who: Vila & Erzebet Bathory. what: when: last Saturday afternoonish where: the Bathory suite
Vila had crept in from Allie's about noonish and after a quick shower and breakfast he had started on his homework. It wasn't fun, but he had to get it done. He had taken over part of the common room with his books and a box of markers making flash cards of the new vocabulary words. One earbud was in his ear playing music while the other hung loose so he could hear if his sisters woke or came out to the common areas. He wasn't really interested in being social with his sisters, but it was something that had to be at least attempted in their own way. He didn't expect a family dinner or any such planned activity, but a few minutes of seeing them was not uncalled for since he was crashing there for the weekend. Groaning, he put the markers down for a break and padded barefoot towards the kitchenette to scrounge for something. Ah ha! Someone stocked the good coffee! Spooning a generous amount into the coffee maker, Vila hummed along to the song on his ipod waiting for the bitter caffeinated nectar of the gods to percolate.
That smell, the raw smell of divine assurance that you were alive. And if you weren't, it certainly would make for a good dream. Erzebet knew that smell all too well, a constant drinker of the substance currently being brewed. She was a regular at the Coffee Dregs, so nothing was out of the ordinary for the lovely Bathory. However; that smell was like a rat and cheese. The manor being the maze. She quickly got out of her room, and headed down the hall before closing the closet door shut. Walking down the stairs, she could barely peer into the kitchen, noticing a figure in it. Perhaps it was someone from the other families. Perhaps it wasn't And that thought made her raise a slight grin. She enjoyed taking full control of her talents, and one could say she might just abuse them. But, there were no signs of a backlash, no hunter nor huntress had ever responded to her extreme behavior. She slinked towards the kitchen, before diving into the room, finally realizing whom the male was.
And quickly, she recovered, standing by the door frame looking oh so casual. " Vila? " She asked, in a thick Hungarian accent. She knew her brother was attending a university, and immediately wondered what was going on. " Why are you here? " She asked. Perhaps in a not so polite way, but she really didn't make it sound like a stickler.
"Laundry," he replied, munching on some grapes from the fridge. If the food wasn't labeled, it was fair game as far as he was concerned. "And my roommate's a buttmunch," he didn't mention Allie of course, though she had really been the main reason he had come down. Pouring a cup of coffee for himself, he added some cream and sugar before sipping it. He didn't offer his sister any nor ask if she wanted a cup, if she did she could get it herself. "Also brought my knives back since Alan can't stop touching them," he was possessive about his things and disliked anyone touching them, especially his knives. He kept them in a lockbox under his bed, but he'd caught his roommate attempting to crack the lock twice now. There was no sense in tempting fate or worse. He would not part with his secespita regardless and had taken to sleeping with it under his pillow to prevent his roommate from touching it.
" I'm glad you can view this place simply as a place where you can do your laundry for free, and not socialize with your sisters. " She said, eyeing her brother. Perhaps it wasn't safe for him to wrestle around his fingers in the fridge. After all, a lot of the people here could be considered as rather stuck up, or, anal to her eyes, and she really didn't want to have to put her foot in, at the next war. She nodded softly, crossing her arms. Her small frame leaning against the frame of where a door would be. She listened to her brother, and simply added a soft sigh at the end of his last sentence. " You really ought to come stay here for a while. " She said, nodding. Those wild black strands falling against the frame of her face. She really didn't want to have this conversation, but she did feel it was necessary. " Vila. " She said, scooting in closer. " You know how Katarina and I simply do not like to meddle in your life, but we can both agree on you staying here. " She added, those dark pools watching the coffee poor into the little container below. " I do believe it to be in your best interest. " Erzebet added a soft not, tilting her head to the side. " I hope you know what you're doing. " She said at the end, and simply wouldn't express it any further. She was not the type to beg, or carry on.
She was an adult, as was her brother.
Raising an eyebrow, Vila leaned against a counter waiting for her to finish. He wasn't really surprised at the request, but at the same time, it was not a feasible, practical one. "We're socializing now," he pointed out just to annoy her. "I figured you and Kat would have plans on a weekend like this and didn't want to disturb them." He drank more of his coffee enjoying the sweetly bitter drink, that was one of the few things they all agreed on, "Berkley is too far from here to commute," he pointed out, especially by public transit. If he had a car it might be one thing, but Allie hated cars and well, he was not going to ask his sister for one. Really, he didn't need a car except for the commute and that wasn't enough of a reason to justify the expense with gas, maintenance, insurance, etc.
