Griffith Park after Dark

[TRISTAN CARR]

But inside your heart it is black
and it's hollow and it's cold

[/color][/font][/right]

The moonlight cast beautiful shadows against her face, Tristan could appreciate that. He could even appreciate the way she slept with her lips slightly parted, breathing gently, with her chest rising and falling in slow movements that were somehow gracefull. He could appreciate the way her small body was curled up and without the cover of blankets made him want to move closer and hold her to him. But if he did that, he'd have to stay the night. And if he was still there in the morning, he'd have some explaining to do about the fact he would then be unable to leave the appartment, lest he explode into a pitiful pile of ash. And if he shared that little secret with her, she would think that made them closer. Connected. And then she would expect things Tristan couldn't give her. But of course, there was a much less sentimental, much more practical reason for leaving too. He was hungry, and the sound of her blood pumping through her jugular vein, just beneath that flimsy, creamy flesh was driving him crazy.

So instead of pulling her to him, either just to hold her and listen to her breething or to sink his fangs into that fragile neck of hers, he slowly eased himself out of her bed. He didn't need to worry too much about waking her. He'd tired her out pretty good and anyway, vampires tended to be very quiet. And graceful, although Tristan was a little bit unusually ungraceful for a vampire. As he dressed himself in the corner, he took a look around the girl's room. He hadn't taken much notice of it at first, being obviously distracted with other matters, but now he payed attention to every detail.

It was pink, which was off-putting. There was the occaisonal black accent piece, but for the most part, everything was pink. The bedsheets, the pillows, the walls, the carpets, the stuff-toys (what kind of twenty-year-old woman still had stuff toys?), the door, the desk, the closet, most of the clothes. Tristan shuddered a little bit and felt much better about leaving. Clearly this girl had an obsession problem. He finished pulling his shirt on and spent a moment straightening it and then his hair, trying to make it look a little less like he had been doing... well... exactly what he had been doing. Then he crossed to floor to the (pink) window sill and found the latch to open the window. He eased it open, praying it would creak. If she woke up now... well, really it wouldn't make much difference, he'd get out before she could even get out of bed, but still... it would make him feel like a little bit more of an asshole, which was how he already felt. Sort of.

But thankfully, the window did not creak and mere moments later Tristan was out of the Barbie room and on the street below. Ha! That would confuse her in the morning. The guy she'd taken home from the club the night before was gone and her 11th floor window was mysteriously wide open. Tristan chuckled a little to himself, imagining her confused face when she looked outside in the morning. He wondered if she'd be very upset. He doubted it. Afterall, she'd picked him up at a club. What had she expected? Marriage? He laughed. If she was upset, it was her fault for being unrealistic. Or that's what he told himself.

Seeing as the sun would be up in a few hours, Tristan decided his best bet now was to start heading home. He had time, but really, he'd already had his fun for the night. And getting home earlier was smarter these days. Hunters were more common in the hour or two leading up to sunrise, trying to catch all the vampires that were hurrying home. Not that all hunters were bad. The ones that picked sides, they were alright. They tended to work with vampires and were more pre-occupied with killing their opposition. It was the crazy ones who thought all campires should die that worried him. They didn't care if you were a fucking saint who just got unlucky. They'd hunt you down anyway.

But as he passed through Griffith Park, he decided that maybe it wouldn't hurt to stop for a bit. He had plently of time afterall, and he had always loved that park, ever since he got to LA. And he had a pack of smokes in his back pocket, and a smoke would be nice. It might help to relax him.

So, finding a nice grassy area, Tristan sat down on the dew covered grass and lit up a cigarette. Before he'd been bitten, he hadn't smoked. He'd started soon after coming to LA. He was fairly sure he wasn't addicted, he didn't really think the vampires could have addictions to anything other then blood. But he certainly smoked a lot. Not that it mattered, it wasn't like he could die from lung cancer. And there was something theriputic about it, about the simplicity of it. Tristan took a good long drag on his cigarette and fell back on to the grass, starring up at the stars. At some point, he'd known the names of the constellations, but now they were escaping him. He took another drag on the cigarette, closed his eyes and thought about how it was a shame he'd forgotten his iPod at home.[/size]

Status: Complete
Word Count: 913
Tag: Anyone
OOC notes: So... you can probably tell it's been awhile since I've done this. Sorry >.< I'll try to get better.[/blockquote]

[LANA TUCKER]

with a laugh like that
or a look like that
you make us all just go --

It was that time of the month. Or, it was getting close to that time of the month anyway. The pull of the moon was too much for the young werewolf pup; whenever it got to around three-fourths full, she had to transform or endure a night full of pain. And for Lana, she would much rather transform. She loved her wolf form, and since she couldn’t actually transform at will yet (at any point of the day or month for that matter) when she could, she took advantage of it. Still, she was bored with the Woodlands around Silas’s estate. She hadn’t explored it all, but she had explored enough… It couldn’t be that much different; it was a bunch of trees. So, she was taking a risk. Instead of the Woodlands, the pup had decided to run right in the middle of Los Angeles – Griffith Park. The park was known for its rugged nature - lots of trees and natural lands. Some areas weren't even maintained by the park service, except for cutting away brambles on the path. Most humans weren’t out after dark, though, so she didn’t really have to avoid anyone, but she still stuck to the trees. And there were still so many new and exciting smells! Except here, instead of deer, there were squirrels. She had tried one… too stringy. But the zoo… It had been hard not to break in there. The animals, even the predators, simply smelled like prey. They had been in cages too long, and while they were exactly tame, they were docile.

