The taste of blood was still as delicious as it had been the first time he tasted it, oh, too long ago too worry about. He licked the blood from his finger in a gesture that would have been more suited to someone licking chicken grease. A small curve of a smile flitted across his face as Isidore picked up his long brown coat and, with a flourish, swung it onto his body. The woman on the desk moaned, and tried to swim back into consciousness. It didn’t work.

Isidore leaned forward to whisper in her hear, so softly it barely moved her soft blond hair, “Thank you for the lovely evening.”

No one could say he was impolite. He always said thank you when someone invited him to dinner.

Pulling on his leather gloves – it wasn’t winter, but it wasn’t quite spring yet either – he pushed out of the office. It was small enough that the cameras were carefully eluded. The glass door swung quietly behind him as he escaped into the dark alley found behind the small building. Pushing his hair back with one hand, he looked very much like a man from another decade.

Which he was, of course.

His leather shoes clicked against the grungy pavement littered with trash. A sigh escaped his lips, like he couldn’t believe what was happening to the world. When he reached the orange of the streetlight, he looked side to side, and, frowning, sniffed. Looking down, he realized that he’d gotten blood on the collar of his shirt.

“Unacceptable,” he muttered to himself. “Really, monsieur, you should have some manners when you eat.”

With a small shrug, he started to walk towards the small park. His car was parked on the other side.

A night off... God how she hated those... If she wasn't at work... Where else could she be? So she was a work-a-holic. She didn't have any family... No friends or significant others... She was alone in this life, so what else did she have to look forward too? Absolutly nothing really.

As she walked down the street, her tennis shoes silent as usual, she caught the scent of blood. Uh oh.... That wasn't a good sign anywhere. Hurrying around a corner she caught a man coming out of the ally... One who deffinantly didn't fit in to this time, and her keen eyes caught the blood on the collar before he turned.

Jax hadn't heard any screams... So at least if the woman died it was a pleasureable one. Which of course meant he wasn't one of the murering types perhaps.

A literal hop, skip and jump could have taken her to the victem perhaps... But why not go straight to the perp?

"Hey... Blood sucker." She called out as she stopped along the sidewalk by the ally. "You leave her alive? Or am I gonna have more paperwork tomorrow night when they find her dead?" That in her mind was a reasonable question after all. She didn't have too much of a roblem with vampires killing... Just the ones who left her paperwork. That was always a bitch.

His shoes stopped clicking, and came together. Sighing again - it sounded more frustrated this time - he turned to look over his shoulder, raising one eyebrow at the female voice that had called to him. Green eyes scoured over her, taking in her appearance with a critical eye. He was in the art business - more or less. He had every reason to use the expression.

Whoever she was, she was young, and, by all appearances, still playing at human. Not that he could cast the first stone - he almost winced at the thought. Biblical parables still crept into his thoughts when he didn't think them. In any case, it wasn't as if he could condemn her for it. He was doing the same thing, was he not?

"Well, hello," Isidore all but drawled, with a slightly sarcastic tilt to his accented voice. Turning, he clasped his hands behind his back. "Could you be any less discrete?"

He shrugged, and made it look more graceful than it should have (on purpose). "She was alive when I left her. I have no reason to believe she will die. She'll wake up with a headache. I may send her a bottle of asprin as a parting gift."

His look became suspicious with a hint of mockery. "How does it concern you and your... paperwork, mam'selle?"

"I'm sure I could fine a way or two... Yeah acutally." Jax grinned at his first question. She was a police officer, she knew how to be as descrete or as obvious as possible.

Sticking her hands in her pockets as she walked towards him, Jax nodded. He seemed honest enough for a vampire, and one as old as he... With just a fledgling... Well, even if he had said she was dead, what could she really do about it.

"Fine by me then. I'm tired of dealing with murders that are obvious vampire feedings and having to cover them up. It's rather triesom and tedious after a year or so. You can only make up an odd excuse so many times before they begin to wonder." She gave her own shrug, a rather careless and jerky movement, especialy for a woman. Or a vampire for that matter.

Ah, Jax had always been reckless and clumsy, just like her father actually.

"But working with the local police gives me all kind of fun jobs." But of course she was still playing as human. It was all she really knew. For all intents and purposes she wasn't really a vampire. She hunted only out of nessecity, only killed the ones who deserved it.

