#trch:stan

[kiki-wiccan]

THE AFTERMATH (Starter for @dabrowskievolution @garridansblood

Finally managing to pull herself together Kiki pushes herself up off the hard ground. Wiping away at her eyes so her vision wouldn’t be so blurry. Leaning over she snatched her phone up off the grass and saw Stan had texted her. She stared around at her home one last time before she began walking. Not having a way home she knew that she’d have to get someone to pick her up and it sure wasn’t going to be here. Nearby was a gas station that she used to go to and get snacks while walking with the professor at night. It was going to be a bit of a walk but she knew in the few hours it took to get here from Tabula that she’d be fine. Who would pick her up? Elidi? No she just had broken into her house and made a mess. Tamryn? She didn’t have the empathy or patience that the wiccan needed. Kasumi? No he didn’t know the situation at all and it would be difficult to explain everything from the beginning. Of course the whole time of listing off people in her head she already knew who she would text. Stan, he knew the previous situation and with their bond she wouldn’t be able to hide what happened. Ignoring his other texts she just sent him a text of the address to pick her up at. Pausing momentarily before asking him to bring Garridan along with him.

As she walked along she allowed her mind to wander a bit. Her feet knew where they were going as they had been there so many times before. At that moment she just felt numb, she tried to think of happier things. Sweets, Midnight,Stan...she even tried thinking of all the great memories she had made at Tabula. Those were the thoughts she allowed to take over while everything else was shoved into the back of her mind. Finally making it to the gas station she sat down on the curb and just waited for Stan to come.

[kiki-wiccan]

“Eat me up like apple pie

Make me not wanna die

Love me rough and let me fly

Get me up, yeah, get me high

Tie me down, don't leave my side

Don't be a waste of my time”

(Art comission: ghostly.marie on Instagram)

[kiki-wiccan]

I wish that I could hold you close and feel your cries

Love me, love me, love me

'Cause I'm under your spell

Haunt me, haunt me, haunt me,

You're puttin' me through Hell

[kiki-wiccan]

Kasumi listended to Kiki, an expression of horror growing on his face.  At one point, he looked like he was about to cry.   To not be able to be with one’s lover unless you killed someone.. it sounded like a tragedy, and such a toxic relationship. Did Kiki truly love such a crooked demon? Did Stan know? He was about to reach out and give her a hug when she burst out into laughter, to which Kasumi stared in confusion.        

       It wasn’t until Stan explained that Kasumi sank to his knees, a sigh of relief escaping him. “AAAHHHhh. Kiki-- d-don’t do that to me,” he said, still looking like he wanted to cry. “That’s such a sad tale, I really believed you, you know,” he said, pouting now.    

       

    Once he’d gotten over himself he stood back up, dusting off his knees. “Decorating it like the sky sounds good. Maybe these.... sprinkles can be like stars. They have enough colors to represent them accurately.”

Stanislav only watched as the two, albeit more creative people, debated on how they would decorate this cake. The vampire only observed, however his expression changed to one of slight confusion as Kiki began to act out her deliberate lie. Though she was poking fun at the angel, and it was rather adorable, the vampire king gave a slight shake of his head.

             Furthermore, he raised a brow at the angel’s reaction to such an obvious lie. However, it was likely that Kasumi hadn’t been exposed to sarcasm that much.

 

       Remaining on the sideline, Stanislav checked his phone; instead replying to a few emails for the time being.

She gives an apologetic pout to the poor angel, of course his reaction was hilarious but she didn’t want him to cry. Reaching up she ruffles his white hair “I’m sorry Kasumi I just had to, I won’t tease you anymore though....for tonight at least” she turns back to the cake and nods, this would definitely be more simpler than designing some graph. Taking the vanilla icing she scooped it out into a bowl and grabbed the food coloring. Being an artist she already knew a lot about mixing colors and had an idea on how to get the color she wanted. Grabbing the blue dye she put in a few drops, next came violet, and then a drop of black. She seemed to be in her own little zone while working, stiring the colors together she watched as the white icing began changing into a dark navy blue. “So now we have the sky, would you like to help me spread the icing on the cake?” She grabbed her offset spatula and a knife handing the spatula to Kasumi. “Try and make sure it’s spread evenly, you do that half and I’ll do this half!” She laid the bowl of icing in between them so they’d both have easy access to it. She scooped some up on her knife and began to icing her half of the cake. Having done this before it wasn’t long before she had finished her half, glancing over and seeing Kasumi still working. “You’re doing great!” She praised her friend who seemed to be doing a good job.

Looking back at Stan and seeing him on his phone she got an idea, of course while waiting for Kasumi to finish why not tease her vampire a bit? Scooping some excess icing off of her knife and onto her finger she casually walks over to Stan. “Hey, thanks for deciding to come back with us” she had an innocent smile on her lips. “Also for buying us pizza....you deserve a reward!” With that being said she leaned up on her toes and seemed to be moving in for a kiss. Just as her lips were about to brush against his she reaches up with the icing on her finger and smeared it on his nose. Stepping back she burst into laughter seeing the vampire king looking so silly. “Kasumi look!”

[kiki-wiccan]

The angel looked disappointed that Stan did not want to join in on the conversation. He certainly wasn’t about to push the vampire, though. He knew talk of space wasn’t for everyone, yet he did wish to talk to and get to know the vampire king that was so close to his friend Kiki.          

     Kasumi looked at the last piece of pizza left and took it, eating rather swiftly. Nodding in agreement with Kiki’s request, he swallowed and put his own input in. “Yes, please join us! Even if you don’t eat the cake, decorating it is fun!” he said, cheerfully imagining drawing physics graphs on the cake. If the vampire agreed to join, maybe he’d allow Stan to choose the design instead.    

