Synopsis
March 4, 2005 - Orion and Theodore happen to see the same movie at the same time.
Setting
Dollar Theatre:
The Dollar Theatre is a bit run down, not quite as nice as the larger theatres in the city. This one lies on the outskirts and shares a parking lot with an old strip mall. There is a patch of forest and a small field behind the building that is often littered with beer cans.
The theatre itself is a bit shabby and dirty, with run down 70s décor and a few broken down arcade games. The concession stand is rarely open, when it is you can get stale popcorn for $8.95 and a small soda for $6.50. The seating area isn’t terrible, but some of the seats have no cushions and a few of the aisle chairs are missing arms. Most of the movies that play here have had their run in the normal theatres and have either already come out on video or they will be available for purchase very soon.
Cast
Orion:
You see a man in his mid thirties who stands a little over six feet and weighs approximately 180 pounds. One can tell by looking at him that he works out regularly. His face is rugged but attractive, usually with a couple of days worth of stubble on his cheek. His hair is brownish red and cropped short, spiking up a bit on top. His eyes are deep gold and appear to be almost an unnatural shade. He bears a tattoo of a paw print on his left upper arm. When the man speaks, he has a very distinct Irish accent. It is strong, but not to the point that he is difficult to understand.
The man is wearing a tight fitting brown shirt with blue jeans. He has brown boots on and a silver watch on his right wrist. His ears are each pierced with a silver ring, and he has mirrored sunglasses pushed up on his head.
___
Theodore:
This young man is a slim, fine figure of thoroughly unimpressive height or musculature. His physique is more graceful than powerful, with somewhat narrow, rounded shoulders and an equally thin torso that leads into trim hips. Despite the seeming frailness of him, there is a certain elegance to his long, deft fingers and the way he fits together, including the long line of his throat and the curve of his jaw. His features are well proportioned, if toying with hints of femininity, from his long, pale eyelashes to the way his lips appear lush, soft, and dark, often relaxed into the mildest of pouts when he isn't offering some other expression. His eyes are notable, large and rounded with a vague almond shape to them, the irises a soft, smoky violet-grey that can sometimes darken to indigo laced charcoal. His hair is a mussed crop of ear-length platinum blonde locks, so light that it may as well be white, the texture of it wavy and silken so that it rarely appears to be cultivated into any semblance of a style, rebellious to the very idea. His skin is the perfect pallid ivory of someone who was never made for outdoor sports, only the bare touch of random freckles on his complexion suggesting he's even seen the sun; it's smooth and often has the faintest of blushes around the cheeks.
Teddy's current outfit does nothing to reinforce any semblance of intimidation or masculinity; if anything, it emphasizes his youthful appearance, if oddly. Over his slender torso, he wears an oversized white hoodie made of a soft, slightly fuzzy material with a golden zipper running up the front and ending in a carrot charm a few inches below his collarbone, where it's unzipped to. The hood of the sweatshirt is sporting two long, floppy ears that resemble a rabbit's, complete with soft, rosy pink insides. The sweatshirt falls to his upper thighs at the very least, which only serves to make his shorts look even smaller than they are. The shorts themselves are white and stop a couple inches above his knees, leaving his long, sleek legs visible. He has, on his feet, a pair of simple white tennis shoes and fluffy white socks, completing the overall look, and while he is wearing a gold bracelet, the sleeves of his sweatshirt are long enough that they hide it (as well as half his hands).
Scene
The theatre is almost completely deserted tonight. Perhaps the inclement weather has kept most of the would-be patrons from coming out tonight, or maybe it has something to do with the fact that none of the movies at this particular theatre are current hits. Orion steps into the theatre from the rain and shakes himself off before paying the lone employee for a ticket and heading inside to the main foyer.
Orion frowns at the concession stand and sniffs the air for the smell of stale butter and popcorn, but it seems no one is working tonight. This is probably for the best since Orion is not in an entirely normal state of mind right now. He had gone out to the field and woods behind the theatre to have some fun as a dog when the sudden storm had hit. It left him soaking wet, reeking of wet dog, and slightly too far in the mindset of a hound to drive home. Despairing at the lack of food, Orion heads into the theatre to see if “Zombies vs. Aliens” is as bad as the reviews state.
