The kiss of Fate ((open))

[nightstalker]

Ian turned away from Maximillion as the vampiress came closer to them. She didn't say anything so he took a small step closer "Well hello, My lady, how are on this night?"
He glanced at Maximillion and wondered what he might say to her coming over to them. Not that he cared what he said about it or cared.
He corssed his arms and waited for someone to speak and mainly watched the vampiress before them.

[maximillion]

Maximillion's golden eyes regarded Ian coolly, after watching the woman approach, and that notorious smirk of his appeared once again.

There are many things you are yet unaware of, he spoke to the other one silently, knowing Ian would 'hear' his words. If you are truly of HIS Bloodline. There is no shame in ignorance, for even a Methuselah will find that there are infinite numbers of things he has yet to learn. It is just when our minds are receptive to the information that we learn new things. I have been in existance since early Babylonia, and to this day, I still don't know everything, nor do I think I ever shall. Even if I could absorb the knowledge about everything in the world as it is now, only moments later, so much of it would change.

As he turned his back to the woman, in the direction of the diner, he stuffed his hands into his pocket and smoothed over his facial features to cool impassiveness.

And you should rejoice in the fact that your Sire, if he is truly that, has not met his Final Death. My own 'Sire', or rather who I shared blood with and was embraced by after his fall from grace in 1436, you might say was a great inspiration for me. He was like an uncle to the Count, you might say. Even to this day, I am not so sure I could outmatch the Count, despite having years over him. He amassed far more power politically than I ever have, which lended to his gaining power in other less known ways than I did. Though I still found ways...

He didn't know why he felt so compelled to share so much about himself. Perhaps he just didn't care for the politics anymore, and was just ready to let it all out. If someone had a problem with it, fine. That was there problem, and something they were going to have to deal with on their own.

He cleared his throat, and turned just enough in aknowledge the woman with the slightest tilt of his head in her direction, then turned back around.

Shall we go? he Sent back impatiently. We have no time to dally with women, when there is obviously so much left to know and do this night.

[wednesday]

"Hello.. I'm fine..And you?" Wednesday replied. She looked at the man who had asked and smiled.

She looked at the other one and her facial expression changed in a second. She for some reason felt he only wanted to get rid of her. She didn't care. He could do what he wanted but so could she.
She for some reason felt rather anoyed at the man who seemed to wanna get rid of her. She looked away from him and looked back to the other one.

[nightstalker]

Ian listened carefuly to the silent words from Maximillion's mind. And slightly nodded, mainly to himself though. He smiled and womdered what was behind this. Why he would so easily give away this information. When he, himself, always choose his words with great care. Not wanting to say too much or too little.

Sometimes blind ignorance was for the best.

Ian was glad to hear that Maximillion seemed to have at least some knowledge of the world.

'Well you are an impatient one.' He replied back, sending the thought to him through the short distance between them.
No time for women? That made him smile, but he was right there was much to talk about before the night was done.

Now he talked out loud to the vampiress "I'm afraid that out meeting will have to be cut short, My lady, but before I leave could I have the pleasure of knowing your name?"
Maximillion could wait for another moment, Ian never met a women and not learned her name.

[wednesday]

Wednesday smiled.
"I'm guessing that's his fault" Wednesday said nodded towards the other man.
She thought for a second about telling him her name.
"My name? That would be Wednesday" She replied and turned around.
She walked about ten steps and then turned around again.
She looked at the man who didn't seem to be very happy about her being there.
"I heard everything you two have talked about.. And you should always have time for a woman.. Because you never know who sent her or how much she knows" She winked at him and started walking again.

[maximillion]

Maximillion turned his golden eyes upon her, his look a most cold and unusually unpleasant one.

"Who sent them? Their reasons for being there? I know for a fact that women make for the deadliest assassins, most efficient Bounty Hunters, and they make it their goal to learn how to gain a man's coin without giving a thing in return. The first are untrustworthy, the second are competition, and the third just aren't worth my time."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a smoke, sticking it between his lips and lighting it. He took a few puffs, then pocketed the lighter, turning his seemingly glowing eyes upon her again.

