𝔟𝔩𝔬𝔬𝔡𝔟𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔡 (𝔰𝔦𝔯𝔢𝔫﹠𝔰𝔱𝔞𝔦𝔫𝔢)

[Bunny]

Icy air ripped through her lungs with each ragged breath. The raid had happened unexpectedly. Even though her terror for a fleeting moment Arianna's mind snorted. Unexpected. All raids were unexpected. Her bare feet sped along the rough terrain, one of many fleeing from them. Vampires. The undead. Monsters. No matter what you called them, they were pure evil. The woods would have normally been quiet, but this night they were filled with screams, brush being trampled and the harsh breathing of other humans. Aria had been asleep when they had struck and it was only Theo that had saved her from meeting her fate sooner. His rough hands as he shook her awake and pulled her through the fighting, the slaughter... the horror. They had been lucky. Or at least so she had thought before she had been tackled. As she ran she could feel the bruise forming along the side of her face from where she had fallen, dazed by the impact. Theo had thrown himself at the monster, screaming for her to flee.

Flee.

She could feel shame for leaving him and so many others behind later. Arianna wasn't some helpless damsel, she was a fighter. It had been drilled into her from birth by her adoptive father and Theo's true father. This world held no pity for humans. Not any more. They couldn't rest on their laurels, couldn't become complacent. Complacent got you dead or worse. A branch slapped against her cheek, sharp as it split her cheek and she could feel the warmth of her own blood in the cold night air.

The monsters had picked their night well. Moonless, it put the humans at a disadvantage. Even Aria, who knew these woods like the back of her hand, stumbled and slipped as she ran. She wanted nothing more than to stop, to try and go back. See what had become of her den... But there were heavy footfalls behind her, the clink of something more than the rough cloth or leather that her kind wore. Risking it she turned to look over her shoulder and she could see her pursuer, hot on her tail. "Fuck." The word held the warmth of anger and the bitterness of frustration as she put on a burst of speed. If she couldn't escape this... thing... then Theo's sacrifice would be in vain. Like her big brother, Theo had looked out for her as long as Aria could remember. There wasn't a day his sun kissed blond locks and warm smile hadn't been in her life. He had put it all on the line for her.

Shifting she tried to turn, though at this point she wondered if she was just running out the clock on the evitable... That was when her foot caught on the slickness of rotting leaves her body sliding forward before she careened into an oak with a sickening thud. The wind left her in a rush and her world spun a second time, as she slipped to the roots of the tree. A derisive laugh sounded above her and there was another sharp pain at her temple before her world went black.

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A groan left Aria, her head throbbing. The rocking had woken her but it was the press of bodies, the stench of fear and adrenaline that made her stomach roll uneasily. Bodies closed in around her, swaying as the... cart... that is what it was rolled along the cobblestones. Some around her cried, others offered up prayers to whatever deity they believed in for salvation. Aria knew what they prayed for. Death. When faced with the alternative... there wasn't a human here that would wish for anything else. A fate worse than death would to be sold as a blood slave. Slowly used and abused until the mind or body broke and you were thrown away like a dejected toy. That was all that they, humans, were to them. First and foremost they were food. Chattel. Secondly a source of sick amusement. While no one really knew what happened to those who were captured in the raids, for none ever came back, they knew it wasn't good.

The back of her head bounced against the iron of the bars and she groaned again. She wanted to stand but she was unsure if there would be room. Struggling to her feet, those around her shifted to let her, though it was perhaps a blessing there was so little room so when she swayed uncertainty on her feet, the ground rushing up to meet her for a moment she didn't collapse back to the rough wooden floor of the cage. Hands steadied her, and she made a soft mumble of thanks towards them as her own hands wrapped along the iron bars. Her voice felt rough as she spoke louder. "What happened?" It was what she had expected. Most of the den had been captured, very few escaped. Some of the children.. Those around her knew her. They had known her since she'd been small. "Theo?" There was a small shake of a heads near her and she fought back the rising panic. It must have shown for an older woman brushed her wild red hair back from her face. "We don't know what became of him. He wasn't among the dead..." Exhaling she started to nod and then thought better of it. "I hope he made it out..." Theo was in line to take over from his father.. He deserved better than this.

