All These Lives [Dani]

[*Faith Riddle]

Faith Riddle was not of the norm for an average twenty-year-old human. She wasn't the typical Homosapien because of a sixth sense of her's. Faith's dreams came to life. She also felt she was unique because she didn't exactly know where she came from, one day she woke up, and she was Faith Riddle. She had to have a life before this one. Everyone has a mother, father, possibly a few siblings. But she didn't know of any of these people. She didn't know if a family of her's ever existed.

The only beings that were familiar to her were the two vampires (one a blonde male, the other a red-headed female) and a human girl she dreamed about every night. She recalled, seeing from her window, the red-headed vampire who haunted her dreams fall three stories and slink away into the darkness of an alley on the night of her "birth" when she woke up. But since then the red-headed vampire has been a stranger to her.

However, the night Faith was brought into this world, she was awoken not by the red-headed vampire, but to a scratching at her door. The culprit was a black cat. Since that night, the furry fiend couldn't be without her. She remembered clearly she was in an apartment when it all went down. She remembered running down to the apartment on the floor beneath her to investigate, and there she was, the pretty human girl she saw in her dreams, but dead. The blonde vampire was no where in sight. Faith asked herself a series a questions she still has yet found the answers to: Who was the human girl? Why was she dead? Who did the cat belong to, and why did it follow her wherever she went? Who was the red-head? Who was the blonde vampire? How was she, herself connected to this? However, there was one thing she knew for certain from the start of her existence: Vampires walked the planet. That night, fear took control over her common sense. Faith should have gone to the police, but instead she left London. Went to New Orleans, and after a recent job offer, moved to New York. For some reason, she felt fully responsible for the death of the human girl. She felt like a wanted criminal.
-------------------------
Place: NYU Library
Time: 1 AM

Faith had fallen asleep over the cat, Orion. It was late, there were a few students pulling all-nighters, but she'd been too exhausted to keep her eyes open. She was dreaming the past: The blonde vampire and the human girl were at a ball, dancing. Then the scene changed abruptly to the future: A student taking a nasty spill down the library stairs. Faith felt the all too familiar jolt shoot through her body to wake her up once the sequence was over, and she was instantly aware of her surroundings. She recognized the student from her dream as she was leaving, the slender brunette had books piled up to her eyeballs. Faith jumped up and took long strides to the scene of the soon to be accident.

"Whoah, let me carry some of those for you," she offered gently. The brunette paused an inch away from the first descending step. "Thanks," she sounded relieved as she dumped and armload of books into Faith's hands. Faith carried carried them till they reached the bottom where the girl's boyfriend was waiting and took over.

It was getting old. Sure, she hated to see people get hurt, but there was always the feeling of responsibility to save everyone she saw. The black cat rubbed his side against her leg. she scooped him up and climbed the staircase. "Pretty kitty, I need to put bells on your collar, I swear I'm going to step on you one- OW!" Randomly, the pretty kitty was in a state of ferocity, and having a hissy fit. The cat wasn't de-clawed when Faith found him, so she didn't want to change anything about him. His claws seemed to be digging for China into her forearm, breaking the skin.

Faith jerked the cat off, her arm, and was left with streaking thin cuts up and down, pooling with blood. "Dammit!" Orion was perfectly fine. His face blanked and then he was mewing to be held again. Affectionate to nasty, it wasn't unusual. It was a love hate relationship between the two, Faith couldn't explain it. She sighed, shook her head, and snatched the cat up by his scruff. She tossed her dark hair behind her shoulders and stalked her way back to her desk to nurse her injured arm.


[OOC: There are a few things I didn't mention about her that won't be written in a post since my character doesn't know about it. My first character on CK was a human, Mindy. She's the human girl in Faith's dreams. She had a relationship with a blonde vampire, William, played by one of my old moderators. One night after a date, Mindy took William back to her place. The red-headed vampire [Giselle, my character] broke in because she didn't like humans and vampires together. She wanted to teach William humans were food, not love interests. Giselle nearly killed Mindy, but let William take her life to really drill it into his brain and teach him a horrible lesson. Giselle was thrown out the window by William, which Faith saw when she woke up. When Mindy died, her soul reincarnated in the closest person's body: Faith, who lived below her. Also, William lost any humanity he had left in him that night, and a little of him went into Faith as well (I know it sounds weird, but at the time this needed to happen for plotting purposes). So Faith has some vampire in her. The cat used to belong to Mindy, but he found Faith, who is really Mindy in another body, and goes wherever she goes now. The cat goes crazy ferocious RAWR sometimes, because he detects the vampire in her. Now Faith has dreams about Mindy's and William's life, but she will never know who they are, and she will never be Mindy. She's a whole new person. Sound supernatural to you? Her being psychic isn't a weird thing after what's happened to her. She sees the future through her dreams.]

