Re: ((Follow the Braid everyone)) The Arival pt 2

[Guest]

"Well, how about this. I agree to no longer discuss my insecurities with you, and we avoid the subject of religion ... and politics all together. That will help us peacefully coexist, and maybe even make it possable to become friends. After all, we do have some land to tend to, do we not." A smile then, no fangs, she had mastered that many many years before.

[Epiphany]

Some parts of religion may be unavoidable but yes, that would work for her. "You'll like me better when I'm... normal. Perhaps then, in the garden, I can talk to you about blood bonds and vampires."

It was on her mind, brought there by the recent conversation. "Different vampires so I .. I guess it's not all the same. But it would still be good information. If it's okay."

Why not ask Venis? She was a vampire after all, so it made sense that she may know about it.

[Guest]

Venis' eyebrows perked at her interest in vampires and such. Not many people cared to find out information. They always either were happy with what they knew or thought they already knew it all. She smiled. "I would be happy to tell you about vampires and the various breeds and bloodlines. By blood bonds do you mean like the alpha bond? I share an alpha bond with the furball over there and also one with my husband. Is that what you mean?"

[Epiphany]

Epiphany looked around the room, her eyes still nearly white. Some where occupied with Tasha and Kahn was..in his own thoughts. She scratched the side of her neck and looked to the ground for a moment.

"I'm sure you can agree that both of our....religions believe that there's power in blood right? Anyway..I don't know anything about an alpha bond," when it came to those things she didn't know much. At least not by name. Perhaps it was the current train of thought she had put her mind on, it was causing her to calm.

This seemed hard to explain, since she was trying to explain without explaining at all. "Okay.. it's like this. Person 'A' gives their blood to a vampire, we're talking about a lot of blood, and puts it in a bottle for them to have. It's accepted. Over time said Vampire actually feeds from person 'A' and this person, not being a vampire, also drinks some of the vampire's blood. On more than one occasion. This.. goes on for a while, moreso on the Vampire having the blood of person 'A'. That makes a bond doesn't it?"

(And no.. I'm not simply stalling till the others are ready. -coughs- )

[Guest]

Venis could not hide her look of shock. Her mouth fell open and she just blinked for a moment. "Oh Epiphany ... you didn't ..." She appeared to be stumbling for her words. Her mouth was moving, but nothing was comming out. She looked over at Gawain and Kahn. They were almost done with Tasha, she wasn't even cring anymore. That was a releif to her.

But she looked at them still. Not as her husband and her best friend, as her alpha males. Her loyalties were to them for eternity because of thier bonds. She was sworn to protect all that was theirs, to give her life if need be for theirs. Now she had to explain this to Epiphany.

She looked back to Epiphany now. The look of shock had been replaced by a look of worry. "Pack animals have an alpha female and an alpha male. When the male shares his blood with the female and vice versa, it forms a bond. She is his ... Lupa I believe the word is." Gawain would correct her if she was wrong.

"Gawain and I have shared each others blood like this. Both times it was one trying to save the others life, but we are bound forever. Now, normaly death would break this bond, but when he received my blood he received some of my immortality. So he's around for the long haul if you know what I mean." She smiled knowing that it would take a whole lot for her to loose her best friend.

"But with Kahn and I, it was different. Neither of us are pack animals, and when we bonded, he was not vampire either. But in sharing our blood we shared our souls. Both of us being G ... dieties." She thought that word would make Epiphany more comfortable. "Our bond was stronger than any that mortals could make. But see, when it's a vampire and another, as was the case with Kahn and I, the vampire becomes in effect that beings master."

She looked to Kahn and smiled, knowing that if he weren't busy he would argue that with her just for the sport of it. "Now, Kahn and I do not have that kind of relationship because I consider him my equil, same with Gawian. But you see, as the alpha female I am sworn to protect them and theirs, be it Gawain's pack or Kahn's guards or anything that belongs to them. But, because I am a vampire I can call on them and they would have no choice but to answer. I of course would never do that to them."

She bit her bottom lip on the right side of her mouth. "A vampire who drinks without death and who shares in return is in effect creating himself a slave. He can call to you at any time, and you will feel like your body has been possessed and will have no choice but to answer his call. I wish I could show you, but like I said, I would never do that to them."

