Amara sat on the empty stage. Tonight they had held a talent show. She didn't know why she had bothered to come, except for her love of art. She appreciated the beauty in all things...even in humans, though she may have only thought of them as entertainment or food.

She had plugged in her guitar. She didn't remember when she had started playing, but a few years back she had been in a band. The lead singer had taught her to play. That was when she had to lie low, due to her bad reputation. That was also when she was considered part of the "punk rock" generation. The tips of bright blonde hair were still a blood red, it was her favorite color anyhow. She hated pretending to live in the mortal world, but at the time she had had no choice.

The guitar was in her hands and her slender fingers touched the strings delicately. It was about the only theing she handled this delicately. She wasn't playing yet, only tuning. She came her a lot, to play alone. A man she had met, not long ago, had given her a key to the slightly small auditorium to use whenever she had wanted. Well, maybe not given it to her...she had to kill him to get it.

Rarely had she encountered anyone else here, except for the night crew. But tonight she was alone and she rather liked it that way.

Danielle was walking outside the theater when she heard a guitar playing. Hmmm it sounded barely out of key. She couldn't stand that. So she decided to enter. Danielle sensed a vampire as she entered the theater. Danielle was wearing her favorite sleeveless black dress with splits down the sides at her waist. She held her violin case in her right hand.

"You're slightly out of tune." Danielle said as soon as she was in sight of the vampiress. "The name is Danielle Ann Seras." She extended her slender hand to shake. The vampiress had blond hair with blood red tips. Danielle couldn't tell how old she was, and she really wanted to probe this one's mind, but she didn't want to cause a fight. She set the case down and opened it revealing the violin she received as a gift from her father.

Amara looked up as she felt the presence of another. Her eyes narrowed. She hated to be interrupted, especially for critisicm.

"Thank you, but if you knew anything about playing a guitar you would know that I am only tuning. I suggest you mind your own business," Amara snapped. She was never a social creature. She wasn't very friendly, having known little people closely in her lifetime, she preferred to be alone when it came down to it.

She took on a more civilized tone as Danielle pulled out her violin. Okay, she played music. Amara could appreciate that.

"How long have you been playing?" She didn't bother to say her name, at least not yet. She would when she decided Danielle was worthy enough to hear it. So far, she had not made the best impression on Amara.

Danielle was kind of surprised by the vampiress snapping at her. She figured she deserved it. "I've been playing for 96 years. I've learned when I was 4 years old. My father taught me how to play it. I'm sorry if I offended you. It's just I hate hearing an out of tune instrument." Danielle smiled sheepishly at this.

"Where did you learn to play the guitar? I've always fancied playing it." Danielle then plucked some notes, making sure that it was in tune. She then went through some of the family scales she remembered.

Amara accepted the girl's apology. Of course she hadn't meant to offend, no one ever had, but that hadn't stopped Amara from killing thousands of Jews during the war. She shrugged to herself before turning her attention back to Danielle.

"I learned a few years ago, maybe five or six, before I came here. I had to go undercover for a while, so I joined a band...but some of the members got a little too friendly. Anyway, I picked it up pretty quickly."

She ran her fingers up and down the strings. Perfectly in tune. She had it set to play like an acoustic. Unless she was up for rocking out, which she wasn't tonight, she didn't use the distortion with it.

"I rather enjoy music. The name is Amara. You can call me Ami, if it's easier to remember."

"Well it's nice to meet you Ami." After going through her scales she went into playing pieces from Handel's Symphony #3. Danielle nodded understanding the need to lay low for a while.

"I was raised in a family of musicians. Music was definitely my life. I'm more of a fan of classical music. I don't really like modern music." Danielle could only stand some of the music. The music Ami was playing was good. "I like that Ami." Danielle listened to her playing. Danielle then threw in some improvisation to the music Ami was playing.

"So what brought you here to Demaitre? I moved here not too long ago." As she said this Danielle thought of Joseph living in his cheap bachelor pad. She offered to bring him in, but he decided to stay at his place.

Amara shrugged, as was habitual for her.
"Thank you," her gaze remained on her guitar, not on Danielle. She preferred not to make eye contact. It was hard enough to control her abilitites without it.

