(LA Night)Questions...

[Aredhel]

I had questions. Questions that needed answering. And there was only one person I knew who could do that - the ethereal beauty sitting peacefully beside me atop the old warehouse. My own sister, Aralin. But she wasn't speaking, only walking, holding her head high and gazing at the sky. Though the lights of Los Angeles drowned out the stars, I had no doubt that her keen elven eyes could still see them. They were precious to us.

"Aralin," I said wearily, breaking the silence. "Give me a reason."

Her gaze never strayed from the stars above as she replied, "I cannot give you what I do not have."

I sighed, feeling that somehow I already knew the answer. I carried the Celebhith, the reason that Aralin came to me. Or so she said. It's weight felt leaden in my hand, and Aralin's purpose was served. Yet she was still here, and the mysteries of the Celebhith were not yet revealed to me. I was lost.

"You have an answer," I replied. "You only wish to spare me from it."

Now it was her turn to sigh. "My purpose here cannot yet be explained," she whispered into the night. "But know that I come by the bidding of Manwë himself, dear sister, and until the full purpose of my stay is fulfilled, I shant return to my home."

"Yet why tell me that and withold from me the purpose?" I countered, noting that I was beginning to feel an odd mix of frustration and peace. Damn elvish tendencies.

"Because the purpose has not yet been revealed to me," she replied. Again, she sighed. "You must be patient, Aredhel. There are many reasons for my being here that could possibly bring harm to you, should they be revealed before their time. You must accept what you do not know."

I rolled my eyes, something I knew that Aralin wouldn't like, as it would show how much I was influenced by humans. She made no comment. Finally, I had to give up.

"Fine," I said quietly. "You win."

((kinda pointless thread cause I'm bored... so why not develop Aralin's character a bit more... I have a feeling she'll be around for a while...))

[Jackson ''Doc'' Ellison]

((Since you've got this thread open, would you mind terribly if I did something with it?))

I'm bored, I thought. The demons obviously decided i needed the night off. I stopped my Trans-Am in front of one of teh many old warehouses in the city as my mobile rang.

"Hello? Frankie, what's up? Street race? I don't know, i just got a new paint... Oh, Fancy Pants is back, huh? I suppose I could give him another lesson. I'm on my way."

((Whadaya reckon, Del? You in or am i just taking over?))

[Aredhel]

((lol I'm in... like I said, I was bored ))

Both Aralin and I heard the sound of an engine in the not-so-distant shadows. A cell phone rang, and a voice that I immediately recognized reached our ears. I smirked, and Aralin just looked at me, perhaps glad that I'd dropped the subject of our previous conversation.

"Alright 'Lin," I said finally, moving towards the edge of the roof. "You comin, or am I going alone?"

She sighed, following me as I lept off the edge, landing cat-like on the ground. It took seconds for us to reach Doc in his car, just hanging up his phone.

"Hey Doc," I greeted, stepping out of the thick shadows. "Where're you off to?"

[Jackson ''Doc'' Ellison]

"Well, my favourite elfy type girls," I said with a smile. "Actually, i just got a call from a friend of mine, wants me to go street racing with him. You want to come?"

"Street racing?" Aralin asked.

"Illegal, fast and definately fun," I said with a slightly wilder smile than I usually wear. "Well?"

[Aredhel]

I wasalready opening the passenger door, not waiting for Aralin's response. The word 'illegal' probably sent up sirens in her mind. Whether she was cooperating or not, she was still her stuck up elvish self. I'd tried to shed that a long time ago, but that wasn't the point right now. I fixed my eyes on my sister, eyebrows arched delicately, silently asking her to answer.

"Perhaps it would be interesting," she said finally, "to see how you human amuse yourselves."

"Right," I replied. "The demons and armies of hell didn't give you a thrill at all?"

She just looked at me, smiling delicately. "Of course."

I fought the urge to laugh as she climbed into the car, looking a bit out of place. While she had - after much argument - consented to wear more "human" clothes, none of it looked even romotely like that whch a street-racer (or street-racer groupie, whatevere the case may be) would wear. I, myself, was only maybe halfway there. But it didn't matter.

