City of NIght Hotel

[Abeyant Acrimony]

"A third musketeer might just be like more of a third wheel if you ask me. Two's company and all that you know. All those converging opinions. Jealousy. Betrayal. Come to think of it I think a third musketeer sounds pretty spicy. I'll look into it."

He didn't miss a step as he crossed the street with her, looking over to her face as they crossed. She was still the same girl. She seemed much more ready to let herself be free and happy though. Freedom seemed to be the most important thing he had going for him these days. As she continued to speak his eyes trailed down her facial features and he smiled softly.

"I think I'll just keep on going through life assuming that you just called me a pretty jewel. I like it better that way. That other nonsense is jibberish anyway."

He squeezed her thumb playfully and turned to her at the edge of the road.

"I don't imagine that penguins can go out for tea or hold hands... Or have heartwarming conversations for that matter. I believe I'm quite fine with being a humanoid for now. That's not to say that I wouldn't enjoy the weather."

 

[Serena Magik Novello]

Ok, the man changed his mind more than a traffic light changed colors, but it was amusing. She couldn't help stopping once they crossed the street to turn to face him. "All those negative emotions? I'd pass. I could do without jealousy and betrayal...dealt with those all the last nine or so years." Damn. Had it been really that long, almost going on ten years?

She smiled as he looked at her facial features, noting his to memory in the event that he might vanish afterwards again. She'd lost too many close friends to time, ones that just disappeared from her life. She wanted this to remind herself that they were all around and still safe somewhere living their lives. While she had been almost paused in time and afraid to live. Ironic.

"Penguins make some kind of high pitched whistling sound don't they? Or squawk? I used to know alot about animals, but since I had to study other things like demons and vampires and such...it seems like that's the foreign world." She winced, knowing everyday things were what she was lacking with, well, time to relearn most of that as she reached the tea shop and held open the door for him. "Anyways, tea time. Hope they have those cookies too. We can pretend we're in Britian. Well, except for the Japanese stuff and the koi pond?" She was laughing lightly, knowing being here would be like visiting Japan, was going to be hard pressed to imagine anything else.

((You can post in the tea shop xD)  

[rosewhite]

Ria smiled politely. " Thank you." She intoned. " So this is where Bells is staying right now?" Her rhetorical question hovered in the air. " This is pretty cool, is this the pent house suite?" She had never been in a fancy hotel before. She wandered around the place and found a comfy place to seat herself. " So when you are ready want to go to the Japanese Tea House?" A big smile spread across her face as she waited for a response.  

[DeliriousInnovations]

It had been a long night.

Lean, tall frame wrapped warmly in a dark coat, he tried to assure that he wouldn't stagger nor falter... Unknown to the rest of the world, from beneath that dark jacket was an obvious indication of previous violence, and keeping such colour hidden from the population, however scarce that was when wandering the night, was a good idea. Not many would know that this, perhaps, might have counted as Izur's first day upon this realm, but as he walked and assured himself, there would be no question that he was just another mortal.

Though he attempted to keep himself looking descent, he felt that he was percieved as anything but; from the encounter not just a few hours earlier, his dark hair had loosened from its tight ponytail, and there were visible smudges of (dirt?) and small scratches upon his paler features. Even so, he seemed convincing enough to the wandering general public to slip by and find the glowing lights of some sort of hotel, though it seemed much too grand for him to afford, and that he knew; coming in as the condition he was, not only would he have a hard time convincing them that he did, in fact, have money... It was just elsewhere and in a different currency, but they would likely send him to one of those treatment-places that mortals went to, which he couldn't afford. The publicity would surely destroy him.

And so, he slipped into the alleyway just beside it, found himself a window into one of the rooms, and heaving a sigh, silver-blue eyes would urge himself to climb the small scale of the wall to one of the upper-rooms (the first floor seemed to dangerous to stay within) but once he got to the windows ledge, he found himself rather disappointed; the window was locked, as was to be expected, and he couldn't be allowed entry.

Unless he broke it, of course.

To which he did; with one angry grunt and a thrust of his elbow, the glass was shattered, and he could only hope that since this was a floor above, no one had heard the commotion. Taking flinching care to step cautiously over the glass, he soon found himself inside. At long last.

((I'm assuming its night. lmao. Correct me if I'm wrong.))  

[MyTiggeress]

Takeru sat on the bed watching Ria walk around. "Yes, this is where Bells is staying." she replied while watching her continue to walk around checking out the room. "Yea, It's the pent house of the hotel." she explained. "I don't know... You can decide when we go." She replied.  

