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Rolling her eyes, but smiling brightly she looked to Cordelia. “Of course you want a dog thats like Akamaru.” she said shaking her head. “You’re ridiculous.” she said, a sigh falling from her lips, but the smile still was there. “You’ve seen me first thing in the morning. I look a mess–my hair all over the place morning breath sleepy eyes–It’s not hot or gorgeous.” she teased. “And im okay not always looking perfect.” She glanced to the donuts and picked one up between delicate nails. The jelly gushed out and covered the tip of her finger. “Did you make these?” she asked the smell of blood from the donut assaulting her nose. 

“If you want me to?” she offered, she did like to play guitar or other things but vocals–that was her bread and butter. She adored singing and wished she could do more. But fame was not something she was allowed to have, even if she knew she could achieve it with her voice. “I’m always happy to sing.” she repeated a small smile on her lips, but it faltered, slightly, when the woman sat further away. But she quickly recovered, she would hold strong. 

The words died rang in her ears and she looked down then back up. “You could have died too–We all could–We’re not–we’re not like the originals, we can still die.” She said softly, and it was true, she had almost died multiple times but it was also true that Hell Ball, as she had come to call it, had almost killed her too. “You’re not supposed to protect me Cordie…I’m supposed to protect you.” she frowned, in her mind–she had created Cordie as an immortal and therefor Cordie was someone she had to protect—it was also because she truly cared for her and would lay down her life to protect the other. “I do–”

“And yet, you continue to put up with me.” Cordelia beamed proudly, leaning in to kiss Nyx’s cheek. “You’re right that I’ve seen it all, but I’m still right about not ever being able to see you as anything but beautiful. It’s your curse to carry, I’m afraid.” She teased, sticking her tongue out at Nyx playfully, though she had meant every word. “Nah. I bought them, and took the jelly out and mixed it with blood, then put it back. But I’m trying to learn how to make the donuts. How cool would that be? If I don’t burn down the place first.” She joked with a tiny scrunch of her nose.

“I can never get enough of your singing. You know that. Pretty sure if you sang country, I’d even fall in love.” Cordelia wanted to be closer to Nyx, but she didn’t quite feel worthy of that. There was this overwhelming guilt eating away at her, and it was more than just not being there during the events of what unfolded. “But we’re a lot harder to kill when we’re not humans. I can’t imagine anyone would ever want you dead, either.”

Taking a breath, Cordelia stared into her drink before setting it on the coffee table, not really feeling like eating at the moment. She curled her feet onto the couch, and laid down, facing the living room with her head on Nyx’ lap. She let out a shaky breath, wiping discretely at her face. “I don’t think you do..” She whispered out, closing her eyes. She couldn’t tell Nyx how she really felt, because either one of two things would happen. The first being, Nyx felt the same, and nothing would change. They’d still be themselves with each other, still date around and have sex with other people. They’d just.. be open about how they felt for one another. Or, Nyx didn’t feel the same and everything would change. It wasn’t worth the gamble.

“I don’t think you’d be very proud of the thoughts I had.. the things I wanted to do to the people who hurt or killed you.. I didn’t even know I could think like that.” Her sire was more angel than vampire, with her selfless attitude of helping others in need. And here Cordelia was, thinking thoughts that made her feel unworthy of being in such graceful company. “I’m going to take up boxing. I won’t be useless to protect you ever. Not ever again.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Val agreed with her. “My girlfriend had this cat one time-Nevermore, she called it- and it hated me so much. Like it’ll steal my keys and claim it as his. Even rubbed everywhere on them! I tried to get rid of him, but somehow…somehow that evil cat keeps outsmarting me. But one day if he ever comes back, I’ll get my revenge on the demon.”

“And the cat came back – we thought he was a goner, but the cat came back.. he just couldn’t stay away.” Cordelia sung the little tune with a laugh. “I think that cat deserves some serious credit, though. You have to admit, a vampire being bested by a feline like that? It’s a little funny.” She pointed out with a playful scrunch of her nose. “Do you have a plan for this demon feline? If he comes back? Because now I’m curious.”

