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It was a good thing Doc didn’t say anything to him when he dumped Satine into his arms like some sort of bundle of worthless trash. Part of him was slightly impressed. Doc had just outdicked him, for lack of a better word. The other part of him wanted to put his foot so far up Doc’s *** that the older man would choke on it as it came out of his mouth. Not that it mattered. The door had already closed and Micah had missed his window of opportunity. The killer stood there fuming for a few minutes before he reached out with his mind and instructed Scott to come to the aslyum with the truck. Revenge would come later. It really was a dish best served cold. The ******** doctor wouldn’t know what hit him.

As he waited for Scott to show Micah had some time to look his sister-in-law over and assess her injuries. She was a ******* mess. And Micah didn’t know how to take care of her. Obviously she was going to need medical attention that he wasn’t able to provide. He could of course bang on the door until Doc got tired of the noise but Micah wouldn’t ask that dick for anything in that moment. When Scott pulled up, the killer knew what he had to do. After he got Satine situated in the backseat of the extended cab, he gave the thrall instructions to get her back to the garage and upstairs where Vel was resting. Once the truck was gone, he took the transit to Wickbridge.

The morgue loomed in front of him, taunting him like a silent demon. The lights were still on so Micah knew people were inside working. That wasn’t the issue. No, the issue was getting past the paralyzing fear that gripped him in an icy cold vice every single time the doors opened and he was hit in the face with that stench. Micah was used to death. It surrounded him on a nightly basis but this...this was different. It evoked feelings in him that he didn’t want to deal with, that he didn’t know HOW to deal with. It brought memories to the surface that he’d much rather forget, but couldn’t. There was no time to dwell on it. It was time to man up and get this task over with. The sooner he got what he needed the sooner he could get back to Vel, and Satine.

He climbed the stairs like he was going to his death and pulled open the double glass doors. Just as he knew it would the various chemicals that were used on the corpses was there to hit him in the face, greeting him like the arch enemy he was. And just as he expected his body froze in place and his feet refused to co-operate with him. He tried to give himself a mental pep talk but it wasn’t working too well. Luckily his reaction was something that had become well known around the building and one of Vel’s assistants appeared in front him holding a small tub of vapor rub. She pressed the container in his hand and disappeared back to her job. Once he managed to rub a bit under his nose he was able to relax. Now he could complete his task semi comfortably. The place still gave him the ******* creeps.

“Sir? Is there something I can assist you with this evening?”

Micah turned a glare on the young nerdy looking dude standing in front of him. He almost dismissed him until he saw the Dr on the laminated badge that was clipped to the medical coat the young man was wearing. “Yeah.” Micah nodded his head. “Your boss is in need of your medical skills. Go pack your **** and come with me.” His tone was no nonsense and it was clear to the human that he meant business.

Nervously, the wire rimmed spectacles were adjusted and the male started to stutter. “But...but…” Micah cut him off rather impatiently. “Look asshole, I don’t have time for your ********. Go pack your medical bag, with medical things and come with me or I’ll make sure you’re ******* fired as soon as Velveteen wakes up.” As soon as his wife’s name left his lips the young human paled. “Y-y-yessir. Right away.”

Once the assistant returned, Micah pulled him out the door and headed for the transit. Instructions could wait. All he needed at that moment, was someone to patch Satine up and make sure Vel was ok. And if the nerdy male wasn’t capable, Micah would simply kill him. It was as simple as that.

The rollercoaster ride between waking and the empty darkness seemed to last longer in the realm of unconsciousness than it did in reality and just when she thought it was time to get off, the abyss would rise up and claim her for just a little longer. Every minute moment of clarity brought pain. Every part of her seemed to hurt in one way or another so every downward rush into the murky depths of nothingness was welcome relief. That was until the ticking began. It was soft at first, so soft that one would have to wonder if it was even there at all. Persistent and precise in its rhythmic deliver. Tick. Tick. Tick. It would grow louder and then slowly fade away. Velveteen was only partly conscious in short bouts...Tick. Tick. Tick….But that sound, that would sometimes become so incessantly loud before disappearing was beginning to annoy her. Tick. Tick. Tick. The woman was silent and still as she struggled to bring together some recollection of events and piece together where she was and in turn locate the source of the ticking that was intent on pulling her from her blissful, pain free sleep.

Cautious fingers played along the soft insides of the blanket and while the pain that was wrought by even that small effort was substantial she kept her reaction to it minimal. Slowly, her memory came back to her though she doubted she was still in the garage. There was some vague recollection of Micah placing her somewhere. It was pretty safe to assume that was where she was now and not in any immediate danger. This realisation allowed her to relax to some degree despite the distinct feeling that she was surrounded by humans. Tick, tick, tick. There was movement as the sound passed close by. Not nearly as loud as she thought at first though she was now able to identify the source. A watch or small clock of some sort. As she listened a little longer she was also able to detect the rubbery footfalls against the carpet and the soft rustling of linen accompanied by a rather familiar if faint scent. The morgue? Why would she be there?

One eye was cracked open ever so slightly and the first thing she noticed was the back of the white lab coat as whoever was wearing it knelt beside the couch opposite her. She also noticed the other body laying there and as her line of vision shifted she was able to identify the other as her twin sister. What was she doing here? Panic struck her then. If they were in the morgue then there was only one answer. Satine was dead! All caution went out the window and pain ripped through her as she struggled to sit up. It didn’t register in that moment that there were no couches at the morgue. She cried out as her insides seemed to tear in two with the sudden movement and within the blink of an eye Scott was at her side, though whether he was trying to assist or force her back onto the couch was not clear.

Velveteen waved off his attempts with one arm as the other curled about her stomach as if her innards could end up outards if she didn’t hold them in place. Bones were broken and her effort to stand was meet with yet more pain and the vehement protestation of those limbs that refused to comply. She fell back against the couch and swore under her breath. She barely noticed the young nerdy looking guy who watched all this with a look of horror. Nor had she noticed the card that hung from his pocket identifying him as one of her employees and the watch that ticked idly on his wrist had long been forgotten. “Scott...where is Micah? What happened to Satine? What the **** is going on?” The dark haired vampire closed her eyes and concentrated on the site that exuded the most pain. Focussing all her magickal energies she attempted to heal the area to no avail. “Well, ****.” Her only admittance to defeat. Her silver orbs like lasers pinned the human thrall. “Where the **** is Micah?” She asked once more, making it plainly obvious that she wouldn’t be asking a third time. “And who the **** are you?” She asked the stranger without turning his way.

The two males began to talk over each other, tripping over their words nervously though Scott was obviously far more used to his Mistress’ demeanour. “I don’t know...he told me to call him when you woke.” Scott responded, pulling his phone from his pocket as he did so.

All she heard from the other was a lot of blah blah as she stated his name and expressed his confusion though she caught the last few words when Scott fell silent. “He just told me to take care of you both.”

Her gaze narrowed and she leaned forward, wiggling closer to the edge of the couch, deciding that this time her attempt to stand would be more...cautious. “So she isn’t dead then?” She asked, taking a moment to look over Satine’s battered and bruised face. It was the first time she had laid eyes on her since putting her into that mask and it still felt surreal. It was like looking at herself laying there, lifeless.

