A hybrid comes to have the blood of one. (Male needed, vampire/werewolf hybrid 1x1)

[TieMeTightly]

(Read all below, then message me if interested.)

A few years ago, anyone visiting would have thought that this old town was like any other town. Hell, even now people didn't see what was right under their noses, or against their necks. It wasn't like vampires were the only thing around. Hell at the rate they were going she wouldn't be surprised to see fairies the size of someone's palm of their hand flying around without the aid of absinthe for the hallucination, though she hadn't seen that yet.

She had seen people get killed, and she'd seen them be fed upon in such a way that she was certain both women and men alike were so sexually aroused by the feeding that they begged for more even as their last breath left their bodies. And yet there was guilt as she tried to figure out a way to perhaps downsize the population of vampires. It wasn't like in the movies. There wasn't a designated slayer that came in to save the day. There were normal townspeople who had no idea what was happening and if they did they were far too interested in either staying under the radar or getting themselves noticed. Hell, she'd even heard that there were underground clubs where 'mortals' would go to be fed on. If they didn't come out the next day,..it was on them.

It was terrifying to her. At every turn she found herself looking at people, trying to figure out what they were. She tended to move out during the day, deciding that they wouldn't be out any time but during the hours when the sun wasn't in the sky.

Of course she was wrong. Some of them could walk in the daylight and she just didn't know it yet. There were always witches that could so easily cast a spell on a piece of jewelry that, if worn, would allow a nightwalker to be out in the sun. Hell, there was a lot that she didn't know about, but if she suspected people to be bloodsuckers during all hours of the day it would most likely lead to a more sheltered life.

New people were coming into town every day. It was a historic little place and no one ever question buses and hoards of newcomers wanting to see all the historic sites and massive mansions in the place. It was frustrating and humbling, really. She was able to live out a normal life of some sort while still being aware of everything that went on in the town.

And like a good little knowledgable person, she had her choice of weaponry. Due to some superstition she wore a cross around her neck at all times, having no idea that that wouldn't help her in the slightest if someone was on a path to biting her. It wasn't like she knew anything, she just went on movies and television shows. And honestly seeing what she was was all some sort of unhappy accident anyway.

Being a little beyond tipsy when she first saw someone being bit she figured that they were just necking in the alley behind the bar she was at. It only became unnerving when she could see the colour drain from the girl's face though luckily the vampire had been less than aware that she had been there and didn't attack.

It was after that that she began noticing things. These 'people' were cold unless they ate. She couldn't place it before, but now every time she felt a chill coming off of someone she was suspicious and would distance herself immediately from them.

Tonight was no different.

She tried to stay in mostly during the week at night, but tonight was different. She was literally being dragged out by one of her best friends to the local bar with her lovely fake ID. It was funny, really. Everyone in the town knew that they were underage, but as they really didn't do anything too disruptive, she found that no one really cared that they used fake ID's to get drinks. Plus, it was always fun to ogle any new men who came into town.

She dressed like anyone her age. Wearing flats in the warm weather with a short denim skirt that showed off her legs and a simple tank top. It wasn't really that kind of town. People didn't really dress like they were trying to offer up their bodies and she felt no reason to. Anyone who did offer themselves up usually ended up in the missing persons ad.

The girl walked into the bar with her friend, a tall blonde who looked like she was a cheerleader in high school, definitely part of the popular crowd while she, Emma, had more of an understated beauty about her. She didn't have to try very hard,..did not wear very much makeup. There was just a way about her that tended to make even her wonderful friend jealous of her.

Emma stood at around 5'4'' with big blue eyes and brown hair that fell to about mid-back. She would rather wear it up and out of her face, but was convinced tonight that she would be better off wearing it down, the persuasion leaving her almost anxiously running her fingers through her hair at every turn.

"I'll get us some drinks."

With a grin, Emma moved easily toward the bar, opting for a simple lemonade and vodka, putting the money down for two before turning on her heel and starting back over to her friend.

There was a slight step down from where the bar was to the seating and the rest of the people, and that quickly Emma managed to trip. She would have landed directly on her face had it not been for someone catching her, actually even managing to save the drinks from spilling more than a few drops.

One arm was around her waist, his free hand clutching her arm and of course, Emma was immediately suspicious.

Where did he come from..

The thought almost echoed in her head as she took a sweep around the bar before looking up, forcing a smile.

"I'm so sorry. I wish I could say that I'm usually not this clumsy but I am..Thank you."

She didn't even make eye contact with him, for some reason doing her best to avoid him all together before shifting uncomfortably to pull herself from his grasp, making her way back to her friend who had a ridiculous grin on her face, Emma dropping into her seat with a groan.

"Emma. What just happened!"

She was staring at the drinks for a few moments, rolling her shoulders into a shrug. "He wasn't cold.." It was like she thought because of how easily he had caught her that he had to have anticipated it. And to anticipate it, he had to be a vampire. But he wasn't cold.

"Of course he wasn't cold! He was hot! Look at him, no really…he was. You should go buy him a drink and I don't know apologize for being such a weirdo or something."

Emma looked up then, pressing her palm to her forehead and actually laughing in response. No…he couldn't be a vampire. They were freezing. And he was hot..literally..warm to the touch. It was slightly off-putting. And not to mention she had been so caught up in thinking that he was a vampire that she didn't even look up to see him. That was rude..

"If you don't want him…I'm pretty sure he's making eyes at me right now so I could just..go over there…"

"No way. It's too embarrassing for either of us to go over there.." Despite her words, Emma couldn't help but turn her head, looking over in the general direction of the stranger who had saved her from making a fool of herself…and of course possibly hurting herself. She hadn't seen his face before now, though her eyes had been focused on his shirt as he steadied her. There was something about him, something that almost drew her to him - and it was a bit terrifying to her. There was a glint in his eye that she hadn't seen before in a long time, a sort of danger that seemed to only make her more interested.

She was torn away only when she heard Charlotte's voice.

