Diary of An Artist

A Very Overwhelming Day

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 17:51:18 GMT

Today has been simply overwhelming. It's going to take me a little while to recover from all this upset. Unfortunately, I have to get up and go to work tomorrow. It's my first day and I most certainly can't miss it. I can only pray that my students will be mannerly and well-behaved. I don't think I will be able to deal with class after class of wild ruffians all day. I would simply drop dead. I certainly hope Garnet appreciates all I've been through to help him. I'm going to make a point of it. He owes me a lot for all of this and I will be getting compensation for my troubles, I assure you.

However, I'm certainly not mad at him. Even if this whole ordeal is his fault. I'm in love with him, after all.

Love. Dear God. I can't even really believe what happened myself. I expect to wake up any moment and find Garnet sleeping in the guest room like he always does, none of this having happened. It seems way too unreal. I promised myself that I would not fall for a scoundrel like Garnet and yet, here I am. And I'm being frustratingly vague. Oh well. It's not like anyone reads this except for me, anyway. Still, there's a strange sort of pleasure in describing it. I like the idea of savoring the feeling and documenting it, just in case I do wake up soon and this whole thing turns out to be some kind of terrifying yet beautiful dream.

I ended up claiming I was Garnet's mate so the doctors would let me see him. It was probably a stupid move and will complicate things later on, but I didn't care. I needed to see him, to make sure he would really be all right. Nurses often tell people little white lies to make them feel better. I remember several occasions from my youth when I received shots at the doctor's office. 'You won't feel a thing, dear!' they would say cheerfully before stabbing my five year old arm with an injection of pure, white-hot pain in liquid form. 'He'll be alright' probably translated to 'He's got less than three hours to live'. I needed to assure myself that Garnet was indeed going to be all right and that he wasn't dying all alone in a cold hospital bed. I couldn't let him die in such a way. I knew I had to be there with him if these were indeed his final moments on this earth. Perhaps I was overreacting. I was in a state of panic. What else could I do?

When I finally gained access to Garnet's bedside (after filling out mountains of paperwork and accepting all charges for my 'mate's' care; I am so deep in debt now that I doubt I will ever get out), I discovered he had not yet stirred. So, I claimed an uncomfortable little stool next to his bed and waited. Thankfully, I did not have to wait very long. Garnet sprang to life almost immediately, blood exploding on his bandages. I darted from my stool and shoved him back down on the bed. He'd only end up hurting himself more if he struggled. Still, Garnet is much stronger than I. I knew he could push me off him any time he wanted, even if he was injured. I begged him to lie still, told him that he was only hurting himself more...and finally, I ended up professing love to him.

That made him lie back down.

A nurse hurried in and injected some painkillers back into Garnet's system. She departed as suddenly as she had come, sternly informing me that, as his mate, I must control Garnet, make sure he didn't move again. Garnet gazed at me with obvious confusion, body visibly trembling. “M-mate?” He asked softly.

I hesitantly began explaining it to him. "When you came out of surgery, the doctors said only family could visit you." I began, still unsure of how to explain this whole situation to him. In the world of vampires, one's mate is like a spouse. They generally live together and have some sort of affection for one another. Our matriarch is one of the few who started a family with her mate and raised children. I wondered if Garnet was offended by the fact that I claimed I was his mate. Or maybe he was simply shocked. I could not tell. "I was panicking and worried...I thought you were dying and I really felt like I needed to see you, make sure you were going to be all right. I couldn't say you and I were related because we're not even the same type of vampire. You're one of those ones that can go out in sunlight and I know I'd die if I dared stay in a sunlit area for more than a few seconds. So, I told them we were mates and they believed me. It was probably wrong of me to lie like that, but I really wanted to make sure you were all right...I mean, really. I doubt anyone as good looking as you would ever pick someone like me as a mate. You could probably have anyone you want, Garnet..."

