Nightly Lessons Book I: The Book of Beginnings

[Peeker]

"Oh. So you don't have to cook much? I suppose that would give you more free time." Janus nodded. That made some sense. Be polite. Don't think about how much bett... how.... how giving her Master is... "That must be nice. I haven't had the chance to... heh... to just have a hamburger, or something simple, for a year and a half. I can't believe how much I miss peanut butter!" He smiled. "It sounds as though he's keeping you really... ...close, for now. I suppose he'll open up your world... I mean, as far as more adult expectations.. punishments.... as you grow under him."

[Kira_Wolf_Cub]

"Cook? Aleks doesn't trust me around fire since I trying to burn one of the imps around here." She leaned in close. "There's one that just looooves to piss me off first thing in the morning..."

She felt safe talking to Janus like this. Aleks was pobably busy talking with Raz, in order to keep a tap on her.

"As for keeping my close, who knows..." She looked to the side and smiled. "I've never actually met any of his past fledglings. I know they write him but I'm never really met them. but we are close. Aleks is pretty fair at times, when he isn't tanning my rear that is. Hey do you want some peanut butter? I'm sure Aleks has some in the kitchen?"

[Peeker]

Janus' eyes narrowed. "But we have a meal coming, don't we? I wouldn't want to insult your home's cooking by... by being so rude..." He looked around the room. They had to be spying on him. He knew it.

Maybe... Janus reached out, using a detection spell. He couldn't feel any magics sitting in the room ready to go off and catch him. He frowned.

"You.... you mean it? Really?"

[Kira_Wolf_Cub]

Alice smiled at him.

"it'll just be a snack and Aleks told me to make you happy," She rose and opened the door. "besides those two are probably gonna argue for hours..."

[Peeker]

Janus stood, and bowed his head a little. "Why... thank you, Alice." No. He didn't need to talk like this. He was... free, here. He crossed his fingers, and hoped that this wasn't a trick. "Thanks alot. You're... wow. This' awesome." He laughed. "I haven't been able to relax like this in... in freakin' forever!"

He blushed. Still couldn't really curse - he wanted to, but he kept imagining Razziel was right behind him with that strap....
Alice grinned at him. "it's not a problem, come on I'll lead the way..."

They snuck into the kitchen and Alice quickly produced for him a sandwich with peanut butter.

"Now all we have to do is sneak back to the sitting room before Aleks notices anything..."

Meanwhile, in the study, Alek lowered the glass of wine he'd been nursing for the past twenty minutes. "Alright. At least I know where you stand, then. I can promise I'll have a fair answer for you before you leave. What say you and I go check on those children before we continue, hm?"

Razziel sat a little stiffly in his seat. He wasn't happy that Aleksander wouldn't agree with him right away.

"Yes, lets..." He set his own wine aside. "Tell me something this girl of your's Alice. How is her training going. She seemed so... nervous before...."

He held a cold under tone in his voice, the kind the usually meant it was a statement with a double meaning. He was digging for some leverage on Aleks.

"Well. It is difficult to handle some fledglings... They aren't eggs you have to break, but statues you have to carve... if you hit the stone too hard, you'll chip off more than you meant to. She requires patience - she is quite full of life. ...just like your boy." He added, deflecting any of the suggested insult from him. "Alice is simply... delicate."

"Lets go." Janus said, quickly, not wanting to risk anything.

Razziel looked slightly peeved that Aleksander had avoided his attack.

"Yes, I recall some of the elders say that girls are delicate. Truly, I think they just favor them. Shall we?"

"This way," Alice turned another corner looking back at him. "Wow, I've never seen someone eat peanut butter that fast before..."

It hadn't been a huge sandwich she had made him, but it wasn't tiny either.
Janus shrugged, wiping his mouth one last time. "I don't want to risk a caning, is all." His lips might have been clean, but he certainly wasn't thinking about the scent of peanut butter on his breath...

Aleksandr leisurely brought Razziel down the hall. No need to rush things, after all. "Yes, well, I suppose that is true - but they're favored with good reason."

