Intrusion of Crimson Kiss

Author: Lady Antonietta DMedici

Date: 09-21-04 18:40

After having finished the platter of treats the hotel manager had been kind enough to bring for me, I wiped my crumb covered hands on the sides of my plaid skirt, and, taking my brush between my fingers, returned to the canvas again.

The shadows of the sinking sun seemed to have cast darkness over the lake in the distance, making it very difficult to visualize the ripples which would have properly identified it as a body of water. I had to step away from the canvas delve deeper into the woodland and squint my eyes to be able to distinguish every detail. The water ran up along the sandy dirt, like an ocean along the coastline.

And then, something else caught my eye. A residence of some sort.

Nestled high in the hills, surrounded by even thick trees was a beautiful manor that, although quaint and small from this distance must have been magnificently vast when viewed up close. I found myself standing and staring at it for quite some time, wondering why I hadn't been able to notice it before. It seemed almost as though it had been placed there while I had gone back inside. If it had been there previously, I would have been able to see it. It seemed so tranquil and lonely, and a bit oddly placed. A creepy feeling surged along my vertebrae.

This would totally alter my composition. But no matter, I thought indifferently. I was determined to include it, however long it took. Painting the lake would have to come afterwards.

Of course, there was not much detail to be seen from my position, which was a good distance away. Reaching for my tube of Chinese white pigment, I squeezed it onto my pallet, which was already covered in an array of dried out colors. Clutching it in one hand, I dipped my paintbrush into the tiny blob of white and painted over an area of green bushes so that I'd have room to place the manor. Glancing up again, I was astonished to discover that its color looked different from when I'd first laid eyes on it. I could have sworn it had been a whitish- grey before! Now it looked more like scarlet. Or a crimson.

This seemed almost too out of the ordinary to be true. Maybe it was the sunlight playing tricks on my eyes? Maybe that was why I couldn't see the manor way out in the distance the first time I had set up to work?

Shrugging it off, I reached for the tube of blood red and applied it to the pallet. I tried mixing it with what remained of the blob of white, but realized that the mixture looked too pink. Adding more grey, it slowly shifted from bright fuchsia to a burgundy.

The manor was tall and mighty, even all those yards and yards away. A rush of wind from the lake sent a shiver coursing through me, and goose bumps formed along my bare arms. Teeth chattering from the sudden change in air temperature, I completed the house, then took several steps back to compare it with the actual piece of architecture. It seemed precise enough.

I looked up and eyed the clouds as they rolled across the sky. Rain seemed imminent. I would have to finish the landscape some other time. For now, I had to move inside to avoid getting wet. Dumping the dirty water from my plastic cup onto the ground, I refilled it with fresh water from the glass pitcher and proceeded to clean my brushes. I could not afford to have the oil paint cake into the horse tail bristles, which would cost a fortune to replace. They held particularly special significance to me, for my father had given them to me for my ninth birthday. I had cherished them with all my heart ever since.

Returning my materials into their proper cases, I temporarily set them alongside the empty platter on the small table. I would have to bring the wet canvas inside before it smudged.

Harry was not at his desk when I came back inside. I glanced about the lobby for some time before deciding to set the canvas at the foot of the stairs. Surely, no one would trouble it and it would only take me two minutes to come back with the rest of my things.

It never occurred to me how foolish it was to leave the painting where someone might trip on it. I returned through the hotel doors with my folded easel and materials and found the colors on half of the canvas completely ruined. A woman stood below the stairs, looking at the bottom of one of her high heeled shoes and muttering angrily to herself about the paint that caked the surface. A scream of outrage caught in my throat, one that never surfaced to be heard.

"Excuse me madam��." I attempted politeness, although it was no easy task.

The lady, who looked not long past her prime glared up at me, still balanced on one foot her hand on the table situated beside the end of the stairs to steady herself. Pointing to the ruined canvas, she frowned at me and coldly demanded,

"Is that your painting?"

"Yes!"

She narrowed her eyes at me as if we had somehow switched roles, and she was the artist that was infuriated over her ruined piece.

"Well then, what the hell was it doing at the foot of the stairs? Were you trying to trip someone? I mean, fuck, just look at my shoes! My Prada shoes!"

A lump of anger slid down my throat, and I dropped my materials to the wooden floor and clenched my fists. We shot dagger looks at each other for some time before I roused up my courage and shouted at her in rebuttal,

"To hell with your shoes! Why didn't you just watch where you were going?"

I was sure one of us would have wound up slugging the other had it not been for Harry entering the lobby from the next room.

"Ladies! What's happened here?"

We started giving him separate explanations at once, pointing fingers at each other and shouting. Harry threw his hands up in astonishment at being corned by two equally angry women and attempted to calm us.

"Wait a minute! One at a time, please." Disregarding the continuous complaints of the other lady, who was lamenting aloud over and over to herself in a torturously irritating high pitched voice about how much she'd paid for her shoes, Harry gestured for my reply.

I could scarcely speak, I was so suffocated with fury. I wanted to wrap my hands around the wretch's throat and asphyxiate her slowly.

"I�I brought my canvas inside because I thought It was going to rain and set it there by the staircase. I had to run back outside because I had to collect the rest of my belongings. I was out for two minutes and I come back and find this�.."

I stormed past the woman who was still inspecting her paint covered Prada heels and held the canvas up by the very edges so that Harry could see. He was speechless.

"It was her fault!" The woman cried, glaring at me again. "Do you have any napkins? I hope this shit's not permanent!"

"Fuck you!" I screeched, giving her a powerful shove down to the ground with a heave of my right shoulder. She tripped over her own feet and went flying down with the force of my hurl. She hit the ground with a hard thump.

She probably would have made a dive to further destroy my painting or worse still, harm me. Thankfully, Harry intervened.

"Cecelia, Antonietta please calm down!" He insisted. "I'll not have this kind of behavior in my lobby." He turned to the other lady, and offered his hand to help her rise to her feet. She abruptly slapped it away and got up on her own.

"Perhaps you should reconsider," she bellowed, her hair wild around her head, "Allowing such an incompetent IMMIGRANT in your hotel."

With that, she stormed back upstairs, possibly to change her shoes. I turned to Harry.

"I am sorry for all this."

He waited till Cecelia had disappeared before replying. "It isn't your fault. She's one of the bitchest guests to ever stay here. But I don't dare displease her. She's got plenty of money you see, and that's good for the hotel. She's some kind of actress, I believe."

Harry took the painting from me carefully and meticulously inspected it. He clicked his teeth and shook his head. "What a shame. This shouldn't have happened."

"You think?" I spat out, not meaning to snap at him but too angered to level my voice. "She has eyes. She couldn't watch where she was stepping? I mean�.look at how wide the stair case is!"

I indicated the flight of stairs with my outstretched arm.

"I understand how you feel" Henry said sympathetically, carefully handing the smudged painting back to me.

"I don't think you do."

"You're right, I don't," he humored me. " I' am not an artist myself. I can only appreciate art. But I can only imagine how�heartbroken you must be."

I moved past him and made my way back upstairs. Pausing at the middle of the passage, gripping the back of the canvas, I turned on my heel and called down to Henry,

"I don't mean to sound condescending, but I've injected my whole life into my art. In all my twenty five years, I have never had a work of my art destroyed. Nothing in the world means more to me and nothing upsets me more�not even when I learned that my family treasury was bankrupt." I held the canvas before me and felt a chunk of regret for having been so stupid. "But no matter. I am sorry for lashing out at you. I'll just make the appropriate changes before the paint dries and I can do nothing about it."

"Wait! Antonietta?"

I had already starting walking upstairs, and only turned my head to Henry. "Yes?"

"You might want to take your easel and paints out of the doorway. Would you like me to bring them up for you?"

I felt like even more of an ignoramus. "Yes, yes thank you. I would appreciate if you would."

Henry walked towards the still open hotel doors and closed them, dragging the folded metal easel and hauling it over one shoulder, lugging the box of paints and brushes in his other hand. I continued up the stairs and down the long wide elaborate corridor to my room. I reached into the shallow pocket of my skirt for the keys. My heart sunk, as I frantically patted myself down. I had lost them.

"Henry," I turned to him as he ascended the top of the stairs. "I hate to do this to you, but�I think I've misplaced my keys."

