Bishop J. Santiago's Story

"Alright, thank you Deme, Mr, Lord Demetri. I'm sorry, I am really unused to all of these formalities. I'll have them ready,"

Demetri smirked at her slip of tongue and ran a hand through his hair, giving her a moment to sink into embarrassment. Suddenly his eyes widened. That blush, it was intoxicating. He loved that look on a woman, but it looked particularly well on Jane for some reason.. It was like a mild high to know it was put there because of him. Sure, he was a bit egotistical, but didn't he have a right to be? He was the womanizer in the family... He had been with more women than Reiji, and definitely Castiel. Bishop? Maybe, he wasn't so sure anymore. Most of their escapes into town left Demetri blood drunk and he didn't remember much of their raids at this point.

"I'm monopolizing that look on your face, okay?" He leaned in a little, quirking his right brow. He loved that look of embarrassment, and something about this unorthodox woman was intriguing. Though he couldn't do anything to disrespect her, Belle would have his head, plus he wasn't ready to continue womanizing. He reach forward, cupping a thin strand of Jane's hair and ran it between his fingers, "You may be my sister's maid, but don't blush like that for anyone else... and I'll let you call me Deme at times when no one else is around to listen. It will be our little secret. Do we have a deal, little dove?" He chuckled before letting go of her hair and standing back in an upright position, as if he'd never gotten intimately close to her at all.

She would have to gather the feed, the bridles, the reins, basically everything needed for a horse to be led about while guiding a carriage. She'd also have to start on Reiji's horses since they were leaving first. At the same time, should she move when she had already embarrassed herself in front of Demetri? She knew she shouldn't try to get so worked up over him being nice to her, so she turned, ducking her head as she tried to walk past him, much more subdued than earlier.

"I'm new to a lot of things. Like, people, actually. In general, I am, really confused about a lot of things. I don't know if you had much to do with it, but, thank you for this job. Things would have been a lot different if I hadn't been given it,"

"Some part.. but not in the way you would think. Reiji was mostly responsible for that.. I guess my brother does have a heart, somewhere. Please avoid him when you politely can.. I don't want to see you harmed.." There was complex look in Demetri's green eyes, a mixture of amusement and sadness. He wasn't entirely expecting gratitude from the girl. Not to mention he wasn't sure what she was talking about. Sure, there were places worse than this, but why would she end up there? She was a very useful employee thus far, willing and able to do things that many girls couldn't accomplish if they tried. For a minute, he forgot that as the world currently stood, this was a man's world. He felt bad, because women like Tanzy and Jane would have made valuable contributions to society. Anise probably could as well, if she'd get over that adorable shyness. Tanzy was shy as well, but only when put in a compromising position... which Reiji, Castiel, and even himself were fond of doing on occasion.

"I will return to see your progress.. Don't disappoint, alright? I've got to go wake that little dove, Camilla. I spared her an hour. Oh, and little dove, the correct formality is 'Lord'. Try not to forget.." with that, Demetri waved to Jane and disappeared before she even got the chance to blink. He made it back into the manor with incredible speed, just in time to catch Anise and Bishop entering the main hall. He gave Mirabelle a secret wink, before finally approaching Bishop.

"You should have personally dressed your maid... The poor dove is dressed as if she's going to a funeral. Demetri teased, patting Anise on the head, considering there was around a seven inch height difference between himself and his twin's precious maid. Then he smiled to his brother, a mischievous gleam in his eyes as he decided to be a bit naughty before waking his own maid, "What's wrong? I figured you'd jump at the chance to watch her dress...or perhaps...undress? You could make her try on multiple outfits..." Then he broke into laughter, shifting out of Bishop's range of grasp. The last thing he wanted was to be caught in angry Bishop's clutches.

"Kidding, but perhaps that is the reason why Reiji plopped a child of a maid in my direction... There's no trust in this family, is there?" He feigned feeling a bit insulted, but the smile on his face told otherwise. This was the most Demetri had smiled since Angelo and Katerina's deaths, and this smile was the first time it was genuine. These new recruits were just what the doctor ordered, in Demetri's case of course.

He took his leave, before Bishop decided he wanted to serve Demetri a knuckle sandwich, "Got to wake up my little dove~" and with that, he disappeared once again, stopping right outside of Camilla's door. He knocked a few times, then invited himself in. He made his way over to her closet, picking out a nice, but not overly frilly blue dress for the girl. Then he smiled to her, "Wake up, little dove. We're going shopping in town. Reiji is going, so please be on your best behavior. I'll be outside... Change or I'll change your clothes myself." He warned her, but wasn't that serious. He couldn't treat a girl of Camilla's age that way, but he was hoping she wasn't aware of that little fact. He hoped she'd be oblivious and believe him, but if she didn't he had a plan B... and she wouldn't like it.

"Who're you laughing at? And I'm waiting on you...idiot"

Anise blinked a bit in mortification, realizing that she'd actually said that out loud and laughed at him. Though she really couldn't take herself seriously, because in a mumbled tone, Bishop also called her an idiot. She tilted her head at that, then laughed again. She couldn't argue with that, there was definitely something wrong with her for being this comfortable among vampires. Perhaps a few screws came lose over the duration of the last year? So she replied with a small smile, "I'm fine with being an idiot." She chimed in a positive tone. It was better than living in constant fear, as she did a year prior to now. Sure, at times Bishop still intimidated her, but her only real fear was of Reiji. She'd already crossed the man once before, and she hoped to never do it again. Bishop was going to fight him, and she'd never forgive herself if her poor actions caused harm to Tanzy. Seeing as he began to walk away, Anise scurried to catch up, walking a few paces behind Bishop.


"Quiet. Mind that tongue of yours. If you need to discuss something, choose a better time to do it."

Her eyes widened, and for a moment the scolding stung, but she realized it was a sensitive topic. Although she'd never mention it, she had also forgotten that Bishop and his siblings had supernatural hearing for a second. The way Bishop was acting today, he didn't come across as a dangerous blood drinking vampire at all, in fact, he was acting relatively human. This family was quite baffling. One minute the Santiago family would be dangerous badasses, then their personalities would make them seem nothing more than your average aristocrat. Which is the real Bishop..? The scary man that threatened to kill my sister, or the man that calls me an idiot and looks out for me in this odd, indirect way..? She asked herself as they descended down the stairs, sighing almost inaudibly to human ears. Though apparently he caught on to her excitement about the excursion, because he brought it up in his next statement.

"The hell you so happy about? The asshole is coming too, and I doubt he's going to allow mingling."

O-oops.. I-I've been found out... Anise smiled a bit, rubbing the back of her neck. How was she supposed to respond? She had a secret letter tucked into her dress, but she was unsure if she'd get the chance to mail it without being noticed. Perhaps she could pass it along to a child? She needed to send this letter, if it was the last thing she ever did. She couldn't have closure with Derrick until he knew how she felt before she was swept away to Castillo de la Muerte. She hadn't wrote anything about the family being vampires, but it was definitely a love confession of sorts, albeit quite late. The letter was written in past tense, but she couldn't rest until he knew that she'd felt the same way back then, "I-I don't care about 'mingling' really..I.. just wanted to mail a letter. I've never wrote one since I've been here.. I just want to let someone back home know that I'm okay."

"We need to make an appearance so no one forgets of us and our existence. And humans are only out during the day. Besides, when else do you do shopping?"

She twiddled her thumbs a bit nervously, and nodded her head. Her mother used to send her shopping in the evening, seeing as she didn't want anyone to know Anise was buying her alcohol. Anise was used to shopping quite late, arriving home just after dark. It was a miracle that she'd never been attacked by vampires before her arrival here seeing as her mother sent her out during their hours of hunting rights, "Life with my mother wasn't like this... it was far worse." that was her only reply, because she didn't like to speak of her family. Alice and her father were the only two she knew well enough to like, her mother was a hateful and abusive woman who didn't even deserve to be called a mother.

"I don't know if she owns any shawls or such that she can wear out on the town. Think you could spare her one of yours for the day sister?"

Anise's eyes looked up to Bishop, then at Mirabelle. She didn't even realize it, but she was a bit chilly, even with the dress on. How did Bishop know that? He didn't even touch me.. Anise turned her eyes away, cheeks burning a dark red. Just how much could he sense? Was he aware of her struggle to keep her feelings for him behind lock and key? Her face was as red as a tomato, and her heartbeat sped up as she grew rather anxious. Just the thought of him finding out made her feel as though she would die of embarrassment.

