Graveyard

[XCandy and LunacyX]

An aggravated groan emitted from Antha. She didn't like being around vampires for the simple reason that they could so easily shut their minds off to her. Some like her brother Nicolae couldn't even force the walls around their minds open to her, so contrasting were their psychic levels with the factors of life and death between them.
So in complete irritation she waited for him to reach her at the bottom of the stairs where she stood bent over with her arms and head resting on the railing as if it might calm her somehow. "I'm not leaving," she said finally as soon as she was certain he was within earshot. "I'm going to stay if it kills me. Oncle Julien can pick up the book if need be. After all, he's not afraid of the catacombs." Slowly her head rose and her posture straightened until she stood normally, her hair perfectly shielding her face.

 

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

An aggravated groan emitted from Antha. She didn't like being around vampires for the simple reason that they could so easily shut their minds off to her. Some like her brother Nicolae couldn't even force the walls around their minds open to her, so contrasting were their psychic levels with the factors of life and death between them.
So in complete irritation she waited for him to reach her at the bottom of the stairs where she stood bent over with her arms and head resting on the railing as if it might calm her somehow. "I'm not leaving," she said finally as soon as she was certain he was within earshot. "I'm going to stay if it kills me. Oncle Julien can pick up the book if need be. After all, he's not afraid of the catacombs." Slowly her head rose and her posture straightened until she stood normally, her hair perfectly shielding her face.

He tilted his head. "Why?" he asked finally. "You have no bond to me--no reason to remain. What is it that you hope to accomplish?"  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

"Because I don't want to spend the rest of my life wondering what he did to you, whether he killed you, recruited you, or just let you go." She didn't mean to imply that Sleet was more powerful than Vikteren---or at least she didn't think she meant to---but it was natural to her to assume that Sleet would prevail over him. And besides, she had grown a bit irregularly fond of him and she wanted to postpone her departure as long as she could, knowing it would most likely be their last meeting. "So..." She faced him now, her arms still wrapped around the book as she held it against her chest but not as tightly as before. "Sorry, but you're stuck with me for a little while."

 

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

"Because I don't want to spend the rest of my life wondering what he did to you, whether he killed you, recruited you, or just let you go." She didn't mean to imply that Sleet was more powerful than Vikteren---or at least she didn't think she meant to---but it was natural to her to assume that Sleet would prevail over him. And besides, she had grown a bit irregularly fond of him and she wanted to postpone her departure as long as she could, knowing it would most likely be their last meeting. "So..." She faced him now, her arms still wrapped around the book as she held it against her chest but not as tightly as before. "Sorry, but you're stuck with me for a little while."

He frowned slightly, but did not protest. "Very well. If it pleases you." Vikteren turned and set off down the catacombs again. She reminded him of his sister too much for him to pretend that she'd listen to him once she set her mind on something.  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

Antha watched him walk away, trying her best to pry into his mind but able to attain only a vague idea, one that almost angered her. So, settling into the early stages of sulking, she sat down on the 3rd to last stair with the book cradled against her legs like something insanely delicate. Closing her eyes, she let her mind race through the halls until it found the protected door, sliding easily through it's purely physical locks, and finally diving into the old black coffin where it came in contact with the one she had been searching for.
Sleep still.
Darkness, a quick blur of flashing images, and again darkness. Had his mind begun the R.E.M. process? Was it a nightmare he was having? She imagined so. When people kept their true thoughts and feelings bottled up, they tended to show up in nightmares. And she happened to know quite well that that was exactly what he did.
Sleep.
The poor creature was trying to fight her in his slumber, growing deeper every second by Antha's will. But the way his mental waves were, and not to mention the strong connection between them in the blood, Antha had full access to his mind and he couldn't do a thing about it.