"Oh and that would be..." He didn't get farther because Alice bumped right into him.

"Umph!"

"SorryOh sssshhii-I didn't see you here Lord Razziel, Alice stiffened and gave an apologetic bow. "Sorry about that...."

Alek stiffened. "Alice? ...what are you doing out here?"

Janus went white. He closed his eyes, and lowered his head. He was going to pay for this....

Alice smiled as sweetly as she could.

"Just entertain and taking care of our guest, that's all," She turned and looked at Janus.

"Right, Janus? Of course, well... we'll just get going and..."

"Why do I smell peanut butter?" Razziel looked about and looked peeved. "I despise that smell..."

Aleksandr's eyes narrowed. "Alice. Explain yourself, please."

Janus said nothing. Did not move, did not flinch, did not look up. He could already feel the beating coming...

Alek looked Janus up and down. This... this was going to be really hard on Alice, he realized. He had not yet decided what he'd been going to do about misbehaving children in his home... whether he'd allow Razziel to follow his own ways, or not... This was no great thing... but it was going to be made into a huge problem...

"that... would be me, my Lord..." Alice bowed her head. From what she had heard about what Razziel would do to Janus she wasn't going to send him to his marker. "I made a small sandwhich a little while ago. Janus had nothing to do with it..."

"It that so?" Razziel rose an eyebrow, he's expression cold and amused. "Interesting, wouldn't you say Aleksander?"

"Very interesting, Razziel..." Aleksandr crossed his arms, and repeated the phrase he'd spoken in the library a few days ago.

"You're lying. More accurately, you're fibbing. While you were trying to be a good host, you went and made Janus - whose breath stinks of peanut butter-" Janus tensed, face reddening. "-a sandwich. Which is really, fine. I'm happy that you decided to entertain the boy. Well done, dear. I'm not happy that you're lying to me, though, Alice."
'Aleks I don't want him to get in trouble because of me...' She thought looking at the floor. "the would be the case Sire yes. I offered him one since it seemed the right thing to do..."

"So close to a meal?" Razziel demanded looking harshly at Janus. "I must say I'm rather..."

"It was a small one and he felt it was rude to decline when the hostess asked him," alice stated quickly. It wasn't true, but it wasn't false either.

She knew she had spoken out of turn and she couldn't think of anything else to do.

Now, Janus' eyes opened wide. He bowed his head. "Lord Aleksandr! P-please, sir! I-" He froze, as though listening to something - and stood down. Aleksandr gave Razziel a look, and then turned to Alice. "Apologize for interrupting Lord Razziel, Alice. Come on, both of you - we aren't getting all this sorted out yelling in a hallway." Aleksandr turned for the sitting room, letting all of the others sort out their problems behind him.

"Yes Sire," Alice followed behind the two of them but not without stating one thing before doing so. "I just want you to know, Janus wasn't at fault..."

Razziel turned and looked at the pair.

"Tsk tsk, how children are now a day," he walked in long heavy strides in front of the two fledglings. "Sneaking snack before meals and then lying about it. I must say Janus, I'm disappoint in you. O all things you should know better.... Tell Aleksander how shall we take care of that delicate girl of yours, hmm?"

"She's going to get exactly what I told her she'd get if she misbehaved in my guests' presence. A good long spanking." Alek frowned. "You wouldn't have been in trouble if you'd simply told the truth, Alice. Really...." He shook his head. "Come on then." He opened the sitting room door, and led them all in.

Janus silently followed the crowd, amazed at how calm Aleksandr was.

"I cannot presume to tell you how to discipline your fledgling, Lord Razziel, but in this house-"
Razziel looked slightly crossed. He was tempted to discipline Janus but at the same time Alice had cornered him. It was true that he had told Janus it was rude to decline an offer from the hostess.

"I think he'll do find to sit and watch how the rules run in this house," He answered as he noticed Alice cover her backside. "A little humiliation always seems to do wonders on wayward souls..."

"Aleks?" Alice turned and looked pleadingly at Aleks' back. "Please, not in front of them. I'm sorry for fibbing..."

