William's eyes opened. He stared up into the dark recesses of the room he lay in, perfectly posed, as if he had died, feet and legs straight, arms crossed over his chest. He looked up, and thought he could make out the outlines of stone above him. As his senses came on and he began processing information, he collected them all and began putting them together: In his peripheral vision, more stone, less darkness. Torchlight; unusual for the day and age. What day and age? Unsettling; he couldn't remember what day it was. What year it was, even. Just knew it was... modern. Torches aren't of this world anymore, except for cosplay, camps, and decoration. Maybe for less fortunate countries, he supposed. From the scent, he detected mustiness, a dry dustiness, indicating that he was, perhaps, somewhere usually unused? Combined with the stone, he figured perhaps an old castle. He picked up another smell- somewhat sweet, he guessed. Perfume? Cologne? Really nice BO? Unknown; he filed the thought away for future observation and thought. From the feel, he was in a dry place. Stone, slightly cracked, slightly worn, lay beneath him, and he could feel a layer of dirtiness on it. Cold, dry. Unused, with no central heating system- unusual for the modern age, again. At least, unusual where he was from. By sight, he could see that the room he was in was smallish, but had a high ceiling. Stone bricks, all the way, with wood beams to help support. He turned his head; indeed, the corners of the room had slightly crooked, warped beams of wood supporting the ceiling, with logs crisscrossing the roof, tied to the vertical supports. He found he liked the design, even if it seemed crude or most definitely not-modern. But feel, again. He was sore all over, and felt like a demon had awakened, and began clawing at his stomach. He lifted an arm; he felt as weak as he had ever been. He tried to think back, why he was here, why was he so weak, but found nothing in his mind, no memory, no history. Oh, he remembered history well enough- World War II, Abraham Lincoln, the Civil War, the Renaissance, but no dates, no numbers, nothing that connected anything to the 'modern' day. He noticed a book that both his hands rested on, and he, groaning, sat up, taking the book in aching fingers and staring down at the cover. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Don't Panic was sprawled ironically appropriately on its cover, evidence of someone- maybe him- using a sharpie to write it on. It was worn, used, well-read. He looked up and around, and found himself in a sort of cell-room. It might have been, if the iron door wasn't sitting wide open. Some distance away, echoing down the hallway outside, he could hear steps, multiple sets of footsteps, coming towards him. And so the welcome wagon comes. Just where in the goddamn hell am I? And what the hell is my last name?

A slim, pale woman walked as if she were gliding through the castle halls. Her slippered feet made naught a sound, though the occasional brushing sound of her dress while she walked. The vampire had a regal, no nonsense air about her, though her blue eyes seemed softer than the chiseled demeanor of her expression. Her hair was brushed smoothly from her face, but remained down, flowing in soft large curl to just rest on her narrow shoulders. She seemed to have a firm direction in mind and yet her gaze flitted about wildly, hardly resting. Perhaps she’d never truly become accustomed to the barrage of senses that came with becoming the undead. In her light hands she carried a silver tray of glass goblets, each filled half way with blood. Though if one only saw the color and not the consistency, they might mistake it for wine. The goblets caught the faint light from flames as she lowered herself to the dungeons, where the fledglings had been laid to wake. She didn’t know if they were rested quite enough yet, but she knew they would thirst upon waking. And so the woman in white turned to the first open cell. She halted immediately upon seeing the new one standing, looking towards her, feet firm on the stone beneath them. “Oh, you’ve awakened,” Evelyn said simply, staring back at him. His hair seemed quite messy and the look on his face distraught.