Henry looked exhausted as well as exasperated. "Antonietta��"

"I know, I know, I'm sorry," My tone was still a little hostile.

He set the materials in front of my door. "It's all right. Ill lend you the spare pair."

I thanked him, and he descended the stairs again to fetch the keys.

Within a few more minutes, I was back inside my suite, my canvas carefully placed on my low dresser, my easels and paints near my wardrobe. Still fuming with anger, I kicked off my sandals and walked to the window. Pushing open the velvet curtains, I stared out over the darkening landscape. The sun was descending slowly, casting dark shadows all over the land. Squinting my eyes using the light that illuminated my room, I could just barely make out the mysterious little house engulfed by trees and shadows.

I was struck by a sudden desire to leave my chamber and venture into the vast woodlands alone. I had lived in America for several months and Harry had taken me on a tour of the little towns, but he had never taken me into the forest. He admitted to me, rather embarrassed, that he feared going into the woods because the shadows cast by the trees and the squawking gulls that flew over the water startled him.

But I wasn't interested in the woodlands themselves. What I really desired was to see that mansion up close and perhaps acquaintance myself with the folk there. I was sure that they would be nice, amiable people.

Moving away from the window, I looked on at the canvas on my bed. Touching the surface lightly where the idiot bitch in the Prada heels had smudged the paint, I discovered that it was beginning to dry. I wasn't too worried though. It was relatively easy to do several coats with oil paints.

But I had enough with the oils for the day. I wanted to do some sketches of the manor up close.

Reaching into a drawer in my dresser, I retrieved my sketchbook, an archaic object that had gone unused by my father for many years. The pages were yellowing, and the sides were a little tattered, but I had promised my father that I would use it someday. What better time than now?

I packed a little knapsack with pencils, kneaded erasers, a tiny bottle of fixative to prevent the lead from smearing and a disposable camera. Pulling the straps of the bag over my shoulders and holding the sketchpad in my hands, I left the room and closed the door.

I saw the woman in the hallway, in an entirely different outfit than the one she had been wearing not too long before. She scowled and made some senseless mutterings at me as I made my way past, but her ramblings fell on deaf ears.

Harry had fallen asleep at his desk. I would not disturb him. Instead, I set the spare keys back carefully next to his paper work and tip toed out of the hotel.

The air outside was cool and dewy after the short episode of rain. The temperature was comfortable, slightly cool and of low humidity, which was just what I needed after inhaling oils for so many hours. The empty platter lay at the foot of the tree, where I had left it. Harry would have to bring it back inside whenever he woke up.

Elated at the prospect of my exploration, I delved into the woodland.

I could hear gulls in the distance, and see their shadows as they swooped down towards the lake to look for fish. All was stilled mind the occasional howling winds, and the rustling of little four legged critters searching for nuts or perhaps, retiring after a long day. Walking past the lake, I watched on at this spectacular body of nature, flowing so smooth and gracefully. Fallen twigs and rocks crunched beneath my sandaled feet, making me regret that I hadn't worn sneakers.

After about an hour more of non stop walking, the manor came into full, glorious view. My heart soared at being able to see such a marvelous piece of architecture just a few yards away. The unbelievable vast house was the deep, russet burgundy color I thought it to be, and the carvings into the side of the structure seemed of old origins, perhaps intended to imitate designs from the Renaissance periods. Looking up, I saw that several of the lights in the windows were on. Then, voices. There were definitely people inside.

Stone Gargoyle statuettes greeted me with bared fangs and ivory colored eyes as I brought myself before the doors. I knocked once gently, cautiously. There was no answer.

I tried again. Still no reply.

Looking down, I saw that there seemed to be a small crack between the two doors, indicating that they had been left open. I felt a little guilty about barging into someone's quarters uninvited and wholly unaware of what might be inside, but my curiosity proved overwhelming. Taking a final glance behind me, I shoved them open with my shoulder and stepped inside.

What I saw would have given every Medici palace more than considerable competition. I stepped into the parlor and looked around with awe. It was the most sumptuously furnished room I had seen in ages. The lounge chairs were made of crimson velvet, and the floor was covered in elaborately designed Persian style rugs. Every where I looked there were little relics of mythical beasts, including what looked like three footed horse from hell and a small bust of Medusa�with her snake hair flying around her head. There was a burning fireplace, and the smell of cinnamon and blue berry potpourri filled the air.

I could hear the voices again coming from possibly another floor of the house.

I decided to make myself at home. Seating myself in one of the velvet lounge chairs, I opened my bag, whipped out one of my sketching pencils and proceeded to do a depiction of my surroundings.

The sound of what sounded like approaching footsteps brought me to snap my head up from my preliminary drawings, and search around. The blood drained from my face, and I could feel my heart wickedly beating beneath my flesh for fear of being discovered by ungracious means. What if they called police for intrusion? What would be my defense? Oh, well I was just waltzing by this beautiful manor and I thought I'd just come inside even though I didn't know a soul inside. But don't worry officers, I didn't want anything there. I was only going to do some sketches for my paintings.

They'd probably be falling over each other with laughter before fining me with unauthorized intrusion of property and suspicion of theft.

"Hello?" My shaky voice echoed through the room, as I put my hand to my chest in a futile attempt to steady my heartbeat. "Is anyone there?"

***

A New "Visitor"

Author: Vladira

Date: 09-21-04 18:54

As I had finished the last of my wyne, I could hear the front door open suddenly. I wondered who it could be, as Briant was quite busy elsewhere within the house. Then, a voice pierced the stillness.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

A woman. A woman's voice from out in the hallway. I got up from the chair and walked to the foyer, where I could see it was raining outside a bit. Standing in the doorway was a young woman, who was looking around.

"Can I help you, Miss?" I said.

She jumped at the sound of my voice. Her hand pressed against her chest, startled.

My Carpathian accent noticable. "Good evening. I am the Countess Vladira Lucarda of Transylvania. And, who might you be?"

She stood, soaked and trembling. I could see something in her eyes that seemed familiar. But, what it was, I could not place. Something about her heritage. I could not place it. She was of nobility, I could see that, by the way she stood as she entered the manor.

"Velcome to Crimson Kiss Manor Miss....?"

And I listened to her as she introduced herself.

***

Pins in the skin

Author: Vampiress Narcissa

Date: 09-22-04 05:46

Laura had grasped her hand, questioning her memory about her once rule over her former slave. Her mind was still muddy from the evening's events and Laura's questions merely settled on the surface as she nodded to her. The touch against her skin was paradox in its own right. She wanted someone to hear her pain, to hold her and tell her it would be alright, and yet, she wanted no one to touch her, only wishing to be alone in her misery and thoughts. She missed Guillaume now more than ever..she should have just stayed in her room, but what about Tricia? Perhaps tonight, she would just head to the back room, the small office that had a black and white t.v. in it, curl up on the floor, and go to sleep there. No one would find here there, nor would they know to even look there. But the questioning soon changed as Laura brought up the name Union.

"You remember him? Union Wise? He has been traveling with us occasionally over the last five years, but he arrived tonight alone, and in obvious distress. I don't suppose, Mistress, that you saw or heard anything that might explain what has him so upset."

She quickly pulled away from Laura, picking the knife up again as she moved across the kitchen, which was usually empty. There was food kept here, in case any of the witches decided to return, or if any mortals were brought here to be enslaved or even changed, much like she was. She even remembered Briant bringing her a large sandwich when she first sat down in the parlor before her own transformation into kindred life. But this night, the sound of the blade scraping against the marble countertop as she pulled it away echoed in the room. She wanted to tear her hair out as Laura continued to speak, finally answering her with a low growl in her voice.

"Yes, I remember him. He refuses to let me forget."

She paused for a long moment, her body turned away from Lauras as she paced about the kitchen, speaking with the same low voice as she whipped her gaze to Laura on occasion.

"What do you want Laura? Why did you come down here?"

It was obvious she was distracted, her mind and body not wishing to participate in any activities of the night, especially any that would involve other kindred. But she was ready if Union decided to come and terrorize her more. She was now armed with a rather large knife, and surely her mind would snap if she saw him, even in his human form. She was ready to tear his throat out if need be...she was ready...

