If it was one thing I picked up on as soon as I realized just how the other infected treated Mother Miranda and each other: it was that they stuck to their word like flies on shit and did not tend to joke around. That being said, I was very quickly left in the dust as Alcina's massive stride left me behind as soon as I stepped out into the chilly air. 'I see you like to be 'on time', regardless if you're the one setting it.' I noted, rolling my eyes hard enough to give myself a headache as I jogged after her in order to keep up.
"Now, as one of our Siblings: it is your duty to represent Mother Miranda as the epitome of perfection and standing in which she expects. Once your disheveled and filthy attire have been tended to, you will meet me in the Drawing Room to begin your lessons, and my only demand is this: do not embarrass me. You will learn Mother Miranda's Law, you will cease this brusque behavior and accept your newfound duties, and above all: you will relinquish your ways as an Outsider and take your place among us and are fully expected to act as such. Mother Miranda has been gracious enough to spare your life and welcome you as one of her own, you will do well to remember that: because it can just as quickly be rectified. Until you learn your place, you will not be using my castle's 'Main Entrance': instead, you will enter through the 'Servant's Entrance' and will be sharing the 'Maids' Chambers' whilst you remain within these walls. I will have 'Irina' and 'Ingrid' make sure you're presentable. Once you have finished, we will begin." Alcina explained, voice tight and leaving no room for argument: and if I had any bite left, I would make damn sure she knew exactly how I felt about the entirety of this situation.
'Fine, bitch. I'll play along: just so I can see just what expressions that face of yours will make once I pull the rug out from under you.' I mentally swore, saying nothing out loud as I followed Alcina's gesture and headed up the smaller pathway that had branched off from the cobblestone road we had found ourselves on: feeling slightly disturbed as I took in the human corpses that had been turned into grotesque 'scarecrows' to watch over the vineyards that were dying with the changing seasons.
Once the 'clicking' of Alcina's heels on stone had faded away, I held my hidden face in my gloves and let out a long, enraged groan: vocalizing my exact feelings better than words ever could, if any words could come to mind that would be accurate enough to describe it at all. However, I was intimately aware of what would happen if I tried anything that would immediately catch Miranda's attention: and as badly as I wanted to voice my…opinion, doing so would label me a threat and would immediately be treated as such. If I was going to play this right, the parasite had to come off first: as not only would it be incredibly inconvenient to be weighed down by something that likes snapping my neck as punishment, but considering what Salvatore told me, the Cadou was supposed to do something very specific…something Miranda was dead-set on. Unfortunately, until I figured out what that was, and how to get this slimy little bastard off, I wasn't going to risk blowing my cover and make myself a target.
'Guess it's a good thing that 'blending in' is one of my specialties.' I thought, heaving another heavy 'sigh' as I followed the dusty trail up the hill and under the large, brick gateway of the outer walls that led to the twin metal doors that served as the apparent 'Servant's Entrance'. As much of a bitch as Alcina was, she had every right to be proud of her home: the castle itself was massive, grand, even. Made from multicolored brick, iron and polished glass: its embellished, modest-yet-gothic design resembled many of the intact ones that I've seen throughout my…'travels' through Europe, but I've never had the pleasure of actually going inside any of them. 'If only circumstances were different, I'd actually be excited.' I thought, ignoring the insistent 'grumbling' of my stomach and placed my gloves on the twin metal doors and gave them a shove: pleased to find that they were well-oiled and didn't scream like a banshee in my overly-sensitive ears.
Pausing just long enough to stomp the dirt and leaves from my boots, I squinted against the light of the torches in the doorway before stepping inside: only to have my eyebrows reach my hairline at the grandeur of the room I had stepped into, and I hadn't even stepped into any of the main rooms yet. 'Somehow, I'm not even shocked.' I thought, taking the time to scan the room: taking in the polished marble and wood floors, lace curtains covering the windows, the red and white rugs, and the pristine-white walls with an absurd amount of shimmering, gold fillagree that reflected every possible source of light a thousand-fold. To avoid any further bitching from Alcina, I double-checked and made sure I wasn't going to leave any evidence of any of my 'filth' in her precious castle: scowling to myself as I was sure she would find some meticulous speck of dust or other and rant in my ears about it later on.