[[Dani]el Conteo*]

What did people truly know, those pitiful mortals and their quiet assuming ways. All they could do was poke around and guess in hopes of maybe someday getting something right. That was about it. As Daniel's dark shoes plodded monotonously on the asphalt he mulled over the nature of his existence in this citadel. It was a silent one, a lonely one. One that he had become accustomed to as a matter of fact. Not to keep dwelling on such things, the cerulean depths of his stare wandered over the scape. What to do, what to do. There really wasn't much originality to the confines of each boulevard, they all held cramped cheaply lit store fronts either packed with shoppers or practically bare. And mortals assumed this was a sort of thriving city. This was decay, borderline entropy. A mild frown had begun to crease the otherwise flawless countenance of the immortal, investigating each nook and cranny of the foreground before his perusal meandered the the background. Each layer presented disappointments. New scars of heartbreak and misfortune that was absolute and yet utterly abstract and infinitesimal that it truly mattered very little. After all, Daniel had an eternity to wait while the world got itself together, he was simply along for the ride. Life had become a spectator sport, fact he had come to terms with in an epiphany some time ago.

Taking hopeful glances in random directions, the vampire's gaze was allowed this pursuit for quite a while before it finally settled on a temporary destination. A library. The name did not sound particularly promising, after all it was just a building filled with documentaries of failure, bloodshed and lies. Then again, the reality was not any more glamorous. This was no shining city and the civilians within it were not exactly glimmering either. Saddening creatures, the lot of them. In fact, Daniel mused inwardly they were probably more miserable than he at any given point in the day. A realization that made a slow smirk emerge upon the scruffy labrums, tugging them upward in a pleasing curve. The topaz locks at his skull were lightly ruffled by the tender caress of the night winds, an affection cut short by his entry into the architectural structure. It was plainly built, nothing fancy but one might guess it was not elegantly made because its sole purpose in "life" was efficiency. To serve its purpose and crumble. Such grim thoughts, Daniel. Inwardly he snapped reproachfully, not at all impressed with the mopey thoughts that clouded his mind. Pathetic really. Shaking his cranium in an effort to rid it of said musings, he paused and within a juncture listened to the goings on. The content of the library was soft. Quiet and almost at peace - hushed. The place was reticent due to signs posted randomly about the various shelves.

Undoubtedly some spinster was glancing over the rims of her crescent spectacles to study him before going back to her daily word crossword puzzle. An entertained glitter was adopted by the male's beryl irises, a single "hm" denoting the quiet humor he found himself within. Articulations skimmed the side of a carefully stocked bookcase, nostrils inhaling the fibers of those that inhabited this establishment at the present time. Mostly if not all mortals. It would be so utterly simple for a genocide to take place this evening. Fortunately for those dwelling within Daniel was not the type to actually carry out such an activity, though he did harbor the thought. The thirst seared his gut and he simply sighed, his pupils having shrunk to near flecs of ebony within his gaze. And there it was, so subtle and tempting. The metallic scent that was unmistakable to any of his...species. Swallowing carefully, he immediately cut off the intake of oxygen but still maneuvered in the general direction of the source. The very knowledge of someone already bleeding was enough to put him in a trance-like state, stealthily gliding through the shelves only to materialize before the desk. To his surprise, the woman behind the desk was much younger than one might expect and he doubted she would turn out to be a spinster in the future.

His brows furrowed, tugged into a light frown that most would discern as worried but in truth it was of one who struggled internally. Perhaps the concern was turned inward. You've never lost it before. Tonight is no different. He worked to inwardly sooth himself, a pleasant smile forced to spread over his countenance though the expression refused to touch the intense pupils that honed first upon the seeping appendage and then the countenance of the potential victim. Yes, Daniel Conteo often looked so predatory. "Good evening." He murmured, the tone of his voice a delicious husky sound that seemed not to echo at all - a murmur meant solely for her benefit. The handsome fluidity of the language was not to be missed, neither was the careful pronunciation of each syllable. Methodic speech was not unthinkable for Dani. At this point very little was. Even seeming harmless was a possibility, though a slim one. "Are you okay?" He ventured calculatively, maintaining the poised elegance as he approached only to retain careful distance from the subject of his focus. Doubtless the mortal would catch something was off, one would only hope he appeared to be a sleep deprived scholar...but nature said that was doubtful. Animals had the strangest tendencies to detect imbalance, and this girl's feline was in fair proximity fo the immortal who carefully monitored its progress about the building.

Daniel sincerely hoped it kept its distance. Feline hissy fits were a might irritating after about fifty years or so of having nothing else. There was no such thing as an immortal loving cat. They could sense the bloodlust, no doubt and found that unsettling. Funny - Dani held that in common with them. He was not a fan of the monster he knew himself to be, but a monster he was. That smile was frozen plainly upon his countenance, charming in an awkward fashion.. It was crooked, and dispicably alluring as was the ember glow of his icily tinted gaze. Such traits would often prove the undoing of those who overestimated Conteo. However much he desired to rise above the truth it was still constantly looming. Not above his own addictions, it was not entirely his fault that it lay in something more deadly than drugs, and less skanky than sex. The inspection of his stare made a slow journey over the female's countenance, tracing the laugh lines that crept at the corners of her almond shaped eyes to the slight tug of her lips in frustration at afore mentioned kitty. The observation ended in a light, presentable stare fixed at her eyes - meeting her gaze whenever she offered it. Hello, may I apologize in advance?

ooc:
Italics are his thoughts, bold is his actual speech. And feel special - this is my longest post thus far on this site.
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[*Faith Riddle]

[OOC: Yay for feeling special!]