"But I'm sure she would probably like the asprin... And some orange juice wouldn't be a bad bad either." She added as she put her hand up to her chin thoughtfully. Yeah... At least he wasn't one of those that made her work all night to cover up their stupidity.

Whatever he'd been expecting as an answer, it hadn't been that. People, in general, tended not to like him much. Despite this, he covered up his mild surprise with a charismatic smile and a slight incline in her direction. No need to refrain from at least pretending to be kind, courteous, and all the other things men had in romance novels.

"Of that," he said with regards to her abilities at being indiscrete, "I have no doubt." Backhanded compliment? Compliment? Insult? Who knew? It was just Isidore being himself.

He cocked his head to the side. "You look too young to be concerned with those sorts of things. Isn't that the job of the Amman?" The last word was said with mockery so thinly veiled, he might as well have spit on the ground to accentuate his point. He didn't - he'd been taught better than that.

If he could have heard her thoughts about 'not really being a vampire', Isidore would have laughed out loud. So far as he was concerned, if you drank blood, had a slight (or not-so-slight) allergy to sunlight and had lost most of your internal organs, there was no 'not really' about it. You were a vampire, and that was that.

It was probably a good thing that he didn't have telepathy.

"I believe you have stumbled onto the reason why vampires usually refrain from being involved with the authorities." He was smiling, but there was something in it that didn't seem quite genuine. "As for the orange juice, I'm not sure that's a fit parting gift. I wouldn't know, I haven't ever actually sent a woman juice."

He seemed to be making fun of himself now.

"Well, of course you wouldn't doubt. I'm a woman after all." She gave antoher one of her jerky shrugs. Yep. She might not have been a lady in any respects of the term, but she was still a woman. Two X chromosomes last she checked.

"The Amman? You're joking right?" Jax raised the eyebrows of her mismatched eyes. "I've been a vampire for maybe a year... No way I'm an Amman hun." She said with a snort. "Besides." She waved her hand carelessly as if to shoo away his thoughts of her being an Amman. "I've run into a few of them and they seem to have their sticks up their ass just a little too far and to the left." She said with complete honesty. Ah, if there were an Amman listening in, may they strike her down.

Oh... Nothing happened... Pity really.

"But I think it's cause they've been around too long. Hell, most of them don't even understand this world now." She grinned then before she spoke. "Seems as if you're having problems keeping up as well." She pointed out.

"But I work with the police because I dont' have anything else to devote myself to. Don't need to worry about a family or friends. Gotta have something to keep me out of trouble. Ya know, whatever they say about idle hands and all that stuff." Jax sighed and gave a shrug. But it was always good to be busy really. After all, what else was she gonna do?

"I'm Jax by the way. You got a name Mr. Charming, or what?"

"Too true," murmured Isidore. While he didn't want to brag - or maybe he did - he'd been with a large variety of women over the years, casual and serious. All, it seemed, had the ability to drive men insane. They could shift from lovely creatures to shrieking Gorgons in a matter of seconds, and over the silliest, most insignificant little things.

He tried to surpress the urge to roll his eyes, and failed. "I was not implying that you were Amman - I am not so stupid as that. I was merely pointing out that it shouldn't be your concern. The Amman want to keep everything hush-hush. Leave it to them." At her stinging appraisal of the Amman coven, he couldn't help but laugh. It was a deep sound. "I can't deny that." His green eyes were almost sparkling. "Although it is rare that anyone has the audacity to say so - anyone that isn't me, anyways."

Frowning, he looked down at himself. "I thought I fit in rather nicely." He was wearing dress slacks, a plain white shirt sans tie, and a long overcoat. A grin quirked his lips. "Besides, do not judge until you have seen me conducting business. When one deals with what I deal with, sometimes a little culture isn't a bad thing."

Isidore chuckled again. There was something sly on his face. "And who says you have to stay out of trouble? I find it far more fun to get into as much trouble as possible. It makes life seem less boring."

Considering her for a moment, he said, "Isidore Sauvageot."

"But the Amman are right." Jax said simply. "You've been around for a while I can tell, and even though I haven't there's one thing I know. People try to kill what they don't understand. What do you think would happen to all of us if they found out vampires were real? Do you think you'd be safe in whatever coven house or wherever you live?"

In her mind keeping their workd under wraps was something that every vampire should keep in mind.

She raised an eye however as he laughed at her. In truth it was a rather enjoyable sound... Something she hadn't heard in a while. But what exactly was he laughing at? Oh, her comment about the Amman. With another jerky shrug she spoke. "Ah, let them come find me if they don't like what I said. Just another unruly fledgling as far as they're concerned." She shook her head slightly. "But anyway." She waved her hand dismisivly and smiled as he looked down at himself.

