Say You Will (Closed: Torsten)

[Katharine Makari]

The compacted switchblade against her hip, hidden right under the band of her jeans, was leaving a small indentation in her skin. The small crisscross pattern would be embedded there until that night when she would go home and place it back into its case where the silver would forever remain untarnished. The blade had been a gift from her father when she was a child. It had initially been meant just so she could have something to save herself in a tight bind, but mostly because her father had never imagined Katharine would take her parents’ hobby as her own. Since she had killed the cat, giving her the nickname ‘Kitty’, she had taken every step to become just like her parents, her role models. Granted, she wasn’t happy to take in their footsteps when they got caught by the Russian Ministry when her dad went overboard, but she had taken plenty of precautions to prevent that from happening to herself. First thing had been to swear she would not consume too much alcohol. That was what brought her father to the place where he wasn’t able to defend himself. He had been so drunk he didn’t hear the footsteps coming towards him. Any other day, he would have been prepared for someone to rain on his parade and her parents would have made it out unscathed. But her mother had been so focused on getting her drunken husband out of there; she hadn’t even realized they were surrounded. They had no choice. The Ministry, who so often sought to control the lives of those around them, had captured her parents for doing nothing wrong. So what if they had a little fun with the muggles? She could guarantee the Ministry did worse things to muggles and wizards alike. Who was to say her family was doing something wrong when the Ministry did similar acts?

Her flats didn’t leave a sound in their wake as she travelled down a residential street in the middle of a small town in Austria. She had apparated here only twenty minutes ago, knowing full well that at 10 in the morning, few people would still be at home and not at work. It was one of her days that she had off of work herself so she was taking advantage of it. Of course, somehow Christen knew it and first thing in the morning, she had received an owl requesting her presence that night. She had written back to see if he was available for the day but he had returned her message stating he wouldn’t be available until that night due to prior engagements. She didn’t mind, but it did mean she had to find some way of occupying her time. It was her first day off for a week so it was her first chance to go and create some mayhem instead of heal it. Though she was enjoying her job, and the pay that came with it, she longed to have her unemployed life back; the life where she was able to do whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. It meant a lot more time to enjoy her hobby. However, the life had become unsustainable considering doing something required having an income. Kitty’s hobby provided income when she managed to snatch something worthwhile. On more than one occasion, she had come up empty handed in the physical goods department. She never came up empty handed on the entertainment factor, though.

Since she had the morning to herself, Kitty had decided to take the day in the muggle world. She had been up for three hours already, always being one of the earliest risers of anyone she knew, and had spent the morning getting ready and figuring out a good muggle neighborhood. She had eventually found herself in the middle of Baden, Austria, a small town filled with only muggles. It was prime real estate for someone with her quirks. The slender female made her way down the street in her black flats, skinny jeans, and black tank top. Her brunette hair was pulled back into a high ponytail, loose ringlets flowing out of the rubber band holding the ponytail in place. Her makeup was light and the only jewelry on her person was a simple silver watch on her right wrist, one of Christen’s many gifts. There were no intentions to continue to wear the gift once she arrived at the household of choice, whenever she arrived, but she wore it to add just a small effect. Her wand was stashed in the opposite side of her jeans as her switchblade. All in all, she blended in rather well. The only thing that made her stick out was that she hadn’t been in the town before. No one in the community would have the chance to notice that, however. They were all gone, or still asleep if they were one of the lucky ones with the day off. Kitty was looking for the prime household that did not fit either of those descriptions.

Twenty minutes of mindless wandering led her down a dead end street. At the end of the pavement was an expanse of grass that eventually led to a forest. It was a perfect place for a getaway where no one would be able to see her once she apparated. It was all the perfect setting to keep the Ministry from being able to catch up to her if something went wrong. A small smile graced Katharine’s normally impassive lips as her eyes fell upon a household with all front-facing second floor blinds open. There was a small flicker of a shadow as a figure passed by one of the upper windows. Someone was home and awake. Kitty’s eyes roamed around the house as her pace slowed down. It was well kept, and there were a few children’s toys in the front yard. Though she wasn’t one to hurt children, it was always a good time to put them in their place and make them realize what rubbish they were. Muggles had no right thinking they were worth their lives. They all needed to know that they were expendable. This would be the quickest way to show whatever kids that were inside the home where they really belonged on the food chain. Wiping the smile from her face to become completely emotionless, Kat took her time walking up to the front door of the home. She took in a breath and let it go. Kat’s face filled with a worrisome look and her body trembled slightly with what looked like stress. It was like the emotion had been there the whole time. Anyone who really knew the female would know that emotion didn’t rear its ugly head unless she needed it to, or it was that involuntary. That she showed a smile back on the street was bad enough. This, though? It was all an act. The trembling was more along the lines of anticipation than stress. Had it been another day and age, she would be a fantastic actress.

A shaky hand moved up and allowed a few soft raps on the door before going back to the other arm, crossing tightly across her chest. It was the middle of July so it wasn’t cold in the slightest, but it was the easiest way to show the vulnerability that Katharine wanted the residents to see. If they saw a woman who looked closed off and in distress, looking for help, who would say that she was faking? It would be more like a woman with such characteristics to continue to wander and figure out her problem on her own. To be calling on someone else for help would show extreme urgency. At least, that’s what Katharine assumed. She prided herself on her ability figure out other people’s emotions, even if she didn’t have any true ones of her own. When a response didn’t come for a few seconds, she removed her hand from its place again and placed a few louder, more urgent knocks on the door before pulling her hand back to put it back in its place. Before it go there, though, there was a click and the door handle began to turn. Whoever it was had just unlocked the door. She continued to put her hand back in its place under her tightly held arm as the door swung open rather quickly. A blonde woman was standing behind the door, slipping a gold hoop earring into her left lobe, her gold locks flowing to the side as her head was tilted to make the job a bit easier. “Can I help you?” The woman was of a slender build like Katharine, but she did have a good three inches on her. If Katharine had shown a few minutes later, it would probably be more than that considering the woman was in a nice black pencil skirt, a baby blue striped blouse that was tucked into the skirt. There was a belt to tie the ensemble together. Chances were, she was going to be pairing the outfit with a good pair of sensible black heels. She wouldn’t have that chance.

The moment the woman’s eyes fell upon Kat, her expression changed. It went from questioning to concern as she finally caught the earring in the proper hole and clasped it shut. ”Are you okay? Are you hurt?” the woman asked as Kat looked as if she was struggling for words. “I’m sorry,” she choked out, allowing her voice to crack slightly for effect. “I shouldn’t have come. I can figure this out on my own. Sorry for bothering you,” she finished as she turned around and began to walk away. Like a fish looking for bait, the woman took a few steps forward with her pantyhose-clad feet, just until she reached the edge of the doorframe. If she took a step outside, the door mat would surely put a hole in what would be her third pair of nylons for the day. The other two pair was up in the bathroom trash with holes in them from her fake acrylic nails that had snagged. Kat would find those later on. ”Wait, it’s no bother. Please, I can help.” The concern was true, even if the situation wasn’t. Kat stopped in her tracks and turned around slowly. “I’m lost. I was out last night with some friends, and something went wrong. I… I have no idea where I am. I was just hoping to use a phone?” The words shook slightly as Kat waivered back and forth from foot to foot, unable to keep the tension on one for very long before getting jittery and moving. The woman’s face went from concern to downright anxiety. She was genuinely worried for the woman who she knew nothing about. Everything was going exactly as Kat wanted, exactly as it did the numerous times before when she had used the same act. Usually she looked more unkempt than what she did today, but the woman didn’t even seem to notice that Kat looked like she had just taken a day at the spa.

The woman put a hand out as if asking for Kat to take it. ”Of course, darling. Please, come inside,” the woman offered as she did a small waive. Kat allowed the corner of her lips to pull up into the smallest smile ever before they faltered back again with that same worried look she had before. Though now, she allowed it to mix with anxiety herself. The woman easily caught onto that and pulled back her hand, just stepping aside instead. Kat dropped her head slightly as she stepped forward and through the threshold, keeping her hands to herself as the woman shut the door and placed a soft hand on her shoulder. ”Right this way,” the woman said as she showed Katharine past the staircase upstairs, through the home towards what seemed to be the living room. Her motion made her look like a female game show host who was showing off the next prize. Muggles seemed to get such a high off of those shows. Katharine would never understand how they got such a kick out of some rigged show. It was much more fun to take fate into your hands and play Russian roulette with someone’s life. The thought made Kitty wish she had brought a loaded gun with her. Russian roulette sounded like fun now. Then again, usually she didn’t play that particular game unless she was in the boonies where no one was likely to call in to the police about the sounds of gunfire. A neighborhood like this was likely to call it in without hesitation. Note to self, first thing first, put up a silencing charm, Katharine thought to herself as she slowly followed behind the woman into her home.

”My housekeeping hasn’t been quite up to standard lately so please excuse the mess. We only have one phone downstairs and it’s a corded phone so unfortunately I can’t just let you use it in the entrance or I would have saved you having to see my torn apart home.” As Kat took a look around, she realized the second floor was rather open. The kitchen opened up to the living and dining room with only two load bearing walls to keep the structure in place. It looked like the garage was off to the side along with a spare bathroom and possibly a hall closet. The backyard sliding door was closed off by the drawn vertical blinds, but she assumed, like the other houses in the area, that it backed up to her neighbors with only a small amount of grass and fence to separate them. The woman continued to speak as they entered into the living room. Kat’s hands finally unfolded when she saw the woman was nearing the phone. Her hand immediately went for her wand which she slid from its concealed hiding spot. “Muffliato,” Kat muttered. A small, murky veil erupted from her wand and quickly expanded through to the outer edges of the home where it dissipated into a clear, sound-proof coating. Her wand was then replaced right back to its spot as Kat continued forward, her arms going to her sides in an uncomfortable looking fashion as the woman turned around. ”Did you say something, dear?” Katharine shook her head as her hands came together and began to fidget. The woman shrugged it off and turned to finish the last five feet to the phone. She picked it up, listened for a dial tone, and then held it out to Katharine who came up and took it from her hands with a shaky grip.

