A man stood outside an ancient, dilapidated church in the utter darkness of the night. The wind ran swiftly through the trees. A few people were walking along the sidewalk paying little attention to the man, or the church for that matter. Actually, the man didn’t seem to mind that he wasn’t being noticed.

His face was all flat, high cheekbones with narrow, almost slanted eyes and long, straight black hair. If he hadn’t been any more ethnic, he’d have been craved in stone, surrounded by snakes and Aztec Gods. He wore a long sleeved black t-shirt with a pair of carpenter blue jean. His expression was neutral with no indication that he was even alive. They even gave less indication that he had carried two knives, and in a shoulder holster with a Hi-Power Brownning 9mm loaded with silver platted bullets.

This man was Victor. He was a Nephim Leader for the vampires in Panama City, Panama. The reason that he was in Demaitre was to explore the death of Jason, the head of the entire Nephim Coven. He wanted answers because he hadn’t heard anything about a new leader. As far as he knew there was no leader for the Nephim Coven.

He walked up the stone steps into the church opening the colossal doors. The wind blew through the church doors giving him a more dramatic entrance than he would have preferred. He walked through the pews, past the bare altar. He walked past a few fellow vampires that were sitting around the church congregating. He looked at them with his dark, neutral eyes as he past. They went silent without saying anything. He stopped looked back at them.

“Where is your leader?” He slyly asked that them. This was the moment of truth to see if Demaitre had its new leader. He kept a neutral face waiting to see there reaction.

Nikolaos felt his power ripple over her skin like a gentle waterfall. With his question the waterfall was stronger. His power now beat along her. Yeah... sensing other vampires kinda sucked.
Where is your leader? Now, that was funny. It was almost as if he should be saying 'Take me to your leader' Yeah. Too many alien movies for Nikolaos. Too many years in human society. She decided she'd point that out to him.

"Shouldn't you be saying Take me to your leader or do you have no respect for the ancient dialogue of the extra-terrestrials?" she shook her head. Nikki walked around the Aztec. He had to be.. onyl an aztec vampire would look like that, be that short. A cross. She felt it and it didn't bug her but still. Who the hell was this?

"Forgive my ill humor" she said, staring into his face, watching empty dark eyes that held nothing to her. She knew in her own eyes he meant nothing as well, but at least her eyes were green. Vainity. Great

"I'm Nikolaos" she said simply. She wasn't in to shaking hands. "Leader? Why would you want to see them?" Nuh uh. No freaking foreign vampires coming in here like this. Can't be good can it? Though he didn't seem that powerfull. Illussions were decieving of course. peachy. Just Peachy.

Nikolaos was about three inches taller than he was, which made it difficult to look intimidating. Victor would find a way; it was a specialty of his to look intimidating. His eyes remain neutral at her gleeful responses. A joke to his question was not a wise choice in the presence of Victor. She reminded him of one of the fake hostess in a restaurant that are paid to be all chipper. It wasn’t becoming of her.

Behind this girl’s ill humor, Victor could sense that she was older than he was because she had the presence of the long dead. It was the stillness of death that was becoming of her. He was guessing that she was around 900, probably a little bit less than that age. She was someone not to trifle with because you don’t accidentally live 900 years. Irish or not no one is that damn lucky.

He disregarded her comment and decided to ask the question once more, “Whom do you call your leader.” He asked with a calm normal voice. Yes, he wasn’t up for striking a conversation today. Well, if he’d find the leader, maybe, he would want to talk with someone.

Nikolaos met his eyes and smiled. Pitiless eyes that held nothing, absolutely nothing. Shame he had wasted his life and now he was wasting his afterlife or maybe.. He was younger than she yet he restrained his power. She'd figure out just how much power he had... later. She didn't know who he was.. starnger and all. What was she supposed to tell him... Colton. No. That didn't seem wise.. even if he was right and a good guy.. No chances.

Nikolaos did like being taller than him and she stepped to one side and rested her hands at her sides. "Who are you? Answer my question and I may answer yours" Nikki braced herself without even realizing it.... paranoia, or just precaution. Defintely not the latter.. but then again.. how else do you live past 500??

The girl had backbone by not divulging the name of her coven leader, that was if she had a coven leader. She was on the fast track to getting his respect. He suspected that there was a leader in this building. It was one of those visceral feeling that you get. After a few centuries, you learn that your gut is often very reliable. Besides, the heart was weak and unreliable, and the mind often went with age. Listen to your gut.

