Knowledge can be dangerous (Consulting Detective and Lamenting_Quill)

[Lamenting_Quill]

The office was dark now, everyone had gone home long ago, but Arial Kolette remained in her chair in front of her computer. She was extremely happy right now that she had opted to pay a little more for an extra comfortable computer chair.
She had insisted on waiting to write her article until she was alone due to the information she had uncovered, the means how she got it she really didn't want to have to explain to anyone.
Arial came from a long line of mages, highly skilled magic users... though centuries ago the mages had distanced themselves from the paranormal world and any facts of it outside themselves became a mystery.
She had cast a few spells here and there to reduce the risk of being detected as she followed potential vampire until she eventually lost each suspect. Though that was not to stay that she left empty handed.

Tonight she wrote about her experience when she was thirteen years old, she had been unable to sleep and gone to her window to see if there were any stars. When she looked down to the pavement below, she saw a man standing there, he was wearing a hooded trench coat..
She thought maybe he was just some guy whom was having insomnia issues as she was, until he suddenly looked up and straight at her.
She remembered his eyes more than anything else, she should not have been able to see them with how dark it had been, but... his eyes were glowing softly like a candle when it just started out, just a pale glowing gold.
She wrote about he had smiled at her after that and was gone as quickly he had looked up, it all factored in to research she'd done that supported what she'd seen.
Some vampires were gifted more so than others with great speed and others with mental manipulation skills, victims of that often not even knowing they'd been hypnotized or even approached at all.

With a sigh, Arial saved her work and then clicked send. She pushed her chair back and reached for her purse off the desk “Time to go home and grab a bowl of good ole Ramen Noodles”

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After returning home, Arial dropped her purse unceremoniously onto the kitchen table as she entered through her back door.
“One salty noodle bowl and then a nice bubble bath” Arial said herself, as she reached up and pulled from her brunette tresses the black barrette that held her hair up into a professional chignon “Lavender and vanilla bubble bath I think”
The beautiful brunette set to work on pouring water into a microwave safe dish and then placed in the noodles, she was too tired to do this on the stove tonight.
Placing the dish into the microwave, Arial waited there in front of the square appliance, sashaying her hips to a tune only she could hear.

The ding of the microwave signaled Arial to pull her cooked noodles from the microwave and quickly scarf them down into her grumbling empty stomach.
Tossing the empty dish into the sink, she padded across the expanse of the kitchen to head up the stairs in the adjoining hallway. Her bedroom and her bathroom was up here, she liked that about her house most of all, made her feel like she had more privacy.

Stopping by her bedroom, she grabbed her favorite black knee length satin nightgown and then continued on to the bathroom.
Arial turned the dial for the hot water and evened it out with a small turn on the cold water dial, she turned and grabbed her favorite lavender bubble bath from a shelf over the toilet with a bright smile.
Time for some prime relaxation before her article was printed and released tomorrow afternoon.

[Consulting Detective]

Some prime relaxation would have been absolutely lovely for Vicente Ashcroft this evening. As things stood, however, it seemed like any sort of relaxation just wasn't in the cards for tonight. And just what was in the cards? A night of sheer irritation and loathing for what could loosely be termed his "job." It certainly would seem as such on paper. Errands, meetings, more errands, and... oh yes. Even more errands. It was almost as though his superiors enjoyed sending him running all over the city on the most mundane of tasks. Why they didn't just tell the Nosferatu to make these deliveries was beyond him. Weren't the sewer rats more suited to these kinds of operations?

Sitting in the least-used room of the court house, Vicente watched as his so-called allies filed in for their weekly meeting. Their attire ranged from classy--the prime example being Vicente's own perfectly-tailored suit--to downright ratty. The sight of one outfit made him visibly cringe. Dirty, torn, and obviously more than a few years old. It belonged to a Gangrel, which came as no surprise. The outlanders didn't exactly care for their appearances. It wouldn't surprise him to see one walking around naked sometime just because clothes were an inconvenience to one who lived out in the wild. Who would they be trying to impress out there? No one. Classless animals, they were. Vicente didn't trust any of them.

It was a decent turn-out tonight. Most of the neonates were there, and some sire-childe pairings. No new faces, Vicente noticed. He had an exceptional memory for such things, and he made a point of knowing who everyone was. It had gotten on the nerves of more than a few Kindred in attendance when he presented himself to the Prince--as was customary--but it was how he operated. He had been like this as a human, as well. The social butterfly of any group, determined to play the good host even when not at his own party.

When it was time for the meeting to begin, the Prince called everyone to order. The preliminary notes were dealt with quickly enough. It had been a boring week in regard to activity levels of their enemies. The Sabbat had practically been driven out of the city a few years ago, apparently. The Nosferatu Primogen was greatly enjoying playing the devil's advocate on that matter, though, which was enough to keep everyone in attendance on edge. Try as he might, Vicente could not tell if the hideous woman was just screwing with them or if she actually knew better than the rest about the current activities of the Sabbat. Even the Prince seemed to be frustrated with her attitude.

The majority of the meeting passed in a similar manner. The Prince brought up issues, which the Primogen discussed with him on behalf of their clans, and no one who didn't hold a title of some sort was allowed to speak. Well, that wasn't quite true. They were technically allowed to speak, but nothing they had to say was treated as being worthy of consideration. Such was the way of things here. Only the elders actually mattered in such meetings. The younger Kindred were just given the grunt work. Being at the bottom of the Camarilla hierarchy was horrendously frustrating, but at least they were better than the Sabbat.

As the meeting concluded, the Prince called out a few names of neonates who needed to speak with the Nosferatu Primogen, endearingly referred to as "Matron." Unfortunately--but not unexpectedly--Vicente's own name was on that list. Oh how wonderful. This night was just going to be a barrel full of laughs, now wasn't it?

The others filed from the room, going their separate ways for the night. The few who had been called went over to speak with Matron, who was dividing out tasks between them. Vicente just stayed right were he was, stubbornly waiting for the others to leave before he received his own task. It was his own way of showing just how irked he was at being given grunt work again. Yes, he was new to the city. Yes, he was a neonate and therefore barely an adult in the eyes of his kind. No, he was not used to being treated like he didn't matter. He had been a trust fund baby, for crying out loud! He'd been filthy rich his whole life! These idiot tasks were so painfully beneath him!

"Come on, dearie," Matron encouraged once she noticed that Vicente was still sitting down on his bench. "I have a special job for you." She smiled at him, displaying a mouth full of rotten teeth. Her gray, wrinkled skin contorted rather gruesomely in the smile, and the combined effect made Vicente's stomach clench in disgust.

