Re: Chapter 2 - The Calm Before the Storm
Isabella opens her eyes as the sun sinks below the horizon, her line of sight interrupted by the outline of the man lying next to her on the mattress they had stretched out on the floor. Funny how she didn't think it was at all strange to be sharing sleeping arrangements with her Sire when she was fairly certain waking up next to someone would have probably startled her before her Embrace.
Running her hand through her hair as she rolls up, she huffs a little. "Shower's in order, I think." They had a few toiletries down here for quickly freshening up, but the one thing the room lacked was running water. Had just about everything else though: WiFi they could mooch off of, sockets for a lamp, room for a salvaged desk. It really wasn't all that much different from her dorm room, really, except things were a little more second hand.
Raven let out a soft noise. "Th-that means d-d-dealing with your R.A."
"Well, you don't have to come if you don't want to, but I know I need to feed Bruce, at the very least of things."
"You c-could bring him down here."
She shook her head. "Plant wouldn't live and he needs that. Are you really that intimidated by her?"
He frowned. "I-I-I don't like what sh-she a-assumes. A-a-about us."
She gave him a smile. "Better than her realizing the truth."
Another frown. "Lead the way," he mumbled.
Scooping up her things, she turns her phone over in her hand as she hears it beep. "Our meeting?" Her brows furrow. "What meeting? Do you remember?"
His brow furrows as well, and then go up. "Th-Th-The hacker."
"Ah." She draws in and huffs out a breath. "Then we probably should get cleaned up. Want to make a good, well, I guess second impression, after all."
That done, he dispels the illusion that covers their sleeping place after listening to make sure no one happened to be randomly walking by, not that anyone really should be prowling around in the lower levels of some of the campus buildings, but college students were a strange lot and you never knew sometimes. Determining that the coast was clear, they headed up through the back stairwells and emerged out of one building to cut around it and head over to the one with student housing. Once they were in the building, she picked up the pace a little, wanting to get this process over and done with.
"You know, Isabella, you ought to just see about getting your boyfriend to transfer over here," the R.A. chuckled, giving her a rather exaggerated wink. "Would save us so much paperwork."
Raven handed over his ID without a word and scribbled his signature on the appropriate line. They'd been through this so many times and the woman really was starting to get annoying about the whole thing.
"Maybe I just like making your life miserable," Izzy chirped, making her voice very saccarine but by this point, she was starting to mean it. One of these days, the woman was going to catch on.
Not today, though. She hooked Raven's arm and tugged him along after her, heading for her dorm room. The lobby held a few of their fellow students, but no one really thought twice about the couple cutting through on their way to the rooms. Once there, they both spent a little time freshening up. Funny how Raven was right and she didn't mind cold showers at all anymore. Not that she exactly paid for her hot water, but still.
After feeding her beta, she began running a comb through her hair. "Do you remember where we were supposed to meet this guy? Person? Hacker? Thing?"
He nodded. "I think so. Ready to find out what this is all about?"
"Oh, definitely. You?"
"Y-Yeah. Hope-Hopefully this'll be worth all...all the trouble."
"No worries, right?" She reached out, threading her hand into his, giving it a bit of a squeeze as they made their exit, glad to finally be finding out who the phantom hacker was.