Chapter 17: Fall into Darkness

[Maxx]

Nov5th thurs 9pm- Nightshades Nightclub

The full moon meant that shapeshifters were sequestering themselves away, in order to prevent unnecessary deaths among the populace. This was a fact known far and wide. What few knew was that not all shapeshifters were moon bound. Weredogs were a notable exception. So too were wereswans and it was this latter group that was descending on Nightshades en masse. There were just short of a dozen of them, all buzzing about the news that Waylon had finally emerged from the shadows to claim his seat as the Master of Seattle.

"Oh my God, it was so hard not to touch him when he was in public."

"Oh, I know. Just being near him was amazing but to touch him? It always made me shudder, like a missing piece had finally been put in place."

"Try pretending not to love him,"  Leia said softly. "It was like pretending not to have to breathe."

"Speaking of not breathing, I see Darien."

Leia smiled. "Darien, darling. How lovely to see you this evening. Everything is going well, I take it?"

"Somebody is channeling their inner wereleopard,"  Elke said with a chuckle. "That sounded so much like Brandy."

"Hush, you,"  Leia said with a musical chuckle. "How are you, Darien?"  the swan queen asked, giving the vampire a kiss on the cheek.

"My lady, until this moment I was lost and adrift . Your shining countenance is like a beacon through the storm. ". Darien said, smiling. " What a pleasure to see you all this evening.". If he had heard what they were speaking about prior to the greeting, he gave no indication. "Would you like to use the VIP room? It is ready should you desire."

"The choice is yours, Darien,"  Leia said. "It is after all your club. If you feel our conversation should be best kept private, we can certainly accommodate. Did you want all of us or just me?"

"The VIP room has an independent audio system for private parties so it would make for easier conversations to be certain. And of course you all are welcome. We all have the Master's best interest at heart here.". He told her, gesturing towards the room they used for private parties. "The full menu is available of course, and I may be able to convince Sofia to pay a visit to the kitchen should you like to try her famous tacos."

"Then we shall have tacos,"  Leia said, following Darien. "Odet, dear, would you be kind enough to wait for the food to arrive. I would rather not be interrupted. Mr Walker seems to have important news we'd rather not become public knowledge too quickly."

"There has been quite enough knowledge for the public to chew on for the moment." Darien said. "It is but a precaution, as I find myself questioning certain of my skills as of late.". He pulled his cellphone out and made a quick call. "Sofia dear, our special guests would like to try your tacos. Would you mind handing the bar over to Mindy and heading to the kitchen? Thank you.". He hung up and tucked his phone away. " I am certain you will not be disappointed in your meal this evening."

"We have experienced Sofia's tacos," Leia said. "She is indeed a kitchen witch." She paused for moment. "Enough small talk," she said, her manner changing from cordial to businesslike. You asked us here, Mr Walker. The ball is in your court."

"Technically you offered to come for a more personal conversation in which details and explanations could be shared without the tediousness of distance and electronic devices. But the point is taken. Please, make yourself comfortable and I shall endeavor to explain my concerns and reasoning. "

When the had settled into their seats in the much quieter VIP lounge, Darien began to weave the pieces together for the swan queen and her flock. " First, it must be known that I did not know my father often visited this city when I chose to come here. That was strange providence. He also did not know I was in the city until the feast to celebrate his visit. We had not been in direct contact since he had set me on my own path some time ago. It also must be known that while my father asked me to arrange contact with the leader of the local wolves so that he may speak on his own behalf, he did not ask me to do anything further concerning the wolves. He did however ask me to find out for him where young Noah Knolls planned to go from here and when. He seemed rather upset that such information was taking longer to acquire than he liked, in part because those answers had yet to be decided in the first place."

Leia blinked. "Your Father."  It was all she said.

"Yes. Master Volkov. I believe I shared that in our email correspondence. " He tilted his head then seemed to understand. " Ah, perhaps it is the terminology that is confusing. While Master Volkov is indeed the vampire that gave me the gift of this existence, he was also my adoptive father. He raised me and taught me the skills which I use in service to our Master."

"Yes, the terminology did throw me," Leia said. "Sire is used far more commonly. I'm surprised he is not giving you time to achieve the goals he has set for you. A vampire of his vintage has certainly learned patience. Do you have any idea why he has this sense of urgency?"

" I also thought it odd that he seemed so impatient. " Darien said with a nod. " He knows that a task such as this would take time. A wrong step would lead to a complete loss of all efforts. He seems to be holding quite the grudge though. And from what I have learned in speaking with young Knolls, it stems from an incident involving your daughter. A poker game, as I recall, in which Knolls tricked Master Volkov into becoming inebriated and wagering the young lady. I imagine that being banned from the city might have added to the grievance as well. "

"Noah does seem to have a habit of making powerful enemies for one so young," Leia said. "Nigel is not a fan, although I suspect that it has much to do with him thinking Noah is after his job. It would seem Noah brought Dietra here before Master Volkov deemed her ready. He wanted to present her to us as a grown woman. If things had happened that way, I would have had a sister rather than a daughter and I much prefer the way things turned out."

Darien nodded. " I too have noticed Noah's unique ability to .. stir the pot.. as they say. He seems to do it unwittingly, a victim of both curiosity and modern morals. As it is, I would have never suspected my father of taking such actions as those I now suspect him of. I expected that he planned to seek retribution once Noah and his group had left. A conversation with my lover changed my perspective. I am in a relationship with a wolf, you see, or at least I hope that statement is still true, as he was rather upset to discover my connection to Master Volkov. As I was explaining to him that I was not asked to spy on Thier pack, only Knolls, I realized that I had told my father that the young man could not leave until he had settled his lack of funds. It was a seemingly unimportant thing, until I recalled that both myself and Mr Knolls bank accounts had been compromised very soon after. An odd coincidence to be certain, but made more damning when one considers that even my secret accounts had been cleaned out, accounts that he knew about. ". Darien gestured as he talked, hoping he was being clear. " At first I thought I was imagining the connection, or perhaps over reacting because I was angry that who my father is can ruin relationships with so many of those I have become close to, but then I remembered Noah telling me that he was afraid Volkov knew who is mistress was since the Master had said almost as much. It was then that I realized that compromising the bank accounts would strand Noah here, where his mistress could come to collect her wayward offspring."

"So you suspect that Master Volkov may be recruiting another master to do his dirty work?"  Leia asked. "Unless either this master owes him a favour or this master is actively seeking Mr Knolls, I find that unlikely. Unlikely does not mean impossible. Do you know Mr Knolls former master? Were they his sire? "

" What I understand from conversations with Mr Knolls, he left his Master without her leave. He does believe she is actively seeking him, thus Master Volkov informing her of her offspring's location would be seen more as a scratching of backs. I know my father, and he has always had the knack of finding what will hurt the most. He knows Noah fears his master. It's the perfect revenge. And it just so happens that it would put our Master in a difficult position since he has offered Noah hospitality. A dig back at he who blindsided him with the ban from the city and embarrassed him. Of course, you very well may say that my concerns are unwarranted and that I am jumping at shadows, but imagine the position I am in. If I were to keep this to myself and my relation to Master Volkov came to light, which it already is, then I would likely be seen as a traitor to our Master, and quite frankly my lady, I like it here, and I like my skin attached to my body." Darien said earnestly.

"My Lord is not known for his cruelty," Leia said. "He leaves such things to the Schoolmaster. Herr Adler has a knack for making the punishment fit the crime. Your warning will be taken into account. You have proven your loyalty, Master Walker. I will make certain the Master is prepared for his visitor."

"Thank you, My Lady. " Darien said, bowing his head. " I hope that I am indeed imagining this threat, however minor, but I do not think I am. I will continue to do all I can in service to the Master. Please, enjoy your evening here, and if you have need of something please do not hesitate to ask.". He rose, his task completed. He had given his warning, and made explanation enough that his concerns would not seem unwarranted. Now all that was left was to see how everything would play out.

"I think we will stay and at least enjoy the tacos,"  Leia said. "And don't even think of saying they're on the house. Your coffers are quite low at the moment."

Darien sighed. "Sadly true. A serious blow to my pride to be certain. I am lucky to have made very good friends here. Perhaps I can thank you in another way? "

"Say thank you,"  Leia said, smiling. "That is the only thing you need to do."

Darien smiled. "Then I shall offer the deepest and most sincere of thanks, My Lady. Enjoy your leisure this evening." He said, rising and offering a bow, then giving the rest of the ladies a smile. " And your tacos."

[Maxx]

Thursday Nov 5th 3pm -Leopards Stronghold-outskirts of Seattle-The Pard

Kyle had invited all the leopards up to bunk up and spend the next three days as they weathered out another full moon. Out of Towner and Home Town Leopards a like. They had a full house as well aside from Brandy who apologized but for safety reason's chose to stay on lockdown in AAI's walls for yet another full moon.

As discussed earlier by Michael, Kyle and Morvan they were going to sit down and discuss the whole shitting and getting off the pot thing in regard to being an out-of-town group. There had been time to get to know the local Pard and the chips and cards were all on the table. Today, Agustina, Shay and the others were going to have to make a choice.

Sunset was going to be for 4:45pm which didn't leave a ton of time but certainly enough for Morvan to sit down with everyone and get the ball rolling on everything before the moon came out. With bellies full from a large late lunch that was packed full of protein to help keep moods and control in check, it was about time to have the talk.

"So let's address the elephant on the porch," Morvan said. "Augustina, you wanted time to observe and see what sort of a Raj I am. I figure you've had enough. I am going to ask for your submission. You are not required to give it but your trial period on the software is about to expire. You either click the box and accept the terms of service or you move on. The choice is yours but it is very much a choice. So are you in or out?"

"When exactly do the terms and services expire? I noted the wording was 'about to expire?' What is the reason for this sudden push? " Augustina asked, frowning as she tilted her head curiously. "I was promised a fight with Brandy since you forbade a fight with your second or third."

"They expire tonight, because if you haven't been able to make a decision by now, you never will and an indecisive Alpha is a liability. If you want a fight, I am more than willing to oblige," Morvan said. "Brandy is unable to participate due to an infection caused by a vampire. Apparently it only affects felines and it has gone undetected for god knows how long because he usually feeds on wolves. Normally, yes, you would be able to fight Brandy. I doubt my current lowest Alpha would be an appropriate challenge. So, you can choose to bend a knee to me and wait for Brandy to recover, fight me in her place and bend a knee when you lose or walk away. The others will be asked if they want to join us as well and they can join or walk away as well."

Tana was in the door way practically buzzing as Morvan laid down his rule. She was feeling cooped up with how the beginning of the week unfolded. Tana had been uncharacteristically bitchy and mean as of late. Her cat was irritable and was over ridding most of her logical pathways. Part of her wanted to take on Augustina, a big part of her.

"Understand from my point how this sounds. You want me to bend a knee to join a group in which there is no certainty to the true scale and power of who is in charge here, alpha wise. Your challenger for me is incapacitated. The next under her is so new to being an alpha, she can't check herself. You bar me from challenging not only your third but also your second, and insist if there is a fight it can only be against you, or we walk? On top of that your challenger that is sick, you still have no answers on this mystery illness, if it can be fixed or if Brandy will get better enough to challenge. What if she doesn't? What if she remains sick and never steps foot to join us for full moons and challenges? That essentially ties my hands and puts all of us at risk, even if you do bring her back into the fold. She has told me there is a great deal of concern of her being infectious if she bites, bleeds or fornicates with anyone. Can you see the dilemma here, Raj of Seattle?" Augustina asked imploringly. "More time is needed. I don't doubt you are trying your best, but these are difficult times we are living in. The Archangel chapter of leopards bears you no ill will. You have all been very personable and shown yourself to not be a bunch of misogynistic cavemen leading the charge. I want what is best for everyone here. Not just what is best for you."

Morvan looked at Michael. "Augustina is actually correct. Given the situation, Brandy is off the ladder and Tana wouldn't even be a speed bump. Next on the list is you, Michael. Feel like carrying the flag tonight or are you going to bend a knee to Augustina?"

Tanas jaw clenched. It took everything in her power not to growl. Augustinas and Morvans statements got under her skin more than they should. She knew they weren't wrong but it still bugged her. She wasn't new to fighing just to being an alpha. They droned on and on about how she needed to step up and fill in. Now they tossing her aside to sit on the back burner.

Michael nodded. "I'd say with pleasure but she likely would take it the wrong way. I'm just over this will they won't they. Your are going to be a part of this pard and if it takes an official beat down so be it. You and Brandy can sort out where on the ladder you both sit later. Until then you deal."

"You're at an eleven, Michael," Morvan said. "I need you at a four. Joining is still a choice, even if you kick her ass eight ways from Sunday. But if anybody opts out, this is your last full moon with us. You'll be on your own."

"Again," Josiah added. "Like before we came here."

Michael didn't correct Morvan. He was so far off from an 11. He understood. "Fine I'm not one for long words normally. What I meant to say is you guys are practically a part of this pard, so let's just make it official with fight and be done with it. The Challenger I will actually let her decide whether or not we're going to go step outside right now and fighting human shape or she wants to wait until tonight to do this in leopard form."

"Do the rest of us need to wait until Augustina pledges?" Raoul asked. "I mean, she is out ad hoc leader but it isn't official. Isn't it?"

Morvan nodded. "If you want to bend a knee now, feel free," the Raj said.

Raoul looked relieved and immediately moved to the Raj, dropping to his knees and eagerly rubbing his face against Morvan's knuckles, before licking them. Lincoln, with slightly less overt enthusiasm, did the same. Afterwards, however, he did a fist pump and high fived Leslie and Katie.

"I will wait to see if Augustina joins," Shay said. "She's a friend and I would rather be a Pard of two with her than be safe with you and have to see her alone."

"It is a hard choice, choosing between comfort when one's fellows are uncomfortable and joining their discomfort, knowing that they refused the offered solace. I too would not see my sister alone, even were it to mean the gates of Paradise were forever closed to me." said Hicks.

Morvan looked at Michael and Kyle, trying to decide if it was a show of loyalty and respect or a denial of his leadership. "I can't force you to join," he said. "And I admire your loyalty, if not your sense."

Josiah Hicks laughed. "That would not be the first time my sense has been questioned," he said. "It will not be the last."

To call the fight anti climatic was to call water wet.

They fought in human shape.

Agustina got one shot in on Michael before he hit her hard enough that he knocked her out.

When she awoke there was the start of a protest and Michael uncoiled his beast and let the full strength be known.

She took Michael's hand licking the knuckles looking like she was in shock as Michael helped her to her feet leading her to Kyle and then Morvan to make her claim of submission.

Morvan wrapped his eyes around Augustina. "You okay? I wouldn't be surprised if you start calling Michael Quasimodo, because he seriously rang your bells."

He turned to look at the others, his eyebrows raised. Hicks shrugged and moved forward to offer his own submission. Shay followed suit.

Augustina gently rubbed her jaw and split lip. "Nothing so dramatic as that. He packs quite the punch. I will live but he has made a point."

"Don't I know it," Morvan said. "I had to get through him to get to Kyle, in order to take over this Pard. It was a hell of a fight. Now he's my right hand. We occasionally have our disagreements but I trust his opinion. I don't always agree but I always ask what he thinks. Kyle as well. So, we've got Augustina and Shay, both under Michael. Tana, are you going to offer submission or do you want to fight Shay to see if you can earn a shot at Augustina later?"

Tana popped up off the lawn chair she had been gripping until her knuckles were white. Her leg was impatiently bouncing as she watched Augustina and Michael go at it, short lived as it were. She didn't think that Morvan was going to let her fight this full moon. Her cat had been itching for a fight and this may very well be one that she could do well in. Shay had been tricky this entire time keeping most of who she was and her power levels under wraps.

"I'm game." Her voice holding a tinge of excitement. Both to be let loose and to see Shay do the same.

Shay looked at Tana. "Probably not the wisest choice," she said. Her Beast wasn't as well hidden as Kyle's but it was hidden. "Do you want to wait until December, to give yourself a chance to get a better handle on your new strength?" She looked at Morvan. "Can I offer her submission now and challenge her in December?"

"Up to you," Morvan said. "And Tana. She'd need to accept your submission. Like I told her when we first met, just because it is offered doesn't mean it will be accepted."

Tana's face read like an open book 'you can't be serious'. The statement had her both deflated and on edge.

"Now or later what difference is that going to make? That will only give you more of an edge than you may or may not have since you hide that beast of yours like Kyle does. Come on don't you want to let loose?"

Shay smiled at Tana. It was a motherly smile. "Oh, Honey, you are just a bundle of teeth that don't know where to bite, aren't you? Maybe getting some of that energy out would be a good thing. Can you take a hybrid form by choice or does your Beast race right through that to the cat?"

Shay was already unwrapping her Sari. She had no underwear beneath it. Stretch marks on her stomach told a tale of children borne and the slight sag of her breasts spoke of those same children being nursed and loved.

As the Sari fell to the ground and Shay stood there naked and waiting for Tana to choose their form for the fight, the first trickle of her Beast's strength could be felt. She would be no match for Michael. She'd already shown deference to Augustina. All that remained was for Tana to discover which of them was strongest.

Perhaps letting Tana pick the form of their battle was a sign that Shay wasn't concerned. Perhaps it was an attempt to shake the newest of Morvan's Alphas. Only time would tell.

The motherly tone some how flared rage in the young woman. Shays words held no harm or ill intent but none the less to Tana in that moment they felt condescending.

Tana hadn't tried to be hybrid since that night a month ago. Was Shay throwing that in her face? Sure as hell felt like it. Tana began to pull off her clothing as she debated her options.

"Trying to bait me into a form I have no practice with is that it? No chance. These teeth know exactly where to bite that rear end of yours." Her clouded mind stated with confidence as face twisted a little perplexed at the words that tumbled out of her mouth showing how truly unconfident she was. The look smoothed back into a smile. "Let's cat it up shall we."

"Not bait. Just a question." Shay stretched, then headed down towards the grass. "So until submission?" she asked as she dropped to her knees and lay down. She shivered slightly, as the cold of the ground found her.

"Til submission it is." Tana eyed her suspiciously as she followed her down to the grass. Tana's change quicker than usual. Her beast had been clawing from the inside to get out and now it was finally unleashed. The fur along her spine stood upright and her ears pinned to her head. A low growl rumbled at Shay ready and waiting.

Shay's change was far more leisurely, the change of someone in no hurry. She rolled onto her feet, shook herself, then looked at Tana.

She licked her chops and let out a low, warning growl of her own. She flexed her paws and drew long furrows in the earth with her claws. There was no fear, no rush to begin. Shay was letting Tana set the pace and come to her.

Shays growl did not register with Tana or her beast who took the other leopardess's leisurely pace as an insult.

Tana took off like a shot closing the gap between her and Shay. Unsarcastically Tana exuded cockiness and impatience. Tana's beast was way more in control then she would of liked and it showed in her sloppy approach. Under it all this was something Tana needed more than she knew. Knowing where she belonged in the pecking order was something she was severely lacking since LA. At home she knew full well where she stood with but in the world with others she lacked knowing where to place herself. Shay would set the young woman straight who was struggling desperately feeling like she neither belonged at the kids or adult table.

Shay moved aside as Tana's predictable attack reached her and traced her claws along the younger leopard's flank. This was Shay's edge; patience. Even with her Beast howling to join the fight in earnest, Shay waited. She would allow Tana to burn off much of her youthful energy by fighting a defensive battle and only when she saw the new Alpha begin to flag would she switch from defensive to offensive.

It took a few attacks to get Tana to focus and begin to actually showcase some of the skills her alphas had taught her and those she had picked up at the gym. But the focus would come to late. Bloody and out of energy and breath Tana found herself pinned under Shay with no options left. It took longer to get there then most would of thought it should taken a testament to Tanas pure sheer will and determination. The result was still a defeat even after a solid come from behind effort.

Tana turned her head to the side offering her neck to Shay while letting out a small mewling noise.

Part of the reason the fight took so long was Tana's courage and determination but the other part was entirely Shay's intention to draw the fight out, to allow Tana to burn off all the anger that she had no other outlet for.

In the end, she placed her teeth against Tana's throat to show her dominance and accept Tana's submission. Then, with one large paw on Tana's head, Shay began licking the younger leopard.

Tana was exhausted as she laid there with Shay licking her. There was something very comforting about being groomed by the other woman. Soothing like a lullaby Tana felt her eyes begin to shut. Comfort, support and understanding Tana had in abundance but something about this felt different. Almost as if she was momentarily at peace. The peace of knowing she so desperately lacked since LA. Not matter how much those that knew her tried to help their love was unconditional. Shay was not bound to that yet. A content rumble of purring came from Tana dispelling any tension that was in the air pervious.

When she had finished grooming Tana, Shay looked up at Morvan and the other Alphas, then lay down behind Tana, enfolding her with her Beast. Morvan smiled and joined the two leopards, starting an impromptu Pard pile. When he reached out his hand to Shay, she nuzzled his hand and licked his knuckles. She would do the same to Augustina, Michael and Kyle when they arrived.

Tana basked in the alpha energies in the pile. She had no pep let to argue Augustinas place in the pecking order if Shay deferred to the woman. She nuzzled against the woman's knuckles finishing with a small lick.

"Any of the subs want to fight out their positions?" Morvan asked.

Raoul shook his head. "Katie, Leslie and I have discussed it," he said. "I'm above Leslie but below Katie. Lincoln is above me but below Katie."

"Which leaves me," said Josiah Hicks. "I know I'm stronger than Lincoln, which places me below Katie. If she lets me pass-"

"I won't," Katie said. "You want a crack at Sandy? You go through me."

Josiah bowed his head to the woman. "Then we shall fight," he said. "Did you have a preference for shape?"

"Cat is good. Moon will be up soon enough so why not?" Katie said.

"Then cat it shall be,"  Josiah said. He was already wearing boxers and a t-shirt; he peeled them off after leaving the deck. He dropped to all fours and, with a short, silent prayer, changed.

The pair fought, but Katie had to work to keep Josiah off her the entire fight. He was larger than she was, and strength wise he wasn't too far from where she was. After twenty minutes of back and forth chasing, rolling around and lunging to pin each other. Both were wearing each other down. Katie was faster, but Josiah's hit when he got them in were stronger in comparison. But both were flagging in the twenty minutes when Morvan stepped in between them.

"Letting this go to it's conclusion, Katie would outlast you, Reverend," he said. "So for now, she is on top. Now both of you, if you still have anything in the tank, it's time to go kill something."

Katie padded up to him and mushed her face against his leg. Clearly she was happy with the announcement as she waited for him to give her pets. The fight had taken most of the hunger out of her system when she had changed, so she could spend a few moments basking in her Raj's aura.

Leslie came over to squat on the ground, giving Katie's back a ruffled pet. "Aww you did so good. You fought for so long, and you were here then boom over there and then weeee round and round you went. There were a few times I thought Rev was going to sit on you, and you wouldn't get up! You fought good too, Rev. I've never seen Katie have to fight that hard before." She wandered over to give him a gentle pet on the top of his head so he didn't feel left out. "You want me to go get you a bunny? Should I just count out our bunnies for tonight to put in the pen?"

Jasmine had silently and tensely watched the fight white knuckled and anxious but was very happy when Tana had finished her fight without any harm and was once again happy to see that the Reverend and Katie were both alright. She knew she was a guest, but over the months she had really grown to admire the Seattle pard. All of them were so cool and confident and had their own unique vibe and personas.

Shyly, she walked down the grass and gave the group a shy bow. "You all fought honorably and with skill. I am happy for you all. I hope my comments do not seem like over stepping. I just wished to share my congratulations."

Morvan crouched and gave Katie a headbutt, rubbing his cheek on hers. "That's my girl," he said. "Better stay sharp though. I can see him coming for you soon. I don't think he's particularly ambitious but I think he wants a role protecting more than just the weak subs. Remember how he went after Lincoln when he stole Raoul's kill?"

The Raj looked up at Jasmine. "Praise is always welcome," he said. "But you can always speak your mind here."

When Leslie patted the fat leopard on the head, he rubbed his head against her leg. Then, with a grunt, he flopped over on his side. Any rabbit assigned to him was going to get at least an hour's head start.

Katie nodded. She was going to have to get better or the other cat would be gunning for her spot.

Raoul, already in his leopard form approached the Reverend. He bumped Leslie's leg affectionately and began grooming the defeated leopard. Josiah snorted and nuzzled the younger leopard affectionately.

Jasmine watched eyes wide at the leopards surrounding her. She noticed her hands and body shook ever so slightly as she struggled to breathe calmly. Butterflies beat chaotically in her tummy. She was unsure why she wanted to dive into the grouping of leopards. It was a feeling she wasn't accustomed to. She wanted to bite and chew and lick and rub against... well all of them.

Feeling awkward and out of place Jasmine turned to jog off down toward the spring fed pond to clear her head. She had only taken several steps before she heard a loud yowl.

Jasmine had stepped on Tana's tail.

The tired leopard was standing now in the middle of the alpha pile ears pinned back flat. The fur that was not stuck down with drying blood from the fight was standing along her spine as she eyed Jasmine up like a scared bird. The low growl rumbled from deep within. Tana's body began to wind up like a spring ready to release at Jasmine for stepping on her tail. The usually easy going young woman was not home right now inside that leopards body.

Morvan let out a low growl of warning. Jasmine was his guest and, although not an actual member of his Pard, she was under his protection. He started forward, towards the pair. If he got there in time, he would prevent any issues. If he didn't, he'd resolve any issues.

"Sorry! So sorry!" Jasmine said backing away quickly, arms up and at her front of herself. Hoping Tana was in there enough to understand but also knowing it was the full moon.

Tana's lips curled up showing her teeth as her muzzle twitched up and down. A large paw took a single step forward as she continued to stare down looking Jasmine. Morvan's warning was late to register but when it did tension left Tana's body as she snarled while slowly laying back down between licks across her muzzle.

Jasmine was quick to give space, not in leopard form she wasn't at all prepared to be jumped on. She apologized again and made her way towards the safety of where Kyle and Michael stood.

"That's my kitten," Morvan said, ruffling Tana's hair and brushing her with his Beast. "Why don't you head out and find something to hunt? It will take the edge off. Kyle, Shall we release the kraken?"

"Might as well strip down and get ready for the night. Sometimes it's better to shift before you have to when the moon's up anyway. Less off a ripping of the leopard out of your hide I find." Kyle said, stripping off his shirt as he head up onto the deck to start putting away his clothes in the storage bench seats.

Michael slipped off his grey sweatpants and tossed them to Kyle. "If you don't mind saves me a trip." Michael replied.

Jess nodded "I'll go fish out the rabbits to toss in the pen for everyone. Try not to be dicks and eat more than one. We are still running short on the meat train."

"Maybe check with the neighbours to see if they're willing to part with a cow for Christmas," Morvan asked, kicking off his shorts. "My treat."

Morvan's touch caused Tana to raise back to her feet as she nuzzled at his hip. Her eyes watching the other men as they began to strip down. He could feel beast tingle. Shay had beaten a lot of the energy out of the leopardess but it would seem she was getting a second wind from who knows where. Her eyes scanned the group landing on Justin once more she licked her muzzle.

Morvan let out a deep chuckle. "You're supposed to protect him, not hunt him," the Raj said. "Hey Justin! You might want to make sure you're running paws are on. " He pointed down at Tana. "Somebody is looking at you like you're on the menu."

Justin stripped off his shirt and leaned against the railing of the back deck to kick off his socks and to take off his Adidas tearaways as he chuckled and rolled his hips. Whipping the pants around overhead.

Sandy patted him on the shoulder, "You aren't Magic Mike in this temperature, save it for summer."

Justin went beet red. "That was a burn I need first aid for," he whined softly as the pants stopped spinning and fell into his face.

Tana chattered in little squeaks like cats trying to mimic birds or squirrels into a false sense of security. Morvan could feel her muscles begin to roll from relaxed, twitching and tight.

Between Justin's work and Tana trying to deal with getting to know herself, her limits and her triggers since the power up the two had not been able to make going out for dinner happen. Maybe her beast was as disappointed by that fact as Tana herself and that was why if dinner couldn't come to them they would go to dinner. However in this case dinner was hunt and harass Justin verses actual food.

"That boy is in for a long night," Lincoln said. He was sweating, fighting his Beast with everything he had. He didn't want to change at the whim of his Beast. It was a weak thing. It would bow to his will the way it bowed to Katie.

Leslie shifted without any more urging or fan fare everyone was doing it so she was going to ride that cat wave too and trust Jess had food in the pen for her to run down and snatch.

Justin came down to the grass and knelt to shift, rather than forcing it he let the change happen on its own without holding back or pushing it was the least painful way to work through a shift. At the other end he shook his fur trying to remove as much of the sticky translucent gunk that was left over after a shift.

He sniffed at the air and could smell the panicky rabbits, and padded down the hill and towards the pens.

