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Post by Nyte on Aug 30, 2021 12:31:44 GMT -5
Once Adelaide settled back into a peaceful slumber Ivan returned his attention to his computer and continued to scroll through various articles. What he was looking for was difficult to find. He had to read between the lines, understand terms and methods to portray true meanings behind the publicly published facades. He wanted to know what the vampire community was doing that the humans had noticed in one way or another. Luckily for him there wasn't much going on it seemed. Only a couple of stories with possible "muggings" that seemed like someone simply needed a neck to bite onto for the night.
When Adelaide finally woke up he glanced down at the time on his computer and noticed he had been reading for hours. He sat back in his seat and stretched his limbs out a bit before setting the device to the side. "I just want to see what my associates are up to before we get there. Things seem pretty calm actually." He told her then glanced to the cockpit. "I'm not sure, probably not too much longer." He replied. "Kara makes good cocktails though. She's had plenty of experiences with nervous fliers that she'd rather just get them a strong drink to calm them down than deal with them." He explained. "She even had one guy panic so much during some turbulence he tried breaking into the cockpit."
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Post by Blindside Tex on Aug 30, 2021 13:02:48 GMT -5
Adelaide blinked her eyes a few times as she worked on waking herself up. She gazed about the cabin of the plane and stretched. “Calm is a welcomed word after the past few days.” She gave a light laugh as she unbuckled her seatbelt and stood to stretch. She gazed to Ivan a moment, the sense of comfort was so strange to her, it caused a smile to creep upon her face. She moved around a bit as he told the story about the anxious passenger. “Oh wow…that could have ended quite terribly. He could have caused the plan to crash.” She spoke as she looked to Ivan. “I would have never attempted that.” She laughed. “But, I’m thankful for that drink, whatever was in it.” She turned her eyes as the cockpit door opened.
“Ah you’re awake.” Kara spoke as she turned and closed the door behind her. “We are about thirty minutes out from landing. There is a bit of a light storm front that we will be descending through, so you might want to buckle your seatbelt when you have a seat in a few minutes. But aside from some rain London is looking to have lovely weather for you two.” She smiled and then looked to Ivan. “Busy working again, hm?” She commented. “I’ll see you two in about 40 minutes or so.” She nodded and then turned and headed back up into the cockpit.
Adelaide took her seat and let out a sigh as she yawned quietly once again. She buckled up her seatbelt and then looked back to Ivan. “Thank you, Ivan. For keeping me safe.” She searched his eyes a long moment before she turned her eyes to the window which she pushed open the cover for to gaze out to the night sky.
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Post by Nyte on Aug 30, 2021 13:28:47 GMT -5
Ivan chuckled and nodded as she commented on his story of the passenger. Then as the door opened and Kara appeared he smiled up at the woman and nodded as she informed them about their landing and the surrounding weather. "It's been a while since we've had one of your father's more fun landings." He chuckled again and then tucked his computer away in his bag after turning it off.
"Of course Adelaide. You have my word that nothing will happen to you and I always keep my word." He promised as he buckled his own seatbelt and relaxed in his chair while they waited for their rough decent.
As the plane approached the landing strip they jerked, dipped and fought the high winds of the storm. Ivan didn't even flinch the entire time as he was rather used to such events. Not to mention it was far better now than it had been when airplanes were first invented. Once their wheels touched the pavement he turned to Adelaide with a smile on his lips. "Welcome to London." He told her as she rolled up his shade to reveal a dark and stormy night. "It hasn't changed at all.." he commented as his eyes peered through the gloom with ease.
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Post by Blindside Tex on Aug 30, 2021 13:50:06 GMT -5
Adelaide looked to Ivan and smiled, “I think, no matter how many times you tell me that I’ll still find it comforting to hear it.” She laughed lightly as she looked outside. Though as the plane began to jerk she pushed her head into the seat and closed her eyes. “Is it supposed to do that?!” She exclaimed as she felt as though her stomach was in her throat. She gripped onto the seat tightly during the descent. Then when they finally landed she drew in a deep breath. “Please tell me it isn’t always like that.” She spoke as she gazed to Ivan.
When he spoke of London being the same she smirked slightly before she looked out her window. She smiled, “It’s just like the movies.” Another laugh came from her, “At least from what I can see.” She commented before she looked to the cockpit door as Kara emerged once again.
Kara smiled to the two. “It’s about sixty degrees out sir.” She looked to Ivan. “Quite cold for this time of year.” She walked to the back of the plane and emerged from one of the closets with a jacket for him and another for Adelaide. “To keep you warm hun.” She smiled. “Should we expect to fly back soon? Or will you be staying awhile?” She looked to Ivan curiously, almost as if he made flights like this often for business and left rather quickly.
Adelaide grasped the jacket and looked it over a moment. She pulled it on and buttoned it. It was a black jacket with a faux fur upon the hood that made it look rather stylish. She looked to Ivan for his response as she stood from her seat. The captain came from the cockpit and opened the door and a cool breeze wafted into the cabin of the plane which sent a chill down Adelaide’s spine. Adelaide pulled her backpack on and stepped toward the exit of the plane.
