FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

KS: He was new to town, the kind of arrival that only draws attention in all the wrong circles. He had no wheels and little cash, but once you knew the gutters of one city, you knew the rest well enough. People don't change even when the sights do.

There were always people looking for... "Errand boys," guys who could get things done without saying anything. People with no past who could disappear if needed. People like him. Not even half an hour off the bus, he'd already located a drug dealer. They have a look... a feel... even the ones who looked straight; he could still pick them out of a crowd. Once your hands are stained and you're marked as criminal, it sticks to your shoulders in a way that most people can't even see. He could see.

A simple job. Take this package to this address, pick up the money left there, return. If no money was there, he was to return with the package. There'd be three men tailing him discretely, ready to bolt if cops arrived or snag him if he sprinted. He made the drop, grabbed the money, got back to the dealer. He was quick about it too... He'd always been quick on his feet.

Something was wrong though... not with the deal, but with the people. Every creature he'd seen had a wary look in their eyes... there was a hint of fear, a hint of anxiety on every person's face. All people have a natural instinct to survive, and everyone he'd seen that night was acting like there was a hunter nearby. Their minds didn't know it... but their bodies did. Eyes in the alleys. Ears on the wind. It was the look people had when they walked through a neighborhood reputed for muggings and robbery... the tension in the air was palpable.

He collected his fee, a pittance compared to the money he'd handled. He heard all the usual promises... "You did good. More money if you stay with us. Join me, I'm going to the top." He didn't need that much, just enough to buy himself food for the night. Drug dealing wasn't his scene anyways.

He walked off with the man's gold ring... a little souvenir that would fetch a nice price at a fence. The thrill of a steal, the glory of a thief... the fear of being caught, the heart stopping moments of anticipation as you walk away calmly... he lived for the thrill, the danger, the adrenaline. He had a bank account with more money than he could count, but he kept to the same pattern. New city. Build up from nothing. Dodge death and payback until he needed to skip town.

He was a thief and a thrill seeker, and he had no idea whose turf he stepped in on when he entered a backdoor bar called "The Wolves' Den."

The visitor dressed to the dark stranger archetype, a grim visage that fit him well. Black shoes, black jeans, black hoodie deep enough to keep his face shadowed. If no-one accosted him on the way, he would belly up to the bar and order something from the menu before the bartender could say a single word.

SM: The Wolves Den. It was a dark bar, but it certainly wasn't as seedy as its neighbors. The walls were clean, the bar top immaculate. The place was in good repair, and didn't reek of filth like so many others did. Those in the bar were relaxing, a few loud laughs, and the crackling of a set of televisions tuned to the most recent football game. Behind the bar a beast of a man stood cleaning glasses and taking orders.

Green eyes took in the sight of the newcomer to the bar, and without any suspicion the order was taken with a nod and called into the back. The tension that was outside seemed to vanish in this comfortable, warm environment; almost like there was no place in this haven for such feelings as paranoia. The comfortable quiet broken only by the murmurs of conversation and clinking glasses was finally broken by the swinging of the kitchen door.

A curved hip hit the door to open it, and there was a plate in one hand with a drink in the other. The woman who stepped into the room was eye catching. Skin was a sun kissed tan, and messy red hair was piled onto her head in ringlets and curls. The copper strands ringing her face, and framing the soft curves. The easy grin that curled her lips was impossible to miss as she almost purred to the man who was the bartender.

"Order up, Charlus."

The gruff bar tender rumbled to her, and pointed towards the stranger at the bar. Two toned eyes settled on him and she was approaching with his order. One eye was the color of the sky in the north, a sharp icy blue, while her left eye was the color of amber. Full lips twisted into a smile as she set the plate and drink on the bar with an inclination of her head.

The serenity of the bar had been shattered upon her entering. Power rolled through the air like waves, brushing against skin like fur, and the tension of the outside was suddenly inside. A few people shifted uneasily, the hair on the back of their necks on end - uncertain what was making their skin crawl but knowing something was. A slow drag of her eyes along the stranger, and she spoke with a voice void of accent.

"Anythin' else I can get you?"

KS: His eyes were sharp and his ears sharper. He hadn't survived this long by being dull to the world, and he felt the atmosphere like a comforting blanket. Blankets dull the senses, keep the mind at ease while vulnerability remained. He remained on alert and on guard, and his eyes hit her the moment she entered the room.

He raised his face just enough that she'd see his eyes, rich mahogany pools in a pale and drawn face. A smile tugged at his lips as she approached. Danger fell from her like the crashing waves around an ocean sea, and as surely as others were worried by it, he was drawn to it.

"A friendly face and some casual conversation would be nice. You have a minute or three?"

SM: "I can spare a few minutes. New in town, are ya?"

She took a deep breath and didn't bother to try and hide it as her dual-colored eyes locked on his face. Hands braced on the bar about two feet from him and she hoisted herself up. There was the dull thud of her sitting, and she turned to face him, so her back was to the bar tender and her legs hung off the edge of the bar. Hands braced on the edge and she leaned back a little.

Untied converse sneakers covered her feet, a scuffed red. Her legs were long and bare, with shorts that stopped about mid-thigh, littered with pockets that jingled faintly. The tight, low neck t-shirt she wore was emblazoned with a simple phrase, "I'm a Bitch". The name tag on her left breast was easily read as 'Jasmine'. The darker scars on her skin clung like shadow as she tilted her head and smirked at him.

"What brings you to the Den?"

KS: He let his eyes travel slowly as they made the long journey from her legs up to her face. Her bronze skin teased across well-muscled thighs that threatened to ensnare him if he stared too long. He smiled slightly at her shirt, and the smile was still there when his eyes met hers again.

"I'm looking for good food. I'm looking for friends. I'm looking for a place to bum the night. I'm looking for work. I'm looking for love. I could say a thousand different things, but only one of them would be true. Can you guess what it is?"

He wasn't the kind of guy who drew stares as he passed, but he was handsome enough that the ladies often looked back for a second glance. Looking up at her, his hood fell back a little to reveal the pale skin of one who is most active at night, decorated only by a single scar that sliced his left cheek from his cheekbone towards the back of his head. It was dark under his hood, but Jasmine would have sharp enough eyes to see that there was a chunk missing from that ear.

SM: The slow drag of his eyes was almost like a caress, and she didn't seem to be bothered. In fact she made a show of crossing one leg over the other when his gaze lingered a moment too long. There was a lazy grin on her lips by the time he reached her face and she tilted her head to the side. Her eyes met his and she stared into the shadows of his hood with a thoughtful murmur. The sight of the scar had her tilting her head just a little bit, curiosity perked but she held her tongue for now.

She took another deep breath of his scent in an attempt to gain a deeper understanding of this strange man. When he asked his question there was a little rumble, and her eyes left his face. Looking up at the ceiling she leaned back a little further, letting her shoulders hunch.

"You got food. Got a job, and if you don't, you got the skills to get one. Friends? Love? Maybe. You seem the sort who plays rough if that scar does the talkin' for you."

She brushed the nail of her thumb along her own cheek, in the placement of his scar, a small smirk teasing her lips.

KS: His grin faltered a moment, sliding downwards as he reached up to thumb the line neatly dividing his cheek. He sighed softly as he ran his digit down its length, stopping to prod the empty bit at the end. He smelled... odd. The filth of back alley garbage clung to his shoes, but his clothes smelled clean. He was not perspiring enough to stink of sweat, but neither was he wearing deodorant. Oddly enough, in the layers that composed his scent, was the distinct snare of fresh cinnamon... an odd flavor, faint enough that a human nose wouldn't catch it.

"Me? Rough? Only if I need to... though others I've met clearly disagree. I am looking for work, in a... roundabout manner... but I'm always looking for work. I have good food and better company, and I'm still looking for where I'll spend the night... but none of those are what I'm really looking for. Every soul seeks for something... so I'll offer a trade... I do love an even deal... Tell me what your soul seeks, and I'll tell you mine."

SM: The faltering of his grin had her blinking a little owlishly. The flicker of surprise on her face was the only thing that gave away that she didn't realize she might have overstepped a line. But she focused on his scent. Clean with that hint of spice. Cinnamon just happened to be her favorite, and she offered a softer smile to him. There was a nod of her head in agreement at his mention of only playing rough if he must.

"Well, well... That is something mighty private to ask someone you just met. Though I suppose it's true, every soul wants for something." A glance towards the ceiling and she bit her bottom lip.

The flesh was worried between her teeth for a few moments, before she shrugged and offered her wants plainly. She had been around too long, with eyes far too old to bother hiding the things she longed for. "Redemption."

KS: That surprised him. He'd seen souls weighed heavy by guilt, lives ruined from a heart deep ache of agonizing over what was in the past. She didn't seem the type... happy, with an easy smile on her lips. He hadn't thought she was the one to carry such baggage, and he quickly re-evaluated his opinion of her.

"Mighty private indeed... but I'm a drifter who moves around quite a bit. It means I've got less friends, but also that I can be more careless... I've left more than a few mistakes behind my heels. This isn't one of them... the worst my question could have cost was your company, and though I'm enjoying it, I'd rather take a risk to know you than fill the time with idle chatter. I'd ask what you need redemption from, but I've an answer I owe you."

He stopped and looked down, fiddling with his food for a moment. His right hand moved to cover his left, massaging his ring finger momentarily. The action would draw her eyes to a curious tattoo, if she hadn't noticed it already. There was a black circle tattooed around the base of his left ring finger, just where a wedding band would go.

"I'm jus' trying to run far enough to leave someone's memories behind."

SM: The smile on her lips was sorrowful, but it was also peaceful. Whatever it was that weighed down her soul it was something she had long come to peace with. A tilt of her head, and she nodded a little bit to him. Then she shifted her weight to lean on her right hand, as her left lifted to tuck a few loose curls behind her ear.

"You got a name, stranger? Or am I going to have to call you Aristotle?"

When he fiddled with his finger, and she noted the tattoo she hummed a little to herself. Memories too old, and far too many passed before her eyes as she gazed for a moment into some middle distance, then shook her head to return to the present. Sharp eyes lifted to his face to meet his, and she offered a small - heartfelt - smile.

"Sad to say, doesn't matter how far, or how fast you run. Memories have a nasty habit of creeping up when you least expect it."

KS: "I have more names than you do articles of clothing, and I shed them just as easy. My favorite one though was Razor... sharp blade, sharp mind... but that's a name I left a long time ago. Most people know me as V."

He'd eaten quickly, scarfing his food as if he needed to dash for the door the moment he was done. Or rather, he ate like a man who'd been interrupted while eating before, and had no idea if he had time to finish his meal. Sustenance obtained, he leaned over to elbow the bar, resting his head in his hand. A casual extension of the action slipped his hood back on his head so that it framed his face rather than concealed it.

"Maybe... I can't outrun them... but if I take a wide enough circle, I just might lead them back to their grave. Shall we do another trade? A question for a question?"

SM: The bar keep was suddenly there, the man she called Charlus. He leaned around the woman and offered her a beer with the cap already off. She gave a thankful grin to the gruff fellow, a kiss pressed to his cheek and she turned her attention back to V. The bottle was held up.

"Want one?"

There was no ring on her finger, and one most certainly on the bar keep, so it seemed to be a friendly bit of affection rather than some sort of... something. But she waited patiently, and smiled a little as he moved his hood back just so. Eyes trailed his face, and she seemed to be looking for something. It was like he might hold the answers, or the familiarity that she long missed. When she didn't spy what she was looking for in his face her excitement seemed to dim just slightly.

"I like this game. Alright, a question for a question."

KS: He nodded to the barkeep and sipped his own brew as she studied him. He knew the look she gave him. One that was searching... he knew not what she was searching for, but her efforts deserved at least something. He wore a mask at almost all times... it was a good mask, a facade of impenetrability, a fortress of cold nonchalance that surrounded him. He let his gaze falter though, and in his eyes, she'd see danger. She'd see an excitement, a deep seated addiction to living life on the line. It was the glance of someone who hungered for adrenaline the way a junkie hungers for a fix, but he was willing to forestall his need to talk to her. The mask returned, but now that she'd seen past it, she could see the love of danger still lurking in his innocent brown eyes.

"What guilt weighs on your soul?"

SM: His gaze was not like any she had known, and the things she had searched for in his face were absent even still. It made her feel bereft, despite knowing what she looked for was long dead. A long, almost lonely, sigh escaped her as she lifted the bottle to her lips and took a swig. Gaze returned to the ceiling as she considered his question. What guilt indeed.

"You certainly pick simple questions."

Her voice was sarcastic and her chuckle self-depreciating as she considered how best to answer. Keeping her gaze on the ceiling, she decided that simple truths, no matter how ancient were always the best course for something like this. Jasmine wasn't a liar, and she had a nose for truth.

"Innocent deaths. Willful murder. Attempts at suicide. Devastation and agony left in my wake. There is not much I do not feel guilty for."

KS: He shrugged off her first comment as if it weighed no more than the breath that carried it.

"Simplicity and importance aren't mutually exclusive."

He listened to her tirade carefully, ears sharp against her voice. She wasn't lying, he knew that much at least. He found it hard to think that she could be capable of such savagery, and he said as much.

"You? Killing by intent and also as collateral damage? Not many killers end up as waitresses in a bar, drinking cold beers with scarred strangers. What's your story...?"

SM: "That's a second question, so you will owe me two." It was said with a barely concealed grin, and then she shrugged some. Putting her story together in short sentences and simple words was not something she did every day. Indeed, the last time she had bothered to tell her story had been so long ago now that she could only vaguely remember the faces turned towards her. The sight of eager and earnest listeners blurred in her memory.

"Ah, you've known me only an hour or so at most. My story is long, longer than I can tell in one night. But I can tell you this. Darkness dwells deeply in my heart. It was given to me by a monster who pretended to be a man, and now I carry and nurse it within me. A part of that darkness will always seek the ruination of those around me."

KS: He smiled and bowed his head, taking the jib in good spirit... he'd played the game enough to know when he was checked.

"I could argue that you hardly gave me a second answer, but I'll say I owe you two now... Alas, the night street calls to me, and your friend is giving me dark looks for keeping you from your job. Might there be a time and a place I could meet you once your shift was over?"

SM: There was a laugh as he called her on her 'not' answer. It was true but it left far more open than it answered really and that was something she enjoyed toying with. A truth so vague it might as well have been vapor. Spinning where she sat she pushed off to stand behind the bar and smiled towards Charlus before she nodded to the stranger, V.

"You can meet me here, if you want. I get off around four, that's after closing."

KS: V nodded contemplatively as he unzipped his hoodie. The predictably black shirt beneath was emblazoned with a single phrase "But tonight, we dance!" He reached into an interior pocket and pulled out a pocket watch that looked like it had been plucked straight from the days of grayscale photography and candle lit homes.

"A couple of hours then... I'll be here."

He paid his tab and tipped both her and the barkeep each exactly ten percent, to the penny. With a bow and a flourish, he made his way towards the door and vanished into the night.

---

V arrived back at precisely 4 o'clock. The night had gotten colder, but so had his clothing; he arrived in well fitting (black) cargo pants bursting with pockets, as well as a coat that seemed suspiciously thick in several places... He took one step through the door, one step to the side, and planted his back against the wall. He didn't say anything beneath his (Layered) hoods, he just stared at Jasmine with a crooked smile playing at his mouth.

SM: The amusing thing was that as things were closing up, Jasmine offered a wave to Charlus. The bar keep gave a thoughtful glower to the man who entered but he waved to the woman as he headed out the back door.

"See you tomorrow, boss."

Jasmine waved back to him and laughed. "See you tomorrow, Charlus." And she turned towards V. Approaching the layered male, and shoving her hands in her pockets as she did so. A lazy little grin curling her lips as she peered into the shadows and into his face. Eyes half lid and her lashes darkened her gaze slightly as she motioned towards the door, tugging a set of keys from her pocket.

"Let me lock up. Got somewhere in mind you want to go?"

KS: His crooked smile widened as she approached. Powerful shoulders pushed him off the wall and onto the balls of his feet as he fell in stride beside her, headed for the door.

"Depends... I've got one or two places in mind, but one's illegal and the other isn't somewhere I'd take a friend. If you had clean lodgings that you actually owned, that would probably be better than the apartment that I -think- is vacated for a weekend vacation."

SM: When he pushed off the wall, she stepped beside him. There was a small smile on her face as she turned to lock up the bar. The air curled around her, and she wasn't even slightly chilled. The shorts and t-shirt were clearly unsuited to the weather but she made no effort to hunt down a jacket.

"I have an apartment." There was a laugh in her voice as she glanced at him. "You're more than welcome to accompany me there. I guess I'll even let you crash on the couch if you want. I don't have a whole lot worth much." It plainly meant if he wanted to steal anything that she didn't have a lot of monetary worth in the things she owned.

KS: He stopped and scoffed, mock horror on his face.

"Me? It is the utmost of dishonor to steal from a hostess!" He gave a swift triple step to catch up to her, falling in stride once again. "Not to mention boring... I only steal from locked doors and gilded pockets, those with enough to lose that the loss is more likely to teach them a lesson than ruin their lives." He was quiet for a moment again, before a thought jolted through him. "Thank you for the offer, though... I'd love to be able to sleep comfortably without worrying that someone's going to step in to find a squatter."

SM: There was a laugh from her at the expression of mock horror. The amusement made her smile as she watched him and shook her head some. A little nod as she motioned for him to continue along beside her.

"Well, glad to know I don't have to worry about you stealing anything I own."

They had only walked a few blocks before she approached an older apartment building. It was a bit more run down than most, and clearly not the best of the best. But she opened the locked doors and led the way up the stairs. On the fifth floor she unlocked a door to a corner apartment and flicked on the light, stepping aside to let this stranger into her quiet place.

"I've learned that every bit of kindness in life matters."

KS: V nodded solemnly, his face filled with quiet peace. "As one who's had to rely on the charity of others more often than not, I can attest that sometimes the simplest kindness has the biggest impact."

He'd noticed her casual disregard of the cold on the street, and noticed now that she hadn't bothered to heat her apartment. He shivered in the cold before he gave her a coy smile.

"You certainly seem warm, despite your sparse clothing... any chance I could convince you to share a little warmth?"

SM: When she realized that she hadn't turned the heat on she actually blushed. The red flush spread across her cheeks and had her laughing as she headed over to the thermostat and flicked it on. A few moments later there was an ancient rumble as the heat kicked on and warm air began to blow from the vents.

The apartment was old; the couch had seen better days. But it was comfortable nonetheless, worn from love and frequent naps taken on it. The apartment was sparsely furnished, and the most notable items were mounted on the walls. A pair of ancient swords, rusted to near ruin, and a cracked quarterstaff. None of the three were particularly valuable. The kitchen was visible with its outdated - by a good forty years - appliances. A short hall led to the one bathroom, and the bedroom.

"I won't mind sitting beside you and sharing a blanket, but keep your hands to yourself. Got it?"

Her voice carried a playful threat, and she headed to the small hall closet and began to drag out heavy, patched blankets and a worn old pillow.

KS: He unzipped the coat and a pair of handcuffs appeared, spinning on one finger. In a flash, he'd cuffed his hands together with his by-now ever-present crooked smile.

"I'm just looking to warm up a little honest! I wouldn't dream of trying anything... at least, not before I pay you back those answers I owe you."

SM: Watching him unzipping his coat, she raised a brow at the sight of the handcuffs. There was an amused huff escaping her as she dropped the blankets on the couch and folded her arms over her chest. That curiously quirked brow went from his wrists, to his face and back again.

"And why, pray tell, are you carrying hand cuffs? Not planning anything dirty are you?"

It was said with a laughing tease as she set about setting the blankets and pillows up on the couch. Then she considered the questions he owed her. A twitch of her nose and she hummed faintly. While she lost herself in thought, he would note she didn't own a television - though there was an old radio on an out of the way table.

"What memories are you trying to run from?"

KS: His fingers flashed, and the cuffs were off, spinning around his hands again. He tossed them to her with a laugh as he spoke.

"Handcuffs? No, just toys... real metal, real sturdy, but just toys. There's a clearly marked latch on the underside, you press it and the cuffs release. That said, in my line of business, people see handcuffs and the believe them... most don't even think to look for a safety latch, because why would a burglar carry around fake cuffs? You can buy a pair at any toy store or magic shop, and if anyone's discovered that they're fake, it's happened long after I've left the area. Kind of my signature, if you would... though if I need to use cuffs to restrain someone, I've already made far too many mistakes to risk staying long."

