THE MOMENT
Calvin thought he knew what to expect. He stood outside the black metal gate with his mouth hanging in awe; he had no idea how much of it to expect. The home grew bigger as he approached it and by the time he parked the car, the mansion towered over him, obscuring him in shadows from the setting sun behind it. Calvin's buddy like to RP as a vampire, and it never bothered him in games. Now he had to wonder what exactly he knew about his friend, Ruin.
"Mr. Calvin Blake, you are expected..," a suited butler spoke as the gates opened.
"Thank you...," Calvin nodded and followed with a smile. He was appreciating all his previous interactions with Ruin. 'I'll get one of the butlers to handle it,' was a common joke; at least until Calvin was following one.
"Hey man, how was the trip!?" A deep voice spoke up as soon as Calvin entered the study. An imposing, pale man stood from the couch and greeted Calvin with a smile. They'd video-chatted a few times; but, this was something else. It took him a second to catch up with the situation as he shared up at the alabaster man, and his very apparent fangs.
"Huheh...," he chuckled as he processed things. ".... it's not a filter...," he added as he let himself fall backward onto the closest couch.
"I knew you'd take it well," Ruin laughed as dismissed the butler.
"Help me catch up...," Calvin finally spoke after few quiet minutes. He took the time Ruin gave him and decided he was safe.
"Everything you already know about me is true. There's more, though. I'm a vampire," Ruin nodded. "I guess technically an 'Elder' one; but, I've been around longer than that. I'm also Unique Soul #42, La Calavera, you'll learn about that a little later. And, I have a Superpower that lets me dissolve.. anything..," he made an obvious gesture toward a glass of water on the coffee table. The glass, and the water inside crumbled into white powder, then disintegrated into nothing.
"Whoa....," Calvin took it all in, then looked at Ruin. "Dude... why are you playing a TCG online with us every week?"
"It's fun," Ruin grinned.
"And.. why did you finally want to meet after all this time? It feels like you could've decided that any time."
"I could've," Ruin nodded with a shrug. "Didn't really have a reason before. But now, I'm getting married!" he laughed and Calvin joined in too, genuinely happy for him.
"That's awesome! CONGRATS!" They hugged in celebration and he patted his friend on the back. "I'm honored to be invited!"
"Oh wait, no. Sorry," Ruin shook his head and his pallid face scrunched up from embarrassment. "Boy, I could've done that part better," he chuckled.
"Huh?" The leap from uncertainty to fear was an easy one. If it wasn't to invite him to the wedding, why was Calvin there now? Alone and face to face with a vampire. He took a step back, unsure where the next one would lead.
"So, no offense, but you're completely normal; a Zero. It'd be too dangerous for you to attend in person. I'm a vampire," he reminded Calvin of what he already knew. "There'll be others there, fairies, werewolves, dragons, unicorns, everything that likes killing humans for fun. Not all of them of course; but, not none of them. Guests are expected to behave; but, that's the best we can do."
"Okay, I can accept that... why am I here?" Calvin asked.
"I wanted to have a more formal discussion over dinner, where you'll meet my fiancée...," he sighed with a shrug. "That part's kind of botched already. I'm giving you this place, man," Ruin held his arms out to indicate the lush study lined with books and art.
"Your library..?" Calvin asked. Bills had been piling up on him lately, and he didn't dare hope for what he really wanted. Luckily, Ruin shook his head.
"The whole place, butlers and all."
"Yes!" Calvin nodded. He needed to make that part clear first. "But.. why? You're getting married, are you moving in with her? Wouldn't it be better to sell? You said, give; you mean free, right?"
"I've got a few dozen houses spread out across the multiverse, and her family runs one of the biggest corporations, we'll be fine. You've been a pretty great friend, and for now I'm reprioritizing. Game's gonna take a backseat for a while."
"Multi.. verse?" Calvin asked. Ruin nodded.
"You also have an appointment with Mundo after dinner. You'll get all your questions answered then. We can just chill in the meantime, Minerva's not free until after work," Ruin stepped forward and presented Calvin with a transparent glass card. "We have time for a quick session; I'll show you how to make your AlterNet character."