Watch Where Yer Goin!

[Barbie Tectra]

Escaping from her past was as easy as escaping the sun. Barbie found that if she took a few twists, she'd fall down the rabit hole to a dark place, right outside of Obsidian Harbour. It was a place that was quiet, where She could be Alone. Though she was very happy to be in a dark place, with light enough to date the things in her bags, she still did not smile. Barbie almost never smiled a realy smile. Not unless something big happened. She crossed on leg over the other once she found a spot to sit. She couldn't stay there for long though. As soon as she sat down, it was as if she was Little Miss Muppet. A spider came along and Barbie hopped up from the bench. A new spot would await her somewhere less... crawly.

However, other things awaited Barbie ahead. She was packing her things away in her bag when she bumped into something. of course, Barbie wouldn't admit it was her fault, adn she said that it was his over and over in her head. She glared up at the man. "Watch where yer going, or else you're gonna get a mouth full of wand." She didn't sneere, she just stood there, arms crossed. "Well, aren't you going to apologize to me?" She asked. Barbie wasn't stuck up, not in the least. But, she wasn't about to get stepped on anymore. people should fear her, adn who she is stuck being. Her eyes, the piercing gray color, looked at the person and waited with a look of skepticisim in them. She Clutched her back a bit tighter to snap the snaps down on it, that was one of the few sounds that echoed in teh empty streets of The Dark part Of The Alley.

 

[Richmond Vanetta]

Richmond Vanetta travelled through the night like a silent bullet, seeking his pray in the depth of Bleak Street. The moon hung above in thin covering of cloud, casting a strange blue light over the world as many slept and as Richmond kept up the hunt. He knew he had enemies, it came with the job. That was another thing that many people shouldn't have asked about Richmond; his occupation. He would not kill them on the spot, lest the many crowds of people that they usually hung around. That, and Richmond only hurt people when he fancied it. Tonight, the razor-sharp silver finger armor that Richmond wore, was planned to claim a victim. This, was the plan.

Stalking round one corner, his eyes a milky-white but for the jet black pupil in the center, he flicked out a tongue as if tasting the air for life.. Which, in fact, he was. Everyone knew Richmond was strange- heck, just by looking at him, you could see that this was no ordinary man- but the lengths to which he went for his personal satisfaction, his love of blood and death, could chill the bones of the very bravest. He was an unusual wizard, in the sense that he used very little magic, or even, none at all. His teeth were like shining white razors, his fingers could pass for talons with their boney appearance and gleaming nails. Richmond's mind was only on that scent; a woman. He knew what children were like- enough of them turned up in the alleyways. He would never claim the young as prey, especially as he had a young daughter of his own. There was a sudden bump and Richmond looked down, from his height of six foot two, lips parted in something almost resembling a grin. His tongue flicked against his teeth as he tilted his head to one side with curiosity, blinking.

If there was one thing Richmond wasn't, it was innocent, and yet, there was a certain child-like sense to his characteristics. This man had three sides. Only the hunter was showing, now. The woman spoke, causing Richmond to withdraw his head, slightly. His mouth had closed, an eyebrow had raised. He did not bother to hide his amusement at her comment, and a gleaming white smile broke out over his face. "Is that a promise?" He hissed back, a glint in his eye was saying the things he wasn't. Things, such as answers to the questions his appearance brought up, and how he found it oh-so amusing that such a short woman was so ready for a fight. He heard her almost requesting an apology. Richmond found his tongue, allowing it to work with little thought. Life was more fun that way. "You wish for me to apologise to you for walking into me?" Richmond clicked his tongue, smile stretching up his cheek, inhuman in length. "No, hag," he said, bluntly, "I will not." For Richmond, this was flirting.

