Temptation

“Yeah, yeah,” Autumn dismissed her sister’s suggestions as she watched her walk down the hall and into her room, leaving the door half-open. Miracle never kept her door open. But the explanation was obvious: she wasn’t planning on getting much sleep tonight. She wanted to be able to hear everything that was going on in the apartment. Why was it that Miracle worried so much when it was Autumn that that creep threatened to kidnap? She flipped through a magazine carelessly as she lounged on the couch. There wasn’t much to do tonight to hold her attention for longer than a few seconds. She usually found something, though.

Trading in the magazine for one of Miracle’s recommended books, Autumn settled herself back into the imprint she’d made on the couch and lost herself in the words on the pages. A brisk rapping against their door shocked her out of her trance-like state and she instantly propped her head up to look at the door. God, what time was it? Close to two in the morning? Somewhere around there? She hadn’t thought she had been reading for that long. The next thought that popped into her head was a question that surely should have been first: Who would come to their apartment at this hour of night? With that thought came a sudden brush of fear. Please don’t let that be him, she thought pleadingly to herself. Please don’t let that be Crispin. Nonetheless, she got up and stepped lightly up to the door. Without thinking, she laid a hand on the wood and instantly felt a collage of complicated feelings. Confusion, desperation, skepticism, hesitance, and other unidentifiable feelings that seemed impossible for any human being to be feeling all at once. And on that thought, someone’s face came to mind. The other vampire, the good one. She leaned in close and spoke against the door. “Kole? Is that you out there?”

It was him. She felt no twinge of doubt to hold her back from unlocking the door and swinging it open to allow him inside. She smiled at him and lightly joked, “Took you long enough.” She confidently leaned forward to take his hand and guide him inside as she said, “Come on in.” She closed and locked the door behind them and then spun around to face him. She slid her thumbs into the back pockets of her jeans and rocked back on her heels, not sure of what to say. “So, umm… I guess this is the part where I give you a tour?” Autumn faced the living room that was also divided up into their kitchen….-ish area. “…….Um,.. this is it.” With her hand, she gestured to the room, and then pointed down the one hall at the right. “Down there is my room, and Miracle’s is at the very end.” Less than seconds later, Autumn heard her cell phone ringing on the counter. She recognized the meaningful tune as one she’d set for Emily. She was calling so late at night? Something must be wrong. “Shit,” she murmured. She swiftly jogged over and snatched her phone off the table. “It’s my friend. You can just wander, I’ll only be a minute.” The worry on her face was very well hidden. Autumn found that she had plenty of practice with that, considering how in touch she was with, not only her personal emotions, but also that of others. She swiftly left and went into her room, shutting the door softly behind her. She picked up the phone. “Em? What’s going on?”

“…This isn’t Emily,” said a shaky voice filled with sorrow and hurt on the other end of the phone.

Fifteen. The number echoed inside his head as he lay there, holding his breath at the sound of heavy footsteps and raised voices. Shifting only slightly, Kole grabbed at the black binbags that surrounded him, carefully sinking himself lower into the putrid smelling dumpster. He had concealed himself just in time for seconds later the lid's hinges complained loudly as it was lifted and the beam of a torch swept the interior. The red-head closed his eyes tightly as he held his body rigid, forcing himself to remain still as he waited to discover if his hiding place had been sufficient.

A muttered curse was followed by the slamming of the lid and then muffled voices. Kole lay there for an hour or longer although the alleyway had fallen still shortly after the lid had fallen closed. Only when certain that he was alone did the vampire carefully unbury himself and ease himself out into the night air. "Oh how the mighty have fallen..." he muttered to himself, peeling several potato peelings from his jacket.

The journey back to Miracle and Autumn's apartment was painfully slow. Kole walked as quickly as he dared but whenever he caught even the slightest glimpse of the police he would duck out of sight. By the time the familiar building became visible it was through a haze, the mist transforming the all but deserted street into a scene from some kind of horror movie. The red-head smirked slightly at this comparison as he stepped into a darkened doorway across the street from the apartment building.

A glance toward his wristwatch told him that he would be unlikely to meet anyone on the stairwell but the sound of footsteps halted his movements. Drawing himself tightly against the wall, Kole held his breath in anticipation as he waited for the unknown person to come into sight. The dark figure passed by without a glance and continued on down the street, seemingly completely unaware of the vampire lurking within the shadows. Only once the footsteps had faded into silence did Kole emerge and lunge across the road.

He moved swiftly, jerking open the front door before taking the steps two at a time, his long strides transporting him to the correct door in a matter of moments. "Fifteen." Lifting his hand, Kole had been about to knock when he hesitated, his knuckles hovering a inch or so from the wood. What was he doing here? And what had he got himself into?

Regardless of his doubts and regrets, Kole resigned himself to the fact that he was already involved in whatever it was that was going on. He'd positioned himself between two vampires and Miracle in the space of one day; and now he came to think about it - that was curious in itself. Vampires were few and far between as it was, but for the frail looking girl to attact the attention of two, and on the same day....that was certainly not normal. Once was unfortunate, twice was suspicious.

He rapped his knuckles firmly against the door, stepping close to rest his forehead against the cool painwork, shoulder pressed to the doorframe. Kole released a slow breath and waited.


[[Don't be daft! I figured something must have been going on which meant you couldn't post! Hope everything is ok now though? And it's good to have you back!]]

