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DhampirPermalink Reply by ✓ Eleanora Riley Nordstroem on May 27, 2019 at 0:11

It had been quite possibly one of the most frustrating weeks Nora had to endure in Evermore city. When she took up the mantle of her alter ego it was to take down petty criminals on the streets and make the people roaming them feel safe and protected, her work mostly revolved around down violent thugs who wanted to rob or otherwise hurt people. She had spent pretty much every night doing this ever since she started late in her high school years. Now, almost 10 years since she first starting to fight to protect Evermore city, everything had evolved.

She was stronger and wiser now, she had faced up to people far scarier than your average human mugger and she had always suffered her fair share of damages. Nora had spent several months in the hospital before and yet nothing seemed to deter her from getting back out there as soon as she possibly could. They called her the scarlett archer on the news, a name coined from the red outfit she wore when she was fighting and the red mask which now felt completely familiar on her face along with her dhampir affiliated weapon, which glowed a soft red whenever a supernatural was nearby.

Lately though, she was facing one of her biggest and longest enemies. One that kept coming back to haunt her no matter how much she tried to fight it up, no matter how many gangs she busted and handed over to the organization or the police. Her hatred for drugs of all kinds, it was something that never left her, fuelled by her personal experience of what it had done to someone she knew and loved along with seeing the pain it caused on people’s everyday lives consistently. While Nora had managed to get the drug that killed her friend Leah off the streets for good, destroyed every damn warehouse and backhanded trader’s business until even its name was only a memory. But the fight against other illegal drugs which took the lives of many every day, that was still very much continuing and would likely continue for much longer than she could continue this work.

The was exactly what she had on mind tonight as she laced up the leather jacket she was wearing over her chest, the garment was lightweight and heavily resistant to blades and arrows. It was also red, which matched the glow of her weapon. Nora was so used to doing this every night by now, she would gather intel on where a likely deal was to take place, set a trap, wait for them to show up and then ensure they were delivered to the correct authority before the night’s end. She leaned down to lace up the boots she was wearing before grabbing her bow from its place on her nightstand. She always had it close to her, hated being without it, she felt almost completely wrong without it. The moment she picked it up, the familiar scarlett light lit up the room and she smiled softly tucking it into the holster on her back along with the knife she always carried just in case plus the usual things for setting her trap.

Tonight led her to a back alley in downtown Evermore, night had fallen by now which meant she could get around on her motorcycle just fine without drawing any strange looks for her attire. She pulled up outside the location she had been given by Aaron and frowned a little, it was a very dark and enclosed space, she could tell that from a distance, perfect for underhand dealing. She’d been cornering this particular guy for at least a week now but every time he had found a way to escape her patterns and conduct the deal somewhere else but she had a good feeling about getting him tonight. She headed in and set up the trap, by now, doing this was as easy as breathing to her, putting in the contraption against the wall and threading through the rope. Perks of working for a technology company and having someone gadget inclined on her side.

Once the trap was set, she had faded into the shadows, hiding behind the trash cans in the alley and looking down at her watch, she had about 15 minutes until the trade of shipment was supposed to take place which meant she’d made very good time. She pursed her lips as she waited, her back pressing against the wall when she spotted a cat come towards her, completely oblivious to her presence it picked at the bins for a little while before it hopped down and hit her in the face as she did so. The lid cluttered onto the floor and made Nora curse under her breath, just what she needed. She was reaching to pick up the metal lid when she heard humming in the distance and quickly pushed herself against the wall again. She heard whoever it was trigger the trap and the moment she heard him groan out she frowned, dealers weren’t typically early for their exchanges.

She pulled out her bow and an arrow just in case as she slowly approached the male who was hanging from the trap she had set, her masked eyes tilting up to look at him, he definitely didn’t look like a dealer. She tilted her head upwards to meet his eyes “Really? I didn’t bring enough rope to set a second one, why do people wander down alleys aimlessly at night, it’s like their asking for me to need to do what I do” she commented, there was no way this guy was the thug she was looking for, he was too clean and pristine looking, she frowned a sighed before spotting the bow he had been carrying, she picked it up inspecting it “This is pretty well crafted” she commented, but not a dhampir weapon which either made him a crazy human type, or more likely. a Nephilim “Alright, explain the sudden urge to walk down a back alley” she prompted him, needing to be sure he wasn’t the guy she was looking for before she helped him get down "Please" she added afterward halfheartedly. 

NephilimPermalink Reply by ✓ Julian Nathaniel Lockhart on May 27, 2019 at 15:51

He'll be truthfully honest, coming into this alley was a mistake; a big one. He should've been on his merry way and head to the woods, the place he had initially wanted to go to, so he could practice his aim there where no one would be a casualty, inclusive of the therianthropes wandering around because it is their territory, after all. Instead of finding his way surrounded by the greenery scene he often found solace and serenity in, here he was, stuck here in a shady alley while being hung upside down with his weight being at a very disadvantage for the Nephilim since it strains his body muscles, especially his ligaments. Good thing was that Julian was quite tall in height so it was only a few meters to the ground, and he couldn't believe how grateful he was that he was that close to hit his face at the harsh pavement. There's always a first time for everything, right?

Julian tried to get a grip of the string responsible for hanging him but to no avail, every attempt was futile since he was far from reaching the ledge. While he was busy being occupied by his pessimistic thoughts that was mainly scolding his own self for being reckless and careless, he noticed another presence within the same scene. Okay, his Nephilim senses might've been rusty that he forgot to analyze the entire setting but he was still perceptive enough to notice another person stepping in. He wasn't wrong, his hazel hues clashed with their dark ones, at least, dark enough from what he could see in the dark. The person was cladded in red, and from the looks of said attire, he already knew he really did step into a situation where it's going to be wholesome to escape from. This trap was set up as his eyes wandered wildly to how well it was placed, working with circuits and developing the wiring systems for the aircrafts eventually gives you a deeper insight into how structurized things are put up.

It was planned with heavy precision, but nothing is ever perfect so there was no surprise in him searching for a weak spot. Following the words from the person standing before him, one he assumed to be the one responsible for setting this up from the way they worded it, the angel child scrunched his nose up slightly. What did he get himself into? There wasn't a way for him to identify who the person was due to being covered by the mask and hood. "Asking you to do what you need to do, what are you, a serial killer?" he muttered under his breath. "Believe me, I have no idea why I even came here, in the first place, my feet walked... " he grumbled to himself as another groan of pain escaped him, he was slowly beginning to feel the soreness creep in. Julian wasn't exactly in the best shape this week, or any other week really with his hectic schedule, but he just returned from a 38-hour-extra-shift at the base because he needed to cover Kevan's portion of work after his mysterious 'accidental' death, homicide more like.

