"A glooming peace this morning with it brings;
The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head;
Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things;
Some shall be pardoned, and some shall be punished:
For never was a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo."

Applause filled the room beneath the vaulted ceiling of the theatre as the curtain fell upon the stage, ending Romeo and Juliet. The stage play was a favorite of the vampire now seated in one of the two balconies overlooking the stage and she knew every word and action by heart. Well that she should, too, for she had seen it eight times. She had seen Hamlet in The Last Curtain six times, but it was Romeo and Juliet that held her heart in its wicked grasp. She would be here tomorrow night to see The Tell-Tale Heart for the fourth time, but the time had come to leave the theatre for now.

People filed out of the theatre's main chamber and into the lobby slowly, coming down the red-carpeted stairs and out of the two sets of doors that led to the floor seats. Matching that carpet perfectly was the gorgeous dress of crimson silk that Beatrix Breisacher III wore that evening. It flowed like red wine down to her ankles, held snug to her hips and the curves of her upper body; its uppermost portion was a tube top with a corset-style back. Her high-heeled boots made hardly a sound on the carpet. The braided bun upon her head, stretching into a long braid that rested between her shoulder blades, was but one of many heads that bobbed in the sea of theatre-goers as Beatrix descended the stairs. Glancing at the silver ladies' watch on her left wrist, she saw that it was only midnight. She still had a good five hours before the sun rose, a fact that bound her to the night as surely as nails bound together the wood beams that supported the brick foundation of the theatre. Looking about, Beatrix saw no one she immediately recognized. That meant she was alone for the evening - again. It wasn't all that surprising, though; she was always alone.

Beatrix smelled other vampires as she turned toward the door, but she wasn't worried about it. If they started a fight here, they would surely be set upon by the Amman. On the other hand, most vampires didn't start fights in public; even the Tarepha weren't often that stupid. Actually, she was more worried about someone hurling insults at her at the moment; she just wasn't in the mood to deal with it at the time. So she ignored the other vampires, smelling no one she recognized just as she saw no one she recognized, as she headed for the door. Then again, she wasn't really paying all that much attention to what she was smelling; there were many smells in the theatre's lobby and she didn't care to check them closely just then.

Catherine was also making her way out of the theater from the same play. Romeo and Juliet, the romantic love story of star struck lovers. It was a beautiful play and one that she did enjoy, yet she also wondered if something in the play could have been changed. If one person had stepped out to say that they were married would the story have been different? She thought that there was a possibility of that being true, after all she had seen the comedy 'Good night Desdemona, good morning Juliet' and had found it completely enlightening.

She strode down the stairs away from the balcony that she had been at for the night. Usually she wouldn't have spent money on such a trivial affair, yet she deemed that she had deserved a little bit of a break. After everything that had happened in the past few months, a night to simply enjoy everything that was trivial was in order. She made her way to the stairs, letting the smells waft to her nose. Many vampires were here tonight, yet that didn't surprise her. Who else could enjoy a play written by Shakespeare more than a vampire, who had lived centuries upon centuries?

She strode down the stairs and it look like she was gliding rather than walking down the stairs. Her emerald color dress, stood out strikingly against her red hair, that was curled for the night. She knew that curling her hair had been folly. By the time she woke for the next night, her hair would be flat once again. Though the colour of her dress was quite a bright color, it wasn't extremely fancy. It stopped short, above her knees with straps as sleeves. Around her shoulders were a black, thin shawl. Her feet were covered with a high heeled sandal that kept her nail painted toes uncovered.

As she got to the bottom of the stairs, a man bumped in her which proceeded to make her bump into the lady next to her. Catherine had to applaud the woman's sense of style, though it seemed a little outdated to her. The dress was magnificent in the crimson silk. She apologized to the woman, knowing her immediately for a vampire. "I apologize, the crowd always seems to be in a rush."

Beatrix felt the accidental nudge at once and nearly missed a step, but her vampiric grace enabled her to regain her footing far more quickly (and far more gracefully) than any mortal could have. She turned as the woman began to apologize and looked upon her. She was a vampire - that much was obvious - but she struck Beatrix as one far younger (if perhaps only in manner) than the German woman. She was simply dressed, but the garments looked good on the vampire before her.

The woman spoke of people always being in a rush to get out of the theatre. This brought a small smile of amusement to her lovely immortal face as she silently agreed with the woman's statement. The woman was sincere, at least; it was clear to Beatrix that she wasn't simply apologizing because of society's nurturing lesson that it was always proper to apologize for one's mistakes.

"Yes," she responded to the other vampire. "It almost seems to me that they are eager to leave. I do not know why; Romeo and Juliet is such a beautiful story despite the tragedy that fills it. Will you be seeing the show tomorrow night?"

Her voice was not the deep voice of a man's, but neither was it as sensitive as was the typical thought of a woman's voice by a man's reckoning. It was sweet, yes, but it was also strong and carried a thick (yet understandable) German accent.

Catherine returned the smile, she seemed like one of the nicer vampires that she meant she far. After a meet with the Tarepha and perhaps the eldest vampire in this city, everyone could look nicer, even her fledgling that wanted her dead. She sighed inwardly, life used to be so simple. She didn't let her smile drop as she regarded the woman. It now hit her that the vampire by her side was older, not that it made a difference. She was used to being one of the youngest people in the room. The only people younger than her that she could be sure of, were the mortals.

