[fieldbox="Zachary Brighton, lightcyan, dashed, 10"]Zachary managed to yank himself away from the Duchess, who quickly composed herself as Mary came in to serve them their tea.
An awkward silence rang out in the room - Bellamy didn't get what she came for, and Zachary was utterly distressed by her sudden actions. He clearly wanted no part of what she was offering, and that infuriated the woman. Once the tea had been poured, the Duchess's hands curled into fists on her lap. She didn't even notice Mary still standing there, she was so angry. "You... I can't believe you."
Zachary turned pinker, embaressed and unsure of how he should act. His soft-grey gaze lowered to the ground.
"All I ask is for a little understanding... Bah, what did I expect from the witless outcast of our society. You won't even... Accept me. Are you a man? Have you no interest in... You, always in the shadows of our group, always weirdly huddled at the edge of our vision, a stranger, even though a friend. What is wrong with you? Never outside in the morning, deathly pale, always 'sick.' A half-witted, dim-eyed freak!"
Zachary visibly shrunk, folding in on himself. His hand, holding the tea Mary had poured him, shook pitifully. This had been his worst fear - being called out for lurking at the edges of society, where it was safer to be a vampire.
Because he said nothing, the Duchess stood up, only growing angrier. "They started calling you a vampire! They think you're odd, and I think so too! I can't believe you would refuse me. Me!" She lashed out, sending the cupfull of blood and tea in the vampire's hand to the ground. The china shattered, spilling red all over Zachary, and the fine Persian rug. Zachary trembled, lips partin in shock as he watched red streak across the ground - horror in his gaze.
Bellamy paused, finally gaining control. "I'm... Sorry...." She said, but then her eyes widened, just as Zachary's had. "Wait, that smell..." She said, sensing a metallic odor. She bent down and then stumbled away in shock. "Is that blood?! It's blood, isn't it?!"[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox="Killian Brighton, maroon, dashed, 10"]Killian ignored Henry's words, instead, he busied himself with running his cold hands up and down the front of the other's thighs.
In fact, the words made him angry. The vampire stepped even closer, and suddenly leaned forward to press his lips against the skin of Henry's neck - ah, it was soft... Just like the male's cousin's skin looked. It was exactly how he imagined Mary's skin would feel. Killin stuck his tongue out, and pressed the slick, dripping muscle against The front if the male's neck, and licked a long streak up until he hit Henry's jaw. He could feel a pulse under his lips, and he pressed a kiss there, wondering if his natural, aphrodisiac-like vampire charm was working yet. Most victims would melt in his touch... Slowly, Killian dragged a cold hand up Henry's toso, fingers prodding the human's warm flesh, all the way up to his chest. He caressed the flesh there, lost in his terrible, aching hunger... His finger found a nipple, and he traced a circle around the sensitive skin.
"Oh, shut up. It's too late. Beg for your life, by pleasing me." Killian fully intended to bite Henry anway, and drain as much blood as he could before the human collapsed. [/fieldbox]
[fieldbox="Mary Courteney, green, dashed, 10"] It seemed the Duchess didn't realize she was still standing there or she just chose to ignore her completely. The woman began to speak, clearly outraged and annoyed by Zachary's rejection. Perhaps it was her lack of experience in serving, but it didn't occur to her that she should take her leave since she didn't belong there. The Duchess's words rooted her to her spot as she shamelessly insulted her master in his own home. Who did she think she was? However, the second the woman rose from her seat and threw the tea onto the ground and at Zachary, Mary felt her stomach churn.
Surely Peter must have heard the commotion by now, so why wasn't he making an appearance to stop this mess from escalating further? The blonde was proving to be strange and Mary wasn't sure his intentions were good.
Blood splattered the carpet as well as the fresh suit the brunette had dressed her master in. It didn't take a genius to figure out that the scarlet liquid was blood, especially with the way the metallic smell began to flood the room. "Ma'am please calm down!" The brunette took a step towards the woman, panic clear in her expression. "It's my fault! I-It's all a joke. I heard about the rumors and thought it would be funny to give everyone a scare."
[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox="Henry Courtney, blue, dashed, 10"] Henry tilted his head upwards the second he felt Killian's lips come in contact with his neck. The blue-eyed male squeezed his eyes shut when he felt his wet tongue run along his neck, before stopping at his jaw, where he laid a kiss. It was becoming difficult to resist the vampire, but the constant nagging of his mind urged the male to act. A moan escaped his lips the second he felt a cold finger trace along his nipple. However, he somehow managed to find control of himself right when his master ordered for him to please him to survive.
