A post from one of my many role plays the lovely AugustReign ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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In the dead of night a figure cloaked in black carried a white cloth bundle through alley after alley, the smell of copper coming from the red splotches that stained the cotton crimson. Occasionally they checked the small bundle in their arms, their pace quickening each time until they finally reached the solid oak door of the Ruby Palace. Lithe fingers knocked upon the door, the golden glow of lamp light illuminating the pale face of Catherine Thorton, her red locks a vibrant orange as she stared up at a far younger Sampson. 

“I brought her, just like you asked! I even ensured she’d never be able to escape you! You have the money right? I-I have to go, have to go, have to go go go…” 

Catherine looked around her nervously, Sampson eyeing the bundle in her arms nervously as he wondered just what this crazy broad had done to her child. She had come by at one point, nearly ready to pop, insisting on selling herself as she needed to get out of town. She had begged, pleaded for him to introduce her to his clientele, insisted and insisted she had to do so before summer began. He had of course refused her insistence, but had absentmindedly said that if she gave birth to a girl who would stay with him forever he’d pay her ten gold for the child in her belly. 

He hadn’t expected her to actually show up on his doorstep like this… He hadn’t expected her to harm her child either. 

“Catherine, I-”

“Don’t say my name! The walls have ears, ears, so many ears…”

“Cat… Okay, I have some gold coins, just- just carefully hand me the child.”

“Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay…”

Whether or not Catherine was agreeing with him or not, he was unsure if she even knew. But as he held out his arms Catherine slowly handed him the bundle, the tiny little infant stirring only for a moment within which was enough to confirm at least she hadn’t killed the child on the way there. He needed to get her away from this lady… nor could he give her the gold she so desperately wanted, not in good conscience since he knew not where she would be spending it. 

So the large man took a step back from the woman and slammed the door in her face, the resounding sound of the lock clicking into place caused Catherine to lose her ever loving mind. She pounded her fists into the door, slammed her whole body into it, screaming like a banshee as she tried with all her might to get in. 

“GOLD GOLD GIVE ME MY GOLD GOLD GOLD GOLD GOLD GOLD GOLD GOLDDDDDD!”

Sampson held his back to the door as the crazy bitch was strong enough to cause the door to shake with each impact of her body, As he stayed still against the door his hands carefully unwrapped the tight bundle to see the little ruby haired babe sleeping ever so soundly, despite the blood that covered her entire form. In the middle of her back was a giant oval shape, a gaping hole where something seemed to have once been now just an indent that threatened to expose her spine if someone touched it the wrong way. 

What de bloody 'ell is goeng on down 'ere Sampsahn?! Us women need our beauty sle- Sampsahn... This wee lass, is s’e Cath-”

“DONT SAY MY NAME DONT SAY IT DONT SAY IT DONT SAY IT!”

Catherine slammed into the door harder, taking Delilah by surprise as she wondered just what had happened to cause the woman to become this delirious. 

“I have it handled Delilah… But I need you to take care of this little one before I can handle this woman and get her out of here. She harmed the child… she’s not in her right mind.”

Delilah pursed her lips as her eyebrows knitted together in worry, sighing softly as she approached the small thing the nuzzled into her embrace as soon as the child was slipped into her arms. 

“Av course Sampsahn... I've always wanted a child av my own. Leave this wan to me, I'll ensure s'e becomes de jewel av this town.”

With a nod Sampson headed out the door, Delilah hearing the scream of rage that came from the woman's mouth… and it frightened her. It even caused the small babe in her arms to begin wailing, Deliliah sighing softly as she cradled the child in her arms tighter and rocked her back and forth as she made her way to the communal bathing area. 

“Hush now… You're safe with me. My Victory.”

Time passed and now behind the front desk sat a young fiery lass, all but twelve in age and whose feet barely touched the ground. It wasn’t much but Sampson had put her to work to earn her keep instead of keeping her locked up in a room, the young thing now the face of the establishment. 

“Afternoon Tori!”

A rather portly older man came strolling in, a regular by the name of Rodger. 

Tori grinned from ear to ear as she waved, ever so happy to see another friendly face. 

“Afternoon Rodger! I was told by Marcia you’d be by today! But she wanted me to let you know that she’s running a bit behind so she said to have you sit at the bar and she’d get yah!” 

Tori’s smile never faltered though Rodger’s sure did, Marcia didn’t usually accept clients on days he’d come in… he thought he was special. 

“Did she… did she say what was keeping her Tori? Anything at all?”

Tori couldn’t help but smile a little less as she saw the look in his eyes, his aura slightly off from his usual sunny disposition. 

“Well, she did say she was entertaining some man named James… An old flame or something. I’d ask if you want to book with someone else but… there’s no one else available right now. I’m sorry…”

Tori looked down sadly, hating to disappoint the regular patron when he had been so looking forward to seeing his lady. The man stood there silently for a moment before he walked over to her, smiling softly as he hugged her against him.

“It’s okay lovely, I promise… in the meantime, how about you and me go upstairs and color hmmm?”

