A Night Full of Possibillities

[Larten Crepsley]

"If you want I could have Jekkus help instead of Evra." Larten wanted to make sure that Erika was comfortable while she recovered from the change. It was a little disconcerting when the change first happened. Even Larten had felt a little ill afterwards. And it didn't help that Murlough still haunted Erika even after all these years. Larten started to head for the door, "I'll be right back Erika. I'll go get you a bed for you to sleep on." He turned to Tori, "Stay with her until I return?"

Larten then left into the night and headed to each of the men he had mentioned. Together they pulled an extra bed from one of the performers vans and took it back to Larten's van. They quickly set it up and Larten watched as Cormac, Jekkus, and Alexander left. Then he picked Erika up and placed her on the bed. Some sheets had been given to him by Truska to keep Erika warm. "How do you feel Erika?"

[brittney]

Erika was still trying to breathe normally when she saw out of the corner of her eye Tori move towards her. Fear was still coursing through her and the sudden movement made her flinch away from Larten and Tori and made her want to go hide. That changed when Tori touched her hand gently and spoke to her in a gentle voice. She took deep slow breaths when she was asked to and shook her head 'no' when Tori offered to get her a glass of water or something.

Erika let out a small cry when Larten left, but quickly covered her mouth with one of her hands, not wanting to seem as weak as she felt at that moment and didn't want to act like a little child. She just didn't want to be away from Larten right now. What if Murlough or someone that had allegiances with him came and hurt her. What if... She quickly stopped thinking about it as she felt panic rise inside of her and instead stared at Tori, trying her best to stay calm until Larten returned.

When Crepsley came over and picked her up, Erika wrapped her arms around his neck and burrowed her face into his chest. She cuddled up against him for those brief moments when he was carrying her to the bed they had put in the van and released him when he went to place her on the bed. She curled up into a ball shortly after she got under the sheets and looked up at Larten when he asked how she felt. "Awful," she said truthfully. After a few minutes, she added, "I'm tired, but I don't want to close my eyes. He might be there if I do."

[tori]

She sat beside Erika the entire time Crepsley was gone, gently stroking her hand and murmuring her. The poor girl was terrified - a feeling Tori was all too familiar with. That was how she knew how to deal with this; that was how she knew what had to be done. She had to given Erika the comfort she was never offered. 

"It'll be okay, darlin'..." 

Crepsley returned soon after, and Tori immediately scurried back, away from the young girl. Her heart grew heavy as she watched Erika cling to Crepsley in a way similar to a frightened child clutching her father's neck. That was something she wished she could have. Even if it wasn't with her father, or a father-like figure, she still wanted someone who cared for her. 

But wasn't it just like a woman to want something she couldn't have?

Tori drew her wings in tight as she watched the two, her head tilted slightly in very bird-like fashion. She knew it was time to be quiet and stick to the wall, but she wouldn't leave. Not yet. If Erika needed something, she had to be there to get it. She wasn't going to leave the poor girl... Well, she wouldn't really be alone, would she?

[Larten Crepsley]

Larten stroked Erika's hair. "Well Tori and I will be here if you need anything." He looked up at Tori and said, "Thank you for helping. Would you mind staying?" Larten continued to gently stroked Erika's hair and skin. If it made her tired enough to go to sleep then he would continue to do it, but he wouldn't leave her side while Erika was in the this state. He would teach her how to defend herself and how to fight, but he would also makes sure that she got through this time. It was too bad that Erika would never be a mother, at least not like her biological mother.

Like himself, Erika could adopt. Larten pretty much adopted Erika when she agreed to be turned. "Just sleep now Erika. We'll be right here should you need anything." He stood and turned to Tori, "I'm going to get a glass of water for her just in case. Can you keep an eye on her until I get back?" Larten smiled gently and placed a gentle hand on the woman, "I sense that the two of you have something in common and I think that I can take you under my wing too if you will help me with Erika." Larten was very glad that Tori was here. She had helped keep Erika calm a little bit while he had gotten the bed for the 17 year old.