As if that would do any good against a vampire, she thought to herself as she locked the door behind her. If that man wanted to, he could simply break down the front door, storm in, and steal them away without ever pausing to take a breath. But Miracle drew comfort from the hopeful reminder that he wouldn’t dare to come back anytime soon with all the mayhem and attention he’s drawn to this location. And now just what were they supposed to do? Sit around and wait for him to make his next move? Maybe the two of them could run away for a while, they could try to throw him off their trail and…… but, no. Kole was coming. He would protect them; she had to believe that. And, he was going to come back… right? Miracle walked somewhat lamentingly towards the window at the opposite end of the room. Looking out, she watched the cop cars skid to rushed stops, small crowds of people pushing to see past one another, and she should have been worried, she should have been fearful and apprehensive.

But the thought of seeing Kole again soothed her nerves to an almost blissful ease. And she couldn’t help but wonder if she wanted to see him for some different reason she couldn’t procure rather than just protection.

A few hours later, Miracle claimed unconvincingly that she was tired and retreated to her room, advising her sister to go to sleep as well pretty soon. But the shadows that danced endlessly, parading her walls, were, in a strange and inexplicable way, threatening. The faint glow of moonlight that streamed in through her window provided some comfort, but it couldn’t prevent the worry that always creeped up on her and intruded her thoughts. Miracle had the childish desire to sleep close to her sister all night, keep a wary eye on her like she did when Autumn used to call her name, paranoid from protruding nightmares when they were young. The stupid, dream-like scenario of Autumn being snatched away in the middle of the night continued to invade her mind every time she neared unconscioussness.

She sat up in her bed, pushing the covers off her legs and positioning herself on top of them. She felt as if she couldn’t breathe, as if the room were getting smaller and slowly constricting her. It was rediculous to have such paranoia paired with an overactive imagination. Acting on a simple impulse, she got up, unlocked her window, and slid it up to open it. The night air was chilled, but silent and calming. She leaned in closer to look out at the sky. No stars tonight, much to her disappointment. It was too cloudy and a hazy mist crept slyly along the ground. She then noticed a figure walking along the sidewalk, drawing in closer till he was walking directly past their apartment. Of course she didn’t suspect it was anything to worry about, but the returning sense of paranoia that resulted from seeing this shadow-man ruined her moment of peace, and it made her angry.

She swiftly turned around and walked back over to her bed, plopping down carelessly flat on her back, her arms spread out on either side of her. She lay there for a few moments, staring at the ceiling and letting her thoughts drift. After a while, she turned onto her side, pulling her knees up closer to her and tucking her head in. Her hair was sprawled out over the bed artfully, her tanktop and plain pajama bottoms providing little protection from the tender bite of cool air. Miracle closed her eyes, not tired in the least.

((forgive meeee! I'm so sorry whisper. i've been rather busy with school and had to deal with kind of a major family problem. So, yeah, I totally wouldn't blame you if you gave up on this rp, but the option of continuing it is always open to ya. And I'm gonna get up my next post to our other rp rite now too, so you have that option as well.))

"15," Autumn eagerly provided when the vampire asked Miracle for their apartment number. "Don't forget." She watched balnkly, shocked, as the red-headed man swiftly entered the crowd of passers-by who'd accumulated on the other side of the street. It took a moment for her mind to regain composure; she felt the many questioning and frightened eyes tracing her body, examining her.

"Willow--come on, let's go!" Autumn jumped to it, disappearing into the building and racing up the stairs, her steps echoing throughout the lobby. By the time she'd arrived at the top, she was extremely winded, but pushed herself up one single more step and into the apartment. Plopping lazily ontot he couch, Autumn wasted no time in picking up the thick phonebook that lay in a basket of magazines under the side table beside the couch. "That's it," she began, her voice still breathy and tired. "We--" she flipped furiously through the yellow pages. "--are updating our security. Or getting...swords...or a dog or....something." Her sister entered unhurriedly behind her, watching her ridiculous rant. "Ugh," she sighed, holding up the phonebook defeatedly. "Dude, what am I looking for?" she scoffed at herself, throwing the book on the arm chair adjacent to her own lounger. Taking comfort in the cool sensation of her fingers against her perspiration-sheeted forehead, Autumn closed her eyes and let the memories of the vampires dance behind her lids, lighting the darkness with amazing occurences. "Wow," she marveled, exhuastedly opening her eyes. "that guy was hot," she giggled to her sister, resting her head back on the couch. "Lock the door," she instructed lazily before Miracle could sit down.

((Apologies for the delay, life has been a little crazy))

The two males stood face to face, both grasping the clothing of the other, their eyes meeting for a moment in recognition. Kole had not missed the break in tradition that he had initiated though had swiftly pushed it to the back of his mind at Crispin’s hissed question. His lip curled as the other shifted his gaze to look past him and toward Miracle, a snarl of irritation escaping Kole as his grip tightened upon the other male. “That’s none of your business.”

Though he attempted to hide his own confusion from translating into his expression, Kole found himself questioning why he was in this position in the first place. A vampire never turned upon his kin and today he had attacked two of his own all for a girl he barely knew. Not only had he just ostracised himself from the only people he could really trust but he’d also stepped out into the open and the humans that had once held him captive would have a better idea where to find him.

Kole’s gaze remained fixed upon the male in his grasp as Crispin leant forward, his low words hissed just loud enough for him to hear. Then with a twist, the other wrenched himself from his grip and disappeared amongst the crowd that was swiftly beginning to gather around them. Only then did Kole hear the sirens, turning his head sharply in their direction, emerald eyes narrowing as a growl of frustration rumbled within his chest.

He turned sharply to face Miracle as she pleaded for him to go with her, both clearly aware of what would happen if he was captured. “They will see…” he replied, his voice more of a growl than anything else, “What number?” A glance down the street told Kole that his time was fast running out. “What number?!” He demanded again, anger now rising up in his tone as he waited impatiently for her to tell him their apartment number.

