The Benefits of Meeting a Dragon [Victoria Valencia]

[Nikolae]

Nikolae Dragomir was out on the prowl again, though the whys of it weren’t quite there in his head. He perched on the back of a bench, rather than the arguably dirty seat of the thing, and watched the comings and goings of mortals in and out of the ridiculous little shop of oddities. He wasn’t sure what had drawn him there that night, but there he sat nodding now and then when a female stumbled over herself with a glance in his direction or a male took a little too long crossing the street while eye-******* the Dragon. He was ever polite, though that was mostly from Azraeth’s teachings. If he had his way he’d be asking how much they wanted to finish he deal their brains were making in their heads. He was hungry, that must be it. That was why he’d left the warm comforts of his Temple after shooting off a text to his brat of a childe Enzo. The text, innocently enough, had had a few words at it’s beginning in order to fool the recipient into opening it. Something like “Dearest Enzo, you are the best…” Upon opening it, a gif of an older gentleman in nothing but a long coat whipped open said coat and flashed all his goodies for all too see. It had made the Dragon laugh until he’d nearly fallen off his chair, and he most certainly hoped Enzo had been out in public, preferably with one of his many female companions, when he’d opened it. Nikolae grinned at the thought.

He tapped the toe of one boot on the seat of the bench and squinted as the door to the odd little shop opened again. There was music pouring out of the place every time the door opened and some goth looking *********** stumbled out. Was it selling weed? Was that legal in this here neck of the woods? He sniffed curiously but detected no scent of reefer. Curious.

Nikolae was beginning to lose his patience, the sense that he was here for a reason looming over him like a dark cloud about to spit out freezing cold rain on him. He shook himself suddenly, like a great big dog moving after a nap, and scowled as dust rained down from his hair. That castle was a ******* nuisance, even if it did provide ample areas to hone his skills. He always walked out with no cash, though, despite the many bills he’d looted off his targets. Mordechai and Velveteen and Micah were expert thieves, and for some reason that never bothered him. Catching them in the act was like a little game they all played. Sometimes he even winked at Mordie, just for the hell of it, because the big ******** was definitely a bunny in wolfs clothes. All heart, that one. Nikolae stretched arms over his head languidly, he definitely missed the satisfying pop of bones that had once come with such a motion. His leather jacket pulled at it’s seams and he wondered idly if all the waiting might be in vain. Definitely not in vein, though he wouldn’t go hungry tonight. He could just hit up one of his favorite haunts. A local diner where your average joe wandered through, tourists stopping for the evening. Catch and release sort of crowd.

The door opened again and a female strode out. He straightened curiously, narrowing his odd honey colored eyes her way. There was an aura about her that spoke to him. Sang to him. Or she was singing. Maybe she was. His hearing was off the charts, and sometimes that drove him nuts. Or even more insane than his beloved ever devoted childer might accuse him of being. Pranks aside, they made sure he didn’t wind up wandering around the streets scaring the locals by accident. He stood up on the bench, which probably drew some attention from those wandering around the area, and stared at her openly.

[Victoria Valencia (DELETED 8092)]

"Are you sure you are going to need all of this?" The lady behind the counter asked Victoria as she was wrapping several items into brown paper before placing them into a bag. "Yes ma'am." The raven haired woman answered as she pulled out her wallet and swiped her card to pay for everything. "It's for my mother's birthday present." She smiled to the lady as she placed the bag into her messenger bag and slung it onto her shoulder. "Have A good evening." She said as she made her way out the door and into the cool air.

Victoria had only been in the city for a few weeks now but she had been lucky enough to come across this store when she did. They could get her the herbs and other items for the rituals that she had been brought up to do. She looked around outside before she headed down the street in the direction of the hotel she was staying in. As thoughts of what she would still need for this weekend began to roll around in her head before the uneasy feeling of being watched came over her. She paused for a moment and took out her phone and began to talk as if someone was on the other end of the line but the reception was bad. This was just an excuse to look around and see if someone was or if she was just being paranoid.

As she looked her eyes landed on a man that stood out from the rest. He literally stood out from the rest as he was on top of a bench. He also was openly staring at least in her direction. She quickly turned back in the original direction she was heading and ended her pretend phone call and quickened her steps. People in this city were odd but there was something about this guy that left her with a chill down here spine. She shook her head to try and clear the thoughts and feelings from her as she continued to move.

In a few hours she would be in woods and away from this place and the people around her for a few days. This would give her time to clear her head fully, but as she continued her thoughts turned back to him. There was something odd about the man other then the obvious. She could not put her finger on it though but it was there never the less. Something kept pulling her to turn around and to go back and the further she got from that bench the more she felt it.

