Wondrous Night (open)

[jared]

O wild and wondrous midnight,
There is a might in thee
To make the charmed body
Almost like spirit be,
And give it some faint glimpses
Of immortality.
~James Russell Lowell, Midnight

It was just after midnight. The city, or at least this part of it was surprisingly quiet. It was his third week here. He was living in one of the model houses established by his new agency and he just didn't feel like going back there just yet. It was always full of drunks or people complaining that they were hungry. He hated whining and well, to put it bluntly, having to step over someone's vomit. He bristled at the thought, hoping that would not be his destiny this night.

He was wearing one of the outfits he'd modeled in tonight, a gift from the designer. He liked it well enough, more than what he'd worn to the show before he'd been prepared for the walk. He liked the pants especially, even if they did make him stand out like a beacon in the darkness surrounding him now. He'd left the show, having noticed a few people surrounding the runway who he'd been positive were Vampires. They were pale with beautiful eyes. Not that something like that alone signified a Vampire but it was as close as he had gotten to one. Or if he had before he hadn't realized it.

Jarrett had walked the few blocks from the garment district to the waterfront. He knew some areas of the city were considered dangerous but he'd needed a few moments to himself before catching a ride back to the place he was living until he saved up enough for his own apartment. He hated the waiting, but he recognized it as a necessary evil. His mother and father had not been at all happy about his deciding to take some time off to model before going to college. Unlike them, he knew that he would eventually get an education. Like he had told them several times, he wasn't blowing anything off. He was exploring life, and what it had to offer.

He held the small journal in his hand, propped up on one of his bent knees as he watched the tug boat trudge slowly through the star kissed waters beyond the end of the pier. He was sitting up on one of the rails, enjoying the feel of the slight breeze brush against his face as he wrote in the journal:

[/i] I'd be starting at Yale in a few weeks. That doesn't mean I would have changed anything. I'm glad I'm here. I'm also really glad the rains have stopped. Being cooped up in that house with all those people was getting on my last nerve.[/ul]

Jarrett lifted his chin, his eyes looking from left to right before he looked back down the length of the Pier. He didn't see anyone. Not at first.

[Deleted]

A shrill scream echoed from the end of the pier. It had come from the mouth of a young girl, barely in her teens. In truth, she had been walking along innocently enough... if you considered an underage prostitute innocent anyway. Kayen had smelled her before he actually found her, but when he did she stood no chance. Kayen had leaped from one of the floating crates in the water, a feat which bothered him because he hated deep water, but he seemed to glide across the opening and he landed upon the young girl.

By the time she screamed, his fangs had already found her throat and sunk into her jugular vein. The much larger Vampire powered her to the pier and his jaws clamped tighter. In the girl's dying breaths, she started to cry and Kayen lifted his head with blood flowing down his jaws and he whispered "sleep..." His fangs returned to her jugular and the girl went limp. The Vampire would remain on her like a leech on skin, draining every drop of her young blood. When he stood up, the girl was pale and dead.

As he turned to leave the body for the scavengers, Kayen's red eyes shot across the pier and locked upon the fancy dressed boy. He thought to himself I thought I destroyed the gay bar and then he hissed loudly and started to run up the pier nearly at a blur. He looked like a predator going after a kill... and his target was Jarrett. Before he even reached the end of the pier, Kayen jumped over the corner and he landed only inches from the boy. He could have killed him quickly but Kayen hesitated and then he asked "What'd you see, boy???"

[OOC: no offense about the gay bar comment, it's just Kayen's personality and egotistical superiority]

[jared]

It seemed to have only been a second or two from the time he heard the scream to the moment he'd become face to face with a killer. Somehow when he'd pictured meeting a Vampire he had expected something else. Not that he'd thought they would sit down at a table and drink tea, or rather blood. But he hadn't pictured it like this, not with his heart racing like it was. Even with him sitting on the rail of the pier, the man loomed over him. This guy was huge, long blond hair and blood dripping from his mouth as if he'd just left the blood buffet.

