Handsome Up To Your Skin

Subject: Re: Handsome Up To Your Skin Tue Dec 15, 2009 5:44 pm

Chase had been watching the verbal argument from up in the treetops. He had tracked down the Cullens using the human's phone to track the signal on the pixie vampire's phone.

'Have to thank Drew for that trick,' he thought wryly as he had made his way through the dense forest silently, quickly.

The raised voice of the human made him stop in his tracks; he hid up high enough in the tree to not be notice by the human but he was pretty sure the vampire had smelled him. Although, she seemed a little too focused on her human friend for him to worry.

It was an interesting argument; apparently, the girl had made friends with more than just the Cullens. The Council knew very well of the Volturi and were trying to play favors in the court but for the most part, the Council sent out hunters under the radar to kill stray vampires.

Only high-ranking hunters, such as Chase, were sent out to destroy entire covens.

However, he had been stopped from his duty by the very same girl who apparently had stopped the Volturi from killing the Cullens. 'Seems very diplomatic... But playing for the wrong side.'

Of course, that's not to deny that he hadn't taken into consideration what the redhead had said earlier. In fact, he had spent most of the afternoon musing over what she had told him.

"She is the most caring, loving creature I've ever met in my life and wouldn't harm any human ever." 'But that's not to say she hasn't been in the past and won't ever in the future. She is a monster after all. It's in her nature. She can fight it as much as she'd like but in the end, that's all they ever are.

"I mean, really. You're hunting a bunch of mythical creatures who, on an off-chance, actually exist when you could be helping out with the police forces in hunting down criminals who wish to harm innocents." 'A fair point, but there are enough policemen doing their job to keep criminals off the streets. My job is similar to that, only I hunt the mythical criminals who wish to harm the human race.'

"And the vampires really do keep to themselves, at least the Cullens do. They try to blend in with humans, to live the normal life that they forgot they had. There's nothing wrong with that! They aren't out to hurt anyone, especially not Alice." 'Maybe the Cullens do keep to themselves. But once again, you can't hide the fact that you are and will always be a monster! Why do you think they have to keep to themselves? Because no one wants anything to do with them!'

"I'm not asking you to fall in love with her right here on the spot... but at least give her a chance. Get to know her based on what she does, not who she is. That really defines who you are, doesn't it?"

He had no response, no witty remark to the last point the redhead made. He was so stumped that he had decided to locate and find the Cullen household and seek out Alice in hopes of finding some sort of answer to this statement. Maybe, in the end, his mission would get accomplished and he could put all this foolishness behind him.

But he had not expected to stumble upon this fight between the two friends. Once again, the redhead made excellent points against the vampire's argument but the redhead seemed unhinged, a little unstable, like something had shaken her up. 'Maybe something to do with her father?'

Chase had no idea what led up to this fight but he knew he had to intervene before the vampire lost it and attacked the girl out of anger. So he jumped down right in the redhead's pathway, not expecting her to actually run into him.

But when she did and looked up at him, he could see the wild look in her eyes. The mental instability that previous victims had carried before they went completely insane and killed themselves from the excruciating pain.

The hunter wrapped his arms firmly around the human's back, pulling him closer to him as he reached into his sleeves for stakes. He asked evenly, "I see, we meet again. Did you see this, little vampire?"

Subject: Re: Handsome Up To Your Skin Tue Dec 15, 2009 5:56 pm

Alice pouted at the reference to her lack of height, "I'm not 'little,' I'm fun-sized!" Then she became serious once more, "I saw you decided to drop by, and I knew Joan was going to flip out, but she's been through a lot tonight, anything I would have said would have made her hysteric."

'Does he have to be so hot even while being threatening?' she thought annoyedly as he reached for his stakes. 'Seriously, it makes it hard to focus on staying alive, but I'll manage.'