Upon reaching her desk, Faith let the cat fall from her hand. He gave her a disgusted look, but slinked away toward the history section of the library. Faith watched his tail swish behind a shelf before she snatched up handfuls of tissues, and pressed the wad to her arm, wincing as she applied pressure. Damn cat is going to be the death of me. She'd never abandon him, though. Orion was her only companion. She had no friends, and of course no family in this country. She fit the role of the quiet librarian a little too well.

A shadow fell under her downcast eyes, and a voice followed suit. "Yeah, I'm--" the rest of her sentence froze on her lips when she met the speaker's gaze. A pair of mesmerizing aquamarine eyes and symphonic vocals to match caused her body to stiffen. She gaped stupidly. The man before her was perfect... a little too perfect. The thing that looked otherworldly about him was his flawless, creamy, white skin, which seemed to have a strange glow about it. When he smiled, two of his teeth extended slightly beyond the lower lip. The eyes, the voice, the skin, the teeth, everything about him rendered her incapable of movement or speech. She felt vulnerable and helpless, she was at his mercy. She knew one thing for certain, however: this was a vampire.

"Fine," she uttered low and strangled. Faith had only ever seen two vampires, the blonde and the red-head from her dreams. But their features were burned into her memory down to the beauty marks. She knew what vampires looked like very well. Also, the fact that this man could speak less than ten words to her and leave her feeling like he was in complete control also clued her in. From what she saw behind closed eyes, vampires were dangerous and unpredictable, they could not be trusted. Even the benevolent blonde vampire who was madly in love with the human girl couldn't be tamed for long before desire and bloodlust set in. He murdered her and didn't feel an inch of remorse.

Faith willed herself to blink so she could detach her gaze from his. She regained self control just as she heard the cavalry coming to her rescue. Paws thundered against the carpet en route to the desk. With claws outstretched, Orion came hurtling for the vampire, hissing and spitting madly. Faith issued a little squeak, propelled herself over her desk, and clashed together with her cat in midair. A mighty struggle between feline and human followed. Students previously scattered around the library congregated and watched, mystified, while the librarian tackled her cat to the ground and wrestled him into her desk drawer.

When the deed was done, she collapsed into her chair with a huff and listened to nails tear furiously into metal. She composed herself, sitting straight and running her fingers through her hair to flatten it. She glanced toward the tiny group of onlookers and gave them a dark look. They hesitantly shuffled away, some giggling, others with a horrified expression plastered on their faces. Now all there was left to do was deal with this vampire.

She studied him and concluded he wasn't here for bloodshed. She also decided on remaining the innocent, unintelligible human for her own benefit. She didn't reach his eyes this time so he wouldn't get the chance to trap her again. When she spoke, her words were clear and without any traces of fear. "I'm sorry, my cat has these mood swings. They said it was a birth defect. How may I help you, Sir? Are you looked for anything in particular?"

[[Dani]el Conteo*]

From the moment that shining drop of crimson had first begun to spout from the dislodged skin Daniel had become very careful. The vampire was what one might describe as tense but in a very languid sense of the word. His actions were still poised, still beautiful but it was quite clear within the darkening stare that he was apprehensive even of himself in such circumstances. The fashion to which the matron paused, observing the feline's exit coaxed a brow to ascend in a speculative manner. She certainly was fond of that cat. Unconsciously Conteo took note of that bond, for one reason or another but did not plan on capitalizing upon on that vulnerability. At least, he considered this to be vulnerability, a chain that yoked her and tamed her - binding her to an earthy being. It was a dangerous state to be in. Of course, why would he care? Apathy was a gift and a curse that he relished in on a daily basis. A pleasant surprise was in store for the immortal. The amusing way her lovely mouth seemed to sag in the eye of his attentions induced a glitter of mirth to inhabit the cerulean complex surrounding his pupils. The slightly bristled outer seam of his aperture slanted briefly before twitching - holding in a chuckle of appreciation. Occasionally Daniel forgot that this had nothing to do with him. And the reminder never ceased to ruin his mood...and his fun. Still, it was fun to watch the transformation of those unassuming few who found themselves trapped in the gaze of the beautiful.

It was utterly heartbreaking the first time that Daniel realized that it was not himself that his girlfriend adored…but the vampire. The intoxicating super beast whose skin was absolutely immaculate, whose hair was fine and without a stray and whose eyes drew in whomever made the mistake of glancing back – that’s what they fell for. The fact that the feminine creature was paralyzed for all intensive purposes pleased the immortal to no uncertain degree. The broken syllables of her meagerly attempted speech only served as a reminder of how affected she was by his mere presence. This was one of the most difficult points in time – not using the ability to his advantage. He could very well have manipulated her memory, to serve his own purposes. After all she was a handsome mortal, and doubtlessly had veins filled with that one thing he was bound to. Still, Dani could not bring himself to such brutality. The soft and yet evident approach of the feline invoked an almost sad smile from the being as his glance shifted to observe its brave efforts. Such loyalty was inspiring, even in such a dumb creature. The immortal made no move to stop the pet – fully aware that those claws and incisors were meant for it. To his great surprise, the mortal rescued him.