 

[Barbie Tectra]

Barbie Tectra was no stranger to fear, and she disposed of it after she had passed clean through the trial. This man did not scare her, not in the least. Sadly, she felt other instincts, other strange instincts. She saw the flick of his tongue, almost that of a snake. Her eyes narrowed in more of an interested fashion then in that of a mad one. Though his next words did catch her off guard. Tectra had been in the game long enough to know someone who liked pain, and who like pleasure. He seemed to be the first. She looked over his looking figure, her eyes like that of a cat's, they froze on the shiny appearance of his talons. They were the ones that got bought in a store, ones that people wore for show. Something in Barbie told her, that he wasn't wearing them for show.

There was that familiar twinge at her lips, almost like his grin was catch-able. She sneered a little and said, "That's most definitely a promise." She even took a step closer to him. "Filth like you shouldn't be let out of the house." There was the venom, which back home she was famous for. She had been the meanest boss back at the museum. She had not given orders, she had barked them. No one dare talk back to her, not like the filth standing before her did. She had to be honest with herself, it gave her those chills that she hadn't felt in a long time. Of course, Barbie wouldn't go for that, she wasn't going to admit to having any feelings other then hate or detest for anyone. He nose wrinkled up and her cheeks turned red with anger. "You will apologize, and you will do it now!" She demanded, extremely insulted by his use of the term hag.

Barbie wasn't vane, Per sey, she just had high standards for her appearance. She had actually taken on line cosmetology courses, just so that she could give herself make overs. Though she never considered herself 'on the market', she wanted to be something to stare at. When people weren't staring at her out of fear, she wanted it to be because she had the body she did. Or because she was a temptress. Her smirk changed into a slight smile at this man. The way his smile stretched, his tongue clicked. She flicked her hair back, her face in an icy glare, and stood there, waiting to hear him apologize.

 

[Richmond Vanetta]

Richmond allowed the insult she fired at him, and he thoroughly enjoyed her offended reaction to his. A cold laugh, emanated from his cruel lips. He had no intention of apologizing. Ever. "What's the matter?" He hissed in a voice that would send a chill down anyone's spine. "Too harsh?" He began to click his tongue, slowly, his eyes looking the woman up and down, examining her. He took no issue in what he saw, quite the opposite. He found himself staring down at his metal finger armor, watching it shine in the darkness.

Richmond's eyes flicked back up to the woman, and, though they were pale in appearance, his darkness shone on through. It was not the sort of darkness that could be seen in Death Eaters; Richmond was not prejudice, he did not solely pick on one type of person. He cared not for blood status, gender, wealth or anything else. That was what made him so dangerous. He didn't really know how to depict one emotion from another and so, sadness, happiness, rage- violent rage and other emotions, became fused together as Richmond. Talking of fusing.. Richmond's tongue slid across his bottom lip, quickly, hardly noticeable. But it was this tiny action, this minute gesture, that told him which area of emotion he was at, now, and exactly what he was feeling.

"No, I will not apologize to you.." He couldn't resist adding the words. He wanted to hurt her as much as possible. There was some great satisfaction in it. "I only speak the truth.. And you are the most hideous hag I have ever met. Tell me," he paused, clicking his tongue a little faster, "was your mother a banshee and your father, a goblin?" He tilted his head as he asked, almost seeming innocent. But his sneers denied him that. These were childish insults, but if they got a reaction, that was all that mattered.
And Richmond would get a reaction.

 

[Barbie Tectra]

As if possibly, Barbie's eyes narrowed more. She let them pop back to a wide position. "Harsh?" She asked him. "If you think your silly words will bother me, you're crazy!" She didn't raise her voice, but the tone became more icy. She felt her spine tingle at the tone of his voice. The repetitive clicking of his tongue made her feel like a child again, someone being scolded. She sneered a bit and asked, "Well, how many bowls of stupid-flakes have you eaten today?" She was very insulted, yet she had no sense of wanting to kill him. Maybe a little one, but something else was taking over; but, now a days, she didn't submit or admit to feeling those emotions.

