Crocodile Tears [Celine]

The man panted through the late afternoon, his breath fogged by the winter's chilly air, and his ears and nose rosy from it. Dressed in his finest, exercising attire, he wore a plain, dark coloured hoodie with strings attached to the hood. As pants, he had been jogging in baggy sweatpants, tied at the waist to keep still upon his hips. Other than that, he sported a couple worn-in sneakers and a watch, as well as the occasional earbuds in his ears and phone in his bouncing sweatshirt front pocket. A black duffle bag rested upon his shoulder, too. His hair was as it always was, naturally flipped up, with a slight, yet charming messiness to it. A bit of stubble had found it's way to surface among his cheeks, chin and upper lip. He never minded it, as the females he had always come across while running passed the city buildings, found it attractive enough to look in his way. Leviticus only ignored their presences, there would never be a woman as great as the partner he had centuries ago. However, like most men, his flirtatious ways always caught him into trouble if he stared too long at a pair of bouncing breasts if they were to run passed him. That, he would never miss glancing at, he knew. His head nodded here and there to the beats of music shouting out of the little buds in his ears, only to find it a big annoying and surf through his phone for another. The habit had tended to be apart of him, and he never sought a reason to break it yet. He had lived and done enough to do as he pleased in this life, and he wouldn't care who it would effect in the long run. Leviticus made a speedy turn to the nearest coffee shop to pick up a cup for himself before continuing on back to his daily routine. On his way, it had begun to lightly snow, sprinkling his hair with it's flakes of white. A 'Santa' stood at the city corner, ringing a bell within his white gloved hand and his cheeks rosy from the cold, like his. Holding up his hand, he high-fived the man on the way through, chuckling gently to himself as he put back against his side and quickened his pace. He darted passed city-dwellers in their traveling packs with vampire-given ease and coordination. It couldn't get much easier than that, for the man.

The vampire came to a gradual stop as he met the doors of the gym he had been attending for the past few years, sipping his coffee quietly on his way in and spotting the man at the main counter, whom he knew well from his previous visits. He was a usual customer for them, and the man smiled at his presence. Dismissing him to go, Leviticus did and went to the lockers to drop off his stuff and change into something more fitting for working out in a sweaty gym. He had learned to get used to the smell the more he came, as would anyone else. Taking off the hoodie and sweatpants, he changed into only a pair of baggy, silver shorts. Stretching first, he came out of the room with his arm pulled against his chest, holding it firmly with his other hand so that the muscles soothed into the right formation for strenuous training. For a Sunday, there didn't seem to be a lot of people in the gym, which was nice in his opinion. He'd be able to work out in peace, to say the least. Rolling his shoulders back, he popped his neck and went to the bench press to lift weights. Before he laid down on the slim bench, he added 200lbs to each side. It wasn't a lot, typically, for him being a vampire, but it wasn't a little to humans either. He needed a medium to at least remain a bit normal to human society, especially if he didn't want to get caught or questioned for his 'secret' technique in lifting heavier weights. Laying back down, he held the bar firmly on both ends and lifted with ease, pulling it back down and then up slowly. His arms flexed naturally, but his expression remained as emotionless as when he entered the building. He did this for about twenty times before he got bored and decided to relieve himself to the treadmills lined in front of the gym windows. Turning up the speed, he hopped on and ran to it's given speed. He watched the people walk passed, some looking while others were too busy finding a cab or on their phones. Leviticus seemed to notice the stores across the street, seeing a boutique, and then a flower shop across the way. He had not noticed it until now in all the times he had been to the gym, but he found it no surprise since businesses closed and opened in different places each day, he learned. As he ran on the machine, Leviticus popped in his earbuds and listened to music once more to block out the world. The first song that came on made him smirk and sing along, "Oh. My. God." He said in a deep, girlish tone, "Becky, look at her butt." Running, while singing, he did so playfully, eyes closing as he darted to the speed and turning it up slightly to keep him distracted, as well as healthy.

(Not my best quality.. I'll make it up to you later.)

