|
Post by jarahamee on Jan 30, 2018 15:47:55 GMT -6
Ru walked down the alley with his hands in his pockets. It tilted his narrow shoulders forward, and should he have had an eye for the aesthetics of the evening, cut a lovely figure in the shadows, his pale skin and hair, the snow, and the dark garments all contrasting together, the lean lines of his legs so well defined as he tread through the narrow street. At the moment, Ru had no interest in what he looked like, or did not happen to look like, but if he had seen a photograph of himself, he would have been pleased. It was the shortest way to the park, and though he was a vampire and had little to fear walking alone at night, he still felt that keen alertness that came with danger.
He paused. A cat was sitting on the dumpster lid, leaving little footprints in fresh snow. It was a perfect white with blue eyes, staring back with neither fear or friendliness, waiting for him to notice it. He wondered if he could encourage it to come closer, but thought, maybe it would rather be left alone. He tried anyways, focusing his power upon it, kneeling very slightly as he put out his hand. It was less threatening that way.
Friend, come here.
To any outsiders, it would sound like he was simply making strange noises, but to the cat, it was a focused call. The cat looked back at him and then turned about, flicking its tail, and disappeared behind the trashcan. Sometimes that happened. They didn't want human company, and who could blame them. Life as a wild animal was hard. He would know. He sighed and rose to his feet again.
|
|
|
Post by tsukikoko on Jan 30, 2018 17:47:06 GMT -6
Little did the male vampire know that another was nearby, hidden, watchful at the entrance to an alleyway. Obscured by darkness and the corner of a building. The feline he had attempted to converse with sauntered over to that alleyway and a leather-clad figure, hood pulled up over her head, knelt down to greet it. A quick purr, a rub of the furred head against her hand and a gentle sound almost like a kiss, before Kitty looked directly into the eyes of the cat. This the one? [Is. Smells of dog. No heartbeat. Talked, like this but not, to me.] I see. Thank you beautiful, I'll see you later, okay? Be safe, no harassing that pitbull up the street. I don't want to have to fix you again. In response to the silent exchange, the cat blinked and almost seemed to smile, before turning away with tail held high to scamper away into the night.
Once her feline friend was gone, Kitty turned to look again at the man she could see making his way towards the park. Her expression darkened. She had been extra vigilant where threats were concerned as of late - both for herself and Kail. With the WDSA on their heels and supers going missing, Kitty's skin constantly prickled. There was a stench in this city. A corruption as any other, but also the brimstone of an approaching storm. If she was going to become embroiled in it, the redhead at least wanted to face it head on, not be taken by surprise. Thus, this man who had been brought to her attention needed to be investigated.
To smell like canine, to have communication abilities with animals... if it hadn't have been for the information concerning his lack of a heartbeat, she'd have thought him a werewolf or similar creature. As it were now, she wondered if he were the same clan of vampire as herself; did he know of her presence in the city?
Standing around here wondering wasn't going to answer the questions, she thought to herself. Better to tackle it head on, find out one way or the other. Thus, the red haired vampire set off in his direction, her pace deliberately quick and slightly harried, an air of superbly acted nervousness about her person. Didn't even glance his way. She could have been any young woman walking the streets, trying to get home as quick as she could to escape the night.
However, once she closed in on the male, Kitty realised something. It drew a slight raise of her eyebrow beneath the leather hood and the faintest of sounds. The hum of a person vaguely intrigued by something they have seen or heard, though only in a passing sense. She paced just behind the stranger, then spoke casually to him, well within earshot. "Huh. They sure did a good job with you." She wondered if the... man, would know what she was talking about. Or how he would react to her presence at all. Her body was primed; light on its feet and focused to detect any shifts in his stance that might signal an attack. She was ready, just in case.
|
|
|
Post by jarahamee on Jan 30, 2018 20:00:30 GMT -6
Ru turned about, surprised, and not, by the vampire's appearance passing him in this alley; his greyish-blue eyes lit up as he laid eyes on her. Ru's finely etched features, just a touch too smooth and even, adjusted as he took her in. His white-blond hair fluttered a bit in the slight pick-up wind. His extra senses were focused; he knew what she was when he turned to face her. She was one of his kind, and she had not tried to attack him, at least, not yet. Some of the vampires he had met in the large department bordered on friendly, but they were still inherently predatory and the thought always put him a bit on edge. Every other strange vampire and creature he had met and engaged with before all of this had been stand-offish at best and aggressive and dangerous at worst. He took a moment to process, and then replied'
"What do you mean? Choosing me? Or? I..um, pardon, but I'm Mr. Knight. Are you um, looking for someone?"
