Is It A Gift Or A Curse? (DK!)

Phil stood in the backstage area of the main tent, having just finished talking to his vampire boss. It was one of the things that make Phil laugh, the Hunter that knowing worked for a circus filled with the creatures that he was told he had to kill. The creatures he knew he had to protect just as much as the innocents, most hunters treated his like a traitor. Some said he was as bad as the monsters he was supposed to hunt, Phil didn't care what they thought any more. He wasn't like them, he only hunted the creatures that took pride in their kills or killed without mercy. He protected the rest, it was his gift and his curse.

Phil got ready to leave when he bumped into an another person.

(How is that?)

Kevin had just dropped off his bags into the bunkhouse that the ringmaster had assigned to him. He'd seen the advertisment for a circus costume maker and after centuries of life there was no one better at putting together the strange and gothic beatuiful pieces that he could.

He was just getting a feel for the place when he bumped into another person. Taking a moment he let his eyes drift over the smaller dark haired man and he nodded his head as he spoke with a soft british accent.

"I'm sorry I didn't see you there."

Phil looked at the other man, "Oh its ok.... I orobably should of been watching where i was going...." He replied before whincing and holding his left arm, he had injuried it in a fight with some hunters two days ago. They had thought it was their job to kill him because he was different, they were no different then the things they hunted sometimes. Phil looked at the man again, curious because he had never seen him before.

"It was still my fault." Kevin smiled as he bowed to the smaller man.

He tilted his head to the right as looked at him, noticing how the smaller man seemed to be hurting.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, i'm fine....." Phil answered before asking curiously, "Are you new here?" Phil liked the think he knew most of the people at the circus and he liked to meet newcomers, plus it would hopely help the other man to forget his arm.

Kevin nodded his head, smiling at him.

"Yes." He ducked his head as he ran a hand through his hair. "Is it that obvious? I didn't do anything to horribly out of the way."

As he waited for the other man to answer he let his eyes wander over him, taking in each trait of the younger man.

Phil gave a friendly smile, "No i just like to think i know most of the people i work with... " Phil paused and laughed, "So i guess i must or am a really good guesser." Phil continued to smile, messing slightly with his lip ring as he looked at the other man.

Kevin let out a breath before grinning. "Yes a good guesser indeed. I am one of the new costume makers here. I seen a flier for it posted on a store window and decided to take a chance. I guess the ringmaster liked my work. So what do you do here and if I might be so forward, what is your name?"

"Oh sorry i should of introduced myself, i'm Phil Brooks. I run one of the games here." Phil answered with a smile, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "So your going to do the costumes? I bet that its going to be fun."

"Kevin Thorn." Kevin smiled as he bowed to Phil. "What game?" He grinned as he fingered his red velvet vest and his leather waist coat. "Yes, I've always worked with fabrics, and it's my passion. Hopefully the others here like my designs." Tilting his head again he drifted his eyes over Phil's face. "What brings you here Phil Brooks, what are you running from?"

"I run the game where you shoot the prize down." Phil answered before smiling, "I can't wait to see that you make for the show, i bet it will be awesome." he paused at the last question, playing with his lip ring before answering softly. "I guess.... You could say i was running from part of what i am......"

Curious Kevin tilted his head to the side, studying the man before him again. His vampire senses gave him great insight into people but Phil Brooks was hard to read and that was something that he hated. Kicking his lips into a grin he joked playfully.

"Did you knock up several women and now they are out for your blood? Surely there is nothing that is so bad that would make you run Phil Brooks."

Phil gave a small laugh and shook his head, "No no nothing like that....." He paused, debating if he should tell Kevin the truth or not. He sighed before looking at him, "I guess if i don't tell you the truth you will hear it from the others...... I was born a hunter.....But i'm not like others.... I protect both sides...... Thats why i am running."

