A Doll's New House

Pix tilted her head. "You sure? You look a bit pale, big sis Ix." The tiny girl placed her hand on the girl's forehead.
(Just don't have her near Tix or Alice will have trouble)

"I'm sure, I can't stay in bed today anyways. Don't worry, Pix! Breakfast will wake me up in no time!" She offered the chibi girl her brightest smile, making to put her at ease as swiftly as possible.

"You sure?" Pix kept staring at Ix.

Alice was getting a bit impatient by her prodding, but she knew it was out of concern. "I'm sure I'm sure," she said, giggling a bit. She left her room and strolled towards the kitchen, pretending to have a suddenly thought. "Pix, could you do me a favor?"

The tiny girl nodded and waited for 'Ix' to tell her what favor was she talking about.

"Alice wants to see Orianna today, so I'm gonna go visit her pretty soon. Do you think you can go let everyone know?" she asked the little tot.

Pix was slightly confused. "But... Didn't you had a date with Kathy?"

"Ix" put up a startled expression, followed by a pang of guilt. "Ohh, no! That's right, sorry. My head is still fuzzy." She fixed herself some oatmeal as she thought things over. She obviously can't cancel that date, Ix doesn't strike her as the type. And then there was the risk of everyone in this place catching some sign that Ix wasn't right today. These people clearly garnered a familial intimacy, beyond that for some specific pairings. Perhaps instead of another making the decisions of someone else...

Alice pulled the enthralled Ix from the depths of her mind. "My dear Ix, there might be more fun in store for you after all. I'd like for you to resume living your life as you normally do, but with a set end goal. Find an opportunity for me to visit Orianna."

The enthralled Ix nodded. "Yes, my goddess."

Pix tilted her head as she saw Ix's startled expression. "You sure you are okay, big sis Ix?"

"I'm fine, Pix. Just upset I let it slip my mind," she offered. "But then, I did just wake up..." Alice smiled as she accepted Ix's response, putting the enthralled young woman in control of her body once again.

Ix gave a Pix a pat. "Really Pix, I'm okay but... I think you got it wrong, my date with Kathy is tomorrow, she's working today, remember?" Pix tilted her head before realizing that what Ix was saying was true. "You really want to see Kathy, don't you? She's too busy lately... I want to see her too..." Pix scratched the back of her head with an expression that was saying 'my bad' "Anyway, let's go have some breakfast, I'm sure you are hungry. Why don't you head to the kitchen and start prepating the thing to make breakfast?" Pix nodded and jumped to the floor before dashing out of the room. "The tiny girl is gone, my goddess, apologies for the inconvenients." Ix's voice was once again lower and out of energy as she spoke to Alice.

"Oh don't you worry, Ix. It simply gave you an opportunity to demonstrate your loyalty. I'll make sure to reward you later," she assured the mentally-drained thrall. "Shall we go make more thralls' and pay a visit to my niece?"

"As you wish, my goddess." Ix bowed before handling control to Alice.

Alice grinned as she made to let Sanctuary as quickly as possible. Thankfully with her power it wouldn't take long, sprinting off at amazing speeds, though made sure to keep it managed so as not to damage Ix's body. "It's so good to be home!"

She made a beeline for the gardens, where Orianna was seated, enjoying the sight of her flowers while have snacks. "Ix? Auntie?!"

"Right the second time, Ori!" Alice greeted, awaiting her niece's embrace, all while thinking of her next move.

Pix waited in the kitchen for Ix but she never came, in fact, the tiny girl's body started to disappear which meant that Ix was really, really fat away from her.

Orianna and her scheming aunt spent the next few hours conversing and spending time together. Alice had a royal blue choker around Ix's neck to cover up the mark signifying her enthrallment. "You know, I was talking it over with Ix and I think we're clear to stay the night over here."

"That sounds wonderful!" Orianna commented, barely containing her joy. She was too easy to read in Alice's presence. Far too easy.

"Ah, but we'll have to go to bed a bit early, the girl has a date tomorrow," she mentioned. "Need as much time prepping herself. She's quite adorable with her lover, if I do say so myself~!"

Xana was wandering around the house looking for Ix. "Where is she? I can't believe she's skipping classes... This is weird..."

Orianna and Alice spent the rest of the day together, the former eating up every word her dear Aunt spoke. She was so trusting, so naive and desperate for family that she seemed to forget any disagreement Alice might've had with the rest of the family. As dinner came and went, the time came for a good sleep, as Alice and Orianna went to a single room under the guise of remaining in each other's company. As Orianna took to her own gown, Alice donned a more concealing night gown by "Ix's request". The two climbed into bed and conversed a bit more, back and forths aplenty until Orianna began to get drowsy.

