Her long, brown hair was held in place by the black pony tail holder that matched her uniform. A punching bag swung lazily in front of her as she brought her right foot back behind the left. Three more roundhouses to go and she would complete the final set before the punches. It was alittle past ten, she would probably have time for them.

A few strands of rebelious hair hung in her face as she went for the few final kicks, Rin found herself holding back instead of giving it her all. She figured it might be difficult explaining why the punching bag suddenly went flying into a wall. Fortunately the reason she had come wasn't for building strength, building skill was what she had in mind. Vampires, not quite as generous as most she had encountered could crush someone if they got pissed enough, Rin didn't want to be one of those someones.

Without having to break a sweat she finished off her last set, she looked very much alive with the fresh blood giving her a flush to her cheeks and a slight pulse.

Jack's battered old pickup rolled into the parking lot of the dojo. Usually, Jack did not frequent ploaces like this, concentrating more on endurance training. But the recent incounter with what Jack had very little reason to doubt was a vampire, he had to become a better fighter. So, for the remainder of his career as a Dematire peace officer, three hours of his night off were to be spent here. Jack glanced at his watch. His trainer was not due for another fifteen minutes. Jack strode into the establishment, and found a punching bag. He looked out of place amid the uniformed students in his faded blue jeans and white shirt with a pirate flag and "Key Largo" stenciled on it in red letters. He threw a left hook at the punching bag. It swung a little on the chain that suspended it from the ceiling, but otherwise nothing. What did you expect, a buzzer?

Jack looked around at the others practicing in the dojo. One woman in particular caught his eye. The fluid motions of her strikes, the power and speed with which she delivered them... Someday, I could do that... Jack turned back to his punching bag and threw another halfhearted punch. With his luck, she'd turn out to be a vampire. Quit being paranoid and hit the bag. You're not going to get any faster by whining to yourself.

Done.

Adjusting her ponytail she turned and got her duffle bag from beside the water fountain. Her lips curved slightly as she caught sight of the man in the corner of her eyes. His punches needed some work, she felt kinda macho thinking that but it was the truth. Gently she sat the duffle bag back down and crossed the room to him.

'You know if you lift your elbow alittle that could help alot.'

She held the punching bag still and smiled, no fang, it took alot of practice to smile without them.

Woah. She'd actually come over. Nice.

"Like this?" Jack adjusted his elbow and struck the bag again, this time wholeheartedly. She smiled at him, and Jack tried a few more punches before pausing. "Thank you. My name's Jack. You are?" Jack offered his hand to the woman, and waited for her reply. Tonight was looking a whole lot better already.

On the other hand, Jack was unsettled by this woman. He could not put a finger on why, but she made him feel slightly unnerved, like there was something out of place. Relax. You're just freaked out by the other night...

That was true. nothing scared him more than the possibility of being made inhuman. That creature, Memphis, had actually drank from him. Jack's hand unconciously went to the still healing cuts on his neck.

A brush with death? He should be so lucky.

With each punch the punching bag didn't move, Rin really wasn't paying attention, once she caught up with what was happening she hoped he didn't notice. He didn't look like he would, he seemed really surprised she came over. She looked at his hand and took it with consideration, due from the recent intake of blood her flesh was actually quite warm. Perhaps not as warm as his but warm enough for the undead.

"My name is Rin, Rin Hart."

He was nervous, Rin could actually taste it. Thats wierd. His hand touched his neck and instictivly she followed it. Could he tell what she was? She had no intention of causing any mischief tonight, she had already fed and her teacher would probably slaughter her if she brought someone over.

"Ouch those look bad, can I asked what happened?"

Rin didn't have to ask to know another touched him, like she could taste his unease she could sense the other vampires mark on him. Would he lie? Probably. He'd probably think she would call him crazy if he told the truth.

Jack brought his hand from his neck, expecting to see blood on the fingers, as he had on that night....

"These?" Jack chuckled bitterly. 'I got into a fight I couldn't win. These are the reason I'm here." Jack had a distant look about him, remembering the way it felt to be at the mercy of someone he should have been able to stop. The way it had felt to have the very life drained from him... JACK! Quit dwelling on the past. You can brood when you get home, you're here to train so you can beat these things, not to lament over defeats. And besides, the woman just introduced herself, don't be rude. I swear, boy, sometimes you're such a dumbass about things.... At the last round of verbal abuse from the voice in the back of his head, Jack seemed to come back to the current situation. "Oh, my. Sorry for my manners, Miss Hart. I was lost in thought for a second there." He smiled and shook her hand back. "Very nice to meet you." At this, Jack broke his grip on Rin's hand and began to punch at the punching bag once again. As he began to get into the rythm of the strikes, Jack took in the details of this woman who had helped him with his technique. She was pretty, no doubt about that, but there was something unearthly about her beauty. One part of his mind was screaming for Jack to run, to get away from this woman who so resembled the creature from the other night. But the other voice, the voice of reason, kept denying the outrageous claim. You felt her hand, it was warm. You saw her smile, she had no fangs. The fear from one part of his mind translated to adrenaline, which translated to energy, which translated to punches. His mind screamed for him to run. Jack grinned and hit the bag harder.

