forum All my rps r ded so.... rp with a smol 'vegan' vampire?

Started September 07, 2020 by @Kinarymo

tune

His initial confused gaze gradually morphed into one of realization, with bits of shyness sprinkled in.
"Oh, so its a fist fighting thing, i get it." he chuckled softly. "Makes a lot more sense than having a real hook"

"Wait, people throw parties for their birthdays? I thought that was something rich people do… And what's a sleepover?" he asked, intrigued by the new information. Given his situation, he'd never been to events like that, as for his birthday, he'd nearly forgotten when that was. And the latter term was just foreign to him entirely.

"You're welcome." he nodded, continuing to eat. "Well, i havent read anything like that, so i cannot say much. But i do agree that the character growth is important for any good story."
Damien had made it halfway his slice of cake listening to her talking, pretty interested in the whole shapeshifting thing - he may have not liked that side of himself, but some of the things he was learning about it were just interesting.
"Whoa, theres a whole list of that? Like what?"

With her reassurance, Damien's smile slightly grew, glad she was still satisfyied with his answers, despite the possible innacuracy.
"Well, im pleased to know my answers are somewhat helpful. Do you have any other theories you wanna talk about?"

The boy shook his head slowly, seemingly in respect to all the people out there whom may have been affected by this terrible disease.
"I hope so too… Its sad to think about it…"

”Yeah, it is.” She nodded at his understanding, though she had to hold back a small laugh at the thought of her actually having a real hook.

She raised a brow at the idea that only the rich used to celebrate birthdays but it made sense to her that he hadn't heard of sleepovers before. ”Well, everyone celebrates birthdays now. Mostly of friends and family members.” she clarified. ”And a sleepover is just a group of friends who come over to stay the night. You stay up late, eat junk food, and play games.”

”Well, I hope you never read a book like that. They are not enjoyable.” she chuckled, shaking her head. ”Umm, yeah. All that I can think of from that list is; vampire bat, wolf, and some kind of mist form. I'm sure that there is more though.”

Mari hummed negatively. ”No, I can't think of any other questions for you at the moment. But I really appreciate your answers. They've been very interesting.” she smiled back, glad that she hadn't bothered him or come off as insensitive about anything.

”It is sad… At least, it's not deadly or anything.” she said softly, trying to cheer him up a little.

"Have you… um, ever had to use it?" he asked, cautiously, with a small smile still left on his lips.

In his time, he'd never really celebrated his birthday, just got to spend some really lovely days with his mother, who'd spoil him more than usual. That habit ceased the moment they were separated, and never happened again, even after he moved into the manor
"Hah, that must be pretty cool…" he commented, looking away while trying to imagine what it could be like on one such ocassion. "Hmm, so, would your stay the other night count as some sort of sleepover? I mean, you did get to spend the night here"

The boy backed up a small inch when Mari wished him to never come across books like the ones previously mentioned, but if she said they were not entertaining and not worth the time, then he'd take her word for it.
"The wolf form sounds dangerous… But the mist one is intriguing, i wont lie. I wonder why that one in particular."

He nodded as well, happy to know she was satisfyied with his replies.
"Sure, no problem. Feel free to ask me anything if you remember something new."

"It's not? Thats good. But still, having to live with something like that…"

She blushed a little at the question but she nodded, looking at the cake for a moment instead of him. ”Yeah, once.” she admitted. As far as she could tell, he hadn't lied to her so she saw no reason to lie to him. ”Some jerk was picking on one of my friends and I just couldn't stand to not do something. It happened pretty fast, I didn't fully realize what I had done until everyone was staring at me and my hand started stinging.” she explained as she remembered the event. ”I got in trouble for it, but everyone who saw it stood up for me and the jerk got punished because of it.” she added with a small smile.

”Yeah, I guess it could have been.” her smile grew as she nodded thoughtfully at his comment. She hadn't really thought about it that way before but it had been fun… Spending the stormy night here with Damien, so she wasn't going to argue his logic. He was actually pretty smart.

Mari looked at him, a little worried when he pulled back. Did she phrase that wrong? She hadn't meant to… she was just making a recommendation with a hint of humor. At least that was her intention. She shrugged at his thoughts on the list she mentioned. ”Well… Wolves are dangerous, and honestly I guess I always thought it was strange for vampires to shift into a wolf in the first place. I forget the origin of the mist form theory though but you're right; it does sound cool.” she smiled in agreement.

”I will… Actually, I do have one more question for you, since we're talking about the subject.” she nodded a little having thought about it when they were talking about parties. ”Do you remember what month or season you were born in?” she asked kindly. After being alone for so long, he probably didn't keep track of the dates anymore and therefore he probably didn't celebrate birthdays or holidays as often. She was hoping to help change that.