[rosewhite]

Ria smiled at Takeru warmly. " We should go now and get some nice warm tea in our bellies. I think he also sells noodle dishes and what not, at least that's what I heard. " Standing up she quickly crossed the room back to the exit. " Plus I am starving." She added he stomach grumbling as she moved towards the door. " Let's go." She opened the door and crossed the floor making her way to the elevator. On her way she bumped into someone not really realizing it and gave a quiet apology to the stranger. Immediately after, the doors slide open with a satisfying swishing sound, she got in and made her way down the many floors and exited the hotel. [Exit to Jin's Tea house]  

[MyTiggeress]

Takeru kept a straight face, not like there was anything to smile about. She wondered how Ria was so happy about everything, shoving her thought aside she nodded and agreed to leave very soon. Takeru grabbed her scroll and put it over her shoulder, kinda like you would a duffel bag. Takeru walked out the door after Ria and closed it behind her, not forgetting to lock it with the key card.
Takeru made her way to the elevators behind Ria, then Ria made a wrong turn, Takeru raised an eyebrow keeping quiet watching as Ria noticed her mistake fairly fast and turned around bumping into someone. Finding this a bit funny, not enough to laugh, but a smile spread across her face. Takeru look in the correct direction and began to walk towards the elevator. Waiting for Ria to press the button, she did. Finally the elevator came up with a ding and opened up. Ria entered first and Takeru followed.

(exit to Jon's Tea shop)  

[Serena Magik Novello]

Now she was doing her homework. She walked back into the lobby, advancing on the person at the front desk, she procured several maps and brochures on various landmarks and attractions, one seemingly being a nightclub by the name of Demonix, in a city full of demons so she heard?

"It can't be THAT easy?" She flicked a gloved finger at the brochure and took up the maps and such the man had given her, taking the elevator up to her room and unlocking the door. Setting it all onto the glass coffee table, she turned on the television, switching it to some satellite music station as she rummaged around to see what she might have to pay a visit to, pulling out her laptop to use the Google search engines and such. It was amazing how much detective work and how much information one could pull from the internet.

She had opened the complimentary Kerig coffee packs and put on a Mocha to brew. The scent of coffee at least keeping her going for now as she checked into various missions, clubs, churches and even stores. She wasn't sure what she was looking for, but this city had something to uncover. That much was evident. And hopefully, she wouldn't trip any red flags.  

[Serena Magik Novello]

Stepping back into her hotel room, she tossed the keycard onto the glass coffee table, slumping down onto the couch without a second thought, even as she took off her beret and tossed that over onto the back edhe of one of the chairs to the small table in the room. Leaning back in the barely lit room, she took a deep cleansing breath. Why had she felt an impulse to come here?

That was the main question, wasn't it? She removed her leather gloves and put them hand to hand, finger to finger in a neat orderly fashion before stuffing them into the leather pocket of her trenchcoat. Always methodical where it counted, completely blindsided to everything else it seemed.

Was this to be how her life would end up? Traveling town to town, looking for things she'd never find? Hadn't she wasted enough time trying to help where no one wanted any? She had to close her eyes as all that self doubt, and despair started to cloud her judgement again. Maybe that was why she hadn't kept up with Pelor. Because she couldn't give herself a reason to.

Reaching over, she shut the lights off, sitting in utter darkness as she flicked on the television, the colors dancing across the walls as she found some old technicolor movie. Right now, that was entirely how she felt. In need of some restoration, and perhaps somehow...to have new life breathed into her. Or perhaps, someone to help her. With what, she still couldn't say. With a heavy sigh, she focused her eyes on the television, watching but not really seeing.  

[Serena Magik Novello]

How long had she been researching the area? How long had she been staying in that same hotel? There she was, one arm hung over the back of the leather couch, one high heeled foot resting on the glass coffee table, one up on the arm of the couch, balancing precariously the lap top currently resting on her lap, some video about the area's crime rate was playing. It didn't seem a big problem area, taking a drink from a huge margarita glass resting beside her, next to the open bottle of Sherry beside it. Since when did she drink that?

Since when did she drink again? Maybe since running into a ghost from her past, or someone who might eventually become a ghost. She gave a long sigh and closed her lap top up, maybe a walk was in order. She scooped up her keys, put a do not disturb sign on her room door and headed out to see what was up again.  

[Serena Magik Novello]

Home. Sweet. Hotel.

Well, at least two out of three wasn't bad. She had swiped her key card into the door after trying to bypass the front desk and failing miserably. The maitre D' had come around the desk holding onto his own face asking if she was in need of medical assistance, to which she assured him she'd just been witness to an accident and had gotten bloody in her attempt to help. Well, it was all true, right?

First thing she did was put on the radio, to which NIN's "March of the Pigs" Blasted out. It seeemed alittle too setting, so she banged on the cd player, it quickly switched to "dance Dance" Fall Out Boy to which she rolled her eyes, chucking off her white trenchcoat to land onto the tile floor of the bathroom so as to not get blood anywhere. "Ironic, No?" Sighing she tugged off her heels, tossing them in under the couch and headed to the bathroom to take a much needed shower.

