Club Hopping (attention anyone)

Arriving in New Orleans by cab, Bastion, wearing his sparkling pink suit and tie, is desperate to find a club to party in. He knows this could help his search in finding a vampire in this new city, but is more concerned about finding a place to party. Bastion feels a bit out of his element in this southern city, compared to his old home of New York. Despite this, he keeps an aloof attitude about the staring locals and new setting.

As the cab pulls away Bastion sees people wandering down the streets, talking loudy and seeming to enjoy themselves. Off in the distance he can see bright lights and hear the noise of loud music. In front of him stands a small coffee shop, still open, a clothing boutique, and an antique store. Across the street is a bar with the windows blacked out and a small convenience store. The people wandering about are heading up the street to the noise and laughter.

Strangely, Bastion only recieves a few odd looks and a couple of giggles from two young girls walking past. Most of the people here don't seem to notice him much, as they are too intent on their own good time.

At the moment he doesn't feel any other predators in the area.

He starts walking toward the loud music and passes by the convenience store. An old black man is sitting in a rocking chair calmly pushing back and forth in a lazy sway. He watches Bastion with a critical eye as he passes. Right before Bastion moves out of ear shot, the old man raises a withered hand and calls out to him.

"You there, pinky! Where you think you goin' boy? Where you needs to be is in the other direction." He points down to the other end of the street but the buildings there are too lost in darkness for Bastion to make them out.

Bastion, slightly startled by this old man's sudden speaking, turns around and walks toward him. With very little thought, and disregard to the derogative comments, he decides he might as well listen to this old man's directions. Bastion gives the old man a small peck on the cheek, and says, "thanks for the tip old man", before he walks off in the direction the man pointed. As he walks, he starts trying to figure out how this man knew him. The fear that this man is trying to kill him suddenly occurs. Bastion turns around, runs back toward the old man, and screams, "Who the hell are you, old man!".

The old man stops rocking when Bastion kisses him on the cheek and watches him walk past again, this time a look of surprise on his withered features. He had just begun rocking again when Bastion comes back and yells at him. He looks startled for a moment and blinks a few times, then smiles and seems to relax back in his chair.

"I be someone lookin' out for your sorry hide, boy." He nods his head toward the music and crowds of people. "Do you know what's over there? I do. You heard of them faeries son? That's where they keep themselves. Now, they don't admit it cause they like to be all smiles and sweets, but those faeries are worse then them blood suckers they let live 'round here. See, blood suckers will just take a sip and let you be on your way. Them faeries will snare you in their trap and never let you go again. That where you want to be, boy?"

Bastion, realizing that this man might have just saved him, suddenly trusts the old man. Calming down from his paranoia fueled rage, he thinks if this man knows so much, maybe he could lead him to some local vampires. "You seem to know a lot old man. Where would these blood suckers typically be found, you know, so I don't accidentally run into them or anything.", he says, ending with a slight smile.

The old man continues to rock in his chair, which looks to be about the same age as him and Bastion waits for the chair to disintigrate under the old man's slight weight. His brown face wrinkles into a smile and Bastion notices that most of his teeth are missing.

"Well now son, that's a different story. Depends on which ones you be talkin' 'bout. You see, the blood suckers who clain to run this place mostly stay in the main parts of the city. Downtown be a good place to find them and the business district. Then there be the ones who be religious and claim to be Voodon priests. They be a bit scarey, you know but not as bad as all that. They like to stay in the more run down areas 'round here. Not too friendly either and they like their privacy. Then you got the ones who be thinkin' they're too good to mingle with us mere mortals. Most of them be in the Garden District movin' 'round in their big houses and throwin' loud parties all the time. So, your safest bet is to get back in that cab you just let go and get yourself to some other city. Cause if the blood suckers don't find you, then the wolf men will and they be the real nasty ones."

Bastion, slightly repulsed at the old man's lack of teeth, starts to lose interest in the man's talking, instead he starts watching people walk by, until he hears 'loud parties all the time'. He thinks to himself, "loud parties all the time, that's definitely where I want to be, but wait, did he say something about werewolves, well never mind about them, there are parties to be at".

"Thanks again for the advice, I wouldn't want to get mixed up with any of them terrible creatures. Maybe I will get a cab." As Bastion walks away, without even looking back, he calls out to the old man with a smirk, "and don't forget to brush your teeth old man, wouldn't want to lose that gorgeous smile."

A slight distance away from the old man, Bastion attempts to hail a cab, in hopes of going to the Garden District and finding a party.