Close Your Eyes || Closed

The night was brisk as Calliope made her way down the sidewalk of a nigh empty street of St. Petersburg--it was about two in the morning, the time where she got most of her work done. Her long brown hair was in a loose braid over her shoulder and her chocolate brown eyes were attentive as ever; it was part of her job to be hyperaware of everything going on around her because the second she stopped paying attention would be the second she was dead. Her thumb hooked into the strap of a messenger bag at her side out of habit, easing the weight of the contents off her shoulder if only for a moment. There were plenty of items within the bag that should have raised eyebrows at customs, but since she was asked into the country for a very important reason, the items were allowed to slide through without a second glance. The government has been very adamant to get her into the city to exterminate a most prolifically killing pest: vampires. Thankfully, the wooden stakes and metal flasks of holy water didn't rattle too loudly in her bag or else she may have brought unwanted attention to herself. There was a crucifix shoved down into the bag as well as a flask of malt whiskey--Calliope used that to take the edge off when she couldn't sleep or push the faces of people she hadn't been able to save from her mind. She'd been informed they believed only a few vampires to be in the city, but with the reports she'd been given, she wouldn't doubt that a very old vampire was capable of the carnage listed on a few sheets of paper. Innocent blood had been shed and it was time the unwarranted deaths of civilians ended.

Pausing at a street corner, her produced a packet of cigarettes from the pocket of the long, wool jacket she wore and lifted the filter of one to her lips. Tucking the half-crushed box away and lighting the end of it with a lighter, she leaned against a lamp post as she inhaled a lungful of smoke and nicotine. Tonight, she'd just been getting as good as she could a ground perspective of what the city looked like under cover of darkness. Tomorrow, since she'd been given nothing by way of the location of said vampires, she'd try to collect her own intel on where their haunts and hideaways might be. She pulled the cigarette from her lips, holding it between her forefinger and thumb, and exhaled a mixture of smoke and water vapor into the night.

@ salander.
Vladimir sat in his navy Ferrari 400, leaning back in the drivers seat as he scanned the streets. It was the dead of night, but he barely slept, even when he should. He had his people to protect, but moreso, he had himself to protect. He was the oldest of the vampires in St. Petersburg, he wouldn't have called them a clan, but he definitely offered leadership and guidance to all the others, especially the younger ones. The younger ones were the most reckless, and the ones he watched just get murdered by the hunters because they thought they could win, but any experienced hunter knew vampires well enough that the young ones were easy to kill. A figure moved on the sidewalk and it caught Vlad's eyes, he squinted into the night as he tried to figure what it was. As he scanned, Calliope's figure came better into play. He was sure she wasn't from here, any girl wouldn't be wandering these streets, at this time of night, alone. She had to be knew, and his suspicions raised his own hyper awareness. He didn't want to lose his life, or lose another kid to this hunter. He ran his tongue along his fangs before shaking his head, no, he didn't feast on hunters, never had, never would. That was just his moral, along with not killing children or elderly. He didn't believe himself to be all bad, sometimes he turned them rather than letting them die after feasting, he didn't see the terrible things he did. Vladimir thought of it as keeping the population in check.

Vladimir looked at his watch 2:28 AM. He knew the sun was set to rise at 6:43 that morning, although the wasn't worried. He had lived long enough to go out in the day, knowing how to avoid harming himself. Russia was a cold country, so he covered up quite well. Vladimir also knew how to blend into society, he had a job, and a home he didn't hide from, one away from his clan, to avoid suspicion. Having lived since the Victorian age taught you a lot. His mind shifted back to the girl. He had to handle this carefully, he was sure they told her this was the so called village of vampires. If he showed up besides her, she'd probably kill him. He couldn't have that. He pondered a few things over in his mind, how to approach. He wanted to be able to studybjer and know just how much intel she had on him, he'd be damned if he died now. He saw the girl getting closer to his car, his muscles tensing slightly

Calliope's gaze was focused on a window up in a building across the street from her as she brought her cigarette back to her lips and balanced it there as she pulled her phone from the back pocket of her jeans. She quickly checked her location in relation to the hotel she was staying at; the government had booked her the most lavish, penthouse suite they could find for her as a small part of her payment for ridding the city of their vampire problem. She watched the flickering lights of what she could assume was a TV behind a thin curtain before the sound of a vehicle approaching her shook her from her thoughts and snapped her attention back to the street. It was an older model car, dark paint, but it looked extremely well kept. The woman didn't know much about cars, but judging by the look of the car, the car was better suited for long stretches of open road than the city. Her brow furrowed slightly as she nearly glowered at the car, curious as to who it was behind the wheel that was riding or soon to be driving the city streets at such a late hour. Forcing her expression to relax and go neutral--she really needed to get a grip on that--she took another long drag of her cigarette as she weighed her options. She could either leave the driver be and let them continue on driving or she could let her curiosity take over and try her hardest to get a peek at whoever was driving the car. It'd been a solid thirty minutes since she'd seen another person out and about and they certainly weren't sober enough to be behind the wheel. If anything, she could potentially save a stupid human from killing someone by a stupid mistake.

