Tanzy McNeal's Story

"Right, you care about your toys. Same way you care about your damn dinner and your freaking experiments."

"That is correct." Reiji responded to his brother in their typical too-low-to-hear tone, smirking a bit at the thought. It was amusing that his brother and other siblings thought so lowly of him, but he preferred it that way. It was too dangerous to get close to anyone, impossible to be exact. He couldn't let those he cared about die because of him, he wouldn't allow it. It was fair to say that he treated those he cared about most the worst. He could feel his enemies around him at times, spying, lurking in the shadows. If he showed any sign of weakness, they'd surely use it against him. He was reluctant to even get close to his siblings, but Mirabelle's return brought a soft, vulnerable spot of his heart to the surface. He couldn't contain certain bouts of affection towards his family, his youngest sibling especially.

"So you get to have what's yours and I have to share? Self-righteous asshole. No one died and made you king. Now stop looking at my servants and go play with your 'dear Tanzy.'"

"She's no longer your servant, dear brother. Remember? I relieved you of that obligation. She's simply tagging along with you in Castiel's absence." Reiji teased, eyes glimmering in amusement as his met those almost feral emerald orbs of Bishop's. He loved teasing Bishop, ever since they were children really, mostly because Bishop was the easiest out of the family to get riled up. He couldn't count how many times Bishop has told him to 'go die', so he wasn't too bothered by his brother's words anymore, "Afraid of a little competition? What if I was simply admiring her beauty?" Reiji replied in a quiet, challenging tone of voice.

"I'm sorry, I mean no offense. I didn't want to bother you with 'tedious questions' or the like as Master Castiel called them. I was just thinking. And, I was embarrassed, but it's ok...I mean- I'm ok now sire."

Reiji shot a very dangerous, yet quite dicreet glare towards Tanzy as she said 'Master Castiel', normally his mention wouldn't deem such a harsh expression, but she'd spoke the words that caused him to physically assault poor and unsuspecting Anise. It took every ounce of Reiji's being not to say something, but he kept it to himself, making a mental note to remind and reprimand her for her error. There was only one master of Santiago, and that was him, but also, the thought of being compared to that lowlife left a horrible taste in his mouth. Unable to do nothing, Reiji leaned against a pillar, a sour expression on his face as the elegant man gazed toward the ceiling, "I'm not Castiel, and I do not find questions to be tedious, unless you repeat the same one relentlessly. I am a scientist, I thrive on questions and detest pure silence. So speak up, unless it's about him" Reiji responded, saying the last word with particular malice, a somewhat childlike response, as if he were speaking about his least favorite vegetable. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he did not look to his maid directly, mostly to subdue his anger, but also because he was attempting to hide his jealousy to the best of his ability, and felt that if he met her gaze, she would be able to read him like an open book at that moment.

However, when the maid was pronounced finished, his curiosity bested him. He'd had enough time to simmer down, at least a bit, and his eyes widened for a moment, but it was so fleeting that it was almost impossible to tell that he'd reacted to her appearance at all. The braids and pulled back hairstyle suited her well, and the red tint applied to her cheeks gave her a sensual allure that he could not deny or take his eyes off of. If he'd had a functioning heart, it definitely would have beat faster at this moment, but thankfully his heart had not beat in centuries, "You look quite pleasant. I approve. The look suits you nicely, and makes you appear much more...womanly." Reiji announced, once he'd regained his composure. It only took a single minute, but afterwards, his voice was calm, deep, collected, and sincere. It took him a moment to find how to describe her appearance, but he was happy with his choice of wording, even nodding in approval after he had spoke the word aloud. They returned to the group, and he kept an eye on Camilla as promised, but he wasn't going to remain much longer, he was feeling slightly uneasy, much more so after running into Ash after all these years.

Reiji was not surprised by Bishop's reaction towards Anise, in fact, he sat idly by and watched the events unfold. Apparently Bishop hadn't taken the time to appreciate his former maid, because now Bishop was doing all of the gawking. Reiji smirked at this, quite amused that his brother had fell for the ploy of makeup and a little hair styling. Though Reiji never imagined that Bishop would actually lean forward and touch the maid. Tsk, Tsk.. She is no longer yours to touch, my dear brother. Reiji thought to himself in a chipper and amused manner, closing his eyes for a moment as he took in this moment. He enjoyed this, mostly because he was slowly forcing Bishop to admit that Anise was more to him than simply an 'excellent servant' or 'his property'. Bishop had that luxury, and Reiji coveted it. He forgot what true honesty was a long time ago. He got so used to putting forth a persona, that he actually forgot what his Anima was. Reiji couldn't remember what the 'real' Reiji was even like anymore, just fleeting glimmers of his past and the man, brother, and child he once was.

"Anise! You look gorgeous! Oh you're just so pretty!"

"It's rude to interrupt a moment, even if he is coveting what is no longer his to covet. Come Tanzy, you'll have sufficient time after we return to the manor to discuss wardrobe and beauty." Reiji responded, waving for her to follow him. He had to pay all of the stylists and makeup artists, and he was growing curious as to the noise outside, so he wasn't going to be kept busy for much longer, besides, he was growing quite tired and wished to take a nap, "Mirabelle and Demetri may catch up, we're leaving Tanzy.." Reiji responded in a fatigued tone, paying each of the working ladies before beginning to make his exit.

Once outside, he made quick work of returning to the carriages. He noticed Mirabelle, Demetri and a strange boy, but he was no longer concerned, Demetri seemed to be handling it. Reiji boarded the carriage, waiting for Tanzy to follow him inside. Once she did, he proceeded in shutting the door. With that, they were off, finally returning to Castillo de la Muerte.

Bishop's annoyance and loathing of the man intensified with each word that came out of Reiji's mouth, the red head barely refraining from shouting at the smug asshole and flipping him the rudest of gestures. "'Dear brother' my ass you stupid git....I'm not scared of competition, especially not from a snot nosed prick like you." Bishop hissed back, hating how Reiji brushed aside every insult and simply went out of his way to be the most fucking annoying asshole on earth.

Glaring daggers at Reiji, Bishop soon decided focusing back on Anise was more worth his time, especially since the asshole was back to whatever bullshit he did. Feeling the onyx black hair in between his fingers for a second longer, Bishop finally released it so it was all Anise's once more. Her even thinking her appearance would displease him earned a roll of his eyes. This woman seemed intent on driving him more than just a little batty.

Bishop followed the amethyst eyes of his maid as she glanced first at Jason, and then to the exit of the salon, her question prompting his gaze to linger at the doors himself. Despite his calm demeanor, the red head was admittedly more than just slightly concerned with Demetri out of his sight. While his beloved twin and his precious baby sister were capable of handling themselves, he was wary of them being outside. He himself hated being out during the day, it was straining enough on his nerves, add the ones he cares for to the mix, and uneasiness swam madly in his gut. Damn feelings!

"Yes, everything should be fine. Demetri is more than capable of taking care of himself. Regardless, we shall be leaving soon anyways, and we'll meet up with him." Bishop stood, deciding he may as well fetch Jason and the bull-headed child who now served his twin.

Before he could properly gather the growing number of servants he was handed to babysit for the time being, none other than Tanzy bounded over to praise and admire Anise, earning a frustrated sigh. He wasn't about to snap at the maid unlucky enough to be serving the prick, in part because she didn't cause him any trouble, but mostly because he wasn't keen on seeing Anise's expression become mournful any more than it had been recently. Still, he was obviously not happy with her drawing Anise's attention away from him.

"Yes, her appearance is rather fetching. Run along for now. You can chat with her later when we go back. Relax, she's fine with me, you'll see her at the castle." Bishop tried to not sound too put out as he muttered to Tanzy, lightly waving his hand in a shooing motion.

Gesturing for Jason and Camilla to follow him, he waited until Reiji had left with Tanzy before leaning close to the youngest human, letting a soft hiss into her ear.
"Don't even think of wandering off. You cause my brother any trouble or try to get away, I'll remove a leg, understood? Now follow with the other two and there will be no issues. Don't test me." Deeming this warning good enough, Bishop straightened himself and headed for the exit, ignoring his stylist even as she attempted to bid him a good day. He wanted desperately to tell her to kindly piss off.

Outside in the blasted daytime once more, Bishop approached the carriages with the three humans in tow. As he drew nearer, he frowned slightly at seeing a strange young man in front of Mirabelle and his twin. More people to bother them? Bishop was growing tired of dealing with strangers, but he was pleased to see his siblings appeared to be doing alright as predicted. He pushed Camilla towards his siblings and Jane, not wanting to deal with her any more than he had to. It was only as he moved to stick his hand in his pocket that he recalled the letter. Right, he promised to deliver this oddly heavy letter for Anise.

"Demetri, Mirabelle, watch mine for a minute while I go mail something." he said simply when there was a pause in the conversation, lingering a moment in order to make sure everything was fine. Something seemed off about his sister, and hi quirked a brow at his siblings in a silent question.



As soon as she saw the expression on Reiji's face, Tanzy realized she had made a mistake. His answer only confirmed it, especially with how he refused to say Castiel's name more than once. Even as he looked away and kept his tone mostly steady, his anger at her was palpable. Tanzy shivered at the thought of upsetting him, and her stomach knotted in anxiety. She was going to get herself killed at this rate.

"F-forgive me Master Reiji. I...I know you aren't him." she squeaked, hoping to remedy the situation. "I just...I guess I've become used to not chatting when with the masters of the Santiago house. That...and I don't want to make you angry. Especially if it means I might cause trouble or suffering to someone else..." the more she talked, the quieter her voice became as she expressed herself honestly. She was thankfully spared from further conversation when she was whisked away to get her makeup done.


As she was about to approach her best friend, Reiji got to her first, his words no longer hard and his gaze no longer dangerous. Despite how he seemed to enjoy teasing her, his tone seemed calm and sincere this time, and she couldn't see the usual amusement in them as he did before. Somehow this made her flush just as much as his teasing, the young woman feeling an odd mixture of flattered, surprised, and shy. Womanly? Did that mean she looked girly and young before? She wasn't entirely sure what to think of that, but he seemed to appreciate her look. "Thank you sire." she replied, daring to glance at him and wait to see if he had anything he needed from her before catching sight of Anise once more, hurrying over to her.