She nodded a little. ”Yeah, I can imagine it's hard having to live with it. ”

He listenened to her retell the story, with his head supported by his hands. Once she was done, he slowly lowered them, looking at the table with a serious glimmer in his eye.
"Im glad that person got what was they deserved. Bullies like that shouldnt be permitted to pick on others" He commented, firmly. "Tho i hope you didnt get into too much trouble for that. You did what was right."

The boy shook his head gently, with his usual tiny smile still on his face upon receiving her confirmation.
"I mean, we did talk and eat, so its a 2 outta 3, maybe 4, i suppose?" he dared chuckle shyly.

"Hmmm, i do wonder if that is a true fact about vampires…" he murmured, hand on his chin like he was slowly sinking in his thoughts. "Cuz like i said, i never tried to see for myself if it was true or not"

He was about to reach for the knife to cut out another slice when he stopped mid way, gaze on Mari.
"When was i born…? Gosh, i havent thought about it in so long. Uum, if i'm not mistaken, i think it was somewhere in winter? Possibly somewhere in the middle of December, im not too sure. I might need some time to remember things, right now i can barely recall things like that."

He nodded as well, allowing silence to install over them

She let out a soft breath she didn't realize she had been holding at his words. ”Well, I only got in a little trouble with the school for hitting another student, but my parents agreed with you so I didn't really get much more than a brief lecture from them.” she admitted.

She laughed lightly with him and nodded. ”That is true. I never thought of a sleepover as a way to make a friend.” she smiled back, finding his smile very sweet.

Mari shrugged, watching him think it over. ”Well, if you ever want to try it… I’d be willing to try to help you out if I can.” she offered though she was unsure of how she would accomplish that other than being encouraging and calming for him.

”Ok. I was just wondering.” she assured him. ”Considering you've been alone for so long… You don't have to be exact.” she paused for a moment debating on telling him her birthday or if it would just make him feel more awkward.

Damien rubbed his chin thoughtfully, making small 'hmm' noises as he did so.
"I know hitting another student would be wrong but… Getting in trouble for standing up to a bully makes no sense to me at all. They started it, no? So you should be in the right there." he commented, after several brief moments of thinking. The logic didn't make sense to him at all, but then again, he was looking at things using his own perspective - which by today's standards were most likely severely outdated.

He lightly tilted his head down, a faint shade of pink making its way on his pale cheek.
"Neither did i… I wasn't even sure how to make a friend in the first place." he confessed, swinging his legs slightly under the table. "I was uh,,, wondering if we could do another sleepover some time in the future, if it's alright with you."

"I… But how would i even know how to try? I"ve never done anything like that before in my life… I wouldn't even know where to start" he expressed his worries to her, scared that although she wanted to help him, he would fail miserably at it due to his lack of knowledge about the subject.

With the reassuring gaze he got from Mari warming him up, Damien took a minute to really squeeze his brains out, trying to remember when exactly his birthday was. Given his mother had been affectionate with him almost all the time, it was hard to pinpoint when exactly she'd spoiled him more than usual, but with enough thinking, he was able to slowly find a pattern.
"I think it was definitely somewhere in december, that one is certain because i remember snow. As for the date itself, i dont think i ever memorized it… It has to be somewhere in the latter half of the month, that's all i can remember for now." he spoke after thinking really deep, searching for the lost memory.

Mari nodded with a soft sigh. “Yeah… the whole school system is a little screwy. Uh, weird. To the school, it doesn't always matter who starts it. I think I remember a teacher telling me that I did the right thing in standing up to that guy, but that violence is never the answer.” she almost rolled her eyes at that. ”It was shortly after that that I was recommended to get into sports and I’ve been doing pretty good at it.”

She smiled at seeing him blush, even faintly. ”It’s ok, Damien. Usually given the opportunity, making friends can be pretty easy.” she shrugged a little before nodding with a bright grin. ”I would love to have another sleepover with you sometime. It'll be a lot of fun.” she agreed.

”Hey, hey. It's ok. There's no need to get worked up.” she said calmingly. ”We can figure it out if you really want to try it. There's no pressure if you don't want to or if you can't… that’s fine too.” she assured him gently.

”Late December… Ok.” she nodded, making a mental note of that with plans to surprise him later on. ”That’s pretty cool actually. I’m… Uh, my birthday is in early June.” she told him to keep the conversation going.

"Thats still messed up. I do agree on the 'violence is not the answer' part, but if the school wont do anything about it either then what else are you supposed to do? I dont get it." the boy pouted, feeling like that would be a place definitely not suited for him. "You got recommended to sports? Huh, they probably saw some potential in you after you punched that dude. That's pretty nice, i believe."

He rubbed his cheek a little with his hand, whilst still looking away from her, trying to compose himself.
"Well, i wouldnt know that, given no one ever wanted to be close to me… But i will take your word for it!" He began rustling in his chair again, glad she agreed to have another 'sleepover' with him some time in the future - having her spend the night with him drove away some of the lonely feelings that had piled up on him.