She spent damn near two hours in that shower, scrubbing the blood from her hair and her skin, thinking about where Jack had gone and wondering what was going on with Tasuki and August and...damn...problems were starting to pile up again. But she smiled as she rinsed her hair out. She was busy and back in action, doing what she loved best. She'd never be as alive as she felt when she was in the thick of things trying to help out. And tomorrow, maybe she'd visit this Light of Life charity. And help some more people.

Towel drying off, she wrapped herself in her towel, put another on her head and loved the feel of the plush carpet under her toes as she worked on bagging her bloody clothes up and tossing them down the garbage shoot. Wasn't any reason to try to scrub them clean. She'd have James order her another coat. She could shop for another one tomorrow.

But it seemed wearing white again was out of the picture from here on out again. And that was perfectly fine with her.  

[[Jackpot]]

It was the following afternoon from a previous incident in which he nearly perished from a choice he had made, but the ritualistic ceremony that was slowly unfolding was interrupted to the fullest extent. All he remembered was that his soul was an ethereal spirit who loomed delicately, waiting for the sign to move into the darkened voids – to be sucked into the tendrils of the unforgiving. He spent the entire morning hiding from the sunlight. He broke into an abandoned building that had countless empty cardboard boxes lying around. Jack spent the morning in quiet contemplation working his thoughts around the processes of the man he drank from only the night before. This man named Norin seemed to be so high-strung on his beliefs of helping others and saving them from eternal death that it nearly poisoned Jack’s mind. There were fires in his eyes, everything he bore witness to should be purged and burnt to the ground out of sheer disarray. He used those eyes to peer outside, noticing the sun was not fully setting at this point. There was just too much pain, anger and unrelenting forces that were built up into his heart.

A long time ago he studied with the clan of Xi Dundu, masters of pure shadow and ethereal voids which seemed non-existent to the human eyes. His primary focus of study was obtenebration – a vampiristic discipline which harbors the deepest, most frightening areas of the word darkness. Sadly his brother is aware and practices the same skills, who has borderline mastered these disciplines through dominating Jack’s mind and forcing him to reveal the secrets within. He had forced Jack to forget the knowledge of the clan and the expertise gained from them. When he had a confrontation with Augustus, his brother used those nightmarish techniques on him and allowed Jack to partially regain the familiarity of the Xi Dundu. Knowing that at the time, he may have been able to turn the table for his advantage, but unfortunately luck was not with him.

Jack slowly stood from the kneeled position he was in, which seemed like hours. He was not praying, chanting, performing a secular ritual, only contemplating. His hand reached for the door, turning the handle and stepping outside – but there was nothing emitting from the building. He manipulated the light and was given the powers of shadow-stepping, but only for a limited time. He had known people who had this skill, but overestimated the gratitude it gave and were burnt to an ash. Jack had stopped in an alley between the building he exited from and to where the sunlight was angled at a location which did not come near him. His body escaped from the abyss where his physical body descended from. He stepped out from the alley because the sunlight was not able to penetrate the back side of the buildings to the front where he began to walk. His gloves were portraying a black-shadowed cloud that faded as he took a few steps. It was like a poisonous cloud he was leaving behind. It was so quiet, and he admired the sounds of silence, but when anger was the blood in your body; considering he was full of it, there was plenty of rage that was unscathed.

He intercepted the first woman he saw, eyeing her down from the moment he could smell her. When her eyes met him, she had stopped in her tracks and squinted as all she could see were horrific red eyes. He manipulated the shadow-world and transformed into a cloud that emerged simultaneously a few inches from the woman. When his feet and physical body made contact with the realm of the living, his right hand was already around her neck. A discipline of potence granted him unnatural strength and the involvement of unsolved betrayal and bloodlust forced him to grant his body full movement towards the wall to their left. His entire body slammed into the brick wall with her, nearly knocking the whole wall to the ground. Bricks were collapsing as he held her as high as his arm would bring her into the morning sky. The forsaken monsters he called hands were glowing once more, a piercing shriek emitted from them as a small tentacle shaped shadowy-figure exited through the palm of his hand. It tore through the leather of his glove and slipped into the woman’s body through the puncture wound it made in her neck. It slithered inside without a shred of hesitation – was it a part of Jack that wished to feast upon this woman, or just a summoned creature used for a sheer pleasure? He continued to hold her above his head as she squirmed uncontrollably, twitching horrendously as her skin turned as white as the morning clouds. Her face began to darken, her eyes were shrinking with every second that went by, until soon enough her entire skull was dampened and shrunken. Within moments she was lifeless, and the tentacle-worm combination had exited her body through the same puncture wound, slipping back into the hole that was formed from the palm of Jack’s hand.

