A mixture of rain and wet snow beat against the window, driven in harsh gusts that varied with the speed of the city bus and the temperament of the wind. He sat with his cheek against the glass, eyes closed to the dim glow of the interior overhead lighting, and to the lights of the city as they blurred past.

Home, but for what? He had nothing to show for his prolonged absence. All trace of Emille seemed gone from the planet, no matter how far he reached with his abilities or his feet. He knew she wasn't dead. He was positive that was something he would feel, in his mind if not in what remained of his heart. But the fact that she seemed to perhaps be purposely eluding him pained him more than the thought of her death after so long.

'Emille, my dearest sister, why have you abandoned me...'

It seemed a pattern. First Narcissa, then Emille, leaving Marcus with nothing but the city and all creatures dwelling within, mortal and non. As he passed by street after street, block after block, he could feel them all. Some of the resident immortals were now as old, or older, than he was. He wondered if he could expect his leadership of the Amman to be challenged. Or if he could persuade these ancients to ally with him.

So many questions left unanswered-- too many for a mind that was expected to know everything.

The bus creaked to a stop, and the lights brightened as the double doors swept open to admit a few more stray passengers. Simultaneously, Vivaldi's Summer erupted into digitalized song from an inner pocket of his jacket. Without opening his eyes, he simply shut his cell phone off, rather than take the call.

'You are being awfully broody for a man who swore not to fall into the modern angst-ridden vampire stereotype.'

The voice in his mind surprised him into full awareness, eyelids snapping back and mobility, if not life, came back into his marble-like features. Before he could trace the origin, it was gone, leaving only the faintest wisps of humour, and a startled expression on his face.

((OOC: In case you missed it in the title, this post is reserved for Rowen.))

Wondering the street, or more the sidewalks of the night, a women made her way slowly. She would have been driving, if she had not given her car to Raymond that night, due to his being in the shop for it’s winter tune-up. Thinking slightly, though the cold did bother the slightest bit, she decided to go into the bus stop shelter. There she stood, protected from the wind and cold, her eye’s soon fell to a little boy and his mother.

She watched as she little boy, only about 6 shivered, his mother holding him close, her eye’s softened slightly. Their clothing not the best for such weather, and soon, she removed her gloves making a gesture for the little boy to take them. Nodding that it was ok, she got a smile, and a soft thank you. Then her eye’s moved back to the outside world beyond the glass.

Watching the snow and rain hit the glass as the wind blew it with it’s power, she only sighed softly, remembering the days so long ago. Winter ment making sure you had food to last, wood, and also joy marking the end of a good summer, if it was good. Her mind played on the visions of the past, the time she was most happy, to be mortal again, but it came and went. She left one child before she died, the family still alive today.

‘If only time could be turned back….’

Her mind wondered as she looked up slowly from the ground at her feet, to see the bus stop. Moving slowly, like a shadow she filed onto the buss, her coat dripping slightly, her skin showing no signs that she was cold. Looking around slightly for a seat, she soon took one not to far from this man with his face pressed to the glass.

Hearing the sound of his cell phone, she looked over slowly at him, her power rather strong, but she hated it. Blinking softly as he only turned the phone off, he must have been down about something, his body showed and his action to the phone, that or he was drunk.

Sitting not a seat away from him, her eye’s ventured back to nothing before they shot back to him. His look, his eye’s, everything seemed as if something was wrong, and thus, she couldn’t help but ask.

“Are you alright sir?” She asked him in her German tinted voice. Though knowing he immortal, she wondered slightly feeling he was old, though didn’t bother to really want to know how old, her own age up there as well, though like a normal women: she didn’t like to tell.

It was as if a mask had been drawn over Marcus's features, as by the end of the other's query, all trace of alarm had been wiped free of his eyes and lips to be replaced with a simple smile as he turned in his seat to properly regard she who had addressed him.

"Quite alright, thank you. When I didn't answer my phone, my pager, which happens to be set on vibrate, went off. I'm not entirely familiar with the latter, hence the surprise when it began to shake."

Lying was a talent he had perfected long before he had taken an interest in blood and darkness.

"Though, I appreciate your concern."

His grateful smile broadened to the greatest width possible without displaying a hint of sharp canines (for the benefit of the surrounding mortals) as he extended his hand to her in greeting.

Rowen looked at him, her eye’s taking in every point an even the ones that seemed to disappear. Blinking as he turned around her face her, her bright ice blue eye’s seemed to glow in the light of the buss, her blond hair slightly wet from the rain.

“Still not up to date on all this new technology of the new world?” She asked with a faint smile, careful not to show her own canines. “I took in a mortal, and now he shows me everything and how to use it. Weather I want to learn or not.”

Looking at him, she only thought, seeing through the lies somewhat, but said nothing not wanting to poke into his life. Giving a soft nod, she smiled a bit more and took his had gently.

