Gabriel was leaning on an alley's wall. The sun had set not long ago but it was already as dark as ever. It was rather cold for this time but it didn't affect him. The wind had stopped and the screech of car tires had dimmed.

"How life in the city never truly dies. Secrets are never truly secrets in a place like this but, lies are always lies. I don't see how we are able to stay hidden in a day like this. Maybe we arn't hidden, maybe mortals are just to blinded by arrogance to see us."

He shoke his head laughing just a bit under his breath. His body wasn't as pale as it had been in days of past but it was still rather pale. His gray eyes void of emotion as he stood next to that cold wall.

"It's funny really. Being immortal means you can't die, means your not of mortality and yet we can die so are we truly immortal or can we just hide from death beter then mortals? When you think about it vampires are truly just cowards who flee from death. We hide in the night and scream before death finds us. Blood....necter of the gods? or poision of the devils?"

He looked at the mortals body that lay on the floor. He had left just enough blood in the mortal to stay alive and listen to him ramble on. It couldn't move or speak but you could tell it was scared to death. He jumped to his knees next to the mortal.

"What do you think? Am I a coward hiding in the night's shadows? Well am I!? Oh I see your not going to tell me are you. That's not very nice. A nice person would be honest with me and call me a filthy coward. You know what? I think i'll let you live. After all it's not like anyone will believe your story now will they? It would be funny to watch them call you insane though. I wish I could let you live you've listened so well without interrupting me. Your very polite."

Ok now he was just toying with the old lady. He was being sorta mean. He knew the lady wouldn't want to hear him ramble on and on. He sighed again knowing he had to kill her now.

"Well I just wanted you to understand the person who killed you better. I'm not insane I wanted to make sure you know that. Oh yeah my names Gabriel. I'm you own little Angel of Death. I'm sure you have accepted your fate by now. You most likly want me to end your life now right? I heard your plee for death and well I decided to give you what you wanted."

He snapped her neck quickly. Then before she was completly dead he drank her blood quickly. It was important to get it before they died. He sighed and stood back up leaning on the wall again just like nothing happened.

((let me know if you've got alternate plans for this thread...))

Grocery bags should be classified as hazards.
"Damn... damn damn damn..." With every word, April picked up another apple, each one of many that had fallen to the cold ground when the paper bag broke. Totally his fault, he knew it; walking through dark alleys was like asking to get tripped. Lack of light plus dirty alley equals stumbling over random bricks that happen to be lying in your path.
"Damn..." 'Note to self, leave shopping until daylight hours,' he thought. But he'd been hungry, the Big Mac had been long gone, and he'd had yet to stock the tiny fridge in his new apartment. It had seemed like the perfect opportunity to go grocery shopping.
"Damn..."
Perfect being the opperative word there.

(No it's fine I don't have much planned. I do hope however more people join this board.)

Gabriel sighed and looked at the body as he shoke his head. Well Life has to end somehow I geuss I just help it along a bit.

"Well I'm sorry you had to die in such a painful way. I know you had wanted to die but nothing deserves such an unhonorable death like this. I should have let you die peacfully in the middle of the night like you should have. The endless cycle of death continue into the night. I truly can't believe how heartless I am at sometimes. I should have done more to cause you less pain. I wasn't a good thing to do and he knew it."

A young girl skipped down the alleyway, humming cheerfully. Her clothing was dark enough that a human could only see the corn-yellow hair and the bright grey eyes that occupied her pale face. She seemed to not notice that it was dark or that she was skipping down a dark alleyway.

No normal person would abandon a precocious child such as this… Of course, she might have been annoying once one got used to her, but, still.

She paused as her small ears caught the sound of angry words, waiting cautiously. Slowly, she extended both of her hands into the darkness and called out in a harmonious voice.

“Hello? Who’s there?”

(Sorry for the shortness of the post. Also, if you wish me to leave, I shall.)

He heard the sound of two voices. One seemed angry the other childish. He sighed heavily. Since when did people randomly walk into alleyways? This couldn't be normal for this time but then again they did have these "Cars" here too.

"Great now I got two people to deal with. Makes me wonder how many times I sin a day. I really need to work on that." He kicked a rock hard so it flew into a trash can. After yawning he moved away from the way and picked up the body and tossed it in the trash can aswell.