“I think you should go to art school first.” He said at the woman who was now in his store, with a drawing. “That looks like a seriously deformed…? Alien?” To be fair, he only half glanced at the picture, not caring enough. “ I say all animals are evil if you have to take care of them. Best of advice? Look at them from afar. Unless you’re lonely? Then I’d simply suggest listening to some Ben Howard. Or Beyonce if that’s more your type?” 

“If you’re talking about the Master’s I got in Computer Graphics and Design, or the Bachelor of Arts I have.. been there, done that.” She spoke back with a teasing wink, before playfully sticking her tongue out at the man. “What bug do you have up your ass, by the way? Because my drawings verge on epic. You’re just being a sour puss. Who doesn’t like animals, anyways? Question!” She stated as her head tilted at the man. “Who hurt you and made you so bitter? Because you’ve got this whole.. Garfield on a Monday vibe going for you right now.”

“Wait, you cosplay too?” AJ asked, her interest peaked. She’d never met someone who cosplayed. It wasn’t something she was really into, but she admired the work that went into the entire process. AJ just really wasn’t the creative type - she was much more practical in nature. She laughed lightly at the other woman’s compliment, suddenly feeling shy. “Um, I don’t know. What do you feel like drawing when you look at me?” 

“Of course I cosplay, Gorgeous! I love it so much! I LARP, too.” She pointed out proudly. Tilting her head to the side for a moment, as she took in the other woman, she smiled and began putting the pad pen to the tablet. “Well, I see an angel.” She mentioned flirtatiously with a wink. “But I think I’ve a better idea.” She pointed out as she went to work, starting to hum a random song. “You don’t have to sit still, though. Just so you know. I draw animation, so.. it’s not important for my subject to remain still. Got it all up here.” She tapped the pen to her head with a grin.

The night of the attack had been intense and terrifying, she had to fight, had to help protect others. She had been terrified of dying herself but once she knew she was safe her attention turned to those around her, mind having rushed to Cordelia and wondering if the other was okay. Having found her okay a bit later had allowed the elder vampire to breath and relax. She had wanted to spend time with the other–but cleaning and taking care of those that were hurt came first. 

Nodding her head, Nyx understood the want of a pet. “Why that breed in particular?”  she asked as she looked around the woman’s house, she fiddled with the blanket that had been on Cordelia’s sofa. She had always liked that blanket, in fact she had slept under it many a time, which is why she picked it up and wrapped it around her shoulders as they spoke. “You’re to kind my dear. There are many a day where I don’t look so nice. Let’s be honest.” She smiled, winking at the woman as she settled down onto the woman’s sofa.

She watched as Cordelia wonderede into her kitchen. She gladly took the drink and took a sip of the bloody drink. “Yum.” she mused a sweet little smile popping onto her lips. “You know I’m always down for guitar hero.” she said glancing back to Cordelia. “But Cordie–come on–what’s been happening?” she asked her eyebrow shooting up.

“Because it looks like a wolf, and Akamaru in the anime looks like a wolf, and it just fits? Plus, they’re really great dogs!” Shrugging, the vampire kept the smile on her face. “In all the decades I’ve known you, there’s never been a day when you haven’t looked hot as hell, Gorgeous.” The vampire sung to herself as she prepared their drinks, bringing them out with a side of strawberry jelly donuts. She didn’t say anything about them, wanting Nyx to smell them for herself; she mixed blood in with the jelly.

“Will you do vocals?” She asked, settling into the couch – but unlike usually, when she’d sit almost thigh to thigh, she sat on the other cushion, perhaps speaking volumes to how distant she felt from the other at the moment. “You can do guitar, too. Or drums. But you know I melt when you sing.” The smile fell from her lips when Nyx got to the point, shoulders slumping as she worried her lower lip.

“What if you died?” She finally managed to croak out, avoiding Nyx’s eyes as she stared into her own drink. “All I can- I wasn’t there to protect you. I should of been.” Though, Cordelia was more than aware she’d of been absolutely useless as a human. Even as a vampire, she didn’t know how to fight. But it didn’t change how she felt. “I was told this town’s events usually ended up... but I didn’t take it seriously enough. I can’t lose you, Eevee.. you know that, don’t you?”