More chewing on her lip. "Ok, you used person A and a vampire so let me return the favor. Person A gives the blood willingly. Vampire drinks said blood. Vampire gives blood to person A in return. But person A has not been fully drained first and therefor still lives. Person A's blood mixes with the recieved blood from the vampire, making two beome one. Vampire can call person A at any time even from great distances. And person A will in effect become in a hypnotic state and will do as they are told by the vampire. They are their slave until ..."

She definately was not sure she wanted to share this part. Not because she was worried about it happening to her and her alpha males, she was omnipotent and there was no stronger vampire, but because she wasn't sure how Epiphany felt about her ... vampire. After all, he was in effect her master now.

"Epiphany, there are only two things that can break this particular bond. The death of said vampire, or the taking of the human servant by a stronger vampire. See there are actualy three marks to become a human servant. The blood is the strongest and most important one. The other two are usualy given first and without the human's permission. Sweety, please tell me that ..." She knew the answer, she knew that person A was Epiphany.

Now she was very much worried for her new friend. She had no idea who this vampire was or just how much of him was answering to his blood lust.

((Has someone been reading Laurell K Hamilton? LOL I swear I never intended Venis to become bound to a Vamp and a werewolf just like Anita, it just happened that way. Venis was nowhere around when Kahn became a vampire.))

[Epiphany]

Eyes narrowed slightly at Venis. "What are the other two? And I'm not his servant." Looking then to the side, Epiphany lowered her head and focused on the wrapping on her hand.

"He never wanted me to be his doll - that's what he called it. Always liked the free-will that I have. Wish I had some great tale to tell about how the blood was needed to save a life, but....the first exchange was for different reasons all together." It had been such a shock to the vampire that he had been speechless. She could remember it like it was yesterday. She wasn't suppose to remember it. Not even suppose to think about it, but it was the one way she knew to get herself back to the 'normal' state. Guess that answered the question on whether or not she was 'person A'.

"I can call to him too just the same." Epiphany leaned forward and propped her elbows on her knees, head in the palm of her hands. Then shifted and covered her eyes with her hands. "There's no chance in that happening anymore."

Her hair had reverted back to its dusky blond color and the mood about her was quiet. "I can feel him, even from across the waters. No matter what form I'm in." And, being amongst so many vampires, it was torture. It caused her to remember when all she wanted to do was forget.

[Guest]

Venis felt so bad for her. "I can't remember the first two marks, it's been hundreds of years since I had used them intentionaly. I know that one of them was something to the effect of sharing power in a way. I don't know, I have the information in one of my spell books at home. But if the bond was made out of love, pure love. From the way you say he didn't want you to be his doll it sounds like love to me. But if he's not pulling you, why are you so worried?"

She was a little confused herself. "Ok, you two obviously love each other. And if you can call to him the way he can call to you, which is not at all uncommon. I'm just not sure what the problem is. If you can still feel him, then he's not gone. So why ... I'm confused Epiphany."


((Heh, my books are still packed. Gunna have to dig em out now that it seems that Venis is turning into Anita here.))

[Epiphany]

Books. Epiphany love books. She'd love to see those books. Maybe they could tell her how to get rid the bond. If she really wanted to be rid of it.

For a moment Epiphany didn't say anything, only sat there on the step with her hands covering her eyes as if doing so could block everything. Epiphany left her own home, the place with all the memories, to come here with the Elves and try to forget everything. Start over. Starting over was harder than it sounded.

"I'm forbidden." Moving her hands from her eyes she let out a sigh. "If I call him, it will pain him for he cannot come to me. It is possible, that we will never see each other again, though I will always feel his presence. "

Epiphany looked over to Kahn and then to Venis. Those two had been apart for years. "It had to be hard for you to be separated from him."

[Guest]

Venis looked up at her wonderful and loving husband. "It was hell." She looked to Gawain for a moment. "It hurt being away from everyone I loved, but especialy hard to be away from Kahn yes. And I never stopped feeling anything from those bonds. I felt every second of their lives, the pain, the pleasure, joy, heartache, all of it. It was pure hell. I wanted nothing more in my entire life ... or afterlife ... than to be back here in my husbands arms."

