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 Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 12:39 am
Judas' words actually managed to impact Eden in a pleasant way for once, his being so certain that she was making a difference was a small appreciated morale booster. It wasn't often people stopped to be appreciative of her duty. Not only was she a hunter but she oversaw all the other hunters. If one of them died she held herself responsible. If one defected it was her job to deal with them. As much as people maybe thought being on top was a luxury, it really wasn't. It was a lot of work and when it came down to making the difficult decisions that could alter the lives of hundreds as they knew it, Meredith really didn't care for the position. "I'd like to think so," she responded distantly, again staring into the night sky as if searching for something she had lost long ago.
Upon being told he was behind her all the way, Meredith couldn't help but snort at the gesture. "Heh. You say that now. Just wait until we get into real trouble and my position forces me to make some difficult calls. You might not like me so much after those, especially if I ******** up and make the wrong ones." She was tempted to believe he was talking out of his a** and merely trying to suck up to her as a new recruit but at the same time the guy seemed really genuine in most things he'd said to her thus far. That being said, she wasn't willing to trust others to a high degree, she functioned on her own. Help was a bonus but not something she would ever expect or require.
It did not take long for the scent of blood to assault Meredith's acute senses, the draft of the wind assisting in alerting her to a likely intruder within the area long before company showed up. The wind stirred in a strange way and before long she sensed the familiar desolation she'd only ever come to associate with the void. The wolf in her could sense the fluctuation of the world beyond, that the power was being tapped into. As for pin pointing where it was, that was not something the wolf was able to do. Involuntarily her eyes reverted again to amber and she even unleashed an inhuman snarl as the wolf began pulling to the forefront upon feeling the darkness of the void stirring nearby.
Now restless, the wolf's eyes searched for the source of the darkness but before the animal in her had the chance to locate it, a form revealed itself from the nether. Yet another growl was emitted, this one much more audible and violent. It was a warning as well as a reaction to the presence now standing before them. By instinct alone the wolf was able to determine it possessed malignant intentions as opposed to good ones. Before Meredith was able to verbally address this intruder's presence, however, he began rushing toward Judas with a clear intent to harm the man.
While she was well aware he possessed the proper kit to get himself out of the situation, she didn't want to risk having him harmed somehow. That was precisely why Meredith took it upon herself to match the vampire's speed, meeting him just before the point of him contacting the bike, shielding the bike as well as Judas from harm. Edith was preparing to physically crush the vampire into the pavement when her senses finally registered the scent of the assailant before her. Immediately the amber in her eyes reverted to hazel in her surprise. "Veroen? Is that you?" Her question was phrased uncharacteristically soft, actually displaying raw emotion on her part and genuine vulnerability. Based on appearance alone she would have barely recognized him but the scent did not lie. Of course, she wouldn't put it past someone to somehow replicate his scent to confuse her and send an assassin of sorts to come after her in his stead. Still, her heart had skipped a few beats upon her realization and her thoughts had immediately flown back to the night she'd awoken in Las Noches and thought she had sensed him there. Maybe it hadn't been a dream or a phantom scent. Maybe she hadn't been going crazy.
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Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 1:43 am
Apparently the night was not done throwing him things at all. Before Meredith can even decide whether she was coming with him or not, someone appeared before him. He stopped to say what was probably the single worst one liner Judas had ever heard said in his life, and went on the attack. Right on cue, he pulled his gun from his shoulder holster, but he did not aim it at the vampire attacking him. No, this one was fast, blindingly fast, which meant that Throne would have to be faster, and more unpredictable. Instead, he brought the gun down and aimed it at his very own motorcycle's gas tank, intending to let it blow up in the vampire's face while he 'ported out as quick as he could; he'd probably get more than a few burns, but it was nothing his body could not fix. He'd just switched the safety off when Meredith decided to step in and guard him from the attack.
Awww, you're no fun, he thought to himself, though the sentiment was aimed at Meredith. He kept himself seated on the motorcycle, though he shifted to face the two clashing beside hm., though he kept the gun trained the gas tank, ready for any move that might be made against him. "Mate," he said out loud to the stranger, "That was a bloody awful one-liner. I mean, you were headed into Full House territory with that amount of cheese. If you're gonna spew out such terrible one-liners, at least have the common decency to have a ******** barely understandable Austrian accent." He pulled out his flask again, drinking a large gulp of the Chartreuse inside, then putting it away again. "Consider this a divorce," he said, donning a mocking impression of Arnold Schwarzenegger. "See, that wouldn't have been such a classic if it weren't for our friend Ahnold's lovely accent."
Strangely enough, it seemed that Meredith was familiar with the vampire. A werewolf huntress that knew a vampire personally? America was even stranger than he thought. Manchester was a little more old fashioned. Vampires associated with vampires, lycanthropes associated with lycanthropes, and the hunters were the all-human squad that hunted them all down with the fury of a drunken god, regardless of hostility of docility. America was a strange place, and it was quickly becoming stranger by the second, it would seem. He'd planned on killing this vampire for daring trying to attack him, but now that he knew he was apparently supposed to be friendly with Meredith, he couldn't, at least not without her permission. He reached into his saddle bag, pulling out the leg bandolier with the UV arrows and strapping it onto his left leg with his one free hand. He then pulled out his collapsed bow, clipping it to his belt. "Pet, it's your call. Do we take this thing down, or what?" He looked toward the stranger's mouth, noting a familiar tint of red smeared all over it. "He's clearly been feeding, if that's any consolation."
