Oh no...it's... Can it be?? Claudia!

[mlle_claudia]

Claudia hums softly to herself as she stares at the pretty roses, the colours ranging from deep red to the palest of yellows. Her gloved hands are folded politely in front of her, as if she does not dare move to touch the flowers lest she prick herself on the thorns. The moonlight above makes her blonde curls gleam. Her dress is a mass of ruffles

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[always_whining]

Since speaking with Lestat and Marius, Louis has been wandering the grounds more and more often. After Marius explained the nature of the mansion to him, it was only natural that Louis' thoughts had immediately gone to Claudia. He thinks of her now, as he passes through the chrysanthemums, never lingering long enough to really look at any of them.

Her small form on the path causes Louis to pause, shocked; Claudia's never far from his thoughts, and her sudden appearance seems as though he's conjured her directly from his mind. Her dress, even, is one he's always liked -- though Louis had never been one to notice clothing. There's something about her, about the doll she carries, that seems unnatural, strange despite its familiarity... but none of that matters right now.

"Claudia," he finally whispers, as though expecting her to disappear.

[mlle_claudia]

Claudia's eyes light up when she hears the familiar footsteps behind her. She pauses briefly but then quickly comes forward, her hold on the doll loosening so that she only holds it in one arm now.

"Louis." Her voice is soft and questioning but reprimanding at the same time, as if it is Louis' fault that she ended up here alone. Claudia walks right up to Louis and wraps one arm around the side of his leg, her face tilting up so she can see him better.

[always_whining]

There is only a moment's pause, but then Louis bends and lifts Claudia into his arms. Her slight weight against him is all too familiar, and his hand finds its way into her soft, silken curls. He says nothing, and his hold is almost too tight.

It occurs to him, a bit too late, that he might frighten her, and so Louis forces himself to speak quickly, "Why are you alone?"

[mlle_claudia]

There is no resistance when Louis picks Claudia up but she does frown slightly when he squeezes her. One of her arms slips out from between them to wrap around Louis' neck, her fingers tugging lightly at the ends of his hair.

"I am not alone, Louis. You are here." Her words are quiet and with the simplicity of a child's. She does not feel quite as frightened anymore now that Louis is here.

[pandora_antioch]

A very gentle voice will be heard, at one point or another. It makes Pandora quiver, in fact, that there be a child so close, and vampire. She is torn between feelings of horror at what Claudia is, and the desire to protect her.

"Child - come now, it will be well," she murmurs softly. She never had any children of her own, but the little nephews and nieces of her mortal life suddenly haunt her mind.

[mlle_claudia]

She becomes very still upon hearing the voice, as if she suddenly is a statue and not a small child. The presence is overwhelming to her. Claudia blinks and glances aside very slowly, her arm tightening around the doll, then she stares with eyes that become impossibly wide. The creature before her is beautiful and yet something she has never seen before-- an immortal like Lestat and Louis and herself... but one that is a woman.

Claudia remains perfectly still as she stares at the immortal, almost as if thinking that she might hide that way..but it is only that she is so very fascinated. She does not think to speak.

[pandora_antioch]

Pandora lowers herself to the ground, crouching to be on eye level with the vampire child. "Come now, I will not hurt you, love," she murmurs softly. "What is your name? I am Lydia," she offers, softly. It's not a lie - she only ever goes by Pandora with those who knew her as such before she came to the mansion.

"Is there no-one to cater to you, little one?"

[mlle_claudia]

Pandora's voice soothes but unnerves her at the same time...she is torn between coming closer and staying right where she is. Curiosity wins her over after a moment, though, and she does take a few steps toward the kneeling vampire.

Claudia does not answer when Pandora speaks to her, as if she is completely incapable of speech, but her thoughts are not at all hidden from Pandora. Claudia finds her beautiful and mesmorising, yet she has never seen anything like her and she is not sure if Louis and Lestat would approve of this or not...

[doriath_crowned]

A pair of blond little boys are peering from the porch. There is a small flutter of little animals around them that stills almost immediately. One of the boys, grinning, runs to pick up the doll, offering it to the young ... Edain? She doesn't feel Edain, but Èlurìn nonetheless hands it to her.

"You dropped this...." The boy offers it up, his twin, warier, coming to tug his brother away.

[mlle_claudia]

Claudia blinks when the boys come into sight, as if she is so very confused by them, then she takes the doll, clutching it to her chest. She stares for a moment, her expression completely innocent, then she smiles in a very sweet way. "Do not leave. Please."

[doriath_crowned]

The wary twin keeps tugging at his brother, while the other one resists. "It's alright, look, she's very little. What in the world could be wrong with her? She's a kid, like Sophie, or Ariana. Let me go, 'Red." The friendly twin isn't let free by his brother, but he manages to turn to smile at Claudia, very friendlily. "Hi, I'm Elurin, this is my brother Elured. Don't mind him. Please."

[mlle_claudia]

She smiles even more when one of the twins says that she is just a little girl, as if to prove that point, then she takes a step closer, her gaze lowering so her lashes brush against her cheek. "Hello."

[eyrienprince]

Lucivar whirls around with a half snarl and brings up his blade at the psychic scent - and then freezes. A child. He hesitates, torn between his fierce dislike and wariness of her kind and the fact that she's small and looks lost and frightened. It's two hard instincts to fight.

[mlle_claudia]

Claudia blinks when she hears the man, her large eyes becoming even more wide as she stares at him. Her arms tighten around her doll and she becomes still on the path, then she frowns faintly as she takes in his appearance. Is very tiny and cute, not seeming more than five or six years old, and despite her unnaturally pale skin and bright eyes she does seem to be no more than a lost child...

[eyrienprince]

Lucivar's jaw tightens. He vanishes the stick, carefully, reining in his temper, and keeps his voice low and even. "Hello."

[andfutureking]

"Are-- are you lost?"

The Wart hasn't had very much (read: any) experience with girls near to his own age like Claudia, but he's been taught to be helpful to ladies, so...