Miss Badass Meets Mr Dangerous [Jackson]

[Mikaela Conner]

It had been a long ride...at least it would have been to some people. Going from one end of the country to another in less than a single night was no easy feat, but she had done it. Humans would never have been able to do it. But, for Mikaela, it was a piece of cake. Not needing sleep was useful and something she greatly appreciated due to her vampirism. It was one of those things that you'd kill for while you were human because of term papers to finish, things to do, work to get done...but it's not all it's hyped up to be once you actually are living the life without the ability to sleep. There were times when Mikaela really wished she could sleep just so time would pass. But, she had resigned to the fact that it would never happen years ago. I said my goodbyes to sleep when I woke up a complete freak, she thought bitterly. Thirty-nine years into her immortal life had done little to sweeten her outlook on being a vampire or living as an immortal. She had been changed against her will, having no choice in the matter. But, she had moved on from that and begun her life alone soon after her transformation, wandering from place to place for the last thirty-nine years by foot, although she had recently acquired her motorcycle and that was much more fun to her.

As she crossed the state line for Washington, she stopped in a small town called Forks. It was an overcast day, which was not unusual for this part of the country and perfect weather for vampires to be out in the general population. Mikaela rode around the tiny town, stopping for gas and to scout for a good hunting place. Fortunately there were plenty of forests around that offered a vast variety of wildlife for her choosing. However, she held off to take an account of her surroundings. The town was no bigger than a five thousand population town. There was literally one gas station and a diner nearby, but not much else in the way of businesses or entertainment. What kind of hell have I landed in? she asked herself mentally. Shrugging her own reply, she finished her business of scouting and spoke with no one. She then drove her motorcycle to the outskirts of town, near the edge of the forest before hiding it in some bushes so that she could hunt in peace.

Once that was taken care of, she took off into the woods and allowed her instincts to take over, not caring that she was still wearing her leather pants and jacket. It had been almost two months since her last hunt, so her thirst level was particularly high. After taking down two doe, she decided that she needed something more preditory to sate her thirst. A mountain lion scent caught her interest and she began to persue it. The thrill of the hunt sent shockwaves through her system, like she had long-forgotten how to do something and suddenly remembered. The faster she ran, the more energy surged through her body. It was like the energizer bunny on crack, but without the downfall. This was pure ecstasy and nothing could bring her down. Nothing else mattered but the hunt and she was totally focused.

Mikaela's clothes: i548.photobucket.com/albums/ii329/vampiregrl007/RP%20stuff/28900603-28900606-large.jpg
Her bike: motorracing.getpaidfrom.us/files/2008/09/2008_kawasaki_zzr_600_blue.JPG

[Jackson Conner]

'Beach, must find a beach. Must ride, must surf, must......eat.' Jackson had been wandering aimlessly around Canada for the past 30 days and just realized how bad he needed to feed. He had just crossed the U.S./Canada border a couple of days ago and he figured he would start to make the rounds again and visit the random places where he knew he was still welcome. First, he was headed to Wyoming, to see his creator, whose name was Michael. As he headed into Seattle, Washington he all of the sudden got the urge to surf, so he began to make a mental change of plans, now heading west, in search of a secluded place to hunt and hunker down for a few days, hoping for a storm. For some reason all he could think about was surfing. He knew this could cause a problem, because of sun issues, but if he could camp out at the beach until a storm came, he would be a happy camper. He needn't be indoors when the waves of the ocean were being rocked by a powerful storm.

A few turns and a few more miles later he quickly rode into a town called Forks. 'Forks? What the hell kind of name is that for a town?' He rode down through the middle of town, taking mental pictures of his surroundings. When he saw an opening into the woods quickly pulled in on his bike, off-roading it for a couple of miles. He slowed to a stop, cut the engine and took a deep breath to see what scents were most appealing. Food mode kicked in as he began to single out the different smells; eliminating them one by one he finally decided that the closest feast would be a mountain lion.

