Kissed with Midnight [Aviana]

[Kaj Gyllenstierna (DELETED 6519)]

A light drizzle brought heaven a little closer to earth tonight. In the shallow darkness of the city streets, clouds hung at eye-level and soaked right through to the bones. The young man drew the lapels of his pale-grey trench coat around him; a shield from the cold mist that pressed into his white skin and black clothes, pulling out his warmth. Hair the colour of rich soil drank in the invading mist, hanging heavy on trim shoulders. It was difficult to ignore the cold, the wet; his thighs were stinging, but his feet kept marching. No matter how uncomfortable and unpleasant the trip might have been, Kaj wasn’t the sort to shirk his responsibilities. Those files could not sort themselves and while the deceased might have had the time to lie and wait, to turn to dust and return to earth, their lingering loved ones would refuse to.

Death brought out the worst in people, Kaj had found, because it often brought out the truth in them. From greedy nephews happy to see their rich uncles finally kick the bucket, to estranged family members who suddenly gathered to claim their entitled belongings from a stranger’s estate. In the end, it was always about money and getting something from nothing, the kind of thing that made the Swedish man’s stomach knot. Of course Kaj had come into contact with the genuine mourners, but he felt more comfortable to snarl at vultures than to comfort grieving spouses, children, and parents. He did not know how to comfort people and it was worse still that he was a foreigner to these lands; his accent sharp against the English vowels and dull on expected inflections. To learn a language was not merely a case of deciphering words after all, one also had to determine a context and the emotion around such sentences. Not to mention that there were phrases, idioms and collocations that simply did not make sense in translation; over the hill, give in, beat up, put up, to have your feet on the ground; to name but a few.

The English language, despite being the most widely spoken language in the world, was not the easiest to learn. Over 700 million people speak English as a foreign language and of all the world's languages (over 2,700), English is arguably the richest in vocabulary. The Oxford English Dictionary lists about 500,000 words, with half a million technical and scientific terms still not catalogued. It was for these reasons and many more that Kaj was careful to let his voice be heard. Although he knew that he needed the practice and could welcome criticism to make his use of English better, he was a little worried that he could just as easily incite hostility and violence. Kaj was the peaceable sort and barely capable of raising his voice to anyone let alone his hand; an aggressive situation therefore was not something he wanted to illicit. The Swedish man kept his head down and continued to beat the path to the hospital.

Rubber soles made light work of the pavement, barely making a sound under the soft hiss of vapour in the air that kept even the regular bustle of the city hushed. Nevertheless, ears tuned into the man’s movements, carrying dark and hungry eyes over from across the street. Kaj had no idea that he was being watched or indeed being followed; he was oblivious to the shadow which had drifted over to the path behind him. Kaj’s head was down to reduce the buffer of wind and rain against his grey-blue eyes and he watched his feet mostly, sparing a glance up into the world ahead of him to confirm he was heading in the right direction. As time passed, the gap between the shadow and the moonlit man got shorter, and as soon as darkness takes over light, this shadowy figure took over Kaj.

Without any warning, Kaj was dragged from behind into an alleyway. A heavy, cold hand was clasped over his mouth to stifle any screams of surprise or terror, but Kaj barely had time to yelp or breathe as this shroud – thick as tar – washed over him and numbed his senses. There was no pain as teeth settled on the taught muscle between neck and shoulder, a smoothing lick to the throbbing vein was not sensed either, and even the scrape of fingernails on his wrists and the brickwork against his back was beyond a dream that Kaj saw with his waking eyes. As Kaj dreamt of darkness and emptiness, his attacker sank his teeth in to his throat. Every tooth was a scalpel and as Kaj’s skin broke, his blood pushed out willingly, traitorously into the other man’s mouth. The Vampire was overwhelmed with the taste of fresh blood, the taste of something deep, perhaps the most pure and bitter dark chocolate; the kind that makes you wince when it hits the back of your tongue yet causes taste buds to tingle. Barely a single drop was missed or spilt, and although Kaj neither felt the imbibing pressure or the subsequent lethargy sweep over him, his attacker drank with the savagery of a starving wolf.

This might have been the defining moment in Kaj’s life, in fact, it might very well have been his last. Yet, despite the passion and the hunger and the rage with which the Vampire consumed the young Swedish man, logic and reason poured through. At first like a trickle and then like a tidal wave; with a full stomach, the Vampire could deny reason and logic no longer. He could have killed this Human, drained him of every last drop of that clean and bitter-sweet liquor in those veins, but if he had, that would have been the end of it. An eternity without such a tasteful treat to pick on from time to time seemed like a torturous one to the being cloaked in darkness. The Vampire sealed the wound with yet another flicker of his tongue – something in the saliva allowing for the switch between a blood thinner and coagulant to take effect.