"If by 'special' you mean 'important,'" Vicente stated, "then go on." He did not get up. Matron could tell him what she wanted him to do right where he was. There was no reason to acknowledge that she was far older and far stronger than he was. He'd seen her crush a man's skull with one hand before. There was no doubt in his mind that she could do a repeat performance on his own skull, but he was still being stubborn. Call it a spoiled child throwing a tantrum. This was bullshit.

Matron chuckled darkly. "You Toreador are all so feisty when you feel you've been cheated," she remarked. Her amusement did nothing to make Vicente any more cooperative. "The Prince needs a human to be dealt with, and he felt you would be the one for the job."

Well that was a bit different than he was used to. No letter to deliver? No Caitiff to track down? This might actually be an interesting job. Depending on the human, of course. And the reason for this human to be targeted.

"Go on..." he invited, looking ever-so-slightly intrigued. It was an expression that got another chuckle from Matron.

"Here, dearie," she said, producing a folded magazine from the pocket of her tattered black jacket. "The human wrote the article on page nine. Do see to it that she never writes about us again." In other words, Matron wanted Vicente to kill the human girl. That message was received loud and clear.

"Anything else?" he asked, actually getting up to retrieve the magazine from Matron. He held it between his thumb and index finger, wanting to minimize contact with the magazine after it had spent time inside such a dirty place. It even smelled like the sewers. Ew.

Matron laughed. "Oh, so you are being cooperative now?" she teased before becoming more serious. "Nothing else for now. Though if you can find out how she got this information, I am sure the Prince would remember it." Not to say that the Prince would remember the method, but he would take notice of Vicente's competency. That was not an opportunity that Vicente could let slip by.

"It will be taken care of," he stated, feeling a small smile pulling at his thin lips. His avenue toward a higher standing in this city might be showing up at last.

[Lamenting_Quill]

It was Friday night, her day off from from work when all the other single girls were out on dates with potential boyfriends, her? No, she was at home at the kitchen table with her laptop in front of her with her newest article ideas in front of her.
Her mortar and pestle was on the kitchen counter with all the herbs she'd need for a cloaking spell if she decided to go with a story requiring sneaking around, it was rather useful being a mage from such a powerful family of mages.

She rubbed her chin as her jade green eyes came upon an idea she'd thought about awhile back, something she thought might be good for other with magic in their blood to be aware of.
She had recalled something her grandmother had said before she died about vampires, her parents had told her that she was old and didn't know what she was saying... but Arial wasn't so sure of that...
Grandma Kolette had told her to be wary of those whom needed blood to survive, that the blood of a mage was like a power booster to them and they could easily become addicted to the magical blood of a mage. It was worse, Grandma Kolette had told her, if the mage was from a family was more apart of magic as they were versus a mage whom was a mere mortal simply dabbling in what they did not understand.

It was just simply best for a mage to avoid contact with a member of the undead at all costs, the risks of danger were just too high.
“Mages need to be more careful, too many ending up dead in morgues” Arial murmured to herself as she finished up her article and saved it before clicking send.
It would get processed and printed for Monday's magazine and in would come another steady pay check for Arial, just enough to keep herself afloat in this difficult world.

She glanced at her watch and sighed, it was only nine o'cloak and she had absolutely nothing to do, she turned in her seat and glanced at her cupboards with a cold glare... She was running kinda low on groceries, it wouldn't hurt to go to the market down the street. A walk down there for some dinner would probably give her a good distraction.

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The night was certainly a pretty one, there were many stars sparkling in the early October sky and a big bright moon completed the lovely picture.
“Goddess of the Moon be praised” Arial said with a soft smile as she turned the corner of her street toward Ron's grocery market, she was feeling in the mood for a pepperoni pizza.
Her friends at work told her often that her addicted to pizza was going to go straight to her hips, but Arial took many walks and got plenty of exercise, so she ignored them when they tried to knock on her love for pizza.
“Well, no boyfriend, so gotta have a passion for something” Arial chuckled half halfheartedly, she was a bit of the glum side about her love life. She definitely wouldn't mind one decent date “Oh well, men suck”
If only she knew how true that was...

[Consulting Detective]

Upon leaving the old courthouse, Vicente made a call to his personal driver. Being quite wealthy really did have its perks, and personal drivers were one of them. The cars he owned were another, and after a few minutes of waiting on the sidewalk he saw a sleek black limousine turning the corner onto his street. The windows were tinted, but the license plate marked it as definitively his even before the limo came to a halt in front of him.

A middle-aged man dressed in a neat black suit stepped out of the limo to open the door for him. "Where to, Mr. Ashcroft?" he asked as Vicente slid gracefully into the backseat. It was spacious and incredibly comfortable. There was easily enough room for ten people back there. He didn't often invite people into his limo, though. Not unless he wanted something from them. He'd had his share of carnal escapades on those fancy black leather seats.

"Home, Richard," Vicente answered shortly, and the chauffeur closed the door before returning to the driver's seat. The little window between the front seat and the back was open, as Vicente preferred. He only closed it when he was doing something private in the back. Otherwise, he kept it open. This chauffeur had been working for him for the past ten years. They had a good relationship, and he was one of the few people that Vicente truly trusted.

Returning home was not the most productive thing for him to be doing right now, but there was little that Vicente could do tonight. He needed to do a bit of research on who this journalist was, and he hummed softly under his breath as he pulled out his Blackberry to browse the internet for information. Finding her address would be asking for too much, it seemed, but he did find her phone number. That would be good to keep for later, and he programmed it into his phone. More convenient if he didn't have to look it up again.

"Twenty-three years of age..." he murmured, sifting through the other information he found. "Degree in... journalism. Unsurprising, unsurprising... Ah, and here is a photograph..." He clicked on the image, and it resized to fill the entire screen with a pretty face and thick brown hair. Those green eyes of hers really stood out, and he stared at the image of her for several moments before closing out of the internet browser. That was enough to be going on with for now. Until he got home to his computer, at least. Then the real search would begin.

[Lamenting_Quill]

The market was slow as usual, but Arial made it in and grabbed two pepperoni pizza without fainting from sheer boredom. People really could be so full, especially some of those cashiers, would it kill them to smile?