Pushing your own health limits while spending hours and hours long underneath god knows how much ton weight fixing the wiring isn't ideal for everyday work. So being hung upside down with the way he is right now, it puts a certain strain to his ankle ligaments. He needed to explain himself now? It was clear in their body language that he wasn't the intended target. "I heard a creak, probably because the string hasn't been straightened or clenched strong enough before setting it up because the copper isn't working as well-" yup, the longer he stays like this, the more likely these going to end up with an injured ankle. "I'm gonna spare the technicals-, can you let me down now?" a frown creased his features and he really looked like he would rather be anywhere but here. "I thought someone was in trouble and like any stupid guy in a horror movie, he goes to check because his curiosity and paranoia got the best of him hence this" obviously, he probably should've known better. But hey, he's not that well-versed regarding the parts of the eternal city. How was he supposed to know these activities roamed around at night?

However, he was a bit alarmed when his bow was picked up, that was something he had with him since forever, pardon him for being over-protective and a sentimentalist. "It is" he quipped, the bow was well-crafted, his uncle is talented in such arts and such skill has been passed down in his family for generations. "Can you please let me down now? It's clear I'm not who you're targeting."

DhampirPermalink Reply by ✓ Eleanora Riley Nordstroem on May 27, 2019 at 20:14

This was considered what she would call a normal day, spending all day at the office, working on new projects and inventions that would help people all around the world. They were currently working on a state-of-the-art new medical device which was capable of detecting likely illnesses and health risks to a person simply by analyzing their DNA. Once perfected it would be placed into hundreds of hospitals worldwide and help to save so many people, ensure they got the treatment they needed early on and prevent them from developing preventable diseases. It was definitely something she really believed in but also a lot of stress and hard work, regardless every night she came home, had dinner and showered and then got ready for her second job. No rest for the wicked don’t they say?

She had experimented with many ways of trapping people over the years, from ones which worked really great, to ones that ended up letting the perpetrators get away, to ones that ended up damn right messy. The ones with simple rope were her favorite nowadays, always entertaining to watch, no one had managed to escape from one yet and honestly, she kinda like humiliating these burly males that tended to come up against her and prove to them that they’d been defeated from a 5’5” female. As she came out of the shadow this time though, she immediately got the feeling this guy wasn’t the person she was after. Too feel spoken and mannered, especially for someone who was hanging up by one of his ankles. “Well, I suppose that’s a fair assumption to make” she commented with a wry smile “But no, I prefer to stop serial killers” she explained, she had actually managed to put a couple away in her time, though she mostly targeted smaller fry.

He was actually making a pretty good attempt to escape for an average citizen and she could tell he had some physical training from the way he moved and the general build of him, his voice was distinctly British in accent and tone. Not your typical street gang member that was for sure. His explanation, however, didn’t fill her with confidence on his intentions so she left him up there for a little while as she contemplated what his motives might be. When he followed it up with correcting her technique she raised her brows in surprise, so he was knowledgeable too? Interesting. Well, so far he had been pretty calm and answered all her questions pretty accurately. She leaned in closer to him, her eyes scanning him up and down for any sigh of shiftiness in his eyes “Piece of advice, don’t play the hero, it will literally destroy your life” she spoke it pretty truthfully about her own situation, never being able to let things go and never feeling like your work was done, it was harder than she imagined it to be.

Now that she had taken his weapon away from him, just in case her intuition was wrong and he tried to attack her the moment she cut him down she moved over to the rope and nodded towards him “Put your hands out in front of you or you’re gonna fall face first” she pulled on it enough to loosen it and then let it slowly unfurl until he was on the ground. Nora watched his actions carefully and when she was happy he was neither going to attack or run she offered out the bow towards him “Beautiful craftsmanship, take good care of it” she spoke, though her voice was still as flat as the way she usually talked. She always modulated her tone and drained it of emotion when she was in her vigilante gear as she didn’t trust anyone with her secret, the only person who knew about it was Aaron and even then, that had been more an accident than intentional. She looked up at the hazel eyed male, her blues studying him and waiting for him to go on his way.

But just as she was about to turn away she heard the sound of voices heading towards the alley and she realized they were about to enter a very dangerous situation, she couldn’t exactly let him run off and make it pretty obvious that she was here so without much deliberation she threw her arms around him and dragged him down into the shadows behind the trash cans with her and pressed her hand over his mouth so he didn’t make a sound. She heard the figures getting closer so she pulled her bow from its spot on her back and loaded it up “Guess I’ll do this the old fashioned way” she spoke under her breath as she stared at the two figures standing opposite each other. She, of course, needed to wait until they did something incriminating, she tapped the side of her mask to set off the camera inside it as she waited.

NephilimPermalink Reply by ✓ Julian Nathaniel Lockhart on May 28, 2019 at 20:31

Usually, Julian wouldn't bother making his way anywhere in the eternal city, not at day, and certainly, not at night. He was still wary of the city which was dubbed as the ideal supernatural haven for all, and could he be blamed for it? Especially after the shady things that have been weirdly occurring on many parts of the city as of late? First, he was taken aback by the hierarchy changes. Second, his juniors weren't all human either, which was honestly a bit overwhelming because there was even one of them who was older than he is in reality. Three, his favorite junior, Kevan, who was a nice kid and a therian, was killed a few months ago. The police decided to leave it as an accidental death caused by the weight of the unfinished aircraft since his body was discovered underneath the thing, but anyone can see how this is a cover-up. For what? He had no idea.

Julian wasn't daft enough to accept the conclusion and hypothesis to the homicide. He was still forever bitter about the justification that was not delivered for the poor kid. Wandering over by the blocks when it's so late at night was a reckless move by the angel child, who was honestly just slightly deprived from his overload of work recently. He wanted to go out to the woods and do his harmless target practice; quite possibly the only thing that he could vent out on and only injure a tree spot and nothing more. But no, he just had to identify the weird voice that came from inside a dark alley around the block because that's what an honest person would do if they were under the pretense or assumption that another helpless soul could be seeking help. Sometimes, even Julian questions his own self. He survived this long, so how was it that he could not see a trap coming from afar? Perhaps, he was really just tired out. The rope wasn't the most sturdy of all, it was one of those classic ones that held a firm grip once it was straightened out and held long enough to bear the weight needed, which already gave him the answer he needed initially–whoever this person was, they're experienced in their field and that honestly worries the Nephilim.

What if she or he is a bounty hunter? Is he done for, then? Despite being a skilled fighter due to his trainings from a young age, even Julian knew he stood little to no chance if he's tied up like this. It was no wonder that he was viewing the entire situation in a panicked and frantic state. "You don't say... " he mumbled absentmindedly as his free hand still tried to wriggle his way out of the grip with one more dangling over. But unfortunately, with his height and weight, even if he practiced and exercises with weight lifts using the body, it could not aid him. Upon hearing that they preferred to stop serial killers instead of being the instigator, he let out a heaved sigh of relief. So, not a serial killer. That one can be checked out of his list. "So you won't skin me to sell my organs to the black market? Oh okay…" There was quite literally no asking where his logical sides came from at this hour. He's paranoid and such risks could not be taken lightly without proper consultation,  after all. The longer he's left tangled up in the air, the more he could feel his build stiffening at the cold breeze and the ache in his ankle.