She hadn't paid much attention to the path of his eyes, she was too busy looking over him again. She kept pausing there, on the glistening, silver finger blades. She had seen them in stores when she was younger. She looked up, just after his unnoticeable tongue gesture. She looked at his white eyes, which were dark in the shadows of the night. She listened to him, surprised that anyone would defy her demands. She was a little like a spoiled child, used to always getting what she wanted. However, instead of throwing a hissy-fit, she did something about it. The moon was covered by a cloud, leaving them in an almost complete darkness. She made a step, her heels barely clicking as she grabbed a hold of the front of his shirt. She then preceded to press him against the nearest wall.

"What was that?" She barked in his face when the moon came back out. He wasn't going to make her feel weak, she wouldn't let anyone do that again. She felt like two kids on a playground, a little bully and someone willing to fight back. But which one was which, was beyond her.

 

[Richmond Vanetta]

In the back of his mind, Richmond could hear just how childish and stupid this conversation was, but he hadn't exactly sought it out. Most conversations that he had, nowadays, were brief and ended in one of two scenarios. However, he could just tell that this one was going to be different. This woman was a fighter. Richmond felt no resent as the woman forced him against the wall. He couldn't help that viper smile which crept upon his face as she barked those questioning, angry words. He could easily have cast her aside with a single swoop of his talon-like armor, he could have gone for her, there and then. But he didn't. Instead, Richmond remained against the wall, curious as to her next move.

He had stopped clicking his tongue in satisfaction. His eyes flicked over what parts of her he could see, before stopping in her eyes. He stared, deep into them. Not in his usual, probing sort of way, but something else. "You heard me," he purred, deeply. "Now, are you going to tell me your name.. Or am I going to have to force it out of you?" The tongue clicking seemed to have left the conversation for good, and it was replaced by that deep purr, the one that showed how interested he was, how much this conversation had varied from the norm. The way his mind was working when it came to this woman.

One last sweep of his eyes over her figure, one last sideways glance at the alleyways nearby. Richmond wanted to move. Not to run or to fight. He just wanted to move. And his leg, began to twitch.

 

[Barbie Tectra]

Barbie remembered the first time she had gotten into a fight. It was after her first beating, she had went to the grocery store, the man behind the counter had rang up an item twice. She had not had the best time explaining to the judge why she attacked the man. Especially when the judge never even thought to believe her about her husband. They ordered her to get a psychiatric evaluation. But, of all the ways those people looked at her, this man was different. He looked at her like she was... a woman. He didn't fight against the way she had him pinned up, he just looked at her.

She watched his eyes and mimicked their movements. She could feel heat draining from other parts of her body, and knew it was heading to her pale face. She swallowed hard, her mouth was dry now, but that swallowing pushed the blush back down. She heard the purr in his voice, and tried to hide her shock. "Scum like you, doesn't even deserve to know the first letter of my name." She said, knowing where this was going, in a sense. The way he purred gave her goosebumps, but she held strong. He didn't deserve to know how she felt.

Her lips twinged into a smirk like position when that slight twitch registered as movement. "I win." She stated. It wasn't in a childish voice, though the comment was itself, childish.

 

[Richmond Vanetta]

They both knew where this was inevitably headed, and Richmond was not going to deny it. She refused to tell him her name. Fine, he would not give her his name, either. Of course it was immature, of course he should know better.. But Richmond was allowing himself to be stupid, for the sake of prolonging what would soon be, what he wanted to be. And he wanted it to happen, so much, more than anything before. And he had every plan to make it happen just the way he wanted.

At her words, Richmond's expression seemed to change: Normally, he would have tilted his head, have hissed something he thought offensive, have either deemed her unworthy of his time or started a fight. But this was different. His eyes did not even flicker from hers or close. Not even for a moment. He lifted a hand, slightly, awkwardly, pausing for a moment to decide whether he dare strike now. All thought had moved to a different place and his mind relaxed further. He wanted to hurt her, to claw at her face, to destroy her in any way possible. She was a truly infuriating woman, and that was what drew him in.

"There are no winners." He breathed in a very different voice. Richmond couldn't help it and he did as he did without much thought. He raised both his hands, curling them into the back of this woman's hair, his lips meeting hers, furiously. He managed to avoid digging the finger armor into her head, as he allowed himself to kiss her as passionately as he could.

