When Darkness Falls

[Ithica]

Amelia watched the pretty red head talk to Dahmnall. He was acting a little strange and was talking about when he had been bit which was strange. Cecillia doesn’t look like a vampire. She looks like she has been out in the sun recently. Amelia heard the sirens and watched where the emergency vehicles were heading.

"Ami, it looks like they're playing your song, I'll pick you up after mass for dinner at me grandda's"

“Sure” she answered and was about the run off when the strange guy in white walked up. She glanced in his direction and started to run towards the park.

 

[Mantra]

Dracius watched her features carefully, giving a slight, half-smile as he did.

"You do not fear me. That is good." he said, out of the blue. "You are doing well thusfar."

He turned awy, walking back to the edge of the building and looking over. There were sirens nearby, but Dracius wasn't concerned for whatever predicament the mortals had gotten themselves in.

"You are clever to exist as you do my dear. I pity that more of our bretheren do not heed the same ideology. There are a gret many of our kindred in the city at the moment. Many more that I would prefer. I have been gone too long and things have not been maintained as I wished in my absence. Still, I am back and it is time to regain control. The Hunters have their part to play in that control as well, they will be my tools, but they do not know it yet."

"There is a great game afoot and it sweeps all along with it."

 

[caela]

"You do not fear me. That is good." he said, out of the blue. "You are doing well thusfar."

Dria laughed softly at his comment about her not fearing him. She'd sensed the rage in him and could feel the power that emmanated off of him. Only a fool or an idiot wouldn't fear him and she was neither...she just didn't believe in letting her fears turn her into a quivering, helpless ball of nothingness.

"I'm not stupid Darius or a liar and I'd be both if I didn't fear you at least a bit and admit to it. I simply won't let that fear control me. You could hurt me if you chose, even kill me, but I learned to face pain and death in the face and not flinch from them as a human child...it's a lesson that's stood me well as a vampire.

When Death decides he wants me there will be no where I can hide so why should I cower before the mere possibility?"

Shrugging she stared out over the city and sighed at the sound of sirens. At this hour of the night it was likely the trip was wasted and whomever the humans sought had already been claimed by death.

She listened as he talked about there being too many kindred in the city and the need for regaining control over them and nodded her agreement. One of them had even been leaving bodies for the police to find! Oh granted they hadn't released the small detail of the bodies found being drained of blood but Dria knew how to read between the lines of a newspaper article to spot the kills of vampires. She liked the fact that he felt the Hunters could be used to help curb some of the activity occuring in the city.

He was ambitious this one.

"There is a great game afoot and it sweeps all along with it."

Turning her head she eyed him specutively. There was more than he was telling her but she couldn't blame him for that. She wouldn't trust most of her kindred either.

"Does it sweep all along Darius...or do you seek to control the game?"

 

[Mantra]

"Does it sweep all along Darius...or do you seek to control the game?"

Dracius's smile only increased. "Clever girl, time will tell."

"When I first encountered your thoughts, you mentioned not wanting 'another' arguement," Dracius commented, again spinning the conversation into a side street. " but you mentioned that you did not confront this hunter in your club. With whom did you have this argument?"

 

[caela]

"When I first encountered your thoughts, you mentioned not wanting 'another' arguement," Dracius commented, again spinning the conversation into a side street. " but you mentioned that you did not confront this hunter in your club. With whom did you have this argument?"

Chuckling softly she offered him a smile that made it clear she wasn't fooled by his changing the subject but she went along with it anyway. If he decided to tell her his plans it would be when he chose and not through any other means.

"Cecilla," she said quietly thinking back on the woman she'd encountered in the Dragon. "She had the oddest scent, part kindred, part human and the silly little twit seemed set to feed and kill right there in the club. She even went after a human who still carried my scent, she knew I'd fed off him already.

I managed to start a verbal confrontation with her in front of a woman who turned out to be an officer. I let her eject us both from the bar because it got the silly twit away from my herd. I won't let them be poisoned or killed right under my very nose. They're mine damnit!" she said forcefully, her eyes staring off toward the Dragon once more.