“Thank you,” she said as her other hand went to start putting in a nonexistent phone number. The woman was about to turn to walk away when she suddenly thought better of it. ”I have a cell phone, too. Upstairs. Should I go ahead and call the police while you call someone to come get you? I’m sure they can help you figure out what happened last night.” Katharine allowed another smile to grace her lips, this one lasting a bit longer. “That would be great. Thank you,” she said. The woman seemed to enjoy this news and turned to head upstairs. ”Great, and I’ll just make sure the kids stay upstairs so you can get all of this cleared up. I don’t think you need any surprises right now.” Kat had been waiting for that. Some inkling into the other part of her life she needed to know. There was more than one kid and they were upstairs. Once the woman was out of sight on the staircase, Kat placed the phone back on the receiver. All emotion wiped from her face as she quietly took a look around. The woman’s steps were already up the second half of the stairs when Kat’s eyes fell upon a photo of the woman and two twin boys. The haircut in the photo was nearly identical to the one the woman wore now so the time frame had to be relatively close which put the boys probably no older than ten years old. That was good because that made them able to remember everything, but not quite old enough to do anything to stop what was about to happen to their mother.

Deciding she had enough information under her belt, Katharine slipped out the switchblade and with a flick of her wrist, the unblemished blade was exposed to the air. She took excellent care of the blade and despite the amount of blood it had seen in its existence, one wouldn’t know from looking at it. As it gleamed in her hand, a devious smile snuck across Katharine’s face, one of those involuntary reactions that always happened when she pulled out the same blade. It was like it was one of the few things in the world her emotions could tie to. So far, the only other things she had found that had the same reaction was Christen and those who shared the same supernatural abilities he did. They were all so stimulating with their abilities that far surpassed those of her own. To not have a reaction to one of them seemed nearly impossible. Somehow Christen was just so much more intriguing than the rest of them. She wasn’t able to resist him. Most women would have run if they had been bit by him like she had at the Gala, but it only drew her further into him. Even if it had only been the smallest of bites, and even just to see what she would do, Kat didn’t want him to ever remove his fangs. If they were a permanent fixture, she would be okay with that. She was fine with being his own personal blood bag. As long as it meant she was with him at all times, she was satisfied. Unfortunately, his life didn’t allow for such things, or at least that’s what she was figuring. She hardly saw him, but even those small moments she got were enough to keep her hooked on him. Just the thought made her hungry for seeing him again that night. She needed her fix.

With the switchblade comfortably in hand, Katharine slipped off her shoes at the bottom of the staircase, quietly locked the door, and began the trek up. Her bare feet and the plush carpet kept the noise she made to a minimum as she turned the corner on the landing and made her way up the last part of the staircase. She paused just before the top, crouched down to where she couldn’t be seen over the half-wall that prevented someone from falling over the edge. She could see a bedroom door shut in front of her, “Brian” printed on the door in blue. She assumed that was one of the boys. Peeking around the corner, her eyes caught another door with a green “Max” printed across. There was the other. Both had light coming from under the door. It was natural, but she could see shadows passing through the light of Max’s room which meant the boys were in there, possibly with their mother. Had the mother intended on leaving them home alone while she went out? And why was she leaving? It was nearly ten and she was just going to work? She made a note to ask about that when she had a moment. ”I’m going to go in the other room and get my cell phone to call the police. They will help her and then I can take you to Bobby’s house.” The mothers’ voice was coming from the room where the shadows were passing under the door. Perfect. Enough time had lapsed since the woman left for her to gather the children but not near enough for her to call the authorities. Things were going as smoothly as normal.

As the door handle to the room turned, Kat flattened herself against the banister as much as possible to keep from being seen around the half-wall. She could hear the woman stepping out and that was her moment. She sneaked a peek to see the woman’s back turned to her as she closed the door as silently as possible. As she did that, Katharine soundlessly moved from the top of the staircase to behind the woman, just as the door was shut completely. Even though she had a few inches on her, Kat was able to place the switchblade against the woman’s throat and her other hand over her mouth. The woman seemed to understand what was going on and kept her mouth shut, probably realizing her children were in jeopardy if she spoke. Biting down on the inside of her lip in anticipation, Kat began to walk backwards, one step at a time. The woman clumsily followed as Katharine led her into, what she assumed was, the master bedroom. As they backed into the room, Kat took a look around. She had a husband; that much was apparent. There was pictures of the couple placed all around the room in an intricate style, a large king bed against the wall, a pair of recliners off to the side, a couple of dressers on the opposite wall of the bed, and then the entrance to the bathroom off to the side. They stopped in the middle of the room and Kat leaned up so she was closer to the woman. “Make a sound and your boys are dead.” Her tone was completely different from their discussion downstairs. It was strong, dark, and haunted. It sounded a lot more like the psychopath she was.

The woman nodded slightly underneath Kat’s hand that was still latched around her mouth. She had barely left enough room for the woman to breathe out of her mouth but luckily, Kat’s hand was too small to cover both parts of her face. Slowly, she removed her hand and, as the woman had promised, no sound came out. The switchblade was still tight against her skin, threatening to cut down if she made any sudden movements, as Katharine reached for her wand once again. She pointed it at the shades, the sun’s rays being covered as they uncoiled down to block the view from the streets. Then she pointed it at one of the lamps beside the bed. It suddenly threw shadows across the walls of the two. “Accio chair,” Kat murmured. There was a clamor from downstairs until one of the chairs that had been beside the dining table was now making its way up the last few steps and into the bedroom where it slowly set itself next to Kat. A small shove told the woman to sit down, which she obeyed despite what her body looked like it wanted to do. Katharine could feel the woman’s skin becoming clammy and a small tremor happening in her bones. That was the fear Kat lived for. The woman was genuinely scared for the life of her children and possibly her own. ”What do you want? With narrowed eyes, Katharine pressed the blade up further onto the woman’s neck. Now that she had a height advantage, it was much easier to control the situation and the woman knew it because despite the small trickle of blood now coming from her neck, the woman only let out a soft whimper, but not enough to alert her children of what was happening in the next room.

Before putting away her wand, Katharine did one last move. She pointed it at the back of the chair as roped began protruding from the end. They acted like snakes, wrapping around to the front and snatching the woman’s hands, bringing them around back, and making quick work to tie her to the intricate design on the back of the chair. Once her hands were secure, they did the same to the wooden frame of the rather expensive looking chair. With the wand back in its hiding place, Katharine grabbed onto the woman’s golden locks, the ones she was sure her husband had fallen in love with, and pulled back until the woman's neck was completely exposed. The blood had already begun to dry but with the sudden move, the cut opened again and allowed a fresh new line of blood to slide over the prior one. Leaning in closer, Katharine got right up to the woman’s ear. “I told you to keep quiet,” she hissed, pulling away the blade and shoving the woman’s head forward when she had finished. Katharine took a step back and turned around to the top drawers of the dresser. She slid one open, found a pair of socks, and removed them before siphoning through the rest of the clothing. It was your normal top drawer. Socks, bras, thongs, pantyhose. She assumed the dresser next door was for her husband since there were no male items in the drawer. Then, just as she was about to give up her hunt on something secretive being hidden in the drawer, her fingers ran across a smooth tin case. Pulling out the small case, Katharine turned around and used her back to close the drawer, walking forward to the bed and placing it on the surface. Before opening it, she stepped over to the woman and stuffed the sock bundle in her mouth. It would help prevent any improper outbursts.

The woman obviously objected, however she had no choice if she was going to keep her kids alive. Kitty completely ignored the glare coming in her direction and took a seat on the bed. She placed her switchblade on the comforter surface while opening up the small tin case. “Oh, someone has a bad side.” Kat pulled out a small baggie filled with a fine white powder, a small razor blade, and a rolled up dollar bill that looked like it had been used over and over again. “Don’t you know this can give you diseases?” Kat asked as she held up the small rolled up bill before tossing it behind her. She stood up and walked over to the night stand. She opened the drawer and pushed some things aside before finding a small notepad. She pulled it out and tore off the first clean piece of paper, shoving the drawer shut with her hip as she rolled up the piece of paper the same as the bill had been. “Wanna join me?” she asked the woman with a quirk of an eyebrow. The glare received in return made Kat smirk slightly but it faded as she walked over back to the small tin. She sat back down and set the rolled up paper next to her. It began to roll open again immediately as she poured out the contents of the bag and began to use the razor blade to separate it into small lines on the lid of the tin box as she was sure the couple had done plenty of times before. Reaching over and grabbing the piece of paper, she rolled it up once more and with one quick movement, snorted the first line, leaning her head back as soon as the powder had cleared the nasal cavity. Rolling her neck to the side, she allowed her bones to crack, relieving some of the tension that had been there for weeks due to her job, before looking back towards the woman who was wide eyed, apparently unsure of what to think of the situation.

Kat held out the roll and when the woman turned away, she set it back down on the bed and picked up the razor blade she had used to divide up the stash. Moving back over to the woman, Kat took a seat on the woman's lap, straddling her since there were no arms to the chair. A small protest came from the woman underneath her body but not nearly enough to throw off the witch. Kat raised her hands to the woman's face and cupped them, the razor blade in one of them. “Such a pretty face,” she said softly as her hands lowered, cupping the woman's face more fully, but at the same time, the razor blade began to leave a cut down from her temple, all the way to where it ended at her jaw line. The scream coming from the woman was drowned out by the socks, not carrying much farther than a foot out before disappearing into the soundless home. The boys were still in their room, unaware of what was happening in the next room. Katharine would be sure not to leave them out of the fun. The screaming was finally dying down as Kat pulled her hands away and examined the razorblade in her hand and the small smear of blood staining her skin. She bit down on her lip as she leaned forward to take a better look at the wound. “That’s more like it,” she said, investigating the deeper spots of the wound with the larger amount of blood seeping out. Getting off of the woman, she walked back over to the bed and replaced the razor in the tin, tucked the piece of rolled up paper in her back pocket, and closed the tin, allowing the rest of the powder to go wherever it felt like going.