"Ah no matter. Besides, business hasn't changed at all since the dawn of time." She said simply. "One man trying to get as much as he can while making sure the other man doesn't get exactly what he wants. Never been a fan of business or politics really. And I guess now neither of them have any use to me." She grinned as she ran her fingers through her short choppy hair. After all, there would just be years of people changing in and out of office, and none of it woudl really matter to her that she could see.

"Isidore, huh? Well I guess it's not as unusual as Jaxon." She gave a shrug along with her grin. "So what brung you here?" She asked, wanting to simply have a nice conversation. It had been a while since she had one of those with anyone really.

To that, Isidore had only one reply - a shrug. He could see what she meant, but that didn't necessarily mean that he believed it. It wasn't that he was about to give humanity a record of perfect morality; it was arrogance. It was the arrogance that a lot of the Ishak seemed to have. They, and by extension, Isidore, believed that if they chose to reveal themselves, there would be nothing that the humans could do about it.

Which, when you consider that there were telekinetics that could probably obliterate half a city using their mind, was a somewhat valid point.

"When I was your age, I didn't know anything about either," said Isidore. "As I got older, I found that it was simply easier as a means of gaining funds. I'm going to live forever - or, at least, a very long time. I would prefer to create a cache now, then spent the rest of my life working - unless, Ms. Policewoman, you would prefer that I resort to thievery?" He didn't add the again on the end of the sentence, but it hung there like a phantom. He also didn't mention that, periodically, he still did it.

One didn't confess all of one's sins in one go.

He was amused, and it showed. "Why, I think your deductive skills are failing you. I would have thought," he gestured to the office building, "that it would be apparent."

"That's Ms Police Captian to you." She grinned as she put her hands on her hips. "Or Captian Synclaire works just as well. But while you're in my neighborhood, you might want to refrain from such activities. I might not be the biggest or the oldest, but I can track just about anyone down, and hunt them like the dogs they are." And it was true, that in the past year she had gained a reputation down at the station for always getting her man, no matter where he tried to hide.

Vampire sences really did pay off now didn't they?

She raised her hands with a sigh as he chided her. "I meant the city first off, and is it so wrong to desire a simple conversation?" She asked honestly. "I mean hell... I'll be forever in my prime, my skills will exponentialy increase even as I grow older and I find it hard to kill myself. But I haven't a damn one to share the fun with." She gave a slight laugh as she shook her head slightly.

"Perfect example of tonight. My night off, what am I doing? Making sure vampires aren't causing havoc anywhere. Kinda like normal nights really. I haven't enjoyed a night off since before that big ball they threw around halloween of last year." God.... Had it really been that long? That was the night Henri left her... That was the night she realized that Corrigan would never really love her... God that night sucked... Not the worst though... Deffinantly not the worse. At least no one died that night.

"So do you have something against having a good conversation? Or did you come from one of those times and places where women were seen and not heard? I know I'm not one for looking at really, fair enough. But I can carry a pretty good conversation if given the chance."

Isidore leaned one shoulder against the wall, crossing his ankles as he regarded her. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind next time I try my hand at anything that falls outside the law - provided I leave traces that is." He was teasing her. "A dog, am I? Well, you're not the first woman to have said so." His tone was nonchalant; his eyes were laughing at her.

"You'll have to forgive me," he continued. "I wasn't sure exactly what you meant. I'm not sure if you can tell - probably not, as I am an incredible study - but English is hardly my first language. Verb tenses smattered all over the place, with no rhyme or reason." The sound he made showed perfectly well what he thought of that.

Oh, this was too much fun.

"Looking for a good time, are we? I didn't know I looked the sort to give one to you." Was that a double entendre, or was he just being friendly? Hard to say. He might even be mocking her. "I, personally, have nothing against conversation. I have even less against - what did you call it? A night off? To be perfectly honest, however, I'm not sure I'd be much for conversation."

Isidore made a show of looking humble. "Not that I'm not intelligent - I am, to be sure - but I am also a bit arrogant. You put the two together, and well, you have someone indisputably charming - modest, as well - but who has little to no regard for other people's feelings. If that's a chance you're willing to take, I suppose I'll have no choice to talk to you, since, despite your stunning recommendation of yourself in terms of appearance, I find you to be the most hideous person I've ever seen, and, well, I've always had too much pity for my own good."

