earlymorninstar

[Beneath a moonless sky] 18+ [Arista x Earlymorninstar]

It was endless - She wondered just how many of these assholes were out there and where were they coming from? It did not go unnoticed that the sudden slice in her side had felt more painful than usual, not to mention, it didn’t close up as quick as it would have normally. Frowning, Clara pushed the pain away as she dodged the next human, her arm darting forward as it ripped through their stomach. The fight had gone on for far too long in her opinion, and she wondered if there was a break in the group. There couldn’t possibly been that many more, could there have been?

Clara had only glanced at Ryanair as he passed her by, momentarily forgetting about how she wanted to wring his own throat for even existing. No; there was no time for that - she only had to protect herself and apparently the others. Ducking from another blow, she once more kicked out the legs from under another. She’d grabbed another discarded knife and quickly sliced through their neck. Clara continued for the next one swinging and slicing wherever she could, the smell of blood heavy on the air.

It was only a matter of time before she realized they weren’t on their own any longer. Her attention focused momentarily on the newcomers - people she’d assumed had known Kieran. Lord, was this man ever by himself?

She hissed as she received another blow to her stomach which had knocked her off balance, feeling a heavier body suddenly atop her. Within moments she’d felt the cold steel in her shoulder - meant for her stomach had she not thrown an arm out at theirs. “Mother fucker!” Clara growled and lifted her hips to try and knock them off balance. She’d reached up in a moment and pulled out the blade on her own, growling at the sudden pain before she turned the blade on the human.

“God damnit - where are they coming from?!”

She’d quickly gotten back up, but had frowned at the sudden pain in her arm - finding it was worse for wear. Shit. Still, she used her other arm to shove the knife into another’s stomach as they approached her and she shoved them away. There were only five of them -- how much longer could they last?

@Arista

[Beneath a moonless sky] 18+ [Arista x Earlymorninstar]

Clara had listened to him while they headed towards the house, glancing down at her arm which had been healing quickly. She couldn’t help but scoff at his comment over him wanting peace. It didn’t seem as such - he had all of these men after him, hell, she herself had wanted to make him suffer - who knew who else could have been after him? She couldn’t help that soft sound of dispute that fell from her lips, but she kept quiet none the less as they approached the house.

Even on the way she could tell something was wrong; it was too silent; too still. Her senses were on high alert as they approached and she glanced to Kieran knowing full well he shouldn’t have been running into it either. Right away her eyes focused on her surroundings, peering into the darkness to figure out who she was going to handle first. When the bit of light had suddenly cut through the night, she glared at the front door. Ah, there he was - his other little pet. Yet, it was no time to be jealous or even brooding over the situation - not when she was so suddenly caught off guard at Kieran’s request for her help once more.

Clara eyed him as he took off, cursing under her breath before she headed out behind him - her dagger back in her hold once more. Kieran went after the first one, Ryanair went after the second - the third was all hers. With a quick swipe she’d sent a gash along the chest of the first that approached her before she suddenly was grabbed from behind as darkness had blanketed their surroundings.

She’d hissed as she was grabbed, her elbow coming into contact with the other man’s stomach before she’d turned and lifted her knee to his face as he doubled over. What followed after was an onslaught of men seemingly taking turns to take each one of them out. How the hell did she end up here -- fighting for Kieran? Part of her hadn’t thought about it at all - her movements were instinctual not only to protect herself, but to protect her sire like she was supposed to. However, her own wants fought against it. She didn’t have time to think about that now, and she prayed that Christian wouldn’t come looking for her to get himself caught up in all of this mess.

Clara growled as she dodged another swipe of a knife, her hand coming to rip at the offender’s throat. With him discarded she took off for the next, picking up another discarded bow to swing at the man. Within seconds, the pointed end had gone throw his chest and she’d kicked him away. Her dagger had been tossed aside and she took a moment to find it -- when another had taken advantage and swiped her legs out beneath her. For quick moment her breath had been knocked out of her lungs and she’d looked up to see another knife coming down on her. She’d rolled to the side and swiped one of her legs out, successfully knocking another one down. She’d reached out to grab her own dagger on the ground and both swiped at each other at the same time. The male had successfully gotten her side while she drove hers into his chest. “Fuck!” Clara hissed and grabbed her side before she forced herself back up before anyone else could pounce on her moment of weakness.

