Uncanny Sensations (for Rudy StJohn)

[seyennaathenial]

Timeframe: Night
Date: Middle of March
Place: Chicago
Status: Open

Chicago was busy this time of year. There were people constantly bustling around, whether they were fighting for their life or shopping/drinking it away. Crime rates always seemed up in Chicago, so it seemed odd that the half-blood would be here, but that was her purpose actually: to get away from her elven kin, and blend in with the humans. She wanted to see them at their most basic form. She wanted them to rush by her and not sense her magical status…and she knew in Chicago, she could do that.
She scanned the sky softly. It was rainy and overcast, and there was a damp chill in the air. She could hear people talking on cell phones all around her, and the electric buzz that came from them hurt her ears.

What was that? A low vibration? It was too low for a human to hear, but she caught it, and it irritated her. She couldn’t very well go up to every human and say, Excuse me, I’m half elf and my ears hurt. Could you shut off your phone? Thanks. That would make them stare at her for sure.

She didn’t bring her sketchbook this time. She just wanted to sit and listen. To anyone watching her, it would appear she was listening to an i-pod and meditating, (she was in one of the few gardens in Chicago,) while resting on a park bench, but really the opposite would be true. Her mind was rested, yes, but unlike a human in relaxation, her senses were sharp and ready to go. She sighed and closed her bronze eyes, but only lightly. If anyone attacked, she would leap to her feet.

Time passed however and no one seemed to bother her, so she let her guard down just a little. Perhaps no one would bother her, and for one she would get the peace she so desired, in one of the busiest cities around, ironically enough. Ah but that dream wasn’t to come true, because the calmer she became, the more clear her mind became, and when that happened she was able to sense she wasn’t the only inhuman being around. She said nothing, however, and acted as though she didn’t sense this, and merely rested instead. If someone wanted to approach, only then would she speak…

[splitseam]

It was Monday, and it was his kind of town, and Rudy StJohn was on the hunt.

Rudy StJohn was, arguably, always on the hunt. He was always on the lookout for the next big 'meal', and today was no different. He found himself in a bustling Chicago street, and the drizzling rain reminded him fondly of his London home, where the weather was frequently such.

How he came to be here, he wasn't absolutely sure. He never did place much value in memory. He was the kind of man who lived in the moment.

He now stood leaning against a post that stood conveniantly on the sidewalk and he peered through the crowds with his eagle's eyes. He raised a sticky white hand on the end of a long black arm and ran it through his dark hair, humming a tune to himself, which couldn't be heard over the mumble of city life which surrounded him.

He was, he supposed, in his own kind of meditation - he wasn't looking for a target, because he knew from experience that a target would soon walk right into his sights.
Right....
About....

Now.
There she was. Some girl, sitting on a park bench, how peaceful, how unassuming. 'I'll just sit on a park bench', yes, that's probably what she thought, 'I probably won't be picked off by a murderer'. How unfortunate. For her.

My kind of people too...

He decided to move closer. With a gentle push he was away from his post and slinking across the way toward the railing that seperated the park from the rest of the city.
As he approached something told him that there was something off about this girl, but as he kept his marble-black eyes on her, she didn't glow or burst into flames or grow extra limbs. Nothing special at all, so he put the feeling out of his mind.

He reached the railing, which was low enough to lean on with his elbows, so he did so. They weren't too far apart now, perhaps ten metres, and he continued to keep his eyes on her. Normally he wouldn't get this close during a first sighting, but she had her eyes closed and he felt easy about the whole thing.

The knife in his back pocket scraped into his lower back.
'Use me! Slice something!' It said. Or was that just him?

No, he wouldn't. Not just yet. Perhaps it was the peculiar sensation he was receiving, but he wanted to just hang about for a bit, and let the some girl make the next move.

So he remained.

And he watched her from across the park.

People who, smile at you...

[seyennaathenial]

The more time went by, the more she sensed that something wasn’t quite right. She still listened to her i-pod, (Mozart,) and sincerely wished she had brought her sketchpad, because there were always interesting people to see, and sketching them – capturing them in their life moments – was a challenge the half-elf greatly enjoyed, but it was of no matter now. It had been too much to tote around, and she hadn’t wanted to bother.

Eyes still closed, she came to sense someone coming closer. She didn’t see them in her mind’s eye, or something all powerful like that. Rather she noticed it in ways that other humans wouldn’t. The wind carried a scent to it, the sound of the leaves crunching delicately under someone’s foot, as if they were trying very hard not to be heard or noticed…yes, someone was here, she was sure of that, even without opening an eye.

