Penny's jar Of Terrible Things Penny closed her eyes, covering them with her hands. "I can't do it! Don't make me!" Dovev took her shoulders, and turned her to face him, his dark hair blowing like smoke, and his black eyes piercing hers. "I vowed myself to keeping you safe, Penny" she looked up at him. He had spoken her name, he hadn't called her "Mistress" or "pandora" but Penny. He wiped a tear from her cheek, his finger felt real enough, how could he just be a shadow of the dead? "Trust me now? Please? I won't let any harm come to you" Penny looked back at the Light Ones coming nearer. Should they stay here, Dovev would be gone, and She would be wiped of her memory of it all. She gripped his hand, and felt the smoke like shadow of it solidify beneath hers, and squeeze back. "Ok" she whispered lightly, and Dovev smiled, his black eyes shining. And then she was falling, the ground was approaching quickly. She felt Dovev's hand slipping from her own, and then she was alone. She closed her eyes, waiting for the ground, but she slammed into something else, it felt soft, but form, just like... She opened her eyes, to find herself clinging to the back of a black shadow eagle. It's wings glided, flapping once, and from its shiny beak, a shriek filled the dark city. Penny laid her head down, and wrapped her arms around it's neck. Only one shadow could take form like this. they glided up and over the clouds, with only stars above them. She whispered softly, "Thank you, Dovev" The eagle shrieked again, and she smiles, "of course you were right"

The final Farewell Circe placed the jars on the shelf, humming softly to herself. It had been a week since Nevina was lost and found her way back thanks to "a nice man in a red coat". Her parents had reasoned with themselves that she couldn't mean Alucard. He was dead. Wasn't he? She stopped her humming, and sighed, letting her hand play with a soft strand of her white hair. She felts strong arms encircle her waist from behind, and a kiss laid tenderly upon her neck. She twisted slightly, expecting to meet the eyes of her husband. And instead found herself staring into red, sunglassed eyes. She felt her knees grow weak, and dark spots popped in her vision, and she crumbled against him. When she awoke again, she was laid down on the sofa, and he, he who should have been dead, was sitting beside her, playing with her hair. "You are awake, beautiful. I'm sorry for frightening you, though, having you fall into my embrace like the swooning maid you once were felt wonderful" He smiled, and she blushed. She scrambled to a sitting position, inching as far away from him as possible. "Alucard" His face lot up, "my love still remembers my name!" She tried to scowl, but she ended up crying, covering her face with her hands. She didn't fight as he pulled her against him and allowed her to cry against his chest. Which was when she realized, there was no heartbeat. He was dead. She pulled away, and looked at his face. He looked the same, his touch felt the same. His chest was just as firm and comforting. He even smelt the same. And yet...how could he be? She found her voice again, "how did you...what are you doing here Alucard?" He kissed her hair, and played with the ends of her long white locks. "I came to see you, and my child, Circe" She stood quickly, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his lap. "Alucard, stop it. I'm not free to be yours anymore" His eyes were sad, and he put his lips near hers, brushing them softly while his arms again encircled her waist. She knew she should fight against him, it was only right. She was married to Inger now. She was happy. And Alucard was dead. Quite suddenly he released her, and pulled back. "Your right, Circe. You always have been". She slowly scrambled off his lap, and backed away, eying him. What does one tell the father of your child when he has been dead for years? And whom you still might have buried feelings for? "You should have told me, Circe" Alucard spoke first, his eyes were lowered. "If I had known I had fathered a child, your child, especially your child, things would have turned out differently" She felt tears coming yet again, and she shoved the emotional ache from her. "I wanted to. I just...didn't know how" He stood, and walked towards her. His taller form yet again setting her heart at odd tempos. He stood near to her, and tilted her chin up. His familiar scent clinging to the air around them. The last time they had stood this close....she had ended up pregnant. "A simple, "Daddy Al, guess what your poking did?" Would have sufficed, my love". She wanted to look down, but his gloves finger kept her face at an upward tilt. She couldn't stop the tears this time. "Alucard, you know you would never had settled down happily. You loved me, yes, I loved you, yes. But we could never settle together and raise a family" She could see her words stung him, but also that he understood. "Perhaps you are right...." He sighed, and stroked her cheek. "I'll leave again. It's not for the dead to occupy the space of the living" She wanted to ask him to come again, to visit. But he was right. "Might I ask one favor from my old flame?" His eyes were sad, and she nodded. "Anything short of bedding or stripping with you" She saw a slight twinkle in his eyes, "nothing of that sort. I understand the body I once kissed and fondled is now belonging to another man. But might I perhaps beg borrow of those kissable lips in one final, passionate, completely French, kiss?" His hands clenched hers, and she stood on tiptoe, his hands moving to hold her waist. Her lips touched his, and he bent closer to her, and they kissed without restraint. They kissed with all the passion from their previous time together during which a child had been conceived. And he was, surprisingly, the first to pull away from her. "And now, I bid you my final farewell, oh fair Eve whom I might never have. For I am but a lowly serpent in this beautiful Eden" she opened her lips to protest, but he disappeared. Gone.

