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Pawn Of Halcyon (pawn_of_halcyon) wrote in halcyon_halls,
@ 2008-02-21 21:56:00

Entry tags:

alana, upton

Week Four: Friday
Who: Upton and Alana
Where: Tunnels beneath the castle
When: Evening
What: Upton is a bad bad man

My my my, Halcyon House seemed empty tonight. Empty but for a few. The cats had all run off and left the mice behind to play. Wasn’t that nice?

And play they did.

Well Upton did anyway. He wasn’t really sure where any of his comrades were, or what they were doing. Something dastardly he was sure, something for their master, Sergius. Something to bring the school and those in charge, even further under his control. As for Upton however, he was having a bit of play with a little mind all too easy to manipulate.

Little Alana.

Upton stood within the shadows of the Terrene House Men’s floor. No, he had no worry of the guards. The guards here, in this area, were on his side after all. Upton had been practicing, getting far better with these mind tricks. On one so young and impressionable as Alana it should be not difficult at all. He concentrated his thoughts on her room, knowing it was the child and her sitter, all alone. The sitter was not much older than she was, well, not in supernatural terms. The former agent rally should take more care with his child. At least get an older, more resistant sitter.

Concentrating. What do little girls like? Ice cream. Wasn’t that what Rose had always whined for? No. Rose had been such a silent little thing. But she did like ice cream, of course she did. Ice cream with sprinkles… this was what he thought of as he concentrated his thoughts on Alana’s. A kitten eating ice cream with sprinkles. Yes. How could she resist?

Before the door even opened he was making his way off of this floor, moving ahead in the direction of the kitchen.

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(I am lacking Alana icons >.<)

grumpypants
2008-02-22 07:40 pm UTC (link)

Alana didn't like all these babysitters. Well she liked most of them and when she talked to her dad she sort of understood that he did have things he had to do at night that she couldn't come along with. That might be true but she did miss her daddy even if she was supposed to be sleeping when he was gone.

She didn't always do what she was supposed to. Especially when the sitter fell asleep or was talking on her phone with her boyfriend. She was kinda funny about that. Got all giggly and silly sounding. Like she was being tickled ALL of the time. But she was all sorts of distracted and while Alana wasn't particularly mischievous she did have her moments. She was a kid, she just wanted to explore and...

Did she hear a kitten? She had to hear it meowing. Oooooh it sounded so CUTE! She wanted a kitten so bad but daddy always said no, or actually he said that later on they would think about getting a pet. Something about him having enough trouble keeping up with ONE little one that he didn't need two. He was just NO fun.

But maybe if she found a kitten outside and brought it in they could keep it. And maybe she could get some ice cream with it. Kittens liked ice cream right? Who didn't like ice cream. The baby sitter was starting to nod off, watching TV so it was easy. Alana, feet in socks that matched her all pink ensemble, quietly padded out of the room. Where was the kitten? So on she walked, through the hallway, down to the common room.

Here kitty kitty kitty!

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pawn_of_halcyon
2008-02-25 12:12 am UTC (link)

Little girls so rarely did what they were supposed to, no matter how red faced and serious their daddies were. Seemed to be the nature of the beast. Hell knew Rose never had. Not the complete truth of course, but Upton did have his own way of looking at things, remembering things… especially when it came to his own sweet darling daughter.

Upton knew how to turn the little girl’s inability to obey to his own advantage. Daddy was going to be sooo mad! Because he was NO Fun! Poor little Alana deserved a lot more fun that that old stick in the mud would let her have. Like candy and ice cream and kittens, oh… and unicorns.

Certainly the corridor he was luring her down promised all of this and more.

Upton couldn’t understand why these underground corridors weren’t more often utilized. You’d think he’d run into all manner of people down here. Demons, imps, snakes… all the ones that like the damp dark places. Of course, most of the entrances were locked off, including this one. And there was the occasional patrol, plus, the ever present technology, cameras and shit. But those Upton had years experience in dealing with. Not to mention all the guards and other staff he had on his side. Amusing how he had almost free reign to do whatever he wanted here.

Oh look, there was a unicorn now! Rainbow colored. How precious.

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grumpypants
2008-03-01 01:51 am UTC (link)

Her daddy did like to get red-faced. Well he didn't exactly get red-faced anymore... he more just got this twitch in his cheek and sometimes Alana thought his eyeball just might pop out of his head! It was kinda funny. Well it would be more funny if she didn't know that he was actually really worried about her when she managed to sneak away.

So she did try and not do it very often... but sometimes...

The babysitters could just be SOOOO boring! And all she wanted to do was go outside and play. At least now she understood why she couldn't go with her daddy. Well she kind of understood, it was still kind of confusing but she believed what he said even if it didn't really make the most sense. He wasn't the same people that had hurt mommy so it was okay.

