NWoD: Chicago [NEW and OPEN as of 10-8-09]

[Amano Yoshi]

Vincent listened to the protests coming from both the Demon and the Mage with an obvious amount of reverence for one opinion and interest in the other. Which had which seemed to waiver back and forth considering how wise he knew the both of them were likely to be in his eyes. It hadn’t dawned on him that this quick need from the court could very well be a disguised attempt at ending Vincent. It wasn’t customary for the Ordo Dracul to end memberships on a point of total finality when they were embarrassed by one Prince. It was a well known fact that nothing lasts forever and the Ordo Dracul were extremely conscious of this fact. One Prince and one embarrassment would be buried and forgotten in time to all that didn’t care to remember, or hadn’t suffered the ordeal personally. Though such things weren’t unheard of either, if the covenant wanted you dead they were going to do it themselves. Why owe someone for correcting their own mistakes? The elder however began to ponder how foolish it would be for the coven to rid themselves of one of its elders for a single occurrence without first finding out why the events unfolded the way they had. Unless, one of the younger more ambitious fools thought he had access to secret knowledge they could wrestle away from his dying body themselves or steal from private holdings afterward unprotected. Vincent sighed out in disgust at all these thoughts and took them seriously for the peril he could be in. “You’re both probably right. Rachael may be coming here to end my existence. We’ll see instantly if she didn’t bother bringing me the change of clothes I requested her intentions.”

The vampire watched the two banter on and on about topics involving the vampire, his well being, the threats to himself, and even some small strangeness that happened between the two that he wondered if was jealousy and further thought it was assuredly so. On more than one occasion he drew a dividing line between the two of them and knew, no matter what the demon’s knowledge could mean to him, that he would side with Zack if this got out of hand. Already the vampire knew he could be across the room with his fist planted firmly in a wall and THROUGH the demon if it came down to it.

Vincent’s thoughts were interrupted from such a course as the demon approached his latest donor. The vampire wondered what he was doing in stopping him from bending over to close the wounds with a lick himself. The demon however used some measure of power to remove the small wounds and that finally gave Vincent all the proof that he needed. “So it is true then.” Vincent smirked, amused at the small display of ability. Though Vincent knew of only one race that could heal the others with their powers it took those people most of the day through a ritual. “You’re using very little power, even if I do believe. You’re still very weak and vulnerable yourself. You’d best stick close to me for protection for a bit. My mental powers are always strong regardless of the state of my body.” That was a true statement. Earlier if Vincent had the forethought to prepare for an ambush of the Prince’s lackeys he could have prevented them from even firing upon him in mass, at least, with Majesty. One gunshot or two would have given the kindred enough time to bulk up his body in the mystic sense to resist more shots and put up a hell of a fight or even get all of them to safety. Neonates would never be too much of a challenge after all.

When the mage and the demon once again went through some strange altercation the vampire walked up behind Zack so silently that no one would have been able to hear. It was a symbolic motion of exactly who he stood behind. He stood out of the mage’s peripheral vision but was clearly in the line of sight of sight to Kevin. Vincent looked directly at Kevin and smiled a toothy grin. His eyes glowed, filled with a nightmare of fears unimaginable to mortal men. He was certain that the demon had gone through the equivalent or worse. This display however wasn’t to harm but to threaten. Zachariah was important, never to be threatened or messed with again in any way that would cause him harm. Such were the thoughts going through Vincent’s head that he wanted to be made clear, despite what he thought of the demon and the need he had for the knowledge such a being contained. Zack was a priority and a luxury that he would not lose. When the mage had felt some sort of exchange, Vincent smelled the electricity in the air, it was tangible and the nightmare in his eyes intensified as his eyes squinted out the harsh reminder. It faded and Vincent smiled a sincere smile to convey a different message that he hoped the demon would understand to be friendship so long as this line was not crossed again. When the mage would turn round, Vincent would be exactly where he had been and posed exactly as he was. The vampire had plenty of years to practice his self taught technique he occasionally used for almost exactly the same sort of exchange with others. Amusement was on occasion something a few kindred had suffered for this art.

Vincent didn’t allow his friend to kneel. When he watched Zack rub his arm in discomfort the kindred broke his façade and moved to tend the other with great speed. He had mainly kept up his coldness for the benefit of the demon. Best not to allow the demon to draw up too many conclusions that the two left in the room had allowed themselves to ignore for years. Now that Kevin was in the hall, Vincent was free to explain a few things to the mage. The vampire put his cool hands on the other’s arm to rub gently and add enough pressure to relieve any discomfort. This maternal act might have very well unleashed the floodgates in Vincent’s mind that he’d tried so hard to hold back for the other’s sake. All of these long years Vincent was always only protecting Zack. The dangers that could come from involvement with one of his own kind were too much for Vincent’s conscience to bear. The vampire knew that if Zack were in control of himself at all times regarding his feelings now altered by the exchange of blood that had transpired between them on so many occasions in the past, that he’d probably do the same for Vincent with a clear head. It was Vincent’s duty to keep them both sake, but he might not have to keep to this secret vow for too much longer.

The vampire got closer and put his arms around the mage in a manner that suggested he was going to take the blood he so needed, just as they had exchanged time and time again through the years. He leaned in close but stopped at the mage’s ear to whisper, “He’s a demon.” Vincent’s mask was continuing to break with every action that held a bit too much tenderness. Hope tended to shatter one’s resolve and blind to the possibility of failure in every planned future step. The knowledge contained in a Changeling he’d met the night before and more importantly within the demon he was trying to befriend could lead him to Golconda. If he could just manage to take hold of such bountiful wisdom, imagine what he and his mage could do to set Vincent free of his curse, the kindred, and this city. If any of it were possible and he could reach the fabled enlightened state of vampirism he could use the limitless power to rule this city, the world, or ascend to a higher plane of thought that would allow him to spend the remaining years that immortality offered with his time frozen friend. His secret love could be no more a secret than the shared emotion of regular humans, carefree and hopeful like it was supposed to be. He decided he’d risk a potential hurt thanks to such an overwhelming desire to hope for hope’s sake by revealing a hidden truth. “I would have wanted to call you regardless of the physical need. This demon could lead me to Golconda. If it exists what else but an angel could grant it to me?”

Despite the lowering of his façade, Vincent did need blood and he knew that Zack was more than willing. The vampire willed himself to gain the pulse of mortal life again as his flesh warmed and his breathing returned to a shaky semblance of the forgotten habit. Vincent allowed his lukewarm breath to cascade around the mage’s ear as he spoke again without falseness. “I’m sorry for everything.” Vincent remembered all the apologies that he’d fed the mage in a manner of cold concession to the yo-yoing of heartstrings Vincent had done only to occasionally be close to him for his own selfish need. He did regret it, and hated himself for never being there truly for the one he loved most. His words this time hinted more strongly at truth than ever they had because this time there was emotion, however slight, laced between the letters that made them up. The vampire ignored his need for as long as he could before finally sinking his fangs into the mage’s soft, unchanging flesh. The vampire had the sense of mind to ignore his own instincts of feeding and merely allowed the blood to flow at the speed of the mage’s heart rather than tug upon the vital essence. He let the act become a sensual thing in which he would allow the kiss to take a fuller and longer course than anyone would likely be able to experience. The full force of the vampire’s will was needed for the act so contrary to his own nature. Vincent had to stop much sooner than what he’d done with the woman. He didn’t wish to weaken his friend, regardless of the properties that likely made the mage immune to such things. Vincent licked the wound closed but didn’t immediately release Zack as he would have if he were copying all the times before. Instead in this instance he retreated somewhat so that he could gaze into Zachariah’s gaze a moment before kissing the enlightened one’s lips with tenderness that shattered the mask entirely compared to all their recorded history after Vincent’s embrace. Afterward he released the mage, only after he was sure that Zack wasn’t suffering dizziness.

[Amano Yoshi]

Prince Lyre

Gabriel escorted the lady to her car and settled in comfortably. He politely ignored the phone conversation and cast his attentions to trawling the sidewalk outside for the lusts of the evening. Easy, languid browsing, much like a giraffe on the Serengeti, kept him in top shape and ensured that no desperation or starvation would occur later if he missed a few feedings.

When the vampire ended her conversation, he returned his focus to her. His expression darkened instantly at her question, the solicitous sparkle in his eyes extinguishing.

"No." The reply was blunt, unadorned, and entirely too quick for polite conversation. She'd hardly gotten the last syllable out of her mouth before he spoke. "It is not my way to kill," he said softly after a moment of awkward silence. He resumed looking out the window. "It is your territory to open the veil of death, my lady. Mine is to open the legs." His smile, never far away, crept back onto his face.

He looked sidelong at her. "But a dog with his balls in a vice obeys orders much better than one with his guts on the ground, eh?" He let the implications sink in. "I aim to enrich the kindred of the night while on their grounds. That is to everyone's best interests. Tell me how I can help in that respect and it will be done."

