The rain wasn’t that unpleasant, actually, it was quite refreshing. Grace was moving slowly out of the dense canopy of trees and into the clearing near the pool that surrounded the end of the water fall. Yawning she stretched her arms slowly, moving her aching muscles with care. She was tired as hell, even though she had no idea what Hell was like, or if it existed, or how tiring it would be if said Hell was real, but it was a good simile, or whatever it was called.

Blinking she made her way across the bank of the small pool, where she took the liberty to sit down on a rather uncomfortable looking rock and stare into her wavering reflection. Her hair was simply tied back, keeping it out of her eyes and her way. She had forgotten to apply the small heart near her left eye, but one day without it was probably okay. Moving her shoulders awkwardly she stretched the muscles in her sore back muscles.

She was still wearing what she had worn the previous night at the club, a black halter top and pants. She had been so worn after her battle that she had gone straight home and slept through the entire day. Picking up a rock she slipped it between her fingers, experimentally before skipping it across the lake. She didn’t look that bad, just a bit tired, it was kind of hard for the physical embodiment of love and lust to look bad, well unless she tried, which she wasn’t.

Her gaze stared blankly up at the sky, the sun had set awhile ago, and the moon was making its slow trek across the heavens. The stars will still coming into view, a few were visible, but most would make themselves known in a few minutes. Unlike most people and things, they did have all night…

Odion strolled through the trees briskly. He was tired of being at home waiting for Zesiro to wake up.

Odion had yet to feed that evening and his fangs throbbed in time to his hunger pangs. He tried to ignore these as he walked, thinking of where he might find some easy prey.

His thick black trenchcoat clung to his muscle-shirted shoulders. His baggy black pants were tucked into his laced up boots. His cropped caramel hair, which curled at the ends, clung to his cheeks over the frames of his wrap-around sunglasses. At the moment he had his hands stuffed into his pockets and his head bent to the ground.

He had walked through this way before, and never once found anyone or paid attention to his surroundings. But something caught him this time. A smell. A faint smell of blood flowing through veins. Something alive.

He looked up, running his tongue over his fangs, and sniffing for the location.

Grace was so content with her little game of skipping her stone that she didn’t notice the sound of foot steps far off in the distance. Or maybe she was aware of it, but didn’t think that it mattered and quickly dismissed it. Her game of tossing stones soon became a game of imagination. Imagining all the horrible tortures she could inflect on the annoying vampire from the bar. Oh how she loathed him.

First she would do something involving fire. Or maybe sunlight, or fiery sunlight of doom. Maybe just something equally as painful. Oh, he was so annoying. Grace pulled a leg up from the ground onto the rock and leaned against it, wrapping her arm around it and puling it closer to her chest.

”Caffeine,” she said finally, her eyes brightening with the aspect of soda in her near future, “I need caffeine, I need enough caffeine to last me a life time, and I need to drink it tonight..” she shook her head smiling ruefully. Exhaling audibly she moved her hand and let her foot fall back to the ground.

Rubbing her arm she stared slightly annoyed at the new scar, it was deeper and more obviously, maybe she could find out how to get rid of it or something, or cover it up. She hated having a reminder of her encounters with the vampire. Well, really she loved having a reminder of the pain, adrenaline rush, fear, the feelings, all those beautiful feelings. But she wasn’t going to admit that, even to herself.

”I am so bored, I wonder how Haze is doing...”

A voice. Something alive. Young and female. Probably full of blood. Hopefully alone.

Odion stalked his prey silently and with the speed of a jungle cat. He crouched in a shadow and eyed the situation. Yes, alone. He could smell no one else. This would be too easy.

He slid to a better position before stepping into view.

"Hello there..."

He purred towards Grace, one hand in his pocket, the other fingerlessly-gloved hanging at his side.

"Do you think you could help me? I'm lost..."

Something was wrong. There was something off about the man. She inhaled quickly, her nostrils flaring as she did so. Dead, just like she thought another vampire!

