Experienced Thinkers (Katherine)

[alexander james mason]

Alex was a little unsure what to do. Katherine seemed like she was in the same frame of mind. It was hard having gone through what they had and trying to start again. Love was just not something that they knew about. Especially not now as vampires. It was almost as if they had both left that behind, just like they had left humanity behind. But those feelings were back. He had felt them before, so he knew what he was feeling. It was a very strong liking for a person, the sort of liking that would normally constitute to partners. He was just going to admit it. He was scared. He had had his heart broken. It had destroyed him. But so had she. She had experienced the same thing so surely they would know how it would effect the other and it would prevent them from ever hurting each other?

He frowned slightly as that realization crept into his head. He had to give her a chance. She had after all admitted that she felt the same way. All they could do was try. During the time he was thinking he had forgotten that she had been speaking. He had taken in what she had said but had not answered. He smiled as she apologized. He knew that he too would have to say sorry for the way he had acted. "Thank you, I too am deeply sorry." He spoke softly. Tilting his head as he listened to her, he watched her come closer. Even just those extra few inches had cleared his head and had removed all his negative feelings.

He looked into her burning eyes and smiled. Clearing his throat slightly he got ready to say it how it was. "I've realized that because we have both been through so much, that we know not to hurt each other. We both clearly have an effect on each other and I agree it would be difficult." He pushed his hair back so it was a crazy mess. "I think... we should give this a try. Being mates, I mean. We both care for each other and we should seize the opportunity. If it does not work out then at least we can say we tried and we can part on good terms." He shrugged simply.

He took her hand and pulled her close. "I understand your feelings. I too have been hurt. And it destroyed me. It made me the empty shell that I am now. But I think together we can make ourselves more. We can heal each other and in turn care for each other on a level we are not accustom to." He smiled softly at her. "So.. Katherine O'Riley, will you be my mate?" He grinned at her toothily, it was awkward but he was trying his best. He had such strong feelings but was just unsure how to show them. He had never been a romantic guy, he didnt even know how to express his love for someone. He knew that he would have to go speak to his son, and see how he did it.

In time they would heal each other, they would learn together. And that would make them stronger as a couple. He was warming to the prospect of having someone in his life. Someone who actually cared for him.

[Katherine O'Riley]

As though the craziness of their first encounter had not been enough, now it seemed like it was back again. Like they were back to where they started in the first place. It hadn’t been easy to trsut anyone, not without a real reason. Loving someone had been something of the past. She had not known it since she was human...but the pain was still in the corner of her mind. These feelings were something unknown to her as a vampire but she knew that she had them for him. It was a very strong feeling, something that started with liking the other person, and the liking turned to love. She was more than scared at this particular moment but she wasn’t about to let that stop her from figuring out if they could in fact make this work. Surely they could make it work, somehow....some way. It just had to.

If something went wrong, if this did not work, she would be back where she started, completely alone, and she wasn’t sure if she was ready for that. If she could survive a few centuries more, without someone by her side. What she did know was that she would prevent herself from hurting him as much as she could. She knew there would be times where they argued like most other couples were...as even that was normal in a relationship. But for the most part everything else was new territory for them both.

Taking a chance would not be easy but it was something she had to do. They had to give this a try. If it did not work, was to simply appologize and go their separate ways. But something in her unbeating heart told her that she wouldn’t have to worry about it. That there was no reason why it wouldn’t work. There were no real reasons why it wouldn’t work after all. She smiled warmly at him when he appologized. “No, thank you. I know that wasn’t easy....for either of us to appologize. We’re both hard headed I can see that.” She said tilting her head slightly to look at him. Being so close to him seemed to throw all those negative feelings, and doubts she had had to the wind. It was a good thing, she hoped. When he smiled at her, looking into her eyes...it felt like for the first time in her life that she felt safe...that she was not alone anymore. It was a new feeling to behold as she was so used to the life of being a nomad, to being completely alone. So this would take some getting used to.

She heard him clear his throat before he began speaking. “Yes, I agree, that we’ve both been through alot, and that it won’t always be easy. But I think we both know that we can do whatever we put our minds to. We both have an effect on eachother, and although I think it is new, it is something worth persuing. All I know....is that I don’t want to hurt you. That I can’t. At first it is going to be difficult, because I don’t know about you, but I’ve never depended on anyone else, or really had to think of putting someone else before myself. Not since I was a human....but it...in my heart I know that I have to. Because I want to make this work.” She cleared her throat as she watched him push some of his hair back, so it was a crazy mess. This whole thing was completely crazy but she had to admit she really liked the idea of it.

Taking an unneeded breath she looked at him. “I....I think we should as well. Because, I’ve never felt like this before. It’s a feeling that I truly thought had died a long time ago but you’ve awakened it. And....I just I know it sounds crazy given how quickly that it’s all happened, but I don’t want to be away from you. I can’t....not again.” She said as she felt him grab her hand and pulled her closer to him. Even just being so close to him, sent her into a feeling of peace. “And I understand your feelings too. It destroyed me, literally. It was like a thousand knives stabbing me all over, and it was as though I was being ripped apart, literally. I became...this shell of who I used to be. But being with you, I feel as though I’m starting to literally repair the damage that had been done. I think you’re right. That being together, we can at least be better. We can help eachother in ways that we cannot do by ourselves. We can help the other to heal, and to care for the other in ways neither one of us are used to. All we can do is try, right?” she told him, with a soft warm smile of her own. It was an awkward kind of a thing but it was worth exploring in her mind. “Yes, Alexander Mason, I will. I will be your mate.”