Only his smile showed that he was joking - playing with her, if you will.

"As for women in my century - I wouldn't know. Women were rarely seen, and never heard. I was reduced to listening to the abbot scroll of sermons about death and life and God knows what else. It's enough to drive someone mad - or, in certain cases," exactly which cases were made clear by his grin, "sent them straight into the devil's arms. They were a whole lot comfier than a bed made of straw, let me tell you."

"Well if that's really the case, I probably won't be the last either." She grinned. This man was interesting no doubt... And though he was older... He never seemed to be speaking at her as mist might someone of her age and status in the vampire world.

She shrugged as he mentioned her looking for a good time. In reality though, she was simply looking for something to do.

The smirk on Jax's face grew wider as he spoke of being intellegent, arrogant, little reguard for other's feelings. Hah... for a moment there she had thought Isidore had been talking about her. And she nearly laughed as he was talking about her. But only the smirk still showed. It kind of felt nice... She had never minded the teasing. It always reminded her of when she was little, her friends and family, they would all tease each other, it was a way that they all showed they cared odd enough. it made her feel comfortable with him, knowing that he could take a joke or too and lighten the mood with his own.

But the smirk was replaced by a puzzled look as he spoke of abbots and scrolls of a fiery hell and the devils arms. "When are you from anyway?" She asked, tilting her head curiously. Dark ages abouts? Cause that was it seemed like to her after all those history classes. "But yeah... The devil's arms can be a nice place to rest for a while, but I dunno if I would recomend living there." She gave a slight shrug. After all, her mortal life not once had she drank, not once had she smoked or used any sort of drugs. It would have completely ruined her chances at anything, taken the edge off of her competitivness. No way she would risk her body.

Well back then anyway. Admittedly Jaxon was falling further and forther to the wayside now that she didn't have to worry. And it was kinda nice really, just to kick back and relax. She didn't think she could get drunk though... So she'd never experiance that. But she could always feel a little less nervous, more open after a while. Besides, it was pretty good money drinking men under the table. An oddly large amount of people paid to see things like that...

"Then again though, If you don't have to worry, why not just jump in." She pondered out loud. After all... What the force didn't know, couldn't possibly hurt.

Laughing again, Isidore shook his head. "No, I do not doubt that you are but the latest in a long line yet to come." Perhaps it had something to do with his unusual upbringing - way back when - but Isidore didn't like to lord over people. Having been born a serf, it seemed silly to think himself above anyone.

Except, perhaps, with the exception of the people who worked for him. He was their boss, he wrote their paychecks - in some ways he was above them. Especially when they commited a rather stupid mistake.

He rolled his eyes upwards as if he were counting the years in his mind. "Oh, I'd say... seven hundred and fifty years ago? Thereabouts? I don't know. I've never actually kept track of the passing years as well as I should have. I was born in the 13th century, sometime." Isidore waved the comment away like it wasn't really that important. To him, it wasn't. He tried to leave behind all vestiges of who he'd once been, tried being the operative word.

"Well, I'm not exactly living, am I? Touch my flesh, and it will be chilled. I would say you were exactly right if you were speaking to someone who was, technically, alive, but us? What's to stop us? We won't kill ourselves with it. And let me enlighten you to a small fact - after centuries of being a 'good guy', it does get a little tedious. I'm sure that not even the Amman are innocent of debauchery and bloodshed."

Grinning, he said, "Why not indeed? Unless you're afraid of being caught..."

He let his voice trail off, but the challenge was there.

Nodding as he spoke of his age, she deemed that she had guessed right. Much older than she had thought at first meeting him, but still not too old that- Well... In a fight against him she probably wouldn't be able to hold her own... But he didn't seem that type, lucky enough for her of course.

She walked forward with a little smile as he said that they were no longer really living. Jaxon shook her head with that smile. "Some of us are still sort of warm..." She said quietly as she reached her hand out to touch his cheek gently. Thought it was pale there was still a bit of human warmth to it even in the night. "The joys of being a fledgling I suppose." But indeed his flesh was cold... Cold as Henri's had been really. She had always longed to hold him, warm him against her... A useless maternal instinct perhaps...

"But I think... Though we might not be alive... I know it sounds stupid but we still live. We still grow and learn and better ourselves one way or another. Don't we? And I've always thought of that as living. Hell there are some humans wo don't really live." She very nearly reached out to touch him again, missing that contact. She had never had it growing up and then she had been pampered with it, only to have it all torn away. But no matter.