Tana continued to watch Justin. As he padded towards the pen her lower shoulders drooped her ass end raised as it wiggled back and forth. One false start caused her to stand back up straight as other movement further in the tree line grabbed her attention away. Her head swayed from side to side quizzically. She wasn't sure id she was jumping at shadows or not. There was a low rumble as she quickly slunk towards the tree line. Loud warning growls echoed into the darkness. Something set her off as not safe or suspicious that was clear. If it was anything other then her imagination was the unclear part.

Justin raced down the hill zipping past the others as he did a dive and landed into the middle of the pen.

He heard Jess shout out "Fucking wait fucking damn it." Just as a rabbit was whipped at his face. He of course did what any good cat could do and caught a face full of squirming screaming rabbit before he gave Jess one long hard look before jumping out of the pen. He was going to run into the long grass and into the woods to snack up in a tree stand, far away from any other leopard that might be greedy enough to try and take his kill.

[Maxx]

Tana's ears pinned back and once more the fur along her spine and tail poofed up as much as the dried blood allowed. She slunk into the thicker brush for cover her big paws padded slowly on the ground avoiding snapping fallen branches underfoot. Eyes narrowed looking into the darkness scanning for any movement that she didn't think belonged to any of her pard or its guests.

There!

Tana caught not exactly movement but the darkening of shadows. She moved with a stealth that Michael had been teaching her but at speeds she never had as a sub that it even surprised herself.

Where is it? Where is it?!

Her nose sniffed at the ground for a few moments before her head raised her mouth open as she scented with her teeth.

Nothing? No that's not right I saw something

Just as she questioned herself another darkening of shadows in the distance caught her eye once more. Her head swiveled as she slunk off once more in the shadows direction. They were coming. Those in L.A. have found them and have come to retaliate. She had killed one of there's and now they want revenge. Leslie, Katie no no that would be too easy. Justin they would go for Justin if they could. They saw how important he was to her and that is where they were going to make their move. Not if she had anything to say about it. She would find them and take out who ever had the nerve to step foot on their home before they could do anything.

As the evening wore on and no result to be had Tana was beginning to panic. Beginning to become sloppy. Twigs and branches tugged tore chunks of fur from her body. Scratched and cut her up like annoying ants at a picnic. More and more shadows taunted her sending her in circles as they pulled her further and further into the woods away from the farmhouse. Minutes had become hours and the bush was no longer familiar as she had wondered way beyond the property line chasing shadows in a terrified rage lashing out at anything bit or small that caught her attention.

The night progressed and the birds started their pre-dawn songs.

With it being the full moon the ratio of cat to human rational in any large degree was out the window for the next few days.

The night had been fairly peaceful since the fighting had been taken care of before the sun had set.

Still towards the end of the night Justin had made his way towards the far back east end of the property for a fourth time. Despite the cat being in the driver's seat he didn't jump the six foot tall chain link fence that separated the property from the conservationist area despite him trailing the scent of Tana.

He let out a raspy call into the pre-dawn air once again and let out a snort afterwards as a few raindrops fell on his nose.

Years of ingrained habit had him stay in his territory but he would listen and see if he could smell or hear anything.

He paused hearing nothing after a few moments he climbed one of the many trees that contained simple hunter stands on the twenty acres of property and settled onto the platform to holler again into the morning air.

Morvan's ears perked up. Justin's call was muffled by the trees but it was distinct. He didn't seem like he was in danger but he was calling out. It was his duty as Raj to keep his people safe.

He began following Justin's trail into the beginnings of the morning rain. He was likely to end up being miserable by the time he reached Justin"¦

Justin perked up as Morvan approached, he looked down from his tree perch and let out a soft rumble to announce his presence as he shook himself to rid himself of the rain on his fur from the lazy light rain.

He leapt from his spot and stopped by the area where Tana's scent was starting to be dampened by the rain as he let out another raspy call his ears flattening slightly.

Morvan rubbed up against Justin, licking the younger leopard's ears for a moment, before sniffing the area Justin was focusing on. The Raj let out a chuff, and looked at Justin. He gave him a head butt. It was a suggestion that Justin head back towards the ranch house but far from a command. Then he began following Tana's scent.

Justin shook himself again ran backwards several steps then jumped the fence and followed Morvan.

As the dawn slowly began to break Tana had long since strayed beyond the boarders. Her scent though fading her trail had markers of where she had been. Mostly fallen trees that had large clawed marks mixed with scattered body parts of small wildlife. The carnage was not the best of signs. None of the animals were consumed just brutally murdered. In the distance feral growling and hissing could be heard as large animals sizing one another up. The pair could pick out one as Tana but the other was unknown.

As the pair followed the noise they came to a clearing. The ground was covered in blood and chunks of fur with clear signs of a struggle. There was a small cliff at at the bottom a Bobcat lay motionless atop a mound of black fur whose chest rose and fell with exhaustion. Unaware to one party at he bottom of the small cliff a tiny set of green eyes blinked while crying out from under a bush near the edge. The night had ended with Tana thinking she had stopped an invader when in fact she killed a mother trying to protect her one cub from a panicked leopard that wandered too far from home.

Justin had followed Morvan out past the wildlife conservation. He had never gone further than that in cat form, and for good reason. Had he been human he would have known that they had strayed now onto private property that was owned by farmers and farmers were particularly protective of their properties in the area whether they grew produce or raised livestock.

If it had been any other time other than the full moon, Justin would have picked up on this and been wise not to wander into those lands. Farmers were also sometimes hunters, and as cats they were pretty easy to track. The last thing he would want, would to be shot at or worse yet outing the pard to the locals and having some shot gun wielding types pounding on their door looking for monsters. Being out here put them all in danger, but he would have time to think about that potentially after they got home and shifted, if he remembered the event.

He let out a soft raspy call as he scented the air and hoped that he and Morvan wouldn't have to be out in the rain for much longer. He was beyond full, having grabbed a few of the mangled bodies along the way to this spot. It was extremely rare that the pard split and wasn't together for the full moon. He just hoped he found his pard mate so they could return to the safety of their territory.

Morvan was silent but Justin could smell his displeasure, feel it in his Beast. What Tana had done, the trail of carnage that she had left behind, was the work of Man, not Beast. Leopards did not kill for sport. Leopards killed out of need and what he was seeing was needless waste. This was the act of a feral lycanthrope. If Tana didn't get a handle on things, he was going to have to put her down before her luck ran out and she killed a human.

Justin backed up his tail dropped, his ears flattened. The power and the scent from Morvan changed and he did his best to give him space and seem smaller, not worth looking at as he slunk backwards keeping a respectful distance to the Raj in case he chose violence. Justin wanted no part in a fight with anyone this morning as he shook the rain from his coat again.

Tana soon shook the cobwebs out of her head from the tumble and the with it the bobcat. She took the trophy triumphantly into her mouth and with a running start leapt back up the small cliff with ease. It had still not clicked how far off the property she had 'chased' her prey or how close the others were until she was topside. Her amber eyes blinked at the pair. With a flick of her neck she tossed the corpse towards Morvan. It was clear that there was some sort of disconnect between her perceived success in protecting everyone and Morvan's mood. She tilted her head quizzically before the surroundings around her was really starting to sink in. Her ears lowered along with her head as she sunk low to the ground ashamed. This was a new low for her the waves of displeasure and disappointment coming off of Morvan made her spirit and stomach sink.

Justin saw Tana come back and relaxed, knowing they had found her and she was safe. The Raj was putting out the want to do harm vibes, but at least they had found her. Now they could come back home and rejoin with the others.

Morvan's nose was quivering. He moved past Tana and her kill. His nose led him to the bottom of the cliff. The bobcat kitten was seven months old, able to survive on its own, barely. It might have stayed with its mother for another four or five months, had Tana not taken her life so needlessly.

He returned to the top of the small cliff, staring at Tana in a way that he'd never done before. Then his form began to swell, as he took his hybrid form. He was a small man but this form towered over Tana. One hand grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and he began dragging her back towards the farm house as if she was a wayward kitten.

In the other hand, he carried the savaged bobcat.

Justin trailed behind. Keeping them in eyesight but not daring to get too close, all the way back to the farm house.

He took a running g jump over the fence and made his way through the wooded lot. The sky was staring to lighten and with it would come the chance to change.

Seeing the look in Morvans eyes caused Tana to not be able to look him in the eye. It was something she had only partially experienced being on the receiving end before shortly after they meet. She had gotten pissy with a poor normie popcorn vendor due to lack of salt. This was a million times worse. Her beast and presence shrunk inward as Morvan reached for her but she dare not flinch away. There was no protest just acceptance. The only 'struggling' she did was she was trying to adjust to help Morvan pull her over odd terrain.

It was possible to speak in hybrid form; Morvan remained silent for the entire trip back to the farm house. He dropped both the dead bobcat and Tana just as he hit the pond. Then he waded into the frigid water and dunked himself.

When he came out the others side, he dropped to his knees and shrank back down to his human shape.

When he was finished, he stood and sought out Tana again. He reached down and she could feel his Beast pushing energy into her, so she would be able to return to her human shape. "When you change back, go have a shower, then get some sleep. When you wake up, get a shovel and bury that bobcat."


He didn't sound angry.

He sounded disappointed.

Tana felt the energy inside her. It wasn't being used in a forceful manor but she obeyed. In minutes Tana stood naked, tired and slightly punchy. Morvan's face and voice told her more than his words ever could. Her eyes shifted to the bobcat. The bobcat that did not shift back. Something she was so positive of minutes ago proved so very wrong in the moment.

Tana opened her mouth sucking in air passed her teeth as if she was about to protest or defend herself. However the air let out painfully. Her voice caught in her throat at first causing her to stutter before clearing it. "Yes Sir." Her own disappointment and regret in herself clear in her voice. Her head lowered and her shoulders slumped as she trudged towards outdoor shower. She paused looking back over her shoulder towards Morvan her heart broke at how far she had fallen. A quick rinse to not let shifter gunk get all over the farmhouse was all she took before replacing it with a proper shower executing Morvans instructions. It was not Justin's bed she went to afterwards but her own, alone.

"You too," Morvan said to Justin. "Go get some sleep."

He looked at the mangled bobcat. It had faced impossible odds to protect its cub, fully prepared to pay the ultimate price. He would have done the same in a heart beat for any of his leopards, including Tana. Especially Tana. She'd been the first leopard in the first Pard he had led. He couldn't lose her.

Justin followed suit, skipping out on whatever Kyle had cooked up. He didn't have the appetite he normally did, wispy memories of eating more than his fill in the dark skittered through his mind. Once in his bedroom, he draped his shower towel on the back of his PC chair and then crawled into bed after a fixing the black-out curtains in his room.

***

It was early afternoon before Morvan saw Tana. He motioned her over. "I would like to talk to you for a minute, if you wouldn't mind,"  he said. There was no anger in his tone, no pity. It was a simple request to have a conversation. Tana was free to ignore the request if she wanted.

Tana swallowed hard as she approached Morvan. "No I don't mind. Could we do this outside? I was heading out to ya know," she motioned with both her thumbs towards where the bobcat was. She took a deep breath in and slowly exhaled as she spoke "To bury my shame." Her voice was tiny and a little shakey but she knew saying it out loud would carry more weight to her misdoings.

"I was going to suggest that," Morvan said. "I'm glad we're already on the same page."

Once the two had reached the dead bobcat, Morvan looked at Tana. "What happened, Kitten? Why did you end up scrapping it up with a bobcat?"

Tana bent over the body running a shakey hand over its broken body. She shook her head as she stood up straight shovel in hand. Breaking the soil as she broke her somber silence. "I'm not sure. Shitty excuse I know. I remember the feeling of being watched, uneasy, threatened. I wanted to protect everyone so I hunted." She paused her shoveling her face twisted in conflicted. "I clearly hunted shadows. I ended up doing complete opposite of what my intention was." She went back to shoveling. "I was so proud to show you I finally got it. Then I saw you. Felt you." She let out a trembling sigh before biting her lower lip.

"I'm not sure what is going on. You've been having problems since we got back from Cali. If this had been a human and not an animal, we would be having a very different conversation."  Morvan reached out to stroke Tana's cheek. "You got lucky, Tana. You can't live on luck."

Tana leaned into Morvan's hand for the briefest of moments before pulling away. She didn't feel like she deserved his comfort.

"I know. I keep thinking I have a handle on it. And I should be getting a handle on it. It's been made clear enough that if I was in any other pard id be long past my expiration of getting a handle on it." Tana sighed. "I'm an embarrassment. To you. To the pard. To myself." Tears tickled at the corner of her eyes. "I need to be better."

"I do t know what to say, Kitten,"  Morvan said. "You had more control when we met than you do now. You need to get a grip on your Beast. Otherwise this will not be an animal we need to bury. What do you need from me, Kitten? How can I help?"

Tana bent down moving the body into the hole. She starred at it intensely trying to seer the mistake into her head. Standing back up she shrugged. "I'm not sure. Maybe Michael's shrink will shed some better perspective. Not that I don't trust Shays opinion I'm just not sure her methods are helping. My emotions rule me and I hate it. I feel caged by what happened in L.A. When Shay beat me there was a moment of relief. Maybe I just need to be beat down repetitively by everyone until it sticks." She scoffed at herself. "The disconnect between self and beast is hard to grasp. It feels like I am backing into a corner and snapping at everyone and everything. Friend or foe. I'm rambling now. I'm sure none of this makes any sense." Tanas hands gripped the shovel her knuckles starting to whiten.

"Oh I think I can explain it better. It's not so much as a disconnect but you know house cats right. When you try so hard to love them and all they do it just run away and hiss. Maybe that's my problem. I need to let the beast come to me instead of chasing it." Tana's eyes lit up with something Morvan hadn't seen in them since before L.A., hope.

"You're safe here," Morvan said. "No need to be on alert all the time. You likely haven't dealt with what happened down in Cali. Sure, you've killed while hunting but you'd never killed another leopard, either in a challenge or in battle. That is where the problem lies, I think. You're not a killer but you're a were leopard, which makes you a killer. I think you and your Beast are trying to separate and it isn't going to work."

Tana nodded. "No it isn't. I've tried crying until there were no tears left. Raging into the void until my body and soul are exhausted. Busying my mind to think of anything but what happened. Things I thought were normal to cope with it all. Then I had the nerve to chase my beast expecting it to be easy. How could it be easy when part of me loathed myself for what I did. What the beast did. Of course it's pissed. It could feel how a part of me felt and wanted to do anything but work with me. I need to accept myself. All of myself. More importantly I need to mean it. Not just say it aloud thru a practiced smile." Tana let out a heavy sigh but with it her shoulders raised as if a burden had lifted if even a fraction. "Michael's therapist will be needed for part of it. The other part maybe I need to go on one of those native reserves in a sweat lodge hopped up on drugs to speak to my inner self. Apologize to it." Tana left out a little laugh at the thought. The laugh opened the flood gates as tears flowed down her face. The tiny laugh building into a full on emotional burst of laughter that caused her to double over as the laughing sobs continued catharticly.

"If that is the way we have to go,"  Morvan said. "But I don't think we will. This isn't some sacred ritual that you need to take part in. This isn't a vision quest. I'm not going to comment on the cultural appropriation either. This is you making peace with a guilty conscience. There are plenty of soldiers who come home dealing with the same problem. Maybe we can look there or with places that help people who kill people in car accidents. You aren't the first person to go through this. You're a predator, Kitten. You're not a stone cold killer. You were caught in a situation where it was kill or be killed. You just happened to come out on top."

Tana stood up sucking in a long cleansing breathe then slowly exhaling it out her mouth. The shovel stuck into the newly loosened dirt. "I'd like that. Sounds like a plan." She began to sprinkle the dirt atop the corpse. There was a long spanning silence as she continued the motion filling the hole.

"I'm grateful you know." There was another pause. "Grateful you found me. I'm not naive enough to know that if it was anyone else. I may not be standing here today for a multitude of reasons. You've shown me kindness and patience even during moments when I don't deserve it. " She turned and gave him a half lopsided smirk her face a mix of happiness and sadness for a brief moment before turning back to the task at hand.

"I don't know how long you would have survived if I hadn't found you," Morvan said. "You were chasing three guys. If I hadn't stopped you, you likely would have killed one of them and you know where that would have ended. You were the first leopard I found after I became a Raj. You will always be my Kitten, even when you're seventy." He threw an arm around Tana and gave her a rough kiss on top of the head. "We will get through this, Tana. We will find a way. I promise you this as your Raj. I will make sure you don't hurt anyone accidentally."

Morvan felt a sharp pang as he made that promise, because he knew that, as a very last resort, it would mean taking Tana's life so she couldn't hurt someone else.

Tana turned her body into Morvan. She stood still for a moment few heart beats. A muted thunk of a shovel hitting the ground followed by arms aggressively wrapping around the tiny Raj. Tana nuzzled her face into his strong chest sucking in his scent like the world would fall down around her with out it.

Morvan returned the embrace, although not quite as tight. "I will make sure no odd hurts you,"  he said, his voice rough. "You are like a daughter to me. I've already lost one of those. Don't make me lose you too."

Tana pulled back a little her face clearly one of confusion. This was the first time she was hearing of anything about a daughter from Morvan. What did he mean already lost one?

The roughness in his voice made her heart ache. Her lower lip sucked between her teeth chewing on it much like the gnawing questions her brain wanted to shout out. Morvan and her have been together for a long time. Tana thought she knew all there was to know about the man clearly she was wrong. Her hand rubbed his back slowly but it was her beast that came to the surface in its warming weighted blanket comfort wrapping around him.

"I-," She paused as her face contorted thru a few emotions unsure of what to say next. "I promise to do everything in my power to make that happen." The young leopard snuggled into him once again. Then in a tiny voice muffled by his chest. "If you ever wanna you know talk about her. I'm happy to listen."

"Suki had a baby," he said. "She didn't tell me. That is why she just ghosted me for a couple of years. She had to give her up for adoption because she couldn't take care of her, be a cop and take care of a mother with dementia. She only told me when she thought she was dying. She kept a box...." his voice broke. "She kept a box with a blanket, sealed in a bag, so if I wanted to, I would know how she smelled."

Tana's arms began to slack as her beast began to bristle at Morvan's recounting of Suki's choices. It was an initial reaction to be mad due to the hurt of the most important person in her life. Morvan's voice breaking had her beast stand down and her arms retighten on his frame.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what to say." A large part of her wanted to hurt Suki in return but it would only cause more pain that Morvan did not need or deserve. Tana may not know what to say but if anything solidified that she needed to get her shit together it was this very moment.

"She made the right choice,"  Morvan said. "I was a massive prick back then. Selfish. In your face. I couldn't have taken care of a kid. Could you imagine trying to raise a kid here? Leslie can't control her impulses in human shape. Now imagine her during a full moon with a squealing child. She'd never forgive herself but you know she would have done it. She made the right call. And not telling me has been eating at her for years. Why else would she make sure that I could find the box and find out, with what might have been her last conscious breath?"

Tana shrugged before the words began to tumble out her mouth barely above a whisper. "I'm not sure. Sadly Suki can only answer that. I am unsure if what Suki did was a kindness or unintentional cruelty. That is something you need to decide for yourself and I am sorry that you need to decide it. I hope your daughter found happiness wherever she is. How far down this rabbit hole do you want to venture?" Tana pulled away from him. Her eyes darted quickly across his features and expressions.

Tana never knew her biological parents. Her mother died in child birth and her father was unknown. She had been in the system her whole life and it sucked. Hopefully Morvans daughter had the opposite experience finding a good, loving family. She couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealous as Morvan spoke. If Tanas birth father ever found out about her would he also be this choked up? Tana had her doubts. Ignorance is bliss for a reason and after the promise she just made herself she had no room to chase her own rabbit holes.

[Maxx]

Monday Nov 9th Archangel Industries Lobby- 9pm-Klaus and Kai

Woodstock had been there to pick the young man up at the airport and drive him to Archangel towers. The full moon had just recently passed, so it was the perfect time for the new were-leopard to come to the city and meet with the vampire in question. He had been told him that he had a chance at a new life and job in the Emerald city. The real reason for wanting to come was to meet other were-leopards.

The ride to the Towers had been interesting as Woodstock was a colourful character as he filled the were-leopard in on the scenery and history of the town as he drove him to the Towers. Woodstock had parked in the underground garage and had assisted with the young man's suitcases as they rode the elevator up to the main lobby to meet with Klaus Adler.

Klaus was wearing a suit with the left arm folded in on itself, leaving nothing from just above the elbow down. He extended his hand to Kai. "Mr Edwards. Welcome to Archangel. My apologies for the delay in bringing you in; New Zealand has a rather labyrinthian bureaucracy and for a vampire to make that statement is saying something. My name is Klaus Adler. We've been corresponding. The call me the Schoolmaster, because part of my job is to make sure all new employees and new vampires understand their roles and responsibilities under the legal protections you receive in the United States. Do you have any questions thus far?"

Slate grey eyes took in the lobby of Archangel Industries. To say that it was an awe inspiring sight was an understatement of epic proportions. The hand that gripped the strap to his backpack hitched it up just a bit, marking the young man as nervous. 

His driver had done a lot to put the young man at ease, but it might have been less that the other had been a vampire and more of a stoner that had the largest part in helping control the nerves. 

When Klaus came up and introduced himself to the young man, Kai hadn't known what to expect. The young man took the offered hand and shook it. His cat chuffed at the new scent close to him.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, sir. But please call me Kai, Mr. Edwards is my grandfather." He said with a smile. "Quite a few questions but I'm sure some of them are out of your..." Kai said waving a hand as he tried to think of the appropriate word he wanted. "Um...wheelhouse?"

“You’d be surprised what my wheelhouse encloses,” Klaus said. “We’ve got you on one of the residential floors, close to the other resident leopards. My understanding is that you are going to be interning with our public relations department. Did you get a chance to read over the employment package on your flight?”

Klaus seemed quite genial for a vampire. It didn’t hurt that his scent included that of a female leopard. It hung on him like cologne, mingling with his own scent. He and the leopard were clearly quite close.

"I did," Kai said his eyes going a bit wide. "It was very extensive."

“We try to be inclusive,” Klaus said. “The main difference is your legal status here. Where as you have no legal protection under the laws of New Zealand, here you do. You have American citizenship through your father, correct?”

"Yes sir, I was actually born in Hawaii. He's a Naval Officer." Kai explained with a polite nod of his head. 

"I did notice that I was also going to be a donor, and I was curious as to what that would entail." The question was asked with the same amount of politness as his earlier response but both the tone of his voice and scent spiked with nervousness.

“Part of your job will be providing blood to the vampires of Seattle,” Klaus explained. “The manner of donation is up to you. You can provide bagged blood, you can do indirect donation through a needle or you can donate directly. Whether you choose to be rolled to reduce the pain of direct donation is up to you. Page seventeen of your package is a consent form. And of course consent is revokable.”

Kai listened and seemed to sag in relief that he had options. "Okay that makes things a little better. I was afraid that it was going to be direct donation and that kind of gave me the willies." He chuckled, "Heck going furry still gives me the willies to be honest."

“So you’re relatively new to being a shifter?” Klaus cocked his head slightly. “How new?”

"About 4 months, give or take." Kai said scratching the back of his head.

“Have you spent much time around other leopards?” Klaus asked. “Any First Change issues that we should know about?” It was a polite way of asking if Kai was running from any warrants that could potentially follow him to Seattle.

"Well I might have been near another leopard on my first change, that was done at a 'clinic' run by the government. But other than that I've been keeping myself locked away while I've been traveling to get here. I'm sure I'm not going to be asked back to the Holiday Inn Express near the Honolulu airport. Apparently fish guts are hard to get out of the carpet." Kai said a little sheepishly.

“I doubt that is was the worst they’ve seen,” Klaus said with a chuckle. “They host a lot of people from the southern US. We’ll get you introduced to the local leopards. There are six of them employed here as well as a number of others that aren’t associated with Archangel. Did you have a preference as to whether you wanted to meet an Alpha first or another sub? Whatever would make you feel more comfortable, a superior or a peer.”

"Um, I think I should meet a superior, you know in case I get overwhelmed. I did do some research about the virus and how I might get in tense situations." Kai affirmed, "I figured it would be bad to change in an airplane over the pacific ocean."

“Which is why we waited until after the full moon to fly you here,” Klaus pointed out. It’s not our first photo shoot, Kai.” He looked over at Woodstock, who had been patiently waiting beside Kai. “Woodstock, would you ask Boris to contact one of the wereleopard Alphas and have them meet us in the cafeteria?”

The other vampire nodded. “I can do that,” he said, turning away. 

“Shall we?” Klaus asked. “I assume you’re hungry? Airplane food is rarely appropriate for shifters and I didn’t ask if Woodstock had stopped along the way.”

"He offered to stop, but I didn't want to be running late. I know I'm supposed to feed my beast and all that." Kai said with a smile, "but growing up navy I learned to make the meetings first them eat."

“Having a military background will certainly help you adapt to the structure of a shapeshifter group. There are clearly defined roles, a definite pecking order,” Klaus said, gesturing towards the cafeteria with the stump of his arm. “But your Beast will let you know when it needs to be fed. Your Alphas can fill you in far better on that than I could.”

"I figured that as long as I kept to a regular meal plan that I wouldn't have too much trouble." Kai explained as he followed Klaus' direction toward the cafeteria.

“If you were human that would work,” Klaus said. “The problem is, now you will find your hunger increases when you see small fast moving objects that your Beast interprets as prey. Rabbits. Goats. Dogs. Cats. Children.”

"Oh." Kai said in surprise.

“I’m surprised you haven’t noticed,” Klaus said. “A leopard of my acquaintance has been known to devour ducklings whole, when in human form, because they smell too enticing to resist. So the fact that you haven’t noticed surprises me.”

"I've also been isolating so I don't have any accidents that lead to warrants and death," Kai answered honestly.

"Sounds like you have been very lucky," Klaus said as they entered the cafeteria. "Is there anything on the menu that catches your fancy?"

"I would go with very paranoid, honestly sir." Kai returned while looking over the menu. "A cheeseburger on the rare side sounds like a dream come true."

Klaus pointed towards the counter. "Order away," he said.

Kai nodded and made his way over to the counter to begin his order. As he waited for his food to be made he studied the large cafeteria area.

Brandy sent Klaus a quick text. 

BRANDY: Hey Lover, I know you are potentially in the middle of your interview, but would it be okay for me to come down to the cafeteria to order a drink? I can hold off if you think it would be distracting. Hope everything is going well.

“A moment,” Klaus said, stepping away from Kai to answer the text. 

KLAUS: Please, stay away! You know that I would be far too distracted to offer my undivided attention to our newest wereleopard. He finally arrived. Shay will be here shortly as well, should you choose to join us. 

While Klaus was busy, Kai’s attention was caught by a woman entering the cafeteria. She seemed older, perhaps her forties. She moved easily, smoothly. Her skin was perhaps a few shades darker than Kai’s and the Sari she wore was a vibrant royal blue.

Her eyes found the young man and she smiled, a beautiful, gentle smile. Her pace increased as she closed on him like a predator that had spotted its prey. 

He felt the slightest tickle of her Beast as she arrived; she too was a wereleopard. She extended a hand. If Kai took it, he could tell that she was not just a wereleopard but also an Alpha.

“Hello and welcome,” she said, “I am Shay. You must be Kai. How was your flight?”

BRANDY: Okay can sit tight and power through without my caffeine. Let me know when you are done and good luck on your meeting <3

KLAUS: SARCHASM - the gab between the deliverer of a sarcastic comment and the recipient who missed the joke….

BRANDY: And you should look up from your phone Dearest, because you also failed the class exercise.

When Klaus looked up he could see Brandy just at the left-hand entrance door to the cafeteria wiggled her fingers in the way of a hello, a smirk on her face when their eyes locked. She pursed her lips in his direction and offered him a wink as she watched Shay settling down with the new leopard in question.

She had of course known Klaus was having the meeting and had told her he was going down to have that meeting. She had wanted to sneak down to get a sniff and a peek at the newcomer. It was exciting and she couldn't help but be happy about the fact their pard was slowly growing. 

Klaus smiled and nodded his head in concession of her victory. She certainly kept him on his toes. He found a spot to observe Kai and Shay. How they interacted with each other would tell him a great deal about the newcomer.

“Hello and welcome,” she said, “I am Shay. You must be Kai. How was your flight?”

Kai blinked and studied the woman who'd just introduced herself as Shay. That oh so alien part of him that was now his beast seemed to back up and lay its ears back. It wasn’t an aggressive move, he could tell, it felt more like that of a startled and wary alley cat. Waiting for the signal to run.

Kai smiled at Shay, “The flight was ok, loud, but then again it seems all of my senses are dialed up a few notches.”