"Earth to Emma…you're going to burn a hole in his face if you keep staring like that. Would you please drink something? I'd hate to be drunk before you…especially because you're a one drink wonder."

Emma lifted her glass, smiling as they 'clinked' together. "Bottoms up."

-

The one drink wonder had more than one drink. By the end of the night, Charlotte was hanging all over some guy she didn't even know, retreating to Emma's side only to tell her that she was going home with him, verbally making sure that Emma was okay to get home. When she confirmed it, Charlotte went on her merry way, seeming to be thrilled with her new conquest.

Shaking her head somewhat, Emma finished the last of her drink and shuffled toward the door, glancing around for the mysterious man she had run into before stepping out into the warm summer air.

Having sworn she wouldn't drive, Emma rounded the corner past the bar, her fingers playing with the cross around her neck as she started her walk home, unable to stop herself from swaying, and nearly falling over a couple of times. It was going to be a long walk.

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(So! What I am looking for is someone to play said mysterious character that Emma has now sworn up and down isn't a vampire because he wasn't 'cold'. What he issssss…is a hybrid. Part Vampire, part Werewolf. Super old and able to not transform into a wolf at the full moon due to the fact that he's a vampire as well. Super sexy, super badass. I want him to get under her skin a little bit before she realizes that he is a vampire. I also want him to be dangerous, part of the appeal to her, but deadly. As in…not really afraid to kill anybody in the town that gets in his way. Maybe we can discuss some sort of bigger plot that this is all for, maybe she is part of a plan..perhaps something about her blood line is special, etc. Contact me if you're interested. This could be a fun one. Poor thing thinks she's tough enough to kill vampires, but what happens when one falls into her lap? Er…when she falls into ones' lap.)

 

[TieMeTightly]

(Bibbity Bobbity Bump!)

 

[No_such_thing]

It was her, she was the one. He knew it, he didn't know why she was important, he would never gain access to that kind of information. Not peacefully anyway. It had cost him enough to find out where she would be, anything more might have started a war.

As it was Mikhael was dead, so was Erin, the guards did not appreciate thieves in the archives. He flexed his fingers ruefully, he could still feel the jolt, the stake that had ended the archivist's life. He wasn't the first, and he wouldn't be the last.

_______________________________________________

The man collapsed, shock on his face as the other four walked in behind him. Dimitri left him on the floor, you could never tell with the ancients, they seemed notoriously hard to put down. Well, he smiled slightly to himself, I am at any rate. "Come on we gotta get a move on."

Erin was edgy, the moon was near full and she was feeling it, only a few nights away from full change. Henry turned his dark eyes on her, his deep mellifluous voice splitting the silence, "patience young one, patience."

His calm voice had a relaxing effect on her, but even he looked uncomfortable, a far remove from his usual serenity. They were all on edge, the vast halls were unusually silent and the body on the floor, face locked in a rictus of pain, didn't help.

Dimitri spoke, motioning them forwards. "Come."

_____________________________________________

Maybe he shouldn't have caught her so well, she'd seemed suspicious, hopefully his body temperature would have dissuaded her of any doubts. He raised an eyebrow as she made her way back to her seat. He hadn't quite expected this. He'd caught himself examining her for a fraction longer than he'd intended, she wasn't... classically beautiful. But she was undeniably attractive, almost understated.

He could hear her friend, "Of course he wasn't cold! He was hot! Look at him, no really…he was. You should go buy him a drink and I don't know apologize for being such a weirdo or something."

"If you don't want him…I'm pretty sure he's making eyes at me right now so I could just..go over there…"

He almost couldn't help but roll his eyes. He'd hardly been making eyes, although perhaps he should distance himself a little. He could still listen in a little. His sense were keener than any human's, keener than any Vampires, a handy throw over from his Werewolf ancestry.

_____________________________________________

Erin cried out as the point of a sword grew from her back. The weapon was withdrawn and then with a swish of displaced air, the silver sword took her head from her shoulders. There was a roar of rage and Henry ripped the man limb from limb before spinning and tossing him into one of his colleagues. The second guard was caught off balance and stumbled, before Mikhael crashed into him and both smashed through the windows of the records vault. Dimitri winced, even an ancient would have trouble surviving a fall like that, a Vampire as young as Mikhael would have been crippled. Perhaps not fatally though, but even as he leaned out to take a look he saw the guards flooding in, he was gone.

"Henry, leave it. He's gone." Henry was old as well, almost as old as Dimitri himself, but he'd managed to keep on the right side of the council, up until now. "Sean leave it, we're going."

The youngest of the group looked up, then dropped the recently separated head, wiping his own sword on the bodies uniform. "I'm ready."

_____________________________________________

Ah, she was leaving, he finished his drink, throwing back the bitter liquid, still, appearance were important. He gave her a few minutes before he stepped out to follow her, taking careful note of the vampire who had left seconds afterwards, hunger in his eyes. Thrusting his hands into his pockets, he set off at a brisk walk. This could get very interesting...

 

[TieMeTightly]

It wasn't like the bar was far from her home. She could have driven the distance but it was more than annoying to have to leave your car there and then go back and get it the next day. So instead she had walked. And really wasn't surprised when Charlotte had left her there to finish her drink though she was nearly pouting as she left the bar.

Her fingers unceremoniously worked the touch screen on her cell phone, actually pausing in frustration as she couldn't get the words to appear on the screen as she saw them in her mind.

"Stupid.."

Of course it was the fault of the phone and not her own for being intoxicated. Emma's head raised slowly as she heard something behind her, turning immediately to look over her shoulder as though to figure out what it was. The sound alone seemed to sober her enough to realize that something was out of place.

She saw him then - a man rounding the corner, and it was enough for her to take off. One thing that had been helpful in high school was that she was a runner. At least she had that on her side. It was a small town, yes. But even if he wasn't a vampire, it wasn't like bad things never happened with only mortals around.

