Nightly Lessons Book I: The Book of Beginnings

[Peeker]

"My dress!"

"Language, Alice!"

"Bad dog!"

Lucy snapped her fingers - the dress immediately began to mend itself - and in the blink of an eye, was on top of the puppy, holding it firmly by the neck.

"Naughty little pup... your owner should have been holding onto you! Yes she should have!" She popped the dog gently on the nose, hearing a yip of contrition, and expertly transfered the hound into Alice's arms.

"We'll worry about this later." With a wiggle of her fingers, Alek's keys were in Lucy's hand. She winked at him before giving Alice a rather disappointed look. "We'll discuss all of this later. First, we eat. I'm sure I won't overstay my welcome if I don't leave until its Alice's bedtime, hm?"

Alek shrugged, and the quartet headed out of the shop.

[Kira_Wolf_Cub]

Klo gave a loud whine as his tail went immediantly between his legs.

"I'm sorry, I tried to grab him honest," Alice pleaded as Lucy handed the dog back to her. The puppy curled up tight to Alice for protection against this new and scarier vampiress. "Serves you right. With what you just didOW!"

Alice gave her own whine when she had stepped outside the door, only to recieve a firm smack on the rear from Aleks. She looked down hearted at him, her own body language matching her dog's as she quietly claimbed into the car. Once she was seated and ucketed up, Aleks handed her the box with ehr gown in it which she set meekly beside her.

Lucy was in fact a calmer driver then Aleks, but still fast. Alice managed to press herself firmly down without irratation Aleks threw the drive but it was clear tat the girl would probably never want to drive with either of them again any time soon. Klo was enjoying himself although he was clearing more cassious of Lucy now then even.

"You never did tell us what took an hour Alice?" Aleks calmly asked, Lucy's driving didn't bother him in the lest.

"Well I EK! need to get some underwear and red light red light RED LIGHT!" Alice covered her eyes as Lucy drove on, the light turning green just as they reached it. "... so I bought that and a few miscellanious things.... Which reminds me, I'd forgotLOOK OUT!"

"My dear girl, stop screaming like that," Lucy calmly scolded her. "It's distracting."

"Watch the road then!" Alice cried just as Aleks turned around.

"Alice tone!" He scolded. Alice almost exspected him to threaten to pull the car over.

"Sorry Lucy, I didn't mean to shout," Alice answered and hugged Klonoa close as if he would be able to protect her from a crash.
"As I was saying. I forgot myy wallet at home so I borrowed a little from yours and..."

"You went into my wallet?!?" Aleks didn't look overly pleased by that although he was clearly happy the girlw as telling him now, rather then him finding it out and cornering her about it. "Alice..."

"It' was only a little and I'll pay you back when we get home!" She voice hightened as she ducked her head bow, deciding that not seeing anything would be her best choice. 'If we live that long!'

When they finally got to the home, Alice squeezed past Aleks before he could even unbucklet himself and tumbled to the ground, letting Klo run into the house to find something to chew on, namely the shoes Aleks had so kindly given him.

"I'm never getting into a care again as long as I live!" She gripped the land, thankful that it had stopped moving.

[Peeker]

Lucy was a bit miffed by Alice's loud criticism, but let it pass. The first time she'd been in a motorcar, she'd been rather frightened herself. ...granted, that was around a century ago, plus a few decades, but still.... She was really trying to just keep her patience, now. She already intended to spank the girl, more for the fact that she'd forgotten to keep a hold on her dog twice (with the same result) than for either actual rip of the clothing.... she just didn't want her irritation to cost the girl an undeserved extra punishment.

"...come on, Alice, stop exaggerating. You're far too jumpy, girl." Alek slowly got out of the car. "Those things you bought. They're in the trunk, I'm guessing?" He headed towards the trunk to open it for her...

[Kira_Wolf_Cub]

"says you..." Alice whimpered and finally rose of the ground and hurried over next to Aleks and grabbed the bags before he could look threw them. It wasn't that him suddenly seeing her underwear bothered her. The man spanked her for heavens sakes so it was pointless. Besides if anyone got embarassed it would be him. It was just the dress she had gotten would most likely never agree with Aleks.

"I've got them," Alice looped her arms threw the handles and took teh box from Aleks. "I'll hang this up and put these in my room and change for dinner. Formal I'm guessing?"