[brittney]

Erika welcomed the feel of Larten's hands as he stroked her hair and skin. It was making her feel tired, but she fought against the urge to go to sleep. She didn't want to have nightmares or memories again, especially not if Murlough was in them. She wanted to stay awake, but she was so tired.

"Don't go, Daddy," she said, half-asleep now. She grabbed hold of Larten's hand and held on tightly, not wanting to let go. After a few minutes, though, her grip went limp as she let sleep take over and she fell into a restless state of sleep. She lay there on the bed with an almost peaceful look on her face, but her body was still tense, almost as if it was waiting for the nightmares to come back.

[tori]

Her body tensed as soon as Crepsley touched her shoulder. She glanced over at him, her eyes locking onto his hand and not his face. She still couldn't meet his eyes. At this point, she didn't think she could afford to. Talking was one thing. Obeying orders was one thing. Being touched, however, was a totally different story. 

At his requests, however, Tori nodded. She knew what he was asking would be best for Erika; that much was obvious. And the poor girl needed someone to be beside her constantly, even now, as she slept. She looked so distressed, so afraid that her nightmares would become real. It broke the young woman's heart. 

"I'll look after her, Mr. Crepsley," she answered. Her eyes fell down to Erika. Her wings fluttered slightly. "I'll make sure she's not alone."

[Larten Crepsley]

Larten breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you, Tori. Thank you. And please feel free to bring a friend or two with you." His head turned to Erika's. Had she really said daddy? The girl was probably delerious in her half sleep state. Larten found himself yawning and turned to Tori, "Is dawn approaching already?" Either that or he needed to get used to caring for Erika before his body settled into this new habit.

The Vampire turned his head to Madam Octa's cage. He felt nothing from the spider except that she seemed to be sleeping or pretending to be sleeping. Another yawn escaped Larten. He was extremely tired and he wanted sleep, but he wouldn't sleep until dawn approached which he didn't know how far it was because he hadn't been paying attention.

[brittney]

(I'm gonna skip to the next night, okay? Tori could be close by doing something when Erika wakes up and Larten could be waking up in his coffin. Anyways, here's my post.)

For the next few hours, Erika came in and out of sleep. When she woke up and found Tori by her side, she would ask for Larten before remembering that he was probably sleeping. That would be when she would go back to sleep. She isn't sure how long she slept before she entered a new type of nightmare. It was similiar to the she's been having for years, but she was able to see Murlough more clearly as he killed her parents. After he had killed them, he looked at her with eyes filled with bloodlust and glee at the chance of torturing a girl her age.

The scene soon changed to one where she was the age she was now and she was walking through the Cirque at night. Murlough came out from behind a tent and approached her. Before she could turn and run, he grabbed her by her blonde hair and bit her neck.

Bolting upright in bed, she screamed and cried. For a few minutes, she wasn't sure if she was still sleeping or if she was awake, but she knew that she felt like she was still in danger. Getting out of bed, she knelt down on the floor and crawled under the bed. She then curled up into a tight ball and continued to cry quietly. She didn't expect anyone to come comfort her since she had momentarily forgot about Larten and Tori and she was so used to going through this alone. She just laid on the floor and waited for something to happen.

[tori]

Tori was sleeping when Erika awoke. 

The young woman had done exactly as Larten had asked, and had taken to watching Erika as she slept. She had found a chair and brought it so she was sitting next to her bed, one hand gently grasping Erika's while the other stayed folded neatly over her belly. Every so often her wings would twitch or ruffle, a sign they were cramped. But she couldn't act upon her instincts; Erika needed her. 

After a couple of hours, Tori's body overwhelmed her will, and the girl finally fell into a rough sleep. She slept for a few hours, fighting herself to go any deeper into the peaceful oblivion. She almost surrendered, almost gave into need and exhaustion, when Erika's scream drew her away from peace and sleep entirely. 

Tori bolted up, scurrying away from the bed. Her wings were out, but curved towards her; her eyes were wide; her body shrunk back, low to the ground. She was ready for someone's wayward hand to find its way onto her body. She was ready for her husband or father to lash out and beat into her how running got her no where. 