***

man's return

Author: Union

Date: 09-22-04 07:51

The sweetest of roses, a fresh breath of air, the crisp smell of rain coming on a cool summer evening�these were not things Union sensed as his mind began to separate from the jumble of beast wants created by the werewolf within his blood. The man could taste the bile which comes from the insides of one, smell the sweat after it dries upon the skin, and sense the hatred expelled when he violated Narcissa. Was he responsible? Could he be held accountable for what the beast does?

Without opening his eyes he knew who held him, and he knew the beast had retreated back into the darkness of his mind. The smell of Violet was like a moment when one returns to a home they had been gone from for years, but with her sweet fragrance was another, Laura�

His mind went to days long gone, days when he held each of them, both of them, and watched over them as they slept days away. He remembered sitting and merely marveling at the sight of loveliness before him, each had an enchantment about them which pulled at him in different ways. Violet with her all giving heart, always watching over, and soothing the waves when the storm of the beast seemed too much for him to handle. And Laura, strong willed, consumed with an inter fire of lust he could match, but yet she held something far stronger than he could ever have�she could love�

He wanted those days back, the days when he held the beast at bay, and enjoyed the comfort of their arms, and the sexually they gave him. But he knew those days were long lost as was many a things, all lost because of the beast. The darkness always pushed him away, sent him off in a rampage of hate and destruction, a destruction he had again brought to the very doorstep of the manor, to Narcissa.

He groaned with a deep sadness�

He could hardly remember the encounter, but as fogged as it was, he knew what had happened, and he could still feel the lustful needs of the beast buried so deeply within his every fiber. He wanted to go to her, to give himself over to Narcissa, to let her do away with him if that was what she needed, let her have her revenge. It would end this thing which tormented him, yet the hunger within, the beast started to rise at this thought, it so wanting to live, to survive, that it would consume him again before it would allow the man to do such an act.

Quickly Union let the thought go, and the darkness again receded�he was lost, there was no salvation, there was only his personal hell.

***

Countess Vladira

Author: Lady Antonietta DMedici

Date: 09-22-04 12:22

"Hello?" I whispered into the darkness. "Is anybody there?"

I grasped my sketchbook to my chest and frantically looked around. My eyes met with those of a beautiful, majestic, ageless woman, with an enticing sway in her step, her arms spread out on either side of her in ceremonious receiving.

"Velcome to Crimson Kiss Manor," she said, in a thick, Transylvanian accent that tingled my ear drum with each word she said. "I am the Countess Vladira Lucarda of Transylvania. It is a pleasure to meet you,"

Her reaction to seeing me seemed a little too uncomfortable to be normal. I had just barged into this exquisite place without any invite, and yet, here was this voluptuous beauty standing now just inches from me with a big smile on her face and dark eyes shining. Clutching my sketchbook even closer to me, I slowly stood up from my velvet chair and raised my eyes to hers.

"My name is Antonietta," I sputtered, and upon feeling my heart fiercely thumping in my chest again, I averted my eyes to the Persian carpeting.

"Antonietta," Vladira repeated my name aloud a few times, and with each mentioning of it, I could feel my face flush and my insides begin to melt. It was an inexplicable sensation....like I felt I could actually bond with this exotic woman...and yet, she seemed too far above me to possibly become interested in being my equal.

"Yes....Antonietta," I repeated.

Vladira stepped out of the shadows and further into the lounge, her eyes locked on the top of my head as I kept my face turned downwards in fright, embarrassment and deep regret.

"Have you a last name?"

"Yes...it's...D' Medici. I....I...."

"D' Medici! So you are precisely vhat I suspected!"

I slowly raised my eyes to hers, which were widened with astonishment.

"What you suspected?" I asked. "What exactly did you...suspect"?

Vladira swept across the room and looked into the blazing fireplace. "You must be of the nobility...vith a name like D' Medici." She turned her pretty head towards me and smiled a wicked sort of grin. "So in that, ve already have something in common. I am a Countess and you are of similar blood."

I remained silent, too stunned to speak.

I sensed her move away from the fireplace and across the vast room again, before pausing to sit herself down on the long, velvet couch positioned directly across from the chair I had been sitting in. She gestured to me,

"Come Antonietta," Her voice was so husky and seductive, that I could feel my once wildly palpitating heart begin to sink down to my kneecaps. I couldn't recall ever possessing feelings for somebody of my own sex, but this woman, this Countess permeated her own air..one of majesty...one of knowledge...one of experience....carnal and otherwise.

She had aroused the most impure thoughts inside of me, and yet she had only been in my presence for a few minutes. How could any human woman possibly hold such power and influence over me? Why was it that with only one glance into her dark eyes, my knees began to shake and my mind filled with wild, torturously perverse thoughts? The heat churning within my body caused me to break out into a hot sweat all across my forehead, temples and neck. No doubt Vladira could sense my fear.

I brought myself to sit beside her, still clutching my sketch book and pencil. I stared out ahead of me, at the empty velvet seat across the room. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her raise an eyebrow at my posture.

"Is there anything vrong? Have I...frightened you?"

Imagine, I thought to myself in disbelief. She lived here and I was a stranger entering her dominion without her having any knowledge of me whatsoever. Most normal people would have called the police. And yet, she was treating me as though we had been friends for ages.

I did not reply. A touch of her hand over my knee sent chills coursing through my veins and I shuddered. Her voice pierced the silence again,

"Antonietta...I didn't mean to frighten you darling. But please, talk to me. Tell me vhy you are here."

I sighed and lifted my face to hers again. The expression on her gorgeous face was astoundingly patient and understanding. She sat there quietly, hand still over my skirt, waiting.

"I......I thought that this was such a.....gorgeous looking house." I could not yet command my voice. "You.....you see, I had spent the entire day painting. I live on the other side of the lake, at a little hotel. I...I came from Italy months ago."

Vladira frowned briefly in thought and then nodded. "So you are an artist then?"

"Well...yes madam."

Her eyes fell on the sketchbook in my lap. Without a word, she shifted her hand across my leg and seized the book. I began to panic.

"Um....Um...my lady.....there...there's nothing in there to see really!"

I was lying, and I'm sure she knew it based on my reaction to her taking the book from me. She flipped to the first page and looked at my preliminary sketches of the room we were sitting in. I had sketched the fireplace, the Medusa bust, and the great windows that lined the walls of the manor.

"These," she began in her deep, lovely voice, "Are vonderful."

"Thank you."

Vladira inspected the book further. "Are there any more?"

"There are a few nude works that I did a year ago in Firenze in the very back. You are...welcome to look if you'd like...."

I needn't have granted her permission. By the time I had finished speaking, Vladira had already flipped to the end of the book. Her eyes widened in wonder at my sketch of Michael Angelo's "David". A low chuckle of delight emanated from between her lips as she noticed that unlike many artists, I had failed to include a leaf over the man's privates.

"You certainly appreciate the human body," She observed, turning the page to a drawing I'd done of a female nude. "And this...is this a sketch of statue as well?"

"No madam. This woman was a prostitute that I commissioned to pose for me. I was drawn to her...because she had such a full figure.....large breasts and a wide hip span," With each description, I guided my finger across the woman's body as I went on with my explanations.

"Her name was Arabella. She had no family what so ever, but she was so beautiful that it almost hurt to look at her..."

My voice faltered, as I was reminded again of Vladira, sitting so close to me, eyes riveted at my book in her lap. She was so captivated and amazed by my work, that she couldn't say a word. I was relatively modest about my talent.....I usually didn't showcase my work unless asked. But she had insisted, and so, I let her.

I sat quietly while Vladira inspected the drawing of the woman some more before moving on to the last sketch in the book of two young children.

"Vho are these?"

"My cousins Marina and Giovanni. I drew it from a photograph..."

"Hmm," She traced a red nail gently across the rounded, flushed cheeks of Marina, and her thick, luscious dark curls before bringing her finger down to touch Giovanni's boots.

"Such delightful little children," She commented, turning her head to smile at me. I noticed that two of her top teeth seemed to be unusually sharp in comparison to her others. I knew from my brief studies of orthodontics that all humans had two "canines" intended to pierce meat. But Vladira's...seemed strangely sharp, almost wolf like. I didn't dare to comment less she take offense.