Her hand found the switchblade sitting on the bed, the silver handle finding its comfortable spot back in the palm of her hand, almost like there was a spot reserved for it at all times. Once again, the involuntary grin returned to her lips as she walked back over to the woman, and sat back in the same position she had earlier, draping her arms around the woman’s shoulders as if she was about to lean in and give her a kiss on the lips, but, instead, she spun the switchblade in her hand and jabbed it right in between the woman’s shoulder blades, being sure to barely avoid the spine so she wouldn’t numb the woman before she could really start the fun. The blade went in two inches, enough to cause a hole, but not enough to cause her to bleed out. A muffled scream came from her sock filled mouth but, once again, the sound didn’t flow much farther than a foot away. In order to prevent any intrusions from the children, though, Kat pulled out her wand again and pointed it in the direction of the boy’s door. The lock slowly clicked into place and stuck so they couldn’t leave their room. She then put another muffling spell on the room itself. The screaming was the best part. She couldn’t stand to keep it so quiet. This way, the woman could scream all she wanted and no one, not even the kids in the next room would hear. Turning back around, Kat put her wand back and used her now free hand to pull the sock stash out of the woman's mouth carefully, as to avoid getting her fingers bitten off. ”What the hell are you?!” The woman's voice echoed in the room, the sound trapped, as tears began to roll down her face from the pain, or maybe even the fear. “What? Not who? Oh, I’m guessing you mean the wand thing,” Katharine mentioned as she shrugged and ran her now bloody blade across the woman's shirt, removing most of the red liquid. “I’m just a witch here to teach you muggles to stay in your place. Plus, I’m running low on cash. Mind informing you where your valuables are?” Kat asked with a casual tone. The look on her face was stone cold as usual which only confused the muggle even further, but she didn’t seem to want to put herself into any worse of a situation. That, or she was so stunned she couldn’t speak.

She motioned over to the bottom drawer of the second dresser. Kat looked over at the dresser, the one she didn’t touch, and moved off of the woman over to the drawer. She pulled it open to reveal a rather expensive looking jewelry box. Opening the lid, Kat saw a few diamond pendants in a felt insert. Once she lifted the insert, she saw what she wasn’t expecting. Her hand dipped in and grabbed out an array of vials, baggies, and pill bottles, as much as her hand could grab. With narrowed eyes, Kat stood up and walked over to the woman, putting her hand into her face. “What the fuck is this? I asked for valuables, damnit! Not drugs!” She threw the items behind the woman. The baggies fell to the ground with their light weight but the pill bottles and vials hit the wall. The vials shattered, all the contents falling to the ground along with the intact pill bottles. Kat stepped forward, the switchblade in her hand still facing in towards her arm. With a snarl, she lifted her hand, allowing the blade to point directly to the ground, until she stabbed it down into the woman’s upper thigh. The blade went all the way into the woman's skin. Since it was a good three inches long, the tip lodged itself right into the woman's bone. Her scream was loud, high pitched, and music to Kat’s ears. It removed the anger she had immediately and actually soothed her to the point of a soft smile. Biting on her lip, Kat gently pulled the blade up to avoid from chipping off the tip of the blade in her bone. She didn’t want to ruin the knife after all these years just because she went a tad overboard. As she wiggled it back and forth slowly, the woman let out continuing shrieks. Finally, after a few times back and forth, Kat managed to dislodge it from the bone. Rather than pulling it straight out, she pulled the blade down the woman's leg, opening a seam in the woman’s leg. The blood began pouring out of the wound in succession with the increase in screams.

When she had gotten close to the knee, Kat pulled the blade out, allowing the blood to drip off the end onto the clean, white carpet that was now stained red. The woman’s screams silenced as she clenched down her teeth. Her head was back and her entire neck exposed. The veins in her neck were nearly popping out as she tried to remove the pain from her mind but it wouldn’t work. “You muggles aren’t strong enough to stand this so don’t even try. Just suffer and soon it will all be over.” Katharine’s voice was a bit sing songy as she stood up and moved behind the woman whose eyes were following her every move. ”Mu-muggle?” Her voice quivered with pain and terror, music to Kat’s ears. “Yes, nonmagical folk. People who shouldn’t even be alive. However, I wouldn’t kill you all off because who would I then have to torture?” The dripping blade was leaving red dots with every step Kat took until she pulled it up and put it right into the woman’s shoulder. The initial jab was fast, but she slowed down as she pressed it down to the hilt before removing it just as slow. The woman had tried not to scream, but it didn’t work for more than two seconds. Once again, the screams echoed off the walls.

Katharine repeated the same gesture in the woman’s other shoulder along with a few other locations. By the time she was satisfied the woman was a good enough pincushion, there were ten holes total in the woman’s body that were not supposed to be there. Her outfit was soaked through with blood and the floor beneath her was a puddle of red. Kat moved around the woman and the carpet squished as the blood crept through the carpet padding. As Katharine removed the blade from the woman’s stomach where she had just left another hole (being sure to miss all vital organs to make sure it lasted), the woman’s screams stopped and her body slumped forward. Moving behind her, Kat grabbed the woman’s hair and pulled her head back up right before placing the knife against her throat. “I’m going to go get your boys. You stay here and be a good mother and keep your mouth shut,” she commented before running moving her blade to the woman's arm and tracing it up to her elbow, leaving a line of fresh blood behind that began to run down her arm. “Or that will happen to your children.” The woman’s eyes were swollen with tears that had pooled there and, with that last word, they spilled over like a broken dam and streamed down her face. When Kat let go of her hair, the woman’s head slumped forward again and her sobs could be heard as her tears fell onto her blood soaked skirt. Kat shook her head at the woman's weak form as she walked over to the door and stepped outside of the sound shield. Her bare feet left behind bloody footprints. The rest of her body was spotted with blood except for her hands which were covered. It was mostly because she had used them to toy around with the woman’s wounds. She deserved it though, having lied to Katharine about the valuables supposedly in the drawer.

The boy’s door was still shut and locked as she had hoped for and she couldn’t hear any sounds, not even from the mother. “Alohomora,” Kat said as she slid her wand out of her pocket. The door unlocked with a click and she opened it slowly to reveal two boys on the bed, both playing with their small game systems. Kat hid both her wand and switchblade behind her as they both looked up to see the woman in their doorway. The sight of her being bloody obviously had its effects because they both dropped their game systems and moved up against the wall. “It’s alright,” Katharine said, her voice going back to the same it had been when she had entered into the home. “Someone broke in and me and your mommy handled it but she wants you guys to come in her bedroom just in case someone comes back. C’mon,” she added, ushering the boys to come follow her. They looked at each other, contemplating if they should or not, but they seemed to feel like it was the right thing to do because they both slid off the bed and ran past Kat in the direction of the bedroom. She turned around with a stone cold expression again, and followed the boys who stopped cold in the doorway. ”Mom!” they both simultaneously yelled before running to her side. All sound disappeared since Kat was outside of the sound bubble, but there wasn’t a need for it any longer so she used her wand to remove the spell. The wispy spell retracted back into her wand and she could suddenly hear the mother speaking fast to the boys, telling them to run and get help.

“Oh, but they can’t leave now. Not before the finale,” Kat said as she walked over and leaned in the doorway, pointing her wand at the boys who were suddenly tied up by the same ropes she had used on the mother. They didn’t tie as tight, but they bound their hands and ankles. Both boys fell over into a seated position next to their mother, right in the line of sight of what Kat was going to do. “It’s time you muggles learn your place.” Pointing her wand from the boys to the mother, her eyes narrowed. “Sectumsempra.” None of the muggles knew what was going on, but the woman’s screams began again, but this time, her boys joined in as deep gashes suddenly began to show all over her body. What blood was left in her system was running down her body and as a new gash showed, blood droplets splattered in all directions, some landing on her boys, others on the bed, and some even on the walls. “FYI, when a witch asks for valuables, don’t point her in the direction of your drugs. It only makes things worse.” Looking at the boys, she could see their despair as they struggled to help their mother. Kat stayed in the door way, enjoying the screams of pain and terror until finally, the last cut made its mark on her neck, slicing it clear to the bone. Her body fell limp, barely any blood flowing from her neck considering all of it was on the floor now. The boys stopped screaming, both wide eyed as they stared up and their dead mother. A grin spread across Kat’s lips as she turned away from the room and started on her way downstairs.

“Tergeo,” Kat muttered, pointing her wand first at the blade of her switchblade which was drained of the woman’s blood, then to herself. All instances of blood were removed, stopping the bloody footprints part way down the stairs. It was as if the person disappeared into thin air. When she was sure she and her blade were clear of blood, she ended the removal of the blood and added one last spell. “Deletrius.” By any off chance the Ministry tracked her down, they would have a hard time finding evidence since her wand no longer had a history of spells. It was the final thing she had to keep herself safe from the Ministry asserting too much authority over her life. Thus far, it hadn’t been needed but she would never count on luck to be on her side. “Well that was entertaining,” she said to herself when she reached the bottom of the stairs. She slipped on her flats, put her wand back in her pocket, and placed her knife back against her hip. The sounds of the boys upstairs began again as she started to make her way through the house, skimming for any valuables she might be able to haul off. Her eyes first found the woman's purse where she was able to remove some muggle bills, enough to get her by for a week, then a diamond necklace still inside of its jewelry case. It was pretty, like one of the one’s Christen had given her, but this one had no meaning to it which meant she would be willing to part with it without question. After a few more minutes wandering around the home, she managed to snag a few other items that might be of some worth, before realizing the time. It had been two hours since she had first arrived in the neighborhood. There were still several hours until she had to meet Christen, but she needed those to get ready. Deciding it was as good a time as any to leave, Kat apparated on the spot.

