The Abyss

[Mister J]

THE ABYSS​

He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you.
​

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee44/Sorukage/citynight.png

OOC Thread and the Cast can be found here.
This thread is currently CLOSED to new players.​

PROLOGUE​

In the not-too-distant future, human kind has become aware of something else walking among them. The monsters from their children's story books lived and breathed as they did. These creatures hid among the humans for countless ages, blending in and hiding. Thriving in their own ways. Unfortunately, this uneasy coexistence couldn't last forever. Clashes between rival races spilled out of control and into the public eye. Soon enough, the governments of the world banded together in this single united cause to rid their world of these... "blights of nature". The "Purge" as it would become known, reduced most their ranks to the brink of extinction. Now there are only a few left, in hiding, running scared and divided. Surviving as best as they can.

 

[Mister J]

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee44/Sorukage/rain.jpg

VERGIL​

Rain... why did it always have to rain?

The drops fell, uncountable, like thunder at his ears. His coat was soaked, white hair matted to his head and face. He held the locket up close, the melody ticked away as the gears turned inside. Even so near, the tune was hard to hear against the downpour. He had wrapped the chain around his hand to keep it tight and safe. His eyes finally opened, brilliantly bright in the dark, shimmering blue against pale skin. He rested a hand on one of the old building's gargoyles. From up so high, he could see the various patrols far below. It was easier to pick out routes, easier to avoid them. He peered out across the city, quiet as a graveyard, ever since the curfew was enacted. It seemed an oddity to him, a sleeping city. He missed the neon lights and the laughter, the vibrant pulse of the living. Now, now there was nothing here. Nothing except fear.

Vergil took in a deep breath and let it out, putting her locket away again. He tucked it into the inner pocket of his wool coat and as the last of the exhale left his lips, he stepped off of the edge. The coat whipped up behind him, the sudden rush felt lively. He landed with a splash in an alleyway not far from the main streets. Days gone by, these would be crawling with the homeless and other unsightly things. Now, they were barren aside from the trash. He lurked through the shadows, rain still pounding down all around him. The rumble of a large truck made him stop, eyes went wide. He slipped into a dark corner as a search light burst into the small alleyway. The sound of boots on pavement, marching by. They didn't stop. Just doing the rounds. Had he missed that patrol?

His mind had been weary lately. The meeting gave him cause for concern, but he was running on fumes. He didn't know how much longer he had it in him to keep running like this.

When it was clear and the sounds had faded away, he stepped out of the shadows and moved towards a large door with a rather big padlock on it. He grabbed the lock and twisted it until the metal groaned and snapped. Tossing the broken thing aside, he opened the door and entered the building. It was a small grocery store. He looked to his left and saw the alarm system flashing. He didn't have much time. That patrol would be back in a few minutes. Rushing quickly through the aisles, he grabbed what he could. Some canned food and a small jug of milk. Vergil searched one of the aisles, but again, he couldn't find any first aid kits. He knew one would come in handy, but yet again it seemed he was out of luck.

Suddenly he heard the rumble of the large truck. Too long. He had stayed far too long. All the way up at the front of the store, he could hear the boots hitting the pavement. He didn't bother to look, he knew what was coming. With another deep breath, Vergil took off towards the door. He flew down aisles, kicking up dust as he ran, his coat trailing behind him. The door was right there, he reached for it.

Blam!

The bullet tore through his outstretched arm. The flashlight beam hit him next as he stumbled into it's path. The light scorched his face causing him to howl in pain. The vampire quickly lashed out, thrashing a shelf full of items towards his unseen attacker. The beam moved away and he made another try for the door. A quick dive brought him back into the rain. The drops seemed to fall in slow motion as he saw the soldiers coming down the alley towards him. Only a few sent to secure the back. By the time he had blinked they were converging their flashlights on him, the blue beams searched and searched, but all they found were piles of trash. Confused the soldiers looked up, one of them catching a glimpse of a coat moving up over the ledge.

Vergil slumped down against the inner wall of the building's roof. His arm was bleeding bad. The bullet was a larger caliber. He looked at the hole in his coat, the blood trailing down his wrist and onto his gloves, little red droplets mixing with the rain. A snarl curled his lips. He hadn't fed in days. The wound would take too long to heal if he stayed there. He had to keep moving. The burns on his face were already starting to repair themselves anyway.

He pushed himself up with his legs, sliding up the wall with another deep breath. Suddenly his eyes went wide. He heard the turn of the rotor, the spin of the blades. The had called in air support already? He groaned, pushing himself off of the wall and into a run. Shoes splashed across the rooftops. He stayed one or two steps ahead of the chopper as it followed his trail. He had to move faster, lose it and get back to her. The rain roared around him, the air rushing past as he took another leap from one building to the next. He hit with a loud thud, water splashing up at him. Another jump. The sound of the chopper was getting further and further away. Another few blocks and it was too far back to worry about.

Finally, another hour later, he made it back to their temporary residence. An abandoned hotel, half demolished and hung open. He slipped into the window he had left open, took a few steps on the carpet, and slumped over against the wall. He finally let go of the two cans and the jug of milk, setting them down on the floor next to him. The blood had washed away in the rain and his wound was mostly healed. His face had some small marks left on it, but otherwise it was also back to normal.

Tired, half closed, eyes scanned the room for her but she wasn't there. He made an attempt to get up but his body was too worn down from the escape, the injuries, and his lack of blood. He saw the door open and her silhouette, unmistakable. There... there she was.

Dawn...

Knowing she was alright, those blue eyes finally closed and he let sleep take him.

 

[Vail_Indigo]

http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/014/9/6/Vampire_Angie_by_KristianasCoven.jpg
"I hate the rain. I hate the rain. I hate the rain." Veronica chanted to herself, just as the raindrops chanted their bugs-on-car-window prayers, they lost themselves against the thin, ankle-length poncho, reborn as tiny rivers that, somehow, managed to find their way down Veronica's spine.

She shouldn't have been this upset, but she was. It was hard to keep herself from tearing through her raingear with her nails (but she liked this poncho, it seemed to cover her in darkness). It wasn't like she hadn't fed recently.

pretty dark haired girl stalking the predator for months in hopes of giving off the scent it couldn't resist and then the coy-but-required struggle and the delight and need that turns to fear and fighting and finally surrender and darkness scented with joy but lost lost lost lost. Mistake, girlie.

And it wasn't like she was under active hunt.

Pair of cocky fools, under-estimating her in their pathetic misogyny that made them ever so easy to pluck away and they wouldn't be missed for weeks and they would have been delicious if she hadn't had to burn them to inedibility

But, of course, it had been over 9 days since she'd had Her GIrl.

