Fair Verona

[Bless Tuttle]

Verona. A beautiful village. She had spent the day wandering the Streets, seeing Juliet's house and various other things. She looked to the west as the sun completed it's setting, her bright eyes gleaming with happiness. Her wavey brown hair was pulled back away from her face a few strands hanging down in her face. The while cotton dress she wore contrasted her tanned skin, her white flip flops smacking her heels as she walked through the village towards the center, where her room she had rented was.

Music filled her ears as lights went up and people danced in the street celebrating a wedding. She stood next to a crowd taking in the sight, with a bright smile. She clapped along with the music, watching the bride and groom, along with their families. The smile reached her eyes, as she glowed with a natural beauty.

A man seemed to take notice and he pulled her into the dance. She pushed away, shaking her head politely, but he pulled her further into the crowd. She reluctantly gave up, dancing in the group. Until a tug on her dress startled her causing her to jump. She turned, a little boy maybe 8 or 9 standing behind her. She knelt down so she was eye level with the boy.

"Would you like to dance?"

She asked him, with a smile. The boy nodded and she took his hands standing and dancing with him.

A few hours later, the moon high in the sky, people said their goodbyes. She bid farewell to the boy as he ran to catch up with his family. She watched him go leaning back against the fountain. She looked up to the full moon closing her eyes and basking in it's rays. She looked at the statue of Juliet, and smiled softly before turning to head to the house that had the room she was renting for the month. She got to the door and went to open it pausing.

A soft cry filled her ears. Turning she moved in the direction the little boy had run to meet with his family. She looked down the alley, darkness surrounding her. Looking behind her she moved down the alley towards the cry. She cried out as she tripped over something in the darkness landing into something sticky and wet. She gasped and pushed her self up looking at her hands, a dark substance covering them. She narrowed her eyes, but unable to make it out as turned to look what she had tripped over. She gasped as her eyes adjusted to the dark, the form of a body laying on the ground. She rushed to it kneeling searching for a pulse. Nothing. The crying sounded again and she turned looking down the darkness to the alley. She stood and moved further, before she found the source.

A light from a window shone down into the alley, the crying becoming a soft gurgle. She gasped as she laid eyes on the little boy his throat torn out as he choked on his own blood. She rushed to him surveying the damage.

"H-h-hold on. I'm gonna help you."

She whispered to him, fear tearing through her body. She looked at his broken body laying in his own blood his throat completely torn out. The boy gurgled, before his last breath escaped out, his eyes glowing over.

Bless sat there, shock taking over her body, her body covered in a strangers blood. She cried silently, her fingers working at moving the folds of skin into place, before she used two fingers to close the dead child's eyes.

Her sense came about her and she stood moving out of the alley. Finding a officer she led them to the alley where she was promptly arrested. After a couple hours she was released, an officers jacket covering her bloodied dress. She walked through the village, before collapsing onto a bench, her now clean hands running through her hair as she closed her eyes, a deep sigh blowing past her lips, along with a prayer.

Orpheus woke early as usual, moving about his apartment and straightening things up. He had heard of attacks in Verona before, once or twice a week or so and mostly around his own apartment. Enough to confirm to him that some being other then a human was walking the streets at night like himself. However, he knew that he was not the killer. He had not killed anybody but in self defense since he had been changed. He drank shallow, and healed his victims so as not to weaken them drastically. He knew how it felt to be like that.

Tonight was going to be the night. He was going to try to catch the killer and either bring him, or her either to the police or to justice himself if the need be. He made sure to put his straight razor and pocket knife in the pockets of his leather pants and tucked his light blue shirt in. Checking his watch, he slipped from the apartment door, and made his way outside into the night.

His ears where immediately assaulted by the sounds of sirens. He followed the sound to an alley way, and saw a girl being taken away in a police car. He looked after her. She was absolutely beautiful. He was intrigued now, but it would have to wait. He waited, until the cops where out and slipped down the ally. There was the bodies, waiting to be taken away. He examined them close but made sure not to touch them. Yes, it was the same style, the same method. Innocent child, and at least one parent. He stood up and slipped out of the ally before the people to pick up the bodies could arrive.

