Hunger Pangs{Private}

[Chloe Valentine]

She smirked at the way Alejandro said her name, as she took his hand to help her to her feet. She managed to look at herself in the mirror as he spoke. She looked a state that's for sure, the makeup that was already smeared around her eyes was worse and she looked rather raccoonish now, there was blood on the front of her shirt again, but otherwise, she felt fantastic, she didn't want to admit it to herself but now it seemed this would be the way she would live from now on. Hating food, and a diet consisting of only blood. She cringed at the though, but chances are she would probably get used to it, she would probably be living for a pretty long time now. Would it be too much trouble to stay here for a couple minutes so I can freshen up a little bit, I look......bad. I doubt you want people thinking you beat the crap out of me or something, because right now that's exactly what it looks like. She perks a brow, somehow she knew he didn't care what she looked like, but she wasn't waiting for a yay or a nay, she was cleaning herself up, she was happy this part of the legend was wrong, she could still see herself in mirrors.

She grabbed some paper towel and soap and added water and began to scrub the make-up off her face, and also the small stain of the blood from the beginning of her night, from around her mouth, hardly noticeable, but she wanted it gone.So why did you decide to help me anyway, you don't seem like the type to coddle newly turned vampires. Small talk, she hated it, particularly because she always came off as a bit rude, when she didn't mean to be. She blamed it on working with all men in the force.

[Alejandro Cepero]

Alejandro merely looked at her oddly for a moment when she asked if she would be allowed to fix up her appearance. How could one care for that kind of thing at a time like this? Time was of the essence here, the sun would rise in a few hours. Still... Fine, she made her point. "Go ahead." He shrugged.

As she cleaned off the make up from her face, he took a moment to study her. Leaning up against the wall of the rest room, he tried to figure out as much as he could about her. She was young, clearly in her mid to late twenties. She was fit, so her job most likely involved a lot of physical activity. She mentioned how she was chasing a suspect, so the possibility of her being a police officer was very high. Well... Was a police officer. Fact was she could never go back to her old job. Another thing she'd have to explain more fully, but she seemed to finally be understanding what she was.

When she asked her question, he simply shrugged. "You're right. I don't tend to coddle new vampires." In fact he usually kills them, because when he finds them they're usually bent over a corpse they had just killed. He knew it wasn't their fault, but it was very difficult to deprogram a vampire once they had had the taste of blood straight from the source. It had taken him a very long time to get off live prey and switch to blood packs himself, and so far trying to teach others has proven.... Unsuccessful. He was thankful he had been here to catch her in time. "Perhaps in time you will understand. But not yet Chloe. Come, the sun will rise soon and the safehouse is a good distance away." He said, turning and heading towards the door.

He opened the door and nodded towards Frankie. Frankie gave him a small smile. "Everything alright uncle Ale?"
"Si querida." He smiled softly. "We'll be leaving shortly. Tell your mother and father I thank them again for their hospitality."
"Anytime!" She smiled as she went back to her customers. Alejandro held open the door for Chloe, and walked out into the street, assuming she would follow.

[Chloe Valentine]

She had been listening to what Alejandro was saying to her.He didn't help new vampires, so why was he helping her? What was in it for him? She'd be sure to ask him that after they left this pub. She looked at the girl that Alejandro was talking to, and smiled briefly and proceeded to follow him out the door, she was leaving her life in his hands right now, she wasn't sure if she should be doing that, but to be honest , she didn't have anyone else right now, she didn't have a choice, she needed a place to go, before the sun came up, or her already short life would become much smaller.

She quietly followed him,, she had no idea where they were going, or how long it would take to get there, and the silence was killing her, but she managed to keep quiet a little long while they walked. Her gun was still in it's holster , she was surprised he hadn't taken it away from her yet. So...you going to tell me where we are going? Or am I to just hush until we get there, because frankly this silence is disturbing, and I cannot handle it right now.

[Alejandro Cepero]

Alejandro walked at a quick pace, pleased to see his new companion keeping pace despite all that had happened. For a while, they traveled in silence through the relatively empty city streets. For the most part anyway. Except for a few intoxicated individuals, some night workers, and the occasional supernatural (Alejandro, over the years, had become increasingly sensitive to their presence, a skill he used well.) there was barely a soul out tonight. Must have been because it was a Monday. Modern day humans had strange work schedules though. Especially Americans. No siestas? No afternoon tapas? They work all day, and rarely ever seem to relax... Not like he ever did these days, but he was a vampire, not a normal human. That's different...