__
Some people don't like the rain. Some people do. Some people have learned that weather is weather and should never effect the quality of your day, better or worse. Such a person happens to be Teddy, who can be seen trotting towards the theater with a large plastic umbrella held over his head. He runs quickly, but without any real urgency, unbothered by the damp for the most part. Of course, he runs right past the two glass doors only to pull up short and walk more sedately back, somewhat sheepish. Once under the overhang of the theatre, he folds his umbrella so that he can shake it off, then very neatly winds it and ties it down. Satisfied that it is appropriately dealt with, he steps into the foyer of the theatre and leaves it tucked in the corner by a trash can. He bounces in place for a second with one foot up as he adjusts his sneaker, tugging it up in the back and looking truly like a rabbit, the ears of his hood - currently up - flopping energetically in time with him.
It takes a couple minutes for him to buy his ticket, but once he has, he is hurrying into the theatre a footstep or two behind Orion, speaking up excitedly, "Doesn't it look like a cool movie? Who are you hoping will win?" He holds his ticket in his hands, smiling up brightly at Orion, those big violet eyes of his inquisitive while a fringe of pale hair, somewhat damp from the humidity outside, clings to his forehead.
___
Orion looks especially disheveled tonight. He is very unfond of the rain, and it did not start raining until after he was shifted. This resulted in him having to shift back and redress himself in the pouring rain. Now the man is soaking wet, he looks like he was dressed by a drunk man, and he’s got wet leaves and grass stuck all over him. The man stops as he hears someone approaching behind him and turns suddenly to see, “Giant Rabbit!” He cringes back slightly from Teddy as though he is about to be attacked and falls on his rump. After sitting there for a startled moment he realizes it is a man in a costume and stands up, brushing himself off slightly. “Um…I mean hello. I…Who will win?” He looks at the ticket and up at the movie title above the door. “Oh.” It seems as though the man had no idea what movie he was going to see. “Probably Aliens? They have better weapons.” He shrugs. The man has a distinct Irish accent, but it is not so thick that it is difficult to understand.
___
Teddy stands over Orion when he falls down like that, resting his hands on his thighs and blinking at him curiously, "…are you scared of rabbits?" He cocks his head to the side, offering one pale hand to get him back on his feet - he won't be bothered if Orion doesn't take it, though honestly, Orion's bigger than he is and the possibility of upending him is apparent. He pushes back his hood when Orion is back on his feet, revealing his feathery platinum hair, and smiles warmly once more, "You okay? Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." He checks the clock above the nearby theatre and straightens in shock, "Oh!" He suddenly reaches out to grab Orion's hand, his own pale and slim, attempting to pull the man along after him, "The movie'll be starting! We'd better hurry! I like the previews… I want the aliens to win, too. Zombies are creepy." Which is sort of hilarious. If he recognizes what Orion is, it doesn't much seem to bother him, though he continues to chat as he drags poor Orion on towards the theater, displaying no more strength than your average young man, "You're awfully wet. I hope you don't get sick. Sorry; I don't have another shirt on, or I'd let you borrow my jacket!"
___
Orion takes the hand and is assisted to his feet. “Afraid of bunnies? No…Just giant ones. Giant ones who might want vengeance for…Things…That I do to bunnies sometimes.” He brushes himself off slightly and rubs his wrist where Teddy had grabbed him. “You’re freezing, it’s not that cold out is it?” The man shivers, suddenly realizing that he is cold himself from all the rain water. “Maybe it is.” He attempts to wring some of the water out of his shirt when Teddy grabs him again and drags him into the theatre. He looks around and sees that there is no one else in the theatre. “I guess we can sit anywhere. Probably the middle, eh?” He motions toward the center of the theatre and moves that way to sit down. “But this movie’s been out for a while, the previews will probably be for movies that are in theatres now.”
___
"Oh, I know. I like that. It makes me feel sort of like I'm time traveling," Teddy says idly, trailing after Orion and sitting down carefully in one of the seats next to him, "Hm? It's a little cold, yes." He wiggles his hand, palm up, at Orion, then drops it into his lap and wiggles down so that he can prop his feet up on the back of the chair in front of him. His knees bent, he clasps his hands loosely between them and murmurs, "If I get scared and grab onto you, I'm really sorry. I'm not very good with scary movies. Especially about aliens. They freak me out." He nods sagely, then lifts his hand so he can nibble on the tip of his thumb absentmindedly. He pauses for a second, however, and glances aside at Orion, "By the way, my name is Teddy."