“I’m Victor, leader of Nephim in Panama City. What I want is to see if there was a new leader of Nephim here. I heard that Jason has died, and our section didn’t hear of a newly appointed vampire,” he said actually telling the truth. As painful as it was not to be a nuisance, maybe, being truthful would get him what he wanted.

After a short silence he spoke, “Is there a new leader for Nephim?” His face and voice remained neutral. Showing emotion wasn’t a strong suit for him. There were worse thing than not being able to show emotion, like not being able to survive.

Nikolaos smiled and nodded at his words. "Jason is dead. Where did you get information?" she paused and spoke clearly. "Victor is it? Well Mr. Victor I must tell you that I do not know you, therefore you are a stranger. Why should I tell you who our leader is?" she asked. "Why should I trust you?"

The lack of emotion on his face was almost comical, almost. His eyes were blank and pitiless, lost as if there was no one behind them. What a lovely trick.. or perhaps, perhaps there really was no one home.. No one behind those black eyes, no one...

Her own emerald eyes stayed eyes, never changing, never faltering from his. Eye contact. perfect communication skills... like hell. She felt a few muscles tense in her back and knew from sheer instinct she didn't want this one pissed at her. Why then didn't she tell him... either stubborness or stupidity.. maybe paranoia... She wasn't sure.

Shadows fold and unfold and twist, and a gaunt man with laconic hands and shadowed eyes and a savage grin appears.

"Who's this guy, pet?"

Strangers aren't welcome unless they're Nephim.

Introduce yourself nicely, mister.

Nikolaos gave Ratter a smile, a genuine smile. "THank God for someone who agrees with me" she smirked and turned back to Victor, speaking for Ratter. "An Aztec come from Panama City Nephim... That's what he says. That's the truth" It was blatant but he was speaking the truth. She could... taste it? No pun intended.

"I fucking hope not. We don't have standards that low."

Pause.

"Do we?"

Ratter is depressed now.

Colton chimes in now, having heard most of the conversation from his vantage point at the top of the stairs. He's leaning against the door jam, arms folded casually. He doesn't look any different than anyone else here. Doesn't act different. Doesn't carry himself any higher than the rest of them.

He shouldn't be assumed as being any different.

Actually, if I may be frank, he's a bit on edge and looks over this Victor with skeptisim. He doesn't like strangers and he's not a fan of confrontations.

"Long way away from Panama... What are you doing here?"

'Course, he's going along with the rest of them. Playing back, ever cautious. Ever terrified.

Least Ratter's there to laugh at him. Nothing feels right if Ratter isn't around to mock him these days.

Ah. That comforts him.

Nikolaos gave Ratter a small smile. He was always good for humor but she still was uneasy about Victor.. She arched an eyebrow at the Aztec but stood her ground. She heard Colton's voice and felt his presence. She didn't turn around, didn't do anything. She simply was relaxed. Great thing about Colton, he wasn't a prick. And the one time she saw him disheveled and brushing his teeth in teh church really made her think better of him. he was normal... by vampire standards but then.. she didn't know too much about him. Only that he was the leader and she wasn't going to say shit. Her sheilds were in place and her eyes watched the Aztec. Yeah.. don't ask but she was pretty sure he was Aztec. he looked like tohose faces you see outside mexican resturants, except he had fangs. Nice.... In other circumstances she might have laughed.

Everything before the last vampire entered the room almsot seemed that it didn't matter because there was a visceral feeling that this was the vampire that he had traveled so far to get to Demaitre to see. He ignored the vampire before him that he heard try to make a joke about him. Victor would have bet that he was a spinless being. Him alone with him in an alley with that vampire he would have been more scared than sarcastic. The weak could always say more when they have their ass covered.

The vampire that entered didn't seem to be the youngest in the room. He thought that Nikolaos seemed to be the oldest, but she had little control over the coven issues. How did he know this? Actually, he didn't it was just one of those feelings. He looked like he was newly dead. How did he become the leader? Maybe, if it came up he'd ask.

"I am looking for the leader of Nephim. Our sector of Nephim in Panama got news of Jason's death. We..I...wanted to know if there was a new leader for the coven," he said with little inkling of emotion. He kept his eyes ever vigilent upon the three vampires in front of him. One seemed to be the leader of the coven by his power, one was over nine hundred, and the other was a smart-ass. This was interesting, if all of this was true.