He tossed the blanket over them both and pressed his side against hers. He still wore the soft hoodie, but he could feel the warmth radiating from her despite that. True to his word, his hands didn't wander, not even to the radio on the table.

"That counts as your first question, since I only owed you an answer and a half anyways. Memories... so many... all about one person."

He was sitting to her right, so she had clear vision of the scar that slid across the left half of his skull. He stroked it absentmindedly as he spoke.

"This one's the memory I run from the most... There was one moment when I needed something more than I ever had before or since. There was one woman who could help me, one woman who I thought was helping me... I trusted her, and all I got for my troubles was a knife thrown at my face. I didn't try to fight back, I just ran... been running ever since."

SM: Snatching the cuffs from the air, she inspected them with a laugh. They were handed back as she settled onto the couch beside him and settled under the blanket. The press of her side to his easily showed how warm she was. She radiated heat. It pressed through the cloth and from her skin like she had a furnace inside of her, almost too hot.

She had half turned, facing him slightly while making sure to keep as much of her side pressed to him as she could. The sharing of heat was something that soothed an old ache she had long since forgotten about. And yet here it was, swelling up at the simple comfort of sharing heat with another human being. When he touched his scar she reached up to rub one of her own. A clear set of puncture marks on her left shoulder, the bite of what looked like a dog. A very large dog. Her fingers rubbed across the indents and she nodded a little.

"Sometimes it's easier to run... Even if it doesn't solve the problem."

KS: Another shrug, though this one was weighted by sadness.

"I left everything behind when I ran... Name, history, mistakes, everything. I'll never see her face again, and that's about as solved as my problem needs to be. After she tried to kill me... she vanished. I tried to find her for years to exact vengeance, but... I couldn't. She was gone, and eventually, I decided to just move on. Killing her wouldn't change anything... so I left the anger behind and started moving. If only everything else were as easy to give up."

Weariness showed on his face, a bone deep ache that no amount of rest could fix.

"Once or twice I tried to settle down... get a straight job, apartment, taxes, and live the normal life, but... I just can't. After a month or two in the same place, I get... antsy. Just need to leave, keep going, keep running, half because I'm afraid that she'll catch up, and half because... half because I'm scared that she won't. That if I settle down and live a normal life, she'll never come after me... because if I live my entire life on the grid, and she never finds me... It's odd to tell, but if she hated me, at least I'd know that what we had meant something. I can't bear to think that I've been forgotten."

SM: The sadness made her whine, a sound that she strangled a moment after it escaped. But she watched him with softened eyes and listened closely to what he said. She was attentive, her eyes soft. The weariness, the ache of sorrow, it was something that she was very familiar with.

"That certainly doesn't sound solved to me." Her voice was soft, gentled in a way that it hadn't been before. A sense of understanding, as if she had been in the same place, was infused in her soft words. "Fear is a driving force. But to me, it sounds as though you are still very attached to her. It sounds to me like despite the betrayal it seems you suffered, you love her deeply. Seeking to mean something to her, even if it is only hatred."

KS: "Love?!?" The word escaped as a vicious snarl, far harsher than he'd meant. "She... I..." he choked on his words, desperately trying to pull up his mask of casual disregard. He failed, and had to turn his face away.

"No... Maybe... I don't know! She was all I had! She was my mentor, my friend, my-" He choked on his words, and all the tension left him at once. A dry, hoarse chuckle escaped his throat. "Funny... I usually hear other peoples' life stories when they let me stay for a night, it's rare I find need to tell mine... but one last bargain. Your apartment smells like dog, but you've no pet hair, no litterbox, no food bowl. You walk like a predator at the top of the food chain, and people get goosebumps as you walk past... tell me what and why you are, and I'll tell you my story."

SM: The snarl hardly bothered her, and she was utterly unruffled by his fury. Eyes were half lidded as she watched him and she kept her gaze on him. When he turned away from her she tilted her head just a little bit.

"Yes, love, very much so. It marks your heart as clearly as that scar marks your face."

Then she reached out, and touched him, the barest brush of hot fingers along the scar before she withdrew her hand. He was given a sharp grin at his words, and looked away. Considering what she was going to tell him, and then she shrugged.

"Because I'm a wolf. Loup Garou. Lycanthrope. Werewolf. I am the eyes in the dark. The beast of nightmares and a hound of Hell."

KS: Such a declaration would probably have shocked any normal human, but V liked to separate the world into two halves: "Daylight" and "Darklight." He was a night child, intimate with the bowels of many cities, and she wasn't the first "myth" that he'd encountered.

"So werewolves are real... Forgive my lack of shock. I've seen things that modern science can't explain, so rather than assume that each case is an exception, I've taken to believing that all the old myths are true. I'll also assume that bite on your shoulder is from the one who turned you, then... fascinating..."

SM: Darkness was her playground, the light of the Sun had long since stopped reaching her. A small smile as she watched him, pleased it seemed with the response that she got from him. There was a nod and she reclined more comfortably against the couch. The faint - lingering - tenseness in her muscles bled out as she finally allowed herself to just become comfortable.

"It takes a lot to scar a Lycanthrope. All but the y-incision scar on my chest is from the attack that turned me. There is a whole world beneath the surface that people cannot understand or see. Not if they don't know how to look."

KS: He smiled then, relaxing against her with a comfort that contrasted his heightened awareness, anxiety already building, as it always did when he allowed himself to relax. He'd always wondered if he had a medical condition that caused panic attacks, but he somehow knew he would never visit a clinic to find out.

"I make a habit of looking into the darkest corners... that's where you find the darkest secrets. Speaking of secrets... I owe you one, now."

He closed his eyes and sighed, thoughts spinning as he lined up the story as it had happened ages ago.

"My parents were poor, but happy... little house, bag lunches, father pulling overtime, that kind of thing. It wasn't an easy life, but it was a good one. Then my sister was diagnosed with cancer... they'd caught it early enough that they could treat it with chemo, but my parents didn't have insurance of any kind... so they gave us a date of a few years and wished us happiness while we could. Sis tried to ignore it, but... living with a death clock over your head drains you, you know? She stopped going to school, stopped having fun, stopped caring about life... I was 19 then, and that was when I dropped out of college to see what money I could make."

"I couldn't scrape nearly enough to afford a treatment, and I was desperate enough to try pickpocketing random people off the street. I watched the crowd, tried to gauge my target... but she was watching me as I did. She picked a moment, made herself look unaware, flaunted a big, shin purse that screamed "uptown rich girl." I reached into her purse, and a small mouse trap snapped on my fingers. She sighed as she put the toy phone back into her pocket and turned to me. I'll never forget what she said. 'Kid, do yourself a favor. Either learn how to steal for real, or get off the streets before you're arrested... the cops aren't as forgiving as I am."

"I managed to wheedle my way into a conversation with her, and she started to teach me. How to steal... everything from high stakes burglary to skimming pockets on the strip. How to survive in the city with nothing but smooth hands and swift feet."

(Not done yet)

KS: "I was saving real money then... enough to buy my sister her first round of chemo. My parents suspected that the money wasn't clean, but they turned a blind eye if it meant their daughter would be saved. I'd taken to living at her safe house, and I came back one time to find her spitting mad. Apparently, she'd been expecting a cut of every dollar I'd made, but she'd been letting me slide because we were "dating." She'd tailed me to the hospital, saw me with my sister, and assumed that I was with another girl."

KS: "To set the record straight, she was crazy as fuck... I mean, yea, we'd had sex on occasion, but I'd not romanced her or anything, the closest thing we'd had to a date was when we'd do a two man job. She'd never brought up the subject of romance, and I assumed she was happy being friends with benefits. Now she's waving her knives around screaming about me cheating on her?"

KS: "I tried to tell her that the money was for my sick sister, but she wasn't having any of it. She threw her favorite knife at me, sliced me right down my face and took a piece of my ear for good measure. It stuck in the wall behind me, and I grabbed it as I ran out. She screamed after me that she was going to kill me, that she'd hunt me down and kill me..."

KS: "And I never saw her again. We were both too good at covering our trails, both too careful... It was a game of cat and mouse, but we were both cats with knives for claws. You wouldn't think it would be hard to find her when she was looking for me, but after a while... her trail went cold. She lost me, and I never found her again. I didn't know where she was, so I assumed that she was closing in on me... that was when I started running."

KS: "I'd saved enough that my parents could take out loans for the rest of my sister's treatment, but I was afraid, so afraid that she'd catch me... I kept running and haven't looked back since... not until now..."

He sat quiet then. He'd poured his soul into the story, but the story was done. Now he sat with clear eyes and a full heart, waiting to see what she'd say next.

SM: She could feel him relaxing, even as her nose caught the rise of his anxiety. So she began to growl, it was a sub-vocal rumble. It could be felt in the thrumming of her heart and torso against the part of him that leaned into her. A trick used to soothe a pack mate in distress. He wasn't Pack, but she wouldn't deny a guest what comfort she could offer.

There was a moment where she hesitated, before she decided if she was going to offer comfort to soothe his anxiety, she might as well go the full round. Nails were long, and she reached out to comb her fingers through his hair. A simple, petting motion, with a slight drag of her nails against his scalp to ease the tension. She was attentive, listening closely to his story.

Lips pursed just a little bit as she considered what he was saying, the story he was telling. An ill sibling, a crazy lover, and a violent fight - it was certainly not a good past. There was a little rumble from her, and she held her tongue until he finished with his story.

"Have you called your parents? Checked on your sister? The woman, what was her name?"

The questions were soft, coaxing rather than demanding. There was a genuine curiosity and sincerity in her words. Trying to offer support to this stranger who ached, whose soul she could tell had been weighed by agony.

KS: "Yes... I'm not perfect now, and I was less perfect then. I've mixed with the law enough that they were in close contact with my parents. I told them that I was safe and alive, and they told me that my sister would live. Five minutes later, the police arrived at the payphone I'd used to call them from... I don't think they sold me out, but I don't want them to be implicit. They shouldn't suffer for me. Her name..."

The quiet vibrations soothed him, as did the nails on his scalp. He leaned against her, resting his head on her shoulder as he surrendered the last vestiges of his dignity in exchange for quiet comfort.

"Cindy... called herself Cinderella..."

SM: "Well, V, I'll let you crash on my couch for as long as you need. You can use my phone to give them a call if you want, or even call your sister to see how she is."

As he relaxed, she noticed the ebbing of anxiety and released a sigh of her own. She didn't retreat from the heavier lean, and just continued her soft rumbling, and the drag of her nails. At the name she committed it to memory, and offered a soft smile to him.

"Well, I can't promise you'll be safe in every city. But you'll be a little safer here in Chicago. It's my city for a reason."

KS: He chuckled softly at that, a chuckle that grew a little, but not quite into a full blown laugh. "Your city? And here I thought Chicago belonged to Harry Dresden! Thanks for the offer but... I'll pass... calling them... I wouldn't even know what to say. I've moved on... all I can hope is that they have too." He leaned forwards without much warning, pulling the blanket off them both before he stood to stretch his back.

"I'm tired though... the only things that sound good right about now are sex and sleep, and as much as I'd love to indulge in my bestial impulses, I sincerely doubt that you're a cheap trick and a cheesy pickup line from tearing my clothes off, so I think it's best that I sail off to see the dream doctor."

SM: The morning dawned bright and early, and Jasmine had been awake to greet it. Sleep often eluded her, but more than that there was a stranger in her house and unfortunately it kept her from resting well. A quick, quiet, step into the kitchen was the only noise she made until the sink kicked on and she began her normal morning routine. It was the rich smell of coffee filling the air that woke her up more than the light in her own face.

Lower back pressed against the counter and she let her eyes close while she just rested for several moments. The conundrum in the next room had her worrying her bottom lip as she tried to figure out what to do with the stranger. He was in her town, her apartment at that. Right hand lifted to ruffle through her messy curls as she considered her options. Safety while he was here was a given, he'd shown trust, telling her his story - it was only right to offer what protection she could offer.

First order of protection? Food. Turning to her fridge she opened the door and began to gather the things for a proper breakfast. She was famished, and had a feeling her unusual house guest might be as well. When he woke up, anyways.

KS: V was awake when light footsteps pattered into the kitchen and turned on a coffeemaker. He didn't move then... not at first, at least. He dozed lightly, letting the comfortable sounds of the kitchen filter through his mind. He'd slept warm and slept well... a better night than he'd expected.

KS: He'd seen all kinds of people in his life... and he'd slept a night in many houses. Some awakened him with breakfast and a twenty dollar bill before shooing him out the door. Some people made a pointed note of making him nothing and letting him leave under their gaze. Some let him stay and shared what they could, and others threw him out the door before the sun was even up. He was curious what kind he'd found here... to be perfectly honest, he hoped that some of the scents wafting over from the kitchen would eventually make their way onto his plate, but this was her house and her home. It wasn't his place to act entitled.

KS: (Shou?)

SM: (I'm typing!)

KS: (15 minutes? O>O)

SM: (xD I had to think!)

KS: (XD)

SM: Her ears twitched, the sounds from the living room let her know more than anything that he was awake. His breathing changed, and she knew that he was likely just laying there, so she called out once she poured her first cup of coffee - voice still warm from sleep.

"Are you going to lay in there all day, lazybones?"

The sound of pans being taken from cupboards and the fire being lit on a gas stove filled the silence after her words. More than that, soon the sound of sizzling bacon and the scent of breakfast filled the air. A few clicks had her oven turned on and then she was humming. Eggs cracked, and flour 'whfft' into a bowl as she puttered barefoot about the kitchen. He got to hear her singing as she settled into her mourning routine, the richness of her voice was complimented by the thick accent it gathered in song.

It certainly wasn't an American accent.

KS: He rolled out of the couch to a tight crouch on the floor, quickly checking his things. Wallet, knife, phone. It was an instinctive movement that was disguised as a stretch. He stretched in earnest after that and yawned widely before walking into the kitchen.

KS: "It depends. You going to chase me out or keep me around for a while?"

SM: Her rich singing halted, and she threw a glance over her shoulder at him, a smirk on her face. "I dunno, you tell me, does it look like I make this much food for just myself each mornin'?"

There was a hottle of coffee on a stand in the center of her little kitchen table. Sausage and bacon were sizzling away on low, and she had eggs in a second pan. What looked like biscuits were being made from scratch in the bowl in her hand as she added a few sloshes of milk before nodding to herself and dolling them out onto a cookie sheet.

It'd give him a chance to see her in her pajamas. Boy's boxer shorts hung off her hips and the tank top she wore belied the slight chill in the air. Though the heat had kicked on and off all night and even now was due to kick on again in several minutes.

"You can either help, by getting out the orange juice an' milk, or you can sit down so I can get it."

KS: He had to fight the urge to whistle softly... even in men's pajamas, she was attractive. He managed to fight through the dumbstruck look on his face to wear his signature smirk. "Sure thing."

He slid past her to the fridge, where he grabbed the gallon of milk and the carton of orange juice. The cow juice was delivered to the counter for the biscuits and the OJ was set gently on the table.

"Hey, some people like a huge breakfast! I've seen girls who looked like they ate twice their body weight in food per sitting... that, and it's rude to assume that you'd be feeding me."

SM: He could see the scars that weren't visible yesterday. Claw marks that drug across her thighs, and hips. The vicious marks still red on her skin like they were freshly healed. Her right shoulder was torn, and her left shoulder had a visible bite scar. Accepting the milk from him she added it for the biscuits and soon had them in the oven. An empty mug was set on the table in case he wanted coffee.

"True, I could probably eat all of this by myself, but if I offer to let you stay, I might as well feed you before I let you run off into the world."

There was a warm laugh accompanying her words as she flipped the sausage and bacon a few moments later. The sink tap was turned on to let the well fill with water.

KS: He smiled gratefully and bowed his head. "Thank you... blessings of the wanderer be with you." It was an oddly formal quip, one that seemed... out of place with his down-to-earth attitude. Perhaps it was just a warm sentiment?

He hopped backwards and up to sit on the counter, for no better reason than that he was closer than if he'd sat at the table.

"So. You feed every homeless wanderer, or just the charming ones?"

SM: "Mostly just the charming ones. I eat the others."

She responded so promptly and sincere it was hard to tell if she was teasing him or serious. Though several moments later her lips twisted into a small grin, and she glanced up at him with a little laugh. Turning back to breakfast she tended to the meats so they didn't burn and shrugged a little.

"You're a good kid. Rough around the edges maybe, but you aren't bad. Certainly not evil. I got enough to share, so why wouldn't I?"

KS: He growled softly at that... not a grumble, an actual growl. "Who are you calling Kid? You can't be that much older than I am..." He didn't realize exactly what he'd said until several moments after the words left his mouth.

SM: Jasmine heard the growl and blinked, then she laughed at him. Warm and full bellied. It was a struggle for her to reign in her laughter as she brushed moisture from the corner of her eye and offered him a sharp toothed grin.

"Is that so? And how old do you think I am, Kid?" There was a teasing lilt to her voice as she said it.

KS: He opened his mouth to answer, but caught himself. He gave her a good look over, letting his eyes linger where they would. He smiled casually as he did, finally letting his eyes make their way up to her face.

"Old enough to know better, but young enough to not care."

SM: "Mm, a few centuries too late for that sentiment, dear heart. But it is much appreciated to know that I seem so young!"

There was another warm laugh as she grabbed a serving dish and began to drain the sausages and bacon before settling them onto the dish. A second one was grabbed for the biscuits that dinged softly several moments later and the hot sheet was taken from the oven. Letting the biscuits cool she glanced at V and watched him with her odd, dual-toned eyes and smiled faintly.

KS: He almost fell off the counter when she revealed her age. Centuries old? Apparently the curse of lycanthropy included an extreme longevity...

"And you've got to be the hottest 300 year old I know! Your flesh is still on your bones and everything."

SM: "300 is still putting my age fairly young! I lost count centuries ago. The place I'm from didn't have time like you have here. And then I was in the Veil - the land between worlds - for a while... after that I ended up here... oh, thousand years ago? Something like that. Scandinavia. Nice place, cold winters. But I do try to keep fit."

She was grinning, how much of what she said was true and how much was false was up in the air. Her gaze playful as she set the serving plates on the kitchen table. A moment to motion him off the counter.

KS: He obediantly slid off the counter and followed her to the table. He did his best to play like he wasn't hungry, but his audibly growling stomach betrayed that. He tried to act like it hadn't happened, but he knew she'd have heard it.

"Older than an Eon... damn. What do you even do with that kind of time?"

SM: 1 month ago

Jasmine settled comfortably at her table, and then she began to dish out breakfast foods onto the two plates settings. There was enough in the center for seconds afterwards, but she would take a bite of eggs before she answered his question. The consideration she took was careful and her gaze was off somewhere beyond him - beyond herself really.

"You wake up. You eat. You lose your mind. You grieve. You rage. You find yourself again. Then you wake up the next day and do everything over again. You find meaning in the little things, and you try not to let the loss swell up and swallow you whole. There isn't much else to do."

Another bite of eggs and she shook her head some before looking at him. Dual-toned eyes took in his features and she smiled slightly. There was a softening in her face that hadn't been there previously.

"I greet each day as an old friend, and chat with Death - waiting on my time."

KS: 1 month ago

He sat across from her and dug into his food with the same voracity he'd shown the previous night. He didn't have time enough to down the whole plate before she finished speaking, but he'd made a sizeable dent in the sausage and eggs before his voice arose to meet hers.

"Steady life, stable job, comfortable home... for now. How long can you stay in one place before people catch on that you're not aging? A decade? Twenty years, tops... two decades puts lines on a mans face, and you don't look much older than your twenties yourself. How can you do it? How can you build an entire life for yourself just to leave it all behind?"

SM: 1 month ago

She listened carefully to everything V said, and then she tilted her head back a little and glanced at the ceiling. She stared at it before she shrugged helplessly. Then returned her steady gaze to his face and offered a small smile.