A part of her was glad that no one came close yet, however. It gave her more time to think and plan. If the person were just another clumsy human, (which was not to put the human race down, but all humans in comparison to the supernatural races were a bit clumsy,) then she wouldn’t need a great deal of time. Chances were however that whoever was watching her - if someone was, and she felt like they were – they were a planner and a thinker like her, and quite possibly inhuman. She didn’t know why she got that vibe but she did.

Open your eyes now. A little voice in the back of her head said. For crying out loud, do it! Someone could attack you!

And if they try, they are going to find themselves in a world of pain. She thought softly back to her conscience. Still, as a precaution, she did open her eyes. They were brown and simple, but once someone looked into them, there was no way she could pass for a human. She had received many traits from her mother, but her eyes were not one of them. They were infinitely Elvish, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Usually this bothered her. She liked fitting in with people, and so the thought that they would be unnerved by her eyes upset her…but tonight, she was grateful for her father’s DNA. If there was someone interested in her, perhaps it would frighten them off or at least make them think twice about attacking her.

[splitseam]

The girl opened her eyes, and it was like unveiling a secret, and proof of his initial suspicions - there was, indeed, something off about this girl. Perhaps, Rudy reflected, something not at all human. That they had in common, at least.

He stood directly in her line of sight, but he didn't move - didn't even flinch - when he was seen. He just kept his eyes, beady and black in perfect contrast to hers, on hers. It suddenly felt to Rudy like a contest. Who would be the first to move?

Every now and then a person walked between them and they temporarily lost sight of each other. Rudy wondered if he could make a ghostly dissapearance as one of them walked by. He'd done more impressive things in his time, after all.
But he found that he didn't want to. He wasn't looking to escape, he was enticed now by the strange essence this girl had.

Instead he lifted his hand and placed it gently on the metal railing, his fingers dancing on it like the legs of an alien spider.
He grinned; the blackest and foxiest grin you ever saw.

A single drop of liquid rolled down the verticle edge of the railing, almost unoticable. It left a thin trail where it ran.
And slowly, the trail began to sizzle away, burning into the metal, a line of acid down the railing that separated them.

Rudy continued to grin. These were his scare tactics. He was curious as to how this girl would react.

[seyennaathenial]

The man she saw before her now was greasy. Usually that wasn’t the first word she would try and describe someone as, but with him, there was no other choice. His eyes were dark, calm and calculating, like a hawk’s, she decided mentally. At first he honestly took her by surprise because she hadn’t seen him before, but she didn’t let that shock show on her face. Yes, if he could be cool and calm, she could be too.

People walked to and fro but she did not move. Number one her legs felt slightly tingly from being unused for so long, (she had been out here about a good half hour and it was starting to get colder,) and number two she was wondering who he was, what he wanted, and if he would go after her if she rose. She was also silently calculating the chance of her escape, and realized it wasn’t much.

It wasn’t because she wasn’t fast, (she was exceedingly so, in fact, and had proved that on her trip to the Amazon when those leopard like black things were attacking,) but that there were people about. Yes she could have technically used those people as pillows or blockers, so that if he went after her, he’d run into them first, but if he wanted to harm her and ran into them, it meant all of those in his way would get hurt first, and she could not condone senseless blood spilling.

He grinned at her and she found she couldn’t breathe. There was something very wicked about that smile. Something unnerving and unsettling, and it made her feel sick to her stomach. She paled, but only slightly, and forced herself to be calm. That is, until, she heard the delicate sizzling (almost inaudible to humans,) of something cutting through metal…and right then and there, any doubts that she had that he was after her were vanished. She hadn’t the foggiest clue of why he was threatening her, but she knew he was.

“I would like to know what your point and purpose is in being in this park.” Her whisper was so quiet the others around them wouldn’t hear it, but he would. “Or do you make it a habit to try and frighten those around you?” There was no fear in her tone, even if it was in her heart…

[splitseam]

Communication, huh? He honestly hadn't considered actually talking to her. But why not? Things were getting interesting.

"Point and purpose?" He echoed, his lazy Londoner's accent reinforcing his alien status.
"Well," he shrugged "I'm bored, and you're weird. And we don't belong 'ere, you and me both. I s'pose you could call my curiosity well and truly enticed."
He didn't need to raise his voice. It seemed that when they spoke the world hushed so that they could hear each other.

