[color=92278f]So this is South Sombra.[/color] Lorelai thought to herself. The sky was black, no stars shone through the smog of the city. The night air was crisp, but somehow also hazy. She surveyed the buildings rising into the black sky like the fingers of some old god praying for someone to save it. [color=92278f]Sorry Sombra, but I'm not even human, much less a hero.[/color] She smiled at that thought, which caused her servants, who where busy about the task of carrying her personal effects from the plane and depositing them into the black van that awaited her arrival, a unified tremble of fear. "Mistress...your things are prepared, we leave when you're ready." In front of her was a large man, maybe in his early thirties. She often wondered how long his pride had been dead, that he quivered in fear at the sight of her. [color=92278f]"Give me a moment. I'm acclimating myself."[/color] He returned to the rest of her retenue and they began the hard work of looking busy with nothing to do. In a way it was kind of cute, the way they shuffled about repeating tasks with no purpose. She thought of telling them to relax, but where was the fun in that? She let out a small laugh as she retrieved a folded piece of stationary from her coat pocket. On it was the name, phone number, and address of a 'Scarlet', she wondered whether the woman was a whore, stripper, or simply unimaginative when she picked her name. Beneath that was the address of the suite in which she'd be staying. Without so much as a word she climbed into the passenger seat of the van. The driver looked surprised, fares where supposed to ride in the back for the safety of the driver, one look into her eyes told him all he needed to know about her contempt for his concept of safety. So without further ceremony he started the vehicle. Lorelai directed him to depart first for her suite, she'd like to familiarize herself with her new neighborhood. Rolling down the window Lorelai examined her new city as it passed by. She was pleased to see that even in the dead of night Sombra buzzed with life. Between the streetlights and the neon signs advertising the procurement of one vice or another the city seemed to glitter. Darkness still lurked of course, as it did anytime one dealt with the workings of men. Dead eyes women roamed the sidewalks peddling their flesh to ensure their next supper. Crouched in allyways were the destitute and disenfranchised. On stoops clung various youths, reduced to pushing poison instead of attending to their futures. Lorelai smiled to herself, all that glitters is not gold after all. She herself was proof of that. The way the bright lights juxtaposed the crawling filth invoked a very gothic sensation, a city of layers and secret streets. Soon enough she'd begin the joyous work of peeling back Sombra's secrets. [hr] [i]About an hour later. In front of a condominium in the heart of the entertainment district.[/i] The van came to a stop, which broke Lorelai from her contemplative reverie. "Mistress we've arrived." Said one of her servants, this time the younger girl among them. Lorelai tried to recall the girl's name, Cynthia maybe? No matter. [color=92278f]"I can see that well enough myself. I'm going to see about a bite, sample the local flavor, while you prepare my living arrangements. Text me when you're finished."[/color] She stepped out of the van and smiled when she heard the long pent up sigh of relief from her driver. "O-of course ma'am, right away." Cynthia(?) stumbled over her words as Lorelai passed her. She walked along the sidewalk, following the sounds of the nightlife. People watched her as she passed. [color=92278f]Gaze on the wolf little sheep, I hardly mind, she thought to herself.[/color] To her surprise some of those gazes were ones of suspicion or, even more surprising, predatory. Perhaps the grit of the city had seeped into the very blood of its populace, the people here were tough. Exposed to the grime and cruelties of life in Somabra made them difficult to impress, fool, or kill. Surely a will of some strength was required to survive here. She was contemplating this when she heard the pulsing beat filtering out of a local club. She examined the sign which promised all manner of excitment. Live music, Live girls (were dead ones often put on display?), dance floor. The steady beat of the music awoke the predator in her however, it seemed to mimic the heartbeat of prey. She approached the building. Standing in front of the building was a wall of a man, hulking in a three piece suit he surveyed her with some caution. "You got ID girlie?" She didn't hear a heartbeat from the man. She vaguely remembered the Nyctari, she was supposed to meet with them, controlled the red light district. [color=92278f]"Surely you understand my predicament."