Alle Falls, Wisconsin

Kella strode into the room, business written across her face. She sat down her bag, took off her coat, and began to discuss security measures for the new interactive exhibit with the museum's owner. She sat there, listening to him brag about how great their security was, and how no extra measures were required, for an hour. Bored out of her skull, she made up an excuse about team meetings and all but ran out of there. She ducked into the bathrooms, and changed out of her dress into a pair of jeans and a ratty t-shirt that she bought three years ago. She strolled out of the building, a slight smile on her face, enjoying the 65 degree weather, and wondered why spring had come so late. May, and it's only the first week without snow, Kella thought, before straightening up and starting to hike to base.

Luna lugged her ratty leather suitcase behind her, it's wheels getting stuck on every crack on the sidewalk, meaning she had to tug at it, her small frame struggling against the weight, until it finally freed itself. Sweat was forming at the base of her neck and she flipped her pale hair over her shoulder to let it breath. The cropped floral tank that ended just below her breasts and white billowing skirt didn't add much comfort to the heat the was begging to grow as the day wore on. She was thankful it was still only 65 degrees. With all this walking and lugging it would be almost torture if it was blistering. Either way the sun still burnt her pale skin.
She'd just been delivered from her taxi only half an our ago and still had yet to find the little shop and loft she had bought over the internet last week when she decided she was tired of all the stares and accusations of witchcraft from the old housewives in the last small town she was. She'd lived there all her life at an orphanage and had just finally found a small little house to live at when she turned twenty to swell her herbs when the older women began to notice her rarely changing youth. They began to grow jealous and soon began to accuse her of witchcraft. Even though all she really sold were herbal medicines and soaps. Either way she didn't want to stay where she was obviously not wanted.
She'd found this small little town and felt relieved at the new beginning it offered, and also a save from prying eyes whom new she was aging extremely slow. Here people would assume she was just some sixteen through twenty year old woman that just looked a little young to be her real age. Being pale and having wide sky blue eyes didn't really help that factor.
She stopped and sat down on a bench looking down at the roughly drawn map someone had drawn for her at a diner a few blocks back. It was supposed to lead her to the town square where the little shop would be waiting dusty and empty for her, having just been sold from having been an old antique shop that their owners had moved away.
She was frustrated that it was taking so long to find it. This was such a small town! How could it possibly be this hard to find it.
She toyed with the little moon pendant the hung underneath all her other pendants and beaded necklaces. It was cool to the touch despite the sun and her skin having been touching it all day. Or all her life really. She was said to have been found with it when she'd been brought to the orphanage. It was always cool to the touch and gave her a safe feeling deep inside her stomach when she stroked it.
She was about to just all but give up at finding it today when she saw a younger looking woman in jeans and a comfortable looking t shirt walking out of what seemed to be a museum .
She stood up and waved her small hand at the other woman. "Hello!" she called with a lost look on her face. She laughed a little, putting on a casual look and tone hoping the woman would pity her and help her, "I think I'm lost. See I just moved here and I'm having trouble finding my apartment."

Kella, hearing a voice behind her, turned. She saw a girl about her age waving and asking for help, so she turned around and walked back over. The base can wait, Kella thought. It's my job to help people. Okay, so I'm a security guard. Screw it. Might as well be helpful.

Once she had walked over to the girl, she responded with, "I'm Kella. Welcome to Alle Falls. You said you need help finding your apartment?" Kella smiled at the girl, trying to be supportive, knowing how much it sucked to be new. The heat from the sun was starting to bother her a bit despite it only being 65 out, causing her to shift around and put her hair in a high ponytail, glad it was off her neck. And it'll do the swingy-thing, Kella thought, a bit embarrassed by her childish likes.

Kella shifted around in her flip flops, feeling the dirt on her shoes rubbing against her feet. Last time I take a hike in flip flops, she thought, taking off her shoes and dealing with the cracks and the ants. "Want me to show you around, too? This town can be kind of confusing," Kella said a few minutes after her first statement, glad to have something to do besides paperwork and walking around, like she would've done, had she gone straight back to base. Kella noticed that she had managed to sweat all of her makeup off. She blushed a little, realizing that she probably strongly resembled an angry gorilla.