She was doing the best she could in this given situation of course. She had to trust her instincts as she could not just do nothing, not now. She had strong feelings, feelings that she never really could put into words what they meant. What she did know was on some level, some unknown level, that she really loved him. It was as though she had been waiting all of her life for him. For this moment. Maybe it was intuition, something she didn’t have to question. She had seen something with him, a future perhaps. He could become her best friend, in that kind of way. It might be crazy but she believed that this was it. That he was it. In time of course they would accept what happened, and to grow with eachother. There was no rhyme or reason for why it had taken this long, but she now had a sense of completion. She knew of course that this was something different. But the fact of the matter was, he was Aro’s father, which meant she had to watch her back as she wasn’t sure what Aro would think about it all. And at the very least she did not want to create a disturbance. The feelings she had for him were very strong, but since it had been a while since she’d felt them, she wasn’t sure how to show them without looking like a fool.

She was beginnning to warm up to the idea of having someone in her life. Not just as a friend but someone who could be more to her than that. Her other half. She had never been the romantic kind of girl, and never expected the same things that most women did. After all she had bene a natural born killer before ever being a vampire. Still, the idea of him just being with her was more than enough at the given moment. She really did like being close to him as she waited for him to make the next move. As she wasn't sure where to even begin since this was in fact new territory for her.

[alexander james mason]

Alex would never hurt her, he couldn't. Their previous actions of the night had been a testimony to that. He had never not been able to hurt someone, but yet Katherine walks into his life and he could never lift a hand to her. Even emotionally he was sure he was unable to hurt her. He just hoped that she felt the same. Most relationships were one sided and thats why they did not work. For a person to truly make a relationship work both parties had to care as much as the other did. It was just how it kept a relationship strong. That and lots of love. Being able to stand by another through anything. Alex was unsure what he had in him when it came to love but he would try his hardest if they made a go of it. He would even get some tips from others who were in love, he would see what made a female happy and apply it as such.

He smiled from ear to ear when she agreed. "Thank You. I understand that we do have to get to know each other on a different level from what we already do. But I promise you now, I will never hurt you. I will do my best to cater to your every need." He vowed to her. "We will learn to trust one another, and this will strengthen us.

He continued to hold her hand, raising it slightly he pressed a light kiss to it. He was quite old fashioned that way. Although he had already practically ate her lips off earlier when they had kissed, he felt that it was a little different this time. They had declared feelings for one another and with that he had to respect her. He had to take into account how she felt and what she wanted. Not what he wanted. He was feeling very happy. A sort of happy he had not felt in a long time. He never thought he could be this happy. Not with a mate anyway. But then again he never saw himself with a mate. He thought he would be an eternal bachelor. But he was happy that his fate had gone in this direction. It would bring a lot of good change to his life.

"I want you to know that we are equals in this partnership. Do not feel frightened to criticize me or be angry with me. If I upset you or do something wrong please tell me. And never fear that I shall harm you or anyone else for that matter. No one will harm you whilst we are together. I promise you that."

[Katherine O'Riley]

In her past she was known to create chaos, it was what she lived for after all. But when it was all said and done, aside from her victims she never hurt a soul. She couldn’t. She was just unable to do so. She would never be able to hurt Alex even if she tried. It was like tonight had proven that. Yes she had hit him once, and had felt sorry for it. Even with her insolent words he had never laid a hand to her, even when she knew he had it in him to do so. Emotionally it was just the same thing, she knew he hadn’t been able to hurt her and she would be incapable of hurting him as well. In her heart of hearts she knew that she couldn’t do that to him, that she didn’t want to. Most relationships that she was aware of only worked if both parties but the same amount of work into it. If one person put in more than the other it was doomed. She had seen this time and time again and usually it ended very badly.

It was crazy to think of how in just one night she had gone from being a bachelorette to having a mate. Both people had to be willing to put their whole effort into a relationship....to compromise as best they could to make the relationship not only work but be efficient. Love would be there as long as there was honesty and trust there. Without those two things, love would not prevail. She’d seen it happen more times than she could count, hell she had been through it once or twice before. Both parties had to care as much about the other person, as much as that other person cared about them. That was what kept the relationship strong in her eyes. After all that she had seen and been through, she was unsure of what it truly meant to be in love with someone else. But she knew that standing by the other person, through all the ups and downs, through anything and everything was in so many ways, what love was all about. She would try anything to make it work, between the two of them. There weren’t many females that she could truly turn to to ask about what it took to make a male happy, but she would try to ask those she knew when she saw them. When he smiled, she felt a sense of relief.

