Fall is in the Air(Heinrich)

[Elizabeth Coons]

It was warm, again, but there was a cool breeze that brought an omen of fall. The smell of the air had changed too; it smelled of the coming season, crisp and unmistakable. Gentle lapping of the murky lake water was most prevalent of the soft sound that could be heard on the quiet day. Elizabeth sat on the sandy shore of the lake near her grandparents,

Mine,

house. Usually she wouldn’t have risked getting covered in damp sand by sitting on the shore, but she hadn’t brought a towel, she didn’t feel like getting one now. She sat far enough back that the water didn’t reach when it was its highest, but she could still feel the moisture beneath her jean-clad rump in the always damp sand. Next time I’ll have to bring a towel. Oh well, Elizabeth thought resignedly. She focused her attention back out to the water.

Sparkling light danced across the ever moving surface of Goldleaf Lake. At times it was painful, the lake casting off stabbing shards of light that nearly blinded those unfortunate to be looking at that point. The cool early fall wind came again, and she shivered. It wasn’t very cold, but it was a bit of a shock on her sum warmed arms. The shiver brought on by the wind forced her to get up and moving. Elizabeth wrapped her arms around herself, she had worn a tank-top today. Looking around, Elizabeth contemplated whether or not to take a walk around the lake. What trouble can I get into around the lake? With a glance back at the house, Elizabeth trudged off, barefoot. She had heard the someone had bought the house beside her grandparents and headed that way. Elizabeth was curious to see what sort of person had moved in. Maybe I’ll get lucky and they’ll be interesting, and nice

[Heinrich Drake]

A few days ago, Drake had been totally confused by the small town feeling of Hush Hills. Now, he felt he had lived here his whole life. Already, he had been offered a job to come to the general store and just be there. Apparently, his vampiric charms had more use then flirting.

Now, Drake was on his back in the sand, right by the water. Today had been pretty good. But, taking in the novelty of having a lakehouse before it wore off. After all, neither his mansion in Berlin, nor the Carstien Manor in the German country side, nor any of the other hundred houses he'd lived in,ever, ever was by a lake. Water, yes, but lakes, alas, no.

So, the novelty wasn't wearing off anytime soon.


It was here on the edge of the lake that Drake noticed his neighbor, thehuman that held the smell of a vampire so near. And a female at that. Either she was friends and knew of vampires, or she was friends and didn't.

Drake wanted to know either way. Right now however, he was perfectly content laying on where he was. At least, he was. Until he noticied her get up and begin walking in the direction of his house. Sighing, Drake sat up. Obviously, madam neighbor was interested in whom lived nearby. Or, she was walking that way for no particular reason.

Either way, Drake figured he might as well look good. He fixed his shirt, and brushed the sand from his back and hair. Done.

But instead of getting up fom his sitting position, Drake just pulled his knees to his chest. For once, he wasn't sure what to say. So he stared at the water, contemplating what to say. If, by foul luck, she reached him before Drake could think up a convo starter, she'd talk. If, that was, she actually meant to find out about the new guy.

[Elizabeth Coons]

Looking out over the lake, she didn’t see the man sitting in the sand until she could have almost bumped into him. She gasped, and twitched slightly, not quite jumping in surprise.

”Oh my gosh I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there.” She breathed. Stepping back, she took time to observe the man she had almost run over. There was something odd about the man. His skin didn’t look quite right, and he seemed too perfect for mere… mortals. Elizabeth almost gasped. Oh great, another vampire. Vara’s gonna love this. What are they all doing here anyways? Elizabeth thought to herself. Should she politely turn around and head back to the house? Elizabeth debated what she would do next. Well, if she was going to have a conversation with a strange vampire, better do it near your own home…were another vampire happens to live.

”Are…are you the one who bought the lake house beside ours?” Elizabeth asked, hesitating at first. She motioned back to her house, and quickly glanced back to see if anyone was emerging, pointing out which one was hers.

[Heinrich Drake]

Drake didn't even bother facing the girl when she spoke.

"Don't be. It wasn't your fault." For once, he didn't bother laying in the charm. Besides, if she knew of vamps, like he thought she did, it would only make her feel weary of him. And that wouldn't be good. And anyway, the German accent would be good enough.

