if you go looking for hot water, don't act shocked when you get burned a little Who: Nic and Liliya Where: A bar When: Evening
There came a point where Nic could no longer sit around his house and listen to a rat bitch at him for drinking. At that point, Nic left the rat to go drink elsewhere. He was running out of things to drink at home anyways. He knew it was the last thing Nimhery wanted, but he couldn't muster the strength to care quite yet. The idea that a rat had been spying on him the last few years still creeped him out, making her a rather poor familiar for the time being. Maybe when he sobered up he'd be able to take her seriously, but not quite yet. Instead, he found himself a bar to hole up in for the evening, occasionally watching the rain pour down outside. It was the kind of night to stay in somewhere, even if it wasn't at home.
Liliya hated when it rained. No, scratch that, she actually did not mind the rain so long as she was not out in it. On a day spent going between various shelters so that she could be seen at all and let it be known that she was donating to the upkeep of each one - the publicity was too perfect to be passed up - this sort of rain was truly depressing. Somewhere between St. Michael's and the high school her umbrella soaked right through and the rain started to drip onto her hair and shirt. Making an irritated noise the vampire ducked into the nearest building. Oh delightful, she thought as her nose crinkled at the scent that washed over her. A bar. Liliya was ready to turn and take the rain over a bunch of drunk humans when she caught sight of a familiar face at the bar to which she could now connect a name. Nicodemus. Her lips curved up in a smirk as she recalled a fun bit of knowledge that had been passed onto her recently - he had quit the police force just like she had told him to. "Drowning your sorrows away?" Liliya asked as she slid onto the bar stool next to his. "Tsk tsk, that's no way for a police officer to behave, is it?" As though she did not know full well that he was no longer that.
If there was one single thing that could make a bad day worse, it would be running into Liliya. Wasn't the city big enough that he could manage to avoid her? He'd felt her presence the moment she walked in the door, yet hadn't looked to see who it might be, hoping it was another vampire. It wasn't, of course, and she obviously couldn't resist rubbing his nose in his recent failure. Nic's jaw tightened as she spoke and when he turned to her his eyes were a clear blue. "Good thing I quit then. Wouldn't want to be reprimanded for drinking." There were worse things to get caught doing... like assaulting a vampire. Even if it had been her word against his, the case alone would have been enough to cause doubt on him, and Nic didn't want that kind of publicity.
Just because she knew that he quit did not mean that Liliya got any less delight out of hearing him actually say it out loud. That was just like the cherry on top of a chocolate sundae - okay, now it's more like a sedated angelic-blooded witch - and she could possibly listen to him say it over and over again without getting tired of it. "Oh well isn't that too bad, Scarlet Oak losing one of their finest," Liliya tsked, shaking her head. Little droplets of water scattered along the floor, some getting on Nic, which the vampire did not bother to apologize for simply because she was not sorry. Though she was curious about his eyes - a shade of blue that definitely was nothing like the black that she remembered. Was that something that happened when he used his magic? She had not remembered Maureen saying anything about that so it seemed like she had another phonecall to make. "Good to hear that you manned up and did it yourself, a trial would have been so dull to go through."
"A trial would have been a pain in the ass," Nic muttered as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. His family would have handled it, but he'd have received the scolding of a lifetime, and that was provided they could win the case. Most times, there was no question, but Liliya had plenty of pull on her side as well. Nic wasn't interested in seeing who could win that battle. "Scarlet Oak will live," he said, lighting up the cigarette. "The police force didn't know what to do with me anyways. There are better things I can do with my time." He took a drag, then blew the smoke away from the both of them. He could still extend that courtesy to the bitch, even if she didn't breathe.
"We agree on that." There was something that the two actually saw eye to eye on. While Liliya was confident in herself, yes to the point of being cocky, she was not fully confident in the legal system and how they tended to view their police officers. She had gone through law school and seen multiple cases where police got away with things they should not have just because they were police officers and their word mattered more than everyone else's. What a load of bull. "Oh I have no doubts that Scarlet Oak will be able to survive without you; we're doing the demons plenty fine on our own." What use was a necromancer for that? Nothing so far as she was concerned. "I doubt one more man with a gun and a badge that he abuses would really make a difference."