“She needs to be in hospital and so should you by the look of you. I haven’t been able to examine you as I was instructed not to touch you.” The young male in the lab coat looked at Scott whilst informing her of this fact, making it obvious where those instructions had come from. “Look...this isn’t in my job description and boss or no boss, I’m no doctor. This is…..this is...I can’t help her.” His hand was waved through the air behind him as he indicated the unconscious woman. “She needs medical attention and soon. She likely has internal bleeding and needs surgery. I don’t have the expertise or the equipment to ev-.....”

Velveteen soon found her feet, and her icy cold fingers soon found his throat cutting off his dialogue. His dark brown eyes widened in shock and fear as she hissed at him through clenched teeth, such was the effort required to have moved. “No hospital. You tell me what you need and we will get it. But this is all you and if she dies then you will be following her. Got it?” Her slender digits tightened threateningly about his larynx before releasing him. The effort taking its toll upon her already broken form though the pain was beginning to subside...slowly. “Scott, get a list of what he needs. And did you call my husband? Where the **** is he?” And where the **** was Doc for that matter? Wasn’t he supposed to be looking after her?

The silence was deafening. The guilt was overwhelming.

Micah hadn’t stuck around for very long once he’d forced the geeky employee up the stairs to the second floor of the garage. He’d simply pointed to the sisters and had told him to fix it. It had never once occurred to the killer that the man he’d pulled from the morgue wasn’t capable of doing anything of the sort. Micah had noticed the badge and acted on instinct and maybe out of desperation. The only thing that had been on his mind had been getting help not only for his wife, but for her sister as well. Finding her only to lose her wasn’t something he wanted for Vel. So if it was within his power to try and save Satine, Micah would do absolutely everything that he could to accomplish that.

Muffled voices could be heard from the floor above. His head turned upwards, his brow furrowing in concentration as he tried to figure out who was speaking. Nothing concrete but if he had to hazard a guess he’d say Vel was awake. Most likely pissed off he wasn’t there. Micah could explain his reasons but it might not do him any good. He didn’t know how bad off Satine was and he was trying to give the sisters time alone without his somewhat overbearing presence. Micah and Satine were like oil and water; they just didn’t mesh together.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, startling him out of his thoughts. Digging the device out of his pocket he swiped his thumb across the screen to find a text from Scott. As he had suspected Vel was awake and asking where her husband was. Time to go and face the music. Without replying to Scott he climbed the stairs and pushed the door open just in time to see Vel wrapping her hand around the human’s throat. Well ****.

He crossed the room and pulled the human away from Vel. “What the **** is going on here?? You’re supposed to be saving them, not making ******* excuses as to why you can’t!” The human started babbling, clearly terrified of not only Micah, but of Vel as well. “A-a-as I told your wife I can’t save her.” The human gestured to Satine, lying pale and unresponsive on the couch opposite of where Vel had been resting. “It’s too late! I’m not a surgeon but even I know enough to know that she’d got extensive damage. She needs to be in a hospital, but she might be too far gone for them to do anything for her!”

Micah stared at the human as the words sunk in. It was too late. Satine was going to die and while the killer wasn’t exactly sure what had happened to her, he knew exactly where to lay blame. There was only one thing that he could do. The only thing that he could do. He had planned to wait, to give Vel the opportunity to get to know her sister before he forced this on her. He and his wife had discussed this so it wasn’t going to be a surprise. Vel had accepted it, but had asked him for time, time that he had granted originally but now that wasn’t going to be possible. The guilt Micah was feeling increased. Vel was going to be livid, but at least she would have her sister.

His hand curled around the human’s neck and he jerked the door open. “Your services are no longer required,” he stated curtly, giving him a shove out the door. The human cried out as he stumbled, and while Micah had hoped he’d fall and break his ******* neck the geeky human managed to right himself just in time. Picking up his bag, Micah handed it off to Scott and nodded towards the door. “Make sure he gets out of here. And lock the door behind you. No one is to get up here even if they’re dying.” The thrall nodded and left, pulling the door shut behind him. The killer waited until Scott’s steps faded from the stairs and the telltale beep of the armed security system before turning to Satine.

He stood there silently for a few minutes and listened, trying to gauge how much time he had. Her heartbeat was weak, barely there and he knew then that he didn’t have much time. Not if he wanted to be sure of his success. The killer was aware of his wife standing behind him, silent but very much there. “I’m sorry Vel that I can’t grant you what you wanted. Time isn’t a luxury that we have.” Carefully he managed to get Satine’s mouth open as his fangs pierced his wrist. He held his bleeding wrist over Satine’s mouth and watched as the blood ran down, dropping into her mouth at a steady pace. The fingers of his other hand massaged her throat, encouraging her to swallow even she wasn’t conscious. All he could do now was hope that he was in time, and that Vel wouldn’t have to lose her sister. Not like this.

Just seeing her husband was a huge relief but when he grabbed the guy and started showing him the door she couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking. If it wasn’t for the pain filled haze that seemed to **** with her thought process she would have realised that she had the same training. That her moment of panic was unnecessary. She had the same knowledge at the guy being shown the way out... Well technically she did. Velveteens training and history in the field was about as unusual as her life in general when realisation dawned, she wished she had have done things in the more conventional manner instead of relying so heavily on the willingness of the spirits of to help her out.

It was an almost reflexive action that saw her retrieve her phone and begin to ring Doc. She had no idea how this happened or why but the last that she knew Satine was in his care. Maybe he could fill her in. She tutted softly to herself and hung up almost immediately. Who cares what happened? That could be investigated later. Right now her sister needed medical attention. For the briefest of moments Velveteen wondered if she call upon the spirits to help her once again. She had been hearing them lately. The voices started as a scratching, like a small animal trapped between walls; A barely there sound that seemed to stop whenever you tried to listen.

Over the weeks it had grown louder, becoming whispers and then soft murmurings. She couldn’t be sure if they even knew that she could hear them yet as none seemed to direct energy directly towards her. Though maybe... just maybe if she tried hard enough someone would hear her. She looked up, her eyes wide and hopeful despite the long shot her thoughts offered she felt the possibility was something worth mentioning to Micah though it seemed her husband had taken matters into his own hands.

The phone in her hand feel to the floor as she tried to process what it was she was seeing. His wrist to her mouth and her fingers curled about his arm as if it was the life saving rope that saved her from drowning. Her head moved from side to side in denial. No....this wasn’t happening. It couldn’t be happening. Anyone but him. Anyone. But even then she knew it was too late. Dread, disappointment and anger coiled itself about her being, painfully slow at first, just enough to introduce itself before it consumed her in a sudden rush of overwhelming despair. Her sister. His childe. History mocked her and the possibilities of the future offered no comfort at all. She wanted to scream. To attack him and tear him away from her. Anything to make it stop, though she knew it was too late. It had already begun and all she could do was be the spectator she had become. Her feet carried her backwards, an unconscious effort to take her way from what was happening, despite the fact that knew even now, she would never be able to escape this single moment. It was now and would always a part of her existence, for however long that would last.

She didn’t wait around to watch it through to the end. She didn’t want to know. She didn’t want to see that look in those eyes that she knew would come eventually. Maybe not tonight, maybe not next week but it would come. It would be the same look she had seen on the faces of others as they looked to their sire. Why couldn’t it have been anybody else? Why couldn’t she look like someone else? Why the **** did she even come here? Rage, jealousy, and irrationality took their place with the dread that had settled within her like a lead weight. Every step she took felt heavier and took more effort than last. It was as if gravity itself had decided to make her its prisoner, forcing her to witness that which would surely drive her mad. How could he have thought this was a good idea? Without a word Velveteen managed to shack off the invisible shackles intent on torturing her and in a blur of motion was gone. Gone from the room, gone from the building and gone as far as she could get before the tears that threatened to come and cripple her. If only it were that easy.