Making his way to the police station, he sat and waited patiently in the lobby till he caught a free officer. He asked about the lady who had been taken away. The officer told him she was about to be booked for likely murder. Now this Orpheus could not have. He knew the girl was innocent and made up some bullshit story to the officer about how the girl had been with him in bed for the longest time and couldn't possible be a murderer. A large wad of bills slipped into the officers pocket closed the deal, and Orpheus sat back down.

Yea, he had lied. Big deal. He wanted this beauty out of the police station for many reasons. One was simply to see her again. Another was to speak to her about what she had seen. The third was he was sure the killer had his next target marked, and she was in this very building. He watched as she was allowed to leave, and he followed her around the town. She eventually came to rest upon a bench in a tiny park . He approached her slowly, making sure to make noise she she heard him approach and didn't think he was trying to sneak up on her.

"Excuse me, Madam. You look a little, how should I say it, worse for the wear?" He tilted his head to the side and smiled a charming smile. He pointed to the bench next to her and asked politely.

"Do you mind if I sit down? I promise, I have no further intentions them simply sitting and speaking with you."

[Bless Tuttle]

She heard an approach, causing her to lift her head out of her hands and open her eyes looking towards her company.  Her hair fell into her face as she laid her eyes on the man before her.  [/i] He's very handsome.  She thought as she looked as him, running her fingers through her hair, getting her hair out of her face.  She was weary the last handsome stranger she met at night had been a vampyre.  She forced a smile, weak in its own.
"Its been a long night so far," she spoke gently sitting up fully.  Her bloodied dress hidden under the officers jacket.  Which she was thankful for.  She would have it washed before she returned it to him, even if the blood on her was dry.

Flashes of the dead little boy played in her mind and she bit back a sob.  She had majored in Children's Emergancy Medicine, but she had never encountered death of someone she knew, even slightly, before.  Especially one so violent. 

She closed her eyes for a moment once more, before he asked to sit with her.
"Feel free sir," she said politely, she wasn't one to be mean ever. Even if she was angry. Her parents raised her right. Her voice had that American Southern accent, not thick enough where she couldn't be understood, but noticeable.

Her mind kept going back to the little boy, guilt soon replaced her emotions. She should have tried harder to save him, open his trachea in his chest, so he wouldn't choke and could breath. If she had had the right instruments she could have saved him, she was sure of it, but instead she froze up. Her mind blanking over everything she had spent years learning, in the very moment they mattered the most.

Orpheus finished his approach and sat down slowly beside her. He rested his hands upon his own legs and stared at a tree to avoid from staring at her. He nodded slowly at her words and sighed.

"Yes, I know. I don't know what happened before earlier, perhaps you where at the wedding party. But I did see what happened with that boy, and his parent. I am very sorry you got caught up on all this. That is why I got you out. If any of the officers give you a hard time about...." he hesitated then continued, "just say we broke up. I had to lie to them slightly to get you out. Told them we where together in my apartment and you had just left. Hence I was out to see if you had been hurt. I little lie, because I know you didn't kill that boy. It was....something else."

Orpheus looked away, running his left hand through his short black hair with a weary sigh. His eyes flicked around the area. If they where attacked by whatever it was, right here, there was not much he was going to be able to do. Maybe fight whatever it was off, but his power wasn't with in this realm. He sniffed the air, and the scent of blood drove into his brain, reminding him it had been some time since he had last feed. He would need to tonight or tomorrow. He turned back and looked at the girl and sniffed again.

"Are you injured? I smell blood. Or is it something else..." He paused letting the comment hand. If he had the ability to, he would of blushed brilliantly. Speaking of a ladies time of month was most certainly not something he was use to or did on a regular basis.

