walking with strangers [claude]

[LENORE MAEVE BAILEY]

her world is falling apart in front of me, she's stepping into the light, but she can't see

[/i][/font][/center]

Holy shit, the alleys were dark.

No shit Sherlock, they were fucking dark indeed, dark to such a point that even the sun's rays in broad daylight barely kissed them. They clearly screamed 'stay the fuck away from me asshole or walk into your death' to any passerby because they were just that ominous looking. It didn't help that shady looking individuals had an awful habit of lingering around the place, and shooting passerbys like her lustful looks and forced them to endure chilling, yet annoying catcalls. How they entertained themselves with cheap thrills by doing these activities baffled the redhead to no end; there were definitely other things better to do in life than to waste time with such trivial activities.

As much as Lenore wanted to avoid passing through such a place, she hadn't the option tonight. Even if she had created a name for herself in both the human and the supernatural world, she was still in high school and had to endure homework. Today's assignment had Lenore squatting in a library all day researching, and it was sundown by the time she left. She was in a hurry to be home and curl in bed for the rest of the night, that she decided to take a shortcut through the places she usually made a habit to avoid.

Lenore had only been in the alleyways once on her way home from school, and she had been lucky that she hadn't been attacked and be made vampire food on the spot, having rushed through it like a bullet from hell because she was that spooked. Foolishly believing that nothing would happen to her tonight, she wandered in, strolling casually. She felt eyes on her immediately, taking her in and checking her out, and soon enough, figures began emerging from the shadows. Feeling the hairs on the back of her neck rise up, she hurried her pace and tightened her grip on her backpack, already questioning her own stupidity to choose this path of all paths.

She felt a swift hand snare around her wrist moments later, jerking her into a complete stop. Eyes widening, Lenore glanced up into the haggard face of her captor and shot him an annoyed look. "Dude, you fugly." She tried to wrench her arm out of his iron grip, but man, he was strong. Shooting a glance at his hand, her face fell even more at the sight of it, dirty and bloody. "God, I don't even want to know where that hand has been. Just so you know, hands are used to determine your own fate, not to fuckin' wank."

"While you're at it, you can brush your teeth too. I recommend Colgate, not viagra." Seeing the man's bewildered, confused look, she took the opportunity to use her free to sock his nose, releasing his grip on her. She was on her feet immediately, running as fast as she could with her captor hot on her heels not too long after, snarling. How the fuck did he recover so fast, that bastard?

[/justify]

[CLAUDIA LUNA ELIADE]

Most people feared these alleys at night; Claude just saw them as a place to hang out and have a smoke, where nobody would really pay her much attention. Her apartment wasn't far from here, as was her place of employment, Heliconia, and she spent a lot of time after work hours at the little dive bar that was just around the corner. Truly, this was her neighborhood, even though it was torn down and much like a slum, with unsavory characters lurking just about everywhere one turned. They didn't bother her, though, because one look into those violet eyes and they instantly feared what she might be able to do. At least, the ones with lesser powers did. Witches, in the supernatural world, were almost viewed as "tricksters." Even though they were relatively easy to kill, and didn't have any of the added powers like quick healing or enhanced strength and/or speed, they kept their cards close to their chest. Other supernaturals who might seek to harm them might never know if they had telepathy, telekinesis, if they were skilled in magic, or if they were armed to the teeth with potions, just in case.

Claude usually carried little vials of potions with her, inside her jacket, wherever she went. One to kill vampires, one for werewolves, and other potions to evade an attack, just in case. She was a survivor, and she had always been good at keeping herself alive, even in the most dire of circumstances. When she heard a girl's voice resound just down the alley, she didn't look up. Not your business, Claude,

[/color] the young witch thought. Most people in this town were not what they seemed, and looks could certainly be deceiving. Claude took another long drag of her cigarette, and her eyes darted down to the end of the alley where she saw a large, burly, grotesque man gripping the girl's arm. The girl flinched a little in pain, and Claude took the opportunity to read both minds. The man, totally in predator-mode, was a werewolf, and the girl... though she acted strong, was still human, and was slightly afraid. Probably should have been more afraid, little one, and not come around here,[/color] Claude thought.

The words she spoke to the man were sharp, and brave, but wouldn't be enough to make him stand down. But when she punched him in the nose, hard, Claude was impressed. However, she knew what was coming next. He recovered, and quickly, because of werewolves and that damned ability to heal quickly. Claude envied it, really, because even though she didn't get involved in others' business, at least not usually, she wished that she had skills like that for when and if she ever did. But that was what her potions were for.