Finally he took her offered hand and the feel of her beast washed over him and made him gulp in fear, shock, surprise…or perhaps it had been a mixture of all three. 

Shay’s Beast wasn’t trying to overwhelm the young leopard, although a young leopard might not realize that. It was saying hello, gauging his power not in preparation for a fight but just to determine whether she should expect submission or a dominance contest. His Beast was clearly not an Alpha; he was far too new. 

“No need to be afraid,” Shay said, smiling and withdrawing her hand. “You’re going to meet a lot of our kind. Some are much stronger than I am but that strength is not going to be used to subdue you but rather to protect and guide you. We will teach you what you need to know to thrive in your new life.”

Kai took his hand back as well and moved it to scratch the back of his head giving Shay a sheepish smile. "Well that's good to know, because honestly your probably the third leopard I've met. The other two were containment center guest."

Shay grinned. There seemed to be nothing but amusement behind it. “So I’m your first free range leopard? Not going to lie. Your first full moon in Seattle is going to be a bit of an eye opener. There are over a dozen leopards. Six of us work for Archangel in some way, shape or form, in addition to being donors. Did you have experience as a donor before becoming a leopard or is that going to be a new experience? Here, let me pay for that. Did you want to go back to Mr Adler or did you want to eat before continuing your orientation?”

"Um...I'm a military brat and then I lived in New Zealand where they're a whole heck of a lot stricter about vamps and weres. So I'm a virgin donor," he said and nodded at Shay's offer to pay. "As for eatting and Mr. Adler I think he was going to maybe combine the two to save time. And I think he wanted me to me to meet a couple of you guys." 

“Come then,” Shay said with a smile. “You can try to continue your intake interview with Mr Adler in the face of three distractions: me, your food and the very lovely redhead who is coming to join us. That is Brandy McCrea. She is also one of the local wereleopard Alphas. Think you can handle that much stimulation?”

Kai blew out a breath of nervousness. "I'll never know unless I try right," he said as he followed Shay toward the table Klaus and Brandy were at.

He set his tray down and smiled at the red-headed leopard. "Hello." He said politely holding out his hand, "I'm Kai and according to Ms Shay you're Brandy."

"That I am darling and you must be Kai. Welcome to the Towers." She took his offered hand and shook it. And it felt like a normal handshake, at first only the slightest of tingles before she released his hand. The slightly underweight leopardess offered him a smile. "I'm Brandy nice to put a face to the new comer. One of the many perks of working here is a cafeteria that actually makes good food and coffee."

"I'm glad, the layover in Hawaii was hell. I forgot how much of a delicacy Spam was over there." Kai said affecting a shudder of horror. 

Kai liked the control it seemed Brandy had on her cat, it made his feel settled. Her weight concerned him but that wasn't something he could fuss about as he was not a part of her group yet.

"Well I am glad you decided to come out to Seattle. You won't see spam on the work place menu here have no worries of that. We have a decent group of were-leopards here. Once you are more settled in we can work in introductions. Some of us live here but most of us don't work or live here. You've met Shay. I am sure you will soon meet Augustina, The Reverend, Lincoln. Are there anythings that you wanted to know about us? Or are you still talking with Mr. Adler about the workplace arrangements and duties?" The redheaded leopardess asked.

"Don't forget Raoul," Shay pointed out. "He'd be devastated to know you left him out. Augustina works in legal, Lincoln is in multi-media, Reverend Hicks, and yes, he is a real reverend works between public relations and human resources as part of the diversity team and Raoul works with the medical team, although he can't interact directly with patients unless they are already infected."

"Kai is going to be part of the public relations department," Klaus said. "Is it correct that you intend to pursue a photojournalism degree, Kai?"

"Yes sir that's correct," Kai said after swallowing down a sip of water. "I found that I liked telling stories with my camera." 

He looked over at Brandy, "And I would say the answer would be a little of column a and a little from column b."

Brandy nodded. If Klaus and him hadn't gone over everything, she could sit and wait if Kai had questions for him or Shay. She looked over to Shay and whispered softly "Did you want a chai latte? My treat?"

“Is Morvan short?” Shay responded with a chuckle. 

Klaus nodded. “We will give you an opportunity to tell your stories. In the meantime, you will be helping Archangel tell its story. You have arrived at an interesting time. We’ve been getting something of a bloody nose in the media at the moment.”

Kai lifted an eyebrow at the turn of phrase Klaus used. It was an ironic mental picture he had painted. "I've only skimmed the online stories that the newspapers here have offered up for free reading."

“I’m certain that your department head would will fill you in on everything you need to be aware of,” Klaus said. “In the meantime, I need to make certain you are familiar with everything you need to be aware of as far as your rights and responsibilities when it comes to being a preternatural individual in the United States. You need to be very careful currently. Things are rather tense.”

Klaus and Kai chatted for another half hour as he finished filling intake forms and going through the rules, as he was given his employee handbook for procedures.

He would be expected to read it and yes he would be tested on it. If the head of his desired department liked his portfolio this was after all just the meet and greet.

With formalities out of the way Klaus turned to Kai letting him know he could chat it up with the two leopardess' .

"My contact information is there," Klaus said. "If you have any questions about your rights and responsibilities, feel free to ask. It is going to be very different from living in New Zealand, so there may be a little adjustment period." He rose from the table and extended his hand. "A pleasure," he said. "I leave you now in the capable hands of these two fine ladies."

Kai smiled and nodded that he understood everything that he'd been told about what Archangel would be expecting and he did indeed plan on reading the employee handbook.

Once Klaus was gone Kai turned to the two women, and his face said that he was completely clueless about how to talk to them about the furry topic.

"So you are fairly new to being a were leopard?" Brandy asked as she took a sip of her latte. "Klaus put feelers out late April early May, I am guessing you likely have questions. That first year of adaptation is a bit of a gauntlet. Nothing is really too weird to ask question wise, Is there anything Shay or I could help field question wise, darling?" 

"Well I had to take my booster shot in July, and my shift happened that August. So I'm fairly new to the whole furry life." Kai said with a lopsided smile.

"Interesting." Brandy said realizing that apparently Klaus had still put more feelers out there after her birthday. So Kai was another additional find. She would have to relay that to Morvan. "I'm sorry I had no idea that Klaus had continued looking past the Spring. Anyhow enough of my babbling... So do you have questions darling? We certainly don't wish to press or beg or interrogate you to get you answer anything. If you are tired and just want to end things and reach out at a later time you can. I can tell you that being as young and inexperienced as you are you won't be doing direct donations. Have you ever given blood for a blood drive? That will be the only way they will have you share blood for the vampires here on staff. Three or maybe four times a week you will head down to the donations department and they will just take a bag of blood. After that you just head off to do your shift or they might have you donate near the end of shift. Have no fear you won't have to get physical until you have more control."

"Is it safe to take that much blood back to back?" Kai asked startled by the amount of days he would be expected to give blood

"For shifters absolutely. Given your size you could donate every day, and it wouldn't be an issue, we regenerate quite quickly compared to those that aren't infected. I guess it is a blessing you haven't injured yourself. If you have a kitchen mishap or something, you will notice a knife slip that normally would need stitches. If you get the bleeding slowed which should be possible as we clot and heal faster, by the next morning that wouldn't be there even if you are a weak were-leopard. Leslie is our weakest, and she's broke her ankle before and was fine and back at her normal cheerful self in two days. We can introduce you to some of the other leopards that live here later in the week, and after that we can discuss where you are spending your full moon in December. Either way, it will be with me here or if you will be hanging out with the others outside the AAI building. Archangel tries hard to accommodate their employees, so we do have an area for full moon sequestering."

 Kai blinked at Brandy and gave a slight chuckle. "So basically I have a healing factor now. Well since I was in New Zealand when the change happened I had to be super careful about not losing control. They don't play around with infected individuals. Very few second chances are given."

"Yes darling you most certainly have a healing factor now. Nope, they don't play around. Same thing happens here, so you need to keep it together. We are legal, but one shift in public where you go after someone or a pet, and it's game over. Even shifting and not going after someone, you can still run the risk of being shot at if you trespass into property that isn't your own. Or if those people that see you panic, there is still a very serious risk of someone shooting you. I'm being deadly serious. I had a friend take a shotgun blast because he wandered off our property while in leopard form." Brandy frowned slightly at the memory. A reminder that one was never truly safe despite being legal in the city. "We have containment rooms at hospitals for the newly infected individuals to spend their first full moon, but they can be steep if you don't have medical insurance, after that it's up to you to try to find a group to spend your full moons or a very secure spot to self-isolate to ride out the three days." 

"Holy shit," Kai breathed out. "You'd think that the medical field and government would at least work to help someone infected, I mean they created vaccines in a bid to try and slow down the spread of the Lycanthrope viruses. "

He gave a bashful smile, "And now I will get off that soap box for a bit."

"So what is it like being in a group, obviously didn't have a chance to learn anything about that."

"Well there is the holy Mary shot, if you come in and test positive they can jab you with a stronger type of lycanthropy, and it can cancel out the virus as the two battle it out." She frowned again. "Sometimes it does fail, then you get stuck with whatever form was given to you jab wise. Normally Wolf or Rat and likely why the population in our city may be higher besides them just being the most contagious types."

Brandy thought about the questions. "Experience is the best teacher. But I'd say it feels like being home. If you can find a good group. It is hard to explain, but you are in the presence of two ladies that have the same lycanthropy phenotype as yours. You tell me how do you feel?"

“Being part of a group, officially called a Pard, with a capital P, is like being with the people you love most in the world,” Shay said. “There is a sense of belonging, a sense that you have finally found the missing piece. Lycanthropes are by nature pack animals, even if the animal they become is normally solitary. Being alone for a long time when you are a lycanthrope can be hard on your mental health because we are meant to be together. A few months is fine but six months, a year? You start to miss the touch of your own kind.” She held out her hand. “Touch my hand and tell me how it feels to touch another leopard. Don’t worry, you won’t freak out or lose control. It will actually help relax you.”

She extended a hand to Brandy as well.

Kai slowly took the proffered hand. Even as he mulled over Brandy's words. "I'm not as nervous. My dad used to say this when he got nervous...I no longer feel like a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs."

"A very southern sounding turn of phrase." Brandy said as hands were held. The leopard was still under tight wraps but she let the leopardess peek her head out to inspect the newcomer.

When their hands touched, there was a very definite exchange of energy, a warmth that was the same time comforting and stimulating. It didn’t excite Kai; just as Shay had said, it felt like a missing piece of the puzzle had suddenly slid into place. 

“Welcome home,” Shay said, as her Beast brushed against his, greeting it. Her inner leopard was stronger than his by a significant margin. Small wonder, since she was an established Alpha and he was a new sub. 

“Now give us three questions,” Shay said. “Because I can’t believe you took everything in, in one shot. There will be a steep learning curve but now there are people here who know the answers. You just need to learn to ask the questions.” Her eyes flicked to Brandy. “And if you don’t ask us, we’re going to ask you. What three things will satisfy your Beast when you change on the full moons. You’ll want them any time you change but you can resist them to some degree or other any time except the full moon.”

Kai took a moment to think about what questions he might have about being a leopard. "Alright, number one is there an easier way to make the shift not be so bloody effin painful? I feel like I've been run over a few times by a steamroller." He said holding up his hand and dropping on finger to tick off the first question.

"Number two, I keep hearing the terms Alpha and Sub, now from a biology standpoint I understand that an alpha is a leader, but why call the weaker, or newer members subs, seems to really sexualize the person's standing."

"And three for now would be what type of diet should I really be eating? Poor college student here that instant noodles can't cover anymore."

"One, don't fight it," Shay said. "Let the change flow through you. Two, it's not submissive, it's subordinate. Three, you have a good job now, so you can buy nutritious food. You are a human, not a raccoon, so don't eat like a trash panda." She looked at Kai expectantly. "So, you going to answer my question?"

"I'll try," Kai said with a nod of his head, as he processed the answers Shay gave him.

Shay waited.

Brandy waited as well it it was likely a case that the new leopard was just overstimmed and excited by their presence and wasn't paying attention and had missed the fact that she had asked him about the three things that he would want the most during a change once he had shifted into where leopard form. He had been quick to bang back his own questions but not answer Shay's.

Shay could be more patient than Brandy was so she was an excellent spokesperson for those that had no clue on certain things. However given the age of Kai she assumed that he had at least gone online to read about the basics or that the local medical field would have given him the heads up on the hey lock yourself up do these very basic things.

He was here in Seattle for now which meant he was going to be a part of their group so long as he decided to stay. It might take some time before he met everybody but he had a month to at least get to know the leopards here at archangel and for everybody to get a feel on him personally. He seemed eager enough. In time he would fit in. Brandy had managed to take a look at his dossier when she had learned he was coming to Seattle. She was rather surprised that he was as young as he was he was younger than Justin or Tana. It'd had made her feel pretty  old as she had just hit 30 this year. It would be interesting to see how Tana reacted to losing her status as the pards baby and youngest.

 It would be also interesting to find out just what sort of type of young man Kai was and hopefully it was the good kind. What was the old phrase? Young dumb and full of cum? She hoped to hell he wasn't one of those types despite how large he was. She knew one of the questions she was going to be asking was what the hell did he eat and how did he manage to become his big and as muscly as he was. There were security guards at archangel that were smaller and less beefy than this kid. For somebody who was going into the journalism field this was not the standard body type.

"Well I suppose the top three are noms, please no fish I've had enough for a life time. A nice quiet place to sleep, and a good space to run and cut loose." Kai said in answer to one of Shay's questions.

"As for how it feels when I'm touching the two of you, well I know you said like coming home. But I guess for me it's like getting my mind to quiet down long enough to think."

"A comfortable familiarity." Brandy agreed to the sensation of being in the presence of their phenotype. "You got one of the three correct. We refer to them as the three F's Feeding Fucking and fighting. When you change, you will want to do one of the three of these things to sate your cat brain. We go with feed as often as possible because consent is very important. If you cat out and try to hump anyone it could result in your face being chewed on. We have four ladies in our cat families that I can say off the top of my head that are not interested in men."

Kai nodded, "Well I would hope consent would be needed. From what I was able to get from the docs and online it seems we keep most of our human brains intact when we shift."

"Since I was in limbo for a while on the whole getting back to the states I spent most of my time in a holding cell or at my grandparents locked in an unused equipment garage, was the safest place I could be."

"I wouldn't say most, but you are in the back seat, so you can be a back seat driver. You lose that voice, and cat brain listens less and less the closer to the full moon you get. You are very new, so you aren't going to have most of your brain saying hey, let's not cat so hard. It will come in time. After a year, it will certainly start to feel more comfortable. The shift will always suck, but if you don't fight it, the change happens faster, and it's like ripping off the bandaid. Some people even grow to not mind it or embrace the pain that comes with a shift. You will discover a lot of shifters lean into BDSM because pain can be good. Not everyone, but it's a mighty higher number compared to the non-inflected population." Brandy explained as she swirled the latte she was holding. "Anything else you need before we show you where you are going to be living?"

Kai mulled over the information Brandy had just given him. Pain and sex didn't sound appealing at the moment, but even in that area of his life he was a novice. A chuckle escaped him that turned into a cough as he choked on his soda. He waved off the bit of concern, "Sorry internal monologue. But I do have a question about the hierarchy of the Pard, or rather where it is I would stand at the beginning. I mean I don't want be top cat, but I would like to have an idea."

"You will, being an outsider to start, have no rank. Once you finally meet everyone and if the Raj agrees to take you on you will eventually get to figure that out via chatting and fighting ultimately. You likely won't be bottom rung we have a few weaker cats but don't get discouraged if you aren't climbing ranks like a speed demon. Morvan might even have you wait until spring until you learn better control. It would suck beyond words if you accidentally killed one of our mates because you didn't know when to rein things in. And these things can happen, darling. So let's take things a step at a time. We can get you settled in here, meet the on site cats this month and make arrangements at some point after that to have the boss man meet up with you." Brandy looked thoughtful. "Maybe we can have a night out on the town or something so the Pard mates can meet up if that's too high energy, perhaps we can meet up for dinner somewhere. Do you like sushi?" 

"Oh thank the gods I don't have to fight right away. One I throw a mean punch of a three year old. I wasn't bullied but I tried to get away without fighting in school."

Kai gave Brandy a wry grin, "Normally I love sushi, however I did a lot of fish while I was traveling from New Zealand to here. Cheaper than red meat in most places. So if I could have a break from the fish that would be lovely." 

"It wouldn't be anytime soon likely two weeks maybe three before we could schedule for dinner and the full meet and greet. There is a place we like to go they do more than fish such as stir fry and meat skewers but at thirty-five bucks and it being all you can eat, its a hit with our group. A good mix of pork chicken beef and of course fish. You should see a paycheck by then so you won't have to stress about funds right off the hop. I'm glad to see you aren't eager to kick ass and take names darling. Given your body frame and how much muscle you had I assumed you had to be a fighter. What do you do to put on muscle like that if you aren't a fighter?"

Kai grinned, "Sheep ranch."

"That gives a good work out how? Poop shoveling? Hay bailing? I'm sorry my dear, I'm not even sure what sheep eat or what ranching entails. We keep animals up at the farmhouse but its rabbits and this year we started with chicken and ducks. Goats might be an option next spring if Kyle has his way." Brandy mused as she hoped Kai might explain.

"Well there is the spring sheering, which means we have to wrangle them on to their bums to make them compliant and a couple hundred heads of sheep is a workout at the gym. Then there is the lambing which if a ewe is in trouble we have to pull the lamb or lambs." Kai explained. "Most of the time the sheep are out in the pastures, but when we have to move them a lot of camping is involved." 

"I can see that might be challenging. After catching lycanthropy that would pretty much end your career. The sheep would freak out in your presence. Makes farming hard to do if you are dealing with larger critters. I hope the new career change works out for you. Should be a more forgiving environment not working with animals." Brandy said as she looked at her drink. "Is there anything else you would like to ask off the top of your head? I don't want to keep you tied up all night."

"Well it was my grandparents ranch and the grandkids had to work it during school breaks and when we got home from school. I'm really a Navy brat, but asked to live with my grandparents when I was a sophomore in high school.

"As for the job change, it's not really a change since I decided to do photojournalism in high school." He explained.

"I don't think I have anymore questions right now, but I'm sure things will come up."

"Alright." Brandy said draining the rest of her cup. "Should we take you upstairs to show you your apartment?"

"Please," Kai said, "I have a lot to read, but I really want a nice hot shower and a bed that doesn't have questionable stains on the mattress."

Brandy chuckled. "That we can do darling. I'm sure you won't be disappointed, the beds here in the prefabbed apartments are quite comfortable.

She rose with Shay and escorted Kai to the residential towers elevator. "You have your key card? Its the only way you get to have access to the towers, so give it a swipe and then hit the sixth floor. Your apartment is going to be 606 for your living quarters." 

The apartment was modest and a bachelor set up with a cooking area and a living room area that was also Kais sleeping area. It hosted a large stuffed futon, coffee table with a flip top that doubled as storage chest. 

The apartment had a host of nooks on the walls for storage as well.

The kitchen area hosted a single sink, a dual hot plate convection oven as well as a half fridge. 

Off the living room space was the bathroom. There was no bathtub but the shower stall was larger than expected and he shower itself had great water pressure he was informed.

This would be his new home until he made a nest egg if he decided to move.

Brandy and Shay left him to settle and unpack and seek out his well earned shower. Before departing they did let him know that the place hosted a gym and pool for the residents should they desire it and that the front desk could guide him if needed as well as their cell phone numbers urging him he could text or call anytime.

It had been a lot to take in the interview. Learning there was a policy procedure manual that he was to study meeting the others like him, the entry interview with Mr Adler. A hot shower was exactly what was needed... Tomorrow would be a long day as he was to meet with the head of the news and media department to see if they would take him in for an apprenticeship and have him showcase his portfolio.

[Maxx]

Nov 11th Klaus's Brownstone apartment- 8pm

Klaus was a little more wary of the Ardeur than he had been at the last party; he’d used it to kill two humans since then. It was not just a hunger; it was a weapon that he didn’t know how to control. He’d thought he’d learned how, over the past several parties but he’d realized that all he’d done was learn to read what it was feeding on. Cutting off the food supply had not been something he was yet capable of.

It was something he intended to try and experiment with tonight, when the Ardeur was almost sated.

Brandy drifted behind Klaus gently kissing his shoulder as she held a bag that contained boxes full of condoms and lube. "Penny for your thoughts, Darling? You seem distracted tonight and the guest's haven't shown up yet."

"The Ardeur is more than what I initially anticipated," Klaus said. "It is less a case of wielding a tool and more a case of throwing an unfamiliar whip. So far I have avoided taking off my own ear, more by good luck than good management. I need to show it more respect and treat it less like a trained dog and more like a feral cat."

Brandy nodded as she opened the boxes of condoms and began separating them and putting them into the small baskets around the room. "It might be wise to do that. Assuming the power was trained at all seems unwise. But I don't know vampire powers. It to me seems like it's a new skill that you need to get to know and understand. Like riding a bike or to play piano, there's the initial concept of how that should be done. Up to this point I'd hazard you've learned to straddle the bike or study the keyboard learning your notes, but that you're a far way off from participating in the Tour de France or playing a concerto yet."

"I'm sure with time and practice, you will get there, though. Where is the worry coming from if I may ask? You've been fairly confident up to this point and had explained you could even feel who was who when it came to the evenings when we were having these parties. So what changed?" she asked as she looked up at him with concern in her green eyes.

“I tried it with fewer participants,” Klaus said. “It ended badly and I was completely unable to rein it in. It is like pulling the plug on a bathtub. You cannot put the plug back in unless the tub is empty.”

"So you worry about there being too few tonight? I have noticed that Saphyre has passed on going to the past few parties. I'm wondering if Darien and him are having growing pains potentially when it comes to their relationship. Darien didn't RSVP tonight either, he said it would be a last minute thing if he would be attending or not. Did you want me to reach out to anyone to make sure you have a solid dozen attendees tonight? Noah and Thando might be able to attend if you wish for me to send a text or we could see if Cherry has a few friends she wishes to bring?" Brandy looked up at Klaus hoping that perhaps the offers might be helpful.

Brandy sent the text out in group chat that anyone that was interested in bringing a trusted friend or two to the evening's activities were welcome to do so as long as the invitees were risk aware and consenting. The hope being that at least two extra folks could attend to take the pressure off the other party goers as well as the fact that they were eagerly awaiting to see everyone for ten.

"More is always better," Klaus said. "If I can figure out the logistics, I might be able to feed it more often with fewer people."

"That would be nice." Brandy hummed softly. "Just pair you up for a couple threesomes or foursomes a week. Your Sundays and Wednesday are pretty free right now. And it does seem ironically that hump days work best for our group attendees for these twice a month parties. Your Christmas gift list this year is going to be larger than normal. What do you get as a thank-you gift to those around you that show up for the sex parties you host so you can snack on their sexual energy? If a gift card isn't too cheesy, maybe we can reach out to Kyle and see about making something work. Keep it in the family, so to speak so everyone benefits."

"Food is always a good gift for shifters," Klaus said. "Blood is best for vampires. I'll need to find something properly vintage.

"It seems we will have to throw a decent Christmas party then complete with donors to show up and donate then head out before we get down to the kinky stuff. Unless you know of outstanding donors that don't mind participating in such things. Doesn't leave much time to plan all that up for next month." Brandy said with a small frown, her forehead furrowed.

Darien gave a polite knock on the door when he arrived. He was earlier than usual, having decided rather quickly that he would attend, curious as he was to see how Klaus would handle this party after Their... Freelance testing. That evening had been a bright spot in a long period of darkness. In the days after, the thought had drifted through is mind of what Saphyre would think of he knew, but the thought was quickly banished. He would never know, after all. Of course that led Darien to a rabbit hole of annoyance because of course he was going to keep it secret. There were things that must be kept secret. But secrets were the bane of his relationship, and really, he was beginning to think it wasn't very fair.

Klaus opened the door. He was wearing a t-shirt that exposed his savaged arm. It was growing back but it hadn’t gone much past restoring his shoulder. “Darien. Welcome. Come in. Brandy and I are discussing December. A Christmas party. The Christians will be horrified to hear the squeals of carnal delight coming from my basement.”

Brandy had just finished adding the bagged ice to the beverage cooler when Klaus entered the basement space with Darien. With a respectful nod she greeted Darien. "Good evening Master Walker. Can I take you coat for you darling?"

Darien chuckled at Klaus's joke, looking his friend up and down. "As long as we don't get so far out of... Hand . Or Arm," he said pointedly, raising an eyebrow. " Ah, good evening, Brandy. You should know formal address is not necessary by now. Unless that's your way of saying you are angry with me? Have you spoken with Saphyre perchance?"

“What have you done that would spread past the wolves and reach the leopards?” Klaus asked. “I’m sure there must be something but I can’t quite put my finger on it.“

Brandy blushed slightly, being called out on her formality. But it was a good practice to keep up if she was going to be going back to work if the medication treatment helped. She took his well tailored jacket and hung it up on the dungeon wall. "I can't say Saphy gave me a formal message to deliver to you. He just said not to pen him down as a for sure and a more maybe, one that could be considered a pleasant surprise if they showed. As it was I was a little worried about the numbers tonight so I had to reach out and see of anyone had a friend or two they could bring that we could vet."

"I wasn't expecting him to leave a message for me. I doubt he will be here. He is currently avoiding me while he works out his feelings. I am giving him the space he has asked for. " Darien sighed. "Apparently I am not supposed to keep secrets, which seems rather unfair as I truly have no choice but to not speak to him of certain things."

“Secrets can be the bane of a relationship,” Klaus said, nodding. “Either when kept or when revealed.”

Darien nodded. " Unfortunately he found it out from someone besides me, and now claims that it is the keeping of the secret rather than the secret itself that is the cause of the trouble. I am beginning to think he merely wanted an excuse to push me away. " He sighed again. " It matters little. I cannot change who I am, even if it hurts those I care about. And now that I have fulfilled certain obligations, I suppose it is time to come clean. You see my friend, Saphyre discovered who my father is."

Klaus looked at Darien for a moment. “So your werewolf lover took exception to you keep your sire’s identity from him. Obviously his identity would need to be problematic for a Were-wolf. The only vampire I can think of that would be problematic for a werewolf to a degree where it would cause this level of drama would be Master Volkov. So you’re telling me that you share the blood of the Arctic Wolf? Logical conclusion, given your recent display at Malachi's gathering. It leaves me with one question. Can your sire fly?”

You shouldn't be here. Nope. Not listening... Goddammit... Fuck!

Brandy froze in the corner. She had wanted to give Darien some encouragement. Dating vampires was tricky. Honestly was or had been the best policy between her and Klaus, but due to working for the same company, did make it easier to talk about certain things.

For the most part they were open and honest but Brandy knew asking about the truth was something that didn't bring sunshine and rainbows.

A sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. A strong reaction washed over herself.

LEAVE.

Her heart began to hammer suddenly. Her palms began to perspire as she lost her color. Her mind telling her that she shouldn't be here.

Brandy did her best to make her way out of the dungeon and away from Klaus and Darien, opting to gently close the door. Her best being pretty darned fast.

It wasn't a full seal on the door but sitting out in the hallway waiting for guests was wiser than getting involved with Darien' relationship woes. One doesn't just let yourself get involved in certain situations without having an invitation.

"I knew you would piece it together easily. There were enough crumbs left around between poker night talks and personal experiences." He watched Brandy leaving as quietly as she could. " And I also knew it would bring some issues to your lady as well. As for your question, yes, he can fly. That is one of the more common abilities of masters of our line. And to preempt another question, no he did not ask me to spy on the locals of any variety. He did not know I was here until the feast, and then he was focused solely on revenge against young Noah."

Klaus watched Brandy go. “There are some extant issues between Brandy and Master Volkov,” he said. “I do not think they will cause any issues in the foreseeable future. She will, no doubt, have aged out of his preferred feeding range by the time he returns.”

Brandy sat on the stairs as she grimaced. If Darien hadn't wanted her to know, he wouldn't have opened up to Klaus. Vampires of their age understand that significant others are around and hear things. She had left when she realized things were heading into political territory, but gosh darn it, if she wasn't freaking out.

Maybe I am just having a very composed breakdown on the stairs beside my boyfriends sex dungeon. Had this been back in the spring before everything, she would have killed to be a fly on the wall to hear what Klaus and Darien were talking about.  Her brows furrowed with worry. If I'm not crazy and didn't mishear, that would explain Saphy needing to paw slam the brakes to inspect everything as objectively as possible. So his no shows at the bi weekly parties were likely planned. What a terrible spot to be in. Truly terrible, if she was four months in with Klaus, and she had heard something like... Since Summer? She wanted to say Saphyre and him had first officially gone out and dated July 4th... That had been sweet news when she had heard it.