Emma turned the corner and would have sworn that she had managed to outrun him, glancing back over her shoulder to see no one following her though she didn't slow her stride. When she turned to face front again she was met with a hard body, literally colliding with it, cold hands grasping her arms to steady her.

"It's really better when you run. Gets the blood pumping…God I can smell it..your blood. There's something different about it.."

For a moment she was too stunned to do anything, but as soon as she realized what he was saying she pushed herself back, slamming the heel of her hand upward against his nose. She swore she heard a crack but it just made the man in front of her grin, the sound coming from her,..not him. The pain was almost instant, delaying maybe a second, the bones in her wrist having cracked on impact, like she had tried to hit stone, not something shaped like a human.

It caused her to groan, taking a slight step backward as she cradled her hand, but his amusement with her seemed to be fading quickly.

"Are we done? I think you've hurt yourself enough for one night."

It was if he was speaking to a child throwing a tantrum, her own words surprising her.

"Not quite.."

Emma recoiled and turned, taking off in the other direction. This time, however - she didn't get very far. Her foot caught on something on the pavement and where before she might have put her palms out to soften the fall, one was already bruised and swelling from her attempted attack, and the other didn't do much to help her. She landed mostly on her hands anyway, but the fall caused her head to smack against the pavement with force enough that she wasn't sure she'd be able to get up, briefly letting her eyes shut and mostly praying that the vampire that was after her would give up.

Clumsiness and drunkenness were apparently not the best things together.

It was really only a minute or two, hearing footsteps, the sound actually causing her to panic…but she wasn't dead - and that was a good sign. Emma struggled to lift her head first and then her body, unable to stop from crying out as she tried to put her weight on her hand. At least she could use the excuse that she fell and that was how she broke it - though her focus shifted quickly to the footsteps that she had heard approaching, decided that they were more important to avoid.

 

[No_such_thing]

He heard the sounds of a struggle ahead, quickening his pace. Dimitri could hear the other vampire’s excited voice now, shortly followed by the crack of breaking bone. Dimitri had stopped, just around the corner. The other vampire wouldn’t notice, too caught up in the fun of the kill. He was young, cavalier, caught up in the power of his bloodline Although she’d reacted quite bravely, obviously trying to punch him, before running. He could smell the fear in her, and the excitement of the vampire was evident.

Although perhaps now was the time to step in. She was struggling to get up, the vampire stooping over her. Long black coat, slicked back hair… Amateur. So full of himself and the theatricalities of being a vampire he’d even died his hair black. His fangs extended, with a deceptively small, but impossibly menacing sound. He raised an eyebrow, he was going to do it here? In the street? Anyone could walk past and see. Now was definitely time to intervene.

Dimitri walked forward’s slowly, footsteps almost completely silent. The vampire looked up, to him Dimitri would just look like a normal human, he certainly wouldn’t smell of vampire, and werewolves tended to avoid the town. There was a large population of vampires here, any werewolves passing through either did so quickly or in large packs, the relationships between the secret peoples of the world were always strained, one of the reasons Dimitri’s own existence was so unusual.

“I’d leave this if I were you, it’s nothing to do with you.”

He made to go back to his meal, obviously expecting me to leave, people didn’t care much in this town. But I did, and he looked up again, annoyance on his face.

“Do I need to tell you again, what’s your problem?”

Dimitri stretched his arms out, shrugged, but the vampire’s eyes were on the stubby stake in his right hand. The vampire snarled, dropping the girls head. Dimitri winced as it hit the pavement with a crack. The vampire stood up, wary, but still confident. Then, he was gone, moving faster than any human could. A fierce blow struck Dimitri in the stomach, folding him up, then a thunderous uppercut knocked him back onto the pavement. The vampire appeared above him, hands on his throat. Thinking him near unconscious. He glared down at him.

“I told you to stay out of it.”

Then he realised that Dimitri’s face was unmarked by the blow that should have knocked a human unconsciousness. Some sort of realisation dawned in his eyes.

“But you’re… warm…”

Then Dimitri forced the stake into his chest. The vampire died, puzzlement still confusing his features. He rolled the body off his chest, standing and lifting the dazed girl into his arms.

 

[TieMeTightly]

Fuck..fuck fuck fuck.

The word echoed in her head as she felt cold fingers upon her, lifting her head off of the pavement only to drop it seconds later. She didn't have the strength at the moment to keep her head off of the ground, instead hearing the contact of head against cement before actually feeling the effects.

Again her vision darkened and this time she allowed it, not even attempting to open her eyes until again she felt hands upon her. It was a sharp contrast to the vampire she had tried to best, and couldn't quite help herself but curl against his chest as he lifted her, actually allowing herself to curl somewhat in his arms.

God her head hurt. It throbbed and made her dizzy, her eyes closing in an attempt to keep her wits about her. The throbbing on her head equally matched that of her wrist and she couldn't help but open her eyes to inspect it as though more concerned with the swelling discolored skin than the fact that someone was carrying her.

It dawned on her after a few seconds that she was being carried by someone and couldn't help but frown when she saw the man from the bar. "There was a man." Already the events were foggy in her mind, her voice trembling slightly as she lifted her hand toward her head, fingers easily feeling blood on her forehead from the fall. Upon further inspection her hands and forearms looked just as disgusting.

"Charlotte went off with some guy…and this is what happens..wait..who are you?"

The concern was back - albeit briefly, groaning and pressing her forehead against his chest, letting her eyes shut.

"Know what just..you can tell me after my head stops pounding.."

Despite the situation there was definitely an air of sarcasm lingering in her voice. She felt more like she'd gotten hit by a truck than anything, and found a strange comfort in the fact that she had been lifted from the street even though she didn't even know who the man was who had done the lifting.

 

[No_such_thing]

Ah, he hadn’t thought she’d have regained her senses quite so soon. Still, at least she hadn’t seen what had happened, she wouldn’t know quite what had happened, only that someone had saved her. He felt her curl up in his arms, almost nuzzling against his chest. He cradled her, protectively, tightening his arms around her, feeling her cool skin against his own.

