Breathing Space (Pon Fabricius, Rome.)

-----> Sister Corvis' orphanage, Underground Training Facility

Ada pulled her hat lower over her eyes as she walked through the streets of Rome. For the first time in a long time she'd put on the outfit she'd worn long ago when she'd used to wander the streets as a pick pocket. Her knife was worn over her undershirt just as it had been so many years ago before she'd met Veronica. She wouldn't lie being out and about again brought a sense of nostalgia to mind she could remember the anxiety that she would feel when stalking one of her marks and the excitement that overtook her when the time to act finally came.

That knowledge that you could be caught at any possible moment used to scare her when she'd first begun stealing. But slowly that fear shifted into excitement and adrenaline. Part of her wondered what it would be like to return to that life to steal again. Would she still be as deft handed as she'd been back in the golden days of her pickpocket career. She stopped as she saw a young couple walking across the Pon Fabricius just ahead of her. The two seemed so absorbed with one another she had no doubt in her mind that she could rob them both blind and be gone before they even realized she was there.

She felt her palms begin to sweat the excitement was slowly trickling into her system. Her mind was telling her to try, To test herself and see if her skills were still as sharp as they'd been a year ago. However she merely stood her eyes to the ground as the two walked past her their laughter and footsteps fading into silence. Her excitement had been extinguished like a match as the person she'd come to see as her mother came to mind. It wasn't a fear of discipline that impeded her it was more a sense of guilt that wracked her. Ada looked to her right where a staircase leading down to the riverside sat.

With a small sigh of exasperation she trekked down the staircase her own footsteps echoing in between the two walls flanking the staircase the only sounds accompanying her as she ventured downward. Once she reached the bottom she shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket and leaned against the wall of the canal surrounding the river staring silently at the water slowly drifting past her. She sighed again letting her shoulders slump a bit as she sunk down until she was sitting with her back against the wall. Right now she should have been sitting in her room waiting for one of the nuns to come give her some chore to do as part of her punishment from Veronica.

But Ada just couldn't do that so instead after leaving the training facility Ada had made a beeline straight to Sister Maya to ask her for a favor. It wasn't a simple task but Ada had managed to persuade the sister to inform the other nuns that she had sent Ada on an errand in town to give Ada a few hours to herself. After what had occurred down in the training facility she couldn't stay. The red faded print on her cheek tingled at the thought of the incident. Ada folded her arms upon her knees and hugged her body closer resting her chin upon her arms. The old Ada would have been furious at her right now.

The old Ada would be screaming at her to go back and slap that damn nun right back and leave the orphanage for good. But the person she was now knew both of those weren't valid options anymore. Firstly slapping Veronica would only spell out more pain and more so she didn't think she had what it took within her to strike someone she'd come to care for so much. And secondly she was now an official member of the True Cross and she was sure that desertion was a practice frowned upon that would likely lead to an "Unfortunate." end for her. All Ada could feel was the burn of shame smoldering deep inside the pit of her stomach, Shame that she'd failed to meet Veronica's expectations both in her mission and as a daughter and student.

Ada bit her lip feeling a single tear slide down her cheek as her eyes stared onward towards the river she quickly wiped the single drop away scowling. "Quit crying you god damn baby..." Ada whispered to herself harshly. With a sigh Ada fell into silence as her mind tried to work out what to feel and what not to, Who she used to be and who she was now. All the while her eyes just stared at the water of the Tiber watching her own reflection staring back at her in the mirrored world that laid beneath the water's surface.

===>Entrance

His latest excursion to a long forgotten Church had proven to be a mixed bag. With the ancient Roman scroll in his possession, Almos was gradually able to pull bits and pieces of useful information from the strange rambling text. There was definitely true power there, but he lacked the knowledge to fully unlock it and even if he did, he doubted that it would lead him down the path he longed for. However, he was able to draw enough information from it know that there was another scroll present within the bounds of Rome which did carry the information he sought. Hidden within the text was a secret code, a map to the relic he'd been hunting for decades now. After a bit of researching and bloodletting, he'd managed to trace the location of this particular document, an authentic letter from Pope Julius II on display in the very Vatican Museums that he'd built. Bullet proof glass, temperature sensors, security guards, velvet ropes; getting the blasted thing would be comparable to stealing the American Declaration of Independence.