"'S always fun t' meet new people, init?" He said, his crocodile-cat-snake smile still splitting his face like a crack in an egg.
"After all, wha's life without a little... inhuman interaction, eh?"

Rudy had hardly been in this situation before, it was something new on a rainy afternoon. Usually his 'interactions' consisted of a few misleading words before a stab in the back. Literally.
He wasn't sure if the girl was about to up and about any time soon, but he reckoned she'd stick around to find out what Rudy's game was. He hoped so. Or he'd have to go back to hanging around a lamp post and humming.

[seyennaathenial]

She spoke to him, but she wasn’t quite sure he would speak back. He looked human from the outside, (to a point,) but there was something very inhumane about his mannerisms and the way he held himself, and not to mention the hue and glitter in his eyes. Finally however, after a pause in the air between them, he spoke.

"Point and purpose?" He repeated, and she scanned his accent mentally, and came to think it was English of some type, though where she couldn’t be sure, because she wasn’t too familiar with that country. "Well," he told her "I'm bored, and you're weird. And we don't belong 'ere, you and me both. I s'pose you could call my curiosity well and truly enticed."

“Weird? I have no idea what you speak of.” She lied calmly. “I don’t know about you, but I’m just your typical human.” But there was something teasing in her tone, as if she knew he knew she wasn’t, and she still pretended anyways.

"'S always fun t' meet new people, init?" He said, and she chuckled. "After all, wha's life without a little... inhuman interaction, eh?"

“Mmm quite right about interaction. How are you inhuman however?” She lifted a brow. “You seem quite average to me, aside from your ability to…how shall I put this delicately…chaw through metal?” Once more her words were extra quiet, but she knew he could hear her, and what was more, even though he was – without a doubt – dangerous as Hell, she was beginning to get a strange thrill from him and what he would say next.

[splitseam]

She lied. Rudy laughed.

His laugh was peculiar - not as threatening as his grin, but still very offputting. It was high, and strangled, like a considerate cat dying as quietly as it could, and sounded forced, unnatural.

Rudy was an adept lier. He lied to his victims, he lied to his clients, he lied in the daytime and he lied in the night, he lied in London and he lied in the Troll Market and he knew what it was like. He was good at it after so many years, but this girl had apparently not had his experience, and even without the half-teasing tone in her voice he could have seen through the line from a mile off. He didn't need to tell her this. His laugh did it for him.

Now that they had concluded that she was, in fact, inhuman without either of them saying it, the conversation seemed to turn to himself and his unnatural existence.

She questioned him, and (in Rudy's opinion) rather boldly for a girl alone being stared down by a serial killer.
Instead of answering the question, however, he raised a thin eyebrow over his encaved eye and replied,
"Oh, I can chaw through a bit more than jus' metal."
As he spoke his fingers continued to dance their spider dance on the railings, and more drips of liquid began to run down the railing. Dozens of drips. And each one of them seemingly becoming acid and sizzling into the material, burning away the railing in thin strips.

"Metal... Plastic... Wood..."
More drips. Hundreds.
His eyes flickered.
"...Skin..."

And before long, the section of the railing in front of him was no longer there. It had burnt itself out of existence. Now there was a gap - a break in the metal - and plenty big enough for his insect body to fit through if he chose it. But he didn't want to advance too fast and scare the poor girly away.
It was, Rudy reflected, much like hunting game in a safari. Approach to fast, and the game will flee.
And besides, he was having fun now, seeing what reactions he could coax from his newfound friend.

[seyennaathenial]

She heard all of his words, however frightening, and yet she did not scream for help or trying and run. She knew the longer she stayed, the worse the situation would get, and yet she also sensed they were playing a game with each other, and if she ran, it would be like Kingmate – she would be done for before she began.

She sensed exactly where his black inklike substance seemed to come from, and closed her eyes in his presence. This may come as a surprise to him, but she knew what she was doing. She felt her pulse quicken as she began to contact nature. He had asked her, even without words, what she could do, and she would show him.

Sensing where the ground was most fertile and sweet, and where life already was within it, Ennya hummed a tune. To mortals it would sound strange and sweet and somewhat enchanting, to the plants it would be irresistible and hypnotic. She communed with the earth now, even in the dark one’s presence, and then when she felt she and it were ready, she dropped a pale hand to the ground and pressed.