___
Orion seems to be only half paying attention to the other man. "What was that? Did you see that? Was that a rat?" He leans forward and narrows his eyes, looking at the ground in front of the seat. He reaches down quickly and pulls up…A boot. "Oh. Just a boot." He sounds slightly disappointed and then looks a little confused. "Who would take off a boot at a theatre…And how would they forget to take it with them?" He shrugs and tosses the footwear casually over his shoulder. "Oh well." Orion glances over at Teddy and waves a hand dismissively. "Oh that's fine…I suppose. Just don't do it too suddenly. I'm a little jumpier than usual tonight. And I'm Orion." The previews start to play. One of them is for "Zombies vs. Aliens 2"…Which already lets the two know that this movie will end in some sort of cliffhanger. "How can they advertise the sequel before we've even seen the first movie? That's just poor planning."
___
Teddy cocks his head to the side, looking at Orion fixedly for a few seconds before he asks, "Was that… your boot?" It doesn't hurt to check. He crosses his legs comfortably at the ankles, focusing on the screen as previews begin to roll, brushing his hair away from his face and shaking it out to get rid of that clingy, vague touch of moisture, "It's nice to meet you… and wow, no kidding! I guess it lets you know that, if this one is good, you can always go see another. You don't have to wait for the sequel, right?" He looks up at Orion with a smile, optimist to the end, and looks back to the screen, fidgeting with his fingers, "Why're you jumpy? Did you get in a fight?"
___
Orion frowns at this question. "Um…I had a bit too much coffee I suppose. It happens from time to time. I work a lot, drink a bunch of coffee, get finished with my work, and I'm left with my caffeine high. And so I thought I'd come out here and see this movie, though I wasn't expecting the storm to hit so suddenly." He sighs softly. "Maybe I should have been paying more attention to the weather and less to my…work." He shrugs and stops suddenly to stare at the giant full moon that pops up on the screen. Opening scene of the movie, it seems. The moon leaves the screen to show a witch of some sort casting a spell in a graveyard. Orion relaxes once the moon is gone. He runs a hand through his hair, trying to push some of the remaining water out. "Maybe it'll have passed by the time the movie's over."
___
Teddy glances at the moon when it steals all of Orion's attention, returning his focus to the man with a light smile, "Oooh… did you change tonight? Is that why you're nervous?" He taps the corner of his mouth with a fingertip, tilting his head again and peering at Orion closely - a little too closely, actually. He even leans in as if he could see fur sprout directly from Orion's cheek, close enough to smell something warm and vanilla coming off of him, "Hmmmm… I thought the moon didn't always do it? I don't know as much as I could, really, but I don't like to be too nosy." He reaches out with that finger to touch Orion's cheek, sucking on his lower lip while staring rather intently, "What do you change into? Is it something cute? I bet it's a puppy… do you turn into a puppy? You smell like a puppy. A puppy in the rain, maybe… or maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you just like dogs." He purses his lips thoughtfully, canting his head all over again, every bit a kitten than a bunny.
___
Orion jumps slightly at the barrage of questions and seeming to try and crawl backwards out of his chair. "Did I WHAT?" His question rings out in the empty theater during a lull in noise from the screen. He looks around quickly and remembers that they are alone in the room before peering apprehensively at Teddy. When he touches Orion's cheek and he feels the cold again he suddenly understands, "Vampire? I wouldn't have guessed." He still leans back from the other man slightly. "Yes, I was shifted and the rain came. Sorry about the smell, I know your kind have better senses than most." He sniffs his own forearm quickly, though he can't really smell himself. "I don't turn into a 'Puppy'." He gives Teddy an annoyed look and makes air quotes when he says 'Puppy'. "I turn into…Something generally unpleasant. But it is a dog I suppose…Mostly at least."
___
Teddy only smiles brightly when Orion asks if he's a vampire, nodding emphatically, "Yes…" He rests the tip of his forefinger against his mouth, frowning minutely, "…do you hate vampires? Some people do…" It appears to make him sad, which is perhaps strange, but he settles properly in his chair to watch as Orion leans back. He takes this as his answer, that cheerful attitude wilting gently so that he can fiddle with the armrest between them, "Oh… okay. Sorry. I didn't mean to call you a puppy. The smell doesn't bother me… wet dogs smell very alive, you know… and why is it unpleasant? Do you hate being a mostly-dog?" He looks up at Orion through his bangs, then reaches back and lifts his hood, including the floppy ears, "I'm an almost-bunny right now." He grasps the ears, wiggling the tips back and forth playfully, obviously trying to win favor with Orion in a rather shy fashion.