"You do what you have to. I'm here now. I always end up back here. Part of my heart lies in Chicago, so I can never leave the city for long. I travel. I see what I haven't seen before. I learn. Sometimes I take up a few years at a college... By the time I come back - twenty years or more down the road - people don't remember me too well. Those who do? Well, they're as unnatural as I am."

KS: 1 month ago

"I see..." He stared at his own hand for a moment as he curled and uncurled his digits. The silence stretched on for several moments before he asked another question.

"Lycanthropy... is it... contagious?"

SM: 1 month ago

The orange juice that she was in the middle of drinking when he voiced his question caused her to choke as she stifled a gasp. It left her coughing for a few moments, with eyes watering. A startled, surprised look as she stared at him and then she closed her mouth with an audible 'click' of her teeth. Lips pursed, and she nodded some.

"Very."

KS: 1 month ago

His crooked smile re-appeared as he handed her a napkin. Tones of amusement colored his voice as he continued.

"So... have you ever found someone you wanted to share an eternity with? Someone you wanted at your side through thick and thin? Eighty years is a long time, so humans are careful about marriage, but... I imagine you have to guard your heart carefully."

SM: 1 month ago

The napkin was accepted with a small bob of her head as she began to wipe her face off. Then she sighed a little bit and leaned back in her chair. Napkin was dropped onto her empty plate, and she laced her fingers together behind her head.

"There have been a few. But lycanthropy is a curse for a reason - it can be a gift at times. But ultimately, eventually, whatever happiness you manage to grab for yourself gets systematically crushed. But... guard my heart? Not so, I love deeply, and often."

KS: 1 month ago

"Eternal Youth, Beauty, and power? I cannot claim to know anything more than legends, but there are many who would see you with envy." He took another mouthful of pancakes and chewed thoughtfully, unsure of what to say next. He flinched slightly as he realized something that he couldn't voice until he'd swallowed the fluffy goodness.

"I've asked you many questions, and given none in return! So rude of me..."

SM: 1 month ago

"Watching everyone you love age and die around you. Seeing the world change as you are left behind. Knowing that within you there lies something violent - something angry. Knowing that you are alone, that you can sire no children, that you can have no family... knowing that eventually that the world will fall to ruins around you while you stand immobile, frozen in time.

Not to mention, you cannot be turned by peaceful intentions. The strength of a Lycan depends upon the attack. How violent it was, how vicious, the feelings you might have for the one who turns you must be strong, love or hate works best... and most never survive their first turning. No, being a lycan is... hardly enviable."

She spoke moodily, and shook her head some, before she fixed him with a gaze, smiling faintly afterwards. A little shrug, and she laughed when he mentioned he was being rude.

"Hardly, I'm being moody - forgive me. My curse isn't something pleasant."

KS: 1 month ago

He nodded thoughtfully, munching his breakfast. "Makes sense... magic depending on emotion. Pain and suffering... a good deterrent for most. Forgive me, I'll not ask further, I just have a... morbid curiosity with the darker side of life: The nighthawks, the drug dealers, the thieves. I can't help it... I'll not ask how you acquired your... affliction... but you've more than earned my full story. So... ask."

He sat back with a sigh, downing the last of his orange juice with a hint of his smile. He seemed... Smug? No... he had an air of smugness about him, and he had a mask of arrogance that he wore like a cape around his shoulders. His faint grin hid the unknown machinations of his mind, the pale façade of an actor who knew his part.

SM: 1 month ago

There was a small shake of her head, and a faint - almost sorrowful - smile. "You're alright, I don't mind answering questions. It brings up memories, both bad and good."

When he mentioned his full story, she leaned back a little bit as she tilted her chin up. Eyes were on her ceiling and Jasmine let out a faint hum. "You told me quite a lot last night, about your sister, and your Cinderella... I don't know that there is too much more for me to know - I'm sure there are things you left out. But I don't have questions per say."

She glanced back at him, and moved to stand as she scooped up the dirty dishes and headed towards the sink. "I was thirteen when I was turned."

KS: 1 month ago

It was his turn to choke on the orange juice. He managed to keep from spewing it over his new coat, but the coughing fit lasted a good thirty seconds.

"Thirteen??? What kind of monster would do that to a mere child?"

SM: 1 month ago

"The kind of monster I am." She hummed a moment, and as she washed dishes, she spoke softly. There was a lilting quality to her voice - that nameless accent.

"Perhaps I should start from the beginning. My mother owned a brothel, of which she had a favorite client. A man named Seisyll Vercingatorix. When I first bled, mother decided I was ready to be a woman and auctioned me off to the highest bidder. Seisyll won. That night, when he took me, he turned into a monster. And from that point on, so did I."

She put away plates as she dried them, and started on the pots and pans she had used to make breakfast. "Mother threw me out. So I left, I learned, and I became a wolf. Humans mattered very little to me until some years later. I spent the intervening years running from Seisyll who pursued me and doing what I could to tend to my little pack of humans. Ultimately I failed. Magic swept me from my home, through the Veil and placed me here over an eon ago."

KS: 1 month ago

He stared at her with newfound respect. Any scar is hard to earn, especially ones as large as hers, but to bear such pain at a tender age?

"He'll rot in a deep circle of hell for that, I'm sure."

He was at a loss then... for both words and action. He knew not what to do or say next, and the indecision showed clearly on his face.

"I... probably should be leaving... I've taken enough of your time and your food..." He said it awkwardly, haltingly. He'd said goodbye to countless hosts, with warm smiles and good wishes all around, but he didn't want to leave this one... not yet. Leaving was all he knew though... he wasn't sure how to stay, or even if he should.

SM: 1 month ago

The red lines that spoke of her attack were visible. The claw marks that looked as new as the day she healed from them. There were more underneath her clothes without a doubt, but for now they were hidden from view.

"He might, but then I'll join him there I'm sure."

When he spoke about leaving she turned and looked at him with a raised brow. An almost confused look on her face as she scented out his emotions as much as she could. Putting the last of the dishes down, she began to dry her hands while she turned to face him.

"Why? You don't want to leave, and I won't make you. You're welcome here as long as you like. But if you want to head into town for the day - I certainly won't keep you. I have a few errands I need to run myself. You can come with me if you want to."

KS: 1 month ago

Now he was truly caught, like a deer in the headlights. He'd never stayed with anyone for more than a night... a warm bed and good food, but then he always made apologies and found a reason to leave. He was anxious and uncertain, caught in unfamiliar ground... but he knew that he really didn't want to leave this strange wolf of a girl. Not yet at least...

"I suppose I'll stay, for now. How long will your errands take? I've a few things of my own that I need to get done... but if we've the time, I would like to accompany you."

SM: 1 month ago

The scent of his anxiousness had her smiling softly, that faint rumble from the night before escaping her. Seeking to soothe the upset of the one in her care - for now. A small shrug of her shoulders, and a tilt of her head.

"Most of the day really. I've got to go by the grocer, and then I have a trip planned to go over to the church down the way before my shift tonight. You can accompany me and split after I've gotten to the church. The extra pair of hands would be nice..."

A roguish grin was given as she headed out of the kitchen towards her small bedroom. Idly digging through the mess of clothing on her floor to find something suitable for the day.

KS: 1 month ago

He nodded slowly, mind reeling in different plans.

"That could work well. Most of what I'd like to do needs to wait until sundown anyways. I can accompany your during the day." His crooked smile returned as he continued. "I can be your gallant protector! Every charming young woman needs a brave knight in shining armor to protect her from the vicious evils of the world!"

He almost followed her into her room, but did a quick step back and to the side when she started digging through clothing. Much as he wanted to peek in on her to see just how far her scars extended, he respected her and her privacy more.

SM: 1 month ago

There was a bright bark of laughter as she heard him call himself her gallant protector. A warm grin directed towards him before she playfully rolled her eyes.

"Of course, of course. And I a helpless maid requires such a protector!" A faux swoon and she straightened with a chuckle. Going back to searching through the pile of clothes it didn't take her long to hunt up a pair of jeans and ragged shirt.

She didn't seem inclined on wearing her best, just something that didn't seem too out of place. When she came out of the room, she had a scrunchie in her mouth and was in the process of pulling her hair into a ponytail. Smirking at him when she freed her lips she tied her hair up and headed towards the door to pull on her shoes.

"Father Matthews will be surprised - I never bring friends."

KS: 1 month ago

He bit his lip at that; he wasn't exactly one for churchgoing. Churches were dangerous places for him... not because of what they represented, but because of what they required. A routine told his enemies where he'd be. Churches were big on social interaction, and people were more likely to notice and remember him. He didn't say anything at first though... it was a weekday (It is a weekday, right?), and he figured it wasn't likely that there'd be a service in the middle of the afternoon.

"Or perhaps, I'm the maiden and you're the protector... I'm suddenly curious about just how well you can fight. Perhaps we could spar tomorrow, if you're got the time."

He followed her out the door with a subtle bounce in his step.

SM: 1 month ago

Jasmine didn't appear to be one for church going herself, there wasn't a single cross or prayer related item in her home. She'd also already mentioned she would likely be burning in Hell, so why did she go? Redemption? The hope of Salvation? It was a hard question to answer. And he'd get the answer to those soon enough.

She laughed a little and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear - locking the door behind them. "I can fight rather well, at least now a days. You end up learning."

She grinned and motioned him to follow as she walked down the stairs and out onto the street. Leading the way to the grocer.

KS: 1 month ago

He fell in step beside her, wondering idly just how strong she was... certainly stronger than a normal human, if the rumors were to be believed. It was a thought for another day though, and he filed it away like so many others.

"You do end up learning, that's true."

He fell silent again, not sure what to say. Social relations weren't his forte.

"Nice weather we're having?"

Nice. Good one, slick. You're just killing it with the small talk.

SM: 1 month ago

The light coat around her torso was more for looks than any actual use. She offered a grin to him and nodded. The grocer was on the corner and she would step inside with him, a soft chuckle escaped at the mention of the weather.

"It is nice, a little chillier than normal for this time of year, but not terrible. That being said - you don't have to fill the silence you know. Sometimes it's alright to just be."

She clapped him lightly on the shoulder and grabbed a cart, heading down the aisles and beginning to pluck up groceries here and there. The focus she had in doing this seemed to be on healthy, easy to eat snacks, with a few things that could be thrown together for large meals.

KS: 1 month ago

He blushed ever so slightly, but he managed to hide it in his hood. "As you say."

Walking with her in silence was... tense, at first, but he relaxed after a while. Walking the grocery store isles, observing the fruits of both earth and man laid out before him... he was content to walk with her, but he couldn't resist grabbing a single item off the shelf as they walked past.

"Don't judge me, I -love- Motts cinnamon apple sauce. Its the kind my mom always used to get."

SM: 1 month ago

One of the good things about Jasmine is she rarely pried. She didn't push for information and she was content to just rest and let things be for a while. There was a soft smile on her lips and she was content to walk with him beside her. When he grabbed the apple sauce she raised a brow and grinned to him.

"I'll remember that."

A few more items were grabbed and when she had the cart as full as she could manage - it was time to check out. So she headed for the line to wait, leaning against the cart and watching him thoughtfully. "What's your favorite color?"

KS: 1 month ago

The question surprised him, but he answered without hesitation.

"Dark blue, the sky just after sunset. An ocean wide and deep enough to drown all the world's problems." He smiled faintly before leaning against the checkout counter. "Why do you ask?"

SM: 1 month ago

His prompt answer had her grinning as she put things on the belt to check out.

"Because you can learn a lot about a person by what color they favor. Just as I can tell you blue has a wonderful assortment of meanings. Several of which are trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligences and truth. Several of these qualities I've already seen in you, and I'm curious which others will come to light."

Glancing up at him with a grin, she shrugged absently and related her own favorite color. "Mine happens to be pale green... the color of grass when wet."

KS: 1 month ago

"Green... a pleasantly earthy color as many would agree."

He waited for her to pay the cashier, and wondered if he could get away with sliding two dollars into her pocket for the applesauce. He was just thinking he'd go for it and risk against the reward, but pulled his hand back at the last moment. He could certainly pay her for it, but sliding his hand into her pocket to do so... he had a feeling it would get him punched. In lieu of that, he grabbed the shopping cart and started pushing it down the block back to her apartment.

"So, what business do you have to do at a church? You don't strike me as a prayer and piety type."

SM: 1 month ago

She directed him down another street when they reached the crossmark. And she smiled a little bit when he mentioned that she didn't seem the type.

"Oh, I'm not. Definitely not. But Father Matthews runs more than the church." It would become obvious when she directed him towards an older building across the street from the beautiful sandy stoned church.

'Saint Jerome Emiliani Orphanage'.

Jasmine would open the front gate and grin as she heard the squealing laughter of the children in the back. "This. This is why I come to church" KS: 1 month ago

Confusion marked his face, but it morphed into true happiness as he got to push the shopping cart into the orphanage. It wasn't his show, but he couldn't restrain himself from calling out to them. "Lunch time, Kiddo's!!! Who wants food?" (Pulling a blank on what else to write... smoke inhalation is no bueno.)

SM: 1 month ago

When he smiled like that, she knew it had been a good idea to bring him with her. The unfamiliar voice got a few curious heads peeking out windows and doors but it was the sight of Jasmine that got the entire orphanage up in squeals.

"Mama!"

More than one child called her mother as they raced out of the front towards her, arms thrown around her waist and her legs. Latching onto her arms and scrambling for attention. Bright laughter escaped Jasmine as she hugged those she could reach and knelt to talk to each of them. It was the warmest he had seen her. Among these children, Jasmine was vulnerable, unguarded and her face shone with love.

"My darlings! Have you been behaving for Father Matthews?"

More than one of the older boys of the orphanage had greeted her and then gone about either glaring at the strange man who accompanied her, or lugging out the groceries to put them away in the kitchen. A few of the older girls aided them. All in all, there were nearly two dozen children in the front room of the orphanage - with a further three toddlers upstairs napping.

KS: 1 month ago

V chuckled and stepped back; they clearly knew this drill, and he was willing to simply observe. He did think to reach over and snatch his jar of applesauce though, that was his precious snack. After the initial ruckus had died down, he sidled over to Jasmine and casually slung an arm around her shoulder.

"A raucous bunch, aren't they? In all fairness, I'd be excited too, but still, there had to be at least 6 of them hanging off on you at one point."

SM: 1 month ago

It was clear by the way that Jasmine reacted to this place that she had been coming there for a long time. Long enough in fact that the children clung and called her mother. Several of them offered to show her their homework, and their pictures and she murmured soft assurances that she would see - but they should go back to playing. Once she was more or less alone with V she grinned to him.

"I come by every day. They don't get much in the way of positive adults except the Father and the Sisters. So I come say hello, bring them food, do what I can. Sometimes high-schoolers volunteer... but they don't open up much."

There was a small boy, probably about four toddling down the steps. Hurrying along towards Jasmine and V, and once his bare feet hit the floor he was running. Jasmine stepped away from V to scoop the boy up and swing him into the air and into her arms with a laugh.

"There's my little soldier!"

Silent laughter from the child, as he clapped her cheeks with his hands and then proceeded to make several clumsy hand movements. Jasmine smiling warmly all the while.

KS: 1 month ago

(hopefully) To the surprise of everyone there, V reached over and tapped the boy on the shoulder to get his attention. Once those eyes were on him, he made a few clumsy hand signs of his own... It had been a long time since he'd used American Sign Language, but he thought he had the movements more or less correct. What he attempted to say with his hands roughly translated as.

Hello there little one.

SM: 1 month ago

There was a surprised blink from Jasmine when V began to motion towards the child. The small boy let out a silent squeal, clapping his hands in excitement and then Jasmine's cheeks almost harshly. A soft laugh escaped her as she looked at the child who gave her a grin missing at least two teeth. Then focused back on V. Rapid - clumsy - movements of his hands spoke to the other male.

Hi! I'm A-L-E-X. You talk like me?

Jasmine felt her whole expression soften as she watched the two.

KS: 1 month ago

He chuckled softly and cracked his knuckles before responding in equally clumsy signs.

Not always... but quiet talk is good at times. My name is V

He felt Jasmine's eyes on him, so he turned just enough to let her see a crooked smile.

"I didn't always work solo... we needed a way to communicate silently while on a heist, and rather than try and invent a language using hand signs, most of the crew simply learned sign language. It saved our asses more than once."

SM: 1 month ago

V is a letter, not a name!

The boy giggled silently, and eventually moved to lay his head on Jasmine's shoulder, it seemed he was done signing for now and was content to cling to the young woman. Jasmine smiled back to V and nodded a little.

"It makes sense."

KS: 1 month ago

He chuckled at the boy's response and let his hands fall.

"It was a useful trade skill! That, and it also lets you surprise someone who is normally limited in who they can communicate with."

He patted Alex on the back softly and smiled, happy to watch the overturned anthill of activity that was the orphanage unpacking "Mamma" Jasmine's groceries.

"Ya see, this... this is a good thing. If nothing else comes of your life, you can say that you made an entire orphanage happy."

SM: 4 weeks ago

"She's been doing that since I was a child. And before even that I imagine."

The male voice came from behind them, and there was a slight wavering to it that spoke of someone older - much older. Jasmine however smiled, and she turned a little to look at the elderly Priest that had just stepped through the front door. Her eyes crinkled at the corners and her expression was fond. Alex had buried his thumb in his mouth and had a handful of Jasmine's shirt as he rested in her arms.

"Father Matthews, it's good to see you again."

The look he gave her was almost scolding. But his voice was teasing as the Priest looked from Jasmine to V. "Now, now, you should know better than to call me that. And who is this charming young man? Another stray?"

KS: 4 weeks ago

V Scoffed at that, drawing back in mock horror.

"A stray? I'll have you know that I'm a well respected gentleman amongst the right circles! I'm regularly visiting the homes of the wealthy, and I find myself in all the parties thrown by high society."

He let the act fall with a chuckle before he bowed slightly.

"Does she regularly pick hooligans off the streets?"

SM: 4 weeks ago

The elder man laughed softly, seemingly amused before the stranger that Jasmine had brought into the orphanage. The red headed woman having wandered away as she tended to the kids and slipped into the kitchen to offer what help she could. Father Matthews grinned to V, and motioned him towards a wall of pictures.

"Usually, yes. It's the first time she's brought someone not young enough to be an orphan here however. She must like you. The Lady is always picking up strays."

KS: 4 weeks ago

He shrugged and closed his eyes as he leaned back against the wall.

"Heh... not surprised. She has that kind of feeling about her. She's a softie on the inside... a harsh world can toughen the edges, but she has a good heart."

SM: 4 weeks ago

"From what the children have pieced together about her, she has a very good heart. She spends every afternoon here - gives the little rascals a sense of family."

Father Matthews smiled, and waved a little before he headed to the kitchen. He spoke with Jasmine for just a few minutes and then the red head was grinning as she stepped out and approached V. The mute child, Alex, still in her arms.

"I've got a few things to fix around here. Wanna take this munchkin off my hands?"

KS: 4 weeks ago

He balked at that idea, taking half a step back, turning his head, and scratching his neck uneasily.

"I, ah... I'm not too good with kids..." Truth be told, he avoided them whenever possible. One of the reasons he did was that he had almost no experience with them.

SM: 3 weeks ago

Jasmine raised a brow at him and she tilted her head just a little bit when he balked. Then she rolled her eyes as little bit, and stepped closer to him. A moment later, and she was leaning in almost too close, depositing the child she held against him. The small boy clinging like a limpet when she placed him near enough to V's side. Then she grinned, looking up at V from beneath her lashes before she spoke to Alex.

"Be a good boy, and mind V, alright?" An enthusiastic nod from the child, and Jasmine would straighten. Making sure V would at least attempt to hold onto the boy before she let go. Then she smiled gently. "I'll be upstairs working on the pipes. If you need to leave, just drop Alex off with the other kids before you go."

KS: 3 weeks ago

He grabbed onto the clinging child more from reaction than conscious thought, but the hold was awkward and difficult to maintain. He shifted the child higher so that he sat in the crook of V's elbow. Signing with only one hand was near impossible, so he had to make up a few slang gestures that were close to a two handed counterpart, but he did think that he managed to get a question across to Alex.

Is J-A-S crazy lady?

SM: 3 weeks ago

Alex watched the movements he made before he shrugged some. Clumsier signing from the child answered him.

Mama? No. Just works hard.

