Andrei Ivanov's Story

Viktor sighed when he was gone, starting to make his way home again. Sometimes he truly didn't understand people- not even himself. All he knew was that he needed that blood, and he needed it badly. He would have to be patient, though. Yes, that was exactly what he needed to be. Racking his hand through his pale brown hair, he yawned and then sped him his pace, just wanting to get home. All this commotion was giving him quite the headache, and as he considered the comotion that would occur once he got home... his head ache worsened.

As he reached the front door, he could already hear a loud shouting (well, not actually shouting, rather crying) from inside. Sighing, he unlocked the door and stepped into the manor, shutting the door behind him before he started making his way towards the noise. What could be the matter now? He narrowed his eyes and stepped into the dining room, where the source of the crying was.

"How dare you call yourself a gentleman when you walk with such crooked posture?!" Clarence snapped at Yuri who was crying furiously in an attempt to get away from his brother, who was holding a plate with food in his hands. Everything on it had been eaten, though messily... but the vegetables. "Besides, unless you have your vegetables; you. won't. get. any. taller... how many times must we tell you that?! Now eat up!" Clarence continued his rant, closing in on Yuri who was now pressing himself into the corner. "Stupid, stupid, stupid Clarence! I don't want the vegetables!" Yuri cried out in panic, hugging his teddy tightly and sobbing furiously.

Viktor sighed as he watched the commotion, shaking his head and clearing his throat. The two vampires stopped in their brawl and turned their attention to their elder brother, waiting patiently for him to speak. "What in the world is going on now?" Viktior questioned the both of them, folding his arms over his chest and arching an eyebrow.

Clarence sighed and gestured to his younger brother in mild annoyance, before pushing up his glasses and speaking. "He is refusing to eat his vegetables... again... and now he is crying and behaving like the little kid he is no longer supposed to be! Added to that, he was running around in a dress erlier on... what the hell is wrong with our younger brother?!" Clarence said coldly in pure annoyance, though his voice was still somehow calm and as was his expression.

Yuri whimpered as he watched Viktor carefully, afraid of what his oldest brother would say. "Yuri, you have to eat your vegetables, you know... there is no way around that," he said sternly, walking over to them and taking the plate from Clarence hands, placing it down on the dining table. "However, Clarence... you should maybe try to go about it in a tad more pedagogic way..." Clarence just snorted in reply and then started making his way out from the room, shaking his head. "You can't keep our little brother from growing up forever, Vicky... it will do him no good in the end." And then he was gone.

Viktor turned back to Yuri. "You won't be leaving this room until you have cleared your plate, understood?" he said, calmly but firmly. Yuri burst into tears again, and as Viktor tried to approach him, the kid started kicking and screaming that he didn't want them. After quite a while, Victor gave up. It was just about at the same time as he could hear a rumbling from upstairs.

His mood darkening even further, he started making his way towards the noise.

Raphael cursed loudly and foully as he came rumbling down the stairs and fell right on his face. He instantly got on his feet and started shouting at Andrei who was laying on the staircase, his earphones propped into his ears... and loud snores escaping his lips.

Viktor sighed. Was there no end at all to this madness? Why did his family have to be so dysfunctional? He didn't get it. He didn't get it at all.

"ANDREI!" He roared, "GET UP! YOU CAN'T SLEEP ON THE STAIRCASE! RAPHAEL, PUT THE SWORD AWAY! You're not going to stab your brother..."

This wasn't a mansion, this was an Asylum.

Obviously they're all enjoying their food.

The thought was a sarcastic one, which caused a smile to twitch across her face and a soft giggle to escape her. Avalon paused mid-slice of a tomato, cocking her head to the side, an amused smirk appearing on her lips. She plucked up a tomato slice and took a small bite, giving a small shake of her head at the shouting that almost seemed to rock the walls of the kitchen, which was down the hall from the mass chaos currently wracking the mansion. She had only just finished preparing lunch for the Young Lords, and of course, Yuri was arguing with Clarence, who was a bit overly-tight and strict about things. Raphael was apparently attempting to kill Andrei, as Viktor so obviously announced to the household, and the rest of the servants were undoubtedly cowering in several rooms, finding something to occupy their attentions.

It was no use for her, however; instead, she turned back to the tomatoes, continued her chopping of them, and by the time she was done, Viktor's voice had disappeared, and the four remaining brothers were once again at each other's throats. With a muffled sigh, she slid the tomatoes into a bowl with orange juice so that they wouldn't begin to brown while she was away. After moving them into the large fridge, she wiped her juice-coated hands off on a towel, removed her apron, hung it on it's respective peg, and started from the room. She grabbed a plate of steamed broccoli, grilled onions, and grilled green peppers, mixed with several thin slices of red, yet juicy and sweet, meat.

"Although I don't agree with the way that Master Clarence goes about trying to get you to eat your vegetables, he's right, Master Yuri," she said, moving over to the crying boy. She set the plate of the vegetable stir fry on the table and approached Yuri, who was sobbing and cowering in a corner of the room, her hands held up in a gesture that showed that she wasn't going to force him to eat if he didn't want to. She leaned down so that she was at his height, reaching out in a gesture for him to pass her the plate of vegetables, a gentle smile on her face. "If you don't want to eat them, you don't have to, but you'll stay short forever," she told him, lightly placing her fingers around the plate of vegetables that he was refusing to eat.

"How about this," she began, straightening away from him with the plate, immediately making her way back towards the table. She set the plate beside the stir fry, lightly dropping her fingers between the plates and looking up and back over at him. "If you will at least try this, I'll buy you a bucket full of your favorite candy. If you don't like it, than you don't have to eat it, alright?" she said, backing towards the door as a crash resonated throughout the mansion. "I'll be back in a little while to see if you ate it or not."

With that, she fled into the hallway, her skirt bouncing slightly as she moved, and the sight that befell her was definitely one of destruction. Raphael stood above a snoring Andrei, who's headphones were quite firmly in his ears, and the most disturbing part of it was the sword that glinted in Raphael's hands.

"All of you are impossible!" she sighed loudly, throwing her hands in the air as she made her way over to them. "Master Raphael, put your sword away. You aren't going to stab your brother," she said firmly, before turning to Andrei. She dropped down to a sitting position on one of the stairs that he was sprawled across, her hand falling on his arm. She shook him lightly at first before increasing the strength she put into it. It was a bit hard for a human to make a vampire move while they were sleeping, let alone one such as Andrei. One hand reached up and removed a headphone so that she could speak directly into his ear.

"Master Andrei, wake up and apologize to Master Raphael for propelling him down the stairs and nearly breaking his bones," she said, removing the other headphone and the music player that they were attached to. She rose and held it in her hand, away from the sleeping Andrei. "If you don't wake up and apologize, I'm confiscating your music player," she threatened, shaking her finger down and near his face.

Avalon turned back to face Raphael then, her head tilting back only slightly to see the face of the boy who was a mere two inches taller than her. "And you, Master Raphael, need to understand that Master Andrei has a bit of an issue with sleepwalking, and never meant to push you in any way. As his brother, you should sympathize for him and understand that he can't help the way he is, just as you can't help the fact that you have a bit of a temper problem," she scolded, a bit of her lecture falling on deaf ears of an upper class, taller vampire, who was still two years younger than she. She tapped him once on the chest for good measure, turned back to Andrei, and nudged him lightly with the toe of her black shoe, which went perfectly with her maid's outfit - sewn by herself, she would gladly boast.

"I made your favorite lunch, Master Andrei," she sang, knowing that his love for delicious foods often outweighed his love for sleep and laziness. "You had better hurry before your brothers eat it all," she warned, nudging him lightly once more.

Yuri watched in disgust as she tried to trick him into eating vegetables. He shook his head quickly, grasping hold of the plate and then smashing it against the wall. "I DON'T WANT THEM!" the purple haired teenage boy snapped, his voice filled with the kind of rage only usually a little child can possess when wronged. He glared a her with pure hatred burning in his purple eyes, clutching his teddy before suddenly going strangely calm. "Humans are so annoying," he said to his teddy with a sgh, "don't you agree? I hate the kind that thinks they can tell you what tod o and how to act. Frankly, I think they should all die. Their opinions do not matter, mine do... don't you agree, Teddy?" he asked his stuffed animal softly, standing up and brushing his clothes into place.

He watched her leave, and once she was gone, he murmured. "I think we will have to discipline her later," he said with a slight nod of his head, "humans should just be quiet and so as they are told, especially MY humans... like the good little dolls they are, no, Teddy?" he giggled childishly and then skipped out into the corridor, slipping past the turmoil between her brothers and the maid unnoticed, and into the kitchen. There he walked over to the refridgirator, opened it and pulled out a package with strawberries. Smiling and still clutching his teddy with one arm, he helped himself to them. "I'll crush the agrivating little human like a strawberry..." he mused and giggled happily at the thought as he squished a strawberry between his pale fingers and then ate it. It would be fun punishing her, he decided.

Raphael hesitated before sighting and lowering his sword. "The sleezer has no trouble with sleep walking. He actually decided to sit down and sleep on the stairs himself... probably because he thought it to be too much a job to WALK down the stairs," the albino vampire snorted, his rage flaring up again as she mentioned his temper problems. "I resent that!" he snapped, "Yuri is the one with such problems, not me...ugh... I am never, ever going to sympathize to someone as worthless as that sloppy scumbag... he does not deserve to be an Ivanov!" With that said, Raphael stomped off, attaching his rapier to his side again and grumbling angrily to himself.

There were few things Andrei cared about, and almost nothing he would actually react to. However, touching his earphones or instruments were two of them.. and once that occurred; he was seriously pissed. Just as she pulled out the first headphone, his eyes snapped open, but he did it manage to react until she had totally taken the MP3 player away from him. By then, Raphael was already gone and Andrei had missed half what his brother had said, and filtered out the rest as 'unnecessary crap'.

Within seconds he was behind her, wrapping one if his arms around her waist, and grasping hold of her wrist with the other. "Waking me up was your first mistake this morning," he said, a hostile undertone in his voice though he was speaking calmly. He tightened his grip of her slightly and then plucked the earphones and music players from her hand, snorting a little before yawning. "Your second mistake was trying to tell me what or what I should not do and threatening me... how annoying, and absolutely above your authority. I think my brothers may have been too kind to you, as you seem to think you can act around your masters however you like... now, as long as this does not concern me, I truly do not give a damn... but you just now happened to touch my music with your filthy paws. That is indeed disturbing... and your third and greatest mistake today. How should I punish you, hmmm...?" he tightened his grip of her waist and caressed her neck with his fangs, momentarily stopping as she mentioned food. He shrugged. "That would mean I have to walk down the stairs... too much of an effort." he said lazily.

The sudden shatter of a plate ricocheted like a gunshot throughout the room, loud enough that it could only have come from the room that she had left Yuri in. Who knew that vampires could be so troublesome and out of control? I know their parents weren't really caring towards them, nor did they care what they did with their time, but still ... You'd think that they would have learned [b]some self-control and maturity.[/i] In all honesty, only Viktor held a lick of sense when it came to anything. Too bad he wasn't there in that moment ... He really needed to get control over his brothers. One of these days, she honestly thought that she was going to be killed for 'disobedience' when, really, she only cared about the young Masters, and wanted what was best for them.

A heavy sigh escaped Avalon's lips, on hand raising to rub at her temple as Raphael stormed off.

"You don't mean that, Master Raphael. That's quite a hurtful thing to say, and Master Andrei really isn't that bad," she murmured to herself, lightly tightening her grip on the music player.

Her human eyes couldn't follow the swift movement that followed, especially when her mind was elsewhere, but she was jolted back to the present by contact with what could only be placed as a man's arm. As soon as he spoke, she recognized him as Andrei, and a swift chill traveled up her spine at his words. She hadn't meant to anger him. It had just ... Happened. What the dense vampires that she served didn't seem to understand, was that she only acted above what little authority she had, due to the care that she held for each and every one of them.

Yuri, who was a child in so many ways, and that she had come to hold a protective nature for - despite his obvious hatred for her.

Viktor, who was the only one that managed to hold a bit of control over the chaotic family that he had.

Clarence, who was strict and cool, not seeming to really care about much other than his brother's common idiocy.

Raphael, with all of his aggressive, agitated, and perverted natures combined into one.

And Andrei, who never had been one to listen to anything she had to say. For all she knew, he only thought of her as a blood bag that did chores and cooked for him, who would be easily expendable, were it not for her families' history in serving the Ivanov's and her skills in doing so.

She was undoubtedly only prey to him, but she couldn't argue with the fact that the feeling of his arm around her waist sent little thrills through her body. Such a strong reaction to such a small contact with him, yet it was there nonetheless.

The scrape of his fangs brought her back to the current danger at hand, sending small chills throughout her body and causing goosebumps to arise along her arms, legs, and between her breasts. She barely noticed the words that he spoke after the contact of fangs-to-throat, and when she spoke a reply, her voice was shaky and breathy, almost excited for what she could only hope would follow - the pleasurable experience of his fangs sank deeply within her throat, and the even more pleasurable feel of said fangs drawing out her blood, the pulling and tugging sensation often stirring something deep within her.

