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[vamp]

The best part about cities was that no one really cared what happened to a single person. Every day people roamed the streets, each one intent on their own lives, their own troubles. In a city of this size, people really didn't care what happened to single people. Really, it didn't concern you.

Of course, if you killed someone, or several someones, you were sure to cause problems.

The vampiress calling herself Sophia found feeding to be semi-easy anymore. Her Gift allowed her to see into the minds of the poor humans, and she was then able to prey on their fears and troubles. This made it easy for her to simply select a weak one, one with too many doubts or fears. Then you just separated them from the herd.

There were always alleys in big cities.

Sophia fed on a poor man who'd just come off a late shift. He'd been tired, exhausted almost, wanting nothing more than to head back to his small, cramped apartment. It had been almost too easy to lure him into the alley, and then feed from his delicious blood.

Once she'd taken her fill, the vampiress dropped the man. He'd be anemic for a while, woozy and disoriented. But he wouldn't die. The vampiress stepped from the alley, her tongue snaking out to flick a spare drop of blood from her lips.

Another victim, perhaps?

[lis]

Lisette gasped.

"Ryon!"

Where was he? They had agreed to meet here, in this very spot. She needed him. Like, really needed him. The pretty demoness was using all her strength to stand upright. She hadn't fed for a very long time - well, a long time for her. Three days was stretching it - feeding off of Ryon was her way of staying linked to this world. And he was the reason she wanted to stay. She loved him, even if he was twenty-seven minutes later for their 'appointment'.

She didn't like feeding off of anyone but Ryon. They'd made a pact, and had come to an agreement that she would feed from him to sustain herself. She just needed a little bit... something to help her Legion stay intact. And she could already feel it draining from her.

Lisette saw a very pretty woman exit an alley. She could smell the blood on her lips. What sort of monster was she? Lisette fed, yes, but not off blood. The thought was unpleasant and made her feel queasy. Ryon and her simply... uhm... well, they found a nice cozy spot to ehm...

Anyway. She felt absolutely no energy exuding from the woman. It was like she wasn't even alive. Lisette shuddered. What animated creature didn't even have a heartbeat? Lisette felt colder and weaker just thinking about her proximity to the life-sucking beast. Oryon would probably find her quite attractive.

Whimpering, Lisette clung to the corner she was standing on, searching the streets frantically for her tall, dark, and handsome dragon.

[vamp]

The barrage of confused thoughts incited the vampiress as she exited the alley. People with thoughts such as those made for good prey, easy to savor mentally as much as they were physically. After so many centuries of blind feeding, Sophia enjoyed the occasional change of pace.

However, those thoughts also offered something quite unique. Whomever it was wanted to feed worse than Sophia had. Desperation hung on the edges of those thoughts, clawing its way into each and every word. Sophia understood desperation, and felt a moment of empathy for the poor woman.

Yes, a woman. The thoughts would have been sufficient enough to confirm this, but Sophia could actually see the person in question. Near the street, looking as nervous as her thoughts entailed. Again, Sophia's tongue snaked out to prod her fangs, willing them to sink further in. Of course, they were as disobedient as ever.

Sophia spun her consciousness out, looking for possible prey for the desperate soul. A small twinge responded, and Sophia urged the prey forward.

Soon, a small, grubby girl would turn the corner, nearly bumping directly into fretful woman.

This should be... entertaining.

[lis]

Lisette moaned softly. The closeness of the girl was intoxicating, and it took every ounce of her self-control to not reach out and grab her.

Instead she stuck out her hand for the smaller girl to take.

"Hello, my name iz Lisette," her French accent weighed heavily on her words. She just needed a boost, something to keep her sated until Ryon eventually showed up. A simple handshake would suffice, wouldn't it?

Lisette's worries about the vampiress vanished, not suspecting foul play in the slightest with her fortune in finding the girl. The French woman's pretty smile was open and welcoming, not in the least frantic and desperate.

