Let's Play!

Maya was tugging on the girl back, gently though. She toyed with the girl's buttons. Jethro laughed and gave another tug.



"c'mon!" Maya looked up at the approaching friend.



"HEYAHGURL!"

" There's a bedroom upstairs, if you'd like us all to be a bit more comfortable.."



zyla suggested as she looked over Marina.



Marina wormed and fussed, complaining about men, and her feelings, worming as her clothes were fiddled with, continuing to cry.

Maya grinned, picking up Marina. Zyla could have said that the world was a cookie and meant to be eaten and it probably would have sounded like a good idea to her.



"Goodie!" It was kind of funny, seeing as Maya was smaller by all terms than Marina.

Marina looked at Maya as her dress was starting to loosen and made a small face, still crying, scream, at the top of her artistic lungs, for Ephriam. Sure, she thought he found her ugly, and unattractive, but... she still thoguht he cared... a little bit.

Maya flinched and almost dropped Marina. That was not the most pleasant sound in the world. So, like a child, the vampire shook the woman.



"Quiet!"



What happened to Ephriam was one of the most bizarre things to describe. He had to stop playing and push his hands to his temples, for what he heard was not only in the castle and room but in his head. Marina's shriek resonated painfully. In a manner almost completely unlike before, his body ripped apart.



And almost instantaneously he was standing in their midst.

Marina looked up at Ephriam, holding her dress now with one hand, as the woman had finished undoing the back, so it was really trying to fall off. A small terrified look on her face, she wanted to run into Ephriam's arms, however, she easily recalled how he'd backed away from her, repeatedly, and simply started crying again and looked at the floor.



She'd been having tons of fun, until being shooed away.... And by all people....

Ephriam took one step forward and then he did something completely unlike him (at least, as of normal).



"Jethro, bring her over here." His expression was dark as he (at least tried) to order his drunken friend. Jethro looked completely befuddled as Ephriam's eyes turned to the other two girls.



"Leave her." And he pulled back his lips and snarled.

Watching zyla roll her eyes and disappear, she glanced to Maya, tears still falling from Marina's eyes as she wondered why things had suddenly taken a turn for the worst... Her answer was she shouldn't have invited Bi and gays next time.... Perhaps let Ephriam be in his room next time, too.

Maya let go of the girl immediately, stumbling backwards but disappearing before she hit the ground. Ephriam's shoulders relaxed and he straightened, pacing over to Marina.



"Jethro, I think you should go home." The man blinked a few times and then disappeared too. Ephriam reached around and fastened one of the upper buttons for her, wrapping his arms around her distraught form.



"There you go. Peace, Marina."

Marina looked up at him, tears still on her face as she moved out of his arms, mumbling something about him not needing to coddle to her, as she understood his feelings towards her.



Stumbling up the stairs, she said nothing more as she made her way towards the east wing, not really caring, simply wanting to walk away at the moment, simply not wanting to get pushed back.

Ephriam meanwhile just stood in the place for a very long time. For a minute or so he contemplated changing the locks on the liquor cellar. But then he brushed that away and swallowed the hurt simmering in his stomach. And, once again, he let her go.



That night, however, he didn't return to his room and he didn't go out. He spent the hours cleaning up the huge mess and carefully boxing everything up. It was kind of sad actually. Lord Ephriam the lonely, lowly janitor.

Sobering about ten hours or some later, waking, sleeping upon a piano, she rubbed her eyes, feeling the imprints of the keys, looking about slowly, the memories of the night before slowly drifting to her. Swallowing slowly, she shimmied into something a bit mroe appropriate for just around the house, loose sweat pants, and a looser T shirt ( One of Ephs, actually) and wondered down to clean up from the party, not looking for Ephriam.

There was a faint smell of lemon furniture polish mixed with the murky smell of floor wax. Everything had a faint glisten to it, but it like the perfection of something dead. Nothing lived there, there were no smiles, no laughing dancers. There was no evidence of the night before. Ephriam was standing in the balcony above, simply looking down upon the empty room.

Looking about, Marina looked up at ephriam, a small confused look on her face, one that clearly said that she had expected to come down and clean things up, eyes wondering over him.



Taking in how high he was up she wondered why he was simply standing there. Sighing inwardly, the thoughts of last wondered to her.



" Why?"



she couldn't understand it all, somethign wasn't adding up.

Ephriam's washed out eyes drifted to the lady below. There were so many different ways to take that question. He was silent for more than a breath or two, and when he did speak his voice was very soft.



"The same reason that one would look at photographs." He stepped backward, edging towards the curtains.

Looking up at him, she moved to head up towards him, finding herself beside him easily, looking up at him.



" why...?"



she asked gently, eyes soft, not understanding half the things she remembered... it's like she had the video with the soundtrack playing backwards.