"Take us to the races," I said to Doc, grinning widely.

[Jackson ''Doc'' Ellison]

"Hang on, ladies," I said, my personality changing a bit. "It's time to cut loose!"

With a squeal and the smell of burning rubber, we launched into the night, Del smiling, Aralin screaming something about 'crazy mortals'. When we finally arrived...

Let's just say Arlin was even more out of place amongst a group of revved up petrol heads with a need for speed and an eye for all things beautiful.

((You can write Aralin's reaction, Del. If you need inspiration, teh Fast and teh Furious movies'll help.))

[Aredhel]

((haha two steps ahead of ya there... I love those movies!!! aaaaand here's Aralin's first street-racing experience mehehe *insert evil face here*))

[Aralin's POV]

I stepped delicately out of the car. Whatever I had been expecting, it had not been this. There were cars everywhere, all of them colourful and no doubt fast, if Doc's driving had been any indication. Loud 'music' (I, personally, would only classify it as a jumble of noise) came from large stereo systems, people moving to the rhythm on the streets. Here and there an engine roared; the loud noises hurt my already sensitive ears.

The first thing I was aware of was how obviously out of place I was. Everywhere there were people in leather, jeans, anything that wasn't conservative. I, personally, was conservative. The women wore as little as possible, I noted. Not that I cared to fit in anyways. These people meant nothing to me.

I watched my sister step out of the passenger seat. Though she certainly looked a bit more like she fit in, no one could deny that she was enjoying herself. She'd had much more time to accept the ways of humans. The vampire in her put her instantly at ease; her sensual side emerged. I watched a few heads turn her way and scowled; they couldn't touch her.

Doc moved off to speak to someone, and Aredhel lost herself in the crowd. I stood by the car, purposely ignoring the heads turned my own way, passing them off as a curious glance - why was someone like me here? Unfortunately, my assumptions were a little off.

I felt a hand snake its way around my waste, warm breath on my neck. "Hey chica," came a low male voice. "Why don't we get away from all these people?"

In a second, a knife was in my hand, and I twisted around, holding it to his stomach. I didn't actually stab him, but the threat was there. Even an idiot like him could figure it out.

"Touch me again," I said, low and dangerous, "and I will kill you. Do you understand me?"

He didn't answer, just glared at me defiantly. I had to give him some credit; for all their weaknesses, humans were indeed brave. Either that or incredibly stupid, but I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

A flash of metal and another blade was held to his throat, dangerously close to his jugular. The hand that held it was not mine; Aredhel had found her way back to me without my noticing. She stood behind the man, her own knife held steady in her hand.

"Maybe you didn't hear her," she said, her voice not unlike my own had been only moments before. I had no doubt in my mind that she would kill the man. "She asked if you understood her. I suggest you answer her."

The man tried to nod, but found Aredhel's knife too close to his neck. He managed to croak out the word 'yes' before she moved the metal blade. In an instant, he was moving back to his friends, all of whom had seen the exchange. I smiled to myself.

Perhaps I didn't fit in, but with a bit of Aredhel's help, we'd established ourselves. Aredhel smirked at me.

"You sure know how to attract trouble," she said.

"Well with a sister like you..." I let the sentence hang, smirking myself. Perhaps I really was spending too much time around these humans.

Aredhel just shook her head. "Come on," she said, "let's go find Doc before someone tries to rape you again. Nice move with the knife though."

I laughed, actually laughed, following my sister back into the crowd.

[Jackson ''Doc'' Ellison]

((lol. I love it!))

"Hey, Fankee!"

"Yo, the doctor is here," Frankee said with a smile. "And just in time. Laurence was starting to piss me off."

"Whadaya gonna do? Hide in your car til he goes away?" I laughed. "What's he got this time?"

"Skyline," Frankee said. "Seriously done up. At least two NoS injectors."