Venis had been married twice before, one of them to an alpha werepanther. And yes, she had been bound to him as well. But the love she had for him was nothing compared to that which she had for Kahn. She had never, in 332 years, loved anyone more. Not to say that she didn't love all her friends too. She did, but some seperations were harder than others.

"I will send someone for my books after. I will tell you everything I can, everything that is in my books. Even let you read them yourself if you like." Her voice gave away the fact that her heart had fallen with the thoughts of never being able to see them again. If she had been forbidden to see any of her loved ones, especialy Kahn, she would kill or die. "Epiphany, I am sorry. May I ask ... Why?" She reached out and touched Kahns leg because he was standing off to her side and right at that moment she couldn't stand the thought of not touching him.

[Epiphany]

Why.. was it forbidden? She assumed that's what she meant by asking why. In a few ways it was complicated, and maybe not something she wanted to say amongst a lot of people.

"Circumstances. Stupidity on my part. Complications. He's a vampire and I'm...you know." She didn't have to say what she was, Venis had a good idea. "It is like mixing oil and water. You just...don't. What do you think would happen?" Epiphany turned and placed her back up against the wall and her feet on the steps, wrapping her arms around her legs.

"Especially now. We have a long history I'm not as old as the rest of you down here." She wasn't. Epiphany, was actually as old as she looked and that probably made her the youngest person in the basement. "All I want to do is see him, but if I see him, I wouldn't want him to go. But if he stayed I don't think I would be able to stay as I am."

[Guest]

That had to hurt. It hurt Venis just to hear it, and to feel her feeling it. A tear fell again from Venis' eye. She whiped at it quickly. "I seem to be a ball of emotions lately, gunna have to fix that before I stain my cheeks." Yep, she cracked a joke, trying to lighten the mood just a touch.

"Epiphany, as far as the not mixing well, you could have changed that. I mean, not the way it sounds. There are ways to make things work. But I can understand the not being able to maintain around someone. Trust me, I know more about it than anyone thinks. I have my own control issues sometimes."

She wished she could just hug Epiphany and tell her that it was going to be alright. But she wanted to sever the bond ... It would do more damage than good. "Epiphany, did he ever speak to you about what that bond means? What it means to sever the bond?" She definately needed her books. The brain can only retain so much, and after 332 years, there was a thing or two that she needed to write down to remember it.

[Guest]

From the bed came a very normal sounding voice. No impediments left. She was almost healed now. "Hey ... Don't lump me in with these animated piles of dust." She laughed and didn't even cough. "I'm only 28."

[Epiphany]

Epiphany looked over and saw that Tasha was doing a lot better. She could understand her before, but now it was a lot clearer. Good to have another one of them back. "Good to know someone's my age. Or near enough." Epiphany was still the youngest, she was twenty-one.

Addressing Tasha was a way for her to stall in answering Venis. It wasn't easy for her to talk about anything that was personal - and this was a bit personal. Not just personal things, but anything in general about herself that wasn't 'happy'. "Why would we talk about something that wasn't going to happen? It's not that I want it severed, it's ...." a slight frown and she rubbed the side of her neck. "He did claim me, that's how he put it, before we....parted. He has a small vial of my blood and I have one of his."

[Guest]

She nodded in an understanding kind of way. "You don't want the bond severed ... you want the pain of missing him and feeling him every moment of your lives to stop." She understood all too well. "Give me a chance to get my spell books and I'll see what I can do to help. There has to be some way to block it without severing it. I just cannot for the life of me remember how."

She turned her head towards the bed for a moment. "And you furgirl. I'll give you an animated pile of dust." She laughed as she returned her attention to Epiphany. "There has got to be something, I'm quite sure of it." She thought that the whole vile of blood thing was rather romantic.

[Guest]

Tasha laughed at Venis' comment. "Yea, litteraly if I'm not carefull." She looked herself over as she sat up on the bed. "Heh, yea, looks like furgirl could use a razor." She was checking everything to make sure that everything was in the right place and there were no exta parts.

She smiled broadly and before even getting to her clothes she was up on her knees kissing first Gawain on the cheek then Kahn. "Thank you both. And if it's all the same to you guys, I think I'll wait until the full moon to shift again. I'm not longing to be furry again for a while."