Her Girl who knew the needs she hadn't even been aware of who made her the thing she dreamed of being and failed at for so long who found secrets deep within the flesh that kills and the mind that stabs and then ignored, lost, alone, except once in a very long while. 9 days, 14 hours, 22 minutes, 41-42-43-44-45-46-47

Alone. She wasn't meant to be alone.
She was meant for the crowd. She was meant to be the center of the crowd.
All vampires have a certain presence about them, it may be magical, or may simply be something that comes with being powerful, immortal, and often quite old.
Veronica went well beyond that. When described, words like ‘glow’ and ‘magnetic’ and ‘hypnotic’ are used again and again.
And now, that part of her was unfed.
And she knew it.

She put aside thoughts of need, feeding, hunger. Something else was in play this rainy night.
A meeting had been called. She wasn’t much for the posturing and politicking that seemed so prevalent at times in the Community, but when there’s a big old gathering, she felt obliged to at least make an appearance before casting judgment.

And so, she leapt from one rooftop, across the alley, to the next, so dark that she was invisible against the cloudy, water-drenched night sky.

And alone.
And incomplete.

But shes there she’s so close and she’ll touch that place you can never reach and you’ll be the thing you were meant to be and not this animal screaming screetching head pounding window breaking noise of a life you cling to and so warm on your tongue and that ice electricity vibrating your spine not your girl HER girl and the red the red the red

She reached to the hidden pouch in her top, felt the crystal container, sensed the clear, amber-tinted liquid inside.
Scarlet.
When next she was with Her Girl, it would all be right again.

 

[Mephistophelily]

​

"...With one of them..."
"..Traitor to her own kind..."
"Leech's toy."

She could hear them. They made no efforts to disguise their words, glares of disgust and contempt shot her way as she tried to make her way through the stores of the city. Things certainly as she remembered from her childhood, back when there was less worries on all this... Back when the idea of vampires and beasties of the night were simply taboo stories and things of film, those who believed in them considered foolish and mocked.

And then... this.
The foolish were the ones who questioned. Investigated, learned the truth. The things they had feared were real. Not as frightening as they may have believed, but as was the case with anything others didn't understand- The unfamiliar must be dangerous, it must be destroyed. Kill it before it can think about killing you.

Dawn glanced back as one woman stepped closer, the look in the lady's eyes that of someone pulling up strength. She forced a smile, turning around and holding up the shirt she had found. "Hey, uh. Do you happen to have this in a larger s-"

A slap to the face.
Hard.
Dawn stepped back, her own hand reaching up to rub the tender spot as the woman's eyes narrowed. "Your customer service sucks," She hissed, narrowing her eyes in return.

"Get out. Get the hell out."

"Hey, all I wanted was-," Dawn started, stopping as she noticed more people stepping closer. "...I think I'll go elsewhere..." Picking up her things, she shoved her way between two of the people, trying to get away before any further attention was brought about.

"Parasite's slut."

She froze with that, spinning back around. "Excuse me?"

"That thing on your arm. I know what that is." The young man snarled at her, jabbing a finger accusingly at the scarring. "He marked his claim in you. I've seen it before. Reminding others on whose whore you a-"

Dawn's turn.
The gun withdrawn from its hiding spot in her belt behind her coat, leveling against the man's nose as her finger quivered against the trigger. "You should really. REALLY. Shut up now."

Sirens. Someone had called the patrols...
So much for her shopping trip. Glaring at the man once again, she shoved the gun back to its home, leaving behind the bag she had dropped and running from the store.

This, this here, was why she hated the rest of the human population. They feared what they didn't know, prattled on about the hellish scourge that hid around them. Dawn knew well enough on what demons were truly out and about- and they weren't the ones who had spent so long in hiding. Her father had understood that. He had seen what could be hidden inside those that so many seemed to hate. That boy- she had met that boy....

"His name is Henry. Be careful, he's very shy. You need to be gentle, okay?"

Dawn nodded, following her father cautiously into the tunnel. A little light ahead, a figure huddled over it. A young boy, barely ten years old, she guessed. He saw then, quickly getting up and staggering back, a wild panic as he flailed.

"It's me, Henry. It's Jason. Calm down... Please. Look, I brought someone to meet you... My daughter. Dawn. She's... she's about your age."

The boy smiled, peeking at her as she peered around her father. They seemed to have the same expression as they studied each other, Henry hesitantly creeping closer and inspecting her.
"H...hi."

Dawn smiled in return. "Hello."

"You.. smell nice."
She giggled, reaching out slowly to raise the fallen hair from his face. "You have pretty eyes..."

"You see? There's nothing to be afraid of. For both of you. You both can see it now... Not everyone is out to harm you, no matter what you are. If only we could get others to see that.."

...If only.

She returned to the old hotel, disappointed in her lack of supplies. Vergil's last explorings had brought home ripped clothing and gaping wounds... She doubted tonight would be much different. It was somewhat easy for her to go out and about through the city, but for him- things were far more complicated. Keeping in mind his last return, she pawed through some of the older damaged shirts, taking out some of the worst of the bunch, ripping them up in the bathroom. Let the water run awhile... hope it gets clean.

He was later than usual.

She sighed as she turned off the water, dipping them in before opening the bathroom door.

There on the floor.... He had come home.
"Oh, angel," She whispered, dropping to her knees beside him and checking him over. Asleep.... Her fingers ran against his cheek, pulling away quickly as she found the marks on his skin. They were nearly healed, but had to have been rather bad to still be lingering.

Standing back up, she pulled the blanket from the bed, sprawling it over him before noticing what was dropped next to him. Picking them up, she glanced back at him with a warm smile, taking the milk and cans into the bathroom, pulling a broken coffeecup from the cabinet and pouring some of the milk into it. A sip of her own was taken as she opened one of the cans, wandering past him to the window, slipping out onto the fire escape with both items. "Boys... Boys, where are you?," she called softly, smiling as the two cats crawled up to her. "There you are.... You can thank him for it this time..." She smiled, setting both items onto the escape. "And he says he doesn't like you," she mumbled, shaking her head as she ran her fingers over the nearest's head as he ate. Leaving them to eat, she slid back inside, going to Vergil's side and curling up beside him, tucking herself beneath the blanket as well.

 

[Eazy]

The first signs of rain had caused the dark haired male to further rethink the notion of heading out toward this supposed gathering. Something about the rain always got on his nerves, especially when it happened on expected nights of being on the prowl. May have been the canine in him and a disdain about getting ones hair (or rather fur) wet for which many mammals had a tendency toward. The hatred could be also related to a number of horror stories which no doubt fed into the humans fear and hatred toward the unfamiliar which involved dark and stormy nights.

Though perhaps on this night, it was simply a thread of an excuse which one like himself could grasp onto as an additional justification for blowing off said gathering. This seemed the most likely candidate at that moment, as Jerome was already in a rather sour mood long before the first droplets of moisture would descend upon the city. Why was he going along with this gathering? To find some type of purpose in this new life on his own? The vein hope that some form of vengeance, or rather revenge, may present itself out of the entire ordeal?

