Morose was not in the cemetery (at April’s request or else he probably would be) but he had been. And the scent of the dead lingered on his skin, in his hair, on his clothing. He looks, frankly, like shit. His hair is un-gelled in the back and top so it’s fluffy and sticking out in every direction, the long bangs now hung beyond his shoulders and were caked, it seemed, in dirt. His clothing is dirty, the loose leather of his pants plastered with dried mud, his fishnet shirt splattered with it. Beneath the shirt, he is frighteningly thin, though a smooth layer of muscle lays there. His hips are scared on both sides, and there are bite marks up and down his arm, vampire bite marks. His own bites. They’ve not started to heal yet but he only put them there two hours ago. Beneath his glassy fingernails is dirt, his skin is so pale it’s nearly sheet white. He’s not fed in weeks.

No, he isn’t neglecting himself. Well, not any more the usual. It isn’t new that he doesn’t eat. And he’s only dirty because he’s been digging. At an unmarked grave. His eyes might just look a little sadder then usual, if it’s possible. Usually, one looks at his eyes and becomes sad just by looking into them. He’d broken his own number one rule. Don’t ever get your hopes up.

His hopes got shot down tonight.

Now he’s in the park, staggering. Not because he hasn’t fed, not because he’s tired or hurt. He’s staggering because his will is so depleated he’s simply have a hard time not falling down and staying there. But he can’t. Jex needs him. Enyo needs him. Don’t do anything rash, your just upset, he kept telling himself.

His form looks skeletal stumbling across the grass under the high moon.

The day shift at the hospital had just ended, which means that Jex was on his way home. Of course he was tired. He had to help nurses move people from bed to bed and haul a floor buffer up the stairs because of a broken elevator. But he wasn't so tired that he didn't recognize just who it was he saw across the way. Or the fact that he was barely keeping upright.

Alarm immediately surges through Jex and sends him running. There's a cheap, gray messenger bag slung over his shoulder and it bounces against his side when he speeds up. Since he was at work, Jex wore a turtlenecked sweater to cover his scars. They weren't something that people needed to see. The jeans he was wearing weren't so long and baggy that they would trip him, but they were on the big side. His brown hair--to his shoulders now--was whipped back by the wind that passed his face, and a golden cross thumped on his chest while he ran.

"Morose!" Such a grainy voice. It wasn't very loud due to special circumstances, but he tried to make it carry.

Jex hadn't needed to make his voice carry, Morose would have heard that, and Jex should have known that. But then, it's hard to break a human habbit isn't it? Morose turned, too quickly, and tripped over his own legs, catching balance by placing a hand on a light post. His lips parted slightly, fangs hanging over the lower lip as he watched his friend run.

"Slow down," he said, remembering to raise his voice so Jex could hear him, "I'm not going anywhere." Until you get to me that is. He wouldn't run from Jex. Ever.

He noticed the cross and had to ponder this for a moment. Jex hadn't ever been against his cross like Enyo, but he'd never actually seen Jex wearing one. And he'd never actually thought of Jex as highly religious either. Would Jex notice he isn't wearing his own cross? That expensive black onyx cross that usually hung from his neck was not there, the thin leather cord it hung on was around his neck, just not the cross.

He wasn't running for fear that his friend would get away, but because of how badly he was stumbling. Something was wrong, what was it? He had to get to Morose quickly so he could catch him if he fell. His face is clearly concerned. He didn't slow down when Morose stumbled onto the light post, only sped up. When he did, a hand grabs the vampire's shoulder as if to say, 'are you alright? what's wrong?'

The cross? Jex always checks for it. It's almost become a ritual because while the religious meaning is lost to him, to Jex it is a symbol that simply means: Morose. There's no way he can miss its presence. The combined absence of it and his best friend's lack of grace sends off warning signals right and left.

"Morose, what's wrong?" Urgent. To the point. Tell me.

Morose made a sound that might have been a sigh if he could bother himself about breathing right now. The hand on his shoulder was much appriciated, not because he needed it for balance but because...well, simply because it was Jex's hand, his friend's hand and comfort. He leaned against Jex's hand slightly without putting weight behind it. He slipped his hand up over his friends, holding it there. His own long fingers nearly covered all of Jex's hand.