Making her decision, she took a cursory glance around her and strained her ears to be sure there weren't any footsteps closer to her than need be. This car could just be a distraction to catch her off guard, so she'd have to be extra attentive to what was going on around her. She took a few quick steps toward the car, the heels of her motorcycle boots cracking against the pavement beneath her feet as she rounded the drivers' side of the vehicle. A frigid wind blew past her and she gasped at how bitterly cold it was, causing her to grasp at the front of her coat with the hand that wasn't holding the cigarette and pull it up tighter around her neck. Clearing her throat, she put on her most disarming, yet sheepish smile as she lifted her knuckles and gently rapped on the window, unable to see the driver from the glare the street lamp was casting on it. Then, she raised her voice a bit and spoke to the driver in Russian, as fluent as if she'd been speaking it her entire life, "Excuse me. Could you help me out? I'm terribly lost." She held the hand with the cigarette as far away as she could from the window, in case the driver took offense to the smoke.

@ salander.
Vladimir watched her slowly as she approached his car, though acted as if he was paying no mind to her. When her skin touched his window his eyes slowly stalked up to her face, scanned it for a moment, before rolling the window down. He rest one arm on the now rolled down window and looked up at Calliope. "Not a very good time to be lost huh?" He responded in English, though his accent was thick as mollasses. Vladimir spoke ten different languages, and the girl, though speaking great Russian, he could tell she was from an English speaking country. They held themselves different. Vlad waved with his hand for her to move from the door so he could get out, he turned his car off, and stepped out, shutting the door and shoving the keys into his pocket. "You know this is a dangerous thing to be doing, correct? Why are you out this late?" He asked, if she wasn't a hunter, though he doubted, he was very curious. "Where are you looking to go?" His voice sauntered easily through the language, from the years of speaking it, but he couldn't shake the accent he had, no matter which language he spoke, everyone knew he was a born again Russian. Vladimir ran a hand through his hair as his eyes scanned the area again. He knew no one would be coming after him at this time of night, so at least this girl was safe for the moment being.

Vladimir once again looked down at her, eyes careful as they moved up and down, taking in the information he could. For a moment he rest his eyes on the bag. "Not a lot of luggage, eh?" He commented. Vladimir was one who just didn't show emotion, not because he was a vampire, but even in life, he had been someone with a stone face, he could be scared, happy, mad, or excited and everything would look the same on him. To get a smile out of Vlad was considered an accomplishment in itself. "If you're looking for a place near here I can walk you, if you're very lost I can offer a ride. At this time of night the, what do you call them, cabs? They do not run." He told her.

Calliope offered the driver of the car a sheepish sort of smile as he rolled down the window and spoke to her in her native tongue. She wasn't too happy that she'd been pegged as a foreigner right off the bat with this guy, but she tried to not let the irritation be shown on her face. A humorless laugh left her at his first comment and she shook her head a bit as another biting wind blew past her that caused her to pull her shoulders up to her ears in an attempt to keep warm. "No, it's not," she responded, her own accent British; crisp and concise, "is Russia always this cold?" She studied the man for a moment and took a step back when he beckoned it, but immediately felt a little more on edge than before. As he shut the car door behind him and righted himself, she realized just how much taller he was than her. Calliope was by no means short, but it seemed like he towered over her in stature and presence. He also seemed quite stone-faced, so she'd probably have to try a different approach with him. She pulled her cigarette to her lips as he questioned her and she couldn't help but to smirk past the filter before pulling it from her lips once more. Exhaling the smoke to the side of her mouth as much as she could, she tilted her head to the side as she regarded the man carefully. "Do you know how dangerous it can be to roll down a window to a stranger? Even more dangerous now that you've stepped out of your car?" She questioned, eyes flashing for a moment before figuring she shouldn't try to cause him an alarm--not yet anyways. "I mean, women can be quite dangerous for men...for quiet a few different reasons." Her eyes bored into his for a few moments as she tried to read him as best as she could before her expression broke into a smirk, flicking a bit of embers and ash from the end of her cigarette.

"My tour guide ditched me a while back. He said I asked too many stupid questions. I just think I was being too charming for him," she told him with a simple shrug of her shoulders; lying came easy to her after all these years and she was a master at it. "I've been trying to find my way back to my hotel for hours now and I just seem to keep going in circles with no help from some not-so friendly people." A sigh left her before she took another drag of her cigarette, nearly done with it, and exhaled the smoke to the side once more. "I'm staying at the Belmond Grand Hotel Europe. Is that far from here? I wouldn't doubt it would be with how much my feet are hurting." She tucked a few awry strands of hair behind her ear as she shifted her weight a bit to prove her point. "I don't like cabs anyways, if I'm honest. They tend to smell like whoever has been in the seat last," she told him as she took one final drag of her cigarette, snuffed it out on the bottom of her shoe, and tossed the butt into a nearby trashcan.

@ salander.
Vladimir studied her small smile, looking carefully to see if anything was shown on her features. He made a mental note of the British accent, they were very intelligent people, he wanted to be wary. "Russia? Yes, it is always winter here." He commented. Vlad lifted his sleeve to check the time, his watch face lighting up when exposed. When he looked up,he saw the smoke rolling from her lips. It was never a habit he had picked up, maybe the occasional cigar, but it wouldn't negatively affect him if he had. "Bad habit, you know, they say that takes nine minutes off your life, every time you smoke." He nodded and put his hands back at his sides. As Calliope began to speak, he couldn't help a small smirk on his lips, and rolling his eyes. "Dangerous? You to me?" He shook his head. "Oh no i am not worried." Vlad said with confidence, he crossed his arms across his chest, and straightened up, allowing himself to fill into his stature. "You do not scare me, I do have a few advantages over you, height, weight, just two of them. But I also have the car and know the area." Vladimir chuckled. "I guess you are right though, women seduce men then kill them. But I do not think that is your plan." Vlad noticed her eyes looking into his, he didn't show much emotion though, simply slight amusement at the interaction. He knew not to show much, she was already on edge, and had him on edge.

