Upon a table towards the back of the library, in a more secluded area, were books stacked around. Some were fiction, others not, most seeming to revolve around myths and such, one of this girl's favorite subjects. She liked the tails from long ago about witches and demons, werewolfs and vampires, it fascinated her. And to come up with such things, they just couldn't be fake, could they?

Blonde hair that was slightly curled fell over Mai's shoulders, her arms were crossed over a book, head resting in the crevice her arms made, eyes closed. She seemed to be... sleeping? Arriving in the late evening, she had been reading, having nothing else to do this night, and had decided to take a break for resting, and, obviously, rested more than she intended to.

Mai wore black pants, though they weren't tight on her, more baggy than not, along with sandals, having just slipped them on before leaving home. Her shirt was a buttoned up one, with the three-fourth sleeves that were rolled up once, but it didn't button all the way, leaving a space where her fair skinned stomach showed. The girl seemed quite comfortable, though the chairs weren't that cushioned, and her arms were no pillow.

{{May I join you? Uh.. It'll be an hour, though, I have to go babysitting now..}}

((*gasp* *in shock* Someone came!! *gives you a cookie* Yaay-ness ^^ Of course ya can join... And I can wait ^^))

{{Alright! *eats the cookie* Wow, no one's ever been this exciting for me before! lol..}}

Hannah is searching for something, a certain book she longed to sink overly elongated teeth into. The rythmetic clicking of her high heels pierces the silence as the tall, pale woman makes her way into Mai's 'private' corner.

She notices the girl and hesitates, wondering whether she is sleeping or not. Her gaze falls over the titles of the various books, and she seems slightly amused at discovering the contents tell tales of the paranorma.

((No one ever comes to my boards willingly I don't think ^^;;; Sooo you are special! lol))

Mai stirred slightly, and as she moved her arms, her head plopped onto the table. "I didn't do it!" she said, quickly sitting up, the fact that her head hit the table woke her up. She looked around as she blinked, eyes adjusting to being open, rubbing them a bit. It was a moment before she noticed the woman near by, and heat rose to her cheeks slightly as she ran fingers through her hair to make sure it wasn't sticking up.

{{I see.. Yay for me! Sorry I spaced out, I was doing a school project. I've also gotta go to art class soon, so I guess I'm not all that special.}}

"Didn't do what, dear?" Hannah asks kindly with a little smile. Her words are drenched in a slow southern accent, which seems to add comfort to her presence.

Her black on black ensemble included a long skirt with a dangerously high slit, and a loosely large, but classy silk dress blouse left untucked with the top three buttons undone. Her cuffs are also open, showing the dainty silver bracelet on her right wrist. Her hair is soft and wavy, swept off her face with two old-fashioned combs. The sparkle of the white diamonds on the ends are a startling contrast against her coal colored hair. Her make-up is sheer, though her skin unsually pale.

((It's alright... I've gottne distracted too ^^;; ))

"I... Well, ummm... I was reading, you see, and I... Decided to take a little rest from it, and I must have... Fallen asleep. And... And I moved my arm and my head hit the table... And it startled me and... My first reaction was to say I was innocent?" Mai managed to get out, feeling like such a loser. "I'm... I'm sorry if I bothered you," she quickly added, resting her hands in her lap once she was sure no hair was sticking up, looking down also.

"If you say so.." Hannah says, kindly amused at her rambling. "And no, you didn't bother me. I was worried for a moment that I had woken you."

She moves closer to the table, to get a better look at the stacks of books. "But what on earth were you reading that would put you to sleep?"

"Oh, no... You didn't wake me," Mai said, looking up at the stack of books around her, then at Hannah. Books, the things she read and believe always seemed to be different from everyone else, and they thought she was 'strange' for it; stupid kids.

"Oh, the books didn't put me to sleep, I just haven't had much of it lately. I love reading about these things," she replied, closing the book she had been resting on which was about old European Myths.

"Yes, I used to as well. But I find it's much more exciting to live them." She runs a slender finger up the spines of the books stacked in front of her. Pausing at one third from the top, she slips it out and glances at the title.

"Don't you think?" She asks. Flipping it open, she reads the cover jacket. A composition about vampires, apparently. Rules and characteristics taken from various authors both modern and historic. "And what intellegent insights have you gained from this book?"

((Ah, sorry I haven't been on lately!! Very sorry x.x))

Mai tilted her head slightly to the right, looking to Hannah with a bit of confusement. "Live them?... I wouldn't... exactly know," she said, blinking a few times, mind going through, trying to decipher what she meant.

"What have I gained?" the girl asked, looking at the book she was holding. "Well... From what I've read, I've learned about the races, you know, like werewolfs, vampires, and so on. And what makes them different, and unique in my eyes," Mai explained, looking to the other books for a moment. "I... believe they are real, crazy as it may sound... I can't comprehend how all this about them can be fake, just tails," she added, smiling slightly. "Do you think that's strange, me believing?"

