the cage (Merry)

[connordouglas]

As the sun started to go down Connor stirred, yawning as he rose to choose his outfit for the night. He didn't really see the point in this, he was just going to imprison himself within the library when it closed. It was a new habit of his, he figured as long as he was in there reading he could not hurt anyone else. He was always careful to make sure that no one else had lagged behind, there were a few close calls in other places he had done this. It took him several weeks to find a place with a schedule that was easy to keep track of, he often crept into the offices to see what the work schedules were so he knew who was working and how long. Having a photographic memory allowed him to keep track of these things, once he saw something it was not often that he forgot it.

Once he was dressed, he went out the window of his apartment, figuring that he wouldn't waste time with the stairs. That was one of the many perks to being what he was, conventional no longer mattered, even if that seperated you from what you wanted to be the most. Landing without a sound, Connor made his way along the familiar path to the library he loved to frequent. The staff there was excellent for the few hours they were around while he was, but he enjoyed them all the same. There was one woman inpaticular that he saw day in and day out. He never caught her name, but then again he never asked, that took away the fun and mystery.

Holding the door for someone as they passed, he offered a brief nod before walking inside himself. Hands in his pockets, Connor made his way to the reference desk, checking to confirm that who the schedule said was working was the person who was actually there. Lingering for a moment by a book shelf, he watched Merry for a moment, noting her smile, the way she seemed eager to help, and the style of clothing she wore. These details were important him, he enjoyed fashion as much as the next person, criticing it was something he did naturally. Drifting off to find the book he had been reading the day before, he would return moments later, feet up on a nearby table as he found his place without the help of any sort of marking. Occasionally he would glance up at Merry, unaware if she had noticed him at all or if he was simply another patron.

Unknown to everyone here they were part of a test for him, the sound of their blood was maddening to him. Being so close to the humans, practically being able to taste them. It was all he could do to keep himself seated, if he could sweat he imagined that right now he would look like a nervous human. He waited like this for several hours, for the people in the library to clear out, hopefully the Librarians would clear off pretty early as well.

When the last person was out that door, he stood up, vanishing into the aisles so that he would be over looked and locked in with the books. In here he could do no harm to anyone, as long as no one had the same idea as he did. Taking his book to one of the shelves, Connor lept to the top, laying on his back and letting one leg dangle off the side. Humming to himself, he continued to read, ignoring the thirst that was building inside him the best he could. It felt like he had swallowed an entire desert, the feeling of dryness almost unbearable. God how he longed to sink his fangs deep into som- blinking his eyes he snapped out of that day dream, lest he smash his way out a window and hunt.

[Merry Grace Lovelace]

Merry had seen everyone out the door and sighed, she had changed into her little black dress in the back and had agreed to meet friends. It was girls night and she had babbled about it in front of Connor (unbeknownst to her). About how they were going to just dance their feet off. She reiterated to her friends that yes she was still single and no, there were no propsects yet.

Then she saw him, her heart seemed to skip a beat as she realized he was in here with her alome. "I'll call you right back, Chelsea." she said into the phone and hung it up, "Sir, the building is closed for the night. I know you get distracted with your history book but we need to be leaving. She knew she looked like a fashion plate and that it probably dented her authority but it was what it was. She sighed softly, "I'm sorry, my name is Merry. I should have let you know sooner." she said to him with a soft smile and a blush as she swept her hair over her shoulder.

She opted to play dumb rather than act like she wanted to know how he got up there. She knew there were vampires and wherewolves and she did not want to risk triggering his anger. She just acted like getting on the top shelf was normal and she was fine with it.

[connordouglas]

Snapping out of his day dream, Connor realized that he was not alone in the library all of a sudden. He could hear the sound of someones heart beating nearby, though he did not move to locate the source. If he went to investigate he would have done something he regretted in the end, he was sure of that much. Listening in on her phone call, he seemed mildly interested in what she had to say. She was going out dancing, not uncommon for someone who appeared to be here age. With any luck she would just move on without noticing him, then he could be contained and left in peace.

