Carmen
New to Town
Vegetarian Vampire, Denali
Posts: 40
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Post by Carmen on Jan 20, 2009 11:01:24 GMT -5
(Pre-Twilight)
Carmen walked slowly down the low lit corridors of the grand Volturi ‘hideout’. She trailed her delicate looking hand down the rough stone walls as if remembering her path. Not that she needed to anymore. She had only been a resident of Volterra and a member of the organisation for two weeks, yet this passage she had already treaded frequently. She hadn’t joined the group to be an active part of the guard, but to learn. Just a few moments later she pushed a heavy, oak door and entered the central library.
Within the stone walls of the high-ceilinged room there stood enough controversial texts to make the Catholic Church weep. There were hundreds of thousands if books categorised impeccably by the more patient of the guard. There were five page manuals of symbols and tears of the ferocious werebeasts of the Middle East, an account of newly discovered American shapeshifters from an (arrogant) survivor and a few tomes of varying length from vampires and humans alike. She entered the hushed room with a reverence she felt for little anymore, walking gracefully over to some histories that she was looking over. It amused her to read of her own period of history.
Choosing a plush seat in a slightly shady alcove of the place, where she could all but ensure that she would not be disturbed, she began to read the somewhat antiquated text. Out of some long-lingering human habit, she curled up on the seat, her tall, but slight form easily folding up on to the chair. She wrapped the richly azure shawl around her upper arms and smoothed the long, wrap skirt over her legs. Everything she dressed in was of the utmost quality – the Volturi didn’t need to think twice about such things.
Slowly, as she became more engrossed in her material, her curling, black hair fell over her shoulders, creating two curtains on either side of her face. She chuckled, amused, as she read an English ‘historian’s’ account of the assault of the Spanish Armada in the sixteenth century. Distracted by the sound of her own soft, yet peeling, laughter, she looked up, her senses also noticing the approach of another that she did not yet know.
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Eleazar
New to Town
Vegetarian Vampire, Denali Gift/Ability Identifier
"Abstaining from human blood makes us more civilized ? lets us form true bonds of love."
Posts: 35
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Post by Eleazar on Jan 20, 2009 12:00:48 GMT -5
There had been very few rumblings around Volterra about the newcomer. It was surprising as very frequently the guard would be like vultures trying to pick apart the new member, find out what the secrets were, why they were here, and whether they'd be accepted or not. Eleazar figured everyone here had their place and reasons for them to be here. Eleazar was not overly concerned with being the first to meet to the new members, most of them were too focused on the power, or killing, they were too rash, and often like newborns in his eyes, needing time to adjust, to see that Volturi was about keeping order. Aro had asked him however to go meet with the new woman, to see if she had any abilities that were undiscovered to him and maybe even the vampire herself. It was what Eleazar was useful for here, so he gave it no second thought as the order was given to him and went in search of the woman.
It surprised Eleazar that he found her in the library. It took many Volturi members years to even discover that there was a library here, as many had other focuses. Some only came if there was something specific they needed to research, but it was always one of his favorite locations as well. He liked the quiet nature of it and the amount of knowlege contained within these walls. He slowly walked up to her, hearing her soft laugh as she read.
"Hola" He greeted her, having heard that she was from Spain, the same as him. It would be nice meeting another from his homeland. "It's Carmen, right?" He asked her, hoping he got her name right. "I am Eleazar" He told her, his voice smooth, but richly accented.
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Carmen
New to Town
Vegetarian Vampire, Denali
Posts: 40
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Post by Carmen on Feb 8, 2009 18:58:34 GMT -5
When Eleazar rounded the few stacks that lay between them, Carmen’s somewhat lax expression intensified, curiosity immediately piqued by the handsome man. She wondered if he too was looking for a place to stow himself away and escape in, and she worried a little, in case she had stolen this secret place from him. As her crimson eyes rested upon his features, a soft, welcoming smile played on the corners of her mouth, and she held out her graceful hand to him.
