Dwindling Glory - Lament of the Fallen IC

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Pavlana paused. "It's right across the street, actually," she said with wariness in her tone, something wasn't right. "Is that why there is so much...activity here? Because of that murder in the church?" she asked as she looked around. Perhaps the end was much closer than she originally thought. If angels were getting involved, that meant that something of a strong demonic force was aloof in the midst of the creations of the Father.


"If it helps you, I will be of assistance in any way I can. For some reason, I had a feeling that our Father was bringing me here for a reason. I suppose I was more right than I realized," she said looking over at the children. It hurt her to know of the pain that would be etched into their souls.
 
ALEXANDRE WHITE AND DAVID STARK
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"I believe it was the dreams that sparked the sudden interest in the Divina Commedia, Ms. Jillian. The first mention of Dante's epic came a week or so after the first mention of the dreams. That is, of course, assuming that Dr. Moore wrote about the epic only after he had come into contact with it" said Alex, pondering the question for a moment and racking his brain for information about the journal. Mention of the epic had indeed come later on. He noticed that she had foregone the gloves and the tweezers and he inwardly let out a dejected sigh. What was it with these people and poor handling of evidence?

David raised an eyebrow and Alex caught what he had caught too. There was an evident change in Jillian's countenance and it bespoke an increased confidence. Either she was relieved that they had bought her act, or she was just relieved to be able to help. Alex believed it was the latter, but he was sure David was still skeptical. The gruff mage always was. Not that there wasn't any reason not to be, skepticism was one thing many in their southern neighbour had lost. Still, Alex thought it would do no harm to be more accepting sometimes. Then again, that was his were-lion part speaking. His detective side said that David was right to be skeptical.

David was impressed. The girl did know what she was talking about. Even he did not have as good a grasp of the Hebrew language, much less the pronunciation. Not that he would've given a shit about it anyway. The Kingdom and the Crown... The Kingdom and the Crown... Where had he heard that before? David rummaged in his memories for the terms that for some reason seemed extremely familiar. He was sure it was something he had encountered before in his education as a Kabbalistic magus, but for some reason, he couldn't quite put a finger on exactly what they were.

He noticed that Alex was now standing right beside Jillian, bent a bit and examining the picture. Before he could speak up, Alex told Jillian "No, I don't think so, at least not yet. I believe the better question would be 'what is Hebrew doing on the Henge?' I have a suspicion that it has something to do with the Kabbal, having been written in Hebrew and--" Alex straightened, his hackles rising. There was a smell on the air. "Excuse me, Jillian, David. I have to talk to someone about that Spiteful smell" he said, adding extra emphasis on Spiteful so that David would get the message.

"Spiteful? ...Oh! Yes, get someone to clear that fucking dreadful smell" said David. It took him a bit to realize what Alex had been pointing out, but now that he did, he went into full alert mode. What was another, unfamiliar, Shadow doing in the police station?

Alex strode out of the small room and immediately his eyes fell on the Spiteful. "You. Come here, we have to talk" he said to the officer that had apparently apprehended the Spiteful. "I'll take him off your hands" he continued, pointing at the Spiteful.

Meanwhile, in the room, David finally realized what Kingdom and Crown were. They were the first and the last of the Sephirot in the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. Malkut and Keter. The Kingdom and the Crown. The People and the Father himself. He began to dread exactly what the sigil meant. Fuck, he began to dread what the arrangement of sigils in the Henge meant. "The sigil in Moore's place was far too smeared with blood. Here. Try to make out what you can." he said, showing the girl a picture of the scene.
 
Leon the Spiteful

Leon gazed fixedly at the detectives' office, waiting for any sign of movement, leg bouncing once again impatiently. The devilish smirk implanted on his lips slipped as the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. He felt a sudden twinge of anger, eyes rapidly scanning the bustling police station, but he couldn't pinpoint what, or who, would elicit such an emotion; not a soul was familiar to him. His eyes widened slightly. Is this what an Angel feels like? As soon as the thought crossed his mind, the feeling vanished.

He sniffed the air curiously, trying to pick up the scent of the mysterious entity, just as Officer Lamb walked back into the room. The man's already tomato-colored face turned even redder at the gesture. "You really think you're funny, don't you punk!?"

Amusement returned to the Spiteful's chocolate eyes as they moved back up to the officer, his lips twisting once again into a smirk. "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention, what was that?"

The officer sputtered angrily, about to retort before Detective White appeared. Lamb nodded to his superior, sending a glare at Leon that was very unbefitting of his Santa Claus-like features. "You won't be smiling much longer, kid." The officer grunted and strode out the room, content to leave the fate of the disrespectful vagrant to someone with much more authority than he.

