Zen Times Ten...

Kem blinked at the screen MARI had just vacated. He felt like a Jeopardy contestant.

"The answer: Liefde Towers."

"What is, where is Nic not to be found right now?"

Correct, for one thousand dollars!

He glared at the empty wall for a moment as if MARI might have been mistaken. Or playing some kind of joke. Which was really not all that funny.

Kem sighed and went over the last few weeks in his head. Had he left something out? Let's see. Don't leave Liefde...

potentially hazardous to your health...

a thousand years of darkness,

Ellis

,

plagues of locusts,

Ellis,

death

,

Ellis,

dismemberment,

Ellis,

and oh, right,

Ellis!

Anger flared, almost surprising for the vampire who usually conducted himself with an air of calm. The members of Evenhet who knew about Nic's little indiscretion had gone out of their way to provide him safety and shelter, but if MARI was to be believed (and she was always to be believed), Nic had forsaken it all and left the towers. For what? What could possibly be worth risking your life and your clan? Your clan?

And there it was. The clan. Fine. Nic could throw his own life away if he wanted, but he had endangered his clanmates with his actions once when he'd bitten Addison. And now a second time.

Unaware of it, Kem had bared his fangs and hissed at the empty panel on the wall. Whirling around, he backtracked out of the Meridian lobby and back into the archives. They were mostly empty, so when he slammed his laptop back onto his desk, only one or two people were present to jump with surprise.

It had been a very long time since Kem had directed anger at a person. Perhaps later he would write it off to stress. At the moment though, he was about ready to explode.

So explode he did.

((ooc: Activate vampire cellphone! Kem out to the Piazza!))

Aishe wasn't sure how long she spent shadow-sparring in front of the mirror. She was simply conscious of the fact that her workout, normally relaxing even at its most intense, was not relaxing at all.

For some reason, she was getting angrier and angrier. Her body took it in stride, years of training helping her regulate the force of her blows so she didn't overextend herself and start pulling muscles.

She executed a series of kicks and punches that would have knocked an opponent senseless, the strange sense of rage that built inside her driving her to more aggressive movements.Somewhere in the back of her head she might have registered that her little 'wall' between where she had been filing those odd emotions that didn't seem like hers had collapsed, but in her anger she didn't bother to think that through.

Her breath came quickly, but she welcomed the change of pace that had her heart driving itself against her ribcage like an angry inmate. At one point she was pretty sure she might have hissed, but the thought of it was driven away by the simpler, more consuming need to vent.

Christian set his gym bag down near the entrance of the room and silently watched the dark haired woman go through her kata with evident ferocity. It did not take an empath to see she was upset about something and he wondered what could be causing her trouble. Had Kem threatened to turn her away? It seemed like the Egyptian to do such a thing for her own good from what he knew of him but it could anything, even a bad day at work. Did she work here? MARI had not listed her as an employee.


Folding his arms over his chest, he spoke in a level tone that still carried in the quiet room.


"Perhaps you would do better with a punching bag. Would this walking target have a name?"Â?

So intent was Aishe upon her increasingly vigorous workout that she didn't notice the other's entrance until he spoke. When he did, she whirled and lashed out, immediately glad he was across the room. There was that hiss again, as well.

She clapped her hands over her mouth, mortified. "I'm so sorry!" She dropped her hands to apologize but it came out as a snap. She clapped her hands back over her mouth and felt her eyes grow wide as she blushed.

Her chest heaving from her recent exertions, she found it simply best to wait and breathe until she was thinking more clearly. So she took her few moments of humiliation and observed the stranger in the gym with her. He was a fairly short, small-boned man who couldn't have been more than a few inches taller than she. Although his voice hadn't been raised, it had carried well enough to pull her attention from her activity. He stood there now with his arms folded.

With the newcomer's arrival the anger she'd felt began to fade, leaving her with strange sensation of having two people in her head and an odd disappointment. With some trepidation, she pulled her hands away from her mouth, licking her lips and taking a breath before daring to speak again.

"It doesn't have a name, sir. In fact, I have no idea what just came over me."

She sank slowly to the floor onto the mats and stared up at him helplessly from a cross-legged position. "It seems to be a trend with me lately, I'm afraid."

