Jayco | ? | M | Harem | Shifter

Mentions: Suya, Bosc (ind.), and Mauve (dir.)

Jayco grins, his eyes twinkling with sensation on listening to Mauve's songbird-like voice. This woman was amusing, not only through conversation but in other activities too. He could feel Suya's burning eyes of jealousy on him, and he couldn't help but feel entitled that he was making the man jealous. It feels great in an odd and messed up way. At least he now knows that Suya cares about him, despite being away for a month. Yeah. Thinking about it makes him feel like an asshole, but that feeling went away when Mauve asked that question.

"Hmm, that is a good question. Shame me for not allowing the fire ruby on my little hunting expeditions and hogging all the fun for myself," he chuckles and drops the bear on the ground, "I'm indeed a selfish bastard." When she mentioned the bear and asked if he fought it as one, Jayco huffs, pouting like a child would if you were to ground it. "I only needed to change a few parts of myself to defeat it. It wasn't even a decent enemy to face." He starts tapping the side with his foot, glowing green eyes now set on the deceased animal, "You ate my pillow, so now you're the replacement." His words were no more than a whisper, wanting to keep the conversation quiet to keep it private between him and the bear. The bear didn't reply, and it angered the man a slight bit. Jayco snorts, displeased by the lack of a response from the bear. With that out of the way, his eyes met Mauve's-his anger washed away rather quickly. "Next time, I'll happily bring you with me."

He smiles, but there's no menacing meaning behind it. Finally, he gave someone a genuine smile. An odd sense of joy fills his body, and with said excitement, a pair of ears and a tail shows up. "Just remind me to remind you to take you with me."

That's when he sees Bosc drag Suya away, but not before he catches them kissing each other. His face twisted in disgust, and the shine in his eyes instantly vanished. He kept watching the two and stared at the door. His heart aches, but not because of heartbreak. Oh no, he was jealous. He was starting to become envious of the other two. Now he was on the other side of the spectrum-he was now the jealous one. The man's mind was starting to fill with dark thoughts. All of this was jogging his memory of his former feral side. Speaking of which, the beast inside him wasn't enjoying it any more than he was; its anger was worse than Jayco's. The man's stomach dropped, like the part of needing to vomit but can't. Everything inside of him felt wrong, like a bad omen when encountering a demon.

His mouth felt dry, and despite being dead, he felt an embrace close to death wrap its invisible arms around him. Jayco turns his head to the bear, picks it up in one swift motion, and throws it carelessly over his shoulder. He needs to leave before the darker side of him comes out. No, he doesn't want Riskel to come out. Not now. Not at this moment over something so small. He shakes his head, trying to calm his scrambled brain before his inner him gets worse. His eyes locked on Mauve's, but at this point, he didn't remember her face. Those beautiful ruby-colored eyes hypnotized him with joy, now filled him with disgust. Everything was now starting to loathe him. "Excuse me~." When he talked, it wasn't the normal Jayco. Coincidentally, no part of him was normal before such a sudden transition. Without saying much else, Jayco left through a different door and on his way to the gardens to calm himself down before he couldn't control himself any longer.

His grip on the bear tightens, his nails transforming into bear claws- accidentally tearing the hide. Jayco avoided anyone that he came across like they were carrying the plague. He's lost in his thoughts, with his mind wandering into a dark place he never wanted to return. He can hear the ghostly chains rattle in his head to taunt him to make him even madder. Oh, how much he grew to hate such a sound over the passing years that he lost count. His wrists and ankles grew heavy as the invisible shackles reformed on his body. Not to mention, the darkness of the night didn't help any of it either.

Jealousy. Possessiveness. Grief.

Those emotions were getting too hard for him to handle-it was suffocating. He tried to swallow, but his tightened throat made it difficult for it to pass through. He could hear the beast inside him growling and trying to communicate with him. Being the stubborn man that he is, Jayco blocks its attempts. Finally, his eyes gazed upon the greenhouse, his hideout, and his favorite spot to sleep. Opening the doors that were close to falling off the handles, Jayco drops the bear near the entrance to keep the blood out of his supposed sacred place. Approaching a battered couch, he plops down on the cushions and begins to take deep breaths.

"Emotions are such a burden." Talking to himself, getting him comfortable on the couch, and staring at the ceiling. His senses were returning, albeit slowly, while his brain settled by the flowers still growing in the greenhouse. He groans to express his annoyance, "I wish she would've left me to rot in that cursed dungeon." This whole emotional side of things was tiring him out. He wasn't going to accept this. Oh no, he wasn't going to look at or talk with Suya for days. I mean, he's been doing that each time he leaves to do his little missions. Something he doesn't want to admit, he would've written Suya, but he doesn't know how to read or write. Suya is a man that hates feeling abandoned, while the other has severe trust issues. No, it wasn't that. It was fear controlling his mind. He was afraid of being betrayed, and what he saw was just that. He rolls onto his side, his back facing toward the greenhouse doors. His mind ponders about what he can do to calm himself down again.

"There's a farmhouse not too far," he shuffles to settle on his back and watches the fireflies flutter about in the air. "I'm sure they're people waiting for a handsome devil to show up. Give them a nice neighborly greeting." Ugh, thinking about it made his mouth water. His eyes dulled, and the inner beast made a lot of noise inside his self-consciousness. "Hungry again? But for what? Blood or affection?" Murmuring to himself, well, the inner him.