Sighing, he continued, "Erzebet, I'm going to finish school and go to grad school. I am not going to run the cemetery. I want to be a professor," he'd never told her that before, not in these terms. He'd confided part of some jumbled mishmash of ideas in their father, but with him gone and a clearer picture in Vila's mind, it needed to be restated again for the record. He was going to make his own way, still a Bathory, but not as The Bathory. That was Erzebet regardless of gender.
" If you call this socializing. " She stated, not really impressed with the current state the conversation was in. In order to be socializing, wouldn't you have to enjoy it? or was it simply a basis to basis situation? " Maybe if you were AROUND more, you would realize that there is a gathering tomorrow. All the families, or most, should be here. And I certainly can't skip out, being a head of our family. However; that doesn't mean you have to stick around if you don't choose to. I certainly only need my presence to represent our family. That does not mean, however, I wouldn't like you to be there. I'm sure the other families would enjoy seeing you. " Her head raised up, those eyes narrowed upon him, as he spoke. " Perhaps you didn't realize that there are individuals in this building, whom are capable of a little thing called teleporation. If anything happens to you, Vila, we can't protect you. You're at a loss when it comes to our help. " She brought the point up. Surely he couldn't deny the fact that beings in the manor had godly talents, them included, but playing the commute card was an excuse at best.
" I understand that, Vila. I went to college, and sacrificed myself for my family. You think I want to hold the cemetery my whole life!? I certainly did not, and won't. It is for YOU and Katarina, that I didn't go back. Because mother and father asked me to come here. I did it for them, you, and our sister. So why aren't people showing ME respect, to my wishes, or my goals? Why do I HAVE to sit on the back burner, while you're attendance isn't needed here. " She began to get teary-eyed. This was a sensitive subject to bring up. Yet, her brother made it seem like she wasn't going anywhere with her life. But, she was. She was independent, she moved away from home, she had a dream and goal. Yet, she stopped all of that for their parent's wish. That one wish, just a simple request... who knew it would cause so much.. heartache, needless to say. " Good for you. I hope you make something out of yourself. And even detest the fact you were born a Bathory. " She said, biting her lower lip. Erzebet had to leave the room, so she went and sat upon the couch in the common area.
Oh how she hated her parents. And how she envied her younger siblings, oh so secretly.
Now he was genuinely confused, "You have a choice," he replied sitting down in a nearby chair, "You don't have to be the good daughter. I'll show you respect when you earn it, not demand it. And running an almost bankrupt cemetery into the ground isn't going to cut it," maybe it was harsh, but this was brother to sister, Bathory to Bathory. No games, no reputation, just Erzebet and Vila for better or worse. "You want to do something for the family? Figure out a way for us to keep our livelihood from being as dead as the magic we manipulate," he looked puzzled as realization dawned, "Eribelle...you're not a failure. Really."
Shifting in his seat, he went back to her original statements, "Protection from what?" he asked. The dangers in his mind were in this manor, not outside it. He wasn't worried about anyone finding out what they could do again, now wasn't like the last time. He didn't think people would understand now any more than they did then, but it was easier now to hide and people just simply did not believe in magic like they did. He had always been the sibling prone to fighting as well, it was a problem when he was a child, but only because he found dirty and won too often, "I did not realize we were so close to the Siegers to impose on them every day so I can go to school and work. My vespa is fine around campus and for my needs. I can stay tomorrow for the gathering though. I even have proper attire," if only because he had left it here with no reason to bring such suits to school. When the Bathory's needed to make an impression, they did it in a sea of black.
Uhg. She left the kitchen to avoid the conversation. She was done impressing everyone. She really was fed up, trying to hold such an independent family. They simply weren't there to be a shoulder to lean on. They were busy dealing with other family problems, or so it lead her to believe. " Vila, if I don't take control as being our family's head, then who will? " She asked, trying to make a point. " I have done plenty of things to earn someone's respect. You simply don't see it. Not only have I been at the cemetery often, I even was able to get revenue from the city, placing the old city cemetery as a hotspot for 'paranormal activity', and even being a landmark to San Francisco's history. Yet, these things.. I do not see any shed of a job well done? I'm subjected to all sorts of bullshit. " She wanted to make it apparent to him. He wasn't around much, which he really was putting himself out of the loop. " That would be a group needed effort, dear brother. I cannot, nor possess all of the answers in a magical bag. " Erzebet listened to those comforting words. She wasn't a failure, or at least, that is what she had hoped as well. Hopefully, she did her ancestors well.