Her first destination had been to get some food. Her apartment was barren of any actual items you could call food. It was mostly snacks and little tidbits to keep her munching, but nothing to help fill her up for lunch so she had spent the next hour at a café in Alzubra, using the last few sickles and knuts she had on her to buy a meal to tide her over until her meal with Christen that night. She wondered how it would all work. From what she knew, vampires didn’t eat. Or did they? She wasn’t entirely sure how it worked with them, actually. Her hope was it wouldn’t be a one sided conversation but something told her it was going to be a repeat of the Gala. He had been so silent most of the night, while she had done the most talking she had ever done in her life. He brought out something in her that was strange. One day she would have to find out what he did to her so she could stop it from happening again. She didn’t like being the overly talkative female who didn’t listen to anyone else around her. That wasn’t her style but he caused that to come out in her. Biting down on the last fry from her plate, Kat made herself a mental promise not to fall into whatever trap it was that led her to those actions. She had to keep composed tonight. Merlin, how is it I can do that to a muggle, but I can’t act right in front of a guy? she wondered in her head, pushing back a stray piece of hair that had fallen from her ponytail. Sighing softly, she placed the few coins on the table and left the restaurant. She had managed to waste a good amount of time sitting there but there was still time left before he arrived. Considering she had spent the last bit of her money on the food, shopping was out of the question. Luckily, she was sure she could scrounge up a good outfit for the evening out of her closet. Deciding that would take enough of her time, Kat turned for the direction of home.
~~~
Christen was due to arrive soon per his owl that she had received that morning. After plenty of work, she had managed to pull together what she thought was a good outfit. It was a combination of a cocktail dress she had from a few years back when she had gone to graduation. It was a simple, strapless, black dress. She accented it with a pair of silver heels, and an array of jewelry she had received from her date. Looking in the mirror, she put one of her stray curls back into place. Once she finally approved the outfit, she headed over to complete her makeup. By the time she was finishing the last bit of mascara, a knock came at her door. She smiled widely, another one of those involuntary things he always seemed to cause, and made her way towards the door. As she walked, her chest tightened up a bit. She would finally be seeing him again. For a moment she cursed herself for her shoe choice. The heels were a tad taller than what she was comfortable with but she managed to get to the door all the same. Just not as fast as she would have liked. Opening the door, she expected to see her vampire himself but instead, there was the same driver that had come to get her last time. He was substantially smaller and much less handsome than who she had expected. Her smile fell almost immediately, the tightness in her chest releasing, as she let out a small huff of disappointment before turning around to grab her wristlet and her wand. ”Ready to go, miss?” he asked in that courteous tone he used the night of the gala as well. Her smile was gone but she nodded in his direction nonetheless. She wanted Christen to be the one to pick her up, but, alas, she was going to be doomed to never have him at her door.

Once they were both through the doorway, Kat shut her door and locked it before stashing her wand in her wristlet and following the man to the car that was waiting. Why Christen used such trivial ways of travelling, she wasn’t sure, but she assumed one day she may find out. As they approached the car, she hoped he would be sitting inside once the door opened but, once again, her small amount of hope was dashed as the car was void of movement. With another sigh, she slid into the seat and allowed the door to shut. The drive was much shorter than that to the Gala, but it felt like just as long. Then she didn’t know who she was meeting so the need to get their quick wasn’t as pressing as it was now. Now she knew what she was missing each second longer that it took her to get there. Her body was begging her to just apparate but she wasn’t aware of where they were going. He had just said dinner. And to dress nice. Merlin, she hated things like this. Was she overdressed? Under dressed? And why the hell did she even care? “The things he does to me…” she muttered to herself, leaning her head against the window. It was ridiculous the way she acted when the thoughts of him were roaming her head. No other person had ever made her like this. Why he was so different, she didn’t know. But something told her it was a good thing either way. When the car rolled to a stop, she confirmed that thought as the tightness in her chest returned. She leaned her head back in the seat, took in a deep breath and let it out once the door began to open. It was about time she got to see him again.

[Torsten]

A single hand turned over in the beam of sunlight refracted off of the building in front of him. It was such a curious thing, one that so many people tended to take for granted. There had been many years of his life where he hadn't been able to venture out into the sun. Of course, after a few hundred years, the natural born tolerance had been built up toward it. The hand flipped over, palm upward toward the beam, not even a singe. Had he been blessed with magical powers, he might have been able to cure himself of his aversion to the sun in earlier years, but he hadn't. His reddened eyes rolled upward toward the giant orb in the sky, staring directly into it tended to burn his corneas until all he could see was blackness, but ti was just another perk of being one of the undead. Blindness for him was only ever temporary. He had only been forced to undergo the task of regrowing his entire eyeball once before, and this was nothing compared to that. It was worth it, to be able to see the sun fully in all of it's glory. The very outer corner of his lip rolled upward into what might have been passable as a smile as he tucked his hand back into his pants pocket. Of course, if he were to stay out here for too long, even he would begin to singe. Even, if it was at a far slower rate than that of those around him with a similar curse. This year had been oddly uneventful for him thus far, allowing him to stew, alone with his thoughts. Mostly laying the ground work for the much larger events that he had on the horizon, getting things to where they needed to be. Kitty, had just been a pleasant diversion in this path, he had no greater purpose for her, he didn't need her skills, she didn't seem to have a very promising future, but there was something broken about her soul. Something that he found, enticing. It had been a good while since he had allowed himself to take any personal interest in another female, he had been too preoccupied with the matters of his family, tracing his bloodlines back as far as he could to get the information that he needed. At least now that he had an end point, he had a better time of it. Yet, since he had decided to take an interest in her, he shouldn't shut her out this early.

Dinner had seemed like the best option for a meeting, he wasn't ready to honor her with a more intimate gathering just yet. She was still too new, too eager. While he couldn't exactly taste the food anymore, but he could smell it. He could feel the textures on his tongue, imagine what it was that he was consuming. He had never lose his taste for wine though, for reasons that he couldn't quite understand. With all of the advancements in the culinary arts over his many, many years, it had always been a regret that food never did taste the same to time. Liquor had come a long way since the mead paired with rock hard loaves of bread. Which, were the last morsels of human food that he had ever consumed. Supposedly, this was one of the nicer places that was around for him to take somebody to in this area. It was nice enough, though hardly what he would consider fine dining. At least they had a dress code. He had purchased the use of the entire back room of the restaurant for the evening. It would have been just as easy to reserve the whole building, but he neither wanted the attention that would garner, nor to feel as isolated as it was bound to make Kitty feel. Unbuttoning the only fastened button on his red dinner jacket, he pushed the corners back and allowed his hands to dip into his pockets, moving at a slow gait to the entrance. He could tell by the position of the sun lowering in the sky that she was due to arrive at any moment, no doubt the staff has had more than ample time to finish the preparations that he had requested by now. Money tended to make people move at a much faster pace than they might otherwise be inclined to use. Nodding at the seating hostess, he followed his senses toward the back where he could smell the fresh sitting on their table, the slowly melting wax used in the center pieces, the steamed velvet lining the cushions on the chairs. His pace did nothing to draw attention to himself, he wasn't a flashy man, and he preferred people not to stare at him, which was partly how he could get away with never hiding the deep crimson shade of his eyes. Those who did look at him, didn't care to tangle with his stern expressions, and never bothered to comment on it. He had perfected the act of seeming human decades ago.

He could smell her before she ever stepped out of the car, another thing that wasn't commonly seen on these streets, but he was old fashioned. He had fallen accustomed to using cars many, many years ago. It wasn't like he was in a real hurry to get anywhere after all, and he enjoyed watching the scenery of a long drive. He could hear the door of the car click shut, and the door to the building open, the hostess greeting her and slowly leading her back toward the room that she was expected to be in. Slowly, he eased himself out of the chair he had been resting in until her arrival, taking the time to roll the sleeves of his light blue oxford shirt to his elbows, smoothing down the front of his vest just as easily. His posture was relaxed, but formal. Even in life he hadn't been much of a slouch. Soon, the door swung open, his eyes trained on the spot where her presence would soon be, her auburn hair falling in curled waves around her neck and shoulders. She looked wonderful, she was a very handsome woman, and in a dress, she was even more stunning. It was flattering to him that she had chosen to wear a few of the items that he had gifted to her thus far, soon enough, it would be hard for her to find something that he hadn't given her to wear. He hadn't wanted to rush her, to intimidate her by pushing money onto her that she didn't want or need. She had accepted the dress to the Gala, but that had been a special occasion, this was meant to feel more intimate, leading up to the things he had planned for her in the future. It was a process that he had perfected over the years, as was evident by the status which his last conquest, Catherine Drakonas, was now living. Certainly it was obvious that she hadn't been able to afford that house on her own. The barest hints of a smile forced the corners of his lips to turn upward, a pale hand pressed to his abdomen as he inclined his head in her direction. Old fashioned. Righting himself, he moved to her side of the table and pulled out the chair that was meant for her to sit in. He knew that she could have done it herself, he could smell the hints of blood around her, even soap couldn't make the smell of muggle blood disappear that easily. She had been busy today. “Thank you for agreeing to meet me,”

[Katharine Makari]

