One Jump Ahead

[Syani]

When Evangeline said she needs to sleep, wow she really does need some sleep. Syani can feel her legs starting to give out after a while since the vampire's head is on her lap while she sleeps. They've been talking for hours after they met in Iron-Maw, Evangeline seemingly have just woken up from a deep slumber with a seal on her neck. She fell asleep mid-speech, probably drained out of her energy.

It's nighttime now and Syani tries to make herself useful while waiting for her precious friend to wake up, by telekinetically planning and marking several spots on her mini Veyyard map. She thought that Evangeline might try to find someone else to take their blood, so Syani assumed Arthera is the best place to start. Arthera is filled with criminals and the likes, so perhaps lessening one of the problems is good?

After a while of planning, she did other things to pass the time, but Evangeline doesn't seem to wake up. It's been hours, and Syani finally felt hungry, and thirsty. Perhaps something fruity and fizzy would be nice, so she's starting to crave smoothies all of a sudden. After a few while, the half-vampire finally felt her magical energy restored.

Syani looked down at the tired Evangeline sleeping. She couldn't help smiling by how youthful and cute the vampire lord could be. "Okay Eva, let's go to the surface now..." She whispered quietly, slowly levitating the small-framed vampire with her telekinesis as she massages her legs and straightened them. After she's ready, Syani gently drops the vampire on her arms and focused herself on her magic.

Strong energy began to encircle her, and as quick as a flash, both of them are gone from the cave.

Loud whipping sounds could be heard the second her ears are no longer stinging after the transportation spell, but before she can register what the noises were, she has to check if Evangeline is still in one piece in her arms. Thankfully, she's still sleeping soundly. Heaving off a relieved sigh, Syani then checked around her.

Apparently, she transported right inside an abandoned building, the energy she emitted was so strong, it whipped the ragged curtains and the rickety bricks, thus was the sound she might have heard. It's a good thing Evangeline doesn't even weight much, so she doesn't need to use her telekinesis to lift her up, considering she just teleported and is low on her magic energy.

'I really want a smoothie so badly right now....'

Carrying the sleeping vampire out of the abandoned building, Syani then tries to identify her location so she could find the inn quick. True to her prior planning, she managed to locate one quickly, rented a room, leaves Evangeline there with a note at the sidetable in case she wakes up, and walked back outside to locate somewhere where they make smoothies.

"Bar has smoothies! Probably..." After making up her mind, the half-vampire sprinted over to the nearest bar, which happens to be 5 blocks away. Once arriving there, she's not surprised to see it packed. It smells funny too, but she wants smoothies and she will get a smoothie. Approaching the bar table after a bit of struggle to pass the crowd, it took her a while to get the bartender's attention.

"S'cuse me, do you have fruit smoothie?" She asked, to which the bartender nodded at and immediately began crushing some ice and fruits. Glad that she's going to get what she craves for, Syani then tries to find a bar seat, but all of them seems to be taken. 'Drat...' Sighing, she was just planning to get the smoothie to go and drink while walking around outside until someone caught her attention.

She doesn't know why, perhaps it's his aura... Of course, with her near nil magical powers, her aura-sensing ability is jammed up too, so she couldn't pinpoint why that man is different than the others in this building...

[Tag Evangeline, Clark, whoever's involved]

[NPC: Male]

Clark is slacking as usual, specially when now all of the assassin are now ordered to stand by. Despite how he is actually killing his time, he is actually thinking deep about their current target that is by far the hardest one. "Shawn, is she is too strong, or too much for you to handle?" Clark thinks as he drinks his beer inside the bar he just randomly visit. He then noticed a young lady is actually looking at him. It is Syani who tries to find her seat. "What a fine young lady, this should do it for today," Clark thinks as he glance at Syani's body from head to toe quickly without making it obvious. Clark are known to be a womanizer as he will at least will get laid one or two girls per day. Once he is done with them, he will suck their blood and erase their memory. Thou he is very picky and will not do it to the girls he already done with.

Clark then stood up from his seat before approaching Syani casually. "Oh my, why would a young flower visit this kind of place alone?" Clark bows elegantly to Syani with a gentleman-like-voice. "Waiting for your drinks? Here, take a sit," Clark look at the person who is sitting at a chair before using his vampiric power to control the mind of the person who is sitting there to stand up and leave the bar without making it obvious. "After you milady," he offers Syani to seat.