He raised an eyebrow at her sharp response but could see her confusion and embarrassment. There seemed to fainter emotions of frustration and anger and he gathered that she was calming down from whatever was bothering her.

"I would say so. If you were planning on hitting me then you missed by quite a few feet."Â?

Moving within range, Christian still stood to one side of the mat. He bowed his head slightly by way of greeting and smiled slightly.

"Christian Bern, Chief of Security here at Meridian. I gather you are Aishe Nevrat. Alfarinn sent me a message letting me know that you were taking up a residence in the Towers."Â?

Pondering her statement, he was a bit confused. She did not appear stable, or to be more accurate, she appeared stable now but not a few moments ago. Did Alfarinn agree to harbor some deranged violent woman? Perhaps the obsession with Kem was merely a part of some illness, he spared her a kind word and she attached herself to him? Aishe seemed lucid at the moment though and perhaps she could better explain her situation.

"What has been a trend? Anger or missing your target?"Â?

If Aishe could have simply sunk through the floor, she would have. How could that possibly have gone any worse? And with the Chief of Security? Wonderful. She returned his nod of the head with her own smile, however embarrassed.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Bern," she said somewhat sheepishly. "I wasn't planning on hitting anyone except for my shadow. And I don't even do that so well."

Standing, Aishe shook her head at the next question. "The trend is not knowing exactly what came over me a minute ago. It's happened a few times since I came to Nachton."

She peered at the man curiously. "Is that what you came to talk to me about? I'm mostly harmless." Then belatedly, she noticed the gym bag near the entrance. Probably not here just for her, then. She didn't want to burden a total stranger with her problems... although, she could imagine that as Chief of Security he would want to know all about anyone who lived in the towers.

Unsure of what information he might want from her, she simply waited. She was far beyond the point of caring what sort of questions were asked of her; once again practicality told her that if she were to obtain her goal, honesty was the best policy.

Christian's mouth twitched up in something close to a smile at her admission to not even hitting her shadow well.

"Shadows are elusive things, harder to hit than people realize."

Clasping his hands behind his back, he nodded at her greeting.

"A pleasure to meet you as well. Ms. Nevrat."

He frowned thoughtfully at her explanation for a moment and then carefully schooled his features into impassiveness through long years of discipline. She was feeling things that she did not understand since arriving at Nachton? Chris went through the possibilities both mundane and 'magical' in his head. Drugged? Unlikely, certainly there would be other side effects that would tip her off to such an event. Simply new to the city? Possible but it would seem more likely that she would know where her feelings came from if that were the case. Suggestion? Also possible but no one else was in the room with her when he walked in.

"No, I like to be aware of what is going on in the Towers. It is a part of my job after all. I thought it would be in my best interest to meet you. Now about these odd feelings...Was someone in here with you when you first started feeling this way? Or has the same person ever been around each time? "

Alfarinn's explanation did say that Aishe knew about vampires and even sought to become one. He was not certain of his personal views on the matter but his elder had allowed her to stay in order to better learn for herself just what she was asking for. Chris had been given months to decide and prepare as well, hearing some of the horror stories of rushed turnings and forced creations, he was very grateful for the academic way in which his creator had approached his becoming an immortal. However it turned out for her, it did mean that he was able to ask more clear and pointed questions and that saved him time.

It could be command, he supposed, but that would also be revealed by the same answers. She was human and therefore not an empath.

His thoughts turned towards Kem and Christian tried to remember if the Egyptian ever used suggestion to his knowledge. He knew Kem was a sender. It was his job to know the useful abilities of those within the clan and senders could safely get information delivered throughout the clan. Emotion could not be sent through the sending though, except by tone of voice, besides she would know if Kem were sending to her. It could be glamour but again the person would have been nearby. It could be bonding, that could be something that would still communicate feelings at a distance. Would she not know she was bonded?

"Might I ask you a personal question, Ms. Nevrat?"

Aishe observed Mr. Bern's face without trying to seem to obvious while they spoke. She saw bits of a smile at one point, then what might have been a frown quickly replaced with something more passive. He was so formal, she thought, but what could one expect?

