Lolin Pond - Central Park District
        The trees and bushes here are nicely trimmed and taken care of.
The wild expanse of the park is held behind these living walls. The sounds
of chirping and rustle of leaves are heard. Chipmunks and squirels chase
each other fighting for the peanuts that some of the park visitors toss to
the hungry creatures. Upon the lush grass along the sides of the pathway,
large trees carefully planted long ago, now provide shade and shadows.
Here to the northeast is one of the smaller ponds that inhabit the park.
Model sailboats and seagulls float upon the calming waters of the pond.

Ellen Kirk:
	You see a girl standing before you, wearing a grey dress - it
appears to be a simple cotton summer dress, with no sleeves, and a grey
belt around the waist. The dress is in rather soft contrast with her ebony
skin and flowing, midnight hair, but it has an aesthetically pleasing look
to it, somehow. The girl's hands are long and slender, and they seem to be
in perpetual motion, always helping her to tell a story or express an
idea. Her form is wreathed in shadows.

A new moon renders the park almost totally lightless, save for starlight.

Vladimir is seated on a bench, looking pensive, lost in thought.

The light, whispering sound of bare footsteps in dying grass and fallen
leaves gently disturbs the natural chaos of an early autumn evening in the
park. Ellen moves fluidly, even when solid, but that very solidity
automatically subtracts her ability to move silently.

Vladimir lifts his head, curiously looking about, night-sharpened eyes
attempting to pierce the gloom.

Ellen Kirk is quite visible to those who would see with only starlight as
illumination. She stops at the edge of the pond, standing there and
letting the nighttime's personality pervade her being, her sense of self.
Kneeling by the bank, she dips her hand into the still water, watching the
ripples expand and distort the reflections of the stars.

Vladimir silently stands from the bench, almost awestruck despite his
centuries of age. He quietly drifts over to stand at the other side of the
pool, clearly visible.

Getting the feeling that she's being watched, the dark girl suddenly looks
up and quickly scans the area. She draws her hand back, shaking the excess
water off, and spots Vladimir...and her face brightens considerably.
"Hullo," she calls, stepping back from the bank.

Vladimir bows briefly. "Good evening."

Ellen Kirk grins, "It certainly is. One moment." She steps backward, into
the deep shadows beneath the trees, and disappears...then steps out of the
shadows on your side, about eight feet away. "Don't like calling," she
explains briefly.

Vladimir nods mildly. "Understandable. It's a lovely night."

The girl looks distant for a second, face turned away toward the pond,
black-within-black eyes seeing something unknown - or perhaps merely
distracted. When she looks back again, she nods and says, "Perfect night.
Just about as lightless as possible, unless there were clouds...but I like
the stars. They're cold and distant enough."

Vladimir smiles slightly, "Where've you been lately? Haven't seen much of
you."

Ellen Kirk raises her eyebrows. "I've had a cold. Miserable. Try to avoid
'em if ya can." She grins, "It's hard to scout when you seriously need
NyQuil. Or DayQuil, as the case may be."

Vladimir grins wryly. "Indeed. I've never had a cold, so I can't testify.
But it sounds awful."

Ellen Kirk wows, "Never had a cold? Luck-y you. It -is- awful." She shakes
her head, "Still getting over it, so I'm takin' it easy."

Vladimir winks briefly. "From the way you look and move, I'd never guess
you'd been ill."

Ellen Kirk shrugs, "Can't tell anything from the way I look. And my
movement really doesn't show it, either - I just go a lot slower. Colds
make you godawfully tired, they really do. And stuffy, and icky, and
dizzy, and...ugh. Just nasty."

Vladimir nods. "Ah." He absently rubs his chin. "So, are you just out here
to enjoy the night sky?"

Again comes the rather distant look, then a sudden return of attention.
She tilts her head slightly, "In a manner of speaking. I got tired of
being indoors."

Vladimir smiles broadly. "That's understandable." He cocks his head,
peering at you. "Is something on your mind?"

Ellen Kirk grins mischivously, "I'd hope so. Having an empty head would be
boring, I think." Then she shakes her head, shrugging it off, "Nah. Just
preoccupied. Bunch of people I'm looking out for."

Vladimir ahs. "Friends or foes?"

You say "Friends, I guess. Unofficial wards, more accurately."

You say "Looking out for as in making sure they don't get themselves
killed or arrested."

Vladimir nods soberly. "A worthy endeavour, as my mother would say."

Ellen Kirk falls silent for a space, watching the water as a fish stalks a
skeeter. Then she asks, tentatively, "And yourself? Are you just here for
the night sky?"

Vladimir nods. "More or less. I have a certain kinship with the night...I
enjoy it, but it's not an elemental link like you have."