She favored the back entrance leading into her kitchen as per the usual and set her pizzas down on the kitchen table, she was just about to withdraw a box from the plastic grocery bag when her cell phone went off in her coat pocket.
Pulling it out, Arial flipped the cell phone open and answered "Hello?"
"Hey, Arial, it's Andrew... I work in the editing department for Paranormal Digest, we've talked a few times" The voice introduced himself, he sounded kind of timid.
"I remember you" Arial replied with a smile, it was rather sweet, it sounded as though this call took a lot of courage "Something wrong?"

"No, no, nothing wrong" Andrew replied "But um, I was wondering... are you busy tonight? It's Friday night and I was wondering if maybe you might like to go out to dinner with me? I really liked you and..."
Arial cut him off before he gave himself a heart attack from how quickly he was talking "I would be delighted to have dinner with you, Andrew. I assume you know where I live? The editing department usually has that stuff for emergency purposes regarding articles"

"Um, yes.... does a half hour from now sound alright for me to pick you up?" He asked, almost reluctantly as if he was afraid she was playing a joke on him with accepting.
"Sure, sounds great" Arial replied before they both hung up, she couldn't help but smile at the decent way this Friday night was turning out.
She did indeed remember Andrew, the editing department treated him like their little errand boy, he was such a quiet guy and a serious sweetheart.

She glanced down at her jeans and sweater before she turned to go and change her clothes into something more appropriate for a date.

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After dressing in a pretty but casual flowing knee length skirt of a pale jade green paired with a modest blouse of a soft cream color, Arial headed downstairs to the kitchen in just enough time to see Andrew pulling into her driveway.

What a nice night this was turning out to be, such a sweet guy taking interest in her. The goddess was surely watching over her.

[Consulting Detective]

At long last, the limo came to a halt at the gate to Vicente's estate. The driver entered the code in the box at the gate, and a moment later the ornate iron gate swung inward to allow the limo passage down the driveway. There was a massive garage off to the side where Vicente kept all of his cars, though they reached the front doors of his manor before then.

Richard stepped out of the limo to open the door for Vicente, who slid out almost as soon as there was enough room for him to do so. There was little time to waste. He'd come up with a plan on the way home, and he had to act quickly to implement it. Otherwise, he'd have to wait until the next night. He'd rather get this task completed as quickly as possible, if only to impress the Prince. With any luck, he'd no longer be given the grunt work after this.

He strode right up to the door, and it opened as he approached. An attractive young woman dressed in a French maid outfit--her idea, not Vicente's--was waiting there for him, and she greeted her employer with a brilliant smile that showed off her rather adorable dimples. She was a bit on the short side, but she was slender with curves in the right places. Eye candy, one might say. A red-head, as well. Her fiery hair hung in tight ringlets, framing her face. Her blue eyes peeked out from behind black-rimmed glasses, giving her a nerdy look that was oddly endearing.

"Evening, Jeanette," Vicente greeted when the woman welcomed him home. "Where is Zachary? I have something to discuss with him." Zachary was Vicente's newest acquisition. He was still getting used to working for someone like Vicente, but he was making the man rather proud thus far. Zachary was quite comfortable with social tasks, and Vicente could see a kindred spirit in him. If ever there was someone he would welcome into the fold of his clan, Zachary would be it.

"Zach is organizing things in your office, sir," Jeanette said with a smile. "He's been at it all night." Honestly, she felt a little sorry for the man. Still, whatever tasks they were given in service to Vicente were welcome in exchange for that delicious mystery drink. None of them had any idea what as in it, but it sure felt amazing to drink it. Addicting, that stuff was. And they felt so powerful afterward...

Vicente nodded and made his way through his manor to his office, where a blonde young man was buried in paperwork that he'd retrieved from the filing cabinets. It looked like a mess, but the man was keeping at it. He looked a bit flustered, though that was mainly after he noticed that Vicente was at the door.

"Ah! Sir!" Zachary said quickly, climbing to his feet. He knocked over some papers in the process, and he cursed under his breath before hurriedly picking them up with muttered apologies. "Sorry your office is such a mess. I was just going through these papers for you--"

"Quite all right, Zachary," Vicente returned with a dismissive gesture. "I have another task for you. You are to call a journalist named Arial Kolette and tell her that I wish to meet with her. Be as secretive as possible, though imply that I know some rather juicy information about the occult. Journalists love mysteries. Arrange for this meeting to be tonight, if able. I have no other plans."

"Right away, sir!" Zachary said enthusiastically. Anything but more paperwork. "What's her number?" Vicente wrote it down for him. "Great! I'll let you know when she'll meet with you!"

"Wonderful, Zachary. Thank you." He shot the man a winning smile before turning and striding from the room, his long hair flowing behind him dramatically. That young human was practically eating out of the palm of Vicente's hand and he loved it.

[Lamenting_Quill]

Her cell phone went off yet again for the second time that night at a stoplight halfway to the restaurant Andrew was taking her to. She smiled apologetically to Andrew and then answered the phone.
The voice that met her reply was mysterious and spoke of the occult, said his wealthy employer was intrigued by her work and wanted to share with her some rather juicy information that he knew.

It took her a minute to consider it before cupping a hand over the mouth piece of the phone before turning to Andrew “How about we get dinner after going to see a mysterious rich guy about occult stuff, sound fun?”
Andrew smiled and nodded “That sounds really exciting, the worst that could happen is the information would be crap”
Arial nodded “Yea, and with you with me, I won't have to worry about being taken advantage of or anything like that”.
With that, Arial returned her mouth to rest beside the mouth piece of the phone “I am available to see him right now. Whats the address? Okay, I got it. Thanks, I will be there shortly”
Arial scribbled the address down on a random slip of paper from her purse and handed it to Andrew whom nodded with an excited smile as he changed their direction.

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Arial couldn't believe how awesome this night was turning out to be, she had no had such an exciting night in a very long time.
What an amazing lead too! The mysterious of the wealthy society always had the best information of everything, she couldn't wait to hear what he might tell her.
“The guy said he was going to information his boss that we are coming, apparently the guy wanted to see me as soon as possible, he has some really good information I suppose”
“Right on” Andrew said with a smile, he loved the mysteries of the world and adored a chance to explore them. Pity those big shots for the magazine kept him busy with errand jobs.

“This is will be a great topic for next week's magazine, I have an article for this Monday all set up. So now I won't have to worry about digging around for information for another one” Arial said, all smiles.
“I am glad for you, Arial” Andrew replied genuinely “You really deserve the very best in life. You are smart, funny, beautiful and so cool to be around”
Arial blushed and looked sideways at Andrew “You think I'm beautiful?”
It was Andrew's turn to blush now as he nodded “Yea, I really do. Inside and out”
A touched smile came to Arial's lips and she maintained silence, she was definitely going to have to pay more attention to this sweet guy more often.

