Alone in the Night (open to anyone)
Aishe had wandered into a garden, full of restless energy and unable to find much else that appealed to her to do at this time. Her body was still telling her it needed sleep, and she was trying to convince it to sleep during the day. She had found that she couldn't simply sit around in her hotel room and wait, but neither did she want to stray too far. So she'd gone for a walk, hoping to keep it short but sweet.
The little plaque had proclaimed these the Vesper Gardens, and she was curious as to how they might look at night. To her astonishment and delight, she felt as if she'd stepped into some kind of moonlit fairyland as she wandered tentatively in. Most of the flowers were varied shades of white and silver, but there were artful splashes of color everywhere; gentle lavender, vivacious reds, lush greens. Everything was beautifully cultivated, and Aishe recognized several kinds of night-blooming flowers such as the nicotania with its star-shape and delicate little petals, and the even smaller jasmine blossoms whose scent drifted lazily throughout the gardens.
She let herself drift just as aimlessly for a while, enjoying the beauty of the garden, discovering with a smile the very middle of it, the pretty fountain with its statue. She looked at that for a bit and then found herself an out-of-the-way corner and a bench, nestled in amongst two fragrant jasmine bushes. Sitting sideways on it, she drew her knees up, rested her chin upon them, and wrapped her arms around her legs. She closed her eyes and let herself take in the scents alone for a bit.
//It was a strange feeling that washed over her then, almost deja vu, as her mind's eye took her someplace else. She found herself in a dimly-lit room, inside some kind of building. Although the room was large and comfortable, she felt vaguely ill at ease.
There were footsteps, and then she was pulled roughly to her feet. Someone yelled at her; she didn't know what they said. Her mind couldn't quite pick that part out of the dream. There was a sound, flesh striking flesh, and then the room burst into color before her eyes. She had fallen, and whoever had hit her was punishing her with a vengeance. She couldn't scream, she could merely endure.
Her eyes fell upon a tall vase of flowers. They were blue lilies. She loved those; she'd put them there with such care. She focused on them now, waiting for the fists to cease their pounding...//
Aishe's eyes snapped open; she sat upright and glanced around. She must have fallen asleep after all. She leaned back, resting on the palms of her hands. Some dream, she thought. This past month sure has me spinning around.
She swiped one hand across her eyes and shook herself awake. It wouldn't do to lose resolve on an issue this small, she chided herself sternly. You were a college student once, after all. You've pulled all-nighters before.
Having wierd dreams was just unsettling enough to encourage her to renew her efforts. The garden was enjoyable, and despite the peaceful atmosphere she felt her resolve strengthen. She smiled up into the night and let the moonlight bathe her face.
He had heard of the Vesper Gardens in New York, supposedly a breathtaking sight to behold. He put on his trench coat and decided to take a walk there, he couldn't stand to drive another mile. After some time walking he found his destination, how long he did not know, his mind was a rushing torrent of thought. He went over in his head the many times he was forced to relocate.
"Fucking idiot" He scalded himself as he took a cigarette from his pocket and lit it with his zippo. He stopped in his tracks and looked behind him, he had passed his destination,lost in his thoughts.he walked back and took the sight in. He marveled at the contrast of colors,and the diverse flora. He took a drag from his smoke as he walked in.
The Garden took his attention from his blunder as he spent what could have been hours marveling at the sight he beheld, and the fragrant scent set his mind at ease.he made his way to the fountain, and took a seat in a bench in front of the fountain. Sure it was a statue of a Greek God, and the Roman in him might have thought something of it, but his mind was taxed and decided just to take in the sight. The sculpting was immaculate, one of the best works he had seen in his long life. Looking up at the stars, he took a flask from his left pocket and twisted the lid open. He raised the steel flask to his lips and took a long swig of the mature scotch inside.
He gazed at the stars awhile, a habit he had picked up in his days when he traveled the known world, claiming lands for the emperor.Something about them put his mind at peace and, coupled with the scent of this place,gave him no desire to leave this place anytime soon.Every second he spent gazing upon the heavens felt like a life age had expired on earth. After what seemed like hours passed, a creaking in a Far away corner called his attention from the stars.He definitely heard someone.
He Stretched his powerful arms and yawned as he got back to his feet. He took the path that would lead him to where he heard the noise, and noticed a young woman sitting on a bench in secluded corner ahead. She looked deep in thought and he wondered she'd also noticed his presence. He took a cigarette from the pack in his pocket.He then took his zippo and lit it. He closed the lighter hard and heard it echo.
"I'm sorry," she said, "I didn't see you there."
The acrid smell of cigarette smoke mingled unpleasantly with the sweet jasmine. She had never understood how smokers could tolerate it. It wasn't any of her business, of course, she told herself, but she was well and truly jarred from whatever state she'd been in now.