"A...A hunter?" Kevin swallowed and ran a hand nervously through his hair. "Do you have a certain...prey....that you hunt? Or do you just hunt what's in front of you?"

Kevin had seen his fair share of Hunters in his day; he'd been hunted by some that thought that they were the best in the world at what they did. And he'd killed his fair share of Hunters; left them strewn across large spaces in pieces so small that even if they collected them all they'd never have a full person again.

"I only hunter those who hurt for the fun of it..... I protect people and vamps and were and the others." Phil answered softly, "I don't hunt creatures that have done no wrong or even those that have trouble controling themselves, i stop hunters that hurt without mercy as well."

Kevin nodded his head, swallowing a bit. "I-I see. But how can you tell if something doesn't want to commit the heinous acts that they perpetrate? How can you tell the liars from the truth tellers?"

"Its.... Its just part of my gift i guess, no one has been about to explain it to me before. Phil gave a small smile as he joked, "My friend Dia says i must be able just to look into someones soul to just know like that."

"A gift like that is extremely rare." Kevin droppped his voice a bit as he looked at Phil. "You know what I am, and what I am capable of...and yet you don't attack...perhaps your gift is wrong hunter. Listen to my advice, stay in at night if you wish to remain among the living."

Kevin nodded his head before smiling at Phil and heading to his trailer. Things were off, a hunter that hunted his own if he had too? Surely there was more than meets the eye with that one.

Phil sighed and rubbed his head as he slowly started to head back to to his caravan, once again he felt like a freak. He had never meet anybody that really understood what he said as compeltly true, they always thought he was just playing an angle or trying to trick them.

Kevin spent the night working on various costumes for the others in the circus, each one more glittery or frilly than the next depending on the talent they had or job they did. He'd hunted down a few to get their insight into what they wanted; after all if the performers didn't like what they were wearing then chances are they won't wear it and if they don't wear then there is no need for him in the circus.

Even as he worked his mind kept wandering back to Phil, wondering why he would choose that stance, to save the ones that normally were the hunted and hunt those that hunted for no reason.

Phil run his game till it was time to close, he closed down his game and helped a few friends close down theirs before grabbing his holster and going to the edge of the circus and starting his nightly watch. He settled on a rock after circling around the circus and kepted his ears and senses open, he wasn't going to let anything or anybody hurt his home. His mind wandered a little as he thought of Kevin and wondered what he thought of him, he was afraid that he would hate him.

Kevin spent the first part of his night wandering the empty grounds and just getting a feel for the place. There were Werewolves, Kitsune, Angels and even other Vampires there he could feel it. There was even another hunter on the property and Kevin wondered idly how the two got along. It was a strange place that he'd found himself in and after finding a branch to stretch out on where he could see the entire grounds he allowed his mind to go back to Phil; his minds eye bringing up the man's face in sharp relief.

A sworn protector of the damned that didn't want to be damned, a man...no a hunter...willing to look past a condition and see the person for who they were and judge them on that; not their sickening disability. It was like a second chance to him to be someone and not something.

Phil smiled as the night was peaceful, he got lonely though and couldn't wait til on of the Kitsune's would bring some lunch for him. Ever since he had save Dante, the younger Kitsune's life the two had become good friends with him. He smiled when he spotted the Kit running towards where he was with a bag of food for him, Dante smiled and handed him the food. The two talked for a few minutes before Dante shifted and ran towards the circus.

Movement from below caught Kevin's eye and he looked down to see one of the Kitsunes running and he shifted so that his long legs were hanging on either side of the large branch he was sitting on. The scent on the air changed and he turned his head; his eyes landing on Phil.

Kevin sat in silent contemplation of the man as he watched, ignoring the hunger in his belly to just watch the dark haired man.

Phil grinned when he opened the bag and saw two cans of pepsi with his food, he set the bag down before opeing one up and taking a big drink. He got his food and and ate quietly, enjoying the cool night air. He knew someone was watching and he figured it was probably Kevin.