The world came to a complete standstill around her when she stopped and it took her a moment to realise where she was as she looked up at the large brick building the loomed before her. It was not a conscious decision but of course she would come here. The one place he wouldn’t come looking for her, even if he did manage to wrestle himself free of the grip that her sister had on his currently. The Morgue. It wasn’t a solution. No...she was sure there wasn’t one of those anymore but if nothing else it was a brief respite where she could at least try to gather her thoughts. Perhaps even find some rationality amid the current mess of emotion that would surely have her doing something that she would quickly regret. Again those weights around her feet made the stairs seem a difficult task and before she had even managed to clear the first couple the sound of her name being spoken made her falter.

“Velveteen? Velveteen Andras? I am hoping we can possibly have a moment of your time Ms. Andras.” The male voice was deep and gravelly and was likely the result of too many late nights spent smoking and downing whisky as the man behind it spent hour after hour working on whatever case crossed his desk. Velveteen turned slowly to face the pair male only to find another standing there as well. Two suits that screamed government agents.

“I am kinda busy right now. If this has anything to do with some results you need or misplaced evidence or whatever I am sure one the staff inside can help you. So if I don’t mind....” She turned to continue her trek up the stairs but was halted almost immediately.

“Unfortunately that is not the case. We need to ask you some questions Ms. Andras.” Right on cue to badges were flashed and formal introductions were made though she really didn’t care who Huey and Duey were. The dark haired vampire had more important matters to attend to but it seemed they were not going to allow that until they had their time.

Her sigh was clearly audible and she dropped several stairs to close the gap, there was no need for anyone in ear shot to be privy to the conversation, no matter what the subject matter. “Fine...fine. How can I help you tonight?” She ask, her voice expressing obvious and irritable indignation at the intrusion.

“We are investigating murder. Do you recognise this man?” Agent number two spoke for the first time as he produced a picture from his inside jacket pocket and held it out to her. Velveteen shook her head and made to hand it back almost immediately. “Please take another look.” He said while holding a hand up as if to push the picture back towards her. Again she shook her head.

“Nope. I have no clue who it is. Were they brought here? I am sure if you go ask my staff one of them will be able to help you. I really do not have time for this.” She flipped the photograph back at the original owner and turned back up the stairs as her calm exterior began to slip. She just really wanted and needed to be alone right now.

“When were you released from Winterbrook Asylum Ms. Andras?” That original gravelly voice inquired, though the tone implied anything but concern. It was enough to make her stop dead in her tracks. “Our records show that you were recently commited by your husband and escorted back to the institution bye one....” A pause was taken as he checked his notes. “One Doctor Nilson. When were you released Ms. Andras?”

Her mind began to reel as she recalled the night Satine was arrested. Doc and Micah had pretended she was Micah’s wife and now here it was coming back to bit her on the ***. Much as she expected all of it would eventually. She pulled her jacket tighter about herself and turned to face them once more. “Umm...a couple of nights ago. The new medications are working and Doc.....tor Nilson felt I was no longer a threat to anyone. Why?” Her silver gaze narrowed as she inwardly began to seethe at being put in this situation. “And what does that have to do with your dead guy?”

It was made pretty obvious that they were asking the questions here as they chose to ignore hers. “The victim’s name is Paul Wells, otherwise known as Chester to most. Does the name sound familiar to you?” Again Vel shook her head, curious as to who this guy was and why they felt the need to question her. “How long have you been here in Harper Rock, Ms Andras?”

“A little over four years now. Why? What does any of this have to do with me?” Her level of irritation was rising and she had no problem showing it.

“Mr Wells was involved with your mother. Who is currently doing hard time in detox and while all the evidence points to it being a case of spousal abuse and self defense she continues to claim to not know anything about it. In fact she claims that her daughter is responsible and seems quite distraught at Mr Wells’ demise. Now I am not sure how this ended up in our lap but it seems the Australian authorities are interested in speaking with you. You came up in the system due to your recent indiscretions. I believe you also go by the name Satine Hodges? You came into Harper Rock using that name several months ago, just after Mr Wells was killed and then you tried to leave again recently. Where were you going Ms. Andras?”

Velveteen could hardly believe what she was hearing. Satine had murdered someone before coming here? And if that wasn’t enough now Vel was their prime suspect? No. No, no, no, no. Just No. This was not going to happen. Not here and not know. Her head shook and her mind raced. This was not part of any plan that she had. But then none of was. From the time Satine had turned up things just went from bad to worse.

“Ms. Andras? Ms Andras. Where were you going? If you won’t answer our questions here we can go for a drive to the station. In fact, I think that might be best. Don’t you?”

Velveteen looked at them both like they had just grown two heads right before her very eyes. “Wait. You are arresting me?” Her mind was racing with possibilities and how best to escape this as she spoke. Whatever happened it couldn’t happen here. The army was at the end of the street and the amount of cameras that had been installed over the last few years just continued to increase.

“Not unless we have to Ms. Andras. We just need to ask you some questions. If you will..the car is this way.” He turned to motion with his hand towards the black vehicle parked on the street and it was that moment the dark haired vampire decided to make a run for it. She knew a gun had been drawn before a bullet whizzed right by her ear, lifting her hair on the small rush of air as it passed. She needed to lure them away from any witnesses. Behind the buildings by the river where security was minimal was all she could think to do right now. She would make the rest up as she went along.

The sounds of her name being yelled and the footfalls of two pairs feet pounding the cement in unison behind her were close as she slipped around the corner of the building, coaxing her pursuers to follow her if they dared.

The two suits followed just as she had hoped they would and once all three were away from the eyes of the public it didn’t take the lone vampire long to take them down. At the back of the Morgue was the delivery and dispatch area. Hauling dead people up and down the front stairs was constant reminder to passersby about just how fragile life was and tended to fail at being much of a real morale booster. Such things were better left unseen. An uneasy thought that hung in the dark recesses of one’s mind, only brought on occasion when death stared an individual in the face, before promptly being tucked away as one consoled themselves that an early departure was not their lot in this life. But there in the back, a large cavernous area of shadows and concrete, the facade of life unending was kept. It was here that the Men in Black wannabes would also be made fully aware of the cycle of life and how abruptly the closing credits could and would come.

Velveteen had other plans for now though so the pair would be treated to an encore of the likes they could never have anticipated before diving into a case that they likely considered routine. Soon the interrogators would become the interrogated. The woman had questions and it seemed that her pursuers had a couple of answers and before they knew what hit them both were zip tied and body bagged and laid out in the back of the long black hearse that would take the trio to the Cimmerian. The ship offered the privacy and while there was likely a million other and far better places she really wasn’t thinking straight. The current confusion only further added to the anger and hurt the rolled beneath the surface like an underwater current, deadly, unseen and just waiting to drag her under.

Several hours passed and the two men were propped up against the wooden side of the ship, looking much like the slugs they were. Their hands and feet were bound and Vel imagined that the plastic zip ties used to do so were by now biting painfully into their flesh. Both were still zipped rather snugly into their respective, heavy black plastic body bugs except for their faces that bobbed pale and bloody above the blackness through the small hole that was left unzipped. They looked like two comical, fat black slugs. Every struggle they made only causing them to become more uncomfortable.