"Im just worried it will be pretty disappointing if i fail or dont have the power to do it… I mean, i already told you i never really did any of the things you mentioned a vampire could." he murmured, with a worried look on his face. Sure, the idea sounded cool enough on paper and Mari seemed pretty hyped about it, thus he feared disappointing her.

"Pretty cool as in how?" Damien tilted his head, failing to see what made his birth date interesting. "Ooh, early June? That's in the summer, right? Not too far from now, if im not mistaken. How old are you right now, if i may ask?"

”Yeah, it is messed up but… honestly, I don't think there's much anyone can do about it. Not unless you study specifically to do that.” she admitted a little helplessly. She chuckled a little and shrugged at his reasoning. ”Probably. I have enjoyed being part of it and I've taken on more sports for different seasons though when I was first starting I didn't think that they did it because of any potential. I used to think they did it to keep me from ”acting out” again.”

Mari smiled softly at him. ”Well, the world has changed since the last time you saw people. I didn't have any problems with becoming your friend and I'm happy to call you my friend.” she said kindly but confident. She almost wanted to tell him about the Goth type of people she knew at school and the lifestyle… But couldn't think of the right words to describe it.

”It’s alright. I’ll admit; it will be very cool if you can do it. If not, then you're not that different from every other human out there.” she said gently. She hadn't forgotten that Damien was only half-vampire and had very little interaction, if any, with his vampiric heritage. ”There’s no pressure if you can't do it. No one expects perfect success on the first try.”

”Oh, I just meant that it was good to know. But it is cool that you were born so close to Christmas.” she admitted. ”Yeah, it's in kind of late spring, early summer. Pretty close to now. Oh, I’m sixteen and turning seventeen this year.” she answered with a smile.

"That's so confusing…." Damien whimpered, starting to slowly hit his head with his hands, in an exasperated manner. The whole thing was starting to play with his head, and he hated whenever it happened, majorly because of the heavy feeling of injustice he was getting from it, which triggered some long buried worms that had eaten away at him back when his traumas were still fresh.
"Im pretty sure they put you into sports because they were impressed by how you punched the guy. I mean, i personally dont see how doing sport stops anyone from punching someone."

Taking a moment to recover, his gaze met hers and her confidence calmed him down for a little bit.
"I'm glad to call you my friend as well. I really am" he managed to say, with a weak smile. "It'd be nice to have more friends but… Im not too sure about others just yet"

"Well then, i guess i could try. Some day, i hope" he relented, relaxing back in his chair. He was still insecure about his chances of succeeding, but at least he felt calmer knowing she was willing to support him either way.

"What's so cool about being born near Christmas?" Damien asked, genuinely curious. He knew about the holiday, but it had never held a greater importance than any other holiday. "SIxteen? That's cool, wish you the best when your birthday comes around. Will you be throwing a party?"

”I know it is.” Mari agreed. Honestly, she had long given up on trying to understand the school system regarding actual education and whatever they called discipline. She smiled a little when he stuck with his reasoning for why the school put her in sports. ”You’re probably right. That could have been why they suggested it. I guess it doesn't really matter now since I chose to stick with it.” she told him even though she understood that the schools could still see sports as a way to work out aggressions.

She nodded understandingly. ”It’s ok. There's no rush. When you're ready to meet other people, I’ll be there to help you out.” she assured him, glad to see him at least talking about coming out of his shell one day.

”Whenever you're ready.” Mari smiled in regards to testing his abilities, if he had any after all. Though she wished she had some helpful advice to give him. All she could think to do was just be there for him… and maybe bring a first aid kit.

She blinked a little before realizing that he probably didn't celebrate too many holidays the same way. ”Well, Christmas is a very big holiday, one of the biggest actually. Schools close for winter break. Snow everywhere… usually. There’s sledding, snowball fights, hot cocoa when you come back inside, warm fires… and all the presents under the tree on Christmas morning.” she smiled brightly as she listed some of her favorite things about the seasonal day. She laughed kindly, nodding a little at his sweet regards and his question. ”Thank you, Damien, and yes, me and my family are planning to have a party. Though we won't really make plans for it until closer to the actual month.”

Tired from the gestures he'd been doing, the boy just nodded at her comment, closing his eye for a few moments as if to regain some energy. He liked knowing more about what her daily life was like, but right now he just wanted to take a small break from trying to understand stuff.

"Promise?" he said softly, his shy and insecure gaze stuck on her face. If he had the confirmation she'd be there to help him, he was willing to give it a shot.

"Mhm, mhm" he nodded again, still unsure about the whole thing. Sure, he would have liked to be able to do those things but it was also pretty scary to think about.

"That… actually sounds kinda nice…" he dared smile, trying to imagine her words. "I was used to winter being just the cold yet silent season, without much going on. Sure, there was this one day mom said was special but we never really celebrated anything… It was Mother who did mention something about Christmas being said special day, and she'd usually make this really nice cake for that day. I never would have guessed it was that big of a holiday though"
With all the isolation, it was no wonder Damien's knowledge of holidays was still at an all time low level - who could blame him though? Mari's version was very different from what he knew, and it had made him curious. Would he ever manage to see it, one day?
"Ooh, got it. And uh, what do you usually do there? Yourself i mean, as the person of interest. How do you spend that day?"

