The Escape

==>A Hasty Retreat

Another diversion, another Iscariot dodged. As successful as he'd been today, Lorand was truly beginning to question his luck with the Catholics. Some in his shoes might have grown very confident in their superiority and torn through Iscariot as they came. Those were the kind of people that wound up dead on the ground. He was dealing with a group that specialized in fighting vampires afterall. Best to quit while he was ahead. By now that Bible woman would be well behind him along with the rest of the city. He was on the outskirts now, the boonies. Exiting the sewers through a large outflow, Almos took a deep breath. Finally free of the stagnant sewer air, the fresh night breeze felt incredibly refreshing for a creature that didn't actually need to breath. The Italian countryside stretched out before him. No more Churches, no more priests, just a relaxing run over the border. Probably best to leave Europe for a while. Back to the Americas perhaps. Before he could get to any of that, he had one little problem to deal with; the small dog currently gnawing on his ankle. Quirking a brow, Almos simply stared at the little thing before bending over and scooping it up into his arms. Holding it at arm's length, the vampire's flat stare was mirrored by the dog to near perfection.

"You're disgustingly adorable, you know that?"

------> Father Anderson's Orphanage

"Damn dog..."

Ada muttered under her breath as she walked about looking for the small lovable animal. Sure he had a tendency to bite her a lot but she'd found that it was his way of showing affection. And regardless of the countless bite marks he'd left on her hand she still cared for the little creature. She took a deep breath and cupped her hands around her mouth calling the small dog's name.

"BITER!!!" Ada called loudly hoping to hear anything even just a small yip from the little dog. She'd already searched her common hangouts. Often whenever she lost the small dog she'd find him cuddled up in one of her hideouts in the spot she usually slept. It wasn't rare for the dog to wander off in search of her whenever she went out for business. But this was the one time he wasn't in any of the usual places she found him at.

She'd been wandering for quite a while now hoping to catch some sign or clue of Biter's whereabouts. She frowned it was a bittersweet moment for her she'd found a home but she began to wonder if gaining a home was worth losing a friend especially one she'd grown so fond of. "BITER!!!" Ada called again. This time her eyes widened as she heard a small yip come from nearby. Rushing down the street which was difficult considering she wasn't used to the damn shoes the Clergy had given her she came to an outflow far from the eye of many except for the few with the misfortune of living nearby.

Still staring at the dog, Almos stooped down and set the small animal on the ground before him. Oddly enough, the dog didn't leave just yet. It just sat there staring at him. It was odd to say the least. Almos had never given off good vibes to animals but this guy didn't seem to care. Still studying it, the vampire reached out and gently poked the dog's cheek with his right index finger. "Strange dog," the vampire mused to himself. The only response he received was the little mongrel biting down on his finger. Growling a bit in frustration, Almos perked up at the sounds of shouting. A young female voice calling "Biter" to be specific. Glancing back at the dog, Lorand permitted himself a small smirk. "That you, mutt?"

OOC: My apologies for the short post.

As Biter bit down on the man's finger he let out a low growl as the man released a growl of his own. However coming from the small Welsh Corgi pup the growl wasn't all that intimidating. In fact it was more something to be laughed at.

"Biter!!" A voice called.

Biter's tail wagged back and forth as he heard his master's voice but his hold on the man's finger remained firm. Even if the man were to stand lifting his finger the small dog would remain firmly attached to the appendage.

--------------

Ada approached the outflow and grimaced at the horrid smell drifting from the opening. "Biter...why did you have to hide here?" Ada muttered climbing over the railing and letting herself hang down before dropping onto the ledge below. She covered her nose as the smell grew stronger as she landed in the disgusting sewer water. She looked around the outflow and finally spotted the small Corgi however his mouth seemed a bit occupied with biting a man's finger.

She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose "Biter let go of his finger now!" Ada said sharply. The small dog let out a whine but released the man's finger and just continued staring at him with a flat expression. Ada's eyes drifted to the man her pet had been biting "Sorry about that...his name is Biter for a reason." Ada said rubbing the back of her head a bit embarrassed at Biter's behavior.