The boy hugged tight to V, and laid his head on the man's shoulder. A little huffed sigh escaped him, even as the sound of plumbing work from upstairs could be heard faintly echoing after Jasmine finally reached the room that needed work. In the kitchen a few of the teenagers were making what looked like a big lunch.

KS: 3 weeks ago

V chuckled softly before he adjusted his grip on the youngster. Lacking something better to do, he wandered into the kitchen to watch the lunch preparations. He'd managed to stash his applesauce into one of the pockets of his coat, but he'd need both hands free to get that out.

A thought hit him quite suddenly then, and he frowned to think at it. He'd been with Jasmine for a night, and it was a good night, but he never stayed two nights in the same house. He could feel his feet itching already... with the need to run, the need to move, the need to go somewhere and do something and cheat death to make sure he came out on top. He set Alex down with the other kids and half started towards the door. Ages old paranoia and caution urged him onwards... he couldn't stay. His presence endangered them. He had too many enemies. Better to keep moving. Stay one pace ahead.

He was at the door before he stopped, forcibly halting himself just shy of the threshold. What if he was strong enough that he didn't need to worry about enemies. What if he was fast enough that he could be sure they'd lost his trail? Unbidden, an image of Jasmine's scars leapt through his mind. The power of a wolf... controlled by human intellect... He tried to shake the thought out of his mind. She wouldn't. She said it was a curse, and he believed her. He wouldn't put that kind of choice on her head.

Yet despite all his reassurances, he couldn't push the thought completely from his mind. What if. What if.

What if he stayed just a little while longer... he could leave later... after the sun had set. He owed her no debts, nor she him. He could leave after sundown.

That meant he could stay for a few hours more.

SM: 3 weeks ago

Alex smiled his shy little smile, and happily held onto V. When the man set him down he waved a little and hurried off into the crowd of kids to play with some of the others.

Upstairs, Jasmine listened closely to the going on's in the room below. The sounds of the kitchen, and the laughter of the children. The familiar footsteps of Father Matthews, and the slowly becoming familiar footsteps of V. His gait wasn't like others, he walked swiftly, but lightly. It was a strain for her to hear him over the rest, especially as she worked. The creaking of wood and metal filling her other senses.

When he stopped from leaving, she smiled a little bit. A hum of content. She'd been right.

KS: 3 weeks ago

For whatever reason, V felt like the butt of some cosmic, interstellar joke at that exact moment. He looked directly through the 4th wall and gave me a solid middle finger before turning upstairs to see if he could find Jasmine.

It didn't take too long... he was good at finding things. He found her working on the upstairs water heater; one of the pipes was leaking steadily into a bucket they'd set up beneath it.

"Bar Tender, Haven to the Homeless, Cook, Hero to Orphans, and now a Handywoman. I would say that I'm surprised at the spread of your skills and interests, but then again, if I had your kind of time, I'd just start mastering all the different trades. You know plumbing?"

SM: 2 weeks ago

Her senses were sharp, and she tracked the light steps of her stray companion as he searched her out upstairs. A smear of grease on her cheeks, and she glanced up at him with a grin when he entered the room. There was a suppressed laugh as he gave her several titles and she turned back to working on the plumbing.

"I know enough to fix a few things. Keep the costs down for the Father. It makes it a little easier on him, and the church." She hummed a little bit, and then spoke again.

"I was here for the founding of this church. Saint Jerome Emiliani Church, they set up the Orphanage not long after the Church was finished... back in those days kids were losing their parents all the time. They started work early, young... I remember working age was nine, maybe ten? They'd go off to the factories, work all day and come home with their wages.

I took up with a few of the Sisters who ran the orphanage... Saw a little tyke that reminded me of--well, reminded me of someone I knew once. After that, I couldn't turn away. Couldn't leave the brats behind."

KS: 1 week ago

V was not a self conscious man. He knew that he was a thief, a parasite, sure, but he'd never really seen himself as a bad person. In that moment, he realized that she did more good to the world in an afternoon than he had all his life. He contributed nothing to the world, lived only for the cheap thrill of an adrenaline rush when he almost got caught. He wasn't sure what his story was, but he was sure that he was the villain of almost every life he'd touched... and that bothered him. How would she remember him when he was dead and gone? Would she see some filthy street rat in some distant age and remember the homeless vagrant who'd wandered into her bar?

Then he realized that he cared about how she thought about him. An emotional attachment was dangerous... he couldn't afford heartache. He should leave before he got any more attached to her... unless you never had to leave.

"So, what are you doing with the pipes, exactly?"

He was far more introspective than normal, and it bothered him. He needed a discussion to keep his mind from wandering, but his pulse was elevated, and his palms were ever so slightly dampened with an anxious sweat. Both were things that he believed she'd notice, if rumors about werewolves were to be believed, but standing around searching his soul wasn't something he wanted to do. Simply put, he was afraid of what he'd find.

SM: 1 week ago

Jasmine certainly didn't see his story that way. He had worked to save his sister. That certainly made him a hero. Enough that when she remembered him some years down the line, it might be with fondness or curiosity that she recalled him. Her nose twitched a little bit as she caught the scents of the emotions he seemed to be cycling through.

"Father Matthews told me that a few of the faucets had low water pressure. Figured out there was a leak up here, so might as well fix it, and give them a good look over while I'm at it."

Her voice was warm as it always was. A trace of fondness, before she finished tightening a bolt and slid out from under the length of piping that she had been working on. Her hair, and hands were damp, her cheek smeared with a bit of lubricating grease and she moved to sit up, arms folded over the tops of bent knees as she looked at him with a small tilt of her head.

"You okay, V?"

KS: 1 week ago

And that was he question, wasn't it? Was he okay? He didn't know. He felt an uncontrolled anxiety from the fact that his enemies could be catching up to him... or he had paranoid delusions because he wanted people to remember him. Lie to her. Vanish onto the street. Turn around and-

"No."

Everything inside him screamed for him to start running and keep running, keep running until he'd left his problems behind, but he'd learned that his worries were faster than his heels. Jasmine had made peace with a past that was soaked in blood. He needed what she had... he needed her peace of mind, and he knew he couldn't leave her until he had at least an idea of how to put his life back together. He still had cold sweats, and he was shaking slightly, but he managed to hold his ground against treacherous feet that wanted to bolt for the exit.

SM: 1 week ago

"Mm, best to admit that and get the guilt out of the way then."

He reeked of fear, enough so that her eyes shimmered. The dual toned iris' he had gotten used to were replaced by pure amber orbs. Woven eyes stared out at him from the young woman's face, an animal intelligence gleaming shrewdly out at him. There was a small tilt of her head in the opposite direction and she hummed gently to him. A huffed sigh and she moved to stand up. Her movements were swift, so much so that between one blink and the next she was in front of him, hands planted on his shoulders.

"Do not fear, you are safe. That I can promise. So long as you are with me, nothing will touch you."

KS: 1 week ago

There it was. That certainty. That strength. That smile... her words echoed through his mind, reverberating a memory he'd never truly be able to condemn to dust.

What's your name, little ruffian?

My name is-

Not your real name. You leave that behind when you become a thief.

But it's the only name I have...

That's okay. I can teach you how to make a name for yourself. Rest easy... you're safe with me.

Red hair. Calm certainty. His vision blurred and he saw her there, smiling up at him. It was too much for his fragile psyche to take. He bolted.

Out the window and onto the fire escape. Down to the street and out into the crowd. Faces, snatches of conversations, street corners, city blocks, he ran as if the hounds of hell were at his heels. As his feet churned the pavement, his mind slowly fell from outright panic, to the numbing calm that he felt when he was moving. He could run fast, nothing could catch up to him...

SM: 1 week ago

Jasmine had not been smiling. With the wolf so close to her surface, it was more a baring of sharp teeth than a comforting look. That rumble started, and then he was gone. She watched him bolt, and for a moment she let him leave. Let him run, she knew the instinct well.

Gathering up her mess, she headed down the stairs and offered a smile to the children. A warm murmur and then she was planting a kiss to the elderly Father's cheek. Soft murmurs of reassurance and she was out the door. Nose twitched, and she took a few deep breaths. It took only a moment or two to orient her senses, and then she was off.

The chase was part of something that thrilled her, as a wolf she excelled at hunting down prey. And, well, fleeing youths was similar wasn't it? She correlated it enough. So she ran after him. Hauling herself up fire escapes and onto the nearest roof she moved with a purpose. Seek him out? She was still considering it, but keep him safe? That much was certain from her. She had promised.

Unfortunately for V, it didn't matter how fast, or how far he ran. Jasmine had the strength and speed to pace him, to catch up and to observe from above - like a vulture she watched as he passed through the crowd and she was soon keeping pace. An observant, golden eyed shadow.

KS: 1 week ago

Equally unfortunately for Jasmine, V knew exactly what limits his stamina held, and the first thing he did on arrival to a city was to grab a city map. As his strong legs started to waver, he took a calculated path to the nearest subway station and dropped a hip slide down the railing. Change in a machine, a ticket on whichever subway was arriving next. Now came the part he hated most.

Waiting.

The next tram was scheduled to arrive in two minutes. He slid through the crowd and hugged a shadowy wall, waiting, gasping for breath until he could breathe easy again.

SM: 1 week ago

When he vanished into the subway she chuckled softly. A soft mumble to herself and her eyes gleamed. "Smart boy..."

Then she was sliding down a rain gutter, and hitting the pavement of the alley with a soft 'thump'. She weaved through the crowd like water and was down the stairs by the next blink. Preternatural speed was something all lycan's were blessed with, and she counted on it now. Though she kept her ears out for the underground trains.

He had run for a reason, and as she slipped through the machine and got her own ticket, she considered her options. She could trail him and never let him know. Or she could show him that running from her was fruitless. But something had frightened him. Her steps slid to a halt as she breathed deeply and tracked his scent. A tightness in her chest suggested that she had been what frightened him.

Golden eyes gleamed through the crowd and tracked him down just as the train screeched into the depot. Slipping into the shadows, she followed from a distance as she tried to decide what was best to do for him.

KS: 1 week ago

V was smart, fast, skilled, and good at planning ahead, but ask any good thief, and they'll tell you the same thing. It doesn't matter how smart, or skilled, or quick you are, you will be caught by surprise in a bad spot. More than anything, a thief needs to know how to listen to his instincts.

He'd known she was tailing him from the moment she hit the rooftops. He hadn't seen her, hadn't heard her, hadn't physically noticed her, but the entire time, he'd felt the eyes of a predator watching him. Those same instincts told him to look up, and he caught a flash of liquid gold from across the room.

You can't run away from me, Marcus... you can't run away from anything.

He slid onto the train and waited, closing his eyes and counting heartbeats... He stayed near the door, letting others flow onto and off of the tram until he heard a ding and a swish as the doors started to close. Like a snapped rubberband, he hurled himself forwards, out the door... onto the OTHER side of the tram station. He had a few seconds until the train left, and he used those precious moments to pound up the stairs and back onto the street.

SM: 1 week ago

Jasmine had a presence, even humans noticed it. The feeling of being hunted, of not being the apex predator. It wasn't something that she could hide, and it was easy to pick up on. Especially as he was the sole focus of her attention. Lips twitched into a small smile, and she reclined against the wall. Eyes dropped to the ticket in her hand, and she contemplated the scrap of paper.

He was running. She knew he was running from his past, he had told her as much. But he hadn't bolted until that moment in the bathroom. All she could surmise from this was that it had been her. Something about her had frightened him. As she looked up, and he caught sight of her eyes she just barely inclined her head. Then the train was pulling in and people were shoving.

That ache in her chest increased. He's afraid of me... It was a bitter pill to swallow, but she stepped back. Shaking her head and turning to head up the stairs. She wasn't running now, she was walking, and at the top of the stairs she heard the train take off down the tracks. A frustrated noise, as she tangled the fingers of her right hand in her hair and purposely stalked down the sidewalk. Grousing in frustration to herself.

She had his scent, she could track him later. Even on the subway, she could hunt him down and check up on him another time. There was a prickle of the hair on the back of her neck, and she paused - turning to look back the way she had just come from. The entrance to the subway. A small smile, tinged with an edge of sadness and agony as she spotted him. The crush of the crowd blocked her view - and his - and when they thinned a bit she had vanished again. Along with the feeling of her eyes on him.

The crowd on the street seemed to visibly relax.

KS: 1 week ago

V was too haggard to notice, he churned his way up the steps and out onto the street. He was missing a fifteen minute rest along the subway tracks though, so he only made it another block before he had to stagger into a McDucky's for a drink and a seat. Money, cup, water, chair. He panted in between gulps of water, and only after he'd downed the first glass did he go back and refill it with soda. She wasn't there though. He knew she could have traced him if she wanted, but she didn't. She'd given up the chase...

Why?

But more importantly, why was he specifically running from her? If he was running just for the sake of running, then he'd have run WITH her... She was good company, and she'd probably be able to help sort out the mess that was his head. If she'd caught up to him by now, he'd have bought her a burger and an apology for running... but that was alright, he could go back to her apartment and-

Oh. That was why. He hadn't known her for two days and he already was thinking out how to frame his life around her. He was becoming attracted to her, and the panic of answering to anyone, even just as a friend, set his heart on a manic tattoo. He NEEDED to stay alone... so that, when the time came, he could up and leave with no regrets, no friends left wondering where he'd vanished to, no scapegoats to take the heat in his absence.

But she was strong... nothing could touch her. Not for the first time, he envied that strength. Just like he'd envied Cinderella's. They each had an air about them... the feeling of an apex predator, the aura of an alpha. Even now, with his thoughts still in disarray, he found his feet standing up and heading for the door. If he had her strength, he wouldn't need to run. If he had her speed, her skills, nothing would ever find him. He couldn't vanish from this city. Not from her. A thought arced through his mind, a burning brand that seared to his soul.

Lycanthropy wasn't just a curse. It was a contagious one.

He didn't know what or how he wanted to do, but he knew where he was going. It was several blocks back to her apartment, and he wanted to be there before she was.

SM: 1 week ago

Where she had gone was up in the air, there was a lot about her that V himself had no idea of. She answered his questions with plenty of honesty, but she was as big a mystery as he was. Other than the knowledge that she worked at a bar and helped orphans - and that she had a bloody past - there wasn't much to realize about the lycanthrope. She was a mystery, a dark one.

When he reached her apartment, he'd find the door unlocked. It was just as they had left it that morning. The sunlight streaming in through the windows, and the ragged weapons on the walls gleaming in the light. There were a few ragged booked scattered under the table, and the small radio. The kitchen was still sporting some of the drying dishes from breakfast.

The hall was quiet, leading to the bathroom and her bedroom. The door of which was still open. Her clothes a pile on the floor. If he peered into the room he would see it was empty of most mementos. The bed had seen some wear and tear, the closet had no door and showed off the ragged selection of her wardrobe. For a creature so long lived, she certainly didn't live well. The apartment was nice, but she didn't seem to own anything truly nice or even expensive. The few personal items he might glimpse were all old, and nearly worthless except for sentimental value it seemed.

An hour after he had arrived, there was noise at the door. It was opened with the creak of hinges, and then Jasmine was visible standing in the doorway. Eyes were a haunted mess, and then she blinked, breathed deeply and her gaze jerked up. Almost desperately searching.

KS: 1 week ago

Before anything else, V saw the dishes. They'd cleaned them after breakfast, but they were dry now... it took a little rooting about to find what went where, but he got all of the dishes put in their proper places. He glanced through her apartment as he moved through it, but he knew she wasn't there.

He wanted to leave. He wanted to stay. He wanted her to forgive him. He wanted her to be angry. He wanted what she had. He feared what she was. Conflicting ideas and thoughts warred in his mind, but he knew that he couldn't leave without at least talking to her again.

So, he sat down at the table and pulled out his favorite pair of handcuffs. He always kept two or three pair handy, but exactly one of them had been his ever since he'd started.

You need a signature, Marcus. Every thief has one, a way to set himself apart, a way to claim reputation without the law tracking a name or an alias.

Toy handcuffs. Cheap, easy to replace, useful to have, easy to leave behind. He took his favorite pair and calmly cuffed his ankle to the table. It would take a solid five seconds for him to reach down and undo the latch, and if a tangent thought burned through his mind and made him want to leave, that five seconds would hopefully be enough to keep him there.

He needed a distraction, so he pulled a book out of his coat pocket. It was a copy of Mogworld, an old, beat up paperback that was one of the few things that held sentimental value. He kept it with him always, and even if he could recite the book from memory, he still liked to open it and let his eyes fall upon the dusty pages. He did so now, loosing himself in a world of pretend until Jasmine stepped through the door. His eyes snapped up to meet hers. Chocolate brown gazing into honeyed gold. Not for the first time, his leg yanked against the table, but with a visible effort of will, he restrained himself and stayed immobile.

SM: 1 week ago

She stared at him, and while he watched, those golden eyes bled to blue and then she was crying. Tears welled, and spilled down her cheeks, and she sank to the floor in a crouch, hiding her face in her hands and her hands against her knees. There was a decided tremble in her shoulders, and the soft hiccuping noises as she cried.

He was sitting on the couch like nothing had happened. Even afraid of her, he was sitting there. Her nose was keen, but not even she knew what went on in people's minds. He had smelled so afraid, and anxious and when she had touched him - with her unnatural speed and wolfen eyes - he had run. So naturally it must have been her fault. Despite all of that, despite the anxiety she could still scent on his person, he was sitting on the couch.

The door bumped her side, but she didn't move from the little entrance way where she continued to cry. Taking precious few moments to get herself together.

KS: 1 week ago

Apparently, he'd been wrong. It took all of two seconds for his nimble fingers to pull the latch and slide himself free, then another four for him to bolt across the room before sliding to her on his knees. He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed holding her tight. His body was still rank with fear, paranoia, and anxiety, but this right here was what he feared most. Above anything else, he didn't want to hurt anyone, and seeing her reduced to tears from what he'd done tore his locked heart asunder.

"Shhh... its okay..."

But was it okay? He didn't know. All he knew was that he wanted, no, NEEDED to comfort her.

SM: 1 week ago

The redheaded woman cried, and when his arms looped around her she threw her arms around him. Her fingers curled into the material of his shirt and she clutched him while crying into his chest. It was awkward as anything with the way she was still half curled up. His words were met with a small shake of her head, and then she was speaking - mumbling into his chest.

"I'm sorry... I d-didn't... I'm sorry, V..."

What on earth was she apologizing for? Frightening him, at least in her mind was a terrible offense. And as she slowed her breathing, and slowly got her tears under control, blue eyes looked up at him and she sniffled a little.

"I didn't m-mean... to frighten you."

KS: 1 week ago

He took a finger and pushed a lock of hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear.

"You frighten me in all the best ways... I'm not scared that you'll hurt me. I'm frightened that..." He wasn't sure what to say next, because he didn't know how to put it into words. He sighed and slumped, leaning on her and using her for support as much as he was supporting her.

"Ever since I started running, I've lived with fear. It's a paranoia that gnaws at my chest, forces me to keep running, keep hiding. Earlier today, I... I ran from you because I was afraid that if I didn't leave, I never would. That I'd be unable to leave you behind. I've only met one woman like you before, and she left me with a scarred face and a damaged soul. I can't trust you, because I can't even trust myself... I had to handcuff myself to the table to keep from running away again."

SM: 1 week ago

There was a soft sniffle once more, and she stared at him. Blue eyes searched his face, traced his cheeks and his eyes and she listened to him speak. A small nod, and she released one hand from gripping his shirt to wipe at the tears on her face and brush them aside. Then she was letting out a slightly trembling breath. Shoulders slumped some and she braced herself to support him as much as she could.

"Fear. Fear is a mind-killer, a little death that bring total obliteration. The moment we being to fear others and hesitate to tell the truth within us, the divine light and life in our veins no longer flows into what it is that makes up our soul. It is alright to fear. But that fear should move over you, through you, and then when it has passed you - you are left in the wake of it, stronger than ever.

How much have you missed? How much has been missed simply because you were afraid? My fear..." Her voice caught, strangled in her throat, and then escaped in a rush as she lowered her eyes. "My fear is that I have lost something important, and I cannot again find it. But I so need it. It is a fear like someone has lost his glasses, and gone to the optometrist, only to be told there are no glasses left within the world."