With himself being held in such a state, he couldn't get a proper outlook to the person, if he is a she and whatnot. He is preoccupied at the moment, after all. The 'advice' the stranger gave out was strangely accurate but knowing him, he wouldn't really follow it. He had a code, it's been the only thing he's followed all his life while growing up. The military training only made it extra harder and harsher, which complimented him on his own limits. Julian wasn't really the brawn, he's the brain, if anything. Regardless of his stature and build, he was nearer the thinking parts more than ever. It was the reason why he landed a position as senior supervisor of the new project they were working on the new batches of aircrafts; to align it with a new piece of technology to aid the pilots better in instruction giving and whatnot. "Got it... " but still, just because he wouldn't take up the advice, doesn't mean he had to admit it. All he cares about is getting down. Hearing the instructions they laid out, Julian quickly succumbed to his proper position to support his landing as soon as the rope releases him. Upon colliding his body on the hard pavement, the angel child scrunched his nose up as he winced slightly. At least, it wasn't face first. He appreciated the thoughtfulness in the gesture earlier, which prompted him into thanking the person before him who held out his bow back to him.

Now that he finally had a good look, he noticed how he's towering above her. Yes, her. It turns out to be a her, not surprisingly. The voice didn't suit her, but he's guessing that's because of the voice modulator. Smart. It definitely gives a nod at attempting to figure out the identity of the masked person. "Thank you" taking a hold of the bow, he was relieved that it was returned. Archery was all that he's known to be slightly better at when he spent his youth training. He noticed the bow she fashioned herself with, too. It was crafted just as well, if not better. The way it glowed from earlier showed him that she wasn't even human, the aura radiating off her was of light, so he's reassured. In all honesty, he was a bit skeptical to leave her be but would've actually left after a while, before they were interrupted by the sounds of people talking and steps approaching. The alley was a one-way intersection so he couldn't exactly escape using any other way because he's not Spiderman.

So when she dragged him with her, he wasn't exactly surprised knowing fully well she didn't wish to expose her position. With his back pressed against the cold walls, and her hand successfully covering his mouth to stop the Nephilim from emitting any noise, Julian stared down into her bright hues that looked a lot more intimidating under the night. It was strangely ironic, he's the bigger one and yet she's the scarier one. Sounds balanced. Seeing the color filling the bow, he realized she is a dhampir. He didn't want to make a fuss or any trouble so he decided against doing anything and stayed glued to his spot, allowing only his hazel hues to follow her around.

DhampirPermalink Reply by ✓ Eleanora Riley Nordstroem on May 29, 2019 at 16:55

Nora saw herself as quite a moral person, which considering who her parents were and how all that had played out, was probably surprising to most, she was ashamed of what they had done in her family’s name and honestly, there had been times where she’d considered changing her surname just because she no longer wanted to be affiliated with them or the things they had done. Identity was a topic often on her mind, she lived a very different two lives and she had very little time for anyone else. Everyone always asked her when she was going to settle down and start focusing on her personal life and she just never had a real answer. The usual, I’m focusing on my work right now was the most common one really. Though there weren’t that many people close to her anymore, no parents, she had a few close to her in the dhampir community but that was about where the line ended. Unless you counted Aaron who was a pretty new friend for her, she was still figuring out how all of that worked.

She remained pretty calm in most scenarios nowadays, she had quite literally seen and done it all, broken many a bone, been hit with every supernatural attack or weapon there was, lost and won, it wasn’t a perfect life and there were days where she did question herself on whether she was really making a difference but in the end, she always ended up back out here trying to save the world one crime solved at a time. Today, however, was the first time she had actually trapped what was seemingly an innocent bystander. When he spoke about selling his organs on the black market she purposely looked him over, eyes traveling up and down his entire frame and then shrugged “You’re pretty tall so you’d fetch quite the price actually” she commented, though the amusement was missing from her tone because of the voice modulator “Lucky for you, I’m not short on money today” she added to the end as she prepared to let him down.

She watched as he cushioned himself as she lowered the rope, he definitely had some physical training, she could tell that much just from looking at him, though perhaps out of practice. Either way, she would have been really impressed if he managed to escape from the trap she set because honestly, she’d never actually seen anyone do so. She knew how to, but that was through a lot of practice and knowing her own methods well, there would be nothing more humiliating than having your own work turned back on you after all. Her methods were mostly tried and true nowadays, working on the sidelines in Everectronics she’d been able to develop some pretty nifty tools. She wasn’t selfish about it either, she had provided many different tech solutions to the organization and also leant their lab space to them. Or Emilio had but she’d agreed with it too. Generally, if she could provide something or do something to make the city a safer and better place, then she would.

Now that he was down from the trap she could see the full extent of his height, oh man he was a giant, albeit a seemingly gentle one but he stood about a foot taller than her and she had to tilt her chin back to look up at him properly. He was definitely handsome, with raven colored hair and eyes that were dark and yet also held flecks of color to him. She saw the look of relief on his face as she returned his weapon which told her that it meant a lot to him, perhaps more sentimental than actually purposeful she wondered as she saw the way he held onto it. She could relate considering the fact her weapon was so integral to the person she was, being a dhampir it was everything to her and without it, she really felt like a part of herself was missing.

The moment she heard footsteps the female had jumped into action, she was a very quick-witted person so she didn’t really have to think about it as she dragged him down into the shadows with her and covered his mouth. Though it didn’t seem necessary because he didn’t even try to make a sound and so after a moment of staring back into his surprised gaze to make sure he was going to stay calm, she lowered her hand and turned her focus to her weapon. She waited silently as the two males entered the alleyway, it was clear from their demeanor that one was a high up in the scene and the other a lower ranking. She just watched it for a while, seeing the exchange that went on with her own eyes, her expression almost completely stunned as she recognized the name of the drug they were exchanging as one she thought she had taken off the market years ago. She waited until she had enough incriminating evidence and then she moved into action.

She started by making the playing field to her advantage by shooting a smoke bomb arrow which quickly began to fill the alley with smoke. As soon as they realized they had been busted one of the males yelled out profanities and got into fighting mode. Nora pulled out her bow and drew a pain infliction rune on it which she then fired an arrow at the larger of the two males, the arrow wasn’t sharp enough to pierce the skin but as soon as it made contact with his skin he fell to the ground from the pain the rune caused. That gave her time to focus on the second male who she decided to take on one on one, despite her smaller of stature, Nora was an experienced fighter and knew how to tackle taller opponents, her blows hitting in the right place to send the male staggering back. That didn’t mean she came off completely unscathed though because as she worked on slowly taking him down, she didn’t realize he had managed to pull a knife out of his belt. She winced as she felt it graze into the side but it only spurred her on further, her fist connecting with his jaw and sending him back and then she set off one of her trap arrows which pinned him up against the wall and left him unable to move.