Then she crawled down to the end of the bed and grabbed up the clothes that Manny had set out for her. A lush purple velvet corset that buttoned around the neck in a lacy, satiny bow whose lines fell across the shoulders to the bodice. Buttons closed the front, and satiny ribbons crisscrossed the elasticized back for a cinchlike fit. With ribbon-trimmed, faux-pocket flaps, and gauze-trimmed hem. The matching, mini-length Skirt was crisscrossed with lace ribbon in front and had a back zipper. She added black opaque lace-up thigh-high stockings and black stelletto heels.

She dressed from sitting on the bed until she slid off the bed into her heels. They were at least four inches high, she loved the entire outfit. It was the perfect choice for her first day of being without fur and a tail. "Oh yea, that feels so much better, thank you Manny. How do I look?" She took a step forward and pivoted to make herself sort-of spin.

She went to her jewelry box and pulled put some things to accessorise her outfit. There was a gold ankle bracelet that looked like two interlocking handcuffs holding a chain around her ankle. Diamond cut gold bangle bracelets on both wrists. A gold ring with a single 4 carot amethyst on her right ring finger. And a gold chain with a matching amethyst hanging from it. Two pair of gold hoop earrings to finish off the look. "I know, silver would look better, but I'm kinda allergic." She chuckled then went to sit in a chair crossing her right leg over her left.

[Epiphany]

A spell. The last time she was the subject of a spell she was laying naked on a flat bed, surrounded by candles, and beneath another naked female. To say the least, it was an intense experience. Surely whatever Venis would propose wouldn't involve any of that.

"It could be this way because it's still... fresh. Hasn't quite been a year. Perhaps things may yet....change." Apprehensive. She was a girl who held out hope for many things. For the redemption of lost souls, for people to be able to forgive others and themselves, and hope for the impossible.

Now Epiphany liked to wear an assortment of things. Some where tight, others short, and others baggy, it all depended on her mood, (and how brave she was feeling). She liked Tasha's outfit.

"I feel sorry for the men at the Inn." It was a compliment!

[Guest]

Venis smiled. "Perhaps. I would still like to do the research on it though, just to be safe. Perhaps at a later time you may choose to use some of the information, perhaps not. Either way, I am here to help you."

She looked over at Tasha. "I knew that would look good on you. I agree with Epiphany, look out men, the hell kitty is on the loose." She laughed then. She knew what state of mind Tasha was in since their abduction. She was definately going to be considered a tease. But the attention would do her some good. She couldn't wait to get her little red dress on. She picked it especialy for when the scars were gone.

[Guest]

Tasha blushed as she swung her right leg using her left as a pivot. "Thanks guys. But I doubt anyone would actualy notice it." She wasn't going to bring him into this. She was trying to not think of him until she had gotten a chance to talk to Gawain. There was no point in thinking about him if he was gone.

She reached down beside her and Leviathan nuzzled her hand. She petted her absently occassionaly scratching her behind her ears. She planned on sitting there quietly until she needed to do something.

[Epiphany]

Information was always good to have, she wouldn't say no to any of it - especially if books were involved. So she nodded, though she was looking at Tasha. She really did like the outfit, it showed that she had confidence. Epiphany didn't have that. If she were wearing that, she would be positioned behind the bar.

"For many of them it will be the first time they get to see you. When you were brought in you were.. hidden." That brought about a thought. "You two work around all those guys and things.. everything stays cool?"

[Guest]

Venis had never even given it any thought. Manny of course, she used to change his diapers. Some of the men who worked for her she met in bars when they were trying to hit on her. Some just arived at the keep or the house looking for work and/or a place to stay. But she had never given it any thought.

"Well, I have been hit on by a couple of employees. Before they worked for me. I have female employees as well, they just arn't with us on this trip because we needed big men to carry the coffins. Every once in a while a new employee will hit on me, until he meets Kahn of course. It's actualy quite flattering in a way. But as far as like harassment goes, there isn't any of that. Of course, not many of them have seen me ... naked before. But I trust my employees. I try to make it like one big happy family. It's a lot harder to hit on someone who is like a mother to you."

She chuckled then. That really was the first time she had ever given it any thought. She looked over at Angel then. "Should we be worried about her sleeping this deep? I don't remember her ever sleeping this deeply before." She was worried that she would have to have Angel carried out of the room before they started healing her scars.

