niskaxcapel

[niskaxcapel]

Niska had no criminal bone in her body. The last weeks had made this perfectly clear. After Mael forced her – because that was what it was: coercion – to dine and dash, she had limited her outside exposure to the bare minimum. What if they were looking for her? Or worse, what if Mael came to corrupt her further?

With time, both scenarios became somewhat unlikely. It seemed that she had been lucky. Yet instead of relief or satisfaction, her feelings of guilt became so much more pronounced. Niska was no criminal and she would set this right.

The envelope contained money enough to pay for the meals she and Mael and his company had had. This would decisively set her back a few months. Dining at Rowland’s had been a poor financial decision from the get-go and now she was paying a premium. Who said you couldn’t buy a clear conscience? Except…

“Oh, I'm sorry. You're not actually open, right?” The envelope was already placed on the counter and Niska stepped back from it promptly. She had come so early that she did not expect to run into anyone. Her stealthy mission had thus failed at step one. All she could do now was to pretend to be here for the first time. She hoped that he man did not see her leave the envelope and hoped even more that he wouldn’t ask any questions. “I was just looking at the menu. I’m new in town. New-ish” A small, nervous smile plastered her face. "I should probably go"

@xfrancisxrowlandx

[niskaxcapel]

“Yes, that’s correct”, Niska smiled. Despite her line of work, she had not had much exposure to people from older generations. A part of her had dreaded to engage in actual conversation, but she was pleasantly surprised by how this one went so far. “And I can imagine that. I just arrived but what the media does tell us…”, she trailed off with a shrug. “But I’m excited to find out what this place really is like”

“Netherlands”, Niska repeated with a soft chuckle, amusement painting her face. It was a relief that she was not the only one making a fool of herself. More so, she did enjoy the sight of him working it out, in the nicest possible way. “That’s next to London with an ocean in between. Flights to Northern Europe often stop there before landing in London”, the girl informed him with a smile. “Not to worry, I’m sure my knowledge of America leaves equally much to ask for”

[niskaxcapel]

“A lot”, Niska repeated and nodded slowly. She was still uncertain whether they were speaking about the same thing. Maybe she was simply projecting the idea of supernaturalism into the conversation. It wouldn’t be the first time the media made a rumour sound bigger and more important than it actually was. But a small part, of course, wondered if it was true.

“That’s really nice of you. This sounds much more convenient than figuring out the bus system”, the blonde laughed. “Although I don’t think I’ll get around that completely. Can I maybe buy you a coffee to say thanks?”  

“Thanks”, Niska smiled politely and was actually glad about the dogs. Not only did she have a near infinite amount of affection left for the four-legged creatures but they also proved to be a potent ice breaker. Any nervousness she felt whilst talking to the girl was promptly reduced. “Much like we are still children when we are with our parents. I understand”, Niska commented with a laugh. “Besides, he’s cute. I’d love to have any of these two but I’m afraid I’ll get kicked out of my apartment even before I finish unpacking”

This was actually going smoothly, Niska thought, until… A person mid-shift? Her features froze but only momentarily. It would have been wise to question her statement further but instead, she chose the easier option – to simply ignore. “I don’t have a car. I come from overseas”, the girl admitted. “But I’ll make sure to check it out, maybe this weekend. I still got a few days off before I have to start working”  

[niskaxcapel]

Her face remained a stark contrast to what she truly felt inside. Her heart fluttered as if she was witnessing a hurricane; as if this conversation was actually important. The rational part of her knew that this wasn’t so. Like many others, this one would prove to be mostly talk. He would disappear once he’d realize that his tactics didn’t work on someone as clued up as her.

“A mistake”, Niska countered cooly. “Obviously” But she had not counted on the sheer audacity of her unwanted company. Before she could help herself, the following words were blurted out. “Are you serious!?” The blonde sunk deeper in her seat, hopefully out of view from the other guests. But the humiliation hit harder. She had seen how he treated his date and just as quickly, she found herself in a similar position. “Because I happened to oversee… Maybe if you had a longer attention span, she would have stayed”, Niska added. “Now, when are you going to stop embarrassing me?”  

The food arrived, but it did not come alone. Niska did not have to look up to guess the person sitting with her. Oh fuck. It was a sudden, almost immediate realization. That her actions had consequences should have come to no surprise. Only in her mind, they had affected her a little less. Despite the sense of dread, Niska kept a cool expression. The smile was long gone.

