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Edges of the Forest
Topic Started: Feb 23 2009, 06:40 PM (909 Views)
Isabella Moody
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Not a Muggle!

Where there are trees and rocks and things.
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And baby, I'm no one's fool.
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Katia Grinkova
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Head Vampire Hunter

Katia didnt realize until now that being in Moscow for the past three months did wonders for her. Not only did she feel refreshed physically, she felt tens time better mentally. While she did admit that she wasnt in a great state emotionally, she wasnt going to dwell on that. Emotions were highly overrated anyway. Been there, dont that. Not really want to do that again. Katia still had one weakness in this world and anyone who knew her well could easily figure it out. Actually, it was whom. Anyways, back to her previous train of thought...

Moscow has always held bad memories for her. Being there over the past few months with Vladimir had been therapeautic in a weird sort of way. Her brother has always been a source of pain for her. Having him with her while they sold the Grinkova mansion seemed to put to rest all of those past hurts. They had decided to sit down one day and talk everything out honestly. Never before had she imagined having a good relationship with her brother. Well, she wouldnt exactly call it as good as her relationship with Alexei had been when they were growing up but at least it was better than before. Vladimir was still involved with the Death Eaters and Riddle but Katia could look over that for the moment. As long as he wasnt trying to kill her she was okay with it.

Long walks through the edges of the forest were a source of therapy for Katia. She was able to think things through more clearly than she could anywhere else. It was like the forest was her psychologist who listened to all of her problems. So many things happened to her in these woods. Both good and bad. It was no wonder she always came here to think. Memories always seemed to surround her here. Katia was the type of person who dwelled on the past greatly. Not exactly a good trait to have but it was the past that made her who she was today. She wasnt particularly proud of who she was at times though. Becoming a vampire was not on her list of life goals. Now that a couple years have gone by, she's accepted the fact that she is destined to live an immortal life while watching everyone she cared about die before her. Of course, a simple killing curse could solve that problem very easily. Nahhhh. Suicide wouldnt be very fun now would it?

Laughing softly to herself, Katia sat down on a small tree trunk. The night chill around her didnt bother her in the slightest. Her skin stayed cold no matter what the weather was like. One of the perks of being a vampire. She glanced down at her nails. Maybe a manicure wouldnt be a bad idea in the near future. It was time for her to do girly stuff like that. Katia was definitely not a girly girl. In fact, if anyone ever called her that, she would gladly eat them for breakfast. Not that there was anything wrong with being girly. She could probably use some more girliness to her personality. Maybe then would she find true love....

Riiiight. Could she sound more like a romancy novel? Pfft.
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Can't ever keep from falling apart at the seams
Cannot believe you're taking my heart to pieces

Who do you need?
Who do you love?
When you come undone
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Manfred Boelcke
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Self-Appointed Martyr

For the last few months Manfred's life had consisted of looking through a shitload of papers, interrogating the slimes of the streets, and tailing Torban. Although tailing that son of a bitch wasn't hard because he only stayed in one spot-the Nebula. Torban loved to hang out in the bar area surrounded by low class women. There had been a few awkward moments actually. Manfred was a rather stubborn, obsessive person and if he wanted to know something he went out to get it. So he would sit in Torban's favorite bars and watch that man drink the whole bar while the girls swarmed around him. A few times some of those girls would make their way towards him. It took a lot of control to stop himself from getting flustered as some of those girls would whisper things in his ears and run their lips all over his body. A few even tried to touch down there. Of course that had been too much. Normally Manfred would forcefully move their hands away from that area and tell them to fuck off. Thank God he could be an intimidating person at times. Thank god Connor hadn't been there. The boy would never let him live it down. But the most frustrating part was that he didn't have anything on Torban. All that hard work and he had nothing!

The only good thing out of spending time at the Nebula was that he got to watch a lot of important people interact. The one thing he noticed was that a lot of dark wizards would hang out there. He even saw a few of his own family members hanging out there. God the thought made him burn with rage. If only Tallen, the Duke of Lancaster, would let him at them! But the duke was right. He couldn't move too soon otherwise they would lose Torban forever. Manfred just had to keep his eyes on the prize-Torban Rune. But the man was harder to pin than a jackrabbit. All he got was that fact that Torban loved to have dinner with his 'wonderful' family members. God that slimeball knew how to keep himself clean. What they needed was to catch the man doing something illegal or they could try and draw him out. If the man was foolish enough to attack a duke, a baron, and a Boelcke, than they would be able to convince the Aurors to try and press charges on the bastard. Manfred could give them shit loads of paper of detailed observations and he could tell them all about the illegal dealings his family did and they can try and make the connections. But how to draw the man out?

He supposed this would be easier if he had help but as far Manfred knew Tallen was busy with his new fiancee and Connor was avoiding him. He didn't know why but he was worried. The last time they talked he had been rather hard on Connor and his decision to abandon the family. He hoped the didn't hurt the boy's feelings. Connor was one of his only friends and he didn't want to lose him just because he couldn't keep his mouth shut. Manfred could have easily found someone who was willing to either spy on Connor for him or to squeal but Manfred didn't do that too friends. Too enemies, yes, but not to friends. He had more integrity than that.

