15118/Is That A Vampire In Your Pocket Or Are You Just Glad to See Me

Is That A Vampire In Your Pocket Or Are You Just Glad to See Me
Date of Scene:	11 June 2023
Location:	Alley, Gotham City, NJ
Synopsis:	One and a half vampires walk into an alleyway... Lydia and Priscilla meet in an unlikely place, and have a peculiar similarity that will require a more lengthy discussion.
Cast of Characters:	Priscilla Varm, Lydia Dietrich

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Priscilla Varm has posed:
    Gotham City is a stinky, dark, gloomy city, full of stinky, dark, gloomy people, and stinky, dark, gloomy alleyways. Case in point, this alleyway right here. So, what's a woman familiar with Gotham doing down a dark alley alone at night? Well, see, she was following a sketchy dude, and this is the alley he went down. So, you see, it makes complete sense and is perfectly logical for Priscilla Varm to be here. Alone. At night.

    Yes, alone, because the guy she was following has pulled a Houdini (the stage magician, not the hamster). Darn! So it's one of >those< alleyways! The ones with trapdoors! Or... Whatever. The blue-eyed, raven-haired woman is fuming silently as she scans all around for some sign of where the dude she was stalking went, but he's gonzeo. Disapparated. Vanishga'd.

    What a rip-off. All that time following sketchy trenchcoat guy around Gotham and he didn't even have the courtesy to wait around to mug her.

    It's a cruel, unfair world, I tells ya'.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    "Chasing down strange men into dark Gothan alleys is a good way to get yourself mugged," calls a lilting voice from behind Priscilla. Lydia had been minding her own business on the other side of the street when she saw the young doctor chase the man into the alley. Or be lured into it by him, or a myriad of other scenarios. "Unless that was your aim?"

    Lydia is a very pale woman. Very pale. Despite this, she's wearing a bight yellow floral sundress that's accompanied by a pair of sandals, and a purse large enough to hold a small laptop. Her tightly curly black hair is left loose, flowing down to her shoulders and as always there's a twinkling field of stars that surrounds her, giving her something of a fae appearance.

Priscilla Varm has posed:
    She almost considers sticking around to see if the stranger will come back, but if he knew she was there and escaped her, then it'd be unhealthy to remain. Doubly-so if he's who and what Priscilla thinks he is. She begins turning just as she thinks it'd be just her luck for him to pop up behind her the moment she turns aroun-- "Oh, my God!" Priscilla lets out as she tenses up in response to hearing and then seeing Lydia. She stands still shoulders tense, arms rigidly down at her sides, eyes closed as she collects herself. Half-embarrassed by her reaction, half-angry at someone scaring her in this scary alleyway, she takes a deep breath and lets it out as she opens her eyes and forcibly relaxes.

    "Thought I recognized him." she says briskly as she fast-walks back out of the alleyway, unless her path is blocked. A sundress at this time of night? Well, this is the city for it. Bunch of weirdos here. Priscilla included. Further muttering of, "Guess he didn't want to talk." is grumbled out as her heart hammers in her chest.

    God, she hates jumpscares.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    "I'm sorry," Lydia says, taking a few steps back to allow Priss to exit the alley. "I didn't mean to scare. I forget that I can be that silent at times." Her tone is of that of mild amusement and perhaps a little caution. Got to remember not to frighten the mortals. She glances down the alley to where the man had disappeared and shakes her head. "Alas, I guess not."

    "Sorry. I was just on my way home and I noticed. Didn't mean to interrupt." That and there's something... off about how Priss smells. A bit familiar like she's... "I'm sorry. Where's my manners? I'm Lydia." She holds out a pale hand that's could to the touch to shake.

Priscilla Varm has posed:
    "No... No, it's fine. Thank you for looking out for me. That isn't common in these streets." The other woman replies as she stops and turns to accept the offered hand in her own. She's wearing black leather gloves up to her elbows. Or maybe they're vinyl? They might be vinyl. But they could also be leather. Either way, she shakes hands briefly. "Priscilla. I should head home myself, but..." She doesn't elaborate further or repeat her excuse for her actions or otherwise invite further scrutiny of her strange and honestly not very bright behavior, now that she thinks about it.

    She does smile though. There's... Something familiar about Lydia... But she can't put her finger on it. "Mind if I walk you home? Safety in numbers, and all that. Though I'm not sure who would be protecting whom." She gives a self-depricating chuckle. Also, she wants to keep an eye on this lady. For Reasons. And Stuff.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    The gloves garner a curious quirk of a brow, but otherwise no comment from Lydia. "I don't mind, but you'd be in for quite a walk. I live in Brooklyn." She sticks her elbow out for Priss to take, though, "I can accompany you on your way home. I'm in no hurry."

    "As for who'd protect whom... well... I //am// a mutant," she says running her free hand through the twinkling stars that envelop her. "These are more than just for show."

Priscilla Varm has posed:
    Priscilla widens her bright-blue eyes at the display of sparkles. The evidence that Lydia is a vampire has been revealed! Why else would she be sparkli--Oh, she's a Mutant, never mind. "Oh. Well, I don't assume every Mutant is able or willing to act as an impromptu bodyguard or otherwise combat whatever type of people lurk in alleyways to accost random women." She accepts the offered elbow. "But I'll accept the offer all the same. Thank you. I don't live too far from the hospital, so this will be a much shorter walk than the one to Brooklyn."

    "Sorry for not noticing them sooner. For some reason my brain processed them as fireflies. Gotham doesn't exactly have an abundance of fireflies, so I don't know >why< I thought that exactly, but... Either way, they're very pretty!"

