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Post by Rutger Kilborn on Mar 11, 2011 0:14:45 GMT -5
The group lunch with the aurors took longer than expected, and Rutger was anxious to return to the hotel, where he felt more comfortable. He left another note for Alana with one of the aurors that didn't go to lunch with the others, then headed back to the hotel.
He was restless and tense, knowing what they were planning for tonight. It was imperative that the plan worked as he hoped it would; they could not let Kryshna escape this time. But no matter how carefully he had planned, he couldn't completely predict Kryshna's actions.... and that was what worried him. If she made one move that he didn't expect, she could escape.
Back at the hotel, he pulled out some books and began to research methods to conceal the sound of their heartbeats, so Kryshna wouldn't be alerted to their presence. He'd been working for about an hour when exhaustion took hold of him. He closed his eyes, and let sleep take him for a little while...
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Post by Alana Kalb on Mar 11, 2011 0:26:34 GMT -5
Alana was happy with how lunch went. She felt like she made a lot of friends, or at least connections, for her stay in London, however long it went on for. When she got back to the office, an auror gave her two notes, both from Rutger telling her they needed to talk about something, and to meet him back at the hotel. After telling the others that drinks would have to wait until another day, she left.
Rather than apparate to the hotel, Alana opted to take the bus, pretending to be a muggle for a bit. She liked people watching just as much as she liked talking to them. Plus, she wanted to take her time getting back. An older woman talked to her about her father who had recently passed, and fought in the war, and Alana just politely nodded and expressed her condolences for her father, not sure what to say about a muggle event she had very little knowledge of.
Once back at the hotel, she excitedly entered the room, holding a back from the restaurant. "Rutger, I brought.... oh!" She quickly shut up, seeing him asleep. She smiled warmly, glad he was sleeping, and put the food in the kitchen, trying to be as quiet as possible. She went into her room and got a blanket she brought with her, and lightly draped it over Rutger, hoping she wouldn't wake him. Everything was going alright until she turned to sit on another chair and found out her foot was twisted in the end of the blanket. She fell, taking a book off of the table with her as her arm hit it. She froze and cringed, turning slowly to see if he was awake.
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Post by Rutger Kilborn on Mar 11, 2011 0:42:22 GMT -5
Rutger wasn't a heavy sleeper, and he probably would have started to wake up no matter what she did. His fingers were starting to itch, even though he was resting his head on his arms.
He was dimly aware of the blanket being draped over his shoulders, but he didn't wake up right away until the book hit the floor. He jerked his head up, looking around blankly for a minute until he realized where he was.
"Alana.... I must have fallen asleep. I'm glad you're back."
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Post by Alana Kalb on Mar 11, 2011 0:49:00 GMT -5
Alana smiled lightly at him as she picked herself off the floor, returning the book to the table. "I'm sorry, I wanted to let you sleep." She said, and took the blanket. She folded it quickly, the corners not matching up, and put it across the back of the couch.
"I brought back some food like you asked. Do you want it now, or after you're done?" She asked, glancing at the books around him. She was almost disappointed he had come back to work some more, but she knew that was his way.
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Post by Rutger Kilborn on Mar 11, 2011 1:01:52 GMT -5
Rutger gave her a tired smile. He was pretty sure he wouldn't have slept much longer, anyway, and he didn't want her to feel guilty for waking him up.
"It's all right," he said, glancing at the clock. "I think I slept a couple of hours. If I slept much longer in that position, I'd have had a crick in my neck."
He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I'll eat in a few minutes," he promised her. "But I have a lot to tell you... We had a big break in the case."
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Post by Alana Kalb on Mar 11, 2011 1:08:47 GMT -5
Alana was glad to hear that, but it made her wonder what time he had gotten back to the hotel. She wasn't gone for that long, was she? She glanced at the clock; she had a horrible sense of time while she was out having fun, and that got her into trouble more than once.
"Good. You know I worry about you." A bit too much, her mind filled in.
What he said next shocked her. She sat down next to him, not caring if she was a little too close to him, and just stared at him. "Really?" She asked, resisting the urge to reach out and take him hand. She often did so when she was excited, much to the other's annoyance. Her uncle, for example, hated it. "I guess skipping lunch was a good thing. What is it?"
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Post by Rutger Kilborn on Mar 11, 2011 1:30:48 GMT -5
"I know," he said quietly, and resisted the urge to ask her why. Deep down, he knew why, at least partially.