"And honestly, I've been learning that myself. It's not like I can get cancer anymore. Or a beer belly or even get drunk. So I've been letting myself go." She grinned. Her father would have been ashamed of her... Probably. But she could still do everything she needed to for her job and more. So where was the real problem.

"Afraid of getting caught?" Jax gave a little snort. "Hardly, Isidore. If I were afraid of getting caught I wouldn't still be working for the police yet get away with murder nearly every other night." She pointed out. her job would probably be at risk only if she were caught in the act or with the blood on her lips. But then again since it was criminals and low lifes, no one would probably really care that she killed them, only that she was a vampire.

"You got something in mind there or what?" She asked curiously, wondering why he had trailed off.

Isidore? The type to fight young fledglings because of their age? No. Oh, he'd fight you for another of other reasons - you stepped on his toes, you insulted his hair, you made some offensive remark about the French - but he wouldn't fight you based on age alone. Where was the fun in that?

He stood still, watching her with careful eyes as she came closer. The smile on her face didn't allude to something sinister, but one could never be too suspicious. When her hand touched his cheek, he had to refrain from leaning into it. It had been a long time since he'd touched another vampire - still almost-human or not - and, it was, well, nice, he supposed. To her remark about still being 'sort of' warm, he said, "Yes, it would seem that you are."

And left it at that.

"Have you been thinking about it a great deal, then?" His tone was light, but his eyes weren't, not completely. Isidore shrugged with one shoulder. "I can't deny what you say - at least not about the growing and learning. I'm not certain about the bettering one's self part. It depends on what you mean. If you mean that we all become better people - I had to disillusion you, but that simply is not the case. Compared to who I used to be, I am a demon now." He paused, and seemed to think about that. "Of course, compared to who I used to be, the whole damn modern world is full of demons."

A look of mock horror crossed his face. "No! Surely not this city's finest! What would your peers think, you, wandering the streets, leaving bodies in your wake?" His chuckle was dark. "I'm not sure I would have pegged you for the type. I would think that police officers would have a certain sense of righteousness that wouldn't lend itself to bloodthirsty killings. I thought that there was only one in our little group of two that killed on a semi-regular basis."

Oh, dear! Wasn't this precious? "Nothing so concrete as that, I'm afraid. But I'm sure I could think of something."

Isidore could have been the devil in that moment, were one judging solely by appearances.

"Trying to validate a reason for still existing I guess." Her smile turned almost helpless as she shrugged. But wasn't that what everyone, human or vampire was trying to do? She didn't know, but she held her tongue, not wanting to say anything foolish. After all, she was no great philosopher and she knew it.

"Well, maybe not bettering in the case of some people and some situations, but some vampires manage to better themselvs and not simply become hollow demons of their former selves." Jax said thoughtfully, wondering if she was on that road to becoming a monster of sorts... The smile was slipping slowly from her face. What if she became like Henri's sire. If he could be something like that, and she was a decendant of his blood... Would something like that soon consume her? Henri seemed to be fighting it still nearly eight, nine hundred years later. Maybe it was just the man he was.

But that smile returned as she saw his face in reaction to her killing. "Don't judge a book by it's cover darlen'. Besides, I just kill the ones who deserve it ya know? Come across one of those demons you talk about, I lighten the police load a bit." Jaxon gave a little shrug. "Besides, I wouldn't call them blood thirsty. I can't drink dead blood so I usualy just kill them some other way after I'm full. And that make for a good cover up for the police..." This time it was her turn to trail off as she saw a look come over his face. It was one that sent shivers down her spine, made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

"I'm almost afraid to ask what that mind of yours is cooking up." Jax gave him an almost hesitant smirk.

Corrigan had that look sometimes... That was when they were first together. She didn't know what it really was, but there was a mixture of excitement and apprehension in her, not knowing exactly what he could possibly think of.

His expression softened a smidge, but only that. "Isn't that what religion is supposed to be for?" True enough. They were always telling you why you were there, what your purpose was, what happened if you didn't follow the rules, yadda yadda. "You want to know what I've discovered? The reason for existing - is to exist. Not the most enlightened approach to life, but at least I'm honest."

Or a jerk. Whichever works.

"It would seem that I am not one of them."

He didn't sound particularly sorry about it.