With a groan, Kaj was held against the wall, a forehead pressed against his collar bone through the trench coat he was wearing. A goodbye was whispered in a sorrowful tune, but being unable to see or feel, it was unlikely Kaj was able to determine any sound. The Vampire withdrew then, melting entirely into blackness, and with his support gone, Kaj slid down the wall and into a slump on the damp floor of the alleyway. The bewitching cloud that had stolen his senses was slowly lifting, unlike the atmosphere, but it took minutes before Kaj was aware enough to lift himself out of the cold and wet. As he gathered his lifeless limbs, steeled his legs to take his weight, he was still caught in a haze of thoughtlessness. Kaj’s body moved of its own accord, out of the alleyway and into the streets. A vague memory directing him toward the hospital, to his place of work, even if it was to lead him directly into traffic...

[Aviana]

A small clock ticked, as it was held, in the petite woman’s cupped hands. Aviana had spent most of the morning trying to talk herself out of going, then the rest of the afternoon getting ready and finally waiting for exactly when sunset was said to be. Sitting at the edge of her bed, Avi was ready to go the instant the alarm would sound. It may have seemed a bit obsessive, but anger fueled her motivation, and she had to go tonight, before she lost the courage to do so. Her denim jeans were faded, but this time more fitting, as during her last venture through the sewers, the flary bottoms of her pants had caught quite a few times, and she was not making that mistake again. She wore a thin maroon knitted hoodie top that hung loose and had already pulled on a snug black leather jacket. They didn’t go exactly well with her attire, but Avi wore a pair of gray running shoes, she would be ready to run first this time, when faced with danger.

The alarm in hand would finally ring, jumping to her feet, the young vampire grabbed the backpack that had been filled with a few necessities, but left mostly empty to bring back the paintings, should she find them. Not that the canvasses would fit, rather she had planned to cut them free from the wooden frames they were stretched over. This making it easier to roll them up and fit them in her backpack. Pulling up the knit hood, she would tuck her long braided raven colored hair back. Tugging then the pack upon her shoulders, and grabbing her umbrella before walking out the door. The several locks would be done behind her (not that they had been much help for keeping someone out). A cautious gaze would be had down the hall, praying then that she wouldn’t come across anyone. Why had she waited so long between feedings? The woman had hoped to have stopped by the shop after going by the apartments but it seemed feeding was a more pressing issue.

Quickly Avi made way down the many flights of stairs, of the rundown apartment building she called home. Once outside the building, she would press open her umbrella, it was decorated by one of her favorite paintings by Vincent van Gogh, called Irises. Briskly then, walking down the sidewalk and around the corner where a small shop sold exactly what she needed. Tearing open the three things off blood she had bought (feeling a bit ripped off by the price) but it did the trick and quickly Avi was feeling much better. Casually then, her running shoes took her towards the nearby entrance to the sewers. This was possibly one of the worst parts, it was dark, wet and smelled terrible. At least the most direct route was set to memory now, no time would be wasted with getting lost (this time). Though the time was short, the moments underground felt like ages, before finally coming up the exit that brought her up inside of the QZ.

The umbrella was not even bothered with this time around, and she would sprint around a building and down until she came upon the tall flats. Slipping inside, she would not allow her eyes to wonder, for fear of what might be seen, but would head directly for the elevator to quickly press the button. The moment the doors closed, she began to pace back and forth. Pleading within thought, hoping more than anything that the apartment would be unoccupied…. The worst possible situation would have been to run into Nathaniel. Exiting the elevator then, she already had the key in hand to get into the place with. Inside, she would shut the door quickly behind her and would be a bit taken back as the lights came on. The apartment was now fully furnished, it actually looked livable, though the decor was dark and a bit on the gothic side.

There, right in the living room, hung upon the wall were four of the seven paintings that had gone missing from her apartment. The bright vibrant impressionist streaks stood out from the dark surroundings. Anger filled her even further now. He had done this on purpose…. Taken and displayed them so easily where she would find them. But where were the others? Heading to the room to the right, she found nothing but an overly large round bed covered with pillows. Like really? A round bed…. The decor in this room was much the same, just as dark but no other paintings were found. Turning then, she would take off her pack and set it in the living room, along with her closed umbrella as she headed to the only other room. It had more of a typical bed and definitely looked lived in, both male and female clothing were draped about the room as if a pair had quickly undressed and left the clothing where it fell.