The young woman started running, toward her direction, actually, and Claude saw the werewolf hot on her feet, running fast because, well, that was another bonus. Claude waited for the girl to run past, and tucked her cigarette into her mouth, balancing it on her full lower lip for safekeeping, because why throw away a half-lit cigarette? Things were expensive. Claude reached into her jacket pocket and grabbed one of the glass vials, the one that contained her potion of liquid silver. She stood between the girl and the werewolf, and waited for him to become within reach of her, then threw the potion on the ground. It stopped him in his tracks when the liquid reacted with the ground and turned into a hazy smoke that swirled around the werewolf, harming him every time he breathed it in. At first, it was like mustard gas, causing the man to fall to his knees, and seconds later, after the gas had time to react with the nitrogen in the air, it turned to an acid rain of sorts, falling all over the werewolf until he was no more.

The girl stopped running, and Claude leaned back against the wall, and took another drag of her cigarette. "Don't thank me," Claude said. "Although a little human like yourself wandering around these parts seems awfully reckless." Claude expelled the smoke from her lungs and relaxed. The werewolf had dissipated into nothingness, the remainder of the silver eating away at his physical body like an acid. "But I'm nobody," Claude said quietly, to herself. Normally, she wouldn't have interfered; she would have just let the girl get away on her own or become bait, but there was something with a woman in danger that reminded her of her mother, who had been savaged and murdered for no reason just before Claude herself was imprisoned. That was why she had to start over; if they ever learned of the gypsy woman's death, and that she was free, they'd be after her again. So she had to remain a ghost and a nobody.[/blockquote][/justify]

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OUTFIT:[/color] Here!

[LENORE MAEVE BAILEY]

her world is falling apart in front of me

[/size][/color]

she's stepping into the light, but she can't see

Blargh, his arm was filthy. Lenore couldn't help but feel more disgusted than afraid at the fact that that dirty piece of crap had gripped her wrist. She wasn't much of a neat/clean freak to be honest, and had been known to not wash for days occasionally as well as the occasional messy apartment, but really now, this was disgusting. Glancing over her shoulder, with the main intention to hurt more obscenities and insults, her eyes widened when they met the back of a tall woman instead of the ugly, feral-like creature she had just met. Lenore watched as the older woman threw something towards the ground. There was a lot of smoke, and as the brunette turned, the dude was no more. She felt herself slowing, her legs coming to a stop, and all the tiny redhead could do was stare, stare, stare, What the fuck just happened?

Bells rang in her head. The woman had taken down the man so easily, just by throwing down whatever she was that she had been holding. Her conscience screeched that she was dangerous, and Lenore should be running now, but she found herself standing her ground. If she was going to flee, she might as well thank her for saving her life eh? Ethics said that she should thank her, and thank her she would. Her mouth opened, but no words came out, her mind still affected by shock. First Devin, and now this. Everything in her book seemed to be coming to life. It wasn't a pleasant thought.

...actually it kinda was. Just as long as they didn't hurt her of course.

"Well, I'm still gonna thank ya anyway." she replied, finally finding her voice. "Thanks." Heaving a loud sigh of relief, she swiped a hand across her sweaty forehead. She hadn't ran like that in a while, and most certainly without that amount of adrenaline. "Yeah, well, I wanted to take a shortcut so..." She grimaced, shaking her head. Lenore most certainly wasn't going to wander around these parts for a long time. She was certain that the chances of someone saving her ass again was pretty slim, and no, she wasn't about to start gambling again this time. Devin wasn't around either, busy doing whatever ghosts did, and the Noble twins were busy with their own crap too.

"Y'know, I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that you ain't human." She shouldn't be, no human would call another human for nothing. Unless they were just that weird, which Lenore highly doubted that this skilled woman was. Seeing that the danger was over, at least for the time being, the redhead walked over and leaned on the wall next to the other female as well, sighing, Ignoring the smoke and the intimidation of her cool demeanor, Lenore spoke.

"I'm Lenore," she smiled. "What's your name? That was pretty badass. What was that thing just now?" For all she knew, it could be another one of the creatures written in her books. If there was a next time, she would be ready. Shit, she hadn't written all that dang crap for nothing, perhaps now they could finally be put to good use besides being nothing but works of supernatural fiction. A bestselling fictional book, but alas, still fiction.

TAGS claude. WORDS

[/b] - NOTES this is long overdue, i'm so sorry. x.x [/div]

template created by NAGA for use on NIGHTMARE.[/center]

[CLAUDIA LUNA ELIADE]

The human girl wasn't intimidated, and Claude narrowed her eyes a little before exhaling another long, steady stream of smoke. Apparently, she was dealing with few humans who actually did know about the supernatural world. It was still surprising to Claude that more humans didn't know and were still very much in the dark. That was a horrible place to be, and she knew it, living in the dark. Claude could remember all the horrible things that had happened to her in the Gypsy camps, and she supposed that she probably felt fear back then, but it seemed like lifetimes ago. The redhead that was approaching her, tentatively, was probably feeling some of that fear now, though it was likely subsiding now that she knew her life was no longer at risk. Because Claude had saved her. It could have been much worse, but Claude's confidence in her potions allowed her to have a bit of a safety net, and the fact that she didn't have a fear or concerns about dying made her willing to throw a strike, every time. When it was her time to go, she'd be gone. But that time hadn't come yet.

