[ HUMAN. ]

the great clown pagliacci

His laugh was contagious thus caused for her to laugh, too. “Thank you, thank you.” Ha, finally! So she was funny after all. Back then, when she was still working at the hospital, her co-workers always used to tell her that her humor was about as dry as the Sahara. And perhaps, it still was, but Victoria absolutely refused to admit that.

”Surviving, huh?” She nodded, liking and agreeing with Maddie’s choice of words. “Same here.” Kind of. A lot had happened after the last time they’ve talked.

“Staring.”

-”Oh? And er… erm, how did that go? Lot’s of abuse and nightmares?”

Amusement raked her features and she chuckled. “Oh, no. I was a civillian before...,” Victoria tapped with her fingers against the bars of her cell, “--this happened.” Covaire was all she knew. Never had she gone to visit another city outside its walls, much less another country or god forbid continent. “My life was pretty decent actually. I can’t deny that I miiight be a little crazy, though.” The tone of her voice indicated that she was joking. “You have to watch out, it’ll probably happen to you too.”

“As are wolves.” Which was true either side had their fair share of sins. Cynthia was always fascinated about vampires. She hadn’t seen many of them growing up. Most she dealt with were wolves. “I wouldn’t have minded.” The corners of her mouth twitched into a sly smile. 

I wouldn’t have minded. Victoria’s smirk still lingered on her lips, and although she didn’t respond verbally to that statement, a dangerous spark of excitement could be observed in her eyes. She beckoned the bartender to join them. “A drink for this darling here. My treat. What would you like?”

“Amuse you,” as she thought the question over, Tesla’s attention roamed the other blonde’s face, taking in her features before she spoke. “No.” She stated it so plainly before lifting a finger to reach for the bridge of her nose. “Curious.”

“Curious? About what? I’m sure I can assist you with sating your curiosity.”

“Ezra,” she probes his name on her own tongue, then nods, a weak smile curling her lips, “I’m Victoria Brutale.” She does a few more dabs at his cheek, then his nose, until eventually, his face is no longer covered with blood. She observes him and wonders: How was he able to fight the werewolf civilian? No human should be capable enough to beat one with merely their fists. Especially not without ending up having a broken nose, arm or leg. Unless, of course, they were some sort of… hunter. The same question which had crossed her mind during the fight pops up again. Just who is he?

Her expression was matched with one of utter gravitas. She had blanked her features into non-emotion, but in a strange twist of circumstance, this was perhaps the most feeling that she would witness in the vampire. Rage swirled in his stare, black-pitted and winding from his core. But there was also satisfaction, tentative and possessive, arching his lips as they moved to speak. If he were not so fraught, it could have transpired to happiness.  

His words and his touches were not meant to give her comfort. But somehow, she found it, comfort, and greedily thus falsely indulged in it. Victoria wasn’t one to fall easily for delusions, and yet, here she was, perhaps touched and swayed by memories of when they had shared moments of intimacy in the past. This weakness quickly passed, though, when he led her outside the Chateau. It was so different from the first time. Less playful. Less amusing. But she was satisfied regardless.

”You require permission? How awfully... possessive.” Her eyes flickered momentarily in his direction and she gave him a wink. “But I don’t. You know, there’s always some loophole, Erebus. For example--,” with the inhumane speed only a vampire possessed, she pulled his face close to her own and forced their lips together. The moment didn’t last long however and she soon released him, “You could always say that I forced myself on you.” Victoria patted his cheek and pouted. “Poor thing," her voice was laced with amusement and she continued to walk as though nothing had happened, “What touching words. Then again, they’re only... words. I do think you can express yourself better than that.”

Having established the slave’s presence, he no longer troubled to look at her. This was not a reunion to be filled with pointless emotions; there would be no heartfelt relief, no joy, no assertions of affection. He simply wanted what was his, and so he set his efforts onto re-obtaining her. It was a pity that the guard was non-compliant. It was even more unfortunate that he was disrespectful.