       After finishing the final slice, Kasumi wiped his mouth with a napkin.  “Let’s get going before the cake gets cold!” he said cheerfully.

Feeling Kiki rest her hand atop is, Stanislav relaxed his shoulders. For someone who didn’t enjoy being touched, he was willing to relish in whatever physical attention the wiccan would provide him.

                     At both Kiki and Kasumi’s insistence on remaining with them for much longer, the vampire king raised a brow. “You are right, Mister Kasumi. I am unable to partake in delicacies such as cake. And while I may have appeared to finish my business, Kiki--there is work awaiting for me at Red Rose.”

              However, the looks given to him by both angel and human caused Stanislav to let out an exasperated sigh, rubbing his temples. “Alright, I can afford to linger in your presence just awhile longer. And no, I am not decorating.”

          With that, after the trio had efficiently cleaned their area and disposed of rubbish, Stanislav was relieved to be outside in the night once more. The scent of pizza had been overwhelming inside the establishment, and he didn’t idle around as he unlocked his car; opening the driver’s side and sitting down. Starting up his engine, he looked to see that both parties had strapped themselves in before beginning the drive to Kiki’s apartment.

         Sitting in silence, watching for traffic and allowing himself to enjoy the peace; his hand rest on Kiki’s thigh once again--a gesture he had grown quite used to.

            Pulling into the apartment complex, Stanislav parked his rolls royce and turned off the engine, unfastening his seat belt and stepping out of the car. Hands in his pockets, he observed both Kiki and Kasumi as the exited the vehicle, before the trio made way to Kiki’s apartment.

Mentioning that there was more work to be done a disappointed look crossed her features. Though it was soon replaced with a successful grin as the vampire agreed to stick around with the duo. They cleaned up their table and threw away any trash before heading outside. Wasting no time Kiki got into the passenger seat and buckled herself in, turning back to make sure Kasumi got his seatbelt on. As they were driving Kikis gaze was outside the window like usual, however she was waiting for Stans hand to either grab her own or rest on her thigh. A smile tugging at her lips when she finally felt his hand make its way to her thigh. A gesture she had grown to not only expect but enjoy.

Upon parking at the apartment complex she unbuckled and got out of the car, stretching her arms up in the air. “Cake time!” She beamed as the trio walked up the stairs and into her apartment. Throwing her purse down she grabbed both boys hands and dragging them into the kitchen. She proceeded to get out all the cake decorations she had from icings, to sprinkles, fondant, and little cake candies. Laying them out on the counter she grabbed utensils that they’d need as well. “Okay Kasumi you get to choose how we decorate!”

[kiki-wiccan]

Seeing as Kiki wasn’t one for material things, it was of no surprise that Stanislav had opted to purchase a gown for the Midnight Masquerade. It was a chance to spoil her, and the vampire king had done his best to find something that fit his lover’s aesthetic and form. And yes, he had smiled (albeit in a subtle way, being as he was) when he saw the way Kiki’s eyes had twinkled. While he wouldn’t make this a normal happenstance, it was nonetheless a special ocassion.

        Stanislav had found a mask, and instead of wearing his usual silver attire he’d selected a fashionable (though plain) tuxedo, the only colour being the white and gold of his mask. Black gloves adorned his hands seeing as there was the possibility of having to dance with others, and being as averse to touch as he was he thought it better to have a barrier of sorts. Arriving with Kiki in tow, the vampire king let his human run off to explore seeing as his essence remained within her body--and he knew her location always. 

              The devil works hard, but Stanislav worked harder seeing as even at an event meant to soothe the growing anxiety and tension over the beasts in the woods; the vampire king continued his search for the necromancer by the name of Blaire. That, and he wished to keep tabs on those in his community seeing as the kindred of Tabula Rasa were both restless and suspicious.

While the night remained young, Stanislav failed to accumulate any new information and though maintained his aloof exterior;  he silently cursed himself in frustration but refused to let it show. Feeling someone bump into his bigger frame, he looked over his shoulder before turning on his heel when faced with his lover. “My, my. I held a strong conviction you’d see to the treats offered this evening.” The side of his mouth twitched into a small smile, and the vampire king assumed a position beside his lover; his arm making way around her waist. With a glove hand resting on her hip, Stanislav kept his grip both gentle and firm.

         His eyes rest on the swathe of bodies dancing before them. This was much different compared to the last masquerade he’d been to--that time he had been with his maker. But it was meaningless to dwell on the past, seeing as Stanislav much preferred looking towards the future.

       Glancing down at Kiki’s plate, he raised a brow though this was hidden by his mask. “...Interesting selection.” Knowing next to nothing about human food, and seeing he didn’t have a reason to care for it; this was Stanislav’s subtle way of inviting Kiki to discuss her recent discoveries. 

Upon seeing it was her vampire who she bumped into her eyes sparkled. “Stan!” She sounded pleased to see him. Assuming he had finished whatever buisness he had to attend to. Seeing his smile made her heart flutter and she found herself staring at his lips. “The treats?...oh the treats!” She snapped out of her daze and moved her eyes down to her plate. “Yes, I have my sweets but I have yet to find any alcohol...”. She hums softly as the king wrapped his arm around her waist and leans into his touch.

