Of The Night

[DarkAngel13]

Archer stared down at their joined hands for a moment, wondering what made his tingle at her touch. He frowned and set off, gently leading her along. He looked back at her, wondering what was going through her mind. "What is your name?"

Her chin propped up on her elbow, Adrianna stroked her rocks a few more times before her gaze even flickered to the small pale stone. She let out a small gasp and looked at it covetously, loving the rock instantly. She reached out to snatch it when she noticed the man for the first time. She pulled back her hand hesitantly as she studied him for a moment. Finally her nose wrinkled. "You smell funny."

[Sorry I was so late tonight. I might be a little late tomorrow night as well ]

[IndieM]

Victoria looked up, her eyes narrowing hesitantly at his question, "Victoria Hemming," she said slowly, quietly. After a long pause she gave a soft sigh, adding, "And yours?"
As he was telling her his name, Victoria looked down at their hands. She pulled hers free, looking at the blood that was dried there. The strange craving she had before had left and so Victoria whipped the rest of the blood onto her pants.
Heathcliff watched the girl, pleased with himself, that is until she spoke. Frowning slightly, sat up saying, "And so do you,"
He cupped the rock back in his hand and looked at her.

[DarkAngel13]

"Archer," he replied, watching her curiously. "Archer Rontae." He headed back to the rest of the clan, wondering what the alpha would do. "Victoria..." he murmered softly, tasting it. "Do you have family?"

Adrianna scowled when the rock vanished in his hand. "I smell just right," she said defiantly, looking down at her rocks as she lazily drew circles around one of them. She tried not to look intereseted in his rock as she rearranged hers slightly. "I smell like dirt and ash. Just like I'm supposed to."

[IndieM]

Victoria nodded, "Yes. My parents divorced a long time ago, but that's a different story," she said. She as wringing her hands as she talked, watching Archer, a question burning in her mind. She finally spit out, "How long have you been, well," she indicated to Archer, not really wanted to bring herself to say vampire.
Heathcliff watched the girl, setting the rock down on the ground but not yet offering it to her.
"What's your name?" he asked curiously, ignoring the few comments that had been said. He watched as she touched the rocks, realizing that she seemed to care very very much for them.

{Going camping. We're leaving today but Im not sure what time. I wont be back till Saturday.}

[DarkAngel13]

Divorce, Archer frowned slightly to himself as he watched her nervous hands. That would have been hard. As far as he could remember, his own human parents had always been happy and together. A lucky thing. A smiled tugged at his lips at the question. "How long have I been a...vampire?' He chuckled slightly before he became sullen again. Flashes of memory hit him of his turning. "Eleven years," he murmered softly. It felt like a lifetime. He barely remembered what it was like to be human, to feel the sun on his face, to never need to feed on blood. It was strange, the things you didn't realize were wonderful until you couldn't have them anymore.

Adrianna's gaze flickered to the rock once more before she ignored it, determined to seem uninterested. "'What's in a name'?" she quoted, musing softly to herself as she looked to her rocks. She lined them up in a row and picked a few out to hold them one at a time, her fingers sliding over their surfaces. "'That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.'" She looked back up at him, tilting her head slightly with a peculiar look on her face. "Roses do not smell sweet. Flowers smell like death."

[Aw :( I'll miss you. Have fun!!]
[Oh, btw, I've edited my characters a little bit]

[IndieM]