“Know what just… you can tell me after my head stops pounding…”

He smiled at the hint of sarcasm in her tone, the situation she’d just escaped from and she still had the energy for sarcasm. She was resilient to say the least, with a bit of an attitude it seemed. The fact that she could still show that was almost remarkable in itself, but her scent was heady, intoxicating, even by normal vampire standards. He couldn’t help but breathe it in, and to resist it was one of the hardest things he’d ever done.
_______________________________________________________

She didn’t scream, didn’t struggle, her eyelids were heavy and she seemed on the edge of sleep, drugged by slumber. She laid her head back, offering her neck to him. To not tear into her instantly, to savour the moment, his first drink, that was the true challenge. He gently lowered his head, his lips just touching her neck. She shuddered in exquisite pleasure, her lids fluttered and he sank his fangs into her carotid artery.
_________________________________________________________

He looked up at the hospital, she should be safe here, Vampires stayed away from hospitals, people noticed corpses that had been drained of blood. The doors hissed and slid open, the smell of death flooded out, he stopped, his jaw tensing. He could smell it, the pain, the disease and suffering. It was like a disease in itself, a cesspit of human pain. He shook his head to himself, turned and walked back out of the white lobby.
______________________________________________________

Her eyelashes fluttered, her eyes rolling back in the drugged state induced by his bite. He could feel the hot, metallic liquid spilling into his mouth, sating a thirst no ocean could ever quench. He could feel her weakening, her life force being drained from her, rejuvenating him, enervating him. The colour drained from her skin, and as it did he found he couldn’t stop, he kept drinking, he had to have every last drop, an addiction.
___________________________________________________________

He’d set it himself, splinting it and wrapping it in bandage from a first aid kit from the corner shop. As long as she didn’t get in anymore fights anytime soon she should be fine. The wrist was bruised and swollen, but the bone wasn’t so damaged that it needed any trained medical attention, Dimitri had enough to get by with humans, he didn’t exactly need much for himself. He’d already checked her pockets, discarding the obviously fake ID, he found another one in her purse, complete with name and address. He memorised it, before replacing the contents of her purse exactly as he found them.

He’d got in without incident, laying her down on her bed before leaving. He’d keep an eye on the house, but he doubted anyone would bother her. She was safe for now. Even from him. He took one last breath of that scent and almost had to physically restrain himself. There was something deliciously new and exciting about her. It was intriguing, he could see what highlighted her importance, but why she was important was still a mystery. He took one last look, then padded silently from the room, he’d keep an eye on her, but he wanted to see what would happen before he made a move.

 

[TieMeTightly]

Emma was nearly unconscious by the time he'd walk to the hospital, putting up no resistance, the cut on her head causing blood to drip down her temple but it seemed to be clotting and was more of a non-issue than the rest of her body which seemed to be an equal mess of pain.

In the state she was in, she found herself wincing as his fingers worked to set her wrist, unable to stop the whimper from escaping, though upon a weak attempt to actually move it and prove that it worked she couldn't help but to be somewhat happy that she wouldn't have to go to the hospital at some point. She even managed to mutter some slurred question along the lines of, "What are you, some kind of super doctor?"

By the time he had moved her to her home and set her down in her bed she had slipped out of her dim consciousness, her newly dubbed 'bad wrist' draped across her stomach as her other hand tucked itself beneath the pillow, drawing her legs upward only slightly. She didn't seem phased by the fact that someone she didn't know had just brought her home, the fogginess of the events of the evening seeming to thicken.

-

By the time Emma awoke everything hurt. The sun was piercing through her curtains, creating a brightness in a streak across her bed that had managed to catch her directly in the eye, causing a groan of frustration that the sun would be so rude as to wake her up.

Of course, that wasn't the only thing. Her phone had 7 missed calls, and 20 text messages - most of them from Charlotte. Sitting up slowly, Emma placed her finger on the screen, squinting and shutting one eye in an attempt to see properly.

"What the heck happened? I heard you got mugged last night and some guy brought you back to your house?! Details!"

Emma's fingers moved sluggishly as she tried to recall the event, dropping the phone onto the bed after typing and sending the message.

-I don't remember anything after the bar.-

The pain in her body was enough to tell her that she wasn't in the best of shape at the moment, but the full length mirror confirmed it. Head to toe she had some sort of cut. First she inspected her head, touching the cut carefully, getting a flash of her head smacking against the pavement, but not exactly how it happened. Her palms were also scraped, as were her forearms and knees. And not to mention the fact that her wrist was bandaged. It was somewhat frightening to not even know who had brought her into her house, knowing that they would have had to dig out her house keys and let themselves in. At least they didn't stay. Maybe she had offered them money for their help.

She easily stepped out of the clothes that she was in from last night, turning on the shower and stepping in. Each cut was almost meticulously scrubbed, taking more care with that than anything else, and when she stepped out she bandaged her hands and arms, placing a thick bandaid on the side of her forehead - taking a step back to examine herself in the mirror. "Well that's just lovely."

Emma pulled on a short pair of denim shorts, slipping into her flats before pulling a simple t-shirt over her tank top. She tucked her hair behind her ear, grabbing her phone off of the bed before walking down the stairs and out of her house, shutting the front door behind her.

"Charlotte I'm fine. Listen I'm on my to the Library now. I don't really want to talk about it because I don't know what happened. Well you left me there so it's not like I meant to have someone attack me on the way home." Emma seemed to be getting more frustrated with the conversation, rubbing her temple with her free hand, her 'bad hand'. "I love you too..but you're killing me here. I just have to look up a few things and then I'll come over to the bar and we can get something to eat. Fine. Okay."

She would have made her way to the library if she really wanted to, but Emma was already on her way back to the bar, having a need for a little investigation.

As the bar door opened she moved immediately to the bar, unable to stop herself from lighting up, having known him from high school. Locals seemed to stay locals.

"So…I hear you got mugged last night."

Emma shifted uncomfortably before nodding, though the fact that she had bandages everywhere was enough to turn his stomach.