She smiled a little, watching as he seemed to rest briefly. ”Sorry if me talking about school is boring. I’ll admit I'm not very enthusiastic about it either.” she teased lightly. Though she didn't mind if they dropped the subject if he really was bored with it.

”I promise.” Mari nodded confidently, reassuring him. She had no intention of letting him try something he wasn't ready for without being supportive of him, whether that meant staying beside him for whole the situation or just encouraging him.

She smiled again, kindly, wanting to help him with his insecurity about if he had any abilities and how to use them. But if he didn't want to keep talking about it anymore, she wouldn't press the topic.

”It is nice.” she agreed with a soft nostalgic smile. She listened closely to his little story, nodding occasionally to show she was paying attention. It made sense that he thought of winter that way, especially when he was alone… Mari supposed it didn't really matter since now she was already planning to throw him his first birthday party and a little Christmas celebration. It would just be the two of them and cake and presents on his birthday. For Christmas… She’d bring Christmas music and candy canes and… getting a little ahead of yourself, Mari. It's not even the right season yet.
”Oh, it probably wasn't always as big of a holiday as it is now.” she shrugged as an answer, considering commercialism.

”Personally… Well, it depends on what day of the week it falls on. If it's on a weekend, I sleep in, sometimes I get to have pancakes for breakfast… Umm, for the most part, I spend the day with my family.” she admitted. ”My mom makes my favorite dinner and my favorite type of cake. Sometimes my friends get invited over and I open presents from everyone.” she told him.

"No, its not boring…" he waved his hand. "its just, i dunno… that system you talked about just puts me on edge a little and i dont… exactly like it… I think i can understand why you're not that excited about it either."
He shuddered at the thought, opening his eye and trying to lighten things up with a weak smile.

"Mn, Thank you" he replied, relieved that he had someone to lean on. For now he was calmer, but in order to make other friends, it would have meant leaving the manor, right? That was the thought that gave him the most worries, but with Mari around, there was a chance things might not be so bad after all.

"Do you… um, have any idea how i could do those things at least?" he questioned, hoping to find at least some guidance from her, in any way shape or form - even though he was kinda sure she did not have such information on her to begin with. Why would a human - who until a day ago believed vampires weren't real - even know how those things worked in the first place?

Damien perked up at her latter statement, like snapping out of his train thought.
"That would make a lot of sense, actually. I still have to get used to how things may have changed over the years…" he said, waving his pointer around, as if he was talking about something very important, before pressing it sideways on his lips, like he was thinking again. Considering that America had established Christmas as a national holiday somewhere in the late 19th century, it wasnt impossible that Damien had probably been there from before the declaration took place, and thus wasnt used to it - but that wouldnt exactly tie in with his birth mother talking to him about it. What year was he born anyway?

"So… you get to have a great time, right? With your favorite food, family, friends and uh, gifts, right?" he concluded, finding the whole thing rather lovely. "It must be so nice"
He didnt want to admit in her face that he too would have liked to have such things in his life, more so given that all the people whom he'd considered family had long since passed away and friends had never been a thing until very recent. But at the very least, he was learning about new things, and this new world seemed a lot less hostile than the one he'd left behind so long ago - as long as he stayed away from that school place at least, he hoped.

She nodded a little. ”I understand. It's definitely complicated to explain and harder to wrap your head around… which is part of the reason why it's not very interesting.” she told him.

”You’re welcome.” she smiled softly, glad to offer him some confidence. She wasn't going to bring anyone to his hidden home so he could maintain his privacy. If he wanted to, of course, he could invite people over when he was ready to.

Mari chewed her lip thoughtfully at his question about how to use his potential powers. ”Umm… I'm not really sure. If I had to guess… the only advice I can think of is to try to stay calm and focused.” she admitted. ”It could be based on your intent and your will.”

She nodded at his reasoning. ”It’s ok. I’ll do my best to help you learn everything you want to know about how everything changed.” she promised, sincerely.

”Yeah, pretty much. It is nice.” she smiled. ”Your birthday is essentially your day. Some people actually wear a costume crown for their party… I’ll admit, I wore a plastic tiara last year.” she blushed with a small chuckle.

"How do you even manage to keep it together at that place?" he asked, given she went there regularly.

"Do you, umm, have many friends? I assume you would, given you're so nice…" He blushed softly, although he meant what he said. A person like Mari was probably easy to befriend with and be liked by many, the same way he did.

Damien gave thought to her suggestion, thinking he could manage to be calm and focused if he really tried, but what exactly he should focus on, that was harder to do than say it.
"It could, i just dont know if i have the will though." he murmured, reaching out to get another slice of the cake.

