up going to jail. Oh well, there was always a way to get out of that stuff. Besides, she could be a lot of fun with a few drinks.

He took the glass of wine from her and took a whiff of it. Sure, he didn't like wine, but he knew how to drink it. He swirled it around in the glass and smelled it again, then took a sip. After swishing it around in his mouth, he swallowed and then made a face. "Ugh... Yuck." He then took a mouthful and swallowed it down. He handed it back to her and then stood up. "I'll be right back."

He walked back to the bar and caught Alice behind the counter. She agreed to give him the rest of the night off after he gave her a brief explanation of what had been bothering him and she gladly let him off, considering he hadn't taken a break in days. He then passed off a few bills and took his own bottle back to the table with him.

"Want another?" he asked, pouring himself another shot. Might as well have fun.

Helen liked Claude’s smile. It was simple, and sincere. Helen, on the other hand, hadn’t really, truly smiled in about a century or so. He made a face at her wine, and she simply shrugged. It wasn’t a big deal to her… Anything tasted fine after drinking that vodka. Really, how could anyone stand that stuff? For your out of the norm mental experience, she guessed. Claude wondered off to get more vodka, and Helen received her glass, watching it twirl in her glass for awhile, watching the red slowly circle around and around, until she finally took another sip.

Her grandmother had always bellowed at her to simply let the wine take over your senses, and entrance you in a magical grape wonderland. Helen had always thought it silly, and just wanted to drink the damn drink! Of course, this wine wasn’t nearly as expensive or aged as her grandmother’s… But Helen wasn’t one to complain. Besides, she wasn’t even paying for it.

"Want another?"

Glancing at her half-empty glass of coke, Helen shrugged, “bottoms up.” She figured if she were to get completely wasted, as she had heard many of the college kids talking about in the library… That this was the time to do it. She’d never done it before, and she was getting to the point where the realization of ‘forever’ was really taking place. She could not simply live forever as an isolated moping vampire… She had to take hold of her death and take advantage of it and get drunk! Oh dear, she said it. She was going to get drunk…

"That wine will do you good too," he had almost said 'get you drunk' but he stopped himself. He didn't want to scare her off, didn't want her to think that he was intentionally getting her drunk but... Well, he sort of was, wasn't he? He didn't have the same intentions as most men when they bought women drinks, but he did want her to drink with him. A companion, yes.

He poured four more shots, two for each of them and lifted his shot up in the air. "Cheers?" He downed another shot and then went for the second. He coughed lightly and shook his head violently as though to shake the taste away. "Whoo.." he picked up his glass of coke and took a few drinks of it as well, draining the glass.

"Looks like we need more chaser, eh?" He offered to take her glass to fill it back up for her, inching his way out of the booth. He knocked his head on the light above the table and giggled as he maneuvered around it. "Damn these lights.. They're just so low."

"That wine will do you good too,"

Helen nodded, taking another sip, then deciding she was done with it, and downing the rest. She blinked a few times; the intensity of it all at the same time was a little much for her. But, tonight all etiquette rules and regulations were tossed aside, and Helen did not have to worry about acting like a proper lady. She smirked; it wasn’t like she ever really was concerned about that anyways… It was just one of those things that she could always see her grandmother sitting on top of her shoulder, nagging at her with rights and wrongs.

"Cheers?"

The young vampiress lifted her glass, clinking it gently against Claude’s with a nod, throwing her head back, the little glass following her mouth. The liquid, flowing down her throat, once again, was chasing down the wine down quickly. Helen took a large gulp of her coke, practically mimicking Claude’s movements. She took a deep breath, and blinked again. Helen rubbed her temples, and exhaled softly. “Oh dear…” She murmured.

"Damn these lights... They're just so low."

Helen giggled as well, and shook her head slowly. “No… Shh… They’re for the mood. And you’re ruining it.” She leaned against the booth’s backboard, and closed her eyes, letting the alcohol slowly adopt itself into her bloodstream. Oh, what an interesting night it would be.

