lovely is an overstatement

[morgandubhbraon]

Morgan lokoed at her. His eyes retained their silver shade. The quirk that caused them to change color was a remnant from his humanity. They were in his full Vampyre color now. He bowed his head. I am not a monster HE looked up ather and his face was bared. He tried to show her that eh meant no harm. He had not wanted to tell her this, but it would be important if she was to work for him. As you are no monster, I am no monster, can we agree to that? I have at my disposal wealth of centuries of Irishmen who worked hard and lived thriftily each taking what they had and making it a little better. Eventually they built my family home, Castle Kelly. I have within my means to make everything you work to do easier, to finance a small country if that is what is needed.

I want to make this world a little better. I want to be a father. Do you know why I wonder if I could be a father. I think I would be an excellent one, but only a child of my blood. How can I care for a baby who needs the light of day to run and grow strong when I must stay in shadow. How can I bring a child into my home and watch from within my Castle as the nanny bears him away to his first day of school. How can I remain happy when my daughter wants to wed and I cannot attend unless she holds a midnight ceremony. His face had broken and it was the mask of pain and hoplessness from earlier.

These were the thoughts that passed between my ears as we talked about children earlier, Hehlo. And my Lady has been pregnant before, when she was previously married. I hope to stand at her side and I wish that she would bear a child of mine in her womb. But it is not that easy. Her husband was of my blood, and I am now of hers and his if you think about it. Yet I am myself too. What you see before you is the man I am. But I am more. I wish to make changes in the world. I have grand ideals and the means to make them happen. Will you still say you will help me when I tell you my secret? Do you still need so badly to know? His eyes were still silver but they sparkled with light now. Hope and the bare desire for her to accept him as he was. If she still asked he would tell her. But he had to know if she would accept him for who he was and not be offended for who he had become.

[ameliae]

Lo listened to him speak in silence, hanging on to his words even as she typed madly away at her keyboard, entering new data into the syndicate's system and modifying old data. She made notes and sent notifications, all while he was talking to her. But she was still listening, as hard as that may have been to believe.

She lowered her hands into her lap from the keyboard and mouse and swivelled her chair with her toe to turn to face him, her face completely serious. She was gnawing at her lip again. It seemed to be a habit that could not be broken, and soon she'd be bleeding once more as her lip had not had time to heal from earlier in the night. Perhaps if she began to bleed this time she'd move on to her cuticles and make them bleed, too.

"I would be more inclined," she said, choosing her words carefully. "To give you a higher quality of work with the knowledge of this that you are hiding." Although she'd heard everything he was saying, she still couldn't put two and two together to form an idea in her mind of what it was he was guarding so closely. "I will think no differently of you, although I may have questions and skepticisms, as is my nature. I genuinely feel that for us to have a working partnership in this that there can be no secrets. I will answer honestly each question you ask me without hesitation, even if the answer hurts me and takes me back to a place I do not enjoy. Even if the answer may have an affect on your opinion of me. I trust, though, that it will not, just as you should have a little bit of faith in me." She stopped, knowing full well that people were probably still listening.

The room may have a wire that she was unaware of and would have to search for later. One of the syndicate goons could be standing close enough to the door to hear. "I really think, though, that we should go back to my home to discuss this further, or to your suite. Either would be suitable. There are too many ears open here, Morgan. If this is something you want to be protected, here is not the place."

[morgandubhbraon]

Morgan looked soberly at her. He was willing to tell her, he had said that; part of his hesitation was the fact that his secret was bigger then just him alone. I know you would be more comfortable at your place. So long as you have a good inner room free from the harsh sunlight...on my sensitive skin and eyes... that will suffice. His gaze lingered on the sleeping boy. He would have offered his spare room to them; but why make the boy wake in strange surroundings? Surely he would appreciate his own familiar room and bed. It had to be easier on her also to just go home where she could relax from her night's work. The job she did must be trying on her; he had yet to kill anyone and it was trying on him.

He really did want to use his new self to help the world, with his ability to read emotions he could easily tell a monster from your average joe, it's why he was glad he'd mistaken her occupation. He had doubted whether he'd read her right, and now he was glad he had. She was more than what you saw, and yet honest and good. He was happy to discover this.

