They drank excessively on the outskirts of town. They would be in the midst of humans for hours today and needed to be as prepared as possible.
"Do you have the money?"
"In this lovely stolen purse."
James flashed her a quick smile. "Excellent. Remember, you'll need to get lightweight clothing to travel in, and also something for the ship."
Shopping wasn't difficult; decades of experience made her able to glance at an item and decide if it would fit. James vanished to find whatever it was he needed, and Victora gathered the necessities rapidly. She enjoyed herself a bit more picking out dresses she knew would be done away with the moment they arrived in Europe, and when she saw James across department, purchases in hand and eyes searching, she grabbed one final item and ducked into the fitting room.
"I'm sorry sir, but this is a woman's dressing area and I can't allow you in." Victoria smirked as she heard the attendant's words, adjusting her new attire.
"You don't understand," James's voice was fluid and urgent. "My sister is in there and she's chronically indecisive; if I don't see what she's wearing and tell her what to buy, she may have a meltdown right here. And I warn you, she isn't quiet."
"I... I suppose..." Victoria guessed the woman was stepping aside, because a second later, James was outside her cubicle.
"Victoria?" he called innocently, as if he couldn't trace her scent to this very spot.
"In here, brother!" she sang back, before flinging aside the curtain and stepping out. She posed herself carefully; one hand raised to rest on the frame near the top of the stall, the other on her cocked hip. She tilted her head to the side and pouted, pushing her lower lip out and furrowing her brow. "I can't decide." Her tone was kittenish. "What do you think?"
"It matches your hair," he replied levelly, taking in the lacy red lingerie and spiked heels she wore in a brief sweep.
"I know," She shook her vibrant mane. "But I liked the black too." Black, like his eyes as he stared at her- though surely her couldn't be thirsty? They'd just fed!
"Well, let's see the black then." His voice had dropped several octaves, and his eyes darted to the sales woman- she was now folding clothes disinterestedly.
"Of course. Help me with this?" She turned and nodded at clasp on the brassiere. He unfastened it, running his fingertips down her back as he stepped away.
"And... Don't look real fast, alright?" Victoria adopted a slightly uneducated-sounding banter.
"I'll close my eyes." He continued to stare, and she shimmied out of her costume into the next before turning to face him again.
"I got shoes to match this one too." She flung her leg out, resting the stilleto on the opposite wall, near James' elbow. "You wanna see them?"
He captured her ankle and examine the shoe thoughfully as his other hand massaged her calf. "Get them both," he suggested. She giggled and wrapped the extended leg around his waist, pulling thier bodies close.
"Feel how soft," she murmured, lacing her fingers behind his neck and arching her back, offering her upper body to his touch. She gave a tiny gasp his shock, however, when his hand dipped between where they were pressed closest, stroking the silk.
"Soft indeed," He leaned forward to nip at her neck. "And wet," he continued, too quietly for human ears.
Victoria lifted her other leg, twining herself close to him and burying her face in his neck. "James,"
A sudden crash drew their attention, and they looked up to see the horrified sales assistant.
James had lived too many lifetimes for embarassment. "We were just checking prices," he explained with a sweet smile.
"Oh, this is... oh, look at it!" Victoria scampered into the cabin and twirled delightedly, flinging her bags aside carelessly.
"Bed looks comfortable," James commently dryly, and Victoria flung herself upon it.
"It is," she confirmed, arms outstretched, grinning up at the ceiling.
"Now, I've gotten a list of the passengers and their room numbers, but we shouldn't drink until we're at least a day or two out to sea, on the off chance someone notices they're missing. Remember, only the ones that are traveling alone."
Victoria bobbed her head in agreement, rolling onto her stomach and propping her chin in her hand. "May I take off this hat and these gloves?"
"Did you want to go back on deck?"
"No, not yet."
"Then feel free." James removed his own brimmed hat and gloves, then his jacket. Victora tossed her sunhat, chiffon scarf and kid gloves in the same direction as the bags, and reached into the purse for the bright red lipstick she'd insisted on purchasing as well, simply adoring how brightly it contrasted to her pale skin.
"Oh James," she sighed, watching her reflection in the gilded mirror as she brushed her hair. "Just look at me. This is how I was meant to live. Not in caves."
"You want a permanent residence? Go ask the Volturi if they'll have you," he replied acridly. Victoria bristled at his cold tone.
"I didn't mean anything by it," she defended, applying yet another coat of the lipstick and rising to face him. "You know I wouldn't want to leave you."
"Do you think a body can fit through this window?"
"Pardon?" She stared at him, thrown.
"This window. Do you think we'll have to throw the bodies off the main deck or do you think they'll fit through here?"
Victoria's shoulders sagged. "As long as they're not too fat," she replied defeatedly, kicking her shoes off.
"Good. Now, there's a ball tonight in celebration of the voyage. Did you want to go, or did you want to sit in here and sulk?"
Victoria admired herself one final time in the bathroom mirror. Her hair was perfect- a splendidly elegant twist at the nape of her neck, and her gown was deep navy satin, form-fitting and unadorned. It was sleeveless, brushed the floor and was low cut, but not so far as to make her appear to be some sort of harlot. Around her neck, she fastened a chain of diamonds she'd swiped from the jewelery counter on the way out during their earlier shopping spree.
"Are you quite ready to go yet?" James growled from the other side of the door.
"Absolutely!" A final application of her lipstick, and she opened the door. "What do you think?"
"Fine," he replied vaguely. Victoria tried to ignore her crushing dissappointment at his indifference. She spun once, and glanced at him hopefully. He was adjusting his cuffs. "Do you want to preen, or go dance?"