He cut straight to the chase when he asked her about her odd feelings. She had unconsciously assumed that if not a vampire himself, he knew of them... he must, as Security. But it had been driven home to her that even here in Liefde it was not safe to assume anything. So although she was near death with curiosity, she couldn't be as blunt as she would have liked.

Was he asking about her odd feelings because he thought she was some sort of uncontrollable threat? Seeing things? Making them up? Or was he asking because he had answers and might be able to help her sort it out? She wrung her hands, twisting her fingers together and apart. She felt like a kid at Christmas, wanting so badly to know what was under the tree.

Aishe carefully considered his questions. How much was too much to tell? She had just met him, after all, and she knew nothing about him.

"When I first started feeling this way... tonight? No. No one, in fact, has ever been with me when this started. It was over a month ago now." Was that how long she'd been here? Yes, she realized. Well over a month. Several, in fact. "It started a while ago. I guess I'm assuming that you know my... my friend, Kem. It began the last time I saw him."

She shrugged a bit. "I know it must sound silly, but I associate it with him. I haven't seen him at all since before I came to the city, but I know he's here. So perhaps that's why the association has kept up."

Aishe was afraid to tell him the rest; that she'd heard his voice in her head, had pieced together what she'd thought were snatches of his past from the strange feelings and words. Even to her, it sounded completely insane. She didn't want to be kicked out of Liefde, or of Evenhet altogether, because of it.

Christian

"Might I ask you a personal question, Ms. Nevrat?"

She supposed she had that coming, too, wandering around punching at mirrors and raving about voices in her head.

"Of course. But only if you call me Aishe." She simply couldn't get the hang of 'Ms. Nevrat.' It made her feel like she was being scolded somehow.

Christian took in her answer and added it to the puzzle he was trying to solve. No one had been around her for any of these feelings that meant that it was not command, suggestion or glamour. She had been feeling this way since the last time she had seen Kem. He had no reason to believe she was wrong in this assumption; in fact, she was more likely right about his involvement. Aishe was here because of him and they had a connection through their relationship, if nothing else.

"I do know Kem and have for a very long time."

Given conditional assent to his request, Chris knelt beside her and placed his hands on the tops of his thighs. With his back straight and his chin up, he hardly seemed to picture of nonchalance but it did put him down at eye level which might make her more comfortable.

"Aishe then. Likewise call me Christian, or Chris, if you prefer."

There had been some hesitation in answering that he found reassuring especially considering the straight forward way Alfarinn said that she had presented herself to him. He decided that it was possible that she was direct when seeking her goal but intelligent enough to know when not to be, either that, or she was simply one of the luckiest humans in the city. He had not had much dealings with Asahi Mai of Anantya but Chris felt the girl before him was blessed to be alive. For some reason the elder of Anantya did not see her as a threat to vampire kind and was even compelled to help her reach the right people. Though that was likely to keep her from blundering around in the dark and saying something worse to the wrong people.

"How close do you feel to Kem? Do you feel drawn to him? How well do you understand him? More than one question, I know, but humor me if you will."

Aishe had sat back down on the mat, and now that she'd caught her breath from her recent exertions, she was sitting with her legs bent and the soles of her feet together, stretching her legs so as not to cramp up. From that position, she could still converse with Mr... Christian, a fact made easier by his kneeling there with her.

Christian

"How close do you feel to Kem? Do you feel drawn to him? How well do you understand him? More than one question, I know, but humor me if you will."

Well, that certainly wasn't a difficult question to answer. And if she was going to tell the truth she might as well tell it in full. It was that which led her to look into Christian's very blue eyes and smile and say, "I love him."

It felt odd for a moment, to say to this stranger that which she had never even gotten to say to Kem himself, but she went on anyhow.

"I feel as close to him as I can feel when he's doing his best to push me away." There was no blame or judgement in her voice; it was simply a statement of fact. "And I feel drawn to him, but that began when we met over a year ago. We were drawn to each other. It's what kept him in Egypt longer than he intended to stay. It's what kept me continuing my studies well into the night because I knew he would meet me at the river when I was finished, as long as I took care to finish only after the sun had set."

In for a nickel, Aishe thought, and continued on. "As for understanding, I suppose I must. Because I wasn't hurt when he left. I know why he did, and I know why he feels what he's doing is the right thing to do. But I disagree with him, and I think he'd even disagree with himself if he'd stop behaving like a stubborn mule for three seconds."