Whatever it was, he was delaying the inevitable by simply standing in his small apartment and letting time tick away. Thus, dressed in pair of black jeans with a dark hoodie pulled over himself, the not quite human made his way out into the dangerous world by descending down the fire escape when there weren't any patrols nearby. The rain made it harder to sniff them out, especially in his human form, his senses served him enough to get by without serious risk of being spotted during the departure.

His darker clothing aided Jerome while making his way through the shadowed corners of the city; ignoring the restricting way they would start to cling onto his body as the moisture soaked into the material. This was stupid, he kept telling himself. Foolish for any number of them to gather in one area and make for an easier target should there somehow be a leak of information. Yet, even as his mind kept replaying these same doubts, his legs would continue moving him forward as he took several trips through darkened alleyways whenever possible.

So caught up was the inhuman male in his thoughts, that he nearly missed out on hearing the sound of wet boots clapping lightly upon the hard sidewalk. Sinking down to his knees, crouching behind a dumpster, he peered around the smelly waste receptacle to spy with his little eyes two male humans whom were on patrol. Only two, whom likely went ahead of or lagged behind any larger unit. Arrogance on their part. Sloppiness, which further showed in how they haphazardly flashed a light down the alley Jerome hid within before dismissing further investigation. His blood boiled while considering how it would be possible to take both down before either could call for reinforcements. A message to others.

A low growl nearly escaped his lips at these thoughts, before forcibly swallowing down this perhaps foolish pride like a bitter pill. A stupid notion for him to even entertain, he chided himself as his by now tensed body began to relax. His fists which he hadn't even noticed had clenched together would slowly unwind, as a few droplets of blood were washed away with the rain from where his nails had begun digging into the flesh of his palms. Licking at the self inflicted wounds for a moment, Jerome waited until any trace of the two was gone, before taking an alternate route through the alleyway.

Inspecting the small cuts for a few seconds as he continued moving through the rainy streets of the city, the dark haired male's whispered voice echoed out what his mind had repeated to him for much of the night, "This had better be fuckin' worth it...."

 

[Cheska]

Jessica

The problem with being dead is that you tend to forget things. Memory takes living and doing things, the dead had a bad habit of doing what they did last.
The best way to break from the habit is to move from that place where you did the last thing, it also made it harder for patrols to bring you down.
But walking from place to place was really pissing me off. I could take a cab, but I either needed to find some loose money, steal some money, or just piss off a cab driver and bail as they pass my street.
Buses tended to be easier.

That the city had the most efficient train system in the country made it really annoying.
I can hear the trains now, down in the tunnel, I feel the draw, the urge to walk down and wait for my train, but then, I would fall onto the tracks and die all over again, I hate that!

Where was I going? Train tunnel, work? NO!
I walk away as fast I can, taking to an alley, I reach into my coat and pull out my notebook. I check, Meeting, underlined three times.

The rain helps, it was not raining the day I died. But is still dull and over cast, and I can hear the trains beneath me, feel the rumbling as they pass.
Please, let the meeting be away from the thick of town, ware houses or the docks.

I am safe near the docks or the outskirt of the city, no trains.
I look up to get my bearings and I notice a man looking at me, he seems confused. I look around and then I notice that I just walked through a lamp post, damn it!
I keep walking and hurry my pace, he follows me, he watches and then shakes his head.
Away from our haunts, ghost are hard to spot and I am safe, but I am not far enough away from the trains and I need to keep moving.

I hear the klaxon of a patrol car and look back, the man is speaking with a patrolman.
What did I do to piss you off God? Hmm?
Before the officer can look my way, I let go, this is bad because I am weaker when I am not visible, and the draw to the tunnels becomes stronger.
But I can't be seen anymore, unless the officer takes out a reader, then he'll call in a squad and I'll have to run.

He looks around, I stay perfectly still, I watch him. I want him to be tired, to be wanting a rest instead of more work.
He nods to the man and gets back in his car, I bolt down the nearest alley and then let myself sink below the street, the sewers stink, even to the dead. But hey, no patrols down here.

Where is that address? Vergil, I will personally kick your butt for this.

 

[fr33ks33k]

The rain had been pouring off and on for the past few days. Grigori wandered about in it for the first few hours, enjoying the sensation of the cool droplets. But after a while, it got to be too cold and not enough people were around to watch, to hide behind. Which was an amusing thought for someone his size.

"Guess it's back to the tunnels for me...man, I hate that place. If I didn't hafta, I wouldn't even bother..."

He was talking to no one in particular, but his deep voice remained low enough that anyone walking by wouldn't question.

As night started to fall, his hunched figure moved about in the darker alleys, searching for the old entrance he used to gain access to the sewer system. Loud noises made him hunker down behind a dumpster. The heavy pattering of footfalls and gunshots.

"Musta found another one...poor bastard..."

He muttered quietly to himself, bulky arms wrapped around himself. The firing stopped, but an even more raucous noise took its place. Grigori tilted his head back in time to see the whirling-bladed car flying over the buildings, chasing something...someone.

"I'd like one of those...I've never been up that high before. Dangerous to be up there with all that wind..."

The sounds of the patrol were coming his way now. He'd have to move or be perfectly still. He remembered what had happened in the tunnels those few short years ago. He could still smell the burnt flesh. And so he bolted from his hiding spot, heavy boots plodding down into puddles and nearly slipping out from under him. Somehow, the rain shielded most of his clumsy noisiness, and he made it to the grating that kept most people from exploring the sewers. It was nothing to Grigori. It groaned as he pulled it aside, the rust shaking from the bars. He slid it back into place and moved deeper into the darkened tunnel, hunching over more than usual. Luckily for him, his eyes were used to gloom, otherwise he might've needed a flashlight.

"Damned flashlights....those'll be the death of you yet, Runt..."

His ears perked up and his head swiveled down a junction, just as he came to it. Was that a voice? Was someone down there?

"Nah, probably just an echo...gotta keep going. I think there's an exit somewhere around here that'll get me closer to the meeting....I sure hope they don't mind me showing up unannounced...."

Grigori's steps took him off down the opposite side of the tunnel, following the sounds of the water and the walls gentle downward slope. The deeper he went, the more like home he felt, and the further away from it he felt at the same time. The surface had become a sort of second home. A place where he didn't have to remember that he was all alone, down here in the dark. But until the humans decided that they didn't need to burn and kill every last thing that went bump in the night, he'd have to make due.

