~I Felt Hope~ {Alice}

[Jasper Whitlock Hale]

~Setting: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Time: 1948~

Tucked back beneath some heavy brush, Jasper Whitlock paced like a caged beast. His gaze continually turned to the large city that lay on the horizon. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Nervously he continued to stride back and forth, his mind whirling with a hundred thoughts at once. Jasper was nervous for a number of reasons. Large cities made him anxious simply because of the sheer number of people. The scent of human life was powerful, intoxicating. It was easier to hunt in larger cities, more opportunities, better locations to lurk and feed, unlimited places to leave his victims. Unfortunately feeding had become a very difficult thing. While Jasper once enjoyed a limitless bounty and completely unrestrained feeding, he was trying to live a different life now. Partly because he wanted to, partly because he needed to. The call of human blood was still powerful; it was Jasper's most basic drive, just as it was every other vampire on the face of the earth. Unfortunately that was where the similarities ended. With the so-called gift that had been bestowed upon him during his transformation, feeding had become and all new sort of hell.

It had been his friend, Peter, who first came to recognize the issue some years back. Jasper's deep bouts of sometimes crippling depression always coincided with his feeding. They eventually worked it out that it was feeling all of the emotions of his victims as they died that was tearing apart what was left of his damned soul. Knowing what a toll his issues were taking on his friends, Jasper had left the company of Peter and his mate, Charlotte. A number of years had passed since then but not much had changed. The emotional trauma he suffered with each kill continued to plague him; in fact it seemed to worsen all the time. Anymore he would put off feeding until he simply couldn't take it any longer. Of course that was both good and bad. Good in that he was killing less often and bad that the struggle to restrain himself and ultimately the depression he felt afterwards were much more crippling.

Another reason that Jasper was nervous at that particular time was that it had been some time since his last meal. He would need to feed soon but he wasn't at that point yet and couldn't make himself. The final issue at hand was the time of day. While it was a somewhat dark, heavily overcast afternoon, it was still day. The majority of Jasper's life he had been confined strictly to the hours between twilight and dawn and he had not yet become accustom to being outdoors during the day. Once more he looked up at the cloud cover that served as a shield against the sun. It didn't seem likely that the thick blanket would break up anytime soon. Jasper knew if he was going to find some better way to survive that he needed to try new things, needed to push his limits. Currently he had a two for one opportunity before him – a chance to test his limits in a big city and to assess his comfort during a daytime excursion.

After a bit more consideration and several changes of mind, he broke away from the comfort of cover and started toward the city. Jasper moved at superhuman speed until he was close enough that someone might notice then he shifted to a swift walk, just slow enough that people would assume he was in a hurry. That generally worked to his advantage. People were less likely to stop someone for directions, or anything else, if they appeared to be in a hurry. Of course his expression and body language in general tended to keep humans at a distance. As Jasper moved through the streets he had to continuously swallow in an effort to soothe the burn of venom at the back of his throat. The smell of human blood was such a powerful pull. He was already beginning to regret his decision to enter the city when he felt the brush of wetness against his cheek. Almost before he could glance at the sky the tiny drop of moisture that had hit him was turning into a steady drizzle. People began to rush to their destinations, some opening umbrellas for shelter. The clouds overhead had gone nearly black and the low rumble of thunder sounded in the distance.

Jasper looked around at the quickly emptying sidewalks and knew that he would have to find shelter if he didn't want to call unwanted attention. His long stride continued to carry him down the street until his gaze fell on the windows of a diner. It wasn't ideal but at least it wasn't completely packed with people. Jasper knew his eyes were dark enough that they appeared more brown than red so it wasn't likely anyone would notice. Releasing the unused oxygen from his lungs he drew a deep breath of air and opened the door, dipping his head as he moved inside. He knew he couldn't hold his breath forever, even if he didn't need to breathe, eventually someone would notice. The best he could hope for was that there was an empty corner somewhere that he could occupy until the rain let up and he could make a run back to the comfort of the forest in the distance.

[Alice Cullen]

Mary Alice Brandon fled through the bushes of the familiar forest, ever since her change she's been having a vision of a young man, he had blonde curly hair and the brightest red eyes she had ever seen. Seeing him in her visions made her afraid, she did not understand what the purpose was or why she saw him as much as she did. But she did know that she saw a future with him in it, just last night along with the young man's face she saw the faces of a family... they all had the same pale complexion as the man and she herself. But unlike the man their eyes were a golden ember color, quite similiar to how hers were. Even though she did not remember much of her own human life she liked how they looked like a family and how much they seemed to love each other.