"Oooh, sorry," Claude teased, walking back to the bar to refill their cokes. He loved the warm feeling that buzzed throughout his body. His lips felt kind of numb as he chewed on them. He was having a good time already. Maybe a few more shots and then he'd stop... Maybe. He didn't want to get trashed. At least not in public. Maybe they could go somewhere else? He had purchased the bottle after all.

He walked back to the table and plopped down in his seat, spilling a little soda on his wrist. "Ah, shit.." He muttered, wiping it on his pants. "Hey, I was just thinkin'. I bought the bottle and so I think that... After a few more drinks or something, we should probably leave, like-- Especially if we want more, because I work here and all and I don't want to get a public intox (I'm not even sure they have those in Canada) and you're underage so.. Do you wanna leave soon.. ish?"

He poured a few more shots and drank down two more, hardly drinking any of his coke anymore. He was feeling good and hardly tasting it anymore. "More?"

Helen kicked up her boots onto the bench, leaning against the wall, so that she was horizontal with the bench of the booth. She hummed a little tune and waved to Claude as he wondered off to get coke refills. She closed her eyes, letting her thoughts swim restlessly within her skull, in a fountain of wine and vodka, giving her a more pleasant outlook on things. Before it was all serious, sad, and depressing… But now, even though her grandmother was dead… It was actually kinda nice. No more whacks on the hand from having her elbows on the table, no more scolding for trying to avoid dresses… She looked down at her pants, and smiled. Her grandmother would have skinned her alive for that maneuver.

When Claude returned, spilling coke on his shirt, Helen laughed and reached over the table, patted his wrist softly, and shushed him. “It’s okay, babe, seriously, just coke.” She laughed a bit longer, awaiting Claude to refill her shot glass. The new glass of coke bubbled, waiting to follow the many more shot glasses to come. She thought for a moment, placing a finger on her lip. He proposed that they head out after a couple more drinks, since he’d purchased the bottle, and Helen nodded frantically. “I think that… is a fabulous idea!” She tapped her glass around on the table a bit, urging him to fill her glass.

"How you fillin'?" he asked her, pouring her another drink, as well as himself.

The beat of the music made his head swarm a bit, and he found himself really having to go to the bathroom. "Hey, I'm gonna go to the bathroom, kay? Help yerself. And stay put. Don't let any people sit down or anything. I'm gonna go and then we should, like, head out, ya?"

He stood clumsily and staggered to the bathroom. He returned a few minutes later, his hand prints on his sides black shirt from where he had whipped his freshly washed hands. "Ready to go?" he asked her as he sat back down onto the corner of the bench.

"How you fillin'?"

Helen bit her lip. She tilted her head backwards, trying to measure how exactly she was ‘fillin’’ She put her elbow on the table, a mortal sin, and pointed her finger upwards. “I… Am feeling better than I did about thirty minutes ago.” She grinned, and laughed loudly. Though she blinked several times, taking up her newly refilled shot glass. Helen downed it quickly, completely forgetting about the coke.

She waved at Claude as he staggered away to the bathroom, and reached for the vodka bottle, taking a little swig straight from it. Claude wouldn’t mind… Or notice. She sat there, simply giggling to herself, and enjoying the way nothing else seemed to really be present in her mind now… But Claude. His smile. His giggle. He was new to her, he was her new friend, and he didn’t seem to care much about her, other than her company as well. It was nice… Very nice…

He returned shortly, wiping his hands on his shirt. He asked if she was ready to go, and Helen slowly slinked out of the booth bench, and stood on her feet for a long time, before finally realizing that her equilibrium was completely off. She looked at Claude, and smiled, nodding. “I’m… ready.”

Claude giggled again and put an arm across her back to keep her from falling over. "You alright? Kinda hard to stand upright sometimes." He reached over the table and put the lit on the bottle, then stepped away from the booth.

He grabbed Helen's hand and brought her back to the counter with him. "Here, hold this, kay?" He handed her the bottle and then disappeared behind the counter for a moment. He spoke to Alice for a moment and then grabbed a sweatshirt and yanked it over his head. He then came back around to Helen, took the bottle from her, grabbed her hand again and led her out the door.

