“ kate ? “ tanya had merely been passing by, when she had heard the voice of her sister. it’s a surprised look on the brunette’s features, unsure what kate is up to and she isn’t sure she wants to know. it’s a curious glance but despite that she doesn’t say anything. “ busy i take it ? “
“tanya-” she’s like a child who has been caught be a strict parent ; spinning around to face her elder with no real SHAME to her expression, but a great degree of sheepishness to the fold of her arms over her chest and the way in which she looks to her. obviously she is doing something nobody would approve of. obviously, she is not HAPPY to have been caught by their leader. “i’m simply admiring the city. the... architecture.”
It was surprisingly easy to approach the Denali woman without being noticed and Sulpicia found that to be quite amusing. So focused on the hotel and yet a Volturi had come up right to her and she still didn’t see. The apology made her giggle lightly and she cocked her head in curiosity. “I agree that you should,” Sulpicia offered upon hearing the next words spoken. “Don’t fret I won’t tell anyone you let down your guard. Just be nice and keep the zapping to yourself. I mean you no harm. I swear that on my own undead life as well as those in the building whom I call my family.”
her reaction to the other was INSTANTANEOUS ; only for the fact that kate had already taken a step backwards, the electric current that ran across her skin could have done REAL damage. she doesn’t spare much of a thought to the consequences that would have rained down upon her - lifting her chin upwards as her expression turns to stone. “or perhaps i didn’t sense any danger,” a pointed comment ; the wives were no real threat, so far as she was concerned. “you might forgive me for not taking you at your word. i’ve never been given much reason to TRUST you and yours.”
she had taken to watching the vittoria. the when was hard to say ; she didn’t recall the first moment she had CONSCIOUSLY thought to divert towards the volturi’s hotel, only that it had become habit over the course of a fortnight. her sisters, she imagined, would not be best PLEASED ( and she could not imagine trying to explain it to them ) - but kate felt it... necessary. she had not felt peace within the armory of her soul since the night that they had ARRIVED, but keeping an eye upon them made her feel... better. a full takeout cup of coffee that had gone ice cold clutched in one hand, she’s only SHOOK from her reverie by the fact that she is somehow in somebodys way ; her glassy eyes missing them completely as she tries to step this way and that to move from it. “my apologies,” her coffee arm is jostled, but she isn’t concerned about the liquid hurting them ( unless they are susceptible to the cold ), “my fault. i should pay more attention-”
It was a foolish choice.What was he doing? Why was he here? The last time Marcus had seen a moving picture was eighty some years ago. Casablanca. It was alright. Not enough to inspire a love of cinema. And yet, here he was. Outside the theater. Since seeing her he had been feeling quite unlike himself. Disoriented. Their time in Seattle was indefinitely extended and quite frankly he did not care for it. He wished to go home, he wished to forget this city, forget what he had seen. He craved a distraction, a first for him.
So there he was. Standing in front of the ticket booth, realizing that there were multiple pictures playing and that he hadn’t the faintest idea what they were each about. He also realized that he did not have any form of payment….there were ways around this, but he felt that a day embracing his ‘humanity’ might enhance the quality and length of this distraction. He reached out for the arm of a passerby, grasping it as gently as he could. “Hello. Do you know anything about these films?” He gestured towards the marquee with the showtimes. “Also, may I have some money. For the film.” It was worth a shot. “Please.”
the faces of the volturi were seared into kate’s mind. she could live a thousand more years ; it did not matter how much time passed, or how much DISTANCE remained between her and them as it did - she would always remember the trio and their guard and the look in aro’s eyes, especially, as her mother BURNED. faces were not a problem. stature, scent, both WERE ; she could draw them from memory with perfect detail, but they still had the power to sneak up upon her, such as marcus did.
alright, so he didn’t sneak up upon her as much as she stumbled upon him in this MOMENT, hand grasping the upper arm of another ( a human, she did not need to be any closer to know that much ). he seemed innocent enough, and yet, she could not trust that he was. the volturi were not innocent, in kate’s eyes ; they did not do such things without reason. a part of her wished to flee, but the desire to spare this poor human whatever their fate was won out.
to approach and to overhear that he was simply wanting access to the theater...- kate could be forgiven, she felt, for not BELIEVING. “forgive him. he’s older than he looks, and behind on the times. i will take care of this,” a kindly smile for the human alone, and then she gestured them on their way ; twisting around to face marcus, her expression... as neutral as it could be made. “have you forgotten yourself, marcus? the humans will notice you feeding inside of their cinema.”
SWEETHEART. did your muse have a childhood sweetheart?
no. outside of her family and to her lady, kate never really experienced love in her human life. that isn’t that much of a tragedy to her, given that it was simply… the time, and her role. she didn’t and has never felt as if she missed out on something.