[Guest]

Tasha chuckled. "Myself on the other hand, they love to hit on me. But it's mostly just empty flirtations. Most of the time they realize that a werepanther might just be a little more than they can handle. And two of her female employees hit on me before as well. Had to let them down easy. Some women are sensative even when they prefer the company of other women."

She looked over to Angel as well. She arched an eyebrow. Then she hit the side of her chair twice and pointed to Angel. Leviathan got up and walked over to her. She began to sniff her and walk around her like she was checking on her to make sure she was ok. She even rubbed her head against Angels hand and licked the back of it.

[Epiphany]

She too looked over at Angel, the poor girl must have had some kind of ordeal to still be resting, but then again. "She might have just had a hard journey. And the shock of seeing all of you might have been too much to take in at once." Possibly. It could happen.

"As for the empty flirtations, those can be good for self-esteem. You know, making you feel good about yourself. That is.." she paused and started to pick at her jeans, still having her knees drawn up to her chest. "As long as they are not really teasing you. Then it's a problem. Besides you have the shape and look, the things that guys like."

[Guest]

Tasha blushed. "Thanks. But you know, you're pretty hot yourself. I bet you turn your share of heads. You and I should get dressed up one night and go hit the club. I know one where we wouldn't have to pay for anything." She smiled at Venis.

"We could go and have a good time just hanging out and tellin the boys that they can't come home with us. My whole closet is filled with cute stuff like this and plus I have like three rooms of clothes at the castle. You're how tall? It was hard to tell from laying on the bed." Tasha thought some fun with a single girl-friend might be just what she needed. Venis was fun and loved to go out and all that, but she was married. Kinda slowed Tasha's roll sometimes.

Of course, it had been a long time since Tasha was single too. She hadn't had confirmation from Gawain yet, but she knew in her heart that something wasn't right. She was trying very, very hard not to dwell on that fact. She always trusted her gut, and her gut was telling her that he was gone. She just needed to talk to Gawain to confirm it. But she knew that he would want her to be happy, at least she hoped that was what he would want for her. Again, had to talk to Gawian to find out anything.

[Guest]

Manny chimed in. "Venis, should I wake the Rangers to have Angel carried to her room and get the animals out of here?" He knew that now that Tasha was healed that Venis would be next. "I can also pull in the men on duty whenever you are ready. I know that they want this over with as much as you do. No one is looking forward to thier next assignment."

He looked around the room for a moment. "Are you going to be sending anyone home after you've healed? I know you won't need nine of us and six Rangers once you can defend yourselves again. I think Derek kind of wants to get home to his wife and child. And Bo probably misses his girlfriend. Their Anaversary is approaching." He was always concerned with the welfare of his men. Even the Rangers, even though sometimes they were a little stuborn when it came to taking orders from anyone other than Kahn.

[Guest]

Ooo, business, she so loved to talk business. Her list of priorities went; Kahn, family, friends, business. Now business included the business of being a God and her other ventures. The running of her staff, the running of her dance club, the running of her keep, and soon, possably, the running of her Society. But that was only going to be if she could find time. So right now, business was the running of her staff. She made a mental note that she still needed to talk to De'Ryanna.

"Um, ok, yes, wake the Rangers. Make sure everyone is fed. Tell those on duty that they can come in when Seleen and Dre return. Dre took off to go play somewhere, I can tell he's not in the Inn, he's too far away. But they can come in when the two of them get back. But even though they are on duty, make sure they get something to eat." It was very important to her that they were well fed and focused on their next task.

"Then, once everyone has eaten, make sure that Seleen's gun is loaded. Um, have the Rangers come down and remove Angel. They can take the animals out to the garden. You know none of them will take off. They need to go out anyways. Make sure that the stakes are sharpened and the arrows as well." She trailed off wondering if she was forgetting anything.

"We will figure out who stays and who goes afterwards. We will deal with sleeping arangments then. After this is all over I thing most everyone is going to want a nap. Well, of you humans anyways. Tasha, Kahn, Gawain, Epiphany, am I forgetting anything?" Venis was saying we instead of I or you guys to show that she was confident that she was going to still be around after the scars were gone. She had faith that they would be able to contain her and heal her and no one was going to have to kill her. She thought she pretty much had it covered. "Oh, Tasha, do you need anything for the paste?"

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