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Post by Jayson "Jase" Topher Griffith on Nov 26, 2010 2:50:05 GMT -5
Jase nodded understandingly, his expression sympathetic. “Those letters could be key to finding your brother.” He offered, not trying to take away from their sentimental value but recognizing the importance they had in her search as well. Laughter escaped him, a slight shake of his head as amusement flashed in his eyes. “One might think we were paranoid, what with all these back entrances and sneaking around.” He was impressed that she had thought that far ahead, and a bit suspicious. It was hard not to let himself tense up at the uncommon behavior she admitted to. Most people who thought that far ahead usually did so for a very specific reason. Of course, her missing brother might have triggered that paranoia, or so he tried to tell himself.
There was a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that there was something else going on. She seemed far too at ease with all that had happened, almost reacting as if trained to handle unusual events. Jase mentally shook himself, trying to banish the paranoid thoughts. It seemed he couldn’t even have a conversation with someone who needed help without getting suspicious about their motives. After all, she wouldn’t have come with him so willingly if she’d had any idea of who he truly was. Fortunately, she turned away so he was able to hide the sudden suspicious glint that had crept into his gaze. His thoughts were cleared of the concern instantly as an opportunity presented itself.
The brief moment Zellina’s back was turned as she made her way over to the window was all the time Jase needed. His hand slipped beneath the mattress and silently removed the gun from its hiding place. The sleek black Glock25 fit comfortably into his hand, already loaded with a round in the chamber. He had liked the .380 automatic the moment he had seen it. As much as he didn’t want to resort to such measures, carrying at least gave him a bit of security when dealing with other criminals. Checking that the safety was on through memory, Jase tucked it into the waist of his pants at his back in a single practiced motion that looked more like a simple stretch or roll of his shoulders. Taking advantage of the fact that Zellina was looking out the window, he retrieved the two spare magazines and shoved them into the deep pocket of his pants.
It was not a second too late as the auburn haired girl turned around just a fraction of a second after he stopped moving. Nothing in his expression gave away anything, the cool reassuring metal a comforting and familiar weight. If the wizard attacked them, at least now they weren’t completely defenseless. Jase stood in agreement, nodding with a serious expression on his face. “Ritzy place; both an advantage and a disadvantage.” He commented without any judgment to the wealth she apparently had. “Harder to slip into, but also less likely for the man after you to attack. Too many witnesses and a high profile location.” He frowned slightly but began to relax a bit.
It actually was better than a regular hotel for this particular situation, Jase had a strong feeling the wizard wasn’t about to do anything that might put his world on the map. That meant he and Zellina had the advantage, and it wasn’t like Jase didn’t have experience being on the run already anyway so causing a scene might end up helping them. “Let’s go then, no point in waiting.” He said, crossing to the door and undoing the locks. A sight grimace of pain flicked over his brow as he stretched his senses out to their surroundings. The difference in scents and light between his room and the hall, along with the increase in noise was murder on his senses making his head pound. Blinking rapidly, he shook his head as he forced himself to focus. Once this was all over he was going to sleep for a month.
“Clear.” He said, satisfied that they were not in any danger. The wizard hadn’t followed them which was a good sign as that meant his pace was safe for the time being. It wouldn’t take long to reach her hotel, so Jayson just hoped his senses could hold out until then. He wasn’t entirely sure what he was doing, as it was more instinctual than purposeful, but there was a difference if he focused. Moving down the hall to the nearby stairwell, he kept an eye out for anything suspicious just in case. Even though he had been suffering from his condition for a couple years already, it was still new to him. Jase had spent most of the time trying to ignore, deny, or stop what was happening to him. It felt strange to now be trying to use the weird affects of his curse.
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Zellina Hemingstin
Adult
New York USA Police Detective - MUGGLE -[M:91250]
Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.
Posts: 101
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Post by Zellina Hemingstin on Nov 26, 2010 22:46:16 GMT -5
“Well it’s not just that, some of them are much older… sentimental more then anything I guess, I just want them back, I won’t have that jackoff getting his hands on them.” She muttered out with a frown forming on her face. She laughed a little at the mention of being paranoid. “I guess but growing up with a General for a father would make anyone paranoid!” She said with another laugh. “That man was always jumping out of the strangest places trying to get the drop on Zack and I.” She added with another small laugh and shake of her head at the memory.
She never really got why her dad had done that. She guessed it was just his way of trying to make sure she and Zack were prepared for anything that came at them no matter how it came at them. It was what it was and it was how she grew up and even to this day she was thankful for it. She always found it was a skill she tended to fall back on in the craziest of situations. As Jayson spoke of the hotel Zellina slowly shook her head. “Not so hard to get into when you make sure to make friends with the staff.” She said with a playful look crossing her face. She couldn’t help it she always tended to befriend the help where ever she was staying; always trying to be as polite as she could with them, because you never knew when they were going to come in handy.
Zellina stood there for a moment and watches as Jayson undid the locks to the small room and stepped out into the hallway again. When he gave the all clear she slowly slipped out behind him, her eyes darting every which way, taking in as much of her surroundings as she possibly could. The small feeling of paranoia was rather annoying to her, but it was a feeling that had served her well in the past. Heading back out of the building Zellina surprised herself by grabbing hold of Jayson’s hand and heading off in the direction of the hotel.
She didn’t know what it was back having her hand in his chased away the slight paranoia she was still feeling as she made her way through the groups of people, winding their way down the streets towards the Halkin. As they got closer she quickly pulled Jayson down a side street that lead around to the back of the hotel. Quickly they came upon the entrance she had been telling him about that they employees used and sure enough there was one of the waiters from the cocktail room standing out back smoking. Zellina approached him with a smile, recognizing him as the guy who had waited on her a few time since she’d been there.
