━ ◦ ✤ 𝕱𝔞𝔫𝔤𝔰 & 𝕾𝔢𝔠𝔯𝔢𝔱𝔰 ✤ ◦ ━【тєиzαι & кιттєи】🅽🆂🅵🆆

[Tenzai]

'I promise to always keep you safe.'

Closed doors & Quiet Rooms
Once a haven full of happy memories, their home had become a prison.

ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ꜱᴇᴀꜱᴏɴꜱ | ᴡᴀᴠᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴇᴀʀᴛʜ
↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺

I can't be your love
Look, it's too trivial for you now
Oh, my life is fallin' apart
Maybe no one will notice if I disappear​

No matter how much he understood that it was for her own good, Arc hated what he and Adelaide have become. The close bonds they once shared when he was human was gone, left to rot and fester as a sacrifice to ensure that she would avoid succumbing to the same fate as her parents. Every time he muttered his promise from the other side of the door quietly in an attempt to convince himself that he was doing it for all the right reasons, he couldn't help but feel his repeated murmurings acted as nothing more than meaningless self-patronizing. What was to become of them once peace was attained if it was to ever be attained?

Arc didn't have the answer, nor did he want to know. It was hard for him to think that far ahead when he lacked the courage to even muster breaching her door. The letters of her nickname taped in front of her door had taunted him with his own knowledge. He knew that the door was unlocked. Physically speaking, the challenge was nothing more than ordinary. Emotionally however, that's where he felt as though it was impossible. To think, he was able to face the horrors of the night on a daily basis to protect her and yet, when it came to actually speaking with his beloved sister, even the most mundane barriers grew agonizingly tough to climb. His heart was an anchor dragging his body on the floor behind him. The closer he got to convincing himself to speak like they could be normal in person, the heavier it became.

'It's her birthday, Arc. Just wish her a happy birthday and give your gift. How hard can it be?'​

Internally, Arc's monologuing sense of reason had fired up a storm against his anxious overthinking. A heated debate had wrought tension in his mind as his heart and his mind waged war against each other to control his behaviors. He didn't want to ruin her special day, yet he felt like he did already by merely existing within her proximity. He wanted to wish her a happy birthday, but would it really cheer her up? Why was it all his fault? Why can't he be normal enough to treat her as an ordinary sibling? The torrent of questioning refused to let up while his left hand gripped onto a plate with a slice of cake he baked for her and her present. His right hand squeezed tightly on her present: A plush of her favorite animal. His fingers had shown signs of burning, revealing the extent of how far he was willing to go to make her day special. He wasn't a perfect baker but his effort had made up for his inadequacies in droves.

The only thing left to do was to ensure she would receive both. Finally stepping to her door, his thoughts and heart had settled into silence, relenting to the feeling of overwhelming dread. Neither knew what was right to do when he got so close in proximity. Reaching towards the doorknob after holding her present in between his torso and his arm, he froze in place. 'Perhaps, if she's sleeping, it wouldn't be best to disturb her slumber.' He thought to himself, momentarily taking a few moments to listen, only to be met with silence and an ordinary heartbeat. Adelaide wasn't asleep. His vampiric senses made him sensitive to the sounds of the living. From the sound of blood running through a human's veins down to the tempo of their heart and breathing, every detail that would suggest human life had become easy to read thanks to his heightened senses when it came to his prey. Though, Arc had found humane uses for his abilities, unlike the rest of his hostile cohort. With the knowledge that she was awake, he lowered her dish in front of her door.

"Hey Addy."

"Happy birthday."

But I'll pray for you all the time
If I could be by your side
I'll give you all my life, my seasons​

In front of him stood a cake covered in vanilla frosting with her favorite fruit, strawberries, decorating the top alongside the broken shards of chocolate bars. "You don't have to come out yet if you don't want to, but I made you something special that I think you might like." Arc's voice was no louder than a whisper, but it was enough for him to hear footsteps that stopped at the other side of the door. Addy was listening. "A cake with vanilla frosting. Strawberries and chocolates as toppings too." He smiled, taking pride in being able to craft something she would like. "Like the way you always told me you wanted back then." Still, both that happiness and pride were fleeting, quickly being replaced with the understanding that this would not change anything. Regardless of whether she accepted her gifts or not, she was still a prisoner inside her own home. Both his food and his gift would only placate that feeling for just a moment.

"And I got you a gift too. A fox plush." Leaving it as an offering, Arc placed the carefully wrapped orange fox beside the slice of cake. "I saw it in a crane machine and I knew I had to get it for you. I swear it has your name written all over it. Took me several tries but I managed to get it and another matching one in the end." He turned around, finding a red fox sitting right beside his briefcase. "Maybe... One of these days, I could take you to that arcade. Spend some time together like we used to." Placing his hand on the other side of the door, he closed his eyes and imagined his digits were where her head was, stroking the wood as though he was patting her head.