Henry wrapped his arms around the male and leaned forward to place a kiss on his jaw, while his hand slowly crept up to run through the vampires hair. After a second, the hand in his hair formed into a tight fist and Henry gave a harsh tug while using his body to push the vampire away. He managed to untangle himself from the male and he turned to bolt towards the door. Unfortunately, luck was not on his side and he ended up tripping over Killian's feet. The male's hands shot out to stop the fall, but he ended up landing on his right hand, close to the wrist area, effectively injuring his wrist. Henry hissed out, yet that didn't stop him. He attempted to crawl away towards the door, despite the pulsing pain running up along his forearm from his wrist.
[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox="Zachary Brighton, lightcyan, dashed, 10"]The duchess was known for overreacting, and hearing shouting from down the hall didn't bother Peter at all. It was common for Bellamy to be loud.
If only he had decided to check on Zachary for a moment... With his expert skills, he would have easily diffused the situation. It would have been child's play to him - literally, as the duchess was easily calmed down by common, almost silly methods of soothing. Zachary shook, quaking in terror at the confirmation of his worst fear - he was under suspicion. The fear was written across his face, clear as day.
The duchess turned to Mary, who was standing close enough to be nearly besides her. With brows furrowed, and face ugly and red with anger and embarrassment, she jeered. "Not only are you meddling in the affairs of your superiors, but you're lying to my face as well! Have you no shame? Zachary told me you came to him only recently, from a far-away place. You haven't had time to hear any of the rumors!"
Zachary tried, "M-maybe from the other s-s-servants?"
His reply was unheard, as Bellamy reached out to snatch Mary's face in her hand, angry enough to neither notice or care about the cut on the girl's cheek. "A lowly being like you, even daring to speak in my presence!? How outrageous!" She let go to draw her hand up into the air, about to slap the poor girl. "Someone aught to teach you how to act around-" She stopped, feeling a cold hand wrapped tightly around her wrist. All of sudden, she was worried that he would break it clean in half.
By judging by his pallid features, and the odd glare in his eyes - he was loosing control over his hunger. Bellamy was, as always, making it hard to not bite.[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox="Killian Brighton, maroon, dashed, 10"]Killian smirked as he felt the other press a kiss against his jaw, and his fangs grew longer as they slid out from their sheaths. Henry's hand went to his hair, and suddenly tightened - for a moment, Killian thought that his victim was merely expressing passion, but all of a sudden he was effectively shoved away and Henry was dashing past him to the door.
His charms failed only very, very rarely... It had caught Killian completely off-guard, but being a vampire, his reaction time was spot on. The moment Hisao hit the floor and started crawling, the vampire stomped down on the human's leg - hard enough to hurt and pin, but not hard enough to break. Reaching up, his practiced hands unbuttoned the fine coat wrapped around his form. Killian had no trouble undressing himself, having done it so many times before... The cloth fell to the ground with a muffled sound. "I'm going to drain you of every last drop of blood... Sweet, sweet crimson..."
Killian crouched over Henry, then sat down on top of the human, straddling dat ass between his legs. "That was a bad idea..." He muttered, leaning forward to nip the nape of the male's neck, catching the skin between his flat front teeth in a teasing manner. Oh, this meal was going to be amazing... He pressed a kiss against the spot he had bitten, then another at the junction of his neck and shoulder, feel warmth, and pulse, and life all beneath him. Deliciously, he pressed he hips forward and ground his impressive bulge against the globes of dat ass, moving slow and savoring the body below him, reveling in his own perversion. Another kiss was pressed against the male's neck. "I like you quite a lot." Perhaps it was because Henry's features were so similar to his cousin's... "You're so warm..."[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox="Mary Courteney, green, dashed, 10"] The young maid felt her stomach drop at the woman's words while her eyes widened in fear. So she knew of her arrival? Heavens...Mary flinched when the woman suddenly gripped her face in those cold, bones fingers. However, the second the Dutchess lifted up her hand to slap her, Mary squeezed her eyes shut while a certain flashback happen right before her very eyes.