Brandy frowned and focused her racing mind as she stayed with the thought train Now that we set a date that put the duos' relationship at four months.

She imagined the mock convo. So your dad can call wolves and control werewolves. Yeah, I get it you don't but... What else could be left out that isn't known?

Shit. Fuck. Damn... Then she had to take into account when no one round him dates vamps... Most werewolves kept their distance from vampires unless they had to. So how many of his friends would be sympathetic to where he was stuck? I wonder if he has anyone in his corner that he could talk to? That was a lot to put on a relationship that still has the fresh leather new car smell.

Looking down at her bare feet she sighed and pulled her phone out of her bra.

Finding the right contact, she reached out to Saphy.

BRANDY: Hello Saphy, darling, miss seeing you around these parts. Schedule permitting, are you open for tea or something a Lil stronger? Nothing but time on my hands most afternoons and evenings. Let me know."

Darien nodded. "Be that as it may, I find myself in a difficult situation, as most of those I am close to in one way or another fear or hate my father, emotions that until recently I did not particularly share. My relationship with him was amicable until I realized his grudge was more important to him than I. I realize now that I should have expected as much, but it was at the time an oddly painful realization. Of course what is worse is that normally, such a connection would mean nearly nothing, but here I am, left holding the consequences of occurrences I had nothing to do with. It is terribly frustrating."

“Vampires of that age do not share our modern perspectives on family,” Klaus pointed out. “And only a fool does not fear a vampire of his vintage. It would be unwise to burn that particular bridge.”

Darien sighed. "Unwise, yes, and yet that bridge has threatened the life I was building for myself here. What am I to do? " He huffed something close to a laugh. " You know, he warned me not to get to close to you, that you could not be trusted. And yet, I think I trust you more than any friend I have had in decades."

“No vampire can ever truly be trusted by another of our kind,” Klaus said. “Not unless there are so many things binding them together that the fall of one would bring about the fall of the other. I offer you this advice, or rather I pose this question; which would result in the greater cost, rebuilding your life or making an enemy of your sire? My sire is only a few decades older than I am, perhaps half a century. Perhaps more. I have the chance of surpassing her in power, because I have not fully reached the peak of my mastery. You, on the other hand, have found your Beast to call and, frankly, I would not stake a bat against a wolf, even if it was rabid. You will never equal Master Volkov alone.”

Perhaps there had been the slightest of pauses before Klaus said the word ‘alone’. Perhaps it was Darien’s imagination.

Saphyre had been paying his uber when he got the message from Brandy. He paused outside in a delightfully garish faux fur coat to reply to her.

SAPHY: I'd love that! We can hammer out plans this evening, I'm right outside actually. :O Holds for applause.

Saphyre's decision to come had been as last minute as Darien's. He didn't know for sure that the vampire would be there - which was why he had avoided the last two - but he knew that he might be there, and there was more than a small part of Saphyre that was jonesing to see him. It was an addict's ache that he had been trying to detox himself from, trying to find clarity away from the dark intensity of the way he looked at him which made Saphyre want to fold like a deck of cards. Despite the risk of hypocrisy he'd have loved to lie to himself, to say he was there to help Klaus, or there to cause trouble - and maybe there was a little bit of that. But really he just wanted to see Darien in a context where he didn't have to think about seeing Darien to touch him when he did not have to think about touching him. To be with him again with an air of plausible deniability.

It was the sex haze officer, I swear

Mounting the stairs in his usual heels he stashed his phone and knocked on the door, beaming at Brandy as she let him inside. "Does your man remark on the fact you get lovelier every time he sees you? Because it's quite the phenomenon. You are quite the phenomenon," he greeted the were-leopard with a kiss on each cheek.

Brandy read the message and texted that they would make it so.

She opened the door and smiled as held the door.

"You're second to arrive, darling. Klaus and Darien are in the dungeon space chatting. Fancy a drink before the proceedings?" She welcomed him softly and cocked her head as she pointed upstairs.

Saphyre paused in the smooth motion of shucking his coat, taking a moment to unravel one arm as he processed Brandy's words. Though he had known, hoped and maybe even planned a little for Darien to be there that evening he had not anticipated them being the first two there. He probably should have dallied a little more, applied some rhinestones to his face or made the uber take the scenic route. His momentary freeze thawed as Brandy gracefully offered an alternative.

"Beautiful and a mind reader - I would fancy that very much," Saphyre agreed folding his coat over his arm. Beneath the Muppet like jacket he was almost subdued by Saphyre's standards, though the loose fitting crop top that read 'who's your daddy?' was terribly on brand for sass.

"Shoes off for upstairs?" Saphyre asked.

Brandy nodded. "Correct on the shoes thing."

 Brandy led Saphy up into Klaus' apartment. "Oh maybe you can join me in trying a bottle of this  Glühwein. Klaus and I found a family that sells it at one of those pop up night markets for handcrafted items. It's surprisingly good for being non alcoholic. It's a mulled spiced wine."

Saphyre stepped out of the strappy heels he'd put on for the night, tucking them out of the way before he followed in Brandy's wake.

"Oo how festive, I'm down for that," he chirped.

Brandy filled the pot on the oven and turned on the heat.

" I tried microwaving the other bottle and Klaus' face read as if I had run over a puppy.
The heating should be done on the stove top and with some citrus fruits and an apple, I have been informed, so this time I will do it the right way". She explained as she walked over to the fridge and put an apple and an orange on the counter to be cut into slices. "So how have you kept up? Cherry told me you open next week with your seasonal winter dance eleganza?"

Saphyre laughed imagining Klaus' face, it was probably similar to nuking water for tea in front of a true Englishman or snapping the spaghetti to fit in the pot in front of an Italian.

"I guess we're just heathen Americans," he said stepping up to claim the orange, the citrus smell stung and lingered at the back of his sinus, he could taste it on the back of his tongue. It made him want to sneeze and shake his head out but only mildly, he'd worked with plenty of citrus in his bar tending days so it was more nostalgic than off putting. He rolled the orange down his arm to bump it up with his elbow and catch it.

"Yes! It's going to be a good one if I do say so myself. You didn't hear this from me but it snows a little over VIP, it's a very cool effect," Saphyre said happy to speak about work and side step the question of how he'd been keeping.

"Oh that does seem delightful. Now that I've finally had the chance to go, I'd do so again but..." Brandy paused before adding some of the orange letting out a soft sigh as she stirred. "Vampire politics. Have a way of complicating things. I'd have to go solo or without Klaus likely. I wish we had handbooks for us. The whole so you're now dating a vampire, here's what you should expect. I'm still reeling on the fact that I'll be ringing in my first year anniversary very soon this month."

Saphyre leaned against the counter watching Brandy stir the orange into the dark and fragrant concoction.

"Preach it," he agreed heartily to her comment, laughing a little at his own sorry circumstances. It was like he could feel Darien in the house, his presence tugging at the edge of Saphyre's attention like a tell tale heart beneath the floorboards. "I don't think I've encountered such bitter and hierarchal inner churning outside of drag queens."

His teasing tone softened a little as her final remark sunk in. "Oh, first Anniversary," Saphyre cooed with wistful appreciation. "It would be your paper anniversary if you were married, I suppose it can be the anything anniversary if you're enjoying unwed bliss. Any big plans?"

Brandy blushed "Truthfully? I don't know. A year is nothing as far as time passing. Could I make a big deal? Sure. But I don't think I should."

Brandy pressed her lips together and picked up an apple to sniff. "It is a huge accomplishment for me. Relationships and their continued existence are something I don't have much luck at. I've never had luck at anything lasting longer than four months. So already this is four times longer lasting than what I've experienced. Given Klaus's age A year isn't likely anything to celebrate. I don't want to be a high maintenance partner. If plans are made it be nice to spoil him somehow. He's always bringing others so much in the education and joy departments. What do you think? Do you and Darien make a big deal out of dates or milestones?"

"A year is so not nothing," Saphyre argued immediately but paused at her question. He touched his tongue to his teeth briefly.

"Darien and I are..." Were, don't, won't, will. The right tense and syntax was not easy to catch. "Complicated right now. And we certainly haven't made it to a year. I'm not into like high school mile stones, weeks and months it's a lot to cram in, easy to suffocate even myself with. I wanted to take things slow, keep myself from getting to be too much - cause I'm always too much," Saphyre laughed scrubbing absently at his forehead above a rainbow pencilled brow.

"But I think a year is a big deal. I think a year is a big deal for you, it would be for me. I think it's a good idea to celebrate when time passes because - if not then, when? Y'know? How are you going to notice it happened? That it mattered? Because absolutely it does. And for the record I don't think you always have to make yourself small to fit neatly into someone else's life. Spoil him if that's what makes you happy, but you're here too, it's your year too," Saphyre said poking gently into Brandy's shoulder. "It should be a big deal to him because it's a year with you, he's never had that before. Not in all the years before it. It is special."

"I'm sorry, things are in the Hella complicated category. I know that scene well, darling. I was wondering if maybe there was something off with the lack of party presence being my only thing to guess at. Then Darien dropped by early and was sharing with Klaus and that's when I was like oh no I'm in the middle of an info dump and I don't know if I should be here or not, so I left the room as quickly as possible because vampire politics can be messy." She sighed and starting cutting up the apple.

"Ah, mostly it isn't him," Saphyre said the corners of his mouth tugging into a frown. "Or it is - I don't know. Mostly the problem is that I am just... Like a gold medallist champion fuck up at relationships. Like an absolute savant for finding the worst possible person in the worst possible circumstances and being like 'you're the one that I want', queue inevitable catastrophe. I thought I'd broken that streak with Darien. I'd taken time for myself, we were taking things slow, he's a good man if not a reticent one, he wears his confidence around like a shield rather than a sword... and then the inevitable catastrophe happened," Saphyre reached out to steal one of Brandy's thin slices of apple.

"And... I want to pick him over the bullshit, but I don't know if I can trust myself to make that call. I don't know that I could trust myself when I picked him in the first place. You know? I'm a purebred fuck up, taking home the Westminster blue ribbon in fucking up year after year - can you even train yourself out of that kind of muscle memory? Is it just bruised ego that I'm even humouring it? I don't know," he put the apple on his tongue saying the last bit through the crunch of fruit. "And now I'm at a sex party with him. Can't keep a champion down."

"Hmmm I can understand that. Choices for guys I fall for tend to be less than optimal and looking from the outside some might think I have a soft spot for vampires. One of my ex's actually works with you. Things certainly were easier for me relationship wise before one Master Volkov entered the picture and muddied the waters. But without getting into all the details which you mostly know, yeah I'd like to think I made a good choice choosing Klaus, he hasn't batted an eye at the second job I have, I mean it's on hold the escorting because of..." She paused and gestured at herself.

 "I gave Klaus so many outs and he is still here. He even asked for me to move in with him so he can help keep an eye on me. Its a more complicated relationship in someways. With him being at that age where Master vampires go through puberty, there's been some adjusting on my part. It was sweet knowing he had tried to be exclusive with me but when things reared their head and these parties had to become a thing, I had to be okay with the concept of things being more open. While he hasn't had to fuck anyone, yet it will happen soon enough. Plus, I can't really donate to him, so I've had to make peace and embrace the fact that Cherry is so many things that I can't be for him. I just take it day by day and try to be supportive for him because that's what partners do for each other. You are there to lean on if you need it. I like that I can ask him about things and that he will give me an answer, sometimes it isn't what I want to hear, but I appreciate the fact that he will explain where he stands on things. Dating outside your circle can be hard. Vampires and shifters were both preternatural, but we have so many little things that separate us from each other. The biggest is they tend to be solitary and go it alone so often because vampires can never truly trust each other unless they're bound in a way that can take down both parties. It's a lot to digest compared to how we live." she explained.

"I guess it's just hard when it feels like he doesn't trust me," Saphyre offered tucking his lip briefly between his teeth. "But I mean, what reason does he have to? I don't trust me," The vulnerability made him itchy and restless he dragged his fingers over his scalp in mild agitation. "Cherry talks about you two like you invented orgasms, for what it's worth. Your tripod has a pretty sturdy base if you're counting her as a leg,"

"She is pretty fantastic. I just never thought I'd ever be with a woman, let alone dating one. But she is incredible. I often don't see why Klaus and her never paired up. She puts me to shame in the bedroom and the dungeon. " Brandy said, blushing as she dropped the apple into the pot.

She came over to give Saphyre a hug. "There are a ton of ups and downs with dating a vampire. But I think if you guys sit down and have heavy negotiations, that could help. Maybe even a mediator... if you think Darien needs to be called out on his bullshit... I can't say what works for Klaus and I would work for you and Darien, but he answers me truthfully where he can. We do have some NDA items from work that can't be easily talked about, so there is that, but we understand sometimes work stuff has to count as being separate. Lots of hats that are worn and lots of boxes that there is true of any vampire I've hooked up with. If they share, they more than likely care. I've noticed that. "Sage and I only dated for a few months, and I didn't make a dent into his inner box of this is who I am vs what I present to the world. It feels entirely different with Klaus. He's the first vampire that is willing to admit if he's made a mistake rather than make excuses. I still like to tease him about the quality of his furniture from time to time, a little joke we have. Maybe you guys just need to learn to trust more? What are the big things that you are struggling with maybe I can be a sounding board?"

Saphyre wrapped his arms around Brandy, pressing his cheek to her temple, inhaling the scent of her hair as they hugged. His body sagged a little in the embrace, relinquishing some posture he'd been holding, relaxing into her understanding. There was a difference between 'what did you expect, you're dating a vampire' and 'you're dating a vampire and that can be challenging'.

"I don't know," he began cautiously, not realizing the walls he'd built around Darien as a topic. He'd tried to be a vault for what little he divulged and so speaking about the relationship somehow felt taboo. "It started to feel like I was trailing after him in a dark room, I'd trip over something and be like 'what was that?' and he'd be like 'oh that's the face eater, it sits there and eats faces - funny story, it tried to eat my face but it didn't work' and I'd be like 'when did it try to eat your face?' and he'd be like 'last week n-b-d'," Saphyre tried to explain breaking off into a laugh as he imagined Darien's proper mouth forming the phrase 'nbd'.

"And I was like hey I just maybe want a heads up on the things I'm going to trip over before I trip over them or like - maybe just on the more basic level I want the intimacy of knowing what your nights are like. Especially when something tries to eat your face. And he's all 'I don't want to upset you'. He says all these beautiful poetic words about me but I don't know if I'm like a gold collared pomeranian to him, something to carry around and keep him company but not like...You can't include a pomeranian in your life dealings because like they're just fundamentally not on the same level. Does he not see me as fundamentally on the same level?" Saphyre blathered, hands gesturing in big archs. He paused and sighed, laughed a little sadly. "Wow this is such a sex party vibe."

"Ah its preparty unfettering darling." Brandy said rubbing his back. "Believe it or not but I could see us talking to each other as being semi therapeutic. My pack is pretty small compared to yours but the thou shall not date a vampire is a vibe in my tribe. It could be nice to have someone to talk to about these types of things and I get the face eater thing. Klaus's face eater was the old 'Oh I mean it never came up but since I'm from a clan of sexy vampires not only do we sex good but sometimes we have neat powers that can crop up that are all sexy based.' "

Brandy's eyes closed as she rested her cheek against Saphyre's while they hugged it out. "I guess we are either masochists or more patient and willing to deal with the complications than most. But when you get to have that one on one time it's just magical, that or I really get off on the shared mundaneness of life's moments with Klaus. I'm still working that out. But a night in where we curl up together and just read books or catch a flick. Those little moments are my favourite."

Brandy laughed "And now I'm the hostess of a bi-weekly sex party I can't even participate in. Well I was there for ground zero the first night as I panic called everyone that Klaus gave me number wise and hoped a spontaneous orgy didn't to leak out over the neighbourhood. Old men walking Pomeranians and then suddenly wanting to fuc- well you know it could be really weird and bad had things gotten to that point. Sometimes I think they don't think to warn you about things is the whole you deal with things as they crop up. What fun is pointing out every little thing that can potentially sabotage your relationship, unless you are really both into that sort of thing? But if you need a ear that listens and a shoulder to spill tea on about relationship pros and woes I can be tribute. But you have to admit as complicated as the relationship with vampire thing is the bedroom antics...Mmmm... so good.



Saphyre settled his arms around Brandy again properly, giving her a gentle squeeze. "Yeeeeah they are. Got me coming to a sex party while we're on a psuedo-break so I can get a taste kinda good," he chuckled. 

[Maxx]

"I like driving with Darien. I like looking at him when he can't look at me, the looking at me is great too but... I dunno. His focus on me can be so intense it's like I want to turn my attention that way too - not that I need any help with narcissism but when I can focus on him, I get something that I don't get anywhere else... It's probably cooties. I'll join your fang bangers anonymous club Brandy, this is nice."

Brandy laughed and squeezed Saphyre back. "Oh darling you certainly know how to lighten a room without trying but I digress... Welcome to Fangbangers NotSoAnonymous I mean we do know each other, but I agree stolen moments. I often wonder if they feel the same about those things? And of course you are here at a sex party it's like some of the best get it out of your system fucking in all of Seattle from what I see when I come in on the aftermath. Never once have I heard from anyone that they hadn't had their share of D or P be it vampire or not. Should we sample this spiced wine now that it is simmering? We've done everything according to my German boyfriend on this is how you make the  Glühwein."

"Yeah it's kind of like getting fucked in a tidal wave, but a sexy tidal wave, in a good way. It might be downing the liquor cabinet when you're in the mood for a shot but," Saphyre popped his lips which were a dusky rose colour that evening. "My shot's in the mix."

"Yes!" Saphyre said helping himself to the cabinets until he uncovered where the glasses were kept pulling two down. "Let's see how the Germans do it."


"If you ask Klaus he would likely say "Stoicism and precision, this is the German way." Brandy said accepting a glass mug and sniffing the drink. "As the Germans say 'Prost', I say cheers to you good fellow. Thank you for joining our semi secret club and for spending time before this shindig gets off the ground. "

Saphyre accepted his own glass mug full of the warm sweet smelling beverage, clinking the rim gently to Brandy's. "Cheers to you darling, and congratulations on almost a year," he said and then lowered his voice to a stage whisper. "It's okay that it's a big deal."

"I just don't want to jinx it." She whispered back as she sipped the spiced wine. "Damn it all, I will have to confess to tall blonde and handsome that he is in fact correct. His way is better, and it does make a huge difference on how this tastes. I feel like this tastes like red wine and apple cider had a love child. It is rather nice. A sweet purchase and gift. I think he's trying to re-fatten me up." She gently blew on her drink " So are most your issues due to him being a master vampire and the him wrangling his powers or is it more a you're from this bloodline of vampire or is it things other than that or have we covered most the points? I don't want to step into any conversation dookies so to speak of darling. But I'm just trying to gage what page we're on. If its the same because the dump I got tonight on my way out. I'm still processing parts I heard on the way out. The you guys having some troubles was easy the other part, and I'm like why is it every time you meet someone you dig family rears its head, and then you are like is this even worth it? It's why Le Cirque isn't something I'll likely see much of unless Klaus decides he wants to you know see a family member so to speak."

Saphyre sipped at the drink letting the rich warm flavours run over his tongue as he considered the question.  "It's part of it, I'm not sure how much you heard but it's the part that puts me at odds with my pack if I choose to continue this relationship. Maybe. I don't know part of me is like - " Saphyre bit down on what was going to be an unfortunate set of words from a desire to take an Occam's Razor to a delicately coiled knot. Simplicity was not so simple. "Look, I get it, it should be the big part, the grand reveal, the mentos in the Diet Coke. But really? I just have been put in a position to doubt that he sees me as an equal, a partner. And this is still new and still fresh so can I even ask that of him really at this stage? You don't ask your brand new boyfriend to help you bury a body you ask your best friend because you know them they've clocked in the hours. But is there even a world where I'm that call? Ever? Is that a direction we're aiming at or am I the Pomeranian? That's the heart of the debacle. Even though the debacle is all War of the Roses, important shit with larger consequences. I'm just down here in the petty muck with my own selfish problems."

Brandy sighed, "It's a tough spot to be in, and as vampires get older they do lose touch with their humanity. Some vampires start seeing anyone as mortal as less than, but I don't think Darien's there yet, or maybe he had to be for many years due to familial obligations. I'm putting that delicately. "

She suppressed a grimace as she led him over to the table where Klaus's friends would sit down to play poker and pulled out a seat, motioning for Saphy to sit. "Your pack has had your side since you joined it Darien's a new introduction into your way of life, but I mean are they telling you not to see him or have any kind of ties with him? Or are they taking a hands-off approach and just going to be there for you, be it good or bad? That would be the boat I'd be in if Michael was running our group. I'd have to pick Klaus or them, and I don't know what I'd do if Morvan forced me to make that decision. Question for you? Are you Darien's Pomme? Has he offered you that as a title?"


Saphyre joined her at the table, one leg folding beneath him as he sat. He rolled the warm mug between his palms.

"I've been told my decisions are my own and they have my back it's just that... I would be sleeping with the enemy not because he's a vampire but because of who he has an unbreakable tie to. And I could do that but then like my phone is considered forever tapped, y'know? They might trust me but they can't trust him, even if I trust him. Even if he proves himself trust worthy because, well, what's a long con to a vampire right? Centuries." Saphyre sighed and rubbed warmed fingers against his scalp, bowing his head briefly. When he said it out-loud it certainly wasn't a non-issue.

"No-no everything you say makes perfect sense." Brandy said reaching out to grab the end of his toes that were tucked under him. "Sorry I should have asked first you might think feet are gross or that I'm perving on you. Obviously I'm not cause, no frisky feline scent to be smelled but Oh god yes! 100% this. Michael is my group's enforcer, and honestly I never want to see Him and Morvan in a rematch because that would be messy Michael's a beast and as enforcer he is our security guy. I'm compromised addicted to vampire dick and therefore can't be trusted because obviously Klaus has rolled me or uses his dick to enspell me to do his evil shadowy vampire doings. He's gone as far to flat out get in Klaus's face and told him to dump my ass. If he could, he would flatline Klaus permanently with no hesitation."

She frowned again looking a little sad. "And despite knowing how much Michael hates vampires, he's worse with were-rats. So imagine my surprise when I got myself a guy who I happen to like who doesn't treat me like a whore, fun to fuck but not someone to take home to meet the fam. I wanted to have him meet my family, the people that are dear to me. Michael has to see I'm not crazy in wanting to introduce him and how big a step that means. Some of the group understands and thinks its nice that I'm in a relationship that makes my heart want to dance and rave hard and happy. But Because I choose to be with him I know sometimes I'm left out of things or the last to hear in the group because of those ties. It's the price I pay for dating outside my group."

"Oh man, vampires to the right of you, were-rats to the left, and I'm stuck in the middle with you," Saphyre said with a laugh of commiseration, putting his hand over Brandy's to let her know wordlessly that it was okay. Physical touch was almost never disquieting to him.

"Man we really do have a lot in common with the romantic decisions. I bet if we combed through the list we have some exes in common. My gosh that's uncanny, even the good ones are unfortunate choices. Star crossed lovers."

"Have you banged Sage then yes we share an ex in common I doubt you and Mr. Salvatore ever have, but I could be wrong. That was a one-sided relationship. It was a job, but I let it get personal in the last year we were together, it's kind of hard not to when you work with someone for that long, but a lesson was learned there. Papa Sabertooth fang was more than happy to tweak my tail all about that. Old troll of a vamp that likes just seeing others miserable." Brandy said, chuckling at the situation. "But yeah, I do see we have some similar things going on in our lives we can relate to. I don't know your situation, but are you on the werewolf council? Weird question but just go with me on the yes or no thing."

Saphyre shook his head, his nose wrinkling briefly and his back straightening minutely. Pack business was a thing he didn't chat about outside of the pack so he was cautious proceeding.


"Perfect. See that's great news. If you aren't on it and you don't chill with anyone on it then there really isn't anything super-duper secret that your boyfriend can use info wise besides knowing little things about your friend circle. If you trust him that shouldn't be an issue for you or your friends and higher up pack members right? See for me? I shit the bed and lost the lottery on that. We are small but I'm basically considered part of my groups' council so this is why Michael's so flipping mad. It was bad enough I was working as an escort for one high up vampire five years ago and then rather than swearing off vampires I hooked up with Klaus." Brandy said letting go of Saphyre's toes, seemingly happy to hear that Saphy didn't have it as bad as it could be.

"In my group Alphas are supposed to only date their kind or it looks bad we look weak, especially if the partnership is like mine and Klaus'. Master vampire and an alpha were leopardess, yes that's a bad look in my tribe. I've tried to put it out there that as far as being rolled and made to do something terrible but made not to remember, that's something that's not happened to me since before I powered up. I know it’s why Michael is so against vampires because they can mindfuck you. But I've never had Nigel Roll me. Hell, Klaus' has never set fangs to flesh on me. Rolled or unrolled, because of my security precaution of not allowing myself to be rolled. So there you have it you can breathe a bit easier because your pack can't give you stink eye on dropping secrets. I get it every group has some that should never see the light of day. But earlier I did ask the Pomme question, maybe you aren't familiar with the term. But its a ver big deal in the vampire community so term wise like you have lingo for your pack they have lingo. That title holds a lot of esteem and perks if you have been offered or bestowed such a thing, it means you're a pretty big deal to Darien." Brandy replied, taking a long sip.

Saphyre's posture loosened again, he rested his elbow on the table and his chin onto his palm as she talked. He chuckled as she attempted to simplify his problems for him. It wasn't that he wasn't allowed to see Darien it was simply that he had to accept the position it put him in with his pack, socially, politically. It couldn't help but feel like choosing him over them. It felt like betrayal even if it wasn't.

"Oh no sorry I didn't mean to brush off that question, I was just - you know we're unravelling the yarn some things get dropped. I am familiar with the term, I have been offered the position, I have not yet accepted it," Saphyre explained. "Again with the grand champion fuck up and the taking things slow. It's a big entanglement and... I am the first man he's ever been with. And I'm y'know, me, sparkly colourful me. I was worried I was like cotton candy, super fun for the carnival but if you had it for dinner every night you'd probably get tired of it real quick. Vampires like novelty but novelty wears off. I didn't want us to chafe each other on a bond," Saphyre sipped his drink. "Y'know?"

"Oh actually I didn't know that. Darien's new to the dating a dude game. I can see why you've been taking it slow. Novelty reasons and wondering if you're going to be their flavor of icecream and all that jam. Cherry explained that to me as well. It seems most circles I travel where vampires are concerned they're pretty homo or hetroflexible if they aren't straight, just into one gender. Klaus falls outside that category, being only into the fairer sex, but I digress. We talked things out for three months about the Pomme thing and how he should give that title to someone that goes so far out of their way to see he is so taken care of. I don't know how she does it, but five days of the week she is here before work or her dance practices or her days off to see him fed and of course sexed up. Without her help, he would struggle a lot more to see arrangements taken care of." Brandy drained her glass and stood up to bring the warm pot over and refilled her glass.

She refilled Saphy's glass mug as well. "That title of Pomme means if you mention it to any other vampire, they will back off. It's a form of protection in the vampire community. You don't ever fuck with another vampire's pomme, unless you want to be labelled as less than scum and have everyone know it. It also comes with gifts and surprises to delight and titillate. Their way of showing how thankful they are for your time decimation and care. So if you ask a lot of vampires hearing 'I'm dating.' doesn't do much but hearing someone has taken on a pomme is kind of sideways adjacent to going steady. I can't be a Pomme for Klaus despite how much he would like me to be I can't for health reasons and to keep the peace of my feline fam. Cherry needs the protection more than I do anyhow since she is a sub. At the end of the day you got to decide if that title is something you want to accept. Judgment be damned by pack mates or not."

"I don't feel so judged by my pack mates," Saphyre said and then thought of Pan and had to suppress a wry smile. He definitely judged him but Saphyre couldn't help but see his younger self in the lad. "I mean - Dating Darien anyways. I dated at least two DJs with face tattoos and felt pretty judged for that, rightly so," Saphyre chuckled and blew the steam from his newly topped up cup, taking another sip.

"Pomme or Pomeranian, that is the question I suppose. I will say, I've been novelty to a lot of people, a DJ with a face tattoo among them and usually it's so clandestine. Darien seems... proud to have me on his arm, he doesn't shy away from it or labelling it and yes he offered to make me his Pomme. And yet still it feels like indulging some sort of Sid and Nancy set-the-bed-on-fire madness to accept. I've become trigger-shy I think," Saphyre sighed and then tipped his head at Brandy. "It sucks about the health stuff, it's really dragging out huh?"