I am not the prettiest plant in the greenhouse, you understand. I'm too tall, I'm skin and bones, awkwardly proportioned, and I'm far too pale to look healthy. Garnet was a stunning creature. He would never want a hideous thing such as myself when he has all of Briar to choose from. I continued, not waiting for a confirmation of my thoughts. "You know, I just wanted to see you. I'm actually surprised they believed it. I mean, you couldn't honestly say you'd want me as your mate, could you? Sorry. I'm talking too much. You're probably tired. I should leave you alone. Sorry." I felt myself flush with embarrassment as I realized how much I was talking.

I did not fully understand the next thing Garnet said. I still don't. I suspect he was simply loopy on the painkillers. Garnet grinned insanely, an almost frightening sort of smile. “Donovan…Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Garnet started off awkwardly “I hate vampires, Donovan. I know that you probably didn’t know that, but I do. Opening up to them…I can never do that. I told myself for so long that I would never be able to find anyone that would be willing to be with me forever. I’ve had plenty of relationships, of course, but nothing at all meaningful. You’re meaningful. I can think about you without disgust, I can make fun of you without meaning it, and for God’s sake I can sleep in the same apartment as you. I’ve…I’ve never been able to do that, Donovan. And to be truthful, I don’t think I could pick anyone else. And if I could sit up I would kiss you right now. But I can’t. Sorry.” Garnet chuckled and winked at me.

I understood the last part, at least. I hopped off my stool (I had returned to it after the nurse left) and went to Garnet's bedside. "Here, I can help you with that." I breathed and then leaned down to kiss him softly. Garnet kissed back. I would have been very content to just stay there, simply kissing him until time itself stopped, had I not been required elsewhere. I had things to do to prepare for my first day of work. With a promise that I would be back tomorrow, I departed from the hospital and returned home, where I write this from now.

As you can plainly see, today has been a very overwhelming day. I sincerely hope tomorrow will be a little less exciting.

I realize I have a low tolerance for the sight of blood.

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 20:40:14 GMT

He vanishes for a full day. He doesn't call or email or anything. He leaves me to worry and wonder about what might be happening to him. I finally decide I don't care about him and what happens? He shows up on my fire escape, bleeding all over and barely, just barely, clinging to life.

I hate that Garnet. I swear, if he lives through this, I'm going to kill him.

I found him just an hour ago, bleeding all over my fire escape. I have no idea what happened to him, but it looked as though he'd been stabbed a few times in the stomach and all his weapons were gone. Before I did anything, I called an ambulance. I was in tears on the phone, begging them to get here as quickly as possible. Garnet, for some reason, was dying and I needed to save him.

The ambulance came quickly as promised and ferried him off to a hospital up top. I did not ride in it with him. I hate ambulances and their stench of medicine. I preferred getting there my own way. Garnet was rushed into emergency surgery and he's still there, I understand. The nurses say they'll probably be able to save him, but I still feel panicked. I need to see him when he comes out of surgery, make sure he's all right. I don't know how, though. Only family will be allowed to see him and, as far as I know, I'm the only real family Garnet has in Briar.

What am I to do?

I'm much too frazzled to write anymore. I can't stand this hospital. I can't stand hospitals in general. I will write more later, but I can't think right now.

Garnet's Disappearance

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 20:13:11 GMT

He never came back last night. I stayed up and waited for him, but he didn't come back. I left the apartment unlocked and the fire escape window open for him, too. He didn't come slinking in long past midnight. I didn't find him dozing on the sofa when I woke up this morning or stretched out on his bed in the guest room. There were no signs that he'd even come in. Everything in the apartment was just as it was when I finally fell asleep waiting to see if he would be back.

Garnet is gone. Garnet is really gone. I'm not sure how to feel about this.

I've managed to distract myself with my new job. I start in a few days and I could not be more excited. I've told myself that Garnet was a nuisance and I should be so torn up over his disappearance. I should not be so worried. That's what my mind is telling me, but I know I feel differently deep down. Oh well. I'll forget this whole nasty business eventually and move on with my life. Garnet is long gone and, to my knowledge, he does not intend to return. I have a new job. Things are starting over. If I work hard enough, I may be able to get a nice apartment up top in a respectable neighborhood, out of the Sewers. I feel like Garnet's disappearance was almost like a transition, a blur between one life and the next.