Tanzy certainly felt pretty, and hearing Anise reciprocate her own praise of the raven haired girl earned a shy but happy smile from the older maid. Eager to spend time with Anise, she was interrupted for what must've been the tenth time at least this day alone. Bishop wasn't being rude, but he nevertheless was shooing her away. Reluctantly, she nodded, especially at hearing Reiji inform her she was being rude. She apologized, earning a shrug and a nod from Bishop as she obediently followed Reiji's summons. Tanzy noticed her master sounded more than just a tad tired, and reminded of how asking about his physical status had worked before, she immediately decided it would be wise to keep it to herself. Even so, once in the carriage, she glanced at the man in his seat across from her.

"You seem tired Master Reiji...did you wish for me to remain silent and allow you to rest?"

"Hey, hey. Break it up. This isn't something that can be taken care of here. What's going on?" Demetri said, taking the man from her grasp. She attempted to dig her nails in to keep her hold, but Demetri was too quick.

"The hell it isn't!" She snapped, going after the boy once more, only to be pushed away and still utterly clueless about the burns forming on her arms. It was only when she reached again that she noticed and quickly tucked them back under her cloak with a hiss, moving to stand in the shade of the carriages. They have the power of a hundred men, and something so simple as light was enough to bring them down!

"He was there." She growled, a fire burning behind her eyes. "I don't care why he's here or what he's told you. He was there." It was then when she admitted it, that a panic started at the pit of her stomach while reason slowly started to break past reaction. Why was he here now, and why on Earth was he supposed to be in one of their carriages? She could feel her body start to shake as her eyes grew bigger, looking between the both of them. Was she too much of a risk? Did someone find out about her being illiterate? How stupid was she to go back to her family home - the same place she was taken in the first place!

"No, no, no..." She started muttering under her breath. Her fight or flight reaction was starting to turn in the other direction as she moved to take a few steps backwards and away from them. The excuse the man gave Demetri furthered her fear and her breathing halted, leaving her heart pounding in her ears. The boy must have been trying to get in with the family, to get them to trust him so he could get close. Her eyes darted around them before landing back on the two men. She couldn’t go after him here again, not with her brother in the way and the other two close by. She couldn’t just run and show weakness, but her limbs weren’t following her command. Instead, her feet continued to take her backwards until she bumped into Jane, automatically grabbing for her hand and pulling her off to the side, walking quickly.

“I.. I have to go. I’ll meet you guys at home.” She stuttered with her back turned to them, about to take Jane and start the journey home on foot. Her entire frame shook and she struggled to keep at a walking pace for Jane’s sake, completely hopeless on controlling her own body. She had no idea that Camilla was there with Jane, or for the fact that Rei and Tanzy left, or that Bishop was there just moments ago.

“We… We can’t go home.” She said quietly, her hand tightening on Jane’s as if the tighter she held, the closer Jane would be to her. She could feel her world spinning as the scent of the boy still lingered in her nose, her mind threatening to attack her with past memories.

“I’m sorry!” She cried suddenly, falling to her knees in the grass. She ducked her head between them and covered her head with her arms, curling up as small as she could manage. She was stuck in the past, waiting for the feeling of the whip on her back for trying to escape. She bit her bottom lip so hard it bled, but that was how she coped to make herself deathly silent. Noise always got her into more trouble. All of a sudden she was that little girl again, not the woman who stood with her family the last year and survived the attack of wolves. No, instead she was the little girl they had beaten senseless until she had no will to argue, no will to do anything but do as she was told.

If only she were as lucky as Cassie.

"You seem tired Master Reiji...did you wish for me to remain silent and allow you to rest?"

"Do I?" Reiji asked with a light chuckle, amused by her declaration and the following inquiry. He had surpassed mere tiredness quite some time ago. He was exhausted, but not in the way that humans were exhausted. As a vampire, his body did it require sleep to continue functioning, but mentally he craved the chance to shut off his thoughts. He needed a moment to himself to just bask in silence, but he knew that silence was something he'd given up when he'd became head of house, "Your definition of rest is only a requirement for the weak. I do not require it as humans like yourself do." Reiji stated to his maid as their carriage continued down it's path. His tone was casual and there was no hint of sarcasm. His status as a membe of the undead meant sleep was simply optional. None of Jo's organs functioned so there would be no physical consequence to sleep deprivation. True sleep was something he indeed misse. Vampires never achieved a deep sleep, they could dream, but their sleeping state was quite fragile and easily interrupted, very much like cats, "In fact, vampires do not necessarily have to sleep at all. It's simply a luxury We partake in for mental relaxation and to fit in with normal society." he informed her in a neutral tone. He did not seem angry or particularly happy, in fact he was rather serene. He was far too fatigued to change his mood at the drop of a hat, well, for the moment. Rest assured, his unusual state of tranquility would not last long.

Then as he gave the topic further though, Reiji realized that he had never gotten around to explaining how a vampire's sleep differed from that of human sleep. In fact, there was a lot about his species that he'd never told his maid. There were a few secrets that he would never trust in her care, but he felt that she must know the basics, not to mention the lethal allergy of garlic that all vampires shared, "Have you ever owned a cat Tanzy?" He inquired, his Crimson eyes practically staring into her soul as he awaited her answer. He knew that she came from a rather poor family, but he doubted that her siblings struggled for money considering the generous amount he agreed to pay her family until the day of Tanzy's death. He felt that if they couldn't afford a pet before, her family certainly had one now.

Their payment from Anise's wage and Tanzy's combined was enough to boost them to nearly middle class. If they spent it wisely, they might very well ascend to becoming what royals considered 'new money'. He however doubted that they would invest it very wisely, because most who were raised in poverty weren't very business savvy individuals.

Then his thoughts returned to what Tanzy had said back at the salon. She was afraid of him in every sense of the word, and although he knew that it was necessary, he did wish that she wasn't so frightened. He enjoyed frightening her at times, but he did not wish to be the vector that instilled that fear in her. He hated being the object of her nightmares, something he'd never even considered as an issue until recently. He did not wish for her to be frightened of him, he only wanted his words to frighten her, like the witch trial for example. He didn't mind scaring her that way, but he wished that she wouldn't walk on eggshells around him. He regretted that he could not confess the truth behind his cruelty, but it was for everyone's own safety. He had committed horrible crimes during his time away from his siblings and he knew his existence would sooner or later cease to be.

He didn't care who feared him, so long as it wasn't Mirabelle or Tanzy. He did not wish for them to be frightened of him. He hoped that Tanzy would grow to understand him before the day he died, without discovering his lethal secret of course. He'd take that to his grave, because he would not take the others down with him. His distance was for their own protection. Without a lot of thought to how Tanzy would respond, Reiji leaned toward her from the seat across the carriage and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. His face was a few inches from her's, but he did not take advantage of her this time, "When I'm done with you, you won't be scared anymore.. You'll be strong." Reiji whispered reassuringly, although it was barely loud enough for his maid to hear. For a moment, there was a warm and soft sincerity in his eyes, but he quickly forced the coldhearted glaze to return to his Crimson irises. He could not show weakness, there were always someone watching him, he could feel it. Thankfully the curtains concealed the inside of the carriage, so as long as he was quiet, this would be okay every now and then.

Tanzy tilted her head slightly at the chuckle, puzzled that the vampire seemed amused by her question. She almost wished to ask about it, but decided it was probably best not to bother him too much. Despite his words that he was not like Castiel and actually liked questions, she couldn't bring herself to go about asking things left and right whenever she was curious or confused. Reiji's explanations of 'rest' and 'sleep' as related to vampires earned him a slight nod of understanding, mentally taking notes with the new information. She supposed that made sense. Thinking of him 'sleeping made her flush in embarrassment, recalling how she had mistakenly disturbed his rest when she was afraid he had gotten horribly ill or died.

Furthermore...why did it scare her to think he was possibly dead? She still had no answer to her own puzzlement.

Her gaze lifted to meet her new master's own crimson orbs as he asked her if she had ever owned a cat. Owned a cat? Why would he be interested in knowing that? It wasn't a weird question it itself, rather, it was simply an inquiry she didn't expect to come from Reiji's lips. Had she ever owned a cat? While she had taken care of cats, they weren't exactly her own or house pets. So logically speaking, she couldn't say yes. The maid shook her head, a wistful smile on her face. She wouldn't mind owning a cat though. "No master, I haven't. I would feed any strays that came by and would watch them, but I've never had one to call my own."

Wondering if he would give her some clue as to why he was curious to know if she owned a cat in particular, Tanzy watched Reiji for a reaction, noticing that he had his look of contemplation once more. Whenever he seemed deep in thought, she saw him looking as he did now. She wanted to ask the importance of the question, but she decided to not interrupt his silent musings. Speaking of his silent musings, was she imagining it, or did he look almost...upset?
Before she could dwell on whether or not she was seeing things, Reiji caught her off guard again, the maid thinking he had been doing so an awful lot lately. Tanzy felt her cheeks burn at the closeness of the handsome male, his touch making her spine shiver slightly as he tucked a strand of hair away from her face. The touch was gentle and his eyes warm, only adding to her blush. What on earth was he doing? Why was he teasing her like this? Despite his closeness, Tanzy had to struggle to hear him, and even then she didn't catch all of it.
When he's done with her? She was almost afraid to ask. "I-I beg your pardon sire? I didn't catch that...y-y-you said something about being done with me?" Had she displeased him? Was he going to kill her? She met his gaze, confusion in her eyes. The words she did hear made her anxious- fearful even. But his tone was gentle and soothing, not at all like his harsh or angry words when she upset him before. Threatening words didn't match the tone he was using now, so what had he actually said?

"No master, I haven't. I would feed any strays that came by and would watch them, but I've never had one to call my own."

"Really? What a shame... Although pets can bring us great saddness, they can also make life seem quite fulfilling." He recalled the one time that the Santiago children had requested a pet. Demetri and Bishop had brought home a puppy, but Edward refused to let the boys keep it. The boys begged, so for a few days he allowed them to feed, play with, and care for the dog. One day, after a heavy rain Edward retrieved the pup and tied it up in a bag and threw it in the nearby lake. Castiel had nearly drowned trying to save the youngest brothers' dog. Thankfully that was so long ago that Mirabelle could not remember, but Reiji still remembered his eldest brother coughing water from his lungs and the sobs of his two youngest brothers. That day Edward taught the boys a valuable lesson that stuck with most of them even to this day. They learnt to never place one's love in something as fragile and as fleeting as a mortal life. None of the boys asked for a pet ever again.