There were only so many things that she could have inquiries about as a fellow vampire. She could simply be a powerful vampire, and in that case, he had no pretenses about what their conversation may be about. The reason his masters chose him? That was straightforward from several points of view. He could always explain that to her. Or maybe she thought he was someone else, a more important vampire. He was not sure how someone could make that mistake, but since this wasn't an anime show, the individual powers of various vampires were rarely apparent, though in the cases of those who were extremely old and strong, one could see a different aura.
Ru did not have the stance of anyone who looked ready to fight. If anything, he had the appearance of someone who was perpetually looking to flee. Right now, his feet were firmly planted in that half-way stepped pose, the thin points of his patented leather shoes planted in the snow. He wore a simple black suit, which was beautifully cut and fitted to his slim body. Even the shirt was black, and he looked something like a very elegant spider as he pushed his fingers together as he waited for her response. His alertness was like a student who asked a question waiting for a teacher's answer.
|
|
|
Post by tsukikoko on Jan 31, 2018 7:31:50 GMT -6
So the chapette-turned-chap hadn't realised what she was angling at, or was being deliberately obtuse. Either way, she didn't care that much, what a person decided to do with their own body was little concern to her. Instead, she turned her attention to his other question. "Not really mate." Kitty said with a small, nonchalant scratch to the underside of her chin that bordered on animalistic behaviour. Like how a dog might scratch an ear. "Ya definitely the bloke I'm lookin' for. Heard about ya through the grapevine is all."
The redhead had not failed to notice this stranger's anxious disposition. While on the surface he appeared harmless, she knew from experience some vampires honed to perfection a persona of cowardice or helplessness; to lull others into a false sense of security, or incite them to attack what appeared to be easy pickings, only to find themselves enthralled and set before a council accused of crimes they did not remember committing. He could still be dangerous, but that wasn't about to stop her at this juncture. Time to see who this vampire was.
Hooking her thumbs into the pockets of her ripped jeans, Kitty cast her eyes up to the man's face, then snorted lightly through her nostrils. "Mr 'Knight' huh? That always been ya name, or did it get changed to pun your current condition?" A wide, fanged grin spread over her features. "Not that I can say much." Even as she said that, she neglected to put forward her own name. Instead she inclined her head towards the park. "Walk with me." Though usually a question, Kitty's tone made her sentence far more of a statement. Most vampires she had encountered were a proud sort, even when they tried to act otherwise, so she was curious to see his reaction to what bordered on an order.
|
|
|
Post by jarahamee on Jan 31, 2018 15:17:15 GMT -6
Ru was quietly surprised by their clarification. Why would anyone be looking for him? Unless they were sent by someone, but who would think he was important enough to send someone after him? Or maybe the other city vampires had started gossiping about him, which would have been strange but not stranger than the circumstances that had gotten him here to begin with. He had never really thought himself good-looking but maybe he was just striking enough that he managed to draw some kind of comparison. He admitted he liked the way he looked in the film but otherwise he would have considered himself pretty unremarkable.
He sighed, the sound surprising of itself because it came from nowhere. As with the rest of his kind, he was not breathing, nor fidgeting. The young vampire was still nervous but resigned-nervous, pausing before eyeing her again. He knew well enough not to judge a vampire by her appearance. He was not sure about this, but maybe another vampire introducing herself to his life was a good thing. Maybe. It had not been before, but he could never be sure of where his life was headed at any given time. He walked alongside her haltingly, wondering if he could outrun her in bat form if he had to. This wasn't the first time he had to consider fleeing the company of a fellow vampire.
"It was my name before. Since I changed cities and my family thinks I died, I didn't really see the harm in using it. What do you call yourself?"
Ru smiled, very slightly. It was a shy expression he wore well, a good contrast to his grim, slim black suit. He did not feel confident but he at least sounded it, more confident than he did a moment before. Like a true follower, he stepped in line towards the park, obedient, but nervous. He was not sure why she wanted to walk with him, but he was happy to get himself out of this alley and into a wider space. He placed his hands in his pockets, long strides making him seem both taller and swifter than he was.
The night was quiet and calm, and very, very cold.
|
|
|
Post by tsukikoko on Feb 5, 2018 18:20:08 GMT -6
Though the night was bitterly cold, Kitty showed no sign of discomfort, nor did any breath fog in front of her face. Where her companion anyone other than a vampire, they might have been perturbed by this, but given he already knew exactly what she was and had first hand experience of the same condition, she saw no reason to pretend otherwise. Human needs like breathing and skin responses were just such a hassle to remember to replicate.