The smoke had cleared now and she repeated the motion with the larger male, her eyes meeting his “Tell me who’s behind the production of dreamshade” she spoke it calmly but the look in her eyes showed just how much rage she felt at the very suggestion it was still on the market in any form, just when she thought she was finally rid of this. It didn’t surprise her majorly that neither of them wanted to talk though. While Nora did what she had to in order to take people off the streets, she wasn’t a torture girl and so after holding him by the throat for a little while she eventually gave up. She pulled the chip that recorded the whole exchange from her pocket and left it on the ground out of their reach and then looked back over at the male from earlier “Hey there, innocent bystander, call the cops on this illegal drug exchange wouldn’t you?” her tone was stern, if she called them herself then they’d be forced to take her in when they got here after all.

NephilimPermalink Reply by ✓ Julian Nathaniel Lockhart on June 5, 2019 at 17:11

The longer he found himself dangling over the ropes, the more he kept scolding himself internally, muttering plenty of profanities that is known only to him. God, why the hell did he think being a chivalrous guy would bring him anywhere near the path of glory? No, that's not it, at all. Julian never cared much for it. He was just like any normal person one would stumble across at any regular day. If he sees someone who needed help, then he'll offer them his own so long as he had the ability to offer. But if not, if he recognized the situation to be something he couldn't do anything to change the outcome to it, then he would excuse himself slowly and take his leave. Because that's what he should do. A part of him blamed his curiosity to go prying which was what resulted him in this unfortunate state, but at least it didn't last long since whoever set the trap up was actually there.

Perhaps he could convince them to let him go seeing as he wasn't the initial target. At least, he didn't think he was. He didn't do anything to anger anyone. Wait, did he? Shit, should he not express his discontentment over Kevan's wrongful death outloud? So many scenarios started flooding his head and it wasn't at all pleasant, which caused the Nephilim to whine slightly. The moment his eyes fell on the figure, he instantly knew whoever it was would be a female. The aura surrounding her wasn't dark, so he presumed he shouldn't have any reason to fear from her. Right? Upon hearing the other comment on his build and how he would fetch a good price in the market, Julian had to cough out awkwardly as he stifle a small grumble. "That's not funny… nope… not at all" in all honesty, it really wasn't. He wasn't about to allow himself to be skinned here, well, maybe not here, but how was he supposed to calculate her moves when he had no idea who the hell she is? Or what her original motive was for setting up such traps in a lone alley that he was pretty sure not many would cross over.

"Wait, you're not actually going to dissect me, right? It's a joke? You weren't being serious?" It was most likely to be a joke but he couldn't be taking any risks regarding his well-being, not really. Not when he's left defenseless being wrung like a bait in the mid air. His bow was with her too, so even if he was to rely on his combat skills, first, he needs to get out of the reins that is constructing his movements, limiting it to non-existent. He could sense that she belonged to light species, but even that wasn't enough to sum up her character. Anyone can come from a good upbringing and turn out to be the opposite.

He also couldn't say every Nephilim is nice either, so it fits the same in this situation. With the voice modulator on her, it was making it a tad harder to read her, after all, Julian wasn't exactly the best at judging people. Despite the ropes being precarious, he applauded the craftsmanship and the way it was lined up. She obviously knows her stuff which made him keep his guards up in case it turns out to be a facade and nothing more. He's paranoid, can you blame him? Because seeing a vigilante in the dark and almost being fish food wasn't shady at all. With the mask adorning her face, it was hard to make out her features in the dark. He couldn't even identify the color of her eyes, even though it had a scrutinizing and intimidating look the first time.

When she dragged him to the nearest wall and kept him there while she went off doing god knows what, the angel child wasn't sure if he should continue to stay there or help. Peeking his head from where he was at, his hazel hues never left her when she skirts around silently. Honestly, if he wasn't really alarmed, he would've mistook her for a ninja, or an assassin, though that doesn't seem to be the case, especially after seeing how she maneuvers her actions. Her movements were nimble, she obviously held a certain level of agility. His grip on the bow tightened when he saw the hooded figure getting hurt from one of her opponents. Okay, obviously, that wasn't going to be avoidable when you're busy with the other. Before he could even hope to help, the damage had already been done which elicited a wince from himself. Seeing the exchange between her and those two, it made him feel a bit skirmish. Yeah, he probably shouldn't be there. Couldn't implicate himself in a worse situation than this.

Hearing her tell him to call the authorities on them, Julian blinked and nodded profusely before fishing out his phone from the pocket of his jacket, placing his bow aside as he fumbled with the thing to dial the numbers. "Right... " he grunted under his breath and went a complete 180 the moment the operator's voice came into picture. He was quick to inform the kind lady regarding the illegal drug transfer, quickening his pace while maintaining his diction properly and told her the address. If he was being honest, he too, wasn't familiar with the place but he remembered passing the signboard that showed the street's name. "4496 Sampson Street" Quickly pressing the red button on his phone screen before the lady could say a thing, his eyes wandered to her side where he was sure the knife had scratched earlier. "You're hurt" he pointed out, it may not be deep perhaps, but for someone who's been through plenty of cuts during his military service, he knew enough to identify which requires a stitch.

"I know you won't obviously go to the hospital in that state, but let me stitch you up." His tone was soft but it was clear that he was being very adamant. Julian wasn't about to let the lady off just like that. Not when he's witnessed this. "You know I'm not taking no for an answer."

DhampirPermalink Reply by ✓ Eleanora Riley Nordstroem on June 6, 2019 at 22:26

Nora had a pretty dry sense of humor though she very rarely laughed at other people’s jokes, especially when she was donning this particular outfit, but the idea of skinning someone alive for the organs was pretty far fetched. She supposed this particular civilian didn’t read the news very often or he wasn’t supernatural “I thought it was pretty funny” she snickered a little as she rolled her shoulders back and got to work on letting him down from the trap. This trap was one of her most used ones and was yet to fail her really, this was the first time she had managed to catch the wrong person though which would be an interesting story to tell if anyone actually knew what she did when night fell over Evermore.

When he asked her to clarify whether she was joking or not she gave a dry chuckle and shrugged her shoulders “Who knows, I am a menace terrorizing the city after all” she spoke and then shook her head at his confused and worried look. Damn this guy was really serious “Don’t worry, it’s a joke, I have far better things to be doing than stringing giants up” his height had not escaped her notice, especially now that she had let him down from the trap and she saw the way he completely towered over her, head tipping up just to be able to meet his face. He had striking features though they were also soft, his eyes rounded which gave him a youthful look, she’d peg him in his early to mid-20s on first glance.

