Prelude to renewal

[Salem Ave]

The night had just about come in as two figures passed through the huge doors into the Sith 'Palace'. The one leading smirked slightly as he allowed the other to step in before him, holding the door open for her. His eyes followed her as she walked up ahead a bit, curious.

The area they were in was not the Palace itself, but instead courtyards inside of a large keep. There were a few ornamental fountains, and stone pillars held up an archway lined roof. On the walls, muriels of past battles were painted with great figures from Sith history stood with weapons held high.

Salem paused as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he waited for Morrigan to catch up, he'd left her behind partially.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

Morrigan Van-Derveld breathed out slowly as she gazed around the area. It was a pleasing contrast to the loud, crowded casino they'd come from. The thin girl made her way forward and smiled lightly toward her Vampyre companion.

"It's lovely here."

[Salem Ave]

"It's not meant to be 'lovely', but yesss... it isss asthetically pleasssing."

Starting on walking again, he ambled off towards one of the marble-slab benches. Sitting down, he motioned for Morrigan to do the same as his solid-black eyes rose up to the painted roofs. His claw-like fingers curled around the front of the seat, gripping it fiercely. His mental excuse for sitting was that he was 'tired' and needed to 'rest'.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

Morrigan laughed under her breath as she took a seat, hugging her knees and looking at him.

"Trust me...Compared to nothing but chrome and blinking lights, this beautiful" The comment seemed to confuse Salem, so she quickly added a bit about how she was raised in a laboratory, before leaning her chin on her knees.

[Salem Ave]

Mimicking her, he rose up his knees and brought his feet against the edge of the seat. His arms wrapped loosely around his ankles, keeping them tucked up against his torso as he canted his head forward so that it rested against the tops of his legs.

"... Why werrre you rrraisssed in a lab?"

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

Her hand reached over and brushed back a few tufts of hair from his face as Morrigan looked at Salem for a moment.

"I was created in a lab."

An ackward smirk twisted her lips before she looked toward one of the further walls, looking over the looming figures. Needless to say, she wasn't proud of the method of her existance.

[Salem Ave]

His eyes followed his as far as they could to catch sight of one of the tall warriors out of the corner of his eye. He shrugged faintly.

"Doesn't suprrrissse me at all, forrr sssome reason."

Looking back at her, he eased his eyes closed.

"Why?"

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

"My mother was trying to make up for my 'brother' and 'sister'...Both had gone soft."

She closed her eyes, her head dropping slightly to lean on his shoulder, more hovering above it than actually resting upon it. A sigh slipped through her lips as her fingers picked at the torn hem of her pants.

[Salem Ave]

Though his left hand remained hooked around his legs, his right shifted and fell from his side as it became partially looped around the Van-Dervelds waist.

"Did you leave herrr? Orrr did ssshe .. disssown you?"

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

Dispite the chill running up her spine, a warm comfort seemed to seep through her body from his touch. She smirked to herself, letting her temple lean on his shoulder as her eyes opened half-way, her gaze on the ground.

"She seemed to forget about ever ordering my creation, actually."

[Salem Ave]

"Parrrentsss do that,"

Slowly the cloven finger tips curled inwards around the fabric of the coat she wore, partially clenching it in his palm. His eyes shifted open as one leg slid down out of his grasp, boot clanging loudly as it hit hard against the stone floor.

"Do you misssss herrr?"

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

"Barely knew her."

Shrugging, she nuzzled her cheek lightly against his arm. Her head lifted and she looked up at him, her head tilting to the side.

"What about you?"

[Salem Ave]

"I don't know who my parrrentsss arrre... I wasss sent away to ssschool, to an academy.. forrr 'gifted' childrrren.. when I was borrn."

His eyes shifted about the room a bit before coming back to Morrigan. His tongue ran over his teeth and touched the tip of his fangs as he felt his long-dead wings shifting underneath his shirt.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

A rather gentle smile spread on her lips as she tapped between his eyes.

"So what's happening in that mind of yours, Salem?"

[Salem Ave]

"It'sss.. thinking."

