𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍:
It's what my friends call me
(1985)

"I BELIEVE THE CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE. Teach them well and let them lead the way. Show them all the beauty they possess inside. Give them a sense of pride to make it easier. Let the children's laughter remind us how we used to be."

Genesis sang as she swayed her hips slowly.

She is indulging herself in the mellow tune. Performing at bars never does get old.

The way the audience watched her movements mesmerizingly and captivated by her enchanting voice it makes her day brighten.

Elliot whistles as Rafael claps, both of them laughing at each other as they sit up front. Genesis shakes her head as a smile comes up to her face.

"Everybody is searching for a hero. People need someone to look up to. I never found anyone who fulfill my needs. A lonely place to be. And so I learned to depend on me." Genesis prepares her voice ready to hit some high yet balanced notes. Her eyes scanned the crowd.

Yet her eyes settled on a man with dirty blonde hair, wearing a gray shirt, black leather jacket, and black pants. Who was grinning at her like an idiot. He tips his glass in her direction and takes a shot.

Genesis rolled her eyes. What a creep. She thought to herself. "I decided long ago. Never to walk in anyone's shadows. If I fail, if I succeed. At least I'll live as I believe. No matter what they take from me. They can't take away my dignity." She looked away and focused her gaze on Rafael, who was smiling brightly at her.

She motions her hands towards him, and her eyes soften, yet her notes are high. "Because the greatest love of all. Is happening to me. I found the greatest love of all. Inside of me. The greatest love of all. Is easy to achieve. Learning to love yourself. It is the greatest love of all."

Rafael makes a heart out of his fingers, mouthing, 'I love you'. Elliot scowls, hitting Rafael in the shoulder, muttering annoyedly, "Disgusting couple," as he takes a sip of his whiskey, and takes a handful of peanut M&M's, and shoves it all in his mouth. Genesis giggles.

Elliot has loved peanut M&M's since they were released in 1954.

Genesis finishes her song and heads straight toward the bar. She raises her hand, gaining the attention of the bartender. "Two cosmopolitan, on the tab." They were regulars.

"One for me? How generous." The man from earlier, with a British accent, slides into the empty seat she stood next to, cradling a glass of bourbon in his right hand.

Genesis eyes him from head to toe, and he seems uncomfortable. She scoffs, then settles her gaze towards her drink that's being made.

Good.

Now he knows what it feels like to be eyed. Without looking at him, she says, "Two for me. It looks like you don't need one. You haven't finished your drink." Genesis points her eyes towards his full glass, her french accent showing, and the man grins.

"Too sugary for me. I like my drink strong." He tells her, taking a sip of his bourbon. Genesis then looks at him, crossing her arms to her chest.

"Contains a lot more alcohol than you think, don't knock it until you try it."

The bartender places her drinks in front of her. "Are you offering?" The man questions, and Genesis shrugs.

Why not indulge him for a little while? She wants to know why he made an effort to talk to her.

Genesis slides the cosmopolitan in front of him. He places his glass of bourbon on the bar, exchanging it for the reddish-pink drink.

She takes the other glass and puts it between her forefinger and middle finger.

He tips the glass to her, "Cheers." He says. And their glasses click. She took a sip, and he did too.

Genesis watched his reaction as his eyebrows furrowed.

He places the drink back on the bar, looking at the drink with squinted eyes.

"You don't like it?" Genesis asks with amusement in her voice. She ordered another cosmopolitan for herself, hoping to bring this one with her to the two men waiting for her at their table–who are watching their interaction carefully and curiously, one with an unreadable expression, one who was weary. Guess which one is which.

"Not my type of drink. It's a lady's drink. Too sugary, but as you said, contains a lot more alcohol than I think." He tells her as he takes back the glass of bourbon in his hand. Genesis grins.

"Now that I bought you a drink. Tell me your name." Genesis says it wasn't a question, and it was more of a demand base on the tone she used.

She knew this man wasn't a human the moment he slid to the seat next to her, and he was a vampire, an old one at that.

The man chuckles as he shakes his head. "Niklaus, but my friends call me Klaus."