Their little chat was cut short when her real targets for tonight finally showed up though, she knew it was going to be a harder job to tackle without the trap to take one of them out immediately but she’d faced much worse situations before and come out relatively unscathed. A few flesh wounds here but she hadn’t actually broken a bone in a very long time now. This fight had her a little off guard thanks to the spectator against the wall and the fact that both the men were larger and stronger than she was. Still, Nora was fast and stealthy and she always had technology at her disposal if things got difficult. Today the only problem she faced was that damn knife which grazed against the side of her chest and caused her to wince a little before she took him out.

And perhaps she was a little concerned for the other male who she had quite literally pulled up by his heels and probably scared the wits out of tonight. Despite him not being in the wrong clearly feeling shocked and confused by what happened though, he hadn't been angry. That surprised the dhampir who was so used to people being generally aggressive and rude, hell he even had a reason to be angry considering he wasn’t the one the trap was intended for. Instead, he remained rather obediently against the wall where she left him. Nora was an expert of casing her surroundings, despite there being smoke filling the alley she knew where every person was, the one she was holding to the ground with her pain rune and the other who she was keeping at bay with physical combat and then the tall, dark-haired male, who had just happened to stumble upon the wrong place at the wrong time. After taking out both the guys she sufficiently trapped them so they weren’t going to be able to go anywhere until the authorities showed up, which brought use for the bystander.

She watched him for a moment after she spoke, wondering if he would understand exactly why she needed to call him the authorities and why she couldn’t do it herself, he didn’t seem to have any idea of her alter ego after all. She was relieved when he picked up his phone and called the authorities. Nora was gritting her teeth through the pain which was radiating on her left side where the knife had caught her though, she was starting to wonder if the cut ran deeper than she originally thought it had and it was just the adrenaline keeping her going. She looked around for a moment, her face showing visible concern before she heard the male speaking again, she had mostly zoned out because the two drug dealers were spitting so many profanities that she just didn’t want to listen anymore but his voice had a concerned undertone to it.

She frowned for a moment, well this was a first, no one usually noticed when she was hurt, she was very good at hiding her pain but his eyes were trained on the exact spot on her side where the knife had done its damage. She opened her lips to protest “It’s okay, I can take care of myself” she assured him as she lifted the side of the jacket she was wearing and winced a little as the pressure came off the wound and pain coursed through her body. She felt a little dizzy and reached out for one of the trash cans for balance as she took a few long breaths. Suddenly, she heard the sound of police sirens in the distance and she knew she needed to get out of there before they arrived and came after her too. She weighed her options for just a moment before she moved towards the tall male, her arm wrapping around his arm to help her balance “There’s an abandoned warehouse just a couple blocks from here, this way” she spoke as she led the way, waving to the males she left behind for the cops to collect.

She led the way to one of the abandoned warehouses she used as a safe house in the city, it wasn’t her base of operations but it had some of the basic things she needed to get by and treat herself if she got in any danger like tonight. When they arrived at the door, she opened the lock and headed inside, barely managing to contain the grimace on her lips as she swallowed down the pain “I forget how badly being stabbed hurts” she spoke as she moved over towards the table “And you know how to stitch someone up how?” she asked with slightly suspicious eyes, wanting to know what made him offer that. Nora was used to patching herself up but this particular wound was in a place that was going to be a total bitch to deal with herself. She grabbed the first aid kit off the side and then lifted the side of the leather jacket she was wearing to expose the wound on her left side.

NephilimPermalink Reply by ✓ Julian Nathaniel Lockhart on July 22, 2019 at 18:09

He wasn’t stupid, well truthfully, if he was asked that question, Julian would go ahead and say he’s nowhere near stupid or daft. But under certain circumstances, for instance, what’s occurring right now in front of his eyes, he could be a bit slow that often made people mistook him to be someone dense. However, his obedience and tact when it comes to abiding by the rules and whatever orders that came out from any authority figure preserved him this long while being involved recklessly in things he probably should not be involved in. Despite having a knack for being extremely quiet and timid, your everyday introvert at its finest, Julian did have a way of getting himself in trouble. Especially when he didn’t expect them. Like, right now. “You thought it was pretty funny,” he breathed out half-heartedly, as if he was finding it to be slightly humorous but not, at the same time. He tried his best not to wiggle too much under the strung up situation, mostly due to his weight being an uber pain since it definitely left a mark on his ankle for sure. 

Goddamn it… as if he didn’t have enough after carelessly getting himself burned because he forgot to isolate the fried wiring the last time. Electrocuted, check. Burned, check. Roped? Check. “Congratulations, you have officially made me scarred and traumatized of ropes this one night that will probably follow me forever.” The thought alone sends shivers down his spine, haunting him in his sleep and giving him a big no whenever he’s near any string or ropes again, and it didn’t help that she said she’s a menace terrorizing the city. Wait, what? He stopped to stare at the female skeptically for a brief while, blinking rapidly in confusion and awe. Was she serious? Of course, she wasn’t. He could sense it. “You sound convincing…” he mumbled inaudibly to himself, brushing the specks of dirt off his jacket and examined the female standing before him. 

Admittedly, Julian knew he was taller than most, it was something many commented whenever they talked about him; his height. With the dark face painting covering her eye area alongside the mask and the hood, it was hard to see her facial features, other than her striking blue hues that could probably scare the living wits out of anyone. Namely, him. The angel child has never been a scaredy-cat but judging from the intimidating aura she oozed, it’s hard not to look away. What happened next was completely unwarranted, at least in his view. Bad guys will always be bad guys but it was clear that whatever beef they had going on with each other, she was holding her own fight pretty well, so much he was actually a bit mesmerized by the way she gracefully moved around. His hazel hues never left her, following the way she threatened them, calculating his own movements because all he wanted to do right now is to go home and rest. Because God knows when was the last time he had that chance. 

Unfortunately, all of that was cut short the moment he caught sight of her wound. Sneaky bastard. She could handle herself, that much he was sure of it. She did seem experienced, after all. But nonetheless, with a fresh wound like that located somewhere she’s going to have a hard time closing, wait for it to dry a few more minutes and she could have herself a mild infection. To be fair, as weirdly as it sounds, whoever this girl was, she did save him. Even if he wasn’t supposed to be strung up today. As soon as he finished dialing the intended number, his words flew around like a mad train, it was only by luck that the female on the other line could understand him. Thank god for the diction lessons he was forced to take by his mother when he was a kid. If his sister was here, she would’ve laughed at how flustered he was being. From the looks of it, she seemed to be somewhat a vigilante. Did they have one of those? Julian wouldn’t know for sure seeing as he was either cooped up inside the hangar fixing what needs to be fixed, working on the paperwork for the weekly reports and monthly evaluations, or he’s back home, face planting himself on the bed and dozing off for the next 12 hours. What a life.

