This Mask is Not Me

Keith tensed when the door was ripped off of it's hinges.
"Don't" He snarled at Vaix, "It wasn't her fault. I asked her to speak to Shaye" He was trying to draw Vaix's attention to himself. He moved quickly, placing himself between Roxa and Vaix, hiding the blonde vampire completely from view. He was incredibly tense, Vaix looked almost alien to him, and the way he was reacting was scary. He normally was very sure and confident of himself, but right now he was freaking out a bit.

Shaye heard Vaix snarling, but for once she just didn't care. She slipped further into the water, drowning out the noises of the arguing. She was becoming very morose, and uninterested, emotionless. She was so emotionally screwed up that she couldn't express how she felt anymore. Her tears stopped, and she sat up, her wet hair cascading down her back. All she cared about in that very moment was how she was going to wash her hair with only one hand.

Roxa cried out as the door was ripped open, she hide in the corner at this point almost in tears due to her fear, she curled in on herself, covering her eyes with her arm and trembling, waiting for teeth of her skin, or crunches of her bone. Something.

Vaix narrowed his eyes at Keith as the vampire threw himself in the way. He watched Keith for a long time, fear did have a smell, and he could smell it. Keith, despite his courageous actions, was in panic, in no such confidence at all. Vaix on the other hand, despite his own weakened physical state, was confidante, and in pain. A lot of pain, to the point where he was desperate for a vent, and Keith had presented himself clearly as one. His hand clenched, cracking under protesting bones. "You hurt her?" he breathed, his voice still a hiss. "I let you see her. I let you come in the same room with her and watch her while she slept, and you send someone to rip her emotionally apart?" He bared his fangs at Keith, his eyes narrowed. "And to think, out of all three of you, I trusted you the most. As a friend." His eyes, which were normally a light blue, had taken on a more purplish colour, and around the pupil, a crimson red. The pupil of his eye itself was more cat-like, changing slowly as he opened up to anything that would help him get rid of this pain. Despite the darkness around his eyes, his eyes glowed past that, making him look rather spooky. A hand clenched tighter, then swiped forward with vampiric speed and slammed Keith in the chest, his nails causing the skin to break, and blood to be drawn.

Keith let out an anguished cry as Vaix's nails tore into his skin. Wincing, he grabbed Vaix's hand, tore it off of himself and sent the other vampire spinning across the room.
"We wouldn't have to resort to methods like this to see her if you would let her ouf of that damn room once in awhile" Keith snarled, his own anger and rage finally surfacing. He bared his teeth, although he didn't look as threatening as Vaix, a sort of brute strengh encompassed him. He winced, his chest burning in pain, but he didn't care, he just wanted to protect his family.

Vaix snarled back, stumbling as he was tossed away, and caught his balance a second after. "I did let her out, and look what happened!" he spat. She ended up on the floor, balling her eyes out because your little miss there decided she'd like to complicate things more than they needed to be!" He bared his fangs even more than before, snarling loudly like an animal, "you're all dangerous," he spat, "you want to hurt her. I know you do, each and every one of you...." He growled, then lunged at Keith for the older vampire's throat, he'd kill them, just as he'd killed his first family. They'd only cause him pain anyways, him and Shaye...

Keith twisted, turning his back to Vaix, and wrapping his arms around Roxa, protecting her from the other vampire. He felt Vaix hit his back, and winced as he felt at least one of his ribs break. He let out a wordless cry of pain, knowing that Vaix planned on killing them, unless something stopped him.
"Stop" Shaye's voice sounded, he winced, he could hear the raw emotion in her voice, and that more then Vaix's attempt on her life nearly killed him.

Shaye stood in the doorway, hair dripping wet, wearing a pair of shorts and a oversized t-shirt.
"Vaix, stop" She said softly, entering the room. She could see the blood on the floor, and instinctively knew it was Keith's. She waited, knowing he would notice her, and praying he did. She still had tears on her cheeks, but she looked different, her eyes held no emotion now, though her voice did. She looked like Shaye on the outside, but inside she felt empty, void of anything.

Vaix halted at the sound of her voice, basically toppling over Keith in the process as he glanced back at her in a heap of twisted limbs. He straightened himself out slowly, standing and watching her with concerned eyes. Within that second he'd changed from the heartless killer to the concerned over protective boyfriend again. He swallowed, "Shaye?" Seeing her tears made him hurt all over again, but he forced it down. Barely even aware of Keith's existence anymore.

