Luc was making his way where he often did. To the apothecary. It helped to keep his discomforts of day life down. He had on a long coat, gloves, with his umbrella open. Not to mention little Napoleon cradled in his arm. He cursed himself for not bringing sunglasses too as he was squinting, even with the gloomy weather.

Walking into the shop he set Napoleon on the ground, still holding his little leash and closed his umbrella as he walked to the counter. The old woman working there saw him when he came in and came up to the counter. The two whispered lowly about the things he'd be needing, and she nodded saying she needs to check if they have it all, since she'd not gotten her shipping since last time.

As someone else entered, Luc whispered harshly that he needs them all this time because he can't afford not to.

Athena walked down the familiar way to Route Tranquille. She had to go to the apothecary for the same reason as always. As she was the only person with money in her family, she had to make sure that her sister got everything she needed to defeat her illness, and the Apothicaire had everything necessary to do so.

When she walked inside, she saw a man standing by the counter whispering firecly to the woman behind the desk. It seemed urgent, but Athena knew to mind her own business. She walked over to the shelf that held the necessary ingredients. She knew that if someone saw the ingredients in her hand, they'd immediately study her face to see if she was the one with the illness, but she'd ignore them, as usual. People were annoying sometimes, always meddling in personal affairs.

She walked over to the desk where the man was still standing. She gave him a glance, and wondered if he might be a bit sick himself. He looked a bit bothered, but she decided not to be one of those annoying people herself. She wasn't a hypocrite either. She placed the ingredients on the counter and then waited for her turn.

The old woman had stepped back from the counter in search of the few things in the back that he needed as the front door closed and the person entered. Frustrated, Luc placed his umbrella on the counter as he watched her disappear behind the back curtain. He stared forward at the curtain, listening to the sounds of light footsteps behind him. He sniffed, then breathed out through his nose, taking in the distinct scent the woman.

He tapped his foot impatiently, wondering what was taking her so long to get back. The woman who was walking around then stood at the counter beside him and he glanced over at her from above the raised collar of his coat, catching a glimpse of the ingredients she had. The leash in his hand tugged a bit as little Napoleon trotted over to her, wagging his two curled tails and sniffing her foot. Luc turned slightly and knelt down to grab the puppy, cradling him with one arm as he panted. He looked down at the puppy, patting his head with one finger as he turned forward again. "Not a place for friends, Napoleon." he said lowly.

Just then the curtain swished to the side and the old, slightly hunched woman came back out with a tray with a cutting utensil that had a paper bag and two small, empty containers. He moved his umbrella as the woman set down the tray and he said, his voice still hardly above a whisper, though it sounded vaguely menacing. "I want to watch you cut it this time. I think you ripped me off last time. I can't afford that." The old woman just waved him off as she got many threats a day and nodded over to the woman waiting in line to let her know she's be right with her.

Athena looked surprised down as she felt something moving by her feet. A dog. A two-tailed dog? Pretty neat. She smiled and then the dog was removed from the floor and into the arms of the owner. She was about to say it was a very cool dog when he said that it wasn't a place for friends. She frowned, but she guessed that would be true. Not many people were cool in this place. Not many at all.

"Cool dog," she uttered anyways, "What kind is it?"

She knew he'd probably just scoff or something, and maybe tell the type before returning to the counter. Or maybe he'd surprise her. When the woman then came back out again, she withdrew her eyes, not wanting to know what he was buying. It really wasn't her business. But when his menacing voice reached her, she frowned slightly and looked at the woman behind the counter. Athena would be sure the woman wouldn't rip her off. She couldn't afford that.

As the old woman had been walking to the counter with his purchase, and the young woman had asked what dog it was. He just looked down at little Napoleon again, petting his head as he mumbled. "Crup. Pug-Crup, actually. Thank you." He said simply before actually getting a proper look at her before turning back to the counter.

Brushing off his threat the old woman said that this was the only place he could come to, and the place he's been coming to for many years and that even if she was ripping him off he'd still come. He huffed, tapping his fingers on the counter without a reply to her. She then began to take small, coloured glass jars out from the bag. As she poured a liquid he sniffed. "What is that?" he asked cautiously to which she returned quietly, 'Veela.'

He went quiet again as she opened the other jars and cut and crushed some ingredients, siring them in. As she was working on it, Luc glanced over again at the young woman, simply looking at the ingredients she bought, then looking at her. He briefly found himself to be curious, which he really shouldn't be.

Athena gave a nod, positively surprised that he said 'thanks'. Maybe he wasn't a complete douche who didn't know how to be polite. Maybe he was polite. That was, until the woman came back out again and poured something. She tried not to listen, but she couldn't help it. It was so close, and the shop was completely silent.

Athena frowned lightly. She wasn't sure what she'd just heard was correct, but she once again found herself prying into someone else's affairs. Seriously, she had to stop doing that. But she couldn't help it. Veela? No, she had heard wrongly, she must have. Otherwise... Well, either he was seriously sick. As in mentally sick. Or he wasn't ... human.

She then saw him looking at the ingredients in her hands. There was the average things for a Strengthening Solution, meaning salamander blood and a Griffin claw, that wasn't unusual, but having a bezoar and a fully brewed Vitamix Potion as well, made it the right ingredients to make a Healing Elixir for curing Osteoporosis, the bone paralyzing disease that had no cure in the muggle world.