"Interesting statement since I didn't even tell you I was an officer," Nic said with a snort. "Can't abuse a badge if I don't use it." Nic was pretty sure she was the one who'd been abused, which again made him wonder what the hell he'd been thinking. He couldn't just pick random vampires out of a crowd and play puppetmaster... even if he was capable of doing so. It wasn't the kind of person he wanted to be. "A gun and a badge isn't going to stop a demon. No one's trained to fight that kind of shit. Black magic would be better suited, but that's not something the police force wants to promote either so..." Nic shrugged, taking another drag off his cigarette before raising a brow. "Don't you have better things to do than make sure I feel like shit?" He was plenty good at doing that himself, thank you.
No, he had not, that was true. But Liliya was certain that had they gone to court it would have been presented in spades. Besides, it was her opinion that police officers just acted however they wanted, badge or not, because they thought they were above the law. Let him pick that out of her head, see what he thought of it. Not that it matters since he's not actually an officer anymore. Wait, black magic? He was a necromancer and a witch. That added a whole other level of interest that Liliya suppressed because she reminded herself that she did not like this person sitting before her. He had messed around with her mind and forced her to do something that she had not wanted to because he felt like it. "No, I don't really have anything else to do tonight," Liliya replied, a smirk playing around the corners of her mouth. "Finished all of my rounds and was just ducking out of the rain. How could I pass up a little chat with someone whose misery I'm quite enjoying?"
Whether she realized it or not, Nic was not listening in on her thoughts, not tonight, when he knew they'd likely just piss him off. He was in a bad enough mood as it was that he didn't need her pushing him to do something stupid again. "Your rounds?" he asked, wondering now just what she'd been up to. What kind of rounds did a vampire make during the day? Nic didn't even like the daylight, so he couldn't imagine what would pull her out to deal with the sun. "So let's chat then," Nic said, turning on her barstool to face her. "What do I have to do to make sure this doesn't happen again?" He didn't want to find another job just to have her blackmail him again, yet he had no way of knowing it wouldn't happen. If she wanted to, she could probably run him out of town and Nic hated having that hang over him.
So many people saw just her fangs and forgot to look at the fact that she was, first and foremost, a politician. A change of her race had done nothing at all to change how she had been raised and Liliya would not allow something like daylight or vampiric superstition to stand in her way. "I visited all of the shelters," Liliya said with a dismissive little wave of her hand. It was expected and so she had needed to do it, plain and simple, no questions asked on her part because no answers were needed. Though her duties flitted right out of her head when Nic turned and asked what he had to do. A vampire who had a necromancer by the short hairs; oh but her family would love to hear about this. "It's interesting to realize the consequences of your actions," Liliya mused, drumming her fingers on the top of the bar before waving them dismissively when the bartender asked if she wanted anything. "I don't know if there's anything you can do for me that would make me forget this. It was quite offensive. Although... you could be useful to me." Someone who could read the minds of vampires, a feat which she herself actually envied. "We might be able to reach an understanding if you'd put that little gift of yours to use for me. Instead of against me."
Nic glared at her, smoking in hopes to drive off his frustration. He signaled to the bartender that he would have another because at the moment he definitely needed it. "So you want me to work for you, but it still won't get me out of it?" He asked. "There are more permanent ways to rid myself of this problem, so don't be a bitch." If he really wanted this all taken care of, he'd just see to it that she got killed. He could do it himself without laying a finger on her and it would look like an accident. How easily she forgot that... "What would you have me do anyways? You don't like it used on you, but you'd have me do it to others?" He clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Why bother with force when you've got blackmail down pat?"
