Secrets (Trenton)

[Marina Anne Sinclaire]

Mari limped her way to the bench that she sat at when waiting for safe ride to pick her up and take her home for the evening. Her shift at the university library was over and she needed to go home and let the shower beat over the latest collection of bruises her father had inflicted on her.

So far she'd raised a bit of suspicion at work but no one had the guts to come out and say anything to her. She was greatful for that at least. She couldn't face anyone if they knew her life. The looks, the pity and the judging. Everyone made it sound so easy to get away from an abuser and it could be.

Except when he was a telepath and had more money than god. Then you just couldn't get out because it wasn't that easy. She watched the area around her carefully. Her casual clothes were ala Walmart and that had been the start of the argument.

It was straight out of Mommy Dearest. Her dad had come by and gotten a key to get into her old place and gone through her things. He was pissed that HIS daughter was wearing Walmart clothes. When she'd gotten home she hadn't even had time to react before he knocked her down. The rest was a blur of pain. When she'd come to she was bruised all along her back and her Wal mart brand clothes were gone. In its place was Gucci, Versachi, and a dozen other labels she could barely read. The only walmart clothes she had left was what she was wearing. It really blew chunks.

The apartment had been completely cleaned. She didn't have a single cheap item in her apartment. There was thousand dollar crystal unicorns all over the damn place. Framed lithos and signed paintings from artists all over the world.

She was sick of it. It wasn't that she didn't like things. It just wasn't worth the beatings and the mental abuse. Every time her dad lost it he bought her shit to make up for losing it. He'd left a letter apologizing but it just didn't make up for it at all. Hell she still had the damn letter in her pocket. She should have burned it. She was thinking of bringing it to the police but who the hell would believe that the daughter of Reginald Sinclaire would have any problems? He was a saint as far as the media was concerned. He also had a lot of lawyers that could make things dissappear.

It sucked.

[Trenton Dante Moore]

Trenton walked along the route to the bus stop, deep in thought. Ever since that woman from Hart Enterprises had opened up a portal to a hell dimension, letting some other demons climb through before she was killed, crime in LA had sky-rocketed. Like anything else, there were upsides and downsides to the new attacks. The downside was that it made it harder for Trenton to try to take over. The upside was that hunting was in some ways easier because he could just swoop in, save the day, earn his victim's trust, and then strike when they didn't suspect it. Speaking of victims...Trenton let out a smirk as he spotted the lone girl on the bench. As he he came closer, he saw that it was the daughter of one of the most prominent men in LA, which was Reginald Sinclair. This would be perfect---the murder of his little girl would absolutely break him. As he approached, he concentrated on the girl's thoughts. Maybe there was something she could use against her. Then, his brow furrowed. She was thinking of something that had happened the previous night---for some reason, her father had snuck into her apartment and then had a fit when he saw her clothes. I assume he knows that we are in the 21st century and that women are allowed to choose what they want to wearr, he thought to himself. However, it would seem that Reginald Sinclair did not care about that. Trenton's smirk grew as he pulled out of the girl's head. He could definitely use this. Then, a strange smell hit his nostrils. It was---oddly familiar---like flesh striking flesh. A growl started to erupt in Trenton's throat, but Trenton forced it down as he stumbled back a few steps. Why was that smell angering him so much? He had done much worse to his own victims. Trenton composed himself and approached the bench.
"Is this seat taken?" he asked.

[Marina Anne Sinclaire]

Mari felt that buzz of someone picking her brain, she rubbed her temple and exhaled, she could tell it wasn't her father. She'd recognize his mental signature anywhere. She looked around and saw Trenton slowly approaching her. Great a vampire. She contemplated running but realized how stupid that would be. If this guy even TRIED to hurt her she'd scream so loud for her father that he'd be there stat. You weren't the daughter of a high placed psychic half demon to let some vamprire make you a meal. Still, she kept her mind tone civil. He should get that she'd be wary of a predator approaching her.