She leaned her head onto his shoulder, and clutched his shirt once more. Her voice was more mumbled, thicker, and then she spoke gently. Her voice carrying the rumble of a growl.

"Don't lose hope - you'll find the trust in yourself soon enough. Start with little things. Trusting your story. Trusting ghosts. Trusting your dreams. Then trust your heart, and finally... finally you'll end up ready to trust those that you have helped to help you in turn."

KS: 1 week ago

He shuddered, but his arms around her helped keep him centered, helped keep him stable. He felt at peace in that moment, in a way that he hadn't known since before his sister had cancer.

"Jasmine... I want... I want to try..." He shivered slightly and cleared his throat. "Can I stay with you? For a while... maybe longer..." Motivations and interests conflicted in his head, and only some of them were pure. He wanted to stay to make her happy. He wanted to stay so he could feel safe. He wanted to stay so that he could retain at least a slight chance of stealing a portion of her curse... As much as he wished he didn't, he knew down to his heart that he did want to become a werewolf, even if she didn't want to turn him... he didn't have any plans, but he couldn't deny how that was at least a part of his motivation.

SM: 1 week ago

Jasmine let out her own trembling sigh, and she felt her tense muscles start to relax. Then she spoke in a little murmur. "I apologize, V... I didn't mean to cry - but I didn't expect you to be here. I thought you'd be long gone. I am quite used to frightening people..."

Then she listened to him speak, and she nodded a little bit. Pulling back just enough that she could look up at him, she offered a wry grin. "Of course you can stay. I told you that yesterday. You're welcome here, for as long as you need."

KS: 1 week ago

His breath caught for a moment before he swallowed uncertainly.

"And if... and if I need an eternity...? If I need to spend eons by your side... are you sure you would make such an offer?"

SM: 1 week ago

Jasmine went stone still in his hold. And she considered his words. Then she spoke, softly, her voice carrying with it a slight tremble.

"I have lived for eons, and never have I infected another person. I have killed, and ruined, I have torn men asunder, but I have never left a victim of my bite alive... I don't think - you don't know what you ask..."

KS: 1 week ago

His response was instant, unhesitant. "Then teach me. Teach me what I'm asking about. Tell me everything, that I may either agree with your judgment or make a decision for my own. My life is nothing but a chain of cheap adrenaline thrills, the only thing keeping me alive is the pure sensation of eluding those who would hold me down. You could give me something to live for. You could give me something -real- to struggle against, to overcome, and to be better because of it. Please... for years, I've never slept in the same place twice, for fear that my past will catch up to me. I don't want to live a half-life anymore... I-" He was unable to express the ache he felt down to his soul. He could take every word of every language and still not be able to adequately describe his fragile and fragmented emotional state.

SM: 1 week ago

There was a deep breath and she leaned into him, resting her head onto his shoulder heavily. She moved reluctantly, pulling back a little bit and moving to stand up. She reached for his hands to tug him with her. So she could finally close the front door, and still speak to him.

"If you want to know everything, I will tell you. I don't mind doing so. But please, wait until you know everything and take time in deciding." She swallowed hard, but her expression softened and she reached up to comb her fingers through his hair as she had done with soothing him the day before.

"Sit down, and I'll tell you my story, and explain my curse. Ask me what questions you have, first, so that I know where to start."

KS: 1 week ago

He pulled on her arms to haul himself up before he nudged the door closed with a heel. They stepped over to her couch and sat down, getting comfy for an uncomfortable discussion.

"Lycanthropy... I don't even know what questions to ask. What does it do to you? Your body, your mind? I believe that you're a werewolf, but you look human to my eyes."

SM: 1 week ago

When he sat down, she moved into the kitchen first. Tea was brewed, and once she had that she headed back into the living room and set a second cup on the table top. Curling up on a corner of the couch, she tilted her head some and blew gently across the top of her cup to cool the tea as she began to sip it.

"Lycanthropy. It keeps your body in peak condition. When, or if, you are infected as a child, it allows you to age until you reach what your body determines is its peak physical condition, and then it keeps you there. Your cells regrow, and replicate so swiftly age doesn't catch up to you - physically.

Mentally? It ruins your mind at first. Everything is different. There are all these new senses and sensations. I remember having reactions to things without knowing why, and then deciding that the why didn't matter. It was instinct. That was all that started to matter.

When you first start to shift, when you first bear the fur of your first moon - you have no control. Your memory fades with the light, and you are for all intents and purposes a very intelligent animal. It takes many, many years, and a force of mind and personality to keep your human mind awake during the transformation. Even then - even then mistakes are made...

The human mind isn't meant to last as long as I have. You forget things, you descend into madness. Eventually you wish for death. Sometimes you become a slavering beast. And if you are lucky, there is someone about to pull you out of it. Or you enslave yourself to a higher power and hope they keep you on an appropriate leash."

Her eyes were shadowed, and her expression filled with a mute sort of agony as she glanced towards the weapons on her walls before she sipped her tea and looked back at him. She inclined her head some and then hummed.

"Yes, I suppose I do look rather human. But I am not. My eye color for one. I have sharper teeth, my ears retain a point that never fades... The aura of monster I carry. It puts people on edge, even humans notice. I know you have. The scars I wear are also a mark of my inhuman nature.

Lucky for you, V, I am very old. Which means I am quite capable of controlling myself, inhuman nature and instincts included."

KS: 1 week ago

Eternal life... phrased in those terms sounded like a torment... but her grim description of her own existence begged only a single question.

"This is going to sound harsh, but... if its so horrible... why haven't you killed yourself? You seem at peace with yourself and the world... if not for what you've told me, I never would have guessed that sorrow and suffering stain your heart."

SM: 1 week ago

"Oh, but I have. It doesn't work well. I might not like living sometimes, but the wolf certainly does. And it makes it incredibly difficult to kill myself. I heal too fast to slit my wrists. Most poisons aren't that severe, those that are make me ill for a while but never quite do the job. I do have an allergy to silver, but the older I get the less it affects me...

I attempted - when I was younger - to kill myself with monkshood tea. I survived, and developed a... not resistance, but certainly stronger immune system against it. About the only option I have is to be decapitated."

A self-depreciating laugh and she looked down into her tea cup. "Unfortunately, I missed out when the guillotine was all the rage in France..."

KS: 1 week ago

He coughed slightly into his tea. He had a morbid sense of humor, but the fact added a sense of darkness to her...

"That was then. You've learned better than that... what you do at the orphanage has changed those childrens' lives. Every single one of them calls you Mother... You can't lie and say that you're worthless. If find it hard to live for yourself, the very least you can do is live for them."

SM: 1 week ago

"The reason I'm still around is for them. After I -" Her voice caught and she swallowed hard. Looking back into her tea and feeling her shoulders sink. She hunched in on herself and her voice was much softer.

"I lied before, when I told you yesterday that lycanthropes cannot have children. We can. But it is incredibly difficult. A females transformations induces miscarriages. But if you can pick one form and hold it for the length of time... it can be successful.

When you lose them though... when you lose them, everything ends up dark. Children at the orphanage give me what I missed. What I lost."

KS: 1 week ago

He wrapped an arm around her and held her close. Thoughts followed through his mind, and he asked the next question knowing that it would hurt.

"And if the child was purebred? If two werewolves were to attempt to have a child, A child that could shift with her mother? One with the same instincts as her mother. One who could run as part of a pack with the parents."

SM: 1 week ago

There was a sharp ache in her chest at his words and she whimpered. Though she contemplated it. It wasn't something that she wanted to think about, let alone recall her own lost children more than she already had.

"I... I don't know. It's why I was changed. It's what Seisyll wanted. But... I never..."

Her voice trembled, and she set her teacup aside to hide her face in her hands.

KS: 1 week ago

A name. A motivation. They were but words, mere scratchings that failed to convey the anguish he saw in her face, in the slump of her shoulders. He set his cup down on the side table and swept her up onto hi lap. She might have been a werewolf, but she wasn't too much heavier than a young adult woman should be. With her atop him, he could pull his coat forwards to hug her shoulders in the same way that his arms hugged her torso. He whispered softly into her ear, regret heavy on his voice.

"I'm sorry... my question was out of line."

SM: 1 week ago

She didn't seem to hear him, though she accepted his comfort willingly. Even within her the wolf ached for lost pups. Pack soothed each other and she had been tending this young man the night before like pack... so it made sense to her beast that he had become so. There was a fine tremble in her shoulders as she pressed into him and her voice was thick, aching with memory.

"Purebreds might be stronger but... Liam... my husband... he was an Elf, my children... there were four of them, four beautiful boys... I was still... Liam grandfather ordered my execution, Liam stayed behind to fight. They killed him while I fled. I made a home... a den for myself, I had my pups shortly after. Then... then someone I knew, a pack member came. I told him to go away, he wouldn't listen. We ended up fighting. I killed him, but he had damaged me badly as well. I lost consciousness, when I woke... my babies, all gone... blood was everywhere... I found their remains in the den. Coyotes.''

Then she mourned, a keening noise of ancient grief, her arms tight around him and her face hidden in his neck. Tears wetting his skin and clothes, he got to witness something few had. A complete breakdown in a normally very strong werewolf.

KS: 1 week ago

He kept his arms pressed tight around her, as if the physical pressure could keep her emotions from falling apart. He didn't think anything he said could help more than the physical presence of someone who cared, so he held her as if she were about to float away. He had a passing thought, an instinctive whim that he followed knowing that it could possibly be a bad idea... but he did it anyways. He leaned forwards and licked her ear. The action was neither slow nor seductive, but a brief passing of his tongue across her flesh. (One of those hit or miss ideas XP)

SM: 1 week ago

The pressure of his arms was a weight that kept her grounded, it comforted her immensely. But still her tears came and she couldn't halt them anymore than she could halt the flow of the sea. It was a balm on her old, ruined soul. The chance to cry these tears, to speak of her lost pups, even her lost Liam. It was unlikely that she had shared such things before, not because she kept it a secret on purpose... but because no one had bothered to ask.

When his tongue swept over her ear, she tensed. Her body going stiff in his hold before a weak keen escaped her throat and she went limp. Not just relaxed, utterly limp. The woman sniffled and her tears finally started to slow, but she didn't seek to move from where she was being comforted. Though she did finally speak again, a soft murmur.

"Thank you, V."

KS: 1 week ago

He chuckled throatily behind her before giving her another squeeze. His forehead rested against the back of her head for a moment before he whispered a few soft words to her.

"I don't need thanks... your happiness would be enough. To see you smile, to see you laugh... to be the one making you laugh. That's what I want."

SM: 1 week ago

There was a small smile on her lips, tinged with a bit of bittersweet irony. Finally she moved a little, pulled back enough to look up at him, and to let her eyes trail his face. His scent easily gave away his intentions.

"I appreciate such a sentiment, V... my only question to you is why? You have known me two days. Granted you've seen more than most from me, but still."

KS: 1 week ago

(Because his puppet master demands it!!! =3)

"Because you've got such a pretty face... it's a shame to see a frown on it." A dry chuckle accompanied the cheesy pickup line he'd used at least a bajillion times. He made it up for it though, by following it with something that he hadn't worn as thin as his shoes. "More than that though... I feel safe with you. When I'm not having a panic attack because of how you remind me of the psycho who tried to kill me... your presence calms me. I'd be crazy if I drifted away from you."

He shifted, trying to stand up slowly and either shift her to the couch or put her up on her feet.

SM: 1 week ago

His words sparked a laugh from her before she shook her head some. When he started to move, she easily slid off his lap and curled up on her corner of the couch. Watching him with bright blue and gold eyes she tilted her head just slightly.

"Strange man to be calmed in the presence of a wolf. Though I am sorry to hear I remind you of your rather... crazy ex-companion. But I am pleased for the company. It has been a long time since I've had someone... well, another adult to spend time with.

KS: 1 week ago

He'd started towards the kitchen when she got up, and laughter floated through the doorway. "You remind me of the good things in her... not so much the craziness." He returned with two spoons and the jar of apple sauce. Once he was again seated next to her, he popped the top and tossed her a spoon. "Man, but I bet you'd be good on a heist. Hear guards coming, scent out their patrol routs... and you're light on your feet too."

SM: 1 week ago

Curled on her corner of the couch, she smiled to herself hearing him laugh. There was still a heavy ache in her heart, and a haunted look on her face but she had gathered her vaunted control enough to put the hollow place inside her aside.

The spoon tossed at her was snatched out of the air with barely a glance. "I suppose that is true. I've been a thief more than once. I wasn't terrible at it."

KS: 1 week ago

"Tell you what... You never really know a person until you've stolen something with them. Some people will stab you in the back right when you get the take. Some will stay behind and take the rap just so you go free. We could run a scam, maybe skim some pockets... or maybe we could just run beneath the moonlight. If not for the illogical and mind numbing panic, I'd have had a lot of fun trying to lose you while you chased me... yea... we can play street tag!"

SM: 1 week ago

Jasmine laughed, a bark of surprise when he mentioned stealing something. It had been a long time since she had done something like that. Granted, it wasn't because she had morals, it was more because such a thing was too easy in this day and age. Though as he went on to talk of running under the moonlight, her expression softened.

If anything her voice warmed delightedly as she spoke fondly to him, "I wouldn't be opposed to a run beneath the moonlight. But are you sure you want to run with me? After all, the stories say lycans are controlled by the phases of the moon."

It was a warm teasing tone in her voice, as she got a spoonful of his cinnamon apple sauce and tasted it.

KS: 1 week ago

He took a spoonful for himself and sucked on it thoughtfully. It was an important question, and it deserved at least a little thought.

"Hmm... Yes. You wouldn't hurt me... Not even if your mind was dulled and your instincts ran free." He thought for a moment, laughed, then hastily corrected himself. "Wait, no, I take it back. You would totally hurt me for my own good, but you wouldn't just attack me. Besides..." He gave the cheesiest shit eating grin he could manage, fully ready to be punched in the stomach if that was the price. "I'd love to see you in bare fur, without any clothes on..."

SM: 1 week ago

"Well, I must admit something that ends up being quite lucky for you." She leaned a little towards him like she was telling some great secret, and offered a small grin. "Due to my status as an alpha beast, as well as an ancient... the moon holds little sway over my transformations anymore. As well, I retain all my faculties when such a change is undertaken."

She leaned back, and her eyes gleamed with laughter as she smacked him in the arm with a laugh. "You'll regret saying that. Lycans have very little in the way of modesty."

KS: 1 week ago

He wasn't sure if he should blush or smirk, but he indulged in a little fantasizing about how her bronzed skin would look once she was a little less... burdened...

"Mmm... that's right. I've been a bad boy, you'll need to teach me to regret." Smirking won out, accompanied by an equally wicked chuckle. He had been completely prepared for a rebuke, but when it failed to appear, he went for pushing his luck. He was bad at quitting while he was ahead. "So... I think dogs are required to have collars inside the city limits... You the kind of girl who likes to wear a leash?"

(He's going to keep having stupider ideas until he gets punched, I promise.)

SM: 1 week ago

There was a surprised noise made as she had just taken a bite of applesauce, and her eyes widened as she looked at him. A few surprised swallows, and she laughed. It was bright, and delightfully amused. It seemed rather than upsetting her, he was amusing her. And she grinned shamelessly to him.

"I can't say that I am..." She set the spoon down, and crawled towards him a suddenly predatory air about her as eyes flashed gold and she pressed in close. Her nose a hairs breath from his own, and her breath warm against his lips. She caged him in place with her arms - one on the back of the couch and the other braced on the armrest. As she drew in a breath to speak he could feel her breasts press against his chest. "Maybe you can take me for a walk, and we'll see how I like it then..."

KS: 1 week ago

He shivered hard from his head down to his toes. He'd always thought of himself as dominant, but she was his Alpha... he wasn't just unable to stand up to her, he -wanted- to submit to her. That would make him collaring her... interesting... but for now it sent his blood coursing through his body, swelling his manhood until his pants stiffened from the strain.

"Y-Yeeeessssss... anything you desire, Alpha..." he smiled as he said it; the weight of her presence more than her body pushed down on him in a way that tickled him in all the right ways. "I suddenly find myself wishing it was night time... know any good ways to pass the time?"

SM: 1 week ago

The scent of his arousal tickled her nose, and she made a pleased noise, her eyes trailed his face and dragged slowly downwards. Looking him over before she fixed her eyes on his own again. Her lips twitched into a small grin, and she ducked her head to the side. A swipe of her tongue along his jawline and then she leaned back. Settled comfortably into her corner of the couch once more.

"I do have to work tonight, I have to go in soon anyways. But we can run afterwards."

KS: 1 week ago

He was left panting, on his back, not entirely able to pull himself upwards at first. She'd smelled... he didn't even have words for the way she'd smelled, only that her scent was alluring and tantalizing and it filled him with a painfully obvious physical need.

"Right... work... I'll, uh... clean your apartment...?"

SM: 1 week ago

The sight of him panting had her smiling softly, a faint flush spread across her cheeks as she watched him. Jasmine smelled of the wilds, of the wind and the world when it was new before the land was overtaken by humans and steel. She smelled of a predator, of a beast.

"You're welcome to do so. Whatever you'd like, V."

KS: 1 week ago

He took a few moments more to catch his breath before he tried to sit upright. It wasn't what he'd been expecting, but her action had knocked his wits enough that he couldn't think of anything worse to ask.

"I... like to be useful to those who put up with me... I'll probably end up paying you rent money at some point..."

Applesauce. Eat the applesauce so you don't babble like an idiot. He took a spoonful and swallowed it greedily before taking a much slower taste.

SM: 1 week ago

The knowledge that she had rendered him - more or less - incapable of thinking clearly was enough to make her grin. Nose twitched as she breathed deeply and murmured warmly. Another spoonful of his applesauce and she winked to him. Eyes bright and playfully gleaming.

"You don't need to pay rent, though I appreciate the offer. There isn't much to clean, but you can do what you'd like to feel useful I suppose."

She moved to stand up finally, and grinned as she headed towards the bedroom. "I'm going to get changed."

KS: 1 week ago

He almost opened his mouth to ask if he could watch, but managed to restrain himself. If he wasn't careful she might actually take him up on the offer and literally fuck his brains out... then he'd be a zombie, a vegetable! A vegetable who'd had sex with a werewolf, yes, but... wait, no, that mental image is just weird. Stand up, get your head straight, and find something useful to do.

"That doesn't mean I won't slip a little money into your pocket every now and then... but I'll have to amuse myself until then."

SM: 1 week ago

There was a teasing glance from her as she stepped into her bedroom. A moment was taken where she closed the door and leaned against it. A sigh escaped her as she considered what she was doing, where she was going with this. His intentions were clear as his scent, and she covered her eyes with a hand, a soft mumble escaping her.

"Gods above, Jasmine, what are you doing..."

There was a twinge along her spine as she said that, and she groaned. A glower at the ceiling as she spoke petulantly. "I'm not asking you, asshole."

Then she began to dig around her closet and hunted down her clothing for the night.

KS: 1 week ago

V snacked just a little bit more on his applesauce, wondering exactly the same thing. He was no professional, but he was pretty sure that her laying atop him while whispering that he could try to collar her was a pretty clear indication of intent. He couldn't thin of anything he wanted to do or say to change what might happen, so he put it out of his mind. There were times to plan ahead and times to just flow with it, and this was definitely not the time to overthink things.

He put the applesauce up in her fridge before pulling out a battered and worn rubix cube. He would defeat the little menace... eventually...

SM: 1 week ago

It didn't take her long before she had changed into her normal outfit for when she worked at the Den. Stepping into her bathroom, she began to pull her hair up and she took a moment to observe herself in the mirror. A soft sigh and she braced her hands on the edge of the sink.

"It's been two days, Jasmine."

Grumbling to herself she shook her head some and smiled faintly. Then headed out into the living room, her hands settled onto her hips and grinning at the sight of him. "I'll be heading out then, V."

KS: 1 week ago

He looked up and smiled, waving her out the door.

"Since you don't lock your door, I'll have to stay here and guard it from low lives and thieves!" The loss of focus made him lose his place on the cube, leaving him with a jumbled mess. "Damnation... Once more, from the top."

