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Post by titan on Jul 31, 2008 22:29:38 GMT -8
((So I set up this thread because I needed to get Seth back to his former self, and what better way than hunting someone? I think it would be highly entertaining if say Bea and a couple of other characters (old powers or not) were to walk out of the library. Seth does best against a group, and I think Bea would get a kick out of turning the dark on him - or trying to. Seth has secrets. Good secrets. ;D))
On a night that is dark as pitch and silent as a good pair of earplugs, a shadow pulls away from the rest of the darkness, its lissome form so utterly soundless that it makes the night sound loud. There is a purpose tonight. A hunt. Too long has he sat on the side and watched other people try to mimic his grace. Too long has he let himself be chained to an office, slave to civility. Tonight, he's out for blood.
Seth perches on the corner of the library roof, waiting, watching. The air is still to the humans inside, but to him, there is a cacophony of sound that both irritates and enlightens him. He wears his usual clothing, not needing quiet fabrics to maintain a stealth that he set the standard for. No noise is made as he springs lithely away from the rooftop, turning in mid air to land gracefully on the pavement. He moves in a way that has been too graceful since before most of humankind was even thought about. It shouldn't be long now. Not long at all. It's almost midnight and the huffy librarian inside is shuffling everyone out.
The hunter inside him would be content with no less than a challenge. No less than an Old Power. Tonight, he will feast on the terror of one who is almost powerful enough to be a match.
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Post by shinigami on Aug 1, 2008 10:12:12 GMT -8
(( I'm getting a subtle 'why don'tcha bring Bea in?' vibe... Hmm... ))
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Post by shinigami on Aug 2, 2008 12:42:47 GMT -8
The huffy librarian was kicking everybody out but she hadn't yet found Beatrix. Beatrix was fast asleep on a beanbag chair, curled on her side, one arm flung over her head and her fine - simmeringly - hair a spill of implausible glory over her arm, shoulder, cheek. Her shoes had been kicked off, rather carelessly. For some reason, the librarian just doesn't notice her; just doesn't see her, and would've certainly gone on not seeing her, if it wasn't for Dulcimer.
Dulcimer, who kneels next to Beatrix and shakes her arm. Beatrix's eyes slit open -- and the darkness of her gaze is striking. Dulcimer blinks and bites her lip. Then she whispers: "Bea, c'mon, it's time to go, the library is closing, did you even study at all?..."
Beatrix's eyes drift shut again and she streeeeeeetches, every inch the indolent sensualist. So now she's on her back, one arm stretched out so that her fingertips touch bookspines.
Dulcimer shakes Beatrix again. "C'mon, wake up, we've gotta go, we're going to get into trouble."
"Yes, we really are," Beatrix says.
This is when a man comes up: messy hair, clear eyes, but somehow he gives off the impression of being drunk, of being rumpled, of being not-all-together there, of being far too cool to be entirely present. He's got sharp charisma sheathed inside his skin and everybody can see that it's sheathed and that he can take it out and use it at a moment's notice tucked into how he smiles, although right now he just looks rather uncertain.
"Do you need help, miss?"
"Ee!" Dulcimer squeaks. "No, uhm. Just my friend's kind of tired and we really need to go what with the library closing."
"I'll wake her up," he says. "Just go on and tell the librarian not to lock the doors yet." Dulcimer hesitates -- but she doesn't get any weird vibes from him, so she nods and runs toward the front.
"You don't want to do that," Beatrix says, dreamily, and it's not quite clear what she means: wake her up, go tell the librarian not to lock the doors, leave Beatrix and Stranger!Guy alone, or maybe just leave the library.
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Post by titan on Aug 4, 2008 18:06:08 GMT -8
Seth does his best not to pace, holding his place with absolute stillness, only a silent snarl marring his unusually calm posture. What the hell was taking so long? Interestingly enough, instead of dampening his hunting spirits, this only served to sharpen his incredible anger. He wasn't going to let himself become a puppet. And for some reason, he associated his self-worth with the fight he was longing to have with the darkness.
Something about defeating the dark made things deep in him constrict in an almost sensual way. Power did it so well for him that it was almost it's own type of sex. Scary.
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Post by shinigami on Aug 4, 2008 19:24:54 GMT -8
Dulcimer and the Librarian confer near the doors. The Librarian is disapproving, to say the least. Her mouth stitches up like a doll's, like a lock there's no key for. "But I do," the stranger says, cheerful and sharp. He reaches down to haul Beatrix up, and Beatrix opens her eyes again. "Don't touch me."
Her head lolls to the side and she props herself up on her elbow, pushing her fair hair away from her face in order to better regard stranger!guy. "These are the most comfortable chairs," she says, leaning close, her tone confessional.
"But you can't sleep in them," stranger!guy says. "C'mon. S'time to go. My name's Christopher."