Rolling my eyes at the thought, I listened to the doors shut behind me and stepped further into the room: resting my hidden gaze on the very large painting of three beautiful young women resting within a golden frame: clearly claiming its place at the centerpiece of the otherwise sparsely-decorated room. Pausing long enough to make sure I was alone, I glanced in the doorway of a smaller room off to my right and saw nothing but a dusty, empty room under repairs and an old, wrought-iron elevator. 'Hell no. You couldn't pay me enough.' I thought, shaking my head in denial at the thought of having to use the thing: I prefered solid ground beneath my boots, thank you very much. Turning my attention back to the room I had entered from, I took in the decorative woodwork, display cases and large vases that were decorated with dancing women in golden dresses, while golden grapes on the vine outlined the setting.
'I'm starting to see a pattern in the color scheme.' I thought, turning my gaze away from the aged ceramics and approached the painting within the arched nook that had been turned into its resting place. Even through the dim light of the only lit candelabra, my eyes had no problem making out the details in the shadows with perfect clarity: one of the very few things that I actually liked about my virus. Aside from being on par with works that would be found in museums and other private collections: the painting itself didn't show very much of anything that would give me an idea of the personalities of the depicted women, and hoped that I honestly didn't have to actually deal with them until I had a decent meal and some actual sleep.
Taking in the details of the girls, the first thing I noticed was the girls were blonde, brunette and a redhead, respectively: and each were dressed in a gown that corresponded to accent the color of their hair. The girl on the far left wore a black dress with silver lace, the one in the middle wore a white dress with white lace, and the one on the far right wore a pink dress with white lace. Despite the color of their dresses varying, the brooch in the middle of their chest was identical: a flower with crossed swords, making it very clear to me that the insignia was some sort of 'Coat-of-Arms'. Storing that notion away for later, I let my eyes scan over the flowers in their hair and other fine details for several more seconds, before glancing down at the plaque that rested near the base of the painting. "'Three Daughters, Bela, Cassandra, and Daniela.'" I read aloud, somewhat glad to know they were nice enough to list the girls in case any of them decided to 'introduce' themselves before I had a chance to properly analyze the situation.
Pausing in my snooping, I tilted my head in the direction of the door to my left as I heard two pairs of soft footsteps quietly making their way in my direction. Frowning at the hushed whispering, I rolled my hidden eyes as the door opened and exposed the two women as they debated amongst themselves on whether or not to approach me. 'Typical reaction.' I mentally griped, ignoring the startled, fearful 'gasp' of the younger in favor of taking in the shared appearance of my new 'visitors'. Dressed in the same, plain fashion as the Villagers, they each bore nervous expressions that screamed 'please don't eat me': telling me they were fully aware of Alcina's…predatory nature. 'Well…that's one way to do it.' I thought, narrowing my eyes at the elder as she harshly nudged the younger in the ribs: cueing them both to crouch in an uncomfortable-looking curtsy that quite-frankly, left me feeling uncomfortable and entirely out of place: and I wanted absolutely nothing to do with that particular feeling.
"Pardon our tardiness, Ma'am. 'The Mistress' demanded we draw you a bath and are to ensure you are spotless before your audience with her. Come, right this way: Ingrid, make sure she's not leaving a trail! The Mistress will be very displeased if she finds a single speck of filth." the elder of the two, who I figured out to be 'Irina', stated in a cautious, yet authorative tone: leaving no room for argument as I was quickly surrounded and insistently shoved through the door and down enough hallways and side passages to make me dizzy as I struggled to keep up with the directions and not trip over my own feet with their insistent shoving. Before I could plant my feet and snap at them for shoving me around instead of just telling me where the damn bathroom was: I was pushed through a door and into a bathroom that was spotless and shiny to the point where it made my eyes hurt.
While I noticed how precisely clean it was, I also noticed it wasn't anywhere near as grand as what I expected Alcina to have: not to mention that she would never even fit inside the clawfoot, porcelain tub: making it easy to figure out that this particular bathroom belonged to either her daughters, or the maids themselves. "I can do this myself, you know." I stated, trying to keep the annoyance from my voice as they immediately got to work with removing my boots and tossed them aside, before the eldest moved to my front and tried to remove my body suit. "No. Those stay." I growled, ignoring the pain flaring in my bad shoulder as she pulled and yanked in an insistent fashion as she tried to remove them by force.