His smile extended at her promise, happy she wanted to help him further.
"What other new thing can you tell me about?" he said, interested in talking about more stuff, now that she'd brought it up.

"A crown? like, a prince? That's kinda odd, but sounds fun, to be fair. And it would make sense if you're being treated like royalty on your birthday. How sweet" he too chuckled lightly, trying to imagine what she might have looked like with the said tiara. "What did it feel like while wearing it?"

”Honestly, somedays I just don't know.” she admitted with a slightly despondent look. School was just plain crazy most days and stressful on others. ”Sometimes I’m tempted to call in sick even when I'm not… but sports kinda helps. It gives me something I enjoy to think about.” she added, her expression softening.

She blushed a little at his compliment and shrugged. ”I… Thanks. Y-yeah, I have a few friends. Most of them are people I know from the sports I participate in. But honestly, I don't know how many of them I would actually call a friend… Maybe more like associates? I don't really hang out with them too much.” Honestly, she didn't mind that fact though. It was nice to have some time to herself to just relax every once in a while.

Mari chuckled lightly and shook her head. ”Well, half of it is attitude. You can be nervous, that's normal. Just don't let it hold you back from trying. You could end up surprising yourself.” she smiled a little, realizing that maybe she could use some of her sports coach’s pep talks to help Damien.

She gave a thoughtful hum, attempting to think of something else that he might not know about that she could explain. ”Well, there's a lot out there and honestly I'm not the most knowledgeable person but… Oh, I forgot. I was going to tell you my theory about why there are so many allergies these days.” she realized, feeling silly that it had slipped her mind. ”Sorry… Umm did you still want to hear it? I’m probably not right about it anyway.”

She blushed a shade darker than earlier when he asked about the toy crown. ”I felt a little silly but I still had a fun time. I think there is a saying or something where friends and family consider the birthday boy or girl king/queen for the day. The crown is just kinda an inside joke on top of that. Though it is embarrassing when you go to a restaurant for your birthday. You get a free dessert but the staff come out and sing for you while they bring it out.” she said, her blush growing as she remembered all the times that had happened to her.

Damien's expression showed a mix of pity and somewhat distress, as he felt bad knowing his friend was going through such things.
"And you have to go there regularly? Can't you just quit? Why do you have to go there?" he asked, looking like he was on the verge of tears, judging by the faint shimmer of his only green eye.

"Oh, i see…" he sunk back in his chair, looking away. "So they're more like acquaintances, then? Okay, what do you do with your closest friends then? As in, what stuff do you do together?"
The response hadn't been exactly what he'd expected, but at the very least she was on somewhat good terms with those people, which in his eyes, counted as a somewhat friend. As expected of someone as nice as Mari.

"Hmmm… well, i guess i will try then" he eventually gave in, with a small sigh. "Maybe one of these days? Or whenever you come by?"
Who knows, perhaps she was right and he could indeed do certain things, if he was determined enough to try them.

He perked up at her bringing back the forgotten topic from a little while ago.
"Yes yes, that, i forgot about it. Do tell me your theory, incorrect as it is, i still want to hear it." the boy said, curiously shifting in his chair again. Wrong or not, at least it was one answer to a question, way better than nothing at all.

"So an inside joke? Hah, it must be pretty interesting to see one of such parties. At the very least you're important for one day a year."
So far, he was finding the topic pretty interesting and quite enjoyable actually. Something of this kind was not even thought about in his time, let alone practiced, but he did want to see one, some day, just to get a taste of what things were like now. The crown thing did sound a little silly, but for Damien, it carried perhaps a grain of symbolism, in a fun way.
"Uh, what's a restaurant though? Some place with food, i assume?"

Mari shook her head briefly. "Five days a week, usually. It's… I guess it's a law or something cause there's a type of officer to help schools deal with kids who continuously skip school. Quiting or dropping out is an option but… that's looked at poorly. Like if you don't complete or go to school, you won't get a good paying job. If you don't get a good paying job, how can you afford your own place… It just kinda spirals downward." she explained, having heard this fearmongering story before but unsure of how much of it was actually true. She looked up at Damien and bit her tongue to keep from swearing when she saw that he was tearing up. "Hey, it's ok. It's not always so bad. I… I didn't mean to upset you." she apologized.

"Yeah. I still hang out with my teammates but I have friends I'm closer to outside of that group." she said with a small shrug. "Well, we mostly just talk. Sometimes we'll get a bite to eat, visit each others homes, play games. We talk about music, books, school, movies, new games, relationships." she sighed at her list. "Sometimes we'll even talk about our problems when we just need some one to just listen to us. Our parents always say that we can tell them anything, but that's easier said than done so we go to our best friends first." she admitted, smiling softly.

Her smile brightened, proud and a little excited that he was willing to try. "Whenever you're ready. I… I would like to help, if I can when you give it a shot." she told him, blushing a little, hoping that it wouldn't be too forward of her to say that.