He then stared into the stranger's eyes. If Judas actually found him to be a threat, he showed utterly no outward appearance of it. Given his demeanor, it would not be an unfair assessment to say he was underestimating their opponent, though that was by no means whatsoever the case. "And you, what's up with the white hair? Seriously, what are you, a bloody boss from a Japanese role playing game? You know there hasn't been a good one of those in like twenty years, right?" Still he kept his gun, finger on the trigger, ready to blow this whole damn alley to hell if the situation called for it. A bullet to a gas tank alone was enough to cause an explosion after a time, but at this range the gun powder would ignite the gasoline and set it ablaze instantly. Mixed with the UV liquid in said bullet, and it made for an especially deadly combination, given a vampire's vulnerability to fire. It's a damn good thing this ******** bike is stolen.
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Sing This Corrosion To Me
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Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 3:26 am
Mere inches from bashing the side of the motorcycle, the agile attack was blocked, and to the Elder's disbelief, it was blocked by the female lycan who had been behind the human and his motorcycle. Disbelief turned into rage within a fraction of a second, and the immediate reaction was that his silver katana appearing in his other hand, while one of his handguns appeared in the hand that was blocked. He snarled, and his muscles moved before his mind could command it, out of reflex to the block. His silver coated katana hand began to make a slashing movement towards the Lycan, and his other hand instinctively pointed his customized desert eagle at the human....Then he saw her face. Immediately he halted the attack, the blade barely a foot from its target, glimmering in the moonlight.
Time slowed.
For a moment, the Void's grip lessened, and clarity blurred his original thoughts. He stared at Meredith, disbelief once again on his face. The confusion was momentary, for the human began to spew out insults, mocking the Void Elder from where he sat, pointing his handgun at the gas tank of his own motorcycle as a pathetic last resort to stop Veroen. Veroen's eyes pulsed with darkness as he shot a deadly look at the human, who continued to talk. The demeanor of the human was irritating, to say the least, and the void kept its hold over Veroen's instincts. Veroen stared at the human as he spoke, and held his desert eagle pointed at the man.
He eyed the handgun pointed at the gas tank again.
"Cute." The word was short, and full of sarcasm, though the human wasn't worth much more reaction than that. As he turned back to Meredith, ignoring the rest of the hunters words, he mentally prepared to manifest a Void shield to shield himself and Meredith from the potential blast that the human would execute in vain. If the Human did decide to pull some sort of idiotic kamikaze move, the Void would ensure it was contained. Veroen then realized that he was temporarily himself, more than likely from the woman he loved speaking his name.
He wondered how long it would last...
He looked back into her eyes, while his were still solid black with silver irises, a by-product of the irreversible void corruption. Heavy breaths escaped his mouth, and he suddenly felt as if his very being was tearing in two. The Void tugged with ferocity, while ideas he once had tried tugging him in the other direction.
A pained look grew on his face. He wondered if this was how it felt to go mad.
"Edith..." He said, his own voice suddenly mirroring her softness. He suddenly felt like reaching out and embracing her, though he stayed still. He became aware of himself, and lowered his sword, though he didn't lower his handgun from being pointed right at the Hunter's head, who then said something about taking Veroen down, following it up with some snide remark about his appearance.
He turned his head to the man, the irritation becoming unbearable. "You know, chatty bloodbags like yourself don't last long out here." His eyes narrowed, and he put his finger on the trigger, half tempted to paint the wall behind the hunter with his brains and blood. The hunter obviously wasn't from around here, and obviously didn't know who he was insulting.
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Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 8:44 am
In response to what she was more convinced to be an engineered version of Veroen created to slay her based on her former ties to him, Meredith was quick to dawn a knife in response to the raised katana blade. She could smell the coat of silver all too easily and even had she not possessed the knowledge of the silver, she still would have blocked regardless. There was no need to kick her healing factor into overdrive before the fight had really started: eyes had already reverted from the human hazel again back to amber in expectation of the fight to come. She needed to be conservative and pick and choose which hits were worth taking and which weren't. Taking the first blow definitely wasn't something she would feel was worth it. However, just as she was certain the blades would connect the katana halted halfway through the swing, mere inches from her being. Perhaps this was Veroen after all?
She never allowed the hope she felt to so much as graze her features for even a moment. Meredith was no fool. The huntress was not banking on this being the true Veroen nor was she foolish enough to believe for a minute that this vampire was of no threat to her. At this point regardless if it was Veroen or not, he had still intended to attack one of her own. That was not something she would sit by idly and bear witness to as the hunter leader. While she still possessed sentiment toward him, she would not render herself blind with love. Never again. If this truly was Veroen then he certainly had some explaining to do. He had abandoned her a second time again without explanation. She wasn't going to take that lying down. He'd given her absolutely no way of knowing if he'd been dead or alive. She'd been grief stricken for years over the prospect and if he had the audacity to return now without even telling her? He was going to get a ******** ear full and likely more at best.