"Touch and go. I've put on a brave face for my pardmates-" She sighed, looking more weary, despite the makeup she wore doing a great job of hiding her off color and dark circles around her eyes. "I worry this is going to be my new normal. For a while I thought well shit I guess I'm dying. All very dramatic and on point for me, right darling? I'm on a slightly different sampling of meds right now. It keeps the vomiting of everything back up mostly at bay if I stick to liquids and small samplings of food. But I still feel like garbage, and I definitely don't feel like I am at anything better half my normal strength. Everything exhausts me. I spike fevers get night sweats have night terrors and always on the edge of tossing my cookies if I eat, but I'm still here for now and the weigh loss is well embarrassing. I'm back up to a hundred pounds at least. Only another fifty to sixy more to gain back in muscle and fat again. Any news that gets my mind off feeling gross is nice."

Brandy sipped her drink, the first glass was sitting well she ruminated on if it tasted like more, "I don't think being trigger shy is a bad thing. You've had some bad ex's darling, we have all been there. But the fact you are pumping the brakes to ask things should be an indicator that maybe you've grown some, and maybe you're handling things just fine with taking it slow. But talking to Darien might not hurt either, this is your first vampire relationship, right? They hit a lot more different than dating in your circle or dating humans. Perhaps text yourself a list of things that worry you and things you really need to know to feel comfortable, and maybe go from there. If he cares, he should share. If not, just let him know you're there for fun, and you can ride him like a pogo stick or what you shall, and you can put some armor on the heart while still getting some. Unless you and sex don't work like that, and you can't do casual. If that's the case, I don't know what to council."


Saphyre reached out to put a consoling hand on her wrist. He wanted to tell her that it wouldn't be forever, that she was a shifter and it would pass eventually - but really he'd never seen anything like this. It was scary from the outside he couldn't imagine what it was like from the inside.

He laughed delightedly at her final statements. "Oh no baby, I'm casual Fridays with sex. I don't think any of this would work in the least otherwise. Darien likes to work a room, I like to watch him work the room. He seems fine with my working of the room and he's, y'know, met me. I'm not the grand poobah of sluts but I probably rank pretty high. You dish out some pretty good advice darling, and some pretty good whatever this is called," Saphyre praised lifting his glass for another mouthful and reaching out to pinch her cheek gently, affectionately.

Brandy chuckled. "Its pronounced Glue-vine. I know and I'm sold on it. And watching your boy work a room, that's a vibe. I think that is what first attracted him your dancing, the way you light up a room and ignite it. That is a talent. When Cherry mentioned working at Le Cirque I pictured a stripper bar like Marty's my old boss but that it was all vampires and shifters working there and that maybe you guys did the occasional live shift on certain nights. Then I see you dance at the spring fling and find out you and Cherry worked together and I was like what kind of dancing yall do over there. Fast-forward to me busting out for Tana's birthday and yeah, you guys to call you just dancers or just strippers is just insulting, you guys are performers and artists. A far cry from my pole-riding days. Cheers to that and to the fact you can keep things open in your relationship. So has any of this been useful in how to deal with tall dark and delicious?

"Yeah I'm going to ride him like a pogo stick - that's what we were talking about right?" Saphyre teased taking another drink. He set the mug down on the table, sampling the taste of mulled wine off his own lips.

"I'm going to talk to him. Not tonight, obviously. It'd be very 'h-ow d-o y-ou f-ee-eel?' and then somebody comes. I think maybe I was scared to lay out everything because I didn't want to risk being told I was the Pomeranian because that would mean I was kind of dumb again. Maybe I am kind of dumb, but it's better to know. And it's better for him to know what's going on in this three ring circus," Saphyre said pointing a finger at his own temple.

"I mean worst case and this is the worst case here, say you are the Pom-the pet, not the vampire title. People go apeshit over their pets I was no different before I my infection and becoming a were-leopard I loved my cat and my golden retriever,  more so than some of my schoolmates. So you know how cherished, loved and spoiled pets can be. Is that so bad to be a pet to someone? Sorry if its weird dating a dungeon dom you mention dog breed and my brain goes ah yes pet play. If everyone is having a good time and not contesting, it is a good time had by all. If your talk makes him leave his home town advantage and gets him to come to you somewhere not his space - so not his house and not his club and not AAI. Find a park or somewhere else that is neutral ground to have this talk. Don't forget your notes and tell him you go through the list before he can get grab assy, and you forget what you were doing or trying to say. Klaus is bloody good at being all so we were having this discussion and then playfully starts things and my brain goes and does the brrrrrrrrr thing. Before you know, it's offline for logic and the light for dick is just blinking on and off repeatedly. I'd hate for you to fall into that if you have serious talking points." Brandy said, gently swirling her mug.

She met his eyes and held them, normally shifters didn't do it too much to each other as it could be considered a dominance challenge, but she felt Saphy wouldn't take it that way. "But all jokes aside if he does that make him listen, if he doesn't, you might have your answer on how serious it is. If he doesn't respect boundaries like that, what else do you have to worry about? But yeah.. good talk, you got this, I can cheer you on. Also, if you need a face to face or a cup of nonjudgmental tea I'm here, I literally have an apartment just across the hall from here. Mine's just a mess so I have you here, my apartment is just a sea of shoes and fancy dresses and makeup. You got this darling."

Saphyre met her gaze, his focus soft, he slow blinked at her borrowing a little feline language to communicate that he got it. Things were good, safe. He laughed with her but made note of her advice, his desire to climb inside Darien's skin had made it difficult to talk to him sometimes. Somewhere public and neutral might be more conducive.

"Adored is nice, but I can fill my tank on adored any night of the week. I'm looking... to matter in someone's life, like really. I got good shoulders they can bear a little weight if they were put to use, y'know?"

He drained his glass and smiled. "A sea of shoes and fancy dresses and make up sounds like just my kind of place, honestly. We'll do tea again for sure. This has been nice."

"Of course I would be up for tea. You just set the time and I can work it in. With everything on my plate as you can see my schedule is burst at the seams with very important things to do. 3pm sit on the back porch and chirp at the pigeons, 5pm give myself a tongue bath, 6pm lay on Klaus and make biscuits on his chest." She laughed again emerald green eyes wide and bright, clearly amused. "And if that doesn't work, we can try other things and plan up smart schemes and well-intentioned plans. So... I'm going to guess the boys are done airing their laundry, would you like me to text and find out, or do you just want to go down there? Or we can hide up here a little longer. I've only heard the front door open once since we have decided to do the spiced wine."


"I'm going to be a pussy of the highest order and ask you to text first, I don't want to walk into the middle of some tense debate. Or find out we're talking over an air vent that leads directly into the dungeon or something," Saphyre chuckled. "Can I get you a refill while you do recon?"

"Dungeon is sound proofed you could be strapped to a Saint Andrews cross down there and if there was an orgy going on up here you would never know." Brandy said giving the colorful werewolf a wink as she fished her phone out of her bra. "I get you. I got you darling. "

She sent Klaus a Text

BRANDY:Hey lover I've been up here entertaining one of our guests while you and Darien got to talk without kitty ears around. Is it safe to bring Saphyre downstairs, or is it an awkward moment and you two need a few to put to rest your talking points still?"

KLAUS: Saphyre is as welcome down here as any other guest. If there are ruffled feathers, we will soothe them.

BRANDY: As you say. I will let him know, and I'm sorry for leaving so quickly, I just wanted some time to wrap my brain around the dump. I'm good now. Saphy seems good. We drank a bottle of your spiced wine. I made it proper this time. PS You are right your way was better. Es tut mir leid :P

Brandy looked up from her phone. "We are apparently cool. He says if there are ruffled feathers, he can deal with them. So bottom's up dear, and we can wander down to the bell of the beast that is our fuck dungeon. Did you need any help getting into those shoes ?"

"That is so sweet of you to offer but they only look complicated, they have a have a side zipper," Saphyre said getting up from the table and going over to rinse his mug out in the sink. "Not that you wouldn't make a fetching little bootblack, but I've learned that 'easy to get off' is a must for these parties. Clothing wise anyways, I guess a little endurance is preferable in guests for a good feed."

Saphyre turned back to Brandy and fluffed his hair a little, straightening his crop top. "How do I look?"

"It's easy to get away with it. Or have a partner who doesn't mind a little stabbing with their fuckin' fuckin' knife." Brandy agreed. She got up and followed him to the door. "You look ravishing, darling."

.                                                                       * * *

"Fear not, my friend. I am well aware of the difference in age and power between us." Darien told Klaus. "And I am certainly no fool. I am angry, yes. Losing all the capital I have collected nearly cost me more than just my pride, and simply being connected to him may have cost me something far more important. I hope that your lady's issues do not put strain on our friendship. I of course would not blame you if you chose her over me."

"Issues?" Klaus cocked his head. "Such a mild term for the things inflicted by the Arctic Wolf, directly or indirectly. Consider it fortunate that you are not strongly allied with his camp. That is currently your only defence. One would hope she finds it sufficient to prevent her from tarring you with the same brush."

" He set me on my own path long enough ago that I had no reason to think I would encounter him here. I am... Forced to pick apart my youth, faced as I am by those things inflicted by him. He was the one who took me from the orphanage, raised me, shaped me. Perhaps I did not become like him because he gave me the chance to have a family of my own before he offered me this life. " Darien shook his head. " I know not. I do, however know that I am indeed unlike my father, and gladly so, as I have found much in this city that I wish to preserve. " He lowered his voice. " I hosted the Master's swans at my club recently. It was quite the treat to be able to converse with such a regal group."

Klaus chuckled. "They are indeed a regal court," he said. "Hosting them here was an exercise in willpower, let me assure you of that. I was pleased that they brought humans. It gave me something of a buffer between them and the bottom of the pyramid. And we grow to who we are in spite of our parents, not because of them."

"Perhaps so. " Darien sighed. " Now all I need to do is figure out how to traverse my relationship with Saphyre. I do not suppose you have any advice on that front?"

"Be honest," Klaus replied. "If your feelings are real, tell him what they are. If things are not meant to be, do not cling. You will both recover, given time. If not, add it to the list of debts your sire owes you."

Darien nodded. "Wise advice indeed, my friend. "

"One can only hope." Klaus said as there was a knock on the door. "It seems our company is arriving."

When the door opened, Raven walked in cocked her head as she stood in the doorway. "Were you trying to wrestle grizzly bears at the zoo again?" She asked, glancing at the arm and then up to Klaus's face.

"You didn't hear? Brandy asked for a hand moving furniture. She meant it more literally that I anticipate." He paused as well, looking at her. "I assume you'e being facetious. I thought everyone knew the story. It was bitten off during a police investigation. Five dead, two police, two security and the perpetrator and one very badly injured police captain."

"Uhhh noooooope. I heard nothing I work at Le Cirque not in the Towers." She said with a shrug. "The only thing that has been a talking point at our work place was the news of the Master of Seattle. Ooooh what a twist. If that persona of his is at all genuine, he would be bathing in all the drama and shed tears over those that have shit talked him. I suspect when he is bored he will slowly pick out the ones that were openly nasty. A great defence is to make an example of those you want to sit up and take notice."

Darien's eyebrows raised. Not as many people knew about what had happened as Klaus thought apparently. Or perhaps he had missed that part. "I'm afraid that most of the media has been focused on the damage to the human police and security. It's not a big surprise after all. They wouldn't want to let anyone know that not all vampires are psychotic murderers."

"You sound salty today, Darien. Just another day another dollar, you can't get pissed and expect them to grovel on their knees you know? At least we are free to walk the streets and eat whom ever is down for it and I don't need to worry about being bagged tagged and" Raven put two fingers to her temple to emphasize her point. "Have them blow my brains out on the sidewalk because I have fangs. Haters going to hate as they say. Who has time to hate back like that? Not this gal."

"I have not been put on standby to prep the principal's office in anticipation of truant students," Klaus said. "Then again, I am a little shorthanded. Come in. As Brandy frequently reminds me, I am not heating all of Seattle."

"Aww, that is so sweet, she even cares about your utility bill. Now that's caring." She gave Klaus a polite head nod. "Thank you for the invitation." She walked into the building and opened the door to the dungeon. "Woof am I really the second one here? No offence Darien I get it being late to the party isn't fashionable, but I figured there would be more here than just well... Us?"

"There is a third I believe, upstairs with Brandy. I believe the call has been put out for other guests as well." Darien shrugged. " I suppose we are just having a later than usual gathering. As you said, there is much gossip abound."

"Yeah, Cherry would have come with me, but she said she had to rally a few folks." Raven explained, hopefully it will be enough tonight? What happens if we don't have enough, we just feel a little hungover right?"
"Or the weakest of us dies," Klaus answered, the slightest of twitches happening at upwards corners of his mouth, to suggest that he was joking. "I hope we don't have any humans coming."

"Or you want half a dozen and then we get to play hide the body." Raven said as she curled up onto a spanking bench to sit wide eyed she innocently added. "Obviously a joke. We can't hide any bodies that would be wrong."

"They're easier to hide as body parts," Klaus said, nonplussed. How recently had they hidden bodies? Two weeks earlier? Three? "And of course everything is legal as long as no one catches you." He waved his hand. "That is a much later lesson."

"Yes, I dont recall body disposal 101 being in any of my courses. Is this a new add teach?" Raven asked.

"I just said it was a much later lesson," Klaus pointed out. "If you couldn't recall that, I doubt you'd recall the later lessons."

"Apologies, a girl is excited and distracted because she is here to help. These little gathers have definitely become a much to look forward to event that I come out to twice a month." Raven replied shaking her head and dropping the innocent act.

"They are certainly more exciting than poker night hmm?" Darien chuckled.

"Can't say I jump into those. I've heard they are a thing, but cards aren't as exciting as this. Is it the same group that comes out to that?" Raven asked.

"Not exactly," Klaus said, glad that the topic had changed. "There is some crossover but there are more attendees here than there are on poker nights."

"Okay now you have me curious on who would come to a card night but not the fuckfest that goes down here at ground zero. Any hints?" Raven asked looking to the pair of male vampires.

"And probably a good thing. Too many players at the table makes it tedious." Darien said. " And orgies are not for everyone dear."

"Okay, you say that, but I'd like to think the majority of us are pretty sex positive. I've not met a vampire yet that doesn't like some hankypanky." Raven sighed.

"That is when you split the tables," Klaus said. "As opposed to bending somebody over a table."

"See, I like how this guy thinks!" Raven laughed softly, winking at Darien.


Darien chuckled. " That would certainly change the meaning of poker night."

"See now that could be a game night that I'd come to." She said clapping her hands together to rub them. "You could add so many interesting wins or penalties. How much money are you pots to buy into each game?"

"We play for high stakes," Klaus said. "Initial buy in is a dollar. If you go bust, you can buy in twice more. That way on really bad night, you've lost three dollars. Thomas usually doesn't buy in past the first one. If you do really well and everyone else misjudges their luck, you could go home with just under twenty dollars. It's mostly just an excuse to swap insults and gossip."

"That only makes it marginally more fun. That wouldn't cover my uber here. " Raven sighed.

"Carpool," Klaus suggested.

"You do have an answer for everything." Raven smiled. "If I knew who the usual suspects that came were it would be more incentive. Clearly you two attend it and Thomas. How many more players on average?"

“Obviously myself and Darien,” Klaus answered. “Malaki, Thomas and Willie round out the usual players, although we’ve had John Breeman and Arianna attend, as well as Noah and Sebastian on occasion.”

"So going off that info the vampire prudes that don't like having sex leaves John and Sebastian." Raven said with a frown. " I guess they're still in the baby tier. Maybe they worry about blood lust. I certainly remember my first time getting laid as a vampire and getting off. I definitely did a number on my partner. Perhaps it is best that they sit that out. John's what less than 10 years old and Sebastian's what maybe 15 I know he's under 20 but he should definitely know how to fuck by now and stay in control."

“Sebastian comes from a strict religious background,” Klaus pointed out. “He likely went too far the other way shortly after his rebirth and it likely left a bad taste in his mouth. John is rather closed about his past, beyond choosing vampirism over death from an inoperable tumour.”

"Like Sebastian was a priest, or monk, or holy preacher in training? I'm surprised he's still here with us. Had a case a few years back where some jack hole turned a nun? I think. They called in Sozio Squirty Mac Squirt-Squirt to punch her ticket. " Raven wondered.

“He couldn’t punch her ticket,” Klaus said. “She hadn’t committed a crime. And she wasn’t a nun. She was showing signs of the Stigmata. She refused to pledge to the Master and her spark faded. Not exactly suicide, according to the church, so her soul was supposedly saved. And there is still an outstanding warrant of execution on the vampire responsible. We are to alert Father Sozio as soon as we hear anything.”

" I see it pays to play as a liaison for the police you get all the bestest stories to tell." She said digesting the tidbits shared by the blond German vampire.

“All that came from being Der Schulmeister,” Klaus said. “ I’m not supposed to tell any of the liaison stories.”

"And yet...?" She glanced at his arm. "Is a condensed version maybe shared tonight?"

“My arm was bitten off by a vampire wereleopard,” Klaus said. His face was completely serious.

Raven studied Klaus not entirely convinced. "Well I suppose that does top wrestling Grizzlies at the zoo." Her eyes drifted over to Darien. "You sir are far too quiet tonight. The atmosphere tonight... I feel if everyone is going to be off tonight we might have a pretty sad party tonight. We very much can't have that. Sad should never be in the same sentence as sex party in my humble opinion."

"Things have been complicated lately. Worry not, I am certain when our numbers swell so will other things." Darien said with a smirk.

"Ah I see what you did there."Raven said with a grin. "I'm sorry you boys are having an off week? Month? Year?"

Klaus pointed to his arm. “I’m going to say bad month for me, although things are slowly getting better. I’m told it can take as much as year to grow back a limb fully, assuming there is enough blood. I’ve been feasting on the were-leopard, as much because of its availability as because of its irony. Were-leopard bit it off, were-leopards help grow it back. I’m also grateful that the Master of the City is allowing me to use that portion of his power that allows such things. I doubt I would be able to do it so quickly on my own.”

There was a knock on the door and Willie and Sam were next to arrive.

Brandy came downstairs with Saphy to open the door and let in
Noah and Thando.

The gathering was starting as guests were greeted and directed into the familiar dungeon space.
Thomas and Tasi were next to make their presence known as they were admitted into the building and made their way into the dungeon.

"This past six months or so have been eventful for me for certain. " Darien told Raven. " Although I haven't had a body part removed, so Klaus may have me beat for bad luck." He turned to greet the others as they arrived, waiting to see if Saphyre wanted to approach him.

“Perhaps there is some culture where a vampire’s left arm is a lucky charm.”

“What the fuck sort of conversation did I just walk in on?” Thomas asked.

Saphyre's entrance was softened by the arrival of other guests, he didn't stand boldly in the center of a doorway with a pause for applause. As greetings were exchanged Saphyre made his way to the now-accustomed layout of bracelets that were supposed to keep a frame work of will and won't on the debauchery. Once he'd selected his he made his way over to Klaus, aware of Darien as he did.

"Seems like a fun one. It's a very bold new look, I must say. Asymmetry is very in this season," Saphyre said by way of a greeting.

"It was, unfortunately, not my choice. Let's just say that I have a greater appreciation for the martial capability of the average shape-shifter," Klaus said. "I'm just happy that it is my left arm, rather than my right. I'm slowly growing it back. I'm not sure how far or for how long the growth will continue. I've radically increased my blood intake. So long as I keep up with that diet, it is likely to continue. As an aside, any vampire who has not had the chance to feed from Reverend Josiah Hicks. one of the were-leopard donors, I can say without fear of contradiction he is an acquired taste and, no offence to the good Reverend, I have no interest in acquiring it. He calls himself Pepper for good reason. He is quite spicy."

"Ah a man of the table cloth, I guess it's a kosher way to indulge in a little sadomasochism - feed the people!" Saphyre chuckled.

[Maxx]

"I wish you the speediest of recoveries. Maybe these parties will help you along, stimulate blood flow and all that," his gaze travelled to Darien as a cat would, trying very hard to make it look as though his eye just happened to be in the same room as him by wildest coincidence. Being a wolf he somehow missed the aloof aura of a cat's nonchalance. He glanced once and then twice, after a hiatus it was hard to deny himself the indulgence of looking at him and it was clearly an indulgence. Slowly Saphyre defused himself back from the circle of guests greeting their host until he could brush along by Darien, shoulder brushing to shoulder. The minimal contact was electric, a tingle that shuddered from his scalp to his tail bone. Saphyre turned to see if Darien would turn. What a silly game this all was, but he couldn't help but play.

It was such a small touch, just a momentary contact. Darien had been giving Saphyre the space that he said he needed, the time to think, to react, because after all, time was something that Darien had. It was amazing that within that expanse of time, such a tiny moment could feel so large. Was this that first step to reconciliation? Was Saphyre subtly reaching out to reconnect? If it was anyone else, perhaps he would have been able to ignore it, but Saphyre was like a magnet, drawing his gaze easily.

If there had been some notion of slipping away with that gaze, perhaps inspiring a little pursuit it was quickly forgotten. Saphyre let himself pivot properly to greet Darien's gaze, as though snagged by it. Looking at him properly, his heart made itself known beating up against his ribs. He drank him in looking for changes that were unlikely to be there. It felt like it had been so long. Did it feel like that to Darien?

"Good evening Mr. Walker," Saphyre said, the corners of his mouth did not turn upward but somehow seemed primed to do so. His tone formal but it was edged with something - caution or playfulness one could not be sure.

The nights air around Malaki was electric. When Brandy had reached out asking for more people he was quick to deliver. There were some of his staff members that were all to eager to continue to join even after the news dropped. Where he thought that some would shy away it oddly had the opposite effect on those he kept close. Curiosity killed the cat or in this case turned it on. The three men once they had their first experience were better prepared this time with duffle bags full of lubes, a variety of toys and hydration methods. However there were some new comers this time. Julian brought his single twin sister however he always suspected they always had a different type of bond and who was Malaki to judge. Scott and Taylor had two other women tag along. Friends of theirs who also were in an open relationship and part of that relationship included Scott and Taylor. Free loving folk it would seem. The best kind when needed to fill for sex parties. Everyone involved outside his employment had signed iron clad NDA's and were also informed they would be filling out more legality paperwork once arriving at the destination.

But none of that mattered. Malaki's eyes shifted to the Vampiress on his arm that he was escorting. Fantasy once again made flesh that he never thought he would live to see once again. With new humans in the mix to distract others he only hoped it would allow him time to have his attentions focused on lavishing Carmen.

"I confess there is an excitement in the air tonight." Carmen sighed contently arm linked with Malaki's as her patent leather boots clipped brusquely on the sidewalk. Her long charcoal trench coat hid the body suit with its many zippers. Scarlet lips smiled as her amber warm eyes looked up at Malaki as they strolled with purpose down the evening street the small gang of humans in tow. A leather tote hung from Carmen's free hand occasionally the soft sound of clinking came from it.

The night promised many things. Meeting Malaki's chosen friends was one of the things she was looking forward to the most. She was going to discover if he had changed much over the many years they had known each other.

Mr Walker. He wasn't sure how to feel about that. If there was one thing Saphyre was good at it was keeping him guessing. Was he being playful or was he indicating he still wanted distance? His tone and body language said even he didn't know what he really wanted. What a difficult position to be in. "Good evening... Saphyre." He might be annoyed at the younger man, but he still loved him. It was an ache made apparent at the sound of his voice. How had he fallen so far so quickly?

The knock on the door has Brandy answer and her eyes widened "Well you certainly said not to fret about the low numbers Master Diego." The leopardess as her emerald eyes scanned the crew and her nose helped her determine how many guests were human or vampire and shifter.

"Come in, enter freely of your own will!" She opened the side door that lead to the one basement dungeon that they had been using. "More guests Malaki came through Darling with some eager friends."

Saphyre took a step closer as the volume in the room raised a little with the addition of new guests. Greetings and excited murmurs. Fresh meat, as it were. His head turned a little as though looking to attend them as well but his gaze stayed on Darien. He tweaked the material of his own crop top, the oil slick material rippling a little, waving banner of the wording briefly. 'Who's your daddy?'

"See it's kind of funny, cause we're in this really sensitive conflict right now, and now I'm wearing it on a shirt," he explained with a conspiratorial tone. Saphyre teeth briefly snagging his lower lip before the damn broke loose on a smile. A hopeful sort of smile. It had been a dumb ploy for Darien's attention in a room full of eager nubile bodies and partly he was self conscious of it now, but partly the room was already perfumed with desire and anticipation and Saphyre was so tuned in to the man in front of him. Both his human and beast's attention singularly focused. He wanted to make him laugh, he wanted to know what his nights had been like while they'd been apart, he wanted to have his attention in a room full of eager and willing flesh, but mostly - he just wanted him. It was complicated but he wanted it to be simple. At least for the night.

“Excellent,” Klaus said. “Welcome. Has Malaki explained what is expected and what is required? Gentlemen, welcome back. I’m glad to see your first experience didn’t deter you. Ladies, welcome. I am your host, Klaus Adler.” The corners of his mouth twitched slightly. “Welcome to Fantasy Dungeon.”

Arianna slipped into the basement party area as Klaus was welcoming some newer individuals to the party. She hadn't been sure she was even get to make the party, she'd had to meet with one of her normal performance venues about them wanting to do some special shows for the upcoming holidays.

Let me get your coat, darling." Brandy offered as Arianna was surveying the room. "It's lovely to see you join us. Always a pleasure. Work keeping you busy? The life of an entertainer can be very chaotic."

"It is, though I'll probably be a tad freer in December since Christmas is still a very religious holiday " Arianna explained, "I treat it as a vacation period really "

"Or booked straight until after new years, since many folks want to host Christmas parties and might still want to hire bands or live performers." Brandy said, taking her coat and hanging it up. She smiled, looking over to Malaki.

"It seems Master Diego brought quite the entourage tonight. You guys likely will have a fun time tonight." She picked up the silicone bracelet basket that was used to indicate what you were into flavour wise for the night, offering it to the vampiress.
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Master Adler. Malaki speaks very highly of you and says your soirées are a must to attend. As a sign of respect, I did not wish to come empty-handed. I brought a small token that I hope you can enjoy with your Pomme or Servant. Please call me Carmen." Carmen replied, her Italian accent heavy as she greeted him in English, the jokes he had mentioned going over her head as she offered a red gift bag. The bag contained two bottles of the same Italian wine she had gifted to Nigel and Waylon.

Arianna took the offered bracelets that she wanted for the night. The songstress looked over to Malaki and his group, "So I see, and a new face as well," she said with a twitch of an eyebrow.

"I noticed. " Brandy whispered. "I haven't seen her before, but there are 700 vampires in the city I can't possibly know them all. Saying as you said new face, I am to believe you also do not know her?"

There was a knock at the front door. Brandy sighed dramatically. "Everyone is starting to show up now I'm so sorry Miss Arianna but duty calls. But if you wish to gossip, you know me. I'll be sitting in the inner stairwell here playing Porter until you guys are about ready to kick off darling. " She leaned in whispering softly "And yes Klaus is missing a left arm will he tell you about it? Maybe? But I figured you might want a little warning before you visually stumble upon it when he turns around and you can see his left side. Its been a rough month."

Arianna watched the red head hurry up the few stairs to the front door where she head Brandy, warmly greeting Thando and Noah.

"Good evening Noah and Thando thank you for attending, please come in." Brandy said as she held the door open.

Thando nodded curtly to Brandy his deep bass voice purred out a Hello.

Noah stepped in and offered her a smile. "Good evening to you as well, Miss McCrea. You aren't being run rampant, I hope? We miss seeing you."

Brandy smiled. "I'm sorry darling. You know how it is life keeps me busy but please pass on to Jasmine that I always have time if she ever wants to come by for a tea and some leopard vibes."

"I most certainly will." Noah said.

"Is she doing well as part of the hospitality crew. Is she liking the work?" She asked.

Noah smiled. "A very considerate question, but yes she says she's still a little nervous to go to the rooms to fill requests, but you will be delighted to know she has mastered folding swan towels."

"That is good to hear. I hope she had a good full moon." Brandy said.

Noah frowned. "You didn't attend?"

Brandy shook her head no.

"She didn't speak poorly of the experience so I must assume that all was well. I'm sorry to hear you missed out on the full moon gathering with your folk." Noah said sympathetically.

"Thank you, but it isn't anything to worry about. It is what it is. I've gotten used to being alone during the moons. I miss the family but I'm being stoic and being brave and as patient as I can." Brandy said and shook her head. "Goodness me please come in my darlings. You are here for smutty, hot fun, sex, not to talk about depressing things. Go on in, I can take your jackets and get them hung up.

"Hush. You are taking things better than most would. You're a good bokkie Brandy." Noah said as he gently squeezed her shoulder, feeling how much weight she had lost over the passing months.

The red head blushed and motioned for Thando and Noah to follower her as she led them into the dungeon so they could mingle with the others.

Noah entered the room his eyes widening. "This doesn't look like a room in need of extras, my dear. I answered the call because you were worried about numbers potentially. Tonight is going to be interesting."