"Yes......they were...or so I heard since I never met them...."

Vladira closed the book and handed it back to me. "You have a talent, darling."

"Yes," I realized too late how immodest I sounded.

"They say that artists can see the world as the rest of us cannot. They are open-minded to different life styles...different interests...different....." at this she paused for quite some time, "beings."

I nodded. "Yes. I feel that if everyone was an artist perhaps there wouldn't be as much hostility in the world. Many of today's issues are fueled by people's hatred for one another. I as an artist accept others for their differences as well as their similarities."

Vladira surprised me by slinging her arm about my shoulder and pulling me close to her so that our cheeks touched. My heart starting beating rapidly again, and I could feel myself flushing with that odd arousal again.

"Madam....Countess Vladira."

She smelled so sweet. "Yes?"

"Would you mind....serving as my art subject? I have never quite seen a woman of your appearance before and I would love to do a drawing of you. If you'd like...I can make a painting of it when I return home. I usually charge for my works but...for you...I'm sure I can make an exception."

I waited while Vladira considered.

***

Weakness

Author: Vampiress Laura

Date: 09-22-04 12:32

"What do you want Laura?" Narcissa demands.

"Why did you come down here?"

"I need to feed," Laura replies truthfully.

"You may have heard I was injured last night... shot by a woman who came to rescue some prey that Damiana and I were toying with. It's left me weak and I need blood. Violet doesn't want me hunting alone in this condition, but she has to stay and tend to Union."

Narcissa again freezes at the sound of the werewolf's name, and stands in the middle of the kitchen, her gaze darting back and forth between the door and the knife clutched in her hand.

Laura scowls. This reunion with her former Mistress has not proceeded as Laura had long hoped and envisioned. Instead of the confident and cruel vampiress Laura remembers, Narcissa seems unsettled and nervous, even frightened. Laura will need to proceed more slowly and carefully than she had planned.

Making sure to continue simulating the tone of her past mortal vulnerability, Laura continues. "I'm so weak right now, Mistress, that Violet hoped you would hunt with me tonight. I'm glad she suggested it. I have to admit, I love the idea of renewing our friendship."

***

I'll show you

Author: Hampton Culver

Date: 09-22-04 15:25

Hampton had spent the day mostly in a daze. Part of his mind remembered the night before rather vividly, but the other part refused to think that the events that had happened were real.

Hampton had taken the unusual step of not going into work today, and spent it all at home getting high and trying to put last night behind him. The blow was good stuff, and combined with the porn dvds made for a (at least in his mind) way to get over the near death experience he had the night before.

Fuck if he'd ever let another woman threaten him! If he'd had his gun with him, he'd capped them himself. But no, worse than just being handled by a woman, it took another woman to save him.

The day was pretty much a blur of potato chip bags, scotch, cock and visual stimuli.

It was getting near to evening when his mind finally convinced him that he should go out and get something actual to eat.

A quick shower to remove the grim of sitting on a leather couch all day, a silk shirt, pants, and some tight red briefs and he was ready to go.

Hampton had toyed with the idea of calling up a couple of women he knew that were kinky enough to do anything he told them. But he thought it might be more fun to go out and pick up a couple of women and bring them back to his place where his king sized bed would be well put to use.

Yeah he'd show what he could do to two women.

***

A Young Hunter

Author: Sutter Kane

Date: 09-22-04 22:21

Sutter had been "schooling" Lia for the better part of an hour and all the while he still had his hand in Samantha's lap. While talking to Lia he soon found that she already knew almost everything he was telling her, Lia was only inexperienced and needed a guiding hand to place her feet on the proper path and once that had been accomplished the rest would come easy. Well, Sutter hoped it would come easy, like anything else it was like learning to ride a bike. Once you got the hang of it, it was just practice, practice, practice and from there you just never forgot.

"Well Lia, I see that you have your eye on two or three choice selections already, so now all you need to do is get out on the floor and make it happen this evening. When you find the one you like, just bring it back and we can take you somewhere where you can be more private with your dinner if you like." Sutter said.

"Yes, I am looking at three really, but I'm not sure which one I want� there all beautiful in their own way." Lia said as she looked from the dance floor full of warm gyrating bodies back to Sutter.

"Well my dear, the choice is entirely yours is it not? I suppose what you really need to ask is: Dark eyes? Blue or green perhaps? Red, blond or dark hair? What kind of skin? Tall or short? The list of possibilities is endless and over time you will be free to experience all of the many different combinations should you choose to do so."

"But they're all right here. And right now I want them all. Her, her and her most of all." Lia pointed with a finger while her hand stayed on the table. "Why can't I have them all?"

"Perhaps one day soon you can have them all, and at the same time as well. But for now you are still young and that is a good thing because it means you have room to grow. For now Lia I suggest you pick one and then take down your game."

Lia sighed as she sat back in the booth and weighed the possibilities in her mind for a moment. Sutter was glad to see that she was a more comfortable then when he had first encountered her in the Mansion, perhaps this is all she really needed was just a night of relaxation. Suddenly and without any warning, Lia offered a smile to both Sutter and Samantha and headed out to the dance floor and walked right up to a striking beauty.

"She's a cute one that Lia, I think she will come along just fine with a bit of guidance here and there." Sutter then looked over to Samantha who had for the entire past hour been sitting there with Sutter's hand in her lap. "I'm sorry for making you wait for this past hour my pet. Are you ready to climax?"

***

Death Defying

Author: Vampiress Narcissa

Date: 09-23-04 04:55

She sighed as she heard Laura mention she was hungry, something she was feeling all along. Although she had just feasted on an Asian treat the night before, courtesy of Sutter and Samantha, her stomach rumbled, but this was out of anger and fear. It was an inbred feeling that gouged deep in her..a feeling that became natural when circumstances seemed extreme. But she could not attack Union, she could not feed on him, she could do nothing but take the punishment from his body. She dropped the knife on the floor and looked at Laura, her expression changing, almost relaxing in a strange twisted way.

"Okay, we can go out for a bit I guess."

As long as they didn't go near the spot where Union raped her.

She started towards the small paned back door that lead from the kitchen directly towards the mountaineous terrain outside, pushing it open, with a bit of a thrust, considering the door had probably never been used before, and stepped out into the chilly night air. She shuddered.

"So, how the hell did you get shot Laura? I mean, really, in mortal life, it takes an extreme to get shot at. What were you doing?"

She started to walk, but not towards the front of the house, for fear of running into any other kindred, and really, Laura's conversation was starting to divert her mind from the traumatic event that happened only hours earlier. Something her mind would probably constantly need now.

***

(Frankie Says) Relax

Author: Lia

Date: 09-23-04 11:51

I was still uncomfortable but, once I realised that Samantha wasn't going to leap for my throat (unless she was told to,) I did manage to feel nominally at ease around them. It would be a nerve-wracking evening, and I was glad that we were going out, as the air in the Manor had suddenly become rather opressive. I knew it wasn't my mood, and I had rather perversly enjoyed being dressed up like some sort of doll: I think that I may have gotten a kick out of it mostly because I was (and am) still pretty sure that Samantha would prefer to beat the absolute snot out of me, but couldn't. I did my best to behave, and soon enough, we were on our way. I didn't really notice much about the bar, I was a bit distracted by the line outside of it. There were so many people! It was all just a big jumble of sights and smells and sounds, and I found it nearly impossible to sort through them all.

Slightly numbed, I just followed Sutter and Samantha through the club, through the evening, and let it all wash over me. There was conversation, I was sure of it, but distracted, I wasn't able to follow it too closely until I had somehow managed to narrow my plethora of choices down to just three. I couldn't decide, and I was growing hungrier by the second. I was concentrating so fiercely on the merits of each of my three, that I jumped a little when Sutter spoke.

"Well Lia, I see that you have your eye on two or three choice selections already, so now all you need to do is get out on the floor and make it happen this evening. When you find the one you like, just bring it back and we can take you somewhere where you can be more private with your dinner if you like."

As if it were really going to be just that easy. I had never hunted in such a way before, usually my father and I had looked for semi-deserted places, places where people were likely to be alone, and vulnerable. Places where there would be no witnesses. Here, I wasn't sure how to act, or what to do or say to get my chosen meal out to where I could have her. And I still had to pick one. "Yes," I sighed. "I am looking at three really, but I'm not sure which one I want� they're all beautiful in their own way."