Aishe swung her legs down to the ground, facing forward on the bench now. She gave the man a friendly smile, never having learned to equate 'big' with 'possibly dangerous'.
"Did you want to sit here?" She moved over along the bench. "I've never been here before, I didn't mean to sit in anyone's usual spot."
"It is okay" he smiled at her, he didn't know whether it was this place or the woman he was looking at but his usual hoarse, sarcastic self was disarmed.he walked toward the corner.as he neared he felt a small hunger pang hit him in the stomach but he ignored it.
"No women anymore,that's the rule" he told his body. the desire to feed subdued itself to his will and disappeared.a satisfied smirk came to his face as he realized he'd overcame his thirst, if only for this time, it was a victory none the less.
he was now directly in front of this young woman,who had the look of someone who was perplexed by the current situation they were in.
"I apologize for startling you, It wasn't my intention." He said as he took his steel flask out again and took a sip, the scotch slightly burning his throat as it went down. he extended the flask to her, offering a sip if she wanted one
"It's my fault," she demurred. "I was spaced out."
She held up a 'no thanks' hand when he offered her his flask. She wasn't sure she wanted to find out what was in it. Then she looked up, and up, and... up. This was one really, really big guy.
"Come here a lot?" she asked, followed closely by a mental kick. What a stupid thing to say, she thought to herself. Still, he seemed nice enough.
They're all nice until they're eating you for dinner, a little voice inside said, and right about then her considerably tardy sense of self-preservation kicked in. The warning lights went on, the helm went to code red, and the warp engine was priming itself for an emergency takeoff if need be.
Even at the same time, Aishe's mind was coolly appraising this huge mountain of a man. She was getting jumpy, she figured. Just because she'd just walked into Vampire Central didn't mean everyone was one. Stop overanalyzing, she told herself severely. People like that don't hang out in places like this! Right?
Outwardly, however, she remained fairly calm, save for the shake in her voice that could simply be left over from her startlement.
Bravely, she held her hand out to the big man.
"My name is Aishe Nevrat."
he softened his voice and extended his hand staring into her eyes "Fear not, if physical harm were my intention I would have done that by now. And to be truthful, No, this is my first time in this garden. I just arrived to Nachton tonight. I am Peter Johnson."
he took her hand and offered as gentle as a handshake as he could offer
"So, may I ask what brings you here this evening?"
Of course, his words were still slightly unsettling. She wasn't sure if she felt reassured or cowed. She decided to simply take this at face value, and dredged up a laugh again.
"I'm sorry," she said. Then she looked up at him again. "I can't help but think you must be used to this though. If you don't mind my lack of tact, I don't think I've ever seen anyone as tall as you."
That was an understatement, that annoying little voice in her head said again. The man was enormous. He almost reminded her of a movie character, somehow.
"Fezzik, are there rocks ahead?"
"If there are, we'll all be dead!"
"I'm just here visiting a friend. So, what brings you to Nachton?"
"Stop that rhyming now, I mean it!"
Aishe turned her head to the side, waiting for Peter's answer, certain there must be a story in it. She was starting to suspect that no one just appeared in Nachton without a reason.
"Anybody want a peanut?"
((ooc: rhyming courtesy of The Princess Bride))
"Its okay," apollyon giggling a little,"I have grown used to it yes." He paused a moment and resumed, "I grew tired of New York. I was looking for a place where I could move my Auto repair shop where it wouldn't die out.After a couple months I found Nachton was the best place suited for me. and so I am here."
apollyon flashed a sly grin and continued
"And whichever friend you are visiting is lucky to keep such company"
He thought about that again, friends in Nachton,This woman may already know vampires in this city. this arose a curiosity in Apollyon as he continued to converse with her.
"I've always wanted to try repairing cars," she admitted, "but as it is, the best I can manage by myself is to change my tires and check my oil. I'm an archaeologist." Aishe added that last by way of explanation. "I thought as long as I was here in Nachton I might see what kinds of opportunities are available to someone like me. This city has such a wonderfully historical background, and so far I've met some very nice people."
She inclined her head toward him to include him in that group.
"I can't believe you find New York boring though," she continued. "Are you from the city? There's so much to do there. I've been there several times, and I never want to leave. Although," she conceded, "I suppose if you've lived there all your life it can get a bit old, can't it."
"Workin' on cars isn't all it's cracked up to be."He stated as he put his hand in his pocket, going for the flask again,
"To keep a decent shop you gotta work around sixty hour work weeks."
He became intrigued at the mention of her being an archaeologist. and smiled at the mention of being called one of the "nice people"; something he hasn't been tagged with much at all in his life.
"You're an archaeologist eh?" He asked, "Have you worked anywhere recently?"
He laughed on the inside at the thought of telling this woman of the sights he has seen over the past millennium and a half, ranging from the fading Roman empire, to the dynasty wars in China, To the endless feudal wars in eastern Europe. He took another swig from his flask and put it back once again.