“I will come back once the crowd has dispersed…” Kole reassured once the information had been given to him and with that he charged through the crowd, the on-lookers swiftly moving out of the way as he approached. The red head took off at a run, the wailing of the sirens ringing in his ears as he swung round corners and skidded down narrow lanes.

He could not allows himself to be caught, not again…

((That’s fine Phantom. There’s no posting order. And, if its cool, I think I’ll control him just a lil bit to keep the rp rolling))

Crispin released a deep grunt from the unexpected blow to his torso, unintentionally dropping the girl. This vampire was strong indeed. Surprisingly so. But this trait was not what had caught Crispin so off guard. Instead, it was the fact that he fought against him at all. Their species were known to stick together, seeing as how few of them were left, and opposing a brother was something that was generally… unheard of. Crispin gathered his composure relatively quickly, ignoring the pain, and put one hand on each of the other vampire’s arms, unleashing a devilish smirk. “How interesting,” he cooed. “You would turn on your own kind to protect your little human pets?” He briefly glanced back over to Miracle, noticing how strangely this man had reacted towards her. He looked back to Kole and quietly, almost menacingly, said, “Just what is she to you?” He then cackled at the sight of Kole’s responding expression.

Miracle pushed off the ground and brought herself to her feet, carefully watching the scene that played out before her. Their voices, for the most part, were out of range, but she saw how he had looked at her curiously, as if trying to understand something. Then, another voice attracted her attention. She turned around to look in the opposite direction, to the owner of the voice. It was a woman sitting in the car that had come to a sudden halt on the road, nearly crushing Miracle. She appeared to be talking with her cell phone pressed to her ear and her window down, trying to get a better view of the feuding vampires. She spoke in a rushed, fearful tone, “I told you! Just east of Arrowhead, on Vester Street! …Yes they’re still there. …I’m absolutely positive. They already tried to…” she swallowed, “..bite someone. Right here in plain sight! …Hurry. Please.” The woman remained on the phone and kept her eyes on the two men ahead of her.

When Miracle realized what she was doing, she ran safely back across the road, moving as fast as her legs would carry her until she made it to her sister’s side. She fell to her knees next to her and brushed the hair away from her face. Her skin was abnormally pale and cold. Miracle slid her hand under her head and helped to lift her up. She seemed to be ok, or she will be. By the time she’d stood Autumn back up, keeping a firm hold on her shoulders, a faint sound had arrived from far down the road. The sound of the sirens was slowly beginning to grow louder. She met eyes with Crispin, who gave her a crooked smile before turning his eyes on Autumn and said, “Until next time, love. You’re my only bargaining tool for the time being.” Then turning back to gaze threateningly at Kole, he seemed to say something to him, completely inaudible to human ears. And in a flash, he was gone.

The sirens were starting to get closer and Miracle could already see a small haze of flashing lights. She released her sister and took a step towards Kole, looking up at him with, what looked like beseeching eyes. “Come with us,” she said. It sounded more like a plea than anything, but her concern wasn’t for herself or even Autumn. She was now worried that she had just stripped Kole of his freedom and probably his entirely life because he had helped them. She felt pitiful to have nothing to offer… but,… maybe they could hide him? Police or investigators would never search a citizen’s home in search of a vampire, unless they found specific evidence to lead them to believe otherwise. “Come with us,” she said again.

(srry u guys, i mite not be able to post tonight, but keep goin and i'll post tomorrow. There's no posting order, rite? And its fine if u 2 want to control Crispin. He's for everyone to use)

Kole grunted quietly as Miracle crashed into his chest, arms moving around her in an attempt to keep her from losing her balance. His emerald green hues gazed back at her as she tilted her face upward, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as her lips parted as if to speak. However, she was interrupted and the red-head turned his head sharply to look over at the other male who stood some distances from them. His breath caught in his chest, looking over the girl that struggled and flailed in the grip of the stranger before returning his gaze to Miracle.

One vampire was unlucky, but two was something else – something more intentional. “Miracle…” Kole began but his words were cut off as she slipped from his grip and moved toward the two in front of them before falling to the ground. He was by her side in an instant, stooping to grasp her arm and help her to her feet, though his gaze remained fixed upon the other vampire.

Analysing the situation in a split second, Kole determined that he did not have the time to find out just what the situation was all about. A swift glance to the road informed him of just which cars were coming his way before he fixed his gaze back upon the stranger. “Release the girl, whatever you are after you aren’t going to get it today…” He didn’t wait for the other male to respond before lunging into the street, managing to get across without any of the cars touching him although horns blared loudly in all their ears.

Within a matter of seconds Kole stood in front of the stranger, a balled fist flying toward the other’s stomach while his other hand extended to grasp his shoulder.

Miracle had a mere split second to see a figure rushing towards her. She took in a short gasp of breath before she was swiftly pulled off to the other end of the road. A cold, smooth texture encircled her wrist and was quickly guiding her along as she ran to keep up. Finally, the person ahead of her stopped, and she ran into him before she could slow her momentum, but still managed to gently stop herself with one hand upon his chest. She would have been more afraid and, no doubt, struggling to get away from the stranger. But, a sense of familiarity calmed her racing thoughts. She slowly tilted her head back to look up at an unnaturally gorgeous face. Kole’s face. The sight of his eyes brought a brief relief of the horror she’d been burdened with only moments ago. Her lips parted to speak, but her voice had not yet caught up with her. And before she could find the right words, another voice errupted from a distance behind her. His threat of killing her sister instantly struck fear into her veins. She turned to look over her shoulder and saw Autumn struggling helplessly in his grasp, being strangled.Miracle reacted instinctively, moving forward only a few steps before slipping on a few stray pebbles and falling to her hands and knees.