Rachael was taken aback by the demon’s quick rejection of her potential offer that was not quite even heard as of yet. The fact that the demon was so quick to jump into a negative response didn’t even allow for her to ponder weakness. In fact it made her more inclined to believe that this demon might actually have the capability to undo her own requiem with relative ease. She did allow the subject to drop with little resistance, but when another prospect came into light she couldn’t help but resume the pleasant smile she was unaware had faded from her beautiful face.

“You’re willing to ensnare one with your wiles then?” The vampire concluded with need of confirmation before proceeding. Gabriel was certainly as vague as she could be when it came to matters regarding dominance over another. “If you’re willing to attempt to ensnare Mr. White and force him to subject himself to my questioning of his personal findings throughout his studies, I could make it very worth your while.” The woman’s eyes sparked, quite literally, in the light of passing cars. Her own goals were not as complicated as some kindred might be. She wanted knowledge for the sake of it, rather than doing herself or any other being good or ill. She, like so many others, desired nothing but power and dominion over all. When she had all of it she could stand she’d take this city by force if necessary and see the current Prince ground up beneath her heel. Such a conniving smile the demon Gabriel had probably not witnessed in a century himself.

“I think we can create a very prosperous business relationship my good sir.”

[Calinthe]

Out in the hall Kalial leaned against the non-descript beige wall and slid down till he was seated on the equally bland carpet. His mind wandered while the phone rang ceaselessly, pondering over the vampire's actions back in the hotel room. Considering he hadn't come anywhere close to really harming the mage, Vincent's reaction was odd. Unless picking at Zach for his unwarranted jealousy was considered harmful, there was no reason at all for the vamp to have threatened him so obviously. Not that Kali was particularly worried by the gesture. What was the worst he could do? Kill him? Hah.

Kalial looked at his exchange with Zach quite simply. If the mage could dish out sarcastic and bitter remarks, he could take them, and the vampire would be a complete idiot to hurt a demon over a few cross words exchanged with his friend. If 'friend' was even what you would call the mage's relationship to the vampire. If the demon was reading them right they acted more like an old divorced couple still trying to pretend they could be civil around each other. Out of the two, Zach was definitely the one playing victim in the couple and Kali wondered why. The demon almost snickered as he pictured potential scenarios for their little soap opera.

Just then, the phone stopped ringing and Mark's voice came over the line. He was the second man in less than an hour to sound pissed when he picked up the phone. Apparently Kalial was not someone that anyone wanted to hear from. Still, despite the obvious displeasure in the changeling's greeting, Kevin forged ahead.

"Hey there Mark, it's me, Kevin." The brunette said quickly, wanting to make sure he got his message across before he got hung up on. Not that Kev could really picture Mark ever hanging up on him, but then again, Kevin would never have expected Mark to be a changeling either. Silly humans, they were so blind. "I'm calling from a cell phone I stole off someone else, so don't worry about trying to call back, I won't be keeping it. I just wanted to call and tell you that we got out. The vamps let me go after putting a tracking spell on me, and they let the other guy we were with go too."

The demon still couldn't figure out what they'd hoped to accomplish by letting them go so easily...until he realized that they might know Mark and Kevin had been friends. They definitely wanted Mark, they didn't know if they wanted Kev or not so they'd use one as bait for the other. Brilliant. "I'd offer to come see you and settle our differences, but the last thing you need is for the vamps to track you down using me. Even if you are unjustifiably mad at me, I wouldn't want that for you." Kevin rubbed at his chest a little to think of that. Mark didn't want to see him, and in fact wanted him dead. That idea didn't sit well with his host at all, and the demon wasn't too keen on it either. "After the stunt you pulled to escape they're on the lookout for you. They'd never seen anything like you before, so it might take them a while to search through the lore, but eventually they'll know what they're looking for and they'll begin the hunt in earnest."




Zacharias knew the moment Vincent took his arm that something wasn't right. The coolness of the vampire's skin felt amazing on the heat of the mild electrical burn, but that wasn't what was wrong. No, it was the microscopic changes in the vampire's expression. It was the way Vincent's frozen demeanor flew out the window the moment Kevin wasn't in the room, the sudden closeness that felt like the last 13 years had been a really bad dream. Vincent was practically oozing tenderness now (if one could count dead hands and that almost non-expression on vince's face as being tender.) and in a way it was unnerving. Not because it seemed insincere or faked, but because it seemed so real and so close to what Zach wanted.

As Vincent moved over to him and pulled him close, Zach was nearly rigid. He couldn't relax into this, no way. To accept it, to give in to the feeling of being held would undoubtedly be disastrous. Ooooh but it felt so good! The tension in his back started to melt out of him and the mage had to wonder when the last time he'd let anyone hold him was. It was a train of thought that the mage cut off quickly because he knew the answer would probably also involve an unlucky 13.

Vincent's little revelations about what Kevin was hijacked the mage's train of thought however rather quickly. A demon? Given the chance he probably would have balked and said there was no way, but Vincent was talking again, and Zach couldn't help but fall silent to hear him. Zacharias wasn't going to think about how blatant a lie it was that Vince would have called him without the physical need. If he'd just wanted a chat he could have called so much sooner. He could have e-mailed or written a letter to the address that hadn't changed in years. No, if he'd really wanted anything to do with Zach there'd been plenty of opportunity before now. However, that wasn't the line that Zacharias needed to focus on, it was the one that came after.

"Golconda? He can give that to you?" The mage asked skeptically, the faintest flicker of hope lighting within. He'd read about that before in Vincent's notes. Though Zach might not understand it completely, as there was surely more written on it in Vince's notes than he'd ever had time to read, he did know basically what it was. He also knew that it was the one thing that Vincent strove to find more than anything. If the vampire could find it, could reach that altered state, then maybe...

'I'm sorry for everything.'

...maybe nothing. Vincent was sorry for everything because he gave nothing. Nothing that the mage wanted anyways. Temporary friendship, falsified affection, and the most amazing ******** hickeys that a man could ask for.

Oh but his voice promised so much more this time. Zacharias could hear it, almost like a whispered plea by his ear, that hint of truth. Yes, the vampire played on his desperate infatuation for his own goals on a regular basis, but this time his tone promised more. Zach could almost feel the blood given warmth of the vampire's body leech into Vincent's voice to tempt him even when he should know better. Everything about this encounter seemed more personal, more real, and Zacharias knew he was being played even as he gave himself over to the inevitable. He would love, he would give, and in the end he'd get nothing but hurt. While he was feeling them though, Vincent's affections would be better than anything else the mage could even imagine. As was currently being proved by the vampire's fangs sinking into him in a motion decidedly parallel to another one he might not mind partaking in.

Though Zach had originally been hoping this would be over and done with quickly, now he was pretty sure it couldn't last long enough. Vincent seemed to have anticipated that well enough, as he wasn't sucking on the mage's neck to speed blood flow. Instead, the vamp was letting his friend enjoy the prolonged ecstasy and fight not to writhe in his embrace. As it was, Zach's arms had managed to find their way around Vincent rather securely, his fingers digging into the vampire's back. Though they were alone, Zach was well aware the demon hadn't gone far, so he kept his lips sealed tight on the low moans that Vincent's attentions drew from him. The mage tried to stay still, tried to maintain his dignity, and even still couldn't help but rock against the vampire's body. Vincent didn't stop drawing blood until it was obvious that Zach would also be needing a change of clothes.

Zacharias expected Vincent to pull back right away, but was surprised when he didn't. The mage was even more surprised when instead, Vincent leaned closer and kissed him. That one small action was nearly enough to undo the careful layers of restraint that had kept Zach together. If Vincent hadn't put space between them and let go, Zach knew he would have collapsed against the vampire and begged him not to leave this time. He would have embarrassed himself completely by wishing for intimacies and pleasantries he knew it was no longer in Vincent to give. Instead, Zach pulled himself together again and stepped a little further away to put himself in front of the full length mirror on the bathroom door. The mage ran an unsteady hand through his hair and fought off the urge to say anything about what had just happened.

"Well then, you've got your angel, I guess..." You won't be needing me. He thought. "... I should probably go back up to my room to get something else to wear." Zach said steadily, heading towards the door. He opened it just in time to make Kalial knock on empty air. The demon sniffed the air once and wisely made no comment. Instead he said something far worse.

"I need to leave you guys. I have someone to meet and this little appartment is going to get awful crowded if I stick around when your friend shows up. Besides, Vincent's right. I don't have most of my power yet and I'd likely just get in the way."

[Fou-Lu Dynasty]

"Kevin, what in the ******** happened to me? It was that guy who was with us that messed with my mind wasn’t it? I thought it was you because of the fact that you were the only person I remembered from earlier tonight." Mark sighed through the phone as he felt compelled to explain his position on the situation even if it would take time he didn’t want to spend. As for the Kindred, the Changeling seemed completely unconcerned. He could travel through darkness to anywhere he’d been that contained another shadow to receive him. "Earlier on I thought it was obvious. Now I know that Vincent’s a vampire and that make him the primary candidate for the work. I would have apologized to you if I was wrong, but I’m not entirely convinced you’re so innocent. How can I trust you?"