"Silence, Alice. I told you this was coming, and if you think for a minute I'm going to go easy on you because we have guests, you have another thing coming. I'm glad you're sorry, but you're about to be much sorrier..."

The man sat down in a chair, and pulled Alice over his knee. He'd might as well get Janus in on this as well. In for a penny, in for a pound, and all that...

"Young Janus?"

"Yes, Lord Rastline?"

"You will find a wooden paddle in that drawer. Bring it here." Aleksandr pointed to a table, which Janus fairly raced over to. He returned with a stocky wooden paddle.

"Here, Lord."

"Thank you, Janus. Now stand with your master, and watch as he bid."

"Yes, Lord."
Aleksandr bared Alice's bottom slowly, letting her squirm and embarass herself by protesting. He raised the paddle. "I'm dissapointed in you, Alice. You were doing wonderfully - even offering our guest a kindness. But you lied. Again."

SMACK!

"But I AWWEEE!" She strained against his hold, the sheer shock of being paddle cause tears to appear in her eyes instantly. 'Aleks please! I just didn't want him in trouble! He told me Raz whips him!'

Razziel in the mean time places a heavy hand on Janus shoulder.

"Play closely attention Janus. It's thanks to her quick tongue you're not at the receiving end of a cane..." He squeezed his shoulder painfully as if to prove a point.

Janus closed his eyes tight, fighting back a tear, before Razziel's tight squeeze of his shoulder forced his eyes open. "Y...Yes, m'lord..."

"...yes. While you get paddled. I am proud of you for caring about your new friend - but you can tell the truth to do that. Now be quiet, and take your paddling like a big girl."

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! Alek was moving far quicker than he had during last night's slippering, but swung just as hard - Alice was going to be taught a hard, fast lesson, here - hard enough to teach her what for as well as impress his ways upon Janus and Razziel.

[Peeker]

Alice hissed out her pain trying hard not to kick. It was bad enough Janus was seeing her get spanked, but the fact he could see her bottom made it worse.

"Aw!Aw!AWE!" She tappe dher feet against the ground and tightened a hold onto his leg.

"I'm glade to see that you can get to the bottom of this with your fledgling Lord Aleksander," Razzil took a seat ensuring himself the Janus would remain standing. "So few elders now a day dare to do so."

He was mocking Alice for the sake of making things worse trying to bait her.

'Shut up!' Alice thought to her self as she bite her lip, to keep from reacting.
"The old ways are sometimes the best ways, Razziel." Aleksandr admitted "Where a child can take her punishment with sorrow-" SMACK "-and dignity."

"Do not insult our guest, Alice - not even in your thoughts... You will take your punishment as you must, and, as always, you will be forgiven afterward."

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

Janus watched, wide-eyed. ...not just out of fear - also, of course, there was a girl his age getting paddled on the bare! That... well, that was something to see!
"AWE! I'm sorry!" Alice yelped and bite her lip trying to keep what dignaty she could with her. "OWWWWIEEEE!"

Razziel watched calmly in his seat. there was always something about punishing young girl that he fond interesting. It wasn't sexual, but he did like the idea of power over them.

"If your arm grows tried Aleksander, I'd be more hten happy to help you out and finish the young girl for you...." He smiled calmly.

'Aleks please don't let him!' Alice turned her head mortified by the thought. "AWE!"
"No, Razziel. As long as she is under my roof, I plan on taking care of all the discipline she needs...." He gave the look he would have given Razziel to Alice's back, instead.

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

"Young Master Janus - understand that you are not immune to my wrath. You may find yourself put over my knee just as easily as Alice, if you push me. Is that understood, young man?"

Janus grimaced. "Y-yes, my Lord."

"Good." SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

"AWWWWWWEE!" Alice arched her back hard as her rear started to redden. 'Thank Aleks..' "OOOOOOOWWWW!"

"…very well." Razziel looked disappointed.

