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Post by Jasper Hale on May 21, 2009 2:02:22 GMT -5
Oh. Dear. Lord. She was following him?! He had left the ballroom to get away from her, and now she was following him. He kept walking, trying to restrain himself . . . trying to keep himself from exploding. No, he was not that angry . . . yet. But with the way things were going, it seemed he was getting there. They were both getting there, for he could feel the rage from her; he could feel how angry his words had made her. He kept walking, not bothering to stop for his goal was to get away from her. "You're coven will fall. It is only a matter of time. It will not be the first time either." They had been so close, they had even been nearly caught . . . Jasper was now just trying to agitate her by reminding her of how close they had come to being discovered in the past.
"You need not convince me Maria. If you wish to vocalize the strength of your armies due to your own insecurities about it, then I can not stop you. But I assure you, it is uneccessary to try and convince me."
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Post by Maria Verdugo on May 21, 2009 2:11:09 GMT -5
"I HAVE NO---I have no armies, I have a coven a large one who loves me!!" For the benefit of anyone who could hear. Maria keep following him, when she got her hands around that neck of his, she was going to KILL him! Burn him right here! "The next one to fall, if you keep your human hippie ways will be your coven, Jasper! Watch! It will only be a matter of time! Then we will see what saves you! The skills I gave you or the love of of some short know it all!" She was moving faster behind him, hoping her word cause him to start another fight. This time, it was one she planned to win!! "Love is patent, love is kind, love is going to get you killed! There is a reason so many tragedies start off as love stories!"
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Post by Jasper Hale on May 21, 2009 13:07:28 GMT -5
 "Love is the incorrect term to define the emotions of your coven." It was getting increasingly difficult to ignore her. She was like a mosquito that kept flying around your head . . . a lethal, manipulative mosquito, and Jasper was getting frustrated. He wanted to rebuttle everything she was saying; continue to jab her with words that would only provoke her anger . . . but they were at a formal event, and Jasper was not going to continue this ridiculous conversation. He wanted it to end, and he would be the one to end it with his silence.
He continued walking forward. He was not fully certain as to where his destination was . . . as long as it was away from Maria, it was sufficient. As Jasper walked, his eye caught something and it was enough of a shock to make him abruptly stop, and stare.
It was a painting . . . but not just any painting. While Jasper appreciated art, no painting would have been powerful or intriguing enough to make him stop increasing the distance between him and Maria . . . except this particular painting. This one . . . he could not help but stare at.
It looked just like her. Exactly like her. Identical. It was her. It had to be.
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Post by Maria Verdugo on May 22, 2009 0:20:46 GMT -5
"Love is not a strong emotion! You should know you over grown--" Had Maria not had vampire reflexes she would have smashed into the back of him like stone on stone. However, she stopped a near tenth of a inch from him. She followed his gaze to look at a painting. It was clearly human. Both the painter and the mod--
Maria's jaw--despite all her grace--fell open. She couldn't think. Not sure, she was thinking a million things a million miles an hour. Mainly WHO and HOW and WHY THE HELL. She couldn't speak. She wanted to ask Jasper if he knew anything, but couldn't speak past the "W--"
THE GIRL in the painting (which could NOT be Maria) was clearly human, for she had flaws, but not over bearing ones. She looked tired, and slightly sad. Her eyes looked as if she was about to cry but it could have been the painter's mood. It was easy to see the heart break in the painting, with the soft lines, and long storks.
It only confused Maria more when she saw the date. She had been a vampire, and neck deep with in her first Army in 1843! And have been for about, 40 years!
 The Final Painting By Nicolao Verdugo, 1843 Todavía sueño con ellaWorth in 2009; Eleven Thousand American Dollars
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Post by Jasper Hale on May 31, 2009 23:16:31 GMT -5
Jasper kept looking from the picture . . . to her . . . back to the picture . . . to her. He could not believe it. Could this truly be who she was? Her expression was so much more . . . . . vulnerable than he had ever seen. It had to be her human form. He had never seen such an expression on Maria. Not the blood thirsty, ruthless, power hungry, vampire he had known for so many years. How could this be? It was worth a fortune as well. Jasper did not know how old Maria was . . . . did this picture come before? How before? Not long, for she looked the same . . . except that expression. He still could not ignore the way she was looking at the man who painted her.
"Nicolao. . . Verdugo," he said, enunciating each syllable, including the last name. He wondered . . . did it strike any familiarity in her? She was clearly just as confused as he was, and in just as much disbelief.
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Post by Maria Verdugo on Jun 1, 2009 15:53:59 GMT -5
Maria was clearly just as confused as he was and in just as much disbelieve. She was however in much more. She couldn't speak for a few moments after he did. "W--" -- "Who is Nicolao Verdugo?" She managed to get out, while staring. WHY DID ARO HAVE THIS?!