Roxa trembled, by this point she was in tears, clinging to Keith for her life. Her face buried in his chest as her body vibrated out of fear, she knew Iggy was probably freaking out as well, and she wished she could comfort him, but he was safer than anyone else here, hidden the way he was. She sobbed softly and curled closer to her protector.

Keith winced, and folded himself around Roxa, letting his back take the impact. He could feel Roxa sobbing and clinging to him, and he felt horrible. She wouldn't have been in this mess if it hadn't been for his desperation to see his sister. He kept his arms wrapped around her, reluctant to release her, in case Vaix did flip again.

Shaye smiled half-heartedly.
"Will you come back to our room with me?" She asked, holding her hand out too him. She could see no other way of stopping the violence, and though she knew she may not see her family or friends again, this was better then being responsible for their deaths.

Vaix smiled slightly and came to her hand willingly, taking it in his own and pressing it to his face, then lifting a hand to brush her tears away. "Of course I will," he whispered back, completely oblivious to the massive amounts of pain behind him from the rest of his family. At this point, he wasn't even sure what to call them anymore, he literally did not feel anything for them anymore.
He kissed Shaye's hand lovingly, then leaned his head forward to kiss her nose, the red in his eyes had long gone, leaving the same sickly look he'd had before, instead of the threatening blood thirsty monster look he'd recently taken on. An arm wrapped around her, then brought her slowly out of the room and to their across from it. "Did you enjoy your bath?" he asked softly.

Roxa didn't look up as Shaye left, even though she knew that probably would be the last time she ever saw Shaye, or even heard her voice. She whimpered slightly, still trembling, still hiding against Keith, pressed as close as she could to him.

Iggy poked his head out slowly glancing from the door to Keith and back again. He whimpered as well, retreating back under the bed for a second then crawling out and over to Keith, laying submissively on the floor beside him, and looking up at Roxa with a frown propelled by fear alone. If the fear were to subside, and it would, it would be slightly disastrous.

Keith slowly began to release Roxa, wincing as his now battered body screamed in protest. He could still feel his blood running down his chest, and he knew for sure he had broken at least two, if not three ribs. He winced, carefully detaching himself from her, "Are you okay?" He asked, towering over her again. He shook his head, trying not to think about Shaye, and the fact that he was probably never going to see her again.

Shaye smiled at Vaix, although it was weak.
"Yea, it was fine" She murmured, letting him hold her close. Sighing she pushed open the door to their room and stepping inside. She smiled half-heartedly at him, not at all disturbed at what she had seen. She knew Vaix would snap eventually, and it was probably, in the long run, a good thing he had.

Vaix glanced at her and gave his own barely noticeable weak smile, stepping inside and glancing nervously back at the room the rest of the gang was in. He was worried, but not over their feelings, but more over the idea they'd get pissed and attack the both of them when they healed. He frowned, then shut the door, a haunting sound that echoed through the hall, almost symbol to the others the last time they'd see it open. He turned back to Shaye, making his way over to her slowly, then laying his head limply on her shoulder. "Are you mad with me?" he asked gently, his eyes closed as he listened to her breath and be with him.

Roxa looked up at Keith as he stood up, she winced at how beaten he looked the way he held his rib cage. "Fine," she choked, "but you're not..." She stood shakily, taking a step forward, and stepping on Iggy's head by mistake, making him yelp and jump back. Roxa gasped in surprise, then shook her head at Iggy, "sorry." She looked back at Keith, and placed a very gentle hand to where there was slow drips of blood leaking through his partially shredded shirt. "Show me," she asked innocently, wanting to see just how much help he needed, she guessed from the way he favoured a certain side, instead of the bleeding wound, he had broken bones. She'd probably have to bandage his rib cage all together to keep the bones in place as they healed.

"No, of course not" Shaye murmured, smiling against him. No matter what he did, she could never, ever be mad with him, she loved him to much. She winced as the noise of the door echoed through the hall, frowning for a moment, before smiling again.
"Are you alright?" She asked, moving away from him and sitting on the edge of the bed. She sighed, guessing she looked awful. Her hair was sopping wet and she was wearing sweats for crying out loud.

Keith nodded, taking a ragged breath and steeling himself. Carefully he pulled his shirt over his head, wincing noticably at the strain it caused his aching body. Gasping, he let the shirt fall to the ground, make that at least four ribs.