"Of course it is," Beatrix says, finally, finally getting up. And, darlin', this is an artform -- its the fluid way that a shadow moves against light, all dapple-shaken by the moon; except it's human. Beatrix is utterly, completely, mundanely human sometimes. The blood rushes to her head when she gets up too quickly and she sways.
And as they walk toward the Librarian and Dulcimer, Beatrix finds herself tilting her head back to look at the ceiling again. Seth can feel her persence. And believe this: Beatrix is NOT BEST PLEASED that all of these -- well, vampires -- and other things -- are sensing her. It just isn't Dark's M.O. She likes to be slightly more secret, only whipping out the awe-inspiring Power as a surprise. Sensitive ones. Hate.
Seth can feel her presence. And he's being so still, being so quiet, being such a hunter, keeping himself secret from his prey. Beatrix knows something is there.
So: Dulcimer, Christopher, Beatrix and the Librarian all exit the Library. Beatrix has a hand on the back of her neck, as if she'd slept on it wrong. She lifts a hand to wave Dulcimer away, making a sign to indicate she was going to head to the Black Iris. Which isn't true, but it's enough to make Dulcimer decide to go home. Christopher asks Beatrix whether or not she'd like company while she's waiting for her ride. She shakes her head and wraps her arms around herself to ward off the cold.
Then she takes a step back toward the library doors. And another step. And one final step. And she crouches down, concentrating on picking the library lock. Takes a moment. Takes two moments. Then: ka-click.
Open sesame.
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Post by titan on Aug 13, 2008 20:23:17 GMT -8
Seth follows her back in, letting her have a tiny head start so as to stay invisible. He melts into the shadows just inside, looking around for her, throwing his senses out around him. Damnation! Where is she? Dark. Right. Well, he knows he's been outed now. So he chooses to go sit at one of the tables and wait. There's no chance he'll find her if she doesn't want to be found...yet.
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Post by shinigami on Aug 20, 2008 18:29:47 GMT -8
The library is an interesting juxtaposition of light and shadow right now. The light isn't very luminous at all. The windows throw dim rectangles on the floor; the bookshelves, many of which have strange gaps, due to the filing system, break the light up even further, throwing shadows.
The corners are very dark, but then there are the lights that don't go out, for security reasons or maybe because the librarians just don't know where the switches are. There's some light highlighting a display of recommended books. There's a light on in front of the restrooms, earthquake lights plugged in here and there.
And the library is a couple of stories. Well, duh! It has books. It's a lot of stories*. Har, har. It's three stories, four floors, including the ground floor. Las Vegas likes things to be big.
--
Beatrix leans over the first floor's railing and looks down. Her palms are pressed against it and her expression is distant, even aloof. It is a lie. She is not distant, nor aloof, not now. Seth felt something twist inside at the thought of...
Beatrix can feel something changing, too. Dark is rising. Although Beatrix could try and slip from the library now, quiet as any shade, she doesn't. Maybe IT wouldn't follow her out. Maybe IT wouldn't notice if she was gone. (But where would be the fun in...)
Beatrix leans over the first floor's railing and looks down because she wants to see whatever IT is.
Seth. At a table. The top of his head.
He can probably hear the sound of her breathing in before she speaks.
Says, "Did you want me?"
*Don't kill Shinigami for the pun, please. She's very nice. And she just couldn't help herself.
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Post by titan on Aug 21, 2008 19:43:47 GMT -8
Seth laughs a laugh that echoes through the room. A laugh of dark caverns and deep wells. It's a scary laugh.
"If I wanted you that badly, you'd be mine right now. I prefer to play with my toys before I break them." he says licking his lips in a deliberately slow manner. Even if she can't see him, he throws a malevolent energy into the room, so he's sure she gets the idea.
"Will you come out to play or will it be a game of hide and seek?" he asks, intrigued by either idea. His body isn't so much primed for killing at the moment as fun. Sick fun. The type of fun that can last for days. His lips curve at the mere thought of having days to play with the dark witchling and her pain.
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Post by shinigami on Aug 21, 2008 20:45:35 GMT -8
You'd be mine right now. "Really." The radiant teenager's lips curve slow, just the hint of the whisper of the secret of a smile. She is not unafraid. That should be understood. "Well, I prefer to be unbroken. And to keep my toys forever." Because, although Beatrix isn't looking him in the eye, she can see some of the dark-not-to-be-mentioned things (is it bright where you are?) he considers.
For a second, she closes her eyes. Then she takes a quiet step back from the railing, and another, until her back is pressed against a bookcase. "C'mon." Hide-and-seek first, then.
Beatrix crooks a finger and the dark starts to press on Seth. His vision, which hasn't once been poor in the dark, probably never, not in his memory, starts to -- well, have distinct trouble with shapes and shadows. And, uh, are some of those shadows moving?
