obedear. [finished]

[Jusztina Draculesti]

[STYLE=font-family: times new roman; text-align: justify; border-bottom: 0px solid #DBDB70; padding: 0px;] "Darling, did you take out the trash?"

Of all the last thoughts to run through this man, he thought about his wife asking him whether he took the trash out or not? He hadn't, as far as she could tell, but he served his purpose. She'd been thirsty, having just recently awoken with the night that fell like a silky blanket of abyss onto the city. Draining the man, in his early thirties, dry, the leggy and tall blonde easily gave him a seemingly small push, wrapping her slender and long fingers, nails painted a deep onyx, around the railing so her azure feline orbs could watch the man plummet below into the shadows and raging river giving its fruitless dance below. A slithering tongue darted out to catch a stray ruby droplet on the corner of her full lips before a hand reached into the inside of her inky colored trench coat and grabbed a mirror, fixing a few hairs that fell out of place as she'd gracefully gorged herself on her second victim of the night. Making sure no blood was on her (what a waste if she were to spill so much as a droplet of the elixir!), she put the palm-sized, heart shaped mirror back into her breast pocket. She wore a long, sweeping skirt, the night air by the river chillier than usual with the rougher winds blowing. Beneath the trench coat, a corset of lace and leather, black to match the rest of her attire, clung to her lanky yet curvaceous figure. Pointed pumps were on her feet, giving her an added three inches to her already tall frame, and overall, with the added effect of her golden hair in loose curly waves, her bright eyes outlined in a thick coat of mascara, and a sort of alluring aura clinging to her presence, Jusztina seemed to embody what she was, what her race represented, and had absolutely no problem with doing so.

An amused and slightly childish grin fell on her charming face as she finally heard the body smack the surface of the water far below. She'd been picking on too many married men and women lately, but they were so gullible! Believing a woman of her caliber would want to stoop so low as to become their ticket to freedom from their unsatisfying marriages! Bah! It just made it more thrilling when she saw the fear in their eyes-a fear that would end up haunting her much to her dismay. Still, they all had such strange "final memories" or "final thoughts". Like the man now at the bottom of the river. He thought about his wife asking him if he took out the trash that morning. She could understand such a notion, though. They were literally the last words she'd said to him that he could remember and the regret over not taking out the trash seemed to silly to her-but to him, she could feel, it had meant the world. She turned in that eerie grace of hers while shifting through his experiences and memories like files on a computer, pulling up interesting ones she could find in her mind. She did this a lot after each victim-if she had the time which, well, wasn't that what every vampire had? Time?

Finding nothing interesting, she headed back toward the First District which she'd came, her shoulders back and her spine straight, her walk of a different time era that didn't belong to the current one. She remained on guard, knowing she should have simply told Javier where she was going but, as always, not doing so out of pride. She was her own independent woman. Though she knew she needed protecting-she did not like to admit it. But as a memory suddenly raised a red flag, she immediately froze in her tracks. She knew she'd fed Javier more than enough of her blood that he'd be able to tell where she was now. She always did get a tad bit more emotion when on the bridge. It always reminded her of when she'd been mortal... When she'd been captured by the Turks of the Ottoman Empire, bound, and gagged after being tortured for such a long time and tossed into the Lady River, left for dead but somehow magically saved. Had she not been saved, she would not be the person she was now. She would have died an innocent-probably would have entered Heaven and walked down the streets of gold alongside the Lord like she'd always imagined-right with her father, so long ago murdered.

But it was the man's memory, such a simple one, that struck her much too close to home. He was in the hospital, a room decorated with childish drawings, his wife on the other side, and the two clutching their daughter, nothing more than practically a vegetable - dead from some kind of disease or cancer-Jusztina did not want to know the specifics. She immediately thought of her own son, her youngest, and how tragic, sudden, and unavoidable his death had become. Three years old, killed by his own father for his blood. Shoving everything behind a large, blank wall she'd learned to put up to keep herself sane, she started walking again. To her it felt like an eternity that she had stood there frozen starring into nothing but to anyone else, it could have been a split second. Not that there was anyone around. She could sense them: they were far and not many crossed this bridge at night. It wasn't safe.

But the shift in the wind told her otherwise and she easily turned around to look at whomever it was who decided to grace her presence though he was sure she already knew. A smirk grew on her full lips, with a dark amusement that was normal to her nature, "What a pleasant surprise to have one such as yourself come and grace me with your presence," her Romanian accent still remained heavy on her voice...As did her blunt sarcasm, coated with a sweet taste of honey.

[Nathaniel Devlin]

He snorted. The scent smacked into his face like a slap as he walked along the riverbank.

He found her.

The young man wore a dark brown leather jacket with a printed blue shirt with the words ‘The end is near…or it’s Monday’ printed on the front. He wore dark blue jeans and a pair of sturdy looking brown workman’s boots as he squished his was along the muddy bank. For some time now, Nathaniel Devlin had been tracking a serial killer. Naturally, the killer was supernatural—specifically a vampire. She was around here…somewhere. Nate had had dealings with their kind before; pompous, prideful, bitches were just about what these people were all about, though careless wasn’t really what one would describe them. After all, vampires were known for secrecy…otherwise they would’ve been discovered thousands of years ago—not gracing fictitious pages wherein most got it wrong… Anne came close though. Maybe she had met one or two…Nate shook his head, dispelling the thought from his mind. He was getting distracted again. He had to focus.

Something alerted the young werewolf’s ears then as something heavy dropped into the river. It was quite a few hundred meters away from him—all the way to king’s bridge—but his keen ears heard it especially since this night had been so quiet. Whoever dropped whatever it was might as well have shot a gun for the noise it had caused. A strong wind came then, coming from the direction of the bridge, brushing through the young man, disheveling his already unruly hair. Nate stiffened. He smelled it. Her. With speed unlike that of any normal human, Nate was under king’s bridge in a few seconds, sniffing the night air. She was gone though he could still smell her. If he followed now, he’d be able to catch up. Nate glanced down toward the river, his eyes catching the sight of a body floating on the water. He sighed. Another victim. He didn’t understand it. Did this vampire have a death wish? Was she not taught? Of course the latter wasn’t true. Besides determining the vampire’s sex with the scent, Nate could also determine its age. It was old. Maybe it just had a death wish. He had heard vampires going insane from staying the same forever.

