Nikolaos pulled her black leather jack tighter around her. Her dark jeans blended in with the darknes and the only thing out of monocromatic style was the red tanktop she had under her jacket. true. She really was never warm or cold but still.. she liked the Jacket. It was.. very hmm. Leathery. She shook her head, a soft smile playing about her lips.

Nikki stopped outside the Dojo, leaning against the nearest door. She breathed evenly and silently.
The Dojo was dark and empty... Karate kids all gone home for the day. My my.. she was in a good mood tonight.

Her mind wandered as she did the same with her feet. Nikki hummed a soft lullaby she once was taught by her mother... Without a hope.. now the night is near...

Her thoughts.. Yes, now they rested. I walk alone at night when everyone else is sleeping. The city goes to bed... Vincent.. The rooftops. Nathaniel.. evil? he said he was ruthles sin fact.. but all vampires were ruthless and bloodthirsty to one point. She had not forgotten and it was strange she would think of this now, humming and wandering through the dark.. through the dark. Something stirred int eh air and she flinced. Something.. Nikki knew it wasn't good but what the hell was it- wait... wait...

In the centre of the darkened hall a figure stood.
He stared at the ceiling, his eyes coudy.
He had felt her coming, but had done nothing.


She smelled like him.

Nikolaos felt him, another vampire. Someone else like her. She controlled her heart and kept it to a slow rythm, letting fear dissolve into a solid emptiness. He was older. She could feel it. Unfortunately, that meant he had good access to her feelings or emotions aka fear. True, she was scared, but she threw up shields and kept her eyes straight ahead. She found the hallway, dark and lonely as she wandered through the building, back inside was ghostly, shadows dancing across the walls and moonlight flickering through the windows.

Nikki flashed the other vampire a smile, her fangs only showing slightly. No bother hiding. If he wanted to kill her. He could easily. So she'd make nice and pray- yeah, pray that it wasn't some psychotic ego-hungry night-walker. That was exactly what she needed along with a human near a murder, a vampiress friend, a job at a CD store, and a mysterious Viking.. Yeah. It had been a busy past nights.

Nathaniel looked down from the rafters, to fix his eyes on this newblood...

"Does the call of the night
Call to you with the voice of solitude?
Can you feel the might?
Are you pursued
By the forsaken starlight?

We are the unhappy few,
Those cursed with darkness,
If only the others but knew,
the plight of the soulless, bloodless, hopeless."

Nikolaos smiled again, laughter in her eyes and a small amusement. Poetic.. very poetic. "What lovely words for such a dramatic situation..." she replied, her voice casual and light.

"Yet can words really describe what we have to endure? What we are?" she asked him in response. He was right however, darkness did pursue her, chasing ehr with everything.. sucking her into it's grip.. forcing her into a chain that would never break and stealing ehr from life and happiness... perhaps. Not really. Ah--- true, she was in a good mood but she was overanalyzing a lot tonight. That's what you get when you're as busty as she... a vacation sounded good. Ha! Impossible.

"In words there lies
Power of soul,
more than can be seen with the eyes.
Yet also things so foul,
As to pollute the skies.

In hope lives despair,
In joy lies sorrow.
Tied like a mare,
twisted like a crow."

A this word a Raven fluttered down from the rafters to perch on Nathaniel's shoulder, he raised a finger and stroked his head.

Yeah. This one was.. hmmm... poetic to the point of strangeness... she wondered whether it was Nathaniel or not. he seemed alright but.. something was dark about him. She'd be careful, just in case. Hell, why was she so paranoid?

"Where did you learn to speak so eloquently?" she asked, doubting he'd answer her.

"On the road of life.
Watching sin and strife.
Seeing pain, and anger.
Feeling loss, and danger.

He stroked the Raven again.

"Birds of a feather,
Sons of a father.
While in life they sing,
They will die on the wing."

She nodded curtly. Great. She was dealing with a mad-man who could kill her at will. Great. Fucking Great!

