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InactivePermalink Reply by ✓ Orion Valkyrie ~Admin~ on May 4, 2017 at 3:19

If Orion was anything he was a man of his word and when he had taken over as Ambassador he  vowed to do what was best for his species and those of the city. That was something he believed very strongly in since in Nevada there had been no balance, there had been no peace just war many being caught in the cross fire when they shouldn’t even be involved. In every war there were civilian casualties and when the whole purpose in fighting was protect them it took its toll and it had been a hefty one for Orion to bare. There were somethings which would stay with you always and the faces of those you couldn’t protect was one of those things.

Today however was about making up for sins and mistakes of the past and starting over fresh. If he wanted to lead his faction and hope their respect he couldn’t hold on to the things in the past which made him weak, he couldn’t hold on to guilt when he couldn’t change the past. That was why he was meeting with Violet today, the Ambassador to the humans since their faction had been affected by the violence in the city more than most. Now was a time of peace but as history often showed, peace rarely lasted. Originally their meeting had been met for Monday but he had received a call early in the day on Monday to reschedule which he had no problem doing. When you worked for yourself you had that sort of freedom and Ember understood his responsibilities to his faction and was always willing to help him out when plans changed and he appreciated it more than he could ever up into words.

No matter how comfortable jeans and a t-shirt might be he knew that they didn’t make for a very good first impression but maybe once they were on a more solid foundation that would be acceptable. The charcoal gray slacks were always his go to, the stark white button up fit him nicely and it was rolled up to the elbows, his black dress shoes were shined and he left his hair to do as it willed opposed to trying to control it with product. This was after all just a meeting and not a wedding or funeral.

Getting into his economy Hyundai Elantra he drove the distance from his home to the area of the city which housed the Headquarters for the Organization which run by the human faction. A group he knew for a fact Sariah was a part of since no other faction or organization in the city seemed capable of making such weapons. That and the few slip ups that she had were a good indication of exactly who she worked for and what she did. Parking near the building he headed into the lobby and was stopped at a security desk, “Name and person you’re meeting?”

For a moment Orion just looked at the man before him contemplating how he wanted to answer, “Orion Valkyrie, I have a 2 O’clock appointment with Violet Voelkel.” He waited as the man checked what he was saying against the security log and schedule.

“I’m sorry, Violet has no meetings scheduled for today and she isn’t in.” Taking a very low and deep breath Orion did his best to shrug off what was said which was no easy task. He hadn’t rescheduled the meeting the meeting had been rescheduled on him and he was being told he didn’t have one.

“I had an appointed tie for a meeting on Monday, which was rescheduled for today at 2 O’clock. I put a reminder on a physical calendar, on my email and in my phone. Which means somewhere on your end there was a breakdown in communication.” It was so hard not to ask the man if he was aware of exactly who Orion was but he wouldn’t play that card. Hearing a familiar voice he turned his sapphire hues filling with shock. “Sariah?” His annoyed tone seemed to slowly disappear.

“Do you know this, Orion Valkyrie, Miss Holloway?” The man behind the desk asked and Orion had to bit his tongue to keep the comment on his mind from leaving his lips.

HumanPermalink Reply by ✓ Sariah Amelie Holloway ~Admin~ on May 4, 2017 at 14:45

Sariah had done her best to put the night of the vampire incident out of her mind, mostly because thinking about the way the vampire had put his hands on her made her skin crawl and brought back memories which she had buried deep but it hadn’t been all negative, Orion had managed to turn things around when he sent her home in a cab, a final smile on her lips. She had thought of him a few times after that night, mostly when her eyes rested on the blazer still hanging on the back of a chair in her bedroom, she had meant to seek him out and return it but it had fallen down her priority list.

As she met his gaze once again however she wasn’t reminded of that nightmare of a night in a bad way, somehow, he made the memory brighter. Hearing the anger drain from his words she looked around for a moment towards the receptionist tilting her head a little in response to his somewhat ignorant words “You don’t?” she asked with an arched brow “Mr Valkyrie is a member of the ambassador council of the city and always welcome at the organization” she spoke calmly but she could see the man squirming a little in his seat upon realizing his mistake.

Hearing her phone buzz in her bag she raised her hand apologetically and fished it out, unlocking it and scanning her eyes over the text she nodded a little, just as she suspected, Violet had rescheduled the meeting to her at the last minute. She took a few seconds to briefly scan over the agenda before she tucked the phone away once again. Stepping in the direction of Orion she extended her hand out to him politely, not sure what the protocol was when someone you already knew shows up for a meeting, not originally intended for you. “My apologies for the confusion, it seems the meeting was rescheduled to me last minute” she met his gaze and smiled gently “Hopefully not too much of a disappointment” she chuckled gently before stepping away.

As she turned away for a moment the annoyance was visible on her face for mere seconds, all their meeting rooms were currently spoken for and she was nowhere near prepared to talk about alliances with another faction, regardless, she knew she also couldn’t make it seem like the organization was being run by a bunch of flying monkeys. Gathering her composure, she turned back with a smile and collected a visitor badge from the desk which she offered out to Orion before directing him in down the corridor she had come from.

Walking alongside him through the halls she released a breath she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding before she went to speak again “Unfortunately Violet and I are still finding our feet when it comes to this co ambassadorship” she admitted as she glanced over at him for a moment, trying to catch if he even knew about it at all, everyone seemed so adamant to talk to Violet most of the time that sometimes it was hard to believe she was actually co lead.

