Pyromaniacs Unite [Raven]

[Jesse Fforde]

<Jesse Fforde> Hunting. Although Jesse had the ability to feed himself, he couldn't not hunt. Yes, he knew it was better for the masquerade if he didn't feed. It was better if there were less dead bodies on the street. But his willpower wasn't very strong when it came to blood. A fresh, hot meal was better than magic. The slums were his hunting ground, the gangsters his preferred fare. As he stalked the streets, he was attracted to the sound of rumbling bass, soon interspersed with higher melody, soon with shouting and laughter. A group was gathered out the front of a derelict house, larger than most. In the vacated space, someone had set up turntables, strobe lights, and the house was now overrun with party-goers. Like a bee to copious amounts of honey, Jesse was drawn in. Someone here would be his dinner. Maybe he could find desert, too.


‹Raven Talius› She heard the familiar sounds of a party, heard the laughter and pounding music that one could get lost into if they so chose to. The beating music, however, only reminded her of a beating heart and tonight, one of those beatings hearts would end up dead. Her steps carried her forwards like a moth to a flame, but in reality it was a predator seeking out her helpless prey. The makeshift setup was being held at a house which had obviously been neglected, but considering the street that she stood upon, it didn't exactly surprise the vampire much at all. It was at this point that she realised that some gangsters would be there and a smirk found its way to her lips as she approached the door, her form slipping in between warm bodies. Raven wore her usual outfit that revealed her arms that were covered in tattoos. Her newest one being a raven that stretched along her back, a gift from Mortll which had thrown the woman off her axis at the time, however brief it had been.


<Jesse Fforde> Although Jesse wanted nothing more than to be swallowed by the heat of the writhing bodies - the music growing louder the closer he got to the main room - it was hard to do when those who touched him, those he glanced his way, immediately veered away from him. It would have been a strange thing to watch from a vantage point, like Moses parting the red sea. But there were always those willing to forego the dread they felt and instead indulge in the adrenaline rush. There was always one girl, one guy, one someone who threw themselves at the tattooed Necromancer in an attempt to dance. And Jesse gave in; he danced. He danced only for the requisite amount of time. This time, the girl was dressed all in black; her hair was waist-length, the tips of it purple. She, too, was covered in tattoos, with dark red lips and a ring through the middle of her nose. Not too thin, either - she had enough flesh on her to provide a healthy meal.


<Raven Talius> It wasn't long as she threaded her way through bodies, that she felt hands slide around her waist, only to bring her back into a man who was clearly taller than her. Raven allowed such a thing, even though she could have resisted him, could have thrown a punch. However, even the ones that fought upon a daily basis had their off days and today was just simply one of those days. 'Thump, th-thump, th-thump, th-thump,' came the true sound of music. One that promised blood, a large supply of blood, which would only lead to the man's death. 'You should come with me sweetheart, upstairs into one of the rooms.' Sweetheart? Who was this guy fooling? However, she if did go upstairs into one of the rooms, the woman could simply set the house on fire once he was dead and escape. A party gone wrong. "Sure." She simply said in response and felt him grasp one of her hands only to pull her along through the crowd. Shoving others aside as he did so. It was at this vantage point that she noted the man's rather strong figure and black hair that brushed his shoulders. A typical gangster, she mused to herself as a door closed behind them and she felt him pushing her up against the wall to slide his lips along her neck. Soon, her fangs would be slicing through his neck.


<Jesse Fforde> Jesse wasn't as much of a gentleman. He didn't bother taking his prize upstairs. Instead, he found some kind of broom closet on the lower floor - it was empty, cobwebs taking up space in the corners. The light barely penetrated the room as both bodies were soon enclosed. And, as soon as he was out of sight, as soon as he could do what he liked with little to no repercussions, he no longer kept up the charade. At first, the girl thought that he was just playing rough; she laughed and bit her lower lip, her fingers searching for the edges of Jesse's clothing. Before she could get very far, those hands were caught in Jesse's stronger grip. They were pinned up against the wall over the girl's head, while Jesse lunged for the neck, sharp canines easily slicing through tender skin, like a hot knife through butter. If she screamed, it was drowned out by the noise outside.