Her gaze followed the key as it was carelessly dropped on top of the now unconscious guard.  Her ears strained to hear the sound of breathing, a sign that he was still alive, but with the blood thundering in her head there was no chance she’d hear anything short of the veritable trump of doom. It only occured to her, when a process of healing could be observed upon his skin, that of course, the guard hadn’t been of human nature. There was no reason to worry about him; it was so easy to forget at times.

Such a cold touch. Though he spent his days yearning for the heat of life, there was something idyllic in the press of dead flesh against his own. Perhaps it was the obscure indication of empathy; the abstract and unspoken fact that other vampires were just like him. Or perhaps it was a frozen throwback to a time in which he had lived with his kindred as equals, be they male or female. Regardless, the contact, brief though it was, brought him the glimmer of calm. “Sex here, among these bodies? How delicious.” He faintly chuckled, the prospect conjuring no shortage of temptation. “Her name is Estella Randell. She is a werewolf.”

”Stella?” She raised both her brows in surprise, and the nickname indicated that she knew the mistress. In fact, the werewolf was a friend of hers. “Oh my, if that’s the case...” A spark of excitement flickered in her eyes, a wicked smile forming on her lips. “This reunion could get interesting after all.” She crooked a finger at him and beckoned him to follow her. “Come, walk with me.”

Rasmus smiled more as she seemed to relax, and he wondered if all humans felt like they should stick together, or if some just didn’t care. They were by far the weakest in Covaire, and by the sounds of it, bottom of the food chain too. -”Not me, I’m a good old fashioned, not out of a fiction novel, human. Born and raised in south detroit. What about you?”

“Alright.” She snickered at the fiction novel part. “I was born and raised in this city.”

Cynthia took a seat beside the blonde, jade hues never leaving their figure. There was something about the girl that intrigued the shewolf, but she remained quiet. “Tasty?” She arched a brow. “And why would you want to taste me?”

Reunion. || Erebus & Victoria

As soon as she heard the familiar voice, she immediately knew who it belonged to.

Ezra watched her intently before he had steered his eyes away. Every second of her movements were absorbed until they flowed into actions and evolved into words. But none of them registered till he looked away. The blood on her hands, polluted by his touch. The blood on her cheek, smeared against her skin to wipe away her tears. The people who had lingered during the brawl dissolve, either to notify someone of its occurrence or loss of interest with the still body on the ground. Ezra looms by like a haunting, standing gaunt and aching, his body wielding small tremors and his bruised, cracked hands tainted red up to his forearms. 

They didn’t leave the grounds of the park. Instead Victoria led him to somewhere less crowded. In fact, there was no one there at all. Not many knew of the existence of this tiny spot, for it was just that--- tiny, a small part of a bigger picture. Sometimes, ignorance was indeed bliss. In front of them, there was a small pond and a bench which was placed next to it, surrounded by nothing but trees which no longer wore their viridescent hues of spring and summer, but instead were clad in scarlets and gold. Leaves rained down everywhere, warm blends of red and orange that softened the hard edges of the coming cold season into a picturesque transition. Blonde strands of hair whipped into her eyes when she approached the bench, carried by the brisk autumn breeze. A chill had crept into the air over the day, not the bite of wintry blusters, but just a nip to let everyone know that a new season was at hand. Winds like these used to never fail to amaze her; a blend of cinnamon and warm spices, carried by whispers of warm winter fires yet to come. Or not, depending on whether one was rotting in the cells of the Chateau or not. Nowadays, she could only discern a whiff of blood and death.

The female’s voice had him halting, storm-grey eyes darting to consume her. He had thought she was no longer in the city, either caught by hunters or simply having decided to leave. Something in him stirred at the sight of her – gladness, perhaps, and no small amount of excitement as the bodies fell. “I was yours,” he said, undeterred by the women on the ground. Nudging one with his foot, he added, “I do hope I’m not blamed for this.”