The breeze coming through the door was welcomed. Though the interior temperature of the car was spot on with a normal room temperature, Katharine couldn’t help but still feel overheated. It was completely Christen. He made her heart race, surprisingly giving her as much as a rush as she had gotten that afternoon with the muggle woman. How could he do such a thing? How could he have the same effect on her as the adrenaline rush she got from her adventures? Or even the drugs and alcohol she found herself abusing on more than one occasion? One thing she was sure of, Kitty wished she could bottle whatever it was. It was definitely more effective than cocaine. Not only did he get her heart racing, but he got her blood pumping faster, and her temperature rising. Unfortunately, being confined in such closer perimeters with those side effects only made everything so much hotter. All she could hope was that she wouldn’t start sweating because of it. How unattractive would that be, and in a strapless dress, in front of a vampire who would be able to smell even the smallest bead of sweat? The thought made her grimace as she stepped out of the car and did a quick, inconspicuous check to make sure she was still dry. Once she was out of the car, she pulled her dress back into place and fixed her curls, ensuring nothing was different than it had been when she had left. Turning around, she motioned for the driver to shut the door and once he had, she used the reflection in the tinted windows to double check.

Once the last curl was back in place, Katharine turned and headed for the opening of the restaurant, hardly catching the name of it before she walked through the door that was being opened for her by, what she only could assume, was magic. All of these nice restaurants gave up having actual people do the hospitality and replaced it with magic, no doubt trying to save a galleon or two, but losing the old school appeal in the end. She wondered what Christen would think about that. He always seemed to be so attached to the old world perks. Though she could only imagine it was due to his age, just one of the many things she still didn’t know about him. Letting out a sigh, she decided to drop the thought process all together. It didn’t matter what she did or didn’t know about him. The whole point of being with him was the rush she felt, the fun she had when she was around him, and the fascination with his species all together. It was why he was with her that she couldn’t understand most of all. She was so normal, so human. But yet, as she walked in through the doors and took only one moment to spot him in the back amongst empty tables, she knew she didn’t care why. As long as he did. Even if he killed her tonight, she had to admit that the rush he had already given her, the trip he had put her on, was well worth death. Smiling, she walked across the restaurant in his direction, ignoring the stares she was getting from some of the men. She had never had a problem attracting human male attention. He was the first vampire. His eyes were the only one’s she cared that were on her, and most certainly they were. And as she arrived in front of him, he presented himself in the normal fashion, with what she always hoped was a smile, but could never really tell with him, and a bow. Her smile widened, the corners of her mouth threatening to reach all the way to her eyes as she nodded her head in his direction.

It was always so hard not to want to walk out and come back in just to see him present himself again. Why couldn’t men in this day be as classy? Why were they all so animalistic? Granted, Kitty didn’t mind it so much. She had her fair share of men who had given her a damn good time who were nowhere near classy, but even she needed some pampering every now and then. As he pulled out the chair she assumed was meant for herself, she moved over and took a seat, placing her wristlet off to the side of the table at the same time. “Thank you for agreeing to meet me.” Glancing up at him as he moved towards his own side of the table, she tilted her head ever so slightly to the side. “I always enjoy your company. However, I was beginning to wonder if you had forgotten about me,” she stated, crossing her legs and folding her hands across her lap. It was amazing how well she could fit into this world. She was able to mimic people so easily and, in turn, melded into the first class society with no problems, despite being a woman who grew up with so little. She could hide with the grungiest of homeless in Drear Alley; the most normal of the middle class society. But yet, even as easy going as she tried to make herself seem in a scene that was still highly foreign to her, her insides still turned with uneasiness. She knew eyes were still on them, despite how few of the patrons could actually get a good look with their position in the restaurant. No doubt they were wondering the same thing she was. “Did you actually take over,” she began looking around and moving one of her hands to motion at the empty tables, “this whole portion of the restaurant? Just for us?” When she finished, her hand went back to its original position as did the rest of her. It was more than awkward to be so singled out from everyone else, to even have the world wanting to know who they were, but she imagined it wasn’t going to last long. Even people’s curiosity had a short time span. But, she wondered why he wouldn’t rent out the whole restaurant. It would keep them from being so easily spotted, while also allowing them to have some privacy. Or was he trying to avoid that? It wouldn’t surprise her, since every single meeting they had thus far was in public. Would they ever have a private, more intimate meeting?

“I have to say, when you said to dress nice, I hadn’t expected this.” Fortunately, she had pulled out most of the stops, but not going far enough to go to a ball afterwards. She only hoped it was enough to fit in. Then again, they were in Alzubra Alley. Even for a restaurant dressed up such as this one, most of the people around couldn’t afford to go much nicer than she could within her own wardrobe. At least that gave her some hope that she was fitting in as well as she thought she was. Her eyes turned up to a waiter who made his way over and began to pour water into two of the glasses arranged on the table. Even with everything she had experienced, Katharine would never get used to the amount of china these restaurants assumed were needed on one table. Three different types of glasses, three plates stacked, three sets of silverware. Merlin, it was enough to make one go mad. ”I am Lewis, I will be your waiter this evening. Can I start you off with a bottle of your favorite wine?” Kitty raised an eyebrow, looking from the waiter to Christen. This was out of her element. Wine was too classy, too elegant. She had always gone for whiskey and vodka over wine, but that didn’t mean she didn’t have a taste for it. She just didn’t know how to pick it. She should have brushed up on her fine dining knowledge. “Gentleman’s choice?” she offered up, hoping he would know more of what would be appropriate.

[Torsten]

Slowly, Torsten's torso inclined to Katherine's shoulder, inhaling deeply in spite of himself. Soap, small floral notes from her shampoo, dirt...the smell of metal. Odd, how strong the metal was in spite of the blood. Small, bright metal he though. A ghost of a smile plated over his lips, though the rest of his expression was unchanged. She had been a very busy girl this morning. He loved whenever his hunches became true. They usually did. He had formed a penchant for picking certain types of people over the years. Kitty was a first for him, in the fact that she too, had a lust for blood on her hands. Not an obvious one, no, given the profession that she had chosen to pursue. It was a hobby, most in the healing profession abhorred blood, or anything violent that wasn't of use to save a life. Those people were boring, one dimensional. He didn't have time for people like that. Given how valuable his time really was, he wasn't likely to waste it. Slowly, he exhaled as she sat down, the wisps of her hair falling back into place as she settled. Her dress fell over the sides of the chair, her jewelry catching the low lighting. Soon enough she would have more valuable things, items and articles of clothing that would make her the envy of everybody that she came across. No woman of his would be without them, they deserved the benefits that he could give them. Pushing her and the chair forward to the table, he returned to his own seat opposite her. Taking special care to move his cloth napkin and unfold it from the design it had previously been in, before laying it across his lap. '”I do so enjoy the pleasure of your company.” harmless flattery as he shifted in his seat. She knew what he was, he didn't have to keep moving, he could be as still as he wanted to be. There was just no reason to put her needlessly on edge.

Her excitement was palpable. He could feel it in the air all around them, radiating off of her in droves. Carefully, he placed his elbow on the arm of the chair and allowed his hand to cover the bottom part of his face, not wanting to seem like he was mocking her. He found it, refreshing. Most of the people that he was around feared him, or were related to him. Though, of course, they didn't know that. Work, that was what he tended to use people for. She was just so youthful, her taut skin, her breathtaking face, the bubble of energy that she always had. Charming. Had he had a normal hue to his eyes, they might have just sparked at the sight of her. Alas, they were still the deep crimson that they had been since he had been turned. Both a blessing and a curse. “I always enjoy your company. However, I was beginning to wonder if you had forgotten about me,” Quickly, he removed the smirk that had formed behind his hand at her words and lowered his arm, letting his hand dangle from the arm of the chair. “I could never forget about you.” his words were deadpan. He had followed her for a long time, watching her every night at Centara's establishment as she came in, looking for things that she couldn't possibly hope to understand. Still, she had tried, no value for her own life...passing it off like she wasn't afraid of her death. The danger that had been all around her seemed to excite her. Foolish, but...oddly charming. “Did you actually take over, this whole portion of the restaurant? Just for us?” His eyes never left her face, holding a steady, confidant gaze each time she turned back to look at him. A modest shrug was the easiest answer for her. No, he hadn't taken over quite the whole place, but he had paid a fair amount to single out this table. Money wasn't the important factor here. He was here to show her off, to make public that he had taken an interest in her, to show her a taste for the finer things in life. A taste that he intended to keep giving until she craved a higher level of living. One that only he could provide for her. It was easy really, creating the need for somebody to depend on him.

“I have to say, when you said to dress nice, I hadn’t expected this.” Deliberately, his eyes rolled downward over her figure. She did look nice, The cut of her dress was not modest enough to keep his mouth from watering, but nice enough that she fell in line with this establishments dress code. “What were you expecting?” if not this, what did she define as 'nice'? He knew about her habits, but he needed to know more about her, mentally. He wanted to know everything that there was to know about her. The presence of the waiter wasn't enough to deter him, no doubt the level of attention that he was giving her was something that she was unfamiliar with. He knew that it wasn't intrusive, she didn't seem to be uncomfortable, just out of place, though she was doing her part to blend in as easily as she could. ”I am Lewis, I will be your waiter this evening. Can I start you off with a bottle of your favorite wine?” Reluctantly, he peeled his eyes from Kitty, and turned them toward Lewis, a thin man, his blood quality reflected his stature. Obviously, the man couldn't afford to eat at the same place that he worked, else wise he wouldn't be so small. Wine would be appropriate, he could feel Kitty looking to him, not ordering. Demure.

“Gentleman’s choice?” “I would be honored.” he offered to her, turning back to Lewis. “A bottle of your Trockenbeerenauslese, bitte.” The german flowed so easily off of his tongue, as it should given the years that he had been living in this country. He couldn't even remember how many languages he had stored inside of his head any longer. He had been around for far too long now. He hoped that she had a taste for the lighter wines, it was a sweet red made here. It was the wine that Austria was most known for. Not the best wine around, but the best that a place like this was likely to have. ”Of course Sir, very good choice.” Torsten returned the boys praise with a nod. Lewis removed the two menu's out from under his arm and placed them on top of the ornate place settings in front of each of them. 'Please, take your time looking over the menu, I will be back with your wine and a list of our chef's pick for the evening.” Torsten no longer cared what the boy had to say, he had turned his attention back to the woman sitting across from him. Where to even begin? Easing backward into his chair he allowed her a small, visual smile on his otherwise neutral face. “I have a gift for you.” his tone was ominous. “for later, of course.” he loved to see the interest in her face. His fingertip trailed on the smooth surface of the menu placed before him, not lifting it to read it. “You really do look, stunning.”

