First Impressions

[Salem Ave]

This was putrid. Salem stalked across the carpet, eyes lowered at the floor, as fast as possible. The stench of cigarra smoke in the room was suffocating and the people around him were driving him nuts with their constant squawking and squealing. He just wanted to tear and every one limb from limb, then to shove their grubby hands down their throats to shut them up.

Stopping at the edge of the room, he groaned as he realised the only place to go was either some hideous waterpark or a living quarter, neither of which seemed very appetizing. Thus, he was confined into the casino until the craft docked back at the Sith Order.

With a thud, he dropped down into a chair, hunched, and closed his eyes.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

In such a lively crowd of people, Morrigan managed to miss the stifling confinement of the labratory. Her eyes narrowed as she slipped between body after body, using every once of will to keep herself from tearing off someone's head.

In the ritzy setting, Morri' looked almost grossly out of place, her lanky body clad in a rather tattered collection of black and purple stockings, ripped pants, and a torn muscle shirt. Tucked inside her right boot was a length dagger, and the plainer of her two sabers was secured in her left pocket.

Hey, toots, this ain't no costume party, a drink, sitting at one of the slot machines, stated and grabbed her arm.

Her eyes widened as a fierce expression took over her face. She wrenched her arms away and spun around the heel of her boot striking against the back of the man's head. Before anyone could tell what happened, the man was scraping and pushing at the machine, the silver lever pushed clean through his eye socket. Morrigan stared at him for a moment before smirking. The glittery machine was eagerly flashing "Jackpot" as she stalked away.

[Salem Ave]

The vampyres solid black eyes rose upwards as he heard a sickening squelch like a shovel hitting wet cement. His gaze narrowed in on a many apparently impaled on one of the casino's fruit machines, and he allowed his lips to flicker into a smirk for a the briefest of moments. Coins flooded out of the machine into the man's lap, blood streaming out down over the money.

Any mildly intelligent person could tell that he hadnt' done this himself, thus the apprentice glanced about the room curiously, to try and pick out the source of this violence. It took him less than a nano-second to spot the girl. She stood out of the crood like a saw thumb, not only because of her dress code but because of the fact that unlike most of the others, she actually had a darkside force signature.

Salem's head lowered once again though and he mulled over his thoughts, trying to decide whether or not to haul out the body and drain it.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

Morrigan's eyes caught onto a man that seemed to stick out as much as she did. She chewed over the thought of trying to make conversation but decided that if he really was anything like her, he wouldn't appreciate a random stranger. Instead, she watched the panicing crowd that had formed around the impaled man and grinned to herself.

"Imbeciles.."

[Salem Ave]

Salem stood up sharply and upon consideration decided it wouldn't be at all bad to steal the carcass. Ambling over towards the scene, he waved a hand at those present.

"Medical assssisssstance," he hissed as he wretched the body up onto this shoulder.

The people looked at him queerly for a moment, but after an employee had cleaned the machine, thought little more of it. Sideling over away with his trophy, he departed out into the hallway that lead off to the water park. A quick glance up and down the hall showed no one was present, thus throwing the man down against the floor, he knelt and began to lap up the blood rolling down out of his eye socket.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

Morrigan's eyes followed the man as he lifted the body and carried it off rather proudly. Ever since she'd smelled his blood, her wolven traits were beating down hard in her mind. Her eyes narrowed and she sunk into the crowd as she started stalking him. She slipped into the cluster of shadows beside the door way and folded her arms with a smirk as her voice melted into the man's head.

"Nice meal you've got there."

[Salem Ave]

Continuing on for a good few more seconds, to quench his hunger before drawing away - with a grunt. His head whipped around to look up into the shadows at the girl. At such close range, he could now sense what she was, one of them ... hounds, supposed arch-rivals of his race, werewolves, or whatever the hell they called themselves now. With bloodied teeth and lips, he feigned a grin.

"Want a tassste?"

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

She studied the vampyre before making her way toward him witn an intrigued grin. She hadn't noticed what he was before, but it was fairly obvious now. She crouched down, a claw slipping into the other socket and plucking out the unharmed eye, dangling by the collection of viens and nerves on the back of it. Smirking to herself, she tossed the eye into the water; a present for someone to stumble upon.

While she'd never tasted blood before.. or flesh, for that matter, the coppery stench was teasng her senses. She dipped a finger into the pool in the first empty socket and licked the blood from her finger before grinning to the boy.

