"Wicked through and through...." Carina murmured as she examined herself in her hand held mirror. She was glad she retained her reflection when she died. It'd be so hard to get lipstick right if she couldn't see herself. She ran red pigment over her small mouth and puckered, pleased with her handiwork. Her eyes met themselves in the mirror- an icy blue that pressed all breath out of another. They were streaked with black liner and smokey shadow- giving Carina a more gothic look than usual.
She used a fake nose piercing on her left nostril, a silver hoop. Why? She couldn't pierce anything anymore. her body healed too quickly or rejected the metal in her skin. She put her mirror down and spiked her short brown hair before laughing and getting dressed.

She slipped into skin tight leather pants and black heels before pulling on an ice blue tube top that hugged her tiny frame and pressed her fair breasts together tightly. A silver chain bracelet graced her left arm and she grabbed a bottle of makeup and began to cover her number, hiding her age and her past from mortal and vampire eyes.

When she was finally ready to go out, she called a cab.
"Where to Miss?" the driver asked.
She responded with a wicked smile. "The Sinister Puppet."

He raised eyebrows and complied with her wishes.

She laughed softly as the neon lights loomed ahead. Something inside called to her as she stepped out of the cab, tossing some money into the car- leaving the taxi driver to his pathetic life and she to her exciting one.

This would be a thrilling night. It was her second time at The Sinister Puppet. Konrad didn't even know she came here. The skinny vampiress smirked as she entered, the posessive grungy music making her smile as she inwardly mocked the gothic vampire wannabees that resided here. She saw a few people whom she assumed were regulars since she saw them before- last time she had entered the creepy warehouse.

But Carina liked creepy. The dolls that hung from the ceiling made her heart speed with excitement, as if they were alive. She would love it if they were alive. But she didn't hear any heart beats up there. Pity. They should hang living people up there- She could help do it. Carina's smile widened a bit. That would definitely perk the place up.
She made her way towards the bar that served alcohol or blood to whoever.
Screaming musically descended the metal staircase and made her grin. She'd love to go up there- see what was happening- join in.

She ordered herself a whiskey and downed it in three seconds before scanning the crowd for her dinner tonight.
Who would be the unlucky fellow or femme? Carina was indiscriminatory. If the camps had taught her anything- it was that all people were equal. All people deserved to die. She wasn't racist in any way, but she did find that she preferred the blue eyed and the blonde. No... She didn't have any resentment left in her. No, of course she didn't.
Her feelings were stronger than resentment. Her feelings were deadly.
She decided a random pick would be best. Eeeny, Meeny, Miney, Moe.

Arnem worked his way slowly down the dark and deserted streets, cutting through alleyways as often as possible to make his trek a little shorter. He had walked this exact path so many times he now did it with his cold eyes focused only on his feet. He picked his way nimbly around rusty old dumpsters and turned his head only slightly to glare down at the bums who would demand his spare change. He despised the homeless, and one day hoped to rid this otherwise magnificent city of them all.

Stray cats hissed as he maneuvered past them out of his last alley to his final destination. The Sinister Puppet was his favorite weekend getaway. Whenever Maty Mae got to be too overbearing and he needed a breather he would come to this place to amuse himself with the antics of silly mortals. These people knew nothing of what it was like to be a vampire, they never even suspected Arnem as he came around every Saturday to dance with them, choosing one among them to shower with various alcoholic drinks, and sometimes even slipping the bartender a little extra tip so he would…’top it off’ shall we say? With that magical blue pill that made feeding all that much easier. Nobody ever fought back with one of those little babies in their system.

The lean vampire cut right through the line, and in the front door. Nobody stopped him, even the bouncers were convinced he was doing the right thing. Nobody that sure of himself could possibly be in the wrong after all, and once inside he pulled the same trick to get to the bar. This time there were a few drunken calls of outrage, but the bartender didn’t listen. He knew Arnem was his best tipper so he didn’t want to mess that up.

“Will it be the usual then?” The bartender smirked and edged his tip jar closer to his full-pocketed friend.

“No, I’m feeling a little…feisty tonight I zhink?” His vowels sounded over exaggerated and sharp as he spoke due to the last bit of his lilting French accent, and he liked it. It always intrigued poor mortals, they were always drawn to the exotic, if only they knew just how exotic this little French boy was! “I don’t want anyzhing too strong.” Arnem winked and grinned his well-rehearsed grin. He spent hours in front of his mirror trying to curl his cruel lips without revealing his sharp and sinister fangs.

The bartender nodded, but seemed a little disappointed. He knew he wasn’t going to make nearly as much off this guy as he’d hoped, but he got out two shot glasses and filled them to the brim with the darkest rum he had. Arnem passed over some cash and shot back the liquor without a second thought. He hadn’t actually bought himself a drink in years, he no longer remembered what it was like to be drunk, he’d continued his clean and sober streak right into his death, but tonight he felt he deserved a nice stiff drink.

The shots went down smooth and warmed his heart. This was definitely a different experience than when he was a mortal. But soon the warmth disappeared and it was as if nothing had happened. Arnem looked frustrated, and much to the dismay of the young people behind him he ordered two more and nearly swallowed the glasses he was so fierce about it. Again, his heart warmed ever so slightly, and the feeling faded almost as quickly as it had arrived.

The angry vampire smashed his shot glass against the wall behind the bartender, who seemed outraged. Arnem had hit a slender bottle of expensive looking vodka, but before the man behind the bar could say a word, Arnem had tossed a couple of crisp bills, the color of blood, in his face and moved on, fuming.

He knew that some vampires were unaffected by alcohol, but he had never known he was one of them. What the heck was he supposed to do now? He could barely even focus, his temper was quite fiery as a mortal but as a vampire it had only worsened.

As he pushed his way through the crowd, he purposely got too close to everyone. He’d brush his body against anyone in his way, trying hard to piss someone off enough to want to pick a fight. Fighting with mortals always made him feel a little better, especially the larger ones. They never expected such strength from such a slender kid, but sure enough Arnem came out of their scuffles completely unharmed, while the defenseless mortal lay bleeding behind him. Usually they would complain to their friends that their aggressor had bitten them, sometimes, however, they couldn’t complain due to their lack of vocal cords, or pulse for that matter. Arnem never was a very discreet killer; he liked it as messy as possible.

