lunatic lover;; [open to anyone]

[TOBIAS STRANG]

The sign on the post said "Versailles" and, although Tobias didn't know what that meant, he town itself told a story. The air vibrated. It smelled of death and decay and the scent intoxicated the young boy. He was tired, hungry and anxious.

It was near light. A place to hide would be good. He only trusted himself to sleep in the daytime. The brunette had always been much more alert when the lights were out and he needed that awareness to travel.

Tobias, himself, preferred the day. His schedule of time got a bit jumbled when Aster's night terrors started. She would sleep walk, scream and thrash in the late hours and it was Tobias' job to watch over his twin.

Smiling at the memory, Tobias sat quietly on a low wall with his arms wrapped around his waist. How much further he was from the center of the city still remained unknown and, seeing as how he didn't speak a word of the native language, it would most likely prove to stay that way.

Food would be necessary soon. It sometimes slipped his mind to eat. That had always been Aster's specialty. She reminded Tobias of trivial things like that. "Aster."

He whispered, slowly digging his nails into his palms and waiting for the pinch and flow of release when he cut skin. It would take some work. It was cold and snowing. His skin was numb. It frustrated Tobias. If he couldn't get the release on his own he'd find someone to help him. "Here kitty kitty...."

Tobias sang softly, his eyes prowling for a straggler, a child maybe. Anyone. Someone.

A soft giggle, almost like music to his ears and Tobias was on his feet like a cat. A child. A little girl. Perfect. He'd stay. Wait to hear the screams of the mourning mother.

"Mary Mary quite contrary..."

He sang softly, catching the little girl's attention as she wandered his way. She seemed to be in pursuit of something. How fitting. A cat.

"How does your garden grow? With silver bells and cockle shells..."

Tobias swept the kitten up in his arms, petting it's tiny scalp as it seemed to purr. Strange. Only cats ever seemed to take to him. It amused him, really. Animals were not something Tobias took to. Ever.

The little girl said something Tobias didn't understand. He understood the tone. She was asking a question.

"Do you want 'im?"

He asked softly, crouching down and holding out the kitten. The girl seemed hesitant. Wise. "Pretty kitty... Pussycat pussycat, where have you been?"

The little girl inched forward and Tobias watched her, green eyes predatory.

"I've been up to London to visit the Queen... Come on, now..."

He handed over the kitten, the tiny animal snatched up in the girl's greedy arms. She seemed to thank him, by the tone in his voice and Tobias waited, silently twining his hand in the hem of her dress. "Don't run now."

The girl tried to pull away and whined when she couldn't, Toby only tightening his grip. "Pretty little girl. Just like Aster. Would you like to see her?"

Reaching into his pocket, Tobias pulled out the golden locket he kept so close to him, opening it and showing it to the little girl. "Aster is much prettier than you."

The little girl dropped the kitten and it scampered off. She was scared now, tears in her eyes. "You're afraid... Good."

It was quick. Flash of his knife and the red on her dress and she was silenced. He'd wrapped a hand around her mouth to keep her quiet and he lay her down on the low wall, petting her hair. He didn't have much time if he wanted to hide. She was a pretty girl. Someone would come looking soon. "Goodnight, Aster."

[fall]

It was interesting, to watch the boy. His style was almost identical to Elizabeth’s; the way he drew the girl to him with such skill, and then, just like that – slice, and the smell of blood filled the air. It felt just like a century before…. The bait, the kill and – there it was! – the pitiful wailing as the body was discovered. He winced at the onslaught against his eardrums and moved away quickly, the woman’s pitiful screaming already grinding on his temper. He had watched his Elizabeth for months before siring her, and every death was like a spiritual enlightenment… at least until the wailing began.

As the boy moved away, hiding nearby, his small body wracked with a kind of trembling that Fall knew not to be fear, he followed, intrigued, his eyes lingering on the small girl’s open blue eyes, the blood staining her white dress. All girls seemed to wear white in this age, he thought grimly, and saw the irony in it; that white was supposed to represent purity and holiness, yet children became adults younger this century than they ever had in his lifetime. He shook his head, hands in the pockets of his overcoat, the stinking Versailles streets overwhelming the tang of her blood and replacing it with their own unique and frantic heat and scent.