<Raven Talius> It was at this point however, that her hands rose to press to his chest, only to shove him backwards and she smirked. The woman was done playing and she lunged forwards as her fangs dropped into her mouth. Hands shoved the man back into the wall and fangs found his neck with easy grace. They tore through skin and vein and blood burst into her mouth as she drank. His hands struggled against her and so her own lifted only to pin his wrist to the wall behind him. Gulp after greedy gulp, she drank the crimson liquid that she desired from the man's human body. His heart beat struggled to keep up with the loss of blood. Already she had greedily gulped too much for the heart to keep up with and it was beginning to fail. Finally the man's body couldn't give her what she wanted, didn't have anymore blood left to give as the heart had finally given in and his eyes had finally glassed over. A growl rose to her lips and she wished that she had her sword upon her right there to behead him.

Instead, a hand grasped the man's shirt and she dragged the body out the door of the room, only to heave it over the balcony railing. Raven heard the satisfying 'thump!' As it landed upon the wooden floor below. The balcony was shrouded in darkness, so no one could fully make out her appearance as she stood there watching. A woman shrieked, that was the moment that people finally began to notice the body at their feet and it was at this point that people began to make a commotion. A smirk found its way to her lips then, satisfied as panicked people rushed around, pushing and shoving each other to get out.


<Jesse Fforde> Jesse didn't let a single drop go. Lips sealed against skin, tongue pushing at the vein to coax the blood out faster. Like a ripe cherry tomato, the skin split and only when the blood coated the back of his throat was he satisfied. Only in those moments while feeding did he feel satisfied; only then did the hunger subside. He wondered, most of the time, whether that constant insatiable hunger was the cause for his irritability and tempestuous mood swings. But there was nothing that could be done about it, except indulge when he had the chance to indulge. Although he took his time, it was all too soon that the vessel he drank from slumped, the girl's heart soon giving out. Her skin was cold, and the body useless. He let it drop, pondering whether he should start the fire in here, or go and have some more fun, when he heard a commotion outside. Peeking his head out the door, he heard someone scream something about a 'jumper'. Another person was in tears, sobbing about the husked body they had tripped over. Fire, then - it could start small. From his pocket he retrieved a box of matches; he lit one and left it on the rickety, broken wooden shelf of the closet, before he stepped out again into the hallway, locking and closing the door behind him. He sauntered back toward the main room and leaned against the banner of the staircase. In the main room, where the turntables were set up, people were oblivious to the commotion which had started outside, or the people sobbing in the hallway. There was still some fun to be had - but Jesse had to figure out where to start.


<Raven Talius> It was at this point that her gaze caught sight of Jesse as he made his way to the staircase, the very same one that she had been about to descend. "Fancy meeting you here in the slums, Jesse. Finally deciding to slum it up with those who don't hold a high calibre as you?" She said as her heeled steps made their way down the stairs while her brown hues focused upon the man who she wasn't sure that she was supposed to be fighting with or just simply keeping a distance from. Clover had been right when she had said that Raven didn't like him, she didn't. The man had with held facts from her sire which in turn had led her sire to not believing her very own childe. It had been a slight that she had found hard to forget, mostly because she had found that she physically couldn't lie, even if she wanted to. "Or are you deciding that bags just simply aren't enough? You certainly aren't here for me." She said as she brushed passed him to view her dead prey.


<Jesse Fforde> An arched brow was offered up to the voice that drifted down to greet him. Jesse didn't feel much upon setting his eyes on Raven; there was no anger, and there was no hurt. She was someone he knew, someone he knew he hadn't got along with, and although he could hold a grudge like no man's business, whatever Raven had done must not have been big enough to cause hatred to rear its ugly head. He snorted at the accusations, following the young woman with his eyes. "You clearly don't know me very well, Raven. I came from the slums. The slums are my home. Blood bags have never been enough," he said. It was obvious, now, that Clover must never have talked about Jesse with Raven; she must never have mentioned the things they could have in common. But Clover also knew Jesse so well, that she knew he kept himself close to his chest. "Let me guess. That mischief is your doing?" he said, nodding down the hall toward the door that led to the outdoors, and the apparent husked body.


