//CLOSED Intelligence Gathering 101....reading ALOT of books.

From his initial encounter with the Fae woman named Kalika, his eyes were opened to many facts and reasons about the school. The horrors. The secrets. The creatures. It all made sense. The people with their gifts or curses outnumbered those who were considered 'have nots' but it did not discourage the man who wanted to dig deeper into the bulge of information. He started with background information on the school, and then working outwards towards reading about folklore concerning vampires, lycanthropes (he was corrected that werewolves and lycanthropes were two different things), and who the mysterious founders of the school were. He found out who the mysterious lady was that fed her vampire blood, Allis C., who reopened the school for unlisted reasons. From his guestimations, she was a powerful vampire turned over a decade back. But from what or how, he wouldn't know... as her information was not only limited, but not of his major concern. But he dug deeper into the information about lycans and their history, studying their background information. But most of the information was vague, stretching from being able to transform into 30 foot tall creatures to being able to turn into wolves who roam the night.

The creatures that killed his parents were neither human nor wolf. It was a hybrid, a mix.

Once he had read all the online articles of fan fics, fan sites, and fan....crap on this movie called Twilight he about had enough searching wildly for information he could not find. Even Kalika was holding off on the information he sought, blue balling him every step of the way. Hell, she didn't even try to charm him, which seemed to be her favorite trick in the book. She only changed his bandages, made sure the wound wasn't infected and he wasn't having seizures, and sent him on his way. He couldn't even get a damn side conversation out of her. But in her eyes, he would easily see that she was just making him wait. Making him suffer. She seemed to, at least to him, enjoy the fact that the lack of knowledge made him feel powerless. He understood this kind of tactic, so he never budged past the points of asking directly. He knew if he were to try to pin her for information, torture her, or bribe her for the information then he would lose what little edge he had. Nevertheless, the sleepless nights and dead ends began to take a toll on his body and soul. He was reaching his breaking point, every single day. There was only so many days left before he would have to ask Kalika, and see what she had in store for him. The vibes he was getting from her all spelled BAD, so she was his last resort.

So he was in the restrictive section of the library. First time being here, he would roam around the books shelves and examine the scenery with a bit of marveling and awe. It was in the corner of the library, so he didn't notice it until he worked his way from front to back. But many of the books in this section were old or behind protected glass. Course, he could open up any lock with his set of lock picks... but he remembered Kalika mentioning that he was messing with otherworldly forces. So he would prefer to pick the locks unless it was absolutely necessary, otherwise he might risk some kind of magical blindness or erectile dysfunction. That... last part would definitely suck.

But walking through one of the aisles, a familiar title caught his eye. Taking a step towards it, he noticed a book titled Celtic Folklore in a leather bound cover. It was big, old, and dusty. Tilting his head rather curiously, he smiled and said "Hmm... this seems like a good start. " Grabbing the book, he would find a table in the empty part of the library and begin to skim through the pages. It was surprising, as many of the pages were hand written, which surprised him because the date of the book was circa 1600s. It seemed like a personal diary than a published works. But when he was skimming the pages, he found a word he was not looking for. Like a blinking neon sign, he read the word aloud "Fae history and folklore..." He would put his eyes towards the pages and begin to read the contents, working his way down and becoming completely drawn into the work.

The only sign the world was ever permitted to her impending approach was the melody of her heels. The click of them against any surface resounded around the room, not even carpet silenced their tune. It was a well organize orchestra that changed depending on her mood: sharp clicks were a sign of anger or annoyance, slow deliberate click were stalking or seducing… so and so forth. The main point to the matter? Kalika could scare the world by simple walking across a tile floor when she was angry. It was just her nature to emit that power, that sense of dread.

Today however, was a much different case than any before. At this very moment, Kalika traversed quietly down the hall without so much as a whisper of her presence. Glamour was of course woven tightly around her, though this time it changed only the basics. Her clothing was the same dark leather she always preferred along with a corset that embraced her tighter than any lover. She wore heels that slid beneath her pants to grip at her calf. Kalika looked the part of her true nature, almost perfectly. Her skin however, was a vibrant tan hue full of life, her hair a dark brown, and her eyes a dull brown that matched.