Avi didn’t see what she was looking for, three of the paintings were still gone. With a small feeling of defeat, she made her way back to the living room and began taking the paintings off the wall. Grabbing a small dagger that she had packed from her bag, the woman set to work at getting the stretched canvas off the wooden frames. Carefully rolling up each painting, and placing them within her pack, zipping it close then. A small idea struck her, grabbing the four empty wooden frames, she walked back to the last room and would toss the frames upon the bed. Writing a small note then, - I want my other three paintings back. It would first be placed on the night stand, but then she decided upon taking the small dagger she had and stabbing it into the note, to pin it to the wall.

Quickly, Aviana would gather her things, and be out of the apartment, with what was rightfully hers. It was an even further relief to not have run into any problems on the way out. Making it down the elevator, out the lobby and back to the sewers with no trouble at all. Perhaps she had thought the troubles of the evening were over too soon. For upon exiting the sewers Avi caught sight of something, but she didn’t make any attempt to rush into the situations. Pushing open her umbrella, she had every intention of heading right back to her place. The human left though had slid down the side of the wall and slumped to the ground. Suddenly Avi’s feet froze, fighting within thought weather to check on him or just run home. “Get up….. Get up….” Spoken but a whisper under her unneeded breath.

It was a relief to see when the man would stand once again, yet still something didn’t seem right. As he walked, Avi would follow, but kept a very far distance behind him. This wasn’t creepy right? She was heading in this direction anyways? Well not exactly, there was a shorter way to where she lived, but where was the harm in watching the man a little longer? She would be glad she had, when catching sight of the stranger drifting off of the sidewalks and into the road where a car approached. “Watch out!” Spoken both aloud and in thought, directed right at the man. Running closer, she watched in horror as the car nearly hit him, and once close enough she would pull the man by the arm back to the sidewalk. “What is wrong with you?! You could have been killed?!” She might have sounded a bit harsh, but many things seemed to have her on edge lately. “I’m sorry……. Are you ok?” She finally asked what should have been spoken first, with a bit more of a softer tone.

[Kaj Gyllenstierna (DELETED 6519)]

A vacant stare held in blue-grey eyes, unperturbed by rain, wind or even the dark locks that swayed untethered across his face and shoulders. A robot in man’s flesh walked off the pavement and into the path of the approaching car; Kaj’s mind, his soul, was elsewhere. The driver might have noticed earlier if not for the mist and the darkness shrouding the streets, but as soon as he saw the shape move into the road, the car was pulled off to the side, brakes screeching. The sudden, careless gait of the Swedish man was not discovered by the driver alone, however. A woman, appearing seemingly out of nowhere, had come rushing to the oblivious man’s aid. It wasn’t until she had plucked him from death’s grasp and shouted into his face that the supernatural, hallucinogenic haze fled him, leaving Kaj wide-eyed, confused and gaping.

Kaj blinked once, squeezing his eyes shut, and then blinked once more; each action cleansed the world that little bit further. He looked at the woman, albeit briefly, retaining nothing else about her but the fire of her hair and the whiteness of her skin before turning to study his surroundings. He saw the car, the deep shade of maroon paint matching the red face of the driver, but he couldn’t immediately make sense of what he was seeing. The driver was getting out of the car by now, some intense emotion making his movements stiff and brittle. The man, who looked to be in his late thirties with dark brown hair and wearing a charcoal suit, began to approach the pair. Kaj looked to his saviour as if to question the meaning behind it.

“Are you ok?” the man asked, parroting the words the woman had spoken just seconds ago.

Kaj was forced to turn at the voice and he noticed that the man was now standing right in front of them. “I—”

“What were you thinking, walking out into the road like that? I could have hit you.”

Kaj found himself wincing under that piercing black stare and against that accusing voice. He also didn’t like it when the man leant toward him, his long nose twitching, nostrils flaring like a hound seeking out a fox in its den.

“Have you been drinking?” the man rasped, his brow crinkling as he leant back – apparently he couldn’t tell if alcohol was present.

“No,” Kaj grumbled in return, managing to make even that simple word sound strange in the harshness of his accent. “I have not been drinking. I… am… Where am I?”

Acute short-term memory loss was common after an encounter with a Vampire, but Kaj wasn’t to know that. Neither did he know, or indeed realise, that he was now clutching his neck with his right hand. There was physical discomfort eating away at him; his neck was sore, his back felt chaffed and his wrists were itching, he felt cold and weak and strange, but Kaj was more concerned with the immediate danger of not knowing where he was or why he had apparently wandered into traffic. The driver seemed more angry than perplexed or concerned, however. He had heard this milk-weak excuse before and whether it was because he didn’t believe it or didn’t want to believe in what was truly happening in this city, he gave a huff and with bravado, started to walk back to his car.

