Chaos and Anarchy (Closed)

[manuel]

George Fressen frowned as another stack of papers found itself on his desk, it didn't matter that it was almost time to close the work had to be completely finished and whoever had decided to dump these sheets on him was only making his day longer. Grabbing the papers he gave them a quick run through before throwing them oin the already large to do folder.

He hated his job, hated the tedious repetition... But when you graduated with only a bachelors in buisness to appease you maniac of a father you didn't have many options. And with a sigh George returned to his work.

An hour passed, then two, and soon the man found himself alone in the massive forty story office building, it wasn't the first time... His work done the man grabbed his coat and suitcase and headed to the elevator to head home to some instant mashed potatoes and reheated frozen vegetables.

As he reached the ground floor George was instantly aware that he wasn't alone. Across the darkly lit foyer he could see another figure making its way to the empty cafeteria before it turned and seemed to notice him. From a distance he thought it was a man... Dark hair, well built but suddenly the man was no longer there... Instead it was someone he knew... Knew very well and she was coming right at him.

"Kristen, what are you doing here?" he stammered out as his girlfriend came into view... Or was it her? Something seemed off but when he saw what she was wearing he didn't care.

"Why... For you lover. Did you forget what day it is?" she said in a sultry voice as she placed a hand on his chest pushing him to the wall. Inside Georges mind he could hear a voice screaming that this wasn't the Kristen he knew, she was a quiet, calm, and was not one to be acting this way. But his mind was on autopilot now and he couldn't help himself as he leaned in to kiss her only for her to place a hand on his mouth...

"Now now.... We musnt rush into things. What if the cameras see us? Where are they sweetie?" she asked innocently...

"Um... The cameras are down, boss thought there wouldn't be a need for them anyway... They are just for show." he stammered in response...

"Oh thats good then. Well then, i have no need for you..." George gave Kristen a puzzled look as she said the words, this time with a soft Spanish accent.

"Kristen? What-" he never finished as a single gunshot echoed through the lobby before the bullet was lodged in his skull killing him instantly.

-------------

Manuel let out a sigh of relief as he let the illusion he had placed upon himself fade away. He hated when he had to do this but it always had the desired effect. Within a moment Kristen was gone replaced with the man George had seen heading to the cafeteria earlier. Reaching down he picked up his bag and placed his ancient pistol into its holster. He didn't know why he was doing this. Long ago he thought Joan had stomped his desires for destruction right out of him, but here he was again getting ready to set this building on fire, with a sigh he headed over to the cafeteria to begin his work.

A few minutes passed and Manuel was once again walking the streets of Seattle. The fire he had started would take awhile before it was noticeable, he had disabled the fire alarms on the main floor, and there was little reason for him to believe anyone would suspect him. Again he could hear the voice of Joan in the back of him mind chastising him for what he had just done. And what scared him the most... Was that he didn't care...

[MIKAELA MOORE]

The cold of New York was nothing compared to the cold of Washington. At least in the Big Apple, the sun decided to show itself once a week. In Seattle, it was rare to even hope of feeling its warmth. Mikaela hated it and so far wasn’t too impressed with the city. She had come across some other tigers, but nothing had much sparked within her. It was nice to know she wasn’t alone, but the others seemed preoccupied with their significant others. Martyn appeared to be seeing some woman named Autumn and from the appearance of it, Naomi and Baden were together. That left Mikaela as the outcast once more. Not only was she not born a lycan, she would be the only single one in the clan. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she stood in front of the mirror, her mind a million miles away from the reflection before her. Was Washington really where she belonged, or was she just not giving it enough of a chance? She didn’t know, but at the current moment she had no where else to go. For now at least, she was stuck here.

Feeling her muscles tense a bit as she returned her thoughts to reality, she glanced in the mirror. Her outfit was fitting for a night on the town, but also could be revered as classy and elegant. That was how Mikaela had been accustomed to dressing since her days as editor of Elle magazine. In her mind, she was hard-working and deserved the best, so she kept most of her designer clothes with the move. Sure, Seattle wasn’t quite used to seeing such fashion, but Mikaela didn’t much mind. She had toned it down a bit, but still kept well with her image. It really wasn’t too difficult seeing as her body did most of the work for her. Her curves were nearly perfect and her face as innocent as any man would love. Her sun-kissed Brazilian skin was just a bonus to this pale-faced city. Smirking at the thought, she fastened a few strands of hair with some bobby pins and turned to put on her shoes. She really had no idea why she was going out tonight. She had absolutely no plans but to just walk around and see the city. It wasn’t too late, but it was moving to a point where the lights from the building would give the city the illusion of life.