Catherine was always sincere though she sometimes played around her words as to not hurt others. Sometimes one different word could make the insult more subtle, yet it would still be there. She was definitely good with words if sometimes blunt with them. Besides she didn't insult people if they were nice to her. Only people that deserved it, not many did, but some still did.

Catherine grinned, making sure that her teeth stayed well hidden from any mortals in the near area. "People are always in a rush, they don't always have time like we do. There time is limited, yet we can do the same over and over again, without feeling the pressure of time." Time for them was limitless, they could do whatever they saw fit to do.

She shook her head. "No, I like to keep myself doing a variety of things. I do like the theater, but I don't like to spend many night in a row going. I prefer to change it up, perhaps tomorrow i will read a book or go out to a club for a night of dancing." Though the woman had a thick German accent, Catherine didn't find it difficult to understand she had lived in Germany back in her time. "I'm Catherine."

The older vampire nodded, understanding. She had a great love for books herself and dancing was always a good way to relieve stress. It was an enjoyable activity, one that some religions deplored because of the sensuality displayed or hinted at. The Tango in particular was seen as disgusting.

"Dancing is good," Beatrix responded to the other woman.

She folded her arms beneath her lovely mounds of silk-covered flesh. Concealed between them was the wad of cash she carried this evening; she had no need for identification as the places she went were either run by vampires who knew her or mortals that could be easily manipulated. Cash was the only thing she ever needed, though her left hand did hold a small make-up case formed of zippable black crocodile leather (just in case).

Perhaps she would go dancing this evening. There were a couple of clubs still open that she could go to and she didn't have anything better to do. But perhaps she would find someone to dance with there.

"I am Beatrix. What else are you doing tonight?"

Perhaps the younger vampire would prove to be excellent company. If she wasn't, though, Beatrix was fairly certain she could find someone else to keep her company. She just hoped whomever she chose wasn't mortal; mortals had no real understanding of vampires - not the way her own kind did.

Catherine had a small black purse draped over her shoulder and she opened it, looking through it quickly to check on the money that she had left and nodded quickly to herself. If Catherine had been able to read her new friend's mind she would have agreed. Some of the dancing was seen by the church as being to sexual and that anybody who was serious in their spiritual religion, would fore go all dancing no matter what kind it was. Catherine, who loved to dance, especially loved to dance anything that was erotic and that included the tango, salsa and anything people danced in the clubs.

What was she doing tonight? When was she not doing something. "Well if the play didn't end too late, I was thinking of going to a club. Most of them in the city close at two, so that gives us a little under two hours. Which is more than enough for dancing." She would find herself a nice little mortal and show him a glimpse of heaven, before bringing him back down to earth. She was definitely going to be a little naughty. She couldn't help returning to her sexual nature. She was Nephim.

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you Beatrix." She showed the way outside into the night air. "So how about we show some mortals what dancing really is all about." She could sense a night of excitement brewing right around the corner. She could use some relaxation and dancing often did that.

Beatrix smiled again, warmly this time. There was a faint light of mischief in her lovely brown eyes that didn't seem to want to die - or perhaps it was merely the spark hinting at the wildfire to come. She had lived long enough to know that what most mortals did today couldn't even come close to being considered 'dancing', but some of the things she'd seen weren't too bad. The Salsa was always good, of course; she couldn't very well do the Tango with Catherine. She wasn't a - ugh - lesbian, after all; the very thought of it made her shudder mentally. While vampires weren't exactly natural themselves, at least what she was seemed more palatable than - than that.

"Indeed. They haven't met me if they think they know how to dance. Shall we?"

She decided she would let the other woman lead the way; perhaps she knew of a better club than she did, or a closer one - not that distance mattered, considering how fast a Nephim of her age could move. Either way, she was happy just to have some company for a change.

Catherine was no lesbian either. If anyone ever ask her why, she would explain that she liked men too much to attach herself to a woman. Granted a woman would probably understand her needs more, yet she thought that only a man could fulfill them. She had spent many nights dancing in clubs, yet never had she quite danced with a woman. She knew vampires that were attracted to the same sex, one she recalled like both. She had no preference, as long as there was that spark.

Catherine nodded. "Let's, I know a place not far. It's called Rumba, a Latino place that I always found very entertaining and some of the men know how to dance, like they'll dance the salsa and tango with you, if you know the steps." She led the older vampire down a ways to a less classy district, not a dangerous one yet one where the rich people wouldn't venture.

It didn't take them very long to reach it and soon they spotted a line coming out of a club, from the inside came a Latino beat and Catherine could already feel it fill her soul. "Let's go to the front. I know the bouncer." She passed by the line, making her way to the door.

Beatrix followed Catherine out of the theatre and down the street. As usual for August, it was a warm evening; this hardly bothered vampires, though, for they didn't much mind heat unless it was applied to them via sun or flame. Flames didn't really bother Beatrix all that much, though; it was the sun that got to her. But she'd always enjoyed the nocturnal hours even before she'd been turned. She enjoyed the peace and quiet of the night, the stars shining or the clouds flowing like ocean waters across the endless sky, even the smell - yes, the night had a certain 'smell'; it was the smell of the air, though it was difficult to explain it much better than that.

