By the Light of the Moon

[Damien Van-Derveld]

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Denon was a crowded and over populated planet. It reminded Damien of Coruscant, though it wasn’t as nice. The streets were like any major urbanized planet, dirty. It was a far cry from the earthen soil he was used to with the wilds of Dathomir, and the fresh air which he could breathe in with each pull of air into his nose. This place smelled of rot and “progress.” A simpler life was something Damien was used, but here was exposing himself to the galaxy.

Since meeting his cousin, Damien’s life had become radically different. The Lupine which had been raised to be both Sith and Nightbrother had been free to choose his path. The song of Doashim had reached out to him, and Damien found himself among another group of witches. The Mandagora were not like the clan he left on Dathomir. The male seemed to enjoy more freedom among the group, and while the spirits had chosen Katrine to be their Nightmother, it was the men then had chosen to be the shamans of the different sects.

Damien seemed as out of place as one possibly could. His attire boasted that he was not from the urban planet. Rather Damien looked as though he was dressed for post-apocalyptic survival. It wasn’t far from the truth as Ryloth was a world where the sun was either hot, or the dark side of the planet was cold. He dressed for where he lived, not where he was going. After all, Denon was supposed to be diverse.

The night air chilled his exposed skin. It was early spring, and the breeze was still cold at night. He was not sure why Doashim had led him to Denon, nothing was certain. Life on the planet was interesting. Night life was not something the young man knew as these people did. It seemed there was something for everyone’s fancy. Cantina’s littered the walkway offering all types of temptations. Clubs filled with patrons dancing, or those which had men and women taking their clothes off for credits, were not absent either.

Damien shook his head. This seemed like such a waste of time, and yet the allurement of it, the curiosity of what this life was like drew him in. Again, the pull was much more than curiosity. It seemed as though Doashim was pushing him toward it all.

Several eyes looked at him as he wandered toward the nearest nightclub he could find. The thump of the bass and the smell of liquor in the air sent the wolf inside him mad. Perhaps this was an exercise in control as Damien had never experienced anything this revolting to the animal within. Even when Katrine had given him the spice, the wolf did not protest this much. All eyes looked at his clothes, he knew it. Damien was not dressed for the part. A few laughs could be heard from some of the women as he passed them on his way to the bar.

Damien was being watched.

The sensation came to him from the moment his back turned to the crowd. Someone was watching him, studying him. He was the object of their curiosity. The feeling was not because there was a crowd. It was the distinct sensation that he was being watched by an individual rather than the many eyes of a crowd. Whoever it was, their gaze pierced through the madness.

Damien inhaled, searching for a scent.

Nothing distinct.

Whoever it was watching him was not a Lupine. They were something else. Damien turned in his seat hoping to not look too obvious, but the sensation was too much to ignore. He had to know who it was that was watching him. He had to find them. A hand quickly waved the bartender over. The young Lupine ordered the house ale, and when the bottle was placed in his hand, he walked away. His eyes never left the perimeter, looking toward the booths which were hidden away in the shadows.

There was someone of stealth and shadow in the club, and Damien would find them.

[member="Rhapsody Veness"]

 

[Rhapsody Veness]

Denon. It was home once. The only home Demelza Tirrand had known but for Rhapsody Veness she had become, she wasn't really sure if that was true anymore. The overpopulated planet felt strange still. It was the little things that were different, things that not everyone might have not noticed but she could, after being away for five hundred years. Like the vendor she'd passed by, it was new. The smell of the food wasn't particularly bad even though she didn't require that kind of food, she didn't mind trying. She wasn't here for that though. Five hundred years later, she had returned to a planet where her Father had rejected her, where she had murdered her sister, from where she and Mother had run from and where her own Father had put a warrant out for her arrest. Though he had known the truth her whole, she hadn't. It had been a gut punch for her at that age.

