It was 1:31 AM. What did one do at 1:31?

Colton had been out late. You'd expect him to be avoiding vampires. You'd expect this mortal to be deathly afraid of anything that could be so fast, so strong, and so hungry. But the fact was, he wasn't. No, he was looking for them. No, not looking for any vampire. Two, to be specific. One could give him counsel, could remind him that he was being an idiot. He'd hear those high heel boots click-clack over the pavement, and he would know all would be all right. Because she'd have the answers. The other was someone he needed to apologize to. He needed no counsel to know he had been wrong. Not wrong, no. He had been horrible. He had messed it all up. He needed to apologize.

Either way, he needed to find someone. One of the two. That's why he was up at 1:31. No, wait, it is now 1:32, and what is he doing?

Colton sat over a cup of hot chocolate. Yes, hot chocolate, ladies and gentlemen. The man could not stomach coffee, and wasn't going to try at this hour. As usual, his hair was disheveled, his eyes half open, his clothes rumpled, and still, he was up. He had given up looking for the night, too. Instead, he was brooding over his half-full cup of hot chocolate.

And now, the clock has struck 1:33. At this hour, you think about everything that you have done in the last two months that has led to your downfall. Your lowest low. Your near demise. You get drunk on hot chocolate, then worry the night away. Almost as bad as the time you tried to die by letting all your blood rush to your head, then colapse in a heap for the janitor to find. Almost, but not quite.


((Oh, and, 'Nessa love, this is for you!))

OOC| I figured that out with the high heel reference.. And now, knowing which two are desired, I am tempted to bring in the only one not wanted. *heeheehee* But I'll be nice. |

Instead of clicking, punishingly high stellitos, the arrival of the former was heralded by the almost silent noises of sneakers. Normal, everyday sneakers on the feet of a usually runway-attired woman. And instead of wrapping her Junoesque form with some expensive and pompus fashion, she wore jeans and a large letterman's jacket. It was the type of jersey every high school jock in Damaitre sported, but the logo on her's was from a different school. Lettered on the sleeve was the name 'Domantaque'. Her hair was pulled back into ponytail and seemed much shorter than it's normal luxuriously long locks.

Perhaps her company was the reason for her abrupt change in clothing. Outside Très Chic, tied to one of the sidewalk tables, two large German shepherds sat waiting for her return. She had left them there before coming inside, where she purchased a small coffee, black, and four croissants. She paid no attention to the few sparce patrons of the coffee house, and when delivered her order she quickly settled the bill and started her way outside.

As she crossed the interior, she balanced the tray on one hand like a waitress while she returned the small wallet to the pocket she had retrieved it from.

Colton didn't look till he heard an almost familiar voice uttered to the server. Almost familiar. Slight glance up revealed... Well, nothing. He was too tired to care to think that Lily would show up in anything not slightly flattering. She seemed the type that dressed to impress, and he couldn't see anything identifiable. She was no more than one of those girls at his school. The brainier ones, at least.

He turned his eyes back to his hot chocolate. For some reason, it wasn't looking as appetizing as usual, so instead of lingering over the last sips, he chugged it down and stood. He'd already paid his dollar fifty for it, and the server waved as he left. Now, being the type to try and show some courtesy, he held the door as the woman walked out with her precariously balanced tray. The least he could do...

And holy god. Dogs, two of them, large. Sharp teeth, right? Colton was a cat person. Or a bunny person... He preferred things without sharp teeth and claws and such. These were definitely not fluffy, snuggly dogs. Not in his book. He pushed the door open a bit more, just so it would take longer to snap shut, and jumped aside. Literally jumped. And now he could start down home again. After making sure to cross the street.

Lily looked up as Colton held the door for her. She hadn't noticed him before, but she knew that he hadn't noticed her, either. "Thank you, Colton." She said to him as she walked past him. She didn't stop, didn't say anything more, simply went to the table those two large dogs were waiting at and set down her tray.

Before she herself sat down, she unzippered the letterman jacket and slipped it off, placing it on the back of her chair. And there was the flattering clothing Colton had been expecting. A pale blue camisole which hugged her form, accented with black lace at the neckline.

