"It's just that this is a little more spontaneous than how my day usually goes," he let out a soft laugh. "Well, I guess a little shake-up in the old routine isn't too bad. To answer your question though, yes. I've seen other uh... duskwalkers. Forgive the term, that's just what people call you guys, I know no better. But yes, I've seen maybe one or two in my life, from afar though, and at night. I've never really spoken to one before today."
"Well, it's your lucky day, Henry!"
"I-I suppose it is?"
"Well, you're talking to a 'duskwalker' right now, right? Aren't you curious? Come now, I'll humor any of your questions. Correct the misinformation and all that. Nothing wrong with getting to know each other, yeah?"
Henry hummed and let out a sigh. "Well uh," he scratched the back of his head before shoving his fidgeting hands into his pockets and turned his head up to the sky. "Is it true that you need… u-um. Y-you know… t-to survive?"
"I think you already know the answer to that."
"Right, sorry. I just don't know what to ask really."
"Nothing that piques your interest?"
"Well uh, what are those masks for?"
"Protection."
"From us?"
"No, for you."
"O-oh."
Olivia let out a soft laugh. "Well, it's not that I want to hurt you or anything. It's one of the prohibitions New Lundun requires us to follow when we're on the surface. It comes off when I go back to Dante," she began. She tapped on her mask, tilting up her chin. "Firstly, a lot of people don't take the presence of fangs well when we smile or laugh. A glimpse of them is enough to send most running, and judging by the look in your eyes when you saw my armband, you would've done the same too."
Henry opened his mouth to speak, but Olivia waved her hand stopping him. "—which is a totally understandable reaction, so let me just stop you there before you start apologizing again. The second reason is that some of us could not resist 'the hunger'. They just go completely feral."
"Yeah, I've heard some reports," Henry replied, thinking back to the strigoi attack that killed Camilla and Jeremy's parents. "Why does that happen?" he asked with caution in his tone. "I don't want to sound rude or anything, but I thought duskwalkers should be immune to something like that?"
"True. But it's hard coded in our biology to do so. Strigoi are strigoi. Others find it really hard to resist sometimes, you know? It usually happens to the turned, or the reformed of the War of Darkness. Especially when they get a whiff of the real thing. Can't blame others for giving in." she explained. "So we have these masks by requirement of the law whenever we surface, it blocks out scents, and hides our mouthparts. Two problems solved."
Henry pondered for a bit, focusing on her words. Truly, they weren't deliberately trying to hurt anyone.
They're just people who have been forced into a difficult situation because of who they are, that doesn't mean they're something to be feared, right? Still, wolves are wolves, lions are lions, and strigoi are strigoi. Sometimes understanding something does not make them any less dangerous. But it at least goes without saying that they do deserve some respect. They're just trying to live their lives, same as anyone.
Henry pondered his next questions, nodding his head. "How about you? Have you ever given in?"
"Ha! Absolutely the fuck not. Those who do are killed," she said. "Doesn't mean I've never wondered about it. But you don't tease the tiger and expect a hug. Better not, you know?"
"Huh. How about other places? Have you ever left the city? New Lundun I mean." Henry asked. Olivia lifted a brow and looked at him. "I mean," he said. "Anglestan isn't a big country. At all. And sure, New Lundun is the biggest chunk of it, but there are surely other cities out there. And other countries too! Have you ever visited them?"
"Not really."
"Oh, I just thought, you know. Being functionally immortal and all."
"Ah, well I'm not THAT old yet. I'm just in my fifties. Trueborn."
"Really? You don't look a day old twenty-five!"
"Flattery now?" she giggled, shaking her head.
"Sorry, I didn't mean it that way."
"No, no! Please continue, I could deal with hearing more."
Henry couldn't help but laugh, his earlier fear now completely faded. He gave her a warm smile and a nod. "Well, if you are a trueborn as you say. If I recall, that would mean you weren't turned in any way. You were just born a strigoi. R-right?"
"Exactly, been this way since birth."
"That's interesting, aren't trueborn rare?"
"Well yes, but not really," Olivia started. "The chances of a trueborn are only one in like, I don't know, a hundred? Most Strigoi are impotent, but there are the rare cases that result in trueborns. We're a big deal since we're basically an anomaly, but studies on it declare that it's nothing special really. It's just both of your parents need to have that genetic lottery of having their baby-making bits unaltered when turned. Or, one or both of your parents are true born too. Chances are almost a hundred percent that way. So far the demographic has been slowly switching to trueborn strigoi as the biggest chunk of Dante's population. A lot of the original trueborn population grew up to have kids, and those kids grow up to have kids of their own too," she explained.
