A tiny, blonde-haired child sat on a swing set in the midnight park, listening to it creak forlornly. Her soft grey eyes fluttered around the setting, looking for anything interesting at all. They alighted on a moving butterfly for a few seconds before wandering off, trying to find anything more entertaining.

Sighing, she began to hum quietly to herself. The song sounded like lullaby, drifting out over the air and softening the harsh and stiff shadows.

The child dusted her clothes off, glancing down at them in slight amusement. Her grandmother had made the costume--for costume it was. She was dressed in a short, blue plaid skirt and simple white blouse with a light-coloured sweater thrown over it. Her feet were clad in black Mary-Jane shoes with black stockings. It was a most uncomfortable outfit.

The young girl-child sighed and jumped out of the high swing. She began to wander around the playground, watching the night sky grow darker with her small white hands clutched behind her back.

Fireflies began to appear, flickering on and off like house lights. With a sudden giggle of joy, the girl began running after them, jumping up to catch one and falling to the ground for another. Once she had three or four, she opened her hands and let them go again, laughing as they tickled her fingers on their way to the sky again.

How utterly charming...

(Out of curiousity... Does one have to play a mature character around here to get a reply or am I just doing something wrong?)

(OOC: There aren't that many really active members here... or at least that's what I've noticed. O.o You might have to wait a while for a reply; it won't be instantaneous.)

The child was cute, that even Nafretiri couldn't deny. Why then would someone let their child out when darkness consumed the sky? She wasn't sure, but she knew that even the most ignorant of people couldn't deny the fact that there was evil in the darkness, vampires or not. To let such a tender young thing wander around in it was to condemn her to death.

Nafretiri knew the general aspects of children, but knew nothing of a real one. Besides which, she was not dressed to occupy a child. Her lavender dress and mandatory heels would not be suitable. She should probably just leave, let mortal affairs sort themselves out seeing as they didn't concern her. Yet she found that her gaze kept traveling to the young girl. Chasing after fireflies, she was the very epitome of innocence... and the opposite of Nafretiri.

Pushing a sigh forward, the woman walked off the worn path and trudged through the grass towards the child. She made as much noise as possible so as not to scare the young one. Approaching slowly, she asked, "Are you alright little one? Have you gotten lost?"

The little girl glanced up, not in fear or respect towards the "young woman." She simply smiled, completely calm, and slowly let the fireflies climb out of her hand and fly away. Putting her small hands behind her back, she looked up at the lady again and spoke in a voice so melodic and soft that a human would have to strain their ears to hear.

"No, lady. I was just waiting. I suppose it was for you."

Though the statement seems very suspicious and almost "magical," there seems to be nothing behind it. Apparently, the young child was just waiting for someone to talk to. She gave a tiny curtsy and spoke again.

"My name is Eileen. What's yours?"

Curious. Very curious. Nafretiri kneeled down and stared at the girl for a moment. One of the fireflies that the girl - Eileen apparently - had freed danced in the air beside her. Without a second glance, she caught it in her hand. It struggled to break free of its flesh prison, but Nafretiri simply waited until it had calmed before setting it afloat once more.

"You may call me Nafretiri," she said, her face an emotionless mask. "Tell me child, why would you be waiting for me?"

The child Eileen watched, her innocent, wide eyes unblinking, as Nafretiri caught the innocent firefly and let it go. She brushed her skirt off and shifted on her feet in apparent embarrasement or boredom as the vampiress talked.
Finally shrugging, as if the concept was simple, she replied calmly.

"I knew someone had to come here sooner or later... I was hoping they would talk to me... That's why I was waiting."

"A fine use of logic," said Nafretiri, bowing her head in appreciation. She was mildly impressed. She did not know why she was suspicious, as she always was, with someone she had just met, but it made her feel silly. No matter, the girl didn't know her thoughts.

Placing her hands in her lap, she looked at the girl. Nafretiri still thought it was late for a child to be out on her own, but said nothing of it. With a small sigh, she looked up at the sky. Dawn was far off. A little time could be spent here.

"Well Eileen," said Nafretiri, with an amused expression, "I suppose I could be persuaded to talk with you for a while."

Eileen smiled in gratitude and joy. She bent forward and looked Nafretiri straight in the eyes, solemnly. After a few minutes of cautious study, she nodded, apparently satisfied, and sat down on the nearby swing. She finally spoke again, the pleasing Irish lilt flying happily.

