Still Breaths [Closed]

[phantompierrot]

Truly, Nell hadn't a clue what plays were to be offered, but it wouldn't be a problem anyhow. Redressing into his coat, he took Charlotte's arm and swept out of the hotel with the others, shivering as Viktor passed him by.


People flooded the Globe. Anxiety crept up into Nell's person, and his hold on Charlotte's arm tightened noticeably. "Don't fret," she said out of earshot of the others, "everyone is here to watch the play. They won't bother you." And quieter, she added, "nothing bad will happen if you're around so many people. You're fine. I promise."


"I'm more worried about you," he lied. "There's a lot of vampires - I shouldn't want anyone taking advantage of you, Lottie." Well, it wasn't really a lie as much as it was a coverup for himself. he really did feel uncertain for her.


"Oh, I'm fine!" She laughed. "I have a whole group of friends surrounding me. I'll be just fine. But that's not important. It seems that The Phantom of the Opera is to be performed. I say we make haste, so we can get the very best seats!"


Charlotte's occasional childishness made Nell feel better despite his discomfort. She was not learned in the ways of the world, except in regards to darker workings she witnessed herself. Sheltered, he thought. And much of that did exist at his fault.


She was buzzing in her shoes, anxious to push through the crowd. She looked up expectantly, eyes sparkling.


"We're going," he promised, and began to weave clumsily through the crowd.

 

[Lucyfer]

Lucius frowned as he saw the crowd. “Looks sold out,” he spoke more to Dawn than anyone else. Usually, it was sold out. People bought tickets ahead of time, especially for something as famous as the Phantom of the Opera.


“We’ll check anyway,” they could already see that Lottie had it in mind to see the show, and Nell started to make his way up to the ticket counter. “C’mon,” Dawn looped her arm in Lucius’s and pulled him ahead, Amenset behind the two of them.


“We’re hardly dressed,” Lucius sighed, to which Dawn chuckled. She thought they were dressed just fine, though Lucius might be underdressed. He hadn’t been trying to impress Lord Viktor, though.


At the counter, all the ‘sold out’ signs were quite visible. “Told you,” he said, but glanced to Nell to see if he was going to try anything to get tickets for the group or not. Perhaps he or Lottie would have some ideas about getting into the show last minute.

 

[phantompierrot]

"Lottie, I'll have you know I'm very disappointed," Nell reprimanded in a whisper as they claimed their seats. He could hardly believe that she could be such a mischievous little sprite. She had deceived the man that checked all the tickets and allowed passage, holding strips of paper in her hand and showing them to his near-blind (and very careless) eyes. If he could see much, he must not have been looking hard, for anyone could have told him that the strips of paper were torn from a flyer, and rather jaggedly at that. He only grunted in response, waving a meaty hand passing them in.


Nell had to admit that she was clever for having noticed the man didn't really check tickets, and lucky that he couldn't really see them anyway. But regardless, it was naughty behavior that he disapproved of greatly.


"Oh, pooh," she retorted, playfully slapping his shoulder. "It's not as if I pick-pocketed. I only played a little slight." He rolled his eyes.


"Trickery is devilish," he muttered. He looked to his companions and wore an awkward smile that said, I am so very sorry, it wasn't my idea, and if her trouble-making has any ill-effect upon any of you, I should feel even sorrier. Of course, he couldn't say it out loud. He didn't think it would help, anyway. He glanced to Charlotte again, who sat happy as can be as the last of the patrons settled into their seats, and the scuffling on stage foreshadowed the soon start of the play. He smiled. I still do not approve, though.

 

[Lucyfer]

The group got lucky. All seating was arranged, but somehow the five of them managed to take seats that went unclaimed. Lucius had been muttering under his breath the entire time in Latin, expecting trouble was soon to come and Dawn’s reputation would be shot because they’d be caught. Fortunately, no trouble came.


They settled into their seats, “You ever seen the Phantom of the Opera, Amenset?” Dawn ventured to ask, and she shook her head. It was obvious Nell hadn’t, or at least, it seemed to be considering he never got out of his house, so asking him was pointless. Lottie might have seen it before.


“Not a fan of these romantic dramas,” she answered dismissively, “It doesn’t touch on anything relevant. I’m surprised we still keep showing these human dramas,” she crossed her arms.