During his angry sweep around the bar, Arnem wasn’t really paying much attention to where he was going. In fact, he didn’t seem to be able to see much other than a thick shade of angry red. He was angry with Maty, angry with his body for not being able to feel the soothing affects of his old, fermented friends. Most of all he was angry because he hadn’t eaten anything yet. Arnem felt a hand on his body and turned slightly as he walked to see who it was, but rather ungracefully walked right into a spiky haired woman and nearly fell backwards.

“HEY!” He yelled, his anger almost getting the best of him “Watch it you idiot.” He felt tempted to push the woman back; as he was sure that her just being in his way was clearly not a coincidence. If she was going to mess with him, he was going to stand his ground.

Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Moe.... catch a tiger by its toe....

The shattering sounds of glass had caught her attention, distracted her. Her eyes only widened slightly as the blonde little boy- for he was acting as a child would and not a man- smashed his shot against the wall. What? Did he expect the rum to do something? Oh no, he gave that up when he died. Well, maybe his death hadn't been a choice- had it now? Well, hers had- she had chosen to give up food and the effects of liquor. No, actually- if she drank the amount that would kill a human- then she'd get quite buzzed, but that was all. And they usually cut her off before she got to that point- even if she wasn't stumbling like a stupid human.

But she had chosen to give everything up for her rage, right before she ransacked Germany- her brother assisting her in killing every single officer they could find- every single guard, and their children.... everything they loved. They took it- just like the officers had taken everything that was theirs in life....
Karma was a bitch wasn't she?

His anger spread out with a sharp spark and it made the hairs on her skin stand up. Couldn't he hold it in? God, the feeling sucked- And Carina had never felt this before- but she supposed she was getting some more mental powers with age. Hale said it might happen, and she was quite sure this was it. She could feel his power ebb and flow, spike and surf with his wrath. But it was nothing compared to hers.

No one's anger and hatred could compare to that of Carina Durr's. Her anger was a bottomless pit- never full- always empty. A giant sore, scar, hole, vacuum, abyss....

He walked towards her, nudging everyone in the crowd. Did he even know she was here? Did he even sense they were the same, obviously not? The kid was young- and quite stupid in many ways. He honestly hadn't figured out that alcohol did nothing?
Carina arched an eyebrow as a human dared to touch him and the vampire swirled and bumped into her, pressing her back against the bar. He stumbled backwards, his anger spiking.

“Watch it you idiot.”

Her fangs flashed in a wicked smile and her left hand wrapped itself in his hair painfully as she moved forward in a blink of an eye. Her annoyance ran through the air like a lighting bolt. She turned his face to meet her icy gaze before she stopped smiling.
"How dare you speak to a lady like that?" she asked him. She was older than he; she could feel it- now that they were touching....
"Listen, and listen good, you need- to calm down. You're going to get yourself in trouble if you keep acting up child-" she shot at him, willing him to stop being a weak disgrace of a vampire and start stepping it up to be the big bad blood-sucker he was meant to be.

"Get a hold of yourself...." Carina murmured before letting go of him with a disgusted look in her eyes. How embarrassing he was-- how many other vampires had seen that little outburst? That lack of control? He was young- they all made mistakes, but if she could fix one of those disgusting mistakes (human errors) She would. They were no longer human. They were better. And he should act better. She leaned against the bar and ordered another whiskey- though it wouldn't do her much good. But she knew that.

Arnem held back a hiss of pain as the woman grabbed hold of his long silvery gold hair. His cold eyes were brimming with anger as she stared down at him. She seemed to be lecturing him like she knew better than he did. He was still young, too young to fully understand what he was, he didn’t know this saucy woman was a vampire, or even that she knew he was. Even if he was trained to know these things, he rarely had the discipline to act on them.

Before he could say anything back to her, however, he was shocked to notice her own set of fangs glimmering in the lights of the club as she showed them off to him. She must be another vampire! Now that he knew, however he felt like he had always known. Like somehow his brain had been telling him this was a vampire but he just wasn’t listening.

He’d never met another vampire, other than Maty Mae. He knew there were others, there must have been, but he’d been told that he and Maty were the only ones in the city. The only time he got to go out without his teacher was when he snuck out on his own. Any other time he was ever outside he was required to follow Maty everywhere. He was only allowed to kill who she said, he wasn’t allowed to make eye contact with anyone on the street. He was beginning to realize it was all so Maty could keep him hidden in this lie of a lonely world she’d created for him.

“You…but…” Arnem grabbed a hold of her shoulder and shook her. “You’re a vampire.” His cold blue eyes were wide with shock. “And you knew…but how?”

He was too confused now to feel any real emotions. He didn’t know whether to be angry because his death had been an act put on by his increasing unbearable sire or happy that he wasn’t alone anymore. More over, he thought he may even be sad that he wasn’t alone anymore. He’d felt so special being a vampire, but now that he knew there was at least one other one in the city it didn’t seem as fabulous as before. And hell, if this woman was a vampire, who’s to say there weren’t more out there? He could be surrounded by them and not know.

While he was pondering this, Arnem felt as though there was an itch forming in the back of his mind. He whipped around and made eye contact with a man on the other side of the dance floor. Vampire. The man shook his head and looked away and Arnem spun around to see a girl flirting with a drunk man in the corner, her eyes also quickly met his and she seemed momentarily disgusted by him. She’s one too Arnem started noticing them all around him now. He couldn’t believe, there were so many here! How didn’t he know this! Why didn’t Maty tell him! Why did she lie to him!

But…no…She wouldn’t lie to him. She’s done nothing but good things for him since she turned him. She helped him, she worked him for countless hours trying to teach him to be the best vampire he could be. These other vampires must be new here. They all must have arrived recently, that’s it! Or…Maybe Maty had turned them? But why? Wasn’t he good enough for her? Why would she want to have more vampires roaming about? Didn’t he love her enough without having others like him running around to love her as well?