Dahlia Evelyn Merovian | 400s | F | Hypnosis Class | Lower Harem Member | Mentions: Mauve

Dahlia stood in her room at the castle, her petite body shaking with rage. In her well-manicured hands she held a note, the cheap parchment creased from being folded many times until it was no larger than an inch across. A few words were inked onto it, the font small and sharp, yet blurred slightly as if the letter had been folded before it had dried fully. With a snarl, Dahlia tossed the paper into the fireplace she was standing in front of. She didn’t need to keep the note any longer, as its contents had burned themselves into her brain: The Blue Moon shines again, the Blue Rose is reborn. Dahlia paced her quarters, the space far too small for the fury she felt. She had spent decades coming up with and putting into action her plan to kill Queen Vivienne. Years of carefully planning murders to inspire a new generation of vampire hunters, months of cautiously testing them and fanning the flames of their hatred towards the Queen of the Vampires. Not to mention the endless hours Dahlia spent at court hunting for any scrap of information on Queen Vivienne and her habits, schmoozing and eavesdropping and currying favors to learn the queen’s every weakness. All of it wasted, now that the Blue Moon had chosen someone else to be queen instead of Dahlia.

Much as she would’ve liked to scream her frustrations to the heavens, Dahlia couldn’t afford to vent her anger here, where someone could notice and begin to grow suspicious. No, she would not allow the centuries she had spent working herself up from the Childe of a Low Lord to a member of the Lower Harem to be for nothing. Dahlia took a deep breath to compose herself before striding over to check her appearance in a full length mirror resting in one corner of the room. Her dress was black, as was expected in the weeks following Vivienne’s death. The skirt was long and silky, with a slit on either side to allow a view of her slender pale legs all the way up to her mid-thigh. While the skirt of the dress was simple, the torso was far more intricate. Lace flowers were embroidered on its surface, while an off-the-shoulder neckline showed off her pale shoulders and bust to great effect. The sleeves of the dress were gauzy and loose, translucent fabric coming to cuff her wrists. For tonight, Dahlia’s ashy blond locks were gathered into a rose bun and held up with several small pins in the shape of dark purple and red dahlias. She considered her bare neck and ears, before reaching into a small midnight blue box resting on a table beside the mirror. She withdrew a short, intricate crystal necklace and a pair of clear crystal drop earrings, which she then put on her ears and neck accordingly. Finally, she considered the state of her makeup. The theme was dark purple, meant to contrast her pale skin and eyes. Her eyeshadow had gotten a bit smudged at some point, so Dahlia went to the door to the hallway and opened it. Outside a servant girl waited patiently, as Dahlia had hypnotized her and told her to wait outside once she had taken the letter out to read.

“My eyeshadow needs fixed.” Dahlia told the girl imperiously. The two women went back into her quarters and the servant expertly adjusted and reapplied makeup until Dahlia looked immaculate once more. Her task done, the servant girl waited with empty eyes for the next command. Dahlia considered the girl for a brief moment, before closing the distance between them and sinking her fangs into the servant’s neck. She could feel her victim shuddering against her, but making no attempt to fight back. Sated, Dahlia stepped back and stared deeply into the servant girl’s eyes. “You will forget this happened. You came into my room to fix my makeup, then you left to continue your other duties. Do you understand?” The girl nodded dully, before retreating from the room, Dahlia on her tail. She made her way to the ballroom, just in time to see Jayco storm out. Rolling her eyes, Dahlia approached the nearest vampire she saw, a gorgeously tall woman with long blond hair. “Well well, what’s the matter with dearest Jayco tonight I wonder?”

Rosalie V. Boudreaux-Bǫlverkr | 118 | F | High Lady | Shadow

Mentions: N/A

A figure with a mask was kneeling on a tree branch while their gaze focused on something ahead-unmoving and seemed to be watching whatever was in front. Not a minute later, a crow flies towards them and perches on their shoulder. It lets out one caw before merging back with the person. The process used to be painful, but now it doesn't phase them anymore. Slowly they moved to a standing position on the branch, hearing the distant rumbling of the train. They tilt their head in the direction of the train, waiting for the perfect moment to get inside the train. Indeed, the transport was moving fast, but they were quicker in the shadows. When the train was close enough, they jumped off the branch, which seemed to be their death. They were close to impacting with the ground, but they quickly turned themselves into a murder of shadow crows. The shadow dashes after the train, leaping shadow to shadow as a squirrel were in the trees.

Soft caws from the shadow crows were eerily close to utter silence-only those with the sharpest of hearing can pick out the sound. It's a scary sight to behold. It was a bunch of bodiless crows with unsettling red eyes while cawing like rabid animals. When they were close to the train, the shadow crows leaped into the air and landed on the roof without a noise. The shadows shift back into a human body, with the figure now running along the top of the train to head to the caboose. They were swift as they used the shadows to increase their speed, leaping over the gaps of the different train carts. Finally, they reached the end of the train. They climbed down with cat-like grace. Putting their hands on the door, they forced it open a crack. The masked figure turned themself into a shadow to slip their way inside through the small gap.