Victoria stopped mid stride and watched Archer. Eleven years? The thought made Victoria sick to her stomach and she felt as though she wanted to throw up. Eleven years was a very long time. Victoria thought of her own self, nineteen, almost twenty years old, being a vampire for the next however many years. The thought terrified her.
Victoria opened her mouth for another question but closed it quickly, her gaze shifting from Archer. Just ahead stood a man with thick hair that was turning grey and few wrinkles around his eyes. Victoria assumed that it was he who was the alpha, given the way he stood. He was surrounded by few others, some men, some women, all of them vampires. Victoria cautiously inched herself closer to Archer.
Heathcliff grinned when he noticed the girl ignoring the rock. He crossed his legs, sitting Indian style, and studied her a bit. It had been years since he sat that way and the position made him feel childish.
"From Shakespeare, eh?" Heath asked. He was fairly familiar with the works of Shakespeare, and though Romeo and Juliet had never been his favorite, he still recognized the quote.
"To be honest, I never liked Romeo and Juliet," he leaned closer to the girl, "And your flowers may smell like death to you, but to me, they smell different. Neither good nor bad, just different."
Heath straightened, a smile playing on his face as he watched the girl. The girl with such red hair.
"I'll make you a deal Red," Heath said gently, sliding the rock closer to the girl, "You tell me your name, I'll give you this rock."

[DarkAngel13]

So lost in his own thoughts, Archer almost didn't notice she had stopped. He turned to look at her, wondering if anything was wrong. He knew that this was all new to her and could be overwhelming. He followed her gaze and saw the alpha and the others. He nodded his head respectfully towards them before gently prodding Victoria forward. He rubbed her back briefly, telling her not to be afraid before he pulled away slightly. He aproached the alpha and kept his distance, waiting for him to be ready for them.

"Flowers smell like death," Adrianna insisted quietly, her nose wrinkling as she imagined the scent of a rose. She watched him, wondering if something was wrong with his sense of smell if he couldn't see that. There had to be.
Her gaze flickered to the rock again, trying to decide if it was worth it. She wanted to keep her name from him, just because he seemed to want it so much. Plus, spiting him might make him mad Mad people were funny to watch. But....she wanted that rock very much. She could only imagine how it would feel against her fingers, soft and smooth.
"The rock first," she held out her hand expectantly, smirking victoriously at her way of meeting in the middle of her concious battle. He might get angry but she'll still get the rock in the bargain.

[DarkAngel13]

[Erm......hello?]

[IndieM]

Victoria took a few hesitant steps forwards, feeling slightly comforted at Archer's touch. The alpha said nothing at first, but his eyes narrowed as he studied Victoria. She pursed her lips, glancing at Archer for some sort of sign of what to do, tensions was building and she didn't like it. Shifting, she turned back to the alpha.
"Archer," he said nodding his head in greeting. As he spoke, Victoria noticed the alphas canines, sharp little razors prodding from his gum. She stepped back.
"She is, um, newly turned?" the alpha asked Archer.
Heath gazed at the girls outstretched hand, then at her victorious grin. He felt the rock over in his hand before finally handing it over to the girl. The thought crossed his mind that perhaps once the rock was out of his care, she would keep her name to herself. Unfortunately, Heath didn't care; if the girl wished to give him her name, that was her business. He would stick with the name 'Red' for her if she refused to cooperate.

[DarkAngel13]

Archer looked away from her as he answered the alpha. "It appears so. I came upon her in the woods, she seemed confused and didn't understand what had happened to her. I didn't sense any of our kind nearby, so whoever changed her left in a hurry. She is only nineteen, so I don't even know if it was one of us that changed her or not." He looked back to Victoria, hoping she wouldn't do anything rash in front of the Alpha.

As soon as the rock slid into her hand, Adrianna leapt away from him and moved to the other side of the clearing. There, she sat down and examined her new friend, her entire focus on it. She rubbed it between her fingers, trying to decide if she liked the weight of it. She took her time and wondered if the payment of the rock was enough for her name. She looked over at the stranger as she ran the rock down the bridge of her nose, still undecided.

[IndieM]

Victoria frowned slightly when Archer looked away. Coward. She thought to herself and glared at his turned head. She looked back at the alpha to see him raise his eyebrows, as did many others. She looked the alpha over carefully. He seemed like a nice enough man, though perhaps that was only because he was in his own setting. Victoria couldn't help but sense something strange and perhaps dark in him.
"Well then, I presume that you'll show her the ropes of being a new vampire Archer," the alpha said; it wasn't a question, "Until then her 20th birthday we'll wait and see what happens."
Heath jumped to his feet when the girl began to run off. In the few seconds he was debating to run after her, she stopped. Heath raised his head but stayed put, "I believe we had a deal," he said, loud enough for his voice to carry across the clearing, "I held up my end and now it's time you held up yours."
He could feel the bit of annoyance gnawing at the inside of his mind at the girl. However, he refused to let her get to him.

