Young Writers Society

The hall was lined with three long stone tables, each a piece of artwork on their own. Long benches lined them, and guild members of all ages, shapes, and sizes swarmed them, filling up a large portion of the seating. In the center of the tables there were lines of food - plates and bowls with potatoes, meats, pastas, beans - all hearty, filling foods, filling the room with a savory smell.

Bo headed for the center table, welcoming Kratzer to follow him and sit beside him once he plopped down. There were plates and utensils already set - all they had to do was serve themselves from the abundance of food on the table.

He took a seat, impressed. He wasn't quite sure what he'd expected but it was nothing this...grand.

Bo immediately started to pile food onto his plate. "Dig in!" he encouraged Kratzer, handing him a serving spoon to scoop some potatoes.

He grinned and took it, dropping a liberal scoop onto his plate and passing the dish on before grabbing some meat and fruit to add to his meal. "Danke, Herr Bo! It smells delicious."

Bo nodded and smiled, before he began to liberally stuff his face with food.

He hadn't had a meal like this in months. It was warm, fresh, and positively delightful. After so many weeks of living off canned and microwave meals with the occasional hotel breakfast it felt like Thanksgiving. He began to wolf it down like the starving vampire he was, his old habits of eating before someone else took his food in conjunction with his unnatural speed meaning he shoved it down in record time, even for him.

Bo, only about halfway through his meal as Kratzer was finishing off his, gave him an impressed look. He put down his fork for a moment and swallowed his food so he could give Kratzer a pat on the back.

"Hey, uh, just by the way: we eat two big meals together a day. One in the morning and one in the afternoon. You're welcome to each of them, of course!" He paused, looking down at Kratzer's cleared plate.

"Glad you seemed to like it, though. You're always welcome to seconds!"

He smiled up at Bo. "It's delicious. Honestly, I haven't had a decent meal in I don't know how long. I can't thank you enough for your hospitality. It's been a long time since I wasn't running. There's not many out there with a heart good as yours."

Bo smiled, laughing a little as his shoulders scrunched up into something of a shrug. "Thanks..." he said with a bashful dip of his head. "I'm just trying my best. Wasn't always that way."

"Well, what use is life if you can't change it, eh?" he asked with a sly smile, clapping Bo on the shoulder and then grabbing the potatoes.

Bo laughed, then took a big bite out of a turkey leg as he shook his head. "True," he said with his mouth full before getting caught up in the meaty chewing. It took him a few hurried seconds to swallow the bite but as soon as he did he cleared his throat.

"So! You're a vampire, you're a skilled fighter, and you're very old, like me! That's two things we have in common - uh, not the vampire thing of course - but yeah! What else do you like to do? D'ya got hobbies? I mean, that many years go by, I'm sure you've got a few at least."

He shrugged. "I play music, mostly. Draw some. Can't say I'm the most skilled of fellows but I've been dabbling for a long time. Yourself?"

Bo rubbed his beard thoughtfully. "Hmm, well, ask anyone and they'll tell you I love to sing, and I love to cook. I think I'm pretty decent at both, but I also like to draw! I've gotta be honest with you though, my drawings look kind of childish. But I'm pretty decent at drawing dragons if I do say so myself," he said, holding a hand on his chest and nodding.

Kratzer laughed. "I like cooking, too, but I can't say I'm great at it. I've never drawn fantastical creatures much. Er, I don't know if fantastical is really the right word, considering I've met tw- well, three, counting you at this juncture," he chuckled.

Bo couldn't help but smile, feeling unbelievably flattered to be counted as a fantastical creature. "Oh," he said, his cheeks flushing in a warm happiness. "Oh, well, I'm honored to be the third."