She did not know what it meant to truly be in a relationship with a vampire. As she had never been in one before. “You’re welcome. But, yes I agree that we need to get to know eachother on a different level than what we already do, but it’s not something we need to rush into, we can take our time with it, after all we have all of forever to learn about eachother.” She smiled as she liked where this was headed. “And I promise, that I will never hurt you either. That I will do everything in my power to make you happy. I...I do trust you, Alex. I can tell you won’t hurt me, I can see it just by looking into your eyes. But...we have all the time in the world to learn to continue trusting eachother through whatever life throws at us.” She smiled as she was essentially vowing that she would never hurt him the same way he had just vowed that he would never hurt her. She was proud of herself for opening herself up to something like this.

She couldn’t help but chuckle lightly when he had held onto her hand and then raised it to his lips and kissed it. She felt like they were back to where they had started, only it was with a much better outcome. It was official. She was going to respect him, and what he had wanted from her. She was just very happy at this moment, nothing more nothing less. She had always known that Alex was quite the charmer, of course. This only proved it. She had never thought that she would ever feel this way, let alone feel this way and had a mate to share it all with. She had always thought she would be a bachelorette with no mate ever, and yet here she was happy and had a mate to boot! She had to admit that it was a good change, to be with someone, and to love them for who they were, not what they were.

Fate had blessed her she felt, because it brought her to someone she had never stopped thinking about, and someone that she felt so strongly for. “I agree. It’s the only way it’ll work is if we’re both equal in the partnership. And the same applies to you as well. Don’t worry or be afraid to criticize me, or to be angry with me. If I do something to upset you, let me know, please. Don’t hold it in. I know that you won’t harm me, I can feel it. Just the same, I promise you that I will never harm you or anyone else. I’m glad to know that we can try and make this work, and that neither of us will have to fear that the other will hurt us. I promise you that I will stand by you, no matter what happens, no matter if it is through good times, or bad ones.” She told him truthfully as she was just enjoying this moment, more than she ever could have imagined. She was in fact relieved that no harm would come to her while they were together, although she didn’t have the kind of strings that he did to pull this kind of thing she also knew there were certain boundaries that would have to be in place, depending on where they were.

[alexander james mason]

Alex was pretty happy with himself. He never thought in his whole lifetime that he would have a mate and feel as strongly as he did. He knew that together they would have to go through a lot. But he was willing to put in the effort for once. He was dedicated to this, as he never thought he would experience it. He also was dedicated to showing Katherine that he could be a good person and look after her. He wanted to make her happy. It was strange for him to feel that way as he had never cared for another. But he genuinely wanted to make her life better, because in turn she would make his life better.

Alex was usually a selfish man. He only cared for himself and it was evident to many of the vampires he had met in the past. He had even gone to extreme lengths a few times, leaving people in a bit of a mess. He was no cowered but if the jig was up he was not going to be stupid and stand there in his own death. But he knew now that he had someone to care about he could not be selfish. He had to think about her and give her everything he could. Not that that was a problem. Alex had had many jobs in his lifetime, many important jobs. He had been very into his legal profession and had gone right to the top, earning himself a very lovely bank balance. One that still climbs daily due to his own little fiddling.

He smiled at her words. "And I you. I promise that I will take care of you to the best of my ability, and give you everything your heart desires. I will make this work. I will put everything I have into it. I never want to hurt you" He put his hand on her cheek and looked into her eyes. He was speaking the truth. "I trust you too, but obviously with time the trust will deepen" He chuckled softly.

He wanted her to understand that he would try really hard. He didnt want her to think he would just carry on like before. He would tease her but he would never be horrible towards her.

[Katherine O'Riley]

She smiled as she looked at her mate, he was absolutely brilliant. There was no other way to describe him. She had never believed she’d be the type to settle down and to focus on someone other than herself but that was what she had felt like doing ever since laying eyes on Alexander tonight. It was as though she was seeing him in a whole other light than how she had in the few hours before. She had been willling to put in the effort to at least make the relationship work, as she couldn’t imagine parting from him. Not now. Not with how she was feeling. She was going to show just how dedicated she was to being with him. To helping him, and for him to help her. She never thought she would experiance it, but it was a good surprise. She was happy and content at this moment just to have him by her side, and for the moment that was all that mattered. It was strange to think that she now had someone to care for, as she had never cared for anyone but herself before so it was a whole new experiance.

She genuinely wanted to show him that she could care, and that she could love him and not hurt him. She knew what it was like to be in love with someone, or to care for them only to have them essentially rip out your heart and slice it into thousands upon thousands of tiny little pieces and then burn it. In the end she knew that being with Alex would only make her life better not worse. Because of how she had been turned, because of how she had been left alone after being turned, she had been used to being a killer, nothing more nothing less. She could be a selfish, inconsiderate, almost insolate kind of woman, a horrible piece of a person with only a shell and nothing on the inside. She had been a heartless woman even before she was turned into a vampire, given how her life had turned out.

She had been a lot of things in her long life, but kind and loving had not been two of those things. She had often left others in a mess that they had to clean up themselves, as she did not stick around to clean up her own mess. She was not a coward by any means but she wouldn’t just stand there and watch as someone killed her. No, she was not going to allow that to happen. She had gotten by on what she had done throughout the years, having separate accounts in both Italian banks and that of Irish banks as well. She did not have to scrape by to make ends meet, which was a good thing after as old as she was. She lived quite comfortably.

