Yes, bolder. Zesiro was growing cocky. Could the police stop him? No... with their weak bullets and pepper spray? Not at all. He could run, escape, or add them to his list of victims. It would be too easy.

Zesiro had gone so far as to address his last victim. Give her a little talk before she died. She hadn't understood a thing, but he felt so... powerful. It felt good.

Yes, he was bolder. This place was "public". It was not an alley, abandoned building, empty park path... It was not quite thriving at nearly midnight, but it was a place more than one person could be found at any given hour. Yet, Zesiro did not care. He was a lord of the night. He had this city on its knees in fear.

He leaned against the outer wall of the diner, avoiding looking at the signs for "no loitering". Zesiro wore very simple black clothing. Work clothing. And his blue glasses. He looked casual, waiting for a girlfriend maybe.

But no... He was keeping his eyes opened and his body ready for a single sign someone alone, helpless looking for not, that might wander along. Someone just right for his nightly choice.

And the lucky contestant was....

....Damian, and his little Wisp too.

The bell that was skillfuly tied onto the frount door of the diner jingeled and jangeled as the teen walked out onto the soon-to-be blood-bath area holding a slighlty greasy doggie bag.

He, once again, hadn't taken too much care to dress for the weather, onyl wearing jean pants and a T-shirt. Oh yeah, he has a grey-ish scarf tied around his neck loosely, but that wa about it for cold winter night's protection.

The people reciding in the bar had ovously show that they though he was insane to be out alone at night, with a deadly murder on the loose and everything.

Wisp seemed to be strangely unnerved about Damian being out late a night aswell. She had a sence of pride, though, so didn't wine, but DID complain. the murder was ovously on her mind aswell.

...But heck, how much of a chance out of all the people in the city HE'D be picked to be the next victim? He was a plain, barely noticable, wallflower of a kid to the human eye. Really noting that even an insane guy could find fun in killing, most would asume.

...Most.

The noisy, bothersome bell caught his attention. He turned to watch the boy exit. Perfect. Young, alone, looked homeless or at least without very concerned parents. A face no one would miss, but no one would forget. As on of his victims. But this one, too, he wanted to speak to. He wanted to know.

"Hey..."

He said in a light voice, watching Damian closely from behind his sunglasses, ready to begin using hypnotism should he try to run.

For a second he looked like a deer cough in the headlights. It wasn't really a 'AHHHHHH! KILLER GONNA GET MEEEE!' as it was a 'OH? Some one was here? They shouldn't sneak up on my like that!' kind of halt, though.

Damian quickly got over his slight alarm to look to Zesiro.

"..Hm?"

He moved his hand to the wimpy knot that held the scarf around his neck and ajusted it slightly, for Wisp was starting to pull it to tight by clinging to it.

"You're out a little late.."

He straightens from the wall, inching closer to Damian, kepeing his hands in his pockets and his eyes level behind his sunglasses. There is a tiny but not unfriendly smirk on his features.

Damian raised an eyebrow at him, and started to wish that he would take off thoes sunglasses.

".. I know."

He heard wisp wimper slightly then urge him to icnore this stranger.

"I'll be fine, Wisp..." He reasured her in a small wisper, "He probbly just needs the time or something..." ..I hope...

He added on in his mind. Damian has heard of some really storys about the city, and he has never really settled in yet.
He figited slightly, if this takes to long he might just take wisp's advice...

"It's not very safe out here... so... I'm willing to reward you if you would help me..."

Zeisro kept his voice suave and calm, relaxing back onto his hind leg and wtached Damian.

"I lost my dog.. he's a two year old black labrador with a red collar.. His name is Hunter. Do you think you could help me find him? I'm afraid he's going to get hit by a car..."

He did sound rather serious, his voice resonating with a tragic note, adding in a glance around as if hoping the non-existent AWOL dog might trot up from somewhere.

"Pfffsh, yeah right." Wisp muttered sourly, and Damian couldn't blame her...

Really, why would a guy be dressed as if he was ready to go to work and be searching for his dog?

"Er... I'm really sorry, but I half to get home, it's past my cerfew... I'll keep a look out though. Maybe you should put up some flyers or something..." He muttered as a sugestion, slowly turning to the direction of elmstreet, eyes still on Zesiro.

Damnit. That one had worked on the woman...

He paused and then began to follow Damian.

"Going up Elm Street? Excellent. So am I..."