"Nonsense! These filthy rags must go! They're beyond repair and not appropriate for an audience with Lady Dimitrescu! Mother Miranda forbid anyone sees you! You'll bring misfortune down on us all if you continue to refuse!" Irina scolded, before throwing my hood back and out of my face: causing me to immediately throw my left hand over my eyes and grab hold of the brim of the tub with my right in order to steady myself and avoid falling over. It was also here that the entire room went quiet: but I was unsure if the reason was due to the women seeing my bared fangs, my reaction, or the fact that there was no distinctive seam between where the fabric of my body suit ended, and where skin should've been.
"I told you…the clothing stays. It does NOT come off, whether or not you accept that is of no concern to me: however, the fact remains. Now you can either let go and allow me to bathe myself, or you can sit there and stammer apologies until the sun sets: either way, I'm taking a bath. If only to get clean." I snarled, removing my socks and climbing into the tub without even paying the embarrassed maids a second thought: feeling a frown 'tug' at my lip as the water immediately became dark and murky from how disgusting I actually was. "I-I'm so sorry, I didn't-" "Didn't expect to find out I wasn't lying?" I interrupted, paying them no mind as I ignored the feeling of wet clothing on skin as I sat in the hot bubble bath and got to scrubbing: only to pause as I felt a pair of hesitant hands rest on my shoulders that started lathering a sweet-smelling soap into the fabric. "Forgive us, Ma'am. Its just we-" "Didn't expect to come across something like me?" I interrupted again, holding back an exasperated 'sigh' as the second pair of hands hesitantly tangled themselves in my hair and got to work with several different shampoos and oils.
Being bathed by other people was definitely NOT something I was used to, or even consented to: but if it meant that I would get cleaned faster and didn't have to hear Alcina's bitching in my ears about being 'filthy' anymore, I would deal with it. Despite the fact that the soaps they used made me want to have a sneezing fit, once they realized that my body suit was, indeed: part of me, they were gentle in their scrubbing. 'Which is another thing I'm far from used to.' I thought, taking meticulous care of everywhere that I could reach, while the two behind me tended to my neglected dark-burgundy curls and other areas I couldn't easily reach from this position. Thankfully, conversation was kept to a minimum: as this entire situation was far more awkward than anything I've had to deal with in a long time, and adding idle conversation would just add to it.
Once they were done, I helped myself out and was quickly surrounded by the timid Ingrid as she wrapped me in thick, fluffy towels: while Irina quickly got to work in drying and combing my hair. Biting back the 'growl' that wanted to make its presence known as Irina found a sizable rat's nest and fought with it with ruthless abandon, I made sure to keep my glove over my eyes and out of sight as I was tended to like some sort of royalty. And with being tended to without the need to actually put forth the effort: it was no wonder the royals throughout history were so lazy.
"Pardon my intrusion, Ma'am, but…are you a Lord, like the others? Mother Miranda has never once mentioned you: but the way you're…dressed, says that you're an Outsider." Ingrid questioned, only for the resounding sound of an echoing 'swat' to interrupt the girl's question. "Silence! It is not your place to question!" Irina hissed, clearly terrified that I would turn around and treat them just as what I suspected Alcina did: little did they know that that wasn't a habit I indulged in. At least, not with those that didn't deserve it. "I'm…not exactly sure what I'm considered: Mother Miranda hasn't said anything about a 'title', but she gave me the Stronghold to reside in." I explained, feeling acidic bile rise in my throat at the very mention of that bitch's name: but figured it wouldn't hurt to 'play my part' for a while, especially if it earned me valuable information as a reward.
"If you're not a Lord…are you a 'Duchess', then? Surely you must be called something for such a position amongst the Lords and Mother Miranda?" Ingrid inquired again, only to 'flinch' as she was roughly smacked with the comb that Irina was using to tame the wild mane that was my hair. "Are you trying to bring about The Mistress' wrath?! Cease your questions at once, before someone hears you!" she hissed again, clearly worried about her younger companion saying something that would earn them a brutal punishment…or worse. "To answer that, I'm not sure: and I have a few questions for you, actually. Speaking of your 'Lady': do you even know what she is?" I questioned, cueing the repetitive motions in my hair and along my limbs to come to a dead-stop: as if they weren't prepared for a question being directed at them.
