[©Lynnifer Ice – December 1, 2022]
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"Oh, uhm…," I looked off to the side for a moment before looking down at our hands, "So… Is that a no? Yes? Maybe? I mean, I was half-serious. Are the folklore true then; garlic can kill a vampire?"
I didn't think they'd be this sensitive about it, but I suppose it's on the same playing field as dissing an Italian's food. I know I would feel peculiarly sensitive about that.
"It's complicated, Alex. Every vamp reacts differently, but to some, yes, it can be fatal. The number one thing is that garlic has an incredibly potent odor. Most of us just hate the smell of it, but there are also those who are allergic to it, including deadly allergic. Is that making any sense?" Blake's eyebrows creased in concentration as he tried to explain to me.
"Yeah, definitely," I nodded in agreement, perhaps a little too quickly.
This atmosphere undoubtedly feels a bit awkward. I'm also guessing that Blake's dormmates are planning on sticking around.
"Do you actually understand, or are you just pretending you do?" Blake inquired, studying my expressions.
"Hey, uhm, speaking of garlic, I think the Kaffistofur Studenta made their tomato soup today. How about we go down to the Studentakjallarinn instead?" Liam suggested scrunching his nose.
Phew… Saved by the bell! Well, Liam in this case.
"Studenta….what? What's that?" I asked with a slight tilt of my head, glad for the change in topic.
"The Student Cellar - It's another place to eat on campus. The entrance is in the back of the Kaffistofur Studenta, which is where we are now: the student café. Alcohol is served at the Studentakjallarinn bar, with a student ID, of course," Liam nodded in the direction of each as he explained before adding, "I guess you aren't familiar with Icelandic terms yet."
It took me a moment to process these new words. I began wondering what other terms they'd use in the future that I most certainly would not be familiar with. Then, I registered that he had mentioned booze, and that felt like a major boost in my mood, momentarily forgetting how hungry I felt.
"No way… There's a bar AND you can buy Alcohol on campus??? That's amazing!" I beamed, overjoyed with this new piece of information. "When I was an exchange student in America, alcohol was banned on campus, as was tobacco. Not that I smoke."
"I take it you fancy drinking then?" Blake chuckled, looking more relaxed than before. He changed directions and began leisurely leading us to what I assumed was the student cellar.
DO I?! I LOVE DRINKING! The drunker I get, the more carefree I feel, and also the giddier I become. Depending on the drink, though, I can also feel a bit more brave than usual, which has sometimes landed me in comical situations. It's probably not a good idea to drink on my first night here. That might give others the wrong impression of me, especially since I am a foreigner in this country.
"I would vote against drinking with us, though," Sasi informed, walking backward to face us.
"Why's that?" I curiously asked, wanting to know more.
"Our tolerance is incredibly high. I think you'd be wasted long before we even feel tipsy, Miss Alex," Sasi chuckled, trying to prove his point.
"I can hold my own, though," I protested with a friendly scowl, "I'm sure of it!"
"Oh, come now, love," Aron piped in, walking next to Blake as he looked around his shoulder at me, "You'll never win in a drinking contest with a vampire."
"Oi! You wanna be on that demon's hit list, Aron?" Blake smacked Aron's arm, scolding him. "Be careful about pet names."
I would definitely agree that Xinith is a possessive guy. So much so that it's rather concerning. I mean, why is he so hell-bent obsessed with me?...-and what crap was he spewing about me being "the one." What the hell is that supposed to mean? We literally just met each other today… It hasn't even been twelve hours, but he acts like he's known me for YEARS, which is definitely NOT possible. Oh, wait… He can supposedly hear my thoughts even from far away, which is creepy as fuck, might I add. Thus, if you are listening in on this, Xinith, KNOCK IT OFF, YA CREEP!
"Alex, are you laying your head in water?" Blake flicked my forehead, snapping me out of my thoughts.
I blinked at first, then turned my head to and fro, searching for this water that he spoke of. When I couldn't find any water, especially near my head, I looked at Blake, completely clueless.
"What water…? My head is perfectly dry, thank you," I scrunched my eyebrows.
"It's an Icelandic saying essentially meaning that you're thinking hard and you can't make up your mind," Blake explains with a light chuckle. "We figured you must be since you hadn't realized we were already here. I was trying to ask you what food you might fancy off the menu. There's English written next to each Icelandic name for the dishes."