She felt her back twitch and the welts there stung anew. A silver tipped cane could do a lot of damage. She was just glad he'd not brought anything else with him. To this day she couldn't stand looking at wooden spoons. She smiled softly, "Nope. Free bench to all." she said when he asked if the spot was taking. She placed a hand in her pocket and reassured herself that her mace was within easy reach. He'd have to understand after all, a girl alone on a bench at night waiting for a bus was just screaming victim. "You come out to see the fireflies too?" she asked as she beckoned with her neck to the small florescent bugs that were just a little bit away, "They should start really putting on a show sometime in May when their breeding cycle starts. That's when they sychronize. Its kinda trippy the first time you see it. When I was little I thought they were fairies." she pushed her glasses up on her nose and peered at the brunette to see how he was handling the conversation thus far. "When I lived in Virginia you could see them in my front yard. It was kinda pretty and made me feel special. Guess our yard was a good breeding ground or something." she shrugged and watched a moth drift past, "What brings you out here?" she asked causally. She wondered what fiction he would give. She figured it would be something original at least. Her phone went off and she glanced at it. Her dad was texting her again.

You shouldn't work late. Its dangerous. You should have called me to come get you. Her dad was irritated. She glanced over at Trenton, "Sorry, dad's wondering where I'm at. Give me a moment to reply to this." Her fingers danced.

I didn't want to disturb you from your meetings. You weren't happy with me yesterday, Father.

She didn't bother to hide the text. Why should she? Vamp guy had picked her brain. "My name's Marina but I guess you already knew that, huh?" she smiled. Putting the ball in his court. "My face is usually all over the news with my dad." there, she gave him an out if he wanted to use it. Some vamps got really bent if they thought you were outting them.

It made her think of how they were trying to normalize themselves by putting other races down. Gotta love how even supernaturals wanted to be a part of the in group. Sociology at its finest. Herbert Spencer would love this.

[Trenton Dante Moore]

"Nope. Free bench to all," the girl responded and Trenton sat down, looking her over. She was rather cute in her own way. He saw her put her hand in her pocket nervously and he flashed her a smile that he hoped was friendly. "You come out to see the fireflies too?" she asked.
"Not exactly," Trenton responded. Fireflies? I have not stopped to watch them since I was turned, he thought to himself. Wait. Where had that come from? Why would he ever watch fireflies? When had he ever watched fireflies?
"They should start really putting on a show sometime in May when their breeding cycle starts. That's when they sychronize. Its kinda trippy the first time you see it. When I was little I thought they were fairies," the girl continued. Trenton chuckled.
"Who knows? Maybe you did see some," he suggested.
"When I lived in Virginia you could see them in my front yard. It was kinda pretty and made me feel special. Guess our yard was a good breeding ground or something," she told him with a shrug.
"Virginia. I visited it once. It was really beautiful," he recalled. And it had been. It had also been the perfect breeding ground for him at the time. Of course, he didn't say that.
"What brings you out here?" she asked. Trenton started to respond, a buzzing interrupted him. "Sorry, dad's wondering where I'm at. Give me a moment to reply to this."
"Of course," Trenton agreed. The girl didn't even bothering to hide her text, and Trenton spared a glance at the exchange. He is...controlling, Trenton thought to himself. That was a trait he usually admired. After all, he was looking to control all of Los Angeles and he could put a controlling nature to good use. However, for some reason, in this situation, the thought irritated him.
"My name's Marina but I guess you already knew that, huh/" she asked. As a matter of fact, he felt that he probably should as he had seen her around before. However, he had never bothered with her as he had no interest in making her a meal. She was not the type of victim he was usually attracted to. However, her name was escaping him.
"No. I---" he began to say.
"My face is usually all over the news with my dad."
"Ah, yes. I remember seeing that once or twice," he admitted truthfully. Suddenly, he felt a dull ache in his throat. Wonderful. I need to feed, Trenton thought to himself. However, he forced himself to stay put. He wasn't sure why, but he was actually interested in and somewhat concerned about this human. "Does the bus usually take this long to arrive?" he asked.