Not noticably, his pupils shifted inwards to look at the finger that touched him. His lips parted partially as the corners turned up a little bit into a smile, fangs prying into view.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

"And what's it thinking of?"

Her finger moved down, tracing from his temple to his chin as she watched his features.

[Salem Ave]

"What it ssshould make me do,"

His head fell a little, sinking into its normal hunch between his shoulders as he looked up towards Morrigan.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

She let a few fingers sift through his hair before her hand moved to his chin, tilting his head up just slightly so that she could meet his eyes.

"Do you not want to do what it wants to?"

[Salem Ave]

"It doesssn't tell me the rrright thingsss to do most of .. the time,"

The hiss which he spoke in had grown softer now, much less more agressive and far more like a purr - for want of a better word.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

"What's it telling you now?"

Her thumb absently rubbed over the cool skin of his jaw, her eyes searching his expression.

[Salem Ave]

"Bite herrr."

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

An almost nervous smirk went over her lips as she let her hand slowly drop from his face. She gazed at him for a bit longer, biting her lip. Morrigan sighed slowly and let her hand form a tight fist, her wrist lifting just an inch from his mouth as she stared in silence.

[Salem Ave]

"... I'm not going to."

He shifted his weight rather uneasily. He was very unaccustomed to people submitting ... well, people aside from Razielle. But then he felt at home around her, his maker, and felt able to act freely. Others would not be so forgiving if he tore into them.

"... Not now at leassst."

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

"I don't care if you do."

Her voice was barely more than a whisper, her hand trembling just faintly, so lightly that it was impossible to detect the movement, but she kept it in front of him.

"Better to die by your teeth than someone else's hands."

[Salem Ave]

"Who sssays yourrr going to die?"

He whispered - mimicking again - in response.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

A sudden urge kept the Lupine from holding her tongue, her eyes staring at his.

"Make me of your kind."

[Salem Ave]

"... Not possible. Not compatible,"

He replied, casually shrugging off the request.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

"How so?"

She looked at him with curiousity, her brow furrowed a bit.

[Salem Ave]

"You don't dessserrrve it, forrr a ssstart,"

Salem let his other boot slide to the floor and brought both hands to rest on his knees.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

Sighing quietly, Morrigan leaned her head down, her lips just barely brushing over his cheek.

"No one ever achieved anything by thinking themselves below it."

[Salem Ave]

"People'sss downfall is theirrr own ssself-rrrighteousness. Neverrr assssume you arrre owed something,"

His reply was a partial murmur and didn't seem directed at Morrigan, but more at people in general ...

"...I'm borrred," Salem added, lying.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

Pulling back, she looked toward the ground, her arms hugging her knees again.

"Well forgive me for not being entertaining," she mumbled rather coldly.

[Salem Ave]

Abruptly, he stood up.

"Come on."

Taking a few steps forward, he paused, turned back and grabbed one hand of Morrigans, pulling her up.

"We're going to my quarrrtersss.."

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

Startled, Morrigan stared up at Salem for a moment. She got to her feet just as he tugged her hand and began following him quickly. Her eyes dart around them and glanced every-so-often toward him as she moved in silence.

[Salem Ave]

He lead her through in silence, gripping tightening and loosening at random intervals. He had been bored for a long time now here, what with a lack of training, and needed someone like this who would pine over him and keep him company with intelligent conversation on occasion. Most of the other apprentices were too wrapped up in theirselves or in their lovers to do so, but not this one.

Pushing open his door with the toe of his boot, he paced into the black of his room and slammed the door shut with the force, pushing Morrigan in the general direction of the makeshift-couch he had.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

An uncontrolable yelp left her mouth as Morrigan grasped the couch to keep herself from completely falling over. She scrambled to sit on it before looking at Salem again, her tongue briefly wetting her lips before she started chewing on her bottom lip. she searched through the dark room with both her sight and mind, trying to catch some hint of what was going to happen.

[Salem Ave]

"You want a drrrink? Food?"

His voice was coming from across to her left, though moved to the right as footsteps clanged infront of her, stopping about a foot from where she sat.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

"N-...no."