Leon chuckled, shaking his head and muttering under his breath, "Nice meeting you too, Officer."

He turned his gaze up to White, eyes languidly roving over the detective's handsome face, quirking an eyebrow suggestively. "Couldn't wait to get me alone, detective?" He could easily sense the detective's dual-nature, wondering with great curiosity what his other half might look like...

Before the detective could answer, Leon quickly added, "Ah, excuse me for a moment, I need to slip into something a bit more comfortable." With a metallic clank, he broke the link of the handcuffs that bound his hands behind his back; the silver rings remained loosely around either wrist. He raised his arms above his head and arched his back to stretch mightily, slouching onto the bench and resting an arm on the back of it casually. "Please, continue."
 
Jillian Aiya

A quick flip through the journal confirmed Alex's information. It was so peculiar; not so much the content of the dream but it's direct correlation to Dante's epic. He seemed to be going through a personal struggle, but on the quick glance she was being afforded at the moment Jillian couldn't be certain what the cause may be.

Alex had a point; one that she had wondered a few times since Vincent had first sent her the photo. She wouldn't know where to begin on the research; Vincent was the anthropologist, she only had basic knowledge. But perhaps there was something else in the journal. Hopefully now she would be allowed to study it. Maybe she could glean answers that way.

While Jillian flipped through the journal, she noticed the men speaking but not really taking in their words. She didn't smell anything... not anything more unpleasant than Stark's cigarette reek. Jill glanced up as Alex left the room. She could hear his voice growing fainter as he walked and the door closed and she was left with the older man. Shortly, he was sliding her another photo; one both new and familiar. It was Vincent's study, a circle not unlike the one on the henge was burned into the floor and smeared with a rust-colored stain that could only be one thing.

She looked away, closing her eyes for a few moments in order to collect herself. Read the words... ignore the blood and read the words. Jillian coaxed herself to look at the photo. She studied it for a long moment before tossing it back onto the table with an exasperated huff. "Detective Stark, I'm afraid I can't make anything out from this. I'm going to have to see the actual circle itself."

The thought sent waves of nausea and dread through Jillian; but she had to. For Vincent.
 
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assius took his time to answer the true feeder. It didn't feel right to immediately say that she could join him. Even though he innately knew certain things about others, even he, a celestial being, could not read minds. He stared deeply into her eyes as he thought. Were her intentions pure?

"Perhaps your suspicion is rightly founded," he said. "Then, let us keep each other company."

Only once did he look over at Pavalana, and just as they were exiting the park, he asked, "Have you ever heard of this man, Vincent Moore?" The station and the bookstore were but a mere several meters away now. Perhaps stopping at the station was not the best strategic move... for now.[/bg]
 
ALEXANDRE WHITE AND DAVID STARK
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Alex blushed a tiny bit. He was used to being stared at by women, but the Spiteful was another matter entirely. He could feel the eyes taking their sweet time to drink in his appearance. The quirked eyebrow did not help, but then again, neither did the pheromones. This was one of the few times he wished he did not have such a good sense of smell. There was an unmistakable hint of attraction there though it was a feeling he did not reciprocate. Sure, the Spiteful was good looking, but his heart still belonged to Jason after two years of fruitless investigation.

Alex took the Spiteful breaking the handcuffs nonchalantly. It was to be expected. Shadows were hard to contain by mundane means in any case. Regardless, he wished the Spiteful would've just asked for the key, releasing him would be much easier to explain than a pair of cleanly broken handcuffs. Gleaning as much as he could from how the Spiteful reacted, he had a hunch that this new player in the game would be a difficult one to control, and definitely not one to be herded. That much frustrated him to no end and he ran his hand through his hair, the other one planted firmly on his hip.

"What are you doing here, and what, exactly, did you do to get Officer Lamb's ire? Lamb! The one man in this goddamn precint whose name fits his personality perfectly. So timid and shy and courteous and you managed to anger him?" he said. The Spiteful was already proving to be a headache, although to be honest, he wasn't quite sure what had triggered such an unprofessional outburst. Perhaps it had been the subtle flirting or the almost infuriating mannerism of the Spiteful before him coupled with what little information they had on Vincent's case(not to mention the dreadful carelessness David and Jillian exhibited in handling his evidence). Nevertheless, he had acted out of line.

Composing himself, he more calmly restated "I know what you are. I smell it, as I am sure you smell me. What I want to know is what the hell you are doing here in this particular precint on this particular night." It seemed hardly a coincidence that on the night they had finally gotten some headway in the case with Jillian's help that this Shadow appeared. Not only that but it could hardly be considered chance that just as they needed someone to protect Jillian, someone viable made himself available.

