I'm so sorry (Bella, open) - Bella's Castle

Deep breath.
Knock on the door.

Her hand stopped right before actually touching it, the caitiff's lips pursing as she frowned. Watching the hand as it lingered in the air.

She needed to knock...
So she did, although it came after another moment or two of hesitation.

Bella came to the door herself - no French maid this time. The difference, then change she had gone through was.. shocking, to say the least. Her eyes were sunken, her skin pale. Her fangs shone in the porch light as she glanced up towards Teddy.

Even her dress had changed, now in leathers that hugged her curves and thigh-hi boots.

"Good evening, Ms. Blue.."

Her lips parted, and unable to really hide the shock of what she was seeing, the Caitiff found herself stunned.

"B-Bella..." oh God... what had happened to her? "I... Are you alright?" the Hell she was!

"Of course.." She responded, even her voice was different. A low, sultry tone that held threat and seduction, curled up into a twisted, breathy tone. "Would you like to come in?"

Yeah, having second thoughts about this whole idea... but she still nodded, offering Bella (it was Bella right) a brief smile.
"Thanks, I would like that" the blond said softly, moving to step inside but finding the need to keep Bella in the corner of her eyes the whole time, still having trouble accepting what she was seeing.

She took a step back, her motions fluidly feral as a hand motioned the blonde in. "How have you been?"

"I've been good" Teddy said quietly, half expecting the mansion to have changed too as she stepped inside. "Been busy..." and all of a sudden she so wished she had Diego with her, because for once, the teddy bear was not at her hip as usual.
"I just wanted to come by and see how you were doing"

The house looked no different, besides the fact the servants were not present.

"I imagine so.. I assume, then, you heard of what happened?"

That was a slight relief at least. A tiny little one.
"Mm, I only heard that you were no longer Harpy..." the blond said softly, though she had a feeling that was so not what had caused all this to happen. "What happened?" she asked as she turned to face the other woman, a look of concern across her features.

"Robert Benson committed suicide - Final Death."

She glanced off to the side, a brow quirking slightly. "Good riddance, I suppose. That Caitiff was more trouble than he was worth."

She froze, her expression one of silent shock really as she searched the Malkavian's eyes for something, anything...
"You don't mean that..." she found herself whispering. "Robert is... was" her mind was trying to process what she was said. "your friend.."

"Robert and I went much farther back that Port st. Lucie. He was my best friend, he was my lover, he was everything to me."

Her normally bright green eyes were a dark emerald against her pale flesh and the dark circles of her sunken eyes, though they were eerily void of any emotion, even as she spoke those revealing words they were spoke completely flat.

"I was foolish to get attached."

That shocked expression of hers? Yeah, it wasn't going anywhere anytime soon it would seem.
"Bella... Bella how can you..." and she found herself reaching out as if to touch her, only to stop herself and pulling her hand back before she could reach her.
"I'm sorry for your loss..." Teddy more or less whispered, even if she felt like she was suddenly caught in the twilight zone.

"Don't be." She practically snapped, glancing back to Teddy blankly. "He was a thorn, now removed from my side."

Maybe she should've backed up, maybe she should've just shut it, but she couldn't, she just couldn't. And when the Malkavian snapped at her? She seemed to do the same in return as she actually took a step towards her. Her expression not necessarily as much angry as it looked confused and concerned.
"No, he wasn't. He was your friend. And friends aren't thorns in your side no matter how much of a pain they can be sometimes. This... this isn't right"

A brow rose, a strange, twisted hint of amusement in her eyes. "So you do have some backbone. You'll need it."

She stood, practically face to face with the other woman, before turning on her heel. "Are you hungry?"

She did actually have some backbone when needed. It just wasn't often she had to actually show people that.

The blond was still a bit off her game though, not entirely confident in herself and the idea of talking back to Bella, and it showed in her expression as her eyes followed the woman's form as she turned to walk. The Caitiff finding her own feet moving to follow her.
"I'm alright, thank you" she muttered.

Bella shrugged a bit, tossing a glance behind her. "Suit yourself."

She swung the door open to the kitchen to reveal a horrible sight. Her French Maid and her Chauffeur were both tied up by their wrists, left just enough room to barely touch their knees to the floor. Dried blood ran in crimson streams down their arms, most obviously from the wounds where the rope had rubbed their wrists completely raw.

The man appeared to be unconscious, though the maid was not so lucky. Big, brown doe eyes focused up on Teddy, filled with agony and pain. Whimpering sounded from her, though she did not attempt to speak.

Both were practically naked, shreds of clothing covering what little they had left of their modesty. Open wounds and bruises covered them from head to toe, their knees sticky in a pool of their own blood.

"Dinner looks delicious." She finished her thought, the lack of feeling in her voice representing how much care she truly felt for these humans.

Her eyes widened in horror. Her lips parting in a silent scream most likely that never made it past her lips.

Run. A part of her told her to run. But the other?

"Bella!" she more or less screamed it as those frightened blue eyes of her tore themselves away from the two people and focused on the Kindred. "What the Hell is wrong with you!? What do you think you're doing?!"
And already she was moving, moving to get them down from there.

She laughed.

Not the laugh Teddy was used to from the Malkavian - full of life, light-hearted, friendly.

No, this laugh was twisted, a sick sort of a cackle that was dry and horrid.

"Do you want them?" She asked, complete detachment in her tone. No movement was made to stop Teddy from rescuing the mortals. "They're broken, anyhow.. I need to find new ones."

"Merci.. merci.. merci.." The tall, slim French woman whispered to Teddy, big, pained eyes focused on her pretty face.

From somewhere on her, Teddy produced a sleek, masterfully crafted knife that was opened with a flick of her wrist as she moved to cut down the woman first. Her free arm moving around her to keep her from collapsing once the ropes were cut.

"This isn't you Bella... this isn't right!" her voice cracked.

The woman slumped weakly into the blonde's arms, whimpering as she continued to whisper her thanks, while the man was still unconscious.

Bella watched, almost intrigued at the spectacle in front of her.

"This is me, Miss Blue. It's simply a part of me that seldom is revealed."

"Yeah well..." she moved the woman slightly so she could lean against one shoulder, using her blood to fuel her strength for this one and moved to cut down the man, positioning herself to be able to catch him before he fell.
"I don't much care for it...." Teddy said in a whisper. "I like your other you better..."

The man fell easily, his breathing shallow as he fell into Teddy's arms.

"Unfortunately, Miss Blue, it's not about making Caitiffs like you. It's about power, respect, and fear." Came her cool retort, dark eyes focused on the three of them.

She stood up, only able to do so and support the two of them thanks to the blood she'd used to strengthen herself. Her expression hadn't changed, still fearful, shocked even, though there was determination to those blue eyes of hers as she lifted the man's form up onto her shoulder.
"Then I'm glad I'm a Caitiff... I rather be a stray dog than anything like this..."