Ah, partial truth.

Rin understood, you take classes so you won't get beat up, or worse, killed. She also understood the teaching of mortals could only bring her so far, it was her peers that could take her further. She hadn't seen her teacher in awhile, the only thing he had done was save her life, which at the moment she wasn't excited about, and give nightmares to her daysleep through his blood.

She wanted to go deeper, see what other peices of information she could possibly extract, but a quick glance to the clock served as a reminder that she was losing hours. Shit.

Rin smiled, it was one of those apoligetic ones, rarely used now days. "I'm late, It was nice to meet you Jack." His punches had improved with the slight adjustment she had made earlier. Some instructers she had met wanted the technique learned and then perfected. Rin thought it was simple to perfect while learning.

She lifted her duffle bag from the floor and before giving one last fangless smile to Jack she left.

(I was thinking she would leave, go out to the street to for a taxi and get mugged or something that would bring out her vampire side.)

The night air felt cool across her skin, headlights sent beams of light over the walls of the buildings as they passed. Rin started to wave for a taxi when someone pressed a barrel of a gun against her back.

"Hey pretty lady, whats in your wallet?"

"You, too, Miss Rin." The woman started to leave. See? No display of superhuman strength, no mesmerising eyes no fangs, and no inferiority complex. Not a vampire. Good Lord, boy, sometimes you worry me...

Jack chuckled at the latest quip from his own head and resumed his work at the punching bag. Left, left, right, left. Faster! After only one or two cycles of this, Jack remembered that he had an appointment. He looked down at his watch. It was nearly eleven. Damn it, the trainer's probably gone by now... Jack did not own a cell phone, (he saw them as more of a threat to his safety than a line in case of emergencies) so calling the trainer was out. Jack sighed and began to walk towards the parking lot. When he got to his truck, he happened to glance down the road, along the sides of the buildings. A man was holding a gun to Rin's head. Mugging people outside of a dojo? Smooth one, dumbass.

Jack knew that Rin was more than capable of dispatching this man on her own, but he was sworn in as a police officer, to protect and serve. He opened the door of his truck and extracted his badge from the glove compartment, and his pistol from beneath the front seat. You picked the wrong day and the wrong place for this, man. Jack headed down the street toward the two, pictol in hand, grinning from ear to ear.

Rin hadn't noticed the tiny fact that Jack had came out too. She thought her and the charming man behind her were alone. Thus the reason why she reached back snapping back the man's wrist. A sickening crack filled the night air, followed by a rather girly scream from the gentleman. The gun fell and Rin whirled around. Light reflected oddly in her blue eyes, like ones of some animal in the dark. She held the man by his broken wrist watching him quiver as she snarled.

"I would be careful of who I threatened if I was you." Her fangs glimmered in the lamplight as she glared into the man's eyes.

Rin had always been quite pretty when she chose to show all of her vampiric self. She was just touchy that was all, not everyone likes having a gun in there back.

There was a pause and she looked up so suddenly the movement would have been done in the mere blink of a mortal eye. Shit. Jack had seen all that ...

Told you so..... Jack cursed. Loudly. And raised his pistol to eye level, lining the sights on Rin's throat. Jack didn't know much about the this new threat to the people, but he did know that vampires could be killed by decapitation. Theoretically. "Damn it, Rin. Just... Damn it! You're one of them! How many has it been, Rin, Hundreds of people, thousands? Damn it!" Jack took a deep breath and steadied the pistol on the vampire's throat. "I'm going to ask you this once. Miss Rin, will you please get on the ground with your hands behind your head?" In police academy they teach you to be assertive. Don't ask, tell. Don't plead, command. But this situation fell neatly under the 'screw the rules' section of the special occasion category. All the while, Jack was trying to anticipate her next move. Would she actually get on the ground? Not likely. Jack remembered how swiftly Mamphis had moved to strike. But that time, the entire thing was a suprise. Now, he stood only about five meters from rin. A shot to the neck would at least drop her, and Jack could either run or try to finish her with his knife. Jack cursed aagain, this time to himself. How many of these things were actually in the city?