Turning back to her mate, she smiled. “As will I, to do everything I can to make it work...us work. I never want to hurt you either. I’ll put everything I have into it. But yes, the longer we’re around eachother, and getting to know eachother better, that trust will deepen as you said.” She grinned as she just was hoping it stayed like this forever. She did not want him to believe that she was not going to put her whole heart into it, even if it was nonbeating. She would tease him if he teased her, and that kind of thing that most couples did, but never would she raise a hand to him again, or hurt him in any other way. She would never be horrible towards him, she was going to promise not only him that, but herself that as well. She loved him, at least that was what her feelings were telling her.

She did not know what she was supposed to do now. Aside from Alex, everyone she had ever cared for was now dead, like that of her two sisters. She did not care to move from the position in which she was in. There were no words to describe how she felt. Everything about him, had drawn her in, from the way he looked, to how he talked, and even his scent. Yes they were both vampires but for the moment she had felt like she was simply a girl and he was simply a guy. There was nothing else that seemed to be as important. Could they be like all other couples? Like her old friend Chelsea and her mate Afton? Was that even possible? To truly love eachother like that would be a great thing. She felt like she couldn't get the smile off of her face. She wondered what was going to happen next.

“So, what do we do now? Any ideas? Unless you want to just sit here all night, but that choice is yours.” She was just glad that she didn’t have to feed yet, but that was something that she could do with Alexander now. “I am just so happy to be here right now, in this moment, with you.” She told him in the Irish accent that she was known to use.

[alexander james mason]

To be honest Alex didn't know where to start. He had declared his feelings and got himself a mate but he didnt know how to proceed from there. Of course in his time he courted a woman. Took her out for dinner and brought her flowers. But it was obvious he would not be able to take her out for dinner anytime soon. Unless it meant two humans tied or chained to somewhere so they could feed together. That would be some date. He chuckled to himself at the thought of that. He was unsure if Katherine would find that romantic at all. It would be a strange date but it would be a vampire date at least.

He looked to her as she spoke. His expression softening when she said she was happy to be here with him. "I am also happy to be spending this moment with you." He stroked her face softly, with the soft tips of his fingers. "What would you like to do? Perhaps you could come back to my castle and I could give you a tour, then we can arrange our first courting" He didn't realize that he had used a rather archaic term. It was just a part of the past that he brought with him not even realizing what he had done.

He liked the idea of showing her around the castle. He may have been getting ahead of himself a little but if things did go well eventually he would invite her to come live with him in the castle. He did need some sort of female touch around his castle. It would be strange seeing things like make up and stuff around again. He had never moved in with the human but he had still visited her house many a time. It was a lot calmed having objects like that lying around. It brought a sort of gentle feel.

[Katherine O'Riley]

Having a mate was something completely new to her. She didn’t really know where to start, after all most of the guys she knew had been human and she’d killed first before asking questions. In the time they both came from, there was some kind of a courtship, if the man was a noble one, even Aiden had done that and he’d ended up sleeping with her best friend, oh how angry that had made her. But now, now she couldn’t think of anyone else in the world but him. But Alex, he was something else altogether. Alex was like a diamond in the rough. He could be aggressive, and tough but he was also charismatic and sweet. It was one of the things she in fact had loved about him to begin with. It was something that no matter how many years had there been since her first meeting him to now that she had not forgotten just how charismatic he could be. He drew her in like magnet.

Of course in her time, she did not really date much, or had been courted much aside from Aiden’s foolish attempts. Granted she didn’t care about it back then. Even more so now, she wasn’t even sure where things were to go between them. She’d never had a vampire date, or even a mate so she was unsure how best to proceeed. Still she was unsure how to move forward, as most times she knew of, guys took their girls out for dinner and possibly bought flowers or chocolates. For vampires it was a bit of a difficult type thing. After all she couldn’t eat normal food, neither could Alex. And the idea of hunting humans together was equally as appetizing. Nothing about their lives was normal anymore. So a strange date was as good as any in her mind. Her expression was soft as she looked at him.

To be honest she had enjoyed it when he stroked her face with his fingertips. It was bittersweet. She was so fortunate to have run across him when she did, though she believed fate had been smiling down on her today. Even though she was damned for all eternity as a vampire at least now she had someone to share it with as forever could be a long time without someone by your side. As Chelsea had often pointed out in their long years of having been friends. “Anything. As long as I’m with you, I don’t care what we do. Or where we are.” She grinned as for once in her life she was settling down into a good comfortable feeling where she didn’t have to kill anyone.

When he invited her to go see his castle, she was sure if her heart was beating it would have beat right out of her chest. She loved him, as crazy as that might sound. So much had happened in the last few hours, that it was almost unreal to think that it was in fact not a dream. She knew vampires like herself didn’t dream, but it was still unreal to believe that it was true. That he was real and he was right in front of her. That she really and truly had a mate for the first time in her long life. “I would love that. I’d love to see your castle, and learn what you would like to do for our first courting as you put it. I haven’t heard someone use that term in years!” She grinned mischeviously. There were so many ways she could go with that, but of course she was going to make it as easy a transition as possible for both of them. Being with him was like being in another world altogether, she felt like for once in her life that she was an open book to someone else. Where normally she had closed herself off because she didn’t want anyone getting far too close. Getting close to someone meant one cared and if one cared then it would just hurt more if you lost them. But with Alex, it was something else altogether different. She couldn’t turn her back on him, on what she was feeling towards him. "You'll notice if you ever see where I live, how tiny it is...." She smiled as she was proud of her home, it just wasn't decorated the way she would have liked.