“I’m glad it sounds as though you’re learning your lesson, Alice. I’d hate for you to be taking all this paddling, and not get anything out of it.” SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

Janus was watching, wide-eyed. There was something protective about the man’s discipline – it wasn’t full of cruel barbs and insults – it was gentler, somehow… Janus once again wondered at how different his life was from Alice’s.

[Kira_Wolf_Cub]

Alice curled her toes and cried out.

"AAAWWWWW!!!" She didn't care that Janus was there anymore, just the the pain would stop. "I'm sorry! Aleks, please!"

Razziel looked distasteful at them. He felt that Aleksander was being soft somehow to the girl but passed it off with that it was she was a girl. It made him jealous in a way. Young vampiresses were few, no that there were many boys either, but the girls were only given to the most honored elders in the ring.

He knew that Aleksander was more lose in his teachings but it still please him to see that he wasn't afraid to use a firm hand, or in this case a paddle. He glanced at Janus noting the boys discomfort along with something else that he couldn't place.

"She seems be be straining a lot in your hold Aleksander..." He studied the handle of his cain. He always carried it as a threat towards Janus to keep him on good behavior. "Is this the first time she's recieving that?"

He pointed towards the paddle.

[Peeker]

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

"Why don't you tell him, Alice? How many times have you felt this paddle, hm? We certainly haven't been in the sitting room for a good while - I'll bet you can even count how many times you've been paddled.

Ten. Alek thought. ...and if she got it right, he'd tell her - and then ten would be the magic number. Ten more smacks, and he'd call her well-spanked. It had been a well-intentioned fib: its just the fib part that bothered him!

SMACK! SMACK!

Janus stood there, uncomfortably. She was... crying... She looked so sad. He felt sick! Even so, he remained stoic, not showing any pain. He was the lucky one, after all.

[Kira_Wolf_Cub]

Alice thought franticly as she keep crying harder and harder. She knew there was the first three nights from when she had fought him, the time she tryed to trash his study becaus she was angry, then the the time she ran away...

"Ten!" She yelped out in a chocked voice. "This it the tenth time! AWWWEEE!"

Razziel sneared coldly at her and twirled the cane in his hand.

"Now here is a true difference between young ladies Janus and you gents," He lectured as if the sitting room was a classroom. "She hasn't been at the recieving end as many times as you, although she doesn't handle it was well." He then grinned cruelly at his fledgling. "Then again practic makes perfect, right Janus?"

"Yes, Lord!" Janus admitted, face bright with embarassment. He was to agree, and to affirm, when asked a question before company. "I-"

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

"-have much more experience handling-"

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

"-my punishments, my Lord!"

SMACK! SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!

"...and that's ten, Alice. You've been punished enough. Fib again while our guests are here, and you'll go over my knee twice as long." Alek gently lifted the girl off his knee, letting her skirts lower, preserving some modesty, and held her close.

Janus felt his heart twist, but said nothing. Only watched.

Alcie wrapped her arms around Aleks neck and cried into her shoulder. She rubbed her bottom through her skirt, wincing at the corse feeling for the inner fabric that gave the gown it's form.

"I-I'm sorrry!" She sobbed and took what comfort he offered. "I won't I promise!"

Razziel sat silently looking at the two of them oddly. Holding and comforting after a punishment seemed odd for him. After all, one shouldn't reward negative attention and forgiveness was something he did not give easily. He snapped out of his thoughts when he found Alice standing in front of him with Aleksander behind her. "Yes, my dear?"

"I'm sorry for introrupting you before..." Alice bite back several sniffles. The way he looked at her was unpleasent and she was having a hard time looking at Janus. "It won't happen again Lord Razziel..."

He stared at her for a good five minutes before lightly brushing her off. "I suppose the young are willful. My Lord Aleksander, might I sugguest that we continue on to dinner. I'm sure this young lady would enjoy a glass of blood after her ordeal."

Aleksandr left a comforting hand on Alice's shoulder, but his face immediately changed from comforting parent to that of pleasant host. "I'm sure my imps have had enough time to finish preparing. Dinner sounds like a wonderful idea."