Clutz.

She didn’t bother to pull herself to her feet. “Stop!” she yelled at him, her voice tainted with obvious worry and searing hatred.

“Give me what I want…” he replied.

“Fuck you,” she breathed, tears welling up in her eyes.

He sighed dramatically and shook his head in disapproval. “tsk tsk tsk” He looked down at her with a new set expression, seeming to reveal a true determination. “Have it your way then.” He slowly bent his head, inching towards Autumn’s throat and widening his mouth to reveal a set of pointed fangs. Autumn’s breathing was getting quicker and coming to her in shorter gasps.

“fine… FINE! Just let her down before you kill her!” she screamed at him. If giving in meant sparing both her life,… and possibly Kole’s, she was all too willing. What other option was there really? Her hands slowly enclosed into fists.

Autumn reached a hand out to her sister, desperately calling her name in attempt to stop her before..... The car's brakes squealed as it rushed towards her. As if time slowed, just to taunt and torment her, she watched as the vehicle--a huge metal beast--was just about to crash into her distraught sister. Miracle whipped around as it came, luckily, it stopped barely inches away from her.

Autumn's muscles relaxed so thoroughly that they could barely hold her weight. Her knees buckled, her ankles trembled. She sighed with relief as she fell limply to the ground. A rough hand around her throat alerted her from her blissful relief as it clamped tight to constrict her airway. Her heart began beating faster and faster with uncontrollable panic as the vampire from before slowly lifted her from the heap she'd collapsed into and into the air. Autumn gagged and struggled, her feet kicking relelntlessly as her eyes began to water.

"Oh Miracle, darling?" he asked devilishly, his voice a frightening rasp. "Sweetheart, you know the drill. Resist and I'll suck her dry." he shrugged. "Or you could always just try and stop me. Because you know how that worked out last time," he said, gesturing to the road with a nod of his head.

((bump phantom? i kinda need to kno what ur doing))

Kole had not strayed far from the bar, though why he lingered he could not be certain. As the sun sunk beneath the taller buildings shadows stretched across the streets below, providing the vampire with some shelter from the curious glances. It was not safe to linger in one place for any great length of time, yet the red-head felt an intense desire to see Miracle again – a desire that he couldn’t really explain even to himself.

And so he waited, sheltered within the darkened doorway just down from the bar, emerald eyes fixed upon the sidewalk just outside, anticipating her slender form coming in to view. Pushing off from the wall that he had been resting again, Kole trailed Miracle’s movements while remaining partially concealed in the shadows, following her all the way back to her apartment building. His steps faltered as she disappeared inside, stopping to glance over his shoulder before fixing his gaze upon the door gone through.

What was he doing? Why was he even here? A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as he took note of the foolishness of his actions, allowing his gaze to travel up the tall building. Whatever his reasons for following Miracle, it did not matter now – his hesitation had surely meant that he’d lost her in one of the numerous apartments and he was not about to knock on each and every door until he found her.

No, perhaps this was for the best. Kole raised a hand to push back the red-strands from in front of his face, a sigh of regret passing from his lips as he turned to slip silently away. His retreat was delayed however by the crashing of a door against it’s hinging, thrown wide in panic as the object of his thoughts stumbled out onto the street. Shrinking back into the deeper shadows of a nearby street, Kole’s gaze swept over Miracle with concern, swiftly picking up the air of panic that surrounded her and her actions.

Eyes narrowed as his gaze shifted from her to the figure who had just stepped calmly through the doorway, watching in silence as the stranger stalked toward her. His lip curled as a faint growl of irritation rumbled within his chest, fingers curling against his palms as he concluded that the stranger meant Miracle harm. However, before he was able to launch himself from the shadows and come to her aid, a third figure appeared which stopped him in his tracks.

Kole watched the scene play out before him, emerald hues snapping from person to person as he weighed up his options, grimacing faintly at the blow to the other man’s crotch. Now Miracle was speaking to the red-headed female – who were they to each other? Friends? Sisters? Lovers? The final possibility stirred a jealousy within Kole that he had not expected but was quick to forget when his eyes returned to the dark-haired female.

While Miracle may not have noticed she had backed into the road, he had and, with breath caught in his chest, Kole had charged from his hiding place and toward her. “Miracle!” The word tore from his lips before he had the chance to suppress it, reaching her in time to see the car screech to a halt mere centimetres from where she stood.

For a moment he stood there in dumb silence, his gaze fixed upon her as his heart hammered heavily within his chest. Only when she began to scan her surroundings did Kole remember the other vampire and he raised his head only to find that whoever it was had vanished. Still on the road, the red-head swiftly forgot about the other male, reaching out to grasp Miracle firmly but gently and guide her to safety.

Miracle skidded to a stop and froze on the side of the street when she heard him speak. The sound of his voice sent a jolt of fear through her veins. She slowly, reluctantly, turned around to face him. He strode tantalizingly slow towards her, like a predator stalking its prey. He spoke with a strenuous tension in his voice, “Please don’t make this difficult. I’m not supposed to kill you, but if you don’t cooperate, I just might slip up.”