Of course, the night wasn't as quiet as it had been when she'd been a mortal. Now she could hear everything. Now she could seen and smell everything, too, but that was beside the point. She had learned to shut out sounds around her as most vampires had done, though. Tonight, she'd be reveling in the sounds of a nightclub with vodka martinis and a few choice specimens of (hopefully) attractive men. The men of this era seemed not to be nearly as attractive to her as in previous eras, but they had their perks.

The club was playing some kind of Spanish pop-rock that she couldn't understand because she'd never learned Spanish. She knew German and English. That was it. She didn't need to learn any more languages. She even preferred not to speak English, but her business and personal relations within and beyond Demaitre's borders had required it thus far. It looked like a typical nightclub and the bartender seemed a rough man, but he probably didn't know the meaning of the word 'rough' - not in comparison to the kind of people he was about to speak with, at any rate. Beatrix's eyes caught his and they seemed to flash with some unknown emotion at the man, her face reflected in his. He didn't seem to be able to blink as he absently smiled, seeming as though he wasn't all there.

"One martini on the rocks, if you please," Beatrix said to the bartender in her sweetest voice (as if her voice could ever truly sound 'sweet').

He got it for her without thought and turned to Catherine without expecting payment. Such was the power of a vampire's eyes. Beatrix smiled arrogantly as she sipped her drink and surveyed the room, waiting for her friend for the evening to order hers. She saw many people drinking and talking, but only a few were on the dance floor. Tonight was not a dancing night for most, it seemed. Perhaps Beatrix and Catherine would have to change that.

Catherine watched with amusement as the bartender gave Beatrix her drink without expecting payment. Life as a vampire could be wonderful and you could always save endless amounts of money without saying a word. She smiled a coy smile when the bartender turned her way and she could sense him flush. All that blood rushing to his head, sparked more amusement yet she made sure that it didn't touch her face. "I would like two tequila shots, please. Straight up, no lime and no salt." The man served her with a look of bewilderment on his face. No one ordered tequila that way, it was too harsh on the throat. Catherine knew what she could and could not ingest, both lime and salt were two things that she couldn't ingest.

He gave her the drinks and moved on to the next customer. Catherine could feel the eyes on her as she raised the first shot to her lips. She downed it and placed the empty glass back down on the counter and then picked up the second. She would wait before downing that one. She turned and leaned her back against the counter and faced the dance floor. It was dreadfully empty and that made her only want to get on the dance floor now. Mortals would follow as she danced.

She listened to the music and recognized as one she knew. She spoke many languages being fluent in French, Spanish, Italian and English. Learning only once she was turned German, yet she always found that language to be harsh and not easy to learn. She eyed her second tequila and downed it. Replacing it on the bar counter she grinned at Beatrix. "I believe that I will go find myself some fresh meat with a little bit of dancing. Would you like to join me?"

Tossing the olive aside, for vampires had no need for or ability to ingest solid food, Beatrix downed her own drink with a smile. She preferred sipping her drinks, but every once in a while she downed them to save time. In this case, she simply didn't want someone stealing her drink for the sake of drunkenness. Idiots and overzealous bar-goers and club-goers tended to have a talent for getting drinks without paying for them, usually because they had already been bought.

"Absolutely," she said as she turned to her new friend.

Then she headed casually to the dance floor as though she were simply there to observe it - and blew the crowd away. She started out simply, running through the motions of a solo version of the basics of Salsa dancing - the kind of stuff most people learned in their first couple of classes. But the longer she danced, the more enticing and complex her movements became. She weaved in and out of the few dancers around her and slowly began to draw an audience. She winked at one rather handsome dark-haired man before turning away, spinning like a top until she was halfway across the dance floor. Pretty soon, it was clear who the real dancer there was and there wasn't one person not watching the dance floor. Those few others thad had been dancing now stood at the edges, spending more time and energy watching Beatrix than they did actually dancing. Beatrix winked and grinned at Catherine in invitation, signaling her to make a little show of her own.

Catherine had followed Beatrix to the dance floor and watched with amusement as a crowd drew itself around her. She wanted to laugh, the older vampire had moves that she could admit and would admit freely. She tilted her head, her eyes watching the movements she did. She was sure that she could copy them, she simply needed to watch and learn. She had already danced the Salsa and was now learning more complex moves that she had never seen. Granted her and her sire hadn't stayed in Spain very long, so she only learned the basics, but she had loved it.

At the older vampires invite, Catherine stepped out of the throng and joined Beatrix. Her hips were already following the beat as she made her way to a free space. Soon her entire body was swaying. Her arms would be in the air and then would drop, she would spin across the dance floor. It looked like salsa with a touch of tango. Sometimes her feet would sometimes hit the ground harder as she made her moves more defined, while at others it seemed she was gliding. A dancer she had met a long time ago had told her that the success to being a good dancer was the move your hips and your knees. Now when she went to clubs she did exactly that.

People were starting to notice her as well, she was petite so it was harder for people to notice her, yet her red hair made a bold statement especially with the green of the dress. A blond haired man caught her eye and she smiled at him recognizing for one of the best dancers in the club. She tilted her head to the side with a coy, inviting smile. He hesitated, and found himself unable to resist her. Soon she was dancing with him, blending easily into the Salsa that she had learned a long time ago. She smiledd at Beatrix over his shoulder and winked.