"The name is Maximillion, Miss Wednesday." He said, obviously trying to extend at least *some* courtesy unto her. "One doesn't live as long as I have, and fight as hard as I have to survive, without being wary enough of other's intentions to safeguard themselves from harm. If my manner is abrasive, it is merely a side-effect of the life I have lived, and the people I've encountered. I will not change, but perhaps you will not take it so personally now."

[wednesday]

"Aah so you do actually know us" She said with a smile. She didn't turn around but kept stading there with her back turned to the two.

"And I don't care about your life story.. I care about what THEY tell me to do.. And you two have told me all I need to know and more.. So thank you" She said and started walking, slowly, again.

[nightstalker]

Ian didn't say anything. There was know point. Let her go with the information that she thinks she has. He wasn't going to try and stop her. He had learned her name and that was enough for him. He could easily find her again if he needed to.

He turned Maximillion "Come on lets get out of here." He didn't wait for an answer or if he was following. Ian started walking toward the diner. His arms back at his side and his black eyes always looking around.

[maximillion]

His eyes narrowed as she turned and walked away, his eyes flashing again. Her scent, in synesthetic form, trailed around and behind her in his sights, and he memorized the look and feel of it as she left, then turned back to Ian, getting the same on him.

After registering the two of them, his eyes seemed to dim in color a bit and he clasped his hands together behind his back was beside Ian, heading along the street to the diner, not a word spoken until they got there.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

"Bacon cheeseburger, strawberry shake, and cheese fries." Maximillion said, speaking to the waitress who had come to their table. As the woman turned her attention to Ian, the ebony vampire looked out the window. It had begun to drizzle a bit outside, but nothing too unpleasant. It actually had somewhat of a calming, nostalgic feel.

Like those old 50's movies in black-and-white that usually had some detective standing out in the streets in a light rain, musing to himself about the case he was on.

He turned to Ian, patiently waiting for the other man to make his order, if he did. He knew most vampires didn't trifle with food, due to how little the stuff did for them anymore, but the ebony vampire still enjoyed the taste of it, and usually used food as a chaser for when he 'fed'.

Would he eat? This was perhaps the next part in what he would find out about Ian. Notsomuch if he EVER ate food, but if he would do so in front of him.

[nightstalker]

Ian hardly paid any attention when Maximillion ordered his food. And he didn't look at the waitress when she turned to him. He looked at Maximillion without really seeing. He was too busy thinking.
Finally, pushing back his pride, he glanced at the waitress "water, double cheeseburger- hold the ketchup, and mustard please." He looked away from her and then she left.
Ian looked out the window, watching the slient rain.
He shook his head and looked around the diner, glad to have so few people here.

He waited for Maximillion to speak first, after he was the one who wanted to come here. It wasn't a bad choice, Ian could only think of one othr place he would rather be, and that was home. But he would be there soon enough. It was just a mattr of time.

[wednesday]

Wednesday walked down the street with an annoyed facial expression.
'Stupid bastard! I wasted so much of my night and he wouldn't pay me! That vampire kinda forgot to mention that it's not only women who lie so much you would think they died if they stopped' She thought and cursed under her breath.

She decided to stop working for whoever had money. She had no idea what she would do now when it came to earning some money.
She had alot of options but none seemed appealing seeing as she wasn't such a big fan of being told what to do.

She walked down an almost empty street. She suddenly stopped and turned her head.
Her eyes widened when she saw who she had felt was looking at her. Maximillion. She wasn't sure if he actually was looking at her. She looked at him. He wasn't as awful as she had first thought. But then again at that point she only judged him by the fact that he seemed to want to get rid of her in a matter of very few seconds.
She smirked and kept looking at him.

[maximillion]

"She followed."

He had his hands steepled in front of him just enough to hide his mouth moving as he spoke to Ian, his eyes not leaving the glass window pane.