She got a slight reality check as Judas bothered to inform her that not only was he still there but that Veroen was in all regards a vampire and one that had been feeding at that. The scent she'd caught earlier from being downwind of the human earlier ... Veroen had probably been the one to take the life ... That fact alone weighed heavily upon her already overburdened heart. "You're on standby for the time being, Throne. This vampire's a very real threat, he's unstable, almost fully consumed by the void within him. Only act in self-defense."
Though the wolf had already revealed the answer to her question for Veroen, she chose to ask despite herself and for formal confirmation. The darkness that seeped from his being was practically tangible to her wolven counterpart. Instinct alone had been able to detect the otherworldly darkness even when he hadn't been standing next to her about to slice her with a katana. The temptation to probe his thoughts for answers assailed her but she refrained out of respect. Though it relieved her that upon hearing her voice the darkness in him had grown slightly less intense, she never lowered her guard. Veroen was a very real threat and she wasn't taking the chance when the void had clearly destabilized him. "What's happened to you? I hardly recognize you."
All the wounds she'd worked on for years to close were all reopened in the midst of his presence. The fact he'd left her yet again without an explanation being at the forefront of her mind that had yet again become her personal torture chamber. She was unable to overlook he had committed this very same action a second time after having seen the devastation he'd caused her the first time. She fought with the want to embrace him as much as she wanted to flat out strike him across the face. How could he have done this to her? Not once but twice? Maybe things had been more one-sided than she'd realized.
The tension between Veroen and Judas was tangible as well as distracting. Judas wasn't aware of who Veroen was, that much was a given. He also wasn't aware of who Veroen was to her on a personal level. She wasn't about to let emotions get in the way, however, if Veroen happened to lose himself. He was far worse off than the last time she'd seen him. "You told me you were going to fight it off," she stated flatly before deciding to address the fact he had a firearm raised against her newest recruit. "As you heard earlier, Throne's on standby so as long as you bring no harm to him he will not harm you. So it would be nice if you would stand down, Veroen, or have you lost yourself so much you can no longer pass up the chance at violence?"
Never once did she allow the pain she felt to shine through the cracks in the wall she'd created years building. Her defenses were reinforced with the utmost care. Yet the only thing she hadn't ever accounted for now stood at the gates and threatened to collapse everything she had worked so meticulously to build. Years. It had taken her years to get to the point she was at now and he had the audacity to show his face again. She fluctuated between sentiment, utter agony and rage. She wasn't certain which was most prominent nor was she sure which would win out in the end while dealing with Veroen. For now she kept herself in check, another thing she had worked on in the long years. She was far more disciplined now that she had been in the past.
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Sing This Corrosion To Me
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Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 1:08 pm
Utterly boring. Those were the first two words Judas would use to describe their latest vampire guest within the alley. Here the creature was, flexing all its power in all its overrated glory, and all he had for him was a gun pointed at his head? Perhaps his time in America had exorcised his creativity), or more likely he never had any creativity to offer to begin with, but Judas could only speculate. Americans were famous worldwide for their lack of imagination, their love of guns, and overcompensation; all three of which this particular vampire seemed to be in possession of in spades. It was simultaneously hilarious and sad, but mostly boring. What kind of a voidmaster threatened people with guns when they could do so much scarier, and more importantly, more fun?
Captain Personality sarcastically remarked on his plan to blow up the gas tank and he merely offered a wry smirk. He'd fought voidmasters before, even killed some of the strongest ones in Europe, a couple of which were elders no less. He'd done his calculations, observations, and more importantly he'd done this before. No matter how strong this vampire was in his use of the void, an explosion so big and so close would tear through whatever shields he could conjure up and perhaps even tear through his body in the process. This, of course, was assuming that he was even fast enough to conjure it in time. No matter how powerful one was, unless one could process a thought faster than his bullet, which he knew for a fact the vampire could not, he would not be able to react anywhere near fast enough to gather a big enough barrier to cover himself. He'd learned many things about the void in his studies back home, and in practice while hunting, and one of the things he knew was that it was not a cheat code.
Judas could not help but laugh at the vampire's threat. He'd lost count at how many times he'd heard similar promises from vampire and werewolf alike in the past week alone, let alone his entire career. "Famous last words, mate," he said, still laughing, "I'll give that one-liner points, though, because at least it made me laugh. I take it you're the big bad boss 'round these parts, aren't you, mate? I can tell from the complete lack of personality and the overcompensation." He knew full well that this thing was a threat, but he would be damned if that ever let him actually be scared of him, and he certainly would not close his mouth anytime soon. That was simply the kind of man he was.
"Oh, I'm not doubtin' he's a threat, love, and I know a consumed voidmaster when I see one. They always smell so bad." He pulled his gun upward, away from the gas tank. "But you're the boss," he added. He turned off the motorcycle's ignition. He then once again vanished in a puff of black smoke and the sound of fluttering wings, off to the side of the alley and far, far away from the vampire's aim. He seemed cool and casual as he once again reached for his flask, drinking its contents, but he was more than ready should an assault come, still keeping his gun close. He waved, with a mocking smile, at the vampire from his new vantage point. "Hey, is it alright if I call you Samantha?" he asked to the vampire, though it did not matter what his response would be, as he would now officially be calling him Samantha regardless of what he said.
