Alyss Castel's Story

Alyss Castel "Well," she said, and shrugged her shoulders again, "I meant friends. Your servants aren't your friends are they?" Alyss asked, and off her mouth went running again. "I had a servant... well a yard slave once. When I was a human. He was my friend. Until daddy found out..." she glanced to the side uncomfortably at the memory, but shook it off her shoulder like dew.

The vampiress was very interested in the activities that he participated in, though they all sounded very quiet, and elegant. Everything about Lucian was elegant, she guessed, and suddenly she felt very frumpy and common. Knock it off. she scolded herself again.

Alyss's eyebrow flew up yet again when she saw him grimace at her words, and she felt a little tense in her chest. She was just itching to say something, but this wasn't her house, and it wasn't her place to go lecturing someone who was not only much older than her, but was probably better educated than her anyways. She reached up and absently scratched the back of her neck, trying to put her mind on something else. He did it for her, however, when he mentioned his wife. Her eyes flickered back to the painting as she looked over her shoulders again, and her eyes suddenly filled up with sadness. She turned and looked back at him, biting her bottom lip. "I'm sorry... She was beautiful." she said softly and with a little hint of a smile, as if that made a difference.

A smile filled her face, and she was trying to bring the mood back up to a point where she was comfortable. "It's a very nice house, though," she said earnestly, "I feel a bit like a little rusty nail in a drawer full of silver, but it's very nice here. Do you have any animals besides the horses?" she asked, rather randomly, but if it popped in her head, it popped out her mouth.

Alyss Castel Alyss took another glance at the portrait, before shaking her head. "I don't think she would despise you," she said softly. Of course, she had heard him, she could hear the slight whisper of the wind against the leaves outside the house. His comment had not gone unnoticed for her. She watched as his eyebrow raised, and, again, she wished she could read his mind. It would be interesting to know what he was thinking, although, on second thought, maybe she did not want to hear.

She thought about it for a few moments, cocking her head to the side. "Don't you go pitying me," she said sternly, frowning. "It's not something for anyone to pity me about. Maybe I like being a rusty nail. Although... I do like the flower analogy a little better," she said with a little smile, and her smile only widened when he mentioned the aviary. "How interesting," she said. She wasn't quite sure what "open-to-the-air" meant, but maybe she'd get to see.

She turned as he walked past her, and after a second glance around the room, she followed him at a steady pace. She did not linger, but did examine each item on the walls with interest. Although she had been all around the world, she had not stayed with the most extravagant of vampires and other such creatures. She preferred that of the simple life and the simple life people. Found them more honest, more cheerful, and far more interesting. But again she didn't dare say any of these things. They sat on the edge of her tongue, but she wasn't letting them go, at least not yet. She followed behind him, careful not to touch anything, her arms at her side, swinging softly back and forth gracefully as she took long strides.

Alyss Castel The Vampiress wondered at the house as they walked. Not as wide eyed and childlike as she had been when they first came in, but now with a sense of polite interest. "You have a whole room to drink tea." she commented neutrally, and nodded. The library was what interested her most, although she did not go in. She didn't even learn how to read until after she was changed. Alyss was taken aback by the sheer number of books in the library, and her eyes were wide as she took it in. "Wow."

Alyss nodded when he offered for her to linger in any of the rooms she wished, but did not make any indication as to wanting to just yet. Also, she didn't like the idea of taking charge and putting her interests above anyone else in a home that was not her own.

Alyss Castel Alyss, a hint of a smile on her lips, followed him. She enjoyed looking through the house, and admired everything in it, but the moment she was the most excited was when they came into the aviary.

"Oh..." she mumbled, walking into it, stepping a couple steps ahead of Lucian. "Oh my." Alyss caught sight of one of the finches, and walked up to them slowly, where one of them had landed. She could feel its tension as she got closer, and watched as it clenched its wing muscles, ready to fly.

"No, no." she said quietly, and stretched her mind's influence out to poke at the bird's mind. She calmed it with images of the open sky and the sounds of running brooks, and the wind in the leaves. Smiling, she came to stand in front of the bird, and held her hands out. She watched, curiously, as it hopped onto her hand, and she turned back to Lucian, a hint of a smile on her lips as she walked over. She held it out to him, still calming it, gaining its trust, offering for him to pet it. She didn't say a word, scared that the bird would panic and fly off. She met his eyes over the bird's head, and smiled wider.

After a few moments, she looked up at the ceiling, squinting. "Can they get out?" she asked, very quietly. The bird did not move, and she relaxed a bit with relief.