"Well my dear, the choice is entirely yours is it not? I suppose what you really need to ask is: Dark eyes? Blue or green perhaps? Red, blond or dark hair? What kind of skin? Tall or short? The list of possibilities is endless and over time you will be free to experience all of the many different combinations should you choose to do so."

Oh. Yes. Of course. Pick out the ones that look tasty. I hadn't done that already. Hoping that I sounded more the humorous socialite and less the irredeemably spoilt child, "But they're all right here. And right now I want them all. Her, her and her most of all." I said. "Why can't I have them all?" As I said it, I was a bit surprised at how true it was, I did want them all. One or two to eat, of course...and one to play with later. I singled her out right away. She had short, fluffy brown hair, hair that, if any longer would begin to wave or maybe curl gracefully around her face. In fact, looking at the girl, she was just brown all over. Her eyes were the color of bittersweet chocolate, her hair was like mocha and her skin just missed being dark enough to be described as nut-colored. I could barely tear my eyes away from her, once I had really gotten a good look. I marked her out, and made a promise to myself to collect her someday soon. I turned my attention to my other two options...which one would I take? I hesitated a bit, not hearing what Sutter said next, then got up from the table and moved toward the dance floor.

It was almost unbearable being surrounded by them. I was growing hungrier by the moment, and I knew that it was my mind playing tricks on me, more than anything else. Yes, I was hungry, I was always hungry, but I wasn't starving. I still longed to take a sip, just a little taste from everyone I could see. I walked up to the first of my two. A gorgeous black-haired girl, tall and shapely with flashing-black eyes and a ready smile. But as I got close enough to truly inspect my prospective meal, I could smell old-sickness (I can describe it no other way) coming off of her, baking out of her very pores. The beautiful skin that had so enchanted me was a thick, poreless mask of cosmetics, and the flashing eyes were really just glazed. "I'm sorry," I said to the girl. "I thought you were someone else." Before she could say anything, I lost myself among the press of bodies on the dance floor. I would simply have to hope the next one was better.

She was. I noticed immediately as I walked up to the big imposing blonde that she was at the utmost pinnacle of health, and from the look of her, she must be an athlete. I could see why she was alone though. Bluff-boned, solidly muscled and admirably big, she most likely intimidated the hell out of men. She wasn't traditionally pretty, she was a bit too...well Viking to be considered gorgeous, but by her very health, vigor and the sheer impressive size of her the rather understated prettiness she possessed was turned into a remarkably uncommon sort of beauty. I walked right up to her. "I was just wonderinng something."

She looked down at me, as I leaned against the railing next to her. She smiled. "Wondering what?"

"Is it by choice or coincidence?"

"What?"

"You, standing here all alone...me sitting there with my friends feeling lonely and like a bit of a third wheel...looking for something that I can really sink my teeth into..." I let the sentence to trail off as I slid my eyes up and over to catch her own.

The corners of her mouth quirked up in a tiny smile. "Are you hitting on me, Teeny?"

I laughed, I guess that I was, although definately not for the reason she thought. It may have been a mistake though, thinking so much about it, talking to the woman in the first place. I was starting to get nervous again, but it wasn't really the same kind of nervousness as what I felt around the others. "Yeah...I guess I am."

"I'm here with someone tonight."

"Oh," I said, flushing, and I started to leave. If someone would be looking for her, I didn't want to take the chance. And at this point, seeing several things that I really liked in her, I wasn't sure that I'd be able to feed from her anyway.

"Hey," she said, putting her hand at my waist to stop me from going. "Look, it's on the rocks right now, but she wanted to give it another try. I'm Liz, and uh...this...this is my phone number." She put a business card in my hand. "It's for my Gym, but I live in the apartment above it and the phone rings in both places. Okay?"

"I'm Lia." I told her, and moved away.

I scouted the dance floor again, a little angry with myself now, looking for anything appealing, and determined not to talk to it long enough to find out if I liked it or not. Almost immediately I saw a fragile, akward looking girl with white-blonde hair and ice-grey eyes. She was hauling at her clothes as if they weren't enough to cover her, and immediately I saw two things about her that I couldn't resist. One was the way she was being completely ignored by the group of people she was obviously with (or why else would she stick so vehemently close to them?) the other was the top she kept adjusting, which looked as if it just might fit me. I love the color aqua. I sidled up to her, trying to look just as uncomfortable, unnecessary and ill at ease as she did, and to my shame, I found that it really wasn't all that hard. "Hi."

She flinched, almost as if I had slapped her instead of just spoken to her. "Hi."

"You here alone?"

"No. I'm here with my...uh, my...friends?"

"I've got friends here too. We've got one of those booths up there. Wanna come and sit down with us, or were you and your friends about to leave?"

"Uh...well, r-really...we should probably stick together...I..."

"Oh," I sighed. "Then I suppose that I'd better help you find them again." She blinked and started, looking for all the world like a white rabbit that had just been poked with a sharp stick.

"You mean they're gone? B-but..why would they leave me? I wouldn't even be here, he...uh...th-they wanted me to come along!" Her voice got higher and more wavery with every word, and tears threatened at the corners of her eyes. At last, after nearly a minute and a half of waiting for her to collect herself, she said the words I was waiting to hear. "But how will I get home?" She squeaked.

"Oh...we can take you home..." I said, working hard to look innocent. The entire evening's hunting came down to this moment, if I didn't make myself believed, I'd have to look elsewhere, loosing my meal, and that beautiful blouse. "I'll just have to say goodbye to someone, but we can take you home right away, if you'd like."

"Okay." she whispered, in a tiny humiliated voice. "Okay." She looked absolutely crushed, and I could barely contain myself.

"Well then, I'll just go and say goodbye to my other friend. Do you want to come along, or would you rather wait by the steps up to where my friends' booth is?"

"I'll wait over there." She darted off, eager to please and not wishing to risk being left behind again.

I glanced up to the booth, hoping that I wasn't being watched. I was. I saw Sutter quirk an eyebrow as I approached the little brown something that I'd had my eye on this whole evening. She was dancing alone, and as I moved toward her I used the crowd ot my advantage, pressing up against her, and maintaining the contact. I caught her eyes, which had a merry little twinkle in them. "Hello."

"Struck out again?"

"What were you doing watching?"

She laughed. "What do you think? So...struck out again."

"Actually, no," I said, letting her pull me closer, which I hadn't really thought was possible, and finding that it was quite nice to be next to someone so warm. "I just thought I'd tell you that I found I've had to watch you...all night. From the moment I noticed you, I've known exactly where you were, and what you were doing. Would you like to know what song you were dancing to fifteen minutes ago? Who was nearby and what they were wearing?"

Her eyes suddenly got very serious. "Look...I'm in a bit of trouble, and it's just a bit of luck that no one...involved knew that this is what I look like." Her grip around my waist tightened, and she gave a vicious little jerk, pulling me even more tightly against her. I smiled, lazily. I just couldn't help myself. "It involved a little girl like you, who didn't know nothin' about nothin'. Six or seven of them in fact. They're still putting the pieces together."

I leaned in, gently brushed her lips with my own, placed my mouth close to her ear and whispered "Are you trying to tell me that I'm not the only serial killer in this conversation?" Her arms tightened around me to the point where I could hear my ribs creak and involuntarily, I gasped. The scent of her, fresh and wild and spicy was suddenly laced with just a little bit of fear...of discovery. I reached back and, none too gently, removed her arms, forcing them to her sides. "As I was saying, I'm not going home alone tonight," which, while not entirely true in the sense that she would take it to mean, was close enough. "But I fully expect you to." I took advantage of her slightly dropped jaw to steal a little kiss. "Goodbye, delicious."

It was past time to get the hell out of here, I thought, as I left her standing there on the floor, momentarily shocked into motionlessness. I couldn't stand to make myself wait any longer. It was time to have my supper and go home. I walked upt the the girl in aqua, who looked more like a scared lab-rat than ever. "Ready to go?" I asked her. She nodded. "I'll just go and get them now," I said. "You'll stay right here?" She nodded. Well. I doubt the world will miss this one. Probably it won't even know she's gone. I walked to the booth where Sutter and Samantha were sitting; they both looked entirely satisfied with the way thier evening was going, and Sutter greeted me with a wry grin that implied that he had indeed been paying attention to my antics. 'You really chose that?' it seemed to say.