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    "Indeed it will," Lydia agrees with a smile that is, perhaps, a bit sharper than intended. There's a lot that being a mutant can account for but between that, the pale skin, the blood red lips and golden eyes, well, it's clear that she's more than //just// a mutant. Plus there's the fact that she only really breathes when she needs to speak.

    "I don't mind, however," she says. "I'm never above being a bit chivalrous when when it comes to protecting fair maidens from the evils of the night." She wrinkles her nose and chuckles, "Well. That was a little thick, but you get the idea."

    She shakes her head, "Don't worry about it. Before I ... got ill, I used to glow green. People would always assume that I was radioactive and just give me a wide berth. At least //now// people can just think of it as a trick of the light."

    

Priscilla Varm has posed:
    Indeed, given the type of people that Priss has been investigating lately, being so close and seeing the details of Lydia's appearance gave her some pause. But Mutants can come in all manner of shapes and sizes and structures and colors, so she allllllmost wrote it off. She gives a wan smile towards the proclaimation of shepherding fair maidens to and fro, but her expression shifts at the mention of illness. It's a mix between concerned, curious, and... Cautious. "I'm sorry to hear about your health issues, even if they have wound up benefitting you socially. I know something about that myself." She doesn't elaborate, but does wait a few seconds before saying anything else.

    "May I ask what your affliction is? If you aren't comfortable sharing, then I apologize. I'm a doctor, so it's pretty much my job to look after people. I know you said you live in Brooklyn, but if you are in the area and need to see someone, I am frequently at the hospital, covering wherever they need someone." Are motives aren't >entirely< altruistic, admittedly, but she didn't say anything untrue. She has a very personal reason to not let people with serious illnesses go without treatment, in addition to a professional duty.

    Too many lives have been lost already.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    "Why, Doctor," Lydia says, flashing Priss another one of her smiles. "My case is sadly terminal. You see, I'm a vampire." Some times she tries to hide the truth, but seeing as she's realized that she had been forgetting to do the basics like, say, flush her skin with color and //breathe// she figures she might as well come out with it.

    She pauses to see what kind of reaction Priss will have with that. If it's the run away and screaming kind, she'll let the woman go. She's not here to terrorize anybody. But unless her guess is wrong, this woman wouldn't be phased by such a bold claim.

Priscilla Varm has posed:
    Priscilla slows her pace. At the mention of a terminal illness, she's already putting up her emotional walls in order to act professionally. Patients don't tend to appreciate being pitied, and Lydia isn't a patient. But at the confirmation of her being a vampire, the raven-haired woman stops walking entirely. She keeps a calm expression, not tensing herself for action or behaving as though she's just heard anything out of the ordinary. Was Lydia's suspicion correct?

    "And so, your reason for offering to guide me home was..." She carefully extracts her arm, unless there's resistance, and takes a couple steps back. "...Altruistic? Or did you have an ulterior motive?" Honestly, it's still kind of brain-hurty to acknowledge there are such things as vampires. But she has seen evidence with her own eyes. It might still just be a disease, not anything supernatural. That's how she's treating it anyway.

    "I only ask so that I know how my night in your company is going to end." She tilts her head and smiles, her gloved hands behind her back. "If you're serious though... Then it seems this evening has not been a waste of time after all."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    "Altruistic," Lydia confirms. "I'm not out hunting or anything." She walks along side her companion as she explains with a grin, "though I admit, coming up to people and telling them your a sexy vampire looking to feed works //way// more often than you'd think. But, no. I have no intention of drinking your blood." She gives Priss a sly wink, "Unless you wanted me to. Then arrangements can be made."

    She gives the other woman a shrug. "The night will end however you want it to end, truth be told. Should you wish we part ways, then we shall. But from what I understand, that's not what you wish at all. So tell me, in what way was meeting me so fortuitous?"

Priscilla Varm has posed:
    Priscilla is still treating this situation professionally. She isn't emotional, she isn't paranoid, and she doesn't know enough about vampires to be prejudiced one way or the other on the veracity of Lydia's statements. So she nods along and moves to begin walking again just as the other woman does, while keeping her attention firmly fixed on her conversation partner. She allows the talk of hunting tactics to go unremarked upon, because she isn't ready to deal with that. Instead, she answers the question posed to her honestly.

    "I have become aware that there is activity in Gotham City, potentially from individuals who share your affliction. More than I would have surmised before I came back from overseas. I don't know the full extent, but it is of personal and professional importance to me that I get a handle on how big of a threat vampires pose to normal humans, if they're up to anything I should be concerned about, and if any of them can help me collect information for my research." She holds out her gloved hand, being the one to offer this time. "I'll reintroduce myself. I'm Doctor Priscilla Varm, Infectious Disease Researcher for the World Health Organization. I was attacked in Africa, and I believe I may have contracted the same illness you have."

    Priscilla fixes Lydia with a firm gaze despite the tales of vampires having hypnotic powers. She isn't afraid. This is an opportunity she has been looking for. "I think we may have a shared interest. How would you feel if I said I was looking for a research partner in finding a cure for vampirism?"

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    Lydia turns and takes the offered hand. "Lydia Dietrich, a pleasure." She listens as the doctor talks, biting her lower lip in thought as they walk. "I.. Hm. I doubt what you have and what afflicts me is the same thing. I think... I think we should talk. But not here, not like this."

    She starts digging through her bag, and pulls out a tasteful, yet very plain business card that simply states her name and number. "Oh, good. I still have a few of these. Here," she says handing it over. "Call me and I can come over to your place and you can ask me as many questions as you like. Or you can come to mine. Or we could go out for drinks, if you like?" she suggests with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.