Apparently, she was supposed to be in that alleyway that night, and it wasn't the redhead's time to go, either.

”If you insist,” Claude said with a little shrug and another long exhale. The redhead was a little bit talkative, but Claude figured that it was probably a mix of gratitude and adrenaline wearing off. Either way, she didn't mind, because very little actually bothered her in the world. Claude tried to keep to herself and not meddle in the affairs of others, mostly because she didn't care, but also because she didn't want people to get up in her business and make herself a target in any way. That's why her potions were clean; no bodies left behind. ”I'd advise you not to take this shortcut again, but you'll do as you will.”

The redhead confirmed her suspicions when she took the guess that Claude wasn't human. She hadn't really gotten an opportunity to see the color of Claude's eyes in the dim light of the alley, but from the way Claude had barely flinched at the half-shifted werewolf, she probably assumed that the witch was familiar with supernatural beings as well. ”No, I'm not human, but I'm not some kind of big, bad wolf, either.” Claude's Romanian accent, one of the few things left of her people, and of her mother, embraced the words and expelled them with her next puff of smoke. Claude had already saved the woman's life; she didn't really owe her any other kind of answers. Now they'd both get home safely, and there would be one less victimized human on the street that night. It wasn't really a victory to Claude, and she had no desire to be a hero, but she didn't like to see anyone helpless, either. The memories she had, even though she couldn't feel the emotional connection still flickered in her mind, and she couldn't run from them.

Lenore asked her name, which was something she tried not to give out, but figured that a little human probably wouldn't cause much trouble for her in the long run. Also, she had a lot of questions. ”Claude,” the witch said, then threw her cigarette on the ground and crushed it underneath her foot. ”And that was a werewolf... not completely shifted, but almost. If it had gone all the way, I might not have been able to do much good.” Her potions had never been tested on a completely shifted wolf, because she usually caught the hostile ones before it got to that point. Yet, she knew it would have done something.

”You're not a normal human, are you? Wandering around with your head in the clouds, completely unaware of the things that really do go bump in the night.” Claude asked, tilting her head to the side and looking at the human. She really was out of her element, after all.

[/justify]

[LENORE MAEVE BAILEY]

her world is falling apart in front of me

[/size][/color]

she's stepping into the light, but she can't see

Man, this chick was badass. Lenore had no idea how that thought popped into her head, but the woman's cool, no-nonsense demeanor made the redhead admire her more than she really should. There was something off about her, something reserved and closed off, but it seemed to the young human that everyone and everything unnatural was that way. Just by standing next to her, Lenore was already feeling safe and protected. However, she doubted that she would be given assistance once again should shit decided to take the initiative to happen one more fucking time. The girl wondered what else the strange brunette could do, besides throwing badass potions at people. There sure should be plenty more besides that.

"No shit," the redhead grimaced at her next words. Like hell was she coming back here after that. She did not want to risk gambling her life again, and especially not at this hour. What would it be the next time? Perhaps another werewolf, or a hungry vampire...she blinked at the thought. Her mind nearly dismissed it as claptrap, but ever since she met Devin and a few other supernaturals, it was difficult to dismiss such a notion anymore. There were other creatures in the world, the very exact same things that she had written in her books. Ah, she wasn't about to blurb that out loud though...

Ack, she wasn't human too. Why didn't that surprise her? Shit, it was difficult finding something natural these days. The woman could be anything. But she threw a bottle...and for some reason, that reminded Lenore of noxious liquids and potions. Not wanting to jump into conclusions just yet, she nodded. "Figured," said the younger girl wryly. "Thank goodness you aren't though," she chuckled. "I don't think I have any silver on me."

Claude had to be short for Claudia, which she was sure was her full name, but Lenore didn't bother pursuing such matters, rather, stored the name to memory. "Yeah, you're gonna need more than liquid silver if he had," She soon found herself talking, telling Claude what she knew. Though they were practically strangers to each other, yet, Lenore found herself trusting the quiet female. Whether or not it was a foolish decision, she would decide and judge later. Hell, she wasn't even sure if she would even see Claude again after tonight. "But it would have held him off for a bit though."

She hesitated at Claude's next blunt question, but figuring that she was probably screwed anyway and really had nothing to lose, she shrugged. "Nah, not really, at least that's what I'm told." Running a hand through her red locks, she looked up at Claude. "Too many things obviously do go bump in the night. I think I've learned my lesson. I'm bloody easy prey."