At this, Daniel was left speechless.

It was his turn to goggle at the lass, brows high aloft his forehead though logic served him well. It was probably not for his good that she had swiped the creature, but for the love of a beloved keepsake – the cat. A slow, masked smile hooded his lips, though they did not crack this time. The bystanders coaxed him to be far closer to the edge than with just the one little female. The muscle in the corner of his jaw ticked as he half smiled, half frowned in the general direction of the gathered teenagers and young adults. Their age really was of little consequence to Conteo. The venomous glance shot towards the spectators by the spitfire of a mortal coaxed a sincere grin – reminding him dearly of his mother. In that moment Daniel ached for the petite creature. As if getting back on task, he shook his skull, listening to the sound of the futile attempts of his would be attacker within its tiny prison. ”You know you may upset the animal rights activists in the near vicinity. Maybe its best he and I duke it out.” He japed softly, a mischievous glance shot to the trembling desk drawer. The naivety to which she addressed his presence was too suspicious to be correct. In fact she did not act out very well at all. Her meek demeanor was such a huge contrast to the spunk displayed moments ago that Dani could not hide the skeptical expression adopted by his features. It clearly stated Nice mask. Did she honestly think him so stupid?
The fear that she exhibited was nearly as intoxicating to him as a flame to a moth, but somehow he managed not to lean over the desk and tell her some sort of utterly false horror store that would leave her gaping – much as she had been upon his arrival.

The tone of her voice was far more convincing than the vibes she through in his direction, but naturally Dani was not convinced. Her question coaxed the sound of his angelic laughter to rise and float towards the ceiling. ”Not something nearly as gory as you may assume.” He murmured flatly, not feeling it appropriate to disclose laughter in this instance. Not at her expense in any case. That would contrast his words, employing her to see the true safety she sat in. It was spoken in a covert manner. After all if she was the sole human he had to convince things were far easier than if the entire institution was turned against him. Though…Daniel was not impressed by the malnourished, sleep deprived miscreants who studied within the walls. Frankly she was probably the most vital being there…But then, Daniel mused…there was always the cat.

[*Faith Riddle]

[OOC: Sorry for the shortness v.v]


Faith had to admit, though scary a bloodsucking fiend amidst a room of kids was, this was the most exciting thing that's happened on campus since the cock fight last month. She was all too wary of the danger of the current situation, but she strongly believed her life, of that of those around her, were safe for the night. The vampire seemed to have control over himself, considering the sight and smell of her blood. Hell, she was a risk taker. Just to be sure, she would test this creature's limits. "Hah-hah," she laughed dryly, "Unless you want your arm to look like this," Faith peeled the tissues away, now soaked through crimson with her blood, and presented her marred, bloody forearm to the vampire, "I wouldn't dare try. But if you really think you can make nice with my cat, have at it." A wry smile pulled the corners of her lips up, easily mistaken for good humor instead of the challenge this frail mortal so boldly posed.

This time when she watched him, she met his eyes full on. Now that she knew he was a vampire, it was easier to discern the man in the charming monster. Her new intelligence enabled her to disregard the vampiric features that looked so beautiful and alluring to her, and see just another guy standing before her desk, which she was so accustomed to. There was not an inkling of fear, no desire to gaze onto him like one might an angelic creature. Her body relaxed from its previous tense state. She wasn't dead, the vampire passed the test.

Fascination and awe for his control opened up an incredible opportunity to study these creatures. Call her morbid, but she had the guilty desire to observe and learn about the immortals. Of course, this type of studying had to be done from afar. She surmised the undead wouldn't be too keen about becoming lab rats to quench this tiny mortals thirst for knowledge. She eyed this particular vampire with skepticism. He seemed like a good start, but who was she to judge? Her immortal insight exceeded only as far as the things she dreamt. She didn't know nearly enough about vampires to pick the right ones to examine. For now she would have to be contented enough to remain the ignorant to this species, unless of course, the situation called for revealing her awareness to the vampire world. To her, this vampire would remain an acquaintance, nothing more. "What's your name?"