Alice turned to her niece and drew her tired eyes to her, after which they lit up in a hypnotic light greatly overpowering her own. Orianna was captivated in an instant, unable to fight back, and - after a couple seconds - unwilling to as well. "Orianna, my sweet child, I've missed you so much. Dreaming of this moment, that's what I've done, for so many years. I can claim a more proper body for myself. Taking one of family, that'll restore me to my old glory and then I'm going to start claiming this land one town after another!"

Alice began to assert her power over Orianna, preparing her for her restoration. However, what the grand vampire didn't realize was that her hold over Ix began to slip the moment she focused her power on the endeavor.

Ix was slowly coming back to her senses as Alice's magic weakened it's grip on her, finally managing of getting back control, even if briefly, Ix pushed Orianna to the side and tried to get as away of her as possible, struggling for the control of her body against the spirit possessing her.

---

Xana was walking down the hallway towards the kitchen, she was still wondering about ix's whereabouts, she skipping class was weird but what put her on alert was the fact that she seemed to miss her date with Kathrynne that morning. She had met Kathrynne on the hallway, in front of Ix's room, the noblewoman was worried about Ix. A couple of minutes later, she found Tix looking at something in the kitchen. "Hey Tix, have you seen Ix?" The lancer asked.

"What am I her babysitter?" The ashen haired girl replied.

"She has been missing since the other day, skipped class, skipped her date with Kathrynne and-"

"Unsummoned Pix?" Tix interrupted her, showing a tiny apron.

"What? What do you mean?"

"Found this on the floor. That tiny girl might do random things but at least she's tidy enough to not leave her things lying around the place."

"Just what the where did Ix go... Wait..." Xana realized something. "That bitch! I let her be... I trusted her!"

"Slow down, who are you talking about?"

"The spirit possessing Ix."

"What!? You better start from the beginning." Tix was starting to grow more and more angry, not only at the mentioned spirit but at Xana too for allowing it. After the lancer finished telling her the story, Tix couldn't hold it anymore. "You let a fucking dead vampire, who committed atrocities in the past, possess Ix's body!? Are you fucking daft!?"

"It was Ix's choice, I-"

"So what!? If Ix wanted to jump off a cliff you would allow it too!? Where is she?"

"A friend of Adrianna, a vampire named Orianna. She probably went to her castle. Wait, Tix, where are you going?"

"To the castle, I'm going to rip that spirit's head off." Tix soon vanished into the shadows, starting to head towards the vampire's castle while Xana followed as quick as she could by feet.

Alice growled and clutched Ix's head, attempting to reassert her will over Ix's. With the slave brand on Ix, it would guarantee she'd reclaim control, but with her soul fractured like it was, it'd take more time than it used to, and she didn't have time to waste. "Ix don't act out, let your master put you to sleep. Just drift off, do not interfere or there will be consequences!!" With the usual hypnotic wants also came a sense of dread within, like a bad omen. "Just rest for a while. Your goddess will be reborn soon!"

Ix kept struggling against Alice's commands, the brand on her neck compelling her to obey made it much more harder. "M-Ms... Orianna... W-Wake up.." She managed to say between groans.

Inside of her mind, Ix was fighting to resist Alice's hypnotic gaze, she closed her eyes and pushed the vampire away. "N-No... I won't... Let... You..."

---

Tix could already see the mentioned castle in the distance, Xana, following as best as she could, was able to see it as well. Both women rushed to the castle as fast as they physically were able to.

"If you won't obey then I'll just have to rip your soul apart, piece by piece, until you obey my every command! If you don't like that, then obey my commands right now!" Alice even attempted to forced her eyelids open to keep her staring into her deep demon red eyes.

Orianna was still reeling from her own trance, happily laying on the bed I wait for her dear Aunt to do what she must.

///

Meanwhile, just outside the castle, Theresa spots Tix and Xana rushing towards the castle. "Lady Xana and... Well, i suppose it doesn't matter who you are. Why are you both in such a rush? Is something wrong?"

Ix tried to resist all she could but in the end the brand overwhelmed her, the girl opened her, once again, lifeless eyes. "My apologies... My goddess..." She kneeled in front of Alice.

---

"Out of the way!" Tix didn't stop, using her shadow form, the ashen haired girl kept heading towards Ix energy, now weaking.

"There is not much time Theresa, Ix is here right? I'm afraid Alice might want to try to do something bad to Ms.Orianna." Xana explained.

Theresa couldn't react in time to stop Tix, but what Xana had said caught her thoughts."Lady Alice..." She bit her lip as she processed that before nodding, surprisingly fast at that. "I understand, follow me!" She drew her sword and rushed into the castle, heading straight for Orianna's bedchambers.

Said princess was being pinned against the bed once more with Alice in control once again. "Very good, little girl, now my time will come..." A dark energy emerged from Ix's body and crept towards Orianna's. It was small and faint, but it drew closer woth dark purpose.

Before that dark energy could enter Orianna's body, Alice was tackled and pinned against the floor by a very, very angry Tix. "You bastard, leave my sister's body. Now!"