"Nothing out of the ordinary." He replied. He doesn't lie to Jex. It would be a bold face lie to tell him nothing was wrong, and Jex wouldn't believe him anyways. His eyebrows wrinkled neatly into a V over the bridge of his nose. Ever the worrier for Jex's health. "You shouldn't strain your voice like that. Your throat won't ever heal."

Nothing out of the ordinary. Jex knows what that means. How long is Morose going to starve himself before he realizes that it's not a good idea? That he's not only hurting himself, but Jex as well? He definitely doesn't enjoy watching his friend waste away. The thought crosses his mind that he should steal some blood from the blood bank, but at the moment Jex doesn't know how he'd do it. At one time he would balk at the idea, but it's amazing the lengths one is willing to go to for the well being of a friend.

For the first time, Jex notices all the mud and dirt that's flecked on Morose's clothing. He doesn't want to comment on anything that the vampire said. The loss of a voice pales in compare to the near loss of will to keep living. Instead he asks a question without knowing what effect it may or may not have on his best friend.

"What were you doing that got you so dirty?"

Morose didn't answer for a long time. Recently, he'd been doing that, growing quiet, looking at a distant point that no one else could see. Really, it was his way of not dieing, he would think deeply into everything he said, before he said it. This way, he could not possibly say somethine that someone might misinterpet.

"I'd thought I found a friend."

Jex should know what Friend that was. After all, the begining of Morose taking care of him, the start of their friendship was result of Morose's hiring the homeless dieing man on to help him find Zachary's grave.

Could he sound more saddened?

I don't want to think about what that would sound like.

Jex's face began to reflect the sadness in Morose's voice. He wished that Zach had been found, he could see how it killed something inside of his friend everytime he searched and lost. He feared that the part slowly being killed was only one or two disappointments away from finally dying. He shouldn't have to endure so much.

His arm goes around his friend's shoulder in a half hug, lending his support how he could. Standing next to Morose, he only looked down to the grass at their feet.

A little girl is out walking in the night. Her skin is not pale in the least. She's got quite a bit of color to her. And she should. She's fed three times already since waking. Her eyes sparkled full of life tonight. A pretty dark purple satin dress with light purple lace was on her small body. Satin ribbons of dark and light purple mixed in with her golden curls. Dark purple mary jane shoes upon her tiny feet.

The child is skipping, yes skipping, down the street. She's in a /very/ good mood tonight. It's still early and yet she's fed three times thus far. She should be in a good mood. This vicious little killer has quite the appetite. This is her Father's doing of course.

All movement from the child stops as her eyes fall to the men standing quite a distance away. But she can see them perfectly. Jex! The sound of her mary jane's hitting the sidewalk can be heard for a while before she moves into the grass. Without a word, small arms suddenly go around the nearest leg belonging to the man called Jex. She's hugging him.

When Jex's arm went around his shoulder, he slouched to beome shorter, then turned inward towards his friend to rest his head there, on his shoulder, to frown. "It was unmarked. I shouldn't have hoped," he sounded helpless as he explained why he'd thought it was Zach, why he was dirty, why the sadness seemed to have driven deeper.

Morose could hear her long before Jex possibly could have. Just a child, out alone, playing games. But as she neared he could sense her, smell her, feel her. He knew her, well, he knew what she was. And that she'd fed. He could smell the blood and in response, licked his lower lip.

He turned his face away from Jex's neck, facing the other way and brought up his hand, sinking his fangs deeply into the back of his hand. It hurt, oh how it hurt. that's what a mortal would feel, only worse. Do you want to inflict that pain on the helpless? It's his way of not killing a mortal again. Self inflicted pain. He's not a masochist. He doesn't enjoy it.

Then she was there, between them, grabbing Jex's leg. What! Attacking him! Morose lowered, level with her face and hissed. Was it suffocating all of a sudden, his pressance seeming the center of awarness. Strong, large hands wrapped around her arm and her throat, peeling her backwards off of Jex.

"Don't touch him! He's mine! You can not take him!" Now, poor morose thinks she's trying to feed from him.

