Holly tried to pull away from his grip, but was quite strong enough. Sighting she looked at him then the water. What was the best way to get the water from there to Fayne's face? She giggled and leaned over to kiss him, while sticking her foot in the water so it sprayed up his side and back.

"Soon," Selk replied, inclining her head and giving Vik a small smile. "I want a few others to come with us as well, guardian." Mainly magic users, honestly. Vik and Fayne were enough for physical protection . . . plus the guards and other students. There would be nearly a dozen priestesses and their like, and all of them would go into the weaker house and take over swiftly.
"We will be leaving as soon as they get here."
-

The second that Sophie opened her mouth to speak, Marr froze. Something changed. Something shifted. A chirruping noise came from a few feet away - how had he missed it? - and rose a few notches in sound. The creature, seemingly a small dog-like cat with scales, was only one of many - they never traveled alone.
Drawing his blade, a slightly glowing sword, the dark elf snarled at the beast. "We are not alone," he growled, pushing the elf behind him. Of all things . . .
It was then the first creature leaped, coming in from the side. Moving to kick it back, Marr fought to keep Sophie safe - she was the one they would go for. The pack would try to take down the weaker of the two prey.
-

Fayne let out a startled breath as the cold water splashed him, and the weapon master laughed. As soon as he was about to make a move to get her back, someone entered the building. One of Selk's messengers. Freezing and frowning at the other male, Fayne stood straight, tilting his head questioningly. "Yes?"
"The matron requires your presence," the messenger said, bowing low before backing away. "Her chambers is the current meeting place for her chosen." He said nothing about Holly, but Fayne merely grabbed her hand and nodded.
Stepping toward the entrance and ignoring the fact that he was wet and cold, the tall male quickened his pace. It wasn't a good idea to keep the ruling matron waiting. In a few minutes, the silver-haired drow pulled Holly into Selk's chambers, "knocking" in the traditional drow style by pressing a hand to the stone.
The second he entered, Selk smiled slightly, nodding in the couple's direction. "Good to see you still obey my word."

Vik nodded and walked up next to the matron placing a few kisses on her neck, for good luck, or so he thought. It was more likely to be because he loved the way her blood smelled and it reminded him of her taste, and possibly a reason beyond that. For some reason she inspired a true tenderness in the space where Vik's heart should have been located, which he had no idea why and he hoped it would not be his death. When Fayne entered with Holly, the half breed went and sat on the woman's bed seemingly wrapped up in thoughts about something.

After noticing the other man and following Fayne to Selk's room she smiled, but wondered why Fayne was so quick to go. It wasn't that she expected him not to listen but it seemed a little un-Faynish to listen and do something for the matron....whom he didn't trust in the least. Pushing the question aside she also relized the man hadn't said she was suppose to come. But Selk must of known that she would stay with him no matter what, right? Glancing to him she squeezed his hand lightly.

((Hmm. I am terribly sorry that I have been absent. I haven't read up, but it looks like things have progressed well beyond where it was when I left. Went on leave from Iraq, rarely got on the computer, then got back to Iraq and between work, watching a bunch of tv shows I got from a buddy, and being lazy in general I kept procrastinating. So what's up? Any possibility I could work myself back in?))

(I think you could still post, but I nominate Esmme to tell you what's happening, since she's 3 people. You already knew Alex died, right? Holly and Fayne fell in love, holly tried to kill herself. Fayne stopped her. Ummm....Holly was stupid and fell for trusting Selk. Now Fayne can see again, but has a spell on him so he follows Selk's orders, but he and Holly don't know.
Oh! And everyones in selks room.

That's all I know)

((Guys, I do apologize for my lack of response, i have gotten quite busy in the big blue room called life. i am just going to say that Neam got her armor and left without telling anyone goodbye.))

(Awww. What about the guy I'm playing, with the name I can't remember. I'll just pretend he never came.)

((*laugh* Sorry. I, too, neglected this one.

Truinthil, if you wished it, you could still hang around. :yes: At this point, the Toshiba household is under Selk's control. She has gathered a group to go take over a neighboring house, and has sent the people who haven't been in the RP (Neam included. ^_^) home with their armor and weapons. You could say that your shifter stuck around to . . . I don't know, train with the drow? :P
You have your own room, so just post when you want and I'll start to incorporate you in again. :yes:))

Marr growled, ramming into Sophie to knock her aside while more of the pack charged. He spat a word out in drow, and then sought for the right words to translate. "Hounds," he finally settled on, shaking white hair out of his face as he dodged one of the pack. The chirruping barks filled the air, and the dark elf threw himself into one of them, tackling it out of the air. There was no way he could keep them all from Sophie . . . she was going to be struck, no matter how hard he tried.
"Do what you can to keep yourself alive," the hunter hissed, his blade digging deep into the creature's chest as he finally pinned it to the ground.
-