“Excuse me!?” At least she had the chance to take a good look of the man now. If she had felt out of place in this restaurant, he was even more so. There was apparently no attempt to hide his rowdy nature. The other woman must have found that exciting at first. Niska hoped to be better than that. “This seat is taken”, she lied. Whilst it would have been best to leave it at that, she knew too much not to comment further. “Just because your company left, doesn’t mean you can waste my time”

[niskaxcapel]

Niska should have known better than to visit a café on the weekend. It was a small neighbourhood but people liked to roam. This much she had realized since her arrival. “Trying to”, she smiled at the man who came to sit with her. “I want to blame the people here but truth is, I’m stuck” She looked around, mostly in search for perseverance. She was surprised by how easily she let herself get distracted, yet continued to stack her papers. What was the point in continuing now? “I’m working on some experiments. I’m a PhD student at the nearby university. Don’t let me bore you with the details”

It was only begrudgingly that Niska removed the bag from the seat opposite her to allow the other to sit by her table. The stack of papers on her table indicated how much work was left to do, the empty coffee cup how much time had passed already. With each additional person to enter the cafe, motivation became nothing more than a fleeting thought. But if she left now, this work would take twice as long. “Sure. Sit”, Niska offered him despite herself. Only a hint of a smile was on her face. This man could be potentially distracting but the truth was that it had become far too crowded to allow herself to occupy 2 seats. And maybe he wouldn't even speak to her at all. “Sorry, I will make some space for you on the table too”

@joseph-baudelaire

[niskaxcapel]

It was only begrudgingly that Niska removed the bag from the seat opposite her to allow the other to sit by her table. The stack of papers on her table indicated how much work was left to do, the empty coffee cup how much time had passed already. With each additional person to enter the cafe, motivation became nothing more than a fleeting thought. But if she left now, this work would take twice as long. “Sure. Sit”, Niska offered him despite herself. Only a hint of a smile was on her face. This man could be potentially distracting but the truth was that it had become far too crowded to allow herself to occupy 2 seats. And maybe he wouldn't even speak to her at all. “Sorry, I will make some space for you on the table too”

@joseph-baudelaire

[niskaxcapel]

The food arrived, but it did not come alone. Niska did not have to look up to guess the person sitting with her. Oh fuck. It was a sudden, almost immediate realization. That her actions had consequences should have come to no surprise. Only in her mind, they had affected her a little less. Despite the sense of dread, Niska kept a cool expression. The smile was long gone.

“Excuse me!?” At least she had the chance to take a good look of the man now. If she had felt out of place in this restaurant, he was even more so. There was apparently no attempt to hide his rowdy nature. The other woman must have found that exciting at first. Niska hoped to be better than that. “This seat is taken”, she lied. Whilst it would have been best to leave it at that, she knew too much not to comment further. “Just because your company left, doesn’t mean you can waste my time”

Mael waited at their table and they continued to wait as minutes passed growing longer and longer. They did not wait long before they started to develop an inkling that something was amiss and when the woman finally returned only to announce she was leaving, maybe it was luck, for luck had always been on Mael's side in life that they turned their head casually to glance around the room only to spot someone smiling to herself. It was a self-satisfied sort of smile. A smile that made Mael think, oh so it was you.

Mael would then leave their table and slowly walk around the room of the restaurant, weaving between the tables and chairs, excusing themselves with utter grace so they could unceremoniously seat themselves down at the empty chair in front of the smiling woman and with a smile of their own said, "Hello."

[niskaxcapel]

5 years of grad school have taught me intelligence means very little in scientists you mostly just need to be obsessive and slightly deranged

[niskaxcapel]

“Impressive once it’s done, yes”, Niska chuckled in response. “Stem cell research. It’s for some nasty diseases like cancer and Alzheimer and… well, the end goal is to slow aging, I guess?” She prepared herself from the incoming storm of questions and judgment. Was aging something that needed curing? Was it ethical to do so? Why was there research when one simply could become a vampire?

“A lawyer? Now, that’s… Well, that’s actually impressive” Niska knew nothing of the law other than how to abide by it. So far, that had been enough. “What kind of lawyer? Is there a reason you came to Saintes to be a lawyer?”

Evan nodded in approval "A PhD? Very impressive. Whats the topic?" she asked. She started walking up the street, the shop they were after was about five mins away if Evan recalled the town maps correctly, they'd take a left at the top of the road and it be the third store along the street. "I'm a lawyer, I run the law firm here in town." She answered. "With everything happening, it certainly keeps me busy"

[niskaxcapel]

“Of course”, Niska smiled. It was perhaps obvious that the topic of vampires posed a conflict to Niska’s mind. Not only were these experience so unimaginable to a human but she realized that she had not dared to believe in the existence of vampires as much as she thought she did. Niska attempted to act normal and sympathetic and at the same time felt silly doing so. Anywhere else in the world, a person was deemed insane once they considered themselves a vampire. But here?