Yet I am still perplexed. I am afraid that I might actually miss Garnet. I had started to get used to him being around. He brought a kind of life into my big, empty apartment. I had hoped we might be friends. Still, it disgusts me to think of him, to look into the guest room and see where he lived those few days. It disgusts me how my heart always skips a beat when I think of his eyes and how gently he spoke to me just the night before. It was a nightmare and I should loathe him. I should be glad he's gone and that chapter of my wretched life has come to an end.

I should be working instead of blogging. I need to prepare myself for my new job. It's the only thing that will take my mind off of Garnet, that filthy vagabond.

How dare he just leave me like this.

A New Job and a Few More Worrisome Things

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 01:26:50 GMT

Garnet and I have been sharing my apartment for a few days now, but I fear now he will not be hanging around anymore. Strangely, I find I'm not liking this development. He's only been gone a few hours at most, but I...miss him, for lack of a better term. I think I actually might miss him.

This is strange and I am deeply disturbed by it, especially after what happened earlier today.

I was returning home from the Grocery store today (Garnet seems to have a strange demand for strawberries, of all things) when I discovered a letter in my apartment's letterbox. You must realize that getting mail is a rather unique thing these days. Computers have completely killed the postal industry. It's gotten so that you can even transfer packages by way of the internet. Mail delivered by actual mailmen is almost completely unheard of. So, naturally, I was quite surprised to find this innocent letter sitting in my box, a thing that usually remains quite empty. The envelope was crisp and new, printed on the kind of pretty, professional looking stationary that only a school could afford.

Now, if anyone reads my blog at all, they'll know about those god-awful job interviews I had a few days back. One of them was at a school. Their old art teacher decided to retire unexpectedly during the year, leaving his devoted and supposedly talented students to idle. I have never taught before, but the idea was fairly tempting. It was worth a shot. I swear though, it was the worst interview of the day. Yet here was a letter from them, sitting placidly inside my letterbox for me to open. I wasn't sure whether it was a formality, a letter to tell me I was too incompetent for the job, or...maybe, just maybe...an acceptance.

I removed the letter from the box, entering my apartment and not noticing Garnet hiding near the table, ready to spring on me whenever the time came. I forgot to mention how Garnet seems to have taken to frightening me whenever possible. He, unfortunately, discovered that I am easily startled. All he has to do is appear suddenly and I'll shriek like a little girl. He seems to think making me scream is a fun pastime. I don't really appreciate it, but there's no stopping him. I'm half convinced he's here right now, hiding in some secret space of my apartment and waiting for the perfect moment to pounce on me. Still, I guess things are a little more serious now than they were a few hours ago.

After tearing open the letter and reading it (I had been accepted; I felt dizzy with glee! A job! A steady job!), Garnet emerged and demanded to know where I was to be working. I handed him the letter and the strangest thing happened to him. As his amber eyes scanned the text, his good mood just...died. There's no other word for it. His high spirits seemed to sink before my very eyes. Now you must understand, reader, that to see someone just deflate before my very eyes was a somewhat worrisome and unsettling thing. My first thought was 'Is Garnet ill?' before I realized that the letter had somehow sent my room mate into what looked like a deep depression.

Garnet abandoned the letter and slunk off to the guest room, his room now. Still perplexed, I followed him. He was lying on his bed, staring sullenly at the ceiling. I plopped down on the edge of his bed near the foot. "Garnet. What's wrong with you?" I asked. The next thing I said was like a pull of a trigger. I see now that I should have kept my stupid mouth shut. I laughed a little. "Wait. I know. You’re in love with me, aren’t you? And you’re sad because you’ll miss me when I’m not here. Eh, kidding. But seriously, what’s got you so miserable all of a sudden? I thought you were happy I had a job because you didn’t have to pay rent." It was a joke. A bad joke, but it was still only a joke. I knew Garnet could never be in love with me. As far as I knew, he wasn't even...well, you know. I didn't think he liked men. A man as attractive as he is would have scores of women falling over themselves to get a chance at him. If I wasn't so afraid of him, I might be falling over myself as well. Still, I'm not that desperate. When I get into a relationship with someone, I at least want him to be semi-respectable.