"I didn't really find New York boring," he stated, "I was being pressured by some of the unsavory elements there to pay them for protection. If I didn't they threatened they would set my garage ablaze."
He caught a look at her neck, once again his thirst panged at him. He hadn't fed since he drank that asshole dry back in New York.He didn't have too long before his muscles would grow weak.But once again he willed himself to put his desire to feed aside.Smoking helped curb his urge, he took out a pack of Broncos from his pocket and took one out, giving her an apologetic look,
"I'm sorry milady," He said, "but I cant hold back my urge to smoke any longer. I will do my best to keep it away from your immediate area."
He took out his lighter and lit the cigarette.after taking a puff that was close to half the cigarette, he blow the plume of smoke away from his new friend. He couldn't really place what it was about her but, he wasn't his usual surly self around her. Almost anyone else who would show disapproval to his smoking would probably end up with a smoldering cigarette butt in their eye.
"But with that extra threat," He continued, I couldn't afford to stay there, fiscally or psychologically. I was always looking over my shoulder, afraid of my shop being looted or defaced. I just got tired of it"
He shrugged as he took another drag from his smoke and with immaculate aim, flicked the but into the garbage can about ten yards away
"Well," she said, suddenly conceiving of an idea, "if you need help getting started here in Nachton and I actually decide to stay, I'd be happy to help out. Answer phones and all that."
She didn't honestly expect him to take her up on it, and mostly hoped he didn't; she'd just met him, and for all that he seemed nice she was still intimidated somewhat by him. It couldn't hurt, though, to have contacts here as well as friends. She wasn't about to blow off either one of the two.
Aishe smiled when he asked if she'd been on any good digs.
"I was in Egypt for several months last year," she responded. "I've been doing a lot of studying, mostly hieroglyphics. I found a lot of interesting stuff down there."
Heh, that sure was true, she told herself. She had a brief memory of Kem, standing on the sandy bank of the Nile, the moonlight reflecting off his silvery hair. Where are you? She wondered. What are you doing now?
That train of thought stopped at last night's dinner. She could only hope Mai would be able to help her. Patience was one thing she'd been surprisingly short on lately, but she had a feeling she was going to have to have it regardless of how she felt about it.
She whistled as Peter flicked his cigarette butt into a discrete trash can she hadn't even noticed. "Good aim."
Aishe couldn't help but appreciate the consideration he had shown for her own preference, at least. It only made her wonder more if this big man could really end up as a friend.
((ooc: Apollyon's tone of voice courtesy of the Big Guy himself))
"What the hell is happening to you?" he said to himself."you've been a cold hearted killer and devourer of man blood for almost 1600 years and now you're coming off as some shitty character in a damn sitcom!."
"Egypt eh?. I had always wanted to see the pyramids" Apollyon stated
"great job moron." He told himself, "I'm sure shes heard that only every time she's mentioned her work." He shook his head and ran his hand through his hair.
"what sort of artifacts did you find down there?"
And just think, she told herself, you were so jumpy before that you were ready to think this guy was some kind of cold-blooded killer who devours human blood.
Too jumpy, she decided. She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts she'd been expecting to see vampires everywhere, popping out of manholes from sewers filled to bursting, hanging off of streetlamps, eying her neck with interest everywhere she went. The logical part of her head scoffed at that notion, but then again it had been scoffing ever since she'd gotten here and only now did she listen to it. Of course they're around, she told herself, but you know the reason for secrecy.
There was no need for secrecy at the moment though; she could easily tell Peter about her dig in Egypt. If she left a few things out, no one would ever know.
"Well, of course I was looking for hieroglyphs," she said, "Particularly from the period when they were last used, to see how Egypt shifted from pictographs to the Roman language. I was also looking for other things. I've been told my family can trace its lines back into BC." She waved her hand vaguely at her face, acknowledging her Egyptian features. "We have quite a bit of evidence to support that, so I thought perhaps I could go a bit further with it. That's really just more of a hobby for us, though. It's kind of fun to be digging up ancient ruins and discover something with your ancestor's name on it."
She gave a shrug. "So anyhow, the dig ended some time ago, and here I am in Nachton, visiting my friends and taking a little break to check out some of the history here."
"My grandparents told me our family name descends from a Noble military family from the height of the Roman Empire" apollyon stated with a smile,"I have a necklace that's been a family heirloom that I wear. Being a lover of artifacts as you seem to be, Would you like to see it?"
"Johnson?" She asked cautiously, beginning to think she'd heard his name wrong. "I didn't realize Johnson was Roman at all. I would think it would be English."