“Nostalgia,” Lucius answered the unasked. “Every time Oedipus Rex is on, I go to see it. Quite a few Greeks in attendance, too,” his eyes skimmed the crowd, “I’ll imagine most the vampires here are from the early 1900s or late 1800s,” which fit with Dawn’s era rather nicely.


Then, the theater started to darken, and Lucius quickly shut his mouth.

 

[phantompierrot]

The excitement rolling off of Charlotte was quite palpable. She wore a smile spanning ear to ear, her heart thrumming excitedly as the play began to unfold on stage. Her eyes were glued to the actors and actresses, the beautiful set arranged. The lights reflected in her ocean eyes like stars. She seemed totally immersed in it, unlike Nell, who was finding it quite hard to focus. It wasn't as though the play wasn't interesting, or good, but something else crawled beneath his skin. The Globe was enormous, filled with too many people that felt too close to him. His stomach fluttered, his hands a little shakier than he would have liked. He felt suffocated, overwhelmed. Perhaps I do need to get out a little bit more, he admitted to himself. He fidgeted a little in his seat.


Then he froze. Something felt wrong all of a sudden. Goose-prickles appeared on his arms, the hair on his neck standing up. He shook off a nervous chill. Nell looked around, careful not to move too much. He could feel a pair of eyes coming from somewhere, watching with catlike intensity. The others did not appear to notice, all trained on the play. Rubbing at the back of his neck to calm the goose-prickles, he tried to push back the uncertain feeling in his gut and watch the play. At the current point, the Phantom kidnapped Christine once again in an attempt to force her to marry him. Charlotte held her hands over her mouth in shock. His skin began to prickle again. While everyone was occupied with the play, he turned his head just enough to see over his shoulder, his eyes connecting directly with the hard stare of someone else.


They were being watched.

 

[Lucyfer]

Amenset was bored. She didn’t even bother to pretend like she was interested in the events going on. She leaned back in her seat, stretching out, and then let her mind shut out the world around her. She delved into thoughts of how she intended to proceed once she was allowed use of the dhampir besides her.


Dawn was mildly interested in the story as it was unfolding, but the sad truth of it was that she didn’t know how to relate. Lucius related better, being from a time when women were given little choice. He remembered the plight of his relatives while he was human, of how one cousin had cried bitterly over her arrangement and screamed that she hated the man.


Society hadn’t worked off the idea of love, though. Lucius wasn’t sure which was truly better. Independently arranged things rarely took into consideration the family one was joining. ‘And family is everything.’ Even vampires had them, their sires and their childes, the rare dhampir, and even some humans became a part of their created family.


It was thus only Amenset who noticed the way that Nell reacted, when she came out of her reverie as the crowd gasped. She blinked twice, then turned her dark eyes towards those with her. Nell wasn’t looking at the stage. She turned her head to try and see just what he was looking at.

 

[phantompierrot]

Charlotte didn't see the pair of eyes that stared Nell down, nor did she appreciate him pulling her away from the story, just as it had gotten more and more intense. She insisted that there were many eyes all around them, and his constant fretting was at work again. She told him to relax, enjoy the play, but he knew those eyes were there.


But whose eyes were they?


The face was indiscernible in the darkness of the theatre. One would think that for someone with such a strong sense of smell, his eyes would have been sharper. It seems that becoming a creature of the night does not promise all of the perks of a nocturnal being. Turning around once more, he caught Amenset's gaze. Can you see them? he mouthed. Someone is staring at us. Nell was unable to pick out their scent over the distinctive smells of all others in attendance and their overwhelming perfumes. It bothered him to no end, and when Charlotte tugged his sleeve to pull him back to the play, he was more agitated than he should have been. He could feel it in his bones that something was not right.

 

[Lucyfer]

Amenset did not see Nell directly, but she saw his lips move and understood what he was trying to ask. She could see who it was, their gaze was intense, but they were too far for her to make out anything recognizable. There was also the same issue of scent that Nell was having. She couldn’t focus.'Be nothing. Be nothing.' Like Nell, though, she had a bad feeling. She understood that sort of look. She'd lived long enough. She just hadn't been certain who, exactly, it had been pointed towards.


Her eyes moved to Nell, and she gave a shrug, before settling back into her seat.