I smiled back. "My...friend...just so happens to need a ride home." I said. "You two wouldn't happen to be kind-hearted enough to help her out, now would you?" Sutter chuckled, Samantha looked...well, slightly less constipated than she had when we left the Manor earlier, and collecting the less than dazzling results of my hunt, we left. Not really paying much attention to where Sutter was taking us, I kept the girl talking, touching her every so often, as I had discovered that whenever I did, she'd look down at whatever it was that I was touching, giving Sutter the opportunity to make several "wrong" turns. By the time she realised that we were nowhere near where she'd said she lived, we were pulling up to an alley that backed onto a ravine. "Hey, uh...could you stop the car?" I made myself blush, which was something I had always been able to do on command. "I...uh...well..." I crossed and uncrossed my legs, "Well, I've kinda' gotta pee." I said, flushing again. I saw the girl in my new blouse smile a little, and Sutter rolled his eyes at the rather transparent ploy, but he pulled over and stopped the car. We were right in front of the alley, which was perfect, I thought, as I got out and dashed off.

"Wait," I heard from just about a step and a half behind me. "There might be a bum."

"Yeah," I said, as she, whoever she was, caught up to me. "Mine." She giggled a little. We were already engulfed in the shadows at the end of the alleyway, and I looked at her, consideringly. "We're far enough away from the car that they can't see us you know," I lied, "not in this dark. I've been wanting to ask you if I could try on that blouse, it's really pretty."

"Oh...uh...I don't know. Do you really think that we're far enough away?"

"Well," I leaned closer and dropped my voice, conspiratorially. "Now that you mention it, I'm not entirely sure, but haven't you ever wanted to do something shocking? With complete deniability? It is pretty dark back here, after all."

I saw her grin for the first time, and knew that I had her. "Yeah, I kind of have. All my life I've been the good girl."

"Well, this guy's a friend of my dad's...if he does see something, he's not gonna tell...I'll even go first, okay?"

"Yeah...okay!" she said in a normal voice.

We spent a few moments shushing each other and giggling, and then I took a deep breath, "Here goes," I said, and whipped my blouse off. "Now your turn," I giggled, starting to make myself sick.

Oblivious, she went right on with the whole tiresome routine. "Okay, here we go...one, two, three..." and the coveted top came off! "Oh dear...and neither one of us in a bra." I let her laugh a bit longer, holding both bouses in my left hand, waiting for her to realise that she was half-naked and completely alone.

She was a bit quicker on the uptake than I would have thought, she noticed my silence, and she saw me carefully tucking the blouses into the waistband of my skirt, so as to have both hands free. Just when her eyes widened and she opened her mouth to scream, I launched myself at her, slamming her against the rough brick wall. I wrapped my arms and legs around her torso, squeezing her tightly enough that she wouldn't be able to fight or make a sound, but not tightly enough to break any bones, or crush any organs, and thereby turn her blood bitter. From the taste of the girl, I guessed that she hadn't been too much older than I was...someone should have taken better care of the both of us, I think.

I dropped her lifeless body down into the ravine. It really was too bad she'd had to die that way...I could think of a certain brown someone who might have made her death more interesting. Pulling my blouse back on, and making certain that my pretty new blouse hadn't been ripped or stained, I got back into the car. "Okay," I said. "I think I'm ready to go home now."

***

A Drawing of Myself? Of Course!

Author: Vladira

Date: 09-23-04 19:48

She had felt nervous. I could sense it. What with JeanClaude upstairs, I had pleanty of time. I wondered about her talents. She was quite an artist. Realism her strongpoint. My stepmother, Constance, was quite skilled as an artist, but, she preferred to work on our castle's garden.

As Lady Antonietta DMedici began to sit after I did, we began to discuss how she would like me to pose. I had not done so since I was but a child, so many centuries ago.

"My consort and assistant are upstairs at the moment. I am sure they would like to see a drawing of myself done by you. You are quite an artist, Lady Antoinette." I smiled as I gently ran my right hand over the v neckline of my dress. She seemed to look a bit embaressed at first, but, she calmed.

Her skin was smooth and warm, but, it seemed I managed to arouse something in her. My gaze alluring. Such a curse of being kindred.

"When shall we begin, My Dear Lady?" I smiled, my gaze fixed onto hers.

I could feel her body temperature rise as my hand was on her knee, then thigh. The heat through the fabric was wonderous, then, I pulled my hand away before things went too far. She was so beautiful.

As I stood up, I walked over to the fireplace and looked down into the fire. I could hear Antoinette flip the pages of her sketchbook, and she nervously tapped the pencil on it. I turned and smiled. The heat from the fireplace added to the moment.

I started to remove my gown, but stopped. Vladmir's voice was still faintly in my head. I could hear his laughter, then, I closed it out. I managed to finally blocked him out.

"Begone Vladmir! You are no longer in control of me!" My mind reaching out to him, pushing him away. He was gone.

As Lady Antoinette tilted her head left and right, I could see she was sizing me up, on where to begin on the sketch. I reclined on the velvet lounge seat, allowing the slit on the left side of my dress open, exposing my left thigh to my hip, she was speechless.

"Will this do, or shall I pose differently, My Dear Lady?"

***

Taking a Shot

Author: Vampiress Laura

Date: 09-24-04 13:08

"So, how the hell did you get shot Laura?" Narcissa asks as they trudge through the dense forest.

For the first time all evening, Narcissa begins to seem her old self: confident, curious, even demanding. "I mean, really, in mortal life, it takes an extreme act to get shot at. What were you doing?"

"You know how they tell kids not to play with their food?" Laura chuckles.

"I guess the same rule should apply to a Kindred chylde like you or me. Damiana and I found this horny couple at a wayside and decided so much passion was being wasted on mere mortals, and so we decided to take our share. I'd fed from the girl, but we were taking our time with the guy when we heard a car coming up the road. We got out of there in plenty of time... I mean, who would have expected them to come chasing after us? The newcomer must have been a cop or military or something. When we doubled back on her in the woods, she had a gun and shot me. Damiana took care of her...."

The concerned and introspective scowl that darkens Narcissa's face upon hearing this violent tale surprises Laura. The cruel young vampiress she remembers from five years ago would have laughed at such bloodstained folly. Laura cannot discern if Narcissa's skittish new demeanor will assist or frustrate her secret aims.

"You seem troubled tonight, Mistress," Laura volunteers in her meekest voice. "Is there anything I can do to cheer you?"

***

Naked or Nude?

Author: Lady Antonietta DMedici

Date: 09-24-04 17:42

Vladira's extended hesitation at replying to my asking if she might pose for me had me almost regretting that I had made the suggestion at all. After I'd asked the question, there was a long stretch of silence within the room as the Countess kept one hand to her lips in deep thought, the other hand oh so suggestively lingering against my leg.

"My consort and assistant are upstairs at the moment. I am sure they would like to see a drawing of myself done by you. You are quite an artist, Lady Antoinette."

That hand that had once so elegantly been postured at Vladira's full lips as she considered my proposal now drifted over the low exposed V neck of her gorgeous red dress as she regarded me with the eyes of a predator that was dead set on having her way. I turned my eyes away from her for just a second, so that I could collect myself again. Oh God, I thought as I looked down at the pale, crimson polished nails as they glided up and down my thigh. This was too much! She was slowly draining every ounce of what remained of my ignorance and innocence!

"When shall we begin, My Dear Lady?" She spoke again, bringing her husky voice to the side of my face�.her sweet breath breezing against the cartilage folds of my ear. I shuddered and struggled just to grasp the pencil correctly.

And then, that hand starting traveling again. Up and up. Then it abruptly pulled away. I sighed almost in relief, but in secret disappointment at the same time.

I watched as Vladira stood up and moved towards the heated fireplace again, looking deeply into the flickering flames as they danced over the logs. I flipped through the pages of my old sketchbook till I found a blank page. When I looked up again, Vladira had turned her head to smile at me. My heart melted as though it had been thrust into the jumping flames of the fire.