Grabbing her keys and purse, she headed out of her apartment. Being in the heart of Seattle, it wasn’t too difficult to find something to do. She knew there were numerous clubs and restaurants that were quite lively after dark, but a part of her wasn’t really too much in a party mood. As her thoughts traced over ideas of what to do, she felt her stomach growl a bit…clearly reminding her of her previous meal having been the night before. It wasn’t as if she was unhealthy or anything, her funds were just somewhat lacking at the moment. Nowhere was hiring, and the places that were hadn’t contacted her yet. She really didn’t have much experience except for writing and fashion, and Seattle didn’t offer many jobs in either. Sighing, she remembered a small cafeteria that was relatively inexpensive that not too many people knew about. It was in the ground floor of an office building and while the food wasn’t the greatest, it was cheap.

Sighing to herself, she moved down the growingly busy streets of Seattle. Men and women alike were getting off of work and taking cars and taxis home to their families. The thought sent a familiar sting to her heart as she longed for a family of her own, but she quickly pushed it away. She always tried her hardest not to let those types of things bother her. Even if she wasn’t the most independent, she hated feeling like she needed a man. Her eyes grew distant as she involuntarily lost herself in her thoughts. It was amazing how vulnerable she was after being infected. She had grown to accept and love her tiger, but it wasn’t without difficulty. She had been outcast when another lycan spoke of her unworthiness of being a tiger. The words stung at her, especially after years of trying her hardest to make everyone happy. The young tigress was on autopilot as she maneuvered down the street, but as she felt herself collide with someone, she returned to reality. The impact had made her stumble, nearly losing her balance as she looked up to see a man with a rather serious expression, looking as if he was on an important mission. Immediately, her cheeks blushed crimson and she bit at her lower lip. “I’m so sorry…I wasn’t paying attention…” She spoke quickly, trying to compose herself, feeling embarrassed that she’d just blatantly run into someone..

[manuel]

He had gotten a few block away from the building before he let himself relax a bit. He was afraid that at any moment the police would come swarming in to try and arrest them. Although it really didn't worry him. It had been a long time since he had used his powers and he was finding himself rusty. In his prime he had been able to sink enemy ships and kill with relative ease, the enemy finding themselves under all kind of assault from mental to physical manifestations of their worst nightmares. Joan however had been there to calm him down after he used his abilities, she had found him ways to siphon off his darkness into other pursuits.

Manuel continued his walking, threading through the crowds of people who were making their way through downtown, generally enjoying life and innocent. How naive they were in thinking that was the case. Everyone had their own little dark secrets, little monsters they couldn't have exposed to the world. It annoyed him but really there was little he could do. With a sigh he looked back towards the building he had just left before he felt himself collide with something.

With a curse of annoyance he saw the woman he had run into. She was rather attractive, and appeared to be wearing an outfit that suggested she was out for a night on the town. Either way if he had not sworn his heart to a dead woman he would have been attracted to her.

“I’m so sorry…I wasn’t paying attention…” she said quickly, obviously shaken that she had run into him. With a sigh Manuel just shook his head.

"Then start watching where you're going Señorita," he said in a slightly annoyed tone but couldnt find himself to become truly angry with her... Accidents happened.

[MIKAELA MOORE]

The tigress’ mind raced as she waited for the words of the stranger she’d just hit. Seattle was just about as friendly as New York…and anyone who had visited or lived in the Big City knew that wasn’t very friendly. It always stung when someone threw an attitude her way, but she tried her hardest to ignore it. It wasn’t as if they meant anything personal to her…just to what she had done. She heard his words and just as she thought, there was definitely irritation present. He was not happy that she’d just bumped into him, and even with his slight Spanish accent, she could tell. “I was just on my way to the cafeteria. I’m sorry!” Her rambling words were a result of her running into him. She was embarrassed and she was really just looking for any excuse for him not to be able to talk and have an attitude. Even with working in the fashion industry, she was more vulnerable than most. She had a heart of gold, and was far more innocent than most. To even have a stranger upset with her threw her entire day off-balance.