The next words that passed through her lips in a hopeless whisper came as a surprise to even her. “Kole.” She began backing away unthinkingly but stopped when she saw another figure appear from behind him. Autumn was sneaking up on him, a simple bat grasped tightly in her hands. Miracle watched with horror-stricken eyes, her mouth slightly open as she watched her sister try to hit the vampire. When she failed, she managed to distract him well enough for her to run away from his reach and toward her, shouting her name. Miracle caught her by her shoulders without ever taking her eyes off the man in front of them, who was now obviously irritated. She turned her head slightly and harshly whispered to her sister, “Run to the bar, Autumn. Go there and I promise I’ll be fine.” Knowing Autumn wouldn’t easily obey her, she turned to look into her eyes, her expression portraying both determination and pleading. “Autumn just do this one thing for me, okay? Trust me.” Her words were rushed. Her hope was that maybe Kole would still be somewhere around there. He could protect Autumn at the least. It was, of course, her last resort and possibly her sister’s only chance.

She pushed her sister away from her and cautiously stepped in the opposite direction, trying to hold the vampire’s gaze. But his vision slipped from her face to follow Autumn, and an evil smirk rose the corners of his lips, as if he found this amusing. “Well, well, well,” he said quietly. “What are you two schemin?”

Miracle continued to stray farther away, diverting his attention away from Autumn. She didn’t realize, however, that she was backing into the middle of the street. Soon a deafening screech reached her ears and she instantly turned her head to see an oncoming car, its wheels turning furiously and scraping against the pavement. Miracle drew in a deep breath and quickly moved a few steps backwards, throwing her hands out in front of her. The car came to a grating stop in front of her and she placed her hands on the hood. Pushing herself away from the vehicle, her eyes darted back to where the vampire had stood, only to find him gone. The man had disappeared. She spun around on weak legs, desperately searching everything in sight.

A sweet, enthralling scent piqued Crispin's interest. The fiery-haired vampire cocked his head, steadily turning on his heel to head slowly towards the staircase that wound down to the ground level. Autumn was not as easy to charm as he'd thought, but perhaps direct action was an easier way to go.... He lazily strode down the staircase, following the echo of Miracle's footsteps but in no hurry to get to her. He had plenty of time. About half-way down the first set of stairs, he yawned, bored already with the chase. Opting to just get it through quickly, he skillfully hopped off the railing, landing on one knee on the ground floor. He rose just in time to spy Miracle's slender figure darting out of the building. He smiled to himself, a small chuckle escaping him as he strolled outside.

"Oh Miracle?" he called in mock innocence. "Where are you going, sweetheart?"


...


Autumn set a glass she'd been drinking out of in the sink and leaned lazily against the counter, thoughts throbbing through her head, unsubsiding. they nagged at her constantly, wouldn't leave her alone. How few vampires there are and one simply happens to show up at her door, looking for her sister... Miracle!

"Oooohhh crap," she hissed under her breath, whipping her cell phone out of her pocket and furiously dialed her sister's work number (they weren't allowed cell phones while working) and frantically tapped her foot while awaiting an answer. She worriedly scanned the view from the kitchen window in lack of better things to distract herself as the phone rang on the other end. Her brow creased low in concern over her bright eyes, but mellowed in confusion when she spied her sister, miracle, frozen dead in her tracks with the vampire she'd seen before on her tail. She hung up the phone, never taking her wide eyes off the scene. "Shit," she gasped, taking off out the door, but immediately darting back in to snatch the metal baseball bat she'd precautiously leaned beside the door.

She dove down the steps as fast as she could manage, nearly tripping over herself as she did. Her footsteps echoed loudly throughout the building until she scurried quickly through the lobby, pausing just before barging loudly out the door. Autumn carefully inched the door open, praying under her breath that the vampire would not notice her entrance as she crept outside, bat at the ready over her shoulder. She, taking the most miniscule steps imaginable, continued toward him until she stood just behind him. Her breathing was uneven and broken; each breath was a light, sharp dart of air. her muscles tensed, her breathing hitched, but just as she was about to swing, he whipped aorund with incomprehensible speed, immediately grasping the bat with an unwavering, firm grip, a fiendish smirk on his thin lips.

Panic spreading through her, she acted impulsively, paying no thought to the possible consequences. Impetuously, her leg flung out awkwardly to kick him between the legs with all her might, fright rendering her strength shaky, as if with hunger. The moment he heaved forward, wheezing in pain, she sprinted in her sister's direction, fear fueling her legs, urging them to go faster. "Miracle!" she shouted desperately; she could only hope her sister had a plan.

His gaze softened slightly at her comment, head tilting to the left slightly as he took a moment to digest her words. She was different, that had been clear to Kole from the first words she had uttered, but for a human to have such insight into their own kind – that was rare, at least in his experience. Their gaze met once more and the red-head found himself just as transfixed by the warm hues that stared back at him as she was with his.

A slight frown creased his brow at the soft sigh that followed her next words, noting perhaps a slight irritation within the tone. Kole’s lips parted, but no words came forth for at that exact moment metal hinges complained at the movement of a heavy door and both figures turned their heads sharply toward the origin of the sound. While Miracle’s movements were rushed, the vampire merely turned slowly to face the cause of the distraction, his hands still buried within his pockets.

Perhaps a wiser member of his kin would have taken this instant to flee, to slip away into the shadows as the two females conversed, their attentions currently not focused upon him. However Kole remained where he stood, emerald eyes fixed upon Miracle’s back carefully taking in the outline of her body as she did her best to convince the other that all was well.

The soft click of the door slipping closed drew his eyes back up to her face and a small smile took hold of his lips. Perhaps he hadn’t expected Miracle to take her leave so swiftly, or maybe he was not sure what to say to the young woman, but for whatever reason Kole watched in silence as she slipped inside. Her final glance would be of him standing with his hands in his pocket, those piercing eyes gazing back at her.