“This is it” Andrew said, changing the subject as they approached the luxurious home “How cool, this guy is loaded”
Arial nodded and chuckled and earned a laugh from Andrew when she said “Oh yea, Total trust fund baby”

[Consulting Detective]

Vicente supposed he should have been more careful in his instructions to Zachary, but the situation could have been worse. The man had gotten him a meeting with the journalist, but he had also given out Vicente's address. That was not something that Vicente gave out lightly, all things considered. Considering how horrendously vulnerable he was during the day, he'd rather not have random strangers knowing where he lived. At least this woman was not much of a threat to him. He was going to kill her, after all.

He asked Jeanette and Zachary to make sure the sitting room was presentable for his guest, and in the meantime he made sure his own appearance was impeccable. That happened to include tying his hair back with a sleek black ribbon. It wouldn't do for him to keep brushing his hair out of his face while speaking with a guest. Then again, seductive toying with one's hair could be a useful tool. He'd have to consider taking out the ribbon at some point, then. If necessary.

A buzzer sounded as his guest arrived at the gate, and Vicente watched as Jeanette pressed the button to allow the gate to open without input of the code. Such a good investment, she was. Vicente seldom had to tell her to do anything. She had a wonderful head on her shoulders and a knack for knowing exactly what he needed. Servants like that were indispensable. A rare breed indeed.

He considered doing the high-and-mighty host thing and wait in the other room while his servants invited the guest in, but opted otherwise. It would not be good to seem too pretentious. She was a journalist, after all. They tended to be unimpressed by bullshit like that. He therefore would go with the more open and honest approach of being there to greet her at the door. Less intimidating that way. As if his estate wasn't already quite intimidating. It was beautiful, yes, but still intimidating to those unused to such wealth.

[Lamenting_Quill]

"You ready?" Andrew asked with a grin as he parked in the large driveway "This is so cool, not often we get to do this stuff"
"Yea, I am ready" Arial nodded with an eager smile before the both of them removed their seat belts and exited the car.
Andrew grasped Arial's hand as they approached the door and squeezed it to remind her that he was right here beside her if she needed him.
With a grateful smile to Andrew, Arial reached over and pushed the button for the doorbell.

A man answered the door and Arial would be lying if he didn't make her want to start drooling, he was definitely good looking.
"Hello there, I have an appointment with a Mr. Ashcroft" Arial said, a bright pretty smile gracing her lovely face and reaching all the way to her eyes. My name is Arial Kolette and this is my coworker Andrew Jenkins"
Andrew gave a polite nod and looked the fellow up and down, it kind of made him a little uncomfortable how good looking the guy was.
Though he supposed it was highly unlikely that this Mr. Ashcroft would be trying to steal Arial away from him...

Good looking, young, rich as hell... oh yea, this guy was a total trust fund baby to the highest degree. She held in a giggle at the idea that he might be some kind of real world batman and have like a bat cave under his estate.
"May we come in?" Arial replied pleasantly, trying hard to not look the guy in the eyes for too long at a time, those eyes seemed to just draw her in. Women had to be cautious of men like that...

[Consulting Detective]

Vicente had not anticipated a second guest. That complicated things considerably, since now he could not simply kill her. He could pull strings to bury one death, most likely. But two, who worked in the same company? Well, that would be more difficult to hide. There was nothing that could be done about that now, though. Thankfully he was quite well-practiced at adapting to changing social situations, and he shot the pair a startlingly-charming smile as he motioned for them to enter. No need to keep them waiting out on the front step. Steps, rather. He had three steps out there. Fancy, right?

"Do come in," he invited in his smooth voice. It was almost like auditory silk, a verbal counterpart of his obviously-silk shirt. "I am Mr. Ashcroft, though you may call me Vicente if you wish." Another smile, and he started to walk toward the lounge. "This way, please, Miss Kolette and Mr. Jenkins."

His servants were doing the proper thing and keeping out of the way for now, though he trusted that Jeanette would come by with drinks shortly. His usual beverage was fully expected, disguised as wine for the sake of appearances. These two would be served actual wine, though. He did keep that here. Not for him to drink, but for human guests. Like these ones.

The lounge was simply luxurious. There were undoubtedly expensive couches and chairs positioned strategically about the room, all keeping to the same color scheme of reds. A beautiful mahogany coffee table rested in front of the two couches, and Vicente motioned for his guests to take a seat one of them.

"Please, have a seat," he said, waiting until the pair had done so before making himself comfortable on the opposite couch. His legs crossed gracefully, hands clasped and resting on his knee. Perfectly composed and dignified. "Make yourselves at home."

[Lamenting_Quill]

"Please, have a seat," he said, waiting until the pair had done so before making himself comfortable on the opposite couch. His legs crossed gracefully, hands clasped and resting on his knee. Perfectly composed and dignified. "Make yourselves at home."

Arial smiled and moved over the sofa across from Vincente and sat down, Andrew followed and took a set right next to her.
"Thank you so much for inviting us, Mr. Ashcroft. Your home is quite lovely, you have done well for yourself" Arial said before moving on to business "Now, your employee said that you had information for me regarding the occult, especially vampires. Anything you are able to tell me will be most helpful"

Andrew was mostly silent, there was something about this guy that made him want to turn and leave, but for the life of him... he just couldn't place what it was. The feeling was just simply ominous and reeked of danger, but how ridiculous was that? He had to be just imagining things.
Maybe it was Ashcroft's wealth, Andrew never did like the wealthy, they were always far too full of themselves and thought they were entitled to everything.

That was one thing that worried Andrew, Arial was one hell of a woman and he was terrified this man might decide Arial was worth trying to see more and more. He worried Arial might be drawn in by the allure of a handsome man with all the money he could ever need or want.
Though Arial wasn't the type to go for a man over material wealth and he knew this, she wouldn't have agreed to go out with him if handsome and disgustingly wealthy was her type.

"I'd be more than willing to give a good share of credit to you in next week's article unless you should desire to remain anonymous" Arial said, unknowingly pulling Andrew from his mind consuming thoughts "What is you have for me?"

[Consulting Detective]

So this woman was trying to cut right to the chase, was she? Vicente could easily respect her for that, though he was more interested in stalling right now. He needed to think of something else to discuss until he could reform his plan. This was going to get dangerous for him if he wasn't careful. He couldn't very well tell her about vampires. Not unless he felt sure he would dispose of her before she had a chance to write the article. Even then, though, he'd be taking a risk. Who knows who she might tell this information to?