He was almost relieved to get to be open and honest with someone about his identity. She had said she might be skeptical, and he was sure she would. But if they could find a nice dark room to converse in he could show her who he was. She would not be able to dispute what was right before her eyes. But would she be as willing to accept it? Well, if not, he would leave and never trouble her again. He would hate to lose the invaluable service she could provide and with her alter personality as tough a nails no nonsense Hehlo he knew she was right for the job.

[ameliae]

Lo nodded in Morgan's direction and began pulling up all of her computer's securities-- not that they would help if someone from the syndicate insisted on intruding. She could encode her computer as much as she liked, but with some of the best hackers in the world on their side, not much about the life of a syndicate member was left to privacy. It was just a cold, hard fact of the business.

"Oh, oh I know! I know what he is!" Billie's voice piped up from the corner. She seemed rather excited with her newfound knowledge. "He's one of those albino people! That's why he needs to be in the dark and he wears contacts to hide his eye color because it would creep people out. And he doesn't want you to know because you'd think he was weird!"

Without so much as a glance, Lo pulled out a pistol that was equipped with a silencer. She aimed behind her back and before Billie could notice, a single shot was fired and blood splattered on the wall behind her. She gasped, clutching her fresh wound and fell back against the wall. A trail was left where she pressed herself against it and slid down, taking the silent way out. "You were late, again," Hehlo hissed quietly, holstering her pistol and moving to pick up Tully. She lifted him carefully and cradled him in her arms, holding his face to her neck to hide his eyes if he were to wake up.

She glanced over at Morgan and shrugged, striding through the office door. Outside in the hallway it was now clean-- No one would have ever suspected that such a sweet looking barely-out-of-her-teens woman had just gone on a killing rampage. Her attention turned to a set of doors at the end of the hallway which would lead to a short flight of stairs. The stairs would take them to the elevator, and they could then reach Lo's car at one of the lower floors and head back to her condo. "Now, don't go thinking I'm just in a killing mood tonight-- Because I am. But assumptions are never safe. She was costing the syndicate a lot of time and money, cleaning up after her messes and her trails she was leading. It's better off this way. At least, I'm sure the children whom we're freeing and protecting would see it that way. If we get shut down, they're gonners. They don't stand a chance with the P.D. 'taking care of things' for them. Little known fact: The P.D. is bought off by these trafficers so that they'll look the other way and count their bribe money. The world is corrupted in the color of green."

She made it to the elevator and held the door open for Morgan whilst cradling Tully in one arm. Although the small child easily overtook her tiny form, she managed without strain to support his weight and multitask.

[morgandubhbraon]

Morgan was already on edge; so when the girl broke through their solitude with her incredulous assumption he almost hissed. How dare she call him an albino. His skin was not that pale; and how could his eyes change colors if they were shielded by colored contacts.. how imbicilic. The control slipped more when Hehlo moved so quickly that only his very capable eyes could follow her action and the gun was out; fired; and replaced so very quickly. But he was not prepared for the blood. He coughed to hide his lapse of control.

He made a sorry expression and pulled his handkerchief, which concealed his palmed vial of blood, out of his pocket. He feigned coughing into the handkerchief and bit ther vial open with his teeth gulping the blood greedily. It wasn't enough but it took the edge off his need. He wiped his mouth with the handkerchief to contain any blood that might be on his lips and shoved it back into his pocket with the vial, and it's desecated lid, tucked inside.

He followed as she lead them out of the suite and through a corridor and a few other twists and turns until eventually they arrived where her car was. She had carried Tully easily, although he would have done it without objection. It was perhaps good she'd been preoccupied with gathering the boy or she might have noticed his fair skin get paler, then revive as he drank the vial.

He waited patiently for her to get Tully safely into his carseat again before he slipped into his seat in the front. He didn't knwo what to say or what small talk to make. Could he trust her car? If these people were as deeply involved as she said who was to say her apartment was safe? She wouldn't know if it was or not. Your office is part of their organization, right. So they obviously have it watched. But why would they not have your home marked too? I mean you can be formidable, but still they would need to know if you did something...against their code. IS your house safe? Is this car? I'm not being paranoid, but my secret hurts many, not just me.