"Yes, I bought the house. I figured I needed to move somewhere abit quieter, and this place seemed to fit the bill." It was only know he actually turned to face her, getting a better view of her face.

Damnit. Pretty like almost every good forsaken girl in the town.

[Elizabeth Coons]

Elizabeth heart raced, but she couldn’t hear it over her racing thoughts. So he doesn’t seem hostile. Doesn’t seem strained. Maybe he’s older, more experienced, more tolerant. Still not that great of a reason to be talking to him. Durned my slightly impulsive ways! Elizabeth had the habit analyzing the crap out of everything. This both annoyed and pleased her. Annoying because it took a lot of thought space, pleasing because she ended up being right a lot. Elizabeth liked being right. It seemed kind of odd that he didn’t turn and face her right away. It made it seem that he was more comfortable with her presence. When a stranger usually is confronted by another stranger, they face each other out of wariness, whether they realize it or not. His accent was also odd. A small smile broke to her lips though. German. She was slightly in love with the language, and wished to visit the country soon.

”Ah, well then welcome. I would normally bring over a plate of cookies, or something, but you kinda caught me by surprise.” Elizabeth said. And the fact that his diet doesn’t exactly include cookies, Elizabeth thought briefly, her smile fading a little. Once again, she had talked comfortably with another vampire. She was getting dangerously comfortable with the species.

”Your accent… German right?” Elizabeth asked curiously, the smile brightening again a fraction.

[Heinrich Drake]

Heinrich smiled at her, before turning back to the lake. His hand reached for a rock, which he threw as far as he could into the lake, the faint sploosh of it sinking barely audible in the distance.

"Cookies, huh? Don't worry about it. I can live without...although it is a hard existence, one without cookies."

She seemed friendly enough. If she was close to this vampire in the area, chances were she was acting. Most humans who knew one weren't too happy to meet a new one. Or she honestly had no clue what he was. Either way, most likely a bad situation for him. Oh well. Drake would deal.

At the mention of his country, Drake looked back at her, a slight smile once more on his face.

"Yes, German. I'm surprised you noticed. Many of my friends didn't realize for years. You should have heard it a few years ago, when I first came to America. You never would have understood me."

[Elizabeth Coons]

As Heinrich threw the rock, Elizabeth’s eyes followed it’s path of travel across the sky. Elizabeth chuckled quietly when it fell into the lake with a splash. She was surprised the thing didn’t sail to the other side of the lake. When he started talking again, Elizabeth redirected her attention back to him. It some how seemed like a finality when he threw the rock, showing an inhuman display of strength in front of her. Why do they show themselves to me? Because they know that I know? How do they pick up on these things? I wonder if they can smell her on me… Elizabeth let her thoughts trail off. Without realizing it, her features had turned thoughtful. Immediately she wiped her face clean of any emotion beside a polite smile.

”Ah yes, a life without cookies. I would die.” Elizabeth chuckled at the joke she made. She was probably the only one that would get it, but she admired it anyways.

”And yeah, I’m trying to learn German. It hasn’t been very successful.” Elizabeth frowned slightly when she said this. Her father had signed her up to learn the language using a special program for military families. However, they never had the time to sit down together to work out the details and figure out how it worked. Her eyes shone momentarily, displaying the pain she felt for her dead parents. Elizabeth quickly shut down that emotion, fearing an outbreak of water-works. The polite smile was back in place, the only effect of the fading emotion was tightness around her eyes.
[/color]

[Heinrich Drake]

Heinrich looked back out towards the lake, noticing the girl's eyes. Obviously trying to read him, discern something. MAybe about his vampiric state. Perhaps she was checking him out, if she had no clue what he was. Oh well.

"German is hard, if you aren't born to it. Its like Japanese, but worse so. But, if you learn it, you gain the respect of Germans everywhere. So, if you ever decide to go there, learning the lingo will gain you friends." He turned back, the slight smile on his face still.
"New friends, just like myself.

I'm Heinrich, Baron Heinrich Draco von Carstien. But....call me Drake. Its what all the... He took a major chance here. Either she knew, or she thought he was a freak. Here goes. "What most humans call me."

