[IC] ~Nyte Bloods~

[Mister Thirteen]

Dalton looked back once at Alice before turning his attention back to Liam.
Thomas, Aleera, and Dalton all stood in more aggressive stances, their feet parted with one forward, their arms and hands somewhat loose yet ready for quick action.
Liam was stood in a bold, arrogant way, chest out, shoulders back, and arms slightly outward. Liam's eyes glowed a hateful red, as did Aleera's and Thomas's, while Dalton's shone a golden yellow.

"You've run out of luck," Thomas said,"now you'll pay for what you've done. Your sins will now be punished."

"Ha!" Retorted Liam,"I do not fear you flakes! I'll crush you all to paste, and then, Miss Lynch and I can continue with our business."
Even as he spoke the deep cuts across his face sealed up, vanishing without a trace as his immortal flesh healed.

"Not happening." Growled Dalton, a sinister tone to his voice, a noticeably throaty shift in his speech.

"Silence you brute," hissed Liam,"you lot have been on my case for too long. After I kill you three, I'll send your ashes to Sturmgeist."

Aleera hissed venomously behind her mask,"Enough banter! Prepare to die, Liam Enduro!"

Aleera then raised her right hand and ripped her mask from her face.

Thomas and Dalton followed in tow.

Liam snarled and crouched in an almost beast like position, pulling his white gloves from his hands and stuffing them into his jacket pocket.

[LadyRunic]

Alice cringed at the fight that was preparing to unfold before her. She was in general a peaceful woman who liked pins, needles and a good swath of fabric. Liam had well earned the aggression she had dealt him! Though he was exception and not the rule. But the way these three were set to go after the vampire only confirmed that he had wronged them in some way. "I'm not going with you." Alice hissed as her eyes flashed red behind the mask.

No, she would not go with him. No matter what he offered. Alice's hatred of the man ran perhaps too deep. But questions were creeping over her. Who was Sturmgiest, or was it a what? A where? She didn't know and the tailor was getting the feeling this might be why Liza stayed away from Dalton. Not that she blamed the man for this meeting. He was defending her admirably so far. "You worry about your white gloves, but you don't tell me what you did to my masterpiece? I made a lovely coat and you don't have the decency to wear it!" The woman muttered with a sour pucker of her lips.

[Mister Thirteen]

EPISODE 5: NEW FRIENDS, OLD FIENDS

_______________________________________________________________________

Grim.

This was the best word for the scene at hand.
There he stood; Liam Enduro. The source of all of Alice Lynch's disaster and grief. The one who had effectively ended her life as a fragile, naive, and innocent mortal, and had forever cursed her as a Vampire, a creature of the night who feasts on the blood of mortal-kind and holds power beyond human belief, and must forever live inter shadows. Unseen, unwelcome, and forever forgotten.

Liam stood now before Alice and her three "companions", her mutual friend with Liza, the laid back and rather carefree Dalton, the snowy haired Vampire Aleera, and her dark-haired companion Thomas, a rather dry man, also a Vampire.
The three of them stood in rather alert positions, feet parted, backs slightly arched, and arms at the ready. Before them lay their discarded masquerade masks, casually strewn on the concrete balcony floor.
Thomas and Aleera's eyes burned a deadly red, while Dalton's shimmered a unique golden-yellow.

Liam was in a crouched, rather primal position, his eyes an evil crimson, his nose and cheeks wrinkled like a snarling animals, white fangs glimmering in the night.

From where he stood by Aleera, Thomas spoke,"You haven't a chance, there's nowhere to run, and your outnumbered."

"Alice," Dalton said lowly without turning,"you stay right behind me." His udually casual tome of voice now a chillingly gruff rumble.

Liam hissed and, with a dramatic, flickering twirl of his right wrist, revealed an eloquent yet deadly looking knife now gripped in his frosty pale hand. The blade was about eight inches long, sharply tipped, slim, and double-edged. The handle was a milky polished wood with ornamental black swirling designs and symbols.

Liam responded to Thomas harshly,"You will regret this, for your folly will now cost you your lives. All of you."

