The Funeral

[Angel Killer]

Angel felt as Adrian's hand had landed on her shoulder, she turned to look up at him and attempted a half hearted smile, but nothing came to her. It was strange to feel this empty, but she felt nothing at the moment, only a bitter pain which stuck inside her while she listened to the preacher man, not listening to his religious preachings coming out of his mouth, but using the powers she had inherited from Roman to listen into his head, while she practiced trying to block out everyone else. Devil children, that's what they all are. Demons, every single one of them. she heard inside of his head.

She heard something else, something that overrode the priest's voice. This was a more familiar voice, and she felt herself go numb again at the sound,feeling a shiver run through her while she kept her eyes glued to the coffin which sat in front of her, Angel wanted to hear the voice again, but couldn't hear the voice clearly anymore, it seemed as though the more the priest went on, the more restless everyone around them got. " God I wish they'd all stop thinking." she muttered out loud, her voice barely audible as she put a hand on her head once again in an attempt to dull the accompanying headache.

[Lena Moore]

Lena smiled at Skyler, it was a cheery smile, which was very out of place at a funeral, but she couldn't help herself from smiling. For some reason, he just made her smile, perhaps it was the fact that he was the only one here who came over to her, or perhaps it was something else. "Hi, my god you're soak, here." she said, passing him her umbrella. She rather liked the rain, it was refreshing.

Lena had been to many funerals, most of them were of her victims, but this was different, she had had nothing to do with this man's death. Either way, when it came to death, she was numb to it. In her mind it was just another part of her life. She brought about death to many people, however she never saved many from it. That thought troubled her suddenly. Why had she never saved someone from dying, was she that cruel? That thought bothered her, it had never bothered her before, but it did now. Lena sighed, "Skyler, don't suppose you have any smokes?"

[Raven Alexander]

Pausing, Raven decided out of respect she would remain until the end of the funeral, it seemed rude to just walk on by when so many people were hurting. She took up a place on the outer ring of mourners and remained silent. Watching the proceedings, she wished she hadn't had to have seen so many of these. Rain dripped off the sword which was lashed to her hip, realising she was wearing pink she pulled the coat closed and buttoned it up, it would take longer to retrieve the katana but the rest of her weapons were pretty accessable, not that she should need them in this place of rest.

[Adrian]

She turned and tried to smile, but didn't quite manage it. There was something about her sorrow that made her that much more beautiful, and yet made her beauty so much harder to behold. His heart was breaking, she was in pain and he could do nothing. She turned back to face the coffin, and his hand remained. It wasn't much, but it was something, and anything he could do now... He just needed to feel as though he were doing something for her.

Adrian didn't notice Skyler's presence until he turned and left, though even if he had before he wouldn't know what to say. He hated funerals in general, pretending to be sad for hours at a time was an exhausting task but this, this was something different. He felt a little sad for the populace, sure, it had lost a great man who had done much good for the city and its inhabitants, but this had left him vulnerable, and some moron had robbed the city of this great man. It was tragic, but not enough to actually make Adrian feel bad. The guy had been a good man, lived strong and died swiftly. What moe could you ask for? But now this, Angel, his Angel being torn apart inside by emotions that he simply could not fathom. He wanted to help, but did not know how. At her side, he now noticed, a vaguely familiar figure stood. "Sir." He nodded, not knowing what else to do or say. What the hell was one supposed to do at a funeral?!

[Skyler]

" Thanks." Skyler said accepting the umbrella from Lena's outstretched hand. He hadn't realized just how soaked he must have been until she had pointed it out. He was even cold, now that she had mentioned it and put the umbrella up over his head.

She had asked him for a ciggarette, which usually he didn't have except for today. He had lifted them from his parents who had left them openly out on the kitchen table where when they weren't looking he shoved them hastily into his pocket. Sklyer looked around and picked them out of the pocket, pulled two out and passed one to Lena. " Got a light?" he asked as he looked around, not able to find one.

He knew he should have been with the rest of the crowd showing their respect, but he just couldn't be surrounded by those other saddened mourners.

[Rupert McCoy]

Rupert tugged at his tie, how long had they been standing there? He was beginning to wish he had of moved the funeral back a day, he had been offered to do so, they could have gotten an earlier one, but he had declined. Somehow it didn't feel right to have his brother's lifeless vessel just laying around waiting to be put to rest.

Rupert lifted his eyes and looked up at the sky, he had wished that this rain would let up, but there was no hope, the sky seemed to be getting darker the longer he stood there watching the dark rainclouds roll in.

Rupert caught Adrian's eyes, as he glanced over at Angel again, the boy had showed a sign of respect as he nodded to him, Rupert returned the simple nod, he had heard Angel mutter something, but it was too in audible to understand, mind you he couldn't really hear anything over this rain which seemed to be coming down heavier.

[Rose]

Rose glided into the graveyard wearing a knee length black gown, covered with a long black trench topped with her red umbrella. She had ventured out into the rain. There would be no sun to worry about, it seemed as though it had decided to stay hidden for today's occasion.

The southern bell had found it hard to hide her red painted on smile, all these people were oblivious to the fact that the man they had all come here to mourn wasn't actually dead, but he was about to be reborn, and she, Rose was about to come and greet her new born. She was about to welcome him to his new life.

Easily, Rose squeezed through the crowd and placed herself between Rupert and Angel, she recognized her as being the one that Luke had given his earthly life for. She smiled at her, passing the smile of as one which was warm and tender, " I'm sorry." She told her, her pale smooth face was turned down looking at the girl. She then turned her head back towards the coffin and waited, it wouldn't be long now.