"I'm just playing around. I usually write my own music. I'm not to keen on reading, though I prefer modern day to classical. You also have a lovely way of playing. Art is my life."

She wasn't offended when Danielle added to her solo. In fact, she was surprised at how civil she was being. Normally Amara would not even give someone like Danielle the time of day, but she respected the musician.

"I've been here for a while. I had to get away...for certain reasons. What about you? What brought you here?"

Danielle was really getting into her playing. She was so consumed by it that she didn't hear what Amara said at first. She was shaken out of her trance.

"I'm sorry, I can really get into music when I play. I just came here about 2 weeks ago. I've been following my 'child.'" Danielle smiled as she thought about Joe.

"I don't like playing written music either. I let my hands do the talking." With this said Danielle let her emotions control her hands as she played the violin. It was a mixture of pleasure and sadness.

Amara nodded. She was pleased to here that Danielle was looking after one she sired. Lately many had been leaving their children alone. This disgusted her. Even Amara would never leave her children to their own devices. She knew that she had been practically alone in controlling her powers. Besides, who would teach them to come into their new nich if not for their sires. New vampires needed to be told who they were and who they were going to become.

"Did you 'child' leave you? I know I left my sire. I was somewhat of a rebel." The speed of her playing began to pick up, and eerie sound coming from the guitar. Eerie, but pretty, the same emotions of sadness and pleasure mixed in that Danille had been playing on her violin.

Danielle smiled as the emotions of her violin combined with that of the guitar. It sounded so beautiful to her. She kept up perfectly with Amara as she sped up. Her playing became much more elaborate as she added in plucks to her playing.

"Joe, my 'child', left me for a mortal. You see he hates killing mortals, it's what makes me want to keep an eye on him." Danielle smiled at this because it usually pissed her off. "He needed some time away from me. I let him think of what he wanted from his life, but that doesn't mean I truly left him to his devices. I've been somewhat influencing events in his life. So how about you? Why did you leave your sire?" Danielle felt like being a little curious, but kept herself from prying into her thoughts.

Amara heard herself laugh out loud, but it was a laugh as empty and cold as her heart. She no longer felt much, only anger and hatred.

"I left my sire because he was weak. He thought he could control me and he tried, but I will never let a man control me. I am my own person and I didn't want to take orders form anyone. Although sometimes I regret leaving him, especially without killing him first. I didn't get the chance to learn much from him. At least if I had killed him, his blood would have added to my strengh." She shrugged, "I suppose he's been searching for me. I can hear him sometimes in my mind. He never did leave me any privacy. Anyway, I always manage to avoid him. But when he finds me, he will be sorry he did."

She looked away, her playing suddenly becoming angry. Her music was the only thing about her that wasn't filled with cold emptiness.

"You know, the one thing that bothers me the most is a vampire that won't accept who he is. He has been given immortality and the power to control others, yet he will not take it. He will not kill. It bothers you as much as it does me."

Danielle nodded as Amara spoke. "You are right I hate Joe for not truly accepting his gift. I let him go to teach him about truly becoming a vampire, but of course he didn't learn anything. I'll have to teach him the hard way." Danielle smiled as thoughts of torturing Joe crept into her mind. As she thought about this her playing became quite dark. Joe's pain and discomfort made her feel better than the best sex in the world. "I'm feeling a little thirsty feel like going out for a midnight snack?" Danielle continued her playing, making quite eerie music as Amara's anger and her darkness combined.

"Hmm..." Amara thought for a moment about the suggestion. She had always hunted alone. To invite someone with you was a sure sign that you had to trust them. At least for the night. Feeding was vunerable time. It's the point when hunger consumes you entire soul.

"Yeah, I'm a bit hungry myself."

Danielle felt quite pleased. She loved making mortals suffer. It was her third favorite passtime. Her first favorite was definitely playing the violin. The second making Joe feel discomfort, though she loved him very much.

"Good it'll be a break for both of us. I feel like helping a mortal meet their maker." A big evil smile spread across Danielle's face revealing her fangs. her whole body bristled with the very thought of the hunt.