"Get up!" The vampire shouted while he glared down at her with an expression of annoyance mixed in with disgust. Mary, who was down on all fours, attempted to get on her feet on wobbly legs. They hadn't fed her in a little less than a week, yet it still took a heavy toll on her, due to her malnourishment of days prior. It had weakened her to the point where her muscles ached every time she tried to move or get up. "I-I can't." The young girl cried, while tears sprung in her eyes, blurring her vision. The monster standing above her, watched the thick tears drop to the ground from her eyes. "Tck. You pathetic piece of shit." Reaching down, the man gripped the brunette's hair in a tight fist and pulled her up, emitting a pained cry from Mary. "No matter what, you always follow your masters command or those above you." He growled before finally releasing his grip on her hair. "Else, punishment will ensue after your disobedience."
Mary swayed from side to side as she cried. She just wanted to go home, yet her home didn't even exist anymore. These horrible creatures had destroyed it all, leaving her an orphan with no where to go. For a second, fury pulsed through her veins and she acted on instinct. Lunging forward, she lifted her tiny fist to punch the man, yet she didn't even get far when the vampire gripped her tiny wrist and wrapped his other hand around her neck, squeezing as tightly as he could. "You little whore. How dare you?" He growled as she attempted to pry his hand away from her neck, though it was futile since she had no strength. The next few seconds were probably the worst. A harsh slap sent her to the ground and it had sounded so loud. Mary was momentarily shocked before she curled into herself, trying to make herself as tiny as possible. "James, please do try not to damage her face. We can't sell her if her face is marred with bruises and cuts." Another voice resounded from the doorway of the room.
Mary waited for the impact to come, however it never did. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw that the Dutchess's wrist was being held by...Her emerald orbs followed the arm to the persons body before she looked up to see Zachary. He had stopped it. He had stopped the woman from hitting her. "M-Master..." She murmured before glancing back at the Dutchess, then back at the male. "It is alright. I am fine." Reaching up, she pryed his hand away from her wrist and starred up at him. His expression was somewhat similar to the one he had earlier when his hunger took over. Heavens, he would end up biting her if she didn't attempt to intervene. "Please just back up." She whispered, hoping the man would listen.
[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox="Henry Courteney, blue, dashed, 10"] "Aaagk!" Henry cried out in pure pain when the vampire suddenly stomped his foot down on his leg, effectively pinning him. Heavens, this was not going to end well, for Henry of course. All the dark haired male could do was just lay there until the man decided to sit on his bum, still keeping him pinned down. Suddenly the man leaned forward and bit into the skin of his neck, scaring Henry. But it had only been a teasing nip.
When the vampire suddenly grounded himself over his butt, Henry's widened and he began to squirm. "Stop this!" The human cried as he tried to lift his torso up, to get away from the vampire.
Never had he ever been so close to another male, so now that the vampire was rubbing his bulge against his bum, well he felt violated and used. The vampire didn't seem to care for the male's discomfort. "Please, master. Stop!" He shouted as tears sprung in his eyes.
[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox="Zachary Brighton, lightcyan, dashed, 10"]Zachary was breathing hard, looming closer to the dark-haired woman's neck... Until Mary gripped his hand, and awareness returned to the vampire like a bucket of ice water dousing his body. He released the duchess, and instead of doing what Zachary wanted her to do, which was back away and leave, she went through with the slap.
A loud, ringing sound resounded in the lounge as her hand made contact with Mary's cheek, and it set Zachary off like a firework.
He gripped the woman and threw her to the ground with the strength of a Greek god, her red dress spilling out around her like a pool of coagulating blood. She looked up at the vampire, tears spilling down her cheek, and misery in her gaze. Her life was falling apart. The floor was collapsing beneath her feet. She would lose her husband, and she had already lost her child. Now, she was losing her latest love as well. Zachary didn't seem to care, much to occupied with holding in his hunger - if he bit the duchess, Mary would see more blood than she needed to. He knew that she had already seen too much in the auction house.
"Peter!" He called, and after a few moments, the butler appeared, having abandoned his dusting the hallway to respond to his master's call. The blonde's usual smile disappeared as he spotted Bellamy on the ground, crying. "Yes, master?"
"See Lady Bellamy to the door. She is no longer welcome in my manor."
