I Don't Remember You Looking Any Better, But Then Again I Don't Remember You

Ash shook his head while giving Jade a final disregarding glance. He could feel her intense scrutiny burn the back of his head as she finally found her way to the rooms exit. A loud slam followed as Jade slammed her bedrooms door shut; picture frames' shuddering from the harsh impact.
"That.. would be Jade Alleyne. She is like us, just extremely old." he began while brushing strawberry blond locks from Sera's displeased face, "She's a bit.. old fashioned." he concluded while steadily placing himself onto the brim of the slender couch.

"I'm sorry for all of this.. Cross should give up for now.."

A frown took hold of his calm face as his brows raised in thought, "You don't mind staying here for awhile, do you?" he questioned while returning his soft gaze back towards Serafina.

"Of course.. you don't need to sleep on the couch." he added while allowing a giggle part his lips.

She sighed and watched her leave, her eyes closing momentarily at the loud noise that erupted from her door slamming. She wondered why Jade was so upset with him, why she was shooting him glares this way and that. Her questions built, and as Ash touched her face, she felt her troubles wash away, and again was astounded at his power over her. She smiled at it momentarily, the corners of her cherry lips turning upwards.

"It's alright," she said, nodding and reaching out timidly to pat his hand, unsure of whether or not he wanted to really be alone in his thoughts or not. "No, no, it's fine. I don't have anything to do except go to society meetings, and I assure you, they won't miss me."

She smiled as he invited her to sleep with him, her grin taking hold of her face. "What if I like the couch better?" She asked, raising an eyebrow and closing her mouth mysteriously."Hmm?"

Slightly caught off guard by her quick remark, a toothy smile took over his serious expression.
"Oh?" he questioned while playfully scooping his arms under her body, "What if I say, you can't?" he mused while slowly rising to his feet, bringing Serafina with him. Her body was cradled within his muscular arms, once again.

He raised his eyebrows curiously while flashing her another brilliant grin, fangs baring and all. His playfulness was a definite change for the evening, but entirely refreshing nonetheless.

He longed to raise the tension and stress that so easily built up from all the traumatic events that only happened within the night. He wondered whether or not she'd be able to handle the fact that it was nearing 5:30am. She was still on mortal time.

"I am a free woman," she said defiantly, though a smile was still present on her face. "But I guess the couch is a little bit hard..." She wrapped her slender arms around his neck once more, feeling the troubles of the night wash away. She loved looking up at him, and again, her fingers reached up to trace his fangs.

She laughed at his raised eyebrows and then quickly caught herself, returning to the coy, mysterious act that she had been previously putting on. "But I'm not sure your bed is up to standards," she continued. "I mean, my head has to rest on very specific pillows..." she looked sideways, then back up at him.

Ooc: Sorry, writer's block. Erg.

"And what are these standards?" he teased while gently pulling her away from the small living room, sliding his way into the even smaller bedroom. An impish smirk took hold as he delicately placed her small body alongside his bed.
His room was clustered with fine art, covering practically every inch of the burgundy painted walls. His bed was too large for the petite room, but it was generally the only piece of furniture aside from his bed-stand that decorated the room. There was an absence of light, yet scattered candles flickered soft flames, illuminating only sections.

His teasing was cut short by soft knocks which broke the momentary silence. He tired to ignore the gentle thuds, figuring it was the owner asking for rent. Wait.. It was nearly 6am. He cocked his head to the side, halting the flirtation. He sat perfectly still, never leaving Sera's side. The knocking amplified as the person awaiting outside of the apartment grew impatient.


Jade's dainty shadow cascaded through Ash's open door, her eyes wide with distraught. She squinted at Ash, trying to trace his darkened outline with her blurred vision. She ignored Sera's presence, simply directing her view towards her 'brother.'

She twisted her finger from side to side as if asking, 'What's going on?'

"Oh, I only sleep on feather pillows. And I love pillows, lots of them. And the bed has to have one very good-looking man named Ash in it..." She trailed off, flipping to the side, facing him, grinning widely. Her tone was playful and her hair splayed out, her crimson lips playing up, delighted and happy. She had nearly forgotten the disturbances earlier, and her eyes had regained their playful shine in them once more, though a glint of fear was still present.

