Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Elizabeth wraps a sliver gloved hand around a champagne glass watching in secret at everyone at the bar. She was hidden in the shadows in one of the hidden booths. Her eyes glazed over about a dozen people, porn stars at the bar, a dressed-up druggy near the railing, and then she spots her.
The girl she sees is different, her aura is different, everyone else here is either black or green. Hate or lust or here for sex, not this one. Elizbeth loved a challenge. Long brown neat, curly hair cascades around her face. A dress that almost swallows her figure, dances in the light as silver. Elizbeth stares at her, her mask like face unmoving. Like a porcelain model. Her brain finds its way towards the girl, feeding it information, everything she wants- or thinks she wants.

The girl looks up from her drink, smiles slightly then looks away. Without a second glance towards Elizabeth.

The countess face doesn’t move but an inch when her brow knits together, she hadn’t taken the bait. She slowly tilts her head to the other side and tries again. Feeling her brain and trying to pick apart at this girl’s heart strings. And again, the girl looks towards her direction and Elizabeth can see that her features have changed slightly- brighter almost, then take its original form of solemnness.

...

For the rest of the night Elizabeth followed her, from the bar to get another drink, to the party on the first floor and then to her room. This girl wasn’t particularly fond of the party festivities, the music and drinking, the loudness from others. Elizabeth could feel that she wasn’t where she wanted to be.

“Lilith darling, hello” Elizabeth smile gently at the girl, she picked up her name after a number of men have tried their way of conversation with her, always bored and not in the right place for what they wanted. Curls dance around Lilith face and she looks from the ground then stops abruptly in the middle of the designed hallway- dazed. She nods
“Evening.”

The Countess holds out her hand “Lonely?” She arches and eyebrow and her smile grows warmer. Being this close to The Countess was something that Lilith hadn’t felt before now. She felt safe and warm. For The gorgeous women before her, she felt something, and the feeling begins to flicker. Elizabeth could hear this girls heart stutter infrequently. Lilith shakes her head a bit, to clear her mind and continues walking again. Smiling a little as she walks by ‘No, thank you.’ She breaths a laugh.

“Just on my way, it’s been a long night.”

“Let me help you then.”

“No, really I’m okay.”

Within a second The Countess grabs a hold of Lilith’s arm and pins both their bodies up against one of the doorways. “I insist,” she leans in, her lips almost dancing on hers.

“I...I don’t” Lilith stutters, been caught off guard. The action doesn’t alarm her as much as it should. She starts to feel the same feelings when she looked at her before, glancing up from her table. Little wisps of consciousness enter her mind, feeding her a feeling that’s new. But its strange, there’s something straining on her. Holding on to her heart tightly. Staring at someone so beautiful, wanting and feeling like you need to love them but instead its confusing and bitter everything in her body is saying no.

“I don’t understand” Lilith’s lips tremble and tears begin to spill onto her cheeks.

“Don’t cry my love.” Elizabeth facade breaks again as she wipes a tear away. “You are an interesting creature.” She paused for a moment, “It’s stranger however, no one has ever been able to resist me before.” Tucking a piece of hair that was glued to her face behind her ear. Her voice is smooth and comforting, validating. Lilith yearns to hear it again.

“I’m broken.” The girl starts to sob and covers her face with her hands. In that moment Elizabeth understood everything. Why her abilities wouldn’t work, instead of feeling lust the girl would feel her whole body rebelling against the intruding thoughts. Elizabeth had brought her pain.
The Countess quickly looks sharply over at Lilith “Hush now, don’t ever say that. You were never broken”

“But-“ Red puffy eyes reached her, and her lungs collapsed a little.

“Love- romantic love was never in the cards for you.” The countess eyes shouldn’t have been filled with pity but she never knew anyone that doesn’t feel love, especially with her. But she could feel the sadness that Lilith felt, not knowing what these feelings- or lack thereof were.

“Come on my dear.” She starts to guide Lilith down the hallway, placing a hand on her back for comfort. “We are destined to do great things you & I.”

Chapter Text

Elizabeth had Lilith sit down on one of the sofas in her office/ bedroom? Lilith wasn’t sure at this point. It was very nice however, more so then the hallways outside of her room. It had a different vibe to it and smelled like cigarettes.