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Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 2:16 pm
Veroen smirked at the hunter who fancied himself an expert Elder killer. The Void beckoned Veroen's irritation, urging him to slaughter the man where he sat for his audacity and sharp tongue. He glanced at Meredith, who now seemed particularly furious with him. He breathed for a moment, taking care to snuff out the sparks that came from the Human Hunter's words, before they set fire to the endless fuel that was the Void.
"Very well." As he spoke his reply to Edith, he lowered his weapons and they slowly dissolved into strands of Void, and dissipated into the night air. He closed his eyes, taking a moment to regain control. As he did so, he wiped the blood off of his chin, and using his other hand, he ran it through his long white hair, pulling it back and over his head. Though it wasn't much, the gesture somewhat improved his feral look. A sliver of void also manifested into a black leather overcoat that covered his upper body, save for the opening in the front that still exposed his bare chest. If he was going to speak to Edith after so long, he may as well look somewhat presentable.
Her words of barely recognizing her old lover cut deep, though it did not show on his face. "A few things." His voice, now calm, was slightly different than the last time he had spoken with her. It had a different characteristic about it, almost as if in confirmation that Veroen was a very different individual. It was true, he had grown in his power with the Void. Though at a cost...
It was then that the hunter spoke again, calling him Samantha. It was immediately recognized to be another insult, to provoke the Void Master.
He kept his attention on Edith, and spoke in a calm voice. "You should probably keep that one on a shorter leash, lest you find yourself one hunter short on the roster." He glanced at the human, unfazed by his ability to transport himself to another spot. The Void master looked at him curiously. He had to hand it to the Hunter, being comfortable with insulting a Void Elder was no small feat. The overconfidence would get him far, though it probably get him killed in the process. Judging by his lack of surprise by Veroen's appearance, he had more than likely fought Void using Vampires. The confidence suggested that he may have even killed some where he was from. The thought was unmoving, however. This man may have killed Void Users, but Veroen was no ordinary Void User.
He was tempted to humor the Human and his obvious thoughts that he could do some damage to Veroen, though he kept a grip on himself, and turned his attention to the only Hunter in New York that was worth his time.
His expression was indifferent. "I did fight it off, for a time. Things changed." Her words had cut him deep, making him feel a moment of self loathing, though his expression remained the same.
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Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 3:03 pm
Meredith silently nodded her head in thanks to Veroen for relinquishing his weapons and adhering to her request. At the very least he was smart enough to realize she wasn't in the mood to ******** around and quibble over matters that weren't pressing or the least bit interesting. She wasn't here to have a power struggle with him nor was she here for any other reason now other than to divulge exactly why he'd left again. The hunter was playing detective to a degree, wanting to uncover exactly what had happened to him in his absence. Her words had not been one iota of a lie, she'd meant what she'd said: he was different and she honestly had barely recognized him. Had his persona changed too? Was there any semblance of the man she'd once loved? So far there seemed to be very little remaining of him.
"As entertaining as I'm sure it could prove," Meredith finally decided to intervene due to Judas' and Veroen's distractions beginning to irritate her, "watching you two have a pissing contest, you mind letting me get the ******** low down before you two go be gay for eachother or whatever it is you plan to do?" That was her way of telling them both to shut the ******** up so she could figure out what she needed to know in an efficient and timely manner. At this rate she would be centuries old before she got the entire story straight due to the fragmented interactions courtesy of Judas' smart-assery. As much as she wanted to hear Veroen's explanation, she didn't have the time to ******** around and disappear for years as the vampire so clearly did. It was for that reason she was not particularly polite in their exchange either. She simply took an apathetic stance, knowing full well he owed her an explanation. The hardened part of her was not allowing her emotions to leak through on this one. She had to maintain her resolve and not be weak in front of him.
Upon him choosing to be excruciatingly vague, Meredith raised an eye brow at him that required no words on her part as it clearly communicated exactly what she was thinking: are you serious? Was that really all the explanation he was going to give her after years of ******** disappearing? Did she mean that little to him? Had the void and his thirst for power consumed him so much that he no longer gave a s**t about her existence? What conclusion did he honestly expect her to come to with the blatant lack of effort to communicate on his part? Did he even realize how many tears she'd cried and how long it had taken her to bury the past only for him to completely rip open all the buried caskets again? The lack of care in his response was cold just as his explanation was.
The fact that he followed that up with a longer string of words put together that signified he cared more about preoccupying himself with Judas as opposed to giving her a real explanation set her off. She had been patient with him up until this point and here was where she finally cracked. "Are you ******** serious?" She growled as she spoke, the canine counterpart within her reacting to her rage and distress. "That's all you have to say to me after ******** years of nothing?! How heartless are you truly? You've done this to me twice now and this time you can't even bother with a ******** explanation or reason?! I ******** loved you! I ******** mourned you! I ******** waited for you! And this is what I ******** get?!" Her eyes burned hot with tears that threatened to fall down her cheeks but she refused to cry in front of him or shed any more tears for him than she already had.
"I think," she finally responded to his comment about Judas, "you should be more concerned about your personal ******** well-being than that of my hunter's. You are in far deeper s**t than he ever will be. First off you ******** me over. Second off: you've ******** let that power consume you. Just who the ******** are you anymore? Do I even know you? Do you even remember me or care?" She was in utter shock and disbelief at his utter cruelty.