[Nikolae]

Nikolae watched the woman exit the shop with her little bag of treats. He eyed the name of the shop curiously and felt his lips twitch in a there and gone smile. It was the sort of place his first borne Azraeth would venture to, seeking objects for his magicks that would make the Temple reek as he used the alter for its true purpose. He had a thought that the humans that came and went into the Temple were not aware that the heavy marble alter was a true one, and that the blood so often dripping over it's edges was just as real. Sure, it was creepy, but it was also legitimate and used for purposes nefarious and otherwise. Azraeth was a master craftsman and a senior Mystic. Nikolae was ever proud, though he hadn’t made many other of that magickal skill in his time. For some reason his dark blood seemed to draw out the Shadows and Necromancers hidden in the humans who fell under his fangs. And until recently he’d never had the bright light of an Allurist casting shadows around the Dragomir halls. Enzo was most certainly one of a kind, and in spite of it all it was more than clear that his enigmatic childe had been born to be a Dragon.

He stepped off the bench as the woman hurried down the street with a phone to her ear. He could tell she wasn’t speaking to anyone – excellent hearing had its advantages after all. He casually followed after her, at an easy pace. She seemed to be heading off the beaten path, toward the edge of town. Perhaps the hunting grounds? That would suit him just fine. He even let out a casual sounding whistle and nodded to those he passed. As always, Nikolae was powerless against the thing tugging him along after the woman. It didn’t matter that he didn’t know her. He would soon enough. He’d ask her things, things no stranger should ask but things he couldn’t help but to ask and things she, for reasons he never dared to think about, wouldn’t be able to help but to answer. It was as things always went. It simply was.

He snatched up an apple from a cart on the street, shining it on a sleeve and then tucking it into his pocket. He might offer it to her, while he offered her other things as well. Death or immortality, most likely. As they traveled further from the hustle and bustle of things he moved a little quicker, and finally caught up to her. He held out the apple.

“Hello, dearie. That looks heavy. Would you like some help?” He asked innocently enough. His dragon-shaped eyes were well hidden behind dark tinted glasses, so he expected she wouldn’t be frightened off too quickly. And if she were? Well, a good chase was always good for the heart. Though it would lessen the chance for a good conversation. Time would tell.

[Victoria Valencia (DELETED 8092)]

As she continued to walk the chill down here spine grew more and more. A part of her still wanted to turn and go back but she fought the thought as best she could. The feeling turned from one of being pulled backwards towards the odd man, to one of being followed by someone or something. Victoria wanted to turn around and check but the hairs at the back of her neck were telling her all she needed to know. The feeling that normally accompanied this sensation was almost always one of dread, pain, or lose.

She had this feeling a few times before. Once when she had gone on to India to learn of the rituals and traditions of the country, but sadly had learned way more then she had ever hoped to. Again when she had gotten the call of her mother's death. And lastly when she found out about her father's new wife. To be fair, she wasn't horrible for father but she was changing her sister's beliefs and belittling the memories of their mother.

A voice pulls her out of her thoughts of the past and she turns towards the person who spoke. It's him. The man from the bench. Was he following her this whole time? Why? Her heart rate began to rise slowly. He held out and apple in front to her as he offers to help with her bag.

"Ciao." She says as as she holds out her hand for the apple. "It's not that heavy, but help is always appreciated."

Her eyes widen for a moment as she hears what just came from her mouth. Had she really just said that. She knew nothing about this guy other then the fact that he was giving her the oddest feelings ever. Had she forgotten everything she had ever learned about strangers or to always listen to her gut feeling? Something told her to run andget away from him but this force was keeping her here.

[Nikolae]

Nikolae smirked approvingly as the woman offered over her bag without a second thought. Fearless or stupid? He definitely hoped it was the former. The latter would get you killed ten times over in this town, now even more than ever. He easily hefted her bag onto a shoulder and strolled along side her silently for a time. Companionable silence was something the Dragon always appreciated, and it was telling that he felt it here with this virtual stranger. A woman whom his inner Dragon wanted to bring its claws into. Tiny claws notwithstanding. The leaves crunched under his boots as he let her guide them off the beaten path, seemingly off any path at all.

"Are you always out alone at night?" He asked suddenly, slitted golden eyes watching her from a step behind and to the right.

He admired her boldness to wander this town of all towns without any seeming care or worry for her own protection. Was she one of those gifted humans he sometimes killed for fun? This one didn't reek of the stench of the gangs that roamed the streets. She looked positively normal. Perhaps too normal. How would his black blood change her, if it did? The thought took him by surprise, and then it didn't. That conclusion it would seem had already been drawn. Why else follow a girl through the streets - he was the wolf, and she red riding hood. Grandma wouldn't be home, but then Red wasn't going to make it to the house anyways. He tightened his grip on the bag.

"I myself find it peaceful out here. Away from the noise of the town." He supplied with a small fleeting smile. It was somewhat true. He hated the Fae, who guarded the grounds away from the town. But he hated the noise and stench of the city. And frankly hated most of the people who inhabited it as well. Wastes of the flesh they were eternally trapped in.