Regaining her balance on her own, she tidied out her dress and bit lightly at her lower lip. Her cheeks were still burning crimson as she looked down in an almost submissive stance and spoke softly. “Excuse me…” Her heart continued to pound in her chest as she began once more walking towards the cafeteria. She wasn’t too far away now and she was thankful as she was beginning to feel soft hunger pains. Her figure meant the world to her, but she hated being so hungry. She never had the energy to do what she wanted…only what her once a day meals allowed. Sighing, she knew it was only a matter of days before she would be forced to take a job for pure survival. At that point it didn’t matter the job. And, as she thought about the numerous filthy jobs they offered…she cringed. That was for another day though.

Turning the corner, she inhaled deeply…trying to brush the words of what the man had said out of her mind. She didn’t need him ruining her night. Her lack of money had already taken care of that. To add his annoyance on top of it, she would be miserable. Pausing for a moment, she found the building that held the cafeteria on the ground floor. People were casually standing outside and she smiled. Finally, some food. Walking once more towards the building, she could smell the delicious food that awaited her inside.

[manuel]

“I was just on my way to the cafeteria. I’m sorry!” THe words set alarms off in his head knowing well that the building he had set on fire was the only place to eat in the immediate area. And today it had been closed which was why he targeted it. Little to no chance of civilian casualties. Just a giant charred building. With a sigh he realized that maybe he'd have to follow her to make sure she wasn't hurt.

“Excuse me…” with that the woman moved off, with a bit of a smirk he followed her about ten meters away, using his ability of illusion to make himself appear as a different person whenever she looked back so that she never thought she was being followed.

As he neared the building he could already see signs of his work. Small wisps of smoke billowing from the higher floors... Although in the current weather it simply appeared to be steam from the heating. He had positioned the fire in such a way that any smoke and smell would be quickly ventilated so no one on the streets would immediately notice. He just hoped the woman would understand that the place was closed and leave... Would save him much more trouble.

With a curse he stopped walking. He just realized he had left the door to the place unlocked and the lights inside on. Sure there was a sign saying they were closed but there was a chance the woman could still go inside. This was not a good... He only wanted to do some damage, and while he had killed that man earlier he had a soft spot for women and didnt like to see them hurt if he could prevent it...

[MIKAELA MOORE]

Something in the air didn’t seem quite right. Her tiger stood on all fours, a bit cautious as she continued her way towards the building. Everything around her looked calm and normal, which made it difficult to place where something was amiss. Inhaling deeply, any sign of the fire was masked by food. Of course, she didn’t know it at the time, but it wasn’t the food from the cafeteria. It must have been lingering in the air or from elsewhere. Maybe a family was grilling out or a food stand was set up somewhere? Either way, her hunger overpowered her lycan senses at the moment. In reality, she really needed to go hunting. Her tiger hadn’t been properly fed in almost two weeks, and she knew how weak and vulnerable that made her.

Sighing as she brushed the thought away, she continued into the building…completely neglecting to realize the closed sign. All seemed normal and so she began walking down the vast amount of halls that connected itself to the cafeteria. Without signs, someone was bound to get lost. But the further into the small puzzle she got, the more her tiger started to beg her to go back. A noise caught her ears and she near immediately turned her head. “H-Hello?” She asked, almost feeling like this was the start to some twisted horror movie. There was no answer, so for a moment she paused…her instincts debating fight or flight. Of course, being the stubborn woman she was, she opted to fight.

Moving forward, she slowly turned and peeked around another corner. The hall was empty and her brow furrowed. Right now would have been a wonderful time for a weapon, but she had none. Knowing she really should just turn back and run, she kept moving towards the sound. All at once, the scent finally filled her lungs. Smoke. Something was on fire. And as she turned the corner, she saw the shadows of the flames dancing on the wall. Her eyes widened and for a moment, as she was frozen in fear. She had never been in a situation like this. This building was huge. The chances that she was the only one in it were low, she tried her hardest to think of what to do.