Alyss Castel She followed his finger, and nodded, content with that. She rested her forehead on the bird's smiling a bit as if one would a child, before looking up at Lucian. "She doesn't think in words, really," she said, "Just a blur of emotions, colors, and pictures, but she basically says that she and the other birds, well, the finches at least, are grateful for the little home you've given them." her voice was quiet and soft, and she looked back down at the bird for a few moments before setting it down on a little branch.

Lucian's hand's movement, as it ran through his hair, caught Alyss's eye, and she lifted her gaze to him again. She noticed his eyes, again, seemed far off. "I wish I could read your mind." she said matter-of-factly.

Alyss Castel "I couldn't anyways. I don't think I could at least... Most vampires are silent to me." Alyss reached up absently and ran her finger over the top of the finch. The bird gave a happy chirp, and flew, its wings fluttering. Alyss's attention was diverted from Lucian as the bird landed on her arm, and nestled itself on her forearm. She smiled and held her arm like that, for a few moments, as he disappeared inside.

When she decided she was done outside, she went to go inside. The bird would not leave, under any circumstances, and so she let it stay nestled in her arm. She hoped he didn't mind all that much, as long as there was no trouble being caused.

Alyss walked into the music room, the bird on her arm, and she began to look around the room. She walked to the wall with all the records, and ran her finger over some of them. If there was anything besides the aviary that she found most fascinating, it was this room. She ran one long fingered hand over the records, before she turned her head toward Lucian when she heard her name.

"Yes?" she asked curiously, and walked over. The Vampiress was beginning to get worried. She put the bird down, watching as it obediently perched somewhere, and she walked over to where he was standing. "Are you all right?" she asked for what seemed like the hundredth time that night. Alyss cocked one eyebrow before she pulled down a record, a violin player whose name she didn't know, and held it in her hand. "How about this one?" she asked, hoping to pull him out of his trance. She was starting to get rather worried about it.

Alyss Castel "I suppose not. I think the longest I slept was a week, once," she said, and walked over to the phonograph. She pulled off the record that had been preciously there, and a smile lit up her face. "Good taste," she winked, and handed him the record, unsure of where the slip was. Of course, she was the kind of gal who listened to Randy Travis and The Judds, but she hadn't seen any of that, so violin seemed like the next best thing. She slipped the record into the player, and directed the needle where she wanted it to go. The room immediately filled with the sound of a bow being drawn across strings, and Alyss turned toward him.

"I'm a hundred sixty two years old," she added, playfully pouting her bottom lip. "I'm old enough." When she really let herself hear the music, she began to sway just a little bit, though she still held her gaze on him.

Alyss Castel "And you're not so awfully dull and stuck up," she said back, "Just from a different world than I." The Vampiress couldn't help but let out a little giggle when she replied to him, and she lifted one eyebrow, as if challenging him to become angry. She had not insulted him, as far as she saw. Her smile widened.

As he told her the name of the record she had chosen, she nodded, and took a couple steps over to examine it. "I did not," Alyss said, and shook her head. "But thank you for telling me. I was curious. I'll try to remember. I don't usually listen to such..." she searched for the words, "soft music, but I did explore some while I was abroad for some years." She dramatically swayed in a little dance back over to where she had been standing before, and narrowed her eyes playfully at him.

"I am not a fledgling," she countered. "I don't feel like a fledgling at least..." she drifted off, and at this point it was her turn to look far off, as if she was remembering years and years in the span of a few minutes. She stood there, swaying from side to side not ungracefully or unattractively, while her gaze fixated on one string of the harp, her eyebrows contracted in the center of her forehead.

She was thinking about the slave boy. About her sisters. How her family had died. How her father had called her Al. She suddenly felt very alien in the big house, moreso than she did before, as she remembered the runs through the forests, and the fields with the little black boy, and the way her father's belt felt on her back when she talked back to him. From different worlds, they most certainly were from.

She blinked a few times, seemingly watching the little brown man waving to her as he took off through the fields, leaving her alone, and she was standing back in the room that she had before. Her eyes flew up to Lucian's, and she blinked a few times. "Sorry." she apologized for what seemed like the hundredth time that night.

Alyss Castel She smiled knowingly when he didn't reply to her comment, but it didn't bother her. "All over," she said, nodding her head. "Western Europe, for a little while, but I thought Asia was interesting, and the deserts were where I spent most of my time. Of course, most of the people there lived in tribes and little villages and they all thought I was some kind of demon most of the time, until they got to know me, but the wildlife was fascinating, and the natives were kind after a while. That's where I spent a lot of time." Alyss smiled when she remembered.

When he took her hands, she looked a little surprise, and quickly fell into step with him. If there was anything she could do, it was dance. "Is that so bad?" she asked, "One day I'm going to be older than dirt, and there will be no more surprises in life." She did not sound unhappy, on the contrary she still wore a smile, simply observant. She danced easily, and her shoulders did seem a little more relaxed.