After spending months upon months, weeks upon weeks, days upon days, and hours upon hours of staring, spying, and racking his brains, Manfred decided that it was time for a break. So he put on his cloak, was glad to see that Equus, his dog, was asleep as he didn't have the energy to try and control that dog, and went out without telling any of his servants where he was going. They hated when he did that but he couldn't trust them. Not after that food poisoning incident. Thank God it was strong enough to kill him or Equus (who attack his half-forgotten dinner) but it was enough to put doubt in his mind. God he hated living with liars and backstabbers.

At first he thought he would walk around London, but realized that that was too much of a temptation. So he decided to walk around the woods next to Hogsmeade. He always loved the woods, the way the only sounds came from the wildlife and the leaves rustling in the wind. There was no man here. No corruption, no betrayal, no lying. There was just peace and quiet. He walked around the edge of the woods, lost in thought, and noticed the back of a woman sitting on a bench. Strange, he thought he'd be the only one out here.
"Oh, sorry," he said his thick German accent coming out, "I thought I was the only one here."
He couldn't see her face, but he could already tell that she was going to be an interesting person to talk to and he really needed the company. He just wanted to be able to talk to someone about something that didn't have to do with Torban Rune. Was that too much to ask for?
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Can you tell me how it feels
I feel nothing at all
Can we pretend this is real
I feel nothing at all
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Katia Grinkova
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Head Vampire Hunter

Her nails forgotten, Katia wondered what was next up for her. Things with the Order had settled down recently. Plus, Riddle and the Death Eaters seemed to be quiet lately too. She knew she would've been sent some kind of correspondence if something had happened while she was in Moscow. She wondered how the Order was going to react when she told them her little pact with the Devil. She must've been extremely hormonal that day she met with Xavier in the woods. She still couldnt believe that she actually took him at his word. At least he acknowledged that she didnt have any reason to believe him. The Order wasnt going to believe her. If they did, it would be a stinking miracle.

Besides, she wasnt so sure anymore that Xavier had been telling the truth. Things have been way too quiet these past few months. Riddle must either have forgotten about the Order (yeah right) or he was planning something big. Katia didnt get any information out of Vladimir while they were in Moscow. She got the feeling that he wasnt one of Riddle's favorite goonies. That feeling might even be mutual so Katia wasnt quite sure why her brother was still involved with the Death Eaters. She wasnt about to pressure him to tell her anything either. That could be left up to someone else. Maybe Alexei could do that.

Katia could smell a human nearby and she turned just in time to hear the man speak to her. His accent made her curious as to where he was from. She got a good look at him as he came closer. He looked very young. Much younger than her 36. Gosh that made her feel old. Of course, she was going to look this age forever. At least that gave her some satisfaction when she thought about it like that. "Make yourself comfortable anywhere. It's not like I own the place. I wouldnt get too close though. I might bite."

She couldnt help but joke with the young man. Ever since coming back from Russia, she's found that her sense of humor had returned. Actually she didnt know she had one to begin with but it was a nice thing to have. She was trying not to be so serious all the time. It didnt help things at all. Katia was at a point that she didnt care about all the serious stuff as much as she used to. Sure, she was going to be serious about Order matters and her job but the rest of it could just go to hell in a handbasket.
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Can't ever keep from falling apart at the seams
Cannot believe you're taking my heart to pieces

Who do you need?
Who do you love?
When you come undone
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Manfred Boelcke
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Self-Appointed Martyr

Manfred had always been a curious person, despite that fact that it always got him into trouble. He didn't know why. It was just part of his nature really. So when he saw the strange women sitting on the stump he really hoped she wouldn't ignore him or tell him to go away (or turn out to be a whore or something), because he could really use the company and because he wanted to know more about her. He didn't know. He just had to know more about this woman. It was an uncontrollable urge and it was going to get him killed someday...or worst...Manfred wasn't afraid of death (or as afraid as a eighteen year old boy who had never been in a real battle before and thus didn't quite understand what death really meant could be), but turning into the creature of the night...well that was something different.

He wasn't sure if it was because of his recent training with Alexei or simply because he didn't want to be anything impure, but his greatest fear at the moment (more than burning) was turning into a vampire or werewolf. He just didn't want to be that animalistic or demonic. He didn't know why. It just felt...wrong. The other thing that frightened him about working with Alexei was that Manfred found himself fascinated by the vampires. On one hand he was afraid he was going to turn into one of them and on the other hand he wanted to know more about them. He had yet to meet a real vampire but he was beginning to doubt he'd be able to kill one. Maybe if they attacked him and he did it out of self defense, but to purposely walk up to one and just blow them away? No, he doubted he'd be able to do that.

When she turned around, he tried hard not to gasp. Even in the pale light from the moon he could tell that she was...vampire Jesus Christ. Well at least he got his wish. He was now face to face with a real vampire. His first reaction was to reach for his wand and his hand was half way to his pocket when he stopped himself. If the vampire had wanted to attack him than she would have done it already. Manfred may have never fought a real vampire before, but he had hard enough stories to know that they were extremely and fast and deadly. Manfred had a lot of confidence in his abilities but he doubted he'd be able to hold a vampire off on his own. So he relaxed and rested his hand near his pocket-just in case.

"Make yourself comfortable anywhere. It's not like I own the place. I wouldnt get too close though. I might bite."

He smiled faintly at her attempt of a joke. All right maybe this vampire wasn't so bad. He just had to make sure he didn't offend her otherwise she might strike.
"Thank you," he said walking closer to show that he trusted her although he wasn't sure if he did, "I'm Manfred, Manfred Boelcke."
He subconsciously extended his hand to shake hers and didn't even realize how strange this may have been to a normal wizard until he had already done. Here he was ready to shake hands with a vampire. Was he sick or something? Well it was either try and make friends with this creature or risk getting attacked and killed. Personally Manfred wanted to live to see another day. Besides she didn't seem that bad.