She wasn't that guilt-ridden crushed little girl anymore and this wasn't the same Denon anymore, not by a long shot. Its residents wouldn't have known it but the changes were evident for someone her age. Nobody around her would know but she'd been around for longer than an average individual, even if someone them had looked older than she was. Rhapsody didn't mind it though. Her looks often made others assume she was too young, too innocent even. In some way, she even was, kept from the dealings of the galaxy for so long. For a long time, she hadn't even realized what Mother had done to her, not until she'd been abandoned, left to her own devices. If Aellisa found her now, she might have now even recognized her little girl, in nothing but her looks. Rhapsody though wasn't thinking about it now. She thought of her old family home, she thought of her Father whom, despite everything, she still missed. Even her sisters. They were gone now, she'd kept tabs to know that her eldest sister hadn't been long for this world despite having a portion of their species inside her, it hadn't been enough to save her when her time had come. She wasn't like her or Mother at all. Her healing hadn't been enough to save her. Rhapsody felt bad for her because of it, in all honesty, despite how she had made her feel, how both of them had made her feel.

Maybe she'd chickened out because of her history but Rhapsody still hadn't gone home through her intent had been to. Instead, the Sanguinius Vampire hybrid had found herself wandering through familiar streets, finding unfamiliar faces there. The vendor in sight reminded her of mister Robkni who'd always been nice to her, more often than not giving her treats from his vendors when she'd passed by. He was gone and so was his vendor, yet the memory had brought a sensation in her brain as she remembered. His treats were always delicious.

It was how she'd ended up in the nightclub eventually, considering a dance to calm her nerves but instead, she'd wandered into the dark corner, ordering a drink from the bartender on the way, making her way over to find a vacant booth. Normally, clubs were a decent source of food for her but Rhapsody had fed just a couple of days ago so she'd had her fill for the week. Her choice of a meal this week had been a young woman who hadn't been drinking despite being where she was, which suited Rhapsody just fine since she had no intention of tasting the alcohol in the blood with her weekly dinner. She'd been careful though, ruining her own dress to wrap up the girl's hand when she'd finished. She was pretty in a way that Rhapsody wouldn't have minded keeping her at her side yet at her own wishes, she'd drank only enough to make it through the week but not drain her, no intention of taking her life. At five hundred and some years, Rhapsody was told it was possible to change someone into what she was, though not completely yet she had never done it. Once, she had offered it to her husband but when he refused, she'd respected his wishes. He still became her source of food but she was always careful with him. That felt like so long ago now.

Even without the intention of drinking, her hazel green eyes still watched over the club as she took a small sip of alcohol. She probably wasn't going to drink the whole thing either but the taste of small percentage alcohol wasn't too bad.

Her attention drew to the odd scent that fluttered through, unfamiliar and foreign. Humanoids were easy to detect, some aliens even so because of experience but when something unfamiliar walked in, the Sangiunius Vampirika hybrid couldn't help but draw her attention to it, searching through the crowd before a figure stood out. He was young or looked it, standing out in the way he dressed. He seemed aware of the attention, she realized as she observed the stranger, watching his movements between the dancing lights from the ceiling, her enhanced vision permitting her to keep track of him even as the lights danced away.

Taking another sip from her drink before she'd leave it on the table forgotten, she rose slowly just as the lights had passed her, making her way towards the stranger.

[member="Damien Van-Derveld"]

 

[Damien Van-Derveld]

Being studied was an odd sensation. Damien knew what it was like to be viewed as a stud, a toy, for witches to mount as they saw fit, but this was decidedly different. There was a sense of curiosity in the air, powerful and strong. Yes, it was just a feeling, and his search might come to naught, but the aura of it was too strong to be ignored. There was no other explanation than he just knew someone was studying him.

His out of place attire was not the reason for it either. Most people did not let something like that be the cause for a lingering stare, unless of course they were snobbish about fashion. From what Damien gathered about the vibe in the room, most were concerned about where their next drink was coming from, or the next body they would grind theirs against. It seemed the more baser instincts still won out even in urbanized and more technologically advanced worlds. Damien smiled as he tucked that pit of information away.

