Dirty errands [tw]

He liked hearing how firm she could be when he needed her to. He wasnt going to stop her from doing what he had asked and his eyes followed her hands as they engulfed the hot bulb. He should have probably chosen something else, something that wouldnt render her useless while her hands would heal, but he needed to know that she was willing to sacrifice anything that he'd ask.
He nodded once the bulb was crushed, seeing the blood drip off her hand. He ran a finger under her hand, pulling some of her blood along his fingertip before lifting it to taste it. He frowned a little, finding the taste rather strange. He had always kept himself from drinking from his servants, at least those that had stuck around for quite a while. "Why is it different?" he asked, before he looked at her with a curious frown.

When he nodded, it was a sign to her that she had done right, removing her hand and letting stray pieces of glass fall to the desk. She looked down as he inspected her blood, and as he lifted it to taste it, she knew he would find it odd. It had nothing like it that it could be compared to here on Gambion. Some said it tasted like a walk beneath the moon, or maybe like fresh air on a cold night, but Ava had never had the guts to taste it herself. His question made her swallow, because she was not really supposed to disclose what she was to him, nor what she truly was. "I don't know why it's different, it's always been like this for as long as I can remember," she said truthfully. She didn't know why she didn't have real blood in her veins. "I'm not special in any way, master, I'm simply here to serve you," she said softly, folding her hands and grinding the small pieces of glass further in to her palm, gritting her teeth at the pain.

The taste was definitely something he couldnt describe with words because it felt more like he was tasting a feeling. It was really something that was confusing him and as she answered his question, he felt more confused than ever. She definitely wasnt human, which he had just thought all along. Even despite the fact that they had spent thousands of years together, he had just always thought she was some type of human. He watched her fold her hands and he raised an eyebrow at her before he shook his head. "Leave me," he just dismissed her before he returned to his chair to sit down and look at his papers once more. He definitely thought this was something he needed to think through, more so explore the lingering feeling in his system after tasting her blood.

It wasnt until late that he was still sitting in his chair when he normally would have gone to bed. He had leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes, looking rather peacefully as he just sat there and rested. Papers were spread all over the table and it seemed that he had been working quite hard up until he had drifted off.

Ava knew that he still had her blood in his system, because she could feel it. She had removed the glass splinters from her hands, binding them up nicely before going to bed, however she couldn't sleep. Instead, she wanted to make her master see the things how she saw them. Blood was powerful in this world, it bound together lineages and it could define wether or not someone fit in to the society around them.

She came to him in his dream, holding out her hand to him. She looked almost like herself, despite her body being made up of what seemed like endless light. "Your wish, master ... Remind me what your wish was," her voice were soothing and sweet, holding his hand as she guided him through the stars around them. She knew the way, all he needed to say was what he wanted. "Tell me what you wished for, tell me and I'll do anything for you," she said.

"And have I not stayed by your side? Have I not been loyal?" she said, giggling as she looked at the stars around them. He stopped them and she sighed at his question. Placing her free hand against his cheek, she looked in to his eyes, letting him see the galaxies of endless space that unfolded within them. "It's where I come from ... It's my family," she said, a few lights flying up to her face, caressing her face as she sighed, whispering something in an unknown language before they flew off again. "I gave them up for you, master, I didn't want you to be lonely anymore," she said, and just as that, the dream was over.

He looked around at the stars as he listened to her words, frowning a little till she placed her hand on his cheek. He looked at her and though he wasnt sure what was going on, he kept his eyes on her, a mix of confusion and amazement in his eyes. He watched the lights caress her face and it seemed that in the blink of an eye, he woke up before he could ask her any further about the stars and why she had called them her family. He realized that he was clinging on to the armrests of his chair as his breath trembled - Though he had no memory of his dream, there was a lingering feeling of how he had felt in the dream. He blinked a few times before he controlled his breath, drawing in a few deep breaths.

Ava turned over in her bed, feeling tears run down her cheeks, but it was only because she knew he wouldn't remember. He would continue to be cruel, but she just couldn't leave him. She knew it wasn't good for her, but she had been living with this mindset for so long that it had been ingrained in her that she deserved whatever fate he decided. That night she tossed and turned for hours, finding rest hard and after a few hours of sleeping she decided to get up, walking out to her balcony and looking up at the stars. She could see the constellation of Gemini still so visible, and she felt empowered. Perhaps that was one of the only things that had kept her going for so many years. The fact that despite she would never have a chance to return, she knew they were watching over her, and that had to count for something.

He decided to just go to bed and not think any further about it. Once he got in bed and had drifted off, he was back to dreaming nothing at all. He woke up feeling quite rough and he didnt know why. A servant got to feel just how bad his mood was when he had started to yell at her for something as trivial as the way his meal had been arranged. It wasnt even something that he normally would have been bothered by, but he was just too tired to look past mistakes, even the smallest ones. He had struck her and it was only because she controlled her whimper that he let her go. "Useless, all of you!" he scolded her as she left, sitting down before he looked at his meal. He didnt even want to eat it and decided to go out in the garden and walk around for a bit to calm himself.

