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Gren looks his head, glancing at Sosol. "Sosol, This is, believe it or not, only the third worst thing to happen in my life, and it's it's only there because it has a chance to be fixed. If the first two didn't kill me all the way, then I won't let this. It's not going to win." he said, hazarding a look toward the man's eyes.

Looking toward Azana, he added "Az, my job's my therapy...why d'you think I play so well? For what can't be played off, well, it's just another reason I don't sleep well. Better to be mad when it's safe."

He shook his head. "Unless you've got a request, no can do...it's not an inspired anger, more of the flat anxiety type."

(And I need to sleep soon anyhow.)

"I'd like that too...very much."

'If he even remembers anything...what was that thing about brain damage after how long..?' said the small, disquieting voice in the back of his mind. Swallowing it and the nausea with the rest of the martini, he stood up, nibbling the olive and heading to the bar to clean the glass.

He cleared his throat against the bite of the vermouth. "I think it's about time I went to bed...worth the effort, right?" he offered, smiling crookedly.

Angeles' fingers danced lightly along the keys of the piano, her eyes never leaving the ivory. Her memories of last night's conversation ran through her mind; the hunter himself now was sitting calmly in the chair she always sat in. Whether he was listening to her or was asleep she could not tell. He was just as silent either way, his face hidden by the broad brim of his hat.

"How do you know?," came her voice from several hours ago, "you haven't even seen the victim so don't go blubbering out about what you do not know."

~~~

"It is a hypothesis," confirmed D nodding.

"A bad one," added Angeles, "an inn full of people saw me bite her, it will be difficult to prove them wrong."

"No, it won't," said the hunter stepping forward, "I have only seen you fight once, Angeles, and that is enough for me to know your skill," D took her by the shoulder, his hand slipped up and his index finger and his middle went to her neck, the points of his nails pressing against the skin of her flesh, "this is all it would take. And from the vantage point of a swift attack such as yours would be, no one would have been able to notice if you made the puncture wounds with your nails, then swiftly grabbing her away. Especially if you lunged at her from the front."

Angeles put a steady hand on D's chest and pushed him away by the length of her arm, "you're too close," she said quietly, "and I don't like the emotions you bring out of me, let alone everyone you're around."

"Not his fault he's so good looking," said the parasite in D's left hand but the hunter stepped away from Angeles.

"Well then," said Angeles regaining her composure, "since you have got this ridiculous hypothesis in your head I may as well tell you now: you're wrong."

D didn't respond.

"Do you really think that I would be fast enough to do this impossible thing you say I've done?"

"Yes," was the calm reply and Angeles fell silent before bristling.

"You know what, fine, if you want to believe this then do so, but until you can examine the wound on the woman's neck don't go around spreading this to everyone, they don't need that false hope."

"What that you're not entirely stupid or evil?" asked the parasite.

"Gabriel," said Angeles, using the nickname she had given the parasite in D's left hand, one that the parasite had called flattering while D claimed it was blasphemy, while glowering at it, "continue to patronize me, and I will cut you off D and stab you repeatedly."

"Sheesh."

"I would not be so foolish to tell this to everyone until I have been proven correct," said D calmly and Angeles' eyes went back to his, "I will wait to meet your victim."

"Good luck finding her, I'm not telling you her name or anything."

D's eyes narrowed slightly as if annoyed, "it doesn't matter, I won't be leaving again for some time, I'm sure she'll return."

"Unlikely. And what do you mean 'not leaving'?"

"I've been hired for an extended period of time--."

"To do what!?" growled Angeles in her own annoyance.

D closed his eyes and took a breath before opening them again and said, "the king has hired me to protect you."

~~~

Angeles closed her eyes as her brow furrowed slightly in annoyance. D would be here for quite a while if that was what he had been hired to do. He was s big wrench in her plans; MacPere would stand no chance against D if he tried to kill her as she had hoped.

The rest of the night had simmered down with talk of the collar she wore, and Angeles had given the names of the people who had worked on it. The device would be very useful to D wherever he went.

Angeles shook her head and sighed through her nose. She did not sing the words to the song she played, it was too much of a temptation and too hopeful of lyric in her point of view; not at all appropriate for the situation at hand.

Angeles glanced up from where she was sitting as Azana came down the stairs, "that's Azana," she said without ceasing to play. D moved and tilted his hat slightly so that he could see past it and noticed the woman sitting down with a drink. He stood up silently and walked over to her, "I would like to speak to you," he said casually, "about the collar around Angeles' neck."

The two stones on the brilliant piece of work were still glowing, she felt the heat and the chill of both of them against her skin, which in itself was irritating.

D calmly took the seat offered and shook his head to her question about the rest of the team, he only needed her for the moment. Her seemingly offensive tone did not bother him, he was rather used to it, "I just have a question about the sunstone," he said.

"Have you ever heard of time-bewitching incense?" he asked calmly. Of course he didn't expect her to no, it was invented nearly ten-thousand years after her time on another world. He took out a single stick of it and set it on the table. it looked nothing like incense, and looked more like a black candle with no wick.

D took up the incense and gave it a shake. It instantly lit like the color of an ember and he set it on the table gently. The sudden sense that the middle of the day had suddenly became the middle of the night settled around the room as an unnameable scent wafted throughout.

"This is used by vampire of my variant often, as my kind can barely even move during the day. They use this to trick their bodies and minds into believing it is night, and permits them all their abilities."

Had Angeles not been wearing the collar, she would have felt these effects. Remy, if he came down, would find that all of his vampiric powers were in effect even though the sun was still shining.

"Hunters use it for the opposite effect, activating it at night to make the body believe it is the day. It lasts for twelve hours, and can only be used twice, and for me only really useful during the night. But," he glanced over to where Angeles was playing the piano, "if I had something similar to the sunstone she wears, I would have no need for these anymore, and also would not have to worry about activating it during the day. My question is, how is it done?"