She admired the room as she turned, the many pieces of art splayed all over the walls, taking up almost every inch covered with art. She revered in the many beautiful works, and felt her eyes examine each one with a careful attention. The candles cast an almost eerie glow upon the many artworks, and she smiled at the way their dim light illuminated only parts of his room, other parts consumed by darkness. It gave it a sense of mysteriousness, and she took pleasure in gazing at them all.

The knock on the door startled her, and she looked up, then over at Ash, her eyes wide with anticipation and surprise. Who could that be? And furthermore, what did they want? She was sure it was very early...or perhaps very late, she didn't know what to make of the time.

She saw Jade appear in the doorway(ignoring her, of course) and was at once frightened. If the girl didn't know what was going on, then it was perhaps a surprise guest. Maybe it was someone unwelcome. Or what if...what if it was the man from before? Coming back?

She gasped and reached for Ash.

Jade jolted over towards the side of the bed where Ash perched. She cupped her dainty hands and whispered delicate words that even he had difficulty hearing.
It's him. I can sense him,.. and others.
He nodded his head in disgust while turning his gaze back onto Serafina. The carefree mood was almost immediately torn away as the knocking grew louder in response to their answering delay.

"C-Coming." Ash shouted while lifting himself from the bed, hands fumbling nervously within the pockets of his slacks.
"Jade.. get some clothes for Serafina." he ordered while making short paces back and forth. Jade's eyes narrowed as Ash demanded her to do the most ridiculous favor he could have asked for. She pouted her reddened lips while throwing her small arms tightly across her chest. Her hip popped to the side, bare foot beginning to tap irritatedly against the hardwood floor.

"Jade... please." he moaned while resting a firm grasp atop her narrow shoulders, "Please." his final pleads dialed in to the stubborn girl's mind.

Her answer was a simple nod, loathing the fact she had somewhat agreed to his wishes. She slipped out of his room for only seconds until she tiptoed back in, carelessly tossing a long black coat that cascaded to floors length onto the wide bed. With a quick turn of the heel, her arms shot back across her chest as she waltzed her way out of Ash's room.

He ignored her hesitation and impoliteness, and fixated his thoughts on how to carry out his plan. Though, he didn't exactly have a plan to begin with.

His hand brushed against the side of Sera's cheek, auburn eyes burning directly into hers. "I need you to put this coat on, and only this piece of clothing. Then, give me your clothes and hide." he began while gently pushing Jade's clothes into her unwelcoming hands, "And.. when I say your name, I need you to jump from my window, and find the darkest place possible. The sun will be rising soon, and here is not safe."

His mind boggled at all the commands he gave Serafina. This wasn't suppose to happen, and playing a game of hide and seek was ridiculous. However.. he couldn't defend her if he had to worry about protecting her in the same room as the conflict.

He could only hope that the scent of Jade's jacket will cling onto Sera; drowning out her own powerful aroma. At least it would throw off the enemy for a short while, enough time to escape to another haven.

The worry in her eyes were bluntly obvious, and the situation was indeed one to fear. This predicament wasn't one to take lightly. It was life or death at this point.

He pulled his face inwards, kissing her lightly atop her cold forehead, "I'll find you. I promise."

Sera sat up at Jade strode hurriedly over to him, and she couldn't make out what she was saying. She realized that there was a sense of urgency and fear in her movements as well as his. The same look from earlier that night was plastered upon his handsome face-it was rather unsettling, and it was one of the few things he didn't wear well.

She watched as he got up and began to pace, her eyes following him. She was extremely anxious and scared now-they were back for them. She watched as he told Jade to get her some clothes, confused until Ash explained. Jade looked ridiculously irritated, and for a second Sera wondered if the girl would give her away, but thought better of it when she obeyed Ash's commands. She watched as the black coat flew through the air and landed with a very light thud on the bed.


She hurriedly removed her white shirt and slid the black coat on, feeling naked and strange in it. It didn't smell like her, but that was a good thing at the moment. She shoved her underwear and the shirt into his hands as he touched her cheek, nodding furiously and quickly at every word he uttered. She shivered in anticipation, her fear turning into adrenaline and her instincts fluttering to the top of her mind.