Nikolaos did not smile and did not speak. She simply stepped across the hallway, towards him. She really didn't know what the hell she was doing but since he hadn't killed her yet.. he might not-- tonight. Only setback was he was stark raving mad so he might kill her for fun. She felt an inward shrug and walked past a window, moonlight falling on her delicate features, making her look whiter than before. her emerald eyes stood out as she leaned against the glass lightly, her hands at her sides, relaxed.

"Phantom faces at the Window?
Phantom Shadows on the floor?
Empty Chairs at empty tables
Are your friends alive or gone?" she asked. Yes.. maybe she should rave about. Well.. she wasn't raving exactly. She stared at the raven, eyes meeting the dark's birds pupils. She was simply quoting a musical... Ha! She hadn't seen it in awhile. Les Miserables. She certainly was getting a slight bit depressed at the thought. No doubt this-- vampire was... miserable? Confusion... perfect.

Nathaniel cocked his head and sighed.
"Friends alive, friends are dead.
Friends are gone.
Friends, undead."

His tone changed, it took on a more matter-of-fact quaility.
"Nathaniel they once called me,
I ask your name, the truth to see.
Troubled thoughts rest in your heart,
Fly from bow, like blooded dart."

Nikolaos smiled. They were getting somewhere. So maybe he wasn't stark raving mad.. maybe just confused. Somewher there was a dark intelligence or something.. Something to be feared... Vincent said to fear nathaniel. She did, she simply bottled it inside.. keeping him from knowing.

This was Nathaniel!

"Nikoloas from stormy shores
The land of greener grass
I may be troubled with trivial matters but
Who cares? Tis all in the past"

Yes.. she wasn't very god a ryming but hey, she was making an effort. Nikki didn't move. She stayed where she was, eyes moving fromt he raven to Nathaniel. She bit her lower lip as she always did when in thought. What had happened to make him this way? Or was in an act? God, she prayed it wasn't the latter. She wasn't in teh mood to die tonight.

(You misspelled your name. And if anyone can get all of the references in Nathaniels verse, they win a prize!)

Nathaniel smiled, the cold smile of one who has all but forgotten how.

"Feint on feint your actions are,
hidden behind
your eyes of mirrors, though they see far.

Those eyes green mirrors are to me,
for all
I look I cannot see.

You are layers of thought,
Upon which
A life is wrought."

ooc- lol. typo. nice catch there. alright. I guess... Nathaniel is a lost little vampire, empty, hiding his feelings ... do I win? :D

"It's true. I wonder all too much
My eyes have seen a lot
and a little too much

Wandering from here to there
So I came and found you here.

Why the ryhming and why the poem
When there are so many things I wish to know

Why do you stand there, raven at hand
and why do you watch me, taking a stand
I'm not as empty as some might think
I'm not lost yet"

Nikolaos stopped hter. What ryhmed with think. oh- drink? But that made no sense. She simply kept her eyes intent upon him... God, she was paranoid. Why? Because Vincent told her to fear this man.. so far she felt the beginnings of doubt in the back of her mind. No! No weakness... no mistakes tonight. She hadn't seen Vincent...

(No, no. I mean the individual symbolism)

Nathaniel's nose twiched.


For the first time his voice became thretening...
"To speak the voice of the soul,
One must speak the language.
You know the foul
One I seek,
Vincent Sepespian,
I know you do. speak!"

"I met him once." she said softly, meeting his eyes with her own. He was getting bitter. Great. That was so not great... and she was so not in the mood for this kind of shit tonight. Nikolaos stood gracefully, now walking towards him.

"Vincent.. I met him before
Awhile ago and nothing more...

He told me to fear and he told me we'd meet" she paused and fixed Nathaniel with a hardened stare yet her body was relaxed and limber. She would not tell him. She knew who he was. She wouldn't tell him she knew he was once Vincent's lover... maybe a sort of-- She didn't know.. Vincent confused her. He confused her and yet... she wanted to see him again.

"We have not met Nathaniel" she said, her voice a tone lower. She let her fear disappear as a small hint of rage passed over her, heat welling up in her body. She almost suffocated, almost, with the grip of it.

(dropping the verse, running out of things to rhyme)

"Calmness, child. Rage will help us not. If you know him, could you tell me where he is?