Vladimir watched her boys language as she spoke, searching for a tell, he made note of her shoulder roll, and to watch for it later on. He was suspicious of her story, but he couldn't show that right now. "Many Russian boys are simply that boys, jerks. It's the Russian men who you can rely on." He commented and looked down at her cigarette again. "You do have the charm." He quipped. "Once again. Russians can dicks." He laughed and tapped the handle of his car absentmindedly. When she mentioned the hotel name he looked up as he thought about its exact whereabouts. "A couple blocks from here actually, very big hotel, hard to miss. Come on." He said and turned on his heel as he began down the street towards the hotel. He didn't let his guard down though, he didn't trust the girl behind him, so he kept his ears out for her following him. Vladimir walked with long, slow strides, but he carried himself extremely confidently. If they had been on a busy street, people would part ways for him. He just had a powerful demeanor, that intimidated many people.

The brunette narrowed her eyes slightly at the man as he checked his watch, wondering if he were late for something or if he were trying to put the pieces together of the story she had fabricated. Calliope used both of her hands to pull her coat tighter around her body, feeling the stake she had in the breast pocket of her coat pressing against her through the layers of fabric; it eased her anxiety over the situation, if only just a bit. She still wasn't sure if the man before her was human or not; all signs were indicating to the latter, but there were some night owls out there. Hastily jumping to conclusions wouldn't do either of them a favor if he was indeed human. A wide, cheeky grin curled her mouth skyward as he mentioned a fact about her smoking. "Maybe that's the whole point of smoking," she shot back at him, crossing her arms over her chest and tucking her bare hands beneath her arms to help conserve warmth. Her brow raised slightly as he mentioned he wasn't worried about her nor that she scared him. She noticed his change in posture, the almost puffing out of his chest, and she tilted her chin up toward him, silently letting him know she wasn't scared of him either. "Should I be scared of you then?" She questioned softly, eyes slipping between both of his as the grin still played around her lips. A sharp laugh left her at his next comment. "No, seducing and killing you is not in my plan...not tonight at least," she jested, shooting him a sly wink.

She ran her tongue over her lips, taking a brief moment to glance around them to make sure she wasn't about to get ambushed before returning her molten brown gaze back to his. "And who do you claim to be? Are you a man or a boy?" She questioned loftily, tugging her long braid a bit more securely over her shoulder. "Why, thank you. I clearly have more charm than I do a sense of direction," she returned with a soft laugh. While what he was saying about Russians was true, it set off another warning in her. He did seem far too kind in helping her out, even if she hadn't asked anyone else for assistance along her trek around the city. Their hard stares and unwarranted comments in her direction spoke volumes about how welcoming they were to her. Did this man before her have some sort of motive behind his kindness? She kept her eyes on the man's back as he began to walk in the direction of the hotel, noting that he was leading her down the correct street to get there. Calliope swallowed down the anxiety that was threatening to creep up and pressed forward behind the man, willing the adrenaline in her body to stop and her heart rate to return to normal. Her expression dropped back down to one of neutrality once she was sure the man wasn't watching as she kept herself just a few paces behind him, in case he decided to suddenly show his true self to her. "At least the city is very beautiful at night...when the streets are empty and quiet," she commented, merely making small talk, as she kept her eyes focused on the back of the man in front of her.

@ salander.
Vladimir watched her coach surround her, looking for any abnormalities that she was hiding, but he only noticed her hands tightly holding to it, holding it to her body. His body released some tension, and he slid one hand into his pocket, the other lay limo at his side. "I suppose it could be, I just never got into the habit of it." He commented and still watched the girl. He knew she was not a normal person. No normal person was out this late at night, alone, and trying to find such a hotel. His alert was up, and he knew he had to keep himself and his young ones safe. He ran his tongue along his lips again as he silently studied her. He wanted to remember her features and pass t along to the other vampires, to avoid her. When Calliope spoke his eyes shifted back up to her face. "I don't know, should you?" He posed back. When she said it wasn't her plan for this night he couldn't help but chuckle. "Well I'm glad to know I love another day. But may I request if it is another day. Let me go out with a bang." He paused for a moment. "This is the way the world ends, this is the way the world ends, not with a bang, but with a whimper. Do you know who's poem that is?" He asked. Vladmimir grinned at the wink, returning it as he walked.

Vladimir walked easily through the streets, he knew the area like the back of his hand, he could easily differentiate between normal noises, and the girl behind him, whom he acted as if he had no fear of. "I don't claim to be either, I know I'm a man. You're welcome, but that was clear from the beginning." As he drew closer to the hotel, Vladimir slowed his steps. He knew this hotel housed people of high ranks in foreign governments or of interest to the Russian government, another flag in his mind about the smaller girl besides him. But he wouldn't tell her that. "Russia is a very beautiful country, you just have to find the right places in the day. The mountains are a wonderful hike, just be dressed right. Moscow is a busy place. But very nice." He said with a curt nod of his head. He turned his head to look at her. "Am I walking too fast? I don't mean to."
He said and paused a step so she could catch up. Vladimir walked a few more minutes before stoping in front of the hotel. "Here you are. Your hotel. Do you need me to walk you in?" His kindness wasn't misplaced, just one to save his own life. But he tried to play himself off as a nice guy. "Glad to have gotten you here safe, the streets can be dangerous at night, wouldn't want another foreigner killed. Been a few lately. They can't pin the killers though." He said, looking down at her.

