Whose Your Daddy - Dimitru

N A R C I S S A . S T E V E N S Human Profile ​ Entering the bar, Izzy pulled the back pack that contained all worldly possessions higher up her shoulder as she took in her surroundings. It was quiet, only a couple of people having a bad enough day they felt the need to day drink. Thankfully they were too engrossed in their own misery to pay any heed to the rough looking girl who quietly moved across the wooden floors. her boots were well worn, her clothes patched together but at least they were clean. A nearby river had provided her the opportunity to clean herself up a bit before she made her way to the unassuming bar. She took a stool at the bar and lowered her bag to the ground keeping it close. She sat quietly and patiently, not drawing any unnecessary attention to herself. She had heard that this town was supposedly safe from Ox Corp but that wasn't a chance she was prepared to take. SHe was supposed to be putting as much distance between her and Ox Corp as possible and instead her search for answers had brought her to their back garden. It was foolish but she couldn't spend her whole life not knowing what she was. Besides, word on the street was that he was either here or some far off Eastern European land and that was a trek she wasn;t prepared for just yet. “ A water please. “ she asked politely, it was the only free thing on the menu. She expected to be judged, most businesses would have run her from the premises by now. She wasn't sure how long the hospitality would last and most bartenders knew everyone in the area so who better to ask before she was asked to leave for not spending any money. “ Hey, you wouldn't happen to know where I could find a guy with the last name Dimitru around here would ya? “ she asked casually sipping on hre glass of water. THe question seemed to draw suspicion and her heart almost skipped a beat in excitement. “ Oh, I'm a family member from out of town and decided I would visit, but I don't have an address. If you could point me in the right direction I’d really appreciate it. “ The trap was set, either the bartender would cooperate and would in fact point her in the direction of Mr Dimitru or word was about to get out that a strange girl was asking around town and hopefully lure him out. OF course, it could completely backfire and send him into hiding but she didn't really have a lot of options at her disposal. For now, she would remain seated on the stool, sipping her water while silently contemplating what she would say if he actually appeared. Until now, it had just been a name of a man who seemed to not exist but now, it seemed like she might finally have an answer as to what she was and hope that the answer would ease the guilt of her mother's sacrifice that had hung over her for five years.1 Word Count: 514

The gang was back together and it was time for Romal to show his face again whether he liked it or not. He’d ventured to this part of town very little in recent times, choosing to spend his days and nights either helping with those that remained fighting the ‘good’ fight, or having fights all his own. His death count was growing by the day and he didn’t plan on stopping that anytime soon. But a guy needed a break sometimes and Romal had been having pesky jolts through his runes for days. He put that down to the arrival of his siblings, but it hadn’t eased any, so he decided to venture back towards an old watering hole to see if his other two brothers were kicking around there to see if it scratched the itch that wouldn’t go away.

Phoenix bar had become a bit of a spot to go again for those like him and no one batted an eye when Romal had walked in during the early afternoon. He was looking a little worse for wear already, yet had cleaned up since the last time anyone laid eyes on him. His hair was ruffled back and concealed underneath a baggy black hoody that Odol had left before he fucked off god knows where abandoning Romal to his mess just like the rest of them. His jeans were black to match, making Romal stand out a hell of a lot less than he would have during his best days.

He was sitting at the back of the bar by a sputtering fireplace, the flames dying out on the embers of an old log. He could have got up and put a new one on but he couldn’t be arsed. He was happy to be avoided by all those around him as he nursed a whiskey, a few pints scattered on his table for later, the barmaid knowing that he would want them.

He would have been happy to sit here alone for the night, or at least until one or another of his siblings turned up. In fact he wasn’t paying a whole lot of attention until he heard the utterances of his family name, the demon turning in his seat with a cocked eyebrow as he looked at a scrawny half dead looking kid by the bar nursing water no less!

“Family huh?” he called across to her, noticing some eyes looking over before quickly darting away again. “Funny. I don’t recognise you,” he challenged, eyes alight with intrigue and suspicion. “You look a bit scrawny for a Dimitru,” he mused, kicking a chair beside him as an invite, his head cocking to it with a silent warning that she better take it. They didn’t take kindly to strangers anymore, life had taught him to act with suspicion and treat all as an enemy until he knew otherwise, despite the tingle in the runes running down his spine. “They certainly wouldn’t be caught dead drinking water in a fucking bar.”