Jack simply loosened his grip of death from the pitiful body, watching as it just fell and listened as the bones were churned into a brittle segment of bone powder. The tentacle had drained the being of all their blood, returning what was necessary to the vampire. His fangs were not needed in this instance, for it was a different change of pace to have a servant do your bidding. The blood was released into his body like a slow dripping IV, giving him the desired amount of pleasure needed in each moment. This could last him a long time if played correctly. He motioned with his hand at the bricks to his left, quickly flicking his hand to the right, chuckling as they flew across the woman’s body and towards the other side of the street. Telekinetic properties were so amusing to him – it brought forth an arousal you could get like no other. His heightened senses allured his notion of smell; it was the blood that was caked onto his jacket he continued to smell. He smelled Norin. Jack should never have allowed this man the liberty of life, how ironic because he was the one who had saved this repulsive vampire.

He began to follow this stench, grabbing an idea for where the scent was last seen and smelled. His eyes were aimed towards the center of this city, to a location which was not easily able to pinpoint from afar. The sun was still out, so he had to be careful to intercept the shadows in an orderly fashion – he did not want to be a pile of ash without exacting the revenge that was needed to be upholstered. There were plenty of innocent bystanders being sensed while he was amongst the darkness, but he was not able to penetrate both worlds at the same. It was either imminent death from sunlight, or a practical chance of getting the pleasure and justice his heart was settled upon. If he had the weaponry associated with his normal attire there would be countless bloodshed from a distorted frenzy. If he was not careful, the more blood and soul these tentacles consumed… it would easily transform him into a blackened metamorphosis form with massive tentacles growing out of his body. It was something he had seen his brother unleash – and it scared him. He was not afraid to admit that.

The scent was closer and closer, all he could relish was the idea of strangling Norin and giving him a true bite into his neck – tearing the flesh of his skin and ripping the jugular vein into two swindling lines of betrayal. There was the building of the Hotel, where the scent was last to be smelled, it was strong but slowly deteriorating. He admired the aesthetics of the building from the abyss, but needed to enter without being a victim of the sun. The shadowy figure slipped elegantly under the miniscule cracks of the doors. His physical body forming a few feet on the other side of the doors, hoping he was free from the view of the sunlight. Normally he was a man of looking his best, his clothes always in pristine condition – a perfect skin complexion, fairly thin physique, but smooth as the finest silks available. A giant mirror in the hallway revealed nothing; there was no reflection to be seen of his face. He could see the clothes and they were disgusting, but he was not bothered. He came to finish off a certain man and would not rest until the felt the deed was done. Jack began to head towards the steps, following the scent as slowly and refined as any gentleman would. He wanted to embrace this moment – the moment before pulling the trigger of your weapon at the head of your enemy. He had no weapons, except the ever expanding darkness that was gradually consuming him. When reaching the appropriate floor, he paced back and forth on the floor to find the correct room. When he found the room which had the longest lingering scent, he smiled…

It was a painful smile, he was unsure if he wanted to merely shatter the door into a thousand bits and pieces, or enter peacefully. He may have been in an unusual bloodlust with a crazed heart and a mind which twisted every word he listened to, but he was a nobleman. With closed eyes, his physical body looked like it began to melt as it transformed into the shadow-stepping cloud that was necessary to bypass materialistic objects in the realm of the incarnate. In a blind rage, he growled as he entered the room. The fangs he had emerged as he prepared himself for a luscious feast, his body leaving behind a quickened shadow that dissipated into the shadow-world as his physical body returned. His right hand was already pointed at the figure in front of him, watching as the stained clothes of Norin’s blood shoved down the garbage shoot. To his dismay, it was Magik. Although just as furious at her for healing the putrid man, he was angered even more that it was not the man he was looking for.

She appeared to have just gotten out of the shower, her body covered by two towels – her own scent was now the one embracing his senses. Not just smell, but lust, desire and even arousal. His eyes were still as red and tyrannical as when he was renewed from his weakened state, a signal to those he was still not in a complete mindset of calmness and alertness. Jack lowered his hand from pointing at her, allowing the engrossing cloud of grey and blackness to return to their unacquainted state. His teeth began to grind, leaving heavy breaths that were comparable to a bull to be heard from his nostrils. He felt almost speechless at this moment. There was the expectation to find Norin in this location, waiting patiently for the scythe of death to come swinging down at him, but Jack was left to instead find Magik, half-naked in a seemingly vulnerable state.

“…..” there was nothing coming from his lips. He kept his distance from her, but remained speechless. He tried once more, but he knew only pain and anguish would emit from his flustered mouth. “Why did you save him?” His words were gentle, but solid. He wanted the answer. Norin deserved to die and he was furious that the sun did not allow him the privilege of killing him on sight, but he also had to realize he was in Holy territory, where he was much weaker than he looked.

There was more to be said, but the weight carrying those words were empty.  