Calliope knew there was something off about the man, but perhaps he was just a really eccentric, off-the-wall human. Someone in her line of work could easily fall into the mindset that everyone was a vampire, everyone was out to tear out the throat of the few humans that were left. She was determined to keep the paranoia out. Once a hunter allowed themselves to become paranoid, they allowed themselves to become weak. Her brow furrowed slightly when he turned the question she'd asked back on her. "Well...I don't know you and you don't know me. Perhaps we should fear each other equally," she told him quietly. Her eyes swept over him, trying to commit everything she could about him to her memory in case they were to meet again. Perhaps she'd get someone to try and dig up some information on him, she'd try to get a name out of him before he left. A genuine laugh left her at his next comment, a rare, bright smile curling her features. "I'm not sure if there was a double entendre there or not, but I certainly appreciate the humor. At least there's one Russian out there who's not a block of ice. And it was T.S. Elliot, if I'm not mistaken."

The expression was rather short lived on her features as she reminded herself that she should focus on the task at hand, though it was rather nice to have such playful banter of a conversation with this stranger. Again, the moment she allowed herself to become distracted, would be the moment she met her end. "Yes, but boys like to think they're men when they're really not," she retorted, failing to keep the bitter edge out of her tone. She licked her lips, shrugging deeper into her coat as a shot of wind blew by her. "I'm afraid I won't get to see very much of it beyond St. Petersburg. Especially not if I can't keep a decent tour guide," she said quietly, falling back into the character of the lost damsel looking for her hotel. Her eyes snapped from studying the building she was passing from him as he asked if he was walking too fast. "No, I'm afraid I'm walking too slow. My feet aren't too happy with me at the moment," she responded before she took a few quick steps to catch up with him.

When they reached the hotel, the outside all lit up, she felt a breath of relief that she'd soon be back up in the penthouse suite, soaking in a bubble bath, with a glass of champagne as she unwound. Her eyes wandered the building for a moment before returning to the man who "aided" her in finding her way to her hotel. Her eyes narrowed a bit once more as she studied him, head tilted curiously to the side once more. "Thank you. I greatly appreciate it," she told him honestly; she didn't appreciate the fact he lead her back to the hotel, but the fact she didn't have to get into a fight this early morning. As he spoke of the killings and how dangerous the streets were at night, the smirk crossed her lips once more. That was exactly the reason she was in St. Petersburg to begin with; to put an end to them. "While I may not be the best at directions, I assure you, I can watch after myself," she told him with a particular twinkle in her eyes. She paused for a moment, eyes darting between both of his as she took in what she could of his face in a brighter environment. "Listen, why don't you come inside for a drink or two on me? It's the least I can do for your help," she told him, a small smile on her features.

@ salander.
Vlad had lived long enough to be able to outsmart his way out of nearly every situation. If this girl was a hunter, which he highly suspected, he just had to act calm and base it off of the cold Russian demeanor that everyone knew and loved. He knew exactly how to hide his mosterous features from people, and he never killed when he could be caught. In his times he'd only killed four hunters, and those were in fights for his own life, which he deemed more important. Though one, one he killed from rage, it was a young man who had killed one of his girls. Vladimir thought of her as a daughter, she was a young and crazed vampire he had been working to control and keep safe. One night he was out looking for her, he saw her killed ruthlessly by an apparently very famous hunter, and Vlad tour his throat and heart out, leaving it outside a hunters hotel to be found. He noticed he was getting distracted, shaking out of it he looked down and nodded. "Yes, great writer, one of my favorites. That I would say is my favorite poem by him." His steps rattled against the concrete. "We may all be hard asses but we aren't all that cold." Vladimir told her, cracking his knuckles.

He appreciated the smile he saw on her face, she had s human side, even if she was a hunter. He was glad to see she had feelings. It meant if he needed to save his ass he could play on the feelings, as long as he didn't show his own. When she accused him of being a boy he let out a laugh. "Do I look like a boy to you?" He turned slightly to look down at her. "I guess you can have an opinion. But I know I'm a man." He said, a little bitterly. Vladimir did not like to be doubted, or made to seem less of, a pet peeve of his. He shuddered slightly st the harsh wind, cursing it beneath his breath. "Well if you've got any free time and need a better tour guide, I've lived here since I was born, I know Russia, and I'm glad to show you around." That sounded like something a nice person would offer, Vladimir thought. "No no it's alright I'll slow down, don't want to leave you behind like the asshole you previously dealt with." He offered and walked slower alongside her. Not only was it to keep her besides him, he didn't particularly like having her behind him all that much, could be a trap.

Vladimir saw her inspecting the building, he knew it was the right place, the name was in both English and Russian. But he also knew how top notch the hotel was. When her eyes were on him again he looked down and raised an eyebrow. "You're welcome, as people say, don't mention it?" He commented, unsure if he had said the phrase correctly. Vladimir may her been old, but he was always unsure about phrases because English wasn't his native tongue so to speak. He saw the smirk on her lips in response to his quip about danger and immediately knew something was up, but he kept quiet. "If you say so, be careful though." He said and rubbed his hand on his chin. When she invited him in, a grin spread across his lip and he licked his lips. "A drink would sound great right now." He commented and grabbed the door, pulling it open. "After you." He said, following Calliope inside, this time as he checked her out, it was purely for lust, and not to save himself. She had a good body and he grinned at the thought, but pushed them away quickly. He also enjoyed he got another smile out of her.