She shot him an irritable look, and took his arm."Let's go then. You know, every other man on board this ship won't be able to take his eyes off me."
"Yet somehow, I don't see them as any sort of threat." James yawned, and she knew he was being intentionally infuriating- she hadn't felt the desire to yawn since she had felt the need to sleep; well over a hundred years ago.
When they reached the ballroom, however, Victoria immediately forgave him- her excitement far overpowered her sullen attitiude.
"Let's go!" She grabbed his hand and dragged him into the throng of humans, their scent intoxicating, but her delight even more overwhelming. The band was already playing and James, who had frozen for a moment, eyes absorbing the feast around them, pulled her close. She loved the way his mouth curled up at on corner, and how his hand felt on her waist. She laughed as they spun- true to her word, gathering the attention of all the men around her- but paid them no mind. Victoria was giddy, an emotion she didn't recall feeling since her human life.
"You know, I once had threes beaux ask me to the Hansons' barbeque, and I turned them all down because I wanted to spend the time there with Henry. Well, Mr, Yanly, that is; you know how things are," Victoria informed James, flashing a flirtatious smile. The second the words left her mouth, her expression froze.
"I don't know where that came from," she admitted, and James chuckled at her bafflement.
"Probably your human life, my dear. You had a southern accent, too."
"Did I really?" she asked, stunned. He nodded affirmatively. "Henry Yanly... Do you think he was the man I was going to marry?"
"Or the man you were going to sleep with once you were married," he suggested casually, twirling her effortlessly.
"Oh, hush!" she scolded with a laugh. "I'm sure I wasn't that kind of girl."
"First name basis before marriage? Highly frowned upon," he teased.
"Excuse me?" They both paused. "May I cut in?"
Victoria was about to refuse, but James stepped aside graciously. "But of course." She gave her previous partner a glare, but her view was quicky blocked by the newcomer.
"Hello, I'm Thomas."
"Victoria," she announced shortly. She supposed he was handsome enough for a mortal, but her eyes still hunted for James.
"Pardon my intrusion, but surely you must realize you captured the attention of every man in the Atlantic ocean?"
Finally satsified that James was out of sight, she turned defeatedly to the human. "Have I? Surely you flatter me." Her tone was flat, but the man didn't notice.
"And the envy of every woman, I should think. Where are you from, Victoria?"
"America, you?"
"Well," he laughed slightly. "I assumed America. Whereabouts, in America? I'm from Boston."
"Oh really? Me too!" she exclaimed with false delight.
He gushed about 'their' hometown for the rest of the dance. As it was ending, he said, "It was wonderful to meet you, Victoria."
She nodded, and turned quickly to find James- his scent was lost in all the delicious human smells.
"May I have this dance?" It seemed that, because one soul had been brave enough to steal the radiant lady away from her partner, every other man was going to have his turn. After the fourth song, it became clear that James was not going to appear to take her back, instead abandoning her with insipid-minded humans while he entertained himself elsewhere.
The night, meant to be wonderful, turned into a dragging affair, as strange human after human begged a dance and, with James still nowhere to be seen, Victoria submitted to their compliments and the occasional innuendo, careful never to misstep and crush their weak feet.
It was well past midnight when she drew away at last, claiming exhaustion. She trudged back to her cabin alone, crushed and miserable, inncorrectly certain the night couldn't possibly get worse. Pulling her hair out of it's drooping twist, she rattled the doorknob- and found it locked. With a growl of frustration, she sharply twitched her wrist, and the knob snapped off into her hand, easily breaking the lock.
"James?"
"Oh, please, help me!" The pleading voice took her by surprise, high and terrified, and a pounding heartbeat filling the air around her. I took less than a second for her eyes to adjust, and when they did, she gave a cry of horror.
It wasn't out of pity- in fact, she hated the woman more than she could recall ever despising a creature in her entire existence. Despite the young woman's mangled wrist and bruised body, the jealousy was blinding because James, her James! was pressed close against her, their bodies sliding together, his hands moving over her.
"James!" Victoria cried. If she could still cry, tears would be blinding her as she stared at them, sickened but unable to rip her gaze away. James' eyes flickered up at her wail, and her grinned widely at her. There was a flash of teeth, and the woman gave a final, gasping sob, before going limp as James efficiently drained her.
"So fragile..." he murmured thoughtfully, sitting up and lifting the woman's body easily. "And she was so eager too, to follow me in here- began to panic, you see, when I accidentally crushed her wrist. Humans are so very breakable." He shook his head in mock sorrow, and moved over to the window, sliding her out into the sea. If he was conscious of her devastation he ignored it, moving to the bathroom and turning the water on.
Victoria fled, mindlessly flying through the corridors of the ship, down and back up level after level, leaving all she past with no more than the impression of airflow. She didn't still until she finally found herself on deck, exposed to the night air. There were few people around; most had drifted off to sleep by now. She walked to the edge, staring blankly into the inky sea.
He didn't promise anything. Not love nor loyalty, but she still should be treated with some decency! But Victoria knew that, in all honesty, she wasn't interested in respect. She wanted touched, to be kissed and caressed and made love to with any sort of regularity. They'd come so close before, but it was as though something always stopped him- a new scent, a sudden disinterest... Why couldn't she hold his attention? Perhaps if she showed him the same coldness, he would relent, decide he preferred her to any other distraction.
"Victoria," She'd been so preoccupied, his sudden presence startled her. His hands smoothed down her shoulders, and his lips pressed to her neck. She remained still. In response, he molded his body to hers, arms tight around her waist. "Would you like to go for a swim?"
The water looked anything but inviting. He moved his grip to her hips, pushing her against the railing, still close behind. "We'll jump together."
But how could she deny him?