"All in due time," he stated, looking her over. She was even more stunning in person, he had to admit. The photograph, though appealing, hadn't done her true justice. He found himself staring at her for a few moments too long. Quite beautiful, she was. Entrancing, even...

He blinked as he realized that he was staring. One awkward clearing of his throat later, he said, "I read your most recent article, and before I tell you anything that I know, I must ask... Where do you get your information?" Some of it was startlingly accurate, and he could see why the Prince wished her to be silenced.

[Lamenting_Quill]

"I read your most recent article, and before I tell you anything that I know, I must ask... Where do you get your information?"

Now there was a topic Arial wasn't too keen on discussing, she had to keep her mouth shut as much as possible about her heritage as a much, so it was best to tweak the truh.
"Well" Arial began "It's really just stories my grandma told her, she was a wiccan when she was younger. So I thought it might be interesting to include her beliefs into the article, who knows? She could have been on to something"

Arial honestly believed every word her grandmother spoke to her, there had been complete truth the older woman's eyes that day.
Andrew smiled and placed a comforting hand on Arial's knee, though he also hoped it might ward this guy away from thinking Arial was single "I know you miss her, Arial. I am betting she is very proud of you"

Turning to look at Andrew, Arial smiled sweetly "Yea, I bet she is. You always know what to say, Andrew"
Andrew blushed and then returned his attention to Vincente "We have dinner reservations for ten o'cloak, we have maybe about an hour to chat"
Arial blushed as Andrew could have sounded a little on the rude side, but she knew that was not at all his intentions "We have a date, so I am afraid he is right. We can only stay an hour at the most/ Anyway, my grams seriously believed in vampires and that a wiccan's blood was like a power inducing drug to them"

Limiting her time in the presence of this gorgeous wealthy hottie seemed like a good idea to Arial, then she could later focus on sweet safe Andrew and forget the mysterious hunk.

[Consulting Detective]

Vicente studied the woman intently as she spilled her source. Her grandmother? That was unexpected, to say the least. A relief, though. It sounded like this grandmother had passed away, so there was little fear that she would tell this girl more secrets. How the grandmother knew of vampires was a good question, though. Being Wiccan didn't cover it, and Vicente could see that Arial was hiding something. She wasn't being entirely honest with him, which was really what he should have expected from a journalist. He didn't have a very high opinion of them, on the whole.

"I see," he stated, though when the woman mentioned a Wiccan's blood providing power to vampires, his eyes widened ever-so-slightly in surprise. No, she really wasn't talking about Wiccans. She was talking about Mages, whether she was aware of this or not. Her grandmother had been a Mage, then? Well, that explained everything. But was her blood gifted with such magics? Oh, how the Tremere would love to get their hands on her if that was the case.

He acknowledged their dinner reservations with a nod, letting them know that he understood they were on limited time. Weren't humans all? Vicente had all the time in the world, and yet humans had to rush about, diving up their limited time on this planet. He'd only been a vampire for nineteen years and he already found humans pathetic in many ways. Perhaps it was his own arrogance shining through, though. That seemed likely.

"I regret to inform you, then, that your grandmother was mistaken," he stated, taking a risk to see how it flowed. "Wiccan blood is not of value to vampires. A Mage's blood, however... That is much desired." He smiled coyly. "My servant did say that I had valuable information, did he not?" He'd certainly just proven that, and he'd be able to draw some insights from her depending on how she reacted to that correction. He did need to know if she was a Mage. This was for his own protection, more than anything else.

[Lamenting_Quill]

t]]"I regret to inform you, then, that your grandmother was mistaken," he stated, taking a risk to see how it flowed. "Wiccan blood is not of value to vampires. A Mage's blood, however... That is much desired." He smiled coyly. "My servant did say that I had valuable information, did he not?"[/b]

Arial felt a knot begin in her stomach as he made the corrections to her story, how on earth did he know that? He had more to offer than she originally thought.
"Well, that certainly is something I'd be most interesting in knowing. I am not sure the difference between a wiccan and mage, but I am glad to know the full truth of it" Arial replied, lying through her teeth about not knowing the difference between a wiccan and mage "Was there anything else? I am very interested in traditions and the like, if you happen to know any of that"

A good topic change was in order, this man was so mysterious and she was almost afraid of what he might know about mages, last thing anyone needed was another Salem incident.
Andrew chirped in, and Arial could have kissed him from sheer gratitude "I myself was rather curious about their social habits. For instance, how they might interact with friends or a mate. I'd love to be able to find out about that stuff"

Arial nodded "Yes, it certainly would help with understand their mentality too. Interaction with the world tells a lot about someone"

[Consulting Detective]

Vicente immediately saw through her lie, but he didn't call her out on it. He just filed that piece of information away, making a mental note to take caution around her. She might very well be a Mage if she was intentionally hiding the truth when it pertained to them. That meant she was no ordinary human, and he would need to reassess how he would go about silencing her. In the meantime, he would answer her questions. It wouldn't do to have a Mage be suspicious of him.

He chuckled lightly when she mentioned "traditions." That was a private joke that she would in no ways understand. Or, at least, she shouldn't understand it. It's just that the Camarilla called its laws "traditions," and to hear her use that word in reference to vampires was rather amusing. Especially if she had no idea what it really meant to someone like him.

The mate topic was easiest to coast through, so he decided to play it safe and go with that. "With all of these different fictional versions of the Damned in the world, it is difficult to remark on their true mating practices," he explained. "However, I have it on good authority that they generally do not engage in such behaviors. Personal attachment is not really their style."

How odd this night was turning out to be. He had planned to invite over a single journalist in order to kill her, and now he was telling that very same journalist some of the information that human were not supposed to ever hear. That was ironic. He certainly hoped that he could get some time with the woman alone to set things right. Otherwise, his life could very well be at risk.

[Lamenting_Quill]

"With all of these different fictional versions of the Damned in the world, it is difficult to remark on their true mating practices," he explained. "However, I have it on good authority that they generally do not engage in such behaviors. Personal attachment is not really their style."

Arial smirked a little and gave a soft chuckle, she had no idea Vincente was a vampire or she might not have been so forward "Well, that seems a little pathetic if you ask me"
"Maybe they can't get it up" Andrew joked with Arial, smirking a bit himself "Being undead, perhaps blood doesn't pump down there"
Arial laughed and placed a hand on Andrew's shoulder to steady herself and keep from cracking up, she decided to change the subject and focus on Vincente once more "So, what was it you originally wanted to see me about?"