Threats were made, blood was spilled and while they couldn’t be seen beneath the heavy plastic of the body bags, bruises were given. The pair were rather staunch at first but soon realised that no amount of information was worth the beating that they were being subject to. And once they started talking...it seemed they would never shut up. It was amazing the amount of inspiration that a gun to the forehead could evoke. As it turned out her agents weren’t really agents at all. Just a pair of bounty hunters playing at detective. A couple of federal Police wannabes hired by the deceased’s family, who despite having renounced their son a decade or so ago, still wanted justice for their drug dealing, pussy pimpin’, flesh and blood. And if what his drugged fucked, whore girlfriend was saying then the killer was still out there. This is where these two came in...for a price of course, which was no small amount either.

Once she had all there was to know from the pair their mouths were duct taped and their small hole of respite was closed. They would struggle and search blindly for some escape but the wouldn’t find it. The only escape these men would know tonight was death. The credits were rolling.

Velveteen stood on the opposite side of the ship and looked out over the water. Killing the humans was a necessity though she knew that was not going to be the end of any of this and was likely going to bring more attention but right now she had no other choice. They knew too much already and that they had found her meant it would only be a matter of time before they found Satine. Whilst, for now, the men had decided that Velveteen suffered from sort of personality disorder , explaining her recent stint in the nuthouse, she knew it was only a matter of time before they discovered the truth and one or both sisters were going to be in for a shitfest of fun. She was however thankful for the small insight that they had offered into her twin and the life she had lived so far.

The only movement that was visible was the tightening of her fingers around the wooden railing and the slight twitch in her left eye as her thoughts turned from the present to the recent past. Her head swam as she fought for some rhyme or reason to it all. There were the facts sure and usually that would have been enough for the woman to resolve most emotional disputes but not this time. There was absolutely no solace in the facts. She didn’t care about the facts or the why of it all. All that mattered was how she felt and right now she felt like she could rip a hole in reality and punch rationality fair in the ******* neck. **** that ****. Her growl of frustration carried across the water and she turned away from the unhelpful night with utter disgust. The worst part was that she couldn’t even direct her anger in one single direction, thusly, turning her rage in a cluster bomb of ‘**** you’ that was guaranteed to hit a few friendlies before it was done and all she could do was ride shotgun and stamp those imaginary brakes that were always going to fail.

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--


Roderic - Planks creaked under the weight of my body as I made my way down the length of the dock. Boats rock back and forth rhythmically from the tide that comes to the shore as I make my way from the docked boats in the River Rock area. As I walk, there is the occasional clang of a bell in the near distance of a buoy not far from the shore. Where it is, is irrelevant, as it serves no purpose to my task. I just note that I can hear it when the tide picks up and I walk away from the dock area.

Toming would have been faster, but I’m not about to bring dead bodies in some place I don’t own. And I don’t really feel like potentially explaining my actions either. So I walk in the comfort and security of my own shadows to the other side of town. Mostly, using the water in the rivers, as I won’t have to fight through mounds of people and worry about potentially being seen if I get too close to someone.

I’m a pretty strong guy, but after a while, dead weight starts to get heavy. My shoulder starts to ache, so I decide to switch to the other one to give the left a break. I drop the extra added weight from my left shoulder to the banks of the river’s shore without any real thought. Not that I need to, there doesn’t appear to be anyone around. Not that I hear, anyways. There is a thud that interrupts the serenity of the place, and the thud even startles the night life as a splash from a few feet away is heard from what I would assume is a fish looking for a quick meal from something skimming the surface of the waters. This action drops me from the protection of the shadows, but the likelihood of being seen is pretty slim, I believe.

I had thought of bringing the guy to a place I was looking in to buying for a future project and business of mine, but since I had nothing there that I didn’t have on me, I decided it was a waste of time and effort on my part. So, here is as good of a place as any to start disposing of a body.

First things first. I take the guy’s wallet and pocket it. I take out my switch blade and grab the guy’s arm. I lift it, then cut in to the flesh of his skin, removing a few layers of his right forearm. He had a tattoo, so I’m attempting to remove any distinguishing marks to keep him from being easily identifiable if and when he’s found. Big if.

I cut the hunk of flesh up in small pieces, and toss each one in the river. Each piece is no bigger than a dime. Precautions. I bring the blade to my pants and wipe it off. Then it’s pocketed. I remove the sword from the sheath on my back and start hacking at the body. If I wasn’t married, I could have done this at the apartment, but the adage ‘A happy wife, makes for a happy life,’ rings true with Skylar. And she wouldn’t be happy with me bringing some guy home and hacking him up on my bench in front of her. She’s not quite aware of this side. Sure, she knows I kill vampires and the nasties in the sewers and other places, but if she asked me what this guy did...well, somehow I don’t think she would accept the answer at face value. *******, emotional Allurists.

Removing the left arm from the base of the body takes two, solid good whacks. I toss the left arm to the side and start on the right. One hack got it off, but the idea makes me twitch. So, I hack in to it again for good measure and add it to the other arm. The legs are going to take longer because of their naturally bigger size, so I step back and size the body up. Deciding how to remove the limbs in the best possible way. From the ankle, then at the knee? Or from the thigh? Decisions, decisions.

Velveteen - The river echoed silence in the same way that a cave carried sound. The quiet resonated within one’s soul and provided an inner peace unlike any other. It was what drew Velveteen here when things were crazy. It allowed her to think without other distractions. The ship was like a whole other place, removed from time and somehow separate from the nightly goings ons around her. The woman paced back and forth across the wooden floor below deck, casting an occasional glance towards the two plastic wrapped figures propped up not too far away. Blood covered the body bags , the walls the floors. She shook her head unable to explain the fact that it looked like a bloody massacre had happened down here. Who knew that two bodies held so much blood.

What irked her the most was that she couldn’t remember. The interrogation was happening, she had garnered quite a bit of information but was far from finished. One punch. Humans were such soft, fragile creatures and she tended to forget how easily their skin split under an assault. One punch. She remembered the smell of the fresh blood and the way it roused her hunger. Something she hadn’t had to worry too much about whilst she wore the armlet that her husband gave her but after that...nothing. It was a big black hole of nothingness in her memory from then until only a few moments ago when she woke.

Congealed blood clumped on the floor, bits of flesh decorated the wall. She eyed the slumping body bags with much trepidation. She was really not in a hurry to see what they housed, not if what she could see was any indication of what to expect. This had happened before but her husband was there to stop or help her. She had seen herself in his memories and the image made her cringe. The thought of him made her both sad and angry. God, how she wished he was here. God, how she wanted to punch him. What the **** was she going to do? It seemed the river was the most convenient and probably easiest method of disposal but it was also not the most reliable for keeping such secrets. Every other day another floater was literally popping up only to be discovered. Perhaps a trip into the wilderness and a couple of not so shallow graves was in order.

Decisions….decisions.

Her mind raced, her usually clinical and precise thought process was clouded and fuelled by irrational emotions as the need to blame someone for the entire mess she currently found herself in took pride of place on her mental to-do list. Satine. The name burned angrily in her mind. She wanted nothing more than to wipe her hands of the whole mess and make it all disappear but that wasn’t about to happen now was it. Not since her husband turned her. The very thought made her insides twist and she literally felt like she could be sick. A feeling she had not experienced in so very long. Pain stabbed at her stomach and sides and she wrapped her arms about herself in a bid to assuage the assault. Air...she needed air.