Kalika wasn’t here for any particular reasoning; she had grown curious as to what the school held in its collections. There was little else to do while waiting for a tragedy or formal class, which to be honest wasn’t her cup of tea. Pun purely intended. She sighed as she pushed through the doors and was immediately greeted by the dull crackle of a fire. She was equally drawn to the flames and repelled by them, her power demanding dominance over the arcane craft while her nature demanded the cold bite of the night. She was making her way through the books when she noticed the second of older volumes. They were her favorite to read, so many of the older tales contained truths tucked away inside.

Nails brushed along worn leather spine when she felt a familiar tug on her senses. She wasn’t alone. Kalika grinned at the little fact and closed her eyes to better focus her senses. Monster of the hunt knew exactly where to find its mark. She stalked forward, moving behind riley like a tiger edging closer to its prey. One wrong step and the concentration would shatter. If he hadn’t sensed her before, he was certainly bound to take notice now.

She leaned in close to him and grinned, her lips nearly brushing against his ear as she whispered, “Studying up on me?” No matter his reaction she would step to the side of the table and laugh, tilting a wooden chair back before settling in its most uncomfortable hold. Leaning back she would eye the book and grin, “Most people who wrote about Faeries were considered crazy or a witch. Put to their deaths by various means, ah, the good old centuries. Did you by chance, find anything useful?” She actually smiled as she leaned forward, elbows resting on the table, her chin propped upon her palm. Unlike all the times in the medical ward where she had kept her distance, checking only his wound before sending him away…. She was throwing most of her charm in to her word. Luring him in with her sirens voice, her melody of comfort and seduction.

It was rather strange for him to dig deeper into something that didn't seem relevant to figuring out what the hell a lycanthrope is, but Riley knew that a bundle of information was deep behind the veils of Kalika, the 'school nurse'. If he was going to have to use her to figure out his information, then a side step would need to be taken in order to figure out who or what she was. She hinted at it, but like a snake she never exposed her true intentions. He wanted to say 'just like a woman' but he had to question the fact if she was even a woman at all. She said she was a fae/fairy, but from what she told him it lead him to believe that she was something more than a fairy dancer during the night hours. She seemed darker, more sadistic, even her natural vibe made him question if there was something more to her than meets the eye. Eying a certain passage, he began to digest the following excerpt:

The Unseelie (Unholy or Unblessed) Court consists of the malicious and evilly-inclined fairies. Unlike the Seelie Court, no offense is necessary to bring down their assaults. As a group (or "host"), they appear at night and assault travelers, often carrying them through the air, beating them, and forcing them to commit such acts as shooting elfshot at cattle. Like the fairies of the Seelie Court are not always benevolent, neither are the faries of the Unseelie Court always evil. However, when forced to choose, they will always prefer to harm—rather than to help—humans. Some of the most common characters in the Unseelie Court are Bogies, Bogles, Boggars, Abbylubbers and Buttery spirits.

Wow, some tid bit of information. The Unseelie seem like a bunch of pranksters than seductive mistresses.

Placing both hands on his eyes, he began to massage them easily into his head. The lack of sleep was causing him to feel more exhausted with each passing day, and he began to notice his limited reaction time to many events. He was nearly caught sleeping during registration at one point, thankfully when the door opened it creaked so loud that he dove for cover underneath the desks. Talk about someone catching you on a bad day. But before he was able to place eyes on a piece of paper, that little nagging vibe in the back of his head prickled as he felt like he was being watched. Merely looking around, he would take notice to no sounds or other forms of presence in the room. It startled him for a moment, but after some mental coaxing his eyes would drift back down onto the pages again... scanning the material about fae history and the like.

But before he could dig deep into the material before him, he heard the words.

“Studying up on me?”

Instantly his hand would dart underneath his over shirt, his body would contort sideways in the chair, and his eyes would glaze over towards the girl making the sudden, surprising sound. His reflexes, still sharp, would cringe slightly when he noticed who was there... threading the handle of the gun with his fingertips when the girl would take a few steps back.... almost laughing at the sight of his reaction. Stopping himself before he was about to draw the weapon out of his pocket, he relaxed gently against the table and shook his head. What a load of nerves he was. "Jesus Kalika..." He called her by her first name, even if it was inappropriate and rude. Considering what he had seen and been through, he just forced himself into a first name basis with her... even if she was probably several hundred years older than himself. His hand would rest upon the weapon on his waist band, thumbing the metal texture of the gun before slowly withdrawing his hand out onto the table.