He sipped his ale, stopping as the feeling became stronger. They were either moving toward him, or Damien was getting closer. His eyes peered through the crowd, inwardly cursing that if he were in his wolf form they would cut through the crowd with ease. He also knew that would likely cause the patrons to leave the club screaming, which wouldn’t be a bad thing. The prospect seemed rather fun.

Damien moved toward the part of the club where the sensation seemed to be the strongest. He weaved in and out of sweaty bodies as he tried to avoid being caught up in the crowd. Moving through thedance floor instead of around if seemed the quickest way to find whoever it was that was watching him. Everything around him began to fade into the background as the one single and solitary thought consumed him. Damien was on a mission and would not be distracted.

Dark eyes fell on a figure which seemed to be coming toward him. Her porcelain skin stood out to him as the did the vibrant red locks of hair which cascaded down her shoulders. She was the one watching him, the feeling had come from her. His eyes locked with hers as he moved through the bodies of people to meet her. There was no clue in his mind of what he was going to say, and like the wolf he was it was likely to end up being direct.

Stopping just short of her, his eyes never leaving hers, he smiled.

”You’ve been watching me...”

It was likely the wrong thing to say, but it was what came out of his mouth. Damien kept his mouth shut and waited for the inevitable reply.

[member="Rhapsody Veness"]

 

[Rhapsody Veness]

It was unnaturally slow, even for Rhapsody to move as she did, her body shifting against the dancing, drunk and skimpy dressed bodies. She could feel their warmth, hear their beating hearts as she passed them yet right now, none of them interested her. With her thirst satisfied, she could control herself and focus on the one that caught her interest. He looked so young, even with the dancing lights, she could tell. Not like her at all yet not like anyone here. It was so obvious, it drew her to him, approaching.

Then, in a moment, it had become obvious he was looking right at her, her movements unstopped even by the knowledge that he was aware of her attention.

Rhapsody continued, watching him watch her, his own movements leading him to her. The unfamiliar scent grew stronger, real but foreign. Her eyes narrowed as he made the final steps to her, looking into her eyes. He wasn't a prey, that much was evident by his composure and bold stare. Rhapsody wasn't the hunter tonight at all and yet, she was always one in some way. So was he, she realized in his refusal to look away. It was good, she decided in a moment as he spoke, with a smile no less. "I have. You're something... else," the hybrid responded plainly, her hazel-green gaze still on his own.

[member="Damien Van-Derveld"]

 

[Damien Van-Derveld]

"As are you," he replied a bit surprised his question hadn't turned her away.

He could sense it, the spirit of a predator. It was the same yet different than the one within him. This was neutral ground, though based on her attire, Damien quickly discerned this was her hunting ground perhaps. She was of this planet, and yet she was something beyond it. The rest of the room was now gone to him. Neither made a move to entice the other, yet here they both stood. One had been observing, the other drawn in. Her eyes never left his gaze. It was not defiant, but neither would it yield. There was a strength to her, a dominance that Damien had observed among many of the witches he was raised around. She wasn't a witch though, Damien would know it. He was immediately intrigued.

They could stand there and continue to size each other up, but Damien was certain that would be counter productive. One of them was going to have to look away or make the first move, whatever that would lead to. Naturally he was used to following the lead of a woman. It was not uncommon for a nightsister to command him to join her in their tent for a night, to join them on a hunt, or simply do their laundry. This was Damien's chance to lead, and he seized it.

"What are you drinking... let me get you another?"

He still didn't see the alluring nature of the club. His ale was only okay, and the writhing bodies seemed to have no purpose to him. Mass crowds like this served a ceremonial purpose among the witches, but to gather in a room to move and sweat... it seemed a waste of time. Yet this was where he had found himself, and where he had come across another predator. There was something for him to learn, a reason Doashim had led him to this place. Even if that reason was the woman standing in front of him. Damien would only know by putting himself in her path.