"I saw they had the fighting game you practiced on a lot. I wouldn't mind playing against you sometime. Who knows, maybe I could beat you for the first time." He chuckled for a little bit, before going silent. There was only so much he could do to keep a conversation when he was the only one talking. Finding his attempt to interact failing, he sighed, returning back to the pitiful state he tried to escape earlier. "I'll leave both out here outside for you whenever you're ready to take a look. Thought you would appreciate receiving something special on your special day."

While the leaves withered away
And grew again
You have gone far away
I'll be pushing up daisies
And bring all the chances to here

"Sorry if I disturbed you, Addy."

Regardless of how close she was nor how hard he tried, she was still too far out of reach.

But I'll pray for you all the time
If I could be by your side
I'll give you all my life, my seasons
By your side, I'll be your seasons, hmm

'I'll reach you one day, Promise. I won't let them take you too. I'll wage war for you, even if it costs me my life.'​

---

Vampires don't dream.

Dreams are only distractions from one's purpose.​

Ethan closed his eyes to rest in his own bed, exhausted from his various exchanges during the day. From offering a home to his favorite meal to dealing with the truth that there would be consequences for his boss' hubris when it came to dealing with humans, he struggled to maintain the typical calm visage he usually wore. His mind was in a constant state of fear and anxiety. Neither Adelaide's invitation to share a bed nor the taste of her nightmares were enough to distract him from the raging seas of his thoughts. What also hasn't left his mind was the knowledge that some of the cruelest vampire hunters had just arrived in town. Free of a moral compass and legal obligation, he was concerned over what they would do if he was discovered by these human monsters. Very few non-pureblood vampires were lucky enough to be left alive after such a close interaction with them, let alone coming out unscathed.

Instead of finding rest, upon closing his eyes, all his mind could do was think. For hours, he remained in silence, trying to organize his thoughts to come up with a proper plan for himself. If his boss was so stupid as to send a couple vampiric hitmen against the lead vampire detective himself in broad daylight, he wasn't someone that he could trust with his own wellbeing. Yet, as much as he wished to be his own master, he understood the terms of his blood contract.

In exchange for his sanguine blessing and eternity, he was to sacrifice his own freedom. To the sociopath that sought power and control above all things, this was an easy exchange. As long as whichever master he was assigned to was smart enough to manage him and address his needs, he would hold no qualms about it. However, unfortunately for him, he was assigned to someone he found lacking. Still, he carried out his tasks dutifully, regardless of how selfish and indulgent the requests were. Before he had the chance to think more about his own predicament however, he heard the door open followed by footsteps that attempted to be quiet. It was Adelaide. The scent of his shampoo, the warmth of her breath on his skin, and the gentle taps on his shoulder all hinted at her presence.

"Ethan… can I sleep with you? I had a bad dream… can you hold me?"

"Of course, Addy. Come over here."
Hidden in the dark of the room, he flashed a mischievous smile once he felt her bare skin on his.​

Wrapping his arms around her and pulling her head atop his chest, Ethan drew her into his embrace. With Adelaide being in such a shaken state, still under the influence of his drug, he doubted she would be able to read his signs of vampirism. The warmth of the blanket had made his skin feel human enough, though there was nothing he could do that could hide the muted beating of his heart. "What's wrong? Nightmares?" The dream eater already knew what she was dreaming of, feigning ignorance to mimic a sense of empathy. Despite his concentration being placed on his own thoughts as he passed her on the way inside his room, from the intensity of her fears alone, he was able to taste where her nightmare lied. 'She was dreaming of her brother and her family.'

Taking a moment to listen to her shaky voice speak, Ethan ran a hand over her head to stroke her hair. "Don't worry, alright? I'm here now," His dark smile contorted to that of false kindness before turning to her. As he traced his hand downward from the roof of her head towards her chin, he lifted her gaze up to his so she could grow comfortable with seeing her savior. "And I'm not going to leave you behind. I promise." Drawing her towards him by gently pulling her by the chin, he kissed her on the forehead before kissing her on the lips. "Feel a little better now?" Judging from her reaction, from her reddening cheeks to the placement of her hands, his voice grew sultry as it was brought down to a seductive whisper.