Just, don’t get in a fight with it, hopefully he won’t notice I’m a werewolf, and I’ll… I don’t know, not get my ass kicked? Slowly exhaling she began speaking. ”You startled me, I thought I was alone…” Don’t loose control, he hasn’t done anything yet, maybe he really is lost. Oh who are you trying to fool! No he’s not, he probably thinks you’re an easy target or something. she shook her head sadly.

”I’m horrible at giving directions, I’m sorry. You’re on your own, just keep heading forward, your bound to find civilization at some point.” Her pierced eyebrow was raised, eyeing him quizzically. He looked stronger then the other one, so unless she was planning on draining herself with more attempts at calling upon her godly power, which seemed to only come when not wanted. Shifting awkwardly, she turned, her hand moving to cover the fresh scar on her.

Odion wrinkled his nose. He did not like that epxression on her face.

"I'm sorry... I didn't mean to."

He said slowly, sounding quite sincere. His face twisted into a dissappointed expression.

"You can't help me at all?"

He asked again, sighing and dragging his free hand through his hair. He really wasn't bad looking. More rugged and powerful in appearance than his older brother. His face was finely crafted, but more stony, and his shoulders much wider than Zesiro's. He tilted his head as she turned.

"Is there something wrong?"

He asked, taking a step closer, a twig snapping under his boot.

She almost jumped when she heard the twig snap beneath his boot.

”Nothings wrong,” she began, her heart returning to it’s normal beating. “I just have never seen any one around here ever, and it’s startling to see some one else, that’s all. I wasn’t expecting it, I guess you caught me off guard.” She gave him one of her best fake-smile, one that hinted at something, she couldn’t remember what yet though.

”I’m sorry,” she said, almost imitating his feigned emotions with even greater realism. “I can’t help you, I’m sure you’ll be okay though…” her scarring wound was itching unbearably, and she moved her black painted nails to her arm to scratch at it.

"Well... I'm sorry... I'll be sure to give some warning next time."

He chuckled, being sure his lips hid his fangs. He was still unsure whether or not she knew, but he would avoid making it any easier for her. He looked disappointed again.

"All right... I go on then."

He paused and studied her scratching.

"Are you.. all right? You seem to be the one in trouble now..."

He tilted his head, trying to see what she was doing.

She shook her head smiling sadly, “Nah, it’s nothing, there was this... I think it was an electrical fire… at this club, I’m actually not sure how the fire was started, but the fire freaked everyone out, and there was a bit of a small riot, some idiot scraped my arm. And you know hoe itchy healing wounds can be.” There was some truth to her story, so she didn’t exactly feel like she was lying to him.

”One of my friends got hurt, it’s sad what people do when they think their own life is threatened…” she trailed off.

She shook her head, the loose tie it was in slipping out and allowing her curls to fall against her shoulders. Her scratching finally ceased after accidentally pulling of the scab, allowing some small drops of blood to begin to emerge from her pale skin.

"A fire, you say?"

He watched her, his eyes gleaming behind the mirror lenses. Zesiro had mumbled something about a fire. About causing one. And his clothes were rumpled enough. Odion's curiosity flared.

"You're lucky you weren't badly hurt."

He could not really remember itching, but nodding all the same.

"I hope your friend recovers."

He commented lgihtly, stepping closer to her. Then, it caught him. Lightly across the nose. Blood. Fresh blood. That close. From her arm.

He felt his fangs begin to throb again and knew the hunger would not cease this time. The smell persisted. He moved closer still, nearly against her back now.

"You're.. bleeding.."

He mumbled, barely controlling his eagerness. His pointed fingernails brushed his palms as he made two fists, swallowing heavily and using all his temperance not to pounce upon her now.

”Yeah, I hate fire…” she began slowly Almost as much as I hate that bastard of a vampire who STARTED the fire…

”Apparently after they put the fire out, there was some fight between two people outside, I have no idea what happened to them after that, hope the both got arrested or something for disturbing the peace, or whatever you get arrested for when in a fight.” she was trying to sound normal, like some one who had witnessed all this and not known what happened behind it, to be an innocent bystander who had witnessed the fight between the werewolf and the vampire, but not known that either of them were that.