"You should have personally dressed your maid... The poor dove is dressed as if she's going to a funeral."

Anise's blush slowly faded, eyes lifting and seeing a very familiar face. It was none other than Demetri, Bishop's twin, the perverted brother. Demetri made all of the female help feel nervous, but she could have sworn he was bedding a few the night of the ball before Katerina came along. He was always disappearing with one or two.. Did he have no shame?

"What's wrong? I figured you'd jump at the chance to watch her dress...or perhaps...undress? You could make her try on multiple outfits..."

Immediately, before she even had a chance to drop her head and hide her embarrassment with her bangs, Anise's face turned a dark crimson red, "L-Lord Demetri!" Her heart stopped for a moment, D-Demetri's words... did he really just say that? She felt as though the entire world stopped spinning for a moment. She wanted to say something, but it was not her political place, or a good survival tactic. Her eyes were locked on Demetri in a sense of pure shock, rage, and complete embarrassment.

"Kidding, but perhaps that is the reason why Reiji plopped a child of a maid in my direction... There's no trust in this family, is there?"

He's so horrible! Why say things like that!? She thought to herself, hiding her face behind her hands. She really wasn't looking forward to this trip anymore. She couldn't even make eye contact with any of the siblings now. She kept her gaze on the ground, her entire face still rather red.

"Got to wake up my little dove~"

G-good riddance.. Anise thought to herself. She really couldn't put up with the mischievous brother right about now, especially since embarrassing her was his current favorite past time. Didn't he have other people to bother, like his own maid? She tried to calm her breathing, in attempt to make her blush go away before it got her in an even more awkward situation. She really wasn't fond of Demetri at the moment.

"Forgot to get the new moron."

I wonder why Bishop doesn't like him..? Jason seemed nice enough, although he spent a strange amount of time staring at me... but that was just over my sister.. I'm glad someone else loved her as much as I did..

---

---

---

---

Jason hadn't slept for long. He had taken a short nap, finding the bed to be very comfortable, then woke to clean the mess he had made in his rage. He was surprised at his outburst since they were so rare. All the papers he had destroyed or partially destroyed were now in the fire or in his folder of work.

He didn't feel upset about the loss of the work, but he did feel upset about the loss of some letters he had written to his siblings in case something happened. He'd have time to fix it though, so it wasn't a big deal really. He had written some letters and he had regained his temper. He looked at the remaining letters he had addressed to Alice, wondering if he should just burn them. Perhaps he would, but he couldn't focus on that now, not with what was going on.

He thought back to the last time he had seen Alice before he had never seen her again. It was a hard memory, but one that still remained vivid in his mind. She had helped him through so much, he wasn't sure if he could love again in such way, but he did believe he could be friends with her sister. He could never care for her the same way, because it would not settle well with his conscious or his beliefs really.

Jason caught sight of Demetri and one of the newer maids... Jane, walking out to what appeared to be a stables, though Jane was in pants instead of a skirt for some reason. He figured that was a sign that he should probably prepare for whatever Jane and Demetri were appearing for since Jane wasn't Demetri's servant.

His thoughts slid to Anise as he thought about the night, or afternoon, before. She had been so... similar to her sister. Jason still hated that Master Reiji had caused Jason to have an already rocky relationship with Bishop even though they hadn't even interacted yet. How could he have avoided that situation? Pretend that seeing Anise didn't make his entire demeanor change?

Jason then wondered about Bishop and the blood. Bishop had drunk from him, his blood... It was just a strange thought, something that didn't seem like he should accept so soon... He would be living with vampires for a large portion of his life now, or however long it did happen.

Jason dressed in the new material, still trying to fathom how Demetri knew his measurements. He thought back to their little meeting the night before, and smiled. He had been nice, and totally unlike Bishop, who still terrified Jason though he didn't understand why. It wasn't like Jason hadn't dealt with men like Bishop before, he had actually. What could Jason do other than hope Bishop changed his attitude, however unlikely it seemed to be.

When Jason heard the know, or rather, apparent kick of the door, he moved to answer it. He opened the door, fully dressed except for the coat and gloves. "Yes Sir. Do you need anything before we leave?" Jason asks as he slips on his jacket and begins to pull on his gloves.

Tanzy visibly relaxed at his calm answer, a small bubble of hope in her heart as he revealed she could, in fact, communicate freely with her loved ones. She even felt a bit bad for inferring he and his family were cruel. Soon enough, Reiji began to point out more rules, setting the conditions to be followed as he had for everything else. His kindnesses always ended with some other clause or statement to make her more than just a tad wary of him once more. This time was no exception, her face blanching slightly at his declaration of hating heroes. Though his words made sense, he wanted to protect himself and his family, so she didn't feel unduly perturbed at his warnings. She nodded to indicate her understanding, faltering only slightly as his final words sunk in.

He would never allow her to leave the manor.

Not even if one of her siblings found a spouse? Not even if a family member was on their death bed? The realization of just what that would entail was depressing, the thought of going outside into town not enough to soothe the bitter feeling. She almost felt like crying. She was grateful for the freedom to write them, but surely he knew she wouldn't betray his family? She'd never dare speak of the Santiago's secret, even if she thought anyone would believe her. No matter how big and grand the manor was, it was little more than a prison as well as a work place if stepping off the grounds would be forbidden.

Tanzy said nothing more, finishing her last bite and cleaning up her dishes before bowing slightly to her master, heading to her room to change.

She came down just before Mirabelle could lead Anise up the stairs. Upon seeing her ebony- haired friend, Tanzy was overcome with feelings of gratitude, amazement, and a burning relief that she could actually protect the girl.

Before the blonde vampire girl could lead her further, Tanzy rushed over and took her friend in an embrace, holding Anise to her so she could whisper to her.

"Anise! You never told me you'd given up your pay to my family! You're so kind to me...I couldn't ask you to do that, oh, but Anise!" Tanzy pulled back, smiling and holding her fellow maid's shoulders. "But more importantly, you'll be ok from now on! You don't need to fear anymore- the master won't harm you." she exclaimed in an excited whisper.

Alas, she couldn't linger with her friend some more, Mirabelle escorting Anise away, much to Tanzy's chagrin. She never could accept the blonde girl.



Anise's soft voice had reached his ears, the red head wondering what about his words made her laugh. She had been so distressed, and still seemed a bit shy, but she was smiling. He vaguely wondered if he'd ever figure out the subtleties of the maid's moods. He could tell her mood, just not what prompted the swift changes in her day to day expressions. Even more confusing was her lack of distress at being called an idiot. She never complained when he did and was now even going so far as to say it was ok, but why? Was she somehow actually aware he didn't call her one out of true malice towards the human, or did she simply think so little of herself? Bishop wasn't entirely sure which he thought was worse.

He glanced at the maid out of the corner of his eye, trying to gauge how she was taking his subtle and rough warning to not speak of her troubles out loud where prying eyes could hear. Thankfully, though she seemed abashed at first, the look didn't last and he sensed no lingering depression of her mood. When he spoke again, he caught a slight smile as the ebony-haired girl rubbed her neck in what he could only describe as an almost sheepish manner.

To his surprise, she had been thinking on something else entirely, and he noted a certain determination in her objective. Her heartbeat, her tone, her eyes, something about her made the revelation seem significant to him. He wondered to whom the letter was addressed, since she revealed a sour now nonexistent relationship with her mother, and her sister was dead. Who else did she have? She never mentioned her father, nor any other siblings. It made Bishop wonder who she could be mentioning. She didn't sound like she had the most pleasant of childhoods. Despite this, he reigned in his curiousity for the time being, leaving his sister and Anise as he stormed off to fetch Jason.

To his credit, the human male didn't keep the impatient redhead waiting. Even now, despite being drank from and hopefully having the shit scared out of him, the human was calm and professional in his reply. Just to irk him more.

"Yeah, stop asking that. You really think I'd let you get away from me without doing something for me should I require it? Stupid. Now come on, don't keep me waiting. And remember my rules!" Bishop snapped irritably, motioning for Jason to follow behind him as he marched back down the stairs to his younger siblings.

Demetri's words were not unlike him,and yet, they did elicit a slight twitch this time. Bishop didn't even need to look at Anise to know she was upset by his twin, her heart and voice easy enough to read without trying. Sometimes Bishop almost worried that Demetri had his sights and his fangs set on his maid. As close as he and his twin were, there were certain things he did not share. Mainly food and women. Though in all fairness, the latter was more in part to how picky Bishop was in his selection.