"But as to what I brought up to you earlier, I am sure you are wondering why someone who has been around as long as I have would so willingly divulge such information about themselves. Well, you will learn, these eyes can see beyond what normal eyes can, or even the eyes of most of our kind. I am also a very powerful synesthetic, and can use those abilities to discern much about someone that even they themselves may not be aware of."

As the waitress brought his shake over, and Ian's water, Maximillion looked back out the window, at the girl who was standing out there in the rain, watching him. She actually was unwittedly adding to the 50's black 'n' white movie stereotype, as the lady who waited out, hesitating and wondering whether she should approach the story's hero or not.

"You can do no irreparable harm to me, and I have no reason to do any unto you. You're conflicted, yet resolute. Unlike some, I am not so ignorant as to try and categorize you as Vampire Type #12, or Vampire Type #3. I understand that all sentient beings, regardless of origin, each have their own unique strengths, weaknesses, quirks, perks, personalities and dispositions. You are conflicted, as are most of our ilk, but you have seriously taken some time to ponder just what and who you are. Dealing in close quarters with *him* certainly mustn't have helped much."

He then grins, turning to face Ian directly.

"Fledgeling Vampires, and even the wishful claim to know the Count. They galavant about the city, wearing cloaks and fancy garb, claiming to be THIS of the Count... THAT of the Queen...THIS of Lestat, and THAT of so-and-so from some vampire series or another. Truth is, nobody who has worked with him would think it something to be proud of. True, he has immeasurable power, both raw and political, but he is a very conniving man, and stubborn as any mule I've ever seen. Anyone who has found working with him a necessity has found themselves giving up mansions in exchange for a used condom wrapper, and has found themselves sacrificing far more than they ever saw themselves sacrificing just to receive even half of what they came to him for."

He looked down at his milkshake, taking a sip from it, and sighing. The flavor washed across his taste buds, and he smiled. Then he scowled. All the great taste in the world, and he would have to drink that foul-tasting crimson liquid as soon as he got back to his home.

"Vlad is a cruel, and unbending man. Dealing with him can leave people psychologically scarred, even if on a mostly unnoticeable level. You are just scarred enough, in my opinion, to have dealt in close quarters with him, in my opinion. Myself, you might say I am like a cousin to him, though our Earthly origins are quite different. I was a 'savior' of sorts of the Babylonian people before the days of Christ....who, by the way, I never personally saw, though a topic for another time. When I was at a crossroads in my life, I came across Alexandru, who was the progeny of the same Methuselah who embraced Vlad. He was visibly scarred from his dealings with his own brother, and in the end demanded that I take his Lifeblood, and leave his corpse in the sun so that he would never have to feel the pain again."

He kept his voice low, so much that it would sound to onlookers as if he was just humming under his breath. Only to their heightened senses of Hearing, would his words be clear.

"Long story short, the Count is not dead. He may not be active right now, but he is far from dead. I would prove it to you, but I would be putting myself at risk in order to do so. After all, despite my age, wealth and power, nothing in this world is Eternal, and Vlad is cunning enough to most likely complicate things for me, since I haven't had as much exposure to politics as he has."

By this time, their food was ready, and it was set down on the table in front of them. He looked up with a half-smile, concealing his elongated canines, and gently nudged his empty shake-glass over to the edge of the table, towards her.

"Would you be a dear and please refill my drink? It would be most appreciated." he said, with a wink. The woman, a Plain Jane most men wouldn't look twice at, blinked at him, then her lips curved into a shy smile as she took the cup and went to refill it.

Once she was safely around the corner, he turned to Ian again.

"So...tell me a bit about yourself. I can understand caution and being wary, but surely you have something to share after I've divulged as much as I have about myself, right?"

[nightstalker]

Ian didn't need to look out the window again to know she was there. He closed his eyes for a moment in irritation, then slowly opened them once more.

"It is not so easy for me to divulge information. It is my belief that Vlad is dead becuase I saw him die. However as you say maybe he is alive, but if that is so then i'm afraid he will come find me soon enough. And when he does he wont be very happy to know that I haven't been looking for him. It will not matter to him that we're 'friends' or that I have noone sinse I was seven. Vlad is indead cruel he would make me beg for death and still he would not end my life." He was looking down at the table when their drinks were brought over. Ian reached over and took his water, then handed it back to the waitress saying it wasn't cold enough. after she had left the table Ian looked up to face him "My punishment shall be much worse then last time."