[Victoria Valencia (DELETED 8092)]

As they made their way through and eventually out of the city, away from the large buildings and hordes of people, she found the silence between them an almost comforting thing. Though, silence generally ment comfort for her that was not always the case. When one was in the woods, silence almost always ment danger was near. She continued to lead the handsome stranger, against all her better judgment. They had past the little place she had been staying a while ago and were headed into the wilderness that surrounded the city. In particular to the place the place she had managed to rent for the weekend. It was a cabin off alone, away from the prying eyes of most normal humans. It was perfect for her rituals and traditions that she needed to practice.

"I am, generally along nowadays, nights included." Victoria smiled though she did not look back to him as she spoke.

Solitude was something else she had grown accustomed to over the past few years. Companionship was nice but it was not always needed. As far as the 'out' part of his statement, how else was she to learn about the city. Danger or no danger, a girl needed to eat and needed a job.

"It is very nice out here." She said softly as the cabin began to come into view. The light on the porch was already on and admitting a soft, welcoming glow to lead the rest of the way. Had they really walked that whole way in almost complete silence? As they come closer she fished out the keys to the door from her pocket on her jacket. "Well here we are. Home sweet home. For a few days at least." She ascended the few stairs and quickly unlocked the door.

After opening the door she felt around for a switch and once found she flipped it, turning on two lamps that sat at opposite sides of sofa against the far wall of the main room. The furnishings were dated and sparse. From what shecould see in the main area were the side tables that the lamps sat on the sofa and loveseat that faced the fireplace and off to one corner a small kitchen. The other side of the room led to a hall that must end in the bedroom and bath.

She stepped in out of the cool night air, leaving the door open for the stranger to enter. "Thank you for carrying my things for me. You are more then welcome to stay for the evening." Again she was surprised by the words she heard herself utter.

[Nikolae]

Nikolae narrowed his gaze on the woman as she invited him into her home. Invitations were something irritatingly special to his species, and her easy allowance made his skin crawl for a moment. Something mystical, no doubt, triggered by those special words. Still, he hesitated a moment before giving a nod and stepping past the threshold.

“Thank you…” he spoke quietly, gaze staying locked on her as he slowly closed the door behind him. It clicked with a sense of finality, and he felt his own body coiling like a dragon ready to strike. Which, it seemed, was exactly what he was. He felt his gums itching, fangs ready to display. He stayed rooted to the spot just in front of the door, drawing it out more for herself than for him. Though, he supposed, she might remember these last moments of life with a unique sort of clarity.

“Tell me, love. What’s your name?” It wasn’t really important. She could call herself something entirely new in her new life. And her last name certainly didn’t matter – she would be Dragomir from this night forward. Still, if she got lost on the way to the afterlife and needed calling back it would help to have a name to demand her return.

He stepped closer, slowly, like a predator marking its prey and toying with it. He was doing just that, really. In its fullest form. He didn’t think she’d run. He even suspected, given the truth of what was to come, she might choose to walk into the next life with eyes wide open and an eager smile on her pretty face. She wouldn’t scream, of that he was certain. She wouldn’t threaten to call the authorities – authorities he cared little for, even in the trying time the city now faced.

[Victoria Valencia (DELETED 8092)]

Victoria had removed her jacket and placed it across the back of the loveseat. The air in the cabin still had a bite of the cold winter air to it but it was inherently warmer inside than out. She was use to the cold though. Many years spent in high mountains with her family had made her accustomed to winter's sharp kiss. Spending a lot of time far from the equator helped as well. Even when her family had gone to the Mediterranean, they had gone in winter. Perhaps that had been one of the reasons she had decided on this place. Most of people only came out at night, long after the sun's rays of heat had left and the darkness welcomed everyone with its embrace.

"My name's Victoria." It had hit her then. They had come all this way without really speaking. No names had been given or asked till this moment. Should she ask his? Common sense and courtesy said yes. Though it seemed she had thrown all her common sense out of the window tonight. She had, after all, been warned of the 'weirdos' that where in the city and she had read about all the missing persons in the area as well. Sure she was tougher than she looked but that didn't make her invincible. Hardly. She knew there were things that went bump in the night. She knew that people were not always as they seemed, but was that reason enough throw common sense away like a used tissue?

Her gaze returned to the door and the man that stood in it. Only he stood no more. He had begun to move again. "And what is it that they call you?" Her skin hand begun to tingle and tighten. She felt the ping of danger in the air around her. Something was going to happen, good or bad, she was unsure. Danger did not always mean bad. Most felt danger when looking up at roller coasters or before entering a haunted house. Neither of these things were bad though. She focused on him and his movements as she judged if this situation was going to end badly or not for her.