Elizabeth took out a cigarette from a tin she kept on a metal table, “Would you like one?” She held it out to Lilith. She looked down at The Countess’s hand, the one held out for her was gloved. It was red this time and came up to her elbow. Matching a head piece, she was wearing. It was odd to see something so simple look perfect.

“I don’t smoke.” Lilith looked her, mouth agape. She wasn’t sure how she could get used to seeing her. The thought made her a bit overwhelmed. She glanced at the door. Run.

The Countess broke her chain of thoughts.

“So, why come to the Cortez in the first place hmm? Why here?” She sat across from Lilith legs folded and smiled.

“I um, architecture. I dig it here, its uh-.” Lilith looked around the room, the example she was looking for wasn’t exactly in here. This room looked much different than the hallway.

“Its..nice.”

“Hmm and what do you know about this place?” Elizabeth kept a cool stare towards Lilith, she liked the way she made her new friend feel, watching her squirm around for an excuse. She could hear her heart flutter out of nervousness.

“Oh, nothing much really. New management I think, people seem to come and go quite rarely.” Lilith kept glancing around avoid Elizabeth glaze, she felt like prey.

“None of them leave.”

“Pardon?” That caught Liliths attention and looked over at Elizabeth, frequently looking away.

“You get invited or happen to stumble upon here then you never leave. There is no ‘come and go’ to this place.” Elizabeth smiled slightly again.

“That’s...very odd.” Lilith forces a laugh. “although I don’t think I belong here really, I think I should get going. My co-workers would be wondering where I wondered off to last night.” Lilith stood up, wiping her hands on her dress.

Elizabeth felt the sudden electrical nervousness when Lilith spoke, but the nervousness wasn’t for her.

“Is there something wrong with your co-workers? You don’t like them?”
Lilith stood there stunned at the accusation, she never thought she was that transparent.

“No its not that-“ Her sentence was cut off short when there was a flash in front of her.

“I could take care of them for you.” The Countess was at Lilith’s side in seconds. Her faces inches away. Not really considering what the blonde had said, instead she was too focused on her own feelings. It was like before, emotions fighting over each other. Kiss her. Don’t kiss her. She felt the need to vomit. Tears prickled in the back of her eyes.

Elizabeth could feel the turmoil rising in Lilith. The confusion. The sadness. She forgot she was tapping into this young woman’s feelings again. Forcing love down her throat, Elizabeth backed away shocked how quickly she was trying to- voluntarily manipulating this girl.

“I’m- I’m so sorry Lilith.” Her breathed hitched slightly. “I’m sorry, you can go.”

Lilith stood there standing in confusion, she straightened her back at the site of Elizabeth's broken facade.

“This trick that you’re doing, it doesn’t work on me? Like before?”

“I don’t know." She was hesitant to tell her anything. Heat pricked the back of Elizabeth eyelids. She didn't know what to say to her. "I think you’re body is-“ She stopped and turned around to make a drink on one of the metal trays. “Do you mind- describing what you’re feeling.”

Lilith’s gaze followed Elizabeth across the room, heat rising to her face. She starts to mess with the fabric of her dress.

“Describing what I’m feeling? Honestly, I don’t know. I want to vomit and kiss you at the same time and to be honest, whatever you keep doing I hate being the experiment of.” Lilith never spoke harsh words to anyone of high power in business, no matter how shitty they treated her. She felt a random surge of bravery and wasn’t going to have her feelings be manipulated, even if this person had some holy high power she couldn’t understand.

“You’re angry?” Elizabeth near dropping the glass filled with dark liquid. She was taken aback by the woman’s sudden outburst. Feeling that angry heat coming from Lilith's body.

“What makes you think you can just go around toying with people emotions. Making them love you, making yourself so desirable. Last night I may not have understood, but now I think I understand everything you do. Why I'm here, why everyone doesn't leave.

Elizabeth stepping closer, shaking her head. “No no that’s not at all what I’m trying to do, please allow me to explain-“

The door to the office opens and a finely dressed man walks in. His suite and hair are mostly disheveled. The Countess’s eyes are big for a second. “Tristan, what the fuck did I say about knocking?”

Chapter Text

“I knew I smelled something different. They said you bought someone new in.” The man now known as Tristan quickly walks over to Lilith his lips curled in disgust.

