Casual Reading {Aurora Aurelius}

[Lothaire]

Lothaire whistled as he walked down the side walk. He was in search of two things on this fine spring day. Blood, and knowledge. He didn't know as much as he wanted about his new pets breed. He wasn't sure types of foods were best to provide or even if she should be trained like a dog or a cat. He also thought he might stop and pick her up something at a pet store after he figured out what to get...he did enjoy watching her scamper about as a fox. Having her around even seemed to lift the moral of some of the slaves in his household, which was good for the couple that he was thinking about killing. Knowledge first, the delicious blood second he decided. Up ahead was his destination, the New York Public Library...certainly they would have what he was looking for.

As he walked through the doors he caught the scent of paper and ink, not an unpleasant smell at all. But another smell caught his attention. It was the same scent as Lilyana...another artic fox, here? In the library? He followed the smell to the front desk and saw a young woman rummaging through some files. Briefly and ever so lightly he touched her mind. That confirmed she was an artic fox. Perhaps Lilyana would like a play mate? As watched her work the gears in his mind began to turn, but hit a slight snag. He sensed another vampire in the library...a familiar vampire...that damned Mira that Narri was conspiring with. Yes, this was going to be an interesting trip indeed.

[Aurora Snow]

Aurora had yet to use the spray that Ridley had given her to mask her scent. She'd tried it once and it stung her nose so badly that she'd put it in the back of her cosmetics display on her little vanity and never used it again. At a time like this, though, she wished she had. The man smelled of crisp mahogany and ebony, of glass and... something she could not discern. She stood dutifully, casting her doubtfulness aside for the moment. Perhaps since Wilhem had not proven to be psychotic yet, this man was no different.

She cleared a stray strand of blonde coil from her vision and smiled to him. "Can I help you find anything, sir?" she asked, voice clear and cheerful. She wore a simple khaki skirt that stopped at the knees, low black heels, and a light blue Oxford, on which the sleeves had been rolled up to her elbows. It was hard to re-catalog her notes when things kept getting caught on the buttons at the cuff.

[Lothaire]

Lothaire's mind was in overdrive. Technically he couldn't take her to Midnight because she had not been sold out by one of her kind, but that hadn't stopped him before. And she was lovely, she and Lily would make quite the pair. Now, how to deal with her? Should he immediately make a move before the other vampire appeared? Perhaps he should just keep things under control for now and not make a scene. But he was keeping an eye open for that bothersome Mira. He searched for the vampire's bloodbond and wasn't sure if he detected him in the library or if that was just an echo from the Mira. But then the girl spoke, breaking Lothaire from his thoughts.

"Why yes you can help me find something. I'm looking for a good book about Foxes, particularly Artic Foxes...I recently had one come into my....care...and I want to insure I take care of her properly."

That sounded innocent enough. Lothaire was wearing a well tailored black suit, just minus the tie and with the collar unbuttoned, and as usual outside of midnight his eyes were a deep maroon. He also had his hair tied back. Perhaps she would mistake him for a zoo keeper or professor of some sort.

[Aurelius Lawson]

Aurelius sat at his office desk, finishing a new biography of Queen Elizabeth I. His bloodbond, Aidan, sat in the chair across from him, reading Garth Nix's latest novel. A small gray tabby cat lay atop the card catalogue next to the desk, asleep with one eye open.
Aurelius closed the book.
How was it, Reli?, Aidan asked, mind-to-mind.
A bit stiff, with awkward wording, but the content is quite original. How's yours?
Anything by Nix is good.

Suddenly the little cat woke up, jumping to his feet and hissing. At the same time, a familiar and extremely unpleasant aura skimmed across Aurelius' aura. Aurelius also felt nervous tension coming from the Fiction section. Aurora, perhaps?
"What is it now, CATNYP?"
"Lothaire is here. I think that it would be best if you stay in my office, for now."
"Certainly."