Calliope drew in a deep breath of air as she stood beneath the awning of the hotel. Another cool breeze rushed past them and she was most decidedly ready to be inside where it was warm and at least out of the frigid wind that was seemingly getting worse by the minute. She regarded the man beside her carefully, trying to pinpoint anything on him that would lead her to believe he was a vampire. The older the vampire, she knew, the easier it became for them to blend in, to assimilate themselves into a crowd of humans. But they were not in a crowd of humans and getting him alone was her best chance at studying him a little more. If she could figure him out, perhaps she'd be able to cut the trip to Russia just a little bit shorter.

"Between the desire
And the spasm
Between the potency
And the existence
Between the essence
And the descent
Falls the Shadow," she quoted the poem he was referring to. "Prose rather fitting of a seduction and murder by a woman, I'd say. You must read a lot." She offered him a cheeky little smirk before shifting the messenger bag a bit on her shoulder, praying the items inside wouldn't give away any telltale noises. They didn't. At least not to her hearing. "Perhaps, I'll let you get a chance to prove me that I'm wrong about you," she responded to his question, not swayed a bit by his look of disapproval and annoyance on his features. While he did look like a man, and a handsome one at that, she wasn't a woman easily swayed by looks alone. At his offer of taking her previous "tour guides" place, she looked him dead in the eye, a sliver more of apprehension dissolving away at the kindness she was being shown. "I may just have to take you up on that offer. I'd hate for this to be a wasted trip and this hotel is rather expensive," she told him, even though she was sure he already knew. She knew she was playing it a bit dangerous, bordering on flirting with this gentleman and showing her bold side, but what would her life be if she didn't provide herself some sort of excitement.

As she walked into the lobby, her eyes darted over to the bar just off to the side and noticed that the lights were dimmed and the room was empty. She felt eyes on her and the hair at the back of her neck raised slightly and she reacted in the same was she would to a cold wind: pulling her shoulders up closer to her ears and coat tighter around her body. "The bar's closed," she stated, glancing over her shoulder at the gentleman, "I trust you're mature enough to handle being invited into a woman's room for drinks instead." She continued to the elevators on the other side of the room and entered one that was open. Using her toe to keep the door open for the gentleman, she swiped her key card for access to the penthouse.

@ salander.
Vladimir enjoyed this story of game they were already playing with each other. It was near obvious they were both hiding, or more so, reserving themselves, but trying to study the other. Vladimir didn't mind though, he was sure she senses it too from him. He knew not to give himself away, not anywhere that would give Calliope the advantage of territory. A hotel room was just that. If she were to learn his secret, he would make sure, if done by him, it was to be outside where he could use his superhuman speed and agility to get away before going for a kill, but that lay in the back of his mind, he didn't want to kill this girl. The tense flirting that she was giving to him pleased him, and a small smiled curved on his lips as he looked at her again and just gave a wink. "Sophisticated, dear, I like it." He replied with a deep chuckle, stepping into the hotel and as the door shut behind him a final gust of wind blew past him, shivering only slightly. "I do, a lot of power outages in the middle of winter, reading by a fire is quite distracting and calming, helps pass the time. And you're correct, it does fit, but we've already established that isn't your plan tonight." He countered with a grin.

When she said he would get a chance he nodded with confidence. "I'm not one to give up chances, I tend to prove people wrong as well. It's much more fun to do that than to be wrong." Vladimir followed quickly behind Calliope, when she looked at him after his offer he nodded again at her comment. He was glad she could be swayed to take him up on the offer. He was glad to have some humanity left inside of him. Most of it had disappeared after he had lost Shauna, that's when he had become more reserved and cold, left the clan he had been apart of, and began to live alone here. But it was also when he had become a father to some younger vampires, which he took very seriously, he was not going to lose another one. His plan was to get this girl to see past the vampires, and warn his own so they could avoid her. He would try to snap a picture on his phone tonight, that was the plan. "Yes the hotel is, wouldn't want to spend all the money for nothing." He agreed and tapped his thigh. Vladimir grinned at her again.

When they saw the bar was closed he frowned slightly, he really could use a drink right now, it's been a long day for him. The offer of her room was a bit exciting to him. "As a man, I'm definitely able to do that." He commented and winked at her. Walking into the elevator with Calliope, Vladimir watched as she swiped for the penthouse, another flag. "Wow, expensive taste, what am I expecting for drinks then?" He said to her, his accent musky on his voice. He knew not to let himself get too intoxicated, it was then he had no guard, and his accent would become too thick for understanding, and he might even go back to Russian speaking. "You know, I still don't know what to call you." He said and looked down at her besides him. "What's your name stranger?"

Despite the fact Calliope found herself feeling increasingly more at ease around the gentleman, she knew that she couldn't completely let her guard down around him. While she was leaning more toward believing that she had nothing to fear from the man, her years of tutelage under many skilled hunters knew that she should trust absolutely no one. Human or not, he had the chance to attack her when they first ran into each other and he still hadn't. She had no doubt that he was studying her just as closely as she was studying him; trying to find some sort of tell that would reveal who the other truly was. She grinned crookedly over at the gentleman as he winked at her, moving her foot so the door to the elevator would close. She backed up so that she was leaning against the wall of the elevator, just beside the columns of buttons, and she set her chocolate brown eyes on the man. "Sophisticated is my middle name," she jested, eyes lighting up for a moment. "I honestly could probably think of something else to occupy my time during the cold Russian winters other than read," she shot back at him, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth for a moment as her eyes slipped over the gentleman's features. "No...that's not my plan tonight.. at least," she told him, the sly smirk curling her lips once more.

