#the fact that malkavians are the only ones that can say that line to VV.....a crime

[fuzzyelves]

bby you put the ‘adore’ in toreador

[toreadorwriter]

Ch 4 of what happens in the dark part 1

Chapter 3.5:

“Anatole, there is no time.  Put on this shirt and run a comb through your hair. We have to leave NOW. “ 

Alysa threw a burgundy dress shirt at the perplexed man and also began to strip off her well-loved shirt, ignoring the fact they were standing in the middle of the house. VV politely dove deeper into her book and averted her eyes, while Yuki asked the pair to kindly relocate somewhere else. 

Normally, when Alysa  had a feeling like this, it was for a quickly established reason. Go here and meet Anatole for the first time.  Pick up this book found on the street and go to the arcade, turns out it belongs to the children having some fun after sports practice. This time, it was accompanied by a sense of danger. 

“Anatole, your collar needs to be fixed” He tugged his shirt into place. 

“Is this one of your Jedi feelings again?”

“Yes, we need to go to a fancy restaurant in Hollywood. There is a dress code. Please follow it.”

“You do know that if you want to go out, you can just ask me. I won’t bite unless you ask” Anatole said with a devilish grin, “You don’t have to hide behind your powers.”

“Save the philosophy for later, we need to leave”

Yuki launched one of the many pillows at them to further emphasize her point. Alysa stopped by her room and grabbed a dress and pulled it on before leaving the apartment.

Chapter 4:

Jewel stepped out into the night,  wearing a beautiful shimmering red dress with the matching pumps and the black Louis Vitton purse that Romero had gotten her for her 24th birthday. Adorning her neck,  she wore another gold necklace set with her name engraved in the pendant. Issac let his eyes wander down the backless dress that showed off his lover's curves. There were only a few things in his unlife that he truly appreciated, one of them was beautiful women in elegant but sexy clothing that was also classy.  Second, fine entertainment and third, beautiful fashion. Fourth, both his lovers in general. When his favorites were combined into a night out with his loves, nothing would ruin his mood. 

Jewel’s hair was curled and the Toreador admired the way her mid length hair swirled around her face and framed it like a beautiful Christmas wreath. He couldn't help but admire Romero too once he stepped into view. The poor young man had been coerced to wear his gold suit and a sparkly tie to match and his hair was slicked back nicely, but not of his own volition. Isaac noticed he looked a bit embarrassed and he took the other man's hand and kissed it, causing the other to blush making the old vampire chuckle. This night was going to be a night to remember for centuries. The driver opened the door to the navy limousine and let the three lovers in before politely closing the door and getting in the driver's seat.

The ride to Isaac's restaurant was a quiet one. Not that it bothered Isaac, but he couldn't help but feel like they were being watched somehow. The vampire shrugged it off, he was probably just being paranoid. Being Baron usually made one so especially during these final nights and paranoia was part of the job description. He couldn't trust anyone but Romero and Jewel these days. Two hours finally passed and the three arrived at their destination completely unaware at first of Alysa and her boyfriend Anatole. They approached the trio and Alysa happily greeted them.

'Oh Jewel, I was wondering where you were and what a *coincidence* you are out on a date at the same time and place as us! And it’s amazing how our tables are next to each other” Alyssa said. 

“Odd, I never told her where we were going” Jewel thought. What an odd way to crash a date, but at least it was never boring when the Malkavians decided to gather. 

The two women embraced while Anatole awkwardly stood behind them. He  wore a well tailored suit while Alysa sported a messy bun and a gothic lace Midi dress. Jewel noticed one of her shoes was a purple dress shoe and the other was a green high top. 

'' What a surprise, I didn't think I'd run into you both here. What are you guys up to?" Jewel asked.

 Alysa explained they were out on a date which excited the necromancer, who took the opportunity to  proudly show that she was now engaged. Alysa excitedly begin to formulate wedding plans until they were herded into the restaurant's VIP section. 

The group was alone in the room, and one could drink whatever their undead hearts desired without fear of breaking the masquerade. Ghouled waiters in tuxedos brought in appetizers and drinks for the humans and politely ignored the stares from the curious patrons in the other sections. 

 Romero watched as the vampires drank down their blood.  He had ordered a soup and salad, not that he was dieting or anything, he just didn't really feel hungry or really up to eating anything right now. He also felt like they were being watched but he couldn't tell why, so he pretended everything was fine and  each time his soon to be wife and husband spoke to him he just laughed and nodded and hoped to God it wasn't a question. Thirty minutes later, the food arrived and Jewel just about melted in her chair. Isaac had the chef prepare a heart-shaped pizza and the pepperoni spelled out “I love you.” 