"She is a Lord, Ma'am: just like all the others, and by association, you: Ma'am." Ingrid answered, clearly hellbent to make it clear that I was in a higher position than them and while they weren't exactly wrong: I wasn't sure if I liked being treated as such, all things considered. "What makes the others 'Lords', aside from being…'different'?" I asked again, treading that subject very carefully: as I knew better than anyone how much of a sensitive topic that was, and didn't particularly want to be on the receiving end of any…'misunderstandings' that can and will be brought to light if I touched the wrong nerve: accidental or not.
"They are the Heads of their Households, and with Mother Miranda at the top: they protect us and keep us safe from the monsters in the night and from 'The Outside'. It must be quite jarring for an Outsider such as yourself to be thrown into the thick of things, but if Mother Miranda has granted you a place amongst the Lords and herself: then you have truly been blessed. In return for the protection of the Lords: we offer them tribute and give them our worship in return. And it is in this manner, that the Village has existed peacefully for generations, once you're tidied up and speak with our Mistress, you will see: you might think all this odd, but once you become acquainted with our ways, you will see just what an honor it is to be within the presence of the Lords. Now, enough chatter: she is not known for her patience." Irina explained, and while she didn't go very far into detail, I could tell that Miranda has convinced these people that she and the others were 'Gods among Men': and judging by the way they spoke of Alcina, they all were taking full advantage of it.
'Lovely, just what I need: more infected with a superiority complex.' I thought, taking a deep breath and opted to hold still as Ingrid finished drying me off and quickly got to work with grabbing a soft sponge and a container of silver polish: tending to each button with a critical attention to detail, while Irina put down the comb and got to work with styling my hair into a complex-yet-sturdy braid that made my hair seem to catch the light and shadows in such a way that it showed the different shades of each strand and displayed them proudly. As soon as they were finished, I immediately pulled my hood up and over my face again, taking in the work they put into making me 'presentable' for Alcina.
Giving myself a once-over, I noticed that the body suit was borderline shimmering in the light of the candles: showing off a nearly-indistinguishable iridescence within the black that brought even more attention to it than it normally would, even the red accents glowed an even more vibrant undertone of colors that gave it an almost-ethereal appearance: despite the glow itself remaining as it always did. Taking in the freshly-polished buttons, I watched them catch the low light in an almost-blinding way: showing off my reflection and stood out proudly against the otherwise intimidating colors. Tilting my hood in appreciation as Ingrid handed me a fresh pair of socks, I quickly covered my feet and returned them into the pair of soft-soled slippers I had been given in place of my boots.
"We will have these tended to and returned promptly, until then: I hope these will do." Irina said, gesturing to Ingrid in a silent command to gather the worn and sad-looking pair of boots: who immediately grabbed them up and dashed out of the room with them and off to god-knows-where. "They're fine. Unlike your 'Mistress', I'm not difficult to please: so long as you understand and respect certain aspects: such as my attire. I don't mind if you speak freely, but when I mention something about me: its for your benefit, not mine." I replied, receiving an immediate curtsy from the older woman: no doubt taking my earlier warning to heart and was adamant on doing everything in her power to not do anything that would upset me again.
"Of course, 'Duchess': I will make sure the others know, as well. Now please, come with me: The Mistress wished to see you as soon as you are ready." she said, making me nearly swallow my tongue at the name: yet despite my best efforts, she wouldn't hear any of my protests and made it very clear that that 'title' was there to stay. 'Let's see, is there a wall I could bury my head in?' I wondered, feeling all nine shades of embarrassed at being referred to as a fucking 'Duchess', of all things! I was not royalty, I was not treated with respect, and God knows I don't deserve it! Not with the things I've done, not with what I was: but that clearly didn't stop the maids from considering me otherwise. Not that I could blame them, they were normal, human: while I…was not. Not anymore. And living in a quiet, remote Village without so much as electricity, it was no wonder they believed creatures like myself and Miranda to be gods: they were so enthralled by the abilities we were capable of…that they were blinded to the monsters we were.
Knowing that there would be no point in telling this woman the truth, I quietly followed behind as she led me through the castle once again: only this time I was able to properly take in my surroundings while we walked at a normal pace in the same direction we had originally came from. Just like the room I had entered first, the rest of the castle bore the same color scheme and had enough shiny, golden filigree on the walls and vases that it damn near made me nauseous: though I couldn't deny that it still held a beautiful, aristocratic charm, just the sort of taste that I expected Alcina to have from the second I saw her. Once we entered the Great Hall, I couldn't help but admire the craftmanship in the woodwork of the grand, spiral staircase, the sheen in the marble floor, and the glaring crystal that made up the massive chandelier that hung from the ceiling by a thick chain.
