The Grand Piano

Characters:


Isabella Marie Strauss
16
Female


Adrian Farenheits Tepes
Old. Leave it at that. Doesn't look it, though.
Male


Dianne Ward
A Lady Never Reveals her Age
Female

Adrian Farenheits Tepes is a name not known by many. Unless you're a Walachian history major... and then there are still very few confirmed details. There are really only two true proven ones... his father was Vlad Tepes, and his Walachian reign was short lived after his father's death. The rest is all myth and mystery. Some say he died shortly after his father, others say he never died at all. Some say he drank nothing other than wine, others say it was blood. Some say he had many pet bats, others say he was the bats. Some say he's long gone and forgotten, others say he walks among us today....


Adrian Farenheits Tepes
Old. Leave it at that. Doesn't look it, though.
Male

Bella let her head rest against the glass of her parent's horse-drawn carriage, the falling rain and autumn air making the glass a strange, comforting cold. Bella had always enjoyed the cold for some reason. She breathed deeply, letting the warmth from her breath fog up the glass as her blonde hair fell elegantly into her face. She let it hang there, to busy being bored to focus on her hair. She felt awkward no matter what she was doing, so she might as well sow them all she didn't give a damn what they thought about her. Her mother on the other hand, cared a great deal. "Bella, darling, please sit up straight."
Bella exhaled letting her breath fog up the glass again, then sat up straight, shoulders back, like she had a board on her back. Which was how it used to be when she was younger.

Adrian held the umbrella high, mostly situating it above the firey-haired woman at his side. The woman was dressed in a very risque dress for that time, and it's crimson color nearly matched her hair. She was a rather easily identifiable character to the Strauss family; Dianne Ward. Adrian, on the other hand, was a complete unknown. Dianne waved and smiled as the Strauss's carriage moved past the two of them, moving in the same direction, which was no doubt towards the Strauss mansion.

((Love how you incorporated Dianne. And you described her perfectly!!))
Bella couldn't help but inch forward a bit when she saw Dianne, smiling for only a moment before being scolded by her mother for showing anything more than mutual friendship to the red-head. Bella was fully aware that her mother thought Dianne was one of ill repute, to put it kindly, but Bella didn't care. Miss Ward was the closest thing Bella had to a real friend.

((I thought it would be easier for someone known to introduce Adrian then just him sneaking in in the dead of night, saying, "Oh hallo!". And I try.))
Dianne sighed and rolled her eyes at Bella's mother's responce. "That's the girl you were speaking about?" Adrian asked Dianne, continuing their walk at a brisk. "Yes, and the up-tight woman bickering at her was her mother. They demand far too much of that poor girl." Dianne responded. Adrian nodded at what she had said. He knew what it was to be is Bella's position far better than one could imagine. After a few more moments of strolling, the two finally ended up at the famous Strauss Mansion. "We're here." Dianne chimed. Adrian looked around and smiled at what he saw. They both stepped under a gazebo that looked rather Gothic in design. Adrian folded up his umbrella and tucked it under his arm as he replaced his hat which he had been carrying in his other hand. Judging from what Adrian saw of Bella's mother's opinion of Dianne, he thought it best to keep his unkempt hair away from view. After all, first impressions are everything.

Bella opened the door for them, the carriage having arrived a while before the pair of them. Bella looked behind her to see if her mother was there, then upon seeing she wasn't, held her skirt up just enough that she could run over to Dianne in the rain and hug her tightly, "Dianne!" she squealed happily, "I missed you so!! Where did you go off to this time?" Her voice was full of the innocent interest of a young child. She jumped a little upon seeing Adrian, and immediately phased into a formal mood, as if she feared he were one of her mother's friends, here to tattle on her if she messed up, "Hello, sir. I'm Isabella Strauss." she bowed her head curtly.

Dianne smiled as Bella charged through the rain towards her, and upon Bella reaching her, she hugged Bella back tightly. "I've missed you as well Bella. I was off galavanting in Barcelona whan I bumped into an old friend." She said, motioning to Adrian who smiled politly. "So we stayed there for a while, reminiscing about old topics, but I thought you two would get along well, so I brought him back here to the States to meet you." She said with a smile as Adrian took off his hat to bow to Bella. "Its a pleasure to meet you Ms. Strauss." He said as he came back up from the bow. He then turned to Dianne. "Dianne, does she know about, uh, us?" He asked, referring to their different status of living than humans. "*Insert Dianne's answer here, because I'm not sure if your pre-planned Bella knew the vampire secret*" Dianne answered.