"Is there some stupid made- up holiday dedicated to being annoying that I'm not aware of? Almost everyone seems to be doing a damn good job of pissing me off the past twenty four hours..." Bishop drawled in annoyance, rolling his eyes. To be sure, Demetri had a point, it was pretty satisfying the year before when he picked out a ball gown for Anise. But still, for just going out, he hadn't thought it anything to be concerned about. Besides, he wasn't particularly excited at the thought of playing with fashion as was his twin.

The mischief in Demetri's eyes didn't go unnoticed, Bishop's emerald orbs narrowing slightly even as Demetri patted his maid's head as he goaded him. Just as he was about ready to grab the nearest piece of decor and chuck it at a certain brother's head, Demetri made himself scarce by running off to fetch his assigned maid. Bishop scoffed, giving his brother a rather rude hand gesture. In spite of this, he was genuinely relieved to see a real smile on Demetri's face, his laughter something Bishop had dearly missed. He hoped being crass and uncensored with him would help rather than hinder. It was rare he was ever truly angry with Demetri, and this time was no different- his anger was simple annoyance and banter.

"Anise! You never told me you'd given up your pay to my family! You're so kind to me...I couldn't ask you to do that, oh, but Anise!"

Anise's eyes widened considerably as she felt a very warm embrace. She wasn't quite sure where it had come from, but she nearly stumbled backwards from the unexpected affection. Her cheeks flushed a bit, until she realized that it was Tanzy. A smile crossed her features, and she hugged the light haired girl back, "It's no problem.. my mother doesn't deserve it, and we very well cannot keep the money." She added with a lighthearted laugh. Honestly she just wanted the money to go to someone deserving, and Tanzy had a nice family from what she had heard of them. It wasn't a big deal, she asked Reiji way before he began to hate her.. He was quick to accept the payment change. It was one less different variable for him to sign, or something like that. He always spoke in a complicated manner, and despite her intelligence, Anise wasn't officially educated. Her mother just happened to be a fallen noble and taught her many things when she wasn't beating on her.

"But more importantly, you'll be ok from now on! You don't need to fear anymore- the master won't harm you."

Anise's eyes widened again, but this time in fear for poor Tanzy. What did she agree to? Reiji wouldn't just promise to leave her alone without some sort of deal on Tanzy's behalf. Did Tanzy really sell her soul on her account? She didn't have time to ask, so she shot Tanzy a small smile, "We'll talk later. See you soon." and she followed behind Mirabelle without shuffling her feet. She didn't want to annoy the blonde female, because in the end, despite the kindness she often showed her, Mirabelle was still one of her employers.

“Jane must still be getting the carriages ready, so Anise, do you mind helping me dress, and I’ll give you something warmer to wear? I’m not sure if I have any shawls, but I know there is a heavy hooded cloak in there. It’s a deep purple and I think it would look lovely on you.”

"It'll be my pleasure, mi'lady." Anise bowed, continuing to follow Mirabelle along. Purple? Anise always liked the color. Red, blue, and purple were her favorites. Then Mirabelle mentioned it would look good on her, and she blushed a bit. She wasn't used to receiving direct compliments from the masters or the mistress of the castle. It made her a bit nervous to be completely honest, but she knew she had to reply or else she'd come across as rude, "T-Thank you, Lady Mirabelle." Anise began to inspect Mirabelle's room. She'd only been inside of it once, when Katerina was doing everyone's hair at the ball, but it didn't look much different. It was extravagant and tidy, very feminine. It suited her well.

“Mind lacing me up?”

She noticed that Mirabelle was getting dressed quickly, and she did notice that Mirabelle was fairly skinny, but she didn't find her unattractive. She approached immediately as she was asked to help lace up the dress, and Anise nodded, "Of course not. You look gorgeous in this color, Lady Mirabellle.." Anise smiled gently. It was the first time she'd helped someone dress since Anise first showed Alice how to put on her maid attire. Anise gently took the strings of the corset, lacing it expertly. She had to do this since she was a child, considering her mother was always too drunk to dress herself, so it was up to Anise to dress the both of them or they would have never looked presentable in public. It didn't take long, and Anise made sure to meet the fine line of just tight enough and leaving enough room to where it wouldn't squeeze Mirabelle's lungs out, "There you are, mi'lady. I hope it pleases you. It's been quite some time since I've laced another's corset." She replied, softly laughing at herself for a moment. It was the first time she'd ever laced a gown for a vampire.. In fact, some of the Lords were dressed by their maids, and Mirabelle was dressed by Jane, and now Anise.. she was kind of glad that Castiel and Bishop always dressed themselves. She doubted she would mentally survive having to dress her employers.

Eventually they returned downstairs, and returned to Bishop who had Jason in tow, obviously irritated by the fact. Anise sent Jason a quick and kind smile before Bishop's eyes turned to either of them. Though his next words kind of concerned her. She knew to not take his words too seriously, but this was rather specific. She couldn't help but overthink this statement;

"Is there some stupid made- up holiday dedicated to being annoying that I'm not aware of? Almost everyone seems to be doing a damn good job of pissing me off the past twenty four hours..."

Anise, despite her better judgement, was beginning to worry that she was one of those annoyances. Did she also get on Bishop's nerves today? She didn't mean to, but perhaps he truly was growing angry with her? Was that why he admitted to threatening her life to Alice? He then flipped off Demetri, Anise's eyes widening. She'd never cussed or done anything like that before, her mother would have beaten her lifeless for doing something so unladylike.. but it was also something she rarely saw men do. Bishop was one of the very few that openly expressed foul language and she was a bit taken aback. If he was flipping off his own brother, he must have been very angry today. I must have overestimated his tolerance for me.. I've probably been making things worse..

Anise clung to the cloak, hiding her features as she pondered on her worries. Though the feel of the fabric in her hands made the dark haired maid remember that she'd forgotten to thank Mirabelle for it. Her eyes immediately turned to Mirabelle and she blushed a bit, but accompanied it with a bright and grateful smile, "Thank you for lending me this cloak, Lady Mirabelle. I will take good care of it and return it washed and neatly folded." She assured the blonde vampire.

Demetri noticed that his poor little maid was breathing irregularly, so he grew closer. Immediately he noticed a fever on her cheeks. His eyes softened and he let out a sigh of disappointment, "I'll pick out your dress while we're out. Sleep tight and get better soon, okay? I'll be back later to check on you, little dove.." Demetri cooed as he ran gentle fingers through Camilla's hair. His eyes had a glimmer of sensitivity in them, but it evaporated, much like his presence. He couldn't waste time, even though his maid seemed to be very under the weather. There was a lot to do in town, and very little time to do it in, especially if he and his siblings didn't want to become toasted. He made his way back to his siblings, deciding to respond to Bishop's comment before Demetri was forced to depart to retrieve his maid. He was still sulking a bit, wishing he could watch Camilla try on all sorts of dresses, but it couldn't be helped. He'd have to find the perfect one on his own.

"Is there some stupid made- up holiday dedicated to being annoying that I'm not aware of? Almost everyone seems to be doing a damn good job of pissing me off the past twenty four hours..."

"Yeah, there is. Didn't I tell you? I created it dear brother. It happens every day or every year, ever since 1497. That's what happens when you're born with a younger twin." He winked to his elder brother. Though he was only joking. Though this was the first time he shared his birth year in front of the maids. That also meant that Bishop was born in 1497. He then looked to the windows, nodding his head. There was no more time to be wasted, he had to get things in motion, so he decided to cut this conversations short before it got out of hand.

"I am fairly certain that it is time to go. I'll run off to help Jane get the horses latched onto the carriages. Be ready Reiji, you and your little dove will be heading off first. Make sure you haven't forgotten the letters, dear brother." Demetri reminded his older brother, seeing as there would be no guests to the party if Reiji neglected to deliver those letters. Demetri would not allow that to happen, parties were one of the only things that kept him going during this extended life of his, and they were something he took very seriously. Planning a party was no simple task as far as Demetri was concerned and he treated every party as if it were a royal wedding.