"Ya know, sneaking up on people is a damn near dangerous thing to do." But he knew she knew that, that's why she did it. Even so, he couldn't help but let those words slip right from his mouth. Sighing deeply, he would lean back to watch her skimming the books with mild interest.

“Most people who wrote about Faeries were considered crazy or a witch. Put to their deaths by various means, ah, the good old centuries. Did you by chance, find anything useful?” But this time, he felt the wave of her alluring nature wash right over him. A bit stronger this time, but he was ready. He only lulled over for a moment with goo-goo eyes before slapping his cheeks and and bringing himself back into focus with a wild grin. Gritting his teeth, he didn't need to inflict pain on himself just yet... although he missed the effects the vampires blood had on her seductive otherworldly charms. "Just... trying to expand my knowledge base on the school. Ive read so much folklore, I believe I am going to end up like those old guys telling stories to kiddies around campfires at night. " Slamming the book closed, he merely massaged his eyes with slight annoyance. Its been nearly a week since he began this search, and it was already turning up fruitless. He read so much nonsense that his eyes would probably bleed if he didn't remember to blink every minute.

Even if he resisted her charm, if not barely, he couldn't help but notice that she was wearing a rather... 'interesting' outfit today. Turning towards her he would tilt his head and casually say "So tell me, why you are down here?" Pausing for effect, while he had a mental conscience of his own he added "I do not believe you came down here looking for me JUST to show off how well your bosom fits in your corset... which, by the way, seems to fill out quite nicely." The charm may not have the effects of controlling him just yet, but it did loosen his tongue to much more perverse degrees. But he had a feeling this was just mere coincidence... but knowing her, she would probably try to play her cards here soon. So it was up to him to try to figure out how to play the field once again. The ball was in her court, so he had to find a way of getting the ball back in his.

Sitting there, idly, she commented on ways to avoid seeing the truths of the darkness. But to Riley, he was unable to take a step back and walk out of here with his tail between his legs. He had seen creatures of the night. Fought them. Survived them. There was no other reason or obligation to avoid them otherwise. Even if he were to leave the school and go back to America, those creatures of the night would follow him in his dreams, possibly bending him over the edge of insanity where he may end up shooting himself or going on a mass murdering rampage. It was actually more in his benefit to face his problems head on, even if it meant becoming thrashed around enough so that he will become permanently disabled or killed. Hell, for all intents and purposes, he was talking to one of them face-to-face at this very moment. Nevertheless, other than what he has experience or been told, his information on her was incomplete. It would probably take an intentional provoking or something along those lines to force a reaction to complete his hypothesis... but at what cost would it bring him?

"My dreams are already haunted by these 'half truths' since the day I was born. If anything, the information you provide will only make my transition into this school easier and only increase my chances of getting out of it alive. But she was rummaging through the books, smirking and laughing at his foolhearted attempts at understanding the unknown. If there was a wikipedia page or some form of media outlet on the information he needed he would have already been on top of it. But the attempts at understanding the unknown along with the fantasy created behind it only made it harder and harder to understand whatever the hell anything was along with the creatures that lived in the school.

“In all reality, my boy, I came here to read. It is a library after all; I merely wanted to see what tombs this place held in its mighty hold.”

Pausing, he merely smirked and added "Now that, is surprising." He left an air of curiosity, ending almost on a rhetorical note and not mentioning anything further.

Merely listening, shaking off her attempts at charming him by stepping on his own toe, he heard the final remark on what he knew he was going to hear. Like honey wrapped in silk, her voiced lulled right over him as he heard the words...hearing the phrase “So tell me Riley… What can you offer me?" come right past her lips. It was time to collect, and she was giving him the option of what he should do or not based on the circumstances given. He personally did not have much to offer. Seeing her playful jitters and smiles, he knew better than to underestimate the cost that he was going to have to provide. Promising little favors, giving her access to important files, etc etc... what is it does this fae woman would want more than anything in the world? He was only a gun nut with a lack of a real social life, and to be honest, any kind of conversation past the point of howdie-do was worth more than anything he ever owned or purchased.

If she was fae, she had power. If she was much older than he realized, she had probably generated enough wealth to sustain her own resources. Other than his inquisitive facts to why she was at the school, she had everything. What could she want from a boy, like himself.