Then, as her elementary school education finally kicked in, her eyes darted around looking for a fire alarm. She locked on the closest one, which also happened to be right next to the fire. Inhaling deeply to avoid smoke in her lungs, she held her breath as she ran forward and pulled the alarm. Immediately sirens began to ring and she prayed anyone in there would hear the alarm and get out…including herself. Moving back away from the fire, she had to pause for a moment, trying to figure out if she had taken a right or left. Mentally, she cursed herself…but the adrenaline from the fire had clouded her memory. Without a second thought, she turned left…but as soon as she did she felt an intense heat cover her body and a shock wave send her to the floor. The impact was unlike anything she’d felt before and it knocked her unconscious for a couple minutes…allowing the fire ample time to spread. When she finally came to, she was in the heart of the fire.

[manuel]

Manuel almost cursed out loud as she entered the building. Stupid woman! And now he knew that he had to go inside to save her. This whole thing was becoming a mess, and yet another part of him enjoyed the random confusion and chaos he had inflicted upon himself. Running forwards he entered the building following her noticing that conditions were already deteriorating. He really wondered how the girl couldnt have seen the signs that there was a fire in this place.

As he turned the corner he saw her lying on the ground, a nearby boiler had exploded and appeared to have knocked her unconcious, and from the look of the flames nearby shed been out long enough get herself surrounded. Cursing his luck he dove headfirst into the fire, ripping a piece of his sleeve to use as a mask against the smoke. The now exposed arm had minor scaring and tattoos that were a side effect of his magic.

As he knelt beside her he noticed that she was starting to regain conciousness, not that he cared really, grabbing her in his arms he picked her up before turning around towards a backdoor exit he had seen earlier that the kitchen staff used.

"Just keep quiet, I'm here to help" he said to her before walking to the door and trying to kick it open.

It was locked

Giving out a groan out of sheer anger he called upon his gift and smashed the door open with his mind. He didnt care that the woman might see him, but then again he may have forgotten that she was conciouss. As the cold winter air flowed into the room he rushed outside into an abandoned alley way.

[MIKAELA MOORE]

Mikaela could feel the smoke clouding her lungs and her coughs were becoming more frequent. Her eyes barely wanted to open, but she tried her hardest to force it. Everything was hues of red, yellow, and orange. She knew immediately this wasn’t going well. Yes, she was a lycan, and that meant she would heal faster than others, but her body was entirely too weak from lack of food. On the metaphysical plane, she could see her tiger, clawing at what looked to be a closed door, pacing trying to get away from the fire as well. A part of her wondered if shifting would be the safest method out, but at the moment she didn’t even have the energy to do that. Her body ached, and the fits of coughing continued. Trying to mentally prepare herself to get up, she was surprised to feel hands encompassing her, pulling her off the ground and close to someone’s chest.

Her eyelids were heavy from the exhaustion she was feeling, but she was still aware enough to realize a man was carrying her. If his voice didn’t give it away, his physical frame did. Of course, her first thoughts were of a firefighter, given the scars and tattoos on the man’s shoulder. But, then she realized his arm wouldn’t be bar; it would be covered with temperature protecting gear. Her eyebrow furrow and a small groan emitted from her lips as she looked forward to see the man smash the back door. The adrenaline once more seared through her veins and for a moment, she felt her entire body tense and writhe in his arms. What had he just done? She knew no power like that among lycans or vampires. Her heart raced as she tried to figure out just what the man was.

As the cold burst into the burning building, Mikaela curled her body closer to him. Her dress was torn and tattered, not providing much cover let alone warmth anymore. There was soot and dirt all over the young woman’s body. Her hair was a tousled mess, and she could feel a few painful aches all over. She would heal. That wasn’t a problem. But, given her lack of strength, it would take a little longer than normal. Shivering a bit in the new cold, she looked up to finally see the face of her rescuer. Much to her surprise, it was the man who she’d run into mere minutes before. A small smirk fell on her lips as she curled close to him, shielding her exposed skin from the wind. “Thank you…” was all she could muster up to say to the man. It confused her how he knew where she’d be…or why he had followed her to the cafeteria. It didn’t quite add up. Either way, at the current moment, she didn’t care. Her eyes closed and her head rested gently against his shoulder, her body and mind weak in exhaustion. She didn’t know where she would be when she woke up, but she had a sure feeling she would be safe.