SM: 1 week ago

There was a moment where she paused at the door, looking at him with a small smile. Expression softened as she waved at him, and then she headed out the door. The click of it closing behind her was all she recognized before she headed off to the bar.

Several hours passed quietly in the bar, and she served as a waitress. All while the bar tender - Charlus - kept an eye out for anything she might need to handle. As well as any newcomers to the area. Subtle mentions of a woman she was looking for. A thief. It was by keeping her ear to the underground that she knew she'd be able to protect V fully.

KS: 1 week ago

Indeed, a newcomer did stride through. Her hair was the color of a bloody sunset; vibrant orange and red, in a chaotic tangle behind her. She walked with the aura of someone who knew what she wanted and knew how to get it... if only she could find it. Emerald eyes blazed beneath her carefully unkempt hair with a weight of knowledge and experience that betrayed her years.

And she was undoubtedly a vampire. The mortals in the room might not have known her for what she was, but Jasmine would know from the moment she crossed the threshold into the wolves' den.

SM: 1 week ago

Jasmine was already behind the bar, two plates in her hands. She simply set the plates down and offered a small grin over towards the newcomer. Her proverbial ears are perked, and blue eyes settled into the green. Tilting her head she offered a grin, sending Charlus protectively into the back to man the kitchen while she took her place at the bar.

It had been a long time since a vampire had been in her bar. This was certainly not the few of them she knew, but it could easily be one of the Childe's. As it was, she waited for the woman to get close enough before she greeted her.

"Welcome to the Wolves Den. What can I get you?"

KS: 1 week ago

She gave Jasmine a look that said she knew exactly what she was, and a smile that said she knew that Jasmine knew exactly what this stranger was as well.

"Cut the chatter Alpha... you and I both know that I'm not finding what I want in this bar. However, I'm looking for someone, and I was curious to know if you've heard any local gossip. One of my fold has run away, and I'm looking to take him back... he'd have arrived in this city two days ago. Likes dark clothing and darker nights... light on his feet and quick with his tongue. Has a tattoo of a black ring around a finger, and a scar running from his (left? I forget) cheek towards his ear. Do you happen to remember if he said where he was headed?"

SM: 1 week ago

"We don't talk about the Dark things so easily here. There are humans about, Lady Sanguine. And in my city I take care of them as well."

It was a subtle warning not to feed in her city tied in with a respectful title. But she knew who this vampiress wanted. V. In her mind she sighed, no wonder he was always running. Though she clicked her tongue a little and scrunched her nose in thought. Lies from the truth came so easily to her that not a scent gave her away. Not after living so long.

"I remember a little ragamuffin... thought he smelled a bit off. Chased him down the street earlier today, but lost him on the subway. Figured I'd give him a bit of a running start before I went hunting. Might have been yours, can't say for sure."

KS: 1 week ago

She smiled softly and inclined her head.

"As you say. I am merely a visitor, I wouldn't dream of hunting on your turf, in a city I don't know." The next tidbit of information pricked her awareness, and she smiled slowly. "That sounds like him... even before I met him, he had a penchant for rubbing himself down with cinnamon. Made him smell so... delectable... but it obscures his scent enough that it's hard to track him by scent alone. My thanks for the token of information... if you see him, could you hold him for me? He's a chaotic little pest, never in the same place twice, but I'll come back in a week to see if he... falls into your claws, so to speak."

She turned and strutted towards the door, pulling the eyes of numerous patrons. Some watched from barely concealed appreciation for her figure... others from a slight tinge of worry.

SM: 1 week ago

Jasmine gave a call to Charlus, and then she vaulted over the bar top. She skipped a few steps and caught up to the vampire, walking beside her for a moment. Proverbial ears perked.

"If you don't mind a few questions, I find myself very curious. Sanguinares rarely find their way to my bar. Most only find it because their Sire knows of it. How did you? And if I may, what has you so interested in a human? Granted he was fun to chase - but still! A lost meal perhaps?"

There was a teasing note in her voice. The playful grin on her lips and bright gold eyes focused on the other woman. This was the woman who was so dangerous to V.

KS: 1 week ago

Lady Sanguine laughed with the kind of perfect, bell tones of laughter that it takes decades to master.

"A lost meal? Would you lament if a steak leapt off your plate, or simple acquire another? No... he was my protégé, I had planned on adding him to my fold. Then I was given reason to suspect his loyalties might be to one of my enemies. I confronted him, and he lied to me. I gave him the scar and let him run, but have since then learned the true cause of his discretion. Now I'm going to take back what is mine... once I find him, of course. His scent is fresh in this city, and I'm catching up to him... slowly."

SM: 1 week ago

It was such a false laugh, and Jasmine knew it. Could tell it was something that was practiced to entice and once such a thing was learned it was nearly impossible to turn off. There was a grin on her lips and she chuckled a little before nodding. A gusty sigh escaped her lips as she tucked her hair behind her ear.

"I never thought of making a Pack of my own, not Lycan's anyway. It's too horrible a curse to force upon people. Though some would choose it if they could, I think... Still, it's blood on your hands." She hummed a bit and folded her hands behind her head while moving along side the vampiress. "Must be a brilliant human who can flee from you long enough to be chased... He was quite swift when running from me too..."

The lycan glanced at her and then offered a small smile. Unbelievably pleased that vampires - while they had a sharp nose - didn't have the nose of a lycan. "I'll see what I can dig up for you, Lady."

KS: 1 week ago

"He is swift and he is careful... good at using subways to mask his trail, good at skipping town just when I've gotten close enough to almost have him in my grasp. He is quite the quarry, and that's how I know he'll make a strong vampire under my guidance. My thanks, Lady Moon."

And with that, she vanished back into the night.

SM: 5 days ago

Jasmine gave a small bob of her head as the vampire vanished and then she was returning to the bar. A brilliant smile to Charlus and she headed back into the kitchen. Glad she had spent time in there before the vampire had shown up. Whatever scents she had picked up through the day had been masked more or less by the scent of recently cooked food and fry grease.

It was a small comfort. She worked her normal six hour shift, leaving the keys with Charlus to lock up and then headed out towards her home. She didn't change her routine, taking a moment to stop at the 24 hour mart and grab a drink and a candy treat before continuing to her apartment. Up to the door and in, she pressed it closed with a soft, sharp clack. Then her gaze darted about for V.

KS: 5 days ago

Gone. Vanished into the air as if he'd never been there. All that remained of him was the faint scent of cinnamon on the air... and a sticky note he'd stuck against the fridge.

Dear Jas, went out to go for a walk, be back soon.

His scent was fresh, perhaps ten minutes old. If she hurried, she could probably catch him easily.

SM: 5 days ago

She cursed to herself, and was out the door. Swift steps turned into an all out sprint, and she barreled down the stairs onto the street. Within moments she was tracking him, racing along faster than any human could run. She had to get to him before something happened. The vampire said a week, but she trusted her about as far as she could throw her.

KS: 5 days ago

She didn't have to go far; his path led towards the city park, where she found him sitting on a park bench staring at the sky. He was whistling softly, a slow, haunting tune that halted as he heard her rapid steps. He turned towards her, and on a first glimpse, he jumped up into a battle ready crouch.

"Talk to me, what's wrong."

SM: 5 days ago

The sight of him eased a tight knot in her belly. It had taken her less than two minutes at a full sprint to reach the park. She slowed upon reaching him with a relieved sigh.

"My apartment. Not here."

Her words were short, sincere and a little worried. Eyes darting about as she kept her body loose and ready.

KS: 5 days ago

He was a thief, and he knew how to read body language. Tension, across her face contrasted a careful relaxation of her muscles. Her similarly low crouch could just as easily attack, defend, or flee a target. Her body communicated far more than her words did, reinforcing the message that they needed to move. It sent an adrenaline thrill through his veins that worried him, but he couldn't stop his next words if he'd tried.

"Race ya."

And with that, he bolted, taking long, loping strides towards their safe haven.

SM: 5 days ago

She was hoping that her body language would give away her urgency more than her words could. A close eye was kept on him and she offered a small smirk. There was a race of unease along her spine, but then he was taking off and she followed. Darting along after him, keeping a pace or two back. All the way until they reached her apartment.

KS: 5 days ago

Up stairs, slide the hall, stop just outside her door. He had a knife in his hand, a dark blade with a hilt of deer antler. he lay his back against the wall just outside the door and silenced his movements. He counted heartbeats listening for anything that might have been in her flat.

SM: 5 days ago

Soon she was behind him, and she paused in front of her door. A few deep breaths and she listened, her proverbial ears pricked. There were a few deep breaths as she searched for the scent of vampires.

KS: 5 days ago

She scented nothing out of the ordinary. V's scent of cinnamon and manhood, her own slightly feral scent of werewolf... none had intruded in her den. V didn't hear anything, so he carefully turned the corner and shouldered the door open. He kept the knife in his left hand, low and almost behind him. The black blade and black stained antler were hard to see in the darkness, but none were there to see it.

"I... I think we're safe, for now... Jas, talk to me, what happened?"

SM: 5 days ago

Once she was certain the den was safe she followed him in. Though she turned with a sharpness to her movements as she closed the door. There was a sickening crunch as bones broke and twisted, right hand malformed as claws an inch and a half long speared through the fingers of a grey skinned hand.

"It isn't safe yet to speak."

Her claws dug into the wood of the door, and soon she was drawing into the wood, interconnecting runes and twisted circles. When she finished lightning arced in small sparks along the wood, curling together to form a large circle over the door. The scent of ozone heavy in the air. The grooves of the larger circle burned into the wood and plaster. When the circle finished forming she bit her thumb, dragging blood in the center circle and turning the whole string of markings red.

She repeated this four more times, once around each window.

"There. Now. Tell me what you know about Cindy."

KS: 4 days ago

He was literally dumbfounded as he watched what could only be magic, runes and blood and sparks. Her safeguards took long enough to set up that he was able to shuffle his mind back into a semi-reasonable state by the time she asked the question. He could tell that now wasn't the time for flippancy. He spun his knife in his hand, tossing it half a turn to catch it by the blade, then repeating the motion to grab the handle. It was a nervous tick he'd had since grade school, though he'd used pencils and rulers at first.

"Cindy? I haven't seen her in... almost a year now. Beautiful woman, striking red hair eyes like emerald gemstones. Her smile could lift you up on wings and the same smile could nail your feet to the ground. She loved a glass of red wine, and I think she was anorexic. She liked it kinky, up her ass, and she'd occasionally make me wear a collar, not that I minded horribly. I lived with her for two years and I know a lot about her, I could use a more specific question."

SM: 4 days ago

There was a thoughtful frown as she listened to him speak. Indeed, the magic she had used was her limited knowledge, a boon. Then she was pacing. Every word was soaked in and she curled her lip thoughtfully before she bit the bottom one.

Bones crunched, realigned and soon her hands looked normal again. Not a trace of claws or inhuman color. At his mention of a more specific question she hummed a moment.

"Why do you think she was anorexic? Do you recall ever losing time with her? Any strange habits? Anything you can figure out of place?"

KS: 4 days ago

Confusion clouded his face, tinged with more than a hint of worry at remembering her.

"Well, she never ate anything heavier than tomato soup. She said she was on some kind of liquid diet, said it was how she stayed thin. Losing time? No... or at least, if I did, I never noticed. She kept her flat cold, even in the summer, but she always wore thin and light enough clothes that her skin felt cold." His eyes narrowed and he stood a little straighter.

"What's with the twenty questions? Why are you so on edge?"

SM: 4 days ago

There was a faint hum as she nodded a little. It sounded about right, enough to put it together. The woman had been hiding herself from him, and it didn't seem as if he had ever fed her. Though she approached him now, hands rose and touched his cheeks, caressed. Even as eyes and fingers searched for the faintly raised skin of a healed vampire bite. Most were smart enough to do it out of proper sight of their 'donors' gaze.

"Because she came into my bar tonight." Eyes lifted, met his and she hummed a little. "You neglected to mention she was a vampire, so I was attempting to discern if you knew, or if she was neglecting the Courts protocol..."

KS: 4 days ago

If not for the fact that she was dead serious, and he knew it, he'd have laughed at her. Okay, well, maybe not... he got the feeling that laughing at his alpha would never be a good idea. Still though, a vampire...?

"A vampire...? Are you sure?" It took a moment for the first part of what she said to sink in, but he suddenly realized how that was far more important than what she was. "Wait, she was in the Wolves' den?!?"

He reached for something in the side of his coat that was concealed beneath bulky layers and pulled out a pistol. He slid the clip out to confirm that it was loaded with hollow points, slammed it back in, and yanked the slide back to load a round. His back hit the wall beside her door and he listened, whispered frantically.

"Not safe, gotta start moving, draw her away... new town, new name, new habits."

His eyes were wide, and they twitched with the look of a cornered animal.

SM: 4 days ago

"I'm certain." She hummed a little. "She asked about you, where you were. I told her I lost you on the subway today, but I was drawn by your scent. She wants me to give you back. Called you her protégé. She gave me a week to see if I learned anything new about you."

A vague snarl escaped her, turning her eyes golden and showing off fangs. Long as a dogs in a human mouth, it certainly looked off but she bared them at no one, gaze to the side and eyes fairly glowing.

"As if I would let some Sanguine touch what is mine." There was a soft buffer of wind brushing his clothes, seeming to come right off her skin before she calmed herself and reached out to him. Grabbing his wrist, and focusing her golden eyes on his. A soft growl underlying her words.

"You will do no such thing. I cannot protect you if you run. Right now we are safe behind wards." A moments pause, and her eyes searched his face. "Do you trust me?"

KS: 4 days ago

When he looked into her eyes, she'd see his fear. Panic ingrained into his soul, a need to run, hide, then keep running. He had an almost instinctive loathing for remaining in the same place, and every fiber of his being was calling out for him to make a break for it. He didn't trust wards, didn't trust hiding, didn't even trust the gun in his hand, he just needed to run.

And yet...

He heard the emphasis when she said he was hers. It called to a deeper part of him, called out to his need to belong. He trusted her. He slowly lowered the gun and flipped the safety switch on, but he left a round in the chamber with the hammer back.

"Yes, Alpha... you say running is the wrong move, and we can't hide here forever, she'll find us. That leaves... confronting her..."

His thumb stroked the safety on the gun for reassurance. He managed to calm down a few degrees but he was still visibly tight as a piano string.

SM: 4 days ago

"Come, I will introduce you to one who can help."

Then she slid her hand down to grip his hand, and she headed towards her bedroom. Once in the room, she approached the antique mirror on the wall - it was aged and the frame looked half-rotten. But she stood in front of it, with him beside her, so he could see their reflections. Then she bit her thumb once more and wrote in blood on the mirror's surface.

For a moment the reflections shimmered, only for blackness to creep over the front of the mirror. It appeared to suck the light from the room before it slowly fogged over. More magic, a strange sort as the mists in the mirror parted to reveal a dark haired man. Sapphire eyes stared at the pair before he blinked, and spoke. The man's voice sounded a little muffled, but came through clear enough.

"Jasmine, love, what is wrong?"

The werewolf smiled, and the man returned it with a smirk. He flashed fangs and it became clear who - or rather what - she was speaking with, another vampire.

"Jonas. I seem to have run into a little problem. An unknown Sanguinaire wants the pup I have with me. But I've claimed him as Pack already. She has prior claim, but she broke Clan protocol by not informing him of the offer she was making. Plus she's an unknown to me, I couldn't find the scent of her Sire... Could you and Cate come over?"

"Cate too? Of course. In force, or subtly?"

"Subtle, if you please. Your arrival will make the Master's take notice - the unknown as well, reguardless of if you come with your guard or not."

"It will be done." He looked from Jasmine to V, and narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. Then he seemed to huff. "Do you have any questions, child?"

KS: 4 days ago

V watched the swift conversation with a careful eye. When the vampire, Jonas turned to regard him, he flashed an easy smile.

"Two days ago I didn't believe in fairy tales. You're damn right I have questions, but now isn't the time or place. I don't like unknown players in my game, but seeing as I apparently have a Vampire hunting after me, now would be a good time for me to make friends."

To say he was apprehensive would be putting it lightly... Werewolves, he could understand. Creatures of instinct and passion, beings who lived on emotion and vitality. Vampires... by legend, they were a ruthless, cold, and calculating mythos, and though he had no idea how their reality compared to the legends he'd heard, but if Cindy was any indication, they were intelligent and calculating and could plan miles ahead of him."

SM: 4 days ago

Jonas murmured in amusement as he watched the pair of them. Then he focused on Jasmine for another moment. "You might as well answer some of the boys questions, it will take at least two hours for Cate and I to arrive."

"I've warded the apartment."

That was enough to shock the vampire, and he looked at V with a more curious, focused air. "I hope you know what you are doing, Jasmine... We shall arrive shortly."

The mirror dimmed, the blackness returned and then her mirror was back to normal. The blood she had smeared across had vanished during the conversation. And she glanced at V and offered a small grin.

"Well, he's right, there is time for questions. I will answer what I can for you."

KS: 4 days ago

"Vampire diplomacy. Give me the quick and dirty run down of how it works and who I need to impress." He winced slightly as his tone came out rather sharp, so he offered an uneasy smile and attempted to make the snap more polite. "Err, I mean, uh... please?"

SM: 4 days ago

There was a rumble but she didn't seem upset, she seemed rather amused more than anything. There was a small tilt of her head and she nodded to him, directing the way towards the living room once more. The wards certainly helped to calm her down as she reached out to lay her hand on his arm.

"No one in the city. Lucky you, you just met the vampire you have to impress. Jonas is one of the oldest Master Vampires around. He was ancient when I touched upon my first eon. I cannot be certain of his age, but he is very old, and very strong.

In each city there is a Master. Either a vampire or a lycanthrope who keeps the peace. Unknown vampires are Sanguines, unknown lycanthropes are Moons or Luna's. There is a Vampire Council, made up of the eldest vampires in the world. They run the vampire politics - most lycans stay out of it except for hoovering on the edge.

I belong to Jonas' Kiss, just as Jonas belongs to my Pack. We are family, and we are few. Don't willing offer your blood, unless you want to be bled dry. That being said - Vampires have rules they have to follow. It is unwise for them to just transform humans willy nilly. The Council and Masters look down on such a thing.

They have to inform the humans of what they are doing. Your Cindy broke the rules, telling me that she was training you to be her protege, without you aware of it? It's the sign of a Rogue. Especially since I didn't know her, or her sire. Though that could be because she's young, or foreign. But I cannot be certain. Ah, and werewolf blood is poisonous to vampires."

KS: 4 days ago

He laughed and held out his wrist. "Easy fix then. She won't want me if I'm poison to her." He pulled his arm back before she could respond and laughed it off. "Alright, so what's the-"

He was interrupted by a knock at the door.

SM: 4 days ago

Lips parted as she nearly commented on that, the knock on the door made her pause and she glanced at the door. Eyes narrowed thoughtfully and she approached the door. A hand pressed on the ward, and she leaned up to peer through the peep hole to look out into the hall. Curious on who was knocking.

KS: 4 days ago

"Lady Moon... You've been a naughty girl. Open up, and let me see dear Marcus's face."

If her voice hadn't been clue enough, the use of his name let him know -exactly- who was at the door. Blood drained from his face and his pistol found its way back into his hand. He stayed silent though, waiting to see how Jasmine wanted it to play out.

SM: 4 days ago

There was a sigh from Jasmine, and then she hummed. A moment later and she nudged him back a little from the door. And opened it. Not that it did much, the gleaming blue ward shimmered in the air in front of the door, and Jasmine was almost hoping the vampire would test the unknown wards.

A slow, lazy grin on her lips as she shrugged to the vampire. "I am not the only one who was naughty, Lady Sanguine. You trained a human without following procedure!" Her voice became sing-song at the end.

KS: 4 days ago

"Procedure? Training? I gave him no such vampyric training... I taught him to be a thief, no more, no less. I did truly intend to follow protocol and inform him of the truth... but I wanted to wait and make sure I wanted to add him to my fold, first. It's horrible manners to turn someone without knowing them fully... You wouldn't dream of sharing your gift with someone you'd only just met, would you?"

Her voice lilted in a slightly mocking tone, the tone of a chess player who knew... or thought... he was one step ahead. She didn't see V through the cracks, but the opened airway brought a peculiar scent to her nostrils.