Muling over this aspect, he would fall silent for a while... as if he was lost in thought. It would look as if he was exposed, but he was just thinking clearly on his next choice of words. He didn't want to be taken lightly, so he had to make sure his words were serious and clear. Within a span of 25 seconds, he had figured out two ideas that may be worth her time. One of which was an easier solution than the other, but given his LACK of understanding the creatures of the underworld, he only knew a few things that were worth of value. But their value came at a dangerous price, and she had the chance of choosing when to 'collect'. Holding up two fingers in his left hand, he kept his eyes locked upon hers as he gave her the following proposition.

"Given my stature, state, and understanding of this world... I only have two propositions I could possibly offer you to pay for both the information I need and my weapon back. I am only going to allow you to take one, since the weapon means nothing to you and the information is only an exchange of words at this point." Pausing only for a second to catch his breath, he did not give her time to interject. "The first one is something that may or may not be of used to you. I can already tell that money holds no bounds to someone like you, nor are mortal inanimate objects of value like money, weapons... etc. So the only thing of value I own is... a favor. A realistic favorable request. A call on the side is much more valuable than giving you all of worldly possessions I have. I may not be in a position of power, but I do have access to many of the student records and I have been able to access some background files on the people who live and work here. Anything else, is up to your imagination. The only requirement is that the favor can not get me into serious trouble, or if it does, I have a way to get out of the issue scott free. I am not going to be your suicidal puppet to fight something I can not win against." Allowing her to mule over the aspect, he waited for her to digest that request before continuing.

"The second... is that I can find a way to obtain a small vial of vampire's blood." He never hinted that he had or did not have it, other than he can get it to her if that is what she wanted. "I do not know the influence would have for a fae under the spell, but I have noticed the strengths of being under the influence plus the benefits of being able to... avoid your 'charming' influence." This reminded him of when he first met her in registration, and he had a feeling she was trying eeexxxtrrraaaa hard there to break the spell. He only wished he had a vial he could use on himself, but the risks involved... and the withdraw symptoms put him at risk. Besides, he didn't need a bag of steroids to fight all of his battles.

With a few moments, he twiddled the pages of the now broken leather bound book... thumbing the pages on the side to give her an idea that he was patient and confident with his decision. Nevertheless, he didn't break eye contact. He waited, patiently, for her response.

"My dreams are already haunted by these 'half truths' since the day I was born. If anything, the information you provide will only make my transition into this school easier and only increase my chances of getting out of it alive.


Kalika glanced towards Riley when he spoke, a smirk slithering across those lush lips of hers. If anything was for certain, it was the fact that she was not one to make life easier. She was more likely to make things as tricky as she possibly could simply for the sake of entertainment. There was something different here though, something that was settling into her bones. It was a kindness that sunk through her skin like a disease, forcing her to rethink old habits…

“What can I say; I like to surprise people sometimes.” Her nails slid along the surface of the table as she listened to him. She couldn’t help the smile that took over her previous smirk. He would only allow her to choose one? Now that was no fun at all. She leaned back against the chair and watched him as he spoke. A favor was more valuable then he could possibly understand. To call upon someone, even a human, in a time of need was more than enough to get the information he wanted. Riley, however, was indeed human with limited knowledge of her world… something she was certainly going to take advantage of. She enjoyed his first bargaining chip; he was a quick learner and apparently absorbed all the information he could.

Kalika bowed her head to signal she understood, silently urging him to continue on. This was less appealing however to the Unseelie. Vampires were useless things where she came from, creatures of the night but so fragile if you didn’t feed them right. Few fae drank undead blood for the sole fact that it tied you to them, even if the effects wore off it was not something she would risk with a random leech. On the other hand… to entice a human with a drop of their blood was tempting.

She leaned forward against the table once more, arms folded neatly in front of her, back straight mostly due to the constraints of her corset. Nails thrummed against wooden surface as she thought over her options, “Now here is where we bargain. The information is both valuable and risky. Concerning your weapon, you want it back, therefore it has become most valuable to me.” She shifted in her chair, crossing her legs at the knee. This was a tricky situation considering what he was bargaining with and for. She was debating on something, the inner workings of her twisted mind set in motion.