“Your welcome. I’m Rowen.” She offered him gently in her german accented voice.

"Ah, not so much a lack of being up to date as a lack of adjusting to this particular piece of technology. I've only had it for a few days, you see."

He gently gripped her hand in return, smile dimming thoughtfully as he attempted to recall any prior knowledge he might have had of this particular vampire. He knew most of those who belonged in the covens, or at least knew of them, but the city was equal parts family and lone vampires. He came to the conclusion that she was the latter, while also feeling mildly grateful that she seemed civilized compared to many of the independents he had encountered.

"It's a pleasure, Rowen. Is that a German accent I detect?"

She nodded softly to his answer, a smile crept in a bit more as she thought.

“Yes, most people take a while to get use to new things. But there is no harm in that, if it’s someone you don’t like, you have a reason to ignore them.”

She was alone, with no coven to call her home, though was thinking of joining one, but haven’t seen them all yet. Though the thought crossed her mind she that she had seen this vampire before, in a bar, or a club someplace before. He was old, she knew that, and she herself was as well, she missed her time much and still had a longing to go back.

“Yes, it is. Born and raised in Germany. It’s my home.”

"Ah. Pardon me a moment."

Rather than continue to crane his neck around in order to maintain eye contact with Rowen, Marcus gathered his violin case and small tote bag and shuffled to sit in the seat across the aisle from her. Fortunate that with it being well into the evening, so convenient a vacancy was available.

"What part of Germany do you originate from, if I may be so intrusive as to ask?"

The accompanying smile was disarming, merely curious as apposed to forceful.

She nodded softly to his words, and wondered slightly then knew. As he moved and sat in a new seat she smiled a bit and sighed softly.

“That must be better then turning around like that.”

She stated as she looked at his violin case, she had a good idea from where she has seen him before. It was in a club some place on a nice quite night, and he was playing a nice song, one of the harder ones to master in his day, but he played it perfect. She nodded and thought slightly.

“Today they call it Berlin, from that general area in more.”

She stated as she moved her hair from her face.

“Tell me, you the leader of a coven aren’t you?” She asked him softly.

Marcus grimaced a little at her question, but like his other unpleasant expressions thus far, this, too, was quickly wiped clean by a smile, though this time it was of an almost sheepish quality.

"I am. However, I do try to keep a low profile, if you wouldn't mind keeping this to yourself..."

Again, he extended his hand.

"My name is Marcus."

She looked at him watching his face, and knew he didn't like his title to be out, though she told no one. She would kepe it to herself, she wasn't the kind to go and tell everyone every thing. Seeing the smile, she only meet it with her own and nodded.

"Don't worrie, i'm not the kind to go and tell everyone what i know. Personaly I dislike people that, and would rathr keep a low profilemyself."

With that said she smiled and sat forward a bit and took his hand.

"Nice to meet you Marcus. And i'v heard you play before. Perfect i must say. I miss the music of the years long ago."

Again he applied light pressure to her hand and then released it, still maintaining a pleasant expression, though now it had tuned to a wistful note.

“I have had some time to perfect my abilities, but I thank you for the compliment nonetheless.”

Marcus reclined back into his seat, rolling his shoulders, tense from the long ride.

“So. What has brought you to Demaitre?”

She watched him softly as she nodded ever so lightly, and soon sat back in the seat as well as she listened to him.

“There is always room for improvement in life. No matter how long life is for some of us.”

She nodded gently as she watched him, and then sighed a bit. Her mind on nothing at the moment then looked at him after his question.

“Raymond, the mortal I took in, He’s in collage now and he wanted to come here fore his schooling. He also didn’t want to leave me alone, I’m a mother figure to him by now.”

She said and had a tone of sadness in her voice. The images from that cold night came back to her. Painful, she sighed softly pushing them to the back of her mind, and once again looked at Marcus.

“And why are you here? Or how long have you been here?”

As the images that swept through Rowen's mind momentarily detoured through his own before becoming silenced utterly, Marcus felt her sorrow and wondered at it, but knew better than to ask of an eavesdropped memory. Instead, he mused over her question.

"I'm here... To be honest, I'm not entirely certain why I'm here."

He laughed a little at that, running his fingers through his hair and dishevelling it further from the short, low ponytail he had it tied in.

"I have made Dematire my home for several decades. Something about it calls to me, and while I do take time for myself to revisit the rest of the world, I fear that if I stay away too long the balance between us and the mortals will fall into chaos."

He paused and smiled at his own self-importance.

"I'm really not as egotistical as I sound."

She looked at him for a moment and wondered slightly. Being who he was, and how old, she got the feeling he saw the images. One of her, her eye’s cold and heartless, a strong evil aura seemed to just pour from her. But then, a small child no older then 4 or 5 sniffed from the door way. Turning Rowen lay eyes on the child, Raymond, and her eye’s changed as if the ice around was destroyed by this child.