“Be more careful in future,” he warned.

Once he had reached his car, the man paused and eyed up the woman as if he didn’t trust her. Another sneer, this time directed at the pair of them, and the man got into his car. Although Kaj couldn’t hear it, what with his perfectly natural sense of hearing, the car was locked from the inside before the engine roared to life, steering the car and its driver back to a normal night. Kaj watched the man drive away, a frown burning in his brow. With his memory failing him, it seemed all insecurity was failing him as well. Without thinking, he turned back to the woman and questioned her.

“What just happened?”

[Aviana]

The woman’s bright eyes held to him, watching curiously as the man seemed to come to his senses. Was this something that happened a lot within the city? Vampires feeding from humans, leaving them dazed and capable to wonder in to unknown dangers? Just what did the man remember? There was no time to voice even a word, as the driver of the car that had nearly hit him was exiting his vehicle. Her gaze would cast to the driver who approached, only briefly, before looking back to the man near her. It seemed as if he looked to her for answers, but they would have to wait. Avi did best, to look to him in a way, as to express that she would explain, when she had the chance. How would Avi describe such a thing though? Especially if the human knew nothing of vampires, the secret of this city. Aviana had been oblivious herself, yet here she was, now a vampire (no exactly the life she had envisioned for herself).

Attention would be directed back at the driver, and even though his words should not have bothered her, they did. He had asked if the man was ok, but his words were laced with annoyance. Her suspicions were confirmed as the driver spoke further. Especially with the drinking comment, Avi could feel her temper building but had somehow managed to hold her tongue. That hadn’t stopped the young woman’s eyes from shooting daggers. Feeling frustration building, and mentally she wanted to thrust it upon the driver. Avi had not always been like this, during high school and college she had always been the sweet likable girl that got along with anyone. Part of her had never been able to even hate before, but now so much seemed to stir up and edge within her.

Avi felt a bit protective over the human near her then. He was simply having a bad night (having had several of those herself she could definitely relate). It was a relief when the drive finally returned to his vehicle. She was thankful for having kept quiet though, the driver hadn’t lingered, just said his piece and was on his way. Attention would return to the man beside her then, and Avi would repeat his question aloud, as if a way to think of what to do. “What just happened? “ How best to answer that? Yet Avi could not help but think about how a vampire had just fed from this man. How much blood had been taken? She recalled when as a human she would donate blood, and how they would never let her leave until she had some juice and a little something to eat.

Something down the street, caught her eye, it was a vending machine that sold drinks and it even looked like it had some sort of juice. “Come with me…” This was certainly an odd situation, they were not even on a first name bases and here she was asking for him to come with her. Yet if he wanted to know, he would have to. Avi would walk with him the short distance, her overly sized umbrella was held up again, as she approached the vending machine. Putting her money in, she spoke briefly before making a selection. “Hope you like apple.” The drink would drop and the young vampire would get it out and hold it out to the man. Doing best to smile a little, she wanted him to feel as if things were ok. But were they ok? “Are you hungry? We could find a place to get you something to eat, and maybe you would like to sit down for a bit?”

She didn’t know how he was feeling, but figured he might be a bit shaken up and perhaps a bit faint from a loss of blood. Aviana had a better look at him then. Human, his heart still beating warm blood, just thinking of how different she was not, it sent a chill through her. Since what had happened with her ex, and the move to the city, it was only now that she felt more like her old self and for a moment not completely consumed by anger. “I have never heard the story, of the damsel doing the rescuing?” Spoken as a joke, to make light of the situation, maybe calm his nerves a little. “I’m Aviana but you can call me Avi if you like. We really should find a place to talk and after what happened, I think you should sit down for a bit anyways. Know of any places nearby? Feel free to show the way.” It felt right, that it should be a place of his choosing, he should be comfortable and Avi would follow along where ever he lead.

[Kaj Gyllenstierna (DELETED 6519)]

When the woman parroted his question, Kaj simply blinked at her. Given the state he was in, he couldn’t decipher why she was saying those words and had almost forgotten that he had asked that question too just a second ago. Kaj tried to watch the line of her sight as she turned away to look down the street at something, but his vision gave way creating a world of blurry darkness. The hand that had been at his neck moved to his forehead and he groaned, pinching his eyes shut. The world felt unbalanced beneath him, the strength of gravity waxing and waning as the crust of the Earth itself even shifted. This constant pulsing pressure was invading every cell of his being and Kaj wasn’t sure if he was about to collapse or vomit or both. It wasn’t until he heard the woman calling to him that he opened his eyes and gave her a defeated look. He didn’t much feel like going anywhere, but after seeing where she was headed, he decided to try. Kaj was wobbly, but he followed after the woman, slumping his body against the wall beside the vending machine yet still standing as she put in her money and chose an apple juice. All he could do was accept the offer humbly; his brows fell and his eyes were sad as he looked at her.