(haha lol see what happens when you ryhme)

"I told you" she said, her voice like rushing waters. "I have not heard from dearest Vincent in awhile. Last time I saw him he was smply miandering about the streets and I ran into him" A partial truth. That would work. She wasn't sure what Vincent wanted from her but she was thrown into his life the night she decided to waltz. If she died because of him.. she was coming back to haunt him.

Nathaniel nodded, seemingly sated. However still he had his doubts...

"Then tell me, child, who are you? What is your story?"

Trust, and tell.

Nikolaos didn't trust him.. she didn't trust him. Although, she trusted Vincent more than Nathaniel. Damn Vincent but hell.. she was the one who had asked. Anyways.. off to a story. Lovely.

"I was born in Breifne Ireland a while back... I am here now, what else matters?" she asked. "Why do I matter to you Nathaniel? Because I have seen Vincent?" she asked again, pushing for answers, but gently. She didn't want to back him into a corner. If she did, well.. she would most likely die. Great. True. Nikolaos had not lived this long just on luck.. she was smart, and knew when to take action and fall in step.

"You find fault in innocence? Although I am searching for dearest Vincent, I mean neither him or you harm. As you say, child, nothing realy matters, does it?"

The Raven croaked meanecingly on his shoulder.

"Yes." she said. "I do find fault in innocence.. we are all stained from one thing or another..." she said bitterly. Her eyes darkened and she looked past him. "I haven't seen him since. I'm not happy about it.. I don't know who the hell you are..." she said cooly. "That's all there is to tell and still it is only words passing from my lips to your ears. You and I agree, nothing matters" she said, her voice icy as she turned away from him, watching the windows...

"If we agree that nothing matters then we agree that names don't matter either. They are simply a way for mortals, and immortals, at times to be able to point at an object and proclaim; "That is mine". Words, beliefs, histories, they all die on the lips of mortals."

Nikolaos said nothing and kept walking. This was pointless. Her curiosity was sated and she wanted to get out of the damned dojo before something else entirely illogical happened tonight. Maybe ninja ghosts would come and take her away... Funny

"Before you leave, I have a riddle for you, Nikolaos.
All life devowers, All life ends.
Mountains crumble to dust,
Limb from limb rends.
In me you can trust.
Think on it. You will know the answer when we meet again."

"Trust you?" she asked with a wry smile. "You have got to be kidding me" she said. "I don't trust anyone. I'd get used to it if I were you" she said cooly. She was tired of this. Nikolaos pushed open the door, letting th moonlight wash over her

"Remember that riddle, Nikolaos." Nathaniel hissed and lept up into the rafters and was gone.

"Let's see.." she said loudly. "Either you'll kill me or save me, is that is? I owe your or die.. what a lovely choice!" she scoffed, shaking her head. Damn. What had she gotten ehrself into?

Then from the rafters Nathaniel's voice came lilting down.
"Little Irish girl,
Far from home.
Look and wonder,
At the world around you.
Look closely,
Its the last look for you!"

"Yep. I'm going to die.. How lovely" Damn. THis sucked. Sh ehad to go back. She had to... Nikolaos started running through the Dojo until she met Nathaniel again.

"Tell me what you mean Nathaniel.. who should I trust and why ar eyou warning me, say?"

"Think long,
Think hard,
You'll figure it out.
Before the end..."

This tired Nathaniel, she would find out, sooner or later...
Hopefully sooner.

He prepared to drop from the rafters... He prepared to attack.

"Damn you" she yelled, watching him intently. She pulled her jacket off. It'd slow her down. Damn him Damn him. She started running. She wasn't stupid... He was bracing himself and she was unprepared never good... Shit. She started to run. Lucky for her, she was a. a vampire and b. Irish. But the Irish thing had nothing to do with the run to save your fucking life thing

She rushed out the doors and hissed. "Vincent! I'm going to kill you if this is your fault. Damn" she kept going, listening for Nathaniel behind her. She didn'tbother to hide her fear... it was natural. She was afraid. Screw him if he could tell. She'd go for the eyes if he came.. then the throat. Messy but effective.