TAGS claude. WORDS

[/b] - NOTES -[/div]

template created by NAGA for use on NIGHTMARE.[/center]

[CLAUDIA LUNA ELIADE]

Claude finally took her moment to read the woman's thoughts. Admiration? She thinks I'm 'badass?' I suppose that's up to her.

[/color] The witch didn't want to be a 'badass' or a 'hero.' She didn't need it, and knew that while some people craved that attention, she ran far from it because she knew that her place was better suited staying under the radar. The longer she spent in Manuka safe, employed, and relatively stable, the less she began to wonder about whether it really was important for her to stay under the radar. The gypsies from the camp had probably forgotten about her; she was just somebody else's problem. Since that woman was dead, she was nobody's 'problem.' Claude was her own 'problem,' perhaps. So, she could be anything she wanted. Even a hero or a badass. She just had no desire to put herself out there for others like that. People seemed weak as it was, always looking for handouts and someone to swoop in and save the day. Where had all these heroes been when she was lying in the dirt, working her fingers to the bone, broken, bleeding, and crying for her mother at night? When an eight year old girl needed school, friends, and her mother, Claude had work and lashings and the terrible odor from the camps and all the damn birds they kept as pets.

”I know my way around these parts pretty well; I'll take you out of them, but then you're on your own,” Claude said. It wasn't a hand-out, because she didn't believe in enabling people, and it wasn't helping, because she had no connection or reason to see this woman along her way. This one seemed basically like a foolish child, and Claude didn't take an interest in leading children around, either. It was... common decency? Humanity? Claude didn't know what it was, exactly, but didn't feel any burning need to dwell on it, either. The walk wouldn't be out of her way, and sometimes, it was worthwhile enough just to have a task to do. Claude was rather used to going to bars, swindling people out of their money at pool, smoking cigarettes against dirty brick walls in the alleyways; this would be something different. A chance of pace, and that seemed like a good enough reason as any for the witch.

The redhead seemed to know about supernaturals, which didn't surprise Claude, but now that her life wasn't flashing before her eyes, she did seem a bit more open and... chatty. ”So you know how to kill a werewolf, then? Maybe try it next time, if you stumble upon this part of town a second time.” The human seemed to have learned her lesson, but sometimes one could never be certain. Claude wasn't opposed to being reckless, to living freely on her own whims and spontaneous decisions, but she noticed that humans tended to be stupid about making the same choices. They were more... fragile. ”No potion is perfect right away; that one still is in its development stages, but at least now I know it's effective.” Claude said, musing for a moment. Chloe wouldn't like that she was developing these potions, but the merchandise she used was all paid for. Her property. Chloe couldn't object too badly to that, could she?

The human didn't need to know much about the potions, or her, for that matter. She already gave Lenore her name, and names were enough identity to make a difference in a number of situations. Although, Lenore really didn't seem to pose any kind of threat. Only time would tell if this meeting had any purpose at all.

”If you know you're easy prey, why did you come here?” Claude asked, and the question seemed simple enough. The answer didn't really matter, but it seemed that the self-deprecating attitude was almost put on for show. Sarcasm, maybe. Claude could understand sarcasm, and actually found that it was useful in certain conversations with difficult people. It got her out of a lot of potential problems, left her dodging another bullet, but she had ways to be advantageous about reading people. This one, however, was still a bit strange to her.[/blockquote][/justify]

[LENORE MAEVE BAILEY]

her world is falling apart in front of me

[/size][/color]

she's stepping into the light, but she can't see

Though Lenore didn't know, Claude shouldn't be surprised that the younger girl thought her badass. It wasn't everyday that one would get to witness the death of a werewolf through the use of such noxious vial, or to have your own life saved by impending death. It was natural to feel such admiration, as Lenore lacked any sort of skill of defending herself (besides her razorblade of a tongue) and would be pretty shit at any sort of situation that called for survival skills. She did not often catch any sort of television programmes that dealt with survival out in the open, such as 'Man vs Wild' and honestly preferred spending her time writing. But after that little scare that nearly cost her her life, Lenore was seriously beginning to wonder if she should be picking up martial arts next. It would not do much against the even stronger supernatural creatures, but at least she wouldn't be shit at defending herself all the time. Decisions, decisions.

She nodded at the woman's offer to lead her out of the alleys, and spared her a grateful smile. It would do to have a little bit more protection and security in this place, at least for the time being. "Thanks, Claude." said Lenore. "I owe you one. I might not be able to do shit, but you let me know if I can do anything for you some day." She highly doubted that she would be any help to the mysterious assassin at all because she so fragile and human, but who knew. Her assistance may not be required ever, but Lenore knew that anything was possible in the supernatural world. Nothing was as what it seemed anymore. It was as though she had been thrown into a morbid version of Wonderland in her dreams, but the little redhead knew that this was no nightmare. It was reality, and it kinda sucked balls, but she would get used to it. She had written it after all.