Pushing away from the wall, Isidore held his hands clasped behind his back. "Oh, I don't know. I always make a habit of judging books by their covers. That way, if it's godawful looking, but it turns out to be a decent read, I'm pleasantly surprised." His nose wrinkled. "I can't even understand why anyone would want to drink dead blood. I can see where it might be handy, but the taste... Even if I could, I wouldn't drink it."

Isidore took a step closer. "I'm almost afraid to think up something, and leave you unimpressed by my imagination. Perhaps it's better that we leave it be, hm?" He chucked her chin gently, and started to walk - slowly though, in a silent invitation for her to join him if she so wanted.

Just to exist? But what was the point in wandering around without anything to set your mind to? "But why get out of bed every night just to wander around alone? To do the same thing every day without any goal, without any reason?" Jax asked herself aloud. She personaly didn't see the point, which was why she kept her job, tried to blend in with the humans she knew even before she was a vampire.

But she shrugged and continued on. it wasn't important anyway really... To each their own oppinion.

"Well I only had it once out of mistake... Wasn't too pleasent at all... But that could have just been the after effects... The whole practicaly dying thing didn't particularly agree with me too much I must admit." She mused.

But Jaxon fell silent as he stepped closer. A little smirk hinted at the corner of her mouth as she spoke softly. "If it's better than hunting down vampires, I'd probably be up for it." She shuddered though at the cold touch of his hand, a tingling sensation running down her spine.

Following him automaticly, there was no way in hell she was just going to stand there. She had been waiting for someone to talk to for a while. Someone who was interesting, didn't grate her nerves and didn't smell too bad. Yeah, her over sensitive nose was beginning to be a problem. But hey, she found someone. Someone who was also willing to put up with her too. Well, at least for a little while.

"So... Did you have an idea or not?"

Isidore sighed like he were trying to explain quantum physics to a four year old. "Do you really believe you need some external reward and goal - some heaven - in order to make you move forward? In order make you live?" He shook his head. "I didn't say you had to be alone - you can be with plenty of people. And I certainly didn't say you had to do the same thing each night. Why do you need to believe that there is some omnipotent being sitting upon His high throne, setting your goals for you? Why not just believe that you can set your own goals, and reach for them?"

He paused. "When I say that the purpose of life is to exist, I don't mean just to exist. To do things, to experience things. You don't have to become a better person for it, and you don't necessarily have to learn anything either. Most people - mortal people - spend their entire lives trying to escape from death, to experience more. We have that chance. Isn't that reason enough to exist?"

Laughing softly at her, he said, "No, I didn't find the taste of death too sweet either. Rather disgusting and putrid, truth be told."

One foot in front of the other, in what would have looked like a leisurely stroll. He looked at her once, that devilish expression back on his face, before looking away. "I suppose I could tell you," he teased, "but that would take away all the surprise. You must never think too hard on any subject, so when you have a good one, you have to make it count. I have an idea, but it might require some preparation." He stopped walking, and backed up, looking at her from the feet upwards.

"Hm."

Not exactly the most impressive of compliments.

"Ah." She commented. "When I think if simply existing, I just think of a zombie or something... Just a shell, no purpose. But God? I don't believe in God. Haven't since my parents were murdered." Jax told him, not letting him think for a moment that she believed in some 'higher calling' or any bullshit like that. She'd leave that to other people. "I don't aim for any heavenly goal, I just aimed to bring criminals to their knees, to make them face the wrong and suffer as their victims did... I know that doesn't sound like a police officer, but I don't care. That's always been my motive... My goal." She said simply as she walked on, just behind him.

"And I don't really need anyone to validate my life either. I do what I do and I don't have to worry about it with anyone else, or have to think for anyone else but me. I always wanted a family, but I accepted long ago that I would probably never get married, never have children and all that. And well I guess my gut didn't lead me wrong." Jax laughed slightly. First she had always thought Drake would kill everyone who got close to her, but now. Now that she was a vampire she couldn't have kids, and as much as she would like to think love laster litteraly forever, she didn't think that was the case this time.

"But whatever ya know." A little shiver when up her spine as he looked back with those eyes, making her fall silent and listen to what he was saying.

"Well.. I like surprises... If they're good ones anyway." Jax gave a hesitant smile as she stood still, not knowing just what kind of 'surprise' this was really going to be. It was almost scary in truth, because she wasn't sure just what he could come up with. He had seen a great deal more than she had... And it would be crazy to think that he couldn't come up with something she'd never heard of, let alone done.