Difficulty aside, it had to be done. After a bit of fun that is.

Much to the vampire's very great surprise as he made this way through the damned city state that held the holy jewel of Catholicism, Lorand was able to spy a familiar face. Thankfully, his preference of avoiding conflict with the Church (and care to leave no witnesses when he did) meant that he was able to pass as a regular human walking the streets now so long as he didn't reveal his fangs or augment the crimson tone of his eyes. Of course, there's always an exception which proves the rule. Almos' particular exception came in the form of a young dark haired girl making her way through pedestrian traffic. Smirking, Lorand slipped his hands into his trouser pockets and sauntered after her. Though he had no faith in destiny or the like, not even Almos could deny feeling a certain draw to another conversation with young Ada.

Following her was easy enough and the vampire quietly counted his blessings that she'd chosen to seclude herself hear the canal. Slipping a slight spring into his step, he continued down the stairs before removing a hand from his pocket to swing around the corner and unceremoniously flop down to a sitting position next to Ada.

"It's been a while, kiddo. How's life?" he exclaimed with an unsettling amount of levity.

Ada continued to stare at the water her mind was still a jumbled mess of thoughts and emotions and she was hating every waking moment of it. She wanted her mind to just sort out what it was she wanted and who she wanted to be. To others it might have been a simple choice be a pickpocket, scoundrel and street rat or be a good little catholic girl as well as some kind of soldier of god. Two choices but only one to be chosen and yet no matter how much she wanted the answer to be simple it wasn't. Back in her days as a pickpocket she'd been alone for the most part aside from those who ran with her such as Sofia and Sean. There was also the times when she'd go days without food barely making it by on any scraps she could scrounge up from unspeakable places. On the other hand when she was a pickpocket she'd been free to do as she wished, No authority to listen to except for her own, If she wanted something she stole it simple as that.

But just as her life as a pickpocket had it's pros and cons so did her life at the orphanage. At the orphanage she was constantly under someone's supervision if she wanted to do something permission needed to be gained first. She didn't feel the sense of freedom she had before when she'd wandered the streets of Rome looking for her next meal ticket. That along with the fact that she was constantly having the words of some supposedly holy book pressed upon her added a bit to her disdain for her life at the orphanage. But then there was the obvious pros that it had as well. At the orphanage she wasn't alone she had Veronica her mother, her mentor and caretaker. The words brought warmth to her heart along with a stabbing feeling of guilt. At the orphanage she didn't have to struggle to survive anymore she didn't have to sit beside a trashcan fire during winter or wash her clothes in rivers anymore.

Ada groaned and threw her hat onto the floor infront of her before grabbing to handfuls of her own hair and pulling. The frustration was building towards the battle raging in her mind and she just wanted it all to go away. However before she could think more about her problems a familiar face swung around from the staircase to flop down beside her. The sudden appearance of the blonde vampire startled Ada to say the least. Almost as if on instinct her hand reached for the knife sheathed beneath her jacket but stopped halfway. First of all if this vampire had wanted to kill her she doubted there would be anything she could do to stop him, secondly it seemed as if he was more there to engage in conversation just like before rather than rip her throat out with his teeth. Her hand moved away from her knife to lay in her lap as she leaned her head back against the wall she was sitting against letting a drawn out sigh escape her lips.

She took a glance at the blonde smiling vampire with a blunt look in her eyes as he asked his question. It was almost as if he was mocking her with the subject of his question but rather than gripe about it she chose to answer. "Want the truth blondie?" Ada asked giving the vampire a nickname of her own. "My life is complete shit at the moment thank you very much...Partly due to you..." Ada muttered moving a hand up to rub her eyes with the heel of her palm as she let out a breath. "The name is Ada by the way...Not kiddo just for future reference." Ada said before looking up at the sky.

Part of her knew that she should have been more wary around the vampire but another part of her simply told her that no amount of caution or awareness would save her if this vampire decided to kill her so it was likely in her better interests to just humor her new companion with conversation. "Also...Thanks for not killing me." Ada added as an after thought shrugging her shoulders. It just felt like something that needed to be said after all her life back then and her life now had pretty much sat within the palm of this man's hand and he'd refrained from snuffing it out like a match like her could have.

