Moira paid the clerk, lifting into her arms two paper bags filled with some essentials for the week--a loaf of white grain bread, some peanut butter and honey, marinara sauce, dried spaghetti, and a liter of milk. She had a few odd groceries around her apartment, but they required time to cook, and since she was taking 21 credits at the university, she didn't have much time to do it except on the weekends. Today was Saturday evening. She would put off her homework until Sunday, as usual. Saturdays were errand days, whereas on Sunday she liked to sleep in as long as she could. Most weekdays she got at most five hours of sleep on account of her bountiful homework assignments.

Like any other Saturday, she would take the bus back to her apartment. But on this particular evening, Moira decided to take the long way home. She felt contemplative somehow--lost in her own thoughts. Something inside her told her she should stay out a tad longer.

When Moira stepped out of the corner convenience store, a crisp night breeze touseled her unruly, fiery hair. She wished she'd brought a scrunchie, but it couldn't be helped at the moment. She turned onto the sidewalk and fell into a brisk stroll, taking in her surroundings without considering them much. She passed several rambunctious bars, with drunkards stumbling out into the various alleyways, singing nonsensical tunes. She hadn't walked two blocks when she had the strangest feeling... Discomfort and unease, almost as though a stare was burning holes into her back...

Alistair slipped down the alleyways, the soft stirring of the breeze hiding his barely audible footsteps. The buzzing streetlights had creaked on hours ago, but several more would pass before intoxicated partygoers would stagger their way home. Until then, he would continue his passage to the other end of town. It was best not to feed too close to his dwelling. He had picked his location carefully; college cities were full of prey with romantic notions about his kind, eager to become his next course. A few ill-hidden bite marks went without scrutiny.

His looks only added to his role as the mysterious stranger. His dark eyes contrasted starkly against his pale, shaved head. With his black-clad, six-foot frame, he was an imposing figure.

As he passed onto the street once more the wind shifted, and he saw a flash of red out of the corner of his eye. He turned and saw a girl coming out of a shop. Perfect. He followed her down the sidewalk, his stride light on the cracked pavement. He caught up with her quickly, and spoke.

"Excuse me, do you need some help with those bags? From back there, it looked like you were struggling a bit." He flashed a winning wry smile.

Moira started, drawing herself instinctively away from the stranger and back up against the brick wall to her left. She had been passing into an all-but abandoned warehouse district, so to have someone pop out of nowhere like had given her quite a scare. She wasn't sure of his intentions immediately, especially considering the situation in which he had revealed himself, so she answered with extreme caution.

"I appreciate the offer, but... I don't get the chance to exercise much. I had better carry the bags. It's good for me."

As Moira spoke, she was able to get a good look at him. Her first obvious thought was, He doesn't have hair. Her second thought was, he had a charismatic quality to him, particularly the way he smiled. However, there was something off-putting about him. Something not quite right. She dismissed it quickly as just she wasn't particularly attracted to bald men. But how was she going to get out of this situation without trouble...

"I'm...Moira," she breathed, forcing her most charming smile. "And you are...?"

"Donovan. Pleasure to meet you." He would have held out his hand, but hers were clearly full. From her reaction, he could tell she was too aware to be a satisfying meal. He had to be careful. If she knew what was happening, it would put him at too great a risk for detection. That didn't mean she couldn't lead him to his next meal, however...

"Well, if you won't let me help you carry things, can I at least walk you to your building? It's a dangerous idea to walk alone at night- especially for a girl as lovely as you. You never know who might be lurking around the corner. I'd feel personally responsible if you showed up as a shock story on the news tomorrow. Or you could think of it as a favor- I haven't had anyone to keep me company tonight while I've been looking for a good party." He smiled.

Moira wasn't sure how she felt about him accompanying her home, either. Did she really want a strange man to know where she lived? Her mind began to calculate the various ways she could deceive him without outright turning him down. Eventually she decided on one particularly clever way... She could lead him to another apartment complex; one that didn't have a buzzer on the outside. She could tell him that she could manage because there was an elevator, so he never had to come in. Then Moira would wait for the man to leave, so she could continue walking to the real location of her apartment. She inhaled slowly and smiled charmingly, giving a curt nod to the man.

"That would be very nice of you, thanks," she said, starting up into a leisurely stroll once more.

Moira didn't walk very fast so he could fall into step with her. The trees were casting long shadows across the sidewalk. The moon was particularly bright, although the light pollution of the city obscured any stars that would be otherwise visible on a clear night such as this.