"The bitch even threatened to feed off me at one point. I don't know what she is in actuallity but she called herself a Hume. Whatever she is she's psychotic and incredibly annoying."

 

[Mantra]

"Cecilla." Dracuis mused. " I do not think I am familliar with this one...yet. In any case, a Hume is more of an accident than a vampire. A living birth amongst a vampiric mother. They are more in like to the Hunters than to our kind. My experience with them is rather limited. Most break far too easilly for my preferences, but those who do manage to endure can be..interesting. Perhaps we will meet this Cecilla one night."

He shrugged ending the line of thought before starting another. "You seem very fond of this club you mention. Protective enough to kill my couriers in any case. Tell me about it."

 

[caela]

"You seem very fond of this club you mention. Protective enough to kill my couriers in any case. Tell me about it."

She let him change the subject again because she didn't want to discuss Cecillia. The woman was just...wrong somehow and Dria found it unnerving. Hearing him ask about the Dragon she smiled softly.

"I like clubs in general. They suit my needs perfectly giving me both a playground and a place to feed. Whenever I come into a new city I make the rounds of the clubs to find the one that resonates best with me...here it was the Dragon. I like the clientel, I like the music, I like the atmosphere...it all just works for me.

As for the couriers I apologize. They didn't carry the scent of a kindred on them so I had no idea they belonged to someone. If I had I wouldn't have killed them, though I still would have ejected them from the Dragon.

I don't like having my herds poisoned. A little alcohol is fine, it gives the blood a bit of an edge to it but the drugs these dealers bring in, " Dria shuddered at the thoght, "They taint the taste of the blood entirely and make feeding very unpleasant.

Besides, keeping the club clean also keeps away the police and if the police are never there than there's nothing to tip off Hunters that a vampire feeds there. It's a benficial situation all around."

 

[Mantra]

Dracius dismissed the deaths with a wave of his hand.
"The couriers mean nothing to me. They were a means to an end, nothing more. I do not prefer the taint narcotics place on the food supply either, but if the mortals are so willing to fashion chains for themselves as well as pay a great sum of money for it, then I would be a fool not to take hold of those chains. If you would be willing to tell me where your feeding haunts are, I will ceace sending my narcotics into those areas."

He stood, hopping up and walking a few steps along the railway around the buildings edge, motioning to the rail with one hand, inviting Dria to come up with him.
"You have shown me a great many things Alexandria St. James, some with your words and some from your mind. You are clever and capable and I only wish to know one more thing;

Can you fight?"

 

[caela]

Dria smiled softly glad he didn't seem overly upset about the drug dealers and gave him the list of clubs she hunted. There weren't many as she was rather selective but the Dragon was at the top of her list. It was by far and away her favorite and the one she was the most concerned about keeping clean.

Watching as he hopped up onto the railing and then beckoned her join him she laugh gently and lept up to join him with the easy grace born of perfect balance. She didn't even wobble a little as she spread her arms and inhaled the night air as if drawing the entire city into her body with that breath.

"You have shown me a great many things Alexandria St. James, some with your words and some from your mind. You are clever and capable and I only wish to know one more thing;

Can you fight?"

"But of course. In my house as a child you had two choices, learn to fight or be a victim. Even then I was nobodies victim or punching bag. I learned to give as good as I got, and then I learned to give it better and when that wasn't enough I sought out a creature of the night who gave me sweet kiss to pass on the strength I would need to revenge myself on those that had hurt me.

I have perfect aim, am skilled with a blade and am not to shabby hand to hand though it's not my greatest skill. And of course we all have our own special talents as well," she added with a small smile.

 

[rengadeirishman]

Dahmnall

"Well, Well, We have a a regular ceili here." Dahmnall said looking at the vampire who had just arrived. Dahmnall drew his gun and sword. "Come get a taste!"