Demetri returned with Jane and the first carriage, a hired human as the coach. He exited the carriage, helping Jane out as well before opening the main doors to Castillo de la Muerte. The sun had not yet come up, but light was in the sky. It wouldn't be long before the bright orb was among them, "Your carriage awaits, brother, little dove." and he waited for the two of them to enter before ringing a bell as their carriage went off on it's way down the dirt path. Finally the next carriage came, and he smiled a bit. This was going to be the start of the plan, although he'd take his sister's advice about not leaving the two of them alone just yet. Mirabelle had some girly things in mind such as hairdressing and makeup, so he would let his sister work his magic on the maid before sending his twin and her off alone in this very same carriage.

"Bishop, Jason, Anise.. your carriage has arrived. Too bad Castiel and Camilla are in no shape to travel." Demetri sighed, though he didn't seem nearly as effected by his brother's and maid's absence as he was implying. Demetri was in a good mood, far better than usual and it was completely unclear as to why. He was almost annoyingly cheerful, just like before Angelo's and Katerina's deaths. Demetri's eyes also had a mischievous gleam in them, he definitely had something planned. He was going to play a prank on someone, it was just unclear as to whom would be his target to the unknowing individuals. He was going to enjoy this day, and he knew it would be one he'd never forget. Well, unless Bishop decided to decapitate him for it, then perhaps he might forget it.

After the three boarded the carriage, Demetri signaled the driver to head off, and finally the last carriage came for Mirabelle, Jane, and Demetri. Immediately Demetri opened the carriage door for the two women, allowing them to enter first before sliding in as well. This ride was going to take about thirty minutes to an hour, so there would be plenty of time to talk about their plans for Bishop, as well as whatever it was that Mirabelle planned to confess to him. Demetri sat across from the two women, and turned his attention to the window as they drove off, "What was it that you wished to tell me, Belle?" He was curious, but there was also a pit in his stomach. Something told him that this conversation would not be lighthearted and typical 'chit-chat'. Though if she needed to vent, he would allow it, regardless of what it was she had to tell him. Demetri was just that kind of man, he hated it when others were forced to carry heavy burdens on their own. He always tried to lend a helping hand when he could, he just wondered how much longer he could keep going. This was growing maddening, he wanted to just give up. He'd lived for 398 years if you counted his years as a human and his time as a vampire as well. He was growing tired of his existence, he wanted to just die in peace so he could reunite himself with Katerina and start where they'd left off. Their love was new, fresh, and it made him feel human again. It was gone before it even began, and now he was just ready to give up.

Demetri's answer earned him an annoyed huff and a dramatic roll of the eyes from Bishop, the older twin half tempted to whack his favorite brother upside the head. Folding his arms over his chest, his lips twitched in the hint of a smile at the wink. He was glad Demetri seemed to be in a cheerful mood, and it further made it impossible to stay mad at his twin. "Dumbass. I wouldn't put it past you..." he muttered under his breath, feigning a kick at his twin's back as he turned to get the other new human and the carriages.

Despite being glad they were ready to leave, he was less than enthusiastic seeing everyone present. Reiji's appearance earned a scornful glare, the redhead barely refraining from insulting the man. Mostly for the sake of his baby sister, but also for the sake of keeping Anise out of his list of people to torment. Mirabelle had allowed Anise to borrow a rather nice purple cloak, the color becoming on his little maid. He bid his sister thanks as well, looking approvingly upon the two females and all but ignoring Jason.

Thankfully, he was spared Reiji's presence as the self proclaimed head and his maid departed first, allowing some reprieve from the asshole in question. Bishop once again caught Jason casting lingering glances at Anise, earning a slight growl in warning. Looking over at the ebony haired girl to gauge her reaction to Jason's friendly and attentive eyes, he immediately forgot his butler as Anise's mood perplexed him. She had seemed fine in his presence, but now she was anxious again. Was she seeing her sister? Had he said something? He swore Anise was going to give him a migraine at this rate, her heartbeat and her sudden avoidance making no sense at all to him. Women!

Once his carriage was pulled up, Bishop pouted slightly at being separated from his twin. Why couldn't his sister go with the new help? Looking almost petulantly at Demetri, he then nodded to Anise. "Ladies first." he gave Jason a pointed look, expectantly waiting for him to open the carriage door. "Go on. Be a butler then."





Once inside the carriage, Bishop sat across from his servants, looking almost bored now. Recalling Anise's letter, he realized they hadn't thought of how she would deliver it. And he doubted Reiji would allow her to do anything, being the stupid git he was. Holding out a hand, Bishop wagged his fingers in a 'give me' motion. "I'll get your letter delivered. Not wise to let yourself be caught with it."



Tanzy nodded to Anise with a smile, silently assuring the other girl they would converse as soon as they next got the chance. Once Anise went off with Mirabelle, Tanzy felt rather alone among the growing group of people, the castle occupants not often all in the same room. She glanced over at Reiji, wondering what on earth he was thinking about, but not about to ask. She only hoped he approved of her behavior enough to not harm Anise.

Despite knowing the Santiago's were probably long-lived, she nearly gaped at hearing just how long they've been alive. Over three hundred years ago?! It made the tragedy of the previous year even more daunting, thinking such disaster could be wrought upon those as long-lived and powerful as the Santiago vampires. She glanced over as Anise came back down, the cloak a flattering purple hue. Tanzy smiled at her friend, eager to speak once they were in the carriage.

To her dismay, she realized she was incorrect to assume the servants would be in their own carriages separate from the nobles of the house. She went in as instructed by Reiji, sitting awkwardly and uncertainly across from her master. She wondered why no one else was coming in their carriage, but didn't dare question it.

His explanation of their business outside earned a nod of her head, the human not expecting much in the way of luxury or freedom in the first place, so thankfully she wasn't unduly disappointed by his words. "Of course, Master." she said softly, acknowledging his words. She was about to simply try to relax into a comfortable silence when Reiji brought up the kiss again, causing her face to flush a deep pink. She hadn't been thinking about it, but it being brought up again made her embarrassment and confusion flare up anew.

"I-I wasn't sire..." she answered him in little more than a whispered squeak, looking down at her lap as he explained that she was his. His? In just the servant way, surely? She swallowed hard, saying nothing as Reiji lay down. He must be extremely tired to be laying down in front of her.

About to simply leave him be for the rest of the journey, Tanzy glanced over at the male across from her and caught his sleeping face. He looked so different...peaceful. Her musings were cut short with a jolt of panic, the young woman suddenly realizing she couldn't see his breathing. Was he just breathing quietly or had he actually ceased breathing entirely? Concerned in spite of herself, she leaned forward to inspect him. Reaching a hand forward, she gently pressed her index and middle finger against his wrist, checking for a pulse as she looked for signs of life.

---

---

Jason smiled slightly as he saw the family being a family, remembering his own in the process. It was a sweet thing to watch yet he wasn't sure why he felt the same way. It wasn't his family he was watching. He wished it was though he didn't dare vocalize his wish as he knew that would only be bad in the end.

Jason didn't mind that Bishop seemed to want to pretend he wasn't there. It was certainly not hurting his feelings. He had always thought that was how people treated their help, but he didn't really find that it mattered all that much to him. Perhaps if Bishop had been different during their first meeting Jason would mind more, but not really.

Reiji and the girl... the maid Tanzy left first. Next was Jason, Bishop, and Anise, which made Jason want to do nothing more than walk all the way to town. He was going to be in a carriage with the twin sister of his loved one as well as the vampiric lord that may or may not either have feelings for the sister, or just was very possessive, but made sense and both were bad for Jason either way. He couldn't love Anise the way he had loved Alice, but he could certainly see her as his own sister that he had to look out for, nothing more than that. Did Bishop know that or did he believe Jason loved the girl? That would also be very bad.

Jason hadn't even realized that it was his job to open the carriage though he mentally kicked himself when he did. Of course it was his job, he was the butler after all. Who else was to open it? The maid? That would be rude. The lord? That would be dangerous. He opened the door with nothing more than a simple, "Yes sir," before allowing both Anise and Bishop into the carriage before climbing in after them.

Jason found that he was to sit on the side with Anise and wanted to hide. Why did Bishop hate him so? He didn't speak and Jason didn't either, savoring the peace and quiet as he usually did just for the sake of listening. He looked over to see Bishop asking Anise for a letter, then looked out the window again. He wondered how he could possibly ask Anise if she wanted her sister's letters, but didn't know whether to ask Bishop too. He'd ask Demetri. That was his safest bet. He'd ask Demetri to conduct the business so that Bishop wouldn't believe Jason was writing love letters to Anise and that he also didn't appear secretive. That was the best plan.

