Nightly Lessons Book I: The Book of Beginnings

[Peeker]

"Oooh!" Aleksandr sputtered and shivered, howling with laughter. "You little brat! Daddy's gonna get you!"

The arch of water flopped down over Alice, and out of the water rose a big head, shaped like a bird's. The thing opened its beak, and suddenly popped right over Alice - the girl found herself encased in a bubble - able to breathe, but otherwise in a rather watery predicament.

"Now say you're sorry." Aleksandr teased, playfully.


Janus remained silent until the feet had been taken care of - he was exceptionally sensitive there, and even though Mikeal was careful, he couldn't help but cringe through it all. "Sorry about that." He apologized, grinning sheepishly. "But, uh, I had a big sister, Patricia.... and my Dad - I told you he was a musician, right? He wrote music for commercials... we actually made pretty good money... I guess he was more of a business man - he wasn't a rock star or anything." Janus smiled, remembering the man proudly.

"Mom was a teacher. Worked at a grammar school when we were really little... and she taught night courses at a community college... But, uh, that was when she'd gotten sick." Janus paused a little. "She, um, she was always telling me that she needed me to be mature... She got tired very easily, almost... for no reason at all... and I was always so scared when that happened.... I was only... I guess not much older than... I am now..." He admitted. "I hope she's okay... now that they all think I'm gone..." Now that they'd been cleaned, Janus pulled his legs up to his chest, hugging them thoughtfully.

[Kira_Wolf_Cub]

Alice had nearly freaked when the head appeared and swallowed her. She wasn't fond of being encased in water and looked a little painic stricken when she watched the blurred version of Aleks threw the water and held her breath. It took her a minute when she realized she could still breath and then shook her head.

"No!" She giggled in the water and pushed her hair out of the way, as the small current of the form was constantly bringing her hair into her face. "Don't wanna."

She stuck her tognue out at him playfully. Strange how this simple game had turned more amusing then she first though. Amazing what a good spanking and a long nap could do to a person.


"I'm sure they miss you very much Janus," Mikeal looked at the boy, happy that he was once again clean and unplugged the tub. "They sound like wonderful people. I don't blame you for missing them in the less."

He pulled down a towel and held it open for the boy to get up and rub him dry again. Only the boy was wrapping tightly in the fuffy towel and hugged him closely.

"I'm sorry if I upset you," Mikeal held the boy close. "Are you alright?"

[Peeker]

Aleksandr stuck his tongue out back. "Well, if you don't want to apologize, it means you can't come out of the tub." He reasoned. "...and then Mikeal and Janus will wonder where my clean little girl has gone off to...."

Like great, fuzzy birds, a trio of towels began to gently flap in the air around the tub. Like any good after-bath towels, they were obviously warm, thick, and soft - and judging from their playful swooping motions, wanted to wrap around little Alice.

"But if you don't want to apologize, I suppose I can just give you another bath. I'm sure you're still a grimy, grungy little girl, hm? Your daddy didn't wash you proper, yet?" Aleksandr smirked. He couldn't tickle her, so he'd simply have to bribe the girl out of the tub.


Janus nodded, quiet again. "Yeah.... I'm just thinking of them." The boy sighed. "I... I don't really want to. It makes me sad... and... I don't want to feel sad right now. I...." The boy trailed off. "...um... thank you for the bath, Mikeal..." He blushed. That was embarassing to say... and that felt more like what he'd been used to the past two years. "I..." Oh, great - so he was used to being embarrassed? He wanted that?

The boy sighed. "I keep thinking things I don't want to." He explained. "I'm thinking about my family... and about Razziel... and about what... what I'm doing here... like... I..." The boy's voice tightened. "This is home." He hugged Mikeal, forgetting he was still wet. "I'm not allowed to go back... home. This... this is home now... 'm sorry, Mikeal..." He continued to hug the man, looking up at him embarassed. "I just miss them, is all..."

[Kira_Wolf_Cub]

Alice pouted and finally rolled her eyes, she was getting prunny from the water anyways.

"I'm sorry..." The water fell softly around her but before Aleks could completely pick her up, she did manage to splash him lightly once more. "Revenge." She grinned at him as she ringed her hair free of most of the water.


"It's alright to miss them, Janus. It's natural just as it is to have mixed feelings about all this," Mikeal toweled him off quickly, and then carried the boy back to his room and set him on his feet. "Take your time with these things. no one will force them on you. Now, get dressed or else Alice might just come running in here looking for you..."

Mikeal laughed at the light blush and walked to the kitchen where he prepared their lunch along with the puppies meal, making sure to keep the foods separate at all times.

'Aleks is taking a long time...' Mikeal reached out to him. 'Bath problems Aleks?'

[Peeker]

Aleksandr smiled at the chime in his mind. Far from it, old friend. My little girl had a wonderful time... This was a very happy accident.

The vampire scooped his little fledgling out of the tub, and the towels happily swooped down - Alice found herself tightly wrapped in them, one around her waist, one her hair, and the last over her shoulders for her to place as she saw fit. Her little two-piece vanished, and Aleksandr summoned a little calf-length skirt, a sweet, earthy brown, and a long-sleeved knit sweater of a vibrant green. A pair of bows appeared, and gently floated in the air - all the clothes sparkled with an enchantment, that would let the girl find herself dressed as she saw fit. Aleksandr had no real experience with girls' hair - he'd always let his fledglings worry about their own look, to that end, at least - so he could do little to help Alice in that regard. "I'll let you dress, dear." Alek said, once he'd finished toweling her off. "Just touch them - they'll do the rest."