But the blows never came. 

It took her a moment, but Tori finally realized that the scream had come from Erika, and that the poor girl was curled under her bed. Her wings pinned back, pressed against her body, and Tori slowly made her way forwards, towards Erika. 

"Eri?" Tori cooed softly, her voice becoming more bird-like with its tone. "Eri, darlin', it's all right. It's all right. It was just a dream. Eri, darlin', you're safe. I promise..." She knelt beside the bed, then moved so she was on her stomach. Carefully, she reached out, placing a hand on Erika's shoulder. "Darlin', you're safe."

[Larten Crepsley]

Larten thrust the lid of his coffin up and away. He was out in moments. He saw Tori trying to coax Erika out from under the bed and joined her, "Erika? We're here. Come here." He held his hand out to the girl. The scream terrified Tori and Larten and he knew what the other performers must be going through. If this went on Erika would probably be told to leave, but knowing Mr. Tall she would probably be given something to help her sleep better. "Erika I think its time to start heading out. Its night fall and the Cirque is going to move on soon." He turned to Tori, "If there is anyone you want to go with you then you will have to go get them now."

He then turned back to Erika and gently pulled her out from under the bed, "Its fine Erika. You are in safe hands." Soft ssshhhing noises came from the Vampire. This was very unlike him. Erika was changing his hard outwardly appearance. She had struck his heart with her personality and Larten felt a deep connection with the girl, "Erika some of my other assistants had problems with what I am about to tell you." He looked at the girl and said, "You need to drink some blood. Yes human blood, but if you are not ready we can get a fox or something and you can drink from it."

He stroked the girl's hair and rocked her back and forth. He whispered to the girl, "I'll be as good a father and mentor as I can be Erika. The rest must come from you. I can teach you to defend yourself and the ways of the Vampire Clan, but in the end you must face Murlough alone." He looked at her and went on, "I'll help with killing him, but in order for you to overcome your fear you must stand up to him and use what strength you have to emotionally wound him." It would be the only way for Erika to be truely free from the Vampaneze monster. He was worse then Shendeth. "Erika there is something you must know. I don't know if you ever saw him when you came, but the Cirque is home to a Vampaneze Half-Blood. He is doing his best to overcome it, but you must be cautious around him. He's been a creature of the night for longer than you and knows more than you, but not all Vampaneze are like Murlough. Shendeth may seem intimidating, but from what I know of him he is actually a pretty decent person... for a Vampaneze."

[brittney]

A few minutes passed before she heard a familiar voice. She looked over at Tori as she got on the floor and spoke to her gently. She soon realized where she was at, but didn’t believe that she was completely safe. Her body screamed at her to stay hidden, that anything could happen if she came out from the safety of the space under her bed. So she just stayed curled up there as Tori continued to try to coax her out from her hiding spot.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Larten’s face appear and heard his voice that she welcomed easily. When he pulled her out from under the bed gently, she let him. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she cried quietly and curled up in his arms like the little girl she felt like she was. She listened to what he said as he began to try to get her calmed down.

When he brought up the subject of drinking blood, her body stiffened instantly, worried thoughts racing through her mind. What if I won’t be able to stop? What if I kill someone and turn into a vampaneze? I don’t want to be a killer. She was unaware that her feelings were showing up clearly as she thought about this. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, she thought, I will think about it soon. For right now, though, I just want to be comforted by Larten.

When she heard him bring up her facing Murlough alone, her body began to shake at the very thought of it. She didn’t hear what he said about Shendeth. All she could think about was going up against Murlough and possibly getting hurt. Finding her way out of Larten’s arms, she stood up and backed up against a wall as she said quietly, “I can’t go up against Murlough. He’s too strong. And I can’t drink blood, not even from an animal. What if I kill it or hurt it badly? I don’t want that on my consciousness. I already have enough to deal with. Isn’t there another way to get blood?”