Lenore grimaced at the mention of actually killing a werewolf herself next time, and shuddered. As much as she enjoyed the elements of blood and macabre, performing it on her own was another option. Despite her occasional dark thoughts about the world, she by all means, was no sadist or masochist. Killing someone in cold blood had never been an option. It had to be different for Claude, who seemed pretty chilled and used to killing, which did naught but further increase the human's admiration. Lenore was no coward, but the only thing she had ever killed were flies and mosquitoes. It was never an actual, living, breathing, humane creature. "Uck, no thanks." she grunted, sticking her tongue out. "I do know how to kill a werewolf, but I think I'll leave the killing to your kind." Her eyes widened when Claude mused about the potion, and she mentally noted it down. The woman was a witch. Lenore squinted, and there it was, a sparkle of violet in the darkness.

"I wanted to take a shortcut," she explained. "I know it isn't safe to go out after dark anymore, but my assignment kinda ran late at the library, and I wanted to get home quickly." She shrugged, smiling faintly. 'I took a leap of faith, and I didn't think I was really going to get attacked one of these days y'know so...." She trailed off, musing, and then added as an afterthought. "It's strange though, there's usually a warning, but I guess it only works occasionally when I get really riled up or something..."

TAGS claude. WORDS

[/b] - NOTES cat's outta the bag. meow.[/div]

template created by NAGA for use on NIGHTMARE.[/center]

[CLAUDIA LUNA ELIADE]

Most of the time, Claude found that she was rather conflicted about her stance on humans. That was partially why she declared neutrality on the whole 'war' that was going on. She'd heard about it in whispers just about everywhere she went in this town that wasn't completely occupied by humans. However, like with most things in life, Claude just didn't care. Humans had done enough to her to make her hate every single one of them, but she didn't feel that it was logical to punish an entire species for the actions of a few. Also, she knew that there were supernatural beings out there that were just as dangerous, if not more so, than the humans that had caged her and murdered everything she'd ever been able to love. The werewolf tonight had been proof that some supernatural creatures were just a step above animals, which to her, meant they had no reason to be in charge of an entire civilization. That was why the witch decided to take all her interactions on a person-to-person basis. Most of the time, she wouldn't even like the people she interacted with, but instead use them for whatever would make them useful or accomplish whatever she was hoping to gain from the overall interaction. She'd seen things and learned some interesting tidbits about people just because she was 'easy to talk to.' Probably because I'm not much of a talker, and they think I'm listening.

[/color]

Claude's thought made her want to laugh, but then she'd give away that she was in a different head space. That was another piece of the witch that people didn't know because nobody was really close to her. She had a very short attention span. Lenore seemed to be decent enough that she was starting to come around to the whole 'saving her life' thing. Especially since the little human just seemed so grateful. That was a feeling that Claude thought she'd feel when the nice Gypsy woman had purchased her from the camp and was actually kind to her instead of abusive. But Claude felt nothing, and continued to feel nothing even after she poisoned the woman to escape. ”You'll be the first person I call if I get into a pinch.” Claude had a way of making sarcasm seem genuine, she was that good at it, but she couldn't think of anything she'd need the human for as a 'favor.' Especially because Claude didn't like favors. She didn't want people to be in her debt, and she'd rather die than be in someone else's debt. She worked really hard for Chloe so the woman wouldn't think that she had done Claude any sort of favor by hiring her randomly. The witch wanted to contribute and be a good employee because it gave her something to do and the pay was more than enough for her to survive on with her minimal needs.

”Best stay in your house at night if you don't feel like tangling with what goes bump in the night, then. They don't bother me much, so I'm fine.” Claude said after the redhead responded with her knowing about how to kill werewolves, but not wanting to. ”Although... if you've ever got the cash, I could give you a few potions to keep you safe if you find yourself wanting to take shortcuts in dangerous parts of town again.” There was no way Claude was going to give them up for free, because she knew they'd work, and the ingredients were expensive. She wasn't above doing a little bit of side selling to give her some extra money. Especially because she'd been trying to cut down on the stealing lately, even though she was really good at it. Pickpocketing had become a specialty of hers.

