Dead Souls
Disclaimer: And here is my sequel to Darklight! The title, as probably suspected, was inspired by Nine Inch Nails "Dead Souls". I heard the song and somehow, the inspiration for this fic sprang into my head. Well, like most of my fics, I have a certain...free speech within this one.
"And I knew my vision of the garden of savage beauty had been a true vision. There was meaning in the world, yes, and laws, and inevitability, but they had only to do with the aesthetic and in this Savage Garden, these innocent ones belonged in the vampire's arms. A thousand other things can be said about the world, but only aesthetic principles can be verified, and these things alone remain the same."
-Anne Rice
"Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day. Do it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many tomorrows."
-Pope Paul VI
By: VampireQueenAkasha
"You have to ask...? Really...? Well, It's...It's because I am your friend..."
-Abel Nightroad
Chapter Four: Can We Trust Her
Earth
Rome, Italy
Nyssa swaggered through the church, drunk beyond measure. She bumped into a priest in passing and flashed him a grin, pointing in his direction. "Priesty, baby." She rounded the corner and stumbled into Caterina.
"Nyssa!" Caterina cried, angrily, "What are you doing?" She sniffed the air and scowled down at the bottle in Nyssa's clawed hand. "And why do you smell like whiskey?" As if she really had to ask such a question.
"Cuz I ... I been drinkin', bitch!" Nyssa hissed, swaggering. She tripped slightly and grinned down at her own feet. "Oops."
Caterina scowled angrily and watched as Nyssa staggered down the halls. She followed her. "There's going to be a Sunday sermon outside today and I don't want people seeing a drunken vampire running around in God's house!"
Nyssa smiled drunkenly and put an arm around her, leaning against her. "You - you know what?" she told her, smirking and pointing, "I think it's time you sit in the corner to cool off, huh?" And with that, she gave Caterina a harsh push into an open closet and locked the door.
Caterina beat on the door angrily. "Nyssa! Nyssa, you open this door right now!" she shouted, "Open it!"
Nyssa grinned. "I think we need some alone time, honey, so I'm gonna go take a cruise in my jeep." she told her.
Caterina gasped. "Don't you dare go out there like that!" she cried, behind the door.
Nyssa snickered and walked off down the halls, doing a goofy little flip as she disappeared outside. She passed William, who could hear Caterina beating on the closet door. He glanced back with suspicion, but walked up to the door.
"Somebody please open this door!" Caterina shouted.
William frowned and unlocked the door, letting the Cardinal out. He looked surprised to find her in there. She had to announce the sermon today. "Your Eminence?" he said, shocked. "What happened to you?"
Caterina scowled angrily, balling her hands into tight fists. "That wretched Nyssa." she growled, storming off. "She locked me in the closet and left me to die."
William's eyes grew wide in surprise and he followed her down the hall. "Your Eminence, if I may be so bold," he told her, "Nyssa's just experimenting with her old life. I don't think she means any real harm."
Caterina glared at him. "And that's fine!" she said, angrily, "But that doesn't mean she has to cause so much trouble in the process!"
Nyssa ran through traffic, drunk beyond measure. She swerved from lane to lane, cackling like an idiot. She glanced over at a few finely dressed people in the car beside her and grinned, throwing her hands in the air.
Kore wa risô janai
Nerau goal janai
Jibun rashiku monai
Iiya sô janai
"Look! No hands!" she hooted. "Now the feet!" She began to turn the steering wheel with her feet. A siren went off behind her and she sighed. "Oh, man. Here come the party poopers." But without hesitation, Nyssa stopped her jeep at the side of the street.
Two officers walked up to her and smirked. Nyssa recognized them from one of her jury trials. "Well, well, well. I'll be damned," one of the officers - a fat one - sneered, "If it isn't Nyssa Alastair. Haven't seen you in some time."
Nyssa flashed him a grin, being her usual sophisticated self around an officer who had constantly sent her to jail several times. "Hey ... Steve." she hissed, slurring in her words. "So, what did I do wrong? Was I driving poorly?"
Steve - the fat cop chuckled, shaking his head, following along with her jokes. "Nope. Nope. This car was reported stolen," he replied, "By the Cardinal of the Roma church."