“If you want to ask, feel free.” She said softly then listened to him.

Nodding slightly as she wondered as she looked up at him. Not sure why he was there? Well it seemed many happened like that, they just end up in a place and it grows on them. Watching run his hands through his hair, she blinked, only to listen more.

“Mortals just think they know everything, and don’t care who they hurt, and so on. Personally, I think most of the lot are more cold blooded then we are.”

She said and blinked as she looked at him and smiled.

“Egotistical, oh no, never.” She smiled and laughed. “We all are at times.”

Marcus registered her remark regarding his permission to query further into the images he had received from her, but decided not to act upon it presently.

At her comment toward mortal behaviour, he glanced over at her and smiled faintly.

"That may be so, but it is important to keep in mind that they only have one lifetime to live, and many only come to accept later on in that lifetime the value of learning from their mistakes, and the folly of mistreating others."

She listened to him and nodded softly as she smiled. She knew this very well, and she some times even got mad at mortals who said life was nothing. It’s something she had, and like all other vampires, had it taken from them to now live this almost endless cold life.

“Yes, I know very well, and I envy them at times. To have a life, and be free, do what you want, but not it all come to and end. But this life, I use to wake up every day and just wish someone would kill me.”

She sighed and shook her head, resting it on her right hand and sighed. Her hair by then dry and raven black, her bright ice blue eye’s stood out, but it was her.

"And yet you lived on. I assume it was this mortal, Raymond, who has made immortality more bearable for you?"

((OOC: And I really have nothing more constructive than that to post, so, enjoy! x_x'))

She looked at him and nodded slightly as she blinked. Raymond was her life now, he was like the son she never had, the joy of this forsaken life she now had.

"Yes, he is. He's like the son I never had before I died and was cursed with this life. He’s what makes me want to live, to make sure he’s alright, and has a good place to live.”

She said and sound like a mother, that’s why Raymond loved her so much, even if she was a Vampire.

Looking at Marcus, she sighed softly as she blinked.

“Lately I’ve been feeling alone at times without a coven to call my home. So far after looking I’ve taken interest in yours.”

She said as she looked at him once again.

Unbiddingly uncouth as he sometimes could be, Marcus couldn't help but wonder what would become of Rowen after Raymond succumbed to his mortality. Fortunately, she distracted him from pursuing the thought.

"Why my coven?"

Inquired out of polite interest, or the first of a series of simple tests. Rowen's choice of perception.

Looking at him for a moment, she nodded slightly in knowing he would want to know she would pick his coven. Giving a soft nod, she closed her eye's for a moment, then opened them.

"The wyas of the old still linger in my mind, though, I dislike the way humans had gone and the balance is becomming uneven. Our people fighting the mortals, and them trying to kill off like flies. More after Raymond i came to know that, things should be even in the world, more at peace."

She stated and paused as she looked at the floor, then up at him slightly.

"Things need to be taken to mind, and people need to keep things in line so we don't have a war of humans and vampires. Personaly I hate killing. After raymond father, I saw that I had left many people in the past alone, without family."

She said softly, her eye's sad, and no longr in the mood to kill her victims but let them live to see the rest of life.

Marcus bowed his head for a moment, eyes closed as he considered the truth behind her words, soon after coming to the conclusion that she did mean them. She would fit into the sparse network of his coven nearly perfectly, so long as her love for her mortal did not distract her from their task.

"I'm on my way back to the coven presently. You are welcome to join me."

She watched him in wonder, her mind running with many other things. She did want the world to have balance, and all kinds live in peace. Raymond only proved vampires and mortals can live without warring, and others would aswell if they stopped looking at vampiers as vile, evil things.
Listing to him she nodded softly.

"I think i will. Thank you."

She said softly, a soft smil came to her, she might finely have a cover to call home. It was starting to get lonely being alone.

Marcus smiled fleetingly in return, though his attention was elseware as he spotted the familiar landmarks that lined the street before Westminstral Park.

"Ah, and, with impeccable timing, here we are."

He partially stood and tugged on the cable lining the windows of bus from front to back, simultaneously causing the alarm to ding and the "Next Stop" sign to illuminate above the aisle entrance. After collecting his assorted baggage, he gestured for Rowen to exit before him, the eternal gentleman.

Rowen looked at him and nodded slightly, her eye’s soon only looking out the window behind him. Looking back to him she nodded softly.

“Well most people like us do have good timing.”

She said and stood watching him pull the cable. A hand gently placed on a pole, she waited and gave a soft sigh. Once the bus was at a stop, her eye’s moved to Marcus, then a soft nod. Pulling her hood up, she made her way off the bus only to stand waiting for him, a gentlemen he was, and she liked that in men.