What the hell?! One minute he's standing with Morose, the next someone had attatched themselves to his leg and then in a third Morose was threatening someone! All for just touching him?

Wait, that's Muirne!

"No! Morose, it's ok!"

He looked desperately between the two of them trying to figure out just what was going on.

No actually. It wasn't suffocating to her. Not in the least. For you see, this little girl turned it around. Her presence would now be felt so much stronger. Her baby blue eyes flashed anger at the hand around her throat. The one on her arm didn't phase her. It was the one around her neck that upset her. Her little hands came up between his arms and, in a speed that a mere mortal would not be able to see, knocked both of Morose's hands away from her.

"I am doing no such thing!" she objected. Her childish voice heavy with her Irish accent. "I am not trying to feed from him! I would never harm him!" In another speedy vampire movement, she was once again beside Jex. Tiny arms reaching up towards him for him to pick her up.

Morose's hands came away and her pressance was heavier, thicker then his own. He scowled and reached out with his mind, pulling in shadows, tugging them around him and trying to rise his own pressance once more. He ignored her words and nearly dove for her again when she rushed back towards Jex.

But on Jex's words, he did stop. He stopped so quickly in mid motion that he stumbled and grabbed onto the light pole for support. His blue eyes were feirce and confused.

"Please don't hurt him..." It was the saddest, most helpless and most pitiful sound that had ever come from Morose's lips. He watched her reach up to Jex, knew that she was far older them himself but far younger then Asher. His eyes looked desperate, ready to attack again.

Morose wasn't the only one confused. To pick up Muirne would feel like a blow to Morose. To refuse would mean possibly upsetting her. But that was only a possibility, wasn't it? He already knew Morose was upset but didn't want to take a chance at upsetting him further by seeming as if he was ignoring his best friend.

He was worried for Morose, worried about making the situation worse.

Sorry Muirne, you're not getting picked up just yet. Jex was too full of confliction, heartache for Morose and desire to make Muirne happy.

The young vampire male would not succeed in rising his presence above hers. However, she dropped it entirely the moment Jex spoke. And I do mean entirely. The anger that had flashed in her eyes when the young vampire male had grabbed her throat was gone. Instantly replaced by her normal innocent child look. Her eyes once more sparkling with life and happiness.

It's okay Jex. Worry not about upsetting her for it's not going to happen. Her arms had dropped to her side upon hearing the young vampire male speak. She turned entirely towards him and even took a couple of steps towards him. Her porcelain face had already softened considerably, yet it did so even more upon hearing the sadness in the young vampires voice.

"I'm not going to harm him," she said softly. "I can promise you that. I would never harm him." She took another step towards the young vampire male and did a slight curtsy. "I am Muirne," came her soft and childish voice. "And you... you must be Morose?"

It wouldn't be a blow to Morose, Jex. He isn't possessive about Jex like Criss is about Logan and Logan is about Criss. He knows, encourages Jex even to have a better social life, to know more people. He simply would be confused beyond comprehension. He wouldn't know what to think. If that little creature swooned Jex into her web with power that he knew vampires possessed, and then she bit him, it would be his fault. It would be a second time that Jex got attacked and Morose was helpless. (The first time being Logan attacking Jex).

Her pressance dropped, her power gone, but his continued to rise. A person a few hundred yards away could probably feel him by now. ...instantly replaced by her normal innocent child look. Her eyes once more sparkling with life and happiness. Anyone that can change faces so quickly, he wasn't certin he trusted. Was it all a trick?

He watched Jex struggle within, felt him at the edge of his senses, fighting with himself about Morose's feelings, his blue eyes grew wide. Did he know the little vampire? Promises don't mean anything to him, Muirne, unless they come from Jex. Nope, not even Enyo. Her promises he could take, and even almost believe, but even that was a little difficult, given how much they'd faught before.

His blue eyes flicked to Jex when she mentioned his own name. Had she known his name because she'd heard Jex shout it or had she known because Jex had told her before? His fingers came up and grasped for the cross that wasn't there. Scowl.

"Jex...." He frowned, scowled again, then nodded. "I'm Morose." He allowed himself to slump downward in confusion, his tall thin form sliding to the ground on his knees, hand still on the light pole.