He smiled in his best friendly nature, keeping his fangs hidden.

"I hate to repeat myself, but once again...! Pfffsh, yeah right."

Damian swatted at Wisp slightly before glancing at his new walking buddy.

"Really? .... Don't take me rude... But why?"

Zesiro looked politely miffed, tilting his chin back a little as he spoke.

"Is it a crime to walk in the city nowdays? Not every street is as peaceful and safe as this one... Besides, it's the walking path I go on with my dog.. he might be hanging around here somewhere..."

He decided to stick to the dog story simply for the sake of repetition. It still might calm the nerves of his prey.

" He's good at lieing." Wisp comented.
Damian frowned slightly at wisp and muttered.

"No... he was most likely telling the truth fromt e begining..." He tried to keep what he said undectectable except to wisp, who was still clinging onto the knot of his scarf.

Sure, this man was kind of odd, but Damian never was much of a social person, so he wouldent really know.

Maybe if he kept quiet, the freaky mad would go away...

Aooaretly Zesiro had yet to notice the talking sarf, if he was paying attention at all. He continued in step with Damian, asking lightly.

"Do you go to Keaton?"

"...I'm a highschooler." Enough of an answer there, in his opion. "..Why do you ask?"

(( Sorry. Damian is naturaly like this. *twacks him* ))

"Just curious... I've never been to Keaton, personally. I'm not from around here..."

He smiled a little, being sure t hide his fangs well.

"I'm not very aquainted with this city yet, myself." He claimed, not looking at his new walking buddy. Maybe that was rude, but he really didnt care much at the moment.

Just a bit closer, then he'll be on elm street... Just a bit closer...!

"Ah.. well, then you wouldn't mind me walking with you a little farther.. to ensure you don't get lost."

He continued beside Damian.

"I live on Elm, so I don't think I'll get lost..." Damian responded. "Erm... Thanks for the offer, though."

"Yada-yada-yada, blah-blah-blah. Stop talking keep walking and we might be able to shake off the creep."

Damian shot a small glare at Wisp, it was easier said then done.

"Is there something wrong with your scarf?"

He asked suddenly.

"You keep looking to it..."

He raised an eyebrow in puzzlement, hands in pockets, eyes on Damian's.

"You aren't some drug dealer trying to hide from the police and there's cocaine hidden in your scarf...?"

He ventured, not entirely sincerely.

Damian frowned at Zesiro, ovously offended by that question. He had heard of them, but he was surly not a drug dealer!

"No." He muttered sourly, not giving an explanation as to why.

"He sure is a stupid stalker, I say...!"

God.. Why.. Wont.. She.. Shut... Up?!

He let out a small sigh to releace the tension he could feel building up on his sholders.

"Did your scarf just talk?"

Zesiro gave no explanation as to how he heard such a soft sound.

A small panic and shock swepted over both wisp and damian.

"HE CAN HEAR ME?!"

"No!" Damian quickly snapped, before calming himself, and feeling like a total idot for acting so hastely.

But... if this man Really DID hear Wisp... He could be an aeromancer.. or some other magic-realted person or creature... better not take any changes though.

"Oh... All right..."

Zesiro looked up at the sky and yawned, failing this time to hide the pearly fangs.

Damian would of noticed the fangs, but he was too busy trying to tell what was what infrount of him, no thanks to the darkness of night.

Wisp, on the other hand had been eyeing Zesiro untrustfuly, resulting in her getting a perfect view of the fangs. In shock the air sprite yelped loudly and clung tightly to the scarf, nearly chokeing Damian in the process.
Resisting the urge to snap "What!?" at Wisp, The aeromancer-to-be simply pulled at his scarf, trying to indicate to wisp that she should loosen her grip.. Not that she took hint of this.

Zesiro really needn't have yawned. He took in no air, but the act was a mortal one and he was supposed to be mortal. He looked at Damian again.

"Hot? I think it's rather cold out."

Not that temperature mattered on his flesh.

"Uh.. No, my scarf is just to tight..." He muttered as he tugged at it. After acouple of failed atempts at getting Wisp to let go, he eventualy just forced wisp to get off by untieing the scarf and letting it drape acrost his sholders loosely.

"That guy has FANGS!" Wisp yelped at Damian after she had been shoved off the scarf. "Sharp, pointy, pearly-white FANGS!"

"Wisp...!" He uttered warnningly in the back of his throat as quietly as he could, so not to have Zesiro hear.