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Post by titan on Aug 21, 2008 21:07:29 GMT -8
"Clever little beast," he mutters to himself, his smile turning to a savage snarl as the hunt begins. He shall find his prey, oh yes, he shall. A hunter's eye sight is not the only thing he possesses. And Seth has other tools at his disposal.
A primal laugh escapes his lips, tearing from his throat in snarls that are soon the full on roar of a dark panther. Yes, he has tricks up his very long sleeves. It's an easy jump from the first floor to the second. He isn't cautious, but he hunts with care, favoring a slow build in fear rather than a premature climax.
A low rumble echoes from his feline chest to echo through the empty library. He can smell her sweet scent, and he pads slowly, sinuously, silently, in her direction.
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Post by shinigami on Aug 21, 2008 21:37:30 GMT -8
The hunt, then. The hunt is this.
He changed his shape. Beatrix doesn't realize it at first, but that growl -- that growl she can feel in her very bones. He jumps, and even a panther shouldn't, couldn't, be able to make that jump, nevermind with such ease. But he does it. Then he is utterly silent.
But following Beatrix is like trying to jump on your own shadow's head. No matter how swift a jumper, how quick, how careful and quiet, it stays separate and apart. It doesn't get any further away, but it stays essentially unattainable.
Too bad the metaphor isn't perfect.
The elevator dings. Beatrix is nowhere near it. Distraction. Nope: there she is. Well, there's the tail-edge of her skirt, as she runs up the stairs, suddenly noisy. Up the stairs, around the corner.
"Heh."
Ding! Crash. Glass shatters on the ground of the stairs, flung What was that? A bottle of MEN'S COLOGNE. Dropped! That should confuse any heightened sense of smell for a little while, since the stuff is enough to overpower even weak human noses. Sergion Leone, Librarian Aid, should really think about going au naturale with a little deodorant if he's to attract any ladies...
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Post by titan on Aug 21, 2008 22:04:11 GMT -8
Oh. Ick ick. Not okay. Le sigh.
Back to regular humanesque form then. Something about this whole thing seems funny to him as he tracks her mind through the building.
"What a lovely plaything you are, darling. Your mind is a beautiful maze. I shall have to explore this more after I have you. Mmmm. I can taste the fear on you. You hide it so well but I'm sure those around you know what you fear." he sucks a long breath through his mouth, tasting the air. She can't hide, but he can't really get her at the present moment.
"Wonder what your mother would say," he said quietly, "If she knew you were here with me. Hmmmm, Bea? Ah, but surely she knows what you are? She doesn't? How fun."
All he needs is a fraction of a second and then the real fun can begin. Sucking in another savory breath, he sweeps in her direction again.
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Post by shinigami on Aug 21, 2008 22:26:53 GMT -8
"Uh. Thank you?" - Beatrix says, and he can't see it, because they're not close enough for such things - and, anyway, it's too dark - but her mouth curves again. Deeper, darker; such a pretty thing.
She isn't afraid of fear. Beatrix likes fear, actually. Usually. She likes the way it makes her feel. Sometimes, well, sometimes she even likes pain. Sometimes not. It's hard to tell. Was he really in her mind? No one could see that. Never had been able to. If he could -
Seth talks, and Beatrix actually stills. Twists around, sharp, and has to push hair away from her face, out of her eyes. Anesidora didn't know where Beatrix was. Unless, of course, she was having visions; but she shouldn't be. Couldn't be. Because Beatrix spends quite a bit of effort squashing visions like that. About her, anyway. Guilt. Guilt, guilt, guilt.
"Well, well, well," Beatrix says, and her voice is all smoke and moonlight. "You are something special. But c'mon. Don't make me go there, old man. I don't want to touch you there." Boy, she even makes it into an innuendo. There's even a hint of amusement. Because she IS that good at hiding things.
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Post by titan on Aug 21, 2008 23:04:07 GMT -8
"Oh, but why not?" sleek silvery voice, he has, that floats like silk across the skin, "Maybe I want you to touch me there. I think you'd enjoy it. I know I would." no, he's not misunderstanding, he's daring. Let her try and poke wounds that never healed. Let her see what happened then.
"You really shouldn't worry, you know," he says softly, running his tongue over each syllable, feeling each word, "Not being loved isn't so bad. Not really. You think its a lie, but it's real, and it makes you weak. You don't really want to be that weak, do ya? Bea?"
He's taking her woulds and caressing them with salt, he knows, but he wants he to bite back. He wants her to lose it.
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Post by shinigami on Aug 24, 2008 2:29:10 GMT -8
He had her frozen, for a moment, but now she thaws; now she's motion; now she's backing, slowly, away again; around a bookshelf and toward a particularly dark corner. Beatrix, quietly, pulls a book off the shelf, and carefully, although she's unable to be noiseless, rips a page out. The page, she folds into a paper airplane.
"No," she says. "Not as badly as you do."
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