Brandy blushed Malaki brought a surprise entourage rather than his lovely self or just two friends. Literally last minute surprises. We can still work with this unless Cherry shows up with more than a few people. With a bit of work, I am sure we could jam 20 into the dungeon for the fuck-tivites."

"If space is a worry, Thando and I can leave." Noah said. "I came because it sounded like Klaus and yourself might have needed the extra bodies tonight."

Thando sighed softly.

"Oh it isn't like that, I enjoy our time together, we don't need to have to be invited to a sex party to knock boots." Noah consoled Thando as he squeezed the man’s hand.

As Carmen had set off to greet Klaus, Malaki nodded towards the men who had been before making sure they were informing the women that tagged along of the rules. He grabbed his everything goes bracelet and made his way to stand near Carmen should she wished to need him.

The three men busied themselves explaining the rules. The poly group grabbed their anything goes bands while Julian and his sister grabbed the ones that indicated they were on the straight spectrum. Julian had already been eyeing up Raven hungrily while his sister on the other hand took her band putting space between her and her twin. Her eyes wandered around the room a touch of nervousness could be smelt in the air as she glanced at the bracelets around her. There did not seem to be many straight only people at this event and those that did were seemingly started to pair up,

A knock on the door saw Brandy rise from her leaning spot against the wall where she had been checking coats as she hurried to the door.

Cherry greeted her with a dazzling smile, clad in vibrant red PVC that clung to her curvaceous body. She embraced the scarlet haired were-rat and waved to the two males with her. Anton was a vampire that had been to a few of the parties they had hosted, Brandy's eyes drifted over to the Hispanic male and paused.

The wererat looked her in the eye and smiled shyly. "You are here? Brandy? No way!"

"Yes way Jose." Brandy chuckled. "I take it Cherry didn't mention that I help host the event. I let the guests in and help with the aftercare. But yes, surprise gym mate! You are attending a very secret and exclusive event so shush. What happens in the Haus of Klaus stays in the Haus of Klaus. We good?"

"She did not." He said as he stepped into the building. "We are good my lips are sealed. So are these fun?"

"They are, but you are going to feel like you had a night in the Oubliette. When you are done. It might be just two hours, but it is a vigorous work-out, but it is more satisfying than a work-out at the Concrete jungle darling." Brandy purred. "Come on in. You're the last ones to the party, come mingle before we get this show started."

She let the trio into the dungeon. "And our final guests have arrived. You all know Cherry and Anton. Tonight, Jose here is joining us for the first time." Brandy replied as she offered the bracelet basket and Cherry explained the protocols quickly to Jose.

Jose slipped on a straight bracelet and a few more bracelets indicating that he preferred to top and was into oral both giving and receiving but slapped on a red bracelet to indicate no to the Butt stuff. Surely he wouldn't need more than that, right?

Anton also grabbed a straight bracelet, but then paired it with an anything goes.

Brandy grinned "Well we are certainly expanding our boundaries tonight. I like it Anton darling I am super excited and proud of you."

"At some point you will have to get in on one of these, and I can show you stretching boundaries and expanding things." He said with a rakish grin.

"Of that I have no doubt. I do watch everything on the ring cams, so I get to be a voyeur, so it works out pretty well. Things you learn as you go along with these things, it would seem." He said, flashing a grin that showed a bit of fang. "We got some new faces here, I see." His dark eyes roamed the room, looking at all the attendees. "No swans here tonight but I can make this work, certainly." he said as he sniffed the air and noted the new Humans that Malaki had brought.

"We do feel free to introduce yourself, not everyone has paired up." Brandy said. "I need to zip on upstairs for a quick moment to check on the camera's, so I know they are working so we can spot any issues that might require medical attention and when I can come down to let out Lover boy."

“Carmen. An unexpected pleasure.” Klaus took her hand in his and raised it to his lips. “How has your visit been, thus far?” he asked her in excellent French, before taking the bag. “Thank you, both my Pomme, who I believe had just arrived, and mi amore, who ushered you in, will be delighted at your gift. Is Malaki managing to be an entertaining escort. Certainly he’s brought you to one of the more exclusive events in Seattle. Some weeks ago, we even hosted some of the Master’s swans.”

"He has most Certainly been an entertaining guide. Malaki keeps some interesting friends. But those are the best kinds correct?" Carmen answered in english with a nod.

Arianna paused to read the room, and was still startled by the sight of Klaus missing his left arm. She moved over to greet their host, taking her time to study the woman he was speaking with

There was a knock at the door. When Brandy finally managed to open it, she was flabbergasted to find Waylon Crosby standing there, as if mentioning his swans had summoned him.

“I’m not late, am I?” he asked.

Brandy let out a little squeal of delight and threw her arms around him. 
"Of course not daring!" But she paused and stiffened slightly. "I'm sorry is this too familiar? I've not has a direct face to face with you well since before..." She whispered.



Waylon returned the embrace. “Definitely not too familiar,” he said. “An inappropriate level of familiarity would be doing a package check before allowing me in. I should point out that I am here strictly to observe. It is time to see Klaus’s ability function first hand. My swans had some interesting things to say about their experience here.” A smile spread across his face. “It feels nice to be able to say that in public again.”
Brandy softly chuckled "I understand I just feel like..." She paused closing the door closed to the dungeon for a few moments of privacy. "That you being here just to watch might end up with you still getting dragged in unless you want to hang up stairs and watch it go down on the cameras. That won't have the same kind of butthole puckering stir the pot energy as you walk in past these doors sit on a spanking bench and announce 'Please, you may fuck when ready. I'm just here to watch."

Waylon chuckled. “If I am unable to resist the power of a vampire of Klaus’s vintage, I do not deserve my position,” he said. “And I would be remiss if I failed to take advantage of a dramatic entrance.”

  * * *

“I am pleased to count myself among Malaki’s friends,” Klaus answered, still in French. “I hope you don’t mind me using French. I thought perhaps you would enjoy hearing a more fluid tongue. Arianna speaks French as well, although Louisiana has definitely left its mark on her accent. Arianna, may I present Carmen? She is visiting us from Italy. Malaki has brought her to experience one of Seattle’s more obscure experiences.”

"Forgive my poor English. I am putting in the effort to try and better it. If it is too poor I fully understand the jump to French. " Carmen replied as she gave Arianna a polite nod of greeting and shook the woman's hand. " I was planning to take Malaki as a partner for the night so there would be no misunderstandings at your party. You are all such an attractive lot. I confess to being excited to participate on a night on the town."
“My apologies if you thought my use of French was an indictment of your English,” Klaus said, switching back to English. “That was not my intent.”

Carmen smiled. "I am in your realm tonight and wish not to offend. There is no offence taken. I am pleased that you are so accepting and welcoming. It looks like a very diverse and friendly group."

“It is indeed,” Klaus said. “There are representatives of virtually every preternatural group in the city. Saphy is a werewolf. Cherry is a wererat. Brandy is a leopard. Thando is a lion. We have a host of vampires and a number of humans. All here to assist me as well as indulge in absolute pleasure.”

Carmen listened, "So much variety. So how does this assist you in particular, if I may ask without being too forward? You have a overactive drive and need more than the average amount of partners?"


 * * *

Meanwhile, back in the hallway of the brownstone, Brandy continued her chat with Waylon.

"So the dramatics and the love of stirring the pot and gossip. All of that was genuine and true. I understand the desire to obscure who runs what, but I just haven't been sure about what is genuine and what wasn't between us. So I'm not sure if we are entirely good or not. Is there anything you want done differently? I'm not a vampire, so things don't really impact me the same way but, with you coming out, I just don't want to do anything that would be... I don't know, darling...Inappropriate?" She paused frowning slightly. "I'm still trying to put together why you have always been so good to me. I've never smelled deception, but you have always been there to gossip and guide to make sure I could be the best I could be while working for Nigel, and then after offering a spot in the hospitality team. It seems so hands on to be that way with the company employees. If I am being silly, just tell me we are cool and all is fine and this will be the last I speak of it. I've had one hell of a year when it comes to change. I don't know how much more I can take. " Brandy whispered to Waylon.

“How better to keep tabs on what is happening?” Waylon asked. “Listen to the official channels, you learn a sanitized version of events. Listen to the gossip and you learn everything else. You are a very good source of information and in addition, I consider you a friend. Why else would I have taken such good care of you while you were ill? As far as the drama is concerned, how better to keep things entertaining? I am a vampire, Brandy. Even I get bored.”

Brandy nodded. "Hot gossip is good and I appreciate the medical care. So we can still gossip and carry on like before? Or is that now off the list? Bah, thing's I can ask later, right? You essentially get to walk into a secret sex club like you are the queen of England and watch everyone freak out." Brandy said softly but a smirk played over her lips. "Just without the Royal introduction. Don't let me keep you, your Majesty?" She opened the door a crack and stepped aside letting Waylon have access to enter. She had warned him about Klaus's power, and the Swans had filled him in, he was a big boy and knew what he was getting him self into relatively.

“No, I think I will be less like an English monarch and more like the Spanish Inquisition… unexpected.” Waylon grinned and placed a kiss on Brandy’s cheek. “Worry not, my dear. You will always be one of my friends.”


.   * * *

[Maxx]

“I prefer not to get into the details,” Klaus said. “Let’s just say that I influence the participants but do not directly interact with them. The cage over there is for my protection. It is a new power for me and I am working to understand how it works. The regular exercise of the power prevents its spontaneous manifestations. Think of it as a boiler. If one does not occasionally bleed off the pressure, it will find a way to escape on its own, with potentially disastrous results.”


Carmen nodded. "Of course, my apologies for being so inquisitive. With an explanation like that and French as perfect as yours, I can only assume you are one of 'Her' vampires." She gave a little nod of her head. "I will politely excuse myself so you can carry on with your preparations, Master Adler.

Returning to Malaki's side, she gently tugged on the leash he sported, "Viens mon chiot, laisse-nous errer." As she looked about in the room trying to find the best purchase for the evening.



Waylon opened the dungeon door. “Is this a private party or can anyone crash?”

Malaki smirked as the leash was tugged. The vampire always had a strong personality and most had always known him to be in control even if he was in a bottom type position.

The humans that came with eyed the situation with a raised brow but quickly chose that silence as the best course of action. Julian's twin Jessica was trying to pick her pussy off the ground as the one called Cherry entered with two very fit men in tow. They both had a non human presence about them which caused her to fumble over herself a little.

However it was when the door reopened and there before them all stood the one and only Master of the city. Unexpectedly the humans began to squirm and whisper. They knew they were in for a mixed crowd but royalty was another story.

Malaki could hear them and let out a soft chuckle. "Good evening Huntsman. The more the merrier is the policy here if I do recall correctly. What a pleasant surprise." He gave a small nod. "And here I thought I would steal the show with the plot twist of the evening." He thought to himself with cheeky grin.

Tassi squeezed Thomas' arm as Waylon entered the room. Like most in the city she had not been aware of the huntsman's true status and had discovered it upon reading the next day's newspaper. She silently moved a what the fuck to Thomas as she sat up Suddenly glad that she had not stripped naked yet. Did this mean that the master of the city was actually joining in and was he going to decide to have a little fun during classes evening?

“Good evening, Malaki. I see you have brought some friends.” Waylon grinned. “And no need for titles. I am here just to observe, rather than participate. Assuming that I can resist the siren call of our host.”

“Of that I have little doubt,” Klaus said. “The safest place would be behind me.”

“Safe. Who wants safe? You are not so old that I need fear falling prey to your power. My swans were quite profound in their praise. I wish to bathe in the essence of pleasure that pervade the proceedings.”

Thomas shrugged. He had not been warned that Waylon would be attending. He was actually a little surprised that the vampire had arrived alone.

Malaki chuckled. "So one wishes to edge himself in more ways then one? Waylon knows what he wants. You are in for one hell of a ride. I wish for your enjoyment."

"We all are should things turn up like the other evening"

The humans began to smell of fear as they were unsure how to proceed with the Master now in the mix. But as those around them seemed to keep a level head their emotions started to ease returning to more primal urges.

Darien couldn't help but let a little smirk touch his lips at Saphyre's cheekiness. "Very on brand for you, my jewel." His smirk faded to a slight frown. "You do not mind me calling you that, do you? You said you wanted time to sort things out. I.. have been waiting for you." He said, his dark eyes following the curve of the werewolf's face, the line of his lips. "If you want me to stay away, tell me, because I desperately want to touch you. "His words weren't tinged with the usual playful flirtations, and even when others began to arrive, his attention remained on the object of desire and would do so until of course, Waylon entered. Then of course he paused to greet the Master as was only right. "Good evening, Mr Crosby. "He said, having heard the request for no titles. " I am certain that you are in for quite the show."



"We shall see what we shall see," Waylon answered. "Don't stand on ceremony. Treat me as if I'm not here."

"You would not believe what I heard about what the swans were doing on the roof yesterday," Thomas said. "Apparently they forgot we have cameras up there." He chuckled at the look he got from Waylon. "Y'all did say treat you like you're not here."

Saphyre's skin turned to goosebumps like Darien had touched him when he called him his jewel. He had also called him that before they had gotten together, so it was hardly a commitment to - this was what the cool kids called 'overthinking it'. The over thinking it was what was keeping all the smooth sexy lines under lock and key in his mind, his tongue between his teeth. Instead he reached out to answer for him, his finger tips skirting the delicate skin at the inside of Darien's wrist as he turned to greet the Master of the city. You can touch me

"I think it's a shame you aren't here because then I can't mention how delighted I am to know in post that I had such a headliner involved in one of my performances," Saphyre spoke up, referring to how Waylon had held the glass of alcohol the colourful wolf had entered with during his first dance at the feast. The glass of alcohol he'd used to briefly set his chest on fire to conclude his time on stage. "I feel like someone should offer you a poncho for the splash zone."

"What happens at the feast stays at the feast," Waylon said. "In a manner similar to the way what happens in Mr Adler's pleasure dungeon stays in Mr Adler's pleasure dungeon."

Malaki stood beside Carmen taking a peek into the bag she had brought for the first time. "You packed some goodies. The lady's attention to planning is impressive."

It was Julian that burst out laughing at Waylon. "That's not true. The funny way I walked for a few days after definitely left this place."

Scott turned his head with a small tilt. "Feast? Vampires do holiday dinners like family style?"

As soon as the inquiry left his mouth he was meet with thunderous slap across his bare chest. "We are not here for questioning hold your tongue sweetness." Taylor gave him a warning look.

Scott turned his head slowly and dramatically "Ouch. Gawd got it chill." He rubbed the reddening skin. The other two women snickered. To the shifters in the room it was clear watching Taylor slap around Scott was arousing to them. The action also had the same effect on Scott as a hardening buldge began to grow under the mans boxer briefs.

"What feast?" Saphyre answered innocently as he'd purposefully only mentioned 'a performance'. He'd done quite a few in his time, but he could certainly take a hint and would say no more about it.

"Damn," Saphyre hummed watching the fingerprints redden on Scott's chest, coming into focus like a developing photo. He was no stranger to pain as a form of pleasure and the sound of skin on skin was like thunder, a roiling of the pressure building in the room. The smell of arousal plain in the space. Saphyre toyed absently with the 'anything goes' bracelet around his own wrist, grinning. "Well that's one way to start a party."

“Is everyone aware of the rules?” Klaus asked. “Does everyone understand the meaning of the bracelets? Are there any other questions before I make like a dragon and head for my nice, safe cage?”

Darien's dark eyes turned once more to Saphyre. That ghostly touch on his wrist was like a whispered promise. Could he dare to hope that this thing between them could be salvaged? He glanced towards Klaus, then looked around to see if there were any who were still preparing. Malaki had brought an unfamiliar vampiress with him, who seemed to be a guest. Noah hadn't reacted, so he doubted it was the young one's feared mistress. He would still be cautious, though, because that didn't mean she wasn't somehow connected to his father. It was also a rather odd feeling to know that the Master of the city was joining them tonight. It would have been odd enough before they all knew who he was, but now the reactions were tinged with a bit of uncertainty and caution bordering on fear. How far was too far after all?

"Well, my dear Jewell, did you want to find another playmate or two for the evenings entertainment?".

As Darien and Saphy softly conversed between themselves Brandy fished the keys to Klaus's cage and fkashed them. They were attached to its neon pink lanyard and had been hidden underneath the layered clothing she wore.

"Since we have so many new faces I do want to remind folks to try to refrain from drawing blood over the next two hours. As passions and sexual hungers are awakened and are trying to be slaked we do have folks here that could shift or potentially frenzy. It's why we keep a cage down here full of furry little friends. Those of you that are human probably won't have much control once Klaus unleashes things but the vampires that have a couple decades or more under their belt and seasoned shifters should have a certain amount of self-control rather than getting swept up in things. If you see that it looks like someone is going to lose their shape please kindly pull one of these free guys out of the cage and toss it at our person in need. It might take more than one so perhaps we can have a vampire that's willing to fuck right here?" she said pointing to the guinea pig cage. "Do we have any takers?"

“What about the only person here who won’t be fucking?” Waylon asked. “Or do you consider Guinea pig lobber to be too menial a task for your fearless leader?”

Brandy shrugged and laughed softly. "If you are game, and it sparks joy in your heart, then you yeet those guinea pigs."

"Klaus it has come to my knowledge you may have a poltergeist problem. One that oddly throws small rodents." Malaki snickered as his long fingers ran faintly over Carmen's clothed backside.

Saphyre hummed as though considering the offer, though there was a certain vagueness to it. He looked at Darien, reaching out to straighten the collar of his shirt though it was already straight, his thumb caressing over the button closes to his throat. "I'm pleased with where I am at the moment. Did you want to fill up your dance card before the music starts? There's fresh meat on the table after all,"

The murmurs and amusement of the room caught his ear properly and he looked out over the gathering that had amassed in the dungeon.

"Did you hear that Mr. Walker? Pigs might fly this evening," Saphyre chuckled.

“One wonders whether being thrown qualifies as flying,” Klaus asked. “I would like to thank you all for coming,” he continued. “I was worried that we would not have enough participants and yet as it turned out, this will be the largest turn out we’ve ever had.”
As well as one of the most potent. Carmen strikes me as centuries old. If Waylon joins, rather than just watching, there will be a significant boost in the available power.

He looked towards the cage. “It is time to begin,” he said. “Those who are not entirely certain that they will survive, this is your last chance to withdraw.”

Brandy walked over to the cage as she pulled out the keys. When Klaus stepped in and settled down onto the stool inside, she closed the doors and proceeded with the lock-up while the others decided if they were going to step out or stay.

Looking out at the room's participants, she tucked the keys back into the front of her dress and gave them all a solemn nod. "Good luck everyone. Be safe." She urged them as she headed for the door and closed it shut.

They were on their own now she thought to herself as she hurried upstairs to watch the cam feed from the safety of the upper apartment.

As far as parties went, this was actually a good one for Waylon to drop in on. Due to the high number of people in attendance, Klaus found he was able to spool his powers hand over hand, rather than it flying out and careening into the mass of participants.

The humans were the first to succumb to his power, as they hungrily and aggressively reached for partners .

The non alpha shifters were next to fall to the siren's call, as Waylon watched the individuals succumb to their lust. Next were the non-master vampires and then the Alpha shifters, and then finally the Master vampires joined.

A few stray attempts were made to grab at Klaus, but after some curses and moans, he was forgotten because he was inaccessible.

Klaus was very aware of the energy in the room that night, the more fragile thready sources from the humans to the robust energy from the Masters. It was a bit of a surprised as he examined Carmen and found her to be older than he had originally thought. She wasn't as potent as Waylon not by a long shot, but she had more going on than the other Masters in the room.

Klaus frowned as he felt a metaphysical door close on his face at his curiosity. Whatever other mysteries he wanted to know would have to wait because the Lady had tightened up her shields and closed the door. Suddenly he couldn't feel her as before. Her power and essence, was as a perfume that was lingering in the air, the wearer no longer present.

Amber eyes met his as she wagged a finger at him as her other hand held Malaki's hair as she held him between her legs.

Still the amount of energy in the room was almost dizzying and hard to take in both due to the amount of people and the different energy types. Like a thirsting man wanting to drink from a garden hose it started off well enough until the pressure grew and Klaus was finding it hard to drink it down fast enough, he was seemingly choking down the power as fast as he could as his body tingled and broke out into goosebumps.

Darien had chuckled, but possibly more in happiness at Saphyre's amusement than the idea of the Master of the City throwing small rodents across the room. "I don't need anyone else but you.". He had told the werewolf, and there was a truth to his words that he had surprised himself with. That was something to revisit later, when there would be time and the lack of blinding lust. The feeling of Klaus's power rolling out was a bit different, like it was slowly rising along the power levels in the room like a tide. Perhaps the extra practice had made an interesting difference.

Saphyre had been standing on the throat of his desire as one does in polite society. A desire he'd carried with him into this careful madness. His touches up until then had been brief and above board, even if his gaze all but devoured Darien, he'd played the part of a man in control of his lust. Hell, he'd gone so far as to let his attention be briefly tugged away to topics that weren't ripping off Darien's clothes before the metaphorical starting gun went off.

Though Darien took a moment to savour the pallet he had curated, and though Saphyre was not of the groups first to succumb beneath the wave of Klaus' power he'd been revving his engines at the start line and when others fell to heat and moans he let free-will bring him onto Darien. Saphyre reached up to bury his fingers in short dark hair, pulling him down into a kiss and giving up his last gasp of clear minded air against his lips. By the time Klaus' power touched him he'd only had the briefest moment to regret not guiding them down on to a piece of furniture before things were underway.

Klaus could feel the power surging through the Ardeur. A dozen was fine. Two dozen, especially with a master vampire more powerful than he was, was a tempest. He was already aware that he did not as yet have much control over the Ardeur. He’d seen what happened when he unleashed it with too few vessels on which it could feed, now he was discovering what happened when it had more than it needed for satiation.

THERE. WAS. SO. MUCH. POWER.

He would be full in half the time it normally took, which would allow him to spend more time learning what he had unleashed. He’d already identified individual threads; now he just needed to figure out what happened when he plucked them. He would play a symphony of lust.

And as always, hopefully nobody would die.

An hour in and everything was going well. The larger group definitely had a less fatigued appearance to them as Klaus fed feeling fuller than he normally did at the halfway point.

Relaxing and not struggling made the effect of taking in that much energy a little easier, and it was most decidedly a heavy brush as he examined the colourful group before him. They were certainly things different about this evening but in previous evenings. Despite the fact that Waylon was not joining in on the party environment, he was present and tangible metaphysically as if he were a metronome atop a piano keeping a Beat for the rest of those around him.

 Malaki's play mate had been metaphysically playing peekaboo through the metaphysical door she chose to open and examine him before closing once again. The energy she selected to part with was rich and strangely luxurious and textured. He liked to compare people to strings but besides wanting to call her robust he also wanted to allot words like soft, warm, and furred.

It was an odd sensation, to feel another vampire’s aura and consider them furred. Perhaps it was her Beast to call that he was feeling but then he’d never felt fur of fluttering wings from Darien. It was another nuance of the Ardeur he would have to explore over the next few decades.

Things were starting to wind down. The Ardeur, having been cast out like a net, had returned home, sated far sooner than expected. It allowed for a more sedate conclusion, a languid lounging, rather than a rush to the finish line.

Many in the group continued rather than stopped, some having built up the endurance. Nothing was a fever pitch or feeling the absolute overriding urge to fuck. Arianna was even happy to skim a bit of lust off the top of things to keep herself going at maximum capacity, as she was happy to play with her human food a little. Klaus might have slaked his hunger and was lazily drawing in energy, but she would enjoy herself and take her time.

Even Malaki who had semi recently been up against the bad side of Klaus's power was enjoying himself. His time with his old flame was certainly less painful and violent than he remembered as she slipped into things being more sensual than he remembered. It was certainly more pleasant and measured for pleasure than pain. Has he changed, or had she? Had they both? It was certainly a case of things not being as they had been when they were young vampires at the mercy of practically all the vampires in their area.

As things slowly wound down over the next hour a sprawl of tangled limbs and spent individuals littered the floor and furniture of the dungeon. Klaus pulled out his phone to text Brandy to let him out as he indicated it was safe to come downstairs.

Waylon was able to witness things in person with note that he didn't get to lob a single furry guinea pig. The shifters attending were well practised in restraint it would seem even when participating in feeding other desires other than blood and meat.

“Well, that was, of course interesting,” Waylon said. “It would seem my swans were quite accurate in their assessment. And I’m pleased to see your recent injury has not had any effect on your ability as a host. Although, it would seem your ability as a host seems to have had an effect on your injury.”

When Klaus looked down, he was astonished to see that, rather than just having a shoulder, he had regenerated his arm to a point a few inches above his elbow.

“That was certainly unexpected,” Klaus said.

“Thomas chuckled. “Yeah but I bet you aren’t going to complain.”

"Can't see many dudes being all oh wow I grew a few inches and didn't realize it. That's what we call a boon " Tasi purred as she lounged lazily in Thomas's arms. "Was it just me or was tonight's hang less crazy?"

“Definitely a lot less frantic,” Thomas agreed. “A whole lot of I want to cuddle before we go again and a whole lot less come on you son of a bitch, get hard again, she’s waiting.”

"Not sure if you are taking requests but can we have more nights like this, Klaus?" Tasi chuckled just as Brandy came in as she made her way to the cage and unlocked it before heading to the coolers in the corner of the room and began passing out cool drinks for the non-vampire guests.

Tasi took a Gatorade from Brandy giving her a nod of thanks as she drank long and deep emptying half the bottle. She let out a gasp of contentment and a shudder as she felt the cold liquid trickle down the inside of her rib cage. Stuff hits different when you are all fucked out." the were-tiger sighed contentedly.

Brandy looked around the room passing Saphyre a blue Gatorade before moving on to the humans Malaki had brought. "Everyone seems no worse for the wear. Good to see."

"This is not normally the case?" Carmen asked as she held Malaki in her arms, gently running her fingers through his long luxurious hair. She made a face as she tried to find the English words. "He feeds off the lust yes? This means that sometimes he can take too much and the people here become depleted?"

Brandy looked to Klaus for him to field the explanation.

The human quad poly lay lazily in a tangled mess of limbs. The women's long hair clung to their faces with sweat and the men's skin was still pinked from rough smacks and dragged nail marks looked like a poorly scoring school students assignment. It was Scott who managed to pull himself free getting to shaky legs to grab drinks for the group. "Cheers." He said holding the four closed bottles in Klaus's direction making his way back to the group.

Julian had made himself a readily available toy to be used by Raven in any way he saw fit for the evening gently offered her his wrist should she wish for a sip. His exhausted cock tightened painfully at the thought of her fangs sinking into his flesh.

Jessica who had be convinced by her twin to come play along had things unlocked in her psyche that evening. She had been passed back and forth between Jose and Anton that evening and it wasn't long before the heady cocktail of pleasure had her begging for them both at the same time. For them to use her like a filthy whore. She had only been with human before that evening. A flavor she had no intention of ever going back to the mundane.

Malaki languished in the aftermath. His body vibrated with a soft hum he hadn't experienced in a very long time. One that lingers in what was left of his soul something that faded quickly when he fucked for pleasure or release from boredom. Carmen had changed so much from what he remembered but there could be many reasons as to why it felt softer, more measured. It made him bolder to push boundaries as snaked a long arm up her thigh his long fingers slowly petting at the slickness between her legs. His hand retracted, his fingers pulling apart ever so slightly letting the light shine sensually thru the webbed mixture of cum and saliva. He smirked as his fingers passed his glazed face popping them into his mouth. His eyes closed as he tried to burn the taste of her back into his brain as he licked them clean. His eyes opened falling on Klaus as a content sigh purred out of him. He dare not mention what his friends power could invoke should numbers be lessened or mixed with fear and blood.

Saphyre caught the blue Gatorade with a pleased noise, getting it open and drinking a third down before coming up for air. He was, like many in the dungeon, completely naked and contented. Maybe he'd hoped for more madness, less clarity. It all felt very much liked he'd hooked up with his complicated-not-quite-ex-partner with his own desire for chaos and not an iron clad alibi of 'the sex pollen made me do it'. But, unfortunately, as he was a poor liar to himself, that was always going to be the case.

He glanced up at Darien's face, tangled in against him and then nuzzled back in to the curve of his neck. Inhaling the scent of him. Maybe there was no madness, but he could enjoy the moment as though there was. Whatever magnetic pull Darien had on him was still there, a force beyond reason or circumstance. The earth did not stop holding you down because of differing opinions. Other things were happening in the room, Klaus had more of his arm for one thing, but Saphyre had just one thought. One clear sharp notion that the warm honey of afterglow slicked off of.