[ameliae]

Lo glanced over at Morgan, quirking an eyebrow at his suggestion. "My home is plenty safe," she murmered beneath her breath, her hand fiddling with something beneath her seat. She cursed as the skin of her finger got caught on something and ripped and shook her head, throwing her bleeding hand onto the steering wheel and proceeding to dig with her other hand as she began the drive out of the parking garage.

Finally, she withdrew a handful of papers and started sorting through them, barely watching the road save for a glance upward every few seconds, followed by a steering or speed correction. She came upon the paper packet she was looking for and set it in her lap before shoving the rest of the papers underneath her seat. Her hand reached over to open up the glovebox so that she could find a pen, and she began filling in information on what looked like just another old form.

She finally set the papers back in her lap as she made a turn into another parking garage to the side of a rather grandeur building. She drove up two stories to find an empty parking spot before stopping her car and shutting it off. Just as quickly as she'd settled in to her car, she had Tully out of his carseat and keys in her hand ready to lock the door as soon as Morgan joined her on the pavement.

She paused for just a moment and took a quick, unnoticable glance around then almost power-walked toward the door into the building. The door opened into a quaintly lit, rather fancy looking reception area. This was the kind of place that might ask that guests be equipped with passes, but the man at the desk knew better than to pull that sort of thing with Lo and her guests, which was obvious when he snapped his head back to the book in front of him after giving the trio a once-over.

Lo strode into the elevator and hit the button "9", tapping her foot impatiently. She never could stand the slow ride up to her floor, which was one of the reasons she was now looking to buy an actual house in the countryside outside of the city, not that it would help her any to have to commute in to her office.

The door opened into a small landing with only one door. Lo carried Tully on her hip and had to dig for her card key that she had to use with her regular key. The door opened into the living room of a simplistic, clean, too-large condominium, walls lined with large ceiling to floor windows. The smell was fresh, with a hint of jasmine and amber, and it might have seemed to many that Lo had no belongings because none were displayed. Everything was well-kempt and in place, hidden away. There were no trinkets or do-dads to make the place seem like "home".

A quiet thundering came from the back of the condo and soon grew louder until a rather large, grey dog came sliding to a stop across the hardwood to greet Lo and her son. "Goose, down," she grumbled as the great dane decided it would be a good idea to jump up on Morgan. "You know better," she sang out from Tully's bedroom where she'd already disappeared to. "Make yourself at home, Morgan," she called out as she tucked her son into bed.

She reemerged finally and made her way into the kitchen, where she found a simple wine glass and poured in her favorite white wine. "Would you like a drink?" she offered, taking a sip of her own.

[morgandubhbraon]

Morgan was almost hyperventalating. Everything had been going quite well, better than anticipated. She had assured him so quietly that he could only nod that her place would be safe enough. He was calmly watching the scenery, he would find his way back here without it if needed, but it was always fascinating to look at the surrounding area when he traveled. There was a lot of trivial and typical objects to be seen; buildings and shops and people, always people, as should be expected in the "City that never sleeps."

But then his senses reeled. He held his breath, but in the confines of the tiny car the scent almost overpowered him. He went pale as chalk and his fangs involuntarily lengthened, SHe was preoccupied and he could have taken her there, just let himself relish in teh fresh, sweet, warm blood oozing freely from her fingers but even better from her throat. He clamped his teeth together hard and bit his inner lip in the process. It helped a lot, as his own blood flooded into his mouth and nose ridding him of her blood's scent. His eyes flashed, but stayed pale almost translucent blue. They were the pale color of his new life, his new blood. Had she been less preoccupied she would certainly notice the change. He refused to breathe until they were in less confining quarters.

Which as providence was a tricky woman happened quite quickly. They pulled into her home and stopped. She tended to little tully still sleeping. Morgan was glad to have controlled himself in this unorthodox way. He would have had to kill them both so as to not leave the boy alone in this world with the knowlege of what he had done. A slight grin covere his face now as they entered. His gait, appearance and manner that of any human in New York. The sentry at the doors gave him a cursory look, but seeing Hehlo first gave him no more notice than any person she might bring here.

Soon they were in a very impersonal yet functional home. He looked around at the well kept place and wondered why she was so closed that not even at home would she reveal any warmth or claim to her nature and personality. He had his back turned to her as she reentered and was peering out a window at the bearest sliver of night remaining. He would have to find sheter or risk the danger of the sun. He took inventory of his clothing, travelling cloak with cape and hood, well that was good, and he had thick gloves in his pockets, but he had no sunglasses. Well he could make do if he had to... it would be a risk, yet he had to tell her the truth, maybe she would find him sanctuary? It was a lot to ask, and a lot of trust, assuming she believed his truths anyway.