War And Threat Of War Lord Sullivan neighed like a wild horse, and tossed his head as Circe clutched his shirt, squealing happily. Around him, Hiroaki carried a stick like a horse, pretended to be a commander in his own imaginary army. "Onward, men! Slay the evil enchantress and her magic stallion!" He shouted, waving a wooden sword above his head dramatically. "Will we let the good King slay us, oh enchantress?" Sullivan smiled at his daughter, and she bounced up and down on his back, giggling. "Of course not, Stallion of the black wind! Let us go forth and show the hordes of soldiers what happens when they get in the way of Enchantress Circe!" Sullivan nodded, "of course, my lady. But I have heard the only way to weaken the King's forces is to tickle him until he pleads for sanctuary" Circe smiled, but her voice was calm, and solemn "then we must do what must be done, good steed" With a mighty neigh, they charged the good king Hiroaki, chasing him around the room with shouts, laughter, neighs and giggles. Finally they caught him in a corner, and the king was easily trapped in the Enchantress and her magical stallion of the black wind's tickling war. Their laughter and Hiroaki's breathless laughs made such a racket Lady Isabel looked up from her painting. "Sullivan! Is it not possible to teach the children quieter games?" Sullivan released the king, and brushed a dark shock of hair from his eyes, smiling at his wife. "Why, Dearest of all dears, what fun would that be? A mute war is hardly believable" She rolled her eyes, and dabbed the paintbrush in the blue paint, carefully painting the expanse of sky. "Than perhaps the enchantress and the king should find their war taking place out of doors?" Sullivan stood, and hefted Circe on his shoulders as Hiroaki clutched his leg, causing his father to drag him across the floor. "Yes, love of my wild heart" Isabel laughed, "oh go on" Circe tugged her father's dark hair, "Papa! Can we go sneak blood tarts from the kitchen? It's always more fun to sneak them out with you" Isabel opened her mouth to protest, but Sullivan was already leading their offspring out, going over the proper details on how to sneak food from kitchens. She laughed softly, and laid her paintbrush down. These happy, though loud and rambunctious moments were the ones she knew her children would remember the most vividly. Her hand slipped into her gown's pocket, touching the note they had received only that morning. Vampire Hunters had been spotted a few days trek away. Who knew how long they had, perhaps this was the best way to spend their possible last moments with their children. In those wild, rambunctious, loud moments.

