When the City was Young

[Thirteen]

I remember when this city was young, thought a beautiful Lycan as she walked along a side street. Everything was so different, but she still loved it here for she could see the ancient city just invaded with modern technology. It was an interesting, and beautiful, combination.

The clothes were different (but still amazing, for fashion in Rome was always fantastic), but Artanis still felt... empty. She was bored, she was full of desire... and she was empty. it had been a rather bad month; she'd had a few lovers, but they had all just made her feel more empty. Where was he? Where was the man she had been searching for since she was a goddess in Ancient Egypt?

Oh yes, it had been many, many years. Too many to count, but Artanis didn't care. Striding into a store, Artanis pulled out a small slip of paper with a picture on it. "Think you could whip this up real quick?" She inquired, winking at the dashingly handsome tattoo artist sitting behind the counter. Sliding the paper across the glass, he nodded and asked where.

The tattoo was simply the number 13, but it was in a sharp but captivating font, all black in color. She lifted her shirt, revealing her perfectly smooth skin and well-toned stomach. Pointing to a spot a little bit above her right hip, she said, "Right here." He warned her of the pain, but leaned on the counter, sexy grin on her face. "I like the pain." Her reply was simple, but the Lycan's heightened senses felt the exact moment when his heartbeat picked up again and she couldn't help but smirk.

With twinkling eyes, Thirteen (for that was her alias) got a lower rate on the tattoo and she was finished rather quickly; it was a simple tattoo, and the sting of the needle was still gone. As she left, Thirteen folded under her simple black cami top to show off her new tattoo. On others, her look would have been smutty, but Thirteen could pull anything off. Her jeans were dark and sexy, her new tattoo looked gorgeous and Thirteen, though feeling empty, also felt extremely attractive.

[Mikaela Antony]

Blond waves were picked up in the light breeze, a deep burgundy skirt's pleats fluttering. It was cool, but the mid-thigh skirt was wool and warm and soft against olive-toned skin. Socks that should have ended at the knee actually reached to just over the kneecap, covered mostly by black slouch boots that clacked lightly against the sidewalk underfoot. A deep burgundy camisole, with a lace v-neck detailing, smoothed over her soft skin under a burgundy throw-over loose-knit shawl. Silver cross charm bracelets adorned each wrist, and a blessed cross nestled in the dip at the front of her collarbone.

"You know, you owe me big. You said jump, I jumped. I'm here. I haven't even gotten the chance to properly glare at you for Berlin." Mikaela stopped then and whirled on her heels. Her usually soft eyes were hard topaz as she turned on Cloud. "I can't believe I had to do that, in that dress! Wasn't bad enough I had to date him, but I had to go on a date in that dress. No other outfit was good enough?" Mikaela crossed her arms and breathed heavily through her nose. "So, then fine, we're here to get clothes." She shot a derisive look, a cross between something smug, disgusted, and triumphant. This was torture to poor Cloud, she was sure.

She turned opposite again and flashing neon signs just across from view displayed a tattoo parlor was open. Now, Mikaela didn't have any tattoos, any identifying marks for anyone to know her by, but she was intrigued by the idea of getting one. The long argument against one had been that, if ever caught, the predators could identify exactly who they had and how best to use the information. For instance, The Executioner had a cross-shaped scar burned into her forearm, something a human servant of a vampire had found funny until, as legend had it, that same branding iron was shoved into his own eye. Tall tales continuing, Executioner now covered her arms as much as possible. But that wasn't what Mikaela was after.

"Think I should get a tattoo?" And without waiting, Mikaela yanked Cloud's arm as she made to cross the street. "Let's go see!"

[Cloud]

"Shouldn't have jumped then," the hunter retorted, his arms crossed moodily over his chest as he followed slowly behind - keeping a fair few steps away from the wavey-haired woman who dared drag him here.

Shrugging casually but letting his gaze lower and tense slightly under her topaz glare, Cloud ran a sheepish hand through his golden tendrils as he avoided her gaze. "It wasn't that bad.... You should've worn the gloves though," he grumbled, blushing a little but managing to hide it to the best of his ability.

"I couldn't do it myself, could I? That would just be weird," he pouted a little under the look she gave him. "'Hey Mister. I was just wondering if you'd date me, I mean, I'll stick a bullet in your throat the moment you come near me but I think we'll get along great, don't you?' Sure... That's normal," he mocked, dragging his feet as he caught up with her.

Yelling in surprise as she grabbed his arm, Cloud whimpered quietly in protest; trying to dig his heels into the paving in his attempt to get away.

