Of Doctors and Dinners

"Must've have been quite a horrible experience" he said, both aloud and in Serena's mind.

"If there's anything I can do to help..."

Nyra had stopped drawing at Rachyl's mention of choking and looked closely at Serena. She was saddened to hear of the woman's loss. She gently placed her screen and stylus on the table and reached both hands over to place them on the hand Serena had on the table while she rubbed her face with the other. Nyra was patting gently in an effort to soothe the woman.

"Loss is always a tragedy. Senseless loss is devastating. You should not brush it off as nothing, because it does mean something to you. You are so stong but dont mistake that as not needing compassion for your personal tragedies."

She looked at Nyra's hand on hers, listened to her words and smiled. 'The woman is really something else.. It's amazing how some people can be so selfless and compassionate.'

'Compassion.. yeah. Thank you. She smiled at Nyra and placed her hand on top of hers and gave it a little squeeze. And sorry I brought the party down, again. Certain things just set me off.. 'Like vampire bites..' she thought.

Since I'm kind of a downer at the moment, maybe I should go and leave you three to more cheerful pursuits? Serena was at war, part of her instincts said to flee as fast as possible, and part of her was still concerned for the other women. No matter how many times Aron said he meant no harm she was finding it difficult to believe, and if she left.. she'd have guilt over anything that happened weighing on her.

'Just so you know.. there's no way I will ever let someone bite me, I just.. can't. So if that's what you wanted from me, I should go.' She glanced at Aron to judge his reaction

"Leave? And miss Jeeve's fruit salad? But you would break his heart" Aron said with a smile.

"Wanted from you? I did not want anything from you, I merely hoped the evening would lead somewhere in that direction. I happen to enjoy good company, yours included. Wether you stay or leave is completly up to you"

"Perhaps it is time for all of us to return to our pursuits." Nyra said as she gathered her items from the table to stow them into her pack. "This has been an exhausting evening. We started out as strangers and now can depart as friends. I would love to visit with each of you again."

She pulled out three business cards, one torn corner of paper and a violet gel pen. She began writing her address and cell number on the back of each card.

Serena's inner war raged on for a few seconds more before she made up her mind. There had never really been a doubt, other than that moment when she paniced.

'Thank you.. Then I'll stay.' She smiled at Aron then glanced at Nyra as she spoke.

How about we at least stay for dessert? I think I'm Ok now, and I'd hate to put my "fiancee's" food to waste. She winked at Jeeves. And besides, you have to show us what you were doing on that there.. She pointed to the screen and stylus Nyra had set aside.

Aron was surprised by Nyra's comment. What he got from focusing on Serena ofcourse. He slipped out of her thoughts, so he could keep a tap on all their emotions. He got the oddest feeling that he might end up going hungry to bed. Well, he was in rather bad luck, picking up a girl who knew about his kin, and another who was obviously traumatized by a previous lover.

"Or perhaps you should try not beeing so overachieving? You could have any one of these girls, but all three at once is simply being greedy"

May was ofcourse right. Ohh well, it had been an enjoyable evening none the less.

Jeeves came back from the kitchen with 4 plates of a fruit salad, that had never been anywhere near a can. The whole appearance said "homemade", which it ofcourse was.

"Please, stay for the desert and then I shall not take up anymore of your valueble time"

Smiling at Jeeves as he placed her dessert in front of her she quickly finished filling out the back each card. On the back in lurid color was her name with a stylized sun after it, the address of her studio and her cell number. The front had a local high end art galleries information. She placed one by each glass so the others could take them if they so desired.

"Thank you, I would love dessert."

Settling herself back down she picked up her screen and stylist. She turned it towards Serena "This is an art pad my father created for me. It allows me to sketch anywhere without ending up covered in charcoal or forgetting to sharpen my pencils." The 8x5 screen showed a very close likeness of Serena standing proud in the coat she had purchased that evening.

"I can adjust the size, of the art, zoom, section, change tool types and shading. I plug it into a base thingy and it prints out my art on the proper paper whenever my dad notices his reciever thingy blinking." She fidgited a moment with the stylus.

"I made a sketch for each of you. I wanted to thank you all, personally and this was the only way I could think up on short notice. I will need addresses though to have them sent too. Its just black and white and I normally only do landscapes but its the thought that counts, right?" she smiled nervously at everyone around the table.

Food. Drawings. Dead mothers. Bad experiences in a hallway. Blood dripping down Nyra's arm from a glass pendant. Rachyl knew today would definately be something to share with Meegan the next time she saw her friend.

And she had two new ones, she gathered, as Nyra pushed business cards at them.

She took her dessert fork and sampled the fruit salad.