"Shouldn't be a problem," I mused. "Just in case, better pack the Juice on my baby."

The Juice was a special turbo booster that consisted of dragon blood. I'd discovered it completely by accident before I hit LA.

"So, where is Fancy Pants?"

"Over there..." he began, but his jaw dropped. I turned to see Laurence 'Fancy Pants' McGee being warned of by Del and Aralin.

"I knew there was a reason I brought those two," I laughed.

"Can I borrow one?" Frankee asked.

"Do you want to loose a limb?" I asked as they came towards us. "Having fun, ladies?"

((Heh.This is good. I need to do more of these.))

[Aredhel]

((lol I'm having fun... nothing like violence to get me smiling... teeheehee))

I nodded, a smirk on my face. I even noted that Aralin seemed a bit more at ease now. Go figure.

"Nothing like some death threats to get the blood rushing," I quipped, a hand around my sister's shoulder. I held out my free hand to Doc's friend. "Call me 'Del," I said, not wanting to explain that my name was in a different language. "And this is my sister-"

"Lin," she cut in. I raised my eyebrows. Aralin accepting a nickname? She was really loosening up.

"Frankee," the other man greeted, shaking both our hands.

"So, who's ass is Doc kicking tonight?" I questioned nonchalantly.

"That would be the guy you almost knifed," Doc replied, sounding a tad amused. Whoops. "What'd he do anyways?"

"He overstepped his boundries," Aralin muttered darkly. Trust her to put it delicately. She was still an elf.

"He touched dear 'Lin here, and we didn't like it." I replied simply. "And if it happens again, he's raw hamburger."

"Nice way of putting it," Frankee muttered. "But the look on his face was priceless."

I laughed. "I bet. So, when's this race happening? I wanna see some competition!"

[Jackson ''Doc'' Ellison]

"Soon as Frankee brings the tank out," I said.

"Already here," Frankee said, pointing to the seemingly innocent looking NoS canister.

"Load her up guys," I said, looking at the young woman looking me up and down. I sighed, rolling my eyes. "How many times do we have to do this, Bonnie?"

"Until you give in, baby" she said seductively.

"Good to see you," I chuckled. "And no."

"I can try," Bonnie said, looking over at teh girls. "Oh now that's just wrong. You two stand out like a pair of sore thumbs," she walked over to them and led them away. "My aprtments just over here. I think you two need a change of outfits."

((I'm sorry, I couldn't help it.))

[Aredhel]

((oh this should be fun... you are EEEEEVIL!))

It was no use trying to resist, I decided. I turned my energy towards getting Aralin to accept the same fate as I had. Really, what were a few hours away from her conservative long skirts and hippy-style tops? She'd survive. Hopefully.

We reached the apartment far sooner than I'd thought - she really meant that it was 'just over here'. Only seconds later, Aralin had been forced behind a changing screen, trying on her first street-racer outfit.

"I can not wear this," came her voice from behind the screen. I just laughed.

"Come on, Lin," I said. "It's only a few hours."

She stepped out from behind the screen, glare fixed firmly on her features. She wasn't happy. But she looked good. Her skirt had been replaced with a pair of red leather pants, and her shirt was a black tee with flames. A red leather jacket and black combat boots completed the look. She would have no trouble fitting in now.

She twirled her knife expertly in her hand. "And just where am I supposed to keep this?" she questioned, sounding stubborn.

Bonnie raised her eyebrows. "If you really need it, slip it in the top of the pants. But if you cut that leather you owe me a new pair."

Aralin just nodded, muttering what only I would recognize as a protection spell and slipping the knife between her hip and pants. It fit perfectly.

Now it was my turn. Gods above, how I was dreading this part (not that I would willingly admit it to anyone). Bonnie had chosen another leather ensemble, though it was a bit more revealing than Aralin's. I think she realized that I was a bit more of an exhebitionist than my dear sister. Damn these insightful people.