If nothing else, they had made the individual aware of the fact that they knew they were being watched. Sometimes, that was enough to stave off trouble.


Lucius and Dawn never once looked back as the others moved around them, not interested in what drew their attention. Lucius did shoot Nell a nasty look for all his fidgeting about in his seat, the suggestion he should ‘settle down’ written in the look. He just wanted to watch the show in peace to the end.

 

[phantompierrot]

Nell caught Lucius's gaze, and abruptly turned back around and sat still in his seat, but not after stealing one last glance over his shoulder. Whoever it was, they disappeared, as did the burning sensation on the back of his neck. The play came to its dramatic close, and as the attendees stood to leave Charlotte put her arm through Nell's and waltzed out with the group. Nell felt a little at ease, a little discomforted. Partly by the stranger, but also due to the fact that he was unsure of what to do now. What do I do with a bundle of near strangers? He thought of inviting them to his own estate, but then at the same time he thought it was a stupid idea. Surely they had things of their own to do. Maybe I invite them for another time. Yes, that sounds good enough. It would appease Lottie too, I think.





"Erm," he began, an awkward but very genuine smile spreading his lips, "it was quite nice meeting all of you, a-and I should hope that we could cross paths once again, perhaps in the near future? I think that I quite enjoy the company of you all." Lottie squeezed his arm and beamed at him, appeased at his good efforts for the day.


"Likewise," she agreed cheerfully. "I do quite like you all as well. I think we should all meet again soon, too."

 

[Lucyfer]

The play ended, and they all exited the theater together with minimal jostling. “That wasn’t so bad,” Lucius commented.


“Eh,” Amenset shrugged one shoulder.


“You didn’t even pay attention,” Dawn noted.


Their conversation carried no further as they stepped out into the night air, and Nell spoke to them. His smile, though clearly untrained, was all the more endearing for its sincerity. Amenset practically squealed. “Yes, we should cross paths again!” Amenset said, then motioned to Dawn, “Paper?”


Dawn drew a small notebook out from her purse, along with a pen. Amenset took both and wrote down her phone number on it, and then ripped the page out, “You can reach me there, and I will likely be with or near the other two. I’m staying at Dawn’s place while I’m in town,” she noted.

 

[phantompierrot]

"Oh, thank you!" Th excitement in Nell's voice was heartwarming. He was glad to have been able to make friends, and Charlotte felt much the same. She felt a little more a part of Nell's world, though more proud that Nell felt more a part of his own, too. "I'll be sure to call sometime." A glimmer in Charlotte's eye caught his attention, and he wondered again if she perhaps was jealous. Well now that would certainly be something, he thought. "Um, good luck with all of this um, council business that you have. I-I'm sorry that I really wasn't much help at all, but I'm sure you're more capable than me," he addressed to the three. "I hope that it works out in your favor."


After exchanging good-nights and farewells, the party split and all departed in their separate ways. Charlotte pinched Nell's cheek playfully and praised him for trying.


"Look at you, making so many new friends all at once! Now that wasn't so bad at all, was it?" Nell admitted that he might have, perhaps, possibly, made a bigger deal of it than he needed to have. Charlotte bit back her comment on how big a deal a few hundred years really was, and instead remarked, "and a certain lady seems to have taken quite a liking to you."


"N-nonsense, she likes me as the others do." She rolled her eyes with a devious smile, and Nell couldn't hep but retort, "It wasn't as though I was getting fresh with her, as you were with the boy in the lobby!" Charlotte gasped in disbelief.


"I did no such thing! T'was no more than friendly conversation."


"I'm sure that's what someone would say if they were trying to hide what really went on," Nell replied with a laugh. Charlotte bumped him with her hips and tossed her head the opposite way, though he could still see the pink blush that had crawled over her cheeks. Oh, I've gone and embarrassed her! Though he didn't particularly feel bad for it. It was nice to laugh and really feel it, and it was nice to know there were new friends to keep under his belt. Perhaps I really should call them up again, he thought as they made their way home, unaware of the eyes that watched them as they went.

 

[Lucyfer]

The trio turned back towards the direction of the home of Dawn, and Lucius wondered aloud, “I wonder what happened to him.”


“Mm?” Amenset let her dark eyes shift to take in Lucius.