Liliya quirked an eyebrow up and pulled out her cell without another thought to fire off a text to Maureen informing her sire that she was having a discussion with the necromancer. She knew that he could control her actions if he so chose but she had, well, overlooked it. Completely. Though now she felt better. "I die, you die so that threat's hollow to me." Liliya actually doubted that being dead for real would be all that bad. If not for discovering angelic blood and finding a steady source then she would have begged for it years ago. "And perhaps I phrased that a little too vaguely. If you did indeed prove useful to me then I wouldn't threaten you again so long as you did not give me or any member of my family a reason to. As for what I'd have you do - there are troublesome vampires in this area who make my job far too difficult by following no rules but their own. I'd like to know who they are, what the thoughts going through their insensible little minds are."
He wasn't entirely sure how if she died, he would die, but just assumed she had something set up to make sure the later happened if the first occurred. It would be simple to pull such information out of her, but if he was trying to get on her good side that wouldn't be the best of ideas. "How do I know who's in your family and who's not?" Nic asked, thrown on that point. "And it's not like I wander around, looking for vampires to pick on. You were just... wrong place, wrong time." Even another sip of his drink didn't make him feel better about admitting that. The only perk to come of this might be further use of his powers, which would prevent another incident from sneaking up on him. If the police had actually been using him, then he wouldn't have ended up with a migraine in the first place. "If you don't know who they are, I can't seek them out to read their minds."
Liliya gave a shrug of her shoulders. "You can't unless you're playing in their minds and figure it out - dangerous game." Sometimes she thought it would all be easier if every house or family had some sort of identifying marker, but then she realized how foolish that was. Not every member of Cyri flaunted their loyalties and there were plenty of other houses who remained hidden for good reasons. "Perhaps it was the right place if this is what happens from it." Otherwise she would not have known that necromancers were real and would not be just a step away from having one to aide her when she needed it. But he had a good point, how could he help her when she did not know herself who the problem vampires were? Her fingers tapped a little faster as she thought, stopping when it hit her. "Do you know Heme by any chance? They're always in need of employees and I know the owner. You're in need of a job and it'd be the perfect place to spy in on the thoughts of vampires." Yes, she was becoming rather fond of this idea.
There were a number of reasons this setup made Nic uncomfortable, but the primary one revolved around the fact that he'd be assisting a vampire whom he had no trust in what-so-ever. For all he knew, Liliya could be setting him up to get ripped to pieces, thus giving him good reason to take a little peak into her thoughts. Internally, she seemed true to her word; if she was planning his demise, she was good at hiding it. "If I got caught..." Nic said hesitantly. Pissing off one vampire was a bad idea, but could be dealt with. Pissing off a bar-full? Nic was sure that many vampires could make him disappear without a drop of blood to show for it. "I've been to Heme. I know someone that works there. If I were to do this, it would only be for-- what do you consider 'troublesome' for a vampire? And it's just for information on where to look, right?" She'd need to gather evidence herself. If someone got caught off information he provided, he didn't want it to be traced back to him.
Liliya had no reason to want Nic dead at the current moment. He was going to be useful to her - possibly - and therefore he was not worth the effort that it would take to kill him. Unless he went against her. But that was a different situation that she would hopefully not have to deal with. She always hated having to get rid of someone who she had used or could be useful. What was the point? Waste was just that - waste. "If you got caught then it'd be no fault of mine," Liliya informed him calmly. "I'm not the one who would be doing wrong after all. But yes, information on where to look." As for what a troublesome vampire would be, the definition differed greatly. Hers was the most important one, of course. "Troublesome by my definition is anyone who has gone around making themself a nuisance to humans. Like that whole mess with Amanda Blake and a vampire... if you could pick thoughts up relating to that in particular, I would be pleased."