It stank of higher powers, that much Alex was sure of.


I had to give the girl credit. Sure, she paled and the discomfort was palpable, but anyone else would've began sobbing hysterically or throwing up all over the place at the sight of the blood. I thought people like her, what with her profession and all, would be more queasy... Not that Alex would appreciate vomit all over his evidence, but screw the guy's cleanliness. I prefer wrenching the confessions from the perp's lips myself.

"Yeah. Sure, Ms. Aiya. Next thing you'd want is for me to pull a sword out of my ass" he remarked after hearing her request. Fat chance they were letting her anywhere near the place. I had been there, and the stench of magic was still in the air. God knows all kinds of shit could happen the next time anyone set foot in the damn place. Besides, those fools Above were sure to have eyes and ears watching the premises.

I retrieved the photo from where it had been tossed on the table. Oh how Alex must be fidgeting at us right now he thought. The detective would never stand for such careless handling of evidence and if Jillian had not been there and I was not a detective myself, I am pretty sure he would've had our heads for it.

Apart from the more magical aspects of why I could not allow Jillian to go to Vincent's property, there was also the issue of the paperwork. No fucking way was I doing the paperwork to get the woman clearance to visit the crime scene. That shit is supposed to be grunt work, but in this case, there was no way I was trusting some idiot like Greene with what could possibly be the life of the girl. "Policy is policy, Ms. Aiya, you can't go to the crime scene." Fuck it. I'm beginning to sound like Alex.
 
Leon the Spiteful

Leon made a mental note of the detective's reaction, pleased that his instincts were correct. His subtle experiment had yielded the desired result; it was helpful to know what buttons to push to get what he wanted, and lucky for him, he could read this man like an open book. Whether that was due to the detective's obvious agitation, or if he were like that all the time, remained to be seen...

He raised his arms in front of him in a submissive manner, the metal cuffs clinking together as they slid down his slender wrists. "Hey, it's not my fault it went down that way. I offered to go in peacefully, but he wouldn't listen. I had to do something drastic so he'd arrest me!" He relaxed, lowering his arms and smirking again. "And you have to admit, he looks just like Santa Claus with his cheeks that red." The Spiteful gave an amused cackle.

At Alex's more composed response, Leon grinned wickedly. "Oh, I can smell you alright..." His expression sobered considerably as he continued with a much more serious tone, "All kidding aside, I really am here for a reason: I was led here by someone quite a bit higher on the food chain than myself. Or is that lower on the food chain? ... Either way, he informed me of an impending war against Heaven, and told me to seek out two detectives that allegedly know all about it. Then he recited an ominous poem and vanished." Leon shook his head. "Dramatic much?"

He stood up, surprisingly as tall as the detective. "Now here's the juicy part: The Fallen asked me to find and protect one Jillian Aiya." Brown eyes briefly flicked over the detective's shoulder. "I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume Ms. Aiya is in there as we speak?" He jerked a thumb in the direction of the detective's shared office, eyes trained on his betraying a glint of danger. "So when am I going to get to eat-, er, meet this tasty morsel?" Amusement lit up his eyes, unable to contain the smirk that crossed his face at his tasteless joke.
 
Jillian Aiya

Jillian's lips formed a thin line at Stark's comment. Given the seriousness of her request, his sarcasm was definitely not appreciated just then. Leaning back in her chair, she watched him pick up the photo and give it a long look. Why ask her to help and then deny her when she speaks up about what she needs? It was just like being back at university. The thought set her teeth on edge; well, the thought and Stark's second comment about protocol. It had to be getting late. Jillian was getting hungry and irritable from her time spent under interrogation.

Turning to the detective, she pinned him with an appraising look. "Funny, you don't seem like the type who normally worries about protocol." She said cooly, shouldering her purse and rising from her seat. "Well then Detective Stark, since I can't tell you anything useful without either seeing the actual circle or a less grisly photograph I'm going to leave for home. It's late. I assume I'm free to go?" Jill attempted to keep her tone light, but her irritation seeped in around the edges. She picked up the journal she had been given, holding it protectively while her eyes found Stark's face once more. "At least let me take this and try to make sense of some things. Please?"

Jill's last pleading word hung in the air for a moment before she turned and made her way to the office door. Opening it, she spoke softly over her shoulder. "Thank you for allowing me to help in at least some small way. Good night, Detective Stark." Before he could protest, she slipped out into the busy room beyond.
 
