Satis House

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

"He was a Talamascan," was her reply, as if it should explain everything, "He was prying where he shouldn't have, and for that the spirits that guard the Mayfair family rid themselves of him. It was what began the tradition of killing all men without the powers of a witch who marry Mayfair women."
When she spoke, it was hollow, quiet. It matched her movements when she went to her closet, returning the coat that Nicholas had given her to its depths. The frustration only showed in the way she moved the clothes within, jerking them aside and then pulling out her shirt---Nicolae's shirt---with a little more force than was called for.
She should have gone to change, or to call Malakai, or just out of the room in general. But instead she just dropped onto the end of her bed, the thin material of the shirt clutched tightly in her long, pale fingers, and stared at the floor as if it had done her some injustice. It meant nothing, right? she asked, and her mind was playing back their time in the forest outside of the circus, his fight with Nicholas, the brief moment in the car. It was a foolish idea, wasn't it? Thinking you would honestly care after your mood had passed. Her gaze settled on Vikteren, the vivid green dimmed strangely, and the look demanded a reply.

The words made him go very, very, still, like a statue. A vampire's way of flinching. His eyes did not even flicker towards her.
"Would you prefer it if I said 'yes'?" he asked aloud, softly, his voice toneless.
"Would it be easier for you if I lied and said, yes, it meant nothing, it was only a passing fancy?"
I could make you believe it, came his voice, a dry whisper in her mind, I am a good liar, and you are already halfway towards accepting it voluntarily.
A pause, as his mind opened; the gates between them swinging open for the briefest of instants.
Beyond it, swathed in dizzying almost-human thoughts, buried beneath sullen anger and distant scars and that flat, heavy shield of emotion that layered everything he did, was fear. And love, and longing.
Because that was all the statement would be. And he would give it to her, if she demanded it of him, but it would be worthless.
Only a lie.

 

[XCandy and LunacyX]

Antha's eyes went very sharp very quickly. "Prefer it?" Her tone carried thick traces of anger, pain. "Of course I wouldn't prefer it!" She threw the shirt down onto the floor beside her bed, letting her hands knot in the sheets as if she would rip them apart. "I am so desperate for you to love me that I think I could scream! And---silly, silly me---I thought that maybe I was making some progress."
The girl stood, gripping the bedpost as she had the sheets, and the anger was draining slowly from her eyes, leaving only that acute pain behind. "Tell me whatever you want, Vikteren. How much does it matter to you, anyways?" Because if it hadn't meant anything, it wouldn't matter now. She could scream and cry and pitch a fit and she would only annoy him, if that.

 

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

Antha's eyes went very sharp very quickly. "Prefer it?" Her tone carried thick traces of anger, pain. "Of course I wouldn't prefer it!" She threw the shirt down onto the floor beside her bed, letting her hands knot in the sheets as if she would rip them apart. "I am so desperate for you to love me that I think I could scream! And---silly, silly me---I thought that maybe I was making some progress."
The girl stood, gripping the bedpost as she had the sheets, and the anger was draining slowly from her eyes, leaving only that acute pain behind. "Tell me whatever you want, Vikteren. How much does it matter to you, anyways?" Because if it hadn't meant anything, it wouldn't matter now. She could scream and cry and pitch a fit and she would only annoy him, if that.

"'Whatever I want'," he echoed, turning back to her and leaning on the windowsill. And his eyes, violently green in the light, were hard and sharp, and edged and fractured like his voice was not.
His demand was simple.
"I want you to believe me when I tell you the truth." he said.
"If you desire it so badly, then why do you refuse to believe me? Why are you pushing me away?"
Unconsciously, his grip tightened on the wooden sill, splintering under his fingers.
"It matters too much to be safe. But I would risk it, despite this, for you. If only you would let me, Antha."

 

[XCandy and LunacyX]

Antha buried her face in her hands, giving a little scream of frustration through her teeth. "You can tell me whatever you want, but words are cheap, Vikteren. And it is because I want to believe it that I have to be careful, that I have to realize that I have no reason to."
She dropped back down to the foot of her bed, her face held in her cold hands. He still had the girl's scent on him, and it made her scream again, made the jealousy flash briefly through her eyes. "I couldn't push you away if I tried," she said finally, after several long moments of silence, letting her hands fall listlessly into her lap. "Please, Vikteren, tell me in all honesty." Her eyes stared up at him, and the look in them was desperate, hurt, nearly childish. "Do you love me?"