“Thank you,” he mumbled. “I think… a sit down… would be… god… eh… Good,” he corrected, recovering from the use of his first language quite well.

It was shortly after his quavering words that the woman introduced herself as Aviana. Meanwhile, Kaj had stabbed the strange foil packed with the attached straw and had begun to sip on the apple juice. He felt a little awkward, compelled to answer her and introduce himself whilst also being compelled to drink the nectar-sweet juice like it was his only hold onto staying awake. As it happened, Aviana continued to speak and let Kaj suckle onto consciousness for that little bit longer. He still felt shaky, but having that cold, sweet liquid in his system was slowly making him feel better. Nevertheless, it would take some while for him to gather his courage and move anywhere. She’d asked him if he had any idea of where they should go, but Kaj just wanted to stay where he was. It was raining and cold, but, was the immediate walk worth him losing his stability? Still, as he thought about where he could direct them, Kaj couldn’t escape a nagging feeling that he should have been somewhere by now.

Pausing, Kaj addressed the small watch on his arm – half-surprised to find that he hadn’t lost it in what may have been a mugging and most definitely more surprised to discover what the time was. To his alarm, Kaj was running late for work. It was already 10:15pm and he should have arrived and been ready to work fifteen minutes ago. This realisation made the punctual man’s blood run a little cooler and he couldn’t disguise the panic in his eyes when he addressed Aviana.

“I’m late for work,” he gasped.

Kaj tried to push himself off the wall, but it was as if something elastic had held him to the spot; he dropped back immediately. With all the panic and confusion to contend with, it would take more than apple juice to sort him out. He might need to rely on Aviana further if he was going to get to the hospital where he worked.

“Can you help me to get to work?” he asked, accent heavy on his words. “The hospital. It is where I need to go.”

[Aviana]

Aviana looked to the stranger, curious of many things. Was he going to be ok? Surly, several humans were bitten every night in this city…. She just didn’t know what to think or make of that fact though. Things were still crazy for her, and having not bought another iPod yet, she was without the constant distraction of music. Her eyes may have held a bit too closely then, as he poked his straw into the drink. Juice, she couldn’t even remember the taste, just that she had once loved to drink such. Another drink held over all others now… Would she ever come to love the taste of blood? It came at such a cost, getting ripped off by the shop owner or leaving a human, like the man before her, dazed and confused. In Avis opinion, both came at too high a price.

Turning then, attention would be held back to the vending machine. Stuffing in another bill, with a press of the button, another apple juice would fall and Avi would pull it out to hold it out to the man. Probably best he drink another one. Just what would a human typically put this off as? Low blood sugar? A cold or flu that might be coming on, but never does? None of those seemed a fitting excuse, and she still didn’t know what she was going to tell him. Should she tell him he had been mugged? Too bad the only thing that had been stolen was his blood. Then how to explain his current state, she couldn’t say, oh you just hit your head, because his head probably didn’t hurt… since he didn’t fall. The situation seemed simple enough, but difficult beyond what Avi would have guessed.

Where they were, gave them a small break from the wind but not the rain. She stood, as best she could, so that her overly sized umbrella would cover the two of them. In the darkness of the rainy night, Avi found herself wishing her umbrella had not been so brightly colored… It surly stood out a bit under the city street lights and could maybe attract more attention than she would have liked. They should be moving along, but she didn’t want to press him to do so too quickly. It was just a bit unnerving to be sitting ducks out in the cold. Not that the weather bothered her anymore since she had been turned, but even before that, she had always loved the chill of cooler weather.

When the man finally spoke again, his words were a bit unexpected. Work? That’s where he had been heading… Was it still wise of him to even go? It was not her place to suggest he shouldn’t, even if she felt compelled to do so. Especially watching as the man tried to stand and would only drop back against the support of the wall. His words that followed, further expressed the urgency that she felt from him. Also then, she would notice something different about his accent. Finding herself curious of where he could be from. So, would she help him get to work? It wouldn’t even take thought, to come to the conclusion that she would. Even if she should have been home, safe locked up in her apartment. Not that the place could keep everyone out…. She had already had trouble with one who seemed persistent on proving that fact.