@Arista

[Beneath a moonless sky] 18+ [Arista x Earlymorninstar]

She’d instantly spotted the dagger flying her way and she dodged it quickly, but she did not have to follow through with another arrow as she saw Kieran up once more. Clara had turned quickly and yanked her own dagger from the other man’s chest where she’d left it; his struggle to hang onto whatever shred of life he had in him had died off moments before. She’d wiped the blade on his shirt to clean it before turning once more to check on Kieran. As she suspected, he’d finished the job just as she’d replaced her dagger back from where it came.

The girl had lingered for a moment longer, preparing to take her leave before his voice had given her pause. He had wanted her help? What with his other fledgling left alone at home? It was one thing to save Kieran’s ass for the sake of killing him herself, but why the hell should she help him protect the other? Immediately she had wanted to refuse - but instinct had her doing otherwise. She’d nearly groaned, but held it back as she made her way towards him - noticing that he’d already headed off. The man had resilience, that was for certain...

Clara glanced down at the body he’d just left with a frown before she followed after him, the sting of the cut on her arm gaining her attention for a moment. Son of a bitch, one of them did manage to get her, didn’t they? None the matter - Kieran was worse for wear. “Clearly you have far more things to worry about other than me..” Clara murmured as she stepped over the body and moved a little quicker to match his strides.

“Who the hell are they anyway and what did you do to piss them off?” There it was again - she’d felt the pull suddenly sharpen, something she wasn’t necessarily used to. All of these feelings; it was so foreign and odd to her. And even still, she couldn’t believe she was about to go and help him protect his little replacement for her...

She knew full well where he was headed- she was only just there the night before, after all.

@Arista

[Beneath a moonless sky] 18+ [Arista x Earlymorninstar]

Quite frankly, she’d been surprised by the male’s reaction - so willing to toss one of his own aside. Who the hell were these people, and how the hell did Kieran get caught up with them? She narrowed her gaze at the other as he spoke, the grip on her dagger tightening. Fine - if they were so willing to die in the line of duty -- without a thought she quickly dragged the blade against his throat and tossed him aside. She’d heard Kieran’s words and turned her attention back to the other rooftops in search of where the new arrow had come from. Fuck - she hadn’t been involved in a good fight in a very long time -- Christian tended to stay low and had far more friends than enemies - Clara didn’t dabble much to create those same enemies.

With a grunt she’d headed towards the other rooftops, bounding towards the one with a crossbow. She’d heard the arrows already whizzing past her as she ran, one grazing her arm as she let out a quick hiss. “Bastard.” Clara bit out, the dagger flipped outwards so as she passed the other male, she sliced out towards him. Her first attempt was a miss as the male bounded towards her and caught her off guard - both of them tumbling on the rooftop. He’d at first thrown his weight atop of her and she growled as she swung a fist up, making contact with his jaw. It was enough to startle him and she lifted her hips up to knock him off balance and off of her.

Once more, the man had run after her, his bow discarded in the tussle. She had met him head on again, slicing wherever she could. Who the hell were these people -- especially since they knew how to keep up with both of them? Another growl fell from her lips as he landed a kick to her stomach and she was almost thrown off balance, but in one swift throw, the dagger ended up landing in the other male’s chest. “God damnit!” She hissed with a long huff.

Yet, within an instant she knew something was wrong - something suddenly had her on high alert and had lifted her adrenaline and anxiety to new heights. She’d turned sharply to see Kieran holding onto the edge of another roof, the other male headed his way, and she let out another growl. Son of a bitch - how many times did she have to save his ass before she killed him herself?

Running towards the edge of the roof she’d been on, she scooped up the bow and grabbed another arrow from the gurgling male that she’d discarded before she stopped suddenly to shoot. “Hey! Asshole!” Clara yelled out towards the male headed towards Kieran before she let the arrow fly his way.