She sat down then, and ripped one of the croissants in half. "Trapper, Hawkeye." She called the dog's attention to her, the both of them having been watching Colton with interest. "Trap, c'mere." The smaller dog went under the table to stand at the left of her chair, and she fed him the treat. The larger dog jumped into the chair next to her. He placed his muzzle on her shoulder, as if impersonating his namesake by hitting on her. She kissed his forehead, and fed him the other half of the croissant.

Thank you, too, whoever the hell you are. Colton looked back to see the same college looking woman emerge from the door, and seat herself at the table. And remove the sweater, and now you could tell it was Lily. Why on earth she was wearing something so unflattering, like the sweater, had been beyond him. Dogs or no dogs. "Oh... Hello." Well, he figured she hadn't talked to Hannah recently. She hadn't killed him yet.

Colton took no steps toward her. There was no way he was going near those dogs. Call him a coward, he didn't care. When he was young, he had been tackled by a very friendly doberman. Now, friendly didn't enter his mind when he was flattened to the floor, slobbered all over and stepped on like a welcome mat. Nope. He had avoided large, high energy dogs since. These counted as that type. Nope, if he was going to sing her his song, it had best be from this here perch. About six feet away.

"Lily, I think... I think I messed up bad." Well, no shit, Sherlock. And, no, he couldn't keep digging, because his grave was already more than six feet under. He had been the idiot this time. He had pushed her away, not her pushing him. It was his fault. He lost, and he wanted, no, he needed to know how he could try and redeem himself.

OOC| Got my less than subtle hint, huh? Lol.. |

“So I’ve heard.” The coldness of Lily’s words seemed to make them heavier, sinking them to the floor. She had been wondering whether or not Colton would recognize her. The warm and fuzzy feelings she had been feeling before were banished to a further corner of her heart, while the turmoil they had been replacing stole back its former seat in her conscience.

“I am not going to have this conversation with you if you are standing that far away from me.” She knew his dislike for dogs, it was radiating from him like heat. And she had little time for it. “Hawkeye, down.” She commanded, and the large dog slowly jumped off of his chair. His body pushed it out from the table, and he sat where it was. She now had a dog sitting at either side of her, and she fed them another pastry half.

From underneath the table, she kicked the chair across from her. It slid out from underneath the table in an invitation for Colton to sit. Which she then articulated.

“Sit down, Colton.” He would have the table between the dogs and himself now. From there, only Trapper’s ears and the top of Hawkeye’s head could be seen. “I think you’ve done more than mess up badly, and now I’ve a few things to explain to you. Sit.”

She waited in stony silence for him to obey her, and she did not seem to have a single doubt that he would.

So she had heard. Grand. Colton's heart fell with her words till he felt like it was deadweight in his stomach. Lily knew everything. And, what was worse, is she mentioned having a conversation. That would mean going towards her and sitting down and having to stare her in the eyes and let her rant and rave about how much he had messed up. Colton looked to the seat, and nodded. Sure... He'd sit.

He managed to ignore the dogs for just long enough to take his seat at the table, and then all but the tops of them remained. He could live with that, but if you think he was any less nervous, you'd be wrong. There was another dog at this table, and she was in full view. And she was ready to chew him out. But when she told him he had done more than mess up, everything froze. Ice cold trickled through him, and he stiffened in his chair. "... Tell me..." He couldn't get any other words out.


((OOC: Sorry, short! I have swimming, and I dun wanna be slapped again!))

OOC| You get slapped? Eeh! Run, go, dun be late! |

While Colton took his seat and grabbed for words to say, Lily was still calm. She fed the dogs the third pasty, holding Hawkeye’s up so that he had to lift his snout and open his mouth wide to catch it. This flashed all his fangs above the table. Hawk then licked his chops happily, and Lily grinned as well, showing her own fangs. This was the first time since she had made Colton’s acquaintance that she had shown those elongated canines.

She looked back up at him, staring at him for a moment before she began to speak lowly. “I think that the basic problem in your relationship with Hannah is a lack of understanding. Yes, you both know you are a vampire and a mortal, but while Hannah is fully learned in the mortal mind, you are blank about a vampire’s. And besides that, you know nothing about Hannah. Did you know Hannah was mentally unstable as a mortal? And that it carried over with the Blood?” She said these things to inform him, as she did not expect him to be privy to this information beforehand.