 

[Screech]

Kyrev raised an eyebrow as he looked at the man who had just drawn a gun and blade on him. Was he perhaps one of those hunters he had heard of recently? Kyrev remained relaxed at this display of aggression. "Surely sir, you do not intend on using those?"

 

[rengadeirishman]

Dahmnall

"I bloody well do vampyre!" Dahmnall said "And you!" He pointed his sword at Cecilia, "I dont know what you are, but its not human."

 

[Donsehan]

Alaric

Hearing the sounds of sirens, I followed them running after them. I past a few people talking, one of them dressed oddly immactulately white and kept going after the ambulances. Stopping at the site I realized I had gotten there too late. I looked around, and closed my eyes, opening my senses to see what vampires were nearby and I got a surprise. Doubling back to where I past the group of people, I slowed down as I neared them catching my breath, getting ready for a fight, one of them had a gun and sword drawn, and I figured the red haired man to be a slayer by the manner which he carried himself.

I drew my guns, keeping them concealed under my coat as I approached.

 

[rengadeirishman]

Dahmnall

Dahmnall let out a warcry and leapt at the vampyre in white, swinging his
sword.

 

[Ithica]

Amelia stopped when she heard Dahmnall say,

"I bloody well do vampyre! And you! I dont know what you are, but its not human."

She ran towards the group as Dahmnall drew his sword and gun. She ran and tackled the man in white. She got up and drew her gun on Dahmnall.

"Are you completly insane, what the hell do you think you are doing?"

 

[Donsehan]

Alaric

Bringing my two guns out from under my coat I pointed one at each of the vampires. I said to the woman who drew on the slayer "lady, put your gun down, both of these are vampires, I would know." No need to kill this red haired man who was about to save your life by keeping these creatures away from you."

Turning to the vampire in white on the ground "you, even think about moving"

 

[Screech]

Kyrev watched with some amusement as the armed man swing his blade in a neat arc. He could easily have dodged, but the woman from earlier had tackled him to the ground. Not only that, but scolded him too!

The people of this town seemed to have a predaliction for guns, as another person pointed his personal arsenal his way and, curiously, at the last member of the group, too. How could this one know he was vampyr?

Kyrav remained on the ground. Better to humor these people than get killed. again. "I did not mean any offence by my presence here, and I apologise for any inconveniance it haas caused."

 

[Mantra]

I have perfect aim, am skilled with a blade and am not to shabby hand to hand though it's not my greatest skill. And of course we all have our own special talents as well,"

"Then a test seems in order." Dracius said, drawing a short but thick sword from under his trenchcoat. He held it easilly, without much concern and seemed almost amused with the idea of dueling. "Methinks we should not use the special gifts we each posess. Physical ability and skill only. There are too many who wouls come running to spoil our fun.." he raised an eyebrow at Dria with a smirk. "And I do not wish to defeat you so quickly...."

 

[caela]

"Then a test seems in order."

Dria laughed softly as he drew a short sword from under his coat. Without thought she back away slightly just out of reach of the sword and while he still spoke she reached through the special slits sewn into her skirt and drew the knives she carried from her thighs.

"And I do not wish to defeat you so quickly...."

Alexandria smirked but said nothing. She'd never understood why men wanted to talk while they fought and though she doubted it would work on him she'd found that complete silence made many men nervous enough to make the small mistake she needed to take them down. Poised on the railing she stood seemingly at ease with her blades held loosely in her hands and gleaming dully in the evening light.

She watched him intently, her eyes narrowed her attion so focused that nothing else existed for her any longer as she watched and waited for the small telltale shifts in stance and breathing that would tell her he was about to attack.

 

[Mantra]

Dracius kept sharp watch on his new opponent as he slowly shifted, removing his trenchcoat one arm at a time. His sword switched to his left hand and back to his right as he slipped free of the garment. He had suspected Dria might have attacked while seemingly tangled with the coat, in fact, he was waiting for it but Dria had kept her distance, waiting to counter his attack. So be it, Dracius did not have any difficulty being agressive when it suited him.