He hadn't known what he'd expected, but the man's red eyes were creeping him out. And if he was honest, turning him on too, but he tried not to think about that. If he was about to die, he wanted to be serious. Jarrett told him he should simply be scared but he was fully aware that he was meeting his first Vampire, or if this guy wasn't one he was doing a really good job of impersonating one. He doubted that though. The fangs looked pretty real, the blood smelt real. He was scared, actually scared. It was kind of cool.

He heard the question. He did. He opened his mouth to answer but he held his tongue for a moment. He'd heard the scream, sort of seen the girl's body slink to the ground. Of course he could see the face in front of him, the evidence undeniable. He swallowed, snapped the journal closed in his hand and looked the man in the eye, "I didn't see anything." It wasn't the complete truth but he felt it the best response given the situation. He slipped down off the rail, eating up whatever space there had been between them briefly before he slipped out from in front of the man and said, "Even if I had, I wouldn't say anything."

The man was really tall, big, strong looking. There was no way Jarrett was going to be able to overpower him if he was still hungry. For the first time since learning of their existence, Jarrett felt like he just might be in over his head. He felt like he might be in danger, real danger. He only knew that he didn't want to die.

He wasn't really as ready as he'd thought to become one of them either. Asking for it, the turning, the way he'd planned it in his mind for the past week was something he couldn't bring himself to say out loud. Faced with the realization of what they were was daunting. He wasn't ready. He was looking forward to going back to school suddenly.

His mouth felt a little dry as he said, "I didn't know anyone else would be down here." He looked down the pier, hoping someone else might come to his rescue. He looked up into the man's eyes, "I didn't meant to interrupt anything. Can I go?" His heart was racing, a heady mixture of fear, adrenaline and excitement.

[Deleted]

The Vampire chuckled slightly as the boy asked to leave. He could feel his fear, and his excitement. That perked Kayen's interest as he licked the crimson from his lips and fangs and then he shrugged his shoulders. "You can leave... but in this city you'll be dead in a week. That is... if you have no mentor. No one to guide you through the evil around here....."

Kayen grinned and he turned around as he finished his sentence. He started to walk away with his hands under his trench coat, but he knew this boy was different. He started to count the seconds in his head until the boy would stop him. One... two..... three.........

[jared]

"Wait." Jarrett said after the man had turned away from him. He closed his eyes for a second. He should have just walked away. No, he should have run when given the chance. But he hadn't, he had opened his mouth.

"What did you mean by that mister?" Jarrett asked after taking a breath to help steady his nerves. He knew what a mentor was and he understood evil but he wanted to see what the man was really offering him. He was curious himself now. He was even bold enough to take a step toward the man. No, he was a vampire, a real vampire. It was terrifying but also one of the most exciting moments of his life.

[Deleted]

The Vampire smiled brightly as he held out his arms in a very exaggerated display as if he was being crucified and he turned slowly. His feet seemed to float off the ground as he cackled and then he spoke softly and coldly. "Vampires and Werewolves rule this city, son... I should know. I am the head of the Vampires in this area... and I'll be surprised if you make it through the night. I am offering you the gift of superiority..... immortality.........."

[jared]

This man was a little scary. For a second Jarrett wondered if he weren't part of the evil he was suggesting that he be protected from. The next words from his mouth should have taken him by surprise but they didn't, not the first part of that anyway. So there was something to the feud between Vampires and Werewolves. He'd read a little about that at work the other day at Zane Corp. His mind went right to Lucius, their conversation a day or so before. And to the man specifically, for whatever reason, Jarrett was fascinated with him.

"You're the King of the Vampires, is that it?" He didn't know what the proper title would be so he went with what he thought would be the most flattering. Especially given the situation. He looked up at the man, the Vampire, a question forming in his wide eyes, "So it is possible? To become like you?" He'd hoped but he hadn't been sure that it was possible, or if you had to be born that way. Another question passed through his lips before he could stop it, "As the head of the Vampires, then you know all of them, right? Can you tell me if someone is one?"