InactivePermalink Reply by ✓ Orion Valkyrie ~Admin~ on May 10, 2017 at 5:22

Raising his right hand he couldn’t help but cover the somewhat sarcastic smile which curved his lips. The man was an obvious idiot since he seemed to be missing some important information about the species and those on the council. “Did you lose that memo maybe?” The annoyance was draining away into slight amusement as the man seemed to wither under Sariah’s scrutiny though Orion couldn’t blame him for that.

Orion stood waiting as Sariah’s phone went off and the young woman checked it quickly reading over whatever she had received. Whatever it said either wasn’t that important or didn’t seem to shock her as she offered him her hand. Reaching out he took her hand in his in a formal greeting despite the informal meeting they had just a week or so prior. A curious expression appeared on Orion’s features at what Sariah had to say. Opening his mouth he shut it deciding to think before speaking. “Not disappointed so much as a bit of confusion since it seems he’s not the only one to have missed a memo.” He said motioning to the poor man who was trying to make himself as small as possible. 

Sariah's stance and scent had changed the moment she read whatever had come across her phone but she was at least trying to give an air of confidence. As she turned away he did his best to not read her since it was rude. Maybe if he were anyone else he would buy what she was selling but he could sense her every change in mood. Something was off with her currently but it wasn't something he could just come out and ask. The next moment she turned back to him with a brilliant smile on her face, taking the offered badge he put it on display as he followed her since she gave him no choice as she quickly moved within the building she was comfortable.

Despite Sariah's brisk pace Orion was easily able to keep up with her, soon they pair were walking side by side as she began to speak once more. She had no idea how relatable that statement was to him since three alpha's in one city was still a strain and something they were all trying to get used to since he was sure Luke didn't like the fact that he was the Ambassador. "Seems to be the recent story of my life just with different names and faces," There was a small smile on his lips, "Co-ambassador? Congratulations, I was expecting to meeting with Violet but it's better to speak with someone you actually know." For some reason it wasn't hard for Orion to believe she could hold such a position despite her adorable babbling when she got stressed, scared or worked up.

HumanPermalink Reply by ✓ Sariah Amelie Holloway ~Admin~ on May 14, 2017 at 22:11

Sariah laughed gently, trying to smooth over the fact that Violet had once again made her look unorganized, in a way she was glad that she had already met Orion as she may have made a really bad first impression had this been the first time they had been acquainted. As he reached to return her handshake her smile was genuine, his words were understandable, thinking you were meeting with someone only for them not to even be in the building was unprofessional. "Well you can trust in the fact that I will listen to anything you have to say in Violet's absence" she answered as smoothly as she could, she was starting to run out of excuses for

After working here for over three years, Sariah knew the organization building like the back of her hand, she knew the places you showed a visitor and the ones you didn't, for example she purposely directed the somewhat long way around the building to avoid walking him past the prototype lab, it wasn't so much because she didn't trust him as it was the fact that the organization insisted all visitors sign a NDA in order to enter the area and didn't know anything about the way that Orion ran his faction or what he might do with any information. As they walked, Sariah kept a steady pace knowing the supernatural tended to prefer to walk faster.

As they walked she listened to his response, her lips twitching into a half smile as she considered the extra complication there must have been with the level of alphas added to the mix "I can't imagine it's easy to tell an alpha they are not a full leader" she answered with an nod of her head "I could see a lot of.." she trailed off doing a gesture of the word grr. She of course knew how the factions ran, she knew there were 3 separate packs in Evermore and only one of them could be the full alpha, that honour fell to Orion. In her mind Orion was easily the best choice for a leader, he was kind and powerful, the kind of person you didn't mess with but showed the compassion that a lot of leaders lacked.

"Thank you" she answered with a shrug of her shoulders, to her the ambassadorship was more of a job promotion than it was anything else, the idea of it all hadn't really settled with her just yet  "I just hope I can do my people the justice they deserve" she answered candidly, there were a lot of people to protect in Evermore, both knowing and unknowing of the supernatural. As they reached the end of a somewhat scenic tour of the organizations training rooms, she circled around into the labs, leading them towards her office. As she reached the office she moved to open the door, suddenly freezing for just a moment as she realized there was still some pretty cringeworthy material on her screen. Too late to turn back now she admitted to herself as she reached to open the door, moving quickly across the room almost out of character she moved to stand in front of the screen, trying to be as discreet as she could with her embarrassment. "Come on in" she spoke gently, sweeping her arm in the general direction of a chair, hoping she could turn his attention towards the chair.

InactivePermalink Reply by ✓ Orion Valkyrie ~Admin~ on May 16, 2017 at 5:00

If there was anything Orion hated about this meeting it was the simple fact that he was so glad to see Sariah. Orion held no ill feelings towards the woman despite their…interesting first encounter but he hadn’t expected to see her so soon nor in this sort of situation. His mind was quickly trying to reform the speech he had planned since Sariah were more of a wild card than he was expecting. “Oh I believe we’ve listened to enough of one another to know the full listening extent of our listening skills.” Besides at least she had a grasp on the way he spoke and carried himself along with the type of man he truly was instead of basing that upon rumors and research. Though he was sure she had done her research as well.