[[Dani]el Conteo*]

Apparently the woman had had some experience with his kind, Daniel reasoned, having glanced at the thinking gaze of the she. A brow ascended in the general direction of the heavens. To what end would tempting him serve? Obviously they both knew exactly what he was. And what he ate. "Yes that looks positively fatal." He snapped, softly in warning to not test him on such matters. It was not within Daniel to harm any sort of female, no matter how much he detested being poked and prodded like a plaything. The reference to the feline offered relief to the focus of the oozing wound before him that coaxed his throat to burn with that familiar ache. A cruel human, she was. A coquette and a martyr no doubt. Staring carefully towards the drawer he knew housed the pet at one point and then the general direction of the mortal. It was a slanted look he endowed her, edged though his lips were smirking. Laughing at the brazen fashion to which she was addressing her predicament. Silly girl. Bending dangerously close, he peered at her with the same intensity one would an enemy and whispered in a tone tender and liquid, from perfect lips I may add, "Play nice if you expect me to." It was offered in that gentle tone that Daniel often used with children, something that was also off limits to him and therefore often tested his patience. Reaching to tuck a lock of stray mocha hair behind her ear, an entertained expression was adopted as he straightened and folded his appendages neatly over his torso.

The premises was oddly silent - even for a library it had grown ridiculously hushed. As if all whispers had been cut short. Conteo simply stared at her, a sincere laugh spilling at her next inquiry. "You are brave. I give you that. I'm Dani." The nickname was offered easily, simply because he admired the angelic creature's spunk...and what was that word...strange one...oh. Moxy. "Do you need something stronger to bandage that?" He offered, feigning laziness. It was growing easier to control himself, true, but it was an uncomfortable position for him to be in, and even a little awkward. Talking to his food. What would they say. Oculus rolled at the hysterical way his own mind worked. Studying the curve of her features, and the complexion of her skin, he smirked lazily. A beauty and a beast. Entertaining? Disgustingly. Glancing over his shoulder, his stare honed upon the exit and he breathed a sigh. Where was there to go anyway. Where else had he to be. Nowhere. That was the pitiful thing about the immortal's existance. The absence of any tie to reality and therefore there was never any necessity for him, anywhere at any given time. Conteo's existance was a nomadic one. A lonely one. But then again that was a necessity. There was no fear of himself, to be honest, only the simple knowledge that he was a terminator. He killed things. And that was the sum of him. It didn't matter how kind he had been, or how intelligent. His memory would go down as a bloodsucker.

Conteo was resolved in his fate, where that was concerned. And in that sense he felt as dead as they could come. Occasionally there was a hollow ache for the loss of any sort of accomplishment, or promise in the future. But he supposed that hardly mattered.

People were a lovely diet, anyway.

[*Faith Riddle]

"Faith," she replied after she got his name. She didn't need to scan the room for appropriate coverage for her arm to know such a thing didn't exist. It was nothing, or tissues. She figured the vampire would rather a proper bandage. "Sure, if you have something on you." Faith eyed her desk drawer suspiciously, which was silent, strangely enough. She smiled in spite of herself at the thought of his reaction of her test. When he moved a lock of her hair, his cold fingers brushing her ear caused her to shiver pleasantly. Obviously Dani knew she knew something. Interestingly enough, he wasn't very open about his species; out of shame, maybe?

There really wasn't a reason to prolong this game of their's. Dani knew perfectly well that Faith knew what he was. His secrecy was awfully chivalrous of him, which just compelled her to carry this game out. Just how long would it be until he revealed himself? She was certainly not going to be the first to accuse. Faith was only an innocent, ignorant little human, there was no such thing as vampires. "Sooooo you're ok with blood, I take it? You aren't squeamish or anything, right? This," she pointed to her arm, "Is typical of my cat. There's been a few occasions where some students have passed out on me," she laughed.

Speaking of her cat, she looked to the drawer again. Orion was persistent, the silence baffled her, even more so than talking to a vampire. She bit her lip nervously and looked from Dani to the drawer. She tried making her movements subtle, keeping her eyes trained on him whilst she moved the pointed toe of her shoe to the handle of the drawer. She slid it open an inch and found it empty. Faith blanched, all color having drained from her face leaving it sheet white and her overall countenance horror-stricken. "He's loose," she whispered numbly. When she cast emerald orbs to Dani, they were very wide and very much frightened for his life.

[ooc: wanna play with her cat? Be nice, no eating!]

[[Dani]el Conteo*]

One thing and one thing only passed through Daniel Conteo's mind. And that was that the female was smart. Brilliant in fact and he was going to have to work slowly to maneuver around the traps that she purposefully set in order to make him give himself away. It was an almost disgusting game, and a pitiful thing to have to trifle with. In all honesty Dani wished he had better things to do than play her games. But he didn't. It was a sad sad day when he found that talking about someone else's skepticism of his kind was more intriguing than doing anything else. The downward gaze of the female gave him just enough time to step back a foot or two. The suggestion that he may have something of the nature of first aid coaxed a dry laugh. ”No I’m afraid I don’t carry gauze on my person. Apologies.” It was all in pleasant joking that he stated this. Naturally he wouldn’t be carrying any such thing. Who did? Medics perhaps but did he look like an M.D.? The tender fashion Daniel handled the single lock he placed behind her lobe was very much like one would handle a stain glass window – with the utmost fear of breaking it.