[vamp]

The interaction amused Sophia, and she moved closer to it, intrigued. She'd seen demons feed before, and it looked like this woman was one of that unique race. A rather striking member, for that matter, and Sophia wondered if the woman didn't have that as her aspect.

It mattered little, this still looked to be a bit of an ethical dilemma for the woman, and she'd settled it with a handshake. The question would then be how much her Legion would settle for. How much lifeforce would it drain from the innocent.

Sophia shifted her position, watching as the girl looked up at the woman with nervous eyes. The hand looked to be offered in friendship, but years of living on the streets had hardened the girl. She initially backed away, staring up at the French woman.

Eventually the girl hesitantly extended a hand, sliding it toward Lisette, her mouth opened in greeting.

And now the fun would begin.

[lis]

Lisette grew even more anxious when the seasoned street girl hesitated. What if she didn't take her hand? She couldn't flat-out attack someone; that would hardly be conspicuous, and it was against every single one of her morals. She would sooner banish herself to the demon realm than force herself upon an unwilling victm.

Lisette greeted the girl warmly when she took her hand though, and the siphon happened the instant their hands made contact. Lisette made sure not to take too much, nor let her hand linger for longer than was socially acceptable. The young French woman pulled her hand back, feeling just a little bit better, and she became a little more aware. She looked up and saw Sophia standing right where she had been before. Then, looking from the girl who'd just livened her Legion, Lisette's brain slowly put the pieces together. You could practically hear the click in her head when she figured it out.

"You are very preety," Lisette cooed to the girl, giving the girl her complete attention. She wanted to thank the woman somehow for helping her, even though she was horrified at what she was and what she could do. "Do you see zat woman with ze dark 'air?" the pretty demon asked, motioning across the street to Sophia.

"She iz a model scout. She iz looking for young girls like you who have never modeled before," Lisette explained, "She will show you ze studio. Oh, it costs nuzzing," she assured her when the look of a skeptic crossed her face, "it iz non-profit."

Lisette stood back, looking over to Sophia. Maybe she would somehow know what Lisette was trying to do. She didn't want any harm to come to the girl, but she was also indebted to the scary vampiress.

[vamp]

The kindness the demon showed caught Sophia by surprise. Too many centuries of cruelty had hardened the vampiress, and she fully expected everyone to be similar to herself. One would think that enough time with Kennedy Cavan would have broke her of that illusion, but alas, some things are hard to let go of.

She resisted the desire to urge Lisette to drink more deeply. Sophia herself never fully drained her targets, feeling at least some sympathy for them. And something about urchins struck at Sophia's core. Once you wallowed in the filth of poverty you always smelled slightly of it.

There appeared little reason to continue to hide, and Sophia walked forward now, a smile plastered to her lips. She raised one hand and wiggled a few fingers at the girl.

Time to put on a mask.

"Indeed," Sophia thickened her Grecian accent, figuring that would help, "I can help you."

The question now became, did Sophia actually help the girl? Or finish the job Lisette had started? Well, there was always one way to handle this. Sophia waved her hand over the girl's eyes, mentally shutting her down. Then, she turned her eyes on the demoness.

"What would you have me do? Dispose of your leftovers?"

[lis]

Lisette grew anxious when Sophia approached. Then she fell witness to the extent of Sophia's powers. She shuddered when she stared into the young girl's blank eyes.

"No no," Lisette pleaded, fearing the other woman had taken offense, "please do not 'arm 'er," her accent thickened the more panicked she became, "I just wanted to zay merci, thank you, for what you did."

The beautiful demon shivered again, the proximity to the Legionless creature in front of her was so unnerving. Hesitantly Lisette reached forward and touched the mentally inept girl, taking just a little more energy before she withdrew her hand. To the public it would appear that she had tried to take her temperature, making sure the frozen mannequin was alright. It didn't garner any attention, the touch was casual enough to pass as normal.