Janus and Alice fell into line behind their masters as Aleksandr led them to dinner - Janus wanted to give Alice a sympathetic look, but kept his eyes down, watching his master's feet rise and fall in front of him, downcast.

The dining hall was full of rich and wonderful foods which filled the noses of the foursome, and awoke forgotten appetites. There were far more chairs than needed at the table. Aleksandr smiled.

"I was not sure if my Lord had seating arrangements preferred. Wherever you would have yourself and your fledgling, please, make yourself comfortable."

"I thank you kindly," Razziel made a flink of his wrist as a chair at the oppsit end of where the Host's seat was. "Janus you may seat across the young lady if you wish..." He turned his attention towards Aleksander again. "Perhapse we may dicuss the casting that will be happening soon. I'm curious as to whom you plan to vote for to gain a new fledling, my Lord. We are both after all omitted due to our charges."

He went to sit down as Alice pulled out a chair that she felt was close to Aleks without making it too obvious.

"Janus, the lady if you will..." He voice was thin, as if it was his fault that Alice had taken the chair.

"Huh, my lord it's perfectly..." She started but fell silent by the look on Aleks face and lowered her hands from the chair.

Janus stumbled forward, caught off-guard, and pulled Alice's chair back for her, to let her in. "It is no trouble, Lady Alice." He said, giving her a sickly smile. "I am happy to be of assistance..."

On his way around the table to his own chair, Janus felt his foot get caught on something. He stopped before he lost his balance, and looked down. A strange, scrawny, scrabbly sort of creature was there, under the table, waving at him. Janus' eyes widened in surprise, and looked up at his host. "My Lord? I..."

Aleksandr smiled. "Geshre. Ta-no'kagn. Bas-bara, te..." The imp crawled out from under the table, floated up to Aleksandr, bowed, and vanished.

"That was just one of my imps, Janus. Do not let them frighten you - they simply like to play pranks..."

Janus' face darkened. "Frighten me? No, m'lord."

He spoke with a bit more assurance than he felt - he hated being coddled, and after watching Aleksandr hold Alice like a little girl, was a little sensitive to the idea of being babied himself. He went and sat without another word.

"I don't know, to be honest, Razziel. Lady Claretta has been without a fledgling for some decades now... your own Mikeal is interested in taking one in, but he is young - I may change my mind... .but I doubt it..." Aleksandr clapped, and imps began carrying, cutting, and serving food to the guests.

Alice felt herself stiffen at Janus' smile. It felt like a hidden insult and she had to bite her tounge as she watched him. She did jump when she saw him trip, it was almost comical.

'Don't laugh, don't laugh...' She bite back a small giggle when she saw Kapad appear. 'For once it's not me...'

"Are you alright, Lord Janus?" She returned his smile to him ten fold. 'Karma.'

"Be careful of your footing Janus," Razziel growled at him and returned his attention towards Aleksander. "Mikeal you say? I didn't know you had spoken with him as of recently. Last I saw him was when he came to have on of my hounds to breed with his. As for Lady Claretta, I suppose she could use the company once again, ever since her last one became a Worthie she has been paining about..."

[Kira_Wolf_Cub]

Aleksandr nodded, but turned his gaze to Alice - he could see the twinkle in her eye, and wasn't sure why she was so focused on the poor boy - Alek could hear his heart still beating hard... He was upset by Alice's paddling, and something was still eating at him. "The company would do Claretta good. How she stays up in those mountains by herself, I'll never know." Alek sipped his wine. "Do you need a pillow, Alice? Or are you comfortable as you are?" Just to remind her of her condition.

"I'm... fine, Lady Alice. Thank you..." Janus noticed his own wine glass - both his and Alice's had been given a small taste of the stuff. Janus' eyes widened. "My Lords? Am I allowed..." He gestured to the wine glass. "To partake?" He smiled gently. "I have not tasted wine since I was turned... my father let me drink a sip at Christmas time, when we toasted before a meal..."

Janus cleared his throat, realizing he was speaking about his past. "My... my apologies, Lords. Lady. I did not mean to interrupt your conversation."