Arnem being to fume, he turned back to the woman who bumped into him and grabbed hold of her again, somehow knowing it wasn’t a good idea, but he ignored that instinct and only tightened his grip.

“What the hell is this?” He felt as though the walls were closing in on him now. He didn’t have nearly as much freedom anymore, He felt like a child would, upon realizing he had to share his beloved mother with countless others. “Why is this happening? What’s going on? Why are you here?” So many other questions whirled about in his head, if he’d had a stomach he was sure he’d vomit.

He could feel disapproving stares from all around the bar now and it made him paranoid and frightened. He could tell that this night would be a rather important one, one full of questions and new information, and for some reason he believed that this lady vampire would be able to explain away everything.

He grabbed her and she shook her shoulder out of his grip.

“You’re a vampire.”

"No shit Sherlock," she threw at him before arching an eyebrow at him as he started to question her. "What do you mean how did I know? I can feel it- can't you? Can't you feel every other one of us in this dammed city?" she asked him, this time her voice a little softer. He honestly didn't know? Who the fuck was this kid's sire- that they wouldn't tell him just how big the vampire world was? Why had he been kept in the shadows for so long?

So, did he know this was the "vampire capital" of the world? Did he know how many vampires were in the room right now? The Sinister Puppet was one of the most popular hangouts for kinky vampires in the city because they didn't have to hide their fangs-- just pretend they were some gothic kid with fake ones in.... This really was the place to be if you were a vampire. They served blood at the bar too....

The blonde vampire before her began to spin and turn- looking around. And he noticed- she could see it in his eyes. He noticed the other vampires in the room- and it affected him so? Made him panicky and frantic? His heart raced, the music of it making Carina lick her lips. She could end that frantic heartbeat so easily- let it tick,tick,tick until it finally stopped in her mouth. Oh, it'd be so delicious.

He turned to grab her, knocking her out of her rather pleasant fantasy about his pulse. She growled as he grabbed her a little too tight around the arm. And as her fingers itched to rip his fucking throat out for touching her- she heard him speak and so she stopped, his words making her curious.

“Why is this happening? What’s going on? Why are you here?”

"You mean you don't know?" she asked, her voice a little harsher than intended because of his grip on her arm. Carina grabbed his wrist and pried his ungrateful hands from her glorious body. How dare he touch her- an Ishak? A vampire that actually knew what she was doing- an elder to him! He should be kissing her ass but he was grabbing her?

But she decided to let it go. He was stupid. He didn't know.
"What do you think is going on? I'm here because I want to feed on one of these damn humans but I can't do that if you're asking me so many bloody questions!"
She hissed at him for a moment, her icy stare unforgiving and hard. She hadn't been kind for some time now, but he had got off easy- with a glare and a goodbye.

Carina pushed past him roughly. If he wanted answers he should ask his sire. She wasn't his mother. She wasn't his sister. She wasn't anything that had to deal with bonding, with love. Ugh, the word love- was so disgusting. There was no such thing as it of course. She couldn't even love her own brother- he had taken away her love for him by controlling her- by making her behave. And she didn't want to behave. She wanted to kill with a bloody lust. She wanted to torture with Hale until the end of time. She wanted to bask in the death that she had seen every day for the entirety of her life. She wanted to be bad- wanted to be ruthless- wanted to forget her conscience and damn herself.

“Well clearly!” Arnem snapped angrily, “I couldn’t feel them before now!”

He considered her words for a second.

”Can't you feel every other one of us in this dammed city?"

What did that mean? How many more vampires were in the city? He somehow felt that Maty hadn’t sired every last one of them while he sat at home playing with his captive humans. But then again, she never did tell him what she was doing on those nights. She would never tell him why he wasn’t allowed to come with her, just that he had to stay in their cold apartment and wait patiently.

‘If you’re going to live for an eternity, you should probably practice some patience now while your young.’ That was what she’d say on those nights when he was left alone. It reminded him of his mother sometimes and that made him sick. Of course, lately he hadn’t been listening to her, and was sneaking out on his own. Mostly to this bar where he’d apparently been surrounded by so many other vampires without even realizing.

Arnem didn’t flinch when the woman growled at him. He knew she was angry, or at the very least fed up with him but he couldn’t be bothered to care about that, not right now. He was too young and pompous to care about angering others, and besides, too many other things were clouding his mind at the moment. He couldn’t bother himself with how this strange vampire was feeling, he just wanted answers. He wanted someone to sooth his troubled mind and to tell him it was okay, that maybe Maty was just misinformed as well, maybe he wasn’t let down by yet another parental figure.

This thought aroused a cruel inner laughter. Of course Maty wasn’t misinformed. She was so much older than he was, she had experienced so much more, and if Arnem had just discovered that he could feel himself surrounded by vampires in this bar, surely during her many years she’d been able to sense every last vampire in the city, maybe even beyond.

The other vampire hissed and roused Arnem from his thoughts, she pushed him aside and he stumbled for a moment, unsure of what to do now. He could just go home and wait for Maty to come back, he could demand that she explain herself…and then what? She’d just lie again? Or worse, what if she decided he’d become too much of a burden, he was asking too many questions and she’d just leave him on his own like so many had before her?

No, that was clearly not an option, so the young vampire made a quick decision and turned after the woman who clearly wanted nothing to do with him anymore. Of course he knew that he was jeopardizing his safety, possibly even his after life, but he knew he was quite the charmer, and hoped he could convince her not only to not hurt him, but possibly even teach him things he was sure Maty never would.

“Wait! Don’t go!” Arnem reached out to grab her arm once more but decided against it. “Are you really just going to leave me alone and confused like this?” His pale blue eyes took on a whole new look. They were no longer cold and angry, they appeared to gloss over like a lost puppy. He was crying out for help now, which was something he’d learned a long time ago wasn’t for him. He felt, however, that this was as good a time as any to swallow his pride and throw himself at the mercy of another.

