The Cardmaster's Puppet [Rubi/Caelestis]

[Rubi]

A small girl no more than fourteen years of age held a beauty like no other. Women of all ages envied the girl's alluring looks and succulent amethyst strands. It was said that this girl held no flaws or was imperfected in anyway, but they were wrong.

Standing out on the street corners of the dark enchanting Ravenblack City adorned in a black corset dress having fishnet lace up her legs and end in ebony bows, there was no doubt that this girl came from a ealthy family. But what was a little princess doing out on the filth that lied around the curbs of the streets? Girl showed no signs of immortal sin, she was completely undoubtfully human.

No dreams or hopes took wing in this part of the city. The suburbs of Ravenblack could be decribed as an old black white television movie with no color to add euthaniasm or life to the picture. Dirt roads, horse n' carriages and taverns at every corner. The girl continued to stand helplessly upon that curb holding a ragdoll so close to her chest as if it was the only possession she had left.

During daylight hours when all immortal life snoozed, the girl was usaully wandering the streets aimlessly with that stupid old ragdoll she never seemed to let go of. Frightened and alone, it was obvious that the girl was homless and possibly an orphanned - as she was watched a funeral carriage carry away the body of her young mother. Tears stained her porcelian complexion, "Momma...." she said softly before looking towards the ground.

[Cael]

He folded his map twice over and tucked the small guide back into the pocket of his cargo pants. Three years in the city, and he found himself nearly three hours away from his destination---the Hall of Severance. No one knew he’d left the Estate with his thoughts on severing his husband, and he hoped to be long gone before anyone had time to react. Maybe he was confused. Maybe he was scared. Regardless of the reason, those were his plans.

Grabbing a human’s arm, he tugged the man away from the crosswalk to ask directions to the nearest shop. The human stumbled over his words and pointed in various directions, quite unsure of where the mysterious shop was located. Caelestis rested his hand on the man’s cheek and tilted the other’s head to the side. And without any hesitation, he tore into the human’s throat. He felt he deserved four pints for his suffering.

“Excuse me.” He stopped his sentence when he caught sight of a little girl on the other side of the street.

Before he could find his words, the human female turned and continued on her way, leaving Cael to contemplate what a young girl was doing all alone. Dressed in torn jeans and a plain white t-shirt, he hardly felt like he belonged in the suburbs. It was just his luck that a funeral carriage passed him on the street.

“Momma,” he’d heard the girl whisper.

Cael tucked his hands into the pockets of his jeans and glanced up at the night sky. He knew humans were generally skittish when it came to strangers, and women were even worse. Still, something tugged at his chest; he actually pitied the girl. Standing there, lost in her own emotions, she looked like a snack made just for him. He removed the black and pink sunglasses from atop his head and tucked them into his pocket with the map.

“Did you know her?” He stood beside her then, his blue-grey eyes focused on the funeral carriage that made to turn the corner.

[Rubi]

"Aye, take this casket to Oakland Cemetery," the little girl heard the pawl-bearer's bellowing voice. Beside the bigger casket was a slightly smaller one just a few inches off the top, that's all. "And take this one to Ztipora Cemetery to be buried," he barked again.

Nothing but silence brooded. Silent cries, silent screams that wallowed deep down within the young damsel's gut.

"Brother..." she woed, blue eyes still watching as the carriage stalked off with hast. Tears formed once more and the back of a hand wiped them away. It was sad to see this young girl's mother and older sibling be carried off into a miniature Black Parade.

Just as soon as she turned to her heel to walk off and find an alleyway to shelter in, she heard the man's words against her ears. Timidly, the youth gazed up at the stranger and though she was taught to not talk to people she didn't know, it was rude to let him go unanswered.

"Yes..." she said in a mere squeak, clutching that pathetic ragdoll in her arms, "My Momma and brother....Daddy murdered them. He went to jail..to be hung..." she admitted, biting at her lower lip. Did she say too much?

"I have no house now.."

Silence again.

