Dmitri had watched the woman for some time now and he knew who had come with her, but he wasn't worried, he was a lot older than the man. Yet the woman was very attractive and she was new to the vampire world, that wouldn't deter him, he wanted to get to know her. He wanted to see how pretty she truly was under that mask.

Dmitri took his mask off, he found that it clouded his vision. As a hunter she didn't like to have his eyes blocked. He continued to watch her, sipping on his blood drink, it wasn't as good as fresh blood, but it would do for tonight. His eyes never left the young vampiress.

Brandy moved through the crowd in the (literally) underground party with the air of a girl who knew what she was doing but was innocent all the while. In truth, she was simply enjoying the feeling of dancing to the beat of her own drum, so to speak. Let's face it - the music wasn't exactly upbeat. In fact, it had a very dark feel to it. It was...well, let's just say it wasn't at all what she was used to listening to. Then again, when you had a computer with a shitload of music videos saved to your computer and a CD player on which to play CDs ripped from those videos, it was a little hard not to be critical of other peoples' music. But she wasn't worried about it. Hey, there was free blood - blood she didn't have to hunt for. And it was so...delicious. That was the only way to describe it, really, even though the feelings it gave off when she drank blood, fresh or otherwise, weren't really explainable - not in words, anyway. Joy, ecstacy...such words didn't come close. Getting high was like a thing of the past to Brandy - not that she'd ever done so. She didn't get drugs. She just didn't. But it was the best analogy she could come up with. She finally finished her fourth glass of blood and set the glass down on a table filled with other empty glasses. Then she took a look around. Some guy was watching her. She stared right back at him with slightly raised eyebrows in a 'You want something?' kind of look.

Dmitri's eyes had never left her as she moved around in the crowd. He had seen her down those blood drinks with a speed that was surprising. Blood was meant to be savored, not downed.

When she noticed him, he grinned. Good intuition. He stopped his leaning and moved towards her. He went to her and grinned at her. He leaned and whispered in her ear. "Blood is meant to be savored, young one." He leaned back and took a sip from his own drink.

"I see. Well, maybe you just savor it more slowly than I do."

She smiled. It was her usual smile, but she'd been told that it made her look sweet, like a little girl, and as devious as the devil herself at the same time. Of course, she'd also been told that it made her look like a sex doll who knew what the fuck she was doing. And she'd put a busted shot glass into the guy's thigh for it. Prick. Only Josh could talk to her like that. Only Josh.

Come to think of it, she was starting to think he was more than just a friend with benefits. Who knew? Maybe she'd go steady with the guy just to see what happened. For now, though, there was only the party to worry about.

"So. Enjoying yourself?"

She didn't bother asking how old he was. He must be pretty old if he was calling her 'young one'. She hated that - it was condescending - but she let it go. No need to start a fight when she was enjoying herself - even if the music was a bit dry.

Dmitri raised an eyebrow. Alrighty then, so being nice with her was going to be a lot harder. He wasn't the social type but he was actually making an effort. So he decided to say the first thing that came to mind. "If you keep smiling that way, some people might take it in a way that you won't appreciate. Tarepha like to cause fear and you could be a prime suspect." He was warning her. "Unless you like to be afraid."

"Enjoying myself? Actually I am, but you don't seem to be enjoying yourself. Are you enjoying yourself or is something not to your liking?" He looked at her and wondered who had changed her and what had been their reasoning behind it.

She shrugged. Yeah, it was okay. It wasn't the kind of party she was used to, but there was free blood and she wanted to meet some of the vampires throughout the city besides.

"They could do with a little better music. But other than that, it's okay. I like the post," she said, indicating the post that had mortals trapped inside it. "And I take it those peoples' eyes are gouged out? Which would explain the blood. Good effect."

Somehow, it didn't bother her. In fact, she was strangely attracted to the whole thing. The music was the only problem for her. She saw it as more of a metal scene than a classical scene, herself. Of course, she also saw classical music as the stuff that people with frilly shirts and tight cotton pants and funny hats wore back when horse-drawn carriages were in style.