Garnet's full reaction was slow to emerge. He sat up, shifting to the side of the bed and looking at me with those amber colored eyes of his. I remember thinking blearily, in just a passing thought, that I loved those eyes of his. Garnet was crude, Garnet was violent, Garnet was a criminal, but those eyes of his told of something deeper, I thought. Even now I wonder what that deeper thing is. He spoke softly, saying he was indeed happy not to have to pay rent, but...

He never finished that sentence. I think the full force of my comment struck him then. Garnet leapt to his feet, looking at me as though I was some vile, poisonous creature sitting on his bed. "Of course I don't love you." He snarled, folding his arms and turning away from me. "I don’t miss you either. And I’m not attached to you! Who would love you, artist?" The words were full of venom and disgust. They were soft, but each syllable struck me like a blow. It hurt. It hurt because Garnet was right. I was ugly and too skinny and shy. Who would love a pitiful thing like me? I don't even love myself. I apologized quietly, having been soundly put in my place, and left for the safe haven of my own room. As soon as the door was safely locked behind me, I collapsed on the floor and wept. I wept like I had not wept in years. Perhaps I am too sensitive, but Garnet's words burned like a brand.

I had no time to think before, suddenly, Garnet was there, looming over me in the empty doorway. I later discovered he had somehow managed to rip the door off its hinges in his attempt to get to me. He seized me and threw me to the floor. I don't remember much of what happened after that. My mind was a blur of panic and so many other frightening emotions. I was in pain. I was sure Garnet was going to kill me. But he didn't. In fact, I think he may have kissed me instead.

After that, everything went dark for a while. I was too confused, too panicked and terrified. Retreating into the darkest corridors of my mind, where pain and emotion could not reach me, was a welcome retreat. I woke up an hour or two later. My thoughts were still clouded and fuzzy and now that I am thinking clearly, I do not entirely recall what made Garnet leave. He was there, sleeping in a chair next to my bed. I yelped upon seeing him, fearing what he might do to me while I was weak and helpless, too confused to defend myself.

Garnet spoke to me soothingly as though I was a frightened child just waking from a nightmare. I do not remember all that he said, only that I hated his gentle touch and his soft words. I hated knowing he could be so kind when he had scared me to death and even hurt me just a hour ago. I had begun to trust him. I thought we could be friends. Those were proven to be stupid thoughts, the fancies of a foolish, lonely vampire with no other things to daydream about.

And then Garnet was gone. He has not since returned. Once he had vanished, I stood from my bed, body shaky, and went to go throw up violently in my toilet. Still, while I write this, I can vaguely recall something Garnet said before he left.

Something about 'love'.

Garnet, pt. 2

Mon, 02 Jul 2007 17:03:24 GMT

When I woke up this morning, Garnet was long gone. The only indication that he had ever even been in my apartment was the fact that the wine bottle in the refrigerator was empty and he had left some money (I assume to pay for his stay) in the guest room. That was fairly decent of him and he even took it upon himself to make the bed. I suppose it was to make up for the fact that he got horribly drunk and kissed me, a complete stranger. He sobered up during the night, saw the error of his ways, and sought to fix his mistakes, I assume. Well, I definitely wasn't complaining. Money always helps when it comes to paupers like me. And, to be honest, I was not upset to see Garnet's back and I hoped never to see him again. It certainly taught me a lesson about taking sketchy characters home from bars.

Little did I know I would be seeing Garnet again very soon.

After eating a small breakfast, I decided to do something productive. Today was going to be different. I had arranged to have job interviews with several potential employers. I needed a steady paying job if I hoped to avoid being evicted from my apartment. I've never been on good terms with my landlord and another missed month of paying rent would set me out on the street. And perhaps if I got a high-paying job and saved up enough, I could afford to live in a new apartment in a respectable neighborhood. One where creepy men wouldn't end up following me home.