“Those will kill you ya know Stephen.” She said with a small laugh, the guy jumped for a minute before looking over to her and Jayson. “Oh hey Miss Hemingstin! Wanting in the back way?” He asked with a grin. “Yes please, if it’s not too much trouble.” She said with a smile of thanks. The guy nodded and swiped his employee card and unlocked the back door allowing the two into the hotel. “Have a great day Stephen, thanks again!” She said quickly as she drug Jayson into the building behind her. From there it was a quick trip to the elevator and fast ride up to the 5th floor. As they reached the floor Zellina slipped out of the elevator and glanced around quickly to make sure that no one around before quickly making her way to the room door, her head still tightly clasping Jayson’s. She was sure he probably thought it strange but she couldn’t seem to bring herself to let go.
Fishing the room key out of the pocket she swiped it and unlocked the door and slipped into the room, her eyes darting around quickly as she entered and finally released Jayson’s hand from her own. “Looks clear.” She said simply as she continued to glance around the lavish room. She couldn’t help the awkward feeling that crept up on her bringing Jayson here. The room was done up in fresh cream colors and wood paneling on the walls, the large fluffy bed off to the one side, the plush cream colored couch and large television off the to the other. The living area she had to admit was probably larger then the whole small apartment that Jayson was staying in. The bathroom off to the right was done up in black and white marble and she could only imagine what Jayson was thinking of the place.
Her attention though was quickly consumed with the letters she had come for and she quickly made her way over to the coffee table that her brother’s letters were spread out across, right where she had left them. And once she had them gathered up, her thoughts were wrapped up on how to get her badge and gun out of the top drawer on the dresser without Jayson noticing.
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Post by Jayson "Jase" Topher Griffith on Nov 27, 2010 0:10:19 GMT -5
A slight grin formed on his features, pleased to see continued evidence of the close bond she had with her family. Jayson believed in the importance of family, even now finding ways to contact his brother without tipping off the police as to his whereabouts. Which was not an easy task given his brother was often hard enough to reach normally. He just couldn’t understand people who took their family for granted. It made him all that more determined to find Zellina’s brother. As she joined him in the hallway, Jase found himself moving closer to her as if able to shield her from any eyes simply with his body. He half expected her to tell him back off but was instead caught off guard when her small, warm hand slipped comfortably into his.
Once again, he was instantly drawn to the sensation of her skin against his own, the strange feeling of their hands fitting together so well. Letting Zellina lead, Jase allowed himself to focus on their surroundings. Mentally mapping out their path with each turn they took, he kept his face turned away from those that they passed. Despite the fact that he wasn’t wanted in that country just yet, the habit to avoid being seen by too many people if any at all stuck with him. Fortunately, with Zellina leading it meant that she wouldn’t be able to notice his odd behavior. It was explainable as wanting to avoid the man who had attacked her the first time, but the more he did it the more suspicious it would be.
It didn’t take them very long at all to cross out of the more rundown neighborhoods and into the populated areas of the well to do. Jase was practically walking on Zellina’s heels as she pulled him down a side street to the back of her hotel. There was a guy smoking by a backdoor who seemed to light up at the sight of Zellina. Jase stood protectively at her shoulder, calm yet calculating eyes studying the man as the heat of Zellina’s palm burned against his skin. Giving Stephen, as she identified the man, a flash of a roguish grin, Jase followed Zellina through the door. A slight chuckle rumbled in his chest at the expression on the hotel worker’s face. No doubt he thought the beautiful American woman was taking him up to her room for some abroad fun.
Their still clasped hands doing little to dissuade the misconception. If there hadn’t been the immediate pressing danger of the possible wizard stalking them, Jayson might have stretched the moment out and played around just a little. The attraction he felt to Zellina made him want to show her off a little as well as make a more obvious claim on her even though she was far from his claim. He used the short ride up the elevator to push the attraction to the back of his mind, sternly reminding himself of the danger he presented in simply knowing her. Jase couldn’t afford to fall for her, not when a single mistake could result in her death as it had his previous girlfriend. Unless there was something that could be done for him, he was doomed to be little more than a bloodthirsty killer.
And that meant he needed to stop the clear mutual attraction between them before it got too far. Yet it seemed that neither of them could let go, their hands remaining clasped together as if they were made to be that way. Upon reaching her room, Jayson scanned the hallway as she slid her keycard through the lock and pushed open the room. With the first breath of air from the room, Jase was already seeing if he could pick up any trace of the man who had attacked her. Thankfully, he couldn’t detect anything which meant that they had beaten him to the interior of the hotel. But that also meant that they were most likely under surveillance and the man was aware they were there. Slipping into the room after her, Jase quietly closed the door behind him, one hand behind his hand casually just in case.
“Make it quick, it’s a safe bet he already knows we are here.” His tone was a bit clipped, shorter than normal due to the activation of instincts born from his time on the run. Glancing around, he let out an impressed whistle. “Nice place.” There was no bitterness in his voice, only innocent wonder at the posh interior that she seemed so comfortable in. Moving over to the dresser, he gestured toward it questioning. “Anything you want me to grab for you, since we are here? Might as well pack up as many things as we can in the next five minutes. Any longer would be unwise.” His hand rested on the pull for the top drawer, body turned half away from the dresser as he looked at her, awaiting her answer.
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Zellina Hemingstin
Adult
New York USA Police Detective - MUGGLE -[M:91250]
Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.
Posts: 101
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Post by Zellina Hemingstin on Nov 27, 2010 2:53:59 GMT -5
At the slightly clipped tone from Jayson, Zellina couldn’t help the small flinch that crossed her features, she’d gotten use the gentle tones he’d been using with her, so to hear the change in his voice gave her paused and startled her a bit. She quickly brushed the feeling aside though as she remaindered herself that their time in the room was probably going to be rather short as time wasn’t exactly on her side. She’d no doubt just as she was sure Jayson didn’t that it would only be a small matter of time before the wizard found her hotel. At the mention of the room though Zellina glanced up from where she was gathering the letters and gave a small smile.