Alysa immediately ruined the romantic moment between the lovers by forgetting to turn off the flash of her phone’s camera and began to laugh at everyone’s faces in the camera. 

When Alysa turned the phone around to show the group, Romero noticed something was off about the background. Was that a shadow in the mirror? They were the only ones in this room, and he was keeping track of who entered and exited. 

''What the hell is that?" He asked pointing to the cloudy figure in the picture.

“What's what?" Jewel asked, curiously leaning in and biting her lip. 

“it's probably just a photobomb, the waiter probably jumped into the pic accidentally and that’s why it's like that." She explained.

Romero wasn't buying that explanation.

Alysa sarcastically said “Maybe it's a spooky ghost” and Anatole took the phone out of her hand and began to take a closer look. 

Anatole began to speak “That is definitely not a photobomb, it’s an-”, but the sound of shattering glass interrupting him. 

People began to run out of the building and the night was filled with the sounds of cellphones ringing and panic. 

Anatole turned around in the blink of an eye and punched into the darkness. 

In the dim light, a figure appeared into view and everyone in the room could watch it fall into the Champagne tower. Clawing at Anatole and ripping into his flesh, the figure lashed out and pulled himself out of the fountain and into full view. 

The assailant stood up, and shadows seemed to grow and rise off the ground. He stretched out his arms as if asking for a challenge and began to lunge towards Jewel. Unfortunately for him,Anatole was older and faster and less arrogant, and he reached out with his mind and requested the Lasombra to be still. 

He froze in place, unmoving, unblinking, unbreathing.

Alysa and Romero escorted Jewel out of the room, and began to usher the rest of the humans out of the restaurant. 

Anatole staked the frozen shadow with a chair leg and lowered him to the ground. Isaac wrapped him up in the pizza- stained tablecloth.

“I hate to say this, but we need to go to the prince. There is no reason for any Lasombra to be in my domain in Hollywood, and there is no chance he is here to go sight-seeing. Let’s inform the prince know he needs to take his pet back and train him better.” Isaac said while lifting the bundle like it was weightless. 

Leaving through the kitchen and exiting from the staff entrance, Isaac and Anatole walked nonchalantly through the chaos and carried the staked man to the alleyway. Sirens blared in the distance and a car approached. 

Alysa rolled down the window and called out,

“Hey, think I figured out why we needed to go out to dinner tonight. Don’t ask where the car is from because I won’t tell you.”

Jewel and Romero were in the back seat of the car, faces pale and harried. 

Throwing the body in the trunk, Anatole and Isaac climbed in. 

Alysa began to drive and all the passengers immediately wished they were back at the restaurant on solid ground.

Meanwhile in LA’s new Ivory Tower...

Prince William busily sighed away at important documents regarding kindred society and his business while his sheriff and lover  Ms. Balewa stood guard over him protectively. No one was allowed in or out. Theoretically, anyhow. 

The door flew open and Ms. Balewa reached into the waistband of her coat. 

A white cloth landed on the ground with a thud, and a Brady Bunch of other kindred appeared in the room behind it, 

Romero and Anatole harshly uncovered the tied up Lasombra and removed the stake. An unholy scream pierced the air and rattled the windows. 

Baron Isaac gave Prince William a pointed look while the ghouls winced from the loud wail.

 ''Who are you and what are you doing in my city?" Prince William asked the Lasombra, trying to remain calm but it was obvious that he was pissed beyond words.To his amazement the, Lasombra laughed and the sound sent chills down the human’s spines.

''You think I'm scared of you, Ventrue? You are nothing but a wannabe prince in a line of wannabe princes in a city that's one of the worst places on earth! I don't know why you’re even allowing this little whore over here to be baroness!... But before he could finish Isaac with the speed of a cheetah.

Isaac quickly grabbed him by the throat and squeezed so hard that the gang were afraid he was going to snap his neck! The lasombra began to dissolve into shadow as Isaac began to snarl threats at him. 

The Prince interupted the attempted murder. “ Mr. Abrams, that is enough. You are not the Prince of LA, I am. You do not have the authority to decide this man’s fate.”

Isaac was left holding nothing and shadows materialized next to him and became the attacker. 

“Wait, how do you know about the new barons? That announcement has not happened yet.” Isaac looked to the other Anarchs for help, but their faces were blank with fear at being in an Ivory Tower.  

Isaac turned to leave but was grabbed by the sheriff and forced to look at the prince. 

“You know, none of this would have happened if you just gave up on the Barony and joined the Ivory Tower. If you did not have baronesses, this man would not have had any reason to attack you.” Willam turned to look at the shadow dancer.

