a simple tune

Valora pushed open the door, utterly curious about every place in her new home. she could smell that the room was only used in occasion...she could practically hear the echos of laughter and music in the room.

Pushing open the door, she saw an elegant ball room shrouded in darkness, beautiful chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. the room was large and had and orchestra pit and stage.

Valora saw an elegant looking piano in inverted colours. the piano was white, and the keys that were supposed to be white were black, and the keys meant to be black where white. pressing down on a key and listening to the note...perfectly tuned

she then began running her fingers over the key, and playing a complicated tune she had made up when she was little and wanted to escape her painful training. it was something that you could dance to slowly. her eyes drifted shut as her fingers danced over the keys

Giacinto walked towards the ballroom with a bounce in her step and a can of paint in hand.

She had woken up this evening with the needs to cause Dick as much anger as she could. And, as luck would have it, Ignicio had some paint and a few paintbrushes that he didn't mind going missing.

The succubus knew a good opportunity when she saw it.

The ballroom doors were open when she arrived and she blinked confusedly. Dick was adamant about never leaving the doors open.

She cocked an ear and listened intently. Music. Quite beautiful music at that.

Her footsteps echoed as she strolled into the room, knocking a light on the way in, bathing the whole room with light.

Valora quickly stopped playing, slamming the cover down over the keys. she quickly covered her lower face and calmed her heart and breathing as she hid the slight blush

shite

m'lady....forgive me if i'm not supposed to be here

she'd never played in front of anyone before....she was supposed to be a warrior....not a musician. her parents would gut her for picking up something that didn't follow the family tradition. the piano they used to have was only for the servants to play at parties

Newbie...

A grin pulled at her lips. Newbies didn't know Dick had banned her from being alone in the ballroom.

She waved the apology off with her free hand. "Nah, s'okay. I won't tell if you don't."

She continued strolling forwards, dropping the can and paintbrushes on the ground. When she reached the piano, she stroked the beautiful instrument softly. "It's a wonderful instrument, isn't it? My favourite of all I've ever laid eyes on."

Her hand dipped down to push a key and she smiled as the sound echoed throughout the near-empty room. "Dick has a knack for keeping it perfectly tuned no matter what."

"You play beautifully," she complimented, curling her fingers in her light brown hair.

of course....i won't say anything

valora couldn't help but look longingly at the piano...she loved to play....but she shouldn't

yes....it really is beautiful *her hands itched to reach out to it again* and it's perfectly tuned......but i shouldn't play it....it's not part of my family Tradition...if mother and father knew about this....i'd be gutted and turned in over to Lyssum.

she loved playing, truly....she could forget the blood that stained her hands, and the responsibility on her shoulders and with the black keys, her mind didn't make her see blood smearing onto the ivory keys

it is forbidden....to do anything other than train in the art of killing and defense......but it was my last escape

Giacinto gave a roll of her eyes. "You're willing to sacrifice something you love because of something as stupid as family tradition?"

Giacinto's reaction was only that strong because she used to be the same. The tradition of her coven was that no one would touch human food at all. Human food was below them. But Giacinto loved it.

Being the good rule-follower that she was, Giacinto stopped cooking and eating. She'd always stare longingly at the open fire in the middle of her village, cursing the farmers wives for being able to cook when she couldn't.

And then one day, she caved. She started cooking again.

The coven Elder was less than pleased with her. And there were punishments. Rather harsh punishments for an offence as mild as cooking and eating.

But she was passionate about food and even her Elder couldn't stop her from cooking if she wanted to.

Her lips quirked downwards and she rubbed her inner thigh over her jeans softly. The long thin burns criss-crossing over the sensitive skin tingled at the memory of how they were received.