[/color] She flashed her fangs at him briefly, not all of her younger kin shared her heightened senses. "Ah, gotcha, you ain't a fuckin' Kyng are ya? That's just what I'd need right now." He spat the word Kyng with derision. [color=92278f]"My thralls call me princess, but I assure you I'm no...Kyng."[/color] Lorelai favored him with a bright smile. "A'ight, listen, you go in, grab yo'self a bite in one of the private rooms." He stamped the back of my hand. "That there'll give you VIP access for tonight only, you want it on the regular you gotta talk to one of my bosses." He handed me a card with yet another name and number. "Don't start anything, or I'll have to throw you out, and you look...Old, so I really don't want to do that, Got it?" [color=92278f]"Thank you, and I'll behave. Your name? I wouldn't want to forget this kindness."[/color] "Paul, nice and easy right?" He smiled almost shyly. "And don't worry 'bout it, we were all new here once right?" [color=92278f]Paul huh?[/color] He was young, he almost looked living. Lorelai was somewhat humbled by his openess and resolved to try not to make his night any harder than it needed to be. She stepped into the club. Her senses were immediately assaulted by loud electronic music, the stench of sweaty bodies on the dancefloor, and most disturbingly the scent of other predators. The hair on the back of her neck stood up as she spotted several of her kin in the club. She suppressed the predatory desire to establish dominance, she was a guest here after all. Now came the choice between the dance floor or the tables surrounding the dancers. She glanced over at the dancers, and she was pleased to see they were of excellent quality. Walking over that direction she noticed the tell-tale signs of longtime thralls however, Lorelai wasn't particularly interested in stepping on any one's toes, yet. The dance floor, however, looked promising. The ratio was way off. that was to be expected though, most of the vampires here were male. Which meant Paul had been admitting an imbalance of young women. Lorelai spotted a pretty young blonde near the edge of the dance floor. She was dancing only half heartedly, perhaps she'd come here with her friends only to be ditched? Either way Lorelai decided she'd make as good a meal as any. She quickly retrieved two drinks from the bartender and made her way over. [color=92278f]"I'm Lorelai."[/color] She extended one of the drinks to the other woman, and with a small intrusion into the blonde's mind it was suddenly her favorite. "Oh, Hi I'm Lexi." She smiled suspicously at Lorelai. "How's your night been?" [color=92278f]"I'm hoping for an upswing soon."[/color] She looked Lexi up and down, which brought heat to the woman's cheeks. [color=92278f]"You don't seem to be enjoying yourself much."[/color] "My stupid...boyfriend, invited me out and now he's late." She hesitated over the admission that she had a boyfriend. [color=92278f]"It seems foolish to leave something so sweet alone too long. Someone might snap you up."[/color] Lorelai already had this girl pegged, college, came into her beauty late, and was unaccustomed to attention which made her greedy for it. [color=92278f]"As a matter of fact, I intend to."[/color] Setting their drinks aside Lorelai lead Lexi to the center of the dance floor. There amid the tide of flesh and life Lorelai danced with her prey. The two of them attracted the eyes of several men, whom Lorelai sent away with icy glares. Soon Lexi became pliable, what little resolve she had melted in the face of their closeness. Leaning in Lorelai gestured to the private rooms. [color=92278f]"I want to be that mistake you made in college, what do you say we spend an hour or so of passion and then you try to forget me for the rest of your life?"[/color] "O-okay." Was all the poor girl could manage. [hr] [i]A couple of hours later. In Lorelai's suite.[/i] "You seem quite flushed mi'lady, how was your feeding?" Shaun was her butler, confidant, keeper, and bodyguard all rolled up into a impressively muscular six foot three frame. He was a middle aged elf and had been by her side for sometime, he would remain there indefinately as well. Frequent doses of her own blood had afforded Shaun immortality as well as a small measure of her own unholy speed and strength. So long as he didn't miss a dose of course. [color=92278f]"Quite nice, she lived if that's what you're asking. Mostly due to Paul."[/color] Lorelai stretched languidly on the chase lounge in the middle of a quite spacious living room. On the flat screen television that hung over one of those silly fake fire places was the local news, it was running some piece on a 'sombra slayer'. Lorelai wasn't particularly interested, but it seemed to be concerning Shaun. [color=92278f]"Oh, quit your worrying old man. Why don't you call this 'Scarlet' and arrange a meeting. That should take your mind off of things for awhile."