Trash Panda

~Bonsoir~

Now up close with the Lady Victoria, Vail was starting to wonder if he should have left the situation alone. The aromatic smell of her blood was nearly intoxicating, and he had to fight to stay focused on the reason why he had approached her to begin with. The Wynter standing across from him had to have been feeling it too, perhaps even more so if the other vampire hadn’t fed as recently as he had. He knew it wouldn’t take much for the situation to turn dangerous. If either one of them were to lose their composure, a frenzy would start, immediately giving them both away to the Crests. Knowing that there had to be members of the Order amongst the crowd, he was sure they would be killed on the spot.

Vail held the other Lord’s gaze unwaveringly, intent to find some reason to stay if he tried to dismiss him. However, it seemed an argument was unnecessary because Victoria intervened before he could object. The eagerness in her voice was surprising to him, and he wondered if she knew that the man whom had approached her first wasn’t what he seemed to be. The thought caused him to study her a bit more closely. Whether his guess was correct or not, he was glad she had interrupted before the situation had a chance to escalate.

The peace wasn’t kept for long though. As soon as Lady Victoria hurried off to freshen up, the two vampires turned on each other with hostile glares. “Quite bold of you to show your face here, Hygrace,” the Wynter tilted his chin up. “Or perhaps I should say foolish. You do know this is the Crest manor, don’t you?”

“I could say the same to you,” Vail rolled his eyes. Now that the overwhelming odor of blood had faded, he was able to think clearly again. He casted the rival clan member a cold look. “I don’t know who you are or what you’re trying to pull, but I would suggest you stop chasing after the Crest heiress before someone from the Order catches onto you.”

To his confusion, the Wynter merely laughed, his broad grin momentarily exposing his upper set of fangs. “I see word hasn’t reached your household yet, has it?” he asked. When Vail just stared at him, he stood up straighter. “The Crest heiress and I are to be betrothed.”

That wasn’t the answer Vail had expected to hear at all. Lady Victoria was beautiful beyond a doubt, but she was part of a family that hunted down and killed their kind as a method of livelihood. He couldn’t see why a member of the Wynter clan would want anything to do with her.

He gawked at the other Lord, too curious to restrain himself from asking, “What on Earth are you marrying a Crest for?”

“It isn’t your business to know,” the Wynter answered with a hint of warning in his voice. “But understand this: If you do anything to get in my way, I will kill you.” He angled his body to walk away, signaling that he was done with the conversation. “Enjoy your dance.”

Vail watched him go without responding, keeping his guard raised even as the rival vampire passed out of his sight. He still didn’t know why the other Lord was so interested—or perhaps possessive was the proper term—of the Lady Victoria, but he had a feeling his attachment had to do with more than just her beauty. Not wanting to start a feud over something that he had no proof would hurt his own family though, he contented himself with keeping an eye on the Wynter from a distance for now.

He stayed put by the table for a few minutes longer, absently swirling the remains of the sherry in his glass as he waited for Victoria to return from freshening up. After his conversation with the other vampire, he had come to the conclusion that there had been no reason for him to get involved with the couple. However, he’d already offered the girl a dance, and he wasn’t a complete savage. He would honor the commitment just this once and then keep his distance for the rest of the event, just as he’d planned.

Luckily, he didn’t have to stand around for long.

As soon as the Lady Victoria reappeared by his side, Vail turned to her and bowed with well-rehearsed eloquence, “Are you ready now, My Lady?”

~Bonsoir~

Having lived on this Earth for over two centuries now, it wasn’t difficult for Vail to read human emotions anymore. He had come to learn that many of their kind tended to wear their hearts on their sleeves, whether intentionally or not. Right now, the Lady Victoria didn’t even bother to hide the fact that she was suspicious of him. Part of him wondered what he’d done to arouse her distrust, but overall he found that he didn’t care one way or the other if she believed him. It wasn’t like they would ever cross paths again, after all. He had just come to her birthday party as an excuse to get out of the Hygrace manor for a few hours. As soon as it was over, they would be parting ways for good, since he had no intention of returning to her family’s manor ever again.

When Victoria winced, Vail knew he’d said the wrong thing again. Although that didn’t matter much either, he supposed. Even if she wasn’t dangerous, he didn’t enjoy lingering around a Crest any longer than he had to. The sooner she dismissed him, the better; and luckily, it appeared he didn’t have to wait very long.