“Thank you.” She said softly. “I didn’t pick it though, my father insisted on making the arrangements for my trip since I was coming to find my brother.” She said softly as she finished getting the letters in order. When she looked up to see Jayson standing at the dresser her mind began to race. She had to get him away from there before he opened the drawer and found out everything he would need to know about her or at least everything she didn’t really want him to know just yet. She knew that was a bridge she would eventually have to cross but the longer she could put it off the better she thought things would be.
As soon as the thought crossed her mind though she could hear a nagging little voice in the back of her mind that sounded oddly like a mix of her mother and brother telling her that it was better to be up front with him and that it would only be worse for her the longer she went without Jayson knowing the truth. She quickly squashed the voices down though reminding them of the little fact that Jayson was a known murderer and she was a cop that had come looking for him and that it was probably far safer to leave out that little detail in their relationship for the time being. The thought of a relationship quickly caused a hot blush to creep up onto her cheeks.
She didn’t know what it was about the thought of being with the man before her that caused that sort of reaction from her but she knew it was a dangerous thought to be entertaining at any point in time. She’d learned with her last boyfriend that guys couldn’t really be trusted no matter how great they seemed so with a quick swallow to clam her nerves she chased the thought away. Whatever would happen would happen and for the time being she would do her best to protect Jayson even if he didn’t know she was doing it.
Slowly she stood gripping the letters in one hand and absently waved her hand over towards the closet on the other side of the room. “If you wouldn’t mind, grab the small travel bag out of the closet over there? I’ll get what I need from the drawers unless you’re really interested in finding out what’s under my jeans.” She said with a wink and a smirk while nodding her head towards the dresser drawer that Jayson had his hand on. She took a few steps over to where he was standing and looked up at him expectantly. She knew she was taking a chance but she couldn’t really think of any other way to get him away from the drawer, she just hoped he was as bashful as she thought he was.
If there was one thing she learned about going strange places and trying to keep your identity low key, especially when you didn’t know who you were dealing with and that was always keep your gun and your badge with your under garments. People were far less likely to look very hard in places like that. She never really understood why that was because when she was looking for something somewhere it was always the first place she dug through but she guessed that had something to do with her training between her father and police force.
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Post by Jayson "Jase" Topher Griffith on Nov 27, 2010 4:54:49 GMT -5
His gaze moved toward the closet she pointed out, not fully hearing her at first. A wave of crimson rushed up his neck, painting his naturally deep tanned skin with embarrassment. He ripped his hand away from the handle of the drawer as if it had burned him. Half-coughing, half clearing his throat in mortification he swallowed the retort that had threatened to escape in confirmation of her brazen words. Now definitely was not the time to be thinking about what Zellina might wear beneath her clothing. Nor was it even remotely polite to do so while she was in the room much less right in front of him. Not that it stopped his brain from doing so much to his consternation. Jase moved swiftly over to the closet, and put himself to less awkward use looking for her bag.
It only took him a second to spot, giving him a second to pull himself together from the mishap. Of course she would keep her undergarments in the top drawer; it might as well be some law given that everyone followed it. Bringing the bag over to the bed, he sought to change the topic to less potentially volatile subject. “That was nice of your father. Don’t take this the wrong way, as you seem like a very capable person, but it must have been hard for him to let his daughter head off into potential danger alone.” Jayson figured the jackets hanging in the closet were safe enough, not to mention it would give him a reason to stay facing away from the dresser. He began pulling them out, draping them carefully over one arm before carrying them to the bed and placing them beside the travel bag.
There was a black dress he also grabbed that he imagined would look absolutely stunning on her. “You said your father was a General, did you or your brother spend any time in the service?” Jase asked, trying to make non-awkward conversation while also attempting to get a bit of intel on her. Other than looking for her brother, Jase knew nothing about the woman. She could be a teacher, a cook, a soldier, or even a cop for all he knew. Moving over to the window, Jase took a quick glance around for anything that might seem out of the ordinary. As weird as the world sometimes looked to his partial color-blindness which was always worse and more unnatural right after a transformation, he could see as clearly as if he was looking through binoculars.
Seeing the world in grays with colors that came and went had its advantages. Normal color blindness affected specific colors within the spectrum and while he had trouble with colors that were too similar to each other like purples and blues or greens and yellows, Jase found that the colors he could or could not see changed from week to week. Right now, reds were vibrant in his vision with an odd lack of blues giving the sky a strange light gray appearance. It made Zellina’s hair stand out to him and only memory and experience learning to figure out colors allowed him to fairly accurately imagine what everyone else saw. Glancing at an elegant clock on the wall, Jase moved away from the window nervously.
He hadn’t spotted anything unusual but that only served to make him more tense and increasingly on guard. “We need to go.” He bit out the words, pacing toward the door and back with increasingly agitated movements. This was the worst he had been in a long time, the knowledge that someone could attack at any second making all his instincts scream at him to get out of there. Especially with the knowledge of magic hovering over his head. The urge to get out his gun was overpowered only by the need to not frighten Zellina away. Having her around somehow made him feel calmer, though she probably couldn’t tell. If anything, she probably thought he was a freak for getting so anxious. Jayson wasn’t sure, but he had a feeling his condition made him more temperamental than he naturally was.
“Anything else I can grab for you?” He offered, both to try and speed things up and also to give himself an outlet for his nervous energy. The headache building behind his eyes was enough to make him want to take a hammer to his head. Jase wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to hide the pain once back at his place, seeing as normally he would be sleeping off a transformation at this time not running around. She was worth it though, a sobering thought if he allowed himself to think about it. Whatever it was about her, despite all his reservations and refusal to get attached, Jase knew she already had wormed her way into his feelings and that wasn’t about to go away anytime soon.
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Zellina Hemingstin
Adult
New York USA Police Detective - MUGGLE -[M:91250]
Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.