To be point blank honest she liked the idea of getting to see where he lived, and to hopefully one day be with him there. She could be a gentle creature when someone brought it out in her like Alex did. Otherwise she could be fierce and demanding. Of course she had not had a chance to decorate the current place she lived in, it was kind of bare and hadn’t had the most welcoming feel to it, but that was only because she travelled alot more than most did. Of course now that she had a mate she wouldn’t be doing that quite as much and could plant roots down for once. As scary as that might seem, as she'd never done it before.

[alexander james mason]

Alex had never really put much thought into his dates back then with that thing. He had taken her to dinner a couple of times but nothing more than that. You could say he didnt have a romantic bone in his body. He didnt know much about women, even his mother was a cold harted wretch. He had never once seen his father be nice to her, so he never had anything to go by. Sure he had seen people courting and being all romantic but he would usually sneer and walk away, never paying much attention to it. He felt now, that he was in for some trouble. He would have to learn to be romantic fast.

He was attracted to her, so he could dish out the complements. But even at that when he was really trying he was just an awkward mess. He could be a smooth charmer when he wanted to be but now that the relationship was real and Katherine depended on it he was stumped. Alex knew he was going to have to go speak to someone, get some tips from somewhere. He wanted this to work so would do anything he could to make it. Even if it meant going to people he would never go to and ask them for help. This was quite a grand feat for Alex because he never asked for help. He was even unsure if people would help him considering how horrible he was normally.

He smiled as she spoke. Drinking her in. He enjoyed just watching her. It was calming to say the least. He felt like this was right. This was his fate, his future. He didnt want to rush things but he knew in his own heart that she would be forever. He didnt want to say it out loud in case he scared her off. He was still unsure exactly how deep her feelings were for him. He didnt want to push it too far just incase he frightened her off.

"Come, let us depart to the castle. I am sure you will like it. You are welcome there anytime. Just pop buy whenever you like" He smiled softly and got to his feet, pulling her with him. He chuckled softly. Of course he had never been to her house. He wouldn't know really the first thing about her. He knew a little of her past, but not much else. In time they would learn every twist and turn in each others paths.

[Katherine O'Riley]

Dating was never really much of a possibility when she was human. After all she had only had one human lover, and that had turned out to be a real mess. If she knew then what she knew now, she would have never agreed to go out with him. She would not let herself be put back in that kind of hole, shame on you if happened once, shame on her if it happened twice, as the saying went. There was no going back this time. She wasn’t the romantic type, at all at least that’s what she kept telling herself. She preferred things to be messy and complicated over simple and well romantic. She didn’t mind romance, it was just that she had never been in a romantic situation since being turned so she really had no idea how it was supposed to be. When it came to men, she knew very little about them, only about some of the things they enjoyed doing, most of which had to do with women, and getting what they desired from them. Her parents had what she could only now describe as an abusive marriage, not physically but emotionally. Her parents had a stable marriage, at least they stuck by eachother but they had essentially left her out in the cold while they doted upon her two sisters. That had hurt a lot. She hadn’t been able to base a relationship base on what she saw her parents do. She only had to base it on her own experiance.

She wasn’t the type to take things fast, not even with her kills did she rush it. No, she was going to take this experiance and let it sink in for everything that it was worth. Before now, she would have probably sneered when she saw a couple walk by, but now, now she felt like they had, and it was an overwhelming type of feeling. Something she had never imagined, never believed could be possible for someone like her. How do you even go from being a ruthless killer to someone who was needing to learn how to be romantic? She was unsure, but she had to at least test the waters a little. Maybe get some advice and quickly. She wouldn’t even really know where to start. Even though she was so attracted to him, she wasn’t sure what else to do aside from giving out compliments where deserved and to treat him like he deserved to be, but everything else she was sure was bound to be a hot mess. She could be charming when she had to be of course, but for the most part, she had let someone else be the dominating personality, while she was more the submissive personality. It just always seemed to work out well that way.

She wanted this to work, so if anything she would ask Chelsea where to start. Even though she did not normally ask for help, on anything. At all. There were very few that she could trust herself to be open towards, and Chelsea was one of those, because she was her oldest and most trusted friend that was still alive. It was quite astonishing to think she’d even have to ask for help to begin with, as it was something she had never ever done before. And she was sure that if she asked Chelsea, there would probably be a million questions thrown at her but she would have to do the best she could, to reign it all in. She could be a horrible little wretch as some would say, and she was used to being that way, though of course now, now she couldn’t be that way, not with Alex anyway.

