Nightly Lessons Book I: The Book of Beginnings

[Peeker]

The man stroked her head, making sure to keep a note of disappointment out of his voice.

"That was the point, Alice." He said softly, holding her close, but not squeezing her so tight that she couldn't pull back. "You gave me a wonderful show of attitude after I'd already punished you today. ...you are supposed to be obedient, love. ...I do not stress this because I want you to find time to be happy, to be yourself, to feel loved, and wanted - I do not want a slave, nor a drone... but I too request... nay, I require obedience from you."

Now he hugged the girl close, and rocked her a little. "...and I get it from you. You're a good girl, Alice, and I love you very much. Everything is alright now - you are forgiven, and I want nothing more than for us to have a nice night. The festival is getting closer, and I'm afraid my temper is growing shorter. ...I do hope you forgive me if I am coddling less, and expecting more, my love?"

[Kira_Wolf_Cub]

"Well I didn't feel it then," Alice whispered into his chest. She was in a sense over joyed that he wasn't exspecting her to be someone else, to still have her ownpersonality and identity. Her pride just got the better of her at times. "And I didn't like it..."

Her mind flashed to the bath, sitting in the water nude. It had made her feel violated in some odd way even if there wasn't anything to be seen and nothing sexual transgressing between them.Otherwise it wasn't being little that had bothered her the most. Just the babying.

she suddenly tightened her grip around him.

"I'm sorry," She bite out the words as she hide her face in his chest. a tiny sob escaping her lips. "I'm sorry..."

[Peeker]

"Oh... my love..." Aleksandr murmured, holding the girl tightly against him. "I am too... I really and truly am. ...I love you, Alice - I love you so much..."

With a sigh the vampire held the girl, and rocked her, and closed his eyes tightly.

I've done it again... damn this festival, damn it all... It is so thrice-damned difficult to do this, sometimes...

"...my... oh Alice..." The man sighed, and looked down into her eyes. "What can I do for you, hm? How can I make this better?" There were times when he too felt helpless, frustrated, and unable to do his job properly. ...seeing Alice go through such feelings was guaranteed to make him feel the same way. ...he could be patient, yes, but, of course, patience is ever so much harder to exercise when one feels rushed to fix things.

...and so the man was forced to turn to the girl herself to help him, help her.

[Kira_Wolf_Cub]

Alice just held him close as a few tears escaped her eyes. She finally realized that her guilt tripping was making Aleks feel horrible inside as well, and although this sense of power ould easily go to her head, she chose not to use it.

"What can I do for you, hm? How can I make this better?"

She remained silent for a bit, knowing that it was wrong. Aleks hadn't ben in the wrong, it had been a lesson on humillity and she had earned it, still earned it...

"I want to spend time with my Alice..."

"I still feel bad...." She looked up at him. "Do you still wanna spend time with your Alice?"

Even if she wasn't fond of it, she was will to suffer a little more if it ment Aleks would feel better.

[Peeker]

The man sighed, and rocker her a bit more.

"You are too good to offer it, dear... but it is not something I would do unless you wanted it... I am not Razziel. I will get no pleasure out of your suffering."

Aleksandr's eyes went a bit cold, now. ...he could remember - easily remember, to tell truth - the variety of other times that, in olden days, he and Razziel had been a pair of unholy terrors. Young vampires, great in power and fearless to all rivals. Those were the days when the dragons of Dornell slept under the tree of Rastline... those were long-ago days.

Days Aleksandr would rather forget, and would continue to repent for.

"...only if you want to, love." Aleksandr repeated, softly. "...you are my Alice, no matter what you look like... and I am happy to spend whatever sort of time with you that might be desired."

[Kira_Wolf_Cub]

Alice sighed in his arms, happy that despite their fight and guilt, her oppinions and thoughts still mattered to him. That she had the right to think for herself no matter her crimes. She snuggled into his hold enjoying the warm his body gave her and collected her thoughts for a moment.

"As long as you kept the babying to a minimum I think I'll be okay," She answered honestly. "I don't mind being little all the time Aleks. We've had fun sometimes like that... I just don't like it when you treat me like... like that..."

It was a common thing. Few fledglings enjoyed the feel of complet lack of control. It was unnerving.

[Peeker]

"Then I won't." Aleksandr assured. "I will do my best to speak to you just as I would - well - you." He gave a small smile. "You'll forgive me, I hope, if my voice occasionally rises, and I smile a bit more, no?" He stepped back from the girl, and willed the blue light to softly glow from his hands.

"If you truly want to, dear, then please be good enough to hug me again?" The man spread his arms wide for her - he did not want this to be anything but a mutual act of kindness. His heart beat a bit faster. He did, after all, miss his little girl.

[Kira_Wolf_Cub]

Alice smiled kindly at him and stepped forward. She locked her arms around his neck, hugging him close and mentally preparing herself for the pain that would follow. There was always the one downer about the spell. It didn't matter what you did, it would always hurt since the change in bone structure wasn't completely normal. It just all depended on how much magic one used.

"Ow..." Alice hissed a little in pain as the spell took place, right as Aleks wrapped him arms around her as well and held her close, allowing the light magic to seep into her skin and affect her. When she finally felt the pain fade, she knew Aleks would find himself holding her as a small child, and smiled up at him. "You get to decide what we do this time Daddy. I just wanna spend time with you."

She smiled sweetly at him and gave him a peek on the jaw line. She could live with this for tonight. Aleks deserved a bit of joy after the grief she had given him today.

[Peeker]

The old vampire gave a soft nod. "....aye. That's my girl." The elder said, smiling, and held the girl close. He lifted her into the air, and the two walked into the study, where a fire roared before them. Aleksandr settled himself into his huge leather chair. "Thank you, my love. I love you.... I really and truly do - no matter what you look like, or what you say to me..."

The man brought the girl close up against him, and let her get comfortable. ...and watched the fire flicker.

[Kira_Wolf_Cub]

Alice could stop the giggle of simple joy from escaping her lips even if she had wanted to when Aleks lifted her up in the air and wrapped her arms and legs around Aleks as he carried her into the study. She smiled, not minding that they weren't going to do anything too big for the night. Snuggling into his hold, Alice made herself comfortable with her feet hanging lightly over the side of the chair and cradled in Aleks hold.

"Thank you, my love. I love you.... I really and truly do - no matter what you look like, or what you say to me..."

"I love you too Aleks..." She whispered as she looked at the flames as well. There was something amazing about flames at times. A simple alluring beauty. It could be beautiful and yet dangerous, tamable and yet one could never tame no matter their magical abilities.

~*~*~*~

Mikeal found himself disgruntled when he woke up again the next day. It seemed bad karma was out to get him. First he tripped over Lucy whom had slept in his room since Caboose had been out of it from the aspirin and stayed with Janus, then he discovered he was fresh out of tea to wake up on, and, just for the icing on the cake, he had dropped the tea pot full o hot water on the floor and burnt his feet slightly.

Oh yes, it was going to be one of those days.

Grumbling to himself he wondered on how he was going to get Janus to take another type of medicine to help him recover from his Blood Spots. the problem was it smelled worse them it looked and tasted twice as bad as it smelled. Still the boy would have to take it after his breakfast. Walking to the sick fledgling's room with a tray of food in hand and a bowl for Caboose, Mikeal knocked on the door.

"Janus, buddy," He called with a soft smile that he could manage, not wanting his bad day affect him. "You awake buddy?"