"I wasn't even human in 1843! I had my first--coven." She hissed trying to make since of this. She just stared at the painting. Maria had never given anyone more more then her first name. It was all she knew, and she remembered nothing of her human life. She didn't bother even trying as she saw humans as weak--her point being made by the expression on the painting.
Maria was about to walk away in anger to find Aro; only to make it two paintings down from this one, to a glass case displaying some old papers, one of which made her stop and hiss again. It was a drawing, done with pencil. The girl look more liked Maria, in her face, as she looked liked she had just rolled from bed, and and enjoyed it. She also looked like she had workings going on in her mind, but unlike Maria's hardness, her face still held a open innocence. "Are you behind this?!" She demand!
 A Privet Drawing By Nicolao Verdugo, 1809
Unnamed
Worth in 2009; Sixteen Thousand American Dollars
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Post by Jasper Hale on Jun 7, 2009 13:51:19 GMT -5
"Who is he indeed." She clearly did not know. He could feel that she was just as confused as he was . . . if not more. Maria's human self. Jasper had never seen any trace of her; not in a physical object, nor in the way she acted. "It must have been painted shortly before you were transformed." That was a strange thought. The same year. Jasper wanted to find out more about this artist, as much as he could. He was too curious to let it go so easily.
He looked at her blankly. "Do you truly believe that I would plant this picture here? I know nothing about this. I do know that this painting must be rare, and an original for Aro would not possess it otherwise." Jasper wanted to see if there were more, but he just kept looking at the one right in front of him.
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Post by Maria Verdugo on Jun 9, 2009 11:51:44 GMT -5
Maria was on the edge of killing EVERYONE! She was angry and . . . .and afraid. She wanted to know why Aro had this! Why she had not seen it before! What Aro knew of her past! He could know things he planned to try to use against her! Maria could read the numbers. She knew how to do that. "What dose it say." She hissed out from under her breath. Maria had never learned to read and write. Even when she wrote Jasper that note once, years ago telling him to eat the little girl, someone else had written it.
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Post by Jasper Hale on Jun 22, 2009 11:38:20 GMT -5
Jasper had momentarily forgotten the fact that Maria could not read. He never ridiculed her for her illiteracy. A long time ago, it had not been a priority for women to be educated, and if one was in the lower class, it was extremely likely that they would not have learned how to read or write. Jasper had been so caught up with the shocking image, that he had not even thought of it . . . until she asked him of course. "It says, a private drawing by Nicoloa Verdugo, in 1809." He paused before continuing. "It is worth sixteen thousand dollars, American currency." Jasper was shocked indeed. "You have no recollection of this at all?" He asked her, half expecting the inscription to trigger any sort of memory of this.
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Post by Maria Verdugo on Jul 1, 2009 13:05:57 GMT -5
Maria let out a hiss. She had no human memories. None at all, and never even cared. Humans were weak! She ever cared about her weaker past. Only her stronger plans for the times yet to come. "No." She let out softly. Maria, also didn't know anything about money. When you got everything you needed though death and blood, money was just something to amuse humans. "Is that allot of money?" She asked, putting the two together.
Suddenly, with out really waiting for an answer for him her face went to her normal one, and she turned to walk slowly down the hall. Just a few steps before looking back over her shoulder at Jasper. It was a pose he had used to like. "Jasper, I need you."
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Post by Jasper Hale on Jul 2, 2009 22:43:52 GMT -5
Maria's current position reminded him of one that she had often made. It was one that indicated she was going to reward . . . however that may be. Jasper did not want to reminisce over those memories, not did he want to acknowledge that he was associating how she was standing now, to before. He would not give her that pleasure of him making the connection. And so he averted his gaze back to the portrait. Jasper however, did not move. "I would rather go back to the dance hall so that I may spend time with my wife and family." He did not want to spend time with Maria, though, he could not deny the immense curiosity he had regarding the portrait they had just seen. Still, he made no attempt to follow her . . . nor did he make any attempt to turn and go back to the ball. "Can you not satisfy your own curiousity without my aid?"
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Post by Maria Verdugo on Jul 5, 2009 22:55:55 GMT -5
"Jasper." Maria's tone was firm and demanding. "Come along, now. I have need of your mind." Maria wasn't going to beg and gravel. If he was smart he could try to bargain, but Maria knew Jasper would weigh this options and know if he turned her down she could create a scene. His family was on thin ice as it was, with the volturi and being here, in this house would only make things worse should something go wrong.
Maria knew which words to whisper in which ears, and which tempers to tease, and who's honer to insult. With some effort, she could turn this party, this ball, into a vampire fight that would ruin the Volturi's hide in plain sight plan and cause nearly everyone there to be killed off to please Aro.
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Post by Jasper Hale on Jul 5, 2009 23:00:54 GMT -5
Jasper still made no attempt to move. "Very well. If I help you though, then you must swear to leave me and my family alone tonight, and for the next ten years." He would have gone for longer, had he thought Maria would have gone for it. She would not have. He was not going to press his luck. He also knew that her curiousity was great, and possibly enough to agree to his terms, and bargain for getting some in return for his literary services.