Not a blow in that sense, maybe, but then again, Muirne and Morose had just beein in a small fight. It would feel like choosing sides. Jex doesn't like such confrontation: a situation where logical reasoning didn't give him an answer he agreed with in that thing called a heart.

He would have responded right away, but Jex had just caught sight of Morose's hand and it needed to be taken care of. He sighed, knelt down, shook his head, and opened his bag to reach in and grab a spare t-shirt. After all, when one works in a hospital, it helps to be prepared. He tore off a thin section of the shirt. He then took the wounded hand, smoothed the skin over and wrapped it up. While Jex was doing this, he spoke.

"I met Muirne a couple nights ago. I didn't have to work like I thought I did and saw her here. You came up once or twice. ..And I don't believe she'd hurt me." That had been what Morose was questioning about, hadn't it?

The child was in front of the young vampire man the moment his knees hit the ground. No. There was nothing malicious about her doing so. And no, her facing changing expressions so quickly was not a trick. She really is quite innocent in the mind even for her real vampire age. What's this on her porcelain face? There is concern on her face as she looks at the sickly looking young vampire male. She tilts her head to the side a little as she watches him silently.

She continues to watch Morose as Jex kneels down and takes care of Morose's hand. She listens silently as he talks to his friend. It wasn't until after Jex had spoke that she glanced over at him. A wide smile suddenly touched her young face as her eyes fell upon her necklace around his neck. "You put it on," she said with glee in her voice. She reached out a small hand to caress the gold Celtic cross around Jex's neck. "I didn't know if you would or not."

Notice, Morose, how she doesn't flinch or cry out in pain as she caresses the gold cross. A look of pure joy upon her face as she touches it. Baby blue eyes turn back towards the young vampire male. "I really won't," she says softly in light of Jex's last words.

Maybe Morose had been questioning Jex about the truth to the little vampire's words. Or maybe he'd just been questioning everything, absolutly everything that had just happened so fast. He watched Jex drop down beside him and take his unbleeding but wounded hand. Those fresh bites aren't the only ones there. There are two in the back of his hand, one on his arm, one on the webbed place between the index finger and thumb and one on the inside of his wrist. He's starving. This is how he stops himself.

When Muirne moved close, however, all of his muscles twitched and jumped, he moved a centimeter as if to go between her and Jex, to protect his friend from the little bloodsucker. But he didn't when Jex told him he didn't think she'd bite him. Morose thought she would, but he had to let his friend have say.

You must remember that Morose doesn't trust anyone but Jex and Enyo, least of all other vampires, now that he knows from experiance and conversation with a much older vampire, what they are capable of.

His blue eyes never wavered from Muirne while Jex needlessly wrapped his hand. He liked the touch, the comfort of his friend, he didn't trust her. And he nearly jumped out of his skin to get between them when she suddenly lurched forward, hand moving towards Jex's neck. He came close to sliding between them, crouched halfway.

The cross? It didn't burn her. It bothered Enyo, it didn't bother Asher, or now, this little vampire. Morose's hand moved towards his neck again, the cross wasn't there. he reached out and almost touched the cross but instead let himself fall back onto his butt to get out from between them, drew his hand against his neck where his cross usually was, wrapped his fingers around Jex's hand.

"Hers?"

"Yes," an answer for both. Yes, he put it on. Yes, it was hers. Jex's hand closed around Morose's. "What's happened to yours?" It worried him. Had his friend simply lost it or was he so far into despair that the heavy cross became useless?

His other hand, the one not already occupied, rested on Muirne's upper back and shoulder with an almost impercievable rub and squeaze. He was glad to see her again even if he hadn't said anything.

Have you ever felt like you're somewhere that you shouldn't be and walking in on something you shouldn't? The child is feeling a little that right about now. Seriously. She takes a step back away from the young vampire male. Only out of respect for personal space. Yes. She knows what that is.

It surprised her a little to feel a hand on her suddenly. She glances over at Jex and gives a slight smile. Lookie. No fangs. She's got absolutely no reason in the world to flash them at Jex, so why would they be visible? She took a very slight step sideways. Towards Jex. But not too much. She didn't want to piss off the young vampire again.