The confidence in Sariah’s strides spoke volumes as she lead him through the building which he was sure she knew better than Orion knew the city. It was baby steps but he was doing far better than he had when he first reached the city. He was hoping for the best from their conversation as far as the interest for both of their species went. Sariah already knew how he felt about the human species and the lengths he would go to order help and protect humans since that was what his family had done for far longer than he had been alive.

Nodding he couldn’t agree more with her assessment of his situation, “Nor is it easy to tell an alpha coming into the city they have to submit to another.” Alphas by nature were stubborn and wanted to be in command and in control so being told they couldn’t could very well start a battle. Which was why the Ambassador had the ability to kind of counter balance that. A chuckle left him as Sariah made an endearing little ‘grr’ gesture. It was a hard job to handle and he knew some resented him for it but that didn’t stop him from doing what he believed was right and staying true to the person he had always been.

Though Sariah tried to make it seem like it wasn't a big deal Orion knew that it was. After all it was an important step or promotion for any of them to be able to represent their species. "Well if you could maybe keep from blinding any more Ambassadors you might have a good start." His tone was lacking humor until he let the smile slid onto his lips to show he was only joking. The building was large but he hadn't even been paying attention to where they were or where they were going, what secrets the humans might want to hide were there's and given then developments they had he didn't blame them. 

As they reached a section of the building which seemed more like Sariah's safe zone with offices with computers with multiple screens. Sariah paused at a door before opening it after hesitating for a moment. Once the door was opened Sariah seemed to bound across the room at lightning speed which caused his brow to rise in curiosity at what could cause her to act in such a way. "Well now you've just made me curious." Orion stepped into the room his eyes skimming over everything within it which seemed to be very much Sariah's. It seemed far more like her than some large open office which he was sure most assumed an Ambassador should have, though for Sariah it just didn't seem fitting. Though he knew he shouldn't, he couldn't help but try and lean around Sariah to see what she was hiding. His body leaned against Sariah's softly as he tried to see what she deemed so worth of hiding, especially from him.

HumanPermalink Reply by ✓ Sariah Amelie Holloway ~Admin~ on May 23, 2017 at 22:00

Sariah laughed in response to his words about listening skills, of course what he really meant was that she had talked his ear off and he had put up with her worried babbling while she tried to figure out how she was going to fix her mistake. "I promise I do a lot better at it here than I do" she motioned generally in the air to imply out there. Sariah couldn't help but wonder what business Orion had with the humans, the briefing she had received was vague to say the least which usually implied that whatever was to be discussed was in confidence. Sariah wasn't sure whether the fact the two had met would make this whole thing easier or simply make it awkward, though she hoped for the former.

Sariah was the kind of person who tried her best not to judge people too quickly, on the surface she seemed like little more than a babbling airhead to most but she knew there was more to her than that, in the same respect, she tried to see the person behind the front in others. From their first meeting, Sariah understood Orion's stance when it came to the human faction in Evermore, even if she disagreed with the way he believed the factions should be policed, she could respect his compassion for the humans, truth was that the humans, while they had a relationship with every faction in the city, could really use some strength which came from pulling other factions closer.

Sariah winced a little in response to thinking about the fights that must have broken out over the topic of being an alpha in Evermore City, she couldn't imagine what it must be like to be part of a species where the only reasoning tended to be done with violence, she had never been one for fighting unless it was to defend herself, something she had learned passionately shortly after she left university. She smiled a little in response to his chuckle, glad that the air was light enough that her babbling wasn't coming across as unprofessional.

Sariah had never really aimed to be an ambassdor, sure she had admired their work, she saw Detective Bradford doing big things in the name of her city and even Orion had shown a large depth of dedication in the short time he had been one. She had just never seen herself as a leader, nor someone that people would look up to. Sariah's eyes widened a little hearing his words, the tone sounding serious, the blonde felt her heart beating just a little faster in her chest until she saw the smile which cracked on his lips and she allowed a relieved sigh to escape hers. "I'll have to scratch that one off my to-do list then" she answered as she finally came to a stop outside of her office.

Stepping into the office the blonde had made her way across the room rather ungracefully, her petite frame attempting to block him from being able to see the screen while she slipped her hands behind her back to attempt to lock the computer before he could get a view. She had been so focused on what she was trying to do that she hadn't even noticed him speaking or the fact that he had come quite so close to her in his curiosity. Her attention however snapped to him when she felt his body pressed very slightly against hers and a surprised squeak escaped her lips, eyes widening just a little. "Nothing to be curious about at all" she answered quickly with a shake of her head finally finding and pressing the button to lock the computer. Of course it didn't stop the blood rushing to her cheeks giving away the fact that she was in fact, the worst liar in the history of time.

Sariah looked up at him for just a few more moments before she stepped away from him, crossing the room to seat herself in one of the chairs scattered over the office. She placed on hand on top of her crossed legs and counted down from three in her head. Of course to her luck, several other people in the office had heard her not so subtle squeak and were now silent, listening in to what her and the therian ambassador said next. Sariah did her best to ignore them and focus on the topic at hand. "Stalking aside..." she coughed gently before realizing she hadn't meant to say what she did, her tone shifted as she tried to focus the conversation somewhere more comfortable for her "What is it you would like to discuss with the human faction today?" she asked before pressing her lips together.