It was a surprise the the mirror held nothing but the exact image of herself, but that alone was a surprise as it were. In all her life she’d been lead to believe in her flaws. That is, until they were gone. Immortality wiped away all those little flaws that she had learned to come to terms with by her college years, and now she was stripped of them all. She’d believed the things about vampires and mirrors, honestly not thinking she’d see her reflection anymore. Since she was little she had believed all these stories she’d heard until they became real. In all honesty, who was she to know they were true? They walked like the ducks, they quacked like the ducks, so it was very hard to see they were foxes in disguise. Celine’s eyes were shut tightly, her palms pressed into her bathroom counter. She somewhat prayed that she wouldn’t be able to see herself, hoped it wouldn’t be there so she wouldn’t have to see. But it was there in all its glory, her face giving her the angles that looked far too much like someone for her to dwell on it. Her hair was richer, that was a bonus. The inky locks had some volume in their waves without her having to work to fluff it up. It hung below her hips and swayed when she moved until she pulled it up into a messy ponytail. She’d considered cutting it and dying it maybe; anything to erase all memory of who she’d been. The problem being that she really hadn’t even seen a reason to do so. Celine was at a fresh start, but fresh everything would be taking it too far. Quietly she moved her hand to the faucet, but before it could reach there her skin was met by a bag. Oh, she’d almost forgotten what she came in there for in the first place. Her little lunch breaks were hidden in the bathroom of the shop, blaming cramps when anyone asked if she was alright. Celine supposed it’d be odd to excuse herself to the bathroom every half an hour, but it was all she could manage between the cravings. The agrestis opened the bag and lifted it to her lips, watching herself drink in the mirror. The taste alone replenished her with life again as her stomach eased and the ache in her gums was soothed. Still her eyes remained transfixed on her own reflection as she gulped mouthfuls of life’s delicious nectar. Eventually the bag emptied but she was not satisfied while she pulled the plastic contraption from her lips. Crimson smeared its way across them in a twisted form of lipstick until she licked them off thoroughly. Her hand reached, opening another bag, and focused her silvery-gray hues upon the movement of her throat swallowing.

She returned to her place bright eyed and smiling warmly to the humans the mulled around in examination of her flowers. In the bathroom she’d splashed some water on her face and pulled herself together after tossing the bags in the trash. At the moment she pointed out different flowers to different customers and gave their meanings. Celine lived, or maybe un-lived, for the moment. The store area wasn’t very large itself, but it felt like home to her with its potted variations of plants covering every inch they comfortably could. Every wall gave held possible tickets for the plants she could provide, organized by their life expectancy and type. Isles between her flowers allowed others to view the books set out on tables so they could make sure they knew exactly what they wanted. The customers seemed to like her set-up well enough, and she watched them peruse through books upon books of the various plants she had in the back. Occasionally someone would come to her with their order, orchids in this case, as an awkward smile plastered on their face. She disappeared into the back and went to retrieve what they would want. The greenhouse was her little piece of paradise and covered with flowers wherever she could fit them. She knew each name by heart, her hand reaching out to brush the soft petals before she stopped at an order. The smell was overpowering at times but gave her a sense of peace to distract her from what all went on in her undead life. Celine grew each precious plant by hand rather than ordering them from a dealer, making her flowers unique. She was unable to fill out the larger orders, but she hoped to eventually get a huge greenhouse of her own and continue her practice. The agrestis found the desired orchids and cut them from their stems to form them into a lovely bouquet. She wrapped the flowers and returned them to their new owner safe and sound, taking the money given and placing it in the cash register.

Celine grew weary of the daily thing and decided to close early; the little shop had enough profit and promise to do so now and then. For some reason the gym across the way caught her eye. Back in her mind she replayed Demetri telling her about vampire abilities and power. What better place to test them out than the gym itself? Celine scurried to the back room and looked through her changes of clothing that she prepared in case she got a little too friendly with her blood meals. It was hard being the newborn without being a little messy at times; she was allowed to make mistakes until she learned enough to be perfect. As she walked her vampirism took effect, allowing her shorter legs to prowl like a predator in the open space. Her outfit before was shed as she stepped into the back room. Instead of her previous clothes, she donned a stretchy purple sports bra and a black sweatshirt. Leggings made of the same stretchy material clung to her legs and cut off at the very bottoms of her ankles. Celine donned her running shoes and placed her duffel bag over her shoulder to take it home later. It was more or less filled with blood bags, but if nobody saw then nobody had to know. She walked over to the building and stepped inside to pay a fee at the desk before moving back into the locker rooms. She managed to fill up her bloodthirsty body in a stall and then proceed to shove her duffel bag into a locker out of random. The number imprinted itself in her mind as she walked away.