The young man ran again with speed as he followed the scent. It took him as far as the First District. His sharp eyes spotted the woman sure enough. Her walk wasn’t of this era. If you really looked, things like that were obvious. She was tall, thin and blonde. Even with her back to him, Nate knew she was beautiful. He had not so far met a vampire that wasn’t. The wind was blowing downwind from the young man, giving him some cover, even though he was a few hundred meters away from her. You couldn’t be too careful with vampires—their bites hurt like hell. He followed her as she walked, sniffing the air now and then for the woman. She smelled…distracted. The air shifted then as a cool breeze brushed against Nate causing him to pull his jacket a bit closer to him out of habit. He froze. Shit. The wind had shifted upwind, sending the young werewolf’s scent towards the woman. Oh well. There was nothing to do about it now, Nate thought.

The young werewolf made a small skipping gesture, propelling him with speed a few meters short of bumping into the vampire, though it seemed no one at the street noticed. The woman had begun to talk as soon as he got close, her blonde hair sweeping through the air as she turned to greet him—her sarcasm was obvious. Nate had been right—she was beautiful. Shit was his second thought. He knew her. There was nothing to do about it now than play the game, he thought. The young werewolf gestured his hand as he made a small bow towards the woman, a smile on his face as he spoke.

“And what a coincidence it is to run into you here,” he said sweetly. He approached her then, his eyes locked on hers, “I’m sure, by your obvious surprise, that you know why I’m here—Your Majesty.”

Nathaniel could do the sarcastic thing too, he thought. The Vampire Queen didn’t have monopoly on that as far as he was concerned.

[Jusztina Draculesti]

[STYLE=font-family: times new roman; text-align: justify; border-bottom: 0px solid #DBDB70; padding: 0px;] Her kill had been neat. Her disposal, however, had been a tad bit on the sloppy end. On occasion, such actions came out of habit. When she'd originally become part of the vampire community through her husband, it had been in the smallest of towns that, though they did not know what they were, practically gave their castle sacrifices. Jusztina used to be able to sit in her bedroom, drain a young man dry, and then toss his body out her bedroom window to the precipice littered with war victims, captive Turks, those who ever betrayed Vled the Impaler. It had been easy-and no one had ever thought less of it. She knew she had to be careful in this modern age but being as distracted as she had been, it hadn't crossed her mind that a dog would end up following her. She'd gotten that feeling; her fine hairs on the back of her neck going up like a cat's, but she'd chosen to ignore and deny it, simply ready for finding another meal, maybe bringing him or her to Javier as a midnight snack for the two of them share or maybe even finding another one of her children. The Lord knew she needed to make more children. The more numbers on their side, the better. But as the dog bowed a bit and called her you majesty, matching her sarcasm, an amused grin fell on her features.

"Yes," she stately bluntly with a nod, brushing some of her hair off her thin yet lean shoulder, "but how surprising and wonderfully entertaining it would be if I was wrong," she gave the slightest movement of her hand, so quickly if he wasn't a dog he wouldn't have noticed it with such human eyes. Dear Lord. This was why she normally did not make friends with animals other than the ones she became. It was just so much easier that way but, at the moment, he seemed harmless enough. She kept her guard up however, glad she'd refilled her tank before he'd found her so she would be perfectly okay. She knew staying in public, if anything, was her best defense should worse come to worse. But Jusztina loved games, especially with those of other species. There was no way she would kill him - not unless provoked and there were many things that could easily set her off; being emotional and all. Her emotions were as hectic as they had been when she'd been fourteen and pregnant with her first son as a mortal. She could conceal it, though.

So she figured it would be fun to invite him to walk alongside her. Nothing wrong with that, right? "I am already liking you, dog,"

[/i] her speech probably sounded funny but she liked it. It was annoying when trying to fit in but shed managed over the years in the most stubborn of ways, "Are you ever ging to introduce yourself? Unless you simply prefer to be referred as dog. If so, by all means let me know,"[/i] she spoke bluntly and with a natural air of confidence as she continued walking, her dainty hands in the pockets of her cropped trench coat. Her heels clicked on the pavement and really? She was hoping he would just start trying to kill her. She liked pets. She was sure Javier would love a pet dog or Lord Pain would love a new test subject. He was adorable too; in that way only werewolves can be. No matter how clean and well shaven they were, to her they always had a scruffy, untamed edge to them that made them look rougher than they really were. She tended to try to be civil, at first, with the other races/ethnicalities but if they tested her patience, it would wear thin very quickly and, in blunt terms, off with their heads. Justina did not believe she was too difficult to get along with - at least her mortal self wasn't. This version of herself had been around much longer, was well weathered, and seasoned. She'd grown much more fonder of this "evil" and "dark" side than anything else.

It was all up to his own actions. She carried no weapons with her, not when she herself was a weapon. She'd been raised her whole life around war and this would be no different. She knew old and new fighting styles and ways of defense, was old enough to have acquired a great deal amount of gifts, and because her was a werewolf she would automatically treat this ordeal like a game of fetch the Frisbee that she'd seen on the television a few times over the years for commercials or movies. If he really wanted to kill her, he'd have to really try and maybe he'd even realized the pain he could cause her would only give her more of an edge - after all, she had the tendency of being a bit of a masochist...and a sadist. [/blockquote][/size]

[Nathaniel Devlin]

Nathaniel wanted nothing more than to get away from this woman. She didn’t spell danger—she spewed it out like lava. Her scent up close was even more vomit inducing than Nate had thought. Her scent was covered with death and decay, even more so than any other vampire he had met. She stank so bad Nate’s eyes wanted to water—only his sheer determination stopped them from doing so. No, he wouldn’t show any discomfort in front of this woman. Any sort of weakness shown would spell disaster for him. He felt uneasy and uncomfortable towards the vampire, though outside he didn’t show any of this at all as he smiled an easy grin at the woman; his posture lax and composed. Damn! If only the money wasn’t good.

It was though.