She pulled her hair from is hair tie and shook her long brown hair loose, running her fingers through it as she let it fall around her shoulders, loose and wild. The elevator dinged softly as they climbed the floors to the penthouse suite. She took her eyes off of the man for a moment to watch the numbers of the elevator ding by on the digital readout. It wasn't something she did often, inviting complete strangers to her hotel room for drinks, but she decided that she wanted to play things a little less safely this time around. She was going to meet her end at some point, whether that be sooner or later, and she may as well let loose when she could. Her own mortality didn't scare her, as there were times where she didn't quite like living too much. It was in her blood, passed from generation to generation, to hunt vampires for a livelihood, and sometimes her actions felt more robotic than heroic. It felt like she was just going through motions instead of actually wanting to rid the world of vampires. Still, it paid well and gave her some sort of purpose to her life.

"That's yet to be revealed," Calliope shot back at the man, lips curling into a wolfish sort of grin as her eyes slipped over to him from head to toe. The elevator slowed to a stop and the doors slipped open. "For how much I'm paying for this room," she told him with an impish gleam in her eye, "you'll have whatever you want." She tossed her hair over her shoulder as she sauntered up to the door to her room, slipping her keycard into it to open the door. "Calliope," she told him softly as she paused just outside of the door, shooting a look to him over her shoulder, "you can call me Calliope." The woman figured there was no use in lying to the man about her name. She stepped into the entry room, which housed a grand piano, high ceilings, and floor to ceiling windows that opened up onto a balcony. The room was far more extravagant than what she was used to, but the niceties were not unnoticed and it felt nice to be pampered for once. Swinging her shoulder bag off, she set it down on an entryway table before slipping out of her jacket to reveal her slender frame and toned arms; being in peak physical shape came with the territory of being a hunter. "What would you prefer me to call you? Certainly not boy." She reached down and pulled off her boots, letting out a low noise of relief(one that could hardly be considered appropriate) just for good measure, before leaning back against the side table to wait for the man to enter to room and shut the door behind him.

@ salander.
Vladimir stared off at the door in front of him as the elevator made his way up the numerous floors, humming quietly to himself. Vladimir was enjoying just how it was going, it was an eerily calm, yet tense situation between the two. Vlad looked to her as she jested and another small smile peeked through his lips. "Are you sure it's sophisticated? And not Sense of Humor." He teased back, Vladimir cracked his knuckles with a small shake of his head to rid his face of the grin. "Well if you have any ideas, I'm open. I just like to learn, and reading helps that. Because there is always something you can learn in this world." He said matter of factory, by it was true. He had held this believe since he had been turned as a vampire. He learned something new all the time and he enjoyed it, whether t be a new way to survive or something about a different culture. He simply loves to learn. When Calliope began to take her hair down, Bladimir couldn't help but steal a glance, licking his lips slightly. She was very attractive, if even for a human. Not that he expected to seduce her, he knew she was way too on edge for that, but it wouldn't be the first time he had slept with a human, just because he liked to. The silence was reassuring.

Vladimir glanced Bergeron the lit up number, and Calliope as the silence surrounded them. Nothing else sounded but the elevator at this time of night, he enjoyed it. The absolute silence of the night was a beautiful thing, one he enjoyed greatly, not needing sleep really. Vladimir reached into his pocket and pulled out a small cell phone, checking the time and unread messages, though not responding, as he slid it back into his pocket. The messages had been from a couple of his 'kids', asking if he heard about a hunter being invited to the country. Some from a few women he occasionally hooked up with. It wasn't the time to respond, he had to figure this girl out first. His eyes perked up, as well as his ears, when he heard the elevator door open, and he stepped out behind Calliope. This was the nicest hotel, and the nicest room, in all of Russia. He shook his head, no way she could afford it on a hunters aalaru. "How do you afford this?" He posed the question politely. Vladimir followed her into the room, once inside he undid his coat and hung it up, leaving a long sleeve button up on, but undid the first few buttons, the room was warm. "Anything?" He chuckled. "I'll just take some whiskey on ice." He said and nodded slightly. The all popular vodka of the country didn't appeal to him at the moment, but a cold glass of whiskey, now that's something he could get behind. "Calliope." He responded, rolling the name across his tongue. "Nice to meet you, Calliope, my name is Vladimir, if you'd like you may call me Vlad." He said with a curt nod.

When he got his drink, Vladimir say in a chair across from a Calliope, chuckling at her noise of relief, and sipped the drink. His eyes looked around the room, taking in everything about it. This was truly a beautiful room, it had everything and anything inside of it, spectacular. Vladimir shook his glass a bit before sipping again, his eyes refocusing on Calliope. "So, Calliope, how often do you invite random strangers into your room?" He teased and licked his lips again. "Don't you think that's dangerous, or is that why the alcohol is involved. So you can subdue me and seduce me." He teased once again.