The more he heard about this deal, the less he liked it, but then he had to keep in mind that he didn't have to report everything he heard. Nic's definition of troublesome might differ from hers on occasion, but he did believe there was overlap. In those cases, he wouldn't mind letting her take care of it. "Can you promise to keep me out of it if it comes back to you?" Nic said as he tapped the ash off the end of his cigarette before bringing it to his lips once more. If he got caught, it was his own problem; Nic wanted to make sure the same applied to her. Should someone ask where she got her information, saying 'the necromancer told me' wasn't going to fly. "The mess with Blake bother you personally?" he asked.
Well of course Liliya was going to tell her superiors where she was getting her information from. They would be delighted, and quite possibly amused, at the idea of having a necromancer helping a vampire. "I don't tell anyone how I know things unless they rank above me and ask," Liliya informed Nic. Some vampire from another house or family would never be able to do that in her eyes. Besides, it would not really be good business to rat out an informant. Liliya had been learning about politics since she was knee-high and she knew just how valuable people could be if they were used right. Even if they did not like being used - that was why blackmail existed and oh it was so much fun. An irritated noise slipped out at the thought of what had happened to the human. Liliya despised Cameron Calvert and everyone associated with him, which was not hard to figure out, but even then... "A vampire attacking a human and terrorizing but not killing her and leaving her to be found? Yes, that bothers me personally. It gives vampires a very bad name and I build myself on giving us a good one."
"No," Nic said, "this is between you and me. Even if they ask, do not mention my name." What went unsaid was how he would handle such an event, but that was for him to deal with when the time came. Most likely, he'd kill her, but shutting up her house would be more difficult. She'd probably already told someone in her house that he existed. He couldn't stop that, but he would prevent them from being in on the deal if he could help it. Unlike Liliya, Nic's morals weren't as high; if he wasn't personally connected with a person, he didn't necessarily care what happened to them. He knew it was wrong, and might try to help them, but go out of his way to track down the offender? That was someone else's duty, especially now that he'd had that job taken away from him. "You can't give vampires a good name," Nic said a little smirk. "Nature prevents it, at least in the eyes of humans. So long as we're your prey, you will always be a threat."
Liliya raised an eyebrow at that. She did not keep things from her elders, plain and simple. There was a reason that they were above her and until they were no longer higher up they deserved to know what she did. People who kept information so minuscule a secret had a way of ending up dead. "You must have me confused for someone in a little club. My family operates in a very certain way and if they want information they will get it. I don't deny them." Especially not her sire. If there was anyone that Liliya had ever respected then it was Maureen. And Liliya... her morals were not so offended as her public image. She hated having her public image messed with. The flood of hate emails and letters and threatening phonecalls had more than doubled since the attack on Blake and she was not impressed. No one in her family had done that but did the public believe her? No. They hardly saw the differences between vampires, for the love of everything! "So you say," Liliya said with a shrug, fingers curling into her palm. "I have made more than enough progress to assure myself that it's possible." Not that it really mattered. Humans were toys on the end of strings and she already had several rather nice ones to play with. "And I know for a fact that we have a better name than the likes of you if that were to get out. Who likes someone that plays with the dead?" She had done her research.
In many ways, Nic could understand the way her family operated, as his ran the exact same way. It was a family by blood, but that didn't make it's rules any less strict. He could not deny his elders information without reaping the consequences, and Nic would rather have them on his side than anyone else. He decided not to argue with her, hoping only that she would use good judgement on this matter. He would be informing his family of the situation as well, should they need to get involved. They might not be spread worldwide, but they could do enough damage that she should respect the threat. Should, but likely would not. One thing Nic had picked up loud and clear was that Liliya was possibly the most prideful vampire he'd met. Except for maybe Whisper. "It's instinct," he pointed out. "You've made progress, but do you know how easy it is to derail it?" Nic reached into his pocket to pull out a pocket knife. Opening the blade, he began to press it into the tip of his finger, not quite enough to draw blood... not yet. "How much blood does it take to drive a vampire to bloodlust?" he asked. "And to the humans in this room... which is the bigger threat? The vampire? Or the one who can control her?"