Only as the door swung shut behind her did his lips part but nothing passed them until after the latch had clicked into place once again. “Thank you…” The quiet words escaped into the still alleyway as Kole bowed his head to stare down at his feet, hair falling to cover his eyes once more. He lingered there for a moment, perhaps hoping that Miracle would reappear, but after ten minutes or so had passed the vampire turned and strode out of the alley.

After Kole suggested she return inside, she replied to one of his previous statements. “Just as humans are monsters. and cannot be trusted.” She murmured the heavy words as if they were only meant to be heard by her own self. She focused her eyesight on the ground below her, pondering his recent words and wallowing in her own thoughts in response. When she returned her attention to the present, she looked over to see a dazzling pair of emerald eyes set intently on her own hazel hues. She couldn’t bring herself to immediately break free of the bond, and she unthinkingly stared back with a gaze that seemed to host an inexplicable sense of wonderment to it.

Miracle then drew in a breath and carelessly slid off the front of the car, her hands lingering on the metal surface before falling to her sides again. Her expression was calm and assured as she now looked back at Kole. “It sounds like your mind is set. And you’re right; it’s not like I really have anything to offer anyway.” She paused for a moment, her mind straying to other things. “Just-…” A sigh escaped through her parted lips as she dismissed the unspoken sentence. She hated feeling helpless and underestimated, though it was a feeling she was certainly not unfamiliar with.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the back door began to creek open. Miracle instantly ran towards the door instinctively, she threw her hands out in front of her at the last second to slow her momentum to a stop. One hand was placed on the brick wall beside her, and the other pressed against the door, applying just enough pressure so as to allow it to remain cracked open but not far enough to allow Kole into view. Miracle saw that it was her co-worker, Angela, probably come to investigate her long absence just as Kole had predicted.

“Mira,” Angela addressed her with her admittedly annoying nickname, “what’re you doing out there?”

“Sorry. I’ll be just a minute,” her voice was disguised to sound very normal with perhaps only the slightest hint of potential for suspicion. Still, the blonde-haired woman narrowed her eyes in a disbelieving gesture before muttering an “okay” and disappearing back behind the door. Miracle stayed frozen with her hand pressed against the closed door, closing her eyes and trying to gather herself completely so as not to alert anyone’s attention at all once she went back inside. She shoved every abnormal thought into the back of her mind, available for contemplating later when she was able to do so. Then she turned, looking back over her shoulder to permit herself one more glance at the vampire. The glance lasted a mere few seconds, but she memorized every detail of his unnaturally appealing features, the expression on his face that seemed to illustrate the complexity of his thoughts.

She then turned to open the door and return to the bar, letting it close softly behind her. She carried on as normal, though her mind would still unintentional drift off to some distant topic that distracted her from her work every now and then. But luckily, she was very nearly done anyway. Before leaving, she spoke to Angela as she untied and returned her apron. “Hey, Ange? I’m gonna take off, kay?”

Her partner responded with an uninterested “yeah, yeah” before continueing with her work, expertly carrying a tray of drinks over to a small crowd of pitiable men.

The walk home was quiet and hollow as usual as she made her way through the twilight. The streets were dreary and empty as she strode alongside it. When she reached the building, she entered and had only made it halfway up the second and last staircase to reach her apartment when she heard a man’s voice. He was asking for… her. “I believe you have a sister…” he’d said in a deep, seemingly seductive tone, “…Miracle, correct?” The male’s voice was followed by a suspicious, almost fearful tone that she recognized instantly as her sister’s. She stated that he gave vampires a bad name and then seemed to slam the door in his face. The thought of Autumn asserting such control and stubbornness to an obviously dangerous predator would have been more comforting or amusing to Miracle, had he not now been stalking the long corridor her way. A jolt of panic swept over her and shifted her body into a sudden movement as well. She spun around and ran down the stairs, skipping every two steps and sliding both hands along the metal railing to keep her from falling. Her footsteps were easily audible as they echoed through the empty hallways and she responsively reacted on a whim. Once she’d made it halfway down the first staircase, she gripped the railing, lifted her legs over the side, and let herself drop down to the floor, landing with a dulled thud and then scrambling to hide herself beneath the staircase.

She watched as a dark silhouette appeared from above her and calmly, gracefully, stalked down the stairs. The steps created a striped pattern of shadows that stretched across her face and highlighted her eyes as she watched wearily.

His eyes never left her; instead they moved upward slightly to meet her gaze, no doubt the piercing hues appearing both intimidating and searching. As if looking into her very soul and, at the same time, revealing a portion of Kole’s to her. Her comment to his words of dismissal drew a sad smile to his lips and he shook his head slightly, lifting his head a little higher as she took several cautious steps toward him.

When Miracle turned her head to look away the red-head allowed his confusion to show upon his features for a moment, a small frown furrowing his brow as she stepped around him before perching upon the car beside him. For a moment Kole did not turn his head to look at her, but when she spoke – offering him a reward to his supposedly selfless act- his head turned slightly, looking sideways at her. He simply surveyed her for a moment before a low chuckle rumbled within his chest and he leant back, his hands resting against the hood of the car.

“A reward? No…” Shaking his head, the red strands of hair slid too and fro at the movement, “What could you possibly do to aid me, my little Miracle? Hmmm? No, your words of thanks are reward enough.” Kole bowed his head again, the smile that had captured his lips swiftly fading to an expression of concern and unease. Silence fell between them, the vampire appearing to have become lost in his own thoughts for a time before a sudden intake of breath signalled his return to reality.