His heart sunk when he realized that was not the case however, he could hear the change of tone in her voice. She was aware that she was not alone in this place, he remained absolutely still as she hung up her phone, trying to choose his own words very carefully. Sitting up, he looked down at her for a moment, considering how odd this must have seemed to her. He would have assumed that the person sittong on top of the shelf was some sort of monster in her position, yet she didn't seem as unnerved as he would have expected.

Looking her directly in the eyes, he smiled at her with the most charming show of teeth he could manage. "It would mean the world to me if you could forget you saw me here, just this once." he said. He never expected anything like hypnosis to be real but he figured it was worth a try, he knew absolutely nothing about what he could and could not do just yet. It was unlikely to work, he was too inexperianced and unfocused due to hunger. She looked like the most delicious thing he had ever encountered in this moment, everything in him wanted to sink his teeth into that sweet spot.

"I see you've taken notice of me, at least enough to know what I prefer to read." he said, seeming a bit flattered by it. "Merry is it? I guess it'd be unfair for me not to introduce myself, wouldn't it?" he asked, sighing softly. He had planned to spend his evening in solitude, but it didn't seem like that was likely to happen at this point. "You can call me Connor. I come here so often, I am surprised I haven't spoken to you before." he said, seeming as if he was in deep thought about that. "But that is not so important, what is important is that I stay here tonight." he said, his tone seeming nervous.

[Merry Grace Lovelace]

Merry noticed how absolutely still he was, how he seemed to make her toes curl just speaking to her. She felt her brain going woozie and there was a part of it that fought it but also knew that to deny his request was to court disaster. She rather liked the idea of continued living and she tilted her head gently, "I won't tell if you won't." she said with a simple shrug of her shoulders.

She heard him say her name and she felt her knees almost buckle. This guy was sex on the hoof and she was acting like a rabid fan girl. "Pleased to meet you, Connor. I promise I won't say anything." she said as she regarded him, "I have survived as long as I have by not asking too many questions." she admits as she tried not to look him in the eye. She didn't want him to feel challenged or angry. "If you promise not to damage anything you can stay in the back." she offered. She'd be fired but hey it was better to be fired than to die and right now she got that vibe that she was the blue plate special to him.

She rubbed her neck in awkward silence as she stood there and waited for him to make his decision. A soft exhale as she closed her eyes and prayed silently.

[connordouglas]

Connor watched her carefully to judge how well he had done, though it seemed that it didn't work entirely as intended. He felt the power leave him, which left im astonished at the very least. He had been acting upon a vampire myth that suggested that he could hypnotize people into doing what he wished, his surprise when it turned out to be somewhat true almost made him fall over. Never taking his eyes off of Merry, he relaxed a bit as she finally offered not to anyone that he was here late at night. Nodding his head slowly, he smirked at her wondering how much of it was his influence and how much was her own personal choice.

"Believe me, the pleasure is all mine, but you don't have to be so worried. I am not going to hurt you, I can assure you that I only have good intentions." he said, a smile on his face even though it was clear that he was in some sort of pain. To even know that she was here, alone, and his to drain made it so much worse for him. "If you don't mind me asking, why are you still here? Usually you're all out by this time.." he said trailing off, though he realized that it sounded a bit odd. Oh god, he was a creepy stalker, somewhere he had crossed a line with this whole idea.

"You have a good survival instinct but it's unneccasary here. You wouldn't happen to know where a ladder is so I can get down, would you?" he asked, smiling sheepishly at her. He would play off the odd encounter like it was just a way for him to hide from people who would have escorted him out. He could tell how concerned she was for her life however, he saw it in the eyes of the people he hurt when they knew that the probability of their death was near inescapable. Frowning slightly, Connor sighed inaudibly, he was tired of this curse already after only six years.

"I appreciate your kindness. I promise you that the library will be just as it is in the morning. You look like you're late for something, you're dressed way too nicely for a shift." he added politely, figuring he'd pay her a compiment for possibly saving someone else's life tonight. Her life however still hung in the balance, he could feel his body wanting to move on it's own, to tear her open.

[Merry Grace Lovelace]

She sensed he was watching her for her reactions and judging her by them. Inwardly she felt her stomach do flip flops and she told herself to just keep cool. If she was respectful she just might get out of here alive.