Dmitri nodded. "I suppose that I understand about the music. Just so you know, this is some of the music they play at the Sinister Puppet, I suppose that the coven leader didn't want to change it around too much, she likes things to stay the same." He liked the same thing truthfully. If things changed too much, he would adapt but he preferred it, if it didn't.

He looked at the post and then at the people. "I can't say for sure if their eyes are gouged but they are bleeding and gouging would be a fair assumption. Like you, i like the posts, we should get some of these at the coven, they would be nice in our living quarters." He paused thoughtfully and downed his drink. "I wonder if I could get one in my room."

She studied him briefly.

"You're Tarepha, aren't you?"

It was the way he talked, mostly, about the room about him. As though it were commonplace. Perhaps he was used to being a vampire. Brandy had at least mastered her present abilities, but she was still getting used to being what she now was. She even liked it, now - loved it, actually. She had a special gift when it came to dancing, but that gift went into super overdrive now that she was a vampire.

Dmitri bowed to her. "Yes I am. Your observation skills are good, either that or you simply listened to me talk." He chuckled. "I don't usually talk so much." He glanced up at her and studied her, it was more than simply looking. He actually paid attention to her body posture. He was in a relaxed one, yet in a moment he could tense to alertness. He was a warrior, it was aside effect to being one. He was always ready.

"Since I've been talking so much about myself, why don't you talk about yourself? I can tell that you are fairly new to this side of the world. How did it happen?" He was simply curious though young vampires seemed more run of the mill lately then ever and he wondered how this one had found herself in this lifestyle.

"Badly," she said in a dry tone. "Let's put it this way. If my Sire had been mortal, he'd be dead."

She smiled. Actually, it was more of a smirk than a smile. Still, it got the message across: arrogance was a beautiful thing sometimes. Sometimes, it was fun to gloat. But she was simply stating a fact, though.

"I was a fighter."

She shrugged, her lovely pale shoulders a smooth, fluid motion. It was the grace of a vampire that did that. As a mortal, it would have seemed like she was merely shrugging; as a vampire, every move she made was like a piece of a perfectly choreographed dance. And her dancing, for which she'd had a tremendous talent as a mortal? She was a fucking goddess on the dance floor as a vampire. It was the one thing she'd truly excelled at as a mortal, and now - comparing her two selves, mortal and vampire - the mortal Brandy was nothing compared to what the vampire Brandy was capable of.

"But I've grown to like it, though. The power, the grace, the huge advantage...and of course, my friend Josh is really supportive and helpful. He prepared me for this masquerade ball, in fact. What about you? How'd you get into this - this 'underworld', or whatever you call it?"

Dmitri listened and his mind registered to everything she did and every movement her body did. His eyes never left her, but unlike most men, he actually listened. He was genuinely interested, besides she was beautiful to look at and she had mastered the agility that came with being a vampire. "I would have to say that you adapted quite well." That couldn't be said of all vampire, some never adapted.

"How was i turned? Well it was over a millennium ago and I killed my sire to get away from him. I was nothing but a pet to him, and simply very lucky to be able to kill him, I bless the fact that I'm free to be every day." He liked being a vampire and being free. "The only thing that ties me up is my fledgling, but he's pretty much self-sufficient."

Brandy nodded, slightly unsure of herself all of a sudden. She shifted her weight slightly, shrugging, averting her eyes, and attempting to shake off an indescribable feeling.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I don't know how I feel about the whole thing, actually. You know, the whole killing thing."

She shook her head and looked back up at him, drawing in a breath.

"I mean, to an extent I'm revolted by it. I'm killing so that I can survive. That's hard to deal with, y'know? But at the same time," she said thoughtfully, averting her eyes again for a moment before returning them to his face. They searched unconsciously, as though seeking approval - though Brandy would have denied it completely, of course. She set her jaw and finished her sentence. "At the same time, I think I'm starting to like it. The life draining from the mortals, the last light fading like a lamp turned down...the feeling of power, of control..."