The blonde spoke then, her accent thick as she did so. While she spoke she made the slightest gesture, a small brush with her hand, but it was enough. She was fast. Even with Nate’s eyes, he could almost barely keep up. Shit, Shit, Shit. he thought, though his smile was still in place as the vampire continued to speak. Yup, an attack was out of the question for Nate. He was still relatively new to this werewolf thing, plus the woman had hundreds of years of fighting under her belt. It was for the young man’s best interest if he kept himself and her majesty in public. It annoyed Nate though that the woman kept calling him dog. Then again, most vampires said that about those of his kind. It didn’t bother him that much though, except when this woman said it. The thought as to why was very annoying. Something piqued Nate’s interest though as the woman continued, breaking his line of thought. Did he just hear right? He concentrated on smell, breathing in the unpleasant smell of the woman. Damn, vamps were so hard to read. Their emotions were always in such disarray—sorting made it hard though not impossible. He caught two prominent emotions from her—amusement and a sort of stillness…like a snake coiled to spring. Of course her liking him was a lie; Nate didn’t need his lie detecting powers to figure that one out.

The blonde had finished her talk then as she turned and strolled away from him, though by her pace, it was an invitation rather than a rebuff. If Nate wanted out, he could just disappear now—it was the best option for him. Who cares about the money? I do. Nate sighed internally. The monthly rent was due. The boy took another small jump, bringing him right next to the vamp as he strode along side her, seeming as if nothing was wrong with the whole scenario.

“No, I don’t think dog is a word I’m keen on going by, but I will admit it’s kind of growing on me,” Nate said as he strolled alongside the vamp. He moved faster then, as he stopped in front of her. With blinding speed, he shot his hand forward, grabbing the blonde’s hand. “It’s Nate—or Nathaniel if you prefer, Your Majesty,” he said as he bent down to kiss it, “though I think it’s rude you didn’t introduce yourself yet seeing as you spoke to me first…unless ‘your majesty’ suffices for you.”

Nate knew who she was of course, but that didn’t mean the woman had to expect everyone knew her name. Oh vamps and their outlandish pride. When will they ever learn? Never, Nate thought, as they were still as pompous and prideful after living for so long.

[Jusztina Draculesti]

[STYLE=font-family: times new roman; text-align: justify; border-bottom: 0px solid #DBDB70; padding: 0px;] When he'd practically jumped in front of her and grabbed her hand to kiss it, her muscles locked into place and a hardness came into her eyes, not liking the slight surprise of him springing on her in such a manner. Still, she let the amused smirk remain in place, "I actually do prefer such a title,"

[/i] she took her hand away from his, sharp ice orb watching him as she did so, "but pardon my manners. You can call me Mrs. Draculesti," if it was one thing Jusztina did not like it was other people, other than certain others, knowing her first name. It was common knowledge, it had to be by now, but actually calling her by her first name? She considered it...disturbing. Some even found it amusing she still used her marital name, considering she did kill her own husband. Really, she figured she was still married. He was dead but, if you think about it, well, so was she. The only difference was that one was just a tad bit more dead than the other, "Do not touch, yes?" she said, continuing with her smiles but the darkness in her eyes saying something else entirely. She wasn't amused by him touching her. In all honesty, it repulsed her. She did not know him and he was....a dog. Their kinds didn't mix...of course, there was always an exception.

Her dark expression seemed to vanish as she continued walking, expecting him to follow because they were in public and if he wanted to keep up appearances, as she did, it would behoove him to do so, "So enlighten me as to why you were following me? Money? Death wish?"[/i] she chuckled in a somewhat menacing fashion from how light it was and she grabbed a small handful of her long, flowing skirt, lifting it as she stepped over a puddle; a move that almost seemed human had she not looked down at the puddle with the hint of distaste for being in her way. Her feline orbs glanced over at him as she waited patiently. Her superficial like for him which stemmed from how much fun he could actually become had quickly dissolved when he'd kissed her hand. If they'd been in a more isolated area, she probably would have snapped his neck like a twig between her fingers for patronizing her in such a way. Jusztina could control herself, though, because if she didn't she wouldn't be where she was today now would she?

Either way, she continued walking at a leisurely pace, blending in thus with the others around her though, of course, her beauty and simple presence weren't aspect that could be hidden so easily. So as she walked, she kept her shoulders back, having a strong dislike toward the posture mortals carried nowadays and how they somehow wondered why they ended up with so many spinal problems. Idiots. The werewolf, Nate did he say his name was? Yes. Despite his bad smell like that of a wet, dirty dog, she was curious as to why he would even come up to her in such a manner. He must have realized she was old. She did toss around the idea of her own death wish, contemplated it over the years but shrugged such notions away, forcing herself to remember everything she worked for, how many years it had taken, how much suffering, pain, death had to come about just for her to be in the position she was in. She wouldn't have this all destroyed over her own emotional instability. But this Nate must have had a death wish of his own. Whenever she took in a breathe, she could smell the youth he let off through his scent. He was still so young! To come after an ancient was a bit of a ridiculous idea! If he wanted money she could just give him some - though of course that would leave him in her debt. She never did do favors for anyone without gaining something in return.

As she waited for his reply while walking, she thought about what she could get in return should he accept her offer and should he be after her for money which she expected - though he could always surprise her with something else entirely. She would not be surprised if there was a bounty out there on her head but she had others who worried about that for her. She had her own things to worry about such as now, she was heading toward the Red Light District which of course was crawling with vampires or leeches as they were so affectionately called by werewolves whenever they came in contact with them. She liked the term probably a bit too much. That one and bat. They were both so fitting! Now with the dog term, she didn't think it suited them. When she was mortal, she adored dogs. They were fluffy and cut, would bark and protect you with the fiercest of loyalties and would always be there when you needed them. These werewolves were not dogs. Beasts would be a more appropriate word but them she wouldn't know what to call the others she called beast. No, she was stuck with calling them dogs. It translated better in other languages anyway, "Remember, patience is a virtue, Nate," she said after a few moments of silence, "One that I lack,"[/color] just a reminder that despite her being a vampire and having all the time in the world - time was something Jusztina simply did not have.[/blockquote][/size]

[Nathaniel Devlin]

Ah yes, emotions, emotions, emotions. Nate had accomplished his goal with his interesting, yet dangerous ploy—he had made the vamp queen furious. Her scent practically engulf him with her anger at his apparent lack of personal space. It had worked. With the blonde’s emotions more refined into one dominant emotion, it was easier to read her. Sure, other emotions still toiled under it, but Nate could now determine what could be ignored and what couldn’t. Still, the ploy was dangerous, not to mention stupid. Nate was sure she’d be able to snap him in two if he wasn’t careful…especially since he wasn’t in his true form. Again, the openness of their encounter played to the young man’s advantage.