[Bless Tuttle]

She felt him sit on the bench, before she looked over towards him. She listened to him speak. He? He had gotten them to let her go? She watched him as he spoke as if studying him, which she was within limit. The way his mouth moved as he talked, how he didn't look at her, as he spoke as if afraid she would yell at him.
"Thank you for your help. Honestly, Noone else would have." She spoke, reaching out and placing one of her hands on his, drawing his eyes to her.
"If there is anything I can do for you, just let me know." She didn't mean this in any sexual way what so ever. She ment it though. She was the kind of person to always be nice to others, and return favors when they were given to her.

Blood? He could smell the blood? Her eyes widened, oh so slightly as she thought about what he was asking, the blood rushing to her face in a heated blush, she was thankful it was dark so he could see it. She barely spoke about her monthly cycle with her mother when she was 13, she certainly wasn't going to speak of it to a stranger. She didn't find it rude, she was uncomfortable in her body a bit, when it came to that.

She felt dirty, she was covered with the blood of the boy and his mother, her once beautiful white dress, now ruined.
"No, no. It's not my blood I don't think. I might have skinned a knee when I tripped over the body of the mother, unfortunately my adrenaline is still pumping, so I may not notice until I bathe, or the adrenaline wears off. It's the blood of the mother...and the boy." that I didn't save... she thought dropping her hand off of his and pushing the front of the jacket aside, showing her bloodied dress.

Orpheus shrugged softly and shook his head. He didn't need or want the thanks. He was just being a good guy was all. He looked at her hand as she placed her hand over his own and looked up again, gazing into her eyes. What was she thinking? He would probably never know. As soon as she realized what he was she would more then likely run as fast as her legs would carry her in the opposite direction. As she blushed and looked away, slightly ashamed he had even brought it up. He went back to staring at a oak tree across the way. Typical....his weakness and it was staring him in the face.

When she moved and opened her jacket, he looked at her bloody dress and groan. It was such a lovely dress to, not totally ruined in dried blood. Also seeing the blood didn't help his sudden urge to feed. He looked at her, his eyes traveling her her curving neck, focusing upon the jugular vein there. Shaking his head, he stood up and offered a hand to her.

"Come, my apartment is not far away. You can shower and clean up there if you want. I promise not to try to...ahem....force anything upon you. That is just not my nature or style." He held out his hand, his charming smile back upon his face and his eyes warm and caring. This was who he was. He cared about others, willing to give up comforts for them and what not if it would make their lives better.

[Bless Tuttle]

She jumped a bit as he stood, but instead of grabbing her and draining her life energy away he offered his hand to her. With the promise of no harm coming her way she took his hand and stood with a smile.

"A kind offer, a shower sounds quite delightful, where I am staying, they only have a bathing tub."

She said wrapping her arm through his, as he led the way. As they walked she basked in the full moon, enjoying it fully, a soft almost renewed energy going through her veins.

(sorry short, I don't know where they are going. ^.^ )

Orpheus smiled warmly, and with her arm looped through his he lead her down the street. They wound through some rather dark, unseemly allies where shadows moved and slithered. Several lunged at them, only to draw back suddenly just as their dark hands where about to wrap around the female. Orpheus did not hesitate or even look back to see if they followed. They wouldn't. No sane human in their right mind would follow a vamprye. And all the dark creeps of the ally knew him. Feared him. He had put them in their place more then one time before, though he had never killed any of them. Just a few broken bones, and some had received hospital time.

Orpheus lead them to the door of his apartment and removed his arm from the female's, turning the knob and holding it respectfully open for her. He then lead the way along a dark hallway and slipped a key into the apartment door. He twisted the key and the removed it, slipping it back into his pocket and turning the knob.He opened the door and reached in, swatting at the light switch. He missed, and repeated the motion, before slapping the little lever upwards. Lights flared to life, revealing a small, neatly kept apartment. It was only slightly messy, a few books lay open around around the room. He quickly stepped in and picked them all up, closing them and placing them in a trunk he had and locked it. No need for her to see them what those books contained. They where not for humans to read.

