Night's Omen

Ah, the city. Unlike Albuquerque, New York had a certain dampness to the nighttime air that Danielle felt through to her bones, the wet, stagnating scent of asphault and motion clinging to her, suffocating her. She inhaled sharply, her senses disturbingly more alert than they had been in, well, years.

She'd gotten out of the coffee shop later than she'd expected, and as she drug her fingers across her jawline, she let out a heavy sigh and paused in her steps on the empty street. She rested her chin on her shoulder a second, letting her vanilla-blonde hair caress her pallid cheeks, the comforting smell of her shampoo infiltrating her nostrils, letting her think a moment. She began to reflect on a phonecall earlier from her cousin Sarah, who'd called Danielle to alert her as to some activity that had her name in it. It was quite possibly the worst conversation ever.

Sarah was never close to Danielle though the girls played together when they were younger, and after, well, the 'incident', Sarah'd been disowned by her family and made herself scarce. She kept in contact with Danielle for one reason or the other - perhaps she was merely reassuring herself, or her only other blood that would acknowledge her, that she was still 'sort of' human. Just, you know. Dead.

"I don't know what your problem is Danielle, but everyone is starting to hate you. I mean, killing to protect -- but for money? Goddess, Danielle. What were you thinking? Did you think at all? You made a lot of enemies, you know."

Danielle had remained silent for a moment, and then carefully answered the voice on the other end of the phone. "Sarah..I didn't kill anyone big or important. Let's not split hairs here, and please don't start about not thinking. I think every day I'm alive, and I do it too much and too hard. You are the last person to talk about not thinking." It had only escalated and ended with harsh words on Danielle's part, mainly the part where she told Sarah that she didn't deserve Dominique as a mother. That had illicted one loud click.

She started in her tracks again, realizing she'd been standing still, staring into nothing for a very long time. She wouldn't ever.. do that. She wasn't out of control, she just managed to walk a thin line of neutrality that seemed sometimes faint, almost nonexistant. Sometimes she had to draw her own line. Sure, it went a little crooked, but for the most part she had the right idea.

She wasn't far from home now, the tall building looming overhead. Her apartment wasn't the only one with a darkened window, which meant that either everyone else was still gone or that they had expired hours ago. She could only hope.

((OOC: First post. Little rusty. Have mercy. Lots and lots of mercy.))

Despite her senses being on full-alert, Ash disguised his aura well enough to appear entirely human, as he had a habit of doing around the Vidas, if only to play with them, and approached rather softly, as was his way.  He'd always been quiet, but now he actually attempted it.  

"It's nice to see you finally took up my invitation, Danni," he said affectionately, the girl before him being one of the Vidas he liked best.  Dominique annoyed him, and usually refused to respect him.  Given his battle record, practice bouts with her included, that annoyed him just a bit.  He had a long coat on, one which hid a few random weapons, nothing incredible, as he didn't feel the need.  His rapier was there, simply because he preferred it, and the jacket hid it.

She looked up, startled, at the man who'd seemingly come from the mist. Her eyes had been wide a moment, though she still had that glazed over look. Danielle could dance the disguise of being some blonde in the big city but there were some who could just scent her out.

"Do you think I'm a bad person?" she asked, skipping the warm words and handshake. "Sarah does. She doesn't say it, but she does." She furrowed her brow and shook her head, rubbing her face with her hands. She was tired. It was late.

She picked her steps up again, walking towards him with her arms each held across her chest, upwards hands at her left shoulder. She looked like she'd been wounded but she was just feeling very yucky at the moment, nothing more.

"By the way, what is it that sneaking up on us does for you? If I ever found something that made me as giddy as that seems to make you, I'd do it all the time. You know I'd like to see you sneak up on Dominique like that. I bet King Kong couldn't startle that woman." She smiled at him, though it was a weary one. "Nice to see you again."

Danielle, though from a reputable line, was considered rude by some of the older witches. It seemed, though, that Ash accepted her lack of 'social niceness', or at the very least, tolerated her across-the-table speech.

At first he thought she might embrace him, which had been a rather improper occurrance in his time, but this wasn't France, or his time.  He'd adapted, and would have accepted it without becoming upset or insulted.  He was a rather quick to adapt individual, and he'd rather come to like current customs, even if he was still a bit too reserved usually to partake of them.  