THEME SONG

[LadyRunic]

Alice flinched back as Dalton gave a chilling order. She didn't care to be order about, but Alice had to admit that Dalton knew this situation better than she. Which was why the raven haired tailor gave a timid nod, and shrunk further behind the being. No long entirely sure that Dalton was human. Alice pinched her arm to ascertain herself this was not a dream, which it was most certainly not. Questions whirled in her mind and each was more curious than the last. Who was this man they spoke of? What made these three hate Liam so much that her own rage paled in comparison? There were more but Liam's words silenced them.

The tailor's mask hid her pale pallor as the vampire that turned her declared Aleera's, Thomas's and Dalton's lives forfeit. Why? For her and her 'honeyed' blood? For the ambrosia she would never let him taste again? She almost wanted to laugh at his absurd notion that she would allow him to drink from her once more! As if she had allowed it the first time! If he wanted her life? She'd make him work for it and she would try to take him with her. Though her green eyes widened in horror as her walking nightmare palmed a rather serious looking knife. Perhaps taking him with her wasn't going to be an option. Shrinking further behind Dalton she whispered a very shaky agreement. "Y-yes."

[Mister Thirteen]

Thomas made a forward motion, but Liam was quicker. He leapt forward, eyes burning with hate, extending his knife-hand outward as he sailed through the air. Thomas jumped backward from the lunging strike of Liam's blade, then again as Liam swiped horizontally at his face, the blade barely missing. Aleera immediately surged forward, taking advantage of Liam's opening and tackling him to the balcony floor with a beastly snarl.

While Thomas rushed forward, Dalton stepped back into Alice, extending his arms behind him and lightly wrapping them around Alice.
"I'll protect you." he assured her.

Aleera was straddled atop Liam, she had Liam's right hand gripped in both her own hands, trying to wrench the knife away from him. Both grunted and snarled in struggle as Thomas closed in. It was then that Liam channeled his Vampiric strength into his left arm, and thrust a hard punch directly into Aleera's nose, causing blood to spray across her face and onto Liam's white coat sleeve. Aleera gave a short cry, and Liam took advantage of her stunned demeanor to jerk his right hand from her and plunge the blade deeply into her left forearm, resulting in another gush of blood and a cry from Aleera. Liam writhed himself backward and then kicked Aleera hard and sent her tumbling backward past Thomas, her black dress flailing widely as she rolled across the floor. Thomas started to look back to Aleera, but caught himself as Liam leapt toward him, the now bloody blade raised high. Thomas caught Liam's right wrist in the air, while Liam caught Thomas's left wrist as he attempted to take his now revealed claws across Liam's face. The two men stood grunting and snorting as they pushed and twisted against one another.

Aleera slowly stood from the floor, her face and left forearm, now exposed from the ripped sleeve, were covered in her blood. She winced intensely as she tightly grabbed her left forearm, blood now oozing across her right hand.

[LadyRunic]

Alice nodded slightly to Dalton. Watching the scene unfold in terror, the tailor questioned why she was here. She cursed her foolishness to go down that alley with Liam and her romantic notions that had lured from safety. Wringing her hands, the raven haired tailor winced as Aleera was punched and stabbed. Comforted by Dalton's presence she decided not to set Liza on him. The tailor had been considering it, but Alice didn't have it in her. It would hurt Liza and more than that? Dalton was actively trying to keep her out from the fight. A good thing too as she had no experience in such a thing.

"Thank you." Alice whispered the man with glowing golden eyes. "Shouldn't you help them however? I can slip back into the party. He won't be able to do anything without revealing himself-?" It was a weak offer, but the newest made of the vampires winced as Aleera stood up. The pale woman looked worse for wear and her clothing was... It was absolutely sinful! Such a waste of fabric from all three. "Doesn't anyone know how blood ruins cloth?!" Alice hissed her irritation. "Really!" Her foot tapped in rapid irritation, though she did little else aside from shrink further behind Dalton.

[Mister Thirteen]

Dalton looked over his shoulder at Alice with a somewhat conflicted look on his face,"I hate to tell you," he said,"but now isn't the best time to be hysterical about ruined clothing of all things. And as for you slipping back inside, well...I hate to put it this way, but your not going anywhere."
Dalton continued to looked back at Alice, golden eyes gleaming in the night as he stared into her.