Without warning he sprang forward, leaping forward like a fencer in spite of the narrow ledge. He did not drop his trenchcoat or toss it aside. Instead it became a heavy, six foot net, whipping forward and threatening to snarl one of Dria's knives and tangle her arm. In the other hand, the deadly short sword was poised, ready to press forward any opening.

 

[caela]

In an actual fight she would have taken advantage of his taking his coat off but as this was a test of her skill she decided to be polite and give him the chance to remove it. Besides it also gave her the chance to see that he was equally comfortable with the blade in either hand. And advantage to be certain but one that wouldn't surprise her now.

She saw him lung and saw the coat and the sword both coming at her. Letting the coat wrap around her arm she smirked and turned her hand so that she had her own grip on it while she lept back away from the sword thrust and onto the wider portion of the rooftop. Landing on her feet she gave a sudden jerk of the coat disrupting his balance before releasing it.

Flipping the blade in her left hand so that it pointed down along her arm she laughed softly and offered Darius a grin. She could feel the adrenaline pumping through her veins as she looked forward to the duel between them. It had been awhile since she'd had a decent fight.

 

[Mantra]

Dracius felt the hard tug on his coat and was jerked forward at to the side when Dria left off the ledge. However, instead of fighting the loss of ballance and the precious seconds that would have taken, Dracius fell forward, guiding the fall and rolling aling his back towards Dria instead. His sword swept in a low arc, keeping her at bay for a split second while he pivoted. The roll ended and his body followed the momentum of the sword swing, carrying him around with a foot sweep. The sweep was useless, Dria either being out of reack of having to leap up and over to attack because of his sword, but the sweep allowed him extra momentum as it carried him around. Again the long coat lashed out as he rose, seeking to twist around her legs or failing that, was sufficently heavy to cause distress should it actually strike her.

 

[caela]

He was better than she was. She realized that as she was forced to retreat from a foot sweep only to have that damned coat come flying at her again. Glancing quickly and spotting her purse she let the coat hit her and used the momentum it gave her to fall and roll toward her purse.

Flinging one of her blades toward his shoulder she grabbed her puse and pulled the small gun she kept there from it and fired; deliberatly grazing his neck. Smiling as the wound healed quickly she gave him a look that made it clear the graze was no accident. A gun might be considered cheating by some but she simply considered it good common sense. It gave her a wider range on an opponant and if the opponant was the better fighter it gave her a means of keeping her head on her shoulders where she liked it.

She'd learned young that the only rule that applied to a fight was that you fought to win.

 

[Mantra]

The dagger was reversed and thrown expertly, with one fluid motion, but instead of using his sword to deflect the blow, thusly forcing him to reposition the weapon, his coat snapped around in an arc, catching the thrown weapon and throwing it to the rooftop at his feet.

There was a 'pop' and Dracius flinched as the sudden bullet grazed his neck. Dria's smug look demonstrated the point that she didn't have to graze his neck with the bullet.

Message recieved.

Dracuis's half smile returned as the would closed, leaving little more than a red smudge. He nodded towards Dria as he held the gun, but suddenly crouched, reaching his arms out to the sides as he barred his fangs and hissed, menacingly as his eyes burned red. Dria's reaction was immeadiate and accurate. Three more shots fired in rapid succession, all three struck Dracius square in the chest.

The Master Vampire barely even flinched.

Dracius did not advance or even step forward. The menace was gone from his features, in fact, he mirrored Dria's own look when she had grazed him as the bullet holes close. Glancing down, Dracius looked at the fallen dagger. With the toe of his boot, he lightly kicked the blade back towards her.

 

[caela]

As her blade was kicked back to her Dria laughed softly and dropped to scoop it up. Both blades were easily re-sheathed and she dropped her gun back into her purse. If he decided to kill her bullets weren't even going to slow him down which was good to know.

"Satisfied?" she asked as she dropped her puse onto the railing once more. "Or did you want to dance some more?" The last was asked playfully and there was merriment sparkling in her eyes.