However, the interviews were nothing short of awful. My thoughts were occupied by that accursed kiss! I would be an idiot to dream of romance with a low life like Garnet, but I couldn't stop myself! It had been a long time since I had actually gotten kissed. I haven't exactly been involved in a lot of relationships. I'm over three hundred and still a virgin (I promised myself not to get sexually involved with anyone unless we were mates; I simply believe that one should remain chaste until marriage). It's a little pathetic and I suppose half my obsessing over that little kiss had something to do with some desperation for companionship, but I still hated myself all the same for thinking about it so much. The idea of being emotionally attached to a person I don't even know disgusts me. There's a reason for it that I won't get into at the moment (this entry is long enough already).

I arrived home during the afternoon, climbing in through the fire escape under my bedroom window. I usually enter that way to avoid the other, rather odd tenants of my apartment complex. I wandered into my kitchen only to find Garnet was already there. In a frilly apron no less! And making food! I didn't even know I owned an apron like that. Garnet greeted me a little awkwardly, obviously aware that he had broken an entry and the police could be called on him at any time, and offered me some of the food he had made. I hadn't eaten real food in a while, so I accepted.

After a brief conversation and a discussion about the terms of his stay, I allowed Garnet to stay. He is a kind of drifter, I learned, and had no permanent home. I felt sorry for him and said that, as long as he paid half the rent and didn't try to seduce me, he could live with me as a room mate.

I'm not quite sure if I've made a mistake or not. We'll see, I suppose. Today has been an eventful day and I look forward to the warm embrace of my bedsheets. I am incredibly tired and I need to think.

Garnet

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 19:39:51 GMT

What started out as a normal day turned into a bizarre and scary nightmare.

I am currently typing this from my locked bedroom. Just down the hallway in the guest bedroom is perhaps one of the strangest and most volatile people it has ever been my misfortune to meet. I am terribly frightened. He is currently unconscious, having drunk himself into a stupor on old wine, but he'll come out of it eventually and I fear what will happen when he does. If I were wise, I would probably be calling the police and have him forcibly removed from my home instead of blogging, but I'm not sure what to do. The Sewers, I admit, are a breeding ground for evil and villainy, but I'm not exactly sure who he is yet and I would feel awful for calling the cops on an innocent man, however unlikely that may be. He's already threatened me more than once and forced me to shelter him in my home. I don't know why I'm not on the phone yet.

But I'm still not sure about him. The only thing I know about him yet is that his name is Garnet and that he's possibly a drifter. He's a vampire, but he mentioned trying to find a place to stay. Briar isn't exactly the hottest tourist spot, even if it is the vampire capitol and home of the Matriarch herself. And the Sewers are even less popular. I can only assume he's homeless. Sometimes I can't believe there could be anyone in the world poorer than I am. Still, in comparison to some people, I suppose I'm incredibly lucky. I have an apartment and a job (even though it's not steady paying; the profession of artist doesn't exactly come with a regular paycheck).

Garnet. G-A-R-N-E-T. It's a strange name. Sounds more like a female's name than something you would call a man, especially a sketchy character like Garnet. But it suits him, I think.

I met Garnet earlier today in a bar as I came home from the grocery store with containers of synthetic blood (there are very few humans left and they're hard to get to; real blood isn't readily available). It was a cause for celebration today because I actually got some money. I am perpetually short on cash due to a compulsive need for spending. Almost as soon as I get some money, I end up whittling it away on trivial things instead of paying bills, rent, and buying food. Anyway, I finally had some more money now because today, I was paid for a rather large commission I completed a few days ago. After deciding that I had to discipline myself with my new money, I quickly ran to the grocery store and bought four canisters of synthetic blood. On the way home, I foolishly made the choice to get a little drunk before heading home.

And that's where I ran into Garnet.