 

[Mister J]

Outside the broken window pane there was a sharp jolt. It cut through the blackened sky and lit up the city. Just after, a loud rumbling crack of thunder shook the small room. Pale eyelids lazily parted, her scent filling his nostrils. He could hear the drops of rain outside, dancing along the windowsill. Blue eyes awoke to strands of red. The fuzzy image started to clear, she was laying beside him, her head against his chest as he leaned against the wall. His eyes trailed down and he noticed she had pulled the blanket off the bed and wrapped it around them. A smile came to thin lips, something he hadn't done since the last time he saw her. There wasn't much to smile about these days. Seemed she was the only thing that could crack through his wall.

Vergil pulled his arm from under her as gingerly as possible. He didn't want to wake her yet. Blue eyes fell on his watch and he sighed. Still awhile until nightfall. As carefully as he could, the vampire reached down and tugged at the blanket, pulling it up over the girl's shoulders to cover her once more. He let his arm rest atop the comforter as he tried to drift off again.




"VERG--LLNNNN!!!"

The muffled scream shocked him awake. Eyes wide, darting around the room. Gone, she was gone! He jumped to his feet, not even noticing the blanket had been pulled away. Another scream outside, the hallway, her voice... muffled. His lip curled into a snarl as fists clenched. He bolted out of the room, hand catching the door frame to swing him in the direction of the scream. At the end of the hall, feet kicking around the corner. Vergil shot down the long corridor like a bullet, crashing into the wall from pure momentum. He pushed himself off with a growl and lunged forward. He heard another scream downstairs towards the entrance. He reached for the railing and jumped over the side, landing dead center of the small lobby. The door was still swinging closed as he rushed towards it.

Vergil pushed through and shrieked in pain as the blinding sunlight hit him. He hadn't even noticed the sun pouring in from the windows... too focused on her. He scrambled back into the shade, his scorched face staring ahead. He caught sight of her, those hazel eyes pleading for his help. He yelled out, a mix of words and a guttural howl. The vampire lunged forward, but the light caught his hand and sent him back inside cradling it like a child. He slammed his other fist against the wall, tears streaming down his cheeks as he thrashed at the walls and floor, losing his mind, helpless to stop them.

The group had stopped, all of them focusing on the doors to the hotel. Men, some women, even a young boy among them. They were the ones who had seen her at the store earlier. One of the women had commented on her marking. Now she was standing beside the truck, staring at the doors like the rest, listening to the feral growls. They caught glimpses of bright blue eyes in the darkness. One of the men, an older one, looked at the girl and then nodded towards the two who held her down in the back of the truck.

"Take the gag off. Let her call for him."

His face was stone, like he had seen this all before, unfazed. A veteran of the Purge.

One of the men ripped the fabric away from her mouth and instantly she yelled for him. There was silence for a moment and then one of the men pointed, eyes wide. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Suddenly they all went slack jawed in disbelief. Out from the door, the vampire stumbled towards them. His face alight in bright red and orange flames, his teeth clenched tight, eyes staring straight ahead. His coat caught next, spreading the fire across his shoulder and down his arm. He reached towards her, ash falling off of his charred fingertips. The pained expression on his face evident of his suffering. He took another step, winced, and fell to his knee.

His vision was blurred, the pain overwhelming. He couldn't see her anymore. He tried reaching out again but felt a jarring slam as one of the men's boots tore into his side. A smaller group of the more excitable men fell upon him. They took turns getting in kicks, making sure to avoid the flames... but when he stopped moving, they started to back away, upset that their fun had ended so soon.

Vergil could only hear now, he could hear her yell something... but he couldn't make it out... everything hurt... the pain started to numb.. he felt heavy...just... black...

Then something unexpected happened...

The sky shuddered, thunder sounded all around them... and the first droplets fell. A small gathering of dark clouds had drifted in front of the sun. They emptied their contents, drenching the city in rain once more. The group, suddenly wet and terrified, all looked at each other. The man who had spoken before, did so again. Without the sun, they needed to get out of there, no telling what else was hiding in that hotel or the surrounding buildings. The older human calmly walked over to the smoking pile of what used to be a vampire. He pulled his gun from it's holster, a large revolver. He pointed it down, said a small prayer for the beast, and went to pull the trigger.

But instead, a smoking hand lashed out at him. It grabbed him by the throat and lifted him high into the air. Raging blue eyes burned into the man who had shown no fear before now. He tried to get off a shot, but as his hand lowered towards the vampire, it was ripped off and tossed aside like so much garbage. A low growl came from a snarling mouth, fangs showing brightly against charred lips. The rain poured down atop them, leaving multiple streaming trails as it found it's way to the ground. The vampire snapped the man's neck with his thumb as if he was nothing more than an insect. He buried his face into the human's neck, draining him hungrily.

The rest of them wasted no time and either ran for their lives or jumped into one of the vehicles and drove away. They were still trying to start the truck when the driver looked up and realized the vampire had disappeared leaving the man's corpse behind. Suddenly a hand burst through the glass and ripped him out of the truck. The others screamed and yelled, trying to flee.

All that could be heard from her spot, tied up in the back of the truck were screams of agony quickly silenced, one after the other. Then, just silence for a long while...

A black, burnt hand clutched the tailgate. It ripped it away and the vampire stepped up onto the bed of the large truck. His coat and shirt had burned away, but his skin remained, still charred and broken but already starting to heal and repair itself. His hands were soaked in red, blood dripped from his fingertips and fell like the rain all around them. He was breathing heavy.

Vergil crouched down and tore her free from the ropes the other humans had used. He pulled her up and held her tight, again tears welling up in his eyes.

"I'm so sorry... Dawn... so sorry..."


------------------------------------------------------


A few hours later on the other side of the city...


After dark, in an old theater building, the gathering was readying to commence. Creatures large and small were filtering in from the darkness. The candles dimly lit the stage with it's hardwood flooring and torn crimson curtains. A few dark silhouettes were talking together up there, others were keeping to the seats, even fewer were hiding up in the rafters of the old building.

Outside... it was still raining.

 

[Cheska]

The thing about rain, the sewers smelled less foul during and just after. But the stench would be back in force shortly, just like everything else.
The dank darkness hold few secrets for me, being dead, little can hurt me now. But it has never stopped me from being scared, fear is eternal.
Getting about a block before I realize I need some light, no matches, no torch.
I hold up my fingers and concentrate for just a moment before a soft glow appears between thumb and forefinger, the light is dim but better than nothing.
“Where am I?.. “ a quick look and I find a tunnel marking, directions for workers. I have to think hard before I can get that memory back and it's sketchy at best. “Ok.. so I want to keep going this way, make a left?.. no..yes....shit!” I start walking, I can worry about the damn turn when I get there.

Are those foot steps? No, of course not. No one should be down here during a storm except me, can't drown. But did someone come down anyway? A foolish enforcer?
I walk a bit more slowly, I can become very silent if need be, but that would mess with my concentration.
I wait and I listen, rain, water, small animals.... steps.