 “I know you can take care of yourself, or you sound like you could, at least… but it still doesn’t change the fact that it’s located somewhere you’ll have a hard time closing” he said pointedly, tilting his head slightly to the side as if he was trying to point at her wound. “It doesn’t take much for an infection to spread in 10 minutes, you know.” As soon as he finished his words, she was already stumbling for balance at the nearby trash cans which prompted him to step forward instinctively. “You were saying?” he didn’t mean to prod or tease, much less pry, but Julian can be… dry and blunt, sometimes. He was a bit surprised when she gave in without any argument, placing a hold over his arm to guide him to the said place. How is it that someone with a petite and delicate frame like her hold such strength? To say that he was amazed would be an understatement. The raven-haired male couldn’t help but chuckle when he saw the small wave she sent over the tied up males. Cute. 

She wasn’t wrong when she said the place wasn’t far, in less than 10 minutes, they could already spot the warehouse. Julian was a bit reluctant to go in because who in their right minds would walk into a dark and shady warehouse just because an injured gal asked them to? Idiots. That made him halt in front of the entrance momentarily as he examined the area. But she was bleeding out already. Eventually, he made the decision to go with his instincts and go inside. “Being stabbed is supposed to hurt. If you’re immune to that, you’re either high on morphine dosage or just… high, in general” he quipped dryly and set his quiver aside along with his bow, placing it against the wall before making his way to the table. Under the light, he could see her more clearly albeit her identity remained masked. “My sister likes to get herself in trouble and I’m usually the one that stitches her up because Mother would go crazy on us if we played recklessly.” Staring straight into her blue hues, he pulled up both his sleeves and took out the gauze from the first aid kit. “I’m kidding,” okay maybe not, they did like to train with each other when they were younger. “I was in the military, stuff like that happens. Do you have any clean water?” 

DhampirPermalink Reply by ✓ Eleanora Riley Nordstroem on July 22, 2019 at 23:15

The way he responded in such an exasperated tone to her joking made her scoff a little as she got to work on letting him down from the rope, she was starting to wonder if maybe she needed to rethink this particular trap method because it probably wasn’t the most practical was she could take someone out of action, especially if wandering giants decided to get themselves in the way of it. The way he spoke about being traumatized was so nonchalant that she purposely glanced over at him to try and determine if he was being serious or not, but from the way he shivered she got the feeling it was more than just the trap “Oh don’t see it like that, it’s just a fun acrobatics class” she commented with an amused chuckle raising her brows at him, he didn’t seem all that afraid to be honest, if he was she’d have expected to be already on the run already. His mumbling made her shrug “That’s what they call me on the news anyway, I’d like to see any of those reporters stop crime in the city” she said dryly, someone had to go out every night and do this or the whole city would be overrun with the drug trade and worse.

Looking back at him, she definitely saw something in him, he was what the typical person might call tall, dark and handsome, he had youthful features that made him look approachable when he wasn’t scowling at the ground and perhaps even a level of innocent to him that was hard to pinpoint. There was no denying that he was quite the looker, with hazel-green eyes that were bright in even the lowly lit alleyway. There wasn’t too much time to take it all in though, because not long after she got him down, the people she had actually been waiting for arrived. It was a pretty smooth fight really, the males were burly and muscular but generally lacked any training when it came to fighting and were more there to be intimidating than having actual physical capability. Nora however, had to handle being against opponents much larger than her often and so she was prepared, keeping a low center of gravity and swiftly avoiding most of their attacks.

But it only took one hit to send her staggering back and while she had certainly won this fight it wasn’t without its casualty, namely this rather large and painful gash on her left side. She was pretty good at hiding her pain and she certainly didn’t want either of those thugs to revel in the fact they’d managed to land an actual hit on her and so she did her best to avoid being within their earshot as she watched the man from before ramble his way through the phone call. She gave a satisfied smile as she noted the way he managed to hold himself together and clearly explain what had happened without incriminating himself or her. She could tell he was nervous from the way he kept speaking in bursts of words but in the end, he did what she asked him to do. She did have to question what his reasons were for still being here though, if she were him she would have been long gone and back in the comfort of her own home already and yet here he was, offering to help treat her wound. Not even offering, insisting.

She hated that he spoke with such resolve and logic that she couldn’t even argue with him, if she tried to treat this wound herself she was probably going to end up poking and prodding at it so much that it got infected and she wasn’t in a place right now where it was wise to be putting herself out for several days “You seem to know an awful lot about it” she grumbled as she pressed her hand down onto the trash can to try and steady herself, she was stubborn and frankly, she didn’t like owing people. She already felt bad for accidentally trapping him earlier, she couldn’t say she particularly wanted to add gratitude to that too. But the sirens gave her little time to fully think it through and logically she knew it was wise to get him out of there before the police could ask him questions he would probably struggle to answer, he didn’t seem like a good liar. She heard his chuckle at her gesture and glanced at him for a moment “They deserved it, believe me” she commented nonchalantly as she gritted her teeth through the pain and pressed onwards to where she knew they would be safe.

She sensed his hesitation as they came up to the warehouse, even feeling him stop, but she simply continued on without him, clutching her hand against the wound on her side to try and stop the bleeding a little. She could feel that it was pretty bad, after a moment she turned back to him for a moment “Don’t worry, if I was planning to hurt you I’d have left you up in the rope” she teased in an amused tone and headed inside leaning against one of the tables for support, she did feel weak and her whole body was aching “Yeah I try and prevent people from getting high, so I guess hurting like a bitch will have to do” she commented as she grimaced a little, she didn’t like looking weak in front of other people so this was really difficult for her and part of her was still tempting to ask him to leave. He did seem to have good intentions though and that’s why she hadn’t yet. She eyed him suspiciously when he said he learned to patch people up from fights when he was younger “I was wondering if the bow was decorative but I guess now I have my answer” she teased with an amused look but blew out a sigh of relief “Good because I really don’t feel like being some wannabe hero’s blank canvas” she grumbled and pointed out a few bottles of water in the cabinet “Running water hasn’t been in this place for years but that should do the trick” she spoke and bit her lip.

“I uh...I didn’t catch your name yet” she spoke softly, mostly because she didn’t want to keep calling him that guy in her head.

NephilimPermalink Reply by ✓ Julian Nathaniel Lockhart on July 30, 2019 at 15:49

It was always easy enough for Julian, sometimes he viewed most things to be black and white, that there was no complexity underlying any of those things, though the Nephilim in reality, knew better that there were no one-point characters living their lives in a breeze. There were no good or bad side, a part of him believes that genuinely, perhaps due to a serious misfortune that occurred a few years ago. Human nature is volatile, he thinks. It's not necessarily evil, but it's definitely chaotic and unpredictable, though after a while examining the petite female that ended up donning a vigilante look tonight of all nights, may have given him a small insight to what that nature is about. Something about her piqued his interest, and Julian wasn't usually this weird guy who would suddenly take interest in a random female who just so happened to save his ass and trapping it at the same time. Should he be thankful? He probably should, since she could've just let him hang there until the rope malfunction and release his body weight down, to which the angel child is positive he would also suffer a bone crushing injury to his clavicles. 