"I-I beg your pardon sire? I didn't catch that...y-y-you said something about being done with me?"

Reiji immediately blushed, feeling as though she'd made a fool of him. He turned his gaze outside and leaned back in his seat, "Nevermind what I said. I am a Lord and I shall not repeat myself!" His tone was quite defensive, but definitely nothing like the danger that Tanzy had misunderstood there to be. He was quite embarrassed now, not that he would ever admit something like that. Before Reiji had the chance to grow irritated with the maid, Demetri knocked on the side of the carriage like a madman, but his words soon explained the hasty action.

"Reiji! Anise is sick. We need to get inside!"

Reiji swung the door open, zooming out, but stopped halfway to the entrance, looking back to Tanzy, "Come Tanzy. Time is of the essence if you wish for your friend to live." Reiji beat his brother inside of the house, but only to retrieve several basic herbs from his room. He wasn't sure what was wrong with Anise, but he brought down several different herbs that could help keep her alive depending on her symptoms. Though the herbs he had at the moment would only prolong the inevitable if they did not locate the source of her illness.

"Get her inside!"

He heard his brother commanding everyone, and Reiji began crushing up a mixture to ease Anise's pain, seeing as he was not sure what her most dangerous symptom was, yet at least. Reiji enjoyed botany, and now everyone would finally understand the usefulness of such a skill. While his other brothers learnt to play instruments or to tailor clothes, he had actually learnt a skill that could easily save lives.

"Get Anise on the table? Where is Reiji?"

Once Anise was placed on the table, Reiji forced her to swallow the mixture of herbs by drinking it himself and passing it along through Anise's lips, practically a kiss, yet for a much more serious purpose. He did not even glance in Bishop's direction, uncaring whether his brother was enraged by the 'kiss'. He realized that there was a blockage, so he immediately began mixing another concoction of herbs, "Her throat is rather tight, if this persists she is going to suffocate and die this night. If we wish to prevent that from happening, we must identify the cause." Reiji's voice was stern as he spoke, yet it lacked his usual cruelty. Despite somewhat loathing Anise, he was treating her gently and with a considerable amount of scrutiny.

"Bring me every chalice, book, and spoon that has been touched by this maid..... This girl has been poisoned and I believe one of us is next." Reiji ordered, waving off the servants. Once his second mixture reach absolution, he poured it into his mouth as well and forced it down Anise's throat with the same 'kissing' method. He wiped his mouth afterwards, eyes landing on Ash. He immediately recognized her, his eyes narrowing a bit, "Make yourself useful....boy." He hissed, pulling her over to Anise. He knew that Ash had similar abilities, but hers were towards the magical end of the spectrum while his were through natural roundabout means such as potions and herbal remedies. When no one was looking, Reiji tugged Ash toward him, "If you did this, I'll mount your head on a pike for all to see." He whispered directly in her ear, his harsh words spoken so softly that not even his brothers would be able to eavesdrop on the conversation. Reiji. Was. Not. Happy. At. All.

Rage burned in Bishop's emerald eyes, hating that he couldn't decapitate the strange male currently in the carriage. He didn't like this one bit. Only Demetri's reasoning kept him from making good on his threat to kill the boy, keeping a firm hand on his collar to prevent the questionable presence from escaping him. Another growl left his throat as Anise lay unconscious, the vampire cursing the carriage drivers in his mind. Where were those useless servants?! He'd kill them too once they got back!

Bishop's attention only strayed from Anise and the stranger when Demetri left the carriage, announcing he would take them back to the castle. Horror and disapproval met the announcement, fear for his twin just as powerful as his concern for Anise- if not more so. "Demetri-!" Bishop began, but his protest fell on deaf ears as his fellow red head took the reigns and raced off- regardless of the danger this would pose to him. Fear, impatience, and frustration at being at a loss of how to fix the problem churned in his gut- a dangerous combination of feelings only making the hot headed male more angry and unstable. The ride seemed to drag on, the stranger's rebuttal earning a snarl and a shake as he answered. Bishop dreaded what Demetri was facing in the open, fearing for his twin the wrath of the sun. They couldn't arrive at the castle soon enough.

Ignoring everyone but Anise, Demetri, and the boy he dragged along, Bishop raced into the castle and watched as Anise was placed upon a table to be inspected and treated. His medical knowledge was limited to what he learned during his time as a soldier, but Demetri had taken over the situation beforehe could even think to- further annoying the vampire. He loathed feeling so useless, and this was one of those rare moments. Reiji's presence was oddly loathesome yet welcome, the prick tending to Anise properly and promptly. Witnessing the 'kiss' intended to deliver medicine to the young woman, Bishop growled low in his throat, hatred in his eyes as he had to just stand there and watch the asshole. He nearly stepped forward to knock the older vampire away, but somehow managed to restrain himself for the sake of the human. Reiji's words were met with an angry and irritable scowl, as well as a secret stirring of actual fear he'd never admit to anyone. "Just hurry it up! Can you fix her or not?" he barked at Reiji, standing by the table and looking down at the ebony haired girl.

Finally releasing the strange boy as Reiji decided to make him useful, Bishop glanced over at his twin and nearly gasped in horror. His brother was healing much too slowly- his burns significant. Damn him! Had he not been so worried about Anise, he'd have noticed earlier. Fists clenched, Bishop shook his head, hating to see Demetri so weakened. It was terrifying. "Dammit Demetri, you should have made Jason drive us back!" he scolded, worried at how slow the healing process was going. It wouldn't be so slow normally, unless...

Cursing under his breath, Bishop moved away to grab a knife and a goblet, quickly taking the items and all but shoving them at Camilla. He glared at her, nodding towards his twin before hissing an order. "He needs blood! You're his personal maid, so you're responsible for making sure he is fed. Hurry up and give him a glass so he can heal properly!" Concern for his brother made him snap more harshly than he might have intended to, but he couldn't be bothered to care.
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The maid nodded at Reiji's remark, smiling wistfully at the thought. "Indeed, even with the few farm animals we had, they were certainly pleasant to have around." she murmured, glancing over at her new master.

Tanzy waited with baited breath to see if Reiji would repeat himself so she'd hear what he had whispered. His response to her questioning was not what she expected. Instead of silence, anger, or a calm explanation- the dark haired man had a flush of color in his cheeks. Blinking in surprise, the young woman tried to figure out what prompted the blush, going over their few conversations in her head in a vain attempt to decipher Reiji's response even as he snapped a hasty response. Regardless of the reason, she wasn't about to disobey a direct order, even if she did truly want to inquire about his puzzling reaction. Nodding to show she understood, she managed to lean back against her seat, relaxing as he didn't seem to be actually cross with her. "Yes sire. I wouldn't presume to have you repeat things purely for my sake. Pardon me for asking." she said softly before going silent.

The ride was uneventful untl arriving at the Santiago castle, the maid expecting to simply get out and follow any instructions given to her as was usual. She jumped in her seat as Demetri's frantic pounding on the door drummed in her ears, little alarm bells going off in her mind. Something seemed very wrong. As soon as the words left the redhead's mouth and registered in her brain, Tanzy's face went pale. Something had happened to Anise. She raced after Reiji even without his prompting, struggling to keep up with his superior speed. Dread churned in her gut, heart hammering in fear for her dearest friend.

Arriving behind Reiji to see him putting a finished mixture of herbs in his mouth and then past Anise's unconscious lips, Tanzy stopped dead in her tracks, a horrified gasp leaving her lips even as she covered her mouth to supress it. Hearing Reiji's assesments only served to intensify her fear for her companion, struggling to fight back tears. No! She'd be of no help to Anise if she broke down!

Despite this, tears trailed down her cheeks as she looked upon her fellow maid, worry almost making her sick to her stomach. Tanzy sniffled, then hastily brushed the tears away as carefully as she could in an attempt to preserve her makeup. She fought to reign in her emotions, looking anxiously over at Reiji. Movinging so she wasn't in his way, but so that she was just off to the side and in a position to run off and fetch something, Tanzy watched him and stood in a ready position, managing to meet his eyes. She didn't say anything, but she hoped he'd understand she was ready for any order, any instruction so she could help him heal her friend.

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Ashlynn watched Reiji work efficiently, feeling a pang in her chest when he moved so close to the girl. She had once loved him. She wasn't sure if she still did, but she knew she was reluctant to let go of all those bittersweet memories she still cherished.

When Reiji grabbed Ash, she winced in pain at her wrist's sudden movement. "What you don't realize Santiago is that her throat began to close when we left town. I've been keeping it from closing all the way," Ash stated as she pulled sharply out of Reiji's grasp before looking down at the girl and frowning in concentration.

"I had already made my leave, so there isn't much for me to realize when I've been misinformed. I suggest you speak to nobles less casually, I know of your talents, but others in the room are less likely to care.” Reiji's crimson orbs narrowed at Ash, warning in his orbs as she defied him so publicly. If not for her talents, he would have reprimanded her immediately for such insolence, but there were other matters at stake. He doubted that Bishop's omnipresent squalling would end until his maid's physical condition stabilized, "My brothers have formed somewhat of a habit when it comes to eating first and asking questions after.”

Ash leans forward, studying the girl's face and inhaling deeply in an attempt to catch a scent. "Mandragora officinarum. It's on her breath, the mandrake," Ash declares as she reaches for the medicinal combination that would purify the girl from the mandrake poisoning.

Reiji sighed, frowning a bit. The fact that Ash seemed so sure of herself caused Reiji to quirk a suspicious brow. He did not wish to point fingers, but the thought forced itself to the front of his mind that perhaps this had been Ash's doing all along. He did not know however that Anise had been experiencing mild symptoms for many months, "How can you be so sure? Scents can be deceiving. Especially with...humans.” He responded as if disgusted by humans, challenging Ashlyn. He did not entirely trust his former love, although he knew her knowledge with poisons was easily equal to his own. The fact that she knew so much about toxins was the sole reason he found it difficult to trust her, "We must be sure. We haven't enough time or herbs to brew two remedies, and the wrong antidote could very well make her condition worse.”