"I could ... I could always bring it to you," she managed to breathe, her voice trembling, her heart racing in her chest, so immensely that it felt as though it would burst. Her body was subconsciously relaxing, the mesmerizing lull of his fangs caressing her almost drawing a groan from her body. "I-I'm very sorry, Master Andrei ... I didn't mean ... To ... To upset you," she mumbled, fumbling for words, her uncertainty rattling her brain. How was one to react to a situation such as the one that she was in? No matter how many times it occurred, she could never remain calm during it.

"I was only trying to keep Master Raphael from hurting you," she whispered, her voice slowly beginning to near a soft whimper that was a mixture of both need and soft fear. "He ... He was angry about you being on the stairs ... And I didn't know how else to wake you." Her voice was the small whimper at that point, and despite her own will, she could not move her body in any way. She internally squirmed under his touch, a slightly pained expression appearing on her face. "Master Andrei, your arm ... It's quite tight. I'm afraid that you may be bruising my hips," she managed, clenching her jaw. The continued scrape of his teeth over her neck caused another shiver to travel through her body, however, and she sighed a bit, her eyes falling shut.

"Please punish me, Master Andrei ... Please ... I want your punishment. Drink from me," she whimpered. Years of servitude for the family had caused several small scars to appear across various areas of her body, and along with those scars came an odd addiction to the bite and feeding of a vampire. It wasn't one that she would easily be able to beat, especially if she were to remain in the residence of the Ivanov Mansion. "Master Andrei ..." she whispered, finding barely enough strength to squirm in his grip. "I'm sorry for my disobedience ..."

"Hmmm.... I do like the sound of that," Andrei replied softly to her suggestion about bringing it to him, smiling contently at her reaction and words. "Or you could just let me drink your blood... that would suffice," he chuckled, gently and teasingly pricking the skin if her neck with his fangs before murmuring, "you really are an impudent little human, aren't you? Clarence would scold you so much for this, little food source..." he smiled softly, licking the blood from the tiny wounds she had made in he neck, so small that it would still only tease her.

He paused and stiffened slightly as she mentioned Raphael, before sighing a little and resting his chin on her shoulder, pressing his cheek against hers. "Too bad it was the only way you could think of... had you been smart enough you would just have offered me your neck. I would have woken up..." he chuckled softly, pulling back his head slightly as he loosened his grip of her... though still left his arms around her, arching an eyebrow at her request of biting her. So, what he said just moments ago hadn't just been teasing? She actually wanted him to bite her...

"Masochist," he murmured into her neck, kissing it softly, "you're a real little masochist... but I will do as you ask me. How about I drain you of your blood until you faint? Does that sound like a suitable punishment for you, little masochist?" The male vampire purred almost seductively, tightening his grip of her slightly again. An intense look- surpassing the one of hunger and edging towards lust flashed through Andrei's eyes as he felt her body pressed up against his like that. He did, however, keep that to himself and tried to shrug the strange notion off, before gently sinking his teeth into her neck and starting to suck out her blood, rather roughly- for he was hungry and it was supposed to be a punishment, after all.

Despite a sensation of bliss vibrations thouhgt his body, his expression remained calm and focused. However, that luatful look was still faintly lingering in his eyes, and nudging at the back if his mind. As he fed, he started to move his arm around her just ever so slightly lower, tightening her grip of her eve further again. After a while he pulled away from her neck, licking the wound clean before pulling at the collar of her maids outfit, to expose the skin of her shoulder. Smirking slightly, he bit into it- less gently than he had done before. His breath was heavy, and his eyes glowing bright red as he felt her delicious blood flow down his throat. It was so sweet- the best blood he had ever tasted.

She shivered at the quick prick, which was nearly painless, and the murmur of his words. His voice was a gentle lull to her ears, almost attempting to compel her to sleep but succeeding only in making her relaxed and tired. The flick of his tongue over the pricks that he had created on her neck caused small spikes of pleasure to shoot through her, and it was all she could do to keep herself from begging him to drink from her. Her hands hung uselessly at her sides, clenching slightly in the ruffles of her skirt, and her lips pursed without her consciously doing so.

The sudden stiffening of his body caused her to blink and inhale, only then realizing that she had been holding her breath, and her fingers relaxed and smooth out the bottom of her skirt. "I-I'm sorry for that ... I should have thought of that," she murmured, her voice choking slightly as she spoke. At this point, she was completely and utterly stunned that her heart hadn't actually exploded from her chest.

SHe didn't have much time to prepare for the bite - one moment, he was speaking, and the next, his teeth were buried in her crook between her neck and shoulder, and her blood was being drawn rather aggressively, and a bit painfully, from her.

And yet, the pleasure was undeniable.

She groaned, leaning back and against his chest, the feeling of her blood being taken from him almost a exhilarating as sex - and nearly as pleasurable, alongside that. She dimly registered the fact that his hand was moving almost intrusively lower on her body. No matter how uncomfortable the odd sensation of his hand's position on her body made her, she wouldn't, couldn't, push him away. With the combination of her servitude for the Ivanov's, and the mesmerizing qualities that the addicting vampire bite could cause, she was at his mercy.

And besides - she didn't want to move away from him.

Before she truly realized what had happened, his lips were drawn away from her throat, robbing her of the beautiful thrill of having her blood drawn by her Master. How incredibly cruel of him. In all honesty, Ava felt almost naked due to the sudden absence.

However, she wasn't so sure that she could continue the feeding, especially when he pushed the sleeve of her uniform down and over her shoulder, revealing the skin of said area, and returned to the drinking. She could already feel her heart working far more quickly in an attempt to restore the blood that was being taken away. It definitely wasn't healthy for her, and her knees were growing shaky and weak - so much so, that she wasn't entirely sure that she would be able to stand on her own if he were to release her.

"Master Andrei," she whispered, moving a bit in his arms, for she was already seeing double of the staircase before her. She grimaced, but could not continue, years of practiced servitude forbidding her to speak out against one of her young Masters.

Stars were glittering in her vision, as were dark splotches, and she felt her entire body beginning to tremble from the effort that merely standing caused her.

"Master Andrei, just what do you think you are doing to the poor girl? If you continue to drink from her in such a hasty manner, you will drain her completely and she will die! I doubt that your brothers would be very pleased with you, seeing as Avalon has been practically running this household since the day that her mother died!"

Venelia, a more senior member of the maid staff, stood in the doorway of a nearby room, her expression clouded with worry and anger. The elderly woman was a mere blur to Avalon, who had progressed to the position of slumping in Andrei's arms, her skin an unhealthy shade of white and her dress barely clinging to one shoulder.

"Venelia, it's alright ... It's my duty to ensure ... That the Young Lord's needs are satisfied," she groaned, a throbbing in her head causing an intense pain to pierce through her skull. She pressed her lips together, one hand rising to grip one of his arms in an effort to remain standing. "I acted disobediently ... And this is my punishment," she whispered, her eyes closing for a brief moment.

Venelia scowled, her displeasure with the entire idea of it evident. "I still do not like it. If Master Andrei ends up killing you, then it will be his duty to pick up the reigns that you had been pulling before, or at least to find someone to do so." With that, she whirled away, storming off to God-knew-where. Once she had disappeared from sight, Avalon sighed, moving her fingers only slightly in an effort to help stimulate the flow of blood even more quickly than the current speed that the red blood cells were replicating at.

It wasn't really any use, and after a few moments of attempting to do so, she felt the darkness envelope her, her entire body falling lax as she drifted off into blissful unconsciousness.

(I'm sorry for my shorty posts in comparison to yours. o.O >_< )

Andrei smiled at her reaction, chuckling softly as he fed, holding her in a tight grip. He saw and heard the maid, but did not care to stop or reply. He never listened to her anyways, so why should he now? The thought of extra work did unnerve him a little- well, so did the thought of any work at all. He knew though that this wouldn't kill her, just render her unconscious for a while. If everyone just refrained from feeding of her for a little while, there would be no problem, would there? Then again, making his brothers see reason in this situation was most likely next to impossible. Well, if he could always blame her death on one of the others If it should occur, or possibly he could simply ignore it... like he always did.

His smile widened as she gripped his arm to steady herself, and defended his cause at the same time. He could care less about what the old mad thought about him, but watching little Masochist defend him was quite amusing Then again, she was a masochist... or acted as one, anyhow. It was ironic, how she first fought to keep herself awake, and still wished to defend him, still wished him to bite her... why not just let darkness engulf you at once? Then the punishment would be over soon... was it truly that pleasurable to be bitten? Perhaps, but Andrei would never know.

He watched the maid storm away with mild amusement, and then finally pulled back as the girl went totally limp in his arms. Yawning, he contemplated carrying her to her room for a moment... but then decided it would be too much of a fuss. Shrugging his shoulders, he carefully placed her down on the floor, leaning her against the wall so she would be laying there in an at least moderately comfy position. Well, Andrei knew for sure that he himself would have been more than able to sleep like that. Then again, he could sleep almost about everywhere. Actually, he DID sleep almost everywhere, and always.

Deciding he had done enough to punish her now, and that she would be alright there, he picked up the music player he had accidentally dropped as he fed, and plugged in his earphones again, pushing the play button and sinking back into his own little world. He started back towards his room, where he would take another nap. Yeah, that sounded about good.

Meanwhile, little Yuri was skipping happily through the the corridors of the mansion and cuddling his teddy. He suddenly stopped and paused, tilting his head as he spotted Avalon unconscious on the floor. "Honestly, what a useless servant... napping when she should be doing her job? Terrible, no? Don't you agree, teddy?" he asked the stuffed animal, a slightly annoyed look crossing his face. "Of course you do, everyone agrees with me," he used his left hand to make the teddy nod a little, looking satisfied at his answer before shrugging his shoulders. "Troublesome she is too... now I will have to drag her to her room. After all, who knows what a nuisance would occurs if my brothers found her like this? So helpless and cute... they would just looooooove to drain her... right, Teddy?" he asked, looking down at his teddy before sighing and walking over to her where she was laying on the floor. He carefully placed the teddy in her lap and them picked then both up, with a little effort. Being a vampire, however, he did still manage what a human boy of his age and physical condition could only dream of.

Once he was in her room, he carefully placed her down on the bed, leaving Teddy with her for a moment. "Keep an eye at her for me, will you?" he asked the toy before walking over to the door and shutting it. Then he turned around and watched her for a moment as she was laying there, tilting his head and frowning. "She better shows her gratitude for all the fuss I had to go through to bring her here later. It was very kindly done of me," he said with a firm nod of his head before he went back to the bed and sat down, picking up his teddy and hugging him gently.

For a while, he just sat there and watched her. However, quickly getting bored, he started to first gently nudge her, then poke her cheek in order of trying to wake her. "Hey, Ava! Ava, wake up you lazy and impudent human!" he snapped, voice and expression filled with annoyance over the situation. First then, he noticed the bite marks other neck. Frowning, he crawled further onto the bed and leaned over her to examine them more closely. His frown deepened. They were fresh. Someone had taken blood from her recently, and Yuri didn't appreciate that thought at all. Not so weird, as he viewed her as his own property. All of his own property.

"WAKE UP!" he roared tearfully, grasping hold of her shoulders as shook her violently, "NOW!"

A wave of open disgust washed over the Duchess as a second Sanguinem entered the room, barging in with no apparent respect for the privacy of the meeting. Through gritted teeth Vontessa responded to each of the bloods. "So good of you to join us master Morlock." biting sarcasm dripped with each word, "Of course I had intended for our meeting to be separate and only if Vicktor had refused my offer, but seeing as you now have slithered your way into this deal I leave it up to Master Ivanov and yourself to decide who will claim the fame once the child is brought to justice. It of course makes no difference to me." turning her glare to Vicktor the duchess continued, "Search for all the evidence you like, I know magic and I have seen the child's work before when she killed her mother. There is no question to my mind that she is the culprit. We can undoubtedly prove her guilt under inquisition once she is found. The evidence of her power being examined by the spirit court will verify it I assure you."

Sealing the metal chest and doll back with her magic she turned towards the door. "I have spies working throughout Eastmoor searching for the girl, but I know all to well the skill you bloods have for hunting. The courts on either side will not wait much longer to appoint successors so we have no time to waste." pausing as she gripped the handle she added, "I warn you however do not engage the child without my help. If she has found a new bond, she will kill you and there is nothing you could do to stop her." Satisfied that her work was done she exited the room, James in tow head subserviently downwards.

So this is what she has been up to! James's mind raced. Whatever happens I cannot allow her to find that child, but if the child is as strong as she claims perhaps I could use her myself... The gears turned inside James's head as he formulated a plan. The Duchess's informants communicated strictly by letter, letters which James's would have access to, she would never know if some never made it to her...

As they strode through the halls they past a single vampire drinking the blood of a young maid. The Duchess turned up her nose at the sight of the human slowly wilting in the arms of the monster. James held back the bile in his throat as they passed virtually unnoticed by the pair, entwined in an almost sensual embrace. The girl moaned like a harlot at the touch of the blood's fangs, her apparent willingness to serve the vampires sicked James all the more. Scum, the only thing worse than a vampire is a human that worships them!!

As they exited the manor back out into the frigid bite of winter, The Duchess shuttered, "I will have to burn all these cloths, being so close to the lesser species makes my skin crawl! But soon those hounds will sniff out my prize and I shall take the throne. Any amount of suffering is worth that." A snap of her fingers and the limousine pulled up to ferry them back to their home... and back to James's prison.