And there she was. The apparent owner of this dog, "Biter", had finally arrived to claim her pet. With his finger free of the dog's jaws, Almos rose to his full height and slipped his hands into his pockets. She was a Catholic school girl. Of course she was a damn Catholic school girl, this was Rome. Shaking his head, the vampire sighed a bit and distanced himself from the outflow. The sudden rush of fresh air had temporarily removed the immediate smell of sewage but now that he'd grown used to it that foul stench was creeping back in again. "Save your apology, runt. Your dog's not half bad," he said flippantly waving his hand in Ada's general direction. "If you really feel like apologizing, then you can start with that disgusting uniform you're wearing," Almos continued on, looking over his shoulder to flash a smile in her direction.

Ada rolled her eyes as the man blatantly brushed her off. It didn't really matter much to her she wasn't like alot of the idiots in the world who "Demanded" The respect of those around them. "Right forget the apology then..." Ada said shrugging as she walked over to pick up the small dog and hold him at arms length infront of her. "Geez Biter...you stink..." Ada muttered as the dog panted happily and merely turned his head to clamp his teeth down on Ada's hand.

Ada shook her head and flicked the top of the dogs head causing him to release his hold before holding him in her arms against her chest. She smirked a bit at his comment on her outfit. "Yeah...not on my highest in my lists of favorite fashions in fact I think it's somewhere down in the depths of things I would burn." Ada said shrugging as she turned to face the man. To be honest she wasn't a huge fan of the outfit it felt to revealing especially considering the skirt seemed to be for a girl much smaller than her causing it to end a few inches above her knees.

Sure she was malnourished but she was fucking anorexic. Following the man out but keeping her distance she glanced up and sighed seeing no ladder to reach the street. "So...is it your hobby to wander around sewers looking for lost dogs?" Ada asked. "Doesn't seem like the most glamourous activity to participate in." Ada said.

"Well now, have I actually stumbled across an honest to god non-Catholic this close to the Vatican? Miracles do happen," he replied, his voice dripping with condescension. Pausing in his path to distance himself from the stink of the outflow, Almos turned around fully to face the schoolgirl. She was young, but not terribly so. From the looks of it, she hadn't exactly lived a life of luxury. She was skin and bones, a few telltale bags under the eyes that weren't quite dead. Lorand know those eyes when he saw them. Eyes that knew loss and hardship. Orphan.

"Don't really have hobbies. My policy is if you have enough fun causing trouble then life is a hobby," he said. Cocking his head to the side, the vampire shrugged with a light smile on his face. Turning a bit, Almos sent another glance in the direction of the Vatican, tuning his supernatural senses in for any signs of approach. He didn't have much time to waste here talking with a street rat. "Truth is kiddo, Team Jesus isn't really fond of people like me. And when they're not fond of something they tend to get rid of it in a big way."

Ada scoffed "If Miracles or God existed I'd be singing fucking worship songs and wearing a nuns habit by now..." Ada muttered. True the Church had shown her kindness but honestly one act of kindness didn't overrule years of being overlooked and ignored like common trash. It would take a lot more than food and a a bath to sway her beliefs. For years she'd lived day by day sometimes starving herself for days just because she wasn't fortunate enough to get into some poor idiots pocket.

She walked behind the man with the now sleeping Biter in her arms. After running about all day looking for Ada the small dog was exhausted and had settled for napping in his Master's arms. Ada smirked "Trouble huh? Well I wish my life could have been all about that...seemed more like a chore to me..." Ada said. "Though...I won't bore you with my life story nobody has the time for that." Ada said shrugging closing her eyes and taking a deep breath as the air became fresher the farther they strayed from the sewer.

She opened her eyes and cocked an eyebrow as he talked about the Church's distaste for him. "People like you? What? Blondes? No...I think they're fine with you..." Ada said smirking at her little joke, She didn't exactly know what he meant by people like him but she wouldn't pry where she had no business prying. "And regarding their solutions to things...I think all the Crusades they went on are kinda evidence to your claim how many did they have? Five I think?" Ada said her own voice holding a measure of condescension within it.