InactivePermalink Reply by ✓ Orion Valkyrie ~Admin~ on May 29, 2017 at 23:54

A low rumbling chuckle resounded in Orion’s chest making its way past his lips. “I can’t guarantee I do any better from one situation to the next but it tends to be considered a skill I’ve managed to mastered over the years.” It seemed like the implications of his visit were rolling around in Sariah’s mind since it was clearly not of a personal nature though he had been wondering when he might see her again. Given the lack of a news story on a young blonde being killed after an event he had assumed the cab driver had stuck to his word and earned the extra money making sure Sariah had gotten home safe. The young woman before him was deceptively strong and faced life in a way that would make anyone proud and if his meeting today was with her, he could easily get on board.

Intimidation and power was something that just seemed to seep from his every pore no matter how much he tried to reign it in. Sariah had seen him at his most vulnerable and snappy of states and yet she wasn’t afraid of him. That was something to be commended, most therians would see that as stupidity but she wasn’t a therian and she was brave enough to stick around when most would have run the other way. It was one of the many reasons he found humans so intriguing, they knew when to run but in the same turn they were often surprising with an inner strength and willingness to see past what was right in front of them and to what lay underneath.

Catching the small wince Orion couldn’t help but give a small smile, “Putting too many people of a territorial nature in one place is dangerous and a struggle. Like with every species everything worth having is worth fighting for, therians just…tend to be more physical about it.” It was part of their nature and part of their traditions. An alpha who was unwilling to fight for his pack never remained an alpha long.

The quickening of Sariah’s heart for just a few beats told him he had actually worried her for a moment which hasn’t his intention but it seemed to be something he was rather skilled at. “We all make mistakes, owning up to them and fixing them is what matters. If you expect perfection from everyone you’re bound to be let down a lot in life. Besides, being blinded might have been a first but I’ve had worse.” There were many scars spread across his body to prove that point but he didn't deem it necessary to show her those now.

Curiosity was often a trait linked to cats but he was rather curious for a fox especially since Sariah had shot across the room to guard the computer with a somewhat embarrassed expression upon her face. There could be many things which caused her to react in such a way and he wanted to know what it happened to be. He didn't give much thought to his own actions nor the situation he was placing them both in until a squeak left her lips and he looked down at her realizing exactly how close they were. An awkward tension seemed to build between them as he cleared his throat before taking a slow step back, "Sorry about that." He stated with a somewhat sheepish expression on his face which made him look every bit the fox in sheep's clothing. "Nephilims can see when a person is lying because of the special optics in their eyes, therians go off of a number of factors. I'll let you have your secrets for now though." It wasn't a threat so much as a reminder since her reaction made him thing whatever she was hiding on the computer wasn't so much work related as it was personal.

For some reason this young woman has the strange ability to make his normally clear thinking turn a little muddy. As Sariah took a seat he could clearly hear the faint whispers from those within the area as they listened in on what was going on and made assumptions based on what they thought they heard. "It's rather rude to listen in and to talk about people behind their backs." It seemed they had forgotten one of the strengths of a therian was their superior sense of hearing. His words were heard and he listened as it at least sounded like those around them were getting back to work. The focus once more returned to Sariah as his brow rose at her comment a humorous chuckle leaving him lips, "I assume your stalking only verified what I've told you about myself. Though since you were unaware you were meeting me today I do question your reasoning on such an endeavor." Being an Ambassador he was used to people looking into him and his life and the fact of the matter was that it wasn't a pretty life but it had craved him into the man he was today.

There it was, the reason for his visit since it was a bit unusually for Ambassadors to drop in on one another and there was always some purpose. "My reasoning for being here has a lot to do with you and what transpired at that event." Of course as he spoke those words allowed he realized how they might sound. "And the substance you used to blind me, no hard feelings about that. It just piqued my curiosity and reminded me why my family has always fought to protect humanity. Times have changed and it's clear humans don't need the kind of protection they once did but they still face the same enemies as before. The city is at peace but we never necessarily interaction with other species unless we're at an event We all still live together and yet separate and I'd like to change that if possible at least between the humans and therians." Every therian could easily mistake themselves as human until they reached maturity and transformed for the first time and they held on their humanity better than most but sometimes there were those who fully gave into the animal side and they were the most dangerous of all.

HumanPermalink Reply by ✓ Sariah Amelie Holloway ~Admin~ on May 31, 2017 at 6:56

Sariah wasn't the best in social situations, or any situation really, the office had a joke that she was in a war with inanimate objects because they all seemed to have some kind of grudge against her, in reality she was just generally clumsy and once she started she couldn't stop but it was still entertaining for most to watch. Orion however seemed to bring that awkwardness in her to a whole different level, every time she tried to do something normal around him it turned out the opposite way she expected. She was convinced that by the end of this meeting he was probably going to run screaming from her office.

Sariah didn't know what it was about him that made her nervous, it wasn't like this was the first time they were meeting and she had seen him in a far more intimidating situation than this, she wasn't afraid of him, in fact she was a little in awe of the power he commanded, she wished she could show such strength and boldness that he did. It wasn't that she didn't like him, because she did like him a lot, from the things she had read about him and seen with her own person, she knew he was a decent person, unlike a lot of the ambassadors in the city who couldn't care less for the likes of the humans. Orion was the kind of person that Sariah wanted to know everything about.

Sariah listened closely to his words about what life was like living as a Therian, she couldn't even picture what it must be like to be fighting for your position every day, Sariah was used to people earning their place in the world by their sheer determination and hard work but she had never had to physically fight someone for something she wanted, though she could probably fight and win against a lot of the members of the organization. "Well that explains the scars" she answered raising a finger to point in the general direction of a small scar on his hand, she had seen more of them of course but she didn't think it was appropriate to point them all out in the middle of the office.