 

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

Antha watched him walk away, trying her best to pry into his mind but able to attain only a vague idea, one that almost angered her. So, settling into the early stages of sulking, she sat down on the 3rd to last stair with the book cradled against her legs like something insanely delicate. Closing her eyes, she let her mind race through the halls until it found the protected door, sliding easily through it's purely physical locks, and finally diving into the old black coffin where it came in contact with the one she had been searching for.
Sleep still.
Darkness, a quick blur of flashing images, and again darkness. Had his mind begun the R.E.M. process? Was it a nightmare he was having? She imagined so. When people kept their true thoughts and feelings bottled up, they tended to show up in nightmares. And she happened to know quite well that that was exactly what he did.
Sleep.
The poor creature was trying to fight her in his slumber, growing deeper every second by Antha's will. But the way his mental waves were, and not to mention the strong connection between them in the blood, Antha had full access to his mind and he couldn't do a thing about it.

Vikteren entered the room, his gaze set upon the coffin. Antha seemed to have complicated things. When he came here, his intent was to kill Sleet and leave. In cold blood, not as though that meant much when you controlled your body temperature. But now...he hesitated at the door. For some reason--some infathomable, human reason--he did not want to walk out of here with blood on his hands. Did not want to face the girl at the door with his hands painted scarlet. Why?  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

What would drive you to kill him? What damage has Sleet ever inflicted upon your life? She sent this message strongly so that it might even seem a physical sound to Vikteren. Or do you simply chase after the glory? She was genuinely curious and, for some reason or another, quite impassive towards the possibility of a fight. However, she had her mind set on the fact that if one did arise, she would have to step in no matter what it cost her. But whose side would she take? After all, one of them would have to die; she had seen too many feuding vampires tear the city apart.

 

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

What would drive you to kill him? What damage has Sleet ever inflicted upon your life? She sent this message strongly so that it might even seem a physical sound to Vikteren. Or do you simply chase after the glory? She was genuinely curious and, for some reason or another, quite impassive towards the possibility of a fight. However, she had her mind set on the fact that if one did arise, she would have to step in no matter what it cost her. But whose side would she take? After all, one of them would have to die; she had seen too many feuding vampires tear the city apart.

He stopped halfway across the room. Antha's voice in his head--It is not right for anyone to hold such power, he responded, his voice hardly more than a whisper in her mind. He, too, had seen his share of feuds. Had been caught in them more than once. Never had he heard of a vampire coven being allowed to grow so strong without being held in check by another. Vikteren didn't have any delusions of grandeur--he didn't think of himself as some kind of supernatural police force for good--but nor would he let this go on. Call it the remnants of some self-inflicted rule of honor.  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

That's what Khayman and Persephone are for, to keep the balance. She sat still for several long moments trying to think of any alternative to the decision she had made. But there was none. I can't let you destroy him. She paused for a moment, placing her words. I have to protect my family, no matter how much it kills me inside to do so. She let herself lay back against the stairs, staring at the ceiling, before suddenly she seemed to freeze. It was at that point that the matter in the air began to come together to create a form, her form, sitting atop Sleet's coffin. It could almost be called an illusion, only it was solid matter forming the vision, drawn together and inhabited by her mind, becoming better defined and more richly colored every moment. "Vikteren, please don't do this." She watched him, her expression somewhat desperate, imploring.

 

[Angelique_Williams]

Angelique shivered and tugged her jacket a little tighter around her. She was cold tonight, she didn't know why. Disoriented by her new home, she'd been unable to sleep, and instead had headed to the local cemetary to walk and think.

"I've hardly spoken to anyone since I arrived," she said aloud to herself, "infact, I haven't at all. I know people live here. Whatever the circumstances though, I can't leave. I don't want to move again."

Leaning against a nearby tomb Angelique looked up at the sky. " I must try to make new friends, and forget. Above all I must endeavor to forget."  

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

That's what Khayman and Persephone are for, to keep the balance. She sat still for several long moments trying to think of any alternative to the decision she had made. But there was none. I can't let you destroy him. She paused for a moment, placing her words. I have to protect my family, no matter how much it kills me inside to do so. She let herself lay back against the stairs, staring at the ceiling, before suddenly she seemed to freeze. It was at that point that the matter in the air began to come together to create a form, her form, sitting atop Sleet's coffin. It could almost be called an illusion, only it was solid matter forming the vision, drawn together and inhabited by her mind, becoming better defined and more richly colored every moment. "Vikteren, please don't do this." She watched him, her expression somewhat desperate, imploring.