She crouched low in the shadows of an alley in Philadelphia, Pennslyvania. She had saw him... that man from her vision, she knew that he would be here and she now she had seen him with her own two eyes. What was she going to do? She wanted to speak to him, ask him why he was appearing to her but what if he didn't understand her power? What if he wasn't like she thought? What if HE was the vampire that the worker from the aslyum saved her from? She watched him carefully as he moved through the crowd of people, he intrigued her so much. Standing she stepped out into the crowd as well but she was smart enough to change her clothes from a store somewhere on her way here.

Wearing a a black dress as to not draw attention to herself she walked ahead... she saw him going into a diner in her vision last night and so she had to cut him off before he got there but turns out he moved faster than she did, of course he was way more comfortable with what he was then she was but she wasn't a newcomer to this change either. He walked inside and was looking around, she followed him and sat down at a table. She had been waiting a long time for his arrival here, she stayed in Philadelphia until she got a better vision of him arriving and now that he was here she had to come back.

When they met eyes, she leaned forward beckoning him to join her. Hopefully this wouldn't be a bad thing, hopefully he couldn't tell that she was nervoes and little bit afraid but she wanted to know who he was and she was ready for some answers.

[Jasper Whitlock Hale]

Jasper was still getting a feel for the diner, deciding whether he should sit or simply grab one of the umbrellas near the entrance and leave, when the door opened behind him. He thought nothing of it; it was just another pedestrian looking to escape the rain. Still standing unmoving near the threshold Jasper chanced a shallow breath. The strong scent of human blood hit him but that wasn't what drew his attention. Instead it was the very fresh scent of another vampire that garnered his focus. His brow furrowed, he turned slowly in the direction of the movement he'd felt as the newcomer walked past.

His gaze landed on the back of a girl in a black dress with spiky hair of the same color. It wasn't until she turned around and her curves became more apparent that Jasper realized she was a young woman. Her tiny stature had been deceiving from the back. He watched with an arched brow and a curious gaze as she slid into a booth facing him. Since leaving the company of Peter and Charlotte a few years before, he hadn't encountered all that many of his kind. Jasper sort of preferred it that way, actually. There was less chance of any sort of dispute that might lead to battle if he avoided other vampires.

Intrigued that he would encounter another in this particular location, he shifted his eyes to meet hers and blinked in surprise. He had expected to see and auburn color or something darker, like his own. What Jasper saw was a warm topaz color the likes of which he had never seen before. In addition there was something more in her eyes… recognition? With a tilt of his head he focused on her emotions. She was nervous, even a little frightened for some reason. Jasper watched as she leaned forward and beckoned to him with her finger. He couldn't understand her sense of recognition or the other emotions she was feeling. One thing he couldn't deny however was the fact that she drawn to her in a way he had never experienced before.

Doing his best to prepare himself for whatever might come of this encounter, Jasper shifted toward the table where the young woman waited. Once again his eyes were drawn to the unusual and exotic color of her eyes. He couldn't help but wonder why they might be that way. Was it some sort of illusion? It wasn't unheard of for vampires to possess even that sort of extraordinary power. Jasper walked with long strides across the room, swallowing down the venom that continued to pool in his mouth in response to his hunger and the scent of humans all around him. He stopped at the opposite side of the table from her, arching his brow in silent question.

ooc - Sorry for the delay. I hope I've given you enough to work with.

[Alice Cullen]

She waited patiently for him to join her, she already knew that he was going to but it was only a matter of time before he acted on his own curiosity. She watched finally triumphant when he moved towards her, she was intrigued by his own crimson colored eyes, he took long strides to get to her but he stopped… she nodded towards the booth before her and he finally sat. Not knowing what to say she sat in silence first, what am I going to say to him? I can’t just… tell him that I saw him in my visions. We may be of the same species now but how am I to know whether or not our kind… my new kind… can do what I do?