She's staying silent. For now anyway.

The frown disappeared when he was told the cross was hers. That confirmed what he had thought, he'd never thought Jex to be a very strong follower of any one religion. He'd never seen Jex where a cross. "Why?" This time, rather then sounding so confused, he sounded curious, especially relaxing just a little when he notes Muirne doesn't show fang but his muscles remain stiff nevertheless.

His cross? Was he so far into despair that the heavy onyx cross became useless? Not useless, just questionable, but yes, he's so far into despair enough so to remove it. He reched his hand into the pocket of the pants and pulled out a fist, uncurled his fingers. There in his palm is that perfect, polished, onyx cross. It's the most expensive thing he's ever owned, had been the most important. Now he questions it.

Why in his pocket? In case by some maracle his problems are solved or the answer becomes clear and his faith is suddenly restored entirly, he can take it out of his pocket and replace it immediatly. That's a far cry from hope, however.

"Because it was her promise we'd meet again."

Jex took promises very seriously. The only reason he didn't shove blood under Morose's nose was because he'd been promised that that wouldn't be necessary. Jex wasn't nagging because he's sure Morose already knows his concerns.

He didn't ask anymore about the onyx symbol. That was a talk better left to be discussed without company.

Neither of his hands moved from their positions.

She nodded her little head as Jex answered Morose's question as to why Jex was wearing her cross. Her fingers closed around the gold Celtic cross. It would be obvious that she was happy to just be touching it again. She really had been missing it. Her neck felt naked without it. However, she wasn't going to ask for it back. Not yet anyway. At some point, perhaps. But not yet.

She looked at the young vampire male curiously while her little hand was wrapped around the cross on Jex's neck. It suddenly sank in that Jex had been asking Morose where his cross was. "You have one?" she asked with sincere innocent curiousity. She watched as he reached into his pocket and pulled something out. She moved ever so slightly to see when he opened his hand.

Baby blue eyes went from the cross in his hand to his face. "Why do you not wear it?" she asked not realizing that she probably should be just keeping her small mouth shut. Can you hear the sincere innocence in her voice? It's there. If you just listen.

"You've..." He sighed and closed his eyes. you've seen her alone before? I worry about you. This is why I worry about you. What if she'd been a monster? He directed the thoughts into his mind, down the line of his senses towards those he could feel. He couldn't keep the thought from Enyo and Vivienne, but hopefully Enyo would know who he was speaking to, thinking too. He didn't give a damn what the mage thought.

"Because," he replied to the other vampire. And he frowned. Did he really want to explain that to a child vampire. His blue, sad eyes flicked away from Jex to her. "Because I just don't. I can't. Not yet."

Well, it wasn't really an explination but it was definatly true.

He'd give the cross back to Muirne if she asked. That's all she had to do, though it wouldn't make Jex happy to give it back, he certainly didn't expect to keep it.

Sigh. I know, I'm sorry. He gave Morose's hand a squeaze, And this is why I worry about you. He'd slowly been getting to the whole 'I can hear him in my head' thing. Slowly but surely.

Enyo was too busy at the moment to even notice Morose's voice. In fact, right about now is when the vampire woman was screaming down the line directly to Vivienne. Morose wouldn't hear it though. The vampire knew how to control which line she was sending anything down. Even with what was happening to her at that moment.

Now Jex. The child isn't going to ask for her necklace back right now. She likes it where it is. When she's ready to ask for it back, she will. But for now, enjoy getting to be the only person she has ever taken it off for.

She's just standing there. Watching. Listening. Listening to what's being said out loud anyway. In silence.

Morose sighed unnecissarily. "I know," he replied outloud. He let his eyes linger on the child-like vampire while he spoke. He still didn't trust her. I'll try not to make you worry anymore, he let his mind mumble. I just can't wear it right now, he offered weakly. I'm...questioning. Loosing faith I think. But When I know, it will be right here with me. My faith is nothing you need to worry about, it's nothing too important to hurt either of us. The fact of the matter was it was that important. And they both knew it.

He watched the child, falling as silent as she was being, assessing her almost, weighing opptions and oppertunities, necissary things, balance. She was dangerous. But was she dangerous to Jex?