As he mentioned the wiccans choice in food she took it as a sign to explain. Knowing that Stan wasn’t familiar with modern day sweets, or sweets in general. Pointing out each food on her plate as she named them with giving explanations. “These are cookies some can be hard and some can be soft, they vary in flavors and types. Specifically these are sugar and chocolate chip cookies.” She pointed to the item beside the cookies. “This is a cupcake! They are like the cake that Kasumi and I decorated. But they are miniature and shaped differently. This one is vanilla I’m unsure of the frosting flavor yet.” That being said she poked her finger into the icing and stuck it in her mouth. “Mmm it’s vanilla frosting too! Then these are chocolate covered strawberries. If you don’t know what strawberries are they are a fruit. You dip them into chocolate which hardens and they become a fruity treat!” She continues on until her entire plate has been explained to her lover. Taking her blue optics off of her plate she looks up to see her lovers reaction.

[kiki-wiccan]

  His fingers laced in his human’s hair, keeping Kiki pulled close into the chill of his much bigger frame. While Garridan attempted to diffuse the situation, all Stanislav could focus on in that moment were the wiccan’s feelings pulsing through him. Even if unusual he was willing to silently deal with them, all for Kiki’s sake. He could feel the desire for death radiating from the depths of her soul as if it were akin to his own, and he pulled the human closer, allowing his human to rest her head against his chest.

           As Kiki accepted to a bath, Stanislav eyed the blond vampire as he got up from his seat to draw a bath. In the meantime, he kept his hold on the wiccan; refusing to let go until Garridan came for the couple.

               “Here. Allow me.” The elder vampire pulled back from the embrace, looking to Kiki’s expression as he carefully helped her up. Draping his arm around her waist, the vampire guided Kiki into the bathroom, closing the door behind them.

          Looking to the bath tub, he noticed that Garridan had left out a variety of bathing products all for Kiki to use--a gesture Stanislav clearly viewed as his way of providing a sense of care--and he looked to the wiccan as he stripped himself of his overcoat. Rolling up his sleeves, he noted the way the wiccan had reverted into an almost zombie-like state of being. “Would you like some help-?” Stanislav asked, taking on a much gentler tone.

           Stanislav stood before Kiki, helping the wiccan undress; his own gesture of caring for her. Sliding off her overcoat, her shirt, he hesitated before helping the wiccan undress from her underwear--folding her clothes as he did so--before taking her hand and helping her into the lukewarm bath.

       Kneeling beside the bath tub, Stanislav didn’t seem to mind as he reached over and began to brushed hair out of her face; now puffed up and red from her tears. Taking a wash cloth that Garridan had left out for their use, he dampened it before carefully wiping off the wiccan’s makeup. His hues searched Kiki’s expression, though he refused to break his stoicism. Of course his human would know that he cared.

       Once Kiki’s face had been cleaned, he took some body wash and carefully reached for the wiccan’s arm, lathering the damp skin with soap. The vampire king placed a chaste kiss on her hand, a silent manner of expressing his affection. Yes, he didn’t dare think of work or that damn creature within the woods. His entire focus had shifted to Kiki, the woman he had come to love with every fiber of his being.

            The elder vampire continued to wash Kiki’s body, his hands avoiding sensitive areas of her body out of a silent chivalry. His intentions were not of lust, but the desire to provide and be a protector. Eventually, he helped dampen Kiki’s hair and began to lather her dark locks with shampoo, keeping his touch gentle. Clearly, he was in no rush to care for the wiccan--in fact, he relished in their time alone, even if it stemmed from unfortunate circumstances.

When Kiki responded, Garridan gently ushered Midnight off of his lap despite her outcry. “Shh, not now--later.” The blond murmured to the kitten, watching the dark feline curl up beneath the table.

          Standing up from his seat, Garridan gave a tiny nod, noting Stanislav’s gaze once more. He held it for but a moment, giving a reassuring smile to Kiki. “Of course, just give me a moment--I’ll fetch it w-when it’s ready.”

        Leaving the parlor, Garridan wasted no time in drawing a bath for his devastated friend. Though he wished he could provide comfort, he knew far better than anyone that grief took time; and that it would take Kiki perhaps even weeks to fully process the death of her family. How his heart ached for her, it really did. It was a pity he would never meet them, that Kiki would never be able to move on as she had hoped. Ignoring the tears that brimmed within his eyes, once the bath had been filled the vampire searched his belongings. While he much preferred a shower over a bath; he had stored supplies for his own use--but had never gotten around to it--various body washes, and other care supplies he set nearby for use. While he was at it, Garridan left out fluffy towels he had saved for guests, seeing as he preferred to use the older ones. 

           Once he felt that the bath was comfortable enough for Kiki’s usage, he made way to the parlor; calling out to the couple. “Ah--sorry, I...the bath is ready. Take your time, please...I don’t mind.” With that, Garridan exited the parlor and made way to the guest room, beginning to arrange it for both Stanislav and Kiki. 

           He pulled out spare clothes for Kiki, seeing as the wiccan had stored some spare clothes should she ever find herself wishing to spend the day at the mortician’s house. He set it at the foot of the bed, before he walked out into the hallway and went to his closet. Despite living alone, the vampire preferred to be ready for any situation--seeing as his anxiety would only relent with adequate preparation--and he searched through various sewing projects and found a lovely quilt of vintage fabrics he had managed to make a few years prior. He carried it into the guest bedroom, setting it in the middle of the bed; and began to prepare for the impending sunrise by drawing the velvet curtains.

              Upon realizing that Stanislav was an unexpected guest, the blond silently panicked; seeing as his stature was much shorter and not to mention, much more lean when compared to his king’s. Nonetheless, he went back to his closet--quite organized at that--and managed to scrape by with a plain t-shirt and pajama bottoms, though he held a strong conviction they weren’t to Stanislav’s standard. Nonetheless, he brought the clothes to the guest bedroom and set them beside Kiki’s.