He stretched his arms, flexing his shoulder, which had already started to stiffen up a little. "We know where Kryshna is going to attack next... well, we're pretty sure, anyway. She's going to attack at Hogwarts... two professors who used to be Death Eaters. We believe she's going to attack tonight... we're setting a trap for her."
As he talked, his excitement started to build, and it was evident on his face. Suddenly, the possibility of catching Kryshna tonight seemed very real. "We may be able to catch her tonight."
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Post by Alana Kalb on Mar 11, 2011 12:23:33 GMT -5
The first thing Alana thought when he said Hogwarts were the students, and how having them somewhere someone like Kryshna was going to be wasn't safe in the least bit, but she knew if they tried to evacuate the students it would cause panic and Kryshna might find out.
"Are you sure the trap will work? I'm sorry I wasn't there for the planning, I feel I should have been." She said. She couldn't help but smile when she saw how excited Rutger was. She never thought of how he'd act when they were this close to catching her. She knew he'd be happy, but she wasn't thinking anything like this.
"We'll catch her, Rutger. This will end tonight." She said, and reached out to take his hand, squeezing it tightly. She was excited too. No one else would get hurt if this worked out, and then life could return to normal, if Alana remembered what that was like before the case.
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Post by Rutger Kilborn on Mar 11, 2011 21:44:44 GMT -5
It was actually sort of an odd feeling. He had lived with the Kryshna case for more than 5 years, and spent much of it feeling like he wasn't doing anything at all. Dead ends, false leads... it had often made him feel like he was on a wild goose chase. Much of what he'd pieced together until very recently had been based on guesswork and vague witness accounts. How had he gone so long without realizing that she was a vampire? All along, he'd thought there was a pattern to her killings, a reason... now he understood that she was just a killer for hire.
Now, at last, he was close. The possibility of catching her was no longer just wishful thinking... it was very real. It was a relief, and yet... he almost felt disappointed. But that didn't make any sense, and he pushed the thought from his mind.
"I can't be completely sure it will work, because obviously, I can only guess how Kryshna will react. But I'm as sure as I can possibly be. I'm just trying to make sure she doesn't catch on to us ahead of time.... we need to mask the sound of our heartbeats so she doesn't realize that there are more than two people in the room."
She was squeezing his hand, and he looked down at their joined hands for a moment. It felt so warm and comfortable, and he almost felt tempted to pull her into his arms and hold her. He didn't... but he didn't pull his hand away, either.
"I am sorry you couldn't be there for the planning... It felt wrong without you. But you'll be there tonight, and I'll go over everything with you. I really think.... I really think we're going to catch her tonight. And even if we don't, at least we can prevent two more people from dying."
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Post by Alana Kalb on Mar 15, 2011 16:03:58 GMT -5
Alana wondered how they would be able to cover their heartbeats up, or even if it would work against a vampire. Would Kryshna be able to see through the spell? Alana was worried about it, worried that Kryshna would find out somehow and that Rutger would get hurt again... Alana worried much more about him than she did herself, and she was glad he didn't pull his hand away.
His next words made her feel even worse that she was out having fun while he worked. She realized she was being lax with this case, caring more for Rutger than actually catching Kryshna, but now with this plan Rutger and the others worked out... she was pulled back into reality that the case could be over. She wanted to be optimistic about this, so she tried her best to keep his final comment from entering her thoughts.
"But even if we just stop two from dying, it'll be something." Alana replied. She was getting tired of running around like a chicken without a head with this case lately. "So, what's going to happen? How will we mask our heartbeats? I have a feeling there's a lot to go over."
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Post by Rutger Kilborn on Mar 15, 2011 17:21:44 GMT -5
Rutger was actually glad that she had gone out to lunch and had a good time. She needed to relax and have fun every once in a while, and Merlin knew she wasn't going to have any fun hanging around him all the time. This way, she had been able to burn off a little steam and relax, so that she would be fresh for tonight. His little nap--which had probably been closer to 45 minutes--was probably all he was likely to get, but then, he was not like Alana.
"Well, I've been doing some research, but so far the only option I've fund is a simple silencing spell. It'll work, but it will silence our voices as well. We'd have to remove the spells from ourselves if we needed to communicate with each other.... I'm trying to see if there's a better alternative."
She was still holding his hand, and he was finding it difficult to concentrate on anything else. But he didn't want to pull his hand away. Merlin, what was going on with him lately?