“It’s odd,” Dawn echoed, “Nell is known, when he is known, as the recluse. He is as old as I am, and he has been this way for all his life. I think he must not have had a good sire.”


“But then who is his sire?” Amenset inquired. A pause, “Doesn’t anyone know?” Lucius and Dawn shook their heads. “Well what do you two know?”


“He interests you, doesn’t he?” Lucius teased, and he watched heat rise in those cheeks, a flush of color. He wasn’t sure if it was anger or embarrassment. “Is he some new project for you?”


“Hardly,” Amenset huffed, “But you should have known who his sires were. Your father ruled London even then.”


“I know,” Dawn acknowledged, “but his sire was never known to us. What I recall was that he killed his entire family, and my father had to…well, step in with the human officials.” Dawn didn’t know this cycle had continued, though. She thought it just once.


“Not a good sire at all,” Amenset muttered. “Perhaps he killed them.”


“Who knows?” Lucius shrugged, “I doubt he’d want to talk of it. Speaking of,” as if to prove a point, “have you ever tracked down your sire, Amenset?”


She bristled. Her eyes burned and she fought for a few moments with her fangs that wanted to extend at the mere thought of her sire, and all the ways she’d tear him to pieces. The word she hissed out was not English, but Egyptian. It needed no translation. She had not found her sire. “May Ra burn him,” she spoke at last in English, “if it is mercy he is to have.”


“He may already be dead.”


Amenset shook her head, denying it. Ra wouldn’t deny her the pleasure of seeing his death. That much, she was certain of.


Before the trio made it to the house, announcements were being made of Trevor’s formal party the next night, as a welcome for all the vampires from abroad. No words needed to be spoken to understand they were all going to have to go, and Dawn was going to have to find a way to show Trevor up at his own party.

 

[phantompierrot]

"My, my, don't you look dapper?" Charlotte stood in the doorway, looking at Nell with a charming smile. He stood before a full-length mirror, donning a charcoal suit and matching cravat, his hair pulled into a half-ponytail. He looked rather mature this way, as opposed to his typical shabby manner of dressing (as he did not put in as much effort into his outfits as he ought to). In the glass, his reflection stood tall and confident, posed with an air Charlotte had never seen on him before. Of course, as soon as she appeared it vanished, turning him shy and embarrassed.


Charlotte stood clad in a black dress compiled from a motley of different but attractively miscellaneous materials, her hair hanging loose around her thin shoulders. "You remind me of Queen Victoria, a little bit," Nell told her as she stepped forward. She was the Queen in the 1800s, when I was a young boy. After her husband died, she wore mourning blacks until the end of her days." Truth be told, Nell couldn't think of any time he had seen Charlotte wearing color. She always wore black, and nothing else. I wonder if she is a little Queen Victoria that way, he thought. "But you do look very lovely, Lottie."


"Thank you." He smiled, tucking a stray hair back into place, brushing his knuckles lightly over her cheek. It fluttered both their stomachs, and Nell had to turn away to hide his rising blush. He looked down at his watch. "Oh, Lottie, it's time to go!" Both of them picked up their coats and strolled out, ducking into the sleek black car as the driver started the engine. Nell couldn't help but be a bit nervous, for multiple reasons. Of course, the most obvious being his social issues. Those didn't fade overnight, and he was wary and anxious, but he was also unsure of Charlotte tagging along with him. Not that he didn't want her there, but just having so many vampires around a puny human made him worry. And he knew not all vampires could be so fond of humans as he.


Well, surely she will be safe with many eyes around her. Amenset, Dawn, and Lucius would be there as well. Surely he could trust them with his dearest friend. As long as I keep her on my arm, I think Lottie will be okay. Peering out the window, he watched the scenery go by as they drove to the party held by a certain electric blue vampire that Nell hadn't forgotten about.

 

[Lucyfer]

“Shouldn’t you be in a toga?”


Amenset could hardly believe that rather than a toga, Lucius was decked out in ceremonial Centurion armor, gold and black plating rather than the red and black. It was not ancient. Lucius had armor made in the styles he loved constantly, and even had modern-day togas that had the emblems of today’s worlds, so people would know when they looked at him, how he ranked in the vampire world.