“Thank you. I intend to,” he nodded his head courteously, relieved when she finally concluded the brief conversation between them. But that wasn’t the end of it. Apparently she wanted him to save her a dance later. “Perhaps I could,” he offered her a polite smile, though inwardly he knew he wasn’t going to honor the request. There was so much happening at the party. If he let enough time pass, he felt sure she would get caught up in the festivities and forget about the stranger she had run into toward the beginning of it all. He could slip out with the other guests at the end of the night, and it would all be over.

As she turned away, Vail did as well, making his way through the crowd toward another table across the ballroom. Once he was further away, he let out a sigh that was inaudible behind the elegant music playing for the dancers. So far, the night hadn’t turned out quite like he’d hoped but, choosing to remain optimistic, he still intended to enjoy himself, just as he’d told Lady Victoria he would. All he had to do was avoid one person for the length of the party. How hard could that be?

Apparently very hard indeed.

He had only made it about halfway to the target table when a sudden, pungent odor of blood made him freeze in his tracks. It was as strong as if the source had been directly beneath his nose and tantalizing in a way he’d never experienced before. He was thankful he’d had the foresight to feed the night before the party, or else he very well could have lost his composure right then and there.

Bewildered as to where such a powerful scent could be coming from, Vail began discreetly looking over the people around him. He was careful to keep his wandering eyes from being too obvious though. This was the Crest family manor, after all. The vampire hunters could have arranged some sort of trap to draw his kind out of hiding, and he didn’t want to give himself away. However, that didn’t seem to be the case when his gaze landed on the Lady Victoria, who had her finger in her mouth as she seemed to nurse a cut.

It’s coming from her? He marveled, licking his lips as his body began to salivate involuntarily. It was surprising to him that such a small wound could give off a smell as strong as this. He’d never seen the likes of it before. Even though he had fed just twenty-four hours prior, he found it difficult to fight the urge to approach her. He wondered what such enticing blood might taste like, what it might feel like to feed on just a drop…

Vail took a slow breath. It didn’t matter what it would be like, since he couldn’t lay a finger on the Crest heiress in the middle of her own family’s manor. Doing so would have been practically suicidal. As tempting as it was, he had to stick to his original plan and keep his distance from the woman.

He was just about to turn away from her again when a second, fainter scent made him bristle. There was a Wynter at this party after all.

Suspecting he already knew where to locate the member of the rival clan, he glanced once more at the Lady Victoria, who had been approached by another Lord—the same one who had greeted her at the base of the staircase earlier. He narrowed his eyes. He wasn’t sure what a Wynter would have to gain from getting close to a member of the Crest family, but he didn’t trust any of them well enough to wait and find out.

Without taking the time to make a real plan, Vail cut back through the crowd and walked up behind Victoria, speaking at a slightly raised volume to get her attention, “You know, I’ve thought about it, and there’s no time like the present. I think I’d like to have that dance now.” He stopped abruptly, his hazel eyes flicking from Lady to Lord with a hint of surprise. “I’m sorry. Am I interrupting something?”

~Bonsoir~

Vail had only just turned away from the Lady Victoria when he was surprised to feel a slender hand rest on his forearm. After he’d let his tongue slip so carelessly, he had expected her to be eager to get away from him, not say that it was “alright” and ask him to stay. He wasn’t sure what to think about that. After all, she was a member of the Crest family. They were the enemy of his kind, so surely it wasn’t wise to linger around one of them any longer than he already had. His father would certainly be furious with his recklessness if he found out he’d even spoken to her at all.

On the other hand, this wasn’t Alexander. This was Lord Crest’s daughter, a far younger woman whom had likely never killed a vampire in her life. In fact, it was entirely possible that she wasn’t even part of the Order to begin with. Thinking about it a little more, he realized he’d never seen any women among their ranks when they’d crossed paths in the past. He casted her a sideways glance. Perhaps she wasn’t as dangerous as he’d first thought.

As she went on to say that his words had been refreshing, Vail nearly snorted. He hadn’t been trying to speak his thoughts to her at all. At the time, he had just scrambled to excuse his behavior so he wouldn’t cause a commotion and draw even more attention to himself. The comment had just spilled out since Lord Alexander happened to be on his mind. It wasn’t even close to the noble gesture she made it out to be. But, of course, there was no point in correcting her when she seemed so flattered by the misunderstanding, so he said nothing more on the matter.