Her majesty spoke as she took her hand away gently from his as she spoke sweetly, though her scent was anything but. Nate had imagined a snake coiled to describe her scent before but now…it was more deadly. No animal in the world could describe her anger. She felt…repulsed by him. Good. Nate thought as she walked away from him while she continued to speak.

Again, another opportunity to flee. Oh how easy it would be to just leave and let this all be some sort of weird dream Nate could later deny. The vamp queen was too big a fish for most, much more so for Nate. Fleeing wouldn’t be looked down upon; rather, it was the best option. Ah, but then, when did Nate ever choose the best option?

The young werewolf easily caught up with the blonde as she walked leisurely along the street, her posture still different from those around herself. It was displaced, as much as her accent was. Before he could speak, the blonde spoke again as she warned the young werewolf, her tone all nonchalant about it. Nate didn’t need a reminder about that. Her scent was enough. The plan had worked, but that didn’t mean he would do it again anytime soon.

Nate had grown rather fond with life.

“I’d rather use Your majesty,” Nate spoke brightly, exuding an air of cheer as he brushed off the woman’s earlier threat. “And yes, it’s about money—no death wishes for me thank you—but it doesn’t mean I’m after any of yours if that’s what you’re thinking.” Nate smirked. Yeah, stealing money wasn’t something Nate had never been able to accomplish—his conscience wouldn’t let it…whatever was left of it anyway. Call it a quirk or what have you, but Nate had always been adamant about it. He never really stopped to wonder why though.

“You see, your majesty, I’m Private Investigator and I’ve been tasked to find someone. Apparently, that someone was you…at least, that’s how it looks right now.” He flashed her a smile, as he ended, his eyes locked on hers.

Now that she knew his purpose, he wondered what she’d do. They were approaching the Red Light District, one of the worst places a werewolf would be, especially one without a pack such as Nate. This place was full of bloodsucking vamps; all of whom he was sure weren’t really friendly with his kind. Nate had made his bed though and he would be damned if he didn’t lie in the thing.

[Jusztina Draculesti]

[STYLE=font-family: times new roman; text-align: justify; border-bottom: 0px solid #DBDB70; padding: 0px;] When he stated his purpose, her anger and frustration vanished from her mind, replaced once again with a sort of amusement only she could conjure up. She actually laughed when he said that the supposed someone he was looking for was her. The laughter was light, airy, and to any mortal it could almost be considered innocent. Her late husband once said her laughter was the most human thing about her – if anything – the only human thing left but to other super-naturals, they twisted its meaning into something deadly and menacing because nothing so cheerful could come from the depth of something so vile, “I was just going to give you money so you can run along and stop being a pesky dog,” she said this with a wicked smile on her face, suddenly feeling as lightweight as a feather with every step she took, “but your determination is adorable, really,” she took one last step onto the main block of the Red Light District, turning slightly to face him, “You can continue following. I’ll make sure no one touches a hair on you head,”

[/i] a glimmer of trouble flashed through her bright blue orbs but she had stopped, as if giving him time to make his decision. Jusztina wasn’t very angry anymore and she most definitely felt more at ease on her supposed home turf. Still, she wasn’t lying when she said she wouldn’t let anyone harm him. Her word was law. If she wanted a dog with her, she could damn well have a dog with her.

But there was always a catch, wasn’t there? Where as no one else could harm a hair on his head – she excluded the right directly for herself. If she saw it fit, she would kill him herself. She didn’t want anyone else doing it. It wouldn’t really be a victory, but it would be fun and amusing for the time being, “So who is this person sending you to your death bed, Nate?”[/i] her and her games. She liked this…probably enjoyed it more than she should but she always did find amusement in the oddest of ways. She was already picturing him saying one thing wrong and her snatching him up, taking him to her little dungeon in the basement facility of her home, and placing him on the top of a large stake; sitting there with a warm wine glass of blood, watching and clapping with delight as his body slipped down it for a wonderfully slow and torturous death. To think when she was mortal she disliked such ways of torture but after going through it herself, she thought of it better than the fake violence displayed on television screens, “Because I have a proposition for you, though I am sure you will deny it since you obviously lack the mental capability to see it as something positive instead of negative.”[/i]

If it was really money he was after, other than her, she could offer him money. She had more than enough in a few Swiss bank accounts (she did not trust American banks…anyone who did had to be just stupid) and by the slight hollowness and almost desperation (almost), she figured he’d need the money more so than her head which, chances are, he wouldn’t be able to obtain. She walked only a tad bit more into the district but made sure to stay away from the important buildings. The last thing she needed was a dog sniffing around. Not that he’d make it anywhere in this district without Jusztina herself accompanying him.

Most in these parts were commanded to kill werewolves, especially lone ones, on sight. No questions asked. This, of course, stemming from the age-old tale of vampires and werewolves being sworn enemies. The queen stopped under a specific street lamp with Lafayette Street written in curly white lettering, the lamp itself dim like candlelight. The pole was black as was everything else in the district. The whole place looked like it practically oozed sensuality and seduction with the French and Eastern-Europe, Spanish, and Italian inspired architecture on the various buildings. No American of course. She had a bit of a vendetta against the country despite loving its supposed freedom and such, “So what will it be, Nate?” she grinned, her fangs not visible since they were hidden. The scent of vampires clung to every molecule in the air as she waited, knowing she didn’t have to remind him of her lack of patience.


[/blockquote][/size]

[Nathaniel Devlin]

Well, that was surprising. Nate hadn’t calculated the blonde’s response to his words. Yes, the young werewolf had expected laughter, but a more menacing or sarcastic kind—nothing like this. Her earlier emotion of rage got swept away by a deluge of amusement towards the young werewolf as she genuinely laughed at his statement. Her laugh was light and sunny—something you wouldn’t expect from a literally cold-blooded murderer. Still, Nate couldn’t help, but get sidetracked a bit by her laugh. It was so unexpected and, if he were being truly honest with himself, her best feature.

