The Deepest Gray {Jasper}

[Rayyan]

A florescent light quivered in the nighttime city as a street lamp succumbed to the flickering of its last dying bulb. Cold puddles lined the roads and alleys as proof of the daytime rainfall, and a bitter darkness covered one of the oldest districts in London. Most of the businesses here had been closed for a few hours, and only a few bar signs remained lit. But out in the shadows of the neighborhood a few people occupied the streets.

"Jus 'and over your billfold, an' no one gets hurt!" A ratty-looking young man had managed to sway a wealthier gentleman into the darkness of an alley. The boy held the gentleman's collar firmly with one hand while swinging a blade around in his other, but the older man had not been cooperating.

"Let me help you," the gentleman remained calm, smiling even, and reached into his front coat pocket.

The young thief panicked and shook the man, "I didn't want any trouble." -Who kept their wallet in the front pocket of their jacket? He must be going for a weapon.- Bringing back the knife, the boy stabbed the older man thrice in the stomach.

Petrified, the gentleman clutched his waist, and was pushed to the cold alley ground. The golden trinket he'd grabbed from his coat pocket dropped from his grip and fell beside him. Its presence seemed to go unnoticed by the mugger, but it glimmered subtly in the light from around the alley corner.

"Ah bloody hell..." For a moment he stood transfixed, staring in horror at what he'd done. But as he got his limbs to move again, he rummaged through the man's pants pockets and pulled out a wallet and a pocket watch.

In quiet, strained breaths the gentleman lay clutching his stomach as his vision blurred and he waited to die. Beside him, still shimmering softly even in its age, lay the golden serpentine brooch. The young man pocketed the wallet and watch and fled the scene, turning the corner quickly in fear, just about running into a passer-by.

[Jasper]

Jasper was walking through the streets, gloomy with the shadow of night. His mind drifted, smelling the sweet scents of beautiful women's cologne as he passed them on the street, they winked and turned to stare. Jasper smiled his crooked smile as they passed, "Yeah.. I haven't lost it," he thought cockily. He glanced back at the girls just as he turned the corner to look at them when he felt something skirt by him. He whipped his dark head back around "Woah, sorry," he said backing up to the wall to avoid hitting them. The blur of a person ran on past him without acknowledging his presence and darted into the mass of people across the street. Jasper did a double glance and continued to turn the corner. A little ways down he could see a man lying down on the ground in a puddle, splayed out. The smell of blood begged at him temptingly, swimming in his senses. Jasper picked up the speed, hurrying over to him. He knelt by him and felt his pulse. The vampire's eye's dilated with hunger, focused on the bleeding man, his precious blood spilling out onto the ground. He shook his head, desperate to help before he succumbed to instinctual pleasures. "Mate, are you okay?" He asked shaking his arm a little to jar him, hoping to get a response. "Mate?"

[Rayyan]

The gentleman's head lolled to the side as his arm was shook, ineptly wetting his lips. Disoriented, his eyes searched to find who was with him, but saw only the outline of a face covered in shadows before he lost focus. It was unfamiliar. "I want to..." His words were nothing more than whispers. The shaken arm fell away from his waist and to the ground, heavy as lead. It took all his strength to reach out, but the golden trinket was still beyond his stretch, "I wish..." From the gentleman's wounds, his life spilled out onto the alley as scarlet syrup, and a foggy haze covered his eyes. There was no more movement from the attacked gentleman. His raspy, labored breaths slowed until there were no more.

Outside the alley, the city night continued quietly but for the occasional tapping of shoes on pavement.

[Jasper]

The stiff iron smell of blood teased Jasper from the dying man. He grabbed his shoulder and shook him a little, "Hey, man, come on." Jasper's green eyes floated over him as he wheezed out his last few words. They didn't make sense.. Life finally was sucked out of the man's chest, Jasper could no longer hear the faint thumps of his heart from where he kneeled.

The vampire glanced over his shoulder and didn't see anyone coming this way. The shadows of the buildings masked them from any sight. Jasper moved the man's relaxed hand that he was still clutching to his stomach. He leaned over and lapped up the blood that was spilled from the man's abdomen and then moved up to his neck and feasted on the crimson elixir that kept Jasper alive. The blood flow slowed as Jasper greedily gulped down the last few mouth fulls that he pulled from the man's veins. He withdrew his fangs from his neck and wiped the bloodstains from his face. Jasper ran his tongue over his lips and fangs deliciously savoring the remnants that hung over them.

He rose from the man to move on his path that he'd been following previously when he looked back down at the man. Something caught his eye as turned back, it glinted shyly in the light. He picked the golden trinket up. His brow was quizzical, what was this thing? Jasper ran his hand over it rubbing the dirt and muck off, he rubbed harder, trying to see what it was.