He walked a little way away from the club before speaking again. "So, er... Where do you want to go?"

"You alright? Kinda hard to stand upright sometimes."

Helen opened her mouth, as if to say something, but then shook her head and leaned into Claude slightly. "I'm okay... I'm... Yeah. Fine." She exhaled, watching her lips flap into a silly grin. She was ready to blow the Bar scene and get the hell outta dodge. She didn't know where they should go... She was having a hard enough time standing up, let alone figuring out where to go.

She held the bottle tightly against her body as Claude walked away, and her eyes followed him, a bit confused. Why... was he leaving? Why was that necessary...? But then he returned soon, and with a sweatshirt, and grabbed her hand. That was nice of him... To grab her hand when things weren't exactly going okie-dokie in the moving of legs department.

"So, er... Where do you want to go?"

Helen blinked, and looked at Claude for a long time. "I... don't know. Wherever you want to... Claude." She leaned on his shoulder slightly, the bottle still close to her body. She looked up at him and smiled, a bit hazed and uneffected by everything that was going on around her.

Claude smiled down at her as she leaned against his shoulder and he let go of her hand and put his arm around her instead. She seemed to be a lot more drunk than he was, and that was perfectly alright with him. He just hoped she wasn't going to pass out or anything because then what would he do? They hadn't even decided on a place to hang out yet.

"Well, it's kinda chilly and... I don't want to seem presumptuous but, we could go back to my place... Which.." he laughed, "is a motel room. It's only a couple blocks away... Great room service." Not that he could really afford room service, but that wasn't really part of his agenda at the moment.

Helen looked up at Claude as he smiled, putting his arm around her, and she smiled too. "You have... A beautiful smile. Have I ever told you that?" She patted his cheek, and giggled, squeezing his arm gently, trying to make sure it was still there, so that she wouldn't be falling onto her face, completely throwing away every single inch of grace ever injected into her through years of Lady-School taught by none other than her grandmother in their parlor for years of her youth.

Clalude suggested his motel room, which was fine with Helen. It didn't occur to her that a lot of trouble could happen within a hotel room... Like murder. But she was a vampiress... A very, very drunk one, unable to hold her liquor, but now was not the time for worry, but simplistic enjoyment. She shrugged and nodded. "Sounds great..." She kicked absently with her boot, and tried to straighten herself, without much luck, keeping hold on Claude.

Claude's smile brightened even more. "No, I don't believe you've ever complimented me before, though it's only been a few days since I just met you, ya?"

He squeezed her shoulder gently as she consented to going back with him to his motel room and led the way, albeit slowly with a few small swigs as they went.

Once they arrived, he had a hell of a time remember where he had put his wallet. He leaned against the door, laughing, turning his pants pockets inside out until he found it.

The keycard was somewhere inside, but, naturally, he couldn't remember where that was either. "You're standing in my light," he said with a laugh, stepping around Helen and almost tripping over himself as he stepped under the street light.

"Aha!" he proclaimed loudly, walking back to the door with a giggle, the card grasped tightly between his fingers. He cluttered against the door, fumbling to put the card in and pull it out in time. It took him about eight tries before the lights on the door handle turned green and he could open it finally.

"Home sweet home."

"No, I don't believe you've ever complimented me before, though it's only been a few days since I just met you, ya?"

Helen thought for a moment and shrugged. "Ah... I think you might be right on that little acquisition there, Claude... Oh well. Really. It's quite nice..." She laughed a bit and tapped him on the nose. He needed to loosen up! Wow, did she really just think that?

The young vampiress laened against the wall, pointing and laughing at Claude as he fumbled around for his room key, and she rolled along the wall as he accused her of being in his light. "What light...? You mean that one...?" She pointed upwards, covering it a bit more, before laughing again.

Helen clapped excitedly as Claude exclaimed his finding of the room key. She blew him a kiss and giggled along with him. Even then, she unscrewed the top, and took a long swig of the vodka, the liquid burning down her throat, though she hardling noticed, offering him the bottle as well.