“I clearly need your help! Isn’t there some sort of like…I don’t know…vampire code of ethics?” He laughed to himself again. He may not know a lot about being a vampire, but he knew this sounded ridiculous, even as it was coming out of his mouth. The one thing he learned from Maty that he knew he could count on, even in a time like this, was that the only person a vampire could truly rely on was himself. Unfortunately when he learned this lesson he didn’t quite clue into the fact that this meant he couldn’t even rely on his sire to help him either, even in the worst of times.

Nevertheless he continued to stare at the back of his would be helpers head. Willing it to turn around, wishing she would simply sigh and admit to him he was right, that clearly someone this pathetic deserved to be helped.

“Please…?” His voice trailed away, it was barely audible over the loud music of the club, and the louder screams coming from upstairs. He figured his plea would go unanswered, but all he cared about was being able to go to sleep in the morning knowing that at least he tried.

He called after her and she didn't stop. What the hell did she care about him? Why should she care about anyone other than herself? Carina frowned. Was she really that heartless? Had everything truly come to this? This eternal anger? Even when she was happy, the wrath always lurked just beneath the surface, ready to spring out like a panther when provoked. What had happened to her?
Oh yeah, the Holocaust.

Carina forced memories aside and fought to control her emotions. She didn't want the little boy behind her picking up any unusual tingles or empathetic signs that she was weak. Because the last thing Carina Durr would ever be- was weak.

“Are you really just going to leave me alone and confused like this?”

"I could," she replied coolly, her eyes flicking back to him for a moment but she did not turn. "What does it matter to me?" She shrugged and continued on, hearing his footsteps as he followed her. Why should she bother to explain to him what his own sire would not tell him? But then- why didn't his sire tell him? Her curiosity stopped her in her tracks and she thought for a moment. His ridiculous pleas were ignored as she thought: Why in God's name wouldn't his sire tell him? And why was he so eager to ask her? Trust that she'd tell him the truth? He didn't even know her- and he thought she'd be able to explain everything.

He was pathetic and his begging only annoyed Carina further. She turned, her eyes as sharp as icicles.
She stepped towards him and wrapped her hand in his hair like before but this time it was gentler. She pulled him to her swiftly, the motion rough. She brought him close enough to kiss and moved even closer with a sigh.
Her eyes met his and she did not blink.
"Please stop making a fool of yourself. You're a vampire- be proud dammit. Don't grovel and beg like a mortal for God's sake.... and if you didn't know- the whole Vampirism is a big secret so try not to be so loud...." she spoke almost against his lips, her words as faint as a summer breeze but she knew he'd hear it. Vampires heard everything. Carina let go of him and stepped back.

"Let's go upstairs and talk.... the screaming should drown us out-" Carina flashed him a wicked smile and gestured for him to follow. She moved away, her steps in tune with the grunge metal coming from the speakers. Her steps were sure and her feet didn't even make a sound as she climbed the circular metal staircase. Once upstairs, Carina entered a small, rather private, room. All that furnished the room was a simple wooden chair in the middle and a chest in the corner. She did want to think about what the chair was for and what she knew was in the cedar chest- but tortures were so damn distracting.... and she was trying to answer this kid's questions. Well, he wasn't really a kid- he looked older than eighteen in mortal appearance but she guessed his years as a vampire had to be few- maybe three at the most?

"What do you want to know, Babe?" she asked sarcastically, moving to sit in the chair- crossing one gorgeous leg over the other. She arched one slender eyebrow in question. Now that he was here- what exactly would he ask of her?

Arnem noticed those eyes turn back to look at him, even just for an instant, and he knew he had her. He smiled inwardly, but wouldn’t allow his face to change from it’s stamped on look of confusion. The lost puppy dog look always worked as a mortal, but he wasn’t quite sure if a vampire would buy it, so it was best to keep wearing it until he knew for sure she was going to talk to him.

However, after making her very valid point, she continued to walk away, but Arnem would never give up that easy. He wouldn’t let someone get away from him that quickly as a mortal, so why, as an immortal, when he had an eternity to state his case, would he ever consider this mission a failure so soon? So he continued to follow her, even after she stopped walking he continued, not realizing that he was actually getting to her until he felt like he had gotten too close. He stepped back a little before she could turn around, but all she did was prove him wrong. This vampire didn’t seem to have any concept of ‘too close’ as he realized when their noses were suddenly almost touching. To hell with noses, he could feel her lips they were so close to his own.

He squirmed a little, kind of uncomfortable with her being in his space like this, but continued to stand his ground. She already thought he was a weakling, he could tell, and he didn’t want to give her a reason to think he was any weaker than she already had. It was quite clear that she had a much different concept of who he should be than he did. She obviously felt he should be conducting himself in a much more mature and reserved manner, but fuck it, he was in no mood for subtleties.

His ears perked, upon hearing her words, almost like a dog’s would at the sound of his food bowl being filled. He could feel his pail cheeks flush as she spoke, he clearly hadn’t realized that he could be revealing some big secret to the mortals around him, but he wouldn’t admit that to her. He’d already made a big enough ass out of himself tonight, admitting to even more ignorance before she’d agreed to tell him what he wanted to know would probably just lower her opinion of him and he’d lose his chance to ever talk to her.

When she finally invited him to go upstairs to talk, Arnem could barely contain his joy. He nearly jumped into the air, but just managed not to. He only allowed a small grin to betray his happiness, but he couldn’t quite hold back the bounce to his step as he followed her closely across the floor and up the stairs. When they entered the room he looked curiously at the furniture. He’d never been on this floor and never expected this. He thought maybe a bed, or goodness knows, maybe even just an even wilder party than what was going on downstairs. But this was so bare, and in his youth he couldn’t quite figure out why.

The woman took the only chair, which made sense, she was the elder of the two and she was basically donating her precious time to help him. He moved over to the chest and sat, with perfect posture, and his hands folded in his lap. He tried to decide where to start; only moments ago there were so many questions in his head, but he was having trouble sorting through them for the most important. In fact, he was so sure that all he would get out of this was a plain and simple ‘no’ that he was in such shock now he didn’t know where to begin.