Kevin frowned, even though Mark couldn't see it. Did he tell Mark that it had indeed been Vincent? He'd said it before and it didn't make a difference, but would he believe now? A better question was whether or not he wanted the other man to believe it. It seemed that for the moment he was going to have to be on good terms with the vampire for a while, and if the changeling though Vincent had done him wrong he might fly off the handle to attack him as he'd done Kev.

A sigh escaped his lips softly. There was no point in denying it, or in lying. It would probably just make things worse if he tried to take back what he'd told the prince earlier within Mark's hearing. "Yeah, it was him. Though I swear he didn't hurt you. You went with him willingly enough, and you were outta the alley right away. I think he just didn't want to be remembered."

"As for trusting me... Well, I would say you can, but that's up to you to decide isn't it? I'm not human anymore, but I was. Or rather...Kevin was. I'm a new resident in Kevin's head as it were. If you believe in angels and demons, then you'll understand when I tell you that Kevin is my host. So, essentially all his memories and feelings are still in the passenger's seat of this ride, he just has a new driver."

"You remind me of the Gentry with your uncanny ability to know pretty much every damn thing you have come across tonight. You know what the Gentry are, vampires, and being able to smooth talk your way out of their clutches." Mark was tapping his foot as he spoke. He sat upon a park bench in the chilling air and thought before he spoke for a change. "You're going to have to prove it to me beyond a shadow of a doubt that you're not one of them. I really don't even know how you're going to do it either." It ran through the Changeling's mind that Kevin was actually his only friend, and still was his lover in some way, right? After his chrysalis he’d have absolutely no one to reach out to in the Changeling world. Only those that knew him as Mark would even recognize him. Though that didn’t push aside the anger he had for some of the things that Kevin had said to him. "What's with you telling me I had no justification in being angry at you? You killed Kevin and walk around in his skin. That was a bit self serving of you to say, right?" Mark felt the beginnings of his change, the chrysalis coming on. He was going to have to get to the hedge quickly before the spell was invalidated and needed to begin once more.

Why was it so damn hard to get people to just accept the fact that hey, he was a fallen angel? Seriously, you'd think with the myriad other creatures prowling this planet that one more human look-a-like wouldn't be that hard to comprehend. "I do know what the Gentry are, just as I know what you are, what vampires are, what a half dozen other creatures are too. Being older than dirt will do that for you." He replied dryly. "Proving it beyond a shadow of doubt isn't hard if you know a fact or two about all the different species around you, but if you think of a test that will convince you, feel free to let me know. Just uh, keep in mind that I'm new to this body so it'll take me a while before I can pull off any fancy tricks for you." That was where the easy subjects ended. Now they were getting into the more dangerous territory. There were a number of ways he could handle this of course, most involving subtle half-truths or even outright lying to preserve his image and Mark's goodwill towards him. Unfortunately, as was usually the case, Kalial still preferred honesty. "I consider you being mad at me and trying to kill me for tampering with your mind when I didn't unjustifiable. If you want to be mad at me over Kevin's death then know this. Kevin killed himself, and if you really want to be technical, you helped him. I came upon Kevin's body while the heroin you'd paid him with slowly collapsed the veins it was rushing through. I took his body when the poison he'd been feeding into himself became more than his mortal body could have handled."

Mark was instantly silenced as the truth of the blood on his hands was laid upon him. Somewhere deep inside he knew it was the truth and that drew out several tears that fell silently on his side of the phone. He paused long enough to feel confident his voice wouldn’t break. "He made his choices for the payments I could bring to him. I am not responsible. I didn’t know." On the last statement Mark’s voice waivered to suggest his sobbing was becoming more serious. He moved the receiver from his lips so that he could sob freely enough to get it out of his system. Once he felt confident again he replaced the phone and sniffed. "I know what you can do to prove it.” Mark was certain that he'd be dead in the morning if his next actions weren’t thought out properly. If Kevin was one of the Gentry he was doomed.

"Maybe if I'm right then I can be redeemed as you drag my helpless chrysalis back through the hedge and into hell once more." Mark muscled through the fact that his breathing had elevated. He was having a hard time getting words out he needed to say. "If I'm wrong, then you can redeem yourself to me. Meet me at an address, and I'm going to take us to the Hedge."

Though his hearing was no better than that of any other mortal, Kalial managed to pick up the very faint sounds of the changeling's muffled sobs on the other end of the phone. He wanted to take back his harsh truth and hand Mark something he could handle more easily. Better yet, he wanted to tell him pretty lies that would make him smile instead. A very large part of him seemed to want Mark a lot closer to impart a more physical comfort. Essentially, the changeling had just lost his friend, even though Kevin's thoughts and feelings remained, it was not the same Kevin. But there would be no funeral, no chance for a final goodbye between what had been two lovers. If Mark hadn't spoken up at that moment, Kalial might have apologized for stealing away his chance to tell Kevin goodbye.

Instead of an apology, Mark merely received an affirmative. "You need someone to watch over you... I will come." He said, even though he really didn't feel confidant. Even with one, maybe two believers now, there was no way he was strong enough to defend Mark against anything that really wanted to harm him. His lore was still limited because the pool of faith he had to draw from was tiny. What if he failed Mark? The thought was sobering, but Kali refused to focus on it too long. "Give me a few moments to make sure that the people I'm with are aware that I'm leaving and I'll head right over."

[Amano Yoshi]

Vincent felt the tugging of many different strings when Zack went to the door of the hotel room. First off, why hadn’t the mage offered him a change of clothes yet? Vincent and Zacharias were very similar in height and body type though there were obvious variations between the two if presented without any clothing at all. “Zack please, I didn’t realize that you could offer me a change of clothing. May I borrow some?” Vincent was slightly irritated, but he was certain that Zack could be forgiven. It’d been thirteen years since he last saw his only true friend. Vincent knew it had shaken him up some, even if he hadn’t shown it at all up to this point.

When Kevin the demon spoke of leaving Vincent gritted his teeth somewhat painfully. Worry crept into Vincent’s mind at worry about his chances of achieving Golconda being lost with the departure. If Kevin wanted to sneak off and already be gone he would have done it. So the vampire was just going to have to trust in luck and fate that he’d see the demon again. Before fully making this decision Vincent mentally calculated what the demon knew of kindred politics. Did the demon know that he could probably ask the Prince for the favor of tracking him down if it came down to it, for the benefit of the kindred of course, even if he had to lie. The demon seemed to know everything else, and so the opportunity to foster some trust in this relationship came about. “Please be very careful Kevin. Take my cell phone with you. It has a number listed as Pizza. That’s my other cell. Call it if you need anything.” Vincent handed the demon the phone he had used earlier and tossed onto the bed next to the sleeping woman after use. “Ignore anyone who calls except for that number, just let my voice mail get them.”

As he watched the demon leave with his phone, Vincent couldn’t help but wonder if his previous actions of lowering his guise to the mage brought on by a too hopeful heart might lead Zack to pain. He had been so rash by giving in to his own needs and desires based on hope, a force that has let Vincent down time and time again. If he doesn’t succeed in reaching the fully realized state of enlightened vampirism called Golconda being with Zack would be impossibility. For Vincent at least, the risk to the one he truly loved was too great. He would eventually have to break Zack’s heart by lying to him again, saying that he didn’t mean the words he used or the tender touches. Vincent would tell the mage that he knew better. He’d say that Zack already knew that vampires could fake any emotion they’d ever felt, and that his affections had all been faked. Vincent knew that his heart would break inside but the cold mask of his doll-like countenance would stand firm and unwavering as he did fake apathy. What had the vampire done and why did he do it? Why did he let Zack see some of his true feelings just because of one chance meeting? How rash and impulsive could he be? Certainly he’d acted this way over knowledge and even killed for certain tomes that lay in secret vaults in one of his vast libraries. This was a living breathing person he was dealing with and long ago Vincent had learned the perfect art of never rushing in with any of them, especially Zack! He blamed that which existed within himself that had wanted Zack so badly and so long. The spark of hope for impossible dreams being realized can dull the intellect. It was like he was drunk with it and his decisions were certainly wrong. The true problem here lay with the societies the two belonged. If the two of them continued down the road that Vincent was leading them, then those societies would crash down upon one or both of them. The mingling of worlds was never looked on fairly by others who became jealous. They’d think that Vincent was planning on using a mage’s power for his own advantage, even though he would from time to time, the bigger picture would be lost on others he’d have to interact with. Vincent wasn’t sure what the Mages would do but he was certain it was something similar, in that they’d likely strike out at the vampire rather than their enlightened brother.

Zack was not strong enough to resist the urge to damn the consequences in order to be with Vincent, thanks largely in part to the blood they had exchanged. It was up to Vincent to stop this before things went too far. Though it also seemed almost too late, Vincent had never before been so weak as to show any true emotion since the early days of his embrace. The days that could be pushed aside and buried in lies that said, ‘I do not feel the same.’ In his heart of hearts, Vincent knew what he had to do for both their sakes. He had to push Zack out of his life again on the same night he’d come back into contact with him. He had to let the hope in the things he’d foolishly allowed Zack to see, die.