“Yes I did, she was at the party we had last night. The only one you hadn’t shown up for.”

“Well you didn’t fucking tell me, did you?” Tristan moves in closer to Lilith looking her over, searching for something.

“Now darling, I know she may see different-“ Elizabeth calmly put the wine glass down and starts walking over to Tristan as if to calm him down.

“I can’t fucking- there’s nothing there Elizabeth. There’s nothing to pick up on.” He whips back around towards Lilith leaning towards her as she’s frozen to the couch. “What the hell are you?”
Lilith’s opens her mouth to say something, words are caught in her throat. She never did like being yelled at especially at someone she didn’t know nor ever seeming to do anything wrong.

“I- I I’m sorry. I think I’ll just leave.” She managed to squeak out while running past the man looming over her and launches herself out the door.

“Lilith wait! Goddamnit Tristan!” Elizabeth calls out for her lurching forward. The calm look she had was replaced by a broken facade of anger.

“Something wrong with that women you brought in. She’s empty-." Is all Lilith can hear from Tristan before the doors to Elizabeth office closes.

"Tristan, we do not treat our new friend this way. Show some respect with her. She is something new yes, but we figure that shit out together. We don’t just take out our anger on to something we don’t understand.” She says with a sneer. The Countess glides effortlessly over to Tristan getting inches from his face. Her eyes are simmering with frustration.

"It’s always taking in the strays with you isn't it.” Tristan fights the urge to try and kiss Elizabeth. She’s so close to him, her natural perfume is overwhelming. He secretly admits that feeling her hatred was always a turn on for him but bringing someone new that could threaten the relationship his with Elizabeth with someone he couldn’t even getting a sense of, broke his lust for her.

“You can’t fix her Elizabeth.”

“We can’t fix anyone, that’s not our job. We bring people here to kill them or bring closer to who they are supposed to be.”
With that Tristan stormed out the door with a huff, The Countess was visibly shaken. Tristan was always like this. So paranoid over her short-lived love interest, afraid that maybe someday he would be replaced.

. . .

The lady at the end of the hall looked as though she has been crying, but probably not as bad at Lilith had. She had one foot on the wall to steady her- her hand holding a cigarette. There was something unique about her that Lilith couldn’t place, something about her body langue the way she dressed seemed different.

“So I hear you’re the Countess’s new play thing. In all honestly you’re a little too young for her I think.” The women sneered and took a drag, taking in Lilith’s form. Lilith shrunk inward a little surprised she had even bothered to say anything to her at all.

“Well you can have her all to yourself because I’m not staying here for much longer.”

“You plan on leaving?” The lady scoffs. “Once you’re in this place you can’t leave, its impossible really. If The Countess really likes you, which I think she does, you will never leave. Your little heart will
be broken into pieces when she done with you.”

“Luckily for me my heart doesn’t break that easily.”

The lady scoffs again and takes another drag.

“Sure.” She saunters in closer to Lilith, and Lilith slow backs up on to the nearest wall. The lady presses one of her legs against the inside hers. Lilith freezes and anxiety flares up in her chest-.

“Sally, shoo, piss off.” The woman that Elizabeth introduced Lilith to earlier- Liz Taylor walks around the corner in a casual blue dress waving her fingers.
The girl claimed as Sally rolls her eyes and walks in the opposite direction.

“Ah, there you are Miss Lilith I was looking all over for you. The Countess asked me to go and fetch you, she’s seemed distressed.” She glances over Lilith form, her brow creasing a bit. “Both of you do actually, what happened if I may ask?” Tears threatened Lilith’s eyes again as she looked at Liz, remembering the altercation that happened moments before.

“Tristan, I think was his name, came in. He seemed upset with me being here. Liz honestly, I don’t want to stay. I don’t want to cause this kind of discomfort when I’m around people.”
Liz’s face drops a little at the sound of his name. Of course, it would be him.

“Tristan gets jealous very easily. My guess is that The Countess didn’t tell him about you, or what her plans were for you.”

“Her plans? Like being a puppet for her? Being forced to love her and like Sally said, to be her play thing?” Lilith watched Liz’s closely for any sort of reaction in hopes that she wasn’t crazy, that her wild mixed of feelings towards Elizabeth were valid.