Pavlana walked beside the messenger of God quietly until he asked her that question. "The name sounds oddly familiar to me, but I can't say for sure that I know who that is," she said as she shifted her black umbrella over her head. The city was alive and thriving despite the condition of the world around it; it almost seemed like it was out of place. Pavlana knew better though. There was a spiritual war that was hovering over this place.


As they came up on the bookstore and the precinct, a wave of American--and some Canadian--newspaper reporters came up to her. Pavlana was a fairly famous author, but her political opinion was what most humans found so odd and inspiring. They all wanted to know her thoughts on the recent murders in churches and elsewhere. She tried to get by and back to the angel, but she was being shoved back. These reporters were absolutely obnoxious in their quest for knowledge. Where was her manager when she needed him?


"Alright, alright," Pavlana sighed as everyone got quiet. "My thoughts in the murders," she muttered as she contemplated. "There is a poem by Trevor Barlow that says, 'In every one of us a Light burns
A Light that pushes us to be better than what we are
A Light that pushes us towards perfection
The Light is the cause of happiness, love, and bliss
The Light is only contrasted by the Darkness
A Darkness which resides within each of us
The Darkness brings us down
And it seeks to extinguish the Light
The Darkness causes hatred, envy, and chaos
Where the Light is success, the Darkness is failure
Where the Light is freedom, the Darkness is imprisonment
Where the Light is satisfaction, the Darkness is remorse
Where the Light is forgiveness, the Darkness is blame
Where the Light is good, the Darkness is evil
Where the Light is God, the Darkness is Satan'," she hissed with venom in her tone. "' And where the Light is serenity, the Darkness is frustration
And inside each of us the battle between Light and Darkness rages
Everything in life breathes both the Light and the Dark
Every action and every reaction in life is ruled by this clash
Every injustice and every act of morality
Every feeling of guilt and every sense of forgiveness
Both the Light and Darkness resides in each of us'."


Without saying anything more, Pavlana walked past them and headed over to the precinct, hoping that's where the messenger ran off to. She slipped inside with a sigh and clutched her pendant as she looked around. There was so much chaos in this one place; she decided to sit and take a short break in the lobby. Once she relaxed herself, she opened her eyes and noticed an odd scent in the air. It smelled disgusting, like a lesser vampire.


Pavlana frowned and growled in her throat as she pulled out her phone. She called her manager and told him she was feeling ill--the scent was enough to make her stomach turn--and she couldn't make it. He understood and hung up to call the store. Pavlana decided to sit in the waiting area to see if she could identify--and kill if necessary--the source of that odor.
 
Now fuck me sideways. Fuck me and fuck my laziness. Now what the hell am I supposed to do to resolve this situation? This woman wants to walk away with evidence, after calling me out on the protocol shit. I knew I should've told Alex that I wanted to go investigate the 'smell' instead, even though I couldn't 'smell' anything. I could probably cook up a few quick sigils over the Hand of Glory I kept in my locker (don't ask how I get past locker inspections) and give it the temporary ability to become some sort of radar for the supernatural too. At least he could've dealt with this woman better. Sure, I was good at bluffing but not this sort. I could bluff the degree of a cunning fox that was previously the Head of Department for Cunning Studies and was now promoted to the MI6 Department of Cunning Plans under a minute if I met him on the street and under more favourable circumstances my way (I could point a gun at him, threaten him with a few flashy light magics) but now a woman in an interrogation room? Right, my success was with slamming heads into tables after the recording devices conveniently malfunctioned and this definitely wasn't the way I was supposed to treat an important subject like that. I was supposed to be protecting her, god dammit.

"Oi! You can't take that! Alex will kil- It's evidence!" I yelled at her after stumbling over the first few words of the reason as to why she couldn't take the book. Why the hell was the precint so busy today? It was usually more quiet. This is Canada, god dammit. If someone mugged you, you go home and grab some more money and hand it over! Provided someone would mug you, of course.

I followed after her out into the busy room. It wasn't too difficult to keep track of where she was, seeing as I could recognise her back view rather easily and I slipped through the crowd after her. I couldn't let her leave the station; heck, I couldn't let her leave the room. For all I know the Agents of Above could've already be coming along to get her and she was the safest in the room with me, even though I could do jack shit when face to face with an angel. I would probably get a smackdown as if I was just another ant if I met him head-on. Heck, could you out-cunning an angel? I don't know about that. One hand shoved people out of the way as I got to Jilian while the other held on tightly to my shield bracelet. A Word of Power was already half-formed in my head and I had already gathered the focus to cast the barrier up. I grabbed onto her arm just as she was about to walk out of the door.