No one today understood what the stripes meant. “I don’t feel it would be in any of our best interests for me to be in a toga.” Lucius answered her, looking her over. She was dressed in white, but it was not any style from Egypt that he knew, although it was a sheathe dress. It was her jewelry that would truly remind people of who she was. In particular, there was a topaz sun, on a golden necklace that fell over the white cloth. Turquoise and gold bangles were on her arms and ears, and the high heels she donned were also gold and strappy. “Besides, you are not appropriately clothed, either.”


“None of us are,” came Dawn’s voice as she joined them, hair up, ringlets framing her face. Her dress was more in line with modern styles, and a deep burgundy color. The skirt was in the hi-low style, with ruffles opening it in the front so her long legs could be seen, and the pretty black shoes. The heels were low, though.


Dawn was a little bit practical. The skirt was this design in case she needed to run, she didn’t want to be tripping over something as long as Amenset’s. “The rivalries between the time periods and age are ridiculous.”


“Only because you’re a young vampire,” Amenset chuckled, and motioned for her to come over.


Dawn was paler. A black choker was hiding marks on her neck left by Amenset—not from fangs, but needles. Amenset had wanted blood to test on. Makeup covered the bags under her eyes, but Amenset wanted to scrutinize the appearance. She put a hand under Dawn’s chin and tilted her head this way and that. “Hold on,” she sighed, and then went back to her room. She returned with a bit of eyeliner, and quickly made a wing tipped design on either eye. “That should hide it a bit….” The shadow of the black would make the bags not so obvious. She gave a nod to herself, tucked the eyeliner into the golden purse at her side, “Let’s go!”


Lucius stepped up to take Dawn’s arm, and the trio exited the house for the place Trevor had decided to host his party at.


~***~


Viktor was a mostly unwilling guest. He almost turned right around as he heard the music blaring out—some electronic crap mixed with an orchestra. He grit his teeth as he saw in the doors the strange mixture of people dressed nicely, and the flash of multi-colored lights. ‘I do hate your tastes.’


Last time he’d seen Trevor, he had blonde hair tipped red. Now he had blue hair. Viktor wouldn’t be surprised if he walked in there and it was, once again, different. The thought alone made him want to run. His skin was already crawling.


However, he also knew what was going to happen. Trevor was going to try to kill Dawn here. He hadn’t said it to anyone, but Viktor knew how Trevor operated, and it was not with subtlety. Given, it would probably be poison that did the job, but he’d gloat like the idiot he was.


So, with a resigned sigh, Viktor walked up the marble steps in his tail coated white suit and fur, and entered the terrible, terrible party.

 

[phantompierrot]

Much to Nell's relief, finding the others proved to be quite easy. Not all of the guests had arrived quite yet, leaving enough space to see through the clusters of vampires scattered around the room. However, there was still the matter of all the eyes that stared in his direction. With human Charlotte on his arm, he drew quite a bit of attention. Some faces clearly showed disdain and disgust, while others were more on the curious side. Some faces hardly seemed to care, only turned to see what everyone else stared so intently at. Even Charlotte was bothered by it, and kept her eyes turned straight ahead. In a room full of vampires, she knew her place, and would not dare to leave it.


"G-good evening," Nell greeted the trio with his trademark smile, angled with his bashfulness. Charlotte nodded her greetings. "If I may, does this um, party have any p-particular porpoise - I mean, purpose?" Charlotte had to turn away to avoid laughing, and had to fight it even more when she felt the dirty look he gave her. She felt other dirty looks upon her as well,which quickly killed the laughter bubbling in her tummy.


But not so much as the flash of someone who looked dreadfully familiar. Only for a second did she that person, and she questioned then if she hadn't simply imagined the passing figure. But passing between clumps of people was someone - a fat, squatty someone - who looked oddly like a deranged woman she had known. You're being ridiculous, she told herself. Marya could not possibly be here. Suddenly she felt as ridiculous as she had thought Nell the night previous, for insisting that someone watched from the back rows with a sinister glare. She pulled her eyes back to her group to focus on them. But the uneasiness that crept into her stomach didn't seem to want to leave.

 

[Lucyfer]

Humans were noticeable, though not really to the dhampir. Lucius let his eyes roam the room, and he noticed some humans were present as waiters and his nose wrinkled in disgust. He knew many of them would be used as ‘live’ food. He certainly wasn’t opposed, but there was a look of fear in many of their eyes that bothered him. ‘Much needs to change.’ While Lucius believed it, he didn’t believe he was the one to create that change.


