On Tour [Breno]

[Blaize]

Dull teeth tore through thick flesh and Blaize’s own jaw clenched as he tensed through the pain. It wasn’t a sting but an ache, an unnatural breaking of skin. But it was what Breno needed, and Blaize knew that he would heal. His fingers flexed, stretching then forming a fist, then flexing again; the tips of his fingers tingled, the nerves broken and damaged. But he wanted to encourage blood flow in a body where a heart did not beat.

Breno managed a few healthy mouthfuls before passing out. Blaize could only hope that it was enough. He remained quiet as he sat there, the coat room still hidden from those outside. If Blaize had a heart it’d probably be in his throat by now; fear was a certainty in this place where he knew death was possible. True death, real death that he could not come back from. He used one of the fallen coats to wipe the blood from his wrist and whatever had smeared over Breno’s lips.

All he could do was wait. For all he knew, Breno could be dead. The blood might not have taken; it might have been too late. A vampire’s body will feel and look dead regardless, so whether or not the change had taken was something that Blaize would have to wait for. And he would have wait for the authorities, for this hubbub to die down. Outside, he could hear sobbing and a man and woman speaking in a language he could not understand.

It was only an hour later that the noise escalated again, properly; doors slamming, more gunshots. But these were precise, they were not scattered. The police, finally. Finally they’d be able to get out of the cloak room. But, to get away from the ambulances who’d want to take away a corpse…

That was another problem entirely.

[Breno (DELETED 9529)]

The sounds of doors slamming slowly brought Breno back to consciousness. For a moment he couldn't remember where he was, but it was somewhere cold and soft. Another door slamming and gunshots echoed out and his memories came rushing back; the terrorists, getting shot, hiding in a closet, drinking from-

Breno opened his eyes and immediately shut them again with a groan. His head felt foggy and the room seemed so much brighter than before. His senses were sharper, but his brain seemed to be a little slow to catch up. He opened his mouth to speak and noticed that it felt dry. He also noticed the unsettling feeling of not needed to breath in. After swallowing, he croaked out "Well, I'm not dead. I think." He felt where he had been shot in the stomach, and all he felt was a small hole. The pain was still there, but it was duller than before.

Before he could ponder it further, the door to the closet was thrown open and a cop pointed his gun and flashlight at them. He shouted to the other officers that Breno was too tired to attempt to translate, and offered a hand to Blaize to help them out, looking at Breno's blood soaked clothes with a grim expression. The smell of blood overwhelmed Breno and he was getting dizzy from it, hunger unlike anything he had ever experienced clawing at him.

[Blaize]

The timing could not have been better -- Breno woke up just as the doors to the coat room were filled with the silhouettes of the equivalent of the French SWAT. Blaize’s hands shot skyward as the gun was pointed in their direction. After a moment of scrutiny it was decided that Breno and Blaize were just revellers hiding from the chaos; Blaize didn’t know French, didn’t know what the men were saying. But he was more than happy to stand and make his way from the cloest.

Out in the club, the house lights had been switched on. The scent of blood was palpable, and it wasn’t just Breno’s. There was sobbing and crying -- some were crouched over their friends, who’d been killed. Others were severely injured, and still clinging to life. Though Breno was covered in blood and could be injured, he was up and walking and thus the paramedics would decide that he was not a priority. This worked in their favour.

There was shattered glass and overturned tables. Blaize’s feet crunched on the ground as he walked, seeking fresh air and wide open spaces. The scent of blood wasn’t doing him any favours, either; he’d lost blood to bring Breno back and he’d have to feed, too. And now he no longer had a Breno to feed from. These were issues they could tackle as soon as they were outside and had broken away from the crowd.

Out on the street, people huddled. There were dozens of them, one hundred, more. It was a veritable babble of noise. Over it, Blaize heard his name. Breno’s followed. The company, their dancers. How could Blaize have forgotten about them?! Blaize kept Breno close they were engulfed by the other dancers. Looking around, though, there was one face missing.

The director was dead.

[Breno (DELETED 9529)]

Breno stayed close to Blaize as they made their way out of the building. The overwhelming smell of blood seemed to drown all of his other senses, so Breno did not fully register the cries and carnage that filled the building. It took all of his willpower to not run to any of the bodies and tear them apart, draining every last drop of blood until they were nothing but a dried out husk. Instead he stuck with Blaize and tried to ignore the ravenous hunger clawing at his stomach.

Soon they were outside, and Breno felt as though he could breath again (despite no longer needing too). His senses started coming back to him when he heard his and Blaize's names. The rest of dancers were gathered a few feet from them, and soon the two vampires were surrounded by them. Some were concerned of the amount of blood on Breno's clothes and a couple asked where his cane was, but he waved them off, not wanting to explain everything at that moment. As he glanced at the people around him, he made a mental checklist of the people he had been traveling with for so long. Dread washed over him when he could not find the director.