[Thirteen]

Hearing every word the odd couple said as they walked toward the tattoo parlor she had just left, Thirteen stopped and turned. The smell of the two was human, with a slight difference in the mixture of the male. A growl rose in her throat and her blue-gray eyes turned all black for a moment, but she remembered she was out in daylight and public and this was night the place to fight. She was in such a light mood still that she couldn't help but want to go play a bit...

Turing back around and gracefully making her way back to the entrance, she paused and grinned. "How nice, bonding time," she said with a wink to them both. The male she recognized from talk of the up and coming Hunter. What was his name? Something with nature... Rain... Sun... Cloud! Thirteen held back a laugh and settled with a smirk. "You gonna let the little prissy hurt herself like that? You do know they sting a little, don't you sweetie?" Thirteen's only guess was that the girl was a Hunter as well.

Her shirt was still up, revealing her immaculate stomach and the tattoo on her right side bearing the number that was her name. Well, the name of the century, at least. It was a bit pink around the edges, but her Lycan blood had already almost fully healed the tattoo, which made they a bit more fun to get because she didn't have to worry about them at all.

[Mikaela Antony]

"You're my boss, what was I supposed to do?" Mikaela shook her head lgithly, looking ahead to cross the street. "It wasn't that bad? You saw the dress, right? I mean, you picked it out. Of course, you didn't see it [i/]on[/i] me.." Mikaela grimaced, chagrin apparent on her fine features as she continued across the street. She made a disgusted sound and continued. "And you're worried about the gloves." she scoffed. They would have gotten in the way of her grip, but she didn't need to explain that to Cloud.

"No, you're not getting out of this one.." Mikaela yanked on his arm. "You made me wear a dress, a slinky dress, to go on a date with that thing... You owe me!" Just as Mikaela was ready to hop into the tattoo parlor, someone interrupted. Or, rather, something interrupted. A lycan. Mikaela could smell it.

She fought the urge to immediately draw her silver-bullet gun but turned swiftly. "Prissy? Don't you think that word would be better suited to your reflection?" She looked the type. She could almost pass for human, if the waves of power weren't rolling on her skin and her tattoo wound wasn't already healing. Almost If she so much as flinched, Mikaela would kill her.

A smirk tugged the corners of her pale pink lips up. "Should you be talking at all about sting? What would you know at all about pain?" A smug look fought to rise to the surface, but she kept it down and placed her hand on her hip. A very feminine movement, but her gun was hidden there. A small Derringer with two silver bullets. Enough to kill a single lycan..[/color]

[Cloud]

"Yeah, yeah..." Cloud grumbled off-handedly, still trying to tug his arm away as Mikaela dragged him further across the street. "I'm sure it was fine, you could have shown me if you were that bothered," he glowered, parting his lips slightly and dropping his expression in protest; bracing to retort.

"How nice, bonding time,"

Managing to yank his arm away, the blond turned - glancing towards the arrival from beneath his dark-glasses. Lycan, most assurdly, from the drenching scent she wore. Only enough to make a hunter feel faint to the point of sickness from the overwheleming displeasure. "Don't you dare talk to her like that," he snapped, reaching for the holster beneath his jacket whilst keeping his poisoned eyes focused deeply on the woman before them.

"Must feel pretty special being something so imacculate, a prissy like her would be able to slaughter without so much as a second glance," the hunter offered in a calm, soft tone of voice. He'd apologise to Mikaela later, but his point was made.

[Thirteen]

The reply from the male nearly made Thirteen laugh out loud, but she settled on a satisfied smirk instead. The pair of Hunters were obvious to her amongst everyone else in the city at the time. Other breeds didn't bother her, it was just the Hunters. The Hunters, the ones that killed her mother... she would make them all suffer someday. But this wasn't the time.

And this girlfriend of his must be some sort of new girl, otherwise the move to place her hand on her hip wouldn't have been so obvious. "Oh sweetheart," Thirteen said to the female. "You're rather new, aren't you? You must not know the art of nonchalance. Sir, you must teach her that sometime, or you are no teacher." The smirk was still on her features when she spoke. "And by the way, of course I'm prissy, I'm a Lycan." She winked at the male and grinned, standing to her full height instead of leaning on the wall of the tattoo building.

"But there's no way this little lady could kill me, she's not quite experienced enough. But keep practicing, maybe one day you'll get there." It was taking a lot not to kill these two, but Thirteen knew now wasn't the time and place. Her eyes dilated only slightly, turning a bit more black, before returning to their normal blue-gray color for good. Her heart was beating it's same normal pace and her heightened senses took in everything around her.

Inside the tattoo parlor, the artist was still hung up on how stunning Thirteen had been, and she was sure he was in a back room somewhere "entertaining" himself. Humans bored her, for they were so predictable. Even these two Hunters were rather predictable. The ways they were standing now proved to Thirteen that, even though they wanted to kill her, they wouldn't do it now. With that information, Thirteen know that this was just a fun little meeting. "You know, you could get my name tattooed on you so that when I finally tear through you, I'll at least remember we've met before."