Sariah sometimes found it difficult to tell when people were joking with her and when they were angry, she had learned in the past that sometimes one could mask the other and by now it was wired in her brain to be mindful of people's reaction, in her past, something very light had turned very dark in a way she had never thought possible . Of course there were few people that she cared much about what they thought of her, her family, the people of the organization, her best friend and somehow, the striking therian ambassador. "Wise words" she answered with a half smile "I can't say I've ever blinded someone before that night" she answered and laughed gently, considering the situation they had been in, Orion had taken what happened very well.

In the moments after the sound left Sariah's mouth she attempted to catch her breath from the shock, she didn't have a problem with people being close, she had gotten past that milestone a long time ago but she still hadn't expected the closeness the two of them had found themselves in, her eyes had watched him, his scent filling the air around them, musky and masculine, seeing that he hadn't expected it himself either and felt the tension between them like it could physically be cut. As he stepped away she took the opportunity to break the proximity between them and allowed a smile to assure him there was no problem in her mind "Curiosity gets the better of us all" she answered biting gently on her bottom lip. Of course she knew that therians could tell when someone was lying, she just didn't have it in her to admit the truth, she was shy when it came to those kinds of things, he could know she was lying as long as he didn't know what the truth was.

Sariah already knew what the gossip would be around the office without needing to hear what people were whispering outside, they all knew what her normal awkwardness was and they also would be able to tell that it had gotten worse the moment that the Therian ambassador walked in the door. She didn't care much for rumours though, they fuelled high school bullies and a clique based society. She was glad however when Orion spoke, just loud enough for the crowd to realise they were busted and continue on with their work, she would deal with the aftermath of it later on. The blonde wanted to smack herself in the head for coming out and saying exactly what she had just narrowly avoided saying but instead she searched her mind for a reason "Professional curiosity" she answered though the words came out more like a question than they did an answer making it pretty obvious it was more than that. She smiled a little in his direction hoping despite being able to pick up on the half truth of it, he wouldn't push it further.

Finally after her string of determination to make the biggest fool of herself she could, the topic rounded itself to the purpose of the meeting, to discuss what the therians and humans could do for each other. The blonde leaned one elbow against the arm of the chair and rested her head against her hand as she listened intently to what was on his mind. Of course he had figured out that she worked for the organization, as the resources she had access to in order to own that serum weren't the kind of thing you could just buy online. Hearing his words a gentle smile appeared on her lips, he certainly had a way with words, even if they came out a little like a confession. Choosing to put her trust in her instinct about him and what he had shown of himself up until that point she nodded her head gently. "I'd like very much to improve the relationship between both of our factions and I know that Violet would too" she answered smoothly before going onto the slightly more confidential stuff.

"Since the massacre as you may know, the organization went underground, we needed time to mourn our ambassador and to reground ourselves. From all of that came project H, it was the first step in getting our technical team expanded so we could start our research." she nodded a little and pulled her keys from her pocket twiddling them between her fingers. "Project H focused on doing what we thought was previously impossible, being able to detect the presence of the supernatural and to neutralize their abilities temporarily" she held her keys up and held up a keyring for a moment pointing it at Orion, she watched as the screen flashed and then displayed the words Therianthrope - Kitsune. Sariah pressed her lips together awaiting Orion's reaction to their capabilities.

InactivePermalink Reply by ✓ Orion Valkyrie ~Admin~ on June 5, 2017 at 15:12

The nervousness about her was something he didn’t mean to cause and if he could figure out how to keep it from happening he would. It wasn’t just the tone to her voice which gave her away but the way she cared herself along with her scent which clung to the air. Though Sariah was doing better than many since some even refused to meet with him not wanting to be placed in an uncomfortable situation. Given the strange situation they had been thrown into together she knew he wouldn’t hurt her or any innocents.

There had been times in Orion’s life mostly after the death of one of his brothers and then his wife when he would wonder if it was all worth it, if being born human would have been better. If allowing the humans to fend for themselves would a viable option but at the end of the day he had known that it wasn’t and so he kept fighting, not for the love and adoration of human kind but for the honor of his family and to be true to who and what he was. That meant that some of his scars were cause by his own kind and others by the countless violent encounters with rouge vampires. “That would explain some of them anyway.” A small chuckle left his lips as his eyes followed the direction her finger pointed in. “Going for the legs and paws can down any Therian, so it tends to be what most focus on.” Thankfully most of the scars which should be on his face had faded with time becoming barely visible unless you were really looking.

Most didn’t look but the intimidation of his gaze normally caused them to look away from his face before they could take in the scars and flaws there. Judging by how she had carried herself the other night at the event and the courage she had shown in the face of danger even when fear had filled her told Orion that she would make a great leader for the humans. One was never fearless you merely learned to continue on through your fear never allowing it to hinder you. “Wisdom is a learned state of mind, you’ll learn it to. Besides I have my own moments of idiocy.” More than he would like to admit some days but he never allowed that to slow him down or stop since everyone had those moments. “You added some much needed excitement to an otherwise dull events so your timing was impeccable.”