"Look Jake..I just need you to keep a look out okay? I'm going to just go..sit over there and try to I don't know. Retrace my steps I guess..if you remember seeing anyone suspicious..or…I don't even know…maybe see if the security tapes caught anything?"

Jake nodded in response and Emma smiled briefly before turning and moving to the same table she sat at last night, scanning the bar cautiously. Most people would have stayed away from the place but..it was day time, so she figured it was the safest time of day to figure out what happened, and who her mystery savior was.

 

[No_such_thing]

Dimitri narrowed his eyes as he stepped out, the glare of the sun striking his face. He grimaced, while he didn’t have the same vulnerability that most vampires did, but he still had the instinctive fear bred into the nightwalkers over the millennia. He looked around, the town was completely different in the day, unsurprisingly. The streets were fairly quiet, but not like the shadowed deadness they had been the previous night, a few people making their way to work.

He took the opportunity to look around town, wandering along the cracked pavements in the direct sunlight, revelling in the freedom of the day. The main street was broad and lined with trees, a few shops and department stores just opening up, staff clearing mannequins out of the window, the odd early riser basking on the benches outside.

They really were oblivious to what was really going on in the town, they just went about their happy, peaceful, pointless lives. Unaware of the cold-blooded killers living among them. Not that no one knew, the clubs made a pretty penny out of the junkies, vampires paying to drink from willing victims and humans paying even more for the privilege. The high of being drained was greater than any drug could produce and the risks involved only made it more exciting for them.

He was at the door of one now, a discreet basement entrance, sunk into the wall, steps leading down. He knocked, entered, daywalking vampires were not unheard of, some talismans could offer protection from the sun’s rays. The club was opulently furnished, leather seats, gold cutlery, it was not exactly tasteless, but nor did it reek of style. There were a few vampires there, some essentially lived in the clubs. There was a groan of pleasure, and Dimitri looked over to see an overweight vampire leaning back against his chair, a human woman on her knees in front of him, his hands entwined in her hair. His lip curled in distaste, every club seemed to employ a few prostitutes, one’s who lived only for the rush of the bite, but club owners tended to look after them, they made them money after all and were always a fall back if the human intake dropped. Of course that meant that some vampires would pay for favours other than just blood. It was crude, they should be better than that.
_____________________________________________________________

Sated, he left, the girl he’d fed from was already too out of it to notice the difference between him and any other vampire, not that she’d remember much after the rush of the bite. He’d made sure to avoid the other vampires as well, dealing only with one woman when he handed over the money, knowing the stench of the club would mask his scent sufficiently, for a vampire’s senses anyway.

The bar he’d been at last night was fairly empty, a few old men and one or two couples sat around, picking at the toasties and sandwiches on offer. Then she walked in, talking to the bartender for a moment she went back to the table her and her friend had been at last night. Dimitri studiously ignored her, sat in the corner over an untouched coffee. Retrace her steps? She must’ve hit her head harder than he’d thought.

 

[TieMeTightly]

Her head hurt, and the aspirin that she had taken didn't seem to be doing the trick. Slender fingers traced over her wrapped wrist actually allowing her eyes to shut as she tried to remember everything that happened the night before. She could so easily remember the bar, but after that it was foggy. Not gone, just not entirely pieced together. She didn't believe for a second that there was a mugger. Sure, things like that happened in this town but she would have been at a police station the rest of the night, not curled up in her own bed.

Something made her open her eyes - some memory about the night before seeming to click in her head and her eyes worked the room furiously until they came to rest on Dimitri.

I knew I saw him when I came in.

For a human, her movements were fluid. She stood from the chair and immediately moved to the table that he was sitting at, somewhat surprised to see him in the corner of the room - though, she wasn't really sure where he had sat last night as she had done her damnedest to ignore him after her had saved her from a fall.

Without even asking, Emma pulled the empty chair out at his table, sitting in the chair and studying him. She watched every movement of his face, trying to gauge a reaction from him before speaking, her tone more accusatory than thankful.

"You were there last night. I know you.." It seemed to take only seeing him for her to remember at least most of the evening, her eyes widening somewhat as the vampire from the night before filled her head. It wasn't a mugging..she had been right about that. Her heartrate quickened as her gaze focused on the bandaged wrist, some of the colour having drained from her cheeks at the sudden rush of memories.

"Where did you come from..?"

She looked up after that, studying him - trying to figure him out. "You were there…so..where did you come from.." There was some concern in her voice, her brow knitting in her own frustration. "Did you see what happened? Who..who did it?"

 

[No_such_thing]

She was confident, in your face. It was... endearing as she pulled out the empty chair and sat down, all pleasantries spared.
"You were there last night. I know you.."

Her eyes searched his face for a moment before recognition dawned. She obviously remembered certain events of the previous evening, the look on her face told him that she'd remembered the vampire. What she knew about him seemed to be less though, she'd been mostly unconscious for most of that encounter so she couldn't know that he was technically a vampire to.

"Where did you come from..?"

She was studying his face, he returned it, . "You were there…so..where did you come from... Did you see what happened? Who...who did it?"

She was concerned, her brows furrowed as she tried to remember more about last night, tried to remember what he had to do with it. He wasn't surprised, it must be frustrating, not to mention worrying, to know that for at least a short while her life had been in someone else's hands. As such her tone wasn't grateful, it was hostile, questioning, almost an accusation rather than an inquiry.

She was beginning to look pale, obviously not yet fully recovered from last night. Dimitri frowned to himself, perhaps she had concussion or something. But even so her vision was unusually astute for a human, she knew something was up, she was suspicious that he had been there twice, most others would just put it down to lucky coincidence, but it seemed she had some knowledge of the dark underbelly of her town.

He laughed, "well it's nice to meet you too. I'm Dimitri."

 

[TieMeTightly]

His eyes were upon her just as much as hers were upon him and it actually seemed to make her more angry with the entire situation. Of course it didn't help matters that she could remember clutching at him, burying her face into his chest - and he was a stranger.