Clark did not notice that Syani is a half-vampire yet as he can't scent her smell due to the presence of lot of people inside the bar. Then again, in his mind, he just want to bring this girl to bed, naturally, or vampiric ways.

[Syani]

When the man she's staring at suddenly stood up from his seat, Syani immediately looked away, finally realizing that she's staring at him. 'Stupid! Stupid! Wow, this is awkward.' Just as she's about to sidle away from his sight, she can hear him greeting her. Syani squinted her eyes closed for a moment to swallow in the embarrassment, before turning to the man with a nervous laugh.

"I-I'm terribly sorry for staring, that was rude of me, ahaha...." He seems nice, she thought, but then again perhaps it's too early to assume that. When he offered a seat, Syani was just about to decline, since she did checked if there are any earlier, but then someone stood up from their seat and...left. Just like that. "Oh."

She doesn't want to be rude, so she nodded at him gratefully and took the seat. Though, before he can speak any more, the half-vampire quickly filled him in, "Um, if you want something from me, I really don't have anything in return. I don't even plan to...I don't know, do anything with you, so uh, yeah. Just noting you before you waste your time on me, sir." She nodded her head as politely as she can to him.

"Though, if you want to casually talk, I'm okay with that." And there it is, that smile on her face.

[NPC: Male]

"Curiosity is natural, I don't mind if a fine young lady like stares at me, it is not wrong," Clark smiles and talk in his usual gentlemen tone.

Clark was a bit surprised with how straight forward Syani is , but then again, it just makes him more interest in her. Then when Syani smiles at him, it makes him feel doubt in what he was trying to do. Fixing his mind, he tries to continue his persona and slowly tries to subdue Syani with his charm as smooth as he can. "Then we shall both have our casual talk then, oh and do not worry, I already had my drink just now," Clark gently fix his hair before continuing his talk.

"I'm curious in your presence here, I can tell that you are not a local from around here, may I know your motives?" Clark politely ask Syani in order to gain more info about her. This is one of his technique in order to subdue his pray. The longer the person spends time nearby him, he can use his vampiric power to slowly poison the mind, in other word silently seduce the prey. All of this came with tricks from words and eye contact. He doesn't plan to keep a long discussion, it was never his intention anyway.

[Syani]

Syani's smile grew wider when this stranger agreed to simply talk with her, it really looked like her eyes shone. "Okay!" She doesn't know why, but there must be a reason why she was staring at him earlier. A feeling, perhaps? There's just something about this man that specifically caught her attention.

Now, when he asked her a question, the half-vampire stared at him with wide eyes, and then breathed out, "...Wow." She laughed after that, explaining after she does in between her giggles, "Wow, you're one-of-a-kind, huh? Usually, people would ask of my name rather than my motive, so wow. That's pretty different, I'm impressed." The bartender approached her and hand her the glass of smoothie, so Syani happily thanked him and slides the money on the bar table.

Turning back to face this stranger, the raven-haired found herself staring at his face rather than answering him of his question. She quickly shook her head, wondering what's wrong with her, and attempted to answer, "Um...let's see... Well, I teleported here to make a map of the domain. But I ended up teleporting underground and met the most intriguing person there..."

Her thoughts goes straight to Eva, and she briefly wondered if the vampire lord is awake. "She's small and cute, but then I found out who she really is and now I'm trying to help her to get used to this place~!"

[NPC: Male]

"Aren't she's the cheerful type," Clark thoughts when he sees Syani's wide smile.

Shawn snickers when he hears Syani's words as she is impressed with his ways in doing the talks. "Thank you for your compliments," he gently nod his head. "Asking a person's name you just met in this place may get you in trouble, also it will be rude of me to actually ask the name of young lady like you. It is your choice to introduce yourself first hand. Ladies priority~" Clark continues with his gentleman style of speech.

Clark can see that his vampiric power are starting to work against Syani. Just as he wants to amplify the power, Syani suddenly answer his previous question regarding her motives in coming here. "Teleport? My, you aren't just a common young lady aren't you?,"Clark smirks. This interest him, he rarely able to meet anyone with magical power. This also might explained his sense earlier that this girl isn't one of the ordinary.