Aron raised an eyebrow as she showed them the screen. That small and with that sort of technology crammed into it, it would have be be fairly expensive indeed. At least compared to napkins, which in his experience was what people usually drew on during dinners.

"I happen to be colour blind, so black and white is just fine. And that sketch is lovely. Ofcourse it must be easier when the subject is as well" he said as he saw the sketch of Serena.
He slipped some of the fruit salad into his mouth. Aron felt it gave a very good impression of most of the good things about fruit.

Rachyl gazed incredulously at the techno-padd while Nyra passed it around, chomping on the fruit salad (which was quite delicious, she thought.) "You drew them? On that? For each of us? That's amazing."

She couldn't help but wonder how well Nyra would be at full portraits... After all, she's probably very good with her hands...

Rachyl shook her head minutely, dislodging those thoughts. The girl didn't seem the slightest bit interested in relationships, not to mention she already 'had' a relationship of sorts... Plus, as Mr. Swiftwood spoke again about being colorblind, she realized she was still somewhere extremely out of the ordinary.

"Colorblind? Oh I am so sorry to hear it! I do hope that you like the one I did for you though." Briefly she turned the screen back to her and pressed the stylus through a series and when she turned it back around it had his portrait showing, even the walking stick was detailed.

"I was hoping to have you over to see my work but they are mostly sunrises and sunsets, would you still be interested in viewing them? I have about six that are moonscapes or black and whites as well."

Aron chuckled. "Just because I cannot see colours does not mean I cannot appreciate things in colour, and I should love to see your work. I happen to have a particular interrest in sunrises. It's been years since I've seen a really beautiful one"

He studied the portrait for a moment and smiled. "Brilliant work, you should do more portraits or people in general. You'd be good"

"Thank you." she blushed slightly "My mother does portraits mostly and my grandmother does still life. Thus when you see a McGurn painting it can be any of the three. Because it was taught from one to the next we all have almost the same style but have found our own niche."

She took the last bite of fruit and looked thoughtfull. "Its odd, the gallery wanted only sunrises and sunsets for this showing. Normally I can bring some of my mothers paintings and they are thrilled but here in Nachton they only wanted suns. I wonder what it means. In Oregon I do great big shows with nothing but moonscapes for the Wiccan population. They just snatch up my art as soon as the paint is dry."

She turned the screen around and pressed the stylus to it a few times. When she turned it back around the screen showed Rachyl looking beautiful but clutching a napkin in her hand near her collar bone. Nyra smiled at the woman, she was so grateful for each of their assistance. She hoped this small token was correctly conveying that.

"I'm fairly new to the area myself, but perhaps there's a lot of druid types around here? After all, they worship the sun..."

Rachyl couldn't tear herself away from the impromptu portrait Nyra had created of her. She felt the rather simple image caught quite a bit of her personality, and was mostly stunned into silence.

Then she saw the napkin, and giggled. To Nyra, she said, "Oh, it's lovely! And the napkin is a very cute touch!"

Smiling warmly at Rachyl "I thought it fitting really."

Nyra cleared her throat and continued "If I could just get everyone's shipping address I will make sure that each portrait arrives swiftly. It is getting late though and I need to be up at dawn."

She packed up her screen and placed her pendant in her backpack. Thankfully she remembered to take the shard wrapped in Aron's hankerchief and place it in the bag with her actual purchase. She neatly folded the cloth and slid it towards him, feeling rather embarassed at the amount of blood that it had soaked up.

"I am so sorry for causing all this trouble tonight. Though I am more than happy to have met you all and I do appreciate your assistance greatly. Thank you, truely."

As Aron took the handkerchief, he could smell the blood. He saw the rust red colours spread over the fabric, the white silk becomming a tribute to waste. For a moment, his eyes became redder, and his fangs were on the edge of showing. He pulled himself together. If he wanted he could probably have one of them. He could remind Nyra that she hadn't seen his Dalis, and let Jeeves drive the two others home. He could send Serena a message that he wished to speak with her when the two others left, and she would probably stay. He might even be able to abuse Rachyls previous relationship to make her stay. Well, that was the probably, "abuse". The word "rape" would ring far clearer than the word "seduction" if he made any of them stay. He had completed failed to set the mood, he was actually rather disappointed in himself. Well, no use crying over spilled blood, he was strong enough to do without blood for a couple of nights if need be.

"It was no trouble at all, I have enjoyed your company tremendously. I'll have Jeeves take the limousine to drive you all home"

Rachyl quickly jotted down her address and cell number for Nyra, and gave the taller woman a soft kiss on her cheek. "Thank you for the art, and for getting cut tonight, not that I'm glad you were injured, mind you, but it's been most interesting."

((It would appear the thread has come to somewhat of a stall....So I suggest that we simply close the thread and get on with everything?))