"But he does!"

Zesiro eyed Damian curiously. This prey was odd. But, at the same time.. prey was prey. And he was tired of this teasing game.

He looked down an alley and concentrated on a trashcan. With some expenditure of his mental power, the lid flew off and crashed.

"Did you hear that?"

He commented about the rather obvious noise.

"That might have been my dog... Will you come look with me, please? I might need an extra set of hands to catch him..."

He looked genuinely pleading.

Damian jumped a little at the sound of the flying trash can lid and turns to look down that alley.

He noded and squinted to see if he coudl see down that alley. ..Stupid darkness and bad eyes...

" Yeah. I'll help." why not? 'Pointy fangs' or not this man hasn't tried anything yet. He'll just half to be careful... He begain to go into the near-by alley, despite Wisp's constant protest aginst it.

Zesiro smiled.

"Thank you..."

He put his hand rather heavily on Damian's shoulder and thrust him into the alley. There was, of course, no dog.

"Sorry I had to lie to you like that, but I'm rather hungry.."

He kept his hand on Damian's shoulder, pinning him against the wall, letting his fangs show freely now.

Ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod.... Repeated over and over in his mind as he was roughly slamed aginst the wall. Wisp was right, this.. thing, for lack of better words, had a pair of pointy, sharp fangs. Was he going to eat him or something?!

He could feel his heart begin to race as he looked at the vampire.. well, at least it was polite.

"I told you, Damian!!"

"God, Wisp, this is not the time...!" He grumbled harshly, being rattled out of his frighten stare by the air sprite's claim. He tried to struggle and pry Zesiro's hand off with the arm that was not being held down.

What he would give to be nerocromancer material instead of aeromancer material right now...

Zesiro let him struggle, keeping him pinned.

"Come now.. this tension will not do.."

He set his stare into Damian's eyes, trying to calm him with basic hypnotism.

Damian slowly begain to sease his struggle as eyecontact was met. but ever presitant in the back of his mind was the [I]OhgodI'mgonnaohgodI'mgonnadiohgod Imgonn-

"DAMIAN!!" Snaped him outta his frighten trance and forceing him to wince his eyes closed and cover the ear wisp had shirlly screamed in.

"Wisp! Will you shut up?!"

"Damian you idot! Don't look him in the eyes! He a VAMPIRE for Gods' sake! You are gonna get yourself KILLED!"

Zesiro hissed, tightening his grip on Damian's shoulder, straining to make his trance more powerful. He moved closer, vaguely searching for the source of the disturbance between them. It was growing annoying.

'Don't look into his eyes', for once Wisp had a good idea!

Damian quickly shut his eyes tightly closed, only squeezing them tighter in pain as Zesiro tightened his hold on his sholder.

The 'disturbance' blew a quick, harsh little wind in the vampire's face, hopeing to alarm him. Like Hell he was going to take Damian away form her!

Zesiro hmphed, disliking that breath of air.

"Whatever you are.. you better fly away.."

Zesiro waved his hand around the area of Damian's scarf as is to bat Wisp away.

"Hey!" Wisp yelped as she was swated at. "I'm not going anywhere! Feaking blood-sucker!"

"Wisp..." Damian muttered softly, being thankful for her compaionship. He felt like a helpless blind man with his eyes closed like this.

Zesiro elected to ignore Wisp again. An annoyance he felt he could not deal with currently.

"Damian... Damian.."

He purred in a low voice. He lifted his thumbs and drew them ever so slowly across Damian's lowered lids.

"Look at me, Damian..."

His day-blue eyes did snap open, and he wanted to shiver. Zesiro's tuch was dead cold, for lack of better description.


He felt painfuly tiny and defenceless compaied to this... Creature. He couldn't stand being here in this siuation, with his body tight and his sences self-sharpened with the eccasy of sheer fear.

Once again he wished he was nerocromancer, not aeromancer.

"You're so... tense.."

He murmurs, leaning in close, his soft-looking skin and steady jade eyes only inches from Damian's.

"Relax... there is nothing to be afraid of."

Damian wanted to pull back away from the vamire, but couldnt. His mind couldn't fully log the though, and the wall was in the way.

He could feel himself relaxing slightly, though he knew he shouldn't. He should stay aleart...

The only reason his weak mind wasn't under Zesiro's full control was becuase of the constant screaming of wisp ringging in his ears.


((Blark...))