Object of Desire

✮Chapter Five : First Bite

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Just as I had suspected, the sun had nestled itself behind the heavy clouds and the rain came once more, but the fire inside me had warmed my being all the same. The day fell into the night, the sky an almost unsettling shade of deep blue that made most of the surroundings appear in an inky black, light reflecting off of the deep puddles that had gathered by the edge of the sidewalk. It was dark, but so very lovely. Weather always had a pull on me, especially when it was raining. Far much easier to keep myself contained and comfortable despite the cold chill that always followed.

What had also followed was completely expected, Eliza at my side nearly all hours of my shift, even breathing down my neck as Damon locked the doors and sent us off for the night. I had every intention of walking home and feeding, but she had insisted on driving to my flat all so we could dish. I guess it would be good to really go over our plan rather than just conceptualizing it, we had to be smart in our approach and show that my intentions were true in the first place. I do want to go to the Ministry for my own means, recommending Eliza would be an afterthought that she's adamant I not forget.

"In all my years of knowing you, I've never been conscious in your apartment. It's so small." Eliza wandered in ahead of me, taking in my small flat that I was thankful I had cleaned before leaving today.

"It serves its purpose." I shrugged, removing my boots and hanging up the rest of my items.

"I guess it will be an aid to getting used to the room you could be staying in, especially if you want to board alone." She plopped down on my couch, eyes till wandering over my room. "At least until I get there."

"There's no way of getting rid of you, is there?" I smirked, sitting on the opposite end.

"Not unless you have me killed." She quipped quickly, sending a smirk to me as well. "As if you have a violent bone in your body."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," she threw her hands up defensively, "so shy and reserved, you don't take me for someone with a vendetta."

"I have no reason to be violent." I lied, there were many reasons.

"Exactly, take it as a compliment, V."

We eventually got lost in a small back and forth, my efforts of hiding my vampirism fizzling out as we switched topics, going back to talk of the Ministry again. This time, I had actually chosen to listen. The way she had described it to me, it really did come across as some sort of town within a castle. There was a school with classes for children and adults, a museum, multiple departments, a huge library, a hospital wing, a crypt, plenty of boarding options for singles and even families of four, and then of course the homes of the Papas. According to Eliza, only two of the Papas had lived there, Secondo taking the liberty of leaving to pursue the fruits of life he could not find within the confines of the Ministry. He was the one who passed down the duty to Terzo, the one who I had met. Apparently the eldest brother still resided, but was more of a recluse compared to his younger brothers. He would spend most of his times either teaching classes to the younger children, general upkeep of his garden, and then resigning to his room. I guess Terzo is only the one who much is known about, and yet he was still a mystery to me.

But before I could even ask her about the Papas themselves, she delved deeper into their history, talking about their influence during the Satanic Panic. Apparently it was a big deal when they went to America, a now much older Papa leading the band and getting into a whole world of messes, hence how Secondo and Terzo came to be. There was a lot of speculation about a supposed "Anti Christ" but neither of them had fit the bill. The concept in it of itself seemed ridiculous, at least to someone who denounced Catholicism all together. But, more power to them I suppose.