Ezra laughed a little as she spoke. “Would you get him that little moon thingy too? I could never figure out as a kid if that was, like, a part of his fur or if he wore it, like, as a face jewel or something.” He snorted softly. “I think that’s how it is for all pets. I mean, you can’t get just one, right? They gotta have some friends.” He laughed a little and shrugged. “I mean, apart from one little genetic quirk, I’m basically human. The shitty things that humans do are like a weed or two cropping up in a garden. They’re pretty noticeable and they’re a problem, but at the end of the day, they’re not the whole garden.” 

He laughed again. “I don’t know who that is, so no,” he said. He smiled and shrugged. “Yeah, sure, of course. Just don’t make me any skinnier than I already am, please?”

“I’m not sure if cats would like that on its’ head or not. And Luna was the girl, Artemis was the boy. Even though Artemis is a female in Greek mythology. But whatever. I think it may of been part of her, though? She has a human form, too. Friends are always a good thing. Not sure I could handle more than one dog, though. I’ve never really owned a pet before. Have you?” She was more than open to any kinds of tips. “Genetic quirk? So.. witch, then? Oh, can you show me what you can do!?” She was always a fan of seeing magic. “Damn, boy – look at you getting all philosophical on me. It’s kinda hot, actually.”

Taking out her phone, Cordelia pulled up a drawing she had done of Gaara, from Naruto. “This is him. Now, I know what you’re thinking – dude’s a little heavy on the eye liner. But he’s a total badass. Grew up being hated and feared for a tailed beast being sealed inside of him. His village tried to kill him. His own uncle. His mother died giving birth to him, his father died sealing the tailed beast inside of him.. raised by his uncle who pretended to love him, but secretly hated him. Anyways, he never knew physical pain, because the sand always automatically protected him. Long story short, Naruto managed to beat him, inspire him, he was still Gaara, but ended up saving his whole village, almost dying, and then being in charge of the whole village at a young age. Badass.” She put her phone away, and took the man’s hand in her own. “Come on! I have to fit you for the costume! Then you can totally come to the next comic con with me! We could totally do a group thing!”

Anya snorted at the other rambled on. “You? Shutting up? Judging by first impressions, I am going to posit that this is near impossible. Forget talking nerd, I suspect you just like to talk, don’t you? I feel as though I’m at one of those absurd TED talks. A bigger bunch of self-congratulatory people I’ve never seen, those TED talk people.”

She gave another snort. “I meant against people shutting up. I didn’t say in general. Catchy by no means indicated quality. Pop music is vacuous trash for the most part. He it’s still catchy.” She shook her head. “Very clearly not that old. It’s hard to tell but so,etimes you definitely can. No one the old talks the way you do.”

“I was born in 1901, so I’ve got you beat,” she joked. She smiled and held up bed hansa. “I am saying now that you won’t believe me, but my parents were the tsar and tsarina of Russia. Nicholas II and Alexandra, to be exact. I go by Anya now, but my full name is…” She paused for effect. “Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanova. Yes. That one. I swear.”

“No, I mostly just love talking geek. Which is very different than nerd. And some of those TED talks are pretty great, actually. There’s nothing wrong with knowing you’re kinda awesome. Confident and cocky are a fine line, though.” Cordelia pointed towards the werewolf with a nod. “Touche.” Catchy and quality were definitely different things. “The Summer Set has best of both worlds. Quality and catchy. Just saying.” The vampire raised an eyebrow when she was told she was clearly not that old, shrugging with a smile.

“You know, just because my vocabulary doesn’t generally use words like ‘vacuous,’ doesn’t mean I’m not clearly young. Though, I figure any vampire under two hundred is still a baby vamp. Under fifty is what I call a fledgling. So I’m technically still a baby vamp.” She shrugged a shoulder, still sucking on the sour candy. “But just because I’m over a hundred, doesn’t mean I have to talk or even act that way. I’ve seen some shit.. been through.. a lot. The woman who sired me gave me this incredible life, and I realized in time, that I didn’t want what I went through to define me. Once D&D came out, though.. I really started to find who I wanted to be. I might not act like I’ve got a century of experience on me half the time.. but who would want to?”