[Marina Anne Sinclaire]

She sensed he was confused and frustrated slightly but wether it was her or something else she couldn't tell. She made small talk with him and he was deep in thought. She smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe you're right." she said softly as she looked into his eyes and beamed up at him.

He was distracted and she didn't know what to talk about with him. He didn't know she could see and that she knew what he was and she wasn't going to tell him. She shifted and winced. Her cell phone went off again.

"It can take up to 20 minutes for the bus to arrive. I'm not keeping you from anything, am I?" she asked as she glanced over at him and she tried to be more social. "If the bus doesn't show up my dad will come get me. He hates that I use it." she explained. Her cell phone was going off again and she did something rare for her. She opened her mind up and let her father pick up on her thoughts.

He was alarmed and worried but she pointed out that adjitating a vampire wasn't on her list of healthy things to do. He wanted to come get her and was walking towards his car. Mari sighed and she nodded.

In order to keep things looking normalized she looked at her cell phone, "I'll probably ask my dad to come get me just so he stops fretting. He wants me to move back home. He thinks the city is too dangerous for me to be on my own. I'm surprised he hasn't hired body guards but I think he knows I'd ditch em if they followed me. I don't..."she exhaled and shrugged her shoulders, "My dad is just very pecular sometimes. If I didn't keep making mistakes it would be easier." she bit her lip and ducked her head.

[Trenton Dante Moore]

"It can take up to twenty minutes for the bus to arrive. I'm not keeping you from anything, am I?" she asked.
"No," Trenton replied with a shake of his head. "Absoultey not," he continued. Why do I care about this human? he wondered. What was making him act out of character?
"If the bus doesn't show up my dad will come and get me. He hates that I use it," she explained.
"Hmmm...I can understand that to an extent. This neighborhood, the lateness of the hour...." Trenton mused. And it was true. This really wasn't the kind of neighborhood you wanted to be alone at, even if you did have supernatural abilities. Then, Trenton realized that Marina had continued talking.
"I"ll probably ask my dad to come get me just so he stops fretting. He wants me to move back home. He thinks the city is too dangerous for me to be on my own. I'm surprised he hasn't hired body guards but I think he knows I'd ditch em if they followed me. I don't..." Trenton's eyes clouded as he heard the frustration in her voice.
"He probably doesn't mean to treat you like a child. He's probably just worried," he said, though he wasn't sure he believed that. He had studied humans a lot as a vampire and her attitude was practically screaming at him that there was something amiss.
"My dad is just very pecular sometimes. If I didn't keep making mistakes it would be easier." Trenton watched as she ducked her head and his eyes flashed. His instincts had been right. Something was wrong. And for some odd reason, Marina believed it was she who was at fault. Trenton clenched a fist, trying to get a handle on his emotions. What was wrong with him? Why was he suddenly feeling protective of a human? What was going on? He didn't understand....

[Marina Anne Sinclaire]

Mari smiled in relief once she realized she wasn't going to be a bother to the vampire sitting next to her, "What is your name if I may ask?" she said softly. She didn't want to pry but it helped to have a name to go with the face. She pushed her wire rimmed glasses up a bit. "What brings you out here?" she asked him gently as he tried to figure out his feelings and she gave him time to catch his breath.

"I understand why he worries." she agreed. "I know why he does it it just makes it hard when I can't answer him right away." she admits softly, "He's not treating me like a child." she exhales, "He...well its hard to explain...I don't even know if it would make sense." How did you explain to someone that your father used you as a way to interact with the world around him. How did you explain that you were the only person your father could safely interact with without fear of killing you in the long term. How did you explain that you were the only one in a very long time that could stand up to him and that made you more valuable because there was an honesty there?

My father is a very lonely person and he's not good at expressing his feelings. If I could read his moods better it would not be so difficult." she didn't know why this vampire was taking such a deep interest in her but she kept talking to him none the less. She understood when men needed to puzzle things out in their own heads and left him his silence till he asked another question.