Aurelius picked up the little cat and walked with him out of the office. He stopped at the corner that blocked his view to Fiction, and he set CATNYP down, nudging the animal towards the Fiction section's front desk.
As the cat jogged away, Aurelius touched the cat's mind, seeing through CATNYP's eyes, using the cat as a spy.
He saw that Lothaire was talking to Aurora at the front desk...something about Arctic Foxes. Oh, dear.
Aurelius called mentally to the cat to bring him back, and he shut him inside the office with Aidan. Then, he teleported behind the shelves nearest the Fiction desk, where nobody would see him materialise. He stepped out from behind the shelves, walking forward to stand a few feet to one side of Aurora.
He didn't have to search her mind to know that she was very uncomfortable with this conversation. Perhaps it would be helpful for Aurelius to stand with her, even if magical skill wouldn't be enough to protect them both. They could at least present a united front, if Lothaire decided to make problems.

"Hello, sir. You wanted to learn about Arctic Foxes? Miss Snow here is the head of Fiction, which definitely isn't the place to look for information about animals. If I may be so bold, you should look in Non-Fiction and Reference, three doors to your left down that north hallway."
Aurelius pointed to the hallway, making his message as clear as he possibly could.
Stay away. You are in MY realm now, and I won't have you disturbing the state of things. Whatever power you have outside this Library matters not a whit within its walls.

[Lothaire]

Lothaire sighed to himself when Aurelius made his inevitable appearance. He had hoped to garner more time with the lovely girl at the desk. But things were apparently not going to go his way this time. After the mental threat was made, Lothaire made another, more careful sweep of the library. His eyebrows raised slightly as he detected an almost ancient power...older than he was by at least 6 centuries. He decided not to press the Mira too openly, in case this other vampire was an ally or even just a close associate. He decided to instead just have a bit of fun with Aurelius. He made a slight bow to the woman, and when he began to speak, he allowed his usually suppressed native accent to rise.

"Oh why I am terribly sorry to have bothered you miss, I just simply headed to the first person I came to. If you would be so kind as to show me the way to the books I seek, I would be most appreciative. I have this bad habit of getting lost in new places."

Lothaire was hoping Aurelius would make it a point to lead him past the older vampire. Lothaire didn't dare intrude in the mind of one so old. He cursed silently in his mind that he hadn't fed before coming to this damn library.

((Wilhelm is the Library's Guardian Angel at the Moment))

[Aurelius Lawson]

Aurelius nodded and stepped around Aurora's desk to stand to the left of Lothaire, pointing the way while staying a bit behind him. He wouldn't be turning his back on this fampir. They had to walk through the Reading and Study room to get to the Non-Fiction hallway, which was full of humans...and one very old vampire...enjoying the Library's contents.
Aurelius wore his usual expression, a calm, cordial smile, but it didn't touch his eyes, which were narrowed in tense anticipation. The air around him, saturated by his aura, nearly crackled with a fierce defensiveness which was as much proprietary as it was protective. As they walked, he whispered softly, almost inaudibly, in Lothaire's ear.
"What is your game, Lothaire? First my house, now my Library? It seems that nothing is sacred anymore; I have never invaded your Midnight before, so this seems to me a bit unwarranted." Before the other vampire spoke, Aurelius interrupted him.
"Shhhh. We're in a Library, remember? Now, what are you doing here, and how did you come to be in the posession of an Arctic Fox? As I recall, it is illegal to keep foxes as pets in the state of New York. Turn here, Reference is this way, through the third door."
As they stood in front of the Reference door, Aurelius felt a wisp of Wilhelm's aura crossing the path that he had just taken. He hadn't meant to disturb the other fellow from his reading, but it appeared that he was coming towards them.

[Wilhelm]

((I'm too lazy to come up with a color for Wilhelm, so I'm just gonna log into his account and post him))

The two vampires coming down the hall had not caused any real sort of distraction to Wilhelm. He was simply finished with his fifth or sixth book of the day and was going to look for something new. He felt their approach, but was unsure what to make of it. He had grown familiar with feeling Aurelius move around the library through out the days, but the stranger at his side was not nearly as pleasant. It felt as if he was made of ice, or very cold metal. Wilhelm paused on his way to shelve the book in his hand when he heard mention of the word "pet". Could this be one of those awful slave keeping vampires he had heard of?