When the Lady Victoria extended her hand in greeting, Vail hesitated briefly. Even though he’d decided she was harmless by herself, he still wasn’t sure if she was aware of his family name. The Hygraces were the most powerful vampire clan in England, and they were quite well known to the Saints of the Order. The two groups didn’t fight amongst each other very often—his father had followed in his uncle’s footsteps by insisting that they shouldn’t kill the humans they fed on, which kept some peace between them and the Order—but Peter had told him that Alexander knew about them. He didn’t want to alert Victoria on her own territory if she knew the Hygrace name as well.

“Vail Griffiths,” he said, safely supplying a fake surname as he took her hand. Absently, he noticed that her skin was delicate, soft to the touch, but it wasn’t a detail he lingered on for very long as he answered her question, “No, I’ve never met your father personally, but I believe my father has.” At that, he hesitated again, unsure what else to say. Lord Alexander had been an enemy to his family for decades, so he couldn’t bring himself to offer her any words of praise about the man. Still, he supposed it wasn’t her fault that her father had been a Saint, so there was no harm in offering his condolences.

“From what I’ve been told, your father was quite important to your family,” he admitted vaguely. “I’m sorry for the untimely loss.”

~Bonsoir~

Dress Sense

Name: Lord Vail Hygrace
Age: 211, to his best estimate
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 192 lbs
Race: Vampire
Birthplace: England, circa 1667 (Elizabethan era)
Short Bio: Born in the Elizabethan era and surviving into the Victorian, Vail has seen the rise and fall of two centuries’ worth of dynasties—not just human, but supernatural as well. As a member of the Hygrace family, he was raised in the wealth and prestige of the most powerful vampire clan in London. His uncle, Lord Reginald Hygrace, was a respected leader, known across the nation for offering protection to any vampires who needed sanctuary from The Order of the Saints: an influential group of men and women who tracked down and killed the “demons” for a living.

For nearly a century, Reginald’s efforts kept both his family and the rest of the vampires safe. However, around the year 1750, he made the mistake of taking in a man named Lord Elias Wynter. At a glance, Elias seemed like just another refugee seeking sanctuary with the Hygrace family, but in truth, he sought to overthrow the ruling dynasty completely.

Unbeknownst to the Hygraces, the Wynters had been plotting for quite a while to take over and change the way that vampires lived in England altogether. They believed that as “superior beings,” they should fight back against humans instead of hiding from them in fear. They saw the Hygraces were weak and cowardly, unfit to lead their kind, and so started a rebellion.

When he commenced his attack, Elias managed to kill Reginald, but his attempt to finish off the rest of the oldest generation was cut short by his victim’s younger brother—Vail’s father—Peter, who went on to take over as the leader of the Hygrace clan in his sibling’s stead. Unfortunately, the Wynter family refused to give up after just one defeat and has continued to fight for power against the ruling dynasty ever since.

For Vail, the following century of his life was spent predominantly in hiding. As the son of the most powerful vampire in England, he had to look out not only for members of the Saints but the Wynters as well. With such a large target on his back, he learned how to fight and wield a gun in order to protect himself. Both skills have saved his life since.

Of course, he can’t spend all his time in seclusion without going stir crazy, so he finds time to attend parties and other large gatherings put on by other aristocrats in London to get out of the Hygrace manor on occasion.

~Bonsoir~

“I’ll never understand why you find enjoyment in going to these… events,” Lord Peter Hygrace folded his arms across his chest as he stood in his son’s doorway. The time was nearing seven o’ clock, and the head of the household had stopped by to see his heir off before he left for the masquerade thrown by the Crest family that night.

“It’s called a party,” Vail turned away from his dresser to cast his father an amused smile. Despite the difference in their ages, the two could have been mistaken for siblings. A perk of immortality, Vail supposed. He and his father shared the same lean, yet sturdy frame, commanding stature, and brown hair that reflected a silvery sheen in the light. The biggest difference between them was Vail’s hazel colored eyes, a tribute from his mother, Katherine Hygrace.

The younger of the two turned away again to put on a tailcoat. “It’s the best opportunity I have to get out of this suffocating manor without drawing attention to myself,” Vail went on simply. “Why shouldn’t I enjoy myself?”

“Perhaps because you’re on your way to the Crest manor,” Peter frowned. “You know that family has been involved in the Order for centuries, Vail. They’re dangerous. They’re the ones who call our kind demons and kill us in the name of justice.”

“Yes, yes,” Vail rolled his eyes stubbornly. “And that’s why I’ll keep my head down.” Finished getting dressed, he stepped away from the dresser and made his way toward the door. “I’m not hungry at all. I have complete control right now.” He held up his hands in a shrug as he stood before his father. “Besides, this is a masquerade party. It’s perfect. My face will be covered, and there will be so many other people around that a Wynter would have a hard time picking out my scent in the crowd. There’s no risk.”