It must have been the fact that they had been working closer than usual lately. Yes, that was it. They were practically living together now, and they saw each other almost every minute of every day. He wasn't used to that.
"Er... I think the best thing to do would be to get there a little early tonight and we'll all go over the plan together. Sean needs to be briefed on the plan as well, so this way we can just go over it once, and we'll actually be in the room. But the targets--Isabella and Voltaire Rothschild--they're former death eaters. He teaches dueling and she teaches Defense Against the Dark Arts, so they're actually going to help us, and not just play bait. Think of it... Kryshna usually attacks people who can't defend themselves.... she won't be expecting them to fight back."
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Post by Alana Kalb on Apr 17, 2011 23:42:48 GMT -5
Alana nodded, not liking the idea of her voice being masked, but if it was the only option Rutger would find she would force herself to deal with it. She was pretty good at learning spells, so it wouldn't be a problem to take it off of her if he needed to, but if something had happened to Rutger and she needed to talk to him... no, she thought as she shook her head. She didn't want to think about that.
She found herself gently rubbing his hand with her thumb, and stopped herself. She just liked the feeling of his hand in hers, and didn't want to take it too far by showing him any more affection. She worried at this moment that he would pull away from her, sit further away, and just explain everything to her, without eye contact. She knew Rutger wasn't the romantic type, and she knew they weren't talking about their kiss for a reason, but she really wished that he would throw caution to the wind and kiss her again.
Alana nodded. She had thought Sean was with them for their meeting, but she wasn't going to bring it up. "Alright, getting there early shouldn't be a problem, I just need to change." She said, looking briefly at her outfit. She didn't think some of her fancier clothing would be appropriate for catching a murderer. Plus, she liked this outfit and didn't want it to get dirty. Alana smiled at the plan; it seemed perfect, like a mouse cowering a corner with the cats surrounding it... she just hope it went smoothly. "I think that's a great idea, Rutger. And, being former Death Eaters, I am sure that Kryshna won't know what will hit her." She said.
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Post by Rutger Kilborn on Apr 18, 2011 22:58:58 GMT -5
(OMG, if you knew the song, I was listening to when I typed this post, you'd never stop laughing)
His brain had suddenly ceased to function, and all he was aware of was her thumb brushing against the back of his hand. He was sure he was going insane in that moment, because surely this was not something he was supposed to be thinking about. Not given the importance of their current conversation, at any rate. Catching Kryshna.... that had to be his priority. That had to be his only thought. Why, then, did it feel like his every thought was focused on the tingling sensation that went through his hand at her simple touch?
He needed to stop this. It took a great amount of strength to delicately extract his hand from hers, but he did, leaving his hand feeling cold and empty.
He cleared his throat and avoided her eyes. "If you're going to change, I'd recommend something dark-colored," he said. "Something that you can move easily in. There's a very good chance that we'll have a fight on our hands... I really don't think Kryshna is going to come along quietly."
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Post by Alana Kalb on Apr 18, 2011 23:19:32 GMT -5
(Haha, what song was it?)
Alana was disappointed when he took his hand away, but she knew he wouldn't keep it there forever. She awkwardly folded her hands and put them in her lap to stop herself from reaching out and taking his hand again. She was just glad he had taken his hand back gently, and hadn't ripped it from her.
"Dark and comfortable, alright." She said quietly, bowing her head. She sighed, upset with herself for thinking something would change now, that the fact they were so close to Kryshna would help Rutger open up towards her a bit, let her hold his hand for a while, but she knew now that was a stupid idea.
"I think I should go get changed now, just in case we get called there sooner than we expected." She said, and stood up.
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Post by Rutger Kilborn on Apr 18, 2011 23:41:07 GMT -5
www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyqVEAWyoQo&feature=related (Listen to the words, lol...) He probably shouldn't have pulled his hand away. He sensed that she was disappointed, and maybe now should have been the time when he finally talked to her about the odd energy that had been between them lately. But what was he supposed to say? He knew he should tell her that they couldn't keep doing... whatever it was that they were doing... but he didn't want to. The timing was terrible, but the truth was, he kind of liked the feeling, and even now was positively aching to pull her into his arms. As if trying to remove the temptation, he stood up abruptly and started toward the little ktichen area. "Yes, that's a good idea," he said. "I'm just going to heat up some of the pasta you brought back for me. As it turns out, I actually didn't eat lunch. I'm sorry.... I told you I would, but I was distracted."