“For now, I will not kill you, but you will be questioned and put on trial. No matter your business in my domain, you should have made your presence known to me to gain permission to be here.”

 Isaac looked at Jewel. “The baroness will have to be under strict watch until we find out who sent him and who he's working for. The announcement will be postponed, even though it sounds like the news has already spread amongst the other kindred."

 Prince William sat down in his chair and sipped at a blood mixed wine.''Thank you all for reporting this, it will be dealt with appropriately. And Issac, the offer to join the Tower still stands. I can only offer you protection if we are on the same side.” 

“I will never join the tower. Thank you for your offer. Jewel, I will look into who sent the attacker to us and I will call a blood hunt on them, I cannot allow the kindred in Hollywood to kill each other off.”

The Prince indicated he was done dealing with the rabble, and the Anarch left the office. Isaac had many problems now and with the restaurant being thrashed and the safety of his bride, he was starting to worry more and more. Taking out his phone, the vampire hesitated before texting the number to Jewel's parents. 

“Mr. And Mrs. Price, we need to talk”

The response was immediate.

''We will discuss whatever it is in person, this line is not secure. Let us all meet tonight at 8:00pm." 

 Isaac had a lump in his throat. “So be it,” he thought to himself, “ I'll let Jewel know”  He texted back “understood” and pocketed his phone.

Isaac thanked Anatole and Alysa for their help and promised to give them a boon later on should they ever need anything. He then told Romero and Jewel to follow him as he called the limo, it wasn't safe for them at his old haven so the vacation Haven would have to do for tonight.

''We can't go back home and you can't go back to the house either, Jewel, we can't risk endangering your roommates or you whatsoever. Who ever is after you is probably upset that your going to be a baroness or it's chance, but I don’t think it is chance" Issac said. He really hated to do this, but he couldn't risk losing her. Luckily, his ghouls knew better than to argue.

“So much for an engagement dinner.” Jewel thought to herself.

Saying their goodbyes, the vampires and ghouls departed and the limo came up and picked them up. On their way to the second Haven, Jewel had fallen asleep on the way there but Romero was as tense as ever. Reaching over, Iissac rubbed soothing circles on his hands,  but still the ghoul was on edge, and who could blame him? Tonight was a rather shocking and nerve wracking as it is. Romero gave him a small smile, but it was one of nervousness. The drive to the haven was quiet.Two hours later, Isaac gently shook Jewel awake as they arrived at the other haven. The ghoul stretched and got out of the car, and the two were ushered in. Issac tipped the driver a very handsome amount of cash and with a commanding voice, told the driver “Forget where this is and what happened tonight.” The ghoul happily accepted the cash before driving away. 

Walking inside, Issac flipped on the lights and the three got settled in for the night.

Kicking her heels off, Jewel walked up the stairs and walked up to her room. Well, beauty room to be exact and closed the door behind her. Sitting down at her vanity, the necromancer muttered an incantation and the vanity mirror shone bright before opening up a portal to her roommate Susi's room, which scared the living daylights out of her and her boyfriend Mercurio. ''Jewel, goddamn it! How many times did we tell you not to do that magical shit unexpectedly!" 

 Mercurio angrily quipped before holding a hand to his heart and Susi just laughed as Jewel rolled her eyes.

''Look, I'm sorry, okay. But something bad happened today and I'm going to have to be put under protection from Isaac."  Jewel confessed and Susi and Mercurio froze .

“What? Why? They asked, a look of deep concern shone on their faces.

Jewel explained the events of the night to them and the couple exchanged worried looks.

“Hey, where are you? Are you going to be safe?" Susi asked.

And Jewel smiled but waved it off. '' I'm at Isaac’s vacation home. Don't worry, we have everything under control. They tried to kill me, but trying the second time is an immediate death wish. Besides, I placed a spell on the house and myself so nobody could track us. This isn't my first rodeo after all." Jewel replied calmly while a ghostly familiar helped her take her makeup off while the other handed her a mirror before floating off towards her wardrobe.

 Mercurio looked like he wanted to say something but stopped himself. Jewel was stubborn and he heard she was even harder to convince to stop doing things. When she made up her mind, the perfume bottle on the vanity vibrated and that meant she was receiving another call.

 Jewel tried to smile through it. “I love you both but i have to go now we'll talk tomorrow." She promised.

Susi frowned, crossing her arms in disapproval.  ''Alright, goodnight. but please stay safe." she asked. 

“Will do,” Jewel promised before pressing her finger to the mirror and closing the chat. Picking up the next call, Two appeared through the mirror, looking a bit peeved. Why he so mad at her? Then it dawned on her. She completely forgot she promised to watch horror flicks with him. 

When it rains, it monsoons.