She nodded at his words and began to think of hiding places in her mind, silently, waiting for his command. As she did this, she made her way to the window and opened it, crouching beneath it to get ready to jump. She knew she could now run fast, probably land on her feet, and heal fast as well, but she hadn't tested out any of this-she supposed she would find out just how much stronger she truly was.

She thought of places to hide-she could always dig a hole and stay there-yes, that could do-seeing as how it was dark and she didn't need to breathe anyway. She could also go stay with one of her friends that lived in the country-that was also a possibility. She decided it would be quicker and easier to simply dig a hole, and then winced at how dirty and gross it might be, though she knew she would probably fall asleep during the day anyway.

Suddenly, another thought flew into her head. Her parents' old house had a giant wine cellar that required three keys to get into, keys that she had while they weren't in town. It was perfect-the previous owners had formed a connecting passageway that they had made into a bomb shelter during the second world war, and it had all she needed for a while. She tried to think of how she would deal with her hunger problem.

Silently, she traced her path to her parents' house-it was right outside of town, she could cut through the west side of downtown, the semi-scary side, then it was a straight shot out to their mansion. She smiled at her conclusion, ready to jump. Her worry was still present, but she knew that Ash would find her. She trusted him-something that was normally hard for her to do. Did she love him? Was that what love was? She'd never really experienced it before...but she shook the thoughts away. She couldn't worry about that now.

Charlie's harsh pounds to the fragile door became more prominent as the sound of commotion came from within the small apartments interior. If if weren't for Ash's clinically dead body, his racing heartbeat, and flushing face would give away the obvious scheme he was trying to accomplish.

He casually made his way to the front door, a low gulp merging within his tensed throat, he carefully pried the door open, wearing a facade of, "What would possibly bring you here?"

His brows pulled inwards, as he tried to attain that blatantly confused look. No good. The crowd of Camarilla vampires seemed to have multiplied from their last sloppy assemble. Several more angry hell-bent Cammy's bombarded through the door, instinctively beginning to search the house for the fledgling. The last furious vamp to enter the enclosed apartment was Charlie. A scowl was pressed tightly across his snobbish face, yet the overwhelming joy of busting another vampire, especially one of such high status, was something to rejoice about.

"Oh, Ash... What have you done?" he mocked while ticking his head from side to side. His stiff hair didn't move once due to the excessive amounts of hairgel. Instead, small white flakes fluttered throughout the room. Charlie brought his fists together, a cruel smile pulling the corner of his lips up. "Do you know what we're going to do to her?" he mused while stealthily inching his way closer.

Ash couldn't care less, more interested in whether the vampire's had thought to check his room yet. More than likely, the minority must've gotten distracted by Jade. She was such an old timer, it was like meeting a celebrity in the vampiric community.

"Her?" Ash questioned while taking stout steps backwards, hand casually propped against the brim of the entrance door. His eyes scanned the room, more interested in the group of Toreadors snooping around his house.

Irritation bubbled throughout Charlie's body; the act of intimidation was never very generous towards him. "Look at me damnit, we're going to tie her up. Wait for the sun to rise. And watch the whelp burn." he snapped while slamming his impatient fist into the outer walling, "Kind of like your little bonnie lass back in the day." he cackled in self glory, knowing that would push more than a few buttons.

The morbid unwanted memories gushed throughout his frantic mind. He tired to ignore the man's words, but that indeed stroked him the wrong way. Especially imagining them doing the same horrid torture to his Serafina. The thought made him snap.
His outstretched hand snapped down around Charlie's neck, nails penetrating the skin. He crooked his face inwards, bearing his fangs as he cautiously made a final glance back, "Oh.. I don't think you'll be doing that to Serafina. Perhaps.. you should be more interested in what I'm going to do to you and your little followers.." he hissed.

Charlie's frightened expression and soft groans alerted the others, making them quickly run to his quivering side.