Across the balcony, Liam shoved Thomas back and off balance, then made a slicing motion with the knife at Thomas's throat. Thomas leaned back abruptly, barely avoiding the blade's tip. He then immediately leapt forward, seeing an opening, but Liam was quicker, he gave a powerful kick into Thomas's midsection and sent him staggering far backward, nearly falling.

Aleera rejoined Thomas at his side, the wound on her arm already closing up, though her arm was still spattered with blood. They both leapt forward simultaneously at Liam, slightly disorienting him. Aleera caught his left hand with both hands and twisted it around with a sharp crack, with a resulting snarl from Liam. Thomas grabbed his right wrist nearby and snapped it backward, fracturing the bones within with a sickening crackling of bones.
Liam hissed and snarled as he struggled to pull away from them with no avail.
His knife fell from his hand and clattered to the floor with a metallic clank.

Aleera then immediately stomped down on Liam's left ankle, rolling it over and aollying her Vampiric strength to break Liam's ankle, resulting in a sharp cry from him as he collapsed to his knees. Thomas then kicked Liam hard in the face, breaking his nose in a spray of blood and knocking him backward onto the floor. Thomas then stomped down on Liam's midsection, applying enough pressure to make squirm in discomfort.

While Dalton stayed in front of Alice, Thomas and Aleera stood over Liam, Thomas's foot grinding harshly into Liam's midsection.

Liam growled as he looked up from the floor at them,"Can't a man enjoy a night on the town without you lot interrupting his fun?"

"Shut up." Snapped Thomas, glaring down at Liam, eyes narrowed thinly.

[LadyRunic]

"I'm a tailor. Fashion is passion." The raven haired woman muttered as Dalton looked back at her, though Alice did little else to move away from the other supernatural aspects of her new life. Not like she would have much of a chance. Most likely these four all could out match her easily. Rubbing her arms as the thought chilled her, Alice winced as the fight between Aleera, Thomas, and Liam raged on. Fighting wasn't on Alice's list of 'good' entertainment and this?

Green eyes winced as bones were snapped and damaged enough that Liam wouldn't be able to use them. Tucking herself more firmly behind Dalton as to keep herself from seeing the grizzly scene. Yet she could clearly hear the wrenching of bones and flesh. A small terrified sound escaped the young vampire, as she covered her ears in vain. Trying to shut out the sound of savagery. For all she had gotten use to feeding from plastic bags and even rodents, Alice did not care for this. Opening her mouth to plea that this all end quickly, Alice closed it. Not wanting to draw the ire of those who could so easily kill her.

[Mister Thirteen]

Liam lay on his back, his breathing ragged, his eyes squeezed shut. While he had felt far worse pain before than this, it still didn’t make him total insusceptible to pain at all. And broken bones weren’t exactly the most painless of inflictions on the body, human or Nightborn.

Liam squeezed his eyes open and looked up at Thomas, his eyes and nose wrinkled in their corners, heavy breaths pushing past his thin lips.
“So...barbaric,”Liam huffed,”leering down at me in my time of pain. Like animals you are...”

Thomas responded with an angry growl and a hard stomp down onto Liam’s right ribs, using his Vampiric strength to fracture and break Liam’s ribs in a twisted chorus of crunching and snaps, as well as a sharp cry from Liam.
“Silence you bastard,”sneered Thomas,”your quite the proven hypocrite, daring to call another an animal, after what you’ve done.”

Liam, eyes squeezed close again, chuckled softly, replying,”I am...no betrayer. I....am a free spirit, Thomas. The laws of immortal are as meaningless to me as...the laws of...man.”

“So you’ve made more than clear you murderous snake.” Thomas hissed, grinding his heel into Liam’s broken ribs with cruel vigor, resulting in sharp winces and strains from Liam.
It was then that Aleera reached down and grabbed hold of Liam’s fallen knife, seizing it in her hands. She slowly stood and then turned back to the fallen Liam, a determined look on her face as her red eyes gleamed down at the fallen Vampire, now helpless in his wounded state. Without warning, she stamped down on Liam’s left elbow, shattering it beneath her foot. As Liam cried out Aleera lowered herself slowly, kneeling beside him. She looked him dead straight in the eyes, saying harshly,”You brought this on yourself, Liam Enduro.”
She raised the large, gleaming knife with her right hand dramatically over her head, preparing to plunge it down into Liam’s dark heart.