To this, Peter gave a curt, yet somber nod. He made his way over to the duchess, and Zachary witnessed the magic of diplomacy - the butler smiled sweetly at the woman, offering her a hand. "My dear Lady, such a woman like you does not belong on the ground. Here, take my hand." Taken in by his charm, she did, and he helped her stand. "Now, now. No need to cry, dear duchess. What could someone like you ever be so sad about?" He reached out and corrected the frills of her dress, touch tender against her broken heart. "Come now, nothing can wound the heart of such a strong, lovely-looking woman, no?"
The two disappeared down the hall, and Zachary immediately turned to Mary.[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox="Killian Brighton, maroon, dashed, 10"]The cries of terror - Killian swallowed them whole, and took them in like blood. They were amazing, delicious, so tender... Using his abnormal strength, he reached down to seize Henry's shoulders, and rolled him over, so he could see the other's face.
Those eyes - as blue as the azure sky, as blue as the glaciers in the north, and as blue as Killian's cold, hungry heart... They were lovely, and he stared down into them, straddling the male's waist. "Yes, make more noise... Cry out. No one will come, no one can hear." Killian smirked. He was so hungry, he needed blood so badly that his teeth were practically throbbing with the desire to seize Henry by the neck, and take his life like a tiger took the life of a jungle boar. He leaned closer, hands flying up to pin Henry's wrists up above his head, not minding the male's injured limb. "Henry..." He uttered, leaning forward and pressing his hips against the other's, grinding down to produce more, delicious friction between their bodies. His lips found the corner of the male's mouth in an attempted kiss.
He hated when his charms didn't work - now, Henry would be punished for resisting them.[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox="Mary Courteney, green, dashed, 10"] The force of the impact caught the young maid completely off guard, which sent her stumbling backwards until she landed on her bum. It was like she was reliving that flashback. Clutching her cheek, Mary felt tears gather in her eyes from both the pain and fear she felt. No matter what, she always ended up getting hit, she always ended up on the ground.
Her emerald orbs shifted over to Zachary as he suddenly threw the woman to ground and called Peter over to take her out of his home. When he suddenly turned to her, Mary breathed out a shaky breathe and slowly got to her feet. "M-Master..." Her bottom lip quivered but she tried hard to keep her cries in. She felt like a complete child for crying over something like this - for being so weak - but she had been beaten so many times, to the point where it broke her completely.
[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox="Henry Courteney, blue, dashed, 10"] The male was suddenly flipped over to face his attacker making him feel like such a weak being. No wonder the vampires had considered them to be at the bottom of the food chain. They couldn't even defend themselves since vampires held so much power. No one could help him and he would perish here at the hands of his master. What an unfitting way to go.
Another cry left his mouth, when the monster suddenly pinned his hands above his head, injurrying his wrist further. At that point he just gave up. He was fighting against a vampire, it didn't take a genius to know how it would end. He might as well just give in, so he just laid there, allowing the vampire to do whatever he wanted with his body.
The second he began to rub against him, Henry felt his member get stimulated at the friction and his breathing deepened into pants. "No..." He shook his head when the vampire attempted to kiss him. He didn't want that. "Please, stop." The male begged as he starred up at the vampire.
[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox="Zachary Brighton, lightcyan, dashed, 10"]Zachary's gaze softened as he noticed the tears gathering in Mary's eyes, and he dropped his head, feeling utterly terrible. "I'm sorry..." He muttered, as he peeked up at her through his bangs. "I didn't think she'd be so... This is my fault." He didn't know how that made sense, but that simply how he felt. "Don't be angry at the duchess... Her life is falling apart."
He stepped towards Mary, reaching out to clutch onto her sleeve. He was scared that touching her would be too far - he was a vampire, the same kind of creature that imprisoned her and her cousin. He could never forgive himself for that - even though he wasn't the one that did it. In no way was he connected to what happened to her, and yet, he felt guilt and sorrow welling up in his stomach like a tidal wave. "Mary, are you alright?" He asked, puppy-dog eyes finding the floor before they managed to meet her gaze, and his hold on her sleeve was as gentle as the look in his monochrome orbs.[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox="Killian Brighton, maroon, dashed, 10"]Henry was panting - he could feel the human's hot breath against his smirking lips. He caught both the male's wrists in one hand, and ran the other down Henry's chest, smoothly running over his rib cage, and over his stomach, until he found the edge of the male's shirt... And slipped his fingers past the brim to search up the expanse of skin over the human's abdomen, and once again up to his chest. Killian caught a nipple, and teasingly pressed his index finger against the sensitive bud.