Peter pursed his lips into a thin line before letting out a reluctant sigh. “Very well,” he conceded. “If you’re absolutely certain there’s no risk, then I wish you well.”

“Thank you,” Vail nodded courteously and then grinned, flashing a set of fanged canines as his lip curved away from his teeth. He reached into his coat pocket and held up a silver mask in front of his face. “I’ll be back later. Don’t wait up.” With that, he stepped past Peter and headed for the door.

--

It was plain to see that the Crest family had done well for themselves over the years.

Vail craned his neck as his eyes roved over the lavish manor, which has been decorated extravagantly for the birthday of the heiress, Lady Victoria. It was his first time visiting the place, and it would have been a lie to say he wasn’t impressed. The ballroom itself was gorgeous with décor to catch the eye almost everywhere he looked. Having always been one to appreciate human luxuries, he could have spent hours simply wandering around to take it all in. However, he didn’t get the chance before the chime of silverware on glass caught his attention.

Standing near a table that had been filled from edge to edge with a wide array of food and drinks, Vail spun around to listen to the butler announce the Lady Victoria’s arrival. Murmurs began to sound around him as the rest of the guests spoke quietly amongst themselves, whispering about the rumors of the Lady’s beauty. He lifted a glass of sherry to his lips, his light eyes flicking toward the nearby people before shifting to the staircase. Even though he had only attended the party to get out of his own family’s manor for a few hours, he couldn’t help but feel curious to see who the Crests’ daughter was. He hadn’t heard much about her aside from the little his father had mentioned, but from what the people around him were saying now, she sounded like quite the woman.

His hunch was proven correct when Victoria emerged at the top of the stairs. To say she was beautiful was an understatement. Though he had enough sense not to ogle like some of the other men in the ballroom, he still watched her discreetly as she descended from the top of the upper floor. There was a melancholy about the Lady that seemed out of place at such a vibrant party, but he had a feeling he knew why she was distressed. Word had already reached the Hygraces about the death of Lord Alexander Crest, the former head of the Crest household and a high ranking member of the Order. It hadn’t been long since the man’s demise, so his daughter was probably still mourning.

As Victoria was greeted by a man at the bottom of the stairs, Vail turned away again, uninterested in their exchange now that he had sated his curiosity about who the heiress was. He sipped causally at his drink, making his way across the room to continue looking over the Crest family luxuries. It felt good to be able to move about without looking over his shoulder. The mask that adorned his face helped him to blend right in with the crowd, and he hadn’t caught so much as a whiff of a Wynter. It was starting to seem like none of the other vampire clan had even shown up to the party. Good news for him.

Suddenly, Vail was drawn from his thoughts when he felt himself bump into someone else with his shoulder. Having been distracted by the scenery, he realized he hadn’t kept his eyes in front of him as he should have been. He silently chided himself for being careless. Just because he was able to let his guard down didn’t mean he could keep his head in the clouds.

“Sorry,” he said, turning to apologize to whomever he’d run into, and then froze when he recognized the Lady Victoria. Of course, it was just his luck that he would have collided with the honored guest of all people. So much for keeping his head down. Eager to make amends in case she was upset, he quickly bowed to her in a respectful gesture. “Ah, I was hoping I might run into you, Lady Victoria,” he lied, hoping a bit of humor would diffuse the uncomfortable situation and give him some time to think of a reason why he would have wanted to speak with her in the first place.

After a pause, he thought of something, “I just wanted to say what a lovely party this is. I think it’s very brave of you to attend something like this in light of… recent events.” He bit the tip of his tongue, realizing too late that it might not have been the best idea to bring up the fate of her father. Unable to take back the comment, he pinched the bridge of his nose in embarrassment. “I’m sorry. Forget I said that… I’m just going to go now.”

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow had enough of her
She's definitely not going to give up though

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow lifted the last bite of bread from his plate to his mouth, chewing slowly as he simmered down from what Elizabeth had said. Though he had thrown caution aside to come to Penelope’s defense once, he knew he couldn’t keep doing so without giving away how close they really were. So, despite his desire to tell the noblewoman off or ask her to leave, he forced himself to think about other things in an attempt to relax and move on from what had just happened.