He wanted to know if a certain man was a Vampire, Lucius Erif. He was still trying to decide if he was ready for what this man was offering. Before, he hadn't really thought about it as something he could really become, it had been a fantasy. A curiosity. But this man, this Vampire Lord, he was very real. It was a lot to take in.

[Deleted]

Kayen chuckled as the questions were coming rapidly and then he held up his hand to signal the boy to slow down. When he had stopped, Kayen started from the beginning. "I am Lord of the Vampires... King is so old fashioned! Yes it's possible to become one of us. And yes, every Vampire can pick another Vampire out of a crowd. We can smell the death on them... or perhaps the unending life." he grinned and then he turned and pointed to a rather inconspicuous looking man walking down the sidewalk. "Vamp... an old one at that."

[jared]

Jarrett smiled at the way the man threw his hands up. Maybe he had gotten carried away with the questions. It was just comical to see such a powerful man with that kind of expression on his face. It helped the teen to relax, "Lord? That's interesting, so do you have Dukes out just Counts?"

He snickered thinking of the legend of Count Dracula from the books and movies. He should probably save that question for later. There was still a chance that this guy might rip his neck open with his teeth. He was a big guy and the Lord of the Vampires, so he could probably eat more than that thin girl from before. Yep, best to save that question about Dracula for later. Much later.

He nodded following the man's arm to the sidewalk in the distance, "Wow, you can tell that all the way from over there. Impressive." He thought for a second and said, "Becoming a vampire, would that mean that I could never see the sun again? If so I want to think about it for a little while. Maybe see a sunrise again, just to....you know." He didn't know if this man would extend the offer again, "Or is this a one time offer?"

He turned to the man and said, "Before you answer, tell me, how do you know if someone is a Vampire? Do they do anything to let you know? I mean if I wanted to find out? Will he just tell me? Or would a question like that be offensive?"

[Deleted]

Kayen chuckled once more as the questions overflowed the mouth of the boy. When he had finally stopped talking, Kayen started again. "If you were lucky enough to gain the day walker trait you would be able to go out in the sun. But either way, you're free to take your time. When you make up your mind, go to the graveyard and wait for me under the largest cross headstone. And yes if you ask a Vampire if he's a Vampire, you're likely to have your head ripped off..." Kayen grinned as he said that.

[jared]

"Thanks for the heads up," Jarrett offered with a relaxed grin. He wanted to keep his head where it was, thank you very much. He wouldn't be asking Lucius anytime soon then. Day Walker trait, that could come in handy. It would be the best of both worlds, never die and still be able to go on go sees and have brunch with his friends. Not only that but he could still go to class. He could go to class for eternity if he wanted. Or maybe just brunch and the occasional modeling job. "So what is it like, really like?" Jarrett asked, still curious, though his face took on some seriousness as he added, "If you have time, I mean. You are probably really busy."

[Deleted]

(haiii. throw me out if you don't want me around! ^^)

What a lovely night!

The weather was fair and a nice breeze was blowing off the ocean; Malachi Logos was a happy little angel-- at least where his setting was concerned. He had come out for a nice walk when the loneliness of his empty hotel room had left him unsettled, and had decided to follow his nose Eastward. The white angel was new in town, but knew that the place was a seaport. All the same, he'd never been to the shore here, and curiosity was an eternally driving force for him...as well as, um, eternal life and stuff. That wasn't really what was on his mind at present, though. Having been around for ages, Chi had plenty to keep his mind occupied, but for the moment he was reminiscing fondly about the oyster dinner he'd just treated himself to.