Once on the deck she gulped at the cool air , filling her lungs and breathing out, nothing more than an exercise that would hopefully redirect her thoughts. The soothing motion which required her to concentrate on the process meant she could not think about other things, if only for a minute or so. Several minutes passed and she was able to push everything back and down. She just couldn’t deal with it right now. Not yet. She had to clean up this mess first. Her fingers wrapped about the wooden rail and as something undefinable drew her attention. Her head tilted to the side as she focused on listening. There it was a gain. A soft splashing that sounded like something small hitting water. She looked over the side of the ship as she moved slowly along it’s side. The last thing she needed right now was anybody poking around.

She almost tiptoed towards the front of the ship to peek over the bow. She hadn’t detected the presence of another yet as she peered along the darkened edges of the river she could see a lone figure. kneeling and hunched over, throwing something into the river occasionally. Every now and then the dull glint of steel was caught by the dim light. The sight brought a slight yet wicked grin to the woman’s pale lips. She recognised the hunched form and knowing the little that she did about the man, he may just be the one to help her out with her immediate problem. She leaned over the edge of the ship that sat tall in the water and while her voice was not loud she knew he would hear her clearly. “Feeding the fishes, Bloodthief?”

Roderic - I had decided that since I was inevitably going to cut the guy up in bits anyways, that it was best to just take smaller sections. I bring the heavy, steel blade down on the guy’s ankle when I hear someone asking a question. They are asking me a question.

I know who it is before I even look up. Only one person had the galls to refer to me as what I once was. Not that I cared. I had even grown to like the nickname. I sit down on the bank, legs criss crossed and start cutting the guy’s toes off, one by one. “Life cycle. Everything has to eat. Poor guys are practically starving from this last winter.” I look up as I toss the big toe in the river and give Velveteen a small grin. “Want to give me a hand?” I hold up the hand, the left that was sitting in the pile and offer it to her. My attempt at humor, can at times be crude. Was this one of those moments?

Velveteen - The soft chuckle was a complete contradiction to everything she felt though she had to admit, it was kinda funny. She glanced over her shoulder, reluctant to leave her post just incase though she doubted anybody would be dropping by. Once that was decided she climbed over the edge of the boat and crawled down the side of it. Once near the surface of the water the transfer was seamless as she dropped from the side of the ship onto the water and walked the short distance from there to rivers edge. Once on dry land she stood beside him quietly watching for a moment. “I can do that and hopefully you can give me a hand in return?” Her gaze was restless and seemed unable to settle as she continued to glance back towards the ship every other moment while struggling to maintain the facade of normalcy.

Something was obviously off with the vampire though she was doing her best to keep it well hidden though it was only a matter of time before the effort became too much. She closed her eyes momentarily and shoved her hands in her pockets. Though that was going to make it difficult for her to assist. “Is this how you ...usually do it?” She asked and withdraw a hand to wave it casually through the air to indicate the dismembered body on the ground below.

Roderic - She agrees to help, but I can tell her mind is anywhere but the task at hand. She keeps looking back at the boat. It makes me look too. I stop, wipe my hands on my dark denim jeans and look the boat over. Seems to be in one piece, so was there something on the boat she needed help with?

“No problem.” I would probably do just about anything Velveteen or anyone in the faction asked of me, as long as it was something discreet. And I doubt whatever she needs done is anything but. “And no. Normally, I have my own space for things like this. But it’s been invaded like Normandy with girl things.” I cross my arms. “Usually, I turn things into a project at work. But until the shop is set up, this-” I stop and point at the dismembered male and then at the river, “Will have to do for now.” I look back at her and kick a hunk of leg in the river next to us. “What’s the task you’re needing help with?” I just look at her. Not in any particular sort of way. I’m just trying to assess her situation.

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--


Velveteen - Lines marred her brow as she thought on his question. She needed help with a lot of things right now. Some were fixable. Others, were just a cesspool of bad feelings but the immediate problem was physical, simple and likely the safest to answer, “I got bodies. Two. Need to get rid of them, no traces.” Her words seemed unconnected. Her sentences incomplete as she struggled to relay only the pertinent information without opening the floodgates on the tumult behind them.

She watched as the leg hit the water and then disappeared into the inky depths of the river. When did such a thing become so casual? The vampire often teetered between between being an emotionless monster and experiencing much sympathy as she appreciated the frailties of being human. Killing was something she would experience guilt over at times, unless she could rationalise it as a necessity. For a moment she wondered what this poor sod did to end up fish bait. “People will probably be looking for them.” She added absently as she watched the river.

Roderic - “Just the two?” I ask her, a grim grin on my features. Her two and my one was three. Three bodies couldn’t be dumped here. Even as bait. It was too risky. “Who are they?” I ask, but then shake my head. “Maybe it’s best I don’t know. Just in case.” I wouldn’t ever rat on Velveteen if things got back to me, but still, there was something about the saying ‘the less you know, the better.’ I then nod, letting her know I understand what she needs. Exactly. “Consider it done.” I look at the boat she came from, then back at her. For now, the plan was to teleport the bodies to my workshop and deal with them after everything was figured out here with Velveteen. I could make a lot of key chains with the amount of bones I’d get tonight. And no one would ever know that they weren’t from the animal I replicated to make those keychains from.

Velveteen - Relief washed over but she she shifted her weight from one foot to the other she looked a little nervous. She rubbed at her cheek and struggled with what she should do now. She should at least warn of him of the mess right? The possibility of what he might find zipped into those plastic bags….or perhaps she could just act dumb, shrug and smile sheepishly. Roderic didn’t seem the type to pry ever but he also made you wonder what was going on his head when he didn’t say anything.

Might as well give him some...something. Some sort of warning. “It’s...messy. And complicated. And….messy.” She nodded and let her gaze drift out over the river to avoid eye contact, purely because she didn’t herself to not try and further explain. If he wanted to know he would ask.

Roderic - Messy. I wasn’t surprised. While Velveteen helped kill a lot of vampires and ran precise squads, I have the feeling she wasn’t quite like me. Which isn’t a bad thing, just a fact. And people who didn’t go around killing other people for whatever reason, didn’t practice their technique a lot. I shrug at her confession. “Blood is difficult to erase traces of completely. But, there should be no reason for someone to suspect your boat had anything to do with a double homicide.” I say it as it is, because that is what it is. She killed two people and I don’t think it was for no good reason. So I can’t classify Velveteen as a murderer or that she murdered two people. “But on a scale of one to ten, one being not that big of a deal and ten being knee deep in ****, where does complicated land?” I look down at the rest of the remains I had and then at her. I would consider my mess a five. I doubt anyone would notice this guy wasn’t around for a couple days. He had no wedding ring, or no line indicating he was married or had been not that long ago. He was obnoxious and so I doubted he had many friends. No, I know he didn’t. I never once saw anyone come in the guy’s house, or the guy go anywhere to meet anyone.

Velveteen - Her pale lips were pressed together and dragged to the side of her face thoughtfully as she chewed at the inside of her cheek. Knee deep in **** didn’t quite begin to describe the possibilities of this situation. The two were going to be noticed missing. More may even come. That all depended on just how interested the dead guy’s family were in finding her sister. “Mmm….good question. It could be a sliding scale. Possibly a thirteen?” There. If it was too much she had just given him an out. She was already feeling bad and slightly embarrassed for suggesting he be included. No one needed this sort of ****. Though the one thing that Roderic did have in his favour if this blew up was that he was an unknown factor. No one would have to know of his involvement and she certainly wouldn’t tell. “That could go higher….maybe.”