He turned to face her, his skin noticably paler than when first they met, eyes barely any color at all. His fangs were still slightly protrusing, yet eastly hidden in his mouth. Until he spoke and speak he must. So ask my whatever you will and I will answer only the truth. No hidden answers. You can surely see I am not the same man whom you met at the coffee shop just a few hours ago. these colorless eyes are not the bright blue, my skin pale and cold now. Can you not see me for what I am? Must I explain? You are intelligent and intuitive, so I ask you what am I? Hehlo, what have you agreed to work with? I am no monster yet I walk among them daily. You have sore tempted me more than I would ever have thought, merely with your carelessness and innocence. Yet I am not weak, though my years are none, my will is great. I beg of you, ask.

[ameliae]

The dog seemed to be getting uneasy with Morgan around. He paced back and forth from the kitchen to the living room and whined distastefully. Lo paid him little mind until he began to growl as he passed the man on his way back into the kitchen then pawed at his master, tilting his head curiously in Morgan's direction. "Goose, what is wrong with you?" she hummed almost inaudibly. The dog sat at her feet, his head low and teeth just slightly bared. Another low growl rumbled in his chest. Lo gave him a good, hard nudge with her leg and the dog grew quiet, laying down in the floor with a shrill whine.

She carried both the bottle and the glass into the living room, taking another sip as she listened to Morgan speak. Perhaps he thought whatever it was that he was should have been obvious, especially by now. She just didn't get it, though. Sure, he was more pale, and his eyes were changing colors yet again. That didn't mean that Lo could put two and two together so easily, at least not when the girl didn't exactly believe that different. . . kinds. . . of people existed. She was so utterly unaware of the world of others around her, even though she probably ran into what she didn't believe in on a daily basis. How could she, when she'd never knowingly been a part of one's day? She had never bumped into the wrong person and had light shed on the different people among her.

"You said you wanted a room with no windows?" she hummed quietly, glancing out at the city at night. It was so bright out there, even though the night sky was black. It was barely one in the morning, yet light blared in though her windows. "We can go to the library,' she suggested. "But I don't think the sun is coming up anytime soon."

She had noticed, though, when he was speaking that his teeth looked a bit. . . long. Her head tilted and she approached him with curious eyes. "What's up with your teeth?" she asked, getting what might have been a little too close. Lo wasn't exactly schooled on "personal space," therefore she rarely respected it. She noticed, inspecting Morgan now, that he looked almost wild, almost crazed yet so harmless all at the same time. She backed away when the hair on her arms stood on end, considering that it may be a better idea to just sit down away from him.

She found her seat on the black sofa and pulled off her boots, tossing them into the corner across the room. She unbuckled the belts that held her guns to her hips and legs, and gently set the belt on the floor beside her. Off came the bulletproof vest that she was wearing, as well. She waved a finger to signal for Morgan to hold on. "This stuff is so uncomfortable sometimes," she said to excuse herself from the room. She gathered the boots and belt and wandered back into her bedroom where she changed out of the heavy armored clothing into a pair of pink Jessie shorts and a white wifebeater. Her feet were bare and made almost no sound when she padded back into the living room.

She sat down again and patted the spot beside her. This didn't mean that she expected him to sit there, as there were chairs not so close. Back to business. . . she thought. "What are you? I do hate to seem dense, but I just don't understand. Your skin, your eyes, your teeth. . . You have seemed so tense throughout the night but I don't understand why, and you didn't so much as blink an eye in my office when. . . Well, I just don't get it. It's not human, which you're evidentally not if I remember correctly. If you're not human, then what are you?"