Not nearly sated enough, but not wanting to feed off anyone else until her lover arrived, Lisette decided it would be best to try and stay on the good side of the powerful vampire with her. She offered a tentative smile, the fear not leaving her eyes.

"You are very strong," she commented, the awe and curiosity not hidden from her voice.

[vamp]

Thick accents made for poor conversation, in Sophia's mind. Besides, the vampiress had picked up the French tongue centuries ago, and saw little reason not to speak it with the native.

"Nous devons faire quelque chose avec la fille, je ne suis pas ce qui vous m'a prétendu être, et simplement ne peux pas faire ce que vous avez demandé*," the French words tumbled out of Sophia's mouth, and she waved to the girl as she mentioned her.

Then she smiled, watching as Lisette took a shot of lifeforce from the waif. Clearly the proximity of the vampiress unnerved the demon. This proved quite amusing to Sophia, as she was not certain herself where the power lay. Demons could easily overwhelm her, were they old enough, or well trained.

"Si vous continuez à faire cela, ce ne sera une issue plus,**" Sophia nodded to the girl, then crossed her arms over her chest, arching her eyebrows. She studied the demoness once again, trying to read her. The thoughts were a disorganized mess, mostly focusing on an apparent lover. Knowing this sent a surge of jealous coursing through Sophia, but she fought against the feeling.

"Je suis quelque peu fort, oui. Mais je n'ai aucune querelle avec vous. Tant que vous ne prévoyez pas sur interférer moi ou mes plans. Après tout,***" Sophia smiled, "vous êtes impressionnant, ne fût-ce que pour votre volonté.****"

*We must do something with the girl, I am not what you claimed me to be, and simply cannot do what you asked
**If you keep doing that, it will be an issue no longer.
***I am somewhat strong, yes. But I have no quarrel with you. As long as you do not plan on interfering with me or my plans. After all,
****you are impressive, if only for your willpower.

[lis]

_{I can't speak French to save my life, and Freetranslation is being a bitch.}

It was with reservations, the relief that passed over Lisette when her native tongue serenaded her.

"I will not harm her," Lisette replied, worry creasing her brow, "can we not just let her go?"

She didn't reply to her when she commented on her taking more energy. She was right, and Lisette pulled back a safe distance from the human. As she talked of her strength, Lisette nodded her understanding.

"I do not know of your plans, but I shan't interfere. You needn't worry," Lisette assured, her thoughts flicking back to Oryon. Where was he? Something terrible must have happened for him to be an entire half hour late. She couldn't even take the compliment Sophia offered - Lisette was accustomed to her self-control. It wasn't a strength or a gift of any kind, it was something that came with much practice. Three years living in this world gave her plenty experience. She knew how to feed and not kill. It was just difficult to pull away when the Legion she needed to sustain her was right in front of her.

"Please, can we let her go?"

[vamp]

The love she felt for this man was both galling and admirable. It made Sophia want to vomit as though the act of expulsion could rid the vampiress of poor memories. Regardless, it bought even more favor for the demoness in Sophia's eyes. Enough to actually curry aid from the oddly powerful being.

First, Sophia gestured with her hand, and money appeared. Naturally she always carried such things, and they were petty when you had eternity to spend it. She stepped toward the unconscious girl, and tucked several bills into a ragged pocket. Then she picked up the body, grunting.

"We should find a room for her," Sophia suggested, again speaking Lisette's native tongue, "then we must find your man. I do this only because you intrigue me, demoness. Not out of some misplaced sense of charity.

Sophia narrowed her golden-brown eyes at the woman, daring her to argue. She then took a few steps down the street, only to pause for Lisette.

[lis]

Lisette's eyes widened. Sophia lifting the girl in public was eye-catching and attention-grabbing. Lisette quickly looped one of the girl's arms over her shoulder to share the weight, careful to avoid skin/skin contact.