"De Winter manim, I'm going to have to borrow one of those." Taeyang announced as he glided lightly into the cell, swiping a goblet gracefully off the tray. "I hear another early riser." he added, giving the fledgling boy in the cell a wink before leaving again, turning right and going two cells over, where the other waking fledgling was groaning herself to life- or rather, not. He leaned against the bars and swung the goblet lightly with a grin. "Hey there, little sister, I'm guessing those are groans of hunger." "Ugh..." She woke with a groan and pushed her body up from the floor. Looking around to let her eyes adjust, she noticed the slim figure leaning up against the bars. 'Wait, bars? Am I in jail? What did I do?' she ranted in her mind, not moving an inch. 'I should cal...I should...I should call...who?' her mind stuttered to a halt. "Who- where-" "You, castle." The one in the room replied in a smirking tone. "We don't know your name so you'll have to figure that out yourself." He kneeled down next to her. Her body felt paralysed by the knot in her stomach, and she stared as his face came into focus. He was older than her, but he still looked young. Her body tensed in warning when he touched her shoulder and pulled her into the sitting position. "Calm down, kiddo, I won't hurt you. Drink this, you've been without for a few days at least." Her lips remained firmly sealed up until she caught the smell of the drink. Without a second thought her lips were parted and the liquid was going down her throat, making her feel stronger ny the second, When her limbs finally unlocked, she snatched the cup out of the surprised man's hand, tilting her head back as far as it would go and savoring every last drop. "More" she demanded with a growl when there was nothing left. She reached out to the man, glaring at his empty hands. "Whoa, woah, it's ok. C'mere, De Winter manim has some more a few rooms over." He held his hand out to her and helped her up. With a slight bow, he led her out of the room and down the hall, where a woman in a white dress was watching a guy just a bit older than Anrah herse- "...Anrah?" She whispered as the two of them entered the cell. The Korean man looked at her over his shoulder and gave her a smile. "I'm guessing that's your name. De winter manim, this is Anrah." He introduced after bowing to the woman in white. "She needs another goblet for her thirst."

He looked at them, face creasing into a distraught, confused expression of dismay. He stared at the lady, who, when she first appeared, he had responded to with a, "Well you're a thing of beauty, huh? Welcome Wagon in the form of a dress, I guess." He blinked, surprised at his unintentional rhyming. He couldn't remember where the term 'Welcome Wagon' came from, but he used it anyways. He eyed her, brow creased downward, as he cautiously took a few steps forward, feeling ravenously thirsty. He knew what she carried almost immediately; he could smell it. Then the Korean showed up, sending William into a hasty retreat, pressing his back against the wall as he narrowed his eyes at the ever-smirking man. As he left, he began moving forward again, now eyeing 'De Winter' carefully. This time, he came close enough to hesitantly ask, "May I?" and then taking one of the cups without waiting for an answer. He paused as he brought it up to drink it. He knew what it was, from the sight and smell of it. The hunger clawed at his innards, but still, he showed none of it, a forgotten lifetime of hiding expression and thoughts coming into play. Then he drank and felt instant relief. It didn't even take five seconds for him to empty the cup, and though the gnawing died away, the hunger remained, calling for more. Instead, he set his mouth into a firm, unyielding line, and asked, "I'll let anyone else like me take a drink first. Wouldn't be right for me to force them to stay with the gnawing for longer than I." Any other words were cut off as a pretty darker-skinned girl followed the Korean back in, and he noted the name "Anrah" for further use. De Winter, Anrah, and the Korean- one presumably like him, the other two being somewhat older, and yet he sensed a certain... ancientness around them. Then he took another cup anyways, replacing his already-empty one, and drank that too. As his thirst subsided to a distant, dull throbbing, he set the cup back, and said, "So, we're vampires. Am I right? Blood is normally revolting- and yet it is the thing that sates my thirst." He paused for a moment, then contiued before anyone could properly reply, "William the vampire. I guess I always feared death- just never expected to still be walking afterwards."

Evelyn blushed a vivid shade of red, eyes widening at the boy’s words when he complimented her, obviously caught off guard. Her lips parted, as if unsure what to say until he reached for the blood. She was about to properly offer him some when Taeyang stepped in and took one. “Yes, of course,” she said, turning slightly so that he could reach without brushing against her. She watched him leave and turned back to the young one, seeing he had moved further back away again. She raised a brow, unsure why he seemed more frightened of the male than she, but he also may have been fearful that there were two of them instead of one. Surely, that would be more frightening to wake up to. She felt sympathy for these newly turned ones, not wanting to curse anyone with the life she herself had to exist within. “Yes, take one,” she spoke when the man asked, although it seemed he would have partaken anyway. Evelyn gave a soft smile, happy to have helped satisfy what she knew had to be an undying thirst. Though his reaction to taking another made her look at him questioningly. Evelyn turned around when other footsteps entered, seeing another new one and Taeyang return. “Hello Anrah,” Evelyn said, holding out the tray for the girl to receive her own goblet, but not before the boy she’d welcomed took another. Evelyn looked back at him, watching while he partook, and looked hesitant to reply to his words. “I suppose William is your name? You both may call me Evelyn. Or Ms. De Winter, whatever you prefer. But yes, I’m afraid you are… vampires,” she said, simply confirming his suspicions. “When you feel well enough I suppose we can show you the castle and you may exist outside our dungeons,” she spoke, basically thinking out loud as she looked between the two young ones.