“I’ll help you get to work..” Avi found herself blurting out the words, even though she wasn’t exactly fond of hospitals. When her grandmother had last been sick, Avi had spent the few weeks sitting up in a hospital room with the woman who had raised her. Those were the woman’s last days, Avi would only find out later that her at the time fiancé had not exactly been working extra hours as he had explained. This was something Avi would press from her mind, there was no room to dwell over such things anymore. Oddly it almost seemed pale in comparison into the new troubles of life, that plagued her. “You should still eat something though….” The hospital had to have a cafeteria…. They all had those, right? He should at least be able to find something from a vending machine.

Her right arm would be held out to him then. “Here, let me help you up and I can help steady you as we walk. Is it much farther?” Avi might have been small, but especially now, she was stronger than she appeared. All she had to do was get him to work, it was a hospital, those places were safe went they? He would most likely the sun would be up by the time he got off, so at least his walk home should be safe. Not that it was her place to care about such things but it felt nice of harbor concern for someone other than herself. She had none here in the city that actually cared about her. Maybe Nathaniel thought he did, but his lessons and actions inflicted upon her only hurt. His so called vampire life lessons were nerve-racking and only pushed her desire further, to never have anything to do with him but Avi knew that was probably unlikely.

[Kaj Gyllenstierna (DELETED 6519)]

Desperation, anxiety and exhaustion clung to Kaj like the misty water droplets. Although his exterior shimmered like a thousand tiny diamonds had been stitched to his clothing and hair, he felt about as sparkling and treasured as a grain of sand on a mile-long beach. The diamonds attached to her – as few and precious as they were since she had been sheltered under a colourful umbrella – were a lot more fitting. Perhaps, in his delirium and under the current circumstances, it was merely a dream, but the Swedish man saw Aviana as some kind of Angel; the fiery warrior kind. Her scarlet hair hung around her, taking with the small breeze and flickering as passionately as the flames of war. The vibrancy of her hair also highlighted the very pale tones of her skin, which was also air-brushed, perfect cashmere across her cheeks. Two unblemished sapphires held him in a gaze too and he thought for a moment that he might be smitten with this mysterious warrior Angel, which was certainly both confusing and alarming.

Kaj didn’t realise he was staring until Aviana reached for him, encouraging him to stand and walk with her. Putting his empty juice container down, the man took her arm, and conscious of whatever little strength remained with him, did his best not to apply his full weight. As slight as he was, he didn’t weigh all that much to begin with, but he was still very conscious of the fact that he was relying so heavily on her. It might very well have been his manly pride to blame here, or maybe his chivalrous attitude, but to the Swedish man – and to Aviana it might also be argued – it was peculiar to have the damsel be the one doing the saving. Kaj wasn’t aware of how much she could withstand, physically or mentally, but he was sure that as soon as she helped him to work she wouldn’t have to be burdened by him any longer. The hospital, as it happened, was only a short distance away and he was very grateful to remember that if very little else. To Aviana’s question, Kaj smiled and shook his head.

“The hospital is only not too far away,” he managed, walking alongside her – slowly, yet directing their walk.

His feet knew where to lead them, but they guided a mass as unstable as jelly held atop two bean poles. If not for her assistance, Kaj might have collapsed again immediately.

“There is cafeteria inside and I will be ok,” he said softly, hoping to reassure her.

They crossed the road with ease, no cars in sight, and Kaj cringed at the thought of what had happened to him just moments ago. The angry driver had accused him of drinking and walking foolishly into the road and while the first accusation might not have been true, the second was. Kaj couldn’t doubt for a moment that something had happened, something which had stolen his sense and his memory. Aviana hadn’t been too forthcoming with the details and in all the panic, Kaj had forgotten whether the woman was able to provide any information at all. Her main motivation was to get him well, feed him and get him out of the cold. His main motivation on the other hand was getting to work. It was as if none of the strange events mattered anymore, but that wasn’t strictly true.

When they crossed the road to the other side, Kaj felt some of his strength and memories returning, albeit bleakly. He looked across to Aviana with a soft frown, not something he could control immediately for he was looking at her in the present with his head very much in the past. As the flashes of darkness and movement replayed in his mind like a looping, shattered movie projector, Kaj voiced what he was seeing.

“I remember going to work tonight,” he began, shakily. “Leaving the house like any other night. I was just walking and then… something… something from the darkness grabbed me. And… I… I remember waking up to you and that man, who was very angry with me. I had walked into the road? I don’t remember doing that. I just remember the darkness and then… the light of headlights blinding.”