It was why he would always stand by the Hesperus family.


Dawn was scanning the crowd for the blue-haired man shortly after they entered the room of flashing lights, but he wasn’t immediately noticeable. “Where is…,” but her attention was distracted when Amenset grabbed her wrist.


“This way!” And immediately Dawn was pulled not to Trevor, but towards Nell and Charlotte. Lucius rolled his eyes, following a step behind.


“Good evening,” Dawn returned his greeting, as Amenset smiled broadly, almost triumphantly. Then, she also had to stifle her laughter at the word ‘porpoise’.


Lucius answered, “If you recall, Trevor wanted to rule this area,” he said, “This is a way for Trevor to show off and rub elbows with people he otherwise wouldn’t get to interact much with. It’s his bid for power. The purpose is just for Trevor to show off his wealth and organizing skills.”


“Political nonsense,” Amenset waved her hand in a dismissive fashion, “You two look splendid! Although, so much black,” she looked a bit disappointed as her eyes looked over Lottie, clearly thinking the young girl needed more color on her face or something.


“Lady Hesperus.”


Viktor interrupted the group, approaching them. Lucius’s back immediately went as straight as a rod.

 

[phantompierrot]

"Oh." Nell did not personally agree with Trevor's methods, finding them a little childish and lacking the grace and elegance someone of power would be expected to have. But then, maybe he had fallen a little behind with the common customs of soirees these days. I could do better, he thought. And he truly believed he could, though he didn't have any intentions of trying. He kept these opinions to himself, though, knowing better than to talk negatively in that way.


At the sudden sound of Viktor's voice Nell stiffened, tightening his arm entwined with Charlotte's and tugging her a little closer. Her eyes flickered on him, but he didn't meet her gaze. Instead, he dropped his eyes to the floor and took on an air of utter submission that he put a wounded dog to shame. Charlotte dropped her eyes, too. She had not been in such close proximity to Viktor, and she could easily see what it was that perturbed Nell so. For the first time in a long while, she felt a little afraid. And perhaps she should be.

 

[Lucyfer]

Amenset did not stiffen the way that Lucius did, nor did she drop her gaze as Nell did. Viktor was intimidating, but she always humored the thought that they couldn’t have been that much different so far as age went.


Except, even she knew it wasn’t true, from everyone one-on-one conversation they’d had over the years. There were still concepts that seemed foreign to Viktor, which Amenset had always known. Money, for instance, had a tendency to throw Viktor into a fit of laughter.


Viktor was older than currency. He barely noticed how Nell and Charlotte averted their eyes. He didn’t notice how Lucius’s posture suggested offense, nor how Amenset was trying to catch his eye. His attention fell on Dawn Hesperus. “Trevor has been asking for you.”


‘You serve as messenger now?’ Lucius wanted to ask, but bit his own tongue.


“I have been wanting to know if this human is with you.” His eyes didn’t stray to Charlotte.


“She is with Nell,” Dawn answered calmly. She knew her own heart was betraying her own fears about Viktor with each quick beat it made. In a group meeting, he was easier to bear. Like this, it was difficult. Instinctually, she knew it was ridiculous. Viktor was just another vampire, yet her heart beat as if he was some sort of monster—something like the rumored wendigos. “Is there a problem, Lord Belun?”


He was calm as he said, “This is not their world and they have no place here.”


“You are forgetting that you were once human.” Lucius sucked in a breath at the statement Dawn made.


Dawn wanted to take the words back almost immediately. Viktor just arched one single, white eyebrow, mocking her assumption with a simple, “Oh?” As if he’d ever been human. “But you have never been. I am not sure you can ever know what is best for them, as I can, having been one,” he dared to say, and then motioned her off, “Trevor,” was his reminder, and Dawn inclined her head in spite of herself, and hurried off.

 

[phantompierrot]

Nell pulled Charlotte even closer, casting a nervous glance in her direction. He wanted to say, you don't know what you're talking about. Humans belong here just the same, and you couldn't possibly know what's best for them. I live with one, I have more authority to say I know than you. But of course, he wouldn't dare speak a lick of it, not even if he wanted to. Instead he said, "I-I prefer to feed from a live source, Y-Your Lordship." It was a bit of a thin explanation in his own opinion, but at least it was better than explaining that he treasured Charlotte more than anyone else in the world. Now that would cause issues, especially in the face of someone so disdainful of humans.