             Looking at his prepared guest room, Garridan let out a soft sigh. This would have to do on such short notice.

She allowed Stan to coddle her as she kept sniffling. No more tears would come out at that time, now she was just left feeling numb. The yearning for death tugging away at her mind. She seemed confused when she was helped up off the couch and then she realized “oh...the bath....” mumbling to herself as she’d completely forgotten. Letting him lead her to the bathroom, her entire body feeling heavy as she forced her legs to move. When they entered the bathroom she silently stared at the water and didn’t move until Stan spoke. Looking over she just gave a small nod and stayed silent as he undressed her. Her brain wasn’t fully processing what was going on around her nor did she care. Stepping into the tub with the help of Stan she sat down and sighed softly. The warm water felt nice against her skin though of course the sensation of warmth didn’t comfort her.

As Stan began to wipe away at her smeared makeup. Her eyes only really meeting his once and she just looked defeated. This feeling was familiar but not at the same time. She’d felt broken before, on the edge, ready to give up but never had she felt so numb. She allowed her arm to be maneuvered so he could wash it and watched in silence. A small smile twitched at her lips when he kissed her hand but it didn’t stay for long. Her focus went back to the water as she allowed him to wash the rest of her body. ‘You should be dead right now’ ‘you abandoned your family’ the thoughts slowly began creeping back in and she completely zoned out. ‘This whole situation is your fault Isabella’ her eyes widened and she reached up gripping her soapy hair and shaking her head. “SHUT UP SHUT UP!!!” She shouted but then stopped as she snapped back to reality. She blinks and looks surprised for a moment before her face resumes it’s montone look. Letting her hands drop back down into the water she made sure her gaze was averted from her vampire. “Sorry...”

[kiki-wiccan]

   “Yes, you’d best exercise caution. I now seem to understand why you and Mister Romanescu are so alike.” This was true, for in the twenty years Stanislav had known the mortician, Garridan had always done his best to see the good within others. But that was enough for now.

            Looking down, he gazed upon his lover’s face and could feel the excitement radiating within her warm, though tired body; as well as in his own due to their newly-formed bond. A faint smile traced his lips, though he understood that Kiki would nit pick at his personal aesthetics once more.

        “Allow me to gather my belongings, then...and you needn’t worry about spare clothes. I am willing to provide...my own wardrobe.” The vampire king had never expected to extend such an offer, yet it was clear that Kiki held a special place within his life. Considering all of the information he had divulged to her thus far, this was simply another way of expressing his affection, his trust.

          Once Kiki had gotten off of his lap, the vampire king reached for his messenger bag and put his laptop inside; turning back to his book shelf and pulling a few files. He could simply finish working later, or even tomorrow evening. Given how much work he had put into the LSA with Tamryn as of late, perhaps he could use a few hours to spend with his beloved.

Her eyes lit up seeing her vampires smile, something she adored and treasured. She didn’t comment on it however and just took the moment to enjoy the fact he was smiling. The wiccan was ecstatic to be going to her vampires home, even though she braved herself for the blandness she was about to witness. “That’s very sweet of you, sweetheart”

Sliding off of his lap she stretched out her arms and waited as Stan collected his things. She looped her arm around her lovers. Noting the usual stares as they exited Red Rose. She couldn’t help but wonder if the patrons just thought of her as Stans food supply. Well whatever they thought didn’t matter, she knew where she stood with the vampire king. Getting into his Rolls Royce, she buckled her seat belt. “I’ll be the first one to see your house right? Why do you keep it so secret? Are you hiding a dungeon or something in it?” She was clearly joking.

[kiki-wiccan]

Guilty Mind {STARTER FOR @dabrowskievolution }

Kiki stared down at her phone screen with an irritated expression on her face. She’d spent most of her day feeling the guilt over Garridan eating her up. The only other person who knew the situation seemed to be Stan so she went to him with her feelings. Sitting on her couch she watched as her messages sent through and as he typed a response. “Mister Romanescu's emotional well-being is none of my concern, Kiki.” She could feel her jaw clench as her eyes scanned over the words. “He has been mourning Mister Karminsky for years. Why would now be of any difference?” Tightening her lips into a straight line she felt her grip on the phone tighten. “Is he serious?! UGHHH!!” Unbelievable, she could feel anger bubbling up inside of her. Looking up at the ceiling she debated on what to even text back. Finally she decided she was going to go to his office and confront him. Sending him a text letting him know despite knowing that he could sense her location.

Making her way to Red Rose she made an attempt to calm down her frustration, gripping the steering wheel as she tried keeping her focus on the road. Upon parking she locked her car and made her way into the club. Like always she felt eyes on her, by now they should be used to her presence considering how much time she spent here. Walking up to the vampire kings office she doesn’t even knock as she opens the door and closes it behind her. He looks up at her and then back at his laptop which only caused her to become more infuriated. Storming over she closes his laptop and leans in a scowl on her face “I don’t understand how you can know Garridan this long and not give a fuck! Maybe you don’t care because you haven’t seen him but I have! It’s not just emotional at this point it’s affecting his sleeping! On top of that I told him to stay out of the fucking woods but he followed that pull and guess what? HE GOT ATTACKED! That’s physical, does his physical well-being concern you?!” Her face was red from yelling and the anger was obvious in her glaring blue eyes. “IM WATCHING MY BEST FRIEND DETERIORATE IN FRONT OF ME!”