She couldn’t help but catch him smiling at her which only made her smile too. She enjoyed just being around him, there was no denying it. It was a calming sensation to a normally chaotic filled existance. She felt that this, was not only right, but that it was meant to be. Rushing things was not her forte but with him, anything seemed to be possible. The truth was, she knew that he was it, that he was for her. Even if their relationship was anything but ordinary. She was not the one to speak her mind on such important matters without first knowing how the other person, or in this case vampire, such as her new mate, felt.

What she felt was more than enough to truly say that there was no one else like him in the entire world, no one could make her feel like she was feeling. Being with him now, she felt more complete than she had most of her existance, and the idea of being without him was like having a limb torn from her body. Which to her was a downright scary thing to think of, given it had been that intense, that was what she had felt from the second he’d kissed her until this very moment. The fact of the matter was she was afraid of essentially rushing into it and then getting her heart broken. As that was the very thing she feared more now than ever. Still there was nothing that he could do or say that would scare her off, she was in this for the long haul, no matter what it led to.

She couldn’t help but grin when he spoke of going to his castle. She had to admit she was very excited about it. She’d never really been anywhere other than the Volturi’s castle and her own simple apartment. So this was a new beginning for her. She felt as though her world had come to an abrupt halt when she had been pulled up to her feet, by her mate. She had a very simple home of course, nothing grand like a big castle or anything of the sort. Taking a deep unneeded breath, she looked at him. “I’m sure I will too, and I’ll come by whenever you would like me to be....there. But I’ll pop on by whenever I can, whenever your son doesn’t have me doing something for him. Aside from that I’m usually found at my apartment if I’m not working for him.” She answered honestly as she looked straight into his eyes. She had to be honest, she looked forward to getting to know him better, and to see where things would lead. She wanted to learn as much about him as she possibly could. Because the feelings she had were not going to go away, and she only hoped his were just as genuine as her own were.

[alexander james mason]

He was lucky enough to have found the beautiful castle not that far outside of Volterra. Of course it had come at a pretty penny but he had made it his own. It may look old on the outside but it was pretty modern on the inside. That was something Alex was never worried about trying; Technology was a massive change from what he had grown up with but he had adapted well. He learnt well anyway, it was part of his power. Technology did play a big part in his home, especially in the security. Long before he met his son he had to look after himself and sensors were a wondrous thing. Even a vampire as sly as they are could set off a sensor, especially if they had no idea there was one there. Alex had never worried about his safety, but it was just a precaution. He did not want anyone sneaking up on him.

He was pretty excited about showing her the castle. It was one of his more extravagant material possessions. Alex did not do things by halves. He had lots to show her. But deep down he just wanted her to be impressed by it. He wanted to show her that he could look after her well. He knew that she would have money behind her, almost every vampire did. But if she was to be his then she would never have to spend another penny of her own money. Alex had enough in his many banks just now to last three or four lavish lifestyles, and that was not to mention the vast amounts that spill in continuously every week. He was more than well off. Of course he had nice things but he never went out his way to brag about them. He did show off, but that was different from straight out bragging.

A thought passed through his head. He knew they would be together forever, but some vampires kept to the tradition of marriage. He had only thought about marriage once and that had ended in disaster. But now it would be a possibility. Well if Katherine wanted it. There was no need to ask parents now. But he was still old fashioned by heart and if Katherine would want to visit her family's grave then he would accompany her. There knew relationship had opened up a crazy number of possibilities. Ones that would keep Alex's head spinning for a long time. He was going to keep to a pace that Katherine wanted. He did have a tendency for rushing things but he knew that he had to be slow. He didnt want her to frightened.

"Perhaps one day you will want to come stay with me in the castle." He spoke softly. He spoke in more of a whisper than anything. He had basically spoken his thoughts, looking a little sheepish. He grinned nervously at her. He reached for her hand, so they could make way towards his castle. There was many things she had to see, and perhaps they could sit and talk a little more.

[Katherine O'Riley]

She had been fortunate enough to stumble onto her home when she had, it was inside the city of Volterra, located close but not too close to where they were now. Her home didn’t have any expensive sensors, or anything like that as she was rarely ever home and it was not like there was anything there that was worth stealing if someone came into the apartment, hell if someone did, she’d just make a midnight snack out of them. She’d never had a problem with thieves in the past so she didn’t think to worry about it. The thieves were smart enough to avoid her home.

She did not have to keep up with modern technology. Granted her landlord was a bit of a technology guy so he had the building laced with cameras and that kind of thing. She didn’t really pay all that much attention to that kind of detail. When she had grown up there hadn’t been all this kind of technology and so she had been perfectly safe. It would have been something to do more extreme measures if she lived in a more lavish home, than what she did, but there was truly nothing that could not be replaced in her home. Everything that was truly valuable to her was carried with her all the time.

She had been used to looking after herself so it was an easy thing to get into places, without detection, if she truly wanted to get there without being spotted. Technology did not play a part in where she lived or how she lived her life. Those that were foolish enough to sneak up on her usually met an unfortuante end, so she didn’t have to worry about anything aside from just the general clean up. Which could be quite fun either way. It wasn’t just about money that she had needed in her long eternal life. She had it alright, in more than one bank spread across this country and Ireland. She was well taken care of, even before having reunited with Alex, she was going to be alright financially and could spend money without a care in the world. To her, she was not the type of woman to recklessly use the money she had. Most would say she saved more than she spent. Of course living on her own for so many years had taught her to be resourceful with everything she had.

