Josephine came from a coffin (JULIA HOFFMAN X FEMALE OC)

an inhuman invention

Julia watched the girl as she stared at the machine with admiration. She just breathed slowly for a second and took the girl in, traced the outline of her pretty youthful face and sighed in longing. 'God I barely know her and look at what's beginning to happen' Julia thought to herself. 

Julia cleared her throat and smoothed down the front of her skirt. "All I have to do is show the others" said the doctor

"Oh, you really are the smartest person I think I've ever met Julia" she gave her a genuine smile

"A lot of maths went in to the whole thing, I had just enough skill"  Julia pulled her eyes from Josephine to graze them over her machine

"Really ? We weren't allowed to do arithmetic at home" the sentence stated off with an expression of happy surprise but as she remembered the memories Sephine frowned and her voice sounded sadder when she said "it was for men only"

The red head walked up to the young girl and placed a supportive hand on her shoulder. "Well I'm sure if you were taught you'd be better than I"

Josephine tried to ignore the compliment as to seem humble and changed the subject "when are you showing Barnabas?"

Julia opened her mouth as if to speak. Then she was cut off.

"Showing me what?" Barnabas asked, he stood behind them. His hands clasped in his staff, his mouth a smile in front of his guest.

The two women almost jumped out of her skin and Josephine even gave a small gasp and her hand flew to her chest.

"I'm sorry if I've appeared here by surprise. I just came to see how my guest were feeling on this fine evening" he said, still stood in his prim stance.

"Oh, i just uhm came to" Josephine fiddled shyly with a ringlet of hair as she stuttered "came to talk with Julia. I was uh j-just so um enthralled by the idea of a woman doctor. Just so.. inspiring"

Josephine didn't know why she was lying. She could have told Barnabas that she was struggling, he wouldn't have cared much because as rare as they were, Barnabas was a decent man.

Julia looked down at her feet and them back up at Barnabas "yes um and it seemed you have walked in just when I was showing Sephine my new invention" Julia gestures towards the blood contraption.

Barnabas stepped towards it, it's red luxury reflected in his pale face making him look almost sunburnt as he gazed up at its glory. The machine was large, like a fish tank but of course a very bloody one.

"It generates human blood without the need to kill."

Barnabas' face lit up with awe "well I never" he touched his long fingernails on its glassy surface "I never thought a woman, especially you Julia. To be capable of such a, momentous invention as this!"

Julia widened her eyes at the backhanded compliment.

"Isnt it just the most wonderful thing" Sephine complimented. "Imagine the poor chickens that will be spared"

Julia's heart fluttered gayly at the compliment as she lifted her hand to fix her glasses.

Barnabas left soon after on the promise that he would tell the servants to collect the blood from the machine, and not the chickens going forward.

"Well, its getting late. I do suppose that I shall retire for the evening" said Sephine, she began to look at the door, rocking back and forth on her feet like a child.

"Yes, I suppose" began Julia, she stared awkwardly at the floor and them lifted a hand to twirl a lock of her red hair "why don't we make this a weekly thing? Y'know? Like proper therapy?"

Sephine thought for a moment, she was almost positive that she could trust Julia. Julia seemed kind, and well, rather pretty. Julia was a vampire too, so, what could talking hurt?.

The Doctor saw the girl's hesitant attitude. "You don't have to. that would be fine"

"No, no. I would like that" sephine smiled, glad that someone cared "I am just weary of who I trust"

Sephine wondered back to her room with an air of elevated happiness. Maybe she had found friends in the residents of the collins manor. Especially the doctor, Julia, she didn't judge sephine, which was nice for once.

The next day was far cooler than the previous one, Sephine was very grateful of this. Wearing black floor length gowns wasn't exactly the coolest option but Josephine count possible imagine wearing anything else, which is odd really. Why do vampires always wear black? Surely white would be the more viable choice as it reflects sunlight and black absorbs sunlight. Who knew Vampires were the exhibitors of such strict aesthetics.

"Morning ma'am" spoke Miriam as she peered her head round the door "its 8.30. I have been ordered to aid your dressing"

Josephine sat up quickly, as if she was poked by a needle, in her bed, in her dark room to place her squinting eyes on the ladies maid who had her head peered round the door.

"Oh yes. Thank you Miriam. Come in" Josephine rubbed her eyes to adjust them. Miriam lit two candles to cast some light in the room.

Miriam helped the girl tighten her corset, petticoats and later fasten the back on her black dress. Josephine quite liked the feeling of wearing a corset, the compression was comforting and stoped her from hyperventilating when she panicked. Sort of like getting a hug, constantly.

Next was the hair, metal curlers were heated up in the fire that Miriam had lit at the end of the room, the curlers were thrust into the fire, until they turned orange with heat, then she waited 15 seconds for them to cool lightly before placing them on the hair towards the front. The back of the vampire's hir was pulled into too loops. Almost like a bow. This was a common look 130 years ago.

After Josephine was dressed, she went downstairs for breakfast. She wasn't donning her veil, just careful the avoid slithers of light pointing from curtains that were slightly ajar here and there. As Josephine walked through more and more of the house as she stayed there the more she noticed everything that wasn't made from dark wood was mostly red. Like someone had been murdered horrifically, their severed head used to paint the walls instead of wall paint.

Josephine sauntered, in slightly higher a mood today than yesterday, into the dining room. Looking at the place now, calmly, instead of a state of panic made her eyes flick to the roof which was painted, only, with pictures themed from the bible. Sephine raised her eyebrows at this, a house full of vampires and they chose a roof of god. Curious.

"I see you are looking at the painting on the ceiling" Elizabeth commented from her seat at the table. Elizabeth and Barnabas were already sat. "Its quite peculiar, seeing god in a place filled with beings that are regarded as rather unholy."

Josephine continued to stare at the mural "yes, I. I didn't quite notice it untll now"

"The painting was part of the original manor, we thought best to keep it, even if it isn't fitting"

a Butler drew back sephine's chair back so she could sit down and then pushed it in when she sat. Josephine looked towards Julias chair which was currently empty. The only people in the room were Elizabeth, Carolyn and David. That was until Barnabas and Victoria arrived and sat in their respected places just a few seconds later.

"as usual, no Julia yet" he said and Elizabeth raised her eyebrows in agreement.

That morning Sephine was able to drink the blood without panicking. It wasn't enjoyable, drinking any kind of blood whether or not it came from something living was always bound to be an unenjoyable experience. It made her feel stronger though, no longer frail and weak.