[kiki-wiccan]

   “It’s sugar, but not sweet? How odd,” Kasumi said, now especially interested in trying the fondant.  He carefully sprinkled the sprinkles onto the cake watching in satisfaction as they scattered randomly.   To his even greater satisfaction, the cake now looked very similar to the night sky.  “It looks good!” he said, a wide smile spreading across his face.                   He stepped back, allowing Kiki space to take a picture of their masterpiece.  

                    “Your grandmother...? She sounds nice, I hope I get to meet her someday!” he said cheerfully. “Oh, if that’s okay with you, of course.” He was very excited to meet someone else’s family, having not been able to spend much time with his own.  He glanced at the cake now that it was done, suddenly a little sad. 

                 “It is quite a shame that we have to cut it apart now... so I’m glad we got a picture! I can’t wait to try it!” 

It felt odd being a spectator to such a happenstance, though nonetheless Stanislav had only remained present all for Kiki’s sake. Continuing to observe the duo’s efforts, he found himself admiring the construction. Did the cake look delicious? Not to the vampire king, no. Then came about the question--why put in such effort for something to be consumed? Though this was the inner beast talking, most likely.

            Ah, yes...sweetheart. It seems that nickname had been stuck upon the elder vampire by the wiccan, not that he minded. It was a heartfelt gesture.

              He perked up significantly as soon as the human spoke of her grandmother. While Stanislav’s family had long since been deceased, he wished to know everything about Kiki; including her relatives. “She taught you how to bake, hm? Noted.” Stanislav spoke, although quietly. 

            “Anything in particular the both of you enjoyed?”

She made sure to text the picture to Kasumi so the angel could have it for his photo gallery. She personally had her own folder full of old sweets she had baked back home. Smiling as her friend claimed he wanted to meet her grandmother “well her and my mother are actually going to be moving here so you can meet them then!” She couldn’t wait, her working over time and she knew the two of them were working hard back home too. Once they moved to Tabula she could completely put the past behind her and not have to think about that damned town.

As she picked up the knife she used to frost the cake and carefully began to cut the cake. “Well I was very fond of the gingerbread houses we would make during the holidays. For Halloween we would always make a witches house....and for Christmas we would make a cute gingerbread mans home, sometimes we’d do Santa’s workshop or an elves house.” After cutting the cake into even pieces, she set the knife down and went to the cupboard grabbing two plates. She then opened her silverware drawer and grabbed two forks. Laying them down on the counter she scooped up a piece for Kasumi and set it on a plate before sliding it over to him and then getting herself a piece. “I really wish vampires could eat human food....if I soaked a cake in blood could you eat it then?....though who’s blood would I use? I could use my blood but that would be a lot of blood....”

[kiki-wiccan]

Kasumi flinched at the sudden cold glare of the vampire king. He’d tried so hard to avoid offending him yet it seemed there was nothing he could do to keep from angering Stan. He wasn’t about to give up, though.      

            “Thanks Kiki!” he said, proud of the work he had done and the compliment he’d received.  He observed carefully as Kiki worked with the fondant. “What exactly is this stuff?” he asked curiously. “It looks like... thick paper... but gooey? Is it edible?” he asked, resisting the urge to poke it.  

              Once given a task, Kasumi proudly got out the bottle of sprinkles and began picking out all of the white, red, blue, and orange ones, ignoring any other color.  He was very specific about sized as well - red must be the largest, followed by orange, yellow, then white. Blue could be any size.   When he was satisfied with his pickings, he closed the bottle and returned to Kiki.      

         “I picked them out!” he said, happily handing Kiki his stars.

  “...right.” He replied, though his gaze seemed to soften significantly as he observed the way Kiki twirled. While he was more inconvenienced if anything; he couldn’t bring himself to be upset with the wiccan.

      Stanislav used the back of his hand to carefully wipe away the frosting, gazing at the deep blue on his hand. The smell wafted into Stanislav’s nose, though it wasn’t very appetizing--due to his nature--though once he had finished responding to his email he decided to step close, keeping his distance.

            With a neutral expression, he seemed to look rather thoughtful as he observed their process. Fondant? Sprinkles? The duo had no idea how good they had it. When Stanislav had been mortal, such human delicacies were unheard of, they hadn’t even been created yet. Most of his human diet consisted of the staples at the time--bread, meat, milk--why did humans enjoy cakes again?

         He raised a brow, leaning somewhat over their shoulders to see what they had been doing. “It seems you both have brought out quite the creative energy within one another...it’s a pity you’ll be eating this when it’s done.” That was his way of offering a compliment, and perhaps the closest thing to praise Kasumi would ever receive from the vampire king--for now.

She put the excess fondant away and answered the angels question. “This is actually a type of moldable sugar icing, it’s called fondant. It is edible though it isn’t anything special in the taste department.” She watches with interest as Kasumi seems to carefully choose out which sprinkles to use. “Very interesting choices.” Knowing the angel he likely picked out star accurate colors. “You can now sprinkle them over the cake!” Watching as Kasumi took the various colors he had picked and spread them around the cake.

Smiling over at Stan as he gives his own type of compliment. “Thank you sweetheart” she teased and pulled her phone out. “We are going to eat it but I can take a picture to remember it by” tapping on her phone to the camera app and turning her phone sideways to snap a full picture. “My grandmother will be proud, she’s the one who taught me baking in the first place.” It had been awhile since she had baked anything, she used to help her grandmother in the kitchen but hadn’t baked since moving to Tabula.