[/color] She threw the scrap of stationary containing the necessary contact information at him. "As you wish ma'am." He retrieved his phone from his pocket and headed to a different room to place the call. [color=92278f]"Quit calling me ma'am or mi'lady too."[/color] He never would, but he'd been around long enough that Lorelai often felt formailities could be done away with. [hr] [i]Scarlet, her office in the buisness district.[/i] So she was going to meet the brat she'd be keeping an eye on for awhile. She knew she'd rue the day Vladimir had saved her unlife. Not too many years ago Vlad had pulled her out of a scrape with some Kyngs while he was here on buisness with Nyxie and the syndicate. She sighed, there'd been an uneasy peace between the Nyctari and the Bloodbloom syndicate for years. Word was trickling down the grapevine suggesting that might be changing soon. She really didn't need a war, she was just a bookeeper. Of course the book she kept was one of many 'black books' she managed clients. "Boss, I've got a Lorelai here for you." The intercom on her office phone buzzed out the slightly distorted voice of Garret, her secretary. Great, she was hoping to have a little more time to sulk. "Send her in." She responded. She quickly cleared some papers from her desk and smoothed her dress, the girl might be a brat, but a promise is a promise. Into her office stepped a small slip of a girl. Sandy blonde hair, generous curves, pouty lips, and stunning grey eyes. Once she could tear her gaze away she noticed a large elf holding the door open for her, He was a tall drink of water, strong jaw, muscular frame, and the kind of green eyes a girl could just drift off in. Were the Von'Strausses some kind of vampire dynasty of models? Her thoughts were interuppted by a small sweet voice. [color=92278f]"Scarlet I presume? I'm Lorelai, and I'm to understand you'll be taking care of me for awhile?"[/color] The girl flashed her a smile that didn't reach her eyes. [color=92278f]"I must warn you, I'm quite difficult to please."[/color] Scarlet looked back to the girl. So this was the...fuck. When you ran in vampire circles long enough you start to recognize signs of age that aren't physical, hard glint to the eyes, a little too much grace, odd speaking patterns, every elder had [i]something[/i] that could tip you off. Scarlet had gotten pretty good at picking them up, a survival skill in the company of her fellow vampires. She was looking into the eyes of a monster, not a girl. It was unnerving in the extreme, she felt as if something terrible was about to rip out of those eyes and consume her. It took a moment to compose herself, something she's sure the little predator didn't miss. "Yes, I'm an old associate of your sire's. He was hoping I'd take care of your living arrangements while you where here on vacation." She pulled out some papers. "I've heard of your little predicament and have some suggestions if-" Scarlet feared for her life as the elder's eyes flashed from a tranquil calm to an unholy rage and back again. [color=92278f]"Good to know Vladimir has deigned to inform you of my situation. How...[i]Fortunate[/i]."[/color] "I'm sorry, I'll not speak of it." She would do about anything to get out of this room. "Why don't we go over some feeding spots? Also you're welcome to join the Nyctari formally, Vlad had said you might want something to keep you occupied." [color=92278f]"I'm not looking to join any clubs just yet darling. Why don't we get to those feeding spots so I can get out there and see what there is to see huh?"[/color] She did, and quickly [hr] [i]Castle Von'Strauss[/i] Vladimir was pleased when he'd heard his little protege had arrived in Santa Somabra with no incident. He had old rivals in the city, ones he was hoping Lorelai would destroy while she was there. Originally he had hoped to merely employ her as a double agent, but now perhaps there were more direct routes available. It would seem, if his agents were correct, that Concetto had offended Nyxie for the last time with the death of one of her favorite enforcers. A war was on the horizon, and if the right people met final death, he and Lorelai come out as lions atop the pride once more. As it should be. He picked up the small phone on his desk and dialed a number. "Nyxie, my condolences reguarding Marius. Do you remember the matter we discuss last time I made it into the city." He waited as the woman on the other line responded. "I must have told you about my Lorelai."