Nyssa bit back a furious swear. This was HER car! She just smiled pleasantly. She would give Caterina hell later. But right now, she just wanted to have some fun. "No, no, no. It's actually my car." she replied, "Can ya' tell?"
The other officer, a much smaller one smiled. "Ahh, shit happens." he said.
Nyssa smirked nastily. "Shit does happen," she jeered, "I mean, look what happened to your height." The officer's jaw dropped in shock and Steve grinned, chuckling at the joke. Nyssa smirked at him. "Hey, Steve, I gotta ask you something. Does he have to step on your shoulders to take a piss?"
Steve grinned and started laughing. His friend stared at him in disbelief. "She's funny." Steve told him, with a shrug.
Nyssa smirked and waved a clawed finger at the smaller cop. She raised a mocking brow. "Another question, though. Santa Claus. What's he like?" she continued.
The short cop chuckled coldly. "Boy, I hate to arrest a public figure like yourself," he sneered, "but, hell, I don't think you got too many sweet little home deals to worry about, now, do you?" The sneer was almost cold.
Nyssa just laughed, not letting his jeers get the best of her. " Now, listen here, Mr. Frodo," she hissed, "Don't get short with me."
The short cop had enough, waving his club angrily at her. He took a few steps back. "Now, step out of the vehicle, Miss. Alastair." he demanded, "I'm getting quite tired of your mouth today. Now get out of your car!"
Nyssa shrugged and gestured to her car. "Don't you think I should pull the car over more?" she asked them, "I could get sideswiped."
Steve frowned down at her. "You're slurring your words a bit there, Nyssa." he told her, "You been drinking tonight?"
Nyssa shook her head, still grinning at them. "Absolutely not. Now, could you do me a favor?" she said. She bent down at the bottom of her console and took out a bottle. She handed it to the short cop with an even wider grin. "Hold this beer while I back it up."
The two stared down at the bottle in disbelief and Nyssa backed up a bit. She pulled up toward them as she prepared to leave, holding up a six pack. "Hey, you can finish that one. I got a six pack here I didn't know I had! Take care, guys."
The two cops watched her go in shock as she rode off down the street. They rushed to their car to chase after her.
Fukanzen na koi o shite
Shizu n de iku
Sleepy head
Futtobashitai
Too much trouble. She was getting into too much trouble.
Tada no gisei janai
Karui game janai
Jibun rashiku monai
Sô janai
Nyssa's jeep rode wildly down the highway, smashing traffic cones and cans. She cackled wildly back at several people darting off of the rode. "How do you like that!" She looked ahead and gave a cry. "Oh shit!" Her jeep was headed for a government facility and she crashed into the fence, toppling flat on her face.
Fukenzen na kôi o shite
Sae wataru
Sleepy head
Futtobashitai
The cop cars darted over a bridge and cried out as they were tossed into the air from a lack of finishing road. They yelled out in terror as they sailed over the horizon in a funny version of E.T. and Elliot's passing over the moon.
Mado no soto o miteru
Kareta niji o miteru
Niawanaku monai
Yes, i'm sleepy head
Fukanzen na koi o shite shizu n de iku
Fukenzen na kôi o shite sae wataru
This is my head
Futtobashitai
I'm sleepy head, oh yeah
Nyssa watched the cars explode in the distance and she laughed. Finally, looking around at her location, she took notice to a large battle tank before her and flashed a comically fanged grin. She climbed up the massive thing and imitated gun sounds.
"I'm in love! Cool!" she gushed, stroking the massive cannon intimately. She dangled from it upside down and laughed. "I'm a monkey ... "
Abel rushed up toward the scene with a startled cry. "Nyssa! What are you doing in here?" he cried. He noticed the mess and that made it worse. "Holy God, what happened here?"
Nyssa flashed him a drunken upside - down grin. "H-Hey! You're floating!" she said, "H - How'd you d - do that? That's ffffucking sweet!"
Abel rushed up to her anxiously, climbing the tank to get her down. "Nyssa, you have to get down from the tank or you're going to get into trouble!" he cried, tugging on her coat, "Nyssa, come on! Get down, please!"
Nyssa continued to sway. "I'm Ricky Bobby," she babbled, "You don't Chew Big Red, then ffffuck you." She grabbed her own breast and thrust it into Abel's face. He jerked back, embarrassed and blushing a bit. "Boob of death!"