[Angel Killer]

Angel watched as the rain come down and hit her feet as it splashed against the ground in heavy droplets. The priest was just closing his serman, just as someone else had arrived. Angel looked up at the woman who had muttered that she was sorry and Angel didn't know how to respond. This was torture, how does one respond to something like that.

Instead Angel turned and looked back at the coffin, she heard the voice again, the strange familiar one, it was Luke's voice. How she was hearing it she didn't know, but this time the delusion was accompanied by something else. Angel put a hand up to her face, wiping off the remenince of tears which managed to sneak their way out, in fact they were followed by more.

She was finally releasing what she had been trying her hardest to hold back, she realized she was sobbing now, trying to be quiet, but all she could hear was the defeaning ringing in her ears. Angel turned again, this time with the intention of leaving, something she knew she would regret later on, " I can't. I can't be here." She managed to say in between the sobs which tried their damndest to cut off her voice.

[Lena Moore]

Lena looked at Skyler and smiled, taking the cigarette. "Of course I have a light." she said, pulling out a box of matched and striking one against the tree. She then lit her smoke, and passed the box to Skyler, "Thanks for the smoke. I hate funerals." she said, watching as the new lady walked in. Lena could easily tell what she was, but she couldn't figure out what on earth a vampire was doing here. Lena closed her eyes, she could feel the souls, seems that someone else's soul was still clinging around, it would be a good back up.

She looked at Skyler again, "I never did get to ask you, how old are you Skyler?" she asked suddenly. She was trying to cheer him up, she didn't want to see such a cute man so sad.

[Adrian]

She turned again, staring into the ground. Maybe he should not have put his hand back on her shoulder? But when she spoke, mumbling as much to herself as those aound her it seemed, Adrian understood a little better. He took a step forward and wrapped his one free arm around her whilst the other continued to hold the umbrella, sheilding them both from the rain. "It's okay." He whispered, hugging her close and just wishing to take her pain away. "It's okay." He didn't know what else to say, so much had happened, he was confused and finding emotions he had not thought himself capabal of having, most of them for the gorgeus creature in his arms. She hurt so bad, and he didn't know what to do, or say. "It's okay." He whispered a third time, closing his eyes as a single tear made its way down his face. Why did she have to be in such pain?

[Skyler]

Skyler accepted the matches and followed suit by stricking the match up against the trunk of the tree. " Eighteen." He answered putting the flame to the end of the cigarette. He took in a deep breath and exhaled, a trail of smoke billowing out of his mouth. Behind him, he ignored the crowd of people, now only focusing on Lena who stood before him, " How about yourself?" He asked her after taking another deep drag of the burning smoke in his hands, he even managed a smile, despite his depressed state this time.

[Luke]

Luke laid in his should be final resting place, he didn't know why, but that longing to push out of this coffin was getting stronger, he wanted blood, he craved it, and there was a large crowd outside of this wooden box which made the craving that much stronger. He wanted to taste the warmth of their neck, he could smell the sweet nectar considered to be the life force of so many, he could hear the hearts beating outside of the coffin, his thoughts focusing on his primal need to feed.

He couldn't take it, he couldn't put up this cherade any longer. He could hear the loud clunking of the rain as it hit his wooden prison. The sun, he had known it was a threat almost instantly, he had a strange knowledge of that fact, but that threat was not present at the point and time.

He could do it, he could push out of this coffin and take all those meals that were just waiting to be taken, and he did so, he pushed the lid of his coffin up, jumped out and stood before the crowd.

[Rupert McCoy]

Rupert couldn't help but look at the newcomer who came and stood next to him, their was something whimsical about her, like she had stepped out of a fashion magazine that the young people these days read. At the same time there seemed to be an olden day charm as well, from the way she held her umbrella, somehow managing to keep her posture upright and erect.

His eyes averted once he watched Angel suddenly turn away from the spot she had been staring at, he felt powerless as he watched her turn to Adrian, he moved his head back towards the coffin, keeping his eyes focused on that not wishing to watch his niece fall apart, that was when he noticed something that disturbed him to no limits, as he watched in a mixture of terror and awe while the coffin door opened behind the minister who had just finished the last words of his serman.

[Rose]

Rose kept her eyes glued on the coffin, she was slightly, ever so slightly worried about the awakening of her newborn vampire. She remembered her craving to feed when she had first awaken to see the world for the very first time. If it hadn't of been for her own maker she would have surly went on a hunting spree killing all humans in her line of site, she would need to be prepared to take action, and soon judging by the way the coffin lid suddenly began to rise.

There is no way this can be any good. she thought watching the figure rise out of the wooden box, he was breath takingly beautiful, as all vampires were considered to be in their own rights. She hid her smile and watch him as he emerged, standing out of the coffin which had the poor thing caged.

Around her, she was able to hear the quickening heartbeats of those who watched the first rising, this was probably the first vampire they had watched rise, which was a shame as the primal look on the vampire's face looked as though it may be their last.

[Lena Moore]

Lena sighed and took a long drag from the cigarette, "It's not very polite to ask a lady her name." she said, "Put it this way, I may only look twenty, but I remember when they first invented electricity." she said, sighing as she remembered the funeral of her parents back in Ireland. She wanted to return there sometime, and maybe she would. When she was strong enough. Her demeanor shifted to match the sadness of Skyler and the rest of the people that were mourning. She wasn't mourning the loss of Luke, but that of her family.

She smiled awkwardly as she felt tears stream down her cheeks. She hadn't cried in decades, "This is new..." she mumbled to herself, turning away to hide the sorrow from Skyler. Lena didn't understand why she did that.