[Serena Magik Novello]

Having just pushed the bloody clothes down the shoot, she was humming along to the current song on the hotel's stereo, which was "Stuck in the Middle with You", Another Ironic song choice yes? Hopefully this one wouldn't wind up like Reservoir Dogs. Her celebration of saving a friend and the hopefulness of saving more lives tomorrow had put her in a very good mood. Least until she'd heard the growl coming from seemingly no where and yet everywhere. And she had clutched the front of her towel like a woman that didn't know what was going on. Jack had never violated her living quarters. Course that was the problem with hotel rooms, No Thresholds to help ward vampires off without an invite. Well, for those who had to play by those rules anyways, she'd never really found out if Jack was. Seeing the finger pointed at her, it truly felt as if a ghost from her past had come back to haunt her. She had to pull herself together quick and get over the shock even quicker.

Necromancy, dark magic...she swore she could taste those on the air, swallowing hard. Yeah, Giovannis weren't ones to make friends so readily with, but she had thought she had. Would suck to be wrong about her choices now. The room wasn't overly lit, just the side wall lights on that lit up the room enough to not trip over anything, Magik herself detested bright lights. The blue glow from her opened laptop cast its glow on the couch, and it seemed like she'd been drinking the little n** bottles that these kinds of hotels put into their mini bars, as four of the bottles were open, their caps resting not too far away.

And now she stood there, wrapped in white plushness, wet hair, and the thing she felt most naked about was the fact she knew she probably looked vunerable. A bad thing to be looking like with a vampire that close. She hardly moved an inch, one arm crossed down to hold the bottom towel up and her right holding the top closed. Oh, she had them tucked alright. but better to be safe than sorry. Hearing Jack's question, she sighed. "I had to, Jack. He saved you. Least kept you from vanishing forever. Something I wanted to do myself. But I'm bound by my morals. I couldn't lift a hand to do so unless you told me or simply took my blood. I don't expect you to understand. And next time, if you're going to drop by, please knock?" Least the woman had added a please. Part of her was so upset that he had just vanished earlier. But to have him there, now, like that...was daunting. There, she had put some of the usual confidence back into her voice, but that was mainly because he had calmed down his powers.

She held up a finger, walking over to the open bathroom doorway where the robe was hanging. Improvising. She took the hotel robe hanging off of the hook and started to slip her arms into it, maintaining a slow way of doing it so he would see she wasn't reaching for a weapon or any other such craziness. Pulling one on him now would be bound to get her into trouble. As would chastizing an ancient for entering a room uninvited. But it made her realize certain precautions would have to be taken later. Like warding her bedroom for one. A sad smile showing on her lips at being able to do so herself now. And she left the towels on undrneath but she made the robe tighter, clinging around her body before she tied it across her body to help hold it all up. Least this way, she wouldn't feel as awkward. "I have questions too...but I don't see you answering any of the ones I might have? If we're going to play 20 questions, it should at least be kept at an even number?" After the night she had, she might have been more sarcastic than what she normally would be, but it was done with a quiet relaxed tone and at least no anger involved. Anger plus Anger would be grounds for a clash. and clashing in a hotel bath robe and towels just wasn't her thing. Not that it couldn't be done, she was just more tasteful than that. Good thing she'd never gotten into mud wrestling, but all jokes aside...

She stood there, but she stopped as she scooped up a pair of tinted shades from nearby. "These aren't like the ones you had, but until you get a pair?" She held them out for the man to take, danging from one of the ends, twirling them between her fingers to make sure his eyes were on the shades and not her. Better than waving a red flag, right? "So, Now that we know I'm a prisoner to my own beliefs and that's why I healed the man, why don't you tell me what happened to put you in such a state to begin with?" She tilted her head somewhat to look over at him, almost daring him not to answer her question. "I can't say this..strong quiet silent type isn't you, Jack...but there's only so much one person can handle on their own." Ouch. Yeah, talk about being a hypocrite. "Is there something in town I should be aware of?" It seemed the man had been here longer than she had and she was trying to dip her toes in to test just how hot the water was around her. Better than just submerging ones self into boiling water.

She'd stand there, giving him silence to perhaps help him compose himself better. And again, there was a practiced stillness to her that some shifters and even some vamps would be proud of. Because each moment was a tell, each breath one as well. Giving off the wrong tell and showing her hand in front of a vampire could very well get her killed. "There used to be a time, we'd walk the pier remember? You'd shoot out the lights, I'd say how much you shouldn't do that...and we'd talk. I stood up for you against Alex, Jack. The Prince of The City wanted to see you dead. Doesn't that count for something? I know what occurred you to you isn't easy to just brush off, I know...that you have to be around the same age as your brother. A thought that never really crossed my mind till earlier..." Yes, she'd admitted so out loud, because she was analyzing the situation still.