The next day Ava awoke later than she had expected, however she always had the day after a hunt off. It was part of the agreement that she had made with Marius. She had decided to wear a dress, one of her casual outfits, and she had been out in the garden for a while. Her hands were still wrapped up in gauze, but the bleeding had stopped at least. She sat in one of the large gazebos, just looking out at the flowers and arrangement of statues that made the garden seem like a dream. Her hair she had braided, far from how she was usually allowed to have it when working. Even on her days off she didn't stray far from the mansion. It was as if it made her even more lonely, and staying close to her wish maker was something that made her happy; despite his obvious dislike in her.

She saw him, walking among the statues and she felt herself wonder if he had been a statue once too. It was a silly thought, and as he came closer she kept her eyes down, looking at a page in her book she had been reading. She hadn't known how to read when she had come here, the languages of Gambion being one giant mess to her, but she had gotten to learn during her stay. He spoke to her, making her keep her eyes lowered, not wishing to intrude on his day when she wasn't of use. His words made her eyes flicker for a bit. "I like the gardens ... They calm me, and the fresh air is good for my body," she said. She wanted to ask him if he could remember, try and pry his memory, but she just couldn't She couldn't be as brave as she had in the dream, touching him and comforting him. No, she had to keep this distance, it was for the best. She couldn't love him, she knew she couldn't, because she didn't know what love was. "I'm re-reading the book I first read when I was learning to read, the one you suggested, master," she said, lifting up the book to show the cover. The book was old at this point, almost falling apart, but she had kept it through all these years. It was a thing he had gifted her, and she liked re-reading it when she had the time.

Ava felt a little nostalgic sitting here next to Marius, mostly because the early years she had spent a lot of late afternoons helping him with his paperwork. However over the years it seemed like the more she remembered, the less he did. Frowning a little, she looked at the book in her hands. Sure, it was rather worn and torn, the pages fragile from years of being used, but it had some sort of meaning to her. What exactly it was, she wasn't sure of, but she found comfort in it. "Master, no-one would doubt your abilities based on what a mere servant reads," she said. She didn't see herself as important, she saw herself as a pawn in his life, to be used to his will. As he got up and reached his hand out to her, she wanted to be independent, stand up on her own, but she took his hand. Could he feel how it really felt for her? How she wanted to show him the stars like she had in her dreams, bring him with her up among her family and never let him be alone again? "I ... I would be very honored, master," she said, still looking down.

"Maybe not," he argued with a shrug, but even if he didnt really care how the mass would view him, but he did care about how he mostly viewed himself. "Then let's call it for my peace of mind," he rephrased himself before he waited for her to make up her mind whether to take his hand or not. When she did, he helped her to her feet quite elegantly before letting his eyes look at the wrappings she bore. Her words made him frown a little. "You can just call me Marius for the day," he said, though it had been so long since he had allowed her to call him by name. It was just the odd feeling of calmness he felt around her, though he didnt know why he felt that. He started to walk for the library, matching his pace with hers. "Have you only read that book for all these years?" he asked, finding it a little strange if she had.

As he said that she could just call him by his name, she shook her head. She hadn't done it in so long, and she felt like it would only hurt her more if she played pretend. "There's no need for me to dress you casually, master, I know my place and it wouldn't be good for me to think otherwise," she said, hoping he would understand. Even if he didn't, she would just have to deal with the consequences eventually. She knew she liked saying his name, but it was only because it was so engrained in to her. He started to walk, and she let her hand rest on his arm as they walked if that was how he wanted it. His question made her look at the book she held close to her chest. "I have read others, but this one is my favorite," she admitted. Perhaps that was admitting to a weakness that he would come to tear down later, but for now she decided to tell him everything he asked for. "There is something so rewarding about reading it through every time, and how every experience is so different," she said.

She knew what he meant, but she wouldn't. It was as if Marius was who he used to be, and master was who he was now. Feeling the staffs gaze on her, she just kept her eyes down, not wanting to confront anyone or let anyone see how this simple gesture made her happy. She knew it wasn't about her, and she knew that this meant nothing to him, but to her it was everything she missed about her first years with him.
Inside his library, she stood still as he moved away, finding a book he had in mind. He returned, and her eyes rested on the book as he spoke. Reaching out she took it carefully, not wanting to seem greedy or eager. She needed to save face. "Master ... May I be blunt?" she asked, feeling breathless as she felt nervous to even question his actions. She was grateful, she hoped that he knew that, but she just needed to know why he was this kind to her all of a sudden. Her eyes were kept on the book, looking at the beautifully bound leather around it, seeing the title stamped in to it and lined with golden letters. "As much as I appreciate this gesture, I'm afraid you'll be using it later to hurt me," she whispered, feeling like she should be whipped for even speaking it out loud. She looked at her hands, seeing the gauze she knew it wouldn't be long before she had to change them.