Jason nodded inwardly, then sat back, not observing the exchange for sake of giving the two privacy, even if it wasn't necessarily needed, in order for the two to exchange a letter, in a small carriage, with Jason sitting right next to Anise. His life was weird now.

"Ladies first."

Anise was taken by surprise when Bishop finished speaking. Was he serious? She couldn't do something like that, it was disrespectful to his status! Servants typically enter carriages last, and exited them first. Why was he being a gentleman and letting her go first? She was just a maid, nothing more, and nothing less. She was a nobody as far as society was concerned. The humans were working meals that had very long expiration dates.. convenient and entertaining, but occasionally the lords and lady of the house bestowed them with gifts or other kindnesses and their roles became very confusing, at least Anise felt so.. One minute she felt like an object in their eyes, the next she felt they were treating her as an equal, and then as food. Her head was spinning with confusion.

"Go on. Be a butler then."

"Yes sir,"

Jason opened the carriage doors, and Anise had to quickly make a decision. It didn't feel right stepping inside before Bishop, but to avoid further conflict with the Lord, she nodded her head and stepped inside, "T-Thank you." She stated as she looked to both men, taking a seat and fidgeting with her dress. She didn't want to irritate him more than she apparently had already. She never wanted to cause anyone trouble, and she definitely didn't want to anger him. He seemed to be having a very terrible day, so she decided to be as silent as possible throughout the duration of this ride into town.

Then a sudden headache rang through her ears. Her vision began to blur in and out, but she figured it was simply due to her headache. Anise leaned back in the carriage, trying to avoid making it known. She didn't want to ruin the trip, that would certainly irritate the head of house... Besides, she wasn't allowed to take a sick day. Little did she know, the headache was just another symptom of her being secretly poisoned.

"I'll get your letter delivered. Not wise to let yourself be caught with it."

"Thank you, mi'lord.." She replied back in a soft tone, a smile creeping onto her soft features. Anise closed her eyes due to feeling a bit dizzy, but also because her stomach was rather upset as well. She could vaguely see his hand expecting the letter. Anise withdrew her letter to Derrick from the robe she'd borrowed from Mirabelle, placing it clumsily in Bishop's hand. She kept her face concealed by the robe, but suddenly she felt kind of warm. She wasn't even upset or embarrassed, but her face felt hot, as if she was blushing, but she had no reason to be.. I-I don't feel so good... She thought to herself, but did her best to focus on her breathing, trying to conceal her situation from the others. She didn't want to burden the others, and she definitely didn't want to ruin the morning trip. It was important that they made this appearance, she knew that, so she had to press on regardless of how horrible she felt,"I-I apologize... I'm just really tired... Please f-forgive me..." she replied weakly, coming up with an excuse for why she felt so horribly. Though even she wasn't entirely sure as to why she suddenly felt so bad. Perhaps she drank too much wine the night before?

She had to be strong, and she was kind of glad she was doing so many push ups and took the horses out for a ride occasionally. The built up muscle was definitely coming in handy.. because if she felt this weak now, she couldn't imagine how weak she would have felt a year ago.. She was so much stronger physically than she was before, but now she couldn't even tell the difference. I'm burning up... She thought to herself, barely able to stand her current temperature, but the robe was the only thing concealing her current state from the other two, so she was forced to deal with it if she didn't want them to realize how she was feeling.

The carriage ride did little to make her feel any better, and it could have been argued that it was honestly making her feel much worse at the moment. Though she remained silent, trying to keep as much suspicion off of herself as possible. She knew this was going to be a long day, and she wasn't even sure if she would be able to make it through without passing out. Her symptoms were typical signs of being sick, but also side effects of the Mandrake extract. The hallucinations and all, and in high enough concentration it could cause her to fall into a comatose state, or even induce death at it's worst. Though she, nor the lords knew of this. She didn't even realize she was being poisoned. There were no physical tells. She cracked all of her symptoms up as a bad seasonal bug, and kept braving through it, but this was almost too uncomfortable to ignore. To the human eye, she appeared nothing more than sleepy, but she kept the cloak situated to conceal her from Bishop's enhanced vision. She was starting to believe that the vampire siblings could even see through walls with those eyes if they wished, so she wasn't very confident that this would work, but she had to try. I don't want to be so useless.. If they figure it out.. I ruin the trip for everyone.. How is that fair? She asked herself, especially since she figured that they would have as much fun as they did the last time that the girls dressed up and did their hair. Though, it wouldn't be the same without Katerina fixing their hair..

Bishop rolled his eyes at the human male, seeing his hesitation before he caught on and opened the door. Tempted to ask Jason for a second time in the past twenty four hours if he was slow in the head, the vampire resisted the urge in favor of not fretting Anise so much with an argument. Since when did he care though? He didn't, but it was more convenient to have her at ease!

Following the human girl inside without warning, he indicated Jason close the door behind him once he came to sit beside Anise. As the carriage rode on, he was glad Jason and Anise weren't chatting merrily with each other, and took a small amount of pleasure in how he could intimidate them with his mere presence.

Bishop nodded approvingly as Anise handed over the letter without hesitation, the smile shown to him secretly a source of pride for him. Putting away the letter in his own jacket pocket, he noted her hand didn't seem as steady as usual. She wasn't unnecessarily clumsy, so it was unusual to see. However, Bishop decided it was likely due to the movement of the carriage.

His suspicions began to arise anew as Anise practically buried herself into the robe, her breathing taking on an almost forced steadiness. Brows furrowed, he began to watch the maid with scrutiny. Before he could question her, she offered an explanation and apology. Even more suspicious now, he listened carefully for her heartbeat and tone. Despite his doubts and her uncertain tone, he had an odd feeling she wasn't truly lying. She did seem tired. Furthermore, she didn't seem like she was hiding a secret, more like she was uncomfortable about something.

Giving her a dubious look, Bishop clenched his jaw and watched her like a hawk. "Tired? Well, sleep then...and that better be all." he muttered, crossing one leg over the other and trying to keep himself calm and collected. Was she ill? Just tired from the lack of sleep? Perhaps it was from the lack of sleep..she had been staying awake a lot as of late...



While she had hoped to have some positive sign of life, Tanzy had not expected or wished for an abrupt tug on her arm. Letting out a slight yelp at the unexpected movement of being suddenly yanked forward, Tanzy felt her heart jump into her throat in shock at his words and sudden closeness. His angry words made her flinch, and to add insult to injury, his explanation made her feel quite foolish. Right, vampire. Not human.

His warning earned a slight squeak of mortification, her eyes wide at the idea. She quickly whispered an apology before promptly sealing her lips shut, determined to keep absolutely still and silent for the remainder of the ride. Expecting to be tossed back to her seat in annoyance, she soon realized she was once more horribly mistaken when it came to her new master. Burning red, she bit her lip to keep from asking him to release her, sitting as still as she could manage in spite of her embarrassment. She only hoped he'd release her soon.

---

---

Jason had only really looked to Anise when they entered. He wanted to steal a glance, but exercised self control as he refrained from doing so. Anise was so small, and tired. Jason did look over as the talking between the two commenced, refraining from revealing his thoughts on his face, instead, just studying the exchange and frowning sightly when Anise's movements were clumsily done. Was was that?

Anise wouldn't feel better anytime soon since she was in a carriage ride and it was so difficult to actually sleep. How could she? She should try, Jason knew that, but he wasn't certain she would be able to anyway. Anise was not Jason's to worry for, but she was someone he hoped to hold dearly in his heart, just as a close friend, as if she might have been the one that he had fallen in love with had she not had another friend that had captured his heart first.

Jason wasn't sure what to think of Bishop. He seemed to care for Anise. He was very possessive after all. Yet... How could he be so... He wasn't being harsh, perhaps he was just scared. That was often something that caused people to be rash and not say what they mean to say. It wasn't Anise's fault that she was tired, though Jason wasn't so sure that was all it was. He had seen tired, he had experienced tired, but he hadn't yet seen it such as this.

Jason stayed quiet, not wanting to anger Bishop and hating that he had to stay quiet in order to not anger Bishop. As much as Bishop believed it was a day dedicated to making him unhappy, Jason certainly wasn't going to contribute to the red head's unhappiness. That would be a death sentence. Jason wasn't ready to die yet.