[Elizabeth Coons]

Bleh, barely 150 words.

Elizabeth nodded along with what Heinrich was saying about his home language. She smiled hesitantly when he called himself her friend.

”It sounds hard. I think the pronunciation would get me the most though. I would love to go to Germany though… And it seems that I’ve already made one German friend, how hard will it be to recruit others?” Elizabeth chucked. Her question was rhetorical, teasing. Still, she watched his face for a reaction.

Elizabeth bowed to Heinrich, a small grin on her face.

”Well it’s nice to meet you, Baron Heinrich Draco von Carstien. But, since I am human after all, I think I’ll go with Drake also.” Her tone was light-hearted, not freaking out in the slightest. She was getting more and more comfortable with vampires. Vara wouldn’t approve. It would be funny though, seeing her march angrily toward them, all protective like. She’d pay for it later though…[/color]

[Heinrich Drake]

Drake smiled.

Harder then you think....Not all Germans are as appreciative of Americans as I am...

His smile changed into a look of disbelief when Elizabeth bowed to him. No one outside of Germany had ever done that. Well, minus the Revolutionary War....But other than that, never. It surprised Drake that a modern American would actually bow at all....After all, in a democracy, there were no true high class citizens deserving the gesture. Of course, Drake knew she did it playfully. But the fact remained.

What pleased him was the fact Elizabeth was perfectly calm, a sure sign she knew of vampires. And she was fine around them. At the same time, Drake started to worry in the back of his head. If she was fine around strange new vampires, what would happen if a not so human friendly vamp walked into the neighborhood. She'd be sucked dry in an instant. But, it wasn't his place to worry about such things, so Drake swiftly forgot about it.

"Interesting. You happen to be the first person in a long time who didn't think I was insane when I told them I wasn't exactly human. I'm guessing you know exactly what I am, huh?"

[Elizabeth Coons]

Elizabeth blinked slightly in surprise at his look of disbelief. What I do? Elizabeth asked herself worriedly. Was his disbelief out of annoyance, or please? A small frown creased Elizabeth’s face as she wondered what she had done. When he didn’t get angry though, she relaxed. A string had come loose in the hem of her tank-top, and Elizabeth fiddled with it while she stood there. Winding the string around and around her finger, then quickly released her finger, watching the white, bloodless skin turn her normal skin tone. Elizabeth snapped her attention back to Drake when she realized she had drifted off. She would have blushed if her face would allow her.

”Yes, I do. But that shouldn’t surprise you too much.” Elizabeth had her head tilted slightly to the left, displaying that the statement had hints of a question in it. She didn’t quite give him enough time to answer before she kept talking though.

”I probably smell of vampire. Well, living with one can do that.” She chuckled at this, her head righting itself to normal position.

[Heinrich Drake]

'Tis about freaking time. Not having to explain the whole premise behind the idea of vampires for once is quite refreshing. I wish more humans were like this. Wait....That would mean more Ravenwood...Nevermind...

That thought reminded him a bit unintentionally about the hunter Twilight had spoke of. Which, combined with the now known fact that this girl knew of vampires, and lived with one, put her in danger. Yet another person on Drake's list of innocent humans needing to be watched over. Yay.

But, a new thought cheered Drake up a bit. The fact that the scent emitting from Elizabeth practically screamed "FEMALE VAMPIRE NEAR" meant that as long as he played his cars right, Drake might actually get along with another vampire for the firs time in years. For all their promising factors, humans were still another race.

Now, however Drake banished all thoughts to the back of his mind, save anything actually involving the conversation he was having.

"I guess not." He muttered this. Drake would have said it louder, but since Elizabeth kept talking, his words were lost within hers.

"Yes...Yes you do. Live with one, eh? You sure are different from most humans I know of. Calm in the presence of those proved to be most malicious against humanity as a whole."

[Elizabeth Coons]

Elizabeth shrugged, looking down. She was well aware that she was unusually comfortable in the presence of a creature that could kill her with the flip of a wrist. That was why Vara was so protective of her. It was a dangerous world when you knew of the immortals. Vara was in a constant state of stress when they were apart. The female vampire cared very much for her safety. Sometimes Elizabeth wished she didn’t know of the immortals dark secret, it would certainly make life much easier. Then again, she never could have been Vara’s best friend without knowing the secret. Elizabeth drew a small circle in the sand with a bare toe before looking back up at Drake.