The scar on Charlotte's neck tingled in remembrance of being bitten. In truth, Nell didn't particularly like biting (but then, he did not like anything that caused pain to anyone), and refused to do it often. But at the same time, he did not like blood if it wasn't entirely fresh. It was stagnant coming from a bottle or a glass or anywhere else, tasting old and almost stale. It had been quite some time since he had bitten her, and even then it had taken a bit of coaxing to prevent some certain issues from arising otherwise. Knowing that made his excuse for her even weaker. But Viktor wouldn't know it, and she supposed that was all that mattered.

 

[Lucyfer]

“There are plenty of live sources here,” Viktor motioned out idly towards the crowd, where some humans were serving as waiters, and were assumed ‘live sources’.


“It hardly matters, Viktor,” Amenset said, waving it off in a dismissive fashion, “Did you need anything else from us?” Lucius was starting to step back and away from the group to follow after Dawn.


Viktor shook his head, and let his eyes move over Amenset, Charlotte, and Nell. No, he didn’t have a reason, but he was interested in this supposed recluse vampire who had been at the meeting. “Who is your sire?” Viktor asked point-blank. “Who are you, truly?” It was always strange when he didn’t know someone at those meetings. He knew the ambitious.


Trevor was not difficult to find, when Dawn actually looked. He was near the stairs up to the second floor, leaning against the railing and chatting with a few others that Dawn recognized. When Dawn approached, a few moved out of the way and let her have a space. “Trevor, Lord Belun said you wanted me?”


His eyes lit up, almost as bright a blue as his hair, “I did, yes! You see, I wanted to propose that we work together here, since you’ve lived here your whole life, and I’m older.” Lucius stepped up behind Dawn and put a hand on her back, drawing Trevor’s gaze for a moment. It quickly went back to Dawn.

 

[phantompierrot]

Who am I? Nell was almost dumbfounded. He had to take a moment to think about it, struck by the odd question. It wasn't as though it was a difficult question to answer, he knew who he was, but it was oddly prodding.


"E-Earl Charles Heartwood," he answered, eyes downcast. His father had been a very important, influential man, and now what was Nell? A shame, he thought glumly. He could feel Charlotte's wide-eyed stare. He never did tell her that part. "B-But my family has, erm, wavered in the p-past centuries." More like faced extinction, but that was just a little detail he didn't feel privy to share. "I-I'm sort of the um, the last living member." It saddened him to talk about it. Over three hundred years had passed, but even that much time did not entirely soften the blow of losing beloved members of his very own blood. He shifted uncomfortably on his feet.

 

[Lucyfer]

Viktor’s gaze remained calm and eerily unblinking as he listened to Nell, forgetting to perform the human functions that many vampires still did out of habit. He didn’t need to blink. He didn’t even need to breathe unless he was going to talk, and so he neglected to do that while he listened.


“So you did not turn your family, nor did anyone else,” he had concluded that much. He knew Nell was older than 50, so if he had family, they would have had to be vampires. With breathing came the memory of blinking, and so at last he performed that task, “How then did you end up as one of us?” Nell had not named his sire, which was honestly what Viktor was most interested in.


Amenset bit her tongue. She knew it was an unpleasant topic for Nell, if what Lucius and Dawn said were true. She didn’t understand why Viktor had a fascination with the recluse. She didn’t detect malice, which also baffled her. Usually he was probing when he wanted someone to hurt.


By the stairs, Dawn answered, “Trevor, I do not intend to share power with you unless I am the one who is the de facto leader.”


Trevor blew a strand of hair out of his face, the sound alone expressing his dissatisfaction with that idea. “Lucius, leave us.”


“Antonius to you.”


“Antony.” Dawn could feel Lucius bristle in the way his hand tightened its grip on her shoulder. It was actually painful, but Dawn refused to show it. “Go away. Dawn and I need to chat without you.” He looked to the others nearby, and they took the hint. They scattered.


“Boy,” he adopted a tone that the infamous Marcus Antonius once had, and he raised himself up, looked down his nose at Trevor, “I am at least five hundred years your senior, if not older. You will not order me.”