Instinct. Liliya understood instinct all too well, had practically lived by it for a few months when she had decided that she did not care what anyone said. Her eyebrow raised when he pulled out a knife and pressed it against his own skin. Was he really going to spill his own blood to try and point something out to her? "I'm not a threat to them," Liliya informed him coolly. She no longer drank from people without their consent and it had been years since she had fed on someone who was not angelic-blooded. The blood of angels was what kept her from spiraling back into a depression that caused her to be of no use to her family and that was simply not allowed. Her sire would be the first to come and smack her back into reality, if her husband did not get to her first. Naoki worried far too much. "I keep myself well-fed and besides, your blood is of no interest to me. If you'd like to cut yourself and show everyone that it's not the right color-" Supposedly. That could just be one of the myths that she had sifted through while doing her minimalistic research. "Then please, be my guest. I'd like to see what it looks like, personally."
Oddly enough, Nic found himself laughing. Her ignorance was amusing, her knowledge even more so. If she really thought she wasn't a threat, then she'd never had her buttons pushed and likely forgot that Nic could force them if he desired. In fact, he could make it look like she'd gone into a blood frenzy just so he could save the patrons, making him the hero in a twisted little scene of manipulation on all ends. That wasn't his intent, though, and he was more impressed she kept her cool. "You've done your homework," he grinned as he twisted the knife against his fingertip, taking the pressure off so as not to cut his skin. "Might as well leave you guessing." He pushed the blade back into the knife, his eyes locked on hers. He'd picked up a few thoughts here and there, and couldn't keep himself from asking the question on his mind. "You never give in to that instinct? Ever?" he asked. "'Cause that's about as fucked up as a vegetarian shark, if you ask me."
Being laughed at ranked right up there with having her image messed with and Liliya's features twisted into a frown as her fingers resumed their tapping. It was a good thing that she was not the one who could read his mind or she would have been less than impressed. Too bad that she doubted any of his desires would run parallel with what she wanted him to do or she could give a little show of her own by nudging him in that direction. Ah well. "I do my best." The best that she could do with all of the other work that she had on top of this demon outburst. Too bad that he did not go ahead with cutting himself because Liliya really was curious about that. And again, he was asking questions and Liliya found that she could not look away. Oh, oh no, she did not like this even in the slightest. "I used to," she found herself replying honestly, fingers still on the counter. "But my family frowns upon it and I have a most willing donor. My husband, Naoki, and there are quite a few willing sources. Why hunt and make a bad name for myself when I have all that I need right at my fingertips?" Literally, all it would take was a thought and Naoki would be on his way there whether he wanted to be or not. Amaya too, for that matter. Now there was a trick that she never grew tired of. "We can be quite civil about what we do. Much like humans evolved from stabbing at things with sticks to farming them."
All it would take was a thought... The things Nic picked up filtering through her mind were even more interesting than what she was saying aloud. What kind of control did she have over her husband? And how willing was a man that would grow old while his wife stayed young forever, feeding on his blood? Besides the fact that the man had to be out of his mind, Nic expected Liliya would eventually get bored with that arrangement. He knew he would, if he were her. "Define willing," Nic said, though he didn't expect an answer there. "I love how you speak as if you had a part in the evolution of vampires. You've been one, what? Eight years? And prior to that you were just like everyone else." He'd done his homework as well, unwilling to let a woman who could manipulate him hold all the cards. He'd not known much about Liliya the last time they'd met, but she was far too easy to look up. "You can be civil, and yet... you drink human blood to survive. So we either offer it willingly or you take it by force. There's no other alternative. If you didn't have such willing donors, would you still remain civil?"
