Satis House

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

A certain ease overtook Antha as she listened. "You're different," she said softly, "I can't get over it. It's nice---a lot easier than trying to bear short-tempered monsters." Immediately she thought of Sleet, the King of blood-lusting beasts, and remembered suddenly that they were both in danger. Quickly she zoned in on him, watching him thrash around his filthy cell and the surrounding chambers in pure anger. She left this stream of images unguarded, allowing Vikteren to see it should he so choose. "Furious, yet unable to do anything. Anxious. He's doesn't dare to come after me because he knows you're here and he's afraid of you. He sees power as well as if it's tangeable." Finally she slipped and the vision was gone, vanished into the cloudiness of her energy drained mind. It was common when she looked so far away, broke through his many walls, and like always she doubled over with her hands pressed to her eyes as if to guard them. "Don't know when to quit!" she mumbled, furious with herself for her recklessness.

He shook his head, a brief smile crossing his lips. "Even if I were not present, I cannot lead myself to believe that he behave so rashly in entering your domain. Nor am I so arrogant to think that, should he choose to, I would be capable of--" She raised her hands to her eyes, bowing over, and unthinkingly he cut himself off and reached for her, his hands closing over hers. "Antha, are you alright?" he asked, too quickly realizing the stupidity of the question. But in hi hast, his voice had taken on a new tone. Concern.  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

Without even realizing it Antha clasped his hand as if it would somehow save her, taking a moment before she looked up at Vikteren with glazed eyes. "You overestimate him," she said simply, a dazed and utterly amused smile touching her lips. "There is little danger with me. I am the master---I own him---yet I have no choice but to protect him for my own sake. You have no such predicament and he sees that, foolish though he is." She paused as she contemplated her words, continuing only with a small shake of her head. "Or perhaps I overestimate him. Maybe he's merely suspicious of his own predicament. For all he knows, you could kill me should he come near and then what would he do? There would be no power for him in this city then."

 

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

Without even realizing it Antha clasped his hand as if it would somehow save her, taking a moment before she looked up at Vikteren with glazed eyes. "You overestimate him," she said simply, a dazed and utterly amused smile touching her lips. "There is little danger with me. I am the master---I own him---yet I have no choice but to protect him for my own sake. You have no such predicament and he sees that, foolish though he is." She paused as she contemplated her words, continuing only with a small shake of her head. "Or perhaps I overestimate him. Maybe he's merely suspicious of his own predicament. For all he knows, you could kill me should he come near and then what would he do? There would be no power for him in this city then."

He shook his head briefly. "I am not in the habit of killing anyone, unless they give me reason to do so. Which you have not." Vikteren noted her glossed-over eyes and asked, "Do you need to sit down?"  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

"I didn't think so. But of your nature Sleet knows nothing," she replied softly, nearly collapsing into the old, dusty chair beside the window. She held tight to his hand, bidding him sit in the seat opposite hers so that she could see him at eye level. "Think of it. He knows only that you're a vampire---a strong vampire---and that you're perilously close to me. I imagine he thinks you entered by force." Again the dazed smile touched her lips and she sat back against the coarse upholstery, all but drained. "It'll wear off soon enough though, this sudden awareness of anything that could prove to work against him. He'll come then and start demanding answers." Antha gave but one brief laugh, her eyes closing wearily for several long moments as she did so. "Idiot."

 

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

"I didn't think so. But of your nature Sleet knows nothing," she replied softly, nearly collapsing into the old, dusty chair beside the window. She held tight to his hand, bidding him sit in the seat opposite hers so that she could see him at eye level. "Think of it. He knows only that you're a vampire---a strong vampire---and that you're perilously close to me. I imagine he thinks you entered by force." Again the dazed smile touched her lips and she sat back against the coarse upholstery, all but drained. "It'll wear off soon enough though, this sudden awareness of anything that could prove to work against him. He'll come then and start demanding answers." Antha gave but one brief laugh, her eyes closing wearily for several long moments as she did so. "Idiot."