”I’m bleeding?” she asked, looking over at her arm, sure enough, blood was slowly tricking down her arm. “Guess I should apply pressure or whatever it is you do to stop it, have an adhesive medical strip?” she asked weakly, giving him another fake smile.

Odion listened to her. His mental powers were not as developed as Zesiro's, but he could smell a lie.

"Hmm... Yes, I agree..."

He mumbled, still watching the ruby blood hungrily. He wrinkled his nose a little and bent down, crouching alongside her.

"Let me take a look..."

He extended his large, white hand and took her arm, bringing it closer to his face with the pretext of examming it. He stopped as a smell tainted the blood. Lycanthrope. He bristled and looked at Grace over his sunglasses, his mouth opened slightly and putting his fangs in plain sight.

Grace was about to draw her arm away from him, but he grabbed it. She stiffened as he brought it close to him. Not good. Not good at all. She watched in horror as he seemed to stiffen and looked up at her over his reflective sun glasses. She couldn’t help but have a sharp intake of breath when she saw his eyes. They were creepy. Not like the other vampire’s eyes that seemed human and too harbor false emotions. No, these were black and inhuman. And they weren’t the dark, dark, generally mistaken for black brown, but actual black.

She was frightened and felt cornered. She couldn’t help her actions, he may not have threatened yet, but it was obvious he was bout to try something. She raised her booted foot and kicked at his chest. She was thrashing about trying to pull her arm away from him, if he was about to attack she would need to be able to defend herself.

”Contrary to your belief, I did not kill any of your ‘Blood kin’ so just leave me the hell alone!”

Odion did not flinch as her boot connecting with his thick chest, but he did release her arm. He seemed to be pondering something for a moment and then closed his mouth.

"Blood kin? Oh... you're the werewolf Zesiro mentioned last night, then."

He stood, looking rather passive.

"I guess you don't follow the traditional rivalry between our two species, hmm?"

He sneered down at Grace, watching her like a cat might watch a wounded bird.

”Zesiro? So that’s the bastards name?” there was more then a hint of resentment in her voice. He hadn’t attacked her yet, was he going to try something else? Was he not trying anything from what Zesiro said? Did he know she was stronger then she looked?

”It’s kind of hard to follow a rivalry when you know nothing about it, now isn’t it?”

She didn’t like the way he was looking at her, it was frightening. He can’t be that much stronger then the other one? Could he? She racked her brain, trying to remember how to do that wall protection-thing she had done last night. It really hadn’t been something planned, just kind of.. happened… maybe when he threatened her or made his attack she’d magically recall how.

"He's my older brother. Well, we're twins, but he'd older by ten minutes."

Odion muttered, half to her and half to himself. He did not seem to care much about telling her this. He looked at her and sighed.

"Know nothing? Are you really that dense? You'd think anyone with half a brain would realize that vampires hate werewolves and vice versa. I mean, come on... He's obviously attacked you at least once."

He watched her, his expression hard to read, though he seemed to be calculating her.

”Twice… actually” she muttered. “When I was twelve, I had gone to get something from my mom’s apartment and heard his victim scream… I followed to see what happened.”

She sighed, pulling a scrap of fabric off from the bottom of her shirt, and brought it to her arm, wiping away the blood with it. Why was she telling him this? Why was she even sitting here with him? Why didn’t she just run?

”And last night, so twice…” she backed up a bit on the rock. Her hand strayed up to her neck; she touched it lightly before hissing, yep still bruised and still very painful.

”I know that they hate each other, and that’s it. The most I got from Zesiro was some analogy about a fox and a tiger, or maybe it was a lion, he was kind of holding me by the throat at that point I believe...”

"That's unforunate for you, although I am surprised you're still alive."

He commented thoughtfully, though not untruthfully.

"And I suppose you fought him and won?"

He asked, testing her, curious with his own devices in mind as to her reaction.

”Won?” she gave him a bitter laugh “if by ‘winning’ you mean managing to not[/ii] dieng, then sure I [i]won.” She exhaled, was this guy not planning on attacking? That would be nice, not getting into a fight after nearly dieing the night before.

”I held him off for a bit, and was stupid enough to delay an attack, not sure why, just was then he was able to attack.” She sighed, still angry at herself for pausing long enough to listen to him babble, maybe for some reason, she hadn’t wanted to kill him.