She walked over to her mini fridge bending over and turning her back on the man while she retrieved one of the little bottles, undoing its cap as she scanned the label. "Gin. Not as good as having some slo gin..but it'll do." She tipped the bottle into her mouth lightly, splashing some of the alcohol down her throat as she made a slight face afterwards. "Never was much of a...gin drinker. Where was I? My point is, I've wanted to help Jack, at least help keep you safe. You might not see it as that way..." Her eyes lost their focus again, her smile faltering for a moment. "I don't know why you want to kill this man. For helping you. He wants to help people. It's a variation of what I do Jack. Does what I do bother you so much too?" It was an honest question, a slight variation in a question she had asked earlier, that she hoped wouldn't end in pain. "Mary Jane's Last Dance" Came on the radio as she took a couple steps towards him, trusting her feelings.

"What is it you want to say,Jack? Did you come here to...dish out punishment for what I did?" She held her chin up slightly, trying to appear not so frazzled. "I can't tell what you're thinking...I'm not too sure I'd want to know." She let out a heavy sigh, eyes trying to figure out why he'd come there the way he'd did. Violating her place of residence. Perhaps the man was closer to madness than she originally believed. And that was disheartening.  

[[Jackpot]]

All he could do was replay the question he demanded of her in his mind, over and over again. The essence of betrayal was a feeling that numbed him deeply; the trials of blood and deception and truths of his clan taught him unending loyalty. Finding Magik in this room was just as shocking to him as it was for her to see him just appear in her room so suddenly. He watched her as she used her hand to keep the towel from falling down, while taking in notice that the room was not as bright as he anticipated. It was strangely ironic. Here was a woman who had her morals based around helping others, and to not live in that type of existence all your life – surrounded by endless light was something that could be questioned. It did not matter who you were, or what you were; you did not always have to live in that life all the time. Jack had always tried to maintain a sense of nobility and human-like qualities, but when it came to fight urges and severe temptation, he was simply powerless.

When he heard Magik sigh before giving him a response to the one question he needed to know, he knew the answer was not going to be a simple one. Jack listened carefully, making no movement or even daring to move his solid gaze from her. There was no room or time for him to waste. All this talk of morals and doing what you need to do was truly getting to his core – with undeniable frustration that he could not get a hold of. All he could think about was one thing… ‘Saved me? His actions disrupted the flow of time and all that is necessary to survive.. and die.’ He could not get a grip of what exactly happened prior to drinking the blood of Norin, but was fully aware that he was meant to perish before that church. No one could possibly understand the threshold of his existence and all that he has been through. His family, dreams, and even his responsibilities. There was little use in explaining everything, the pain and damage has been dealt.

Before he had managed to speak, she held up a finger to him and made her way to the bathroom to gather a bath robe. He quirked an eyebrow as her actions seemed to make him slightly curious. Jack was aware that entering her room uninvited and quite possibly unexpected was probably strange and upsetting for her, but it should not have been too peculiar, especially for someone like him. He felt his jaw becoming locked for being shut for so long, especially during a phase of blood-lust, which he had truly hoped would be coming to an end soon. He took two small steps towards her before finally opening his mouth which resulted in an uncomfortable sounding crack. “Bound by your morals? I’m becoming sick of these morals.” His tone was groggy and scratchy, but the words were not completely aimed towards her in specific. It just appeared everyone was bound and held unwillingly by their morals and deeds. He inhaled with an extreme, but slow intake of air. The blood vessels in his lungs leisurely becoming excited with the surplus of oxygen. Jack quickly closed his eyes, but allowed them to re-open as he generously exhaled the excess of air. His eyes were still blackened, empty, like staring into a black hole that just sucked the life out of everything that came within its grasp. His gaze relentlessly went to the floor, and then began drifting to her feet and then fully going up her body to where his eyes met hers. “Oh, I understand.” It was a sarcastic, but insulting tone.

When Magik spoke of the fact she may have questions, it seemed Jack was the only one seeking answers, he could tell there were things she may want to know. Even though they were answers that might be hard to comprehend. He tilted his head slightly like a puppy dog trying to figure out what was being said. What types of questions could she have? Was she curious why Jack was bleeding, weakened and merely dragging his lifeless body across the steps of a church? There was no answer, no reason, just something that needed to be done. As still as they both were, he watched her posture change so she could snatch a nearby pair of shades where she danced them between the two of them. Her delicate womanly hands twirling the shades between her fingers. It reminded him of the red shades he always wore, but even more impressive was the fact that she seemed like she wanted him to wear them. Was it painful for her to look into his eyes, to see nothing but the blackness that he truly felt inside? Did she want him to wear the shades so it could remind her of the memories they shared together; even through the thick and thin of it all? He generously reached out for the shades, but quickly placed them in the inner-side coat pocket. He smirked as she proclaimed her duties to her beliefs and morals, admitting that is why she had healed Norin. Jack could not condemn her or blame her for doing what she truly believed in, as angry as he truly was. She was the only woman… or person in centuries that he felt so inclined with. Magik knew things about him that no one else knew, or could possibly even dream of knowing. Did she really wish to know how he was in the state she first spotted him in? The human heart and emotions could only withstand so much, and he felt she was already close to the edge. His voice cleared with a quick chirp in the back of his throat, “I am going to assume you mean my brother…”