It wasn't long before the dark-haired man that had been watching her (along with a few of the other 'audience members') decided to dance as well. He was well-received at once and then it became a true Salsa, with both the dark-haired man (who introduced himself as Lawrence) and Beatrix twirling and ducking in perfect harmony. Their hands touched time and time again, their fingers entwined over and over as they made contact in order to complete the partnered moves of the dance. Their connection was fantastic, spectacular, even stunning and their moves were exponentially moreso.

More and more people were starting to dance and the DJ had struck up a more upbeat Salsa tune in response. This brought even more people to the dance floor. In just under a half-hour, the dance floor was starting to get full. Beatrix was lost in the moment, unthinking and unfeeling. Just then, she was simply experiencing: she was experiencing the feel of his hands in hers; the soft silk sliding against her smooth-yet-tough flesh as she dipped and spun; the tapping of her feet against the floor atop which she danced; the sound of the music filling her, flooding her with temporary joy; and the dimly lit room as it silhouetted her and her partner like the silver lining on a pair of dark stormclouds. The music pulsed and throbbed inside Beatrix; it became Beatrix, numbing her mind and making her forget about her heart for a short time. Indeed, for the moment, she was simply 'having fun'...

Catherine had met the man that was dancing with her before and he seemed to recognize her too. She didn't mind to be recognized, besides there weren't many red heads anymore for her to be unrecognizable. She remembered that his name was Carlos, a very Spanish name, and proceeded to call her Catarina. She liked the sound of it, especially when it fell down his lips with that sensuous accent. He definitely knew how to speak Spanish, which he demonstrated by whispering to her, every time they were close. He was flattering her and whispering sweet nothings in her ear. She couldn't help but smile.

As one song went into the next he continued to dance with her at a dizzying pace and she loved it. He twirled, spun and dipped her and she wished the night would go on for ever. After a few songs her partner insisted on a break and she morosely reminded herself that he was only a mortal and wouldn't be able to keep up with her. He did offer her a drink as the sat down at a table. That she accepted graciously. As a waitress came by, she ordered a cosmo and he grabbed a bear. They sat close together and they simply talked.

Despite the fact that she looked engrossed in the conversation, she kept an eye out for Beatrix. Eventually her partner would need a break as well.

It seemed that Beatrix's partner was a little more fit than the other man, as he went a few songs more than Catherine's. Toward the close of the last song he danced, though, he ended up with a broken arm - and not because he danced wrong. It seemed that while Carlos was at least a gentleman with his hands, if not with his words (for Beatrix had rolled her eyes at the man's tone; she didn't understand Spanish, but she didn't need to in that particular scenario as the intentions were clear), Daniel - Beatrix's partner - was not. He had said little during the dance, for which Beatrix was grateful; she was not in the mood for chatter, but rather for dancing and getting lost in the music.

But toward the end of one song in particular, when they got close, he gripped her left cheek rather firmly. She removed perhaps a bit more roughly than she should have, but his other hand had been aiming for someplace even more taboo at the moment than that. She wrenched him around and shattered his elbow before ripping his arm out of its socket without actually removing the arm - though she could have easily done that as well - and practically threw him from the edge of the dance floor. Sure, she wasn't the burliest of women, but it didn't take a monstrosity to know how to hurt a man; what she'd done was borderline, though. She didn't care at the moment; she was just offended and pissed off.

Many nephim used sexual pleasure to get their meals; Beatrix did not. For her, that hit far too close to home. She'd never been raped, but she had loved so deeply that she felt as though she was betraying her late husband with such acts - and trying to cop a feel was a good way to get someone killed. She plopped down at the bar and ordered another martini, her head in her hands from emotional discomfort. It was brought to her promptly and she downed it, ordering another. She never downed drinks, but she wasn't exactly emotionally stable at that point in time. She also asked for her make-up case, which she'd left with the bartender. Both were handed to her and she proceeded to drink and prepare to leave. She needed some fresh air.

Once she'd downed her drink, she headed outside via the other side of the room; hopefully, Catherine would just think she was somewhere else in the bar. Under the night sky, she leaned against the quiet brick wall and looked up at the stars. She had loved her first husband, yes, but he was too long ago to remember much anymore. But her second husband she had spent over three centuries with. She had loved him more deeply than anyone seemed to love anything in the modern age - among mortals, anyway. Though the man could not have been strong or fast enough to even try to rape her, what scared her was that she'd almost been willing to let him. Was she really that lonely?

Catherine chattered with Carlos, switching between English and what she could vaguely remember of Spanish, laughing along with him when she made mistakes. It had been so long ago that she had practiced her Spanish and though it was hard for her to get back into it, it seemed easier the longer she spoke with him. He was good-looking and she knew that she was flirting with him and he was flirting back. She was overall having a good time.

Commotion broke out in another part of the bar and both of them stopped talking long enough to see what was going on. They couldn't see anything and eventually Catherine stopped a waitress that was nearby. "What's going on?" The waitress was quick to answer that some woman had shattered a man's elbow and had dislocated his shoulder. Catherine eyes were as wide as saucers as she thanked the waitress. Only one type of person could do that without even trying, a vampire. She glanced around quickly the bar and couldn't see Beatrix. She knew that she was gone, yet her scent still lingered in the club and she knew exactly where she had been and how she had left.