She lifted her shoulders in a little shrug. "There's so much about him I don't know. I know just how crazy it must sound, but I keep thinking at times like before, that I'm feeling what he's feeling. There have even been times since I got to Nachton that I heard his voice in my head. Please don't think I've lost it... I just don't know how else to describe it."

Suddenly, the fact that she didn't know what had been happening seemed to hit her like a ton of bricks. Was she crazy? Was she obsessing? Was this all in her head, and poor Kem was just trying to escape that nutty human who wouldn't leave him be? And if that was the case, at least she'd have something to return to those critical professors about, pointing her finger and yelling "Aha! And you said I had no imagination!"

Aishe realized she'd wound down, and for a moment she wondered if she might have to look around and locate Christian's ears to return them to him. He did seem to be all in one piece, however.

Christian stayed silent and listened to her tell him about her feelings and experiences with Kem. It -could- be a bonding but it was hard to tell from what she said. The hearing her lover's voice in her head could simply be wishful thinking and wanting him around so badly she could hear him. Of course, add it to the odd emotional outbursts and bonding made more sense.

"Let me explain an ability some vampires have and you can tell me if this seems right to you. Let's not assume that it is but after I describe it you can tell me if it seems likely. Bonding is an ability to form a special connection between two people. There is generally something special that makes this connection happen for someone with the ability so that it doesn't happen to just anyone. Something of a ritual or process. A bonded couple can feel what each other feels and it is stronger the closer they are to each other, they can even send thoughts back and forth to each other with conscious effort. Perhaps you should try that."

Inwardly he smiled at the thought of her sending a surprise message to the Kem; it wasn't difficult to image the shock the tall Egyptian would feel and he wondered if he could convince MARI to relay what that looked like if she did. In a practical sense, and the true reason he suggested the action, it would let her know definitely whether or not she was bonded to the vampire.

"I doubt that changes much in your mind but should you be bonded to Kem then it would likely make a great deal of difference to him. A bond is a hard thing to break so leaving for your own good would not be very effective."

He gave her a straightforward gaze and added.

"It also means that he likely knows your are here."

Aishe felt the relief of having several questions answered at once. First, that Christian had broached the topic of vampires himself, so she didn't have to wonder if her assumption was correct, or if the old adage about assumptions and asses were true. Secondly, she now possibly had a name to her odd psychosis; the little voice in her head she'd linked to Kem.

She nodded slowly, biting her lip gently as she thought. "It would make sense," she said, and to explain her lack of surprise further, she expounded on that. "I had looked for any way to explain these feelings. I've never been prone to flights of fancy or odd fits like this before, and it was bothering me to not be able to understand why it was happening. And you know what they say... whenever you have exhausted all avenues of possibility, then whatever theory remains, however improbable, must be fact."

With a little smile she lifted one shoulder. "The only thing I could come up with was that we'd connected in some way. But I didn't want to mention it to anyone I'd met yet, for fear I was wrong and they'd know I wasn't sane."

The relief gave way fairly quickly to alarm, however, when Chris mentioned 'talking' to Kem. She shook her head quickly.

"He can't know I'm here." She was momentarily elated, with the idea that she might be able to simply speak to Kem, like that, with a thought. How easily they would be able to work out their problems, if all they needed to do was stop and concentrate and know what the other was feeling or thinking.

She frowned, then, looking directly at Chris, who so far had been a savior in defining this strange bond. "It would be so easy," she said softly. "All I would have to do is... show him, then, how I feel. But he must already know. I've never tried to hide it. I've never harbored any illusion about the reality or depth of my feelings."

She thought a bit more, how to express what she really meant, how it related to Kem and why he might not be receptive to such a thing.

"I know this might not make sense... but since you have known him for some time, maybe it will to you. I think... perhaps it is that depth of feeling that frightens him. No." She broke off, shook her head, and corrected herself. "I know it's what keeps him away. His feelings and mine are unquestionable. What's in the way is what he is. He doesn't think it's right to be involved with me when all it will bring is heartache as I grow old and he remains young.

"What he wants, and what I would like, are one and the same. But he refuses to acknowledge that. So instead he's tried to put distance between us, to let me live my own life and let go of him."