Vincent thought on all of this for long moments as he watched Zack leaving to get his change of clothing. The mage was almost rounding the corner at the far end of the hall before Vincent decided he’d follow. With keycard in hand, and obfuscate shielding him from eyes that would be likely disturbed at seeing a man in a partially see-through sheet, he quickened his mortal pace to catch up. Once he’d caught up to Zack he wondered if the mage was employing his own special sight in which he might catch a glimpse of the Mage. He kept his emotionless doll-like face in its neutral state while he continued to think on everything that had happened tonight. He ran through everything from the chance meetings to the experiences with Zechariahs in room four hundred. Once they had entered what appeared to be the mage’s private residence in the hotel Vincent had to make his presence known. He wouldn’t spy on his only friend, if he were unaware of him. He spoke immediately as he broke off the pseudo invisibility. “I know you well enough to know what you’re thinking from time to time. I know you think I’ve replaced my needs for you by this demon.” Vincent moved intently as he closed the gap of space between them. He extended his arms and wrapped them around the mage’s waist with great care. His hands moved over the mage’s back as the last moments of Vincent’s internal debate raged on. Vincent looked into Zack’s eyes, as he finalized his decision. He swore to himself, ‘no regrets’. Vincent smiled a genuine smile. No matter how odd the smile rested on his altered features it was real. “I do need you. I have always needed you. The two of us, we have lived a very long time and yet not at all. I may fail at uniting us through what hope I have of reaching enlightenment, but it is better to live in the short time we have than not at all.” Vincent placed his lips to the mage’s and began to kiss him with all the years of adoration pouring out of him at once. All this happened as a sheet from a hotel bed managed to fall away.


Vincent reluctantly broke away his kiss so that he might say more. There was so much to say, explain, and do. “Acutely and without the power of vitae, I have always loved you Zack, and that is the truth.” Vincent wanted him to believe truly, and his mask was off and on the floor. He knew because of all this time denying it, that Zack may not believe a single word. “When my heart once beat I held you there, and once embraced it locked all the emotions I had ever had in my new soul. You will always be the one I love.”

[Prince Lyre]

Amano Yoshi

Rachael was taken aback by the demon’s quick rejection of her potential offer that was not quite even heard as of yet. The fact that the demon was so quick to jump into a negative response didn’t even allow for her to ponder weakness. In fact it made her more inclined to believe that this demon might actually have the capability to undo her own requiem with relative ease. She did allow the subject to drop with little resistance, but when another prospect came into light she couldn’t help but resume the pleasant smile she was unaware had faded from her beautiful face.

“You’re willing to ensnare one with your wiles then?” The vampire concluded with need of confirmation before proceeding. Gabriel was certainly as vague as she could be when it came to matters regarding dominance over another. “If you’re willing to attempt to ensnare Mr. White and force him to subject himself to my questioning of his personal findings throughout his studies, I could make it very worth your while.” The woman’s eyes sparked, quite literally, in the light of passing cars. Her own goals were not as complicated as some kindred might be. She wanted knowledge for the sake of it, rather than doing herself or any other being good or ill. She, like so many others, desired nothing but power and dominion over all. When she had all of it she could stand she’d take this city by force if necessary and see the current Prince ground up beneath her heel. Such a conniving smile the demon Gabriel had probably not witnessed in a century himself.

“I think we can create a very prosperous business relationship my good sir.”

"I ensnare regardless, Madam." He lowered his eyelashes, his expression becoming seductive. He let his aura stretch out a little, pheromones wafting subtly through the car. Gabriel cleared his throat, feigning embarrassment. "Oh pardon me. I shouldn't distract the driver."

"I wonder though, what you could offer me? I have such a pleasant existence. What could I possibly want?" He splayed his hands gracefully. He was not terribly fond of the dangerous game he'd been thrust into but, such was life. All that remained was to play, and play well. Life sometimes threw unexpected bonuses with its curve balls.

[Calinthe]

Though the mage had intended to just leave as quickly as he'd come, and without looking back, he couldn't help but stop when Vincent called out. Right, of course! Why hadn't he thought of offering vincent clothes from his own suite at the hotel? It was always stocked with a number of personal effects so that should something happen that required him to stay somewhere away from home (like his current situation) he'd have all the necessary items for day to day living at his disposal.

Zacharias was in the process of replying "Yeah sure, of course you can borrow some. I'll have them sent down." when the demon on the other side of the now open door started talking. Ah, so the new friend was ditching him already. Positively delightful. Hadn't the demon been the one telling vincent he might be in for some trouble? Wasn't he the one who thought it was so important that Vincent be up to full strength? (not that Zach had disagreed, or argued... or fought not to get into a compromisingly close situation with Vincent.) Regardless of who was at fault for all of it though, things just seemed much simpler if Zach blamed all his problems on the new guy.

For his part, Kalial was pretty sure that Vincent wouldn't be pleased with him leaving. In fact, he almost expected the vamp to try and force blood into him again or Dominate him so that there was a surety he'd return. Instead what he got was a pleasantly hassle-free conversation and in fact a bit of help. As Vince offered his phone to Kali, the demon grinned. "Pizza? Okay, I got that. Guess I should make sure that people can stiill get ahold of your mage friend then too." Kev teased, even as he handed the startled mage back his phone. Zach patted his pockets to find that his phone was indeed missing, which only led him to scowl at the demon even more. "Hopefully I don't need any help, but if I do, I know who to call."

With that Kevin was heading off down the hall at a run. He still had enough money left over from the wad of cash Mark had given him earlier to not only get a taxi ride over to where Mark was waiting, but to also pick up something wonderfully greasy, fattening and flavorful on the way. In fact, Kevin was still licking his fingers off when the car arrived at his destination and he had to get out. Cab fare was paid quickly and then the demon started scanning the area for his changeling friend.

For a long moment, all he saw were the myriad human faces all around him. It took the demon several minutes of scanning people to remember that he didn't have to rely on just his mortal sight. When Mark had attacked him, the changeling had opened up Kevin's second sight. If he wanted to, with just a little concentration, Kalial could spot the signs of faerie overlapping our reality. Then there, off to his left was a rather dark and ominous looking creature that Kev was sure he'd seen before. Making his way through the pedestrians on the sidewalk, Kalial waved a hand at Mark to catch his attention even as he went back to focusing on reality as he knew it. The double vision could get a little unsettling after a while.

"Hey there." Kali said by way of greeting. The brunette really wasn't sure what else he could say, since he wasn't sure of where they stood with eachother. In fact, it had perhaps been a little stupid of him to run down there by himself to see a guy who'd tried to kill him earlier, even if he had been Kevin's friend. (on the day where kevin had to admit to him they weren't just acquaintances anymore and he'd become too fond of Mark to just be ******** buddies.) It was an impulse driven by the need to prove himself innocent in Mark's eyes. Still wary of what this meeting might be all about, the demon made sure to keep himself at arm's length at least. "So... what now?" He asked.


Back at the hotel, Zacharias had used the demon's departure as a perfect excuse to go about making his own exit. Or at least so he thought, until the breeze idling past him told him otherwise. Zach could almost hear a soft chuckle on the wind as he was informed that someone was following. Even within the corridor, where no breeze should blow there was a definite ruffling of the wind around Zach's face as the winds relayed the almost non-existant sweep of Vincent's feet over the carpet. He knew without looking that the air felt vincent's passage down the hall even if the mage could not. It took all the mage's concentration not to frown openly at Vincent's secrecy. He could have just said he was going to come with him... Then again, maybe he didn't want Zach to know he was there. Well, too bad for him that the mage had learned a little skill he'd never told anyone else about.

A twinge of guilt nagged at Zacharias as he thought about that particular secret he'd kept from even Vincent. An old mage that Zach had looked up to had passed away in the last century. In fact, he'd died merely 4 months after Zacharias had been cast out by vincent on one particularly memorable occasion. Zach had taken it hard and gone to actually spend some time with someone else. To help lift his spirits, the old mage had begun teaching Zacharias his legacy. It took a great deal of patience, of learning, and soul searching, but Zach had learned it very well. That spell had certainly done a great deal to not only garner Zach an incredible amount of knowledge, but to help safeguard him from enemies.

Now Zach's natural safeguard was acting as an informant against his friend, telling him that the vamp was following him the whole way to his room. Well... if he's going to sneak around watching me, might as well give him something to look at. The mage thought to himself. Even as he opened the door to his room the mage untucked his t-shirt and lifted it over his head. The door swung shut as Zach closed his blue eyes and worked at his belt with his fingers.