[Katharine Makari]

How strange was it that Katharine was sitting at a table with a vampire, in a half-empty restaurant, and her biggest concern was etiquette? There was no fear in her mind about Christen being a vampire, not a single doubt that she wanted to be next to him at this precise moment, but her concern was on what fork to use and how not to make a fool of herself as she tried to fit in to a lifestyle she had no experience with. For a moment, she damned her parents for never giving her a chance to learn the proper techniques of such a life, for not showing her the difference between a salad fork and an entrée fork, a red wine glass and a white wine glass. But then she remembered, most likely her parents didn't know these things either. Their family wasn't the richest of folks no matter how back you went in the generations, so neither of her parents would have been raised to know those details, but certainly at least her mother had to have been exposed to some of these fine dining details. Certainly she could have at least passed on some small details to help her daughter in this scenario. Unfortunately, it didn't matter now. Even if her mother did know, even if Katharine was upset at her for it, it would do no good, so her damning of them did not last, and instead turned somewhat to pity.

Pity that they wouldn't get a chance to show her these sorts of things or even learn them on their own. Her parents were behind bars, wrongfully locked up for doing only what was human nature to them. What was wrong with acting upon their instincts, Kat would never know, but she hadn't allowed her parents misfortune to dull her own pleasure-seeking activities. Somehow, she knew that if she hadn't participated in such activities that morning, her anxiety in this situation would be much more elevated then what it was. Of course, the high from the drugs had worn off long ago, but the high from the woman's screams still kept her strong. Kitty only wished she had not left the tin of drugs behind. She could use their help right now, their help in surviving this night without looking like a fool. Unfortunately she had left it behind and didn't have any on her person. So she would just have to deal with it, she would have to just push through the anxiety and hope Christen didn't think poorly of any of her… unusual actions. But then her mind strayed to him being a vampire. Did he realize how nervous she was? Did he think it was nerves related to him, related to what he was? Or would he understand that it was in relation to the situation? That she was just so new to being sophisticated that it was enough to make her heart rate climb? Biting the inside of her lip, Katharine hoped he would understand, or maybe not even notice. But he was a vampire; he would notice.

“I could never forget about you.” "Oh," she muttered, her cheeks growing slightly hot. It was a strange sensation and she honestly wasn't sure what it was for a moment, but then it struck her. Was she… blushing? He wasn't the first male to have an interest in her, but most of the other one's had been drunken idiots, high on whatever drugs they could find, and only a few of them had even gotten the time of day, let alone what they had really been looking for. And usually, when she had accepted their company, it had been because she herself was high or drunk. But this situation, being here and sober, with a man who had a genuine interest in her? This was foreign, just like the blush that had crept into her cheeks. Inhaling deeply, Kitty raised a hand and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before unfolding her napkin in her own lap. Why did she have to act like such a girl now? In front of him? He was utterly perfect and she was such a wreck. It made no sense why he had any interest in her but she couldn’t deny that she never wanted him to leave. Kitty wanted to spend as much time with Christen as she could, but she didn't express that. She didn't express anything of how she felt at that moment because she knew if she opened up her mouth again, some stupid, failure at an expression of emotion would flow out and she would not be able to recover from it. The night would end in ruin and he would never talk to her again for being a bumbling idiot. He had found her when she was at her strongest, and she needed to maintain that front if she was going to keep him. So she sat up straighter and offered him a smile as a response, hoping she could recover from the show of emotion.

“What were you expecting?” Folding her hands in her lap, Katharine considered her response for a moment. "I guess my definition of nice has always been something that didn't qualify as a dive bar," she finally responded, shrugging. "I see that with you, my definition of nice will have to… adjust a bit." The blush in her cheeks was starting to fade and her heart was starting to calm. Talking to him, getting out of her head, focusing on Christen. It was all allowing her anxiety to start to ebb away, her embarrassment of thinking he had forgotten about her fading. Once again, he was having that effect on her. He was calming her, causing her to loosen up and at the same time, become a little more talkative. She wondered how long it would be before he really had his way with her and she began rambling like the night at the gala. Somehow she would have to figure out how he did that, but at this point, talking was making this night easier so she didn't quite fight it. “I would be honored.” Kitty smiled as he took up the lead on ordering. “A bottle of your Trockenbeerenauslese, bitte.” Quirking an eyebrow, she looked over at him then back up to the waiter who seemed to know exactly what Christen had said. "Of course Sir, very good choice.” Looking back at Christen, she gave him a smile, chuckling as the waiter placed the menus and walked away. "Am I mistaken or was that German?" she asked, suddenly interested in something about him she wasn't aware of. Though she had grown up in Russia nearly her entire life, Katharine had been exposed to some alternate languages. German had been included in that list, but she didn't know enough to hold a conversation. It was more like she was able to recognize words here and there, and the general language itself. Though she was sometimes wrong at guessing what language people used, she tended to be right more often.

Picking up the menu in front of her, Kat opened it up and began to scan the options presented to her. While the type of dining environment was different than what she was used to, the food itself was something she had no problem recognizing. Her mother had a particular palette that had resulted in a lot of experimentation as a child, so many of the different types of food on the menu were one's she was at least familiar with. Finally she would be able to look smart in at least one regard. “I have a gift for you. For later, of course.” Kitty's eyes moved from the menu, up to her companion across the table, slightly wide. How many gifts had he already given her? So many more than she had ever received in her lifetime (at least, one's that weren't stolen), and yet he was planning on still giving her more? "You spoil me," she said simply, shaking her head as her face relaxed and she smiled. "You do know that I don't need to be won over? You nabbed my attention a long time ago. You don't need to keep buying me gifts," she added, half hoping he wouldn't listen to her and would still keep them coming. While she didn't need them, she couldn't exactly say that she minded getting them. Because while they didn't change her opinion of him, they provided tools to remember certain events, certain moments. The dress that she had worn at the Gala for instance. Everytime she looked at it, she remembered that night. Though it was shallow to want those objects because of their high value, at least she acknowledged that they had other non-material value to them as well.

“You really do look, stunning.” "Thank you," she replied, smiling softly. "You look handsome yourself." But of course, that wasn't any different than normal. She had never seen him look anything but handsome. Shaking her head, Kitty looked back down at her menu. "Flattery isn't necessary either, by the way," she added, looking up at him with a sheepish smile.

[Torsten]

A part of Torsten missed human emotions. The intensity that came with them. At his age, there wasn't very much that could thrill him the way that he could tell just his company did for her. It was flattering, the strange bunch of emotions that she showed only around him. It was almost as if he could feel what she was feeling just by being close to her. The anticipation, the excitement of being slightly out of her depth. Humans were the closest contact he got with intense emotions, for himself real, genuine emotion was rare. Apart from his human projects, like Kitty, he didn't have positive things to fixate on. She was just as much of a diversion for him as he seemed to be for her. He enjoyed the process of courting. Even with the knowledge that it would be finite because she was mortal. If anything, that made it better. He noticed every change in her posture, the way that her eyes darted from one fork to another with an elevation to her heart rate but he wouldn't comment on it. It wouldn't be kind. She was still new at these sorts of thing, in time, it would be second nature to her. He just needed her to ease into this sort of life. It was what he wanted for her, and if he could help her be more a part of this world, then that was exactly what he was going to do. It took a certain type of woman for Torsten to take a real interest in them, and he didn't enter into his courtships lightly. She, interested him. Her blood rushing to her face at his simple words even though he knew what sort of recreational activities that she fancied. She shouldn't have been phased by an interaction like this given what she liked. Making her even more interesting.

"I guess my definition of nice has always been something that didn't qualify as a dive bar," His face betrayed none of his inner thoughts. He wasn't surprised, people could adapt to any standard. For some reason he couldn't understand, it seemed like some people actually didn't mind frequenting dive bars and living their lives in a lower caste. "I see that with you, my definition of nice will have to… adjust a bit." This place? She really was so young. His eyes moved to their setting, of course it was all crisp white linens and polished silver. This, wasn't his definition of 'nice' in any century had he had been alive. This, was merely close. A slow smile was all he offered at her words, he didn't want to frighten her away. He could show her the catacombs of Paris, give her castles built in her honor. Even today it would be fitting. There was far more magic to be known in this world than she could summon from the tips of her fingers. As far as fine dining would go, he could have taken her anywhere, even though he couldn't taste things any longer he could tell the difference in the smell alone. This might be above her current palate, but he could smell what was happening in the kitchen. Tell how long it had been since the meat that they were serving had been processed and sitting in their walk in freezer. This was still very common. "Am I mistaken or was that German?" “Yes,” every letter accentuated on his tongue. Jut one of the many languages that he knew. A great deal of which were no longer even spoken. Like his mother tongue, something that even the scholars only wished that they could replicate. “I could teach you, if you have an ear for languages?” He could, he was a very good teacher, even if his most recent student tended to get frustrated with his techniques.