This girl is the key to my freedom, I will find her first. James's fists clenched ever so slightly, the only outward indication that he was thinking anything. Soon, Vontessa will die!

A chill traveled up Avalon's spine at the sound of Yuri's voice when he began to reply to her. It was the voice that he used only when he was at his most peak of rage, and a voice that she did not hear very often, and had not heard in quite a while. When she would, though, she would often attempt to stop his rage, and just as often would end up hurt in the process, instead of the servant that he had turned the anger upon. This time, though, was different, and the rage was actually against her - the core of which she could not begin to understand. She could not see why he would be so terribly angry with her, when she had offered her own sister to play the boy.

The following events that would play out were a catastrophe, and most definitely not something that she had seen coming in her near future.

She felt the contact of his body against hers almost as though a wrecking ball had slammed into her. Her weakened state only intensified the feeling, and made it far more easier for the tackle to play out. A sharp cry escaped her lips as she was hurtled towards the hard tile floor of the kitchen, and as soon as she came into contact with it, a loud crackling sound could be heard, despite the loud shouts of Yuri, follow by intense stabs of pain throughout her arm.

Without any amount of time to resist, Avalon was flipped over by the smaller boy, who was far stronger than she due to his vampire race, and felt his hands wrap around her throat. Almost immediately she felt her windpipes cut off, the intention of him only to frighten her falling short, and instead being replaced by a choking sensation. Small gasps escaped her lips, her uninjured hand raising to wrap around his wrist, and she kicked her legs beneath him, his legs lessening the power of her kicks.

She couldn't breathe, and her chest was already beginning to hurt from the lack of air.

When he finally released her throat and moved his hands to her shoulder instead, she sucked in a large gulp of air, coughing on the exhale. She was panting at this point, her throat sore and her gasps giving a hoarse sound to them. The tightening on her shoulders was painful, but not unbearable due to the pain in several other parts of her body, and the injury to her throat was slowly fading, although bruises would undoubtedly remain.

The touch of his fingers to the bite on her neck, the bloody kiss that she had received from Andrei not too long before, was still fresh and painful to the touch, and she cringed back as his lips moved over the small dashes there, the fear of him piercing her throat more so than the fear of him strangling her again. In all honesty, she couldn't afford to lose much more blood, after having given so much to Andrei, and would undoubtedly die if the boy drank from her at this point.

"Why, Avalone?"

The question was confusing, seeing as she hadn't been paying too much attention to his earlier shouts, having been more fearful for her life than to have the later ability of answering him. She was still afraid to die, but not as immensely so as she had been.

"Y-you're mine, Avalon... you're not allowed to love anyone else, because you're mine... WHEN WILL YOU GET IT INTO YOUR THICK SKULL?!" He still didn't seem to be able to comprehend that, in truth, she belonged to him and his brothers. Until one of them took dominance over the others and claimed her as his own personal maid, or the others moved away, died, or found servants of their own, she would belong to each and every Ivanov brother in the household. Why he couldn't understand that was beyond her, but would undoubtedly end up killing her eventually.

The tightening of his hands on her shoulder brought her back to her current danger, and she let out a muffled cry of pain at the sensation of the squeeze.

"Please play with me now... Please? I-if you don't... I will break ..." His voice was a whisper and difficult to hear above the woosh of sound in her ears, but she managed to make out the words.

"Teddy and I will break, don't you understand? B-because... because we love you."

He what?

The press of his lips against her caused an immense discomfort to slam through her, and she struggled against his hold, her protests muffled by the connection.

It was only when he was yanked away that she was able to be free.

Her good hand rose and rubbed roughly at her lips as she attempted to remove the taste of him from them. Why he did that, why he would try to do something like that, only made her feel disgusted and put-off. He was four years younger than her, more of a brother or a son more than anything to Avalon, and she felt sick to her stomach that he had kissed her.

Viktor was at her side, gently helping her sit up, and she grimaced at the movement. Both of her shoulders and collar bones ached, as did her throat and head, but her wrist was the most painful of all. In all honesty, she was beginning to think that it was broken, perhaps even shattered. It was the affect of Yuri's tackle and her attempt to catch herself on the floor.

"Like ... Shit ..." She turned her head to the sigh and coughed hard, her entire body shaking from it, and looked up and into her sister's face as she approached.

"I'm okay," she whispered, managing a tiny smile for Ethel's sake. The response of her sister to Viktor caused her to grimace and shake her head. "I don't need a doctor ... I need ... I need to finish my chores," she barely managed, stars dotting her vision.

Ethel was shouting, and the sound of her retreating footsteps were dull and echoed in her mind.

But she couldn't stay awake. Instead, she gave into the darkness, her entire body going lax against Viktor's one arm - the only reprieve that she could get from the pain that she seemed unable to shake. "Master ... Andrei ..." she murmured, before slipping off into blissful unconsciousness.

---

"Oh, how I hate cleaning ..."

Her arm already sore and her fingers beginning to cramp, Ethel paused as she scrubbed the floor of the laundry room, awaiting the finished, cleaned clothes of the Lords. She leaned back on the heels of her black shoes, her skirts bouncing slightly with the sudden change in position. For a moment, she sat there, sighing as she stretched out her arms and fingers above her head, her blonde curls rubbing annoyingly against her skin. The shouting that occurred not too far away from the room didn't worry her in the least, seeing as it was a common occurrence in the mansion, and with a slight shrug, she turned to the washing machine, which was beginning to give off a clattering sound - something that sounded like it shouldn't be heard, and quite dangerous to say the least.

Moving over to the machine on her hands and knees, she shimmied between it and the dryer, scooting towards the back of it. Her hand reached up and clasped the the lip of the handle to the back of the washing machine, pulled down on it, and peered into the mixture of gears, chains, and electronic boxes for a moment. One of the gears had been catching on one of the chains, and could also use a shot of oil in order to make the movements of it more slick and easier.

Scooting out from between the machines, she pushed herself up and brushed off her dress. Moving over to the book shelf with random objects adorning the shelves, she went on her toes in order to remove the bucket of tools, and dropped back to the flats of her feet, losing her balance a bit due to the added weight of the tools. She lowered it from below her head, moving over to the machines once more and dropping onto her bottom. She slid back between the them and, once behind it, removed a small wrench and screwdriver.

It took Ethella a few minutes to fix the washing machine, gaining a grease- and oil-stained dress in the process, but the machine now rumbled healthily and in a nonthreatening manner. She slid out from behind the machine and rose, returning the bucket to the bookshelf. She rubbed her oiled hands on her skirt, making a face of disgust at the black of the oil.

Shouts could be heard from across the mansion, the voice belonging to Yuri, and she frowned at the resounding thud, which echoed in the mansion. It was deadly quiet afterwards, and as the seconds ticked by, worry began to itch at the back of her neck. Unable to stand being in the room any longer, she took off from the room, darted down the hallway, and skidded to a stop only when she reached the kitchen.

Her sister was sitting on the floor with the eldest of the brothers, Viktor, crouching beside her. Yuri cowered against a wall, and the bucket of cleaning supplies that her sister normally used lay scattered across the floor. Avalon, on the other hand, was trembling, her skin pale and her lips nearly blue, with one hand cradling the opposite arm.

Ethel lifted her head, her hands clenching at her sides, and could only begin to imagine what had occurred. The culprit of the incident was painstakingly obvious, and with a tight look on her face, she walked stiffly over to Yuri. She crouched down and stared at him for a few heartbeats, before her hand suddenly flashed out, striking the young man across thee face.

"I will never forgive you for this, Yuri," she whispered, already rising once more. She turned and hurried to her sister's side, dropping down to her knees and looking at her wrist.

"He broke her wrist, Master Viktor," she said, leaning up enough to get a better view of the shattered limb. "It will need surgery and a cast. We need a doctor, Sir," she said darkly, her jaw set furiously. She rest her hand gently on her sister's elbow, turning a look of concern on her. "Are you alright, Lonny?"

"I'm okay," came the whispered reply. Ethel took note of the bruises appearing on her sister's neck, and with a tightened expression, she approached Yuri again. Her hand reached out and grabbed his upper arm roughly, shoving him surprisingly easily against the wall.

"What is wrong with you?" she came close to shouting, slamming his shoulder once more against the wall that he leaned against. "How could you do this? I thought that we were friends, Yuri!" she sniffed, tears appearing in her wise, green eyes. Her lashes were already wet and were annoyingly sticking together with each blink, and her lower lip was beginning to tremble. "I thought you were my friend, Yu-Yu!"

She released his arm, almost throwing it against the wall, and rose. With a flick at a stray tear that had escaped from her eye, she quickly exited the room, almost fleeing it, her escape was so swift.

She didn't stop until she was upstairs and in her room, with the door shut behind her. Young human teenagers were often the most unpredictable in the things that they could do, especially when they were female. For her, she couldn't seem to control the explosion of emotions that she had just felt, nor could she control the flow of tears down her face. With a trembling hand, she turned the two locks on the door, moved to her bed, and collapsed across it.

{I was half asleep when i wrote this, so I'm sorry for how crappy it is xD}



It wasn't until the softness of her bed touched her back that Avalon awoke from her unconscious state. She had obviously been there for a few minutes, seeing as there was no one present in the room, and a tray had been placed on the bedside table, with small sandwiches and a kettle with tea, along with a pitcher of water, and two glasses. The organization of the tray betrayed the person who had delivered it as Shennila, a young adult servant of the brothers, and a close friend of Avalon's. In all honesty, however, there wasn't a single person in the mansion that wasn't a good friend of hers - at least, in her opinion. Who knew if someone that she considered close instead hated her?

She shook her head a bit. Those weren't the type of thoughts that should be milling through her mind in that moment. Instead, she should be focusing on the current ache in her body. She swore that there wasn't a single part of her that wasn't in pain at that moment in time. Although, not every limb had been attacked that day, it still throbbed nonetheless, and there wasn't much that she could do about it.

"Knock knock ..."

The voice was soft, hesitant, and Avalon turned her head to look at the door, which was cracked open and had a familiar face peaking through it. It was the family physician, who had been to her room on many accounts due to her close state with the brothers.

"How are you feeling, Avalon?" the kind man asked, who appeared in his early twenties, yet was undoubtedly decades older than his features bespoke.

"Like I was sent through a garbage disposal and spit out to rot."

The man chuckled and approached her bed after quietly shutting the door behind him. "Well, I hear that you definitely went through something pretty close to that event. From what Viktor has told me, Yuri assaulted you and may have caused a broken arm and a mild concussion?"

A small grimace rose to her lips as she mulled over her reply, the incessant pounding against her skull causing it a bit difficult to think.

"I suppose that that would be correct. My wrist is undoubtedly shattered, my head is throbbing so intensely that I am seeing stars, and my throat hurts from Yuri's attempt at a strangle. Other than that, I did give blood to Master Andrei not too long beforehand, so I have a bit of blood loss, which could also explain the headache," she explained, turning her gaze up to the man, who smiled kindly in reply, his hand lightly patting her uninjured one.

"Don't worry, dear. I'll get you fixed up in no time," he assured her, already reaching for his bag.

It took around an hour for him to perform a full-body evaluation, not in the least awkward for her due to her past check-ins with the doctor, but it left her in nearly more pain than before it had begun. He managed to slip some anesthesia into her bloodstream during the check-up, removing a bit of the pain and giving her a bleary look upon everything, her eyes heavy as she fought off exhaustion. By the time he had finished his check-up and the last thing that he addressed, which was her broken wrist, she was asleep.

The doctor rose, lifting the blanket over Avalon's naked form, her freshly-cast arm elevated upon a pillow, and slipped quietly from the room. It took him mere moments to find one of the brothers, seeing as it would not change much who he told, so long as the message was passed along.

"Avalon should be alright when she awakens, if only a bit sore from what had happened to her. Make sure that someone wakes her every hour on the hour, seeing as she has a mild concussion, and have her take one of these," he began, withdrawing a small bag of pills he had retrieved from the human world, "Each time that she awakens. It will help with the pain and her healing process. "Make sure that she is given enough fluids, and increase her intake of sugar products. After the amount of blood that you took from her, I'm surprised that she was up and walking as soon as she was," he said, a brow raised at the young vampire before him. "Also, don't allow her to even leave her bed for an entire of twenty-four hours, especially to do any chores. I will return in two weeks to look over the cast on her arm and see how healed her wrist is. We may be able to get her out of the cast and into a brace of some sort. Oh, and do not allow anyone to take blood from her, under any circumstances," he said sternly, dropping the bag of pills and the list of everything that he had just told the boy into Andrei's hand. "Take care, Andrei," he said, disappearing down the hallway.

---

The knock at Ethella's door sent the girl flailing over the side of her bed, away from the access point to her bedroom. She had been sitting up at that point, sniffling softly to herself and attempting to wipe away the tears. She had failed to do so, only succeeding in smearing what little amount of makeup that she normally wore - just a bit of mascara and lip gloss was all that she owned. The brothers wouldn't allow her to buy makeup, and refused to buy them for her, so the makeup that she did own were gifts from her sister and aunt.

She landed hard on the floor, undoubtedly bruising her bottom, and a foul word escaped her lips - a word that would have gained her a sharp slap to the bum by her sister, had she heard her say it. But she was not present, and therefore could not punish the young girl for muttering the curse.