Of course the truth was, she was kind of excited to see his home. She was sure it was much more beautiful than her own. She knew she would most likely be impressed by what she saw. She had lived a very simple life, sure she had a few things that were worth more than a few hundred dollars but her home one would see it as bare, and some might even describe it as cold and unfeeling. Which was fine by her, as she had had no one over there anyway. The few friends she had, she always went to their place, especially since most of her friends were from inside the Volturi castle as it was.

She knew about the tradition of marriage, that some vampires kept to it. Even though she was sure she and Alex were going to be together forever, as if they had any kind of choice since both of them were immortal...but her previous shot at getting married to someone had fallen completely apart. Of course she still kept it in the back of her head once in a while....letting it seep through to her consious state of mind. Of course being as old as she was, she wouldn’t have to suffer through what her parents would think of him, or of her relationship with him, as they were long since dead. Not that she cared about what they would have thought. Now her sisters, on the other hand, she would have cared for their oppinion. She was sure they would have loved him though. Because she did, and that was the kind of bond they had with eachother. Sure they fought at times, but when one of them loved someone, the other two accepted it and got to know the other person in that sister’s life. It was why she had gotten so close to her sisters’ husbands before their...and her sisters’ untimely deaths. Of course she would miss her sisters for every moment of eternity that she lived....but that did not mean she hadn’t moved forward. Every few years she would go to see their graves, and as foolish as it might sound, to talk to them. Being the respectful woman that she was—when it came to her parents’ graves, although she disliked them for the most part, she did not tear their tombstones....or otherwise damage what was left of their graves. It wasn’t the kind of woman she wanted to be. Because even though she had disliked what her parents had done, she still in some ways loved them nonetheless. If that made any sense at all. There was so much going on, that there was little that had made even the least bit of sense. There was very little about all of this that in most circumstances she’d go slow about. She hadn’t really been close, personally to a man in years so she didn’t even have the slightest clue what they liked in women or what they didn’t. But each guy was different from the last. So there was no definitive way to know what they really wanted. And in this case she didn’t know how to make Alex happy.

She did not mind rushing things a bit. After all, they had kind of moved at a quick pace since they had first seen eachother in this time. She liked the idea of the excitement, and the newness of it. It took alot for her to get scared or frightened, as the only thing that had ever scared her had been the loss of someone she cared about. And now, it was that but having to stand there and physically watch as the one she cared for, was killed and that there wasn’t a damn thing she could do to stop it. She smiled as she looked at him, his voice brought her out of her thoughts. She waited for him to reach her hand and grab a hold of it. He was going to be escourting her to his home after all. And that was a big step.

“Of course, Alex. It’s...something to think about. It’s....important though that before we get to the point of my staying with you, that we need to be on the same page. And get to know eachother a little bit more, which I’m hoping we’ll be able to do once we get to your castle. I’ve never really lived in a castle, most of the places I’ve lived in have been run down apartments. Even the one I’m currently in is anything but fancy. Hell I’ve even lived in a run down warehouse. The apartment I have now is nothing special. It’s a small place, but given I spend very little time inside the apartment it has suited me just fine. Then again I’ve had the same place since I first moved here to Italy in the nineteen hundreds.” She smiled sheeplishly as she looked at him. She held onto his hand, knowing if he wanted her to move in, all he had to do was ask. She’d follow him anywhere. “It’s just important that whatever step we take, that we both are on the same page and it’s something we both want, that’s all. But I will do anything you want me to do.” Even if it meant moving into his castle, she would do anything to keep him happy. As a happy vampire was one worth dealing with, a pissed off vampire....not so much. As that could lead to destruction, as she had seen it happen more than once.

[alexander james mason]

Alex knew what she was saying. Of course they had a lot to learn about each other. But he was a little eager to find out everything now. He was just very impatient. Having lived a life where if he wanted something he made it happen, he didnt wait around. He had no need to. But this was out of his control. Normally he did not enter into situations like this. But this was different. He was willing to let this run its course. This was what he wanted and he would be patient and listen and learn with time. He hoped to find out a vast majority tonight about her past. But there were many things that would only come with time. He would not be able to know every twist and turn in Katherine's life.

Sometimes he wished that his power worked on people too. If it did he would be able to learn everything in one touch. But he was not able to alter is gift, it just did not happen. Knowledge came with time.

He smiled at her. "We will get on the same page. We do have a lot of ground to cover but we have a lot of time." He grinned happily. They did have a lot of time, they had all day and all night. That was the great thing about being a vampire, the amount of time they had. If they wanted to they could stay at his castle for as long as it took to get to know each other. To learn every single detail and it would only take a few days. But they did have other things to do other than just sit with each other all day, unfortunately.

He kept hold of her hand and lead her towards his castle. He knew his guards were following but they would just stay outside when they got to the castle. It did not take them long before they reached the castle. They had to enter through the surrounding wall, but once they passed that tiny piece of security it was homeward bound. A massive old style castle spiraled before them, it was set on vast grounds even for being stuck behind a huge wall. There was even a small lake to the back of the castle.