"Stop?" He asked, as if the word was completely incomprehensible to him. He dipped his head down to press soft kisses against Henry's neck, once again feeling the dancing pulse under soft, malleable skin. His teeth could cut into it like steak knives, he could rip everything out, make a mess like he used to... Something stopped him. His smirk fell, but the hunger lingered on. "I won't kill you. I won't. I can't." He had killed for Henry. He had searched out Clementine for her ties to the auction house. No matter how badly he wanted Henry's fear to continue, and fuel the instinct to feed, it just... Felt wrong.
The hunger parted for the memory of Henry digging the silver out of him, then returned after a moment to cloud his senses. "I swear I wont..." His mouth fell upon the spot where the hammering of Henry's jugular was most clear to his heightened senses. Killian continued to grind his hips against Henry's, less to bring himself pleasure, and suddenly, more to bring the other pleasure. His eyes lost their mischief. It was replaced by a look of concern. [/fieldbox]
[fieldbox="Mary Courteney, green, dashed, 10"] Mary didn't understand why Zachary was apologizing. He wasn't responsible for the Duchess and her actions. The woman was old enough to know what she was doing.
"I'm ok." May murmured, despite the tears cascading down her cheeks. The slap had reminded her of her time in the auction house when she would get beaten. "Ah, your suit." She murmured as her voice wavered. "Would you like to change your clothes?" Mary questioned, already trying to divert the attention away from her.
[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox="Henry Courteney, blue, dashed, 10"] The male was having a difficult time trying to concentrate, since the vampire kept grinding his hips and bulge against him. It was creating this friction that certainly felt good but it was unwanted. The man was about to drink his blood! There was no way he could focus on the pleasure when he was about to lose his life.
Suddenly the deep voice started talking again and Henry didn't believe the vampire. Surely he would drink him dry. "Hnn..." The male moaned when the male suddenly started grinding his hips in a much more pleasurable way. Squeezing his eyes shut, Henry tilted his head up and let out another moan. It felt completely wrong to be doing this, but what could Henry do? He was literally being held down against his will.
[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox="Zachary Brighton, lightcyan, dashed, 10"]Zachary shook his head, because Mary was crying, and now was certainly not the right time to go upstairs. His hand let go of her sleeve to fully take her hand in his, the warmth of her palm making Zachary's hand feel like it would melt off. "My attire is not important right now..."
It broke his heart to see her cry, and owning an unfortunately empathetic heart, he felt his own tears spring into his eyes at the sight of her's, dribbling down the girl's cheek. With his free hand, the vampire reached up to touch the assaulted cheek. Mary should not have told him to let go of the duchess... He should have held her arm until Peter came to fix everything. "Are you alright, love?" He asked, fingers gently cupping the soft, tender skin. They shifted to catch her tears as fell down over reddening flesh, and he did his best to wipe them away. He wanted to comfort her. He wanted to make everything bad go away - he wanted to undo what the auction house did to her. He put aside his own need for help, because the could be ignored. Mary could not be, not when she was falling apart right in front of him.[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox="Killian Brighton, maroon, dashed, 10"]Henry made a sound that sent shivers down Killian's spine. He wanted to hear more... But the sound of the other's pulse was too distracting.
The moment Henry tilted his head up, Killian could barely contain himself anymore. The vampire tightened his vice-like grasp around Henry's wrists, and opened his mouth over the other's racing heartbeat. Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-um... He couldn't wait when there was a pulse right against his tongue - his fangs pricked the male's flesh... Ah, it sang to his senses, the finest cuisine right under him, perfect for food, and play. What a great toy... Killian snapped his jaw half-shut, impaling his fangs deep into Henry's neck, and without a second of hesitation, drank, and drank, and drank all that gushed forth from the...
[fieldbox="Mary Courteney, green, dashed, 10"] Unfortunately, Zachary didn't drop the subject and instead took a hold of her hand. Immediately Mary intertwined her fingers with his and gave a squeeze. His free hand came up to cup her bruising cheek and the brunette couldn't help but to wince at the contact. The flesh was still tender and the sting was still fresh. "I will be okay." The young girl managed a weak smile. However, she was beyond okay. Her pain went much further than the slap she had received from the Duchess. It was deeply rooted within her heart.
Overwhelmed with her emotions, the brunette sought comfort so she immediately wrapped her arms around the male.