She knew it would be Yuri who was at that door. She could even hear him conversing with Clarence in the hallway. Straining to hear the words being traded, she managed to catch on at the end of the conversation, the word 'father' sticking out blatantly in her mind.

In all her life, Ethella had not met a person, or vampire, more frightening or cruel then the head of the Ivanov family. One would not think that the father was still alive, from the way that the boys acted and the fact that he hadn't been in their lives for quite some time. The man was terrible, awful, and a complete nuisance to the boys, who would have been better off without him ever being around during their lives while growing up. He had abused Avalon on multiple accounts, in ways that even Ethella could not begin to understand, and had been a hardhearted man towards his sons - especially Yuri. In more than one of her memories, she could recall the boy being placed in the restraints of a straight-jacket, something that frightened even her, although she had never been under the direction of the Head Ivanov's fury.

Now that she thought it over, Yuri had always stepped between her and his father when he did grow angry with her.

Yuri often took the brunt of all of the fury from his father, despite the fact that it was directed at her.

He wasn't a terrible person, but the things that he often did would upset her beyond comprehension. She supposed that that was what being a hormonal, female teenager gained her, but she wished that she could control a bit of it.

Finally rising from her spot on the floor, Ethel trudged across the small room. Her hand paused as it began to rise, and with a small gulp of courage, she flipped the locks and turned the knob, opening the door just enough so that she could peer out into the quiet hallway.

The ominous feel to the air was nearly so thick that she would be able to cut it with a knife.

Clarence, of all the brothers, was the least-threatening, but far more sarcastic and easily-annoyed than the others. He was the only one other than Yuri that did not frighten her beyond belief.

"Yuri?" she mumbled, ignorant of the puffiness of her face, and of why the aura of both vampires was sullen and gloomy. "What do you want, Yuri?" she asked, her voice dropping to a whisper as she slid from her room, shutting the door quietly behind her. "I want to be alone, and you cannot even give me that much. What do you want from me, Yuri?"

(*coughs, coughs* This will be a somewhat shorter post... because I'm very tired right now. There is just so much going on... I couldn't focus that well at all. o.O Sorry. <.<)

Andrei watched it all in bored silence. Okay, actually he didn't watch anything, but he was in the room all the while. As soon as he had heard what had happened from Viktor, he had surprisingly managed to get his lazy butt out of bed and drag himself to her room without wanting to take a nap on the way. However, as the doctor worked he was soundly asleep on a chair standing in the corner. The chair didn't look very comfortable, but Andrei didn't care; at least it served it's purpose. He hadn't really been allowed to stay in the room, but Andrei had insisted on it. Not that it would matter much, since he was fast asleep anyways.

"Fire, fire... the red and yellow, burning flames... they were everywhere. Even the moon was red that night, and the sky a dark purple. I was running through this inferno, through this village in torment... and I wondered if this was hell? Why was everything burning? The people, the animals, the houses? Why were they all slowly turning into ashes? Why, why, WHY would God do this to me? Why would he take from me what I cherished so much... no, that was not the right question at all. Why would be own brother do this to me? What was his reason? Why did you have to take my soul, my reason to live? Why... Clarence?"

A young boy with messy blond hair and a sooty face was stumbling his way through the streets of the village. Despite his dirty appearance, he wore the clothes of a noble mans son and his skin was smooth and pale, almost like porcelain. His eyes were a remarkable blue color- something which distinguished him from his brothers, his parents... actually, from his whole race. Now, these sky blue eyes were wide in fear and panic- but not for himself. Tears were rolling down his cheeks as he glanced around in bewilderment. It was evident he was searching for something- or someone.

Above the village on a hill, and away from the flames harm loomed a castle. It was dark and gloomy, looking like the perfect location for ghost stories. However, this castle happened to the be the residence of the Siberian branch of the Ivanov family, where the little boy was currently staying with his four brothers, father and mother. If you looked very carefully, you could see the shape of a man with a boy beside him standing on that hill, illuminated by the red room. They were tiny- but just possible to make out.

Andrei stopped in his tracks and gazed up at the two so far away tearfully and for a moment pure hatred flashed through his eyes. How could his own brother have betrayed him like that?! As soft sob escaped the childes lips and he knotted his fists. Then, suddenly he could hear a weak voice of another child. He narrowed his eyes and swirled around, his angry expression instantly faltering and being replaced by anxiousness.

Trapped under a fallen roof was a boy who looked to be about Andrei's age (about six). His hair was dark brown and longish, tied into a small ponytail. The boy was of rather tanned complexion, and his eyes were a deep dark brown. They were beautiful. Usually, at least... because now they were filled with pain and despair. "A-an-andrei?" the boy repeated what he had said just moments ago, his voice barely more than a strained whisper. He reached out his little hand, as though he was trying to reach the blond child, but soon it fell limply to his side again. The boy was trapped by heavy planks and other materials Andrei couldn't quite make out, but was sure he wouldn't be able to lift.

Without hesitation, the young vampire rushed over to his friends side and crouched down, ignoring the heat of the flames or th blinding light they caused- ignoring the smoke filling his lungs. "I'm here, Dimitri... don't worry, I'm here..." Andrei had told his friend, his only friend, in Russian. Tears were still rolling down his cheeks as he started trying to remove what was trapping his friend, although he knew it was impossible.

"I-it... it hurts..." Dimitri had rasped in his fragile voice, soft sobs escaping his lips. The boy with chestnut hair coughed violently, causing Andrei to work even harder... but for nothing. "It hurts..." Dimitri repeated weakly, crying softly, "please.. make it stop. Make the pain stop!" the child cried out, his voice strained with agony and smoke.

Andrei paused, looking at his friend tearfully and panting in exhaustion, before finally giving up. He crouched down by Dimitri's side again, carefully taking his hand before whispering. "I know it hurts..." he gave Dimitri's hand a gentle squeeze, "a-and... I'm so sorry. I should never have befriended you... then all this wouldn't have happened. It is my fault," Andrei whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

Dimitri opened his beautiful eyes and gazed at Andrei, smiling weakly before slightly shaking his head. "N-no..." he whispered in a tiny voice, "I...I love you... you are the best friend...I...ever had... Andrei..." he rasped weakly, clasping Andrei's hand. The young vampire watched his friend in wordless horror, how Dimirti slowly grew weaker and weaker, and his expression twisted in pain.

Without really giving it a second thought, other than that Andrei wanted to make the pain of his friend stop... he leaned down and bit into Dimitri's wrist, his small, pointed fangs easily breaking through the soft skin. Dimitri let out a soft cry of agony, though it quickly was replaced by a quiet moan of bliss as the pain faded and the vampiric endomorphism spread through his system. That is the effect vampire bites can have. Andrei watched Dimitri's body go totally limp, as he slowly sucked out the life from the boy...

Andrei was awakened from his memories/dreams as he heard the voice of the doctor address him. The vampires pale red eyes fluttered open and paused, glancing at Avalon briefly before looking back at the doctor. He at least tried to make it look like he was listening, but really his thoughts were elsewhere. Once the doctor was done going on about what he should see to or not, and dropped the bag into his hands, Andrei simply gave a slight nod of his head, refraining from yawning. "Very well... " he said, then waited until the doctor was gone before standing up and walking over to Avalon in a lazy, slightly slumped manner. He put the medicine bag down on her nightstand and yawned again, watching her carefully. "Ugh... how boring and how much work. Why didn't you just stay out of trouble, huh? Now I actually have to do something... but what's the point of it?" he asked with an empty look in his eyes, and his voice matching it. Sitting down by her side, he gently pushed some of her hair out of her face and watched he sleep in silence. "Dense little human... oh well," he sighed softly and leaned down, gently kissing her cheek before standing up again, starting towards the door.

He stopped in his tracks and glanced back at her once more just before he was about to exit, tilting his head. "Tell me, Avalon..." he said quietly, sadly- knowing she was asleep, "tell me sweet little doll... what is the point of life? If all God has to give us is pain?" Andrei asked quietly, a silent tear rolling down his cheek before he walked out, shutting the door behind him. Quickly wiping the tear, Andrei started down the hallway and towards the bathroom. He realized it had been quite some while since he had a bath last, and might as well take one now when he was waiting to wake her up to give her medicine... the question is, how long would Andrei be able to keep at it? Before he got bored and fell asleep or wandered off? That was just how easily distracted our little Andrei is...

(Okay... not that short at all. o.O Yuri's/Clarence post will be next. :3)

"Find her. I want you to find my sister ... And kill her."

"But Miss Nerine-"

"Did I stutter, Xander, or have you begun an outright defiance against your Queen!?"

"N-Never, Miss Nerine. I could never defy you! You are beauty personified!"

A sly smile curled up the lips of the young woman, her dark eyes flashing with malevolence. "Good. Now find my sister and her children ... And kill her. The twins must live, but my sister is to die."

The large room was deadly silent, the inhabitants of it pale and wide-eyed. How were they to react? Were they to listen to the woman, or defy her? If they were to follow her orders, they would therefore kill their beloved Princess. If they refused her wishes, they would die instead.

The first one to speak was the Bonded human to Nerine, who stepped forward, his head held high and his eyes dark with with irritation.

"Did you not hear your Queen? Find the Princess and kill her, and retrieve her children! Now!"

The scurrying of the servants was nearly comical to the young woman, who leaned back in her seat, one leg lifting to dross over the other, her elbow coming to rest on the arm of the throne, her chin dropping onto the back of her hand. Her opposite lifted in the direction of Vane, her bonded mortal, who approached her obediently. The room was once again silent, having been deserted, and as soon as he reached her, Nerine tugged him onto the seat with her, the sixteen-year-old more like that of a loyal dog than a human.

"You were quite the stunning defender, Vane ... You did well defending your Queen ..."

He shivered under the touch of her fingers, which ran across his cheek and down his throat. His head fell back, and for a moment, she simply smiled at the boy.

"What an obedient little human you are ..."

The sex and blood that followed were equal in pleasure and deliciousness.

~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~

I can't ... I can't stop running ... If not for my own sake, then for Diana and Michael's!

Lycoris coughed, the cold evening air causing a shiver to wrack through her body. Her arms huddled the two bundles against her chest, her coat little protection from the chill - something that could undoubtedly cause serious harm to such young infants, even those of the vampire race. One was wailing - from hunger, cold, or both, she did not know, but she could do nothing for either at that moment. Instead, she pushed on, the snowstorm causing great difficulty each time she took a step, the snow weighing down her booted feet.

Why? Why did her sister have to be so cruel? Without Anthony alive, all Hell had broken loose, and now her sister was determined to kill her and take her children. How could someone be so cruel? With her fiance dead, she was no match for Nerine, who only wished to raise the twins as her evil followers, or something along those lines.

A soft sob escaped her lips as Lycia stumbled, clutching the infants more tightly to keep from dropping them.

The words from her closest adviser, Tsune, echoed in her mind.

Follow the trees. Enter them beside the red rock, travel North and only North, and once you reach the end of them, you will find a small village. From there, go a mile into town, take an immediate left, and speak to the man in the third house on your right.

The man had turned out to be a good friend of Tsune's, and had given her food, clothes, and a small car. He also gave her directions to the famous, or so she had been told, infamous, Ivanov Mansion, with the order to speak to Viktor Ivanov, the eldest of the five brothers, and also the kindest.

"Oh, please ... Please do not turn us away," she whispered, burying her face between her twins's bodies. When she looked up again, she could just barely see the looming home that belonged undoubtedly to the Ivanov's.

Thank God she had made it. If she had been forced to travel much longer, she was afraid that she would have collapsed.

It seemed to take her hours to reach the mansion after that, her excitement and joy building with each step, and by the time she reached it, she was more then eager to sleep for hours afterwards. After a bit of adjustment of her hold on the twins, she managed to rap loudly on the front door.

Several moments later, during which time she had managed to quiet Michael, a young woman clad in simple yet beautiful maid's outfit opened the door, a curious expression on her face. The curiosity vanished as soon as her eyes fell on the shivering young woman before her and the two bundles in her arms, and was replaced by worry and fear, undoubtedly for the children's safety.

"My goodness, whatever happened to you?" the girl gasped, opening the door more widely and beckoning for Lycorise to enter, who quickly took advantage of the invitation. "You're nearly purple from the cold, and the clothes you are wearing are incompatible with this weather. Please, follow me. Jezabel! Fetch some tea and blankets for the guest!"

Another maid appeared, gave a nod in reply, and disappeared through a doorway. The one that stood before her turned and gave her a gentle smile.

"My name is Imora. If you would follow me, please, I will settle you in a room where you can warm yourself and the children, and perhaps rest for a while. I will fetch Master Viktor and return shortly. May I ask of your name?" Imora turned, already beginning away, and therefore forcing Lycorise to hurry in order to keep up to speed with the woman.

"Lycorise Dimozi ... My name is Lycorise Dimozi ..."

Imora stopped mid-stride, opened a door, and motioned inside of it, dropping into a small curtsy as she did so. "I will fetch Master Viktor. Jezabel will return momentarily with your tea and blankets."

With that, the girl disappeared from sight, leaving Lycorise alone. She stood there for a moment, but finally, with a slight sigh, made her way into the sitting room, which was quaint, yet welcoming, and extremely warm. She lowered herself to the floor, placing the twins before her. They were gazing our with large, wide eyes, their cheeks rosy from the cold, but otherwise healthy due to the intense bundling of their clothes and blankets. In fact, they seemed a bit warm, she noted after touching their foreheads.