She sighed. "But it's not that easy. Love doesn't just disappear. And he's never stopped to ask whether what I want is the same as what he wants. He just does what he feels is 'right,' no matter how wrong it is for us both."

And there it went again... she'd babbled on and on about what was going on. Chris must have the patience of a saint. She was a little embarrassed at the outburst, but how was she to lie or conceal truths from Meridian's Chief of Security, of all people? If there was anyone in position to tell her to get out of town, it would be he, and therefore, if he didn't think she was inappropriate or out of line... well, suffice it to say, his judgment mattered to her. Even beyond that, said a small part of her mind, he seemed to really want to help her understand, and that alone was a great gift; one she wouldn't want to throw away, and was grateful for.

"You see why he can't know I'm here," she said evenly. "He'll be gone again. Someplace farther away. I don't agree, and I think he's being stubborn and stupid. But I can't control that. And even if I could, I wouldn't change him. It's how he is. I can't help but love him all the more for it."

She was idly playing with the hem of her tanktop now, trying very hard not to seem overly emotional. Particularly if Kem were able to feel the same.

Christian nodded in understanding as she came to the conclusion that bonding made the most sense. He did not see any sign of her jumping on an easy excuse, instead it appeared to be simple relief to have a name for what she already knew to be true.

He listened as she explained why she could not let Kem know that she was here though he still suspected that the man must know she was in the city at the very least. It was odd behavior to hide in a hole away from someone you need to confront. He better understood Aishe's strategy which was avoidance until preparations were made but the Egyptian's great plan was giving up, hiding out and hoping the human girl went away.

Smirking inwardly, he thought she must be amazingly strong to cause a vampire as old as himself to run for the hills. She did seem to have a force of will and some idea of a plan; he wouldn't call her a master of tactics but it was still better than most people in love.

"Well I don't think anyone is going to tell him you are here; though as I said I would not be surprised if he did not already know. The fact that he has not contacted you himself"

Chris raised a hand to his head in indication.

"suggests that he's trying very hard to hide away from the whole thing. I do not believe he could leave here indefinitely, nor can he not be found by those who know how to look."

At this pronouncement, Christian smiled sphinx-like but continued his statment.

"As far as your Egyptian love goes, well, the rest of that quote that you stated says it is stupidity rather than courage to refuse to recognize danger when it is close upon you. Avoiding you will only achieve his worst fears by allowing you the time to do the very thing he does not want."

Rocking back on his heels, he stood up and regarded her evenly.

"But he did not come to me for tactical advice and it appears -you- already have a plan."

Chris stood in a readied stance and then beckoned her with his hand.

"Come, let us see if you can hit something other than a shadow."

In spite of the fact that she'd already had a full workout, Aishe felt energized. There was something to be said for a good rant now and then, and even though she'd been raised to behave with calm and poise and whatever else, she had been thrown into a different mold lately and found she had little trouble conforming. Whatever direction she'd been heading in, she didn't mind it.

Talking to Chris was good. He seemed to understand her, and he didn't offer judgment; he simply took her at her word, which she appreciated. Moreover, she was grateful for his advice and very glad to know that the 'voice' in her head wasn't what she'd feared but rather, what she believed.

"To be honest, my strategy thus far had involved a trip-wire, a baseball bat, and an elaborate system of ropes and pulleys. I'm all ears for something better."

She stood, gave one last good stretch, and fell into a defensive stance that mirrored Chris' own, a soft smile on her face that didn't seem to match the setting.

Balanced lightly on the balls of her feet, she realized she didn't feel the same nervousness that she usually felt when sparring. This was something different. This was more... relaxing.

Pushing all extra thoughts from her mind, she focused and waited. Patience had brought her this far. Patience would serve just as well now.

Christian watched her stand and noted with satisfaction that she stretched before matching his stance. Vampires might not be as likely to pull a muscle but he recalled well enough the preparations made before exertion, many years of fighting had made them so much a second nature that he did them still.

He arched an eyebrow at her claims of a plan that seemed to involve nothing of the sort and forbore comment on it. Instead asking another question.

"Have you found anyone you felt comfortable enough with to approach as a possible creator?"

