Satis House

[XCandy and LunacyX]

For several long moments Antha sat silently stroking Amadeo's back, considering the possible outcomes of her revealing the truth of it to him. He would think her wicked certainly, but then again maybe it was best he found out before Antha became attached. "It was the only use my father ever proved to me," she said finally, her voice steady and just barely soft in a hesitant manner. "Besides, he had already stained the sheets with blood. I couldn't very well just leave the rest of it to gush out and spill over onto the floor. Even regardless of the fact that it would have stained the floors, there would have been vampires flocking here in no time. I've seen it too often." Thinking on it, she felt that she was a sick, monstrous creature. But considering the person she spoke of, she delighted in every last part of it. After everything Antha had been put through as a child, it was a lovely thought that she had been able to desecrate his corpse in such a way.

 

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

For several long moments Antha sat silently stroking Amadeo's back, considering the possible outcomes of her revealing the truth of it to him. He would think her wicked certainly, but then again maybe it was best he found out before Antha became attached. "It was the only use my father ever proved to me," she said finally, her voice steady and just barely soft in a hesitant manner. "Besides, he had already stained the sheets with blood. I couldn't very well just leave the rest of it to gush out and spill over onto the floor. Even regardless of the fact that it would have stained the floors, there would have been vampires flocking here in no time. I've seen it too often." Thinking on it, she felt that she was a sick, monstrous creature. But considering the person she spoke of, she delighted in every last part of it. After everything Antha had been put through as a child, it was a lovely thought that she had been able to desecrate his corpse in such a way.

His gaze did not waver from the vial. "I see." he said simply. There was something in her voice--some subtle harmonic, twist of the words, that made him think--perhaps--it was for the better. And it would have been a waste. That was true, although a display of sensibilities that others might have considered rather morbid. But what was a vampire to speak of morbid? He unstoppered the small vial. The blood was not fresh, from a living body, and thus caused him no distress in his--overexerted state, but Vikteren turned slightly away from Antha before he drank. Perhaps from a sort of shame, that he partook of her race in her presence.  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

She kept quiet as he drank, staring through the frosted glass and out onto the iced swampland that stretched out on all sides. Beyond the skeletal trees, the twinkling lights of Osiris City shone like jewels embroidered into the black of the night sky.
But this couldn't quite distract her; her fever had risen slightly and her throat was dry, choking out a small cough from her. But even this small occurrence seemed draining for her so that for a moment she sat back in the chair listlessly, one cold hand put to her forehead and eventually down to her eyes as the other lay against the top of Amadeo's head. "Ashes, ashes, we all fall down." She said this very softly, barely realizing it had been aloud. For some reason that single line came to mind every time she felt weakened or faint and often she couldn't help but to whisper it. And for a moment, however fleeting, she did feel somewhat better.

 

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

She kept quiet as he drank, staring through the frosted glass and out onto the iced swampland that stretched out on all sides. Beyond the skeletal trees, the twinkling lights of Osiris City shone like jewels embroidered into the black of the night sky.
But this couldn't quite distract her; her fever had risen slightly and her throat was dry, choking out a small cough from her. But even this small occurrence seemed draining for her so that for a moment she sat back in the chair listlessly, one cold hand put to her forehead and eventually down to her eyes as the other lay against the top of Amadeo's head. "Ashes, ashes, we all fall down." She said this very softly, barely realizing it had been aloud. For some reason that single line came to mind every time she felt weakened or faint and often she couldn't help but to whisper it. And for a moment, however fleeting, she did feel somewhat better.

He stood beside her suddenly. "Ashes to ashes," he murmured. "From a funeral mass. Cinis cineris ut Cinis cineris..." His eyes were stark emeralds again, watching her through raven-black hair. "Do you have no medicine?" he asked softly.  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

Startled, she sat stark still for a moment before she realized it was him beside her. "Only weak things that will do me no good, medicine for colds and the like that Julien and Michael have thrown at me over the years." As she spoke, Amadeo rose precariously to his feet and, to Antha's dismay, hopped down to the cold floor before traipsing outside and down the hallway, presumably to Antha's room for the warmth it alone held. And with him gone Antha was again somewhat bitter as she lay her arms down uselessly on either armrest. "At any rate," she continued, "It's nothing of any importance. I'm constantly sick." A faint little laugh escaped her lips as she thoughts on this, "It'll be the death of me." Like to any mortal, this thought terrified Antha to a point where she was silent again, sitting dark eyed as she was wrapped up in her own thoughts.