Marr bowed his head, saying nothing. Selk knew very well that he would come when she called, even before she had placed her little . . . spell . .. over him. Still not aware of the adaptation, the weapon master merely watched - Selk looked much like he'd thought she would: a drow matron. Small in stature, but well-built and . . . appealing.
Frowning, the male glanced to Holly as she squeezed his hand. But she didn't have the innocence that Holly had . . . and he loved the way the vampire's eyes sparkled when she laughed, the way she continued to breathe without it being necessary. He was drawn to Holly in a way that he never could have been drawn to another of his own kind.
-

Selk glanced to Vik before smiling at the couple. "You will be protecting me while I take control over the next house," she said bluntly, tossing her long hair out of her face with a swift movement. "If any of my magic users die, it will be taken out of your hide, Fayne."
Selk's voice interrupted Fayne's thoughts, and he blinked slowly, his silver eyes flickering to the matron's face. Selk seemed to take the utmost offense, stepping forward in a rough manner and backhanding him with enough force to make him turn away. "Don't you dare look me in the eye as an equal, male!" Her purple eyes filled with rage and fierce detest. "Your new-found eyesight had better not blind you as a drow, Fayne."

(I completely forgot this rp existed lol)

Vik simply gave a nod to acknowledge her and soon looked up when she went dashing towards Fayne for some reason. Quickly following the sudden slap was a couple of blank blinks on Vik's part as he tried to piece together what had just happened before he remembered Fayne had his eyesight back. He must have looked at the woman, darn shame drow can't look females in the eye. Feeling a slight bit of pity for the male, Vik simply shook his head and wondered how Holly would feel about the whole situation but figured he would find out soon enough. Then he wondered if she had ever planned to treat him like one of their kind or of he was simply and outside tool she had a simple fling for. Whatever the case only time would tell but either way, he wouldn't tolerate her expressing dominion over him in that way.

A soft gasp came from Holly's mouth. "Maybe he forgot. After all how many years has it been since he had to worry about your rules down here." Glaring at the matron for a moment she decided now wasn't the best time to freak out and punch Selk in the face. Apparently they had to be on her side. Holly looked up to Fayne leaning on his arm and taking deep slow breaths. 'That's how drows react. Even if you love him he's still a drow. Just relax don't be stupid.'

A few of the creatures backed away when Sophie drew a weapon, calling to one another warily. Their plan wasn't going as they wished - food wasn't supposed to hurt you. When the young elf was able to strike the dog-creature's paw, the remaining pack scattered, not desperate enough to attack something that would harm them.
Marr growled, shoving the dead beast off of him as he rolled back to his feet, looking toward his companion worriedly. "Are you alright?" he asked, watching as the dog-like animal she had hurt limped away hurriedly. Catching his breath, the drow stepped closer to Sophie, wrapping an arm around her to pull the girl close to him. Inspecting her for any wounds, the hunter frowned. "Did you hurt yourself, girl?"
-

Feeling Holly tense, Fayne merely reached over to touch her hand gently. Don't do anything. That was the best way to brush off a female's wrath: pretend it never happened. The weapon master clenched his teeth, keeping his bitter words to himself as he straightened once again, his gaze moving to Holly. At that moment Fayne realized that an unbidden hatred began to rise up in his chest. Selk didn't deserve her position. Given, most drow didn't need to be rulers - but Selk herself wasn't the usual dark elf. Yes, she was a liar - and a good one at that - but there was something . . . off about her.
Slowly closing his silver eyes, Fayne heard a few others enter the room. They were ready to go now. And they were going to increase Selk's territory - something that Fayne dreaded. The Toshiba house always killed those beside them - just as any usual drow household. For all the words about being different, Selk certainly wasn't holding to them.
-