"Tell me something about you," Alyss said, and lifted her eyes to meet his, "Not something about your house, or your money, or where you were born." Alyss clarified, "Something about you."

Alyss Castel She smiled knowingly when he didn't reply to her comment, but it didn't bother her. "All over," she said, nodding her head. "Western Europe, for a little while, but I thought Asia was interesting, and the deserts were where I spent most of my time. Of course, most of the people there lived in tribes and little villages and they all thought I was some kind of demon most of the time, until they got to know me, but the wildlife was fascinating, and the natives were kind after a while. That's where I spent a lot of time." Alyss smiled when she remembered.

When he took her hands, she looked a little surprise, and quickly fell into step with him. If there was anything she could do, it was dance. "Is that so bad?" she asked, "One day I'm going to be older than dirt, and there will be no more surprises in life." She did not sound unhappy, on the contrary she still wore a smile, simply observant. She danced easily, and her shoulders did seem a little more relaxed.

"Tell me something about you," Alyss said, and lifted her eyes to meet his, "Not something about your house, or your money, or where you were born." Alyss clarified, "Something about you."

Alyss Castel She followed easily, smirking a little bit, "You only say that because you're old. I still enjoy the little hidden surprises in life. You've just seen them all." she did not want to assume anything, and with a shrug that ruffled her light shirt, "Or maybe you're just looking in all the wrong places."

"Either," she said, "Past, present, whatever. I just want to know something. I feel like I can't shut my mouth and you must know so much about me, but I don't know hardly anything about you." she smiled, "So tell me."

Alyss's thoughts seemed to drift off for a bit while she waited for his answer, staring at the wall. Dancing alone. Wasn't she always doing that anyways? "The wildlife?" she asked absently, and then remembered. "Oh in the deserts and jungles?" She was referring to Africa, where she had spent most of her time, and she thought about it for a moment. "It depended on where you went." she said thoughtfully. "Sometimes you could come across miles and miles, as far as the eye can see, even the Vampire eye, of nothin. And other places you can't see more than three feet in front of you, because you're in the middle of a rainforest. My favorite were the rainforests. Hot as Hell though," she added, nodding enthusiastically, "no matter where you go, and even at night. And the villagers fascinated me." Alyss trailed off, not really sure if he wanted to listen to so much more of her ramblings about traveling in her boots in the dirt.

Alyss Castel "Well then!" eyes wide, "We're the same age! You hardly have reason to call me 'fledgling now'." Alyss winked one long eyelashed eye at the vampire.

Alyss followed his lead, spinning before coming back to stand close. Her hair swung out like a fan when she spun, and it came down around her face and shoulders, bouncing as she moved. Alyss let out a little laugh, and her eyebrows flew up toward her hairline. "I'm having a hard time imagining you in a safari hat and boots." she said, and giggled a little bit, almost doubling over with the effort to keep her laughter contained. She bit her bottom lip hard, and stared at him for a few moments. The image just returned to her mind over and over again, and she laughed even harder.

Finally, Alyss pulled herself together. "You could just answer the questions you know," she said, lifting an eyebrow, though her tone was gentle and her words humorous, "I'm sure they're not that difficult to answer."

Alyss Castel The Vampiress felt almost at ease at this point. She enjoyed that he was smiling a bit more, enjoyed that for once she was with her own kind. Living alone had been killing her after the immediate family of four, and even more extended, she had belonged to when she was human.

"That's true." she replied to his comment about the sun, "Still though," she giggled, "It's hard to imagine you surrounded by bugs and animals and thick forestry. Did you even enjoy it?" She giggled again.

Alyss felt out of control for a fraction of a step, but landed gracefully on both of her heeled feet, shoulder width apart, and her hands on her hips. She gave him a look like coals burning in a fireplace, and, on an impulse, she stuck her tongue out at him. "Oh come on," she said and took a step toward him. "Just one little thing. What do I have to do to know something? I've kept the word ain't out of all of my sentences, just for you!" she teased. Her curiosity was eating her on the inside.

Alyss Castel When she watched his reaction, taking in the slightest of movements, and his words, her eyebrow flew up, and for a moment she looked livid. She was overcome with the urge to march straight out the door, and leave him standing in that hallway alone with his arrogance. Although she didn't need to breathe, she took a deep, shaky breath, and held her tongue.

"It's not." she replied to him coldly, standing there with her arms crossed. "In fact, I'm beginnin' to think I don't really even care anymore."

Alyss frowned, eyes glancing

Alyss frowned, eyes glancing toward the doorframe that he was leaning on, before fixing their cold stare on the back of his head.