Tori lit up at that suggestion, knowing that Rodger always had the best crayons with him just for her. 

“But Sampson tasked me with the front desk…”

With that Rodger placed a bag of gold upon the desk, grinning from ear to ear as he lifted her into his embrace. 

“He should forgive me for stealing you away with that… though Victoria…it seems you’ve grown into quite the young woman… you’re filling out very nicely.”

Victoria blushed and giggled, ignoring the hard thing she felt pushing into her behind. Perhaps he had his hunting knife on him? He had shown it to her before, a brilliant silver blade that had been passed down for generations, at least that’s what he proclaimed to anyone who would listen. 

“Thank you Rodger, one day I’ll look just like my mama! I’m sure of it!”

Rodger chuckled, bringing Victoria into her room and laying her down onto the bed before he locked the door behind them. It was hours later, after the sun had sunk behind the mountains, did she wake up in a cold sweat with her body feeling as if it was on fire. She could hear Sampson and Delilah screaming outside her bedroom door, though she had never heard Delilah so furious. The words were muffled, she couldn’t quite make out what was going on, but her lower half ached so very much in a way it never had before. She quickly drifted back to sleep, meanwhile Delilah berated Sampson for ever allowing Victoria to be on her own. She was a trusting girl, she knew nothing of what happened within these walls, had no idea what men were capable of… until now. 

“Sampsahn s'e hasn't even bled yet! S'e's still a child! How could you say s'e's ready to join us!? To join us women!? S'e hasn't even finis'ed developeng, s'e's feverish after dat rotten no good bast-”  

A slap resounded through the hall, Sampson’s face flush with alcohol. 

“Shut up… I’ve had enough of your rotten mouth Delilah, if she wants to be here she works for her keep. I’ll hear nothing else… teach her only what she needs to know so that way she stays innocent for a bit longer. I expect you to follow orders, lest you want to be out on the street.”

Delilah spat upon Sampson’s face, storming away to her room to gather her belongings. She’d go make money elsewhere, she’d come back to pick up her girl soon enough… But she refused to do Sampson’s bidding anymore. He was corrupt now, booze had made him greedier than the sin itself. She cloaked herself in her emerald green cloak and made her way to the entrance, looking back to where her girl was sleeping away. She’d be back, she promised herself she would… But she never did.

Tori opened her eyes as memories of the past flooded into the forefront of her mind, stories she experienced and was told by Delilah mixed together into a seamless tale of woe. Groggily she tried to move but grimaced at the pain in her limbs, their refusal to move a sign she had clearly overworked herself. She couldn’t help but smile at the irony of it all, how far she had come yet to fall so short of her goal. Her head leaned back against the rough tree bark, her mind wandering back to her dreams. It was said that one saw flashes to their past when they were on the verge of death… could this be what they meant?

Before she could contemplate such thoughts further though a little girl appeared before her, having hopped over a mound of earth like a small cute rabbit. She reminded her so much of herself when she was younger… How innocent she too had once been. Yet clearly with her scolding of the redhead, it was clear she was raised well and grew up right. This tiny little thing, the sassy attitude, Victoria’s lips curled into a smile as a chuckle escaped from between them. 

“It seems I cause trouble wherever I go… I apologize for that little miss. I’ll have to repay your mother as well for her efforts, it wasn’t my intention to sully her hard work. I simply… seem to have wandered here.”

In truth, Tori felt bad about her little white lie to this girl, but she didn’t want to implactate her or aid her in her escape. She wanted to protect this bright thing from the darkness that Tori now knew of, unknowing that this child knew far more than she herself knew. 

“I promise to find you and your mother to repay you, so… why don’t you run along now hmm? I’m sure your mother is looking for you, I don’t want her to worry about you when everyone is already worried about me.” 

Victoria’s eyes were growing heavier as sleep threatened to take her back into it’s warm inviting embrace once more, the siren song that it called to her ever so tempting. 

“I'll stay right here, I promise… Pinky… Promise.” 

Victoria couldn't help but nod off, slowly drifting back into slumber, as more visions of the past came flooding back to her. More nights of laying on her back, more nights filled with pain and pleasure alike, more nights filled with empty beds at the end of it all… Then came the nights she spent with Ulrich. Days filled with pleasure, with witty retorts and promises of love eternal whispered endlessly, and cuddles shared until the first rays of dawn hit their noses. It was in one of those memories that Tori felt… strange. As if this wasn’t just a memory, as if it was truly her reality. Her head lifted from the crook of his neck and planted a kiss upon his lips, tears streaming down her cheeks as she wished she had more time with him. 

“I love you my dearest Ulrich… please forgive me for traveling so far from you. Please remember me, my love… Know that no matter what happens I love you.”

With those words the dream dissipated around her, the feeling of ice upon her lips as her eyes fluttered open. There she was, in the arms of the vampire lord himself, her lips locked with his. Her heart raced as her face quickly flushed, her hands quickly going up to her face as she attempted to hide from his gaze. 

What… what had she just done?