The Roxburg Family Manor (8) – Rosas Spinis.

Lurch made a low inaudible growl as Ezekiel grinned at him like a Cheshire cat. His pleasant introduction, had the zombie raise an eyebrow, but what was even more troublesome, this guy was touchy feely, patting the giant zombie’s shoulder. Quite a feat for such a little man. Was he wearing lifts? The zombie allowed him to pass, then heard a sound coming from further down the hall.

“Lurch….Luuuurch…come here, lovey…”

It was Juliette, the one true flower of the Roxburg clan, or at least that is what Lurch liked to think. He turned slowly on his heel, and lumbered towards her, offering her the butcher’s knife that had wads of the strawberry cheesecake still stuck to the blade. Lurch gave her a lopsided grin, and wondered why she was such a mess. She was dirty…and not in a nice way.

“Rrrrrrrr?”

He was not big on conversation.

<3>

Juliette giggled quietly and put a finger to her lips “Shhh…shh…they musn’t know I am here, Lurchikins.” Looking down at the offered cheese-cake, she smiled impishly and flicked her tongue out to lick it. As she licked her lips greedily, her eyes twinkled as the petite demon reached up to place her hand on the giant zombie’s arm. “Now listen carefully, Lurch. I need you to fetch the pretty violet and black laced dress from my room. It is very important that no one sees me, understand?” Looking up at his giant coat, and idea dawned on her. Reaching her hands up like a small child, her smile turned innocent “Carry me in your coat to keep me hidden.” Stepping on her toes, she closed her eyes and perched her lips like she wanted to kiss him.

Lurch gazed down at Juliette with a near vacant expression. He really didn’t have a lot up top, and so her instructions weren’t exactly crystal clear. He growled in appreciation of her licking his butcher’s knife that had the sticky bits of strawberry cheese cake on it, and then dropped the knife in a pot plant, tip down when she asked;

“Carry me in your coat to keep me hidden.”

“Rrrrrrrr.”

It was going to be awkward, and the way she held her arms out to him, and made kissy lips, he suddenly had an idea, on how to get her upstairs unnoticed. Stepping back, he took off his coat, and dropped it on her unceremoniously, so the coat would pretty much cover much of her from view. He then picked her up like a rug, tucking her under his arm, and started off for the stairs, which he went up slowly, Juliette’s coat covered head was bound to bounce off the banister, as he reached the top.

“Rrrrrr?”

He looked left and right to see if someone was coming, swinging the coat covered Juliette around, then plodded off to her room, where he opened the door with such power, it nearly came off its hinges. Marching in, he then dropped the coat bundle with Juliette inside on her bed, and stared down at her with a sheepish grin.

<3>

Juliette had to bite back her scream as Lurch dropped his coat on her and scooped her up. She bit down on her bottom lip to keep from making too much noise as he carried her, but her head kept smacking into the banister as he was none too careful with his precious cargo. Soon he was busting her door open and plopped her on the bed. As she disentangled herself from the giant coat, she frowned up at him with a pointed finger “That was a very bad Lurch! You almost broke my door! Be sure to check on that….”

Juliette then stormed over to her mirror and pulled her dress off of it. Getting dress swiftly, she managed to tie the corset in the front. She silently congratulated herself on getting a dress she was able to put on herself. After fixing her hair and pulling on gloves, she looked at her reflection. She was an elegant queen of the night, but she was missing one thing. Looking to her vanity, she pulled on a silk black mask that was adorned with violet ribbons that matched her gown. Smiling slowly, she knew she was ready to meet Agares. Turning around towards Lurch, she lifted her arms again “Time to take me back downstairs. Be more gentle this time!”

Poor Lurch. He had really tried to do the right thing, and get her upstairs unseen by her parents, the guests, her brother, her sister, and her mother. He thought he had done a good thing, but then, Juliette started to wiggle her finger at him and tell him off.

“That was a very bad Lurch! You almost broke my door! Be sure to check on that….”

Well, the Zombie did have feelings and suddenly he burst into tears. Lurch was generally ignored by most of the household, even though he was very good normally at opening doors. The fact he nearly broke this door, tore into his decrepit heart strings.

