as we pass through arrangements of shadows

[shreds]

Comments

[cowman]

Only to getting intimate, should you not like the smell of garlic. And some vampires, especially in Rebekah's circle have daylight jewelry, set in with a lapis lazuli making them able to walk in the daylight. But, they do require an invitation when a living person's name is on the lease. Vervain can slow them down if they ingest it or if they are injected with it.

( What else... )

[tornadoinheels]

[Yep, totally taking notes on all of that and filing it away to share with Neal later.]

And that's only on the vampire side of things.

[Sigh.]

I'm going to have to do a lot of homework, aren't I?

[cowman]

Rebekah and I will help, and she may have resources at your disposal. Homework is not everything. It is nearly nothing when you are in the thick of it.

( Which, he can't decide if she is or isn't. She is in the middle right now, but is she on the hunter's radar? She doesn't know. )

[tornadoinheels]

Still, I'm nothing if not a fan of built in precautions.

[She closes her notes app and nods.]

At least this is a start.

[cowman]

It is. How is your breakfast?

( A yawn from down the stairs, and Neal emerges, bedhead unlike any other!

"Good morning," he says. He kisses the top of Sara's head from behind. )

[tornadoinheels]

Delicious.

[She smiles back at Neal as she looks back at him.]

Doc's been taking me through Vampire 101.

[reducedradius]

Tell me Sara's your star student, and I can just be here for the coffee.

( He'll catch up, just not this early. )

You and Rebekah, you are - were different vampires?

( "Species, yes," he says. "Most of the details are the same, except that I myself did not need a ring of any sort to walk in the sun. That was our myth." )

[tornadoinheels]

Honestly, if I had to become a blood sucking creature of the night, I would prefer the version that allows me to go to the beach sometimes.

[She tips her head to the side.]

Though I'm willing to bet that's not something you get to choose. And for the record, would rather not be a creature of the night at all.

[reducedradius]

So noted and echoed.

( He does help himself to coffee, by the way. )

How many species are we talking?

( At least three or four by our count. Every species originates differently, with a different source in magic or science or some combination thereof. All ancient. )

[tornadoinheels]

I guess everything has to have it's own origin story.

[She doesn't know why there needs to be so many different kinds though.]

[reducedradius]

( "When the balance of nature is upset."

Or, in Wyatt's case, when he is cursed. )

And here I thought Sara and I had an origin story for the ages. It's a hit at parties.

[tornadoinheels]

At least we can talk about ours at parties.

[She smirks as she leans into him.]

I still think ours is pretty good, though.

[cowman]

I would love to hear it.

( And Neal gets the coffee he's been wanting. )

[tornadoinheels]

The short version? He stole a painting, I was trying to hunt him down to get it back, and then when Peter arrested him I testified against him in court.

Very, very passionately.

[cowman]

He was your mark?

( And she testified against him? He could only imagine. )

What kind of painting?

[tornadoinheels]

It was a Raphael. And it was very expensive.

[Her cut would have been quite good, if she had recovered it.]

[cowman]

( "I denied it for a long time," Neal hedges, taking a sip from his coffee and helping himself to an offered plate. )

And when did your adversarial relationship turn into this partnership?

[tornadoinheels]

Well, we started working together with Peter, and then on a personal side project with Neal. One thing led to another, and ... well, he is very charming. Loathe as I am to stoke his ego.

[She loves you, Neal.]

[cowman]

( "She'll do it once or twice in a month," he jibes. )

You two are a beautiful example. You greatly remind me of another couple I know.

( Well, before things took a turn. They were couple goals for as long as he could remember. But one of them was locked to Purgatory and the other had a destiny of her own. )

[tornadoinheels]

Oh?

[She smiles at that.]

I hope they're very happy. Or they were?

[It's hard to say when your friend is very, very old.]

[cowman]

They were. Deliriously. But, as things do, they did fall apart. They were engaged for some time.

( But some things don't last forever. )

[tornadoinheels]

That's a shame.

[Sara can sympathize, having her fair share of failed relationships.]

Unfortunately it doesn't always work out.

[cowman]

It does not. But, it does not take away from how special a bond can be. They will always be in each other's lives.

( Just not married.

Much like Marcel, much like Wynonna. )

You know, history never captured how much of a romantic I am at heart. History got my sharp-shooting. My dentistry. Sort of my wife.

[tornadoinheels]

I don't think historians value romanticism as much as they should when it comes to things not art.

[But clearly it should be valued.]

I'm still Rebekah appreciates it regardless.

[cowman]

Rebekah does appreciate my romantic side, and where I come from.

( She accepts him, darkness and all. )

How do you reconcile Neal here's past?