Oh yes, he saw the dog's jaws. And fangs. Lily really did enjoy making their visits as uncomfortable as she could. She knew she was in charge, and enjoyed it. Showing her own fangs was less unnerving than the fangs on the dog. Dogs weren't creatures that could be communicated with. They couldn't understand good and bad. They just new they had to eat to survive. Well, Colton wasn't going to be anywhere near the next meal. Unhealthy attitude, boy.

Colton practically scoffed. He was dying, yes, dying to ask when in all the world's time had they been around one another long enough to get to know each other on a more personal basis. Really, Lily. Common sense. Also, he wanted to tell her he knew nothing about the vampire's mind because he wasn't one, and the last time he checked, there wasn't a 'Learn how to think like a Vampire' class at Demaitre University. And he wasn't going to go around asking every other person he met if they were a vampire and could tell him what they were thinking. Oh no. But he heard her out.

Down to the last few sentences, and then he was curious. And slightly worried. She was mentally unstable? On the contrary, she seemed to be one of the saner people he had known... Well, then he knew jack squat. "Wait... What do you mean. Do you mean she is some psychopathic murderer or something, or she's paranoid of something, or... Or what?" Did that mean she was going to come kill him in his sleep and not remember it? That was nice to think about. So pleasant.


((OOC: No, YOU slapped me, so I had to get this reply done before I got slapped again! And, whoosh. Replyyy! You're so evil, toying with my boy's mind so much. It is a wonder he hasn't been sent to a Happy House.))

OOC| OOoh!! I didn't slap you, I smacked you! There's a difference! And hey, I'm not evil.. I just have a twisted sense of morals. So nah. :P |

"She's not a psychopathic murderer, and she's not paranoid. She's just.. She's fragile. We're not exactly certain what is wrong with her, since diagnostic procedures weren't exactly on par when she was mortal, and we're not about to drag her to a shrink now." We. Who was this we she was referring to? Herself, obviously, and Bo? Were there others who had a say in Hannah's well being?

"There are some of us, Colton, who aren't as strong as others. Who can't endure alone. They need a mother, a father, a keeper of some type. They need a leader who will take care of them. Hannah happens to be one of those. Perhaps it's because of her Southern upbringing, perhaps because of her condition, I don't know. The bottom line is that is why she cannot tell Bo to leave her alone. She needs him to take care of her. Whether Hannah loves him or not, you'll have to ask her, but that is why Bo is so protective of her. He's not her sire, but he'd protect her like a child."

Lily looked away from him now, back down to her dogs. There wasn't really any need to tell Colton she had once been like Hannah, that once upon a time she'd needed Bo to take care of her, also. She didn't think it would aid her point any; he might think there was a possibility that Hannah would grow out of it as well, and Lily really didn't think that would happen if it hadn't by now.

"Hannah has left Demaitre. She's in New Orleans, with Silken and the Bear. Silken, Hannah tells me, will help her settle her mind. The Bear will provide her with that desperately needed sense of protection. She wants to be by her family, there are still Holloway relations living there. She has a terrible notion that every woman directly descended from her matriarch falls victim to early, macabre ends. Perhaps she's right, considering her lot."

Fragile. Well, great. He probably broke her, considering the illness Lily described. She needed someone to help take care of her. Someone who would be there, and what had he done? Ensured she'd go right back to Bo, because obviously he couldn't take that responcibility. Colton sighed, and shook his head slightly. He was good at messing everything up. Very good. He was glad, thought, that this disorder wasn't some dangerous thing. Lily really scared him for a moment. She could be immortal, but he wasn't.

"Lily, I don't know how to fix this. I messed up bad. I was tired of being hurt, and now I regret what I did. Is there any way I can fix this, or are you telling me that it's hopeless for me to keep trying...?" Hannah was out of town, so he wasn't going to be able to see her again unless... No, that'd be awkward. She wouldn't appriciate him showing up to see her.

Colton wasn't looking at Lily anymore. If he hadn't just asked her a question, you might think he wasn't paying attention to her at all. She was background noise to the thoughts that whispered statements, ideas, guilt trips, and lies to his mind. He listened to them all. And he wished he didn't have to, but he did, and it was beginning to make him hurt. Yes, hurt, because he was filling himself with the kind of hopelessness that only came about with terminally ill people with one month left to live and no cure. Guilt. All of it guilt.