Vincent's voice spoke out from behind him, but since he'd been expecting his company, it did not startle the mage. Instead Zacharias defiantly continued to disrobe, sliding the black leather of his belt through the loops of his jeans and tossing it to the floor. So, Vince thought it was just the demon? Oh no... no no. It went far deeper than that. Despite the fact that every molecule of his being wanted the vampire, needed him acutely because of their blood exchange, he was convinced it wasn't mutual. He didn't think the vamp had replaced his need, he thought it wasn't there at all. Vincent had proven time and again that he could do without Zach. Oh sure, there were times when the mage's help came quite in handy. There were moments where Zach could swear that vincent felt something for him only to drop him like a bad habit, proving that the only 'need' he'd been satiating was the need for blood or someone who could do a little spellwork. Anyone would have done for that...

Even still, even knowing how Vincent was prone to turn his back on him, Zacharias couldn't help but melt into him. He couldn't help but drink in those words he wanted to hear, and the kiss... dear God there were no words for that. Vincent always held back, always kept himself just close enough to entice Zach, to lead him on, but always far enough away to pull back when he needed to. When the fling was done. This time though... Zach could almost feel the walls they'd built up crack and crumble. When his mouth was free again, Vincent drove the nail home and whatever resolve the mage had started with to try and resist the seduction this time, fell apart completely.

"Damn you Vincent for saying everything you know I want to hear." He said quietly, his hand lifting up to brush hair away from the other man's face so he could kiss it. "Damn you for being everything I have no will to resist." He kissed him again. "And damn me for knowing better and still hoping against hope that this time you won't leave." He brought their lips together once more and if one could fall while standing still, that's exactly what he did.

[Amano Yoshi]

Vincent was expecting such a backlash from Zack, after all these years of pushing him this way or dragging him that, there was nothing else to be expected. Vincent’s expression echoed his apology through his eyes and the deep sadness that he taken residence throughout the years due to his much needed secrecy. The vampire let his hands trace over the mage’s now exposed chest and Vincent looked with artist’s eyes at the differences both obvious and subtle to the differences in skin tone, texture, shadow, light, and all the while he felt the heat emanating through the flesh outward to be absorbed by the grave cold. Vincent said nothing for a short time as he continued to worship the being he held in his arms with great reverence. His eyes danced this way or that to take in the whole picture and then stopped on one spot on the shoulder to examine a freckle or see a stray strand of albino white hair that might have grown course over time if given the chance. Vincent’s mouth was slightly agape, his natural state bleeding through in his comfort, revealing his fangs. His doll-like face gave an even deeper impression of wrongness. His entire form no longer willed itself to keep looking as human as it was possible as the vampire felt no need to hide for shame, the masquerade, or any other reason. Everything about Vincent was as exposed as it was possible.

After a long silence and session of knowing Zacharias thoroughly by thought, Vincent finally spoke again. “Only my final fate will take me from you this time.” Vincent hadn’t even allowed himself to feel and the echo of it tore through his thoughts, straight down to what he believed was his soul. The great wall he had erected to protect Zack from the vampire had also protected Vincent from feeling such deep resentment toward the original decision to begin this charade. It was gone, and so the pain he’d caused himself but never allowed himself to feel flooded through everything he was. Streaks of bright crimson fell down his perfectly marble looking cheeks after pooling in his eyes. “I swear it.” Vincent’s perfected baritone cracked into pieces as he spoke his vow. He meant it with all his heart, and the overwhelming emotions flowing from him right now were causing him to do everything but snivel himself into a sobbing mess.

Even vampires can cry, and even a thing such as Vincent can bottle up emotions to spend all at once as a dam breaks losing its contents in a very destructive manner. Though it would leave him babbling and broken for a time, Vincent was still kindred and that meant his emotional state would subside in due course back to the dull ache that would allow him to continue moving toward his goals. For now, he very uncharacteristically held himself onto his mage and wouldn’t be pried off for anything. In the back of his mind Vincent knew that other kindred were on her way to see him. He knew he was expected to examine a stranger, but he couldn’t bring himself to conclude anything, plot, or plan as he always had done. Right now he was a man unchanged by the embrace of his Nosferatu parent. Now he was years and years ago lamenting the original loss of Zack he had felt. Unlike nearly everyone in the cosmos, this was a second chance for Vincent. “I love you…” He kept babbling those words over and over in a state of near catatonia.

[Amano Yoshi]

Prince Lyre

"I ensnare regardless, Madam." He lowered his eyelashes, his expression becoming seductive. He let his aura stretch out a little, pheromones wafting subtly through the car. Gabriel cleared his throat, feigning embarrassment. "Oh pardon me. I shouldn't distract the driver."

"I wonder though, what you could offer me? I have such a pleasant existence. What could I possibly want?" He splayed his hands gracefully. He was not terribly fond of the dangerous game he'd been thrust into but, such was life. All that remained was to play, and play well. Life sometimes threw unexpected bonuses with its curve balls.

Miss Rachael Segovia grinned ear to ear. “If you don’t believe that highly influential kindred cannot assist you, then I’m certain you could rule this city as you wish.” The woman continued smiling as she continued. “I have power in this city’s government that I very much doubt you’ve even obtained. Though it’s quite true that human beings are ruled by their lusts, they’re only subjected to such a state that their Id controls for so long before they revert to shame and desperation all over again.”

The woman produced a black cigarette from a purse she was carrying, lit it, inhaled deeply and then blew out smoke that smelled of cloves. “That’s what you need the kindred for, so that they can create laws through their puppets that protect you, your haven, and everything about your way of life. What do you think was the instrument in ending prohibition?” She smiled and puffed at her cigarette again.

“We’re here, madam.” The driver chimed in and took the attention of Miss Segovia. After the car was parked the driver exited, walked to the back and then opened the door for the two passengers.

[Calinthe]

As a rather secluded individual, Zacharias had never really had to worry about how he looked. Nobody was going to see him while he worked spells day in and day out anyways right? Well, it seemed like Vincent was seeing plenty now as his gaze raked across every millimeter of exposed flesh they could find. Zach didn't pull away, but he was acutely aware of the way his skin was just a little too pale and his hair was a mess. He hadn't had a chance to brush his teeth yet since his toothbrush was probably melted in the house fire, so he almost felt like he should apologize for his breath. A moment later he realized how rediculous that was when the guy he was enamoured of was practically a walking corpse with blood breath. Not exactly romantic when you thought about it, but it certainly brought his own inadequacies into perspective.

The longer Vincent studied him, the more time Zacharias had to watch Vincent's facade fade away. All that glamour and ******** magic that vampires hid behind slowly melted off the vamp's form and for the first time ever, Zach thought he might be seeing Vincent as he truly was now. His skin was too pale, his teeth too sharp, and his form a little fearsome...and yet, Zach did not fear what he saw. He loved it.

Truly, Zach preferred it when Vincent took the time to breath for him, to make his heart beat and his blood flow. Zach preferred the illusion that he was with someone living beause no matter how many centuries they'd known eachother, he still hadn't quite gotten used to Vincent being not truly alive. However, seeing this man with his fangs long and flesh cold...seeing Vincent as he'd really become meant to him that Vince was no longer hiding. If he wasn't hiding, he wasn't keeping up a wall between them, and therefore, he might really mean what he said. Zacharias wanted so very badly to believe he did mean it, that he wouldn't allow himself to believe anything else.

When Vincent started sobbing Zach was very startled. If this was a new technique to sucker him in again then first of all, Vince needen't have bothered, and second, it was working far too well. Zach couldn't stand the sight of the vampire crying, but every time he tried wiping a tear away, yet another would take it's place running down Vincent's face. Eventually he settled for just wrapping his arms comfortingly around the man's back and shoulders.

"Shhh, it's alright hey?" Zach said quietly, even though they both knew it wasn't. The black haired man stepped just far enough back to look down at the vampire. "No need to get upset now if you really mean what you've said. It should be happy news." he pointed out softly. "The demon will lead you to enlightenment and then..." Zach wondered what exactly would happen then, since Vincent had never really told him. The mage merely knew that attaining Golcunda was his ultimate goal. "Well, let's not get too far ahead of ourselves." He finished lamely, wondering how in the world he'd ended up being the one offering comfort.

Sighing softly Zach trailed his fingers down Vincent's back and over to his hip, rubbing idly over the place where he'd written his name on that skin all those years ago. For a moment he let himself enjoy that simple movement and then he pulled back and tilted the other man's face up to look at him. "As much as I would love to do extremely naughty things to consummate this revelation, I doubt you'll let me. You always were far too focused on your work." Zach sighed and looked longingly at his bed and then back at Vince. "You're expecting company and while I'm sure they'd love the view, I don't feel like sharing. My closet is over here, come help yourself." He offered, giving a quick peck on the vamp's cheek because he coudln't help himself, and then dragging his companion over towards the clothes he had hanging up. Sighing at the necessity of meeting these newcomers Zach stared at his clothing options before pulling out another pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Simplicity worked best.

Once dressed in the new outfit, Zacharias took the time to watch Vincent dress appreciatively. "You think they're downstairs waiting already?" The mage queried, sitting himself down on the end of the bed. "Do you think you really have to go meet them? Couldn't we maybe just stay here instead?" He asked hopefully, giving the vampire what he hoped was a salacious smile. "I'd make it worth your while..." He offered.