Liliya was fully aware of why Naoki was so willing - for his family. And she had him for his blood and the positive influence it had on her public image. That was not something that she would outgrow the need for anytime soon and any other urges she had could be taken care of quite easily. From the way that Nic was talking it seemed like he looked at her more like an animal than anything else and that, that she did not approve of. Not at all. "I was never just like everyone else - and I haven't had a part, but my family has and that's good enough for me." And willing? Willing was exactly that. Why did he seem to have such a problem with that? "Well, wouldn't that require a lack of willing people? Take a look at the world, Nicodemus, and you'll find that there are more than enough people who enjoy the idea of being fed from, who enjoy vampires and offer their necks or wrists without any hesitation. Why should I think about something that will never be?"
Nic looked away, unwilling to argue with her when he didn't believe her facts to be facts. There might be a good number of people willing to offer themselves, but there weren't enough for all the vampires. He just didn't believe that... nor did he believe that all vampires wanted "donors". It went against their instinct and even if Liliya forced herself to be civilized not all vampires would embrace that. The people that offered themselves? They had reasons, he was sure, but he didn't entirely believe it was because they enjoyed having their blood taken. "I forgot I'm arguing with a politician," he said with a soft snort, dismissing her argument as invalid. He'd never known anyone in her line of work that didn't build themselves on lies and he doubted she was any different. Besides, he wouldn't believe a vampire wasn't a monster; it would make him feel even worse about what he was himself. "So you'll contact someone at Heme and let them know I'm interested in a job?" he asked, amusement gone as he returned to the subject at hand.
Clearly Nic was not the sort to be drawn into a debate if he did not like what he heard. Liliya was fully aware that there were those of her kind who would not subscribe to the same beliefs and patterns that she and the majority of her family did, but she did not have to like it. Nor did she have to agree with it. There were humans who went out and killed countless and why? Because they felt like it. Ah well, Liliya was not here to debate with someone who did not seem to have a logical bone in his body. Let him think what he wanted, she did not care. "We're not arguing. If this was an argument there would be some semblance of reason on the other side. But yes, Ill put in a word for you and then you can go and... see what they're willing to offer someone like you. Not that they'll know what you are unless you tell them. Hopefully I don't need to advise you against that."
"You know what? Fuck off. I don't owe you anything," Nic said, turning on his stool to face the bar again. Maybe he'd had too much to drink, but he could no longer remember why he was doing this for her in the first place. She was the reason he was out of a job and he didn't like the idea of her holding another one over him. If he didn't get her what she wanted, she could just as easily pull that carpet out, and Nic didn't like the idea of enabling someone who already had such a big head on her shoulders. If she wanted to consider him unreasonable, then damn it, he would be unreasonable. He wanted to laugh as she tried to give him advice, as if he would ever do anything she suggested-- the opposite seemed like a better plan. Instead, he finished off his drink, forcing himself to keep his mouth shut.
Well that certainly seemed to get under his skin. Perhaps too much since he no longer seemed interested in any sort of deal. "It was your idea you know," she reminded him. "I can put in a good word but it's not like I would want them to fire you." Where was the use in that? Liliya hated wasting potential and it seemed like that was what was going to happen here if things did not change. "That would make me look bad. If you've been paying attention then you'd realize that I hate looking bad and would never encourage something with that end goal. You should take this offer. It'd be good for you." And for her. If not for that she would have just walked back out into the storm. But she liked this idea.
"If you put in a good word, it ties you to me and I don't want to be associated with you," Nic said, point blank. "If I get the job, it's because I can offer something they want, and if I lose the job, it's because I fuck up. That's the way it's supposed to work." He didn't want her pulling strings one way or another, even though he was sure she was good at it. "You have no idea what would be good for me," Nic said, turning his head to look at her, and this time his eyes were black. Getting rattled by a vampire, while drinking, when he was already in a poor mood was just the sort of thing to bring on the change. That and the thought that he fancied her with a fork sticking out of her neck... but Nic knew not to go there.