He took the seat, watching her, wondering whether it would be overtax her to speak further on the matter. "Will you be alright?" he asked, when her eyes opened at last. "If you'd rather not speak with him, I believe I would be able to turn him away from your home." Her exhaustion was plain to see, and it pained him. She was so very young. Not even reached her second decade yet, with the knowledge of centuries and responsibilities to her entire family on her shoulders. It seemed an exorbitant amount to demand of her.  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

Again the short laugh emitted from her as her glazed eyes watched him carefully, rapidly clearing. "It should be, shouldn't it?" she asked patiently, a soft smile to her lips, "But then again I'm not a normal girl---never have been. So normal things can't be expected of me. Therefore I'm the only one the legacy can be trusted to. And it doesn't take me long to recover, by the way. You could ask me anything you like." She glanced at the window, pondering the situation. "I want to talk to him," she said finally, "So let him come. I want to know what he's discovered of me before he can do us any damage." Briefly she thought of Lawrence, her poor responsible cousin. The mere thought of his overwhelming maturity almost sickened her, but he did take care of her secrets, so she couldn't let him be dragged down with her. "If he found my paper in the book," she nearly whispered, leaning towards Vikteren as if to create some sense of privacy between them, "Then me and my cousins all go down. Not even Mayfair money and power could help us then." She paused, smiled bitterly. "So if he admits to finding it, I'll need your help to lock him away for good. Would you help me?" Again she clasped his hand, pleadingly, as her eyes remained distantly focused on his.

 

[ninja of Persia]

In the distance a blue light could be seen, it grew nearer and nearer, until it could be distinguished as a ball of blue light, no bigger than a man's palm. Following it closely, was a flying figure. As it drew near the house, the figure jerked his hand, the ball vanished. Ten feet from the house, the figure landed cautiously. Sabata, for that's was who it was, walked the rest of the way to the house. Ascending the steps to the porch he made as if to knock, but paused. Ok Sabata, best behavior now, what are you doing here again... oh yes, Aaron asked for Antha's help... how to dispel a phantom... Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves Sbata knocked three times on the door.  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

The sound of knocking drew Antha quickly out of her current thoughts. She knew the presence standing before her door, though she couldn't place it. For all she knew, it could have been one of Sleet's little idiot minions. But regardless she rose to her feet, heading unthinkingly down the stairs and to the front door.
The moment she wrenched the door open her nerves calmed completely and she stood smiling softly. "It's Sabata, correct?" she asked calmly, her eyes quickly running over his figure. "To what do I owe this pleasant surprise?" She crossed her arms carefully and leaned against the doorpost, her expression fixed. "Or would the more correct question be what does Aaron Lightner want of me? You reek of his scent."

 

[ninja of Persia]

Sabata smiled at her, trying to hide how nervous he was, "He uh, sent me, he wanted me to say that he needs to know to disperse a phantom. He would have called but there seems to be some trouble with the phone line. He said that any information you can give would be most helpful." He waited for her answer.  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

Her smile faded temporarily as she watched him closely, prying just slightly into his mind. At once she heard Aaron, saw Singe's rash behavior, and all hesitation vanished.
Quickly she spun around, staring into the darkness of the hallway, and began calling for Vikteren as she started towards the stairs, motioning for Sabata to enter. Once she had ascended the stairs and made her way down the next hall she stopped abruptly in the doorway to the library, eyes focused vividly on Vikteren. "I have to go to the Talamasca motherhouse for a while. Aaron needs my help. Please come with me." She stepped towards him, her hand extended in offering. "I really would hate for Sleet to come after me there. It would cause David far too much trouble. So please?"

 

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

Her smile faded temporarily as she watched him closely, prying just slightly into his mind. At once she heard Aaron, saw Singe's rash behavior, and all hesitation vanished.
Quickly she spun around, staring into the darkness of the hallway, and began calling for Vikteren as she started towards the stairs, motioning for Sabata to enter. Once she had ascended the stairs and made her way down the next hall she stopped abruptly in the doorway to the library, eyes focused vividly on Vikteren. "I have to go to the Talamasca motherhouse for a while. Aaron needs my help. Please come with me." She stepped towards him, her hand extended in offering. "I really would hate for Sleet to come after me there. It would cause David far too much trouble. So please?"