"I really cannot allow you to leave."
 
ALEXANDRE WHITE
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The Spiteful in front of him reminded him in so many ways of Jason. He had to mentally bludgeon himself to death for that one. The last thing he needed right now was to be reminded of his deceased lover(the only yet-unsolved case in his folio). He certainly never expected that it would be a Spiteful that would remind him of his lover's ways. Jason had been brash, quick of wit and silver-tongued, much like this Shadow in front of him. As much as he had adored those qualities in Jason -- He had been redeemed by his sentimentality and goofy adorableness -- those same qualities made him furious at the Spiteful.

"Conveniently vanished I should add," said Alex gruffly. Now he was starting to sound like David. "You're not giving me much here, whoever you are. Why should I trust that some celestial being did indeed come to you? Why should I trust you that he came from the pit, instead of above?" he continued. It was only fair of him to ask, after all, there was little credibility in what the Spiteful had said. The fact that he had socked an officer in the face just to get inside the precint was bad enough to deteriorate what little credibility he had to begin with.

He scoffed. Fuck. He really was starting to adapt some of David's qualities. "I wish that were the case. Sadly, we don't know anything. All the evidence we have won't be enough to convict a goddamn rat." He could not see any trace of dishonesty in the Spiteful's countenance, but that was part of what made dealing with the Shadows much harder. They were better at controlling themselves than mundane mortals and often, no true intentions were betrayed unless it was meant. The very principle applied in the situation. He could neither sense sincerity nor deceit in the Spiteful in front of him.

That the Spiteful was as tall as him came as quite a surprise. Though, only a quirk of an eyebrow betrayed it for Alex. "Or the Angel asked you to dispose of one of the only tools we have to break the case" he interjected. "She might... or she might not be. Either way, until you prove your trustworthiness, there really is no reason I should tell you what her whereabouts are." He smacked himself. He as good as admitted that he knew where Jillian was. "Get back in the game, Alex," he told himself.

That predatory, mischievous glint. It reminded him of Jason again. On his beloved, it was endearing. On this Shadow, it was unsettling. Until there was proof of good intentions, he vowed he wouldn't let the Spiteful near Jillian.
 
Leon the Spiteful

"Hm... Excellent questions, detective." Leon tapped his lower lip, pretending to think. "Seeing as I've never encountered an Angel before, and that I survived my encounter with the presumed Fallen tonight, I assumed he was who he said he was. Also, the vanishing act was pretty convincing."

The Spiteful's gaze traveled upwards, watching as a young woman strode out of the office. He couldn't get a good look at her face through the crowd, and she was being followed closely by a rough looking man who he could only presume was the second detective the Fallen had mentioned.

He locked eyes with the blonde man again, a wry grin on his lips as he leaned in a breath's length away from the man's ear, voice dropping to a gruff whisper. "Face it, detective, you don't have any other leads; I'm you best bet."

He took a step back so that he was no longer invading the detective's personal space, announcing with devilish delight, "Now, if you'll excuse me; dinner is served." With a flirty wink, he bowed his head and disappeared. Dashing out the room with supernatural speed, he wove through the sea of warm bodies effortlessly, easily beating both Jill and the detective to the exit.

Just as the second detective grabbed her arm, Leon clapped a hand softly on Jillian's shoulder, exclaiming, "There you are, I've been looking all over for you!"

When she turned to look at him, his eyes widened, the breath catching in his throat. "You look-" Composing himself quickly, a smirk slipped smoothly back onto his lips, the corner of his mouth turning up to reveal the tip of a fang as his eyes narrowed into a predatory gaze. "Why, you look good enough to eat."
 
Pavlana spotted the idiot Spiteful from a mile away. He was a strapping young boy that seemed to have the cocky air of confidence. As his scent passed her by, a primal instinct snapped within her and she growled. A blush at such an outburst covered her cheeks before she abruptly stood from her place. Her aura was dark and brooding as she slowly followed the scent. She could sense the thing as she got closer; as he passed earlier, Pavlana even detected that look of feral hunger she knew well.


From her experience in the constantly changing world, a hungry anything was dangerous. The fact that this being was indeed supernatural made things that much worse. When she was rebelling from the Most High, she would go on rampages, wiping nomadic tribes off the face of the earth. The memory gave Pavlana chills of both terror of a relapse and guilt of what she did those many years prior.


Pavlana was outside the precinct, leaned against a wall. She watched the Spiteful openly with her eyes ablaze as if she were sending a warning. As a True Feeder, it was her sworn duty to "govern" some lesser beings and keep them from doing harm to those around them. She covered herself with her umbrella once more and stood there, watching and listening to the Spiteful's every move. There was no way she would let any of God's innocent children die on her watch.