Lenore kept talking about being attacked, and how she didn't think it could happen. Claude paused. She wasn't a witch... how could she predict the future? That was certainly what she insinuated, and the witch raised an eyebrow. ”You have precognitions?” That was the fancy word her mother had used, and Claude remembered that a woman in her mother's coven had been able to predict the future. In the beginning, after everything had happened, Claude had been bitter about the fact that the woman hadn't been able to warn them somehow, and they could have avoided the whole thing. But witches believed in weird factors like fate and destiny, and Claude just wanted her mother back. Sometimes, her being alone made her long for an alternate reality where things had been different, but she wouldn't allow herself to live in the past. The two women were almost out of the Old Town as they were walking, and Claude looked at Lenore, waiting on her response. Suddenly, the little human had just gotten to be a little bit interesting.[/blockquote][/justify]

[LENORE MAEVE BAILEY]

her world is falling apart in front of me

[/size][/color]

she's stepping into the light, but she can't see

Sarcasm had always been something that Lenore appreciated, so Claude's reply to her offered assistance made the redhead chuckle. As emotionless as the witch seemed, there was a note of sardonic humour layered underneath it at her calling for Lenore whenever she was in a pinch. The redhead knew that she wouldn't be able to do shit when it came to hand-to-hand combat, and she most certainly would not be able to cook up noxious potions like liquified silver like the one Claude had used to save her life. Yet, Lenore figured that she would be pretty handy with a baseball bat, all she needed to do was club whomever that was attacking the older woman. Yes, that would do. The damage would be minor, but it was give the brunette a higher chance and more openings in striking back. She could push the odds into their favour perhaps, but she knew that in order to stay out of trouble and spare her life, she might as well lock her doors and not come out, regardless of her offering her assistance to Claude or not. She wondered if she should offer up her gift of precognition in assistance, but decided to keep that quiet for the time being.

"You know what, I'll do that." Lenore replied, looking around the alleyways to see if there were lurking vampires waiting to pounce on her should Claude decide to disappear. The older woman radiated power and cold authority. It was as though anyone who dared cross her would end up dead, just like the werewolf had. Well, technically Lenore had crossed the werewolf, and vice versa, but the witch had stepped in nonetheless, even if she didn't had to. She had to appreciate Claude's kindness, even if Claude was far from amiable and the chatty type. She couldn't put her finger on it, but she was quite intriguing, if not intimidating as well. Lenore wondered who would dare mess with her. "Right, I'll let you know." said the redhead, wondering how much the potions would cost. They would be really, really pricey, she knew.

Oops, that must have slipped out. Black eyes shot to Claude almost guiltily, and her cheeks flushed in the dark, enough to rival her already red hair. The girl paused as well, biting her lip, wondering if she should give anymore away. Finally, she shrugged, seeing that there was no need to hide it anymore since Claude was sharp enough to catch her slip. "Mmmhmm yes, since I was young." she explained, wondering if the witch would be able to help her. Lenore knew that she was part witch, and part human, but the latter dominated, leaving her with nothing but the gift, and not even with the trademark violet eyes that all witches possessed.

"It usually starts off with a feeling and-" She trailed off, feeling a vision coming, a sick feeling rolling over in her stomach. Black spots danced before her eyes, and she was suddenly looking at a pack of werewolves, a whole group of them appearing behind the alleys and coming after them, following their scents. Lenore saw Claude getting ripped apart by claws and fangs, and then she felt herself being bitten into, fangs sinking into her neck and-

She blinked. The night was back and the alleyways were empty. Claude was watching her, but Lenore didn't waste any time in taking the older woman's arm and pulling her along further, leading the both of them out of the Old Town. "They're coming, y'know, the rest of them, in revenge for the one that you killed." she spoke quickly, her words tumbling out one after the other, feeling herself grow even more anxious with every second. She let go of Claude's arm, in time to hear the distant howl of a werewolf.

"Can you take them on?" Lenore asked. "Or are you gonna disappear now?"

TAGS claude. WORDS

[/b] - NOTES -[/div]

template created by NAGA for use on NIGHTMARE.[/center]

[CLAUDIA LUNA ELIADE]

At least she was smart enough to understand sarcasm when she didn't respond and take the bait like Claude had initially guess she might. It was rare that she was proven wrong, because she had good instincts, but this time it had happened, but at no great loss to her. The little human was curious indeed, with the fact that even though she would have likely been killed if Claude hadn't decided to intervene, she still seemed strangely confident. Humans were kind of stupid sometimes, from her experience. While some of them hadn't been all bad, from her experience, a good many of them thought entirely too highly of themselves and their abilities. The Gypsies that had held her captive had been able to do so at first because she was a traumatized little girl, and as she grew, they continued to make a captive of her by feeding off of her fear, and eventually, off the fact that she was weak due to being underweight and barely ever fed. The whippings helped keep her weak, too, and after they had taken her only friend from her, the last bit of who Claude used to be was lost. The witch thought it was probably gone forever, but now that she'd risen from the ashes, she didn't feel any great rush to get it back, even if she could. She'd like to see the stupid human Gypsies try to take advantage of her now. Now, Claude knew how to survive, always made sure to know the layout of her location, keep track of her surroundings, and was strong enough to fight back when it came down to it.