The vamp spoke then, her smile wide as the ghosts of her laughter remained on her face. Another surprise. Nate couldn’t help but blink at her statement. The adorable part, Nate brushed off, as well as her attempt at a pay off, seeing as he didn’t really care about such things, but the last part was unexpected. It was unheard of for a werewolf, a lone one at that, to enter the Red Light district—otherwise known as vampire territory—but to actually invited in, by the vamp queen herself! What was even more surprising though was that she had told the truth. The young werewolf’s ability was infallible—there was no way around to cheating it. Nate had to admit, he was flattered—and even more wary. To a regular person, they wouldn’t be able to catch the part her majesty left out. Fortunately, Nate wasn’t normal. He detected her little loophole. Though no one else could harm the young man inside the Red District, that didn’t mean she couldn’t.

It was to be expected of course.

“That’s very generous of you, your majesty,” Nate spoke cheerily as he stepped over the imaginary line that divided the rest of the city from vamp territory. Already, Nate felt a shiver down his back as his hairs stood on end, but he didn’t show it. Again, appearances had to be kept especially now since he had just entered enemy territory. Nate didn’t really understand why he was still following the blonde—no money was worth risking your life like this. But Nate had already come too far to go back now.

So into the lion’s den the little wolf went.

Draculesti began to speak as soon as Nate stepped in, keeping her pace leisure yet visibly slower than before. She was sticking close to him. Of course she needed to be. Her mere presence beside him gave the young werewolf protection. Without her by his side, he was sure to be dead. Oddly, the young man wasn’t afraid, but rather amused by the whole scenario. To be given a personal tour by the head of vamps, and not just any guest, but a werewolf at that! No one would ever believe Nate if he ever retold this. It was too impossible to even think about. The impossible was happening though as the young man looked around him. His thoughts were so occupied by unfamiliar surroundings as he tried to mentally record each nook in cranny into his mind, that he had almost failed to hear the woman’s proposition.

Nate couldn’t help but give a little amused smile at the blonde. Ah of course. The woman wanted information—her scent told as much. She was still highly amused, but she also had a hint of another emotion—curiosity. That was the name of the game here…information. The blonde had stopped beneath a sign written in script that said Lafayette Street as she ended with a question, flashing the young were wolf a smile.


“Ah yes, the client,” Nate began, flashing the blonde his own smile, “Sorry, cant give away that info—I have a reputation to keep up,” he said as he glanced around him quickly, spotting different escape routes if things got too dangerous, “but I would like to hear your proposition. After all, I’m not as dumb as I look.”

Now Nate didn’t look dumb. He knew that. It just made more sense to play her game and take her little jabs. Right now she controlled the board and it was in Nathaniel’s best interest to play along.

[Jusztina Draculesti]

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"Over the years,"

[/i] she began slowly after he gave her the green light, "I've come to realize something about the werewolf species that is surprisingly similar to that of the vampires,"[/i] her eyes were bright with amusement as if she were telling some twisted little fairy tale to a child who's head she was about to rip off, "well, it's something all species have in common, really,"[/i] she said that bit off handedly as if it was irrelevant, "Money, power, satisfaction, some form of wealth and status. You're thin for a werewolf, even a young one,"[/i] she was eyeing him up and down as she spoke, though she really didn't have room to talk about being thin. Despite her curves, her stomach was concave so her hips bones would jut out a bit. She had a slight hollowness to her cheeks making her high cheek bones much too noticeable and when she wore tight pants, her thighs did not touch. Anyone who knew anything about the 1400's knew that when she was born, she was practically considered the most ugliest thing on the planet just because she was too thin. But in the modern world, she was considered delicious in the eyes of men. Something she was secretly grateful for.

"I won't give you power, of course, because you're a dog and I wouldn't gain anything from it,"[/i] she was being rational and logical but dancing around the point, "I'm guessing you need food to eat? Have a roof you'd like to keep over your head? By the looks of it, whoever hired you does not pay you enough - especially if they are sending you after me," now came her pride like she was some kind of big time game he had to hunt down that would always slip away right out of his fingertips, "I know you hate us leeches,"[/i] she said the derogatory word almost in a loving manner as if she'd grown so accustomed to it and just gotten so damn fond of it, "but wouldn't you prefer double, maybe even triple that pay for simply giving me what I want?"[/i] and there was her proposition. She wanted to know who sent him, why they would send someone like him, what exactly they were after and since he was a werewolf, in the meantime she could study him while he fetched her information and sent her little message back to whomever it was. He would play messenger but for her team and in return, no vampire would touch him (of course excluding herself should he betray her of course) and he would get a generous pay, obviously more than whoever sent him.

Jusztina was sure he needed the money. No young werewolf would be stupid enough to come after her alone. Plus, if he thought he could simply memorize where he was in vampire territory, he was purely mistaken. After all, if he came back - without her aid - he'd be slaughtered and everyone who he decided to bring with him. She would make it her personal mission he suffered in her infamous dungeons in her own home while she watched and feasted, laughing happily over how silly he looked slipping down a large stake so his blood flowed down into the drain in the center of the room. She didn't like the mess after all. He had to understand where she was coming from with all of this. She invited him into her territory to show she could be trusted, that she could keep her promises but should he double cross her, she wouldn't hesitate to make sure he was nothing more than a pile of limbs burning in a fireplace. The information was both valuable and invaluable to her but it was a risk she could easily take. Of course, should he not take up her proposition, she could always either a) kill him or b) let him live so she could have fun tracking/hunting him down and then killing him. She liked the second option better. Anyone who knew anything about Jusztina knew she liked it when her prey ran. In a way she was like a lioness - and catching her prey was just that much more amusing than having it handed over to her.

Patiently, she glanced down the street before looking down at the thin watch around her skinny wrist. She was obviously waiting for someone or something as she looked back over at him expectantly. She had work to do after this; work back at home and this was just a spot she had asked to be picked up at, just because she was much too lazy and her mind much too clouded to actually make it all the way back to her home deep within the confines of the Red Light District. She normally let only vampire elders into the private quarters of her vast home. The other parts of her home were open to most vampires - but only when they needed to directly speak with her which she always did encourage no matter how scary she seemed to be. The coven was her family and her home was always a refuge for them, a fort should things go wrong and its location remained hidden from the other species. She made sure of it.