When Chloe mentioned how she didn't like silence, Alejandro couldn't help but let out a light sigh. The youth of today was so impatient. Always needing something to happen or some noise... But fine.
"Well..." He replied, albeit a bit impatiently, "I would much rather save much of the discussion we are going to have for the apartment. Far less prying ears and eyes. Not much farther now. Only a block or so."

Arriving at a small apartment complex near the park, Alejandro opened the front door and let her in, then passed the elevator (strange contraption, made no sense to him) and climbed three flights of stairs. He then opened another door, which led into a large living room. In it were several modern amenities, such as a television, computer, couch... Oh, and a large wall filled with several kinds of weapons, medical equipment, communication devices...

Walking over to a cabinet, he pressed some numbers on the keypad and revealed a large amount of blood packs, grabbed two packs along with two glasses, then handed her a glass with the blood pack as he took a seat on an easy chair facing the couch.

"Now, before I can tell you anything more, you need to understand the world you have just been plunged into." He said as he opened the pack and poured some of the blood into the glass. Taking sips, he motioned for her to take a seat in the couch opposite of him, and went into full detail of the current situation with vampires and lycans, hunters, etc. After giving her a basic outline over what was happening (but still leaving out his involvement), he asked. "Any questions so far?"

[Chloe Valentine]

As she followed him into the apartment building, and passed the elevators, and continued up some stairs, she looked around. Were the elevators broken, after alla she'd been through tonight, why couldn't they just take the damn elevator to save face and make it up to that third flood quickly, she was achy, she was tired and she was hungry....again. They walked into an apartment, surprisinly the room had modern things in it, he wasn't showing his age too much at least, she supposed he had to do something with his extra time or he'd go crazy if he was trapped in the past.

She stared at the wall as Alejandro played with a key pad and pulled out some blood packets. She was wide eyed again at this point, holy crap that was a lot of weapons, and well other things, he just left these out in full view, where everyone could see them? She slowly took a seat as he handed her the blood packet and the glass, her eyes not leaving the wall until he started to speak. She watched his lips move as he explained everything to her. She had yet to open her blood and drink it, she was hungry, but with everything that had happened so far, she was just a little dizzy and nauseos and wasn't sure she'd keep the blood down right now, not until she heard everything.

"any questions so far" he had asked her, she finally snapped out of her stupor and looked into his eyes now. Yea tons, but we'd be here all year answering them all, so it would probably be best to throw the rest of it on me, and then let me take it all in, before I shut down completely.

[Alejandro Cepero]

Alejandro sighed. She was taking this all about as well as he had honestly expected. It was a lot to take in. "Fine" Alejandro said in a very nonchalant attitude, taking another sip of the blood in his glass. "You should probably drink by the way. I only gave you enough at the bar so that you wouldn't go into a frenzy, not enough for your hunger to be satiated. A vial is good for emergencies and for making drinks more worth wile sometimes, but not enough for a meal..."

Continuing, he pointed at the weapons. "See all those weapons? They're not all mine. This apartment, whenever necessary, serves as a safe house for a group of humans known as hunters, men and women who hunt down rogue and dangerous supernaturals. It is mine, but I allow them to use it. See... I'm something of a supplier." He shrugged, with little case of emotion in his voice.

"I aid hunters in the protection of innocent humans, for reasons you have not yet earned my trust enough to know. One thing I will tell you is this. Earlier, you asked why I helped you? Well, the answer is simple. Once a rogue vampire has a taste for human blood straight from a human, that is going out, hunting, and sucking blood from a fresh kill, it is next to impossible to convert them to drinking blood packs. It has to be done either early on, before their first frenzy, or it has to be an internal willing change. I am an example of the latter, and I can assure you it is a rather... unpleasant process. I'm trying to spare you all that. Do you understand now?"

[Chloe Valentine]

She listened to his words carefully, she really wanted to understand all of this, this was her future now, her past didn't matter anymore. She needed to live for tomorrow. The more he explained it to her though, the more horrified she got, was she ready for this? This was a big change in her life, not one she chose, and that is what would make it harder for her.