"Well it's nice to meet you, too. I'm Dimitri."

Emma was shocked momentarily, staring at him in confusion as he offered his name instead of any sort of answer to what she wanted from him. The act alone actually gave her pause, but she offered no kind gesture in response, instead simply tilting her head to the side as she studied him, her eyes squinting as though it would help her understand.

"Emma."

What is with this guy..

"You didn't answer my questions."

After another pause, Emma lifted her 'bad hand', pointing to her wrist with the other. "Did you do this? Were you in my house? Did you see what happened or not!"

She could feel her heart pounding as she seemed more distressed with the fact that there was some stranger barely responding to her than actually needing the answers. He actually seemed amused by her, the onslaught of questions drawing the corners of his lips upward in almost a grin prior to laughing in response.

 

[No_such_thing]

Dimitri could feel the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. The look of confusion on her face was amusing and he relished the innocence of it. He struggled to keep a straight face, as it was, laughing would probably not help the situation.

Not that it shut her up, the questions came thick and fast. She wasn't letting up despite the fact that it was clearly upsetting her, she was making herself more and more stressed over it. He could hear her heart rate rising, hammering a staccato rhythm out into the quiet bar, he was almost surprised no one else could hear it.

Dimitri held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. At this rate she was going to end up injuring herself again. Amusing though it might be, it wouldn't make her any better disposed towards him. He waved her into silence, and, still smiling, began to explain. Well, explain a little, but only what suited him.

"Yes I set your wrist, it wasn't really that difficult. Then I could hardly leave you lying in the street could I? But about the mugging, no I didn't see anything. You were just on the ground when I walked past"

Some of it was true, either way he'd left it deliberately vague. Hopefully, the answer, no matter how vague it might be, would satisfy her inquiries, although he doubted it. She was smart, aware, more so than most humans at any rate. He still didn't know why she was important though, better to keep her in the dark until he was ready to play his hand. As it was, she owed him now, which might make his task that little bit easier.

 

[TieMeTightly]

When he did hold his hands up to her she couldn't help but look down to them then back up to his face, impatiently waiting for some sort of response. Part of her was somewhat thrilled that he was giving up and about to tell her what he knew. Of course, the explanation didn't really make her feel better.

"Yes I set your wrist, it wasn't really that difficult." Her fingers traced her wrist cautiously as he continued, though her rigid posture seemed to be letting up somewhat. "Then I could hardly leave you lying in the street could I? But about the mugging, no I didn't see anything. You were just on the ground when I walked past."

She was studying him with some sort of intensity, still toying with the bandages on her wrist as her eyes traced her face, taking in every detail as though she was trying to put every part of him to memory.

"Then…I guess I should be saying thank you instead of interrogating you.." The words came slowly and she only half believed them herself. There was something about him, and it frustrated her. For some reason she felt almost drawn to this person she didn't even know, but drawn to him in a way that gave her chills, as though her body knew something that her mind didn't.

"I'm sorry to just have…sat down like that. I don't really..trust people."

There was some story behind it but Emma waved it off with a small gesture, though the words alone hinted that she still wasn't sure if she actually believed him.

 

[No_such_thing]

I chuckled a little, "really?"

There was a little sarcasm in my tone, her trust issues were fairly self-evident. It was clear that she still didn't really believe him, not completely anyway. Astute, for a human anyway. He continued examining her, she was just another human, exactly the same as every other, or not. There was something there, something, indefinable, indescribable. It was present in every facet of her being, her smell, her appearance, her strength, the way she carried herself. It was at once obvious and invisible. Incredibly frustrating, that in itself could put off any vampire worth the power that made them. Younglings might not notice the true extent of it, but he could understand why the ancients were interested in her.

He dismissed her half-hearted thank you with a smile, "it's fine, I wasn't just gonna abandon you in the middle of the night. What kind of a man would that make me?" Well, not technically a man in the strictest sense of the word, he added to himself.

She was intriguing, there was something behind her that had led to these... issues, perhaps it was nothing, a bad ex, whatever. On the other hand, it might be more important than that, a clue of her significance. No, couldn't be, those file were new, dated only a couple of months ago. He filed it away in his mind, he'd have to come back to that, maybe make a few calls. He still had enough friends to wield a little influence, one of them would be able to get some details on her.

Yeah, she knew, about vampires, maybe not the rest. So why had she left the club by herself, walked home. The chances of being accosted were small but the very knowledge of vampires was enough to terrify those humans not already lost in their own twisted desires. He thought back to the girl in the club, that's how they ended up, lost, weak, as good as slave. This one wouldn't do that, she would fight back, he could tell. The only thing that scared him, was that he couldn't shake off the feeling that she might win.

 

[TieMeTightly]

It's fine, I wasn't just gonna abandon you in the middle of the night. What kind of man would that make me?"

Emma allowed the corners of her mouth to turn up at the comment, not even caring that she was nearly grinning at this man in front of her. Hell. She had taken a seat at his table with no sort of permission and yet he didn't seem at all interested in getting her up and away from him. Apparently she didn't make him as uncomfortable as she would have made most people she verbally assaulted.

"Do you live around here?"

The question would prove innocent for most people, but Emma was more than curious at this point.

"I've just never seen you around here and..well it's a small town…but I've seen you twice now in two days and I'm going to go ahead and doubt that you're staying at the bed and breakfast because..well you look like you have enough money to buy up a property."

She shrugged off her own words. The air about him made her think that he was wealthy, as did the fact that he dressed well for a man of his age..or, what she round about thought his age was.

"So let me guess. You own…one of the mansions. Even if you do though…why haven't I seen you around before?"

Again Emma needed answers. She was sitting on the edge of her seat as she watched him, trying to take in every reaction on his face though he seemed unfazed by her questioning.