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[Nathaniel Devlin]

The blonde spoke then, her tone somber though her scent was strongly amused with just a hint of…maliciousness? The young werewolf had no time to think about that though as he listened intently to the woman’s proposal. This part of the situation was delicate. Regardless of what the proposal entailed, Nate already had his answer. The problem was putting his answer appropriately as to not piss of the woman before him. Normally, these kinds of situations were easy to handle since Nate had some way with his words, unfortunately he was dealing with a vampire. They had always been known for their disastrous mood swings. One false step and Nate might just get a first hand experience…and probably his last. He knew the blonde could easily rip his head off if she wanted too, especially now that she was on home turf, but that didn’t stop him from grinning at her for her comment on his figure.

“It’s genes,” Nate said at the blonde’s off-hand comment. From the limited amount of werewolves he had met over the years Nate had always been an oddity. Unlike his well-muscled bretheren, Nate was thin—scrawny even. That didn’t matter to the young man though. His body wasn’t built for strength, but speed; an aspect of his werewolf powers he was proud of. As her majesty continued to speak, Nate had picked up a word that he wasn’t familiar with—at least, with how it was used.

Leeches.

For some reason, as Draculesti spoke the word, an emotion popped out suddenly. It smelled of…fondness. Strange, the blonde seemed to like the term used to describe her kind by those that disliked them. Nate brushed off the thought though. He needed to concentrate.

“I am…flattered by your proposal,” Nate said as he smiled at the blonde, though his eyes showed a tinge of sadness and sincerity, “But I’ll have to decline your offer. As I said before—I have a reputation to keep up. I might not be paid well enough for my services, but it is an honest service—well, as honest as these services can be—and I’d like to keep it that way.” He meant every word. There were no ploys or hidden agendas as he answered the woman. It was all true. He loved his job and everything that came with it. In the underground, he was somewhat reputable, not only because he got the job done, but also because of how he handled his clients. No one ever knew who his clients were—at least, no one could get them from Nate. In all honesty, he was grateful for the woman’s honesty and somewhat amused by her proposal so in exchange he did the same—at least for the former part. Her proposal was to be expected though. There aren’t many left in Arc City that couldn’t be bought with just the right amount of money. Sadly, Nate was too dumb to be bought. Rather than accepting a big pay off, and possibly live, he chose to be true to his values and, if things went as these things usually do, he’d probably be running for his life a few moments from now…or even be possibly dead. Again, Nate wasn’t the sharpest tool in shed at the moment. His tone suddenly dropped then as he removed all pretenses from it, his eyes locked on the blonde’s.

“But I will tell you this,” Nate said, his tone a-matter-of-fact, “My job didn’t specifically mean you, though it may have turned out to be. I was tracking a serial killer with a sloppy clean up—Am I keeping you from something?” The young werewolf had noticed the blonde as she looked about her and checked her watch—she was waiting for something…or someone. Again, he felt danger. It was already bad enough he had to deal with the vamp in front of him, but to have to deal with another…

Though the vampire queen had promised safety, that didn’t mean the young werewolf would take her word for it completely. After all, the first thing everyone needed to learn to survive Arc City was to trust no one.

[Jusztina Draculesti]

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Jusztina's feline orbs wavered on his as he spoke, her own narrowing at his decline but instead of anger bubbling up within her, frustration at not getting her way - something she was much too used to since turning into a vampire - she seemed surprised in a good way. It was something that caught even her off guard and for a second, she felt her humanity wanting to tug its way through her blackened soul to see the light but she forced the emotions back down and locked them up tightly. She wasn't going to have a dog bring about a girl that no longer existed. She was no longer seventeen years old prancing around the Carpathian Mountains and trusting every traveler she came across, inviting them to her family's castle for shelter and food. No, she wasn't the sweet and innocent girl she once was and she refused to revert back to her. Deep down, she wanted to trust absolutely everyone but she knew that wasn't the case. With her reputation of being more ruthless and merciless than her husband, who had unintentionally taught her everything he knew, was what gave her power, strength, and kept anyone from hurting her. She was the one who would strike first. Not the other way around.

But as she eyed him and he mentioned a serial killer, her head cocked to the side in curiosity before she moved closer to him, a bit too close for anyone's liking but the amusement was there again, replacing the mixture of human emotions that made a bit of a debut when they shouldn't have, "You're lucky I like you, dog," which was more truth than lie though that sort of truth didn't pop up until now with his honesty. It was one quality in people she tended to reward-no matter the species, "it isn't a vampire,"

[/i] she nipped at his nose before stepping back and chuckling, "At least not one of my coven. If it was I would have dealt with them already,"[/i] despite her fierce loyalty to her coven, to her family, she did not tolerate such acts. Each of her children were taught to eat better than that. It didn't mean there wasn't some rogue vampire outside of her coven who was doing the killing - they just weren't part of her coven. She had eyes and ears everywhere and every vampire within the coven knew how she was. She only turned humans worthy of becoming vampires - who could provide some type of asset to their faction. If they weren't any good, she usually killed them. Whether they got killed swiftly or tortuously slow was a different story.

"Let me know when you find them - if they are a vampire that is,"[/i] she was being honest, "and you will get a nice little doggy treat,"[/i] she said it with a specific tone. She sounded like an owner who adored her pet but she was just amusing herself. Of course, the treat meant she would pay him - but only should it be a vampire. She needed to know these things of course. Last thing she needed was someone exposing the vampires to humans or giving them a bad reputation of being sloppy. She'd simply been distracted tonight but she knew the body she dumped in the river would be eaten by fish or float down far enough that even if he was found, finding the one who killed him would be easier said than done. Her distraction had stemmed from where it usually stemmed from: occasionally mixing up which era she was in. She was no longer "Elizabeth Bathory" who was able to bring whomever she wanted to her castle and practically bath in their blood before dumping their bodies out her window to a literal pit below that servants cleaned once a week. Those were the days she missed as a vampire - she didn't really have to hide in Romania where folklore was so heavily depended on and people avoided anything resembling it like the plague. It had been fun and as much as hiding had its perks-it had made her wish she could roam freely like she once had, "In case you don't understand the analogy,"[/i] her voice dripped with sarcasm, "You will receive money," and she laughed again, softly, before she brushed her hair away from her face.