“Son nom ne figure pas Aster,” He said softly, and waited for the boy to look up. Aster was not a common name in France; little girls in this part of Europe were more commonly Madeleine or Daniella or Bianca or…. Well, or Antoinette. The thought made him smile and, remembering, repeat to himself the words the boy had spoken in English. It had been many years since he had heard any English spoken; since the Hundred Years War ended in the mid 15th century, speaking English was completely taboo and (in some cases) punishable by death. The boy, he gathered, was not from here, and if he could guess by the accent, he would judge on Southern England, where the Celts (at last check) still had control over some of the language. Slowly, he moved to lean against the grubby wall of the alleyway in which Tobias now hid, the flickering gas streetlamp not quite penetrating to cast its light on him. He looked at the boy, at his filthy clothes and blatant out-of-town appearance, and he frowned slightly, eyes narrowing in the darkness. “Her name was not Aster. Her name was Cecilia. Such a waste.”

[TOBIAS STRANG]

Tobias left the girl and let his bare feet hit the ground running, a giddy smile on his face. The weight was gone. All gone, just like always. A few streets away, Tobias gripped the edge of a wall and swung himself into the alleyway, pressing up against the wall and giggling with both hands over his mouth.

It was so easy here. When the screaming reached him, Tobias' shook all over. It was like music to him. The sorrowing wail of a woman, the mother. Mother. Tobias twitched. The sorrow was never truly for the child but always for the Mother, herself. What would she do now? Now that she was all alone with her husband. All alone with herself. Mothers made Tobias ill.

The weight was coming back and much too soon. It made Toby itch all over. The itch that never went away. Not until there was blood shed. His skin was still too cold to get the sweet release he wanted. It never hurt enough in the cold. Stupid snow.

Sighing softly, Tobias sank to the ground and nuzzled back into the brick wall. Aster would be close now, he was sure. It would be much more fun when she was here, when she would help. No one could bring the screams in like Aster. She had a special talent. They thought she was innocent. People were so so stupid.

When they were young they would bring Father's workers into their game. Cat and Mouse and it was so easy. They all wanted her. Aster was beautiful and it angered Tobias that they would touch her so easily. They deserved the screams and the blood. And when their bodies were found, well... Aster was too precious to be at fault and Mother would never allow Father near Tobias. He shuddered again and scratched at his temple, red marks in the wake of his sharp nails. "Shut up shut up shut up. Shhh you're not allowed."

He whined, tearing his lip with his teeth. "Quiet now-AH!"

Toby squeaked. Fall's voice startled him. It was soft and almost lilting but it... powerful. And no one surprised Tobias. It annoyed him. The brunette turned dark eyes in the direction of the Vampire's voice and he growled quietly. "Go 'way!"

He snarled, his voice sounding almost like a petulant child. Fingers shaking, Tobias slid his hands into his pockets and gripped the handle of his blade... just in case. "Go 'way she wasn't for you. For me not for you!

[fall]

There was a long moment of silence, and Fall simply quirked an eyebrow, remaining still otherwise against the wall. Across the silent street, the woman's screaming wails died down to pitiful moans, her compulsive rocking over her dead child's body sending waves of scent and desperation into the air. The boy before him was clearly past the point of no return; this kill had to be the most recent in a long, long string of murders, and some deep part of Fall was oddly proud of the child. In a twisted way, it felt the same as watching a particularly enthusiastic fledgling take to the art of feeding. If he was human, he would think it might be like childrearing, and in the darkness, his lips quirked in a shadow of a smile.



In the distance, there was a small break in all sound, and then the lower, rougher voices of men joined, and there was a sort of excited commotion across the street: the police were involved, and the simpleminded French had switched from grief to the more pressing notion of revenge. In all his years, Fall had never encountered such a bloodthirsty race as the French; their desire for a witch hunt seemed to outstrip all others, and secretly, he wondered if he had chosen to settle in the country for that exact reason. There was nothing quite like the confusion and self-righteousness as a witch hunt.



With gathering noise, more voices joined the party across from them, and Fall’s eyes flicked to the side, watching as the telltale flickering of light over the buildings signified the appearance of torches. A search party. Perhaps he should lend them his pitchfork. Around them, the air began to thrum with urgency, and he finally stepped forward, the flickering gas lamps partially lighting up his countenance.



“If you stay there, they will find you,” He said softly, almost a hiss, as the search party drew nearer, the voices loud now. He glanced to the side again, green eyes widening a fraction, and then crouched down, offering the boy a hand. Oddly, he had taken a liking to the child, and the mob growing ever closer made him feel urgent and reckless. “You are covered in blood. French prisons are not pleasant places, and it is the middle of winter. You will freeze to death. And that tiny blade in your pocket will not get within three feet of me before I snap your neck, so don’t bother.”