He was slightly confused- why'd she blush? If he were indeed a vampire, and she were one as well, then shouldn't she have such a control from decades or centuries that any emotion besides what she wanted shown would be impossible to discern? But either way, she didn't have the look of someone who just let it slip- it appeared genuine. Shortly after the confusion, he felt embarrassment. A compliment was a compliment regardless of its way of convey, unless it were said mocking or similar to. He filed away her response for future reference; gaining any knowledge he could about his captors, compatriots, or companions, depending on how the day turned out, may prove invaluable in the future. He still eyed the others with no small amount of distrust, but was relaxed by a surge of strength brought by the blood. He recognized the lady- Evelyn De Winters, she so said- and the Korean to be older vampires, possibly ancient, though that was aimed more towards De Winters. She appeared more the proper lady that was more common in the times before aircraft and steam engines than after. Odd; he retained all knowledge, but any amount of searching his brain for memory came up short. He pushed it aside; he could deal with it later, when he was alone. He filed away Anrah, too- she looked like him. Newborn, fledgling, new. He wondered how many others, but couldn't bring himself to ask. He eyed her more so than the other two; she was likely to become closer to him than the older ones, due to similarities. He wasn't sure, but he didn't quite trust her as much as De Winters, nor the Korean. He racked his brain again, but only came up with vague, racist impressions from people around him, in some unknown day and place, and modern-day actions taken by... North Korea. No, the proper lady who blushed at a compliment was more likely to be trustful, in his opinion, though he wished it were not so. He figured his reasons for not trusting the other two- as much- were racist, but couldn't bring himself to change anything. Besides- she brought the blood. That thought made his nose wrinkle- human blood. Someone else, a different DNA, was inside his veins now. It made himself feel sick, and he warily cast a glance about, searching for something in case he might need it. Finding nothing but cups, floor, walls, ceiling, and people, he resigned himself to forcing repulsion down. This was his existence; he must deal with it. "Ms. De Winters... that would be nice, I think." He paused, unsure of himself. "Yeah; my name is William... I think. I would say that I'm... sated, for now. How familiar it is; I am dead, and yet I feel little different." He raised a hand, staring at it, and taking note of the paleness. He was... Peruvian ancestry, he thought. Darker skinned, regardless of how much sun struck his skin, and yet... now he wasn't. He felt a wrenching bolt of unease at that- it was as if his past had been completely taken from him. Even his skin. Instead, he shifted uncomfortably, and spun around, inspecting the room. He went so far as to approach the walls and wood, feeling them to take into account how authentic it was; if this were a prank or not. He was sad to realize that they felt very real.

"Thank you, Ms. De Winter." Anrah said, accepting the goblet from the tray. She was slower with this one, merely needing it for sating and not for surviving. She couldn't help but narrow her eyes, glaring slightly at the suspicious look shot at her and the older male vampire. She would be suspicious of new people too, but given the fact that he gave no such look towards the Elder woman in the room, Anrah had a feeling that the stare had more bias behind it. Racial bias. If there was anything she hated, it was racial bias. 'Well...I guess that's good to know. Though I suppose I'd have had to deal with it in my life.' she thought, looking at her brown skin- obviously paler than when she was alive, going by the almost ash-gray undertone that was slowly disappearing with each sip she took, giving her skin a bit more normal color. "So...what is it that you call her, then?" Anrah asked, glancing up to the Korean man who had initially brought her to the new cell. "Man...man-ihm?" She could tell as she said it that she was butchering the word, but the man simply laughed, looking over at Ms. De Winter as though there was some sort of big secret behind it. Anrah raised an eyebrow and took another sip as the man leaned once more against the cell bars. "Mah-Neem." Taeyang corrected, ticking his index finger for each part of the word. "It's 'Milady' in Korean. Did it when I first showed up here, and now it's just a principle of respect for her." He winked at Evelyn. He hadn't ever told her what it meant, and had no idea if she had looked it up at some point. Either way, someone learned something new. Taeyang enjoyed sharing his language with other's as well. Speaking so many, he would be ecstatic if one of the fledglings knew any of them, as he would immediately begin a conversation in whatever language they know. English was getting so boring. "But that's mine, kiddo, you can't use it." He grinned. "So, Anrah. William. De Winter manim," He pointed to each respectively. "And last but not least, I'm Taeyang. You can call me Taeyang, Yang, or Big Brother." There was a cheeky grin at the last one, showing he wasn't serious but he also wouldn't really mind if they did. He purposely didn't look at William too long. He knew that the way he was looking at Anrah and him wasn't simply innocent suspicion. "You two are the only ones who have woken up so far, so go ahead and take some more blood if you need. I can run back up to the dining room at any time for any other new one that wakes up." He nodded to Evelyn, promising to do so so she wouldn't have to go all the way back up for more instead.