“So, you are a princess, a vampire, a mother and your husband, also a vampire, has been with you through all of this?”, Niska summarized her story with a cocked head but then shook her head, feeling bad. “I’m sorry. That was terribly judgmental. I… I am glad your life is better now than it was before” and that you live to see it. Despite the snarky voices in her head, it was hard to dislike Katherine. Vampire or not, she was a stunning woman. Perhaps the thought that it might only take a few hundred years to become one was the scary part. “Can I ask you another last stupid question?”   

She smiled. "Most vampires can control themselves very well unless we're in bloodlust, you have nothing to worry about it." This wouldn't be a problem in this town, they had blood bags and a few humans that volunteered as well, which was a good thing, her and David hungry, would be enough to kill an entire town of humans easily, she knew since they have done that already. "For me being turned into a vampire was being able to live for the first time. As a princess, I was born to protect my people by making an alliance and marrying a strong country, which I did, but it was a marriage of obligation, not love, as a wife, my job was to give him as many kids as possible, and even after 4 kids, a year without getting pregnant made him angry, I was locked in a room only with a few books, and was only allowed out once I was expecting again, but I knew the second he was born, I would be locked in that room again." She let out a sigh, she didn't like to remember that time. "I managed to run away a little before giving birth, and I met this woman who gave me a way out. My husband was told I died giving birth and I had to leave my baby behind, but it wasn't like I would be allowed to raise him anyway..." She pointed out. "I honestly didn't think I would ever get married again, but once I saw David, it was the first time I understood what love was." She said with a smile, she always had a smile on her face when she spoke about David. "With time, we also adopted a baby, which gave me the opportunity to be a mother and actually raise him."

[niskaxcapel]

It was not difficult to see the striking distance between herself and the other girl. She had darker hair, darker skin, a more daring dress, and far more confidence than Niska. One could only assume that this did not stop at physical appearances. What other, unfamiliar worlds would she find in the minds of others? Niska had accepted a while ago that there were not many people like her in Saintes. She used to think that was a good thing, but realizing that the others had more fun than her changed this notion.

A soft, almost cautious chuckle escaped her lips as her offer was accepted. Niska was glad that she had not yet committed an unforgivable social faux pas. Instead, she had taken a risk – a small one, but a risk nonetheless – and opened up the possibility of befriending someone who seemed to be quite unlike herself. Reaping the rewards earned her a sense of pleasure and accomplishment. Determined, her hands nested around the other’s thighs for stabilization. This was another easy win, another step out of her comfort zone. Making these minor decisions became a bit of a game. How far did she dare to take this? “I am not, actually. I should have thought about this”, Niska joked in response. “But you are also deceptively light, so I am fine”

As she looked around, she noticed that most people were still in trance with the show that presumably played out in front. One of them pushed their elbows against them to get a better view, making Niska step back. “Can you see anything?” Although Niska was beyond caring, she knew that this was the natural thing to ask. Without it, this construct would fall apart. She would become weird. “It must be very good if people here are so easy to forget about their surroundings”, she added hopefully loud enough for the guy to hear.  

♚. Sofia's brown eyes shifted when someone actually agreed, half expecting it to be some creep and instead finding the sweet face of a blonde girl who seemed about her age. It lightened Sofia's own expression a little, a curve to her smile that was more comfortable than it had been. They had such contrasting gazes, Sofia's eyes, she felt at times, implied there was a secret behind them, while the girl before her held a look that seemed, to Sofia, curious. It complimented her features, made her blue eyes seem like more than just a feature but an element of her core.

♚. Beyond her beauty, Sofia had a secondary hit of thankfulness within her mind seeing someone who was not closer to eighteen than thirty. The woman could enjoy herself with most anyone but there was something to be said for people who could understand an element of your own situation. With a firm nod Sofia agreed. "We can take turns, I'm deceptively strong."

♚ Stepping behind the woman, hands on her shoulders she jumped onto her back with ease, arms around her neck but no weight pushed down onto her shoulders, rather Sofia seemed to be holding herself up by her thighs that sat just above the woman's hips. It wasn't just her species that made her strong but what she did for work, it was far safer for the both of them for Sofia to distribute her weight lower than higher. "Are you okay?" Sofia checked, looking to the woman she was with first, the sight before the secondary to whether or not she was okay.