[LadyRunic]

Alice felt the wetness that seeping from her eyes. Tears? Not for Liam but for the monsters these creatures were. For the monster she could become. She was a peaceful woman. A tailor who only had ever wanted to run her shop and be left alone by the greater powers in the world. A cruel joke that this man had played upon her. Offering a little bit of something more only to rip her simple life away.Taking a step back from Dalton and his compatriots, not to mention Liam, Alice shook her head slightly.

She had handled people trying to kill her. Drinking the blood of humans, a tabooed action from society. She had dealt with being a media scandal and unable to return her beloved Timeless. But this? It was murder. It was beyond wrong! She would have no part with it. Her vvoice quavered as she backed towards the door that lead back to the ball- the trap that she saw now. "I can't. I can't be here." Alice whispered, her green eyes wide with fright. "I can't watch murder right in front of me!" The tailor hissed as she turned and bolted for the door, lifting the long skirts with one hand from long habit as to not trip over the fabric.

[Mister Thirteen]

”I don’t think so!” Snarled Dalton, leaping after Alice and seizing her by her left arm, his strength proving far greater as he yanked her backwards toward him. He then took hold of her shoulders with both hands, using his superior strength to effectively hold her in place. He glared into her face, his gold washed eyes shining within their sockets, his nose and brow were wrinkled upward in a furious expression.

“Your not going anywhere, I said.” He growled dangerously, holding her tight by the shoulders.

Aleera and Thomas, who had been distracted by Alice’s outburst, immediately returned their attention to Liam, who still lay before them, wounded and unmoving.

“Hurry,” Thomas demanded,”kill him! Before he heals.”

Liam grinned weakly at this statement, his ragged breathing returning to normal, his face smoothing away from the contortion of pain. His injuried were already healing, his ribs, elbow, wrist and ankle were all mending beneath his skin. Aleera desperately raised the knife once more, the elaborate blade glimmering in the night.

The moment was suddenly broken by a shattering of glass from behind. Thomas, Aleera, and Dalton all turned their attention to the doorway to the balcony, and saw an unwelcome sight. The balcony door stood gaping wide open, a young woman stood in the doorway, frozen in shock at the scene before her. At her feet were the shattered remains of a wine glass, which were spread in a puddle of red liquid which etched across the floor. She was young, probably in her mid twenties, she wore a simple white dress with long sleeves and open across the top. She wore no mask on her face, her black hair was tied into a great braid which hung down the length of her back. Her blues eyes were wide and shimmered in fear at the horrifying scene before her. Several screams from within the building split the air, as several people inside were looking past her at the happening on the balcony.

“Oh my God!”
“Is that a knife!?”
“What’s going on!?”
“Help! Killers! Call the police!”

A chaotic chorus of screams and shouts erupted within the ballroom and mass panic ensued. People could be seen swarming towards the elevators within, pushing over and trampling one another to escape what they saw.
The young girl in the doorway began rapidly stepping backward, her breath heavy and sweat poured down her face.

“Dammit!” Cried Thomas from where he stood.

[LadyRunic]

Alice flinched as Dalton grabbed her arm, a startled shriek being muffled as she refused to alert anyone innocent of the horrors going on behind the thankfully closed doors. Wilting under Dalton's glare, the small tailor nodding weakly. She could not fight him physically and was well aware of that fact. Tears of fright slowly seeped from under the mask as Alice shook her head suddenly. "Please! I'll wait outside somewhere! I just- I can't! I won't be a part of this!" Her pleading however was going to fall on deaf ears or be useless in the end. As did most things in these twisted days. It was like her life was the twilight zone!

The shattering of glass made Alice look behind as she spied the other woman. A lovely woman and more behind her as they saw the scene. Alice could only imagine what they thought they saw! A man on the ground with another man holding his down and a woman with a knife preparing to strike. Another man gripping a woman by her shoulders with giant glowing eyes, and herself half covered in wine- red of course. Which could be mistaken for blood. Alice frozen in terror at the thought of the police getting involved. They couldn't! She couldn't be here when they showed up! Casting a desperate and pleading look at Dalton, Alice wrenched her words so they would strike the nerves she required. "I thought you were a friend." Her voice was bitter with pain and anguish. Anguish at having the play the game she had started her tailor shop to escape from. "I thought you gave enough of a care to Liza and myself. Apparently I was mistaken." Of course her words were soft enough so the human couldn't hear. "All of you creatures are like Liam, aren't you? Seeing only what you desire and never caring for those who get innocently stuck in the middle?"