[TOBIAS STRANG]

Tobias kept his eyes fixed on the shadow in the dark. The boy's eyes adjusted quickly and, even with the shadowing from the street lamps, he could see an outline of a figure. Fall didn't scare him, really. Fall intimidated him and that annoyed him. Tobias didn't like to be intimidated, it made him feel like a child. In the back of his mind he could hear the voices, faded and quiet but persistent.

He whined softly to himself, bringing his fingers up to his temples and pressing his nails into his skin. It helped, sometimes, but not much. The Weight had come back too soon. He'd been caught off guard and it seemed as though his last blood was so long ago instead of a few minutes. The men, the voices, the Mother moaning. It was all too much and now his Voices were getting louder. "Stop."

When Fall stepped into the light, Tobias' eyes flickered up on impulse. The voices stopped.
All of them.

He could no longer hear anything but Fall. "Oh."

Toby made small note of the threat. Was it really a threat? More like a warning. Either way, it didn't matter. The man was offering to save him. To take him away from the Men in the streets. Gasping softly, Tobias turned to peer out from behind the corner. They were looking for him! Fall had distracted him and Tobias hadn't run. What option did he have really?

Taking Fall's hand, Tobias pulled himself close and closed his eyes. This... person, whatever he was, seemed far more pleasing than whatever the angry Parents had in store for him.

Fall seemed cold, even for the freezing winter weather and the snow didn't seem to melt when it touched his face and hair. It was pretty. Fall was almost like a statue. A moving statue. He seemed inhuman but what did Tobias really know of humanity? His favorite type of person was an immobile one... or one that would scream.

Sighing softly, Tobias slipped into a nearly content state. The little girl. That's why they were so angry. They didn't seem to realize he'd saved her. Saved her from her Mother, her Father, anyone that would ever hurt her. He couldn't save Aster but he could save this little girl.

He would save Aster. Soon.

Tobias leaned up compulsively, nuzzling gently against the skin of Fall's cold neck almost like a kitten. "So cold."

[fall]

Sighing softly, Tobias slipped into a nearly content state. The little girl. That's why they were so angry. They didn't seem to realize he'd saved her. Saved her from her Mother, her Father, anyone that would ever hurt her. He couldn't save Aster but he could save this little girl.

He would save Aster. Soon.

Tobias leaned up compulsively, nuzzling gently against the skin of Fall's cold neck almost like a kitten. "So cold."



Fall stiffened on instinct as the boy touched him, his eyes widening marginally. In an instant, it seemed, Tobias was against him, the boy’s small body was against his, his arms around his velvet-covered waist and his warm breath ghosting across the vampire’s cold neck. He was the same temperature as the snow, of course, and the boy noticed quickly; surprised, all Fall could do was stare over his shoulder at the opposite wall, against which Tobias had been crouched only moments before.

There was a brief pause: instantaneous to humans but a long stretch for him.

Eyes – gold, again – swept their alley, took in the flickering amber light of the human’s torches, reflected upon each crystalline fleck of snow that drifted before him; the harsh sound of a mob’s angry yells, sending a beating vibration through the air; the dirty, oily smoke that rose from a low chimney nearby… “What is your name?” His voice was mild, uninterested and only intended to distract the child as – he moved suddenly, and the hand that rested on Tobias’ shoulder tightened briefly, holding him in place – and then stopped.

The air was clearer, the snow untainted by garish firelight and reflected pale blue in the half-light of the moon.

Fall leaned back, eyes on the street now far below them. Almost three storeys. The search party spilled around the dirty walls and flecked asphalt of Tobias’ former hiding place, and kept moving, their shouts echoing up to where he still held the boy against his body.

For a long moment, he simply stood, watching the humans move away, searching farther and farther from them and accusing everyone in their way of godless murder. Unsurprised, he shook his head, disgusted anew by the human race, their greed and selfishness. He never could understand vampires like his brothers, who gloried in their fabrication of human life and wished to be alive again. Of all the creatures he had met in his time, enemies and comrades alike, humans were the worst. Their excuses for sin were unbounded; their thirst for blood unrivalled, even by vampires. Vampires killed because they were higher on the food chain, but humans were the only race he knew of who would kill their own. His lip curled in disgust and memories.