Vaix smiled back in return, then it disappeared as she stepped away from him. He watched her, giving a shrug and replying the same answer he always did, "fine." What a lie, but he wasn't about to expose himself to her if he knew it would only cause her more pain. He filled the distance between then with a couple smooth steps. A hand lifted to her wet hair, then he shook his head with a sigh. "You'll get cold," he muttered softly ignoring the fact vampires did not get cold in the first place. "Let me bring you a towel, and you're old clothes..." He smiled at her, still a very weak thing that barely showed to his face, then he turned and made his way back towards the door. "Don't let anyone but me in," he said sternly to her before he left.

Roxa winced, looking Keith over as he let his shirt fall. "Oh," she breathed, reaching out to the soft bulges against his side, definitely broken, though the one closest to the bottom only appeared to have cracked. She glanced up at Keith with a frown, then looked at the cut, it was small, three visible lines of Vaix's nails penetrating the skin, it would heal up in a matter of hours. She looked up at Keith with a frown, "stay still okay? I have to bind that." She gestured to his side, then made her way cautiously to the door, before stopping to glare back at Iggy. "If i come back in here and see you causing Keith hell you'll be in big trouble mister." She pointed at him, then left to get bandages.

Iggy flinched as Roxa growled a warning at him, then looked up at Keith, moving into a sitting position with his head tilted innocently one way. "I guess this means no hugs right Keith?" He smiled softly, his fear subsiding rapidly.

Shaye laughed softly, "Okay" She said, shaking her head a bit. She wasn't really in the mood to change her clothes, she was comfortable, it was more the fact that she had realized she even owned sweats. She shook her head, and lay back agains the pillows, not caring that her hair instantly soaked them. She mulled over what had just happened in her mind, she knew that Vaix would want to leave, and soon now. She frowned a bit, but sighed, she'd allow him to choose what they would do, at least for now.

"Nope, no hugs Ig" Keith said, watching Roxa go and hoping she'd be alright. He moved gingerly, seating himself on the edge of the bed, his breath coming in short, painfilled gasps. He lifted his hand to his chest, ignoring the shooting pain in his side. Blood, but the cuts weren't big or anything, so they'd heal.

Vaix made his way out, in time to see Roxa leave, he tensed, a very low hating growl pierced his throat, making the younger vampire jump, the yelp sharply and run down the stairs. He watched her go for a second more, then made his way to the washroom, scooping up a towel, and Shaye's scattered clothes, then made his way back to the room, opening the door to be with Shaye. "Here," he muttered with another hidden smile, taking the towel and ruffing up her hair with it.

Roxa rushed downstairs to the down stairs washroom, panting in fear eyes bulging until she was sure she hadn't been followed, then found what she needed and cautiously, and skittishly, made her way back up the steps to their room, she opened it, finding Iggy behaving and Keith siting on the bed in obvious pain. she sighed and made her way over, taking the gauze and starting to wrap it tightly around Keith's chest cavity, she knew it would be uncomfortable, but it would keep his ribs in place until they healed. She smiled up at him thankfully. "Thank you Keith, I owe you my life back there..."

"Hey" Shaye said, laughing a bit. She let him towel dry her hair, it was nice, to be pampred like this once in awhile. She wondered if she should ask, breech the subject of what just happened and what would happen.
"Um..." She murmured, and then trailed off, not sure what to say, or how to phrase the question.
"What's going to happen now?" She asked him, her voice soft, timid. She winced automatically, expecting him to freak out.

"No, don't thank me" Keith said, wincing as she wrapped the gauze. "That's what family does Roxa, we protect one another" He sighed and let her continue to work on his chest. Hopefully it would heal fast, but he hadn't heard of a vampire with broken ribs before, so who knew.

Vaix stopped drying her hair when she started to trail off into a question, he let it drop beside him, then frown at her reply. "What's going to happen now?" Vaix repeated softly. "Well...I guess that depends on what you want to happen, Shaye. You want to leave here, that's fine. You want to stay here and boot the rest of the guys out, that's fine too. Or if you want to leave things alone, I won't object. I only attacked them because they made you cry..." He lay his head in her lap, looking up at her with a soft smile, then a frown. "You know, it's hard for me. I know they'll hurt you. But I also know you love them as your family...I don't want to rip you away from them, but I'm scared for you..." He looked up at her sadly, then bit his bottom lip, " why didn't you just let me kill them Shaye?"