It didn't take her long to remove them from the blankets, during which time Jezabel had come and gone, leaving the trey and blankets for her to do with what she wished. She managed to settle the six-month-olds on a large, fluffy blanket without much trouble, and they settled in to sleep, undoubtedly tired from the occurrences of the day, and their missed naps. She moved down and stretched out beside them, her eyes too growing heavy, and within seconds she was asleep, the infants curled in her embrace.

Imora, however, was hurrying in her search of Viktor, darting from room to room. It was ten minutes after she had admitted the Dimozi woman into the household that she had managed to find the man, who had just recently finished contacting the families' physician in order to assist Avalon - whom she had always seen as sickeningly faithful to the brothers.

"Master Viktor? There is a bit of an emergency ... A young woman arrived with two infants in her arms, claiming to be a Dimozi - one of the Spirit families that is pining for a seat at the Throne? She was quite cold and the babies seemed to be so, also ... I have settled them into your Sitting Room, and Jezabel delivered tea and blankets to them. She was wishing for an audience with you - the subject of which is unknown, but I believe that it would be a good idea to at the very least speak with her," she said softly, dropping into a curtsy as she spoke.

---

“Big sisters are fighting again, Vina …”

Rimu sighed, moving the stuffed animal across the floor in an attempt to make it appear as though it were walking. Instead, it made a sliding sound, but the idea of it walking was enough to make her content, a small smile crossing her lips. “I wonder if mommy and daddy will intervene and butt in this time. I hope so, because if they don’t, Nee-Nee’s going to kill Ri-Ri. Nee-Nee’s so spoiled … But don’t tell her I said that, so shh,” she giggled, placing a finger over her lips. She moved the kitty’s head so that it appeared to nod, a satisfied look on the girl’s face. She paused and leaned in close, her ear beside it’s head.

“Oh, yeah, I know! She’s a psycho. I like Ri-Ri so much better. She sings to me. I feel bad, though, because Anthony died and she’s really hurt now, especially since Nee-Nee wants to kill her and take the twins. What a mean sister!”

She paused, turning Vina to look into her face. A serious expression appeared on Rimu’s as a thought arose. “What if I told Nee-Nee that Ri-Ri went to visit grandma and grandpapa? D’you think that she’d believe me?” She gasped after a moment, a giggle exploding from her, causing her to flop backwards and toss Vina in the air, catching her in a light grip. “I know, she’d be silly to believe that. But you’ll always be there for me, won’t’chu Vina?” She bloomed into another smile, hugging the stuffed kitty to her chest. “I knew that I could count on you!”

---

“W-we … Teddy and I came t-to apologize... for our misdeeds ..”

He was apologizing? Apparently people who claimed the impossible cannot be done would be incorrect, because the only times that she could remember Yuri apologizing, were when he would accidently bite or push her down.

"I-I don't know...what... why…sorry…we will never hurt your sister again, Teddy and I promise... we really do. W-we won't even look at her anymore... o-or think about her, if that would make you feel better. J-just please, Ethy.... please don't cry or be sad …”

Her tears had already dried, but she sniffed a bit at the reminder of her sorrow, one hand lifting to rub at her eye. She looked up at him, her green eyes wide, swollen, pink, and damp from crying. Ethel was quiet throughout his apology, her finger curling and uncurling without her conscious control.

When he held out Teddy to her, however, she was struck speechless, not merely from her own wishes to remain quiet, but from the utter surprise that instilled her. Yuri never allowed anyone to touch his stuffed animal. Even she had only done so a few times during her life.

"L-look... Teddy even wants to give you a hug…”

Ethella stared at the stuffed animal for several long moments. Finally, she looked up at him, accepting Teddy and clutching him to her chest, his face pressed against her cheek. She snuggled him for a moment before, out of nowhere, she threw herself forward, her arms wrapping around his neck and her face cuddling into his shoulder.

“… I accept your apology … But don’t hurt Avy again, okay?” she said softly, tightening her embrace, Teddy dangling from her finger tips against his back. She leaned away slightly, her nose touching his, for they were still that close to one another. “She’s my big sister, and I don’t want her to be hurt. Besides … Jealousy isn’t a nice feeling,” she mumbled, her green gaze turned downward.

---

Was this a dream, or had Master Andrei truly just kissed her cheek?

No matter how intensely she willed her eyes to open, they wouldn't follow her commands, and it didn't take long for her to realize that this was, in fact, reality. The heavy feel of the blankets told her as much, but she could not move. Perhaps whatever drugs the physician had given her, had inadvertently rendered her incapable of moving ... Or perhaps that had been his intention. Who knew with that old man ...

"Tell me, Avalon ........ Tell me sweet little doll ......... What is the point of life ... If all God has to give us is pain?"

Whether it was the gentile nickname for her, the way that his voice gave off a sorrowful tone, or the question itself, something about it pierced her heart. It went out to him, the fingers of her unbroken arm curling against the mattress. It wasn't until he had been gone for nearly five minutes that she was able to move.

Avalon had heard everything the doctor had said, and found it ridiculous that she would need to remain bedridden for so long. Yes, she was exhausted, and yes, she wasn't truly able to think straight, due to the drugs that he had slipped into her system, but it was her decision if and when she would leave her bed. And the decision had come to that moment being now.

It was a slow progression from laying to standing, and by the time that she was on her feet, she was exhausted. However, she couldn't quit when she was only just starting - besides, Andrei deserved an answer, even if it made her sick to her stomach to stand. She pulled a robe on over her naked, bandaged body, along with an extra blanket, which she held together with one hand.

Who knew that walking could be so difficult? It was hard for her to even leave her room, and even more difficult for her to traverse the hallway, peeking into each doorway as she did so.

When she heard the water running in the bathroom that was connected to his room, she hesitated. What if she walked in on him in the nude? Not that she hadn't done so before, so there was nothing that she hadn't already seen - in truth, she had seen all of the brothers without clothes, having had the misfortune to dare to enter their rooms early in the mornings. She had learned long before to knock before entering, but with the water running, it was doubtful that Andrei would hear her. After a moment of thought, she wrapped her fingers around the knob of the door, turned it, and slid inside.

"Master Andrei?" she called quietly, her hand lifting up to her blanket once more, the rub of the sling against her neck annoying her ever-so-slightly. She shut the door quietly behind her, moving further into the room. It was empty, but steam was curling out from the half-open door to his bathroom, and the familiar sound of water pattering against flooring reached her ears.

Bundling up all of the courage that she could manage, she made her way to the bathroom, pausing just outside the door.

"Master Andrei?" she called, a bit more loudly than before. She frowned, her expression uncertain, before she leaned in just enough to see inside.

"... The point of life is to live it to the fullest. Even in times of great despair, there is always something that you can find happiness in. No matter how difficult something may seem, you need only to find your motivation to continue going, and push right on through the barrier that stands in your path. Whether it is an inanimate object or not, you need to find that one thing, or person, that you can depend on for joy and happiness. And once you do, all of those heartaches and heartbreaks make sense. They were leading you up to you meeting that one thing or person that gives you the peace and love that you have been seeking - and it makes all of that pain worth it," she said quietly, her fingers curling around the door. Halfway through her speech, she had turned around so that her back was pressed against the door, her uninjured hand flattening against the door itself. "And there's sex," she joked, a slight smile twitching at her lips. "Sex helps with all of that, too," she laughed softly, her face turned slightly downward. "Oh, I forgot ... You are not very experienced with the art of sex, now are you? How long has it been since you took a woman? Seven months?" she teased, humor obvious in her features. "Why, you are practically a virgin in your mind!" she laughed.

After several more minutes of searching for his brother, Clarence finally found Viktor in his study, looking as though he was working on some kind of paperwork. Arching an eyebrow, the black haired vampire sauntered over to him, wandering what was going on. Usually Clarence did most of the paperwork, unless it was directly involving the 'head' of the family. Since their father was still alive, Viktor technically wasn't the head of the family just yet, but every blood vampire in Eastmoor saw him as such, including the five Ivanov brothers. Even Viktor, who usually wasn't very bold of personality, took this role seriously.

"Brother," Clarence said sternly, placing down the letters beside the document Viktor was currently reading through, "Word from father, your soon-to-be father in law and the main court has reached us... I suggest you read the letters. Father wishes you to go to Romania with him," he informed his elder brother, grimacing, "however, these events mean your arranged wedding with our dearest cousin will... have to be canceled," Clarence chuckled coldly, straightening up again and starting towards the door.

Viktor stared at the letters for a moment, arching an eyebrow. "Truly... what a shame I won't get to marry the bride of my dreams, then," he said, a sarcastic undertone in his voice. He'd sooner elope with a human than marry that stuck up bitch (sorry for the language, but that is truly what he thought of her). Despite this, however, his voice remained calm. Even as his twin mentioned what his father wanted of him, and a wave of uneasiness at the thought of seeing his father again washed over him, he maintained his seemingly calm state. Viktor drew a deep breath and then sighed, opening the first one of the letters; the one from Omsk, and starting to eye through it. "So good to know our old man still cares enough to send a letter... so many years later," he said, again, his voice filled with sarcasm. He was tired from the audience with the spirit vampire and things like this were really the last one he needed. Added to that, he hadn't fed on real blood for two days, and drinking from Avalon now was out of question. He wanted to refrain from taking blood from any other maid... mainly because he had a very refined blood taste, and disliked the blood of most of them. No, he didn't just dislike the blood. He couldn't stomach most of the blood types. It just so happened Avalon was one of the few who had the right one... and it seemed that Arcadia girl did too.

The lack of blood lately did leave its mark on him, though. It had been become especially evident earlier when he had lost control of himself and barged into that inn. Never again would he let such a thing occur. It was a disgrace to his family, not to mention humiliating in the end. However, he did want to find that girl from before. No, he didn't just want to find her, he wanted to make her his.

"Very," Clarence agreed, a look of amusement flashing through his otherwise cold, blood red eyes. Placing his hand on his elder brothers shoulder, Clarence tilted his head, a small smile twitching on his lips. "Viktor, if you'd like I could always accompany you. Maybe father would be easier to stand with the both of us there, what do you say?"

Viktor arched an eyebrow and brushed away his younger brothers hand from his shoulder, standing up. "Since when are you so kind, Clarence? Do you suddenly take me for an idiot?" he asked, crossing the room and shaking his head, gazing out the window and at the world outside. It seemed it had gotten warmer since before, as it was now raining heavily. "I would be a fool not to know you are as false as intelligent, and as sly as false... how am I to know you won't just stab me when we're all alone?"

Clarence chuckled, a look of amusement still evident on his features. "Viktor... how could you even think such of thing of your beloved brother, hmmm? Don't you think you're being a bit harsh on me now? I would never do such a thing... " Clarence said, almost sarcastically. "But that is not it. There are more reasons you want not only be, but Raphael to stay, aren't I'm right?" the young, black haired vampire asked, tilting his head and stuffing his hands in his pockets as he leaned against the pillar in the middle of the room.

"You don't want any of us there because you know we are both interested in becoming the next king, no? And although you don't actually feared my twin, you do fear me... you think I have some plan in mind, am I not right?" Clarence asked, a lazy but sly smile lighting up his features.

Viktor sighed, tracing the glass of the window with his pale finger. "It seems I will never be able to hide anything from you, no, little brother?" he asked, a tiny smile twitching on his lips as he turned around to face Clarence. He looked as though he was about to say something more, but just as he opened his mouth to speak, a maid knocked on the door and then entered.

The young lord's brows furrowed as she listened to her request about him going and see... a spirit vampire. Another spirit vampire? Why did all spirit vampires try to find him now? It was sickening, annoying, disturbing... and he honestly didn't feel like dealing with this right then at all. Not only that, but it was already starting to get late again. Or well, at least they had reached afternoon.

Yawning and then sighing in annoyance as he let the maid finish, he nodded his head, forcing himself to simply remain calm. "Very well," he finally said, keeping the distaste he felt out of his voice, "then show the way. This better be quick, though. I honestly have no time for this," Viktor stated with a slight shake of his head.

---

Andrei sat on the bed in his room for quite a while and just stared at nothingness, looking lost in his thoughts. His headphones were back in his ears and music was once more playing loudly. Now, however, it was soft and sad songs that filled his ears and head, instead of the noisy stuff he had been sleeping to before.

Then, about twenty minutes later, he finally pulled the headphones out of his ears and tossed his MP3 player onto his bed and then stood up. He yawned and sighed sadly before starting to pull off his clothes, slowly, for he was feeling tired as usual and in general did everything rather slowly. When he was done, he opened the door to his bathroom and stepped inside, not bothering to shut the door behind him. No one would come into his room anyways... unless he fell asleep and some maid worried about him again, which resulted in having someone drag him out of the bathtub. Yes, that had already happened several times. He blushed slightly at the thought and lazily racked his fingers through his golden hair before stepping into the bathtub, closing the shower curtains and turning on the water.

He let out a shuddering gasp as he felt the icy water run across his pale skin. He didn't like showing in cold water, but usually it helped to keep him awake. If possible, he would like to avoid embarrassing things like being dragged out of the tub, so he usually showered in cold water, with hopes that he wouldn't sleep then. However, before he knew it, Andrei had already gotten used to the water and was starting to drift off into a slumber... leaning his forehead against the wall so that is back was facing the curtains.