She entered his motel room, looking around, noting the single bed, couch, television, bathroom, and other little accessories that a motel room seemed to deem necessary. She flopped over on the bed and just started to laugh for quite awhile at nothing at all.

Claude chuckled and took the bottle from her. He took one more drink and then screwed the cap on tightly. "I think we ought to put this up for a little bit. I had a friend die of alcohol poisoning the year before last." That was one of the main reasons why he never drank when he was under age. Now that he was legal, he still didn't drink often, but here he was.

He put the bottle on the table and then moved over to the wall to turn on the light. He kicked off his shoes and pulled off his sweatshirt with some difficulty.

He liked his room for the most part. It was warm, he hadn't seen any cockroaches, the sheets were changed frequently and it was cheap. He was a pretty tidy guy, though there was a pair of socks laying by the dresser he had put all of his clothes in. Nobody was perfect, right?

He dove onto the bed, laughing as she flew up from it a little bit, and reached out to catch her so she wouldn't call off. "Oh, Christ, I gotta pee again! I'll be right back." He got up and crossed to the bathroom to take a leak. "Feel free to find something on TV if you want. No porn though, got it, Missy?" He giggled and shut the door to the bathroom.

Helen giggled as Claude suggested putting away the vodka. She waved at the bottle and smiled. "Bye bye happiness..." Really, it had done wonders for her. None of her constant worries or trauma was present and she was able to just... be. And it was a significant change for her that she was beginning to enjoy.

She laid there for only a moment, closing her eyes in a peaceful pause... Until Claude jumped on the bed, making her fly up! Helen screamed and cried out, "Claude!" And as he caught her she bursted into laughter and grabbed a pillow clutching it tightly, throwing it at him, as he pronounced his need to urinate, then she merely nodded and shooed off.

She scooted to the edge of the bed, staring at the glass box for a long time, until she looked at all the different buttons, until she saw 'power'. That's a good place to start, right? She pressed it, a person showing up on the screen. How... peculiar. In all her years of isolation, she hadn't paid much attention to the growing technology... and she felt a bit of wonder by this. She'd seen them before, but never really took much heed. It was the news. She started at it for a long while, until finally, there was some reported out giving the evening weather, standing out in the cold, causing Helen to giggle. She didn't feel cold anymore.

She didn't feel at all!

Claude came out of the bathroom, his hands dripping with water. He had lost his shirt somewhere in the bathroom, planning on putting on a regular t-shirt, but he got sidetracked.

He sneaked back to the bed and sat down behind Helen as she seemed hypnotized by the television set. He scooched up behind her, putting one leg on either side of her and slipped his cold, wet hand across her neck, quickly adding another hand to her cheek, wiping the water all over her.

Preparing immediately for retaliation, he put his hands up, expecting her to hit him with the pillow again, but he grabbed her quickly, wrapping his arms around her. "I don't suppose you're ticklish are you?" His brow quirked and, holding her arms to her with one arm, reached around her waist with the other to tickle her ribs.

Helen continiued to stare, until she felt something wet on her neck, then her cheek. She turned, her eyes wide as she gasped, Claude wrapping his arms around her before she could do anything about his sneak attack; she'd attempted to tackle Claude, but soon found herself pinned agaisnt the bed. He was threatening a tickling fest. She shook her head wildly. "Noo...! Claude!" She tried squirming out of his grasp, but he was so much bigger than her, that was pretty much useless.

She thrashed her head from side to side as his fingers tickled her and giggled manically as she couldn't get away from him. "Oh... I'm gonna get you...!" She said, through short breaths of laughter.

Claude laughed and let her go, rolling away from her. He rolled to far and right off the bed, which made him laugh even harder, clutching his elbow as he giggled out an 'ow.' He'd hit his funny bone on the bed frame.

A loud pounding came on the wall, followed by a gruff, "Shut up!"