 

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

Antha buried her face in her hands, giving a little scream of frustration through her teeth. "You can tell me whatever you want, but words are cheap, Vikteren. And it is because I want to believe it that I have to be careful, that I have to realize that I have no reason to."
She dropped back down to the foot of her bed, her face held in her cold hands. He still had the girl's scent on him, and it made her scream again, made the jealousy flash briefly through her eyes. "I couldn't push you away if I tried," she said finally, after several long moments of silence, letting her hands fall listlessly into her lap. "Please, Vikteren, tell me in all honesty." Her eyes stared up at him, and the look in them was desperate, hurt, nearly childish. "Do you love me?"

"Would a single 'cheap' word persuade you?" he asked, with the soft, deadly calm of the eye of the storm.

He wanted to lash out,

wanted to unbind the feelings that she and no other had the ability to elicit from him

snarl into her vulnerable ear every cruelty he could summon

calm her screams, coax tears from her eyes to hide away, so she would never have need of them again.

But he could do none of these things. So he turned, and leaned back against the windowsill, and looked at her squarely, eyes sharp and glittering in the darkness.
"Yes. Condemn my words as you will, but yes, a thousand times over. I do not know how to tell you any other way. I wish I did." he said softly, a trace of regret entering his voice, "If it would make you believe me, I would do anything you ask of me."

 

[XCandy and LunacyX]

Antha looked up at him for a few long moments, searching his face for something...she wasn't sure what, really. Finally she stood, silent, and drifted over to him. Gently, she touched her fingers to his hand, tentative, and just stared up into his eyes. "And if I asked you to kiss me?" she asked softly, her expression very innocent for a fraction of a second, just this side of childish, "Or would that be meaningless?"
This was not Antha's area of expertise. She knew sex, manipulation, games. She had been comfortable in that world for a very long time. "I love you. You know I do." She diverted her gaze then, watching the old wood of the floor while the blood rushed under her pale skin, a blush so faint that only a vampire could see it, surely.

 

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

Antha looked up at him for a few long moments, searching his face for something...she wasn't sure what, really. Finally she stood, silent, and drifted over to him. Gently, she touched her fingers to his hand, tentative, and just stared up into his eyes. "And if I asked you to kiss me?" she asked softly, her expression very innocent for a fraction of a second, just this side of childish, "Or would that be meaningless?"
This was not Antha's area of expertise. She knew sex, manipulation, games. She had been comfortable in that world for a very long time. "I love you. You know I do." She diverted her gaze then, watching the old wood of the floor while the blood rushed under her pale skin, a blush so faint that only a vampire could see it, surely.

He tilted her head towards him with the tips of his fingers, her skin silvery in the moonlight, saw--and felt--the warmth of blood fill her cool cheeks with such subtle strangeness.

"To me?" he asked, and that strange, unsettling calm made his voice odd, not wholly mortal nor vampire. Something like he must have sounded once, as a human perhaps.

"No, it could not be meaningless. From you, never."

The tips of his fingers traced her lips, so gently that his touch might have been a chilly, errant breeze.

"If you love me," he said, "then believe me."

Only then did he tip her face upwards, made her eyes meet his through her lowered lashes, and kissed her; lingeringly, with indubitable care, as though she were made of finest porcelain, his lips cool against hers.

A kiss not of scalding passion, but luminescent with promise.

 

[XCandy and LunacyX]

When she pulled away, a touch inexplicably dizzy, she just stared at him for a moment. "It was meaningless last time," she pointed out, a faint pout to her lips though her eyes sparkled brilliantly, "To you, at any rate."
With that, she took a small step backwards, diverting her eyes again. He still had that girl's scent on him, fresh, and it made her turn away, her damp red curls swinging heavily around her face. However, she did bother to glance at him over her shoulder and murmur gently, "I believe you."

 

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

When she pulled away, a touch inexplicably dizzy, she just stared at him for a moment. "It was meaningless last time," she pointed out, a faint pout to her lips though her eyes sparkled brilliantly, "To you, at any rate."
With that, she took a small step backwards, diverting her eyes again. He still had that girl's scent on him, fresh, and it made her turn away, her damp red curls swinging heavily around her face. However, she did bother to glance at him over her shoulder and murmur gently, "I believe you."

The vampire reached out, let his fingertips brush her cheek, very gently, at a human's pace. "Only as meaningless as you declared it to be," he said; because he simply could not let the comment pass without protest. "But it is a philosophy I do not wish to argue now." Vikteren smiled, very faintly. "Thank you."
And because he knew why she had withdrawn, he took his hand back and relinquished her space. The girl's perfume had insinuated itself into the fabric of his clothes; the heavy, bluntly sweet smell of it nauseating to his oversharpened senses.

What I would not give for a tailor's and a shower...