Posts: 101
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Post by Zellina Hemingstin on Nov 27, 2010 23:08:10 GMT -5
Zellina couldn’t help but find the flush of crimson on Jayson to be amazingly adorable and if she weren’t worried about getting into the drawer he had been in at she probably would have commented on it to see if she couldn’t get and even better reaction out of him. As he went to get the bag out of the closet Zellina quickly wrenched the drawer open and grabbed her badge slipping it into her back pocket and gathered up a pile of her undergarments making sure to keep her gun and holster concealed inside of the pile.
“I guess so but he learned a long time ago that he can either help me out with things or I’ll manage to get into trouble all by myself and not have anyone to fall back on.” She said simply with a small shrug of her shoulders. “I was never one to stand idly by when something just didn’t seem right or just didn’t seem to add up to me. It’s just the way I am I guess.” She muttered out moving over to the bag with the pile in her hands while Jayson had gone back to the closet. While his back was to her again she quickly stuffed the pile down towards the bottom. True she really wanted to get her hands on her gun and holster she knew it would just have to wait for the time being.
“Zack…” She murmured softly at the question of them being in the service. “He um… he was paralyzed when we were in high school.” She said slowly, her movements coming to a halt for a moment. “We were on our way home from a party and the car went off the road. I was out for a month.” She said before quickly shaking her head and going back to gathering a few more of her clothes from the dresser. “But that was a long time ago. We’d been planning on joining the army together, but after that, well it sort of shot that dream down.” She grumbled out, her mood becoming considerably darker then it had been only moments before as she finished stuffing her clothes into the back and placing the letters in on top of everything.
As Jayson stated they needed to go Zellina merely nodded her head and ran into the bathroom quickly to make sure she had left nothing she wanted in there. Glancing towards the shampoo and other odds and ends she merely shook her head to herself and left them there. It wasn’t like they weren’t something she could replace with a quick trip to the corner store that she had spotted near where Jayson’s place was. She’d no doubt that things there were probably ridiculously expensive, but that was part of the reason that she had accepted the credit card from her father. Zellina picked up the bag and slung it over her shoulder before giving Jayson a quick look.
She’d no doubt her eyes probably seemed harder then they had been before but thinking about the past tended to do that to her. “Go back out the way we came in. I’ll meet you around the side.” She said making her way towards the door. “There is another stairway that goes down the side and if that guy shows back up again he’ll have a harder time catching anyone if we’re in two different places.” She explained before dropping the key card to the room on the small table off to the side of the door.
“I’ve got my cell phone so once we get back to your place I can just call in to the hotel and cancel the rest of my stay here. I think it was all already paid for but if I’m no longer listed here then maybe he’ll have a bit of a harder time finding me or maybe even think I went back to the states.” She stated, hoping she wasn’t sounding to much like a cop and more like someone trying to be very careful and cover her tracks from someone that was possibly following her, which in fact she was, she just so happened to be both.
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Post by Jayson "Jase" Topher Griffith on Nov 28, 2010 16:25:45 GMT -5
Jayson couldn’t help but smile at her as she spoke, knowing in his heart that with every word she was endearing herself even more to him. “You are a bit like my brother in that way.” The comment slipped out before he could stop it, adding to it before she got the wrong idea. “He’s stubborn about things, it’s easier to just try to help out rather than wait to bail him out of whatever mess he’s landed in later.” A saddened expression crept into his eyes as his mind drifted to his brother. The last time he had seen the other was right before he left the country. Ethan had done everything he possibly could to throw his younger brother’s pursuers off the trail before helping Jayson make the connections he needed to get out of the country.
Never before did Jase ever think he might have come to appreciate his brother’s constant dabbling on the wrong side of the law. As much as his brother had become a constant source of frustration, Jayson missed him. He even missed the trouble Ethan never failed to drag him into. She took him by surprise with the information that her brother was paralyzed, not that it really mattered. Sympathy flooded through him, the pain of the accident clearly still haunting her as her eyes darkened with the memory he had innocently caused to surface. Having their dreams torn from them was a tragedy he couldn’t imagine. Stepping to her side, Jayson laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, gently squeezing as his fingers massaged the side of her neck slightly.
“We will find him, Zellina. No matter what he’s gotten mixed up, you don’t turn your back on those in need, especially family.” Her name felt right falling from his mouth, it was the first time he had spoken her name since learning it. Even if Zack was caught up in something that involved magic, Jase knew he wouldn’t stop until the siblings were reunited. Only his condition could force him to hold off, and until her brother was safe, Jase was going to abandon his own search for answers. He would figure something out come full moon. Already he had spotted an abandoned warehouse that had an old bomb shelter that might be able to hold him with a bit of work. Of course getting things like chains and reinforced metal doors and such to try and secure the place would be more difficult with Zellina around, but helping her was worth it.
Pacing over to the door again, he glanced out the small peep hole as if it would provide him a view of anything beyond the door across the hall. Turning to face Zellina as she approached the door, he couldn’t help the dark frown that marred his features. The idea of splitting up was a sound one, but it also left him feeling very uncomfortable. The weight of the gun at his back tempted him to draw the weapon and give it to her, just in case the wizard spotted her. Stepping fully in front of the door, Jase locked his eyes on hers. “And if he catches you? As far as your attacker knows, you are alone. That gives us the advantage, since he won’t be anticipating you to have any help.”
Huffing out a deep breath, he rubbed his forehead against the pounding headache as he forced himself to try and focus. He didn’t want to let her out of his sight for a second, not with a potential wizard after her. “Look, this guy isn’t your average run of the mill person. I think our best bet is to stick together, but separately. If you slip out first, I can follow you at a safe distance that way if you get seen and the man tries anything you won’t be alone.” Even with the agony growing in his skull, Jase knew his strange senses were still sensitive enough from the recent waning full moon to allow him to track her. But he needed to be fairly close to her or he wouldn’t be able to focus past all the superfluous other information between them.