The grin that spread across red glamour-painted lips gave warning to her ideas. “I have a deal for you Riley. In exchange for both the vial of blood and an oath to call upon you, I will share my knowledge of what you are looking for and return your weapon.” She leaned forward, all of her charm pulled into her words and thrown at him like bricks. “As an extra, I’ll give you the option to train with me when the school gym is empty.” Empty for the sole purpose that she wouldn’t have to keep her glamour up while they did whatever needed to be done. Kalika was Unseelie Fae, no werewolf, but her strength could nearly match theirs while her speed and tricky ways would at least give him a feel for the world he was prying into.

That and Kalika really did need to work out, if she couldn’t hunt she could at least spar, though a mortal wasn’t her first choice. She couldn’t be picky, it was either him or that damnable shining she had been around in formalities class. Relaxed once more in her chair she would await his answer. Acceptance, refusal, or more negotiation….

There was always a risk factor in dealing with things you don't truly understand. For example, a person may go out and buy a sports car that is really cheap, only to realize that the engine isn't as powerful as originally intended or the model a year off from the initial knowing price. Another example of this is being screwed at best buy when someone pays thirty bucks to put in a part that only takes a mere fifteen minutes to install by one's own self. But he was working an angle from the inexperienced side of things, so he was milking the utters and hoping for the delicious milk to come spewing out. He hated being on the receiving end of such a scheme, but that was the way of the world at this point. He was the grunt, she was the staff Sergeant. If he ordered him to do extra push ups or to go clean out the latrines, he couldn't say a damn thing past 'yes sir' without a swift boot kicking and a punishment that meant double, triple, or quadruple the initial intended exercise.

Nevertheless this was not camp, and she was definitely not in charge of him. But he would play along with it and keep passing the ball back to her when she made the shots into the hoop. There was no sense rushing her if he knew he could weasel out of something greater. The biggest risk here is not the price he had to pay, but the amount of ground he was going to give to accept her request. He would play nice if it got him what he wanted in the end.

“I have a deal for you Riley. In exchange for both the vial of blood and an oath to call upon you, I will share my knowledge of what you are looking for and return your weapon.” Her charm waves were hitting him like a man wacking a sack of potatoes. He absorbed every blow, forcing his mind to concentrate on his initial goal... sitting there and taking it all. Even as she flirted and cooed with him, he refused to give into the inner emotions of becoming her little pet. Being her little slave. He had the inclination that she was starting to toy with him now, sending stronger and stronger waves only to test his resilience to her charms. Nonetheless, he would fight those charms back with a smile of his own. He could feel himself getting sheepish, wanting to accept the deal... but if he were to give into both of her demands, then he would fall short. He knew he would. To her, it was basic information. To him, it could be his life.

With that, he opened his mouth to say "If I must pay both, then I will add a final condition to the 'favor'." With that, he waited, judging her... reading her facial expressions, before continuing. "If the favor involves harming someone to a serious degree where it will cause permanent injury or death, you have to convince me that they deserve it. I am not beating senseless children nor the elderly because they looked at you wrong or scoff on your nice, and yet sexy, black leather boots. I am not budging otherwise." It limited her options somewhat, but all she had to do was come up with a logical excuse to convince him to do such a thing, hell even a half thoughted lie might work. But the point here was to gain ground.

If she agreed to the deal, he would nod and wait for her information on werewolves. Otherwise, he would need to negotiate a new strategy or plan.

“Riley, I can guarantee you that I will not call upon you to kill a simple human.”

She wasn't playing ball, now that wasn't nice. Even Riley knew better than to expect something more from the woman that stood before him. But haggling anymore would only loosen his foothold on his claim, he even knew there was always going to be a catch at a later date. Nevertheless, if the information was solid then it could help save his life... but at what cost if it would be exchanged for someone he didn't know. Even he understood that over half of this place was polluted with monsters from the darkness, but to question the idea only would make himself feel weaker and incompetent as a person. He took a gamble, and now he was at the wits end of a women he truely didn't understand. He hated it. But he merely smiled towards the idea and nodded to her, giving her outside agreement for the time being.