“I don’t know.” That was not a phrase which ever rested comfortably on Lily’s lips, but she repeated herself none-the-less. “I do not know. And frankly, I am growing weary of being the Ringmaster in this bizarre nightmare.” She had fed the dogs the last of the croissants; she had nothing left to occupy her hands with. Of course there was the coffee, but by now it was cold and she had no desire to pretend to drink it.

“At first I was happy to come here, I hadn’t seen Boethius in decades and it gave me an excuse to meet his elusive Hannah whom I knew hated me for some murky, mysterious reason. But as you can see, this conjunction between Bo and myself did not turn out in the best of our interests, and Hannah has left town. And now I can’t leave, because when she comes back someone has to be here. Which means I am away from my home and my children and my sister for God knows how long.”

She knew the guilt he was racked with, even if you couldn’t read his mind, you could certainly read his body language and face. She could only hope she would add more layers to that, it would be the only satisfaction she could get in this current situation. The misery of another; at least there’d be company even if it wasn’t static.

Colton sighed, and shook his head. "Hannah called you. Not me. I am just making good use of someone who gives good advice while I have the chance." Last resort: flattery. "You don't have to be the ringmaster. Throw in the towel, and I'll never bother you again..." Well, that was nice of him. Especially since he'd be hopeless without her.

"You have kids...?" Well, that seemed shocking. He thought she was so old that all relatives would have passed away by now. Unless they were vampires as well...? Or maybe she was younger than he had ventured to guess. Either way, she had a family, and she was wasting her time here. Wasting her time with him. "You should go home to them... I'll wait. I'll be here for her... Maybe I could make it better... I should try at least." That was half a pep talk to himself, and half a statement to Lily.

Just what he could use was more guilt. When he let guilt pile, it quickly became depression, in which his sister had oh so lovingly bought him drugs to try and fix it. Lily could, in effect, get him back down to thatr depression level that had wracked Colton for months and months earlier this year. At least one of them would be happy with that.

"Yes, I have kids, Colton. A beautiful daughter named Adia and a young, strong son named Eric. And yes, they are vampires. My real flesh and blood children have been dust since before your name was established." Flattery was forgotten, if at all realized. The topic of children turned Lily into something Colton had not seen of her yet. Something made of stone, yet in pain. Something that turned its venom to Colton.

"I think," She almost snarled, "That your trying has only made things worse. How the hell do you know what to do when everything you've said and done so far has been wrong?! Don't you dare tell me that you could take care of her. You could be dead by the time she returns." If Lily had been a cat, her back would be arched and her claws displayed. As it was, the dogs beside her flattened their ears and whined. Trapper dropped to his tummy and attempted to crawl under the table, while Hawkeye stood on his hind legs and nudged at her arm.

God it was unnerving to have her read his mind all the time. It hit him about now that she did it alot, and only because he felt more self concious about what he wondered about her children. Those things were supposed to be private. Stay outta my head. He figured she'd be checking in every once in a while. Maybe she'd receive his little note.

Colton slammed his hands down on the table, then rested his head on then. Though he was no longer facing her, his voice was clear. Clear as crystal, sharp as glass, and burning like fire. Uh oh. "Then what the fuck am I supposed to do, Lily? Do I just leave? Do I give up? Should I go back to school tomorrow and take Sheela or Shelly or whoever she is up for her offer and go out for coffee? Because, dammit, this isn't fucking easy and I am trying as best as I can." If you had any question about his anger level, then you should be well informed that Colton doesn't swear. And he swore twice. No, three times, if you're uptight and call 'dammit' a swear word.

Colton stood up, the effect of his words showing on his face. He didn't look angry. He looked resigned. He looked tired, maybe something like someone who was way too old to keep doing this. He shook his head slightly, and heaved a sigh. "If I am going to die, then fine. I don't care anymore, Lily. I can't do this every night. I want to wake up tomorrow and have a life to live, and not just live because I haven't been struck dead yet. But I am not going to... I'd rather die happy, young, stupid, and at the hands of Bo in a week than in 70 years with nothing." And he meant it. He was truly giving up.