She shook her head, no, she really wanted him dead, well deader then his current deceased state.

He chuckled. So she was not cocky. Good, good, one less reason for hi to kill her now. Not that he would not kill her, necessarily, but at least now he did not have too many reasons. Too many reasons complicated things. He listened quietly and nodded.

"So, you took some hits, he took some hits, it was pretty square? Even? Equal?"

Something about how his brother fought aroused his curiosity. He had never seen Zesiro fight before, really, not an all-out rage fight. He wondered how his older brother handled himself.

She gave him a long dry chuckle. “You should have seen us bleed…” she shook her head “Are you planning on trying to kill me too? Because, right now, I have NO plans on visiting Azreal, so it may just be better to…, I don’t know, not try to kill me?”

She pulled her hands behind her back, making a move as if to drag herself up more on the rock, which she did in fact do, alongside beginning to gradually change her hands into a more claw-like version of them.

It would probably be a good idea to begin gathering energy, to be able to use it at her disposal at the first sign of attack. She sighed, laughing at herself again, she was becoming way to paranoid…

"I've thought about attacking you. But you know, it would be so easy. All I need do is extend a leg, an arm, a hand, and snap! There goes your neck. And it will be with such speed, I'll appear to be standing still."

Unfortunately, he was not lying once.

"But... you're interesting me. Maybe if you keep talking, I'll let you live a little longer. So start now and we'll see how far you get before you stop and I kill you, or you bore me, and I kill you."

He moved to lean against a tree, watching her from over the tops of his sunglasses.

”How unfortunate for me then, huh?” Okay, he’s so not lying, or at least I HOPE he IS lying. Gather energy, do that stupid wall thing, could I do it invisible? So that you know he like doesn’t see it. Oh, vampires suck so much!

”So is that the difference between you and your brother? The fact that you get bored so easily? It seemed like Zesiro was taking his time when he was trying to kill me, seemed like he would take EVERY opportunity to take a stab at my so called ‘pride’ and say something about me being a filthy breed who needs to get ‘exterminated.’” She rolled her eyes while speaking, as if some one was talking to an old friend about an annoying boy at school.

Just keep talking, just keep talking, he seemed interested earlier about your fight with that bastard, just keep talking about that, maybe he still is…. she could feel the cool reassurance of the energy licking about her hands. She sent a quick sidelong glance checking and barely resisting a sigh of relief seeing that the fire was not purple tinted, but in fact, not visible at all.

”It was funny the first time I fought him, he was acting almost like a deranged cat, he kept hissing and yelling and screaming… If my life hadn’t have been threatened, I’m sure it would have been very amusing to watch.

"We do fight a little differently. Zesiro likes to draw fights out, play around with his prey, make them suffer, as it were. I just like to get things done as quickly as possible. Of course, he says it's opposites when we're feeding. Zesiro just bites, drinks, and hides the body. I don't see why we can't draw it out... after all, you wouldn't know, but feeding is the only time a vampire feels really alive. You wouldn't understand... you're too young."

He raked his fingers through his hair and wrinkled his nose a little. It was not the most flattering description.

"I suppose he was maddened by rage, but that does sound a bit like Zesiro. He acted the same way when thew slayers came to the coven house in Egypt... I thought he'd never stop yowling. Still, he managed to get us free, so I could have cared less what animals he resembled in the process. It intimidated the slayers at least."

He shrugged lightly. Sometime Odion scorned his brother, but there were certain events that had forged within him a deep respect for the elder vampire.

”You have no idea…” she muttered in a response to her age. How old was she really? Less then a year, a year at most? Being part god, or part werewolf had its benefits, it was a lot easier growing up….

”Maddened by rage makes vampires hiss? That’s a bit… odd... Though, I really am not one to talk, apparently I growl, but that’s to be expected from us werewolves though, right? Hey, would it be a worse insult to be called a werewolf or a half breed? I’m still trying to determine that one, he seemed to hold the same resentment for both of the titles.”