Black eyes. Liliya did not approve of black eyes since their last encounter because she directly associated it with what he had made her do. "That's your loss then, isn't it?" she asked, shrugging as she slid her purse back over her shoulder. "I think that maybe someone in your situation should be a little more careful with someone in my position though. Yes, yes, you have a big family, good for you." A flip of the fingers. "I do too, we've had this particular little argument before so I won't drone on about it. Truth be told, you shouldn't be anywhere near vampires, much less working at a bar for them. Because when things with us don't go your way what are you going to do? Make them? How is that in any way justified? I feed from humans and I know that I need them to survive; but at least I don't hide what I am or take it out on whoever is around at the current moment in time."
It was hard enough on his ego for him to resign from his job, but now to have his nose rubbed in it and be taunted for his mistakes was more than Nic could handle. His teeth ground together as he stared hard at the bar counter, furious at how flippantly she spoke. "You don't know me or what I need," he said, digging his wallet out of his pocket so that he could pay for his drinks and get out of there. He'd rather walk in the rain than spend one more minute listening to her. Throwing the money onto the counter, he slid off the bar stool and headed for the door. There was no point in justifying his actions to her; she wouldn't understand if he tried.
Oh now was that not interesting? Liliya had found a weakness and she filed it away because that could come in very handy at some point in the future. Because Nic could not even bring himself to respond to her questions. Because she was right? Necromancers like him existed to control the dead and the undead and if the later did not agree with them apparently they would use their powers to force them. Some life. "And yet you pretend like you know everything about what I do... interesting," Liliya remarked more to the bar, letting him go. She had no reason to stay any longer but being outside with an angry necromancer who had already lost his job seemed like one of those things she should avoid.
At her remark, Nic whipped around, planting one hand on either side of her to pin her against the bar. "I don't know you, but I know your kind. You get everything you want, so you think you own the world. You're always right because yours is the only opinion that matters. And you will crush everyone that gets in your way because you have no regard for them or their problems. I don't have a problem with vampires; I have a problem with bitches." This one in particular. Nic had others in his life, some that he'd even grown fond of, but that was upon knowing more than just their cover. As far as he could tell, Liliya didn't have a soul beneath it all, and he wasn't sure it was worth working to find out.
Liliya's eyes went flat and the only thing that kept her from reaching up and seeing how he liked having his throat crushed was the fact that there were people around. She did not get everything she wanted, for starters, but why should he know that? She got what she worked for, what she paid for and she just so happened to know how to get it. So what if she manipulated and lied and used people? That was what everyone did to get ahead and Liliya wanted ahead. She had allowed herself to be changed into this thing where she needed angelic blood to get through the day just to ensure that she would get further ahead in life. "You don't know my kind anymore than I know yours," she hissed at him. "I got where I am because I deserve it and I won't have some little upstart who can't control himself telling me otherwise. Get away from me. Now."
"Or what? You'll bite me?" he asked, leaning in close to whisper in her ear. To anyone else in the bar, it might look like a rather intimate set up. In fact, if Nic let himself, he'd find her scent quite appealing. Unfortunately, he was so strung out by their conversation that his focus was on provoking her in other ways, his heart beating loudly enough that he was sure every vampire in a mile radius could hear it. "You caught me on a bad day and I'll pay for it the rest of my itty, bitty little life. At least keep it interesting."
No matter what was going on, this current situation was upsetting her. He was too close to be anywhere near proper and that sort of thing mattered to someone who had gotten married just to look good. "I don't bite in anger," she informed him as she slipped a hand up onto his chest and pushed him back. Necromancer or not, he was no vampire or were or demon and there was no strength in him for someone like her. The sound of his heartbeat did fill her ears and she shook her head to try and tune it out. His blood was not appealing to her, no, it was the opposite of what she wanted. "Maybe it'll be interesting, maybe it'll be dull. I think it'd be more fun to see you so bored that you drink yourself into an early grave so that I can spit on it." She had offered him an easy way out and he had all but thrown it back in her face. His loss. Her loss too, for that matter.