Her little feet scampered along the hallway, following the exact path that Upton wanted her too. Where was the kitty? Where was the ice cream? It had to be somewhere! And somewhere close by!

Alana didn't even seem to notice that she had worked her way into a part of the school that she had never ever been in before. But it was a big place and she was pretty sure that there were lots of places in the castle that she'd never been before. So that was okay, wasn't it? Yeah it was okay.

Was that someone up ahead? Maybe he had the kitty!

"MISTER! Is there a kitty up there!?" She called out ahead of her.

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pawn_of_halcyon
2008-03-02 02:46 am UTC (link)

Of course he worried. It was what good daddies did. And Kiernan seemed to be exactly that type. That was the image he so well portrayed, but so far Upton had seen nothing to indicate he was not really as doting as he appeared to be. It was what had worked in turning him off his case after all.

He had no idea the other vampire would have told his precious little one the truth. And such a young age! Was that good parenting? Or was it a mindfuck? Daddy, the monsters are gonna get me!… Why honey look at your dear old Dad, he’s just like them.

Now that he’d promised her ice cream, in a sense, he’d really have to get her some. If he intended to gain her confidence. And that he did. Victims were a dime adozen after all. Willing partners in crime though, especially innocent willing partners… they were harder to come by. And infinitely more interesting.

Rose had always been more interesting when she played his way.

Oh how far away they’d gone from her room. Not in actuality. But she was tiny, and distance was relative. They’ll have gone further before they stopped. He needed to help her find that ice cream after all. And the kitten!

Even if he already had one right in his wicked grasp. A cute little button nosed kitty named Alana.

“Yes, I hear it, I’m looking for him. But I can’t find him. Have you seen him?” Upton stepped out of the shadows into the narrowing, dimming corridor. He held a flashlight. As though he needed it. “His name is Fluffy, and he’s afraid of the dark.” He looked down at the cute little human girl. “What’s your name? Mine is Marshall.” He turned his head to look further down the dark hallway. “There. I heard him again.”

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grumpypants
2008-03-02 05:40 am UTC (link)

Her daddy wasn't just like them! Well at least Alana didn't think he was bad or anything. He'd never done anything that seemed any less than normal around her. You know, except for that whole staying indoors during the day thing. But he explained that the sun hurt, like a really really really bad sunburn only worse. So Alana totally understood not wanting to go outside.

That didn't make him a monster did it?

He was darn right he had to get her some ice cream now that she was on the search for ice cream and kitties. Five year olds had a tendency to reach that whole melt down stage when you promised them something and didn't follow through. Alana might be small but she did have a set of lungs on her that could wake the dead. Figuratively and maybe literally now? Wake the undead.

Alana had really never gone this far on her own but she was pretty sure if she found a lost kitty that her dad would forgive her, once he got over being really angry about it all. She was banking on the lost kitty being really really cute and who could say no to a cute kitty. But regardless of what she would do once she wandered back to the terrene house...

Which way was that now? She didn't really know anymore. Uh-oh!

Thankfully a man did appear. He'd be able to help her back hopefully. "I heard a kitty!" Alana said as she skidded to a stop and was suddenly glad for the ring of light cast by the flashlight. It was DARK! "Is it your kitty?" She asked already looking around. She was kind of scared of the dark too, poor kitty! "Heeeeerreeeee fluffy!" Alana called out as she crouched down to get even closer to cat level.

"I'm Alana. I want a kitty but mommy was allergic to cats and now we're here and I think daddy is busy enough." Alana kind of rambled on as she kept her eyes peeled for the cat.

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pawn_of_halcyon
2008-03-04 06:15 am UTC (link)

Of course her daddy was no monster. No little girl believed her daddy to be that. That came only years later. When they closer to grown, and thinking they knew more than that dear old dad they’d want so admired. It happened even in the best of families. Daddy’s little angel gone off to pose nude in some girly mag or, even more scandalous, some skin flick of mass production like Girl’s Gone Wild. There was daddy’s little girl with her face on every late night TV in America, her tits available to any and all for the low low price of $9.99. Thankfully Rose had never done any of that.

Not going to risk drawing any unwanted attention. Not before Upton was good and ready for it. For now it was best if he and Alana were all alone. Maybe a kitty would be welcome in the mix. But no one else. No worrisome daddies, no serious girls named Rose, and no irritatingly nosy janitors.

Did Daddy really have to know everything? After all, Upton didn’t plan on telling him, not yet anyway. So unless Alana spilled the beans on herself she was free and clear. What Kiernan didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him after all.

“Aw that is a pity… Alana. Every little girl should have a kitten. I think Fluffy would like you. You can help me find he if you like. Would you like to hold the flashlight?” He offered it toward her. Such things would hopefully giver her a sense of empowerment in a scary situation.