She was a hair's breadth from a small smile as she spoke, and there was almost a gleam in her eyes as she spoke of it. Yes, she was beginning to like the killing. That, in part was what scared her - if only a bit. But in her mind, she might as well as embrace it. She shrugged again, more strongly and confidently this time, as though the moment of weakness had passed.

Dmitri smirked. "You would fit right in her you know. The Tarepha really like people that are like you. We enjoy the power that comes with the kill and the fear we can instill in the mortals." He wrapped an arm around her shoulder. He couldn't help but think that he was touching her. "Have you thought about joining a coven?"

She could have decided to go solo, some vampires did that. A lot of younger vampires looked for the security of covens, safety in numbers. He had joined because it had felt right and he had felt a lot better joining it. "So why did you come to the Masquerade, if you didn't have to?"

Brandy moved so fast that any given vampire might, at first glance, have thought that Brandy had never been where she'd previously stood in the first place. Suddenly Dmitri's arm was resting on nothing but air and Brandy, her arms folded across her plump breasts and her lips pursed as her eyes perused Dmitri in a sudden and very cold glare, stood in a rigid position a few feet from Dmitri.

"Don't touch me," she said, not even the slightest hint of tenderness in her voice any longer. It was a deadly voice, one of calm that spoke of power. In truth, Brandy wasn't even sure where, precisely, it had come from. But her visage and stance didn't change in the slightest. "No offense," she said with that same icy tone, "but I don't know you, and I don't like being touched - not in that manner, anyway - by people that I don't know. Probably why I fought Hale so damn much, come to think of it," she said with a wry, yet still cold, tone of voice. Again, her visage never changed.

"As to your question, yes. I have thought about joining a coven. I'm just not sure which one yet. I'll either join the Ishak, which is my Sire's coven, or - more likely, considering what I've seen here tonight - the Tarepha."

She listened calmly, yet coldly - she was still angry about the vampire before her put his arm on her shoulders in an all-too-familiar manner - to his next question.

"Primarily, I came because I wanted to meet other vampires - but not to hook up with them."

That solitary statement said very well what her opinion of Dmitri's previous action was, and what it most likely meant.

"But Josh wanted to see me here, as he was coming, so I came for him, as well. Besides, I was curious."

Yes, there were multiple reasons for her coming tonight. Still, it was primarily Josh that served as her reason for being here. She hadn't seen him more than once or twice since arriving tonight, though. He knew far more people than she did, but he also knew that Brandy liked to explore on her own and find things out for herself, rather than having someone guide her everywhere.

Dmitri looked at her and then grinned. "Sorry i like to touch people, whether it is to cause pain or pleasure. I overstepped a boundary and I apologize for that. Forgive me for being an idiot. I don't have much experience on the social side, then again maybe I'm just lonely." He wasn't looking for pity and didn't expect any from her, he simply said it as it was. He had been in love and that woman had left, so now he had nothing but his fledgling which he never saw, so he was basically alone. Craving a bit of physical attention, he would get over it eventually.

At the mention of Ishak he straightened. "Your sire is an Ishak?" He felt sorry for her. "I'm sorry to hear that. You have my condolences. How is it to have been changed by him? It probably wasn't easy." He hesitated. "Again I am sorry."

After a brief moment, Brandy nodded curtly. Apology accepted, apparently. She dropped her hands to her side, and though her voice warmed up a bit, her gaze was no warmer than it had been for the last minute or two. It did take on a tone of dry humour, though, as she answered Dmitri's question to her.

"He's an ass hole. Hale doesn't give a shit about anyone."

She paused thoughtfully for a moment before continuing.

"Although...I think I'm like him to an extent. Arrogant, I mean. But I think I'm starting to be more like the Tarepha than anything else."

She grinned mischievously, the look and tone gone and her stance no longer menacing, or even challenging.

"Although Josh would probably be shocked if I chose the Tarepha for a coven."

She shrugged, still smiling.