Evelyn smile softly and nodded at William’s response, realizing he was having trouble recovering his memories as of the moment by the way he was inspecting himself. She wouldn’t be surprised if Anrah was the same. She hoped what they would remember would be pleasant at least. She let the boy inspect his surroundings, though she found it a bit odd before turning back to Taeyang and the new girl, giving Anrah a soft smile as well for her politeness when taking the blood. Evelyn hesitated to say anything when the girl asked about the name her friend would call her, as she had only assumed it was a term of respect in some sort of way but had never inquired, thinking it would be impolite. And as she suspected, when he gave the girl his answer, she was correct. She smiled in response to his explanation and wink, pleased. She even let go his pointing at people for the time being since he was trying to identify everyone. “Yes I think that would be best,” she nodded, agreeing that if any more should wake that Taeyang could go get them something to drink. “Well, again, feel free to take more,” she said, to the two young ones, moving out of the cell past Taeyang and into the hall they’d come down. She moved further down it until she found a small table she could set the tray down on and rest her arms. She rolled her shoulders back slightly, pale form turning back to look at the others, blue eyes appearing ghostly. “Shall we?” she asked, not wanting to push the two harder than they were able. It had been so long ago she was turned, and she had taken to it fairly well, that she wanted to be sensitive to their transformation.

William's anxiety peaked, and he began feeling like he needed to just do something. Not exercise-wise, but he was trapped here, there weren't really much answers and he was too nervous to ask them, being out of his comfort zone, so he searched his cell instead. His eyes landed on a book that had lain beside him, unnoticed until now. Stepping forward, he knelt down to pick it up. Flipping it over from its face-down position, he read the cover: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The phrase "Don't Panic was scrawled appropriately helpfully across its spine in black Sharpie, over the spine's title. He took an oddly large swell of comfort and familiarity from its worn pages, from the way its corners had been folded in from landing on them, or the raggedness of its edges from use. Ah, a book that is loved- that is used. Treated as if it were loved and treasured- but not fawned over and protected as if it were someone's pride. This is mine, I think. So he pocketed the book, angling himself slightly so that the others may not notice, though the pocket's bulge may give it away, and felt inside the pocket upon feeling something else. He pulled out a small, silvery cannister, and immediately thought- Pepper spray. Then the slight memory came back, just enough of an impression so that he can remember what it was. Seasoning, it was, and he could tell from the scratched edges and slight dents in it that it'd been his for a while- unless it had been planted there. He turned back to everyone else, rising, and clapped his hands together. Suddenly invigorated, he spoke. "So! We've got the... English Lady, I would say, named Evelyn De Winters, we've got the gentlemanly Korean smirker," adding some humor to the word, "Whose name is Tay... yang. Or something like that- I'll just call you Tae, for the sake of deviation. And the lovely..." He paused, clearly searching for a word that wouldn't offend [in his opinion] that would still match his descriptiveness. "Cocoa-skinned Anjah, whose origins I don't rightly know, probably American- Anyone can be American these days. I think. No offense, that is." He beamed, if a little forced because of the situation, and gestured vaguely at Evelyn. "Please, a tour would be... welcome. Most certainly so, if the birds have no argument." He paused again, and continued. "And I hear none- regardless if they aren't here or not."

Anrah was absolutely dumbfounded at the way Will chose to point them out; She couldn't believe that he could be so tactless as he spoke. To choose to differentiate between them by race and origin honestly rubbed her the wrong way, setting her on edge once more. She shifted away from Will, using Evelyn and Taeyang as a sort of roadblock. Be it to keep him from her or vice versa, Anrah wasn't very sure at the moment. But... he was just so ignorant that she couldn't help but dig her nails into the palms of her hands, lest she use her fists for something else. The stinging in her eyes was no doubt from frustration, but she wasn't sure if she cried from anger or lashed out. If Will continued on this path, however, she was sure her memories of such would return with which action she took. The way that Taeyang stiffened and that ever-present smirk slid off his face, his lips thinning into cold indifference showed that Anrah wasn't the only one who was offended by Will's...way with words. "Yes, a tour would be nice." Her voice was obviously strained with false politeness. "But...are there any other people besides the two of you? I wouldn't want to interrupt anything just for the sake of sightseeing."