When the woman revealed who she was, Cordelia’s eyes went wide and she stood up, looking over the other. “Get out!” She exclaimed with a growing smile, circling the other once. “Well, fuck a duck! I grew up with stories of you and your disappearance! When I was angry with my Papa, I use to pretend I was you.” She explained with a laugh. “My last name is Romanov. I pretended that my parents were actually people who use to work for my real parents, and took me to keep me safe, and one day they’d tell me the truth and I’d be.. well, you.” She scrunched her nose with a laugh. “Anya’s one of my favourite characters from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. “Your story is one I’m just dying to know, if you’re ever willing to share. I mean.. you're still one of the greatest Russian mysteries in my opinion.”

“Yah, it’s the same thing with werewolves. I’m not sure a tattoo would last longer than a day or two. But, maybe there’s special ink now?” AJ looked over the drawing again, nodding her head in agreement. “You could totally sell those on etsy. People would snatch those up.”

“A free drawing? I don’t think anyone has ever drawn me anything my whole life.”

“Oh, I could totally draw fan art, too. I mean, I already take requests for cosplays, so might as well take some for drawings, too. Most take between five and ten minutes, anyways.” Or they could take up to an hour or more – it depended on the detail and if she did it by hand or tablet. “Your whole life? Well, come sit by me, Gorgeous. What kind of drawing would you like? Keep in mind I can’t draw anything realistic; just animated. Anything to be the first for a pretty girl.” She threw a playful wink at the other, before getting her tablet ready for another drawing.

“It’s …” Finch glanced over the picture on the tablet. “Very cute.” She felt a tinge of jealousy over the skill as she herself was stuck making stick figures when anyone asked her for a drawing. “I always thought of Dracula as one of those guys who’d own like a tarantula and maybe like a golden retriever. You know like that goth that melts around pets.”

“A goth that melts around pets, huh?” Cordelia repeated with an amused smile on her face. “I like that. He probably also has one of those hairless cats? Modern day Drac, would definitely name this cat Voldemort, though. Oh! Or a dragon!” She exclaimed excitedly. “Dracula having a pet dragon, instead of the whole bat thing? Wicked cool, right?”

Anya snorted softly. “I mean, yeah, there is a difference between vampires and zombies, but really, is it a big one? You’re both dead, you both need sustenance of some sort from a living being to survive. You just happen to drink blood, they need brains. I suppose you are a little more verbose, you do have that going for you. Although let’s be honest, a lot of vampires could do with shutting their mouths. Or people in general, really. I don’t discriminate.” 

She considered this. “I would say vampire more than werewolf because of the whole, you know, suave seductive thing vampires supposedly have going on. You see way less of werewolves as romantic characters, especially if you kick out Twilight from the cultural lexicon – which you absolutely should, because it is terrible.”

“The first five? You hung in through the subsequent four piles of drivel? You’re either brave or a lunatic.” She snorted softly. “I already knew that. You’re like the macabre version of the game that comes on before the trailers in a movie theater.” She took the Air Head and bit off an end. 

She gave another little snort. “I was all over the place. And I was the youngest of four.” She gave a little shrug. “Russia,” she said. “My parents were, ah, quite rich, to say the last. You probably know them, actually. Or know of them, rather. They probably died before you were born.” She made a face. “At least that would have made the movie less trite.”

“I mean, for starters, we die differently. Like.. dead dead, not undead. We don’t decay – talk about gross, right? And you could live from losing a bit of blood. And zombies got the whole.. eating human flesh in general, plus the whole one bite or scratch makes you one of them thing. As for the shutting up thing, I could probably do that sometimes. But what can I say, I love talking geek. Speaking of which, zombie apocalypse scenarios are the best to discuss. Just saying.”

The vampire laughed, glad the other agreed with her on the whole werewolf front. “Hey, look at Oz and Willow. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about Willow and Tara, but high school Willow and Oz were adorbs. And he was a werewolf. Unfortunately, the whole suave seduction thing isn’t a stereotype I fit. I’m an acquired taste kind of charming.”