As much as I wanted to lounge like a contented feline in front of the burning fireplace and take a heavily-desired nap, I knew for a fact that the only thing that would get me was an earful of Alcina's patronizing screeching: no matter how inviting that couch was to my exhausted state, it just wasn't worth it in exchange for a tantrum, especially not on a caliber to fit a woman of her size. Glancing in Irina's direction, I noticed that she didn't slow her stride and would quickly leave me behind in my gawking: making me snap out of my daze and quickly jogged to keep up, glad the slippers silenced my footsteps and didn't alert her to my lagging. Taking my eyes off the intricate design in the floor, I followed after Irina as she continued straight and down a flight of stairs that led into a medium-sized room with four marble angle statues: each with different faces, all facing towards me, and appeared to be guarding a large pair of metal doors that left a small part of me wanting to leave whatever was behind them the hell alone.
Within two large decorative niches on each side of the room, was a full-sized marble statue of 'Socrates' that stood proudly, yet modestly: each lit up by a multitude of candles and decorated with wildflower bouquets at their feet. 'The hell? For a place as isolated and remote as this, how do they even know who Socrates is? Yet alone, how the hell did they even build this place? It's surrounded by uneven terrain and dense forest with hardly any passages that led this far into the mountains, how did they get the materials here?' I thought, trying to comprehend how anything of this caliber could have been possible with such unforgiving terrain to contend with: only to have my brain throb with the effort on top of the ranting mobs of dozens of voices in my head.
Shaking the uncomfortable feeling away, I followed the maid through a door to the right and down a sparsely-decorated hallway: eventually coming to a stop outside an oak door that was rather plain in appearance in comparison to the rest of the castle. Glancing at Irina as she apparently took a minute to compose herself before raising her hand and rapt at the door three times in a timid, yet quiet 'knock'. After several seconds of silence, she grabbed the iron doorhandle and gave the knob a twist: revealing a parlor with a pair of couches surrounding a tea table and a single fireplace with three burning logs to the right side of the room. "Please, Duchess, wait here: The Mistress will be right with you." Irina said, shoving me into the room and shut the door: just as I turned around to snap at her for shoving me again, causing a scowl to twist my hidden features as I heard her soft footsteps scuttle away like a frightened rabbit.
'I don't think I'll be getting used to that any time soon. Wonder how Alcina would react to that?' I wondered, holding back an amused noise at the thought of the look on Alcina's face if she heard her maids call me that, and would most-definitely bring it up without mercy if she tried to take a jab at me again. True to her word, I didn't have to wait very long before I heard the telltale 'stomping' of Alcina's footsteps: revealing her massive, elegant form as the door to the side of the room opened and allowed her to duck inside. Taking in my appearance, I watched her face scrunch up in obvious disapproval with a subtle shake of her head: speaking volumes that even though clean, she obviously still managed to find something about me that she considered distasteful.
"Wait long?" she questioned, adjusting her hat and smoothing the wrinkles out of her dress as she appraised me: oblivious to how hard I rolled my eyes as she looked me up and down. "No, only about two minutes." I replied, not entirely sure where this conversation was going to go, but I got the distinct feeling that she was about to try and pull some 'holier-than-thou' bullshit on me, again. "Hmm…I see my staff has failed to present you properly: just look at you, flaunting your figure like some desperate, cheap hedonist. This must be rectified immediately: I will not stand for a woman in the presence of House Dimitrescu to present herself in such a disgusting, disrespectful manner. Trousers, dear: are not propriety for women of purity, especially not whilst in the presence of Mother Miranda. Unless of course…you've allowed yourself to be soiled by another?" she questioned in disgust, making me nearly drop my jaw at the sheer audacity of being asked that, never mind that being the decision she came to: of all other possibilities out there.
'Since when is that your business?!' I mentally snapped, glad I was able to avoid saying that out loud: as I definitely was not going to even touch that subject, least of all with her. "I told them to leave them, and like it or not: they're part of my form and will not come off. I didn't choose the design, nor can I change it: and covering them up will be an inconvenience that none of us want to deal with, unless of course, you want my Cadou to have a screaming fit that will shatter all the glass in this castle, Alcina?" I questioned back, knowing she would understand the Cadou having control over my body suit's design much better, than having to explain how it actually came to be.