“I am Carmen,” she affirmed, placing her book down and readjusting her position so that she was sat properly on the seat. After a moments thought she stood, not wanting to make the other man feel uncomfortable stood up while she sat in the comfy chair. Not that they felt any discomfort from standing, it was just common courtesy. As she made these movements her quick brain ticked over information that she had gleaned from the more social members of the guard. She knew that the organisation would have their methods for getting intelligence about their membership, and she had worked on trying to find out how in the past couple of weeks she had been a resident there. It appeared that their operative was stood before her now.
And what an operative! Carmen immediately appreciated the aesthetic quality of his appearance; his handsomeness almost overwhelmed her, in fact. If she was a human she was sure that even her olive cheeks would be noticeably pink. He was an operative from the Volturi leadership, though, and she was under no illusions that he was here for pleasure. Thus she made herself look him straight in the eyes in a manner which suggested that she was confident of herself and her position, not one that suggested she was smitten at first sight with the gifted vampire.
“Ah, Eleazar, the others, they have told me of you,” she told him in her native language, her accent just as thick as the day she was turned. She kept a pleasant, calm smile on her face. “It is nice to meet you. I assure you, that I am just myself, you needn’t bother the superiors about me.”
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Eleazar
New to Town
Vegetarian Vampire, Denali Gift/Ability Identifier
"Abstaining from human blood makes us more civilized ? lets us form true bonds of love."
Posts: 35
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Post by Eleazar on Mar 12, 2009 22:44:12 GMT -5
Eleazar extended his hand and gently shook hers as she introduced herself as well, confirming his suspicion of who she was. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Carmen” He said speaking fully in Spanish. “I hope you don’t mind my tongue, its been awhile since I’ve met one of our kind from Spain” He said, hoping she wasn’t insulted by his use of the Spanish language, as he was in no way trying to insinuate that she wasn’t educated in English or Italian as were more commonly used amongst the Volturi. But as she continued speaking in their native language, he assumed she was alright with it. He hadn’t really noticed how he missed his culture until he heard of another coming who shared it.
Eleazar looked over the woman, briefly taking in her astounding beauty. Their kind was always attractive, it was a given feature that even the most average looking of humans would look beautiful in vampire form, to attract their prey, but Carmen he could tell must have been beautiful even as a human. And so elegant, emitting both grace and kindness (a quality not as common amongst their kind). But she also appeared very confident in herself and her position at Volturi. Most newcomers either seemed nervous of fitting in, or overly cocky about their reasons for being there, she was just confident, as if she already had found her place.
He gave a half smile as she mentioned that she had already heard about him from the others. Gossip traveled quickly here, and he couldn’t be sure if the others would say good or bad things about him. He was valued by Aro and had respect from most of the guard, but he was no where near the most powerful here. “I guess you know why I’m here then” He told her and smiled fully as she told him straight out that there was nothing extra to her. He could feel that it was more than that, feeling her compassion, but knowing that wasn’t an ability that the leaders would be interested in, so she was correct. “Its very nice to meet you as well, and yourself is enough”
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Carmen
New to Town
Vegetarian Vampire, Denali
Posts: 40
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Post by Carmen on Mar 23, 2009 21:45:26 GMT -5
Carmen’s mouth pointed up into a soft smile as Eleazar commented on his use of Spanish rather than the more common Italian or English that was used here. A moment later a nostalgic look complimented the smile, glazing over her dark maroon eyes as she thought of home. She had been wandering for a long time, so long that if she had not the mental capacity of a vampire, she would have forgotten it. As it was the minute she began to think of her homeland, the memories brought back in vivid colour the scenery, the scents, the sounds. She held up her hand. “No, please, I also enjoy hearing a taste of home – it has been a long time in my travels since I have come across a compatriot.”
As she waited, Carmen noticed the way that Eleazar’s eye moved over her, and she wondered if that was how his gift worked. She wondered if he could see something emanating from the area that the individual was gifted in. She didn’t allow herself to hope that maybe he saw something he liked in her, this was purely business, after all. Still, she could tell that her confidence would break if she tried to second guess what he was thinking, and it was with a greater effort that she had to maintain the confident stance and smile. She would hate him to think that she would crumble under the pressure of scrutiny, but she would hate to admit even more that if it wasn’t him doing the inspection, she would be fine.