N A R C I S S A . S T E V E N S Human Profile ​ Narcissa imagined she'd have to wait a while before word got around before anyone showed up, if anyone showed up. This wasn't her first time trying to track down the elusive DImitru.SHe had searched half of Lacrimosa following whispers of the name before she ended up here, in a bar of all places. She tried not to laugh at the irony of her conception being due to a meeting at a bar and then her search for family bringing her to another bar. She wouldn't have time to dwell on the thought for too long when a voice boomed from behind her. Her spine straightened as she was challenged to her claim. Honestly, she didn't even really know if she was a Dimitru or not. Maybe her mother had just told her a story to make her feel better? But her mother had been adamant for years that her fathers name was Dimitru and had never wavered in that. If that was the case, and this man was a Dimitru, Izzy already knew he wasn't human because a human couldn't do what she could do. She turned on the stool to lock eyes with the man. He kicked a chair beside him in a not so subtle invitation that she couldn't refuse. Her eyes examined him looking for any sign of familial resemblance and her stomach flipped. He was of a muscular build, not anything like her but his eyes, they have been different colours but they matched the green and blue mix of her own. Then there were the markings all over him and there was every chance they were tattoo's but they were so like her birthmark that was suddenly itching causing her to scratch at the inside of her left elbow. She slid off the bar stool and stopped scratching trying to compose herself. SHe would not be afraid, no matter how much the guy looked like he could snap her like a twig without even breaking a sweat. “ Then you should buy a girl a drink. “ she retorted, taking the chair he had kicked out and placing it to face the man but also in line with the door so she could make a quick escape in case he decided to cut a limb off the family tree. She sat in an awkward silence for a moment, studying the man, wondering what to say. She wasn't one for pleasantries, but how do you tell an unknown Immortal being that you could be their daughter, or niece or even granddaughter? The man looked young but from her research he could have been hundreds of years old and sired any number of other Immortals. There was no way she was going to get any answers by just staring at the man and she had come too far to chicken out now. It was time to bite the bullet. “ I suppose you're wondering who I am. I'm Izzy, Izzy Stevens. I'm from Lacrimosa. “ she started explaining as she pulled out a stained, heavy creased photograph from inside her pocket. A picture of a pretty young woman, holding a toddler who was clearly Izzy. “ This is my mother Gertrude but she went by Trudy Stevens. “ Izzy studied the man's face for any sign of recognition. “ Around twenty one, well twenty two years ago, someone by the name DImitru met my mother one night and well...here I am. “ she said knowing it may have been a shock, or perhaps not. For all she knew there were hundreds of halflings like her and this was a norm in his life. “ I've been trying to find you, the Dimitru's I mean, not you specifically, but maybe you... what I'm trying to say is, I'm just trying to figure what I am before Ox Corp can kill me for it. “ Izzy stopped her rambling to allow the man to process what she had just told him as she took another sip of her water. Her mouth was dry with nerves and this guy was impossible to read. It was her first time telling anyone why she was really hunting the DImitru's, she hoped it would be the last. Word Count: 696

He was quiet at first, noting the scratching of her arm as she walked over, choosing to sit across from him which made him smirk softly to himself, she wanted an escape route, and he couldn’t blame her. She was in danger here, he wouldn’t think twice about turning her into a lightning rod if he decided she was some kind of threat. He didn’t know if it was the alcohol or the mention of his family name but he was more interested than he cared to admit as he lifted his hand, examining his nails idly as she settled into the chair with a cocky comment about a drink, “Help yourself,” he nodded to the pints littered around the table as he fell silent again, returning his attention to his nails before he eventually looked up at her, doing things in his own time, not hers, making it clear that he was the one in control of this situation.

“Hm,” he nodded when she finally spoke, introducing herself with a name that he didn’t recognise, though hearing she was from Lacrimosa piqued his interest. He and his brothers spent a long time in the city before it fell. His head tilted, eyes examining her closer as she finished what she was saying.
So she thought she was one of them huh? He frowned a little, wondering whether this was true or the girl was simply looking to get herself affiliated with a powerful bloodline, wanting protection from Ox Corp.