[manuel]

Manuel cursed as the girl passed out in his arms.... What was he going to do with her? Although he was starting to feel the darkness that always came whenever he used his gifts. This was dangerous but he knew he couldn't just abandon her in the alleyway. Still, there was something about her he liked. With a sigh he made his way back to his home, making sure to keep to the back alleys so no one would see them. Even though he was a charmer he knew he'd be hard pressed to explain things.

A few minutes passed and he entered the tall building and entered the elevator heading up too his suite. He had bought the place awhile ago but while it had been lavishly decorated he didn't really do much inside... Mostly just eating and sleeping. As he entered the suite he proceeded to set her down softly on the couch. Looking at her he couldn't help but smile, she was a lovely looking woman, there was no way to deny that.

Only now did he realize he had used his powers in front of her. Walking off to his bedroom Manuel felt deep anger as he ripped off his shirt and smashed the mirror. It wasn't enough to calm him down, but the senseless violence helped. He realized he'd probably have to kill her... Unless she proved capable of keeping quiet... With a growl he headed to his wardrobe and picked out another long sleeved shirt, put it on, then headed back out into the living room then into the kitchen where he began looking through the fridge for something to eat.

[MIKAELA MOORE]

Mikaela couldn’t faintly feel the breeze as the man rushed her through the town. The air was cold and her body felt numb from the conflicting aches and pains. She knew as she passed out, the smoke and adrenaline were what caused it. Even if she was a lycan, she still wasn’t extremely strong. She was a beta, which meant she had control over her beast and had enough strength to survive in normal situations. A fire explosion was far from normal and her human side took an unexpected blow. But, somehow…she knew she was safe in this man’s arms. If she wasn’t, then he would have just let her die in the fire. The exhaustion overwhelmed her, and she remained unconscious until she finally had some strength.

Coughing softly, she finally slowly moved her body. She felt something soft and comfortable below her and for a moment, she was terribly confused. Opening her eyes, she had thought it was just a bad dream, but as she looked around to see where she was, all the surroundings deemed unfamiliar. Her heart began to race and she stood up too quickly, her body not nearly strong enough yet, and she fell back down. Every part of her ached. Her lycan side was working the best it could, but somehow it didn’t seem fast enough.

Sitting on the couch for another moment, she ran her hands through her hair. She was dirty from head to toe in soot, bruises, and scratches. The faint smell of fire still lingered, and she closed her eyes…trying to regain consciousness. That was when she had remembered the man saving her. Opening her eyes, she looked around the luxurious suite. This man was clearly no low level. But then…how did he know she was in the building? No one had been there…yet, he had saved her…almost like he knew the explosion was going to happen. Shaking her head, she strictly told herself that was impossible and finally got the strength to stand up.

Her body tensed as she felt how hungry she was, but she pushed it aside. She knew she could survive another couple days without food…she just needed to ignore the hunger pains. Hearing some rustling in another room, she followed the sound until she reached the kitchen. There she saw the man that had saved her, scrounging through the refrigerator trying to find some food. For a moment she was silent. In reality, she had no idea what to say. She’d never been placed in this kind of situation before. “Thank you…” Were the only words she could think of. Her voice was filled with exhaustion, but she was entirely genuine. She could feel the man’s energy rolling off of him, and in it she felt extreme rage. Her heart rate beat a little faster as she was unsure how the man before her would react. She had so many questions to ask him about what had happened, but for the moment she remained silent.

[manuel]

After a minute of searching he finally settled on making an ommelette when he heard her speak again. It was barely a whisper but he had caught it, closing the door beside him and placed the ingredients on the counter to look at her.

He just realized how dirty she was, and the ash and smoke had probably not been good for her either. Then again it was a miracle she had survived at all. At the moment it didn't register in his mind that maybe she was more than she appeared to be. Smiling he made his way to a nearby closet and pulled out a set of towels.

"Here, if your feeling better you can go and take a shower, ill make you something to eat alright? How do you like your ommelete?" he asked calmly. It surprised himself by how nice he was being to her. Normally he would have been more aggressive and probably just dumped her at a hospital but something about her made him decide against it. Besides if he had just abandoned here there things would have been worse. He'd killed one person today to sate his dark desires... But for some reason he didn't want to kill another. Especially her.

"After I'll take you to the doctor. You've inhaled allot of smoke and we need to be sure you're ok." again he was surprised by how nice he was being to her. But he'd worry about that later.