It's the little things (OPOPOPOPEN)

[Mariska Rumancek]

It was a cold, wet, dreary day in downtown New York when Mariska entered Taki's diner. Many of the people inside were still wearing scarves and gloves, and clung to mugs of warm coffee and tea. Mariska didn't feel the cold, but the rain stuck her hair to her face and scalp and soaked her feet through her converse.
She sighed as she sat into a booth, and ran her fingers through her hair, detangling the mess the wind and rain had made. A woman bolted to the table with a menu and a pot of coffee, but before she had time to put the menu on the table, Mariska raised a hand to stop her.
'Steak. Extra rare. All the trimmings.' She said, as nice as possible with the mood she was in. 'And keep the coffee coming.'
The waitress gave her a look somewhere between surprise and disgust, and walked away.
As she sat in the booth, having a look at those around her, Mariska's stomach growled angrily. It had been a while since she had a proper meal. Or much of anything. She had been on the move a lot lately and perhaps her health had suffered as a result.
Picking up the chrome napkin dispenser, she examined her appearance. Her cheeks had grown hollow and her face angular, deep dark circles surrounded her once bright and vivid eyes. Eyes that had grown dull of late. She had lost her usual carefree life, and everything seemed to be going downhill. Her mother was ill and her father missing.
Mariska had been looking for a cure for her mothers illness, and now that her father had gone missing, she didn't know where to look. And leads to her fathers whereabouts were cold. She wasn't even sure what had become of her brother, word from him had grown scarce and cryptic.
She put the napkin dispenser down, and rubbed her tired eyes. The waitress returned with her food. The steak lay in a small puddle of blood in the middle of the plate, surrounded by potatoes and vegetables. They were obviously used to werewolves; this was perfect.
Mariska dug in, savouring the meat. It was delicious. She devoured every piece in minutes and pushed the plate away. She rubbed her belly with a satisfied grin, it was probably the first time she had cause to smile in weeks.
She pulled some papers from her bag, directions names, links to anyone in the shadow world that could help her. Most of the sources had been exhausted and useless.
The diner door opened widely, and a gust of wind blew the papers from the table. Mariska lunged and caught all but one, which flew across the floor.

[Petyr Rumancek]

Petyr Stood in the door way, kneeling to pick up the paper that glided haphazardly to the door, after saving this piece of paper from its doom from the downpour which had strengthened in the few minutes Mariska had been inside. He stood, taking much up much of the door way with his muscular structure. His long blonde hair falling neatly behind his head, making no effort to hide who he was.

He scanned the area of the Diner, and almost instantly he noticed his sister jump as she made eye contact with him. He smirked, she had always been a tiny bit less observant than most people, but that amount of surprise must of ment one of two things, one she was excepting trouble or she was troubled either way, that wasn't the point at the moment, it had been a few months since the last time they had seen each other.

" Hey kiddo, how you been? I hope I didn't scare yah too much."

[Mariska Rumancek]

Mariska looked up, her mouth falling open at the sight of her brother, Petyr, in the doorway of the Diner.
'Petyr?', she said quizzically, repressing the urge to rub her eyes in disbelief.
'I thought you were..' she started, 'Well, I didn't know where you were.'
It had fallen on the two eldest of the Rumancek siblings to leave home in the hopes of finding a cure to what it was ailing their mother, who grew weaker by the day. As a close knit family it had been so hard for Mariska to leave home at all, especially leave Petyr. She had never been without him since his transformation, they had helped each other so much, and the thought of facing the world on her own was quite daunting. Not the prospect of being alone in a world of seven billion people per say, but the thought that if she lost control of her temper, she wasn't quite sure what could happen.
'What are you doing here?' Mariska asked, snatching the paper from his hands, and attempting to hug him, as best as you could hug someone of his stature.

[Petyr Rumancek]

When his sister reached up to hug him he picked her up and spun her around, placing her down back in her position in front of him, But he shyed away from her words. almost as if he was dodging them. He motioned for her to follow her back to her seat, after reach it he sat down. and ordered a black coffe and the biggest steak on the menu.

" Yeah I know Mari, I ran after Dad I needed answers. I couldn't be satisfied with the fact he'd just leave us..What's on your mind, why do you look so wrecked? What have you been up to lately."

He said trying to change the subject, it was like he knew somthing that he didn't want to tell her but he hoped he could distract her, get her more comfortable before he told her the truth.

[Mariska Rumancek]

Mariska followed Petyr to the booth and sat down. She waited until he had ordered food to speak.
'What's up with me?', she asked, lowering her voice when a few heads turned towards them. 'Seriously? First Mom get's sick, then Dad disappears, then you disappear to god knows where to do god knows what.'
She could tell by the expression on his face that he was holding back. It was unlike Petyr to disappear unless he had a damn good reason behind it, and she was going to find out whatever that was.
'Pete,' she began with a sigh. 'What's going on? Where have you been?'
Maybe it wasn't wise to ask such questions. She had a feeling in her gut that the answer's could only be bad.
She sat back and examined her brother. He looked almost as bad as she felt. He had turned recently, she could tell by the look of sheer exhaustion on his face. A turn always exhausted them, she wondered if they would ever grow accustomed to it. They could control their shift, and were no longer bound to change on the full moon, but it didn't get any easier.
Mariska had a hundred more questions to ask, but didn't think that Petyr could really be bothered with an interrogation right now, in the middle of a Diner. She was so glad that he was here, alive, and safe, that it satisfied her for the moment.

[Petyr Rumancek]

"Mari, You gotta understand.. This isn't easy for me to explain, and they got eye's everywhere.So talking about that here won't be easy."