Mari chuckled a little when he looked up at the reminder. "Ok, just let me know if you need me to explain anything. It gets a little scientific… and a bit long-winded." she warned.

"Sort of… It's kind of a well known inside joke. Like pretty much everyone actually knows about it. It's supposed to be like "You're the king or queen for the day. It's all about you." At least amongst your friends and family." she chuckled softly, glad that her friend enjoyed this topic.
"You assume right. A restaurant is a place where you go out to eat. There's quite a few of them out there and a lot of them have different types of food. Some are very general while others have food from different cultures." she explained.

Damien fought off his tears, sniffling a few times, trying to somewhat maintain his composure, though it was painfully obvious he was starting to soften around the edges, like an ice cream in the heat.
"its just… I find it quite cruel that you have to go to a place like that, and have to go through all of those things because otherwise you won't have a good future without it…. At the very least they could have made it nicer… Unless, not all are schools like that?"

"So that's what friends usually do when they're together? I wouldnt have guessed." he said softly, before taking a bit out of his freshly cut piece of cake. It was the third one so far, but whenever his emotions went a bit too wild he found some comfort in eating something pleasant, as to put his mind off it and calm down a little.
"Why is it harder to talk to your parents than friends? Aren't parents supposed to be your closest friends, out of everyone else?"

Damien took a few moments thinking about what time would be best for them to try this thing out. Outside was still damp from the rain and he didn't have that much planned in the first place, so he was basically free from that day on
"How about tomorrow? Is that a good time? For you i mean."

He nodded with excitement, wanting to hear her argument.
"Mn! I willl!" the boy chirped, eager to cut to the chase, as he was munching on his slice of cake and seemingly taking his listening position.

Damien cracked another smile, remembering what it felt like when his mother was still around - she was the one who treated him like he was the most important person of all times, never losing the opportunity to tell him so when she could.
"Oooh, places with various foods? From other cultures? That really does sound interesting. Do you usually go there? And if so, which ones do you like most?"

Mari watched him, her heart aching a little with each sob. Seeing him sad like this was honestly making her want to hug him, but she held back since she didn't think he would appreciate the touch yet. ”It’s ok. Really.” she assured him softly. ”A lot of people will agree with you that schools could, and probably should, be better and more enjoyable. But… No, I don't think all schools are like that. I’ve actually heard of this one type called ”Trade schools” and from what I've heard about them, people enjoy those more. Same with culinary and art schools.” she said, hoping to boost his spirits.

Mari raised a brow as he started eating a third slice of cake. Maybe half-vampires, dhampirs she suddenly remembered, had a higher metabolism hence why he looked so smol. ”Well, what do you think we’ve been doing?” she asked, half teasing as she reminded him that they were friends. ”Not sure. Sometimes there are just things that some people feel that parents just wouldn't understand or that it's an awkward topic and it's easier to go to a friend for advice on those kinds of things… Or at least, go to them first. Though I don't know about parents being a person’s closest friends.” she shrugged. ”Maybe when someone is younger, cause I know I was closer to mine when I was a kid. But it seems like teenage years are when kids grow away from their parents.”

”Tomorrow… Yeah, I think I should be able to come over.” she said thoughtfully. The days had blurred together so she momentarily forgot which day of the week it was… thought she was fairly sure it was Saturday.

”Ok. You asked for it.” she chuckled at his enthusiasm. ”So, my theory is that… Well, maybe I should probably start by mentioning that the population of this country, maybe the whole world, increased by a fair amount at some point between the last time you… where out and now. Since then, science and medicine have also grown and because of that we now have a better understanding of genetics and DNA. Now if you're familiar with the story of Frankenstein then you can imagine that some scientists just can't help themselves and leave things alone. They have to try to find a way to make something better.” she explained, with a little rambling. ”So, my actual theory is that some scientist or a group of scientists decided to experiment with plants to see if they could make it grow faster, produce more food, or even protection from pests.” she let out a small sigh. ”I honestly don't know how much of a is fact or how much they actually succeeded but I figure that messing around with plants that way is what triggered a lot of today's allergies.”

Marissa nodded at his questions. ”Yeah, we go to a few. Let's see… some of my favorite restaurants are the ones that serve Italian foods, like pizza and pasta dishes. But I like Mexican too, as well as burger joints… Though I know of a pretty good fried chicken place too.” she admitted, even though she knew he probably wasn't familiar with much of those kinds of foods.

The boy wiped away some of the half formed tears before they fell with his large sweater sleeve, trying to avoid crying in front of Mari.
"So there are schools that are enjoyable… That's good! What do these 'Trade schools' do?" he asked, briefly looking like he'd seen some glimmer of hope for the situation, before popping the question. What did these schools mean by 'trade'?