A golden brow rose just a bit as the young girl began reaching for what Almos could only imagine was a weapon of some sort. To her credit though, she paused midway and appeared to resign herself once more to an interview with a vampire. There were those among his race, as well as within the Church, that would have likely scolded her for such passive behavior as giving up a fight in the face of the enemy. Luckily, Almos had always viewed that opinion as the definition of stupidity. Honor and combat were worthless in the face of guaranteed survival and it seemed as if this child was sharp enough to grasp that.

Crossing one boot over the other to get a little more comfortable, Lorand let out a mirthless, mocking laugh at her response. "Is that right?" he asked, cocking his head to the side with a condescending grin etched upon his features. "Did I ruin it by letting you go without a scratch last time? Or what about minding me own business in a deserted construction site? That probably made your life hell." Pursing his lips, the vampire stroking his chin in an over the top manner as if he was in deep thought. "No, I've got it! Simply by existing I've destroyed your happiness. How dare I have the audacity to live?"

Rolling his eyes, he leaned back against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. His grin quickly softened into something closer to mild amusement while he regarded the girl before him. "Truth is kiddo, the only one who messed up your life is you. Your nanny and I may not see eye to eye but even she'd agree you've got free will for a reason. About time to wise up and start enjoying life."

Ada crossed her arms sighing as she sank down lower against the wall as she kept her gaze forward. As much as she hated to admit it the blonde vampire was right at the end of the day her current situation was all in due part to the choices she had made herself. She bit down lightly on the inside of her cheek letting a small sigh escape her lips she hated that he was right but no matter what nothing would change the fact that he was. She pulled the collar of her shirt up over her mouth a strange habit she'd developed recently and sighed as her eyes turned to look at the blonde vampire seated beside her.

"Alright, Alright I get it...I fucked up my own life." Ada said her thoughts were so jumbled she couldn't even find it within herself to conjure up some anger at being called out on her own bullshit. "Enjoy life huh?" Ada muttered looking back towards the river she remained silent for a few moments. "Shit...I feel like I forgot what that's like, My life's been pretty fucked up to begin with." Ada muttered sure she'd had some fun times in life but those were only brief breaks in the shitty play that was her life. Maybe that is what the vampire meant to just enjoy those small periods of fun instead of mulling over the shit that made it all so disappointing.

"Anyways hope you don't mind me asking...But what are you doing here?" Ada asked glancing at her blonde haired companion with a raised eyebrow of her own. It was obvious that the church wasn't his biggest fan and there was an orphanage full of vampire killing zealots just a few miles away. To Ada it seemed as if the man had a death wish coming back to this place so soon after his last encounter with Veronica. "I mean not that I don't enjoy your company but y'know this is kinda the capital of Jesus-ville probably not number one on your particular list of vacation spots." Ada said.

The girl's body language had changed substantially since their last encounter. From the beginning, Almos had been able to sense an underlying uncertainty within the young girl. At first he'd simply attributed it to a lack of experience facing down a supernatural threat but now it felt entirely different. Something had happened after she returned from that encounter that had her questioning not simply her abilities, but her entire life as far as the vampire could tell.

"If only I could have been a fly on the wall if that conversation," the vampire thought to himself, not bothering to hide his obvious interest and amusement. He did have to give her credit though, she was rapidly becoming more at ease around him. Then again, that might very well come back to bite her (both literally and figuratively) depending on how the situation continued to develop.

"You don't think so?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. His red gaze traveled over the nearby river before moving up to the visible skyline and surrounding architecture. "Soaking in the culture, seeing the sights, seducing priests in training, it's one hell of a time," Lorand said with a wink. "But if you really must know, I dropped by to borrow an old letter from a museum. What say you tag along and I'll show you how to have some real fun?" As the question left his mouth, the former monk's smile shifted once more, losing traces of the contempt and sarcasm it had held until then, replaced with a genuine spark of excitement bordering on charming.

Ada continued to grow more and more lax around the vampire. It wasn't out of a sense of security but more out of a sense of acceptance. The blond vampire had the advantage he was stronger, faster and she wouldn't doubt that he was a hell of a lot smarter than she was too so being tense or cautious around him wouldn't do anything but perhaps delay the inevitable by maybe a few seconds. So the way she saw it there was no point stressing out anymore if he wanted to kill her he would and there wouldn't be a single thing she could do to stop it. Her knife wasn't even edged in silver so it would be like jabbing a crocodile with a flimsy wooden twig.