Not someone trying to be stealthy, bit clumsy, “Hello?” my voice echos softly down the tunnel, my accent giving it an odd hollow quality. 'The British were made to be ghost.' I muse with a bit of amusement.

I have to be ready, become part of the wall and prey there is no copper between me and freedom.
A bit of copper would hurt, lots of copper and I would burn.

“Who is there?” I call out, not too loud. My luck the person is deaf.

 

[fr33ks33k]

Grigori kept walking, and he kept hearing the voice.

"Definitely an echo...but from where?"

His eyes scanned the path he'd taken, but found no source for the mysterious voice. Down here, he'd always heard things. The others had laughed at him, told him he was too gullible, thinking even the smallest sounds were dangerous. If they'd listened to him on that day....

"Dumbasses...maybe then I wouldn't be the only troll left in this city..."

He kept moving, following the arrows that had been left on the walls. A few of them had been worn away by time and water overflow, so he hoped he was still following the right ones.

The rain let up about midmorning, but he didn't stop to rest or eat. He had to find the right place to be before nightfall came again. The echoing had stopped a while ago, and he actually felt sad to hear it disappear. It was comforting to know someone else might be down here in the darkness, even the ghost of a chance of finding a companion.

But that was foolish, and maybe he was a fool.

"In any case, gotta keep moving."

So he continued marching through the tunnels until he found an old wrought iron ladder leading up to a large grate. It looked like an old ventilation shaft. From above came the sounds of hushed whispers and the flicker of candlelight.

That was another thing; fire. Trolls hate fire. But Grigori, he was fascinated by watching it. He didn't cringe from it like his brethren, yet another reason they thought him mentally damaged.

"Well, this looks like the right place. Hope they don't mind me not having an invite...they did say it was for all nonhumans..."

Rung by rung, Grigori clambered up the ladder. Subtlety was not his strong suit. When he reached the top, he knocked on the grate, getting the attention of the few people standing atop it.

"Hey, I don't mean to bother you, but could you step aside so I can get out of here?"

They were confused at first, disgusted second, and finally dismissive. They moved, and Grigori swung open the grate with the loud groaning of protesting metal. He closed the grate and shook some of the detritus of the sewer off of his tattered jacket. To him it was a jacket anyway, to anyone else it would be a trenchcoat.

"So, am I at the right meeting?" he said aloud to no one in particular. Most ignored him and kept talking in their quiet voices. He looked about, trying to find a friendly face among them. Not a one, though there was a man with startlingly blue eyes standing...wait, now he was gone. Grigori glanced about, trying to find him again to no avail.

"Well, I guess I'll just take a seat then."

The only suitable place for him to do so was the stage, so he moved over to it and sat right in the center of the apron, watching the rest of the shadowy figures talk to themselves. A peal of thunder rang out, and Grigori smiled.

"Storm and a show. Guess it was worth the walk after all."

 

[Eazy]

The remainder of the journey had proven thankfully uneventful, save for a few cases of needing to alter his path in order to avoid patrolling humans. Gods, he hated this feeling. A feeling of helplessness. Of being less then ones worth. Treated like a virus which needed to be purged for the betterment of those whom seemed to believe theirs was the only rightful species to walk upon this world. Sure, they didn't mind sharing it with other species, so long as they were little else then cattle without a greater role to play then existing until needed for food or milk. Pathetic, frightened humans with their guns.

Great, now he was starting to sound like an X-Men villain. If anybody mentions a Brotherhood or Homo-superior at this meeting, he was taking for the nearest exit. Brushing such trivial musings aside, however, he did wonder what would come of this meeting after finally making it to the old theater building. Entering, the hooded figure walked amongst the array of once believed mythical creatures whom were in attendance. There were a few faces he'd recognized, but even as he pulled back his hood to allow others to see him, there were hardly any words exchanged his way.

The occasional acknowledging nod was thrown his way, but more so whispers were shared amongst another after realizing exactly what he was by either means of a heightened sense, former knowledge or simple gossip. Werewolves weren't exactly the most trusted or liked amongst everyone due to the majority which survived the purge turning feral. Jerome didn't blame those who seemed surprised at his presence, as he may have reacted the same if it were any other species which befell the fall from grace that his had in recent times. Still, it resulted in his largely sticking to himself for the time being, as he leaned against a wall near the back of the ground floor while keeping an eye on the upcoming proceedings.

A light scoff at the realization that the coward either hadn't shown up yet or was keeping himself hidden. The wolf didn't know if he should respect Vergil for having the balls to show his face after what he'd done, or think even less of a man who would ever again dare try to be amongst any of them. The latter caused a low growl to emit from deep within his throat at the thought alone. Regardless, Jerome wouldn't make a scene about it. Or at least that was what he'd told himself several times whenever the vampires existence entered his thought process.

Shifting slightly in his place while starting to grow anxious, his eyes did scan around the still incoming flux of arrivals from various species to take heed of everyone around. There were a few familiar faces whom it did brighten his demeanor to see had survived since the purge. It was so hard to maintain or even initiate contact with another since that fateful event, so at least there was some good coming of this. It did, however, sink his heart greatly when it seemed there weren't any others of his kind here. Impossible to tell for certain, of course, but still looking to be the case. C'est la vie, thought Jerome as he let out a short sigh before returning his gaze toward the general direction of the center of the theater; awaiting the arrival of the players upon the stage.

 

[Cheska]

The sound of voices ahead and above continued, it was not hard to find what she sought.
Climbing the latter to the access doors was easy, but open either door was very hard, she could bare lift them.
She listened a bit longer, familiar conversations confirmed that she was in the right place, or a mental hospital.
Either one worked for her just now, letting herself relax and stepping up allowed her to pass through the steel doors. Looking about confirmed that she had found the theater, only a few looked her way, none of them seemed to be as dead as her.
No ghost within sight, but that did not mean that she was the only one.

She stepped onto the floor and then resumed her more life like state and looked for a place to sit while she waited. She noticed a very large man by the stage and wondered if he knew what was going on. She made her way across the floor avoiding touch with anyone if she could help it.
She hated passing through people and allowing them to bump her tended to either make her pass through someone else or give them a mild static shock.
Neither of which was fun.

 

[fr33ks33k]

More and more people came pouring into the theater

"They're not people you knucklehead. They're the opposite of people..."

There were two in particular that caught his eye. One looked like he was one of the humans that everyone hated, until you saw his eyes. They were definitely monstrous. Something else about him seemed overly gruff, as though there was something scratching at the surface.

"He's probably dangerous. Don't wanna piss him off."

Grigori's eyes moved around the room again.

"Where the hell did that guy with the blue eyes go...oh, hello."

There was a girl standing where there distinctly wasn't one before.

"Who're you? And where did you come from? I didn't see you there a second ago...."