Cordelia made a pointed gesture to the other, playfully squinting her eyes. “Hey – I thought you didn’t discriminate. I can absolutely be a brave lunatic. Best of both worlds. Plus, the songs were catchy.” When the other accepted her candied gift, she reached into her bag and pulled another kind of sour candy; war heads. “I’m curious to know if you can handle a war head. Having a heartbeat and taste buds and all.” She crossed her legs, head tilting to the side as she listened, then debated how to answer. “I figured Russia – the whole saying and all. I was curious as to when. For all you know, I could be like.. three hundred years old.” She playfully scrunched her nose as the woman, before popping a war head into her mouth.

“I’m actually only a hundred and one. Still a baby vamp in my humble opinion. Was born in nineteen-seventeen. How rich are we talking? I mean, my father had money, but I don’t think he was rich rich, you know? Why would I know them? Now I’m super curious.” She continued sucking on the candy, trying to think of any prominent families way back when. Not usually a time she took to thinking about. “Oi! Don’t go hating on Finding Nemo. That movie was precious.”

“I mean, I don’t think I would like it if I had to sleep in a coffin. Who doesn’t toss and turn when they sleep? Vampires are technically dead – I mean, no offense, but facts are facts – but I doubt even they sleep like one.” She snorted. “A pity they do not make other possibilities for that, like…ah, curtains, I think they are called? They even make special curtains to make your room as black as pitch.” She laughed. “What other stereotypes do you enforce, then? You hate garlic? You can’t cross running water? You turn into smoke and float through a window to ravage a beautiful woman?”

She shrugged. “And how is it a cat’s fault that people think they are evil?” she asked. “They just don’t throw themselves at anyone and everyone and lavish them with affection like dogs do.” She snorted as the woman spoke. “I never cared for those Land Before Time movies. The first one wasn’t that good, and then they go and make approximately a thousand more. Talk about overkill.”

She raised an eyebrow at the old expression. “God, I haven’t heard that one in years,” she said. “My governess used to say that all the time. And yes, I had a governess, don’t judge me.” She shrugged. “The Fox and the Hound is realistic. So is Mufasa’s death, for that matter. I am sure lions kill each other in the wild all the time. Besides, really, Disney is fucked in general with their stories. The original fairytales are messed up.”

“Offense? Babes,  I’ve got the lack of a heartbeat to prove I’m pretty fly for a dead guy. Tripped me out at first, though. And pretty sure it scared me when I got it back during the blood moon. All in all, why should I take offense to being called dead? I draw the line at zombie, however. Totally different species.” She teased lastly, winking at the other. She listened to the other explain curtains like they were a completely new concept, and she loved the way the other went about it – it was funny. “Okay, sure. Yes. But – and hear me out – effort.” She laughed, clearly demonstrating that parts of her sometimes were lazy. “You’ve gotta remember to open and close them at appropriate times.” She complained with exaggeration. “I can’t say much for garlic, since I can’t really taste all that great. I love swimming. I mean, I’m practically a mermaid.” Her head tilted, thinking about the last question as a smirk formed on her lips.

“That depends – do I have permission to ravage said beautiful woman?” She asked, throwing a flirtatious wink in the other woman’s direction. “Because I’d find a way to turn into a bat if it’d impress a girl enough to sleep with me. Is that a vampire stereotype or a werewolf one?” She suddenly asked, doing a complete one eighty. “The sex thing. I mean, vampires are supposed to be rulers of seduction, sure – but if you bring up Twilight, I will bite you, because that makes me sick – but then.. werewolves are supposed to be animalistic and raw sexual prowess? I certainly fit the whole sex thing. Do you?”

Cordelia shook her head, laughing a little. “I’m not blaming cats for being independent. I’m saying I want a lesser minded being who will love me in an over enthusiastic way. Also, the first five Land Before Time movies were great. Then they got excessive. But the voice actress for Ducky was only in the first, because her and her mother were killed in their sleep by the father. She also voiced Anne-Marie in All Dogs Go to Heaven.” Cordelia popped a rather sour candy into her mouth, because she liked being able to get more out of the extremely sour ones, and shrugged a shoulder, still smiling, and offering an air head to the other woman.

“Oh, I had one of those. Mostly ‘cause I think my father disapproved of me being unsupervised in public. Plus, I threw tantrums any time I had to put on one of those suffocating dresses. He was really big in the whole oil thing. So no judgement here. When are you from?” Disney was really messed up, there was no doubt about that. “Did you know realistically, clown fish will actually change sex in the wild? If their mate dies? And then mate with one of their offspring to keep the whole genetic flow going?” There was a pause, before she gave the other a sweet smile. “Guess that’s why Merlin needed to find Nemo so badly, huh?”

