Never Too Old (attn: Pak)

It was a cool clear night. A few wispy clouds drifted over the moon overhead and the leaves had begun to fall from the trees, skittering over the pavement as the light breeze pushed them across it. The swings on the playground creaked softly as the breeze blew them, too, all save the one with the silver and white cat perched upon it.

The school yard was empty, for the time being. No little feet pitter-pattered here at this time of night, and while it was set back from the street it wasn't really obscured enough for any clandestine meetings to take place in. It was, for the moment, occupied only by the single feline who seemed to be waiting.

Mara hoped she wouldn't be waiting long. It had been a while since she had been on a playground, and it was an experience best shared with a friend.

Pakpao 12 years ago
Pak groaned a little bit. It was a good thing she was immortal or Bao's training would have killed her probably two lesson's in. He didn't hold back, not even with a beginner.

"And here I thought the stick he carries around might loosen up if he was getting laid.”

It was slightly blunt for Pak, but they were both thinking it so there was no harm in saying it.

"I don't know if I can manage harder. He's libel to break a bone or dislocate something.”

He'd already come close on more than one occasion, it was a testament to Bao's control that he hadn't.

Pak giggled at Mara's apparent appreciation of her dating plan. It was gratifying to know -someone- got it. No doubt her friend would take to roller skating with total ease.


"Make sure you find a rink that has at least one disco ball and does couple's skate. You three can tag team it... or shock the establishment which ever you'd rather.”

It was said with a grin. Quite frankly Pak was happy someone would get use out of the idea, it was too much fun to not do.

"You'll have to let me know how it goes.”

As she was also a fan of astronomy Pak could totally understand Bao's fascination there and she did happen to agree that it was romantic. At least it could be.

"That's true, I'd planed to watch it myself. At least a little of it. Is this sky watching genetic?”
Mara 12 years ago
It was Mara's turn to blink at Pak's blunt use of language. It wasn't the message that she found surprising so much as the terminology. "Maybe we should give him a few dates to get to that point," she suggested mildly, "although I don't doubt that a little love would be a good thing."

Then, perhaps a little vindictively but playfullly so, she looked pointedly at Pak and added,
"for everyone."

She was surprised again when Pak claimed he'd left her unharmed.
"Really? He hasn't done so yet? He must really care about you."

Then to forestall any misunderstanding Mara waved her hand at Pak.
"Not that he would have done so intentionally; it just happens when you're learning and sparring and practicing."

Mara pushed off the ground a little harder than she had been so that Pak felt that fun little weight-loss feeling of falling for a brief second. She nodded at her friend.
"I'll let you know how everything goes," she promised.

Looking up at the night sky she lifted her shoulders at Pak.
"It's Amir," she said. "He loves the sky. He always stargazed with us. It was practical at first but even after we didn't need to use the stars to navigate, we continued to watch them."
Pakpao 12 years ago
"Hmmmm you're right. He's too up tight and proper to go all the way on the first date.”

She, on the other hand, was just too cautious. Too many memories of her former occupation, there had to be a lot of trust or something of a history before she crossed that line.

Pak violently shook her head trying to clear a few mental images.


"OK, I've just decided there are somethings I don't really want to think about.”

And imagining Bao in such an intamate manner was right on the top of that list. She was going to have to bleach her mind's eye at that rate.

Pak turned an innocent expression on Mara, choosing to play rather than go the angst route. After all just because she was cautious didn't mean she didn't have, that was to say every one dead or not had needs. Even Pak's mind had drifted into fantasy now and then over the years.


"We all have love in our lives it just doesn't always have a... well there are different kinds.”

She might go sleep on Kem and Aishe's couch tonight. She really didn't want to be alone for some reason.

The quick rise was fun and the free fall was always fun and Mara gave her a good one. Pak felt her stomach fall at a different rate than the rest of her. It was creepy, yet fun and she grinned. Adding what she could with her telekinesis Pak treated Mara to the same type of hard push even though she was rather dumbfounded by Mara's observation.


"I think he's trying not to scare me and keep me coming back really. There has been the odd sprain or strain and I did get a black eye once but he hasn't hurt me yet.”

Most of the injuries had headed quite quickly and not been terribly painful.

Pak never had learned to navigate by the stars, for her they had started out as an escape. She had been able to leave her life and her world behind while watching the stars.


"So it is both nature and nurture.”

Pak said with a small amused grin.
Mara 12 years ago
Mara laughed at Pak. "You brought it up," she reminded the younger vampire. She wouldn't feel guilty about any of it; Pak was the one who'd decided to take the conversation into the realm of intimate speculation.