"My Grammy says that people with pretty eyes are okay... I don't understand but I guess it means that you're nice. Why are you here?"

The simple question took on an entirely philosophical sound coming out of the bairn's mouth. Maybe it was just the sing-song voice that made her sound so mature.

Throughout the girl's inspection, Nafretiri did not move an inch, but looked back at the girl in interest. When the girl moved away, Nafretiti's eyes followed her. When she heard what Eileen had said, she couldn't help the small smile that bloomed on her face.

Standing up, her lightweight dress fluttering around her knees, she walked over and sat on the swing next to Eileen. Barely taller than the mortal child herself, only her toes could touch the ground.

"I am here because I love the night, and I love to be in the park at night. It seems that the sky is the only thing that stays the same," said Nafretiri with a hint of wistfulness. She turned her gaze to her companion. "I believe a better question is why are you here? Your - Grammy is probably worried about you."

The former slave known as Donovan Corven smiled as he walked into the park, taking in the scent of the night wind, of flowers, and of the tiny light insects that fluttered like specters in the darkness around him.

Every time Donovan came to this park, it reminded him of his freedom and the independence that he had won so long ago and as he often did, he was decided to enjoy that freedom.

Even despite the price at which it had come he would enjoy it for a while and despite the curse that now dwelled within him. The curse that made his movements so smooth as he walked upon the stone path of the park, the self same curse that gave him the appearance of a young man, and made him a blood sucking fiend at times. Donovan was a vampire, but tonight he was convinced he could forget this.

So it was with a casual manner that he walked through the park, until he reached a tree, a tall oak with a swing set and playground off to its side where it seemed a rather beautiful young mother was having a talk with her daughter, or something to that extent. Donovan ignored them both as he pulled his flute from its case, put it together and played a soft tune that had once upon a time been a Irish lullaby.

(OOC: I hope that it is alright that I joined this thread, if not sorry about that.)

(OOC: Quite alright. Plot twists are fun)

Eileen grinned back at the small lady and kicked her legs in the air. She looked up at the sky as Nafretiri spoke and giggled.

"But that's what makes it pretty, silly... And I'm here because I want to be. Grammy never lets me come with her, so I come at night. It's not too far away from home."

Suddenly, the music of the flute broke over the trees. The young bairn jumped out of her swing quickly, trying to find the source of the familiar lullaby as she sang in her soft Irish tone.

"Ei ne ne,
Ei ne ne,
Codalgh e,
Codalgh e."

She broke off and turned to Nafretiri.

"I know this song!"

Nafretiri looked from her companion to the sky, swinging softly and enjoying the feel of her dress against her legs. "Yes, I suppose it is." She smiled softly. "It is good that you can come visit here at night, though not so good that your Grammy doesn't know about it. She may worry for your safety."

The sound of the melody seemed to float upon the air, coming to Nafretiri's ears. It was quite lovely, though she did not recognize the tune. It seemed even lovelier with the clear sky above. When Eileen said that she knew the tune, the woman wasn't too surprised. The girl spoke with a bit of an Irish accent after all.

"Do you really? What a coincidence," said Nafretiri, with a small smile.

She looked into the distance to see a dark figure playing the flute. It was most obviously the keeper of the lovelier song. He was very good, and from Nafretiri, that was a compliment. He was also of her kind. She wondered if he had practised a long time or if he had been born with the talent, like Mozart.

"Look," she said, pointing him out to Eileen. "He seems to be responsible. Perhaps you should go express your appreciation."

Eileen turned back and shrugged at Nafretiri, her tiny shoulders causing her white-blonde hair to fall down upon her back in long, pretty waves.

"Grammy wouldn't notice. The only person who'd worry is Ms. Terri and she doesn't live with us."

The child doesn't waste time explaining who Ms. Terri is. Instead, she takes the small vampiress's advice and approaches the figure playing the flute, skipping on the beat.

"'Ello? Mr? I know this song!"

She smiled at the man appreciatively.

The small girl was adorable, that Nafretiri could admit. She didn't seem to have a bitter bone in her body. Her purity was refreshing. Even to herself, Nafretiri was not the most optimistic person, nor was she likely to give her trust to some unknown stranger with whom she had never met. What's more, she would not let some little innocence that was left in the world be tarnished.

Which was why she got up and followed Eileen.

The flutist didn't seem to have any wicked thoughts, but without probing further and maybe alerting him to her actions, she couldn't know. It was with amusement that she found his assumption that they were mother and daughter. They were completely different from each other.