"You spoil me," “I like to lavish you,” he corrected, fine jewels were meant to be worn, to be seen on stunning women that could amplify their natural beauty. Not locked away in cabinets or behind plates of glass. "You do know that I don't need to be won over? You nabbed my attention a long time ago. You don't need to keep buying me gifts," There was only one thing in his life that he really had to work for, and he was still working for it. She? Was an amusing past time, and if he wanted to spend his money on her, then he would. Not that she really seemed to be complaining. Torsten's smile widened fractionally as his hand moved up in front of his face to hide his teeth. “I want you to have these things Kitty,” his eyes rolled to the bracelet on her wrist, sparkling in the lighting. “I like seeing my gifts on you, it gives me a particular...thrill.” his voice slowed at the end of his words. It really did look wonderful against her lightly tanned skin. "Thank you, You look handsome yourself. Flattery isn't necessary either, by the way," At this, he chuckled. “Nonsense, you like hearing it so flattery is always necessary.” Finally he moved with a fluidity uncomprable to anything a mere human could have managed. Plucking the menu from her fingers and snapping it shut he placed it on top of his. If she knew nothing about wines, she certainly wouldn't know what to pair with it. No sooner had he aligned the edges of the laminated menu's did the waiter arrive back with their bottle in hand, pouring just a sample into Torsten's glass for inspection. Lifting the glass by the stem and swirling it about to watch the legs he took a small sip, nodded once and the waiter set about filling the two of their glasses and leaving the bottle resting between them on the table. Even though he was far too old to be able to get drunk any longer, he could still appreciate the notes that did still register on his tongue. If nothing else, he might be able to taste it in her a little later.

Turning his head toward the kitchen and inhaling deeply, he picked out the particular scents of the chefs going about their business, what was going into the pans and how well they seemed to be moving about the space they were in. “The stout chef,” red eyes flicked to the waiter “have him make something special for my companion, bitte” the man seemed slightly uncomfortable for a moment, before nodding and heading in the direction of the kitchens with the request. Torsten had rented the whole space for the two of them, the least they could do was put some real effort into their food. It would be worth their while, so long as they recognized that everything would be fine. Turning his attention back to the only other person in this space with him his face settled back into it's neutral state of admiration for her. “Tell me, what is that I smell clinging to your skin?”

[Katharine Makari]

Every moment that passed, every second he gave her a chance to speak, Katharine couldn’t help but feel like she was just making herself look more like a fool. Sophistication wasn’t her thing. She wasn’t prim and proper, wasn’t raised with a straight back and elbows off the table. She was raised in a lax home where you did whatever you felt like, whenever you felt like it as long as you didn’t go overboard. A family that had more fun throwing food than they did eating it. And yet, here she was in this fancy restaurant with a male whom she was sure knew nothing other than how to be proper. The way he had looked around when she indicated that this restaurant was not in her normal list, how he had examined the décor, told her that he probably did not see this place at much. What was the fanciest restaurant he had ever been to? Was it hundreds of galleons just for a tiny plate of food that wouldn’t even pass as a snack? It wouldn’t be so hard to believe. Some of these restaurants out there were so ridiculous in the amount they charged for the amount of food you got in return. Ultimately, you wound up paying for the name, not the actual ingredients. It was why her family had avoided such places. If it didn’t have large portions for a decent price, they (more precisely her mother) would cook at home. She still lived by that philosophy, except that she wasn’t nearly as good of a cook as her mother had been. Too bad. That would certainly ruin any prospects of winding up with a human male. Then again, with how much her interests had been pointed in the undead realm, people who didn’t eat, maybe it wouldn’t be such a shame.

“Yes.” Simple answer, yet the way his voice hugged every letter… “I could teach you, if you have an ear for languages?” Kitty offered a smile, as she tucked a curl of hair behind her ear. “Actually, I’ve found languages to be fun to learn. I suppose I just haven’t had the exposure needed to gather a good understanding of the German language. However, it is certainly a language I would not mind adding to my list,” she replied, lowering the menu to get a better view of him. Of course, a list implied she knew a few different languages. More accurately, she was fluent in Russian and English. She had dabbled in German as a child, only because of the mass number of vacations Germans seemed to take in Russia. And because of geographical placement, she was also afforded her some exposure a few Chinese dialects. French and Italian were taught in school for reasons unbeknownst to her, but even with the amount of exposure she had to other languages, she could not claim fluency in anything other than Russian or English. To add German to the list, especially being taught by the man sitting in front of her, did sound enticing. What else could he teach her? How many languages had he learned in his lifetimes of being alive? The question hung off the end of her tongue, stinging her as she was dying to ask, to find out just how much Christen knew, how versed he was with the languages of the world. Would it be awkward to ask? Make it seem like she was using him to learn languages now? Either way, she couldn’t help but ask, “How many languages do you speak?” She hoped he would take it as inquisitive, not like she was looking to use him. She wasn’t even certain why she was concerned about that since she didn’t exactly have any hold over him. It wasn’t like she could force him to do anything and he could read her like an open book if he wanted. She knew the things vampires could do if they bit a person’s neck, the things they could see and feel just by drinking their blood. Well, she thought she knew. They were just rumors, after all. Were they? She was going to have to find that out in the future.

“I like to lavish you.” Her fingers tightened on the menu, her back straightened marginally, as her body stiffened. Spoil was an ugly word in the English language, a word that implied a person being rotten after having too much attention, too many good things. He didn’t see it at all like that. Lavish. The word itself sounded better, just the way it rolled off his tongue compared to how ‘spoil’ had rolled off hers. It sounded more attractive, elegant. Did he see her that way? “I want you to have these things Kitty. I like seeing my gifts on you, it gives me a particular...thrill.” A shiver crawled up her spine involuntarily. He was so attractive, and his voice so seductive without him even having to try. Her body seemed to react to everything he did, every word he said, but the slower he talked, the deeper the reaction. And when it was in relation to his thrill? Merlin, she hated that they weren’t alone. Then again, it wasn’t like he had really made any particularly thrilling advances on her. Though, she couldn’t deny that the feeling of fang on flesh wasn’t intoxicating in and of itself. Even if that was all he offered her in the way of sexual encounters, she would be happy. Though the idea of sleeping with a vampire, certainly not unappealing. Closing her eyes tightly for a moment, Kitty tried to refocus herself. How had she brought her thoughts so far off trail? Opening them again, she widened the smile on her face fractionally. “Well then by all means, I wouldn’t want to take away anything that makes you happy,” she replied, trying to keep her tone even, not to give away the thoughts she had just been having of him, but she feared she failed in that regard. Why did he have to be so damn sexy? Hell, she had even been against all of these gifts but with just one phrase, even just one word, he had turned her thoughts around completely. But if he did want to keep giving her gifts, who was she to stop him?

“Nonsense, you like hearing it so flattery is always necessary.” Another fact that she could not deny. Christen knew her too well, and yet she knew so little about him. As he removed the menu from her grip so fluidly, she looked at him with slightly wide eyes. Had he decided against dinner after all? She laid one arm across the other at the edge of the table slowly, unsure of what to think of his action until the waiter returned. Her eyes refocused on the waiter who wasted no time in pouring a small amount of wine into a glass. She watched Christen slowly as he approved the wine, looking like nothing short of a connoisseur. Instead of turning back to the waiter, her eyes remained on Christen, watching how he interacted with the waiter as he filled the glasses and even as he went about ordering. “The stout chef, have him make something special for my companion, bitte.” Quirking an eyebrow, she looked back to the waiter whose posture had changed at the request. Must not be a normal request, or something about Christen set him off. Either way, he didn’t linger. He was gone in a moment back to the kitchen, leaving them alone at their table once more. Her eyes turned back to Christen just as his focus returned to her as well. “Tell me, what is that I smell clinging to your skin?” Katharine’s eyes widened a tad as her mouth fell agape for just a moment. Letting out a soft huff of a breathe, she closed her mouth to a smile and looked away from him for a moment, down to her hands before looking back up at him, her eyes smiling just as much as her lips. A soft chuckle as she shook her head. “If anyone else had asked me that, I would call them crazy and ignore them, but I should have imagined a shower wouldn’t hide anything from you.” Her lips pulled in for a moment as her smile tightened at the memories of that morning. No, she wouldn’t be able to hide smells from him. No way. “Muggle woman. No one special. Needed something to pass the time,” she added, her smile evening out as she wondered just how much he knew about her pastime. He would smell blood, it was in his nature as a vampire, so she was more than aware that it was the smell to which he was referring. The drugs would be out of her system by now, after all. Would he care that she was a fan of illegal substances? Did he care that she hurt muggles? Or was he already aware of all of that? Why was it the longer she sat with him, the more questions that resulted? Would she ever get all the answers she wanted to know, or would her curiosity finally die off in time? So many questions.

[Torsten]

No doubt she was uncomfortable, no doubt she felt like she should be somewhere else. He wouldn't dream of correcting her. Had she been somebody else, another certain brunette perhaps, he might have. Would have instilled into her the urgency of proper manners. Kitty had a whole other purpose in his life, she was a diversion. Her naivety was one of the reasons he had chosen her. It wasn't very often that a woman appealed to him, she had been the first in about fifty years. Which, to her, might seem like a long time. To him, it wasn't. He had lived far too long to think that fifty years was anything to be considered measurable. He was one of the oldest living things still around today, and he was very certain he was the oldest being that she would ever meet. He had only ever met three older than him, a giant in Cairo some three hundred years ago that had since expired, and two other vampires that he had no idea if they were still living or not. What she no doubt thought to be manners and poise, was really just his age. He didn't have the need to be impulsive any longer. His physical urges were easily settled, for him, the mental ravishment was more fulfilling. Wanting to see her reactions, elevating her, bringing her into a life she never would have been able to acquire on her own...tempted him. It was hard to find a young woman of his liking who deserved it. “How many languages do you speak?” His eyes smiled “Depends,” he lifted his white linen from the table and set about unfolding it slowly “Of those that are still spoken today?”It was a needed distinction given that he had been around for the invention of more than a handful of them, of the settling of worlds and civilizations “Varying dialects of forty two different languages” he smoothed the napkin out over his crossed legs. “In total, I couldn't begin to count,” he didn't boast or brag, it was the simple answer to her question. His memory was excellent, it had to be.