[Salem Ave]

It amused him momentarily, though he quickly snapped back to what he had been doing. Picking up the body, and at the same time opening a hatch in the side of the corridor, he slung it inside to rot. He ran both his palms down the from of his jacket, smearing the remainder of the blood onto it to clean his hands.

"Filthy werrrewolf," he murmured as he pushed past her.

He had no intent of conversing with the girl, and now that she'd interupted his meal it made him even more reluctant to speak with her. Hopefully the journey would be over soon and he could head back to his quarters ... or perhaps even to see the succubi to pass away some time before training.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

A low growl left her mouth as she watched the vampyre trudge away. Sucking on her finger for a moment, she chased after him, tilting her head as she called in a teasing voice.

"So do you only scavenge others reject?"

[Salem Ave]

He canted his head back, to look sidewards over his shoulder.

"No, I wasss capitalizing on sssome good forrrtune," Salem replied as he slipped back down into his seat.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

Morrigan tugged down the hem of her shirt before and crouched low enough on the ground that she was almost sitting. Her violet hair, strung into several spiky "tails", tossled as she laughed a bit and grinned, chipping at the dark paint on her claws.

"I don't understand the entire battle between your kind and mine."

[Salem Ave]

There was a pause in which he considered an answer.

"Neitherrr do I."

He arched one thin black eyebrow and jaggedly shrugged his shoulders. He'd never been told by Razielle why he was supposed to hate werewolves, but since Saurron and the others seemed to, he played along.

"It'sss... enterrrtaining though."

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

She chuckled under her breath and started picking at the carpet, her eyes closing, lids heavy with makeup.

"I doubt any remember why there is such rivalry... They simply claim to do so, so that the other sheep of their kind won't think less of them."

She was almost teasing him, playing on the bits of thought she could catch in the air around her.

[Salem Ave]

"Perrrhapsss."

Salem idly drummed his fingertips together.

"It isss of no consssequence though. It isss the way the worrrlds work, so therrre is no point in arrrguing about it."

He closed his eyes, shoulders raising and falling again.

"Ssso why arrre you herrre? I have not seen you at the Orrrder, you mussst be a cussstomer."

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

Her thin shoulders shrugged, much like his had, and Morrigan opened her eyes.

"I was actually trying to gather information about the Order," she lied. In truth, she was simply exploring.

[Salem Ave]

"Oh rrreally?"

He gave a sort of 'hmm'ish noise.

"What do you want to know?"

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

"Well.." She began, her chin leaning in her palms. There were two ways she could continue this conversation: The productive way, which would be doing as she claimed to be. Or the fun way, which would be flirting at an almost insanely obvious level. Naturally, she chose the later of the two.

A sly grin spread over her lips as her sharp teeth were exposed. "First of all, what might you go by?"

[Salem Ave]

He opened his eyes and looked across at the girl.

"Sssalem Ave," he responded, one hand lifting to push some black quills of hair out of his vision.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

Reaching a pale, bony hand up, Morrigan grinned at the man.

"Salem.." She purred out the name in repitition. "I'm Morrigan Van-Derveld."

[Salem Ave]

"Morrrrrigan,"

Her last name registered as one of the members at TSE, during his short membership there, though he knew off-hand that she wasn't that one who'd been part of the ranks.

"I think I ssspoke to yourrr fatherrr once.."

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

Morrigan nodded a bit before sitting up on her knees as she looked at him, her head cocked to the side.

"So what brings you to such a disgusting swarm of life?"

[Salem Ave]

"I wasss jussst ssseeing what the Orrrder had crrreated, to passsss a little time. I didn't realize I wouldn't be able to inssstantly get off," he said with a somewhat disgruntled groan.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

Morrigan laughed under her breath and stretched out briefly.

"I suppose you didn't expect such a ghastly collection of matter?"

[Salem Ave]

"Of courrrse I expected it. It'sss the sssame everrrywhere,"

Salem blinked.

"Except the Orrrder. Therrre are a few therrre... who defy the thesssis."

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

Her arms folded and leaned on the arm of his chair as Morrigan sat up on her knees, leaning in curiously.

"So.. While greatly understandable..What is it that bothers you about these beings?"

[Salem Ave]

He brought both hands up to rub his temples, a habitual calming action.