There was finally a pause, though Kaj did not expect for Aviana to say anything. The frown wore heavier in his features now and blue-grey eyes were slithers of moonlight against an abyss of wide pupils. Despite his inverted schedule – sleeping in the day and waking in the night – he was only Human and could only see so well in the dark. Whoever or whatever had grabbed him, Kaj was convinced that it was not so natural. If his work with the dead had taught him nothing else, it was to expect the unexpected and to accept that things existed beyond the veil of this known reality. Ghosts, spirits, demons, whatever they were and whatever they were called, Kaj was convinced of their existence and of the existence of some otherworldly presence in Harper Rock. He hadn’t been here long, he was no medium, but the hum of energy radiating from the streets, from the air, from the ground, was as tangible as mist.

After a moment, Kaj shook his head, sighing. “I am sorry,” he mumbled. “It is coming back to me in a drip and a drab.”

[Aviana]

It felt peculiar, the way he looked at her, before she had reached to help him up. A brief feeling lingered, that her eyes should shy away, but Avi couldn’t explain why. Her gaze held to him though, but her thoughts couldn’t help but wonder upon what he could be thinking in this moment. Curious then, of what it might be like to open her thoughts to him, yet she withheld. The last time she had done so, hadn’t been enjoyable, and it was to a vampire. She still assumed it was something that could only be done with other vampires. It was odd to think she still knew so little about what she had become. What help had Nathanael been? Some sire he was…. The only thing he had been good for, was to make her life even more miserable then it already was.

She wondered if she could possibly meet some other experienced vampire, one she could befriend, that would actually help her (and not be so harsh about it). It was amusing as the thought of an adoptive sire was the term that came to mind. Yet it was comforting to even imagine not having to rely on Nathanael for anything. To never have to see him, or anyone associated with him again might be a pleasure. Thoughts couldn’t help but drift to the other two the man had sired, they seemed nice enough, Avi wondered how they were handling this new life. Were they, like herself, facing the trouble of having to figure out this life change alone? It angered her slightly to think Nathanael might have been testing them too…. So cruel… As if the real world was not hard enough.

All of this had to be shaken from her mind, there were more pressing matters at hand. Such as getting this man safely to his work. Avi helped him to his feet, and without even hesitating, she looped her arm through his to help steady him as they walked. The umbrella would be held to shelter them both as he lead the way at her side. Part of her wondered why she was doing any of this. This man wasn’t her problem? She had not been the vampire that had bitten him? Aviana couldn’t see herself leaving him be, she needed to know that he was going to be alright…. If anything for the night. Perhaps it was a way of holding on to her humanity, knowing that she wasn’t a monster unless she wanted to be.

As it was mentioned that they were not far, she would listen as he went on to mention the cafeteria. “I’ll help you to the cafeteria then…” Still instant that he should eat something, to help regain some of his strength back. What was she going to tell him about what had happened? Did she have to? If this had been her, while she was human, she would have rather someone lied to her. To live in such a city, and know the truth of what lurked its streets at night would be a terrifying thing. Aviana was a vampire, and the thought of what lurked in the shadows still made her paranoid.

She didn’t have to wonder what he remembered, as they walked, the man began to recount aloud what memories he had. Something from the darkness had grabbed me, those words lingered with Avi. How often such an event must occur on a nightly basis within this city… Maybe over time she would be desensitized to such a realization, where it would no longer bother her. Just that thought alone was enough to make her cringe inside a little. She didn’t want to be that way, didn’t want to think of herself as becoming a cold heartless monster that thought so little of those who were like she once was.

Would it be better if he knew the truth though? Maybe then he could take extra precautions…. What precautions could a human even take against such? Would the man even believe her, if she told him what had really happened? The flow of questions within thought would have to wait, as he spoke then, she felt compelled to reply. “You have nothing to be sorry for….” Shared, and she would cut herself off somewhat. Avi wanted to tell him everything was alright, that it would come to him in time. Was everything alright though? He still lived in a city where vampires wondered the streets at night…. And did he really want to remember what had happened? Maybe he was better off not knowing?

Aviana hated to lie to people, she had been lied to for so long herself and hated to do such to anyone. Even if she wasn’t well acquainted with them. This reminded her then, that she still didn’t know the man’s name. “At least you haven’t forgotten everything? You know where you work.. We could test that a bit further though…. Do you remember you name?” Asked in a way as to perhaps make light of the situation and figure out his name in the process. There had to be an upside? Avi had once believe that to be the case with everything in life…. But lately had begun questioning that idea.