Having never actually been touched by a vampire, Nic didn't expect the strength behind a little push. He stumbled backwards, barely able to keep his balance, and fortunately didn't knock anyone over. Despite his previous composure, his wide eyes showed his surprise, now at an odd mix of black and blue. As he blinked, the black faded out completely. "It'll be here before you know it. Better start planning," he said, her comment enough to sober him up. It was time to go, though he didn't know where. Friends in this town were hard to come by and Nic really didn't think that a rat counted.
Seeing Nic stumble and lose his composure was enough to make Liliya smirk. Someone who played with vampires should at least have a little respect for what they could do. His comment about his death coming soon was slightly confusing - unless he really planned on drinking himself to death - but Liliya was not really concerned. He could control her mind and make her do things. People like him were a threat and if they could not be used then they might as well be done away with. "I'll look forward to that day then. Unless you change your mind and want that job, we could work well together, Nicodemus." If he would stop pissing her off and acting like he knew everything just because he could see into her mind.
"I may take that job," Nic said. "But I don't know that it's worth it to help you." It was a point on which he was still torn. He could actually use his powers to help catch vampires who were causing harm, but he would have to work with her. Enabling Liliya to do anything was not high on Nic's list at that point, just as she would probably prefer to see him dead rather than work with him either. "I don't like you. I can't find anything about you to like. Give me a good reason, a reason that I can agree with, why I should want to tie myself to you and I'll do it."
The idea of Nic dead was much more appealing than the idea of him walking around and doing anything. But a corpse would not be any use to her. A living necromancer could be if he would - what? What was supposed to be a good reason for someone like him? "I don't know what your definition of a good reason is. I would think that being able to be a part of getting rid of vampires who aim to do what you fear and terrorize humans would be enough. But if you want to get personal..." Did she have redeeming qualities people outside of politics could understand? Because Nic did not have a political mind at all from what she had gathered. Liliya blinked. "I love my family. Both of them, the ones who birthed me and the ones who gave me new life. I would do anything in my power for both of them. Vampires who go around biting and draining whoever they want makes life more dangerous for both of my families and that just isn't acceptable." Not that her human family was something that she cared to flaunt about for the public. They were a weakness she could only do so much to cover and more, they were weak. Easily used by those who might seek to do her harm.
That was not only something that Nic could understand, but something he could relate to. While his family wasn't necessarily weak, they were a weakness for him, as well as a strength. He too would do anything for them, all of them, and the numbers weren't small. He didn't mention them, though, since he doubted she would understand the comparison. "Okay then," he said calmly. "I'll see what I can do." She'd done as he'd asked without him using even an ounce of persuasion, and Nic was good for holding up his end of the bargain. Now all he had to do was get a job at Heme.
A calm and rational tone, was she really hearing that from Nic? Liliya has not suspected that he was capable of having a tone like that but apparently she was wrong. And also, it looked like her love for her family was a redeeming quality. Maybe because he loves his too. Liliya could respect that. Nodding, she reached into her purse and pulled out one of the cards that she kept with her on principle, holding it out towards him. "All methods of reaching me are on there. Because relying on both of us being in the same location at random for the third time is a gamble I'd not place wagers on." She was not a betting woman. "Let me know if you need... assistance."
If fate really wanted them to run into each other that often, Nic was going to develop a hatred for it. He liked the idea of planned meetings better, since it meant he could mentally prepare himself going in-- ie without being drunk or suffering from a migraine. He suspected he came across as the most argumentative and illogical person on the planet, when it was really that Liliya's timing in meeting up with him was consistently poor. "Of course," he said, too tired to argue at this point. He pocketed the card, but gave her nothing in return, as he had nothing really to give. "You'll hear from me soon. Good night, Liliya."
"And good night to you as well, Nicodemus," Liliya said in reply, returning to the seat she had taken up. There was still nothing there that appealed to her but she was still going to let Nic have his leave before she followed. They may have been on what she could call a shakily not adversarial ground, but again, she would not put that to the test. A few more minutes out of the rain would not do her any harm. She did smile to herself as she toyed with one of the napkins - that had actually ended quite nicely.