" You're not aware that people have us as their prime target? " She asked, raising her eyebrow. " They are attracted to our magic, Vila. If you use your talents, and use them with all of your energy, your strength, You could literally be glowing to them, and they could come and find you. Do whatever, I assume, they wish to do to you. Extermination, most likely. Hence why I am staying at THIS manor. It is not only protected, but we are together. We are in strength. . Here. " She made it known. Their families weren't stupid when they had built this place. They were incredibly wise. " We may not be close, but I don't see why they wouldn't mind. Maybe even open a portal for you. " She shrugged. it was an idea. " That sounds nice. The gathering is set for the early afternoon. But, as I assume you'll be here still, you can simply watch the people roll in, to know when things have begun. " Why did the manor seem so .. quiet?
As a rule, Vila did not do any magic, even little ones, while at school. His only concession to the powers was his job at the morgue and his penchant for doing homework in a nearby cemetery. Even then he did not use magic, just allow the flavours of it to wash over him. "I think you might be over reacting," he told her with a smile trying to lighten the mood. "As you've said, they are attracted to our magic, but I do not use it at school. I study it as an abstract just like everyone else. Except only I know it is real," he finished his coffee and gestured for her own cup to be refilled as well. She looked like she could use something nice.
"Well done, Erzebet. Gold star. Money in the coffers for another few months," he was actually serious and not being sarcastic at all, he not only had no interest in running the cemetery, he knew virtually nothing of business save that he knew he needed to invest his money. "We need more land. If we cannot annex the land around it, we need another somewhere else. Sooner rather than later Temeto will be full and then what do we do? We need to expand." There, he had a suggestion. He was helping. Yay sibling togetherness!
" You call it over reacting now, but just wait when your dorm room is ransacked with these people calling themselves hunters. Then you wouldn't think it was me just simply over reacting then. " She said, offering a slight eye roll. Her brother had this intense habit of making things sound sarcastic, immensely, or so it seemed. She didn't say anything to that though. She offered a slight nod in his defense. It really wasn't worth saying anything, was it? She looked at her empty cup and offered it to him. If he felt like filling it for her, then by all means.
" Of course we need more land. And I don't think that we would be able to buy out a home, to get it, either. The only alternative is to build another around the outside of the city. Which would mean two different sections of the cemetery, as much of a nuisance as that is. " She said, biting her lower lip. Would there be any non-magical way to acquire more land? They had some money rolling through, but clearly not enough to buy out a business, or make them move. If they wished, help from another family could be possible, but .. was that even ethical? " Let's change the subject. " She added, looking at her pajamas and such.
" I should really go upstairs, and get dressed. "
"It is after noon," Vila commented, though he was only barely dressed himself. He was only wearing blue jeans and a black t-shirt without socks or shoes, but he had not shaved since the morning before and already what was stubble last night was a black smear across the bottom of his face today. He had clothing of a non-black variety, but he rarely wore them inside the manor. There was once again, the reputation to uphold. Silently, he handed her cup back, now full of hot coffee again. "I've moved all my knives back here and keep nothing inherently magical at my apartment aside from my secespita. I will not go completely unarmed, Erzebet. If you want, I'll go buy a bag of candy and a fresh supply of metal pens," he preferred the discrete metal pens and little peppermint candies for as the material components of their spells, but generally did not keep these things around since he was not doing the spells.
"Compromise then," he idly rubbed his chin absently, "I won't leave my knives here and will go armed all the time at school. Will that make you feel better?" It would prevent his roommate from trying to get most of them if he was wearing them under his clothing.
" I realize that, but these clothings simply aren't up to par. " She mentioned. They weren't what she wanted others to see her in. They were lounging in her room type clothing, and certainly not really appropriate for others to see. They were grey, a pair of loose sweats and a off the shoulders long sleeved shirt. The black straps of her bra adding for some contrast. She also didn't have any make up on, and that certainly wasn't good. She took the cup back, and took another sip. " That is a smart move. " She said, with a nod. It was for the best that he do that. " Spare the sarcasm. You do what you will. " She shrugged, looking away from him. Certainly he wasn't being serious, or if he were, the content of what he stated really wasn't said with seriousness, as the subject could be. " I suppose that will have to do, until something does happen, then. It's really all I could ask from you. So, consider it compromised." Erzebet finished the contents of her cup, before setting it down on a coaster, on the end table of the couch. Standing up, hands quickly brushed the fabrics adorning her skin before walking over to her brother. Offering him a slight half hug, she quickly turned away to pull the hair out of her face. " I'm going to go.. change, and I'll be back down in an hour or so. " She said, twiddling her fingers. " Uhm.. feel free to get into my items in the fridge, if they suffice your needs... " Erzebet was intentionally trying to be nice. If you couldn't tell, or notice. Flailing her arms to the side, open hands slapped against her hips.
" I'll see you soon. " Erzebet said softly, before heading out of the common area. Bare feet pitter pattering against the steps of the staircase.