Sinclair takes a look at himself in the mirror, gathering a few things. He then sharpens his knife before putting it in its sheath and glances around, whistling to himself as he starts out of Joseph’s house.
Millie hides in a shadow outside the Tudor residence, watching Sinclair emerge.
Sinclair walks down the driveway and into the street, still whistling. The stir in the back of his mind is no longer ignorable. Time for a little amusement… He straightens his tie as he walks, watching everything around him: A predator in his prime. He stops by a corner, watching the cars go by. He then pauses at a house, seeing the lights on, debating… then walks past, not wanting to get embroiled in a family affair tonight.
Millie slips behind him, stalking him, probing his thoughts. She blinks, the ghoul’s mind seeming more unreadable than many kindred’s, and so slinks closer, surveying his demeanor, his movements, his expression.
Sinclair continues his stride with a purposeful, almost thoughtful expression on his face, watching those he sees speculatively. Millie glances at those the ghoul surveys. He watches a woman carrying an infant with interest as she enters a convenience mart and stands just to one side of the building, waiting for her to emerge again, making note of the vehicle she was driving. He takes a quick surveillance of the parking area, looking for security cameras. He then starts to walk over to her car, pulling out his knife.
Growing agitated her lack of ability to probe his thoughts, she moves several yards behind him and makes herself seen, though still remaining unobtrusive. "Psst… Sinclair."
Sinclair pauses when he hears a voice calling his name and looks around for the source. His eyes narrow, wondering who is following him. Millie nods to him slightly from the shadows. He makes a quick mental check to see if he can recognize the girl, and then walks to where she is standing, slipping his knife under his jacket again. He watches her impassively, composed, and non-threatening.
Millie watches his movements carefully then smirks, eyes gleaming. "Got a new boss, I see."
"I remember you. Yeah. New boss."
"Too bad about Bastain. He was real cool." Millie looks up at the ghoul towering
over her.
Sinclair smiles, folding his arms across his chest. "Bad news for Mr. Thorne, good news for Mr. Tudor."
"Tudor must trust you, letting you out like this." Millie smirks slightly.
Sinclair shrugs. "I like going for walks."
Millie replies with a gleam, "Me too."
Sinclair glances at the Malkavian curiously. "You were following me? Why?"
"You were around. Seemed like the thing to do," she smiles slightly.
"Mr. Thorne liked you. Guess that means I like you too. He was smart."
"I am glad you like me. Maybe we should walk some more…" Millie looks around at the crowd.
Sinclair glances around at the people walking in and out of the convenience store taking note of the fact the woman’s car is no longer in the parking lot. He dismisses her from his thoughts. "Sure. Where you want to go?"
"I am not sure. Maybe someplace we can talk, catch up on old times." Millie grins subtly.
Sinclair thinks this over carefully, wondering if she is leading him into a trap of some kind. Bastain warned him about Malks. He shrugs. His former Boss had liked this Malk. "Name the place."
"We can just walk." She indicates a direction down the street.
Sinclair looks her over a critical eye, his curiosity piqued. Looks didn’t mean nothing – he wondered what it would feel like to break her fingers – would there be more resistance than for the normals? He nods, starting to walk in the direction she pointed.
Millie follows him closely, whispering, "So, how long you been with…Joseph?"
Sinclair takes his cues from the volume of her voice and whispers as well. "Not long. Maybe a month."
She nods. "What do you do for him? If… you can say…"
"I fix things. I keep him safe."
"Same thing as for Bastian, then."
Sinclair nods once. Then asks her, "You’re Malkavian, right?"
"So they say," Millie grimaces.
Sinclair lets his thoughts wander, wondering if the brain of a Malkavian would look any different – since they are insane.
Still frowning, Millie asks him, "Why?"
"I get curious about stuff," he answers plainly.
Millie smiles a bit and answers softly, "Me too."
Sinclair glances at her, a thoughtful expression on his face. "What you wonder about?"
She gets softer and more intent, looking around then down, "Lots of stuff. what people keep, what makes things work, what is inside things…" Sinclair’s eyes light up at the mention of ‘what makes thing work… what’s inside things’ as she continues, "Maybe that’s why I followed you… just… wanted to know about you."