She was trying to be nice for the two of them, and since it was Lucy whom was wivisiting, she wanted to make up for the incedient at the store.

[Peeker]

"If you'd please, Alice." Alek said, appreciably. "Take your time, dear. We two old folk have plenty to talk about in the meanwhile... and do check on Klo before you come down?"

With that, he let Alice run upstairs. He sighed, smiling at Lucy. "She did it again - Hot Topic. That... hole... I don't know what she sees in those rags, really."

Lucy shrugged. "She's a child. Their tastes are certainly not ours, Aleksandr."

"I know." The two headed inside, arm in arm, in the old style. "I haven't decided, yet."

"Decided what?"

"How much I want to tell her. I know, in vino veritas... but even so..."

"You can throw your Latin around, magi, but another saying is 'Truth hurts'. You love her.... it is up to you to decide how much you want her to know. She doesn't want to hurt you - she's just curious."

Aleksandr sighed as they walked into the dining hall. "I know. That's why this is so hard."

[Kira_Wolf_Cub]

Alice managed to reach her room and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She quickly tossed hthe bags into the closet and plopped down on the bed where Klo had brought to shoe up to chew on.

"Thanks, Klo," she muttered and tipped the puppy over. "Why can't you just eat my raggy clothes... dear god I sound like Aleksandr now."

She looked at Klo for a moment before grabbing her brush to straighten out his fur. It took a bit of time since Klo didn't know what she was doing. Once she was done she fixed his collar up.

"You're eating in the kitchen for that," She groaned and walked over to her closet looking at the dresses. He hadn't used the blue one yet so she put that one on and tied the gown. "Okay, here we go. Come on Klo."

She walked carefully down to the sitting room, guessing that was where Aleks and Lucy were. Knocking on the door.

"My Lord? Lady?" She peeked in and smiled nervously at them.

[Peeker]

Both turned their heads and smiled. "Good evening, Miss Harker." They responded, happily. It appeared they were already drawing off old, shared experiences. Aleksandr rose from his chair, and walked beside Alice as the trio headed for the dining room. Once there, he went to Alice's chair, pulling it out for her to sit down in as she approached, and pushing it in for her, so it didn't get in the way of her skirts, before returning to his seat.

"We would usually have a bit of time before dinner, but I'm afraid the imps cannot put it off any longer - the wait we had at the shop, you see." Alek explained smoothly. "Don't worry, though, dear. This will be a fine meal. We'll have a wonderful time of it."

Lucy smiled at Alice, raising her full glass of wine. "A toast. To our esteemed host."

Alek smiled, and lifted his own in thanks.

"Cheers, love." Lucy said, coyly.

[Kira_Wolf_Cub]

Alice timidly lifted her glass with them.

"Cheers," She drank a small sip of the blood and smiled at Lucy. "I'm sorry about earily at the shop, Lucy. "For both the mess and the dress. I'm afraid Klo has a bit of a special taste."

She joked lightly with her although it was clean that she was nervous about Lucy's answer.

[Peeker]

"Yes... hounds seem to gravitate towards the things that cost the most." Lucy smiled. "I have alot of experience with hounds. If you're worried about that - don't be. I've seen it all. I'm quite used to the little darlings. Mikeal Dornell... that bratty little menace..." Lucy chuckled. "He named one of his bitches after me. I hear she's bred him quite a few a little friends.... and your little Klo is one of them, no?"

She sipped her wine. "What's this one, Aleksandr?"

"The same as usual, love. Just good, old, red wine."

Immortality: it made you very good at keeping very old things.

[Kira_Wolf_Cub]

Alice couldn't stop the small snicker at how Lucy lightly swore at the table. After all, 'bitch' did have two meanings.

"Yeah, the calmest one in the litter," She laughed lightly. "Or so he says. I think he gave me one of the most hyper ones, since he seems to get into everything. My sneakers, your dress... Aleks' shoes and study..."

Alice sighed as she realized she need to do something more about the puppy's need to chew and destory.

"Shoot, I forgot the training book..." she groaned into the table, but smiled at the two. "So... you knew Mikeal when he was little too? What was he like? what about Aleks?"

'Time to dig up dirt.'