Well, I feel dumb. Should have guessed it was something they say here. That's going to take some getting used to…
My eyes traveled around the room, noticing a small wooden bar with maybe a dozen wooden stools, at least half of which were occupied. The wall décor was definitely something I wouldn't find in my bedroom back in Italy… A few spread out animal furs, portraits of people I don't know, old fishing nets, abstract graffiti, and….are those battle axes? My nose twitched much like a rabbit's at the curiosity of such décor.
Besides that there were a few dozen square and round wooden tables with simple dark-shaded wooden chairs, about four to seven at each table. A candle and possibly a fake plant was in the center of every table, but not those scented kind of candles….candles like one would find in an old castle – long and cream colored with wax dripping down the sides, each in a little bronze holder.
"Ah, I see," I finally responded as my gaze reached a chalkboard menu for both the bar and cellar. "What are super nachos? Do they fly or something?" I half-smiled, slowly bringing my hand out of Blake's to which he did not object to my surprise.
"They're just nachos with a shitload of stuff on them," Liam responded without glancing in my direction, his eyes glued to the menu.
"Oh, so kind of mystery ingredients then… You know fish and chips actually sounds pretty yummy right now. What kind of fish do they use?" I asked, not to anyone in particular.
"It's the catch of the day, which is usually either cod, haddock, salmon, or monkfish," a feminine voice answered from behind the bar.
I looked away from the menu to peer at the person who answered me. A woman with fair skin and mint green hair was smiling warmly at me. She made a beckoning gesture, and I had to point to myself in question as I didn't know if she was calling me or all of us over. I heard a sigh before Aron gave me a slight nudge, tilting his head in the woman's direction. I sheepishly moved forward, a shy smile on my lips.
Wow, she's beautiful. I wonder if she's human like me? It'd be nice to have a human companion on this campus, since I can't seem to tell anyone apart upon first glance, species wise.
"You must be one of the newbies," she expressed as she held out a hand which I took to firmly shake, "The name's Maia Parmesdottir, but you can call me Maia. What's your name, sweetpea?"
"I'm Alex Paternosh. It's nice to meet you, Maia," I responded a bit awkwardly since I was not exactly used to shaking hands with people.
"Paternosh?" Maia's smile broadened, "You're a foreigner then. Let me guess… Olive complexion, dark hair, a bit shorter than the average female, a peculiar accent… I'm guessing you've got to be from Italy. Did I get it right?"
"Yeah, pretty much nailed it on the head," I replied before leaning a little on the counter, relaxing my elbows on the edge while she did the same on the opposite side.
"So, how did you manage to capture the attention of the chief four? That's quite the accomplishment for a first year, and on the first day no less. I'll let you in on a little secret…," Maia lowered her voice as she leaned closer and I followed suit as she whispered between us, "No student has ever caught their attention. They're bigshots around here. Doesn't matter about gender, almost everybody drools just seeing them. They are the definition of smokin' hot." She giggled at the end before sending a wink their way.
"I uh," I blinked, looking back at the guys that appeared quite amused before returning my attention to Maia, "I met Blake at check-in and I just met his dormmates upstairs not even an hour ago."
"You didn't flirt or bat your eyes or anything like that?" Maia's jaw dropped in amazement. "Holy smokes, that makes you special!" Maia announced a bit above a whisper with a grin plastered on her face. "I'll tell you what," she continued as she straightened herself, and I doing the same, "Pick anything you want off the menu, it's on the house tonight. You old enough to drink? Eh, actually it doesn't matter right now; this calls for celebration!"
It appears my opinion for not drinking tonight has become invalid. I hope I don't get too tipsy.
"Woooow, Maia, not carding someone? That's ultimately rare," Sasi drawled, taking a seat at the bar. "Maia must be pretty charmed by you, Alex."
"Oh, please," I playfully scoffed, "I'm not special," I answered to both of them.
"You're more special than you realize, Alex. A shimmering star among asteroids," Blake tried to correct me as he also sat down at the bar, at the very end, leaving the seat between Sasi and him empty. I noticed Aron and Liam had gone over to a table, chatting with some other students.
"Asteroids? Blake, I think you're losing your touch," Maia teased as she grabbed two coasters from under the bar and slid one both in front of Sasi and Blake. "Two Lunar AB's?"
"Hmm, well," Sasi scratched his chin in thought before looking at me, "Alex, what's your blood type?"
"My what?" My eyes widened as my muscles tightened in alarm, but then I saw Blake throw a glare toward Sasi.
"Don't even go there, Sasi," Blake warned in a harsh tone before turning to me with relaxed features and a gentle tone, "Ignore what he said. He doesn't need to know, nor does anyone else but the medical staff. So, for your own safety, don't tell anyone."
