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stars and bucks [ zenobia]
He hadn't rushed to Pennsylvania. Not exactly. Oh, certainly he could have made the journey overnight, had he really wanted to do such a thing. And to all intents and purposes he was a man resolutely on a mission. Yet that didn't mean he wasn't allowed to travel by land instead of air, to better take in the sights along the way from an angle more favorable than a bird's eye view. Walking was no hardship to him, finding a place to rest before the morning sun rose over the horizon was an old habit, easy to do, and feeding had been something almost unnecessary for longer than he cared to remember. He preferred to walk, one well-placed step after another, though at times he'd employ painfully easy methods in order to simply "borrow" a rental car; he liked the comfort of the empty road unfolding before him as he drove straight through the night hours, and he enjoyed handling the crafty, mechanical inventions.
The closer he got to York the stronger the pull he'd originally felt in California was--thus far it remained something he couldn't describe properly, for what words in any language were there to fully encapsulate such a feeling? A sense of apprehension, a bold forewarning accompanied it. But at this point, turning back would be foolish as well as pointless. If he were to learn what caused such peculiar sensations, then he needed to continue onwards. A resting place the first morning he arrived was easy enough to procure, just outside the city limits. There was farmland aplenty in this area, something Mael could in no way disapprove of; discovering tree farms in the near vicinity to York brightened his mood, caused an upward curling of his lips. It was easy enough to decree the expanse of fields suitable, temporary accommodations.
To roam streets a nameless being cloaked safely in dark shadows remained a routine that he'd practiced over and over until it had become a second nature. But here in this town the streets were quiet after the moon rose, resuming her post in the sky amidst the soft glow of the stars. Still, Mael remained wary and on guard after his arrival. There were beings here he'd never come into contact with before, not in all his long years. They skirted around the edges of his knowledge, his vision, some projecting a more menacing aura than others. The fact that there were creatures aside from those like him who'd somehow gone so very unnoticed over the passage of time...it was unsettling, to say the least. To know their origins, their true appearances, the means they used for survival--that was something better left alone for now. He didn't seek them out, and did what he could to keep his own presence masked.
He'd chosen tonight to stay for a short while within a local establishment, the business due to close soon. There were a few stragglers lounging in the booths, resting in the chairs. Their hands and bodies were warmed by cups filled with mocha lattes, frappuccinos, spiced chai. All these were names he'd easily gleamed from the menu posted behind the front counter, from the lips of those ordering, wanting their last caffeine fix for the day. The building smelled pleasant and the environment was quiet enough that he could merely sit at a back table to watch the patrons come and go while he thought of his next move. He was served ice water of which he had no need, but accepted for appearance's sake.
A young, pretty blonde woman excitedly carried two cups filled with frothy drinks to a booth near a window, her boyfriend following along with a look of consternation upon his face. Her eyes were blue and large, sparkling with excitement as she sipped from the disposable cup. Mael watched the couple passingly, entertained by the blonde's eagerness. She was bubbling over with words, phrases, facts. Her boyfriend looked increasingly astonished by her demeanor, shifting uncomfortably several times during the course of their conversation. The quiet atmosphere within the building was broken only by the young blonde's exclamations about a duckling, of all things. Curious the effects caffeine had on an individual; Mael wondered not for the first time about such pleasures lost to him. Jesse had long since tried to explain to him about these modern day simplicities, common in every day lives. He'd listened eagerly, enjoying the knowledge she'd shared, though he knew he'd never completely understand.
Mael shifted his gaze to the front window, noting the darkening sky. With it would come the slumbering quality of evening he enjoyed, though the impression that it was unnatural somehow left him rankled, confused. Mael would soon leave this place that bathed in the aroma of coffee beans--of course there were other smells, duly noted by him the moment he'd stepped through the front door. Not least among them was the underlying scent of mortal blood, ever tantalizing in a way that only those of his ilk would comprehend. But it was not a delicacy he craved tonight, and he wouldn't dare indulge unless the mood struck him.
No, what he was seeking in this town of York surpassed even that great fount of life.
The closer he got to York the stronger the pull he'd originally felt in California was--thus far it remained something he couldn't describe properly, for what words in any language were there to fully encapsulate such a feeling? A sense of apprehension, a bold forewarning accompanied it. But at this point, turning back would be foolish as well as pointless. If he were to learn what caused such peculiar sensations, then he needed to continue onwards. A resting place the first morning he arrived was easy enough to procure, just outside the city limits. There was farmland aplenty in this area, something Mael could in no way disapprove of; discovering tree farms in the near vicinity to York brightened his mood, caused an upward curling of his lips. It was easy enough to decree the expanse of fields suitable, temporary accommodations.
To roam streets a nameless being cloaked safely in dark shadows remained a routine that he'd practiced over and over until it had become a second nature. But here in this town the streets were quiet after the moon rose, resuming her post in the sky amidst the soft glow of the stars. Still, Mael remained wary and on guard after his arrival. There were beings here he'd never come into contact with before, not in all his long years. They skirted around the edges of his knowledge, his vision, some projecting a more menacing aura than others. The fact that there were creatures aside from those like him who'd somehow gone so very unnoticed over the passage of time...it was unsettling, to say the least. To know their origins, their true appearances, the means they used for survival--that was something better left alone for now. He didn't seek them out, and did what he could to keep his own presence masked.
He'd chosen tonight to stay for a short while within a local establishment, the business due to close soon. There were a few stragglers lounging in the booths, resting in the chairs. Their hands and bodies were warmed by cups filled with mocha lattes, frappuccinos, spiced chai. All these were names he'd easily gleamed from the menu posted behind the front counter, from the lips of those ordering, wanting their last caffeine fix for the day. The building smelled pleasant and the environment was quiet enough that he could merely sit at a back table to watch the patrons come and go while he thought of his next move. He was served ice water of which he had no need, but accepted for appearance's sake.
A young, pretty blonde woman excitedly carried two cups filled with frothy drinks to a booth near a window, her boyfriend following along with a look of consternation upon his face. Her eyes were blue and large, sparkling with excitement as she sipped from the disposable cup. Mael watched the couple passingly, entertained by the blonde's eagerness. She was bubbling over with words, phrases, facts. Her boyfriend looked increasingly astonished by her demeanor, shifting uncomfortably several times during the course of their conversation. The quiet atmosphere within the building was broken only by the young blonde's exclamations about a duckling, of all things. Curious the effects caffeine had on an individual; Mael wondered not for the first time about such pleasures lost to him. Jesse had long since tried to explain to him about these modern day simplicities, common in every day lives. He'd listened eagerly, enjoying the knowledge she'd shared, though he knew he'd never completely understand.
Mael shifted his gaze to the front window, noting the darkening sky. With it would come the slumbering quality of evening he enjoyed, though the impression that it was unnatural somehow left him rankled, confused. Mael would soon leave this place that bathed in the aroma of coffee beans--of course there were other smells, duly noted by him the moment he'd stepped through the front door. Not least among them was the underlying scent of mortal blood, ever tantalizing in a way that only those of his ilk would comprehend. But it was not a delicacy he craved tonight, and he wouldn't dare indulge unless the mood struck him.
No, what he was seeking in this town of York surpassed even that great fount of life.