Taking her hand before he could stop himself, Jase stepped closer to her. His other hand brushed back a strand of hair from her cheek, unable to prevent the feelings within him from sparking in his steady gaze. “If something happened to you and I wasn’t there…” He trailed off, knowing he would never forgive himself. For all the crimes he had committed and the blood on his hands, the guilt of allowing Zellina to come to harm would be worse than that from which he could not control. His free hand dropped to his side, only half aware of her hand still captured in his. He was falling hard for her, as he hadn't for anyone else before. It had nothing to do with his situation or how he missed being around others. Jase wished they could have met under different circumstances, ones that would have allowed action on the instant spark between them.
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Zellina Hemingstin
Adult
New York USA Police Detective - MUGGLE -[M:91250]
Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.
Posts: 101
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Post by Zellina Hemingstin on Dec 6, 2010 11:23:52 GMT -5
At the mention of his brother Zellina knew exactly who he was talking about she remembered watching the interrogation tapes of the many times they had drug Ethan in for questioning trying to get a beat of Jayson’s location. It killed her to see the sad look that had crossed his face at the mention of his brother. It was obvious to her that he missed him as much as she missed Zack.
She couldn’t seem to stop herself as she leaned into the gentle and encouraging touch from him and the words he spoke gave her a bit of hope she hadn’t had before about finding Zack. She was still a bit shocked at herself for how easily the information about her and her brother came spilling out of her to a man she had only known for such a short amount of time. She really hoped that her grandmother’s vision of her brother being caught up in something involving witches and wizards had been wrong but the reaction from the crazed wizard just over her looking for information on him and Jayson was anything to go by she thought it was pretty safe to assume they both were.
Her grandmother had seen something else as well, something that caused her to both frown and smile but when she had asked her about it the old woman wouldn’t tell her anything about it which bothered Zellina to no end and she hated to be in the dark about everything. At the mention of the wizard possibly catching her, a look of worry crossed over her face before she could stop it. Gods only knew what he would do to her if he did manage to catch her. Slowly she sighed, a tone that was clear she was giving up.
“I suppose that is a good point.” She said before chewing her bottom lip while she was in thought about the whole thing. She quickly weighed the pros and cons about what Jayson was saying and slowly nodded her head. “All right, all right, we’ll go together. I’ll slip out first.” She said with a nod of her head. As he brushed her hair back she looked up at him slowly with a faint smile tugging at her lips as she noticed the look in his eyes.
The fact that he was still holding her hand was doing nothing to calm the feelings that were quickly beginning to stir within her. At his words the small smile she had on her face quickly turned into a brilliant one and she quickly leaned up on the balls of her feet and placed a quick kiss to his cheek. “Thank you.” She said softly before giving his hand a quick squeeze before gently letting go and stepping back from him. Picking up the bag she slung it over her shoulder and with one last look over her shoulder and a nod of her head she quietly slipped out of the room.
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Post by Jayson "Jase" Topher Griffith on Dec 7, 2010 2:00:20 GMT -5
The unexpected soft press of her lips upon his cheek sent a rush of warmth flooding through his chest. His hand lightly caressed her fingers as he allowed her hand to slip from his grasp. It seemed like such a strange time to be cautiously flirting with their attraction, and yet clearly neither of them could resist the near magnetic pull of the other. Jayson couldn’t help the matching grin that appeared on his serious features, giving her a nod of encouragement as he finally moved away from the door to allow her through. Watching Zellina slip through the door and walk away was perhaps one of the hardest things he had ever done. He knew he needed to give it a few minutes to allow some space between them; otherwise it would be obvious he was following her.
Straining against the throbbing headache, Jase kept his attention focused upon her. Drawing his gun, he systematically checked the magazine and mechanisms as he waited. As anticipated, everything was in perfect order, complete with a round ready in the chamber. Tucking the gun away, Jase paced back and forth in front of the door a few times before huffing out a breath of air. The increasing adrenaline in his body was helping to ease his headache and increase his senses, though the coming crash would be that much worse. Moving with easy confidence, Jase slipped out of the hotel room, locking the door behind him. Tucking his hands into his pockets after tugging his hood up over his head, he walked casually down the hallway after Zellina.
Oddly enough, there was no one in sight, a fact that set his nerves on edge. For such a large and fancy hotel, it was disconcerting to feel such quiet tension in the place. Increasing his pace to catch up a bit in light of the uneasy feeling he had, Jase decided to take the stairs rather than wait for the elevator. It was safer as well, in case the wizard after Zellina attacked within the hotel. The stairs gave him access to any floor, and with his senses trained on her presence he would know exactly where she was so long as they stayed within fairly close proximity. But Jayson suspected if there was going to be an attack; it would be after they left the hotel. After all, that is what he would do since the hotel itself was too public and had far too much security.
As he jogged down the stairs, his mind returned to the gentle kiss she had given him, his hand touching his cheek without thought. Jase had almost forgotten himself and kissed her properly after that, only his surprise had prevented him making that mistake. It wasn’t fair to put her in such danger by playing with her heart when he knew he was too dangerous to allow a relationship to take place. Still, he couldn’t keep the grin off his face, the dopey one that shouted to everyone that a pretty girl had shown interest in him. Ethan used to tease him about how he never seemed to see it coming, always caught off guard when girls showed interest in him. He wondered what Zack would think of his sister falling for a notorious serial killer after the first day.
Jase doubted paralysis would prevent the other from decking him six ways to Sunday just for looking at Zellina. Of course, they had to find her brother first. Which brought his thoughts back to the dangerous position they were now in; trying to get back to safety without being caught by a wizard. Strange how quickly life changed and the unbelievable become common. Pushing open the door to the main floor, Jase continued after Zellina. His head was bent down, eyes roaming around the room as he sauntered with confident ease toward the exit. No one seemed to take notice of him; even the security guards barely took more than a glance at him before dismissing him. One thing Jayson had learned while on the run was that acting like you belonged often fooled people into assuming you did.