"Lunar AB is fine, Maia," Sasi sighed with what sounded like disappointment? Then without looking in my direction but instead at the bar counter, "Sorry, Alex. It won't happen again."
"Damn right it won't," Maia told Sasi while smiling, placing his drink on the coaster, "-or I'll lace your next drink with garlic and fish bones."
"You wouldn't…," Sasi squinted.
"Don't test me," Maia squinted back before smiling at Blake and giving him his drink. Then she shrugged off both and slid down to me again.
"So, I heard you say Fish and chips earlier? I'll give you a Kronenbourg blanc to wash it down. Go ahead and take a seat, Alex. I'll go put your order in. Should be less than twenty minutes."
"Actually, where's the ladies room?" I nodded before adding, "-and thank you."
"No problem at all, sweetpea. If my cousin ever gives you trouble, you let me know and I'll set him straight," Maia grinned before pointing toward the back with two fingers, "It's in the back corner, can't miss it."
I smiled with a nod of appreciation before heading to the back corner. On my way there, I felt eyes on me and I would be lying if I said I felt okay with it. Shrugging it off, I slipped into the ladies room and stood in front of the sink. I took a deep breath and slowly let it out, then washed and dried my hands before heading back out.
"I spy with my little eye, a lost lamb," a sultry voice came from my left side as soon as I exited the ladies room. "You look awfully young to be here," the voice continued, a man with reddish brown hair and blue eyes stepped in front of me.
"I'm not lost," I quickly responded, trying to step around him, "I need to get back to my friends."
"Hey now, what's the rush?" He put an arm out to stop me, forcing me to hug the wall for safety. His smile looked like he was up to no good, but before he could say anything else as he leaned closer, a familiar bass voice came from behind him.
"Darling, I was wondering where you had gone," Liam's arm moved between the stranger and me before he gently wrapped that same arm around my upper back, just below my shoulders, getting me away from the guy.
"Oh. I didn't know she was your girl, Liam. I was just uhm…," the guy shrinked back a bit under Liam's watchful gaze.
"Well, now you know. So, stay away from her or you'll be dinner," Liam warned before leading me away and whispering in my ear. "Sorry about that, hope you didn't mind the little act," and then safely dropping me back off at the bar, urging me to sit between Sasi and Blake before he sighed in relief. "Blake, she can't be going around by herself. She almost became someone's midnight snack, had I not noticed. Apparently, she attracts trouble. I assume she ordered food, she might be better getting it to go."
"Drinks cannot leave here, Liam, you know that," Maia chided, "She's perfectly safe sitting here," she continued before sliding a drink on a coaster toward me that I assumed was the Kronenbourg blanc.
I took the drink in my hands while they continued to argue with each other, and took a sip. It was very unique, a taste that I could not describe other than delightful on the taste buds. It was unlike any other drink I had ever tried, kind of addictive-tasting. I heard Blake join the argument but I tuned out their words and instead of sipping my drink, began to enjoy it just slower than a chug. By the time I had finished the entire thing, I felt like I was on cloud nine.
At some point, food was placed in front of me along with a refill of my drink. I could still hear what sounded muffled to me, but the same argument still going on. All I knew was that the food I was putting in my mouth, tasted like heaven. Normally when I eat such excellent food, I can't help but moan in appreciation of its preparation, but I had no idea what I looked like at the moment, let alone sounded like. I was halfway done with my second drink and beyond tipsy.
When I had finished every crumb in front of me, I think that I might have been on my fourth drink. I was laughing at nothing yet everything. I felt so happy and light in that moment, I almost wished I did not have to return to my assigned dorm room. Yet, as drunk as I knew I definitely was, I had zero fucks given for whatever Xinith's opinion may be.
I could only speculate that I had maintained my good manners and thanked Maia for the most enjoyable meal, but I wouldn't know for sure until the next morning if I remembered to ask Blake. I never retained my memories of a drunk evening and if I did, it was only fragments. I was not entirely sure when I had stood up or when I had fallen and been picked up, but the next thing I knew, I was infront of my dorm door.
It must have been really late because whoever had been carrying me, suddenly put me down on my feet when the door opened and a visibly frustrated Xinith was there to greet us. Well, perhaps greet is the wrong word in this situation. Without much of a thought, I was pulled into the dorm and the door was slammed shut. Even when Xinith threw me over his shoulder, I was still having fits of laughter.
- End of Chapter Eleven -