She nodded once as she was asked if she knew why he was here, the motion knocking one of the lengthy dark curls from her shoulder down to beside her face and down her chest. Though she attempted to maintain eye contact, her eyes couldn’t help but flick down to the open smile that he gave her and she felt something akin to butterflies begin to swarm in the pits of her stomach. It was a feeling that she had heard of, been told of countless times, but it was odd to feel it herself. Did it have to happen in response to one of the guard’s most respected operatives? What chance did she have to get noticed by him, never mind pursue anything further than attraction? Her smile piqued once more showing a hint of stunningly white teeth beneath her lips.
“I hope so, I don’t know how to be anyone else,” she told him, allowing her eyes to drop before looking up at him from under her plentiful lashes.
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Eleazar
New to Town
Vegetarian Vampire, Denali Gift/Ability Identifier
"Abstaining from human blood makes us more civilized ? lets us form true bonds of love."
Posts: 35
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Post by Eleazar on Jun 23, 2009 16:54:39 GMT -5
Eleazar smiled gently as Carmen told him that she didn’t mind his use of the Spanish language and that she too enjoyed hearing a taste of home. “It’s been along time since I’ve come across another as well, and even longer since I’ve been back to visit our homeland” He commented, wondering how long it had been since she was back in Spain. Was that her last home before coming and deciding to join up with the Volturi? She didn’t strike him as the nomad type. He couldn’t see her living her life wandering from place to place, but perhaps she had just traveled a bit. Eleazar hoped that it didn’t seem as though he was staring at her as he looked her over. He usually didn’t stare so much, but she really was breathtaking, or would be if he had breath to take away. From the way that he could see her compassionate nature, as if it were a gift of its own, a trait that had followed her from her human life, he knew that she was beautiful both inside and out. He hoped the rest of the guard would accept her easily and not make things difficult on her. Compassion had been lost on many of them.
She nodded, understanding why he had been sent here. He knew his job was done already. It really didn’t take him long to do, but he still didn’t want to leave. He wanted to get to know this beautiful woman more. He saw in her someone that might be able to provide more to conversations than just talk of missions and killing and recruitment. He saw a soul that he felt drawn to. He wondered if she would let him stay and just get to know her, spending time with her. He saw the smile, a bit of teeth showing as well, and was stunned again by its beauty.
“Good, you shouldn’t have to try to be anyone else.” He told her, fully accepting her for whoever she was, even though he only knew a few things. The details he would learn, he already knew his first impression of her would last. “Your heart is so open, it’s a wonder to see that kind of kindness and compassion around her” He told her, not able to help but admit what he had seen in her, even if it wasn’t a gift so to speak.
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Carmen
New to Town
Vegetarian Vampire, Denali
Posts: 40
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Post by Carmen on Jun 23, 2009 18:57:51 GMT -5
As the conversation continued to revolve around their native Spain, Carmen’s thoughts persisted in showing her images of her homeland from the last time that she visited it. It was a shame really that she hadn’t been back there more. She had spent a long time there, comparatively speaking, when she had first been turned into a vampire, but as time passed, so she continued to move onwards and outwards. It hadn’t been her happiest of times, she realised as she pondered over it. Being the compassionate, people-motivated soul that she was, Carmen loved company and was intelligent enough to know that her ideals wouldn’t be shared by everyone she met. No, her nomadic life had been rather lonely for her and perhaps that was one of her greatest motives for aligning herself with the Volturi despite her abhorrence for violence – she still understood that laws were in place for a reason and that they must be upheld.
She phased back into the present as Eleazar finished speaking about how long it was since he had last seen their homeland and she noted the way that his eye ran over her. She wondered if he could still be possibly looking for something special about her, but she knew that would be impossible. Well, maybe not impossible, but she knew that she had no special gift, there should be nothing about her ‘aura’ or whatever it was that this man looked into, that should confuse him. She nodded in sympathetic consensus with the other vampire, “For myself as well. It never felt quite right to go back there and now that I have come to terms with what I am I find myself so far away. Never mind, though. I am sure I shall be just as happy here. Perhaps in the future there will be an opportunity to visit.”