They were inside the last cart, and they were quick to return to their bodily form. Without hesitation, the masked figure started to search around the train. The mysterious person forced opening up locked storage boxes without struggle and moved items around inside. The hidden face didn't take any valuables that weren't there's, and the way they moved their hands made it seem that they were urgently searching for something. They searched all four storage crates within the car but found nothing, which frustrated them. With the final crate checked, they slammed it out of anger. "It's not here," their voice was muffled by the crow mask. Guess they were too loud, as they heard someone else outside the other door that leads to the other train carts.

"Who's there?!?"

"Shit."

They dashed into the shadows, blending in and waiting for the other to come in. The waiting paid off as the clueless guard walked in-a novice hunter stepped into the train cart. They waited until they were further inside before lunging at them from behind, creating a shadow dagger and plunging it behind his neck. Once they checked to see if he was dead, they got off his body and left through the door to check out the next train cart. They did the same thing, checking every storage container in search of the item, but no luck came for them. They were increasingly getting frustrated with all these failed searches. They were checking the final container. They heard something, a cranking sound. Seconds later, it shifted to that of a whistle, suddenly felt pain in their right side. The side facing the door leads to the other wagons.

They jumped back from the direction their attacker was. They checked their side to find a bolt in it. They were bleeding through the cloth, but it was too dark to see the blood, yet they smelt it. Huffing in annoyance before turning their eyes towards their opponent, who was already preparing another bolt. They rushed their attacker while they were distracted, slitting his throat with a swift motion of their dagger. Guess others heard the commotion, peering through the door's small window to see two more hunters running their way. They shake their head, muttering to themself, "Can I catch a break?" Turning into shadows, sliding under the sliding door, and catching the two off guard. They dashed through the darkness in their shadow form, appearing behind them to have an advantage. They fully formed once again, then wrapped their arm around the woman's neck and stabbed her repeatedly in the ribs. Hearing the noise behind him, the second hunter turned quickly and fired. The bolt hit his former companion's body, and the masked figure couldn't help but sigh in relief. They kicked the motionless body hard, the body and man impacting, which caused him to fall on his back.

The person lunges at him and uses their foot to crush his head with a single step. With those two out of the way, they quickly searched this train wagon before going on to the next. They spent the next hour fighting through the forces of hunters and hired arms while ignoring the injuries they sustained during the battle. Finally, they reached the car that contained the items they needed. They through a small footlocker and found documents involving her mother, Vivienne. She picks it up, tucking it under her arm protectively, and heads to the door that leads to the main engine. There, she encountered a very tall and armored man. They were covered head to toe in metal armor, and their neck was well-guarded. "Oh, come on! Can I get a damn break!?!" At this point, they just gave up and tossed the footlocker off the train. They'll retrieve it later.

As you might expect, this situation wasn't meant for them when this guy pulled out two swords. Not to just any swords but swords made out of silver. The armored man charges at them with blades already mid-swing, and the crow-masked wearer dodges it. They were close to getting sliced in half, and they couldn't help but sigh in relief. Again, the armored man dashes at her for another swing, but they luckily roll to the side just in time. They avoided the full impact yet managed to have a small cut on their shoulder. The silver started to burn their flesh, and they bit their lower lip to suppress a scream in pain. Their black eyes were on their target and get up quickly when the man lunged at them again. They jumped up, using one of the swords to give them a jump boost, and readied a longer dagger using her darkness. Their eyes quickly checked him out to find any weak spots in the suit of armor, and luckily, there were. There's a small gap between his helmet and neck guard, which means they have to strike from above.

Their foe turned their blade skyward to slice them in half, readying themselves to strike as they were close to his swords' reach. The crow-masked wearer grins behind the mask. Their stomach was cut but only on the surface of their skin, but it wasn't a deadly blow as the shadow crows blocked most of the damage. Though the injury was minuscule, it burned like a bitch.

They teleported behind the man that believed to have done a killing blow on the vampire. When he was distracted, they dug their dagger between the gap they saw while up in the air for a better look. The masked figure managed to stab them four times before getting tossed off and thrown hard on the ground. Before they have the chance to get back up, one of the swords cuts their left inner thigh, causing them to grunt in pain. They kicked the man away using their only good leg, listening to the loud thud as the armored man collided with the train's controls. Without speaking, a flock of crows flew out of her body and started attacking the man as a way to distract him. Their eyes thoroughly examined the controls, noticing the power cell beside the occupied man. If she were to destroy it, it would cause an explosion. Meaning they could kill the man without struggling anymore. Summoning a small throwing knife, then tossed it at the power cell effortlessly. They get up on their feet but stumble in pain at their injured. Witnessing the blade and power cell connect before jumping off the moving train.

They dashed away from the train before it exploded in the direction of the footlocker. Not long after, the masked person heard the train explode and derail off the train tracks. They silently thanked the Vampire God for granting them inhuman speed to move a safe distance away. They go to the last location where the footlocker was and sighs in gratitude as it's still intact-none of the documents spilled. Good, an actual break. Tucking the footlocker under their arm, heading into the shadows to have a faster source of travel to the castle.

⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅∙∘☽༓☾∘∙•⋅⋅⋅•⋅⋅⊰⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅⋅•⋅

Mentions: Harper and Jayco's dogs (dir.) and open

After hours of traveling, the crow-mask wearer finally takes it off, revealing the feminine face behind it. Black eyes filled with exhaustion, face covered in sweat, and hair sticking to their head. She was in pain, tired, and thirsty. Not to mention, her mother is going to kill her for putting herself in danger, and despite that, she couldn't allow her deceased mother's plans to be exposed, especially to a bunch of hunters. Seeing the castle in the distance, Rosalie took a deep breath and couldn't help but smile. Rosalie walked to the castle-not wanting to use the rest of her energy at such a small distance. She was quiet, listening out for danger that may come her way.

Upon stepping into the castle's territory, she heard growling nearby, and she froze in place. She turns her head toward the growling, seeing a pair of glowing eyes watching her. "Jayco's dogs." Whispering to herself, turning her body around to face the vampiric canine. She stood still, allowing the dog to approach and take a sniff of her scent. She let it sniff her for a while, then its tail started to wag and lets out a soft bark in greetings. "Nice to meet you too, Fenrir." Fenrir was a wolf-dog, the alpha of the six dogs, and only friendly towards certain people. Fenrir was a large black dog, around 34in, and unsettling glowing amber eyes. His ears were missing a bit of skin, and his dark tan nose had scars. She was one of them, and the two were on good terms. "Want to escort me back?"

Giving her a woof in response, Fenrir tails after the injured woman to the castle. When they arrive at the entrance, she watches Warg eat a strange-looking sandwich, and she thinks it could be poisonous by looks alone. She wasn't going to stop the dog since he's known to snap at people just getting close to him. Fenrir approaches Warg, growling at the dog and snapping at him-almost biting the other's cheek. Warg turns his head to bite whoever bit him but stops when it realizes who it is and takes a step back from the sandwich. The mysterious food was almost gone, and Fenrir ate it without remorse for the other dog. Rosalie watches the interaction and feels pity for Warg and Fenrir since they ate that mysterious sandwich.

"Whoever made that needs culinary classes," Rosalie muttered before making her way toward the main doors.

Stepping inside, a wave of nostalgia hits her in the face, and a smile appears on her face. To her, this was her first childhood home before they moved to a different manor a few miles away from this one. She walked forward, only to bump into a human-the scent of them made her mouth water in hunger. From her guess, they were an invited blood-gifter. Inspecting them for a good few seconds before talking, "Pardon me." Giving them an apologetic bow and proceeds to head further inside. Following behind her were the two dogs, Fenrir and Warg. Fenrir eyes Harper suspiciously, giving him a thorough sniff before following Rosalie. Warg was smelling them while a growl rumbling deep in his throat, then went after Fenrir and the vampire woman.

A second later, the rest of the dogs entered the castle. Lupa gave Harper a quick sniff before chasing after Rosa seeming afraid of them. The twins sniffed the human for a split second before catching up to the other four. Lastly, Asena approaches Harper with a wagging tail and rubs herself against them. She nudges their hand with their nose to earn some pets, whimpering to gain their attention and affection. Rosalie stops in her tracks to check on the final dog, the other dogs halting behind her, "Asena! Come! Stop bothering the guest!" The dog did so obediently and quickly fell back in line with the other dogs, but her tail never stopped wagging.

🍷- Mauve SinClair -🍷

High Lady|F, Born Vampire|500-600|Hypnosis|M:Jayco(dir), Dahlia(dir), Rosalie(dir), Harper(ind)

"I shall hold you to that, we will have good fun you and I." She would indeed hold him to it. Hunting was fun but hunting as a group was a thrill all of its own. He mentioned that he only needed to change shape partially to defeat the beast upon his shoulder. "Oh do you often pick and choose what parts of yourself to..change" A succubus grin reached her mouth at the innuendo. They continued to talk for awhile but after awhile of them speaking to one another; Mauves hair on her arms began to stand on end as she sensed the ever growing tension across the room. That same tension seemed to have hit Jayco as his aura flipped like a golden coin. Only this side of the coin had been splattered in the promise of blood and pain. The green eyed shifters gaze went from her to the two males leaving the room barely keeping their hands off eachother. This should be interesting she thought.

"Excuse me" came from the seething Hound beside her. Gathering his bear skin in a fluid predators motion he was out the nearest door. She wasn't wrong in trusting the man to be a wild card tonight. "Oh tonight is gonna be a treat" mauve spoke to herself quietly in amusement. While she made it her business to attain court intrigue and gossip she didn't fan the flames nor did she wish unnecessary dramatics upon the leaders. They had enough on their plates as it was. She did injoy a bit of harmless drama though, especially if it worked in her favor.

Finding her glass empty she glanced around. Fuck the gods, all the blood gifters had left by now as the room began to fill with more and more hungry eyes. Scurrying to their owners sides for those that had patrons. The ones without such protection were probably long gone. Before she had the chance to go find one she was interrupted by one of the female vampires in the room approaching her.

She recognized the other blonde woman from around the court. She greeted Mauve with the obvious intention of starting potential gossip. “Well well, what’s the matter with dearest Jayco tonight I wonder?" She didn't know the woman well even if she was part of her caste, mauve hung around the Hypnos claimed areas of the kingdom but she didn't believe in cliques and could be found socializing with many a vampire outside her class. Her face showed no change from its usually sultry lazy smile. Eyes observing the woman carefully. "Trouble in Paradise I believe, He is probably going to go blow off steam. Probably go eat something or someone. Dahlia correct?" She knew her name but Mauve was never one to lay all her cards out. Especially to another hypnosis. A sharp pain to her temple told her she wouldn't be able to keep this conversation long.