The cart slowed and then stopped and Aria took a deep breath. Now... their fates would be decided. If you were lucky, you would be drained of all your blood right away. No drawn out torment. No living hell. Just the blissful ever after awaited. So what if it involved hundreds of needles. The pain would last but a moment and then it would be over. She couldn't see past the people, but she could hear noises past them. The gathering of vampires to bid on them, like they were nothing more than beasts. Wild, savage beasts.

One by one they were drawn from the cage. Some went crying, others stoically as they were led onto the chopping block. Arianna knew what she looked like, or what she had looked like before the raid. It had been almost two weeks since her last hasty bath. Her skin had been dirt smudged before her many falls, her flaming locks matted and twisted with leaves and likely sticks. Like all of those around her, Aria had never known a truly full belly and she could easily count her ribs. She was a scrawny thing even for her age. At sixteen, she should have been several inches taller and perhaps had her diet been better, they might have been some curves along her body. She had to look even worse now though, her body ached and her head throbbed viciously. The heat of the bodies that surrounded her slowly lessened and she could now see the stage. To the right there were women, men and children huddled together. It didn't take her long to figure out what they were grouped there. With the children crying, their young lives destined to be ended long before their time. They were the lucky ones.

Aria watched through narrowed eyes as a shirtless man was dragged out of the cage. It was then that she noticed all the men were shirtless and she felt instant disgust for the reason why. To entice the female monsters to bid... Arianna closed her eyes and said a silent thank you to whomever listened to their prayers that they had allowed the women to remain clothed. The man was purchased by a waspish looking vampire, her features severe. The way the woman looked at him, as if wondering what his insides tasted like made her stomach give a roll. One by one, they were pulled from that cage, their fates sealed and for everyone led to what had to be a fresh hell.

A strong hand clamped around her arm and dragged her out. She stubbled for a moment, to keep up with the long strides of the man. Pulled onto that damned stage she refused to show them her fear. Chin held high she glared at all of the leeches before her. Never show fear. Those three words a mantra in her mind over and over to still the shaking that wanted to start in her hands. Nails bit into her palms, quelling the trembles as they threatened to start. Hungry eyes raked over her skin and each place they touched made her feel far more filthy than she truly was. A man stepped forward, his features sharp. Golden blond hair and weaselly blue eyes, his kin a pallor that made him look more like a corpse than the others around him. His smile was oily and it made her skin crawl as his eyes ranked down her body for a second time. "I will take her... she might be good for some amusement..." Even his voice was off and it ran down her spine like nails. "At least... until I break her."

It took everything in Aria to not rip her arm from the vamp that held her. To flee into the streets. The man rifled in his pockets, retrieving the sum in which to buy her. She couldn't... wouldn't... let him touch her. If she ran.. perhaps they'd kill her? Golden coin was passed to the slaver and one pallid hand reached for her when a voice rang out. "Stop." There was command in that voice, it reverberated in the air and the hand that had been about to touch her froze. Angry eyes turned towards the speaker and Aria would have sworn it wasn't possible for the vampire to get paler and yet... he did. Her eyes trailed past him towards the man he looked at.

 

[Staine]

It was just one more thing Reiderich had to push down. It wasn't as though he wasn't used to pushing his own feelings deep down, he'd done it for centuries now. Every time his brother or father had tortured humans, played with them as though they were simply toys for them to mess with until they broke before finding new ones, at the slaughter of any human that didn't immediately bow down to their whims, to entire families dying in an instant. To the way some of his kind wouldn't just feed to survive but would gorge on the blood, the extravagance of using life itself in such a way when they didn't have to, when their victims could survive. To the horrors of the very city they had created in the aftermath of the war, to the state of the meek human race now and the way the slaves trembled in fear of their new overlords. A lot of things disgusted him and he had to hide his true feelings on them all, lest his father or siblings or even the common guards spotted any kind of weakness in him, anything to exploit. Oh, his brother would love that, would love the throne for himself. Reiderich was often a disappointment in how he didn't appear to relish in the torture and sadism his brother and father shared, but he was the stronger of the siblings physically, he had a gift for politics and more patience for actual ruling than either of them had. That alone had managed to make him more useful to their father. His opinions and talents kept him as the heir.