It was hard to look way from Sariah as he held her gaze, her eyes were so expressive, bright and wide which shock. She truly was very pretty and seemed more at ease and natural here in her office than she had been at the event very little tension held within her body until he had been right there softly pressed against her while trying to see what she sought so hard to hide. All his sense had come to life, when he breathed in her could smell her so strong he swore he could nearly taste her, her warmth felt nice and spread through his body at an accelerated rate like a comfortable blanket. It was a struggle to get his head back into the right mindset and it scattered in multiple directions. This was the very woman who had caused him to pin a vampire to the wall and snarl in its face making it clear she wasn’t to have a finger laid upon her. It shouldn’t be so hard to pull himself back together but he shouldn’t have lost it in the first place, it had been a very long time since he had felt since way and it wasn’t a feeling he was used to nor particularly liked. “Yeah…curiosity.” He said softly knowing the curiosity within him was a different sort than a few moments before. The moment Sariah began to pull her bottom lip into her mouth and beneath her teeth he was done for and had to look away.

Get it together Orion you’re embarrassing yourself. He whispered within his own mind knowing he needed to get back on track and be the alpha everyone saw him as even though it was difficult to do when Sariah looked so damn adorable. Though neither of their actions dictated that others should be whispering about them not even ten feet away. Why did so many feel the need to gossip and talk about others? Life was far from boring so there was no need to create situations which didn’t exist or embarrass another. Taunting, teasing and rude comments tended to come from gossip and rumors and none of it was necessary. The commanding tone to his voice seemed to set everything back into motion but when he wasn’t here he had no control over what these people would do. Hopefully they would be intelligent enough not to act like children later on.  Those thoughts were wiped from his mind as Sariah gave him the deer in the headlights look as she tried to come up with reasoning for her actions, it was rather amusing if he were honest. “Ah, that’s something which often drives us all.” In a city such as this it made sense to do your due diligence in any undertaking.

Orion was already aware that Sariah possessed very good listening skills and he was sure when it came to her faction she over analyzed everything said by the Ambassador of another faction. However thanks to the rough and bloody history of the humans in the city he could understand Sariah wanting to make sure those who offered help weren’t just wolves in sheep’s clothing so to speak. Orion had never lied to Sariah even when it came to telling a stranger exactly when he was even while in a vulnerable state when they could take advantage and kill him. Trust was something which didn’t seem to come easy to either of them but he was willing to take risks and chances because he didn’t believe that everyone was selfish and only out for themselves and to do harm to others. “The strength of the Therian species has always been determined by the size of the pack because our alliances and strength come from within. It’s not often we look to see what’s on the outside, our loyalty and instinct is to our own but it’s the way I believe we should live, not anymore.” To only serve yourself left you with no alliances nor friends should the worse come to pass, that was something he had learned the hard way.

As Sariah spoke Orion nodded softly understanding her words more than she was probably aware. He had lost his brothers, his parents, his wife and the only thing he had left Nevada with had been a small fraction of the family he once had. For a time he had been a shattered and broken man who lived for his children and nothing else. It had taken him awhile to make it back to the man she now saw before her and it was not an easy undertaking but he was proud to have been through hell and make it out the other side so to speak. "We've all had our hardships and how we handle them and continue on afterward is what defines us for the better or the worse." Though in both of their cases it seemed to be for the better. Watching as she pulled her keys from her pocket his brow rose keeping a keen eye on exactly what she was doing. The words 'neutralize their abilities temporarily' caused an icy shiver to snake down his spine but he said nothing in response since it was one of the few defenses the humans had. Orion inadvertently tenses as she raised the keyring unsure of exactly what it would do but he trusted her. There was a slight sound he couldn't exactly pinpoint before Sariah showed him the small display which spelled out his species. A brow rose in subtle shock, "That's impressive and maybe a bit unnerving." Therians only knew another species by scent, dhampirs by the glow of their weapon and Instar Diviners by the sensation which went through their body but the last two had no idea what species was around them it was merely an early warning system so to speak. "That's most than a lot of supernatural species are even able to do." 

HumanPermalink Reply by ✓ Sariah Amelie Holloway ~Admin~ on June 8, 2017 at 7:32

Hearing his quip regarding scars, Sariah couldn't stop the little crease that appeared between her brows as she imagined the hardships he must have gone through to have so many scars, from what she had heard and researched, she presumed most of those scars came from vampires, vampires his family fought off valiantly to protect humans. Sariah didn't think his scars were anything to be ashamed of at all, in her mind they showed bravery and defiance, a willingness to stand up for what you believed in. "I can imagine a fair few broken limbs" she winced a little and then tilted her head, the blonde didn't have a high tolerance for pain, she did her best to avoid confrontation in general where she could.

Sariah imagined that most would find fear in Orion's gaze, the way he looked at the vampire the other night had burned with anger and hatred, while some of it had been for show to ensure her protection, she imagined there was a lot of negative emotions that filled the therian when he thought of vampires. She however saw something different as she looked back at him, there was a warmth there behind the icy stare, a man who protected those he cared for tirelessly, steadfast and brave. He was by no means the detached and emotionless alpha she supposed he had to play the part of sometimes. Her eyes found themselves locked on his as he spoke, taking in the words he said  "Well I appreciate the vote of confidence" she answered and laughed softly "Though I still think they're crazy to make my babbling self the voice of the organization" she answered candidly with a mock roll of her eyes.