A silence fell over the table before it was broken by Elizabeth. “I was only trying to help,” she asserted again, shrinking down in her seat as if she was upset that Penelope called her personality dreadful. The woman frowned, her crystalline eyes flicking from Crow to the knight as she seemed to realize that her approach wasn’t getting her the results she had been looking for. After a drawn out pause, she spoke again, “I’m sorry if I caused any offense. I really didn’t mean to. Beauty is just something that’s always been important to my family. I didn’t realize there were women who thought differently.”

Crow nearly scoffed at that. He wasn’t gullible enough to believe she had been trying to be helpful when she had told Penelope that no man would want to marry her because of her scar. If anything, he suspected she’d been trying to attack the knight’s confidence by seeking out a sore spot or chase her off because she didn’t want her to linger with them at the table. There had been nothing friendly about any of the comments the noblewoman had made.

When the second try didn’t seem to work either, Elizabeth pursed her lips together. “So, Collin,” she persisted, offering the viceroy a pleasant smile. “How have your lessons been going? You mentioned you’ve got another one today, right?”

Crow looked up at her, unprepared for the sudden change in topic. However, even though this subject was much more innocent than the last one had been, he was in no mood to talk to the noblewoman after the harsh things she’d said to Penelope. “I think you should go,” he said abruptly, though he spoke in a low voice as he held Elizabeth’s gaze.

Liz blinked, seeming taken aback by his sudden order. Her blue eyes flicked between the two once more before she averted her gaze. “Alright,” she agreed with visible reluctance as she rose from the table. “I’ll see you later, Collin.”

Crow said nothing in response as she walked away, waiting until the noblewoman had left the Great Hall before he let out his breath in a frustrated exhaled. “I’m so sorry she behaved that way to you,” he apologized, turning to Penelope with a frown. “I had no idea what a shrew she’s become. Are you alright?”

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Everything is falling apart ^^;

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Crow had to fight the urge to stare at Elizabeth in shock when the noblewoman commented on Penelope’s scar. The remark was so out of place that he didn’t even know what to think. On one hand, he was astonished that she would be so bold as to openly insult another woman to her face. On the other, he was furious that she thought it was okay to say something like that about the knight in the first place. It wasn’t often that the viceroy felt the urge to strike a woman, but he couldn’t help but think that Liz needed a good slap to the jaw for being so rude.

As the two continued to speak, he averted his gaze again, this time out of the need to remain calm rather than because Elizabeth was making him uncomfortable. He trembled slightly as he restrained himself from lashing out in Penelope’s defense. Having to sit back and watch the noblewoman verbally attack the woman he loved was practically torturous, but he couldn’t do anything to help without giving away his feelings for her. He bit down on his tongue, hating how powerless he was in the situation.

“Really?” Elizabeth gawked at Penelope when she said she didn’t think her scar was awful. “Well, I suppose it’s noble of you to find beauty in yourself despite your flaws.” She shrugged. “But I still think you should take my advice to heart, especially if you want to get married someday.” Her lips curved upward in a foxlike smirk. “No man is going to want to marry a woman with a streak like that on her face.”

Crow ground his teeth, nearly unable to hold back from snapping at the noblewoman. He couldn’t believe she was continuing to say such terrible things to the knight. Of course, none of it was true—he loved her more than anyone else in the Kingdom of Brerra, no matter how many scars she bore—but he was still irate to hear her be torn down in such a brutal manner.

Subtly, he reached to take Penelope’s hand beneath the table, seeking both to comfort her and use her touch to keep him from losing his temper.

If Liz noticed the effect her words were having on him, she didn’t care. “Aren’t I right, Collin?” she asked, casting him a hopeful look, as if she actually expected him to side with her on the matter. The question was just enough to push the viceroy over the edge.

“Of course not,” he snapped, glaring furiously at the noblewoman as he lost the little that remained of his composure. “Not all men are superficial enough to cast a woman aside simply because she bears marks of the trials she’s been through. And if you think otherwise, then you’re the fool.”

Elizabeth blinked, seeming caught off guard by his opinion. “I didn’t mean any offense,” she said innocently. “I was just trying to help.” She shuffled her feet, frowning at the viceroy with a hint of confusion, “I’m surprised you feel so strongly about it though, since I remember that you have a fondness for beautiful women.”

Crow had to bite his tongue again to keep from spitting that Penelope was beautiful with or without her scar. Taking a calming breath, he averted his gaze to glower at the wall as he muttered, “It doesn’t matter what my preferences are. I won’t stand by and let you insult my friend like that.”

Let Me Steal Your Heart [BuzzingBee + Dagger]

Elizabeth is SUCH a bitch

Crow is going to be pissed off at her last comment