The colourful wolf reached up, cupping Darien's jaw and lifted his smudged lips to the vampire's ear. A soft breath purposefully while others were talking he murmured. "We should kill your father," Like this were Shakespearean play and not real life, like proposed patricide counted as pillow talk. Then he settled back against his shoulder, he'd said his piece. Spoke for the beast inside him - the Occam's razor to a gnarled situation obfuscated by vampiric politics. Now he could enjoy the honey warmth of his afterglow without that barb dwelling in his thoughts. Maybe there was a little madness, but just a mundane kind.

“My ability to feed on lust is much closer to warming myself by the fire than it is to drawing the lust away through a straw,” Klaus said. “And this evening is necessitated by and the rest of a rare power from my bloodline that encourages lust. This is the largest group that I’ve hosted and it would seem that larger numbers spread the burden, so that no one is too exhausted. When there are a dozen, no one feels too much like moving for a while afterwards.”

He wasn’t about to mention the human who had exhausted himself almost to the point of death or his recent discovery about what happened when there were too few participants. Her opinion of Malaki might change if she discovered he’d cut a hole in a corpse so he could fuck it. How it might change was of no concern to Klaus.

What a thing to say. They had just enjoyed an evening of wicked debauchery with a rather interesting audience. Usually that would warrant a few exhausted but happy comments, of varying levels of pornographic. 'We should kill your father' was not in most persons imagining of lewd conversation. Was it the soft breath that made Darien shiver at those words or something else? It was unreasonable, of course. Such a task was far beyond their capabilities, at least for now. And he would never risk Saphyre getting close at any rate. No, the solution was not so simple.

"Tease." Darien accused gently, wrapping the colorful wolf in his arms, glad to have him back in them even if temporarily.

"Your ability makes for a more titillating evening for your attendees. I thank you for allowing me to attend. It has been a new experience for me. Number wise it's made for a strangely intimate evening should you give yourself to the experience." Carmen said in French.

“The pleasure was mine,” Klaus answered in French. “This is a learning experience for all of us. My human guests fared much better than the last ones. All survived, although it was close and none of them showed the resilience of these four. I credit the larger number of guests, rather than anything on my part. I host these every two weeks. Should you find yourself with nothing to do on a Wednesday night, you will find yourself always welcome here.”

Carmen nodded and grinned. "I will have to see if that is something Malaki wants to repeat. We are very old friends, practically vampire babes when we met. It's been a revelation and delight to find out he was alive and well and assigned to be my guide while visiting. I am still adjusting to your ways and practices over here in this country. I put my faith in Malaki to not lead me astray while I am here visiting, Master Adler. I take it the title is fairly new given that you have said you are going through a learning experience of sorts. Your French is surprisingly good for being an American. So many I have met speak only one language."

“That is because I am not American,” Klaus said. “I am German. I speak German, French and English. The first signs of Mastery revealed themselves over sixty years ago and saved my life on more than one occasion. I thought perhaps I was done growing stronger. Then this happened. Let’s just say it was an interesting visit to the zoo. If you are interested in learning the differences between American and European vampire culture, I teach classes for the new vampires, so they know what is expected of them both by ourselves and by society.”

"My apologies for assuming you were younger than you were. Malaki mentioned that his group of friends were all younger than him. I might just take you up on that offer, Herr Adler. As for the zoo... Are congratulations are in order for you discovering your animal to call?" Carmen asked as she gently twirled the while forelock of Malaki's hair around her index finger and thumb.

Malaki hummed at the calming sensation he was getting from Carmen twirling his hair. "Should the Lady wish to partake in the fun again I shall see to it that she is accommodated to attend. With the honor of your attendance it has definitely elevated my enjoyment." Malaki continued in French with smile like cat that caught a canary.

"Even with the restrictions in place." Carmen purred, seemingly content for the moment. "The night however is still young so what do we do after this? Slake our thirst? Tour a part of town in search of other entertainment? I am up for suggestions Mon chiot."

“This power first manifested when Brandy and I were visiting the zoo,” Klaus answered. He smiled at Brandy. “A certain individual who shall remain nameless has spread a game through my circle of friends. They take turns suggesting more and more ridiculous animals as my potential animal to call and I must explain why that animal would be very useful and desirable.”

"I see. So you are still in waiting for your powers to awaken an animal to your side. Do you have a desire for any particular type?" Carmen asked.

“Anything other than a leopard or a swan would be acceptable,” Klaus said. “Either would be a politically disastrous animal for me. Most seek an animal that has a lycanthropic analogue. I would be happy with something nocturnal. Certain strains of bee, for example, although their death upon stinging is problematic. Owls perhaps. Nothing truly exotic. Lions would be difficult to find. Elephants would be interesting. Realistically? The game has shown me that there is an advantage to any animal.”

Having served up the snack trays and drinks to those who weren't vampires , Brandy settled down on the floor to rest her head on Klaus's leg. The best seating real-estate was taken up by lounging bodies.

"So what are the three worst animals that this room has dreamt up? Master Walker and Master Landry have you played this game before," Carmen reverted to English.

"I have." Darien said, proving that he was at least listening to the conversation in the room some small bit. "Although not as much as others have. After all, my animal is one that most would not find appealing. "

"I think those without any animal to call might disagree." she said giving a wink.

Malaki's chuckle rumbled in his chest. "Not of all us can be lucky enough to have animals to call that the basic, what's the phrase?" Malaki paused to think.

"Basic white girl." Julian chimed in from across the room.

Malaki pointed then snapped. "Yes that. They look at a predator and just see large versions of their domestic variety. It is a curious mental state. Self preservation skills vanished." Malaki made a flourish with his hand like he was doing a magic trick. "As for the game it has been an entertaining way to pass the time. Aardvark, has anyone suggested that yet?"

"So this game - You just shout out something silly in hopes that what? Master Adler finds it indeed a terrible selection? The larger the reaction, the more you- Win?" Carmen asked uncertainly, trying to figure out the best way one would win in this bizarre game. With time on your hands ticking onward into forever, it wasn't the weirdest way to busy oneself to keep entertained.

"Honestly I am not to sure of the rules any longer. Though the more outlandish the more entertainment we have discussing pros and cons." Malaki answered.

"So you just recommend a predator that could be an animal to call and then discuss the pros and cons. Alright, what about a Mink? Has that been offered up as a suggestion yet?" she asked.

"Aardvarks are nocturnal, which certainly helps," Klaus said. "And they do have sharp claws, although not nearly as sharp as the anteater. Minks are also nocturnal as well as being rather bloodthirsty. It comes from being part of the weasel family, so their is significant potential to expand beyond just minks, the way a wolf caller can summon and command various species of wolf." He shrugged. "I stopped keeping track long ago. Even before the tardigrades. The rules are simple. Suggest an animal and I must come up with a reason as to why it is not a pointless animal to call."

"Is there a point system or a limited time frame to answer? How do you know who is winning?" Carmen curiously asked.

"It is one of those games that truly has no winner per say. Unless you count us that play it have bereavement from the boredom." Malaki answered lazily stroking Carmen's leg.

"We certainly do need a little interruption from that from time to time if we are in between hobbies. So what does everyone do to pass the time around here hobby wise if I may be so bold to ask the vampires in the room?" Carmen looked at the others as she snuggled against Malaki.

“Tasi is teaching me how to fish,” Thomas answered. “And when I have the scratch, I rent a helicopter to keep current on my pilot’s license. And a bunch of us play poker together. Game is open but there are what, six that are pretty steady attendees?”

“Five core with as many as eight on a busy night,” Klaus said, nodding. “I’m learning to play the keyboard and I’m considering picking up painting.”

“My living room could use a coat,” Willie said.

Carmen stretched " So would you say that you have more time to pursue hobbies here in America than you would in Europe?"

"Well, we spend less time concealing ourselves and less time hunting," Willie answered. "So yes, we have more time for hobbies. But we need to hold down real jobs."

"And you would say these jobs are more lucrative than-" Carmen paused looking around the room that had humans and shifters in it opting to speak in French. "Than the old ways of acquiring money? Sometimes working for our Masters did see small gifts of jewellery and clothing, occasionally they bestowed to us other gifts if our work was exceptional."

Darien chose to refrain from putting his thoughts into the conversation with the switch to French. He was reasonably sure Saphyre did not speak the language after all, and he did not want to be rude.

Klaus chuckled. “It is safer to make money legally,” he said in French. “Many of the old ways are illegal here and to get caught carries the death penalty. The young ones do not know how lucky they are.”

"It seems sad that the young ones don't know the struggles we have had to endure. Perhaps conversation best left to be had without all the mortal ears." Carmen said. "I do hope to talk to all of you over the course of my visit to gain more insight into what life is like for American vampires. It would be unforgivable for me to return to my Master Cesar without a detailed report. Perhaps we too can go mainstream public as you all are."

“I would be delighted to assist,” Klaus said. “I teach the new vampires their responsibilities and obligations under the current laws. It was something that would have been appreciated when I was taken. I learned the hard way.”
"Well if it is permissible to shadow you for a couple classes Herr Adler, I would find that interesting." Carmen replied.

“Even more interesting with the missing arm,” Klaus said, returning to English. “The class will think I am unable to inflict any punishment.”

[LadyJallyn]

Nov 12 - Streets of Seattle - 12AM - Darien & Saphyre

Saphyre watched his breath unfurl in a cloud in front of him while he lingered on the path from Klaus' abode. There were a few times in his life when loitering in wait for someone who did not necessarily know anyone was waiting for them that he'd wished he was a smoker. It made the whole scene seem more natural, especially post sex-party, but alas he'd never taken up the habit in his self destructive youth and he wasn't about to take it up now that he could smell all the carcinogens coiled in the product before it was even lit.

Instead he waited, smokeless, in his Muppet-esque jacket for a different vehicle of addiction, Darien. Brandy had pointed out the unfortunate reality that no one can know what goes on in ones head unless one communicates. The gnawing idea that Darien didn't see him as an equal in their relationship, that he was instead a pet to be protected and fawned over, was Shrodinger's hang up until they talked it out. It was both an undeniable fact, and horrendous falsehood invented in a scar of insecurity until Darien was presented with the hypothesis.

It did seem a little like a good way to ruin the afterglow of a nice sex-party though. Saphyre was just about to reconsider his position and walk a block over to call his uber when the door opened and he lost the ability to make that decision without coming up with a convenient excuse for why he hadn't moved more than three feet from Klaus' door when he'd left minutes prior.

"Mr. Walker, fine evening isn't it?"

"Hmm. So far it has been more than fine, wouldn't you agree?" There was his usual playfulness, the little smirk he had, the brief raising and lowering of an eyebrow that suggested a meaning left best for the bedroom.  He was hiding his surprise at Saphyre's lack of departure. He was expecting the wolf to have retreated once more to torture himself with whatever internal battle he was fighting at the moment.

"Would you like a ride home?"

Saphyre chuckled at his playful flirtation, charmed. "There's a joke in there somewhere about you having already given me a lovely ride tonight," he pointed out, the way he fiddled with his phone end over end betraying the tingle of nerves though his tone remained light to match Darien's.

"But I'll take a ride home if you're offering," Saphyre said tucking his phone away in his pocket. "It'll give us a chance to talk if you're open to that."

"Of course I am willing to talk to you. Do you expect me to say no?  I have already told you more things than nearly anyone else.  It is far too late to stop now.  "  Darien fished out his keys and held a hand out for Saphyre to take should he choose.  "Just please, don't talk about the paint job.  I'm going to have to have my car completely repainted. They did their best with the scratches, but the insurance won't pay for custom paint, so it matches, yet does not."

Saphyre's gaze narrowed just a little, almost playfully, at Darien's statement that he'd been told more than most. He was not trying to determine if it was a lie or not, just express his dubiousness. There were things they couldn't tell each other, certainly, but plenty of it seemed to Saphyre to be that if Darien had ever been a forthright person, that particular muscle had atrophied over much time of disuse.

"Why is it that every time I see you you're very calmly in a new and interesting state of crisis?" Saphyre asked, his tone teased but the question was genuine.  He took Darien's hand without thinking about it, letting their fingers lace together, puting them in step with eachother.

"It's okay, it doesn't have to match. It can 'go'. It's very trendy to 'go'," the wolf assured.

"Is the question based in my apparent ability to remain calm while insanity flows around me, or is it that this past year or so has seemed to hold an unreasonable amount of chaos for me?  The answer to the first is that I am usually only calm on the outside.  I do not know the answer to the second, although it has unsettled me greatly." Darien answered. True to word, the car was 'fixed'  but to a discerning eye, the paint used to cover the scratches did not match exactly, something that annoyed the vampire immensely, if the flattening of his lips and the tightening of his eyes were an indication.

Saphyre leaned his shoulder against Darien's in a kind of commiseration. Sympathetic contact for the unmatched paint job on his car and for all the other woes that had plagued him from minor inconvenience to cataclysm.

Darien was a vain creature, or maybe pride was the more accurate sin, but still it was one of the seams they matched up well on. Despite other issues of greater importance, this nagging aesthetic quam was probably top of mind any time he had to drive anywhere, while other broader evils could be ignored. Saphyre made a mental note to get a quote from Josie's vehicle guy, it would be easy enough to borrow it for the day and return it with a smooth paint job. A man's car was an extension of himself, Saphyre's father had once said and he got the notion that Darien might agree even if he'd never be so gauche as to say so.

"I met you at a very strange time in your life," Saphyre paraphrased Fight Club solemnly.

"indeed. " Darien said as the settled into the privacy of his car.  " I came to build a life for myself in a new city, to carve out a niche.  It might have been easier in another city, a smaller one, but here I am.  I did not expect for things to occur as they have.  My goal was simple. I wished to create a hub, a place where different groups could come together, and certainly I did not wish to do so out of the goodness of my heart.  I wanted to be an asset, an important one.  Power to me has always been tied to who I knew, what information I could get. " He gave half a shrug.  " I don't blame you for not trusting me.  "

Saphyre settled into the passengers side, the car smelled the same, felt the same and he felt the same inside it. If not a little troubled.

He settled back fully, head to the headrest and shoulders melting into the back of the seat as he digested that. There was a version of Darien that Saphyre saw - what had he said to that cop who had called? - a man who creates shelter for others. Was that just what he wanted to see or was there truth to that despite Darien's intentions to use the club for information? Was there more to Darien than he himself saw? The world was not black and white, it wasn't even shades of grey, they lived in vibrant technicolour and nothing was ever so simple as good and evil. So much could be true at once that it felt like lies.

Saphyre rolled his head against the headrest to look at Darien with a strange little smile. He reached out letting his fingertips lightly trace the other man's dark hairline. "The rumours of my faith-death have been greatly exaggerated," he spoke softly. The city was always full of life and noise but in the quiet of a car before the engine was brought to life there was the hallowed quality of a church. Maybe even of confession.

"I think, if we were to take it apart, I worry that you don't trust me. That you think I'm a very exotic pet, a novelty to brighten up this century. A little sparkley, maybe not terribly bright. Arm candy, y'know? I make good arm candy Darien but I don't think our feelings are well matched if I'm decor in your life, not part of it."

Darien turned, searching Saphyre's face, finding the lines of worry. His own features tightened.  " Why would you ever think that? Because I do not interrupt your busy life with my problems? Because I despise seeing any emotion but joy on your face?  You came to me in a dark place and brought with you all the brightness and color of life.  If I appear vain and prideful with you on my arm, it is only because I am proud that out of all those in this city who look upon you with lustful eyes, you chose me."

"I want your problems to be part of my busy life! I want - " Saphyre brought his hands together, his glittering nails coming close to show only a tiny little space between them that he peered through. "The minutia. Isn't that what intimacy is for people like us? Our thoughts and the events of our nights we could very well keep to ourselves. The mortifying ordeal of being known - y'know?"

Saphyre looked up again at Darien, a little abashed, colour flushed into his high cheek bones he hadn't painted there. "Maybe that's a lot, so soon. I don't expect to be your first call when you have a body to bury - not yet. I know I haven't earned that, but I'd like to be aimed towards that. That sorta... trajectory," he admitted, in the small space his arm hinged out in front of him, miming a path towards some distant point. "You're closed up tight a lot of the time. So I don't know."

Darien sat back in his seat, looking out the windshield at the night for a moment.  "I came from Europe.  The old world is different.  You do not share things like that.  You do not get that close to people.  Anyone is a potential enemy, and those you prey upon especially.  Humans, though weak, are fearful sorts, and can do dangerous things if incited.  A relationship such as ours would not exist there.  We would be rival predators and nothing more."  He looked to Saphyre.  "  It is hard to change such habits.  I have tried.  I have told you more than anyone, because I want you to know me, and yet it is still in my nature to hide things.  How can I not?  They call my line the NIght Hag.  We are Boogeymen.  The thing that goes bump in the night.  We are the very manifestation of fear given form.  "

Saphyre was going to say something very funny about 'Night Hag' and the things it rhymed with and what he'd been called in his day - but there was a time and a place. There was a thread in Darien's words, he couldn't help but follow. So much of what he said was subtext - or at least, that's what Saphyre thought. Maybe he was deluding himself, if you stared into the void long enough it stared back - but maybe...

"Are you afraid that if I know you I won't like you?" it was such a common, mundane insecurity. Saphyre had not even considered Darien harbouring it, all of his theories involved the vampire thinking of himself and insular because of his superiority. Thinking there was a gulf between them that was not worth traversing because the other shore was demeaned by experience or era. It seemed too easy a thing to miss, it was the thing he himself was always fretting over from one end of it to the other and back.

"It's vulnerable to be known, and it opens you up to betrayal - yeah. But also rejection."

"You think, or thought at least, that I am a good man. " Darien said after a moment, staring out the windshield.  "Part of me wanted to be that for you.  After all, this was to be a fresh start.  I thought my bloodline power lost to me. I had hoped things would be different.  And then everything came crashing down and I realized that I am still and will always be the monster, and truthfully, I like it."

Saphyre tucked his foot up beneath him, turning in his seat to look at Darien while the vampire gazed out of the glass in front of them.  His profile, drawn in such strong classic lines seemed remote to him. Saphyre could reach across the console between them and touch him but still there was a gulf between them. It felt like a dream, the more he ran the more he stood in place.

"Unpack that a little for me," Saphyre implored, he'd thought he'd gotten somewhere but was still coming up short. "Are you suggesting it's all been an act? Because, maybe I'm huffing paint, but I don't think the fact your bloodline makes you feed on fear completely negates the fact you're a good and patient boss to your employees, or the fact you take such doting care of Lucy, or that the casual side effect of your wanting a space to glean intel is that the preternatural members of this community have a place they can go out and experience each other on neutral ground. The tortured soul act is a little sexy but if you want to scare me away you just have to say that you'd really appreciate a government representative with wholesome family values like the good old days."

Darien blinked, frowning. He had always been good at giving people what they wanted to see and hear, and it always was an act, one he enjoyed, yes, but still an act.  Could it be that Saphyre was right? Had living in America changed him so much?

And then the absurdity of the whole thing hit him and he laughed suddenly.  " How silly all this must sound.  Here I am worried about how you will think of me when you are also a predator. If anyone can understand the thrill of the hunt, the way fear tastes on the tongue, it would be you.  " He laughed again and covered his face with his hand.  "Of course you wouldn't think that monstrous.  It is nature.  And I have been a fool, trying to keep you at arms length, yet hold you close.  "

Saphyre was a little startled by the laugh, trying to divine if it was the kind of laugh that prefaced some sort of villainous speech about true intentions or something, something but Darien seemed genuinely amused.

Saphyre took his turn to blink, he was speechless which was rare for him. His mouth hung open as though waiting for words that wouldn't come and then he laughed too. He reached across the console to shove playfully at Darien's shoulder.

"You are a class A thorough bred goob, Darien Walker,"

Darien gave him an amused look.  "I have no clue what that means.  But it seems I owe you another apology.  Factually, I know you are a werewolf, but somehow, I have been trying to treat you as I would a human lover.  You are not so fragile as that.   It is a good thing that you are also not so timid as to not speak for yourself.  I both love and respect you for that and many other things.  Please do not think you are a passing fancy.  It is far too late for that."

"Here I am worried you think I'm a pomeranian and you were thinking me human. So much worse! I'm offended," Saphyre said with the laughter holding on to his voice still, not sounding terribly offended.
 
"I'd wolf out in your front seat to prove a point but I don't think you'd like what it'd do to the upholstery. To say nothing of the shedding, we're going into winter it'd be a real mess." Saphyre breezed out in his usual pleasant chatter and then he looked back at Darien.

"This isn't going to be easy," Saphyre noted more soberly. "But anybody could do easy and we're not anybody." Saphyre leaned over to whisper in Darien's ear. "Which is why we should kill your father."

The colourful wolf sat back with a puckish grin, the mischief consealing whether he was joking or not. He wasn't, and it was probably gauche to tease the subject twice in one evening but it would solve a lot of problems.

"Well of course."  Darien waved a hand as if the thought wasn't anything odd.  "Any revenge against him would just be met with with backlash.  It would end up being an unending cycle.  Terribly annoying when you are trying to build an empire of your own."  The smirk said the words held a hint of joke to them, but there was an edge behind his voice that said otherwise.  "But patience is a virtue.  We may yet have our chance to strike back, especially if my warning to the Master bears fruit."

Saphyre laughed and closed the gap between them to scrape his teeth affectionately against the shell of Darien's ear.

"Terribly annoying," Saphyre agreed mildly. He wanted to point out that Darien spoke like Volkov would still be around after revenge when the werewolf was fantasizing about a smoldering crater in salted earth. He kept his mouth shut because he knew it wouldn't be so simple. For now the fact he smelt no lie on Darien when he spoke of taking revenge against his sire was good enough for now.

"I grew up in the internet age, I don't know of this 'pay-shance' you speak of," Saphyre teased.

Darien laughed. "That, I believe." The gaze he settled on Saphyre was one of amusement and deep fondness.  " Trust, my jewel, that when the time is right, we shall strike.  In the meantime, know that I will strive with all I am to be all you deserve."

[LadyJallyn]

Nov12th 11am Lobby of Archangel Industries- Kai and Tana

Kai was wiped from the past few days of not only reading the employee handbook from cover to cover and then going through the interview process with the PR department heads, which he was glad they'd given him a job, he was going to do grunt work and maybe some headshots for the corporate directory.

Every time he'd wondered through the lobby he would catch the scent of cat, but he wasn't a hundred percent sure as to who it might have belong to.

Finally his curiosity won out and her was heading for the little therapy clinic he'd been told about. That was were his cat told him they wanted to go.

Tana had been plunking around on the secrataries computer in office waiting room. Thanksgiving was coming around the corner she needed to make sure all her ducks were in a row. She had been struggling since L.A. but after the last full moon her resolve to do better had started to show signs of recovery. Needless to say the combo of the two had Tana not seeing as many clients as she had before, leaving the more obvious clerical work.

Her nose picked up the guest before the large glass door even opened. Her beast stood up and took notice of the new smell. Brandy had mentioned there was a very fresh new leopard at AAI that had yet to make the rounds as it were.

She lifted her eyes and head with a large smile. "Welcome in." She gave a small head tilt as her eyes took in the mans tanned excessively muscled frame. She suddenly felt a bit parched. "You must be Kai?" She asked as she moved to stand up her full 5'2" frame in a non aggressive maner.

Kai blinked as he was welcomed in and then greeted again with a question about who he was. "Yes, but you seem to have me at a disadvantage," he teased as he cautiously approached the leopardess.

His beast was on crouched low nearly on his belly. And Kai had started learning that this was a submissive gesture to keep them from being seen as aggressive.

Tana moved out from behind the desk standing infront of Kai with an out stretched hand. "Sorry about that. New leopard in town usually is a topic to mention. I'm Tana." Her polite bubbly smile didn't falter except for the brief moment her neck popped as she had to adjust to look up at him.

Kai took the offered hand and smiled, "I'm going to guess that you don't live in the residential tower because I'm sure we would've met before now," he said scratching the back of his neck. "I've met Brandy and Shay so far. I think the others that live here were told to give me sometime to settle in."
Krystal — 16/03/2024 22:54
The tiny leopardess gave a firm handshake and when she pulled her hand back her warmth lingered. She took a small step back so her neck wasn't cranked as far up to meet his gaze. It would be easy for Kai to imagine playing keep away from her with just one large outstretched hand placed atop her head.

"That be correct. I do not call the towers home but it is presently where my place of business is." She pondered on that statement briefly wondering if her partner would want to renew the lease should they be given the chance. However as of late her distrust for their landlords have seemed to deepen.

"Both Brandy and Shay are good people. I think they'd make excellent ambassadors if you will. Anyways sorry about that trailing off. Was there anything in particular that brought you in today service wise or did curiosity strike?"

"Curiosity," Kai said with a grin. "I kept smelling cat but couldn't figure it out until today."

He looked around the waiting area and frowned. "Actually I don't even know what it is you're offering here. I know some of the folks up in PR said it was a therapy place but..." he said with a shrug.

Tana raised an arm behind her head and sheepishly rubbed it. "Ya that would be me. Sorry if it pulled you away from anything important to track me down." She righted herself.

"We offer a few services here at the clinic. My partner takes care of mental therapy and I do more of the body. Massage and physio type. Lotions and potions as it were." Tana let out a chuckle. It was clear in her tone that she was proud of her work but not entirely how its discription tumbled from her mouth.

Kai grinned, "Well that's good to know, I can come here for a chat and a 'oh fuck they had me carrying camera equipment all day,' massage. And that sounded so much better in my head."

Tana snorted a laugh. "Well it is good to know I am not alone in the mouth works faster than the brain department." She motioned to the chairs for him to take a seat as she moved to do the same. She sat with her hands in her lap and her ankles crossed slightly off to the side.
"So grunt work is in your future to start. I wouldn't be too discouraged. Most jobs start new employees at the bottom. Or rather so I've heard. Not much experience in the job department. So are you settling in okay?" She asked as her tongue darted over her lips to moisten then casually.

"Well yeah, I expected to be doing grunt work, since I'm working and doing the whole online college thing." Kai said in explanation as he followed her to the sitting area.

"As for my lack of brain filter, it can sometimes get me into epic trouble," he said with a chuckle.

"I'm settling in fairly well, getting used to the rainy weather might take a bit of time." He offered with a shrug.

Tana's eyes casually watched the mans muscles as they moved. He was built like he lifted weights on the regular more bulk than lean. His laughter was clean, pure   and a tad shy.

"Hmm I can't say I know that feeling, was born here. I can't exactly place your accent. Where you from orginally?" Tana asked. She had purposefully avoided the standard born and raised phrase.

"Well I'm mostly from Hawaii, but my mom's family is Māori, from southern New Zealand. I spent most of my teen years there with my grandparents on their sheep ranch." Kai explained, a little surprised that it seemed he'd picked up an accent.

"Ah that would explain it. Along with the displeasure for the lack of sunshine. Seattles winters are mild compared to most places but dang you in for a doozie there too." Tana chuckled. "So a sheep ranch. I can see how that has now become a past activity." Tana's mind couldn't help but vision Leslie going feral on a farm of that sort. It was an oddly pleasent thought.

"So Kai what are some of your hobbies? Favorite books, movies?" Tana asked with genuine intrest.

Kai grinned at the mention of the fact that he was in for a surprise with the winter. "You'd be surprised, the South Island of New Zealand can get fairly nippy in the winter. I'm just used to these months being spring and summer, so that's what I'm really having to get used to."

He took a moment to think about his hobbies, "Well I like bodyboarding, but that's probably not a good idea here, I imagine that the water doesn't get very warm this far north. I love photography, and would be the reason I want to do photojournalism. As for books...Well I'm a Potterhead for sure, and I have to say one of my favorite movies would have to be the Dark Crystal. What about you?"

Tana shifted in her seat. She was used to making small talk with others but she never really put stock into her own personal answers. "Umm well hobbies I go to the gym when I'm not working. Honestly I can't think of any hobbies other than that. Books I tend to read medical journals. Though I think I do that more to stay informed versus fun. Music is a mostly whatever strikes the mood and movies," Tana paused her eyes rolling upwards slightly as if she were searching her brain for an answer. "I can't say I have one of those either. I do tend to watch animated films more than anything though." Tana let out a small uncomfortable laugh. Saying it out loud felt strange. Most activities she took part in were in a group setting.

"I have enjoyed going to the club to dance and drink when I've had the chance. Oh I do enjoy Boba and trying different sweets. If I'm not at work or the gym I'm at home." She shrugged. "I suppose I'm pretty boring."

Kai listened to Tana answered the question about hobbies and such. He smiled when she told him she read medical journals mostly for work.

"Oh I can understand that about reading journals concerning your profession. I read photography journals all the time."

"And I wouldn't say boring, because you have other interests, and well I'm sure not many people make small talk with their physical therapist. "

Tana nodded. "Not often. People enjoy the silence. Though there are a few that love a good rant session. I have been told by one client that I supposedly have one of those faces." The last few words were spoken with air quotes. "It makes people want to talk to me. Except when they don't I suppose. So when is your first official day at work?"