Circe's Betrayal Circe clutched the thin stick in her trembling hands. It...it couldn't be. They had only had a one night gig....though it had been a night filled with unbridled passion, it had still been just once. But she had taken five tests, and each one just as positive as the next. She threw them in the trash, and back against the wall. How would she tell Alucard? Or....her throat suddenly felt dry, Inger? Would he still want her, knowing she had given herself to his friend, and was now pregnant with his child? She bit her lip, her fangs piercing her skin, and causing it to bleed. The sharp pang on her lips drastically contrasted the way Alucard's tongue had traced them. She shivered, remember the way his fangs had been drawn across her bare neck teasingly before nipping lightly. She rubbed the spot where he had bitten her, she had been careful to cover up any love bite or kiss marks. When vampires made love, it was rarely without biting. And then she felt guilt. She enjoyed her night with him, relished it, savored his touch, and would take it back any time. But she loved Inger. Her white knight with his gentleness, his charm, and his love. And yet, she had betrayed him, and there was now no way to hide what she had done. Circe slid down, her skirts rustling, and buried her face into her knees. And cried tears of shame. {This story blurb is from my Roleplay Instagram character, @Lady_circe}

The Finding out Aiko slammed the door behind her, and sunk to the floor with her back against it. What she had just heard....it had to be wrong. It just had to. Alucard. She had heard his name often, she knew he had been a dear friend to her Mother and Papa... Aiko stood, and looked at her face in the mirror. She never knew how dear until today. She felt trapped in her room, and so she climbed through the window up to the roof. She tried to keep her thoughts at a minimum. She didn't want to think until she was on the roof, gazing up at the sky. As she laid back on the rough shingles, she felt a tear trickle down her face. "So, you are my Father, Alucard. I'm the daughter of Dracula. That's why I've never had my Father's abilities, his angel like wings or anything. Inger didn't own the sperm that created me" It hurt to think that all her #life, the man she had given baby kisses to, toddled after, called Father, wasn't anything but her Mother's husband. And to think of her Mother, her pure hearted, angelic mother in an affair was.... How could such a thing be possible? And then the bitter truth. "I was a mistake. I wasn't supposed to happen" Her lips trembled, and she covered her face, letting hot tears trail down the sides of her face. "I-I-I was th-the result of M-Mother and A-Alucard's lack of digression. I-I w-was just a mistake!!" She wasn't aware of Zeme's arrival until he was beside her, and touching her shoulder. "Hey, kiddo" She uncovered her face, "g-go away" she sniffed at her brother, who wasn't her brother at all, it seemed. "I just discovered my whole #life was just an accident. I don't want to talk to you" Instead of unfurling his wings, Inger's genes, and flying off to who knows where, Zeme let them fold back into his skin, and he settled down on the roof beside her. "You know, I wasn't supposed to have happened either" She turned her head to look at him. "You weren't?" Zeme shook his head, "nope. Dad and Mom had a single stand in night together, like your mom and Alucard. Mom got upset because she thought Dad didn't love her enough, and she left. Never telling him she was pregnant. They broke up. I learned about my Dad only as my Mom was dying" a smile crooked his face. "And I didn't even get to know his name. Until I found him. But anyway, my point is, Circe isn't my Mom. But I love her, and would protect her against anything like I would my Mother. And, I might be wrong, but I think she considers me her son too. She has no blood claim on me, she is just my Father's wife. But we're family. Same with you" he nudged her gently. "Dad might not have been the one to give you your DNA, but I know he loves you like a daughter. He considers you his little girl. Maybe we were both accidents from a lack of Condoms...but does that mean we should live down to the bastard children ideal? We have a family who loves us. Sure, maybe they aren't our real parents. But that doesn't change anything" Zeme stood, and nearly fell off the roof, but caught his balance. "And, from what I heard, Alucard really and truly loved Circe. He would have done anything for her. And he would have adored you. Circe was so happy and excited about you, and so was Dad. Accidents we might be, but we are some loved accidents" he smiled, and lost his balance again, falling over the side of the roof. Aiko gasped, and crawled over, looking down to see him brushing dirt off of himself. "I'm ok! I'm ok. Don't worry. Now, get off that roof before you fall too" She giggled, and obeyed her brother, swinging back into her room. Her brother. He was right, maybe that hasn't told her she was illegitimate, but in the long run, what did it matter? {Story is for my Role play IG character, @Lady_Circe as well as @Zeme_Ander and @Inger_Venetic}