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Post by Maria Verdugo on Jul 5, 2009 23:29:07 GMT -5
"Ten years is a long time Jasper." Maria said watching him. "I do not know if you will even find something worth ten years." She tiled her head as if thinking. "Come now, what if you find nothing?" She turned to face him and walked slowly closer, but didn't touch him. No use in angering him when she needed him. Maria could not read, computer, or google. "How about, I give you half a year for each useful information you give me?"
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Post by Jasper Hale on Jul 8, 2009 18:48:25 GMT -5
"If nothing relevant is found, that will not be due to any fault of mine. I am merely providing a service to you Maria. However, it is not one that will be one sided for I expect distance from you in return." Jasper supposed he was pushing it by saying 10 years. She could easily find someone else . . . . . or would she? Could Jasper continue to use this situation to his advantage, or was he just pressing his luck? "Very well. At least eight years then." What strange bargaining this was. But if he could get eight peaceful years without her, he would take it.
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Post by Maria Verdugo on Jul 11, 2009 23:40:07 GMT -5
"What will keep you from lieing to little Maria?" She asked, watching him. "I warn you, that if what you tell me, proves false, I will make the next . . . .five years" - Not eight - "hell and not avoid you." It was her counter offer. She was giving him more then she wanted, but only because she wanted to find out the information NOW. If Jasper stalled, he could get more. She hoped he would be willing to take what he could get and not risk annoyed her into finding someone else big, dumb and all to willing. . . . where was Felix anyway?
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Post by Jasper Hale on Sept 28, 2009 22:35:19 GMT -5
"I do not lie." Jasper would not lie unless it was absolutely imperative. "I have no reason to lie if you agree to these terms Maria." He was not going to change his offer. "I am not obligated to do this for you. I am making a proposition. After all, out of all the guests here at the ball, whom is it that you would prefer being the first to learn about your vulnerable past. Felix? Aro? Another of the Volturi?" He paused once again, looking carefully at Maria. "Such is the disadvantage of being illiterate. Now you may take this offer, or I shall return to the company of my wife. The choice is yours."
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Post by Maria Verdugo on Sept 28, 2009 22:45:05 GMT -5
Maria watched him silently for a moment before giving a nod of her head. "If I ever, at any point in my immortal life discover any of the information given to me by you was less then honest, I will make the Volturi look as if they are human children with the amount of wrath I will bring to your door." She smiled at him as if she was joking when the both knew--Maria didn't joke. Moving quickly to stand at his side, she wrapped her two arms around his one, so he could escort her there.
"Lead the way, Jasper." She said, using his name rather then a pet name. She only did it because she needed him, for the moment. Jasper seemed to much of a gentlemen to question if Maria was being honest or now. Leaving him alone for a few human years would not be hard, if her plans came in motion then he would be seeking her out before then anyway.
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Post by Jasper Hale on Sept 28, 2009 23:02:33 GMT -5
Jasper did indeed know that Maria was not joking. She meant every word of her threat. But Jasper was not afraid. It was a simple thing to avoid. "As long as you remain true to your part of the deal, then we will have no problem." Jasper did not trust Maria, but this seemed to be something that they could both use to their advantage. Jasper was getting peace from Maria; Maria was getting information from him. When Maria wrapped her arms around his, he did not allow them to stay in that position for very long. He stepped away from her, keeping a distance -- short, but still present -- between them. He did not want to feel her touch, he did not want this to become any more personal than him providing her with information.
"We will go to the computer store. I do believe there is one not far from here." They would have to force their way in since it was late and most -- if not all -- of the stores were closed at this time. "We will walk. It will be more inconspicuous."
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Post by Maria Verdugo on Sept 28, 2009 23:11:24 GMT -5
Maria remained silent for a moment before very softly speaking, "You were always good at planning things. Seeing every out come." Maria felt a rare and quick moment's of missing him, missing the planning and the in general talks they had once had. In the later years he had grown boring and Maria had planned to get rid of him anyway but in the early years, she thought she could have found something near perfect.
When she realized he was could be reading that emotion she turned angry, her out side response however never looked more then someone who was smugly bored. He might could read her emotions but he could not read her mind, so he would never know the thoughts that turned her anger into confidence, and confidante into eagerness, and lastly, then eager emotion, into the ol' way to familiar emotion of dominance.
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Post by Jasper Hale on Sept 28, 2009 23:21:38 GMT -5
Jasper remained silent, while feeling the array of her emotions. He was not going to ask, he did not want to know. He knew better than to ask about the less hostile emotions Maria felt every now and then. He experienced them when he was with her, and he experienced it now, for a brief second. Jasper did not both to speak needlessly to fill the silent air. He would rather endure an awkward presence as oppose to ramble on about nothing of importance. He took a few steps forward of Maria, so that he was no longer walking alongside her.
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