Earlier, in his eastbound meanderings, he had stumbled upon the scenic waterfront tourist district, and a bustling nightlife that included an impressive selection of fresh seafood restaurants. A random choice on Malachi's part had led him to an oyster bar...which was perhaps not so random, as the little mussels were one of his favorite foods...along with spinach, rugulach and massaman curry. He was a bit of a strange bird, yes, but earth wasn't quite his native land. And on top of that, he had seen enough of it to have gathered an interesting outlook on what was good to eat. Before he was earthbound, the archangel had always thought of food as overrated, a silly thing to commit a mortal sin for. Now that he knew hunger and tasted food, though, it was not so strange to him.

Of course, he had finished his meal hours ago and the restaurant had since closed. After eating, Malachi had spent a wick of time people-watching from a jazz club. It had made him feel lonely again, though, and at that point he began walking along the pier. Despite his warmth and goodness of heart, there was still something of an inaccessibility to the incessantly pure angel. It tended to distance him from most humans, which was somewhat painful; Chi had a big heart and an outpouring of love for the human race, but he often felt he pushed them away. To be so encased in human emotions and the human world, but at the same time irrevocably apart from it was difficult. He needed to find a friend in this town, and quickly. And so, slightly sunk in self-pity, Malachi had walked northward along the shore.

But that was his defense mechanism, it had been for centuries. If he was unhappy or uncomfortable or hurt or feeling sorry for himself, he just walked away, perpetually on the run from the ever-present problem of that growing desire to just be a normal human.

It was a shameful desire for one of heaven's more influential angels. It only made him more upset, which was possibly why, so absorbed in himself as he was, that Malachi didn't notice the banter of a Vampire with a human boy until he was quite close to them. His posture had been very neutral, hands in pockets and head studying his feet. The creature's wings, invisible to a human but clearly glimmering in the moonlight to the Vampire, were folded tight to his body. Not that such an act did much; Malachi had rather large wings, so they were still very obvious even in the angel's strongest attempts to conceal them. Tonight, he was dressed casually, in flip-flops, cargo shorts and a wrinkled blue button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up past his elbows. He still looked fantastic, though; his angelic nature meant he effused some sort of unearthly beauty that once attracted the eye but repulsed most initiative to approach him.

Chi looked up with a start when he heard voices just meters in front of him and sensed a vampire, to boot. What was with this town, anyway? Such an overwhelming population of nonhumans, it was ridiculous. The angel stopped short, surprised to find himself in such company. His nervous brown eyes flicked from the slightly bloody vampire, to the well-dressed human, and back to the vampire. He hadn't really heard what they were talking about, but Chi felt the need to pause here for a second. Obviously, leaving an innocent, unsuspecting human in the company of a bloodthirsty vampire wasn't on any white angel's to-do list. Not that all vampires were awful, nor all humans unaware of them, but still...he preferred to err on the side of caution. "Uhm." Malachi was looking at the blond vampiric one, wary but trying not to insult him in case he was actually not 'up to no good.' And he didn't want to give away the existence of things that go bump in the night, either, just in case the human didn't know. What to say, what to say...

[Deleted]

Kayen was about to answer the Human when something glimmering caught his eyes. Wings... horribly repulsive white wings. He turned his head and locked his eyes on the Angel before he was even close. Kayen hated the creatures and this one had to be destroyed and sent back to its nonexistent savior! With a grin, Kayen spun around and one arm wrapped around the neck of the Human. At the same time, his other hand drew the silver 9mm handgun from his trench coat and pointed it at the temple of the Human. As he did this, he whispered "you'll be fine, look afraid..." and then he yelled to the Angel. "AHH LOOK WHAT WE HAVE HERE! One of God's own slaves here to save more of God's sinners! On your knees, Angel, or I feast on the brains of this kid!!!"

[jared]

Jarrett had not noticed the party who chose to join them now. He was standing and looking up at the Vampire and even though he didn't think he was in any real danger anymore he wasn't going to take his eyes off him. Besides that he was curious about the answer to his question. In a way he was hoping the guy would turn into a bat or mist or something cool like that. Or, if he was really lucky take him for a flight or something even cooler like that.