[Mister Thirteen]

Dalton, hearing Alice’s words, curled his lip into a slight snarl as he looked Alice dead invthe face, his grip on her arm tightening. Thomas and Aleera were caught up gawking at the fleeing mortals inside the ball room, frenzy surged through their minds. They were trapped out on this balcony, hundreds of stories high. The entire building was going to be in an uproar of panicked chaos, and the police would be arriving soon to swarm the building.

Thomas suddenly snapped out of his entrancement at the scene of panic, realizing they still had Liam to deal with. It was that brief moment of distraction that lost them their advantage. Liam, now healed, surged upward from his conquered position. In a flash, he knocked the knife from Aleera’s hand and sent it sailing across the balcony. It hit the floor and skidded toward Dalton and Alice, stopping just to Alice’s right. Liam threw a sharp punch into Aleera’s face, the force from the hit enough to snap her head back and daze her. Liam kicked her backward and then drove his right fist into the back of Thomas’s knee, sending him crumpling to the floor. Dalton, seeing the danger of losing Liam, abruptly released Alice and rushed forward to Liam.

Liam gracefully skipped backwards as Dalton grabbed for him and missed widely.
With a smirk, a twinkle in his blue eyes, and a wink to Alice, Liam suddenly leaped into the air, swinging his legs up and backwards, performing a sharp backflip high into the air, and then off the balcony, downward.

“No!” Cried Thomas, raising from his fallen position and rushing over to the balcony’s edge, gripping the railing tightly as he looked down toward the streets below. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Thomas tightened his grip on the balcony railing, he gritted his teeth and a burning rage engulfed him within.

We had him. WE HAD HIM!

Aleera stood behind Thomas, her fists clenched and her eyes burning in a hateful way. She suddenly and slowly looked around over her shoulder, her long white hair veiling part of her face, revealing only a single red eye that glowed in the night, burning across the balcony at Alice.

[LadyRunic]

Everything had happened so fast, Alice thought as she rushed for the doors. Liam's escape was bad enough, Dalton's treachery at sticking her as a pawn into a game she wanted nothing to do with, and now this mess! As if loosing her shop wasn't bad enough! "I'm sorry." Her words were aimed at Dalton as he snarled and released her. "I am so sorry." Her grief stricken eyes showing how much she had meant what she had said. Which not a single ounce, not towards him at least. "Please." That was her last word before the raven haired tailor made for the exit. Her feet clipped softly amongst the tile of the floor as she burst from the doorway and into the mob of people fighting for the elevator. She needed to get away, and get away now! She would see what could be salvaged from her shop then pack up everything she could there and flee! Another city, or perhaps a small town.

But what of Liza? She had been a good friend and companion. A teacher in this turbulent time. Biting her lower lip gently, Alice ease through the crowd, with a new destination. She'd go back to Liza. The woman deserved to know why Alice was going to flee New York City and leave her beloved shop. It pained Alice to the very core, but what could she do? She could always set up another darling 'Timeless Tailor'. Another little 'Alice the Tailor' to run it. One that Liam and these people wouldn't find. What of Dalton? Did she reveal his involvement? No, not unless Liza already knew. Dalton had been kind and nice, up til now. Her need to see the best in the man warred with how her reality was shaping and her loyalty to Liza. Alice squeezed past two women, if she made it so far without being stopped and into the elevator's compartment. Her finger pressing the second floor button 'by mistake'.

[Mister Thirteen]

Thomas, Aleera, and Dalton remained behind. Thomas still leaned over the balcony edge, staring with hopeless fury down below, toward the streets thousands of feet down. Aleera simply stood frozen in place, her fists still clenched in rage at her side, her vampiric eyes orbs of crimson hate in the darkness of night. Dalton stood back closer by the door, staring inside towards the elevator on the far side of the ball room.

“If only you’d killed him quicker.” Thomas said suddenly, looking around slightly to Aleera.

