fandomtownies | The Devil's Nest [Friday night]

After starting the night with yet another futile attempt to cross the causeway, Allie finally made her way over to the Devil's Nest.

If she was a little wary, it was to be expected. Other then Kanin, every other vampire she'd met had tried to kill her. That would be why, despite the looks she'd gotten as she walked through town, Allie still had her katana sheathed on her back.

Hands held at her side, she stopped inside the door and looked around.

Eric's bored look disappeared almost immediately. "Yes?"

Allie didn't have to ask if this was Eric. He had a sense of power she'd only ever felt from another vampire.

"Jack Priest said I should talk to you," she said as she slowly approached.

"You're the new vampire," Eric said. And she was little. "Nice katana."

And he was big. Which was kind of intimidating, not that Allie wanted him to know that.

"Where I'm from it's useful to have if you want to be the one staying in one piece" she explained. "It might not be necessary here, but it's a habit that's kept me alive. I'm Allison...Allie Sekemoko."

"Eric Northman, but Jack told you that," he said. "Would you like a drink?"

Allie nodded, something like relief crossing her face even as she tried to keep her expression neutral. "Jack mentioned something about artificial blood? I assume that's better then snacking on the bartender?"

"Tiny's a good worker," Eric declared. "He stays. The DJs are more expendable, but True Blood can also be arranged if you'd prefer."

And there it was, that casual disregard for human life that Allie refused to allow herself to develop. But she wasn't stupid, which meant she kept her opinion to herself. "The True Blood would be fine. Thanks you." Of course her opinion could change if the True Blood didn't do anything to curb the blood hunger that was growing stronger the longer she went without food.

"Jack suggested I speak to you about a job. For some reason I can't leave the island," she explained. "While I'm here I'm going to need a way to support myself."

Eric signaled Tiny to bring over the drink (because Eric bartended for pretty much no one) and looked thoughtful. "How old are you? You can't tend bar until you're 21, but you can man the door."

She considered lying but then decided it probably didn't make a difference. One job would be as good as another. "I turned eighteen a few weeks after Kanin made me. Just a few months ago." Yes Eric, she was both tiny and young.

When Tiny came over, Allie took the offered drink and considered it for a moment, resisting the urge to gulp it down. After an experimental sniff, she took a sip, immediately feeling the tension caused by blood hunger begin to fade. Another swallow and Allie set the drink down, not wanting to let on exactly how hungry she'd been. "Thank you. That's going to be helpful."

Another baby vamp. Eric wondered if he was somehow attracting them.

"No synthetics at home?"

At least Bill wasn't her daddy vamp?

"No synthetics, not much of anything really," Allie explained. "It was like this once, but between all the deaths from Red Lung, and then the rabids, everything is slowly falling apart. The princes have their cities, but even those are falling apart."

Eric's gaze sharpened. "Red Lung?"

"A disease. It appeared out of no where and killed millions. The human race seemed like it was on the verge of dying out. If humans died, it seemed likely the vampires would die out. One vampire, thinking vampire blood could help, went to the scientists studying the disease. But that only made things worse." Allie took a another sip of the True Blood, remembering the night Kanin had told her the story, and how he'd left out his part of it.

"Somehow they created a new version of the disease. One that effected both humans and lower classes of vampires. They're called rabids. They're mindless and want only to feed. There's very little that can stop them." Other then the sword strapped across her back. "To save what little of humanity was left, the masters created walled cities for people to live in. But really they're nothing more then cattle."

Eric, having lived as long as he had, could understand the viewpoint of the masters here. It sound very much like a plan the Authority would have come up with.

"These cities are only open to the uninfected?"

Allie nodded, "But there's a catch. You need to register. And twice a month you're blooded whether your body can afford it or not." It was what killed her mother. "In exchange you get just enough supplies to survive on."

Another careful sip, as she let herself remember. "If you don't register you didn't get anything and had to scavenge to survive in the fringes of the city. That's what I did for six years after my mother died."

Eric nodded. "But as a human," he said. "You're not one any longer."

"It's been pointed out a few times," she said wryly. It was something Allie was still struggling with. It was a right of passage for a baby vamp wasn't it?

"So you've been told that vampires, in general, don't give a shit about humans," Eric said.

"They're prey. I shouldn't care. I know that." But it didn't mean she had to accept it.

Still, after everything that had happened in the last few months, Allie had a better understanding of where Eric was coming from. "Do you think I don't get it?" she asked, bitterness evident in her tone. "There's things I've done in the last few months. To help people. And in the end it's just been tossed back at me. Like it doesn't matter just because I'm a vampire. But that's who I was. Who I still am. I'm not going to let this change that."

So how many times have you heard this speech Eric?

A few hundred, which was why he was looking slightly bored.

"Don't help them," he said flatly. "Leave human problems to the humans unless there's something in it for you."