The longer Luc stood there the more fidgety he seemed to become. He was glad she didn't pester him with questions about his little dog like a lot of people, especially women, did. Even though he probably already said the puppy's name, he cleared his throat slightly. "His name is Napoleon." He stated, because he was used to most people asking. Though like he told little Napoleon, this was no place for friends, even if they did look friendly.

He was watching the old woman carefully, as she finished up stiring the elixir together. She capped and sealed the container then went to go package it up for him, and he let out a slow breath from his mouth, seeming to become a bit agitated. He was quite a bit paler then the normal person as kept mostly indoors. He had bags under his eyes as he tried to defy his type's normal nocturnal hours. He was weak as of late since he was trying various substitutes to hold him over once the school year began. He had to try to act as normal as possible, for no one would want any'thing' like him to be keeping watch over their children.

Taking note of the ingredients in her hands, he looked at her again carefully. "Someone close to you, I'm guessing?" He asked, his accent slight as he spoke up a bit. He could tell it wasn't for her. She didn't have the feeling of one with a disease.

Athena smiled at the dog. "Napoleon. That's nice," she said, looking back up at him.

She tried to figure it out, the potion, and when the old woman was making it, Athena tried her best to identify it with another potion she'd heard of. But she couldn't. She'd never seen something like it. But Athena was pretty sure the woman had said 'veela' and that pretty much meant that she used the essence, the blood. Blood. Athena's teeth clenched as the white skin and morbid eyes, the mysterious and almost cold demeanor hit her. Vampire. Of course. Route Tranquille was a pretty common place for all kinds, humans and creatures alike. But it was still a shock. She then blinked and thought nothing more of it.

She looked at her ingredients again. "Sister," she said, her voice cracking slightly. She didn't like thinking about it. Valerie was really all Athena had, aside from her mother. She cleared her throat. "She was diagnosed some years ago," she said steadily.

She then looked at him again. "Pardon my imprudence, but can I ask without sounding completely rude; are you a vampire?" she asked him softly.

She knew it might not be the smartest thing to ask, but she needed to know. He was a daywalker. It wasn't usual. And he was trying new potions. Something was keeping him going except for blood. Or at least he tried to find something better. If he was a vampire.

As he had been watching the old woman, he could feel eyes on him. Practically able to feel the gears locking in her mind as she came to a realization. He didn't care if people knew. She was just some woman in the Apothicaire he'd never come across again. Especially in these parts on Route Tranquille he had no cause for concern, as no one care enough to bother his type, especially as a daywalker.

He simply nodded and motioned his hand very slightly towards the potions, still waiting for the old woman to return. "And it works well?" He found himself a little curious as his attempts at meager substitution wasn't working so far, at the most simply making him ill. The old woman then came back with the paper bag inside another bag that had some ice. He drew his eyes back to the old woman but they snapped right back when the young woman asked him that question. The old woman simply hummed amused as she stood at the counter her hand outstretched for her money.

His voice lowered to almost a whisper again. People didn't usually ask like that so straight forward without meaning any sort of trouble from it. He didn't feel like he should be too defensive though. After all, he was just about ready to leave. "I think you know the answers already to that. Not that it is your business, Madam." he tried to say as politely as possible, but might have come out sounding vaguely threatening. He couldn't be bothered to care. He didn't like the reminder of what he was. Even after all this time he couldn't stand to say the words himself. But it was him and he was cursed to live with it. While he didn't like it, he was forced to accept it.

He reached into his coat pocket, pulling out the money to pay her, which was quite a bit actually. He grabbed the bag, opening his coat to put the bag in one of the inner pockets, and he took his umbrella off the counter getting ready to leave as the old woman behind the counter went to ring up the young woman's purchase..

Athena was a bit surprised when he asked if it went well. She didn't think he'd care. Not that she really wanted him to, but it was so weird and unexpected that he'd talk at all, so she didn't really feel that it was personal at all.

"It doesn't cure it, but it keeps it from doing further damage," she said calmly.

She instantly realized she shouldn't have asked the question. Here she was, a girl who was pretty curious about a vampire, but she just couldn't see that maybe he didn't like talking about it. She should have, though. It really wasn't nice of her to ask such a thing and she looked away from his menacing eyes.

"Sorry, I meant no offense. I'm just ... curious, I guess. Ignore me," she said, looking into the wall blankly as he was on his way out.

Getting ready to leave, Luc sighed. She was just some ignorant little girl. She should have known better, but didn't. She was lucky though. Others might not take so kindly to being pointed out. "Be careful with curiosity. As they say it kills the cat."

He walked to the door, getting ready to open his umbrella as he looked back at her. "You might not be so lucky with others, they might get more offended. So...." He creeked the door open a bit.

"Be careful, little kitten." he finished with a mumble, as he opened his umbrella, disappearing out the door.

Athena knew he was right about the curiosity thing, but he really shouldn't underestimate her. She knew how to fight of a vampire. Showing them the sunlight should be enough to fend them off if one didn't want to kill them.

She felt a bit annoyed at him, but when he called her 'little kitten' he stepped over the line. She was about to explode at him when she realised that 1) it wouldn't be a good thing to annoy a vampire and 2) it was fitting, her being an animagious turning into a panther.

She looked after him when he left, so lost in thought, thinking of whether to be angry or amused by him, concluding to do both, that she jumped sky high when the old woman poked her and pried the ingredients from her arms.