He stopped as her form began to materialize. Then, he dropped to the ground, let his hands rest upon his knees, let his eyes rest on her. "Very well. If you will tell me, then, why the fate of this vampire would affect you so much?"  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

She looked thoughtful for a moment, as if trying to remember why she had ever even thought this. "I'm really not certain that it will," she said finally before taking another small pause. "But I can't take that chance. If he is destroyed, for all I know the blood that runs through my family could suffer." It seemed as if that were the only explanation she would offer as she sat quietly staring at him. However, she was simply torn and afraid to say anything before she decided upon her exact actions. "You see, a long time ago when Sleet was new to this city and the cursed blood, he kidnapped a child named Suzanne and left her for dead. But she didn't die; she went insane from the vampiric DNA injected into her system. She later gave birth to a daughter who established an entire legacy, passed directly from her to her daughter Charlotte and down the line through Jeanne-Louise, Angélique, Marie-Claudette, Marguerite, Eden, Mary Beth and finally..." A strange smile came across her face, bitter yet almost smug in a way. "Then finally to me." The figure hopped down from the coffin, soundless for lack of density, and approached him as if it were really just Antha moving in to better examine his expression as she spoke to him. "And all the others sprung from Deborah and her descendants could suffer as well, all of my cousins and aunt and uncles who depend on their powers to get by, who are so accustomed to their curse they couldn't live normally if they ever tried."

 

[Angelique_Williams]

Angelque shook her head and truged through the empty graveyard back to the "abandoned" mansion. This was silly, she knew there were people living in the town. She'd rather been hoping to meet someone and make an aquaintance if not a friend. Oh well, maybe tomorrow.  

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

She looked thoughtful for a moment, as if trying to remember why she had ever even thought this. "I'm really not certain that it will," she said finally before taking another small pause. "But I can't take that chance. If he is destroyed, for all I know the blood that runs through my family could suffer." It seemed as if that were the only explanation she would offer as she sat quietly staring at him. However, she was simply torn and afraid to say anything before she decided upon her exact actions. "You see, a long time ago when Sleet was new to this city and the cursed blood, he kidnapped a child named Suzanne and left her for dead. But she didn't die; she went insane from the vampiric DNA injected into her system. She later gave birth to a daughter who established an entire legacy, passed directly from her to her daughter Charlotte and down the line through Jeanne-Louise, Angélique, Marie-Claudette, Marguerite, Eden, Mary Beth and finally..." A strange smile came across her face, bitter yet almost smug in a way. "Then finally to me." The figure hopped down from the coffin, soundless for lack of density, and approached him as if it were really just Antha moving in to better examine his expression as she spoke to him. "And all the others sprung from Deborah and her descendants could suffer as well, all of my cousins and aunt and uncles who depend on their powers to get by, who are so accustomed to their curse they couldn't live normally if they ever tried."

"And you have proof that his fate can and will affect your generation, that my present actions could alter an outcome that was decided decades ago?" he said evenly. "Or is this mere suspicion?"  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

"As I stated, I'm not certain that it would. There is no solid proof." By the sound of her voice it was becoming ever apparent that she was frustrated, worried perhaps. "But I've seen enough to believe it may." Again she let her mind open for a flood of images to be handed over to Vikteren like something tangible; memories of the child Antha clinging to Julien as she stood with him outside of a window, watching the person inside writhe and scream in pain until they fell over, dead. This person is the same as us, he had told her, drawing the edge of his great black cloak around her shoulders to shield her from the snow. This woman was a witch, though none as great as any Designee to the Mayfair Legacy. This had made Antha cry, though she didn't understand the reasoning for it. Empathy was unknown to her. Oncle Julien, what was wrong with her? The man had become sullen in a split second, afraid possibly, and certainly bitter. He was hiding something from her, something dark. I don't know, ma chérie. She could see it in the depths of his mind, the image of blood simmering in its veins, turning to pure poison for some unknown reason. He could see it through the woman's flesh and Antha could see it through his eyes.
"There was something that disturbed the blood in her for some unknown reason. Julien and I watched and never saw any kind of harm come to her. It was only the blood. So who's to say it wasn't that the origin was annihilated?" The smoky form stood still then, waiting for a response.