Ashlyn merely stared at Reiji for a moment as he spoke to her. "Yes my Lord,” Ashlyn stated loud enough for the brothers to hear but soft enough the other humans would only hear muttering. She knew Reiji wasn't used to having someone with a spine interact with him, but regardless, it was how Ash was, always had been.

Ashlyn ducked her head as she smirked at Reiji's words. If she knew anything about the brothers, it was that only Bishop was the one who might really bite before he asked questions should Ashlyn be docile still. Should she become a threat, Demetri wouldn't hesitate either. It seemed as if Reiji was just waiting for the opportunity though.

When Ash stood, she caught the raised brow of Reiji's. He didn't believe her... She gave him a stern look, just barely managing to school her emotions of anger in front of the others. "Rei-... Lord Santiago, when you've been around it enough, you'd recognize it in a heartbeat,” Ashlyn stated quietly, softly too. The irony was not lost on her that Reiji didn't even have a heartbeat anymore, if he ever could being as he was.

"Sadly, it's been so long that I've forgotten what a heartbeat feels like,” He responded smugly, letting out a sigh of annoyance. He didn't have time to make jabs at Ashlyn, no matter how much he wanted to. He was still angry, conflicted even. He knew the feeling in his gut was attraction, because he had never entirely gained closure to their past relationship, but he refused to let it fog his judgement. She had ultimately brought about the worst tragedy that his family had ever faced, whether she had done it intentionally or not, he could not forgive that so easily. He then turned his attention to Bishop, then to Demetri. His longer haired brother did not seem to be in a sturdy condition, and Reiji agreed with Bishop that Camilla needed to feed Demetri. He would personally force her if he must, especially considering his current mood. Reiji had some pent up emotions that he would surely like to expel in a sadistic manner towards any human who defied his family. He was itching for one of them to push him past his limit, to give him a solid reason to lash out. Ash was his only equal when it came to poisons, so she was immune to his violence, but all of the remaining conscious humans were free reign for his wrath, "I believe it is Atropa Belladonna, or Deadly Nightshade as most others in the room would recognize it. The symptoms are identical to Mandragora Officinarum... and Nightshade is far easier to acquire.”

She knew the smell of the herb all too well having had it forced upon her more than once by her very sister for entertainment and her time being held as a prisoner. She took a deep breath before looking up at him with a promise. "I'm not wrong. Should I be though, I will do everything in my power to keep her alive,” Ashlyn states softly. She knew Reiji would understand she meant that she would keep the girl alive and well with all of her own ability, at the risk of exposing herself to Bishop, Demetri, and Mirabelle, all of whom seem to hate her for whatever reason.

"If you're wrong, you best hope she survives long enough to see the proper antidote... and if you're right, you're going to explain everything to us. My brothers will want an explanation on how a complete strangerwould know the proper remedy for our maid's sudden illness.” Though Reiji knew that neither poisoning happened so quickly. For Anise to be in this condition, she either ingested a large quantity or was being poisoned over time. Either way, he was furious that someone had been able to sneak it past him. He felt incapable of protecting his family, and honestly that made him feel like shit.

"I swear on my life, and wouldn't expect anything less of you than to take the due should I be wrong,”[b] Ashlyn whispered so close to Reiji and so low, she could catch the faint scent that he came with while keeping the other vampires from hearing at all.

[b]"The choice is up to Bishop, seeing as it is his maid. He shall decide what to do with her. I firmly believe it is Atropine poisoning, but I will not deny that Mandragora Officinarum is another possibility. It cannot be ruled out.” Reiji ran a hand through his hair, because for the first time in a long while, he felt truly helpless. He did not personally care if Anise lived or died, but he did not wish to see her die under his authority. If she died tonight it would only prove that he was not capable of leading this family effectively. He wished to prove he could be the leader that this family desperately required, especially with Castiel's condition, "Deadly nightshade and Mandrake Root have similar side effects and telling the difference is nearly impossible without more viable information to source from.” Then he looked to the servants, growing irritated that no one had listened to him. Jason, Tanzy, and Camilla were all present and not one of them had begun fetching Anise's belongings, all standing around like lumps on logs, making themselves little more than useless to him at the moment, "Tanzy, Jason, Camilla! Bring me some of this maid's chalices, books, and silverware or so help me I will let Bishop paint the walls with all of you! Do not make me repeat myself again!” Reiji demanded, his voice roaring like thunder as he grew angrier. He could not afford wasted time and he couldn't make the wrong choice. He had to save this girl's life or his family would never follow his command. He had to prove that he deserved to be the head of house, or he'd never have anyone's respect.

Ash looked to the servants with a slight look of pity before looking back to Reiji. She looked to Reiji, serious more now than ever before before looking back to the girl and loosing any air of being not serious. ”The longer we bicker the weaker I’m becoming and I can’t hold her throat open, keep from passing out in pain, and a glamour up all at once. I will reveal to your siblings who I am soon, but now is not the time and you know that as well as I do. Give her the medicine. If this is who I fear it is, then she would have much preferred Mandrake for the specific sake of it being rarer and more likely Nightshade when attempting to decide the antidote. I will tell you everything I know and everything that happened on that night if you trust me on this one issue, if you don’t give her the antidote for Mandrake poisoning, she will die or sustain terrible damage. Even tell Bishop that it was your idea for all I care, but this is an innocent and she will not die merely because you and I have unsolved issues between us.” Ash had spoken seriously to him before like this, once, back when he had told her he no longer wanted to see her after Mira had been taken and she had been heartbroken and told him he might never see her again.

She knew that he would be reluctant to trust her, but she had always been so careful for innocents and children. Even Reiji couldn’t forget those moments she figured. He might not have approved of them, but he could not forget them.

Once again she reached for the herb to create the Mandrake antidote, then handed them to Reiji. ”I’ve never hurt your family in any way and will explain all I can to you soon, I’ve learned more about that nights since we separated. If you don’t trust me on this though, you’ve let her win at placing doubt in your heart, even if you’ve forgotten what it feels like to feel it beat,” Ash stated, hating the slight tenderness that crept into her tone that she couldn’t keep out.

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Jason looked to Tanzy as Reiji spoke to them. He moved to follow her, unsure as to where Jane's belongings truly were. Jane entered just as the other servants moved off and she managed to stifle a gasp at the sight of Demetri's skin. She covered her mouth with her hand, truly worried for him and wanting to help but at the same time, unsure how to or if it was her place to, especially when she was worried to leave Camilla's side when Camilla was in such a fragile state.

"Dammit Demetri, you should have made Jason drive us back!"

"If I had not taken the reigns, you are honestly telling me that you wouldn't have done it yourself? Don't fool yourself brother." Demetri stated with a sigh. The only part of him that was discernible was his suit and that vibrant orange-red hair of his. His exposed skin was badly burnt, making the energetic vampire nearly unrecognizable. Anise was our only thought. Neither of us were thinking straight. I'm your twin, I know your will better than I know my own."[/b][/color] Demetri responded with a light chuckle, not taking his condition very seriously. He knew that he would heal, regardless of how slowly it was taking place. The wounds were incredibly sensitive, but it only hurt when he moved so he did his best to remain entirely still when he was not soothing his brother's anxiety with words.

For some reason as time went on, Demetri really sure what was going on. Whenever someone spoke he simply heard faint buzzing. His consciousness was fading in and out, so he couldn't make any assumptions based on his senses. His vision was horrendously blurred. He needed blood desperately, completely unaware that his twin was doing his best to make sure that he obtained just that. The longer haired twin allowed his head to fall back against his chosen seat, too weak to hold it up any longer. All of his energy was currently spent healing his burns. Though it was well worth it. Had Anise's life not been in danger, Demetri would have been able to enjoy the experience much more than he had. It had been the first time in ages that he had experienced riding outside during broad daylight. The smells, sounds, and the sight was truly beautiful and he refused to let the memory leave his mind. He would cherish the beauty of today's nature for as long as he lived.

If there was one thing Demetri missed about being human it was definitely laying in the grass on a sunny day, staring at the blue sky as warm sunbeams heated up his skin. He missed sunbathing more than anything in the world. It was not a common practice among nobles, but he did not consider himself to be 'common', before or after he became a vampire. Demetri prided himself by being different than others, so he truly hoped that he was a unique individual. Suddenly his thoughts turned to Katerina, and he began to imagine what she would have looked like, laying in a field of flowers, sunlight kissing her pale cheeks as she laid beside him. How he dreamed for a chance to see her again. There were so many places that he wished to take her, so many things he wished to show her..

Without warning, Demetri's body tensed and he let out a grunt of pain, falling from his perch onto the stone floor. He let out a scream as his damaged skin met unforgiving stone. He was no longer able to ignore the pain he felt, his mental distraction becoming more painful than his wounds. His body writhed around on the floor as flashes of Katerina returned to him, the image of her mangled body, his physical pain making the mental experience far worse than it normally would have been.

"Katerina... Kat.. Don't leave me.." He begged under his breath, his voice cracking as he spoke. His words were incoherent and far too soft for human ears, but it came out plain as day for those with supernatural hearing. However it was obvious to anyone in the room that he was breaking, mumbling the same thing over and over. He was definitely experiencing something terrible.

"...Just...make it stop...." He begged in weak tone, this time loud enough for anyone in the room to hear. He kept seeing her blood stained face. Every moment he had spent with her replaying in his head like a broken record. The memories were driving him insane. All he wanted was a moment of peace, but his combined physical and mental anguish refused to give let him find comfort.

Slowly but surely, he began to calm as his skin began to look more like skin and his physical pain slowly waned, but he was still trembling, plagued by his horrible thoughts and memories, "...Is....Is Anise alright..?" He asked his brother in a pitiful tone. He would have had tears in his eyes, but it was impossible for them to form. There was no biological way for him to express his sadness like humans could. That was one thing that he did not miss, if he ever cried again, it would be too soon. Although he could not physically 'cry', he did in fact weep when Katerina was murdered. Tears were not the only vessel of sadness, but simply the most obvious.

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Jason was silent during the carriage ride, unsure what else to do. He knew if he spoke Bishop would not be happy but at the same time, Jason didn't have anything to say. He was more worried for both Demetri and Anise near him. He was absolutely terrified that she would die there in the carriage and it would be like Alice had died before him too.