He let his thoughts wander as he moved to look out the window again. His thoughts wandered back to a memory of him and Alice together. They had walked down the street and it had just lightly sprinkled. The two had been walking together, her hand on his arm and his face plastered with a smile. They had been so happy. He had been working hard and had recently begun being chastised by his mother to consider marriage since he was nearly twenty.

Jason had been thinking about trying to see if Alice was willing, he knew she was young, only a year or two younger in fact, but still... He had been planning on asking her when she had gone. He had gotten a necklace for her, one he had saved up and spent money he had earned by working very hard for. The day before he had wanted to give it to her, she was gone. She as there one day and gone the next and Jason had broken down. He didn't eat for days, he worked long hours. He took on two more jobs. He worked and worked and worked and worked and found out where Alice went. He was so thankful that he knew what had happened, but he was hurt and sad.

He was happier knowing. Knowing she didn't leave because she wanted to be away from him, something he had believed was the case for so long. He ran a hand through his hair, sighing as he brought himself back to reality, studying the passing scenery once again, focused and in reality again.

"Tired? Well, sleep then...and that better be all."

Anise felt a nervous pit in her stomach. She believed she was a bit more than just sick, but there was so much going on that she wasn't even sure why she felt so horrible. She hadn't been exposed to anyone who was ill.. And this was like no illness she'd felt before. Her stomach felt as though it was gently churning just enough to make her feel nauseous and uncomfortable. She hoped she'd feel better soon, because Bishop's words and sharp stare made her nervous. She'd told her fair share of lies as of late, which she wasn't exactly proud of... Either way, she knew she was skating on thin ice where Bishop was concerned. His lecture earlier that morning was enough to prove that he wasn't going to put up with it for much longer.. She knew she shouldn't keep things to herself so much, but she didn't want to come across as weak or a constant problem.

"Thank you for understanding, mi'lord.." the Anise whispered out in a pitiful manner. She kept her body leaned against the side of the carriage opposite of Jason, not wanting to get him in a worse situation with Bishop than he was already in. It was nice having a human boy around, and she didn't want to be the cause of his demise. Jason was a constant reminder that human men existed, and to beat it all, he knew Alice nearly as well as she did. She didn't really speak about her sister a lot, but it was reassuring to know someone else missed her.. Everyone else was probably glad to have Alice out of their lives.

Anise had a little trouble, but somewhere among her thoughts she managed to slowly drift off. She grew still, breathing a bit shallow, but she was definitely still breathing. The road seemed almost endless, but they eventually made it into town, and right before the driver pulled in behind Reiji's carriage, they hit a bump in the road and Anise's body lightly shifted in the opposite direction, her head gently falling against Jason's shoulder. The ebony haired girl was none the wiser, still engulfed in a deep and peaceful sleep while Jason and herself would no doubt be on the receiving end of Bishop's wrath. Though on the bright side they were finally where they needed to be, and Reiji was nowhere in sight.

Still not entirely convinced, Bishop continued to gaze at Anise with scrutiny, trying to detect what was wrong with her. He barely looked at Jason, glancing over at the boy in warning only a few times. He decided against speaking for Anise's sake, letting the only sound be the clacking of horse hooves and the roll and rattle of the carriage and it's wheels upon the ground.

Hearing a sigh from Jason, Bishop turned his eyes to the human male with an almost bored and contemptuous look upon his face. "The hell you sighing about?" he asked softly so as not to rouse the maid, hoping the nap would do her good. Not even waiting for Jason to finish his answer, the red head looked towards the young woman sleeping, something akin to a smile threatening to show as he gazed at her while listening for his butler's response.

Finally, the scenery changed to the more crowded village streets, earning a roll of his eyes. The clueless humans were crowding around and acting giddy- something that irked Bishop more than interested him. He disliked crowds and noisy idiots. These humans were little more than cattle to him, and he honestly didn't care one way or another. They were excited because he and his siblings were nobles, not because any of them gave a damn, so why should he?

Looking back to the other two occupants in his carriage, Bishop went very still upon seeing a still sleeping Anise leaning against Jason. Scowling and giving Jason a venomous glare, Bishop grabbed the poor human by the collar. With a forceful yank, the vampire jerked Jason to the seat beside him, only to reach over and lower Anise gently onto the seat before she could fall over without the body propping her up. "Sit over here, idiot!" he hissed softly in an effort not to wake the ebony-haired girl. In his annoyance, Bishop barely registered the now stopped carriage.



Tanzy took heed not to move an inch lest she awaken the vampire lord and he follow through on his threat. To her relief, he finally released her from his hold, and she hurriedly got into her seat and straightened herself out, eyes avoiding his ruby ones. Even as a perfectionist, her skills for making herself immaculate were easily outdone by the man, his handsome dark hair the picture of perfection. His clothes were not a wrinkle out of place, and he looked the spitting image of a fine Spanish gentleman. If only he was as pleasant as his appearance.

Peering out of the window at the gathered crowd of village folk, Tanzy was in awe of how excited the people seemed to catch sight of the Santiago family. Squeals of swooning girls and cheers of villagers were met by a smiling Reiji, a sight she found almost as amazing as it was rare. His smile was something out of a fairy tale dream, perfect and charming and kind. Had she not known any better, Tanzy would have believed him to be a dashing prince enjoying his subjects.

Reiji's words snapped her out of her wandering thoughts, a tight coil of something akin to disappointment swirling in her gut, only to morph into an uneasy shudder. He lied so easily, so readily to the excited crowd that it scared her. How much of him was a lie? Was anything he said to her true? Would he really honor an agreement? Did he really enjoy teasing her as it seemed, or was it just some sick game to see if he could make her break? She felt pity for the people, realizing with a sickening sensation that they did in fact, end up the prey for the Santiago's and probably any other vampire associated with them.

Watching as he scattered coins to the throng of happy and now grateful people, Tanzy made sure to follow close behind lest he scold her or think she was trying to run from him.

Looking around the shop, she marveled at the lovely clothing, all but squeaking in surprise as Reiji promptly handed her a gorgeous pink dress without hesitation, obviously already having had something in mind. Surely he hadn't picked something ahead of time? She flushed in spite of herself, holding the dress carefully so as not to damage it in any way. She looked curiously at the vampire, only to turn white as he spoke to her. She almost felt sick in her stomach at the warning, remembering the evening all too well. He had followed through on his punishment for the dinner, making her watch people burned alive. She had been tearful and horrified the entire time, but she somehow managed to not turn away out of fear for Anise's safety should she refuse to watch. She nodded, swallowing hard as she answered. "Y-yes sire, I'll stay right here. I won't forget my place." she promised, biting her lip as she was urged to try on the gown. His wink earned an embarrassed turn of her head, face warming back up.

---

---

Jason was thankful Anise was willing to try to sleep a bit in order to feel better. It was a sign that she was doing okay and taking care of herself. However, as Jason was about to relax a bit, Bishop seemed to catch a sigh. Jason didn't even realize he was sighing until Bishop pointed it out.

Jason looked to Bishop and was trying to figure out a good way to respond when he seemed to move on. He was about to go ahead and just say "nothing sir," or "I'm stuck in a piece of work I'm writing". He decided in the end, he should just close his mouth.

Jason smiled slightly at the other humans that were around the carriage, the excitement that they seemed to have. It brought Bishop into a new light for Jason. How could he be so loved if he wasn't nice at least on occasion to the people of their town. It made Jason believe there was a chance for Bishop to be kind. Perhaps not for a long time, years, but potentially a reality someday.

It was then that Jason felt something press on his shoulder and looked. He was confused for a moment before he realized Anise was now leaning her head on his shoulder. Jason froze. He was dead. He was literally dead. Or he would be. Very soon. He felt bad for not wanting to be touching Anise, but it wasn't just because Bishop was so overprotective, but because Anise wasn't her sister and though Jason was glad Anise was alive, he guiltily wished more so for Alice.

He looked to be sure Bishop hadn't seen him yet and found his eyes widening. He shook his head as Bishop went still. Jason tried to speak but found that he didn't want to wake Anise. "Lord Bishop, I swear-," Jason began before Bishop grabbed him by his collar and yanked Jason over to sit beside him. Jason found his hands steadying him as he put one of the windowsill and the other on his seat as he tried to steady his rapid breathing.