The main part of the gym was rotten in its horrible stench of sweat and hormones. Celine could understand the former, but the latter she figured to be from the pretty girls exercising in the most suggestive angles. She moved away from such a group and found herself near the weights. Not in the exact place that she wanted to be, Celine figured it was the best place to start. She tried 50 lbs and expected it to be as heavy as her human self only to send her arm nearly flying with effort she didn’t even need. The weight felt like a feather in her palm, and she placed it back before looking around. She tried the hundred fully aware it was a weight she could never have lifted before. It lifted with the easy approach she chose but found that it was effortless as well. Celine’s hands closed over her mouth and she giggled partly out of fear of what she could do. She walked from the weights and back to the more common machines to stop dead where she stood, her hands falling away from her as she saw Levi. She grew worried and considered leaving, but her ears caught on to what her eyes could not. It was fairly easy for her to tell whether someone was a vampire now; their heartbeat was either alive or dead. Levi’s was definitely dead, and Celine was horrified. All at once she wanted to flee and fight but found herself casually walking towards him as if she were going to ask him out for coffee. The agrestis stood in front of the fellow’s vampires machine and stared at him, waiting to see if there was any recognition at all. After a few moments she spoke lower than the machines, but she knew he could hear. “Hey, Levi. Remember me?”

Song he was singing:
Asking Alexandria - Moving On

Not a bead of sweat dared to bloom to the surface of his flesh, as this did not effect him by any means compared to what he could really do, it would take more to even have him panting. However, his skin glistened beneath the dim, training room light above him and the machines, causing the vampire to only appear less monstrous. "The boy of anguish now,.. he's a man of soul." These were the advantages of having without a beating, pumping, warm heart. Sometimes he would imagine what it was like having one, having forgotten centuries ago how it felt. There must've been a strong reality to it, in a sense, but the promise was weak, and it would quickly vanish from his thoughts to be replaced with the present. Songs, both new and quite old flipped and shuffled around on the dwarf, square device of his that aided him with mild entertainment. "Traded in his misery.. for the lonely life of the road.." Hazel golden eyes were hidden, and he was completely at rest, maintaining a normal speed that gradually seemed to build as his boredom stretched. Still, he would keep himself remaining there for the time being until he would need to leave to get ready for his new job. The ideal problem to his case of being a construction worker is that it gave him too much of the disadvantage, he'd rather beat most of the men with a steal pipe than even try their blood - it would probably taste spoiled if he knew better. Just the thought made his eyes roll behind his closed eyelids as he ran a bit harder on the metal contraption. "The years were cruel to him, no.., He won't let them go.. Lays awake tryna', find the man inside to pack his bags and escape this world.." Time then seemed less strenuous, and he casually formed back to the training he had wished for, all the while hearing the door open to the gym. It was around the wall, where he could not see, but he could most definitely hear and sense a presence quite similar to his own. He could very well hear this despite the ear-buds in his ears, the vampirism granted him much more than people deceived him of having. Perhaps it was the Domina he had met at the end of his journey, but Leviticus shook his head slowly and kept to himself. Quiet and completely dead to society, running in place to a place he'd never reach upon a man-made machine he so happened to find work in. The outlet of listening to music soothed him, as it always had, he could recall several dreams and memories of when he'd dance with the highest of ladies and princesses in his day. The types of music which influenced his life immensely and had changed over and over through time. It was a wonderful thing to of had been able to experience such things, but the downfall would still always reign supreme with the curse of never dying. He wore that fact like a ring was to a finger.