She turned, apologetically to Carlos. "Sorry dear, but I have to go." He nodded and kissed her had before she left. She aimed directly for the back door and pushed it open. She glanced at Beatrix and propped both hands on her hips. "He touched you inappropriately and you didn't like it. Right?" It didn't take a scientist to figure that one out, simply someone that understood past mentalities. "People are different today, sex is casual not something you keep for the right person. Though it always means a lot more with that person."

She heard her coming, of course, but she didn't bother to hide. She wasn't a coward - or perhaps she was; just then, she wasn't sure. Catherine seemed to know what had happened, though. It wasn't hard to figure out why she had acted as she had, either; she had come from a society where there was something honorable rather than fake in the marriage of a man and a woman. She had come from an older society whose values, until the latter half the twentieth century, had been upheld fiercely by most.

"He tried."

Beatrix looked at the younger vampire, so inundated with modern society that she didn't seem to mind it. She was a part of it. Perhaps Beatrix was too old, her mind too steeped in tradition and morality.

"How could a country change its values so much in just a century? I remember when love was just that: love. There was lust, certainly, but there were certain taboos. Even fifty years ago, people seemed to uphold those values, but now..."

Her voice trailed off. Now people were animals when it came to sex. She had seen more than a few occasions where people were getting rather frisky with one another, but now it seemed to happen everywhere. And there was the matter of Nicolai, the man she'd loved for three centuries. Aside from her two husbands, no one had ever touched her like that. Had it not been so rough, she might have almost enjoyed it, but the other hand was unacceptable. She looked up at the stars now.

"Whatever happened to love?" she asked them in a whisper that only a vampire could hear.

More importantly, where are you when I need you Nicolai?

Catherine shook her head. "People don't have the same values or morals that some did a hundred years ago." It was true and Catherine had picked up on those morals quite quickly. Granted that she didn't simply sleep with anybody but she was free to do so. Chi, the oldest ancient she had ever met, was more loose than she was, then again a long time ago women controlled the world, because the gave life.

Catherine smiled. "Love still exists Beatrix, it's simply different then what you remember it to be. People change over time and now it is no different. Back in my time and perhaps even yours, women weren't free. They stayed home and did as they were told, now we have the freedom to travel on our own and be the masters of our own lives. Yes values and morals are almost gone but others have sprout up in their place." Catherine hadn't quite figured out what they were but she was working on that.

Catherine shook her head. "Nothing happened to love, it's still there, simply different." Her voice was equally as soft and she knew that she was right. With time people change and the values and emotions with them. Love was there though it seemed sometime to be elusive.

Beatrix smiled, remembering her husband. Nicolai had always been there for her. He had always been there to guide her, to strengthen her, to make her feel like she was worth something more than the average fledgling - not that she was his fledgling; she wasn't. But the feelings were still there.

"I loved a man once, when I was mortal. I hardly remember him now. But I loved another man, too, after I was turned."

Her smile faded, sadness evident in her soft voice and softer eyes as she spoke her next words to the younger vampire.

"Now he is gone. I am left alone with only the rats like that one in there for company. Perhaps immortality is a curse. It has certainly taunted me long enough to be considered one."

Catherine rolled her eyes. "Do all vampires go through a depressed stage, because it seems that way to me. I was depressed not long ago because my fledgling though he loves me and I love him, wants me dead. Well not the human side of him, the other side of him, the vampire or beast. You have to learn to be stronger than the depression to find joy in life even when it seems impossible."

Catherine let out a smile. "Which is why that instead of looking for love, you look for fun and friendship. I find that easier to keep and they last you a lifetime or eternity in our cases." Catherine had made more and more valuable friends since she had been in Demaitre, most older than her modest three hundred and seventy years of age. She did meet some younger ones that she helped, even hanging out with mortals though they would eventually die. She was a very sociable. "You have to learn to go beyond what you know and what you thought you are, sometimes you have to rediscover who you are and what you are going to be in this world."

She smirked at that. How little this child knew was practically intolerable; you are what you are, vampire or not. You might change bits and pieces of yourself, but even vampires have limits. Regardless, she had a point; it was time to start living again. Perhaps she had simply needed someone to say it out loud.

"Fine, then."

She held up her hand as though to grasp hers in a rather modern fashion, something she'd picked up recently from a television program. That program, Supernatural, was rather humorous in its depictions of vampires - as was Moonlight, a program centered around them - but they had some things right. At any rate, she decided to make a pledge.

"Tell you what. You help me and I'll help you. Friends?"

Catherine perhaps didn't know much but she knew that she wanted to live and this older vampire perhaps despite her grand age and wisdom, seemed to have forgotten how to do that. Catherine had put in her mind that she would remind vampires how to live. Most of them were so wrapped up in the people they had lost and the time that was now gone that they hadn't adapted to this time. Besides vampires had to change at least a little to adapt to changing times.

