MIDNIGHT SNACK; gabriel & aleksandra
Sansoria was in shambles; that seemed to be the most prominent thought to run and beat itself through Gabriel’s mind these days. Thoughts of war and destruction—of forced servitude in an army and the increased risks of injury and death—ran rampant through the centuries old vampire’s mind, dominating his thoughts and pulsating through his veins with every breath he took and movement he made. War seemed to define him; it was the very principles upon which his human and early immortal life had been founded on; it was in the whispers of his former mortality and the rebirth of who he had become. And just when he thought he’d escaped the triviality of war and conflict and everything that stemmed from it…Sansoria had thrown him for a bit of a curve ball. And, unable to do anything but succumb to the turmoil of a country that was not exactly his own, Gabriel was stuck. Lost.
Like a bug underneath a magnifying glass; like a butterfly trapped inside a box.
At the very least, Gabriel could take some relief in the knowledge that he was fairly far up the food chain as far as supernaturals (and even mortals) went. His predatory skills as well as his enhanced senses, stealth, and increased abilities made him one hell of a force to be reckoned with, and so Gabriel felt little to no risk walking about the forest or outskirts late at night. It was highly unlikely that one of his own would attack him, unless it happened to be a vampire gone rogue, or that a Fallen Angel would choose to prey upon him (doing so would be a direct violation of the treaty that their species had drawn up with his own and would surely spark a war and revolution between their own alliance…something neither side could afford to sacrifice). Humans certainly couldn’t take him on, and he viewed faeries and nymphs as relatively harmless. In his own opinion, werewolves and Angels of Lights were his only real competition…and they didn’t seem to be anywhere within the perimeter this weekend.
So he walked the grounds the same as he had done for many days since the portal had closed; he walked with no clear destination in mind…just a seemingly endless journey into God only knew where. Perhaps he’d visit the clearing he stumbled across Sophia the Nymph in and would find her bathing once more…or maybe he’d venture down an entirely different path that would lead him to an edge of civilization he hadn’t been aware of before. Whatever the case, Gabriel simply allowed his feet to lead him in whatever direction seemed most appealing. He wasn’t too keen on pinpointing where he wanted to go and how quickly he wanted to get there; he was just trying to enjoy some time spent alone. Seems there wasn’t too much of that these days…unfortunately.
It was approximately twenty minutes into his walk that Gabriel sensed something was off; like he wasn’t quite alone. And that scent…so familiar, yet so unique…it set him off; it confused Gabriel. Stiffening from head to toe, his eyes scanned the treeline, looking for anyone lurking out there in the dark. As his gaze roved over the entire area, he barked out—
"Who’s there? You can’t hide from me forever, you know."
The more she hid and run, the more she knew she was absolutely alone. The pain would afflict her, a pain whose roots she couldn't cut off from the depths of her ocean heart. But it was naked to the eye - to the human eye, at least. When they would look at her, all they saw was a life void of purpose, stoic and numbed out, a black canvas ripped apart and thrown away for one too many times.
She could've run away, too. She could have let the lonesome figure all by itself in the woods and find another way to feed herself; preying on the weak was easy, and the last thing she needed was another fight with a stranger whose intentions she did not know.
His scent hung in the air. Mild, but still intoxicating as ever. There was something aloof about the way he spoke, like he wasn't intimidated by her. Well, he should be. But why wasn't he?
She pulled the branches away, slowly revealing herself out of the woods and trees and whatever cover she had held onto. You could see the dirt filled base of her dress, and much ashamedly so, she tried to brush it off, with a nonchalant expression hiding a certain arrogance.
"I thought I would have scared you away", Aleksandra confessed. "I was out for -- some fresh air, and... Blood." She raised an eyebrow, looking away as if the word was dirty. She felt filthy, for some reason which she did not know. The best thing Aleksandra could've been was a beautiful little naive girl, wandering out and about, lost inside her mind. But she was no sheep. She was a wolf inside a woman's body, hunger and desperate, vengeful and lonesome and all of the painful things one would never want to be. What an irony that someone so beautiful could be so.. Haunted.
"You didn't follow after me, did you? I wouldn't recommend it. It may sound fun to chase after a pretty little dress, but I am no lady and I wouldn't be flattered at the thought of a gentleman prying into someone else's business. Do you understand that?" She tilted her head to the side, traipsing over the leaves and closer to his moonlit features, glaring into his eyes. He seemed to be a lot hungrier than her, though Aleksandra was more pale and weakened by the bloodthirst. She was able to recognize him from the nights before, when they had briefly shared a conversation, though she didn't expect to see him again. It was probably wise not to have attacked him, for Alek recalled that there was a particular hint of darkness over him, like a black wave of ruthlessness that wasn't found in most vampires.
Gabriel. That was his name. It hit her how ironic it was that such a devilish man could have the name of an angelic creature. Well, even Lucifer himself had been an angel once, hadn't he? It was just a matter of time until all creatures and men alike turned corrupt and selfish, she was just waiting for the time for them to reveal their true, wicked self. By this point, nothing truly surprised her anymore.