After all these jokes, Arial was glad she never met a vampire before or said vampire might just want to prove her dead wrong about the cracks about his lower parts.
The topic change seemed to sober up Andrew too, he was just as curious as she was to know why exactly this mysterious man invited them here.
He also wanted to hurry things up a little bit so he could be alone with Arial, perhaps even walk away from this night with a girlfriend. That would be so amazing to Andrew if he had such a smart and beautiful woman in his life to call his own.

Arial was a goddess to Andrew, she was so sweet and charming to everyone she knew and the girl had a whole bunch of spunk which only served to make her all the more appealing.
She was so smart too, she knew things that he never did and used words often that he asked to ask her to define for him, he almost didn't feel worthy of her.

[Consulting Detective]

Vicente frowned when both of his guests began to make cracks at vampires and what they had assumed to be a lack of virility. Correcting them on that matter really wouldn't get him anywhere, though, so he decided to let it drop. If this woman decided to write that vampires had some manner of erectile dysfunction because of being undead, then that was fine. It was fictional, and therefore it wouldn't cause problems. It was the accuracy of her information that made her dangerous. The inaccurate stuff was perfectly permissible.

"It certainly was not to discuss a vampire's libido," he answered Arial, still frowning slightly. If his smile was charming, then his frown was unnerving. It seemed like the very atmosphere of the room reacted to his changes in mood, shifting as he desired in order to reinforce his words and expressions. A strange phenomenon, but not one that was easy to place as being his doing. He'd always had a bit of a knack for this sort of thing. He didn't even realize he was doing it half the time.

He was about to get on to a different topic when Jeanette arrived with drinks. Excellent timing. It would give him more time to plan. He thanked her for the three glasses of deep red liquid--only two of which were actually wine--and picked up his glass before either of his guests could take it. He highly doubted either of them would enjoy getting a sip of what would very obviously taste like--and be--human blood.

Jeanette was about to leave the room, but she lingered by the doorway for a few long moments. Pouting adorably, she turned back to the three of them and said, "Mr. Ashcroft, I might need a little help doing some lifting down in the wine cellar. I can't find Zachary anywhere, and it really can't wait..." Playing the part of the damsel in distress, in need of a man's strength to save her. That brilliant woman. She was trying to get Andrew out of the room.

[Lamenting_Quill]

Jeanette was about to leave the room, but she lingered by the doorway for a few long moments. Pouting adorably, she turned back to the three of them and said, "Mr. Ashcroft, I might need a little help doing some lifting down in the wine cellar. I can't find Zachary anywhere, and it really can't wait..."

Arial glanced at Jeanette and then back to the two men and Andrew being the sweet helpful guy he was stood "I'll help, Just lead the way"
She couldn't help but smile as Andrew departed the room with the woman, he really was a such a nice guy, she was very lucky that he decided to ask her out.
"Andrew is such a nice guy" Arial said, turning her attention back to Vincente "He's always willing to help someone, though I think that gets him a little bit pushed around at the office. I wish they were nicer to him"

Arial picked up her glass of wine and took a sip in hopes it might ease her nerves of being alone with handsome Vincente Ashcroft.
"So please tell me, this mystery is killing me. The occult really is a fascinating subject, it so nice to meet someone with a passion for it as much as I have. Some people say I am too curious" Arial replied, her smile bright and curious "What is you wanted to reveal to me? Your employee said it was something really cool, well he said it differently, but the meaning is the same I think" She laughed softly, almost musically, her jade green eyes sparkling merrily as she fought to hide how nervous he made her.

Wow, she was rambling now, this guy certainly was charming to the highest degree, one look at the man made you want to melt into a puddle at his feet.
Though Arial would remain strong and keep her senses keen, she prided herself for a being a strong woman able to stand on her own two feet.
She had to keep focused on her task at hand, it wasn't like some hunky rich guy was going to want to have relations with her anyway, so there really was nothing to be nervous about.

[Consulting Detective]

Vicente was relieved when Andrew left the room with Jeanette. She would keep him busy, no doubt. That bought him some alone time with the journalist, who seemed to be a lot more anxious now that her friend was gone. That suited Vicente's purposes just fine, and he studied her for a few moments to analyze what she was currently feeling. Yes, there was plenty of anxiousness there. Some attraction, as well. More than some, really. It was significant, and he could see doubt, as well. What exactly was she doubting, though? Did he even care?

He smiled, letting some of his energy drain away as he decided it was high time to work some of his influence. Thankfully he had a nice cup of blood right in front of him, so it was no harm done in the strength department. He'd refuel, so to speak. He just needed to accomplish this one little task, first.

"I believe that can wait for another time," he said, his words sounding more honey-coated than before. So enticing. The air in the room felt like it was heating up somewhat, and he gave the woman such a gentle smile. "I know you have your date with Mr. Jenkins later, but I was wondering... Perhaps the next time we meet, it can be for our own date? Assuming tonight does not go well for you." He chuckled. "Perhaps I could have some very intriguing information for you if you went out to dinner with me..."

This hadn't been his original plan by any stretch of the imagination, but it was what he had to do in order to get the job done. He'd go out with her, there would be an unfortunate "accident," and then he could be given another job to do by the Prince... Okay, the last part of that plan sounded very shitty, but he had little choice in the matter. He couldn't let himself think that he'd just be given more of the same errands if he completed this task. He knew how hard it was for a neonate to gain the respect of its elders. He was fighting the system, and thus far it hadn't been working. What made him think that it would work now? Matron was probably just manipulating him when she told him the Prince would remember this. It was what she did best, and now he felt cheated.

Oh well. All was not a total loss if he could get an interesting date out of it with this woman. He wanted to see more of her, if only because he was curious. If she really was a Mage, he wanted to know what her blood tasted like. Addictive or not, he wanted a taste. He didn't really care about the dangers involved. He'd deal with the complications as they arose. If they arose. It was more important to focus on the present for now, so that is where he kept his mind. He had just asked Arial out, and now he was waiting for a response. One that he expected would be an affirmative one, considering the subtle play he'd made on her emotions. He'd be shocked if she was aware of what he'd done.

[Lamenting_Quill]

"I believe that can wait for another time," he said, his words sounding more honey-coated than before. So enticing. The air in the room felt like it was heating up somewhat, and he gave the woman such a gentle smile. "I know you have your date with Mr. Jenkins later, but I was wondering... Perhaps the next time we meet, it can be for our own date? Assuming tonight does not go well for you." He chuckled. "Perhaps I could have some very intriguing information for you if you went out to dinner with me..."