He promptly stood back up and began pacing the room. His fingers were wringing around each other nervously and he now refrained from making eye contact.

“I don’t know…I guess maybe I should start with an introduction. I’m Arnem Iribel. Frankly, I’m new to this world…well, that’s probably obvious by now.” He let out a small and nervous laugh and continued pacing.

“How many vampires are there?” He stopped his pacing and stared into the stranger’s eyes. “How is it that I know they’re around me when before I didn’t? Why would Maty lie to me?” He quickly diverted his eyes back to the floor and continued, a little more frantically this time, his prowling around the room. It seemed that now that he’d started his questioning he just couldn’t stop

“She told me we were the only two in the city. Could she just have been misinformed? No that’s not possible…what do you think?” He stopped walking and looked into her eyes once more, he didn’t think she’d be able to answer these particular questions, but it was nice to hear them out loud.

A cruel but soft laugh escaped Carina's lips as she watched him pace like some caged animal.
"Arnem-" she murmured. "Interesting name.... and of course you're new- I had figured you were either new or stupid. I'm glad it's not the latter." she said sarcastically, her thoughts wandering a little bit downstairs. She didn't give him a aname, he didn't deserve to know her yet. She was a real vampire and he was a worthless piece of clay, in need of molding and grooming. Besides, she was still hungry, the raging desire in her making her a little more annoyed than usual. She'd be a fucking peach after she fed, sweet as sin. So he better not take long....

"In the city? Tons. They're everywhere. This is "the vampire embassy" of the world. Each coven had a headquarters here- or rather a hideaway. I cannot tell you a number because I don't know how many. I just know they occupy the city. They are everywhere and I don't know who Maty is. I assume she's your sire. I also assume she's using you for something babe. Vampires lie- even those you trust- they all lie.... get used to it."

Carina paused and frowned as she looked at him. "There's no reason to keep a fledgling ignorant unless they have something that other vampires might want. Sires try to control far too much. I left mine and found another to teach me what I wanted to learn. However, if you're worth something- a sire would fight for eternity to keep you.... Arnem, is there something you have that she wants?" her voice was curious and her eyes were a little less hard as she thought. Who was the bitch running this kid's life? Destroying a completely capable vampire and turning him into a whiny little baby who knew nothing of Demaitre?

"No. She is not misinformed. She knows. A vampire cannot not know. Now you do- and it would be unwise to tell her of your new knowledge if she is keeping it from you. You don't want to anger her unless you have a stronger vampire to assist you." Carina froze for a moment in thought.

"How old is your sire?" Of course, this Maty had to be old if she was playing these tricks- most likely older than Carina but Carina was quite sure she was not older than Hale- and if she needed Hale's assistance (if this woman came after her for spilling non-existent secrets) than he would fight by her side and they would undoubtedly prevail.

“It’s like, a family name or something.” Arnem waved a hand as he continued pacing, trying hard to ignore the clear sarcasm in her voice. He was sure that if he’d snapped back she would probably leave. Or worse, god only knew what she could do to him. He knew he could believe his sire when she told him not to piss off vampires older than yourself.

“‘Vampire embassy?’” Arnem stopped walking and looked quite confused. “Covens? God there’s so much I don’t know.” He looked down to his feet, feeling embarrassed for himself. He never liked being the one left in the dark, it always made him feel so…insignificant, so stupid. But then again, the only way to not be that stupid person he hated to be was to ask questions, right? He was a pretty cunning young man when he wanted to be, but this was an entire underground world! And it wasn’t like there was some library where he could go and research the subject on his own. The secret history of vampires, the TRUE history anyway and not just some silly stereotypes, was an oral one he was sure, passed down from sires to their sired and Maty was clearly not going to tell him.

He looked up at Carina as she continued speaking, “Maty, well…Matilda, is my sire. But what do you mean she’s using me? What would she use me for? Most of the time she just makes me sit at home alone every night while she goes out. I don’t see what she could possibly…” His voice trailed off, his eyes seemed to gloss over and his mouth hung slightly open. A sudden sense of realization had come over him and all of the sudden he was back to his nervous pacing. His eyes became restless and started rolling about in his skull as he began to put two and two together.

He knew Carina was still talking but he didn’t hear any of it. His mind had left this room, had left this time and was back at the scene six years ago. That damned letter. Matilda’s words were as clear as day to him, as if she was in the room, reliving the moment with him.

“Why didn’t you tell us you were rich!? I could totally use you!”

The blood in Arnem’s veins ran cold as he recalled that day, he felt even more confused than ever, at first anyway. He could feel his heartbeat quickening, his skin began to crawl and the small blonde hairs on his arms stood on end as if the anger brewing inside of him was a powerful electric current. He clenched his fists so tight the short nails on his fingers cut into the fleshy palms. It was all for the money. How didn’t he see it before? It was so clear to him now, the only reason Matilda kept him around at all was for his father’s money, his money.

Arnem let loose such an angry roar that it nearly shook the room. He raised a fist in the air and slammed it down on the trunk so hard the wood splintered, spilling all kinds of torturous tools on the ground. He kicked at what was left intact of the trunk and it flew across the room into the wall. His throat began to rumble as he growled, but slowly he came back down enough to acknowledge what was being said to him.

“Anger her?” He snapped, “ANGER HER! What’ll she do? Kill me!?” He laughed sarcastically and spread his arms wide, indicating that he was clearly already dead. “Besides, even if she did kill me AGAIN, she’d be shit out of luck wouldn’t she? It’s all in MY name! BECAUSE IT’S MINE!” He slammed his fist into the wall and roared again.

“And do you really think she’s told me how old she is?” He didn’t mean to snap like that, and he tried hard to center himself before he continued speaking. “She’s basically told me nothing! I didn’t even know there were any other vampires in this city, and apparently I’ve been surrounded by them all this god damned time.” The toys from the trunk were now flying all about the room as he started kicking them with every syllable, imagining what he would do to Matilda with everything that came in contact with his foot.