Like dinner! Or sex! Or sex then dinner!

Friendship maybe? Which wasn't quite as much fun as dinner then sex, but she was willing to start simply.

"I'll keep that in mind." Yes, it was unlikely Allie was going to listen to him. But Eric was more then welcome to remind her of this conversation and say I told you when the inevitable happened.

"Do that, babyvamp," Eric said, with a little bit of steel in his voice. "Well, it seems you have nothing better to do on Fridays...would you like to begin here next week?"

As if the whole huge Nordic god thing wasn't intimidating enough. She was definitely going to be staying out of Eric's way. Or at least as much as she could while working for him.

"If I'm still on the island, I'd like that," Allie replied. "I'm not going to try and stop leaving. But Jack said I could be stuck here for a while. So, yes. I'll be here if I am."

Eric nodded thoughtfully. "Why are you that anxious to return home? Did you leave a lover?"

She'd left Zeke and whatever bright bit of something they'd managed to steal for a short bit of time, but Allie was willing to accept that. He was safe in Eden where he belonged, with no place for a vampire in his life. But Kanin...she owed him something.

"Kanin, the one who made me, is in trouble," she explained. "There's this crazed vampire, he blames Kanin for what happened to him. He has him, and he's torturing him, killing him slowly. If I can't save him, he's going to die."

Eric looked as sympathetic as he could (which wasn't very). "The bond between vampire and maker is very intense," he said quietly. "But time works differently here sometimes. People have had years pass in their home dimensions while days pass here, or have had time stand still at home."

Oh come on Eric, you were worried about Godric when it seemed like he was in trouble.

Allie's eyes zeroed in on Eric's face trying hard to judge if he was telling the truth. Honestly it was hard to believe, but then again, was it any harder to believe in then a road that wouldn't let you cross it?

"So he might still have a chance. But I won't know how it works for me until I can cross. Great. Just great." But, for the first time since she'd been on the island, she felt a tiny bit of hope.

Or he could be dead for months when she got back! Eric kept that part to himself.

"You could go to Portalocity and threaten to eat them? Might get things fixed."

Thanks for keeping that little bit of cheer to yourself Eric.

"Or it might get a mob after me looking to take my head. Did it once. Don't want to do it again." And she hadn't even been threatening anyone at the time.

"But that's something I don't understand. People around here don't care that you're here?"

"I'm just another taxpaying businessman here," Eric said. "And I'm pretty sure that if you actually ate someone over at Portalocity, this town would throw you a parade."

After reading the signs in the Portalocity window, Allie had ~~however handwavily~~ stopped. "I was tempted. They don't seem all that smart."

She looked at Eric and gestured around the club in a way that tried to encompass the whole island. "So you pay your taxes, run your business, and everyone, vampires, werewolves and humans get along? This place is strange."

"Extremely," Eric said "but it's never boring. Sometimes the werewolves get a little full of themselves--"

Derek.

"--but Jack works hard and doesn't steal from me, which is what I look for in an employee."

Werewolves. Plural. Interesting.

"I don't plan on it," she assured him. "All I need is something to eat and maybe a book or two to read."

"Both can be easily acquired here," Eric assured her. "I can have Jack pick something up for you if you sleep through the daylight."

"I do. I mean I can stay up for a while if I really have to, but it's better if I sleep." In whatever quiet corner of ground she could find.

"I'll make Jack do it," Eric decided. "It's why I hire a day person. Where are you staying?"

Allie shrugged. "Around. Wherever I can find a quiet spot." She'd done her best to clean up before heading over, but Eric would probably be able to pick up the lingering scent of earth and grass that explained exactly where she'd been.

Eric sighed--a clear affectation since he hadn't breathed in a few hundred years. "You're far too young a vampire to insist on sleeping in the dirt. Get a coffin and an apartment. I'll front you the money from your first paycheck."

For a moment Allie considered arguing. There was a part of her that didn't want to be too beholden to Eric. But another part remembered those few days at the Archer's farm and how nice it felt to actually be clean and have a safe place to sleep.

"Thank you. You don't have to. But thank you." Someday maybe Allie would figure out why he did.

Because Eric liked having people who owe him things. Not because he had a soft spot for babyvamps. Really.

Shut up.

He waved her thanks aside. "It's a loan, not a gift."

"I'll repay it," Allie promised. "For now though, I'll get out of your way. I'm sure you're a busy." It was hard work sitting there looking imposing.

"Tell Jack I'll be in touch. And I'll be here on Friday."

It was hard work looking imposing and not falling asleep!

"I will be too," he said with a nod.

"Then I'll see you." She returned Eric's nod, waved a hand towards the bartender and started towards the door. For the first time since she'd arrived on island, Allie started to feel like maybe she had things under control.

Slooooow interwebs tonight. Apologies.

The Devil's Nest [Friday night]

The Bar

Dance Floor and Lounge

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OOC