In the moments the two had come close, Sariah had to wonder what was going on inside of Orion's mind, did he feel his heart race the moment the two had touched like she did? Orion had Sariah questioning a lot of things about herself, for a long time she had tried to keep people as far from her as she could, people had let her down time and time again, trust was something she rarely even offered people the opportunity to grasp, she was good at dismissing people without giving them a chance. Orion however had proved to her when they had met that painting people with the same brush made for a very lonely world, perhaps she didn't need to expect the worst of every person she met. Of course, she knew very little about him, only what was publicly available and the small things he had shared but she couldn't stop herself from wanting to know more, it was something she hadn't felt about anyone for a long time and it set alarm bells in her head at the very thought of it.

Sariah could feel the heat radiating from her cheeks as a result of her embarrassment over her reaction, something about him had her quite literally stumbling head over heels. Sariah was glad for the chair in which she had managed to seat herself in, because she wasn't sure what other ridiculous things she might do had she stayed where she was. Of course that didn't stop her mouth from doing the work of continuing her stream of fumbles as she searched for ways to ward off the truth. Instead of continuing to speak, she turned to listening, hearing his words about the way he had approached his leadership. She understood the idea of only trusting your own, she didn't trust the fair majority of the other factions in the city and rightly so, everyone had their own agendas and reasons, nothing was ever as simple as wanting to do the right thing in such a system. "Well I believe we should be honoured that you've chosen the humans to want to make that connection with" she answered smoothly, her eyes meeting his as she spoke the word connection, almost as though there was a double meaning to it.

Sariah had gauged his reactions intently as she showed him the device, noting little changes in his movements or words to try and decipher what further she could reveal to him without freaking him out. It was evident from his tensing that he held some fear for what the humans could create, she supposed that was only natural considering he had been on the receiving end of one of those products. "It gives the humans a chance to defend themselves for once instead of having to turn to the supernatural for protection from the supernatural" she answered smoothly explaining their reasons for creating the things they do. Sariah went on to speak father, despite her reservations about his reaction to their projects.

 

"I've been working for the organization for over three years now" she answered with a definitive nod of her head "In that time I had progressed from a member of the team working on project H, to further projects created by the organization, to a team lead and finally as co ambassador" not many people knew of any of the projects that the humans were working on, they had little when it came to advantages over other species, anything they did have they kept as quiet as possible, only revealing to those whom they could trust. Sariah still didn't know for sure if she could trust Orion with project X, especially considering he was used to a way of life where death was justice. Meeting his eyes for just a moment, Sariah took a shaky breath, she was going to take a chance to him despite her mind screaming at her not to  trust anyone. "By wanting to ally yourself with the organization, you'd be choosing to inadvertently support our projects" she clarified as she brought her hands to rest in her lap "First and foremost please be assured that anything we build is designed with the utmost security, all devices are biometrically enabled, meaning that only trusted and vetted members of our circle are able to use them, they are also able to be deactivated remotely by any high ranking organization member" she breathed gently as she tried to determine his reaction to her words before speaking her last question, opening the door to a discussion on project X, her voice was shaky as she considered how to word her thoughts "If there was a way to allow the justice system we use for humans to apply to the supernatural, would that be an ideal you'd support?" 

InactivePermalink Reply by ✓ Orion Valkyrie ~Admin~ on June 28, 2017 at 4:20

Any act of protection came with a price and every price left a scar. It was hard to protect humanity or anyone else without putting your own life and body on the line. Scars meant he had stuck to his ideals and he protected those who needed it while surviving which was more than could be said for much of his family. They had all known the risks and they still continued to fight until they were no longer able to. “Broken bones heal, the loss of a life on your watch is not so easy to come back from.” The emotional scars where the ones which lasted longer than the rest, he knew they couldn’t save everyone but it still stayed with you no matter what.

It took a strong individual to live with the blood on their hands whether it was to save other or just the blood you couldn’t stop from being spilled. It hardened you and made you into a person few wanted to be around. It cause you to distance yourself from others and use any means necessary to keep yourself and others safe which was why he allowed his gaze to be hard and hold intimidation, it was a defense mechanism and one which worked well. Sariah unfortunately had seen past it but it was a forced endeavor to be sure. The young woman had inadvertently made him vulnerable and he’d been forced to rely on a stranger and yet it had ended in their mutually favor. “I only speak the truth and only give my confidence to those who deserve it and have shown themselves worthy.” The truth was none of them were necessarily eloquent in speech when they took up their current positions and few were ready or the responsibility of Ambassador but they did it for their people and their species. “Public speaking is a learned skill as is negotiation.” There was a hint of a smile on his lips since he had a feeling she would do well at all this.

As both a man and an alpha he prided himself on his self-control but it seemed to have dropped off somewhere when it came to Sariah especially when he realized how close they were.  When it had occurred he wasn’t sure since it happened so fast but as much as it made him uncomfortable and he wanted it to be unwelcome it was kind of nice. He had made the decision to move on from his past and try to have the life he knew Destiny would want for him. She had been a part of his life as long as he could remember and now that she was gone he needed to allow himself to enjoy his life again since he still had half of it to live. Orion he tried to date but he’d been out of the game so long it was something that was going to get some time to get used to. However the feeling that came over him from being so close to Sariah wasn’t necessarily a new one.

Sariah’s reaction had been unexpected and one she was trying to move past as quickly as possible so Orion did his best to ignore it since he didn’t want to make it worse. Plus he would had to admit what just happened himself and that wasn’t what he was ready for. “Despite everything the humans are still the species I connect most with and trust. No offence but you have the most to gain and the most to loss and your species and faction here in the city has lost a lot.” He wasn’t trying to be insensitive he was just stating the facts.