Blinking she realized he had been here before, hiding and watching. Not necessarily her but the library as a whole. Why on earth would someone hide in the library of all places? She just did not understand it at all. "I was going to go out with friends for a girl's night." she said simply with a shrug of her shoulders as she looked up at him and slung her purse over her shoulder as well as her garment bag. She may have changed for the club but she still dressed well for all that. "I stayed late because of that."

She nodded her head, "I can see if there is one stored in the circulation room." she said this softly as she looks at him, "I can try to find something if you like..." she began slowly edging her way backwards, trying to put some distance between them. Her heels made no sound on the carpet but her heart was racing.

"Thanks, not like I have anyone to get dressed up for but I'm glad I made a good first impression." she said as she stood there and looked up at him, "I should go find a latter for you. Maybe someone left one out. No point in having you stranded up there." she said as she looked up at him a bit worriedly. She bit her lip and edged her way closer to where the elevators were. She refused to run but a strategic retreat was in order.

[connordouglas]

Connor couldn't help but laugh, he realized how bad this was being recieved. This was all wrong, but there was probably no way to put her mind at ease. If he let her walk away, she would most likely flee and possibly go back on their deal. However he couldn't keep her here against her will, that was very far from the sort of man he was. The hard decision was whether or not to come down from the shelf or wait it out. "Girls night, right I should have guessed. Looking at you it's hard to figure out what type of woman you are, you seem like you're full of surprises." he said, leaning forward putting his chin in his hand.

He watched with a mild amusement as she backed away slowly, though he should have taken offense. Connor was not a dog, he was not going to give chase to her simply because she made sudden movements. Shaking his head, he nodded at her before calling out. "I actually don't believe you are going to. You don't believe what I am telling you, do you? I can see it in your body language." he said, pushing himself off the edge of the shelf. Connor fell the nine to ten foot height of the shelves, landing without so much as a sound or effort.

"I find that hard to believe that someone like you has no one to look that good for." he said, a warm smile on his face. "Surely there is someone you can think of that you'd like to be out with?" he asked, yawning as he made his way closer. His movements were slowly, as if he was trying not to startle her any further than his fall probably had. No one else would have made it so gracefully, without hurting themself. It was only a matter of time before she pieced together what he was, they all did in the end.

In the blink of an eye he was gone, finding himself to be next to her, leaning against the wall near an elevator door. His eyes were trained on her, their sparkling green depths captivating. This close he could hear the sound of her panic so well, it was tempting him like he had never felt before. He wanted to drink so badly, but he summoned every ounce of his willpower to be still as he was right now. "I just want you to know that I am not some creep, stalking anyone in paticular. I just need somewhere to imprison myself, out there something bad could happen to me, to someone else.." he trailed off.

"Just remain calm, try and relax. Everything will be alright."

[Merry Grace Lovelace]

She shrugged her shoulders as she as she spoke with him, "Not sure what type of woman I am. I'm just a librarian that sings opera in her spare time." she murmured as she watched him and how casual he was.

To her credit she didn't scream the whole time that he leaped off the shelving. She just blinked at him and sighed, her shoulders sagging as she bit her lip and didn't move, "Well its unnerving to have you up there." she admitted as she looked at him, "I just don't want to get hurt." she whispered softly.

"Well I don't get many offers." she admitted as she looked at him and he moved closer to her, "I just graduated six months ago. I've just got a job. I've not had time to go out." she said softly she wondered why he was asking, "Why are you asking?" she voiced as she looked into his eyes and relaxed.


She jumped when he suddenly appeared next to her, her brown eyes looking at his green ones and feeling herself wanting to just relax and not worry, "That does make me feel better." she admitted as she looked into his eyes and he saw her form loose its tenseness. Her arms were heavy and she felt sleepy and resisted the urge to yawn. Her garment bag felt heavy and she had to shake herself to remain upright. "What would you do if you weren't here?" she asked him as she looked into his eyes.

His last words had her standing there quietly, all worry from her mind was gone as she felt herself relaxing almost to the point of sleep. She shook her head to stay awake and her curls bounced lightly smelling of roses.