Upon finding the courage to open his eyes, he saw Anise was not resting soundly on the seat by herself. He looked to Bishop sharply, his surprise not hidden at all. "M-other," Jason exclaimed at a barely audible whisper. He had been about to say a rather inappropriate word in French but had caught himself.

Jason didn't realize the carriage stopped until he felt his head steady and looked out the window to see that the scenery was no longer moving. It didn't take him but a second to remember his new job as he opened the door and stepped out, holding the door open for Bishop and Anise, though he wasn't sure if Bishop would even want to wake the girl to bring her inside the store that the carriage had stopped in front of.

He wasn't sure why he was somewhat surprised that he could see another carriage already there. He looked about for the pink headed maid that had left with Reiji, the girl named Tanzy. She wasn't in site though, perhaps inside with Reiji. Jason only looked for Tanzy because of how he felt around Reiji... Uncertain and quite sure he had everything planned out even though there were so many possible things that could happen.

Anise was breathing softly after being laid down on the seat by Bishop. She didn't even stir through the transition, despite having switched position twice in under a minute. Her black hair fell in her eyes as a result of being laid on her side. Her ebony bangs hid the upper part of her face as she slept peacefully and undisturbed, concealing the serene expression of her sleeping face. She had a dreamless sleep, considering her exhaustion, but it was a much needed rest nonetheless.

She began to wake after a few moments. Hearing the noise of the bustling street outside began to bring the young woman back to reality. She let out a soft groan, as her eyes fluttered open and Anise's body lightly tensed as she stretched her arms, and she slowly sat up with half lidded eyes. She brushed her knuckle gently against her eyes, hoping to clear her blurry vision. After she could see properly again, Anise covered her mouth with the other hand to politely conceal her silent yawn.

She turned her head, gazing out the window to gauge their location and her eyes immediately widened in surprise, "W-We're here...?" She asked in a surprised tone, her voice questioning as she looked to Bishop. Suddenly she noticed something strange. She could have sworn that Jason was sitting beside her when she went to sleep, yet now he sat beside of Bishop, looking very startled and disheveled. She couldn't help but raise a questioning brow, "Did I do something I shouldn't have..?" Her voice was innocent, and her blink was totally oblivious. She had been asleep, so she held no recollection of using Jason's shoulder as a pillow. She certainly wouldn't have been able to ask, let alone make eye contact with the butler had she known the truth.

"Should we go, mi'lord?" She asked curiously, peeking out of the carriage with enthusiasm. She was definitely looking forward to today's activities. It was mentioned that they would style their hair and sample makeup options, and she couldn't wait. She'd never been so pampered, which was oddly enough a strange perk of serving the Santiago family, at least when a party was around the corner. She couldn't help but be a bit excited. Her hometown was a very small farming village, but this was a full on city. She couldn't help but be a little interested in looking around.

She kind of hoped to buy a violin while they were out, but she wasn't too hopeful. She had a bit of money that she requested to be given to her for such an occasion, but she doubted Reiji or Bishop would allow her to wander off on her own for any reason, at least not this early in their service. Was a year long enough to gain their trust? She highly doubted so, she was was prepared to be disappointed as far as buying a violin was considered. She couldn't play, but she did wish to learn. She straightened out her clothes, looking between the two men as she awaited an answer, trying to figure out why the two were so intense at the moment. She couldn't shake the feeling that this was her fault, but she couldn't think of anything she could have done to cause this, especially since she had been asleep. Something seems off.. Did they fight or something? It seems.. A little worse than usual.. Anise mentally asked herself, but it was none of her business.. She couldn't just simply ask, because it wasn't her place to do so.

She opened the door, "Who is supposed to exit first, mi'lord?" Anise inquired, tilting her head at Bishop with unfaltering curiosity. Part of her was a bit disappointed that she would likely be unable to purchase a violin, but they needed to get a move on, their time was limited, "This is my first time riding in a carriage with someone of higher status.." She admitted. Honestly, she felt weaker than before, but she had to press on for the sake of the Santiago's reputation. She knew it would do no one a service if they were all deemed vampires or witches, because both were slaughtered, with or without proof. A single accusation could prove fatal for everyone in the castle.

Bishop's eyes flashed in annoyance as Jason all but sputtured a curse, the human scrambling to right himself in the carriage after falling forward at the yank. Stupid, pathetic thing this human was! Bishop rolled his eyes, baring his fangs in warning at the unfortunate butler. "Quiet! Mind your tongue, idiot!" the red head snapped in a harsh whisper, glancing over as Anise awoke. The glare he sent Jason was nothing short of infuriated, and it didn't take a mind reader to hear the blame in Bishop's unspoken words, his expression enough to convey the message: 'You woke her! Stupid, useless idiot!'

Deciding he'd deal with the butler later, Bishop's expression returned to a more neutral one as he answered his maid. "Indeed we are. And don't be silly, you were sleeping so how could you have done anything?" Bishop managed not to glare at Jason for now, simply watching Anise and secretly finding her yawn and her utter innocence to be just a tad too cute. Stupid girl making him think such things.

Squinting at the presence of the morning sun, Bishop exited after Jason before gesturing for Anise to follow, hoping she wouldn't waste any time, his desire to be out of the sun a strong one. "After a servant opens the door, the occupants leave in order of rank, starting with the highest and ending with the lowest." Bishop found himself explaining to the ebony haired maid, standing at the door to the shop and ignoring the admiring crowd of villagers. He felt nothing but contempt for them, and unlike Reiji, he composed himself less and less as the years went by, chosing to ignore rather than pretend to be a gentleman. Demetri knew how to be around others, he was the party brother, the socialite, the one who could please a crowd. Bishop by contrast was picky with his company, and would much rather skip pleasantries if they could be avoided.

Taking care not to look rushed, Bishop was nevertheless relieved to be inside the shop. Even as he began to relax out of the sun's reach, the redhead glanced back to see if Demetri was close behind, never one hundred percent at ease in public without his twin somewhere he could sense him. He heard the carriage, so decided he may as well get the shopping and fitting started. Crossing his arms and marching over to a certain assortment of garments, Bishop pulled two ensembles from the collection and thrust them at Anise and Jason without a hint of hesitation.

"Try them on. I need to know they fit." Bishop said nothing more, not about to let them know he had planned outfits ahead of time- with a little help from Demetri of course. Anise's dress was a combination of dark violet and lavender, the sleeves far less poofy and overdone than the current style tended to be. Jason's suit was fairly simple, but could be accented with different buttons or a sash. The sage green cloth was embroidered with silver, but otherwise was more a conservative looking outfit. To be fair, the red head vampire had only started planning the butler's outfit, but so far it would do. Regardless, the outfit he really wanted to see was Anise's.




Tanzy watched as Reiji left, somewhat puzzled as to what he was up to. Was it even safe for him to be outside? He had said it was risky for them...so what could possibly be important enough to venture out? Despite her curiosity, the maid decided he most likely would not appreciate being asked when he returned. She looked over the dress in her hands, paying little mind to the shop keeper as he gestured to the dressing area. It was a color she rarely wore, not out of any dislike, but more because she never thought to wear such hues, tending towards blues and such. Making her way to the dressing screens, she marveled at the fabric and the layers. She had worn nice clothes courtesy of the Santiago household before, but never had she had something besides her uniform picked out for her to wear. Master Castiel had simply let her choose from a variety, his only rule regarding dress being that her hair must be down.

Tanzy hadn't had anyone hand her some clothes and say to try them on since she left her family to work. It was a simple, silly thing, but she found herself lingering on it. So long as she was wearing her uniform and doing her job, it never seemed to be of issue to anyone. She had assumed the days when someone had something special for her to wear were gone with her childhood. Had he just picked the first thing? No, her master seemed to have everything planned, always one step ahead.

Dismissing her wandering thoughts, Tanzy carefully slipped into the dress, cautious lest she tear or damage any part of it. Looking into the mirror, she marveled at the gown, the material light and soft against her skin. It was surprisingly comfortable, and the ruffled layers weren't overly done. She flushed upon feeling her shoulders touch the air, her bare skin all too fragile. IT was much more common to have sleeves, and she hoped she didn't look indecent. Even so, Tanzy had to admit she felt quite pretty in the dress.