He then proceeded to say that things had changed, that he'd tried to fight off the void but had decided not to for the reasoning prior. "Things have changed indeed," she noted, no longer bothering to hide her ire as she'd kind of thrown formalities all out the window once she'd cracked. She hated that she'd allowed him to see the damage he'd done to her, how weak she had been and still was where he was concerned. She was quick to recover, however, quickly reverting back to her former apathetic stance. Her words were colder than the tundra itself. "If you turn up out of the blue after years of being gone and refuse to offer me an explanation for why you sold yourself to such evil other than 'things have changed' I suppose that says enough on where we stand. Unless you have anything else to say that isn't a regurgitation of the bullshit you've already spit in my face, I'll be on my ******** way."
She paused for a moment, allowing him time to say anything if he chose to. If not then she would know where they stood and be on her way just as she had already told him. Meredith didn't have time for games and she'd wasted enough of her life waiting for the ghost of the man she'd once loved. It seemed pretty evident he had probably died years ago and had been replaced by this shell of a monster. She traced over his features, both outward and inward and failed to find anything other than the brief softness when he'd spoken her name that signified the Veroen she'd known still existed. It was such a small ember that she had barely noticed it. So pathetic to call it a flame would be sheer stupidity, no, the small glimpse she had seen had been nothing more than smoke. The fire had burned out long ago, of that she was certain.
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Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 4:35 pm
Veroen's face hardened as she slew out a series of accusations and rhetorical questions laced with curses and anger. Silently he stood there, allowing the waves of rage filled words and accusations to wash over him like an unrelenting tide, slowly eroding the ever thick wall he had taken great care in building around his emotions. Though his face was hard, his blackened eyes betrayed the pain that followed her words.
He hesitated, and turned away from her, refusing to let the moment of weakness be a visible thing. "...My sister is alive." He was quiet now, and his gaze lifted to the moon that hung behind the moving clouds in the night. He was referring to his sister, whom he had thought had been long dead centuries ago. He had found out through his sources that it was not the case. Though he had seen her die, she had become a slave to a powerful demon in the east, brought from the dead, revived much like a Vampire is revived after initial death. He had left to save her from an eternal misery, though it was at a great cost...
He didn't expect Edith to understand. He didn't have 100% solid proof of the rumor, but it was enough to make Veroen go and search for her. He had lost everything when he had become what he was, and his sister possibly being alive was more than enough reason for Veroen to go searching for her. He hadn't told anyone, for he didn't wish for anyone, including Edith, to come searching for him in case he died. The Demon in particular was a high ranking Hell spawn that had spiritual dominance over a great area in the east, High enough ranking to have had mentions of his name in ancient religious texts.
"...I'm sorry." He uttered the words, looking down and closing his eyes. "I had to go, and I didn't want you or anyone following me to their death. It wasn't your problem, it was mine, and I needed to deal with it alone, regardless of the high possibility that I would die in the process." He spoke the truth, though he left out the part where he knew he would need to surrender himself to the Void to even have a remote chance of accomplishing his task. Doing so with Edith accompanying him would not have been....Ideal.
He sighed and turned to face her, a now very different expression on his face that spoke volumes of how difficult it was to leave her like that again. He gazed at her with eyes that revealed a changed man, a man who had done terrible things to get to his sister, a man who had seen things that would haunt him forever, things he would more than likely never speak of again.
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Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 5:06 pm
Though part of her could sense the remorse within Veroen and she was able to see it leak through the windows to his ... did he even have a soul at this point? Despite taking note of these responses on Veroen's part, Meredith refused to simply allow him off the hook for simply looking sad. He owed her a ******** explanation, a real one. Not some bullshit, cop out, vague-a** 'things have changed' excuse that anyone could use for anything they did. She had loved him, trusted him, been willing to protect him with her life. At the very least he owed her an explanation.
The hesitation on Veroen's part was tangible to the wolf, however, when he turned away she prepared for the worst. She was convinced he was going to turn on his heel and walk away from her without so much as a word when instead he paused briefly and finally decided to let her in if only slightly. She remembered learning of his sister fairly early on, how she had died before he had even become a vampire if she recalled correctly and how it had been a huge blow to Veroen's being. "Your sister was alive?" Her voice was regular this time, no ire within it. At the very least she was willing to entertain the idea even if she was skeptical of what seemed like a bullshit excuse.
In turn she crossed her arms and decided to question him further. She was trying her hardest not to make it seem like she was grilling him in an interrogation but she wanted her answers and she wanted them in a timely manner. Her patience was still thinner than paper and even the smallest of disturbances would be able to set her off again. When she'd initially snapped it had taken all the self control she'd trained and mustered over the years to prevent the wolf from physically harming him for the agony he'd caused her human counterpart. "And who did you happen to hear that from? Was it true? Did you find her?"