"Greetings Aurelius. I must say I am enjoying myself a great deal in this place. I am most appreciative that you and Aurora allow me to spend my days here with out the formality of a..library card is it? If it is a book on animals your guest requires, I have read a great deal of books in the section of the reference materials regarding zoology, and that would seem a fine place to start."

Wilhelm stared into Lothaire's eyes, and lifted the haze hanging around his sword, letting him know in not so polite and subtle terms that he should look elsewhere for pets to add to his collection. Aurora was Wilhelm's friend, and he did not intend to let harm come to her.

[Lothaire]

This Mira was most self centered and tiresome. For once, there was no game afoot of Lothaire's design. He had simply meant to come and read up on Artic Foxes. How was he to know that this branch of the library was where Aurelius spent his days? And to be accused of illegal activities almost made Lothaire laugh. THe State of New York? He answered to no mortal authority. The laws of Midnight superseded those of men, and other vampires as far as Lothaire was concerned. But the fact they were drawing neared to the source of the old power he had felt made him collect himself and keep his emotions in check. He turned slightly to answer Aurelius while keeping his eyes roaming, trying to head off any potential ambush by this undoubtedly more powerful vampire.

"For once, there is no game. I simply came here to read, surely thats allowed of all people? The laws I adhere to have nothing to do with the state of New York, and Artic Foxes are very much sought after pets where I dwell...but of course I am referring to Artic Fox Shifters of course, but I'm sure you knew that or you wouldn't have sprang so readily to that girls defense. But don't worry, even I follow some rules, and she is not to be touched unless sold by her own kind. I was just admiring her beauty."

He stopped suddenly as Wilhelm appeared in their path. What was this? Why was this vampire dressed in some sort of archaic robes? Lothaire listened to his words, thinking perhaps that he had slipped the noose, but when the fog around the sword lifted, and the warning came, he knew that he must tread carefully. But at least this vampire's loyalty was to the girl, and not exclusively to Aurelius.

[Aurelius Lawson]

Aurelius watched the exchange with a mixture of relief and concern. He wasn't sure if he should let Wilhelm escort Lothaire, leaving them to their own devices, or if he should stay and maintain at least a semblance of peace. The last thing that he wanted was a fight inside his Library.
"Wilhelm, I am glad that you are enjoying your time here. You are more than welcome to stay as long as you like. Lothaire, I feel that it is my duty to inform you that, as head of a major department here, I am well within my rights to remove from the premesis anyone who disturbs the peace within these walls. Each reader is here by privilege, not by right. I hope that I need not exercise this today. This capacity for expulsion is a prerogative of every department head, including Aurora, although she is much to nice to use it very often. If it seems that she isn't comfortable in your presence, I'm ready to do what she would not. Please mind your manners, Sir."
Aurelius gestured to the open door before them.
"Do I need to escort you, or do you feel that you are capable of finding what you seek here?"
Of course, what he meant was 'do Wilhelm and I need to toss you out, or will you behave yourself?', but he wasn't about to let this turn into a brawl. The Library was sacred, as far as Aurelius was concerned, and nothing in the world could merit disrupting the peaceful atmosphere.

[Lothaire]

Enough of this. Aurelius's attempts at intimidation were tiresome, but the threat from the older vampire was very real. Lothaire sighed and decided to simply do what he had come to do and then get the hell out. Aurelius would soon learn what happened to those that threatened Lothaire, but not in this place, not in front of this Wilhelm fellow. He was wasting time with these two, and he had left Lily with a slave, and needed to feed and return to Midnight as soon as he could.

"I think I am quite capable of finding my way from here. All I seek today is knowledge. Once I have that I shall be on my way. Unless of course you want to go ahead and try to make good on some of your threats, then I will have to stick around a bit longer. I have other business to attend to today, so either stand aside and allow me to read what I need to read or throw me out. I have tired of this senseless chattering and making of threats."

Lothaire was keeping a wary eye on the stranger with the sword. The thing was huge, and he had no doubt it could quite easily pierce his heart and cut his immortality short. He wasn't worried about the Mira taking a swing at him, that would be far too foolish.