"Thank you, though,"[/i] she was serious again, being sincere, "For not being stupid like the rest of your kind and lying," it was something she was obviously using to judge him and her judgment of him went from a pesky werewolf to a decent, honest, yet still pesky one.
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[Frezzik Don Kiplen]

A pair of black greenwich wingtips would give away his approach as he walked down the street in the heart of the vampire territory as they seemed to tap across the concrete with each step he took as he headed towards the two. The size elevens would make more sound then normal for the five foot ten, thirty-four year old. He looked about a hundred eighty pounds but his foot falls marked him at least a hundred pounds heavier, for he was. Born with myostatin-related muscle hypertrophy his muscles were twice as dense then any other normal humans. It made him faster and naturally stronger then any normal human his size. Hell, his max bench was set at seven hundred and fifty pounds, and that was without any aid of his other abilities that allowed him to push further, a feat done by only the biggest of professional body builders. The difference though was clear though between a body builder and himself, he was much more flexible and faster.

As he passed under a streetlight one could tell he was a man clad in black. The black denim jeans contrasting greatly between the polished shoes and the black satin shirt he was wearing under the open leather jacket. His KA-BAR seemed to be missing from his thigh but he would not be without it having his belt hold the sheath behind his back and under the jacket. A simple silver chain would adorn his neck exposed by the top few buttons of his shirt being undone. His slicked back hair completed the look of a thug or hired arm how ever this was not his occupation. He was a killer for certain however, his years throughout the elites in U.S. military and even the Black Ops. made sure of that when they took him into the Hell-Hound Project. That fate full project turned him from a normal human with a gene defect to a that of a gifted man. Allowing him to take the magical energy around him and boost his strength, his speed, ten times his normal limits. He could also cause that same energy to harden his muscles to make a near perfect shield but the main focus of the project allowed him to tap into that same energy around him and bend light around him causing himself to disappear. All in all it made him into a human hell hound, unfortunately after the years spent in that program he used those same abilities granted him to go rogue.

He made his living now as a contracted hire, a magician of sorts for he had a nack for making problems disappear. His weapon of choice, the KA-BAR he was first issued when he was eighteen. Frezzik specialized in decapitation with that foot long tool after all, all it took was a push from behind the head causing it to tilt forward as he brought his knife back through the neck. With the victims head down, not only did it lower the oh so messy blood gush but it stopped the target from being able to make a sound. Making it a quick, silent kill. Silence and invisibility were the two aces he played while on a job. It is what would allow him to do a job any where without him being caught, whether it be in a crowd, on stage, or in a fortress guarded by teams of men.

Tonight however he was off duty lighting up a cigarette as he walked. His nineteen sixty-nine Pontiac GTO would be parked blocks away. Was it fate that had moved him to come to this area, on this night. No. It was planned after all you had to sell yourself for future employers. Closing the lid of the zippo he would pocket the lighter as he closed the distance. The sent of the Marlboro red would fill his nostrils as he took a deep breath in before letting the smoke out. He would catch a few words of the conversation between the two already present. A smile coming to his lips when he heard the word money. That was something he worked for however his price fluctuated with each job. If it was simplistic and mundane he usually charged a little extra as a boredom fee. If he wanted to kill the man already he had gone as low as a single crumpled federal reserve note marked with the face of Washington, but he had really and I mean really wanted to kill that man.

He would stop there and lean against the wall of a near by building as he waited for the two to stop talking after all it would have been rude to interrupt the two.

[Nathaniel Devlin]

Before he could finish his question, the blonde suddenly moved closer towards the young man. Shit, Nate thought as he tensed up. The woman was too close for comfort as her scent enveloped the young man. He wanted nothing more than to step back, but that wasn’t an option. If he did, not only would it be rude, but it could also be potentially dangerous. His thoughts became jumble as the blonde spoke, her breath punching the young man’s nose with her retching scent as she nipped it before stepping back.

Nate needed to think, to process the vampire’s words as he rubbed his nose. She had given him a good lead. All she had said was true; judging by the lack of warning his ability usually gave about lies. Someone else was the culprit. The vamp queen was just at the wrong place at the wrong time, though it may have been fruitful for the young man to meet the blonde. It was like killing two birds with one stone. He now had information regarding the serial killer, a rogue vamp apparently, though Nate figured as much as well something else. This wasn’t the time though as to get distracted by other work. He had to concentrate on what was in front of him. He had sensed danger as the wind swept through them, alerting the young werewolf of another presence. In the midst of the vampire infested district, the man’s scent stuck out. He smelled…wrong—like a human, but not a human. Nate couldn’t figure out what he was. He had never encountered someone who smelled like him. For some reason, his scent smelled vaguely like that of chemicals…that and blood, lots of it. He smelled of death as well though not as potent as the blonde in front of him. Still, a person who smelled weird and was bathed in the scent of blood wasn’t a good thing—even if they didn’t smell as bad as others.

“Thanks,” Nate said, flashing the blonde a smile as if her invasion of personal space was normal, though he still rubbed his nose a bit, “I’ll keep your offer in mind. It doesn’t go against any of my work anyway. The client never said anything about confidentiality about the serial killer’s whereabouts.” It was all true of course; there was no reason to lie about this. Sure, he’d tell her. The blonde was also potentially a future client, one who apparently paid well as she suggested. Nate had to face it—he needed more clients like Draculesti. Too many of his previous ones tried to get out of paying. Nate was getting tired of hunting those people down.

“You’ll find I’m very unlike my bretheren,” Nate continued, his tone light. Of course he was very unlike them. He wasn’t ruled by his emotions, nor dictated by his wolf tendencies. He had grown to control those fully; though he still had some temper issues…there was no avoiding that.

“By the way, have you noticed it yet?” Nate said after a short pause, his tone conversational, “Someone has been keeping an eye on us, I think he wants something.” Nate finished as he gestured his head towards the man standing behind them a few meters away. The man was leaning on a wall and judging by his scent, was at ease. Either he knew the vamp or was too confident in his abilities…whatever they were. The young man didn’t mind though. Overconfidence was a great weakness to exploit. Underestimating the young werewolf due to his scrawny nature and youth had proved to be a bad idea, as his enemies would tell you, though he doubted they woul as they were no longer alive.