I first noticed him as I entered the bar. He was seated at the counter, dressed in a long leather coat and drinking some mystery beverage. A pair of glittering, silver crosses hung around his neck and a blood-red garnet cut in the shape of a heart was set into his belt buckle. I paid little attention to him, claiming a table near the door and asking the nearest waitress to bring me a bottle of beer.

I seem to have some strange super power: the ability to attract random people. Garnet finished off his drink, tilting his head back. I saw there were red streaks in his raven hair. Then, immediately, Garnet stood up from his barstool and made a beeline directly for me, dropping into the chair across from mine at the table. Now that he was closer, I could see him. He was starving. I could see it in his black eyes. Nothing, and I mean nothing, is more frightening the a starving vampire. Long ago, I was the victim of one myself. Bloodlust was a terrible, all consuming thing and it could not be stopped without fancy medications or synthetic blood (or sometimes even real blood...).

"How much you want for the synthetics?" Garnet asked, holding out his hand. "Don’t try jipping me though, I know the value of true synthetics.” The corner of his mouth twitched into a wicked half-smile and he retracted his hand, fingering one of the crosses around his neck. I was naturally scared. Garnet was a frightening figure. I stammered quietly that my synthetics weren't for sale. I was hungry as well, having not eaten in several days, but I could see Garnet was much, much hungrier than I had ever been in my life. One look into his lustful eyes and I knew he was going to get my synthetics no matter what.

So, I offered to share.

After a brief exchange (including a name swap), Garnet inquired about my home, saying he might even pay me for a night and flashing his sword a little to make sure I didn't refuse (I didn't even know people used swords anymore). I needed some extra money and I didn't want to be decapitated, so I had no choice but to allow him to stay the night in my home.

I have enough for a pretty large apartment and thankfully had enough space to entertain another person. I lead Garnet to my apartment complex and gave him a rundown of what was where, hoping that he would just go to the guestroom and keep to himself. Unfortunately, I was wrong. Garnet almost immediately went for the refrigerator, found a bottle of wine and a few glasses, and demanded that I drink with him. Of course, I had to play along. What else could I do? Garnet was armed and probably much stronger than I was.

To make a long story short, after a few drinks and some conversation, Garnet passed out due to alcohol intake, leaving me with two things: a drunken kiss and a whole bundle of questions. Yes, that's right. Garnet actually kissed me. It was spontaneous and unexpected, but it was a kiss all the same. A dear friend of mine popped in a few minutes later and helped me drag him to the guest room.

Garnet was incredibly drunk, that I knew, but a kiss? I am a little confused and more than a bit frightened by this whole ordeal. Garnet is volatile in every sense of the word. I have no idea what he will do next and I know he would kill me if the fancy struck him.

I fear the events that will come in the morning. I'm considering staying locked in my bedroom until I hear Garnet leave. He said he would stay only for a night, so I'm hoping he'll be going soon.

Hoping He'll See Tomorrow,
Donovan Desiderio Mauricio

Ruo Epirio

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 03:12:30 GMT

I believe there's a theory somewhere that says there's a collective unconscious part of the mind that all people share. Every now and then, a stimulative flux of thought will flow through this well of thought and push a group of people to do something. The theory states that there was an 'invent a steam engine time' and probably twenty different people tried to invent a steam engine. Only one got credited in the history books because he was the first one who made it to the patent office. So, I suppose right now must be a 'start a journal' time. I'll probably meet someone at random tomorrow only to discover he or she started a journal yesterday as well. I just had the strangest feeling earlier today that I needed to start a record of my life and start it now. So, naturally, I started this.

I'm not sure I quite understand it, but what the heck. I suppose documenting my time on this planet could be beneficial. It'll be something to occupy my time, anyway. I have a lot of free time on my hands and writing about my feelings might be entertaining. Who knows?