 

[Barbie Tectra]

Barbie watched in the silence, her body only pressing further against the man. She glared with icy eyes, wondering his next move. She wondered if he had given up, since he had yet to push her off, or retaliate in any way, shape, or form. That was no fun, as if he had given up so quickly. Barbie actually led herself to believe that someone was strong enough to challenge her. Weak pitiful... Her thoughts were stopped dead then he lifted a hand. It was only a slight movement, but enough to make her smirk. His comment and next action wiped the smirk off of her face.

It wasn't like Barbie suddenly felt a connection, or fireworks; or any of those story book, stupid feelings you were supposed to feel in a kiss, but she did feel something. And within that passionate kiss, she knew that the chase was on, and it was on, right there.

((The Chase))

The lion, a mighty hunter and protector of its territory. When an intruder, such as the hyena comes into its pride, the lion will not welcome it kindly. Though the hyena will tease and taunt it, the Lion waits, just for the perfect moment. Within seconds, both animals find themselves trapped in a race. Hearts beating quickly the hyena runs for the safety of its home, though there is no protection left from the mighty beast. Its thundering muscles pound the ground, forcing the hyena to try and take shelter. The lion's mouth drips eagerly with drool, its stomach growling for the satisfaction of the weaker animal.

With one movement, the loin pushes off the ground to pin the hyena down. It is feeding time for the lion, which will offer no mercy to that small, frightened hyena. The lion sinks its teeth into the soft fur and flesh of the hyena, whose cries are loud enough to wake the bats in the caves. Though the animal faces certain death, it struggles and squirms underneath the lion’s massive paws, the hyena’s figure looking petite and ruffled with every second. Its cries become louder, filled with pain, as both the animals heart’s race and their chests heave with shallow breaths.

The lion is lucky that the kill is all his own, and no one is there to take that away from him. He makes his finale movements, his teeth grinding into a vein that makes the hyena let out one finale, sharp cry. Then all movement is stopped, and birds fly over head, signifying that the hunt is over. The hyena’s final breaths, before death, give her a moment to look at her attacker, before he to falls over; tired and please with his hunt.

 

[Richmond Vanetta]

The sun began to rise, penetrating the gloom which hung over the alley. The morning light was a green sort of colour, illuminating the cracks and crevices in the paths, silhouetting the man standing not far from a ruffled looking woman whose eyes were sealed shut in sleep. Richmond Vanetta cast his eyes over in her direction, a slight laugh emerging with a half smile. He had thought over it all during the dark hours of the morning. Unlike this woman, Richmond had been unable to sleep for long, yet his face did not show this. But now that the light was coming up, Richmond was different in many ways; his eyes were no longer those strange piercing ones. Instead, they were warm, human and mature.

Richmond no longer sought a fight, but the peace and tranquillity of the morning had got him thinking about his life, about his situation, about this nameless woman whom had willingly spent the night with him. The two of them had this connection. It wasn't necessarily good, nor was it bad, but it was a connection, nonetheless, and one that Richmond had picked up on. He had been on his own for many years, now, and though he had many encounters with other women, they had been just that. He could spend the rest of his life, doing whatever he wanted.. But at thirty four years of age, he knew what he had to do, even if it was just for the sake of his daughter.

The sun had another half an hour before it would be glaring down upon the dimly lit alleyways. Richmond didn't 'do' sunlight. Not in the same way that vampires didn't. Although, many often thought him one, the way Richmond would stalk round corners, avoid the daylight and had a strange obsession with blood. He wanted to leave as soon as possible and, dressed in the same clothes as he had been the night previous, Richmond crept over beside the woman, still sleeping. He knelt down next to her, leaning the left-hand side of his face against the wall, watching her, reaching a hand out to stroke through her hair. She couldn't go for him as long as he was asleep, right? If only he had known just when she was going to wake.

