Forums » Fantasy Roleplay » Essence of Blood (1x1)

"You could say that," he said, with a somewhat mischevious grin. He hardly ever had that expression. It gave him a childish look. He walked up the stairs and down the hall toward his room, stopping at the door and looking back at her. "This is the first time anyone will have been in my room since I've come back. I hope you will remember this fact."

He pushed the door open, revealing a dark, grim looking atmosphere. His bed was blood red and black velvet, pillows scattered about it and the floor. Books lined dark, dusty shelves around the room. Black drapes slid from the rods above the windows, though effectively kept any light from outside entering. Dark oak furniture resting carelessly around the room.

But there was one item that seemed to stand out. And he made his way toward it. It was an object covered with a red satin cloth. He pulled the cloth from it, revealing a good sized, oval shaped mirror. It looked normal for the most part, except that after a moment, it's reflective surface began to ripple. Alezander raised his hand, and moved it to the ripples, moving it through it as if it were water. But his flesh was hardly visible from the other side. After a moment, he pulled a brown parcel from it, covering the mirror once again and looking toward Zalia.

"Now, let's head back toward the study," he said, gesturing toward the door.

Zalia honestly felt rather honored to be allowed in his room this time. She would follow him in, looking around. His mischevious grin had made her intensely curious, and every detail of the room was taken in. She wondered why he wanted to show her, if this was all so special.

She followed him to the object, and when it was revealed to be a mirror she looked at him strangely. "Please tell me you aren't going to say 'mirror mirror on the wall'." she teased. Her teasing stopped the moment she saw the surface of the mirror ripple like a pond. "What's...?" She watched as he put his hand in, gasping softly. He put his hand through a mirror. That...was not normal.

However, it all made sense when he pulled out the parcel. "..wow.." She followed him back out to the study, turning her head to get one last look at his bedroom. "Your room's kind of messy." she commented. "Or more...haphazardly furnished. Why's that?"

He gave a small shrug to her question, setting the parcel down on the desk in the study. "It doesn't bother me any, and, as I've said, no one else sees it." This was true, but he didn't mention the rages he went through some nights, shoving and throwing things around. He had actually picked up a bit, so it was less obvious of the episodes that he had.

He tapped the box lightly with his fingertips before opening it slowly. He pulled out several fresh greens and carrots, along with a bottle and a container of what looked to be milk. "I think that will be sufficient enough for him, for now. Get him back to health with rabbit's milk, and try to get him to start eating solids with these. Hope you are up for the challenge," he stated, smiling back to her.

Zalia nodded a little in understanding. "Yes, that's true." She watched as he took out the objects and listened to him again as he spoke. "Don't worry. I am." She smiled and then took the bottle, going over to the rabbit that was settled in his basket. She held the bottle gently to his mouth. He sniffed at it for a moment, then started licking it. "See? I can do it. He just needs someone to care for him."

He nodded his head lightly at her, turning his attention back to the box. He pulled out an item, wrapped neatly in thick paper. He ripped the paper with care, and held the contents in his hand so only he could see it. He studied it for a long moment, before slipping a thick silver ring onto his middle finger. It had strange etching on it, as well as a ruby embedded into its surface.

"Useful, and nice to look at," he said, looking over to Zalia. He faded away, reappearing behind her and gently taking her right hand, careful not to disturb the bunny in her lap. He extended her finger and slipped a ring, matching his though with a small band, onto it. "This ring is special. It has magical properties, and will allow me to jump instantly to your side if you need me. No matter how far apart we are. That way, we won't have any more incidents."

Zalia didn't pay any attention as he brought another thing out of the box. She just pet the rabbit and let him have his milk, then tore off a little piece of lettuce for him to nibble at. When her hand was suddenly taken by Alezander, for a moment she thought she had zoned out and didn't see him moving. Her face blushed red, and she watched as he slid the ring onto her finger.

"That's good. Thank you." She smiled up at him, looking at him for a long few moments. When she realized he was still holding her hand she blushed and pulled it away. "I don't have to be afraid so much now, since you can be by me right away."

He continued to smile, even after Zalia pulled her hand away from his. He liked how shy she was. There were too few modest ones in the world, as far as he had seen. And he really looked for such a quality.

But his smile faded as he seemed to realize something. He stood up straight, bringing his hand over his face to rub it lightly. "I need some time alone. Please, don't mind my absence," he said, quickly making his way toward the door. Once out, he melded into the shadows, reappearing at the top of the staircase. He walked rapidly down the hall and into the black doored room that wasn't his bedroom.

Zalia watched his smile fade away, looking rather confused as he left. "Alezander?" Was he okay? She put Shadow onto his basket again and got up, going up the stairs just as the door to that banned room closed. "Alezander...Are you okay? What's wrong?" She went to the door and knocked on it. "Alezander...you don't have to be alone anymore. You're always helping me but you still suffer all alone. Will you please let me help you? I want to be there for you like you are there for me..."

She took hold of the door and tensed up. "Please...let me help you."

"I don't want help," came his voice from inside the room. "This is my own suffering. I must endure it alone. I can't get caught up in anything like it again." His voice was somewhat shrewd, but he seemed to realize this, and went silent. He could be heard pacing, though very lightly.