[Kaj Gyllenstierna (DELETED 6519)]

Each step forward felt like a march through molasses. Even though the two were sheltered under Aviana’s umbrella, Kaj still felt the cold clinging to his bones and slowing him down. As cold and wet and confused as he felt, he was at least starting to come around from his dazed state and began to put more weight on his own legs. Kaj’s explanation and his apology had fallen on warm ears and Aviana had done her best to not make him feel so embarrassed about this whole thing. For that he was grateful and he smiled back at her, bowing his head gently. His expressions only changed to that of anxiety and humiliation again when it occurred to Kaj that he had yet to give her his name. Everything had happened so quickly, things had been a blur, things were messy still and he’d simply forgotten to introduce himself. Kaj hadn’t meant to be rude and now he was apologising once again.

“Yes. I do!” he rambled. “I am sorry. My name is Kaj Gyllenstierna. Though please, just call me Kaj…”

His memory was not so severely defective as to forget his own name, where he had come from, where he worked, everything about who he was in actual fact, but Kaj was still having trouble putting the pieces of this night together. No matter how many times he tried to summon those short-term memories to view, he couldn’t see past the shadows. To whatever had pulled him into the alleyway and whatever followed after, Kaj was oblivious. There didn’t seem to be anyway to dispel the darkness either. Unconsciously, Kaj brought a hand to his neck again, rubbing the tender area as he continued to question what had happened and just why it was that he couldn’t remember. Strange things had happened before in this city, but Kaj had dared not question it. Now that these peculiar happenings were directly affecting him, however, it seemed silly not to. There was no telling where the answers would come from and what they would be and Kaj didn’t know whether it was fair or appropriate to obligate Aviana in all of this. After all, she might not be from around here, just like him.

[Aviana]

Aviana would note his kind smile, it was nice and told her much about the man she had only just met. He seemed really nice, definitely undeserving of the set of circumstances that had occurred. It was odd to feel her optimism poking back though, as she really wanted to see the good side of someone for a change. It had been so long, this city had weighed on her. She still didn’t have any friends, and the loneliness weighed on her. It seemed persistent to push her into a state of depression. This city, with the way it set to claim any bit of hope and grace she held onto. Her eyes would catch the moment his smile faded and part of her felt guilty for having joked about such a thing as not having known his name. She hadn’t meant anything by it.

He spoke then, and introduced himself. Avi would hold a smile that would play upon her lips and refused for the moment to fade. She attempted to keep things light. Tonight had been dark enough. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance Kaj, and no worries.” She made no attempts at saying his last name. Surly she would have butchered it. It was an interesting last name, almost as intriguing as the way he spoke. Avi couldn’t place the accent, but she liked it, it was different. Unlike her own, though she did hold a slight Chicago accent, where certain letters were strained more than others. Her voice was boring, definitely when compared with the way this man spoke.

She found herself making attempts to justify seeing this man again some time. Maybe they would run across each other on batter circumstances. Could she ever be friends with someone like him though? A human would surly freak the moment they found out she was a vampire. What would Kaj think if he knew what truly happened in that ally? What would he think is he knew the truth about Avi? That she was like the same monster that left him dazed. I’m not like that, I’m different… This was what she told herself. Thoughts of justification, of a promises that she would never let herself become such a thing.

“So Kaj, how long have you worked at the hospital?” She made her best attempt at making small talk. It felt like the right thing to do, he was surly stressed a bit over things. Avi knew she would be, were she in his situation. She always felt like talking about unrelated things helped to calm her nerves a bit. Maybe it could work for him? She would walk along with him at the pace he set. Something simply felt nice about being needed. Even if it was something so simple as helping someone walk to work. Only after covering a bit of ground would Aviana suddenly come to a complete stop. She could hardly believe what she saw then. A fadebeast…. She knew about them now, she had asked around after her last confrontation with one. Could Kaj see it? The beast was ugly, just as the one before. Half of its body looked solid, why parts looked like nothing more than a black empty mist of nothing.

She heard that they only went after vampires, but she didn’t know for sure. Her attention would be held to Kaj then. Surly a panic could be read within her eyes. “We have to try and run….” Spoken as she would look back over to where she had seen the beast. It was gone…. Maybe it had moved on? She never even had a chance to consider such, as she was plucked up like one of those toys in the grabber machine game. The beast took hold, and she would feel what felt to be claws sink deep into her abdomen. The monster threw her and she would scream out. Flying through the air, and would land a few feet away. At least the beast didn’t seem interested in Kaj, as it turned to go after Avi once more. “Run Kaj!” Yelled then as she fumbled with her bag…. If she could only find her gun.