New life, with concentration on her part, sprang up as a thick, tight vine. A weed actually. The most irritating kind. The kind that no matter how you chop at it, it seems to regrow, and not only that, but the more you chop it down, the stronger it gets, like a body to germs. It thickened and pulsed with life, growing larger and larger, until it was up to her thigh.

Opening her bronze colored eyes she met his view and said, “I am life and light and purity in darkness. This is what I can do. I create when others tear down, I strengthen the weakened and I uphold justice. I am no angel, no. I am of elven blood,” she dared to answer him, “My name is Seyenna. What is your name, and why do you threaten me with thick dark ink as rich as blood?” There, perhaps that would catch him off guard.

[splitseam]

Although his expression was affixed the same during this demonstration of her powers, Rudy remained silent during it, curious about the ability the stranger possesed. After this, and after her little speech, he blinked. For the first time since the conversation had begun.

It was most intriguing - this elven girl, Seyenna, had a paranormal ability perfectly suited for creating life, as she said. And Rudy's power seemed the polar opposite. He could take life, just with a touch. He remembered his parents. Just a touch.

"Well, looks like we do got somethin' in common then." Rudy replied, after his pause for thought.
He slid like an eel through the gap in the railings. His movements were deranged, like an escapologist-turned-dancer. He wanted to get a closer look at the plant.

"I ain't no angel neither." He continued, with a smirk that was like a miniature version of his grin.
He admired the plant, some sort of weed. Green. Vines. He flicked a finger at a leaf disinterestedly, and then looked back up and politely offered his long white hand for a shake.
"Rudy StJohn, at yer service." He smiled. His eyes glimmered like oil on water.

He wondered if she would take his hand, knowing what he could do...

Just a touch...

[seyennaathenial]

He seemed to be studying her, and it made her a bit nervous. She didn’t let it show on her features, but he did. There was something greasy and dark about him, like a serpent that wraps itself around its prey before killing it. He intrigued her; of course, but that made her even more nervous, that she should possibly open herself to getting to know someone who was so clearly dangerous.

Of course, he had never said anything dangerous, but it’s the way he said average things that sent a shiver up and down her spine – and not one of delight, mind you. The dark eyes stared into his, unable to turn away, and yet frightened to keep staring, as though his very eyes could penetrate her mind.

"Well, looks like we do got somethin' in common then." He replied, and she raised a brow, taking a step back as he came forward.

“How so?” She muttered.

"I ain't no angel neither." He continued, and added, "Rudy StJohn, at yer service." And smiled, but there was something horrible about that smile…

“Are you really at my service?” She teased softly, trying to throw him off guard. “However did I get so lucky?” Of course she didn’t trust him or believe him, not for a moment.

[splitseam]

Seyenna didn't shake his hand. Just as well - she would have lost hers in the process - but instead fired another question at him.
"Nice." He murmured quietly, apparently to himself, ever so slightly impressed that she didn't fall for the handshake.

He withdrew his hand and stuck it in one of the pockets of his strange leather tailcoat. Maybe he'd try a high-five when they got to know each other a little better, he mused with an internal snigger.

"I'm at anyone's service, so long as they pays me." He replied in response to her question. "You might call me an' Odd Job Man. If you need something done... well, let's jus' say I'll probably be able to fix it."
That seemed to be his idea of a joke. He wouldn't come out and admit to a 'upholder of justice' that he killed people, and was very good at it, too. He was having too much fun to end things. This was, in fact, the most fun he'd had with a girl in a park.

Apart from that one time, but that wasn't because of her conversation...

"And whot brings an elf girl like yerself t' city like this? 'Ardly the norm, is it? T' find your kind around humans?"

[seyennaathenial]

The flowers smelled fresh in the park. There was wet rain everywhere, glistening in the night, but Ennya hardly cared. Her entire being was focused on the man before her. She was carefully listening to what he said, his facial expressions and his tone. She was fully invested in the conversation, speaking and yet listening completely.

Legs crossed comfortably on the park bench, she shifted now, and stood up. She felt it gave them both equal footing. It was apparent to her that although he was somehow wicked, he was not an enemy to make. Therefore she tried her best to have a conversation with him, and see what he was about…but he was so guarded! The more he talked the more confused she felt, and she didn’t like that at all.

"Nice." He now said, when she didn’t trust him enough to shake his hand, and she arched a brow. She felt a bit calmer when he put the hand away, (though not all too calm,) because it meant – for the moment – he wasn’t going to knife her.