Selk motioned for the others to follow her, merely turning her head with a brisk motion that made her long hair flicker over her bare shoulder. The form-fitting leather armor that she wore left little to the imagination, seeming like a part of her dark skin itself as she stepped ahead of the group. "Come."
With no other words, she levitated up into the air, a barely visible disk appearing beneath her. The matron landed on it, sitting on her knees as the priestess conned the disk into moving with them as they headed toward the weak household beside them. As they ventured into the city, everything seemed full of hidden activity - shadows darted about, but no one approached. Instead, the Toshiba entourage was allowed to pass through the dark streets and to their destination.
As soon as they entered, Selk barked a few drow words to the others, and Fayne led a small group of the other fighters toward the training rooms to gather the broken household. It was less than five minutes later when the remnants of the house were before them. After a rather short speech in her own language, the drow lifted her hand, saying something about loyalty to the Toshiba house.
As typical, the ones unwilling to switch sides were killed then and there. Few died. A short ceremony followed during which they all pledged themselves to their new matron, and chose to use their posts in the same household to continue their work under Selk's rule.
The short dark elf grinned, looking pleased. Good. Purple eyes flickering to Fayne and Holly, and then to Vik, Selk smiled slightly. More under my rule. Turning on her heel, she stepped off of the floating disk and past her guardian, running a hand over his chest as she passed. "We are finished here."

Following along Holly kept her gaze on Fayne or the floor. She didn't want to know what was happening. After it was finally over Holly clung to Fayne's side. She wasn't cut out for the drow world, at least not the fighting and killing part. She sighed softly thankful that Fayne was around. Without him she wouldn't know what to do. "Now you need to go get some rest. Come on." She whispered, needing rest herself.

Fayne was intelligent, but this was not news to the half breed. He knew he would have to keep an eye on him so that nothing happened to Selk. There were two particular points in this present situation that were actually important to Vik. One was that Fayne stayed in this house, but the other was that he was most definitely the most dangerous threat to Selk at the moment. Fortunately both of those points seemed to work in his favor at the moment enabling him to keep up with the drow and his actions. Vik's late night studies and... encounters had seemed to be paying off as he understood most of the speech that Selk had given and he was now setting a basis for his own plans to come into fruition within a few hours of time. He stood silently to the matron's right side as she gave her speech and went through the other procedures required of taking over another household. When all was said and done and Selk turned around stroking his chest as she passed, the half breed smiled and then looked towards one of the new servants giving a slight discreet nod and receiving one in return. Turning around he followed the matron back to the Toshiba house with a crooked smile showing on his face.

Fayne nodded subtly, frowning a bit as Vik and Selk stepped from the room. "Rest," he repeated, his silver eyes filling with relief. "Let's go then." Leaving the new addition to the Toshiba house, the weapon master slid his hand into Holly's, bringing her with him as they went back to the halls from which they came. "Selk is getting too powerful for her own good," the male whispered, his gaze passing over the shadows in the hall to be sure that they were alone. "She will undoubtedly bring about the downfall of her house, just as my Matron did when I was young."
Being the highest on the food chain meant others envied you - and all they had to do was slit your throat in order to take your place. Unlocking his door and gently pulling Holly into the room, the dark elf sighed. "I need to sleep, and you need to feed." There was a short silence before Fayne spoke again. "The best thing to do is to take both down with one shot." Holding out his arm, Fayne rolled back his sleeve. "We both need to keep ourselves strong. Selk's fall will be soon, and I don't want either of us being caught off guard."
-

Stepping toward her priestesses quarters, Selk smiled back to her half-breed guardian. "Are you willing to go on another hunt soon?" the matron asked, her voice an accented purr. "I found that a few of my magic users are no longer loyal to my house. They need to be destroyed without Shara knowing." Shara was the highest priestess; the head of the branch. "Sending anyone else would be a futile task, to say the least. I have high expectations of you, guardian."
Her purple eyes flickered back to Vik as Selk stepped into the throne room, where a few shadows slid away from the stone chair swiftly. Many more forms shifted in the darkness, but none approached readily.

Vik listened to the woman as they walked and while a load of ideas were flowing through his mind, but he showed no inklings of this externally, and when she was done making her request he smiled. "I am always ready to hunt, it is... my life's purpose and one of my talents." He had spoken with a distant caution but that was because he was still unsure if it was truly his life's purpose. With everything going on now, one would think that self conflict would be one of the last things on a half vampire's mind yet it was there. Vik was just too much of a reflector. Grinning slightly he followed Selk unwarily into the throne room and as he looked at the servants he motioned for them to all clear the room and leave them in peace, all of whom did so quickly and quietly. His eyes narrowing slightly as they approached the throne.

"Fayne, you really don't mean that they're going to attack us here next..do you? They won't kill you..right?" Holly looked at him for a long time, worried. Finally she reached over to touch his arm. "Nevermind, I won't worry. You're stronger than anyone I've ever know. You can take care of yourself." She kissed Fayne's cheek and pulled him over to the bed. "Are you sure? I can go hunt while you're sleeping and I'll be back down here before you wake. I don't want you to feel like you have to let me drink your blood."