@Arista

[Beneath a moonless sky] 18+ [Arista x Earlymorninstar]

Her steps were quiet through the town as she had glanced up to watch the sky’s light fading away for the evening. Perhaps it would have been better if she headed straight home with Christian. That way, she could simply distract herself with her purchases, and sit down with a good book for the evening. What good could really come from seeking Kieran out again? Each and every time she hadn’t received a response even remotely close to what she’d expected. Hell, she’d even gotten him out of a sticky situation without even as much of a thanks in return. Regardless of the fact that she’d only done it since she was determined to be the one to cause him harm - no one else had been allowed that privilege...

Clara had felt him close by in no time and suddenly became uneasy; unsure of what exactly to do should there be a confrontation. Surely he would ignore her and pull along his other little pet to leave her -- that’s how it’s been all along anyway, hadn’t it?

Yet, as she continued to near him, she’d noticed the air had changed. She’d heard the tussle before her and instead of rushing into it, she’d stayed back, pressing herself against the closest building to conceal herself before she managed to peer around the corner.

She’d seen him remove the arrow from his chest, and all at once her gaze was lifted to find the culprit. She peered into the darkness, surveying the area carefully, slowly -- Lord, it seemed this man had many more enemies than just herself, hadn’t he? Well, that just wouldn’t do. It was her job, and her job solely to bring him to his knees.

Her jaw had been set as she noticed the second male who was occupied with Kieran. Her attention still remained above until she’d seen him. Slowly, she’d crouched and lifted her skirts, carefully slipping a dagger out from the garter that she wore. A girl could never be unprepared, after all.

Silently, she leapt from balcony to balcony to slowly approach her target - once more slipping behind him with the dagger to his throat. “Hello, love.” She whispered with a grin, loving the thrill that always came with a good kill. “Now - what is it that you’re after, hm?” It was more of a question for herself, knowing she wouldn’t receive an answer from an unwilling captive.

Still, she held onto him carefully for a moment longer. “Let’s go then, shall we?” And with that she leapt back down, holding onto the male as they hit the ground, the dagger pressed tight enough against his skin to draw blood.

“Hello, darlings.” Clara purred, eyeing both Kieran and the other male before her. “I’d suggest you’d leave now if you want your friend here all in one piece.”

@arista

[Beneath a moonless sky] 18+ [Arista x Earlymorninstar]

Christian had kept true to his word and had kept her out the entirety of the day. Not only had they continued shopping until he knew Clara had enough, he made sure to keep them busy with a few drinks through dinner time. Anything to keep the girl distracted – that was Christian's goal at the end of it all. With how busy he'd kept her, Clara had eventually lost track of time and track of her distracting thoughts. No, there hadn't been a second thought at all to where Kieran and his little pet had run off to. For a moment in time, Clara was able to just enjoy herself- not to mention, the alcohol over dinner had helped quite substantially.

Once the sun had begun to fall, the town was beginning to clear once more and Christian had decided it might be best to return home. He hadn't quite caught site of Kieran or Ryanair just yet, and thought it might be best to get her home before she noticed the two of them.

"See, Clara? I told you today wouldn't be so bad." Christian chided as he looped his arm with hers, carrying all of the bags that the two of them managed to collect. Clara only gave a little huff in return, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Yes, well – you're not always right, you know." She commented, giving him a little nudge. "Sometimes a girl just needs her space."

"You need it too often, my darling." He corrected her as they moved from the restaurant and back into the center of town. Their steps were slow, mainly enjoying the cooler evening air – lagging on their way back home. Christian had been a welcomed distraction, she had to admit, and he was right at least that day. Although, Clara never minded being alone. If he hadn't come to drag her out of bed, she would have stayed there for most of the day – content to both sleep it away and simply remain alone with her thoughts. He'd been right to collect her this time, however.

Clara idly toyed with the fabric of his sleeve as they walked, but it wasn't long at all before she'd felt that familiar itch coming back to her senses. Her lips curled into that familiar frown and she straightened back up as they approached the center of town.

"How about I meet you home, Christian?" She looked up at him as she pulled away slightly. Christian raised a brow as he studied her for a moment, wondering if he should fight it and unravel her positive mood for the day – or if he should just allow it and count his blessings. "…Alright, Clara… But not too long, alright?" Clara had only shrugged in return. "I won't be late. I just want to go on a walk is all."