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Zellina Hemingstin
Adult
New York USA Police Detective - MUGGLE -[M:91250]
Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.
Posts: 101
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Post by Zellina Hemingstin on Dec 7, 2010 11:25:32 GMT -5
What on earth had possessed her to do that?! She mentally beat herself up for letting herself get carried away. What was it about him that she allowed herself to do that? She knew he was an escaped murderer, true she didn’t know what had caused the murders, but he was a murderer nonetheless! She knew better and she knew she knew better then to do something as crazy as that. There was no telling what would happen when he found out who she really was. She wasn’t foolish enough to try and convince herself that he wouldn’t eventually catch on to the fact that she was a cop, something was bound to give eventually, and something always did.
Walking down the hall her eyes darted every which way looking for anything out of the ordinary even while she was mentally beating herself for the little show of affection no matter how good it had felt to her. Was it just her or did the hotel seem strangely empty right about then? It set her a bit on edge but she continued on her way not stopping for anything. When she hit the door to the stairs she looked around the stairwell quickly to make sure there was no one else in there with her before she quickly started to make her way down. She was midway down one of the flights of stairs when she heard a door open.
She didn’t chance looking up and mentally crossed her fingers hoping it was Jayson. When she heard no sudden spells shouted out and didn’t get the strange tingling feeling n the back of her mind when she was around those with magical abilities she just continued on her way. As she hit the main level she pushed the door open slowly and glanced around before quietly heading down the service hall. She stopped dead in her tracks when she heard her name. “Something I can do for you Miss Hemingstin?” She turned slowly and quickly recognized one of her usual maids that had been taking care of her while she’d been staying there.
“Ah, Lissa, yeah, I’m going to be leaving the hotel today, I left my keys up in the room, I’m in a bit of a rush, could you make sure they get back to the main desk for me?” She asked plastering a bright smile on her face. The maid nodded quickly. “Of course ma’am, have a good day.” Lissa said with a bright grin of her own before heading off back the way Zellina had come. She was suddenly very glad she’d taken to traveling the staff halls since she’d been there as none of them found it odd to see her there now.
Letting out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding she quickly continued on her way, nodding greetings at various staff members she passed that said hello. As she hit the exit door she pushed it open with probably a bit more force then needed before heading outside. As soon as she was out of the building she found herself leaning against the wall and sighing rather heavily which she waited for Jayson to meet her outside. That had been far more stressful then it had any right to be, but she then mentally shook herself knowing that Zack would be doing the same thing if it had been her that went missing.
Ooc: feel free to get them to whatever location we need to go to next. ^.^
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Post by Jayson "Jase" Topher Griffith on Dec 7, 2010 17:23:24 GMT -5
Jayson couldn’t prevent the sigh of relief as he exited the hotel without incident. Still wary of any eyes that passed his way, he quickly went around to the side of the building where he spotted Zellina leaning against the brick wall. The flood of relaxation that raced through his frame upon having her back within eyesight was a bit surprising, even given the steadily growing feelings he had for her. It was as if something within him was enhancing his natural protective instinct into something almost possessive. Jase wasn’t sure whether to be concerned or to simply make use of the urge. Crossing over to her, he lifted his head up as a grin spread over his features. He slipped an arm around her shoulders with a casual air, hoping the pair of them together would throw off any potential watchers.
After all, the man was looking for a single woman not a couple walking the streets of London. Every nerve in his arm and side tingled from where her frame pressed against his as they walked away from the hotel. Sea colored eyes continued to scan from side to side from beneath his hood, even as his strained senses began to fail him. Jase really hoped he had some painkillers back at his place, but given how often he took them around the full moon; it was possible he had run out. It was growing more difficult to hide his pain, and he was sure Zellina would notice at any moment. It would bring up questions he couldn’t afford to answer, his living situation and experience at hiding already sure to have her mind racing to figure out just whom she had fallen into company with.
A chill ran down his spine as they passed a newsstand, the front page of the paper plastered with a crime scene as the headline declared yet another mysterious animal attack. Jase grimaced, barely keeping from tripping over his own feet as his keen eyesight scanned for the name of the victim. Though he had no control over himself, Jayson memorized the names and faces of every innocent he slaughtered. He felt they needed to be remembered, by him if by no one other than their family and friends. Unconsciously increasing his pace, Jase hurried away from the newsstand with Zellina in tow. The blinding headache and the heart stopping guilt prevented him from paying attention to the rest of the trip and before he knew it, they were headed back up the steps to his room.
Dropping his arm from her shoulders, Jase practically ripped open the lock and fled into the bathroom. His breath came out in shuddering huffs of air, the surprise at seeing the innocent features of his latest victim staring at him accusingly from the paper had clashed harshly with the pain in his head. It wasn’t the first time he had discovered a child had been found, but it was harder to bear than the adults. She couldn’t have been more than 10, her father was still missing but Jase knew he wouldn’t be found alive. Fumbling through the cracked mirror medicine cabinet, he located the bottle of painkillers. Frustration flared through him in a wave of enraged violence, throwing the empty bottle into the corner of the dingy bathroom with enough force to crack the plaster of the wall.
His hands clenched either side of the sink as he stared at his reflection in the spiderweb cracked mirror, the pinched expression around his eyes the only outward sign of the throbbing pain in his head. Jase dropped his head, ashamed both of himself and the display he had just given Zellina who no doubt had followed him in. Never before had he been with someone when learning the identity of a victim. Seeing that sweet child’s face in black and white only reinforced his determination to try and keep Zellina at a distance, no matter how his heart ached at the thought. Struggling to get himself under control, he didn’t move from his position leaning over the sink, eyes shut against the accusation he saw in the mirror.
