Pyre (Frerard, Rikey, Ryden, Petekey)

7: Gerard's Two Least Favorite Assholes

It felt strange to be surrounded by buildings instead of trees, but it was a pleasant change, made even more agreeable by the noticeable lack of any sort of crazy visions, which allowed Gerard to breathe a sigh of relief, because he had made it, and he wasn't dead (yet) - or insane, and hopefully it would stay that way for the foreseeable future.

"You doing okay?" Mikey pressed gently, and for once, Gerard didn't have to lie, because when he nodded in acknowledgment, he actually meant the gesture.

It was as if the second he had stepped into Belleville, he had entered the eye of the storm that was his madness - either that, or his brain had decided to shut down for a bit, but whatever the case might be - Gerard wasn't complaining, because he didn't really care about the reasoning behind this. All he knew was that he felt fucking fantastic, and the fact that he could walk on his own now without Ray having to support his faltering steps was a bonus he did not overlook.

The journey here hadn't been easy, and Gerard had been doubting his ability to make it at all towards the end, but now they were actually here, and even though he still wasn't one hundred percent convinced that they would find the fabled coven they had traveled so far in search of, he decided not to dwell on it.

Because they were okay, and they were alive, and something about the ambiance in this town seemed welcoming. Gerard hadn't felt this way since they had been driven from their home all those years ago, so he was going to enjoy it without focusing on anything negative for two minutes.

That wasn't to say Belleville was anything like London, which was where Gerard and Mikey had spent the majority of their childhood. It was much less populated for one; London never seemed to sleep, while this town had a slightly abandoned aura to it, as if the residents had all disappeared for the night - either that, or they were too afraid to show their faces in the darkness. Still, something about this place drew Gerard to it, like he was supposed to be here, and that sense of belonging gave Gerard hope that maybe he would find a home in this cozy city after all.

The three of them actually stuck out like a sore thumb, being the only living creatures walking the deserted streets did automatically make them a point of interest, coupled with the fact that they were carrying small packs with them which basically screamed the fact that they weren't from around here - or that they were homeless, and they could probably pull off the hobo chic look. None of them had showered in far too long, and the trip through the forest hadn't helped their appearances any.

Currently they were searching for the seedier side of town, every city had one; the street filled with bars and clubs that stayed open until ungodly hours, populated with the people who came alive at night, content to waste their lives away with drugs and alcohol, making them easy prey for the hungry vampires.

This was how they always hunted, because these citizens wouldn't question a strange bite mark on their neck in the morning. They would brush it off as an over-eager lover, and the fact that they couldn't recall it happening could be easily explained by having too much to drink, leaving no trail for anyone to trace back to the three boys.

But Gerard was uneasy about feeding tonight, he liked to scope out the town first, because it was always safer to observe before acting. He wanted to be aware of the ebb and flow of the night life before he threw himself into a potentially dangerous situation, but Mikey had been adamant that Gerard follow through on his promise, so he really had no choice in the matter, despite his misgivings.

And the sooner they were done with this, the quicker they could find a place to sleep the day away, because so far their only option was a rickety old church they had passed on their way into town, and Gerard was not looking forward to using rotting pews as a bed - especially not after he had been spoiled last night with an honest to god mattress.