[kiki-wiccan]

Kasumi sighed, accepting the headpats as he got over his brief bout of grief.  He walked up to the counter next to Kiki to observe the artistry of mixing colors. His eyes glittered as he watched the color swirl into the white icing and mix together to become a dark blue.  When handed a spatula, Kasumi looked slightly confused on what to do until Kiki gave further instructions. Nodding, he took a glob of icing and pressed it onto the cake, then began smoothing it out with careful strokes. It didn’t look perfect at first, and when he glanced over at Kiki’s side he realized what he’d been doing wrong and tried again, getting a much better result this time.       He smiled proudly at his friend’s praise and continued working, not noticing Kiki moving over to Stan until she started talking about a reward. He looked over with curiosity and confusion, but upon seeing her getting increasingly close to her lover, he went back to working, feeling it was something he shouldn’t be seeing.          However, when Kiki laughed and told him to look, he hesitantly did so-- and immediately slapped a hand over his mouth, doing his best not to laugh at the vampire king that intimidated him so much. Although... he didn’t look nearly as intimidating at the moment. 

While the vampire king settled for dealing with business-related inquiries on his phone, occasionally the vampire would look up; silently observing the duo attempt to decorate their cake. Though Stanislav didn’t necessarily care for Kasumi’s presence, the vampire king’s gaze would linger on the wiccan he had grown so fond of.

       Though he couldn’t come close to describing what little emotion he felt; it was one of silent admiration. Thinking back to that evening where Kiki had shown him her artwork, he was nonetheless silently thankful for Kasumi’s presence--as trying as it had been that evening--because thus far, he hadn’t seen the wiccan quite as happy. It seemed as though moving to Tabula Rasa had allowed her to build a new life, one that would be enveloped within the acceptance of others. Despite not necessarily caring for friends of his own; Stanislav only wished to see Kiki happy as she could be--a foolish thought, really--for life wasn’t always beautiful.

             Looking back down at his screen, he began to type away; responding to an email from one of the Council members until Kiki called for his attention. Directing his gaze towards the wiccan; he stiffened upon noticing the way she leaned close. In that brief moment, he could feel her warmth brushing against his much colder flesh, though his eyes narrowed as she slapped some frosting on his nose.

        “Kiki...” He let out an exasperated sigh, before shooting a cold look towards the angel. Maintaining his poise, he let out an exhale and looked back down at his phone. Might as well let Kiki have his moment, or so that was his reasoning.

She could see the glare in his eyes and it sent chills down the wiccans spine. Glancing over at Kasumi she smiled, amused that the angel seemed to think it was funny as well. “I think it’s a great look for you, vampire king” Twirling around she makes her way back to the cake. “Great job Kasumi!” She praises the angel as she sees the half he had finished. “Hm...now I think I’ll use fondant to make a moon...” she grabbed the yellow fondant and took it out of its packaging. “I’m going to make a crescent moon.” She told Kasumi as she grabbed a clean knife. Rolling out the yellow fondant so it was flat, she proceeded to cut out a medium sized crescent. Carefully lifting the crescent off the counter she placed it into the left corner of the cake. “Now Kasumi, you get to choose which sprinkles are used for the stars!”

[kiki-wiccan]

Kasumi looked downcast as the thought of making a garden blew away like a feather in a tornado.  Perhaps when he found his own place, he would pick up those plans once more.  “Ah... sorry to disappoint you like that, Kiki.  I hope to one day go to space, but... at the moment, the process is much too difficult.”   He’d wanted to reach the stars ever since he was 20 years old... though the reason was not as happy as one might think.    “I know!!” the angel agreed excitedly. “I’ve always thought about what aliens would look like! It’s super fun to think of completely different organisms that survive off of different things. Like, if they didn’t have to breath air to survive, they wouldn’t need lungs or gills, but how do the survive then? You have to think waaay outside the box to imagine what resources are available that provide nutrition to those life forms.”  The white-haired male had obviously given the subject deep speculation before, and was enjoying sharing his thoughts with another who seemed interested.  Hearing Stan’s words, Kasumi perked up excitedly. “If you think it’s interesting, why not join in?” 

—————————————

 “...Absolutely not.” The vampire scoffed; though he knew that Kiki was joking--mostly.

      Now that he’d been able to get some work done, Stanislav rest his hand on the wiccan’s lower thigh. Unlike Kiki, who had earlier squeezed him, he refrained from doing such a thing.

            Overhearing the conversation of aliens and space; Stanislav allowed his gaze to wander the establishment. He was less than interested in the topic of space, of aliens, of oddities that couldn’t be explained--he had other things to worry about--and once addressed, he turned his focus onto Kasumi, raising a brow.

        “I think I’ll pass, Mister Kasumi.” Letting out a quiet exhale from his nose; he looked to the pizza to see most of it had been eaten.

         “Are you nearly finished-? Of course, I plan to return the pair of you back home. All you must do is let me know...you both wouldn’t want your cake to be too cold, now.”

“There’s so many possibilities! Talking about it like this kind of makes me want to draw concept sheets for aliens!” She could just imagine all the different color schemes she could use and all the different designs. Maybe Kasumi could help her design them since he seemed to also have concepts of what aliens looked like. It made her happy that she was starting to slowly get back into wanting to draw and create art, though she had yet to actually sit down and do it.

Turning to Stan she gave a nod “yeah I think we are done....” she places her hand on top of Stans hand that was resting on top of her thigh. “You don’t have anymore work to do right?....you should come in and help us....” her bright blue eyes meeting his own, hoping that he would agree to at least stay for a bit.

[kiki-wiccan]

Kasumi looked slightly disappointed at Stan’s lack of garden. “Lilium is nice, though.”  He was very excited at the idea of having his own tiny garden.  He’d helped out in the garden back home, and had always loved nature.                “Oh, sure thing, I can help you draw the graphs! But I am not good at drawing much else,” he said, shoulders slumping. “I’m afraid my artistic abilities lie in other forms of art.”         