<Raven Talius> The woman listened to his words and at the man's words she flipped her red and black locks over her shoulder and gave the man a fanged smirk. Most wouldn't have noticed due to the flickering lights and the overall dark room. Slowly her fangs slid back into her gums as she shrugged. "He disappointed me. He was weak and just plain..." A sigh caressed her lips. "Boring." Raven rolled her gaze as she pulled out a packet of cigarettes, only to tug one free and held out the pack for Jesse. She didn't like him, but he was there, might as well offer him one. Upon Jesse making his decision, she pocketed the rest and lit her own. "I don't know anything about you Jesse, because you and I don't talk. We argue about Clover, about my behaviour and then things circle. You have a one tracked mind, if it's not the Fforde, it's Clover and Serpentine. Everything else is just water under the bridge."


<Jesse Fforde> Jesse took one of the cigarettes; he didn't need Raven to help him light it, he had his own packet of matches. He struck one against the side of the box as he held the cigarette between his lips, the flame dancing in his bright blues as he lit the tip. He didn't bother to put the flame out; just dropped the still burning match on the floor, and gestured toward the door. As if he and Raven were just going to take a stroll. Whether any of these fires would start was still up in the air. But Jesse was determined to set fire to the revelry; to send this party screaming into the streets, burnt flesh and all. "Your behaviour is no longer my concern; Fforde is a non-entity," he shrugged, There was a lightness in his tone. It was something he had accepted weeks ago, and it now no longer hurt to admit it. "Clover is my wife; she will always be top priority. Serpentine makes us our living. Maybe there's still a chance for you to find out I'm more than just my wife and my job though, eh? You obviously need a man with fire in his veins. Want me to help you find one?"


<Raven Talius> Silently watched Jesse's movements, noted how he simply dropped the match to the floor and they began to make their way towards a door. Had he been thinking about sending this hovel of a house down to the ground with fire as well? Yes, he had said that Fforde was a non-entity before, but the woman didn't really believe it. When she had walked, they had said that it wasn't a family and she still continued to believe it so. However, as he spoke about there being time her lips turned downwards and a growl rose to her lips. She needed a man? Did she look weak to him? Was there something that she was missing? It was something that she would never openly admit; she was lonely. Always was whenever it came to a crowd of people or a family. The woman was used to being the one hanging around upon the outskirts until everyone went home. Many had someone and were able to find that someone, she on the other hand? Raven just couldn't see anyone putting up with her behaviour or even enjoying the things that she did.

[Raven Talius]

<Raven Talius> No, there wasn't a man that could satisfy her needs nor wants, especially considering that she didn't even know how to love, didn't know what it felt like. "No, Jesse." She shook her head as she sighed and tossed her lit cigarette towards a curtain upon their way out. "There is no one for me," The woman said softly as the lit end caught the curtain on fire and blazed as she simply exited the house. "I'm cold and heartless, it's how it has always been seen." The woman said as screaming people began to push passed them.


<Jesse Fforde> Jesse wanted to stay inside the house as it burned; he often left it to the last minute before he left, waited until it was starting to fall down around him before he rushed out into the street, or the wilderness. There was something so thrilling about being in the middle of an inferno. Not tonight. Tonight, he instead followed Raven out the door, trotting to catch up as he had been momentarily distracted by the flames. "I didn't mean it like that," he said, laughing. "It's a bit degrading to tell a woman she needs a man, isn't it? You said your last meal was weak and boring. I was merely saying you needed to find someone with fire in their veins. So you could take it for yourself," he said. "I was offering to hunt down your next meal," he said, eyes gleaming. Behind him, the fire had caught the wood of the old house and a wave of heat greeted them as something extra-flammable was devoured. An anguished scream followed, and Jesse had to hold out a hand to stop Raven. Why? He didn't know. He wasn't even aware he was doing it, except that she was someone he knew, and he wanted to turn and watch the fire. He didn't want to just walk away from it. Raven had talked about being cold and heartless before; about there being no one for her, no one who'd want her. He didn't argue with her.

He didn't console her. He didn't want to argue with her. Instead, his eyes drifted to some of the men pushing past them, but pointed toward the house. "So rather than chasing the ones who are running, we'd want to find you one who stayed behind. An adrenaline junkie. Someone either brave or reckless. Can you see any heroes in there?"