Damn it...

"Jack"

Her voice was calm for the expression her face had held moments ago. "You would allow the hatred of one vampire to spred to others. Do you think I was just going to allow him to shoot me?" Her gaze was steady as she watched Jack and his weapon. She was very still and very much dead. Her eyes had lost color, grown paler and abandoned any trace of anything human. "Don't shoot Jack." Rin wouldn't let him shoot her, but she would give him the chance to make up his own mind, if he pulled the trigger she was gone.

Rin let the man drop and she straightened. Jack was taller than her, but then again so were most men. The man at her feet scrambled away as he cradled his wrist to his chest. Rin didn't stop him, her attention was on the gun and the digit that could pull back the trigger.

"You had him disarmed when you broke his wrist. But why the fangs? That was unnecessary." Jack's voice was held at a practiced calm, a calm reserved for standoffs and hostage situations. He had to be serene, professional. Jack took a deep breath and looked Rin in the eyes. This was no longer crisis, this was business, thus was his job. Protect and serve. "And YOU! " Jack didn't take his eyes from the sights of his gun, but he saw the mugger look up in his peripheral vision. "You aren't going anywhere. You have still committed a crime, and just because this nice lady here poses a threat, doesen't mean that crime is forgotten. Don't move. I'll be with you momentarily."

Jack stared the woman down through the sights of his pistol. He did not shoot, he had no reason to. In reality, Jack's mind was wrestling with the current situation. She had only acted in self defense, surely, these were the kind of people who should be fed on, rather than the innocents of normal society. Jack did not like that idea at all. Sure, this time it was a mugger. But what about last time? And the time before that? She had done nothing wrong this time, but Jack would be a failure as a police officer if he let her back into society willingly. Jack's finger tightened on the trigger, just barely enough for him to feel. There was a change in Rin's eyes. A barely percieved flick of the eyes. Jack chuckled inwardly. She's watching the trigger.

((OOC: Sorry bout the drinking thing... my mistake...))

Rin was in no mood to threaten, hell it would make the situation worse right. She sighed took a step, it was a slow cautious step, then another and another that brought her the the barrel of the gun.

"There are many of us Jack, we have always been here, and will always be here. There are those who kill and those who don't. Those who chose to be a monster and those who didn't."

Like me?

Rin swallowed audibly. She was going to let him make the choice, at this moment, being this close she could take him, however if he pulled the trigger depending on what kind of bullet, he could probably put a hole through her chest about a 8 inches in diameter.

If this went on much longer Rin would make the decision for him, she was late, and being considerably patient.

She stepped up to the barrel of the pistol, point blank. Just as Memphis did before he struck... Jack took a step back, raising the pistol to point at Rin's throat. "Now, Miss Rin, I don't want to shoot you, I have no reason to. However, if you continue to advance, I'll be forced into taking lethal actions. I don't know much about your kind, but I do know that a shot to the spine will drop you, and that decapitation will kill you dead." Jack actually had no clue as to the decapitation method, but he was willing to risk that this woman had never before been beheaded. "There's nothing I really can do about this situation. You have not broken the law, and there's no evidence as to contradict your innocence of any previous crimes. But the next time homicide comes across a drained body, I'll know who to come to. What I'd like you to do is slowly back away, turn around, and start walking. If you refuse to cooperate, or try to harm me in any way, I'll be forced to launch a forty five caliber hollow point round into your throat, severing your spinal cord, and possibly severing your head. If the bullet fails to complete the job, I will finish it myself. I have given you two options, choose, and one or both of us can go home."

Of course, Jack was betting on having to kill this woman, who may or may not have been an innocent to start with. As he tightened his grip yet again on the mahogany plates of his pistol's grip, he no longer saw the woman as a whole. He saw the sights, and he saw her throat. They were all that mattered.

Rin sighed and looked down at then gun then slowly followed it to his face. "I apoligize Jack. I had hoped it wouldn't come to this." She paused and for the first time looked past him, to the people were gathering around the entrance of the Dojo. Someone pressed against the window as they talked into a phone. Shit. Surely that was the police, she returned her attention to Jack and shook her head.

Some humans were so willing to open up to the fact that there were other things in the world. She couldn't win this fight, not now, risk of exposure was too great. If it was left to just his testimony, Rin knew it would be difficult for others to believe. It had been the same with her mother, she only hoped people didn't go to such extremes as putting him in a mental health institution. Her mother was never the same after what happened.

Hesitantly she backed away, keeping her eyes on his. Maybe he would be smart enough to keep it under wraps, maybe. She would check up on him to make sure.