Christian had only nodded before he finally separated from her with a sigh, although he looked almost comedic with the amount of bags he was carrying. Most were hers, and he'd drop them off in her room for her to sort through on her return. Anything to keep her happy…

Clara watched him go for a long moment before she continued through town, her hands idly playing with a strand of loose curls that fell in front of her. She didn't know exactly what she was planning – perhaps she only wanted to see if he was avoiding her just as much as she'd been avoiding him…

[Beneath a moonless sky] 18+ [Arista x Earlymorninstar]

Oh, she knew full well that they were there, both of them were there, of course. Clara was beginning to suspect that Ryanair never left the others side – although, it could have worked the other way around just as well. Idly she wondered which was which, but then again – she hadn't wanted to know either. Her nose scrunched at the thought and she shook her head, peering into one of the shops that held quite a few dresses in the window. Clara had acted as if she didn't notice Christian watching the two – hoping to god that he wouldn't bring them up.

"Clara – aren't they the ones you were talking to the oth—"

"Hush, Christian – I'm not up for other company this afternoon." Clara quickly cut him short, only confirming the answer to his question. It was odd, though – clearly the two were established well enough in town if the women were allowing their children to run off with them. Not to mention, the children were more than comfortable with them as well. He raised a brow as he watched them only momentarily before turning his attention back to Clara.

"Don't you have enough dresses, darling? It's not as if you go anywhere to wear them." Clara gave a little hiss as she looked at him quickly. "A girl can never have enough dresses – occasions or not." She reminded him. Christian only rolled his eyes. "Oh yes, how could I forget?"

Clara continued through the town, weaving in and out of the shops while Christian lingered at his side, willing to do whatever to keep her happy, even if for a short moment that day. Yet after a little while as Clara stepped out of another shop, she'd noticed the voices of the children trailing off, and glanced over to see the two of them headed elsewhere. Once more a little frown fell upon her lips and she turned away.

"Christian – I'm growing tired. Perhaps we can do this another time?" She'd asked suddenly and Christian shook his head, hooking his arm with hers once more. "Nonsense. It's good that you're out of the house. I don't need you to go back slinking into bed like I know you will." That frown soon turned into a little pout as he moved her through the crowds of townspeople and deeper into town. By then, he was almost positive those two were the cause of her mood, and at some point, he needed to get to the bottom of it.

[Beneath a moonless sky] 18+ [Arista x Earlymorninstar]

It was going to be a long day, Christian felt it. It was already mid-afternoon and Clara had not emerged from her room as of yet. He had let her sleep for a while; told himself not to bother her, but then again – she couldn't stay in there forever. The man had eventually gone and taken a shower and dressed for the day, determined to get the other female up and out for the day. He'd seen her like this before, although these days had occurred once in a blue moon anymore. At first, he'd allowed it so many years ago. She needed to grieve, she needed to work her way through everything. But now – no, now she had no excuses and she needed to get herself out of bed. There was no point in moping around- it would do her no good.

Once he'd gotten dressed, Christian headed towards Clara's room, pausing outside the door. With a slow sigh, he ran a hand through his hair and knocked quietly, waiting to hear any form of life within the room. He'd been met with silence, just as he expected, so he slowly opened the door and made his way in.

There she was, buried in a mess of blankets and pillows, her long hair tossed around as she buried herself further at the sound of his entrance. He received a little grunt in return as he eyed her, moving to open up her curtains one by one.

"Come on, love. Time to get up."

"Leave me be, Christian." Clara mumbled, burying her face into her pillow as she tried to block out the light. "I want to stay here."

"I know you do, but what good does that do you?" He asked as he reached the last window before moving to the side of her bed. "Come on – come into town with me."

"But Christian – really, I—"

"No buts – I'll take you to the book store – I know you still enjoy a good book from time to time." He commented, sitting down on the edge of her bed. She'd stuffed herself in the middle of the king-sized bed, making it difficult for him to reach her. Once more, he was only met with a little grunt. "Clara – I'm not going to leave until you get yourself out of this bed. "

When he was met with silence again, the man gave a huff. "Suit yourself." He murmured, and slowly climbed on the bed, yanking the blankets from her. Her smaller form curled up tight at the sudden assault and chill that hit her, and she tried tucking her bare legs under her shirt. "Stop!" The girl nearly whined, and she reached over to grab another pillow before swinging it at him.