[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox="Hisao Tachibana, blue, dashed, 10"] Henry winced as the male's grip tightened around his wrist. It was coming, the moment he had been dreading the most. Two sharp points touched his skin and then the gangs sunk into his skin. A strangled cry left Henry's lips at the pain he had felt. Squeezing his eyes shut, the male remained completely still under the vampire as he drank the blood that ran through his veins. It was a strange sensation and Henry was slowly becoming weak and dizzy.
"S-stop." The boy murmured breathlessly when the vampire didn't seem ready to pull away. His vision began to blur around the edges and his consciousness was slipping away.
[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox="Zachary Brighton, lightcyan, dashed, 10"]The second Mary pulled him into a hug, Zachary responded. It felt strange, as in their world of formality, he had never experienced such a feeling before. His arms came up to wrap around the servant, holding her lithe form closer against his body. "There, there..." The vampire muttered, hand running up the girl's back to make small, soothing circles against the cloth over her back. God knows what kind of evil memories the duchess's abuse had triggered. He wanted to ward them away. "It's alright, Mary. I'm here for you." Never having uttered such reassurances before, it felt strange. Such sudden closeness... His other hand came up to cup the back of the servants head, drawing her into a deeper embrace.
"The duchess is gone.The auction house is far away. I won't let anything happen to you, you're safe here." Zachary honestly wasn't sure if it was a lie or not. Such strange things have happened as of late... And his hunger, so hard to control when human blood was off the menu.[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox="Killian Brighton, maroon, dashed, 10"]The boy went still under him, and uttered a plea, yet Killian would not stop.
It was so good - all of a sudden the world was illuminated, all was warm, and feathery, and soft. The high was unbelievable, the hunger was finally forgotten - all was well with the world when the warm essence of life crossed his lips and went down his gullet. The well below him seemed bottomless, and he felt so warm, so very warm... Pleasure, pleasure, unbelievable pleasure coursed through his being, and he felt as if his own veins were working too, as if his still, unbeating heart had suddenly lurched into action. It felt like being alive... So Killian drank, and drank until he was sure that Henry would faint. There was no Henry anymore - there was only a source of vitality, and a substance that would patch up the holes that his hunger had left in his heart. [/fieldbox]
[fieldbox="Mary Courteney, green, dashed, 10"] Mary felt Zachary's hand run along her back in a comforting manner, slowly easing her worries. She felt completely safe in the man's arms, which was funny, given that not a few hours ago she feared him. Soon his other hand came to cup the back of her head, pulling her closer. The young maid believed his words, maybe it was naive of her to do so, but what else could she lose. After a few minutes, the brunette pulled away and rubbed away at her eyes before taking in a deep breathe and slowly let it out. "I'm ok now." She murmured as she met the vampire's gaze with a warm smile. "Thank you, Master."
[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox="Henry Courteney, blue, dashed, 10"] Henry's vision became blurry to the point where he couldn't distinguish what anything was. "P-please..." His words came out in nothing but a whisper and he shakily lifted his left hand to attempt to pull away the vampire from his neck. The vampire had promised he wouldn't drink him dry, but it didn't seem like he was going to keep his promise at all. The blue-orbs became hidden as he closed his eyes and his whole body shut down as he passed out.
[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox="Zachary Brighton, lightcyan, dashed, 10"]Zachary pulled away from Mary with a smile, meeting her gaze with a quiet look of appreciation. The hugged had helped both him and her - they both wanted to feel safe, and happy. Mary needed help keeping the memories of her past at bay, and he simply wanted to feel like someone cared for him. That was a difficult thing for a vampire to feel. He could not allow himself to get close to anybody, he could not go past the waves to enter the beach of society, warm and kind, when he was a scaly monster from the depths.
He wished he wasn't, he wished that he could be free of the hunger. Speaking of which... Zachary placed his hands on Mary's shoulders, a gesture of finality to conclude their moment. "Well, I'm hungry, and that's never a good thing. Let us go to the kitchen together, and then, if you would like, we can go to the garden." It was strange, as usually those with his status would separate themselves from their servants... Yet Zachary felt drawn to Mary. He wanted to spend more time with her, and only her.[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox="Killian Brighton, maroon, dashed, 10"]It was the feeling of Henry's warm, human hand on the side of his neck that brough Killian back to reality. Something cold in the pit of his stomach contrasted the warmth flowing through his body - it was terror, a cold fear seized him and Henry went limp. Killian retreated from the boy's neck, running his tongue over the fresh puncture wounds to clean them. He was relatively full, and the wonderful, fantastic euphoria was gone from him the moment he drew away to look down.