Truth be told while a good romp would be nice, he just didn't want Vincent meeting them. If the demon was right and these visitors meant him trouble then Zach didn't want him getting into that situation. Not that it was any different from knowing that Vince often walked into rooms full of those other undead bastards, or that he dealt with secrets and knowledge nobody wanted him to have. Secrets people would kill to keep. Just being Vincent White was like asking for trouble and the mage knew this. It didn't make the thought of sending him downstairs to meet his 'buddies' any more appealing.

The vampire's answer was obvious though, they both knew he would go. Sighing softly Zach looked at vince through the fringe of his bangs. "Don't suppose they'd mind you having company would they? I can play a willing fangbanger or even an entranced donor if you want." Zacharias smiled a little. "Looking catatonic can't be that hard, and it'd be good for you to have some backup that they won't recognize." An idea he had made Zach grimace a little. "Unless one of your friends is a mage? Nobody else should know me for what I am." Zach tossed out there helpfully.

[Fou-Lu Dynasty]

Mark saw Kevin approaching from a distance and watched his entire stride from the shadows, he wanted to see what it was that the demon would do, and thus was very well hidden through powers that he as a darkling had available. The darkness was his friend, though after a time he decided to merely stand in the darkness like a regular person, which yielded the result he was hoping. Kevin called out to him and finally stopped walking in the wrong direction. “Hey.” It was all that Mark could muster at the moment. After seeing the demon get closer Mark sighed loudly and directed Kevin’s attention to an abandoned warehouse that stood behind him. They were on the docks and there were a few places like this that one could go to graffiti the neighborhood, or get up to all sorts of deviant behavior. The difference here was that this place was connected to the hedge and anyone who approached for such a thing might cause one of the Gentry’s mouths to water in desire of the lovely emotions coming off such easy prey. Irony has likely been served here over and over again.

“The hedge is here. If you can still see you can walk through it yourself. If not, I’ll guide you through.” Mark smiled knowing that if Kevin wasn’t Gentry then he was going to suffer the same thing anyone else did should they be poked by the briars, the loss of particles of soul. Being a demon however, one was shielded from such things. Unfortunately this meant that Mark would likely get the wrong idea. “This is one of my places, no one knows about it, not even the Gentry. This is the way of it for now anyway.” There were little patches that a lone Changeling could defend. They were known as hollows, places that seemed somehow separated from what lay beyond the deeper hedge into the land of faerie. This was one such place.

As Mark guided the two into the warehouse, he had to once again break a new lock that had been placed on a side door meant to lead into a foreman’s office. The place was deserted and creepily empty save for a desk that looked like a page from the seventies that had been covered in dust. Mark made his way through the ceiling-less office to the other side in which a door seemed to be missing. He walked into the larger warehouse an eerily creepy place which had corners that were darker than pitch. Mark could see through shadows just fine, as if they weren’t there and better in every case. He saw a man sitting there crouched over and seemingly asleep in bundles upon bundles of clothes. The Changeling was certain that if he was faking it then he was going to get a strange show, or he was going to jump up and attack at any moment. The Changeling pondered if it were wise to do something about him or wait. He stared too long into the dark.

Mark reached out his hand and closed his fist like a vice. The outstretched limb was returned to his side as the dying man in the corner that had been crushed by the shadows obeying Mark’s will let out an awful death rattle. It appeared the man was literally just a bum. Mark turned toward Kevin in the dark, with a face that showed no remorse he began to explain. “There was a bum over there in the dark corner. He could have been Gentry planning a trap, or a Changeling bounty hunter. I couldn’t risk it.” The Changeling put his hands on his hips as if it were to display his firm stance on the matter. “He was just human, but at any moment this place could become unsafe. One of the real Gentry would use him as an easy meal, or drag him down to the land of faerie, a hell unimaginable.” Though Mark was being dramatic and not thinking about a demon that had been to hell, he might actually be right in some respects. There were all sorts of tortures for those that existed in this reality. Faerie was a true hell for human souls. Perhaps a corner of it was the very hell that Kalial had spent ceaseless eons within.

As the Changeling looked back and forth between the gateway to the hedge and the demon, he wondered what was going through Kevin’s head now regarding what he’d just done. Clearly Mark wasn’t wavering and apparently thought there was nothing wrong with what he’d just done. In his eyes he saved the main from unimaginable torment. His life had very much skewed him. Faerie was apparently a land of losing one’s soul and that is exactly what it was.

[Amano Yoshi]

Vincent stood up straight, wiped his face and seemed to calm down at once. His marble cheeks were slightly pink by the blood that was difficult to truly remove without a wash. Dead flesh seemed to hold vestiges of life in futility. Vincent knew he must look a mess and eyed the wash room. His emotional demeanor returned to that of a man completely in control. Kindred could only feel so much before an overload would return to the dull state of normalcy for his kind. Vincent wasn’t wearing a mask in front of the mage any longer, subtle hints at his emotional disposition toward Zack still showed through smiles, proximity, and a clear disregard of his manners involving staring. The vampire seemed to have continued to relax himself around the mage at last.

Vincent gave the mage another brief hug to signal he was alright and then gestured toward the lavatory with an outstretched hand. “I’m sorry about that, but could you excuse me for a moment?” Vincent left the mage to walk into the other room where he could wash his face with soap and warm water to remove the look of blood streaks. He opened the bar of soap wrapped in paper printed with the reminder of which hotel it was from, placed there this morning, and went to his task. Vincent’s sharp attention to detail noticed that the entire room was tended far and away more than his own. Being the owner of the place seemed to grant Zack much more attention from the staff. “You’re right though. I have to get ready for company. I cannot dismiss the will of the Prince considering what trouble I was in tonight.”

After cleaning himself up Vincent decided to wet his hair and run his fingers through it. He would need a shower after this event was concluded. There was grime under his nails and he hadn’t really taken care of the flesh around where his bullet holes had been healed. He had some strange flakes of skin and blood still clinging to him in places. Vincent took the time to start breathing again for Zack and his skin became more lifelike as his blood was forced to move once more. His eyes returned to the slick shine of life once more while the glow dulled to nothing. Satisfied he turned and walked back to the main room.

Once in the living space he looked toward the closet and passed a hand through the hangers scooting through each wardrobe choice. “Do you have a suggestion for me here?” Vincent smiled, hoping to not snag one of the mage’s favorite outfits. In the back of his mind he knew he was going to tap into his fortune to give the mage a makeover. Some of these closed looked to be about two years old and even then they were out of style. A vampire had to keep up with fashion trends in order to not get lost in the subtleties of the Masquerade. Sure, a t-shirt and jeans never went out of style it seemed, but even kindred couldn’t take someone seriously that didn’t care for their appearance. Watching Zack more closely now some of the things that love clouded eyes hadn’t picked up on earlier were starting to be more obvious such as the disheveled hair. Vincent didn’t even notice some of the self conscious ticks the mage had gone through just minutes before, it helped that the vampire hadn’t been breathing at all. Vincent certainly was going to insist that the mage take better care of his hygiene in the future however, as it was a driving force of happiness in human beings, he was certain it was so of the mage too. Vincent discarded these thoughts as something to wear was given to him. He dressed slowly and purposefully all the while watching the reactions he was getting from Zack. He would take a few extra moments to fit an article of clothing to himself by passing a hand over contours of his body to make sure the clothing was working. “Does it look good?” Vincent would ask teasingly with every new article.

Once Vincent had become fully dressed he turned back to the matter at hand. Not before promising his Zacharias that there would be plenty of time for fun of all sorts once life allowed. “As for you being there with me at the meeting, I’m a little worried about that. I think I’m being paranoid but I want to protect you just as much as you want to protect me. You don’t have to be at the meeting so my impulse is to say no for your own safety by proximity.” Vincent laid his thoughts out and once again showed the mage through action that things were much different now. He wasn’t going to keep anything from him intentionally at least. The vampire quieted as his thoughts became internal. Vincent tried to calculate the numerous possible outcomes of an encounter with and without Zack. “I certainly would welcome the company and help if a fight broke out. Just know if one does that we’ll have to put the woman into torpor immediately and then assess how much threat this other person poses currently and for the future. We cannot let such an event jeopardize us.” Vincent’s use of the word ‘us’ certainly hadn’t entered his vocabulary in centuries. He was always seemingly self centered even to his private thoughts. There were things to plan and plot in order to stay in a state of requiem and last through the centuries. It was the act of any kindred to merely continue existence. That was the goal of all his kind it seemed, Vincent was not the exception. However this line of thought and terminology certainly showed he was changing.

Vincent opened the door to Zacharias’s room while fully clothed in the borrowed outfit and started down the hallway toward his room, the place he had instructed Miss Segovia to meet him in during the phone conversation. Instantly thinking the better of being caught off guard by a knock and hoping that troops weren’t going to burst into the door, the vampire decided it would be best to meet them in the open lobby in which witnesses would certainly be present. The masquerade certainly could be beneficial for meeting potential hostiles. Furthermore encrypted speaking served its purpose in being patterned in ways that made it somewhat easier to ferret out truth from within suddenly became a necessity. Satisfied with the new meeting place, Vincent knew he’d recognize Miss Segovia the instant she walked in the door at least. He raised his awareness to heightened levels through disciplines once he was in the lobby awaiting her. One hand was in his pocket and the other at his side. He would have appeared as a mannequin if he didn’t purposefully fidget from time to time. Nervousness crept into the vampire’s mind. This could be his final night. At least he’d finally told his love the truth.