"Fun acrobatics class?" he quirked his eyebrow in questioning manner, seriously and just purely judging her there, right there on the spot, "you have a weird way of defining your dry humor…" alas, she did pull somewhat a morbid joke earlier regarding his organs, what could he had expected? Surprisingly, he didn't find it all too alarming that there is a vigilante roaming around their streets, or vigilantes, if you will, especially concerning how their eternal city hasn't exactly been the safest place at the moment. It's been hellish as of late, weird cases popping out in the open, one that actually happened at his workplace recently, it made him rethink his choices of what he thought this place was. But he wasn't naive either, to think such a safe haven would last forever. He just needed to take the right measures and navigate his way properly to survive. "Do you feel indebted to the city or something? You seem to know your stuff… not that helping and aiding is not a generally moralistic thing to do, but… nobody does anything without a reason." He noticed he was the bigger of the two, obviously, but her commanding aura had made him cower down easily and became a bit reluctant. 

She did seem experienced in this kind of work field anyway, he supposed there's a benefit ring to that. Even then, he found it hard to discern her distinctive features to figure out who this person may be, since she remained unmasked. The only thing he could pinpoint was her commanding and resilient aura that speaks a lot of volumes from the actions shown earlier alone, and her bright optics; they were striking blue. And somehow, that face paint she applied around her eye area had made it more prominent to his eyes. A part of him asked why he didn't try to help her, oh wait, he is, he just didn't aid her in taking care of those guys and remained concealed behind the curtains instead. "Sorry I didn't help you earlier… it was a snatch of a moment and I wasn't sure what to do. You seemed to have it handled pretty well back there too…" was it a compliment? Perhaps. 

He generally saw a woman who doesn't wish to get others in her bubble hence the way she abstained herself from asking for help until he convinced her that the wound she suffered would fester. And the only way to get her to give in was to send a whole world of logic, that way she couldn't even say no even if she wanted to. "Some people know an awful lot about some things." He didn't say much after that, but had a small triumphant smile adorning his lips as he followed her to the abandoned warehouse, he was not kidding when he said it looked shady. Had it not been because she was so confident that there was no threat looming over from inside, he may have insisted to go elsewhere. But beggars can't be choosers anyway and it won't take long for that cut to fester. For the time being, he'll settle with that. "You seem to like teasing people a lot" he mumbled, tightening his hold over his sleeves so it wouldn't fall off and stain itself, he actually liked the shirt and didn't want to spend a whole day trying to clean it off, but not before taking off his jacket and putting it aside of the table. "Such valor...quite the daring troublemaker aren't you?" 

Troublemaker is not a word he'd usually use but something about her just radiates that chaotic energy he can't seem to pinpoint, it was like seeing a whole other person in the same vessel, "but I'm sure people appreciate what you're doing. It's not often we get all the good things happening…" Tearing the patch from the plastic holding it in, he rummaged through the first aid kit until his hand found iodine and pulled it out, placing it on the table and went straight to wash his hands first before returning to her with the same bottles he retrieved from where she told him it was hidden at, "has anyone ever told you that your manners are quite abysmal?" there was no mistaking the teasing tone and the look he gave her, he didn't take any offense, if anything he was giving it back. "Nobody brings a bow like that for decoration… do you know how weird that'll look to people?" He does, but technically he wanted to have a small training by the woods and it was inside the trunk of his car, besides, Julian was doubtful there were people lounging around that late.

 "Technically if we're talking about playing hero, that'd be you no? You're the one preventing the crime, not me. I'm just an innocent bystander that wanted to thank his 'savior' who also happened to be the reason for his entrapment, but you know the likes… it's not called being a hero," he paused momentarily and when he was sure the bleeding had stopped, he dabbed the skin with the clean cloth that he infused with water earlier, being extremely delicate and careful, "it's called being a decent person." Halfway when he was cleaning her wound, he pursed his lips and looked up to meet her gaze since he had been kneeling on the ground due to his height to get a better look since the lights weren't exactly bright, wondering if he should give it to her. Seemed fair. 

"Julian. You?" 

DhampirPermalink Reply by ✓ Eleanora Riley Nordstroem on July 31, 2019 at 22:27

She gave him a look which pretty much explained that she didn’t feel the need to explain her humor to anyone and shrugged her shoulders slightly, she’d never really had the best people skills, that was why she was CTO and not CEO at Everetronics, it meant she got to avoid most of the cross-company meetings and sales pitches and instead let her stay in her office and do what she did best. Still, she could play ball when she wanted to and though she may deny it out loud, there were some people she cared enough to actually like, despite them being few and far between. “I have my reasons, none of them related to this city in particular” she answered with a shrug of her shoulders, it wasn’t so much the city she felt she owed but the people her parents had wronged, but admitting that would be a short jump to her real identity so it wasn’t something she could share “You can say I’m trying to right some wrongs” she spoke softly as she glanced over at him for a moment.

Sometimes she even questioned herself on why she got up and did this every day but she supposed it was because she couldn’t just sit aside and watch the world get worse and not do anything about it, sure she could only help a few people but she hoped that made a small difference in the world, enough to leave a small mark. His apology was completely surprising to her and made her arch her brow, she had trapped his guy on a rope, not apologized for it and then gotten him in the middle of a fight and he was apologizing to her? She narrowed her eyes for a moment wonder if he was serious “No offense but you probably would have got in my way and you aren’t exactly stealthy” realizing that was definitely offensive she shrugged her shoulders “You have nothing to apologize for” she spoke bluntly “You did the right thing” she believed that truly.

She knew she was being pretty short with him but that was just the way she was with people she didn’t know and trust, it felt easier for her to keep everyone at arms length and make them somewhat dislike her than to give them any reasons to care about her wellbeing, people who cared made stupid decisions which put her in difficult situations. “True, others pretend they know everyone just to impress others” she countered to explain her suspicion, nothing personal to him, she just saw a lot of the worst in people often. “I’m not sure that’s true, I spend most of my time alone and most people know better than to approach me” she drew a bubble around herself with her fingertips to imply that she preferred to be alone most of the time. “Nothing personal, I just don’t really do people” she admitted with a slight nod of her head. When he called her a daring troublemaker she laughed “Probably the most accurate description of what I do that I've heard” she wrinkled her nose at the thought “Aren’t you scared?” she was genuinely curious about that, she would have been if the roles were reversed.

