Rona enters the bedroom upstairs, finding that Mortas has yet to return. He places the vampires key onto the nightstand near his side of the bed, and is about to leave when something sparkly catches his eye.
Rona looks at his nightstand, the box Mortas gave him reflecting sunlight off its painted exterior. He hasn't touched it since he placed it there, in fact, he's forgotten about it until now. He walks over to the box, delicately wiping some dust off of it.
Rona doesn't consider himself the curious type, in fact he should just let this box rot, he doubts the vampire put anything important in this box. But, Rona decides he wants to open it, anyway. Even if it is just a bunch of junk. What if someone sees that it isn't open? That'll cause trouble. Rona sits on the bed, trying to open the box. But just like before, it won't budge.
"What are you doing?" An annoyed voice asks behind him. Rona turns, seeing Mortas has returned from his shower. He's wearing a towel around his waist, but he's letting his long hair drip water all over the floor. Have some decency, at least. Rona turns back.
"I just came to give you your room key," Rona continues to fiddle with the box. "Do you also find it amusing, to have given me a prank as a gift?" He huffs.
"What are you talking about?" Mortas moves to the closet, changing behind Rona. "It opens."
"No, it doesn't." Rona shakes the box.
"Are you sure you're just not stupid? Everyone knows how to open a box." The vampire now brushes his hair.
"If I could open it, I would have. Look, there isn't even a keyhole." Rona lifts the box in Mortas's direction. Mortas raises a brow.
"Ah, I see." He says. "I remember now." He takes the box from Rona. "Damn thing, it's so old." He sighs. "It doesn't like opening up to strangers." He states.
"I'm sorry?" Rona says. "You mean to tell me it's alive?" He looks at the box.
"Eh, something like that." Mortas shrugs. "Give me your arm again." He instructs. Rona leans back.
"Ew, no." Mortas rolls his eyes.
"Do you want the box open, or not?" Rona frowns, giving the vampire his arm yet again. Mortas pricks Rona in the same spot, blood flowing from the wolf's arm. Mortas positions Rona's arm over the box, so that his blood will drip onto it. They watch as the box soaks up Rona's blood, and then click, the box opens itself. Mortas moves to stop Rona's bleeding, but the wolf pulls away.
"I taste like rusty nickles, remember?" Rona covers his wrist, walking to the washroom. Mortas just clicks his teeth, placing the box down. He leaves the room, going downstairs.
Rona comes out of the washroom, seeing that Mortas is gone. He thinks nothing of it, walking over to the box. He picks it up, looking inside. He sees letters, photos, coins, and pieces of gold. Strangely personal, considering Mortas, but Rona still believes there must've been a reason Mortas wanted to get rid of this thing.
Sitting on the bed, Rona starts to pick apart the contents. His eyes are first drawn to the coins, the wolf never having seen them before. He picks one up, the coin almost as big as his palm. Ah, he sees now. This must be a Dracul currency. The carvings indicate so. This has no value to a Lycanis. However, Rona does find it interesting. He could consider it a collector's item of sorts. He places it back into the box.
Next, he looks at the letters. He won't even bother with the gold pieces, he has plenty of gold already. Rona reads one of the letters:
"Dear My Grandson Mortas,
How I have missed you, son. It gets lonely out here, and your grandmother is turning into a nutcase! Haha! The war between those damn fleabags rages on, and I know not how much more we can take. Stay strong, we love you. -Grandpa"
Rona folds the letter back up neatly, and picks up another.
"Dear My Grandson Mortas,
It's not looking too good for me and your grandmother, Mortas. I know you all wanted us to stay at the castle, but our fight is out here! Your grandmother is no longer speaking sense, and I believe I've caught a sickness. We will continue to hold out, I belive we almost have the Lycanis! -Grandpa"
Rona again, folds this letter up, and places it back into the box. There is one letter left, he reads it.
"Dear My Grandson Mortas,
I'm sorry, Mortas. I'm afraid this will be my last letter to you. The Lycanis have infiltrated my post, as I currently write this letter to you. I have some time, this will surely make it to you. Please, be good to your mother and father. Me and your grandmother love you. Goodbye. -Grandpa"
Rona quickly folds up this letter. What the Hell? Was.. Mortas's grandfather apart of the Dracul army? If so, why would these letters just be stuffed into this box? Would Mortas not have them displayed somewhere? Rona shakes his head, for once, he doesn't understand the motive behind this. Rona places the letter back into the box, now looking at the photos. He picks one up when-
"Rona, honey! Come down for dinner!" His mother calls. Rona drops the photo, leaving the room.