[Calinthe]

The scenery of the warehouse was actually rather interesting on the outside, full of colorful writing and rough artwork. Graffiti was just a different way of expressing oneself really and one could practically feel the emotions that emanated from those expressions of self. These people had been destructive. Self-destructive and pitiful, outwardly destructive and angry. Either way they had all added their stories to this otherwise abandoned place to create a cacophony of colors that immediately drew the eye. Kevin followed Mark in silence, unsure what exactly they were doing heading into the mostly abandoned interior of the building.

The changeling led him into the building and Kali looked around himself intently as they walked along. The corners were full of shadow that his human eyes couldn't hope to penetrate, but it was obvious that his companion saw everything. While the demon worried about what might ambush them from the places he couldn't see, Mark was focused on the one thing he /could/ see. In fact, he was more than focused, he was apparently harboring the intent to kill. Amazing how his face never once gave away what he was thinking or feeling over the act. Even when he turned to Kevin to explain the changeling seemed ironically, unchanged.

Kalial was surprised to find that he was unsettled by that. Of course he had no problem with death, and he could certainly understand the appeal of saving someone from anguish and torment by killing them. (if ever he were forced back to hell he would be begging one of the other demons to eat his soul and end him instead.) But... Kevin's memories of Mark didn't match with the kind of person who could kill so out of hand. It made him wonder what his own chances were of making it out of this with his own life, or rather the life of his host. More worrisome was the chance that he could run into one of the gentry in this other place. Could they kill a demon? Not just the host, but the demon within? Kalial's mind was drawing a blank on that and he couldn't help but shiver at the thought. They were like unto gods within their own realm, he knew that much. It would be safe to assume that they could undo him as they could anyone else... after they'd driven him insane with their games first.

An echo of his thoughts shadowed the demon's features in an unmistakeable way. "A hell unimagineable hmm?" He said quietly, looking at Mark in a different light. Perhaps they had more in common than he'd wish on anyone. The thought that Mark was braving this despite his misgivings on what Kalial was raised him in the demon's estimations. It also firmed up his resolve to make sure nothing happened.

Unsure of what he could say to assure Mark that he understood the demon said nothing. Instead he lifted a hand to the man's shoulder and then stepped past him through the gate into the hedge. He would go first, and take the chance that he'd be hit by whatever enemy might lurk there.

There was nothing to prepare him for the abrupt change of setting. One minute his feet scraped over bare pavement, the next they padded over the undergrowth of the hedge. On all sides of him grew briar, sharp and hard to avoid. No matter which way Kalial ducked or twisted his body, something pricked at him, scraped across his skin. But that wasn't it. A scrape here or there the demon could have handled, but no matter how shallow the flesh wounds, Kali was feeling far more than just a scrape.

Kalial took another step, and another, his skin paling as he continued. The further he walked, the more it became obvious he was trying incredibly hard to avoid the briars, as if they actually frightened him. One more step and that was it, the demon stopped. "What the hell are these things doing?" He asked quietly, turning to look at Mark, his expression obviously a little pinched. "Every time one of them scrapes across my skin it's like they're scraping all the way down to my soul. I can practically feel them grabbing at me, trying to pry away my very self." The demon shuddered slightly and got pricked again for his trouble, eliciting a startled gasp. "The more it fails, the more determined it seems to become, prying deeper. If I didn't know better, I would think this damn plant was angry with me for denying it."

Feeling a little silly for even thinking that, the demon turned carefully back around and continued to pick his way through the hedge. The feeling of anger towards him only intensified though. Soon the brushes against his soul became more violent, to the point where the demon's breath caught in his throat at the pain of it. When finally he broke free of the entangling plants Kalial whipped back around to look at them, barely catching the thorny vines moving amongst themselves, almost as if they'd been reaching for him and only now settled back in amongst the other vines. Kalial stared at them, his arms subconciously wrapped around himself in a protective manner. Blood trickled down his body in many places, his clothes cut up and torn as if they'd been nothing for the plants to go through.

"Bloody hell." He growled quietly as he slowly lowered his arms back down to his sides and stepped further away from the thorny wall. "I don't see why someone doesn't just burn that ******** thing." He mused aloud as he turned back to face what lay beyond the hedge. Unfortunately for him, it was more greenery, and lots of it. "Y'know, now seems like a good time to let you take the lead Mark." Kalial said steadily. "Unfortunately I don't know where we're going from here. Also, you've obviously been here before, and I haven't. Not only that, but considering what that hedge was like, I'd hate to find out what killer trees can do." He said, eyeing the vines overhead warily.



Zacharias was actually rather surprised to be asked for his opinion on what Vincent should wear from his closet. It certainly wasn't because Vincent trusted him to put together a decent ouftfit, that was for sure. Both of them knew that the vampire had never considered him fashion savvy and was probably being polite in deciding to not to say anything disparaging about Zach's wardrobe. Personally, Zach thought he dressed just fine. Knowing that the vamp was more fond of formal wear than he was himself, the mage figured giving him the only suit in his closet was likely the best option to suit the vampire.

The obvious teasing all the way along did a lot to ease the mage's nerves about the meeting, but when Vincent said he shouldn't go it still set off the urge to protest. Zacharias bit down on that urge, strangled the ******** out of it and then smiled sardonically instead. "Right. For my own safety." He said quietly, and the words were still a little bitter. If Zach could live through an accidental summoning of a creature from the abyss, (though the vampire didn't know about that, and that encounter had scared the hell out of him so badly he hadn't cast more than a basica spell or two since.) he could live through a meeting with a vampire and whatever thing it was she brought for Vincent to examine... couldn't he? Of course he could. He was one of the awakened for pete's sake, and the oldest one living that he knew of! (Since he hadn't shared his little age-defying discovery with anyone.) He would be fine.

...if he went, which Zach knew he would not. Sighing the mage just waved Vincent on. He wouldn't follow him because Vincent didn't want him to, and because he wanted to trust that the vampire knew what he was doing. Zach was also used to being left behind by the vamp for one reason or another. Vince had a meeting, he had to go out of town, he had to hide and keep quiet for a little while. Every time there was a reason that he needed to go somewhere without the mage. This was just one more in a long line. Only the subtle gestures of Vincent's body and the word 'us' made the mage hope he wasn't making a mistake.

As Zacharias watched Vincent walk down the hall away from him, he realized he could still help without going. Vince hadn't wanted him there, but he'd said nothing about whether or not he would accept help in another form. Moving quickly out into the hall Zach took to the stairwell, running down 10 flights of stairs till he reached the room they'd been in before. Gathering up Vincent's bloodstained pants Zach grinned with triumph. He cast a quick glance at the young woman still passed out on the bed and decided that it might not be wisest to do what he planned with a regular mortal in the room. For some reason that made the likelihood of his spells working that much less.

After snatching the woman's multi-pass swipe card to let him into the other hotel rooms Zach ducked out into the hall and appropriated the empty room next door instead. Once safely locked in there, the mage set about spellcasting. Though he could cast without a focus, it was riskier. With Vincent's blood physically before him, the vampire's blood bond within him, and the already existing bond between a mage and his watchtower, Zacharias felt very confidant that he could weave his spells without his target in front of him.

First thing came first, Zach started with the spells of fate. Here was one mage who loved ******** with lady luck. He'd blown up her skirts more times than he could count, and she almost never complained. (once or twice he'd incurred paradox by stretching his luck too far, but usually it wasn't anything he couldn't handle since it wasn't vulgar magic.) With nary a thought Zach went through the motions of spelling himself to have extroardinary luck with his spellcasting. One thing that played a huge part in paradox it seemed, was luck. By increasing his luck exponentially, Zacharias almost never had to deal with backlash. From there Zach moved onto his other usual spells, which contained buffing up all of his own protection spells so that should something go wrong, he was more likely to survive it. When finally he'd done all he could to ensure his own safety, Zach moved onto altering Vincent's luck.

With a soft smile playing across his lips Zacharias worked spells that would make an enemy's gun jam or their weapons accidentally 'slip' from their grips. He worked magic that would help Vincent keep his footing while others tripped over themselves. He cast spells that would grant the vampire extroardinary luck at ducking or dodging any hits that did happen to come his way while simultaneously 'just happening' to land his own blows a little more often. Every little advantage he could give the vampire in every kind of fighting situation he could think of he tacked on. He even put a heavy emphasis on the intuition spells which were also a strongsuit of his kind. Vincent would have very lucky intuition.