At the male's question, the redhead did not respond immediately. She waited until he began to keep pace with her, blue eyes turned sidelong to watch in case there were signs of him fleeing, before her rough British voice replied, "Kitty." She gave no more after that. No indication if it was her name, a nickname, whether she had a surname... Instead, the vampire stuck one hand in her pocket and walked in silence beside her likely less-than-willing companion. It wasn't until they reached the park and had gone more than a few paces inside, that she did anything more than watch him. If her name wasn't already known to him, revealing it seemed to have done nothing so far, but that didn't quite rule him out as someone to be concerned about just yet.
When Kitty did move, she crossed her arms over her chest, but continued to walk. The fanged smile had vanished completely from her face, leaving a stern and cold expression behind. Never one to beat around the bush, the redheaded vampire cut right to the chase, "So. Who ya with then? Local coven, anarchs, little segregated pack," her lip curled slightly, an oddly animal expression for such an attractively feminine face, "-humans in the know? No offense sunshine, but ya don't come across as the kind to strike out on your own." Her eyes traced his body, as though she could see just by looking at him how nervous the male was. He'd have been dusted for sure by now without some kind of backing, she was almost certain of it.
|
|
|
Post by jarahamee on Feb 6, 2018 0:44:47 GMT -6
Ru looked less than subtlety frightened by the change in behavior that Kitty presented, and withdrew himself from her in a single side step away from her body. It was a measured step. He hoped, outside of her immediate reach but he could never be sure with vampires. His large grey-blue eyes were wide and his mouth was subtly drawn and tensed. He was intimidated, tiny feminine vampire or not, and she was about to not believe the truth about his circumstances. Never an ideal place to be for anyone.
"..W..well actually I am not affiliated with anyone. I uh... I ran from my 'family' and I have been living on my own now for... a week. I uh, had some funds I was able to bring with me here, but that was all I had."
The past tense likely indicated that he had no such disposable income now, but his lovely outfit, the tailored clothing, the shiny shoes, and his puff tie all suggested a lifestyle that he currently could no afford. Maybe he was dressed by his old coven. Or perhaps he was someone's creation, their Pygmalion, made to serve their desires like a fine collector's doll on a shelf. It was difficult to say. He could be so many things. He seemed to be in loathe to elaborate, but there he was none the less. In either case, he kept his distance from Kitty, but showed no signs of desiring any kind of counter-attack.
|
|
|
Post by tsukikoko on Feb 10, 2018 15:12:10 GMT -6
Kitty rolled her eyes at the rather obvious attempts by the male to distance himself, spreading her arms wide, then jamming both hands in her pockets with a slightly open-mouthed expression of 'there, are ya happy now?' She had the sneaking suspicion that if she even looked at him too harshly he might spontaneously combust. "Oh pack it in ya pansy." She said with no attempt hide her irritation. This was no piece of prey that she needed to seduce and lie to. This was another vampire and she intended to find out exactly where he stood in all of this.
She flipped her hair with a toss of her head, removing a few stray strands from her eyes, before gesturing towards a nearby bench. "Sit." A command if ever there was any, Kitty didn't even wait to see if he would agree before she stretched out across the wooden furniture, legs spread in a very masculine way. Owning the space. "Pretty fancy threads ya got there sunshine. Used to fancy livin'? Or were ya some big geezer's pet? He kick ya out, leave ya to fend for yourself?" It wasn't even that Kitty was trying to get a rise out of the male vampire, she simply had no tact. She voiced her thoughts as they came, with no room for censorship or decorum, while her eyes cast their way over his suit. Then, for a moment she looked away, cast her eyes over the darkened park with her eyebrows drawn together in a frown that looked habitual for her face. A well-worn expression.
Eventually, only looking at him from the corner of her eye, tone marginally softer and almost a little exasperated, Kitty spoke up again. "Look. If ya are alone like ya say, I reckon ya should know this place is fucking crawling with things that'll want to eat ya, turn ya to dust, or make you their bitch. Not all of 'em vampires. So I hope ya learn fast."
|
|
|
Post by jarahamee on Feb 11, 2018 2:29:54 GMT -6
Ru paused if only just a moment, and then settled himself in the bench next to Kitty. He was clearly not very comfortable speaking to fellow vampires, especially those that were less than kind when they addressed him. He looked just as nervous as if she had made overt threats. As he fought down his worry, he seemed to wonder... What was it that she wanted? Was she just talking to him to warn him? Or was she worried that he was some kind of badass in secret?
"...I uh... I was made to service someone who is no longer alive... I don't know what I will do now. Make friends I guess."