Well, the purpose of a journal is to write about what happens in one's daily life, I guess. So, I'll start with what happened to me today:

I'm sure that, as you know, most vampires are very beautiful creatures and often have the appearance of being young. Vampires age funnily. If you were bitten as an infant, your body ceases to age and you remain an infant forever. Our own Matriarch doesn't look a day over fourteen and I look only seventeen myself (although I could never live up to the legends of vampire being gorgeous). Whatever age you're bitten at, that's where you're stuck for the rest of your life, no matter if you're ten or two thousand years old.

Today, I found a vampire with a very rare appearance. She was an old lady. After drawing a million and one beautiful, youthful faces, it was almost astounding to find a person who kept the looks of an aged woman. She was sitting at a Bus Stop in Inner Briar, waiting for the 9:30 tram to the Grand Church of Briar. Now, I love to draw people and seeing such a strange looking vampire was something special. I sat down on the opposite side of the bench and immediately pulled my sketchpad out of my messenger bag.

I guess it might have been a little embarrassing for her to have me so blatantly sketching her, but what can I say? I'm an artist and that's all I am. Still, she smiled kindly and told me she would be leaving soon on the bus, suggesting a picture might help me complete my sketch.

"But I don't own a camera." I replied, still drawing her even as her bus pulled up at the stop and flung open its doors. The old woman got up and shuffled onto the vehicle, leaving me alone at the bus stop.

At least, alone for all of six seconds. Moments before the automatic doors closed, a tall, handsome man stepped off, looking incredibly melancholy. From the fair hair and the well-built body, I could tell he was in the military. I had seen pictures of him before. A high ranking officer, perhaps? All I knew was that he had one of the most beautiful faces I had ever seen, even by vampire standards. Two gems in one day! What luck! Even luckier was the fact that he didn't walk off like I predicted he would. He sat right down next to me on the bench!

"Aggghhhh, why am I so tired?" The man asked himself out loud, lying his head over the back of the bench. For a moment or two, he seemed to sniff the air, like an animal tracking a scent. "Paint, graphite, eraser...oh. Hello there. Who are you?"

I gazed timidly at the man, studying his attractive face and nonchalantly flipping to a clean page in my sketchbook. I didn't want him, whoever he was, to think I was some crazed stalker. I've actually scared a lot of people off like that. I don't intend to and I've never stalked a person in my life, but people just seem to be naturally suspicious of any person who looks at them too long. "D-Donovan," I replied a little quietly, somewhat shocked that such a pretty man would want to talk to a pale, skinny, nerdy boy like myself. "My named is Donovan. Nice to meet you." I set my ebony pencil in my lap and held out my hand for him to shake it.

"Oh, nice to meet you, Donovan. I'm Ruo Eripio. You have a commission at Spire, don't you?" I could only assume he meant the portrait of the Matriarch I did a few years back. Probably my greatest artistic triumph. It is a painting that hangs in the Matriarch's own Spire Palace. Ruo, a man whom I now recognized as one of the most powerful centurions in the Matriarch's vampire army, dropped my hand heavily. "Sorry if I'm a little tired. If I fall asleep while you’re talking to me, just give me a little poke. Like this! 'K?" He gave me a light poke in the shoulder, leaning in close. His face was barely inches away from mine.

One thing about me is that I have never been good at dealing with attractive men. I'm gay, you know, and it's always been a problem for me to talk to men more attractive than I am. I suppose it's a little silly, but that's the way I function, I suppose. I simply get flustered way too easily. Whenever someone as beautiful as Ruo is close to me, I can't help but think of how ugly I am. "Um...ah...Al-alright." I breathed. "I'll be sure to wake you up if you fall asleep." Our conversation continued for a few minutes before Ruo finally nodded off. While he napped on that dirty inner city bench, a bus to the Matriarchal terrace, home of the Spire palace, came and went. Ruo woke up minutes afterward, only to proclaim it was his bus and go running after it.

So, my meeting with Ruo ended there, leaving me wondering if I might ever see him again.

Love,
Donovan Desiderio Mauricio

(Ps. Using blogs in outdated servers seems to be a little hard. The year in the date is wrong. It is the glorious year of 3065. That's the problem with old blogging sites.)