*Dead of Night [Mal]

[takaiu]

The water's surface glistened with molten silver from the moon's light. Stars sparkled through dark, wispy clouds. A light breeze whispered through the leaves of the trees, but otherwise the night was crisp and still. Few things could have made the scene more peaceful.

Aireskosa shifted her weight, making herself more comfortable. She looked down at the lake, one of the smaller ones, from her perch on the branch of a large pine. Her legs hung over the side, and her hands grasped the thick branch on either side of where she sat. Kosa's blonde hair hung over her shoulders, falling in light waves, the bangs slightly obscuring the upper portion of her face. Large wings the colour of smoke clung to her back.

She sighed and closed her eyes, enjoying the tranquility and silence around her. This was one of her favourite things to do, and if she had the chance, it wouldn't take her long to skip the hustle and commotion of the city in favour of the peacefulness of the forest. Especially during the night. Kosa loved having time to herself, and this was the perfect place for that. Not many people ventured out here during the day, much less in the dead of night.

There was however, one aspect of the forest she didn't much care for: it took her away from her first love. This was no place for a car, and so her much-adored Camaro had been left behind. It would probably be the first thing she'd visit after she left here.

Kosa opened her eyes, and gazed around her. She figured it was probably about three in the morning. That was just fine. She'd hang around another hour or two, then be on her way home.

She pushed herself over the side of the branch, her wings taking over as she fell. A jump from the height she had been at might have made a normal person nervous (maybe a little more than nervous), but when you had wings sticking out of your back, it was no problem at all. Her feet met the forest floor with nothing more than a whisper of sound, and her wings folded back behind her once more.

Kosa made her way to the lake shore, kicking off her Converse as she met the edge of the water. She rolled the legs of her jeans up to her knees, then stepped into the water. Beneath the layer of silver moonlight, the water was deep green, but that had never bothered Kosa. It was peaceful as any other lake.

A smile made its way onto her face as she waded deeper, the water a couple inches above her knee, soaking the lowest part of her jeans. This night was perfect.

[Kirill Fedoseev]

Every time Kirill closed his eyes, every time he slipped into his thoughts and own world without meaning to, she was there. It was as if the blonde haired, blue eyed, angel was haunting him, and without reason; she meant nothing to him, and he meant nothing to her, yet he couldn't quite her out of his head and it was driving him mad. She was like a relentless itch inside his head that he couldn't reach, and the more he tried to itch it, the more he was aware of her presence inside his head. Thinking about her made the itch worse, but attempting to ignore her only proved to drive him more mad, and when he failed to distract himself there was nothing he could do but think of her. Eloise was haunting him, and he wasn't sure how much he'd be able to take.

Work proved only a minor distraction during the day, and whenever it slowed down at all he lost himself once more in thoughts of Eloise. The fact that he couldn't get her out of his head, even while on the job, bothered him quite a bit. In fact, it pissed him off and frustrated him. He didn't understand, and he didn't want to understand. He wanted to be left alone; it was easier that way, not to feel anything. He much rather liked living in the numb, little bubble he created for himself, not forming an attachment for anyone or anything; but it felt as if that little bubble was weakening, or in the case of Eloise, it had already popped. There was also Lev, who was once his target, but Lev has become the closest he has to a friend and he wouldn't change it for the world; but Eloise was a different story. He didn't think of her like he thought of Lev. At night, when he tried to sleep, all he saw was Eloise and that was something that he never came across. Females had never really interested him other than a moment or two of fun, but Eloise was like a sliver under his skin. He couldn't ignore it.

Since the night he had saved her from the hunter, the sleepless night started. If he didn't sleep at all, he was only able to catch about three or so hours of sleep a night. During the nights where sleep evaded him, he took to the streets, alleys, park and sometimes even the ruins for a run. It was the only thing that fully took his mind off of Eloise, and it was like being numb all over again save for the burning that slowly spread over his chest as he pushed his body to the limit. Tonight was one of those sleepless nights and he once more took to the streets for an exhausting, well-needed run, but after a half-hour of passing the familiar streets and buildings, he trailed off in search of new scenery, despite the darkness that had fallen over the city. He had never been one for nature, but the city was still much too alive for his liking; it could have been four in the morning, and there would still be too many people lingering in the streets, driving by, laughing and making noises. He wanted a distraction, not another reason to be annoyed.