“I suppose you could say that” Posey couldn’t recall too many times when death had been right in front of her, sure there were a few funerals she had attended too but she had been way too young to remember and they were for people that was mostly known by the family rather then her, herself but for the blonde, death in person was very new to her and the thought honestly scared her; “You don’t have to because I know not everyone can be mind readers like me but I guess without saying too much I came so close to actually killing someone that the thought of if it actually happened is tearing me apart” sure people can say that because it didn’t happen she was let off of the hook but for Persephone her fears were just starting to begin.

Doing what the other had suggested, Persphone first got herself in the position, her head laid on top of the others thighs as her knees then came closer to her chest so that she could make herself smaller because in turn she felt safer that way. Reasoning couldn’t be given as to why she did, but being in a foetal position seemed to be a way of holding herself together for if she didn’t her emotions and her fear would be laid out and spill out of her like a bath with no plug. Keeping her eyes closed but her ears and mind wide opened she truly allowed herself to be immersed in the story of Persephone, a story she had heard growing up but a story she never got tired of for there were was some sentiment to it and good memories of her mother doing something very similar if not the same thing.

Allowing herself to fully calm and breathe as well as focus on the details of Cordelia’s voice she felt her tears hardening and drying on her cheeks, probably stained from the after math as well as focusing on the emotions she could hear in the voice when the story was being told, from the little joke to the smile. All being heard as she opened her mind to being relaxed and calm as well as being somber because if she didn’t then this small therapy like session wasn’t going to aid her in any way and may have even brought her to a full circle and started off where she was at the beginning.

The idea that Delia threw at her honestly seemed like a good idea to her but it was what she was saying about it being a band-aid that made her feel like she shouldn’t take it. She wasn’t too sure and it was something that she would have to feel out and think about because like Delia said, she could use the escape-goat and just pretend like everything was all good or she could let the pain shape her as a person and heal when it did; “Can I have some time to think about it because as much as I would love to do it, like you said it is just a band-aid and I would probably seem so ditzy if I took it and seemed all happy when everyone else is probably in the same boat as me”

When Persephone laid her head on Cordelia’s lap, the vampire began to play with her hair using one hand, while the other rubbed her back. She had done this very thing for many children all those decades ago, and it always seemed to comfort them. And as she spoke, she could hear the difference in the woman’s heartbeat, and she concluded that she had been right about the hair and back thing. People were nothing if not predictable in their comfort. Aside from the few, who may have past trauma regarding why they wouldn’t like this method of comfort, it seemed fairly universal. “Ditzy?” She asked, furrowing her eyebrows.

“It doesn’t make you ditzy or a coward to want to be compelled, Gorgeous. And how can you compare yourself to everyone else, when we just agreed that everyone is different? Right?” Her fingers never faltered in massaging Posey’s head as well as running through her hair, and dancing random patterns on her back. “I don’t know if you watch this show called Shadowhunters or not – but this boy became a vampire. He had a mother and sister. They were basically kidnapped, and the kidnapper starved Simon for a while, and forced him to end up feeding on his sister. Now, the mother... she saw her son as a monster. Someone she didn’t want near her daughter or her ever again. But the sister, the one it happened to.. still loved her brother and didn’t blame him.” She explained.

“Now, the mother had to be compelled to think her son had died. There was no getting around it. She ended up in a psych ward, too, I think. They went through the same thing, but needed to completely different things to move on.” She finally had gotten to her point. “Now, me? I think it’s sad people died, but I’m not exactly shedding tears for them. The only person I cared about that night, was Nyx. I would of done awful things to make sure she was okay. For me, it’s like the event was just like a crazy night, hopped up on too many drugs or something. Everyone’s different, Percy. And if you need to be compelled, it doesn’t make you weak, dumb, or a coward. There’s nothing wrong with being happy or wanting to be happy. Anything telling you otherwise, is just the guilt you feel for being happy when others aren’t, and that’s not fair to you.”