Morrigan looked in the direction of the voice. As soon as her eyes had focussed enough to detect outlines, she reached up and grabbed his wrist, pulling him quickly down on the sofa in retalliation for being dragged through the hallways.

[Salem Ave]

The chair rocked backwards as he hit it - it wasn't designed to take punishment like this. Salem thudded against the corner of the 'sofa' and sucked in a breath of air, restraining himself from the automatic reaction of hissing. In the shadows, his eyes adjusted instantly to pick up on Morrigan.

"Did I dessserrrrve that?" he whispered - it seemed proper in the black.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

"Did I deserve nearly getting my hand ripped off?"

Morrigan scooted to a side of the chair, allowing Salem room to sit.

[Salem Ave]

"Sssorrrrry, didn't mean to be ssso ... rrr-ough,"

He smiled to himself rather childishly as he shifted into the space he'd been offered.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

"Maybe I did.." Morrigan teased as she moved to sit up in a kneel, looking at Salem with a playful grin.

[Salem Ave]

Salem dampened his lips partially and returned the out-of-place expression.

"Oh rrr-eally?"

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

Leaning forward, Morrigan pressed her palms to the back and edge of the seat, her eyes searching his.

"Maybe."

[Salem Ave]

The apprentice reclined.

"And why would you do a thing like that?"

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

Rolling her eyes, she sat back and nestled into the corner of the couch, peaking over at him from behind her knees.

"I wouldn't.. I was teasing."

[Salem Ave]

"Tea-ssse,"

Salem poked his tongue out at her, stretching his legs out up on the chair so that she would have minimum space.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

Morrigan looked at his legs and pouted a bit before simply resting her legs over his. She grinned lightly and poked her tongue out at him.

[Salem Ave]

Both hands slipped around her ankles, giving them a hard tug to pull her inwards as he sat up partially - snapping his teeth at her, grinning.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

Morrigan stared at Salem for a moment, still surprised by the sudden movement, and almost nervous that she could repeat her mistakes from on the Casino.

[Salem Ave]

He leant further forward and brought both hands onto Morrigan's waist.

"What'sss wrrrong?"

Salem tilted his head in curiousity as he spoke.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

A purr slipped out of her mouth as she let herself sink into his hands.

"Nothing.."

Her lips hovered away from his for a second before she placed a feather-soft kiss on his mouth.

[Salem Ave]

He recipricated with an equally light brush of his lips, fingertips again bunching up the cloth of her clothes. After a moment of contact, he drew his head back and watched her for a make or break reaction.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

A wavering smile passed over her lips. She lifted her hand and ran her fingers across his cheek, her forehead leaning against his. Lost in the moment, she kissed him again.

[Salem Ave]

Salem ran his hands up Morrigan's body slowly as he gave her lip a light nip in mid-kiss, fangs pressing ever-so-slighty downwards as he considered drawing blood to sweeten the moment. Takai hadn't been old enough, Emily wasn't bright enough and Lucine had dissapeared - this one would do just fine, so long as she didn't suddenly vanish on him.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

Her hands slide down to mimick his grip on her clothing as she pressed against him with another purr. She didn't know what she was feeling, but then again, she didn't care.

[Salem Ave]

Seeing no resistance, he applied a little more pressure, just enough so that a few droplets of red swelled on her lips. Then drawing back for a moment, he pressed his lips to hers firmly, crimson smearing onto them.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

Morrigan looked at him for a moment before licking away a bit of the blood, nestling down on him.

[Salem Ave]

"You tassste nice," he said through a slight laugh.

[Morrigan Van-Derveld]

"Taste as much as you want.." She cooed softly, her forehead leaning to his. Morrigan ran a claw over the bare skin of his side, a thin line of skin being pierced under her finger, to shallow to cause much pain.

[Salem Ave]

A slight hiss passed his lips as he gave her a shove backwards. Looking across the room at what appeared to be nothing, he frowned to himself.

"You have to leave... I have sss-omething prearrrrrranged I need to do," Salem murmured.