"Is it now? Truly? How unfortunate, you would look positively ravishing in one of our gowns: and to think, I was about to request to have one tailored for you, you would have been quintessential as a proper 'Daughter of Mother Miranda'. A shame, truly: however, I must be sure." she stated, and before I could even react: a bladed talon as long as my leg grew in a flash from one of her gloved fingers and sliced a gash clean through the cuff of my jacket. With a pained 'screech', I snapped my jaws at her and made to jump away: only for her to snatch my wrist in a death-grip and firmly put her mouth to the oozing blood that dripped from the very fabric of my body suit and wasted no time sucking the laceration dry.
"The fuck are you-" I snarled, pulling my free arm back and prepared to unsheathe my own Claws: only for her to release my arm as quickly as she grabbed it with a pure shellshocked expression, the wound already closed and vanished entirely from my accelerated healing factor: but that didn't stop Alcina's widened eyes and shocked expression from meeting my hidden, enraged one with unfiltered surprise. "Oh my…of all the possibilities you could have possibly revealed with such an inappropriate state of dress and lurid mannerisms…not once did I ever imagine THIS. You, my dear Sister…are something positively exotic and extra sweet: it is no wonder Mother Miranda has chosen you to be one of us. Please forgive my barbaric behavior, Sister: but I had to be sure of my doubts and you can be assured they have been dispelled promptly. This changes things, whilst you remain among House Dimitrescu: you will now be granted proper chambers befitting for one of us during the duration of your lessons with me. In the meantime, have a seat and I will send 'Gloria' to retrieve some tea." she said, pulling out a silk handkerchief and dabbed the blood from her lips before turning from me to do just as she said she would: oblivious to me flexing my previously-wounded arm with a nasty glare on my face.
'Glad to know I have your god-damned approval, fucking vampire bitch.' I mentally snarled, wanting nothing more to retaliate and listen to my virus' demands, but with the Cadou already tightening its grip in warning: I internally raged and withheld the decision despite desperately wanting to do the exact opposite. Lost in my savage daydreams, I didn't notice the passing of time until a maid approached the tea table with a tray of fresh, hot biscuits and steaming tea in fine, porcelain China. Distributing the snacks and drink evenly, she quickly took her leave as Alcina took her seat across from me and helped herself to her share. Watching her taste first, I reluctantly followed her example: not worried about poisons, but the subtle, coppery scent of blood made me uneasy, and as soon as I took a sip: I immediately understood why.
'Now I can't ever drink tea normally again.' I thought, never being one for tea all that much in the first place due to my virus' make-up: but the fact that they used blood as an ingredient just solidified that decision. "Interesting choice of ingredients, who's idea was it to add blood to the list?" I asked casually, receiving only a rather flirtatious smile full of teeth as an answer: making me raise an eyebrow as she once again made it clear that she way toying with me, but at least she chose to remain civil since she made her…'discovery', whatever the hell that was. Once the apparent 'Tea Time' was finished, Alcina straightened her posture and folded her hands in her lap: and while delicious, the simple biscuits hadn't even touched the raging hunger that was currently twisting my guts into knots: but for the sake of Pride, I kept it to myself, one less thing for Alcina to hold over my head.
"Now, before we begin: I assume you have questions." she stated, drawing my attention to her as I placed my empty cup back on the tray for the maid to retrieve and remove from the room. "Mother Miranda expects something from me, but didn't elaborate on what it is she wants. What exactly is the purpose of all this?" I questioned, keeping it short and to the point, and despite the fact that I knew for a fact that Alcina knew what I was going to ask: her expression darkened just the same. "'The Point' is to comply with any and all requests she makes of us, regardless of what they may be. We are harbingers of her desires, and are expected to fulfill those desires in a fastidious manner: despite the lack of decorum our Siblings are infamous for. And one day, you will be granted your own purpose: and once you have it, you will be representing Mother Miranda and are expected to behave as such. For now, you will learn from us, and once Mother Miranda has deemed you ready: she will tell you what she expects from you." she explained, clearly struggling with herself to avoid getting angry at my 'blatant disrespect' for the bitch: but I honestly couldn't care less about how she reacted to that.