Catherine also knew that this vampire thought that she knew nothing. She wasn't exactly good with words and sometimes it came out not the way that she wanted. She gave her hand to the vampire in a friendly hand shake. "Friends for sure and help me with what?" She didn't need help she had other older vampires to help her. Yet if this vampire thought that she needed help with something, perhaps Catherine would give her the benefit of the doubt.

"With whatever you need, of course. We can all use an extra mind or an extra pair of arms from time to time."

She smiled at that. She had been a poor seamstress before she'd been turned, but she'd also known the heftiness of a pile of leather. She knew how to do hard work even now, though her immortality had given her the strength of centuries. But her immortality had also given her a vast knowledge of history, though quite a lot she'd had to elaborate on through study in libraries. She'd always liked history.

"For now, why don't we go back inside and have a couple of drinks together? Maybe it will get me back in the mood for dancing, yes?"

Catherine nodded. She supposed that it made sense and she couldn't always rely on the same people. There was only so much that she could do on her own and so much that others could do. It would be good to have another vampire to talk to and she was Nephim. Catherine was quite sure.

Catherine was very knowledgeable as well, she loved to read. She hadn't worked as a merchant, but had always kept quiet when she went to keep an eye on the shop. She never sold anything or made any purchases, yet her mind absorbed all the information like a sponge. She knew how to barter and how to set prices depending on the amount you bought them for.

Catherine eyed the bar and shook her head. "Let's head somewhere else. I don't think we should head back in there." Catherine's sensitive hearing could still hear the turmoil from inside. "Please try not to break someone's arm again."

She almost smirked - almost. She, too, could still hear people milling about inside in search of someone to set the arm until an ambulance arrived. There was on getting the call on the radio at that moment some nine blocks or so away, or so Beatrix's ears told her. She could've handled a few insolent mortals, but it hardly mattered now. She wasn't in the mood to deal with them, so she nodded. Besides, though she probably could, she'd never really tried her hand at protecting younger vampires - and even one a few hundred years old (Beatrix suspected Catherine was no more than two or three centuries old due to her smell) could have trouble if guns were drawn.

"I believe there's a nightclub that just opened up a few blocks north of here. Want to check it out?" she asked, turning from the club before which she was standing to face Catherine.

Catherine could more than take care of herself. At almost four centuries, her powers were nothing to be easily discarded. She was a pure Nephim with shadow-walking and faster than the immortal eye speed. A bullet wouldn't hurt her, besides her healing was quite fast. If ever she was down, she would come right back up.

The reason why she had suggested another bar, was because she didn't want to deal with the mortals. They truly could an annoyance, even though she felt sorry for the man that Beatrix had man-handled. Granted he shouldn't have tried to touch her, but breaking his arm was pushing it a bit far.

She glanced at the older vampire and shrugged. "Sure, why not." Catherine had picked this place, now Beatrix would have the chance. It only seemed fair.

Despite the ambulance speeding by not five minutes later and the super-keen hearing of the eight-hundred-year-old vampire leading the way to the Black Tide, the night was relatively quiet at this point. It was almost three now, which left them about two hours to do whatever they wanted and get back to their respective homes (though Beatrix understood that the sun was rising at around five-thirty to six now that the bulk of summer had passed them by). As they crossed 27th Street, Beatrix heard someone tampering with a car nearby. She rolled her eyes and ignored it, though, as it wasn't her business and she didn't particularly care what people did as long as they left her the hell alone.

It wasn't long before they'd entered a club obviously run by a vampire. Everything - as in everything - was a deep crimson color and the place was so dark it would've been almost impossible for a mortal to see the hand immediately before his face without the aid of the dim lights throughout the place - blue lights that gave the red-filled room a purplish hue. The dance floor looked like a cage bottom and the folding walls now attached to the ceiling made it obvious there were scheduled fights in here on occasion, probably cage matches for the most part and almost certainly wager-based. Again, she rolled her eyes. The Tarepha were so violent that it had to be one of their members running this thing. Either way, though, the red leather stools and matching decor for the bar were welcoming. The bartender was a young Tarepha by the name of Vincent; he was only around a hundred and eighty years old and scowled as soon as he saw the pair that had just entered. Yes, Beatrix and he knew each other - and not in a friendly manner; his sire had been engaged in a rather violent disagreement some years back and wasn't the type to simply let things go. But there were two Amman sitting in one corner having some beers and watching things closely to make sure that nothing too over-the-top happened, so Beatrix smirked arrogantly. She had no worries that they would be served.

"What'll you have?" Vincent asked, obviously biting back some cocky remark.

Beatrix turned to Catherine and smiled.

"You order first. My treat."

Catherine could hear the sirens of the ambulance and despite it being not nearly as close, she still could hear her ears cringe. It was not a sound that she particularly liked, her ears being so sensitive. Thankfully she was able to drown it out, by allowing her senses to be less sensitive. Therefore it was even weaker than even normal senses. Did she mention that being a vampire was awesome?

She followed her friend through the streets until they arrived at the club. Catherine eyed it warily and went inside. She soon realized what made her so wary. It was a Tarepha club. She wasn't a fan of the Tarepha, the first one she had met had wanted her dead. What was it with vampires wanting her dead? She hadn't harmed anybody, well not badly. Not enough to have a Tarepha on her back. She wasn't scared though, she would simply make sure that she make any stupid comments. She would have to make sure of it. She eyed the room and had to admit that it did look nice. She wandered, following Beatrix loosely, to the bar. Her eyes never wavering.