Carmen continued to consider the heart wrenchingly handsome vampire before her and continued to curse her apparent proclivity towards the unobtainable. She hadn’t come to Volterra looking for love or to even experience carnal attraction, but apparently the universe had other ideas. She wondered if there was any chance that he was feeling the same level of attraction to her as she was to him at the moment, though she didn’t allow herself to ponder over that for too long. She knew that she needed to keep her calm, cool façade and was glad that she had no blood to shoot to her face and give the game away.
Her open smile grew a little as he agreed that she should be herself, though she knew that some of her thinking might be a little controversial to most of the Volturi guard. The reputation of the institution really preceded them and Carmen was not eager to set herself too far apart from the majority at this stage. She knew that she could keep her own ideals to herself, though, after centuries of practice, but she appreciated the fact that Eleazar seemed open to whoever she was. She wondered if perhaps his gift gave him a supernatural understanding of the people he was talking to as well, especially as he went on to speak of her as if he had known her for years.
“Maybe I’ll bring something new to the table, then, after all,” she commented, her small, comfortable smile remaining constant. She tilted her head a little, causing another shift in her dark, wavy locks. “It seems that you yourself are a little different to the members of the guard that make the stories to keep the rest of us in line. I am glad… for the diversity.”
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Eleazar
New to Town
Vegetarian Vampire, Denali Gift/Ability Identifier
"Abstaining from human blood makes us more civilized ? lets us form true bonds of love."
Posts: 35
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Post by Eleazar on Oct 12, 2009 21:35:43 GMT -5
"Many of the guard do get sent do different locations around the world, so perhaps you will be sent there to visit, maybe we both will" Eleazar suggested, trying not to sound the least bit presumptive. He understood exactly how she felt about not feeling right about going back there, since being turned. Though he missed it, it didnt have the same feel of home it once did, and he had known he needed to move on to move forward with this new life. "I hope you do find happiness here" He said though a part of him wondering if she would. What he saw in her didnt seem to be the typical traits of a guard. She seemed almost more in touch with their human side.
Eleazar enjoyed watching her smile grow a little further as he told her to be herself. She seemed to have a pure joy to her, not just joy from power, or causing others misery. Watching her smile, Eleazar was even more attracted to her. She was someone he knew he would try to make a friend of, if nothing more.
"You do bring something new" He affirmed her suggestion, giving a smile of his own as she said that he was a little different than the rest of the guard, but that she was glad for the diversity. "I guess we all have our own reasons for being here, and the diversity is needed" He said, grateful it was something she appreciated.
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Carmen
New to Town
Vegetarian Vampire, Denali
Posts: 40
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Post by Carmen on Oct 21, 2009 7:37:10 GMT -5
Carmen nodded a little, showing understanding of Eleazar’s stating that they might be sent to Spain on some kind of assignment, whether together or individually. It made her wonder whether there were ever any cases in which vampire native to certain areas were sent there just for their local knowledge of terrain and exposure. She retained her eye contact with the other vampire, a little surprised at herself for being able to keep it up so naturally. She was naturally quite confident in herself and never feared others without just cause, but still, she had a growing feeling of connection to this high level vampire – a feeling she knew she ought not to indulge.
“Thank you,” she said, enjoying the sheer lack of effort that speaking their native language took – it didn’t take much more effort to speak in Italian or English, but still, there was something comforting about it. She tilted her head. “There is happiness to be found everywhere, I have found, so I am sure that it will not elude me in these corridors.” Even in her most nomadic period, when she went weeks and months without meeting another soul that wasn’t her dinner, she had managed to find happiness in small things around her.
As Eleazar’s smile grew in response to her own, Carmen couldn’t stop the surge of attraction that went through her system. She knew that this was wrong, that it had no hope of coming to anything, but it was an autonomic response, she couldn’t stop herself from noticing how the shadows of the room played off his features and made the smile the brightest thing in the room. In danger of getting lost in a dream, she instead concentrated on his words, which she nodded to in agreement.