Hold him off for just a bit longer, I think I can almost do it, keep taking, and hope he doesn’t get bored very easily…

”What ARE slayers exactly? Are they just humans who know about vampires and how to kill them? I was wondering since I heard some one mention them a while ago…”

""Well, reactions vary from person to person. It's no different for vampires."

Odion replied matter of fact.

"A greater insult for you? I wouldn't know... which do you dislike being called more? To vampires, a werewolf or a halfbreed werewolf are one and the same in foulness."

Odion looked a little curious as to why she cared, and spoke reservedly.

"Slayers are... Yes, that's an adequate description. Anyone who devotes their life to the destruction of vampires, I suppose, would be a slayer. Most people just think of slayers as stake-toting crazy people."

He shrugged. A stake was harder to use than one thought. He had never really feared them. They hid their coffins too well to be troubled with slayers finding them now. And the location couldn't be beat.

"What do they call people hunting werewolves? Hunters?"

She shrugged her shoulders thinking, “I have no idea what they ca;; people who hunt werewolves, I wouldn’t know, I haven’t drawn any attention to myself because I haven’t killed or bitten anyone. So, I don’t know, I guess you could call them hunters, or you could just ask Mina, she seems to like to kill things. That may be a bit risky though, apparently she kills anything that threatens humans.” There was a bit of resentment in her voice, Grace never liked Mina from the start, she had been rather rude to her when she was younger and to top it off, she killed her mother.

That’s probably enough, now just focus, focus… her hands had changed back to normal a while ago, she moved up more on the rock trying to get comfortable, slowly she brought her hands out from behind her back and laid them on her legs. She could feel the energy slowly move from her hands to the air around her.

Work, work, please, woooork. I do not want to die today, or ever for that matter… the energy had left her hands, and hopefully made some sort of barrier, but, if it did work properly it would be translucent. There was no easy way to tell if it work right. Maybe a bit of hoping was in order.

"I don't know this... Mina... but if she likes to kill things, then i don't think I want to know her."

Odion let the silence stew for a while. Finally, he sighed and straightened from his lounging position.

"Well, I think that was enough talk. I'm rather hungry now. I suppose it might upset Zesiro that I killed you, but... ah well..."

Odion lunged forward. And hit a wall. He growled, and pounded his fists against it a few times.

"What the hell?!"

Grace couldn’t repress a squeal of delight as he ran into the invisible barrier. Her violet eyes danced with amusement, a small smirk was planted on her lips. Running a hand through her hair she tilted her head to the side watching him happily.

”Yes! It worked! I knew it would!” Moving around a bit she sat cross-legged on the rock, drawing a bit more energy to her hands before sending it out to make sure that the entire circle around her was closed. She briefly remembered ho Zesiro had jumped over the wall and hoped Odion wouldn’t think of doing that.

Se stood up slowly, making sure not to loose balance on the rock, she have him a quick mocking bow.

”The name is Grace. Daughter of Amor… I think you may have known them as Qetesh, but I’m not quite familiar with Egyptian religion….” trailing off she sat down, tilting her head to the side and still grinning.

(Yeah, I tried to find the deity of love or lust or something, and I cam up with that.... I hope it's not wrong ^_^ )

Odion growled angrily, his eyes glittering like black pearls set within his marble features. He clawed at the barrier a few times, bristling at her sarcasm.

"You little brat!"

He kicked at the wall, frowning deeply.

"Werewolves can never be trusted."

He proclaimed. An idea seemed to strike him and he slowly stepped back, lowerng his hands.

"Well... you've beaten me... I comend you on your talents and the cleverness involved. But, since you have obviously outsmarted me, I shall big you farewell."

He drew slowly back into the darkness and focused his mind on the shadows. Yes... it was working... The disciplines of the Malkavians had not yet left him. Odion faded from view, skin entirely shadowed, lost within the black shadows. There was no more telling where he was, or if he had really even left.

”I’m a brat? Aww. I feel so offended…” her head was still tilited to the side, watching him happily, Grace still wasn’t sure why she hadn’t done something like this with that Zesiro fellow, maybe it had to do with her enjoying her fights with him, they both liked dragging it out it seemed like, no like this Odion guy, he seemed to like the fastest way possible. And that was never fun.