Not giving her time to contemplate the question, Chris slipped sideways and past reaching out with one hand to push against her neck and shoulder while one foot swept to the side behind her own in order to aid in tripping her.

((OOC: Permission to rough up Aishe, isn't she nice? ))

Aishe didn't have long to wait; Chris wasn't about to waste any time, apparently. His question distracted her momentarily, but a moment was all he needed. She was too slow to react as he slipped by her for a throw, but Aishe was at least well-versed in falling. She went with it, not fighting as her body twisted sideways and she hit the mat hip first.

Damn, he was fast. But given how much stronger than she he was, it had been a relatively light throw. She didn't stay on the ground; if she was going to get any edge against such an opponent she was going to have to be quick about it, and halfway clever.

The moment she hit the ground she was rolling to the side, using her momentum to launch herself back to her feet. As her foot swept around, she found the presence of mind to respond to Chris' question.

"Not yet. And even if I had, I wouldn't be sure how to go about asking. It seems... rude, somehow."

She brought her foot in low, a roundhouse aimed at his ankle, even as she watched his feet out of the corner of her eye for clues as to his next move.

Christian watched her let herself fall noting with satisfaction that she went with the motion instead of fighting it. He applauded the flexibility of mind and the training she had obviously gone through that made that solution come to the forefront.

She did not stay still either, he would have landed another blow to her on the ground if she had but it would seem that the woman had been taught as he had that an opponent that was down was not helpless.

He nodded at her statement and spun away from the kick aimed at his ankle.

" I would agree that it would be unorthodox but then so is approaching a clan and requesting to be turned. It is most often our habit to do the asking."

Christian stood in a ready stance and waited for her to attack him again so that he might have more opportunity to watch her move.

"I believe most of our kind would see that you are honoring them by choosing to ask such a thing and certainly they would have the ability to say no if they did not feel comfortable with the idea. Most consider the relationship between creator and child as something special. It can be two lovers or parent to child or simply close companions. "

And some seemed to turn people and leave them with no further thought but those did not warrant speaking of. The connection between creator and child was not mystical and was only special in the emotional and mental attachment that the people involved placed on it. His own had been very non involved, and while he had a particular fondness for his creator, he did not feel any more attached to him than many of his other friends.

"What kind of relationship are you hoping to create with someone before choosing?"

Aishe hadn't expected to hit Christian. He was disgustingly fast. And graceful. She wasn't about to quit though. For some reason she wasn't nervous like she usually was when sparring. Perhaps because, in this case, her opponent was so obviously superior that she was pretty certain there was no way she could hurt him, not even by slipping.

Taking a risk, she made a lunge with her upper body. It was meant to invade the opponent's space, to force him to take a step back and leave one foot out. Her fists were the distraction; her back foot would move forward at the same time, leaving her in position to hook her foot around his heel and pull with a sharp movement backward.

Of course, it wasn't a guaranteed success, but worth a try anyhow.

"I'd be flattered if whoever turned me considered it an honor. I'm the one who's grateful. I did, well, rather shove my way in. I'm not normally so rude, but what I was feeling... well, it made me act a bit differently. And as for a relationship, well. I can't imagine participating in something like that with someone I barely know."

Aishe considered that question carefully, since it was one of those abstract 'describe your perfect...' questions.

"Someone I am friends with, at the very least. Someone who I can learn from, who doesn't mind showing me the ropes." Not that she didn't think Kem would help, but... well, if things went her way he was going to have his hands full in a different sense. "Someone like a close companion, or a teacher, or both preferably. It seems like too close an experience for anything else."

Having made her initial step forward, committed to her course of action, she swept her right foot around, simultaneously aiming a left thrust with the heel of her hand at Christian's chest.

Christian twisted his upper torso to the side to be out of her way and then grabbed her arm, using her own forward momentum to help him yank her over and onto the ground. Bending over he put up a staying hand, and reached down with the other to help her up.

Her last maneuver had been more brazen which proved that she was not afraid to try new things. It was not completely foolish either and would probably have worked the way she had intended to use it against a different foe. It was not a bad gamble considering she had little to lose.