“Are there a lot that think like that around here?” she asked, her tone slightly lower as she asked her slightly risqué question, though she kept her dark eyes locked on his.
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Eleazar
New to Town
Vegetarian Vampire, Denali Gift/Ability Identifier
"Abstaining from human blood makes us more civilized ? lets us form true bonds of love."
Posts: 35
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Post by Eleazar on Feb 4, 2010 14:47:59 GMT -5
Eleazar was surprised at how easy the conversation with her was. It was very unusual for someone he had just met. Some were scared of him, for his position, and thinking his power as almost an invasion of themselves, even if they didnt posess anything extra. Others were so full of themselves that they trie to either impress or intimidate him with their confidence and skill. Neither of which ever swayed him. But it was so rare to meet someone who was so calm and easy to talk to and connect with on such a calm peaceful level. He could easily see her becoming a friend here.
"I think that perhaps it is you who creates your own happiness" Eleazar observed as she spoke of finding happiness anywhere. He saw her as a person filled with light and it didnt surprise him she could find happiness anywhere. He hoped Volterra would not become the exception.
Smiling with her felt so natural, as did his attraction to her, though he knew he should keep that restrained. He heard her next question and knew it was more difficult to answer. She was knew and he didn't know yet how much of what they discussed, she'd discuss with others, so he had to be open without being offensive. "I dont think its very common anywhere that many people like being around people who may have completely different viewpoints than themselves...the diversity isnt welcomed by all I suppose" He tried to say neutrally without speaking ill of the others.
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Carmen
New to Town
Vegetarian Vampire, Denali
Posts: 40
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Post by Carmen on Feb 9, 2010 8:22:41 GMT -5
A small smile curled Carmen's lips as Eleazar questioned whether it was her herself that created happiness around her, rather than her external environment doing all the work. She appreciated the compliment (at least that was how she took it) and hoped that he could feel similar happiness in whatever he was doing. She knew it must be difficult for him to be at the beck and call of the Volturi masters at all times. Right now, however, she knew that her little speck of joy had nothing to do with her, and all to do with him.
"Perhaps it is a little of both," she compromised, red eyes sparkling. "It has been many a year since I have been surrounded by so many others either of our own kind or any other - I feel I shall enjoy the company after being alone for so long." Although it had been her own choice to travel solo, she had to admit that in the last decade or two a persevering loneliness had crept along beside her.
Carmen smiled at Eleazar's answer, almost hearing the cogs turning. She knew that she should have kept such a controversial question under wraps. Despite the draw she felt towards him they had just met and she was new to Volterra and he was one of the masters' most trusted disciples. She knew she should be more thoughtful about her speech, but that moment had passed. "Very diplomatic," she commented, keeping her voice quiet, but changing the tone to one of slight amusement - a joke. "It is true that nowhere in any world will communities accept everything."
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Eleazar
New to Town
Vegetarian Vampire, Denali Gift/Ability Identifier
"Abstaining from human blood makes us more civilized ? lets us form true bonds of love."
Posts: 35
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Post by Eleazar on Mar 5, 2010 12:06:33 GMT -5
As Eleazar suggested to her that it was her that created her happiness wherever she was, he felt a warm feeling of his own. She also seemed to have a knack at making others around her feel happiness, or at least she had that effect on him. He was enjoying this assignment more than most, and it no longer seemed like something he had been asked to do. He felt a little guilty for sticking around now for his own pleasure and hoped that his presence didn't make her uncomfortable.
He nodded as he listened to her say how it had been awhile since she had been near those of their kind. The he assumed she had lived as a nomad for that time, he didnt get that feel from her. She seemed more refined and less wild than most nomads, though perhaps that was just a stereotype he had generated after years of staying with the Volturi. "It can be nice to have some company to help you pass the days"
Eleazar smiled as she called his answer diplomatic and knew she was right. He could only hope that she didn't see him as pulling away or not trusting her a less diplomatic answer. "Diplomacy is something I have gotten used to around here I suppose" He said with a light chuckle. He nodded again as she agreed that communities won't accept everything. "Our kind is no different than any other"
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