"I won't say anything to anybody. If it's a subject you're passionate about, I won't stop you." Her shoulders rolled in a lazy shrug. "And anyway, if you do nothing but train and kill, you live a real boring life. You need something to take your mind off it." Her finger pressed the key again.

valora stared at the piano again, listening to the note, her mind already following on from it and her fingers automatically pressing invisible keys

gia wouldn't say anything and she suddenly had the urge to play again.


looking up hesistantly, looking nothing like the warrior she was normally, but instead of the girl who was insecure about her talents, and she turned to Gia

....w-would you like to hear me play?.....i've never played for someone before....i-i'd like to know if i'm good or not....it would....it would be nice to do something other than kill and continue to stain my hands further

she looked away again, jaw line hardening again and eyes going blank as she hid her weaker side again

The Succubus nodded. "I'd love to. I play the piano a little, but no where near as great as you do, m'dear. You have a real talent."

Giacinto breezed around the large instrument to take a seat on the edge of the stool the younger woman was sat on.

"Good luck trying to kill anyone here. You'll be going through me. And I'm a damn sight older than you are - much more powerful." Her elbow rested on the edge of the piano and she rested her cheek against her closed fists, grin on her lips. "I've had a lot of practise as a Vampire Hunter, too. I know the ins and outs of vampire killing techniques."

When the girl looked away, she swept hear arm out. "Play."

*chuckled quietly* i'm a hired Guardian and killer....not a fool m'lady

she sat down on the stool, resting her feet against the peddles. taking a deep breath, she rested her fingers against the keys, closing her eyes. she couldn't see the blood that way. slowly at first, she began pressing against the keys and it slowly became stronger but still gentle and was bittersweet as she played, swaying gently to the music that flowed from her fingers. she loved playing, but her heart raced every time. she kept thinking that someone from her family will come in and attempt to kill her again

....it's strange....playing for someone......*she kept her eyes closed as she continued to play*....and not fear them attacking me for playing.....

sighing quietly, she just let the music echo around the ballroom and let the notes take her away from the painful memories and distract her from the scent of blood that lingered on her hands

"Good. I'd rather fools live their lives outside my coven." There was no room in Cacciatori Di Sangue for fools.

As the tune began to play, Giacinto's eyes slid closed. The tune danced around her ears softly at first, then gaining strength.

Giacinto was a great fan of music. She had been alive when music was still crawling on its metaphorical hands and knees. It was a rather interesting to watch such a diverse thing as music change through the years as it had. From tribal music, classical, indie, country, pop, rock, reggae. She had seen it all and heard it all. And enjoyed most of it.

"You should have no fear of me attacking you unless you do something incredibly stupid."

She continued listening to the piece, eyes never opening.

Valora chuckled

i imagined as much....but still.....it's instinct.....i swear my folks will come running through those doors at any time, look at me in disgust....and then try to kill me like the rest of my family

her eyes flew wide when she said that, though her playing never faltered, and then she looked to the side, scowling and biting her tongue....when she was playing, she was more prone to speaking what was on her mind

suddenly, a heavy scent of blood hit her nose, making her eyes go again, and her playing stopped abruptly as she bent over the keys, holding her breath. she could tell her eyes were glowing bright red right then and her fangs were fully extended

sh-shit! she gasped as she reached for her flask, but she knew it wouldn't help...she'd just throw it back up again....so she left it in the end as she tried to control the burning thirst. she hadn't fed on normal blood for as long as she could remember

"They'll have trouble trying to enter my mansion without permission. It doesn't look well guarded but it is. I know when someone that isn't in my coven enters the grounds. I'm very thorough about the safety of my coven." Which was more than she could say for some Elders.

Her eyes opened when the music stopped and she looked over her companion. She was suffering. Thirst, from the looks of it. Oh, there was nothing worse than the pain of thirst.

She thrust her bare wrist towards the girl's face, looking away. "Drink." It was spoken softly, but it was still an order. She wouldn't have one of her servants dying in her.