[Trenton Dante Moore]

Trenton saw Marina smile and she seemed to relax. Good. That was good. He did not want her to be nervous. But why? Normally, he would be dancing with delight at making a human squirm. And normally, he would have eaten the human by now. But he had to admit, it was kind of nice to just sit back and talk with someone. Then, he realized that she had asked him what he was doing out there. He frowned. That was a good question. Why was he out here?
"I don't know," he answered honestly. "I guess I just...wanted to enjoy the night for once," he continued. And to his surprise, he found that it was true. Sitting here, talking with Marina, it felt nice. Sure he had only originally approached her with the intention of playing with her mind and then possibly eating her, but he was strangely glad that he had changed his mind about that. He made himself comfortable as Marina continued talking, stating that she understood her father's concern and that he wasn't good at expressing his feelings. As she talked, the vampire could hear the sincerity and frustration in her voice. Whatever the issues were with her father, they sounded complicated and that made the vampire more concerned than he liked to admit. I have not cared about anyone since I was turned. Why is this girl so different? he wondered.
"Yes. I have struggled with that myself," Trenton mused, accidentally let his old-fashioned language slip out. Then, he heard a car approaching. "It sounds like your father is here," he commented, standing up and then offering his hand to her.

[Marina Anne Sinclaire]

Nodding her head slightly to Trenton she looked up at the sky, "Well you picked a beautiful night to stargaze and its nice to have someone to sit with." she said with a soft smile to him. "So, do you go to school here?" she asked him out of curiosity. She looked him up and down a bit to make sure she was not misjudging him and to help remember what he looked like. Her vision was so bad she needed to take the extra time to make sure she didn't mentally forget his face.

"A lot of people have a hard time knowing what to say. Me? I just try and listen mostly. Its what I'm good at." she said as she sensed he was puzzling things out. "You look like someone who would have a lot of interesting things to say." She turned when he mentioned her father's car coming to collect her. "You're right." she rose and dusted her pants off, "It was a pleasure meeting you. I hope you enjoy the rest of your night." she said as the vehicle pulled up. A Rolls Royce with exquisite interior. The Chauffer came and opened the door for her and she slid into the dark depths of the car, "Be safe! Have a wonderful evening." she called as the driver closed her door and the door latch sealed before walking back to the drivers side and entering the vehicle. The purr of the engine greeted his ears as it drove off to places unknown.

[Trenton Dante Moore]

Trenton smiled as Marina nodded and then looked up at the sky. He followed her gaze and then nodded in agreement at her comment. She was right. It was was beautiful out here. He turned back to her as she asked if he went to school here.
"Yes I'm in my junior year of high school while taking some college courses. I...guess I'm kinda smart," he said, faking modesty. Being smart was only part of it. If you had been around as long as he had, you tended to acquire quite a bit of knowledge. Something that came in handy when you needed a broad horizen for feeding. Glancing at her subtly, he caught her staring at him as if trying to memorize his features. Smart girl to take notice of what I look like. It's easy to see how she's survived this long, he thought approvingly. Taking in your surroundings and keeping your guard up were excellent survival skills.

Marina started talking again and he turned to her, giving her his full attention. He nodded in understanding when she told him that rather than talking a lot like other people were prone to do, she preferred to listen and that she was good at it. Trenton nodded in approval. Another good survival skill. Information was often gleaned by keeping one's mouth shut and just letting others do the talking. The ache in his throat grew worse, but Trenton ignored it. He could feed later. The last thing he wanted to do was brush Marina off. It would hurt her feelings and make her think less of him. This was a feeling that surprised him. Why do I care what she thinks of me? he wondered. He couldn't help the small chuckle when she noted that he looked like he would have interesting things to say.
"To the right people perhaps. I don't generally play well with others. For some reason you seem to be the exception," he commented. When the car came up, Marina stood up and headed for the car door, which was held opened for her.
"It was a pleasure meeting you. I hope you enjoy the rest of your night," she told him.
"You too. I will see you later, Bella," he told her. Bella meant beauty and it fit her. She was beatiful, even though she didn't know it.
"Be safe! Have a wonderful evening!" she said. Once the car was out of sight, Trenton raced off in search for someone to eat.

OOC
And that's a wrap! Thread finished.