The small glass of blood laced wine had not been enough to quench her thirst. Especially after the night spent with that random male. She hadnt had time to hunt after since the meeting was so late. Mauves normally bright ruby red eyes were beginning to deepen to a dark garnet shade. Not quite in the danger zone yet but she would need to feed soon she wasn't the most pleasant of vampires when her hunger hit. She could give Jayco a run for his money for who could be more feral. When you are treated like prey your entire life by men and women owning and buying her affection and time you learn to become the predator.

"Speaking of letting off some steam and getting a bite to eat will you excuse me I think I need to find myself a snack before this meeting starts, I for one don't want to be in line for a Blood Gifter afterwords." With all the this stress about she knew that the food would tastes bitter.

I would rather get one while its at least some what feeling safe. Mauve thought as she made her way out of the ballroom heading towards a random hall. Following the thick threads in the air leading her towards her next meal, long black dress hugging her body like a sleepy lover. Hips swaying gracefully as she moved. Soon she found herself entering the main entry way the large doors to the castle towering above closing behind a familiar face. Mauve noted as she took in the scene before her. She spotted a human, a handful of Jaycos hounds and the Princess Rosalie in the entry way. "Well well well, Look what the cat dragged in" she said as she slowed to a stop. "Or should I say dogs" A grin spreading across her face fangs fully on display seeing her friend she hadn't seen in a long time.

Harper Carnell | 21 | Genderfluid | Pansexual Ambi | Blood-Gifter

M: Jayco’s Dogs (Dir(?))

Harper’s tears froze to his cheeks, laying his head down on his duffle bag as he held his purse to his chest. Harper wiped his eyes that were red from his tears with the heel of his hands as he waited for the trolley on the bench. The only reason he was staying was because he had been rented at a big castle for some meeting.

At least I can keep my mind occupied….

Breathing hot air into his hands, Harper shivered as he sat up. Harper looked behind him, checking nervously as he swore he could feel eyes staring hole into his brain as if trying to manipulate him without Harper even knowing someone was there. Opening his duffle bag, Harper pushed through the clothes he owned solely to please vampires and sighed happily when he found his puffy, maroon coat with the fluffy hood and interior as well as a long, hand-woven scarf the color of bright lights like the ones that flashes red on the fronts and backs of the trolly cars. It was nice that there were always the flashing red lights because when the fog was too thick to see through or the snow made it too hard to see, you could always pray to your Gods in hopes that you can move out of the way in time.

Ding ding! Ding ding!

The bell of the trolley could be heard quickly approaching before the brakes slowly engaged in the distance, a metal whirring of the metal wheels scraping against the track as Harper watched the steaming metal box approach. The trolly came to a stop and puffed steam upon its arrival like a fat man huffing a fat cigar. Harper collected her bags and held them close as several vampires stepped off, a few eyeing her up and down and the other going so far as to whistle and poke his buddy to whisper and laugh in a hushed voice. They must have thought they were so sneaky as the two whispered and chuckled, looking back at Harper and staring with hungry eyes. Harper knew exactly what they were thinking though. When her shirt revealed her stomach and her shorts did not come past her mid-thigh and bites littered every inch of her visible skin, it was not hard to read others’ minds and whatever they were thinking about her. Boarding the trolley, the trolley driver gave Harper a scowl as he dropped coins into the payment bucket. She sat down on one of the red, leather and worn seats, heating her hands by rubbing them together until his palm turned red.

A woman and her friend sat giggling and whispering across from Harper and he forced himself not to say anything as he looked anywhere but them. Both were vampires as seen in their pointed teeth that shimmered in the flickering light of the trolley that shook with each movement as one of them was practically drooling over him. She blew kisses and waved although her eyes were locked onto his neck. Harper shrank in his seat and held his bags closer, especially his purse. He had a knife in there for the worst case scenario. There was another vampire who was next to Harper who scooted away from him, his face shriveling with disgust at the human and eyeing Harper like a disease. There were several others on the trolley but Harper wished it was just him. He wished he could just be alone. It felt like there were so many eyes on him. Harper’s leg bounced in place as he nervously glanced out the window.

Ding ding! Ding ding!