He finished and looked up at her. "Well, the bath room is kind of small as well, to which I sincerely apologize. But the water can get nice and hot. I don't know how you like your showers. And their is some soap, shampoo, and conditioner in there as well. Umm, lets see. Do you have any other cloths? If not, I can go buy you some really quick while you shower, and then we can try to wash the blood from your dress. Hydrogen peroxide works best." He stopped talking and waited with a pleasant little smile upon his face. He had just nailed her with a lot of questions, and knew he had to give her time to respond to them all.

[Bless Tuttle]

She walked with him, mostly paying attention to the moon and the buildings infront of her to notice the shadows behind her. She was what Americans considered a 'night owl' she was most comfortable at night, though her guilty pleasure was sun bathing. She always Hung her clothes to dry outside so they smelled of sunshine. She loved nothing more then spending a night out, to come home and climb into her warm sheets that smelled of sunshine and wind.

As they approached his apartment and he held the door open for her she took a moment to take in the place. He was a neat man. She didn't question as he moved to snatch up books, she knew ones need for privacy. He spoke to her and she listened patiently.
"I have clothing, but unfortunately it is in my bag at the room I was staying in. I wouldn't want you to spend your money on me, you don't know me. I can just rinse this dress and put it back on, it is no big deal." She said with a soft smile. She really would feel bad if he spent his money on her he didn't even know her. She smiled softly and moved towards the bathroom, closing the door softly behind her. Once it was closed she pulled the officer jacket off and placed it across the toilet seat, before unzipping the dress, letting the garment fall down around her ankles. She knelt down and grabbed it, before standing up and turning to the sink. She turned the cold water on, knowing hot water sets a stain and scrubbed the blood the best she could out of the dress. The water turned a rusty brown as tears flowed freely and silently from her eyes as she washed a beings life fluid off of her dress. The best she could have she turned the water off and wrung the dress out, hanging it on the sink to dry. She turned the water on hot on the shower and as the tears made trails in the dirt and grime on her face she slowly undressed herself fully, folding her under garments nicely and setting them on the floor under her dress. She stepped into the shower and let the hot water beat into her skin. The water flowed down the drain turned brown as it ran off her body. She tilted her head back and let her ling brown hair soak up the water, closing her eyes as her body shook with silent sobs, before she sank slowly to the bottom of the tub, pulling her knees to her chest and letting the water beat into her skin.

She showered for a long time. Mostly crying at the bottom of the tub. She composed herself long enough to wash herself, letting the scent of his soap drift around her body. She turned the water off and wrapped the towel around herself, wiping a spot off the mirror to look at her reflection. She spotted blood on her shoulder and the frustration flowed through her as she scrubbed at it with her nails, rubbing the skin raw. She pulled her still wet dress over her head after putting on her under garments and looked in the mirror once more. In a moment of pure weakness she opened the door slowly and spoke softly.
"A lady, never finds herself covered in blood." It was clear she had been crying, around her eyes were red, and quite simply she blamed herself. She could have....no she should have saved him.

Orpheus watched as the female slipped into his shower. As soon as he heard the door click, he whirled and leap out the window, landing upon his feet and hands. He stood quickly and dashed down the road, holding back only slightly on his inhuman speed to so if the people around him wondered how it was he could run so fast their minds would follow the principle of Ockham's razor and supply them with the fact he must train to sprint or something. Skidding to a stop outside a clothing store, and dashed in and glanced around.

Not knowing what the girl liked, he picked out two dresses, fashionable but slightly revealing. One was black and red, the other white and gold. He walked around, and spotted a set of shorts he hoped would fit her, and a simple blue t-shirt. He sat, staring and biting his lip before finally nodding and grabbing a modest black nightgown and several pairs of panties and bras from a shelf, hoping his memory served him right and guessing at her size. He was going to try to get her to spend the night and sleep with him. Not in a sexual way. Orpheus hated sleeping alone, and enjoyed the company. He also very much enjoyed getting to experience the dreams of those he slept with as well.