She looked at him from under her bangs, for her hairstyle tonight was quite similar to that of the child's, only in a dark, pitch black. She stopped behind Eileen and waited to see what Fate had in store this night.

(It's rather hard to roleplay without our chap here...)

(OOC: Yup. I was just thinking that. Our characters might be standing there for a very long time looking happy/suspicous. I hope he comes back soon. O_o)

(okies day... --dances in limbo--)

(Well Hello, he is back as of now. Hi ya.)

For a moment Donovan didn't know how to react as his amber eyes caught the little form in front of him, or what he should say as he listened to her words, but her little smile melted a bit of his uneasiness.

For a few moments the young man continued his playing, but those few moments brought with them the end of the beautiful song and as he finished, the vampire smiled. It was a slight expression, kept that way to keep his fangs out of sight.

"Hello to you as well." he said slightly, then turning his gaze fell on the woman that he had reguarded as the girl's mother. She was a vampire. The dawning of this made Donovan a bit uneasy. He hoped that she wasn't planning on taking the little girl.

Are you planning on hurting her?

"Hello to you also." he said to the seemingly young woman, willing her to sense the question in his eyes.

Are you planning on hurting her?

That one single thought was so clear that Nafretiri was startled for a moment. She hoped her expression didn't convey her feelings. Well, that solved that. This man probably wouldn't have asked such a question if her were planning on causing Eileen harm. Probably. If he did, he would have to face her, and she wasn't the easiest of opponents.

Meeting his eyes directly, she gave a distinct shake of her head, careful to keep it out of the view of the little girl. Question were sometimes hard to answer in a mundane way.

"Hello musician," said Nafretiri. "We just came over to convey our appreciation. Quite a talent you have."

Catching the woman's gesture, Donovan felt his spirit settle a bit, he would have no quarrel with her as long as she was honest about her intent with the child. He didn't know if he could trust her, but he would be on watch, now knowing that she was like him and that apparently she could hear thoughts.

Smiling a slight smile that kept his fangs from view, a smile that he had been using for centuries, Donovan looked first at the little girl then to the vampire.

"Thank you both for being so kind, but trust me it is not talent, merely lots of time to practice." he said dismissively.

Then he smiled once again.

"My name is Donovan Corven and it is nice to meet you both." he said politely, as he had been taught more than two hundred years ago.

(Yay!)

The young child was oblivious to the conversation that took place between the two vampires, too busy examining the flute. When Donovan spoke, introducing himself, her entire demeanor changed. Her speech and the way she carried herself shifted to that of a noble lady entertaining some guests.

"It is very nice to meet you, Mister Corven. My name is Eileen and this is my friend, Naf-er-i-tear-ee." Eileen struggled slightly with the vampiress's name, the strange mixture of syllables and sounds working its way through her head.

She giggled slightly, destroying the entire illusion of royalty.

Nafretiri's eyes dropped to the ground, and she tried not to let her amusement show, hiding her smile behind her hand. The child was simply more endearing than she had previously thought. It made her angry at the girl's grammy for not noticing, but as it was none of her affairs, she kept quiet about the matter.

"Very good Eileen. That introduction was very well said," complimented Nafretiri. She turned to Donovan. "I am indeed called Nafretiri, as Eileen has told you. It is nice to have met you as well."

She sighed in an exhasperated way. "I do not know what it is with the musicians in this city, but not a single one admits their talent." She shrugged a shrug that meant everything, and nothing at all.

"Just Donovan if you don't mind." The vampire said, looking at the cute little girl, and cute she was.

She was dressed in a short, blue plaid skirt and simple white blouse with a light-coloured sweater thrown over it. Her feet were clad in black Mary-Jane shoes with black stockings and her blond hair was pale yet silken.

She and her manner reminded Donovan of a queen he had met long ago, with his "new master" on one of the many trips that he had taken with the brilliant man.

And then there was Nafretiri, she was beautiful, probably one of the most beautiful women he had seen in a long time. But as quickly as this thought entered his head, he was rather hard pressed to be rid of it. She could read minds after all, and that line of thought on his part would hardly be polite, not to mention a catalyst for his hunger.

Keeping his smile at bay, Donovan managed to look Nafretiri in the eye.

"Its not about admiting my talent, it is simply thinking that I have had a few advantages that were not offered many others with just as much skill as myself." as he said this, he ran a finger across his hair line, sweeping a few of his dreadlocks out of his amber eyes.