[niskaxcapel]

“Netherlands”, Niska repeated with a soft chuckle, amusement painting her face. It was a relief that she was not the only one making a fool of herself. More so, she did enjoy the sight of him working it out, in the nicest possible way. “That’s next to London with an ocean in between. Flights to Northern Europe often stop there before landing in London”, the girl informed him with a smile. “Not to worry, I’m sure my knowledge of America leaves equally much to ask for”

"Good for you," he said when she confirmed that she was going to the nearby university. When she said where she was from he had to think- names had changed in the centuries since he had left his home- hell he wasn't even sure what they called the country he'd originally come from now, so remembering the old names of a country he wasn't sure he could pick out on a map as it was, it wasn't in his wheelhouse. "England I've been to- I'm not sure about the other one," he admitted.

[niskaxcapel]

[niskaxcapel]

A college party was the perfect excuse to leave her papers behind and to behave like a normal 20-some woman instead. Begrudgingly, Niska had to admit that it had been more than 2 years since she last attended a college party – at least if you don’t count the small hangouts at her friend’s place which involved no loud music, no drugs, and only a limited taste of alcohol. This party was different. It was loud and obnoxious and full of strangers. Her hands clung onto her beer in hope it would drown out the ringing of alarm bells inside. Not only was she overdressed, but also incredibly uncomfortable and desperate to change it. How had she managed to attend these events so effortlessly in the past? Had humans the capacity to change so quickly? There was only one way of finding out…

Despite her own biases, Niska found the event thrilling. For the first time in a while, she felt as if she was going against all expectations, doing something just because she felt like doing so. There was no inherent reward in going to a party, no further goal. It was perhaps the epitome of living in the moment – once you mastered the art of partying, at least. Niska had just managed to divert the attention of one particular persistent drunk lad as a notable amount of people rushed towards the backyard. Like a good sheep, she followed the herd. “What’s going on here?” There were plenty of people. Niska was fairly tall but still struggled to see the main event. Not knowing what she came for only made it more difficult. But at least she wasn’t alone in that. Letting a stranger sit on her shoulders for a party trick was not something she usually condoned but hell, she was here to loosen up. And clearly, she wasn’t going to achieve that by herself. So without thinking too much about it, she found herself saying: “Here. Climb on me. And tell me what you see”

♚ The place smelled of pizza, beer and chlorine. The latter was coming from those who had already jumped in the pool and crawled their way back into the home to grab the former. Sofia had favoured raiding some of the cabinets over drinking the cheap beer poured from a keg touched by people who could have been sick for all she knew. The back of a cabinet in the dining room had some gin and whiskey, Sofia opting for the whiskey and pouring herself a glass into a glass from the very same cabinet, a stark contrast to the various assortment of plastic cups and then random mugs some people had acquired.

♚ As she leaned against the cabinet she watched the crowd, only to find her observation interuptted by the host of the paper. "Dude, this elemental said they'd light shots on fire," he announced to her, hands reaching past the side of her thigh to grab the vodka hidden away within the cabinet. "Come to the backyard," he told her, before continuing to announce this to everyone he past, a bottle of vodka in each arm, clearly determined to get a lot out of this.

♚ It seemed intriguing to be sure, Sofia pushing off the cabinet with her glass and heading out like a few others in the space. The backyard focused around one particular area, even those in the pool were focused in one corner closest to the crowd, intent on seeing the show. Others seemed distracted, making out in the pool, getting into arguments by a table covered in food, more drunk people having collapsed in some bushes.

♚ "Even in platforms I'm too short to see anything," Sofia stated as she joined the collective, adjusting in the lime green shoes that strapped around her ankles, the brilliant shade complimenting the cool toned hue of her legs and perhaps clashing with the multi-patterned mini skirt that just covered what it needed to, an inner thigh tattoo able to be seen by anyone who looked. There were a few more on her - her inner ankle, her wrist, behind her neck. The only hidden tattoo was one on her chest, covered by her well worn cropped Karol G top. "Anyone willing to let someone on their shoulders?"

@niskaxcapel

[niskaxcapel]

Rowland’s was a far too expensive restaurant for a lowly PhD student. The glamorous décor, comfortable cushions and well-dressed waiters were a dead giveaway for that. A look on the menu confirmed her poor choice but Niska remained seated. This was meant to be a treat; A day off from the stacks of papers and failed laboratory experiments. She wanted to do something nice, even if it meant feeling out of place for a little while. The waiter took her order without saying the words he was undoubtedly thinking. What did this middle class human do here? Where was her company?

The music was playing softly, allowing her to eavesdrop on nearby conversations. As the evening passed, Niska became more and more glad that nobody had invited her to this place. Most people seemed boring, shallow, or downright nefarious. The couple on her right had captured her attention in particular. Niska found herself huffing at every half-arsed answer the man gave her, rolling her eyes when it was clear that he was not listening. She did not have to know the man to see that he was a bad influence. Paradoxically, the woman was one of the more decent people in the room.