The carriage was wild and crazy as Demetri drove. It was clear that he was skilled enough to keep the carriage from tipping over and Jason was more than thankful for it. Jason was feeling anxious by the time the carriage stopped, anxious and sick from the off kilter ride.

Bishop practically ran out of the carriage after Demetri who was moving far faster than Jason had ever seen anyone move for anything of any kind. Jason waited until everyone else left the carriage before closing the door and following inside. He stood to the side, unsure what to do or how to help and knowing he'd be of no assistance to Reiji as he worked and spoke to the young boy who Reiji seemed to have a negative relationship with too.

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Jane didn't know how to respond to Mira's reaction to seeing the boy. What could the boy have done to have made Mira act so strangely? She didn't even know the girl for a week yet she knew the scene she made was not normal for anyone.

"I won't let them take you," Jane whispered softly, unsure what else to say but at the same time wanting to say the right thing. Why on earth would Reiji be so horrible or upset about Mira not being a good vampire?

Jane didn't answer Mira as she asked if she trusted her. She really didn't she thought. Mira did just have an episode and she was a vampire and Jane had just met her not too long ago. Why on earth would she have any reason to trust her at all?

Jane gasped as Mira picked her up, clinging to the young girl and feeling odd but at the same time, unable to do anything. Jane did just as she was told, already terrified and unsure what to do. As they reached the castle, Jane saw that nobody was outside and that her breath was gone though she hadn't been the one running.

Her frame was shaking slightly in her nerves and uneasiness but she gave Mira a small smile in hopes of disguising her discomfort. Jane gave Mira a smile of encouragement before offering her hand to lead the way into the castle.

Upon entering, she saw quite a scene that surprised her. When she saw Demetri though, Jane gasped silently, her heart sinking in awe and terror all at once. He was so hurt, she couldn't help but want to help him in some way but didn't dare move closer to him due to her nerves.

Tanzy wrung her hands and bit the inside of her lip almost to the point of breaking skin as she watched Reiji and the strange male work. Her gut churned in anxiety as she listened to them debate the possible causes of Anise's sudden collapse. Nightshade or mandrake poisoning? She knew either one could easily have deadly consequences if left untreated. She nearly whimpered at the thought of her dearest friend not making it, and it took considerable willpower to hold back any more errant tears.

Her despair was cut sharply by the unusually loud and very angry voice of one Reiji Santiago. His words cut like a whip, ears burning red with shame and eyes widening in realization. Of course! Here she was waiting for instructions when he had clearly already given some! She should've known it didn't matter that it wasn't addressed to her- it needed to be done. She prayed her friend wouldn't suffer any more for her mistake. Looking more than suitably abashed at such a calamitous and foolish error, she hiked up the skirt of her dress and ran.

For the first time she didn't curtsy or reply with her usual 'yes sire', instead, she sprinted as fast as she could to Anise's room, all but throwing the door open upon reaching it. She didn't check to see if anyone was following her, if she had let the door fall closed in anyone's face. Her focus was solely on the task at hand.

Wasting not a second, Tanzy snatched up a book from the bedside table, the water pitcher beside Anise's wash basin, and a simple goblet. Struggling to hold the items and her skirt for a second, she quickly resorted to holding the dress skirt up in each hand and letting the fabric drape into a makeshift bowl or sack, the items cradled in the fabric as she raced back down the stairs.

Barely pausing for breath, the maid placed the items on a dining room chair, speaking up even as she turned to go find more of Anise's things. "These are from her room. Forgive me, but the dishes are already washed so I don't know for sure which she ate from."





Bishop's concern for Anise and the growing panic for his twin was increasing exponentially, growing worse with every passing minute. So too did his temper and agitation fester under such stress, his eyes fierce as he looked over at Reiji and the strange male talking. Reiji seemed to know the person, which only further increased his fury and suspicion that something was not right.

The red head refused to show the inner fear he felt upon hearing the two possible sources of Anise's sudden collapse. Nightshade or mandrake...but surely she had to have ingested a fair amount within a single dose, or been exposed to it for an extended period of time to deteriorate so rapidly. He felt a fool for not noticing- only to realize she had been acting unwell and slightly off, especially throughout the last twenty four hours. Damn! And he believed her when she said she was just tired! He knew he should have dug more into it!

Even angrier than before, Bishop let out a low growl as he glared suspiciously at Reiji and the human male he was speaking with. Did one of them do this? About to start shouting accusations, his coming tirade was thankfully blocked by a well timed decision from Reiji. Reiji wanted him to choose? Bishop narrowed his eyes, hating the prick for knowing more about poisons than he did. For not knowing for sure. How was he to pick? Who could he trust?

A human nose couldn't smell for crap, and this human claimed to smell mandrake on Anise's breath? Preposterous. But then, Reiji was correct in saying both mandrake and nightshade produced all but identical symptoms. Fists clenching and unclenching, the hot headed vampire took notice of the servants for the first time as Reiji bellowed at them to fetch Anise's things. The anger in Reiji's voice matched how he felt, and Bishop was more than willing to follow through and paint the walls in the human's blood as Reiji threatened, growling at the useless humans. He'd kill all of them if they didn't hurry their asses up!

Thankfully this snapped some sense into at least two of them, Tanzy sprinting off, followed by Jason as the butler followed the maid's lead.

Bishop gripped Camilla by the wrist, squeezing hard as she stood there with the goblet and knife he'd handed her, but otherwise not helping in the slightest. "Listen to me you little shit, either you give Demetri some blood in that goblet or I will tear off your hand and feed it to him myself! I will not tell you again!" he snarled, baring his fangs to emphasize his point. He'd tear her damn head off if she made him...

Demetri's sudden moans met his ears, prompting him to drop Camilla's wrist like a hot coal, running to his brother's side just as his twin fell to the floor with a horrible scream.

"Demetri!" Bishop shouted in alarm, for once unable to keep concern from his eyes. Kneeling beside his horribly wounded twin, Bishop resisted the urge to hold his dearest brother protectively- knowing it would only hurt to feel more contact on his skin. "Then you should have let me do it! Dammit Demetri, look at you..." Bishop protested, eyes livid as he looked up at Camilla, ignoring a currently shocked looking Jane.

With a snarl, he grabbed the girl by her hair, yanking her over beside his brother even as Demetri pined for his last love. "I don't care where you cut but you will feed him now you useless chit!" Bishop ordered, shaking Camilla slightly in his panic-fueled anger.

He only glanced over at the table with Anise when he heard Tanzy return, placing some of Anise's items on a chair for inspection. Emerald eyes going between Reiji and the stranger, he tried to weigh the options in his mind. Who would he trust. He hated Reiji, and Reiji proved he had no qualms with doing anything possible to piss him off- and had threatened Anise before. But Reiji knew his poisons, and was not demanding his word be followed- but telling him to choose. The stranger was unknown, unwelcome, and seemed far too familiar with Reiji. Furthermore, why would this stranger help? Or know anything? They were human.

But if by some chance the human was right?

Cursing in his mind, Bishop glared at the two, trying to decide if either was attempting to deceive him. Finally, he nodded towards the objects procured from his maid's room.

"Check her things and tell me what you find...Reiji. What do you smell on her?"

"The longer we bicker the weaker I’m becoming and I can’t hold her throat open, keep from passing out in pain, and a glamour up all at once. I will reveal to your siblings who I am soon, but now is not the time and you know that as well as I do."

She had a point, but the way she approached the topic angered Reiji. He had spent hundreds of years earning and demanding the respect that he currently had. He absolutely hated that this girl from his past suddenly decided to burst in his life and make a mockery of him. Under any other circumstances he would have attempted to rip her throat out by now, though deep down he was unsure if he could actually do such a thing to his former amour.

"Give her the medicine. If this is who I fear it is, then she would have much preferred Mandrake for the specific sake of it being rarer and more likely Nightshade when attempting to decide the antidote. I will tell you everything I know and everything that happened on that night if you trust me on this one issue, if you don’t give her the antidote for Mandrake poisoning, she will die or sustain terrible damage."

"Tch..." Reiji hissed as he knew every word that Ash uttered was true. Although he was not fond of, nor did he have a lot of expertise using Mandrake, he'd been poisoned by it once as a human, and he has created elixirs meant to cure the poisoning many times before throughout the years. He typically avoided the plant itself as it only brought about painful memories. It was an experience that he'd told no one about and would likely take to the grave.

"Even tell Bishop that it was your idea for all I care, but this is an innocent and she will not die merely because you and I have unsolved issues between us.”

Immediately memories with Ash, before Mirabelle had been kidnapped snapped through Reiji's mind like photographs in front of his face. Reiji's eyes narrowed at this, glaring at Ash. He could not risk his siblings sensing a shred of weakness within him, so he grew quite defensive after that, "That's enough. The girl's items will lead us to the truth." He stated in a stern voice, proving he was done with his conversation, or at least, discussing their past at the very least.

”I’ve never hurt your family in any way and will explain all I can to you soon, I’ve learned more about that nights since we separated. If you don’t trust me on this though, you’ve let her win at placing doubt in your heart, even if you’ve forgotten what it feels like to feel it beat.”

Reiji's eyes widened for a fraction of a second, and he closed them quickly afterward, "I don't trust anyone. I was raised to doubt others, to take what I want and to kick my enemies when they were down. If anyone placed doubt in my heart, it was Elizabeth Santiago and your family."

"Go to him, and take this... I know how you feel about feeding, but I know you care for him. I see the way you look at him. But you must feed him with this. Cut your palm and drip it on his lips. Don't let his fangs touch your skin. I would more than gladly do it on my own, but I'm afraid I'd be no help to him... And besides - feeding off another vampire is merely for pleasure."

Reiji could hear his sister's voice in the background, a large portion of his anxiety fading once he was certain his sister managed to arrive home safe and sound. Reiji's mind shifted to his sister's words, shaking his head a bit as she mentioned pleasure. He immediately snarled, "Sister! I'm trying to save a life. I'll lock you in your room if I hear that come out of your mouth again!" Reiji snapped in an irritated tone. He wasn't sure who she'd fed from to learn about the pleasures of vampire to vampire relations, or worse yet, who fed from her... Though he knew he would surely murder the man if he found out. He was still highly protective over Mira, even after all of this time. Every time he looked at her, he'd remember a moment of their childhood, a moment where he was truly happy. He wanted to chase after Mirabelle, but he still had obligations here to attend to.