Christian grinned and grabbed the pillow, tossing it aside before he pulled her legs out to pull her away from the pillows. She gave another whine at his actions before she finally gave a puff and slammed her hands down on the mattress. "Fine." Clara glared at him. "You win. But only for a little. I'm really not in the mood."

Christian only smiled and brushed her excuses off before he stood back up, straightening out his clothes. "Get dressed. I'm only giving you twenty minutes." And with that – he headed out of her room, pleased with himself.

Clara groaned as he left, staring up at the ceiling for a moment longer before she forcefully pushed herself out of bed. Going into town was probably the least exciting thing for her at the time. She didn't want to run into them again, nor did she feel like interacting with anyone at all. Christian was in too good of a mood and it only irritated her further. Still, she owed everything to him and if she needed to entertain him once in a while then so be it. Not to mention she knew exactly why he'd been trying to get her out – no sense in brooding and crying all day! What good would it do her?

It wasn't long before Clara was back downstairs, her hair down in loose curls this time. She'd managed to dress in lighter colors that morning, creams and browns to her corsets and skirts. And yet, she still hardly looked pleased to be out of bed. Christian only smiled at her pout, offering his arm which she took reluctantly as they headed out the door. "Now darling – please try to enjoy yourself today." He commented, carrying her off into the middle of town – where she'd already begun to notice that pull again. No; she'd ignore it this time. If he wanted to be away from her for now, so be it.

Even as they entered the center of town, Clara made sure to keep her attention only on the shops. She would not have it today; Of course, Christian couldn't help but notice both Kieran and Ryanair entertaining a few children – who could miss both large males with a group of them laughing and running around. It made him raise a brow, wondering just how long they'd been living in that town. After all, Clara and Christian had only returned for a temporary amount of time just the other day.

@Arista

[Beneath a moonless sky] 18+ [Arista x Earlymorninstar]

Clara had watched them for a few more moments – longer than she'd intended to. However, once she'd seen the both of them shift, the girl suddenly lurched back should either of them see her. What was the point of eavesdropping? It would only dig the knife even deeper, and she wanted no more of that that evening. Carefully, she'd jumped down from where she'd been concealed, brushing herself off as she straightened once more. She did not look back to the window above, nor did she want to. Perhaps she just had to come to terms with the realizations that were hitting her with their full force. Christian had been right, and she hated him for it at that moment. Yet, all of the anger that she could have sworn she'd feel in that very moment ebbed away – overthrown by that harrowing emptiness that filled her.

Her arms crossed upon her chest as her steps eventually had taken her home. She had not noticed her surroundings; had not paid any attention to the people she might have passed. Even as she approached Christian's estate, she seemed almost surprised that her steps had taken her there. Still, Clara moved silently to the door and shut it just as soundlessly behind her. She stood in the foyer for only a moment longer, looking around slowly before she headed towards the kitchen.

It was only a moment before she'd found what she'd been looking for – her steps had taken her immediately into the wine cellar where she grabbed whichever bottle of white she could find first. Carelessly grabbing a glass, she already had uncorked the bottle and was pouring it into her glass as she headed up the stairs.

She'd taken a long sip as she reached the top of the stairs, soundlessly shutting the door behind her with her leg before she moved throughout the house towards her bedroom. Christian had to have been lurking around, she knew, it wasn't like him to be out late either. What a bore.

"Clara?" Ah – right on cue.

The girl sighed as she stopped at the doorway of the study, taking another sip of her wine, the bottle hanging from her hand at her side. "…Yes, Christian?"

Christian eyed her carefully from where he'd sat, the book he'd been reading had been slowly dropped to his lap. He wasn't met with her usual attitude, which had been odd considering how irritable she'd been the past night or so. "Are you alright, love?"

She eyed him momentarily, almost mulling over the idea of venting; actually telling him how she felt, but what was the point? She'd probably receive an 'i-told-you-so' in response, and she really wasn't in the mood to hear it at the moment. "…I'm fine, Christian, really. I'm just going to go to bed." She murmured.