Claude just laughed louder and covered his mouth, squeezing his eyes shut as gleeful tears slipped out. "Shh!" He shushed Helen and crawled back onto the bed with her, giggling softly.

"Ahh!" he groaned, turning his arm. The metal frame and cut him a little bit and a small drip of blood fell onto his slacks. "Hah, I'm bleeding." He stretched out on the bed and reached to the bed stand. He grabbed a Klenex and covered his elbow with it, then laughed again.

"Look what you made me do!" he accused in a disgruntled whisper, propping his head up on the pillows.

As Claude rolled away from her, and fell off the bed, Helen bursted into laughter, and leaned over the edge, watching him giggle and laugh. She buried her face into the comforter and kept on with her own giggling. She stopped for a moment when he murmured an ‘ow,’ and brought her fingers to her lips, and then onto his elbow. “Alll better!” She grinned, and flopped over back onto the bed.

The neighbors didn’t seem to find the same amusement that they did and Helen merely laughed even louder, not necessarily to spite them, but just because it was that funny! Claude shushed her, causing her to merely roll her eyes and shrug. “Shhh yourself!” She pressed her forefinger to her lip, leaning into him as he crawled back onto the bed. She laughed and as he voiced the blood dripping from his elbow. The smell of blood entered her nostrils.

Helen paused for a moment, staring at it as it made slight blotches on the Kleenex. Though, the neighbors pounded on the wall again, making her erupt with laughter again. She looked at his elbow, and then back at his face. “That was all youu and your magnificent rolling abilities!”

"Shh!" He commanded her silence through a series of suppressed laughs. "You're gonna get security called on me and then I'm gonna get kicked out of here. I can't afford any other motels in this town." He put the tips of her fingers to her lips and smiled, visibly holding back a laugh. "Shut up already."

He laid back on the bed with a sigh. He propped his head up on the pillow to look at the TV and rubbed his elbow which no longer bled. "Jesus, I'm tired already and it's only..." He turned and looked at the clock on the night stand. "One in the morning." He rubbed his eyes and looked around for something to drink. "And I'm thirsty."

He slowly sat up in bed and got to his feet. He walked to the bathroom, pausing for a moment to look in the mirror as he poured a cup of water. "Where did my shirt do?" He drank two or three cups of water and then came back out to the to the bedroom with a silly smile on his face. "Did you steal my shirt?"

Helen’s eyes went wide as Claude threatened her as she continued to be loud. She then fell against the mattress, and flung a pillow over her face, giggling into it, muffling the sound. She kicked her legs a little, still giddy from the wonderful time she was having. Wow, she hoped that this little string of happiness would last longer than she knew it probably would.

As Claude returned onto the bed with Helen, she removed the pillow from her face, putting it behind her head and grinning. She leaned her head towards Claude’s direction, staring at the television as the pictures danced across the glass screen. Helen tapped her finger on her cheek as he voiced the time, and closed her eyes for a moment, not feeling too sleepy. She figured it was a mortal thing, and all.

"Did you steal my shirt?"

Helen sat up and playfully glared at Claude for a long time before speaking. “Now what would I want with your shirt?” She stuck her tongue and fell back against the mattress, flinging her arms in the air. “It’s the ghost of the motel! Stealing all young men’s shirts right under their noses!” She was sure not to be too loud, but still playful all the same.

Claude considered Helen's question with a thoughtful smirk on his face. Why would she want his shirt? He walked back over to the bed and leaped onto it, pseudo-tackling her and pinning her to the mattress. "Yes, and I think her name is Helen."

He covered her mouth with his hand, suppressing the giggle he knew would come, his expression turning serious for a moment. "Seriously, I think the guy next door is going to come over here and murder us if you don't be quiet. And I dunno about you, but I don't feel like dyin' just yet." He grinned.

Satisfied that she had quieted down a little bit, he drew his fingers away from her lips, the tip of his index finger tracing her bottom lip, reveling in its softness. He felt a nearly overwhelming urge to kiss her suddenly, but he hesitated.