The first question that popped in her mind was why his eyes were that color, she hadn’t encountered many vampires on her journey here because she was so adamant to find him first and he was the first that she had laid eyes on besides the vampire that had changed her in the Asylum. The family in her dreams all had eyes like hers but hers only got this way because she just couldn’t feed on humans, she fed on animals, she leaned forward and finally decided to speak to him, “I’ve been waiting for you… ever since I became this way, I saw you and I came here because this is where I saw you. This is where… we were supposed to meet and now… it has finally happened. Who are you? Why did I see you? And why are your eyes that way?” It was like so many questions flooded her mind all at once and she didn’t mean to bombard him with so many but she couldn’t help it, she wasn’t as nervous as she was before now she was curious.

[Jasper Whitlock Hale]

Jasper couldn't understand the woman's emotions; they didn't make any sense to him. She was incredibly pleased, though also anxious and curious. When he reached the table she didn't say anything, just nodded her head toward the bench across from her in the booth. For a long moment he held his place, uncertain what to do. Jasper had to admit to himself that he was curious about her, especially her eyes. Beyond that he felt a very strange sort of pull in regards to her and it was that, more than anything, which made him slide into the seat across the table from her. His gaze swept over her features, there were no visible scars save one at her throat, the one that caused her transformation no doubt. Clearly she was not a fighter. He, of course, was covered in scars from the decades spent working with Maria's armies.

For a moment they sat there in silence, sizing each other up. Jasper arched a prompting eyebrow at her even as he wondered if she lacked the ability to talk. Almost at once that question was answered as she began to speak. Her voice was like nothing he had ever heard before. It had all the qualities he had expected of a vampire but there was also so much more. Jasper was almost too enraptured by her voice to even register what she was saying. Almost. Despite the warm, brightly pitched tone she used, her words immediately set him on edge. "Waiting for me?" he asked, his tone low and hard in a dangerous sort of way. It was a natural response for him feeling threatened. His eyes darted around the diner but he could sense no other vampires and had complete confidence that he could take the little thing before him. "You've been watching me?" The things she was saying made no sense. What was even stranger, Jasper normally would have been growing agitated in such an unknown situation but for some reason he was much more calm than he should have been. That was almost more unsettling than anything else. Then the really strange questions reached him.

Who are you? Why did I see you? And why are your eyes that way? Jasper didn't have an answer to those first two questions. Well, he knew who he was, obviously, but he didn't understand why she would have to ask that if she'd been watching him as she'd indicated. As for why she was seeing him, he had absolutely no idea. "You'll have to tell me why you've been watching me," he responded. "I certainly can't tell you." Pausing for a moment Jasper thought about her final question. He hadn't fed in some time so he knew his eyes were dark to human vision but she would be able to see the underlying burgundy hue. The question in his mind was why were her eyes that way. Once again his gaze darted around the room to see if they had drawn any attention. They were speaking quietly enough that even those in the two booths next to them wouldn't be able to hear. Still, Jasper leaned forward, closing the distance between them as he responded. "I have not… eaten," he decided after a brief consideration, careful even though he knew no one could hear. "How is it that your eyes are the way they are?" Jasper's gaze returned to the beautiful topaz color and couldn't help but stare.

[Alice Cullen]

"Waiting for me? You've been watching me?"

She nodded quickly slowly growing even more curious and excited but she held back now knowing that he wasn't quite a... well she didn't want to say that he wasn't nice but he didn't seem like he was. She hadn't technically been watching him but how could she explain that she saw him in her mind, in her visions without him thinking she was crazy just like everyone else did... "I haven't been watching you..." She said quietly


"You'll have to tell me why you've been watching me, I certainly can't tell you."

But she hadn't been watching him, that's not what she meant, she saw him, touching her hair for a moment she tried to figure out how to explain this to him. She had asked him why his eyes were that and he said it was because he hadn't eaten and she realized that he meant... he hadn't fed on humans. Since that is the general idea for vampires, she leaned away from him against the back of the booth, she wrinkled her nose, it was hard she had to admit, it was hard not to attack when someone's blood just crept into your nose. It wasn't like she hadn't killed someone before but she felt horrible about it so she couldn't do it anymore after the third time. She didn't know how many times she did when she first changed but actually remembering was three.

She looked up at him when he asked her how her eyes were the way they were. She remembered that they weren't the red that they used to be, she closed her eyes for a moment before answering "I- I do not feed on humans." she said it quickly opening her eyes and looking at him again and when she did, she saw them again. She saw her, and this man with that family.