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

He gave her a smile, saying "Of course. The first birthday of a new life." He held out his arms to all the things. He then pulled a match from his shirt pocket, striking it against the counter top and lighting the one candle.

"Don't forget to make a wish, and then we will open your presents. One at a time though." He seemed like he knew that Zalia would like what he had got her, because he kept looking at them and smiling.

Zalia hesitated, then stepped forward. Not a single soul had ever held a birthday party for her, certainly not her own father. A wish? "Uhm...okay." She closed her eyes tight, focused on the wish, and then lightly blew out the candle. Her eyes went immediately to the presents. She'd never gotten presents before and she was almost giddy.

The more time she spent looking at her little party scene, the more excited she got. Like an orphaned child in their very first Christmas with their new family. "May I open one now? Please?"

"I hope it was a good wish," he said, giving her a wink. He knew that she was excited, and he was glad. He felt this was a nice way to make up for last night.

"Hmm..." he said, making a motion as if he was thinking. "I don't know..." He continued to smile, before handing her the smaller of the presents, wrapped in simple blue paper with a red bow resting on top. "Hope you like it."

Inside, she would find a golden chain, with a sapphire heart resting on a locket. He didn't know why, but he just felt that blue was Zalia's color. He thought it made her look very nice.

Zalia hoped it was a good wish too. She smiled brightly and took the small present, unwrapping it quickly. She lifted the necklace lightly by the chain and smiled happily. "It's beautiful..." She blushed brightly and carefully put it on, as if she were scared that it would break in her hands.

"Thank you so much." She touched the locket gingerly, her cheeks still pink. She had never gotten a present, and to get one so beautiful and delicate made her feel...well, special.

Of course, once more she acted like a little child with her eyes going over to the other present. "May I open that one now?"

((Sorry its short :x))

Alezander laughed at her eagerness. "I think I want to make you wait, just to see you continue to be so excited and anxious." He waited a moment, before pushing the other box toward her. It was wrapped nicely in a pick wrapping. His eyes wandered between her, and it, and back.

Inside was a silk dress, the colors of pink and red the top layer, and lacey white cloth underneath as the second layer. It had sleeves running to the elbow, and the dress rose to just above the knees.

Zalia blushed when he laughed and spoke of her being so excited. She started opening the box the moment he pushed it towards her. When she pulled out the dress, she was speechless. "I...it's amazing. It's so beautiful..." A lot of her wanted to protest, to say she didn't deserve such a pretty thing and that he didn't have to spend so much money on her.

But it was a present. So she ran her fingers lightly along it. "Stay here." She quickly went up to her room and changed into it. It felt so nice on her skin. Once it was settled on her body and she'd brushed out her hair nicely and fixed her necklace in place again, she walked downstairs. her cheeks were as pink as the dress. "How...how does it look?"

Alezander leaned against the table as she excitedly ran upstairs, no doubt changing into it. He couldn't help but continue to smile, glad to see her so happy.

The moment she came back down, he pushed himself from the table and clapped his hands together once. It was just as he thought it would look, and better. "It looks extravagant, simply beautiful. You would turn heads in a large crowded room, there is no doubt of that." He looked at her for a few moments longer, before picking up a knife that was beside the cake.

"Now, for the tasty part," he said, cutting a small slice for her.

Zalia blushed brightly at his compliment. "It feels so nice. Thank you so much!" She walked over as he cut the cake. It looked delicious. She took the piece and got a fork to start munching on it, then she sat down and just focused on eating her cake. She smiled happily. "This is the best birthday ever." She seemed so happy. So perfectly content.

Once her cake was finished she put away her dishes and then looked at Alezander. "Thank you very much."

"It's not a problem at all," he said, a little jealous that he couldn't enjoy the fluffy cake like her. "I should thank you... for being so tolerant of me. I will do my best, to behave myself around you from now on." He tapped his fingers lightly on the countertop, while looking at her. He thought for a moment, wondering what else he could do for her on such an important day.

"Is there anything you would like to do? Or try? It is your birthday after all. Just because we opened the presents, doesn't mean it has to end." He brushed his hair from his face, the golden earring he was wearing shimmering in the light. The birthdays he celebrated would have to be a little different than this one, given the situation for them.

Zalia listened to him and smiled softly. "It's okay. I don't mind. I understand." She thought over his words and just shrugged a little. "I don't know." she said honestly. "I never really thought much about that kind of thing. But you've been here longer, what is here that we can do? And it's your house, after all.."

She squirmed slightly. Now she was confused about what to do. She wasn't used to being alone with people.

"Well," he said, making his way over to her. "I can think of one more thing I can give you." He was now close to her... very close. He was almost leaning down to her, as he raised his hand and moved a lock of hair from over her shoulder. He smiled.