But breaking into the zoo and devouring the delicious smelling animals would have drawn too much attention and too much bad press. It wasn’t as if Metzger was getting great press, but some idiot humans had been stupid enough to believe that he was trying to control the supernatural forces so the world would be better for them. And breaking in the zoo and eating the precious little animals probably wouldn’t have gotten her master good press. So, with an annoyed growl, Lana had turned around and stalked back into the depths of the woods to look for something more substantial than squirrel. A little while later, she had managed to find a rabbit, but that had barely helped her bloodlust. As dawn neared and after a few more squirrel murders, just for the hell of it, Lana conceded that she would not find anything worth her while here; she would just have to stick to the Woodlands from now on. The park was too boring and filled with temptations.

Feeling slightly defeated and highly irritable, Lana loped back to where she had left her backpack. Since she hadn’t changed form in a normal area, the blonde had decided it was best to bring clothes. Although, she probably would have been able to hail any cab she wanted if she had just stalked out of the park naked. Nakedness didn’t necessarily bother her, but she realized it affected the humans. Once again with the drawing attention thing.

The change didn’t come naturally to the cub yet – it took longer and hurt more to change still. So, a few minutes after the bone popping, muscles shrinking, and hair receding process, Lana lay on the dewy grass still panting. Wincing, she pushed herself up and began to put her clothes back on. Feeling a trickle of something wet down the side of her face, she wiped her cheek and came away with blood. “Shit,” she muttered. She hadn’t realized anything had scratched her. Probably that last squirrel… he had been a vicious asshole. She hoped he didn’t have rabies. She already had lycanthropy, could she get rabies as well? Wasn’t that a pleasant thought? Quickly, she slipped her underwear, bra, and jeans on. It took a minute, but she found her shirt as well… She almost didn’t want to bother. Plenty of people walked around L.A. in less, didn’t they? With a scowl that turned into another wince, she slipped the shirt over her head. God, she was going to have bruises.

Throwing her backpack over her shoulder, she headed out to the pathway through the park, only to catch a whiff of something cold and almost metallic – her calm face automatically turned into a scowl. “Vampire,” she hissed. She could feel the wolf inside her stirring again, wanting to get out, to rip, to kill. Closing her eyes, she tried to regain control. This vampire could be on their side, and didn’t she get along with, live in a house filled with vampires? Still, her werewolf nature took control at random moments, but with her human brain, she realized that the vampire probably wasn’t a problem. And suddenly, she was curious. This vampire might be on a mission for Silas, or perhaps he was with the resistance – then she really could rip him to shreds. Either way, it ended up good for Lana.

Changing direction, she headed toward the vampire’s scent, and when he came into view (she saw him better than a normal human might, her wolf side had given her better night vision), she stopped in surprise. She had never seen him before. Hmm.

“Mind if I bum one of those?” she asked, tilting her head innocently and offering him a smile. Lana had never been much of a smoker, but the occasional cigarette wasn’t so bad. Perhaps she could get to know this rather attractive stranger that way. “Don’t worry,” she assured him. “I don’t mean any harm.” She wasn’t sure if he was one of those vampires who wanted to attack another werewolf on sight or not. It didn’t matter much that she didn’t mean any harm; if he meant it, she wouldn’t mind a fight, but she would rather get to know him, see whom he supported, and so on… Always on business, this pup.

word count: 942
status: complete
tag: tristan
ooc: hope this is okay! and please excuse any grammatical issues please, or character thingys... i'm still getting used to her.

[TRISTAN CARR]

But inside your heart it is black
and it's hollow and it's cold

[/color][/font][/right]

Opening his eyes and taking another drg on his cigarette, Tristan had another shot at naming a few of the constellations. It wasn't like he had anything else to do, and if he didn't occupy himself with something he just might fall asleep, and sleep until the sun rose and burned his body up into a little pile of ash. Not that it would have been particularily horrible, it would have been a quiet, peaceful exit from the eternity that lay before him. It was simply that he wasn't suicidal and wanted to keep living his un-life. But anyway, back to the stars. Above him there... wasn't that some sort of dipper? Big or small or something... and he could remember something about a belt... wasn't it Orion's? He frowned and brought his cigarette back up to his lips. Something about a bear...

It was the smell that cought Tristan's attention first. Wet dog. He wrinkled his nose and lowered his cigarette, slowly bringing himself back into a sitting position. A low snarl escaped his lips involuntarily. He didn't exactly have much against werewolves, although they did make him slightly uneasy. It was just an instictual response. He considered getting up... but then, there was a good chance the werewolf was just passing through. LA seemed to have become home for more and more of them lately. And even if it wasn't, it might not mean him any harm. Really, it would be more logicall to just go back to what he was doing, because it would make him seem unthreatening, and make the werewolf more likely to ignore him.