Someone had come up behind him, in the time he hummed to the song recently played on repeat, on silent feet, soft and gentle, though easily read through his heightened abilities. The first he did was stop the machine, pausing his run for a more important time. He had looked to the glare in the window, opening his eyes slowly to see forth before him the pristine figure of a person he knew, and knew almost too well of. Flecks of gold flickered around his irises as they brimmed to a solemn hazel shade, almost dull, even as the specks of honey danced in unison together to the sight of such a maiden he had seen only once before. But in that one meeting, he had gained so much from her mind - but he could not feed from that anymore, and that almost seemed to make him feel fear - a feeling he had not felt in over a hundred years. The woman he knew, was human no more. And although she appeared just as the same, Leviticus could no longer feel her heartbeat caress the surrounding air and into his ears, to what he usually heard at it's loudest when hunger bit his flesh. Her voice, it was so fragile, so innocent as it roamed around him and constricted him like a strong boa to it's prey. Her hair was a glossy obsidian shade, as it had been the night they came into contact with each other, but life did not feel her eyes anymore, nor did it hold a strong glow before due to what he had read from her. She was blind, and would never feel the life she had before. Of course I remember you.., he would've wished to say, though his lips did not form words, but only kept shut. Leviticus knew, that she knew what he was now, however, she did not run. Her courage was still strong and fighting, he thought to himself quietly amongst the other thoughts which dragged along within his mind. But something slipped inside of him enough for him to at most mold his mouth to the sound of her name, "Celine Jolicoeur.." The name itself fell off his tongue as sooth as honey, craving more to what may not come. Shifting slightly while looking into the reflection, the muscles in his back that which surrounded his shoulders flexed, and his jaw tightened to the slightest.

With enough will, the half-naked man turned and looked at the small woman who was dressed in an almost spandex material to the fittest of her figure, his vampire eyes only to stare down into what was left of her soul. He stepped down, one foot after the other, providing as much effort as he could muster in his legs to follow command. The simple task of standing in front of her, however, was not the issue, it was the explanation which he would need to give, but he wondered if she was ready for that. He would need to know much of her later, for he could not feed from it now, nor ever again. Celine would finally be able to speak for herself without him prying into her mind behind her back, an this weakness of his was almost too much to bear due to his dying curiosity and dearest concern. "You know what I am." Leviticus said softly, his knowing eyes finding hers. Slowly did he begin to take off the wired buds that still played music from each end, stuffing them into his shorts pocket, where he tended to keep his hands for the time being. No one around them seemed to be paying any attention, as it was more or less empty, asides the giggling in the corner of a couple girls fawning over a well-built man lifting weights to impress them. The knight knew they would not find anyone to have eavesdrop on them here, so the fact he spoke aloud did not bother him. "And.. you're like me now.." The vampire's eyes phased to a soft, angelic glow, though to a human's dull mind, they would only seem faint of a light goldish brown. To one's heightened feelings, that may as well change upon perspective, much like any immortal would to find beauty despite the constant growing of years. He sought to find peace in almost everything, no matter if the world were ending, perhaps seek humour in it all too. It was a stupid question of him to even badger her with, but he asked with little to give away his thoughts, "Who did it to you?" Leviticus's hands rolled into two fists as they tucked further inside his pockets. His jaw clenched a bit tighter, though his eyes remained the same.

(Sorry it's shorter than usual.. I just really didn't have the energy to post much more.)

In almost slow-motion she watched him turn to her, watched his lovely face look at her as she tilted her head in the way that she did. Celine’s eyes searched his face and was somewhat surprised that she found him expressionless. The last time she’d seen him he was full of warmth, so light and airy as if he would drift away as she reached out for him. But she’d been human before, and he probably really wasn’t expecting this. It was a small world of mere coincidence but she couldn’t manage to open her mouth and throw accusations his way. It was a suspicious coincidence that she’d ended up turned the night she met him, but she couldn’t shove how safe she felt before when she was around him. The fact stopped her short of asking him if he turned her because she was very sure that it was not him. If he was surprised she didn’t see it; she felt stupid for seeing him as so open before. The agrestis watched him take every inch of her short body in until his eyes met her own once again. Celine visibly tensed as her name left his lips and she almost thought he was going to tell her to go away. She wouldn’t be surprised; she was just a pesky newborn now. The moment grew too serious for her until he started speaking. She nodded at his statement in full awareness that it wasn’t a question at all. Celine indeed knew what he was due her being able to tell when she hadn’t before. He was like a bell that could no longer ring amongst the others. It somehow threw of the symphony enough for her to notice and pinpoint the problem. When his next statement came she could have laughed as if it wasn’t obvious enough. In mock seriousness she checked to make sure her breasts were still there any her body was still feminine. She held up her hands in question and then gasped for effect. “Oh, you mean dead? Yeah, but murder looks great on me, no?” She did a little twirl, and when her eyes returned to his they were as cold and flat as his own.