Lenore didn't seem to have that survivor's spirit that she possessed, but there had to be something to keep the confidence. Claude just hadn't figured it out yet, and wondered if she could do so without tapping into the human's mind. Even though her gift was very useful, and she was incredibly talented as a mind reader, she wanted to see how well she could function on her own, for curiosity's sake every now and then. Even though Lenore did tell her that she planned to take her advice, the witch didn't know if she believed her. Claude made the offer that she could purchase some defense potions if she needed them, and the human did seem interested. ”Just... not near my boss? It'll have to be under the table, I'm sure you understand.” What she did was probably illegal, and certainly wouldn't be something Chloe would approve of. Her boss was a shapeshifter who didn't like humans at all and certainly would side with supernaturals that wanted to maim and kill freely. Claude was an opportunist, and a survivor, so she was more apt to stay neutral. Neutral and alive, this was her only preference.

The puzzle pieces finally fell into place when the redhead made a comment that she seemed to have not meant to make initially. Claude caught on immediately, understanding her to mean that she had the gift of precognition. That meant that, somewhere in her lineage, there was magic. The witch looked at her a little more closely, like she was studying a specimen. There were no distinguishing features that she could see – no violet eyes, no difference. No, she appeared to be completely human, and Claude had mistaken her for such. It was a relief that she was harmless, and Claude made a mental note to be more careful. ”Your family – there's magic there, somewhere? A distant relative is a witch?” Claude knew enough of witchcraft to know that it was solidly carried through the blood, through the generations, and understood there was of course a possibility that even a once-powerful bloodline could become diluted. It was a reality that she'd face, as she had no known siblings and didn't ever intend to produce children. Her mother's magic would die with her.

When Lenore explained her powers, Claude felt a surge and watched her body go slack. Her eyes fogged over a little and she knew that the redhead was getting a vision. The explanation was enough to set Claude's blood cold. She had expected the chance of retaliation, of course, but not so soon. ”How far out, do you know?” Claude didn't have any more potions, but she pulled a very large, very sharp hunting knife out from the inside of her jacket. There was no way she'd be able to take them all, but the knife was pure silver, and that could certainly do some damage until they got to safety. For a moment, she considered leaving the redhead behind, but knew that she hadn't put her life at risk once just to have her die now.

”I'm a survivor. I'm not stupid enough to fight them all,” Claude said simply. Then she thought quickly and made a plan. ”You're coming with me, but don't make noise, and run fast. Fast as you can. Follow me. I won't look back for you, and if you're gone, I'm going to assume you're dead. We're going to go somewhere, a safe place that I know.” Claude was hesitant to take the redhead to her home, but the Old Town was so familiar to her that she knew enough places where they could find sanctuary. Then, without another word, she took off sprinting, the pavement beating beneath her shoes as her strong legs carried her off like a rocket.

[/justify]

[LENORE MAEVE BAILEY]

her world is falling apart in front of me

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she's stepping into the light, but she can't see

Lenore had not been in enough life and death situations to actually possess a survivor's spirit that took advantage of others whenever she could, or actively start looking over her shoulder all the time in watch for any sort of danger. What she did have though, was years of mental abuse. It was this abuse that had made her strong, gave her a steely, stubborn resolve that refused to budge. The verbal attacks had nearly sent her over the edge and she had succumbed to depression at a few points in her life. It was how she toughened herself up and enabled her to get her through life without too much trouble. Lenore never took any form of bullshit, she was brutal when it came to such matters, but at times like this, she was easily mistaken a stereotypical naive teenager. It was only when her sharp tongue came into action did she show her true colours.

She nodded at Claude about her purchasing any sort of potion. Her boss probably was no big fan of humans, and unknown to the younger girl, she was definitely right. She had not heard of the shop that catered to the supernatural ran by a shapeshifter allied with the dark side because of the human deterrent spell, and Lenore had yet to receive any visions about it that she could scribble down about anyway.

Safe for the drop of magic in her blood, Lenore was completely human. The only thing supernatural about her was the gift, and she knew that there were already people looking for her because of it. The problem was, she had no other trademark that would reveal who she really was to them, unless they caught her in the act of having a vision. She had not put a photograph of her face in the book cover, and the book had been credited to L.Bailey. Knowing the amount of Baileys there could be in the whole of Manuka, she was almost invisible. She knew that had she decided to put her first name down, she would be sought after immediately. Lenore was an uncommon name, and not something a parent would usually want to name their kid, especially when they knew of its origins.

"Yeah," she replied to Claude's question. "Apparently there was a witch in my family, Agnes Woodford-Bailey. She was pretty crazy, I heard. She's been dead for two hundred and fifty years." The Bailey bloodline had been a bitch to research about because there had been very little information, but she managed to come across a page from a book in the library about that woman was a witch. The chances of it being passed down from generation to generation was highly unlikely, and then there was Lenore a few centuries later. Lucky her.