His anger came quickly, as swift as a right hook yet not painful at all. The anger that sparked and spiked through the air made Carina laugh, the electric empathy rippling along her skin as he clenched his fists, half moon pools of blood welling in his palms. She licked her lips and let a shivering sigh escape her lips as she looked up at him, her icy eyes darkened by an unseen hunger. "I wouldn't shed any more of your own blood Arnem." she told him, her smile wicked. "I've been known to bite."

She paused and leaned back against the chair as he kicked the trunk open, ruining such wonderful tools. As he kicked them around, she caught a pair of handcuffs with one hand and eyes them with interest, her eyes occasionally flicking back to him. She let him have his little tantrum, his little outburst, before she stood- her eyes amused with him.
The force with which he broke the chest was quite controlled and the wrath that flicked through the air was firm and resolved. Maybe he was worth her name after all?

Carina approached him, holding out a hand to stop him. He would have to learn to control himself. Blunt force never really worked. Unfortunately, men didn't really get that. He'd need a woman's cunning. He'd need to learn to be as spiteful and as conniving as a woman. For the fall of Adam was only brought about by Eve.

"What is it that she wants Arnem?" she asked, before looking him over. In his name? Well, that could be anything: property, money, jewels, whores, drugs....

"If you could ask her how old she is- I'd be grateful. I'm- curious about your-- Maty." Carina said with a sharp chuckle that hurt to listen to. Hale would be interested too. But she'd be no where near his age, but they could have so much more fun with a vampire than with a human. She was getting quite risky- already thinking about torturing Arnem's master.... Well, that was Hale's affect and her own twisted pleasures coming to life for the first time.

But she'd never get to touch the vampiress. She didn't sound stupid. Arnem was the stupid one, trusting her. Anyone who restrained you couldn't be trusted. Eventually, you have to get out- how had he never noticed the other vampires? How had he never desired freedom? She had fought so hard to get away from her own brother so she could be free. Why didn't he fight as hard as she?

"Yes, well- you're fit is all nice and good Arnem but what does it solve? Nothing." She frowned, her eyes cold. "You should stop wasting your energy on these tantrums and save it for something else- though I don't know what you want." She paused and held out her hand for him to shake.

"I'm Carina Durr, so what do you want?"

Arnem closed his eyes, trying hard to calm himself down. He put his hands over his face and rubbed his closed eyes before running his fingers through his blonde hair. As he did this he left bright red smudges of the blood that was left behind on his palms after they healed themselves, but he didn’t seem to notice. He was trying to take her advice, trying to contain himself, but six years with no guidance had left him so out of control of his emotions, of his strength, that it was hard now to be rational and calm.

“I’m sorry,” Arnem began to blush, but it was barely visible as his face was already stained red. “I haven’t had much practice with this strength, so I sometimes get out of control…” His voice had returned to normal for the time being.

He looked at her and half smiled, he let out a short and sarcastic laugh before shaking his head “You don’t need to know what it is she wants, not right now.” His devilish grin widened slightly, “We’ve just met, and you’ve basically just taught me not to trust other vampires.”

Thinking about Matilda and the request that had just been asked of him she said “I could ask, but I do know that she’s been around for quite some time.” He tried to think of some clues she may have dropped as to her age, “…I know she’s turned another vampire, a slave girl from a tobacco plantation. So she’s got at least a couple centuries under her belt.” He couldn’t quite figure out why she wanted to know how old Maty was. He didn’t think she wanted to know to preserve his safety, he doubted she truly cared what happened to him after this night. But maybe she did want to help him? Maybe he was wrong and he could trust her? But no, she hadn’t even told him her name! How much trust could the two share if he wasn’t even allowed to know what to call her?

“No, I know.” Arnem shook his head. He’d always been prone to tantrums, it wasn’t just a development that’d come about since his death. It was part of the reason his uncle had been such a bastard to him, that man was just never meant for kids and having one thrust on him, one who had for years been used to nothing but his own way, must have been pretty difficult for the man. “I know I’m accomplishing nothing, and I should act my age.” His head moved from side to side and his voice adopted a sort of sing song tone as he regurgitated the lectures of his childhood.

As Carina introduced herself, Arnem smiled again. This time it wasn’t the devilish grin of just moments before, but kind of a…satisfied one. Maybe there could very well be a trusting bond between the two vampires. Not now, that was for sure, but they could always work on it. He couldn’t quite tell how, but he knew this woman was stronger than he was, and probably even willing to teach him a few things.

He reached out and shook her hand rather matter-of-factly and thought for a second “Well Carina Durr.” Arnem released her hand and continued walked about. “I’m not quite sure what I want…first off I’d say I want to protect what’s rightfully mine before that bitch has her way with it…”

Spinning around to look at Carina, his eyes became fiery and excited. His nostrils flared as he moved closer to her. “I also want to learn. I want to be proud of what I am and I want to be able to control it. I want to be able to be the frightening, strong and powerful creature of the night I know I should be.” He stepped even closer to Carina, his fangs glistening as he started salivating at the thought of meeting his full potential. “I want to break free from that bitch. I want to find a way to make her suffer, if I was strong enough I’d fucking kill her myself, but I doubt I could do that.”

Now that he and Carina had started such an open dialogue, he didn’t seem quite as intimidated by her. He moved to the chair and threw himself into it, lounging much more comfortably than the way he had so rigidly and awkwardly sat upon the trunk earlier. “I wonder what I could do…not to hurt her physically, because I doubt I could do that personally, so much as crush her emotionally. I want to see her reduced to the blubbering fool she tried to turn me into before I’m done with her.” His devilish grin returned as he plotted and schemed in his head. He was going to make Matilda Lochehart regret the day she decided to take advantage of him.

“You don’t need to know what it is she wants, not right now.”

