Cactus in the Valley

On the corner of the street, she sat on a bench. Legs gracefully crossed, Blood Pop in her mouth, singing softly. Bundled up in furs, she watched the snow. She didn't feel the cold of course, but her furs were lovely, so she felt the need to dress up for the season.

When a stranger sat beside her, she turned towards the stranger and greeted with a warm, "Hello."

Gwen was going through one of her few periods of sanity. She knew it probably wouldn't last long, so she decided to celebrate with a trip outside the city. So here she was, on the corner of a very foreign street. It was the first time in many, many years that she had gotten lost, and she couldn't be more thrilled.

Noticing a girl, one of her own, sitting on a bench, Gwen became intrigued and sat down next to her. To her surprise, not only did the girl not react with open hostility, but even said hello. She was caught off guard, seeing as it had been quite awhile since someone had said hello to the girl, so she didn't really no what to say.

"It's a lovely night, isn't it?" She ended up settling on that as a reply, accompanying it with a friendly smile.

She noticed a brief look of surprise on the young girls face, and quickly thought, 'she must not get a lot of kind greetings.' "It is a quiet nice night out," She replied. She noticed the other girl was a vampire. She pulled out a Blood Pop and offered one to her.

"I'm Passion Rose, bitten at age Seventeen," She told her, holding out a hand.

Gwen thanked Passion for the Blood Pop, and twirled it in between her fingers, "I've never seen one of these before. Is it really blood?" She popped it in her mouth, savoring the rich flavor, "Oh, this is the best thing I've ever tasted," she said with a delighted laugh.

Gwen shook the girls hand, "Gwen Pallas, eighteen." She sucked on the blood pop a little more, realizing that she needed to hunt soon.

"Don't tell me you managed to save up enough to buy those," she gestured to the woman's furs, "I've been living nearly three centuries and I don't even have enough for my own apartment."

She grinned, merely shrugging. "That is my secret to tell, don't you think?" She asked mysteriously. She laughed, liking the older girls (Human years and vampire years) laugh. "I know! I love them!"

She could have blushed a little, if she was capable. "I own Honeydukes, a famous sweet shop in Hogsmeade," She merely said, she didn't like bragging on the money she owned.

"Oh I see. You can't have any competition," She smiled again, "I'll have to go out and buy more of them."

Noticing the girl's embarrassment, Gwen nodded understandingly, "You have a job, that explains it. I remember when Honeydukes was opened. What was it, 1920?" She shook her head, "So when were you turned? Judging by your mannerisms... I'd say you're pretty young."

She smiled, recalling her remark on how she barely afforded her apartment. She decided when Gwen was there, she will give some to her for free.

"Five years ago," She told her softly. If she wasn't bitten, she was pretty sure that she would at least have a child now, with a husband. Passion has always loved family, and always wanted to start one of her own. "Yeah, I feel like a baby sometimes compared to others." She joked.