[member="Rhapsody Veness"]

 

[Rhapsody Veness]

As was she? Rhapsody smiled just a fraction as she watched him. "You're not wrong," she admitted without actually admitting to anything in truth. Words were funny that way, the redhead thought as she continued to watch the man. She wasn't afraid of him. Rhapsody knew she was the predator in nearly all situations. She was weaker only when it came to the men of her species and yet, she'd never met one so she only knew this from Aellisa's lessons. She still took it to heart as she did with most lessons as some of the ones that she already tested on her skin proved to be very much true. Like the way, her skin reacted to the sun or silver.

Just how old he was, she wondered next, still watching him as the moments seemed to pass slowly. Rhapsody could still hear the music and the heartbeats around them, she could feel the movements around them even though she was no longer paying attention to them at all.

Then he'd gone and asked what she was drinking, offering to get her another. "Polaris Red but I've had my fill," Rhapsody responded without hesitation. It was only a few sips but she didn't have a need for another glass, already having deserted her just moments ago. Alcohol wasn't too much of her thing anyway, just like normal food wasn't. She could enjoy its taste but that was the extent of it so Rhapsody didn't indulge in it too much. Sometimes, it was for the sheer act of trying a new substance, other times it was to remind her of her youth. Polaris Red did neither of those things anymore.

And she was more interested in the man in front of her than a beverage.

"Come on," the woman called before she'd moved, stepping beside him, "this club isn't as interesting anymore," Rhapsody told him just as she passed him, heading towards the exit. Someone who had only the night at their disposal didn't have to waste it all on a single club. There were other things on Denon that interested her and unintentionally, he'd become one of them.

[member="Damien Van-Derveld"]

 

[Damien Van-Derveld]

Interesting. Damien knew she was different, and the woman didn't deny or confirm he was correct. In a flash it seemed she was disinterested in everything about the place, and Damien couldn't argue with that sentiment. The concept was so foreign to his upbringing, though if he were to give it a chance the young wolf might find the appeal of it. After all, the men seemed to have smiles on their faces as they enjoyed gyrations of the woman they were with. One thing was certain. The room was full of an insatiable sexual overtone. It was the only thing Damien found in common with some of the things the witches did.

Just like that they were leaving. Rhapsody moved past him, telling him to leave with her, and like a good boy, Damien followed. He didn't have to. Whether it was conditioning, the fact he genuinely was curious about her, or both, there was no hesitation to fall in step behind her. For all he knew this was some kind of trap, and he was being led away to an impending death, but his gut told him to trust Doashim. This was why he was here. Even if it wasn't it was now. Whatever pull had brought him to the club had led to this moment, and Damien was going to be satisfied. The mystery surrounding the woman needed to be solved.

Where as before it was like swimming in a sea of bodies to get through the club, this time it seemed as though they all parted for them to leave. The sound of the bass and the scent of the club dissipated as the chill of the night air caused what little exposed skin on Damien's body fill with goosebumbs.

"The moon is full," Damien said as he looked to the sky. The wolf inside of him was begging to be let loose.

There was something about the woman, the way she moved, and her boredom at the club. The night song called to her, but there was something else, something more. Damien knew all to well that people were not all they seemed to be. He was living proof of it. The thought instantly bonded him to her for the time being. That was why he followed her. It wasn't simply the mystery. She knew the night, the moonlight. What Damien didn't know was that was all she knew. Had he, he may not have followed.

"So where are you taking me?"

[member="Rhapsody Veness"]

 

[Rhapsody Veness]

Rhapsody walked slowly, swaying, almost as if she was hovering just an inch above the ground in her slow movements. If she stopped to think about it, she would be more aware she was doing it; movements she'd seen her Mother do willingly a million times growing up which made her think Aellisa was made of some sort of magic. She didn't though, her attention was on the fact that the young man was following her.