His eyes seemed to fog over as his memories flashed in his mind. His last real thought before his memores took over was wondering if Maximillion would be able to see them to if he tried hard enough.


The very first memory lasted only a minute, it was when Ian was seven and h had met Vlad in crowed market in Romania. They became friends almost instantly. Then in a flash, Ian was standing in a dark room hidding away in a far corner. It was a cell. He could feel the loneliness, and his bloodlust as he stood there, watching the door. Then slowly it opened up and there Vlad stood, his eyes glowing and a smile on his face.
Ian jumped then fell to his knees. Valds laughter filled the small cell and In hardly dared to look up at his master in fear of meeting his clod gaze. When he finally did look up, Vlad was gone but the door was still open. Ian rose to his feet and walked out the door and turned around he corner and came face-to-face with him. His master said only this 'Do not show you unloyalty again.' before he was gone.

With a start Ian shook his head and looked back around the diner, trying to remember where he as. Then he remembered and looked over at Maximillion, then back down at the table

He couldn't allow that to happen again. He reached his hand down and felt in his pocket to make sure it still held th vile of blood for after he left here. It would be enough to keep his mind clear until he went home.

When he realized he had a class of water he reached over and grabed it and took a small drink.

He wanted to tell this man more about himself but was unsure if he could truely trust him with what ever he said.
"How can I be sure I can trust you?" He asked, his voice low but strong. When he looked back up at him he was back in control of himself and seemed more calm then normal.

[maximillion]

Maximillion shrugs.

"The only people who need fear me are those who would try and bring me harm. Otherwise, there are few in this world I wouldn't welcome as a friend. Call it old age, or loneliness, but that's just how I am. I have the blood of countless Vampires on my hands, but they each brought me close, only to get better access when they tried to plant their knives in my back. I wasn't called Kinslayer for nothing."

There, he had said it.

Kinslayer.

The name of a Vampire who had went around, cloaked in black, killing vampires in the night before they could prey on others. His appearances at first were rare and few, then they had become more numerous. Vampires had been slain by the dozens on a daily basis, and then suddenly one day, they disappeared.

He hadn't spoken of that title of his in a long time, and he was sure Ian would find it disturbing to learn that HE was "The Kinslayer", but he felt deep down Ian might understand. After finding out just how conniving and vile vampires could be, perhaps he would understand that people just had to do what they had to do.

"It's not a past I'm most proud of, but after trying so hard to be accepted, and everyone I turned to just trying to betray me, I went on a rampage that lasted an entire 635 years. Perhaps that, my friend, will tell you why I can be trusted. Because the people who would hunt you down would just as soon be glad to find me and do away with me too. One such as myself would never conspire with your enemies to do you wrong. I'd have absolutely nothing to gain, other than bringing your enemies closer so I can kill them myself. It has been awhile since I've Hunted..."

He then looks at Ian and gives him a gleeful (^_^) look.

"Oh, did I neglect to mention? I feed only on Vampire Blood."

[nightstalker]

Ian frooze while reaching for his drink again, and his face seemed turn even more pale then it had been. Uncertainty filled his eyes as he looked out the window. He hadn't heard that title in some time. In fact the last time would have been when Vlad had sent Ian out after the Kinslayer.
He shook his head slowly, trying to block the memory from coming.

"The Kinslayer....I never would have guessed." He whispered mainly to himself. He shrugged it off and sighed. Who was he to juge this man. He did what he had to do nothing more.

Ian was hardly listening as his mind faded in and out of his memories but Maximillion's last words seemed to brought him back.
'I feed only on Vampire Blood.'

He quickly turned his head to look at him, and sees the gleeful look.
"Thats very interesting. Have you always fed on the blood of your own kin?" He asked, honestly curious about the life style he followed.