Elohim, help me now in the dark hour. Deliver me.
 
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ike a flood of water filling a valley, people swarmed between Cassius and the converted true feeder. Fighting them, he decided, would be pointless. Perhaps it was the Divine Creator's way of telling him he need not pursue her. He had other appointments to attend. The precinct was within his grasp now. The question was should he enter nonchalantly or cause chaos? If what he was seeking was inside, it'd be safer to not make a scene. He certainly wouldn't want it disappearing or running off on him. Nothing was more exciting than playing a little game of cat-and-mouse though... decisions.

Even at a city block away, he could still hear the incessant chattering of the press in the background. Humans were so curious about the opinions of others - eager to absorb information from anyone but the Father himself. He pushed the white noise out of his mind as he reached to pull the precinct doors open; then, his entire body froze as he heard the words of Metatron come down upon him.

'Cassius, there is an appointed time for this action, and now is not yet that time.'

His forefinger lingered on the handle as he listened, then withdrew without qualm. He would not go against his master, but curiosity tugged at him like a feline's claws. There happened to be several windows, and though barred they were, he could easily see inside the building.The angel neither stopped nor slowed as he walked by the windows, but he did observe what he could. From what he could gather, it wouldn't be simple getting past the lobby area. Again, he had two options: Stir up chaos or devise a plan to get in without trouble.[/bg]
 
Jillian Aiya

Hearing Stark sputter behind her in response to her taking up the journal, she knew she was going to be in trouble. It was her one link, however; her one way of helping them. And given the way the interrogation had gone, she might just be their only lead so far. She had almost made it through the busy fileroom when a large hand closed about her arm and she was jerked back, not with any amount of unkind strength, her eyes wide in surprise. Opening her mouth as if to say something in response to the Detective's statement, her thoughts were interrupted by a secondary invasion of her personal space, another hand falling upon her shoulder with a familiarity she did not feel.

Expecting to see Alex when she whipped her head around to see who the hand belonged to, she was in no way prepared for the dark eyes shining with a wicked amusement looking down at her. She had no idea who this man was. He addressed her with a startling familiarity, and when he cracked about her looking good enough to eat with the barest hint of teeth in his smirk, Jillian felt her face flush hot with embarrassment. She sputtered shyly, eyes wide and searching the face of the strange and handsome newcomer for anything that could possibly trigger some memory of a previous meeting. His hair, his eyes, the color of his skin were all foreign; even his teeth seemed strange.

Jillian's eyes- trained for small details in the texts of ancient writings were drawn to the anomaly: this man had fangs.

With a short, sharp intake of breath Jill backpedaled until she bumped into Stark's chest, pressing herself there in her alarm. Rather than looking like some fake fang one might get in a novelty shop, the man's teeth looked real. Maybe it was the grisly imagery, or the length of her interrogation over strange and frightening subject matter, but something about the situation seemed impossibly real. But things like this don't exist. Things like this just don't happen. A high-pitched, panicked voice kept repeating in Jillian's mind. She cast about, looking at Stark for help and hoping with all her heart that he hadn't sprouted horns.

She wished desperately that she could come up with some witty retort, a clever one-liner fitting of this situation. The best Jill could manage with a timid "Do I know you? What- what's going on here?" as she stared.
 
The moment David saw a hand appear on Jillian's shoulder, his eyes widened fractionally in caution instead of surprise, though only for a fraction of a second. He looked up in time to catch a glimpse of the protruding fang from the man's upper lip, and David's fingers on Jillian's arm inadvertently tensed a bit more. His eyes narrowed when he got a better glimpse of the person, the way he carried himself and the way he looked at the girl. He knew something was up - years of experience with criminals and run-ins with the supernatural had given him quite the good gut when it comes to these things, and every thing about this man oozed one fact. One very simple fact that has made him infinitely more dangerous.

He was a predator, and Jillian looked like prey to him. Even David himself looked like prey.

When Jillian bumped into his chest the corner of his lip curled up in amusement. The woman that had been trying to get away from him for so long had just turned to him for help instead. Her instincts, those seared into the DNA that she shared with everyone else her told her that David was the less dangerous one in here. At this very moment David had wished that he had made more items of a more offensive nature, and more singular. The lighter that he had on him couldn't do much without giving away his secret of being a Kabbalistic wizard to everyone else in the precint. However, what he had was the shield and with that bit of focus he could probably make a quick camouflage spell work on the spot to make the shield more or less transparent, or look like nothing more than a heat haze.