<Raven Talius> The woman shrugged as she paused long enough to glanced over her shoulder at the building that was now burning. She could smell the burning bodies already and the screams of those that were burning. A sigh found its way to her lips as Jesse mentioned heroes and she simply shook her head. "Heroes are dumb, they will meet their end eventually, even if they don't die burning alive tonight. Or being eaten." Slowly she shifted her form so then she could peer at the burning house. Could she even care about the loss of life even if it had been innocent? The answer was a simple no. Innocent, hero, gangster, cop and even paladin. They were all the same to her. Dinner. Of which none had presented her with a challenge. None had gifted her with the pain of their struggles and none were strong enough. It was the only thing that she struggled with, her own existence. What was the point of being immortal if she couldn't find comfort in what most people could? "Heroes are simply idiots with no regard for their own lives. They think that if they can run out of a burning building before it falls down around them, that they have a duty to carry the world upon their shoulders. Idealistic idiots."


<Jesse Fforde> Jesse laughed and shoved his hands into his pockets. Did they look like the guilty party, standing there to watch the house burn rather than running from it like near everyone else was? Would the authorities even care? Some corporate jug head would probably thank them for it. It would be an opportunity to build apartments or retail space. But then, these were the slums. There was a chance it'd remain a mess of ash and bones for years before anyone decided to clean it up. "So what kind of meal do you like? What kind of person should we be looking for to get you what you need?" he asked, tearing his eyes away from the fire to peer curiously at Raven. "For example, what appeals to me is going back in there," he said, pointing to the house that was slowly being consumed. "To find someone trapped. I'd make them think I was going to rescue them, but I'd instead keep them there while the house fell down, until the fear dripped from their pores. And then I'd feed; I'd take all their blood, because if they're not virgins, fear tastes best," he admitted.


<Raven Talius> Perked a brow at Jesse and held a hand out towards the burning building. "Well, you should go now if they haven't already caught on fire." The woman shook her head as she glanced sideways at the man, why was he bothering to try and hunt with her now? "Feeding on the helpless sounds like your style," Raven said with sarcasm as her brown hues stared at the blazing fire and ignored the panicked humans that ran. There was no point to acknowledge them. "Adrenaline doesn't just work with fear, but you can also taste it when someone has fought bravely, when they fight against you. It tastes so sweet when you disarm them and they still defy you even though they know that you have beaten them." A simple shrug of her shoulders was given then, "But, fighting humans are boring. They are mostly weaker than what we are, they break easily enough and are scared because of our sheer strength that surpasses their own."


<Jesse Fforde> Jesse shrugged but nodded in agreement. He'd been at this game a long time; he'd practiced, and he'd trained, and with each passing day had only grown stronger. He'd given up on ever encountering a human who could match his strength, one who could find against him with any kind of success. Yes, he fed on their fear, and on their helplessness, and he wasn't afraid to admit it. He wasn't ashamed. And if Raven judged him for it, then so be it. Nothing he did could be the right thing in her eyes; she'd chosen to loathe him, and he gave up trying to win her favour. "I'd suggest becoming a Necurat. Other vampires generally disapprove - it'd certainly be a challenge for you," he said. He certainly had come a long way if this was something he suggested with semi-seriousness.


<Raven Talius> Suddenly, she laughed. Raven laughed at Jesse's suggestion that she should choose to feed upon another vampire. "I prefer to kill those that I feed upon, killing another vampire? Would make me a public enemy for sure. Hell, I'm fairly certain that those that I can consider to be what somewhat friends, would probably never approve of me killing another vampire, without having been provoked first." A frown creased her forehead though as she pondered about the Shadow Realm, "Perhaps it's time that I take a break for a while to reflect upon things in complete solitude. I don't even know what it is that I'm supposed to be doing anymore. I hunt, I feed, I kill and I do it all over again." She lifted a hand to pat Jesse upon the shoulder as she pulled away. "Enjoy playing at the hero," The woman said as she began to pull away from the scene, she didn't want the cops to see her. They had been shooting her upon sight as of late.


<Jesse Fforde> It was something Jesse might have argued with, once upon a time. He might have offered suggestions and ways to keep Raven close. But she had chosen her place, she had chosen her people, and it wasn't his prerogative. He'd slowly started to realise that it was his vice grip that people tore away from, and maybe if he held them a little looser, if he didn't hold them at all, they'd be less likely to pull away. It was too late with Raven, or so he thought. The distance wasn't forced. "Having a purpose isn't all it’s cracked up to be, either. Especially if it fails. Having none is a kind of freedom. But, talk to Clover, Raven," he said, turning to her as she pulled away. "She's experienced the same thing. Or at least something similar. She might be able to help," he said. He wasn't sure he'd be playing hero; but he would probably sit and watch the house burn until there was nothing left but ashes.