 

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

Startled, she sat stark still for a moment before she realized it was him beside her. "Only weak things that will do me no good, medicine for colds and the like that Julien and Michael have thrown at me over the years." As she spoke, Amadeo rose precariously to his feet and, to Antha's dismay, hopped down to the cold floor before traipsing outside and down the hallway, presumably to Antha's room for the warmth it alone held. And with him gone Antha was again somewhat bitter as she lay her arms down uselessly on either armrest. "At any rate," she continued, "It's nothing of any importance. I'm constantly sick." A faint little laugh escaped her lips as she thoughts on this, "It'll be the death of me." Like to any mortal, this thought terrified Antha to a point where she was silent again, sitting dark eyed as she was wrapped up in her own thoughts.

"Then why do you not let yourself heal?" he asked, sensing the fear that had become so familiar to him. Fear of death--of the unknown. "You wear yourself thin." Vikteren said quietly. "You cannot heal like this."  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

"And what does it matter?" she asked softly, gently pushing herself up from the chair, "If I don't heal and lay uselessly like an invalid in Mayfair Manor or, better yet, if I die then maybe they'll all leave me the hell alone." Somewhere in her mind she added that she wished that every last one of them would just leave her be. But this she knew wasn't true; given that there were a handful of Mayfairs she couldn't stand and would quite like to kill---Julien, Barclay, Mary Jane, and Madison for example---, most of the members of her family asked nothing of Antha. A good number even genuinely loved her. So she couldn't righteously complain about every last one of them. Instead she took up her position standing by the window again, her hands pressing down on the frigid wooden windowsill. "But again, it's nothing of any importance. A better question would be are you feeling at all better yet?" Turning her eyes briefly on him before redirecting them to the trees outside, it was apparent that she was honestly worried about him.

 

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

"And what does it matter?" she asked softly, gently pushing herself up from the chair, "If I don't heal and lay uselessly like an invalid in Mayfair Manor or, better yet, if I die then maybe they'll all leave me the hell alone." Somewhere in her mind she added that she wished that every last one of them would just leave her be. But this she knew wasn't true; given that there were a handful of Mayfairs she couldn't stand and would quite like to kill---Julien, Barclay, Mary Jane, and Madison for example---, most of the members of her family asked nothing of Antha. A good number even genuinely loved her. So she couldn't righteously complain about every last one of them. Instead she took up her position standing by the window again, her hands pressing down on the frigid wooden windowsill. "But again, it's nothing of any importance. A better question would be are you feeling at all better yet?" Turning her eyes briefly on him before redirecting them to the trees outside, it was apparent that she was honestly worried about him.

"I--" he stopped, looked at her. "Yes. I am." He circled the chair and knelt, to better face her. "Antha--" he began, wondering how to broach the subject. Well, you've saved my not-life and I feel bad about it, mind if I swear myself into your servitude until I feel that you have been adequately repaid? Oh, and by the way, if I don't, that-which-binds will probably rip me apart somehow, I don't know, I've never tried to go without repaying someone like this. Probably not. Lacked a certain subtlety.  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

"That's good," she said softly, voice mirroring her relief. As he knelt, her great eyes blinked curiously as she watched him very carefully, trying her best to divine his reasoning for such a bizarre gesture. She briefly considered prying into his thoughts, but decided quickly against it. "Vikteren---" She thought to ask him his reasoning, but she could find not a word to express her question properly. To ask if he was alright seemed insulting given the case and to ask what he was doing would be rude as far as she was concerned. So she sat helplessly silent, able to do no better than let curiosity overtake her expression to try and convey her question.

 

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

"That's good," she said softly, voice mirroring her relief. As he knelt, her great eyes blinked curiously as she watched him very carefully, trying her best to divine his reasoning for such a bizarre gesture. She briefly considered prying into his thoughts, but decided quickly against it. "Vikteren---" She thought to ask him his reasoning, but she could find not a word to express her question properly. To ask if he was alright seemed insulting given the case and to ask what he was doing would be rude as far as she was concerned. So she sat helplessly silent, able to do no better than let curiosity overtake her expression to try and convey her question.