{{That's okay, no biggie.. And, um, no offense intended or anything, but I thought your character's name was Mai? Unless you changed it or something.. But now I'm confused! lol, That happens a lot.}}

A little smile danced on her lips and in her eyes, without fully breaking forth to her cheeks or face. "No, I don't find it strange at all. I used to wonder if they all were real when I was your age, too." She says as she places the book back down on top of the stack she had taken it from.

((Omg, I can't believe I did that, changed it though ^^;;;;; Yeah, her name is Mai... I was rp-ing with another character named Chiara before that soo ^^;; whoopsies XD))

"Really?" Mai asked, face seeming to lighten up a bit, and a hint of relief spread through her. "You're one of the very few people whom I can relate with. Everyone else thinks it's all myths and such, that I'm strange for believing in it," she said, shrugging lightly, "But I don't care. I'll believe what I want, and if no one agrees, well, I guess I'll be alone then." She laughed softly, shortly.

{{That's okie.. Brain spazes occur quite frequently on my side of the computer screen}}

"Now, don't get me wrong, dear." Hannah says quickly. "Some of the things written are such nonsense that it makes me laugh aloud. There are really only the select few that I can consider worth believing in."

"But you'll find if you live for very long, you'll be alone a lot anyway." She adds, almost as an after thought.

Mai nodded slightly. "Yeah... It's usually the things that are repeated in multiple books I focus on; the things you have a gut feeling are true," she said, then tilted her head to the side slightly, blinking a few times. "I think I know what you mean... Sometimes, I can be in a room jam packed with people, and still feel so alone..."

((Lol, I know how it is... I hate when it happens XD))

Hannah drops her gaze for a moment, a nostalgic little smile crossing her lips. "I used to enjoy being at the parties and things my parents would host.. So much fun to flirt and pretend I was grown-up."

With a little sigh, she seems to realize she is only remembering, and shrugs. "I usually avoid large crowds now-a days." She says.

"My parents don't throw parties, really. They tend to keep to themselves, I guess. That's the one trait I have picked up from them, I think," Mai said, then shook her head slightly as to clear her thoughts, then smiled slightly. "Why the big change? Well... I mean, if you don't want to talk about it, it's alright. I'm sorry if I'm being nosey..."

((Very very very sorry about not being on... Been busy and not feeling too well lately x.x Though I just got done watching the movie 'Interview With A Vampire' and talk about a totally AWESOME movie! XD))

{{That's alright.. lol, you've only just seen it now? I like it too, it's a really loyal adaptation of the book, too. But Queen of the Damned sucked!!}}

She shrugs, flipping the cover of another book open and scanning the page which is revealed. "I said I avoided crowds, I don't avoid people. Large crowds make it harder to hide things."

"The only person who can make you look like a fool is yourself, depending on how you react to certian situations." Hannah said, then added, "And yes, I would."

"Oh, I see," Mai said with a light nod. 'I wonder what she's got to hide...' was a thought that crossed her mind, but she didn't dare ask it. Well, she hardly knew this woman, and it would be awful rude to ask about her life or her past, wouldn't it? Besides, some things were better left unsaid, from what her parents had always said.

((Yup, that was the first time I had seen it... For a very long period in my younger life, I stayed away from scary movies because I watched Stephen King's 'IT' when I was around 4, and was scared to death. I hate clowns x.x))

OOC| heh, my mom watched It when my sister and I were small, but she made us go outside because we kept coming out in the living room. I did see the part where they're all sitting at a table and someone cracks open a cracker or cookie or something, and there's an eye inside of it and it looks around at them. I vividly remember that part. Unless I made it up... |

"That depends.." Hannah says slowly, drawing her gaze back up to look at Mai. "What do you have to hide?" No, Mai didn't speak, but she didn't have to.

It was a little like cat and mouse, really. Or at least, Hannah was pretending to be the cat.

((Yup, that's a part of it. When they are all grown up and meet at the restaurant... Bleh x.x))

Mai looked to Hannah, blinking a few times as she did so, confused. 'I didn't say that aloud... Did I?' she asked herself, before snapping back to reality. "I... I don't have anything to hide, really... I guess I'm just... Afraid a bit," she answered. And being the mouse in this game, she really was confused.

"Whatever are you afraid of, darlin'?" She asks, leaning forward to rest her elbows on the table and cup her chin in her hands. "And no, you didn't say anything at all." She smirks a little, her teeth as white as those Poe inscribed for his tragic Berenice. Although just a little stranger..

"Afraid of getting hurt, I guess... Losing someone who's.. important..." Mai replied, the end of her sentence slower, and a bit hesitant as she looked at Hannah, focusing on her eyes for a moment. "Were you-? My thoughts..." she blinked, then noticed her smile. A bit toothy, so to say. "..." she opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Poor girl, she was in pure shock, not to mention a bit scared. 'They look real enough to me...' she thought.

"You're going to lose them all, eventually. You know that, right dear?" She looked back down at the books piled in front of them, and lifted one selection on vampires. "But if you go chasing after things like this you're liable to lose them a lot quicker."