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Zellina Hemingstin
Adult
New York USA Police Detective - MUGGLE -[M:91250]
Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.
Posts: 101
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Post by Zellina Hemingstin on Dec 9, 2010 12:02:49 GMT -5
As Jayson put his arm around her shoulders Zellina actually felt herself relax which she knew shouldn’t bring her piece of mind but it did. She actually felt herself relaxing both mentally and physically finally thinking they would make it back to his place without incident, at least until she noticed the grimace on Jayson’s face out of the corner of her eye. She hadn’t been paying enough attention to see what it was that had caused the look to flash on his face, but the minute she had seen it her heart went out to him for some unknown reason. She didn’t like the thought of him in any sort of pain which surprised her considering she had seen all the crime scene photos from back in the states, but she just couldn’t believe that someone so willing to protect a stranger would willingly commit such murders.
As they finally got back to Jayson’s building and he let go of her shoulders she couldn’t help but notice the force with which he pulled the door open and headed right for the bathroom. Zellina was left standing there blinking slowly for a moment before she shook herself from it. She walked over to the small couch and put her bag down before walking back towards the door and shut it before locking it back up. She felt a little silly doing so as back home she sometimes forgot to lock her own door. But now here knowing she was possibly being tracked she just didn’t feel safe unless the door was locked.
Slowly she moved towards the bathroom door and lightly placed her hand against it before sighing lightly as she heard a clattering sound in the bathroom. She didn’t know what it was that set Jayson off like that but she got the feeling that it wasn’t the first time that something like that had happened. “Jay,” She said softly, staring at the door as if it would suddenly allow her to see though the wood that divided that two of them. “Jay, are you okay?” She murmured out gently hoping for an answer, but doubting that she would get one. She wasn’t sure if it was something she could help with but she wouldn’t know unless she asked, though she doubted he would tell her what it was that was bothering him.
She just couldn’t wrap her head around all of this, it was getting to be a bit much, and slowly she stepped away from the door and sat herself down on the couch. She unzipped her bag slowly and pulled out a small stuffed wolf that she had slipped into the bag when Jayson hadn’t been looking, she sat it in her lap as she pulled out the letters in bag setting them beside her before setting the bag off to the side. After a few moments though she realized she was just sitting there staring at the letters but not really reading them. Her mind was to busy reeling over everything from that day now that she had finally had a chance to stop moving.
With a small sigh she hugged the little stuffed animal to her chest and let her eyes slipped closed. All of her cop instincts though screamed at her that it was a bad idea to let herself relax so much in the small apartment with a guy wanted for murder, but with as overwhelmed as she was feeling right then she just couldn’t bring herself to care right then.
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Post by Jayson "Jase" Topher Griffith on Dec 9, 2010 15:17:50 GMT -5
Zellina’s soft voice broke through his silent storm of guilt, the concern in her tone painfully touching. He couldn’t bring himself to respond right away, feeling as if all the air in the room had been ripped out. Shaking his head and glaring at himself in the mirror, he finally managed to call back. “Yea, I’m fine.” Though the words were delivered evenly, there was a cold roughness to his voice that negated the attempted reassurance. Steeling himself to just ride out the near blinding pain in his head, Jase took a few moments more to pull himself together and banish the vision of the little girl from before his eyes. The bathroom door opened without a whisper, the hinges the only new thing in the entire place.
Jase found himself frozen in place by the view presented to him. Zellina was curled up on the couch, what looked like a stuffed wolf cuddled against her chest. Her eyes were closed, the letters they had risked so much for spread out on the sofa beside her. Smiling a bit at the innocent scene, he padded quietly over to her and gently gathered up the letters so they wouldn’t get crushed. Placing them on his bed, Jayson hesitated for just a moment before sitting down beside her and slowly placing his arm around her. There was nothing to be said that he hadn’t already told her. Zellina didn’t know him, but Jayson was not one to break his promises for any reason. So instead of offering additional reassurances, he simply allowed his presence to be whatever comfort it could be to her.
As they sat there in silence, he found his eyes falling to the little wolf snuggled in her arms. A grin quirked his lips, the irony of it not at all lost on him in the slightest. Of all the animals she could have had, somehow it seemed oddly appropriate that it would be the very creature he was cursed to become on the full moon. Aside from the throbbing headache attempting to split his skull in half, it would have been a perfect moment. Hating to break the peace that had fallen over them, but unable to stop himself, Jase spoke softly. “You wouldn’t happen to have any painkillers on you would you?” There was a forced lightness to his tone that bordered on joking, though nothing about either of their situations was even remotely funny.
The longer he was with her, the more he was beginning to think telling her about magic was a good idea. It was clear now that she was only going to be in more danger as she continued to search for her brother, and ignorance in this case would only bring her harm. Pondering how best to broach the subject, Jayson unconsciously began lightly running his fingers along her arm soothingly. The weight of his gun at his back was reassuring, Zellina’s warm body pressed against his side under his arm somehow grounding him in the moment. There really wasn’t a good way to bring magic up, which was why he continued to remain silent. She had been through a lot already; it didn’t seem fair to burden her with more. Instead, he carefully drew her form closer to his, unable to stop himself despite his mental determination to protect her from himself. “Are you ok?” He asked, turning the question back around on her.
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Zellina Hemingstin
Adult
New York USA Police Detective - MUGGLE -[M:91250]
Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.
Posts: 101
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Post by Zellina Hemingstin on Mar 25, 2011 22:37:46 GMT -5
Zellina opened her eyes slowly as Jayson slipped his arm around her as he sat down. She was a little surprised but managed not to show it. She waited for the usual feeling of discomfort to rise up as it usually did when someone got close to her but for some reason it didn't. She used to be a touchy feely type person but after the accident she didn't really like to be touched anymore. At first the doctors had said she was just going through a self conscious phase and that she would eventually get over it, but she never did and every time she say the scars littering her body the feelings of not wanting to be touched came to the front of her mind. The great killer of relationships, she called it. It was extremely awkward when she was at the academy and it was time to hit he showers, she’d always hang back and wait until everyone else was done.