Ephriam stood there, feeling as though there was an invisible barrier between him and the girl. He sighed and spoke sadly.



"The same reason that art is put behind glass."

" ... Do you really not feel like that?"



she asked slowly, looking him over carefully. she remembered that, too clearly.

This time, Ephriam kept his gaze locked on her face, never wavering.



"You were drunk. You are not prepared for that and everything that goes along." Still, his words seemed sad, almost mourning the fact. It didn't seem reproachful.

" I may have been drunk, but I'm no fool. I'm as ready then, now, or ever will be, for any kind of commitment of that sorts."



She purred gently, eyes gentle, but slightly guarded as she considered him, uncertain about moving towards him.

Ephriam looked at her and then sighed.



"You have not the faintest what sort of self-control that would take on my part..." He then looked away, turning and placing his hands on the banister.

" .... Talk to me, then. I can't understand what you won't let me understand."



She replied softly, walking towards him slowly.

Ephriam sighed softly, his eyes roaming over the floor.



"I hear your heart beating as you stand there."

Marina smiled slightly.



" That's kind of a good thing, you know."



She informed him softly, simply letting him have time to finish his explanation, as it was obvious she wasn't clear on what he was having issues with yet.

Ephriam just sighed and shook his head again. He still refused to look at her, as though staring at the dead and empty room would help him draw the answers out of himself.



"No. It takes a measure of effort to be near to it. It is like a siren's song. I would want more than just one thing."

Marina sighed softly, moving now to slip infront of him, making him lock eyes with her.



" You've had it once. I wouldn't stop you again. Ephriam.. I'm simply put, yours."



she informed him softly, moving to kiss him lightly.

Ephriam kissed her bad for a moment, his teeth elongating. It wasn't as though he really had a choice, about it though. It was the same sort of biological reaction as talking dirty would bring about... except a bit north of the equator.



"Not entirely."

Marina looked at him, sighing inwardly, moving into his arms now, looking at him, eyes locking with his.



" I don't follow. It's not like I want to marry you instantaneously or something... I'd like to be on a real date before that."



she teased, smiling slightly. They'd lived together for years now, she probably could count a million outings that would count as dates... she just... hadn't counted them, given the circumstances....

Ephriam's eyes hovered over hers, as though search out something in them now. He sighed once again.



"That was not my thought. I do not believe in actual marriage - the fanfare nonsense and such as well as the logistics." He gave her a gentle squeeze, setting her up on the thick banister, never letting go.



"I was thinking, you cannot be entirely mine. You are only human." His eyes didn't turn from hers.

Marina looked at him, eyes not leaving his, but the look that flashed across her face was mixed with so many emotions that one couldn't process what all they were as she kept her silence now.



" I happen to like being the center of attention."



she pointed out, rather cutely as she crossed her arms, and kind of glaring at him.



" and weddings are nice too. to celebrate a couples hopefully blissful union."



Leave it for dodging what she needed to think about, or tackling the first problem first? Marina didn't even know for sure.

Ephriam was getting in a pretty good practice with the whole sighing thing. He gently let her back to the floor.



"I believe in a different tradition than marriage. And, I know you like the attention." Somehow it seemed like someone had nearly kicked him to death.

" Ephriam, please.... I'm not completely sure what your implying, however, I get the feeling it would be a change.... Not a little one, either... Lovely.... I have odd feelings about change, can't blame me, considering..."

Ephriam spoke very softly into the air.



"I believe in old handfasting if there is a need for ceremony. But more than that, if a vampire is to take a mate, I believe in turning." He clasped his hands over hers.

Marina looked him over and carefully let her fingers intertwine with his, thinking, taking a few breathes, heart rate never changing, mind turning.



" I can't just make a decision like that, lovely... I care... more then I can explain... but, it's to change my life, in an instant."

Ephriam looked down at her fingers in his.



"I never asked you to choose." He ran his thumb over her soft hand.



"'The same reason that art is placed behind glass' - to save it from what would come upon it. I never scorned you, though perhaps you thought so." In his mind, he was saving her that. At least for now.

" It's my choice to make, if you do still feel like that towards me... Not yours to tell me how to make it."

Ephriam's face suddenly seemed old and tired as he gazed at their hands.



"And I never said that I would decide, either." He licked his dry lips and slipped his fingers free.



"I simply said 'not now'." But everything he did seemed to distort from his intention somehow.

" speak straight. Tell me what your really thinking about."



she prodded, nearly demandingly, eyes giving him no choice.

Ephriam's eyes snapped up.



"I am thinking about how much this hurts me." He wasn't being short. He was speaking as plainly to a complex subject that he knew how.

" ... How does it hurt you? Do you not like me, or do you like me that much? this hurts my head speaking in riddles... I need plain straight forwardness right now, lovely."