Taking a step to the side, he locked his superior eyesight on his pray and began to blink. Not blink, in the usual context, because technically his eyes didn't have to blink. Rather the kind of blinking that Jackson did was with his whole body. If someone say a vampire anyways, were to watch him it would seem as if he were disappearing, appearing, taking a few unnecessary steps, disappearing , and then appearing again as he neared his pray. He could run, sure, but he loved the exhilaration that went through his body as he blinked. It was fun and also useful for dodging out of sight because when he blinks it's impossible to anticipate which way he is going to go; whereas, when someone runs, you can figure out which angle they are going to take.

He began to count down until he would be close enough to pounce'Five…four…three…two…' *THUD* He had run into something, but what? All that he had seen one second before was his mountain lion and could already taste the blood. "What the HELL?" He yelled shaking his head quickly to clear the fog in his mind from the collision he inhaled and caught the scent of another vampire. This fact sent a volt of caution up his frozen spine and he quickly opened his eyes to find the culprit. And that is when he saw her.

Jackson's bike: www.dancewithshadows.com/autoindia/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/yamaha-yzf-r15-photo.jpg

[Mikaela Conner]

Mikaela was completely and utterly focused on her prey. As she neared it, closing in at less than one hundred yards, she could literally feel the pulse of the lion ribbing through it's neck. The blood was going to taste so much sweeter than the two doe she had already taken down. Preditory blood had always given her a high unlike any other. Even in her earliest days as a vampire, she had picked up the taste for preditors once she had given over to a 'vegetarian' died. Something about the thrill of taking down another killer like herself made Mikaela feel like she was on top of the world, like nothing could ever bring her down. And nothing would come between her and her mountain lion. Getting closer, within a pounce of taking the beast down, she flexed her legs in her leather pants and got ready to make her leap when all of a sudden...SMACK! She was lying on the ground and the mountain lion was making its getaway.

Damn it... she muttered to herself in her head. Utter confusion took over her mind. That had never happened before in her almost forty years of being a vampire. It was unreal. What the hell was that? she asked mentally, bringing herself to a standing position. That's when she heard a voice that mirrored her own thoughts out loud. The voice was male. Finding the owner of said voice, Mikaela saw another vampire standing in front of her, catching the drift of his scent as well. He was around her height with messy brown hair and eyes black from lack of hunting. His skin was just as pale as her own.

Mikaela poised herself as it had been decades since she had seen or spoken to another like herself. In fact, she had not spoken to one vampire aside from her creator. However, that was how she preferred it to be. Becoming the monster she had, she wanted nothing to do with others of her own kind because she saw them as monsters too, capable of ending human lives with a single pounce or loss of self-control. "I'm sorry..." she muttered slowly. "I should watch where I'm going." With that, she turned and began to walk away. Mikaela was not the social type, so being uncomfortable any longer than she had to be was just not an option.

[Jackson Conner]

Standing in shocked silence all he could do was stare at her. Then all of the sudden an explosion went off in his head, and it seemed like a million questions raced through his mind. "Wow, who is this? Where the hell did she come from, and why was she chasing MY dinner? What is her story? Speaking of, where did my dinner run off to? Man, she's gorgeous. What's your name?"

On the outside, however, Jackson made sure to keep his cool, rocking back on one foot he poised one hand in his pocket, and with his other hand he rubbed the back of his head then said "Yeah, Me too. Sorry." He watched as she started to turn and walk away, he let her walk a few paces, but not wanting her to get too terribly far he cleared his throat and said, "Hey, um...Hi. My name is Jackson, and you are?" While saying this he walked to catch up with her and extended a friendly offer for a handshake. 'This is going to be interesting.'

[Mikaela Conner]

Mikaela was amused at all the questions blurring through the male vampire's mind. Sometimes her power gave her a slight advantage in seeing a person's true identity outside of their cool, collected manner on the outside. However, she had kept walking away because she wanted to avoid any kind of interaction with her own race. It was just asking for trouble in her mind. In her forty years of immortal life, she had done little to interact with those of her own kind. Her creator had seen fit to sour her opinion of other vampires by the lifestyle he had lived, bringing innocent women to his compound to kill them off for his meals. Mikaela had watched that far too often to even begin to trust another vampire.