Roxa looked up at him in surprise to his answer, then smiled. "Awe Keith." She kissed his cheek sweetly and smiled happily, "you are a gentleman." She continued to bandage him, pulling on the bandage to make it as tight as she could, occasionally hearing a rib snap back in place. She taped the end down. Then stood from kneeling, "there." She placed a simple bandage over the cuts on his chest, then sat on the bed beside him. "Best guess at what's going to happen next with Shaye and Vaix?"

She winced, "Because I love them" She murmured, she hated hearing him say 'your' family, when only hours ago they had been 'their' family.
"Keith saved my life Vaix, never forget that. He gave me a home and family when no one else would. You wouldn't have me if it wasn't for him" She murmured, sighing. She didn't know what she wanted. As long as she was in this house, everyone she cared about and loved was threatened. She drew her knees to her chest, wishing she could just make everything better.

"Shaye wont want to leave" Keith said promptly. "She still considers us her family, regardless of what Vaix says" He winced a bit, and smiled at her. "It was how I was raised Roxa, and thank you" Though still sore, his ribs felt much more secure.

Vaix sighed and swallowed at her comment, he closed his eyes and remained silent for a long while. "I guess," he muttered, "I can thank him for that at least..." He watched Shaye curl into a ball, and could tell his own hate was hurting her. He swallowed, knowing he'd have to put on a happy face for her and the others, to preserve her happiness in turn. He closed his eyes and lay limp on the bed, breathing slowly in an exhausted way as he stared sightlessly at the wall.

"Did you just wince because I kissed you?" Roxa laughed at Keith's expression and shook her head, "Meany." She glanced at Iggy, whom was in a corner, trying to stay out of the way, which considering him, was very thoughtful. She smiled and blew the younger vampire a smooch, go outside and run off some steam Ig, we'll be here when you get back..."
Iggy frowned at the offer, glancing nervously at the door and back, but the overall stress around him was unbearable to be contained any longer. He smiled, then walked out to go outside as Roxa had offered.

Shaye sighed and stretched out, placing a gentle hand on Vaix's back.
"If you let me speak to the others, maybe we can work something out. Maybe it would be better if you and I left for a little while" She said, knowing Keith and them would be safe, and Vaix would be far less stressed. She knew she'd miss her family and Keith and the others would miss her, but she and Vaix would come back, it wouldn't be permanent or anything.

"No of course not" Keith said, shaking his head at Roxa. He found the young vampire to be so incredibly odd at times. He winced a bit and leaned back, resting agains the head of the bed, the pillows supporting his back as he did so.

"If that's what you'd like," Vaix muttered back softly, closing his eyes and relaxing at her touch. He sighed softly, thinking over the idea of leaving. It was appealing, though he knew it would cause issues with Keith, Iggy and Roxa. They'd be doing a pair amount of protesting. He shook it off, seeing as how it wasn't his problem in the first place. He honestly didn't care what the others thought right now.

Roxa watched Keith lay back with a sympathetic frown. She felt bad for him, seeing as how terribly he'd been injured thanks to her own lack of control when it came to making people feel guilty. She sighed and placed a hand on on of his long legs. "You need anything Keith?" she asked curiously.

Shaye nodded and sat up.
"I suppose I'll go speak to them. Work something out" She murmured, sliding off of the bed fluidly. She made her way across the room, opening the door, wincing as she noticed cracks in it, probably from when Vaix had slammed it. She sighed, and walked down the hall, knocking on the other bedroom door once, before entering.
"Hey" She said softly, wincing as she saw the bandages around Keith's chest and stomach. She sighed, feeling another overwhemling wave of guilt. "I'm sorry" She murmured. She glanced at the others, knowing she was making the right decision, if not for herself, for them.
"I think it would be best if Vaix and I left for awhile..." She murmured, wincing at the shock and pain that stamped itself on Keith's features.

"No" Keith gasped, staring at Shaye, his sister, his baby sister.
"Why, why would you leave?" He demanded, his body heaving, regardless of the pain.
"It would be better for everyone" Shaye murmured, barely able to look at him. "You guys wont be in danger, Vaix won't be stressed all the time. We'll come back, it won't be permantent, I promise" She murmured, a small tear sliding down her face.
Keith shook his head, "No" He said again, fighting down his own sobs.