 

[No_such_thing]

Dimitri smiled and raised an eyebrow, this girl was inquisitive. Persistently so, it would have been irritating if she wasn't so intriguing herself. Intelligent, definitely but the trust issues were obvious in her suspicion. Most people would just dismiss it as coincidence, but she'd picked something up. It was... annoying, he'd hoped to remain in the background for a lot longer than this, but it couldn't be avoided. He obviously needed to work on subtlety a little bit, he'd never really been one for 'spy work'.

"I'm new here, but I do kinda own one of the big places on the outskirts." Not really true, a vampire owned it, but she'd been more than happy to yield the keys, she'd owed Dimitri a favour anyway, her ancestral home for a few months was hardly any payment at all and she'd not been there for years anyway. Still, it gave him an excuse to stay for as long as he needed and to buy one he'd have needed to move enough money to get him noticed. If the council found out where he was they'd take an interest, at the very least for revenge.

"I've only just arrived in town, it's been in the family since they moved here, but we moved away after a falling out. My grandmother transferred it into my name when she left the states. I figured I should move in and see what it was like." Well, now or never and since she already knew him now he may as well take the plunge and try and associate himself with her more, it wouldn't hurt and might help him keep an eye on her.

All the way through he'd been smiling that calm, enticing, dangerous smile. Now he let himself appear thoughtful. "You know, since I moved in it's seemed a bit empty, but since none of the neighbour's are that energetic really I haven't had a proper housewarming. i don't really know many people in town, maybe you could help me sort something out, show me round and that."

The smile was back now, the flash of white teeth friendly but somehow carrying an air of understated menace. He shrugged, sitting back, "if anything I reckon you owe me a favour at the very least, you've no idea how much you'd be helping me."

 

[TieMeTightly]

Some part of her was proud of herself as he admitted to owning one of the larger estates, allowing herself to lean forward, resting her elbow on the table and chin on her upturned hand as he spoke. She wanted to hear it - every word. She wanted to figure out where he came from and he was giving her quite a story. Of course, the damned grin on his face seemed to draw her in further. She couldn't put her finger on what it was she already liked about him, though summed it up to needing some excitement in her life, deciding that he would suit her need quite well.

"You know, since I moved in it's seemed a bit empty, but since none of the neighbors are that energetic really I haven't had a proper housewarming. I don't really know many people in town, maybe you could help me sort something out, show me around at that."

Emma perked up immediately at the suggestion, lifting her head mere centimeters off of her hand as the smile returned to his face, continuing with an ease.

"If anything I reckon you owe me a favor at the very least, you've no idea how much you'd be helping me."

The offhandedness of his comment of her owing him a favor actually made her laugh, sitting back in the chair as well. Well he sure had a good bit of nerve.

Still with a smile firmly planted on her lips, she shook her head slowly, reaching into her pocket and drawing out her cell phone, setting it on the table.

"It depends how fancy you want to get. This town…I'm sure your family has told you,..it's all about tradition. Now..you can have a nice little gathering at your house but if it's the same outskirts that I'm thinking of..why don't you make an event of it? What better excuse do you have than a housewarming party to throw a massive event. We haven't had a masquerade in awhile..everyone loves a good ball."

She seemed pleased with herself, the thought of planning something all too good.

"Charlotte would probably love to help, too. She's a little bit nutty…but..she can throw a good bash. What do you think, would a good housewarming cover my..favor to you? The town itself isn't very big. Local library. Bar…high school…we're boring. I really do not know why you would want to come here of all places."

"What do you say, Dimitri. Do you think that would about cover my debt?"

 

[No_such_thing]

"What do you say, Dimitri. Do you think that would about cover my debt?"

Got her. She was most definitely interested now, and the hostility had gone. She actually sounded like she was getting quite excited about it, she sounded as pleased with herself as your typical cat. That is to say completely.

As to her ideas, well, she certainly had vision, barely a suggestion from him and she was already visualizing a magnificent display of organisation. He still had that case of cash at the house, barely a fraction of it would cover the costs of a masquerade and, he had to admit, the idea excited him a little too. Vampires were naturally, almost genetically theatrical and something as impressive as a full masquerade would undeniably cement him into the town socially, it couldn't be better.

In any case it would give him a chance to bring some friends in, now that he was confident she was the one he could get some backup. It wouldn't be long until the council tracked him down and he wanted to be ready for when they finally turned up in force. This party would be a good excuse to stay close to Emma for the next few days at least, it really couldn't have worked out better.

"That sounds like a great idea, I'm sure we can sort something out. Anyway," he laughed, "it seems like a pretty exciting town, first night here and I rescue a girl on the street, a bit more eventful than normal life."

 

[TieMeTightly]

Emma's mind was already swirling with ideas. She wasn't lying when she said that this town had a flare for tradition. Hell, they practically had events for everything. Founders day was always popular due to the traditional dresses and such but this was different. This would be fun. Not to mention she would get to dress up in something other than her normal every day attire.

"First night here and I rescue a girl on the street, a bit more eventful than normal life."

The comment seemed to bring her back down to reality and just that quickly her guard went back up, blue eyes hardening just enough to be noticeable. For a fraction she had forgotten about what had happened the night before, even despite the bandages everywhere, and there it was again, pressing into the forefront.

"Yeah..Same girl you saved from spilling her drinks."

The phone on the table lit up, Charlotte's name flashing on the small screen and Emma was on her feet easily, holding up her finger to excuse herself from the table only to turn away from Dimitri, taking only a few steps away.

"I'm already here. I'm actually with that guy from last night..I know it's weird but he just moved here so I'm going to cut him some slack okay? Yes. Just moved here means housewarming. Look I'm not going to make meeting up with you tonight I think I'm going to try and scope out his place. I want to be able to see it and if it's as big as I think it is,..this is going to be the biggest thing that's happened here in a long time. Yeah. I'll call you later tonight, okay? Okay..yep..bye."

She couldn't help but roll her eyes as she sank back down into the chair, her smile returning, pushing the doubts as far from her head as she could.