Vladimir:
        This youthful-looking man is about six foot-two -- a fairly
average height for a male of this day. His frame is slender, yet
well-muscled: the build of a swimmer or fencer, not a wrestler. Dark hair,
the color of night, hangs down around to the back of his neck, framing a
face that looks about twenty-five years old. Eyes as dark as his hair gaze
back at you intently, twinkling occasionally with a wry humor that seems
out of place on his rather pale features. And pale they are, as if the sun
doesn't touch him enough. His lips quirk up in a rare smile as he returns
the look, long fingers absently twisting through some peculiar gesture.
        He is dressed somewhat somberly: dark shirt and jeans, with hiking
boots on his feet. Over this, he wears a long black duster. Despite his
grim garb, he looks mildly amused at everything around him.

Ellen Kirk hmms. "I never thought of it as elemental, before. But I
guess..." She stops there, then looks at you more closely. "I sure -guess-
you enjoy it." She's noticed that you're unusually pale, but merely
attributes it to the fact that you prolley spend most of your time indoors
or out at night, like a hacker might. No, she's not dense...but her leaps
of logic don't generally include mysticism.:)

Vladimir nods. "I never did take well to the sun." He smiles at you,
charmingly. "Tanning is out of the question, and I see better at night
anyways."

Ellen Kirk laughs, "Even if I could tan, I couldn't. I think that even if
I were in full sunlight, I'd be black as pitch." She nods, though, "So
you're a night owl, anyways. Y'like Coast City's nocturnal activities, so
far? There's even a couple of swing clubs, I hear."

Vladimir shakes his head. "I've never been much of a 'club' person. I've
always preferred socializing with a few friends as opposed to going to
crowded places. Think of it as benign elitism."

Ellen Kirk giggles. "Hey, whatever floats your boat."

Vladimir chuckles, casually stepping closer. "True enough. And yes, that
little group does include you, so you don't have to ask."

Ellen Kirk blinks, then hmms, and tilts her head up slightly, "To be
honest, I hadn't even thought of asking. But it's nice to know."

Vladimir nods, half-lidding his dark eyes. . o O (Control. Not her, not
now.) He shakes his head, as if shrugging off a chill, and smiles. "You're
welcome."

Laughing softly, Ellen stuffs her hands in her pockets and responds, eyes
twinkling, "Well, then, I count you as my friend, as well."

Vladimir chuckles, his eyes glinting in the dim light. "Thank you."

The shadow girl sighs, then, a half-smile still playing on her lips. She
looks across the still pool again, her gaze (if you can tell) turned
inward, rather than focusing on the the opposite bank. "You know," she
starts softly, almost inaudibly to normal human perception, "I'm not sure
why I'm telling you this, but hey. You're here, and I'm thinking about
it." Silence for a bit. "I think I'm altogether too open to people."

Ellen Kirk looks up at you, unfathomable eyes wondering, "And you're not.
How do you do it?"

Vladimir shrugs. "I'm a bit more long-lived than you. I've got more
experience. Plus, I used to live in a country where having 'talent' wasn't
exactly conducive to long-life anyways, so I always tend to keep my cards
close to my chest." He smiles at you.

"If it's any consolation, your openness is rather refreshing, even
attractive in an innocent way."

Ellen Kirk blushes, but it's awfully hard to see, which is just as well.:)
"Well, thank you, I think." She falls silent once more, thinking about
that...then shakes her head. "I'm glad I grew up in America. I know it
sounds funny, coming from someone as young as I am, but it's true. I've
been this way since I was born, and...I guess I wouldn't have lasted long
anywhere else, huh? Except maybe England or Canada or something...Western
nations."

Vladimir nods. "Some of the countries behind the Iron Curtain would have
set you to military work. Others..." he trails off. "Don't ask." he
finishes. He nods, imperceptibly. "America is a good country, despite its
flaws."

Ellen Kirk shivers. "Mmm. Yeah," she agrees. "Yeah." Then the girls grows
silent again, hugging her arms to herself, staring at the water. A breeze
plays on its surface, once more distorting the stars, once more turning
tiny, stationary points of light into an irreproducible dance of color.

Vladimir drifts over to stand behind you. Very carefully, he places his
hands on your shoulders: the touch of a friend, nothing more.

Ellen Kirk starts slightly at the touch, not having expected it...but she
doesn't protest, or move away. Rather, she smiles. "Not many people would
voluntarily do that," she says quietly. "I think they're afraid I won't be
solid. Like a ghost."

Vladimir chuckles. "I know you're as solid as I am. Ghosts don't make
footsteps, or leave tracks."

Ellen Kirk ahs, "Well, they -can-. My friend Elisa can. But she generally
doesn't."

Vladimir shrugs. "In any case, you're quite solid." He lightly squeezes
your shoulders, not painfully, before letting go.

Ellen Kirk nods.