"Jussst.. how they wassste theirrr life here, or anywherrre for that matter. They have no purrrpose. All just cannon fodderrr to make usss strongerrr..."

There was a pause, and he smiled slightly.

"... Actually I sssuppose they do have a use, but even then,"

The expression soured.

"They'rrre bad at what they do."

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

"Lord, what fools these mortals be.."

Morrigan breathed out the quote absently, settling down as she leaned her chin on her crossed arms. Her green eyes looked up at Salem as a smirk played across her face.

[Salem Ave]

He tried not to look sideways.

"... Why do you keep ssstarrrring at me like that?"

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

"..Sorry"

She was staring? She hadn't realised it.. Shrinking back, she sat on the floor, her hand picking at bits of carpetting again.

[Salem Ave]

".. I didn't sssay you had to ssstop, I was jussst wonderrring why you were doing it."

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

"..I don't know why"

Her brow furrowed as Morrigan stared at the ground, trying to figure out what had entranced her about him.

[Salem Ave]

He smirked, fangs prying over his lips as he looked about the area. Hopefully the ship would dock soon, and he could escape the awkward silence that was forming.

"... Were you thinking of joining the Order?"

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

Her shoulders shrugged as Morrigan gave him a slightly ackward smirk, tucking a strand of dark violet hair behind her ear.

"I haven't decided where I may join. ..'Been looking around."

Shrugging again, her eyes glanced around the large room, a few cautious glances being granted their way from people clad in "top-of-the-line" clothing that would most likely be considered out of fashion by the end of the voyage. Morrigan grinned arrogantly at the cowardly audience and closed her hand into a fist, a single finger remaining in the air. The gesture was crude, and probably easiest for the morons to understand, out of all the wicked things the Lupine could do

[Salem Ave]

He blinked as she flipped the crowd the bird. Little seemed to notice or care, but apparently it entertained her.

"You ssshould join. You ssseem.. interrresting comparrred to the others. It would be almossst pleasant to have you around," he replied blandly.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

Morrigan turned back to look at Salem, a thin eyebrow arching curiously.

"What's this? Was that a complement, my dear Vampyre?"

She smiled almost tenderly, her chin leaning against her palm again.

[Salem Ave]

Salem shifted his weight, in uffish thought.

"Not parrrticularrrly. I wasss sssimply stating that the Orrrder needs morrre people of our ... mind state."

He paused, "If I wasss complementing you, it'd sssound betterrr than that."

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

A small, playful pout formed on her lips as Morrigan poked her tongue out at the man. She sat up again on her knees and leaned her elbows on his chair's arm, her chin cupped in her hands.

[Salem Ave]

Lowering one hand from his head, he proceeded to flick her on the nose with a cloven-claw before setting his elbow down on the arm of the chair.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

Morrigan grinned softly and snapped at his fingers, leaning forward as she follows them when he draws his hand back.

[Salem Ave]

Smirking, he snapped his hand upwards and gave her forehead a lit tap before knocking a few strands of her dark hair aside with a finger tip.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

A smirk grew over her lips as the girl tilt her head, nipping lightly at the fingers that pushed back her hair. She stretched up a bit, her eyes looking at his, her lips pressing to his for just a moment.

[Salem Ave]

Sharply, he drew away, half-scrambling back against his chair. He folded his hands down into his lap and stared at the claws, a quiet hoarse hiss passing his lips.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

A hint of rejection glittering in her eyes, Morrigan pulled away and sat back, her gaze on the floor. She chewed on her lip, her thoughts stumbling over themselves as she searched for the right words. After a minute of silence, she let out a sigh and pushed against the floor, hopping up to her feet. Her eyes stung and a tingling feeling at the back of her mind was making her stomach knot itself. Whatever this feeling was, she didn't like what it was doing to her so quickly.

[Salem Ave]

There was a whir of the engines and someone spoke over the tannoy announcing that all passengers wishing to leave should make their way to an exit as the ship would be docking temporarily at Corellia. Rising up quickly, he looked to Morrigan before stalking away - hoping to get off.

"If you'rrre leaving, now would be the time," he hissed back at the girl.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

Morrigan blinked and looked toward Salem, her shoulders shrugging a bit.

"No hurry."

Her mind was still whirling with distracted thoughts as she straightened out her shirt, her head bowing again, slightly.