OOC: Sorry that it's crap.
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Can you tell me how it feels
I feel nothing at all
Can we pretend this is real
I feel nothing at all
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Katia Grinkova
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Head Vampire Hunter

Whenever Katia met someone for the first time, she usually tried to get inside their mind to get a feel for them. She always wanted to know if she was being tricked or if she was in some kind of danger. This young man was no exception. When he tentatively extended his hand for her to shake, she grinned and took his warm hand in her cold one. Manfred Boelcke. What an interesting name. She still wanted to know where he was from but figured there was time for that later. Little by little she could see phrases and names roll through his head.

Ah, so he knew Alexei and had some kind of fascination with vampires. Well, wasnt he just lucky tonight? Katia could remember her own fascination with her kind...long ago. Never in a million years would she have thought that she would become one though. That had been a tough pill to swallow. Ever since that day in Diagon Alley with Erica, she's vowed never to throw this burden on someone else so this young man had nothing to worry about. He wasnt her type of food. The only human she's ever used for blood was Charlie and God only knew where he was these days.

Dropping her hand, Katia scratched her neck out of habit. It was amazing how little things that humans took for granted would sometimes be hard to remember for vampires? At work, to hide the fact that she was a vampire, she had to remember to do little habits like those. It became bothersome at times. "It's nice to meet you, Manfred. I'm Katia Grinkova." She stood up from the tree trunk and stretched her arms over her head. Manfred seemed to be unsure as to how to act around her. She could understand that. It wasnt always safe to run into a vampire, much less run into one in the woods at night. Grinning, Katia faced Manfred. "You dont have to be nervous around me, Manfred. I dont have humans for dinner. I've found that I much prefer animals."

Okay, so maybe that wasnt exactly the truth. She loved the taste of human blood. Charlie's blood especially. Lord, he had the sweetest tasting blood.....Katia's stomach growled just at the thought. If she could ever manage to get her hands on that man again....Oh well. Maybe one day he will come back and grace her with his presence. For now, she raided St. Mungos' blood bank for liters of blood ever couple months or so. One day she knew she was going to get caught. Until then...she was going to enjoy it. Sighing, Katia said, "So, I think you know my brother? Alexei?"
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Can't ever keep from falling apart at the seams
Cannot believe you're taking my heart to pieces

Who do you need?
Who do you love?
When you come undone
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Manfred Boelcke
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Self-Appointed Martyr

As Manfred stood there, he could have sworn that the vampire was scanning him or something. He couldn't explain it totally, but he felt that she was reading him or something. It was just a weird feeling. He wondered if it was a vampire trick or some higher level of magic. He had heard about legimency of course but he had never experienced it before so he had no idea what it felt like. He wondered if this vampire was trained in legimency or if he was just jumping to conclusions. If truth be told he didn't know what to think for the moment the vampire turned around, he was entranced by her deadly but beautiful appearance. She was so fascinating with her dark, powerful eyes that bore into his, her sharp angular features, and the way the tips if her teeth would show through her pale lips. Don't think Manfred was developing a crush or anything. He was normally this analytical especially when something interested him.

Manfred was glad when she shook his head. He was worried she might find it offensive somehow. But he let out a gasp when he felt how cold her hands were. They were like ice! He had forgotten that vampires lost all heat in their body once they turned. Another thing that surprised him was that despite being 'dead', her grip was quite strong. He hated to see what this woman could do if he ever got her angry at him.

"It's nice to meet you, Manfred. I'm Katia Grinkova."

His eyes widened at her last name. Grinkova, the same last name as Alexei. Was this woman related to him somehow? if that was true, did he know that his sister was a vampire? Did Alexei know and was determined to kill her anyway? Or was she the one vampire he showed mercy on? Well one thing was for sure, Manfred was quite relieved. He was pretty sure he could trust Alexei's sister not to attack him and if she decided to feed tonight Manfred was pretty sure all he had to do was tell her he knew her brother and she would not bit him. He just hoped they were on speaking terms with each other. But now he wanted to ask her but hesitated. He wasn't sure what their relationship was like or how she would respond to being questioned. Although he normally bombarded people with questions he tried to control himself around Katia. Vampires were very sensitive creatures (or so he heard) and he did not want to offend her.

"You dont have to be nervous around me, Manfred. I dont have humans for dinner. I've found that I much prefer animals."

He gave her a relieved grin.
"I am sorry," he said kind of sheepishly, "It's just...I have never met a vampire before. I do not know what to expect or how to act."
He had heard stories of vampires living on animals but he never thought it was true. Unfortunately every vampire tale seemed to focus on the type of vampire who loved human blood which led to much prejudice. Still he was curious as to why Katia preferred animals over people.
"If you don't mind me asking. Why do you prefer animals? Do you simply dislike the way humans taste or is there a deeper reason?"

"So, I think you know my brother? Alexei?"