Shaking his head, Marr frowned. "I'm not hurt." Other than a few bruises, he would be fine. "And they attacked us because that's what things do, silly girl." His red eyes filled with scorn. "Bad things do bad things to others. Everything beneath the surface is bad." He spoke with a simplistic tone, as though trying to make her understand something. "Everything you see down here wants you dead, Sophie!"
Brushing himself off and sheathing his blade, the drow growled to himself. "We're almost to the first checkpoint. I have five more to go." Checking the borders wasn't a fun or easy task . . . why he'd let the elf come with him was a good question. Why was I stupid enough to allow it?
-

Fayne sighed, stepping over toward his bed. "Do what you wish," he said quietly, sitting on the edge of the blanketed surface. "But please be careful. Don't get yourself in trouble while I'm asleep." Again. His silver eyes gently traced the vampire's face, and Fayne smiled ever so slightly. "Feed on whatever you want to feed upon. Just don't let it kill you in the process."
The male fell backward with a small huff of breath, staring up at the ceiling. I'd best try and sleep.
-

Selk sat on her throne, crossing her legs in an overly demure manner. "Dismissing my servants?" she purred, stroking the stone spider that decorated the arm of her seat. "I suppose it was necessary, now wasn't it?" The black-skinned woman tilted her head, smiling coyly. "Do you want your task now, or would you like to wait?" The fact that she was giving the half-vampire an option was strange; it showed she cared about his time and what he thought.

"I won't get killed. I just don't want you to lose anymore blood than is needed. Besides...maybe I'll talk to Selk and ask her who she needs to kill. I mine as well help her, and make the other persons death less painful." Holly leaned over and kissed him sweetly. "Goodnight. I'll see you soon." She walked back over to the door. Leaving the room she looked back to him with a grin. Walking through the halls she looked for the matron. The throne room was what she expected, so she walked in and smiled at the two already there. "Selk, I need to feed. So I thought you might need help getting rid of someone, and why waist the blood?" Okay, so Holly hated the thought of killing but she had to keep herself alive. Besides, now it was easy for her to act heartless around Selk. After you learn you can't trust someone something changes inside of you.

Vik followed her to the throne, stopping at the bottom of the steps as he peered up at the woman before him. She was a beautiful sight to him sitting on that throne as a symbol of power yet somehow she seemed so fragile in his eyes as if she needed his support. It was a slightly conceited thought but it was simply the way he felt, "Selk, you plan to take over all of the underdark correct?" Oddly enough Vik chose to speak in the native drow language, this was one of his secrets that he was ready to reveal, but the others would stay in the dark.

Walking slowly up the steps he leaned in stopping just inches from her face as he stared into her violet orbs, "What is the most important thing to you right now?" His voice had taken on a subtle allure, and he smiled refraining from the action his mind had suggested. Standing back up he looked down at her waiting for an answer until Holly suddenly appeared. It was her question that piqued Vik's interest as he walked back down the steps, "If you can wait, I'll bring you back a meal in about ten minutes?" He had a mind to make her join in on his little hunt but she had a different air about her now that his instinct had advised him against that course.

"Well," Marr frowned, hesitating. He looked at the elf's hand before letting it slip into his own. "I-" he broke off. Stuttering over a few more starts, the dark elf growled in frustration. "If I wanted you dead, you wouldn't be here, now would you?" The hunter pulled the girl after him as he continued his rounds, quickening his pace in order to be back in the Toshiba household by lunchtime.
-

Selk listened to Vik, an eyebrow piqued in curiosity. Speaking in drow. Such a studious creature. The moment he moved in close, the matron didn't so much as blink; meeting the half-vampire's gaze steadily, she tapped a nail against the stone spider at her fingertips. "I plan to rule this city," she purred in her own tongue, tilting her head slightly as her gaze flickered to Vik's lips. "Not the entire Underdark. That would be silly." A small smile played at the corners of her black mouth as she listened to him further.
As soon as Vik asked her about importance, Selk felt herself hesitating. What is most important to me? Before she had the time to respond, Holly interrupted them. The matron shifted on her throne, blinking rapidly as she tried to choose. What indeed. Was it her territory? She'd thought so. But now? Was it Vik? Was it power?
Selk shook her head, her silver hair slipping over one bare shoulder as she did so. Focusing on what the others were saying for the first time, the dark elf inclined her head.
"Vik will be taking care of a few . . . individuals," she said in a cold tone, her thoughts elsewhere. "Either go with him, or stay here and wait for him to return." With that blatant dismissal, Selk's purple eyes flickered toward the door as she resumed thinking. Important? What was the true definition of such a word? If it meant something to you, then you cared. Do I care about something? Success, certainly. But . . . where did that put Vik?