[connordouglas]

"A singer too? Well, you are quite the rare find in this city. Beautiful, humble, and you can sing." Connor said, watching her with an amused gaze. She was worth getting to know, that much he could tell from listening to her speak. There was something about her that spoke to him, though right now he couldn't afford the luxury of taking his mind off the thirst. The moment he did so, she was going to die that was the harsh reality of it all. This was how it always went, the nights he chose not to feed were the ones where he met people he would rather not feed on. It was a vicious cycle, one that could only be broken with the death of his body.

Connor laughed, he couldn't imagine why that would be true in any world. Smirking at her, he shook his head for a moment as he thought of what exactly to say in response. "Mm, well, I find that hard to believe at all. A stunning librarian, you're ever college boys dream." he commented, a short laugh following afterwards. It was a bit inappropriate, though it was funny to him all the same so he let it be. Though she seemed genuinely confused by why he was asking these questions, he was too. "I was simply making small talk, though I have to say even I am intrigued. You have a nice eye for fashion and you offered to help me even when I could hurt you. Hell, maybe I should take you out." he said, finishing with a chuckle.

He did his best to avert his gaze from hers a bit, so that the supernatural charm would lose it's affect on her. He wanted to speak to the real her, not the woman that his powers forced into submission. Even though she seemed to be doing well so far in resisting him, which was a blessing to him. Inevitably he knew she would start asking questions, so when she finally arrived to the mother of them all he paused without a real way to answer it. Wearing a pained expression, he thought for a moment how to word his response. He would scare her most likely no matter what he said, what a terrible situation. Sighing softly, he shrugged his shoulders, "Sometimes people get hurt around me, even though I never mean for it to happen." he said slowly.

"There are times when the temptation is just too much.." he said, trailing off as he got close to her. "Times when I can't control the most basic urge my kind feels." he said, standing behind her and drinking in the sound of her racing heart. The sweet fount of nourishment rested only inches away, just beneath the skin. With a mere thought he could have it, but then he would be right back to where he started. "I lock myself in here when you've all gone because then I cannot be tempted, it is safer this way." he said, his tone reflecting just how much he was struggling to stop himself, just how much he despised what he was.

"Everyone has a dark side. I can't control mine.."

[Merry Grace Lovelace]

"Thank you." she said a bit awkwardly, this man made her feel like he was complimenting a prize winning horse and she wasn't sure she liked it. He was the one holding the cards right now and she hated it. He screamed predator and she just wanted to figure out what kind. She thought about it and her mind cleared. He was a vampire or a demon.

"I dunno I can be a real Witch to those that annoy me. Large groups just make my teeth hurt. I prefer quiet places. That way I don't pick up on too many bad vibes." she admitted as she rubbed the back of her neck, "Thank you, I am lucky I don't need to work I just like to. My family has been caretakers here for a very long time." she blushed and ducked her head, "And even a college guys wet dream has her awkward moments."

"I'm used to pain. My mother was killed when I was six. Someone murdered her." she says softy as she bit her lip, "Its why I studied and got where I am. So, if I ever ran into the person I'd be able to ask why. I mean really like that's gonna happen? Mom dies a horrible death that requires a closed casket and I spend the rest of my life wondering what creature in the bump of the night did it."

Feeling her heart twinge she exhaled and leaned back, she could feel the cold emanating from him and it clicked he was a vampire or a demon, and one that didn't like what he was. "Have you thought of going to someone like a Witch to help? I mean I know I'm going out on a limb here but it seems to me like you supernatural types always think you're the first ones to have these problems and you completely forget that knowledge is power." she exhaled an with every ounce of her will she reached out and touched his cheek, her eyes were down so she could focus but she was tired of being scared "Look, I'm a Witch. I don't know one hundred percent what you are but I'm not going to ask questions you don't want to answer. I do know there are always options. You could read while you are in here on your condition, whatever it is. It might help."

[connordouglas]

She was still so guarded, there was absolutely nothing he could do or say he realized at this point. Resigning himself to the fact that he might have to find somewhere else for the night, he offered a low inaudible sigh. "Aside from tie myself to a pole, is there anything at all I can do to put you at ease?" he asked, placing his hands behind his back and folding them. It was a gesture of good will he figured, to remove them from his apparently imposing presence. "But you're welcome, if anything the odd stranger can help make your night eh?" he replied.