She knew she had angered him, even before she spoke, but he had allowed her to ask without filter. Now she would have to deal with the anger that she knew bubbled up inside him. However she didn't want to yell back, in fact she wanted to hold him in her arms, hold him close enough to know that she understood his pain, understood his loneliness. His words made her swallow, however as he grabbed her chin, her eyes looked softly in to his. Even after all he had done, she was still so loyal. "I ask you every time, if it will make you happy - You have never replied no," she whispered, however she wasn't defiant. Rather she was still holding her book as well as herself with a straight posture. "If hurting me makes you happy, then I'll always be willing to do what you ask," she said. She was self-sacrificing in that way, putting his well-being so much above her own. "But I don't think you do it to hurt me, I think you do it to feel something," she confessed. Her eyes looked directly in to his, the galaxies and stars that unfolded within her eyes were vast, like looking in to a deep hole of infinity. Most people weren't a fan of how it felt to look directly in her eyes, so she kept her gaze low most of the time.

Seeing the hurt eyes, she felt like taking those words back. Ava had always hated seeing him sad, it was as if it was hurting her in her core. But she let him look in to her eyes, hoping that whatever he was thinking, wasn't thoughts of how he could punish her next. However she could feel him, almost sense his thoughtful mind. He let go of her, slowly but surely, and this time he looked away. Looking down once more she breathed out as he muttered for her to run along, but she felt like she wanted to thank him. "I'll ask for the kitchen to bring you some chamomile tea, you haven't slept well," she said. She passed him, letting her hand rest on his arm for a while, looking at his face. "Thank you, master, thank you for the book and for the life I'm living," she whispered vulnerably. Then she let go of his arm, not wanting to make him more angry and walking off to the kitchen.
The kitchen was always alive with servants, and it didn't take long before she had sent a servant to Marius with the tea. She knew how the herb could calm him, and she knew that his bad sleep was because of her. The guilt was visible in her face, but people around her had already started whispering. How the master seemed tired, how Ava and him had been out late, and now how she had held her hand on his arm. Some people were calling her crazy, others had started whispering about how their master was to a woman like Ava.

He stood his ground as he waited for her to go, though her words in passing made him feel a little calmer, though his face showed none of it. It was her whisper that baffled him a little, leaving him speechless as she made her leave. He just stood there for a while and looked into the the nothingness in his library as he tried to figure out what she meant. Why was she thanking him? He couldnt make sense of it.
The tea was brought to his room where he sat down with a book, which he hadnt in a long while. He sipped the tea and sighed to himself as he just sat there reading. He ended up falling asleep in his chair once again with the book on his lap and the tea cup empty.

Her days off looked much alike, but she decided to go for a walk in the town that afternoon. She hoped that Marius was getting some sleep, but she knew that she had to be weary for the next day. As she walked the streets, she couldn't help but smile a little, looking down at the book she had been gifted. Ava was a simple woman, or she didn't even know if woman was something she could classify as. She knew a few things about living here on Gambion, but much else she was unfamiliar with. This part of Churchill was rather nice, the large mansions not afraid of showing off it's owners wealth. However she felt like she needed to head further away from the posh area, moving in to the Central District as she felt herself caught by reading the book as she walked. It was a small selection of stories, one more interesting than the other, and she felt so happy as she just walked along. Much too preoccupied by the fantasy world in her hands, she didn't notice that she had someone follow her.
Ava knew very little about what was seen as attractive in this world, and she was completely oblivious to the fact that she looked appealing, so as she turned a corner and the man gained in on her, she felt a little confused. The man grabbed a hold of her arm, dragging her with him down an alley where he pinned her to the wall. His eyes dark and hungry, clearly a vampyre already weakened from the sunlight, but clearly hungry. Ava looked up at him as he grabbed her chin, but she didn't even get to say anything as the man grabbed her chin, placing his fingers over her mouth. The astrelis was not one easily to get scared, but a stranger being so close to her didn't feel good. "I'm sorry, love, I just need a taste," he mumbled, clearly fatigued, showing his teeth. Frozen with fear she just stood there, staring at him with big doe eyes. It dawned on her that he had caught the scent of the dried blood on her hands, her wounds still fresh and healing.

It was just another regular day for Connor, he was heading home from school on his bike just as he seemed to catch something in his eye as he passed an alley. He frowned a little to himself as he stopped rather sudden, only to backtrack and make sure he wasnt seeing what he thought he saw. The vampyre that loomed over the woman made him frown a little as he thought that a vampyre attack wasnt something you saw every day nowadays.
"Hey!" he intruded, huffing his chest up a little, though he was kind of afraid and for good reasons too. A seraph wasnt really strong, at least not as strong as a vampyre, even a fatigued one. He worried that he would have to actually fight this guy. "There are bloodbanks for that kind of stuff now." he said like the guy didnt already know.