[Jusztina Draculesti]

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The shift in the air had caught her attention as Nathaniel spoke and was suddenly asking her if she'd caught what he caught. Her head had moved slightly in the direction of the wind and the person, as if to get a better reading before she looked over at Nathaniel with trouble written in her eyes, "You are on my territory," she said with just enough volume so the man could hear her, making special emphasis on the word my, "Stop being a coward and hiding in the shadows. We can smell you from a mile away,"

[/i] she crossed her arms gently over her chest as she turned her face away from the young werewolf to the man who seemed relaxed. He shouldn't be. He was in territory crawling with vampires. She had promised to protect Nathaniel but she hadn't promised to protect this intruder. Already, out of the corner of her eyes and with the feel of her fine hairs on the back of her neck standing up, she could tell that other vampires who hadn't been visible before seemed to be coming out of the shadows. Some were on rooftops, looking below with their eyes glowing, fixed on the intruder and the young werewolf standing next to their queen. Jusztina seemed at ease, despite the hissing sounds coming from her children, some in a few windows that were darkened, others in alleyways or starting down the street, looking ready to leap on whomever attacked Jusztina first, "Do not touch the wolf. I promised,"[/i] she stated bluntly in a very low, whispered tone but she knew the leeches around her could hear her just as she could hear their extra low, warning hissing sounds. If they were dogs, they would be growling and snarling at the intruders though the man at ease, by the looks of it, just seemed like he'd be their lunch.

She raised one hand and it seemed the mini army froze in their positions in the shadows, their eyes like glowing orbs floating in place. Her eyes were transfixed on this very tall man, blue orbs glowing as they looked him up and down, "I recommend staying close, Nathaniel,"[/i] she said simply, again with only the necessary volume so he could hear her. She was walking, her heels clicking on the pavement, toward the man but she stopped halfway down the street that seemed to empty itself out. The halfway point. He'd have to come the rest of the way. Plus, she couldn't protect Nathaniel if he was all the way on the sidewalk could she? And this was her territory. She didn't want werewolf blood spilled on it. The last thing she needed was more pesky wolves coming into her land. Nor did she want to keep smelling him in the pavement whenever she walked by.

"Your name,"[/i] it sounded more like a command than a request as she crossed her arms again, not amused that she had been followed yet again. She was normally much more careful and she was also, normally, with Javier - who always alerted her of such things and people. She normally didn't have to necessarily pay attention to her surroundings. Not when she had others doing it for her and by the looks of it, they had been watching for a while. The man didn't entirely smell human. He just smelled off and she kept it in mind as she waited but her patience was already wearing thin. If he didn't outright say his name in a few seconds, she would just let her coven take care of him. She didn't feel like honestly dealing with someone else when she was currently dealing with a werewolf, and of course, your intentions,"[/i] she added after a brief pause. If he didn't listen, she'd probably snap at him. She didn't like disobedience and the chances of her fingers going around this man's neck and either snapping it in half of drinking him dry were running higher and higher the longer she was met with silence.

She could feel her children starting to creep closer and closer in and she held up her hand again, this time in a much more stern manner and they froze again, obviously not liking this guy or hungry enough that it didn't matter if they found him a threat or not. They wanted his blood and Jusztina would give it to them if she hadn't noticed how off his scent. Her eyes never once left his face as she studied it, muscles ready to spring into action should the need arise. Really, she knew she could just turn into mist or fog and be down with it but she had this pesky werewolf to protect now. She had made the promise that no harm would come to him and had done so with many vampire witnesses who, though would love to see a werewolf perish, would also judge her character for not keeping such a simple promise. Truth be told, Jusztina did care a great deal about her reputation. Pride clung to her like a second skin and she'd never, not even in her mortal life, been one to not keep a promise she made - nor make one she couldn't keep.

But whomever this person was, they should know they were in serious danger and that he was heavily outnumbered. One false move and he would be lunch.
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[Frezzik Don Kiplen]

Smiling Frezzik would remove the cigarette from his lips cause for a moment he weighed the option of saying that his name was John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt after all, apparently that was everyone's name ,"Don", he stated giving his middle name instead of his first as he followed up,"Kiplen also known as the human hell hound."Frezzik hated his first name so naturally he left that out as he started to walk forward to meet with the vampire. Focusing on the light around him, he would bend it and thus cause him to appear to disappear from site however his cigarette would not be part of his vanishing act causing the lit stick to appear to float as it came back to Frezzik's mouth and glow brighter red as he took a deep drag. His breath letting out a slow steady stream of the full flavored smoke as he continued to speak,"As for intentions, I was hoping to speak with you when you were done with him."

His body coming visible once more s the light that was warped around his body returned back to their normal routes revealing Kiplen as he gestured to the person standing by the queen of that which surrounded them. Even surrounded though his heart rate continued to beat steadily at fifty-two beats per minute. True it did seem low but he was a well trained athlete of sorts. As he slowly rolled the tip of his cigarette till it was in between his thumb and ring finger of his left hand as he drew in the ambient energies around him,"But if you insist, I hope you know hell hounds are known for three things. Invisibility, strength,"

Frezzik spoke and flicked the Marlboro with not only all the power of his ring finger but the added power of the magic around him. The movement not only causing the cig to fly by one of the vamps in a higher up window but for miss Jusztina Draculesti, and possibly her guest, to hear the ripping and the tearing of both his profundus and superficialis tendons in that finger. The act did not cause him to scream but instead give a sigh of pleasure as his pupils went wide in excitement and arousal. Pain no longer effected him like it did for normal beings. Frezzik embraced it, enjoyed it for their was no way some one could ignore pain. His words would only be broken by that sigh as he continued," and their ability to finish their side of the contract. However since I am no demon as you can clearly smell, I can go places they cant to hit my mark."

Hell hounds were also first circle demons but that was because they were the demon equivalent to a rottweiler or a pittbull in their tendencies. As a human he could out think a demon like that. "Now I'm not here to kill you or your other guest," nodding once again to the werewolf,"So that means that right now I'm free for hire."

Reaching into his jacket he would slowly retrieve one of his business cards. It was blank for now except for the words "heat me up" in black. The rest would be written in disappearing ink so it would take a flame to bring his info to the surface of the card and a quick toss in a freezer, or a blast with a fire extinguisher to make the ink disappear once more and stay that way throughout standard temperatures. It was a little cheesy but Frezzik did not mind as he offered it over for Jusztina to take.