“If whatever she wants me here for is sex, I’m not fallen for it. That’s not even why I was here in the first place. That’s why Tristan was so jealous, he can have her.” Liz looked at Lilith with a sigh, not knowing what to say to comfort her.

“The Countess, like a lot of people including Tristan are very unique in The Cortez as you may have noticed.” Liz slowly starts inching forward down the hallway. Lilith, still eyes glazed follows involuntarily. Liz’s voice is soothing to her.

“There’s a certain charm, I guess you can say, when you stay here. Something distance and muggy. This place holds thousands of untold stories. When you saw Elizabeth for the first time, truly how did you feel?”

“She stood out among the rest. She was the most gorgeous person I saw that night.” Liz smiled for a quick second. Elizabeth told her the same thing.

“Do you think those feelings were really your own? Or do you think maybe for a second it was something else giving you those thoughts.”
They both stopped, and Lilith looked away to really think. Since having those feeling planted, she couldn’t remember which ones felt true.

“I- I don’t know. There were some moments where I loved her. I absolutely did. Then there were moments where I felt overwhelmed, and I didn’t want to love her. Like somehow those feelings were forced. She forced them on me, but I do think that in general, when my feelings aren’t misshapen she is gorgeous, but I don’t love her.”

Liz looked up at her, brows crossed. She wasn’t shocked at Lilith’s confession she understood not everyone falls in love with Elizabeth but when she does picks someone the feelings are usually mutual.

“Well I think that is very understandable. However, I do think you should check in with Elizabeth before you leave. She mentioned to me that you are an interior decorator, correct?”

“I have my degree in Interior design, yes.” Liz leaned in closer to her as if to tell a secret even though no one else was in the hallway.

“I was told, and I am not allowed to say anything, but The Countess was thinking about getting a new interior designer and that’s why she had the party. She talked great lengths about you after reviewing your work and was thinking about hiring you. Free food and stay until the job is done.”

Lilith looked up at Liz and smiled a little, not having enough energy to feeling excited. She was though, it was a new job in a new place but with Tristan here would she see him a lot? What if they ran into each other alone?

“I will go talk to her, thank you Liz but I really don’t wanna stay here long.”

Chapter Text

Lilith and Liz head back towards Elizabeth’s bedroom quietly. With a deep breath Lilith lightly taps on the doors and Liz put a hand on her shoulder for support.

The doors opened without assistants, slowly revealing The Countess looking up from her bed. The curtains were pulled apart, opening the room more.

“I bought her over as you asked. Would you like me to watch the door for you?” Liz said stepping from behind Lilith to her side. When Lilith glanced at her, Liz looked unburdened and so sure of herself while speaking to The Countess.

“That would be lovely Liz, if you wouldn’t mind doing that for us. We won’t be long.” The Countess stood up, a light smile warmed her face. Her façade was back.

“I feel as though I must explain myself. I let things get out of hand, all this mess was never my intention, Lilith you must know. I will answer any questions you may have.” She glides down the stairs to the two of them, Lilith glance at Liz but she was no longer there.

“Why don’t we have a seat, I’ll tell you what you want to know.” She wasn’t wearing any fancy dress or jewelry, instead a plain white dressing gown and no makeup and her hair in a bit of a mess. She looked soft this way, not as intimidating but Lilith still felt a threatening air around her, and still she sat down on opposite sofa.

“I’ve met weird people Elizabeth. I’ve hear of the deaths in this place, including the Ten Commandments Killer and even the sick shit that went on before that but I’m having a hard time understanding your type of supernatural.”

“Well you must first know that I.” She pauses for a moment then gestures to the door.

“We can feel people, bodies whenever they walk into the room, Tristan and I. The heat radiating off their bodies or their heart beat or what they smell like. The people that come here are disgusting, mostly. They’re broken, wanting to forget their problems.”

“Yeah that- the whole smelling thing, and emotion manipulation. Explain. I was okay with it before, only because I had no idea what was going on. No idea it was you doing it.”

“I find it fascinating you are not easily frightened Lilith. You remember the feelings you had towards me when I met you in the hallway?” She smiled a little.