As though he could see the question on his face one of the male dancers spoke up in a somber tone, "The director didn't make it. I was there, they got him in the chest...it was so fast..." the dancer trailed off and a couple of the others attempted to console him. Breno rubbed his eyes as the other dancers began to talk at once, feeling a headache coming on at the large amount of noise bombarding his newly sensitive hearing. He opened his mouth to speak to Blaize when a couple of medics rushed out of the building with someone on a gurney. As they rushed past Breno was hit with the smell of blood again and he let out a low, animalistic growl, and he had to stop himself from running over to the injured person now being loaded into the ambulance. Breno let out an almost frustrated sigh and murmured, "Blaize, I'm going to regret a lot of things if I don't get something to eat soon."

[Blaize]

Just like the noise and chaos that surrounded them, Blaize’s head was bombarded by thoughts and concerns, all at once. The director was dead. This would mean the end of their tour; surely they could not go on. It had nothing to do with direction – they could do their jobs without the director, they were professionals. It would be a matter of morality. They’d have to find his body; they’d have to take it home with them. They’d have to go home.

And it wasn’t just because their tour was over. Beside him, Breno’s words cut through the din and Blaize knew that it would not be a good idea to keep touring with a fledgling under his belt. There was no knowing what kind of vampire Breno would be; what curses might he be saddled with? What would he be capable of that Blaize wasn’t? It was best to figure these things out on the streets of Harper Rock where, if death were to occur, it would not spell the end. There were more resources in Harper Rock. Black market blood bags, for one – they would be useful, here and now. But Blaize had no idea where they could go to get what they needed. They’d have to do it the old fashioned way – and Blaize cringed.

”Okay,” he nodded. He laid a hand on of the dancer’s shoulders – Celeste – and spoke quietly.

”I’m going with Breno – we’re going to go make sure he’s definitely okay,” Blaize said, nodding to one of the ambulances, the medics. Celeste just nodded, dumbfounded. It allowed he and Breno to break free from the group. Blaize didn’t look back. If there were questions asked, he left Celeste to answer them. But when they reached the ambulance, Blaize didn’t stop. No, instead he would lead Breno past the ambulance, away from the chaos.

”We need somewhere quiet. Somewhere we won’t be seen. God, I hope you’re not saddled with the same issues I have…” he said, muttering the last part almost to himself.

[Breno (DELETED 9529)]

Breno followed Blaize away form the crowd, grateful that they were getting away from the blood. Once they were past the ambulance, Breno allowed himself to mentally examine himself more fully. He didn't need to breath, which was strange. And his senses were very well developed. He could still hear the chaos of the situation behind them as though he was still there, even though they were walking away from it, and he could hear the rustling of animals hiding in the nearby bushes. His advanced eyesight also allowed him to see everything clearly, despite it being dark.

"Incredible," Breno muttered to himself. Once they were a good distance away from everything, Breno looked at Blaize curiously. "So, uh, what now?" His eyes darted to the rustling bushes again, vaguely wondering if there was something there he could eat. "The director is gone, and I'm now undead." He sighed. "This is turning into one hell of a night."

[Blaize]

The rustling did not go unnoticed, though it was not something that Blaize paid much mind to. He'd been a vegetarian as a human, and whether it was due to any moral duty toward animal kind or because he thought it was best for his own body and his own routine, it didn't matter; as soon as he'd been turned, the very thought of feeding from animals turned his stomach -- even more so than feeding from humans. Perhaps it had something to do with the way the fur stuck in one's teeth -- it wasn't as if the animal was cut open and sliced up and cooked neatly on a grill. It was raw and violent and, perhaps deep down Blaize thought it was just utterly beneath him.

Beneath them, now.

He noticed the way Breno took a second glance at those bushes. It was as if he knew exactly what was going through the other man's head, and Blaize imperceptibly shook his head. "You won't like it..." he said. Though, what did he know? Breno might prefer it, in the end. What turned Blaize's stomach might end up being Breno's preference.

"Human blood will sustain you better. I'm not sure how long it'll be before we'll be able to... feed again," he said with the slightest cringe. He would no longer have Breno to feed from. It was back to square one. Blaize took a deep breath, his stride long and hasty. He was heading away from the lights, away from the busier streets. He was heading somewhere that they might find the homeless; someone on their own. Someone they could keep quiet.

"I really hope you don't end up with the same deficiencies I have..." he said. God, for Breno's sake he hoped that there were 'fangs'. He hoped there would be no crippling guilt.

[Breno (DELETED 9529)]

At Blaize's comment, Breno glanced away from the bushes. Was it really that obvious? He supposed it shouldn't be that surprising, seeing as how he was very new to all of this. At the mention of blood his mouth began to salivate, which did surprise him a bit. Before tonight he never gave blood a second thought, especially when Blaize was feeding off him. All that mattered was making sure he was healthy and had enough for the undead dancer. But now? Now it seemed to be the only thing he cared about. The thought of the warm, red liquid going down his throat distracted him and caused another animalistic growl to escape him. "Sorry," he muttered to Blaize a bit sheepishly, "but yes, that is a good point. I suppose we'll have to change our feeding plans now." He laughed a bit, hoping to lighten the mood. It was odd, knowing that he was now the same kind of being that had been draining his blood for weeks now.