Roderic - My lips twitch and they come to a small smile. “Then I guess there isn’t much point in standing here talking about it.” I say, my voice lacking any tone. It was time to get to work, in my mind. However, there were questions running through my mind. A thirteen or possibly higher? What exactly did these people do for a living and how did Velveteen get wrapped up in it? And finally, where the **** was Micah? Why wasn’t he helping his wife with what seemed to be a big storm of ****? Did I want to ask? Yes. But I don’t. I figure if she wants to tell me anything, she will. If she doesn’t, it doesn’t bother me either. “Why don’t we just get started and see where it takes us?” The end result would be that the bodies would be gone and the boat would be cleaned as best as it could be, but any forensic team would find blood if they were looking for it, for whatever reason on her boat. So, we might need to potentially give them a reason not to. “Where were you, or rather, the deceased before ending up here?” Hopefully, no where too public. If so, we might need a hacker. I think the one known as Ariadne was good at that. She seemed to talk about hacking every once in a while.

Velveteen - She had to admire his ability to not ask questions. Velveteen had never had such restraint. She always had to know...right down to the last detail but this was….difficult. She nodded and started towards the ship, stopping only to make sure that he hadn’t changed his mind. “They stopped me at the morgue. The were looking for someone and thought I was that person. I ran, the followed. I brought them here. I….They had information. I hadn’t planned to kill them, I….hadn’t planned anything.” Her brow knit together, this was ridiculous. If the man trusted her enough to help her without asking then surely she could trust him with the truth. “They are...were private detectives slash bounty hunters. Hired by an australian family to find their son’s killer. They have had dealings with the local police recently too.” She frowned….it would make is so much easier if he asked the questions. Then she wouldn’t drown him in unnecessary details.

Roderic - I listen and frown at what she has to say. If these people are searching internationally, it more than likely means the kid’s parents have money. And money usually got people results and answers when enough of it was flashed in people’s faces. I just nod, even though there is still a frown on my face. “First things first when we’re done here. We should get someone who can hack the city cameras. Get rid of anything to do with the Morgue and you.” I look back at the boat. “Don’t suppose you have garbage bags on that thing?” I decide that my own little cleanup can wait after I dump the remainder of the pieces in the garbage bag. Velveteen has found herself in a big storm of **** and that was a bigger problem than my Joe Nobody.

Velveteen - The calmness in his voice and the matter-of-fact way he spoke was enough to calm some of her own angst. It was a mess. A huge old **** pile that spread far beyond what what was going to be seen her but….all in due time. She shook her head at his inquiry about garbage bags but a second later her eyes widened….”No...But I do have...I have...just wait here.” She said, stepping back then forth and then back again before running off. She had thrown a few things in the back of the hearse in her haste to get the two men away from there. Perhaps there was an extra body bag or two. She returned minutes later with one of the heavy plastic bags and held it out to him. “No leaks.” She said and looked at him almost apologetically.

Roderic - She appears to recollect herself and I feel, relieved? We were progressing. I always feel this way when things are moving forward. She comes back with a body bag and my frown turns into a smile. Yeah, she seemed to be heading on the right track. “That’ll do.” I tell her as I take it from her, unzip it and start to put the rest of the bits in the bag. As I do this, I keep thinking about one singular thing. A question, really. And it’s nagging at me for a few reasons. Primarily, because they are a team. I don’t see one without the other. So I ask. “Where’s Micah?” Is it possible that something happened to him and in a fit of revenge, Velveteen slaughtered the men? Or was he out of town?

Velveteen - Her lips stretched into something akin to a smile and she gave a curt nod at his approval of the body bag. Her eyes watch as he packs what is left of the dismembered individual away. Her stance shifted visibly when he asked about her husband. It was true that usually he would be the one here. He would be the first person she called no matter what the situation but she was still angry at him. Furious. And the last thing she needed was to see him right now. “Probably with my sister.” The tone of her voice was evident of her anger. The vampire shook her head and averted her gaze to look at the ground. “That is who those guys are looking for. They thought I was her.” Was that too much? Not enough? She couldn’t be sure but she figured he would ask if it wasn’t.

Roderic - I hear the tone in her voice, so for the time being, all I say is, “Oh.” Like it’s expected he would be with Velveteen’s sister. I finish putting the bits in, nod and zip the bag up. I stand, and take a step back, making sure I have every piece of flesh I had ripped apart from the guy in the bag. Any small piece might be found and open up a bigger can of worms. Like Velveteen’s. I see a glint of metal in the ground, bend down and pick it up. A coin. Better to be safe than sorry, so I open the bag and chuck it in and re-zip it close. I could ask why she doesn’t let the guys find her sister, but I get it. As much as I push Aliyah away, I still wouldn’t let anything happen to her if I could. Maybe it’s a sense of obligation. Or maybe it’s something more I just don’t understand yet. Something Velveteen has a better grasp of. “Well. You know what they say. Too many cooks in the kitchen, spoils the broth or something.” I reach down, yank the bag off the ground and lug it over my shoulder. “After you.” I extend a hand to the boat and wait until she’s ready to face what she’s done.

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--


Velveteen - Velveteen isn’t sure about Roderic’s lack of questions or any outward reaction to the news she just shared. To her it was as if the ******* world was ending and yet it was nothing. She stood for a moment, taking the time to consider that or wrestle her emotions back into submission, she wasn’t really sure which but when he feet started moving to head in the direction he had indicated, toward the ship, her chin upward defiantly. First things first yeah? Her need to talk and gain an outside perspective was strong. Her need to retain some semblance of the leader this man had come to know warred against her. In that moment she truly felt completely and utterly lost. Her step faltered as she considered just running. Running far away and not dealing with any of it. The complete opposite to everything she was and stood for. “She is my twin. Identical. That is why they thought she was me. The police had her in custody recently. They were under the impression it was me.” She shook her head. It was a long and crazy ******* story. Did she really want to go there.

Roderic - I just stop what I’m doing and stare at Velveteen. Not because I don’t believe her, but because the story I had in my head was a little bit different. Well, actually, a lot different. I shift the weight that’s on me and think about what I should say. I have a lot of things running in my head, but I don’t think I should ask them all. I think of the most important ones. Or the ones that surround Velveteen’s safety. That is my primary concern. I don’t know her sister. She doesn’t mean anything to me, even if she means something to Velveteen. So I don’t ask the obvious, ‘if she is a problem, why don’t we kill her?’ because again, she might mean something to Velveteen. Family makes you feel things. Think things you don’t normally think. “But Micah has her? So I assume she’s safe for now?” Once that is established and reassured in Velveteen’s mind, that her sister is safe and not part of this immediate equation, she can focus on herself. I know how women are. I’m married to one. That sounded strange as I thought it in my head, so I rethink what that means. I’m married to a very emotional and often illogical woman who cares about everything under the sun sometimes. It’s annoying. So, with that large base being covered, we move to the next one. “While he’s doing that, you need to be looking after yourself. Because that’s who they’re after. You.” I remind her of what she just said, more or less. It’s not that I don’t care about Velveteen’s feelings, I care about her safety first. She is my faction leader and in a sense, one of the few people I trust to talk to about things I haven’t a clue about. So I am both compelled and driven to see to her safety.