Hearing the door open, she assumed it to be Reiji when she heard Bishop talking to Anise and Jason. A smile spread across her lips, eager to see Anise and spend some time with her friend. Forgetting she was still hadn't changed back out of the dress, she scurried out to meet Anise when Reiji announced his return, making Tanzy jump slightly in surprise. For some reason, she felt like a child with the way Reiji was addressing her. "Yes Master Reiji, I'm still here. I won't disobey you sire, you have my word." she answered softly, looking up to see the vampire in question as he entered. Upon seeing his face, Tanzy wondered if it was her imagination, or did he look a bit red? In spite of her fear of the man, a slight nagging worry cropped up at seeing his skin. "Did you get too much sun Master?" she asked tentatively, thinking that to be the safest way to ask. After all, humans got burned by the sun as well, and some were more sensitive than others.

"Indeed we are. And don't be silly, you were sleeping so how could you have done anything?"

Anise immediately felt foolish for ever thinking that she could have done something, especially in her sleep. Bishop's words assured her that she wasn't at fault, but she felt there was something more to this situation that she had missed. She wished to ask, but she knew it would be out of turn and disrespectful to do so, thus she forced herself to refrain, "I apologize. I'm still not fully alert. Please look over me, mi'lord.."

Her eyes widened as Bishop exited the carriage, and Anise's heart skipped a beat. Time went still in Anise's perspective and she took a moment to give Bishop a once over with her eyes, three times just to be thorough. She was completely taken aback, considering that this was the first time that she had ever seen Bishop in daylight. Usually the lighting was very dim, so she could barely see anything inside of Castillo de la Muerte. For the first time, she noticed that Bishop's hair was vibrantly red. He was also far more attractive in the sunlight, and his pale skin was a lot more noticeable. For a moment, she forgot that Bishop was far from human, because out here he seemed to be exactly that. If this had been her first time meeting him, she never would have guessed that he was an immortal that feasted on blood at night and burnt in the sun. The stories she heard as a child now proved to be quite false, he did not burst into flame or collapse into a pile of ash. Humans did not realize just how misinformed that they truly were. Anise shook out of her daze and hurriedly exited the carriage, hoping that Bishop didn't catch her checking him out for what felt like ten minutes, but she was certain it was far less time than that, seeing as he didn't snap at her for being air-headed, nor did he tease her for finding him attractive...yet. She had a light blush, but she would definitely blame it on her lack of rest. There was no way in heaven or hell that she would admit it was brought on by her attraction to Bishop, at least not any time soon. She couldn't even admit it to herself, let alone anyone else!

"After a servant opens the door, the occupants leave in order of rank, starting with the highest and ending with the lowest."

She was well aware of her place, but it definitely dampened her mood now that she was reminded of it again. Her embarrassment slowly faded, as did the blush that accompanied it, "I understand. Thank you Lord Santiago." She did not call him by first name in front of the crowd, doing her best to be as formal as possible, because the last thing she wanted to do was publicly humiliate the Santiago family. Anise noticed the crowd that was mostly consisted of young women trying to earn Bishop's attention, yet he seemed rather bored. He seemed more irritated with the crowd of humans more than anything, which baffled Anise. There were several beautiful women amongst the villagers, so she couldn't understand why he didn't even glance in their direction. Perhaps he did, but it was so fast that my eyes couldn't register the movement? Is his heart spoken for? He could be engaged..? Noble families do that sort of thing... Wouldn't we know? Do nobles tell their servants about their engagements and marriage plans..? Anise's mind was swirling with possibilities, she grew a bit dizzy and nearly bumped into Bishop, but immediately came to a halt to avoid catastrophe.

She continued once he entered the shop, following him inside. Anise presumed that Jason opened the door, but she was so preoccupied with her own thoughts that she wasn't entirely sure. She was forced from her thoughts however as a blur of dark color was registered by her eyes. She lifted her gaze and noticed that it was because of Bishop. Bishop all but threw the fancy new attire at the two servants. Anise stepped forward and gingerly received her own. The ebony haired maid let her fingers trace the fabric and regarded the softness of the garment.

"Try them on. I need to know they fit."

Anise nodded, bowing politely, "Of course. Please excuse me, mi'lord. I will return shortly." She replied in a soft tone before standing upright and scurrying off to get changed. She took her time removing her clothes, seeing as she felt dizzy enough and did not wish to further contribute to the horrible condition that she was in. Once she was out of her own dress and the borrowed cloak, Anise slipped the new dress on and laced it closed using the mirror that was in the changing booth.

She admired the dress, which was far more conservative than the one she wore the year before. The clothes that they wore the year before were beyond salvation though, considering the battle.. Anise stepped out in time to notice Tanzy's dress and she ran over immediately, "Tanzy, you look amazing!" Anise exclaimed with a warm smile on her face. She couldn't stay long however, because Reiji returned to the store. Anise waved to her friend before returning to Bishop, a soft sigh escaping her lips. So long as Reiji was in charge, she wouldn't be able to fully enjoy herself here.. She couldn't even talk to her best friend whenever Reiji was around Tanzy, which seemed to be all the time these days.

She understood that it wasn't anything that she could control, but that made it far more frustrating. Tanzy was the one person who made Anise feel that she wasn't completely insane... and she barely got to see her these days, despite living in the same castle. Anise let her gaze land on Bishop, then turned her attention away again. She couldn't maintain eye contact, because she was far too anxious about whether or not Bishop would like how she wore the dress. Sure, the dress was beautiful, that couldn't be disputed, but Anise doubted she could pull it off. She waited for Jason to join them again, hoping that the situation would be exponentially less awkward if there was someone else in close proximity. Bishop was her previous employer, but they didn't spend a lot of time together lately, and the time they did was always awkward and utterly embarrassing for her.

---

---

Demetri's expression grew confused as he heard rustling from Jane's direction. His emerald orbs darted to Jane as she reach to her neck, undoing the laces of her cloak. She seemed to hesitate for a moment, and Demetri fully understood her reasoning. The cloak was loaned to her by Mirabelle, and to loan it out to someone else definitely could be seen as rude, seeing as it wasn't hers to lend in the first place.. but he was confident that his sister would understand.. or perhaps it was wishful thinking at this point. He wasn't sure, but they didn't have a lot of time to waste. Jane seemed to still be pondering the pros and cons of the situation, so Demetri tried to wrack his brain for a plan B in the meantime. Luckily he didn't have to, because Jane offered the cloak to Camilla.

"Camilla, you could wear the cloak and hold it close to you to keep Reiji from seeing it,"

Demetri retrieved the cloak from Jane's hands with a grateful smile that was soon followed up with a smirk, "I'll make it up to you...Jane.. Also, you might want to practice calling Reiji 'Master Santiago', otherwise he might punish you like he did Anise prior to your arrival." Demetri allowed her name to roll off his tongue in a slightly teasing and seductive manner, but said no more. He didn't wish to push his luck with Mirabelle after all. Demetri leaned forward and skillfully draped the cloak around Camilla, so now all she had to do was situate it. He tied the laces around her neck and plopped the hood over the petite girl's head, "You might catch a cold from that shenanigan. You're very lucky for that's the worst of it." He informed his maid with a sigh, rubbing his temples as he tried to contemplate a suitable punishment. He doubted that the maid would quietly agree to his choice of attire for her, so he decided to use this moment to force her into compliance. He wasn't typically into manipulation, but he would use it whenever necessary, "You will wear the dress I've chosen for you without complaint. Do I make myself perfectly clear?" Demetri's tone was quite stern, but his expression was not angry. He wasn't, in fact he was more worried than anything. He felt that the dress would be punishment enough.

Soon enough the carriage came to a halt, and seeing as he was the only male in the carriage, Demetri opened the door for the ladies, earning a squeal of delight from several of the villagers. He shot the women a wink, with a playful smirk. Many of the husbands were fuming with anger, but Demetri wasn't concerned. There were more than a few reasons as to why those men wouldn't dare lay a finger on him. Besides, even if they did, he could handle anything that they threw at him. He opened the door to the shop, holding it open for the three ladies before entering as well. He made a beeline to the shop owner and was given a pink dress with long white gloves. He handed the dress to Camilla, "Go try it on. Don't keep me waiting little dove, or I'll help you get dressed." He teased, although he didn't actually mean it. The threat wouldn't have been so empty if she had been only a few years older.. The dress was very frilly, but it was shorter than that of the other girls, falling just below the knee. He doubted that Camilla had been in high heels before, so he didn't want to make it any more difficult for her than it had to be. He couldn't have her tripping on the dress that he helped design, now could he?