"I understand," She replied, hurrying the girl down the street with the vampire. It unnerved her that Sophia could read her mind - she hadn't meant to give Oryon away in her thoughts. She busied herself with dissheveled thoughts of hiding the unconscious girl.

"There is a school down this road," Lisette offered, having seen the high school on her way to meet her husband. "There would be a nurse's office?" That would take too long. Lisette couldn't stray far - what if Oryon arrived and she wasn't there? He would worry that she had moved back to her own world from weakness. "Or a restroom."

She was normally more compassionate, but these were desperate times. She had to find Ryon.

[vamp]

"There should be a hotel located nearby," Sophia said. Her eyes quickly scanned the streets, searching for possibilities. St. Louis was large, of course, and therefore likely to have several places to stay. However, most of them would not be in the section of town the two women found themselves in. Sighing, Sophia shook her head, turning back to Lisette.

"Come, we must hurry. I think there is one a few blocks down. Then we shall find your man," Sophia started walking. Yes, it might be awkward if someone saw her carrying a girl without struggling much. But they would only suspect that Sophia was stronger than she looked. After all, homeless waifs were not heavyweights.

"When he comes close, I will know. There are a few minds nearby, but known are thinking your name or of someone such as yourself," Sophia again glanced at the woman, "so, are you as compassionate as you'd like to believe? Or are you selfish enough to simply wait?"

[lis]

The hotel sounded like a much more discrete way of depositing the inanimate girl they carried. Lisette could feel herself getting weaker, and although Sophia was doing all the carrying, walking was becoming quite the chore for the French demon.

With one frantic hand she pushed a tear off her tan cheek as they hurried. Why wasn't Oryon here? He was never late! She felt like weeping, she was so distraught. Returning to him would be difficult if she dissolved back into her world. He was not only the creature that provided her with the service she needed to stay in this realm, but he was also her lover. The love of her life. And no other man could meet the challenges he faced on a nightly basis - no other man could endure as much as he. Lisette would never be able to find an alternative like him who fed her so readily and so confidently. He was like a buffet for her, while these passerbys were quick snacks. The contact of Lisette's hand on the homeless woman's skin zapped some life into her, and it took all her power to shift her hold to the girl's clothes so she wouldn't accidentally (or be tempted to) brush against her again.

When Sophia spoke about Oryon, she nodded. Trust was a difficult thing, but in this situation it was all she found she could do. When the vampiress challenged her compassion, Lisette urged enough energy to scowl.

"I am not a lowly bottomfeeder. I clean my messes always. We do this first. Then I will find my man."

Although genuinely afraid of this woman and her lack of life, Lisette could still tell her when offense was taken. She was no ordinary demoness - she did not wreck havoc over the grounds she walked upon like others. She did not trick and play and torment those with the Legion to sustain her. She had morals and values she stuck to faithfully, and she only strayed when absolutely necessary.

And look where 'absolutely necessary' had brought her. Walking down the streets with a vampire and an unconscious human carried between them.

[vamp]

It was Lisette's conviction that had won Sophia. The vampiress could not stand society as a whole, and generally found people disgusting. But every once in a while there would be a person like this, a bright spot in the dismal canvas. Oddly enough, Lisette reminded Sophia of Kennedy. Loyal to the end.

"Leave the girl to me, demon," insisted Sophia. She continued carrying the unconscious body by herself. It was no struggle for her, after all. Besides, she was beginning to want a claim on it herself. The flowing blood beneath her touch was appealing. "And you should be afraid of me. It's the right mindset to have."

Sophia sped up a little then, taking the lead. The streets were familiar to her, having traveled them often enough in search of prey. Besides, Sophia did know the location of the hotel. Soon enough she arrived at it, and then dumped the girl toward Lisette.

"I must prepare," was all Sophia said. She then darted inside, using her wiles, charms, and ancient Gift on the poor clerks inside...