"If you hadn't moved, you would have died in five minutes," she replied swiftly. "We would have been ambushed." The human gawked at the lethal looking knife that had appeared in the witch's hand, and she briefly wondered if Claude really was going to take all of them on single-handedly, since Lenore would be able to do shit but pelt them with rubbish and nasty insults. She felt a nudge of disappointment when Claude said that she wasn't going to fight them all, but she knew that only idiots would charge into the fray without backup. "Wha- fuck!" The brunette's words had only registered into her head before she took off running like a bullet from hell. Spluttering, Lenore charged after her, her shorter legs struggling to keep up. Far behind them, the wolves were howling and giving chase, hungry for blood.

TAGS claude. WORDS

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template created by NAGA for use on NIGHTMARE.[/center]

[CLAUDIA LUNA ELIADE]

So she wasn't a people person, and this interaction she was having with Lenore wasn't the best she'd had, nor was it the worst. Then again, she supposed that now she was free, she'd never have interactions that were as bad or detrimental to every part of her health – mental and physical – again. The camps had been rough on her, and had changed her, but had also allowed her to develop a thicker skin than most people could boast, along with razor-sharp instincts that would get her through most troubles that she came across. Of course, her system wasn't foolproof or anything, she had a long way to go before she adapted to a level that would allow her to survive in a more seamless manner than she was doing at the current point in time, but eventually, she knew that just flying under the radar and getting by with the bare minimums of everything wouldn't be enough. Claude held down a steady job, made enough money to survive, took an alias that would hopefully keep her safe, and made a 'friend' in someone who she might just trust enough to ask for help, should she ever really need it. Chloe was a force to be reckoned with, just like Claude, and even though the two women had never spoken of the skeletons in their closets, Claude knew that Chloe possessed that survivor's spirit, too. And something in Lenore, though it was faint, read to be powerful, which was why the witch didn't consider her a complete waste of time.

The talk of Claude's own heritage was, thankfully, brief. Basically non-existent, because even though Claude didn't care so much about where the redhead came from in her lineage, she supposed that if she knew about magic and other supernatural creatures, she had to have something out of the ordinary somewhere. As it turned out, the young woman explained the single drop of magic in her blood that was placed from a long-lost relative, and Claude gave a subtle little nod of understanding. ”You should consider yourself lucky that you had her... that way, you don't have to live in the world completely blind, waiting for the shadows to take you.” Claude didn't believe in luck, but she did know that being completely unaware of one's surroundings was never any help. Basically, if you weren't looking out for yourself, you were a sitting duck, waiting to be killed or worse. Claude had never wanted to be a victim, but she'd also been a naïve child, hiding under the protection of her mother and her mother's coven – they would have never seen the attack coming, and that was the only reason why Claude was able to move past her original situation that led to her becoming a victim. If it could have been avoided... she might not have had such will to survive it all.

Just like the current moment. The immediate danger that was looming required attention, and action, so Claude decided quickly to flee, and fight only if necessary. She noticed Lenore's eyes tracing over the blade she pulled, but gave careful directions so the human would have a chance at survival. If not, the witch wouldn't be heartbroken or anything – she had no attachments to anyone's hide but her own these days – and she wouldn't put herself in danger just to ensure Lenore's survival. Assistance and advice, that was all the redhead would get from her. ”Five minutes is a plenty decent window, if you ask me.” Claude said with a little shrug. Time was one of those precious things that people took for granted, but if you knew how to utilize every minute to its fullest potential, it became just another weapon. Claude had learned to bide her time very well. ”And we're not going to be 'ambushed' now, if you just do what I say. Or you can be a snack for the werewolves, your choice.” Then, Claude made her final decision, and ran, hoping that the other woman could keep up. The witch's sharp ears picked up a little exclamation of shock behind her, but kept running. Unless she heard tearing flesh or screams, she'd assume the woman had survived.

Finally, she made it to her apartment, where she had plenty of protection spells guarding the door, opened it skillfully, and made her way inside. She left the door open, but knew that she'd be closing it – and Lenore's chances of safety – in just a few minutes. Just because creatures couldn't cross the threshold didn't mean they wouldn't try, and Claude didn't want to mess up her chances at getting a security deposit back, should she decide to get a better place that wasn't a slum. She looked at the clock on the wall behind her, giving it two more minutes; if Lenore didn't show up, she'd close the door and never look back. Let's see how well you listen.

[/color] Claude's thoughts were simple, and her expression didn't ever fade from neutral as she waited, not a care in the world as to the final outcome of her night.[/blockquote][/justify]