The fact he hadn't trusted her enough to tell her and had gone off alone yet again cut her deeper than she was willing to allow Veroen to know. She had trusted him to never do that to her again and he'd done the exact same thing he'd said he'd never do to her again. Eden had rightful grounds for being upset with him despite his reasoning for leaving and she wasn't buying into him not wanting her to go with him because he was worried she'd get killed. "You are such a ******** moron sometimes. That's a load of ******** bullshit. Do you remember a word I said to you? I loved you. That meant your problems were my problems and mine were yours. You'd never have to ask me to come with you because I would have followed willingly. And if I'd gone you know I would have had your back. Two people tackling a problem together is better than doing it alone, ******** classic lesson of life. You've been around a lot longer than me and you're telling me you still haven't ******** learned that? It's common sense, it's basic logic. Strength in numbers, together we conquer, divided we fall. Simple addition."
"Honestly," she continued with her lecture, "do you have any idea how ******** selfish that sounds? A friend of yours is a friend of mine. You know and knew that. If she was your sister then she was my sister too. What the ******** were you thinking, honestly? I'm not some weak a** mortal that gets snapped by a mere flick anymore. I've been a lycan for a while now. Counting me out and assuming I'm useless and can't help you is complete and utter bullshit."
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Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 5:52 pm
Veroen would have once just silently taken the angry outbursts. Instead he clenched his fists, as well as his jaw as she called him a moron. She continued her verbal assault, clearly letting loose the fury built up over the time that he was gone. As she finished, Veroen's own anger had built to a boiling point.
"Oh, so you think that was easy for me to do? Just leave without even telling you, leaving the woman I love, to go and face almost certain death? Accepting the possibility that I would never see you again? You think I enjoyed it?" His voice was rising, and the shadows in the alleyway darkened as he continued.
"I had no doubt that you could have helped, but you don't know what we would have been dealing with. Losing my sister was enough, losing you too would have been unbearable! I DID IT BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO SEE THE SAME THING HAPPEN TO YOU THAT HAPPENED TO HER!" The void elder was shouting now, and the shadows in the area seemed to writhe, and move. As he finished the last word, the street lights that occupied the entire block went out with a pop, an indication of lightbulbs shattering. His voice had now taken a slight hint of something sinister that could be heard mixed with his voice.
He turned his head, frustration extremely apparent on his face. He had the strong urge to smash the human hunter's motorcycle into the concrete ground, though he kept a slight grip on himself. He kept silent, though, for he knew he had more than likely crossed the line with his anger. He kept his face turned to the right, so that they wouldnt have to link eyes. He could feel himself teetering towards becoming an emotional wreck right here in front of Edith, and that irritating Hunter peon of hers.
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Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 12:39 am
|| OOC: Dear whoever reads this: I am tipsy. Sorry if this post is s**t. Thanks. ||
"Easier than ******** communicating and talking to me about it, apparently. Like what part of being in a relationship do you not understand? You don't have secrets, you don't go be some ******** macho man all on your own and disappear for years. How is that in any way fair to me? Don't you think I deserve to make my own choices?" The fact he seemed so convinced she wouldn't have stood a chance against anything severely agitated her. She was not some newborn that had just glimpsed the world for the first time. Danger was no stranger to her either. He of all people should have been aware of what she had been through and that she was a survivor if nothing else.
"No," she retorted with initial agitation that gradually became more and more understanding, "I don't know what we would have been dealing with because you told me JACK s**t! That's my ******** point." As he went on to explain that losing her as well would have been unbearable and that he didn't want the same fate befalling her. That line alone was enough to make her stop and think and slightly sober her in terms of her anger. "So leaving me completely and totally makes sense how? Relationship. I think you should have at least trusted me enough by that point to have the decency to tell me."
She could sense that his anger was rising and along with it the chances that the void would take him from her rose along with it. For fear of driving him closer to the void she chose to end the drilling and attempt to be sympathetic despite the fact she was still severely upset he had chosen to not trust her and simply abandon her. "You know what? I don't think you have the capacity to have this conversation at the moment. I can feel the void in you threatening to consume your very existence and I refuse to be the cause of pushing you over the edge and you losing yourself."
She was honestly conflicted with the situation. She wanted to hug him, comfort him and tell him how much she loved him and that she had missed him while he'd been gone. At the same time she still had an urge to strike him for his ignorance and selfishness. In the end it rendered her immobile. At this point she wasn't certain what to do or say really. Her pride kept her from being forthwith and telling him that she loved him. The phrase seemed pointless at this point because if he didn't trust her what was the point of anything? In all honesty she had no idea what to do with herself or what to say to him at the moment and silence afflicted her for the first time during their reunion.
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Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 1:48 am
((OOC: Likewise. xD))
Veroen was quiet as she finished speaking, though his head remained turned to the side. He mirrored her silence with his own, taking care to avoid her gaze though it burdened him to do as such. Her words still hung in the air like a an exhale of cigarette smoke, and he breathed them in with a sigh. His thoughts also mirrored hers, desiring what she desired, though neither of them knew it. As he stood, head to the side, guilt began to creep up onto his features like a spider ready to jump at moments notice, and there was little he could do to help it.
At last, the Void Master turned his head, causing his white emblazoned hair to swing slightly in the hushed moment of silence, meeting her gaze with one of longing. His eyes, still black as the void itself, searched her face as if desperately looking for something to cling to.