[Cael]

He didn’t know whether to stay and watch the rest of the funeral lineup or continue towards his own destination. His uncertainty showed in his eyes, even as he forced a sad smile. He didn’t feel the sadness the girl felt, but he knew enough about common courtesy to offer condolences when the need arose.

“I am sorry,” he offered and wrinkled his nose.

If he continued towards the Hall of Severance and then receded back into the shadows of his kind, loneliness seemed the only outcome. His feet refused to move; his legs refused to respond. All he could do was stand there in the silence, his unspoken words eating at his inhuman soul.

“Do you live on the streets, child? There are churches and orphanages around,” Cael frowned.

He bit his tongue after his statements. His tone sounded rather cold and uncaring, and the bland term he’d used to address her made him sound as if he were old---he had wanted to blend in among the humans. He knew if he didn’t do something that the girl would go right into the hands of something worse; she looked like easy prey.

[Rubi]

"Me live on the streets," the child answered honestly but her tone sounded very insecure, immature. It seemed her mentality was that of a five-year-old toddler the way she toiled with her doll's hair and the way she spoke in a childish tone - low class than one of fourteen should speak.

What was the man going to do now? Not only was the young girl orphanned, she was also mentally unstable and baring an innerchild of a lil' tot. Was he really going to leave this girl all on her own?

Hm. What to do, what to do!

The younger the blood, the sweeter the taste - after all.

The funeral parade started to end leaving the child with nothing but that doll and the clothes on her back. Surely, something could be done to save her from this nightmare before it could get worse!

[Cael]

Cael ran a hand through his dirty blonde locks and cast a quick glance in either direction. Gods forbid he took a moment more to consider his decision. He hesitated on getting closer to the girl, but he had to do something. He took to one knee and looked up at the girl with a smile he hoped conveyed some sort of comfort.

“Okay. I need to go somewhere, but I can’t leave you out on the streets.” He sighed, glancing to the left and right once more.

He felt like a fool kneeling before the human girl, but he couldn’t just leave her. He abused humans on a nightly basis, but he’d never abused a child. Cael knew he’d have to bite the girl; he knew he’d never get a human into the Estate that wasn’t on the dinner menu.

“Names, right,” he muttered to himself. “My name’s Caelestis. What are your names?” He turned his eyes toward her doll to show that he meant to hear two names.

Even as he knelt there on the dirty ground, he knew he wouldn’t be make it to the Hall of Severance. Fate gave him the young girl to keep him from ending his marriage, or so he believed. He needed to get the girl to trust him just enough to lead her out of sight. He’d never heard of a delicate change, but he promised himself he would make it as gentle as he could for the young one.

[Rubi]

The girl gazed down as the man knelt down upon his knees to her level. It was easier to see eachother eye-to-eye than break a neck looking straight up. Doll clutched to her chest, the child stared blankly at him.

He revealed his name to her, how sweet. The name was beautiful and so enchanting that it made that mournful frown turn upside down. "Rubi....Rubi Mercedes," at least the youth was stable enough to tell him her own name.

Small hands moved to the redheaded ragdoll clad in a tattered black dress and missing one shoe. The face on the toy was undoubtfully taunting and eerie, "Alice," Rubi said.

The child was now trusting the man, she was nice enough to told him the names of which she and the doll bore,"Where are we going, Mister Caelestis? questioned she.

[Cael]

Cael held his hand out to the girl and got to his feet, his eyes set on the street sign. They were near Yew and Zebra. One simple turn and another long walk stood between him and freedom from Uriah; one simple turn stood between him and another childe. He looked down at her with a light smile, sure to keep his fangs hidden.

“I have a young girl that would love to meet you, Miss Rubi Mercedes. And we aren’t far from my home.” The words he spoke weren’t lies.

His newest childe, Shades, was undoubtedly the sweetest of his childer, and he knew she would accept Rubi; however, he merely mentioned his childe to soothe any worries Rubi may have had about leaving with him. A simple bite and an exchange of blood was all he needed. If any human passerby paid him any mind, he smiled and nodded in greeting. It always threw them off his scent.