She looked back at the weapons, and thought about what he said about what they were there for, and what he did, the minimal amount he would tell her anyway. She looked back at him and nodded, she understood what he was saying. She understood he was trying to keep the rouge vampires off the streets, and basically protecting her from being the newest victim of hunters, those weapons were for.

She opened her blood pack and poured it into her glass, she looked at it hestiantly, and took a sip of it, and that sip turned into a gulp, and the next into a bigger gulp, until she had downed it completely. It tasted wonderful as it slipped down her throat, and it left her craving more and more, was it always going to be like this? I understand what you are saying, but when are you going to trust me enough to tell me the rest, because if this is going to be my life, I deserve to know more, more than enough to get me by. I want to be able to leave here at night and understand how to protect myself.

[Alejandro Cepero]

"You deserve nothing." Alejandro spoke bluntly. That was another problem with this generation, they thought they deserved everything. "I've told you far more than the vast majority of new vampires ever receive. Many go on and live reckless lives, endangering themselves, innocent humans, and all vampires. You were once a police officer, were you not? How would you live with yourself if you knew the one way you survive was to devour those you swore to protect? Could you look yourself in the mirror if you did? Could you live with over a hundred years of regret, knowing you could have stopped at any time, but chose the easy route, and have the deaths of thousands on you conscience?" Alejandro growled. Somewhere along the line of his rant, it turned into less about her and more him revealing why he was the way he was. He was a man whose mistakes haunted him, who still suffered the nightmares. Even monsters have fears.

He took a heavy breath, than sat back. "I've told you more than enough. Now I'm trying to help you become a vampire that saves, not one that destroys. What part of that do you seem to not be getting? As a vampiress, you don't need anything special to protect yourself. Your three times as strong as the average human male, you have razor sharp teeth and heightened senses. Over time, you learn to sense out other supernaturals as well. What I'm teaching you is as much the safety of others as it is yourself."

He sighed and looked out the window, into the slowly rising dawn. Soon, he'd have to shut the blinds. He hated how he could no longer see sunlight. How he longed for the days were he could lazily lounge in the sunlight of Barcelona, or swim the cool waters of the Mediterranean... No longer. He remained silent, lost in his thoughts of his past for a bit, allowing Chloe to mull over what he had just said. Hopefully, the girl actually learned something.

[Chloe Valentine]

She didn't deserve to know more? Seriously? If he wanted her to take the right route here, she needed to know more, she needed to be sure she could leave here and make the right decisions to protect those people she once protected. If she needed to protect herself against those humans she was expected not to kill, she needed to know the limits, and right now it didn't seem like he was willing to let her know more.

She listened to him though, she mulled over what he was saying, and the more he spoke, the more personal it sounded. She was willing to take the help, but if this man didn't trust her, how would this work? After he had finished his rant, she sat hunched over , and clasped her hands together and placed them in her lap. She let those word mull over a bit more before she looked up at Alejandro, the next words were said in the calmest voice she could muster right now after he growled those words out to her. Ok so let me get this right, you expect me to trust you with this, let you help me make the right decisions, so I don't go out there and kill a bunch of people, so i don't regret my actions everyday, like you clearly have, but you wont trust me in return? Tell me how that works? She perks a brow at him, her hands still clasped and in her lap.

[Alejandro Cepero]

Alejandro sighed softly to himself. The girl still did not fully understand. It was not that he distrusted her. He just didn't tell anyone his full past. He didn't want to. The amount of people he knew who knew his whole history he could count on his fingers, and he wanted to keep the number that small for now. "I think I may have misstated some things." He relented finally. "It is not that I do not trust you, it is that some men like to keep their secrets. I promise you, you will learn it, but not this day. Not after we've just met. Understand, the fact that you are even in here and not dead is a larger step than most."

Alejandro stood up and walked over to the kitchen, tossing his empty blood pack in the trash, then looked back at the woman seated on the couch. Would she accept that answer yet? Or would she still push for all the answers right away? He could understand her desire to know, but one thing she did not understand was some men keep things secret not because they want to, but because they need to.

"I promise you, one day you will know. Just not today."