Out of the club, the music seemed so far away with the doors closed behind them. The moon is full, he'd said, making her look up to see he was right. "It is," Rhapsody agreed with a whisper, realizing she hadn't seen it until now. Here, on Denon, she'd been so taken by where she was and what it meant to be back on the planet she was born, where she'd killed for the first time and from where she'd run to save herself. There were so many memories that she hadn't even taken the time to notice something so simple and beautiful as the moon rising.

Hazel-green gaze peeled itself off from the moonlight when he asked her his question, making her look at him. Where was she taking him? It hadn't really crossed her mind until the question was asked. Rhapsody was just tired of the wild music and the sweaty bodies inside that she wanted to leave. It was never her attention to go inside anyway, the visit was nothing more than a distraction from why she was here. "I don't know. Where am I taking you?" She wondered, still watching him.

"I grew up on Denon," the redhead admitted after a beat. "A long time ago. I haven't been here since then though." She wasn't too sure why she was admitting any of this, especially to a complete stranger. Aellisa had taught her not to trust strangers, to hide what she was because they would think her dangerous. Aellisa also taught her she was the only one she could trust and that proved to be wrong. "I'm here because I wanted to see old family home, it's been so long. As for whether I'm taking you there or not, I'm not too sure if I am." She didn't know yet if she was or not; if she was ready to go there herself or not.

[member="Damien Van-Derveld"]

 

[Damien Van-Derveld]

Odd. With every word and breath, this woman became more of a mystery than Damien was solving. She grew up in Denon. There was mention of a family home. He knew all too well about family homes. His family was said to have a massive estate, a familial home that was the place of legend. Damien hadn't seen it for himself yet, but to be a Van-Derveld was to know the stories of how they became the monsters of legend among the residents of the moon they had taken up as their abode. That legend was of no concern to Damien now. He watched the woman and all but decided her answer for her.

"Well now that you have mentioned it... you will have to take me. Perhaps it will shed some light on this mysterious woman that has seemed to capture my attention.

It was the truth. Honesty was always something to be guarded, but also granted with the truth would bring answers. Damien needed answers, and perhaps the best way to them was to play as little game as possible. He would play along enough to keep the woman interested, and as much as would get him the answers he sought. The primary being, why had she been watching him from the moment he walked into the club.

He smiled at the idea that the club was boring to her now. The music had been enough to drive him insane with certain pitches. What didn't bother a human ear could send Damien into a tail spin. The sensitive ears of a lupine were designed for the hunt, and to know when danger was near. There were nights on Dathomir when he could hear the loud breathing of the Rancors some distance away as they slept. The night sang to him, even with hustle and bustle of the city, the night had a different tune. The melody was one he loved. Damien was made for it, he knew deep in his bones that he was.

"Lead and I will follow, though... since you seem so hesitant, perhaps some company in your old home would actually help. I certainly would not explore the old Van-Derveld estate alone..."

[member="Rhapsody Veness"]

 

[Rhapsody Veness]

Head turned slowly, too slow for her as she observed him. He wanted her to take him to the house, to shed light on the mysterious woman who'd captured his attention. "I'm not a fan of the light," Rhapsody admitted, even when she was aware it wasn't the literal light he was referring to her. It was her hesitation speaking still. So many years alive and still, the idea of going home made her think of that time, of the home she'd run from, where she'd become a murderer. The memories made her feel like a young girl.

"Mysterious woman, who seems to have captured your attention, though?" She wondered after a beat, watching him still. "How about you call me Rhapsody instead." Demelza. A name Mother had given her and a name she hadn't used in a long time now. It was a name she was born with though that every time she gave the name she chose for herself, her birth name had crossed her mind. A reminder of her past she wanted to run from.

Their walk began, her steps in the right direction completely natural even after all this time. Soon, the young man spoke again, this time bringing up a name. "Van-Derveld?" The redhead wondered as she heard it for the first time. The estate wasn't something he'd explore by himself. "Estate sounds big. Like a place, you could get lost in." For him, that was probably not the reason, not when they were discussing old homes but still, for her, it would be a whole other story.