SLAM

He didn't jump this time, nor did he flinch. He merely stared at the blade as if it were some kind of nuisance. Then she went and cut herself, exclaiming that it was for the barbaric notions of the contract. "Interesting..." He would tilt his head, watching her inwardly smile with delight as the blade kissed her skin. To Riley, it felt more as if she wanted just to have a chance to see more blood escaping his wounds. He hated that aspect of being in such a weakened state compared to her, as another cut on his flesh could easily be a hindrance to his performance. It was not until recently that he could fire a weapon without the sheer pain of the bullet ripping the wound apart.

But he had no time for games, only for progress. Taking the hilt of the knife, he merely slid it from her fingers and examined the knife to his dismay. It seemed old, even if it was freshly polished and well maintained. Nevertheless, he could see her blood and notice instantly that there was a discoloration to it, as the blood itself seemed much darker and more putrid. The thought of him cutting himself only to have it sliced off later did ring a bell inside of his head, but he would follow through just as she wanted. "Let's make the cutting ritual a one time deal. The scars on my back alone make it rather difficult to go swimming without having to deal with stares and awkward pauses." With that, he would clasp his hand around the blade... and gently press the blade into his flesh. He pressed it so that the blade would only kiss a portion of his delicate, human skin, creating only a minor cut of maybe one inch to help minimize the need for something more than a bandaid.

But the blood began to flow freely from the wound, easily seeping past the escape route to shower towards the light of day. "Done" He would call, extending his right hand to her in order to shake it. He would allow her to take his hand and shake, even allow a touch of her blood to kiss his own, but as soon as the handshake was done... he would place the knife back onto the table and pull out a small dark colored handkerchief to help seal the wound with pressure. He had a feeling she wouldn't give him the weapon right away, but he merely smiled to the idea saying "Well then, you will get the blood when I get the gun. Fair enough?" He can be snide too, as it was only fair, and nothing in that respect would change his mind.

Ecstasy rolled across her body, making unseen things ache to be touched and teased. She closed her eyes for a moment and tried to hold onto that small bite of pain but it was over much too quickly. Hardly a trace of the emotion left as Kalika held out her hand for Riley to shake. Flesh against flesh, bloodied wound against bloodied wound. A shake that lasted a moment too long before she finally released him and leaned back in her chair. A slow grin consumed her features as she raised her hand and parted her lips to drag her tongue along her palm.

Mix of blood coated thing of muscle as she closed her eyes and softly sighed. Untrained senses would suspect nothing more than that macabre fixation of blood. A more keen frame of mind would easily feel the rise of power form her, the concentration that thickened the air. Slow calculated fixation upon wounded palm, the smallest of spells silently cast and her skin was ever so slowly knitting back together again. Glamour flashed out of sight to reveal the pale skin of her true nature for a minute or so. She was taking no further steps in hiding what she was from him, the smart boy had already figured out she was far from human.

Flex of her digits before she reached across the table to grab her ancient blade. Steady movement placed it back in its resting place against her inner thigh. She shifted in her chair to cross her legs at the knee, taking a most relaxed pose as she watched Riley. Slowly her glamour was fading, shedding like the winter coat of a mangy beast. Each movement loosened the hold a touch more, every slow rise and fall of her chest had the tan skin fading away. A final stretch and the glamour was gone, leaving her true form before him. It was nothing monstrous, but it was a change from what she had appeared as.

Porcelain skin stretched smooth across her features with only a hint of color to it. Her eyes shone as if they pulled the light from the room, three perfect rings of shining silver in various shades. Her hair held the same multicolored tones; thread from the stars created dazzling silver to be coupled with spun shadows. Her outfit remained the same, though it truly fit against her form now. There was nothing remotely scary about her, unless one were to count the tri-colored eyes and the fact that if she smiled her teeth weren’t exactly right. Incisors marked the end of normality and gave way to interlocking curved razors, teeth that fit perfectly together to shred the flesh.

Kalika grinned in that wicked way of hers, showing off only a corner of those fangs. Arms crossed at the stomach of her corset, nails sliding along the leather material as she studied Riley. She didn’t so much as expect a grand reaction out of him, he was in control of himself so far. She gave a light nod to his final words and softly laughed, somehow the sound just wasn’t the same when she didn’t look the part of an innocent human. The notes were a touch colder, a bite of danger behind them, “A deal is a deal Riley. I will return your gun to you when we meet again, you can count on that. As for those lovely scars of yours… there’s a trick to cover them up. I’m betting you could do it, that you could learn. Some humans have an otherworldly nature to them.”