The man kissed his cutely-wrapped little girl on the forehead one last time. "And...thank you again, Alice..." -before closing the door and heading out to see Mikeal.



"...thanks, Mikeal."

The boy changed quickly - not just out of fear of being seen bare, but also because he didn't really want to be away from his sire right now. The man was right: mixed feelings. That was the perfect way to describe it.

He also found himself having mixed feelings about his punishment, to be honest. He rather enjoyed being so close to the man. ...he somehow doubted he'd feel so receptive once his good mood wore off... or if he was back to his normal self again... He found his clothes more receptive to his own tastes, as well. Tugging on a plain blue shirt, untouched by logos, and a pair of black jeans, the boy buttoned up, and hurried out of the room, combing his fingers through his damp hair.

Thinking about home made him hungry! ...as did, apparently, being given a bath.. Oh jeez, he might never stop blushing over this one. It was another new low in the cool-o-meter, that was for sure.

....but a pretty nice one, all things considered.

[Kira_Wolf_Cub]

"Welcome Daddy..." She called after him and smiled at the closed door.

Alice nodded as she whichly braided her hair to help keep it managble while wet. It's amazing how wet hair can suddenly turn into a whip but turning the head too fast. She gingerly touched the clothing, a little peeved that it had to be a skirt set but decided to let Aleks enjoy the tiny treat. After al, when she would return to normal, she wasn't about to let him tell her what to...

"Oh nuts." Alice whacked her forehead, recalling the agreement of dressing nicely for a month and getting the chore of cleaning the ballroom every other day. "Okay... it's only one month..."

She gingerly touched the outift and fet it wrap onto her, fitting itself nicely to her frame , before skipping out the door and running into Janus in the hallway.

"Hey Janus, ready to eat? I'm starved..." She smiled at him and took his hand, her mood clearly better then ever.


Mikeal had just set the table when Aleks entered and he smiled at the man. Clearly something had happened, something good. The elder was practicly beaming it. pouring the two of them a white white for the fish, Mikeal sat down and grinned at Aleks.

"Dear I ask what happened to make you glow like this?" He grinned, hopping that Aleks would 'kiss and tell'

[Peeker]

"My little girl happened, Mikeal. She's perfect. I can't-" He turned, hearing voices colliding in the hall. "Ah, you'll see for yourself."


"Me too-" Janus found himself pleasantly cut off when Alice took his hand. He smiled, and held it happily. "...so um... was it bad for you? The bath-thing, I mean..." He blushed. Not really the nicest thing to bring up if it was as bad as he'd feared it would be, but they were both in an awfully good mood.

The two stepped into the dining room, smiling at their sires. Aleksandr greeted the children with a raised of his wine glass. Janus seemed almost relieved to see Mikeal again - the desire to be near the man hadn't left.

Mixed feelings. Yeah....

[Kira_Wolf_Cub]

"it was actually kind of fun, you?" Alice answered before running over the aleks and hugging him. "What for lunch?"

Mikeal shook his head at the tiny girl, laughing softly to himself about how the little she had payed attention to what he had said before.

"See, I told you she's a Daddy's girl," Mikeal laughed lightly and patted er on the head. "Sushi, now grab a seat."

"Am not!" Alice whinned looking perved at Mikeal.

"Riiight," The older man rolled his eyes and turned to smile at Janus. "Well don't you look nice. Ready to join us as well?"

It was times like this, Mikeal liked the small table. It had a more, family feel to it, where you didn't have to yell to talk to someone at th other end. of the table.

[Peeker]

Aleksandr smiled, hugging the girl tightly, and then lifted her up into the chair next to him. "Well, even if you aren't a daddy's girl, I'm very happy you're here, Alice. ...and I'm glad you are in as good a mood as I am." He magicked a fork next to Alice and Janus, reasoning that trying to use chopsticks with their little hands would be a sobering experience.

"Have you both eaten sushi before?" The man asked, carefully lifting the containers of food up and out of their bags, placing them on the table. A quartet of blood-filled glasses had already been standing there, thanks to Mikeal.


"Not me." Janus admitted, smiling widely as he pulled his seat close to Mikeal. "But I'm really hungry. I can't wait!" The boy's cheeks were a little red as he sat down. He looked back up at Alice. "It was fun?" He tried to consider. Fun... It had been sorta nice... but it wasn't like... "Um... it was okay, I guess... It wasn't bad, at least... It could have been, I mean."

[Kira_Wolf_Cub]

"you should have seen Aleks," Alice giggled as she reached of a set of chop stick only to find they were out of reach. "I hit him with a water ball... pass the chop sticks please."

"It's very good Janus, quiet popular with people now a day. Be careful of the washbi, the green stuff, it packs a punch sometimes," Mikeal explained as he snapped his own chop sticks appart. "Lets see, there's tuna, salmon, eel, squid..."

"Ewww, squid?" Alice made a face which Mikeal ignorred.

"and kappa sushi as well. Just dig in," Mikeal grabbed several rolls of eel and squid. "The red sauce is a spicy mix and the brown there is soy sauce. There's some soda for you and Alice after you're both done with you blood..."

"Isn't it normally milk you tell the kids to drink first?" Alice rose an eyebrow at him but smiled never the less, her mood better since the bath.

"We're vampires my dear, blood is 'milk'," Mikeal patted her on the head.