Henry's eyes were shut. His pulse was faint, a slight thudding, small... So small. His hands flew up to touch the other's face, running down a soft cheek, over softer lips. He was growing colder with the blood loss, and Killian felt something that was utterly unthinkable for him to feel - he wanted to save Henry, he wanted... The vampire reached out to stop the spilling water, stopping the tub when it was half-fully. He hooked his arms beneath the human's body, and lifted the male up, then exited the washroom. There were no servants in the hallway, knowing to keep away from Killian's room. They had likely heard the commotion, or at least assumed what had happened... Or perhaps, they simply didn't care.
Once he was in his room, Killian dropped Henry onto his bed... The boy fell like a broken puppet, limp and disjointed. He closed and locked the door, then pulled himself into the bed alongside the human, wrapping himself tightly around the smaller creature to keep him warm, even it was something that he would usually never do. He pulled the silken cover up around them, tucking them over Henry's back, and rested his chin atop the other's head.
Guilt washed over him, bleaching his bones dry, making him feel so, very brittle. It was the first time that the vampire felt like he shouldn't have done something.[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox="Mary Courteney, green, dashed, 10"] Normally, Mary would have flinched or curled into herself at the sudden contact, especially if it was coming from a vampire. However, Zachary had proved himself to be harmless and true to his good intentions. Mary, instead, gave the male a small smile paired with a nod. "That will be lovely." Turning on her heel, the brunette made her way towards the kitchen.
Zachary was not what she had expected him to be. He wasn't ruthless, nor was he similar to the monsters back at the auction house. He was gentle, compassionate, and different in his own way. Maybe her stay he won't be as bad and she was honestly looking forward to it.
Once she stepped into the kitchen, Mary retrieved a cup and grabbed the wine bottle containing the blood. She poured the red liquid, making sure to hold her breath before turning to hand him the drink. Then, she breathed.
[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox="Zachary Brighton, lightcyan, dashed, 10"]Zachary took the drink from her hands, and quickly gulped it down in a matter of seconds. Unlike Mary, who had been practically cringing while pouring the blood, he seemed to revel in its smell and taste. The vampire was like a cat with a bowl of milk - completely engrossed in drinking the whole thing. Once finished, he set the cup down, and licked his lips. He could tell that she hated the red liquid - he knew she had been holding her breath in, judging by the breath of air she took while handing the cup to him. It pained Zachary to know that he had lost that aversion to the substance. Surely if he was a human, he would have felt the same way... But now, he only desired more of the crimson - more blood, much more. It also pained him that he really, really wanted to taste Mary's. That was utterly unforgivable.
"Ah, I still need more..." Instead of asking the servant to pour more blood for him, Zachary touched her hand to keep it from moving as he reached for the bottle himself. He tilted it over the glass, carefully pouring himself more of the substance before setting the bottle down, and drinking the cup with equal fervor to the first, downing it in a matter of seconds. When he set the glass down onto the table, Zachary shut his eyes and took a deep breath. Vampires did not require oxygen, but sometimes... It felt nice. "I feel better. We may go now, if you wish." He smiled at Mary, trying his hardest to keep how self-conscious he was about drinking blood, hidden. He was afraid that it might have scared the girl, to see him feeding so desperately, so close to her. Perhaps it felt like a dance with death for a moment - the second that an angel, and a grim reaper, met. [/fieldbox]
[fieldbox="Mary Courteney, green, dashed, 10"] Mary was about to reach over to pour him some more, when he ceased her hand and did it himself. It seemed he realized her discomfort with blood, which she was thankful for. It was a bit unnerving that someone could easily drink blood like he could, but he wasn't human. He was a vampire, it was natural for them.
"Alright." The brunette glanced down at his hand, since she wanted to reach for it, but it wouldn't be appropriate. He was above her. All she was, was a mere servant. "Are you alright? From the attack of the woman earlier?" She questioned, referring to the vampiress that had given her the scratch marks along her cheek.
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[fieldbox="Zachary Brighton, lightcyan, dashed, 10"]He was pleasantly surprised by Mary's concern. With his inability to lie, Zachary decided that he would tell the truth. "I'm terrified. I have no idea if that woman might come back... And she said something about my brother... What if she's going to go after him next?"