Aleera, taken aback by this sudden accusatory statement, responded snidely and indignantly,”How dare you!? It wasn’t my fault! That little wench distracted me, both of them!La peu chiennes!Zut!”

“Calm down.” Insisted Dalton from the doorway, looking back to Aleera.

Aleera whirled around, snapping at Dalton,”Shut up, chien!Stupide idiot!”

“Watch your mouth, Miss Frenchie!” Dalton snapped back, his temper beginning to boil.

“Both of you shut your mouths.” Thomas snarled, shoving back from the balcony and turning to face them both, his face dangerously darkened compared to before. Aleera and Dalton both quieted down and turned to face him.
“We need to get out of here,”Thomas insisted,”now.”

“Mph!...Your right.” Aleera acknowledged.
The three of them collected their masks, stuffing them away in their coats, or in Aleera’s case, up the puffy sleeve of her dress.

“What about all the blood?” Asked Dalton.
“They’ll never identify it, none of us are on record.” Thomas said sharply.
He didn’t like it, he had never left such a sloppy trace behind, none of them had. But they hadn’t time to try and clean up, they had to leave immediately before the police arrived. They would just have to be more careful in the future and avoid leaving DNA evidence behind.

“Let’s go.” Thomas said.

[LadyRunic]

Alice slipped through the crowd. One face of panic among many as she slipped through a breach in the mingling crowd of onlookers and the fleeing dancers. Pulling her mask from her face as she slipped down an alley, Alice swiped at the tears that carved trails down the dark makeup that had made her eyes gleam a brighter green than normal. Pulling and tucking her dress about she adjusted it to look more akin to a club goer- albeit one that was horrible out of fashion. Her heels claked along the cement and through the trash of New York City as she made her way not towards the flat she was sheltering at with Liza, but to her shop. She would need a disguise to get back to Liza's. This dress would only raise questions if people saw her.

Snatching the rats she came across, Alice broke their necks before she fed upon them. Reminding herself to get a thorough shower when she reached a place of safety. She was careful and moved quickly through the city. Reaching her shop just as the night was in the wee hours of morn. Leaving her just enough time to get some gear then make it to Liza's if she booked it. The Timeless looked abandoned, and Alice's heart broke at the sight. But as she scaled a fire escape behind the building in the alley when so many of her neighbors and herself set their trash, the raven haired tailor reached her little entrance. It was window that was locked not from the inside, but the outside. A little accident of hers when she had moved in and tried to install the security herself. Having fished the key from a brick that could be pulled out of the wall down by the door, Alice fitted it into the lock and opened the pane that squealed in protest. Wincing, she eased into the dark forays of her loft- and store room. Bolts of cloth sitting there untouched. Her hand trailed over them as she whimpered softly. Thinking of all the lovely things she could make- and never would again. It hurt. Her heart felt like it was being pulled asunder.

Moving quickly down towards her living area, Alice thought better of it and made her way to a rack of winter clothing that was outdated. She hadn't exactly grown in these past years, so while they were outdated they would fit. Shedding her ball gown, and slipping into a dark knee length skirt and dark blue button up blouse. The buttons dull brass and the matching thick woolen hose of the outfit shot through with thin stripes of golden thread. Pulling a old hoodie from another box, she shoved it over her head and the gown she had hastily made days before into a tote bag, along with several other bits of old clothes. Lifting a few boxes out of the way, the vampiress wrested with a tiny safe's combination lock before it popped open. A small stash of money sitting inside which she took. It wasn't like her larger safe in her workroom, but this was a hidden fund she had stored away. A backup's backup just incase her father schemed up something. The amount wasn't much, but it would allow her to buy a few bolts of cloth and some thread. Enough to make a few things to sell and get more material. Just what she needed. Satisfied with herself, Alice moved for the window and locked it behind her as she moved at a quick trot towards Liza's little flat pulling her hood up as she moved. Desperate to reach 'safety' before the sun was too high and before Liza became worried.

[Mister Thirteen]

Liza paced in a rather agitated way in her small apartment. Back and forth she treaded, from the door to the window, again and again. She had long since been changed out of her work clothes, now wearing a simple black T-shirt and jeans, her feet bare. Every time she approached the window her gaze alternated between the streets below and the skyline above. The sunrise was nigh, while it’s golden face could not yet be seen, the clouds above were painted a mellow red heralding the sun’s near arrival.