The Countess looked so different last night compare to now. Not as sharp or threatening. Lilith took a deep breath, running her hands on the fabric of her dress.

“Yes, I had too much to drink.”

“I had projected those feelings on to you. I had asked you to describe those feelings to me, because I had never been in your place. I saw you that night in a sea of others because there was something different about you. After you left earlier I realized that my actions were wrong, project unwanted feelings on to you, making it seem like you wanted those feelings as well. Any other person could have cave into their feelings and I could have made them do anything I wanted.
For some reason you are able to repel those feelings of love or lust. It brings you frustration or sadness because I think for some reason your body doesn’t really know how to take it in. You say you had too much to drink but I think you just blame it on external things like drinking or not paying attention.”

“So you do manipulate people? You manipulated me?”

“I shift peoples perspective only when it suits me or my hotel. I did manipulate you, yes but I promise not to do it again.”

“Tristan said that I was empty. I heard you two talking.”

“Tristan’s a bag of shit.” She stands up abruptly and moves over to the standing tray again to pour wine into her glass. “He can tell that you’re different and that scares him, its immature if ask me. He doesn’t like change. Eventually he will have to come to terms with you staying. If you choose to stay.” She turns towards Lilith.

“I suppose, if you’d like to hire me as your interior decorator then I’ll stay.” Lilith stood up. “I don’t care about room space, as long as I am mostly left alone including being away from Tristan then I will be comfortable.”

“You never have to worry about Tristan for as long as you want my darling.” Slowly The Countess starts to smile and walks gracefully, one un-gloved hand extended. Lilith takes in graciously, melting into her touch. Her hand was soft and just the perfect temperature, Lilith never wanted to let go.

“I’d like to show you one last thing just to make sure before you decide to stay. Just know that you are alright with everything.”

The Countess opened a door in the room that lead downstairs. Leading Lilith down they finally stopped at the bottom in a room filed with tiles and seemed to be an empty pool. In the pool there were four dark colored coffins that storage spaces that stood in the middle. Elizabeth could feel Lilith’s hesitation and wanting to go back.

“You’re safe I promise, this place only looks scary, but this is the only place they can stay that’s away from everyone else.”
Lilith held her breath and peeked over the lid on the top of the coffins they were illuminated from the inside. Four blonde children slept soundless inside, one in each coffin.

“Dead?” Lilith involuntarily whispered, afraid to wake them. She was mesmerized by the look of them, they looked peaceful.
The Countess moved close behind her and gently moved her head next to Lilith’s, enjoying her scent and feeling her warmth. She was so close to hear her heart beat.

“Close, but no.” She moved a piece of hair away from Lilith’s neck gently. “They usually sleep during the day, by night they are a handful to catch, quite a lively set.”

“What type of weird are you then.” Lilith whispered again suddenly aware of Elizabeth’s closeness, heat pressed on the back of her eyes. She couldn’t move her eyes away from the children.

“My darling we are Vampires.” Lilith slowly turned her head toward Elizabeth, pulling a bit away from her. “Most of us are anyways.” Elizabeth slowly moved her hand toward Lilith’s face, cupping her cheek.

“And if I wanted to leave, you’d kill me? Now that I know everything” Lilith can feel the heat rush to her face as she said her thought out loud, there was no way Lilith could leave now. The heat in the back of her eyes began to start prickling, she really didn’t want to cry in front of Elizabeth.

“No darling, I would never. I would let you go if you really wanted to. I’d thought you should know everything before joined The Cortez.”

Chapter Text

Hi everyone,
I keep getting Kudos for this story I started a few years a ago and it blows my mind. It reminds me that I need to update where this story is headed.

Unfortunately I will not be continuing this series. I started this because at the time I finished AHS Hotel and really enjoyed it. I struggled with my sexual and romantic identity as I too was Aromantic and Asexual, that is no longer the case now.
I wanted to used this story as a way to relate. It seemed the Countess could just do and make people think things IF they were in love with her, or even make them fall in love with her if they were already. I wanted to play in the space of "well, how would XYZ happen" etc. Like most things, I didn't know where to take this story. I felt overwhelmed and had no motivation after awhile. Time passes, things change, I havent even rewatched Hotel.

Thank you all for the Kudos and Comments, this will be in the of AFTA. <3