"Ah, I suppose you are right when it is seen in that perspective," agreed Nafretiri, not looking away from his gaze. "When one has time that others do not, it does tend to help enhance certain skills such as music or... other talents."

For some reason, she felt suddenly aware of herself. She brushed the feeling away. It was trivial and there was no reason for it, or at least in her mind. Maybe it was because of Donovan Corvin, but she did not wish to dive deep into his mind. From where she was standing though, even with her mental shields almost completely up, Nafretiri did get the sense that he was trying not to think of something.

Not that it was any of her business. So long as he made no offensive move, she would be content.

The girl climbed up on a rock near Donovan as he and Nafretiri chatted, smiling the whole way. When she finally managed to reach his height, she reached up and tugged at a dreadlock softly, giggling quite a bit.

"I saw a lady with these, Mister Corven. I asked my Granny to do them for me but she said I would look funny!"

She finally let go and abandoned the rock for Nafretiri. She hugged her legs, watching and listening to the two, carefully.

"Trust me, you are pretty just the way that you are." Donovan said, trying to stifle a laugh and looking at the little girl as she hugged Nafretiri's legs.

"And where is your Granny exactly? Wouldn't she be worried about you being in this park at night?" Donovan said, suddenly looking around at the darkened park.

Night had completely taken root as it always did before he was completely up and about, and a dark park was the last place that the vampire could think of for a little girl in this city. After all this was a completely different world from the one of his own humanity and he had seen many more changes sense.

Not only the fall of slavery, as he knew it, but the rise of a new type of slavery, that of the humans to their drugs and all the horrible things that had grown from that repugnant soil.

In this world, there are much worst things than vampires. he thought to himself.

Eileen shakes her head calmly, as if the fact that she is out in a naughty city is nothing of consequence.

"Granny doesn't realize I'm gone. She never knows."

(Ech...Evil, short post. Please forgive me.)

(Easily forgiven :lol: )

Donovan frowned slightly at the girl's answer, maybe she didn't see anything wrong with the park but he did. In fact he found that if he concenrated enough, he could catch the scent of blood. It was old, but the fact that the scent was there at all made him uneasy.

Of course he could explain it away by saying it was probably one of his kind feeding on a human, but he really didn't think so. It had probably been the effect of human violence on one another. They killed each other far too easily and without the restraint that came to even the most blood thirsty of nightwalkers. They were savages and he knew this far too well.

"Elieen, don't you have anyone that can take care of you, besides your grandmother? You know, someone that can help you if maybe Granny isn't feeling too well?" he asked, turning his attention back toward the child and away from the strangely quite park.

Eileen hummed to herself as Donovan looked around, thinking. She looked up at him quickly when he began talking, giving rapt attention. When he was finished, she shrugged.

"Granny never feels well. Usually I go to Terri's house. She teaches her kids at home so she said I could come over and learn, too." She smiled happily. "I'm glad she did. It would be even more boring if I couldn't learn anything."

Nafretiri kneeled down next to Eileen, smoothing her skirt out. Knowing that her grandmother was ill made it slightly more forgiven, but no less disturbing. What kind of person would leave a child with an old woman who most obviously couldn't care for her? Not an intelligent one. It wasn't that hard to believe. After living three thousand years, nothing really surprises you anymore.

Terri was probably the Mrs. Terri that Eileen had mentioned before. At least the young child had some kind of stable adult. One would expect that a woman with children of her own would know how to deal with them.

"Oh?" said Nafretiri. "And what does Terri teach you? Anything interesting?"

Letting go of Nafretiri's legs, she shuffled her feet and grinned. She loved to talk about anything and everything she learned.

"Oh, yes! Today she let me read the first chapter of Peter Pan all by myself! She teaches me about everything! Plays and stories and, sometimes..." Here she whispered conspiratorially. "She even tells me about the magic creatures!" She began to dance as she practically sang the names of the 'creatures.' "Fairies, vampires, griffins, wizards and witches! I love them all!"

Donovan smiled slightly as he watched the little girl's features light up, it had been a long time since last the vampire could truly remember smiling and he wondered what it was about this strangely mature child that brought it out in him.

"Really?" Donovan said, offering the child another slight smile.

"So she teaches you about mythology, that is good. I wish that I could have learned more when I was young, but things were....different." he said, suddenly feeling uncomfortable revisiting any thoughts of his past at the moment.