But as Tristan lay back down on the grass, he realized the werewolf wasn't leaving, and wasn't just passing through. In fact, he was fairly certain that the scent had gotten stronger. He frowned and had another pull on his cigarette. What did the werewolf want?

“Mind if I bum one of those?” Tristan sat up and looked around. The voice was a girl's, not far from him. It took him a moment to realize that this was the werewolf whos scent had reached him. He raised his eyebrows slightly. For a werewolf she was pretty good looking. “Don’t worry,” she said after a moment, almost as if to reassure him. “I don’t mean any harm.” Tristan smiled at her.

”Good. Neither do I.” He replied, and reached into the pocket of his jeans, trying to find the pack or cigarettes. He'd met a guy once who'd come over from England, somewhere south of London. Called cigarettes “Fags”. Just about got himself beaten up one night when he'd said “God, I could murder a fag.” by which he meant he was dying for a cigarette. Tristan found the pack and held it out to the strange girl. ”Help yourself.” He told her with the most charming smile he could manage. He waited for her to take the pack and then leaned back on his hands.

Tristan brought his cigarette back to his lips and took a long pull as he regarded this strange girl. She was really rather striking looking. Nice big eyes, full lips, good body. A slight smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, but he tried not to let it show. ”I suppose you'll be wanting a light?. From his back pocket, he pulled out a lighter. He considered just throwing it over to her, but decided he had a better idea. Instead he flicked it open and lit it, holding it slightly in front of him. The point was that she'd have to come and sit near him so he could light the cigarette for her. It wasn't just because he wanted to flirt, the flirting was just natural. It was because he was interested for some reason. He hadn't seen her before, and he wanted to get to know her. Besides, she must want some company, right? Weren't werewolves pack animals?[/size]

Status: Complete
Word Count: 661
OOC notes: Sorry it's not as long as yours. Muse is running a tiny bit low. Well... okay a lot low.[/blockquote]

[LANA TUCKER]

with a laugh like that
or a look like that
you make us all just go --

The first thing Lana noticed about the bloodsucker as he turned to face her was that he had a gorgeous smile. It was the kind of smile that would make girls melt, and by the smell of it, had already made one girl melt tonight. Smirking a little, she countered, “Then we’re in an accord. We’ll be helping inter-species relations tonight. I wonder if we have to fill out a form.” She reached out and gently took the pack from the vampire, taking one of the cigarettes out of it. “Thanks,” she replied, tossing the pack back at her companion. She put the cigarette in her mouth, and then realized she didn’t have a lighter. She didn’t smoke regularly, of course she wouldn’t have a lighter! Feeling a little stupid, she decided to act the exact opposite. As if she was waiting for him to realize that she was the damsel in distress and needed his lighter. Or something like that.

“Of course,” she replied with a smirk, expecting him to hand her the lighter, like he had the cigarette pack, but she was taken aback a little when he didn’t. Instead, she watched as he held the lighter a little in front of her, as if expecting her to come to him. Oh, he was smooth. Lana walked a little closer and then kneeled directly in front of him, putting her cigarette to her lips and keeping eye contact with him. She leaned forward, as he lit her cigarette for her, and then inhaled. “Thanks again,” she murmured, moving a little from where she was kneeling into a sitting position next to the vampire. She looked up at the stars, bright against the night’s sky. At least, they were here, where there were no lights nearby. Of course, the stars weren’t as bright to human eyes, or in other parts of the city. Griffith Park might actually be better than she thought after all. “Nice night, huh?”

Glancing over at her companion, she found that he was very attractive. She had seen him from far away, but that hadn’t really done him justice. And since she had approached him, she hadn’t really looked at him. He seemed tall, well-built, pretty eyes, angular face… Yeah, she definitely wasn’t wasting her time. It would be fun to talk to him, get to know him. Silas was her master and her current lover, but he had other… interests as well. And he didn’t expect her not to – and if he did, he was sorely mistaken. Lana wasn’t the type of girl who sat and waited around for a man. She could meet new, potentially interesting guys while he met other, stupid bimbos. The only way she knew Metzger had any taste was because he was interested in her. And thinking about that just put her in a bad mood. Instead, she turned back to her vampire companion. He was much more pleasing to think about, and he definitely deserved all of her attention. “I’m Lana, by the way. Lana Tucker, werewolf, but I guess you knew that already. The werewolf part, anyway. I’d be a little weirded out if you knew my name.” She took a drag of her cigarette, blowing the smoke up into the air above them. Putting one hand behind her to support her and holding the cigarette lazily in the other, she stretched out her legs and looked over at him, watching him a little more intently than she would most people she was having a casual cigarette in the park with.

“So, what brings you out here tonight? Smells like you’ve already had a full night,” Lana commented idly. She didn’t mean to make him feel awkward – she was just being blunt. It didn’t bother her, but if it made him squirm a little bit… Wasn’t that the point of banter style flirting?

word count: 658
status: complete
tag: tristan!
ooc: no biggie! my reply is about the same as yours.