He went to the counter, and paid quickly for the items. He forced himself to walk slowly back to the door, then dashed back to the house. He scaled the drain pipe beside his window and slipped back in quietly. The shower was off, but he didn't see her in the room.

Setting the two bags on the full sized bed, he turned around and walked towards the bathroom door to check on her right as it opened and she stepped out, back in her dress she had been wearing. His eyes passed over her and he gasped, taking in her slightly puffy red eyes. Obviously tears had been shed in private behind the now opened portal, and Orpheus was slightly upset that she was sad.

Stepping forward, he wiped his finger tenderly beneath one eye, and shook his head slowly. "Why where you crying? There is nothing to cry about. You did nothing wrong. You could not have saved that boy or his parent. Do not torture yourself over what you could not prevent. Here..." He grabbed her hand softly and lead her to the bed where the bags sat. He slowly pulled the cloths out and laid them out for her.

"I got you something to change into. You shouldn't have to wear old, dirty cloths around. Pick whatever you want, and I will step into the bathroom myself to freshen up." He smiled warmly and stepped into the bathroom, shutting it softly but firmly and locking it so she could hear the click and be comfortable. He sat upon the toilet, running the faucet and occasionally putting his hand under it to make it splash as if he was doing something.

[Bless Tuttle]

She was startled that he was at the door when she opened it. His finger felt cool on her skin as he wiped away a tear. What he spoke was what she had been telling herself.
"I studied emergency children's medicine. I should have know what to do, I was trained for moments like that, and I froze. Naturally I will blame myself." She said honestly as he took her hand and led her to the bedroom. She blushed deeply as he pulled her in there, she had never been in a man's bedroom before. As he showed her the clothes he had gotten and went to the bathroom to change she hadn't even gotten a chance to open her mouth to protest. She turned and looked at the clothes when she heard the bathroom door lock chewing on her bottom lip slightly. She unzipped her dress and stepped out of it, before sliding the black night gown on. It covered the parts of her body she would want hidden, the thin straps bared her shoulders and neck, though the dress had done that as well. The satin fabric hung off her body, sliding against her smooth skin like ice on glass, before ending just above her knees in a beautiful pattern of black lace. She picked up her ruined dress and folded it, before setting it aside and looking at the black and red dress and then the white and gold. She loved them both instantly, but thought that they would never look good on her, she wasn't a model, and she knew her body wasn't near perfect, but she was happy with it, and she took care of it. She folded the two so they wouldn't wrinkle, and placed them in the bag with the t shirt and shorts, before picking up her ruined dress. She turned towards the bathroom door hearing the water, she knocked lightly on the door before speaking.
"What should I do with my ruined dress."
She hoped she wasn't giving him the wrong impression in the night gown, she preferred dresses over pants or shorts of any kind. And she certainly wasn't that type of girl.

Orpheus smiled, sitting upon the toilet. He heard her unzip her dress and the soft rustle of fabric as he assumed her old dress was removed and something else put on in it's place. He stood up and waited until she knocked upon the door, and turned off the water. He unlocked the door as he pretended to dry his hands upon a hand towel and slowly opened it.

He paused, seeing her in the night gown he had picked out and smiled. It fit her perfectly, just as he had hoped it would. His gaze traveled along her ample body, and how the night gown accented her curves and body nicely.

"I see I managed to get your size just right. I tried to pick something out that was decent for you. Your dress," he contemplated, running finger up and down his chin,"your dress...hmmm. I will take it to attempted to be dry cleaned so it will not be entirely ruined. We will have to see I guess. As to your blame, it is not your fault." His finger moved from his chin to hers, tilting her head up slowly to look into his eyes.

"The boy's death was not your fault. Being, well, a tourist you would not know that there has been several killings. All of which consisted of a child and parent together. There is something lurking in the shadows around Verona. That was what my books where laying around. I was attempting to figure out what it was." He sighed deeply, slowly dropping his finger from under her chin and stepping away. He blinked, not having realized he had even stepped forward, pressing against her to the point his lips had almost meet hers. He smiled and shook his head slightly to clear it.