This was the kind of stuff that Kichiro had expected to hear about at the meeting, that he was now seeing as he approached Trevor with the blood that had been ordered. He made no eye contact with anyone, but offered, “Sir Lynn.”


“He’s Boy Lynn now.”


Trevor now bristled. He didn’t take the bait, but grabbed two of the cups and put one in Lucius’s hand, and the other in Dawn’s, before he took one for himself. Kichiro bowed out quickly, hoping this wouldn’t escalate further. “Lucius, I can handle this,” Dawn said when the human waiter left. “Go check in with your friends.”


Lucius huffed, but pushed himself away. He knew he had a temper problem at times. Another reason he had little ambition to rule—he saw what that did to the rest of his family.

 

[phantompierrot]

"Bitten, a-as any other v-vampire would be," Nell answered, the lead weight in his stomach growing heavier by the second. "By some man who's l-lost his face to me by now. A, um, Mr. Blanks, i-if I remember it all correctly." He fell silent for a moment. Then, with some sudden spur of courage, asked, "what d-does it matter to you? Er, Y-Your Lordship?"


Charlotte studied him, frowning. She could see it in his eyes that Nell did not lose the face of that man at all. He remembered it like it were yesterday, even now. Like this, he was sure to depress himself, and when he had his low moments, it was a bit of work to pull him out of them. She dared to glimpse at Viktor, who towered over her and Nell. What is it that he wants from Nell? With the reputation that he had, Nell appeared as useful as a coon hound afraid of raccoons. She seemed no point in questioning him. She hardly believed he had anything of real importance to say - at least, to someone of Viktor's position. She looked to Amenset, who appeared equally baffled. Her frown deepened, dropping her gaze to nothing in particular.

 

[Lucyfer]

Nell was not a good liar.


Viktor’s eyes burned into him, and he canted his head in amusement when Nell threw a question back at him. His lips curled into a smile, “I was curious who, exactly, I needed to destroy. They did not do a good job in teaching you the ropes, and they need to be reminded that to sire someone is to take responsibility for them. I really ought to be purging you, as well,” he opened his left hand and the nails caught the light.


When Amenset stepped forward, as he knew she would, he pretended to reconsider, “Though I suppose you are beginning to learn now how to be what you truly are.”


“If you need to purge anyone, you need to purge my sire.”


“Your sire is likely dead,” Viktor said, crossing his arm over his chest and hiding the nails against the fabric of his attire. “Not that either of us would ever, truly, know them.”


And then, there was an outcry from near the stairs. Amenset saw Trevor covered in blood, and a cup dangling from Dawn’s fingers.


When Lucius left, Dawn swirled the liquid in her cup and asked, “What do you even want here, Trevor?” She brought the cup to her lips, but paused.


One advantage of humanity was a palette that actually knew other flavors. She still ate vegetables and things like that, after all. She recognized something off, and so held it near her lips, but kept her gaze intent on Trevor. “I only get to rule a very small location there, and the dude in charge of the upper Northeast isn’t dying anytime soon.”


“No one thought Lord Hesperus would die soon, either,” she dared to taste it, and understood immediately what it was. She didn’t swallow, but let it wash back into the cup, “I also will not be dying anytime soon, Trevor.” Without ceremony, Dawn flung the contents of the cup onto Trevor, who let out a surprised shout at the feel of it. “Really, poison a dhampir?” She didn’t speak loud enough for others to hear.


Not that he’d know how stupid it was. Human palette and vampire sensitivities made it the worst possible route to go.

 

[phantompierrot]

Charlotte could not conceal her gasp at Viktor's threat. You will not harm a hair on his head! Was her first thought. Her second was, why would he want to, anyway? Her eyes trained on his hand concealing the nails, watching intently as though she expected him to try something in that very instant.


Nell stood staunchly in discomforted silence, a lump weighing down his stomach and causing him to feel nauseous. He already disliked this man, but now he disliked him a hundred times more. He didn't like his presence, the way he looked, the way he talked, the way he threatened. He would have thought of other things he didn't like if it weren't from the commotion that snapped his attention away. Now, Nell was gaping at the sight of Trevor drenched in blood (and at the stench, even from his standpoint). Dawn wore an air of superiority over the other vampire, looking powerful where the other looked like the loser in a game. What in the hell happened there?