"You're right." As he spoke, the rest of his surroundings seemed to melt away, the aged brick of the building they were overshadowed by, the motorcycle that gleamed in the reflection of the moonlight from above, even the annoyance of a human hunter who stood at a distance. The sudden clarity was immense, and the pull of the Void seemed to dissipate, even if just temporarily. Her scent became familiar once again, and it filled his senses like a wonderfully intoxicating perfume, and a spark was rekindled inside him, reigniting an old, yet still smoldering coal into a flame once more.
He looked at her with an expression like glass, allowing her to see through him. "You're right.." He repeated softly, before continuing. "...I don't have the capacity for conversation right now." As if the statement was the sound that signaled the beginning of a marathon, he melted into nothingness, dissipating into the Void, and reappeared in front of her mere inches away. He looked down at her, eyes full of longing, guilt, and love. He held the gaze for barely a moment, before bring his arms forward and wrapping them behind her in a loving embrace. Instead of saying those three words, he let his next motion speak them for him, and brought his lips to hers. The intensity of the action was as if all the time he had been apart from her had suddenly crashed down upon his very being, reflecting in the strength of the embrace as well.
He loved her, and this moment made him feel almost human once again, as if the Void had never existed. It was pure bliss for the Void Elder.
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Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 9:16 am
The fact Veroen continuously insisted on avoiding her gaze never sat particularly well with her. It made her wary that he was going to take off at a moment's notice without saying a word and she would never see him again. The wolf, however, could sense his guilt and as unprepared as the wolf was to forgive him, the human part of her was weary from arguing and tired of the yelling. The human side of her wanted to make peace and attempt to forgive what Veroen had done but it would be far easier said than done. The damage had already been done and had taken its toll. She'd already erected a very solid wall surrounding her ability to care or feel in a manner that could bring her pain.
She was somewhat relieved, however, when he chose to turn toward her again and actually make eye contact. The gaze he offered her was one that cut her breath short and managed to make her heart skip a beat due to the intensity and the fact it was one she recognized from the past. It was as comforting as the fact he was willing to look at her and it eased her concerns that he was going to up and disappear again, at least for the time being. Her own features softened as a result, hazel eyes still hesitant and cautious but also with a small gleam in them. A very small glimmer of hope that maybe Veroen had not come to fully mutilate himself.
Part of her wanted to ask what had become of his sister, if she had ever been alive to begin with or if it had all been an intricate lie in order to lure him into a trap. Likewise she wanted to know if he had succeeded in rescuing his sister and if she was here in New York. She refrained, though, in the event that everything had all been a hoax and he had been given a false trail or in the case he had not been able to save her. He seemed guilty enough for having left New York, she wasn't about to rub salt in the wound in the case that his sister hadn't made it for what would be a second time. She would eventually inquire and find out, now simply wasn't the time, though.
Meredith was grateful that Judas had respected her request and had willingly given them a little space to themselves. Feeling like he was right over her shoulder listening to every tidbit of the conversation likely would have had her on edge. The solitary moment between the two for them to discuss and figure things out was much needed. Her hopes lifted slightly as Vereon seemed to calm down and even out in temperament, finally acknowledging her side of things. The guilt combined with his words seemed to signify that he realized why she was upset and acknowledged her reasons were valid.
The wolf was able to single out Veroen's vulnerability and by instinct it crouched within Meredith, poised to strike. However, her human side maintained control and shoved the wolf aside to assure the inner conflict remained where it belonged: within her. As for Veroen, she was relieved to see the actual Veroen she remembered leak through the cracks of his own walls he had stood behind for so long. Had the glass been tangible, she would have punctured an immediate hole through it in order to breach his walls to get close to him again. Her heart skipped a beat when he disappeared within the void, preparing for the worst she prepared for either a direct attack or him simply choosing to leave. In Veroen's absence her heart had grown very steadfast, it was a lot harder to break now but at the cost of keeping everything out.
Upon Veroen reappearing and giving her the delicate look he did, it managed to soften even her hardened heart up if only a little. As he hugged her, however, she was initially tense and nervous, clearly not one hundred percent certain how to process the affection she hadn't received in years. Eventually, however, she eased into the hug, even releasing a small sigh and placing her head against his shoulder momentarily. She could feel the strength and urgency behind his embrace, how he was holding her as tight as he possibly could as though he was worried he would somehow lose her if he didn't.
What came next, however, was something she probably hadn't been mentally prepared for. Again she was tense and almost seemed uncertain of what to do when Veroen leaned in to kiss her. She returned his kiss very briefly before the action sent her emotions spiraling overboard again, reminding her of the years she'd spent alone and how she had been convinced she would never see him again. As she sat there within his embrace and kiss, her frame began shaking in a rhythm. Soon after the tears began flowing involuntarily as well. As a result she pulled away from the kiss and buried her face into his chest as though that would prevent him from seeing her cry. She absolutely despised showing vulnerability but all of this had just been too much. The years had taken their toll and with every scar she'd healed being ripped open yet again, it was too overwhelming even for the huntress that had spent the better part of years hardening her heart.