However, this one seemed almost...insistent on getting to know her for some reason. Turning around in one swift motion, she was facing him. Jackson...hmm, now there's a name I haven't heard before, she thought to herself. For the entirety of two seconds, Mikaela debated in her own mind whether or not to introduce herself to him. Doing so would go against everything she ever stood for, but not doing so would be rude. Cringing against herself inwardly, she decided to step off the ledge for something new. "I'm Mikaela," she said, taking his hand in her own. It felt like a thousand sheets of silk had just brushed her entire hand as she shook his. This was the first physical contact she had had in forty years. Biting her lip anxiously, she let go and dropped her hand to her side. Standing there awkwardly, she had no idea what to do next.

[Jackson Conner]

He looked her in the eyes, her big amber eyes, as she reached out to shake hands, even though he saw that she didn't exactly seem comfortable with the situation she reluctantly replied "I'm Mikaela." A shocking, but exciting, thrill went up Jackson's spine as their hands made contact. It was as if the intense reluctance in the air between them made their first impressions of each other be even more heightened than it usually should have been. Her reluctance in staying and introducing herself, and his reluctance to see her go seemed to keep them in an awkward situation that Jackson was going to milk for all it was worth.

He cocked his head to the side and raised one eyebrow, "You sure seem a bit out of your element, Mikaela. Lovely name by the way....a lovely name, for a lovely lady." At this point in time he wondered if his personality would absolutely repel this new beauty of an acquaintance. 'JT, don't mess this up too much, keep your cool, but keep her interested."

[Mikaela Conner]

Standing in front of Jackson, Mikaela was trying to figure out what she was supposed to do next. Her mind became a private panic box as she frantically tried to remember what it was like to be human and actually talk with someone. Think of something stupid, she spat at herself mentally. He's going to think you're totally weird or something. But, she kept standing there uncomfortably until she watched Jackson cock his head to one side and mention that she seemed out of her element. Great...just great. Even he noticed something was off you dunce! Her inward battle continued as she slapped herself with words.

"I'm sorry," she apologized quickly, scratching her forehead lightly. "It's just that I really never socialize with anyone, so I'm not entirely used to being around people." Mikaela could have slapped herself right then. Lame answer, she teased mentally. That's about as lame as that duck walking down the street in Florida. For once, Mikaela was thankful she was in control of her power so that she wasn't broadcasting her thoughts to Jackson right then. However, she was very intrigued by his thoughts as he stood there in front of her. There was obviously something he was interested in about her, which she wasn't used to but at the same time she was equally as interested in this new aquaintance that she had gained. She gave a faint smile. "So um...Jackson, what brought you to this part of the country?" she asked, still smacking herself inwardly for her loseresque answers.

[Jackson Conner]

'Ah Hah, I got a nibble.' He playfully thought to himself. "Well, no worries, it's not like I'm asking you toooo.…oh, I dunno…break out in a song and dance for me. But if you want to, I promise I won't laugh." He said jokingly. "I seem to be the opposite of you however, because I love being around people…and the likes." Jackson winked at her; he couldn't help but laugh to himself, and inside he was thinking 'Geez, you smart ass, you're gonna run her off.' In the time frame of about 4 seconds, which seemed like a dream, he began to remember the fun he had in Canada, being the center of attention and having everyone eating out of the palm of his stone cold hand. His ego allowed him to think that he could have any girl, human or not, just based on his charm and good looks. But the standoffish vibe he was getting from this Mikaela just made him all the more interested in getting to know her.

Just then, Jackson was stunned as she smiled one of the most beautiful smiles that he had ever seen in his life. She still seemed a little uneasy as she questioned as to what had brought him here. "Oh, I uh…I'm on my way to the beach. Actually, I was just passing through, but then I got an itch to catch a few waves. How 'bout yourself? He knew it probably sounded like a lie because of the sun factor, but it was the truth and he was ready to inform her that he liked to live dangerously.