Because of this and because of who he was and who she was, she wasn't sure it was such a good idea, letting herself get close to him, but she quieted that part of her mind and curled into him. Moving a bit she let her head fall against his shoulder and moved her stuffed animal a bit. Glancing up at him she noticed him looking at it and she held it up a bit so he could see it better. "My brother gave him to me. He was always saying that we should have a proper guard dog because of all the trouble I got into." she said with a small dry laugh. "I asked if he thought a wolf was proper and he just said that for a much trouble as I stir up a wolf was the only sort of dog that could protect me." She finished, a faint smile on her face as she remembered that day.
She snuggled closer to him for a moment, just enjoying the feeling of being close to someone for a change. She just really wished she could understand why it was she felt so comfortable around him. "Am I? No. Will I be? I think so." She said honestly. "I just really don't know what to make of today, it's all been a bit much." She said with a sigh, hugging the wolf tighter to herself as she spoke. In some way she really just wished she could close her eyes and act like the day had never happened but she knew that wouldn’t work, it never did no matter how hard she tried.
At the question of painkillers she finally sat up a bit and looked at him for a moment. Standing, she tossed him the little wolf and walked over to grab her bag. "I might have something in here; I still have painkillers I need to take for my back from time to time." She explained as she started to dig around in the bag. Shifting her stuff around quickly, she finally spotted the bottle she was looking for. "I know I shouldn't be sharing vicodin, but it's all I have. Will that work for you, or do you think it might be to strong?" She asked raising a brow as she glanced over her shoulder at him. As was crouched over the bag, the slightly cool air in the apartment hit her back and a hint of panic struck her. Standing up straight quicker than her knees liked she tugged her shirt straight figuring she’d notice it quick enough to keep her scars to herself. She tossed the bottle to him before closing her bag back up. “Did you want to sleep for a little? It might help.” She said softly, toying with the edge of her shirt hem for a moment. “I was going to run down to that little corner store next to your building, so I could do that and let you rest.” She added as she got herself in line again and sounding more like her firm and steady self.
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Post by Jayson "Jase" Topher Griffith on Mar 26, 2011 0:09:55 GMT -5
Despite the boldness of his move, Jase was surprised that Zellina did not pull away from him. Not only did she fail to retreat or push him away, but she actually moved that minuscule fraction of an inch closer that pressed her thigh against his own, their knees bumping gently. With great difficulty, Jase forced himself to continue breathing steady and naturally as her head dropped upon his shoulder, her frame curling into his own. Moving as slowly as possible without being glacial, he wrapped his fingers around her shoulder so that she was half wrapped in the arm he had placed about her shoulders. Her body was warm where it was pressed against his own. Jase couldn't remember the last time he had been this close to another person since the death of his girlfriend. It was difficult to miss something until you were given a taste of it again.
There was something utterly adorable about the way she cuddled with the little stuffed wolf. A smile quirked his lips even as a ridiculous flare of jealousy sparked within his mind. The stuffed animal was innocuous, nothing more than a representation of a creature that haunted Jase's nightmares. Yet to see her so at ease with the little thing made a hole within him ache to know he would never feel that same affection, at least not as the wolf he became. As Zellina held the little wolf up, he studied it playfully as if sizing up an opponent with a thoughtful expression on his features. "He certainly has his paws full with you." Jase teased softly, nodding as if the wolf had measured up to whatever standard he had been looking for. "Best keep a close eye on this one." He murmured, gently tapping the wolf on the nose with the pointer finger of his free hand.
The slight amount of conversation made the last of his hesitation fade, there wasn't much point in denying the growing feelings he had for her when they were curled up together. Jayson couldn't resist running his fingers through the strands of her hair at her admission. "Certainly more excitement than my typical day." He quipped, trying not to think about the days when running from the cops was a daily routine. In a rare moment, he let his eyes drop closed as he savored the feeling of having another close to him. As skittish as he had become over the past couple years, it was a bit stunning to realize how at ease he was with her. There was just something about Zellina that brought his guard crashing down, shattering the precious walls he had built around himself. Catching the stuffed wolf as Zellina extricated herself from his grasp, he watched as she moved over to her few belongings.
Jase set the wolf down on his knee, trying very hard not to stare at her or the tantalizing tidbits of skin that peeked out from beneath the hem of her shirt. "That should be fine." He replied as he deftly caught the bottle with one hand, not really looking as he popped off the top and shook two pills into his palm. Dry swallowing pills was never fun, but Jase had become rather accustomed to the need, and tossed back the pills without so much as a grimace at the foul taste. Something about what he was meant that typical pain medications barely touched his pain before his system processed it. Snapping the top back on the bottle, he set it on the floor by the couch, making sure the little wolf did not fall off his knee as he did so. The grimace on his face as he settled back onto the sofa had nothing to do with his headache, and everything to do with her proposal.
Part of him wanted to stick to her like a shadow, tail her every move like an overbearing guard dog or wolf as the case was. But he also knew that he would be no use to her in his current state, not with the full moon mere days in memory. Not noticing what he was doing, Jase half petted the stuffed wolf before nodding slowly. "Watch your back, alright? This place can be a bit shady as I'm sure you noticed. You've got enough trouble as it is." Digging into his pocket, he tossed the key to his place toward her. "Don't take long or I'll have to come rescue you again." The gentle tease took the edge out of his words, his soft eyes looking at her with a trace of concern but confident that she would be alright. Rather than get up off the sofa, Jase simply made himself comfortable on the couch with the little wolf. His gun remained out of sight at his back even as he twisted to lie on his side, his shirt covering the distinctive black handle.
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