   “I’ve never been to space, unfortunately, It’s a dream of mine to go someday, but it’s very impractical. It’s very cold, there’s no air, which makes flying rather difficult since wings don’t work, and breaking through Earth’s gravitational pull takes thrust power that my wings simply don’t have.” Kasumi said, listing all the reasons why it was very difficult to have been to space before.  He’d looked it up many times, trying to find a way to break free of his earth-bound home to reach the stars that he so longed for.          

  “As for aliens... I’m sure there’s life out there somewhere. Surely in such a large universe, we can’t be the only ones. That’s just too depressing.”  The angel giggled. “Befriending an alien would indeed be cool.”

  “Yes...lilium was a lovely flower. I wouldn’t have purchased it, if Kiki hadn’t made the selection.” Though he spoke in his usual monotone voice, there was a subtle fondness towards the wiccan hidden beneath his words.

       Continuing to type away, responding to various emails from the Vampire Council and other such affairs; Stanislav was virtually expressionless aside from an aura of focus that radiated from him. Without his paperwork nearby, the vampire king knew he’d finish quite soon, though he felt much better after tending to business that required his attention.

            It wasn’t until Kiki mentioned his home being a garden wherein he shot her a look that said; Don’t you dare. And what was that about inviting Kasumi over to his residence? “You don’t even know my address.” The vampire scoffed, before rolling his eyes and attuning back to his screen. “And no, I do not intend to invite anyone anytime soon. No one has ever been allowed in...” He side-eyed to Kiki, knowing full-well that their relationship was entering much more serious, yet romantic, territory. Eventually she would be allowed into his sanctuary, one of the only places he could truly be unbothered.

          Despite Kasumi’s obliviousness, if there was one thing the vampire king could commend, it was the angel’s penchant for space. His knowledge was vast, and though elementary in which he spoke, articulate. It impressed Stanislav, but he would never say such a thing aloud. Not yet, at least.

             He couldn’t quite understand why Kiki and Kasumi were so invested when it came to discussing extra-terrestrial life, though the existence of supernaturals could be speculated, at least they were tangible. Then again, Stanislav recalled that he had lived during Galileo’s lifetime; and the outcries of new information regarding space. Discard the thought; he had no reason to question the existence of “aliens”.

               Once finished responding to yet another email, Stanislav put his phone away, as without paperwork, he had completed necessary tasks for the evening. 

 

          “...you two have the most interesting of conversations.”

The glimmer of mischief in her eyes as Stan gave her such a stern look, she got a thrill out of pushing Stans patience. “I don’t know it yet....but when I do I’m redecorating!” She kept the playful tone in her voice but her gaze softened. She knew that Stan was a very closed off person, the fact that he’d already told her that he was trans was big. The wiccan knew to let Stan open up about things at his own pace and she was fine waiting.

A small frown formed on her lips as Kasumi listed off reasons why angels couldn’t go to space. “What a shame...I thought if any creature that angels would be able to make it....” is that why Kasumi took such interest in space? Since it was one place he was unable to reach? Or because of how vast and unknown it all was. “I wonder how others live their lives on other planets....are their technology more advanced? What do they look like?....hopefully one day we find out, though I doubt I’ll be alive when it is.”

[kiki-wiccan]

Kasumi nodded at the ghost comment. Perhaps a ghost would be able to answer, or perhaps a ghost was the answer. Either way, it wasn’t a question he felt the need to be worried about for another millennia or so, seeing how young he was.  “You’d make a great angel, you’re very kind” the mythos replied with amusement. Midway through his second slice of pizza, Kasumi looked up in confusion.  “Paper work? What kind of work is that?” he said, looking to Stan to see if the vampire king would provide an answer.  “Is it like reading stuff? Or writing? Do humans do it, too?” he asked after swallowing, then took another bite whilst waiting for an answer. He then turned to Kiki. “May I visit your magic shop sometime? I want to know what kind of magics you sell there!” he said, a sparkle in his eyes.  He couldn’t imagine why a shop of magic would be amongst humans, but perhaps it was more geared to the supernaturals and wiccans like Kiki? At the mention of cake, Kasumi almost dropped the piece of pizza he was holding.  “Y-you mean I can help?!” he said excitedly.  “Yes!!! I would love to!!”  He was so excited, and his mind began to think of what to put on the cake. Fluffy clouds of icing? Stars? A graph of the relations of space-time and string theory? He couldn’t wait to get started. 

As Stanislav worked on responding emails, he raised a brow as Kiki mentioned his work compared to hers. He let out an exhale from his nose, refusing to look away from his screen; though he picked up on her teasing brattiness. Not that he expected anything less from the wiccan; and it was a quality he found himself for whatever reason drawn to.

             The only time he looked up from his phone was to make eye-contact with Kasumi, eyes narrowing. He didn’t even know what paperwork was? Perhaps this angel was more helpless than he had thought--and by then, Stanislav felt all his reservations towards Kasumi dissipate within that instant. This mythos couldn’t even hurt a fly, though he was now concerned as to how Kasumi would adapt to living with Kiki. Oh, thinking of the shenanigans; he might as well have gotten a headache.

         “To answer your inquiry, Mister Kasumi, I don’t deal with just paperwork alone...I am a busy man, with many obligations. Though to further explain, writing and reading may be involved--but quite opposite of what you are thinking, I presume.” Looking back to his screen, he resumed typing away; though he continued to speak. “And yes, humans deal with paperwork too. Though mine pertains to that of supernatural natures.” While that was putting Stanislav’s position lightly, he found no need to flaunt it off. It simply wasn’t in his nature. 