She tapped her fingers on her legs and stared out the window blankly until some sort of realization came to her. "You remind me of this guy I was supposed to hit. He ran one of the biggest girl trafficing rings in New York and I had to go after him. I killed him, I thought, but he popped up about two weeks later, at it again. I put more than enough holes in that man to kill him five times over." She shook her head, running a hand through her messy bangs. "But, the skin, the eyes. Even the teeth. When I killed one of his guards, his teeth got sort of like yours," she paused, looking hard up at Morgan. "What was he?" She changed her question. It was obvious to her now that whatever that man was, Morgan was as well. At least in her eyes. "Why didn't he die?" she said more quietly, asking herself more than Morgan this time. "I've read books about vampires and succubi and werewolves. . . Faeiries and nymphs. But that stuff's all fiction. . ." She looked back up at Morgan, her eyes almost pleading with him for any sort of answer, whether in her favor or not. ". . .Right?" She paused again, sipping her wine to take the edge off of her increasing heartrate. "You're not a. . ." She couldn't even say it. He'd probably just laugh at her if she suggested that he was a vampire, that the man she meant to kill was a vampire. Although it was all coming together now as being logical.

[morgandubhbraon]

Morgan watched her as the dog began to grow uneasy, like it's kin the wolf the dog knew something was not right about Morgan. He grinned at the dog, revealing his still lengthened incisors. Eventually she was able to make it quiet and he still stood. He was not breathing or moving now. He was at risk for losing what he had thin control over. So he didn't move when she left to go change her clothes. He stood exactly as when she had left when she returned. Would she notice?

He stood there not breathing when she got into his face, when she moved, when she asked her questions. You choose not to believe what is right in front of you? He released the control drawing the larger vial from his coat pocket in a movement too fast for her human eyes to follow. His face went palest white, he allowed his fangs to protrude completely and his eyes were pearlescent white with no human color remaining.

He uncapped the vial. This is my wine, and my sustenance. I feed on those whom I choose, but I do not kill. I could, yet I am above the lesser beings who call themselves my kind. I am quite risking everything being here right now. I am newborn to the life of the night, a baby mere weeks old. He drank the large vial a good half cup worth in one greedy gulp. You have brought me misery many times tonight, bleeding so near to me. I barely maintained coontrol in the car so closed up and near to you with that hand cut practically flung in my face.

But I require no air to live. I am only half alive, I have blood in my body and it moves through my veins. The man you killed was a parasite, and I would kill him properly if given the opportunity. My clan does not permit such foul deeds on humans. We are a noble creed and understand humanity's place in our world. We think we are neither above, but certainly not beneath humanity. But yes, Hehlo, I am a Vampyre.

He waited for his words and actions to sink in. He was no threat to her, and he was in her debt for his needs to continue his business were great. He had not bothered to move to the library, yet. But if she understood his need it would be necessary before long. So am I still welcome here? Will you still help me run my affairs? I would welcome the use of your library if it is dark and you are still willing. I will also reveal to you what I can if you require. So again, I say ask me what you will. I will tell what I can.

[ameliae]

Her eyes widened only a bit when he spoke, finally revealing the truth. It was a lot to understand, a lot to take in. Although, Lo was more concerned about the man whom she was supposed to have killed being vampire than the immanent threat that stood before her. He seemed harmless enough now, though, with only the potential of being dangerous rather than an immediate threat. She bit her lip hard, her eyebrows furrowing and worry creasing her face. Her fingers fiddled with the hem of her shorts and she swallowed hard, considering what this might mean. "He's not dead, is he?" she spoke in what could be considered a whimper. This fact bothered her deeply. "And I can't kill him," she stated, rather than asked. "Not like everyone else, at least. I can't catch him and put him behind bars. I can't hurt him enough to make him stop. . ."

She inhaled a deep breath and let it out slowly after holding it for a long while. Morgan seemed concerned about her reaction to finding out that he was a vampire. She shook out of her own concerns for the time being and looked back up at him, still uneasy in her own thoughts about the real monster who was still out there. How could she possibly stop him? Was it something that she could ever be able to do, or would she need to widen the reach of the syndicate and hire in vampires like that they were fighting now? Were there other "creatures" out there that she once thought just fictional?

She broke free of her thoughts long enough to say to him, "You won't hurt me." Again, a statement rather than a question. "You would have already," she reassured herself aloud, nodding in her revelation. "But you could if you wanted to, and there's nothing I could do to stop you." This revelation made her a bit sick in her stomach, yet a smile flitted across her lips, and her eyes softened finally. She'd been quiet for along while, thinking about the man who got away from her. The vampire. She was lost in her thoughts for what seemed like ages, and in reality was a number of hours. She'd managed to sit in her couch, legs drawn in to her chest and eyes staring down at the ground immersed in her own thoughts.