"I hope though that you accept full responsibility for your actions and do not place the blame on these feelings... as difficult to control as they are. If you are indeed bonded to Kem then knowing this will help you separate what emotions are yours and what are his. With patience and practice his feelings can be put aside if they need to be in order for you to function."

He bowed to her and then stepped back and knelt again on the mat. Christian had little doubt that the desire to become a vampire was her own and not Kem's but he also believed her when she said that it was the Egyptian's secret wish as well. That made things more complicated. Having emotions that were not her's meant that she would have to think that much harder about whether this was something that was truly right for her.

Aishe's answers were encouraging. She had considered some of these questions even if she did not see a way to go about asking for what she wanted now that she was here.

"Well I will give you some practical advice that might not be as important as it once was but it has served me well in the past. My creator gave me a long time to prepare and pointed out the differences in vampire physiology. Your hair will not grow longer than the length you are turned with so I would not advise cutting it shorter. Longer hair can be cut and it will grow back so hair of some length is more versatile and will be helpful over the years. This does mean shaving your legs once before you are turned means you won't have to do so again but you never know perhaps hairy legs will become all the rage in 2065. "

Christian turned over his arm to show the mercenary mark that graced his inner forearm.

"Tattoos from your human days will stay, ones made afterwards will fade very quickly and are probably not worth the time it takes to get them."

For all he knew she might want plastic surgery and it was not an interest of his as to whether silicon would stay in a vampire's body if it were placed there before they were turned though he suspected that it would. It would not stay afterwards so if she wished to alter her appearance in any artifical drastic means then she needed to do it as a human.

"It is just one more thing to be aware of as you plan this. There is also your family and friends. You can take care of these things after your turning to some extent but not being able to walk around in the sunshine -is- very difficult to explain to your relatives so you might want to consider dealing with them before you are one of our kind."

He grew silent and waited to see what she had to say to these.

The moment Chris twisted, Aishe knew she was done for. She didn't even get a chance to try and tug his heel out from under him; he had her arm in a vice grip. Knowing exactly what was about to happen did not alter her ability to change the forces of gravity, and she went slamming into the mat on her back.

Christian had help up his hand, which was all for the best because the air was knocked out of her anyhow. Aishe accepted his help and rolled to her feet, then bowed in return and sat crosslegged opposite him on the mats.

His comment about responsibility for her actions had struck a nerve, and she shook her head while he was talking. When he was finished, she explained the reason for that. "My actions are my own and no one else's," Aishe said. "While I don't think I would have had the motivation or the nerve to act on them without Kem's feelings bouncing around in my head, I've never questioned if my feelings were my own. Since coming here I've learned a great deal about free will. I've seen familiars and heard about the good and the bad. Dani and Alfarinn, for example. They get along so well and really care for each other. But no matter how I justify it, it's still a compulsion. I can't fathom that. I need to be able to make my own choices."

Oops. She hadn't meant to ramble, or preach. But she'd thought about that a great deal lately, particularly at first while considering her situation.

She settled down and listened to Chris's down-to-earth advice. It appealed to her practical nature, and it made her feel like just maybe she was getting that much closer to her goal. She mentally catalogued each point, ticking them off in her head... she hadn't planned on cutting her hair, the leg-shaving thing had appeal but Chris was right... what if hairy legs became trendy! Not that she considered herself a slave to fashion, but it looked like she'd be going au naturale for a bit. She glanced down at her nails, which she actually hadn't bitten in several days. That would be tough to remember; she bit them without thinking. Band-aids on every finger, perhaps.

Tattoos weren't her thing, although Chris's was certainly quite the work of art. The last point he touched on was something she'd also given a lot of thought to. Her family. Fortunately, they probably wouldn't be that big a problem. She brightened at the thought.

"Well, I don't really have very many friends. Just a few acquaintances from college. That's what you get for being the quiet, studious foreigner. I'm an only child, and my parents, having dutifully raised their offspring, moved back to Egypt last month. They think I'm happily involved, and hopefully I will be someday in the future. I didn't tell them Kem left. They liked him so much; I didn't want to sadden them. They also know he works nights, and so far I've told them I'm trying to find a job with a schedule that approximates his."

Blushing slightly, she amended, "I don't normally lie to them... but it would just be awkward otherwise."

She spread her hands helplessly, with a little grin.