He was the type of man who weighed the pros and cons in all situations, but at the moment, his head wasn't on quite straight. The only arguments for or against it that he could come up with were, 'She's already in my arms' and 'but we're drunk.' And then there was a nagging sense in the back of his mind that told him that he was a moron for even questioning it. Before he had a chance to change his mind he leaned down and gently pressed his lips to hers, wondering if they would remember in the morning.

Helen looked up at Claude came down, and she tried to get away, but it was no use; and as he pinned her down, and a wide grin was across her face. She shook her face with a little laugh that was suppressed by Claude’s hand over her mouth. She felt as if she should lick it, or bite it get it off, but she felt that would be a little silly, and refrained.

"Seriously, I think the guy next door is going to come over here and murder us if you don't be quiet. And I dunno about you, but I don't feel like dyin' just yet."

Shame, that, Helen thought to herself. She shrugged, mumbling through his fingers, “I could take ‘em.” She winked and grinned even wider. Too bad he wasn’t planning on dying… She could definitely help him with that. Or, if he was feeling adventurous… No, Helen, stop, stop thinking that you’re going to turn your little pal into a vampire now. He wouldn’t be able to take it. He practically lost his head over his wallet, what do you think he would do if he lost his life but still was ‘alive?’

Slowly, Claude removed his fingers, each digit falling away from her mouth, as she stared up at him, almost enchanted by this mortal. Her eyes were lost in his as she glanced down at his fingers, then back up to his eyes. Why was he looking at her that way… and why was she looking back at him that way? It was so strange… But she was so happy that she couldn’t really resist.

Helen watched him as he leaned in closer and closer, and her eyes slowly fell shut as Claude pressed his lips against hers. Oh God… Was she really experiencing her first kiss? In a motel room, drunk, and with a mortal? She clenched and unclenched her fists, unsure of really what to do with them, until they went up, and rested softly on the back of Claude’s neck. It wasn’t really the romantic way she had invisioned her first kiss after reading so many novels throughout her life and death… But she was too drunk to care.

Claude began to grow nervous when Helen didn't react right away, but just as he had persuaded himself to pull away, she returned the kiss and moved her hand up to his neck. As if in a movement of agreement, he brought his arm around her waist and pulled her against him as he rolled over to lay on his side, not wanting to crush her.

He kissed her again with a little more courage, the tips of his fingers splaying across the small of her back where her shirt gave way to a small patch of skin. He couldn't believe how soft she was! He fitted his other arm into the curve of her neck, serving as a bit of a pillow for her head as well as getting his arm out of the way so he didn't have to lay on it uncomfortably. He brought it around to tangle in her hair. He fumbled with the trappings in order to let it down and run his hands through it.

He kissed her again, and then again, as many times as she would allow, never having enough of her lips, even his tongue seeking a slight taste. He couldn't remember the last time he'd done this with a girl... but then again he couldn't remember much of anything at the moment. Hopefully he would still be able to remember in the morning. Hopefully, he thought greedily, there would be something to remember in the morning.

Helen fell into Claude’s arms almost instantly, her small form becoming lost in his arms. He kissed her again, and this time, the tips of his fingers played across her back, making her smile with a slight laugh to accompany it. She draped her arm across the back of his neck, and her other on his cheek, kissing him back with a bit of enthusiasm once she figured out how it all seemed to work.

Her head rested on his arm, and felt a sense of release as he undid her hair, feeling it fall from the messy bun, draping across her shoulders. She kissed him again and again, kissing forever it seemed like! But to be honest… It was actually quite fun, and she didn’t seem to mind at all. She was drunk, happy, without the weight of her memories, or anything else to bind her down to the ground.

She opened her mouth slightly, inviting Claude’s tongue for the taste he sought. She moved her hand upwards; twisting her finger into the small sprouts of his hair, while her other hand stroked his cheek softly. He was so sweet, and gentle, and though being drunk might have had something to do with it… She felt like she could completely let go… and still be Helen with him.