"It may sound strange, but if you try to help me, I fear it will only make things worse. I'm sorry if it doesn't make sense, but... I just can't accept your help." His voice softened this time, feeling that without an explanation, nothing would make sense to her. But, he couldn't give the explanation. It, truly, was his darkest secret.

Zalia bit her lip. "...no!" she suddenly declared boldly. "You don't have to do this alone. You just think you do. You think you have to do it alone because of who and what you are, don't you? You're not alone anymore, Alezander. So stop acting like it. I'm here. I won't make things worse."

Her hand tightened on the door, ready to throw it open. But yet she hesitated. "I don't want to be alone anymore." she said. "And I know you don't want to either. So stop forcing loneliness on yourself. You don't deserve it."

"Take your hand off the door," he said, his voice full of warning. "This is far more than you can understand. This isn't about how I'm weak... about how I'm doing this to torture myself. This is my twisted desires. This is about what I truly am! And I don't want you to see it or be apart of it!" There was a heavy thud, and silence. No sound of footsteps, nor of anything moving at all.

Zalia let go of the door. She had just resigned herself to loneliness and turned away, until she heard that thud. "Alezander?" She rushed back to the door, pressing her ear against it. "Alezander? Are you okay? Alezander!" She knocked on the door. It was too quiet in there, it scared her. "Alezander..!" She bit her lip and opened the door. She was worried about him, no matter what he said.

((I had to do it. xD))

The room was dressed in pure white. Bed sheets, curtains, furniture... it was someone blinding the way the light reflected off everything. There was parchment, what seemed like letters, and journals, sitting on a writing desk by the wall. Several mirrors were hanging from the walls, and paper flowers decorated the frames around them. But the one thing that stood out -- and stood out greatly -- was the girl laying on the bed, her eyes closed, and her hands crossed delicately over her chest. Beside the bed, Alezander had been kneeling, but he had moved quickly the moment Zalia had opened the door.

"I told you to never open this door," he said, appearing in front of her to block her view of everything. His voice had been very stern, and his lacked all emotion in it and on his face. He pushed her gently out of the room, though his hands were shaking as he did. Perhaps it was from anger, or from his fit.

Zalia stared at the girl, the most interesting in the whole thing. She gasped and jumped when Alezander was suddenly in front of her, and almost started crying. "I'm sorry! You stopped making sounds, I thought maybe you collapsed or you were hurt..." She let him push her out and she quickly turned, fleeing the hallway and going to her room.

What had that been? That girl. Was she dead? No, if that was so then wouldn't her body have decayed? Zalia sat down on her bed, shivering and shaking. She was scared. Not about the body, but about what Alezander would do to her for breaking his rule. Such a thing never ended well.

Zalia could feel the stress building, so she went into her bathroom and shut the door. She filled the tub and slid into the water after unclothing, letting her body shift forms. She stayed as a dolphin in the tub for a while. When she had calmed down enough, she changed back, got out, got dressed and went to lay on her bed after bringing Shadow back up.

Alezander watched her retreat to her room, his eyes resting on her door for a long time before he turned back to the room behind him. He looked to the girl, a distant look glazing over his eyes. "Marie..." he said lightly, almost longingly, before he shut the door. He melded into the shadows, reappearing every few feet until he reached the cellar door. He made his way down quickly, moving to the jars of blood to feed. His hands shook tremedously as he tried to pour himself a glass, but when he spilled it all onto the floor, he let out an angry yell and threw both the glass and the jar against the wall, shattering them into tiny pieces.

He turned, forgetting the idea of feeding and headed toward his room, the same way he had going to the cellar. Once in his room, door shut, he began to slip into a violent fit. With his fangs bared and his eyes red, he tossed his tables and chairs around the room, threw his fist into his large mirror, and ripping pillows and throwing their contents.

He was mad... enraged. But it wasn't at Zalia. It was at himself. He was ashamed, even if it were unclear as to why. He hadn't wanted anyone to know -- anyone to see. He tried calming himself now, though, taking deep breaths as he steadied himself over his bed, his eyes shut tightly as he clentched his teeth together, trying to suppress another yell.

He left his room, walking to Zalia's door, and raising his hand as if to knock on it. But he didn't. He seemed torn on what to do now. After a few more moments, he let his hand drop to his side, pacing by the door a few moments before he stood by the wall. He leaned against it, sliding down into a sitting position. His hands grabbed at his hair, and he hid his head between his knees.

Zalia had heard all the noise, curling up on her bed. She wanted to go help him, but if she did such a thing while he was so enraged she'd probably end up injured. She practically felt him at her door. The moments of silence were the moments that she felt her heart was hammering in her chest. What was he going to do?

Her sensitive hearing picked up on his movement when he sat down against the wall. She got up and shuffled to the door, opening it quietly. She looked over at him, quiet for a moment. Then she went and slid down to sit beside him. She didn't know what to say, so she just didn't say anything. She just sat there beside him. Quiet.