Sera squatted by the window, hugging the coat around her, knowing its smell was absorbing her fully. There were more of them-she smelled it as they all entered the room, their padding footsteps coming unnaturally close to the room's door, making her body tense in anticipation and anxiety.

She heard his threats, and this made her more angry than scared-she was upset that he was trying to antagonize Ash. She disliked this man more, her eyes narrowing at the cracked door, and she pushed her hair back frantically. If worst came to worst, she could always seduce him. She was good at that. She smiled, then frowned-she didn't want to hurt Ash. Again, she listened intently to hear the events going on outside.

She heard the sounds of Ash getting angrier and angrier, and as he seemingly choked him, she heard him speaking, sounding almost foreign because of his clenched teeth and angry tone. She listened as he spoke her name deliberately, and climbed silently out the window, jumping, landing on her feet in a crouch.

She ran as she had planned to run, running so quickly that everything going by was a blur. She smiled at this-she'd never even ridden in a car this fast, she didn't think. A whoosh of air came with her as she passed early-morning joggers and such, but as she neared the country, the presence of those was much less easy to come by.

She finally turned the corner onto her parents' cobblestone street, quickly hurrying up to the house and across the large lawns. She went around the back, only pausing to enter a code, go down some steps, then enter one key at one door, the next at a second, and the third at a third door. These doors were made of iron, and each one shielded her more than the last.

She finally entered the basement, the smell of wine overtaking her. She hurried into the next room, finally resting in the bomb-shelter portion of the cellar. She smiled in relief as she laid down on the bed, suddenly very tired. She looked up, seeing a telephone, matches, and canned food-though she knew none of that would really help her. She closed her eyes, sure that sleep was best right now.

The group of high class vampires attacked at once. Using their full strength to tear their nails deep into Ash's stone like skin. Fangs bearing, disregarding the fact his blood would be poisonous to them. He didn't give in, and attempted to fight off every single immortal that threatened Serafina's nonfading life.

Jade slipped unseen into her bedroom, a small white bag wrapped under her arm. She tiptoed within the light-less room, dainty fingers fumbling for the windows clasp. With a low pop, the glass croaked open. The brisk breeze greeted her as she swiftly climbed onto the balcony, blonde waves whipping across his slender face.

As gracefully as a bird, she soared in the air, landing gently onto her feet. She looked back, hoping Ash would soon follow. She could hear the piercing cries of numerous vampires echo throughout the room. She longed to wait for him.. but knew he'd want someone with Sera.

While turning back, she allowed her nose to follow her own scent of peaches and spice. To her surprise, she realized Sera made it plenty far from the scene. How.. unlikely.
With an annoyed frown, Jade was able to tract her strong aroma coming from an extravagant house. However.. the scents were coming somewhere from the back. Perhaps the basement? She shrugged and knelt low enough to peek through the foggy windows that bordered the bottom of the house.

Her long white nails tapped against the strong glass as if asking if anyone were there.

Sera had tried to settle herself in the long fur coat, not being able to help but feel strange and naked as she was filled with its strong, foreign aroma. She looked down and sighed, barely falling asleep, just as there was a rap on the window.

Had they found her?

She gasped and pulled the coat around her, standing and running to the fogged-up window that the noise was coming from, using one delicate hand and running it in circles over the clouded surface. A small, pale face glared at her from outside, and, realizing it was Jade, she beckoned for her to come around.

She walked to the iron doors and unlocked them, one by one, placing the key inside its hole and turning it slowly so the door wouldn't jam. When she finally got to the door with the code, she opened it, looking around for the girl.

Why had she come? Had something happened to Ash? Her eyebrows bunched up in worry and she looked around for any signs of him. This girl loathed her-why was she here? And furthermore, what was in that bag?

Jade made her way to the front of the house, stopping dead in her tracks as Sera came into plain view. She stared at the woman blankly, unsure of what to say or how to explain that Ash was left behind.

Her ivory arms laced tightly across her chest; the white bag cradled closely to her chest.
A timid look of worry and shyness took hold of her porcelain face as she took simple steps forwards. She chewed nervously at the bottom of her rose colored lips, hoping Sera would simply invite her inside.