"Josh is Enashe, but he's cool. Great in bed," she said, grinning again, to see what his reaction would be. She thought it was funny to make men nervous, though vampires she wasn't so sure would be quite so nervous. Even as a mortal, though, she'd liked to tease the boys. That was probably the oddest part about her, too. She generally knew how to avoid getting touched familiarly by guys, and she could take care of herself anyway - now more than ever, of course - yet she just loved to see their reactions when she made them sweat.

"Anyway, he'd probably laugh it off and wonder about me for the rest of eternity even while he was getting it on with me."

She had a little laugh at that.

Well at least she had forgiven him, that was ok. Well at least she warmed up to him. "What makes you think that you are more like a Tarepha then something else, like an Ishak for example. There are some similarities between the vampire that live at those two covens but there are more differences then similarities."

He raised an eyebrow at her comment and chuckled. "In the vampire world they often say that older vampires have more experience and that is in many ways, yet you seem bent on a young vampire." His smirk turned into a grin. "You have no idea what great in bed is, besides I would think that someone like you would settle for the wow factor, not simply great." He shook his head in mock disappointment and then tilted his head. "Are you truly that serious with him and exclusive?" A surprise perhaps, considering most vampires after they got over the shook of being turned, they wanted to experiment in many ways.

Actually, Brandy wasn't quite certain just why she stayed with Josh. He was very cute, very handsome, very charming, and great in bed...but really, other than that, what redeeming qualities did he truly have? Still...there was something about him that just - turned her on. She hated to admit it, but maybe she really did like the guy. Not that she would admit any of this to a guy, of course. That was the stuff of girl talk, after all, and what came out in the pillow parties stayed in the pillow parties.

Brandy shrugged in response to the man's query regarding Josh.

"As to the Tarepha...I don't know. Like I said, I'm still debating. I haven't really picked a 'home' yet."

She blocked off his question, he returned to his customary smirk. "You like him, can't hide that from me." He tapped his nose gently. "My nose is extremely sensitive, it can sense things as small as a hormonal change and something in you changed, so you like the guy. Young, innocent love. I'll be honestly with and burst your happy bubble. It's not going to last forever, considering we are immortal, it will last a long time, but not forever. I simply want to make you aware, sorry if it upsets you." Did he care? Not really, he was simply being honest, it was better that she was aware of it than blindly thinking love between vampires lasted. Maybe she would be lucky, it was possible, but not very.

"Think about it. A coven can protect you when you need it and very often even when you are wrong, well a few people might, but the coven leader's word is law, even not your own."

Brandy cocked an eyebrow at the statement that it wouldn't last and said cooly, "Oh, really? And how would you know? I doubt every vampire on Earth has broken up with 'the one', or has had 'the one' break up with them. And even if it doesn't last, it's at least fun for a while."

She did wonder, though. She wondered what it would be like, living with Josh, practically living in his bed. As it was, they already got to it four or five times a week. Each time they did, they couldn't seem to keep their hands off of each other. But that was neither here nor there. The point was, she wondered. Besides, she liked to learn things for herself - even if something was learned the hard way.

Then Dmitri mentioned the covens again, bringing the conversation back around once more.

"True."

She paused, pondering.

"I hear the Sinister Puppet is the Tarepha HQ, or whatever vamps call it. Some kind of club, or something. What's it like? And what's the inner sanctum or whatever like? You know, where only Tarepha are allowed? I might as well know the covens before I choose one, right?"

Dmitri snorted. "You believe in that 'the one' crap? Alright for the sake of the argument we'll say that you do and we'll say that it exists which I doubt. What makes you think that he is the one, that he is the one that will realize all your dreams and your desires?" He lifted an eyebrow. "Because vampires are so long live, we change with time, therefore it would only make sense that 'the one' would change with time." He shrugged his shoulders. "Doesn't it make sense?"

He took a sip and a small smile came to his lips. "Take your time to choose a coven, you want to make sure that you choose the right one. Besides you would only feel uncomfortable being in the wrong one."