"Magician have more valuable blood, looks like I'm lucky today," Clark thought as he now thinks that Syani is good prey of his. Then he hear more explanation. "Small and cute? A she? Oh my, did she met a lost child inside a cave?" Clark looks at Syani's face with doubts. He thought that Syani was giving a kind of excuse or a lies so that he would stay away from her. But then again, he did not sense that this young lady tries to attempt any of that. "Then again, there are lots of unfortunate child in this country... I guess I should not take this girl with me, else the child might lost her only guardian in this unfortunate place," Clark gives out his long thoughts.

"You are very kind young lady, I guess I shouldn't take your time, the child might worries for you if you stay away from her too long in this place," Clark stands up calmly as he gently hold Syani's hand before gently kiss it. "My respect for your good nature in - " Clark body's froze as his eye's widen when he suddenly realized something about Syani. "A half-breed?!" he thoughts.

He then look at Syani's eye before starting to say something with lower voice so one but them can hear it. "You are vampire, and whats more, a half-breed aren't ya, young lady," Clark gave Syani a sharp smirk with a sharp glare before turning his eyes color to red color, similar to Evangeline as his ways to introduce himself. "My name is Edwin, Clark Edwin," as he finished his sentenced everyone else inside the bar collapse as their consciousness were taken away. This is the power of Vampire Lord. With Syani's hand still being hold by Clark, he then ask Syani one final question.

"Tell me, what is your name young miss?" Clark finally gave her his actual smile. A smile with murderous intent.

[Syani]

Syani is certainly starting to admire this man once he explained himself why he did not asked for her name instead, "That's... That's great, wow. You're great. I bet you're quite a hit with the ladies." She laughed in the end, a cheerful jump in her tone.

Though, once this man told her that the 'child' might worried, Syani blinked. There is quite a bit of truth in his words. If Evangeline were to wake up at an unfamiliar place without her around, she doubted it's going to end well... Slightly squinting at the thought, it took Syani by surprise when she realized this stranger is already up on his feet and had taken a hold of her hand. In reflex, her shoulders squared by the touch, not quite used to it.

Thus is why, when Clark suddenly spoke up, revealing her species, all Syani was able to do is to widen her eyes and gasp. Her spine felt like it was chilled the moment she could see, right in front of her eyes, how the color of this stranger's oculars changes into red. 'Oh crap. Crap. Crap. CRAP. VAMPIRE. CRAP.' Her mind goes into panic overdrive right in that moment, already fearing for her life being taken away tonight. However, the second when the man introduced himself, Syani's expression blanked out.

Her thoughts are directed straight into the books she used to read, about Lord Clark of the West, along with a similar book of the same publication, regarding Evangeline, the Princess of the Far East. Her thoughts then chained to Evangeline who she just met today, who told her more information of what happened in the Leith World. With all those going on in her head, Syani didn't seem to even realize the mass of people around them had fainted.

"AAAAAAAHHHH!!!" Syani screamed in the midst of Clark questioning her, but the scream is not out of fear, it's more out of surprise, along with her other hand pointing a finger at the man's face. "Lord Clark!!! THE Lord Clark..?! It's you! It's really you, oh my gosh wh--" Like with Evangeline, Syani reacted just as energetically, with shock and excitement. "Holy crap, talk about luck! I've just heard about you!! I didn't know you're here too--??"

Immediately, she clasped her mouth shut with her free hand, now wondering if Evangeline might even appreciate it if she were to tell this man that the ex-clan lord of the East is also here, heck she's just 5 blocks away, sleeping.

[NPC: Male]

Clark was furious, not because he felt disgust of Syani who is a half-breed, but because he thought that she do not show any respect towards a pure blood such as him. This kind of reaction is actually similar to how Evangeline reacts when Syani reject her offer to eat together with her. It is like a commoner refuse the offer of a royalty. Clark, realizing that he was unnecessary getting upset, stops his vampiric powers as he tries to calm himself. "I'm no longer a lord nor that she is lower kind than me," he thought.

As he tries to calm himself, the young half-breed whose hand were still hold by Clark suddenly screams. Clark did felt a sharp pain on his ear as the scream was kinda loud. He thought that the young half-breed freaks out. Well it should be natural for any half-breed to freak out whenever they met a pure-blood kin. He wanted to calm the young half-breed down as it is not his intention to get pissed off on her. It turns out that the scream was not in fear, but more like a scream of realization.