[Salem Ave]

Within a few minutes people had begun leaving, though a lot were staying on board for the rest of the round trip to Coruscant and back. This being his stop, Salem followed the thick stream of those departing out down onto the surface of the TSO planet. Casually, he glanced back into the thicket of the crowd and squinted, trying to pick out Morrigan. After a few moments of not seeing her, he continued on through the evening shadows, hands in his pockets, as he paced off towards the HQ building.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

As Morrigan started moving with the flood of people, her eyes skimmed through the crowd, unable to find Salem. She sighed, brushing back a loose lock of hair.

Without warning, a scream rang through the massive craft from one of the other rooms. A panicking woman rushed into the room, rambling about finding a body. Apparently the security had heard, because the line was suddenly stopped.

"Frell.."

[Salem Ave]

As the siren sounded, he glanced back over his shoulder. It looked like both his and Morrigan's handiwork had caused a degree of alarm amongst the security staff, and they were now checking the people present. Pacing forward, he watched with an amused grin as they began to search people.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

Since it seemed that there was going to be quite a delay, Morrigan started pushing her way through the crowd to find Salem. She had no desire to stand around in such a large gathering with out at least some form of entertainment. A large hand shot out through the crowd when she started moving and wrenched her to the side; Apparently security had seen her movement as an attempt to escape.

"Let go of me!" Morrigan hissed and pulled her arm sharply from the officer before another clung to her second arm.

[Salem Ave]

He approached the security.

"Officerrrsss,"

They looked from the girl to the boy.

"Sssalem Ave," he gave an official looking nod, "I'll take the girrrl for quessstionning from here."

With a wave of one hand, the men complied and let go of Morrigan, at which point Salem turned away and began walking again.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

Starring past him for a moment, Morrigan took the few quick steps between them and met Salem at his side. She looked up at him for a moment before turning her gaze to her hands.

"Thank you."

[Salem Ave]

"No prrroblem," he muttered.

Truthfully he didn't want the girl fessing up about him draining the corpse on board the ship, as he knew the uppers of the Order might frown on such public display.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

A frown crossed her lips as Morrigan caught a fragment of his thoughts. She jerked her head up to look at him, a slightly hurt, angered look in her eyes.

"I wouldn't say anything about you." Her pale hand struck across his cheek in a swift slap before she even realised her actions.

[Salem Ave]

Salem didn't even bother to retaliate, instead just keeping on walking. She had the name of a traitor, and though it was predjudice of him to think in such a way, he thought of her as rather untrustworthy.

"I'm sssurrre.."

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

Salem..

Morrigan growled under her breath and grabbed his arm, hugging it to her chest. Her eyes were squeezed shut and her head bowed, as if she was hiding from meeting his gaze.

[Salem Ave]

He craned his neck to look back at her clinging onto him, with a degree of distaste showing in his expression.

"What?"

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

"Nothing"

Pushing away, she took a few steps back and gave him a faint smirk.

"I'll stop annoying you."

[Salem Ave]

A brow lofted.

"Ooo.. k. You werrre attaching yourrrself to my arrrm for no reassson... fairrr enough."

Smirking similiarly, he carried on walking.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

"Impulse.."

Morrigan shrugged a bit and leaned back against the wall of the ship, smirking a bit. That's what it was, generally. An impulse. An impulse driven by an emotion she'd never been told about.

[Salem Ave]

"Impulssse to what? Grrrab me?"

He smiled faintly.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

"To keep you near."

Her eyes stayed on the ground as she searched her mind for the words to fully explain herself. How could she? She'd just met this man, and she was already losing herself to such a foreign feeling.

[Salem Ave]

"Ah."

He shrugged.

"You don't want the guarrds to get you. Fairrr... I'll take you back to the Orrrder... you can get a trrransssport from there."

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

"I don't care about the guards."

Her head lifted quickly and she stared at him for a long moment.

[Salem Ave]

Another shrug and he kept walking.

"You can sss-till get a trrransssport.. or I can ssshow you around the HQ if you'rrre ... bored."

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

Her shoulders shrugged and she looked back towards the ground, rubbing her arm absently.

"As lo-" She bit her tongue, stopping midsentence. As long as I'm near you... She thought.

[Salem Ave]

Salem allowed a more visible smile and motioned for Morrigan to walk as he followed at her side, heading towards a building (http://www.swforums.net/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=22667) on the near horizon.