Was it something valuable? Some sort of riches. That had to be it. This, Matilda sounded harsh- as cold and unfeeling as carina herself. But Carina would never keep a fledgling in the dark. She would want to nurture that demon and let it grow. Let the darkness fester and fume.... So Matilda couldn't possibly want love or care. She couldn't want sex, could she? That was an awkward thought. Carina was independent to a fault and probably hadn't thought about sex for- well, a long time. It wasn't that she disliked sex, but the implications of getting tied to someone- Well, she couldn't possibly have that. So maybe Arnem was a sex slave?

Carina had a feeling it was riches. Yes. Vampires held much stock in material goods. The emotional and the heavenly rewards of life simply didn't matter to them so much.

"No, you shouldn't trust any vampire, but I'm not just any vampire. I'm an Ishak- and unlike your controlling priss of a sire we look out for our own." Carina paused. "Centuries.... that I can deal with." As long as Maty wasn't an ancient, Carina was good and safe. This Maty would have no chance against Hale.
So, Carina was free to speak, free to dismiss and disrespect the older sire with flamboyant disregard.

"Why do you listen to her Arnem, if she's such a bitch? Why do you bend to her will? Why haven't you run away yet? Sire doesn’t mean master!"

Their introductions went well, his hand firmly grasping hers as they shook hands.

“I’m not quite sure what I want…first off I’d say I want to protect what’s rightfully mine before that bitch has her way with it…”

A wicked smile lit both her eyes and her brilliantly white smile. Now, that was more like a vampire. He stepped towards her, his awkward boyhood stumbles disappearing in his wake. His nostrils widened and she could almost taste his desires as he spoke them. Each step brought him closer to her until she could see the points of his fangs. She didn't draw back- she was quite comfortable with physical intimacy and closeness. You couldn't possibly have a good feed if you weren't willing to get close, willing to get your hands dirty.

He sounded like he wanted to be an Ishak. And to Carina, it sounded as if that was the perfect coven for him. He could find solitude there- and a sanctuary away from this Matilda woman. He’d be in her own coven. He’d be able to kill as messy as he liked and no one would stop him. He’d just have to hide it. Carina could watch him if Hale protected them.... and Hale would. He was such a good friend to Carina, and her friends were his friends just as her enemies were his enemies. They were a torturing team of vampires and they meshed perfectly, their loyalty to each other common of the Ishak coven.

And, if Arnem ever wished it, Carina was positive Hale could smash the bitch into a million pieces.
"If you wanted her dead- I think I could arrange it," Carina whispered with a twisted grin. "But I don't think death is the ultimate punishment. I believe deprivation is."

She paused for a moment before frowning. "That’s all well and good…." She watched him as he seated himself in the chair. She walked towards him, her hips swaying with every graceful step. "But what are you going to do about it? You have no control, no cunning, no strength, no experience, no imagination.... if you are to make her suffer you need to plan and train. Because as of now- I don't think you could do anything to hurt her.... unless she loves you but I highly doubt that. Vampires aren’t very prone to love."

"So, the point is: what do you need from me?" Maybe she would help him- if what he desired from her actually interested her. What he wanted to do sounded deliciously wrong and she had acquired a taste for the twisted road. She'd take it if he'd offer it to her.

Ishak? Arnem seemed intrigued by this, what could an Ishak possibly be? Perhaps it was one of the covens Carina had spoken of earlier? What ever it was he was sure he’d have to ask about it later, there was so much more to worry about now than the covens, although they did sound interesting. He could only imagine what it would be like to be a part of something like that, a group of vampires like himself, he figured he could learn a thing or two about being a real vampire from a coven. He made a mental note to ask Carina about the Ishak later, when there were less pressing matters.

“Ishak or no Ishak, it’s still my business and my business alone for the time being.” He said these words as respectfully as possible. He didn’t mean to offend Carina by withholding information. In fact, he really didn’t know why he was keeping his money a secret from her. Well that wasn’t true, he knew how quickly gossip spread, and in his current ignorant state he couldn’t very well protect his bank account if some stonger, greedier vampire than Matilda came along looking for a share of his wealth.

“I don’t know why I haven’t left.” Arnem scratched his head. “I guess I just never thought about it?”

This was true in fact. He had never even considered running away for good. Sure he had recently started taking off on his own for short periods of time, but there was something about Matilda that kept him coming back, something he couldn’t quite put his finger on at the moment.

He looked shocked for a moment when Carina mentioned killing Matilda. “I don’t want to kill her.” He shook his head so hard his hair fell forward over his face. “That’s far too good for her. I want to make her after life hell. I need her to realize the hard way that I may be young and weak, but that doesn’t mean she can take advantage of me and get away with it.” He puffed out his skinny chest as he said this; it was easy to act tough when Matilda wasn’t around. She probably would have smacked him around quite a bit if she’d heard the way he was talking. Maybe that was it? Maybe that’s what kept him coming back every night, some sort of…battered fledgling syndrome or something? Stockholm syndrome even…Arnem pushed those thoughts aside for now and continued on with their discussion.

“I’ll tell you what I’m going to do about it.” Arnem was up and out of the chair before he even knew what he was doing. He hesitated for a moment, but then lifted his head high and straightened his back, effectively adding about two inches to his height as he did so. “I’m going to…I’m going to ask you to teach me all those things?” His confidence faltered. Maybe this was too much to ask of Carina, Although they seemed so comfortable talking to each other at the moment, Arnem couldn’t forget that they had just met each other that night. But Carina did seem to be just as repulsed by Matilda as Arnem did at the moment, so that was a plus.

Carina smirked as Arnem pushed his chest out like a robin looking for a mate. He really was a ridiculous young boy, but with a little effort- he could be a man, a vampire, a force to be reckoned with. It'd be so fun to mold him, make him into anything she wanted. And maybe- that easy control had tempted Matilda as well. The boy was clay, ready to be made into anything. Matilda had made him into an ignorant vegetable. Carina wanted to make him into a proud example of Vampirekind. And though she was not moral or righteous, she felt she had a duty to make this vampire into someone worthy of the powers he had been gifted with.