[Aurelius Lawson]

Aurelius grinned, showing far too many teeth for it to be considered a sign of happiness. The muscles in his wrist tensed against the sheath of the long, sharp dagger hidden inside the sleeve, freeing one of the two straps holding it down. A second motion would free the second strap and release the spring-loaded blade, if it was necessary. It was a practiced-reflex maneuver, one which required no conscious thought. The other vampire would find no warning signs in Aurelius' mind or his posture, and no magic would be required, at this range. Aurelius had a very clear, easy shot to Lothaire's left side. Even a peaceable Mira could be dangerous, at close range.
Aurelius measured the narrow hallway, realising almost instantly that Wilhelm's gigantic sword would have almost no room to move.
Aurelius truly hoped that he wouldn't need the knife.
"Threats? I make no threats, Sir, I merely state facts. By all means, go read. This is a library, after all."
My Library.
In the logical part of his conscience, he knew that he'd put the Library in danger, by virtue of his possessiveness. If this vampire set a vendetta against him, this place would probably be the first thing to burn.
Fahrenheit 451. Book paper burns at Fahrenheit 451 degrees. So little effort could destroy so much. Be careful, Aurelius. You aren't the only one who loves this Library. A voice, distant yet pleasantly familiar, brushed across his mind.
I know. Let's hope this doesn't escalate. I'll back off, this time, for the sake of the NYPL. He replied.

A wave of surprise and startlement flashed through his mind.
Aurelius? You heard that? How...surely...?

Aurelius suddenly realised that the 'voice' in his head wasn't a voice. It was a thought. He had just read somebody's mind, a simple enough thing among humans, but that wasn't the problem.
In his distraction, he had answered. Someone inside the Library now knew that Aurelius Lawson wasn't human. He would have to deal with that soon enough. There was a greater problem at hand, though.

"Lothaire, I'll not interfere with you here, so long as you do nothing to disturb our peace. I bear you no ill will. Go in peace." Aurelius inclined his head slightly in respectful farewell, stepping backwards three paces before turning around. As he turned, he nodded to Wilhelm.
"Good day and good reading, Wilhelm." He turned and walked back down the hall. He reached for CATNYP's mind, and he saw through the cat's eyes that only Aidan was in sight of his office. He teleported directly to his desk.
"Well? What happened? No, don't tell me, show me."
Aurelius projected the scene directly to Aidan's mind.
"This is great. Just peachy. Not only is this creep following us around, but another person here knows what you are. So much for laying low, Uncle." The skinny Irish boy wasn't very intimidating next to a vampire, but he had a way of hitting the point of any matter with savage accuracy.
Aurelius winced.
"You know, lad, I really am your uncle."
"What now, by Danu?"
Aurelius sighed, a sound that betrayed the tiredness hidden inside his usually balmy personality.
"Buyo, do you know the name of your great-grandfather, or had your grandmother forgotten it?"
"His name was Tesni Mablwy. Welsh, like you, and he moved to Ireland after his older brother disappeared. That's the story, anyhow."
"Tesni Mablwy was my little brother. I wasn't lying when I said that you look just like him. The day he died, I visited him. I promised to watch over his family, as long as his line persisted, since they were my only living relatives. I hadn't expected him to have only the one daughter, or her to have only a grandson to survive her after the Epidemic that took your parents. I certainly didn't expect the two of you to come to America or for you to wander like a fool into Mayhem Wood, but here we are. Are ye' mad at me for not saying this sooner?"As he spoke and forgot to cover his accent, he started sounding more and more like a man of Wales.
"Well of course, I'm mad, but that does us no good, does it? Why are ye' telling me this now, of all times?"
"Times are getting dangerous, and I felt that you deserved to know that you still have living family, depending on your definition of 'alive'. If anything were to happen to me, my entire estate goes to you, and you should know why. I am your great-great-uncle, and I've sworn to your great-great-grandfather to protect you, so long as you live. I mean to keep my word to my brother."
"Well, then. Uncle, I'm hungry, and I've got to return this book." Aidan waved the Garth Nix novel.
Let's head over to Fiction. I could go for some coffee, too. And rarebit.
They left the office and walked into the Fiction room, approaching the front desk.
Reli, why do you call it 'rarebit'? It's toast with cheese on it, for pity's sake. You don't need to eat, either, so why?
It's a matter of sticking to my human roots. I like good Welsh rarebit, and coffee is a must in the NYC.
Aidan handed the novel to Aurora, and Aurelius smiled in greeting.
"Miss Aurora, would you like to join us for some coffee? It's almost lunchtime, and we were going to grab a bite. There's a lovely little bistro on the corner."
Aurelius couldn't place exactly why, but Aurora seemed a bit paler than usual.