When I stepped out from behind the screen, I was wearing a black leather skirt and a black leather corset. In compliance with the 'black leather' theme, I wore knee-high lace-up black leather boots, which were also the perfect place to slip my own knife. I sighed, looking at my jeans on the floor. Oh well.

"Are we done here?" I questioned, allowing my amusement to show only slightly.

"We're done," Bonnie agreed, leading us back out the way we came.

Doc better not have raced yet, I thought darkly to myself. I didn't want to miss his victory for the sake of a new outfit.

We returned to the others, and I had to fight to keep from laughing at the look on Doc's face. It was beyond priceless.

"That's a, uh, new look for you," he managed to get out. I just smirked, while Aralin glared.

"Yea," I replied. "You ready to race now?"

[Maya]

((hehe, cool- you HAVE to make dolls of racer del and lin!))

[Jackson ''Doc'' Ellison]

"Just waiting for..."

"Well, wel, if it isn't our resident show off?"

"Hello, Fancy Pants," I said smoothly.

"Oh I bet you think that's funny?" Laurence demanded.

"Not as funny as watching my two friends scare you off earlier," I chuckled, looking over at Lin and Del. "Now that was priceless."

"You won't be laughing when I beat your ass," Laurence fumed.

"You don't get it, do you, Fancy Pants?" I said evenly. This was teh best part of racing. The taunting. "You can't beat me. Not to the finish line, not to the clothes shops - oh and by the way? That's something you need to do - and d4efinately not ot your mothers house."

"I hope your hungry..." He began. I shook my head with a chuckle.

"Now I know why you never finished Kindergarten," I said. "Not an original bone in your body, not brain cell in your head. Let's race, prissy boy."

[Jackson ''Doc'' Ellison]

This was a version of me not even Deseree had seen. It was times like this the petrol head in me that used to like sitting down back in Sydney and watching the V8s roar around Mt Panarama every year came out.

I walked over to my cars, itching to go. We rolled over to the start, revving our engines hard.

"Come on, baby," I muttered. "Come on, turn it up. Give me some of that sweet adrenlin. Oh yeah," I smiled, as my heart began to race. "It's time to burn!" I yelled above the roar of engines as the race started. Fancy Pants thought his car had something. He thought he could push the envelope.

Me and Frankee had met a long time before I hit LA. We'd put this Tran Zam together with one prupose. Street Racing.

With each change of gears, the cars screamed forward, but it was obvious who's was better as I kept ahead of him easily.

As we neared quarter way, Fancy hit his NoS. I held back, waiting for him to waste it all.

Three quarters went past, he hit number two. He thought he had it run.

Ever seen dragons blood and fuel mix? It's like a small hydrogen bomb, not radioactive, but damn destructive. Add bonding materials to keep it stable and you've got one kick ass car fuel.

Fany Pants didn't even know what had happened as I tore past him, middle finger up, smiled as big as Luna Park. I swear he looked like he was eating his steering wheel.

I hit the brakes, screaming to a halt as I slid sideways. "Won some money, kicked some ass, cleaned my engine. Good night."

((A few things. Mt Panarama is a race track in Bathurst, NSW. Every year, the V8 Super cars get out and hammer around there at ridiculous speeds for I don't know how long. Luna Park is the most incosistent theme park I know (open, close, open, close) with a huge smiling face as you walk in.))

[Aredhel]

((aaah good to know))

I cheered loudly watching Doc screech to a halt, the victor. Even Aralin beside me managed to cheer a bit, though the noise sounded foreign on her lips. Not that it mattered, everyone else was making too much noise to notice it.

Doc was grinning form ear to ear as he stepped out of his car. 'Fancy Pants' (as I'd heard them call him) was sulking, standing by his own car looking furious and devastated at the same time. It wasn't very becomming on him. Point in fact: nothing was very becomming on him. Too bad.

"You must feel so bad right now," I gloated, smirking. "First you almost get knifed by my sister and I, and then you get beaten by Doc. But that's what happens when children try to play with the big guys, isn't it?"

He looked like he was gonna punch me right then, that is, until I started fingering the knife in my boot.