It was no secret that Almos disliked adult women. He wasn't all that fond of children either. However, this girl was neither. Perhaps it was that twilight existence that had caught Almos' attention. Perhaps it was the apparent contradiction of a non-believer wearing the clothing of a good Catholic sheep. Come to think of it, those clothes were rather well-kept for a street urchin. They'd been recently acquired but the manner in which it happened was a mystery. In a place like the Vatican there was an equally good chance that she'd stolen them as it was that they'd been a gift. Part of him was curious to trace out that little train of thought a bit further but he was still on a time limit here and had to keep things moving.

"Couple more than that, kiddo," he said, correcting her on the number of crusades. It was an understandable mistake considering how well the priests tried to cover up all their dirty dealings with the supernatural. "The Church has never been big on people who refuse to step in line. But when those "pagans" and "abominations" try to push back a little bit, the Papists really get nasty," Lorand continued, hands still in his pockets. He made no effort to hide his unnatural red eyes or fangs throughout his explanation. He'd never been able to get behind hiding one's true nature. It was too close to outright lying for his tastes.

In addressing her comment about the Church, Almos had almost glossed over her earlier comment about her own wishes for her life. Almost. "Piece of advice from a man with plenty of experience, runt. If you want to live a certain way, just do it. Let the Catholics spin their wheels about self denial and all that bullshit that God honestly doesn't give a shit about. If you can get it in your mind to do whatever you want, whenever you want, you'll start getting interesting."

Ada listened to the man following him for reasons unknown to her. She wasn't in any rush to get back to the orphanage to hear a bunch of bible verses spat at her in efforts to make her change who she was. She frowned for a moment wondering if maybe she was being too judgmental. A part of her mind kept saying to give the church a chance while another part of her reminded her of their constant ignorance to the plight of children like her over the years. She didn't know why but now she was seriously thinking about what the man was saying. It was so simple yet so complicated in her mind all at once.

Live your own way and to hell with what other people think. That was the basic message that Ada got from the man's words. The Church could drill what they wanted in her mind but in the end what she wanted out of life is what she would get. As her eyes rose to look at the man she stopped for a moment just now noticing the dark crimson color his eyes were. It was a strange eye color that was for sure her eyes wandered over the man's face. She could see what looked like fangs where the man's canines should be. Obviously this was strange but she wouldn't jump to any conclusions. Maybe this guy had an unhealthy infatuation with vampires it would explain why he was skulking around the sewers.

Deciding to keep her observations to herself Ada changed the subject. "You know...I have a name, Hearing you use it would be way better than being called Runt all the time." Ada said stroking Biter's fur with her finger causing the small puppy to cuddle into her chest.

At that response, even Almos chuckled a little bit. It seemed like he'd struck something of a cord with this one. Not a particularly sensitive one, but it had gotten a response at least. Smirking at the young girl, Almos responded in kind. "Well Runt, maybe I'd consider using your real name if you'd bothered to me what it is. Might want to think about that before you start getting getting flustered. Or do, people are much more fun to play with when they're frazzled." Reaching out to pat the girl's dog on the head before stepping up his walking pace just a bit. Even if he wasn't blasting out of here at full speed, he'd do well to keep moving anyway. Anything to make it just a bit harder for the clergy to pin him down again. "My name, for example, is Almos. Now try and calm down a bit kid. Orphan or not you're taking things far too seriously."

Ada blew away a piece of hair that had fallen into her face the guy had a point. She was really getting worked up for some reason. She let her shoulders sag a bit "Yeah well...Try getting bitch slapped a few times by a bible wielding nun and see how you joyful you feel afterwards." Ada said reaching a hand up to rub the small bump that had formed on the top of her skull after having been struck earlier in the day. The spot was tender to the touch causing her to hiss as it throbbed with pain.