((Bella knows about Dianne.))
Bella nodded, "I am aware of the present circumstance of Dianne's... undead-ness." She said with a light smile, hands folded in front of her in a very calm expression, "And would you be aware of my condition?" She dared asking, a sort of defiance in her eyes that exerted a sort of resignation to a dreadful fate, and an unsung hope that perhaps there was a chance for her.

Adrian smiled at Bella. "That's good to know, it bodes well for me." He said, placing his hat back upon his head. "Now, from what Dianne has told me, my only guess at your condition would be that you have chronic strokes of misfortune, and that you greatly dislike being part of America's ruling class... er, higher social status, I should say, since America really doesn't have a ruling class. Is my guess any where near the correct answer?" He asked.

Bella smiled, "That's part of it." She turned to Dianne, "Shall you explain or shall I? I just want to warn him so he doesn't get too attached to to me."
Dianne nodded, "I'll tell him." She turned, "Bella has some sort of illness. No one knows what it is, but it's killing her slowly. She could die within the month." Dianne nodded, "Don't worry, I'm coming up with a plan to save her, but so far I'm out of ideas that keep her human."

"An illness?" Adrian repeated, bringing one of his hands to his chin. He thought over it for a moment. "Well, that's much worse than my guess. But I know why you brought me over here so quickly, though. I'm very sorry to hear that... but Mother Nature gives, and Mother Nature takes, I suppose." He said. And after Dianne spoke of her plan, he smiled. "But, yes, we undead cheat Mother Nature quite often." He said with a wink.

"Quite." Dianne agreed, "One of the reasons that has compelled her to put this on the floor, if you will, is her parent's intention of keeping it secret."
Bella nodded, "Enough of me, let's get you two inside and out of the rain." Bella smiled, leading them into the house.

Adrian smiled slightly and nodded. "Well, that really doesn't seem very morally just...." He said, speaking to himself more than the others. When Bella spoke, he looked at her and nodded. "Thank you." He said with a smile as he followed Bella and Dianne into the mansion. "So, were you planning to let her pass on her own, or were you going to turn her before that?" He asked Dianne.

Dianne shrugged, looking off into the distance, "Still trying to decide that one." she confessed. Rarely did Dianne speak of not knowing the answer to anything. Adrian could probably tell it was irritating as heck for her to say that simple phrase.
Bella came into the living room where Dianne and Adrian had sat down with a cup of tea for herself, "I'm sorry I didn't get some for you two, but I doubt you find chamomile as appetizing as I do."

Adrian smiled slightly at Dianne's tone and the faint hint of irritation in her words. He thought it best not to chuckle, for that might have upset her more. "Well, by the sound of the severity of the illness, you might not have long to choose. And there are problems with either choice, though... if you turn her before she passes, you would have to take her somewhere else, and Bella's sudden disapearence would probably lead to a lengthy investigation, but if you wait 'til she passes, there's always the chance that the transformation wouldn't work." Adrian said as he sat. He looked back at Bella and smiled. "Its quite all right, and that's very true."

Bella smiled and bowed her head, her face showing no preference toward either, and actually acted as if she hadn't heard any of this conversation.
Dianne nodded, "I'm aware of the consequences of either choice I make, it's simply a matter of which one I think is worth the risk."

Adrian nodded again and spoke. "I see. Well, with the first of the options, you could always take her out of the country...." He noted. When he saw Bella lowering her head, he smiled slightly and said, "Though... really, I think it would be best for Bella herself to change... it is her body, after all."

Bella smiled, "I appreciate someone recognizing that I do have opinions, but I have already told Dianne that she has my permission to change me into whatever she wants. Vampire or dead, it is up to her."

He smiled and nodded, then turned to Dianne. "Then it is tottaly up to you." He said with a smile. He then looked back at Bella. "How do you feel about the concept of being undead, though, if you don't mind me asking."

Bella smiled, "Dianne seems to get by fine, so it can't be too bad."

Adrian nodded. "And its really isn't. Though, avoiding the sun can be a hassle some times."

Bella nodded, "I understand all this."
Dianne nodded, "She's very well educated."

Adrian nodded. "I can tell. She seems much smarter than her age."
((Hey, if you don't mind me asking, was there any particular reason you named the thread "The Grand Piano"? Thats just been on my mind since I saw it >_< ))

((It sounded cool. And Bella plays piano when she gets nervous. I might involve it later.))
Bella smiled, "Thank you." She blushed a light, rosy pink, then brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Dianne taught me everything I know worth remembering."
Dianne smiled proudly, "I couldn't leave it to your mother. You'd know little more than how to make tea."