But... Why was he staring at her like that... Taking her in from her dirty tennis shoes, to her mussed and slightly torn jeans, to her slightly worn unit hoodie and tossled hair. She looked like a woman who was desperatly trying to hold on to her remaining youth. But she was just trying to be comfy really. Heck, she was still in her twenties, hadn't yet hit the big 3-0 mark.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Her tone wasn't accusitory, nor what it offended. It was soft, curious in nature as she stood there, almost afraid as he reguarded her. What was his mind stewing up... He was almost like Corrigan in these respects... He always looked at her with judging, hungry eyes... But rarely ever said a word to her. Was he the same type as Corrigan? She didn't know yet.

Isidore laughed at the word zombie, though he became thoughtful - but not entirely without humour. "You're right: it doesn't sound like a police officer. It sounds like honesty. What people think and what really is rarely go hand in hand." He shook his head. "You should work on that."

That being honesty. He wasn't a big fan of it - usually.

Green eyes looked at her. "That's terribly depressing. If you want to know the truth, I never wanted children. Ever. I thought I might when I was a young boy, but instead I became pious."

Where the hell did that go? Only God could say, and he and Isidore weren't really on speaking terms. Hard to be, when one didn't believe in the other.

Which was which was anyone's guess.

Seeing her a little nervous - not noticeable, really - made him smile. "I'm trying to decide how you'd look in an expensive dress," he said. "Rather well, I think." Oh, he was some charmer, this one. "You might need one. We obviously couldn't go tonight... it's not happening tonight. When did he say...? You'd have to have some shoes to go with. Can't have... no."

Yes, he was muttering to himself. It was the first sign of insanity.

He looked at her, frowning. "Which branch of the police station do you work at? On a typtical evening, where would you be?"

"Yeah... I didn't think I did... Well I didnt' think it would ever happen. I always wanted to join the Navy SEAL's too. But they don't accept women... Two life goals shot down." She grinned. "I just always thought it would be nice to have a real family for once since I was like eight." She gave her eyes a slight roll.

A man like him? Pious? Rather hard to believe in her opinion. But then again, she hadn't known him when he was a boy then.

Jax had never been religious. Her mother had been... Especialy in the later days when she became depressed and started having her fits... There had been something wrong with her, and she always asked God to heal her. But he hadn't done a damn thing. Jaxon was a here and now kind of person. If she could see it, feel it, then was it real.

Shaking her head as he spoke again, she could have sworn she mishears Isidore.

"Excuse me?" She said curiously. "How would I look in an expensive dress?" She gave a little snort of laughter and shook her head. "Riddiculous. That's how I would look Isidore. I might be a woman, but I've never, ever, claimed to be a lady. It's not my style, I'm sorry." The last time she had even worn a dress was that damned ball. And she felt like a tool the entire time. Just something to look pretty. She'd be damned if she ever did that again.

"I'll do a pants suit. And maybe a skirt suit depending on the style, but over my cold, stiff body will you get me in a dress." She couldn't exactly say 'dead body' but she wasn't cold or stiff yet.

"Look at it this way - you've got about five billion years to make new goals. That's when the sun is supposed to expand and destroy the planet. Unless, of course, you die before then, but let's not focus on the negative, shall we?" Ironic, considering he liked to focus on the negative as much as possible. People rarely stayed around long enough to figure that out.

Ridiculous in a dress? He somehow doubted that. He was on the verge of making the assinine comment, Oh yeah? So prove it when he bit his tongue to stop himself. Instead, Isidore put his hands in his pockets and sighed.

"I suppose a pants suit would work better. Or even some expensive trousers with a nice top." Did anyone use trousers nowadays? Well, him apparently. He stroked his chin. "Something dark - this isn't going to be a particularly happy affair, I don't suppose... But not too dark, because they won't know that..."

Waving his hand, he continued, "Yes, yes, I suppose that will do. I don't believe you ever told me where to find you, though."

Was he trying to stalk her? No. He was trying to be polite. If he wanted to stalk her, he probably had the ressources to do it. Much nicer just to ask.

Dark colored dress clothing? Not a happy affair, but they didn't know it? What was he talking about? "Are you getting married or something?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. But what the hell was he talking about? Jaxon could honestly say he had thurogly confused her.

"Huh? Oh, I just work at Hedquarters. You can find me easy enough." She said simply.