This was something entirely different. He was pushing down not distaste or disgust but his own damned pain. He hated that she saw him as a monster, he realised, and every time she stiffened as he grew closer or flinched as he moved, as he'd grabbed her wrist, he had to push it all deeper in to his own core to hide from her that it even bothered him at all. Cold and inhuman, that was how they were meant to appear. With what seemed like an endless reserve of patience he slowly guided her finger as he read to her, then he let her take over, listened to her soft voice as she spoke aloud, and where she struggled he corrected her gently. He explained the different sounds of the English language even though they were written similarly until she was making progress towards getting them right herself, figuring out the contextual clues that make it easier to read and he was surprised when she stopped to reach for the chocolate. Watching her unwrap it, he was as ever, expressionless as she tasted a piece. When she looked up at him he couldn't read her quite as well, and the slightest look of surprise flickered across his face as she thanked him and he felt a warmth in his chest, a glow. He held himself back from speaking for a few seconds, afraid his tone might give away what a big deal that had been for him when he was on the verge of giving up hope, even after only one day.

"You're welcome, Arianna. Did you like it?" He turned his attention back to the book. "You're learning fast. Remember what I told you? It's not intelligence, you're obviously very smart." He traced his fingers over the words. "English is complex. If nobody taught you, it doesn't matter how smart you are, it would take years of study to learn to read without being taught." He looked back to her, then out of the window beside them. He'd seen her looking outside more than once, and his eyes fell on the roses that were plainly visible, bright red and pink, even some white ones further into the garden. "You want to go outside." It wasn't a question, more an observation. "Three days. I have work to do, and I have something I will need to arrange first but if you behave for three days then I will take you out into the garden for an afternoon, and I will let you pick some flowers to keep in your room."

 

[Bunny]

Had he suddenly shown her his vulnerability, it would have made little difference in the way she treated him. It would have just been seen as a plot or a ploy to gain... well Arianna didn't know. But it wouldn't have gained her favor, only cause her to withdraw further than she was in the moment. As it was, she was relaxing around him, even if just a bit. His question made her turn her face upwards to him, the chocolate still coating her mouth, its rich sweetness lingering. Those green eyes watched him steadily for a long moment before she asked "Why do you still make such things?" It made little sense to her. Humans were a means to an end. They were food, servants... but no human held a truly elevated role in this world. Even those who might be well off, were below the lowest vampire. Maybe not financially, but as a life?

His eyes moved back to the book and hers followed. "It doesn't feel the same," This was said before she fell silent again. Arianna didn't need him to her that she wasn't stupid... her life skills, her smarts, were just focused differently. She had no need to read. Arianna could tell when there was a predator in the woods though. The way everything became silent... She could hunt, scavenge to survive. Her aim with a bow was flawless as was her speed and ability to vanish... He seemed to notice her gaze, his voice rumbling beside her. Arianna nodded some. She didn't like the caves, but understood them. She preferred to sleep under the stars, to feel the sun and rain on her face. She'd not been trapped inside anywhere this long in her short life.

He offered her a kindness, Arianna knew this... and yet she couldn't help the soft snort that wanted to bubble up. Flowers... Even as she dismissed it, her eyes found the riot of color. Flowers were not unheard of. Wildflowers. Simple, sweet splotches of colors in the wood. This however was altogether different. After another moment, she offered another nod. His reasons were his own, but she would like to walk between those bushes, feel the sun on her face. Smell the dizzying scent of the flowers. Shifting slightly in place, she looked to his reflection in the glass. Arianna still didn't understand him. It had to be a ruse... They were monsters. Cold. Unkind. Vicious. Yet... Reiderich didn't seem to be like that. After a moment she let her gaze fall, fingers rubbing the spine of the book gently.