Did this entire thing revolve around Augustus Giovanni? Sadly that was the truth, and deep down Jack feared this creature more than anything in existence. Physical or ethereal. “The only thing you should be aware of….” Jack wished he knew for a fact his brother would not come to send his soul into the abyss with the other weaklings of the clan. It seemed most clans wished to grow and become powerful from strength in numbers, but not this one. Anyone who even displayed a shred of weakness was instantly purged from existence. Jack continued his previous thought, “is me.” He raised his hand in front of his eyes, where the shroud of greyness and an extremely faint glow that resembled a small fire was encompassing his hand. It was like watching the ones you love burn in front of you without being able to help. He did a quick shooing of his hand and dispersed his body in the lunar planes to step behind Magik, whispering quietly in her right ear. He placed his left hand around her waist, where the life-force of his body was so cold that it easily penetrated the materials of her robe and the towels underneath. “..would you die for the ones you love?” It was not so much the question that was endeavoring, but the tone he used. It was like sticking a needle into your chest and every wrong breath, word or action moved closer to your heart. He quickly removed his hand from her side, almost as if to signal she could move without feeling like she was frozen in place.

Since he was behind her, Jack did smile briefly when she spoke of the memories on the Pier – a place so close to the water where he truly felt at home. He always shot out the lights because they would flicker at him, chanting and yelling that he was not welcome. His humanized self, his former-glory of being a man was shuddered and thrown away. Light was always the enemy, the ignorance, the terminator of his hopeful life. “So you put yourself between Alex and myself? A shameful, yet potentially harmful mistake. What possessed you to do that?” Jack could not remember in specifics what clan Alex was a part of, and was not even worth a moment of his time, but unfortunately was in his life because of his time with Magik. She did stick up for him, which he did thank her for, but she never had to put herself in harm’s way because of him. When she made the remark of his brother, assuming they had to be around the same age, his eyes tightened – his gaze was heavy on the back of her head. He wished to be able to see her eyes; Jack wanted to see the pain and fear that was bestowed in her when she spoke of Augustus.

He wanted to grab her by the shoulder, swing her body around to face him and stare so deeply into her soul that it would never leave her body. Augustus should be a thought that she should have no concern with. A gentle and fragile human woman should have nothing to do with a vampire… an ancient one of unpredictable madness and unprecedented strength for that matter. He addressed her for the first time by her name, “Magik.. what you do is your business. If I wanted to exact revenge and punishment upon you, it would have been done.” His breath still relinquished the stench of dried blood and he moved his lips close to her neck – being able to feel, sense and smell every pump of blood that her heart made. He wanted her to know his lips were so close to her neck, the dryness and chapped lips could nearly make contact with the small amount of hairs that resided there. He wanted her to fear him in that moment, to know he was not making false threats.

Jack pulled away, grabbing her right shoulder and turning her body with ease. He reached into his coat pocket and put the shades on that she gave him. “When you meddle in the affairs of ancient vampires, you are asking for death.”

He raised his head, his bloodied face looking towards the roof of the hotel room. “My time is simply done. There is nothing else I can say… you should not seek more. There will be impending pain.” Jack needed to die for reasons she would not quite understand, with the answer revolving around his brother.  

[Serena Magik Novello]

If it was one thing Magik couldn't stand, it was the mind games that most of the vampires she knew did. Jack never resorted to such methods with her ever, so why was he resorting to them now? "Of course, I mean your brother. was it him that put you in the state you were in?" She believed Augustus was the only one that could bloody the man like he'd been. What other possibilty could there be? She quieted when Jack started to speak, Her eyes watching that small fire, the glow that she could make out just barely and then Jack was gone again. Her eyes stealing another look around the room before she felt his hand around her waist, saw his chin from out of the corner of her eye. Not especially liking the question he was asking. "I believe everyone would answer that question with yes. If they did truly love the person in question, I am no different, Jack." She whispered the words, thankful when he had stepped away.

She hadn't liked him behind her, but to turn so quickly would be a sign of not trusting the man, and right now, she wanted to believe he still was the same Jack she had known long ago. But no, the Jack she knew would have knocked first. If it was true that light was always his enemy, then perhaps he should not have come there. Was he goading her into fighting him? It was a possibility but deep down, she truly wasn't sure she had it inside of her to hurt a friend. And mentioning Augustus, it was hard to feel fear for a man she had not seen in years. One that she had worked hard to not tick off, for obvious reasons. She valued her life. Right now, she was afraid because of different reasons. Right now, she was afraid Jack was too lost in his madness to reason, to be reachable. Was he just trying to warn her off of caring or was there more in this all?