"Which of those creatures is your favorite?" he asked suddenly, trying to change the subject.

She frowned and placed her hands on her hips, taking Peter Pan's favorite pose. She quietly went over each race and species, thinking very solemnly and carefully. Finally, she turned to him.

"I like faeries because they can fly. Mrs. Terri told me, though, that vampires don't die! I think that would be marvelous!"

Unfortunately, the fact that vampires may be damned and have to suck on blood seems th have escapen her.

Donovan smiled slightly at her decision on the faeries, but rather quickly lost that smile as she went to vampires. The child was so innocent, he realized that at that moment. She was so much so that she could only see the good points of even an existance as bained as his own. He envied her so.

"I believe Mrs. Terri was mistaken on that point Eileen," Donovan said, trying his best to keep sadness from his tone "everything dies, everything that is created has an end. Vampires are merely cheating, living on borrowed time. I'm afraid that they die, just like everything else."

And in his heart, Donovan was afraid, afraid of what could come after his death. He had to wonder, being what he was, was he beyond the forgiveness of God. But deep down he knew, he would never know until it was indeed his time.

"Really?" She sat down on a rather large rock behind him, somewhat sulkily. Apparently, the thought of living forever excited her more than she had shown him and Nafretiri.

"I thought it would be fun to be able to see everyone grow up and see what happens a long, long time from now." She shrugged, finally deciding it was no matter. "That's alright, though, I suppose. There's always faeries... And they can fly!"

"Yes the faeries are probably a much better choice." Donovan said genuinely, adding another of his slight smiles.

Then he let his head fall backward onto the stone behind him and took a deep breath, of course he didn't breath regularly, but it was something he did do from time to time and was necessary for what he did next.

He put his flute to his lips and once agian let the notes flow from mind to air, this time playing a song he remembered from his own childhood, it was a sad song, a slave spiritual. And between notes he was sure he could hear a voice singing the words.

(( Sorry for my lack of posting-ness. Ack. Hard week. >>))

As soon as Eileen uttered those words, Nafretiri went completely still. It was a stillness that could not be achieved by mammals and could only be poorly mimicked by reptiles. Normal beings fidget, Nafretiri didn't. She just sat there as she listened to the conversation.

Ah, there had been a time when Nafretiri had thought like that. She'd thought that it would have been wonderful to watch her country flourish as it surely would in years to come. Once, she had wanted to live until the sun fell from the sky with the man she thought she'd loved, and had told him so rather stupidly. Well, she'd recieved her wish hadn't she? Except that her lover was long dead and buried, and it had been Nafretiri who had put him there.

Not for the first time, Nafretiri felt infinitely old. If asked the same question, most mortals would probably answer the same way. Immortality seemed like the forbidden fruit. Humans didn't understand how long forever was, that their heartbeats were miniscule in the grand rhythm of life. For someone who had been born in a time that was now studied in schools, Nafretiri could appreciate just how long forever was.

She watched as the two sat on the rocks, but did not move from her spot. The man began to play his silver instrument again. To her surprise as much as anyone else's, she recognized the song. Quietly, so that she could just hear herself, she sang along, careful not to raise her voice too loud so as to gain the attention of the others. She wasn't shy, at least that she'd admit, Nafretiri simply didn't want to steal the spotlight.

Donovan played on, listening to the voice as it sang, it was only after a long note that he realized that is was Nafretiri singing along. Her voice was low, but he could tell that is was exceptionally beautiful, and it soothe his soul a bit to know that it was infact her singing. Donovan couldn't say he believed in ghosts, but then he hadn't believed in vampires either, but he was glad to know the unearthly sweet voice was not some specter from his past.

When the song ended, Donovan once again placed his flute at his feet, and he smiled at Nafretiri.

"Now, I believe that was talent." he said, a bit of awe in his voice.

Though somewhat startled, Nafretiri didn't jump. So someone had heard her. Well, Donovan was her kind, and inhanced hearing was one of their qualities, but she hadn't expected him to make a comment with such unconcealed awe. Nafretiri had had her share of admirers, but she had never been given a compliment like that from a stranger.

She lifted her dark eyes slowly to Donovan's face. Her mouth turned into a smirk, and she arched one black eyebrow. "Perhaps," she allowed, nodding one in agreement, "but I too have had more time to perfect it than most. I myself do not believe it is as wonderful as you seem to think, but song always sounds different to one who is not singing."