He sighed, lowered his eyes, and began. Best to get it over with, from the look in her eyes. "You have done me a service tonight, whether you realized it or not. That-which-binds has deemed it a service that I must repay, that the balance between us might be restored. I ask that you might allow me to repay it in some form. Command me as you must."  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

"Eh...?" She hadn't the slightest idea how to respond to such a thing; she was used to a quick thanks, a kiss on the hand, and a departure. Then again, more often than not it was her useless brother whom she had to assist. "There's...really no need for such a thing..." she began hesitantly, a nervous smile to her lips and slight blush to her cheeks. "I did what I pleased. If you must, think of my assistance as a thank you for sparing Sleet." She still had it in her mind that Vikteren most likely couldn't harm that monster, but still she was grateful. And thinking on it more, she came to a new conclusion. "If you think about it, I'm the one who owes you. Knowing my luck, had there not been a vampire with my in the crypts tonight they probably would have sensed my presence. I wouldn't stand a chance against the bulk of them." As she became more at ease, her expression calmed and her smile became soft and sincere. "So there is nothing for you to repay; rather, it's the other way around."

 

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

"Eh...?" She hadn't the slightest idea how to respond to such a thing; she was used to a quick thanks, a kiss on the hand, and a departure. Then again, more often than not it was her useless brother whom she had to assist. "There's...really no need for such a thing..." she began hesitantly, a nervous smile to her lips and slight blush to her cheeks. "I did what I pleased. If you must, think of my assistance as a thank you for sparing Sleet." She still had it in her mind that Vikteren most likely couldn't harm that monster, but still she was grateful. And thinking on it more, she came to a new conclusion. "If you think about it, I'm the one who owes you. Knowing my luck, had there not been a vampire with my in the crypts tonight they probably would have sensed my presence. I wouldn't stand a chance against the bulk of them." As she became more at ease, her expression calmed and her smile became soft and sincere. "So there is nothing for you to repay; rather, it's the other way around."

He still did not look her in the eye. "That-which-binds does not judge it so," he said in a low voice. "I do not understand the rules of this judgement, nor may I make any pretense that I might. It is a--a sense that humans do not have. Beyond that, I do not know how to explain it. But I would not disturb that balance--I do not know whether any has dared."  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

At this Antha gave a little muffled sigh that indicated she didn't know what to say. The entire concept confused her somewhat and, for fear of becoming frustrated, she made no honest attempt to understand it. "If you're going to say such a thing," she began softly, her eyes focused fully on him, "Couldn't you at least look at me? Or is it really so hard a thing to do?" Her smile, which had slowly been fading since he had spoken, had vanished and she looked only desolate now, like she couldn't make sense out of anything. She seemed a victim now, childish almost when she didn't bother to keep up the mask behind which she constantly hid. Antha hated the thought that someone might actually force their self into her company if it was against their wishes. She had seen too many people bound to Julien for one reason or another, people who hated him for it. "Vikteren---" she began in little more than a whisper, softly bidding him to answer.

 

[Vikteren]

+Rotting Lunacy+

At this Antha gave a little muffled sigh that indicated she didn't know what to say. The entire concept confused her somewhat and, for fear of becoming frustrated, she made no honest attempt to understand it. "If you're going to say such a thing," she began softly, her eyes focused fully on him, "Couldn't you at least look at me? Or is it really so hard a thing to do?" Her smile, which had slowly been fading since he had spoken, had vanished and she looked only desolate now, like she couldn't make sense out of anything. She seemed a victim now, childish almost when she didn't bother to keep up the mask behind which she constantly hid. Antha hated the thought that someone might actually force their self into her company if it was against their wishes. She had seen too many people bound to Julien for one reason or another, people who hated him for it. "Vikteren---" she began in little more than a whisper, softly bidding him to answer.

He looked up, his eyes glimmering emeralds even in the dark. Or perhaps because of it. There was a little silence, then he spoke. "I have existed for over four centuries. Four centuries to walk this earth, and never have I been indebted to another. That-which-binds knows this--just as well as he knows my hatred of his meddling." It was the first time he had ever spoken on emotions--he lingered on the word--"But it is of his character. I believe he has chosen to enact this experience on me." The thought of his sudden drain of strength, as he had left Sleet's chambers, sprung to mind. He was almost certain of it. It would have been typical of him to make it a small debt, simple, and brought on by his own pride. "I am sorry."  

[XCandy and LunacyX]

A bare little sigh escaped from Antha as she rested her chin on her fisted hand. "There's nothing to be sorry for," she began slowly, "Do what you must. I don't quite understand it, but I won't argue with it I suppose." A brush against her leg caught her attention momentarily as Amadeo, the fickle creature, traced a path several times around her. She didn't pick him up simply because he was too much of a hassle to deal with at the moment but a little smile came to her lips again, the slightest, softest laugh emerging as she took a moment to scratch his ears before her attention was turned back completely to Vikteren.