Petyr motioned discreetly to the old couple in the back ground listening to their conversation. by that time the waitress brought him his food, and petyr thanked her, in a polite manner but it seemed harsh like he was afraid of women, Although his sister knew of this the waitress walked away with a flirtatious step, gloating as if she had won some silent victor over petyr, The man himself tried to hide it but he brought his gaze out into the street. The rain beating, hard against the glass of the window.

"Pete? it's been a mighty long time since you called me that Mari, Thought you grew outa that name"

He smiled ear to ear, as he finally noticed his food. as he looked down at his plate he silently spoke. Disguising his speech with his engorgement of his food.

"I know you can tell, but I did something reckless, because I know where dad is... sorta. It involves those eyes I was talking about, but don't make a fuss about it now, I don't have the energy to turn again, I know you can tell I just did.....I went to the hotel.. Alone, Fought my way out."

[Mariska Rumancek]

'The hotel?' Mariska asked, her eyes widening. 'Not this hotel?' She pulled out one of the maps from her bag, that had a photo of the Hotel Dumort stuck to it with a rusty paperclip.
'What in gods name were you doing there? Why would you think it's a good idea to take on a vampire colony? And on your own? Christ.'
Her eyes strayed to the old couple Petyr had pointed out. 'And who exactly are these eyes? Why are they watching you?'
Mariska's mind raced, she knew asking question would lead to more questions, and more confusion, and more trouble. And asking questions was pointless if he wasn't going to talk, but her thoughts were racing to fast she had to let some of them out.
Her brother wasn't stupid. He could be a bit stubborn, and impulsive, but for something to drive him into the middle of a vampire haven, alone, it must have angered him something immensely.
'Wait,' she said, her brain finally comprehending what Petyr had said. 'Dad's in the hotel? What? Why would he be there?'
Her food churned in her stomach, this onslaught of confusion and fear was making her ill. Mariska rubbed her eyes and looked down at the photo of the hotel. It was clear it used to be a grand and high class place, but it had fallen into ruin for whatever reason. It looked like an awful place for anyone to live. She had always seen the vampires as a proud race and wondered what they could be doing hiding somewhere such as that.
Mariska prayed silently, for her brother, her father, her mother, and the strength to do whatever she needed to get them out of whatever heinous ordeal they had become a part of.

[Petyr Rumancek]

Petyr grinned at her awestruck look, letting her finish her thoughts as he drank the last of his Coca cola, placing the glass back down softly.

" What was I doing there?..That's a good question. Seems Dad made some mistakes in life, but maybe you should ask your would be assassins that very question."

Petyr finished his words with an explosive dash one that sent him flying into the elderly couple who were making their way to the exit of the diner, Petyr's speed was remarkable even outside of his wolf form. Apon reaching the couple they began to hiss and retract defensively, But it was already too late, He reached the elderly man first, Petyr had already extended his left arm out using his speed to slam him into the ground close-line fashion, This caused him to shift his weight forward causing him to flip forward and carry the man into the ground causing an indention in the ground when he collided, with the rest of Petyrs momentum he extend his right leg out straight, and bring it down atop of the old lady, delivering A wild ax kick to the back of her head, also slamming her into the ground. Leaving Petyr sitting comically between the two. he paused for a moment, letting the waitress scream shake the store, responding only when the old man stirred. Petyr reached in his pocket Pulling out three industrial strength zip ties. He fastened them to the old man secure his arms and legs. The old lady didn't move, The old man began to curse at Petyr, cursing his name. standing up petyr grinned placing a stack of bills on the counter of the diner. Obviously to pay for the damages, and for his bill.[/i]

" Those two were after you kid, not me. Dad sent some after me first because I followed him, I killed those..of course not knowing who had sent them, but the more and more I followed that mans trail around the country, the more and more I began to notice. He got sloppy and left tracks. Fact is kid, Dads part of some massive conspiracy. Got some of those fancy magic users in on it too. In-fact Dad's what'cha call a Dark Shadow Hunter, one of them guys that are trying to help demons enter this world or something.

Reaching into his pocket he grimaced, and stared back at the bound vampire. who was still half heartily struggling to get away. Seeing as his body has fresh new broken bones to experience.

"But don't listen to me"

petyr sat down at one of the bar stools, helping himself to a full hamburger that a customer had left while fleeing as the commotion went on.[/i]

"Ask him, oh and don't be afraid to wreak any punishment you see fit, Here's your hit documents.. but do be fast less you have a better place for this interrogation. Police will be here soon...and that's the last thing we need, vamps got them on payrole too."

[Mariska Rumancek]

Mariska watched as chaos unfolded in front of her eyes in the middle of the diner. It must not have been a particularly unusual occurrence at Taki's as none of the staff of customers made any attempt to stop Petyr killing the old woman or tying up the man, though some people did flee from fear of being the next target of his wrath.
She felt almost removed from the situation, like she was watching it from outside the window. Everything moved so fast her head ached. When Petyr sat down and began to eat, everything made even less sense than it had two minutes ago, if that was even possible.
Mariska looked at the woman, lying still on the floor, and the man bound with zip ties.
'Question him?' she hissed at her brother. 'What questions am I supposed to be asking? Petyr what the hell is going on?'.
The man had a malevolent smile on his face when she turned back to him. 'Why are you here? Is what my brother says true? Did my father send you here? Are you here for me?'
But it was no use, the vampire just laughed, and spat blood on the floor. They weren't going to get anything from him at all. Whoever had sent him, if he was sent after them, had made sure that these two would be loyal enough to keep to themselves.
Mariska looked at the documents her brother had handed her. He was right, it was a hit. There was unfortunately no sign as to who had put the hit out on them however. Back to square one.