Vaix swallowed nervously as she stood, watching her the whole way over, and even as she spoke with Keith. He couldn't see Keith, or Roxa or Iggy, but he saw Shaye, and that was good enough to put him at peace. He swallowed again, just watching for any signs of distress.

Roxa stared at Shaye wide eyed in shock. She opened her mouth, as if to speak, but no sound came. Her first reaction was to look at Keith, and what she saw on his features almost broke her heart. She winced sharply, moving closer to him and wrapping a comforting arm around his shoulders.
"Shaye," she started rather coldly. "How can you possibly think that leaving is the better option? After I came to talk with you, with an idea that would save far more hearts. You choose the cruelest way? And way? Because it's easy on Vaix." Her eyes turned to a sharp glare at Shaye, "but you know what? There are more people in your life than just him, Keith's gone through just as much pain as Vaix has, if not more, and you abandon him? Did you think you could leave, and not shatter his very existence? Shaye, the minute you walk out that door, Keith's life will crumble. You'll be lucky to see him still living when you return. He needs you too, just like me and Iggy and Vaix. You're boyfriend has lost his mind! His very world revolves around you, what you want. He doesn't care anymore, as long as you're smiling. He'd slaughter every one of us for one of you're smiles, and you're leaving for that? Shaye, you need to look at the bigger picture than just what you're psychotic puppet of a boyfriend wants, because if you let him have his way. He'll take you away from the world, hide you, and you will never see us again, or any person for that matter. So for you to take that path, and feel confidant that it's best for everyone. It's blind! Madness!" She snarled rather loudly, hearing another responding, far more vicious and intimidating snarl from the room across. She quieted down immediately at hearing it. Then just glared at Shaye, awaiting her answer.

Keith looked at Roxa, eyes wide with different emotions. He wasn't sure even what to say at this point. He glanced at Shaye, he could see the pain she was trying to mask, and he knew that he, Roxa and Iggy were now the cause of her distress.
"Roxa" He whispered softly, trying to calm her tirade. He agreed with her, but like Vaix, he wouldn't let her get hurt.

Shaye bit back a sharp retort, trying to keep herself calm, knowing it was only a matter of moments before she snapped at Roxa.
"You don't think I know that?" She growled, her good hand balling into a fist.
"I know it will hurt you guys, because it will hurt me just as bad, if not more so. But think Roxa. As long as I'm here, as long as I'm injured, you're all in danger. Regardless of how you feel or see Vaix right now, I understand, because if it was him who was hurt, I would be acting the exact same way. But besides that, as long as I'm injured, he will go to extremes to keep me safe. And say one of you says something to upset me, even if you don't mean it" She arched an eyebrow, reminding of the bathroom incident.
"What happened just now could be minimal compared to what could happen. And I won't put you in danger because I'm hurt" She said, her voice nearly breaking with emotion.
"Look, I'm so sorry, but do you see a better way? Because I don't" She murmured, looking from Keith to Roxa. She had ignored Vaix's growling, but she knew if this 'argument' continued he'd get worse and more aggrivated.

Roxa swallowed again, then sighed and shook her head, crossing her arms and looking away. She felt incredibly restrained from saying anything, due to the snarling across the hall, and for the sake of Shaye's well being. "I-I just don't you realize ho much control you have over Vaix's mood swings... You can stop him from attacking us just by calling his name. You really think leaving will change him into a safer being? He's possessed, you saw it. Corrupted by a dark creature that gives him a one track mind." She sighed softly and looked up at Shaye, "I'm just worried, because if you leave, there's a huge chance you won't come back..." She glanced up at Shaye, then at Keith quietly, laying her head on his shoulder limply, before taking his shirt off the floor and slipping it back on him. Needing to care for something at the moment, it was almost like an urge she had, a hyper active motherly instinct of some sort.

"Roxa, I know that with a word I can stop him, but think. What if something bad happens again and I can't stop him. I can't live here knowing that for every minute I do you're in danger. And, and I can't put him through this. Every time I leave the room he panics. Can't you see that this whole situation is making us all hate eachother. You will always be my family, regardless of where I am. And I will come back, no matter what" Shaye said, trying to keep her voice from breaking. "I will" She murmured again, almost as if to reassure herself. She glanced at Keith, her heart breaking, it hurt.

Keith let Roxa work over him, he didn't care anymore. He let out a small sigh, "Do whatever you feel you need to" He told his sister, but he wouldn't meet her gaze. He could feel the pain lancing through him, not from his ribs, but from his heart.
"Just come back"