"I never said he was 'the one'. I was just asking if every vamp in the world really broke up with the one they married. I'm sure some must still be married, perhaps even happily. I don't know about Josh yet. I guess it's like choosing a coven, really. I haven't experience enough of him, so I don't know if it should get any more serious with him - let alone if it will," she finished dryly. Speaking of the devil himself, he was just a short distance away. He grinned and waved, and - without looking at him, but with a small smile on her pretty face - she waved back.

"Anyway, you're right about the covens. From the sound of things, they're like families. I choose my family and stick with them, both when things are going and when things aren't going so good. So yeah, I do agree that I need to take my time on this."

Dmitri shrugged. "Perhaps not every vampire has broken up, but most of them has and they are happier this way. I've been with people that I loved deeply and it never worked in the end. Just as mortals we are always changing and because of that nothing stays the same. Even though often we will say, we are who we are, we can't always know who we are exactly."

Dmitri nodded. "You are right and very intelligent, because that is exactly what a coven is, a family and families protect each other, and as every family there are rules. Hopefully the coven you choose will have rules that you are able to follow." He glanced at her. "Well whatever the reason your sire turned you, he changed a very intelligent young woman." He ignored the other vampire, no interest and no worries not for a young vampire of the same sex anyway.

Brandy smirked. Yes, she was intelligent. Very intelligent. And Hale was too much of an ass hole to see it. But she was going to forget about him for the evening. Totally forget about him.

"What are the rules of the Tarepha? I know those of the Ishak. Hale's told them to me."

Dmitri nodded, it was a logical process to go through. "You always obey the coven leader, no matter what. Secondly, do not quarrel with other coven members, thirdly do not bother Euthalia, unless there is a problem with another coven. You can feed at the mortal at the club, but do not make it look too obvious, hide it. Those are the basic ones, simply rules to protect the vampire world. You'll find that most rules are the same in all covens."

He liked the rules and they gave him the freedom to do almost anything without going to the extreme, though the Tarepha were known for their monstrosity. He was a monster and wasn't afraid to say so, he wouldn't even deny it. It was who he was.

"Sounds like it," Brandy replied, nodding as she heard some familiar ones in those that Dmitri had just mentioned. "Yeah, Hale said pretty much the same thing - that the rules didn't change much from coven to coven, except to add one or two things here or there that made the covens individual from one another. Well, then. The Nephim and Enashe were pretty easy to figure out...and the Amman only take the oldest vampires, or so I've heard. What's the difference between being in a coven and being an independent, though? I still don't get that. I mean, other than the obvious benefit of having a bunch of pals backing you up when you're in a corner."

Dmitri snorted and rolled his eyes. He looked at her. "That is basically it. Imagine being a young vampire on your own, with no one to help you if an ancient vampire looks at you differently. Ancients can be particular and can decide to kill you simply because they can. If you didn't have a sire, you would want the protection of another vampire or a group of vampires."

That was one of the reason Dmitri had decided to join the Tarepha, it felt right, he loved it. He was happy being there and being a vampire suited him very well.

"Hale claims he would protect me unless I was the one that fucked up in the first place. I piss someone off, it's my fault. Which makes sense. I have other friends, anyway - even if only one of them is a vamp. Josh takes care of his own, and now I'm just like him. So..."

Brandy sighed. She couldn't think of anything else to talk about at the moment, and she didn't do the slow dance thing. If she did, she might almost be willing to test herself with the music that was playing. But she was into movement, not slow circles. She liked the freedom to move how she wanted without having to hold someone's hand and act like she was dating them or something. Besides, that kind of dancing usually led to more - and she usually didn't want more. Except with Josh, of course...but that was different. Point being, she was starting to get bored. This party needed some excitement...

Dmitri raised an eyebrow. "Well at least your sire seems to be confident in his abilities, he must know what he's up against to be so sure." Dmitri was envious, yes he was old, but there were many older than him and he doubted his own abilities to protect his own fledgling, but his fledgling was responsible, if hiding the body of the one you killed could be called that.

