The New York Public Library

Inside the new york public library i wonder who's here?

Daylight poured through the window, casting its golden beams on the single reader who sat at the small table. Books of an ancient origin were splayed about upon the wood and even onto some of the chairs, of which there were four, about the table. It was starting to turn cold outside and the weather was rainy so the large black coat which the figure wore was not entirely as out of place as it usually was. Of course, this was New York City, and nothing is really out of place NYC. Dark tangled strands of hair fell down over dark eyes as page after page was scanned with incredibly quickness and efficiency. It would appear that this dark man, or rather pale man with a... dark aura, was searching for something and wasn't finding it. Claw-like fingernails sorted through the mounds and another book was brought forth. The pages breezed by even faster than those of the last. Suddenly, he stopped. He scanned the page again, and once more. Finding the passage that had caught him in the first place, he ran his finger over it. A hiss escaped his thin, red lips and he sat back, slamming the book shut. He shook his head as if in anger and put a hand to his forehead, rubbing at the temples.

Skill say him the vampire he had been looking for. he wore jeans and a long sleeved shirt covered by an open windbreaker as he walked up to creature in grossed in his tome. he sat down and said "I can help"

"Anyone can help," the vampire didn't look up as he spoke, just kept rubbing as though he had a headache, "How does the ability to do a think separate you from the rest?" He sounded a bit irritated. Then he stopped, shook his head and looked up. His eyes widened slightly. "The one who can dodge bullets," he raised an eyebrow, "What could you possibly want with me?"

"to help i wont to cause pain and i know you can do that, well you certainly did to me" the last part was said with in a whisp as and looked out one of the near by windows" if looking thour it he saw the memories he was thinking of "but more importantly" he continued " i need to help"

"Perhaps," dark garments swished and swirled about him as he arose from the chair in which he sat, "From whence does this need spring? After all, turning to me after our previous experience, particularly after the girl, does not seem entirely rational." he had moved to stand by the window also, only it was not through it, but at the other man's expression that he peered. At his eyes did the vampire turn his gaze. It was a murky image in the window, but the fire was evident, whatever this man was feeling right now, it was genuine.

Outside of the library, a man was walking very cautiously, and not casually, at all. He was walking very slowly, on the tips of his feet, using his hands for balance. He wore a dark purple cloak, that flowed by his limbs gently. He kept glancing around, on the streets, in the alleys... Everywhere. People looked at him suspiciously, but kept walking down their usual path. The figure lifted it's head at the site of a big building. It walked normally to the construction, and entered it.
Just as he entered the building, the man known as Vladimir, Vladimir Thomas James Troy, sighed quietly. He looked around. The police aren't going to find me here... Anyways, I need to think before I get to Jerusalem... He walked further into the library, the many shelves of books soon hiding him, even though he was very tall for a man.
It was only by luck that Vladimir spotted Diaes, because he was attracted by a feminine sculpture that passed right in front of him. His eyes locked on the fragile body, but he caught a glimpse of something that made him feel uneasy. He looked up at Diaes, about twenty meters away. "That... Vampire... Thing, guy, that found me and that other pretty lady in the desert... What's he doing here?" (If Shadow had heard that, something would've exploded somewhere else in the world...) Vladimir muttered to himself. Instead of thinking straight, he walked in zigzags until he met the vampire.
"Hello," he said, tilting his head slightly, "Remember me?"

skill stood up and replied " I need to find people who need to be punished and if im with you i can find them" he said standing up "and besides" skill continued you are as weak as any human during the day and dying is such a pain I can help....." his sentence trailed off as he took a few steps back as a strange figure walked up and said " hello remember me" skill pulled a gun with a silencer held it up and said " back of if you don’t want this to go off" suspecting that the person could survive a gunshot wound and not wanting to look stupid

"Put it down," Diaes' voice was quiet, "He's a friend." The vampire turned towards the angelic man from the desert. "How could I forget?" he smiled slightly, showing his sharp teeth, "Although, I am somewhat surprised to see you here. What is, if you don't mind my asking, your reason for turning up here?" Bony hands were shoved into deep pockets and a contemplative look crossed onto the face so pale. The creatures shoes scuffed slightly as he shuffled his feet to a point where he was standing, facing Skill with his side turned toward Vladimir, and yet he was looking over his shoulder at the angelic gunmen.