"These are from her room. Forgive me, but the dishes are already washed so I don't know for sure which she ate from."

As if on clockwork, Tanzy returned with a few of Anise's belongings and was clearly winded. Reiji grasped Tanzy's wrist, preventing her from going anywhere, "We have enough here. Go get a drink of water to calm yourself, quickly. If Jane or Camilla cannot stomach feeding Demetri, I want you to pour your own blood in the empty glass when you've finished your drink. We mustn't let anyone die tonight. Do you understand?" He stated, letting go of his maid's wrist, returning his attention to Anise and her belongings. He nodded to Ashlyn, hoping that she would be able to keep up the magic she was preforming for a while longer. If he did not investigate he could not make an accurate diagnosis.

"Check her things and tell me what you find...Reiji. What do you smell on her?"

Reiji was surprised that Bishop relied on him in this moment and trusted his judgement, but nodded to his brother as well. Reiji wasted no time and decided to check the maid's book first, which seemed to be of religious origins, then the goblet. First he gave each a long whiff, before sighing in resignation, "These items are indeed giving off a poisonous scent.... I smell..." He furrowed his brows before taking another long breath in, before actually placing the goblet to his lips. Reiji finally confident that he had deduced the poison. He had to be certain, even if it flashed painful memories of his own as the familiar taste touched his lips for the first time in nearly four centuries.

"I wholeheartedly believe that the human is correct, as much as I hate to agree. Anise has more than likely been poisoned by Mandrake roots. It has been many years since I've encountered the actual plant..." He often steered clear from them, seeing as they were deemed 'evil' by human villagers. He understood their fears, seeing as the roots are extremely poisonous, "I do not tamper with them myself, seeing as before now we've never kept human company for very long, but I do recall the taste.... I apologize for not being more accustomed to it's particular scent.. Brother"

After throwing Anise's belongings in the fire, because keeping them would prove too risky for her long term health, Reiji began to whip up a remedy with the items he had procured over the years. He mixed the herbs and vials of liquid with lightning speed and otherworldly precision. His sheer amount of focus was admirable, and it was evident in his work that he was a passionate Herbalist and loved poison and potion making. Once he was certain the concoction was prepared, Reiji quickly poured it down Anise's throat, only for her body to convulse violently. Reiji appeared calm, but before Bishop could rip his head off for 'breaking' his maid, Anise was upright and Reiji handed the ebony haired maid a waste bucket as a means to purge the poison from her system.

"Voilá, she has been cured. What she needs now is rest. She will be too sick to recount anything until morning. I advise you interrogate her then, Brother." Reiji used French in the beginning to show off a little, but grew serious as he told Bishop his warning with a side glance at the brother in question. He knew exactly who was responsible for this, especially due to Ash's insistence. He let out a sigh, rubbing his temples. He then took Ashlyn by the wrist and led her towards the stairs. He stopped once he reach the stairs and looked to his remaining siblings, "Someone for god's sake feed Demetri. I give Bishop permission to use force if necessary. Also, everyone be sure to check the latches on their windows. There is a malevolent force out there looking to spill innocent blood and they nearly achieved that tonight. Everyone get rest, we have a ball to host Tomorrow night." with that he tugged Ash along to his room, refusing to let her out of his sight until they were able to have a proper meeting to address this matter. Once in his room, he released her, roughly forcing her into a sitting position onto his bed before clearing off his antique chaise lounge. Reiji removed his overcoat and unbuttoned the top three buttons of his shirt and loosened his tie before appearing on the chaise within a blink of an eye, sprawled out with his eyes closed, "Drop your glamour and sleep there tonight. I'll sleep here. Normally you'd have your own room, but I absolutely refuse to let you out of my sight until this is straightened out."

As the sun slowly began to fall behind the mountains, Anise woke up suddenly as if struck with a blunt object. Her violet eyes opening in horror. She sat up like a bolt of lightning, looking to the window. She noticed sunlight, but it was faded. She assumed it was around six or seven in the afternoon. She wasn't quite sure how she had made it to her bed, seeing as the last thing she remembered was her throat tightening up on her.

"I'm...I'm alive..?" She whispered to herself in disbelief, even pinching the palm of her head to be perfectly sure. The pain came surely enough, which was enough proof for Anise. A smile quickly crossed her lips and she sprung out of bed, quickly getting dressed. Today was the day of the ball, which meant temporary hired help was taking care of the preparations. Today was a day off for the every day servants of Castillo, unless their vampire wanted a drink of their blood, that is. Anise stripped her clothes, putting on the dress that Bishop picked out for her the day before. She admired the fabric that she was wearing in the mirror, running her fingers across the dress in admiration. Then she noticed a small box laid upon the table next to her mirror. Anise gingerly opened the box, her eyes noticing the butterfly hair brooch that she'd chosen the day before. Anise's smile lit up even further, putting the brooch in her hair. She would have to remove it when it was time to style her hair, but for now she wished to wear it. Today was an amazing day, she woke up alive and healthier than she'd felt in a long time, "I wonder if Alice is up yet?" Anise muttered, tapping her chin as she rolled the thought around in her head. She highly doubted it. Her sister, despite being a morning person, definitely hated parties. She assumed that Alice would do anything to avoid dressing up and attending today's festivities. She decided to leave her sister alone for now, she assumed she would need the rest, considering.

Anise quietly approached her window, unlocking the latch to let some fresh air into the room. She stared upon the orange sky, watching the sun slowly setting beyond the horizon. Anise found this view to be quite beautiful, smiling to herself as she basked in the beauty of nature. She wanted to share this view with her sister, but after yesterday's health scare, Anise felt her sister simply needed her sleep. I hope I did not worry her too much.. I should check on her later, but first I should check on Master Castiel, then see Lord Bishop. Anise exited her quarters and went straight to Castiel's. His condition was far from improving. He was suddenly refusing to eat, so she was left with the task of forcing him to. Despite the daily blood she fed him, he never left his bed. Anise knocked three times, then entered the blonde's room, shutting the door behind her. Anise then retrieved a goblet and a knife, letting out a cool breath to calm her nerves before she begun her task. Without further hesitation, Anise sliced open her wrist, allowing the crimson liquid to drip inside of the goblet. She did not even let out a hiss of pain, only a wince during the initial cut.

Once the goblet was full, Anise wrapped her wrist tightly with bandages she kept by the goblet and approached the Lord's bed, "Master Castiel, you must drink. You have to keep up your strength.." She leaned over him, bringing him to a sitting position before placing the goblet to his lips. When the blood hit the Lord's lips, he instinctively gave into temptation and devoured the cup's contents in no time. Anise tucked him back in and bowed to the lord before taking her leave, "I will return to feed you again after the festivities, Mi'lord." Anise called out quietly before leaving Castiel to his thoughts, or whatever he chose to do while cooped up in that room. Anise made her way to the kitchen, avoiding the temporary help along the way and cleaned the bloody goblet. Once she was certain the blood was gone, Anise left the Goblet to dry and scurried back upstairs to check on Bishop. Anise gave three light knocks, barely louder than a child's feet pitter pattering across as stone floor, "Mi'lord? Are you awake?" She asked, smoothing out her dress subconsciously, making sure that none of her blood managed to stain the dress without her knowledge. She was aware that Bishop hated the idea of her feeding another, but this was her duty, whether she enjoyed it or not. The bandages on her wrist were obvious, something that she could not hide from him, but she did not wish to accidentally ruin the dress and anger him this early in the morning. After all, Bishop chose it himself, which was something she was sure he did not do because he enjoyed it. In fact, Demetri was the only man that Anise had ever met that enjoyed choosing clothes for himself and others. Most men she knew, including her father, would wear just about anything given to them.



When Demetri woke from his bed, he slowly sat up, running a hand through his red hair. He remembered every single detail of the day before, aside from what occurred during his flash backs. He did remember what did said, he remembered seeing memories of Kat, but he had no idea what had happened while he was in pain. After receiving blood from Jane, Demetri returned to his old self just in time to see Reiji cure Anise. He was also aware that Anise's first kiss had technically been stolen by the ebony haired man. He wondered how his twin felt, considering his feelings for Anise. He figured Bishop would want to skin Reiji alive for touching his lips to Anise's, but he was not certain, considering Reiji had saved the girl's life with the help of that interesting human boy that Demetri had hired before investigating him further.

Feeling quite famished, Demetri felt the need to go to Jason's room, seeing as he figured Anise was not an available source to tap. He doubted his brother would mind if he fed from his butler. Besides, Jane was most likely feeding his sister at this hour, and Camilla had been through enough the night before. He did not wish to frighten his maid any further. Demetri exited his room, wearing only black dress pants and a white dress shirt only half buttoned. The top half of his torso was quite visible, but he did not care about showing his body, nor did he think Jason would mind. When he entered the hallway he noticed that Anise was lightly tapping on his twin's door, which was right next to his own, "Good afternoon, little dove." he winked at Anise. The maid seemed quite startled, which amused him to great lengths, and she even blushed at his exposed skin. He watched her turn her gaze away from him, and began to tune in to listen to her heart beat. Her heart fluttered like a racing butterfly. Speaking of which, the brooch in her hair suited her quite well, considering how easy it was to make her nervous.

"G-Good afternoon, L-Lord Demetri.. I-It gladdens my heart to know that you have recovered." Anise responded in a shaken up tone, bowing politely. Demetri smirked at her formality, bowing as well before walking to Jason's door, knocking on it considerably louder than Anise had done, "Oi.. Jason! I want a drink. Anise is there to take care of Bishop.. Open the door." Demetri's tone was comparable to that of a spoiled child demanding attention, jealous that his brother had so many toys at his disposal. To be honest, Demetri had the most humanity out of the entire bunch, so long as his fangs were not dug into someone's neck. Once Demetri has drank blood from it's source, all bets are off the table.

---

---

Ash heard Demetri behind her and felt a twinge of sorrow for the vampire. He was in terrible pain but she couldn't help him without sacrificing either her appearance or Anise and neither was an option, especially when all Demetri needed was some blood and the second youngest maid was giving him some judging from the knife in her hand.