"I want to know what makes you work. What’s on the inside," Sinclair states.
Millie pauses for a moment in walking. "Been trying to figure that one out for a long time…" She shrugs, and starts walking again, deep in thought.
Sinclair continues watching her, a thoughtful expression on his face. He debates reaching out and dragging her off to get what he wants, but decides this is not the right night for that. Maybe he could get her to volunteer… he wonders. "I could help you figure it out."
"Oh?" she looks up at him.
Sinclair nods.
"How?" she asks with childlike inquisitiveness.
"I could take a look inside and show you what makes you work."
Millie puzzles at his words, her interest pulling her along, "Um… ok."
Sinclair smiles, quite pleased with his himself, "We have to go someplace quiet with no one around. Someplace where I can work."
The Malkavian ponders. "There is a closed store near here. I can get in. Will that do?"
Sinclair glances at her thoughtfully. "Yeah. Guess so." He smiles as he follows her into an alleyway.
The pair soon arrives at a back door of a building a few blocks away. Millie pulls out a small, straight piece of metal, works on the lock for a few minutes, then silently opens the door and slips inside.
Sinclair follows Millie carefully, stepping inside silently. He looks around, taking very quick, careful assessment of the area, scouts for exits and trap then nods, satisfied. He looks for a room with a mirror, remembering his promise to show Millie how she works. "This will work. Two things though…" Millie looks at the mirror with confusion as Sinclair turns to her calmly, continuing, "If you flip out, I’ll need to stake you. I won’t keep you staked – just until you calm down." He waits to see if this is acceptable.
Millie’s jaw drops for a moment. She closes it again and nods, her confusion growing.
Sinclair nods as well, pleased. "Second – if you damage me… I’ll need blood afterwards."
Millie gets a sick look, "Ew… well, sure. " She smirks, "I am sure Joseph would love to have you back pumped up on my blood." Millie grins mischievously.
Sinclair smiles, extremely pleased. "You want that I should bind you? Or do you think you can hold still? You can bite on me if you want. I don’t mind – but moving would be distracting."
Millie grows more concerned than confused, asking in a low voice, "What are you going to do?"
Sinclair looks around for something to tie Millie with, something to tie her to, as well, if she wants. He turns back as she speaks, a calm look on his face. "Show you what makes you work."
"Like…" Millie pauses in a moment of realization, "puppies," she closes her eyes. "No… don’t. Don’t tie me." She opens her eyes again.
"Okay. You gotta hold very still though."
"I can… I have… I mean, I can be still, mostly." She adds darkly, "I…. see why Joseph wanted you."
Sinclair nods, satisfied with her answer, and anxious to begin. He takes off his jacket and wipes the mirror off, so it’s not so dusty she cannot see herself reflected in it. He turns back to look at Millie. "Can you see?" She nods slowly. Sinclair stands, watching her thoughtfully for a moment, wondering where to begin. He thinks he’d like to begin with a few simple pain tests to see how high her thresh hold was – better to be safe than sorry. He steps closer to her. "You say stop; I stop. Okay?"
Millie steels her nerve as the large man looms over her. Sinclair pulls out his knife and presses it through her hand, watching her reactions carefully. "Does this hurt?"
She grinds her teeth and nods as her eyes focus intently on the knife through her hand. Sinclair waits to see if she is going to run, frenzy, or stand still like she promised. He twists the knife slowly in a circle, continuing to watch her reactions. Millie closes her eyes for a moment until the rims line with red then opens them, the whites covered in a bloody sheen.
Sinclair nods to himself, satisfied. He pulls the knife from her hand and sets it, point down, at the hollow of her throat. Using gentle, consistent pressure he presses the knife downward, into her skin as he makes a very clinical incision from neck to abdomen, parting flesh and clothing alike.
Millie grinds her teeth again until a crack is heard. She stares at the mirror through a haze of pain. Making sure he is out of her line of sight he makes a second incision, deeper than the first, across her midsection then makes a third incision, just below her shoulder blades, not as deep. He pauses in his work look up at Millie’s face. "Does this hurt, too?" She lets out a guttural creak to a nodding of her head, swallowing blood dripping from her mouth from cracked and broken gums.