It only made sense that he was going to ask what he was going to ask, heaven knows multiple people had asked her the same question. He was special, so she showed him no irritation when she shrugged and dropped her chin to look at her toes. “Your guess is as good as mine, Levi. Funny thing is, I woke up dead in an alley not even two hours after I left the party to escape my ex. All I remember previously was this guy had been calling me ‘liitle bird’ and all things creepy like that. I know that he bit me now, nearly killed me in fact. I fought back and it turned out that vampire flesh isn’t impenetrable.. Who knew?” She shrugged again and continued to speak. “I passed out with his blood in my mouth and woke up hours later feeling like a cannibal hungry hungry hippo. Only difference from then to now is that I know what I am and am learning about it per Demetri. Oh, and my diet no longer comes from a living source.. So happy about that. When I said I wanted to try eating organic, that was not what I meant.” In her speech she left out the fact that she wasn’t exactly making her training easy when she wanted to leave all the time. Vampires 101 only kept her in focus for twenty minutes max at a time, per her emotional rejection of the lifestyle. She felt bitter and stiff in a way that left her believing she would shatter at any moment. For all she knew, she would. As her rested remained rested at his eye level, Celine felt very docile and calm for once in the past few days. She felt like a drug addict that would do anything to get that hit once more. It left her crawling away to some dirty corner like a street rat to guzzle down what her veins sung for. But it felt too good, it tasted too well for her to hate it like she almost wished she did. Maybe it was just difficult for her and not someone else, but she hoped that she didn’t share the struggle alone. “I just want to thank you, in all honesty. You were a great distraction from that party.” Her head tilted up and she looked to Levi whilst quietly speaking. Celine was silent after that; she had said exactly what she needed to say. When she’d ran out before, she’d never gotten the chance to thank him. Distantly she wondered if she’d die now or if it even worked that way at all. Probably not.

Even the lightest, most whimsical of all fairies could not bring a smile to his lack of amused expression, but he pried one with the exception of her - the nymph who he so called a friend of his. It was so strange; He could not help himself but to wonder why such a flower as fragile as her could keep hold of her humanity, or at least, a majority of what was left within her after the transfer. His lips formed a grim frown, the ghostly hint to that spite of glistening gold to his eyes showing through, no matter the effort he put into fighting it back down. Leviticus so wished to say something against such a comment, but he could not bring himself to that, to bring rudeness before such a beautiful thing, a creature who could only deal with so much at this time of develop meant. There was still much, much left to do with her, so he blew it off and replaced it with utmost care, his fists loosening from their deathly grip, his knuckles then tenderly unfolding as a sigh drifted off his lips. Perhaps it was for the best, that is, for the both of them, he thought carefully, hesitantly amongst his own thoughts, his eyes drifting apart from hers to see the exercising machines and contraptions behind her. The unattainable friendship he had pictured abruptly in his mind soon then faded, only to be reminded what she truly was now, what she may or may not be feeling, what she was or wasn't thinking in a vulnerable time in her life. He wondered if it was dark, the sudden change it was, and his gaze wandered back shortly to reveal that he was fully aware of her presence, like as if it were the only thing he found interest in - which it in fact was. "Mortal, or immortal, you're as radiant as the hour I first met you. Nor in a light of grey, or none at all, you'll always shine the brightest among a crowd, Celine.." Signs of his vamperism were beginning to expose through his voice, now having the ability to no longer need a reason to blend his accent according to the age. If her and him were to be equals, he'd begin to show his true self to her, no secrets anymore, he thought, his throat short of choking before he could slowly lift up his arms and cross them over his bare chest. "I suppose the cat's out of the bag - perhaps I should start by saying my name is not Levi.." The man said, his voice hoarse from the lack of need to struggle against the stoppage in his sentences, golden hazel orbs ablaze and alive by the only thing fueling them - which was her presence, "My full name is Leviticus Eren Titanas.. actually. Secrets shouldn't be kept now.." He watched her with an almost prideful smile, chin tilted slightly as his mind faltered to keep up with her own. The possibilities were indeed endless, and in ways, when he looked to Celine's dainty appearance and gentle aura, he sensed a lot of his sister in her. Though not as daring, perhaps, then again, he was sure that those traits had now changed in her.