Alyss Castel She glared, letting out her breath in an exasperated manner, and threw up her hands. She walked over to where she had left the bird, reached out and let it climb up her arm, and walked back to the aviary. She walked in, and set the bird down on a ledge, before simply standing there, staring up at the ceiling. Alyss poked at each of the bird's brains a little bit, storing her findings in her mind for later, before she leaned against the wall, next to where her little finch was perched, looking at her, but she didn't say anything. Her brow was furrowed, and she was staring at the ground.

Alyss was arguing with herself. On one hand, Lucian was the first vampire she had met in a long while, and it interested her to get to know him better, especially given how old he was. On the other, she had been nothing but kind to him, she thought, but he still sneered and thought that because she stuck her tongue out at him, that made her any less of a person. She sighed, and longed for her farm more than anything. Maybe she would move back there, one day, and get the land back. Work in the garden, feel soil, not dead flesh under her hands for once. She leaned her head back on the wall behind her, eyes closed, and just stood there for a few moments.

Alyss Castel After a few long moments, she opened her eyes, which were still cold. She straightened herself out, fixed her hair, and turned on her heel, shutting the aviary door behind her as she walked. She had had a few moments to brood, and she was on fire again.

Alyss stopped for a moment, eyes closed, until she could hear him, and immediately walked briskly toward the study that he was in. Her heels clicked loudly on the staircase, almost as if she were stomping. Alyss stopped again and listened, and turned toward the direction of his study.

She pushed open the door, and stood, arms crossed in front of her chest, most of her weight on one leg. "What exactly is your problem, mister?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Alyss Castel She scoffed at his question, before walking back out the door, shutting it behind her. She waited a few seconds, before knocking on it, pushing it open and walking back in. She stood there, gritting her teeth. "Will you please explain to me what your problem is?" she asked, and stood there to wait.

"I would normally be inclined to continue to put up with your rudeness," she had put up with it the entire night, "but there's only so much someone can tolerate, y'know. I've done nothing to you but be nice to you, and safe your damned life, I might add, though I wasn't never gonna say anything," With every word she spoke, though, she began to perhaps realize that she was acting childishly. With a haughty sigh, she crossed her arms over her chest, and stood there, contemplating walking out the door.

And that's what she did. Alyss shook her head, and began making her way toward the door of the study.

Alyss Castel "Because it'd be the nice thing to do," she shot back, "You expect me to be so polite and ladylike and nice, but you haven't bothered to show the same. You're so judgmental. Who cares if I stuck my tongue out at you, say 'ain't', had relation with a thousand slaves, and had sex with them to boot," even though he hadn't, "I don't see how it gives you a reason to flinch like a child being scolded by their father."

Alyss was starting to feel tired of this stupid conversation. "I said thank you for doing that. I could have managed, but you made life easier. So thank you again. And thank you again, but no thank you," she said, turning back around in the doorway. "I already told you I don't need new handkerchiefs. Not to sound ungrateful or nothin, but..." she did not finish her sentence.

"Of course this would seem ridiculous to you. I've seen hardly any emotion coming from you all night. Any show of emotion seems like it would be ridiculous."

It took her all of a half second to realize that he had not spoken aloud when he mentioned her being ridiculous. That he had thought it. She clapped one hand over her mouth, and stared at him with wide eyes. How had she done that?

Alyss Castel Alyss just stood there for a few moments, staring with her hand on her mouth, and her blue eyes wide as saucers. She could think of a thousand thing to say. Apologize. Explain that she hadn't even noticed she read his mind. That she wasn't even looking. It just... kind of ended up in her head. The Vampiress looked on the verge of tears, and little red dots appeared on the sides of her eyes, as if he tears would spill out any moment.

She said nothing, though. All of her fight seemed to have gone, and she was waist deep in confusion, and neck deep in fear. And even when she found her voice, for she made a couple of sounds like "I..." she couldn't think of anything that was appropriate to say, besides to explain herself. "I didn't peek in your brain, I swear to Jesus." she said honestly, shaking her head. "I shouldn't even be able to read your mind. I've tried before, and I can't read your mind. I don't know why I did..." she started making her way toward the door, since she figured the candles and the door were some kind of ominous demand to leave. When she passed through it, Alyss walked down the stairs, out the front door, and into the forest. The thick brambles and low branches scratched at her, but he didn't pay them any heed.

The Vampiress was so overcome with emotion, that she sat down on a tree stump and shook, trying to suppress her tears. The even that had just taken place was not the first she had experienced, although the one before was much more violent, much more terrifying, and she lost much more. Alyss, in a whirlpool of emotion, thankful that no one was watching her, because she hated to appear weak, she rested her hand on her face, elbows on her knees, and simply sat there, as if a statue.