The Keep

[Lady Phia]

She smiled at his response.

"Aria I think is more sour at me than she is at you....but she's more or less accepted it. Devon doesn't mind ye, I think he rather enjoyed when ye showed 'im around the lab, there's nothing like that at the Mansion." She said, she had taken a seat on the stool beside the control panel, watching him. She paused when he said he wanted to come with her. ''I don't know if it is such a good idea to come to the Mansion with me, Draeken and I are on civil terms but.....well, to be honest you two 'ate each other...." She said calmly, she knew Xol wouldn't like the idea of her going alone, he didn't before and he would certainly protest now that she was with his children. However she wanted the time spent with her children to be happy and low-stress.

She looked to him to see his reaction but then changed the subject. "What are ye working on? I thought ye had already figured this out?" Her tone wasn't demeaning just curious.  

[Xol]

"Touche, that's understandable. The last thing I want is to endanger you or your children by having tempers flare. I just worry about how he'll feel seeing you in the state your in. If D's like me, which I believe he is, then I don't believe he's truly over you. What I guess I'm trying to say is... eh... just be extra prepared okay?" Xol turned and leaned in next to her, planting a kiss on her lips ever so softly. "If I lose you, I don't know what I'd do."

He turned back to his display, typing in a few lines of code and trying to match up the proteins in the DNA again. This time the system thought for a brief second before another red 'X' popped up next to a few lines of text. "Really? That's just nitpicking now..." Xol turned back to Phia and wiped his brow before speaking. "Currently? Just tinkering with our DNA structures to see what kinda powers our babies will have. That and playing around with my own genetic coding... being this perfect isn't easy." He winked, smiling sheepishly and waving his arm in a lazy arc that caused the screen to dim slightly.

 

[Lady Phia]

She rolled her eyes at her husband.

"Ye ferget why were down 'ere in the first place my love....I need to feed...." She said, setting her head against the wall of the Lab. She was still pale, even for her. She was glad however that Xol understood her reasoning for leaving him at the keep. Though she could understand him being stir-crazy, perhaps they could all goto the dojo later or train....well, her children could train. Phia would have to take it easy...something she loathed doing. And the sobriety.....twice she had done this to herself, the headaches would be the worst. "So....about that blood...." She said lightly, but her eyes were fixed on him. Couldn't blame the pregnant vampire who was hungry.  

[Xol]

"Ah yes, my mind slipped there for a moment. So, I was thinking of just bypassing the syringe crap and just going raw dog on this one. I won't lie, I like how it feels..." Xol sat down next to her, running his hand along the outline of her face before he leaned in. His neck teasingly open to her. "You want that don't you? You can sense my blood flowing forcefully through my veins. The subtle pump of each heartbeat circulating the nectar of life around my body. You long for the sweet taste of it in your mouth. Along your teeth, tongue and down your throat."

He smiled, knowing she'd be eyeing his neck and wanting to dig her fangs in. His wordplay driving her crazy, knowing she would strike like a viper at any instance. "Phia... take me, feed on me... let me feel your fangs brush my skin and enter my flesh."

 

[Lady Phia]

"Xol...." She warned him as he suggested she feed directly from him. She was still worried, the last time she couldn't stop herself. What would happen now? She was starving and required significantly more. Still he was teasxing her with his words, his scent and his neck. She breathed in, god he smelled good, and she could hear his pulse under his neck. She leaned in and kissed his neck, about to bite in.

"Xol....ye need to tell me to stop when it gets too much...Please do that for me...."  

[Xol]

"Don't worry Phia, I'll stop you before you kill me." Xol teased her lovingly, knowing he would be in danger, but he wife and children's health came before his own. That's just how it goes. "So let's get this show on the road before I change my mind..." He braced himself and waited.

 

[Lady Phia]

"Tha's not funny Xol Solaris...." She said softly. Finally she gave into her hunger and his teasing and bit down. The blood welled up around her fangs as she drank from him. Her mind hazed as it flooded her system, however it would be sometime before her hunger was sated. The twins had pulled everything from her. She managed to keep some semblance of her humanity still, it was difficult in the state she was in. She pulled away finally, breathing heavily, she brought fingers up, wiping the trail of blood from her chin and licking it.

"Are you alright?" She asked, her eyes a glow. She felt significantly improved, the twins were energetic once again.  

[Xol]

Xol struggled with her hunger, shutting out the sensation of his bodies natural fight or flight mentality. It was a very odd feeling giving yourslef to one so completely that you would risk your life so that they could continue on. It was something that had to be done however, and he would not rob Phia on the natural pleasures of her vampiric lust and feeding. Besides, it was like giving blood, his body would replenish it again soon anyway.

"Did that satisfy you my love? I got something out of it too, but it was slightly more animalistic on my part." He smiled and turned to face her, kissing her and running his tongue along her lips to catch any blood she missed.

 

[Lady Phia]

"I should be fine for now...." She said, settling a hand on his cheek and kissing him after he licked her lips. "I feel much better, thank you." She wrapped her arms around him loosely, setting her head on his shoulder. "We should really think of supplementing some blood packs in my diet for while, I can't keep taking as much blood as I'll need from you." She said calmly. "I'll require more as they grow..." She lifted her head to kiss his cheek.