"It's a little extravagant but its home" He chuckled slightly and walked with her up to the castle and let himself in. The decor then changed from traditional old style castle to more modern. Leading her towards the sitting room, he beckoned her towards a seat.

[Katherine O'Riley]

Time was one thing they would never completely run out of. Not unless they were to be killed and she didn’t think Master Aro would ever kill the man who had changed him. She had always lived how she wanted to live, never questioning a choice that was made. She thought things out, when they involved others. She was not so patient, but she had learned sometimes that she had to be. For the most part patience was not in her nature. She had always lived the life of if she wanted to do something she did it no matter the consequence. That was why she was travelled whenever she felt like it. She had never felt an ounce of control from the second she saw him until now.

This was something different than anything else she had ever dealt with. She normally did not enter into situations like this one, not where she could easily get hurt. She wanted this more than anything she could have ever imagined. She wanted every bit of this relationship to work, no matter how complicated it would be. She was willing to take this into account, to at least move forward. She would have to learn to be patient and to listen and learn with time. She hoped to learn more about him tonight, more than they could have ever expected. Especially since although there was not a way to know every twist and turn in Alex’s life but she would be more than willing to try even with time.

“Yes I suppose we do, don’t we?” She grinned happily as she looked at him. The one thing about being a vampire was that they didn’t need sleep, so unlike the mere humans, they could spend literally eternity talking to one another, and learning more about eachother in that regard. Of course they could do this for days, which was enough to get them both caught up on eachother’s previous lives before reuniting with one another. Of course they had other things to do other than to just sit around with eachother all day, which was unfortunate, but that was the kind of life they led.

She smiled as they walked to the castle. She could feel the eyes on her of course, from his guards but she hoped they would keep their distance when it was all said and done. Of course the walk did not take them too long. She smiled softly when they had walked through the surrounding wall, and then once they passed the security features she was a bit more at ease. When the full view of the castle came into view she as to be honest very amazed by it. She’d only seen a castle this extravagant back when she was in ireland, but even then it did not have a lake, or even the amount of grounds that this one held onto. “A little? Alex it’s...it’s beautiful but huge! I could get lost in there. Easily....It’s bigger than most I’ve ever seen, even the ones in Ireland pale in comparison to this one. It makes my apartment seem like a tiny pebble in comparison.” When he let himself in, she followed of course. Needless to say she was quite impressed with the castle from what she had seen thus far, just as she was impressed with Alex himself. Something that would never change.

She smiled warmly at him. “I cannot even imagine what it’s been like to live in this place by yourself...must be quite lonely.....I expect. But I’ll be sure to visit when I can, when I’m not busy....” She said as her house was like a pebble compared to the size of this place. She knew she would get lost so easily in a castle like this one. Even if she was just visiting from time to time. As she had never lived in a place that huge. Eveywhere she had lived in, was tiny compared to a place like this one. Soon enough she was led to a place to sit and she took a seat, still holding onto his hand as she hadn’t let go of it yet. There was no words to describe how impressed she was already by the castle itself. She had always been impressed with him, but this place was only adding to how impressive he was in her eyes. She was not sure what else could be said about it. After all she had no idea what the future held, but she could imagine living in a place like this if she had someone to share it all with. She had only lived in tiny places because it had been just her. And she didn’t need something grand or luxurious like this when it was just her. After all she did not do any entertaining in the kind of home she had, since she was rarely ever home. If she was in Italy nine times out of ten she was making her way to the Volturi’s castle. And when she wasn’t in Italy she had spent more of her time in Ireland. Ireland was her homeland of course so she was attached to Ireland, and always would be.

[alexander james mason]

Alex had never thought for even a second that he would be bringing a female home with him tonight to his castle. In a way he was glad that he was not a messy person, he was also glad that the mundane human cleaning team that he employed always did their work properly. They were informed very little but they did an excellent job. Italian women did have that likable quality. The frequent need to continuously clean and nurture a home. He was just happy that they did it well. If not he would have had a joyous dinner, as he employed a rather large team. They of course were checked entering and leaving his castle. He could never be too careful.

His castle was filled with with items that not even all his money could replace. In his travels he was lucky enough to pick up items that were just not replaceable. Particularly his books. This is why he checked the cleaners continuously. But another interesting trait was that they would never steal anyway. They cared too much about their position. They had to bring the money to their table to feed their families. He chose his staff well.

Alex smiled at her as he took a seat beside her. "You will get used to it" He chuckled softly. He nodded his head slightly. He had promised to try the relationship and this was where he had to start. He had to tell her the truth. He was lonely, incredibly so. He loved his castle but it was too big. But being who he was he could not deny himself a grand home. He had the money so he did as he pleased. But money would never fill the loneliness in his life. "I did promise you that I would be honest, and we would be able to get to know each other. This is how I will start. I will promise to always be honest to you and tell you how I feel. I may seem like I have no feelings but they are there. Just very well masked" He spoke softly.

"I am rather lonely here. I will admit that. I have always been lonely. Wandering alone is not a life I would have chosen normally." He shrugged slightly and lent back onto the plush couch.