"This is starting to repeat itself. I feel like I come here every night for a good feed and it's beginning to bore me." He looked over towards the more childish voice. "That I know of it's only me down here in this alley." Maybe this would make his day less boring.

The girl-child moved towards the vampire Gabriel's voice, hands still out-stretched to make sure she didn't fall or run into anyone or thing. Her eyes finally became adjusted to the darkness of the alleyway so she could just pick out his figure.

"Oh...who's 'me?'"

She scooted closer, peering and squinting so she can see him better... The young girl has no fear. She was never introduced to the concept of evil and innocence. Good things to do and bad things to do, yes... but not evil. Even one who murdered just for the fun of it would have recognized it and have become digustingly ill if not slightly guilt-ridden.

He could see her now. He shoke his head sighing. Well he had been sorta loud talking earlier so I geuss this is my punishment.

"Hmm...take about 5 more steps and you should be able to see me better. What are you doing out here anyway? Don't you know that it's dangerous to walk around in alleys at night? Someone could kidnap you. It's very dangerous."

A little kid walking around at night alone? What was this would coming to? I can't even believe people would do this kind of things anymore. Don't people appreciate life enough to bring children in at night?

She walked a few more feet closer and smiled softly. Nodding quietly in satisfaction, she put her hands behind her back and looked far up towards his face. Using the full extent of her innocent intellegence, she asked...

"Kidnap means take... Why would someone take me, Mr.?"

You would think an eight year old would be more world-wise, damn it.

"That's a good question. If someone takes you ask them for me ok? I'll be sure to find you so you can tell me what they said." He laughed. "So why are you out this late anyway? You should be at home...you know like sleeping."

It couldn't be normal for someone to let their child go out in the middle of the night. He was still somewhat interested in why she was late this night but still he did have a body about 3 feet off.

The girl nodded solmenly, apparently believing and trusting everything he said.

"Alright."

She shifted uneasily at his questions, seeming rather hesitant about answering them. She finally decided to speak.

"My Grammy doesn't know I'm out here at night." She quieted her Irish lilt so it became a soft whisper. "She doesn't let me go out during the day much so I go out at night to find people to talk to."

"Ah I see so why do you live with your Grammy? Did your perants pass away or something? You shouldn't sneak out though you can run into bad people at night time. You should go home you'd be safer there."

This girl wasn't scared? Who on earth wasn't scared of things? One thing is for sure no immortal other then himself was around that he knew of which was very good.

April's head jerked up at the loud noise. It sounded to big to be an alleycat... maybe some kind of dog? For some reason he didn't think so. He jumped at the second noise, this one more like the thump of something large. Curious, he dropped the apples unceremoniously into the remaining grocery bag and set it aside next to the wall on his right.
"Hello? Is anyone back there...?" One of his feet took a step forward, then stopped. Lack of caution was what had gotten- he couldn't make that mistake again. But... he was almost absolutely certain he could hear a child's voice. And a child shouldn't be out this late, in dangerous alleys like he stupidly was now.
He thought he heard the voice again.
Sighing, he made up his mind and walked purposely forward towards the voice.

((pardon the delayed response...))

"Great someone else is on the way. It's just me and some kid I found walking in the alley. Nothing to worry about."

He sighed yeah he killed someone and al the sudden people show up! What on earth is the world coming too. I could be at home lying on the floor right now but no I'm here talking to mortals about stupid stuff!. I can't believe this is happening. Maybe I should tell the Amman about this later cause this is just asking for trouble. They are going to see the body and the fang marks and next thing you know we got mortals knowing about vampires!

Ten meters into the darkness shed some light, in more ways than one. Illuminated in the overflow of a puddle of light from a nearby highway lamp sat the mystery girl, who was even younger than he had at first thought. April ran a hand through his hair and kneeled beside her. "What are you doing out this late, kid? And where's your parents?" He swung his eyes around the area, oddly thinking the alleged guardians would still be in the vicinity.
April's honey hazel eyes alighted upon the man standing nearby, his features somewhat clouded in the darkness.
"Hey... is she yours?" he called.

"What? Mine?! No she isn't Though I really wanna yell at her "Grammy" She said that she snuck out or I'm geussing that seeing how she shouldn't be out here at this time of night. It's very dangerous around here at nightime. Don't you agree of that? I mean the grammy must be really unresponsable don't you think that?"