Finally, silence; only the beating of Tobias’ heart and his breath could be heard, and Fall stepped away, carefully detaching the brunette from his coat.

“You were careless,” He said, intending it harshly, like a reprimand: instead, he simply sounded weary, disappointed. Again, he slipped pale hands into the pockets of his jacket, turning from the boy and stepping from him to the rooftop door, his steps making deep tracks in the perfect snow. There was a bone-deep crunch as he wrenched the long-dormant door open, glancing down the deep stairwell to the building within. A home. No matter.

He turned back to the brunette, holding the thick door open and gesturing vaguely towards it, his clothes rustling in the bitter wind.

[TOBIAS STRANG]

Tobias closed his eyes tightly, his thin body wound up in coils. He hated being touched. Hated it so much and Fall's hands were on him. A man he didn't know. It bothered him but at the same time... intrigued him.

Fall wasn't human. That was for certain. He didn't have a heart beat but then it was said when the twins were born, Tobias had been still. It was a story Mother told often. Tobias was her miracle child. Her Gift from God.

They moved and they moved fast. Definitely inhuman. When Fall spoke again, it took Tobias a few moments for his brain to connect the words with a meaning. His name? "To...by."

He said softly, his voice detached and he pulled away the second they reached the roof. It was high up, far away from the Humans and Tobias crept to the edge of the roof. Head cocked lightly to the right, Tobias let his dirty hair fall before his eyes as he watched them and giggled. "Kitty kitty..."

He breathed, glancing back at Fall when the man spoke again.

An insult.

Tobias spun on his heels, eyes narrowed to slits and his hands clenched tightly. "Careless!?"

He snapped, all childlike tones gone from his voice. For once, Tobias sounded his own age. "Careless. You startled me! It would have been PERFECT and then YOU made it come BACK! You made them SCREAM!"

Tobias' voice never rose above an annoyed whisper but it sounded much louder in his head. Letting out a noise of frustration, Tobias marched past Fall and growled under his breath. "Would have been perfect. You ruined it. Ruined it all."

Turning around as soon as he was inside, Tobias looked up at Fall with petulance in his eyes. "And you could have done better? The screams were beautiful. Everything was so pretty and bright and red and you came along and ruined it."

It was a challenge. This man spoke of carelessness in his Gift and it bothered him. Maybe if Tobias could anger Fall... he'd get his own personal revenge.
"Ruiner....

They were inside now. Out of the cold. This seemed odd... Why was this man trying to help him? He stood at the top of the stairs, pressing his body up against the wall. "Wh... where... what are you? Where are we?"

[fall]

The one thought that Fall had as Tobias passed him to step into the grimy stairwell was that being around insane people really made you feel boring. Slowly, he took a deep, unnecessary breath, turning his eyes to the Heavens as ‘Toby’ screamed at him, noting with enthusiasm that the child – maybe not a child – quite possibly had a slightly more normal side, judging by the change in tone. There was a long minute, while Tobias ran himself down, and then there was an expectant silence, the boy’s shriek echoing down the stairs and humming into nothing.

A beat, while Fall counted to ten in his head – five…. six…. sev— and then the child spoke again, again using his juvenile tone. What are you? Most persistently obvious question in the world. Where are we? Again. Obvious.

“I do better daily,” He finally said, his voice flat, and then let his eyes drop to where the boy stood, one step below him in the little covered stairwell. He raised an eyebrow, feeling his temper rise. Insanity for the sake of insanity. Honestly, he had wondered when it would become fashionable. “And we are nowhere. [iYou[/i] are on a stairwell on top of a residential house on St Antoine’s Boulevard. I am going back to sweet Paris, to my home, without you. Bon nuit.”

With a flick of his wrist, the thick snow-proof door slammed closed, and he turned on his heel, stalking to the edge of the roof and barely glancing down before he stepped off and landed silently on the pavement below. Frowning at the skeletal dog who looked up in fright, he simply set to dusting off the shoulders of his black velvet overcoat, his pale fingers deftly tossing away the still-frozen snowflakes that gathered there. The boy was a liar, a murderer who killed his own kind for some pseudo-logical reason…. Well. Perhaps he was intriguing at first for his similarities to his Elizabeth, but he was still human, and humans went by their own rules and their own laws. And Fall had left his humanity behind almost four centuries before; he was not about to start playing by their rules now.