"I dont know, ive never had friends to know what they usually do" he defended himself, shrugging.
"Hmm… I never thought of it that way. All my problems i would share with my mom, and she'd usually help me with them. I mean, aside from her there was no one else i could turn to, she was my only friend at the time. Sure, there were moments when i hesitated to talk to her about some things, but she'd always know when i hid something, so i never really tried to in the first place."

The boy nodded, semi satisfied with her answer. Tomorrow it was then - he'd have to get a bit prepared first though.

"So, in other words, the allergies are caused by new substances people put in foods? But… If that's the case, shouldn't they stop? I mean, its kinda hurting people in a way. Wait, does that mean i could get an allergy from eating something that's been tampered with?" Damien eventually spoke, after hearing her theory. It made sense in his head to simply cease creating stuff if they were the root cause.

"I've never actually heard of those food kinds before… But i'd be interested in trying them some day! All of the ones you mentioned!! the boy's eye lit up, in a display of eagerness, as he was finishing up the last pieces of his cake slice.

She smiled softly, though she still wanted to hug him to help him feel better. ”Well, I haven't been to one… But I've heard that people enjoy them more than regular schools.” she admitted. ”Trade schools specialize in teaching their students how to do specific jobs like nursing, art, dance, umm, a lot of technical jobs, sciences… There’s a lot of career options that they can prepare you for. Though it helps if you know what you want to do.”

She nodded and propped her arms on the table. ”Then you were very lucky. Not many kids can brag about that.” Mari told him… a little regretful that she didn't open up like that to her parents more often. She knew that he had been alone with only his adoptive mom for most of his life, plus he was very shy around other people, with good reason, so who else would he talk to?

”Well… not new substances, really. They kinda just altered the DNA of the plants. They changed what the plant already had. It’s the way the change interacts with a person when they eat it that causes the actual reaction.” she clarified. ”If it was that easy, then maybe. But I think, at this point, the plants are growing like that naturally now and the people who practice medicine seem to think that it's easier to treat the symptoms rather than the cause.” she told him, remembering another conspiracy theory. ”Umm… I'm not sure. I guess you technically could… but I'm not sure.”

Mari laughed a little at his excitement. ”Sure. Maybe when you want to, or if you decide to go out, I can take you to some of those restaurants… Or if you’d be more comfortable, I could just bring food over for you to try.” she offered.

"But… if these schools exist, then why are the other ones still around? Is it because regular schools offer the basic knowledge? And from then on you can go to the trade schools?" he inquired, trying to make sense of it. Having been homeschooled his entire childhood, the idea of going to a special place to learn things was just as weird as one would expect.

He tilted his head a little at her words, hands on the cake plate, about to take it away - if he kept it there anymore, he would just end up eating it all by the time they finished their discussion.
"Is it not a common thing among people? Hah, i guess it really was just me then… It feels a bit weird you know? Finding out things i believed were normal turn out not to be common at all." Makes me wonder sometimes.

"oooh, so its something they cant really change back, can they?" he deduced after a bit of analyzing. "So i guess theres no definitive way to know if the food contains those modifications from the things they're made out of. Such confusing times…" the boy sighed, standing up to put the cake away.

"You can actually bring food from there? That'd be super neat!"
The last option was of course, Damien's personal favorite - he would have loved to go and see the place, but after remembering people most likely worked there, and adult people no less, he figured he could perhaps wait for a little while longer, just to try build up some courage.

Mari shrugged a little at the question. ”I guess because they're more traditional?” she suggested as an answer. Though she supposed that trade schools could have been based off of apprenticeships and that was fairly traditional too. ”Yeah, I guess so. Not a lot of people know what they what to do professionally, so the other schools teach them more general knowledge to give them a chance for different jobs.” she nodded, finding some logic is his thinking.

”Unfortunately not… At least not as far as I know. If anyone else is that close to their parents, they keep it to themselves. Though… I guess it would be nice if it was normal.” she admitted with a soft sigh. ”Wonder about what, Damien?” she queried, perking up a little, curious what he was thinking about.

She shrugged again with a noncommittal hum. ”If my theory is right; then no, I don't think they can. But I will agree that it's confusing. Hey, wait…” she said slowly, looking at him. ”Do you know about genetics? I mean, you understand what I'm saying about them.” she asked fairly surprised since she didn't think she explained it that well.

Mari chuckled and nodded, somewhat expecting that he would prefer the second option. ”Yep, it's called take-out or fast food. Though there is a difference between the two. With take-out you call ahead and place your order, then you can go to the restaurant and pick it up so you can eat at home.” she smiled as she explained. ”Now, fast food is actually its own type of restaurant where you walk in, or drive up, place your order and it's ready in a few minutes.”

Placing the plate back where he'd pulled it from, the boy released a few agreeing hums, nodding as to symbolize he understood.
"So, in the end, some people go to trade schools just to learn to do a job so they could make a living? Anything they believe would fit them?" he probed, returning to the table.