When she pulled out of them, Morgan was still standing there in the same place he had been hours before. It startled her that he hadn't moved, but she hid that well. "Oh," she uttered. "Here, the library," she hummed, attempting to stand but failing miserably when she put her feet on the ground. Her legs had gone numb after sitting still for so long and she almost fell face first, but caught herself on Morgan. "Um, sorry," she smiled gently, holding herself up with him. Deep down, she really hoped he didn't mind that she was using him as a brace. She looked at the clock then looked out the window, noticing that day was nearly ready to break. "The library," she said again, finally able to skitter off down the hallway rather quickly waving Morgan along as she walked.

She burst through a large set of doors that opened into a rather impressive private collection. The ceiling was high in this room as it was in all of the other rooms, but there was not a window nor a skylight. In the middle of the room, near the back, was a desk covered in papers and opened books. She lead Morgan back into a lovely, dimly lit bedroom. The style was nothing like the rest of the house, and all magnificent. The room was decorated rather gothic period, and slightly Victorian. A mixture of the two, but warm and welcoming all the same. "This is usually where I sleep," she stated. "Even though my room is down the hall. . . I know, it's silly to have a bedroom off of a library but, it's always nice to not travel far after a long night of reading. And, it's dark!" she pointed out with a giggle. "Yeah, um, I usually don't get in until about this time of morning so it helps me get some shut-eye, you know?"

All of a sudden she was beginning to sound like a giddy little schoolgirl, talking all-too-fast. "You're welcome to it," she nodded. "Um, I don't know. . . Do you want pajamas?" Lo felt silly asking, but he was still a person, although she didn't even know if he slept or just wanted quarters away from the sunlight to seek refuge in for the duration of the day. "I'm so tired, but, please say you'll be here when I wake up? I really would like to talk to you some more. . . This, this could be big? For the syndicate, I mean. I won't say anything at all about you," she promised, holding up three fingers to signify some sort of girl-scout's honor promise. "But, if this guy is a vampire, too, then. . . Then you could help? Not you, physically of course, but information? Please, just. . ." She yawned a big yawn and nodded holding up a finger as if to say "hold on." "Just. . . Please? I really need to go to sleep, otherwise I might turn into a monster," she joked awkwardly. "Good night! And... Thank you. Er, yes. Night!" she said before shuffling off toward her bedroom. "I'm not hard to find, just down the hall, if you need me. Feel free to wake me up. But, for the next. . . four hours, only for emergencies? After that, feel free." It was only obvious that Hehlo rarely had any visitors, but was more than willing to be a more-than-accommodating host.

She slipped away at that, heading off to her room to get some shut-eye. Who knew what the day would bring?

[morgandubhbraon]

Morgan was not caught off guard by her clumsiness. He reached out an arm to stabilize her, her ability to touch him more than any words of assurance she could utter. She didn't hate him, and she didn't loather him, and she was certainly not afraid of him. He waited patiently for her to regain her legs under her and was no more than a step behind her as she lead the way to the library and unexpected adjoining sleeping quarters. So he was still disrupting their usual life by taking her quarters, and would Tully come here when he woke looking for her? If he did would he be surprised by Morgan's presence? He tried not to think about it too much. Tully was very innocent and seemed to accept him as easily as his mother, of course he didn't know Morgan was a vampyre, but his acceptance was welcome.

He watched her as she stumbled over her words, her world shattered and reality askew. Her pleas for him to be there when she awoke were unnecessary he could not leave in the day without risking his own safety. Sleep, Hehlo, I'll be here. I can't leave for now, I'm your prisoner in the library. He thought to himself as her figure retreated. He was trying to lighten the mood with a crude and tasteless joke. But he would help her with what information he could give as payment for her kindness and helping him with his affairs. Tully too would be an invaluable part of his business assisting with all the details of the website.

He watched as she left the library, dazed and exhausted from her ordeal taking a life as well as the dark realization that some lives were more than a match for typical means. Soon she left the room and he pulled the door closed after her so Tully wouldn't surprise him if he chose to come looking for his mother here. He was tired, and he did sleep, yet today he was keyed up and contemplative. He roved teh shelves of books and pulled a few tomes from their places before replacing each and trying another. None caught his interest or his eye.

