Brick By Boring Brick

Juliette kicked at a box, as if taking out her anger on it would somehow change what had happened. She winced, watching the box soar into the opposite wall. Frowning down at her foot, muttering to herself about really needing to get her super-strength and speed under control, she pulled herself up onto her kitchen table, staring blankly around the room.

If it hadn't been under these circumstances, she'd enjoy, no, love, the penthouse suite she now owned. And she had to admit, it was a rather nice house.

She just hated the way she'd gotten it.

Her green eyes slid closed, the memories of the argument still fresh. Apparently, Billy seemed to have just the slightest issue with vampires.

And kicking her out and dumping her had been the appropriate response. Her eyes flashed, glaring around the room again. You'd think he'd be at least happy to know I was alive, she thought bitterly, a frown crossing her face.

She hadn't loved him, not in the slightest. But she'd gotten used, maybe even attached to him. And with him gone, it felt strange.

But she'd be better off without him. She could live forever. And what did he have? He'd spend the rest of his life pining after her.

They always did.

People were surprisingly easy to track. Penthouses equally as surprising to break into. Honestly the world was going soft. One would think that it would be harder to do these things. Or maybe Vera was just getting better at them. Either way she didn't care.

Boredom, and a desire to forget her current problems - namely one Noel Larkin - had drove her to seek out an friend and the one she had met at the park, Juliette had landed at the top of the list.

Skipping merely over the door frame, the girl finally noticed the cloistering scent that been building up in the hallways, and placed where it had come from. Instinctual panic shot through her and she ran towards the location of the smell on instinct.

"Not to panic you or anything but Juliette did you know that-"

Stopping in the new room she blinked at the source of the stench; she blinked at her friend.

"That you're a vampire."

It was the smell that pulled her out of her thoughts. One moment she'd simply been wishing an untimely and painful on Bill, and then the next moment she was gagging on the air.

It wasn't strong, whoever it was was still a long way away, but just that weak smell was telling her to bolt. Frowning at the irrational reaction, Juliette still moved away from the door, pinching her nose shut, breathing through her mouth. It was unnecessary, but she couldn't shake the habit. Some far flung part of her was scared that she'd accidentally asphyxiate herself if she stopped.

Opening a window, she stuck her head outside, taking deep breaths of the cool night air. She hummed softly, propping her elbows on the windowsill, watching the bright lights of Paris shine. It wasn't called the City of Lights for nothing.

But the smell was only getting stronger and closer. Shuddering, Juliette frowned. Was the person coming towards her? Merlin, she didn't think she'd be able to stand in the same room. But she could hear footsteps and whether or not she liked it, someone was coming.

Sighing softly, she turned around, leaning back against the window, electing to simply wait.

Blinking up at the familar voice and blonde head, she offered a tiny, sheepish wave with her free hand, her other still pinching her nose. "Yeah, I sort of noticed," she joked, shrugging a shoulder. "It was either that or death, and this seems like the better solution."

Death had never been much of an option. Living, in any shape or form, was good enough for her. And drinking blood wasn't all that bad.

"You smell like you've been rolling around in garbage, Vera," she muttered. "Merlin, what sort of lifestyle do you live?" Despite her words, her eyes sparkled with amusement, a grin dancing across her lips.

Vera snorted, she couldn't help it. After all, from her point of view it was most definitely the other way around; it was also some how amusing that the other woman was so... clueless in all this. There was obvious signs that she was reacting as what she had become said she should - Vera could feel the pull to attack the girl, or run (though Vera's impulses even before her change were always more a fight over flight) - but she didn't have any idea why.

"Oh I lead a perfectly normal life," she said with a grin, inviting herself to sit down. Really managing the scent wasn't all that hard if you really wanted to. "Just gets a little more... hairy, when there's a full moon."

Glancing over at the girl she raised an eyebrow, "So what nearly killed us?"