Dmitri could read that she was getting bored. He couldn't really blame her, a lot of younger vampires needed excitement and he could provide such a thing in more ways than one. "Are you always bored? That's perhaps the problem with younger vampires, they seem to always need action. I don't blame you, i was like you when I was younger. How about we ditch the party and go make some action, perhaps we can scare a few people, well if you are in to that." He didn't mind leaving, but perhaps she preferred to stay. He was pretty much 50/50, either way he'd find something to entertain himself.

Brandy hesitated.

"Well, I came to this party mainly to see who was who in the vampire world. I mean, I don't really know anyone except Hale and Josh."

She shrugged.

"I guess we could leave...but scaring mortals? That's, like...lame."

She cocked an eyebrow. It was pretty lame. Yeah, they were vamps, but come on. How were they going to scare people without revealing themselves? That was the number one no-no in the vampire world, you see - don't reveal what you are. Plus...well, maybe she just didn't know how much fun it was. She was a party girl, after all, not a monster in some horror movie.

On the other hand...okay, so stealing was wrong. Yeah. But she was a vampire now...she could turn into mist, for Christ's sake. And back again. It would be all too easy to get her hands on that new stereo system she'd been wanting. Of course, then she'd have to find a way to get rid of the mortals without bringing a shitstorm down on her.

She thought a moment. The Tarepha used the sewer systems to move around. But there was the smell to deal with...and how good could the rooms be down there?

"Hey, I got a question for you. You're Tarepha, right? I've heard you guys move around underground, in the sewers."

Her wrinkled nose clearly showed what she thought of the smell, but that was beside the point.

"Are there any good places to set up a house there? You know, somewhere roomy and well-hidden from the rest of the world?"

Dmitri lifted an eyebrow. Lame? Even when mortals saw what was exactly in front of their eyes, they couldn't believe it and usually thought that they had imagined it. It made scaring them more fun. "Scaring mortals can be fun, besides most of them refuse to believe their eyes."

Dmitri himself wrinkled his nose. "Listen as much as Tarepha use the sewers I rarely did. My nose was always too sensitive for the sewers. Some get used to it, but I never could, which is why I moved out." He did hesitate and think it over. "I think that there might be a place though. I haven't been there in a while so it could be taken, but it is hidden in a corner and it seemed that I was the only one aware of it. it might suit your needs depending what you need it for."

He looked her over and wondered how other vampires of the Tarepha would take her. If she wasn't Tarepha and in the sewers, they might take her as fresh meat, but if she was part of the Tarepha they would most likely leave her alone. "If you want to use a place in the sewers as a place to store things, most of us wouldn't mind, but it would be better if you were a Tarepha. It would cause less problems." She would also be safe, it really didn't know why it concerned him, but at this moment it did.

"I see."

She straightened up.

"Well, you wouldn't mind showing me the place, would you? Do you still remember where it's at? You said it's been a while since you've been there. As to why I want it...well, let's just say I have a few new ideas about the advantages I have as a vampire. If I like the place, I'll probably be willing to join. What do you say? Although I do want one more glass of blood before I go."

She was gone and back almost before a vampire could blink, with a glass of blood in her hand upon her return. She sipped it as she awaited Dmitri's answer.

Dmitri frowned thoughtfully, he was pretty sure that he could remember where it was, he had a phenomenal memory for where things were. He was pretty sure that he could find it again and he could protect her if a Tarepha decided to be an ass, so many of them were and at some point he had been too. Though after Angelia....well simply put everything had changed.

"I'm pretty sure that i could remember where it was, it might need some clean up though, because i haven't been there in a while and I'm sure that you could make it smell good, if the stench is really bad." He offered her, his arm. After all simply because he was a Tarepha, didn't mean he wasn't a gentleman.

She finished her blood quickly. Then he offered her his arm. Not quite as forward as his earlier action, but still...Brandy hesitated as she set down her glass on the table beside her, looking at his arm. Oh, what the hell? He was obviously trying to be a gentleman. He didn't seem like the type to rape her or anything. Then again, rapists never were the type. Oh, well. She had all of eternity to get over it if nothing else. She took his arm gingerly, loosely, as though she didn't really want to take it.

"Lead the way."

((OUT))