The vampire's smile faltered and he tilted his head downwards, staring at the counter with an odd mixture of worry and fear. "She was a vampire... It's odd to think that she would attack one of her kin... Ah, no matter. Chin up." He said, even though his chin was most certainly pointed down, and his gaze had hit the floor again.
Kin. He hated it, utterly hated the fact that that he was the same kind of rabid, blood-starved beast that woman was. He hated it. He loathed himself, for the despicable monster that he was - he saw himself as no better than the vampires that pillage and rape, even though he would never... Just being a vampire was a terrible crime, and Zachary knew that he needed to be punished - put down. One less vampire would surely make the world a bit better.[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox="Mary Courteney, green, dashed, 10"] "Perhaps you can warn your brother tomorrow." Mary suggested with a reasurring smile. He had mentioned that they would be visiting him after they went into town. Reaching out to grip his hand, the young maid gave it a gentle squeeze. "I'm sure everything will turn out okay. Perhaps it was all just a mistake or misunderstanding."
After a minute of still holding his hand, Mary began to lead him out of the kitchen and in the direction of the garden.
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[fieldbox="Zachary Brighton, lightcyan, dashed, 10"]Zachay's eyes widened quite a bit as he felt Mar's hand settle over his... Quickly, the vampire glanced around, making sure that no servants were nearby. He loved the gesture, and so returned it by flipping his pale hand over and entwining their fingers together, surprised by the fact that his hand was warmer than her's. Ah, after drinking blood, a vampire was always more alive than dead. When blood-starved, he remembered seeing his sallow cheeks, dull eyes, over-extended fangs and marble-pale, ice-cold skin in the reflection of the ornate, golden mirror set beside his wardrobe... The sight had been rather alarming, although his heart knew that starving himself had been the right thing to do. Peter had offered himself to Zachary, desperate to feed the vampire. A few pints of blood lost were no serious issue, the man had said. Yet, Zachary didn't trust himself... And even more important, he refused to give up his humanity. Zachary desperately clung to society - appearing well-dressed in town to converse with some of the locals, going to events, keeping up appearances... It was difficult work. In all honesty, it seemed to work against him, as the duchess had revealed.
There were rumors about him being a vampire? From where? From who? The male grit his teeth, jaw tensing momentarily until Mary led him away, to the door. She was still holding onto his hand, and Zachary was still holding onto her's - that was something he did not want to change. With shyness in his gaze, the male held on, even though any normal person would have let go a long time ago. "Yes, that is a good idea. I will talk to Killian about all of this tomorrow... Perhaps he could explain." Mary's words soothed the male's panicked heart. Reassurance felt so, very nice to him, especially because he received it so rarely.
Once they were outside, Zachary spotted Louie playing with something in the bushed (who knows - bugs? Flowers? A dead snake?) and hesitantly let go of Mary. It would be terrible to be caught showing a servant such affection... Their society had stern, cold-grey boundaries that the vampire was especially inclined to follow, especially since he needed to hide how very atypical he was. They were soon behind the house, in the garden, among the various flowers and plants. The path had been recently laid from fine-cut stone, and was a smooth, narrow expanse leading into a labyrinth of plants. Killian turned to Mary with a smile. "... I want to show you something." He turned to the servant with a small, secretive smile. The glint in his eyes suggested that it was something rather special.
Glancing around, Zachary found that they were both completely, utterly alone. He glanced down at Mary's hand, and shyly reached out to capture just the tips of her fingers in his hand to lead her down the path.[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox="Mary Courteney, green, dashed, 10"] Mary was relieved that he had grabbed her hand, because she had honestly expected him to pull away. She wasn't blind to the unwritten rules of their society. As the owner of this manor, Zachary was expected to only mingle with others that had a similar status, not some low servant girl. It would be scandalous and hurtful to his reputation if word were to spread about their interactions. Yet, Mary found it hard to keep to herself when the male was so kind and thoughtful. Maybe she was being far too selfish for her own desires.
The second they stepped outside, her master instantly let go of her hand, much to her disappointment, but she wouldn't attempt again. Instead, the brunette walked along besides him, until they came to a stop. "O-oh..." She starred at his hand as it took the tip of her fingers and began to lead her through a path. Maybe she could allow herself to enjoy his touch for this moment and after this, she would be careful not to step out of line.
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