But she gave a dismisive wave of her had as if it wasn't important, and indeed it wasn't.

"So what is all this about? I don't like being jerked around in circles with no clue where I'm going. And I'm not sure if I particularly like you dressing me with your eyes." Because hell, he was probably undressing her as well.

But... What was all that for anyway? She hadn't heard of another ball occuring or anything. She wouldn't go even if there was... And she would never join up with one of those covens that Henri had told her about, so that was useless. But he still might have been part of a coven... Not like she'd go to any coven functions... Large groups of vampires, most older than her... She didn't like it one bit. She'd never really been a fan of group events... Or crowded places anyway. In all her years in florida she'd not once been to Disney World or Orlando Studios. Too many people.

"You going to tell me or just keep it a little secret? And I particularly don't like secrets. Especialy when someone is trying to dress me up. I don't like that at all. Besides, my dress uniform would suffice for any formal affair." And she liked her dress uniform just fine. She could have gotten the skiry, but no. Of course not. She'd opted for the women's blouse of sorts and the tailored pants. It looked just fine and it was rather comfey of not starched too much.

((OOC: Sorry this took so long.))

Isidore sighed dramatically, clasping his hands in front of him and looking up at the sky as if to ask Why? "You don't like surprises? The excitement? The thrill of not knowing?" He looked at her like she was something interesting that had crawled out from under the bed. "Well, I suppose you are police - and your type doesn't like not knowing, do they?"

He sighed again, less dramatically this time, but hanging his head. It lasted for a moment, before he grinned, looking at her through his eyelashes. "You mentioned wanting to give justice to those that defile it? Well, that's what I try to do too."

Yeah, okay. Sometimes. When it benefited him.

"That's where I'm heading tomorrow. To give out justice - but not just any kind! There is much to be said for bloody retribution, but there are far more intelligent things to be said about poetic justice. Of course, if you accompany me, you'd have to do a little play-acting, or it simply wouldn't work."

Yes, he was now being vague on purpose, but at her comment about her dress uniform, he started laughing. "I don't think that would do - not unless you want to walk into a..." Isidore thought about the terminology for a moment. "A... criminal's lair if you will. You'd be a bird at a cat convention, and I'd have to leave you at home."

"No. I became an officer because I like to know what's going on. I'm a naturaly curious person." She said in an off-handed manner as if it were nothing of interest. Besides, if I have to get dressed up, I always like to know why. Because perhaps there's a way around it."

As he spoke of 'justice' and 'bloody retribution she wondered just how much paperwork this man would end up causing her.

"Hold it Isidore." Jax said sharply as he mentioned a criminal's lair. "Just what is this place now? You better tell me because I don't want those guys casuing trouble for my men. Especialy if it's vampire trouble. I've done enough cover-ups for our whole kind I don't want to try to explain a whole team of cops dead." She said as she crossed her arms stubornly.

"Believe me. You wanna see 'bloody retrbution'? Just kill a cop and see what ends up happpening to you or whoever kills the cop. Cause it won't be pretty I can guarin-damn-tee it."

Isidore raised an eyebrow at her, looking like his balloon of fun had been popped. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to make himself enthused again. It didn't seem to work.

"That," he said, with emphasis, "is terribly boring." Once upon a time, he had thrived on order. That was over seven hundred years ago. Now he was a man of his whims, and he was arrogant enough to want everyone to submit to them. To be fair, though, he did do things thinking that other people would find them amusing or interesting. Not always just because he wanted to, you see.

Sucking in unneeded air in through his nose, he turned around and started to walk away - albeit slowly. "They won't cause trouble for anyone. That's the point. They're not vampiric, and they're especially careful to stay out of the way of the police. Could damage their reputations, you see. Almost-white-collar crime at its best."

He paused, and turned to look at her, suddenly amused again. "You've 'done enough cover-ups' have you? Well then, I'd tell you to just throw in the towel right now. It's going to get worse before it gets better, dear. If you feel you've done enough now, you're going to get sloppy one of these days."

His feet started to move again. "Let's just say that Father Dearest of said certain crime organization trusts me - and it required no little work on my part, let me tell you. I used to be a lawyer, you know. One of my many incarnations. He needs to draw up a will. But, hm. I wonder. Who will he leave his money to - his sons, or his faithful friend?" He opened his eyes wide at her over his shoulder, all innocence. "It would be a major blow to his sons if they got not a dime, don't you think?"

His laugh wasn't all pleasant.