While he conceded that hair was pliant enough, bone was not and much less amiable when being bent. Frowning lightly, he reasoned he was making himself miserable. Being so silly. The question was unabashed and shamelessly prodding his patience and self control. ”If I were squeamish I would have taken my leave by now.” He reasoned quietly, a brow ascending thoughtfully in her general direction. ”That is a spectacle I wouldn’t mind witnessing.” He offered with a chuckle. Human weakness when displayed in such a way that was comical soothed his soul. The slow methodic movements of the female as she did…whatever it was she was doing behind that desk coaxed mirth to enter his stare, both brows ascendant and lazily so. Loose? Like some felon. Silly kitty. Attempting to look half as worried as she, Dani glanced towards the bookshelves with a jump before languidly glancing back at her. ”It’ll be fine.” He reasoned lazily. But no more had the words come out of his mouth than the feline launched itself and landed with impressive balance on his shoulder.

Its incisors were fastened on the thin skin at his nape and Daniel grunted and laughed in the same breath. Little bloodsucker himself. He thought bitterly, doing his best to use his fingers to pry loose the jaws of the attacking animal without breaking them in half. Gingerly allowing it to sink its fangs into his finger, while it simultaneously hissed and spit at him, articulations fastened on its scruff – though he already felt the blood began to slip down his neck. Tugging it ever so gently from his shoulder, hearing his hoody rip quietly, he offered the mess of fur and claws to Faith. He held it with one palm as its chewtoy, clearly suffering the onslaught of incisors but he figured better there than somewhere important, while the other hand held its scruff. It was a vicious little thing and Daniel was struggling to hold back the instinctive will to bring on his own offense. Ah well. Cats.

[*Faith Riddle]

She felt bad thinking this, but she was relieved to have a vampire here to battle her cat. His body could endure this sort of thing. Her's, on the other hand, was fragile. In addition, scars healed on vampires, the one's on Faith's arms and legs would remain there for a while. She felt sorry for Dani, he might have noticed Faith wasn't all too eager to jump into the fray. Besides, she already saved him from Orion's claws once this night, he was sort of returning the favor. And it wasn't like she had superhuman hearing to anticipate where the feline was coming from. She'd make it a point to make it up to him -- she'd keep her third eye open and focused on this particular vamp.

Faith winced with every jab of the claw. She watched warily, waiting for an opening and preparing to rescue Orion should Dani try eating him. Surprisingly, he didn't. She was proud of him for recognizing how devastated she'd be if he were to hurt her companion. It pained her to see his flawless limbs being torn up. Finally he gave her an opportunity to grab the cat. Faith emptied the contents of her tote and flung it over Dani's arm. She closed it around Orion, dragged it off Dani, and zipped it up. She dropped it on her desk in plain sight this time. Game over, cat.

She peered at Dani guiltily. "I'm, er, really really sorry about that. Here," she pulled up some tissues and handed them to him. She wasn't worried about the mess, he'd heal up quickly, five to ten minutes give or take. "Thanks for not hurting him," she kept her eyes downcast as she said this, aware that she was sending up a red flag about her knowledge of his species. Great, what if he's thirsty now? She didn't know if he'd fed before coming here, and now with the loss of his energy source, he may not or may be hungry. If it was the latter, then her veins may look pretty tempting.

"Uhm. Are you hungry? Because I'm famished. My shift is just about over, we can, er, grab something on the go if you'd like," she asked carefully. Faith groaned inwardly. Now she was feeling responsible for this. Perfect. She wasn't going to let him chow down on humans. His diet was unknown to her, but if he didn't like animal blood that was going to have to change. She wasn't going to let a human fall victim to him if she was the reason of his thirst. She'd rather satiate his hunger with herself before she let that happen.

[[Dani]el Conteo*]

An amused expression surfaced at the ingenuity of the spritely mortal – using her purse as a prison for the fierce feline. Daniel found it refreshing that she was far more concerned with the here and now than spilled the contents of her beloved parcel into the skeptical eye of whomever glanced down at it. As it was there really was nothing for anyone to be ashamed of. Even personal items such as tampons and condoms were uneventful – everyone used them at some point, women who carried condoms were held in odd regards with Dani; they truly went after theirs, but he was definitely in no position to judge and frankly he had no desire to either. The feline’s sharp weaponry left scathing incision after incision, raking away the skin only to leave angry bleeding cuts seething at the surface but already welding themselves back to that beautiful perfect status as they had been at any given point. Daniel appeared disinterested with the spectacle after all he’d been knifed more times than he cared to remember by weary victims on nights where his resignation was not strong enough to save them.

The apology was about like a slap in the face. Had she expected a fit? Internally Daniel scoffed at himself. Of course she does. You’re a monster. The human Dani, the one that hurt unlike the immortal, winced away from the admission. I’m a monster. It took strength to own up to the fact that that was what he was. A mere creature of habit, fit to be caged as it were. ”He’s quite the fighter.” He remarked doggedly, his own gaze descending despite the fact that he was also drawing in the announcement of fear in her persona. Oh now you’re scared of me. Slow reaction time much? He almost shook his head, but resisted the urge. In fact he was suddenly distracted by the clumsy invitation, she certainly enjoyed tripping over her words. Dani pitied her immediately, despite his amusement. He realized then that it had been quite some time since had actually had an appetite for human delicacies…that were cooked for humans to indulge in as well. Clearing his throat as he was suddenly hoarse with emotion, he spoke in a low, gracious tone.