Lights and sounds fading behind him, Kirill found himself at the edge of the forest in a matter of what seemed only minutes and without even a blink of an eye he entered the forest with only the light of the moon to guide his way. Silver fingers broke through leaves and tree limbs, lighting his path in broken patches and casting an eerie haze on the trees and forest floor, but he wasn't at all bothered. Even before he became a hunter for The Union, he had been desensitized to everything you could possibly imagine; being afraid of the dark, or rather being afraid of not knowing what was in front of him or behind him, didn't much bother him. Besides, it wasn't like he made a habit of going out without some form of protection. At all time he carried a knife, whether or not he was working. Usually, he didn't leave without a gun as well, but when he ran he left it at home. There was no place for it, and there was no way to hide it as he enjoyed the rush of cold air against his skin and so he left his jacket at home as well. Knife as his only weapon, Kirill was still more than likely to hold his own, even against a supernatural being.

But creatures of the night, or anything else, were far from his mind as he made his way along an unknown path, allowing his feet to carry him wherever they wished. Breathing, keeping a steady pace and relishing the burning in his legs and lungs were the focus of his attention; nothing else mattered. Until the forest thinned and the ground beneath his feet softened and became tainted with sand. Blue orbs shot around the area as he slowed his pace, taking in the new scenery. Moonlight reflected off of the lake; even in the silver lighting the water glowed eerily green, but it wasn't the green water that had attracted his attention as his gaze swept over the shore. A figure stood off in the water, about knee-deep, and at once his guard shot up. He had already made note that there was no one else around, just him and the figure in the water, but that didn't mean that there wasn't a threat. Normal people weren't out this late; normal people didn't venture far from the city, normal people being humans.

Kirill's lips set in a frown as his hand itched to draw his knife, just in case, but he remained where he was. Taking a wild guess, he assumed the figure, which from observation he knew was female, to be something other than human. All species were deceiving, he had learned, but he knew that there were certain things to set them apart from each other; luck wasn't on his side, however, as he hair was in the way of her neck. But even then, it would have been too dark for him to tell, and it was already too late for him to turn back. Despite not having said a word, he knew it was more than likely that he presence was sensed, so he moved ahead cautiously. He paused at the shoes left behind on the shore, hand ready to pull his knife out at a moments notice. Kirill took in a small breath, keeping his blue gaze trained on the female. “A little late for a swim, don't you think?” He asked softly, quirking a brow.

[/blockquote][/justify]

t a g Kosa
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[takaiu]

Aireskosa waded deeper, the water now at mid-thigh, seeping into the denim of her pants in spite of her earlier efforts to prevent just that. Not that she cared anymore. She was aware it would happen, and hadn't really expected the simple gesture to last very long, anyway.

The molten silver rippled around her as she moved, letting glimpses of the deep green beneath peak through. Most people might not be keen to wander around in a green lake, but to Aireskosa, the odd colour gave the lake more character, and a weird sense of beauty that other lakes didn't possess. Especially under the moonlight as it was now.

She felt the water caress the very tips of her fingers, and began twirling them around in it, creating little waves that swam away from her. The water felt cool against her skin, and the demon found herself considering diving under the surface.

Kosa turned her gaze to the moon overhead, admiring its silver glow. A sigh escaped her lips as she tried to clear her mind. Absent-mindedly, her hand rose to her shoulder, and her fingers found their way to the scar there. She rubbed it softly as her thoughts took her elsewhere: a lake like this one, though a crystal blue rather than deep green. And a much younger version of herself, sitting on the sandy shore with her bare feet in the water. Behind her was her brother, though she had been too distracted to notice. He had come up to her with his beloved knife in his hand. She now felt something different, and she knew that it was his presence, but she didn't pay attention to it. She was distracted by something in the water: a fish, maybe. And then...

“A little late for a swim, don't you think?”

Kosa jumped, surprised out of her reverie. She realized that she had not been feeling her brother's presence, but instead that of someone else. A sense of deja vu hit her, and she shook her head in an effort to clear it. She had no desire to return to the memory she'd been reliving. It had ended with her blood being spilled. The scar on her shoulder hadn't been from that incident, but it reminded her of every wound her brother had ever caused her. That and the scar near her eye.

She turned toward the voice, her eyes falling on the figure of a man. His scent was that of a human, but she wasn't quick to trust. "Isn't it a little late to be in the forest at all?" Especially for a human. She watched him curiously, wondering what he was doing out here. Surely a human would be more cautious of being out in a forest like this in the dead of night.

She remained wary, unsure of what to think of the stranger. She supposed she might find out, but still, she kept her guard up.