He smiled at her softly, shaking his head.  "No, I don't think you're a bad person.  I think you've done what you have to, which is something the strong all have to learn," he said, sighing.  He glanced up at the building where he knew she lived, then put a bit of effort into being consoling and slipped an arm around her shoulders to lead her inside.

"I rather like sneaking up on your line," he agreed, then continued with a more mischievous smile.  "It reminds you that you aren't infallible, and I might add that Dominique has had quite a few scares from me, before.  She just doesn't like admitting it.  Shh, don't tell her I told."

She stiffened slightly at his touch, but didn't try to push him off. She told herself to relax, and began the steps to her apartment building alongside him, listening. His voice was always something, even if she had little else, it was always a strong memory.

This bad person question had irony to it because as soon as she left New York she had gone to Germany to track down a few freshly turned for families who offered up thousands of Euros to see that their undead kin be put to "rest" before they had a chance to hit the tabloids, or the streets, for that matter. The bad things Sarah accused her of were nothing compared to what she went on to accomplish. Of course, bad was all about perspective.

"Sorry," she said, though she wasn't sure what she was apologizing for. She just felt it was necesarry. "I'm having one of those days where it really doesn't matter what I do, it just keeps.. meh. I guess you've had your share of those?"

She reached out to press in the code that was required to get inside the building, and idly wondered if he was intending to come in for a while. She'd just gotten there, but it was obvious that she'd been ready to leave again. She didn't want to so freely admit that it was so easy for her to pick up and run when shit didn't work instantly. She always felt guilty for that when she spoke to Ash, like she hadn't really been through anything bad yet.

No, she hadn't been through anything near what Ash himself had endured, even if you only counted his mortal life, but he by no means made any judgments on her life and situation.  She was having a rough time, and he by no means wished to see that, or make her feel weak.  She needed to recognize her strength and do what she had to, not worry that she was weak.

"No need to apologize, cherie," he said, letting her put in the code for entrance, and not sure if he was going in.  If she invited him, he probably would, if only for a short time, as he obviously needed someone.  "Of course I've had those days, we all do.  Sometimes those 'days' last weeks," he added, dry humor pulling through.

He was aware that she was ready to bolt, and he wasn't fond of that idea, if only because he could help her if she stayed in his 'territory'.  "You know you're always welcome at the Hollow, non?" he asked, looking at her seriously.  He had rooms he could offer, safe haven.

She smiled slightly, slipped from his grasp to hold the door open for him. "I know, it's just a little hard sometimes. I'm becoming obsessively antisocial. I had to get out tonight, though. Just to be around humans for a while. I'm starting to really have some disturbing thoughts.."

She began to walk to the elevator - she lived on the 16th floor, and there was no way she was going to hike the stairs this late. It was a place she exercised from time to time, but not exactly good measure to drag a social caller up a dozen flights of stairs.

"So," she said, changing the subject - in an obvious fashion - "what've you been up to? I've not heard from you in a while. Anything new and exciting? I mean, this place seems a little more active than New Mexico." She didn't really hate Albuquerque all that much, but she'd just overstayed her welcome. She sort of enjoyed the 'nothing ever happens here' atmosphere, except in the case that when it appears nothing is ever happening, there is, in fact, shit happening. It's just not things the general public is tuned in to.

He nodded as he stepped through the door, understanding the need to be around others.  It was good for him that he owned the Hollow, as he was always interacting with others, and being reminded as to why he bothered.  It was nice, but it also helped him understand what Dani was saying.  He'd spent many years away from people before, and it was easy to forget.  

"Well, I don't get called out to New Mexico often, so I didn't drop by passing through," he said, smiling at her in a way that said 'but you already knew that'.  "New York is far more active, being the biggest city around.  And with a rather large vampiric crowd.  They keep me quite busy."

The last was said in a neutral fashion, as he did attempt to keep a rather neutral opinion of vampires on the whole.  He had quite a few vampiric patrons, and he treated them like the others for the most part, despite his tendency, especially in the past, to hunt or join other witches on a vampire hunt.  

She snorted and pushed open the door of her apartment, holding it open for him. She was a door opening kind of person. It was a spacious apartment, though some of that may have been attributed to the fact that most of her things were still carefully packed away in the spare bedroom. She always insisted on a two bedroom with two full bathrooms. She just needed the extra space for.. whatever.