HEART. is your muse quick or slow to give their heart away?
in a complete sense? slow, i imagine. but i would argue that kate has given a tiny bit of her heart to everyone she’s been involved with, over the years ; she’s just always entered into her dalliances with the belief that it will be short lived, which has made it easy to make it so.
AFFECTION. how does your muse show affection?
badly. kate is not… good, at that. she doesn’t get much out of hugs or from hand holding, and even a kiss to the top of her head means… so little. anyone involved with her would have to be comfortable enough with her distance, at times ; though kate would appreciate them being there, when eventually she needs to just… collapse into their arms for a time. it’s hard being the pillar of strength she’s turned herself into.
DATE. what is your muse’s ideal date? where / who with / etc?
she’s sort of… done it all, at this point, so i think it would be difficult to find anything overly DATE LIKE that kate would even mildly appreciate. you’d have to go back to her human life, to find something that would really pull at her heartstrings ; maybe a human trek into some new wilderness in the dead of night, only to end in a clearing and look to the STARS or… end somewhere ELSE and see something stunning. the journey would be nice, but it’s seeing something different ( something new ) that would really impress her.
ODE. does your muse have a way with words?
in… a sense, probably. she’s been alive for the better part of a thousand years. she was pals with shakespeare. i think it’d be pretty dumb if she hadn’t picked a couple things up along the way, but i think that most of the things she could or would say in such a sense would be… empty, because they would be for show. kate, herself, is not a WORDY person. for it to mean something it would have to come from her heart, and i don’t think she has the best way with words when it is such a case.
WEDDING. would your muse get married? why / why not?
no. i don’t think that kate is the sort of person who feels the need to commit herself to another in such a way, and that’s okay. the big white wedding dress and huge event is not for her ; even the exchanging of vows in a simple setting seems SILLY. if she chooses to commit herself to someone, then that is, in itself, world changing. it says something, and she doesn’t think that the rings will be needed to prove that.
“ a little yeah. “ laughter falls from tati’s lips, but she knew BETTER to ask what age someone was. but if anyone asked her that was another thing. the brunette wouldn’t have minded at all, but than again she kind of figured anyone could guess she was young. she had that young kind of spirit, the same kind she had as a human. “ me too, but even i have a few things i haven’t done either. so don’t worry i’m not judging. “ it’s a reassured look, could anyone blame a girl for not wanting to ruin what could be a friendship with another vampire like herself ? it wasn’t like she knew a lot of people like herself. “ there you go ! yes we must. there is nothing like the view, that i can promise. “ at that she offers her arm to kate, a wide smile across her features.
“i’m the better part of a thousand years old,” that wasn’t even impressive, really ; not when compared to the ELDERS of their kind. and sometimes it felt like nothing - like just yesterday, she was a warrior fighting for honor, for her lady. that she was a human, and destined for... dust, and to be forgotten. other times it felt like an incredibly long time, and kate was not sure which was worse. “you can judge. i won’t be offended,” she took so many things to heart, but this was special permission to the other. she really meant that she WOULDN’T mind. hesitant, but not cautious, she took the others arm ; her smile quite small, still, but very genuine. “perhaps i need you to sell ALL my new life experiences to me. you seem to be a very good...- what’s the term? hypewoman?”
Irina wasn’t nearly as quick to question humans and their means of dealings but she did understand Kate’s confusion with the current situation. It didn’t help that the Volturi had shown up at just the right moment to change the tides of chaos or so they said. Nothing about Seattle was normal at the moment. Still listening in to her sister and seeing her revulsion she linked her arm through Kate’s. “I, my darling sister am not here to be bribed by anyone. I’m here to see if perhaps we can help keep more humans from disappearing. Sitting out of the events that seem to have ulterior motives is not the way to assist if that is what we mean to do. We must be just as much a part of this as anyone else.”
“what exactly do you think is going to happen here, irina?” it was a WONDER that she even allowed the other to link up with her, and a true testament to how much she loved her SISTERS, no matter what other emotions were at play. kate was not a touchy feely sort of person. she did not abide by others invading her, as the kids called it, PERSONAL bubble. few would be allowed do such a thing without the kind of shock that they would not forget too quickly, and irina, it appeared, was one. “someone will come along and look suspicious, and you’ll stop them before they steal away another human? this is too public a place for someone to... make a move.”