Genesis tilts her head and gives him a mischievous smile. "So I'm a friend?"

He shrugs, "If you want. I certainly wouldn't complain."

"I'll call you, Niklaus," Genesis says in a mocking and teasing voice, and he just smiles at her.

Genesis always called him Niklaus.

"I told you mine. Why not tell yours?"

"Make an effort."

"I'll pay for the drink you ordered."

"Deal." Genesis laughs lightly, shaking her head.

Goodness, this man.

She doesn't know why she easily settled into a light conversation with him, and it felt familiar, it felt right.

"The name's Genesis."

"The beginning or origin. The first book of the Bible." He muses as he raises an eyebrow at her. Genesis rolled her eyes at him, taking the seat next to him.

Tired of standing, she was immensely enjoying their conversation. Niklaus grins at her movements.

"My mother was religious. I'm not." Genesis tells him. She looks at him questionably, "Are you?"

Niklaus scoffs, and a look comes to his face, "No. I got bored and read the bible. All crap that the humans made up."

"A vampire, are you?"

"Are you?"

"Oh, we both know the answer." Genesis laughs. She was taking a sip of her drink.

Then she hears Rafael sing, Just the two of us by Bill Withers and Grover Washington, Jr.

"I see the crystal raindrops fall. And the beauty of it all. Is when the sun comes shining through. To make those rainbows in my mind. When I think of you sometime. And I wanna spend some time with you."

Genesis then spins her seat around as her view settles on Rafael on the mini stage of the bar, his gaze already settled on her.

She softens as she gives him a wink.

"Your man?"

"My fiancé. Actually." Genesis informs him as she flashes him her ring finger.

An infinity ring with pearls surrounding the intricately designed gold band with two small diamonds in front.

Pearls. Niklaus scoffed in his mind.

"I didn't know pearls suited me. I loved diamonds and emeralds. Especially emeralds. But it's quite sentimental. It's from his mother." Genesis tells him as her thumb brushes the ring.

"When's the wedding?" Niklaus asks and Genesis shrugs. "Not quite sure. We're not in a rush."

Good. He thought.

Then Rafael finishes his song and strides toward Genesis and Klaus' direction.

He orders himself a drink as he settles himself on Genesis' side.

"Mind introducing me to this lad?" Rafael asks Genesis, giving him a charming smile.

"Darling. This is Niklaus, but his friends call him Klaus." Genesis repeats what Niklaus said earlier with a mocking voice. She laughs. Rafael beams at her.

"Rafael. A pleasure to meet you." Rafael says, giving him his hand to shake.

And Klaus did, his grip tight. Rafael winced, taking his hand back and tucking it in his pocket.

"Tight grip you have," Rafael mentions. Genesis places a hand on his chest, patting lightly. "He's a vampire, darling. That's why."

That piqued Rafael's interest. He wasn't listening to their conversation earlier, and it wasn't his place to do so.

He knows how Genesis values her privacy.

"Nice to meet another vampire in the city. What led you here?" Rafael asks, curiosity in his voice.

"Travelling. I'm from New Orleans, actually." Niklaus tells them, and Rafael smiles, looking at Genesis.

"Well, see, darling, he's from New Orleans, and he is standing in front of us unharmed," Rafael tells Genesis, and she just smiles at him as she takes a sip of her drink, spinning her chair as her back faces Rafael.

"Healing abilities helped. Nasty little witches. They have their ways." Niklaus tells him, his accent getting thick and heavy.

Then another presence approached them, "Y'all left me alone at our table. That isn't nice." Elliot tells them with a scowl, his southern accent thick as honey.

"My apologies for keeping them. I should go my own way." Niklaus says as he empties his glass, standing up from his seat.

"That would be best," Elliot answers, something about his tone indicating a hidden meaning.

Elliot and Niklaus shared a look.

Then Klaus was out the door, not before nodding toward Genesis's direction, then he was gone.

"So, this brunette girl is desperate for my attention–" Elliot begins as they walk towards their table.

"But you only like blondes." Genesis and Rafael finish for him, and they both chuckle as they interlock their hands together.

"Exactly."