His brow furrowed in response, unsatisfied with her answer. Still, he placed the book beside his chair on the end table and rose slowly, approaching her in long strides. She'd been caught off guard at his sudden grasp, pulling her smaller form into his. And yet, Clara remained still, her hand holding her glass to her chest, trapped between his and her own, and her other limply hanging and holding onto the bottle at her side. For a moment, she felt a tight sting in her throat and she shut her eyes tight, willing to push her emotions away and stomp them down.

"Don't worry about me, Christian." She murmured into his chest.

"You know that's impossible, darling. I've made it my job to worry." But it wasn't his job, Clara reminded herself. She swallowed the small lump in her throat and pulled away from him slowly, just as he gently kissed the top of her head. "I'm going to bed." She repeated, and Christian sighed, letting her go. "I'll see you in the morning." He called after her, his brow furrowed in concern. His suspicions had risen once more, and he was beginning to put a few pieces together – ones he had hoped wouldn't fit.

Clara had moved away from him without another word, her steps carrying her to her room where she sat on her bed. It wasn't long before she'd finished the bottle she'd taken and her smaller form had undressed into only a large shirt and curled up in the middle of her bed. She'd pulled the blankets up all around her, willing herself to try and push everything away and just go to sleep.

Even late into the next day, she hadn't come out of her room.

[Beneath a moonless sky] 18+ [Arista x Earlymorninstar]

Clara remained on that beach for a long while, thinking about too many things and yet unwilling to think at all. Her lips were pursed into nearly a permanent frown and she pulled her legs tighter to her chest as the breeze picked up. Emotions were such silly things, and she'd told herself she would never get so wrapped up in something ever again. Her plan had only been to find her sire, make him suffer, and be rid of him and all of the pain. However, Clara was coming to find that such a thing was not that easy. Not only did others complicate the situation; Kieran alone had turned the tables. She'd never expected to be met with such disregard; as if he wanted to pawn off that piece of jewelry and be done with her existence entirely. The thought alone troubled her, even though she knew it shouldn't. What did she care, anyway?

Eventually, the girl lifted herself slowly from the sand and dusted off her skirts that had collected bits and pieces of it along the way. She'd stared out into that ocean for a long while before she decided to turn, still deep in thought, and yet she followed that pull once more, mindlessly, as if she were supposed to all along.

She just didn't understand – in all of her brooding; all of her planning; she'd never been ready to deal with the fact that Kieran showed no remorse let alone no care that she'd even existed. Surely any normal person would feel a twinge of guilt – and if he had, he hadn't showed it. No, she supposed it was easy to forget about the fledgling he'd made so long ago – he had the new one to keep him company, and it was clear that he'd taken such care of him as well.

She bit her lip carefully as she moved throughout the dark town silently only to come to a quick stop as she'd heard shuffling up ahead. Clara turned to conceal herself behind a corner of a building close by, her fingers carefully tracing the grain of brick beneath her hand while she studied the scene ahead of her. She'd not realized her steps had eventually led her straight to him, and what she could assume was his home, but she wasn't fully prepared to see him carrying his other fledgling along the way.

Her frown deepened as she studied the two until they disappeared, once more feeling that familiar twang deep in the pit of her stomach that she so desperately wanted to ignore. As the door closed, Clara stepped out from behind her cover, crossing her arms as she approached the house, taking in every detail. Surely he'd made quite the home for himself, and she had wondered if he'd been here all along; if Christian really did do her a favor by keeping her away. He'd told her to drop the past; forget about her sire – no good could come of it.

Perhaps he was right.

Her brow furrowed, Clara carefully walked around the house, taking note of the lights that switched on an off. It was within moments that she'd found herself on another balcony opposite of Kieran's home – if only to get a look into what was going on inside. And yet, when she was met with the image of the two of them close in bed, she didn't quite know what to expect. The frown on her lips had deepened in that moment as she watched them, unhappy with the feelings going through her and fighting them all in the same.

What could she have expected?

Kieran made it painfully obvious that he'd wanted to stay away from her and yet he gave all of his attention to the other so freely. The more time she'd spent around him, the more she was realizing that, perhaps, she had been a mistake all along. All of her suspicions, all of her thoughts that she'd just been a quick lay and a quick meal turned into one big mistake were coming to fruition, and although she expected all of her rage to grow from that realization – it hadn't.

She'd only felt a sudden emptiness that she was uncomfortable with.