{You're more than welcome to play the alpha.}

[DarkAngel13]

[What kind of person is the alpha?]

Archer nodded respectfully, though he didn't really like the command. He didn't mind bringing her to the alpha, but to show her their ways? It was tedious work, helping a newborn. He cursed the vampire that turned her and left her on her own. This should be their job, not his. But he did not dare speak out against the alpha. He turned to Victioria and stepped away from the others, motioning for her to come with him.

Still rubbing the stone across her nose and forehead, Adrianna just looked to the stranger. A faint smile crossed upon her lips before it disapeared as if it hadn't been there. So she had made him a little upset. It was amusing, but not the most amusing thing she had seen. Finally she sighed and got to her feet to come back to sit before her rocks again. She looked up at him expectantly before looking down at her semi circle of rocks. "Though Ernie is valuable," she said softly, naming her new stone. "He is not worth my name. I will give you Mary for him, but not my name." She picked up Mary, a dark slightly rough stone with a peculiar purple sheen to it. She offered him the rock, her eyebrow raised.

[IndieM]

{Whatever. A leader ;] I don't really have a specific character made up for him.}

Victoria watched Archer then followed him. Once out of ear shot, she leaned into him, "That's it?" she asked, her temper flaring, "I don't even get a say in what happens to me? What if I don't want to be a vampire?" Victoria glowered at the ground as they walk, suddenly feeling like if she wanted something done, she'd have to take it into her own hands.
Heath frowned, taking Mary. Turning the rock over in his hand he said, "I don't believe that was part of the deal."
Glancing over his shoulder, Heath looked into the woods, past the invisible line that separated the two clans. It was getting early {Ha ha, get it? :] Punny...} and he wondered if the girl even recognized that he wasn't like her. He thought about what would happen to him, to both of them, if they we're caught even talking. The idea made him question his actions.

[DarkAngel13]

[Alright....so what do I do with him? :P]

Archer's jaw clenched, a little annoyed the the newbie. He could tell that she might be a handful. "Look," he growled, his fangs starting to protrude slightly as he glanced down at her. "You're lucky he didn't order your excecution on the spot. The problem with your situation is that we don't know if you're one of us, or one of them. Not until you turn twenty. You see, our kinds don't mix. And if you're one of them, well..." he cut off there, leaving it to her imagination. "C'mon," he pulled her along, glancing up at the slightly lighter sky. "You'll need some blood before morning hits. I'll explain more later when we go underground for the day."

"Don't appreciate a good thing when you have it," Adrianna grumbled, reaching over to claim Mary back. She held the two rocks in her hand, rolling them over in her palm. She looked up at him, arching a brow. "Fine. It's Adrianna. A-dri-AH-na." She enunciated slowly, still giving him a funny look. "What's a wolfie like you want with my name, anyway? Spying?" She pouted and looked back down to her rocks, arranging them into different shapes. First a star, then a crescent moon, then a flower. "Don't bother. They don't tell me anything."

[Lol, yeah, that was punny :P Which leads me to a question. Where do they stay at night? ]

[DarkAngel13]

[Lol, I meant day :P]

[IndieM]