“I don’t know anyone named Gertrude,” he responded, but that didn’t mean much. Romal had many drunken nights after falling out with Lita, but he supposed his brothers could have done similar. Caine and Sauri were rocky at best, as were Vaughan and Kenshu and Nate, well Nate did what ever the hell he wanted.

His fingers tapped the table, his free hand drawing a cigarette to his lips, the flame illuminating his face as he watched her, seeing the anxiety in her eyes, the stress in the tightness of her shoulders. She was ready to bolt for the door, but there was something else. Mismatched eyes scanned the girls, seeing the two tone coloration there, not like his, but not dissimilar.
She wanted this, he could nearly smell the desperation in her blood, she wanted to belong, she wanted him to accept her.

“Silly girl,” he sighed to himself. She didn’t know what she was getting herself into tangling herself up with the Dimitru clan. But he could sense it, he could smell the familiarity off of her. He could feel the tingle in his runes. He was nearly sold on the idea, but not yet willing to admit he felt the kindred blood in his veins.
“Show me your arm,” he nodded to the patch she was scratching as she walked over to him. “Take that jacket off and show me what you’re hiding under there.”

N A R C I S S A . S T E V E N S Human Profile ​ The man, maybe a vampire maybe, offered for her to take a drink and she nodded. She pulled the nearest one toward her but refrained from drinking. She wasn't stupid enough to make herself anymore vulnerable then she already was. She wasn't human and she had learned a trick or two with her abilities but control was not her strong point and they weren’t reliable. Plus she had no idea what this Dimitru's abilities were. She'd heard rumours, elementals, demonic, if rumours were to be believed the only thing they weren't was lycanthrope. So Izzy couldn't let her guard down, she was a sitting duck and she knew it. But she hadn't spent two years travelling across continents to give up at the last hurdle. She couldn't keep running forever, Ox Corp were going to catch up with her eventually and if nothing changed, she would die. At least if she was going to die in this bar it might be quicker then what Ox Corp would do to her. “ Silly girl.. “ Izzy felt the hair on the back of her neck rise. Was it a threat? Her arm itched again, only this time she felt the heat growing beneath her skin. This was bad, she couldn't lose control in a confined space like this. THere were too many innocent bystanders and not to mention all the people that were outside. If she didn't get a grip on her fear she could turn this whole building and everyone in it to ash. SHe took a deep breath and rubbed her birthmark trying to ease the sensation. “ I'm not a girl... but I suppose by your standards I can see why you'd think that. “ She didn't have centuries of life experience behind her but she had fought tooth and nail for the last two years to survive. The girl she was in Lacrimosa died with her mother the night she fled. “ My arm? “ she questioned, not entirely sure why he was so focussed on her arm? Then she realised it was her birthmark. ‘ How did he know? ‘ she asked herself, her mind racing. Could he read her mind? She hated that thought immediately. But if he was reading her mind he would know she was telling the truth right? No, he was looking for proof, some evidence that what she was saying was true. He wouldn't need that if he was in her head. She slipped her right arm out of the tattered jacket and then her left. SHe was wearing a long sleeve top, helping keep the chill out of her bones at night but there was already a glow seeping through the fabric. SHe instinctively covered it with her hand to keep anyone around them from seeing. This was exactly the kind of thing that someone needing a quick buck would report to Ox Corp. She looked around her nervously until she was satisfied that no one was looking in their direction. “ It does that a lot, that's why I keep it covered. “ she explained as she rolled up her sleeve and exposed her ‘ birthmark’. “ I was born with it. For years it was just a mark on my arm but as I got older, and strange things happened, it started to glow. “ She allowed the man to look at her arm for as long as she could tolerate it. She saw someone rising from their seat and she quickly pulled heer sleeve down again. She wasn't taking any chances. “ So, do you believe me now? “ she asked, hoping that this was enough to convince him that she was telling the truth. If she could convince him then maybe he could finally answer some questions or introduce her to the man who had them. If she finally knew what she was, maybe she could finally learn to control her abilities and then she would have a chance at actually surviving. Her mother had sacrificed her life so she could survive, she would do everything she could so that her sacrifice would not be in vain. Word Count: 676

“I’m not a girl”

He all but rolled his eyes as she latched onto his muttered words, taking offence to them. The modern era had produced a bunch of snowflakes that took offence at anything and everything, and Romal didn’t have the time or the tolerance for it, his gaze changed from interest to critical as he waited for her to either appease or dismiss his request to view her arm- either way he intended on seeing it. She either complied or he would have his fun with her. She was claiming to be one of them, and Romal intended on knowing the truth one way or another.
She didn’t rush to respond, and the demon found himself leaning back further in his chair, his nail scratching away at the marked wood of the table while he stubbed his cigarette out, quietly deciding how best to get the girl out of public without causing more of a scene than necessary, yet she soon ruined his fun musings as she removed her jacket, and started to free her arms.