Orion knew Sariah was intelligent upon meeting her but he couldn’t have guessed the full extent of until this moment. That was just one of the defense devices she had created and honestly he was almost afraid to see the others. “I understand that well, no one likes to rely on others especially another species which could turn on them.” That was why he mainly kept to the Therian species instead of creating alliances with others. A species could turn on another for countless reasons but one rarely turned on their own and their own pack, a pack was stronger than family.

Now it was Orion's turn to listen as Sariah began to speak and he had the feeling what would be leaving her lips was very important. The progression Sariah had made in three years was more than impressive and something few would be able to speak to especially that of her current status as co-ambassador. Though the idea of Project H had him curious but that was a natural reaction especially given what he had experienced so far of the weaponry of humans. The fact that she was sharing so much showed she trusted him more than he expected her too. For the first time Sariah seemed unsure as she took a calculated risk. Listening to what she had to say concerning an alliance he was beyond curious, "I support the idea that human has to take whatever steps necessary to protect themselves but I'm glad that sort of technology isn't in the hands of all since I'm sure there are some who would abuse it." There were those sort of people in every species after all. As she asked if her stated ideal was one he could support he couldn't disagree. "If we can find away for all to judged fairly for their wrong doings like with the human justice system I can't necessarily object. Though we both know the system even for the humans is far from perfect." There were still so many loopholes that people took advantage of and those would have to disappear if it were a system he was to support.

HumanPermalink Reply by ✓ Sariah Amelie Holloway ~Admin~ on July 2, 2017 at 17:30

"Of course" Sariah had replied in a solemn tone as she considered how much he must have sacrificed in the name of his cause, she could relate in a sense because the human faction had gone through a lot of hard times in the past few years, it was hard for those who were not supernatural to face up to those who were and there had been a time when they lost more battles than they won. Living with so much hearbreak and sorrow had a way of hardening people against the world, don't get attached to people because all they will do is leave or be taken, a moral she had learned from the harsh reality of the world.

Sariah laughed a little embarassed by his words a half smile crossing her lips, she wasn't sure she was worth the commendation he was handing out but she also felt flattered that he believed in her, perhaps even a little more than she believed in herself when it came to being a leader. "Thanks" she answered quietly as she watched him, she could tell just from the way he acted and held himself that this wasn't the first time he had found himself in diplomatic discussion, she was just glad that this one, being her first, was on friendly terms. "Well I've always been a fast learner, one time I read an entire book on the inner workings of a computer and then got my mom to buy me all the parts that very afternoon so I could build one" she laughed a little realizing how nerdy that sounded "It lasted me for years, I was always tweaking with that thing" she chuckled softly.

In the years after everything that had happened with Noel, Sariah had been closed off from the idea of people in general, she didn't want to talk, she didn't want people to know her, she had felt alone and getting up every day had been hard. After that her love life had consisted of failed experiments, her lack of trust in others instilled from what she had been through in the past, she expected the worst of people and was rarely surprised when the worst happened. Secretly she had held on to the idea that maybe one day someone would sweep her off her feet and prove to her that she wasn't just a fad of the moment, but here she was years down the line still doubting everything and everyone. Sariah however couldn't deny that Orion was different to other men she had known, he was kind and sweet at times, fiercely protective at others, he made her curious in a way she that felt unfamiliar, a scary feeling of leaping not knowing if there is a net to catch you below, was the feeling of adrenaline worth the risk?

Sariah shook her head in response to his spoken words, it wasn't an offense at all, unfortunately it was the truth, the humans had lost a lot over the past few years, including two of their beloved ambassadors, it had been hard to keep going through all the hard times but they had prevailed, as she knew they always would. "Unfortunately nothing but the bitter truth" she answered with a half nod, she wasn't blind to the dangers of being a human in a supernatural world by any means. "Somehow we always find a way to come back fighting though, humanity at its core" she answered in a brighter tone as she met his gaze.

Sariah didn't know what it was about Orion that made her feel like she could trust him, the two didn't know each other hugely well, but somehow part of her just knew that she could count on him to want what is best for Evermore City. "The last thing I would ever want was for my work to cause any kind of war or conflict, I want what is best for the humans and what is best for the whole of Evermore City and we all know that is peace" she nodded a little before she listening to his thoughts on the foundation of project X. She nodded sharply in response to his words about the human justice system "Yes, which is why thanks to the support of city officials, we are looking to push for our own laws and governing in Evermore City on the grounds of its large supernatural population" she went quiet for a moment before she decided on how to word her next statements.

"The human faction is currently working on a supernatural containment cell" she spoke cautiously, watching carefully for his reactions "It would be designed to hold those whom commit unforgivable crimes against other factions, only by fair trial" she bit gently on her lip as she watched him, her eyes searching for any sign she should stop talking. "As an ally, we'd love for your support on testing this device, of course we can offer you technology development in return, I have loads of great ideas I'd just love to bring to action for the therianthrope faction" she realized for a moment she was rambling a little and fell quiet "It's a very secure topic so it'd need a more formal discussion arranged but..." she trailed off and smiled gently "There is no other faction I'd rather bring into the fold of this project than yours" her words were a little shaky as she awaited his reaction.

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