"It's not supposed to be easy," Lily said coldly, evening out the fire produced by Colton with her chill. She seemed unaffected by his dramatics or his swear words. "It isn't supposed to be rainbows and butterflies. When I said you could be dead, I meant from old age. Not Bo. Bo is in Rome. He left. He's not a threat anymore, whether I'm here or not. Basically the only problems with Hannah and yourself, and the two of you. And perhaps the whole immortality thing, which like I said is easily solved."

She was preparing to leave now; the conversation was getting nowhere. Colton knew Hannah was no longer here, he would decide on Sheela or Shelly without her help. She stood up, pushed her chair into the table gently. She removed the jacket from the back of the chair and pulled it on over her thin shoulders; as she did, she received an afterthought of Eric's cologne. She stood there for a moment, watching Colton. Scent was tied strongly to emotions for Lily, probably much stronger than any other person or vampire. The familiar scent of someone she loved seemed to calm her and make her softer.

"If Hannah calls tonight, would you like me to tell her anything? She calls every now and then before dawn, wanting to know about her cat." She gathered up the leashes as she spoke, herding Trapper out from under the table and Hawkeye down off of a chair.

Colton was quick to reply. "I didn't ask for easy. I just didn't ask for impossible." His tone had gone back down to a quiet talking tone, but he still didn't face her. No, he didn't want to. Not now. He listened, he absorbed. He wouldn't look. "I am trying to fix that... And I am getting no where without being able to talk with her..." The immortality comment took a little longer to soak. That wasn't something he had thought of. It wasn't something he had planned of thinking of. "And how... The immortality thing. How could that be solved." Of course, the answer is obvious. Colton just needs to hear it before catching the full effect of it.

If she had any worry over S-someone, then she could stop. Colton knew that there was no chance. He couldn't so easily relocate his feelings, whatever the poor mixed up emotions might be. Out of the corner of his eye, Colton watched Lily stand and put on the jacket. Varsity jacket, and not of her usual attire. Might be something from many years ago, and that was as good a guess as Colton could venture.

"Tell her something...?" Colton looked to Lily, almost suprised. "Ummm... Idunno... Tell her I am sorry? No, no... Don't tell her that..." He planned to tell her himself, not by sending someone else to do it. "... Don't ask her this from me, but ask her... Ask her if she could come back to town... Say the cat misses her or something? I just... I need to apologize." His question stalled and stuttered, and he looked painfully like he was attempting to speak in another language. He didn't know what to do. What else was new.

Lily nodded, more to comfort him than to convey understanding. To comfort him to show she did understand. "I'll have her here soon enough. And... The jacket is Eric's. I have a horrible habit of stealing their clothes." She had read his mind again. At least her answer this time wasn't so intrusive. It was almost eerie; the way she melted through emotions like the last one didn't exist. She was almost maternal now, as if it hurt her to see him so undone.

She was walking now; she had almost passed him before she decided to stop. She was standing right beside him now, he facing one way and she the other. She returned to the earlier vein of conversation. "It could be solved in the very way you thought. If you face time immortal the very way she does."

Colton nodded. Hannah would be back, maybe for 10 minutes, maybe a night, maybe a week, but Lily said she'd have her back. Colton had best prepare his little speal to Hannah on why he was sorry and beg for forgiveness and the like. And hope for the best. The coat comment didn't seem to trouble Colton as much as the first comment. "You should go home and see them, Lily. It makes me feel guilty that youare here with me and not home with them..." Yea, guilty. She was helping him, and he felt guilty. Way to go, Colton.

"I dunno, Lily. I'd need to think about that..." Think about this proposition. "She very well could hate me, and then I'd be... Immortal... For nothing. I'd lose my sister and friends and everything... Daylight." Not that he saw much of that anyway, spending his nights like this in absolute exhaustion. "I just... I dunno." Which really means, not now. Maybe not ever, but definitely not now. The proposition lingered in his head, and toyed with the pros and cons of the situation. He'd sleep on it, that was for sure.

"At least you have a choice." Lily said strangely, almost enviously. "Be in the park, in three days. After dark, alone. Someone will find you, Hannah or myself. But you'll be safe, so don't worry."

She tugged at Trapper's leash, the smaller dog having worked the courage to sneak forward and sniff at Colton's shoes. She herded the two closer together, and they were off at a brisk pace.


OOC| I guess that's it.. I'll make the new board when I'm not busy later. |