Liza fretfully scanned the streets below, hoping to see Alice coming down the sidewalk or stepping out of an arriving taxi. Liza had gotten home several hours ago, and though expecting Alice to be back already, she didn’t start to worry until about two hours ago.
Something’s up. She should have done been home. Should I go look for her? Liza wondered.

No, she couldn’t leave. By bad luck Alice would arrive just as she left, and it would just cause a hastle. Besides, if something did happen, and Alice got home, she would probably need Liza. So all Liza could do was wait, pacing in her apartment as she watched the day dawn outside.

[LadyRunic]

Alice slipped into the close halls of Liza's apartment, having taken the still shadowy alleys to avoid the coming light of the sun. A good thing too! The sun was rising even as she had slipped into the building. Her steps shaky as the night caught up with her. So much had happened, but what to tell Liza? Where to begin? Where to end? She wanted to warn her friend of Liam, but what of Dalton and the other vampires? She would mention the other two. Leaving Dalton out of it. He had really don't nothing but stopped her from leaving. Her words to the poor man had been cruel and Alice wished she could take them back or more properly apologize for them. For they had not been true in any way but merely a means to make him release her.

Too soon the tailor found herself at Liza's door. Timidly she knocked, her mind still racing. She had been careful against leading anyone back here. Alice was very sure about that. How often had she thrown her younger brother off her tail when she was trying to attend some fashion event as just Alice and not with the hub-bub her mother would create. Perhaps she would ask Liza about Sturmgeist. Whatever or who ever that was?

[Mister Thirteen]

On hearing the knock at her door, Liza rushed toward it, turning the knob and pulling the door wide open. As she had hoped, it was Alice. Finally!
The first thing she noticed was Alice’s clothing, she wasn’t wearing her ball gown, but instead a hoodie and a skirt. The next thing she noticed was Alice’s expression. Her face held a mixture of tiredness and worry.

“Alice,” Liza said, standing in the door, arms at her sides,”your finally back. Where...where have you been? And what happened to your dress? Where did you get these clothes? Though more importantly, why do you look so upset, your a mess.”

Though Liza’s tone sounded rather demanding, and a little harsh, her soft features were pocked by worry and concern. What was going on Liza wondered to herself. Something must have happened at the ball. Could something have happened with Dalton. The thought though was swept from her mind, Dalton wouldn’t hurt a fly. She stepped to her right and motioned for Alice to come inside.
“Look, have a seat, and tell me what’s up. I was worried.”

[LadyRunic]

Alice blinked, startled, as the door swung open to reveal Liza. Her name was barely out of the woman's lips before questions followed like the tailor thought they would. Timidly, the raven haired vampiress slipped into the apartment and sat uneasily on the bed. Letting the bag fall to the floor with a slight thump. Not the noise of books or anything heavy, but of dense fabric and such. Twisting her fingers about each other, Alice bit her lip in thought. Now she was here, and she didn't have a clue what to say! How utterly untypical of her! The chatty, witty tailor who enjoyed her craft and life. Until it all had been ripped away from her. Tossed under the wheels of a cruel world because of Liam Enduro. And just when she was building up a new life and a hope for the future the bastard showed up again.

"He- The ball..." Alice knew she would minimize her belief that Dalton had been involved or tricked into bringing her to the gala. "Liam was there, the vampire that turned me." There, the hardest bit was out leaving the rest of the carefully constructed words that would follow. All of which had fled her the minute she saw Liza's concerned and worried face. "I am sorry for worrying you. You've done so much for me, and I am thankful for it, but I need to leave. The city. Liam was very insistance that I join him. As his lover and feeder." The younger vampire spat out the words her face pale at the thought. The latter was bad enough, but she sure as hell would not be the vampire's lover. He had his chance. Perhaps if he been more... Diplomatic about it? But it was too late for that. He had cost her too much.

"Two other vampires were hunting Liam and were at the ball, they stopped him before he could do anything." Alice chewed at her bottom lip, her eyes focused on the slowly growing light from the window. "But there was a scene at the ball, police were called. I don't think they noticed me, I was able to slip away before they started counting heads. Went to my shop and got some things..." Alice gave a wobbly smile. "At least a bit of my ditzy window installation came in handy."