[Mikaela Conner]

As she stood in front of Jackson, Mikaela was still entertained by his ever-present stream of thoughts. He was still totally unaware that she could read his every thought, but she was getting a good look as to who this guy really was. And so far, she liked what she was seeing...except for maybe the ego. That was one thing Mikaela didn't like, whether she was human or not. In her mind, egos were the downfall of the entire male species. However, she found Jackson's outlook on life to be quite fascinating. "I think I'll refrain from the song and dance bit," she said, smirking a little. "Being the center of attention is not quite my cup of tea." A small laugh escaped her lips.

The more she listened to him and actually listened to him, the more she began to think that he could be someone she could actually enjoy talking to. But, there was still that twinge of uncertainty that kept her at bay. When he flipped the conversation back on her, she bit her lip for a moment and tried to find a good enough reason to be in Forks, Washington. Yeah...I got nothing, she pitifully sighed in her head. Shrugging her shoulders once, she replied, "I'm just travelling around to no place in particular and wound up here. I thought this forest would be a good place to hunt, until my meal got away." Another small smile formed across her lips. "So the beach huh? That's a bit of an odd destination for a vampire, don't you think?"

[Jackson Conner]

'Hmmm…did I say...? Naw…surely not…why? OH! Nevermind.' Losing his train of thought was the last thing he wanted to do. But he couldn't help it when she smiled again. Jackson was mesmerized, not only was she beautiful, but she had something; had something that was hiding behind that stunning and quiet façade.

He smiled a crooked smile as he came slowly down out of the clouds when he heard her ask "So the beach huh? That's a bit of an odd destination for a vampire, don't you think?" He laughed a short laugh and shook his head saying "Only when it's sunny. I wait impatiently for the massive storms to come and tear up the bottom of the ocean floor…that's when I surf. Seems dangerous to humans, but then again, I'm not one, so….yeah." Finishing his statement with a shrug and a wink he hoped even more for a storm to come soon. All of the sudden, he got that itch to do something, anything, but he knew that he needed to eat...'Even if it means parting ways with this stone cold fox for a while.'
"By the way, I believe it was my meal that got away." he replied jokingly. "So, now that were both still hungry, do you want to join me on a hunt? Or is this where I regretfully bow out, and leave you alone?"

[Mikaela Conner]

Mikaela listened in on Jackson's thoughts as he thought he said something out loud that he had previously thought. A smug thought clouded Mikaela's mind as she knew something he didn't about her power. It made her want to laugh out loud, but she held it in and let him continue their conversation. His crooked smile sent a small shiver through her spine. Even as a vampire, she felt it. Listening to his explanation about surfing, she realized that he was just as dangerous as she was in his actions. Hmm...maybe there is something more to this guy. He's not just the normal vampire I pegged him for, she thought to herself. Another one of his thoughts caught her attention and she forced back a small giggle. She knew that as a vampire, she was undeniably beautiful, but she had never classified herself as that attractive. Apparently, Jackson thought so.

Hearing his question, Mikaela looked back at Jackson and smirked. "Well, while I still think the ownership of said meal is questionable, I wouldn't mind sticking around to hunt for a little while," she said, before broadening her smile a bit more. "Besides, every little fox needs a good meal to keep up her good looks." Adding that last comment was sure to send Jackson's mind into a frenzy, which Mikaela was looking forward to hearing with double pleasure. This Jackson character was by far the most interesting thing she had happened upon in forty years, so she was going to take full advantage of that now.

[Jackson Conner]

A small joking laugh escaped Jackson's throat. "Questionable eh? I think that…" As he had begun to give her a smart aleck reply, the wording of choice by Mikaela finally sunk in and made him lose his train of thought…again. "Wha...? What did you just say? This was really starting to weird him out. Not only had she hinted about knowing his thoughts of being the center of attention, she had even picked out one word that he had just used to describe her. He raised one eyebrow and began to carefully think to himself 'Huh, that's strange…get out of my head, Mizz Lady.' Then voicing himself just in case he was in fact, crazy, he said, "Nevermind."