[member="Damien Van-Derveld"]

 

[Damien Van-Derveld]

She didn’t like the light, that was an odd thing to say to his comment. Every time she spoke there seememed to be more and more of a mystery. There could be several reasons she didn’t like the light, but with what Damien already had discovered, her pull to him, the fact she was different, it was all related. Every moment it was something which only made the mystery grow. Layer upon layer was uncovered, but at least this time he had a name.

Rhapsody.

The name was unique, another mystery. A name for a name was a fair trade.

”Damien,” he replied.

They walked in the direction of something. She still didn’t say whether it would be her estate or somewhere else. He shook his head. ”It is large. The largest estate I’ve ever seen. It could take a while to see it all. What about yours? Could you get lost in it?”

Damien felt like that had been a cheesy thing to say. Honestly he didn’t know why he said it, trying to make conversation he supposed. It wasn’t like he could prod too deep in her past when it seemed she didn’t want to go there, and he wasn’t about to tell her he was a wolf. She hadn’t recognized the name Van-Derveld which meant she didn’t know of them. He had to be careful because it meant she may not be aware of Lupines. Why he thought that... Damien wasn’t sure. There was just something about her which was alluring but also made him feel cautious.

”Never mind that last bit... it was kinda cheesy...”

[member="Rhapsody Veness"]

 

[Rhapsody Veness]

Damien. Her Mother would take quite the effect to the name, for the name itself and for the fact that their first letters matched. She'd picked it up later on, after naming one daughter Demelza and another Maela, only to take joy in naming her youngest Arnessa after she herself had spent a life being Aellisa. Rhapsody wouldn't speak of this though, she no longer considered herself to be Demelza, she was Rhapsody instead.

"Well, it is nice to meet you, Damien," the Vampirika responded as she continued moving, green eyes focusing ahead though she could hear the crowds around them moving, letting her flow among them. Her pace was still slowed, a conscious act to ensure her new friend followed and not to stand out among others.

As they spoke of his estate, Damien described it. Largest one he'd seen. She nodded as she walked, hearing the question of her own home. Rhapsody shook her head even as he'd called it cheesy. "Not in the slightest. It was a small home, enough for a family of five to get in each other's way," she shared, thinking back. The girls shared a room, their parents another. Rhapsody still felt unbelievably alone despite it, even when it was so overcrowded more often than not. There were still secrets to it, despite its size. Some she hadn't been privy too but could hear the way the walls cracked as her Father hid inside the other bedroom, the way he had tried to be as quiet as possible as he hid it again. Then there were secrets she was privy to, those that belonged to her and her Mother.

Rhapsody remembered, even though she wished she hadn't. She did, would always, no doubt. It made her wonder why was it that she was going there no, why she was taking a stranger with her. A stranger who made her glad she'd fed for the time being and would, therefore, be in no risk of harming him. Rhapsody had no intention to, he had caused her no ill will.

Up ahead, she recognized a building. It was old but still standing, smaller than most. Her home would be right beyond that, even smaller. It would be old, and Vahl willing, abandoned. With her focus ahead, he'd miss the way the green irises had changed into an intense yellow for no more than a moment. There were just too many memories from the old family home that kept her from it for so long. She was here now though and facing it seemed in the only option left. She'd been running for too long. "Over there," she pointed at the smaller building, "right behind that one." It wouldn't be long now.

[member="Damien Van-Derveld"]

 

[Damien Van-Derveld]

The houses were small, and they seemed boxed in. This was certainly nothing like Dathomir in any part of the city planet. That thought brought a smile to his face. It was odd that it made him happy, though he was doing as he’d been used by this point in his life, following a woman to the place she called home. Granted, Damien was certain her intentions were not that of the witches he knew. She would not know about them. The question still remained, why was he following a stranger.