"I know you like reading, and other things like that... and there is a room in the west wing, that you may very much enjoy. It was my family's study. There are books upon books in there, as well as parchments and instruments. I wouldn't be surprised if you even found an old family album." He held out his arm to her. "I shall take you there, if you wish."

Zalia's heart started racing as he drew close to her. Her cheeks were as pink as her dress once more and she remained completely still as he moved that lock of hair. His close proximity was taking up all her attention, making it very difficult to thing and listen to his words.

Of course when he spoke of books and a study, she managed to blink out of the trance he'd had her in and realize what he had said. "R-really? Y-yes, I'd like that..." She accepted his arm and would let him lead her to the room. She kind of wanted to find an old family album. She wanted to learn more about Alezander.

And he led her to the room. Instead of heading up the stairs though, he took the hallway that was hidden in plain sight by it. Hardly noticable if you weren't looking for it. The hallway was just as long as the one upstairs, with just as many doors. The first one they came to, he opened, allowing her to enter.

There were tall bookshelves lining the walls, and a couple of desks in the open spaces in between them. There was even a fireplace, though it looked like it had been ages since it had been lit. Alezanderbegan walking around the room, being pulled back into his former life. He hadn't visited this room since his return, and he was surprised at how much it hadn't changed.

"This is were me and my sister were schooled. My mother had always wanted to be a teacher, but she was constantly ill, so she had to make due with only two pupilsm" he said, giving a subtle laugh. "And my father would do all his bookwark at the desk by the fireplace." He looked at the key points of the room, before shaking his head. "Of course, none of that matters. This is your study now."

He made his way over to the fireplace, sifting through the dirt, ash, and burnt wood to see what he could do with it all. After a moment, he stood back up, dusting his hands off. "A good cleaning and I can have a fire roaring in there in no time."

Zalia moved around the room as they entered it, listening to him reminisce. "It must have been nice." she said quietly. She'd never had that, never had a family or someone who cared. "M-mine?" She looked at him in surprise. Surely he was joking.

"Of course it matters!" she said, suddenly vehement. "This place is precious to you. It holds happy memories. All of that matters! You have to cherish those memories, not pretend they never existed!"

The girl looked away after her outburst, fingers running along the spines of some books on a shelf. "Happy memories are precious. You shouldn't let them go so easily.." She would give the world for happy memories. As it was, her memories so far with Alezander were not something she'd pretend never happened.

He chuckled, taking a book off a shelves and dusting it off. "You're right. Sometimes, I just feel like, because it's all different, that I'm not allowed to remember my life before." He then placed the book onto the desk by the fire, the title now legible. Gold letters read The Prodigal Son.

"I'll go get firewood," he said, looking at her. Once we get a nice, warm fire, you'll be more comfortable." He brushed his hair from his eyes and left the room, heading down the hall toward the front door. All-in-all, he admitted, this had been a very fun evening, so far. And the moment he left the house...

"Are you bi-polar, or just crazy?" came a smooth voice beside the door. Dark blonde hair fluttered gently in the wind as Kai stood there, having been waiting for him.

"Well, it was a nice evening," Alezander said, turning to her. Kai narrowed her eyes.

"You still owe me," she said, her voice turning harsh. Alezander clicked his tongue, thinking for a moment.

"Not right now, though. We are celebrating," he said, turning back to get the firewood. Kai scowled before fading away, reappearing with her hands on his shoulders, and leaning in close to his ear.

"I'm hurt," she said, her voice turning silky like it had been last night with Zalia. "You didn't invite me? You should make up for it, by letting me have your blood." Alezander hesistated, but turned quickly, grabbing her arm.

"I'm in no mood for your games," he said, his voice completely serious now. "You will get your blood when I give it to you."

"That was not the agreement, monster!" Kai yelled, baring her fangs at him. "I will get what's due to me right now. Either from you, or from your pretty friend."

Alezander lunged at her, attempting to throw her against the wall. But Kai turned, in a graceful way, slipping from his grip and moving beside him. "You will not hurt her. She is only half, she doesn't harbor the intense desires that we do as often as us. You harming her would go against your beliefs."

"Your kind is a plague," Kai said, lunging at him, making him take several steps back to dodge her. He then countered at her, hitting her chest and knocking her against the estate wall. She slowly pushed herself up, adding, "Half bloods are just as bad. They still have the demon in them."

Alezander grabbed her by the throat when she came at him again. She clawed at his arm, attempting to free herself, but to no avail. Alezander held her there, but did nothing else. He seemed to realize something. "How long has it been since you fed? Did you not have another feeding after the last time we met?" Kai only continued to struggle, not answering him. "I see," he continued. "You've lost some of your sanity. You really did need me..."

He then raised his other hand, placing it behind her head as he brought her toward him, almost as if he were hugging her. But it was only a second before Kai's fangs sank into his neck.