”Be glad I’m not hungry at all.” He assured coyly, laughter evident in his stare. ”But I remember wanting fries once upon a time. We can go see to your needs if you wish. I have no other plans.” This all was said in a casual dismissive demeanor said to be the norm for those who he assumed were her age. ”Why are you a librarian, Faith?” He inquired, suddenly struck by the usual person that filled the spot – some spinster as dusty as the books she watched over.

[*Faith Riddle]

Faith blushed, then busied herself collecting her belongings, throwing some into the desk drawers, tossing others into her other bag. She greeted the other librarian, Marilyn, warmly and pushed the tote which contained her cat toward her, asking politely to watch him and drop him off at her place once her shift ended. This wasn't the fist time the feeble little old lady had to do this. She was accustomed to finding Faith's cat detained in unusual confines.

She looked up when he questioned her, and gave him a quizzical look. This question couldn't be answered honestly, because she didn't even know why she was a librarian. Faith sighed, bothered by the simplicity of the inquiry. Looking Dani straight in the eye, she tried to answer him as truthfully as possible. "I've been a librarian my whole life," she furrowed her brows, "At least... I think I've been," Faith felt pressured to give him a better answer, but didn't have one. It deeply troubled her not remembering 19 years of her life.

"I think I used to live in London. I discovered I worked at a library. So when I left because I-" she cut herself off, because I murdered someone? Yeah, that will go over well. "When I left I went to live in Louisiana. I got a job as a librarian because I guess that's what I used to do," she shrugged. That's not a good enough reason! Faith had the opportunity to start whatever life she had over, and she chose to continue her old one.

She pursed her lips and continued gathering her belongings in silence. When the deed was done, she looked to Dani blankly, having forgotten what they were doing because she was distracted with muddled thoughts. "Oh right, food. Let's go," she moved past him and led the way to the stairs.

[[Dani]el Conteo*]

Immediately following the inquiry he posed, Daniel found it obvious that it troubled her. How difficult was it to her to ponder her past? Suddenly he thought it must be quite difficult. After all, that crestfallen expression was somewhat heartbreaking, even to a creature whose heart hadn’t beat in a decade. The arrangements made for the feline were watched with vague interest, strange people. Now that the she was honed back upon himself, Dani felt compelled to listen intently, brows fumbling at the terminology that she used. Think? She thought. Now Daniel understood the turmoil that governed her expressions, poor dear. Appendages folded languidly over his torso, a brow ascending at her fumbling words. Finally, she rescued herself and Daniel was visibly relieved.

The distraction of whatever she had been coaxed to focus on induced a soft chuckle from the immortal, the lyrical sound nothing short of harmonious despite its rampage over the otherwise reticent perimeter. As she wandered past him, his oculus nearly crossed at the pungent scent of blood that lingered just below on her appendage. Clenching his jaw, he willed himself to behave, following at an obviously careful distance. As they reached the base of the stairwell, he moved with liquid speed in time to open the door for the miss with a devilish grin. It was simply in his upbringing for him to necessitate that validation – he was the male and ought to act the part.

Following her out onto the streets, the chill of the wind was tangible in the images of mortals wandering past holding their coats close to their frames, their spines hunched over in hopes of ducking the zephyr. In a compulsive motion, he had slid from the deep maroon leather of his jacket and offered it to her with an unassuming expression. Anything she took out of that beyond the obvious attempt at chivalry was her own problem – Daniel was simply being…Daniel. Sadly, he hadn’t the faintest idea where they were headed and paused to stare at her with an interrogative expression. ”Where to, m’lady?” He questioned pleasantly, a smile curling his labrums in a meek, guarded fashion.

[*Faith Riddle]

Faith didn't react to his speedy door opening, she remained stoic and muttered a, "Thanks". Vampires were fast, old news to her. She checked her mood and returned half a smile. It was colder outside than she expected. Faith's small frame shook slightly from the licking wind. Dani wordlessly handed over his jacket, she took it great-fully.

"There's a coffee shop, but it's a good twenty minute walk without a car," she informed listlessly. Faith disliked the city. From what she remembered of London, she'd much rather have stayed there than leave the country. This wasn't the place for her, even if she tried believing she was meant for her job.

Faith began to lead with vampire beside her. This had to be the first time another accompanied her on the walk to her favorite coffee shop after work. She found it preferable, a lot of creepers lingered just off campus grounds waiting for students. These people never bothered Faith, or she never let it bother her. She received the customary eye up from her legs to her rack, but they didn't pursue her once she walked by and didn't pay any attention.

"So," Faith struck up conversation and looked up at her accomplice, "How's life been treating you? Have a nice vampress waiting for you back home?" she asked generally. Faith decided what the hell, she felt bad aggravating him any longer. They both new he was undead.