 

[Barbie Tectra]

Barbie had slept through most of the wee morning hours. She had had a rough night the night before, with a man whom she hadn't learned the name of. Something in her stomach stirred her awake. She stayed as still as possible, realizing that even breathing hurt her sides, stomach; everything. She had put almost everything back on after her encounter. She let her hazel eyes flutter open with a pain in her head. She must have hit it on something the night before, though she wasn't sure what it was. the ground. she was slightly disgusted with herself that she had done those things on the ground. She had always imagined that it would have been more or less a romantic moment in her life. Though, after her last marriage, she hadn't thought it would ever happen.

She could feel the gentle touches in her hair. She closed her eyes tightly, hearing him shuffling around. he was leaving? She opened them a little bit wider, and turned her head gently to look at him. She had to be sure to move very slowly. She reached her own fragile hand up and touched his gently, before moving it out of her hair. She sat up slowly, cringing in pain as she finally was sitting. It hurt all her muscles to pull herself up that much. She gazed at him through blue-green eyes.

"You rise up early, huh?" She said, almost in a skeptical voice. She wondered to herself if all she was was a one night thing. She knew that some men were only into that, which made her slightly upset. She took a deep breath and tried to stretch, a moan of agony escaping her lips. "Damn." she muttered. "I hurt."

 

[Richmond Vanetta]

She moved his hand away. Richmond accepted this, sitting back, slightly, on his feet. He watched her as she moved, spoke and suffered. He did nothing to help her, now, nor to hinder her. He simply watched. Her comment made him smile. Not in that same way he had in the darkness, before things had escalated out of control, but in the way he had smiled all that morning. "And you expected not to?" He spoke in a soft and creaking voice. A pleasant one. Richmond turned his head away from the woman, staring into space. "I'm hoping to get a move on before the sun is fully up." He took a deep breath, leaning forward and shaking his head slightly. He turned to look back at the woman, an almost sad smile on his lips.

"You never told me your name." He prompted, hoping that he would learn who she was, this time. The distant sound of footsteps caused him to pause and fall silent, holding his breath, looking out into the distance. His eyes were back on her again, the woman he needed to ask something very important. There was another moment of silence before he spoke, a long and heavily pregnant pause. "I'm divorced." he said casually, as though this was a normal conversation between two strangers who barely knew one another.. Which, in essence, it was. "I've got a daughter- Helene. Lovely kid. Nothing like me. For her sake, I hope she never is." Richmond was quiet once more, giving a light, forced cough to cover up all that he had just said, attempting to pass it off as something that just was, as opposed to something that remained on his mind nearly 24/7.

 

[Barbie Tectra]

Her eyes watched the way he moved, breathed, and listened to the way he spoke. His smile was different, it seemed less evil then the night before. Of course, all things looked sinister in the darkness. She rolled her eyes at his comment. In the sunlight, she even looked less sinister, she wouldn't admit it, but her eye roll wasn't as scary. Instead it was a sarcastic eye roll, not an evil one. Even her eyes looked kinder, an illusion of the light. "I didn't say that." She said with a slight grimace. She rubbed the back of her head gently, adjusting her hair down. A shower, that's what she needed. "I see..." She let her voice trail off, so he was leaving?

His comment lifted her spirits a bit more, but not in the way of joy; just in the way that she wasn't used completely. she took in a deep breath. "Barbie." She only gave her first name. it didn't seem like this man was from America, but just to be safe. She didn't want to scare off the first man she was intimate with. She could hardly stand the silence and was slightly relieved when he spoke. She listened to his steady, creaking voice, and a word that stuck out in her mind was Daughter. Barbie had a deep, soft spot for kids. Her lips curled up slightly, a smile not a smirk. "I still don't know your name." Was all that she said, her smile disappearing as quickly as it had appeared.