She made a move towards me again and shifted her hand over her body to the back of her neck where her gown clasped. My heart fluttered a nervous rhythm within my chest as her hands began to remove the gown from her body. But then, she stopped, frowned in deep pondering again, then moved to the velvet lounge seat, reclining against the cushions. As she moved her body from side to side to find a comfortable way to position herself, I noticed as the high slit on the left side of her gown split open all the way to reveal the pale, fragile flesh beneath.

"Will this do, or shall I pose differently, My Dear Lady?" She asked.

I removed myself from the lounge chair and seated myself beside the fire, where I could keep warm while still being able to have a good view of her. Holding my pencil between my right index finger and thumb I squinted my eyes and turned my head from side to side in order to decide how I wanted her to position her body. My long dark hair fell against the sides of my face as I made two light markings in my sketch book.

Bringing my hands to my thick mane, I gathered it into a high bun atop my head, holding it in place with an elastic strap from my wrist. I hated having my hair in the way whenever I did my art.

"That's beautifully scandalous my lady!" I told her, finally giving her a pleasant and genuinely satisfied smile. "But If I might perhaps, suggest a few changes�.."

I set my sketch book aside and moved towards her reclining body again. I took her right arm and helped her move it so that it slung over the side of her head. I asked her to cross her legs at the ankles and tilt her head against the pillows lightly, just for an added, mysterious look.

"How shall my facial expression be?" She asked.

"Suave," I replied, smiling again. "Nothing harsh. You are far too beautiful a woman to be giving yourself facial wrinkles long before you are due to have them."

She laughed at my joking, a laugh that I could not quite place as entirely humorous. Something within told me that Vladira had a secret about herself that she was not revealing. At least not yet. But I would discover. All in time.

Sitting myself down on the carpeting again, I folded my legs to one side and took the sketchbook in my lap. Vladira flashed her shining teeth at me.

"Will I be clothed or naked?"

I knew that question would arise at some point, but it still caught me by surprise. I rarely drew adult women with their clothes on, as I adored the female body when it was in it purest and most original state. It wasn't perversion, as some people might refer to it as, but I personally found the female figure to be the most magnificent topic for drawing and painting. I remembered when my father enrolled me in my first nude model class in Bologna at eight years old. Because I had been the youngest member of the group, my abilities were doubted. But I disregarded those doubts and kept on practicing. I spent hours studying the muscles and bones of the human body. After being in the class for a full year I had acquired all the knowledge to depict the human body with careful precision and expertise.

"Neither madam," I laughed.

Vladira lifted her eyebrow in confusion. "You do not want to draw me?"

"Oh, of course I do! But I would prefer if you did remove your gown. You wouldn't be naked, but nude. There is a difference between the two. Unless�of course, you are ashamed of your figure�."

Vladira laughed a little self righteously.

"It is, again, up to you should you desire to pose without your clothes for me. I am still working on how to do fabrics, so nudity is best for me. But I'll leave if for you to decide." I locked my shining green eyes on hers, and we smiled almost knowingly at each other. She seemed to have taken a strong liking to me, and I felt more comfortable being around her, even with her entire bare leg exposed just inches from my face.

"This will be my gift to you and I want it to be very special. Consider it my thanks for not throwing me the hell out of here. You still have that option you know."

Vladira chuckled between closed lips, but remained lying down against the cushions.

I tapped my eyebrow with the tip of my pencil. "The choice is yours, Countess. What will it be?"

***

Naked or Nude? The Choice?

Author: Vladira

Date: 09-24-04 19:10

She explained the difference. Nude sounded more elegant than naked. I had found myself making my decision. I stood up again as Lady Antoinette looked down at her pad.

I reached up and opened the clasp on the back of my neck. Slowly, I slid off my dress, allowing it to slide to the floor. Antoinette looked up and her eyes widened. My beauty seemed to mesmerize her.

"Now, shall we do this again? I think reclining again will work." I said to her as I sat back down.

Antoinette's gaze never left me as I positioned myself on the lounge seat. The dark red velvet felt wonderful against my bare skin. I gently moved my left foot along it, feeling the softness.

I only waited until she had the courage to have me positioned the way that would work for her best. I had wondered what could be going through her mortal mind, as I could see it in her eyes. She was nervous.

***

What Had I Done?

Author: JeanClaude Minot

Date: 09-24-04 19:52

I left Elsa's room, my pulse racing, my heart felt as though it was about to burst. I closed myslef in Vladira & my bedchamber, and sunk to the floor against the bed.

"Please forgive me, Vladira!" I whispered over and over. I was a monster, a savage beast!

Then I heard a door slam, and the sound of someone running down the hallway. I went ot look to see it was Elsa. She had her bag with her. I tried to catch her, but, she was out the front door, and into the darkness. I called out to her to come back, but to no avail. She was gone. Vladira's "Ace in the Hole" had fled.

I closed the front door and walked back through the foyer on past the parlour. I could see Vladira in the parlour, lounging on her side, naked! There was a young woman with her, just staring at her. The woman had a sketch pad on her lap.

"Vladira? What are you doing?"

She smiled. "This is Lady Antonietta DMedici. Antoinetta, this is my consort, JeanClaude Minot, Count Lucarda. Antoinetta is going to sketch me. Care to watch? Oh, where is Elsa?"

I sighed. "She left. Vladira, I...I am truly sorry. It was my fault entirely."

Vladira's eye turned pitch black, then back to their normal color. "We shall discuss this later, My beloved." She said through clenched teeth.

I found a seat near the Lady Antoinetta and nodded to her. "DMedici? I knew a few DMedici many years ago. I had lost track of them long ago." I smiled.

Lady Antoinetta was nervous. But, I still hoped that Vladira could forgive me for what I had done.

***

Remain, but don't interrupt me!

Author: Lady Antonietta DMedici

Date: 09-24-04 22:07

Vladira stood up slowly from the couch and moved before me. The shadow of her still clothed body cast a feminine shadow across the page of my sketchbook causing me to raise my face to meet hers.

If there was ever a heaven, I knew it for myself at that very moment. Vladira's hands reached up to the back of her neck again to undo the clasp that released the velvet red gown from her and set her beautifully delicate body free. My breath caught in my throat; I absolutely couldn't help gaping at her.

She was wondrous, from head to toe. The expression on her face was intense, her head tilted slightly forward as she focused on me, eyes dark with an unknown desire. Her breasts, like her lips, were lush, full and inviting. Her stomach was lightly toned and slender and flowed perfectly into the bow of her slightly rounded hips. She was like a rattlesnake that had just changed skin and relished in the freedom of feeling the air on her bare flesh. I imagined running my hands over her suppleness, her pale flesh hot with the warmth of the chamber as well as her own longings within. But I would not act upon my own arousals�especially since I knew she had promised herself to a certain gentleman already. Perhaps Vladira would someday grant me access to discover her, but that would be entirely of her choosing.

Instead, I allowed my eyes to feast upon her, to caress every inch of her with my dark pupils. Even as she lay herself down upon the cushions again, I never took my eyes from her. I watched as her delicate foot glided across the smooth velvet of the couch, delighting in the feel of its soft bristles against her toes.

"I do believe you now have an answer to your question," Vladira breathed, her lips half pressed into the cushions as she began to reposition herself as I had initially advised her. "Nude it is."

I brought myself to nod, almost a little too enthusiastically. But inside my heart, I knew a multitude of emotions, some which had no words to describe them. I was infatuated, but was unsure about how to go about dealing with that infatuation. It was no secret that I was attracted to Vladira but, surely, it could never evolve into a full fledged romance. She had her responsibilities to her consort, and I had my loyalties�.to the easel. And yet, even when I worked at the canvas or did sketches or sculpted, there had always been this gap within me. A sense of longing and emptiness that nothing could fill. Yet when I looked upon Vladira, even though I knew nothing about her or her life, that sense of incompleteness vanished.

A step of footsteps reached my ears for the second time. Then an exclamation of outrage pierced the silence in the room,

"Vladira! What are you doing?"

It was a masculine voice. Just as I feared. The two had probably gotten into some kind of discrepancy and Vladira had come downstairs in the hopes of trying to find herself again. Now her lover had realized what he'd done wrong and now wanted to make amends with her. I didn't have to turn my head to know his eyes were riveted on me, a stranger guest, staring at another woman, HIS woman, without her clothes on.