She smiled, gingerly letting go of her nose, letting her hand fall to her side. She was going to have to get used to the smell sooner or later. She couldn't just hold her nose every time she smelled a - what was Vera, anyway? A werewolf seemed like the reasonable answer - yes, a werewolf. It was the only answer that made sense, really.

Taking deep breaths and trying to at least not hate the smell as much, Juliette shuddered. "So you smell worse closer to the full moon? I don't know how anyone puts up with you, Vera-Bera." Despite her words, her eyes shined, her tone nothing short of amused.

"A bar fight," she shrugged, the slightest hint of embarrassed laughter making her duck her head, shaking it at the ground. "And then I splinched. All in all, not the funnest thing ever."

Rolling her eyes at her friends antics she snorted, "Geez, its really not that bad. Honestly, I'm sure you smell much worse, and I'm dealing with it. Newborns, no matter what kind they are, they're always such a baby about everything."

Little reaction crossed her face over this tale. Vera supposed it might have more affect if she couldn't see her friend more or less in one piece. Having not crossed too many Vampires in her adventures - odd since Vera was generally very good at getting into anything that could cause her more trouble than less - she had no opinions except for the once dictated by natural biology.

Part of her felt repulsed. The rest of her just saw her friend. It was an interesting combination.

Besides, she was kind of enjoying calling herself "Vampire Tamer" in her head. She'd obviously embellish this story for her youths, amp up her image.

"Can't imagine it would. You need to be more careful Liety," she smiled teasingly, "Then again, maybe not. Though there goes that beach trip I planned."

"Shh," she murmured, a grin crossing her face as she raised a finger to her lips. "I'm a baby, after all. I'm allowed to cry and moan and throw tantrums about whatever I want. I'll still be loved in the end."

Would she? Billy hadn't. What if all her friends did? Well, Vera hadn't, but their very bodies were telling each other to either kill or run. With this track record, why would anyone stay?

Ignoring the sudden swell of panic, she pushed it away, chewing on the bottom of her lip. She was being completely ridiculous and impractical. But still...the chance was there.

"I'm perfectly careful," she waved a hand dismissively, smirking. "It's not my fault she pulled a knife. Crazy chicks these days." Juliette shook her head, amused. It was her death. For all intents and purposes, she really shouldn't treat it so lightly. But she was alive, wasn't she? And in the end, wasn't it that that mattered? "But haven't you heard? All the great things on beaches happen at night. We can still go. A little thing like burning sunlight never hurt anyone."

Vera snorted, "That's a great excuse; I should have learned to use that one when I had the chance."

Running a hand through her hair, flopping it over her shoulders she let out a sigh. Recalling that time was nothing she particularly fancied but it was something that at moments, quite like this, she just could not help.

"No, you seemed much better behaved than I was; different species of course, and I suppose you had a little more... information before you were set out on the world." She gave her friend a soft, encouraging smile before a laugh erupted from her lips.

"Yes, those nightly parties are all the more charming once you get to see how I react to the moon," winking she grinned even wider, "I do so love the moon."

"Excuse? This isn't an excuse," she laughed, grinning widely. "No, this is a fact. Pure, simple fact." Nodding her head, the newly turned vampire hummed softly. She was allowed to slip up, wasn't she? She was young, very young by vampire standards. If she made a mistake, they should give her a second chance.

And if they didn't, well she'd make them see her side.

"Maybe I'm just a better person," she teased, smirking. "More adaptable and flexible, you know, all that jazz." She knew people who were so in love with the way that their life was that even the tiniest little change would set them off.

Merlin, she didn't understand how those people lived. Change was one of the most beautiful things there was. Change could make redeem monsters and destroy regimes. How could anyone not love that?

Juliette laughed. "I'm sure you do, Moon Child. You love the moon the way I love the night, except, you know, I like to think that I don't get as hairy."

Vera made a face, bristling slightly, mostly a joke, a little in actual irritation. That moment of her life was a little touchy for her.