As she began to explain her altered dilemma, his lips curled inwards, pressing firmly as he fought the urge to chuckle. The time ensured through her words was passed by a gentle rocking on the heels and balls of his feet pressing into the training shoes he wore to work out in. Reaching up, he stretched both of his arms before one bent behind his head, rubbing and soothing the tension found in his neck as the plot thickened more and more so into her words. The vampire had not felt guilt in centuries, but now it had begun to dawn on him that he still had mortal happiness and anger left inside him, even despite the immortality in fact. However, the mentioning of their Dominus, did, in fact, interest him greatly. Leviticus had not brought himself yet to meet such a figure, whom was a crucial part of the superiority line in the vampire clan. Just the thought made his brows furrow and attention train to become more keen with what she had to say. "I have yet to meet the man, though if he has done some good with preparing you for what you're learning to control, then I seek no reason to find him untrustworthy of your or my loyalty. I am happy to hear you're fairing well with it, you've always been known for being a quick learner, I heard.." The knight winked, his flattened lips phasing to be that of a charming grin rather than it's typical formed frown. But that soon was gone as she thanked him, the guilt now returning to bite him in the ass while he looked passed the colour of the strands of hair sticking which way from her head, to the wall across the room, as she was extremely short, and his height made it all too easy to have to look directly down at her. Closing his eyes, the fall of his chest recognizably faltered to exhale slowly. He was glad for one of two reasons. The first being that he made her happy, feel almost secure with the surrounding situation she was dealing with. The second reason having been there to witness it and get to know her so she could thank him today. But that was not the case, and there he stood, his arms falling from his chest to tighten up again. "I can't.. accept your gratitude, Celine." No longer could he bring himself to look at her dead in the eyes. The wall seemed more peaceful, but the constant giggling back and forth of the imbecilic mortals in the corner had become a bother now that his mind was loosing the control to stay calm.

He had the urge to bare his fangs and bellow out for them to get out before he could flip a machine across the room - though perhaps that would scare her, give her the wrong impression she thought of him. He was not a monster, he told himself. Piercing his eyes straight to the ceiling, he ran his hands through his hair and sighed, easing his weight away from her so he could start to pace back and forth, "I'm sorry.. but I'm the reason why you're even going through this. I'm so sure of it.." His Italian tongue flicked back and forth between each word, the need to feed boiling at the bottom of his stomach, as it always did when he got a bit frustrated. "The only reason why I was at the damn party was to cover my ass from other vampires.. you see, it's not like that.. I actually wanted you to be a friend of mine, but then Bernard.. the man who called you 'little bird', is the leader of bastards who was after me.. He must've thought you were an ally of mine and attacked you to get to me." He breathed, looking elsewhere, like as if he was talking to himself rather than Celine before him. At rest, he took the time to sit down and put his head between his knees as a way of calming himself. New air managed a way easily to his lungs, and though it was not needed, it did, however, reassure his anxiety. The dryness of his mouth made him want to drink, and the sudden, loud heartbeats in the room made his eyes shade to creepily color brown. But he was wise, strong, and knew better - this was just another mistake that made him an outcast, "I've lived over.. 8,000 years.. and for once, it worked. And somewhere in the universe, he's laughing at the sight of me cracking under just a couple damn words.." He dragged his hands over his face, shielding his eyes and cheeks so he did not have to look at her. The man had brought a dishonorable display of his respect for her, and the protection of her life was now at a loss. She would never get back the life she deserved, and he'd live with the fact of knowing it for the rest of his days on Earth.