___
Orion shakes his head, "No, I do not hate vampires. The ones I have met so far seem pleasant enough." He hesitates for a moment when Teddy say he smells 'alive', wondering if the vampire had intended to eat him. "It is the type of dog that is unpleasant. But you're probably too young to have heard of the…" Orion looks the other man over. Vampires stop ageing after death, so maybe Teddy's older than he seems. "The Barghest? The Hound of Ulster? The Black Hound of Ireland?" He frowns, "The really really horribly unlucky hellhounds of Ireland that cause misfortune and death? Yeah, that's my clan." The luck issue is more a placebo. No real ability to alter luck, but people tend to believe him to be an ill omen. He shakes his head, "Just because you dress like a bunny doesn't mean you are one. Otherwise I probably would have mauled you by now. This soon after a shift, er as soon after a shift as I was when you first saw me…The feral mind is still strong for a short while after becoming human again."
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Teddy just looks amused when his age is brought up, licking his lower lip thoughtfully for a few seconds when he's asked about the hound only to shake his head slightly, "The Black Hound of Ireland? I've heard it, but I've heard of a number of stories like that. Scotland had one, as well. Cu Sith. I always heard they were harbingers - messengers - of death, not the cause of it." He folds his arms on the armrest, still peering at Orion and likely closer than one might consider normal, but apparently unbothered, "Could it be more that your clan isn't unlucky so much as has a penchance for being drawn to the bad luck of others?" He smiles faintly again only to nod slightly and laugh all of a sudden, pushing the hood back again, "Is that why you were startled? Think I was here to take revenge on the part of bunnies everywhere? …I'm glad I'm not one. Mauling makes it hard to stay friends."
___
Orion shakes his head, "I'm pretty sure were just unlucky, though you vampires seem not to believe that too much. The others disbelieved me as well…And one of the Werewolves here." He shrugs, "And being a messenger of death is still a bad thing, I suppose. I try to shift in places where I'm unlikely to come across mundane humans. Don't want them to be all doomed. Plus I'm in no hurry to be locked up in a pound. That'd be no fun." He nods in agreement with himself. "I didn't know what you were. I saw an animal looking thing come bounding at me when I was still in the mindset of a hound. You could have been a…Bear or something."
___
"Well, we have been around long enough to see truths become myths, gods become science, and plague become nonexistant," Teddy says it all conversationally, lacking any of the drama the more cliche vampires might attempt, merely shrugging at the end and smiling at the idea that he could have been a bear, "I'm a bit small." He lifts his hands to gesture this properly, making his hands close together in a height fashion. He leans back in his chair and takes a business card from the pocket of his overly short shorts, handing it over to Orion, "Here. Any time you feel a shift coming on and you don't want to be alone, but you don't want to be with humans, you can call me. It's hard to bring much bad luck to someone who's mostly dead, right?" He smiles warmly once more, an amiable, friendly smile while he waits for the card to be taken. It cites him as a researcher, though it gives no clear sign as to what he researches, the bunnyboy dropping his hands back to his lap, "I've learned, though, that a lot of so-called messengers of death get blamed for it, even when it is wholly untrue. Either way, you can depend on me - ah, if that's not too forward. Sorry. I can be. I know." He wilts again, tugging on a lock of nearly white hair and shifting back into his seat. If Orion prefers, Teddy will be happy enough to leave him alone after this little discussion so they can watch the movie; either way, Orion has a new vampire friend, unless he'd rather not.
___
Orion takes the card and produces his own, this card is for the Dallas Museum of Art. "Thanks, here's my card. I tend to shift to get away, but it's fun to be around someone not terrified of you to play fetch and such…As ridiculous as that sounds." He pockets Teddy's card and goes back to watching the movie. The two discuss the movie slightly as it plays out. Orion decides the sequel is probably not worth anyone's time ever. When the movie is over they leave the theatre to discover that the storm has ebbed. Orion says goodbye and heads home on his motorcycle.
~ Fin ~