Hoping that somehow he could figure out if this was some head game she was playing, or if she was just coincidentally thinking the same things he let his thought linger just a tad longer than he normally would have. He looked Mikaela in the eyes and then he turned quickly and started to walk away, and he said over his shoulder, as a matter of factly, "Alrighty, then...I'll race you to the next mountain lion, the first one there gets bragging rights and the loser gets to admit their deepest, darkest secret."

[Mikaela Conner]

A small laugh escaped Mikaela's lips as Jackson began his smart reply, but stopped in his tracks realizing that she had worded something exactly like he had thought it just moments before. Maybe he is smarter than I give men credit for... she thought ruefully to herself, chuckling in her head. She had always wondered if she hinted enough at it, would people catch on that she could hear their thoughts but had never been able to test that theory until now. And she was enjoying every second of it. Jackson was the very sort of guy she could see herself hanging out with on a daily basis if she were human again. He was entertaining, humorous, and somewhat of a badass himself.

Listening in on his thoughts again, she almost laughed aloud as he called her 'Mizz Lady'. If there was anyone more opposite of that, it was Mikaela. As Jackson turned to walk away, he had challenged her to a race. Mikaela never turned down a good competition, even if there were consequences for losing. To her, it just made it all the more interesting. "You're on!" she shouted as she took off at full speed, having caught the scent of a young mountain lion less than five miles away. If anyone was going to be spilling a secret today...it was going to be Jackson.

[Jackson Conner]

A flood of scents were thrown into Jackson's face, the first, as he pin-pointed it, the scent of a mountain lion, not too far from where they were. Second, the slight twinge in the air as he realized, much to his excitement, that there was in fact, a storm coming. And last, but certainly NOT least, there was the wafting, and hypnotizing smell of jasmine, sandalwood, and leather, as Mikaela darted past him yelling "You're on!"

He smiled to himself after realizing that she already had a small lead on him and took a step, and began to blink after her. 'Ready, or not, here I come.' He darted through the trees, blinking behind Mikaela until he came upon her and was neck and neck with the badass beauty. He stopped blinking long enough to run with her for a short distance, glanced over at her and then blinked off and to the right, just in front of Mikaela. Getting closer to the mountain lion, the thirst in his throat edged him on, faster and faster, until he blinked one last time and pounced on the lion.

The inertia that followed the pounce had Jackson doing a summersault with his dinner. However, he held on to his pray as a male of the human species would hold on to his beer, trying to avoid a "party foul." After draining the beast, Jackson jumped up and victoriously yelled "HA! No…you're on." And then a couple seconds later he more calmly said, "You're on...The spotlight is on you, whether you like it or not. Let's hear your darkest secret." He, of course, ended it with an evil-ish tone to his voice and a sly smirk on his face.

[Mikaela Conner]

Mikaela was intently focused on the hunt now...and not losing. She heard his last thought and thought smugly to herself, Let's see you try and catch me...I'm the fastest runner I've ever met, even for a vampire. As she continued running, she could see herself catching the lion, draining it dry, and then smugly listening to Jackson reveal his deepest secret to her. That was going to be the beauty of the entire situation. She had never lost a single object of prey...until earlier when she collided with Jackson. But now she was making up for lost time and commodity. That mountain lion was going to be hers if it was the last thing she ever caught.

For a split second, she saw Jackson had caught up with her and it urged her to go faster. He disappeared a few moments later and she assumed that she had darted way ahead of him. Haha sucker, let's see who's going to reveal their secrets now... As she got within range of the lion, literally sensing its very presence a few hundred yards in front of her, she saw something she did not expect. Jackson was already there...draining the beast dry right in front of her. Grinding to a screeching halt, she looked on in disbelief. Never before had she come across something that could outrun her. What the hell?!? she thought bitterly, keeping it to herself as she crossed her arms across her chest.

Watching him do his little victory dance, Mikaela knew that it was time to pay the pied piper. A huge disappointment set in as she knew she would be the one to spill her secret and not Jackson. When he was finally done gloating, she stared at him for a few solid seconds before stepping into his personal space. "You really wanna know my darkest secret?" she asked seductively. Then you might want to pay attention to your thoughts a little more... she added, pushing the thought into his own mind, just waiting to see what his reaction would be.