She laughed, the sound reminiscent of breaking glass. His chest stopped pressing itself towards the sky and he looked at her with an unsure glint in his eye. Her voice was dark yet soft when she finally spoke,
"What is that you want to learn? What sort of things?" she asked, before pausing. "I will help you, if you promise to do what I say. I vow not to be unreasonable. I'll never ask anything of you that I wouldn’t be willing to do myself. First, do not tell Matilda and guard your thoughts from her. She may have mental powers than you do not know of. Second, try not to get angry with her. And third, pretend you know nothing. Say nothing and keep your head low. If you're not ready to start tormenting her- it's wise not to stir the waters lest you be beaten before the games even begin."

Her smile widened with a twist of her red lips. “You have made me curious and I do think I can and will help you….” Carina helping someone? This was one for the record books. He better be pretty damn grateful because she didn’t hand out favors often.
“So, tell me what you want to learn and know- and I’ll answer…. I also think you’d find the Ishak coven headquarters to your liking if you ever needed a place to stay. I live there so you might be able to find me in the crypt after sunset or just before sunrise.”

He was lucky. He was very lucky to have found her. She wasn’t quite sure the other vampires in the Sinister Puppet would have helped him. He was lucky to find an Ishak. Any Tarepha would have just killed him.

“I want to learn to fight!” Arnem leapt towards a wall and punched it in a mock battle. “I want to learn to use my vampire super powers! I want to learn how to control them and myself!” He didn’t even think as he spoke. It all came flying out of his mouth so fast his brain didn’t even have time to function properly. He turned back to Carina, his face a blaze with new found hope and happiness.

“I don’t even know what specifically I want to learn about because I don’t even know the basics! Can’t you just teach me EVERYTHING!” His mouth split into a huge grin. His eyes wrinkled up and his fangs poke out. He looked ridiculous indeed, but for once he really didn’t care. “I’m just an open book, I want to be like you, I want to hunt freely and I just want to understand how this vampire world works!”

His excitement seemed to disappear as Carina continued, however. How was he supposed to keep all of this from Maty? She always seemed to know what was going on, even without him telling her. She was a brilliant vampire, and the strongest person he had ever met! Although…looking back he realized he’d never met another vampire. Plus, Maty hadn’t exactly been honing his powers now had she?

“Maybe that’s the first thing I need to know then.” Arnem nodded his head as if agreeing with himself. “We should start with how to ‘guard my thoughts,’ it’s that how you put it? Heck, I might have some mental powers I don’t know about!” He started getting excited again, starting to bounce on the balls of his feet like a small child growing overwhelmed in a large toy store.

Carina arched an eyebrow at him as he bounced around like he was crazy.
"Fighting is easy- that won't take long...." she murmured as he punched the air. He smiled- and it sickened her how happy she had made him. She was used to making people cry, scream, and curse.... and he- he was happy? She had made someone- happy? Damn. She was losing her touch.

"Super powers- that's an interesting way to describe your abilities." Well, he didn't even know what he had inherited. But maybe they should just test him for everything. Carina was no mental magician but she could feel his emotions when he had them. That wasn't normal for her but for him it was dangerous. He'd have to hide those feelings. He'd have to bottle them up. And if anyone could teach someone to bury something deep inside- it was Carina, mother of all grudges.

"I want to be like you...."

How flattering, really. But he didn't understand who she was. Was he squemish? Would he faint at the sight of intestines and organs that normally weren't exposed? Because Carina was a very freaky vampire, with exotic tastes to be sure.
But if he liked the same things as she, if they were of the same make and mold deep down, she could definitely teach him some ways to have fun with his prey.

Could a student teach another? She didn't see why not? And.... if she had any questions about their "lesson plans" she could always ask Hale. She smiled. This would work out nicely-

If he didn't grin like that again, stupid, childish, and toothy. She arched an eyebrow at him and moved towards him- in front of him in a matter of split-seconds.
"Please, never smile like that again. You are not a goofy child anymore. You are an adult vampire and I swear if you keep up with all these damn giddy emotions I'm going to leave. I don't think I can take feeling all this positive feelings for very long. It annoys the hell out of me," she told him sourly.

She hated the lightweight giddiness that he was radiating. It annoyed her. There was work to be done and he shouldn't be happy. Only hard work lay ahead. Yes, it would be fun.... but the preparation was needed first. He calmed down as she mentioned the fact that he would have to guard himself against Matilda. Thank God.

“We should start with how to ‘guard my thoughts,’ it’s that how you put it? Heck, I might have some mental powers I don’t know about!”

And then he started bouncing up and down on his feet like a bloody child!
"Okay.... you're barking mad-- Calm down." she commanded, moving forward and grabbing his jaw roughly to force him to look at her.

"Excitement is all well and good but I can read everything Arnem. I can feel everything that you feel. Personally, I've been coming into some mental powers but I can't read minds so I won't be able to help you block exact thoughts, but to block these- ridiculous feelings you have.... you must learn to bottle it up. Force yourself to stay calm. It's not about powers or sires or any other sort of vampire phenomenon. It's about discipline and if you lack that- get out of my sights because I will refuse to teach this child that you are showing me. Be a man and I'll help you." Carina shook her head and pushed him away from her with slight frustration before moving over to lean against the chair, one leg resting on the seat as she placed her elbows on her knee.

She stared, scrutinizing him.
"You're a nice vampire- and I like the way you think, but for God's sake I'm going to need you to mature." She muttered under her breath the next part, so disgusted with this Matilda.
"I can't believe she just kept you cooped up and mindless. You'd be of much better use if trained. And- whatever it is that you have.... why would being a stronger vampire jeopardize her hold on that? Clearly, you're not as old as she. I'm sure she'd kill you in a heartbeat. I only want to make you strong enough to leave her. And if she does try to kill you, well- I have pretty good connections with the Ishak. And if you were to become an Ishak- just an idea that I'm throwing out there.... then they'd protect you- the entire coven. She'd be slain if she dared kill you, but that doesn't mean mental games aren't forbidden. If she does have mental powers- she could torture you until the end of time but from what you say I don't think she's that old. Older than I.... yes, but not older than.... well, I'd rather not get into that right now."