Grigori's bulky palm extended forward, index finger pointed straight out. She looked translucent, like there was just a projection of a girl there. Then she solidified, as though she'd been there all along in the flesh. His finger hovered centimeters from her shoulder.

"Why do you look like...well...you look like a ghost of a girl. Or maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me."

 

[Mephistophelily]

Panic. Confusion. Fear. Fear, above all else. She had been so happily nestled against him, sleeping so soundly, comforted by his touch. Though no true heat may have come from him, she felt safer there than anywhere else.

So when a warm touch met her skin, she immediately panicked.

She screamed, briefly; her words silenced by that warm hand. She tried to bite it, to scream and fight. What the hell was going on?! She dug her fingers into the arm holding her, screaming into the hand over her lips as another set of arms grabbed her flailing legs. How many of them were there?! Dawn tried to spot them between the fingers covering her face, her heart racing as they finally dropped her down hard into the truck.

"Get the hell away from me! VERGIL!!!!" She screamed again, trying to hit at the trio that joined her in the truck as they pushed her back down. "Fuck off! Get- Get the hell off m-" Her words were cut short as they stuffed a cloth between her lips, her screams stifled as they bound her hands. She kicked again against the side of the truck, glaring out at the older man staring at her.

The woman beside him. The shop owner, the one who had yelled at her...
That BITCH...

She tried to get to the edge of the truck as she heard him, furious shouts and snarls echoing from the entryway of the hotel they had torn her from. Hands once again grabbed at her, yanking her back down and slamming her cheek against the van's bed as she screeched in her own fury. He burst through the door, Dawn seeing the hell in his eyes even from the truck. She was sobbing now, crying out as the man demanded the gag back down, screaming for him again.

The pain in his face... She had seen the hurt from both the sun and these bastards...

"Vergil, please...," She whimpered, her back aching from the man pressing against her.

The pressure released slightly. "Wh... What the hell is he doing...?," The man hissed, no longer focused on holding her.

Dawn sat up slightly, staring out the opened doors. She cried out again, no longer fearing for herself- but for him. He was trying- that pain... Twisting on the floor, she tried to get to the edge once again, a frustrated howl leaving her as the man realized and snatched once more for her binds. He was going to kill himself... "Vergil, don't- stop, baby- STOP!," She pleaded, screaming out in horror as he fell, the group gaining bravery and beginning to attack. "You bastards! Get the fuck away from him! LEAVE HIM ALONE!," she screamed between her sobs as he stopped moving, the gun drawn by the older man.

She choked as his hand lashed upward, snatching the armed man and hauling him up in the newly developed rain, leaving Dawn to stare in shock much the same as the others around her. Her gaze hastily ripped away as he bore his teeth, her heart racing as she heard the man's last attempt at a scream.

Confusion and chaos. Realizing they had unleashed hell with his fury, they scrambled like ants... She could hear it all, pushing herself into the corner of the truck and closing her eyes, trying to keep from crying. It wasn't over what he had done... It was over what she had caused. More screams, broken glass- his enfuriated sounds... the sound of his hunger met as well.

He made it to her, battlescarred beyond belief- but still standing. She stared at him for a moment, burying against him as he ripped away the ropes, feeling his warm breath against her skin.
Warmth...
He had fed...
He whispered into her ear, Dawn shaking her head in response. "It's my fault, its all my fault... I should have known better...." Never again. She would never, ever let that mark be shown on the presence of the ignorant creatures she hated being associated with. "Forgive me, Vergil, please..."

She reached out, carefully touching the remnants of what used to be his coat. "Let's... let's get you inside..."

Clean him up. Make him presentable.
A new home.
They would need a new home.

A concern for later. Right now, they had an important date to keep to. "You know where this place is?" The look she received gave her the answer. "Stupid question, right. Of course you do..." She dabbed at the burnt flesh, drawing her hand back hastily as it fell away. "S...Sorry." Beneath was reddened but renewed skin, something Dawn stared at for a brief moment. "You amaze me sometimes, angel," She noted softly, brushing her palm against his cheek before giving him a gentle kiss. "We've got some old shirts still... No spare coat at the moment, though." She sighed, still cleaning at his wounds. "I was hoping to surprise you today, but... That... that was..."

She couldn't finish.
"I'm sorry."


*****

The meeting was moments from starting when they finally arrived, their earlier... issues... causing a rather significant delay in their travel plans. Her own coat was worn, drawn tightly across her chest as she tried to keep as close as possible to him. She wasn't sure how well she would be accepted by others here, his few words on the extent of his past relations leaving doubts on there being any cordial greetings given in his direction.

She reached for his hand as they moved through the gathered groups, clutching his fingers tightly.

He was still warm.

 

[Mister J]

There was a loud boom in the distance, thunder echoing through the pouring rain. Suddenly the candles flickered. In the brief darkness, eyes of every color glowed and shimmered. Green, gold, red, violet... blue. He pulled her closer to him as they passed through the gathered creatures. Most who saw him sneered and snarled. A few sniffed at them, catching the scent of the human. A few more sneered at that. This was a mistake. He knew it the moment they walked through the door. He had no friends here and if something happened to her... he couldn't protect her. No, this was a very bad idea. The vampire huffed and moved suddenly, back towards the exit.

"Running away again, Vergil?"

A firm voice shot out above the crowd.

The vampire stopped and let out a deep sigh. He turned, looking back over his shoulder to see the only other surviving member of his former coven. A vampire elder named Edwin. A rather thin, tall, and stern looking man. He looked to be in his early forties with sharp features. Thin eyebrows and slicked back raven hair. He wore the same sneer the rest of them had. Edwin had been their leader at the time of the Purge. It still puzzled Vergil as to how he survived the slaughter that befell the rest of his coven.

"I don't want any trouble..."

Vergil almost whispered the words. The theater had fallen into silence waiting on him to speak and hear him they did.

"Then you shouldn't have brought that."

A spider-like finger from the elder vampire pointed right at the human. He growled under his breath and stepped in front of Dawn. A few in the crowd stepped towards them. Vergil bared his fangs, a louder growl rumbled from his throat.

"ENOUGH."

The voice boomed through the rafters and echoed back. Out from behind the curtain came a figure clothed in red. A long duster, straps abound. Black steel tipped boots and shiny leather pants. His skin was bleach white and his eyes glowed gold. He had sharp, pointy ears and long white hair, two long braids fell over his chest. Some sort of elf maybe. Vergil couldn't tell, he'd never seen anyone quite like this. Off to the left, almost hidden by the curtains, stood a woman, almost identical to the man aside from her feminine features. She wore a long red dress, thigh-high black boots and fishnets.

"Welcome. My name is Oberon. You are all here because you seek a safe haven of some sort. Something away from the constant struggle for survival, the running and hiding. You want to know comfort when you sleep, not fear. Just like you, I searched for a place to call home again. Somewhere safe and secure. Well... it does exist. There is a place..."