“I’m not so sure people appreciate it, at least not most of it” she shrugged slightly “I mostly target the recreational drug trade so” she had her reasons but she did also help with other things, she had done her share of saving everyday people in difficult situations too, chasing down thieves, interrupting shady men in alleys, she wasn’t trying to be a hero, just trying to bring some justice in a city that had very little sense of the word at all. She eyed him and chuckled when he said her manners were bad “I’m sure my parents would have told me that if they actually gave a damn” she spoke dryly and twitched her lips into a half-smile “I spend all day every day at my day job being polite, tonight I’m just me” maybe she wasn’t really a likable person but that’s okay, she didn’t need people to like her to do what she did. “Well true” she responded to his comments about the bow “But then carrying a bow out on the streets of Evermore isn’t exactly orthodox either” she shrugged, she kept her one hidden most of the time.

“Oh I’m no hero” she responded bluntly and shook her head slightly “Nor did I save you” she tilted her head a little “I’m the one who got you trapped in the first place remember” which was a pretty funny story to tell, if she actually had anyone to tell it to. She winced as she felt him dabbing against the wound which definitely stung much worse now that he had disturbed it but she gritted her teeth and did her best not to move while he got to work. “I’ll take that” she responded to his words and pressed her lips together not believing the next words that wanted to come from her lips “Thank you...for uh” she wasn’t good at this and it showed “Not leaving I guess” she added knowing that was a terrible thanks but at least now the words would stop spinning in her head and tempting her to say them. He was actually really gentle and good at this to her surprise and she could tell how thoroughly he was working on treating the wound, better than she would for herself.

“Julian” she repeated after him, the word rolling off her tongue as she looked down at his hazel gaze, she wasn’t really good at this whole thing, especially while masked, mostly because most people were either scared of and went running from her, or generally disliked her and she couldn’t blame them, she didn’t do this for good reputation after all. Hearing the question turned on her she thought about it for a moment, she’d never had to introduce herself to someone while masked before “Scarlett” she responded with a nod, it was obviously not her real name but she hoped he’d understand her reasons for the cover “You were in the military?” she picked up on his explanation from earlier. 

NephilimPermalink Reply by ✓ Julian Nathaniel Lockhart on August 9, 2019 at 17:27

From her gaze alone, the angel child could feel goosebumps all over his body, not because he was scared or intimidated, okay maybe a little bit… intimidated. The judging in her stare made Julian hold both his hands up in defense, as if saying he was just saying that for the sake of saying it, rather than meaning it as a whole. He wasn't a people person either, but he didn't close off everything too. People view him to be more of an introvert rather than someone who either suffers from social anxiety or is naturally just anti-social. There was a simple reason why he doesn't like to mingle around if it was not needed, and it'll stay with him. Him only. The dry response to his question earlier made the Nephilim huff momentarily, because it didn't exactly answer the question he wanted to know the answer to, but in all cases placed aside, she did answer the question he asked. That's more than good enough seeing as he was more than sure, she could easily ignore him. 

"Trying to right some wrongs…" he repeated, a small smile present on his lips as he cleared his throat, "That counts as trying to pay something back. May it be a homage or anything, either sounds like a guilty conscience or charity." He was just glad that she was fine while doing all of that, since she definitely does not owe anything to the city as a whole, judging from the way she spoke earlier. Maybe not all invincible because she suffered a nasty wound, albeit a small one but still doesn't change the fact that it can threaten her immunity levels if left exposed. "I'm not the stealthiest person, you're right. I'm not usually like this though, it's probably the exhaustion taking its toll on me. I'm not a defender, or a hero… but I'm not an easy victim either." There was a slight pride underlying his lines, Julian had always made sure to follow his older sister's footsteps. He had to understand that things are not always what it seemed, and this is a perfect example of it. The fact that he felt the sudden need to justify and defend his state to the female spoke volumes; Julian can be as kind as a person can be but he would not tolerate everything either. Even if there were some truth to it.

 A part of him still scolded himself for the lack of response earlier. He should've done something rather than just standing there like a freaking mannequin. Scrunching his nose up at her response, his eyebrows were furrowed in confusion, "Nothing wrong with wanting to impress a person. It just shows how much work they're willing to put in order to make it work. Sometimes, hopes and wishes won't just do. You have to try and work for it." Julian suddenly felt a bit triggered and offended even though he was positive she meant nothing about it, which prompted him to mutter a small sorry afterwards, "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that. You don't mean it in that sense...Maybe a part of me felt… triggered. People always said that one shouldn't try too hard, because it'll get them nowhere and that's utter bull" he mumbled dismissively, barely audible but he was sure she could hear it. Tilting his head slightly to the side, he scoffed in amusement and nodded, "Yeah you don't look like a people person. Not to worry, there are plenty of those in this world. Not everyone is a social butterfly and not everyone is well-equipped in crowds. I'm not." 

Upon hearing the response on him calling her a troublemaker, he grinned wryly because she exudes a positive energy that prompted her to chuckle, and Julian always fed on those moments. "Scared?" he stopped his movements altogether and brushed his hands together, eyes fixated on the petite female, "What do you mean by that? Should I be?" He was by far, not the bravest person there is, no no… but he's a bit righteous which often caused him more trouble than he would ever admit. "You don't know that," he quipped, "People could be thanking you secretly in their hearts and you wouldn't know unless you stalk them or could read what they're thinking about. Not everything makes the headline" he assured. Parent trouble, it made Julian's lips twitch. He always felt guilty because the world is mostly overrode by greedy people. Thankfully, he grew up just fine under a controlling but lovable set of parents that still loved their children above everything else. They pushed their ideals away for him once. So he said nothing on the matter. It wasn't called sensitive for no reason.

 "So your day job is the opposite of you at night? Oh wow, I wonder how you fare then, can't imagine you working on customer service and you're terrible at covering up your exposed wound, so not a doctor or nurse either" he was being snarky with her, he knew that, but the tactless side of him enjoyed the banter between them. "Businesswoman perhaps? You seem cutthroat enough.." His bow was something he would die for, the amount of care and love Julian had for the piece was unrivaled. "I was gonna train after a while, so I placed it in the trunk of my car. Which I totally forgot I parked it there and left it" he grumbled to himself, he swore he always forget the most important things in exchange for a more trivial part. "To you it's not called saving and maybe it's a twisted way of saying it, but if you weren't there, I could've been a victim of actual organ traffickers…" he was not kidding when that thought scared him. The thanks he received made the Nephilim smirk briefly, it was the most awkward thanks he has ever received, but at least it wasn't insincere. That thought alone covers everything for him. 

"You're welcome." His conscience wouldn't allow him to leave her either, not in that state. It would plague his mind and haunt him. He was careful not to press the affected areas too much, fearing it would leave a scar, though he doubted she would have one if she could heal. Scars or marks, visible or not, they still carry a reminder and for a guy who has plenty before, he knew nobody actually wants a reminder of it. His thumb brushed itself over the skin and wound tenderly, eyes truly fixated on it like any surgeon would do their patients, he took another patch and pressed the cooling pad against her wound. Scarlett. He knew he wouldn't get an actual name and that's okay. "Yeah, still am… but not quite enlisted actively. I currently work under a private organization responsible for the manufacturing of air vehicles."

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