"I'm afraid the restaurant's still closed," David growled at the man, pulling Jillian behind him and putting himself between her and the vampire. The hand holding the shield bracelet placed it flat against the Spiteful's chest while the other held onto the handheld taser he had inside his coat. He was ready to draw it out at a moment's notice and see if he could bring it to bear against the person before him if he were to turn out to be hostile.
 
ALEXANDRE WHITE
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Alex had to admit, the Spiteful made a really good point. Even so, the Spiteful had yet to prove without a doubt that the Fallen had good intentions. He had to admit, too, that the Spiteful was like to not have survived if the celestial being he had indeed encountered was of the Heavenly Host. They despised the shadows with such burning anger that they would kill any on sight.

He didn't know why, but his anger at the spiteful was building up the more they interacted. He probably would've punched the bastard had he not noticed the Spiteful following something with his vision. Alex turned around just in time to witness a flustered Jillian Aiya striding out of the office, followed closely by a scowling David. He furrowed his eyebrows when he saw Jillian carrying something small and rectangular. Was that the journal? "Ugh. What is it with these people and bad handling of evidence?"

There it was again, an uncanny similarity between the Spiteful and Jason -- neither cared about personal space. More anger bubbled up. How could it be that this spitting image of his lover of four years be so goddamn infuriating? He mulled in his head.

"Yes, we do. I am sure either the Hand or the Pack will provide some security for Jillian once they know that she is in danger from religious fanatics" he lied. He knew the Pack might give undercover agents to watch the girl, and the Hand might probably just suggest someone better at languages, but the spiteful couldn't possibly know that.

"Hey! Now wait just a damn minute, where do you think you're goi--!" Before he could finish, the spiteful had dashed out of the room and was already quickly making his way to Jillian and David. Putting on a burst of speed of his own, he strode over to them, grabbing the Spiteful's shoulder in turn.

Fuck. Jillian had seen the fangs. Against his better judgement, he drew back his arm and socked the Spiteful in the face. It hurt him almost as much as it probably hurt the Spiteful, if not more. It felt like punching Jason, but it felt good too, he had done justice to Jason's image which was being ruined by the frustrating Spiteful.

He nodded to David, who was still standing between the Spiteful and Jillian, and sternly pointed back to the office. "All of you, back to the office" he growled. "And Ms. Jillian, if you need a copy of the journal, there are photos of every page. You should not have taken it."

He held out his hand, frowning at Jillian.
 
Leon the Spiteful

Leon peered down at Jillian, answering her question with a twinkle in his eye, "You will, in time..." He stared down the second detective, standing perfectly still as the man switched places with Jillian and pressed something into his chest. Lifting an eyebrow at the gesture, he began to retort, but fell silent. His eyes darted to the side, narrowing in concentration, chin raising slightly.

The hint of another vampire's scent pricked his nostrils. He sensed that the source was nearby, somewhere past the door his back was currently pressed up against. This one was much different from he, though; it was an old soul, a True Feeder... and it was angry. Before he could alert anyone of his discovery, however, the blonde man had reappeared.

The playful smirk vanished from the Spiteful's lips as he moved to avoid the fist flying fast at his face, but the speed had taken him by surprise and the punch landed. He absorbed the momentum, his body righting itself in a swift, fluid motion. He frowned, rubbing his now aching jaw. "What is this, 'Abuse the gorgeous guy' day??"

He glumly followed the three back to the office, passing by a vindicated Officer Lamb who had witnessed the entire exchange and was doubled over in laughter. Leon flashed him an uncharacteristic scowl, even though he knew he had it coming. Doesn't make it hurt any less, he thought with a pout.

The Spiteful flopped into a chair inside the detectives' shared office, his posture so casual that it appeared he might be boneless. His previously wicked smirk had been reduced to a mild grin. He was quite impressed with this were-something's strength and speed, deciding it best to behave himself for the time being. Not to mention, he was fairly certain the human detective had ways of giving him permanent scars...

"My apologies, gentlemen. I forgot my manners." Brown eyes softened as they traveled over to the woman, speaking in a much more friendly manner, "I'm Leon. I don't bite, I promise." He winked, unable to help himself.

His expression turned serious as his gaze moved back to the blonde detective. "We have another visitor in our midst. Did you meet them, yet?"
 