"I understand what you mean. I am not fond of large groups either, nor people in general usually. Most tend to rub me the wrong way, it can get pretty dicey very quickly." he said, also smiling a bit nervously. She seemed very confused about his intentions, Connor could not clarify them for her either as he was equally unsure of his own intentions. Connor smiled at her though when she admitted she did this simply because she enjoyed it, that made her a hard worker, he could respect that. "It's not every day you hear someone with money make that claim. Pretty cool if I say so myself." he said, laughing at her final comment. "I'm sure she does, completeing that sentence obviously being one of them."

A frowned threatened to consume his features, Connor was rendered speechless for a moment. "I uh.. don't know what to say. I'm sorry, I can't imagine any of that ever got any easier for you." he said, trying his best to sound comforting. She was doing an excellent job of keeping him engaged, keeping his number one drive out of the picture. Maybe she was the one person he could count on to hold him at bay. "If you would like, maybe I can help you figure that out. I'm sure you've already figured I'm not normal, or else I would be a crumpled heap on the floor near the bookcase." he admitted, smirking nervously.

"I have not. Until just this very moment, I was not actually aware that they were real, in a non-creepy religious sort of way." he said, tilting his head to the side. Unlike others like him, the things he knew were actually rather limited, he still didn't even know the true extent of his abilities. "I figured I couldn't be the only one, but how do you go about looking this up? I didn't think I could just google 'what is the extent of my vampiric power and does the thrist ever end' you know?" he said, offering a laugh. The cat was out of the bag now at the very least.

When she touched his cheek, he inhaled sharply, the warmth sent shivers down his spine. It induced a moment of weakness out of him, one he might come to regret in the days to come. Taking her hand in his, he held it against his cheek, and then turned it over and bit her. The initial wave of euphoria sent him reeling, though everything in his head screamed to let her go.

[Merry Grace Lovelace]

Merry looked at him, "Well you could let me leave through that elevator and we could call it good." she said as she looked at him, with a tentative smile. "You've defonately made the night interesting." she said as she regarded him. Yeah if you could call serial killers interesting.

She laughed softly as she saw him unwind a bit, "Well about all working does is keep my clothing stipend flush." she admitted to him with a light wave of her hand, "Its the work I enjoy."

"Its hard on the holidays. Its just something that gets a little less painful as you get older ya know? I mean I always knew there were things out there. I just didn't connect the dots till much later. I'm just slow I guess. Should have figured out that there was more to the world."

She heard him finally say what he was and she relaxed incrementally, "Well yes, we do have books on vampires and how they can control the hunger that eats at them. I suppose I could let you read some of them." she said after a moments thought. She knew what he was and that was something. She could deal with something if she knew what it was.

Feeling the fangs sink in she shrieked and did the first thing that came to mind, press at his gum line to trigger his fangs to retract. "You're hurting me, let go!" she said as she angled her other hand for the can of mace if he did not release her. If he does she'll make a bolt to the elevator.

[connordouglas]

He was talking to her as casually as the situation would allow, then the next thing he knew he was bleeding her dry. His hatred of what he was ran pretty deep, he wanted to cast himself out into the sun most mornings. Here he was about to do it again, he could feel her warm life blood pouring over his tongue as he drank greedily. The worst part about it was that they usually suffered, he didn't exactly stick around for a crash course in how to make your victims numb to the pain. All that mattered in this moment was the sound of her heart and the blood he consumed like a glutton.

In the back of his mind there was laughter, his sire mocking him for being weak like he was in this moment. He could hear her laughter mixed with the screams of those he killed, or was Merry screaming at him? Snapping back to reality, Connor summoned every ounce of willpower he could manage to free himself from this vicious cycle. As she pressed against him, he opened his mouth and stumbled backwards like a drunk. The blood was smeared all around the bottom half of his face like some nooby fledgling, which was precisely what he still was.

Connor wanted to tell her to run, to get away from him, but all that came out was a deep predatory snarl. That was not his voice! Shaking his head to find some sort of clarity, Connor turned his head to the side as if slowly figuring out what he had done through a drunken haze. "Merry.. g-go." he said quietly, though he could feel the urge to attach himself to her coming back once more. The blood was out in the open now, it incited a frenzy in him much like the feeding frenzy blood induced in sharks. "I'm.. sorry.." he said, making a choking sound as if he was fighting to hold himself in check.