The moment the trolley began to grind to a halt, Harper sprang out of their seat and ran. It was not even supposed to be her stop.

~~~~~

Harper was late, or she was pretty sure she was at least. The castle was a tall gray manor with towers that were crumbling and aging from time. Vines climbed up the exterior and beautiful stained glass replaced any boring windows one might see. Cute dogs roamed outside the castle and— although she did not have much— she did have a sandwich she was saving for after the meeting which she laid down on the ground for the dogs to find later. They seemed to be working hard so they deserved a reward. Giant wooden doors with a lion holding iron door handles were what separated Harper from the cold air and a, hopefully, warm place. With a great amount of force and straining to open the door, sharp air breezed past Harper and pushed to get into the castle. Harper quickly made their way inside before pulling the door shut to make sure the freezing temperatures did not make their way in.

Harper stood alone in the entrance of the building, spinning around to look at the antique carpet, creaking wooden floors, and tattered paintings of old white vampires. Harper held onto his purse tighter as he peered down the hallway, afraid to take another step forward into the house when no one was in sight. Harper swore he could feel a breeze or someone’s breath on the back of his neck and he shivered, jumping slightly and whipping around to see no one there.

Great, now I am imagining things.

“Helloooooooo?~ Anyone home?” Harper called out, placing her hand to her mouth to amplify her voice only to hear her echo reply: “Helloooooooo?~ Anyone home?” “Damn, is this the right house…?” Harper huffed as she shuffled through her purse and pulled out a crumpled slip of paper with the address messily written on it. Squinting at the words on the paper, the ink must have bled through from the wet meat of the sandwich because it was now illegible. Harper nearly gagged at the smell of the meat-paper which had now been tainted with whatever that weird meat on her sandwich had been out of. Harper sighed, clinking their boots against the ground as they decided it was probably best to stay near the entrance of the strange, crumbling castle which looked most definitely haunted with the souls of the damned.

All of a sudden, the huge wooden doors were heaved open with ease and Harper instantly shivered from the cold but quickly turned to see who had entered. Drenched in beads of sweet and spent from exhaustion, a woman stepped into the building with the dogs that Harper saw outside following at her heels, each one stopping to sniff Harper and one staying just long enough for Harper to be able to pet the adorable puppy before the woman commanded her to follow.

Harper was so taken aback by this that he entirely forgot to ask the woman where he was supposed to be going. Opening his mouth to call out to her, Harper was cut off before he could speak by another woman approaching. She held herself more elegantly and seemed to analyze the other woman with a sly smirk. Harper looked back and forth between them before awkwardly smiling.

"Well! This seems like a lovely little reunion," Harper chuckled charmingly with a small smile as he adjusted his grip on his purse, "but I am sure this is not something you want me overhearing...? If you just tell me where I am supposed to go, I will get out of your hair and let you two have a moment. Is that a good deal?"

Brosc Sloan | 675ish | Male | Bisexual Poly | Harem

(I am just changing his name at this point, I give up- XD)

M: Suya + Jayco (Dep) Mauve + Garvin (Ind)

Random little fact about Brosc: he almost never wears a tie. He finds them to be far too restricting and senseless, but Brosc was so glad he wore one that day because the simple act of Suya grabbing him by the tie and pulling him closer was more than worth it.

Suya was too good of a flirt sometimes and Brosc almost regretted teasing him so much earlier— well not really because teasing Suya was one of life’s greatest joys— as now the man was striking back with vengeance. His gentle kisses, soft bites, and— fuck— his voice was driving Brosc mad with lust. The way he whispered in his ear and how he could feel Suya’s breath on his skin made even Brosc shiver. Why did this man have to be so goddamn charming? Brosc had to bite his lip to silence himself, covering his mouth with his hand as he sunk into the bite. It felt damn good, but Brosc was barely holding himself back from doing a lot more than giving a single bite to Suya.

I am absolutely getting back at him for this later.

“You looked like you could use a snack,” Brosc replied with a shrug and a chuckle, resisting the urge to pull the man into a kiss with how much Suya was staring at his lips. The man was far too obvious with his intentions and desires. Brosc smirked as he pulled Suya closer and mumbled in a husky whisper. “Maybe if you beg for it I will let you have some more…~”

Suya was seemingly far too distracted with his lips and body— Brosc was pretty distracting so he could not blame the man— to even hear Brosc’s words before pressing a deep kiss to his lip. God, Suya’s lips were addictive especially when each kiss was filled with such passion. Suya could taste the ginger tea and chocolate strawberries on his lips which made Brosc only wish to kiss him for longer, combing a hand through Suya’s hair and tugging him deeper into the kiss.

Brosc could not help but narrow his eyes as Suya pulled away but was only driven into more of a foggy desire that clouded his mind with thoughts of Suya as he whispered in his ear again. Normally he would have responded with a sly remark of some sort, but Brosc silently watched Suya who studied him with mischievous eyes and a smug smirk on his face while Brosc wanted more than anything to wipe that smug expression off his face.

“I am sure no one will notice…,” Brosc mumbled as Suya wrapped his arms around Brosc’s neck, gently kissing Suya’s neck as his hands rested on Suya’s hips. “Plus, I think they would prefer us doing this in private rather than in the middle of the meeting, no?~ I mean, it would certainly be quite the show, but I think the meeting would be hard to conduct with how loud you are.” Brosc continued sweetly kissing his neck before he slowly started to get rougher, nibbling and nipping at his skin before suddenly sucking at the base of his neck. By the moon, Suya tasted good and Brosc could barely hold himself back.

I cannot take this anymore.