He could smell the change on her, the elevation of her heart rate at his words. He wouldn't get over that, just like he hoped that she never did. She was the first to be so overcome by just being in the room with him. He would be lying if he didn't say that his ego was a little stroked by her presence. “Well then by all means, I wouldn’t want to take away anything that makes you happy,” Happy was such a mundane emotion. Encompassing so very much, but at least she would accept his gifts. It was another step. It insulted him to be refused, not that she ever had. Not overtly anyway. He very much liked watching the change of expression on her face, the emotions that she wore so close to her skin. He had watched her for some time before she had noticed him. Seeing how she interacted with others, learning about her, likes and habits. He hadn't taken it upon himself to meet her lightly. He couldn't afford to these days. His name wasn't a common one, even if she didn't know his true name, he couldn't have just anybody running around talking about him. He had been behind history for a reason. Torsten had taken note that she reacted to him differently than the other supernatural beings she had met in Centara's establishment, which was good. “If anyone else had asked me that, I would call them crazy and ignore them, but I should have imagined a shower wouldn’t hide anything from you.” His smile spread slowly, if only she knew. “Muggle woman. No one special. Needed something to pass the time,” how would she react if she knew that he was once one of those 'muggles'? The way her tongue wrapped around the word hinted that she wouldn't much care for it. Not that she would ever need to know. It would have been amusing though, to see her scramble to recover from her words if he were to tell her.

He had been previously aware of her little habit, it was the only one of her past times he would approve of. It would be highly hypocritical for him to ask her not to run about killing people whenever he was by nature, a killer. “You needn’t hide anything from me Kitten,” his eyes lifting to meet hers, waiting for her to take a sip of the wine. He could drink bottles of it, but he would only really be able to taste it on her blood if she partook in it. He reached across the table without having to move his torso and pushed the glass toward her, “Please,” he paused. He had known about her habit, had needed to see if she was really worth his time in the first place. He had yet to find anything so damaging about her that couldn't be corrected. “Just the one woman?” he knew at least she knew how to handle herself, he had killed entire villages in one fell swoop...not that she needed to know those details about him. He had painted an almost fairy tale prince image of himself, her version of a prince he assumed anyway, and he wanted to keep it that way.

[Katharine Makari]

There were so many things left to learn about him, so many things that Christen Thorne was keeping quiet and only let slip every so often. It was like he was teasing her with information about himself, while Kitty was pretty much an open book. He asked a question, she felt compelled to tell him, and suddenly he knew things about her that no one else in existence did. It was the strangest thing how he could just convince her to admit things about herself, but it wasn’t like she was being forced into it. There was just something about how she felt about him that made her feel like it was the right thing to do, something that told her if she didn’t answer, there might be a chance she would lose him because of her incessant need to keep secrets. Somehow that feeling did not go the other way, however, because some of the questions she asked never got answered, were just ignored and a new subject was brought up. Granted, she never usually noticed until later that he never answered the question, mostly because she was always so distracted by him that she never noticed the subject change. But this time, it seemed like he was more than willing to provide some more information about himself. “Depends. Of those that are still spoken today?” Katharine’s eyebrow rose in curiosity. She still had no clue how old he was, had no idea how many decades or centuries he had seen, but the fact that some languages he knew were not spoken any longer? There was a good chance it was plenty of centuries ago that he was born and made. “Varying dialects of forty two different languages.” Her other eyebrow rose to join the other in surprise as she leaned forward, placing her arms crossed on the table. “In total, I couldn't begin to count.” Shaking her head ever so slightly, a smile spread across her lips. “Merlin, that is amazing,” she muttered, her eyes still wide with fascination. “I didn’t realize anyone out there had the capacity for so many languages.”

And even though she was so fascinated, it only added fuel to the fire. She wanted to know more about him, to drink in all of the details and get to know the man sitting in front of her. But he was just so damn secretive. Yet he knew so many things about her, even one thing that no one with the exception of her parents knew about her. She should have guessed that he would smell the blood. It is in their nature to smell just the faintest scent of blood, after all. How could she imagine she could keep something like that from him? Had she been smart, she would have waited to go have some fun until after their dinner, until when it didn’t matter if she smelled like blood or not. But she wasn’t too upset that he smelled it, in fact not upset at all. More intrigued on if he was upset about it or not. Did he previously know about her recreational activities? Or was this a new revelation for him? It didn’t seem like it with how casually he was acting. Her response didn’t even entice anything more than just a smile out of him. But even the smile was enough to get her all giddy again. She loved seeing that smile, loved making him happy in any way she could. But why? She leaned back in her chair again, her wrists remaining on the table, crossed. He got her so worked up so easily. “You needn’t hide anything from me Kitten.” Kitten. That was a new one. She honestly wasn’t sure if she liked it or not, if it was a nickname she could get used to, but as he watched her, as she replayed the word in her head, she relished the way his mouth formed the nickname, and realized it didn’t matter what he called her. She would enjoy it either way.

”Please.” He didn’t have to ask twice. Her hand came up and grabbed the glass of wine, moving it towards her lips. She paused the glass just below her nose, taking in the scent of the wine. It smelled like most other wines to her. She was certainly not an aficionado by any means, so she didn’t linger long before allowing some of the liquid to flow through her lips. She savored the taste for just a moment before swallowing, and smiling. It was certainly a more decadent wine than she had ever had before, but that was probably because the wines she tended to drink came at small grocery stores and didn’t break one’s bank account. There was certainly a quality difference here. “Fantastic,” she mused, taking another sip before placing the glass down. She felt slightly odd, knowing that she was going to be eating and drinking while he was going to be doing very minimal of those activities, but that was alright. She could live with that. “Just the one woman?” Kitty pursed her lips for a moment before shrugging. “Today, yes. Just the one,” she replied, not bothering to elaborate. She was sure he knew just what she meant. This was not a one time occurrence, nor would it stop anytime soon. There was far too much enjoyment in what she did for her to stop. Though, that didn’t mean that if he asked, she would say no. Suddenly she wondered where the line would be. When would she say no to him? When he asked her to stop killing? Asked to tear into her? Asked to kill her? She wasn’t even sure if he would ever ask those questions, but what would she do if he did? Merlin, what would she do if he found out about her other addictions and tried to stop those? Something told her that wouldn’t go well. Just the thought caused her to raise her glass once more and take in some more of the contents. Once she set down the glass again, she crossed her wrists in her lap. “Why, were you hoping there were more?”

[Torsten]

“Merlin, that is amazing,” It really spoke to her nature that she found him so interesting. It really was something that she was still amazed by much at all in this world. He didn't have that same affinity, didn't et surprised by very much at all. It was one of those things that he did miss. It took something truly powerful, truly unique to stun him for even a moment. He supposed that he was jaded, in a way. Against the ways of the world. He had been alive for so very long, everything to have been seen...he had seen twice over. “I didn’t realize anyone out there had the capacity for so many languages.” Of two things, he was certain he still had, time, and his memory. Without the ability to age, becoming senile wasn't an option, the lessening or forgetful qualities that happened to overwhelm the brain as he got older, didn't happen. He was immune, had perfect clarity for all things. Sure, some of the less important things might have gotten forgotten on purpose. Removed in order to make space for more important things. Knowledge had been a pursuit for him so for many years, too important to be let go. Moving to the greatest colleges of study in any given era until he had no further use for them. Comparing actual fact with what they just had thought was fact and moving on, never correcting, never changing. Always headed toward the one, similar goal that he had held since his changing. No, the things he had learned on purpose, never would be forgotten. Just as he would never forget his mother tongue, the one he would speak to his wife him, the one he used to admonish his father, wouldn't even translate, wouldn't be comprehensible to her ears were to to speak in such a way to her. Still, he was glad to be able to surprise another person, one such as her to boot.

She was so eager to please, she was still so young, so new. Still just chomping at the bit for his attentions. She would learn that once he had them, he didn't lose them easily. He had no once left a task before he was ready to move on from it. It was his life's purpose after all. He could admire that she didn't need to be asked twice, that she didn't need to be pushed to do what he was asking of her, she simply just did it. Grabbing the wine and indulging. “Fantastic,” He hummed noncommittally in the back of his throat, watching the muscles of her throat swallow, the slight tightening of her skin around her mouth as she moved, learning. Always learning. Though, he was pleased that she liked it. “Today, yes. Just the one,” The way she said it interested him, sitting more properly in his chair, his spine elongating. She said it like it were nothing. Like the fact that she had taken another human life meant nothing to her, routine as brushing ones hair. The allusion to the fact that this was neither her first time, nor the last time that she would be doing such a thing, so...flippant in the way she didn't even meet his eyes when she said it. Compulsory? She offered no other information or help, he would just have to find out on his own then. How, interesting. This was the first thing that she had kept from him, the first thing that she was discussing that didn't have her bouncing out of her seat with anticipation. “Why, were you hoping there were more?” Was she...testing him? Again the faintest upward pull of his lips “I was hoping for nothing more, than to learn about your day, Kitten” working in the second use of the word. She was still not much better than a child, after all.

“I will admit to a certain curiosity,” he plucked the white linen from the table where it had been resting, running the fabric between his fingers before setting about folding it meticulously. “When did this sort of thing begin for you?” She would have been the first in his long line of companions that had taken a life before he had walked into their lives. Before he had given them a reason, needed to test their devotion. Even then, not all of them came to that. She was a first in that department for him, something he felt she might enjoy knowing just a little too much to tell her.