I should have known it wouldn't so easy. The redhead is more observant than I gave her credit for. Even as the hunter draws for his stake, she's reaching out. Of course, he would have easily outpowered her and she probably would have just been hurt for her trouble. On the plus side, I probably could have used him knocking her ass out to take my chance to get rid of the hunter for good but I guess life doesn't work that way. Instead I try my luck at beating her to the punch, flicking his wrist bone as easily as flicking away a fly, so fast that no one would be able to tell since he's already halfway up onto the people's shoulders in front of us and they're hoisting him onward toward the stage. I could have wasily done it myself but that wouldn't have been too discreet so instead I used my natural charm to get other men involved who helped me hoist him up so it didn't look too abnormal. Of course, I wasn't counting on her being so skeptical. Damn redheads.

From the moment the hunter's up in the air and heading away from us, I can feel the sudden change in the atmosphere like a storm in the air. When my gaze meets hers, I can see the emotions she's trying to hide. I can smell her mounting apprehension. Now what? I keep my face as smooth as silk, not giving away any of the frustration I'm hiding. Why must humans always be so touchy? If she were the average human girl, she would be so tickled by my chivalrous moves that she never would have questioned how it all happened. Of course I would end up talking to one girl in town who can't take a blade of grass for what its worth.

The moment we're alone in the crowd, so to speak, I can practically feel her recoiling away from me even as she puts a simper on her lips that only makes it more awkward. To answer my question, she stutters and hesitates, turning me down while trying to smooth it over as if she fears retaliation. My, my, and here I thought I had found a brave soul to trial through the rest of this damned concert with me. I scowl, showing my disappointment. I'm about to think up what kind of dismissal I can give to put the poor girl out of her misery and make leave of my company but her next question is so pointed that I take a second look. So now we're blunt? How...interesting. I tilt my head, eyes intense once more, catching her gaze this time to hold it. Okay, so I'm just going to fall back on the good old glamor routine. Forceful persuasion, here we go.

"Because he doesn't like what I am. You wouldn't either if you knew. Of course, that doesn't concern you and in the future, you shouldn't even think about it because I'm no danger to you, at least tonight. As it happens, I'm not hungry tonight and you'd hardly be more than a snack. In fact, you might do good to make a friend of me. Sweet girl like you, I bet the dogs are just dying to catch you alone down a dark alley. Now, don't you want to rethink that hot dog?"

Now to let my powers do their trick. Everything I've said has been implanted in her mind but not in the normal sense that would send her screaming through the streets yelling 'bloodsucker' at the top of her lungs. Her mind would clench to the casual commands hidden in the speech, the ones telling her to deny herself the thought of endangerment from me so that maybe she'll drop some of that apprehension I keep sensing. It would cling to the sense that maybe it's might be a good idea to be my friend, that some day, it could come in handy. Who knows what might happen in a new city as big as this one? I left the end question open to surprise me. Who knows? She might still turn me down if she's genuinely got other things planned or maybe she'd rather do something else. I don't like to take all the freedom out of it, at least not on actual acquaintances.