She would watch him for only a moment more before she sat up in her chair and reached for the discarded book. Flipping open the old pages she gave a jaded sigh and skimmed across the chapters. Her voice held no charm behind it now, no sway of opinion on her part. “Werewolves are nasty little buggers to tell you the truth. More savage than anything else, they lack the self control required to remain in close proximity to humans. Like all species you have the rarities here and there, some travel in packs and some prefer the lone style of living. Who knows why a mutt does what a mutt does.” She gave a light shrug of her shoulders followed by a soft sigh. “You have the occasional werewolf that goes a little… Insane, shall we say. They attack anything they can for the simple pleasure of attack, wonderful pets if you have enough silver to keep them in line.” She smirked as glanced towards the fire, nails tapping against wooden surface of the desk. “Mostly three forms. Human, hybrid, and were. Hybrid is what most of the crazies prefer, you can bite and chew on anything you like without worrying about it popping back up to hunt you down.”

Kalika shifted her attention back to Riley and let only a soft smile linger in her eyes. For once she didn’t look the part of Unseelie hunter. She wasn’t trying to charm him, to lure him closer with the pull of her voice. She was just….talking with him. It may have been for a deal but even then she would usual try to pull something. Oh yes, there was something about this school, this setting that was throwing her off balance…

As their hands parted, he saw the change from one moment to the next. Almost a shimmer in front of his eyes, and he would see her nicely toned darker skin switched to a much brighter hue of the day. He could see the pale skin, the devilish grin, the demon hidden behind the facade she pushes up in front of him. He wouldn't swagger. He wouldn't flinch. He would stare, straight past the facade into the darkness that danced around her eyes. For a brief second or two, he thought to himself, what had he gotten himself into. What kind of power play had he placed himself inbetween. Even so, deep down he knew this was the path chosen for him when he awoke in that hospital on that faithful day of rebirth. Covered in bandages, left with a stub of a left arm, there was a path set before him. Nevertheless, he would just tighten the knot along his hand and keep it level above his heart as he listened to the girl give him the story of werewolves. The idea of removing the scars did not intrigue him, as he kept silent, showing his disinterest in the matter. "Nice teeth..." He would cat call, but for the most part he managed to hold down the curious fear that was boiling within him. He just waited, patiently for her to respond.

“Werewolves are nasty little buggers to tell you the truth. More savage than anything else, they lack the self control required to remain in close proximity to humans. Like all species you have the rarities here and there, some travel in packs and some prefer the lone style of living. Who knows why a mutt does what a mutt does.”

Flashes of a man laughing in his face as he stuck his stick into his mother, as her screams filled his head momentarily.

“You have the occasional werewolf that goes a little… Insane, shall we say. They attack anything they can for the simple pleasure of attack, wonderful pets if you have enough silver to keep them in line.”

Another flash of his youngest sister getting her neck cut from side to side, blood pulsating through open ofrices as the werewolves danced and fathomed under the blood as it splashed on their faces.

“Mostly three forms. Human, hybrid, and were. Hybrid is what most of the crazies prefer, you can bite and chew on anything you like without worrying about it popping back up to hunt you down.”

A final flash of bright white as a claw reached over and slashed across his chest... sending searing pain across his rib cage. Inwardly, he would writhe in pain from the punishment pressed against his body. Outwardly, he would remain calm and collected. These kinds of incidents were not new to him, but the pain still seared across his chest like a hand over an open flame. There would be a sense of discomfort behind his eyes, even so it was wrapped up and hidden behind a wall of determination to learn and follow. From what he gave allowed him to obtain the knowledge of this, seemingly, ancient race. Silver weakness, check. Even if they were ferocious, he knew that tactics would outdo the most formidable foe. He would need to keep a collected head and prepare for the next encounter. Sighing deeply, he would scratch the back of his head.. the little dossier filling in his mind. Almost complete. A few simple facts still lingered along his spectrum of knowledge. A vital component to extracting his revenge towards the beasts.

Tilting his head curiously, a devilish grin spread across his cheeks as he asked "So how would you kill them?" A lingering thought, not meant to be rhetorical, would break his silence.