((OOC: By the way thank you for accepting my character! I apologize for not replying earlier. I wrote a response out a month ago but my mac decided to restart when I was right in the middle so I've been just procrastinating re writing a new one. Oh and I also changed my face claim to sky ferreira. The other girls just looked a bit to old for someone who's supposed to be showing a lack of aging. Anywhoo. I will write a reply to Kella in a bit. I'm finishing up the character profile thing. ))

((OOC: OK I finished editing her. :B))

Luna was glad the woman didn't just look at her in disgust and walk away like the women used to do in her last town. For a second Luna almost sensed relief coming off from the woman. One of her abilities now is the sense of emotion and sometimes she forgets to put up her mental filter. She always felt a little guilty at reading someone's emotions... like somehow it was an invasion of their own privacy since they had no idea she was doing so. She decided she might as well read her aura as she sauntered her way over. For a second Luna got the image of a photosynthesizing flower and almost laughed.
"I'm Kella. Welcome to Alle Falls. You said you need help finding your apartment?" Kella said with a smile that looked almost like understanding pity.
The first most outer ring around Kella was clear red. She could sense she was powerful. Both physically and mentally. The middle ring showed an Orange red. This woman was confident, but not in a selfish way. She knew who she was and what she wanted. She could sense she says what she wants and what she means to say. Not bullshitting around her feelings. Luna smiled. That was a good trait. That meant she was trustworthy. She could sense her loyalty but there was one thing that made Luna falter a little in her smile... her inner most ring, barley a flicker, was black. This woman wasn't an evil person. She could sense it. The only other explanation would be that she wasn't human. That flickering black meant there was something deeper. Something that runs deeper than the blood of a new born but rather through decades and generations of paranormal entities. Either this woman was a powerful demon of some sort, which wouldn't make sense because she was not purely evil, or she was of an immortal being or a child of one.
All of that had ran through her mind in less than a few seconds and her smile returned. Whatever it was about this woman it wasn't her business... yet.
"Yes I do," she answered grateful and almost a little guilty for having read her aura. "My name is Luna."
Kella's face was flushed from the heat and she flipped her hair up easily in a high pony tail. Luna was jealous of her ease. Her hair was always such a crazy ratty mess she was afraid to ever tie it back like that, thinking she might never be able to get it back down.
"Want me to show you around, too? This town can be kind of confusing," she offered and Luna nodded quickly.
"That would actually be helpful. I'm setting up a shop in the town square and it'd be best if I knew this area." she laughed and quickly grabbed her heavy duffel bag. Lifting the small plastic cage she'd sat on the bench next to her that carried her pet tarantula, Zur.
She smiled then after she gathered her belongings but her smile didn't reach her eyes. There was something else that bothered her about the flickering black. It was smokey and smelled of rotting flesh... which could only mean death and murder.

Kella smiled at Luna, sensing that the one she returned wasn't real. And that was fine, all she needed to do was show her around and help her find her apartment. Just one person that doesn't see you as a monster the second they meet you, Kella thought. Regardless, she motioned for Luna to follow her.

"Okay, so I'll introduce you to the town first- You look like you're struggling with your suitcase, would you like some help?- and then we'll find your apartment, unless we find it during the tour. On your left is the Coffeehouse, a, well, a coffeehouse. It serves the best hash browns for breakfast. Right next to that is the Alle Falls Museum of Science. That's where I work, actually. But, never mind, we've got more important things to do than discuss jobs. Right ahead of us is the bank. Don't go to Margaret for help, she's a bi- moving on. Would you like to see a specific place?" Kella blubbered as she walked, forgetting to actually make sure that Luna was following her. I've been walking and talking awfully fast, Kella thought, worried that she had scared off another potential friend.

As she waited, she noticed a peculiar sense in the air. It seemed almost unnatural. With her face still slightly facing the air above her, Kella realized that Luna wasn't human. Well, neither are you, so who are you judging? Kella thought to herself, mentally shrugging. Who Luna was was Luna's business, not hers.