After dinner, the boys are sent back up to their room. Rona takes the box he left on the bed, taking it back over to his side of the room. Or rather, the floor. Rona feels Mortas flop onto the bed.
"You still looking in that thing?" He stretches.
"Yes, I'm quite surprised at the items in here."
"What good is in there? Just a heap of junk." Mortas yawns.
"So, you did just give me something useless? What about these letters?" Rona holds up one of the letters.
"Yes, what about them? They were from my grandfather."
"I can see that," Rona stands. "Do they mean nothing to you? They've been left to be forgotten in this box."
"What do you care about my grandfather? He died by the hand of your people." Mortas sits up.
"I..." Rona's heart suddenly starts pounding, his palms growing sweaty. "That doesn't change the fact that-"
"That what? That my people overstepped? We asked for too much? Not enough food in the Lycanis's bellies?" Mortas gets off the bed, walking over to Rona. "My grandfather was a fool, he should've listened and stayed in the castle like we told him to. But that wouldn't have happened- none, of this would've happened if we had just kept our mouths shut, yeah? Let the Lycanis do what they want."
"That's not what I was going to say, Mortas. Give me some space," Rona steps back.
"Oh? You want some space? Why don't I give you some space? Why don't I give you all of the space! All of the land? Take all of it! No one else needs it!" Mortas steps closer to Rona.
"No, Mortas- I'm serious, I really wasn't trying to offend you-" Rona backs up even more, stepping on the box in the process, crushing it. However neither seem to notice in the moment, as Rona backs into the nightstand.
"Yes, because that's never the case, is it? You're all just doing what's best for your people. It doesn't matter how many others starve, does it?" Mortas raises his voice.
"Leave me alone!" Rona shouts, stepping forward. Again, his foot crunches on the now broken box, and suddenly the two become aware of it. There is a photo under Rona's foot, and he bends down to grab it.
"There shouldn't be any photos inside of there..?" Mortas speaks. Rona takes a look at the photo, eyes widening. "What is it? Show me!" He demands. Rona hands Mortas the photo.
It's a picture of an infant, with pale skin and black hair. Red eyes, and pointy ears. The baby is smiling, showing its gums. This is...
"I thought you've never had any photos of yourself taken before?"
"I haven't," Mortas stares at the photo. "Hand me those others."
Rona quickly picks up the other photos, handing them all to Mortas. The vampire sits on the bed, looking through them. "These are all.. but my family has never owned a camera before? At least not that I know of. This one, it's my grandfather." Rona hesitates, before sitting next to Mortas. The vampire looks through the photos over and over again, lost in thought.
"You never noticed these were in your box?" Rona looks at the pictures with Mortas, seeing family photos, and random events captured on its film.
"Never, I have not a clue. I didn't place them here." Mortas hands the photos to Rona. "How could they have kept these from me?" Rona is silent. He doesn't know what to say, this seems like a family matter which he shouldn't get into. Yet, Mortas seems really distraught.
"I'm sure there must've been a reason, Mortas." The werewolf finally speaks.
"It was rhetorical," Mortas gets up, walking back over to his side of the bed, and laying down. "You can go ahead and throw those out, I don't want them."
Rona sighs. Even in a situation where the vampire is vulnerable, he won't let his guard down around Rona. He won't confide in him. He just can't see past their differences. Rona looks at all the pictures splayed in his hands.
"You really want me to do that?"
"Did I stutter?" Rona continues to stare at the photos.
"It's truly regrettable, tossing out something like this... you'll thank me later, Mortas." Rona thinks to himself. He slips one of the photos under his pillows on the floor, then gets up, to throw the rest away.
Rona cleans up the now shattered box, throwing that away as well. If anyone finds out that the box is missing, the two of them will be in a pinch. But Rona will make sure nothing like that happens. Rona now lays down on the floor, covering himself in his blankets. It's now that Rona starts to critically think about the vampire.
Mortas turns the lights out, with no warning, laying back down. This doesn't bother Rona though, (as Mortas never does tell him when he's turning the lights off for bed) as he can see in the dark, anyway. He pulls the photo out from under his pillows, staring at it. "I understand your frustration. It must feel like your memories have been locked up with this box." Rona thinks to himself. He places the photo back under the pillows, then falls off to sleep.