Claude wondered at her hesitation. It was subtle, as though she were treading on foreign ground, thought all but her lips seemed to respond to him completely. He held her to him, his leg twining between hers as he drew her closer. He knew he should slow down, give them room to breathe, but he just couldn't get close enough to her.

He felt her relax into his embrace and kiss him fully, a slight giggle sounding between them. He wanted to ask her what was so funny, but at the same time, he didn't want to stop. Her lips surrendered and opened a bit wider, allowing him to deepen the kiss, gently at first, just testing the waters.

He sighed heavily, his hand snaking farther up the skin of her back, and rounding over the ridge of her slide, his thumb brushing the rib of her brassier and then sliding down to squeeze her hip. He'd have to keep himself in tow lest he take a step further than he meant to. They had only just met a few days ago. It was too soon, wasn't it? Yet as these thoughts crossed his mind, the tip of his thumb hooked itself just below the hem of her pants, pressing the taut skin that stretched over her hip bone. His body had a mind of its own.

They became entwined with each other. Each limb connected with the other, and their lips parted and rejoined again and again twisting themselves in a loving dance. Helen didn’t know exactly what to do with her arms or legs, but simply let them wrap around Claude’s legs, and around his neck and gently. She breathed in deeply, pressed her face towards his as their tongues met.

As he deepened the kiss, she did not hold back, and kissed him passionately. This was so much fun… She ran her fingers along his neck, and down the back of his neck, rubbing the muscles in his back, giving him a bit of a massage. She wasn’t sure exactly what she was doing… But it was simply on instinct. It was strange how her body was being completely enveloped by Claude’s affection, and to be frank, Helen was not objecting. Her mind was so blown by the lovely touches that why would she want to stop?

Claude’s hand ventured upon her body, her skin, and she couldn’t help but smile. It tickled slightly, and though she didn’t laugh, she just kissed him more. He hooked his thumb on her pants, which seemed a little strange, but considering her current state of mind… There wasn’t much thought, other than what wonderful signals her brain was receiving from the embrace and kisses.

Claude groaned as Helen pressed against the muscles of his lower back, doing more than just exciting their soreness. He couldn't stop himself as his back arched suddenly, shifting his hips to press against hers. Ye pulled away from her. He was out of breath, out of his depth, gazing at her. He wanted her... immensely, but he could think of two reasons not to go any further: one, they were drunk; two, he didn't have a condom and she didn't seem like the type of girl to carry around rubbers with her wherever she went.

And now, three, he thought he was going to be sick. He jumped up from the bed suddenly and bolted for the bathroom. He was praising whatever gods were listening as he knelt in front of the toilet and retched his guts out. At least he had an excuse for not letting this go farther, not that she expected it of him, but this was much easier to place the blame on then his own sense of kooky morality.

He stood and washed his mouth out in the sink. He stared at himself in the mirror. He actually looked green. He was tired and thirsty, but he was afraid that it was the water that had gotten him sick in the first place... Well, besides the alcohol at least, and the vertigo. He stumbled back into the bedroom and sat down next to her. "Sorry... Not feeling well all of a sudden."

Helen let out a sharp moan as Claude’s hips grinded against hers. It felt wonderful… Something she’d never felt before, and when he suddenly pulled away, leaving their lips bare with the soreness of their previous intensity. She looked up at him, and could sense his intense feeling… She could sense his heart rate racing at the speed of light. It was beautiful and she wished that he hadn’t stopped.

As she gazed into his eyes, she could see his face grow a bit pale, and she tilted her head, concern welding in her cheeks. She watched him pull away… and that sudden slap of cold seemed to shiver through her spine. She’d actually felt cared for in those moments, and now that he was pulling away, all the feelings of loneliness came rushing back to her. Though… As he ran off to puke, she realized that’s all it was. She sat up suddenly, experiencing a sudden rush of dizziness, and tunnel vision started on her peripherals and she placed her hand on her temples, rubbing her head slightly, until everything started to grow even darker.

She heard Claude’s voice, the tap running… And she was out. She’d fallen backwards against the pillows, luckily, not hitting her head on anything but the soft cushion.