He ran his tongue over his teeth and felt no changes. "How will I are know if we are...similar? My teeth don't seem to be different, but you had mentioned that the fangs can be retractable, yes?" He knew the fangs were a touchy subject and had learned not to ask too much about them before, but with what had happened he felt that he needed to know at least something.

Despite his advanced senses, Breno was distracted enough to find himself in the more rundown part of the city. He hadn't realized they were moving that quickly. It soon dawned on him that they were looking for someone to feed on that would draw little attention. The kind of person that would be little problem for a fledgling like himself. He started to feel a bit guilty for thinking of another human being as food and had to remind himself that he was no longer human. "It's not that simple to find a willing donor, is it?" He asked quietly.

[Blaize]

Blaize knew Breno well enough at this point—cared enough—to try a smile as the other man tried to lighten the mood, even though he was far from amused. Yes, they’d have to change their plans. Plans which, if Blaize were alone in this, would consist of just… not feeding until he was home. An unhealthy plan, but he’d be the only one to suffer the consequences, if he were not strong enough to keep said consequences at bay. Now, he was not alone. He had Breno to think about, too.

It made him angry, but it was not anger he would show. No, then it would seem like he regretted saving Breno’s life, and he didn’t. Not at all. He’d do it all over again, if it was required of him. The cold-hearted Black Swan was not as cold-hearted as they all liked to think.

”Yeah, ah… I guess, if you’re hungry, they should be there. I guess. I’m not sure how they work, they never did for me,” he said. He could only hope that as soon as Breno … well, no. He’d already seen blood, must already be hungry. Blaize frowned, hoped that Breno would not have to deal with the consequences of being fangless. It was harder still, then, to find willing donors. Harder to sneak up on unwilling donors.

As they walked, Blaize was casting his eyes down alleys and narrow streets, searching not for a group but for a singular. Someone on their own. At least here, vampires were unheard of. They weren’t in the habit of trying to protect themselves from the night time predators. And there! Blaize paused, nodding down the narrow street they’d been about to pass. On a doorstep sat a lone figure. The door step looked like the back door to a café. The guy was smoking, a cat winding itself around his ankles. It was the only way Blaize had seen him, the reddened end of the cigarette as oxygen was pulled through.

”There,” Blaize said. ”Remember—control. You don’t have to kill anyone. We’ll be there and gone before he even knows what’s happening…” Blaize said. At least with Breno there was experience. Breno knew what it was like to be fed on; he already knew how it had to happen.

[Breno (DELETED 9529)]

Breno followed Blaize through the streets, absently running his tongue over his teeth, trying to sort the raging thoughts going through his head. So many things have changed and it was all happening so fast, but the funny thing was he didn't regret anything. Sure, he was now a blood-sucking undead creature of the night, but the thought only made him more excited than anything. The feeding off humans thing still seemed a little weird though, but he wouldn't know exactly until he actually did it.

Speaking of, he looked to where Blaize had gestured and noticed the man smoking. He was alone and didn't seem concerned about anything, and he didn't seem to notice the two of them yet. Breno nodded as he stared at the man. "Control. Got it. I'll be careful." Without thinking, he moved towards the man, his footsteps quiet as his instincts kicked in. Breno let his body guide him through the shadows and moved as though he had done this many times before. He stayed within the shadows and was able to get closer to the man without him noticing the vampire at all.

The cat noticed, however, and it began to hiss at Breno as he neared, looking like a classic Halloween cat. The man looked down at the cat with a grunt, then looked up at the shadows, trying to see whatever it was that had startled the cat. Breno moved quickly and lunged at the man, pinning him to the wall with ease as the cat darted away and out of the alley. The man struggled and tried to raise the hand holding the cigarette, but Breno quickly overpowered him and kept both of the man''s hands pinned to the wall. With unnatural speed, Breno darted for the man's neck before he could let out a scream and bit down.

A sharp pain shot through Breno's gums, but as soon as the man's skin was pierced by the new fangs and blood filled his mouth, the pain was forgotten and he barely heard the man's protests quieting down. All he could comprehend was blood and the strength it was giving him. He was able to overpower the man easily enough, but he could feel himself getting stronger as he fed, making it very easy for him to keep the man from falling to the ground.

Something began to scream at his mind, telling him to stop. It was becoming too much and he did not want a dead man on his conscience. Reluctantly he backed away from the man, who slumped to the ground with no more than a soft groan, the wound already sealing closed. Breno licked his lips to get the last bit of blood off of them and looked over at Blaize. "Is...did I go too far?"