He was such a sad sack, taking out his hanky and blowing his nose like it was a trumpet. Lurch’s shoulders heaved, even as he watched Juliette get changed into the beautiful ballgown. Sniffing and looking lost and forlorn, he then was ready to go and try to fix the door, only to have it come completely off its hinges. Looking left and right, he parked it to the side against the wall, and then looked back at Juliette again, who was now ready. But..there were conditions.

“Time to take me back downstairs. Be more gentle this time!”

Lurch nodded, and instead of dumping his coat on her, he swept her up in a loving embrace, like she was a doll, and proudly went to take her down the stairs. Only thing was….he forgot his coat.

<3>

The sound of Lurch’s sobs actually pulled on her heart strings. Frowning as he lifted her up gently, she nuzzled into his chest and sighed “I know you will fix it, you big teddy bear…there there…who’s a handsome good Lurch?” She began to snuggle into him, very much enjoying the fact that she was being carried like a prized possession. As they began to walk down the stairs, she sighed contently until she realized she was exposed. Letting out a shriek, she began to kick violently in Lurch’s arms until she was able to successfully jump down. Falling to the floor in a heap, she looked at Lurch with an exasperated look “That was not a great idea, Lurch!” Scowling, she quickly stood up straight and adjusted her dress. Looking to the pot near the door, she had an idea. Stepping over to it, she smiled slowly and shouted “Agares!” As if right on cue, she began to dissolve into the plant. Now she would be able to make it to the ball unseen.

(Thread Change to Ballroom)

For a moment, Juliette treated Lurch a lot like he was that all too good looking blood doll of hers, Edward. It was easy to see how Juliette could pour on the charm, like kerosene to a fire. The snuggles and the words of how good he was and a teddy bear, had him rattle his head from side to side, proud as punch to be carrying her down the stairs, like it was he that was Prince Charming, taking her to the ball. Oh, the day dreaming started for Lurch. Juliette, radiant in a sea of cheesecakes, and then, she kissed him with those sweet lips. He closed his eyes, and nuzzled the top of her pretty head, until….

She suddenly started kicking and leapt from his arms, only to fall into a huge heap at the bottom of the stairs. The look on her pretty face was so horribly distorted, as she showed him anger all over again.

“That was not a great idea, Lurch!”

She was yelling at him again. The poor Butler got worked up and wrang his hands, not understanding what he had done wrong this time. THEN she screamed another man’s name. “Agares!” Who the hell was that? Watching in surprise, Juliette vanished lock stock and hoop skirts, into a pot plant. Lurch scratched his head, and then knelt down and tapped the pot plant.

“Rrrrrr?”

But there was no sign of Juliette or anyone in the plant dirt. As he stood up, his foot knocked the pot plant and it tipped over, smashing on the floor. Oh no, he had made a mess. Bess, hated untidy things, and he quickly hurried to the broom closet, and opening the front door, he started to sweep the dirt and broken pot plant holder out the door, and into the garden, right under the roses, where the Gardner dumped a pile of horse droppings on it.

With that mess cleaned up, Lurch ambled back inside, shutting the door gently.

<3>

Elvira could see that she was having some sort of effect on the hapless Edward. His eyes seemed to be swallowing his face and he stammered part of his reply before semi-regaining his senses. “M-Mistress, i-if it pleases thee…” He had to clear his throat and Elvira mentally giggled. “I request the great honor, and priveledge of joining you at the Masquerade ball tonight. If not at your side, then as a servant to demand.”

She was impressed. He managed to keep eye contact with her despite the fact that her succubus’s aura was flared slightly half of her maximum level. She began to contemplate the pros and cons of taking him to the ball as she eyed him like some sort of specimen under a microscope. “If a reason is requested….it is not something this one can give Mistress. All I can do is ask, and if denied, I shall return to my….most humble abode.” She could hear the emphasis on the word ‘humble’ and it was as if a light had gone on in her head. The calculated gleam was in her eye once more. She got to her feet, the tight corset of her dress pushing her breasts up and out like plump, juicy watermelons.