Helene awoke with a slight start. She was sprawled out on the queen size bed like a cat lazing in the sun. Her pale eyes searches the space around her for clues of her location. The room was very large, painted baby blue with gold blooming floors implanted in the walls. There were a number of cloud white doors that lead into a bathroom and a walk in closet. The set of double doors were open and Helene noticed a lavender sitting room. She lets out a small cry of delight as she recognizes the room she had woken in. Of course Helene was at the manor! She had stumbled into her true home only moments before dawn just this morning. It had been almost a year since Helene had walked the halls of her home, but she had grew a little bored of traveling and had finally returned. She had been in a bit of a daze, so Helene was uncertain if anyone knew she had returned. With a small excited giggle, Helene sprung out of bed, removing her thin nightgown as she approached her closet. She selects a silk blue dress with white lace that fell just short of her knees. Her pale yellow curls are pulled into a simple up-do and a few strands of hair escape and fall around her face. Her innocent appearance matched the bliss Helene was feeling to be home. The bright decorations gave way to a more dark and subtle tone as Helene heads downstairs. Silence greats Helene as she walks through the first level of the manor. She could sense the coven within the walls of her home, but they seem to be gathered somewhere. She follows her senses, traveling deeper into the home until she is at the edge of a stone hallway. Voices carry down the hall, Evelyn and Teayang are among those speaking, along with two newcomers. With her body pressed against the cold stone, Helene slowly creeps toward the room with a wide smile. There could be only one reason to be gathered with these newcomers, they were newborn. Children, young and bright eyed, reborn onto this beautiful world. Helene loved when there were newborns around. Helene heard the female inquire about others in the manor, a perfect entrance. “Oh, my lovely, there are so many of us.” Helene appears to puur the words as she appears in the doorway. her voice betrayed her French nationality, but she no spoke with the air of nobility she had been born into. She lets her eyes slowly take in the new women, as if she was drinking in her essence. She was strong, Helene could already tell that. Her strong gaze switches to the new male, a little more shy than the girl, but Helene could see the intelligence lurking in that gaze. Helene steps out of the doorway so she could join the others. “Hello, I am Helene.”

William eyed the new lady with- again- interest and suspicion. However, he was the first to move or say anything, already taking the initiative, his distanced caution giving way to merely suspicion of his surroundings. He took a step forward, noting her accent and appearance, almost impulsively complimenting her as he did with De Winters, but he stopped himself. Her eyes seemed... not unkind or unfriendly, but there was a certain feeling it gave him that made him wary. So instead, with his foot forward, he replied, "Greetings, I am William, or any variant of the name "Will" you can think of." His face held no smirk or smile, but had the hint of amusement that might come from copying one's speech format, and replying with it in kind. He was not mocking- only a sort of timid friendliness that comes with someone who may fear getting rejected in his ways, even as he spoke with confidence.

"You DARE keep me waiting?" A woman's voice boomed from the upstairs foyer and carried down into the corridors and cellars below. The eldest of the coven was clearly impatient. "Bring the new blood, NOW!"

Taeyang visibly flinched as the voice rang through the dungeon rooms. He was never too fond of the harsh way Miss Avalai greeted newcomers- having been on the other end of her sharp tongue. Truth be told, despite Miss Avalai's elder position in their coven, he much preferred the company of De Winter manim. That's not to say Taeyang avoids the woman; knowing her dislike for staying still, he often invites her out on his nightly walks. Though it is, of course, always her choice whether or not to accept the offer. He had a feeling that she didn't much like him, be it for his young age or joking attitude, he didn't know. He wasn't sure how she acted around others. "That..." He waved his hand towards the stairs, leading Evelyn, Helene and the two fledglings up the stairs, bringing up the back. "That is Miss Avalai. She's the oldest of our coven- but don't ask her how old she is of course that's just rude- and pretty close to the Big Man of all of us." They got to the door of the foyer and he stepped in front to push it open. "Just...be respectful, alright?" He wasn't really up to dealing with the backlash of disrespectful fledglings to one of Dracula's favorites. He pushed the door open and stepped in after the four. Standing in front of the eldest, he bowed. "Miss Avalai, these are two new additions to our family, Miss Anrah and William, with any variant there upon to his name." He spoke before coming out of his bow. He looked over and nodded at Anrah reassuringly. Anrah stepped up, confident but still humble as she bowed her head. "It's nice to meet you, madam, thank you for bringing us into your home and taking care of us." She wasn't sure if that was the right way to address a...head vampire, or whatever she was, but Anrah hoped it was at least respectful enough that she wasn't seen as just some uncaring teenager.