"Alright Almos, My name is Ada first name basis already I can tell we're gonna be great friends already." Ada said with mock enthusiasm. Sure she'd just met this man but he was interesting that was for sure. If not for his anarchistic do what you want attitude than for his weird vampire fetish he seemed to have. "Your really observant you know that? You knew I was an orphan and I didn't have to say a damn thing no sappy sob stories or anything." Ada said following the man as he walked mainly out of lack of anything else to do. Going back to the orphanage didn't have much appeal to her at the moment. Sure it was her new home but that didn't mean she would stay cooped up there.

"So then? What gave me away the skin and bones? The crappy clothes? Maybe some locked up pent up emotions I have hiding away?" Ada asked wincing as the little dog in her arms bit down on Almos' finger just as soon as he'd finished patting him. "Biter...you unappreciative little pup..." Ada sighed watching as Biter proceeded to give his most fearsome attempt at a growl which sounded more like a squeak.

Frowning a bit, Almos wiggled his finger free of the obnoxious dog's jaws and slipped his hand back into his pockets. "Well kiddo, when you piss off as many people as I do it pays to be aware of what's going on around you," he said casually enough, sending another quick glance towards Rome. He slowed down for a few minutes now and there was still no sign of any clergy. This was going a bit too smoothly for his tastes. Best to get a move on in the next few minutes. "Little from column A, little from column B. But mostly it was the eyes," Lorand exclaimed, fighting the urge to gesture up towards his own. The only reason he'd been able to pinpoint that little hint was because of a very similar glint in his own eyes. Differences in gender, nationality, ethnicity and everything else aside, hurt could recognize hurt. "Wait a minute, tell me a little about this nun of yours. Younger gal, grey hair, stick up her ass?" he asked, picking up a feint hint. Those zealots in Rome made a point of recruiting orphans whenever possible. Now he'd stumbled upon a recently fed and clothed orphan with cherry picking views on the Church and a nun with overly violent tendencies for this day and age. Weird coincidence. Almos didn't believe in coincidence.

Ada raised an eyebrow at the man's specific description of Veronica. "Yeah....that describes her pretty well though I'd say it's more like a pole instead of a stick and she's usually trying to beat people to death with it. Why know her well?" Ada said shrugging. She was still bitter about the bible slap sure she was appreciative but damn that hurt. She finally stopped following and glanced back toward the Vatican they weren't too far from it but she couldn't help but wonder why the Church was after him.

"Eyes huh? Didn't think it was that obvious..." Ada muttered shrugging her shoulders. She'd known that the man probably had issues of his own but his aloof personality made it hard to pinpoint what exactly had occurred in his past to make what little glimmer of hurt appear in his eyes

Flashing his fangs a bit, Almos smiled broadly.  This was just too good to be true.  Not only had be been able to butcher one of Iscariot's greatest weapons and thoroughly humiliate two of their exorcists, but now he also had the chance to cause Sister Corvis a bit more grief through this Ada girl.  Some in his position might have decided to rip the girl in half and leave insulting messages written in her blood for the clergy to find.  Had she been a bit older, Almos might have even gone with that course of action.  But kids like Ada presented additional opportunities that Lorand wasn't willing to pass up.  Plant a few seeds now and who knew what sort of boons he could get later.  

"I wouldn't call us close but she and her club are the ones after me.  Here's the last piece of advice I'll give ya, runt.  Don't let yourself get swept up like the rest of their sheep.  I know from experience they're a pack of zealots chasing their own tails and that never leads to happy endings. Especially not for people like us." Having had his fill of the little conversation, Almos broke eye contact and began moving away from the city. "I'll be seeing you around, kid. Think about what I said," the vampire said at last before bringing his full vampiric speed to use. To an untrained eye of a normal person like Ada, Almos would simply appear to vanish from the area without a trace. As if he were a ghost, the vampire was gone from the holy city of Rome with his prize safely in tow.

OOC:  Seems that Ada's gotten busy again so I'll be moving on for now. I made a few edits to my last post to add a touch of finality to it.  

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