"I never knew that," Henry said.
Olivia nodded at him, shoving her gloved hands into her pockets. "Well, glad I could be of help! Any other inquiries?" she asked. Just then, a tram in the distance started ringing its bell, announcing its arrival. "Oh! It looks like our ride is here."
"It does seem so. One more question though, Miss Olivia. If I may?" Henry asked.
"Sky's the limit!"
"Right well, what exactly are you doing here though? I assume you live in Dante as you mentioned it before. Is there any particular reason for hanging out on the surface of New Lundun?"
"I'm one of the few who work here."
Henry raised a brow. "But I thought Dante was more accommodating to duskwalkers than New Lundun? Why find work here? N-not to judge or anything, but surely people here aren't as nice to strigoi."
"True, but I need the job. Not many opportunities in Dante, you know?"
There aren't many opportunities? In a city of strigoi, made by strigoi? That didn't make sense, but I guess if duskwalkers exist, then it must be true.
"Miss Olivia," Henry cleared his throat. "If I may, what exactly do you do?"
"Study."
"What does… that mean exactly?"
"I am uh well, used as a study for a university. They take samples of me, test various materials on it, study my anatomy, biology, and everything in between."
"What?" Henry frowned a bit, turning to look at her. "Isn't that a bit… dehumanizing? You're literally just being used as a test subject, why do you let them do that?"
Olivia tilted her head and gave him a deep stare, before turning to look back at the road, the tram stopping just in front of them.
"We should get on first before I answer that," she said.
"Right." The two of them stepped aside and waited for some of the passengers to exit the tram. As soon as everyone who needed to get off did so, they stepped inside and took their seats. Olivia sighed as soon as she sat down. She cleared her throat and looked back toward Henry.
"Well," she started. "I'm not exactly human so that's out of the question on human ethics. Yes, it does sound horrible. Still, it's a far cry from what many experience in Dante. Opportunities are just better here, and so is the pay. Besides, they treat me well and the staff is quite friendly. Sometimes I get invited to classrooms for presentations."
"Presentation?"
"Students get to see a strigoi in the flesh," she said. "See my fangs, my eyes, my ears," Olivia lifted her hood just a little bit to show him her ears ending in long pointed tips a few inches long, almost like a small knife.
"I see, it doesn't bother you though?"
"Not at all, besides if I felt bothered in any way, I'd resign immediately."
"I guess there's that."
"Mhm."
"And you're going home for the day?"
"That's right, I'll come back to work by dusk. You know, 'duskwalker' things."
Henry tried to hold back a chuckle but failed, covering his mouth. Olivia joined in, softly laughing. "Well, I guess I should be called a 'dawnwalker' too, with how the sun is almost up and bright in the sky. I got to get back to Dante before Sol fully wakes and glares down at me. I don't want to get burnt to a crisp and all."
Just then, a bell rang as the tram started to slow. The next stop was coming up ahead. Henry looked out the window to confirm it before clearing his throat. "Well, it seems that my stop is just up ahead."
"Right, well." Olivia tilted her head towards him. "If you ever have time, why don't you come visit Astra Universalis College? Some classes are open to the public, it really has been nice talking to someone without them screaming first," she giggled.
"Well, I guess that works. I'll make sure to stop by when I'm able."
The tram stopped as soon as it reached the station, opening its doors. "Forlornson station." the driver's voice echoed out of the speaker. Henry stood up and headed for the exit, only pausing halfway to wave goodbye.
"Glad to have met you, Miss Olivia." he smiled politely.
"Likewise, sir Henry."
Henry stepped off of the tram before walking to his workplace. It wasn't too far, most probably a minute or two of light walking before he got there. The Notterbrigs foundry. Smelting metal and shoveling coal into blazing hot furnaces. It was one of the few jobs he could take on without any formal education. It wasn't too difficult. Certainly tiring to the body, moving heavy metals and melting them down with industrial machinery.
The newly made steel would then be shipped out to other factories to be turned into whatever was needed. Weapons, walkers, foundations, and some more delicate machinery.
All that work would usually leave him with aches and pains across his back and shoulders, but he could hack it. Besides, it was good exercise, and it wasn't like he planned to stay there his whole life.
He was saving enough to enroll himself at a university where he could at least learn a specialization. He would need it if he was going to support two new children at his home soon. It would take some time, a good specialization course would normally take around 4-6 years. It was going to be a hard route, but he was driven. He didn't know what to take yet, though he was very sure there was something out there for him. Something that piques his interest. For now, he'd have to make do.