He was a young vampire without much in the way of friends just yet. Those he had he left behind, which did not leave him with a lot of options. He sighed, this time to express the emotion. He had given up. He was pretty sure if she wanted to, she could have caught him and done whatever she wanted to.
"The place I left was dangerous, but I am starting to think everywhere is now."
|
|
|
Post by tsukikoko on Feb 15, 2018 18:35:20 GMT -6
At his response, Kitty's head lolled in the male's direction, affixing him with a hard, unblinking stare. She was fairly certain now that, whoever this was, he wasn't particularly worth her time; he was neither a threat, nor was his general demeanor in any way compatible with her own. She couldn't even be bothered to heckle him for her correct guess about him being a kept pet. While there was a slight niggling in the back of her skull, welling up from somewhere near her heart, floated the idea he could be an easily controlled pawn, but she almost instantly squashed that assertion.
Kitty was not interested in playing that game.
Well... except with a particular man of the grey-skinned variety. But he was useful, strong and more than a little interesting. This vampire was just... limp. She'd never come across anyone like it! At least, not anyone who had survived longer than two days.
A sigh devoid of any real breath curled into the back of Kitty's throat. She held it in, barely, then finally addressed her nervous companion. "Don't try to make friends. Most of the tossers out there are most certainly not your friends." Why was she even warning him like this? It seemed a pointless endeavour but, regardless, the redhead found herself doing so anyway. Maybe a half-hearted attempt to prevent him getting embroiled back in the vampiric politics she hated so much. Or just a chance to moan about that particular topic, perhaps. "Look. Sounds like ya got outta the fuckin' bullshit game they play now ya master's dead. Learn to stand on your own two feet or die tryin'. Freedom's one of the only things worth bloody well fightin' for, 'cause what's the fuckin' point of livin' forever if ya can't actually live it?" The sigh escaped this time. "Just... stay away from it." Now, she tilted her head over the back of the bench, casting an arm in an arc over the park and presumably towards the city beyond. "Keep away from the hunters too. Canny fuckin' lot, got themselves all nicely nestled into that WDSA shithole." After the events with a certain Agent Telmore, Kitty had been sure to keep her many eyes and ears pointed at that particular establishment. She'd learned a fair few things, but still couldn't fit all the puzzle pieces together.
|
|
|
Post by jarahamee on Feb 16, 2018 0:55:50 GMT -6
Ru admitted he was a little unnerved by her stare, even if it meant that she was bored. Though Kitty did not put any cards on the table for any of these matters, he admitted that even the idea of her becoming bored with him had a sort of threat to it. He was not sure what she was thinking, but he could not believe that it was anything benevolent. She may have had no claim over him as a vampire master, but she could still threaten him with bodily harm. He looked ready to rise, but instead stayed seated. There was no better place to be. He put his hands in his pockets and watched her with his worried gray eyes.
"I... I figure, but then, are we expected to make it alone?"
He looked at her, knowing the answer must be yes. What a lonely life that was. Even in his group of babies, they still made their way.. well enough. He had no desire to be a part of vampire politics, he had to admit, though being friendly with other vampires certainly had its benefits in their community. He wondered what Kitty was talking about in terms of bullshit and freedom. He looked her over thoughtfully, trying to understand her with all the focus of someone doing their best not to be attacked by someone on the street who had started yelling at them out of nowhere. And the WDSA staff had been all but friendly to him but he was not familiar with all the qualities of this place admittedly. Telmore had been very kind to him, and done everything he could have wanted to help him find his place here, at least temporarily.
Ru looked like he was chewing over what to say to Kitty, but instead of forming any further words, he just nodded, eyes wide. The sort of anxiety that he had as a student being disciplined. That sort of obedience would never leave him probably, and he hated himself for simply not having the guts to stay what he thought most of the time. Maybe if he did end up becoming a powerful vampire he could just say what he wanted, whenever he wanted, just like she did, but, he pushed the thought away in a corner of his mind.
"...Th..thanks."
|
|
|
Post by tsukikoko on Feb 17, 2018 3:41:24 GMT -6
"Don't. Thank me." Kitty replied sharply. "Unless ya mean it and intend to listen, they're just hollow fuckin' words." With a sudden burst of movement and speed, Kitty launched herself off the bench and back onto her feet, her hands immediately jamming themselves in her pockets.
This encounter had not been what she anticipated, but at least she was fairly certain this particular vampire wouldn't give her any immediate trouble. Still... something bothered Kitty; a scratching irritation in the back of her skull. When she had arrived in Wathais and become aware of a group keeping an eye on her, she had hidden herself swiftly and denied the 'agent' his capture of her when pressed. The redhead did not think this male would be quite so perceptive, or willing to argue the toss even if only humans approached him.