         “In fact, I am usually in my office...though when Kiki informed me she had a guest, I couldn’t help but want to investigate myself. Now that I have met you, it seems I needn’t have worried at all. Though consider this-” His gaze flickered towards the pizza. “-a welcome gift from myself.”

              As Kiki switched the topic to cake, Stanislav found himself tuning out their conversation more than he had before; seeming to forget he was in a Domino’s of all places. He could overhear Kasumi’s enthusiasm towards space, so it seemed that the angel wasn’t entirely useless. What would become of Kasumi was an interesting thought, but irrelevant at the moment.         

She beams at the angels agreement that she would In fact make a good angel. Being an angel definitely seemed like a lot of fun flying, eating sweets, and living in a floating city in the sky. If she ever got reincarnated being reborn as an angel was definitely on the top of her want list. An amused expression crosses her face as Kasumi unloads several questions towards the vampire. Chuckling to herself as she sees the annoyance in his eyes, that’s what he gets for trying to work around her. Letting one of her hands slide over she rests it on his upper thigh giving it a squeeze, her other hand holding her third slice of pizza. “Of course you can come to the magic shop, maybe I’ll just bring you to work with me one day. We sell a lot of things magic related I’m sure you’d find things for your room!”

She gives a sideways glance over to Stan. “Speaking of, how is your plant doing? I hope you’ve managed to keep it alive so far.” She teases and takes another bite of her pizza. Of course she knew that the plant was likely in perfect condition and being cared for adequately. “I made him get a plant to brighten up his office because it’s disgustingly bland....I can’t even imagine what his house is like.” She gave his thigh another squeeze before removing her hand and placing it into her own lap.

“Yes of course you can help me decorate the cake! It will be a lot of fun I have tons of different sprinkles and icing colors! It’s been so long since I’ve baked and decorated! We can do whatever design you want I’m pretty artistic.”

[kiki-wiccan]

Kasumi was suddenly a bit unofortable-- the question Kiki had asked was a very sensitive one for all creatures. What happens after death?  He’d been asked before, and he had given the same answer.    

         “I don’t know what happens when people die.  Angels, contrary to some beliefs, are not all-knowing beings, and we are not dead humans. So... you’ll have to look at the various theories out there. Some believe that we will be reincarnated, some believe we simply disappear. I personally like the idea of life continuing as something else, so who knows... maybe you really could become an angel,” he said, a small smile appearing with his last statement.    

         “But no. You can’t turn into an angel by eating our food.” Kasumi giggled at the thought.      

    Kasumi went wide-eyed at the sight of the pizza. It was presented as a magnificent circle, but sliced into triangles in a way that reminded him of the spokes on a wheel of a cart or horse-drawn carriage. He’d noticed a similar pattern on the wheels of modern cars as well.        

 His thoughts were broken along with the breaking of the perfect circle when Kiki grabbed a slice out of the circle.  “Here goes...” he said, bravely taking a large bite out of the pizza. A shocked expression quickly crossed his face, as if he couldn’t believe what he was eating. After he had chewed and swallowed, he simply said ‘wow’ before taking another bite, then another.    

    “It’s so.. yummy!” he said, eyes sparkling in delight. “So this is pizza... I like it!”

Ah, the Kiki-diet. Stanislav raised a brow, shooting Kiki a look as if to suggest Really? 

          So it seemed even angels didn’t know what was to happen after death. What could Stanislav remember from his own mortal death--? While he could vividly recall the sensation of life leaving his body, he didn’t wish to scare his companions. 

       Having returned with the pizza, the vampire king resumed his silence as he observed Kasumi take a bite. In a way, he was living through the angel’s experience; for he had never tried it himself. He couldn’t, and Stanislav found himself particularly uncaring--though he was relieved that the mythos seemed to enjoy it.

            “...so it seems.” The vampire mumbled, allowing a quiet exhale from his nose. By then, the vampire king had resigned himself to check emails. As he couldn’t provide much to the discussion, and both Kiki and Kasumi would be eating; he might as well get some semblance of peace by pursuing work to pass the time.

        “Apologies, both of you. While you two enjoy, I’ll be doing some work for the time being.” The vampire reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone. His muscles seemed to relax as the vampire entered a zone despite the boisterous environment, attuning to his emails. Stanislav’s eyes narrowed as he checked his calendar, seeming to be mentally mapping something out as he began to type a response with his thumb. 

       This wasn’t to say he tuned everything out, per se, he still listened to Kasumi’s enjoyment; as well as Kiki’s own input. He wouldn’t ignore them, despite the overwhelming energy the two seemed to radiate amongst eachother.     

She frowns seeming a bit bummed that the angel didn’t have the answers she was seeking. “I see....maybe a ghost would know what happens then.” Seems she would have to find another supernatural being to get the truth. It wasn’t an urgent matter, she hadn’t really lost anyone to the point of wondering where they ended up. Well minus the old grave keeper at her old hometown. But for Garridan she wanted to find out where Viktor could be. “I think I’d make an amazing angel!”

She paused her eating to watch Kasumis reaction and chuckles at his enthusiastic response to it. “I’m glad you enjoy it! It’s fun to watch people’s reaction to food they haven’t tried before!” She goes back to eating but deadpans as Stan mentions working and pulls out his phone. “Stan works a lot, work is really really boring. Minus my work since I work in a magik shop, my work is cool. But Mr. Stanislav does a lot of paper work which is bleh.” She then takes another bite with a smirk knowing that Stan heard what she said. After teasing she switches the topic to something more fun. “When we get back home would you like to help me decorate the cake Kasumi?”