The jab was a bit low, but Thirteen didn't care; she thought it was pretty funny and her smirk grew into a dazzlingly lovely smile that was as cold as steel.

[Mikaela Antony]

Mikaela grumbled; Cloud was free to order her to not kill if he so wished. She caught his undertones, though. She listened to the creature try retort back and a smirk spread across her features. She did chuckle. She would have fought the point on not being experienced enough, but why waste her breath? And why make a name for her when she could remain anon? Yeah, her and V, riiight. "Nonchalance, huh? Look what's talking." She had pointedly said what instead of who. Lycans were not humans, period. "You'd know nothing of mannerism teachings, seeing you've got none."

Mikaela's smirk turned dangerous in her hardened eyes, though, and a certain pleasurable idea crossed her mind. "Sure, I'm sure one day I will." That simple sentence held more meaning in it than any passerby would pick up on, but the lycan should. It was a promise.

"And don't worry, dear, I'm fairly certain you'll remember me as you're bleeding out on the forest floor." Mikaela winked at the lycan, smirking again. Sure, there was a derringer at her hip, and the lycan had noticed that. She didn't know of every other piece of armory she had on her small form, though. She was usually very highly underestimated. And she didn't always need weapons, as Cloud was well aware of. She could take down certain creatures by her hands alone, and just finish it with a weapon. She'd had a nice run-in with a werewolf several years back that had learned that the hard way...

[Thirteen]

"You've got none!" Thirteen laughed again at the terrible grammar of the Huntress. Thirteen saw the fiery nature of the femme and couldn't help but smile in a different way. This human would have made a wonderful Lycan, for her attitudes were like many of the young in Thirteen's pack. "My dear, I have had thousands of years of teaching when it comes to manners. You have nothing on manners when it comes to someone like me."

Looking again to the man, Thirteen looked him over once more. "You are her teacher, I assume. Perhaps you should help her with her grammar, but other than that I believe she will be a gifted Huntress." It was the closest thing to a compliment the Lycaness would give the humans, but to her it was rather high praise indeed, seeing as she was one day going to make sure these two were dead.

Cloud looked more familiar than Thirteen realized before, and she began to wonder if any of his ancestors had been Hunters, one of those who had killed her mother. Oh yes, it had taken a few to take her great mother down, but there was the one who drove the last blow... Cloud seemed to have similar features, but that could have little to no meaning since many humans shared similar features.

[Cloud]

Letting his gaze wander slightly in absent-trailings as the conversation almost became battle of wit between the two women, Cloud fondled with the small strap of the gun that hugged his lithe frame from beneath his jacket. Really, as much as his hunting skills would have dug to play apart of this, he couldn't find the mindframe to play within an argument that clearly was going to get neither party anywhere.

Especally not when they were both extremely beautiful women, and could not sort a petty disagreement together.

"I teach, we train, we fight. Surely you know how a decent hunt works," he sighed in a lofty manner, turning his cobalt-flecked gaze back towards the lycan, "Now run away like a good-hound and let us chase on in a proper fashion." He mocked with a small, sly, but sure, smirk.

He did wish, so, that, they could hurry this on. Or at least that one would give up. "You see, lycan, you identify yourself with a marking. And now, we will never lose sight of how to spot you in a crowd - for I am sure, you will be dressed in such a similarly tarted way as you are now."

[Thirteen]

Thirteen giggled when Cloud pointed out her new tattoo. "You're rather interesting, male," she stated with a smile. It seemed he didn't know how easy it was for Lycans to remove these simple human markings. There were a few methods often used, but the one Thirteen had used last time was to simply cut off enough layers of her skin to remove the ink; yes, it was extremely painful, but it was either that or be permanently known for who she was. The number on her side, if removed, would heal within minutes and she would go one, another unmarked Lycan.

Of course, there was the Eye of Ra tattooed on her wrist, but Thirteen had spent years masking that one in different ways and it often went unnoticed. If it ever did, though, she would remove that as well. Neith hadn't spent millennia alive by keeping sentimental markings. Of course, after a time, she would always remark herself with the Eye in one place or another; it was her home, a deep part of who she was was rooted in Egypt.

"As for running away, I am no pup as you are," Thirteen said with a bit of a sneer. "Go get your little markings and struggle later to remove it. As for me, you may see my markings again, but they will be followed by my claws so you will have no need to remember it."

With that, the human-hating Lycan princess turned and strode away, making sure her body was looking it's absolute best. She was beautiful, and later these people would grow old and lose their child-like "beauty" and then fade, while she would continue on.