 

[Richmond Vanetta]

Richmond renewed his smile. He, at last, had a name to put to the face. It was all the encouragement he needed. "Richmond." He replied in that same, early morning voice. He swiftly got to his feet, taking a couple of steps away from Barbie before he looked back. Had that night meant anything to her, or had it just been a one-off? He didn't want to ask and he didn't plan to. At least if things went badly, he could always allow himself to become that man he had been when they first met. He wouldn't kill her, but he would not tell her otherwise, for his own sake.

He wanted to be selfish, to do as he pleased, to get just what he wanted, but, for now, Richmond had hidden that side of himself. He switched the weight of his body, between both feet, seemingly rocking. After a moment, he stopped dead still, watching the sky; not long, now. There was only about ten minutes before the sun was up- something that Richmond wished not to witness. His eyes flicked back to Barbie, then to the sky, once more. It was now or never and it wasn't like he cared how inappropriate he was, right? If anything went wrong, if rejection reared its ugly head, he could always feign joking and turn it around. He was good at that. But Richmond didn't want things to go badly.

Finding that his mind was drawling on and that there was a lot less time than he had thought, Richmond turned to Barbie, seemingly confident, a hand supporting the elbow if the arm he raised, the hand, of which, stroked his jaw. "I take it that you are unmarried?" He asked without waiting for a reply. "It's not right that a woman your age should be on her own." A coy smile was formed at this statement. He banished it, after a moment or two, before carrying on. "And, naturally, when two people spend the night together, it can only be one of two reasons; love or lust. And last night was, to me, something other than just pure lust- that is not to say that you think I am saying what exactly you think I am saying, but I'm not, necessarily, not saying that I'm not saying that, because that is just what I am saying- in a roundabout way.." He was mumbling on, all his words were barely comprehensible. This was how he had done this before. This was the only way he knew. "... And the thing is, I find you quite interesting and I would like to see you more, all the time, even. I mean, obviously I'm not needy. Obviously. But I could use someone who challenges me and who I would like to have as my wife." He froze at those final words, knowing what he had said.

It was the one thing he thought he would never ask again.

 

[Barbie Tectra]

Barbie saw that s mile, and it was creepy. Not the smile, just the fact that he was smiling, just the concept of the man from last night actually feeling happy. It was pleasing to hear his name finally. Barbie let the fact that she didn't know his name. After what they did, you'd think they had known each other for quiet a while. She reached up and rubbed her eyes slightly, trying to remove the sleep from them. She had broken a nail sometime during the night; good thing they were just acrylics. She never could grow her nails out to the point of injuring people. She smiled at her own thought, then looked back at Richmond, realizing it had been silent for a while.

The way he switched his weight, she wondered if he was in an uncomfortable position. Maybe he was used to leaving before the girl woke up. She wanted to tel him to leave, tell him that she didn't care. Barbie had always been bad at lying though. She watched how he kept glancing at the area where the sun would be soon. Barbie, herself, had seen the sunrise too many times to count. She was almost always up really early, or just didn't sleep the night before. Barbie raised herself up, clenching her jaw. She had that sore that people get after a day of working out. All of her muscles felt so bruised.

Barbie was going to answer his question about being unmarried, but he had spoken to quickly. she shut her mouth after letting a slow, short breath out. That brought on a yawn, and she covered her mouth and listened to him. With each word he said, she felt a little bit of something, pulling at her lips. It was hardly noticeable, but with the way Richmond stared, he might just notice it. She listened to his rambling, taking a little step closer so that maybe she could hear him; though her attempts were in vane. She listened and the last few words perked her attention more then anything he had said. It was a proposal, she assumed. 'But why so soon?' she wondered. Was it guilty conscience? She wasn't sure, and she didn't care.

Barbie swallowed hard. She took a deep breath and took another step closer to him. "You know, I'll take that challenge." That was her acceptance. she felt something spread through her, which mixed with the pain. It was being over joyed at the fact she was now engaged. Though she had no ring to prove it, she was now spoken for. It may not have brought the same joys as before, but it did bring her joy. She smiled a bit, as the first rays of sunlight bared down on them. "You wanna go somewhere darker?" She asked, thinking of one of their homes, or maybe a dingy old building.