Ash all but ignored Mira as she entered, still confused and rather sore about her having hurt Ash so much. A young girl, oddly enough with pink hair, appeared with the belongings of Anise and Ashlyn didn't touch them as she let Reiji observe the items. If Ashlyn tried to test it, she would risk the same condition as Anise, but Reiji had the luxury of not having that issue.

Ashlyn watched Reiji sharply, her eyes showing her growing fear for the girl. They were running out of time and she was running out of magic. Ashlyn looked away sharply as Reiji practically chastised her. They were close in age, even their immortal age. She didn't bother trying to tell Reiji he was wrong. At least she thought he was wrong. She had thought he had trusted her once, but had he? She had known they weren't meant to be together when Reiji had immediately kicked her out of his life, not believing the fact that Ashlyn had nothing to do with the attacks and Mira's kidnapping. She shivered slightly at the memories of those days.

Ashlyn felt slightly dizzy from her effort and stopped trying to keep her hand from hurting. She had felt worse pain. It had merely been a convenience to ease her own pain. Ashlyn wanted to roll her eyes when Reiji called her human. If only his brothers knew. "Perhaps..." Ashlyn whispered to herself at Reiji's words before realizing she spoke out loud. Perhaps her sister had bought up all the poisonous plant just to poison the girl, though that seemed excessive. Someone had poisoned Anise, and unless the brothers were all incapacitated at one point, then someone had done it while they were around and home. Who could have gotten in?

Ashlyn didn't bother pretending like the apology was for her instead of Bishop. Reiji would rather cut out his own tongue than apologize to her for anything. Ashlyn lost control of Anise's throat when she began to convulse. Ashlyn blinked her eyes in surprise at the sudden snap of magic not being used anymore and used that amount she had been pushing out to rapidly heal the rest of her wrist that had been hurting.

She was breathing deeply, the only sign that she had been laboring over something. Ashlyn wanted to roll her eyes at Reiji's words, as if he knew all along what was happening, but refrained.

Ashlyn was staring at the girl, entirely focused on watching her reaction to the antidote when Reiji grabbed her, causing her to jump slightly in surprise. She followed without resisting, knowing in her current condition Reiji could just as easily pick her up and make her come along if he wanted to.

Ashlyn dropped the use of all magic when Reiji closed the door and nearly stumbled as he forced her to sit on the bed. She had been in his room before, under different circumstances, a lifetime ago. Ashlyn rubbed her eyes with her hands before taking off the vest. Ashlyn looked up as Reiji appeared on the chaise.

"I know it doesn't change anything, but I really am here to help you Reiji," Ashlyn stated as she scooted back on the bed a bit. She turned to her side so she was laying parallel to Reiji's chaise. As much as he didn't trust her, she didn't trust him. He was angry at her, frustrated, and Reiji.

"If I wanted to hurt you I wouldn't have helped her. She has been poisoned little by little for a long time. Think about who you've allowed into your house Reiji, they might not be who they say they are," Ashlyn stated softly as she pulled off the leather boots and laid down, resting her head on her arm before staring at the room around her, curious, and not sleepy, but exhausted from her efforts.

---

---

Ashlyn awoke in the morning, surprised to have fallen asleep at all. She sat up and looked to the chaise. Her stomach rumbled from the effort from the previous day and the fact that she hadn't eaten since the snack she had had at the inn.

---

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---

---

Jane looked to Demetri with fear, then down at the knife Mira had handed her. She looked to Mirabelle and gave a small, firghtened smile and nod, more to reassure herself than Mirabelle at all. Jane walked to Demetri, probably slower than she should have, but stood over him, her stomach uneasy at the sight of the vampire in such terrible condition.

"I can do it lord Bishop," Jane stated as she ran the knife over her hand. Jane was too distracted by the sound of Demetri in pain to feel any for herself at that moment. Jane dropped the blood on Demetri's mouth and stared, not moving her hand and not breathing properly, scared that he wasn't going to be alright perhaps because she waited too long...

When Demetri had become himself again, Jane smiled and stepped back. She looked toward where Mirabelle had been but her smile wavered when the girl was gone. Jane held her hand to her stomach, keeping her hand in a fist to numb the pain and prevent blood from spilling over the nice upholstery.

Jane turned her attention to Anise and was even more relieved to see she was alright.

---

---

Jane woke the next morning early, dressing quickly and pausing slightly. She felt heavy under the guilt of what had happened but managed to push it away. Nobody knew, nobody needed to know. Ever. Jane moved to Mirabelle's room and rasped on it lightly. "Lady Mira, may I come in?" Jane asked as she opened the door slightly.

---

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---

---

Jason set the few things he had seen Anise touch next to where Tanzy had placed what she had found for Reiji. Jason stepped back, his chest constricting in his nerves for the young girl. It was odd, he felt as if he was losing Alice again. Even though she was different from her sister and Jason knew it, it felt like his heart was being stolen from his chest once again.

---

---

Jason tugged his sleeve down gently as he looked outside his window. Anise was alright. In his mind it felt like Alice was alright, but she was gone. She wouldn't be alright ever again, but Jason could at least keep Anise, someone Alice cared for deeply, forever alright.

Jason turned as there was a knock on the door and approached it. He opened and was slightly surprised to see Demetri. It was amazing that Demetri went from being nearly dead to up and his normal self again, all within a day. Jason furrowed his brow slightly at Demetri's words. Demetri had poured the alcohol himself when they had had their first meeting. Realization dawned on Jason that it wasn't alcohol Demetri was looking for.

Jason nodded, gave a slight shrug. He didn't mind Demetri's tone. it was something he was used to with so many siblings. "Of course, come in," Jason offered. He stepped back to allow Demetri in before giving Anise a smile and closing the door for the most part.

Jason turned to Demetri and unbuttoned his recently buttoned shirt collar and sleeves. He wasn't very keen of the thought of Bishop near his neck, but oddly enough, Jason trusted the other twin near his neck. He didn't prefer it necessarily, but Demetri had nearly died the day before, he could choose.

Watching Reiji's every move, Bishop could hardly contain his impatience. By some sheer miracle, he refrained from making any outbursts at the older male, only letting out a growl should the strange human boy try to move. He didn't trust this stranger one bit!

Reiji surprised him, going so far as to taste the edge of the goblet in order to confirm what his olfactory senses were picking up. He found it incredible and suspicious that the human had actually been right. Even more surprising however, was Reiji's apology, earning a slight shake of his own head. "It's fine...just fix her then...you can, right?" he muttered, words trailing off as Reiji already began preparing an antidote. As much as he loathed Reiji, he would give the male his due. No one else was as good as his sibling when it came to poisons and potions. Even so, seeing Anise suddenly convulse elicited an embarrassingly strong feeling of near-panic, ready to step forward and start shouting anew at Reiji.

Thankfully, Anise's violent jerking was followed by an equally forceful bout of vomiting, her stomach emptying itself rapidly. Bishop nodded at Reiji's words, the French absorbed just as readily as his native tongue. Of course he'd let the ebony haired girl rest for now. But he was definitely not going to be happy with her later. She had been fighting a poison for who knew how long? But his scolding would come later- now was time to bring his maid and his brother to bed...

Reiji's words caused him to spin towards the human he was still gripping, anger flaring anew as he saw the little chit hadn't followed is orders to feed Demetri. Bishop snarled and decided he'd had enough of this stubborn, stupid human girl entrusted to his beloved twin. He'd tear her damn arm off and feed Demetri. Gripping the knife he had shoved at her to make a cut, he readied the blade to slice the female's limb from her body when a soft female voice interrupted him. Glancing to see who had offered, he noticed Jane slicing her palm and dripping the precious crimson liquid into Demetri's lips even as they parted in cries of pain.

Relief flooded over him, the vampire no longer losing control now that his maid and his twin were safe from death's grip. It hurt him to see his powerful, vivacious brother so weak and damaged, the moans all but unbearable to hear. But he was getting blood, and that was all that mattered. Bishop forcefully shoved Camilla away from him and his twin, hissing at her venomously. "Begone, you useless bitch! Thank your fellow maid for sparing your miserable life."

Only when he was satisfied Demetri would be ok did the redhead scoop Anise into his arms, ready to take her to her bed. "I'll be back brother. I'm going to put her in her room and then help you to our rooms." he murmured to his twin, looking him over once more to be sure he'd be ok before taking the maid to her room.
-------

Even with the curtains drawn, a thin sliver of light fell across the far end of the room during the day, and the bright orange glow could be made out as the sun began to sink below the horizon. Bishop stretched, having not rested much the previous day. Occasionally he had gotten up to check on Demetri and Anise, respectively, to ensure both were recovering without further incident.

Deciding now was as good a time as any to at least start getting himself ready for the ball that would be taking place that evening, Bishop tossed aside his sheets and began to pull out his attire from his extensive wardrobe, going about in an almost bored manner. Time to put up with way too many people. Deal with other aristocrats, especially fawning females hoping to score a high standing husband. There was no thrill anymore. Not like when he was younger- and human. He and Demetri had always been popular with the ladies, but unlike his twin, Bishop grew to despise the attention- realizing no one actually gave a rat's ass about him personally- they just liked what he had.

Already in a foul mood, the man was seriously considering marching over to said twin and demanding why he'd have to show up. Play an Angelo if it were. He never got the chance, the familiar scent of none other than Anise catching his attention, soon followed by her voice and the scent of his brother.

Bishop opened the door himself, deciding not to just beckon her inside like he did most of the time. He took a moment to give her a once over, pleased she looked considerably better than before. He'd take extra care to watch what she ate or drank from now on.

"You seem better. Do you feel sick at all? From now on, you will tell me if there is a problem, understood?" he questioned, giving her a firm glance as he dared the human to try and hide from him. His look softened slightly upon seeing the butterfly accessory already in her hair. "It certainly does suit you."

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Before she could scurry off to continue following the command, Tanzy felt a now familiar grip on her wrist stopping her from doing so. About to question the master of the house, he answered her before she could ask, Reiji deeming her task done and bidding her to refresh herself. Thankful for the permission to calm herself, she nodded at his instructions, letting go of the skirt of her dress so it fell naturally once more. "Yes sire...then, if you'll pardon me a moment." she replied, looking anxiously over at her friend and then Demetri, flinching at how he looked. She'd never seen any of the family burned like that since Castiel, and it was a sight that was hard to witness. The girl nodded mutely as he gave her further orders- not about to argue that Demetri needed blood from someone- regardless of who it was. She'd cut her palm if needed- so long as he didn't have to bite her. Castiel and Reiji made her anxious enough- she wasn't sure a flirt like Demetri would be any better to have around her neck.