Shoving Suya into the shelf opposite of the one Brosc had been leaning against and causing the shelf to rumble slightly from the force, Brosc pressed a deep kiss to his lips. After knotting one hand in Suya’s hair and sliding the other up his shirt just to feel his skin, Brosc did not part the kiss for air until he was entirely out of breath before diving back for more, biting at Suya’s lower lip in the heat of the moment.

“I am in control now, got it?” Brosc mumbled in a husky, authoritative voice as his lips hovered just barely apart from Suya’s lips so that he could actually hear Suya’s response. “If you want more attention, you have to remember to behave. Can you do that or will you be misbehaving again?”

Angelique Camilla Belmont | 1220s | F | Shadow Class | Archduchess | Mentions: Isolabella (ind)

Angelique stared at her reflection, eyes tracing the familiar lines of her mourning gown. Looking at the dress brought back a flood of memories. The first time she had worn this gown she’d been barely 6 centuries old. Her mother had decided she’d seen all life had to offer, and that she no longer desired to be Archduchess. Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as retirement for vampires. Angelique had woken one night to find a note on her nightstand.

My darling Angel,

It breaks my heart to leave you, but I cannot abide being parted from your father any longer. I grow weary of the Court and its machinations, and I fear that young Vivienne’s quest to unite us over the humans will only strengthen their resolve to root us out and burn every single vampire to ash. The extinction of our noble race is something I cannot face, yet neither can I continue to bear the burden of ensuring our species’ survival. But in you, dear daughter, I see hope for our future. I put my trust in you, that you will help guide and protect the newest Chosen of the Moon on her path, wherever it may take her. Counsel her against making the same mistakes as my generation, and never hesitate when it comes to her safety. I know that you will make me and your father proud.

Your loving mother,

Archduchess Sophia Adrienne Belmont

Unknown to Angelique, those were the last words she’d ever hear from her mother. She had rushed to her mother’s quarters, but by then it was far too late. All that remained of Archduchess Sophia was a pile of ashes on the floor. Weeks later at the funeral, Angelique had worn the very gown she now wore to mourn her former queen. But just as she tried to return to the present, another wave of memories dragged her under.

Angelique was a few weeks shy of her 900th birthday when she received the summons. At this point in her life, Angelique had been serving Queen Vivienne loyally as one of her feared justicars for over 200 years. She was renowned for her skill and mercilessness, and famed for her role in assisting Vivienne when it came to identifying and eliminating threats to her fledgling rule. In those years, dissidents to the Blue Rose throne were afraid of the dark, refusing to gather unless the space was entirely free of shadows. Whispered voices spoke of people vanishing into the night, there one minute and gone the next, bodies pulled into a writhing void of darkness. It was not for nothing that vampires refused to speak her true name, instead referring to Angelique as “Le Fantôme”, for it was rumored that speaking her name aloud would result in her paying you a visit…

The morning Angelique was summoned to Queen Vivienne’s chambers, she had just finished interrogating a former High Lady about yet another possible assassination plot. She had hardly left the room when a page flagged her down and told her that her presence was requested by the Queen. Minutes later, Angelique walked out of the throne room with her heart in pieces, Her Majesty’s words still echoing in her ears. “Lady Mirabelle has obtained evidence that your wife, Countess Cecilia, is involved in a plot against me. Will you take care of this, or shall I assign one of the other justicars?” Much as it sounded like a request, Angelique knew when her loyalty was being tested. Additionally, the thought of anyone else laying a hand on her precious CeeCee felt like a stake being driven straight through her heart. That night, she stood in her bedroom and tried not to weep as she waited for Cecilia to come home. When the moment finally came and Cecilia lay dying in Angelique’s arms, Angelique couldn’t help but berate her lover, asking her what she had possibly been thinking when she had decided to go against the queen. But Cecilia’s last words froze Angelique to her core. “It was stupid of me. Mirabelle came to me one day saying that you were going to leave me for Vivienne, the same way you left Mirabelle for me. I didn’t believe her at first, but… well it doesn’t matter now. I couldn’t lose you, and now all I can ask is that you forgive me for my foolishness, my dearest Angel.” With her wife’s dead body heavy in her arms, Angelique made straight for Mirabelle’s chambers.

She entered the room silently, melting out of the shadows like a seal emerging from the water. Mirabelle lay asleep on the bed, and with rage in her eyes Angelique stabbed the sleeping vampire through the heart with a dagger made out of darkness. Mirabelle’s eyes shot open and she struggled to push Angelique away, but it was no use. “You made me kill Cecilia,” Angelique seethed, “This is the least of what you deserve, you snake.” Mirabelle managed to croak out a laugh, blood seeping from the corners of her mouth. “I see it was too much to hope that bitch would die quietly. I should’ve known that she’d snitch about my involvement to you.” Mirabelle’s eyes began to dim. “You never should have left me. I was the best woman you were ever with, and if I couldn’t have you, then neither should anyone else. I curse you Angelique. With my dying breath, I hope that you never feel love again.” With that, the light left Mirabelle’s eyes entirely and her body went slack, a puppet with the strings cut.

Angelique resigned from being a justicar the next day. For weeks she did nothing but mourn her lost wife, wearing the same black dress for days on end. Eventually, she retook her mother’s title as Archduchess, but she swore that she would never take another life for as long as she lived. The Archduchess came back to herself with a gasping breath, finding herself in heap on her floor. With soft pants Angelique regained her feet, wiping away the tears that had coated her face. Rather than fixing the ruined makeup, Angelique simply threw on a gauzy black veil that obscured most of her face. Figuring that if she took any longer she’d be late to the meeting, Angelique walked straight into the nearest shadow and materialized inside the castle that had been designated as the meeting place for the vampires tonight. Like a ghost, she began to scour the hallways for any sign of Queen-consort Isolabella, the only person who could empathize with how she felt.