Vergil narrowed his eyes. This sounded too much like a sales pitch.

"... and is called Avalon."

His eyes widened then. Was this guy serious? There had been rumors of a place by the same name. Some island no one could find without a guide, shrouded in a protective mist. There was no proof it really existed though and then rumors spread of it being some kind of scam to lure creatures out for harvesting. A process where they were killed, skinned, and anything of value such as fangs would be taken.

He turned to look at Dawn, offering her a nod towards the exit.

"We're leaving."

The white haired elf waved his hand in front of him.

"Please, wait! Listen! It's true! It's all tr--"

He was cut off by the sound of glass breaking. Vergil turned towards the noise only to see the little canister bounce twice before it exploded in a blinding bright light and deafening boom. The crowd turned to panic as the flashbang went off. The ringing in his ears quickly subsided and he could hear the crazed stampede towards the exits. The sound of gunfire followed. A trap... fish in a barrel, it was a setup! He never let go of Dawn while he scanned the room for a way out. Edwin had vanished, as had the two supposed elves. Others were scrambling to get out. He saw someone in a hood that smelled like a lycan, another who could have been a troll standing next to a girl... wait. He squinted. She seemed to be going in and out of transparency... some sort of illusion? Nearby there was another, a female, vampire going by the eyes... probably. They were the closest to him, but no one was looking at him with a sneer anymore. Everyone was to busy trying to save their own skin.

He stepped forward, his boot catching on something. A glance down revealed a loose board in the wood. He arched a brow and reached down with his free hand, lifting the board up. Beneath was some kind of opening and there was a light down there. Some sort of basement, hidden below the boards? He didn't have time to weigh his options. He had to get her out of there. With a groan he ripped away the boards to reveal a stone staircase leading down. The others would have seen, but he didn't care if they followed. He just cared about getting her out of there.

As they descended he could hear the gunfire getting louder, another explosion. Soon enough they were too far down, the sounds from above had faded. They hit a stone walkway and followed it for what seemed like miles. He could hear footsteps behind him and he hoped they belonged to anything but a human.

Soon enough they entered an opening with three different pathways from there. It was large, with thick pillars scattered throughout. Vergil yanked her behind one of them. It was big enough to hide both of them. He wanted to see who was following them before they went any further.

 

[fr33ks33k]

All a blur. Too fast for anything to be understood. Least of all the ghostly girl standing before him. The man with the blue eyes was back, and with a girl...

"Human? That's strange...I thought they all hated us..."

There were others now, coming from behind the curtain on the stage. They were...

"Elves? This day is getting stranger, even for a troll..."

Then the gunfire erupted. Screaming and running, everyone was screaming and running. Grigori remained where he was. The bullets didn't really scare him. The flashbang blinded him for a moment, but his eyes adjusted rapidly. He saw the last part of the human girl disappearing into a dark recess. The people with guns were moving in quickly.

"Guess that's the way to go."

Hopping down off the stage, Grigori wandered over to the stone steps leading down. He passed right through the girl, confirming his thoughts. Before he went down them, he turned to see if she was still there.

"Hm..."

Down in the darkness, his eyes worked better. He kept going deeper into the tunnel.

"Wonder if anyone's gonna follow. Hopefully not those guys with the guns...and what the hell's a human doing at a meeting for non humans?"

 

[Cheska]

Firs, it was calm, calm for a gathering of people ill at ease, then words were spoken and then.

She had little time to digest what was happening, and as she looked up, the big man was walking right at her, she had to flee, but she did not want to be lost.
It was a spur of the moment thought, only a brief flash and then she allowed him to pass, but not leave her.

It was an old coat, well worn and had sentiment for... Grigori? He was one of the hunted, from old myths.
He was also small for his size, 'This is small?'
she became his coat, wove herself into the fabric.
She Haunted a coat and allowed herself to go where it's wearer went.

 

[Mephistophelily]

She clung to him even more as the gathering grew around him, the attention brought on by the elder that seemed to recognize him causing her to hide against his back, clutching and peering around to the finger now pointed in her direction. She narrowed her eyes, biting down on her lip to fight the urge to snap back at him- the booming shout from the stage quieting the whole congregation.

An elf? Last Dawn had known, the majority of them had been wiped out. She had seen a few scatterings of reminders on their existence throughout the city, but nothing as concrete as- well, these two. "Vergil...," She whispered hesitantly, two hands grasping at his one as she stayed close.

He offered promises of a place of peace, of quiet and safety. Dawn listened curiously, stepping forward a bit more around him to see the man giving such hope. A place without humans? Where Vergil could be safe again?

But.. she would be without him. She certainly would not be allowed there. Look at what had happened in merely the few minutes she had been here.

Vergil's sudden growl on leaving at the place's name brought an even more confused look to her face, following as he led her hand. "Wait, don't you want to hear more on it? If it's true, then-"

The sudden smash and bang had him hauling her in once more, Dawn, cringing as she clung tightly to him. Again? Oh, god, had they followed after the two of them? He was already in enough trouble with this group over her being here- now they would blame her of being a spy or something-

Vergil stopped suddenly, tearing at the floor as she looked around. Panic and disarray, people trying to move for different exits as quickly as they could. "No, don't-! They'll be waiting at those doors-!," She screamed, attempting to stop those who would listen to her. "Don't go that w-aah!" He grabbed her arm again, silently instructing her to get moving with his fast movements.

Others followed, as few as dared. Had they heard her?

Explosions, gunfire. Dawn grimaced and hurried to keep pace with him, running a few steps behind as he moved. She was nearly panting as they finally hit the break, yelping slightly as he grabbed her arm and pulled her behind one of the pillars. Biting down on her lip, she closed her eyes, drawing a breath before looking up at him, fear in her gaze. She grabbed his hand this time, squeezing it gently.

If it was human, they would shoot him...
If it was creature, they would possibly go after her...

Possibility was better than definite. She squeezed again, pulling away from him to step out to see.

A curiously dressed large man. No. Troll... This was a troll.

"It's alright," She called out softly. "I'm not... I'm not one of those people. I hate to even be called a human. Please, I swear, I'm not going to hurt anyone. Please, believe me... Vergil has trusted me for this long..."

Was referencing him a good idea, after what she had just seen upstairs?

"We're safer here than up there. We can find a way back out."

 

[fr33ks33k]

He had seen her before she stepped out, but that was only because his eyes were far better suited for this level of light than hers. He saw the man with the blue eyes still half hiding behind one of the pillars as well.

Grigori's head canted to the side a bit as the girl started talking. His hand idly reached up to scratch at his side. His coat seemed itchier than usual.

"That's odd..." he mumbled, realizing that she was done talking now.

"Yeah, there's probably no one left up there anyway. Is Vergil that guy?"