Therefor, Andrei missed about everything she said. Just as she finished comforting him, Andrei subconsciously let out a loud snore. The nuzzle had fallen from his hands and was now laying on the floor of the bathtub, icy water spraying onto his feet.

"Sex helps with all of that, too," she laughed softly, her face turned slightly downward. "Oh, I forgot ... You are not very experienced with the art of sex, now are you? How long has it been since you took a woman? Seven months?" she teased, humor obvious in her features. "Why, you are practically a virgin in your mind!"

Andrei's eyes snapped wide open and a bright blush crept across his cheeks. He wasn't just a virgin in his mind, he actually WAS a virgin in body too. Obviously embarrassed by her words, he pulled away the curtains and stepped back out of the bathtub after turning off the water. He didn't bother getting dressed and tried to shove the door open, quickly noticing her weight against it. Scowling, he contented himself with shoving it open enough for him to stick out his head and then looked at her in annoyance, his cheeks still flushed.

"D-don't joke about stuff like that!" he snapped before pausing and frowning. "Besides, weren't you supposed to stay in bed or something? Honestly... you will never get better if you don't rest. Besides, if you don't, I can't drink any of your delicious blood anymore... that would be a shame," he said with a sigh, "and who would cook and clean for me, huh?" he asked, shaking his head. "You're quite the troublesome maid, aren't you, Avalon?"

(Yuri and Raphael will be next... :3)

It wasn't long after she finished speaking before the door opened just a bit more, Andrei's red face peeking out and around it, his eyes locking on her. Water dripped from his hair and body, and she could hear the patter of water on the tile as it fell from his naked form. The most that she could see of him, however, was his head, shoulders, half of one side of his body, ending at his hip, and only a bit of his chest on the opposite side. Needless to say, what she could see was quite impressive, and her gentle flush mirrored his, only in a lighter shade.

"D-don't joke about stuff like that!" Was it possible that he was frazzled? What with his stammering, it was one of the only logical explanations, other than embarrassment. However, Andrei and embarrassment never really combined, seeing as he was quite relaxed about most things, whether they should be embarrassing or not. When combining the expression on his face with the blush, though, embarrassment was the only logical conclusion.

"Besides, weren't you supposed to stay in bed or something? Honestly... you will never get better if you don't rest. Besides, if you don't, I can't drink any of your delicious blood anymore... that would be a shame ..."

A smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she turned so that she completely faced him.

"Firstly, I'm not going to collapse and die if I don't rest. I'm a pretty stubborn 'sweet little doll'," she said, referring to his earlier nickname for her, a knowing smile on her face. "And secondly, it's a stupid rule that I have to remain in bed, especially when I have so many other important jobs to be taking care of." She moved over to him, lifting her hand and lightly poking his chest, her finger coming away damp from the water that dotted it. "Oh, and don't try to pass off your concern as you simply wanting me to rest so that you can drink my delectable blood, because that is not the only reason. If it were, then explain as to why you kissed my cheek when I was sleeping," she taunted, going on her toes so that her face was near his in an attempt to make him even more frazzled.

"And who would cook and clean for me, huh? You're quite the troublesome maid, aren't you, Avalon?"

A soft laugh escaped Avalon's lips as she dropped back to the flats of her feet. "You really do enjoy my cooking, don't you?" she asked, tilting her head back so that she could look up at him. "As for that attempt at an insult ... I wouldn't be interesting if I weren't troublesome," she pointed out. "I keep your life, well, alive," she said, poking his chest once more.

His earlier embarrassment entered her mind once more, and she suddenly giggled, lifting her hand to conceal her smile and muffle the laugh just a bit.

"Is it possible, Master Andrei ... That you have never actually had a woman, and all this time you have been pretending?" she asked, raising a brow at him. She took a step closer and smirked up at him, ignoring the rubbing of the sling against her neck. At this point, she was close enough that, if she turned her head downward just a little, she would see something that most women did not enjoy seeing of random men. Andrei, however, wasn't exactly a random man, and in truth, she wouldn't mind seeing as bit more of him.

The memory of his hands on her earlier, his fangs deep within her throat, glowed vibrantly in her mind, sending a small thrill of reminder through her body. His hands were the perfect size, not too large yet not too small, and had felt nice on her body, the touch of them causing small thrills and goosebumps to arise and appear along her body.

She went on her toes, her body so close to his that her breasts brushed against his chest, her lips inches from his own.

"If you really have had women before, than prove it. If you haven't, then you'll be too uncomfortable and nervous to do anything to prove that you aren't just an embarrassed virgin. If you are, then you will have no problem doing so," she challenged, her fingers curling against her robe, her blanket long forgotten in his bedroom. She suddenly felt incredibly naked beneath it, despite the numerous amount of bandages around her upper body. Her legs were bare, the robe ending just above her knees, and were a bit cold from the air. "Well, Master Andrei? Your rebuttal?"

Andrei arched an eyebrow, trying to ignore his embarrassment as he shook his head. "But you are nothing more than a mere human," he commented, "humans can't go through this much and then be alright, even if they are mentally strong, their bodies aren't... at least not in comparison to a vampires," he pointed out and then paused, rethinking that statement, "unless you count the spirit vampires. I think your bodies are superior to them..." he trailed off and sighed, once again slightly lost in thought.

His mind was pulled back to reality as he suddenly felt her finger on his chest and he paused, tilting his head as another shiver of what he had felt earlier surged through his body. Narrowing his eyes, the blush faded from his cheeks as she spoke again and he sighed, smiling at her lazily.

"Oh, and don't try to pass off your concern as you simply wanting me to rest so that you can drink my delectable blood, because that is not the only reason. If it were, then explain as to why you kissed my cheek when I was sleeping."

"Apparently, it seems like you weren't sleeping, since you noticed... ah, but isn't it only natural for a vampire to kiss its pray? Now when I can't drink your blood for a while anymore, I will have to content myself with the taste of your skin... the aroma of your blood is in it, even if it is far from as good. Do not get a big head now and deceive yourself with that it was a display of affection... because... it wasn't," he replied calmly, yawning. It was only half a lie, because it was true that the taste of her skin held the aroma of her blood, but his kiss had actually been a display of affection... even if he didn't admit it.

"You really do enjoy my cooking, don't you?"

Andrei gave the human maid a sly smile and chuckled softly, leaning against the frame of the door as he continued peeking out at her. "Of course I enjoy your cooking... I enjoy all good food. Well, as long as I don't have to cook it myself, that it. Then I'd rather eat garbage," he confessed before yawning again, "and believe me... I have tried before. Stomaching it was quite a task... but it did go down aaaaaaand I managed to keep it there," he looked slightly sick at the memories and shuddered. Well, at least he had gotten it for free, and he didn't have to work for it. So, even if the food Viktor's last girlfriend had cooked for them one dinner tasted garbage, he wouldn't complain- unlike some of his brothers.

"As for that attempt at an insult ... I wouldn't be interesting if I weren't troublesome," she pointed out. "I keep your life, well, alive."

He pouted and shook his head. "It's no good, though. Little dolls aren't supposed to be troublesome or bad," he pointed out, arching an eyebrow though he was still smiling. "Also, we are the ones supposed to be troublesome, no? Imagine the chaos which would erupt if all the staff was troublesome too..." he shook his head and chuckled softly, a look of amusement flashing through his eyes, "I'd enjoy to see that, I think. It would make Viktor and Clarence freak out... but Yuri, Raphael and I would get ourselves quite a good laugh."

As she poked his chest again, he felt another shiver run down his spine. It wasn't a bad feeling, though, unlike when he was with Clarence or his father. This shiver was hard to explain, but most certainly positive.

"Is it possible, Master Andrei ... That you have never actually had a woman, and all this time you have been pretending?"

Andrei blinked at her words and felt another, small blush creep across his cheeks again. The blush increased as she went on her toes and he felt her breasts brush against his, his breath catching in his throat. He hadn't ever really pretended, just never spoken about it. Now, however, he was really nervous and he had no idea how to reply. He didn't like at all how she did have the upper hand in this situation, and how her touch sent those chills through his body. Humans weren't supposed to have this effect on vampires, right? They were nothing more but food... or?

"If you really have had women before, than prove it. If you haven't, then you'll be too uncomfortable and nervous to do anything to prove that you aren't just an embarrassed virgin. If you are, then you will have no problem doing so."

He sighed at her words and then shook his head slightly, a small smile flitting across his lips. "There never was anything to hide... shouldn't it be obvious?" he asked, his voice remaining strangely calm despite the situation, "When I never leave my bedroom for other things than... I don't know... playing my music or food?" he chuckled softly, "heh, I think you are the one who has quite a dirty imagination, little doll..."

Andrei opened the door before letting go of it and gently wrapping his arm around her waist, pulling her up to him so that he could feel her body against his. He felt another almost electric jolt surge through his body and smiled slightly as he brushed his lips against hers. "It seems you are more experienced, though... impudent little doll. I don't know if I should be jealous or excited..." he stated with a soft chuckle before finally kissing her.

"There never was anything to hide... shouldn't it be obvious? When I never leave my bedroom for other things than... I don't know... playing my music or food? Heh, I think you are the one who has quite a dirty imagination, little doll..."

A small smirk played across her lips, her head tilting back even further, their close proximity causing her to have a bit of difficulty in seeing him. Her eyes sparkled with mischief, her hand lifting to drop to his chest, the water on it dripping between her fingers, which curled slightly against his skin.

"If I didn't have a dirty imagination, then I wouldn't have any fun fantasizing about you," she teased.

The movement of his arm around her waist caused her breath to hitch. A soft blush tinged her cheeks as the sensation of his touch flowed through her. His arm pulled her closer, trapping her against his chest and pinning her uninjured arm between them, her hand flat against his chest. The feel of his naked body pressing against her robed one was electrifying, causing goosebumps to arise on her skin.

"It seems you are more experienced, though... impudent little doll. I don't know if I should be jealous or excited..."

A soft laugh escaped her lips, and when she spoke again, her voice was husky, holding a seductive quality beneath it.

"You should be both ... Jealousy is a nice color on a man such as yourself. And besides," she said, lightly tracing his chest, "I can already tell that you're very excited," she teased, moving her hips ever-so-slightly to relay what she had been hinting at.

When his lips touched hers, the deal was sealed.

~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~'.'~

Avalon mumbled a soft curse beneath her breath as she rolled over, her body aching with the movement. She was on her side, the cast rubbing irritatingly against the skin that concealed her rib cage, but otherwise comfortable and satisfied. With one of Andrei's arms around her body, she was held against his side, her cast-covered arm trapped beneath her body and against his bed, her other hand resting on his chest.

"Hm, definitely a freshly, deflowered virgin," she murmured teasingly, tracing circles on his chest. She shifted so that her leg linked around of his, her head snuggling against his shoulder.

She suddenly leaned up, bracing herself on her one good arm, and looked down at him, her two long locks of hair brushing across his chest.

"You know, you really aren't that bad of a person. You should stop trying to come off as intimidating," she said, leaning down so that their noses touched. She held his gaze for several long moments, before moving so that she was laying in his arm once more. Exhaustion suddenly slammed through her, causing a large yawn to escape her lips.

"I never realized how tired I could become," she mumbled sleepily, her words slurring slightly. Her arm moved across his abdomen, almost seeming to be acting with a mind of it's own, and once it reached the opposite side of his body, her hand found his, their fingers linking together as soon as it slid into his own.

"You aren't a bad guy, Andrei ... So stop trying so hard to come off as an emotionless one ... I want to see the real you," she sighed out, her eyes fluttering closed. "... So stop pretending ... It isn't a good look for you, Andrei ..." With that, she was out like a light, her body relaxing against his side as she drifted off and into a much-needed sleep.

---

His promise reassured her, and for a few moments she was comforted, her arms twined around his neck, her eyes closed in peace. When he suddenly shoved her away, quite violently, might she add, she was stunned, to say the least. She stumbled back a few steps, blinking in surprise. Her eyes found him once more, his hunched shoulders and his slightly-trembling form causing a frown to arise.

For several heartbeats, she could only stare at his back. Finally, she moved over and gently dropped her hand onto his shoulder.

"You don't have to understand me ... But please respect how I feel. Because I respect how you feel ... And I care," she said quietly. Turning on her heel, Ethel returned to her bedroom, the door shutting quietly behind her. She stood on the opposite side of it for quite some time, her lips pressed together in an attempt to refrain from crying, but soon the tears escaped.

For what she was about to do could be either the worst, or the best, decision of her young life. She would find out quite soon, but until then, she would follow her gut feeling.

And she would leave.

It didn't take her long to pack a bag, seeing as she had few possessions that were worth taking along. Her sister would undoubtedly feel abandoned and would miss her, but this was the best decision that Ethella could make for herself at this point in time.

Ensuring that Sepharli was tucked safely within her bag, she cast a quick glance at her door, which she had locked in the process of packing, before turning back to her things. Off went her maid uniform, and in replacement of it, were a couple of long-sleeved shirts, a few sweatshirts, a snow jacket, several layers of long pants, and a pair of snow boots. Earmuffs, a hat, scarf, and gloves were last of the warm clothes added, and with a sip of her bag, she tossed it over her shoulder.