Victoria clenched her fists, her pale cheeks flaring with color, feeling like a little child being scolded for taking a cookie out of the cookie jar. She was so upset, so confused. She woke up this night not knowing where she was, nor what happened, craving blood and being stumbled upon by a stranger and yet she still had no answers. Victoria took a deep breath to steady herself. It was obvious Archer was only trying to help, however it made Victoria feel powerless, like for once in her life she wasn't in control of what happened to her.
"I'm sorry," Victoria said quietly, "But I can't just drop everything to become a vampire. What about my friends and family?" she asked then a thought came to her head, what friends? She was living on her own, insisting that she didn't need anyone's help.
Heath sighed. He never said he didn't want the rock. It was obvious that this girl needed a new approach; she was unlike anyone else he had met.
"Adrianna," Heath said with a half smile, "Pretty name," he added shaking his head, "No, just decided to take a chance tonight. But I'm glad I did. How come they don't tell you anything?" Heath asked, suddenly thinking he was foolish for worrying about getting caught. It seemed that Adrianna was an outsider...like him. Never really fitting in, spending all his time trying to please his father. At this, Heath picked up a skeleton leaf, braking it up in his hand. Nothing he did pleased the alpha.

[DarkAngel13]

Archer looked to her, feeling an almost instant regret as he saw the look on her face. He knew what it was like to be afraid, to know that he could never see his family again. "I'm sorry, Victoria," he said gently, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I know this is strange, and...confusing. This isn't something most of us get to choose." He stepped closer, giving her shoulders a gentle squeeze. "But there's no going back. What you are, it's permananet. You can't go back to your family, your friends. I know it's tempting, but they can't be a part of this new life." His voice dropped to a whisper as he looked into her eyes, his heart almost breaking as he said it. "Your new life is with us, Victoria. There is no going back."

"They don't think I hear what they say about me," Adrianna muttered bitterly, her fingers flying as she arranged her rocks into an oblong half oval. She laid down on the forest floor, her hair splaying out among the rocks as she looked up at the remaining stars through the tree branches. "They whisper, talk behind my back. 'She's unstable,' they say. 'Lost touch with reality.' What do they know about reality, anyway?" Adrianna pouted, grabbing the rock he gave her and clutching it to her chest with both hands.

[IndieM]

"Your new life is with us, Victoria. There is no going back."
The very words brought tears to Victoria's eyes, those steel blue eyes. Her brows knit together and she tried to keep them from spilling over. No more crying. It was time to take action and move on. This was her new life, just as Archer said. She swallowed, and with a renewed determination she reached up and took Archer's wrists in her hands, "Thank you Archer," she said quietly, almost monotone. It seemed that the information had finally sunk in. Archer was just the wake up call she needed.
Heath watched Adrianna, his face pinching with sympathy. But as he watched her reach over and grab the rock, Heath couldn't help but give a smile, flashing his alabaster fangs. He sighed, rolling over and laying on his back so he was facing the opposite direction of Adrianna, though his head was positioned near hers. He looked over at her with his deep set eyes and asked, "What reasons have they to whisper?" he asked gently.

[DarkAngel13]

Archer looked away at the emotion on her face, the heartbreak and sadness, and then raw defeat. "Victoria, I wish things could be different." He was quiet for a moment before he looked back up at her, gently releasing her. "It's not so bad here, once you get used to it." It wasn't exactly a lie, just maybe a stretch of the truth.

Frowning slightly, Adrianna raised the rock above her head and looked at it with a scrutinous gaze. "They can't hear them, like I can," she murmered softly. "Nobody can talk to them or understand them. They said it's not normal." She stared at the rock for a moment before she turned her head and looked at him. "Can you hear them?"

[IndieM]

Victoria nodded, wiping away at her eyes. She took a deep breath, rolling her shoulders back so she was standing straighter. It was a small gesture, but something she did often. It put her in another mind set. No more being scared. No more old life. She thought, and repeated that in her head until it stuck. Her apartment would be rented, her family would never hear from her again; her new life was here.
Heath watched Adrianna. Only when she asked him a question did his eyes slip past her face, behind her head. It was getting early and though the sun hadn't even begun to slip up past the horizon, he could feel the night growing steadily warmer.
He looked back at Adrianna, "I have to go," he said, standing up. He back up a few steps before turning around and heading for his own territory. He'd lost track of time, wasted precious time for feeding and practice. He suddenly felt foolish. Grabbing the front of his shirt, he sniffed it. Yes, there was definitely a distinct, different smell. He hoped no one would notice.