(Out-of-character: I didn't say who heard Aurelius answer, so I'm not really God-modding anyone. I leave it to all you Library-goers to decide who 'heard' him. I don't mind whom, as long as they previously thought him to be human. If it isn't someone I 'know', we can act as though the two characters have known each other for a long time. Once someone responds to this, I'll delete this portion of my post and edit what the person 'said', if they dislike the wording.)

[Aurora Snow]

Aurora wasn't really sure what had just transpired. A strange-smelling man who seemed to carry a sort of sinister feel about himself was asking about Arctic Foxes, and then he was shooed off with some comments she didn't quite understand and an animosity between himself, Wilhelm and Aurelius that didn't escape her perception.

"Wilhelm, Aurelius, do you know him?" he asked once the man had taken his leave. She folded her arms together, wondering what she should do with her time. Coffee sounded nice, but Wilhelm would more than likely remain at the library, and she was buzzing around him quite a bit lately because she felt like he could beat the heck out of anything that came near her. He was pretty old, after all.

[Aurelius Lawson]

"I've met him before, unfortunately. A rather broodish, unpleasant fellow, is that one. Ah, well. Wilhelm, you are also more than welcome to join us for coffee, if you wish."
It isn't at all nourishing, but is rather pleasant in flavour. I enjoy it. Aurelius told Wilhelm. He didn't know how this ancient vampire would feel about human foods.

Aurora seemed awfully confused, and Aurelius wondered if she had any idea what had just happened.
Aurelius had an idea.
Mister Wilhelm, if you are open to it, I would strike a bargain with you. We both have a vested interest, I think, in the safety of this Library and in Miss Aurora's personal safety. I do not have the power to protect them, though. You do. If you are willing to help me keep this place safe, I am willing to show you around New York and the Library, telling you anything you wish to know. What say you?

[Aurora Snow]

"He sounds like it," she said, acknowledging Aurelius' description of Lothaire. She didn't relish the idea of being in his company again soon, and would be quite happy to prolong that if she could. She looked over at Wilhelm. The more Lothaire's presence was in the library, the less likely she was going to desire to be around, but she didn't want to leave Wilhelm there alone.

"Will you come with us? It would be nice to get out," she said, trying to make the offer appealing. She had no idea the mental exchange between the two vampires, of course, as Aurora couldn't read thoughts. She tried to look extra-adorable, tempting him to say yes to the coffee, and for Aurora, it wasn't hard. Big, blue eyes batted long lashes at him as she offered a bright smile. "Pleeease?"

[Wilhelm]

Hmm Indeed this Lothaire did seem to be a strangely evil person. It sort of radiated off of him, and Wilhelm
almost thought he could smell . He was slightly surprised when Aurelius spoke into his mind. It was a strange almost icy hand was in his head.
I have never had coffee, though aroma is tempting

Wilhelm shrugged as finished his response. He wasn't against the idea, but it would prove to be a new experience. But then...yes Aurelius was speaking to him again.

I do no know you well friend, and as a boy went to war with a person I though to be my friend and wasn't. But what I will agree to, is to accompany you and Miss Aurora to this coffee, I assure I want no harm to come to that wonderful place, but my loyalty lies in Aurora, but rest assured if she is in this place then so shall I be,  but I do no wish to be dragged into a vendetta against Lothaire

Wilhelm turned to Aurora. She certainly was a lovely girl...no harm would come to her. He looked down at the huge blue eyes and the big smile and then offered a vary rare grin of his own>

"Yes I will go, please lead the way"