Sweat. That's all I was focused on right now. That and the burn in my thighs and calves. Thunder, my husky, ran beside me as I took my daily jog around the neighborhood. It felt good to run. My hair was plastered to my neck and forehead so I took my forearm across my face. It was sweaty and I laughed as I just rubbed more sweat.
"Ostanovit'" I commanded in Russian and Thunder immediately stopped and sat down with a plop. He obeyed me, and I obeyed him. It was a bond he shared with him that no other human could.
His tongue flopped about and I smiled. He was constantly amusing me with his faces. He felt my amusement and looked up at me with a tail wag.
I crouched down next to him and rubbed his ears, breathing in deeply as to try and slow my breathing.
I couldn't rest long or I would feel the burn later, but I wasn't stupid enough to just keep going. I took my shirt off and wiped it across my brow. It turned the gray fabric dark and I grimaced. I loved to sweat but at the same time I didn't love the smell that came with it, and with my higher sense of smell I knew from others how bad it could smell. I shoved the shirt in my back pocket and took a swig from the water bottle I carried.
"Ok. Let's go." I said gruffly as I stood up once more. Thunder did the same and then we were off again.
"Back home." I said and Thunder picked up his pace, knowing that a nice platter of meat would be waiting for him and myself when we got back. The bar sat on one of the side streets to the main square and just below that was cement stairs that led into a dark and cozy apartment her shared with his brother.

Luna followed her forgetting the black ring momentarily. Whatever it was it couldn't be horrible. This woman wasn't an evil person and she had proof. She sighed relieved and was then engulfed in speech from her tour guide.
""Okay, so I'll introduce you to the town first- You look like you're struggling with your suitcase, would you like some help?" she offered and Luna immediately smiled and handed her Zur's cage. "Yes actually. Thanks." She was glad to free up her other hand and grabbed on to the handle with both hands. It made it easier for her to carry it. "-and then we'll find your apartment, unless we find it during the tour. On your left is the Coffeehouse, a, well, a coffeehouse. It serves the best hash browns for breakfast. Right next to that is the Alle Falls Museum of Science. That's where I work, actually. But, never mind, we've got more important things to do than discuss jobs. Right ahead of us is the bank. Don't go to Margaret for help, she's a bi- moving on. Would you like to see a specific place?"
She was actually grateful for all her rambling. She looked a little embarrassed about it but Luna smiled showing her it was ok. She'd rather listen than talk herself.
"Um I don't really know." she said then. "I would love to get rid of this suitcase. Maybe then we could stop by the coffeehouse and you could tell me about this place." she offered. The woman was being really friendly and she wanted to be friendly back. "My treat." she added and then showed Kella the address scribbled out along a piece of paper that was to her shop/apartment.
She looked around noting everyone walking. The reason she didn't move to a big city was because of the nice friendly feel their was in a small town... well as long as they didn't accuse you of witchcraft. She loved how close everything felt and couldn't imagine giving that up for a cold city where everyone only cared about themselves. That and there was less competition for selling what she sold. She noticed a man and a dog jogging up a street and admired his chest that shon with sweat. Then her eyes fell to the dog and she smiled. She liked dogs. She hoped there were a lot of animals here.

Kella turned back to her front, glancing down at the almost unintelligible writing, narrowing her eyes to see the page better before standing straight up again and exclaiming, "Oh, this is just off of 83rd! Come on, it's just a few blocks away." She threw the suitcase up so that it was resting against her shoulder before taking off into a sprint, running into traffic and dodging cars left and right, not bothering to adhere to the practices of basic traffic safety.

Once she made it to 83rd Street, she paused to wait for Luna, not winded in the slightest. Almost godhood has its perks, Kella thought, smiling. She led Luna to her new apartment building, walking inside with her. "What room are you in?" Kella asked her, pushing the up button on the elevator. She stepped inside and held the door for Luna.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'd love to get coffee. It just registered in my head that you gave me a polite invitation," Kella said, blabbering on again, just as quickly as before.