The Vampire was already moving before he even heard the newest stranger speak. Suddenly, there was a thick arm around his neck and he was pretty sure he could do nothing about it. His hands felt small as the reached up and wrapped around the thick forearm that asa probably as big as his thighs. The gun came shortly afterward. Cool silver pressing against his temple.

"you'll be fine, look afraid..."

The Vampire even had the nerve to suggest that everything would be fine and to look worried. Somehow, Jarrett didn't think looking worried would be a problem at all. If anything, right about now that came very easily. Naturally, in fact. His eyes shifted from the new guy to the gun and back again, his hands still clutching helplessly at the thick arm around him neck. He really hoped this Vampire had control, it would be just his luck to have his neck snapped before he had the chance to become immortal, or have sex. He musn't forget that.

"Uhm."

"AHH LOOK WHAT WE HAVE HERE! One of God's own slaves here to save more of God's sinners! On your knees, Angel, or I feast on the brains of this kid!!!"

Jarrett thought to himself, Maybe a little TOO MUCH realism there, big guy. He looked over at the other man. He was really, really handsome, kind looking too. Wait...did Kayen say he was an Angel? Those were real too? Jarrett felt like he was going to faint. Too much information. He sucked in a breath and thought that this was about to get very interesting. Jarrett wondered if Angels and Vampires fought, and if so would these two.

[Deleted]

"Oookay, okay, chill out with the gun."

Aw, hell. How did this kind of trouble manage to follow him wherever he went? This was ridiculous. He put his hands forward, in a gesture that showed he was really not happy about the human's situation, the angel slowly sinking to his knees. An annoyed swear in a foreign tongue was whispered under his breath. Malachi's eyes shifted between the vampire and the boy, anxious sweat beading on his brow. Whaaat the hell. He had just been having a thoughtful little stroll and now he was in the middle of a hostage situation. There was no rest for the wicked, he supposed, and that meant none for the righteous either. Ah, and of course, for this situation he was hopelessly unarmed.

Chi was always unarmed in this sort of situation. He rarely went looking for trouble, and he didn't like to randomly carry around his sword-- not only was it bulky and aggravating, it really was odd-looking. Not that he wasn't already odd-looking with the wings, but...at least it was only supernaturals who could see. So, what to do? He turned his gaze to the human, studying him for a moment; he was impossibly well-dressed, and possessed an uncommon beauty for his species. With his empathetic power, though, Malachi looked deeper-- peering into the complex emotional state that most humans maintained at all times. He was worried and frightened, of course, with the burly vampire's arm coiled around his neck like a boa constrictor. His confusion and excitement were something he could attribute to his sudden confrontation with a vampire and an angel, two sorts of creature that, to most humans, were but the respective stuff of nightmares and religious extremism. What Malachi found odd here was his awe, his curiosity, his-- was that...revelry? He was, in a way, glad to be in the middle of this unnatural confrontation?

Well, okay. Some people were a little freaky. That was alright, Malachi was still absolutely hellbent on diffusing the situation and getting the human away from here. He spread his wings, their white hue reflecting the moonlight in with a pale, unearthly glow. Chi wanted to be able to power himself off the ground quickly if he needed to, and he wanted to the human to know he was here to help; for the moment, he relinquished the invisibility of his wings, revealing them to the boy...for now. His attention shifted to the man with the gun, the features of the angel's face hardening. "I really didn't come here with the intention of saving anyone, but yeah, I'm kinda obligated now, huh? Geez, bloodsucking melodrama never ends, does it?"

He spat the words, clearly aggravated. Malachi despised having to deal with vampires, or at least the ones whose interests ran contrary to his. There were some he admired, ones that struggled to keep from hurting humans or involving them in their estranged lives, and it was for their sake that he had paused upon first seeing this particular vampire. This one, though, was one of those who used humans like playthings-- one of the ones he disliked. He gave the undead a cursory empathic scan, noting his excitement, his typical vicious nature, his insufferable pride and self-confidence. He regretted, for the zillionth time, that mind-reading hadn't been one of his little 'abilities.'