"So you are his relative! But how do you know that I know him?"
Did Alexei speak of Manfred? What did he say? Manfred hoped it was good things. He'd hate to have his mentor call him an idiot behind his back, especially when Manfred tried so hard to be a good vampire hunter.
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Can you tell me how it feels
I feel nothing at all
Can we pretend this is real
I feel nothing at all
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Katia Grinkova
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Head Vampire Hunter

Did this young man know that he was like reading an open book? Not too many people were this easy to read. Normally, Katia had to fight pretty hard just to get a glimpse inside their mind. Not with Mandred though. It was kind of...endearing in a way. It was refreshing to be around someone with pure intentions. That certainly hasnt happened in many years so Katia wasnt sure how to react to it. She knew Manfred was trying to figure out if she really was reading him. She was just going to wait for him to ask the obvious burning question. Sometimes it wasnt very fun to speak another person's mind before they do.

She was impressed with Manfred was handling her being a vampire though. Alot of people would run the other way as soon as they figured it out. She couldnt blame them though. She was always a curious person so vampires never scared her. Sometimes it got her into trouble. Like with Mircea. She all but followed him blindly when he led the Order through Hogwarts on a wild goose chase. God, that had been a fiasco. Now, Katia didnt trust anyone of her kind. They always lied to get what they wanted. She knew this personally because she was guilty of it.

At Manfred's gasp, Katia gave him a sheepish grin. "Sorry. My hands are a bit cold as you can tell. I try to wear gloves sometimes but it never helps. Just one of the many 'perks' of being a monster, I guess." His next facial expression confirmed her suspicions that he knew Alexei. Not too many people knew the connection between her and Alexei (besides the Order) and she wanted to keep it that way. The last thing she wanted was the wrong person to get wind of them being siblings and go after him. Meaning: She didnt want any crazy vampires going after him just to get back at her. She tried very hard to keep her distance from other vampires to prevent that from happening.

"I am sorry. It's just...I have never met a vampire before. I do not know what to expect or how to act. If you don't mind me asking. Why do you prefer animals? Do you simply dislike the way humans taste or is there a deeper reason?"

"I like to think that I'm a vampire with a conscience. Not that there's anything wrong with animals, mind you. I just cant bear the thought of doing this," she motioned to herself, "to another human being. I wouldnt wish this on anyone. Now, dont get me wrong. The taste of human blood is absolutely amazing and I've only tasted one human's blood. Dont worry though. He's still alive and well." At least she thought he was. Shrugging, she asked, "Does that make any sense?"

"So you are his relative! But how do you know that I know him?"

Katia laughed softly. "I am a legillimens. Of course, that happened way before I became a vampire." The first time it happened was when she was a little girl. It scared her at first to know that she had this amazing gift but wasnt sure how to use it to her advantage. It's taken her many years and alot to training to get where she was today.
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Can't ever keep from falling apart at the seams
Cannot believe you're taking my heart to pieces

Who do you need?
Who do you love?
When you come undone
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Manfred Boelcke
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Self-Appointed Martyr

Manfred wasn't sure he liked the feeling of being 'read'. He didn't care if it was a vampiric ability or some form of magic, he didn't find it comforting at all. But he didn't fight it because he didn't know how and he wasn't sure he wanted to close the vampire out of his mind. It was a sign of trust and it was probably the only reason he was still alive. Manfred knew that if the vampire thought he posed any threat at all to her, she would have attacked five mintues ago. He wasn't sure if it was because this vampire was different or because he let her see everything that she wanted to see, but he thought it was better to be safe than sorry.

Besides he had nothing to hid-unless she worked for Torban Rune or some of the other Boelckes. But he doubted that was true. He knew his family would never mix with monsters and he had never seen many vampires hanging around Torban Rune. Besides this vampire was a woman and the only thing Torban know about woman was that they were good in bed. Manfred doubted he'd actually try to do business with a woman. Besides if this woman did work for Torban then she'd undoubtedly tell him someone was looking for him, which would mean either Torban would run and disappear into the filth or he would try and come after whoever was looking for him. Maybe that was what they needed to draw the bastard out!

Look at him. A vampire was standing barely two feet away from him and he was trying to figure out how to trap Torban Rune. One would think he'd take a break and just enjoy himself for once, especially when he was given a chance to learn more about vampires. Unfortunately it wasn't in Manfred's nature to simply put something aside and try to focus on something else. He always wrestled with a problem until he had it solved. It was an annoying characteristic but maybe that was why his grandfather left the family business to him. Manfred was the only one who had the analytical skills and the strength it took to save the family from the dark arts.

Sorry. My hands are a bit cold as you can tell. I try to wear gloves sometimes but it never helps. Just one of the many 'perks' of being a monster, I guess."

Manfred was awoken from his thoughts when she spoke.
"Oh, no, I'm sorry. I just wasn't expecting them to be so cold. I guess I never realized how warm a human being's hand really is."
Manfred never thought about it before, but being undead must have really sucked. He wondered how many human traits Katia still had and how many she had lost and which trait she missed the most. He just hoped it wasn't too rude to ask.
"If you don't mind me asking, what human trait do you miss the most?"

"I like to think that I'm a vampire with a conscience. Not that there's anything wrong with animals, mind you. I just cant bear the thought of doing this to another human being. I wouldnt wish this on anyone. Now, dont get me wrong. The taste of human blood is absolutely amazing and I've only tasted one human's blood. Dont worry though. He's still alive and well. Does that make any sense?"