She sighed happily when she said she knew where it was but the dropped her jaw when she just grabbed her heavy suitcase and began sprinting. She laughed a little to herself at the weird action and wondered if whatever she was was what gave her that strength. Her small legs didn't carry her as fast as her, but she still was pretty fast. Kella had given her Zur before she'd grabbed her suitcase and now she hugged the caged spider to her chest as she ran to catch up to her.
When she finally had caught up to her she was wheezing for breath. Exercising wasn't something she did often. Running was fun but at the same time she had the lack of lung capacity to do so like Kella had just done.
"Um! I'm not in an apartment!" she chased after Kella and stopped the door before it could close. She smiled embarrassed.
"It's a sort of loft. It's above the empty shop next to us. I must have wrote the address wrong.
Kella nodded and then said: "Oh, I'm sorry, I'd love to get coffee. It just registered in my head that you gave me a polite invitation,"
Luna laughed suddenly feeling happy she had run into this woman. She wouldn't have wanted anyone else to show her around other than this person.
Kella followed her out of the apartment building next to the shop and stood waiting outside the paint chipped door that led to her new home.
Luna pulled an envelope out of the small pocket in her skirt and shook it out till a small rusted key fell into her hand. She liked the fact that it was a skeleton key. It meant this place was genuinely old. One of the good things about a once antique shop. They preferred the old.
The lock clicked heavily and Luna pulled the door open, little dust particles coming out to greet them. She grinned and held the door open for Kella.
Kella walked in and Luna followed. "Let me sweet up a bit and then we'll head for coffee." she said. She was grateful for the friendliness. The last thing she'd want is the coldness she was given from her last town. She put Zur on an abandoned night stand they'd left in the middle of the room and began to drag her suitcase inside.
She propped the door open with a little door stopper they'd also left to help filter out the dust.
It was dark because of the dirty windows at the front of the shop... that and they were the only windows in the shop.
A breeze came in and blew the hair off her shoulder and she drank it in hungrily.
She knew she was going to like it here.
She would venture up to her room later after the coffee, firstly she had to get this place swept up a bit so she could start moving things when the truck got here. The moving truck should be here in a little bit with the rest of her belongings and the shops soon to be stock.
She found a broom in the only closet back in the office of the shop. Then she began her cleaning. The floors were a beautiful burgundy colored wood underneath.

I felt it just then and I stumbled in my steady jog. I felt the pull I felt the weird tingling deep inside my stomach.
Thunder whimpered at me then as I began to jog away from the bar. I had to go this way. Some part of me told me I had to. I needed whatever it was I was running towards. Thunder barked at me and began to follow despite his hunger for his treat.
The smell of Lavender filled my nose but there was no perfume shop nearby... and that it smelt real.
I stopped then in a doorway and Thunder stopped next to me.
White filled my vision in the darkness of the shop. White skin. White hair. White skirt. I opened my mouth to say hello but nothing came... want. Need. Mine.
I shook my heads but the thoughts wouldn't leave. I need to see her face. I need to see her eyes.
She must have heard the panting of Thunder because she stopped her sweeping and turned her head. Her hair fell in her face and I wanted to brush it away, I needed to see her eyes. I stepped inside the shop and she brushed her own hair away.
Blue. Her eyes are blue. I felt like the breath had been sucked out of my lungs and crouched over to catch my breath, hands on my knees.
"Dammit." I muttered then. My hands shook slightly and I took a deep breath. Standing straight. I had hoped this would never happen. Markov had told me about his moment. The moment he'd met her. His True Mate. The person he'd been immediately connected to and to be for the rest of his life. Markov had loved it. Him and his Mate were happily engaged now but I had dreaded the day. I didn't want to be matched to some stranger. It was a one in a million chance of finding the one but not for my species. We were drawn slowly to our match as we got older and I had been happy I hadn't felt it. I had hoped that somehow she had passed and he didn't have to be matched, but my luck had never been that great. I didn't want to be like Markov. Dedicated to one person. I wanted a choice in the matter, but he was confused now. My mind told me I'd always wanted her but I knew it was part of the True Mate deal.
"I... you're new?" I said embarrassed then. She probably thought I was crazy. I shook my head then. Who cared what she thought of me. I won't bond to her. It will be my choice. I gritted my teeth. The pull told me to stop fighting it but I couldn't. I would fight it. Maybe it would break. Maybe I will be the first one not to succumb to the need to be with her. I will hate her. I will love her. I felt sick to my stomach. My mind was waring with itself and here she was just standing there confused probably.

Kella blushed at her mistake, showing Luna into her loft, taking note of the extremely rusty key. She wondered why it looked so unused when Luna spoke and began sweeping. Kella smiled at the open window, glad that it was open. Suddenly feeling a lot more awkward just standing there, Kella shifted her feet around, and moved her shoulders up and down, almost shrugging.

Finally ready to escape the tension that was most likely just in her head, Kella opened her mouth and said, "How about I wait downstairs? That way, you can clean, and I won't be in your way. I could... do something!" Kella shouted at last, spinning around and scrambling away, leaping down the stairs and out into the street, standing on the sidewalk. Pacing, she mentally berated herself for managing to bring Luna to the wrong building.

As she paced, Kella glanced up to see a sweaty man staring at the building, looking at it like it was the plate of cookies your mother told you not to touch when you were seven. She called out to the man, hoping he wasn't a stalker of some sort. "You need anything there, bud?"