He glanced at what she was working on for a moment, but only giving it the cursory once over and not even really taking in what he saw. Instead he paced and thought trying to anticipate whatever questions she might think to ask him when she awoke. He finally gave in and settled onto a comfortable bench placed for convenient lounging while one read, he leaned back and rested his head against the plush armrest. He was still not tired and spent his time in contemplation and deep consideration waiting for the doors to open and hoping they would reveal nightfall and not sunlight. He could speak, in here, for as long as she required, but he would have to leave for a while on the evening. He hoped to reassure her his diet was not deadly, but he had to feed or risk losing control when she stumbled or cut herself again. He marvelled that she was not just a mass of scars from her poor coordination. He waited in silent reverie for someone to open the door and tell him what time it was.

[ameliae]

Hehlo found that she could easily fall asleep in the room that she'd actually bothered to assign to herself, even with the light of morning pouring in through the windows that weren't at all well-enough covered. Her sleep, however, was not so peaceful as she might have liked. Her mind was plagued with the image of the "man that got away," the vampire. She dreamed of all of the young girls that she could not save on that night, although at the time she thought she had. She whined and writhed in her sleep, eventually throwing her blankets and pillows all on the floor.

It wasn't being fully rested that woke the girl. Rather, it was the cold kick of the air conditioner blowing from a vent right beside her, right on her. She shivered and pulled at the sheets for blanket, though found none. Whimpering, she gave up and sat straight in the bed, wiping her eyes which were covered in that ever-regular crust. Soon enough, she was showered and dressed-- casually so, and this made her look like she couldn't possibly have been what she revealed to Morgan the night before. Her jeans were ragged and ripped up, though fashionably so, and her bra was visible though the baseball jersey-style shirt that covered her upper half. Her hair was let down and loosely curled this afternoon, where she'd normally where it straight or pulled back.

Before checking the library for Morgan, she paced in bare feet to the kitchen and brewed up a pot of coffee, which she then creamed and sugared until it wasn't coffee with cream, but cream with a hint of coffee. She always brewed the coffee too strong, though, and the kick was undeniable.

Mug in hand, she trailed quietly to the library, noticing that Tully was awake in the living room watching the television. Some show about murder and mystery was on, and the little boy was more than immersed in it. "You're going to give yourself nightmares," she warned before opening the door to the library. There was Morgan, sitting there almost as if he was waiting for someone to come let him know it was safe to come out. She stirred her drink and took another sip before stepping in and closing the door. "It's only five o'clock," she informed him, sipping again. "A couple more hours before it's safe, I think. . ." She grew quiet, considering why he couldn't go out in light. "The sun hurts you? Like in the older novels? The new novels just seem ridiculous," she mused, tilting a head to see what book he was reading. She couldn't see the title from where she stood so she looked back up at Morgan before taking a seat in one of the plush lounging chairs. "Does it burn you? Do you-- Did you sleep at all?"

[morgandubhbraon]

Morgan looked at her as she came in. He could see a shaft of late day sunlight behind her; and her words confirmed for him. Five O'Clock? So a few hours then until it is safe for me. The sun can kill me if I am in it for too long. My travelling cloak is more than just a fashion statement, as are my gloves. I also typically have a hat I wear, a broad rimmed fedora, that keeps me safe. I can also sleep, but today I chose not to. Hehlo, you know what my diet is, and I must ask you to trust me when I ask to leave for a bit tonight. I have never taken a life, nor do I intend to. My method of feeding leaves the "victim" feeling euphoric and sleeping while their body replenishes what I must have to survive. I can go days without feeding, but for your safety, I should feed soon.

While I would never willingly cause you harm, you do have a habit of unintentionally tempting me. I am a newborn of my species, and my thirst is great. After I have fed I will return and we shall discuss whatever you have thought of in your short sleep. Is this acceptable to you? His eyes were dark blue and hard like glass. He was thirsty and he had no more stores to help him in a moment of weakness. He was going to have to gorge, two maybe three victims half drained. His ability to sense emotions would help him choose weak individuals who might just collapse on their own, yet their blood would also be weaker. It was a payoff he would have to take to make his feeding undetectable.