It was none of her business but without much hesitation, Niska entered the bathroom shortly after the woman left. It seemed like duty to help this person out, now that she had the chance. At least she wished that others would have done the same if she ever was in the position to go out with a low-life bully. Furthermore, convincing her to leave required far less encouragement than expected. It appeared she only wanted to be polite and that it had been some time since she last dated. “Remember, he doesn’t give a shit. You don’t owe him an excuse”, Niska reminded her firmly as she left and returned to her table, feeling very confident that she had done the right thing. Her eyes glanced over and watched the woman take action and leave – not with the ferocity that the man deserved, but leaving nonetheless. A complacent smile graced her features just as the waiter arrived with her food. This place suddenly felt a lot less lonely.

It's been a few days and Mael needs to satisfy a need, a hunger, a growing desire. Often times it's easy, just go to a bar or a club, always full of desperate people eager to take someone to their bed or some other private place but right now Mael isn't interested in something cheap. They're looking for a Michelin star experience, not a cheeseburger from a fast food drive thru. They've had their eye on this person for quite some time. They don't like this person, Mael hasn't felt anything akin to feelings for someone like that in centuries but they want her, want to taste her, want to devour the years of her life until she's spent and only a hollow shell of what she once was. It's enough of a need to make Mael invite her out to dinner, to sit through idle chatter and endure.

She's currently talking about something to do with her family, Mael is only partly listening. They've been staring at absolutely nothing for the past fifteen minutes, focus dropping in and out, fighting the urge to just shout 'Boring!' from the top of their lungs.

"How about," they start speaking because they've realized the woman they're with has paused, probably having asked a question or is anticipating a response to something she said, "you tell your sister that if she does that to you again you will simply hang her from the tree and turn her into an ornament?" They waggle their fingers, "Wrap a couple of lights around her body for good measure. Everyone loves twinkly lights."

There is a moment of silence before the woman lets out a short and nervous laugh, "She's... twelve," not sure if Mael is joking.

"All the better," returns Mael with earnest, "She might not cause the tree to bow, otherwise you'd have to add someone else to the other side of the tree for balance."

The woman laughs nervously again, Mael laughs too, then she excuses herself to use the bathroom. The moment she is no longer visible, Mael's expression drops flat.

@niskaxcapel

[niskaxcapel]

“Thanks”, Niska smiled. This small encounter was enough to turn her hopeful. What did it say that this community of supernaturals – if it was true – was friendlier than the average person outside the neighbourhood? And what did that suggest about the people at her workplace? She was curious to find out more but such worries were far too personal to be off-loaded onto this stranger. “I actually came to work at the nearby university”, the blonde responded instead. “I’m starting as a PhD next week” And of course, she came to gawk at the supernatural people. And this was a fact too personal to admit, even to herself. “And you?”

"Happy to help" Evan replied, giving her a smile. "Once you get your bearings, and know where all the little gems are tucked away, it's a pretty easy place to navigate." Evan gestured for them to start walking up the road towards were the shops were based. "Pleasure Niska" Evan commented. "So besides avoiding unpacking, what brings you to this neck of the woods?" Evan asked cautiously. The question was always a risky one, for those wishing to gawk at the supernatural , it could result it a barrage of questions in her direction but Evan's perception of the girl didn't give off that impression.

[niskaxcapel]

– yet. Niska finished the sentence in her mind. She wasn’t sure what exactly she would have to apologize for in the future but there was this certainty that something would come up sooner or later. She only hoped it would be later rather than sooner. “England”, she smiled politely at the man, feeling a little stupid as she did. Why was it that even an innocent person tried so hard to appear proper in front of the police? Niska knew full well that she was doing it but that didn’t stop her. “Actually, I’m from the Netherlands but I spent the last few years in England. I almost consider it home” She looked at Chief Lennox with surprise as he deduced her reason for being here and eventually nodded. Maybe her age made it obvious. “Yeah… I will start my PhD at the nearby university next week”

"Unfortunately," he nodded. When the human girl looked slightly chagrined he gave her a small smile and nod. "It's okay," he assured her. "Chief Lennox," he introduced himself. "You have nothing to be sorry about, you just moved here, you didn't know," he said before crossing his arms as he looked around the area. "Where did you move from?" he questioned, keeping it light so she wouldn't feel like he was interrogating her. "You come down for school?" he glanced her over, she looked young- but of course that didn't mean anything, he looked relatively young for his five centuries of life.