To his surprised, the young half-breed actually acts like a fan girl whom is getting excited on seeing him. Adding to his surprise, she knew his name and what's more, heard from someone. "You've heard of me?" Clark gets concerned with that facts. Who else will tell this half-breed anything about him, it should be kept in secrecy and he knew no one in his ex-country would dare to exposed it. He then remembers about this 'child' that this young half-breed are helping. Could it be her? But it is not possible, she should be somewhere far away. "From who do you heard about me?! The information was sworn for secrecy. Only by books will one knew about me!" Clark anxiously pull Syani's hand to getting his face near to Syani as his blood red eye stares directly on Syani's eye as he is very serious about it. "Answer me!" He has lost his cool.

[Syani]

Syani was already looking away from Clark to find any possible exits, and only then she realized everyone around them were knocked unconscious. "Wh--" Now certain that a lord is scarier than normal vampires, the raven-haired was already planning to teleport herself out on a roof or something, but then she remembered she doesn't have enough energy to. 'Argh! What now?'

It was then when the vampire lord spoke up in disbelief of her knowing about him. "W-well, yeah I read about you.." Syani mumbled uncertainly, until Clark heightens his voice. "I read about you!!" She answered with more force now. However, it certainly begins to scare her when he got closer and glaring daggers in her eyes, refusing to accept any wishy-washy answers.

"GAH! She's here, SHE'S HERE..!!" Unable to take being under the pressure of a possibly pissed off clan lord, Syani ducked herself from his gaze and yelled that out. She would've took the chance to slip by him and run, but there is no way she can outrun him when he's so focused on her at the moment. "I met Evangeline!" The half-vampire admitted, but the second she let that out, she's starting to regret that. "B-but I'm not telling you more, 'cuz she might not even want to see you, sorry!"

[NPC: Male]

Clark widens his eye when he heard Evangeline's name. "She's here?" Clark says in disbelief. Evangeline was supposed to be sent rather far away at the East side of the world. Was the teleportation spell was faulty? He then looks at the half-breed in case that if she was lying, no, he did not sense that she is making it up. The shocked is so great even for him, he was speechless as he slowly let go of Syani's hand as he sits down on nearby chair. His face were looking at the floor, trying to absorb the very fact, that Evangeline, the person he admired, the person he would call his rival, the person whom he failed to kill, the person whom he once fell in love.

Clark does not even know what are the feeling he felt now. Shock, sad,disbelief and confused altogether. Even so, he did felt... happy and relief, hearing that she is alive. He then broke from his trance when the half-breed mentioned that she won't be saying anymore about Evangeline.

"Oh really? I guess it's better that way, I also believe that I'm unable to face her now," Clark says in rather, a sad and depressed tone. Clark then look at Syani's eye. His eye were lifeless, as if he has no energy left. The shock took him pretty bad as it is. "So you are helping her am I right?" he ask as his face look curious as he looks at Syani. But he then remembers that the half-breed does not wish to say anything more than that, he decides to stop asking more. "Thank you... You may return to her side," Clark gave a soft smile, his actual honest smile as he looks back at the floor as he tries to re-adjust his emotions and feelings.

It is an unbelievable news for him. He don't know how to react to this, but right now... he can only tries to calm himself. "Evangeline, to think that you'll appear in my life again," he talk to himself as he laugh with low voice. He is not sure if he should feel sad or happy about this.

[Syani]

Even with Syani's faulty social cues, the half-vampire can at least tell how seemingly shocked the guy is. She blinked a couple of times, giving him a moment of silence to swallow all that in. Slightly worried of his wellbeing, scary or not, Syani meekly sidled back to the bar table and gently pushes her glass of fruit smoothie near Clark, "U-um... Are you okay...? Have a drink, it'll calm you down some.."

When the man spoke up in a familiar saddened tone, Syani stared at him curiously, then very slowly, sat back on her seat, facing Clark. While she doesn't fully understand the relationship the two of them share, she at least knows what happened, according to what Evangeline told her so far. He looks so down-spirited, she actually began to sympathize him.

"I'm trying to help her out because...well, you sealed her powers and stuff, so she's been sleeping a lot..." Syani admitted slowly, supporting a light smile to cheer up the dude. "But chin up, Lord Clark, she's still so passionate about certain things." Those things being, well, vampires. "Actually...do you still...like her?" The books never mentioned about this, so Syani's curious herself of his answer.