"So..I'm guessing you have a guest list that you want incorporated..I'll make sure everyone important is there. We can keep it to a respectable amount of people..invitations…the whole lot…it'll make you seem important. Do you have time now to see your house? Or do you want to spend your afternoon in a bar?"

 

[No_such_thing]

Hmmmm, maybe he shouldn't have mentioned that, her manner had become wary again.

"Yeah..Same girl you saved from spilling her drinks."

He swore inwardly, she was going to pick up on that whenever she became suspicious. He waved it away, trying to make it sound trivial.

"It was nothing, you turned around and almost fell into my arms, hardly anything special, I'm not The Flash or anything." A lie, nothing of the sort had happened, he'd been on the other side of the room, but he'd had to check, find out if she was the one, it had been the third bar and he'd been getting impatient, then something about her highlighted her to him and, well, here they were.

She stood up and moved away, He was worried she was going to leave, but when she explained to her friend what she was planning he relaxed a little. She definitely had a bit of attitude, brave too. She'd barely known him five minutes and already she'd invited herself round to have a look at the mansion.

She came and sat back down at the table, her smile returning and her wariness dropping again. "So..I'm guessing you have a guest list that you want incorporated..I'll make sure everyone important is there. We can keep it to a respectable amount of people..invitations…the whole lot…it'll make you seem important. Do you have time now to see your house? Or do you want to spend your afternoon in a bar?"

She sounded sincere, but even so the sarcasm was obvious and he laughed. Standing up and nodding to her, "of course, you seem practiced at this and this place is dead anyway, it'd be nice to show someone round the old place, it's a bit abandoned at the minute but I was thinking of hiring a company to clean it up. Any suggestions?"

 

[TieMeTightly]

"It's a bit abandoned at the minute but I was thinking of hiring a company to clean it up. Any suggestions?"

Oh now she was thrilled. As he stood she did the same, walking with him toward the door while using her hands to elaborate her words as she spoke.

"You know…if you really want to get in good with the town…right down the street from me there's a woman who owns a cleaning company. Things have been slow around here since the economy tanked and I'm sure she'd love a chance for some new business. I'm sure she'd give you a fair price, too. See this way, you can kind of..dip your toe in before making a splash at your housewarming!"

Really Emma just loved being with people, being involved and being able to have some sort of control, so planning and organizing or helping in any way was a good way to keep her mind off of everything.

"But don't worry I don't mind cobwebs and dust…I mean, you'll have that cleaned up and all prior to this event. I was thinking…we could do traditional dances..everyone lined up…wearing masks. You could have an unveiling at the end of the evening…showing your face…I'm sure people would love that. Can you imagine?"

She lifted her hand to her face before removing an imaginary mask, stepping in front of him and facing him, walking backward. "Everyone would be thrilled with it. I don't know how your place is set up….when would you want it to be? This week?"

She opened the door to the bar with her back before turning, squinting in the light of the sun. "..Did you drive here?"

 

[No_such_thing]

She was still talking as they entered the car park, Dimitri smiling and nodding along with it. The conversation, her side of it at least, was animated. The ideas were all good, though he was not particularly bothered about 'dipping a toe'. Nonetheless it would be better to keep her sweet for now at least. Although the idea of an unveiling definitely appealed, he fought against it but his natural taste for the dramatic won, it would certainly be a talking point after the party. If any enforcers had arrived from the council it would certainly send a message to them. He would be ready.

"Did you drive here?"

As she spoke he was already walking over to the Bugatti. His vice. The vehicle was flashy and ridiculously over-powered, but it's animalistic roar appealed to him and as a getaway vehicle it was second to none. He clicked the keys and it beeped as it unlocked, before pulling open the passenger for Emma. It was showing off, but he didn't care, she seemed to have dismissed danger already, getting in a multi-million dollar car with a complete stranger would only excite her sense of interest even more.

"The end of the week sounds like a great idea." He needed time for Henry and Sean to arrive, he didn't want to make a challenge until he was more secure. "Are you sure you haven't organised something like this before? You seem to have quite an interest in it."

 

[TieMeTightly]

When she heard the car beeping unlocked she froze, unable to help her jaw as it dropped slack. Her hand lifted, pointing at the car in question until he opened the door for her, to which she immediately climbed in, apparently thrilled with her current situation.

She waited until he got into the car to answer his question, her eyes darting around the car to take in the details before speaking.

"Do you count planning prom? Or..every event that we had in high school? If you count all of that then yes. Yes I definitely have done it before. Me and Charlotte are like a dynamic duo when it comes to events. She'll be thrilled to see your place, too. I think that she was jealous when I told her that I was going to try and head to your place…but I'll warn you she just likes men with money…she'll be hanging all over you in no time."

The grin had returned to her lips, pulling the seat belt strap down and fastening it with ease, almost sad that no one had seen her leave the bar with him - talk about gossip in a small town, that would have made front page news.

 

[No_such_thing]

Dimitri chuckled, "thanks for the warning, I'll watch out for her. Though I imagine you get a fair bit of attention yourself."

He started the car and slipped it smoothly into gear, the engine rumbling throatily, eager to be away. He turned the car out of the small parking lot allocated to the bar before smoothly accelerating down the road to the edge of town. Buildings and people flashed past and, they were soon among the mansions that dominated the outskirts. Huge forbidding buildings, gargoyles and gothic features seemingly omnipresent.

It wasn't long before they pulled into the long driveway that led to Dimitri's mansion. It was gravel and led to a paved courtyard surrounded by the house on three sides, huge windows looking down at the car like the eyes of some great alien beast perched on the outskirts of civilization.

"It's just me here, I only really use the first few rooms of the house. The rest of it's just empty at the minute but I reckon once I put some work into it then it'll look amazing. Add to that your talent for organisation and we'll have a ball this town will never forget."

He got out, leaving the car in the courtyard by the doors, opened Emma's door and then went ahead of her into the entrance hall. It was a grand room with a sweeping double staircase along the walls, faded paintings and musty drapes adorning the walls. Echoes of past glories and giving the house a sort of air of sadness, devoid of life as it was.