@ BadStreetBoys
Calliope checked the door behind her guest, making sure it was locked and secure, just out of habit. She could handle a single vampire in her room, if that's even what he was, but she didn't need a whole flood of them in her room. It was a rather nice room, a room fit for royalty, and she'd hate to break anything during her stay. Still, she'd do it if it meant saving her life. Her eyes darted over to the man as he joked back, another genuine smile curling her lips despite herself. "That's my other middle name," she retorted with a quiet laugh, noting his knuckle-cracking for the second time. Her brow lifted slightly before she turned and made her way over to the small arsenal of alcohol that was at her disposal behind a polished wood bar in the room. When he didn't immediately latch on the innuendo of what she's said about fires and cold Russian winters, she weighed her options before replying, shooting him a crooked grin. "One would hope someone like you would be already learned for what I would have in mind, but...I suppose you can't do it all the time..." Her voice trailed off and she gave another one of those shoulder shrugs as she smiled innocently over to the man.

She grabbed a glass tumbler from the bar and dropped a few ice cubes into it before selecting a bottle of aged bourbon from the shelves and poured herself a hefty serving of it. The woman sipped it to be sure it was what she wanted before nodding to herself and stepping around the bar. Calliope leaned against the side of it as she thought for a moment about how to answer how she could afford the room. She could brush the question off with humor or she could try to think of a valid reason how she could afford the room. "Who said anything about affording the room? Perhaps I seduced and murdered the man who booked this room previously," she said with another wolfish grin before rounding the bar and making her way over to a plush looking couch in the room and setting herself down on it. She looked up at the man as she took a sip of her drink. "No. I guess you could say that I'm a spoiled brat who's parents dote on far too much," she said with a smile, "but just for safe measure, don't look under the bed." She shot him a wink as she curled her legs over to the side, ruffling a hand through her hair as she leaned back against the couch. She tilted her head to the side as he introduced himself. Just first names for now, maybe they'd never get to the part where they'd share last names. "Well, Vladimir...Vlad," she told him, tilting her drink to him in some semblance of a cheers, "it's a pleasure to meet you."

Her eyes slipped around the room for a moment, mentally going through all the places she'd stowed away weapons before leaving the room. She truly hoped Vlad didn't go plucking around the room and finding anything. If he were human, she'd have some explaining to do, but if he were a vampire, the enjoyable banter they had would no doubt quickly cease. She had crossbows with wooden bolts, guns loaded with wooden bullets, and--what she favored the most out of all her weapons--the trusty wooden stake. She took another sip of her bourbon, relishing the delightful warm burn if left in its wake. It was just what she needed after being out in the cold. Her eyes slipped back to Vlad as he questioned her, eyes slipping over him once more as a little grin curled the corners of her lips. "Not that often, believe it or not," she told him honestly, tapping her fingers gently against the cool glass in her hand. A soft, genuine laugh left her at his next comment and she shook her head. "Like I've said, Vladimir, I am quite capable of handling myself should a situation arise. And I don't require alcohol to subdue or seduce men...but it does make it a bit easier for me." Calliope watched the man with a wicked sort of grin and glimmer in her eyes, one that faded as she looked away and took another sip of her bourbon. "If you don't mind me asking," she started, eyes locked on his as she spoke, "what exactly were you doing out at this time of night?" There was a short pause in her words and an innocent smile curled her lips. "If it's none of my business, you don't have to answer. I ask far too many questions for my own good."

@ salander.
Vladimir glanced around the room casually, just trying to seem casual and not suspicious. He let out a small chuckle, shook his glass, and took a few more sips before pouring himself another glass. Her Calliope's comments he could help but grin. He sure did love seducing women, even though he knew this one was going to be a lot harder to seduce than others. "No not all the time, but a fair amount yes. Practice makes perfect." He purred with a seductive grin, licking his lips as he looked her up and down. He knew not to let himself get too distracted, well by only the fact she was a woman, because she could totally obliterate him right then and there if he let her seek that weakness of his. Glancing up at her voice again he rolled his eyes and laughed. "Well, if I am to be murdered by a seductress at least she's a hot one." He said and shook his head at her.

Vlad just smiled again at Calliope and nodded. "I'll make sure only to notice what you want me to." He purred again, winking at her. "Get used to my name, you'll be saying it a lot." Vladimir moves from his seat, to one that was closer to Calliope. He wasn't scared of her, and he wanted her to know that. He wasn't going to show fear. But he tried playing it off as a deep flirting. Which he knew he could do. Their banter was fun, he enjoyed the sarcasm she had, was rare in a girl. He didn't know, maybe she was a vampire. She was distant and cold and very confident in herself. "It's helps men seduce too." He learned a bit closer to her, before raising his eyebrow at the question. "I work night shifts a lot at a bar downtown. They close at 2, so I was about to head out. When I saw this little lost soul in need of help." He teased with a devilish grin.

(Hey sorry on my cell phone my laptop is out of commission at the moment, my replies will be longer once I'm off my cell)

@ BadStreetBoys

Calliope tapped her fingertips against the cool tumbler of bourbon, keeping her chocolate brown gaze intently set on the man in her hotel room. Her eyes followed him for a moment as he stood to pour himself another drink. She looked away from him for a moment, watching his reflection in a mirror on the wall in front of her. She knew it would be foolish to completely take her gaze off of him or to let her guard down around him either. A short hum of a laugh left her at his comment, eyes shooting over from the mirror to him once more. "Yes, that's true," she agreed before taking a sip of her drink, "but one can't deny the importance of natural talent either." She lifted a brow as he looked her up and down, something in the way he was eyeing her clueing her in that it appeared he was as much of a predator as she was. Another laugh left her at his next comment, eyes lighting up as she shook her head. "Flattery won't save you if I decide I want to kill you," she told him with a joking grin, "but thank you all the same."