Cordelia let her words really sink in before speaking again. “Would you like me to sing to you? You could fall asleep right in my lap for a bit. I’ve nowhere to be, so I’ve got the time. And when you’re ready to wake up and stand, we can go from there. But I’ll be here watching over you as you sleep. And I could sing you to sleep if you’d like.”

Anya looked over at the drawing, laughing. “I would not show that to a vampire, I think many of them are still touchy about the coffin stereotype. Which frankly I would be too, if that was attached to me. Imagine sleeping in a wooden box. Creepy.” She snorted. “Have you not seen Cujo? Not to mention any movie with a dog seems to make the majority of people cry, so I would say that is pretty evil.”

“Frankly, I think we need to get over that stereotype – and stop being touchy about the corpse jokes. They’re funny! Just as much as werewolves need to stop being so gruffy about the dog jokes. They’re classics for a reason.” Cordelia joked, laughing with the tiniest scrunch of her nose. “I mean, put a bunch of padding in one, make it lock from the inside? I’d say it’d make a pretty swell bed if they were about a foot wider? Talk about blocking out that awful morning sun. And you could sound proof that glorious thing to block out the awful bird singing.” She faked a sigh, licking her lips. “I know, I know, I’m enforcing a stereotype, but seriously.. who likes waking up early?”

The vampire pointed her tablet pen at the women in an agreeable fashion. “You get half a point for that one. Because they let that kid live in the movie, and the dog was the sweetest thing until a bat or something bit him. Ergo, not his fault. And it’s humans that make the sad dog movies, and dogs are just out there trying to bring home the bones to their families, you know? They gotta take the jobs offered to them.” She wasn’t being serious in her speech, but merely playfully creating a story. “One could argue, the people who make people cry in dog movies are the source of true evil. I mean, no one asked for Fifty Below Zero! And how rude of Disney to kill Mufasa like that. Or Littlefoot’s mother. A cruel, cruel world.” She smiled up at the woman.

“But you know what they say, Gorgeous – if you’re afraid of wolves, don’t go to the woods. So if you’re afraid of heartbreak.. don’t watch a Disney movie. Fox and the Hound is the perfect example. I mean, rude much?” Cordelia could of said ‘if you’re afraid of heat, stay out of the kitchen,’ but that wasn’t the Russian proverb she grew up hearing.

Sparrow was about fifty percent sure that the other woman was joking about the grudge thing, though even then she had to really think about it, wondering if maybe there wasn’t some truth behind it after all. The smarter than dogs things could certainly hold up, and as someone who had a familiar who had been too aware for her own liking, it really did make her think. She ended up shaking her head and shrugging though, as she mentioned the movie, once again completely missing out on a reference. “I’ve never even heard of that movie.” She admitted, though the number of movies she had heard of was few and far between. “Is it about actual cats and dogs?” 

It took a moment for her question actually register, not until she used the words witch and asked. “Uh, yeah.” She wasn’t against it, though she’d never been asked so forwardly before. Sparrow grinned at her and blinked out from where she’d been sitting, appearing less than a second later on the other side of her. It was so quick she didn’t even think anyone else noticed. “I’m also good with plants, but I have to have something to manipulate. I can’t just make something out of thin air.” She gave her a small smile, her enthusiasm admirable in regards to her art. “I can barely use a cell phone,” she admitted feeling a little silly. “It’s pretty cool that you can draw on one of those, and save it and then do it again. Kind of like one of those old toys you’d shake away when you were done with it.”

“Seriously? How young are you?” She asked, feigning great shock and offense. “Seriously – Cats and Dogs!? The famous ‘Cats Rule!’ saying by the evil white fluffy cat!? Babes, you need a mov-ucation. Like.. movie education? The movie is basically- you see, it’s..” Cordelia let out a huff, unsure where to begin. “Okay, so cats are inherently evil and are trying to take over the world! And you’ve got this FBI type dog force trying to stop them. And this eccentric scientist is inventing a cure for dog allergies in his basement, right? Tough dog is guarding it. Because if that happens, oh uh! Bad for the cars, right? But he gets kidnapped! And they need a replacement. But it goes wrong and they get this adorable beagle, instead of a trained dog. But the cats and dogs all talk. It’s like.. the humans are just sort of background. It’s totally epic!”