"I know I do. I always feel better when you're around me." Ethan carefully worked his way through her thoughts, invading her mind through the use of his drug and his manipulative choice of words. "Whenever I spend time with you, I'm always left wanting more. Twenty four hours in the day is nowhere near enough to do all I want to do with you sometimes." The vampire flirted, baiting her to fall deeper into his abyss. "And I wonder if that's enough for you too... Don't you think, we should make up for all the lost time?" Using a verbal knife to cut where her brother and her had cracked, he aimed to cut him out of her life. "At least, there's no one else who could take you away from doing what you want now, right?"

"Let's make something of that freedom..."

"...and do everything he would never let you do."

ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ᴇᴡ | ᴊᴏᴊɪ
↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺

Teach me to love just to let me go
I can't believe that I'm not enough
Not enough

And so long
No one will be here to save you
And no one will be here to let you know
Let you know​

---

"I'll make sure to do that. Val is one of a kind and means well. He's my gem."

"And Twy's mine too!"
Val chimed in from the kitchen, bouncy while preparing drinks as a result of her genuine feelings over her brother.

ɴᴏᴡ ᴘʟᴀʏɪɴɢ: ᴘʟᴜᴛᴏ ᴘʀᴏᴊᴇᴄᴛᴏʀ | ʀᴇx ᴏʀᴀɴɢᴇ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛʏ
↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺

I can show you everything, yeah
And we're on our way to glory
Where the show won't ever end
And the encore lasts forever
And it's time we're due to spend​

Sharing conversation over drinks was a feeling he wasn't used to. The scene that played before him was something he yearned for. This was the reason he was fighting his war, to bring his own household the same warmth that these two held for each other on a regular basis. For a moment, he turned himself away to wipe a tear from his eyes. Its been so long since Arc felt like a part of a family. To have Val and Twyla treat him so well had shook him to his very core. "So, to business. I had some time to think it over when I got home, and I couldn't help but get excited to pick an outfit for the nightclub." Hearing her call his attention, he regained his composure quickly. Now was not the time to cry over what was lost. Now was the time to bring their plans into motion.

"What did you have in mind, Twy?" Adopting the same nickname her brother had chosen for her, Arc looked at her phone with curiosity. On her screen were various outfits that all fit the description of a regular at the club function they were to attend. "Oh! I think these are actually quite fitting." Out of all of her bookmarks, he chose an matching outfit aesthetic where he would be in black and she would be in pink. "Thanks for bringing up the outfits. I never thought of myself as much of a club type so I usually left the wardrobe choice to a few friends back in my department whenever we investigated any place like this. Thought it would be best to leave it to the experts rather than guess and stumble..." He scratched the back of his head at his own inexperience. Usually, whenever he was sent to investigate a club, he would be investigating as himself rather than as an undercover agent.

"But don't get too concerned about me, alright?" Arc's eyes glowed red, hinting at his skill enhanced by his vampiric ability. "I have ways around navigating social circles. Don't think I'm going to hold us back." Upon finishing his sentence, his vocal tone and physical demeanor shifted to that of Val. "I'm pretty good at mixing myself in with any crowd, you know? But as for fighting, I doubt I'm anywhere near as strong as you are, Twy. Try as might, there's only so much my fists can do against steel beams."

Once he heard Arc change, Val gave a look of surprise as he delivered another glass. "Wow, Arc. You're really good at doing a me impression! You think you could do Twy next?" Arc chuckled, returning back to his previous stance. "There are limits, Val. I have to be able to read someone in order to act like them. Some people are harder than others, but with time and trust, it becomes easy enough."

"To build trust with people who aren't like you, you have to convince them that you're one of them."

"And sometimes, to do what you need to, you have to get good at putting on masks."​

While Arc saw his own gift as a cursed product of his environment, Val on the other hand had seen it as a talent. Despite Arc mentioning his expertise at taking on the mannerisms of others however, Val's heart felt as though his present and his kind words here were genuine. Seeing the contrast between his thoughts and actions, Val brought a question up. "Well, how do you feel about now? Still think you need to wear a mask around us?" The question caught Arc off guard. "You don't seem like you're lying about how you're feeling with us. Maybe it's just a hunch, I guess, but you look like you're enjoying yourself here."

By inspiring hope and treating him normally, the two had managed to crack Arc's mask. Beneath the veil was a fragile family man who sought the feeling of being welcomed. He nearly forgot what it was like to not feel alien in his own skin. Years spent working as a false face only to return home to a sister he couldn't muster the strength to tell the truth had left him jaded. He didn't fit with humans nor did he fit with vampires. He was forced to be everything he wasn't, only free to be himself when he was truly alone. Without realizing it, Twy and Val had given him a taste of what he wanted. For this, the mask didn't feel necessary to feel welcome. "... You're right. I haven't been lying about who I am or how I'm feeling. Strange."