William followed along quietly enough, opting for observation over conversation. He didn't like the sound of this "Miss Avalia", or Avalai, or whatever. His political side ruffled its feathers from the blatant disregard of the voice- she clearly expected them to come, and to come now, regardless of their occupation at the moment. But when he walked into the room, falling slightly behind Anrah as a habit- his mother was stronger than him, or at least, it felt like... and it just felt natural to fall behind the one whom he felt may or may not be stronger than him. Either way, he jumped with an uncertainness in the presence of the coven leader, his writer's side coming out. "Aye, a gracious and kind gesture indeed, to shelter new fledgelings like us, regardless if any of you here were the ones that... turned us. A mighty helpful thing it is, not to be alone." He followed Anrah's motions, and bowed as he started, trying to be elegant (though whether or not he was is up for debate, but it's the thought that counts... right?)

Avalai rested in the shadows, her legs crossed in a most ladylike manner. Her fingers drummed against the red leather armchair she sat on as they came into view and bowed. Finally, she rose. She stepped into the moonlight, revealing her over the top and gorgeous red gown. Clearly she was in the favor of some very powerful people, as illustrated by the absurd but not gaudy amount of jewels adorning her hands. A quaint black hat pulled down over one of her eyes, leaving the one exposed to illuminate its metallic golden hue, appearing to glow in the darkness. She grinned, her exposed eye flashing as she appeared to be pleased with what was set before her. "Fledglings!" She began, clearly excited, all hint of her former irritation mysteriously vanished. "I see great promise in you!" Her pale neck gleamed in the moonlight as she brought her chin lower to her chest, looking at them only in a way a predator would look at its prey. She stalked over to the dark skinned female and raised her hand to scrape her cheek with her long, red painted fingernails. Her eyes only seemed to light up more. "A dark skinned vampire..." She breathed, clearly ecstatic. "So few of them left. Whoever decided to turn you had exquisite taste and had a grand head on their shoulders." She took Anrahs hands into hers. "I welcome you, a sister of the night." Then her head turned to the male. Her eyes flicked up and down to examine him. And she sneered. "Ugh. No class. No taste. I doubt much should come of you, boy." She turned her back to them, walking over the windows as though she had not just completely insulted her new fledgling. "We should have them... hunt... tonight." A cheshire's grin in her voice.

William just snorted, clearly unbothered by her insult. The way he saw it, the grand showy one was the one without much class, ordering people about and then insulting without even sugarcoating it. Really, his sister at age ten could do better than this. So he just shrugged his shoulders, and said without much care, "Whatever you say, miss. You just think that, then." He looked around at his new... companions? And took note that he and Taeyang were the only males. Perhaps vampires were sexist? That was an interesting thought. Or maybe all the original vampires were guys, and they suddenly started going after ladies, and the ladies just didn't bother? Another interesting thought. It was certainly worth the consideration, later, when he was out of the blunt one's presence. Blunt, he thought, is a suitable nickname for her. Best tread carefully, though. Wouldn't want to end up dead again. He restrained the urge to chuckle at that. He really couldn't help holding it, so he continued after some moments, anger and some amount of sprouting hate urging him on, giving him confidence, "Aye, the one who keeps casual and keeps to himself is most certainly a horrible, useless one, while the one who blatantly shows favoritism and insults on a whim is certainly the one whose opinion matters the most. And what have I to fear? The one who apparently is the most powerful one here already dislikes me from a look-over, and yet you've no idea what I can do. I may indeed be useless, but I may be the opposite as well." And yet he stood there, hands in his pockets, calm as the sea on a sunny day. Shoulders squared, eyes burning at such disregard, at what was an injustice in his eyes. That, and it also may or may not be the fact that she disregarded him. She couldn't know, of course, that his hand was curled around the spice canister- she comes at him, he doubts she'll enjoy having superhot spices sprayed into her face. He could hear and see better than he ever had, so she probably could do even better- and will make it all the worse if he's forced to defend himself. Speaking of which, how will he even get out of here? Doesn't matter- if he hates anything, it's people like this one. A scowl replaced his calm at his thoughts following his part. "Don't know where I am, don't know who I am, don't know what I am, and I'm already being judged without any knowledge of what I can do, who I was, or who I am. Sometimes the prettiest of creatures can be the deadliest, and yet, sometimes others blend so well, that you don't know they're there until you're dead. Don't judge a book by its cover, Miss. I'd certainly appreciate it if you did." He wished he had the feel of a handgun in his hand right about now. He felt as if things might escalate a bit, with his anger and courage that stems from being dead and having nothing to really go for. And he didn't, did he? What was waiting for him? Who were his friends, his enemies? Who could he trust? Oh, he could try to trust, but he figured he might either get on his feet, or get his knees broken. In the end, he really had only one thought; it was Whatever. I'm either dead or not as dead.