He did look like he was of Italian heritage, but who knew these days? Perhaps the Roman ancestry was on his mother's side. Some people were funny about their ancestry. Look at her family, for example. She waited too see the necklace and hear what he'd say about it.
apollyon reached to his neck and took off one of the few possessions he had left from his first home.he extended his hand and opened it in front of Aishe
"My family's name is on this"
It was a beautifully worked piece of metal; she thought it had to be gold but she was no chemist. It was a horse, from the point of the shoulder up, with a broad, muscular neck and a wide face with deep-set eyes of topaz. The mane lay tangled against its neck, and the artist had somehow managed to work the name 'Sarimir' in amongst the locks of its mane, so that the family name seemed to be one with the noble animal.
Aishe certainly didn't need to act impressed for the sake of manners. She examined the pendant very closely, for it was merely an inch wide by and inch high, at her best guess.
Finally, handing it back, she shook her head in disbelief. "That's an absolutely stunning heirloom to have," she said.
"Who were they? Your ancestors, I mean? Were they all military, or do you not know much about them?"
((ooc: pendant description approved by Ap))
"I did in fact look into my genealogy some years ago." Apollyon paused, "this was worn by Cyrus Yashua Sarimir, a warrior in the Roman Empire.His great grandfather moved his family from western Asia to Rome to make a fresh start for his son. It took 2 generations for their family name to rise above the servantslave status, And Cyrus took full advantage, He fought tirelessly for his entire life to gain the social status required for this amulet."
Apollyon Took a look at the moon, it was about half full. it was a clear sky, and the stars lit the firmament.he spent a moment gazing at the sky.he realized he had been neglecting his new found friend and brought his eyes back down from the sky
"I'm sorry," He said "Its an old habit, I love the moonlight. Even as a younger man I would stare at it continuously, often neglecting present company"
Apollyon chuckled and smiled
"So, How long do you plan on being here in Nachton?"
When she followed Peter's gaze upwards, her eyes also coming to rest upon the gently glowing moon above, her own thoughts took her away for a while as well. For her, every moment not spent actively pursuing conversation was a moment of anxiety during which she wondered if and when she would see Mai again, or ever achieve the goals for which she'd traveled to Nachton. And naturally, under all of that, was the constant worry for Kem that had become second nature to her since he'd left her. There was an ache in her stomach that she felt all the more keenly when she thought of him, and the way she'd seen him last, sitting under the moonlight, his expressive eyes reflecting his troubled state of mind.
Peter's voice was distant in her head, and it took her a moment to process the question he'd asked her.
"Well, to be honest I like it here although I've only been here sine this afternoon," she admitted. "I'll know better how I feel about staying once I've spent a little more time, but I think it's safe to say I've got an open mind."
She laughed to herself then, a soft sound suitable for such a quiet night. "I barely know why I'm still up at this hour. I suppose it's because the whole city is still awake, I felt I should be awake too. I know cities are busy at all hours, but this one is just so... alive."
"What is it about this girl that makes me so damn different?" He asked himself. Normally he could give a flying fuck about any of these damn cattle, they were nothing more than his sustenance. would a Lion care about what a gazelle was thinking as he stalked it? No, of course not. And he did gain this mentality over the years, But every so often he came across humans that weren't like the rest, Separated from the pack. This one was definitely one of them. But still it was something else.... He looked over her features and thought back.....Way back.
After a moment's contemplation, he had it. His sister. His mother was from Egypt,Cyrus was In Egypt on assignment. He was part of a unit that was charged with the task of suppressing civil unrest. it was during this time He came upon a group of his emperor's soldiers surrounding a young Egyptian woman in an alley way. Their intentions were obvious,to forcibly gain carnal knowledge of this woman. Cyrus was not even an officer of any rank at this time, But he was an upstanding, decent man. He Sought to put an end to it. According to his father, He told them to back off and they only heeded to his word when he fixed his blade upon the ranking officer there, The equivalent of a corporal.He faced some charges for it, But they were dismissed later and the men involved were punished for their behavior. Cyrus kept a watchful eye on her and became acquainted with her over time. When his Assignment there ended he proposed to her and they were married in Rome five months later.That was the story they told their children. And Though His sister wasn't full Egyptian like this beautiful woman was, she still retained much of her Egyptian look and was almost a dead ring for Aishe.
So that's what is was.... now he knew.
(OOC: Cyrus= Apollyon's Father)
Aishe simply sat and watched, no longer feeling very threatened or intimidated, but definitely curious. Peter's face went from curiosity and perhaps frustration, to sudden comprehension, followed quickly by an expression she couldn't place, as he continued to watch her.
To her credit, she didn't flinch under his gaze. Although she wasn't frightened, she could feel the heat rising under her skin and had to forcefully will herself not to turn red. It would have been easy to feel like the mouse caught under a cat's paw, but no... that wasn't what was happening here.
It took her a few moments to pin it down, but finally, she spoke.
"I remind you of someone," she guessed. "Who?"
((ooc: permission granted to interpret Ap's expressions))