A glance at the note on her pillow caused her to hesitate, but she quickly disbanded the idea of staying, moving swiftly to the window. She shoved it open, flung one leg out into the freezing air, allowed the other to follow, and then began the treacherous climb down the side of the house.

My dearest Avalon,

You know that I've never been very good at writing these kinds of things, or even saying them, so I guess that I'll do my best.

I can't live like this any longer. You may be accustomed to it, and completely fine with living like a slave, but I, for one, am not. I can't live with the fear of dying present in my mind constantly.

I can't live so close to someone that will only ever care for their own emotions, and not for the feelings of the people around them. Teenage love sucks, and I can't deal with it anymore. Just remember that I love you, big sister, and I always will. I hope you live your life as you want it, and be happy. Maybe we'll meet again one day.

~Ethella Velvaldi Richmonds~

Her feet hit the snow, and she was immediately off, the sting of the crisp, cold night air not much in comparison to the endless amount of clothing that she wore. It stung her cheeks only slightly, her bag slamming against her back as she darted towards the forest. Hopefully, no one would notice her absence for a few hours. It would give her enough of a head start so that she wouldn't have to worry about being found and dragged back to the Hell House.

Andrei lay there with Avalon in his arms and a contented, almost dreamy expression on his face. A small blush was present on his cheeks and a tiny shiver of delight went through him. It had almost been as good as drinking her blood. Almost. Okay, it actually was as good, but Andrei somehow didn't want to admit it. He did, however, wonder how it would be to do both at once. Andrei would have to save that thought for another time and find out later, or at least so he decided. When Avalon was feeling better. Watching her like this, actually made him worry about her health slightly. He knew that humans were fragile things... maybe doing this now of all times hadn't been such a wonderful idea as he thought when he got it.

"Hm, definitely a freshly, deflowered virgin."

He chuckled softly and gently ran his free hand through her hair, smiling at her innocently as his cheeks were still a slightly tinged pink. Andrei didn't reply, though. He simply enjoyed being close to her and was content with that feeling. He smiled as she linked her fingers with his and changed position, carefully giving her hand a gently squeeze. There wasn't much more that had to be said, or at least so he thought until she propped herself up and looked down at him. He... wasn't entirely sure that was a good idea on her side either, since she obviously was in pain. He kept those thoughts to himself, though.

"You know, you really aren't that bad of a person. You should stop trying to come off as intimidating."

Andrei blinked in surprised at her words. "Huh... what are you saying, little doll?" he asked lazily, yawning as he gazed up at her, feeling her nose brush against his. "Have I ever tried coming off as intimidating?" he asked wearily, reaching up his hand and gently caressing her cheek. "That was not my intension, little doll... the only time I can remember when I might have done so is when you took my music player, which actually was justified... besides, you enjoyed your punishment so it can't really be seen as one... even if what followed was more like it. That... was however not my doing," he was smiling lazily all the while as she spoke, gazing back into her eyes with a mischievous look glistering in his own.

"I never realized how tired I could become."

"You're a human..." he reminded her, gently running his fingers through her hair, combing it carefully. "It is not really that surprising now, is it?" Andrei asked softly, yawning and shutting his eyes, though he continued combing her hair. He smiled slightly and yawned again, starting to slowly drift off to sleep he too. As she spoke again, he was suddenly rendered fully awake once more, however.

"You aren't a bad guy, Andrei ... So stop trying so hard to come off as an emotionless one ... I want to see the real you."

Andrei couldn't quite understand what she was implying. He never tried coming off as emotionless, he just didn't care showing his emotions most of the time. Or well, if he didn't like something he would actually make sure everyone knew it... like when Clarence had tried getting him to dress properly and not run around in a pajamas. Another time had actually been with Avalon, when he had freaked out as he was down in the kitchen with her, because... there was fire in the oven and Andrei had a fire phobia. So he had burst into tears, hid behind her and pleaded her to put it out. It would have been cute if he'd been a little kid at the time, but it had actually happened no more than a year ago. So, when was he pretending? Maybe the whole 'I'm too lazy, don't wanna attitude' was what she was hinting at? But he didn't think he pretended that... since he actually was lazy as hell. Or, at least he had been ever since he stopped caring about life and everything and everyone in general. Maybe that was what she meant? He wasn't sure.

He felt her body relax against his as she fell into a slumber, but for once Andrei didn't fall asleep. He yawned and gently kissed her forehead, watching her silently and thinking this over. Did she think this wasn't the real him? But then, what was? He bit his lip and shook his head, feeling it starting to ache from all the thinking. Sighing, he brushed a strand of her hair out of her face so he could see it better.

"What do you mean, little doll?" he asked in a whisper he was sure she wouldn't be able to hear. Then, he shut his eyes, and after a rather long while... he finally drifted off to sleep as well.

---

(Not entirely sure what we should do now? Move time for them? XD)

---

Yuri blinked at her words, still hugging himself and teddy and looking totally confused. H-he did understand her. He did understand her very much... so why would she say such a thing? All he wanted was to protect her. He shook his head, trying to make sense of this situation and her words. Why was she seeming so hurt? He didn't understand, what had he done? Wouldn't she get mad at him if he drank her blood? She usually was, so why was she mad at him now for refraining to do it? Yuri bit his lip, feeling tears burn behind his eyes again. He didn't want to cry, not now... but he couldn't hold them back. Soon the first tear was already rolling down his pale cheeks.

"E-ethy..." he started quietly, turning around in order to try and explain it to her... but she was already gone. W-why... why would she do that? Why would she abandon me? W-why would she abandon me like everyone else? Like mama... why? Why? WHY?! As the question swirled through his mind and the look of confusion left his eyes, it was replaced by rage and desperation. Tears were streaming down his cheeks by then, and he glanced out in bewilderment, hoping to still spot her somewhere. She wasn't allowed to leave him, she wasn't allowed to abandon him! He simply wouldn't allow it.

Without hesitation, he started running towards where he thought she was, hoping to find her so that he could explain it all to her... and punish her for being a bad friend. She couldn't just leave him like that, she wasn't allowed to just leave him like that! Yuri's breath was heavy and his eyes were wide with madness. Unfocused as he was, he fell several times on his way, hard and painfully, his tears and rage only becoming worse with each time.

"Why, Etthy?! Why would you do that?!" he whispered tearfully, slamming the door to her room open and glancing around. Although he had been just by her room when she disappeared in there, he hadn't thought of checking it because since he was so upset, he couldn't think clearly... at all.

He glanced around, feeling ready to throw anything which would break against the wall, when he noticed the open window. Instantly, his expression changed... from rage filled and crazed to hurt and sad. He walked over to the window slowly, soft sobs escaping his lips as he clutched Teddy.

"Why would she do that, Teddy?" he asked in a desperate whisper, shaking his head in bewilderment. "Why would she leave us like this? Etthy is a very, very, very bad human..." he rasped tearfully, his voice thick with emotion. Then, his expression hardened again. She wasn't allowed to go, not without his consent. She wasn't allow to leave the manor, ever. She wasn't allowed to leave him! B-because then... then Yuri would be all alone, without anyone to love him. Even if Teddy loved him, it wasn't the same as actual, human contact. His brothers didn't care, his mother hadn't cared, neither had his father... no one ever cared about little Yuri, and now he would make those who made him suffer pay! Starting off with Etthy... she was all his and was allowed to love only him... and she was not allowed to leave, ever.

He turned around in a swift movement and then walked out the room, giggling childishly as he wiped his tears. "Lets play, Teddy... lets play a game of the hunting dog and the rabbit..." he giggled again and then made himself ready to go outside into the rain and snow. Yuri had never been outside the manor before, other when his father had took him to his relatives... so this would be a whole new adventure... even if it scared Yuri slightly.

The young vampire took a deep breath as he stepped outside and then started down the path, still clutching his teddy. "Etthy!" he called, giggling, "Etthy, where are you?!" he giggled again as he glanced around, sniffing the air. He would find her, no matter what it took. He knew he scent from tasting her blood... there was no way he wouldn't find her. "Or maybe we should play hide and seek, Teddy... what do you think?" there was a dark, bloodthirsty and maddened glint in his eyes, as opposed to his childish and innocent giggle. "I start..."

With a small nod in reply, Imora turned on her heel, leading the way to one of the studies. As she walked, she mulled over what exactly could have led the Dimozi girl to the door step of a family of insane blood vampires, in the dead of a winter storm, with two babies in her arms - both of which she had put at risk of the cold.

Not that it was her business, per-say, but the girl most definitely had something to hide, the bottom of which she was determined to get to. Unless, of course, the woman revealed her motives to one of the Young Masters.

When they reached the room, she opened the door, immediately dropping into a curtsy before Master Viktor.

"Madame Lycoris Dimozi, my Master," she said timidly, backing away and disappearing around a corner, off to perform her chores.

Lycoris wasn't asleep for long, and when footsteps grew nearer to the room that she had been placed it, she was jolted awake. She shot up on the blanket, her hand fumbling for the dagger that was hidden beneath her shirt. As soon as the door was opened, she was on her feet once more, the dagger glistening in the poor lighting of the study.

When Imora revealed herself, however, Lycoris lowered the dagger, the potential threat gone and replaced by one of the young vampires that ruled the mansion.

Viktor Ivanov.

She knew quite a lot about the family - actually, she knew quite a lot about more things than she should know about, which was one reason why her sister was so keen on killing her. Knowledge was a treasure, but also a curse - at least, for her it was. However, in this exact moment, perhaps it was the key to her and her twins' survival.

Lycoris returned the dagger to it's sheath as the eldest lord of the mansion entered, calling all attention to himself. Thankfully, the twins continued to sleep, not causing any disturbance whatsoever, and she moved forward so as to prevent Viktor from being forced to walk too far into the room.

"You are Viktor Ivanov, I presume?" she asked, tilting her head slightly, her purple eyes looking him up and down, taking in the full appearance of his body. After a few moments, she met his gaze, her own dark and intense. "I have come to seek the aid of the Ivanov brothers. In my own opinion, we are all vampires, and specific races do not matter. I do not wish to gain any throne of any sort; I look only for safety at this moment in time. My fiance was killed, hunted down and slaughtered by a group of vampire hunters, and therefore left me to care for our two young children alone. I may be but of a child myself in age, but I am far older in maturity. I am unsure of whether or not you have heard of my family, but I suppose that I shall explain myself to you nevertheless."

"My twin sister, Nerine Dimozi, is attempting to hunt me down and have me join my fiance. In the process, she wishes to take my children and convert them to her evil mindset. I have managed to so far escape, but I fear that if I continue to travel much longer, not only will I succumb to the harshness of winter, but I will also loose my babies," she said softly, her hands clapsed before her. For a moment, she was quiet, but soon continued. "I ask you naught for shelter for myself, but at the very least for my children. They ... They are not troublesome," she said quietly, turning and moving back to the blanket. She lowered herself beside them, kneeling, her hand moving out to gently brush some hair from one of the twins's faces. "I understand if you are hesitant to help me ... Taking two spiritual vampire babies could be difficult. But at the same time ... You have so many servants here, would it be so hard to assign two of which to them?" she whispered, tears dotting her vision. After a moment of staring at them, she looked up at Viktor. "I know it is a lot for a stranger to ask, especially a spiritual vampire, but I am begging you take do this. I would even be wiling to stay and become a maid here, if you were to wish it. I would care for them, as I have been, seeing as they are my children, but I would also serve you and your brothers. I-I have money," she said quickly, scrambling back to her feet. She patted her coat, which she had laid across a seat, before removing a pouch. "My family comes from great money, and I can pay you for your help." She moved over to him, fumbling to open the pouch, and after a moment, it dropped from her hands, spilling golden coins across the floor. She shook her head, tugged on a lock of hair, before dropping to her knees.

"I'm sorry, I'm such a klutz," she whispered, tears sparkling in her eyes. "B-But I can offer you a personal healer for your family. I-I am connected to the Spirit Element, and can heal anyone that I wish to. I would need to find a human to bond with, but ... I can offer you the abilities of a powerful healer in the process," she hurriedly explained, attempting to pluck up the coins. She suddenly stopped, dropping the coins in the pouch before placing it in the floor. Her hands fell to her lap, a few tear dropping onto the backs of them. "Oh, what's the use ... It was foolish of me to come to you for help ... A person would have to be crazy to agree to help me in such a manner," she whispered, her voice hitching a few times. Several heartbeats ticked by before she spoke again. "If you would at least be willing to give my children and myself shelter for tonight, I would be eternally in your debt, Sir Ivanov," she murmured in a docile tone of voice.

---

A loud knock resounded through the room around a half an hour after she had nodded off. When Avalon awoke, it was hazily and sleepily, for she was still far too tired to be fully rested, or even anywhere close to such. The knocks grew more frantic with each passing second, and with a small groan, she opened her eyes. Andrei was still asleep, so she supposed that answering the bedroom door was left to her.

Somehow, she managed to stand, fumble around for her robe, tug it on, and stumble tiredly to the door. When she opened it, she was met by the worried face of Vincent, who looked down at her, his expression stricken.

Immediately concern slashed through Avalon, and with a look cast at the bed, she returned her gaze to the man. "What is it?" she whispered.

"It's Ethella," he said quietly, her lips drawn tightly across his face. Avalon frowned, her heart hammering in her chest, and she felt her shoulders drop.