Arial wanted to protest against the information being put off and then she heard him asking her out to dinner, while was about to go out with Andrew no less.
"Are you serious?" Arial said, she fought to stay upset despite a deep attraction to the man "You invite me here on business and now you are hitting on me?"

She stood up from her seat and gave him a well practiced cold glare she often gave to womanizing jerks "I think our business is done, I will just find Andrew and leave now. Goodbye Mr. Ashcroft"
Arial knew she had to get out there before she did something stupid she would regret, she badly wanted to accept his request for a date, really badly. Though something was off with this, something felt strange and red lights were going off in her gut.
Instinct told her to move and to do it fast, because something just wasn't right with this guy.

What a presence though, the man oozed sensuality and boy did she want to partake of it, but she had to have strength. If mages didn't try to have an iron will, they would fall victim to a great many things, like an addiction to magic.
It was very easy for a mage to become highly addicted to the arcane, but under the tutoring of her wise grandmother, Arial was shaping into a fine well controlled mage.

"Andrew?" Arial called as she entered the halls, hoping Ashcroft wasn't right on her heels, he didn't seem the type to handle rejection well "Andrew? Time to leave now"

[Consulting Detective]

Vicente blinked. She rejected him? She had actually rejected him, even after he started to work his magic, so to speak? He'd never encountered a human that could brush off his presence so easily. She had to be a Mage. That was the only explanation he could think of. She certainly wasn't a Witch Hunter. If that was the case, she would have realized rather quickly what he really was. That would have led to an attempt on his life, and he probably wouldn't have survived it. He'd never encountered a Witch Hunter, but he'd heard stories. Terrible, terrible stories from vampires who were forever shaken after the encounter.

He remained seated for a few moments, stunned into silence. Then he registered that Arial was fleeing the room in search of her date for the evening, and he quickly rose to his feet to follow after her. He wasn't going to give up quite yet. If his presence wasn't enough, he would have to try other tactics. He could see that she had been tempted by his offer. If he pressed, perhaps she would give in. He certainly hoped that Jeanette was keeping Andrew well out of the way right now. Knowing her, she had probably absconded with him to a bedroom for something else that needed to be lifted. Like her skirt.

"Miss Kolette, please wait!" he called, catching up to her with ease. Almost too much ease. He was quick on his feet, and he grabbed her wrist firmly to stop her. His hand was cool, but not unnaturally so. There was something to be said for wasting his energy to make his heart beat when he was around humans.

He pretended to be out of breath from jogging after her like that, then said, "Do forgive me if I was being too forward. I understand if you have some reservations about going on a date with me. I probably intimidate you. It happens very often..." A sad look graced his handsome face, and for a moment he looked so very lonely. Heartbreakingly so.

[Lamenting_Quill]

Sure enough, Ashcroft was right on her heels and she whirled around with a frustrated expression when he caught up with her and called her name.

"Do forgive me if I was being too forward. I understand if you have some reservations about going on a date with me. I probably intimidate you. It happens very often..." A sad look graced his handsome face, and for a moment he looked so very lonely. Heartbreakingly so.

She opened her mouth to respond, but she was distracted when her keen ears picked up on the sound of a woman moaning, it sound a lot like...
"You cannot be serious" Arial grumbled as she stalked over to one of the near by doors and pushed it open.
Much to her dismay and absolute feminine rage, she found the secretary woman sitting on the lap of Andrew, his pants around his ankles where he sat on the bed "Andrew Jenkins!"

All the color left Andrew's face as he noticed Arial in the doorway, she scowled at him and called him a pig before she slammed the door shut "Mr. Ashcroft, I would be delighted to take you up on your offer any time, it seems that I no longer have a date tonight. It's just been abruptly canceled, I would actually love a ride home if it's not too much trouble. I am NOT getting back into that pig's car"

She honestly could not believe she had fallen for all the sweet things Andrew had said to her, that she actually believed his whole timid facade. She was absolutely humiliated.

[Consulting Detective]

Oh, bless Jeanette. That woman was absolutely incredible, and Vicente felt it only proper to give her another sample of what she and his other servants called "the mystery drink" tonight. She deserved it. Taking one for the team like this... There was a reason why she was his favorite vassal. She really did know how best to meet his needs.

"Well, there is no need to waste the dinner reservation," he stated with a small smile when the journalist abruptly changed her mind about going on a date with him. "Would you like to have my company for dinner instead?" Things had been complicated considerably just by her coming to his house. He needed her to die away from his estate, preferably in a public place if he could make it look like an accident. Maybe he would make a call and set up a false mugging. It would be unspeakably tedious to deal with the human police.

Apologizing for Jeanette's actions would come later, he supposed. He didn't want his servant's untoward behavior be a slight against him, not that it looked like Arial was taking it that way. She had immediately blamed Mr. Jenkins rather than Jeanette, who was the one really at fault there. Jeanette had a way of getting what she wanted.

[Lamenting_Quill]

"Well, there is no need to waste the dinner reservation," he stated with a small smile when the journalist abruptly changed her mind about going on a date with him. "Would you like to have my company for dinner instead?"

She had to hand it to the man, he knew exactly what she needed to pick up her spirits after being humiliated by the office's errand boy. God, her life really sucked. Perhaps Vincente Ashcroft could turn this night around.
Arial smiled and nodded, then glared back at the offending door before she returned her jade green eyes to Vincente "Sounds good, I am ready whenever you are. We had reservations at the new French restaurant in town, Chateau du Fleur... I am pretty sure that's the name"

She heard movements in the room behind them and gave Vincente a desperate look "If we could leave in the next few minutes, that would be fantastic. I really do not want to see Andrew"

Arial was afraid she might end up punching the idiot in the face and get arrested for assault, that was the last thing she needed.
Sure, she'd love to belt Jeanette as well, but she was more angry at Andrew for even considering sleeping with her. The choice had been his to make and he made it.

Not that Vincente was going to become her new boyfriend, rich boys that got everything they wanted really were not her type and she'd have to try and let him down easy if he expected more after tonight. He might be a really nice guy, but she wasn't interested in being attached to wealthy man whom probably shared none of her views on life and how to live.

[Consulting Detective]

Vicente gave a good-natured chuckle at Arial's desire to leave as soon as possible. That desire was perfectly understandable, considering the situation. The man she was supposed to have been with tonight was currently in the arms of Vicente's maid. If she hadn't been bothered by that, Vicente would have been quite surprised. Usually humans got very emotional over that sort of thing. He remembered a time when he'd cared about such betrayals. Now he had other forms of betrayal to worry about.