"Sorry," she apologized inadvertently as she completely pulled away from the embrace, clearly overwhelmed by her own emotions. "It's just. I never expected to see you again. I told myself you were dead so I could move on and make things easier. And just when I had gotten myself together again you reappear and now I feel like I'm a mess all over again. Nothing makes me happier than to know you're safe. It's just - everything was so sudden, you know? It's like you're back from the dead." At the moment she was a mess of emotions and showing just exactly how grateful she was that he was alive and well was extremely difficult for her to muster at the moment due to everything else she was feeling.
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Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 4:34 pm
This was just getting ridiculous. It was bad enough when the two of them were squabbling like children in the backseat arguing over who touched who in a long car ride. But now that they were getting all lovey dovey on each other like the cover couple in a bad romance novel? It was so utterly boring, it was unbearable. It was looking promising at first, given the way it seemed a fight could be breaking at any moment. But now? He would rather be having a power drill shoved into left temple… or, even worse, listen to an entire Creed song. This kind of after school special romance drama was just too much for him, and eventually he just had to call it quits on the entire ordeal. He took a long drag of the clove cigarette he'd lit for himself just as the two started arguing, soon releasing the smoke on a slow exhale, then vanished from sight.
He reappeared exactly a moment later next to his motorcycle, just beside the vampire and werewolf. He cleared his throat to get their attention, awkwardly raising his hand in half a wave. "Now, as lovely a moment it appears to be for the both of you, I'm going to do myself a favor and take off. Adorable as you two are, I have no stomach for soap operas. Hell, my last girlfriend left me because I kept erasing EastEnders off the DVR- although, shaggin' her mum and sister probably didn't help that relationship any either, but I digress. I'm gonna go get plastered and find somethin' to kill or shag, or whatever the hell it is I do when I drink. Hopefully something a little less painful than watching the two of you get your Edward and Bella on- like open heart surgery." He took a seat on his bike, turning on the ignition. "If you need me, pet, you've got my number." He moved the bike forward a bit, then went backward to turn it around to face it in the opposite direction of where it was originally facing, finally letting it roll forward.
He stopped the bike just as he got beside Meredith and her vampire friend. "Meredith," he said to the huntress, nodding in farewell. "Samantha," he said to the vampire, repeating the process, but in a much more mocking way this time. With that, he took his leave of them, letting his motorcycle take him to the nearest drinking establishment available.
[Exit to Las Noches]
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Sing This Corrosion To Me
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Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 9:46 pm
Meredith's sudden break from the kiss was unexpected, and he silently kept his embrace around her as she started to shed tears into his chest. A look of surprise turned into one of regret, for being the single cause of her current state of mind. He didn't know what to say.
When she pulled away completely, and following up the motion with more explanation, the Elder couldn't help but feel slightly rejected.
Perhap's he deserved it, and more.
As she finished her words, making it clear that things were not going to be the same as before he had left, he looked down, slightly hurt by the idea. It was a selfish feeling, but more than anything he had wished that she would be able to accept him back into her arms, though he knew he was foolish to believe it could have been possible.
As he looked up to reply to her, was when the human hunter appeared on his bike, before departing with a few words that expressed disgust for what he had seen between himself and Meredith. Veroen didn't even bring his gaze to the hunter, even when the man called him Samantha. As the Hunter sped off on his motorcycle, he took the hopes that Edith would accept him back, leaving nothing the harsh reality that tumbled down on top of the Elder.
He stared slightly to the right, towards the ground, averting her eyes again. It was obvious that he was disappointed and felt rejected. He wondered when the last time he had felt like this was, and couldn't think of such a time. So, she had moved on...
Perhaps it was a mistake to have come back. His Coven was failing, the numbers of Vampires in the city growing thin, and his only love had moved on during his absence. The reality of it was almost overwhelming, and for the first time since he had lost his family during his past life, he felt truly alone.
It was an odd thing, to feel that way, especially since he had spent more than half of his existence by himself, away from the rest of civilization. He was one of the most powerful Vampires in the states, yet it gave little satisfaction at that moment. Perhaps he was destined to spend the rest of his existence alone, save for the cold embrace of the Void. He had once known better than to let anyone past those impassible barriers of his, and the situation was a harsh reminder of it. He knew it was his fault, and he dared not deny it.
"I see...." He muttered, still averting her gaze. "...perhaps it was wrong to come back, after you had moved on. My apologies for making you a mess again." as he finished his apology, he wondered what purpose he held in the world. Truth was, going to save his sister gave him somewhat of a purpose. However, when he reached her, she was little more than a husk of the innocent girl he had once known. Her body was soulless, and made to be little more than a servant to the demon. Despite his actions, killing the demon, and trying to talk to her, it was useless, and a waste of time. He would never see his sister again, and the realization drove him closer to madness, before he returned to New York as a changed man.
Now, he felt even worse.
He turned his body away from Edith, and stared up at the moon, though with a much different mindset than before. Him being here only made things difficult for Edith, that much was certain. Though the Void was quelled, it moved inside of him suddenly, beginning to spread through him once more. The realization made little difference to Veroen. He was dead, and for Edith, it was in her best interests that he remain that way.
"You're right." He said, turning his body halfway to face the wall, while looking over at her with a pained expression in the void infested eyes of his. "I have returned from the dead....Perhaps I should have stayed. I'm sorry Meredith."
With those words, his blackened eyes began to water, and he dissipated into the shadows.
((Exit))
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