"I love you Xol." She smiled, stepping back from him. "I should head to the mansion. I'll be back soon, I promise...." She said quietly, setting a hand on his arm, trying to qwell his fears.  

[Xol]

Xol pondered on how we would be able to make blood packets. It would be feasible of course, just tedious and time consuming. His attention snapped back to Phia who was currently consoling him that she'd be okay. He knew she was trying her best to do the impossible, keep his mind from entertaining the fact that D might try to hurt her or worse. It wouldn't work... and she knew it, but it was only natural that she'd try and once again he'd keep his mind buried somewhere else to not linger on the idea too much.

"I'll be okay Phia. Perhaps I'll get out and stretch my legs. Go to the Dojo or the Forest..."

 

[Lady Phia]

"It doesn't have to be your blood my love....it can be human blood....like the ones I used to drink, I can survive on that...yours is just....well, more delicious" She said with a smile. She could sense that he was nervous and unhappy about her leaving. Xol was normally over-protective and now even more-so. She smiled when he spoke again.

"Good. I love you Xol, please keep out of trouble." She kissed him once more. "I'll be home soon." She said as she walked into the shadows.  

[Lady Phia]

It had been a few weeks since Devon and Aria had settled into their rooms at the Keep. It had been surprisingly pleasant, Devon had taken to the place right away and had always liked his Step-Father well enough, even more so when he was introduced to the lab, perfectly content to sit and help Xol with experiments when allowed. He also was rather enamored with the Library, so different from the one back at the Mansion, it had many of the same books but also some new ones. Aria was maintaining her politeness for Xol, though there was always the errant sarcasm or comment which was met occasionally with a swat to the back of her head from Phia. Though Aria didn't mind the Keep much, she had stayed to her room or the training area. Both children had taken the news rather well regarding the twins, Phia carried. Devon was overjoyed at the thought of having more siblings but most five-year-olds were appeased with the thought of more playmates.

Despite all this, Phia yearned for some outside contact. She had decided it would be about time to have a chat with Nana again since their last encounter was cut short. She seemed like a good woman and they could relate. Perhaps even her children and Devon could get along. So she had sent out a letter earlier, that afternoon, to Nana inviting her to Tea one afternoon at the Black Company Dojo, it seemed neutral enough for either of them, and perhaps it was considered safe enough for their respective husbands to leave them alone. She also offered the idea of a play-date between the children.

Currently, Phia could be found with her son, draped across her asleep in the library while she read. He had fallen asleep to the sounds of her reading a medical text aloud and now, she had her eyes moving across the pages of Orwelle's 1984, stroking Devon's hair gently between page-turns, humming softly.  

[Xol]

Xol shuffled along the corridor to the library, robe draped over his shoulders and tied at the midsection. His eyes were squinting in the light having just woke up from a mid-day slumber from the long night in the lab. It was odd having more people in the mansion, especially children. At first he was wary how he would be received, but now it was just like having an extended family. Oddly enough it was Devon whom he had connected to the most at this point.The boy was full of energy, questions and a thirst for knowledge that was truly fascinating. His own little lab helper, someone he could bounce ideas off of, even if most the time he never got a response. Aria on the other hand reminded him of himself so much it was rather perturbing. Her knack for smart a** comments drove that point home, and even though Phia tended to give her a little blip up the head now and again, it never bothered him.

Xol made his way through the main archway and to Phia, who had the sleeping form of Devon draped across her. Silently pushing a chair next to her, he laid his head on her shoulder. "I love you."

 

[Lady Phia]

Phia hadn't bothered to look up from her book when she sensed him come in the room, she instead waited until her husband settled before speaking. She smiled warmly, reaching up with the closest hand and scratching lightly at the stubble on his chin.

"Good morning to you too love." She said lightly, despite it being the early afternoon. She turned and kissed the top of his head. "Devon was up early, you looked exhausted so I didn't want to wake you." She put the marker in her book and set it aside. "What were you working on so late last night?" Her vibrant gaze regarded him from behind her glasses, all the while, stroking her son's silvery hair. He was peacefully asleep, his energy at rest, which was doing wonders for the signatures of the twins, until their father walked into the room, now they were excited and zealous. She smiled a bit wider at that. Any child of hers had always been sensative to the energies around them, so it was no surprise to Phia when the two were just the same. Devon stirred slightly, yawning and pawing at his mother's side in an attempt to calm the ones below him, before he returned to his rest. Phia laughed softly at this. "What a strange little family we are...."  

[Xol]

Xol saw Devon yawn and in turn yawned slightly before answering his wife. "Hmmm, yes it was a rather late night. I was re-configuring the A.I. algorithms on the computer core. It's very tedious, but it should eventually be able to out do the older version in the next few months once it gets acclimated."

He grinned, feeling the energies of his two children bounce around in Phia's womb. It was an odd thing, the frantic, hair pulling realization he was going to be a father turned into a peaceful calm. It was something he was confident he would never be able to obtain again, but here it was. Knowing the climate of the Black Company, he wondered how long this peace would last. As well as how long it would take before someone tried to hurt or kidnap their children.

"Strange indeed, and I wouldn't have it any other way..." Xol smiled and loving gave his wife a peck on the cheek, however his mind was still dallying on the notion of how to protect his children and the furrow in his brow showed this as well.