"What happened?"

Vincent cast a look at Andrei's bed before returning his gaze to her. "She's run away. Master Yuri went after her ... He was extremely angry. I'm afraid that he may hurt her." His hand rose, and clasped in it, was a piece of paper, with the familiar scrawl of Ethella's handwriting slashed across it.

She took the paper, unrolled it, and quickly scanned the words. As soon as she finished, however, she felt her knees grow weak. Before she could stop herself, she had dropped to them, tears welling up in her eyes, her heart seeming to have stopped beating.

"No ... No, she couldn't have left ... She was ... She was just here," she whispered, her voice hoarse and choking slightly. Her lower lip trembled, her hand clenching around the paper with a loud crumpling sound. "We have to find her ... She can't survive in this storm, and she won't be able to survive in the human world. She doesn't know how ..." she said, an odd buzzing in her ears - the buzzing of stun. "I promised that I would watch out for her ... And I haven't ..." She lifted her arm and rubbed at her eyes, coming away with the wetness of tears. "Please ... Find her, Vincent. Send the servants who have finished their chores. I just pray to God that Yuri hasn't found her yet ..."

Vincent, obviously unsure of how to respond, finally nodded and left the room, shutting the door silently behind him.

---

"Etthy! Etthy, where are you?!"

Ethella froze where she stood, her eyes widening. Fear jolted through her, the tone of Yuri's voice maniacal and frightening in so many ways. Chills shot through her body, and she felt her heart pick up to an immense speed. Her breath caught, and she couldn't stop the trembling that began in her body.

She couldn't stop now, though. If he found her ... She couldn't even begin to imagine what he would do to her. Tears rose to her eyes, and immediately she was off again. Oh, she didn't doubt that he would catch her. But she wasn't about to just give up and allow him to find her easily. No, she would make it a difficult hunt.

The thought of the word brought the picture of a tiger stalking a gazelle through a quarry. The image wasn't pleasant, and she sniffed a bit, her hands clenching into fists at her sides.

"Stay away ... Stay away from me! I don't want to go back to that wretched place!" she whispered heavily, the exertion of running through the cold sucking the breath from her lungs. It stung her nose, and she could feel her lips chapping already.

What would she do when he found her? He would undoubtedly see it fit to punish her, and his punishments were often the most cruel. She wouldn't be able to fend his attack off. Why he was so determined to find her was beyond her, but she felt the fear of it nevertheless.

She suddenly stumbled, tripping to the ground. She slid through the snow, her bag slding several feet away. It was so cold, despite her many layers, and she hadn't a clue as to where she was. She could feel her eyes growing heavy, and not too long after, she slid into a cold, unconscious state, the snow slowly beginning to cover her heavily-clothed form.

Eve's eyes fluttered open as she heard the door slam and someone enter. She sat up in the couch, the familiar in her lap narrowing his eyes and hissing at the stranger in a hostile manner. His black ears were flattened against his head and his blue eyes flickered to ember in a threatening manner, just as he showed his fangs. Instantly, Eve let out a small, frightened scream, quickly climbing down from the couch before starting to shuffle away from him, the daemon jumping down onto the floor as well, keeping on his guard. Obviously, this man was a blood vampire. Only an idiot would fall for his claim. Blood vampires and spirit vampires hated one another, even Eve knew that much. There was no chance in hell he would have been entrusted with taking care of a spirit vampire child, especially not the kings... even if Eve's true identity was not clear to Dae.

"N-no..." Eve stuttered out, voice and expression filled with fear as she shook her head, staring at the vampire in bewilderment. "N-no... you're...a...liar..." she whispered, feeling her back bump against the wall. Glancing around, she noticed she had pushed herself into a corner... which hadn't been very intelligent at the time, but Eve hadn't really thought before she acted. Her heart as well as mind were racing and she was breathing quickly in panic, trying to get a grip of the situation.

---

Andrei yawned and stretched out on the bed, opening his eyes as he noticed Avalon wasn't there anymore. For a moment, he was struck by confusion. That moment was over quickly, however, and soon a flush of embarrassment settled on his cheek as he noticed there was another man in the room. Automatically, he pulled his blanket over himself and hid beneath it, silently listening to the end of their conversation and then waiting for him to leave. He couldn't hear all of what they were saying, but by the sound of it Avalon was crying... which Andrei wasn't entire sure how to react to. Should he feel sorry for her? Well, yes... he did... but what do you do when you feel sorry for people? He wasn't really sure at all.

Sighing, once he heard the door close, he peeked out from under the covers and glanced down at Avalon on the floor, hesitating before crawling over towards her direction, though remaining on the bed. Andrei glanced down at her for a while, still not entire sure what he could do about her sadness, before reaching out his hand and placing it on her shoulder- carefully.

"Hey, little doll..." he said softly, a look of gentleness and affection flashing through his pale red eyes, "I'm sure your little sister will be fine, alright? I mean, Raphael is out there so he will probably find her and bring her home safely," Andrei did realize that this probably didn't comfort her, but even if Raphael was a moronic and sadistic idiot, he wouldn't touch Ethella. Andrei was sure of that. Honestly, he believed in his words about Raphael bringing the girl home safely.

Andrei sighed softly, gently playing with her strange hair and shutting his eyes, stifling another yawn. "Just you calm down, okay? Freaking out like this won't help you heal, and it won't do you any good in general..." he stated, opening his eyes again and leaning down, carefully kissing her cheek. Even like this, he found aroma of her blood tempting. However, he was content with the amount of blood he had gotten before and would not need feeding for today... or tomorrow, for that matter. Besides, Andrei DID worry about her health. He truthfully and honestly did. Was... her health all he cared about, though?

'Damn it, Andrei! Don't think like that, don't even consider it! Falling in love with a human can never end well... never... ever. What if all vampires suddenly went falling in love with humans? Their race would die out... and... they would eventually vanish. It is a terrible, terrible thought... and a terrible, terrible deed of a blood vampire especially. No! I cannot effort to start caring about a mare human... not even if she saved me from the 'fire devils' that one time'. He smiled weakly at his own idiocy both back then and now and shook his head.

"Just calm down..." he murmured soothingly.

---

Raphael watched the two girls suspiciously as he walked through the forest, rain whipping against his face and soaking his clothes as it started becoming worse. This was real spring weather. Sighing, he racked his hand through his wet, white hair and paused as the brunette spoke, turning around and arching an eyebrow, placing his hand on the hilt of his sword again.

"N....no, I refuse to go, nobody is my master, if you let me go I'll pretend I saw nothing okay." She asked timidly.

Raphael's expression went dead as he locked his pale, long fingers around the hilt, a look of discontentment flashing through his crimson eyes. "Do I have to repeat myself for you too, puny human? You may be pretty and your blood may smell good enough... but like I told the blond girl, I would only find pleasure in disposing of you," his lips curled into a small, cruel smile, "no one would ever find out, puny human... and you would just become another one of my 'dolls'. A pretty one, added to that... but still. Is that truly what you wish for?" he asked slowly, tilting his head to the side and chuckling darkly before walking over to her, grasping hold of her chin tightly and tilting her head up, leaning his face close to hers.

Just as it seemed as though he was about to kiss her, he pulled back again and shook his head, starting to walk once more and letting go of her chin. "I would suggest you come along, if you care about your life... that is," he said, still smiling like that as he made his way through the forest, sniffing the air regularly and glancing around.

After a while, they arrived when Ethella had collapsed. He sighed and leaned down, carefully picking her up before throwing her over his shoulder and glancing at the other three, Yuri keeping silently in the background, clutching his arm as tears rolled down his cheeks. At least he wasn't making any sound. With his injured hand, he was trembling to keep his grip of teddy, who now was as drenched as everyone else with rain. In fact, the purple haired young vampire was shivering, which came as no surprise to Raphael. After all, Yuri had never been outside the house before... weather was something entirely new to him, as was this kind of chilly air and the forest surrounding him. If Raphael was allowed to guess, he didn't think Yuri would go out in a very long time anymore.

"Get moving..." he said grumpily to the three of them, starting back towards the mansion."

(If you guys aren't alright with this post, tell me and I'll edit it. Christopher next...)

"Hey, little doll..."

Avalon’s breath hitched as his hand dropped onto her shoulder. She tilted her head back to look up at him, her lower lip trembling slightly, the tears dripping down her face slipping between her lips. The name that he had given her long before had, for some odd reason, hit a raw nerve buried deeply within her.

Why was it that he was allowed to call her such sweet things, play with her emotions, and yet feel no remorse for how he made her face when he treated her badly afterwards? It wasn’t fair. It also wasn’t fair that she had a life that was going nowhere. It was doubtful that she would ever marry and have children, and what with her sister’s attempt at running away, she had no family.

She had no future.

I'm sure your little sister will be fine, alright? I mean, Raphael is out there so he will probably find her and bring her home safely.” This information gave her little comfort, but she did know that Raphael would not hurt Ethella. The brothers, despite their quirks, took their possessions quite seriously, and very rarely did anything to destroy what they had claimed as their own.

His hand on her hair jerked her back to their current conversation, and she turned her gaze up to his face as he began to speak.

"Just you calm down, okay? Freaking out like this won't help you heal, and it won't do you any good in general..."

He was correct in that statement, of course. Worrying wouldn’t bring her sister back to the house, nor would it heal her wounds. But that didn’t mean that she was going to stop ‘freaking out’, as he put it so blandly. After a moment, she sniffed a bit, her throat aching as she fought back her tears.

"Just calm down …”

“Why … Why are you so kind to me, Andrei? Viktor is the only other brother of yours that treats me even remotely right. But you … You’re different,” she said quietly, pushing herself slowly up from the floor. She moved onto the bed beside him, her robe drooping from her shoulder and down her upper arm, revealing a patch of milky-white skin. Her face was so near to his that their noses were touching in that moment, her oddly-colored eyes staring into his red ones. Her hand rose, dropping onto his cheek, and she managed a small smile.

“Could it really be that the gentleness I have seen in your eyes over the years wasn’t my imagination? Is it possible that you truly feel for me in the same manner that I feel for you? Because it seems that way,” she said softly, moving her hand down to his chest, her palm over his heart and her fingers splaying out across his skin. “Andrei … I can’t pretend to understand what you are thinking, and most of the time, it’s difficult to even guess. But I can try to guess. I imagine that you aren’t sure of your feelings for me, or that you are battling with our different races. Am I correct?” she asked, moving so that she was kneeling before him at this point. She was quiet for a few moments, before she dropped her hand atop his. She moved hers under his, linking their hands together and lifting them into the air. She held them up there, before extending their fingers and pressing her palm to his, her hand much smaller in comparison.

“Are we really so different, Andrei, that you can’t allow yourself to feel how you do for me? Because from the looks of it, there isn’t much variation between us … Your skin is pale, just as mine is … And soft, also … You have five fingers on each hand, a nose, a mouth, two eyes, two ears …” she trailed off, her eyes half-closed. Her opposite hand moved up and dropped onto his chest, directly above his heart. “And we both have hearts, which beat in our chests, that would not survive without oxygen. So really … Is there so much different between you and me? Because I can’t see any obvious features that battle each other. You merely drink blood for nourishment. So tell me this, Andrei … Why would it be so wrong for you to just give in like you did when we were in bed together, only with how you feel? Why can’t you allow yourself to love me?” she asked quietly, curling her fingers in the spaces between his.

“Because I … I know that I love you. And I can’t live without my love for you. Your kind, gentle, and strong … You treat me well, and you take care of me when I need you to. You are sweet, funny, and devilishly handsome … To sum it all together, you are quite the catch … So is it really so wrong?”

“Is it so wrong for me to love you, Andrei?”

---

When Ethella awoke, she was freezing from the snow coating her body, melting through her layers of clothing and chilling her to the very bone. She shot up, shouting out and scrambling to stand in an attempt to avoid some of the snow. Some that had been resting upon her chest began to fall, but she managed to snatch it before it came into contact with the wet snow. When she looked at it, it was to recognize Yuri's ever-present teddy. She turned her gaze upwards, locking them on Yuri's form.

"Yuri, are you ... Are you crying?" she asked quietly as she looked down at him. After a moment, she lowered herself to her knees in the snow, tears sparkling in her eyes.

"I-I'm so sorry, Yu-Yu," she whispered, the tears escaping and trickling down her cheeks. "I didn't mean to scare you. I ... I just ... I wanted to explore the world and see it for myself ... I couldn't stand living there anymore," she murmured, turning her face towards the ground. She tightened her fingers around his teddy bear for a moment, before suddenly throwing herself forward, her arms wrapping hard around his neck. Her face burrowed into his shoulder, a soft sob escaping her lips. "I'm so, so sorry, Yuri ... I'll never leave you again ... I can't survive outside of the mansion ... My place is beside you," she managed to force out. She leaned back, her tears beginning to chill her cheeks, the bite in the air stinging her skin. Her hands lifted to his face, her palms framing it, his teddy bear resting safely on her thighs. After a moment of looking into his eyes, she leaned up and gently pressed her lips to his, her fingers curling against his cheeks. "I can't exist outside of this world ... I can't exist in the human world ... And I can't exist without my best friend," she whispered against his mouth, her words slightly muffled but audible nonetheless. "B ... Because I love you, Yuri. You're my best and only friend ..."

(I'll be posting for the twins tomorrow, hopefully)