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grumpypants
2008-03-06 11:32 pm UTC (link)

In the end everyone likely had their own vices and perhaps too many of them ran a bit wild with them... things that Daddy's all too often didn't want to think about their little girls doing. Kiernan sure as hell didn't even want to fathom that Alana could do any of the above. But he knew all too well what little girls could grow up to do.. he knew Rose after all. But then again Upton had as much to do with that result as Rose did. More actually.

Alana however was far from those particular worries. She just had that penchant of being a bit too curious and not really understanding all the consequences that could come of that. Most five year olds had some trouble with understanding all those rules that parents liked to have. Especially when they cut into fun.

And daddy really didn't need to know that she'd run off and was talking to a stranger. Not when he had SOOOO many rules about talking to strangers. She tried not to... but she couldn't help it sometimes and this guy needed help. His kitty needed help.

Alana nodded her head enthusiastically, her ponytail bobbing behind her head. "I know! Maybe if I can help you find Fluffy I can tell daddy that I can have a kitty!" That whole prospect helped with her fear of the dark. Though this man, Mr. Marhsall helped even more with that, giving her the flashlight. "Thanks!" Alana eagerly took the flashlight and started shining it around the dark hallway. It really was a dark hallway, she didn't like that so much. "I don't like the dark, poor Fluffy." Her lower lip was out a bit as she backed up toward 'Marshall'. "Fluffy'll come back right?"

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pawn_of_halcyon
2008-03-08 04:57 am UTC (link)

Oh come now. He hadn’t been all that bad. Rose’s vices were so tame after all. Aside from fucking staff members and doing a bit too much blow. It wasn’t as though she’d grown into some serial killer of kittens and children after all. Even if she had, it’s not as though Upton could fault her in that. It would after all, be something a bit more interesting than the morose pitiful thing she had become.

So much anger. He wished she’d act on it sometimes.

In a place such as Halcyon, where everyone was so close, practically living in one another’s lap, and knew everything about each others business… Was there really such a thing as strangers? It was such a close, tight-knit community after all. The kind where neighbors were as ready to scold your children for misbehaving as they were to hug them. Extended family.

Made Upton want to puke.

Maybe if he’d lived in a neighborhood like that other people might have known about his parents. They might have known about him.

“Sure. But then he might know you were out without your sitter. Won’t he be unhappy about that?” She’d need to come up with something better. After all, Upton could try to make sure the sitter stayed sleeping, or that she didn’t notice Alana gone. Beyond that if Alana spouted off to dear ol’ dad that she’d been wandering the halls looking for kitties with a strange man… wasn’t much he could do to help her after that.

In her mind’s eye she was likely seeing that stern look of disappointment and worry in her father’s eyes.

“Maybe if we get some ice cream. Fluffy loves ice cream.” But he couldn’t exactly go wandering the main halls with Alana. Too many people knew the little poppet. And though they might not suspect anything about him walking around, they would likely wonder about him toting Kiernan’s little brat around.

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grumpypants
2008-03-08 06:50 am UTC (link)

Tame was perhaps a relative term. Kiernan didn't find them to be so very tame as to be allowable. But he did seem to have... what was it? A stick up his ass? That was probably the phrase. He had a rather strict view on such vices but with his own struggles he wasn't really one to talk anymore.

There were always strangers around! At least that was what her daddy liked to tell her. But then again he didn't really like to talk to many other people and he didn't seem to like to let that many other people around either. Which wasn't very fun for Alana but she did try and follow that rule.

Alana's eyes widened, going round with the truth of exactly what Upton er... Marshall had said. She really couldn't tell him about the kitty, he'd be SO mad that she snuck off on the sitter. He was SO right. It showed on her face that she was worried about what she would say. She triiiied not to lie to her daddy. But sometimes you know it was just to keep that vein from bulging in his forehead.

Alana's teeth tugged on her lower lip. "He's going to be SO mad if he finds out I left Miss Anna... again." She added sheepishly. "We have to find Fluffy SOON!" She decided that would be the solution to the problem. Find the kitty soon and she could still make it back to her room before her babysitter woke back up. She slept a lot. AND snored.

If the sitter woke up... well that would a whole lot harder to deal with.

The look of worry disappeared quickly off her face at the mention of one of her favorite foods. Should be in each meal as far as Alana was concerned. "Smart kitty!" Alana said with a little giggle. "The kitchen is kind of far though." Alana frowned slightly. "And... I don't know where we are? Maybe it's close? Do you know?" Alana asked shining the light down the hall again. The light caught on several pathways leading ahead and Alana did her best to sniff the air, but she really only had a human nose. Where were the kitchens!

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pawn_of_halcyon
2008-03-10 01:38 am UTC (link)

Yes, where were those kitchens? Upton had decided, as time was indeed catching up to them, that they would need to find some ice cream and high-tail it back in the direction of Terrene House.