Subject: Re: Handsome Up To Your Skin Tue Dec 15, 2009 5:59 pm

"Then why did you say anything at all?" Chase asked curiously, with a hint of menace in his tone, "Wouldn't it have been better if you just let her run off into the woods to cool down instead of looking she's about to pass out?"

'Why does she keep staring at me so unnervingly? God, I'd do anything to make her stop staring... Maybe a stake to the face will do?'

Subject: Re: Handsome Up To Your Skin Tue Dec 15, 2009 6:04 pm

"Because running into the woods is definitely the smartest idea when you're an upset human," Alice rolled her eyes sarcastically. "Would I really just let my best friend run somewhere dangerous alone?"

She shifted her gaze from the hunter to Joan, "Joanie?"

Subject: Re: Handsome Up To Your Skin Tue Dec 15, 2009 6:11 pm

The human shifted a bit against Chase at the call of her nickname but she refused to turn and face her friend. 'She's scared. She didn't realize the possibilities... at least the deadly possibilities of her involvement in vampire affairs. All diplomacy and no fighting? Highly unlikely...'

Chase held tight to his stakes, not quite ready to throw them yet but prepared to when the time came and asked, "So vampire, what would be dangerous in these woods? Lions and tigers and bears? Oh my! How awful... Or maybe, the real threat in these woods is... something cold whose skin is made of hard marble with a love for the scent of blood.

"And honestly, if you were her best friend, which implies you knew what was good for her, you would have known to keep your deep and dark secret a freaking secret so she wouldn't be dealing with any of this! Or are you really so selfish that you need to keep this poor human around as your personal pet?"

Subject: Re: Handsome Up To Your Skin Tue Dec 15, 2009 6:22 pm

"You should have seen her before I talked to her, after she saw Jasper! You could tell she was freaked out beyond all reasoning, if I hadn't talked to her, she would have been the biggest nutcase ever, checking over her shoulder every five minutes for vampires!

"I have a name besides vampire, you know," Alice informed the hunter. "Try Alice."

Subject: Re: Handsome Up To Your Skin Tue Dec 15, 2009 6:25 pm

"All right, Alice," he said with a sort of sneer, "And why was Jasper even hunting near the human, if it goes against your coven's rules and morals and what-not?"

Subject: Re: Handsome Up To Your Skin Tue Dec 15, 2009 6:28 pm

"Because, sweetheart, Jasper didn't know Joan was there, she's damned lucky he didn't see nor smell her. When vampires hunt, we have no idea what's going on because we completely give into our senses and lock in on one target," Alice explained.

Subject: Re: Handsome Up To Your Skin Tue Dec 15, 2009 6:44 pm

Finally, something inside Joan snapped as a wild realization squirmed through her mind, listening to the hunter and the vampire argue about her mental health. She pulled away from the hunter's warmth and stood in between them, saying firmly, "Alice, I appreciate the friendship and protection you've extended to me but I'm afraid I can no longer return the favor.

"As of right now, I'm done. I don't want to be involved in any more vampire-related problems, protection, whatever. It's not good for me, as I am still a human. I think you and the rest of your family forget to realize that with all my bravery and "invincibility" but I'm fragile, I'm weak... One smack from you and I could be dead."

She took a deep breath and started to walk towards the edge of the forest from where she came and told Alice coldly, "Have fun with your new boyfriend."

Joan turned on her heel, her heart hardening once more with each step.

Subject: Re: Handsome Up To Your Skin Tue Dec 15, 2009 6:52 pm

Alice's eyes widened in pain, and she fought back the sobs threatening to escape her. She buried her face in her hands as she collapsed to the forest floor, perfectly aware that Chase was still there, and would probably kill her, but at that point, she didn't care anymore.

She knew she was going to lose her best friend eventually, but didn't expect it to happen quite so soon, nor right after she discovered Jasper cheating on her with his old girlfriend. Alice folded her knees to her chest, sobbing hard as she wondered what God had in store for her now. 'Hopefully death, then I wouldn't have to deal with all this,' she mused listlessly.