“You should be careful, I may have asked for something you were not willing to give…we are all monsters after all, we cannot be trusted…” He slide forward, slipping his hands into the deep pockets of his khaki pants as he took a single step away from the car and stared down the darkened alleyway. His shoulders sunk slightly, reluctant to part company from the young woman so soon but it was never safe to linger in the same place for any length of time.

Kole turned to face Miracle again, raising his eyebrows slightly as he lifted his shoulders in a light shrug. “You should go back inside. It’s getting cold out here and someone will notice you are gone before long…I doubt your employers or colleagues would be quite so calm upon seeing a vampire standing before them.”

Name: Autumn Angeles
Age: 16
Height: 5’4
Hair color: red
Eye color: green
Body Type: slender but curvy
Other: can experience the same emotions as anyone else she touches. Works in a small metaphysical shop specializing in incenses, candles, exotic jewelry, other eccentric and unique items, etc. called The Purple Lotus where she sells some of her own hand-made jewelry.

Autumn happily clapped as her sister raised the bite of cake to her mouth, giggling in anticipation. “Well…?” it was no surprise she didn’t like it. She shrugged, flicking a crumb off the table. “Hmph,” she scoffed. “fine with me. Cause Betty Crocker wishes she had all this.” Autumn playfully accentuated her body, touching a finger in mock conceit to her cheek with an exaggerated “pss”. “Yeah, ok, see ya later,” she laughed, waving her sister out of the apartment as she leaned against the table, curiously eyeing the bitten cupcake. She hesitantly reached for it, turning it in her hand for a moment before sinking her teeth slightly into it, immediately grimacing at the taste that coated her tongue. She brought it away from her mouth with a surprised jerk of her arm when she tasted it, examining it closely as if to discover the reason for the disgusting taste of rotten zucchini and egg yokes hidden in the recesses of the chocolate cake.

“Jesus,” she said, tossing it out the window. “I suck.” Some hours later, Autumn pulled up her sleeves and pulled her fiery red hair into a ponytail, turning on the sink to rinse the remaining dishes within and place them into the dishwasher. She hummed show tunes to herself over the clanking of the china, occasionally glancing out the window above the sink; the brick of a neighboring building made for a dreary--but enjoyably cliché--view. Autumn’s eyes flew to the door when three knocks sounded, firm and precise. Her brow furrowed, but she shut off the sink and dried her hands nonetheless, approaching the door curiously. Upon answering it, she was greeted with the sight of a very tall, slender man, his hands in the pockets of his leather pants. He’d been leaning on the doorframe, his head slightly bowed causing his bright cherry red hair to fall in spikes over his dark, sunken eyes. He straightened lazily, smiling through thin lips.

“Hello,” he greeted, his voice naturally a frighteningly low rasp. Though Autumn was growing weary with cautious fear, she nodded, hesitantly shaking his hand when he offered it. An air of concealed fury and a nagging…hunger pulsed through Autumn’s mind when she touched his skin. Her eyes briefly flicked to his wearily. He was a vampire and he was thirsty…on the border of uncontrollably so but he was hiding it with much difficulty.

“Hi there. What brings you here, stranger?” she asked, resting her hand on her cocked hip.

“I believe you have sister who knows a friend of mine. A certain--” he leaned towards her, his breath caressing her with chills slithering across her skin. “--Miracle, correct?”

Autumn tried to keep her retreat subtle as she slowly backed away. “I’m sorry, what friend is this?”

“Why don’t we discuss this inside?” he breathed lowly, taking a step into the apartment. But before he could take another long stride, Autumn took a step towards him to purposely place her foot where he was about to, blocking him from entering.

“There is nothing to discuss,” she declared, one brow rising subtly as her eyes narrowed, heavily hinting him to leave. “If you would please, sir, I’m very busy.” the venomous bite in her voice was evident to him, as portrayed by his expression when his brows raised.

“Darlin, You need to loosen up--”

“My name is Autumn and it’s people like you who give vampire’s a bad name,” she exclaimed angrily, her voice firm and commanding. Just before she slammed the door in his face, causing him to jump back abruptly, she took triumph in his shocked expression. She hurriedly chained and locked the door, backing away from it but keeping her eyes attached as if he would break through at any minute. “Damn,” she sighed to herself, sitting at the kitchen table. “Creep.” (btw ignore her shitrless-ness : ) this is definitely not a freaky sex rp. I've sprayed the entire thing with perv-be-gone anyway so I think we're safe )

Kole. The name lingered and echoed in her mind. And when he stated that she was free to leave, she knew he couldn’t possibly be of any hidden threat to her. …Or.. at least he was trying not to be. But had he really saved her out of sheer will to do the right thing alone? It wasn’t an easy thing, especially being raised where she was, to risk your neck to trust a bloodsucker. On the other hand, wouldn’t it be wrong to descriminate against an individual for their general origin? Either way, Miracle was intrigued by this man, Kole, and figured she owed it to him to… try and give him the benefit of the doubt.

She paused shortly before she spoke, wondering if he really wanted her to go. But Miracle couldn’t help her curiosity, she wanted some small insight to his thoughts that he worked so hard to conceal. “You say that like you were holding me captive.” She hesitated before taking a few steps towards him, moving sort of slowly as if trying not to alarm him. Finally breaking eye contact with him, she moved toward the opposite end of the hood of the car. Placing her hands on the surface, she stepped up and quietly sat down on the hood of the car. She folded her hands in her lap and stared down at them as she spoke. “Aren’t you gonna ask for some sort of reward?” She then turned her head slightly to the side to look at him. “For saving me. Don’t you want something in return?” Not that I have anything to offer, she thought immediately after saying it. What could she offer him anyway? He wouldn’t actually ask for a taste of her blood… right?