Alek simply nodded. "I poured that as a gesture of goodwill. If your Lord allows it, I see no reason why not - you will need to build up your tolerance to the stuff somewhere, and a drop will not harm you."

Alice blushed and tried her best to look kindly at Aleks.

"No thank you my Lord, I'll be just fine," She voice was a little stiff, since her bottom did hurt but she didn't want to embarass herself more. "And thank you for the drink..."

Razziel rose an elegant eyebrow and looked at Aleksander and then at Janus. He didn't like it when fledlings spoke about their past. It was a way of holding on to the past.

"Normaly I would be against this Aleksander, however..." He rose his glass as if to give a toast. "... given this occasion I'm will to allow it. A toas to our host and his lady for this wonderful meal."

Alice rose her glass and took a small sip before shivering. Wine always seemed to send a jolt down her spine and she fought to not make a face at the taste.

'Ew, it tastes twice as horrible then normal...' She set the glass as a rich tomate soup appeared in front of them. 'Now... which spoon was it again....'

Aleksandr nodded his head gratefully, and Janus lifted his glass in turn. As the boy sipped, he closed his eyes tight, willing himself not to think about home, not to think about how much he missed his family...

"My thanks for your understanding, Razziel. This is, after all, an exciting time for our young ones - while we revel in the pomp and dressings, we must allow them to enjoy the new experiences. It has been a long time since we have appreciated the novelty of something, after all." He smiled, and lifted his soup spoon.

Tomato Soup. Janus lowered his spoon into the bowl to sip. Mom always made tomato soup when it was cold out...

"Careful, its still hot-" Aleksandr began, but the boy, too caught up in his thoughts, had already raised the spoon to his lips.

"Ah!" Janus caught the spoon before it clattered out of his hand, and quickly brought his napkin up to his lips. He lowered his head, embarassed, but said nothing. Only slowly lowered the napkin, and went back to his meal.

"...are you alright, Janus?"

"Yes, m'lord. Thank you."

Alice jolted when Janu yelled, dropping er spoon into the bowl.

"Are you alright?" She looked at him with concern, she was annoyed that he had given her a sugar sweet smile before but that didn't mean she wanted him in pain. She scowled thought when she saw her spoon sick in the bowl. "Shoot!"

"Janus!" Razziel yelled looking harshly at him. "Is it or is i not possible for you to go through a single meal without making a complete fool of yourself along the way?"

Alice looked up annoyed at Razziel as she used two of her forks to to fish her spoon out. If one didn't know better, it looked as if she was playing with her food.

Aleksandr snapped his fingers - Alice's forks flew back onto the table, and her spoon floated out of the soup. "Think, Alice. I taught you the spell yesterday..." He shook his head.

"My apologies, my Lord!" Janus kept his head down. "I-" He hated this. It was bad enough that he was embarassing himself, but being yelled at in front of these people was... was just too much. Janus felt his temper flaring over him - he didn't mean to say the words- not like he did, anyway, but he could hear the anger there anyway.

His face curled into an upset expression, as though he knew what it sounded like, but couldn't stop himself anymore.

"I won't make a fool of myself again, Master." He lowered his spoon shakily. He sounded like a brat. He knew it. He didn't mean it, any anyone looking at him could tell he didn't mean it. Even so... ...he'd said it - it sounded as though he was quoting Razziel directly. Maybe he was. Either way, the boy was obviously upset, and his Sire wasn't helping things.

*SNAP!*

Alice stared in horror as her eyes turned to see Razziel sitting looking exstremely pissed. A small thin line of blood ran slowly down his hand as the other half of his spoon fell to the floor.

"Janus..." He stated in a low dangerous voice. "You will appologies this moment for your insolence, or I will show young Ms Harker how I deal with wayward fledglings is that understood!"

"Lay off him!" Alice stated back. "He didn't know that the soup was that hot and it wasn't his fault he trips before. That stupid imp does the same thing to me everyday..."

Razziel sudden stood in front of Alice and gripped her face painfully.

"I will not be told how to handle my own fledgling by a child!" Razziel growled.