by Aven Alveron 4th December 2020, 12:03 am
Aven sighed, staring up at the fourth window from the left. It would've been a simple teleportation circle up through that window, and a quick lock of the door, not to deal with Lucy's shenanigans. Still, Lily had made a good point, if not unintentionally: he was teetering on the edge of whether it was the right move to bring her to bed, and truth be told, he was far more interested in learning more about her. Not about her curves, but about her likes and dislikes, her favorite foods and songs. He wasn't fool enough to think she was interested in anything but a second night stand, but if he did nothing else that night, Aven was going to move forward in his life, and do what he'd been too scared to do with Nessa: be blunt.
Glancing over at Lily's expectant expression, he knew immediately it wasn't going to be easy. More than likely, she'd just laugh in his face, so if he wanted to have even a ghost of a chance, he'd need to pick the perfect time. Or, at least, close to it. Gesturing to the tall, dark mahogany doors, Aven ushered her forward. "Then, I'll let you count as we go. The tour can come first, though I'd like to give you a bit of a warning about the live-in Maid, Lucy. Her family has served the Alverons for generations, and I'm afraid she can be... well, possessive." Unfortunately, that was only half the story; it'd only gotten worse, the stronger he grew. After 'Learning' a few things from Lily, and cross referencing the storybooks and magazines Lucy unscrupulously devoured in her free time, he'd come to realize the girl was hopelessly lost in a Master/Servant fantasy; worse yet, in retrospect, she and Zane had gotten along very well. It was only a theory, but he had a sneaking suspicion that when his Mother erased Lucy's memories of his brother, her mind had naturally replaced Zane with Aven, carrying over the crush she'd obviously had on his twin.
Now in arm's reach of the doors, Aven stepped to the side and pushed on the wood, a small magical seal unlocking at his touch, the mahogany swinging open effortlessly to reveal the Grand Foyer, complete with a crystal chandelier, a set of dark red, velveted spiral staircases, multiple vases with seemingly magical plant-life, and a pouncing brunette maid tackling Aven onto the porch, pinning him to the wood with bright eyes and a grin from ear to ear. "MASTER AVEN! YOU'RE FINALLY HOME!"
A small aura of black magic could be seen fading from behind his head and under his shoulders, having shielded his body from the ground as he looked up as gracefully as he could. "Nice to see you again, as well, Lucy." Raising a hand, the only part of him that wasn't trapped under the tall Cat woman, he waved to Lily. "Lily, this is Lucy, the Alveron Family Estate's live-in maid. Lucy, this is Lilith Kadokawa, a good friend of mine." For a moment, the air vibrated with energy, as he spoke, "I trust you'll be a proper host?"
Aven's words were laced with purpose, and though the energy faded from the air as soon as it'd gathered, the weight of his meaning hung around the maid, as her eyes darted up from Aven to meet Lilith's. For a brief moment, there was a clear disdain, bordering hostility, which clicked into a bright, welcoming masquerade. "Of course! Any friend of Master Aven's deserves only the finest of service!" Rising up and off of Aven, Lucy straightened herself up and issued a stiff, formal bow to Lilith. "Welcome to the Alveron Family Estate, Miss Kadokawa; I do so hope you enjoy your stay." The woman's ears visibly twitched as she spoke, telltale signs if ever there were.
Aven, too, rose from the ground, dusting himself off. "I was just about to give Lily a tour of the Manor. Would you be so kind as to let Belmont know we have guests, and to prepare a meal?" Aven paused, seizing the opportunity, "Lily, what would you like to eat? Belmont is a fantastic chef, I'm sure he could even make your favorite meal, if you'd like?" Was it an underhanded way to learn her favorite food? Perhaps, but he preferred to frame it as 'clever'.
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[Word Count: 732.]
[Word Count Total: 10,483.]