Hearing Beatrix offer, Catherine turned to the vampire at the bar and gave him a charming smile. "I would like a bloody Mary." She leaned it and gave him a fangy grin. "If possible with real blood." She then leaned back down and sat comfortably on the stool.

Beatrix, too, was wary of the place. The Tarepha did not like her. Old quarrels had turned into an emnity that was only kept civil because of the Amman's almost constant presence where the Tarepha met in great numbers. The Tarepha were the most violent of the covens and their being here was even worse than having the Ishak in charge; at least the Ishak had style. These morons just liked to kill things, preferably with as much blood spray and violence as possible. They didn't care that the mortals heard so long as they didn't start anything; at least the Ishak were almost willing to completely hide themselves, if only because the Amman would eradicate them if they did not. It was a wonder they hadn't attempted to eradicate the Tarepha just yet, public as they tended to be. Then again, clean-up crews were kept busy by them - but perhaps it was time to teach them a lesson?

Beatrix wasn't the one to do so, though. She was no revolutionary, no rebel, no starter of wars. She wasn't about to get one started just to prove a point. So she sat down and ordered a martini, pretending to be happy that she was in a club and not alone in her house once more with only the memories of her dead husband to greet her; she didn't have far to go with that masquerade, either.

Catherine had always been wary of the Tarepha. She had been turned at a time where vampire covens were only beginning and each one was trying to find its home. She hadn't really needed a coven, relying on her sire more than she needed to. She knew that he would protect her and he had done an amazing job to make sure that she would have everything she needed. She had wanted nothing, since everything that she had needed was provided. At his death, she had needed to find someone to protect her and had opted for a coven almost immediately. The Tarepha had been the last coven she would join on her list. Though she would have preferred passing eternity alone then with them.

She eyed the area, and kept her emotions under check underneath her bland face. Most Tarepha weren't telepathic, so as long as her emotions stayed under wraps and didn't show on her face, she would be fine. She couldn't rule out that some might be able to. Which is why she had her thoughts well blocked by a shield that an older vampire had placed on her. She felt fairly safe.

Her drink was placed in front of her and she knew that there was no blood in it. She took it and sipped it, without showing any emotions that she knew that the blood was missing. She then shifted her face over to Beatrix. "So what shall we do now?"

The night was dragging on rather slowly, but Beatrix knew all too well just how swiftly dawn would come - far too swiftly for her tastes. With it, of course, would come eternal night. That was something she wasn't about to face. But there were still a couple of hours remaining before the sun would rise above the horizon.

"Not sure," she said to Catherine, sipping her drink. "We've got some time. I've spent too much of that alone, I'm afraid...both before and after the death of my husband."

She sighed deeply, and then she drank deeply. It was clear what was troubling her mind as she stared into empty space, the tavern's apparent merriment - however twisted the minds of its patrons - escaping her somehow. After a long moment, she took the glass from her lips and looked up to her friend; she had drained her drink.

"What does one do in the modern age for entertainment? I've always been the classical type and I'm not exactly well-adapted to the twenty-first century," she said with a wry smile.

Catherine simply eyed her. It seemed that after the broken arm of Beatrix's partner, the night had gone down hill. She was getting somewhat bored and a bored Catherine was not always a good thing. She eyed the Amman and then sighed annoyed. She wasn't in the mood for dancing or clubbing anymore, she wanted something a little more daring and this place despite being a Tarepha club, didn't quite have what she was looking for.

Catherine rolled her eyes at the older vampire. "You need to get out more often. No offense or anything but you need to move on. To many vampires are dependent on their sires or so-called husbands. Don't get me wrong, my sire was my husband but I knew after his death that though it was difficult I moved on." She had though it had taken her some time.

Catherine paused, a delicate finger on her chin, her eyes thoughtful. "Well women of our general age, gossip, shop and have sex. There are variations on all those things. Like dancing could be considered foreplay to sex." She paused and her eyes lit up. She turned her entire body towards Beatrix. "We should go shopping, you know in the mall." Granted it was closed, but that had never stopped her.

But she wasn't going to be in the mood for sex any time soon; that was a certainty. As for dancing, that had been a true statement long before Catherine had ever been thought of; for thousands of years, it had been considered by some a demonic expression of sinful devilry due to its sexual connection to one's more sensual side. The mall, though, sounded interesting.

"Yes, that might work. Maybe we'll both find something we like. I suppose my wardrobe is a tad out of style," she said, picturing in her age-worn mind all the young mortals she had seen over the last few years.

It seemed that having built up a collection of clothing and jewelry during the course of her undeath had proven fruitful only in that collection's diversity. Most of her clothing would work well for balls and other such affairs, but common living seemed to mark her as a woman well out of place (and fashion). Plus, she had no problem stealing; after all, she raided her victims' homes from time to time. They were dead; what did they need material possessions for? Relatives had memories; they certainly didn't need many of the things Beatrix and her kind had taken in such instances over the last several thousand years. She smiled.

"Lead the way."