"Perhaps," she said softly, her voice still light and easy. "though, our situations were very different. You had a choice between living and dying. I didn't get much of a chose at all; I was just... walking on the wrong night, in the wrong place. I didn't even realize anything was different, until the next full moon."

She gave a sheepish little grin before shaking her head.

"Hey now, you know you're just jealous. You wish you could be awesome enough to change shape."

Juliette's smile instantly faded, not failing to notice the quick flash of irritation across her friend's face. Instinctively taking a small step back, she gave her head a tiny shake, annoyed by her animalistic reaction. Moving towards Vera, she wrapped her arms around the older woman.

"I'm sorry," she whispered into her ear sincerely, her grip only tightening - but not uncomfortably so - at her words. "I can't imagine going through something like that."

For a moment, she tried. She imagined just what it could have been like. She could've woken up in the forest alone, but alive. And she would have simply assumed that someone had saved her, but hadn't wanted the credit. She would have thought nothing of the enhanced senses, simply chalking it up to magic. And then in the morning - or when she got thirsty, really whichever happened first - she would have either burned in the sunlight and actually die or have given in to her bloodlust without thinking and killed.

Shivering at the thought, she bit down on her bottom lip, giving her head a shake. But that hadn't happened. And Merlin, she'd spend every day thankful that it hadn't.

"Jealous Juliette. I'll admit, it has a nice ring to it, but that's all I'll admit."

Vera returned the embrace for only half a moment before she gave a laugh and shoved the woman lightly, "I don't want your sympathy, I am way better for it. Look at me, I'm flawless." She struck a pose once the girl had let her go, and laughed again.

She certainly did love when she actually felt like laughing. Being down, about anything was too much effort. And she had been hiding from what she had done with Noel for too many days now.

This was exactly what she needed.

"Its okay, I know the truth of your heart anyway."

Laughing softly, Juliette pushed Vera back, her lips pulled into a grin. "Fine then, I'll just take it back then." Letting out an exaggerated little huff, she stuck in her nose in the air. But the effect only lasted a moment before she dissolved into giggles.

"Yes, I bet there are whole fan clubs of people wanting to be like Vera Parker."

She let out a little snort, tapping at where her heart had used to beat not so long ago. "Ah, but I don't have a heart anymore. At least, not one that does me any good."

Shaking her head, making her long blonde hair dance, she snorted at her friend's stance before dissolving into laughter completely, "Good." Sobering, she straightened her spine again, grinning wildly, eyes dancing , "Oh, I can guarantee you, there most definitely is."

In a way she wasn't lying either. The smaller pack she had gone to take care of when she left had been for the most part younger in both wolf and human age; a lot of them had gained an idolizational attachment that Vera had been at a lost to dissuade. She had never felt like a person to envy, but they rarely listened.

"Ahh, the toils of technically, actually being dead," she wink at the girl, twirling in her seat, and straightening to full height, "irrelevant, the heart as an emotional muscle never dies. I know these things you know."

"Really now," she teased, her hands behind her head, kicking her heels up, swinging them in the air. "And tell me, just what sort of crazy ways do they profess their love for you?" She grinned, for a moment caught up in just how that would feel like. "You know, I was practically worshipped in school." Her expression grew fond. "Good times, if I do say so."

Whether she was talking about her human life or her time at Beauxbatons wasn't very clear. Juliette herself wasn't even sure.

She shook her head mournfully. "It's a rather difficult death-life, isn't it?" She glanced up at the blonde, smirking. "Age gives you wisdom, doesn't it? I can only hope than when I'm as old as you but still look this young, I'll be half as wise as you."

"Oh, nothing too extravagant, I discouraged outlandish affection," Vera smirked, her eyes conveying a joking attitude that was mostly genuine, "Mostly they are just very vocal in my wonderfulness; I must say, I rather enjoy it."

Shaking her head she cuffed the girl on the shoulder before turning to go, "Ignoring that jab at my superior age, I'm sure you'll manage to live with it."

"I'll see you around blood-sucker."