“It seems when it comes to being smart, it pays to have elf blood in you.” She murmured, hoping to make him think she was a pure blood. Acting that way came in handy, especially with shady characters, she had found.

"I'm at anyone's service, so long as they pays me." He replied, and she listened once more. "You might call me an' Odd Job Man. If you need something done... well, let's jus' say I'll probably be able to fix it."

“Ah yes. Pesky people…they are the immortal’s version of a leaky sink, eh?” She said, picking up on exactly what he meant, even if she herself didn’t agree with it.

"And whot brings an elf girl like yerself t' city like this? 'Ardly the norm, is it? T' find your kind around humans?"

“I like to observe, and draw what I see. I usually have a huge sketchpad with me, but today I decided not to bring it. I wanted peace.” She gave a grim smile, seeing that she wasn’t going to get it any time soon.

[splitseam]

Now she was stood up, Seyenna had lessened the physical difference between them, height wise, and in terms of the conversational fencing they were locked in, she seemed to be a worthy opponent. It was a habit that Rudy had to see everything as a game or a contest.

He sniggered at her 'leaky sink' comment. Cute.
"Drawin' them?" Rudy mused, releasing his eye contact that was more like a grip from Seyenna to glance at the civilians beyond the railing. They seemed so far away now. So ignorant.

He supposed some people liked to draw humans, just like some people liked to draw animals in fields. He was one of the people, however, that would prefer to whack an animal over the head, drag it home... chop it up... maybe put it in a stew....

When he realised he was getting quite lost in his own metaphor and the thought of stewed lamb was making his mouth water, he turned his attention back to the conversation.

"Well, no rest for th' wicked, an' I thought I'd drag you down with me." He said, and then, looking down at the bench she had just risen from, "Is this seat taken?"
He didn't wait for an answer, just sat down in the spot next to where she was previously. Ha! If you'll stand up, I'll sit down. Check.
He looked up at her, his eyes as innocent as he could make them, which wasn't very.
"Long legs tire too." He told her, by way of explaination, apparently, as he crossed his feet over in a relaxed pose. Then he patted the seat beside him and continued talking.

"Don't see how you can find peace 'ere. All that ruckuss? That roamin' sound whot people always bring wiv 'em?" He was refering to the constant drum of city life, the low murmuring that he expected her elven ears would be more sensative to than his own.
"'Course, I don't mind." He added. "Me? I thrive on chaos."

[seyennaathenial]

She knew that she felt more comfortable with him standing along with her. It made her feel less akward, and more in control. She joked with him about mortals being like a leaky sink, but in truth she didn’t feel angry at humans. She let them pass her by as she lived. Well, most of the time, she thought that way, though if she were honest with herself, recently she was quite angry with mortals because of her mother dying on her.

He sniggered, and she grinned at him playfully. Ah so he caught her little comment. He was a clever man…er…well whatever he was, he was smart, man or not. "Drawin' them?" Rudy said, and she nodded.

“And it’s not just humans, really. I will draw anything. The world around us interests me a great bit, whether it’s the Elven realm or here. Sometimes I even like to compare them, to see how advanced each other really is.” She chuckled a bit at this, and shook her head. “Though I doubt if I could be called good.” She could be called excellent, in fact, but she wouldn’t share that with him!

"Well, no rest for th' wicked, an' I thought I'd drag you down with me." He said, and she rose a brow.

“If there’s no rest for the wicked, you must be awfully tired.” She shot back with a slightly wicked grin of her own…but then he asked her something awful, something terrible, something unthinkable!

"Is this seat taken?" She opened her mouth to answer, but he answered for her. "Long legs tire too." He told her, and then patted the bench as if to say he wanted her to sit. She shook her head.

“No thanks,” she muttered, “I’m good here. My legs are tired from sitting in the same position if that makes any sense.” That and she didn’t desire to become a barbecue for him.

"Don't see how you can find peace 'ere. All that ruckuss? That roamin' sound whot people always bring wiv 'em?" He said and she smiled lightly. "'Course, I don't mind." He added. "Me? I thrive on chaos."

“Yes I suppose you do.” She murmured. “But I have found that I can find peace in the chaos. If everyone around me is moving, I can drown out the world and find an odd sort of meditation.” She chuckled. “Kind of like resting in the eye of the storm.” A glitter to her own eyes, wondering if he would catch what she meant.