Arc took a deep breath, feeling his heartbeat as a sign that this was no dream. These two were real and this moment was happening. "I suppose, its thanks to you both. You never made me feel like I needed to be someone else around you. Thanks for that, and I'm sorry for getting distracted, Twy." He bowed politely. "Anytime, Arc. As long as you're here to help Twy, you're always welcome here." Val smiled, before heading back to the kitchen to prepare himself a drink. "My bad for distracting Arc, Twy. You two talk as long as you need to! I'll be around if you need anything to drink." Returning back to the task at hand, Arc's eyes drew over her phone once again to take a closer look at the outfits he liked before suddenly being hit with a notification from Mia.

"I am SO sorry… Please pretend you didn't see that, matter of fact, don't even comment on it…"

"Its fine, Twy. She's your friend and these things happen."
Caught off guard once again by someone so close to Twy, Arc couldn't help himself but genuinely laugh.​

From the constant distractions to the treatment these three gave to each other, it all felt so ordinary that it wasn't real. Though, from the clinking sounds of Val tapping glasses in the kitchen to the pings of each tap on Twy's phone as she rapidly reached for the do not disturb icon, each sensation that came from being there had drawn him into their moment. Regardless of its mundanity, this was peace. She had something to fight for, like he did. Quietly, he made a promise to himself to protect this life for her as well. Arc hoped she, her friends, and her family would never suffer the same as he did.

"This would be your outfit, and if you scroll down, there's a matching set for me. I think getting them together would be perfect,-" Val was quick to chime in jokingly. "For business." He teased. "Especially for the role we're playing. It would leave no room for anyone to second-guess us. The store's just down the street, it's called Rave, and it's pretty popular. I've picked up a few things from there before, but nothing like this, so I'm really excited to try something new." Her eyes sparkled. "I've never been to a nightclub before, and even though it's for business, I think it'll be fun to finally check one out."

"Well, I suppose it'll be a first for both of us, fashion and location wise." Arc looked up the directions on his phone, making note of opening and closing times. As a result of the drug prescribed to him by Dr. Thorne to speed up his healing, his sense of time was off. Believing it was evening, he didn't realize that the sun was rising. It was still early in the morning and the store was soon to open. "But I don't think I mind at all. Out of everyone I know who I could go to a club with, I'm happy it was you." Speaking with conviction, Arc unknowingly revealed just how deep his respect and trust was for his new friend. By giving her identity, she proved that she was someone who could be trusted with his own. But by offering him a place at her home and welcoming him as a guest, she became more than just an asset; Twyla had become a friend. "Just help me with putting all of that on. There seems to be a lot of straps and attachments that I might not be all too familiar with yet, so I'll appreciate whatever help you can offer me."

"You mentioned the vampires that raided your home are laying low at the club, but what's the plan beyond walking in and hoping to spot a familiar face? Aside from playing my role as your partner, is there anything specific you need me to do? I could investigate on my own, maybe use a bit of feminine charm and decision to draw some guys in and see what I can find out." Hearing what she was insinuating, Arc shook his head in refusal. They were a team and to Arc, she was the furthest thing from a sacrificial pawn. Her value extended far beyond that of a mere asset alone. "Perhaps if they were human, I would say otherwise since I know you could handle yourself... But here? With vampires who..." He paused for a moment, thinking of all the sins he saw committed when rescuing others. The trauma that he was forced to deal with as buried deep within the darkest depths of his mind. Imagining Twyla or Adelaide in the same position as those victims was not a fate he was willing to negotiate. "... No. I wouldn't want that. Not at all."

"We're going to handle this together, Twyla. I'm not going to let you deal with this alone or apart."

"We're a team."​

"We're there to collect information on entrances and exits. On guards and weapons as well as what is hidden within each room. What faces frequent the VIP sections and which types of people are allowed to go into which sections, things like that." Arc pulled out the notebook he showed her in the cafe. Within revealed to what extent Arc was able to discover from his observations. Within its many pages stood paragraphs upon paragraphs of information, from the equipment a guard used down to their schedules and apparent vices. "Maybe potential prisoners too... and I don't want you to end up becoming one of them." He placed his hand on hers, refusing to shift in stance when it came to her treating herself as bait. "I need you, Twy. In case something goes wrong and I'm forced to fight, I doubt I'd be able to be as effective as I was before." He lifted his sleeve to reveal the bandages. "And it's a lot less suspicious if we go together as a couple instead of me going there alone."

"I trust you, but I'll need you to put your faith in me too. I promise I'm far from useless."

"And remember. We're not fighting this war alone anymore. You could rely on me."​