"Makes sense. What does human blood taste like though? I mean, obviously, I've never had any so I was just wondering what it tasted like."
A vampire with a conscience huh? Manfred didn't know there was such a thing. He was so used to thinking of vampires as blood sucking monsters. He never stopped to think that they were just human beings who could chose to be good or evil. He guessed in the end all monsters were human in some ways. Still it was nice to know that whole race wasn't full of blood sucking monsters-just most of them were. He looked at Katia's bite marks with awe. He really should have been a scientist because right now all he wanted to do was stand there and study Katia. That was probably a weird thought but he couldn't help it. He was just insanely curious.
"What was it like?" he asked softly, hoping this wasn't too offensive of a question, "To be bitten I mean."

"I am a legillimens. Of course, that happened way before I became a vampire."

Manfred's eyes widened in surprise.
"That's amazing!" he said before he could stop himself.
He gave her a sheepish grin and said, "I mean. It's really cool. I've always wanted to learn how to be a legillimens...what's it like to be able to see into other people's mind?"
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Can you tell me how it feels
I feel nothing at all
Can we pretend this is real
I feel nothing at all
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Katia Grinkova
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Head Vampire Hunter

"Oh, no, I'm sorry. I just wasn't expecting them to be so cold. I guess I never realized how warm a human being's hand really is. If you don't mind me asking, what human trait do you miss the most?"

It wasnt really a trait but she missed having a normal heartbeat. It may sound silly to anyone else but not having that ability to breathe in and out was hard for her. To Manfred, she said, "You know when you are around the person whom you love the most and your heart feels like it skips a beat? Like you can hardly breathe around them? I guess it's not really a trait but that's what I miss the most about being completely human. Now, my heart is still there but it doesnt exactly beat." There were days she tried to shrug it off but it was a daily struggle for her. Damn Erica for taking even that simplest action away from her.

"Makes sense. What does human blood taste like though? I mean, obviously, I've never had any so I was just wondering what it tasted like."

Katia couldnt help but smile at Manfred's curiosity. Once upon a time she was the same way. Vampires have always fascinated her. It was why her old job at the Magical Law Enforcement had been so perfect for her. She specialized in vampire crimes. She was very knowledgeable in vampirism. However, it was one thing to be fascinated with them but a completely different thing to become one. Anyways, back to his question. Katia thought for a moment for an answer that wouldnt scare him too much. He seemed much too innocent to hear the real truth. "Well, everyone has a different scent so their tastes are going to be unique. Blood is almost sweet tasting. The blood that I've tasted has the consistency of chocolate syrup." She shrugged and hoped that was a good enough answer. It hard to describe what blood tasted like because most of the times she ate quickly without thinking about what she was actually eating. It was a defense mechanism to make her feel less like a monster.

"What was it like? To be bitten I mean."

Katia noticed him looking at her bite marks on the side of her neck. Self-consciously, she rubbed them. Most of the time she forgot they were there. People didnt notice them very often because she was always wearing here cloaks, which hid them. The day she'd been bitten had been the worst day of her life. It had been such a good day before that had happened too. She'd been walking through Diagon Alley after Frank and Blaire's wedding feeling very happy for once. Of course, that had lasted all of five seconds before Erica showed up. Looking back, Katia wished she's put up more of a fight against the other vampire. Erica had been much stronger than her though. Stupid vamprie strength. Sighing, Katia softly said, "It was beyond the worst pain I've ever felt. My whole body felt like it was on fire. The actual blood draining part wasnt the worst of it though. It makes you feel weak but it was the aftermath that I struggled with. It happened in Diagon Alley and I dont remember getting home after that. I spent weeks in bed because I was afraid to go outside. I was ashamed of what I'd become."

"That's amazing! I mean. It's really cool. I've always wanted to learn how to be a legillimens...what's it like to be able to see into other people's mind?"

Katia laughed once again at Manfred's curiosity. "Sometimes it's really helpful in situation. Other times I do it just to mess with them. I've always been an intuitive person so it was rather easy for me to learn the skill of reading other people's minds. When you actually do it, little pictures appear in your head that you know are not your own. There are times that I do it and wish I hadnt." William Powers, for example. That man had a creepy mind and the less she was around him, the better.


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Can't ever keep from falling apart at the seams
Cannot believe you're taking my heart to pieces

Who do you need?
Who do you love?
When you come undone
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Manfred Boelcke
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Self-Appointed Martyr

Manfred unfortunately was a walking contradiction. On one hand he was the head of the Boelcke family, a prestige, powerful family that had investments tied in literally everything not to mention the things they imported and out ported. They were the true capitalists. They played with the stock market, made a few shady deals here, played with the numbers there, and had no probably backstabbing their business associates. Then there was the dark undercurrent, for not only was his family ruthless on the trading floor, but they were killers in the black market. Any losses they suffered from the stock market was covered by what they gained in illegal dealings. For a while Manfred's grandfather had had the 'wonderful' task of trying to balance the 'respectable' deals on the stock market with the 'disgusting' actions in the underworld of wizarding society. But now his grandfather was dead and the task fell onto Manfred. For some reason his grandfather thought the young Boelcke had what it took to wrench his family out of the murky water of illegal deals and make their family respectable again. He took on the task willingly and made it his life goal to rid (not just his family) but the world from the dark arts. It was why he had recently become an Order member. He wanted to help fight, not because the memory of his grandfather forced him to, but because he was compelled too.