"Careful on the stairs." Kara spoke as she wrapped up a few items in the back of the plane.
Adelaide nodded as she stepped from the plane and quickly hurried to the overhang to get out of the rain. She gazed up to the stormy skies as thunder rumbled in the distance. She shivered slightly as her body adjusted to the temperature.
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Post by Nyte on Aug 31, 2021 18:04:52 GMT -5
As Kara opened the door to the cockpit Ivan unbuckled his seatbelt and got up to his feet. "We'll be here for a while." He replied to her question. "At least a couple of weeks. I'll call you or your father a couple of day before we're ready to leave so you can meet us back here." He smiled at her and reached into his back to pull out a thick envelope and handed it to her. "Here, and make sure you charge my account for the normal flight as well." He told her and picked up his back after slipping on the coat she had given him.
Once they had both disembarked Ivan met Adelaide underneath the awning where she had taken shelter from the rain and slipped his arm around her waist. "Come on. There should be a car waiting for us. We'll go to the penthouse I keep here and tomorrow evening we'll meet with my sire and his wife." He explained then gave a small grimace at the thought of seeing his sire's wife once more. He would never be able to shake his dislike of her even after a few decades of absence.
Leading Adelaide through the small building for private and charter planes they found a sleek back car waiting for them with a man holding an umbrella to help keep the rain off of them. "Sir." The man greeted and gave a short bow before opening the backseat door. "Madam." He said and motioned for Adelaide to get in. After she was inside he walked with Ivan around to the other side and opened the door for him. Taking Ivan's bag as he did so and placed it within the trunk. "If you need anything, just like back at home, you can ask any of my staff to get you anything you might need." He explained as the driver got into the car and began to leave the terminal.
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Post by Blindside Tex on Aug 31, 2021 18:47:24 GMT -5
Adelaide drew in a breath as a gust of wind kicked up and brushed her hair into her eyes. She smiled to the fresh air and the slight mist of rain that speckled across her cheeks. She looked to Ivan as he came to meet her under the awning. “I do hope that the rain will not continue forever. I’ve heard it rains a lot in London.” She spoke as she leaned into him when he wrapped his arm around her waist. A smile curved up her lips as she gazed up to him, once again she felt that overwhelming since of comfort. She’d never felt such a thing before and every time it happened it caused her heart to flutter oddly enough. It almost made her feel light headed in a way when she looked at him. She focused ahead of them and placed her hand over his. “Do you have homes all over the world Ivan?” She asked curiously, her brow raised slightly.
Though her smile disappeared for a moment as she watched him grimace. She drew in a breath and bit her lip slightly. “I apologize that this…isn’t quite…what you’d imagined. If you hadn’t saved me…or if I hadn’t been at the ball…you wouldn’t be going through such an ordeal.” She spoke as she looked away from him.
Adelaide looked around the small building as they walked through it. She gave a soft laugh as she listened to the accents of the people. She’d always been interested in traveling the world. She walked into the rain and looked up to the umbrella that appeared above her head. She gazed to the man that held it and smiled, “Thank you, sir.” She spoke as she climbed into the car. Adelaide felt as though she was in a dream. She couldn’t shake the strange feeling of things. How comfortable she was with Ivan. She’d never been comfortable around anyone except for those in the orphanage. She looked to Ivan as he spoke and gave a nod. “Yes of course. I should have enough to make it for a bit. I’m glad Kara gave me this jacket though. It’s a bit cooler than I expected.” She gazed out the window to the rain and to the city. The buildings of town began to come into view. The architecture was beautiful, unlike her home in the big city. She smiled as she took things in. She wanted to tour around, she wanted to see all the sights that she’d dreamed of seeing. But…she couldn’t. She bit her lip slightly as she remembered the danger that she was truly in. The comfort that she felt with Ivan, well, it was a nice feeling. But she imagined that just because she felt safe, that didn’t stop vampires from coming after her. Especially if they found out what she was…
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Post by Nyte on Sept 7, 2021 11:39:19 GMT -5
"I don't have too many homes. A couple safe houses and a couple of residences. It doesn't make sense for me to have a bunch of vacation homes since I'm a creature of the night." He explained. "Although.. after all this has calmed down.. I'll take you where ever you'd like to go. Just name a place and we'll go see it." He promised her with a soft smile. "I'm glad I found you at that party though. You would have been found at some point and I'm just glad it was then."
As they drove down the wet streets of London their driver remained silent. Keeping his eyes on the road. The only time he made any sound was when someone pulled out in front of him and he grumbled under his breath after stepping hard on the brakes. "My apologies, sir." He told Ivan afterwards then continued onwards down the road.
Arriving at a towering building in the heart of the city a bellhop opened the door for them as they pulled up to the front doors covered with an awning. "Good evening, sir, madam." The man greeted them with a friendly smile. "Which suite are you in sir?" He asked. "1042." Ivan replied to which the man nodded. "I will take your luggage then and meet you there."
Ivan nodded and held his arm out for Adelaide before leading her inside the upscale building lit with softly glowing chandeliers. The lobby was lavishly decorated with red velvet and gold trim with polished marble floors. There were a few others in the lobby, sitting upon couches and standing next to a large fireplace chatting and laughing amongst each other. "Keep your eyes down. Don't draw attention to yourself." Ivan whispered to her.