April blinked at the defensive response. "Sorry man, I was just asking." Craning his head to get a better look at the man, he narrowed his eyes and thought hard. A lightbulb went on in his head as a memory hit him, and he snapped his fingers. "I remember you... you're that violin player from the subway, am I right?" His voice caught a bit of excited electricity. "Your music was incredible... I've never heard anyone play that well in my life, you have quite a gift."
'I can't see him too well... but if I'm right, this is most definately the same guy... the one wearing a tight shirt, a leather vest and extremely fetching cargo pants...'

((I gotta get off now... school night and all that... <_< ))

"Uh yeah that was me surprisingly enough I seem to remember you. Well then I'm really glad you liked the music. It's most likly the only thing I'm good at so I do it often." He sighed heavily and looked over at him and then to the little kid. "Well then I wonder why this girl is out here this late? I can't even believe she is out this late at night."

"So then why on earth are you out here anyway? I mean what is it with people being out in the middle of the night? I mean don't you know that it's dangerous in the middle of the night plus you walking in a dark alley! I mean man that's just asking for trouble.

The girl simply watched silently, her large eyes unblinking as she grinned softly. She looked from left to right as they talked, her eyes only flickering in slight response when they spoke of her. Finally, she lifted a hand to tug on Gabriel's pants.

"Mr., you play violin? My Grammy says my da played the violin. She said he was good."

He looked at the girl. She was so pure no evil in her what so ever.

"Really he played? Well i'm sure he was a great man. I'm sorry you don't have a father anymore. It must be hard to live with your grammy or atleast it sounds that way. I wish I could help you somehow but I am merly a violinist. Nothing much I can do to help you young one.

She looked confused for a few minutes before she seemed to realize what he meant by all the comments.

"Oh! I'm not sad, Mr., and I didn't lose my da, either. He and ma left me with Grammy. Every once in awhile, Grammy will wake up and talk about them."

She smiled up at Gabriel.

"Ah I see well I'm glad that your not alone then. You should really be at home sleeping though. So you can hear her talk about him in the morning. You should be gratful to have anyone to talk to cause when your older that can all change. So spend time with them while you can."

He smiled at her. She reminded him of his old little sister. They both didn't seem to know that they were talking to someone who killed so they could stay alive. He had even conviced his baby sister that he was a ghost after he became a vampire.

While most children seem to have a sixth sense about matters of fear, this girl seemed to have no helpful power or intellegence whatsoever. She simply stared up at Gabirel, totally trusting that he was good and knew what he was doing and, so, was vastly more good than she was. Poor, dumb kid...

"I guess I'll go home, then...If you want." She glanced up into his eyes, hopefully, as if waiting for him to say it was alright for her to stay.

Gabriel sighed heavily. He knew very well that she should go home but if she could get out of home this easily then I don't honestly think that her grammy wasn't very responsible.

"Well little one it's completly up to you. I'm not in charge of you and don't plan to boss you around."

She looked down at her feet, thinking carefully. Trying to hide a yawn, she hugged Gabriel's legs as if asking to be picked up.

"Mr. Can you take me home? People always stop me when I walk alone."

"Well if you can tell me where you live I geuss I could take you home. I don't see why not after all I don't have anything else to do."

He sighed havily and looked up at the night sky. He kept reminding himself this isn't your sister this isn't your sister. He had heard all kinds of things in his life but hit s was the first time he ran into anyone who looked even slightly like his sister.

She grinned in joy and hugged his legs tighter. Finally, she let go and backed off to look up into his face.

"Thank you, Mr. I live on 802 Preston Street. It's a few blocks away from the library."

(Sorry for the extremely short post. --wince--)

April watched the conversation between the two silently. Most people you met in dark alleys like this you couldn't trust any further than you could throw them, but this guy... they way he looked at the little girl was akin to how a brothers looked at their younger sisters; something April knew quite a lot about.
'He'll get her home ok...' he decided at last, giving the stranger one last appraising look that said plainly, 'you hurt the kid, you die'. Such measures were probably not needed; but what the hell. It didn't hurt to not take chances.
"So you'll get her home?" he asked.

((that was so... dumb. x_x' ))

"Well...um I geuss so..." I just wanted a nice little feed and now i'm walking a girl home?! I really need to work on my escuses don't I. "We'll sir you are welcome to come if it would make you feel better. I mean I relize I that trust is hard to gain and you did just meet me in a dark alley so I do understand that you really can't trust me at all." This was very strange. Something he had never done before.