Every fiber Celine could claim was hers froze in just a fraction of a second. The information was a bit much for her to retain without some sort of reaction. Her eyes grew infinitesimally wider, but she did not leave. Her facial expression remained general and very impassive throughout the ordeal; she gotten very skilled at remaining reserved. Celine would bring no warmth or light until she fully calculated and weighed her reaction, so she let her mind think it over. First thing to process was that he was old, older than she had originally thought him to be. She should have known really; he seemed to know more than any young man should when she met him. Mentally she scolded herself for having gone with it without a moments hesitation, but then again she’d been upset and hurt. He’d soothed her fresh wound before she had had a chance to cower away and clean them herself. Levi had been unexpected that night, so she allowed herself a bit of understanding for her lack of foresight. Her eyes narrowed and she looked him over quietly before nearly asking him if he was sure he didn’t have his own age wrong. Of course he didn’t; he seemed to know everything enough as it was. The soothing hand of her subconscious quietly reminded her of one of the newer lessons she had coming to terms with: immortality. She was slowly being eased into the topic, her fledgling brain finding it hard to wrap around something so infinite. It still helped her understand why he looked no more than his mid-twenties. The concept gave her an understanding and relaxation she could ease into. Surely she wouldn’t have been alright with this had she not been taught the topic before. Even then Celine found herself searching his face for a hint of a wrinkle, maybe even a sign of his age other than his mental state around his face. There was nothing, and if she was understanding properly there would never be anything. The agrestis noticed that her shoulders had been rising in the tension, the muscle knotting themselves. Quietly Celine took a breath she didn’t need and felt her body brush of the tension with ease.

Next was her murder itself. This would be a little harder for her to recognize, especially with what he believed to be his fault in her death. Celine blinked up at him through twin pairs of icy cyan, dark lashes framing her eyes as she crossed her arms around herself and held tight. Her head moved down, unable to look at him, as she tried to think it through. It only took moments, but for her and maybe him it felt like hours. The agrestis had the initial instinct to turn and leave in a hurry, but that was not what she did. Despite his words, she did not blame him. After all, he didn’t physically bury his fangs in her neck. If he had, she probably would’ve been better off. Instead she was here and he was there, telling her that her death and eventual resurrection was a part of his doing. In all honesty, she couldn’t find it in her to blame him. Slowly she turned her gaze in his direction and softened the normal wall she built nowadays. Quicker than a flick of a finger, Celine decided she didn’t blame him and spoke no more of the matter. “Well,” she said. “I apologize if you find it surprising that my death is somewhat of a touchy subject, but I do not blame you for having even the slightest hand in it.That was then, this is now. I’m different, you may or may not be. I can’t read your mind or your emotions, but I think and feel that a new start is in order.” With that she dropped the subject entirely, leaving it for him to bring back up if he so wished. Her head tilted up, up, up to look at him full on. Celine held out her hand to him in an offer to shake, more friendly than business, and gave him a small smile. She found herself wanting to be warmer to him because she felt she owed him her gratitude. In her mind, Celine would have been dead that night. Period. No coming back or loopholes in it. She would’ve been that tragic girl beaten to death by a person so low he wasn’t even an excuse for a man. That was definitely not she would’ve wanted to go.

She waited for him to shake until she spoke, mere glimpses of a southern drawl peeking out through her voice. “I’m Celine Katherine Jolicoeur. It is a pleasure to meet you, Leviticus.” When greetings were done she met the eyes of one of the bossy gym staff, surely prepared to come by and shoo the pair off for loitering. Her bottom lip was caught between her teeth as she made a quick hop onto the treadmill beside him. “So, other than exercising, what do you like to do? Oh, other than the occasional frat party as well.” She started small talk as she set the machine to how she wished to move, setting herself to an easy walk. Celine knew running would never be a problem now, but she never really had a taste for exercise. She walked and pretended to look very engaged in her physical activity until she was back in the clear from the staff. The agrestis promptly shut off the machine and used it for her leaning purposes. She turned to him and smiled tightly. She gave a noncommittal shrug and proceeded to hop off the treadmill altogether. Celine landed gently on the balls of her feet and took her hair from its ponytail. It felt too tight and restricting, so she breathed a sigh of relief as her inky locks promptly fell down to her hips. Her left hand reached back to massage the tightness from her scalp. There was the telltale ache in her belly, the pain singing its way to her very alive nerves. Celine’s eyes widened and she placed a hand on her middle, understanding her hunger. It wasn’t enough for her to go mad, but it was very uncomfortable. She sighed in annoyance about this, her mood shifting visibly and without her newborn permission. The agrestis was overwhelmed with the days events even when she knew that the day was far from over. Her chin had fallen so her eyes met his lower chest at the highest point until she blinked and tilted back up to see his eyes. “I hope I wasn’t disturbing you on a day you wished to be alone. I can understand that.. I haven’t had much time to myself to process all of this.” Her right arm reached across to grasp her left, suddenly feeling like an intruder as she waited for him to speak.