Skill nodded slightly and pulled the gun back twirled it around his finger and then moved it down to his hip just close anuf not to be threatening but anuf to use it should the need arise

"Well," Vladimir muttered, his lips barely moving as he spoke, one hand moving up to the back of his head to scratch his hair, ruffling his brown hair, "Before I went to Jerusalem..." Vladimir hesitated. He looked around, checking for nobody. That's when he saw the man so-named Skill. He lifted one eyebrow at the man. He hoped that if Diaes hadn't killed the man yet, he would be a friend. Especially if he put a silencer up to his head. But then, would Skill shoot if Vladimir admitted that he was the Cursed Gunman, as he was known worldwide? No, a logical man would not shoot in a library...
"Okay, I'll explain you everything,' Vladimir continued, his deep blue gaze losing itself in Diaes' dark stare, "I was followed by some terrorists here, and I had to escape onto a plane, before I went to Jerusalem... And so, here I am, hiding from the police..." Vladimir whispered.

ooc; CNP don't mean to be critical here but 1. skill is just under 2 meters(see i converted it for you aren't i nice) tall which isn't that short 2. skill's name isn't said by Daeis or skill so how dose Valdimir know it? thank again just a littel confused .

--I never said Vladimir knew Skill's name... I just used it. And for the height thing, sorry, just edited...--

"In New York City?" Diaes sounded slightly disbelieving, "Don't take this the wrong way, Dear Boy, but you there are few worse places you could have chosen to hide, especially with you being wanted internationally." Dark locks swung about as he shook his head, once again holding the temples as though he had a headache. "Alright, let us find a slightly less public area of the library in which to conduct our conversation, shall we," Diaes motioned them away from the window, with a glance at the mess he had left on the table. With that he strode in between the deep dark recesses of towering bookshelves.

Vladimir wanted to put his hands to Diaes' mouth instantly, as he heard him talking about himself being researched internationally. But he faltered in this action, and dropped his hands by his side, following the vampire, that had and still always made him shiver whenever he spoke, whenever he breathed, whenever he looked at him, whenever he moved...

Skill was puttered a bought Vladimir interrupting the conversation but desided to go with the flow of thing's. as to the news of Vladimir's being a criminal it only couased a slight eyebrow raise and nothing more. he put the gun in his back pocket and covered it up with his jacket before fallowing them.

Once they had reached a section that was slightly darker and much less populated than the other areas of the library, Diaes stopped and whirled, his coat floating about him. "If you wouldn't mind making sure that we aren't interrupted at an inopportune moment," his voice took on a darker tone rather suddenly as he nodded at the ex-Sunstream agent, "Vladimir, I know that you need to reach the Holy City, but it comes to my attention that I may require your assistance. Should you be willing to aid me, I will not only ensure that you get to Jerusalem, but you will get there a good deal richer than you are right now. I extend the same deal to you, my friend." Diaes seemed to fold inward on himself a tad, shrinking slightly, but growing darker in appearance. Deep brown eyes simmered within his skull.

Skill moved in to get closer a bit of announce on his face to Diaes " Can we talk in private" he asked his tone of voice suggested that this was more because he didn’t like being interrupted, then what was going to be said needed to be in confidence

Diaes thought for a moment before nodding. He motioned for Vladimir to wait for a moment before walking a bit further away. He stopped with his head lowered, facing away from the man who had asked for his more undivided attention. Turning to look over his shoulder ever so slightly, Diaes spoke, "You're looking for something more." It was a statement, not a question. He turned again, looking off into the shadows. Slowly, very slowly, he nodded. "How willing are you to go through with your threat? Just how much pain are you able to drive yourself to cause?" no more than a hiss of a whisper was the dark straining of his voice, "Where I am going is at the end of a very dark path. I fear already that I shall be lost to it, and if you join me... You cannot hope to escape the aftermath. Know that I fully intend the harm of innocents. What I do is evil, and should you even think of joining me, you must be completely prepared to give yourself to the darkness, or perish." Finally, he turned, coat flaring out around him. The paleness of his skin was undeniable against the black background. He was almost luminous, but more than that were the eyes. Blacker than the pits of the underworld itself, they stared out, boring into the very soul, and in their center's, like the river of fire pouring out, bloody red simmering coals. "Are you ready to become the demon that you so hate?" His voice had modulated into an angry, no hungry, tone, "Can you become the very evil in your own heart?"