But on the other hand he was just an eighteen year old kid who was just as lost and uncertain as any normal eighteen year old. There were times, late at night when he was alone, that he wondered why the hell he got stuck with the job of defending the wizarding world. Sometimes he just felt so lost in his immense task. He wished he could just walk away from it all. He wished he could do a Connor and just say fuck it, because seriously what could he do? He was just an eighteen year old kid. He didn't know anything about how dark and gritty the world could be. Sure he had spent months interrogating dark art fanatics but that was nothing. He was just getting a taste of how lost this world really was and it made him sick. He just wished he could find someone who would help him bear the burden or that he would become one of the strongest wizards in the world over night. But there was no way either of those things were going to happen so he'd have to struggle alone. It was ridiculous to ask an eighteen year old to do this. It really was. But who else would do it?

So he enjoyed the few moments he got where he could just throw caution to the wind and enjoy himself. Sure maybe talking to a vampire wasn't the smartest thing he could do but he didn't care. Katia was interesting and Manfred just wanted to disappear in a friendly conversation for a few minutes. That was all he was asking for. A few minutes of being normal before he had to go back to be the all powerful savior that his grandfather thought he was.

"You know when you are around the person whom you love the most and your heart feels like it skips a beat? Like you can hardly breathe around them? I guess it's not really a trait but that's what I miss the most about being completely human. Now, my heart is still there but it doesnt exactly beat."

Manfred was intrigued by her description of love. It was similar to what Connor had told him. Manfred had never known love before-well not like that anyway. Of course he had had a few crushes but they had never turned into anything serious-not that he would ever allow it to turn serious. He had far more important things to worry about than a stupid girl.
"I can't say that I know what that feels like," he replied truthfully, "But I can imagine what it must feel like to have a useless heart. I've never thought about it before, but I suppose a beating heart means a lot. Funny how we never realize how much the little things matter."

"Well, everyone has a different scent so their tastes are going to be unique. Blood is almost sweet tasting. The blood that I've tasted has the consistency of chocolate syrup."

Manfred was glad when the vampire smiled. God. He was glad she found all his questions amusing. He was worried that she would just get annoyed and try to scare him away or something. It made sense that every one's blood would be unique. He felt stupid for not thinking of it before. He was slightly surprised to hear that blood was sweet tasting. Not that was interesting. He never really imagined blood being sweet. He figured it'd be...well actually he never really thought of the taste of blood before. Chocolate syrup? Well that was an interesting way to put it. It was funny actually to be sitting here talking about the taste and consistency of blood. Life sure was funny sometimes.
"That's really fascinating. I never thought blood could be so varied. Although that may be because I've never really gone around biting people."

"It was beyond the worst pain I've ever felt. My whole body felt like it was on fire. The actual blood draining part wasnt the worst of it though. It makes you feel weak but it was the aftermath that I struggled with. It happened in Diagon Alley and I dont remember getting home after that. I spent weeks in bed because I was afraid to go outside. I was ashamed of what I'd become."

Manfred looked away sheepishly when Katia tried to hide her bite marks. He was such an idiot. Of course she'd be uncomfortable having her neck stared at.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to be rude."
He listened to her tale fascinated which he supposed was a rather sick reaction. This poor woman had lost her humanity and he found it amazing. What was wrong with him?
"I'm sorry," he said quickly, trying to ignore the little voice in his head that wanted to know more, "It sounds like a horrible experience to go through. Is there any way the process can be reversed? I mean I know at this moment there isn't. But surely there's someone out there who is trying to work on a cure."

"Sometimes it's really helpful in situation. Other times I do it just to mess with them. I've always been an intuitive person so it was rather easy for me to learn the skill of reading other people's minds. When you actually do it, little pictures appear in your head that you know are not your own. There are times that I do it and wish I hadnt."

"It must be so cool," he said with an excited grin, "But I suppose it could get strange a times. Can you control what you see or do you see whatever the person is thinking about at the time?"
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Katia Grinkova
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Head Vampire Hunter

"I can't say that I know what that feels like. But I can imagine what it must feel like to have a useless heart. I've never thought about it before, but I suppose a beating heart means a lot. Funny how we never realize how much the little things matter."

He was still young so he had plenty of time for the whole love thing. In her 37 years, she's only loved person and came close with another. She often wondered if her love for Xavier had come from some kind of hero worship or if it was the real thing. He saved her life numerous times...and has tried to kill her numerous times. All's fair in love and war, right? Katia wasnt so sure about that whole saying though. Her heart got strung along with Xavier, who hadnt seem at all impressed with the fact that someone could have the capacity to love him. Maybe it was the fact that he didnt have the capacity to love back. Katia was convinced of that now and there wasnt anything anyone could do to prove otherwise. Then there was Charlie. That had been a fun time for her. He had been both charming and dangerous. Before they'd even became lovers, they duelled each other during one of the many battles between the Order and the Death Eaters. Katia would never come right out and say it but she genuinelly cared about him. Then, he disappeared. That had pretty much ended anything between them. Glancing at Manfred, she wanted to tell him that he was lucky not to have experience all of the chaos that came with loving someone. Sighing, she said, "Yeah, it was definitely something that I took for granted until now. I mean, I still have the capacity to love but it's just not the same, you know?"

"That's really fascinating. I never thought blood could be so varied. Although that may be because I've never really gone around biting people."

This had to be a weird conversation for him. She certainly knew it was a little weird for her. She's never explained to anyone about the taste of blood before today. Shrugging, Katia said, "Consider yourself lucky. I can tell that you are really fascinated by this whole vampire thing. I was too before I actually became one. It's not as glamorous as it sounds. It's nothing like you would see in movies." She was sure he probably already knew all of this but she wanted to make him understand that being a vampire was not a priviledge...it was a curse.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. I'm sorry. It sounds like a horrible experience to go through. Is there any way the process can be reversed? I mean I know at this moment there isn't. But surely there's someone out there who is trying to work on a cure."