((Sorry, I got carried away. Hope it wasn't too long ))

Zalia smiled a little bit when he agreed with her. She noticed the book and walked over to it when he went to get firewood. "Okay." However, after just a few moments, something felt wrong. She left the book alone and went out of the room. She heard voices. Kai and Alezander.
As she crept closer, she could start making out some of the words.

'Half bloods are just as bad. They still have the demon in them.'

Zalia shivered and stopped. She peeked out the door and saw him hugging her. But she could smell the blood in just a moment and it made her stumble back. She turned quickly and ran back into the study, closing the door tightly behind her. What had just happened?

Demon. Blood. Zalia could feel herself panicking. And with the panic came that tingling all over her body. "No. Oh no. No no no no not here." She threw open the door and dashed up the stairs, stumbling a few times as her body convulsed. She pulled off the dress in the process, leaving it laying on the floor of the hall. She ran into her room, not even bothering to close the door and filled the tub to the brim with water. Her mind begged for the tub to be big enough.

Zalia was shaking violently by now. She leaned over the tub and fell bodily into the water, just as her body gave one final convulsion and shifted into the form of a dolphin.
She wasn't as big as normal dolphins, thankfully, which made it easier for her to fit in the tub.

Poor Alezander was in for quite the surprise when he came back.

((No problem at all, it was fantastic!))

It took longer than normal for Kai to finish draining the blood from Alezander, far longer than he recalled it ever taking. It was painful, how she bit him furiously, but he showed no expression of feeling it. It was a bit, before she pulled away, as if surprised by what had happened.

Blood, of a darker crimson than normal, dripped from her mouth and off her chin. She quickly raised her sleeve to wipe what she could off. She looked to Alezander, her breath heavy. He had blood running from his neck, down to his jacket and shirt, making an obvious mess. He looked to the blood on him, saying, "That was my favorite jacket. You never make a mess when you feed." He raised his hand to his neck, wiping the blood off. There was no wound where she had bitten him, though it was obvious as to why.

"I'm sorry," Kai said, looking away from him now, shame obvious on her face.

"You waited too long. You shouldn't do that. Tell me next time, and I won't tease you with it," Alezander said, making his way past her.

"You shouldn't tease me with it anyway," she retorted, closing her eyes. She turned as well, walking toward the town. "I'll be back next month, then."

Alezander didn't reply, but made his way inside and into the kitchen. He washed himself the best he could at the kitchen sink, feeling disgusted at the sight of his own blood. To him, it just looked dirty. But he would need to feed soon, having lost so much lifeforce. He turned, heading back to the study to find Zalia. He entered the room, remembering that he didn't even grab the firewood. But quickly noticed Zalia wasn't in there.

He looked around curiously, before heading upstairs. He stopped when he saw the dress lying in the hallway. He picked it up, and looked to her open door. He cleared his throat, and slowly made his way toward it, tapping lightly on the doorway, but having the decency to not peek in incase she was there. "Are you alright?" he asked. And after a moment of silence, he peered in, not seeing her, though the bathing room light was on and he heard the water running. "Surely you didn't need a bath that badly?"

He didn't approach, not wanting to invade her privacy.

Zalia didn't say anything. Not that she could, which was why she stayed silent. Any noise she would have made would have come out as a usual dolphin's chirp. She just stayed in the water as still as she could. She didn't want him to see this. Didn't want him to know she was more of a dirtied blood than he had thought. She was odd, strange. Different even for half-bloods.

The bathtub was cramped and Zalia longed to find somewhere to swim freely. But she just waited, staying quiet and trying to calm herself down. She stubbed her fin against the side of the bathtub and let out a light trill of pain, instantly regretting the noise.

That obviously was not a noise a human could make.

Alezander stood for a moment, hearing the noise. He was confused by it, not knowing what could have made the sound. "I'm coming in," he warned her, in case she wasn't decent. He slowly made his way into the bathroom, looking to the bathtub instantly. He looked for a long moment, slowly realizing there was a dolphin in the bath tub. And he was pretty sure that wasn't normal. But there was only one logical way, if that, that a dolphin could end up in his house.

"Zalia?" he asked, uncertainty in his voice. He didn't know what to think. He wasn't sure he wanted to make sense of this. This had to be the oddest thing he had ever seen.

Zalia stayed positively still. When he said her name, she gave a small chirp. There was no room in the tub for her to hide from him, unfortunately. However...just when she thought the situation could get no worse, it did.

The dolphin started shaking. Just a little at first, but then more and more. She thrashed a bit in the tub, then gave a final convulsion and her body twisted and morphed back into her human form.

Now things were worse. She was laying naked in the tub with Alezander standing right there. Her hands and arms quickly went to try and cover herself, her face bright red and ashamed.