Sure enough, his own luck with the spellcasting held. So, naturally, now came the hard part. Fate spells were easier because they were harder to detect. Spells dealing with time were far more difficult to cast, and far more risky. Almost anything that Zach did to alter time would be noticed if it affected everyone but vincent. Of course it would be equally noted if it affected only certain people as well. Either option was bad because it would tip their hand on the fact that Vince had been spelled at all.

"Damnit!" The mage cursed, running one hand through his hair as his mind raced for more casting he could do to help. He'd studied furiously most of the subtle arcanum over the years, despite being one of the Archanthus, so he knew he could work spells not of his path...but which? For a moment his mind flashed over to the moros path and the spells they could work on undead, but Zach decided against those. Death magic was subtle yes, but to use it in a public place would be very unsubtle. People would ask questions, and that would not do. The mastigos? Hmm... maybe...

Memories of a warlock he'd befriended decades ago over in Seattle came to mind and Zacharias smiled to think back on his time there. Every time he'd walked into that woman's presence he'd started smiling. He'd known it was magic, but he hadn't cared because it felt so damn good to just be near her. At the time (shortly after he'd been ditched by vincent yet again) Zach had needed all the cheer he could get, even if it was artificial. Now the mage would take a page from her book. Mind magic could control thoughts and emotions without people even noticing it was happening themselves. It was a trick vampires had used for years to make puppets of their victims, so it gave Zach a grim satisfaction to think that maybe one of them would get a taste of their own dark gift.

For several long moments, Zacharias worked through the spell his friend had taught him in his mind. There were alterations of course he needed to make. For one thing, he didn't want everyone to suddenly be happy around vincent, because they'd certainly notice that. Instead, he wanted them cautious and yet predisposed to be friendly towards him. He wanted them unwilling to harm the vampire in any way. More than that might tip them off. Having mentally altered the spell in his head, Zach closed his eyes and sighed and prepped himself to try the spell. Clutching a patch of dried blood on Vince's pants, Zach called the vampire to mind again. Focusing on thoughts of his friend, Zacharias spoke, his voice taking on that oddly deep cadence it usually held when he was spellcasting.

Despite all the spells he'd laid on himself to increase his luck in casting, Zacharias felt far from sure about this one. In fact, his hands which had let go of the pants in order to weave through the signs of the spell, stopped moving. His voice went quiet for a moment and the mage faltered on whether or not he should be doing this.

Thoughts of the monster that had come seemingly out of nowhere not even a week before caught at his mind and the mage started to sweat nervously. He'd been working on learning to teleport things by practicing on objects in his house, and spacial magic was obviously not his strong suit, on top of being one of the vulgar arcanum. This was different however. This was a subtle magic he'd studied under a tutor.

Blowing out some air and trying to dispel his worries with it, Zacharias restarted the spell, concentrating to make sure he had it exactly the way he wanted it. This time he did not stop, but rather worked the whole spell through. The mage heaved a sigh of relief when he finished the spell and there were no ominously loud footsteps to be heard anywhere or the sound of walls being broken and torn out of the way to get to him. Laughing at his own worry Zach stood up and shook his head. All that paranoia for nothing eh? With a smile on his face the mage decided it was safe to head to a more advantageous position should the vampire need his help.

Zach hadn't taken a single step before he heard a loud cracking sound from above him. The mage looked up and saw that the ceiling was suddenly cracking. "s**t!" he yelled, even as he started moving for the door. A snag in the rug caught his toe and tripped the mage, sending him crashing into the television set the hotel provided. Zacharias managed to sprain his wrist trying to keep his balance and still fell, just in time for the large hunk of ceiling that had come loose to fall on his head. Just before he passed out, Zacharias had enough time to notice that his blood stained Vincent's pants in a much brighter color than the vitae that already marred it.

[Fou-Lu Dynasty]

Mark eyed the demon with suspicion as Kevin entered the gateway into the Hedge. First, he wasn’t sure why the man could still see the faerie realm considering he took back his glamour, thus he was alarmed slightly. However, once inside anyone unfortunate enough to be in the hedge was likely going to see something. A mist, or a maze, or some kind of trap that would lead them further and further inside exactly where the True Fae would want them. It seemed that the demon was seeing the hedge for exactly what it was. This was cause for concern, but Mark wanted to believe Kevin. He wanted to believe that there was another supernatural reason, and so he continued.

In many ways, the fact that the demon was being harmed by the briars of the hedge, Mark felt safer around him. The hedge was exactly what he wanted to use to test his theories and he was being proven right. He himself got snagged and torn as he was slithered as a shadow through the vines this way and that like dark water. Unfortunately the thorns could not be denied regardless of how one passed through them. They always took part of one’s soul. The return trip may return it, or particles lost long ago during the first of many trips here. It was fickle and dangerous and extremely reckless to return here. However, almost every Changeling he knew did such things. The Goblin Markets themselves made the journey worth it, and so too did Goblin Fruit.

Once on the other side, the suit that Mark was wearing, seemingly of shadow, was gone. He stood in all his glory upon a field of green. A muddy and travel worn path led directly into the jungle that stood before him. The leaves of underbrush were of varying sizes up to things as large as elephant ears. The trees towered above them as a light shower of rain started to fall. Mark could hear all manner of creatures calling out inside the dense rainforest. He smiled and then looked to Kevin. “This is my place.” The shadow was revealed for exactly what he was in entirety here. Mark’s form didn’t exist here. “Welcome to it. Let’s go.”

Shadow began to lead Kevin through the foliage in which he had to cut from time to time in order to pass. His arms became rigid and formed of blades as he hacked and slashed as a jungle adventurer with a machete might. He kept moving through the overhanging vines that dipped too low into their path while watching for strange chimera. There were many odd creatures. Tiny elephants with great black wings flew through the air and their ears that drooped far to the ground even though they flew six feet above it. The pair of intruders felt the flutter of soft wings upon their faces and the scratches of many beaks and claws that came from a fast moving cloud of white puff. The cloud it seemed, as it parted to scoot around their heads, was filled with small marshmallow birds. They were moving so fast that Shadow could only manage to swipe at a handful that he crushed within outstretched limbs. After the incident was over he looked to his friend and grimaced. “Sorry, this s**t happens from time to time. Hopefully that will be as wild as it gets.”

Further into the jungle the two found a clearing just as the rain really began to come down. Up in the sky one could still see the sun easily from this place. A rainbow had formed above their heads and all about that seemed to dance in the treetops of its own will. Once inside the circle of the clearing something of Mark came back into Shadow’s being and the darkness shifted closer to Kevin quickly like a wave of shadow water. “Kiss me.” He demanded as he pulled one of Kevin’s hands around his waist to rest on his bare backside.


(I watched Where the Wild Things Are yesterday and thus this post might be highly tainted and stupid.... please do forgive.)

[Amano Yoshi]

Vincent awaited his guests with much interest, completely unaware of the magical fortifications he now wore. He would have been very grateful of them, had he known. While he awaited the person he was to inspect he began doing things to make himself seem more human. He however kept some distance from the humans that were currently inside the lobby of the hotel. He knew that his prolonged presence would unnerve them, and he was already getting some stares at this point. The vampire moved to a vacant seat where he would pretend to be too tired to stand forever like most of the louts that filled the streets of the United States these days. He picked up a magazine and read over the page he’d flipped to in a near instant, though pretended it would take him ten minutes to do so. He flipped through casually, all the while hoping that everything was going to go as smoothly as he hoped.

A deep feeling of nervousness was taking route. He didn’t want to be ended, for he was certain he knew exactly where his soul would end up when he finally passed this world. It was important for him to keep going, for there could be no retribution, enough praying, or the hope for forgiveness for him and what he’d become.

His foot began to tap on the floor as the vampire looked over to the security guard and then to the night desk clerk. Both were looking away from him as he looked up. He realized he was the only person in the lobby at this hour and they seemed to want to know why someone like he would be waiting for any reason without conducting some business. He could probably pass off insomnia, but he then thought that it would indeed look strange if he met expected arrivals at four in the morning. Dawn was getting closer. Three hours to go, the strangeness of the meeting, the threat of it, all of it congealed into something he was no longer comfortable with. Indeed he felt completely pulled by something beyond him. He got up and then decided to answer that call to return to his room. Perhaps lady luck was trying to tell him something. Perhaps fate was just trying to make his final death clean and easy.

The vampire moved through the halls again with keycard in hand. At the point he arrived finally at the door he slid the keycard in and pushed the door inward. There was something behind said door that was preventing him from entering. The vampire focused acute senses and sniffed. “Zack, are you in my room?” He asked, and as soon as he smelled new blood that he’d mistake for no one else’s he instinctively bed his muscles the power of his vitae and ripped the door away, back into the hall with no trouble at all. I’m a walking masquerade breach tonight, Vincent thought to himself though he did not care. He could use his influences to get the tape erased, if not Zach himself, plus the door could be fixed within the hour so long as no one else saw it. When he looked upon the bleeding form of Zack, Vincent froze in panic, wondering just how badly the mage had been hurt.

( http://www.gaiaonline.com/demonbusters?sub=followers&user_id=307931
Hail S.I.N.!!! )