Sera didn't particularly feel very kindly towards the girl in front of her, but the way she looked-so timid and afraid without Ash around-she felt like she needed to help her. Not to mention, she was in the same sort of position. Her lips in a flat line, she stepped to the side and motioned by putting her arm straight out for her to come inside. "Come on in, this is my parents' house. Or...old house, I guess."

She followed her back, closing each door behind her and locking it before moving on to the next, until they finally entered the main room. "Um...we have a lot of wine?" She said, her brows forming a straight line as she turned to the almost three walls completely covered in wines of every nationality. "Help yourself, I'm sure you could use a drink." She smiled faintly, not knowing where they stood.

A bit surprised by Sera's offer, a faint smile lingered onto her scowling face. She shook her head generously while slipping furthermore into the massive house. Jade's curiosity took over, allowing her sapphire eyes to scan the entire room, appreciating every detail.

Jade couldn't help but feel at home within this unfamiliar house. She was unable to pin point why exactly this house made her feel this way; but assumed it was merely the rich taste. Or perhaps fading memories of her mortal life lingered in the back of her mind. Whatever it was, she wasn't particularly fond of it. Especially since it was typically Serafina's residence.

Her child like eyes narrowed as they two woman entered the clustery wine cellar with an abundance of variant types of fine wines. Jade could hardly remember the actual taste of rich red wine penetrating her parched mouth. In fact, if she could recall correctly, she missed it. Then again, that's how blood somewhat tasted to her. Red whine.

She shook her head once again, unable to hide the sarcastic expression she had at the woman's generous, yet moronic offer. Jade wondered if the woman still believed she was able to drink and eat mortal food.
You were a bit sloppy with the details Ash...

She watched as the girl gazed around the room, and realized she was passing judgement over it. She supposed it was rather nice-she had never noticed before. The cherry-redwood glossy wine racks built into the walls in intricate criss-cross patterns, the artwork hung on a few of the walls.

She watched as her expression turned from accepting to something else-some other, less friendly expression. Her lips stayed in their same straight line as she watched her intently, feeling awkward and silent.

She then gave a sort of sneer, and Serafina turned, rolling her eyes, and trotted into the opposite room. "There's a television, a telephone... if you want to use it. And I think a trundle might come out of that bed, though I'm not altogether sure. I haven't been down here in ages."

She smiled faintly at the memories of her brother, sister and she, playing hide and seek down there, and making tents and fortresses, all sorts of games. They would have sleepovers in that cellar, and the maid would bring them sweets whenever they were being good. She sighed, releasing the memory, and once more sitting on the bed, refraining from asking any questions about Ash. She didn't want to strain the poor girl.

ooc;
I'm not sure if I should bring Ash back, or have the Cammy catch him. What do you think?

Jade slid against the cement walls, still letting curiosity spill from her sapphire eyes. Even for a basement, the room was quite large in size, and almost as nearly interesting as the actual house itself.

While tossing the petite white duffel bag to the side, she gazed over towards Serafina. Things couldn't possible get any more awkward. She wasn't one for speaking, especially with strangers or newly acquainted people. Instead, she preferred to remain safe and silent from all others, aside from the very few selected.

With a gentle push, Jade kicked the bag to the center of the wide room.

Inside, there were several knives and other strange weapons with beautiful gems placed on every tip. Jade shrugged her shoulders a mouthed a hushed phrase. "From Ash."

The weapons were obviously a mere precaution for Serafina to use if she were to be in any danger. They wouldn't do much damage to the ancient vampiric hierarchy, but it would give her enough time to flee.

She didn't mind averting her gaze to try and be polite to Jade-the girl had obviously not shown her the same courtesy. She watched as she gaped around at the room, rather intrigued by her strange reaction to the cellar.

She watched the bag, wondering what possibly could be in it. She unzipped it as it came towards her, realizing its purpose as she carefully removed each jeweled weapon, frequently checking to look up and Jade and make sure she was still there and still looking around the room in awe.

From Ash? Her brow furrowed and her mouth set itself into a very hard, straight line, and she picked the sharpest, most useful one up, nodding curtly in thanks to Jade, and standing up, still holding the odd-looking weapon.