 

[XCandy and LunacyX]

"The bathroom is the last door on the left before the stairs," Antha said simply, one pale finger pointing down the hall, "Nicolae keeps some clothes in the room across the hall, if you'd like to use them. You are about the same size." Her eyes swept over his figure as she said the last part, measuring from memory. "He hasn't used them in years. I don't think he's even been in that room in years." One little scoff escaped her lips as she sat down at the foot of the bed, lifting little Amadeo and setting him down in her lap. "Come to think of it, he's probably never even worn them." At the very least, she knew that they did not carry his scent. She had noticed it when Zero had taken some of them.
Finally she just shook her head absently, brushing Amadeo away. "I'm going to sleep. It has been...a very long night, to say the least." Though earlier she had been unable to close her eyes even for a fleeting moment, when she laid down now the exhaustion washed over her like a weighted spirit, something intent on smothering her. She had a fleeting moment of musing that it was easier when Vikteren was so near, when she could feel his presence, before she fell quite soundly asleep. Amadeo padded around her figure a few times, trying to find the place that would suit him best, before he settled into the curve of her stomach and joined her in sleep.

 

[Goblin In A Suit]

A loud knock on the door as a man dressed in black with a black dust mast over his mouth wanted to come in. He needed to get in for his own personal reasons so finnaly let himself in. "Hello?" he called out rubbing his gloved hands together. He thought it was strangly cold in there but didn't know why exactly. "Anyone here?" he called out walking around a bit not knowing what exactly he was looking at. *Big place.* he thought to himself.
The man thought to himself about how the hell he even ended up here in the first place. All that filled his mind was the pictures of his past. The war. He didn't even rember what they had thought or why they made him wear an oxygen mask all the time. All he really rembered was that his name now was Kain Nighthawk and that the air was, for some reason, deadly for him. He touched his dust mask in thought. *Damn military. How could they use me then just throw me out like that. It's their fault I don't rember much of my past now and they don't even care.* he tought to himself in anger then quickly quelled it and looked up watching for anyone. "Can anyone hear me!?" he shouted though the building. He didn't really care if he woke anyone or anything.  

[Azure Halfbreed]

Felix walked the streets looking for any place that lead to any Mayfair residents. Hell, even someone who knew where the Mayfair's reside. He didn't exactly find out where they live. Only that he was related to them. It felt weird. Knowing he had a family after all this time of going without one. And it being the famous Mayfair family. He would never expected that. Not in a million years. He wondered if they would except him. He wondered if they knew he was missing all these years. He was looking for one of them right now. He hoped that they would believe him. He walked up to a mansion, still out on the street. He didn't know where they lived. He didn't stay at the guild long enough to find out.  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

The sun still lit the sky when Antha awoke, though she could not tell through the thick drapes drawn over her windows. They had been made to accommodate vampires---Nicolae, Singe, and most recently, Vikteren---so they kept the room black as a moonless, starless night. But she knew with senses besides sight that the sun was still crossing the sky, leaving it orange and gold. And with yet another sense, that elusive sixth sense that her family had worked so hard to cultivate in their blood, she knew that someone was very near at hand. Two people, to be fair, but one of them carried her blood, Mayfair blood, and yet she did not know him. It was unnerving almost, and yet it brought the curve of a devious little smile to her lips.
Almost instantly she was slipping through the bedroom door and out into the hall, little Amadeo trotting along beside her, his thick black fur brushing her legs as he switched sides. It was only when she threw the doors to the balcony open, allowing the cold winter air to rush within her sanctuary, that he withdrew frantically into the warmth of the library.
She knew that her hair was disheveled from sleep, the tight curls brushing her shoulders all in disarray, and that the white button-up shirt hanging from her figure was somewhat crumpled. She looked a mess, certainly, far from the perfection that was demanded of her and yet never given, but she stood out against the dark old wood of Satis House.
Come to me, she called simply, reaching out to find the mind behind that blood descended from her ancestors, drawing it towards her. The fact that someone so very related to Antha by blood could be a stranger to her intrigued her, and she wanted an explanation for it.

 

[Azure Halfbreed]

A sudden voice caught Felix by surprise. Quickly, he assumed a defencive nature, even if to the normal eye it looked like he was just standing still. Pivoting on his feet, he searched his suroundings. But he could find no one. So where did the voice come from. Again, he searched around him with the results the same. He needed to know where that voice came from. Felix closed his eyes and concentrated. What he was about to do wasn't hard, but keeping in contact with his body while he's doing it was rather difficult.

He release his astral body from his material body. If this voice was something abnormal, he'd be able to tell in his astral form. He just needed to find where it came from.