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Post by Alana Kalb on Apr 18, 2011 23:56:09 GMT -5
(OMG!! XD That is perfect. Double meanings always amuse me  ) Alana stood watching him for a few minutes, the look that spread across his face as if he wanted to say something but never did. She wished he would talk to her, tell her what was going on with him and maybe let him into his life a little more and not just keep her as his work partner. She wanted more than that; she wasn't going to lie to herself, that she wasn't getting younger and the life she wanted was passing her by. Sometimes, her job wasn't enough and she needed someone to spend her life with. She knew dating Rutger was out of the question, but she liked the challenge when it began, but now... now, she just wanted to kiss him again and have him hold her and forget the case, if even for one night. "It's fine, I understand that you were busy. Just promise me you'll eat it all? I worry you are going to waste away, Rutger. Besides, you'll need some energy for tonight, I am sure." Alana said before going into her room to change. She did so quickly, so she could sit by Rutger and make sure he did eat every last noodle. It wasn't her place to make sure he ate, but after a couple of years it became the duty she gave herself. |
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Post by Rutger Kilborn on Apr 19, 2011 0:11:11 GMT -5
(Haha... it amuses me, too... ) "I will eat it," he assured her easily. It was easier to promise that than it was to agree to sleep. He really wasn't in danger of wasting away, really... eating wasn't really a problem, except that he was sometimes absent-minded and forgot about such basic functions. But he at least recognized it as a necessity, and, he even admitted to enjoying food on the rare occasions when he was able to eat a leisurely meal. "And if you want, you can tell me about your lunch while I eat," he added, giving her a hesitant sort of smile. "If we think too much about the plan for tonight, we're only going to make ourselves nervous." She went off to her room to get changed, and he went to the kitchen area to take the food out of the refrigerator. There was one of those odd microwave things that he could use to heat up the food, but he didn't trust that. And besides, magic was faster. Using a heating spell, he quickly warmed the contents of the container so that it was steaming, then emptied it out onto a plate he found in the cabinet. He got out a fork, and poured himself a glass of water as well. He was just sitting down at the table in the work area when Alana came back into the room. |
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Post by Alana Kalb on Apr 25, 2011 20:30:06 GMT -5
Alana walked out of her room and saw Rutger sitting down with the food and a drink. She went into the kitchen and got her own water before sitting down with Rutger again. She moved some of the papers away from him, not because she was worried he'd get them dirty, but because she was worried he would start looking over them again.
"I hope the pasta is good." She said, and took a sip from her glass before placing it down on the table. Alana thought the food was very good, and she hoped Rutger liked it, as well, since Alana thought of taking him there as a congratulations dinner after the case was finished.
"So... I was hoping you could join us the next time we all go out for dinner. Maybe after the case is done?" She asked.
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Post by Rutger Kilborn on Apr 26, 2011 16:49:00 GMT -5
Rutger took a few bites while Alana was getting a drink, and he looked up at her when she came back into the room. "It is good, thank you," he assured her, breaking into a very rare smile.
The smile faded quickly, however, when she asked him to come along the next time they all went out (if, indeed, there was a next time). He felt the acute sense that he would disappoint her if he said no, but he really couldn't see himself doing such a thing. The more people there were, the less comfortable he would be, and the more likely he would just sit there and not talk. He didn't want to be that way, but he couldn't help it. He just didn't know what to say if he wasn't talking about work.
"I don't know, Alana," he said. "I'm just... I'm not social, you know? I think I would just drag everyone down."
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Post by Alana Kalb on Apr 26, 2011 21:37:05 GMT -5
Alana tried not to get too upset; she knew he probably wouldn't jump right at the idea but Alana wasn't going to give up. It would take a bit of prodding, but she was sure she could get him to cave in.
"Well, I'm sure you would find something to talk about. There aren't many guys in the office, you know. I think they would like it if you came along next time." She said, and pulled her legs up onto the chair to get more comfortable. She twirled her finger in her hair, thinking.
"Besides, everyone kept asking me where you were. I think a lot of them wanted to meet you. But it's okay Rutger, really, if you don't want to come." She said, and smiled. She felt bad for bringing this up again; she knew he wouldn't be comfortable with it. "Maybe you and I could out, by ourselves? I mean, for a congratulatory dinner once the case is over." Alana said, feeling herself getting red. Was she really that embarrassed to think of herself on a date with Rutger, even after they kissed?
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