Jillian Aiya

Jillian's hand covered her mouth to muffle the small cry of surprise as Alex strode across the room and punched the stranger in the face. Still in Stark's grasp, all that she found she was able to do was stare wide-eyed at the three men before her. The stranger's words barely seemed to register over her shock, but he hardly seemed to be effected by what looked to be a very solid hit. To be able to crack off a joke; he must be much tougher than he looked. Alex's growled orders were bad enough, but when he turned his tawny gaze upon her with that disapproving frown, the color drained from her face and she felt very small. Wordlessly, she handed the journal back before shuffling behind the strange new man back into the office that she had only moments before escaped.

Trying to stay out of the way, Jill remained very quiet. She was both afraid of what would happen since she had- sort of, maybe- just tried to steal evidence and intrigued by this recent surreal turn of events. She felt stupid and confused; something wasn't right here. And she didn't like that feeling one bit.

Clutching her purse, she watched Leon flop bonelessly into the chair she had previously occupied while she remained standing herself. He really was handsome; even if his skin had an odd color to it and he made her feel like she assumed cats made caged birds feel. Frightened and wary. But then, good-looking men usually made her feel that way. That coupled with his comments make Jillian feel very nervous. Shifting her feet as the man- Leon- introduced himself she gave a little nod. She was about to return his introduction when he spoke to the detectives. "We have another visitor in our midst. Did you meet them yet?" What does that even mean? Jill furrowed her brows as she went back over the scene and events, trying to make sense.

It just wasn't coming together. Jillian felt as if she were working on a puzzle without all the pieces; things just weren't matching up and her hunger and fatigue were not helping matters. She was beginning to get a headache.

In the brief lull between Leon speaking and whatever answer the two detectives might give to such an inquiry, Jillian interrupted. Her voice was terse but quiet; she didn't want to worsen her situation with the journal but her patience was wearing a little bit thin at that point. "I'm sorry but what on earth is going on here?" She turned her gaze to Leon, a deep frown creasing her forehead. "You... I thought I saw fangs. And when Detective White hit you, you didn't even bleed."

Her gaze slid to David. "Why would you hold out a bracelet to someone like that?" Turning to Alex, she found she couldn't meet his eyes. She was still too embarrassed about her attempt at thievery. "And you... you said something about a smell. Did you really smell this man? How is that even possible?" She finished speaking, asking the question almost to herself. Steeling her resolve, Jill crossed her arms over her chest and adopted a pose of impatient challenge. "Someone please tell me just what's going on here? None of this makes any sort of rational sense and I have better things to do than to play whatever games are going on here."

Frankly she was somewhat surprised that such words would come from her own mouth, but all of this coupled with the strange manner of Vincent's death had her mind roiling with impossible fantasy scenarios that she was eager to quickly stamp out. Better get this silliness out of the way so that she could actually begin helping and doing her part to try and solve the case.
 
David's eyes widened in surprise as, before he could even do anything to the Spiteful Alex had already walked up and walloped that guy right in the face, causing him to fall back from the impact of it. It wasn't really in character for Alex to hit someone like that. He always went by the book, and the most violence David had seen Alex commit was just tackling a criminal to the ground. Or the usual cover fire he laid down while David ran forward to beat the crap out of whoever had dared to pull a gun on the detective duo, before arresting him and leaving Alex to write the report about how the subject had resisted arrest more than usual thus warranted the violence that had befallen him. David found beating people up quite therapeutic, actually.

He followed after the entire group as they walked into the office, frowning at how Leon acted so calmly and flippantly around them, to the point of being frivolous. Only he was allowed to act that casual in the office. It was something David regularly did, in his crusade against protocol and other irrelevant stuff, in his eyes. He raised an eyebrow, glancing over at Alex to gauge his reaction a little when the other visitor was mentioned. He had hoped that Alex could smell the 'other visitor' and pinpoint on his position, or what he actually was. That way they could rest easier, if they knew that it was a friendly presence. But if it was hostile ... David's face darkened, subconsciously growling underneath his breath.

He didn't sit down, instead standing right next to the door. If the other visitor was someone working for the other side ... He should be mortal to an extent. If it was something greater than that, whatever they could muster up now wouldn't be too effective. But they had to try, didn't they? David shrugged his shoulders a little, feeling the comfortable weight of his gun pressing against his breast in its chest holster and the lighter inside his coat pocket.

Urgh. Now Jillian was starting to ask questions. Things were going to get troublesome over here and David definitely wasn't good with dealing with such situations. He was going to leave the questions answering to Alex. Alex always put them in a nicer, better way than he did. "It was just my master hand and the bracelet happened to be around it," David openly lied without even blinking. Then the rest of the questions came and David shot a glare at the Spiteful for revealing those fangs, before sighing as he remembered how Alex had told him that he had smelt the vampire.

"Your job," David told Alex, raising both of his hands in surrender.
 
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