As the vampire began to name his ideas of fun Ada couldn't help but crack a small smile. "Hmmm...Lemme see soaking in the culture not to appealing considering I was born and raised in this dump, I've seen the sights, And that last one would be fun if it wasn't for the sobbing guilt trip that most of them go through afterwards." Ada said shrugging. However the last bit that he'd mentioned did draw a bit more interest from the girl. To her "Borrow." was immediately swapped with the word "Steal." and for some reason the very thought of that word piqued her interest. Deep down she would always be the teenage pickpocket who almost craved for the adrenaline rush that came with a successful theft.

She glanced at the blonde vampire and could see the same gleam of excitement that no doubt shined in her own eyes at the mention of theft. She looked over toward the river for a moment a small smirk upturning her lips. A tiny voice in the back of her head was warning her of how dangerous the person beside her was and how he was not to be trusted. But by now that voice was being drowned out by the part of her that craved to feel the rush again. "It's just a letter..." Ada thought briefly. It didn't take her long to turn to the blonde haired vampire "Alright fine I'll tag along." Ada said before getting to her feet and stretching.

"But first. You'd better not leave me high and dry with the police if things go South and second not a word of my involvement to anyone." Ada said holding up two fingers. "If you can promise me that then I'll help you." Ada said casting her gaze on the blonde vampire with a small smile on her lips. Just because she was talking to the vampire didn't mean she completely trusted him to not screw her over if things were going south she'd find her own way out before things got to bad.

Almos' eyes went wide for a brief moment as the your girl agreed to his offer. Truth be told he hadn't expected her to say yes, let alone agree so quickly. Evidently he had underestimated just how deeply her streak of rebellion ran. Puckering his lips, he mulled over her term a bit before standing up and brushing himself off. His smile back in place, the vampire extended his hand to seal their agreement. "Looks like we have an agreement," he said. However, should the young girl attempt to shake his hand, the vampire would pull it away sharply before making contact. "Psyche."

Slipping his hand into his pocket, the vampire began strolling down the path along the river and away from Ada, nursing a little chuckle as he did so. "Sorry kiddo, but I doubt you'd like what I have planned for the boys guarding this thing." Turning back from his waist, he regarded her with a nod and flourish of his hand. "Good to see you're so on board with robbery though. Keep that in mind the next time mother dearest smacks you around. I'll be in touch." With a wink and a blur of motion, the vampire rounded the corner of a side alley and was gone from sight.

=======>EXIT

Ada smirked at having been able to surprise the blonde vampire a bit observing as his eyes widened at her response. "Don't look so surprised stealing is in my blood." She said as she watched as he seemingly thought over her terms they seemed pretty fair in Ada's opinion it was simple don't screw her over. As he stood she followed suit getting to her feet as well crossing her arms as she waited for him to make a decision. As she saw the vampire smile she knew that a decision had been made. She watched as he held out his hand to apparently seal their deal with a handshake. Ada had her doubts about actually touching the man she had no doubt he could probably just crush her hand by squeezing just a bit too hard.

Raising an eyebrow Ada hesitantly reached her hand out to shake his but just as she was about to grasp his hand with hers he quickly drew his own back tucking it into his pocket with a witty word. Ada's shoulders slumped as her face donned a blunt expression at his childish trick "Get my hopes up why don't you?" Ada muttered under her breath shoving her hands into her pocket. She watched as he walked a ways away from her she had an idea of what he had in mind and part of her was wondering how she would really feel about seeing such a thing. She'd killed just once before and it had traumatized her for weeks but was there really a difference between killing someone and watching someone die. Maybe killing numbed the effect a bit she didn't really know and now that the offer was out the window she didn't much care anymore either.

She frowned a bit as the vampire left giving one last remark that seemed to bring all of the issues she'd come out here to forget back. She stood by herself for a moment staring at the spot the man had just occupied just moments ago before turning around letting a sigh pass her lips "Ciò che un pazzo..." Ada muttered under her breath before heading up the stairs back up to the street to begin her walk back home.

-----> Sister Corvis' Orphanage