[[Dani]el Conteo*]

The almost resentful fashion to which the quiet mannerism was received coaxed a mild expression of inquisition from the immortal, his brows high aloft his forehead but for the moment he remained silent. Somewhat surprised by the acceptance of his proffered jacket, a faint smile that denoted pleasure at her actions twitched at the corners of his labrums but again Conteo was silent. Finally there was something he could reply to. ”Wherever you please. I’m not particularly short on time.” Okay, there he was guilty of an “inside” joke, but of course she knew and might share in the humor of the statement. Her ease and grace as she walked was another pleasing discovery but he found himself too entrancing in silence to remark on it. Especially since he was creepy enough without commenting on the way she moved. Apologies, but unfortunately vampires notice everything simply because the relationship with others that aren’t vampires. The assessing glances of those lingering in the alleyways and from across the street coaxed him to close some of the distance between he and “his charge”. The proximity hinted at a possession, and whether that was true or not she would be safer if they thought so.

Not that Daniel didn’t feel he could dispense with the scum but it was such a hassle and then they’d have to get back on track, if she could still stomach his presence after watching the spectacle of a vampire’s fury. Her words, breaking the silence again, coaxed a dry laugh from the male whose gaze swung down to encompass her stare and glitter with reticent mirth. This emotion induced a warmer hue of the crystal color that shaded his irises. ”Life treats me as fairly as it does others, which is not at all. And as far as the ladies of my species go, I find them slightly too predatory to become involved with.” He murmured, half speaking and half chortling. It was truth. Daniel hadn’t been in a steady relationship for decades and pursed his lips at the realization. He felt somewhat pathetic all at once, ha, the superbeast felt pitiful. How ironic. Hunching his shoulders slightly, he reminded himself it would be polite to return the attention to her. ”And yourself? How have you been? And dare I ask about who you’re leaving to fend for himself tonight?” it was casually muttered, in a tender way one might ask an old friend.

[*Faith Riddle]

Dani's talk of predatory vamp ladies recalled that horrible night in London. The vampire who fell out of the window -- the red-headed one -- she was terrible. She moved like a panther when she went slinking into the dark of the alley. It was a chilling sight, and one which still disturbed Faith to this day. The petite mortal never personally met that particular vampire, but her disposition suggested complete savagery, and the vampire definitely had something to do with the gruesome murder of the brunette. Faith's stomach churned thinking about her ravaged neck, shredded limbs, lifeless, staring eyes, her face fixed in an expression of grim defeat. Faith shuddered and looked away from the vampire beside her. The creature and she exchanging playful banter while the scene of the red-head and the dead girl replayed in her head reminded her what he was capable of. Vampires couldn't ignore their destructive nature.

Even the blonde vampire who had exceptional self control and cared very much for the human could not simply ignore the vein, and became victim to his temptation. Just like Faith needed air to breathe, vampires needed blood to live. Perhaps the reason the girl was murdered was because she failed to see what Faith did. The brunette had set expectations about immortals and put too much trust into their self control. The difference between then and now was the girl was too trusting, Faith was wise and cautious.

Her troubled face softened when she looked at Dani once more. Faith had to be making the stupidest mistake of her very short life. She didn't care if he meant no harm to her, the simple fact that he was a vampire meant whatever relationship this would amount to had to be handled with discretion. Faith was very bold, and had enjoyed testing him when she did, but the chances of meeting this very vampire on a cold, desolate street when he was hungry and her remaining alive after the encounter was slim.

He already expressed his disdain for vampire ladies which made Faith wonder, what was he looking for, anyway? He'd be downright hypocritical if he chose a mortal companion whilst using them as his main food source. Faith was considering this, but dismissed the thought. She accepted the feeding aspect of vampires so long as she didn't have to watch and didn't personally know the victim. If a vampire was in love with her, and she loved him back, then the only way to be with him was if she became a monster as well. Murder was grisly, but if your body was made for it, then why deny what you were made to do?

Her thoughts left a strange impression. She never figured herself to be approving the death of a human to satiate a vampire. But she was human and vampires were the predators, of course she felt murder was appalling. If she was a vampire, however, it wouldn't be a problem. She moved aside her conflicting thoughts and decided it would be alright for a vampire to see a mortal and still eat them.

There are charming qualities about vampires, too. Once one looks past the alluring features, vampires really are appealing. Vampires never get sick, age, or die; they are perfectly healthy for a life time. There's never be a shortage on their food. They have the opportunity to make their immortal lives meaningful and have ample amount of time to leave their mark on history, and they were history.

Faith had the utmost respect for Dani. Her previously gloomy eyes brightened. She happily continued the conversation, "No, actually. I'm single. I haven't the time for dating, as I sleep most of the day and work at night. I don't mind it, but it does get lonely," she admitted. Faith returned a question, "Where are you from, anyway?" it hadn't crossed her mind until now to ask. She was curious, just how far was he from home?

(( ^.^ By le way, I'm planning on starting Resurgence this weekend. I haven't forgotten, I promise! ))