The interior of the apartment was a light shade of creme, with fuzzy carpet and a tan-coloured couch against the back wall. The living room itself didn't have a window; however, the small dining room next to the kitchen was placed against the backdrop of the city, with a sliding glass door that led to a small, untrustworthy-looking balconey. She'd jumped up and down on it and it hadn't broken, but she'd been tempted to try and spot weld parts of it juuuust in case.

There was a small end table on which a laptop sat, and no television, just a CD player on the floor with a few cases laying next to it. She walked inside and held her arms open. "This is it. I know, what a mess." She was obsessive compulsive about being neat with her home - a trait taken from her mother Celeste, she gathered.

Quickly she hustled to the kitchen, opening a cabinet and pulling out a glass. "So how is business?" she inquired. She left the bit about the vampires alone - they just had different viewpoints. Well, they did at the moment. There were a few parts about her stay in New Mexico that she felt she'd just be better off skipping at the moment. If he'd really wanted to know, he was a resourceful man and could dig himself.

He looked around her apartment with mild interest, having never seen the sort of place that she would personally make a home in.  He'd seen her mother's home and her aunt's home, but never hers.  He was pleased.  It was comfortable, cozy, and clean, despite her comment about it being a mess.  Of course, he personally preferred a place with a less modern look, but that came from his mortal life, and he'd gotten used to modern architecture.  "Nonsense, it's not a mess," he said idly, still looking around, then focusing on her with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Business is as usual.  Plenty of people coming in and out, a few problems swiftly taken care of, and relative peace.  I keep things as calm as I possibly can."

"As calm as you possibly can?" she asked, cracking a small smile. She walked 'round the counter, glass in hand, and to the couch to sit down. She set the glass of water carefully on the end table, next to a small silver picture frame that housed a black and white photo of she and Marcus when she was a young girl. She had her arms wrapped around his neck and they were both all smiles at the camera. It had been the only memory of him that was NOT destroyed when Celeste decided to purge the house. Vida women were.. illogical.

"So does that mean no sword fights, lighting things on fire, or random people going through wooden objects? I can say that has a certain.. appeal to it." She was beginning to warm up, as Sarah's comments visably began to slide away from her mind. Grey eyes were attentive now, interested as opposed to distant.

"Indeed," he said with a nod, keeping his expression serious despite the humor found in his words.  "I try to avoid fires and people flying through wooden objects, as I'm not too interested in harm coming to my property.  Swordfights, however..."  He moved his coat enough to reveal his sheathed rapier, smiling ever so slightly.

"I'm always up for some swordplay, even if I haven't found someone worthy of the effort for quite some time," he remarked, sighing almost sadly.  It was a lost art, it seemed.

"Ngh," she 'said', more of a noise really. "I never got the hang of it. I'm too impatient. But please, try not to put holes in anything," she said, picking at him.

She stood again, restless it seemed. She hadn't seen Ash in a long time. This was one hell of a timing issue - every time she thought she was going to explode, he was there to diffuse her timer. Friend of the family wasn't a term he deserved, he was more close to her heart.

"I always seem to bump into you just when I think there's nobody else in the world who could possibly comprehend what I'm doing, you know that? I'm sorry to be a bit sappy, but it's true. I don't know that you hear that enough." She was an expert on shit you didn't hear enough, like, "Hi, this is your mom, just making sure you're, you know. Alive."

She returned the half-empty glass of water from the table to her hands, taking another swill. Talking into glass was her specialty; just better this than a bar where the things she said often got her into things involving fire and wood, as referenced before.

The slight smile grew as she poked fun at him, Dani being one of the few people who both didn't mind teasing him, and could get away with it.  He obviously didn't mind, as she'd quickly become his favorite Vida, but he found it interesting, to say the least.

"I don't hear it ever, ma petite belle, but it's nice of you to say.  Fancy coincidence, non?"  Of course, it wasn't quite a coincidence, but he left that out, not bothering to confirm or deny what she'd already begun to think.

((Sorry it's a bit awkward or something....am getting sick, and not able to concentrate so well.))

"Hm, well." She leaned against the counter, back to him for a moment. "I'm not in the business of coincidence anymore, despite it being the only word used to describe such a situation, so I can chalk this up to something leading up to something. I've been trying to piece it together for the last few days, but nothing's coming."

She turned back to him. "Any idea why? No price on my head just yet, is there?" Funny she would say that, if she knew what her future held. Somewhere in a dark corner of her mind, she did. But then again, people always knew - it was whether or not they admitted it.

((S'okay.. I'm like.. half asleep right now.))