They had a brief seesaw war which had her laughing even more. Mara decided not to clarify her point to Pak, which was that the younger woman really needed to relax, herself. Yes, Bao had wronged her but he was doing his best to make amends. In Mara's opinion it was time to stop fighting it. She needed to come to terms with it and accept Bao, or reject him. She couldn't hold a grudge forever but she sure seemed determined to try.


"It's possible," Mara said regarding Bao's interest in leaving Pak unharmed. "Or, he really wants to teach you and is trying very hard to make that happen. Either way, you have to admit he is trying."

She raised her brows at Pak.
"I assume you are trying just as hard to learn and to accept him."

All right, maybe she couldn't keep entirely silent. Bao was her brother after all. Mara was happy to let the conversation shift over to Amir, however. He was a safe topic. Mara loved him and she felt certain that Pak was also fond of him.


"I suppose, both," she said. Then she smiled. "That, or a willing and receptive audience."
Pakpao 12 years ago
Pak made a face, sticking her tongue out at Mara.

"So I did. Let's let it go now shall we?”

They could chatter about her love life until the cows came home, but hopefully the cows were just next door, Bao she did not want to consider. At least not in that light. Of course now that the genie was out of the bottle Pak couldn't stop thinking about it.

The teeter totter was some help though. It was fun, Mara had picked a good place for a meeting.

It was admirable the way Mara took up for her brother. Really, it was. Before Pak would have countered every positive with two negatives real or imagined. But she didn't now.


"He is.” She conceded. "I am too believe it or not. I don't hate him any more and I have to admit he has tried to make up some of what he should have done. I've learned a lot.”

It was said with a smile smile and a little reassurance. Pak wanted to know Mara she didn't view Bao as the enemy any longer. Not an ally but not an enemy. And even though she wasn't sure she'd ever need to know any kind of martial arts and wasn't convinced she could actually throw off a command, but at least she knew what it felt like now and he'd done that for her.

"He took care of my children after... well I might not be his biggest fan but I don't hate him.”

The loyalty that Amir seemed to inspire in his children was interesting. Both Mara and Bao seemed to hold him in a very special regard. Yet Pak was certain that Kem would just as soon kill the man. Of course if Amir had 'raised' Kem would he be the brother she knew now?

She leaned back and looked at the sky as the rose and fell.


"They are kind of comforting though. They don't change as fast as the rest of the world, it is nice something stays familiar.”
Mara 12 years ago
Mara shrugged at Pak and nodded, more than happy to table all future speculation about her brother's sex life. She didn't need to think about it any more than she wanted him giving her own that much thought. Instead she listened while Pak talked about him more, and thought that perhaps Pak was beginning to bend although Mara hadn't seen it previously. But then, Pak didn't really show her feelings easily.

Mara wondered if it had ever occurred to Pak that she had more than a little in common with her Creator. Their attitudes, their stubbornness, their denial of or refusal to acknowledge their emotions. There was a great deal of Bao in Pak, Mara thought.

She tilted her head back when Pak did and observed the sky, noting the location of the constellations, the pole star, knowing instinctively where several nebulae and galaxies were. She'd seen them often enough through Amir's telescope, the more powerful one.


"Familiar, yes, but they look different now then they did a thousand years ago." She gave a soft sigh. "Too much pollution, too many cities. Amir has never stopped watching them though. He'd probably live up in the sky if he could. A soon as space travel becomes viable I'm pretty sure he'll sign himself up."

She chuckled at the thought of Amir packing a suitcase full of human blood donors for a trip to the nearest white giant.
Pakpao 12 years ago
"Is this where I point out I haven't been around long enough to see that much change?"

With Kem Pak would needle harder, or flat out call him old. With Mara she'd just delicately needle a little. But Mara was right, pollution, light, just the press of people made a huge difference. Even in a city like Paris, a hundred years ago you could see so much more. At least you could still get out of the cities and see things.

"Personally I am disappointed with how this whole 'space tourism' has panned out."

As the subjects moved, some more serious than other, they moved from the see saw to the monkey bars, to the merry go round and to Pak's personal favorite, the slide. It was a good thing she had worn pants though. They both had far too much fun, it was good to forget to act one's age and simply enjoy your self. It seemed like Mara was having fun too.

Honestly Pak was just happy to reconnect with her friend. She really did have to make more of an effort to keep in touch. It was a fun evening. And while it had been Pak's intention to go and sleep on Kem and Aishe's couch but it felt a bit odd going to hang out with Kem after spending time with Mara so she passed on that and went home instead.


((OOC... both out))