"We can depart at once," he stated with one of his easy smiles. "This way, Miss Kolette." He pulled out his Blackberry as he led the way to the front door, placing a quick call to Richard for the man to pull the limo around. The man had probably just been putting more gas in the car, so it was not an inconvenience to have to drive him around so soon. Besides, Richard was used to this sort of thing. Vicente was constantly calling him for a ride. The man lived on the grounds just like his other servants did. Part of their job was protecting him during the day while he slept.

He stepped outside, holding the door open for the woman before closing it behind her. "Ah, and here is Richard," he said, pleased with how quickly Richard had come around with the limo. Had he been expecting Vicente to call him so soon? Bless him. Oh how wonderful it was to have competent servants at his beck and call.

Instead of letting Richard open the door for him, he opened it himself to allow Arial to slide into the back first. "Ever ridden a limousine before, Miss Kolette?" he asked conversationally. He'd been riding in them all his life, but he knew that it wasn't common for your average person to do so. Except on special occasions, like weddings, proms, or funerals.

[Lamenting_Quill]

"Ever ridden a limousine before, Miss Kolette?"

Arial turned her head to look at Vincente and smiled with a nod "Once, my senior prom. I went with a group of my friends, my old best friend Trina's dad paid for it. She and I lost touch after highschool . If I remember correctly, it was a black limo with white seats, it was really nice"
She remembered the dress she wore for her senior prom, she had worked her ass off to pay for it. The emerald green satin of the gown had exquisitely complimented her jade green eyes.

"So" Arial said, her smile genuinely warm and inviting "Tell me about you, help me to see more than the stereotype of the little rich boy. I am certain there more to you than your money"
She truthfully was interested in him as a person, Arial was always willing to see someone for what they really were if they were the victim of stereotype. It would have really upset her if she stereotyped him completely without getting to know him first and finding the truth.

"Share with me the mystery that is Vincente Ashcroft" Arial said with a mock sexy smile, she chuckled a bit to indicate she was trying to be friendly with him.

[Consulting Detective]

Vicente listened to Arial's little story about her senior prom, giving a small nod. He remembered his own high school dances of importance. He'd gone to all of them, usually with some random girl clinging to his arm. His private schools had been exclusively for boys, unfortunately, though they had sister schools with girls in them. The students of both schools got together for their dances. They were very special occasions, where more than a little inappropriate behavior occurred. Vicente remembered how his best friend at the time had gotten busted for having sex with a girl in one of the bathrooms.

He smiled as his thoughts drifted through his memories, though he returned to the present when the woman asked about his life. She was genuinely curious about him, which wasn't a surprise. He practically oozed mystery, and that was not by accident. People were more inclined to speak with him when they thought they might learn something interesting.

"There is certainly more to me than money," he stated with a smile, making himself comfortable in the backseat of the limo. "What would you like to know?" Richard asked where they were going, and Vicente told him the name of the restaurant. Then they were moving, and Vicente returned his attention to his date for the evening.

She looked rather beautiful, sitting there on the black leather seat. The dim lighting of the back of the limo suited her so very well, and he certainly liked the way she was smiling at him. Sexy, as though she was trying to do her own share of seduction. For information, of course. She was trying to charm answers out of him. Exactly what he did.

"Would you like something to drink?" he asked, remembering that she hadn't had much of the wine back at his home. "The fridge is fully stocked. Wine, champagne, some stronger beverages..." And, of course, his own preference of drink.

[Lamenting_Quill]

"Would you like something to drink?" he asked, remembering that she hadn't had much of the wine back at his home. "The fridge is fully stocked. Wine, champagne, some stronger beverages..."

Arial smiled gratefully and nodded "After what I just witnessed, a stiff drink would be most appreciated"
She murmured a polite thank you when he handed her a goblet of a dark red wine smelling sweetly of raspberries, she took a sip and sighed in bliss.
"That's delicious, it tastes French" She said before taking another good sip of the wine, it began to tingle her senses. It was just what she needed.
"Thank you" Arial said, "I just cannot believe what Andrew did, I was completely wrong about the kind of man he is. I thought he was decent guy that would treat me with respect, but I guess not"

She brought the glass back to her mouth and took another good sip of the sweet liquid, it was starting to make her feel a little bit giddy. Arial right now would totally take giddy over depressed, it was a far better alternative.
"You ever had this happen to you before?" Arial replied, fingering the stem of the goblet "I mean, how do you handle something like this? I know some people say revenge makes you feel better, but what it going to solve? I'll still feel like crap afterwards, it doesn't change what he did.... you don't think... do you think maybe... I'm just not pretty enough? Jeanette did seem far more glamorous than me..."

It wasn't a pleasant thought, that even a nerd like Andrew would choose a glamorous woman like Jeanette over her, it really did a lot to drag down a woman's confidence in her own appearance."

[Consulting Detective]

"Try this," Vicente invited, handing Arial a glass of very expensive--and very strong--French wine. "I believe this is exactly what you need." He watched while she took a sip of the wine, smiling and giving a small nod when she remarked that it tasted French. She had a decent palate if she was able to discern that about the wine. Impressive. He'd been very good at differentiating between different wines by taste. That was when he was human, though. He could probably still tell such things, but he hadn't tried in years.

He listened to her insecurities over what Andrew had done with Jeanette, giving her a comforting smile. Just because he intended to kill this woman sometime in the next couple nights didn't mean that he couldn't comfort her beforehand. Granted he knew that would complicate things on his end, but he felt confident that he'd still manage. He wasn't foolish enough to grow attached to a woman he was supposed to kill. Was he?

"You should not sell yourself so short, Miss Kolette," he said softly, pouring himself a glass of a red liquid that so greatly resembled the one in her glass. Resembled, but was not the same. Oh no. It was most certainly blood, spiked with some wine for the purposes of masking the scent. He couldn't taste the wine in it, though. All he tasted when he drank it was the blood, and he gave a gentle purr as that delightful fluid rested on his tongue prior to being swallowed.

He glanced over at Arial, meeting her gaze with his rather pretty brown eyes. They had flecks of an almost amber shade in them, if one looked closely enough. It wasn't something that most people noticed, though. A pity, since it made his eyes quite beautiful, particularly under certain angles of light.

"You are enormously attractive," he told her, a small smile gracing his face. "You should never let any man or woman make you believe otherwise."

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