She didnt think he was being rude at all. She dropped her hand from her bite marks to prove that. Now that Manfred mentioned it, she's never thought about having this process reversed. She's done research on how to hide her vampirism but that's the extent of it. "You know, I've never thought about this being reversed. I bet you're right though. There is probably someone crazy enough out there who is working on a cure. I just cant imagine that it would happen anytime soon. In order to do this, you would have to bring someone back from the dead...so to speak. I'm not sure if there is anyone smart enough to try."

"It must be so cool. But I suppose it could get strange a times. Can you control what you see or do you see whatever the person is thinking about at the time?"

Katia laughed softly at Manfred's excitement. It was obvious that he's never met another legillimens before tonight. "Mostly I see what the person is thinking about at the moment. I guess my ability is like a seer's because I cant control other people's thought anymore than a seer can control their visions. I have to be honest though. It's pretty cool to be able to know other people's thoughts." She gave Manfred a sheepish grin.


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Can't ever keep from falling apart at the seams
Cannot believe you're taking my heart to pieces

Who do you need?
Who do you love?
When you come undone
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Manfred Boelcke
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Self-Appointed Martyr

Manfred sometimes caught himself wondering what it would be like to be in love, but he quickly squashed those ideas. He didn't have time for a girl besides it'd be too dangerous-especially now. Not only was he an Order member but he was also trying figure out how to bring Torban Rune to jail. Apparently Manfred was suicidal or something. Still it would be nice to come home to someone who wasn't trying to kill him. Still maybe after the whole Torban mess and once Riddle was defeated he could test the waters a little? Just try a few girls out and see what the big deal was. But it would have to wait until after this dark arts mess. He simply couldn't afford to be distracted now. He had far too much to worry about to let his attention get diverted by a cute thing in a short skirt.

But a part of him felt that it would simply be a waste of time. He was meant to be alone because he would never be done fighting the dark arts and he was a rather prickly person to live with. Just ask Connor. Manfred didn't know why the Irish baron put up with him. It was sad but Connor was his only friend, period. What did that say about him? That he was a pain in the ass to be with? Probably. Either that or Connor was a saint. He wondered how his friend was doing. Maybe Manfred would stop by his place soon. He, Connor, and Tallen still needed to meet and discuss their next move concerning Torban Rune.

"Yeah, it was definitely something that I took for granted until now. I mean, I still have the capacity to love but it's just not the same, you know?"

Katia's words woke Manfred from his musing.
"Oh really?" he said surprised, "I thought vampires couldn't love."
That must have been a myth or something.
"Yeah, I can imagine," he said placing his hand over his heart to try and imagine what it'd feel like for it to stop beating.

"Consider yourself lucky. I can tell that you are really fascinated by this whole vampire thing. I was too before I actually became one. It's not as glamorous as it sounds. It's nothing like you would see in movies."

Manfred grinned sheepishly as Katia mentioned how interested he was. People were always surprised by how curious Manfred could be and they were often annoyed by his number of questions. What could he say? Manfred was a very curious, determined person and when he wanted to know something he learned it. It was probably why he didn't have any friends.
"Well yeah. I'm fascinated with a lot of things," he said truthfully, "But I don't want to be one. In fact I want to destroy them, the ones who hurt people anyway."

"You know, I've never thought about this being reversed. I bet you're right though. There is probably someone crazy enough out there who is working on a cure. I just cant imagine that it would happen anytime soon. In order to do this, you would have to bring someone back from the dead...so to speak. I'm not sure if there is anyone smart enough to try."

Manfred nodded his head. She had a point. It would be hard to undo the process especially since vampires were just the reanimated dead. Hm was there a way to bring someone back from the dead and if there was would it involve dark magic? Probably. Manfred never thought about it before but the secrets of life and death probably led in the use of dark magic. It only made sense that life would be part 'good' magic and part 'dark' magic. Life wasn't simply black and white. It was always a mixture of both and that was the hard part.
"That's true and it would probably require some form of dark magic. Still it'd be interesting to do some research into it. If there is a cure it'd help out a lot, especially for people like you."
There was another thing he'd have to look into. He may even be able to use some of the 'contacts' he had made looking for Torban.

"Mostly I see what the person is thinking about at the moment. I guess my ability is like a seer's because I cant control other people's thought anymore than a seer can control their visions. I have to be honest though. It's pretty cool to be able to know other people's thoughts."

"Yeah I can imagine," he said with a grin, "And it must be extremely useful, especially for an auror or something."
Manfred tried to imagine how much easier his job would be if he could read minds. Too bad he wasn't a legimens and even if he convinced Katia to teach him it'd take a while for him to get good at it. By that time they'd hopefully have Torban behind bars-hopefully.
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Can we pretend this is real
I feel nothing at all
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Katia Grinkova
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Head Vampire Hunter

"Oh really? I thought vampires couldn't love."

Katia thought for a moment. Well, that might be true since she hasnt exactly fallen in love with anyone since becoming a vampire. Of course, she still felt love for her brothers so maybe that was just a myth. Whatever. She wasnt really focused on the whole emotion anyways. "Well, I still love my brothers so I like to believe that isnt true about vampires. Even if we dont have a beating heart, I think we can still feel things for people. Whether it be hatred or love." She shrugged at her words. She was speaking from experience of course. Her hatred for Erica only increased after becoming a vampire because the fellow vampire was the reason she was in this mess in the first place.