Rosalie V. Boudreaux-Bǫlverkr | 118 | F | High Lady | Shadow

Mentions: Mauve, Harper, and Jayco's dogs (dir.) and open

A voice she hadn't heard in a very long time entered her ears with utter grace, and a smile coils on her face. The woman's charcoal eyes filled with instant fascination, with the dogs surrounding her coming to a complete stop. The canines watch Mauve with an intense gaze, unsure how to feel about this stranger approaching their friend. "Lady Mauve," her smile only growing, "and who says the dogs were the ones to drag me in? Perhaps," outstretching her free arm to add to the dramatics, "I arrive on my own free will to bear witness to the fun this meeting would bring." Her eyes dragged along Mauve's frame, raising a brow, "Darling, Mauve. Horrid as always." Rosalie chuckled with her eyes holding exhaustion and playfulness. "Your face still shudders my undead heart."

"Well! This seems like a lovely little reunion, but I am sure this is not something you want me overhearing? If you just tell me where I am supposed to go, I will get out of your hair and let you two have a moment. Is that a good deal?"

Hearing the meek voice of the blood-gifter made her eyes fixate on another target: the human here waiting to figure out where he was supposed to go. Rosalie clicks the roof of her tongue, "I'm afraid I don't have the information on where blood-gifters are supposed to be. Although," quickly staring at the hungry Mauve and then back over to Harper in a split second, "I wouldn't oppose to you joining us on a walk." It was a chance to bring the blood-gifter further inside and away from the door and for Mauve to feast on them. Rosalie wasn't a fool with socializing with a hungry vampire, a piece of advice she took seriously from her mother, Bella. While Isolabella showed her the court life, Vivienne showed her the way of fighting. If only Vivienne's here-she wanted to tell her exciting news of how many kills she got this night. Speaking of her mother, Rosalie is bracing herself to get yelled at for being too reckless during her mission.

She waits for Harper to catch up to them before strolling deeper inside the castle. Walking beside Mauve, and lets out a sharp whistle to command the hounds. Jayco would kill her for ordering his canines, but it's a pretty fun thing to do. "Fenrir, take the others and patrol the woodlands. I'll be alright." Fenrir understood what she said, letting out a soft bark, and left the castle through a broken window. Following him were the other five, Rosalie keeping an eye on them to ensure they'll be okay. "I've returned from an exhilarating mission, Mauve." Pulling the footlocker close to her side, "How do you think my mother would react when I share the news that I derailed and exploded a train?" Rosalie laughs softly and stumbles forward when she is suddenly light-headed. She huffs in pain, touching the injury on her stomach. None of her three wounds weren't healing, and that was concerning. "If these wounds don't kill me, my mother sure will." Mumbling to herself, coming to a stop at the ballroom doors.

"This is where we part ways, I'm afraid. I have important matters to attend to." Rosa hunches herself over to give Mauve a regretful bow, her eyes possessing great sorrow. "Be as it may, I'm available after speaking with the queen-consort." She shifts her body to turn toward Harper to scan every bit of small features about them-taking in little details and instilling them in her brain. You never know if this will be their last day walking after being drained by a bunch of vampires, which is the most dangerous thing to become. "Here's a piece of advice for survival: know your limits. If you're feeling dizzy after consumption, take a break."

She paused for a split second when a wave of feebleness overcame her, "We may be vampires, but half of us still care about the wellbeing of those willing to give their blood to us." That being her last words, Rosalie hurries off to find her mother somewhere within this castle. With each step, she feels like fainting, and her thirst isn't helping either. Like Suya, Rosalie never bothered too much about her health. She tripped over herself, using the support of the worn-down wall to steady herself. "No, I'll be fine. I only need to reach her. I refuse," she muttered words of anger towards herself, "to die. I pass up on dying, thanks." Talking to the grim reaper that's probably tapping its boney foot impatiently. She should've found a blood source before arriving here-a mistake that could cost her life, whether by the silver poisoning her or another vampire taking advantage of her weakened state. It was another word of wisdom from Mama Bear Bella. She starts to cough, but this isn't a casual cough. Her throat was hurting and squeezing like it was trying to force something out but couldn't. For a dead woman, why is she lacking air? It was getting harder to breathe, and she could feel her undead blood dying.

The coughing grew worse and worse. Only for lips became wet with an unseen liquid. Their tongue graced said lips, but the taste wasn't familiar. Wait for a second?!? She cannot taste anything! Rosalie swirled her tongue inside her mouth, yet felt nothing-not even when she bit it. "How can someone die twice!?!" Shouting was a big mistake in this situation. Her throat was dry even though her blood was filling it. "Hold on, did I ever have a sense of taste? Is this a new thing, or am I being dramatic?" When it seems to calm down, she leans against the wall. "Oh, guess I was being dramatic." Rosalie waited a few seconds to regain composure, then stepped forward, only to fall to the floor again. "Damn it! Come on!" Quietly shouting at herself, and lets out a tired huff. "Dying in my childhood home wasn't what I desired." She huffs, standing back on her feet-pressing her hand against the wall to keep herself steady. Her inhumane strength was failing her. The footlocker was growing too heavy for her to carry. Rosalie drops the container,r although she wants to hold it. A loud thud was heart when she dropped it, and the young vampire pressed against the wall to keep herself on her feet.