"There are few that are inocent" he said with hate and anger he walk to the left leaning on a balcony with his back to Diaes "pluse" he continued with pain and regreat " i've walked in evil for solong i have become it" and then to him self " that's exactly what Rubin said would happen" skill spun around suddenly looking diaes straight in the face " yes im ready im ready to enter a world of no redempshion" fire entered his eyes and he tightly griped his hands into a fist as he said this.

"So what do you have in mind boss?" with these words he saeled his bond to Diaes

The look in Diaes' eye faded and he stepped forward, completely changed in just another spooky human standing around in the New York Public Library. A small smile found its way onto his vampiric features. "For now you just need to stick with me," his voice had also regressed into slightly more human tones, "We can work out the details later, but right now, we are trying to enlist Vladimir into our services for a very important job. Now, it can work without him, but it will be much easier if he is involved. So, I just want to request that you don't threaten to kill him...too often." With that Diaes swept back towards the young man who was waiting for them. As he came back into earshot the pale man spoke again in his chilling voice, "I'm so sorry to keep you waiting, Dear Boy. There was personal business that needed attending to, but back to my question. Like I said, if you accept, I can offer you protection for as long as you want it, and a whole lot of money, but it is your choice." From deep within his pockets, Diaes pulled a large wad of dollar bills and threw it at Vladimir. His hand dipped back into its place, in his coat. the smile that now found its way onto his face was one more of welcome and friendship than of the general malice that sat there.

Vladimir caught the bundle of money. Did someone lose a really large packet of hundreds of dollars, tied up with a rubber band? Vladimir thought. Because I found the rubber band. His head lifted to see Diaes. His face wasn't the same, nor were his actions. Vladimir had never thought that Diaes was capable of doing this. Vladimir looked at the ground, hesitant. Many people had offered their help to Vladimir, but he had rejected them, as for once one person tried to help him and got killed in the process. Vladimir shook the thoughts away. He still had this uneasy feeling near Diaes. The first time Vladimir had met him, Diaes was dying, and then was in full shape. Vampire? Vladimir thought. Dunno. He looked at the tall, dark man. His heart thudded against his rib cage heavily. There was something about Diaes that didn't please him, and he didn't know what, as well as he didn't know what was making himself react so at Diaes' sight. He looked at the pack of money, still hesitating, then lifted his head very slightly.
"What is it do you want me for?" Vladimir asked. A wave of seriousness washed over Vladimir's face. He wasn't as stupid as usual. If there was something to earn this much money for saying 'yes', that means it was important.

Diaes smiled one of his more benign smiles, still showing the tips of his pointed teeth. Glancing quickly at his new partner, he began, "You are a gunman by trade, and if I am informed correctly, one of the best. I'm setting up an assassination, or rather more of a massacre. Now, before you go and start thinking that I'm going to mow over innocents, the men I want to eliminate are themselves butchers of men. Killers are who the job is meant to dismember. That being said, the job is simply a cover that I am using for a much greater purpose. I intend to draw out of the shadows by means of an incredibly impossible set of circumstances an old friend of mine. From him I wish to requisition several drops of his own personal blood, no more. The end result of this job shall be the complete annihilation of a madman and his accomplices and a band-aid to cover a wound of infinitesimally small nature on my friend, Harper." The long-winded speech had been spoken veritably on a single breath, Diaes ceased his discourse on the intent of the venture and paused for a moment to inhale. "Your part would be only as much as you are willing to take upon yourself based upon whatever moral obligations or physical restrictions you may have," as he spoke, the vampire stretched one pale hand into his vest pocket and retrieved a gold watch, "My initial proposal is that you shall simply be stationed as a sniper with a safe vantage. No imminent danger shall be presented to your own person, and your part will only be meant to optimize what natural abilities you possess." Thus speaking, he glanced downward at the watch's face and absentmindedly turned the small knob. Dark eyes shot up and around as though those slightly pointed ears had caught something, a strain of noise. Large pupils dilated slowly larger and a small tinge of fire glowed of a sudden in those smoldering depths.