'That…literally explains nothing, aside from her demands for perfect obedience…and I had already gathered that.' I thought, huffing a silent 'sigh' of annoyance before trying again, deciding that playing the part of a confused, 'new Sibling' would earn me more answers instead. "But wouldn't it be more beneficial if she explained what she wanted from the start, so I could figure out how to assist to the best of my ability? You'd think dancing around the subject and playing word games would hinder progress instead of making actual breakthroughs? What use would any of that be if there's no progression due to the lack of common curtesy from both parties involved? Or is this one of those situations where you're going to make me actually beg for answers, while you withhold them like a treat to a starving hound? If that's the case, keep holding it: because I'm not the begging type: never have been and never will be, however, it would still be nice to know the plan before I get bored waiting for answers." I stated, not liking how her smile turned devious, complete with an insidious gleam in her blue eyes: and while I was unfortunately no stranger to such looks, it still wouldn't be ideal to have to defend myself in such close quarters.
"Ah 'Little One', but you see through the eyes of all Outsiders: gazing out at the world from your proud theaters bathed in light. But…the light blinds, dear: you can't see the eyes looking in…from the dark. When up on that stage, swathed in adulation…it's hard to tell…who's watching." she replied, immediately setting my nerves on edge at the immediate change in her demeanor: making me raise my already-tense shoulders as I glared at her predatory gaze with my own, unblinking one. "Is that a threat, Alcina?" I questioned, lowering my tone and curling my lip: exposing a fang to the light of the candles as I caught on to the undertone of her statement, and I did not care for it.
"One day, dear Sister, your pride will fall: and I will gain immense pleasure from watching the outcome. To be one of our Siblings is to relinquish your selfish desires and focus only on what Mother Miranda expects of you. You best mind yourself, for Mother Miranda knows everything that transpires within these borders: and to indulge in anything…unsavory or indelicate, could quite possibly cause some irrevocable fate to befall you. Wouldn't that be unfortunate?" she inquired, borderline mischievous as she noticed that I didn't care for her insinuations and also knew that there wasn't anything I could do about it that wouldn't immediately backfire on me: what a devious bitch, this infected was.
"You should know, that threatening me is a dangerous mistake that many met unfortunate ends for: and as a personal curtesy, I will warn you only once, don't confuse my lack of aggression for leniency. However, should you continue to antagonize and threaten me: and I promise you, it will not go in your favor. And I will tell you the same thing I told Heisenberg: I would prefer not to fight any of you out of the sheer principle of morality, but if you decide to throw caution to the wind and continue to provoke me: I can't promise that you'll walk away from it." I stated, holding her gaze for several long minutes: only for her to turn her gaze away with an aggravated 'huff', which hopefully meant that the point was made and would dissuade her from trying again.
"Hrmph. Then it seems, we have reached an impasse, if only out of respect for Mother Miranda's wishes: and from what I can see, you do not lack intelligence, despite the lurid differences between us, and for that I'll renounce my earlier observations: despite disapproving of them. We'll continue your lessons after breakfast at 9:30 on the dot, tomorrow morning. For the rest of the day, you may acquaint yourself with my daughters and will be joining us for dinner: until then, I'm sure they can provide…'adequate entertainment', for you. In the meantime, I will inform Mother Miranda of your progress: should things prove to work in her favor. But don't you worry about that for now, instead: allow me to introduce you to my three daughters, they've all been elan to meet you, and I can assure you: they'll all be very accommodating and will be delighted to indulge you." Alcina explained, rising to her feet and gestured for me to do the same: yet despite the fact that I wanted absolutely nothing to do with anything that she was insinuating, I was starting to figure out that acting as if I were going along with it ended with situations going much smoother for me: despite the fact that I desperately wanted to tell them where to shove it.
With that thought in mind, I reluctantly rose to my feet and did everything in my power to prepare myself for whatever Alcina clearly had planned: and I could clearly see that it wasn't just introducing me to any 'daughters' of hers, there was something else that she was plotting, and despite my warning: she obviously wasn't intimidated in the slightest, if anything, she found it amusing, same as Heisenberg. In any case, despite the fact that they aggravated the shit out of me with their belittling bullshit: I wasn't lying when I said I had no interest in fighting them: but should they decide to ignore that warning, well…let's just say that playing rough was another of my 'specialties', I just hoped that I wouldn't be needing to express that particular fact any time soon. But knowing my luck, the fragile truce between the other infected and myself wouldn't last…especially if I ever lost all fucks to give, because if that ever happened: well…I just hoped for everyone's sake that that day never came…again.