Nikolaos didn't dare look over her shoulder but she watched Victor's eyes flick to Colin then back to her. She laughed softly, so softly, moving over a church pew, her slender hands touching the wood.

Nikki didn't take her eyes off of Victor. he was one to watch.. one who was suspiscious... one who could ruin them all... Yeah. He was a danger. She wondered if he'd ever do a Mexican Hat dance if he stayed in teh city. proboblly not but it was a funny thought and she didn't bother to hide her pleasure whenb she thought of it. She did not smile but her eyes did....

Oh, when Ratter is cornered, Ratter bites.

It's one of his more loveable characteristics.

For the moment, he is silent. This isn't really his conversation, after all.

Anyway, he isn't Victor's anything.

So he can freely ignore Victor.

Colton, however, is far more likely to get a sarcastic comment. In an odd way, it's a token of loyalty.

Never let it be said that Ratter's thoughts travel logical paths.

Colton shrugged lightly.

"Yea, there's a new leader."

And he's still not taking credit, mostly because Aztec man has big muscles. He has no muscles. It's kinda depressing, actually. His dad was a well built man, still tall, but no where near as lanky as Colton was. Colton could have had muscles.

He throws a look to Ratter, waiting for some witty comment or the inevitable revealment of the mysterious leader's identity. Colton's sure that Ratter's going to be the one to blurt it out first. That seems to be their unspoken game.

Who Can Make The Other More Spiteful/Hateful/Uncomfortable First!

"And since she's a girl and he's a faggot, I guess I'm it."

What?

It makes sense to Ratter.

Stop looking at me that way, I'm just the writer.

Ratter is completely serious about this.

Also he's a prejudiced bastard.

Nikolaos put her ahnds on her hips and laughed, a bitter laugh but it was also amused. She liked Ratter.. but sometimes he was just--- Ratter. She smiled at him and curtsied sarcastically. "Thank you for pointing that out to everyone" she said with a small smile.

Hey now.. she didn't really want to have Victor think her the leader so yeah... And Ratter, well, he was honestly good at being clever.. is clever the word? Maybe. And.. this way he won't know about Colton. She wondered how much of this shit Victor would believe... his eyes were still empty. Earth to Victor, Earth to Victor. She shook her head with amusement. Houston we have a problem.

Maybe, it was all the old vampires in the room that was making it seem like there was tension in the room. For three people that have never met Victor before, they all seemed to dislike him from his first impression. He seemed to get that a lot around Dematre. Did he smell? No, it wasn't the answer, he was just an arrogant son of a bitch. That must have been the reason.

Victor always had the feeling that Ratter was an idiot from when he met him a few minutes ago. It seemed that every time he opened his mouth he removed all doubt in Victor’s head that he was an idiot. It’s good that didn’t take long, and we have the subject all cleared up.

Everyone seemed to be afraid, intimidated, or amused by Victor. Was it that he was an Aztec vampire? He bet that if he were white he wouldn’t be getting this kind of attention. Well, if he didn’t barge into the coven like this, may have helped, too. Here’s for hoping that these three vampires were not racist because Victor prided himself in being an equal opportunity person. Well, an equal opportunity killer.

“Cut the jokes, I don’t find them flattering. Now, what is the big problem?” Ya, he sounded like he owned the place. It was one of his better qualities to be demanding.

Ratter grins toothily. "I like jokes. And if you're a fucking member of my fucking coven, pay a little respect."

Pause.

"Please."

Look, ma, Ratter's polite!

Hah.

I find this amusing. By age, Nikolaos would make the most probable leader. By stamina, Ratter should be leader. By accident alone was Colton leader. Man, sucks, don't it? Just about everyone in the room was more qualified than him, yet there he was.

Colton scowled slightly at Ratter's accusation. "I am not a..." But he couldn't bring himself to repeat Ratter's word. He bowed his head slightly and scowled at the floor. No, he really wasn't going to challenge Ratter. For one thing, that'd foil Ratter's act. For another thing, that requires balls and bravado, and Colton seems to have neither.

Yes, yes. You're all free to laugh at him.

"You're a visitor here," Colton pointed out, gancing back up at Victor. "I'd tread carefully... You're on thin ice if you don't respect the leader."

And then a glance to Ratter. Awaiting orders.

Or, in light of this theatrical performance, should I say "stage directions?"