She dropped the book with a bang, and smirked once more. "And yes.. They are real."

Mai hesitated a moment, then finally found her voice. "I know... I'll lose everyone eventually. But, I'll acept that when it comes," she replied with a small nod, glancing to the book, then back up to Hannah. "I don't go chasing after vampires... Well, maybe I do, in a way," she said, a small sigh escaping as she looked down. "Their life is amazing, to me... And, well, I've always wondered what it would be like to acually talk to one.." 'Or be one,' she thought, but didn't add that into her reply.

While she talked, Mai had pushed aside the ebbing fact that she actually was talking to a vampire, though it never complete left her mind. 'Act normal and calm,' she kept telling herself.

Hannah laughed again, this time louder and a little longer. "Most of them are boring.. To talk to and to be."

"But do you always have to tell yourself to act calm around strangers? Besides, how would I know what normal is for you?"

Mai shook her head. "No... You're just different, in a way. Well, I mean... I want to be scared and excited at the same time, but I don't want to look like a fool..." she explained, tilting her head slightly to the side as she looked up. "I shouldn't bother thinking about anything private... You'll hear..." she blinked a few times.

"I know... That's why.. I prefer to stay calm... And not show too many emotions," Mai replied, looking down to the ground, sighing a bit. "But vampires have to have some interesting conversations... They been around for so long... Some have seen the earth change over the years; have seen it become modernized. And I think it must be at least a little neat to witness that, right?" she asked, looking up.

"Sometimes you seem more foolish for not showing feeling than you would if you had." Hannah replies. After another moment, she adds, "And yes, now that I think of it I have had some stimulating. conversations. History always seems more exciting when you're living it."

Mai nodded. "I know... But that's life... There will always be things you regret, and thing you'll want to relive, but..." she shrugged, "It never works out. So you just learn to live with them, right?" She looked to the books, and started putting them in different piles so they would be easier to put up when the time came, not to mention she needed something to do with her hands. "I always found history boring in school," she commented, glancing to Hannah for a moment, "But... How long have you been around?" Mai continued putting the books in piles as the thought crossed her mind, 'Humans aren't supposed to know about vampires, are they? But... What's the penalty for knowing?'

((I apologize for not being on much!! Extremely sorry))

"But I do think we live through a hell of a lot more than you all do.. And once you die, you can forget them all. We've got to go on living and accumulating them," Hannah says with a laugh. "And like I said.. history is interesting. Not that it strikes you that some day people will be reading about it in books. Because it's still the now for you."

She smiles again as she thinks for a moment. She's turning the years back in her head, like a Rolladex, so neatly displayed to look back on. "A long time." She finally answers. "And the penalty..? You create your own penalty."

Mai nodded slightly, now placing her hands in her lap as she was done messing with the books. "I agree... Your kind must live through a lot more than we do. You're different, and have different worries. We both have our share of things to go through," she said with a shrug, yawning slightly. She then blinked, looking to Hannah. "We create... our own penalty? How so?

"No," Hannah said with a faint frown. "We go through the exact same things as you do.. Before we've been turned. And most of the time, again after."

She crosses her arms and allows herself to lean back to the back of the chair. Before this she had been sitting straight up of her own accord. "There is no penalty, of course. No band of demons will hunt you down, but most mortals are foolish enough to embark on a downward spiral upon learning of our existence. In different ways. Some go crazy, some afraid, some try to hunt us down to become one of us."

Mai nodded. "I meant, don't you have more things to worry about? Aren't there people out there who hunt you?" she asked, blinking.

"Hmm, so we do make our own penalty... What happens to the others? The ones that go crazy, or are scared, or hunt you down?" she questioned, curious. She was just full of questions at the moment.

"No one has ever sought me with the intentions to do me harm," She replies. "And if they did, my age would give me very little to worry about."

"The ones who go crazy are ostricized by society, the ones who are scared leave it, and the ones who hunt us down are removed from it."

Mai nodded. "I see," she replied, going over the stuff just said in her mind. "Do you... Ever wish you could go back to being a human?" she asked, blinking, looking to Hannah. "I mean, to see daylight again, or something of the sort..."

((Ack, sorries **brain dead** OH! Happy Belated Birthday ^^))

"I have before, when I was younger. But I seem to have accepted it by now." She yawns, suddenly, streching her long arms above her head in a weary gesture.

"It's almost morning," She says when she's returned her limbs to their position on the table.

OOC| lol, thanks |

"I see," she said, nodding, then Mai looked to the high windows, jaw seeming to drop. "It's... Almost morning?? That's right, you have to go... I can't believe I did it again," she said, a certain hint of a whine in her voice. "I stayed up all night, and will sleep all day," she sighed, looking to the pile of books. "It's been nice talking to you Hannah... and I hope to talk to you again sometime. It's been interesting," she said and smiled.

"Sleep all day.. Ah, what a delightful idea. I'm only sorry I must sleep alone.." She says as she stands, finally.

"Yes, Mai, I do hope I see you again before you die." She says rather bluntly.