Valora hesitated for a moment, but it was an order and was from someone willing...not the unwilling blood servants at home, so she grabbed Gia's wrist adn bit into it. she did her best to be as gentle as possible when biting her, but her thirst was burning her from the inside and she really needed to taste blood again.

as the first drops hit her tongue, her stomach clenched happily and she soon began drinking deeply, but was still in enough control as she drunk. the burning subsided and her stomach felt much better from having some real blood in her for once instead of the crap substitute she had been living with for years.

eventually, when her stomach settled, but no where near full, she pulled away. she didn't want to take much more than that....it was just until she thought she could stomach the substitute again without throwing it back up

th-thanks *cough*......it's never usually that bad and i can usually ignore it......but today just seemed bad.........*wiped her mouth and looked up with now green eyes again as her fangs retracted* i'm sorry *bows her head*

she felt weak after accepting help and feeding off of her coven leader

Giacinto lifted her hand and stroked the other woman's hair tenderly as she drank.

She didn't wince as the fangs pierced her skin - she had been bitten far too many times. And with much blunter teeth than the fangs that were being used at the moment.

"It's not good to starve yourself." There had only been once she had starved herself. And that was a very dark time for her.

Both of her hands dropped when the woman pulled away. She lifted her wrist to her mouth and ran her tongue over the minuscule wounds. With a little grin, she winked. "Indirect kiss."

She waved her free hand dismissively at the woman's apology as she continued to clean up her wrist, fangs extending at the taste of her own blood.

"Starving yourself if stupid. We have blood stocked in the kitchen and you're more than welcome to go out to Catania and find a willing blood donor." After having her fangs for so long, she didn't have a slur or a lisp as she spoke. But from the way her lips moved as she formed words, it was obvious she had a mouth full of fang. "I wont have any of my servants starving themselves, you hear?"

she chuckled quietly at Gia's kiss comment, not that she cared about that stuff

Valora raised an eyebrow

are the donors willing?.....i won't take anything unwilling....not like my family and the blood servants

it would be good to getting back to blood again....three hundred years, just under half her life, without blood and somehow surviving on the crappy substitute blood that didn't have any real blood in at all...she had been put off the idea of blood for a bit after seeing the torture that the servants went under, from being fed on constantly

The Succubus shrugged, dropping her wrist from her mouth, lower lip smeared with blood. "Your job to find willing donors. We keep blood-bank blood-bags in the kitchen."

"Oh, and be warned, if the blood donor is unwilling, you gotta deal with the body if it dies." She said this very firmly. Willing blood donors was one of the few things that she put her foot down on. Not willing, you gotta put up with the consequences of killing it. "If the donor was willing and you killed it, just send it up to the morgue."

Valora thought for a moment...a willing blood donor....

hmmm....how do i find one? it would be nice to have one...this substitute doesn't react well with me *frowns a little*....of course, i'd never let them die and care for them.....and i would never take from an unwilling

her voice was cool and calm, but truthful....she would never do such a thing

The Dhampir thought for a second before replying. "There are a lot of different options. There are vampire clubs around Catania. You could always just go into an ordinary club and ask someone in there..." She hummed quietly. "Even picking up a random person on the streets..."

"I, personally, prefer the vampire bars. There are quite a few young adults that hang around there looking for a good time with a vampire. What did Charlaine Harris call them...? Fang Bangers..."

Her brows furrowed. Substitute? Blek. She'd tried substitute bloods before. They were vile. It was all she could do not t puke up once it hit her tongue.

"I don't know how you manage on substitutes." She swung a leg over the stool, straddling it, facing the woman. "They're disgusting. Truly horrendous."

*chuckles* perhaps i'll check them out when i'm hungry

it would be nice to get rid of the substitute

*sighs* i know what you mean.....but i've been living off of the stuff for three hundred years.....i was put off of drinking from humans by what my family did to the humans *shudders* and i can't take animal blood either.....i'm allergic to the stuff....

remembers the last time she had animal blood, even a small amount. and how she was puking her guts up and nearly died

*sighs again and rest her hands on the keys once more, playing a soft background melody* and human food doesn't settle well with me either....it's annoying most of the time...especially when i see my family eating whatever they want without reaction *scowls*

"Feel free. You have free reign of your actions here. Just don't do anything stupid and you won't have the Elders or Chosen Regents hounding on at you. Trust me, having an Elder or Chosen Regent nagging you is no fun." She gave a flat look. She had be subject to the nagging. So many times.