When the other disappeared, Cordelia sat up with the speed of a vampire, blinking in shock as she saw the other sitting where she definitely hadn’t been a second beforehand. “That is awesome!!” She expressed. “Can you do it again? How far can you go? Do you have to see where you’re going? Or at least picture it, like in Jumper? But once you’ve been there, you’re all good? Can you take someone with you?” Magic intrigued her, and she always thought it was cool – after all, most of her interests involved fantasy of some sort, so actually seeing it was amazing to her. Despite her being a vampire, she was still amazed by such things.

“A cell phone? Really? I change my question to the following: How old are you?” She joked, laughing. “Oh! You mean an etch and sketch! Those red things with the white knobs? You’re adorable, Gorgeous.” Cordelia winked at her as she continued to draw on her tablet. “No looking.” Her nose scrunched and she playfully stuck her tongue out to the woman. “Can you do things with trees? Or just plants?” She asked, curious.

Ezra peered at the drawing, a grin touching his lips. “It’s cute,” he said. “I like the contrast of the red and black. Really makes the cat pop.” He laughed and shrugged. “People say that about witches and vampires and werewolves, too,” he pointed out. “Doesn’t make it true.”

“Black cats are underrated. I learned that from the internet, too. But they’re like Halloween kitties! If I ever did get a cat, it would be black and I’d name her Luna. Like from Sailor Moon. Of course, then I’d be forced to get a white one named Artemis, and then a grey one to name Diana. Slippery slopes, my friend.” Cordelia let out an exaggerated sigh as the man suggested how people felt about the supernatural, and spread her arms out to the side as she laid back in the grass. “It’s humans that suck. Well, technically vampires suck, if you know what I mean, Handsome.” She joked, winking playfully at the man. “Not that I think the supernatural are better. But at least our wars are started from pathetic grudges over fear. Real low bar everyone’s setting, if you ask me. I just want to play Dungeons and Dragons and cosplay in peace.” Her head tilted as she looked up at the man, thinking.

“Anyone ever tell you you’d make a hella sexy Gaara?” She sat up quickly, reaching for her drawing tablet, and pulling up a picture she drew of Gaara, holding it up. “Pretty please?” She asked with excitement. “Can I do it!?”

“I think I want it and know exactly where it could go!” She had too many odd decorations in her apartment already and with a new roommate she should have been trying to make it less cluttered but she loved the drawing and wanted it. “How much for a print? Do you sell them? I should have probably started with that question.” She couldn’t help but frown at the comment about cats though. She loved all animals and had had a cat when she was younger. “Cat’s aren’t evil as long as you treat them like humans. Or maybe they are evil… because… well, look at humans.”

“Sell them?” Cordelia laughed, bouncing on the spot as she sat in the grass. “For you, Gorgeous, it’s free.” People wanting her artwork didn’t happen often, after all. “How big do you want it? Do you want me to add additional detail?” People seemed to take the whole cats being evil thing too personally in Cordelia’s opinion. “Why do people assume that cats being evil is an insult? Takes someone super smart to be evil. Okay, scratch that – people are a fucked up kind of evil. Cats are a cute kind of evil. But they’re too smart for me to want to own one. The internet says cats actually own you. I want a dog, who will dumbly love and follow me.”

AJ tilted her head slightly as she looked at the drawing. “I think it’s pretty accurate.” She’d never had a cat, but from what she’d seen online, it seemed accurate. She wasn’t really a dog person either - though she was more canine inclined now. “Do you draw for a living? That’s really good. Like it could be a tattoo or professional comic.”

“Nah, just for fun. I’ve got a degree that says I can do otherwise, though. But where’s the fun in a desk job like that?” She asked with a grin. Computer graphics and animation were sort of her thing. “I’d love to get a bunch of tattoos. But I’m not entirely sure if the whole vampire healing thing will kick in or not.” She stared at her drawing tablet for a moment, tilting her head. “I’m pretty sure I could totally print these off as fake tattoos, though. Cute animated fake tattoos – they’d sell, right?” Just another thing to add to the list in her head. “You get a free drawing for boosting my ego.”