”Where I am from... the homes are made of animal skin, fur, wood, stone, whatever material is natural to the habitat. Even though it is small, it still seems like a palace to me...”

It was the truth. Damien had not known luxury at all. Sure his grandmother had spoiled him compared to the other men that he’d be raised with, but it in no way meant he was spared from being treated like a man among a society ruled and run by women. Those would be secrets he would tell later. They were not for strangers, and as long as she did not see his tattoos, there would be no need to explain.

Damien was suddenly conciois of their existence, symbols which marked him as a nightbrother. It was a right of passage. Damien was an adult male, and he had left the moment he found his way off world. This place was such a different place, it almost made him forget about his past, but that’s what this stroll under the moon was about, the past. It was about hers, and it in a way it had become about his as well.

He leaned forward slightly and inhaled as he followed her along. Damien had her scent, not fully human... something... death.

”Race ahead... hide... I can find you...”

Damien grinned.

[member="Rhapsody Veness"]

 

[Rhapsody Veness]

Animal skin, fur, wood, stone and whatever natural to the area. She had been to places like that, she'd lived in places like it as well. So Rhapsody could imagine just what she was being told. "I'm familiar with the style," Rhapsody just said, though she didn't have any intention of continuing the story for the moment as it was heavily linked to the reasons why she had gone there. It's definitely something to bore the boy with anyhow so Rhapsody chose against it, for the time being, focusing on the path ahead.

Race ahead... hide... I can find you, Damien told her, making her look back and smirk almost immediately. "Is that a fact?" Rhapsody wondered. There was definitely something about him, her senses let her see as much but she didn't know just yet what it was. "We'll see about that." With that, she moved forward. First, she began to walk at a more natural pace which already made her move faster. And then she ran, faster even, moving as a blur to the average humanoid without the use of the Force at all. He could assume or perhaps he would check but with a challenge given, she had gone to show off. She might have been over five hundred years old but compared to others of her species, she was still far from being too old. Quite young actually. And sometimes it still showed, like it did now, in the challenge.

Rhapsody hurried off, making it to the building ahead before she'd turned. The sight of her old home startled her enough that she'd stopped for a moment before rushing inside, making it up the stairs with her speed at full power, rushing upward before she would lose her courage. Rhapsody would only stop again on the floor, staring at the doors leading her in. It took even more courage to walk inside. She just had to build up to it.

[member="Damien Van-Derveld"]

 

[Damien Van-Derveld]

She moved off in a blur after giving a little taunt. Damien had been right. Rhapsody was not normal, nor was she fully human. He felt no use of the force in her movement which made him even more curious about her. If this was what came natural to her, then what else came natural to her. Now it was time to demonstrate what came natural to him. Closing his eyes, he rifled through his mind until he latched onto what her scent was like. They had been close enough at one point that it was locked into his short term memory for now. Once he had the scent he took off.

He only knew of the house, and the general direction it was in. Still he traced the scent. Moving about the streets he moved around larger houses until her house came into view. He could not move at the same pace she did, not without the force, and adding that to his movements would only be cheating. His sense of smell was enough of a card up his sleeve that she did not fully realize yet. Perhaps she would figure it out once he found her, but for now it was about the game, and winning it.

His feet carried him forward. It appeared as though she had stopped at the entry way, but he was not close enough to her to ask why. It did not take much of anything more than observation to realize that there were memories attached to this house that made her pause. Whatever happened here, that was a mystery that Damien would not press into. His own mind and curiosity knew where the boundaries were. If she wanted to tell she could, but if not, he would not pry. All he wanted was the game for now, and to see what of the mystery surrounding her he could solve. The house was part of it, even the hesitancy, but he knew pressing might make her shut down or build walls to keep him from solving the rest of her. He was not going to risk doing that.

Moving ahead he approached the house. If she didn't go inside he would be upon her soon, if she managed to get inside and hide, at the rate of speed she could move, it would only be a matter of time before she was gone again...

[member="Rhapsody Veness"]