"Cinamon... are you baking anything, perchance?"

SM: 4 days ago

"Two years, you exceeded the time-line. You lived with him, let him see you... I know the protocols well, my Lady, and you..." She waggled a finger, grinning wickedly. There was a flash of her fangs as she did so. "Although, if one feels a draw... Instinct should be followed sometimes for creatures such as ourselves."

As she asked about her baking thing, Jasmine couldn't stop her small grin, and she reached for V. Marcus as she knew his name to be from this woman, but she pushed it aside. If he came to her, she wrapped her arms around him and leaned in close.

"Baking? Non. But I am pleased to introduce my new Packmate, Lyall." Her eyes gleamed, cruel and intelligent. "You see, I have followed procedure."

KS: 4 days ago

V blinked once, took half a second to catch up, then stepped up and casually slid into her arm, wrapping his around her as he did.

"Cinderella. Wish I could say it was a pleasure, but I really thought I'd seen the last of you when I scooped the coop a year ago."

When her eyes fell on him, her entire demeanor changed. Her face slid from cool and aloof to soft, warmed by emotion and smoothed by tenderness.

"Markus... you're quite the elusive man... but I've finally found you. You can come back with me now, its going to be alright."

His smirk dropped off his face, replaced with confusion.

"Come back... why would I want to-"

"I went to the hospital you were visiting and found out why you'd been lying... if I'd known your sister was in such dire straights, I'd have paid her tab so you wouldn't have to worry! I... I thought you were working for one of my enemies, a spy sent to find my weaknesses... but that doesn't matter. What matters is that we can be together again!"

SM: 4 days ago

Jasmine watched, and listened. Her nose twitching as she breathed deeply, searching through the multiple scents trying to decide if the vampire was telling the truth. There was only a short time yet before Jonas and Cate arrived. She could easily continue to stall.

Though she felt a pleasant warmth suffuse her at the feeling of V's arm around her. Her grip remained firm - she trusted few vampires. Her lips pressed together, quiet, observant. Then she spoke softly, to V.

"You do not have to go anywhere, pup..."

KS: 4 days ago

"I... but... you tried to kill me!"

He squeezed Jasmine's shoulders as thanks for her support, and he failed to dash over into Cindy's arms, like she so clearly expected him to. The warm joy on her face faded to pained confusion.

"Kill you... never... You've seen me throw knives before, you know I'd never miss at that close a range! I wanted to teach you a lesson... I thought you'd betrayed me! But you didn't... you never betrayed me, all this time. I have enjoyed chasing you, but its time to come home."

He snarled at her, giving a fair impression of a wolf's growl as he did.

"LIAR! You didn't even tell me what you were!"

"Because I had to know I could trust you! Yes, I'm a vampire, and you can be to, if only you come with me! We can be two immortals, living forever loving forever... You've already said that your life was missing something, but that something is something that I can give you. An eternity to hone your skills... an eternity to do whatever you wished. "

His snarl softened as the impact of what she'd said hit him. Eternal life... the woman he'd loved... he took a half step forwards and raised his hand, forgetting how that hand held a gun. He pointed it to the side when he remembered, but he stared hard at that firearm. He'd acquired it the week he'd escaped her, and he'd kept it loaded with hollow points. Never shot it. Never threatened with it. Never even told anyone about it. It reminded him that he'd spent the past year in fear and on the run... but what was a year compared to an eternity...? As a vampire... he didn't relish the thought of drinking blood, but surely there were ways to do it safely... blood donors, willing friends... it was an intoxicating thought to go with her intoxicating presence.

SM: 4 days ago

The confusion and pain on the woman's face made Jasmine tilt her head. Trying to decide if the vampire was being truthful in her emotions or if she was lying. It was difficult to place, vampires didn't have scents that corresponded as easily as a humans did. Her expression slipped into cold thoughtfulness as she watched the impact the words had on V.

Eyes darted to him, and then to the vampire. Her hackles nearly raised and she frowned. Her arm dropped from around him as he moved a step forward, and she moved a step to the side. Still in a position to get between the two, still in a position to protect. The Ward continued to glow blue between them, blocking the doorway from the vampire entering or the human leaving.

"Will you inform him of the necessary murders one must make the first few years?" The voice was male, from outside and behind the vampire woman Cinderella.

The man from the mirror stood several paces away, his suit unruffled and clothing immaculate. The fair skin and aristocratic features made him enviable by men, and desired often by woman. The sapphire of his eyes looked from the red headed vampire through the ward to his red headed wolfen friend. Hanging from his right arm was a blond bombshell.

The woman had honey blond hair and the lightest pair of grey eyes, her lips as crimson as the blood flowing through her veins. Though she smiled brilliantly, and the vampire woman could tell she was human - but somehow Other as well. Not vampire and not lycanthrope. A husky laugh escaped her and her voice murmured warmly. The sinful sound of sex on silk.

"What a cute Childe he would make, Jonas! If he desires Eternity so badly... why, there are other ways!"

Jasmine clenched her jaw, but said nothing. Choosing to stare at V and wait.

KS: 4 days ago

(My lack of knowledge about your world is making playing Cindy... interesting XD)

"M-murder...?"

That shook him up a little bit, but Cindy's hiss rattled him more.

"Yes, I was, in a way that wouldn't leave him horrified and running back to his guard dog for protection." She turned back to Jasmine and laughed sharply. (Going to make a stab in the dark and hope that I'm close.) "And what of you, lady Moon? You claim him as your pack? I don't smell your scent on his body, nor do I smell your blood in his veins, and he's certainly still human. I trained him. I nurtured him. My claim far exceeds your own, and added to that..." Her eyes glistened dangerously as she looked back to V. "He owes me a debt. Do you remember, Marcus? Your sister? After you vanished and left your family unable to pay her bills, I went and talked to them. They were heartbroken... you were gone from their reach, and their daughter was slated to die. -My- reputation brought the best doctor money could buy, and -my- purse opened to fund her treatment. She lives now by my hand."

SM: 4 days ago

Jonas hummed, and watched the interaction, even as the blond woman began to observe the wards that had been placed on the door preventing the two vampires and herself from entering the dwelling. She proceeded to blatantly ignore the woman, and even Jonas as she inspected them. Jonas however spoke up, as the woman hissed. He was blunt, but it was part of who he was.

"Fledglings do not learn the control to stop feeding for many years. Most Sire's do not attempt to teach such restraint. Some do. Some feed from the homeless, some from the affluent. Really, it matters very little. There are more than enough to go around."

He waved off the murder like it was nothing, and Jasmine groused a little bit. Then she focused on Cindy, before inclining her head. "I have Claim in that he asked for my Protection, and named me Alpha. He calls me so. I also informed him upon first meeting, and proper ruling of my name, and status. I followed the contracts and the procedures."

When the woman spoke of the sister, she frowned a little bit and glanced at Jonas. It was a debt, aiding kin. Then she focused her attention back on the vampiress. "Reparations can be made to you for your time, money and energy. As well, responsibility can be taken over." Then she blinked and her expression softened.

Attention returned to V, and she looked up at him with warm eyes. "If you wish it, of course. I will--"

"Jasmine Lilian Myers!" The woman's shriek cut through the air. "You used demon runes?!"

The lycanthrope winced, and ducked her head - muttering loud enough to be heard. "They are the only magic I know... Besides, I was gifted enough to be allowed the limited use of them..."

"For a brat of a boy you've know two days!" The blond was furious, this must be the Cate that had been previously mentioned. She glared, her eyes mercurial with her fury. "Are you attempting to give him a greater foothold in your soul?"

Jasmine parted her lips to speak, hesitated and then closed her mouth, looking away. "That is something to discuss at another time, Cate." Her voice carried a growl, and power. Eyes golden as the sun looked back at them.

KS: 4 days ago

That was enough to get V's attention. He trained the gun on Cindy's skull and stared her down through the sights. A single word left his lips in a snarl almost unrecognizable as English.

"Murderer."

She scoffed and shrugged the word off as if it were nothing.

"False. Only humans can murder humans. If I were to kill Jonas, THAT would be murder... but that would be suicide, and to be fair, I'm fair certain he'd beat me in a fight anyways. I'll gladly welcome reparations, in the form of the whelp hiding under that werewolf's shoulder. That human belongs to me, and once he awakens, he'll be thanking me for showing him back to his path. He loved the night, loved the thrill of the hunt. Jonas... would you -really- rather see him join a werewolf than welcomed to our fold? "

SM: 4 days ago

There was cursing from Cate as she continued to inspect the faint blue ward. Jasmine shaking her head some, and she focused for a moment on V. Then she reached a hand out to touch his side, and she spoke softly.

"All those who stand here are murderer's." Including herself.

Then she rolled her shoulders, and popped her knuckles, turning to look at the woman. A feral grin, and her eyes narrowed slightly. "You can fight me for him if you want to demand him so badly..."

Jonas heaved a long suffering sigh, and spoke almost negligently. "Jasmine is of my Kiss, and I her Pack. If the boy joins her, or me he will be family. Only if he joins you will he not be. You have a tenuous claim to the child, but no bond. Nothing concrete. The wolf has a Claim of Pack, as well as the endowment of a name. She is Master of this City."

KS: 4 days ago

V's hand shook slightly, but he kept the gun aimed level.

"But you repent... you regret... You still have a soul."

Cindy balked at that; she'd been caught up trying to catch V that she'd long ago given up trying to stay abreast of who controlled what city she was in; like him, she was rarely there long enough to cause trouble. She swallowed audible and cleared her throat, notably nervous to see that she'd been making demands and accusations of the single most influential Mythos in the city. Seeing that they clearly were in no mood to give ground, she turned back to V.

"Marcus... do you really despise me so, that you would choose a complete stranger over your beloved?"

As a response, he pulled the trigger.

SM: 4 days ago

There was a faint rumbling growl, and she tilted her head some. She nearly waffled on what to tell him and she spoke softly, her voice a gentle croon.

"I regret, I do not repent... and yet I have a soul stepped in evil, V."

Jasmine was old, she was powerful, and she was only well known when she wanted to be. A glance was given to Cindy when the woman balked and she rolled her eyes just slightly - her attention on the vampire was still a mix of curious and amused. Though she was concerned, and angry on behalf of the human she claimed. Or rather, who had claimed her.

The ward glittered like a million glass shards as the bullet passed through. Cate withdrew in a movement faster than sound and was held protectively to Jonas' breast. A surprised cry would escape from Cindy as she was struck. It was more shock and surprise than any real pain, or any real damage. Jasmine flinched from the noise and clamped her hands over her ringing ears.

KS: 4 days ago

The bullet left a neat hole in her skull and exploded into fragments inside her brain. Cindy sighed softly, not a sound of pain... but of surrender. She held a hand under the bullet wound to catch the metal fragments as her body pushed them out and wove her skin back together. Within a minute, she was just like she had been.

"A simple 'no' would have sufficed... Moon, you may keep your pet... and I'll keep this bullet." She looked down at the bloodstained shards and smiled softly before looking up at V. "Someday within the near future, I'll give this bullet back to you, Marcus. I hope for your sake that you're strong enough when that happens."

V lowered the gun and smiled recklessly back to her. Even if it hadn't actually hurt her, simply standing up to the figure of his nightmares for so long felt indescribably good.

"My name isn't Marcus. It's Vincent. Now, run back to your cave so you can cry over a gallon of tomato soup."

She sniffed, more hurt by that than by the bullet, but regained her regal posture before she turned and ignored him like she would have ignored a pet.

"Lady Moon, I think I've spent enough time in your city. Thank you for your hospitality."

SM: 4 days ago

Ears were rubbed and Jasmine whined a little bit. She hated guns, and the bursting of her ear drums were already beginning to heal as she listened to the two of them. There was a small nod to the vampiress as she spoke, and she stared at V with a small smile. Fond.

"I plan on it, Lady Sanguine..."

There was a warmth in her chest, deep within as she looked from V to the vampire once more. A vague inclination of her head and she spoke with a soft shrug. "I will see to it that reparations are made to you, Lady Sanguine. Expect a messenger. The care of his relatives will fall to the Pack now. You aid was appreciated."

And then she waved a hand, dismissive as her attention returned to V. She reached up and touched his cheek with a small grin. It was only after the vampire was gone that Cate coughed and spoke in her furious voice once more.

"Jasmine, let us in."

KS: 4 days ago

(It's a only a 9mm pistol, it wouldn't burst their ear drums :P)

Vincent lowered the still-warm fire arm and turned towards Jasmine. He smiled back and reached a hand up to her face, but was likewise interrupted when Cate's anger ruined the moment. He started to wave her off without even looking at her, but in a new record for catching himself before doing something incredibly stupid, he turned to ask a question instead.

"Forgive me my ignorance, but... what's the problem? Cindy's gone, and we're safe... is there something else that is the matter?"

SM: 4 days ago

(She's a werewolf, enhanced hearing. It's like a small bomb going off near her.)

Jonas seemed bored, but there was an underlying concern in his face. And Cate seemed quite upset. When Jasmine flushed and set about dismantling the ward over the door she was pounced by the busty blond. Hugged tightly to the woman who was crooning and angry. Grey eyes focused on him with a glare. Just as she opened her mouth to yell, Jonas spoke.

"It is not his fault, Cate. Do not lay the blame at his feet." He held up a hand when she went to speak again and pushed the opened door closed after him. He reached out and stroked a hand over Jasmine's hair and spoke to her softly. "Are you well, cub?"

Jasmine grumbled softly and nodded, and then she glanced at Vincent. "Do you remember when I told you the human mind isn't meant for eternity?" She was carefully prying the blond woman from her person, Jonas patiently helping with that. "Well, if a human mind shatters... well, there is very little to do but put the beast down like the mad dog they become..."

KS: 4 days ago

(Yea, but would enhancing her hearing weaken her eardrums? 's just a thought)

"Yea... and that makes sense... but you're very clearly not insane. Even if you were, you'd only be a danger if you were the violent kind of insane. I've know a few clinically insane people, and they made for excellent conversations... at least, some of them did. Why do I get the feeling that there's something nobody's told me yet?"

As Jonas and Cate entered the room, he took a few respectful steps back. A well practiced thumb motion popped the clip loose before he yanked the slide back to eject the bullet. He dry-fired the gun to release the hammer, loaded the bullet back into the clip, and holstered his gun beneath his arm in favor of pulling out his favorite knife. He didn't trust Jonas -or- Cate... mainly due to his neophobia... and thought he had firsthand knowledge that his gun was useless, he had at least half a reason to believe that his knife might be able to do -something.-

SM: 4 days ago

(Yeah, it just heals very quickly after. At least that's my view on it.)

"But I was insane, a very violent, blood thirsty insane. Once." Her lips twitched into a small frown, and she glanced down and away from him for a moment. "Another of my Pack, Micah... he didn't want to kill me. Didn't want Cate or Jonas to do it. So he made a deal. A contract signed with a devil named Mephistopheles."

She looked up at him and allowed golden eyes to meet his. She didn't know quite how to word her next truth, and so Cate spoke up before she could. "She is a slave to a devil demigod. With only the power of a wolf - albeit an ancient one - she used some of the devil begotten power to ward her home. To protect you. It sinks the hooks the devil already has in her deeper."

Jasmine frowned a little as she observed Cate, and she planted her hands on the woman's shoulders and pushed her back some. "Cate, that's enough. Your aggression towards him is ridiculous. I made the choice of my own free will, because I will do all I can to protect those in my care. Using all of my power."

She looked up at him, and then away, sheepish. Her cheeks suffused with pink, her body language ashamed. "I am indeed the servant of a devil. And I am a murderer as you so called your Cindy. My job is to gather those who have entered into a contract with my Lord, and if they have not paid their due to extract it from them. It is only the bindings placed upon me by the arch-devil that keep me from being a slavering beast. And well - one must always pay their dues."

There was a slight bitter twist to her voice, and sadness. Jonas spoke up next. "Does this disgust you, child? You seemed quite disturbed at your Cindy."

KS: 4 days ago

He had to think about that for a moment... until he hit upon a thought that made him laugh. He phrased his next words carefully, letting them roll off his tongue like silver marbles.

"So your job description is to hunt down those who've entered a pact with the devil yet failed to pay their dues. Depending on how you phrase it, you could call yourself a vigilante... hunting down the wicked who thought to abuse the power of demons."

He shrugged again before collapsing onto the couch.

"'Debt and death sound so very similar, and the Orzhov grulls are hard of hearing.' Anyone able to name that quote?" (it's from Magic the Gathering, favored game of nerds! :D)

SM: 3 days ago

She had never looked at it that way. But it was in effect hunting down the wicked. Though she hesitated to mention those few good but misguided fools who sought devils out of desperation, or even twisted love. A small, faint smile touched her lips though and she relaxed. A tension she hadn't been aware of eased as he gave... not his approval, but at least not his condemnation.

"Can't say I know it, but it sounds rather good."

KS: 3 days ago

He laughed before reaching into his pocket to pull out a deck of cards, protected by thin plastic sleeves. He sorted through them to find what he wanted and pulled the relevant card out to show to her.

"This is a card game called Magic, the Gathering, made by the same people who make D&D. My play style of choice is white and black... the Orzhov guild. Masters of life and death, keepers of debt... extortionists... If selling your free will to a demon is what you needed to do to stay sane... and that demon requires you to kill... it is the lesser of two evils. On the streets... you get to be able to read someone in a glance. Some people you can see it in their eyes. They've killed before. Others... you look at them, and you see them bursting at the seams with a barely restrained urge to paint the streets red. You might have killed people in the past, Jasmine, and you probably will kill again in the future, but that doesn't make you a killer."

It sounded almost like he was trying to convince himself more than her, but if that was the case, it was working.

"Tell you what... I'm putting one condition on me staying with you. I'm going to teach you how to build a deck so we can play together." A nod towards Jonas and Cate. "You two could join as well... I can see it now. Shou would be Black Green, the Golgari. You, Jonas... Pure black, Sorin Markov. Cate... hmm... You'd probably go for Blue Red, Izzet... that or pure blue, Jace."

SM: 3 days ago

She watched him remove the cards and she moved closer to him. Settling onto the couch beside him she reached out to take the card he showed her. Eyes flicked over the front and she hummed a little bit. Jonas was murmuring to Cate in the background, and their attention was only diverted once their names were mentioned.

Jonas looked up, frowned thoughtfully and then shook his head. Attention turned to Jasmine as he spoke softly to her. "We must go greet the local Kiss, we shall likely stay the night there. If you have need, you have but to call."

Jasmine glanced up and nodded a little. Watching the vampire and the woman turn to leave. A soft, breathless laugh escaped when Cate turned and rushed her - hugging her tightly and stroking her hair before turning to follow the morose vampire. Once they were gone, she turned her attention back to Vincent.

"Sorry, I didn't get to tell you much about them before they arrived. Jonas and Cate are married. I already told you a little about Jonas, Cate is his consort. She is an incredible sorcereress and has been alive as long as her husband. They saved my life once."

She glanced back at the card, before she looked at him and smiled. "But enough about that, this card game. What is a black green, golgari?"

KS: 3 days ago

He took the card back and shuffled it into his deck with a smile. He shuffled the deck thoroughly, drew seven cards from the top, then re-shuffled... he repeated the actions throughout his explanations, shuffle, seven cards, shuffle.

"There are five elements, five colors in Magic the Gathering. Green is the color of Forests, of Elves and Beasts and the wild parts of Nature. Red is the color of Mountains, of Fire and Goblins and the destruction of a volcano. Blue is the color of Oceans, of sea-dwellers and illusionists, and the subtle misdirection of illusion. White is the color of Plains, of Humans and Angels, and the order of Law and righteousness. Black is the color of swamps, of Vampires and Zombies, and the death that all things meet. Each singular color has a patron mage considered to be the master of that color. Each combination of two colors has a guild devoted to that mix of magic. Black and White, the Orzhov guild, have mixed healing white and murderous black magic to gain eternal life by stealing the youth of others. To them, everything can be bought or sold, but you may not like the price...

Black and Green is the Golgari guild... Patrons of Rot and disease, they specialize with recycling corpses and spreading plague. They represent corruption in all forms... mmm... perhaps not your pick... You'd have an element of Green for sure, but not pure forest. Perhaps Red Green, for the savage and ruthless Grull? Or Green Blue, the crafty Simic Biomancers, capable of twisting and mutating life by altering DNA."