Grigori pointed over in his direction, his gangly arm nearly poking Dawn in the shoulder. As he pulled back from pointing, he went to scratch at his other side.

"Since when did this coat get so damned itchy?"

He moved a step closer to the human girl, now practically towering over her. He was glad he didn't have to slump forward to stand in this tunnel.

"You're probably right about another way out of here. The underground is full of secret passages...but then, a troll should know that. So, what brought you to a meeting for non humans? I mean, besides that guy."

Grigori pointed once more at Vergil, looming in the darkness. This time the itching in his coat was on his back; luckily for him, long arms made the itch accessible. As he scratched, his head turned toward the stairs leading down to their current location.

"I guess no one else is coming. Did you see the elves? I thought they were all dead...."

 

[Mister J]

Blue eyes shimmered in the darkness, silently watching the troll. The lanky creature didn't seem overly threatening, more lackadaisical really. They narrowed as his name was spoken. A hesitant step forward. Then another. His hand found Dawn's shoulder as he looked the tall creature up and down. He seemed somewhat "at home" in these dank tunnels. Vergil noted his coat, and suddenly missed his own. He felt naked without it.

"Do you know your way around down here?"

The vampire motioned towards the many different pathways and various tunnels.

"Would you be able to lead us out?"

Before the troll could reply there was a resounding *boom* from above. The thunderous sound echoed down below. The stone walls and ceiling started to quake, bits and pieces falling off here and there. Large chunks of rock fell all around them. Vergil looked up just as another large piece started to break off right above them. He quickly grabbed Dawn and pulled her away, confident the troll could take care of himself. The boulder hit hard and sent up dust and dirt in all directions.

Vergil lifted off of the ground, his body covering Dawn in an attempt to protect her. He helped her up and dusted the dirt off of her. He was covered too, but not all too concerned by it. Instead, he glanced around trying to find the troll.

"Hey! You alright?!"

He looked up, wondering what the hell happened up there to cause that?

 

[fr33ks33k]

Thunder? Underground?

"What the Hell's going..."

Grigori's words were cut short as he stumbled backward, narrowly avoiding the chunk of the tunnel that smashed down where he'd been. More debris was trickling down from ceiling, covering the area in rock dust. Grigori stood up and shook his head to get the grime out of his hair, blinking a few times to clear his vision. The booming sounds seemed to dissipate over time.

"Guess they decided to blow the place up...yeah, I'm fine. Take more than that to kill a troll...unless they have those nasty flashlights..."

Even in the midst of their perilous position, he found time to continue scratching at his coat, still itching him in odd places.

"I might need to find a new coat. This one must have fleas or something in it...but I really like this coat. Oh, yeah. You were asking me something...yeah, I can find a way out of here. Just gotta take a look at a few of the tunnels."

Grigori ambled over to the junction that led off into the many different paths under the theatre. He sniffed at a few of them, peering down into the deeper darkness.

"Well, we've got two options. This one smells like seawater, so it probably dumps out into the river that flows into the city."

He pointed down the tunnel entrance he was standing before, then off to a second two tunnels over.

"That one smells like people. I'm not sure what that means, but if there are people then there's a good chance we can exit to the surface. Or maybe there's more nonhumans down there. The funny thing is that people tend to smell alike, whether they're human or not."

He pointed at the girl again, then at the blue-eyed man she'd called Vergil.

"For instance, you two smell alot alike. Maybe it's 'cause you spend a lot of time together...that must be nice...having people to spend time with..."

Grigori hung his head slightly, saddened by the thought of his brethren. His sorrow was quickly replaced with curiosity; his hand reaching behind him to scratch at his lower back again.

"So, which way do we want to go?"

 

[Cheska]

"I really like this coat." he had said, no wonder it was so warm and safe feeling.

"Sorry..." Grigori's coat said softly. Jessie pulled her self free from the warm safe haven, it was nice to be something loved. But it was not her and not her's.

She manifested by the trolls right side, looking up at him, her own long coat briefly looking like his own jacket.
"I was scared and you ran right at me.. I, I just hitched a lift." she smiled awkwardly, an then looked away.

She noticed the others looking at her, but could not look at them. "I'm Jessie.. I'm dead." she felt stupid, but she had no idea what else to say.

 

[Mephistophelily]

Dawn frowned slightly as the two spoke, glancing around and trying to see in the darkness of the caverns. She wasn't as lucky as her companions when it came to seeing in darkness such as this- one of the numerous situations where her reliance on Vergil came into play. At least she could do things in return for him, whether a run out through the day to fetch him supplies, or distracting away other humans to buy him time.

Except for that incident earlier.
She would never be able to forgive herself for that.

The sudden explosion above barely had a chance to register to her as to what was happening before Vergil was on top of her, covering her body with his own as debris fell from the tunnel's roof. Cringing into a ball under him, she hesitantly uncurled as he started to lift up from her, peering up at the ceiling with widened eyes. "Do you think anyone's... still up there...?," She asked softly, not sure if she even wanted to hear a reply to that question.

She took Vergil's hand, brushing off what she could of the dirt as he began trying to do it to her as well. "I've got it, really. It's- it's fine, Angel. Please...," She whispered, shaking her head before peeking around to their companion. Another one searching for a coat? She frowned slightly, starting to wonder now just how hard it would be to find two different supernaturals overcoats in the city. Considering the troll's build, he would definitely be the harder of the two.

But, not a concern for the moment. He was hunting down an out, peering into the split tunnels and pondering over which was the best option. Dawn's arm reached out slowly, taking Vergil's long pale fingers between her own as the troll weighed between the options. As he turned to explain, the soft voice of another came out, followed by the faint outline of a person... a young woman.

Someone else.
A- a ghost.

"Seems more survived than we thought. Well..." She paused, reconsidering that statement. If this woman was already dead, it wasn't exactly 'surviving'... but she was still among them, so... Hm. What was the proper phrasing for that?

"So our options are possibly drown, or possibly be shot at. Again." She frowned, looking up at Vergil. "I may be able to draw them away... I won't let them get near you again. I promise."

 

[fr33ks33k]

"Hmm...so you're the reason my coat was so itchy...that's strange...does it hurt when you do that?"

His coat did feel a lot less itchy now that the ghostly girl wasn't possessing it. Grigori coughed as a bit of the debris found its way into his throat. A bit of the dust from it was drifting through the girl who'd called herself Jessie. Definitely strange, but also definitely the same spectral girl he'd seen earlier. He took a moment to smell at the tunnels again, catching another odd whiff of....something. He couldn't place it, but it might just be something on the wind drifting down the tunnels.

He turned back to Vergil and his female companion.

"Well I know I can swim...I don't like to, but if I have to I can. Getting shot, that I've never tried. I don't think it feels too pleasant, from what I've seen. Either way, we probably should get moving before those guys up there come combing the tunnels for us..."