There would surely be many questions in her mind for him and fortified he would feel like talking all night if she required. For now he had to make it through the next few hours. His eyes were crystal ice blue now but if she bled they'd be pure white again and he would be rushing out regardless of the state of sunset.

[ameliae]

Lo nodded quietly as he spoke to her. She'd rummaged while he was talking and picked out a sort of old novel from Russia. The girl collapsed in the large chair, placing herself possibly too-close to Morgan, and began thumbing through antique pages, glancing over the language that was her own until she found something that interested her. Something on-topic, but suddenly unimportant when he mentioned her habit of tempting him. "Okay, no reading for now," she hummed with a polite smile, closing the book and dropping it on the table beside them.

"I prefer to make it through the night to learn a just a bit more," she admitted, tugging at the barely visible blonde hairs on her arms. Her head tilted and she considered aloud a dangerous thought. "Can I go along?" The question stung her as she said it. He'd probably not want her to, but she had insatiable curiosity to ease. "I just, I want to watch. I want to see," she admitted bashfully, nibbling at her lip gently so as not to make it bleed. Her head had turned down, facing the floor, now and a curtain of only slightly long bangs shadowed her eyes. Yes, Lo could be a bit shy at times, afraid to ask things of people and more afraid they'd think her silly or even stupid for her suggestions.

"If it's too much to ask, just tell me," she hurried to back up her request. "It's just, I couldn't stop thinking about that man. . . I want to know how you work. I want to know how to beat you," she mused, her eyes wide and starry like a child who'd just learned that the moon was obtainable. "Not you," her words came rushed again. "Of course not you, but him," she quickly corrected. She sat quiet in her thoughts for a few moments and glanced up again, this time her gaze locking with Morgan's. "Do you. . . have to be a vampire to kill one?" She began to study his body and structure. "How strong are you?" she mused aloud, prodding at his arms to test the sturdiness of the muscle. "Is it just overnight? Like, bam!, you're strong?"

At that moment, Tully came toddling in through the doorway which he had to push hard to open. He left the door open, and the sunset's light beamed in. "Tully, shut the door. Now," his mother insisted when he was taking too long to do it. The boy climbed into Morgan's lap and began tugging at his shirt. "Mommy, are you working tonight?" he asked, his eyes wide an innocent looking up at her. "Yes, sort of. You'll have a sitter tonight, sweetie," she replied in her own disappointment as she lifted Tully into her own lap and kissed the top of his head.

He looked up, laying his cheek against her breasts. "Are you gonna catch the bad guy tonight?" Lo smiled down at her son and smoothed his hair, kissing his head again. "Not tonight. I'm going to try to figure out how to catch him tonight--" She was cut off by a knocking at the door. Tully jumped up and ran off, more than ready to greet his "slave" of the night.

[morgandubhbraon]

Morgan's nerves were humming and he tried to calm himself. He needed to keep his wits about him and stay focused. He watched her go into a nervous mode, and her words revealed the strength of her emotional aura. Hehlo, you risk much. I don't know if I can control myself, I would not wish to harm you. he looked at her, and sighed, You must do everything I say... I know you will follow if I say no. Let me feed once first, and then I will come find you. After that I might not try to attack you. To me your blood already calls from familiarity of smelling it tonight. I cannot promise you anything.

He looked at her. I have an idea; bring me a shirt, a cleanone, please. I will give you my shirt and you must wear it. My familiar scent will help save your life. It is the best I can think of to keep you safe.

Tully had climbed into his lap and he tried to keep his voice light and guard his words. He wouldn't have the boy worried for his mother. He cradled the innocent child as he climbed into his lap. It was a wonder how children instinctively knew things. Would Tully recognize a bad guy; one of those his mother tried to fight against if he saw one? Morgan could only wonder. Was his innocence complete, or did he have a respect for the dangers out there. He had clearly labelled Morgan a good guy, and for the most part he was. He smiled at Tully; but was saved trying to find a gentle way to warn the boy away from him for the moment by the door. Morgan looked over to try to see who the service had sent this time, he hoped they were better than the last girl. He hadn't approved of her being killed, but he could understand what her knowledge could do to the organization if she were let go and decided to get revenge.

Morgan looked at Hehlo, Don't forget the shirt. I can run faster than you could imagine, and I would be untracable before you even knew I was gone. You take my shirt, and I allow you to go, alright?