Sinclair smiles, sticking the knife in his pants pocket. He runs his fingers over the parted skin carefully slipping his fingers underneath her flesh and peeling it slowly back from her ribcage, as one might remove a shirt. Whistling to himself, he opens the skin all the way down, being cautious to catch her intestines, should they slip out. Millie stares in horror and morose wonder at the mirror. He smiles at her almost lovingly. "You’re doing very well. Hold still now."
Millie looks down at her flayed skin, and at her blood glistened, withered insides. Sinclair wipes the blood off his hands, glancing at the inside of the vampire. Curious… her innards seemed to be shriveled… not engorgedwith life as the humans he’d seen. He reaches under her bottom most ribs,curling his fingers around them and tugs, one swift motion – breaking them off in his hands.
Millie convulses with the crack and bites down hard yet again, breaking more teeth. Sinclair watches her face, enjoying the reaction. A flush rises to his cheeks as he continues to reach underneath her ribs and snap them off. He removes them one at a time. She spits out bloody pieces of teeth between convulsions of pain, finally eeking out, "No… no more breaking." She blinks away the red in her eyes, concentrating again on the mirror.
Sinclair steps aside to let Millie look at herself in the mirror as reaches inside her, curious. He nods to her comment, watching her reflection for a moment, then bends closer, studying the treasures he finds as he lifts them carefully, reverently, examining each organ for the differences between kindred and kine.
Millie sickens and winces with his poking and prodding, but watches with eerie interest. Having sated his curiosity, he steps aside, pulling out a hankie to wipe his hands on and says matter-of-factly, "This is what makes you tick."
Millie steps closer to the mirror for a moment, shakily, looking for several minutes before slowly sealing the incisions. She wipes the blood from her mouth, and asks weakly, "Hey… I don’t suppose… turn about is fair… blood." She glances up at him.
Sinclair watches her, fascinated at kindred healing abilities, folding his arms as she heals. He shrugs, holding out his arm to her. "Go ahead."
She looks down and clenches her fists slightly, whispering raspily, "Could you… turn around…?" He turns without another word, his arm still extended. Millie gently lowers his arm then puts her hands up on his shoulders, pressing down lightly. He grunts, kneeling, his body turned away from her. The Malkavian keeps her hands on his shoulders, and lowers her lips behind his ear, sinking her fangs into the soft skin there and drinks slowly, holding him still and upright.
Sinclair shudders, the new, utterly alien sensation catching him by surprise. Confusion envelops him as he kneels, panting, trying to control the sensation unsuccessfully.
Millie soon pulls away, sealing the wound and withdraws further, watching him from behind. Sinclair grunts once as she stops her bite, resisting the urge to grab her, and force her to continue feeding on him. He shakes his head, trying to clear away the lightheadedness.
Sinclair glances up at Millie, a feral light in his eyes – one that passes quickly. He continues staring at her, awestruck for several moments. He then rises to his feet, reaching over and stroking the side of her face. He frowns in confusion, stepping away from her. "I never felt nothing like that before."
Millie ponders his statement. "I… understand. I am sorry… I just assumed… that…" she frowns a bit. "You know the way home?"
Sinclair nods, continuing to frown. He then looks around to make sure there is no incriminating evidence left behind and wipes up whatever blood may have fallen with the inside of his jacket, trying to distract himself. He slips his jacket back on, walking out. He keeps his eyes on Millie, his calm back in place. He’ll have to think about this later.
She forces a smile, and motions for him to follow. Sinclair thinks about returning to Joseph’s house to clear his thoughts and follows her.
Soon enough, Millie turns around and waves as they are within sight of Joseph’s house and then slips around the side of a car, not emerging from the other side.
Sinclair watches her until she disappears around the side of the car. He shrugs, wondering if he should continue on his hunt. He decides not, he’s had enough excitement for the evening. He whistles, returning to his room to pick up where he left off in his book, glancing often at the bloody knife on his dresser where he’d set it down.
A curious smile lights his face every time he does.