Vladira on the other hand seemed completely at peace with her Count's sudden intrusion.

"Darling, this is Lady Antonietta DMedici. Antoinetta, this is my consort, JeanClaude Minot, Count Lucarda. Antoinetta is going to sketch me. Care to watch? Oh, where is Elsa?"

My mind was panicking again. Who was Elsa? Another lover of Vladira's? She had made some mentioning about having a consort and an assistant..the latter which I assumed to be this Elsa woman. But what exactly did she assist with doing?

The Count, a handsome and dashing gentleman also of ageless face stepped into the light and stood to eye us both.

Elsa had gone. Now the Count was nearly on his knees pleading for forgiveness for his misdeeds. It seemed like a scene torn straight out of a soap opera.

I saw Vladira's already darkened eyes, shadow even more with sudden resentment. My heart dropped to my knees with fright of her again.

"We shall discuss this later, my beloved," She said tritely, staring at him with those dark pupils for some time before returning a softer gaze back to me.

The Count bowed his head in agreement to his lady's wishes and sat himself down near to me. "DMedici? I knew a few DMedici many years ago. I had lost track of them long ago."

I turned my eyes away from my non existent drawing and looked at him with jealously in my tone.

"So you are Jean Claude, are you?"

He nodded. "Yes, I am. Count Lucarda."

"I see. Vladira told me briefly about you, that you were her consort. But it appears, that there seems to be some hostility between the two of you currently. I do not presume to invade your privacy by asking you the details of it all, but if you could just do what you are doing now and refrain from upsetting Vladira further, it would be much appreciated."

My cold words were aimed with intentional sting. I saw the Count's eyes widen at their brusqueness.

"I have to say�I am not especially keen on having people watch me as I do my work," I said returning my gaze to my page, empty except for the two light lines I had sketched to represent where Vladira's body started and where it ended. "But this is your manor. I am just an uninvited guest." I turned to the Count in his chair again and flashed him an unexpected grin.

"I only ask that you remain quiet so that I might concentrate. Could you kindly do that for me?"

"You have my word of silence," he vowed, crossing his legs and pushing a strand of loose hair from his face. "I will not interrupt your work."

"Thank you." I took up the pencil again and looked at Vladira's face. She was still smiling at me. I melted within like a burning candle.

I began her head by drawing one basic circle and a slightly smaller circle beneath it before connecting both of them by tracing one joining oval around them. I separated the different sections of the face by drawing a line from one end of the large circle to the other horizontally, to indicate the eye line. Next the nose followed lastly by the lips. There would be no detailing till all the planning work was completed.

Throughout my drawing, I glanced up at Vladira sometimes to compare the proportions of my sketch with her, and other times just to feast my eyes on her beautiful smile and divinely nude body. Jean Claude kept his promise throughout, and never said a word. He marveled in silence, just as I had asked.

Vladira served as a fantastic model. She rarely even batted an eye for the entire hour she sat for me. I asked her if she desired a break, but she refused as she feared that the drawing might change if she moved. I rested my drawing arm for a little while to inspect what I'd done. Vladira's face and half of her body was entirely completed. The likeness between the sketch and woman was incredible. Jean Claude was anxious to see.

I playfully turned him down. "I never let anybody see my work until it's done. You will be no exception."

He groaned in deep disappointment.

I spent another full hour finishing the rest of the drawing. I included Vladira's full breasts, her light pink aureoles and soft nipples. Since she was lying on one side of her body, the shadows were much darker on that side of her. The expression on her face was serene and passive, but those eyes, oh those eyes, remained as intense and observant as ever.

Could Vladira possibly be interpreting my mind intuitively? Would she ever honestly discover the truth about what was truly in my heart?

***

Looking for a meal

Author: Vampiress Narcissa

Date: 09-25-04 06:45

She couldn't help but laugh as Laura said she got shot by a cop, or even military. She continued to move away from the path leading from the manor, a steep, gravely slope covered with vines and obscured by a canopy of heavy oak and pine. It was pitch black outside, but for them, they could easily navigate in the moonlight that barely broke through the clasped fingers of twisted live oaks.

"You got shot by a cop? Way to go Laura."

She cackled again as they reached an open ledge, having no idea where she was going, but merely walking. The conversation alone was enough of a treat to keep her mind away from what Union had done to her. Her posture towards Laura was not as close as they once were, perhaps due to her confused state of mind, but more than likely because of the time spent away from each other. She ignored her question about what was wrong with her, deciding to query her further about the incident.

"Does Belladonna know what happened with you getting shot and the cop? And is anyone going to take care of her? We gotta remember that's the reason our old manor was destroyed...too many cops killed near it, too many questions asked."

She kept moving down the ledge until she saw a paved road off in the distance, perhaps 100 yards off. A car raced by, turning the curves tightly, probably someone from a nearby city racing with their sports car just for a thrill ride through the dark mountains.

"Where are we going anyways? You have some place in mind you want to go? I have no idea where I'm going, but I am pretty hungry tonight."

***

The "Luscious Peach"

Author: Cassandra Belmont

Date: 09-25-04 10:49

Cassandra and Belle immediately turned their attention towards an empty clearing, which had previously served as a pasture and wheat field years before. Sure enough, there, standing alone in the middle of the rather lonely clearing, the two vampiresses spotted the famous Ava Montgomery.

So it was certainly true, Cassandra thought to herself as the two still focused on the Officer. The power of "essence" was stronger than one could ever imagine. Cassandra had always known that it cast the strongest of spells on any poor mortal who was forced to succumb to its will, and that was only with the "essence" of one Vampiress. Lord knew what was happening to Ava's poor, tortured soul at that very moment in time.

"You can already see how she's enraptured" Belladonna began. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. I was drawn to Dahlia's side after just one night, but I always thought that was because my Siress is so powerful. Even so, I never came fully under her command during the few days before she bestowed immortality upon me. Perhaps the combination of three vampiresses' essence did have a cumulative effect upon poor Ava."

She grinned at Cassandra, who responded with a noncommital smile. She'd taken the words right out of her mouth.

However, even in moments such as this, Cassandra still yearned for her mistress, and it suddenly occured to her that Miss Montgomery was once again the one thing in the way of her and Belle spending a night of heated passion together. She sighed as Belladonna suddenly began to speak to her once again.

"I still need to hunt tonight, My Darling," Belladonna explained. "But I will leave it to you to express your preference. Shall we determine now if this luscious peach is already ripe for picking? Or return after our hunt to see how Ava has progressed in her own unwitting quest?"

With that, Cassandra let out a hearty laugh and grinned her sly grin. Oh, this was divine.. her mistress certainly knew how to have a good time with her "pets."

Cassandra began to reply, gently taking Belle's hand in her own once again.

"I do believe that Ava should be taught a lesson in patience.. don't you agree, my dear?" she asked her, a pleasant, scheming smile forming in the corners of her mouth. "After all, even the best of us have to wait for the one thing we desire the most." She stared over at Belle as their eyes met, a single moment of passion occuring between the two.

"As you wish, my dear" she muttered.

"But for now, let us go and have a little fun" Cassandra said with a smile, taking Belle by the hand and dragging her through the large trees into the magical darkness of the night.

Sure enough, as the both of them stopped suddenly to listen for any suspicious sounds, they heard a car engine zooming past, probably on some mountainside path somewhere. She grinned, as did her mistress.

"Only a man" Cassandra whispered as they followed the sound of the engine, eventually gazing through the trees to lay eyes on a rather attractive yet angry gentleman.

"Fuck!" he yelled out loud, throwing something of an unknown identity over the mountainside.

"Aww, poor baby" Cassandra mocked. Belle smiled at her, removing her hand from her own temporarily.

"Shall we?" she asked Cassandra seductively.

"Shall we? But of course, my dear!" she whispered as they slowly made their way out of their hiding place.

"Don't you think he deserves to be taken out of his misery?"

Her mistress simply laughed as they slowly approached the young man who would surely make a fine treat for the two. Purposely pulling her shirt down to expose just the right amount of flesh, Cassandra and Belle made their way over to the most unfortunate young man, who surely thought that he would be receiving something far different than what he would end up with.

***