Vladimir closes his eyes again, in thought. "So..."

Listening to the night again, Ellen lightly scuffs the ground with one
foot. She stops, though, and inclines her head in your direction as you
begin to speak again. "Hmm?"

Vladimir opens his eyes. "Sorry. Thinking to myself." He smiles, and
winks. "It happens sometimes."

Ellen Kirk nods, smiling faintly. "Gotcha." She looks at her feet, in the
grass, then looks up at the horizon. It's not even anywhere near daybreak,
good.

Almost on a whim, Vlad reaches out, and lightly touches you on the chin,
looking into your eyes.

The eyes you look into are pure black, bottomless and unreadable, and the
light doesn't even glint off of them. They're also widened in surprise at
the gesture...you can almost hear the girl's birdlike heart beat faster.
She's obviously quite unsure of how to handle this...what she percieves as
a development, whatever sort.

Vladimir's own eyes are human enough, though the irises are deepest ebon,
shot with multicolored shards. Despite his best efforts to keep his darker
side on a leash, they glint distinctly, as he draws closer to you.

Arms falling to her sides, Ellen says not a word, but watches your eyes
with fascination. She doesn't move.

Vladimir leans in, taking a deep breath, before his lips meet yours in a
tender kiss.

Ellen Kirk's eyes widen once more, even as her hands flutter up...but then
they close, and she relaxes, letting herself be kissed but not having
enough experience to know how to respond in kind. Her fingers close, arms
at her sides again, hands tilted slightly upward.

Vladimir takes your hands in his, holding them as he draws back after
several moments. He smiles at you, gently.

Ellen Kirk stares at your hands holding hers, silently. She slowly looks
up at you, and her mouth opens to say something, but she stops - words
fail. A questioning look shapes her dark features..

Vladimir whispers softly, "If you're going to ask why, it's because you're
pretty enough, and I felt like it."

Ellen Kirk bites her lip, beyond traditional emotion. "I..." she begins,
then takes a sharp breath, "I don't know what to say."

Vladimir chuckles. "Does anything need to be said?"

Her brow furrows, and she looks puzzled, wondering, marveling. Finally,
"I...don't know. It was always that way in books.." Her naivete shows
itself in force, even as her whole demeanor betrays her unbelieveable
youth.

Vladimir laughs softly. "Sometimes the books don't lie. Remember, they
were written by people."

Vladimir smiles. "Sorry. I'm a cynic sometimes. What's the saying? 'Don't
believe everything you read'?" He places a hand on your cheek. "Except, of
course, in this case."

Ellen Kirk nods, then looks back into your eyes as you touch her
face...she's trying to read you - no superhuman abilities, just intuition,
empathy.. "Who are you?" she whispers, curious, not worried.

Vladimir smiles. "Vladimir. Always. I have never used another name." He
gazes back, no hypnosis, no use of power, just open honesty from one who
had to live a lie to keep others safe.

Ellen Kirk nods, once. "I believe you."

Vladimir draws you close again, his lips finding yours. There's an abiding
sadness in the contact coming from him, a memory of another time, and yet
a hope to move beyond it.

Not surprised this time, Ellen closes her eyes again, and slowly,
hesitantly, draws her arms around you, losing herself in the experience.
You are at once made acutely aware of both her vulnerability and her
sweet, innocent trust in you - and as she loses herself, she also begins
to lose her form, blending with the darkness around her. The shadows begin
to envelope you.

Vladimir shuts his eyes, uncaring of the darkness wrapping around him --
for him, there will always be shadows -- holding you gently in his arms,
his mouth warm and tender. There is no fear in him, at least not of the
outside world -- only the dark spaces within his own heart can make him
quail.

Gently, almost reluctantly, Ellen stops you, draws away. "I don't know.."
she starts, reforming with an air of slight chagrin. "I don't know about
this, Vladimir. I've only met you twice. I..." Her voice changes, grows
quieter, a bit embarrassed. "I've never been kissed before."

Vladimir chuckles at the last bit. "Well, until now you haven't...and
you're proving an apt pupil."

Ellen Kirk's face warms, an invisible blush. Shyness and a lack of
prepared response keep her from replying, and she takes a step back,
hugging her arms to herself.

Vladimir reaches out, and places his hands on your shoulders. "Before you
run away, princess of shadows, listen...it is not as though I am offering
you a ring. If we decide we can't abide each other..." He shrugs. "We go
our ways."

Looking at you once more, quickly, then again, shyly, she nods. "I...I
know. I'll see you again, soon." She laughs nervously, "I just need to
think about this. Sensory overload, y'know."

Vladimir nods. "Fair enough." He lets go, lowering his arms.

Ellen Kirk takes a step backward, and takes one last look at you before
she hurriedly melts into the deep shadows.