“Don’t hide it,” he smirked as he saw the glow before the girl has a chance to cover it up. “You’re in Sole Town. This is our town,” he glanced around slowly, “There isn’t a single creature in these walls right now that is fully human,” they were in the safest place they could be, at least for now.
Romal moved, leaning forward, perching his chin on his palm as he pressed his elbow to the table, his mismatched eyes scanning her with renewed interest again.

She had runes. So what? There were many different demons that had runes. There were many different people that had heterochromia. But he was fooling himself, looking for ways to deny the evidence that was in front of him. Was it for the girls sake? Or for his own? He’d lost so much, could be bare making room within himself to care for another just to have Ox or life take them from him. He tutted to himself, eyes moving from the girls arm to hold her gaze.

“Maybe,” he replied, now chewing on the tip of his thumb nail as he quietly thought through their options. “Maybe not…But you have my attention,” he smirked with a shrug, finally leaning back to finish his drink before he took up a pint, downed that then stood up. “Get up, we’re going for a walk,” he tapped the back of her chair and walked from the bar without waiting for her. “Chop chop.” he called over his shoulder, deciding that walking and talking was the best course of action to take. He wanted to get more information before his siblings got their hooks into her.

N A R C I S S A . S T E V E N S Human Profile ​ Maybe he believed her, it took all of Izzy’s self-control not to roll her eyes. Why would she lie? What possible reason could she have to walk into a nest of Immortals and claim to be one of them? She wished it wasn’t true. She never asked to be anything but normal but she was the one paying the price for a one-night stand. She frowned, she was wrong, her mother had paid the price too. But Izzy was now the one living with the consequences and if she was going to be forced to deal with them she had the right to understand who and what she was. Her mother had always told her the name Dimitru, she had never faltered. Of course, there was the slim possibility that her mother had lied, or was wrong but Izzy couldn’t shake the feeling she was in the right place. She didn’t have eyes of different colors but there was no denying her eyes were the same color as his. “ A walk? A walk where? “ she asked but wasn’t surprised when she didn’t get an answer. She had a choice to make now, she could refuse and leave. She’d be guaranteed her safety at least but never the truth. The other option was to go with him and hope his intentions were good and he wasn’t going to drag her down some alley and drain her of all her blood. There were a host of reasons for her not to go with him and only one reason to go. Unfortunately, that one reason was strong enough to get her out of her seat and start to cross the bar and follow him out. She might regret this decision but she hadn’t come this far to chicken out now. She was going to get the truth or die trying. She pulled her backpack up her back and followed the man on the streets. It was quiet but not completely abandoned. Maybe someone would hear her if she screamed but she doubted they would help. “ Are you going to tell me where we are going or how about a name? At least I will know what to call the back of your head. “ Shit, there she went, she could already hear her mother's voice in her head scolding her. She always said her mouth would get her into trouble one day, little did she know it was in her blood to get in trouble, literally. She tried to match his pace but struggled. She was exhausted and carrying everything she owned on her back. He either didn’t care that she followed...well that was probably it. Her existence was probably inconsequential in what she imagined was the long span of his life and all she wanted for him was answers and she wouldn’t get them staring at the back of his head. “ So my birthmark isn’t a birthmark, is it? It means something. “ Izzy had her suspicions about the strange glowing mark on her arm. She had done her research, internet searches had told her that there was a rune that meant day or light or new beginnings... this was the problem. There was so much information and she had no way of actually knowing if it was a rune at all. She had so many theories and no way of disproving them. It was the same with teh Dimitru’s, there were so many stories and myths she had no way of knowing how many if any were true. She had more questions than answers and every time she searched for answers she ended up with more questions than before. As much as she hated to admit it, she needed this guy to give some answers and she was desperate enough to risk her life to get them. Word Count: 635