[tori]

Yet again the woman jumped when Crepsley appeared next to her. She shrunk back, moving so he could reach Erika more easily, and stood. Her wings hunched together. Tori hooted softly at the look of fear in her eyes, the tremble in her voice. She could relate all too easily, and so Tori knelt beside Crepsley. Gently, hesitantly, she reached out, touching his shoulder. 

"You know as well as I," she whispered, keeping her voice so only the vampire could hear her, "that Erika is a victim of violence and the terror it brings. There is no easy cure for the pain and fear she's going through, vampire or not." Her eyes shifted to the girl, softened. 

"She needs a comforter. A protector, Mr. Crepsley. Believe me."

Tori stood then, dusting off her shirt and ruffling her wings. Her eyes never left the trembling woman. "I'm, um... I'm going to go get Fox. Rurik, I mean. Rurik. He'll be able to protect us during the day, when you can't..." She licked her lips, bit the bottom one. "I'll be right back, Mr. Crepsley. I promise."

She turned and left then, hurrying towards the tents and where she knew Rurik would be hanging about. 

[Larten Crepsley]

Larten nodded to Tori. Erika was a victim of violence. He had seen it so many times before and he heard Tori leave to go get Rurik. Now that he was alone with Erika he said, "I was the same as you when I was first turned. What if I wouldn't be able to stop? What if I killed? With time I learned to control myself. Its best to drink a little bit each day then a lot once a month. A little each day will help to control the hunger." He smiled at the girl and said, "Since you are Half-Vampire you can still eat food like chicken and soup and stew and things of that nature. Same with being a full Vampire. The blood is just to make sure our abilities stay strong."

He looked Erika in the face and said, "Erika I will teach you to be stronger and to control the hunger for blood, but in the end it is your choice as to how you will live your life. I cannot tell you what to wear or who you can or cannot be friends with. All I can say is if you have humans for friends you will need to be careful. Even a Half-Vampire can be deadly to humans. The humans here at the Cirque know what you and I are and know how to behave around us, but the humans out there, those like your adoptive mother and father, won't know what you are and assume you are human as well."

He tilted her head towards him so he could look in her eyes, "I can teach you the ways of the Vampire, our history, our abilities, and the best time to feed, but the rest is completely up to you." He stood and held out a hand, "Come. For the first couple of weeks you can abstain from blood, but as time goes on you will discover that your eyesight will diminish and your hearing will be weaker and you will get dizzy spells. In order to keep from dying you will need to get over the fear of blood. I know its hard, but again it takes time."

[brittney]

She listened to what he said and knew that she should drink a little bit of blood at least. She didn't want to lose control over her thirst if they came across humans on their journey to Vampire Mountain. Taking Larten hand and following him outside, she asked, "You won't let me hurt anyone or anything when I feed, will you? And if I start to go too far, you will stop me, right?" She wanted some reassurances before she fed for the first time and knew that Larten was the only person that could make her feel better about drinking blood from a living creature.

As they walked, she kept looking around, her body tense as if it was getting ready to fight. Unknowingly, her free hand had curved slightly in a way that vampires do when they fight with their fingernails while her other hand gripped Crepsley's tightly. The nightmare she had was still fresh in her mind and had put her on edge. She felt like it might come true and she had to be ready for anything.

[tori]

It hadn't taken Tori long to find Fox. 

He had been out and about, waiting for the orders to start taking the tents and stuff down, when she found him. Tori tried to ignore the way her stomach fluttered at the sight of him, and the way she felt her face burn when he smiled. There were more important things to worry about than the girlish feelings that dared to show themselves at the most inconvenient times. 

After talking to him for a minute or two, the young woman finally managed to convince him to follow her to Crepsley's van with the news the vampire needed the both of him. She tried hard to ignore the way her body reacted when it was near his; a mixture of a schoolgirl crush, and the full-blown hormones of a full grown woman. It went against every single defense she dared to build. 

They walked side by side now. Tori's hand would occasionally brush against his, but then pull back before he could grab her hand. It was a sort of game, a flirtatious, stomach-flipping game that Tori was ashamed it admit that she enjoyed playing.