Retreating to the kitchen, she gulped down two large glasses of water, taking several deep breaths once she had finished doing so. Carefully, she dabbed sweat from her brow, making sure she was composed and clear headed before heading back out in time to witness her best friend expelling the contents of her stomach into a bucket.
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A loud yawn escaped Tanzy's lips, the maid still somewhat sleepy. She had tossed and turned for a good two hours, fretting about her friend before finally she was too tired to keep her eyes open any longer. The touch of the orange glow of sunset on her face finally roused her enough- covering her eyes with her arm at the sudden glare as it was going down. It was with some difficulty that she dragged herself out of bed, approaching the modest vanity to wash her face.

Once she was clean enough and her hair brushed out so it would be easy to manage, Tanzy laid out the dress Reiji had purchased for her during the day, admiring the quality for a moment before carefully putting it on. She marveled at the feel of the fabric against her skin, still somewhat shy of the design in spite of it's beauty. She did feel pretty in it, but she tended towards the more conservative standard when left to her own devices. Going over her appearance once more, she finally felt satisfied with her self inspection enough to go and check on her master.

About to head out of her room to wake Reiji should he not be out of his room yet, she recalled how he had simply stormed off with the unfamiliar young man in tow after caring for Anise. She never did learn who he was. Perhaps she would ask if Reiji wasn't too busy or not in the mood.

"I know it doesn't change anything, but I really am here to help you Reiji,"

"Even the Devil was once an Angel..." He sighed in response, staring up at his ceiling. The smell of the numerous herbs he cultivated in his room kept him at ease, but he was mentally exhausted from today's events. He did not know whether to trust Ashlyn, or kill her on the spot. Old habits told him to rip her neck open while she was still weak, but fond memories caused him to hesitate. Even though he could not bring himself to trust her yet, he did not have it in him to kill her, at least not when she was in a pathetic state such as this. There's also the fact that she helped me smooth over my issues with Bishop... Saving his wretched maid just might have been the sole move that keeps this bloody family united under all this chaos...

"If I wanted to hurt you I wouldn't have helped her. She has been poisoned little by little for a long time. Think about who you've allowed into your house Reiji, they might not be who they say they are,"

Hearing what he already knew was irritating, but he knew she was only trying to give him sound advice. Demetri and Bishop were not rational minds, and he did not wish to frighten his sister more than she had already been. He knew some of what she had been through, and it was too early to open such wounds again. He rubbed his temples, his crimson orbs closing for a moment as he fought off cravings. He always developed a thirst quicker when he was put under stress, yet he did not have the mental or emotional energy to call upon his maid, "....I know.... Do you honestly think I have not been kicking myself in the ass for this? I hand plucked everyone in this building aside from Anise and Tanzy, if there is a traitor in these walls, that's on me. I know this, Ashlyn. I do not need to be reminded that I have made an utter mess of things."

The Next Day

Reiji awoke to a rumbling sound, opening one crimson orb. It was morning, and he did not typically wake up during daylight hours unless he was giving Mirabelle a reading or writing lesson, so he was not in the best of moods to have been woken up prematurely. He begrudgingly sat up, running a hand through his ebony locks as he allowed his mind to catch up with his body's alertness, "I suppose it's time to feed you, isn't it? I had nearly forgot that witches are not exempt from human frailties."

His inhuman senses picked up on Mirabelle's presence and Reiji reach for his glasses, pushing them onto his face. It seemed that this morning would be quite eventful. First he would have to explain to Mirabelle about Ashlyn, then he would have to call everyone for a brief meeting before that night's festivities. Reiji approached his wardrobe, retrieving his suit. He stripped down in front of Ashlyn, not feeling the same level of timidness as he would have many years ago when both of them were nothing more than two teenagers who shared genuine affection for each other.

His skin was a lot paler than it had been in those days and his body was more muscular. There was not a single scar on the man's body either, not a single flaw, one of the numerous perks of being a vampire. He quickly slid on his white button down, followed by his trousers. He turned to face her as he buttoned up his shirt, quirking an intrigued brow at Ashlyn, "Seeing as you're here, we should get you a gown as well. We cannot watch your every move if you do not attend the ball. Follow me. I'll find you a gown, and we'll see about breakfast as well."

Reiji retrieved a gold and ivory gripped Smith and Wesson pistol from his dresser, then proceeded down the hall until he stopped at Tanzy's room. He knocked on the door three times before opening it without verbal permission, though considering this was his home he felt he did not require permission to enter a room of his own castle, "Tanzy, be a good dear and make our friend some breakfast. I will return for you shortly, but if this kid pulls anything funny, shoot. Play nicely you two." He placed his rather expensive gun into Tanzy's hands before leaving Ashlyn with Tanzy. Reiji decided to visit the hidden corridors of the castle in order to find something nice for Ashlyn to wear, then he would have to explain to Mirabelle and hope she would understand... He was glad that he chose to look for the dress first, because battling spiders and cobwebs along the path to the storage rooms would be nothing compared to his sister when she was in a foul mood.

So lost in thought was the maid that she nearly missed the knocking at her door, hurrying over to open it just as Reiji let himself in. The vampire lord barging into her room was a little nerve-wracking (what if she had been indecent?), but not unduly surprising. Tanzy's expression immediately turned to surprise and puzzlement upon seeing an unfamiliar young woman behind her new master. A pretty young woman- a complexion slightly darker than her own and dark hair, complete with a nice frame and a soft, almost cloudy blue pair of eyes. Who was she? Surely she'd have noticed if the young woman was around before. And what was she doing with Reiji?

The maid had no chance to ask, a fancy pistol placed into her hands- earning a slight squeak of surprise as he gave her instructions to feed the unfamiliar woman and shoot her if she tried anything. Shoot someone? She'd never even held a gun before now, so even if the situation called for it, she wondered just how much use she would be. Nevertheless, she managed not to drop the finely made weapon and nodded to Reiji before he left, a curious and bewildered gaze following him. "Yes sire..." she answered to his retreating form, eyes lingering on him until he disappeared from sight.

Looking over at the young woman, Tanzy glanced over her as if trying to gain some miraculous insight as to who she was or how she had suddenly come to be around her intimidating master. First the strange young man helping with Anise the day prior, and now a strange woman? Were they friends of the vampires? But they didn't act necessarily like friends. But they didn't seem to be enemies either. Clutching the gun carefully to her chest, Tanzy made sure to keep her fingers away from the trigger, simply holding the weapon so the other girl couldn't take it. It was heavier than it looked.

The stranger interrupted her thoughts, the girl announcing herself as Ash. Ash? Was that truly her name? Or was it a nickname? And furthermore, Tanzy noted the blue eyes following after her master as well, earning a whirr of thoughts. Could she be his lover or something? He never mentioned having one, though of course, why would he tell her? Tilting her head, she closed the door behind her and stepped out to escort Ash to the kitchens, finally realizing it was rude to stare. "Yes, I'm Tanzy." she verified, glancing behind her as they neared the bottom of the staircase. "I...I didn't know master Reiji had a novia." she mused aloud, trying to recall if one was ever mentioned by him or his siblings. Well, it really wasn't her business, but it was still going to arouse her curiosity."Is there anything in particular you wanted to eat?" she asked as she nudged the kitchen door ajar, wondering if Anise had fetched herself some breakfast yet.
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The blush was a welcome sight, and Bishop found it tainted only by her initial step back in surprise. Cute, but why on earth was she skittish around him? "Relax. Surely you know I have no intention of hurting you." he muttered with a roll of his eyes, glad she seemed to be more herself now that she was rested and purged of the poison. The young woman's apologies were met with a dismissive gesture of his hand, bidding it unimportant and not worth further concern. "It's fine. I don't expect you to have known what. Just don't hide if you're feeling ill..." he said, hoping Anise's fretting wouldn't get too bad. She was admittedly endearing when flustered, but he didn't want her to be terrified and too meek around him, after all.

Leaning against his door frame with a casual air, the red head nevertheless stiffened at her question, releasing a slow and steady breath in some attempt to keep himself calm. Reiji did save her, so he'd at least make some small minuscule attempt to be civil. "...If you must know, it was the asshole." he huffed softly, practically pouting were his eyes not twitching in irritation. Damn Reiji.

Thankfully, it seemed his remark on his maid's accessory diverted her attention to less infuriating thoughts, eyes fixed on her as she touched the purple butterfly in question. The sight of her in her outfit was diminished only by the bandaged wrist, jaw and fists clenched as he thought of her giving blood to another. If it was to be anyone besides Demetri, he'd of course rather it be Castiel, but even so, he hated sharing. At least it wasn't the neck.

Bishop's agitation was cut by her voice once more, the thanks being met with a slight nod before turning to glance next door to his twin's chambers. The fellow redhead was healed up by now, though Bishop had no doubt Demetri would need more blood to keep up his strength and keep from deteriorating so rapidly from an injury.

Bishop appeared to be hearing only half of what the ebony haired maid said, though he honestly caught ever word. His eyes remained next door, nodding in greeting to his twin before finally returning his gaze to Anise. Her explanation didn't seem to bother him in the slightest, simply nodding in acknowledgement of her words. "Yes, he needs blood. And he is welcome to use Jason as he sees fit. I'm sure the idiot has an easier time with him than me anyway."

Bishop's calm was abruptly conquered by a flare of hatred, eyes narrowed as he growled in distaste. Camilla. That stupid child! Fists clenching, it took considerable effort not to shout or start snarling venomous words for all to hear, managing to only let out an angry hiss. "That girl is a useless little shit. Stupid chit acts like she has a damn death wish. I don't care what anyone says, as far as I'm concerned, she's nothing but a good for nothing brat." The mere fact that his twin neared death's door because he was being too nice to some stupid wench was too much for Bishop, and it showed.

Arms folded over his chest, the hot headed vampire seemed intent on glaring the opposing wall into submission, mood soured at the thought of Camilla. It was a good three minutes before Bishop could glance back at Anise without looking like he wanted to tear someone a new one.
"Tch. At least you and Demetri are better." he finally muttered.