And then he spoke her name and it raced like an icy chill along her spine. He seldom said her name, but at least it helped her take note that he was at least aware of who he was speaking with. She let out a sigh of relief at hearing her forgiven for helping Norin at least, that was what she got out of his words. And then she felt that he had gotten closer and her hands formed fists at her sides, trying to keep her body from tensing up,it would be a sure sign that she was afraid. Which she was, but this situation was as if swinging a bottle of whiskey in front of an alcoholic. Right now, she didn't want to be that bottle of Jack Daniels. Eyes slipping closed as she flexed those fists every so often, giving herself something to focus on. And if he had wanted her to feel afraid, he'd gotten her immediate attention.

And then he was turning her, to which her eyes opened slowly, A hand coming up to the belt of her robe to make sure it was still tied. Just another nervous habit to try to stave off abit more fear. Her eyes peering up into his as he put his shades on. "So I was just supposed to watch you burn up in that sun? Does it pain you so much to know you have someone that cares about your well being, Jack? Have you come to hate yourself so much over these years...with only your own voice calling you a monster whispered to you with each kill, each moment you spend roaming these darkened nights? Want to hear something ironic, Jack? I'm a monster too. We all are in our own ways. I've killed...Oh yes, several times." She stepped up to him, even seeing him with his head turned upwards, he was intimidating. And much taller than she was. "I might not have enjoyed it, Any of them. But there was a rush in that life or death situation unlike nothing else I've ever felt in my life. THAT feeling alone makes me see myself as a monster. So, you're not alone in detesting yourself." She walked away, back over to the mini fridge and started to rifle through the little bottles there.

She sighed, knowing she was ranting, because talking was what she always did when she was unsure of a situation, and with Jack right now, she wasn't sure what to think. "If you've come here to scare me off from messing with your brother, let me assure you. I'm not about to fly out to Venice and start s**t with the man? I'm not suicidal." Finding another one she could stomach, she shut the fridge again, popping open the cap with her right hand quietly while firmly holding it in her left.

Watching him put the shades on she'd given him, helped a great deal. Because he looked as he had long ago. Which helped her talking to him, was alot better to see him with the appearance of some humanity left instead of seeing those inky voids. And when he mentioned the affairs of ancients she had to smile. "Oh, I'm very aware, Jack. Considering I'm not even supposed to know about the existence of cainites according to the masquerade rules the Camarilla set down. But you don't exactly see me quaking in fear. If you call me wanting to save you meddling in your affairs, then I'm sorry? Next time, pick a church I'm not inside?" It stung to say such words, but the man was still implying he wanted to die the true death and just delaying the inevitable seemed...sadder.

Her eyes lost their focus as she went quiet for a moment before lifting her eyes up towards him again. "You know I only have the upmost respect for you, Jack. After everything you and I have been through, you should know how I am. Humans don't change much over the years, we don't have the time to make drastic changes to our personality, well, without a traumatic event or some such. But if you came here to try to scare me off of something,it's not going to work. I protect people it's what I do. Long as your dear old brother stays in Venice, there's no problems." She paused to drown the sip bottle in one gulp like a shot, maybe not a very ladylike thing to do, but she'd need the liquid courage to say what she needed to get across to him.

"If you are daring to threaten me, dearest friend,I would highly consider rethinking it. If you cannot enter my abode with respect and the intent to do me no harm, then you shall not enter at all, next time. I still believe it is a foolish notion that you wish to die, but only you can know when your time is up,yes? I'm not going to go around in circles with you, Jack. I have enough people in my life that wish to die at the moment. I used to believe in a higher power once...you know what there is at the end of it all, Jack? Absolutely nothing. I'll cling to everything I can experience in life before I give up. Coming here to tell me...horror stories and warnings about your brother is going to accomplish what exactly? Come to warn the cattle of the shepard? IS that all I am to you after all these years Jack, A helpless, pitiful human woman?" There was fire in her eyes and her voice now. She wasn't just mad at this situation but she had always been underestimated, even with all the deeds she had done.

"I used to see you as strong, tall..proud. Now all I see is a broken man whose letting his brother tell him stories to crush his confidence. You can take your brother, Jack. All you need to do is find a way." She'd always believed in this man, but then again, maybe she just didn't really understand truly how much of a monster Augustus was compared to his brother.

She felt utterly like a heel, almost wishing the man would strike out at her for voicing so many of her own doubts, her own things she hated about herself. "Course, if you give up the battle, whose going to take your place in the scheme of things Jack? Who else would you rely on to best him?"