"Well, i guess times have changed, so people are no longer that open with their parents, tho i feel its a bit of a shame, honestly. Not talking about everything with your parents…" he moved towards the door, gesturing towards mari as if asking if she wanted to go back to the couch where they'd originally been. "Ah, well, things… Like how much stuff's changed since i last heard. Not that i'd known too much in the first place, though. I do remember what houses and people looked like back then, and i wonder what will i see now if i chose to go outside."

Damien stopped, hand on the door handle as he looked back at his friend.
"Hm? Genetics? Oh yea, i do know a few things here and there. I have a book somewhere in the library about it and while it may not be much, it did explain a few things. Why do you ask?"

Talking about food seemed to make Damien very intrigued, as there was a curious and excited glee in his visible eye, probably rightfully so, given he seemed to have a higher metabolism than normal people and he most likely hadn't had access to a large variety of food since he'd last been outside.
"That's so cool… So, is take-out the same as eating at a restaurant, but doing it at home instead, while fast food is something you can get on the street? I remember my mom used to tell me about her hometown, where such 'fast foods' could be bought from. I dont remember too much, but i remembered that now"

She nodded at his answer with a soft hum. ”Hopefully, a job they enjoy doing. Are passionate about.” she told him. ”Jobs are better when it's something you love to do.”

”I agree; it is kinda sad… but it just seems like that’s how it is now and there doesn't seem much that can be done to change it.” she admitted, a little sadly. ”I mean, the most I can do is try to set a better example for my brothers but beyond that…” she shrugged as she stood, accepting his offer to move back to the other room.

Mari chuckled a little and nodded again. ”Yeah, I’m not going to argue with that. I’m actually willing to bet that houses have changed quite a bit since you saw one, other than this one. But the only way to know for sure is for you to check it out for yourself.” she pointed out, not intending to pressure him.

”Oh, just wondering. I didn't know that it was actively studied for… that long.” she admitted. ”I guess I thought that stuff was newer than it really was.”

Mari’s smile grew as she realized this was probably his favorite topic. ”Pretty much. There is one other difference, but it really depends on where you go for food.” she said even though she wasn't planning on bringing him anything of poor quality. ”Do remember where she was originally from?” she asked, trying to think of where else had fast food. Especially that long ago… Maybe they were more like old-style street vendors?

Silently, Damien made his way across the room, back to the couch he'd originally been on and climbed on it, sinking into the pillow.
"Well, makes sense to me." he said, making himself comfortable. "I highly doubt anyone would want to be stuck with a job they dont enjoy doing"

"Mn, its okay… I understand. It is how it is" the boy waved his hands, in an attempt to comfort her, though he did not know how to. The rust in his communication skills was starting to show up again, apparently.

He paused a bit, looking like he was perhaps thinking of something, most likely recalling the last image of the outside world he'd seen, before replying.
"Oh i dont doubt that. Im just a little curious as to how they look now - i'd love to see, sure, some day. Not exactly sure when through, i havent considered leaving in years."

"You… Didnt know that? Huh, thats weird, i thought it would be known by now. How come?" he furrowed his eyebrow, looking quite surprised.

"What's that difference?" he inquired, curiously.
Upon being asked about his mother, he leaned back in his pillow, making a face as he was trying to recall what he could of his mother.
"i dont think she ever mentioned where exactly she was from, just that it was in the east of the great continent. I cant really remember what she called them, just that they sold food you could eat then and there if you'd skipped over a meal. And it wasnt just a tiny snack, it was something serious to eat."

Marissa was a little impressed by how little sound he made as he moved. She smiled softly as she joined him on the couch, writing that skill of his up to being a vampire. ”Yeah. No one wants that… Unfortunately, though, there are a lot of people who get stuck with jobs they don't like.” she admitted.

She gave another shrug. ”Trust me, I know.” she said softly, giving him a brief smile. ”You know, it's kind of funny. I never thought about it this way before… so thank you.”

She stayed quiet as he appeared to be in thought over something. ”Well, whenever you decide you're ready, I can give you a little tour of the town. We can stop at a few restaurants, the library… Where ever you want to see.” she offered with a kind smile. She knew that they already they had plans to go out together when he was ready but she wanted to give him a couple of options for that time.

”Oh, no no. I know it. It's part of our biology class in school.” Mari clarified. ”I just didn't really know when it was first studied or became a science to people.”

”The quality of the food. Some fast food places have good food but it's a little greasy sometimes or there are some cases where people can get sick.” she told him, fortunately, she hadn't had any instances where she got sick… Well, maybe once but it could happen to anyone. ”But don’t worry about it, I know where the good places are. I’ll admit I might be a little biased for a couple of them.”

She listened carefully to Damien’s story, nodding occasionally. ”Great continent… I think that's Asia. That's the farthest East, and the biggest continent, I know about.” she said thoughtfully when he finished. ”Oh… I think I’ve heard about those… I can't remember what they're called either but I think I've heard of them in Anime…” she rubbed her forehead, racking her mind for the information.