Abel tugged her down and gave her face a few pats. "Nyssa, you are too blasted!" he said, "We need to get you back to the church!"
Nyssa shrugged drunkenly. "I don't know - I don't even know what you're problem is. I've never felt better," she told him, with a grin. She suddenly threw up blood all over the tank and grinned wider. "Okay, now I've never felt better."
O
They returned to the church, Nyssa still awfully hammered. Francesco scowled as he met up with them at the front gates. "Nyssa Alastair!" he spat, "I received several calls of your disturbing the peace with your reckless drunken behavior!"
Nyssa tittered mockingly. "Fine, I'll go in my room and rot, then, huh?" she hissed, brushing passed him.
Francesco seemed pleased with that response. He smiled a bit, a nasty and cruel smile and watching her pass. "Well, I'm so glad you see things my way now." he told her, a hint of pride in his own deep voice.
Nyssa turned around and got up in his face, gazing up into his aged, curved nose. "You know what I see?" she whispered, in a secretive voice.
Francesco rolled his eyes. "No. What?" he grumbled, waiting for her usual punch lines.
Nyssa smirked, drunken gaze burning into his. "This ... big ... honkin' booger, hangin' outta your left nostril." she hissed. "If I was you, I'd use this finger to pick it out." She raised her middle finger in his face in a rude gesture before walking off.
Abel followed her and Francesco waited until they were out of sight. He uneasily wiped his nose.
Much later, Abel spoke with Caterina in the middle of the night. The others were sound asleep and it was the opportune time to do so.
"Father ... I am not so certain we can trust Nyssa ... " Caterina said, painfully, "She could give this church a bad reputation. I want her to learn to behave. If she can't then she will have to return home and live like a barbarian there."
Abel nodded his head in dismay. "Alright."
He walked back downstairs and could hear singing in Nyssa's room. She was singing a strange song and yet, her voice was so beautiful. It was rich, soothing, and turned him to jelly inside. He tilted his head to listen to her song. It also sounded as if she were playing a small stringed instrument.
The sun is sleeping quietly
Once upon a century
Wistful oceans calm and red
Ardent caresses laid to rest
Abel walked into the room and smiled when he watched her. She was slowly tweaking at a small guitar of hers. He remembered it from long ago when she first played a song for him. Only it was quite loud and not as peaceful as this.
Nyssa looked relaxed and composed as she sung.
For my dreams I hold my life
For wishes I behold my night
The truth at the end of time
Losing faith makes a crime
Nyssa smiled as she sang. But when she noticed Abel standing there, she stopped. "Oh!"
Abel smiled at her. "Please, continue." he said, softly, "You're voice is exquisite!" He watched an odd look cross her face, and then a smile of pride. "You sing so beautifully. Please, finish your song for me. I love it."
Nyssa nodded and shrugged, continuing with the song.
I wish for this night - time
to last for a lifetime
The darkness around me
Shores of a solar sea
Oh how I wish to go down with the sun
Sleeping
Weeping
With you
Sorrow has a human heart
From my god it will depart
I'd sail before a thousand moons
Never finding where to go
Two hundred twenty - two days of light
Will be desired by a night
A moment for the poet's play
Until there's nothing left to say
I wish for this night - time ...
I wish for this night - time ...
When she stopped, Abel was sitting in a chair next to her. He sighed, entranced. "Nyssa, you should sing in the church choir! You're amazing!"
Nyssa shook her head and placed her guitar against the wall. "Nah. I'm not welcome in a church, remember?" Her words carried an icy touch to them, making Abel flinch only the slightest. He sighed and shook his head.
"But you're always welcome." he told her, gently, leaning forward.
Nyssa smiled, showing her fangs. "Yeah, I get it." she replied. She leaned forward and connected his lips with hers. Her fangs pricked his bottom lip in a way he always liked. He cringed slightly and Nyssa smirked at him. "Don't worry. God will not fault you for this."
Abel nodded his head and returned the kiss.
God forgive me ... I love this vampire ...
O
Note-Ahh, a chapter of drunken proportions. The point of this story will be revealed very soon. I just wanted a chapter like this every once in a while. Nyssa's such a fun character! This foreign Japanese chase song is called "Sleepy Head" by The Pillows. Odd, huh? And the song Nyssa sings is "Sleeping Sun" by Nightwish.