She brushed her fingertips through her hair, pulling it over one shoulder before she knocked back the rest of her drink without wincing even slightly. "Sure you will," she told him, an undertone of disbelief in her voice. His next comment had her leaning forward slightly, keen eyes following him as he moved to sit closer to her. "Is that a promise, Vlad?" She cooed quietly, lips curling up at one corner as her eyes slipped between both of his. She certainly pegged him as just as dangerous as she was and that comment sealed the deal. She shook the empty glass in her hand a bit, the ice rattling around musically before she leaned back against the couch. "If you don't mind me asking, how does one afford a car like yours working at a bar? Unless you've borrowed it, in which case, ignore my question." She gave him a charming smile as she shrugged a single shoulder. The smile quickly turned into a wicked grin as she spoke next. "Lucky for me that you saw me and took pity. I don't even think the devil would stop for a soul like mine."

[That's alright! I completely understand laptops biting the dust as I've had it happen to me many times.]

@ salander.
Vladimir just grinned and looked up as he saw her in the mirror. As he analyzed her again he couldn't help but chuckle at her comments. "I guess it's a good thing talent is my middle name." He said with a wink. His cold eyes seemed to sparkle with delight for just a moment as he took another sip of his drink. He could tell this girl was as wild as him, it was calming in an eerie way. They both knew the other was a threat, and that's why neither was going to do anything about it. Mutually assured destruction was the basis of it. Vlad tilted his head back and cracked his back before stretching out, allowing himself to just occupy space with his big body. "Eh, if I die I die." He teased with a laugh. "But you're very welcome, calliope." He purred and licked his lips again, a fire igniting in his eyes. Vladimir knew to be careful, not to press the wrong button, or come on too strong with this girl, she was not afraid of him, and that in itself was dangerous.

Watching as calliope drank, Vladimir was quite impressed. This girl had no problem with liquor, he hadn't seen too many that could handle it. Either pointed to a rough girl, or a dead one like him. The thought made him snicker to himself, before he realized he had been distracted and put his attention back on her. "Oh, sweetheart," he purred deeply, smirk curling knhis lips, and eyes lit up, "that is definitely a promise." Vladimir just smirked at herfor an extra couple of seconds before he relaxed into the sofa they shared at the moment, his eyes looked around the room, lingering on the mirror that reflected back on the two of them. "I never said I only worked in a bar, only that I do work in a bar." He corrected, lifting his finger at her with a cheesy grin. "My family certainly wasn't poor growing up, but I just, I guess you could say I'm an entrepreneur, I know how to make money. It's easy for me, it's like breathing." When she made the comment about the devil, Vlad just laughed heartily. "Oh yes, because you are just so bad, you needed big bad Vlad to save you." He teased again

Calliope twirled the ice in her glass around a couple of times, keeping her eyes set intently on him as she twirled a strand of hair around her finger. "What odd middle names our parents gave us, huh?" She joked before softly laughing. Vlad sure was charming, but that didn't change the fact that something about him made the tiny hairs at the nape of her neck stand on end. Call it a sixth sense, but Calliope was rather adept at sensing when there was more to a person that met the eye. She stood up and walked past him and back over to the bar, fingertips seemingly accidentally trailing over his knee as she passed, but it was definitely on purpose. She turned back to him as she filled her glass once more, telling herself that this would be it for the sake of keeping sober and sharp. She paused for a moment behind the bar, eyes narrowing slightly as she took Vlad in slowly. He was probably the most handsome man she'd seen in St. Petersburg, almost to the point where it she almost forgot that he could be a vampire. "Since you've been so nice, I promise to make it a quick death, if I do kill you. Until pain turns you on, in which a most gruesome, drawn out death can be arraigned," she told him with a wink of her own.

She quickly mad her way back to the couch, sitting a bit closer to him than she had before. She decided that the creature, if he were a vampire, was an old vampire, probably the father figure to a majority of the vampires in St. Petersburg. If she killed him tonight, she could end up with multiple revolting vampires at her doorstep. However, and she decided this would probably be her best option, if she picked off his "children" one-by-one, she would finish him off last and rid the city of it's vampire problem. She grinned to herself at this revelation, eyes flicking over to him as she took a sip of her whiskey. His brows lifted slightly as he spoke, heart leaping into her throat at his words. She suddenly felt flushed and shifted a bit in her seat as she kept her eyes on him. Her tongue swooped across her bottom lip, using it to pull her bottom lip between her teeth as she stared up at him through her eyelashes. No one said she couldn't have a little fun and still kill vampires at the end of the day. Besides, distracting him with flirting kept him thinking from killing her and kept them both from a fight. She trusted herself enough to be able to fend off this one, should he peg her as someone to feed off of. Her bottom lip slipped through her teeth as she tilted her head to the side. "My apologies. You men must get so tired of women jumping to conclusions and assuming things," she said softly, an apologetic grin on her features. "Though a man with a mind for business, that's quite attractive, Vladimir," she continued in the same soft tone.

A soft laugh left her at his next teasing, lips pulling up at one corner as she stared up at him through her eyelashes. She sipped her drink before replying, in a low, raspy tone, "Perhaps I'm not the one who needs saving." She reached out to gently straighten out his collar, though it didn't need it, fingertips swooping down the fabric and brushing down the line of buttons on his shirt as she kept her chocolate-colored eyes on his blues. "Or...perhaps you're worse than the devil," she added in an even quieter voice, brow lifting and crooked grin widening.