”Yes, I seem to get that reaction.” Elizabeth said quietly. She didn’t know what else to say now. The quiet didn’t bother her, so she didn’t immediately strike up a conversation. Instead, she turned toward the lake. The surface shimmered in the bright fall sun. Elizabeth yearned to go, run, and jump into it’s cool depths. She would if Drake wasn’t standing there, or if she had on shorts. Elizabeth glanced back at Drake, and then looked back longingly at the lake, waiting to see if he wanted to continue talking.

[Vara Saraphine Grimmark]

OOC:// Okay Done!

As liquid sunlight filtered through the clear glass of living room windows, dust particles danced through thick columns of air. Within seconds of entering the house the air conditioning switched on, blowing icy gusts through the Coons' lonely home. The unrecognizable stillness in the room had automatically alerted the troubled vampire to the undeniable vacancy of the house. Vara sensed no movement inside or out. The grandparents were gone, okay, but so was Elizabeth and that definitely wasn't okay. Vara couldn't even pick up the faintest sound of breathing in any of the upstairs bedrooms.

Not good.

Elizabeth was gone and now Vara had to find her.

Great.

Wonderful.

For a second she almost wondered if Elizabeth even cared about her friend's mental state. Why today? she silently stressed. At least her senses offered her a little support. There was a faint trail of the girl's scent leading outside. There was no second thought. Vara made haste in leaving the old house and its stale air behind her in search for her best friend. Incoherent words streamed from the lips of a very upset vampire. The accelerated flood of words combined with the constant swish of blue jeans and the light padding of black sneakers made a lulling rhythm. Any other day Vara would have enjoyed the smooth, little lilt but not today. Elizabeth had killed her day. No pun intended.

Seconds was all it took to locate the source of the scent. Elizabeth was just by the lake, good. Vara almost sighed with relief until she did a double take at the scene n front of her. Her human friend wasn't alone. A light breeze swirled about her face blanketing her with cool air and a most familiar and delicious scent. Vampire. Of course. The figure with Elizabeth had such a lithe edge to him. Just by the way he held himself she could tell that he wasn't human. Time to play it calm, she told herself as she loosened her stride and slowed to a brisk walk. A pleasant simper replaced the grim frown that had plagued her features ever since she arrived in Elizabeth's god-forsaken town.

Elizabeth appeared relaxed, that was a good thing. Though Vara couldn't help but wonder if her friend knew. She had taught her the signs: Sweet compelling smell. Pallid complexion. Liquid grace. Slight fang indentions in the upper lip. All signs that could easily be spotted with a little work but for a vampire it was obvious right away. Why had her friend stayed to converse alone with this man knowing his species? There was no time to guess the answer to that question.

"Elizabeth?"

[Heinrich Drake]

Noting her silence, Drake looked at Elizabeth's facial expression, and saw she most obviously wanted to go into the lake. Which, in all truth, he couldn't blame her. It was pretty nice out, and not that long ago, the water was pretty nice. Course, he only barely dipped his toes in, but Drake knew it was fine.

However, the scent of the female vampire that lingered on Elizabeth began to gain strength. This distracted Drake, who was about to let Elizabeth get on with her day. It wasn't until he realized the smell was coming from the way Elizabeth had came from, rather than her herself. Which meant only one thing.

Drake looked over in that direction, and saw a girl, roughly eighteen years old in appearance, walking their way. However, Drake could tell she was much older than eighteen, considering both were vampires. For a vampire you likely was very protective of human friends, the newcomer didn't seem to be worried in the slightest. Mind you, it could be a charade...Or the fact that as far as he could tell, Drake was the youngest looking vamp in town. Which, he had to admit, not being cocky at all, likely drew her towards him. Or, at least, made her suspicious. Like he would be in her shoes.

He spoke up, when she got in earshot, right after she spoke first. The intoxicating scent accompanied a musical voice, that almost made him gasp. Damn female vampires. They got him almost as bad as they got humans.
"Well, hey! You must be Elizabeth's vamp friend, eh?"