<Raven Talius> The woman paused in her steps as she turned back to the man once more. Being alone was a choice made by herself, a promise to herself really as she laid upon a hospital bed with a tube that had been stuck down her throat. It was something that she had sworn to protect herself with, to make sure that the past didn't repeat itself. Her loyalty to Clover had shattered that promise and made her crave the company of her sire, but she remained within the shadows. Jesse and Clover were nearly always together, as he said, she was his top priority. "I doubt that she could help me, no one can. However, I hope Clover has been doing well ever since returning from the Shadow Realm. I haven't seen her for a while, but I figured that you would be looking after her well."


<Jesse Fforde> Jesse turned fully toward Raven; she had stopped, and he would give her his full attention. "This is just an observation, Raven - I'm not trying to insult you, but you often sound like you don't want to be helped. If you don't want it, then no one's ever going to be able to," he said. Help had to be accepted for it to make any difference, and if someone insisted on being negative, then there was no getting past it. "I try to look after her the best I can, but everyone has their shortcomings. She needs other people to talk to," he said, and even managed to frown. It was only a recent realisation that he envied Clover that - people to talk to. He didn't push any further - he'd probably go home, or text Clover. He'd tell her to contact Raven. They needed each other.


<Raven Talius> A shrug of her shoulders was given at the man's statement. Did she want help or didn't she? The woman didn't truly know. At the thought of hep, she bared her teeth because it meant that she was weak and it meant that she had to trust someone to have her back. "My problems are my own, if I can't deal with them, then what is the point? I'd be weak and I promised myself, in my human days, when I was lying upon a hospital bed, to not trust a soul and to not be weak. With Clover, I broke half of that promise and so far I have managed to be able to not be weak. I imagine that one day, one of our kin will come along and kill me. So, I'll just come back and work at it harder."


<Jesse Fforde> Again, Jesse nodded. He could understand that. It was probably why he had no real friendships. There was no one he would talk to about his problems, and the thought never crossed his mind that he should seek someone out. That is, until Clover made him realise that it was a possibility. "The trick, I think, is to find someone to confide in who won't make you feel weak, because they won't break you. You've got people who clearly care about you, too. You don't have to ask for help. Sometimes it's just given to you. In which case, the trick is just to accept it. I know what it's like to not want to confide. Every time I've opened up to someone who made me believe they cared, they used my weaknesses against me. They got in through the cracks. But you can trust Clover. She's never let me down," he said. There was whoosh and a crash from the house as the roof caved in; Jesse's attention turned back to the flames, a fanatic gleam to his eyes. As the sirens wailed in the distance, he sat down to watch. Already, the shadows started to creep toward him, to curl around him like long lost lovers. He could watch, and yet remain invisible.


<Raven Talius> It was strange the way the two were interacting with each other. They weren't fighting, nor arguing, they were simply talking like two simple beings. Beings that knew that their lives were immortal if they so chose it to be so. Raven nodded her head as she thought back to when she had originally left Fforde and slaughtered a woman. She had been crept up upon by a hunter and it was the Dragomirs that had brought her back from that edge. Perhaps it had been insanity? Or perhaps it had been something else. Nikolae had killed the hunter, Enzo had brought a gift for Azraeth and the man had shared it with her. It was strange how Jesse's words made sense, for the Dragomirs didn't make her feel weak and she didn't have to ask them. "The Dragomirs have always been there for me, regardless of who I am. It is... Strange. I have always trusted Clover though, even when it hurts." She lifted her gaze then as the sirens started closing in upon them, "I must be off now to frequent Voodoo like normal and maybe grab another snack along the way." The woman waved at the man that was slipping into the shadows to make her own way along the street.


<Jesse Fforde> If asked, Jesse would have said there was no reaction; there was numbness where once there had been anger. He'd wanted to be there for Raven, and he had tried, but it was never meant to be. The chances were not given, the opportunities did not arise, the timing was never right, and his own temper so often got in the way. These days, Jesse had Clover. She was his only priority because she was the only person he had, and it was his own fault. He was too angry, too insistent. He said nothing else; just waved Raven off, if she could see it. Where Jesse would say he felt nothing, the depth and thickness of the shadows that shrouded him from the world, trapped him in his own solitude, would say otherwise.