"Right then sunshine, given how my mere presence seems to scare the crap outta ya, I'll make myself scarce." Even as she said this, Kitty was taking a step closer, not away from him. "But before I bugger off, got a question for ya. The WDSA, or any lot of humans for that matter, they been in contact with ya? Had a quick chat? Knew immediately what you were?" She stood before him, her posture relaxed, expression neutral. But despite her small, slight stature, something primal and volatile emanated from Kitty. Something wild and dangerous; a raging storm, distant and on the horizon, but most certainly within sight.
|
|
|
Post by jarahamee on Feb 20, 2018 23:41:13 GMT -6
Ru watched Kitty shoot up from the seated position and stood awkwardly and slowly. He looked less like he was stiff or painful and more like he was afraid to stand too much. He nodded to her words, even though her head was not turned to look at him. What was she thinking about? What was she trying to prevent? He was not sure, but he wondered if she did this to all the vampires in the city. Somehow, he would not have been surprised.
He looked past her and left, looking for where he was going to next. The area was dark, and mostly empty. Then, she stepped towards him, the movement was just as sharp as she sprung away. Did she change her mind? He took a single step back, and looked at her, not sure what to say. Yes, that had happened, and almost right away. They had recognized him from the start, but he had been glad of it. A meal, a bed, or at least what passed as one, and directions. He looked either way, and then nodded, having a sense of what might come.
"Uh... yes actually. Almost right away."
|
|
|
Post by tsukikoko on Feb 25, 2018 10:59:59 GMT -6
There was a shift, a brief narrowing of her eyes, a barely perceptible tensing in the lines of her shoulders, that signified Kitty's immense displeasure at the male's response. She began to pool vitae into her arms, ready to extend each one of her lethal claws from where they hid within her fingers; but on the surface, the redhead did not move, only continued her unblinking stare upon the other vampire's face.
For them to know immediately that he was a vampire, these people must be hunters, or at least intricately aware of the supernatural world for some purpose or another; the agent had spoken of help, rehabilitation perhaps, but even then Kitty had not believed him. All she heard was the destruction of her freedom, the risk that her 'protectors' would burn her to ash once her guard was lowered or they got whatever it was they wanted. With the information these humans (or whatever else might be working with them, given Stenson had most certainly not been human) possessed, they were dangerous, far more than the redhead liked. It raised her hackles, set her on edge.
Then there was this other vampire. What was his part to play in this? A simpleton being taken advantage of, or a spy, deliberately in the employ of this WDSA? Had he been followed, was he being watched this very second? Each paranoid thought welled up inside Kitty's head from a place that was not entirely her own, plaguing the vampire with so many intricate and power-play scenarios it was almost maddening.
When she spoke, there was a tightness in her voice, a curling of her top lip that revealed the barest hint of her fangs. "And when they approached? What did ya do sunshine? Ya go with 'em?"
|
|
|
Post by jarahamee on Feb 26, 2018 1:36:08 GMT -6
Ru was not sure he liked the shift in her being, and had he still been mortal, he would have swallowed hard. As he was, he simply considered the very real possibility he might have to turn into a bat and fly off and away sometime in the near future. He gathered his energy within himself to do so, focusing on his bat form. Outwardly, his aura and his being did not change, however. He was not sure what sort of altercation this woman had with the law, but he was now fairly sure that she might be a criminal or something of that nature. He might never know but it worried him to consider the possibility.
The other vampire seemed concerned about her sudden change of tone, and took a neat step backwards, walking back onto the bench as if she was a wild animal about to spring on him. He was not so blind as not to catch the hint of fangs. The veiled threat. But he had the sense that lying would not help either. Perhaps it was best to be honest, and tell the truth. He could not see the evil that she did. Aaron had been kind to to him, had shown him everything that he needed to know to survive here. He was hardly a representative of the WDSA; it was a world he did not know. He just... had neutral feelings about it.
"...It was getting to be light and I had to leave my coffin behind. I accepted their offer since they said other vampires they helped and could find me food. I am not a good hunter, I never have been, and I'm not good at survival games. My master may have been a Lord of Shadows but I am not... I spent a night in their rental coffins and took a meal there. It was nice, but made me feel awkward. I'm trying to find my own place though, maybe a steady food source. Nothing illegal."
He shrugged slightly, trying to tread whatever line would not infuriate her. He was not sure what would be the best approach besides the honest and simple truth. He wondered if Aaron found her too, and bit his lip, wondering.
|
|