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Post by Blindside Tex on Sept 7, 2021 12:43:41 GMT -5
Adelaide gazed to Ivan with a soft smile upon her lips. She’d look out the window of the car to the passing city every now and again as he spoke. “I suppose that makes sense. Unless the city has a booming night life.” She smirked to him. She then drew in a breath. “Anywhere? Hm.” She seemed to think a long moment. “I...will have to think of where I would like to go. I’ve never really thought about it very much. I’ve had my nose buried in books all these years, that was my travel.” She laughed and shook her head. “Either books or my experiments. But I haven’t thought much about truly traveling the world. I never imagined I would be in London.” She spoke as she looked back out the window to the rainy night.
She winced and gripped onto the handle as the driver had to slam on the brakes. Her heart leaped into her throat as she saw the bright red lights before them from the other driver. “I guess it doesn’t matter where you are in the world people still can’t figure out how to drive.” She commented.
When they arrived at the building she climbed out and gazed up at the height of the building. Her jaw loosened slightly. The architecture was beautiful, very modern. Just like Ivan’s home. “1042...” She repeated the suite number as she brought her eyes down from the sky. “Is that all the way at the top?” She smirked to him as she took his arm. It felt so natural to take his arm as she did. She didn’t hesitate a moment. She gazed to the small group that chatted before the fireplace and to those that sat upon the couch. A few had glasses that were filled with a red liquid. She imagined it wasn’t wine. When Ivan spoke for her to keep her eyes down she’d just made eye contact with one of the women across the room. She bit her lip slightly and lowered her eyes. “Who are they?” She asked in a hushed tone. She lifted her eyes to look to Ivan.
“Ivan. What a surprise. You didn’t even give me a call that you’d be in town.” The woman that Adelaide had caught eyes with stood before the two. She swirled the red liquid in her glass and tilted her head slightly. “She’s beautiful. More of a catch for the eyes than your last.” The woman smirked to Ivan as she looked away from Adelaide. “You know Ivan. I sent you letters. Emails. I’ve called you a few times. You never return any of my messages.” She smirked to him, her fangs quite visible. “Too busy with your familiar?” She looked to Adelaide a moment and chuckled. She then brought her gaze back to Ivan. "Do you think you have time for drinks while you are in town? Surely you can spare an evening. You can bring her along."
Adelaide felt incredibly uncomfortable. The way the woman looked at her made her feel like a menu item. She sucked in a breath and lowered her eyes to the floor, she could feel her magic within her body surging from the tension. She swallowed, if the woman caught a glimpse of her eyes she would have seen the glistening of the light within Adelaide's hues. Her arm that held onto Ivan held onto him a bit more tightly as she awaited his response to this stranger.
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Post by Nyte on Sept 7, 2021 22:36:30 GMT -5
Ivan sighed as he noticed the woman approaching out of the corner of his eye. "Maria.. how nice to see you." He commented. "My apologies on not returning your messages. You know how poor I've always been about such things. Unfortunately there are certain traits that not even immortality can help you correct." He replied cooly and smiled though his comment obviously struck a nerve with her as her own smile waned.
"I'm being polite, Ivan." She scolded him.
"So am I." He replied. "However I am tired, as is my familiar." He Adelaide's hand from his arm and instead wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to himself. "We'll be heading to bed now. Perhaps I'll have time to attend your gathering, after my business with the sire has concluded."
"You're going to see our sire? Really now? Now *that* is something I'd love to see." She told him as her smirk returned before heading back to the group she had been chatting with previously.
"Come." He whispered to Adelaide and practically pulled her along to the elevator and pressed the button. Luckily it opened quickly and he was able to get inside with her and close the door before anyone else could enter. As the door slid closed he gave a long sigh and released his tight grip on Adelaide. "I swear that woman.. she makes my skin crawl." He complained and shivered slightly.
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Post by Blindside Tex on Sept 7, 2021 22:53:18 GMT -5
Adelaide bit her lip as the two conversed back and forth. She could feel the tension. Maria didn’t seem to be someone that Ivan particularly liked. In fact. The more vampires she met…the more she understood why he didn’t seem to converse with very many vampires at all. They seemed to hold themselves above the rest, as if they were better than everyone else. She could feel the woman’s eyes upon her as Ivan wrapped his arm around her. She gripped over his hand that was around her waist. Her eyes moved to him a moment before she looked back to the woman.
The surprise in Maria’s eyes that Ivan was going to see the sire was curious. He wasn’t lying about how long it had been since he left this place. She watched as the woman walked back away to the group she was with and she was tugged along. As the elevator doors closed Adelaide let out a long breath. The light in her eyes began to fade as her fear began to subside. “Oh just your skin?” She commented as she looked to him. “She gave me the absolute creeps…she was worse than that vampire at the party…I felt like she thought I was the main entrée or something…” She shook her head then. “Are…they all like this Ivan? You don’t spend much time with other vampires…I’m beginning to think there is a valid reason for this…”
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