“Would Alice mind taking a little trip?” He spoke to the girl, but he looked once more at Yew Street, his destination for the change.

He held the girl’s hand without any force to show that he was decent enough to let her go whenever she wanted. She needed to go willingly. He wasn’t going to drag the girl into an alley to force unlife upon her! Well, perhaps if he were in a bad mood. He did have a cruel way about himself.

[Rubi]

Rubi looked to her doll named Alice and asked her against the ear. For a few seconds to talking to the doll, she pulled her head from it and gazed up at Caelestis. A simple nod she motioned by the ragdoll.

"Alice said yes, as long as you don't hurt Rubi," spoke the child with a immature tone, poor thing couldn't help it.

Seeing as her parents and brother were mostly likely dead, the small girl didn't show any hesitation linking her hand with his own. She trusted him enough, that's all that mattered.

Slowly, they began to walk away from the funeral scene and were led into a dark alleyway that was aloft from any human eye. Puzzled, the girl began to get a tad bit nervous, but clung tighter to the man for sanctuary.

"I..Is this the way to your house?" Rubi asked, calming down a little. Even if this was the way to his home, it was quite creepy and uneasily settled when it came to that annoying gut feeling.

[Cael]

Cael felt his own stomach give a small lurch. He knew exactly how Rubi must have felt in such a scary environment. A part of him felt horrible for lying to the girl, but it was such a small portion that it barely registered. As much as he wanted to comfort the girl, he didn’t know the words to succeed. He only knew the truth.

“Yes and no,” he stopped moving when they’d gone far enough away from the eyes of the city. “I am taking you home with me, but I can’t take you home as you are.”

He rested his hand atop the girl’s head and looked down at her for a moment. It wasn’t too late to turn back and drop the girl off at the nearest tavern, letting the humans deal with their own outcasts, but he honestly thought his family was the better choice for Rubi Mercedes. He truly wanted her in his unlife, however long or short the eternity.

“Do you trust me?” He went to his knees before the girl and wrapped his arms around her, giving her a hug.

He knew his body was cold from lack of blood---he’d only had four pints that evening. Sure, it wasn’t like him to hug a stranger, but he made the effort for Rubi. He knew exactly what it was like to be discarded after a turning; he knew support mattered.

“I won’t hurt you,” he lied gracefully, his facial expression calm.

[Rubi]

Blinked at Caelestis' response to her quesion. How could it possibly be 'yes or no?' she just shrugged her shoulders. Boy, was she in for an awakening surprise. Heh.

Rubi accepted that warm embrace from the man, she shivered against his cold flesh. She wasn't aware that she was latching onto a corpse. But she was for sure to discover that shortly.

The girl gave a quick nod of her head towards the stranger keeping 'Alice' close to her chest. "Mhm, I trust you!" Rubi said with a sweet alluring smile across rose-colored lips. "What are we doing here? Are we going to play a game?" ..poor girl didn't understand what Caelestis said about going home the way she was. What could that possibly be?

[Cael]

He rested a hand on her shoulder, his fingers inching towards her neck. With a fluid movement, he could have snapped her neck; however, he had bigger plans. All that went through his mind was how young the girl looked and how awkward their exchanges were.

“I just need make sure you’re healthy. We wouldn’t want you coming down with something.” He almost felt bad for lying so much, but he knew the lie was better than the truth. “You keep holding onto Alice. This will only take a moment.”

Caelestis moved his face into the crook of her neck. Every part of him demanded the blood that coursed through Rubi’s veins, but he settled on filling his nostrils with her scent. She smelled of the outside air and the remnants of the places she’d visited. Hesitantly, he ran his tongue over a small patch of skin; she tasted salty.

He parted his pale lips, daring to rest his fangs just over the space above her neck. He’d once scolded Uriah for not controlling feeding urges. Was he any better? It didn’t matter. He sunk his fangs into her throat just as he slipped his hand over her mouth. Though he tried to make it as pleasant as he could, no change went without pain. She was just so young….