Miracle let one hand slide up and then down her arm casually, her palm providing temporary shielding from dusk’s chilled air that encircled them. Still,the cool atmosphere was refreshing and the stillness somehow comforting. Everything was peacefully quiet, except for the murmur, the low hum that resided inside the enclosed walls of the bar just near them.

It was Kole’s turn to be surprised, eyes narrowing slightly as he took in the young woman in front of him, the young woman who introduced herself as Miracle. A faint smirk tugged upon the right corner of his mouth, a look of slight amusement upon his features. How unusual. He had stepped away, put distance between them and yet she stayed? All humans either feared or hated his kind, the only reactions he had come to accept as normal was violence or terror. Yet this young woman did not turn and run, she did not flee.

A miracle indeed.

Fine strands of red hair cascaded forward to cover his eyes as Kole bowed his head, a smirk taking hold of his lips. “Kole, Kole Hartson.” He spoke his name slowly, a slight frown furrowing his brow as he did for it sounded foreign, unfamiliar. It was rare that he had the opportunity to share his name with anyone; his conversations never normally got that far.

Lifting a hand, Kole swept his fiery red hair out of his face, waving a hand dismissively in the air. “You don’t have to stay my little Miracle, you are free to go.” His piercing hues fixed upon her once again, perhaps the faintest hint of sorrow lingering within them.

The cool, smooth texture of his skn softly grazing her cheek was… soothing. In fact, she became so focused on it that it relaxed her, temporarily overshadowing any worries that might have plagued her thoughts. She examined his expression carefully, but still couldn’t decrypt his exact thoughts. He seemed to be battling with the decision, he swiftly moved away from her and retreated to lean against the car.

Miracle stayed where she was against the wall, her hands fell to her side. His next question seemed to surprise the both of them. But she couldn’t bring herself to answer just yet, she was too preocupied trying to understand what he could possibly be thinking of. It seemed as if there was always a hidden emotion or thought that he desperately tried to disugise and retain his outer disposition. But Miracle could see, it was his hypnotic eyes that gave him away. Whatever expression graced his beautiful features, it never seemed to touch his eyes.

When he demanded that she speak, she intentionally paused, stubbornly resisting anything he commanded of her. Casually folding her arms, her eyes trailed to the ground in front of her for a moment. “I’m not hurt.” One minor bruise that encircled her wrist from his crushing grip was hardly anything to acknowledge. Exhaling slowly before returning her view to his face, she decided to attempt to understand her savior. At least, as much as he would allow her to. “Are we going to get introductions out of the way then?” she asked timidly, unsure of how he would react. When he looked back at her, she quietly stated her name. “Miracle. Angeles.”

Miracle pressed her palms against the cool wall behind her. She couldn’t release herself from his gaze until he bowed his head to brush up very gently against her own. Her breathing was shaky and uneven, having not expected such tender closeness without any sudden pain. This hadn’t been what she was expecting from this man at all. He was toying with her, but she still couldn’t determine his true intentions.

She turned her face away from him slightly, his icy breath skimming the surface of her neck and sending shivers dancing along her spine. His very presence was strangely intoxicating, even when she knew she should be fearing for her life right at that moment. “I think…,” she managed to whisper. “I’m scared. I won’t pretend I’m not.” She shifted, moving to the side a bit and turned, attempting to look at him as she prepared to speak again. “But I think if you wanted to bite me, you would’ve done it already.” The girl looked up at him with innocent eyes, but her expression was tinted with doubt, uncertainty, and, oddly, an opposing sense of determination. If it did turn out that he was just “playing with his food”, she didn’t plan on simply letting him take advantage of her. She intended to fight to stay alive, no matter the opponent or inevitable circumstances. However, purely the fact that he had originally saved her made her more inclined to trust him. …Somewhat.

A delicate strand of hair fell limply and swept down from behind her shoulder, hanging elegantly against her cheeck, the rich, dark brown color contrasting with her fair skin.

Miracle could only watch the crazed event that took place directly before her, and in a mere half a minute. Her face was expressionless, frozen in awe and unable to establish a trace of any other emotion. Her eyes followed her attacker as he was hurled towards the wall, but she soon returned to the face of her apparent savior. Blazing red hair fell delicately over entrancing green eyes that arrested her in his gaze. And his overall look fell into perfect synchrony with his “rough n’ tough” personality, obviously displayed through the recent event that occurred only a few short moments ago. His features were undeniably attractive, but it was human nature to feel intimidated. Especially for her.

The young girl only looked at him for a moment, a time-slowing silence lingering in the chilled air. She opened her mouth to speak, but her breath hadn’t quite returned to her yet. Finally, she was able to draw in a ragged breath through parted lips and common sense seemed to flood back to her. She spoke in a small, quiet voice. “Th-thankyou.” Another pause restrained her before she continued with an add-on. “…I think?” Warring thoughts debated back and forth in her mind, leaving her with an… unsure opinion about this man. Though he had helped her, how could she know if that was his sole intention? Cautiously stepping to the side as her hands slid along the smooth surface of the car behind her, she hesitantly began to move away from him. She stumbled a little, embarassingly, but caught herself with one hand on the hood of the car and regained her footing. “Um..,” she stalled, obviously at a loss for words. “Do you plan to kill me now?” she questioned in a meek voice. “You’re… one of them,” she said as hers eyes, as if in a gesture, wandered over to where the other male vampire had been thrown before returning to the emerald eyes of the one that stood before her now.