He didn't move when he heard the door opened, nor did he when Zalia sat down next to him. He didn't speak, at least not immediately. All this, would be hard to explain. He couldn't even explain it to himself fully. And he wasn't even sure he wanted to tell her why she saw what she had no doubtly seen.

"I don't know what to say, or how to say it, to give you an understanding of what... transpired just a bit ago. At least, not in a way you won't think I'm insane or --" He lifted his head, but only a little, his eyes barely visible through his hair as he looked at her. "I really would rather not talk about it, but, I think we are past that point."

Zalia listened to him. She rubbed the back of her neck for a moment and nodded at his question. "Yeah. We're past that." She looked at him. "Who is she, Alezander? Is she alive? Dead? Neither??" Time for all her questions to come out. "Why is her room so white? Why is she even in there? Why are you so STUPID?" That last one was followed up with another statement, Zalia's lips pulled down in a frown. "Don't think I don't see what that all is about, Alezander. You're torturing yourself. That's what you're doing, you're torturing yourself!"

Now for the big question. "Did you make her like that?"

He turned his face back toward his knees, silent as she questioned him. Each question could be answered simply. But the simplicity didn't make sense when you put them all together.

"I'll explain it all..." he said, taking a deep breath. His chest felt heavy, not wanting to do this. But he knew he had too.

"That is Marie, the person who turned me into what I am. She turned me into a vampire." His eyes wandered up a bit, to stare at the wall across from him. "She came to live with my family when I was eighteen. Her mother and father had died in a fire, and, we were the only relatives she had. She was related, somehow, through my mother. But, that was -- is -- her room. White was her favorite color, and that's how she decorated it. That room, hasn't changed since she first left. I've kept it the same, wanting to retain that memory."

He went silent, not wanting to continue. Everything he would say next, was everything he regretted. "I learned that she was a half-blood vampire. And that was why she looked so young and beautiful, despite whatever age she could have been. I never bothered to ask her. I was taken by her presence, and I always wanted to be around her. And she seemed to want the same. She would write me letters, so we could confess feelings without anyone knowing of it. She would right me poems, and songs. And it only made me fall more and more in love with her. And she confessed to me in those letters, that she had been bitten by another vampire, and turned to full. I found it somewhat intimidating, but, I didn't care. I was in love.

"Two years later, on the eve of my birthday, she finally took me alone... and seduced me. At the time, I think that was the greatest moment of my life. And then she bit me, after it was over. At first I wanted to struggle, but then I thought, I could live with her longer, just like this, if she turned me. So I let her." His fist tightened as he gripped his shirt.

"I wanted to stay with her forever, but... she didn't want the same. It turned out, she only wanted to use me. And the moment I confronted her, she fled. But not before showing my mother and father the letters I had written her, and telling them that I had turned undead for her. No one in my family would talk to me after that. After a few years of being shunned, I fled my home. I wanted to find myself, find out who I really was, and hoped that my family would accept me again when I did."

He now leaned his head against the wall, looking up at the ceiling as his hair hung loosely around his face. "Years and years passed. I think I lost count, but I started my venture home. And who do I happen to run into? Marie. I confronted her once again, and this time, things got out of hand. She had found someone, and bound to them, and I went into a jealous rage. I killed her, or so I think I did. I stabbed her through the heart, but she didn't turn to ash. I assumed it was originally because she was a half-blood, and that prevented her from disenegrating. So, I brought her home, to find no one here.

"Everything had been left as it was, as if they all had just, disappeared into thin air. But I didn't care. I had Marie. I put her in her room, and discovered, that her body wouldn't decay. I, to this day, am still perplexed to that fact. But I am certain she is dead." He shook his head slightly. "I thought I didn't need anyone, as long as I had her body here. As long as I could claim her as my own."

He turned his eyes to Zalia. "That was, until I found you in the town. I learned... That obession wasn't a substitution for real friendship. For true caring. I'm just... scared... that it's all an act. That I'll have my feelings betrayed once again. I don't want that. I don't want to get close to anyone, ever again."

He knew she must think him crazy. With all he said, he even thought himself so.

Zalia listened to his entire story. When the time came, she had to be honest. "That's disgusting." She rubbed her head. "You keep the body of your dead love in a room in your house. Despite everything she did to you. She ruined your life, Alezander, how do you still love her?! Just hearing about what she did to you makes me want to go in there and rip her to shreds! Why do you still love her?"

She bit her lip and stood up. "My dad beat me, Alezander, every chance he could. Do you think, if being ridiculed and injured was the only relations I ever had with anyone, that I would just go around and be nice to people and expect them to be nice to me? Do you think I'm not afraid too? I'm terrified, Alezander! When I saw that room I hid because I was waiting for you to come and hurt me!" She was a mess of emotions. She didn't know what to do.

She just stood there for a moment. She was building up stress again. "There's no room for me." she said quietly. She felt like crying. "There's no room for me, Alezander. Not while she has control of every part of your being. Not while she's intoxicating your mind, your soul and your heart. There's just not room for me."

She rubbed at her eyes. "...somehow..I'm the one that feels betrayed." She turned and went into her room, shutting the door behind her. She didn't even make it to the bed before she just collapsed and started crying. Everything felt so jumbled up inside her. She was so confused and hurt.