Velveteen - That made her laugh. It was a twisted , sardonic sound that mocked the joy it should have emulated. He actually thought her sister’s safety was what she was worried about. Well why wouldn’t he...isn’t that how it was supposed to be. “I suppose so. She is his childe now, he will make sure she is, I am sure.” There was bitterness in her words. Her silver gaze narrowed and she nodded. He was right. She did have to look after herself. “They have my picture. My name. My place of work….everything. I suppose they have likely been to my apartment in Alpha towers too. It is the only one I have on record. “I should….warn Doc. He will likely get a visit in the future if anything comes of this.” The last part was said more to herself than than anything as she climbed the side of the ship and stood by the stairs that would take the pair below deck. She winced a little, remembering the carnage but she was happy in the knowledge that even if it did shock Roderic, which she was beginning to doubt it would, at least he wouldn’t show it and she could for intents and purposes pretend it wasn’t as bad as it may appear.

Roderic - “Oh.” I’m letting what she just told me process in my mind. Things appeared to be complicated on a multitude of levels. At least she answered my final question. The one I didn’t ask. Was she a risk? With Micah as her sire, I highly doubted it. Which meant, to me, that whatever her sister did prior to becoming a vampire, would end. And so once this big **** storm was fixed, it should be the end of the girl from Australia that might have had to do something with some rich family’s son dying. I follow after Velveteen, tossing the body parts up the deck and then tugging them behind me as we walk down the stairs. “You know,” I begin, because I could hear the tone in her voice. The way she talked about Micah and her sister. I’ve started picking up on them more and more since being married. “A good friend once told me that communication was important. Just something to think about once this is all sorted.” I don’t look at her, though I’m looking in her direction as we walk. I’m looking past her to see just what we’re going to have to deal with and clean up.

Velveteen - Velveteen simply nodded at the advice. Communication. It was important. Though one could communicate with a brick wall all their life and get nowhere. It only worked when both parties were willing to listen and understand and she wasn’t sure she could give that. Not yet. She stood off to his side, a step behind as she allowed for him to survey the area. Even with the little lighting that made its way down here one could see it wasn’t pretty and the stench of dried blood and death filled the area. She moved then to a light switch nearby, one of the more modern conveniences she had installed during restoration. Light flooded the area and brought the horror of the prior evening’s events to light.

Blood ran down the walls and pooled on the wooden floor in congealed puddles. Bits of flesh littered the floor and clung to the ceiling overhead. It was like someone had shoved a body in a giant blender and turned it on without the lid in place. She had no idea of the what was in the body bags. She didn’t remember anything and didn’t want to look when she woke. She gestured with a hand toward the far end where the blood covered body bags were. “I didn’t want to risk taking them back to the morgue like that. Even an animal attack would be a far stretch I think.”

Roderic - What I see makes me twitch. I don’t even recognize that I’m twitching, but my OCD is in high gear and all I want to do is clean and then get rid of one of the bodies. She had two and I had one and that made three in this room and it just didn’t sit right. Three bodies in one space like this. “You did this? By yourself?” I had seen some pretty amazing feats since becoming a Blood Thief and then a vampire, but this? I look away from the mess and then look right at her. I size her up, because while I believe she’s strong and a very able vampire, this screams to me of something else. There is no control in what she did. No order. She didn’t care at the time about what she did. She was driven by some underlying emotion. Rage? Maybe. Fear? Possibly. Some form of compulsion? I don’t attribute any of those things to who Velveteen is, yet, here it is evident that she can channel those things.

I sigh and then start to circle around. Just taking it all in. “I don’t think there is enough bleach in the world to do this justice.” I look back at her and then focus on the bodies. “No. I doubt that would be believable.” I agree with her. “And burning bodies has an awful stench to it. So I read in a book that took place during the Nazi concentration camps.” I admit that piece of information. I like to read, and I read a lot of different things. “So burning them, unless in a very unpopulated area for a few miles, might not be the best way either.” I start to spin around again, thinking on what to do. “Muriatic acid will get rid of the flesh if we let it sit in a large container of some sort, but might eat through the container too. Doesn’t get rid of the bones though. But, I can work with those and no one will be the wiser.” I inform her. So, for the time being, there seems to be our answers, it just depends which she wants to do and risk. Finding a highly secluded area and burning the bodies, or the latter option that came to mind. “As for your ship, after we clean it as best as we can, it might be best to strip it and refinish the wood. And definitely redecorate.” I look at a chair that has some piece of organ nestled on it. Was that part of a liver?

Velveteen - The woman visibly cringed. This was not something she was proud of. Not in the least. If anything she was embarrassed and disgusted with herself. Bringing Roderic down here was to expose a weakness in herself and that was never something she did lightly. Desperation had driven her to it and that too was not a trait she considered favourable. “Yeah.” The word barely audible in response to his questions. Micah was the only other that knew what she was capable of until now.

One of the things Velveteen had prided herself on was her strength of self control and general lack of empathy. It was what had gotten her through life. But since being turned she had been on a steady decline in that department. The one thing she detested about being a vampire was the loss of this control. How many situations had she been in where she was unable to control how she felt, how she acted or thought and it was pushing her to the brink of madness. But this….this took all of that to whole other level. “It happens occasionally. I was trying to get information. There was blood. Apparently it only happens when there is human blood. Micah has ….seen it. It’s like I go completely ******* mental. I….don’t ever remember it. He shot me once….” She let that story trail off it was completely off track and had nothing to do with the present, though that too involved her sister. “But yes….redecorate. What sort of containers would you need. Wooden? Steel?” She saw some of the later at the old slaughterhouse recently. She didn’t think anyone would miss them.

Roderic - I’m not judging. I just want the facts. She confirms that she did do, what some people might consider to be a monstrous act alone. I nod, but don’t say anything about that. She’s getting back to business and wanting to clean the mess up. Progress. This makes me happy once again. I look over the scene, putting in my mind all the things that will need to get taken care of. Furniture can be burned and we wouldn’t have to worry about the smell, really. People burn things all the time. Especially out in the more rural areas of town where farm lands are abundant. It’s their life style. There wouldn’t be much thought to people burning some old furniture made of wood. That’s the easiest fix for the problem at hand. I give her question about the container some real thought. “Either one would work, I think. The acid might soften the wood and eat through it a little, but it will eat through flesh quicker. Same rule of thumb should apply to the steel container as well.” My attention shifts back to Velveteen. Now that it seemed like a plan was coming together, I can return to the other problem at hand. Velveteen. What she did here, wasn’t the Velveteen I know. The Velveteen I trust, and put a lot of stock in. Like everyone else in the faction.Again, I’m not judging, but it is human nature for people to do that. Even as vampires, I still see and hear it. Velveteen can’t afford to have another one of these incidents. People would judge her. Even, those in the faction. It is not their fault, it is just innate.

“The clothes from last night. What you wore. Needs to be gone too.” I remind her before encroaching on the bigger problem. “I suspect you’ll eventually talk to Micah about what happened. Rest assured that I won’t say anything to anyone. Even him, unless he approaches me about it. Then I’ll know you told him.” I want to reassure her that I won’t tell anyone. It’s not my business to, anyways. And I don’t gossip like girls do. With her reassured that she has my silence and hopefully my trust, I broach a more sensitive topic. “But if there is a next time, you might not be as lucky to come across a friend that knows a thing or two about body disposal.” It’s true and a statement of a fact. Our meeting wasn’t intentional or planned. And most people don’t know how to get rid of the evidence as best as they can. Things could have gone a lot worse for Velveteen in this scenario.