"The night gown looks beautiful on you. It brings me to the question I have been longing to ask of you since I first saw in the police car." He paused, letting the moment of silence drag on slightly before his lips parted again and he continued.

"Would you, I mean it is your choice of course, but would you minds staying here tonight. With me?" He looked slightly hopeful, down slightly into her eyes. "I don't mean for anything sexual. I am not that kind of man." If you can call me that he thought. "I, just don't really like sleeping alone. I like being able to hear somebody else's dreams." He half smiled, the right corner of his mouth curving up oh so slightly into a sheepish grin.

"If you don't want to, you don't have to. I did make a promise not to try to force you to do anything you didn't want to do. I will stick by that promise, not matter what."

[Bless Tuttle]

She looked at him as he spoke, running his finger along his chin. She blushed as his eyes moved along her body as she turned her face away a bit so he wouldn't see it. His finger went under her chin, pulling her face to his as he spoke about the deaths. An unfamiliar warmth spread through her body, starting in the core of her stomach and spreading outwards, to her fingertips and toes. She gazed into his eyes, as if entranced, not noticing that he was standing against her. She acknowledged his lips so close to hers, her pulse rising rapidly in an arrhythmia skipping a few beats, before he stepped back, her heart settling back into a rhythmic beat. Her brain registered what he had been saying, about looking for the culprit.
"Vampyre?" The word left her mouth in a question as she ran her fingers through her drying hair. She looked up at him.
"I've only met one....he didn't drink blood though...he...disintegrated them." She cringed her face waiting for him to laugh at her, or call her crazy and throw her out. She looked at him as he asked her to stay. He didn't want to dishonor her, and she felt it probably wasn't best to be out alone at night. As long as he kept his word she would stay. She nodded.
"I will stay if it isn't a burden. I don't think I should be out on the street alone tonight."

Orpheus flinched went his species name flowed from her mouth, and he glanced away. When she clarified that she was not meaning him he felt abashed. He had probably given himself away now. But it didn't matter. As she spoke of disintegration, he looked back and nodded. He knew of what she spoke of all to well. He sighed, guessing he should tell her what he was since she already knew. His lips parted as he pulled away, not sure of what her reaction would be to staying the night with a vamprye.

"You saw a member of the Hito'radea coven of vamprye. Instead of feeding upon the blood of mortals, they consume their life essence or source, leaving their bodies to crumble into dust. This has lead to their nickname of Rotters, much to their distaste and displeasure. To answer your question, no. I do not think this is a vamprye. No vamprye would waste such blood wantonly with out cause. It is something else, though I have not found out what yet." He licked his lips, pausing for a second, glancing into her eyes and then looking away, out the window.

"Two actually. You have meet two vampryes now. The Hito'radea you spoke of, and another. Recently...." He stopped, letting her own mind make the connecting, if it did. He didn't want to say it out loud. He was not ashamed, but telling a mortal just felt so....wrong. He couldn't bring himself to do it.

[Bless Tuttle]

She looked at him slightly, raising a slender brow.  He didn't think she was crazy, he didn't start yelling at her, instead he rattled off information on the vampyre.  She nodded listening to him. Two vampyres? She met another one? Her mind rattled off through the people she met, the logical choices going through the people she had met that day, before the light clicked on in her mind, of who it was, her mouth forming an 'o' shape as she looked at him backing up against the wall. Her eyes were wide, as she looked at him.
"You?" She asked, her face wasn't filled with horror. Quite the opposite. She was intrigued but frightened as well. He was being so nice to her, she pushed off the wall and walked closer to him her eyes scanning along his body. She stepped around him looking at him up and down.
"Your different. Besides the obvious, but I mean your not like Lyle, he...he always had a sort of glow about him, a certain energy. You, seem like me." She said stopping in front of him turning to face him and look up at him. She somehow knew she was safe. If he was just looking for a meal, she would have been dead already, right?