She draped herself across the door, nearly pushing her bosom into his face. She trailed a taloned nail down the side of his cheek, careful not to break the skin, but letting him know that it would be a possibility in the future if he displeased her. “What’s in it for me?” she purred, her tone of voice dark and sensual. Like chocolate, silk and sin all rolled into one. She was seriously contemplating his request, if only to pull one over on her sister.

“RRRAAAAAAAAGGGGHHHH!!!!” another maid made the mistake of passing the Lord as he raged. Instantly, her body burst into flames and he grabbed her arm, yanking it wildly off of her form. When she fell, he brought his hooved foot to her head, and stomped on it. Blood, bits of skull, and brain matter flew everywhere in a ten foot radius. “I WILL KILL HIM FOR TAKING HER!” Her being his daughter, Juliette. Yes he wanted to kill her, yes he tortured her emotionally, and yes he he couldn’t stand her. Yet when push comes to shove, she is his daughter, and he’d rather die than see her harmed by any outside the family.

He knelt down to the lifeless body, his glowing eyes studying it like a new life form, something he’d never seen before. His clawed hands drug the tips of their fingers along it’s curves, along the delicate skin it held. Then slowly, he calmed, his mind focusing more on the object before him. When he heard his wife’s voice, he snapped his head over his shoulder, his eyes catching her form as his wings held open behind him. He stood then, turning his attention, and his body, to face her and hold her eyes in a cold stare with his own. Her words, however, were not going through as he studied her as well. Luckily, his mood had calmed, and his expression was just as fitting. Though that changed as he heard understood her final words.

“You…knew?” Just then, something snapped within him, and he stood for a long while, simply staring her down as though he were processing, still, what had happened. His face twisted with rage as he roared again, slowly stomping towards her. His eyes casting fire at her, not physically, but it’s what it would seem like as his mouth spat lava. “You knew he was here and you said NOTHING?! You knew she was speaking to him yet you did NOTHING?!” He roared and the glow of his markings intensified. “HOW DARE YOU COME BEFORE ME AND ACT AS THOUGH YOU HAVE DONE NOTHING WRONG! YOU KNOW THAT BEAST IS FAR FROM WELCOME, YET YOU DID NOT REMOVE HIM OF OUR HOME!” He stopped just inches before her. All he wanted to do right now was tear her to shreds with his own hands, his rage was so powerful he was having an incredibly hard time controlling this urge. “THERE WOULD BE NOTHING TO FIX HAD YOU DONE SOMETHING!”

That’s when his nose twitched to the smell of fresh dirt in the house…and something much more distinct of sweat and exertion dried upon skin. His attention immediately lifted from his wife, and he pushed past her as he stormed forward, leaving the bloody heap of the body behind. Making his way down the stairs, he saw the two guests that had been allowed in, assumingly by the butler, whose name Amos hardly acknowledged. His current form would come as no surprise to him, and he recognized both. Ezekial and Az, one a family friend, the other his nephew. In an odd and twisted way. He ignored them, however, and continued charging towards the source of the scent, where he found the butler, in juliets room, with a busted door, and fresh dirt upon the floor, as well as sex in the air. His eyes fell upon the butler, and his rage was released again as his focus shifted. He spoke his next words softly, but the seriousness in his tone never wavered. “Where is she?” His eyes dug into the Zombies very flesh with focus and rage. “Where has Juliette gone?” Looking to the dirt on the ground in her room, he noticed the pot directly above it. Rushing over there, he folded in his wings and leaned against the table as he sniffed at it. He could smell her in the area, and if she truly had fucked his greatest of enemies, or one of three at least, she would have betrayed him in a way a father could never forgive. though if she was running from her captor, hence the smell of sweat and exertion, he would embrace her. He instantly believed the second option, finding it difficult to understand that Juliette of all his children would betray him in such a manner. Leaving, running away he could understand, but not fraternizing with his greatest enemies. He turned to face the Zombie, and pointed a single clawed finger at the pot, his ten foot frame standing still. “There?”