Raising her hand she thought about calling her barricade back, she shook her head slowly, no, not that, it kept the mosquitoes off. Well, not that exactly, Grace just didn’t think things added up right. Why would some one give up THAT easily? Why would some one concede defeat so quickly? And WHY would some one call HER a brat? Smiling ruefully at her final question she bowed her head slowly.

Now was as good a time as ever to try out some of her new powers. She drew some more energy, this time letting it keep its original purple color, slowly she began to try to form it into different things. Very unsuccessfully, mostly it looked like a blob.

”A very sexy blob might I add…” she muttered to herself, beads of sweat forming on her forehead from all her concentration.

Odion watched with a bored sigh. it was a waiting game now, just a matter of having the patience. She could not keep the barrier up for long, no matter what she tried. Still, his hunger was growing rapidly, and his patience thinning at the same rate.

She closed her eyes, it was so much power trying to do all this stuff. The vampire was gone by now, she was certain of it, cautiously she raised a hand and called the energy back to her before more or less just dispelling the entire barrier. It was getting really dark, maybe she should just go head home, or to a bar. No. Home sounded good.

She stood up slowly, and started walking trying to remember the exact path that she had taken, and whether or not she had any Mountain Dew left at home. Unfortunately, she didn’t know about the true danger lying so very close to her. He ‘sexy blob’ a she had dubbed it, was still in her right hand, and Grace amused herself by trying to get it to finally hold a shape, though that didn’t work properly.

Odion watched her from his darkness cloak as she got up and began to walk. This meant, obviously, that the barrier was gone enough to be passed through. He smiled wickedly.

Moving out from behind the trees and darkness, he slid like a wolf stalking a rabbit through the brush, making no noise whatsoever. He crept up slowly, carefully behind Grace. One more step... closer.. closer...

He hand shot out and he grabbed her shoulder, whirling her around.

"Surprise."

He said, leering down at her, lifting his lip so his fangs flashed.

”Fuck,” she muttered under her breath, wincing as he pulled on her shoulder. This sucked, she was really not in to mood to fight right now, she was tired and hungry and deprived of caffeine but of course he has to stalk her and then fight her.

Shaking her head quickly, her air fell out of her eyes. Her hands were morphing into claws, it was always painful when that happened, it felt like every one of her fingers was being pulled from it’s socket and slowly twisted and stretched, but it had become so much of a habit whenever a vampire was around, that she was almost able to block out the pain.

Grabbing at his hand she dug her claws into his pale flesh, hopefully it would distract him long enough for her to escape or something, or kick him a few times, maybe slash again. It didn’t matter really, she just needed to get him off of her, so she would be able to fight him when he actually attacked her.

He smiled wickedly as he held her before her claws cut his skin. He let out an angry hiss, blood rising from the wound. Yet unlike the times Zesiro had been wounded, full of another's blood, Odion had not fed yet and was, therefore, only bleeding mildly.

He lifted her via her shoulder from the ground and flung her easily as a rag doll towards the pool of water, following her with his eyes and wiping his hand distractedly on his coat.

She didn’t make it to the pool; she was gone before she was a few feet away from it. She was on the air, soaring like a toy and then she… wasn’t. There was no flash or bang or showy special effects. She was there one second, and then she wasn’t.

So then she found herself, standing up right a few paces behind Odion. Slowly she blinked and let out a slow breath, her heart pounding heavily in her chest out of fright.

”Wow..” she mumbled slowly “that sure is nifty…”

Odion hissed in animalistic rage. he spun on his heavy shoe and grabbed her again.

"Werewolf slime."

He snarled, hurling her at a tree, eyes blazing with uncontrolled fires.

And again, there, and not. Some where else, not a big flashy show, just, somewhere else, like she had been there the entire time, father away from him now, back around the rock where she had started out the night.

”Vampire bastard,” she growled back. There was no point in fighting Odion, he went straight for the kill, he was completely and utterly un-fun, unless you got to play games with him, especially if you got to keep changing the rules.

Giving him a mocking bow and a one-fingured salute, she was gone.