To say April was startled by the stranger's perception at his feelings was an understatement. It was almost as if his mind had been read.
'Although I doubt it's a difficult conclusion to come to,' he mused. 'It was probably written on my face.'
"Sure, I'll tag along, just until we get to to wherever it is she lives." On impulse, he held out his hand and said, "My name's April. I figure if we're to be working together, we might as well be aquainted."

The young girl grinned and jumped happily, her tiny Mary-Jane's clicking the hard cement. She straightened her skirt, flicked her hair back, apparently trying to look a bit more neat, and then grabbed both Gabriel and April's hands.

"C'mon, Misters. I don't know which way to go."

"I'm Gabriel." He looked over at April. "How come whenever I talk to a kid I feel so old..." He sighed and began to walk with her. He honestly didn't know where she lived either so maybe this April knew where she lived. "April how about you lead seeing how I have no idea where I'm going. I think it will be better if someone who has a bit of an idea where we're going leads."

April nodded in reply. "I'm kinda new around here, but I'm pretty sure I can find the street she named. I've got a good sense of direction," he added, grinning mischieviously. It would be the death of him, this occasionally resurfacing wicked streak. But damn; what was a guy supposed to do when he met up with a man as hot as this one in a dark alley? Maybe flirting would be too over-the-top; after all, April had no idea which way Gabriel swung.
Unfortunatly, in his experience, guys who were eye candy the way this one was were usually straight.
Shaking his head, April forced his seriously wandering thoughts back to paying attention to where he was going. It wouldn't do them any good if he got lost.


((let me know if this is going to far; I'll be more than happy to change it. ^-^ ))

"Yeah well lets just hope we find the right place. Looking for someone's house is my ideal night." He yawned. The fact that night wasn't going to be around much longer wasn't helping things either. He didn't have much more time til dawn would show it's ugly head and force Gabriel into a dark safe place.

As the two walked, Eileen skipped instead, humming a quiet Irish ditty to herself. When they appeared out of the alleyways and onto a quiet and humble street of houses, Eileen cried out, pointing at a small white house near the end.

"You've found it! Thank you, Misters!"

She gave them both a hug around the legs, her adoring eyes smiling joyfully.

'That was quick...' April thought, blinking, but smiled as he recieved the hug around his lower limbs. Giving her an affectionate pat on the head he said, "You're welcome. Now get home, ok? And no more running around at crazy hours of the night."

((ack... so short... >.< ))

"Yeah cause if I run into you again I'll be so mad cause I'm only out at night." He sighed heavily looking at the kid then at the sky. "Now get inside and go to sleep before I kidnap you." He laughed a bit before taking a few steps away. The sun would be rising soon.

Eileen giggled at the "joke" and ran all the way to her house, her small feet pattering softly on the pavement. When she reached it, she turned back once and waved at Gabriel and April, her thin arms moving up and down like a puppet's. Finally, she opened the door and tip-toed inside.

April sighed. "Good, she's home. Hopefully she'll stay there this time. It was nice doing a good deed, but I can't make this my night job."

'Not that I'll ever be out this late again EVER in my life. I still have to get the groceries back to the apartment and put them away before I get to bed. Thank god there's no school tomorrow... At this rate I'll be taking a nap this afternoon to make up for the no-sleep I'm getting tonight.'

"Hey, you wanna come to my apartment for a cup of tea or something?" he asked the other man suddenly.

'Definately taking a nap later...'

"Hmm....Tea? Well...." He looked at the sky wondering how much longer he'd have till dawn.

"Well how far do you live from here? I need to be home by dawn so I can......be home for work. Yeah I gotta be home for work." Yeah that makes sense work is something mortals do isn't it?

((I just realized how many vampires I've got my character going out for coffee or tea with... o_O ))

"I've got an apartment not far from here... but if you really do need to get home, that's all good. I should probably be getting home for some sleep, myself. Enjoy the whole 'no school tomorrow so I get to sleep in' thing," he replied, smirking lopsidedly. Not that a light night would stop him from sleeping in... more than anything it would add to it. But that would just throw off his internal clock, and make re-joining the rat-race on Monday that much harder.

'But damn, this guy's cute... almost certainly straight, but cute. Cup of tea won't lead to anything, I wouldn't want it to anyway; that's not my style. And on the flip side, I'm still new in this area; making a few friends couldn't hurt my chances of survival any.'