(http://www.wizards.com/magic/quiz/default.aspx?x=mtg/quiz/guild/mainI'm honestly curious what guild you'd get... take the personality quiz they've got? :D)

SM: 3 days ago

Jasmine smiled softly as he spoke of this card game he seemed to enjoy so much. But she nodded just a little and observed the cards he showed her when he did. Her eyes took in the images more than anything, and just flicked over the wording. It was with soft smiles that she would return them. A thoughtful tilt of her head and she parted her lips to speak. Unfortunately, she never got the chance.

"Such a thing is simple." Jasmine tensed, her entire body going rigid as the male voice oozed across the room. It came from behind her and she hadn't heard a step, or a movement. But she could certainly smell him now - even Vincent could. "These odd guilds you speak of. The mutt could only belong to one. These Gruul. Savage. Cruel. Ruthless."

Black fingers carded through her hair and pale skin was glimpsed. The man was grinning, but it was cold as his voice. "Isn't that right, pet?"

KS: 3 days ago

V paused for a moment before he coalesced his cards back into one deck and stashed them back into his coat. He stood up very slowly, cautiously, so he could look the newcomer in the eye.

"I was actually thinking she'd need three colors... Green for the Hunter, Red for Ferocity, and Black for... you. Jund would fit her well. I'd think you would be an acolyte of Markov though... the black of death and demons looks like it would fit you."

His hand stroked the bone hilt of his knife, but he didn't draw it quite yet... if this was what Jasmine referred to as a -higher power- he did NOT want to make him angry by drawing a weapon.

SM: 3 days ago

The man was handsome, strikingly so. In a way different from the vampire of before. His eyes were crimson, and curling from his hair were elegant horns. Long black hair framed his face, and he grinned - flashing fangs as deadly as Jasmine's own. He wore a pinstriped suit and seemed quite comfortable where he was. That was behind Jasmine with black fingers tangled in her hair. It was like his fingers were covered in tar, but they were certainly part of his skin.

Long nails carded through her hair and he observed the male. Then he spoke as he stepped around the couch. Vincent could see that his feet were bare, and a twisting tail flicked behind him. "How... fortuitous. But I suppose I should thank you. You managed in days what I have not managed in years."

He reached out to trail one scalding nail along Vincent's jawline. "You--" His voice was cut off as his wrist was grabbed and Jasmine pulled him back. Lips curled back in a snarl.

"Enough, Mephistopheles. He is off limits."

For a moment he seemed like he would let the disrespect go, but it lasted less than a second before fury overcame him - twisting his face into a hideous mask. Quicker than even Jasmine could see she was struck across the face, her head whipped to the side.

"I see you still need a lesson in manners, mutt." There was an imperious air to his voice as he spoke next, the words holding an almost physical weight. "Kill him."

Jasmine stiffened, and in a crack of light and brimstone the man she called Mephistopheles vanished from between them.

KS: 3 days ago

"Wait, I know you! You're Johnny Depp! How's the chocolate factory doing, Mr. Wonka?"

He got no reply, but his face paled as Mephistopheles handed down an order. He took a firm grip on his knife, though he was hoping against hope that he wouldn't need to see if it would help.

"Jasmine... uh... what happens now...?"

SM: 3 days ago

Jasmine had wide eyes, and seemed to be struggling with something. Her eyes were flickering, golden and blue. Every so often they seemed to shutter and blank, but she struggled against the order that had been given to her. It was a physical presence in her mind, a constant thrumming need to fufill what had been told to her. When he spoke to her her gaze jerked up and focused on him.

Eyes were pure gold, empty of recognition as she stared. There was a flash of blue and she let out a pained keen, as she stumbled back from him a few steps. Tripping over the edge of the table, she struck the ground and the shock was enough to lose her tenuous control.

Vincent got to see her body ripple and twist, the crunch of bones as they were broken and twisted. Leaving a strange shifting mass under her skin. Clothing began to rip and her back arched off the floor with a pained noise. Body seized as the change forced through her system. Fur as black as pitch rippled over her hands and crawled across her body. The whole transformation took less than a minute but it seemed like so much longer.

Her size had increased dramatically, and she was panting for a moment. Recovering from the forced change, blue eyes stared at the ceiling before she rolled onto her side. When she caught sight of him her eyes blanked, golden once more even as she screamed in her mind. Hackles raised, lips curled back revealing fangs that were two and a half inches, and yellowed claws scrabbled at the floor as she launched herself at him with a furious snarl.

KS: 3 days ago

Of course, Vincent had at least a little bit more sense of self preservation than that. The moment she hit the floor, writhing as fur sprouted to cover her skin, he knew exactly what would follow next.

"Well, we're going to get that game of tag that I wanted."

He didn't know that he had a full minute to gain a head start, but he knew that every second counted. He didn't stay to watch, choosing instead to dash out the door in a dead sprint. It took him fifteen seconds to get the fire escape, and another forty five after that to hit the ground. After that, he was running. He was used to running from his fears, but the fact that he knew what was chasing him, knew that he had something very real that would be after him any moment, lent his fear the extra speed it needed to burn at his heels for every step.

"Taxi, Taxi, gotta find a taxi... someone in their car at a red light, anything!"

SM: 3 days ago

Claws ripped up the carpet and dug gouges into the floor as she took off after him. He had a minute head start but she was racing after on all fours. It took seconds for her to reach the fire escape, and less than that to launch herself off it. She hit the ground with a resounding crunch. A snarl of pain, and then she was moving.

As she ran the broken shins and fractured forelegs were healing - not well but enough. She paused a moment to catch his scent, and then she was tearing off after him again. Maw open and tongue lolling. Golden eyes caught sight of him - further than she would have expected. But at least a minute out of her reach, especially with the healing bones.

KS: 3 days ago

Jasmine knew how fast he could run, but what she didn't expect was that he'd been hunted by tracking dogs before, and that one time was enough to convince him that he needed a few tricks in his arsenal. He thought himself moderately ready to escape from tracking dogs, but a lycan? He had no idea if the tricks he knew for dogs would work on them, but he had at least a few curve balls to give.

He needed time, enough time to find a car, hijack it, and get to the freeway, so he reached into a pocket for surprise No. 1. It was a simple thing to stroll into any supermarket and buy a few cans of spray-on deodorant, but giving himself a signature scent would only make it easier to track him. He turned sharp and skidded into an alleyway, needing a closed space for this to work. He holstered his gun before yanking the cap off and snapping the nozzle. Without a block, the pressurized gas spurted out in a torrent as he dropped the can, making a massive cloud of incredibly dense and incredibly potent Lynx brand male scent. Hopefully the agonizingly powerful stench would, at the very least, shake up her sense of smell...

SM: 3 days ago

He was brilliant to think to throw her off in such a way, because the chemicals and the artificial scents made both her nose and eyes burn. A snarl of outrage as she stumbled back out of the cloud when she had reached it and she pawed at her face for a few moments. A pained whine escaped her before she heard the noise of other people on the street.

It took her nearly two minutes before her senses had recovered and the broken bones in her body had healed over fully. Then she was climbing, up along the edge of the wall, claws digging into brick and mortar. Scaling to the roof so she could hunt him from above. But she had lost sight of him due to the cloud, so her tracking slowed - but a part of her couldn't help but thrill in this hunt.

KS: 3 days ago

V had no way of knowing if his little stun had affected her, but he had at least three minutes of sprinting through the allyway to get back to the street. It might have been less than that, but time distorted in odd ways when you're panicked and sprinting. So, he enacted part two of his desperate escape. Jasmine had seen him dart for the subway before, and he did again, dashing down the stone steps. He vaulted the pay terminals, ignoring the shout or chagrin that followed him, but it would be minutes until the next subway arrived, and he didn't have that long. He dashed to the side and found the service steps that led down to the tracks and paused there for a moment.

He shed his coat, but his coat was where he kept his things... he didn't want to lose that yet, and besides, it was his outermost layer, it would have the least amount of his scent on it. He yanked off the T-shirt that he'd had on underneath it, then reached into his coat for the canister of ground cinnamon that he rubbed himself down with after every shower. A sharp twist removed the cap so he could dump all that remained onto the shirt before flinging it down the tracks. If he was lucky, she'd see that his scent "Dissappeared" into the tunnel and assume he'd hopped a tram. He shouldered his coat and zipped it up completely, hoping to keep from spreading more of his scent around, then he was running back up and out the opposite end of the subway station. His stop had taken thirty seconds, all things told, but he was out of ideas. He needed to hijack a car, get to the freeway, and get out of town... he didn't even care if the police caught him, at least in jail he'd be safe behind iron bars. Life in prison for his crimes would be preferable to dying at the hands of a werewolf.

SM: 2 days ago

From the roof she scanned the crowds. Unfortunately for V she didn't see him head into the subway. There were people, moving around on the street and she snarled a little bit to herself. Stalking across the roof top she focused on what she needed to do, what she was ordered to do. A frustrated rumble escaped her as the beast within her, and her own conscious mind fought against the orders that were given.

Mephistopheles infuriated her. The casual disregard for life she treasured caused a vicious struggle within her. The movement of someone running out caught the attention of her instincts and she turned. But there were still too many on the street so she couldn't head down and chase him in plain view. The sun was rising and people were getting ready for work. It was certainly not the opportune time for hunting.

Although she could chase him from above, so she did. Stalking, observing, trying to figure out how to get to her prey without injuring humans. If she gave away her existence to the world - well, that wouldn't be pretty.

KS: 2 days ago

Vincent, on the other hand, was under no such bind of secrecy. His pounding footsteps found their way to a man who was about to step into some sort of expensive luxury sedan. He made a judgement call based on the suit and the car and figured that the man had enough to lose. Mr. Somebody looked up just in time to catch Vincent's shoulder as he slammed him against the car. The keys fell from his hand, but V scooped them up before he could grab them.

"Hey, what the fu-"

He drew his pistol and stared down the barrel for exactly two seconds of perfect silence.

"I need this more than you do. The cops will find it in a few days."

Open door, slide in, hit locks, start engine, shift to drive, burn rubber as he hit the streets. Now he had a choice. He was willing to believe that Jasmine wouldn't attack him in the middle of a crowd... but even in a big city, he'd be alone eventually, he couldn't hide forever. That left running... just like he was good at. He started navigating the early morning streets, staying ahead of the traffic as he headed towards the freeway out of town.

SM: 2 days ago

Her gaze focused intently on the car, and she was tempted to charge down and attack while he was with the human man, but she resisted. The constant struggle in her mind was already wearing on her - especially considering it was rising to the daylight hours and she was wearing her fur. It wasn't uncommon in the older days for her... but this was an uncommon circumstance.

As he raced down the streets she followed from above. Her human mind was not at all pleased she had so much stamina. It ran the risk of her actually catching him. Which she didn't want to do. If she caught him she'd kill him. It brought tears of fury to her human self. The beast as well was whining, upset with the chase she was compelled on. This wasn't right. An Alpha doesn't harm Pack.

KS: 2 days ago

V had thought that he'd picked a road at random, but as he burned rubber towards the city outskirts, he realized something. Instinctually, he'd turned towards home. Not his parents' home, which was two hundred miles in the opposite direction... no, his car was pointed towards his grandfathers' land. An idea hit him then... what would he do? Even if he did escape Jasmine, he had a vampire looking to put a bullet in his skull, and something told him that shaking Jasmine from his boots wasn't something he'd be able to accomplish. At most, he'd be able to pick the place he died.

Choosing out his grave site... His grandfathers' land... He shifted slightly, and the bone handle of his knife prodded him in the ribs, pushing the gears of his mind forwards. Werewolves, Vampires, Sorcery, Demons... if such magics could exist, who was to say that a more ancient kind of power didn't? It would take him twenty minutes to make it to the fence line... and that was as far as he was going to run. His white knuckles gripped the wheel furiously as he rolled out of town just barely in check with the speed limit. The practical part of his mind told him that an old knife and a barbed wire fence wouldn't change his fate, but if he had to die, he would draw his last breath from home. Twenty minutes... then this was coming to an end.

SM: 2 days ago

She raced along rooftops, and when she saw him at the edge and she had run out of space to run along. She launched herself from the roof, hitting the ground with a crunch and a snarl. It took her only a moment before bones were mending once more and she was racing along the side of the road. He had a head start on her, but she could see him, could keep pace at least.

To the casual passerby she looked like a very large, very fast dog - it was something she thanked the deities for. Because if she had fulfill the orders of an ArchDevil he could damn well make sure she didn't bring mortal attention any more than she already had.

The speed within the speed limit wasn't enough to put a huge strain on her, so she could keep pace without exhausting herself. Though it would have taken longer than twenty minutes to do so - she had no idea how far or how long she would be pursuing him. It was a drive, a force that she couldn't ignore. It superseded the need for food, for water, for anything else.

KS: 2 days ago

He could feel her. He could feel her with his soul calling out to the alpha he knew was nearby. He could feel her with his gut, with the certainty of prey that was being tracked. One he was out of the city limits, on highways rarely patrolled by police, he hammered down the gas, hitting 95 on the straights. He made it there in fifteen minutes, without crashing, and though he'd need another five to get to the gate, he settled for slamming the brakes and getting out to jump the fence.

He'd always felt good coming home. Even when he was young, he still referred to this land as home, because that's what it was. His grandfathers' grandfathers' had immigrated to this country nearly two hundred years ago, and from the moment they stepped off the docks, this land had been theirs. Passed down from firstborn to firstborn, many of his line had been born here, and almost all of them had managed to return to die here. It was an ownership that ran in his blood, his bones, and whenever he came home, he was sure that he could feel his grandfather watching him with a smile.

He strode far enough in that the fence was no longer visible, then he knelt on the ground. His gun, he unholstered, setting it to the ground. It would not help. He didn't want the help a firearm could provide. Instead, he took his knife and planted it blade first in the rich soil. His favorite knife... hand made by his father.

The blade was a family heirloom, a bayonet from a WWII rifle that had protected their freedom. His great grandfather was crippled from the war, but he made it home alive. "Great grandfather, your bayonet drank deep of the blood of those who would destroy our country and poison our freedom. You were a soldier, a warrior with unparalleled courage. I am hunted, and my blood will flow to feed our land, just as your blood flowed to protect it. Blood of the earth, returned to its home. Let me not die a coward."

He barely knew the words that he spoke, but the words resounded in him. As he finished the improvised intonation, he felt a peace settle over him. His shoulders straightened, and the nervous quivering left his hands.

The hilt was a Deer's antler, wickedly sharp on the point. It was the last deer his grandfather hunted before he passed away. "Grandfather, you hunted these lands for food. Where others hunt for fun, you consumed every animal that died by your hands. You took from the land until you gave your body back to it. Bones of the land, borrowed and returned. Let me not die without shedding my hunter's blood."

They were words, empty whispers to the air, but they were more than that. He knew nothing of magic. He knew nothing of power. All he knew was that he had been hunted for years, by the police, but Cindy, and now by Jasmine. He would die on the ancestral land, like his ancestors did before him. But he would not die a coward, fleeing his fate. He would not die a weakling, begging on his knees.

His coat was filled with tricks and traps, gadgets and memories and things that he loved and cherished. He removed his coat and folded it neatly, then set the gun atop it. Then he took his knife in his hand and waited.

SM: 2 days ago

Jasmine reached the edge of the land, and she took a moment to sniff around the car. Then she jumped the fence. She had stopped running, and stalked now. Approaching the place where his scent was strongest. Then she saw him.

She made no attempt to rush to him, instead she began to pace a circle around him. Watching and observing. Occasional soft whines escaped her, and a few snarls as well. There was a violent shake of her head as she struggled against the orders given to her. The large lycan was nearly five foot at the shoulder, and when she rose up onto her hind paws she snarled to him.

Ears pricked and her tail flicked left then right. There was a ruff of fur around her shoulders, puffing out slightly as she stared at him. Once she stood on her hind paws she was nearly nine and a half feet tall. Maw parted, and she snarled. Then she stalked towards him, slowly closing the distance between the two.

Once there was only four or five feet between them, she launched towards him.

KS: 2 days ago

He watched her approach with hard eyes and didn't back up a single inch. The terror of being hunted burned through his veins, but he controlled it, used it to fuel his awareness.

"So this is how it ends, you miserable mutt? I could have lived a good life with Cindy. Yea, I'd have been her pet, but I think I'd still have enjoyed my life. Even as a vampire, even as a murderer, I could have worked to make reparations, could have made something useful out of myself. But no... I chose you. I chose my Alpha, because I liked you, respected you... I wanted to be the reason you got up every morning, and I wanted to be there when you go to sleep, but now look at you! A good little lapdog, running to obey her master's order." Ten feet between them. He remained in a low crouch, feet sunk in the earth. He knew that she didn't want this, but he was furious, and right now, she made an excellent target for that fury.

"Are you proud of what you've become? Are you happy that this happened? From the way Jonas and Cate were actin, you using demonic magic in the runes only further damned you, trapped you in his power. Are you really that weak? That helpless? So useless and incapable of action that you can't even fight one vampire on equal terms, in your own city?" Eight feet now, and he was working himself into a blood rage, all but screaming the words at her.

"AND NOW LOOK AT YOU! YOU'RE PATHETIC. TOO WEAK TO THINK FOR YOURSELF, TOO SOFT TO DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE! LET ME SEE THE RED OF YOUR MAW AND THE WHITE OF YOUR FANGS." Six feet, and his voice calmed to ice cold derision.

"Everybody owes, and everybody pays." He moved to charge half a second after she did, but where she gave a flying leap, he dropped low and slid on his knees, stabbing blindly upwards as he did.

SM: 2 days ago

His words pierced her, cut deeper than any wound could, and she gave a mental scream. She did not want this. Did not want to hurt, to be an object of murder. Not again, not against someone who was not innocent, but someone who was Pack.

Muscles twitched and she was sliced from sternum to hip. She landed with a snarl, blood dripped and soaked into her fur as she touched it for a moment. The wound was inspected, before she focused back on him. Lips curled as she launched at him again. Claws ripped through the ground, and she hit him like a freight train.

Claws pressed to his skin, but didn't break through. Fangs pressed to his cheek, then down along his neck. Her breath was hot, and there was a reek of old blood. Cold nose dragged against skin and the growl rose - rumbled and vibrated through her body. Eyes were glinting, flickering between golden and blue. There was a shine of shadows inching across her eyes, and through her fur came a glow.

The scent of burning fur and the thick coppery scent of blood filled the air. The wound he had given her was healing, slowly. But new blood was falling, new wounds were opening up. The scent of brimstone clung to her fur and gleaming circles of runes began to glow brightly. Burning through her flesh and bringing fresh blood to the fore.

She fought the orders given to her so hard she was causing damage to herself. He was getting splattered by her blood as a collar of runs began to restrict her airflow. The heavy wheezing of her breath was punctuated only by her intermittent whines and snarls. All of this took only thirty seconds. A furious shake of her head, and then her fangs flashed out.

Faster than a snake-bite she sank her teeth into his shoulder. Once that was done she jerked back, released him and scrambled away from him. Heavy pants and she shook her head violently while she watched him. The bite she had given him would burn hot.

KS: 2 days ago

He stared up into her eyes, brown into gold. Her weight was heavy on him, almost enough to crack his bones from the force, but he still struggled through a movement. Her blood stained his knife, and on a curious whim, he brought the blade to his lips and licked. It was hot and salty, but full of vitality... the strength of a wolf. Blood for blood.

"Go ahead Jasmine... we both know how it ends... and besides, I'd rather me go than you."

He planted his dagger back into the earth and leaned forwards to give her a lick on her nose. She fought her shackles, fought enough that old runes burned through her flesh to scorch her fur and pour her blood down to him. He smiled calmly, serenely, then he felt her teeth in his shoulder. Muscles and skin tore, punctured by sharp fangs, pouring burning agony through his veins. He shrieked his pain to the sky, gasping for breath as he agonized over the end...

an end that did not come. She scrambled back, leaving him bleeding on the floor. His throat burned like fire, fire that was matched in his shoulder. He had a brief moment to wonder what would happen next before pain became the sole focus of his existence. Suffering encompassed him as it felt like fire spread through his blood. Then his vision faded and everything went black.