coming to seattle had been a deliberate thought. he’s been a nomad for centuries all due to how much easier it was to delete a trace when you’re going solo through the world. that didn’t mean he didn’t keep the doors open for new exciting experiences… and what could be more exciting than word of an upcoming battle? nothing, as far as the thrill-seeking garrett was concerned. it was simply the obvious choice. not only that but, he could visit one of his oldest friends too. the decision wasn’t a difficult one to make.
he had been looking through the booths, making his way through the crowd and admiring the winter themed delicacies when an unfamiliar voice called. to say that he was awestruck was an understatement. garrett had seen beauty in many forms before, but nothing could have ever prepared him for this one moment in which their eyes met. if there was any attempt at all to keep his guard up to protect himself, just in case, it was completely shattered at the mere sight of that smile. “can’t say i’ve ever been happier for that to be true… but yes, he’s an old friend of mine.” smitten smile so blatantly in display. but could anyone blame him? “my name is garret… i’m assuming your relationship with him is a little bit deeper than just a shared diet, hm?”
she is used to the reaction that others have to her, and by now, knows it well. kate is not humble enough to deny her own BEAUTY, just as she isn’t nearly as blind as she would have to be not to know her whole coven has been exceptionally blessed, enough that they do cause quite the stir. she knows she is a sight to behold without TRYING, and she’s aware of how much more it can be, when she does. their kind can be quite DAZZLING, in general ; the thing is, as much as is used to ( and employs ) her own effect on others, she is far less used to the opposite being true. never has she ever felt almost completely struck DUMB in the face of another of their kind, and yet, all smooth talk is almost forgotten. she barely even hears the first of what he has to say. he simply smiles, and she feels... warmth.
“it’s a pleasure to meet you, garrett,” her eyes are downright twinkling, and it isn’t hard to see that she MEANS every word, “i’m katrina. but...- any friend of carlisle’s is welcome to call me kate.” she’s never BEEN what her sisters would call an ‘open book’. that simply isn’t kate. inside, she was... walls built upon walls, and moats guarding those. but for just a MINUTE, she finds herself... a little awestruck. no rhyme to it, no reason ; she’s smiling at a beautiful man, and he’s smiling back. there isn’t much else to SAY, and yet... that felt like everything. “perceptive. what gave that much away?” there’s devilment to the curve of her lips, the joke of their eyes betraying them private. “we call carlisle and his family our cousins. our little inside joke, but... we’ve known them long enough, now, that it feels quite real. you don’t share a diet...- but you do have a bond?”
Tali wasn’t the type to afford to take a leisure day, life wouldn’t exactly a lot for such luxuries so there she sat. Dressed in a tacky holiday sweater, and a name badge affixed on her chest with tali written in bright winter font. She manned the hot cocoa station, making sure no ones cups went dry. A smile as a person approached, she motioned behind her trying to keep her ears angled toward the other. Holding up a prewritten sign, ‘what can I get for you?’ a bit of boredom on her eyes.
“does the house recommend anything?” not how hot chocolate stands at an event like this worked, kate was almost absolutely POSITIVE ; but it wasn’t like she had much experience to go off of, and she was at least trying to play into the whole... ‘human’ thing. part of that was to spend money at it, and look involved - and kate hadn’t seen a SINGLE trinket that she had thought was worth her time. “i’m used to starbucks,” an easy lie. that was a thing people enjoyed. “not all these...- unique options.”
“ never ? “ tati asked stunned, but in a non-judgmental way but more so in a curious way. “ some more than others, nothing quite tops the st. louis one and chicago’s. “ she offers with a shrug ; it just showing how much she had traveled before coming to seattle. “ what do you say we go on this ferris wheel then ? i promise it’s not nearly as scary as it looks. there’s an AMAZING view, nothing quite like it. “
“does that surprise you?” a smile played upon her lips. it wasn’t the done thing to question how old another vampire was, so she had never thought to query tatiana ; but she had the feeling that the other was at least somewhat younger than her. it was the only thing that made much sense. “i’ve lived a long time, but i haven’t done everything. it isn’t for lack of trying.” kate was... hesitant, to accept the offer. not because of mistrust, or a sense of danger - she was quite capable. it just seemed too easy. that such a simple thing could be done so easily... “what the hell? let’s go on the ferris wheel. it’s long past time i saw what all the fuss was about.”