Anrah wouldn't have liked to admit how she froze when Avalai's fingers drew across her face. She couldn't much say she was surprised that there weren't many dark-skinned vampires, maybe they were discriminated against even in the world of supernaturals. She was actually quite surprised by the woman's excitement at seeing her, though. Surprised and oddly satisfied- as though a parent had just congratulated her on a good grade...or at least she thinks that's how it would feel...did she ever have that experience? Either way, satisfied. She had to suppress her own smile as Avalai dismissed Will, and could see Taeyang's struggle as well. It seems they both were holding a bit of a grudge against the man already. She jerked back in surprise at Will's retort. Didn't Taeyang tell them not to rock the boat? With a growl that would make her think he was a werewolf, Taeyang stood a bit taller, and a more threatening air swirled around him. That idiot. Taeyang's mood shifted in an instant. He may not like Miss Avalai as much as he did Evelyn, but he held her in high regard and respected her for the length of her existence. She was close to Dracula. The big guy. The legend. there was no doubt that there was something in her that was more important than anyone under her. When he shifted in front of her and growled, he knew he wasn't going to get along with this kid. He surprised himself by the action, as his laid back attitude had completely disappeared, something he wasn't used to; but the thought of this fledgling disrespecting an Elder, an Elder of Elders, pulled out his basic instinct to protect those above him. "Watch your tone, William." he warned, teeth lengthening as he stood in front of Avalai and Anrah.

Avalai's head only turned when Taeyang threatened the paler fledgling. "Taeyang," She mused, a strange sort of purr resonating in her voice, "Don't believe I belittle you when I say that your actions prove to me how positively adorable you are." Despite saying this, any human would have to agree that the asian vampire was incredibly terrifying. But for one of her age, it was like looking at a puppy barking at mouse. Precious. "But, lower your hackles," She chuckled softly. "Give me a bit of... space." Whether or not Taeyang understood exactly what that meant would not matter. There was work to do.

Helene follows behind the group as they gather around avalai. The elder vampire was a goddess in the way she glowed in the presence of her underlings. Helene always felt respect for the vampire, a primal loyalty that recognized Avalai as superior. This wasn’t to suggest that Helene acts different in the presence of the woman or tried to earn her approval or rewards. The concept was pathetic and so very human. The elite of Helene’s mother France would adopt such disgusting tactics so that the monarchy would gift them with lands and titles. No, Helene showed her respect through her actions. When Helene was loyal, the elder would grant Helene to play and life as she pleases. Avalai, like the vampires before Helene, celebrated Helene’s savage killings. any younger vampires that Helene has encounter during her travels seem more tamed. It was a shame. When Helene’s eyes meet with the elder, she dips her head slightly with a charming smile. Her smile only widens into a amused grin when young William speaks up. There was that speical something Helene saw in him. A sly reveal of wit and courage hidden behind a quiet face. He may be a fool for having no control of his tongue, or he his need to speak his mind was too strong to contain. Helene lets a pale and delicate hand fall on his shoulder from behind as Taeyang threatens the fledgeling. Young Will angers others easily and that further amused Helene. Her grip tightens on his shoulder, perfectly manicured nails digging into his clothes and flesh like a claw. She leans in and speaks, close to his left ear. “Know your place and your new world before you form grudges, child.” She chuckles softly and lets go of his shoulder, bright eyes fixed ahead once more.