"Well yeah. I'm fascinated with a lot of things. But I don't want to be one. In fact I want to destroy them, the ones who hurt people anyway."

For a split second, Katia felt herself tense up at his statement. It was similar to the way she felt when Alexei had first figured out she was a vampire. She wondered if her brother was duty bound to kill her since she was now the very monster that he hunted for a living. However, this didnt seem to be case with Manfred. He seemed to be genuinely interested in her monsterhood and she could relate to that feeling for she'd been the same way once. Feeling herself relax, Katia nodded at Manfred. "I can understand that. It's the same with my brother, as you may know already. I often wonder if he secretly wants to kill me because I'm now the monster he hunts for a living." She gave him a small smile. She would just like to see Alexei try and come after her...

"That's true and it would probably require some form of dark magic. Still it'd be interesting to do some research into it. If there is a cure it'd help out a lot, especially for people like you."

"I appreciate that, Manfred. Not many people feel the same way you do though, I'm sure." Perhaps Caedmon could help with this. He seemed to be very knowledgeable in the dark arts...with a good side to him. Plus, Katia trusted him. Not that she was expecting some miracle cure to fall into her lap but it was still a nice thought. Being a vampire had it's advantages. She loved the new strength she had now. It will come in handy during a duel. Plus, it made it easier to blend in with the Death Eaters. Nobody would ever suspect a vampire to be an Order member, right?

"Yeah I can imagine. And it must be extremely useful, especially for an auror or something."

Katia looked at Manfred and could tell he was thinking hard about something. After a closer look, she figured out what it was. "Yeah, too bad I never became an auror. This ability would certainly be very handy then." She laughed and sat back down on the tree stump she'd originally been sitting on. Smirking, she said, "You know, it's very difficult to master legillimency but it's not hard to be observant of people's behavior, which is something I've always been good at. It would be a great start for you if you were ever interested in becoming a legillimens."

OOC: Sorry for the crappy post. =/
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Can't ever keep from falling apart at the seams
Cannot believe you're taking my heart to pieces

Who do you need?
Who do you love?
When you come undone
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Manfred Boelcke
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Self-Appointed Martyr

"Well, I still love my brothers so I like to believe that isnt true about vampires. Even if we dont have a beating heart, I think we can still feel things for people. Whether it be hatred or love."

Manfred nodded his head at her reply. It made sense that she would want to belief that she could still love. It must have been odd to think of not being able to love someone. It seemed that humans always used the ability to love as a sign that they were better or purer than other species and they even compared their ability to love with each other. Those who couldn't love were either labelled heartless or strange and most people found them hard to be with. Manfred knew they were exaggerations because he was pretty sure that everyone loved someone at least once in their life, but he wondered what it'd really be right to truly not be able to love anyone. Manfred couldn't imagine it. It just seemed inhuman to not be able to love. But a vampire wasn't human. He loved at Katia and wondered if her love for her brothers was for real or just a feeling that she deluded she felt just because she couldn't handle losing that much of her humanity. But Katia seemed now and he didn't want to piss her off so he just gave her a smile and said, "I'm sure you're right."

"I can understand that. It's the same with my brother, as you may know already. I often wonder if he secretly wants to kill me because I'm now the monster he hunts for a living."

Manfred frowned slightly as Katia took a second to reply. He hoped he didn't offend her somehow. He took a few seconds to think about Alexei before replying. Manfred had never heard Alexei mention his sister before. He supposed because the Russian didn't want to go into the awkward explanation about how he was still a vampire hunter even though his sister was also a vampire and if truth be told it wasn't Manfred's business.
"Well he never mentioned you to me, but I don't think he wants to kill you. We don't have a personal relationship but he doesn't seem like those fanatic vampire hunters who kill everyone and everything that has to do with vampires. Besides you are his sister and I'm sure that has to count for something."

"I appreciate that, Manfred. Not many people feel the same way you do though, I'm sure."

"You're welcome, but you're probably right. I guess there aren't that many people out who would want vampires cured."
It was stupid to Manfred. What did it matter if the person was a vampire or not? All that mattered was what kind of person he/she was. If he wanted to use his powers to hurt the innocent than he deserved to be punished but if he was like Katia, an innocent person turned into a vampire, than Manfred didn't see why he shouldn't be cured. But many people didn't think like that. They thought purely on prejudices. God people were stupid sometimes.

"Yeah, too bad I never became an auror. This ability would certainly be very handy then. You know, it's very difficult to master legillimency but it's not hard to be observant of people's behavior, which is something I've always been good at. It would be a great start for you if you were ever interested in becoming a legillimens."

Manfred grinned as she read his mind again. He would never cease to be amazed by the fact that she could enter his mind whenever she wanted. It was just so cool. Of course it would suck if it turned out Katia was just a backstabber looking for information, but Manfred didn't think that was true. He didn't know why but he trusted Katia. There was just something about her that Manfred liked.
"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. I've tried to get better at reading people by studying people at the Nebula. I think I've gotten better. But I know becoming a legillimens takes time. It makes me wished I had tried to learn when I was younger. But oh well. Nothing I can do about it now."

OOC: Nonsense, it's my post that's crap.
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Can you tell me how it feels
I feel nothing at all
Can we pretend this is real
I feel nothing at all
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