“Fluffy” was just going to have to wait for another day. Not that such a kitten really even existed. Well, he would soon enough. Just because this whole game had been improvised didn’t mean Upton couldn’t make the best of the situation.

“There is a kitchen near us,” he spoke in hushed tones. “But not the one you are used to.” No, this was the one where all the demons and were creatures got their snacks. “If you promise to stay right here and keep the flashlight, then I’ll be right back before you can even count to ten. Can you count to ten?” He asked quite earnestly.

“I won’t be but a minute. Do you believe me?” He asked, and waited for her response. This might be an important step in their relationship. Though if she didn’t believe him now, she would when he returned. She might even be on the road to actually trusting him then.

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grumpypants
2008-03-14 05:03 am UTC (link)

Fluffy would indeed be asked after if they didn't find her here and now. Kitties shouldn't be left alone to wander the halls of the school that just wans't right. They'd get hungry and most importantly lonely! Alana wouldn't let that happen, not on her watch.

Or well at least as long as she didn't get in trouble aka as long as Kiernan didn't find out she was on the search for a strange man's cat.

Alana looked over at her new friend curiously. There was another kitchen? Not the one with the nice woman who made tasty treats for her and daddy? "A different kitchen?" Alana asked back her face screwed up as she tried to look down the hall and see this other kitchen with no luck though. "You want me to stay here?" She looked a bit skeptical but mostly because it was in the dark even with the flashlight.

But then he thought that she might not be able to count to ten. Really! "Of COURSE I can count to ten." Alana insisted and began demonstrating that very fact. "One, two, three," Alana nodded her head. "You'll be back in a minute. I'll count! four, five, six..."

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pawn_of_halcyon
2008-03-14 08:10 am UTC (link)

“Sure, the school’s got lots of kitchens, you know. And all of them with ice cream.” He saw the trepidation in her eyes, heard it in her voice… or more, was it that he could smell it. That did seem to be a thing Upton could just sort of sense since he became undead. It smelled sweet to him. Likely much the same way as ice cream smelled to her. It was an appetizing scent.

He nodded. “Fluffy will be scared if we leave him all alone. Even if it is for ice cream. Besides, if I get strawberry he might come out for that. If you’re down here he won’t be so scared if he knows he’s not alone.”

She was indeed brave. At her indignation he grinned and took off moving fast as he could which, of course, was pretty damn fast nowadays. One minute later (at least to her impressionable young mind), he returned with a small tub of strawberry, an orange push up, and a vanilla sandwich. He offered the variety to Alana. “I didn’t know which to choose. I know Fluffy likes strawberries though. But which ice cream do you think he’d like best?”

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grumpypants
2008-03-17 07:20 am UTC (link)

Alana's eyes widened a bit. Lots of kitchens and ALL of them with ice cream. Was kind of a dream come true for someone Alana's age. Question was if they had rootbeer too because second to a sundae in tastiness was a root beer float. YUM. But that didn't completely quell Alana's concern about being left alone in the dark. Did a lot, like that flashlight did... but still. It was the dark. But she was going to trust that the nice man looking for his kitty wouldn't leave her alone in the dark for too long.

Her head was nodded bravely as she kept flashlight tight in hand, still looking for the kitty because she really did know what it was like to be scared of the dark and she SO didn't want that for fluffy. "Okay! I'll wait here for him and keep my fingers crossed that strawberry works!" In fact she crossed the fingers of the hand that wasn't holding the flashlight and crossed her toes as well. Poor kitty!

She kept her count up and he was back in a flash. Alana was getting pretty used to that. Her daddy didn't think he did things faster than he used to... but he totally did. She didn't tell him so because it was one of those things that made him grumpy. Alana had her back against the stone wall as she waited for him to return... and her new friend did that, bearing gifts as well. The choices were surveyed. Her head canted to the side as she thought over the choices. Alana's hand was already on the orange push up (for herself) when she answered. "Uhm you said he likes strawberry so go with that. And you can eat the ice cream sandwich!" She announced like it was some great idea.

The real great idea was getting that push up in mouth. She looooved orange push ups! Almost as much as Popsicles.

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pawn_of_halcyon
2008-03-22 05:48 am UTC (link)

They never did find that kitten, a real shame. But they did get to enjoy some delicious ice cream, and start a great friendship. As Alana was making her way back to her room however, her mind would start to believe she’d imagined it all, no, not even that, that it had all been a dream… and now she was sleep walking. Sure she could still taste that orange on her tongue and lips, but that was just how great the dream was. Upton had helped her to wipe away the mess that little girls her age always made with ice cream, but that bit she wouldn’t remember at all. Just how nice he’d been, and how sweet the cat was, and how yummy that ice cream had been.

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