“ now i wouldn’t say that, i would understand of course. but be sad about it. “ tanya laughs, as kate scoots out of her way, to be fair if the roles were reversed she would have been the same. even if she didn’t mind dirt or rather in this case mud. “ i certainly am. i wish i would have brought my camera. i would have shown you the few pictures i got. the wildlife isn’t as good compared to home or rather i haven’t seen much, but.. i did see this really beautiful bird, got a few closeups too. can’t wait to edit and post them. “ she has smile that even shows in her eyes. “ are you enjoying your book yet again ? and the weather ? “
“well... i wouldn’t have been a very good sister, would i?” her smile is wry, but she’s real enough about the statement. as defined as she is by her FAMILY, kate can’t imagine a worst thing to be, in that moment, than someone tanya didn’t deserve. “you can show me later. the wild mightn’t be exactly for me, but if you think something is BEAUTIFUL... i’m interested in seeing that,” she fiddled, gently, with the book in her lap ; brushing her fingertips along the pages, absently ( no worries given to possible papercuts because such a concern wasn’t needed ). her mind was elsewhere. it had been since the masquerade, when the triad had arrived - it would perhaps remain, so, until she knew that they were gone. she didn’t want to burden tanya with the weight of these thoughts, however. “i’m only half reading it,” she admitted ( a truth ), and added ( a lie ), “i’m enjoying... the city, right now, more than ever. it’s almost like home.”
it was the familiar scent mixed with unfamiliar vampire that grabbed her attention as she made her way through the crowds of people. it was - to put it rather simply - the everything else that KEPT it, when she turned on her heel with expectant eyes ( if one cullen were here, they all would be ) and found them drawn not to a friendly face, but to a strangers.
“we seem to have someone in common.” if kate were a human, she was pretty sure she would have had a far more physical response to such an unexpectantly beautiful sight - hell, she might’ve even stood slack jawed for a couple moments, just taking him in. she had been around for a long time. and she and her sisters hadn’t created the succubi mythos from nothing. but anyone she had met before...- they didn’t quite compare to THIS adonis. of THAT she was quite positive. shoulders back, crooked smile wide and warm ; kate wasn’t the sort of person to stick out a hand in greeting, but she certainly tried her best to be friendly, even without doing so. “you know carlisle cullen, don’t you?”
"cousin,” her greeting smile was downright wicked. kate and emmett got on like a house on fire ; ALWAYS HAD, in fact, since the first time he had been brought to denali to visit. she couldn’t say they were the most wildly similar of people - but they did share instincts and archetype, and she enjoyed his company immensely. “it’s been a while, since we’ve been in the same place. what say you to a little friendly competition?”
his face was one of three that truly haunted her. kate could not sleep, but she didn’t have to dream for her mind to conjure up the nightmare of the triumvirate when she strayed, however briefly, to thoughts of sasha. it had been CENTURIES, but she hadn’t forgotten them - and watching their arrival had only freshened the image she had of them in her minds eye. kate now felt as if she were always on the lookout. so much so, she couldn’t even be... fully surprised by his presence, there. her hands turned into tight fists, but by all ACCOUNTS - she did a far better job biting back murderous rage in this moment than she had, unprepared, the night of the masquerade. “your holiness,” her tone reeked of sarcasm. respect was due, but it didn’t mean she had to sound as if she loved it. “happy new year.”
“i’ve never been on a ferris wheel,” kate mused - chin jutted out, eyes focused on the huge and slowly rotating wheel in the distance rather than on her companion. it seemed rather silly, given just how long she’d had to try one... but it was also, she thought, sort of impressive that after ALL this time... there was still something out there she hadn’t experienced. “are they all that large?”
"the city of seattle is in crisis. they’re pooling all their resources and channeling all of their funds into finding the missing and comforting those left behind, while hoping they’ll catch whoever is responsible, and yet somehow, in the midst of all this... they find it within themselves to throw a party.” it STUNK of the volturi. and it wouldn’t have even been shocking, given their grand entrance and generous donation. kate’s skin crawled when she thought about them, and she visibly blanched at the entrance to the wonderland, “remind me why we thought to attend this transparent bribery?”
tanya pops an earbud out of her ear, and then the other. stuffing them into her blue jean jacket pocket. as she then recognizes a familiar face. coming to a stop near a seat, with a faux huff as the brunette takes a seat. light mud across her combat boots ; a sure sign she’d been out for a run. silly after a thousand years but she loved nature, and was enjoying seattle so far. “ oh hi, hope you don’t mind. thought i’d say hi. “ a soft but gentle smile on her face. “ i could use a seat after my run, and a break. “
“even if i did mind, i don’t think that it would matter very much.” she makes a bit of a show of scooting out of tanya’s way, acting as if getting the others mud on her is the worst thing that could possibly happen - but in reality, it’s NICE to see her sister smiling so broadly. the book that had been resting in her lap closes with the softest of thumps, but kate doesn’t feel hard done by her sisters arrival ; she’s read it a dozen times, and she’ll read it a dozen times more. for now, at least, it can wait. “you look as if you’re enjoying yourself. how is washington’s wilderness comparing to home?”