The Succubus grimaced. "Three hundred years? You poor soul." She shook her head mournfully. Three hundred years was a damned long time to be consuming that crap. "And to be allergic to animal blood... I wouldn't have survived if I were in your position."

She fell silent when the music began to play.

three hundred years of consuming crap and then throwing back up again, only to feel even more thirsty.......ugh......*lets her fingers drift over the keys again* my family often wondered how i survived...i do as well...but then....i guess i'm just too stubborn to die....i've been controlling my thirst for as long as well....

she sunk back into the music again, feeling a little more relaxed now she had some real blood in her

Richard walked briskly down the corridor, which was lit by the moonlight and the odd candle. In his left hand, he held the book "Tess of the D'ubivilles", while his right hand held to key to the ballroom. Turning sharply left, he continued down another corridor, less lit then the other, with the intention to lock the Ballroom, after remembering not doing so after cleaning it.

A line between his eyebrows deepened at the sight of the Ballroom doors opened slightly. Jumping to the conclusion that someone or something must be in there, his mind raced through many hand-to-hand fighting techniques he has picked up throughout the years as he further opened the door.

The other side of the door revealed Giacinto and another woman, covered with the most peculiar tattoos. They sat at the prized piano, that he just tuned this morning, where the tattooed woman played a rather pretty tune.

He eyed Giacinto.

"Giacinto, what are you doing here?" He looked at the tattooed woman, and nodded in greeting. "I am Richard. You must be a new... House mate?"

He looked back at Giacinto intently, before his eyes wondered down to the floor where paint and paintbrushes were left abandoned. His eyebrow twitched.

"And why is there paint left on the floor in a ballroom."

Giacinto shook her head. "You're free to drink whatever blood you want here. The few humans that do wander around here are well cared for. And, even if you do not want to partake from our donors, you have the choice of blood bags - chilled or otherwise."

The much older woman leaned against the piano, watching the tall but young woman play the beautiful instrument.

She really did have a talent.

The Succubus was so enraptured with the music that she didn't notice the Chosen Regent until it was already too late.

She jumped a little when the male voice addressed her and her eyes snapped to Dick. Damn... Busted.

"I'm listening to the wonderful music, Dick. Why else would I be here?"

The woman grinned, leaning over to wrap an arm around Valora. "She's one of mine~" By that she meant the woman was in Aria house.

A tense grin pulled onto the Elder's face at the question. Damn... double busted. "Why would paint be anywhere, dearest Dick? To be used. I thought I'd give the walls a nice new lick of paint."

Valora registered the other Vampire that came, but continued to play. she had gotten so into it she didn't want to stop just yet.

i'm Valora Morgenstern.....youngest of the Warrior Family of Vampire Guardians. *bowed her head but continued to play* i hope you don't minde my playing of this beautiful instrument....it's been a while since i played.

she was a little embarrassed for playing for the new person...but she wouldn't let it show and just continued to play flawlessly

"I completely believe you, Giacinto." Richard replayed dryly towards the woman in question, while his light eyebrow twitched slightly.

He looked towards the newcomer, and stopped frowning for a second in politeness. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Valora. I have to say, you play beautifully. And as long as you don't destroy it," He looked intently at Giacinto for a second. "You may play it whenever you want. When the Ballroom is open, mind you."

His sky blue eyes drifted over to the paint, that was left there almost innocently, then they glared at Giacinto in annoyance. "The Ballroom does not need a 'lick of paint', Giacinto. Besides, I am not to sure on your colour choices there." He huffed, then moved towards the paint with the intent of picking them up.