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--


Velveteen - The woman listened and nodded, taking in everything the man said. Wooden barrells wouldn’t be difficult. There was a stack of them hidden in the shadows at the other end of the ship. The reason they were there was simply aesthetic. All pirate ships had wooden barrels for gun powder and run right? Luckily those there were empty and the fact that they didn’t have to drag a couple of barrels back just made this whole mess a little less complicated.

Her clothes. She looked down at herself. Leather. She had cleaned herself up at some point though she didn’t remember doing so but still...it was better to be safe than sorry and honestly she had no idea what sort of effect blech would have on the soft material. Whatever. She had more. Could get more. She nodded again in response though he wasn’t looking for answers, just making statements. She knew she could count on him to not say anything but the idea of talking to Micah about anything right now made her insides twist almost painfully. The truth was for the first time in their relationship she really didn’t know how to talk to him. About any of this. It was all Satine’s fault and now Satine was his childe. Her sister. A a complete stranger except for her face.

The idea of there being a next time horrified her and that was made painfully obvious by the look on her face as soon as he said it. There really shouldn’t have been a ‘this time’. Since discovering this....thing, Velveteen had learned to take precautions using an old trick she had learned back in Uni. Vapour rub on the top lip was enough to block even the worst of scents and burn out your eyeballs at the same time. Not the most ideal of solutions but it had worked. She had been caught off guard. Driven by emotion and not thinking clearly she had walked out into the world completely unprepared for any of this. She had kicked herself more times than she could count since waking up for that little **** up. It was not like her. None of this was like her and she seethed on the inside, blaming only one person for this entire ******* mess. Satine.

Roderic - Velveteen doesn’t say a single thing. She’s agreeable, as she just shakes her head. I’d even go as far as to say compliant. I frown and look at the woman I trust to lead me. The faction, but mostly me. She is the one I go to to find things out. The one, whose judgement I trust to go to. But here she is at a loss of words. I start to wonder if I have handled the situation incorrectly. I’m better at fixing things. At tasks. Keeping busy with my mind and hands. I clear my throat and rub the back of my head with my right hand. “Are you okay?” I rethink about the question. “Going to be okay?” I look down at the remains of what is left of the two guys and my guy and then at her. “I can take care of all this myself, if you want. If you have other things to do. Take care of.” I don’t mind cleaning up her mess.

Velveteen - Lines form in her brow as he offers to take care of it for her. It is her mess she should be here and helping take care of business but in her current state of mind she would likely be more of an hindrance than a help. A hand comes up and her fingers are raked through her matted, blood soaked locks. He asked her another question. Was she going to be okay? How did she answer that because the truth was right now she really didn’t know. So much more going on beneath the surface. The anger and hurt and confusion made it difficult to detach enough to be able to think straight. Maybe this was the true cause of spontaneous combustion. A complete overload that just causes one to simply burst into flames. The way she felt right now, it made complete sense.

Wait….he was expecting an answer or something as she stood there looking like someone who should be chained up comfortably in a padded cell. Would she be okay? Her eyes rolled toward the ceiling as she gave the questions way more thought than it required. It didn’t really matter much what the real answer was did it? Her gaze returned to the man that was waiting patiently and she offered a reassuring smile. “I will be fine. Thank you Blood Thief.” Her lips were pressed together and drawn between her teeth as she seemed to be thinking. “I can’t ask you to do that. But...I should go and get out of these clothes. I can go get the acid and bring that back too. What sort was it again?” She tilted her head projecting a calmness that she in now way felt. It would do no good for any member of Tytonidae to see their leader falling to bits, no matter the situation.

Roderic - She answers, and while she talks, I stare at her. More like, watch her. To see if her words and her body coincide together. With what she says and what she believes to be true. “Muriatic.” I know she’s not an idiot, so I don’t tell her the more common name of the acid. I know she’ll find it just fine. I nod when she mentions getting out of her clothes. Progression. We’ve made a lot of it, all things considered. I’m not entirely sure when she’ll be alright, but I think Velveteen is on the right track. The fact that she’s spent more time being productive and thoughtful tells me this. “I’m not the best conversationalist. But I’ve been told I’m a good listener.” I crack a smile at that. Mostly, because there is usually an absence of vocalization on my end during conversations. “If you ever need it.” I offer before hoisting a bagged man over my shoulder, indicating I was going to get started. The sooner things were covered up, the sooner Velveteen would be okay, in my head.

Velveteen - Her appreciation was real and that he offered at all made her smile. But that was her job. To listen. Problem solve. Make sure everyone was ok. To be the one who knew what to do and when to do it. To set an example and not go to ****. To take the blame when they did. There were only two people that she had let in enough to see the cracks as she fully believed to show any sort of vulnerability was to undermine herself in everything she had tried to achieve. Showing weakness countered her ability and strength as a leader and as much as she needed to talk, to rage and scream about it all, she declined. She had learned early on in life that real truth isn’t what people really wanted no matter how much they said they did. Most couldn’t handle it. Besides...she couldn’t guarantee that such emotional exposure wouldn’t make her weird afterwards. So she smiled.

“Thank you Blood Thief. As much as I appreciate the offer I think...there are some things I need to work out for myself in this. But...should I need to I will certainly call you. I can’t promise that you wont regret it though.” Her usual grin was firmly in place and for now she was back in control, if only for a little while. “Muriatic.” She said with a curt nod and shortly after a look of recognition. “You couldn’t have just said that?” She asked shaking her head. The woman took a hesitant step back and gave another nod. “I will be back. Soon. I will have Scott come move the hearse.” She seemed hesitant for a moment as if trying to recall if anything else was needed. “Ok...just call if there is anything else needed and I will see you soon.”

Roderic - Velveteen appears to have her **** together as she keeps talking. So I stop staring at her and I even feel my body relax when she declines doing the talking then. When did it get tense to begin with? Whenever that happened and whatever caused my body to stiffen for however long, is gone. Try as I might to do what people expect and think is socially appropriate in various scenarios, the thought of listening to girl problems made me cringe. And think about Skylar and her irrational girl problems. I would rather stay away from all of that. It’s not that I wouldn’t do it for Velveteen, it’s just the plain truth that I think someone else would be more sympathetic? Empathic? That was it. Empathic. Try as I might, I still don’t know all the right things to say or do in situations like these. But, I’m glad to roll past these thoughts and work on the project that we are faced with. That’s my forte.

“Cya.” I wave my free hand over my shoulder in my typical goodbye wording to the woman, and lean down to grab the other bag. I can handle the weight of what is left of the men and it saves time. Going back and forth, back and forth and back and forth again would take about three extra minutes, I figure. Three minutes might not seem like a lot to some people, and I suppose it isn’t, but that’s three minutes more on my side to get things cleaned up and out of sight before she returns. On my way back for my own guy, I’ll remind myself to get that piece of liver I saw earlier. As I put body number one down in a container, I can’t help but reflect on the way the room was the second I walked in to it. Then I think about the driving force that set Velveteen off. Her sister. If Velveteen was capable of this, just what the **** was her sister capable of? Then I think to myself, I hope I don’t ever have to find out. Or, maybe I do.