Kalika tilted her head back, sensing the lovely emotions rolling off of Riley like a tidal wave. The boy may have looked calm and collected on the outside, but on the inside he was a rollercoaster of torment and torture. This was near ecstasy, though not as much fun as causing the pain herself. She wasn’t too picky when it came to such carnal emotions like inner agony. A grin ripped apart her face, teeth gleaming in the fluorescent lighting of the library. Countless seconds ticked by with nothing but the crackle of distant flames in the hearth to break the building silence.

"So how would you kill them?"

Tri-colored eyes pinned him with their luminescent gaze, rings of silver growing ever brighter in the center. “How would I kill them? Simple. Rip them apart.” She rolled her shoulders in a light shrug before stretching in her chair, finding it most uncomfortable after the amount of time they had spent talking. Tilt of her and bones sounded their soft song composed of light cracks and pops. Breasts fought the confines of corset as she deeply sighed and leaned forward, “Shoot them in the head and heart with silver. Don’t give it time to heal and decapitate them. If you want to be careful stacks the bodies and burn them to ash, though wear a mask…. Werewolves smell horrible when they burn, worse than humans.”

Her voice held just a note of play as she watched the boy before her. There was no hint to if she was joking about the last part or not, though knowing her at least a little; Riley could have taken a most accurate guess on that one. Silence hung in the air once more as she reached forward to grab the old book on the table. Digits peeled back the cover and once more scanned the contents. “Half truths….” She muttered as she leafed through the old pages, careful not to shred them between her nails.

Still looking through the pages she spoke to Riley, tearing her eyes away to once more fix him with her gaze. “Unless you have any other questions about mythical beasties, we should try to set up a meeting so we can both finish this deal of ours.” Except for Riley, the deal wouldn’t truly be finished until she called upon him. Only then could he possibly have nothing else to do with the Unseelie before him.

Although he seemed calm and resilent to the change she put before him, he was merely putting on a facade that he hid behind a mask. Deep down, the embroilment of fear was growing within him. Growing with uncertainty. He began to question his ethics and rationale on why the hell he kept even a single sweat drop in this place. This place was a fiasco, a nightmare, and he knew he made it out the last few encounters with a miracle and his wits. His half assed bravery and machismo was one step away from getting himself killed, mutilated, or worse... a ticket straight to the psych ward. Even he knew to guess his own sanity after all that he had been through. Hell, even his mind new better than to show the complete detail of what happened on that night where his family was mutilated. The thought of being in this place terrified the living shit out of him, but deep down he knew he had no where else to go. A normal life was just out of the question. He was tainted, deeply, like the girl who stood before him... mincing about how easily to kill the bodies of those creatures.

He was stuck in a void, and with no way out.

Nevertheless, he would outwardly smile towards the idea of burning the bodies. He forced his eyes to show interest, wanting to divulge more on the issue. "Seems simple enough. Although if they follow the normal human laws of physics for brain power, I could easily shoot one in the head in order to temporarily incapacitate them... and then behead them while they slowly regenerate. I have a feeling that if you destroy enough brain and tissue matter, I do not think they will be able to get up." A quick witted theory, but something he would need to test in the near future. Even if the things could regenerate, he had seen before how it worked in action. Plug enough shells into anything, and they ain't getting back up. Course, a one hit head shot was a one in the million chance if he didn't have the upper hand. Pistols were not considered accurate, even at close range, unless he had his trusty shotgun...

Only had to get 'just close enough' (said in a Russian accent).

“Unless you have any other questions about mythical beasties, we should try to set up a meeting so we can both finish this deal of ours.” Watching her pearly white teeth show her beasital side, he merely shrugged and said. "I can have the vamp blood to you in a few days. Just give me a poke in my office, or come find me in my room if you need anything." In reality, he had the blood she ever so desired on his person right then and there, but he kept it for safe keeping. It was a risky business running around with it... as it could cost him his life. Being enslaved to that woman sent a burning fire through is soul, but at the same time it made it so that he was stronger and faster. An emergency double edged sword. One of his more recent trump cards.

Watching her flipping through the book with dismay, he merely left it where it stood. He knew an attendant would come eventually to clean up his mess, and he really didn't care if people caught what he was reading. He already had the information he needed anyways. "Unless you have something else to add..." If it was a final statement, a warning, or just an acute observation then he would listen and take his leave. If it was a critical important note that required a response more than a nod, he would stay to converse the topic further.

[Exit unless Stopped or above if/else statement is achieved]