Catherine beamed and downed her Bloody Mary. She hit the counter hard with the glass and got up. "Well finish your drink and let's go. We have so much to do if we are going to restyle your wardrobe. I mean you do have beautiful clothes but a little outdated." Well it was more then a little outdated, but Beatrix probably didn't shop much, well not lately anyways.

Catherine walked purposely to the door and brushed out the exit. They were on an expedition and they were looking to cause a little mayhem without getting caught. She made sure that Beatrix was following her and then set out the ground rules. "Now there are no rules for this, except for one. Don't get caught. There are guards around the mall, but they rarely find anybody especially vampires. We can shop at our hearts contents without being bothered by anybody."

Catherine was walking at a fast pace knowing her way to the mall, from anywhere in the city and soon came face to face with the building that she could call a second home. "So this is it." She turned to face Beatrix and then grinned, her fangs flashing in the dark night. "Do you have anyway of getting the the top? Like perhaps climbing or traveling of some sort?"

Beatrix smiled. She didn't have to get to the top; her keen vampire hearing picked up the sound of soft footfalls and the shifting of what was clearly leather against fabric and metal. It was a security guard.

"Wait here."

Around the side of the building, the security guard saw her plainly; she had purposely made herself visible. She flirted with him a bit and then looked into his eyes and whispered softly. It had been four days since she'd fed; she could go another two before she started to starve, but she might as well get a meal out of this; besides, clean-up crews would make it look good.

Tossing the body into a dumpster, she walked back to her original spot with a smile and a jingle of keys.

"Who needs to climb or fly when you can simply walk through the front door? The only problem now would be security cameras. I can slip into the shadows to avoid people, but cameras often pick up things that mortals can't see."

Catherine watched her leave with a confused frown plastered on her face. Where did she think she was going? Catherine had done this thousands of times and she was getting orders? Who did Beatrix think she was? Catherine crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently. She didn't like to wait.

Catherine smacked her forehead with her hand. No matter how old this vampire was there was always an easier way to do things and opening the front door of the mall with the key was not one of them. "That's way we are supposed to go inside from the top. There are no cameras up there and therefore a lesser chance of getting caught. Also I would like to let you know that the door up there isn't rigged. This one will sound a silent alarm and we will be surrounded by guards very quickly."

She just stared at her and waited for her to see her point of view. "The point of shopping here is not to get caught but almost."

"Silent alarms?"

This was news to Beatrix. She knew about alarms, of course - she wasn't a complete idiot - but clearly, she also wasn't up-to-date on modern technology. She hadn't heard about silent alarms before. She sighed.

"Fine."

She tossed the keys into a trash can on the other side of the parking lot with accuracy only a vampire could achieve.

"Lead the way."

She waited patiently for her friend to show her inside. She'd follow quickly; she knew how to jump to the top, of course, but she was older and more powerful - and would thus have a better chance should one of the cops be a vampire. She had heard of such things happening before.

Catherine sighed. so she hadn't known about the silent alarms. Since people had started stealing at the mall, they had thought that the high squealing alarms were too much, because people ran. On the other hand, silent alarms that only the guards could see provided with a way for the guards to catch the thief. The only problem was that the people who stole were vampires and only the alarm go off once they left. It seemed more probable anyways.

Catherine grinned and using the shadows she moved all the way to the top. She rematerialized at the top and grinned down at Beatrix. "Coming?" Not waiting for an answer she walked to the door and examined it, her telekinesis softly jiggling the door. She heard a soft clicking sound. She froze and listened very carefully being more careful. Then with the mastery of a master thief she opened the door very carefully, looking at the mechanism inside the door. They had put an alarm on this door, pity that it wasn't a really good one. She motioned Beatrix inside and pointed to the alarm mechanism. "Don't touch that."

From deep within the shadows of the building's south side, the elder vampire made her leap. She grabbed the ledge, 'landing' on the wall just below the roof and hoisting herself up easily. She nodded at the hinting about the alarm. Once inside the stairwell, she made her way down to the floor just below the roof and listened carefully. Surely there would be some indication of an alarm on the door, right? There was none, though, and she opened it. No alarm was sounded and there was no mechanism heard or seen; the door into the mall from the stairwell was safe. It turned out they were near some kind of music stoor. Examining a map nearby, it seemed that the clothing store was on the other end of the third floor, their present location being such.

Beatrix turned to the other woman and smiled.

"It seems I'm not as well-versed in technology as I'd like. Nonetheless, it seems we can go. Are there silent alarms on individual gates?"

Catherine watched Beatrix carefully. She didn't want any alarm to go off, because it would be better if any alarm that went off was going to be only once they were both done and had everything they needed. She had followed Beatrix in, closing the door very carefully behind her and not worrying about the door that led from the stairwell to the mall itself.

Catherine grinned. "Some of them do, but the ones that we are heading to have nothing nearly as sophisticated as the door up there." She looked up and down the hallway, listening more then watching and could here the guard at the opposite end. He was ending his walk around the mall before he would return to his desk and wait until the next time he would do his round. She tilted her head away from the guard and towards the clothing store. "This way."

She was off, quickly and silently walking towards the store until she found the one that she knew would be easy to enter and would be perfect for their apparent age. "What do you think?" She pointed to the windows that displayed the mannequins and the way there were dressed. Nothing too fancy, mostly casual clothing.