With all the strength he possessed, Connor threw himself into a sitting position on the ground. He'd watch her shoot towards the elevator, his body fighting him once more as he rose without a thought of his own. Connor blurred after Merry, though when he finally caught up to her he stopped only mere inches away from her. "You have to help me Merry, I can't stop this. I hurt all of my friends." he said, though the gaze of a monster was still present he was fighting back the urge to kill her from this close. "Cover the wound, it's driving me into a frenzy."

[Merry Grace Lovelace]

Merry moaned in pain as she felt him pull from the vessles in her hand. It hurt like hell. Her mind was calm in spite of the fact that she was being used as a happy meal with legs. She forced herself to be calm and tried to slow her pulse so he wouldn't get so much so quickly.

Merry felt him release her and she ran pell mell for the elevator. If she could get it opened and closed before he recovered she would be free if not, she'd be toast. Her blood dripped down her hand an she clutched it. She didn't know how she was going to heal this.

She heard the sorrow in his voice as he apologized but her first instinct was to get the hell out of there. She didn't want to be a statistic and have her body thrown off the top of the library to cover what had happened. She wasn't going to go down without a fight.

Merry jumped when he was in front of her. Then he was begging her to help him and telling her to cover the wound. She did so as quickly as she could using a black scarf to bind the puncture wounds, "I want to help you but you bit me. I can't help you if you kill me." she said calmly as she tried to get him to think rationally. "Connor please I don't understand you. You're confusing me." she pleaded with him to speak to her so she could not only try and salvage her life but maybe help him as well. She felt cold. It was the shock kicking in. While that was good for the fact that it stopped blood flow it was bad because it could cause one to faint.

She felt herself getting woozie and the room began to spin as she dropped to her knees an looked up at him with wide brown eyes.

[connordouglas]

Even in his current state Connor could see just how brave she was. No one had ever come up with enough willpower to fight back, nor did they ever have the idea to try and pressure him to retreat. She was smart, brave, and a fighter which caused some weird infatuation to swell up inside of him like a balloon. Could she be the one thing that actually controlled him when he was like this? That would be a game changer, that was something he would do anything to keep in his life. The only problem now was trying to make amends for having tried to eat her. Merry was less than okay right now, he could tell, but she put on a brave face in the face of death.

"I know, I know! I can see it in your eyes, despite how stupid and weak I am. why would you help me?" he said, though his tone seemed enraged. He was far from it, it was just hard to control his level of excitement right now. It was a miracle that he was not pinning her to the wall and finishing the job right now. As she wrapped the wound, he could feel his torture lessening, though not by much. He was glad that in this situation she was able to comply, to talk. The thing that was saving her here was her voice, nothing more as his willpower was hanging in tatters right now. Connor knew he should just let her go, but that would go against everything he wanted right now.

Staring at her for a moment, he forced himself away from her, leaning against the elevator wall. "I am confusing myself.." he said, muttering under his breath. He could feel the hunters instincts in him, but at the same time he could feel himself at some sort of peace. Trying to focus himself, to give himself some other purpose than feeding, Connor managed to shake the look on his face. He seemed alot more calm than when this all began, now his look was replaced with concern for what he had done. She lost a bit of blood, not enough to sentence her to death if she got help, tonight had been a victory for him. "I know you want to help me, but I think I need to help you first." he said, watching her start to fall.

Catching her before she could finish her little fall, Connor, steady her with a frown on his face. "Take a deep breath, try to stay focused on something, anything. Even if it just the sound of my voice. You can do it, you just have to stay concious, calm deep breaths." he coached as he kissed her forehead. The blood from his lips probably smeared, but he was forever grateful to her now, now that she had showed him that he could stop. Helping her get propped up against a wall, he watched her as he sat against an opposite wall. "Take look at your hand, is it bad enough to need a hospital?" he asked, unsure just how badly he had gotten her. He would carry her the whole way if he had to, suddenly in his mind that was all that mattered anymore.

Merry.