[NPC: Male]

Clark was so shocked and depressed that he did not even have the mood to drink something that Syani offer nor even able to give any reactions towards it. He just simply never expected this to even happened, not so quickly.

When the half-breed told her more about Evangeline, Clark raise his focus as he look at Syani with interest. It is true that he did seal her power, but that seal is only meant to seal one of he dreadful magic that destroy half of his country before. He then smile as the half-bred mentioned to him that Evangeline are still being herself despite what happened back then. Feeling happy as Syani glad to share some info about Evangeline to him, he then return the favor. "The seal was meant to stop her from using 'Subzero World Shatter' Magic. A dreadful and powerful magic that Freeze the entire continent with ease before shattering it down," Clark explains to Syani as he laugh a bit about it as he did witness it first hand and it is a real deal. "I bet that she drained almost every last of her vampiric power back then," he adds.

Clark eyes then widen a little when the half-breed ask him a simple yet quite sensitive question. He can only laugh a bit as he look at Syani while titling his head with pure amusement. "That was very direct young lady," he snickered as he then look up as he think about it. He then look at Syani's face again before replying. "My feeling for her never decays even after centuries since the time I met her," Clark said as his close his eye as he remember his past when he first met with Evangeline. "Love at first sight usually never works much do they?" Clark smiles as he ask the half-breed.

[Syani]

Syani has always been more on the blunt side, if not tactless. That personality still sticks to her ever since she was a child, adding to the annoyance of the people she speaks too. "Subzero...magic...?" She tilted her head at those words, clearly unfamiliar with it. "Well, that's quite destructive.."

That was the only blank comment she uttered about it. Logically, it's understandable why Clark has that sealed, for it to destroy in such a large scale. Perhaps it's for the best.

Syani stared at him silently once Clark admitted that he still does have feelings for her, her wide eyes scrutinizing him closely. "Well, I don't know if that's supposed to be a rhetorical question...but love is still love. It's genuine, whether it 'works' or not." She blinked at him, still staring at him like a child with eyes filled with wonder.

"Doesn't that feeling exceeds any other whatever the case?" Finally a small smile supported her lips, in contrast to Clark's sad one. "Thank you for telling me. I thought you treated her like a child, based on what she told me. So what you said kind of clears it."

[NPC: Male]

Clark stares at the young half-breed eyes as she answers his question with such focus. The words that she tells him has its truth in it. Clark rubs his face as he hears of Syani saying love exceed any other cases as he laugh a bit. But if only that thing is lot simpler.

He then look back at Syani's face she mentioned that he might have threat Eva like a child. "Really? Oh my, she sure is sensitive to the people who pats her head hmm?" Clark express his surprised. He only have a short conversation with Evangeline when he proposed her. That pats was merely his sign as he will back down from interfering with Evangeline and her lover before.

"I have a favor to ask you young lady. But before that, let us properly introduce ourselves this time," he paused as he fix his posture before he bows at Syani in gentleman's way. "My name is Clark Edwin. Pardon for the ruckus I've made before. I'm no longer a lord now so don't bother with the formality," he smiles as he looks at Syani. "May I kindly receive your name young lady,"

[Syani]

Syani gave the man a look that spells 'are you kidding me' at Clark's response of his head-patting gesture to Evangeline, "No offense, but do you not know it is an indication of endearment? Most often used to young children?" She only knows what the gesture means because she herself has been the target of such actions when she was younger. Sighing at the unending memory, the half-vampire leans an elbow on the table bar beside her and pulled back her fruit smoothie since Clark doesn't seem like he wanted it.

Her eyes flickered back to Clark though when he requested a favor from her, not before introducing himself. "Oh. You don't like "lord Clark"? Well how else can I call you? Mister Clark?" She pondered if it's even okay to call him by name when his status is so high up, especially in the terms of blood. Syani only called Evangeline by name because she specifically requested it.

The half-vampire recalled the book she read about him, on how he steps off his throne and the reason behind it. A sad expression passed her face, inwardly empathizing the lord since the same happened to her when she thought she finally belonged somewhere, only to be driven away. "My name is Syani," she said, slowly lifting her eyes to meet his gaze. "Pleasure to meet you in the flesh, sir."