He rose from his seat as soon as she entered the room again--hesitated at her words--the Talamasca!--stood there for not a moment of consideration, but immediately went to her. "Of course." he replied. "I will go wherever you would have me go." It wasn't a compliment, or in any way boasting or prideful--merely a statement. An indisputable fact.  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

Antha smiled slightly at his reply, relieved in a way, and took off back towards the stairs. In the bottom hallway she made sure to seize the book of James Mayfair and lock it in her arms as she stepped outside. "Sabata, do you know who it is that asked this of the Talamasca?" she asked calmly, struggling to grasp a name along with the image of the man that she saw in his mind. "This witch boy---I have to wonder who he is and why I haven't seen him before." She gave a vague shake of her head as if to say it was a mystery, careless finally, before her sights set on the old gnarled cypress trees and she wondered which way would be the fastest to the motherhouse.

 

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

Antha smiled slightly at his reply, relieved in a way, and took off back towards the stairs. In the bottom hallway she made sure to seize the book of James Mayfair and lock it in her arms as she stepped outside. "Sabata, do you know who it is that asked this of the Talamasca?" she asked calmly, struggling to grasp a name along with the image of the man that she saw in his mind. "This witch boy---I have to wonder who he is and why I haven't seen him before." She gave a vague shake of her head as if to say it was a mystery, careless finally, before her sights set on the old gnarled cypress trees and she wondered which way would be the fastest to the motherhouse.

He followed her, a tall, gaunt shadow moving in perfect silence behind the red-haired girl. Almost tangibly, there was a sense that the persona known in Satis House was dissolving, that almost-human vampire becoming eclipsed by this jade-eyed stranger. There—the steady, emotionless gaze, the taut set of his mouth, neither happy nor sad. Vikteren d'Argnet was gone, replaced by the bloody-handed slaughterer who had first been glimpsed in the Mayfair catacombs. After her question, impatient for the boy's response, he commented, “He is merely a messenger. I would not expect him to know, Antha.”  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

She paused in her thoughts, watching Vikteren carefully. The change in him swept coldly over her and she could feel herself responding to it instantly. But no matter---she would soften when she saw David.
"I suppose it doesn't much matter. The Talamasca will have enough of a file on him after this is over." And more on me. Can't forget that. She sighed softly, her fingers curling beneath her chin in thought. What will I do then? Oh bother. Quickly she disregarded her thoughts, stepping down onto the stairs and beginning down the dirt path. "The Talamasca motherhouse is northeast of here, right outside of the city walls," she instructed lightly over her shoulder, knowing how easy it was to get lost in the dense woods. "Half an hour there. Less if we hurry." Antha walked to the motherhouse frequently, dodging rogue vampires and criminals and the reckless Julianne. It was more interesting than taking a car.

 

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

She paused in her thoughts, watching Vikteren carefully. The change in him swept coldly over her and she could feel herself responding to it instantly. But no matter---she would soften when she saw David.
"I suppose it doesn't much matter. The Talamasca will have enough of a file on him after this is over." And more on me. Can't forget that. She sighed softly, her fingers curling beneath her chin in thought. What will I do then? Oh bother. Quickly she disregarded her thoughts, stepping down onto the stairs and beginning down the dirt path. "The Talamasca motherhouse is northeast of here, right outside of the city walls," she instructed lightly over her shoulder, knowing how easy it was to get lost in the dense woods. "Half an hour there. Less if we hurry." Antha walked to the motherhouse frequently, dodging rogue vampires and criminals and the reckless Julianne. It was more interesting than taking a car.

The vampire filed away the directions for later review, and followed her silently down the walkway and into the woods—no easy feat, at least for a human, particularly on the carpet of fallen leaves which blanketed the ground. But while any normal being's progress would have been evident in a trail of maimed leaf fragments and the sound of feet crushing dead plant life into the dirt, he moved with perfect soundlessness.
“You are so sure that the Talamasca will know.” Vikteren noted, drawing up to walk beside her. “Have their archives never failed you?”