"I just got done with the handbook testing, so I'm guessing that once HR gets done looking over it they'll tell me when to report for duty." Kai said falling back on his father's military terminology.

Tana nodded along giving a glance up at the clock. Her next client wasn't due for another 20 minutes and  Shale would be with hers until the top of the hour. "Would you like to join me grabbing a cup of coffee from the cafeteria? I should have enough time to grab a cup. Unless coffee is not enjoyed by farm hands of Australia?"

"Not sure what the farmies in Australia like. But us Zealanders like coffee," Kai teased as he stood up to walk with Tana.

"Oh crud. Sorry Zealand, Zealand. I swear I was paying attention." Tana stood just below shoulder height to Kai before swiftly moving to the reception desk. With a small hop she leaned over the desk her ass in the air momentairly while she fished out the be right back sign to place on the door. Two wiggles later she was back on the floor and headed to the door. "Shall we then? How do you take your coffee? My treat." Tana smiled.

"I'm an odd ball in this age of fancy coffee by liking it strong and black," he said as he watched Tana move towards the door.

Tana hung the sign and after they stepped out into the lobby, locked the door.

"Well good then. I'll take your share of sugar and cream. I haven't drank coffee for too long. Mostly teas for me. So its more like sugar cream with the flavor of coffee." Tana chuckled as she looked over her shoulder to see if Kai was following.

Her hands were clasped infront of her as she walked and talked at the same time. "One thing thats nice about this building is that it is easy to navigate. That is at least the parts I've seen. I wouldn't be to shocked to find out if this place had secret corridors between the walls for people to move like ninjas within them."

"Well if they do I'm not the one to ask, to low on the totem pole to get those secerts," Kai teased.

Tana walked closer the the wall giving it a light rap with the back of her knuckles.

"Sounds pretty solid here. But who knows where it isn't?" She chuckled as she waved to the people working the buildings reception and security areas. She called out normal pleasentries asking them how they were doing or how did a specific event go. It seemed the petite woman had easily made friends.

It didn't take long to reach the cafeteria. "I'm sure it won't take long to get used to this place. I think most who work in the building is familiar with the cafeteria. Would you like a snack?" She asked as they apparched the line.

[LadyJallyn]

Nov12th 4:36pm -Klaus' Home

Another nightmare had forced Klaus awake just before sunset. This one however had not seen him cry out, but he could still taste the fear in his mouth as his heart beat much faster than it should have given that he had not yet fed. It had been the same dream he had been having whenever it happened. It hadn't been every night, but he was almost starting to expect them on a bi-nightly basis.

His cellphone beside the bed chimed letting him know he had just received a text message as he collected his thoughts.

He heard  Brandy's cellphone alarm sounded from the living room as it spoke out the words Sunset.

“And oddly, I am awake to hear it,” Klaus said as he rose and headed for the shower.  The bloody sweat from his dreams was starting to get annoying.

He emerged from the bedroom, looking for Brandy.  “Yes, I had the nightmare again. Yes, I was awake before sunset. Yes, I will continue to try and figure out why this is happening.”  There was no heat to his words but there could easily have been. He wanted to head off Brandy’s questions to save them both time.

“Would you care to join me in the shower?” he asked. “I could use some assistance making sure I get all the blood off the places I can’t see or reach.”

"I wasn't going to ask. I could smell it darling and yes I will join you." Brandy said as she followed him into the bathroom, looking a little more haggard than normal.  She stripped silently as he watched Klaus, her green eyes taking in the bloody perspiration as he fiddled with the shower's temperature.

Once inside, Brandy soaked her loofah and then lathered it with soap before she gently scrubbed him down, taking care to get every part.

She said softly as she made sure to cover every inch, so there would be no blood missed.  "Your dreams or should I say nightmares are becoming old hat. I'm learning just like you. Unless you holler, there is no point in going in unless you call for me or give me instructions to maybe film it for posterity's sake. "

"Are you not sleeping well?" Klaus asked.  "You are looking tired. "  He wasn't exactly feeling rested himself.  Ever since his encounter with the vampire-wereleopard hybrid, he'd been waking before sunset.  He'd been having nightmares, something no vampire that he'd spoken to had experienced.  Was it a post traumatic stress response?  He didn't know.  It certainly sounded like it.  Perhaps he'd need to see a counsellor.

"On and off." Brandy said quietly as she slid the loofah between his shoulder blades, picking up the intensity of her scrubbing. "Obviously not as bad as you are. I'm not waking up making noise. Cherry should be here in half an hour. "I offered to have her over for dinner if she was game. She isn't headlining tonight at La Cirque so she has a bit more time to hang out rather than here's some blood now give me my sex, okay luv ya, bye! Made up some soup from scratch with Kyle's help. He's on board with let's make Brandy fat again."

Klaus heard her laugh softly as she kissed his shoulder and then paused to rest her head against him. "Is there anything that needs doing tonight besides your bedsheets?"

Klaus turned around.  "I could always use a kiss," he said, brushing her lips with his.  "I'm sorry for being a burden of late.  If I could figure out what the issue is, I would do so.  It is a mystery that will continue to vex me.  It can't be mental, because a vampire cannot simply will themselves to not be dead and my line is not known for its daywalkers.  Therefore it has to be something metaphysical and that is a field I am not well versed in."

"You aren't being a burden." Brandy said as she pressed her body against his, giving him a gentle squeeze. Her heart ached at the gentle brush of his lips.

"In time we will figure it out. Patience. It didn't start until after you and Suki went out on Halloween night to that scene. Something happened that night to make this a reality. We just need time to figure out what and if it is something that will self correct. I hope that is the case rather than it getting worse, time will tell darling." She breathed out softly and reluctantly went back to washing him down with care. "Your arm has really grown since last night. You're already grown things down to the elbow. Last night was a good thing, it would seem. How are you feeling physically this evening, nightmares aside?"

"The only way I can describe it is unsettled, although that his hardly a physical description," Klaus answered, leaning in to her.  "It is a generalised feeling that something is wrong, despite not being able to specify what, exactly is wrong.  I don't feel weak but I do.  If I had a better memory of my mortal frailties, perhaps I could narrow it down.  Feverish, perhaps, without a fever.  Congested, without congestion.  It is a puzzle.  It must be related to that night.  I was bitten.  Although I have been bitten in the past, I have never been bitten by a hybrid.  I bit it; I have never tasted corrupted blood.  I was shot with bullets laced with holy oil, that is a new experience as well.  I just need to figure out which of those elements is responsible for this."

"A lot happened that night. Perhaps your immune system is in overdrive trying to fix and it's feeling the strain because when was the last time you had to use it for anything. You sound worn down and disturbed. It's how I would try to describe it if someone asked me what was going on from a bystander point. Then again, that might just be me transposing how I've been feeling back onto you." She said as she stopped scrubbing to just enjoy the body contact.

She had been avoiding much skin on skin contact with him out of a sense to try to keep him and others safe. It also helped resist temptation because there were so many things she wanted from him but she couldn't have any of them. "Cherry and I were going to step out for a couple hours to catch a RomCom at the theatre tonight and let you have a little downtime by yourself. Is there anything you need or want for me to bring back?"

"Girls night out?  Sounds fun.  Can I offer to pay for the popcorn?" Klaus asked.  He was grateful that he hadn't fed yet.  It meant he didn't have to deal with an erection that he wanted to use on Brandy.  She'd been distant, because she didn't want to tempt him.  How long would it be, before she was fully cleared, fully recovered from what Volkov had done to her?  However long it took, he would take that same time to plan the Arctic Wolf's downfall.

If she never recovered?

He'd have time to come up with a viable plan.

"Sure you can pay for snacks, Darling. I would say come if you wanted but I know that isn't a genre of movie you are a huge fan of. I figured this could give you a few hours to sit back and enjoy a book or take in a documentary or the sort. I should be back in for midnight at the latest. Cherry mentioned some new dessert place that had opened. Something about Japanese cheesecake? I don't know what the fuss is about, but she assures me I will be a convert before the night is out." Brandy said as she passed him the loofah and reached for her rosemary, lavender, and peppermint shampoo. "Your back is all done Lover, I will leave the rest up to you darling."

"Thank you," Klaus said.  "I will stay here, so the two of you can spend time together.  You need to spend time with your friends, the way I spend time with mine playing poker.  It makes for good mental health.  Hard scrub or gentle?"

"I was giving it to you so you could finish yourself off. If you decide after you want to give me a round of scrubs, I will let you dictate if you want to go gently or hard. I'm not made of spun glass, but in the same argument, gentle is nice sometimes. I'm thankful for the fact you don't sulk if I go out. I mean- I don't go out often, I know it is last minute to tell you what I have planned..." She made a face, looking mildly guilty. She could remember her dream with Volkov who had chided her on being a lack par servant for the vampires in her life. "But I have stuck close by, and it doesn't seem like you are getting worse. The arm is regrowing, the pain is a bit better since you don't have Dr. Englund stripping the scabbing anymore. Learning you could still grow things without doing that must have been a small godsend. Darling are you sure you will be fine for the evening? I could come home earlier if you need me to."

“I do not own you, Brandy,” Klaus said, as he began to scrub himself.  “There is no chain that connects us, requiring us to constantly be by each other’s side. You have your own life and I am grateful that you allow me to be part of it. I do not need to know exactly where you are, who you are with or what you are doing. You are, as they say, sane, free and over twenty one, as well as being, as you say, not made of spun glass.”

She blushed lowering her gaze. Closing her eyes she began to rinse the soap from her hair suddenly feeling vulerable, unsure if she was being chided or if it was just in her head. "I know. I just know this is all new for you. You've mentioned earlier about being in a vulerable state and potentially having those make a play but you couldn't come up with names. I just want to make sure you are safe and I am doing alright by you. It sounds silly but part of me worries about letting you down. Thats why... if you need me, you just need to tell me. I'm not always able to anticipate your needs and desires but I do try my hardest to fill that role because you mean so very much to me."

Feeling exposed in the shower with hair rinsed she quickly exited to towel off closing the sliding glass door. Part of her was glad for the exit and that single pane of glass between them.

“As you do to me,” Klaus said. “I know when I need to reach out for help.  I am more grateful than you can know that I have you by my side. The regrowing of my arm is unexpected and I freely admit that I don’t know what I would have done had it not begun. I do not think I would enjoy life as a cripple. I realize this is not the politically correct term. There would have been small comfort in knowing it was essentially a war wound, inflicted in battle. That does nothing to alleviate the… shame… of not being whole. I do not think I would prosper under the pity of those around me, pity, I will add that you have never shown. Concern, yes but not pity and for that I thank you.”

"If you hadn't grown the arm back, weve come so far with prostetics and with the near future and where we are going with technology that field is only going to get better. You've been the best partner I've ever had darling. You've opened your doors offered me a place here in your space and been by myside through this sickness. Who else would have done that for me?" She asked as she reached for her moisurising lotion as she rubbed it into her legs. "I'm not going anywhere. It's been a bad year. Master Volkov had no clue he would cause this to happen and yet here we are dealing with the fall out. You had no clue a vampiric were leopard was going to take your arm. We just take things a day at a time Lover. It's all we can do."

“Indeed,” Klaus said, agreeing. “Do not paint me as a saint,” he cautioned. “I am being entirely selfish here. I was once warned by my mother about a very particular type of woman. I would not necessarily recognize the danger immediately but as soon as I did, I was instructed that there was something I should do.  Grab and hold and don’t let go.  The particular type of woman was the exceptional one and the danger to be recognized was of losing her.  I do not want to lose you, Brandy.  After all, if our first date didn’t scare me away, what chance does the Arctic Wolf have?”

"Oh you..." Brandy said as she grabbed her bathrobe and slipped it on her cheeks aflame. "Cherry will be here soon. Did you want me to help you shave or are you good on your own darling?"

“A straight razor shave is a two hand job and it is best if they are under the control of the same person,” Klaus said. “If you aren’t comfortable doing it, I can use one of those disposable monstrosities.”

"I can say I've never used a straight razor, only watched you use one. The choice is yours. I'm not entirely optimistic that I wouldn't knick you a few times, but you would heal quickly enough. However, using a disposable monstrosity is your other option, but there is a third if you don't mind using a girly razor if you don't mind using one of my Hydro Silk. They're a five bladed razor, so they offer up a much smoother shave than the disposable abominations.: Brandy offered as she heard Klaus turn off the water, and she reached for a bath towel to pass him.

“Five blades?  One wonders how you stay unflayed,” Klaus said. “We shall see what we shall see, when all is said and done.”

"It is life changing. You might even decide you like it enough to retire your razors and get something new.  Did I mention its also purple?" She said offering him a smile and a wink. "I'll be back in a few Lover. Just let me wander back over to my side to play fetch."

“Purple?  You’re spoiling me.”  Truthfully Klaus liked using the straight razor. It had been a hard learned skill. The daily ritual that it required was soothing, almost like meditation. He would use Brandy’s purple five bladed razor until his arm had fully grown back and he could shave properly again.

"I always try to spoil you, darling." Brandy replied, having appeared almost as quickly as she had vanished, her keen ears hearing his comment. One Hydro Silk Razor freshly changed out for a brand-new blade and I brought my bar of shave butter. It's what I use rather than those canned foam abominations. Fewer chemicals, it is Shea butter with a white tea fragrance to it. It is quite lovely. Since you are freshly out of the shower, this should be a breeze, dear heart. Here let me pamper you, sit and I'll lather you up.

She got to work lathering the bar and applied the lather to his face expertly using his lather brush before she finished with a few strokes to his throat. Eyeing her work, she nodded, passing him the purple razor. While Klaus stepped up to the sink to shave, she pulled out the hair dryer in the bathroom and plugged it in to tend to her towelled hair. "I do expect honest feed back as to what you think of the experience since it is your first time trying. It puts those cheap two bladed razors to shame and despite the extra blades I find you do run less risk of cutting yourself strangely."

“It will be an honest critique,” Klaus promised. “Having never used the twin blades, I will have nothing to compare it to, other than my straight razor which, as I have indicated, requires two hands. Shaving has been rather difficult, I will admit.”

Klaus wasn’t expecting much. The razor didn’t seem to be catching the hair of his beard. He was astonished when he finally ran his fingers across his cheek, expecting to find stubble.

What he found was silken smoothness.

“Astonishing,” he said. “I had not expected such a close shave or such a smooth finish.”  One wonders how Cherry will react to have such smoothness between her thighs.  I may have to start finishing with this after I shave with the straight razor.

Brandy let out a soft throaty chuckle as she practically purred. "That look on your face, Darling says it all. I'll make sure I pick you up  some this weekend. Aren't modern marvels a thing of wonder, all hail King Gillette."

“Le Roi est mort.  Vive Le Roi.  I did not think I would find a closer shave than a straight razor.  This?  This is magic.”  He kissed Brandy’s hands. “You may have converted me.  May have.  We will see, once my arm is back.”

"I will admit there is something hypnotic about watching you shave with a straight razor but given that these are dark times, and you are short-handed, we must make due. It will work until you are fully armed and ready to return to your habits." She said as she smiled, enjoying the affection she was getting. "Now continue, as much as I love these gentlemanly displays of adoration, your Pomme will be here any minute. Do you want to keep Cherry waiting?"

“My Pomme should be worried about keeping me waiting,” Klaus said with a chuckle.  I will have to put on a shirt that doesn’t have buttons. Once I have my arm back, we can look at whether I want buttons bitten off or not. It takes too much work to do one up right now to have Cherry bite them all off to get my shirt off.”

"No need to rush, we can certainly get you slipped into your terrycloth robe for now. Lord knows, it won't be on too long before Cherry is tearing it off. A little breakfast for you and then she gets to feed her appetites. And while the pair of you do that I can get dinner reheated and ready to go. I didn't even ask if she eats potato bacon cheddar soup, but it has meat and cheese, so hopefully yes?" Brandy said with a laugh.

"Did someone say my name in vain?" Came a familiar feminine voice from outside the bathroom door.

Brandy chuckled in a sing-song voice she announced teasingly. "She's Heeeere. You can make yourself comfortable darling unless you want to stand in here and watch Klaus shave."

[LadyJallyn]

“That would depend entirely on what he’s shaving,” Cherry said. “Potato bacon cheddar soup is the tits.  So yummy.  So rich.  So bad for the figure.  It is a perfect reason to have more sex.  And it keeps you warm.”

"It always circles back to the sex" Brandy chuckled shutting off the dryer the hair was still a touch damp but it would help let her hair dry and have a bit of natural wave. "And he's just prettying up for you. It's his first time using something than a straight razor. I might have a convert with the five bladed razors here."

“Only because it always starts there and it is important to finish where you start’” Cherry said.  “And what you start. And who you start.  Hello you tall drink of water.  Seriously, Brandy, what sort of a cat are you?  How can you not be licking him dry?”

“Because I save her licks for other things,” Klaus said. “Did you want to eat after?  Refill the tank as it were?”

Brandy sighed, looking at Klaus wistfully. "It's hard, I admit, but I don't dare risk it until Dr. Englund tells me I have the green light. Can't be too careful because I don't want to potentially get you or him sick."

She shook her head, not wanting to dwell on how much she was missing out on. "As for food, we can feed you before or after your choice Cherry. Before and you will be giving him potato soup flavoured kisses or by the end of it his dicks going to smell like it." Brandy said with a smirk. "The choice is yours either way. Everything's cooked, I just need to reheat. Picked up some sour dough buns as well."

“Oh, sour dough.  Nice!” Cherry chuckled. “I will leave our boy without cheese dick,” she said. “So food afterwards.”

* * *

“You two are so good to me,” Cherry said with a sigh, as she pushed her second empty bowl of  soup away. She’d begged for a second bowl even before she’d had her second spoonful of the first.  “Seriously, that soup was almost as good as sex.”

Brandy made a surprised face, having managed to finish half her bowl. "I'm speechless. I had Kyle walk me through it step by step, but I didn't expect it to turn out so well. I had to edit out the garlic obviously, but the fennel worked as a replacement. And the buns Lord I am floored I ate the entire thing, it was divine with that herbed butter. I'm glad I made a decent sized batch."

Brandy rose and collected the bowls. " I have things from here." She said as she slipped the remains  back into the fridge and looked over to Cherry and Klaus. "So happy customers all around?"


“Happy customers all around,” Klaus said nodding. “Everything smelled wonderful.”  He waved Cherry in for a quick kiss.  “Tastes good too.”

He slid his chair back and reached for his wallet.  “There was a time when a dollar would cover the movie and the popcorn. Now you need a hundred to be certain. Hopefully it will cover the popcorn and cheesecake.”

"It certainly should." Brandy said, dancing over to pluck the bill from Klaus' fingers. She placed a chaste kiss on his cheek. "Thank you for the allowance, Daddy." She said cheekily as she tucked the money into her house coat.

“Don’t spend it all in one place,” Klaus replied in a German Papa accent.

Brandy shivered, giving Klaus a knowing and hungry look, her eyes bright and lustful. "I'll bring back change if we have any, I promise. Now if you don't mind, I should slip into something more appropriate than a lavender terry cloth bathrobe. Be back in a few." She announced as she hurried out the room to get changed for her movie night out with Cherry.

“I wouldn’t mind,” Cherry said with a chuckle.  “I mean yeah, she’s a little on the thin side but I’d still do her on the hood of her Dad’s Cadillac.”

Thirty minutes later, the red-headed duo left Klaus' abode, Their laughter fading as the front door was shut and locked, leaving Klaus to settle in the silent apartment.

Klaus selected one of the books he’d been reading and settled down on the couch to continue.  He took out his phone to set a one hour timer, only to realize that he hadn’t checked the message he’d heard on waking. It was likely the fact that he’d realized it was not quite yet sunset that had made him not check it.  He pulled it up, expecting to find that it had been from Cherry with an ETA.

The screen let him know he had one unread text from Pat Gibbon of all people.

Klaus opened the message.

GIBBON: Hey Mr. Adler, it's Pat. Not an official text for work or anything, just reaching out. Wondering if you are up for visitors? It's been a while, and I've not heard any updates about you.  I know you got hurt pretty badly, but if you were up for company, it would be swell to come by and check in on you. I'm off at eight tonight if you're free. If that's too last min, I can aim for another evening if that works out better or if you aren't vibing on peopling tonight.

It took a while for Klaus to reply. Typing on a phone with one hand was harder than expected.

ADLER: Thank you for checking in, Pat.  I am doing better. Company would be appreciated. Did you want me to meet you somewhere?

GIBBON: Nah, I can come to you if you are game.  See you for nine-ish? You need anything brought over by chance before I drop by?

ADLER: I will refrain from making any of the expected jokes.  Just bring your smiling self

GIBBON: Can do see you in a bit. I will call when I'm there. See you soon.

  .                                                              * * *

True to her word, Pat arrived and Klaus went downstairs to let her in. As she followed him upstairs to his apartment, she slipped her shoes off and looked around the hallway taking in the space as he led her deeper into his abode.

She offered him a smile and as he led her into the kitchen as she gave him a quick Christian side hug. "So how are you doing, big guy? "

“Better than expected,” Klaus replied. “Unlike most who suffer this sort of injury, I am recovering. My arm is growing back. I think I will have it fully back in mid December.  That in itself has done wonders for my mood.”

There was no point in telling Pat that he was suffering nightmares or waking before sunset.

Pat nodded eyes wide as she noted how much of his arm had grown back. "I brought you some flowers" She said as she presented him with a bouquet. "These are for you." The assortment of flowers were mainly white red and pink carnations mixed with pink tulips, there were a few yellow roses and mini sunflowers mixed in there with sprigs of babys breath. I asked the florist to make me a combo of Get well and funerary flowers. As well as a  mixture of hoping you get well and the I'm sorry for your loss for the arm and jacket front. Last time I saw you... I was really worried. It's crazy how much you've recouped."

Klaus chuckled. “An I hope you get better while staying dead bouquet,” he said. “Thank you. It is rare for a man to get flowers. I will find a vase for them.  I will point out that one of my thoughts after getting the arm torn off was that you were going to be disappointed in the damage my jacket had suffered. It is odd, the places the mind goes under duress.”


Pat sighed. "I mean yeah it sucks about the jacket, but I was more worried about the fact you  were missing an entire arm my dude." She sniffed. "I wasn't sure how you would be fairing, if you want me to be honest. I figured I would swing by and see if you needed help with anything. I know missing a limb can be something to really mess with your head. Didn't expect you know you to be able to regrow it. But yeah had an uncle growing up, not a blood uncle just a friend of the family that lost his arm from the elbow down, and I used to help him out figured I'd make the same offer since this was so new, and you would likely need a hand around here with things."

“It does make things difficult,” Klaus said, nodding. “I have a newfound respect for amputees.  To be able to function like this at a near normal level is a a testament to their will, ingenuity and tenacity.”

"You do pick it up pretty fast. But at the rate you are going, you likely won't be pick much up if you think you got a month left before you have things back to normal. That really is fascinating that you guys can regenerate like that. So what can I do to help you out?" Pat asked as she looked around the kitchen. "I can take the plastic off the flowers while you get a vase." She cheerfully offered.

“There should also be a little packet to add to the water, to preserve the flowers,” Klaus said. “And could you please put the kettle on?  I have several of the wereleopards coming over to donate. Shay likes a nice tea, while Raoul and Lincoln are partial to coffee. But they aren’t scheduled until much later tonight.”

He returned a moment later with one of Brandy’s vases.  “This should do nicely, I think.”

Pat got to it filling the kettle and finding the flower refresher to add to the vase. She helped put the flowers into the vase. "Anything else I can do to make the evening a bit easier? It seems like you got more help than I expected but that's good news to know you have friends willing to step up and give you a hand." She said as she leaned against the counter.

“Shay, Raoul and Lincoln aren’t help,” Klaus explained. “They are food.  I need the extra blood to regrow my arm. They are indeed giving me a hand. Just not in the manner you mentioned.”

“Your company is appreciated and welcome, “ Klaus continued. “It keeps me from dwelling on the fact that things I want to do I still can’t do no matter how temporarily. “

Pat looked a little confused. "Food not friends. It sucks it can't be both? What things are you struggling with?"

“They are both but given the circumstances, they are currently food,” Klaus explained. “Were they not both, I would not have asked you to put the kettle on.  And when I am at the leopard’s ranch, they are friends not food. Except for Michael. He is neither and I expect him to die that way.”
He considered her question for a moment.  “Tonight I shaved for the first time with a disposable razor. Usually I use a straight razor. I cannot practice the keyboard. I cannot work. I am currently preparing lessons for my class. That is about all I can do without assistance.”

"I don't really know any of the preternatural groups. Job wise I don't really interact with them personally. I can't say I know or understand much. I'm thinking about going to night school or some online courses to learn more. I didn't know vampires had to shave or could shave, that's interesting. Do you have to do it every day?" Pat asked curiously. "Also if you are struggling did you need help with laundry? I could certainly help with that. I could also help scrub down your shower and things like that.It can be hard to do things and learn how to redo them. Lucky for you this isn't permanent so you just have to hang on until you recoup in a month or so if you feel that it how long it will take until you bounce back."

“If you wanted to help with the laundry, it would be appreciated,” Klaus said.  “Brandy usually does it but she is out on a girl’s night at moment and would think it a pleasant surprise to find the laundry done. Mostly it is sheets and towels at the moment.”

"Lead on and show me where to go and what you want washed up, and it is as good as done, big guy." Pat said cheerily. "You never did answer the question about the shaving thing? How often you have to do that. I was always under the impression you guys were frozen in time and nothing changed but clearly regrowth is totally a thing looking at your arm nub and hearing you shave."

“If we were brought over with long hair, we will have long hair, although it will not grow back if you cut it,” Klaus explained. “Shaving is something of a ritual for me, although every month or so I develop stubble. Shaving keeps ahead of it and I find it helps maintain my humanity.  All the towels. Apologies for the state of the sheets on the bed.”

Klaus was referring to the pink bloody sweat that soaked them, rather than the evidence of recent shenanigans.

Pat cocked her head looking at the outline on the sheets. "I'm not minding, just curious. Do I want to know? Tinted massage oil? Or do you guys sweat and if you do its pink?" She stripped the sheet off the bed having good sense to not sniff the sheets. "Look at me coming over here to help and getting a knowledge dump."

“Bloody sweat,” Klaus answered.  “It will require a touch of bleach.” He paused, debating whether he wanted to explain further. “Since the incident, I have found myself dreaming. I wake up sweating blood. Dreams are virtually unheard of for vampires.  No one seems to be able to explain why I am having them.”

"So vampires don't normally sweat?" Pat asked as she pulled off the pillow cases adding them to the growing pile. "Also I was under the impression you guys crash out in coffins and yet heres a bed and a clear outline in the sheets indicating you don't?"

“Coffins are required if we don’t have native soil,” Klaus said. “I have German soil between the mattress and box spring. I also have a coffin for special occasions. Brandy, cat that she is, enjoys popping the lid close to dusk and curling on top of me for a nap.”

He looked at the bed. “We can sweat, if we exert ourselves enough. We can also ejaculate. Young male vampires have been known to father children. They are occasionally even viable. Young female vampires have been known to give birth. Their offspring are sadly feral and need to be put down as they will never grow and cannot mature. An eternity in an infant body would be torture. If they survived at all, they would go insane, the way child vampires do.”

"Dang. Woof. And Wow. Info dump and then some. I feel so woefully uneducated compared to Goodfells. So if you guys sweat, is it funky smelling like a live person's sweat? And why is it pink? I get the whole you are what you eat like a flamingo, but then again basement nerds live off Cheetos and Mountain Dew and yet they don't sweat green or orange." She shook her head her asymmetrical black bob bounced as she looked at Klaus with large curious eyes.

“We weep tears of blood and our sweat is tinged with blood,” Klaus explained. “If there are questions you have, they are more easily answered by a vampire than by a textbook.  Especially one who teaches the young vampires how not to get themselves killed.”

"Maybe good to just stick to asking you. You seem friendly and trustworthy enough. You are after all the Captains go to vamp. I tried with ummm Mr. Breeman but he kind of ghosted me. I mean, I'm sure it gets annoying to have to field a zillion questions. Or maybe I just put him off for other reasons. I don't know. So besides laundry what else are you struggling with while you've been stuck being a one armed Bandit. Maybe we can find you some work arounds."

“I’m sure John Breeman means well but he is not the best resource,” Klaus said. “He is young and does not know what life was like before we became legal citizens.  The courses that are available will teach you the basics but they cannot go into as much detail as you are likely to want.”

Klaus pondered what he could have Pat assist with. “Perhaps you could fill the water spritzer and the watering can. Several of Brandy’s plants may be in need of watering.  And you needn’t fill your visit with work. We can sit and chat.”

"You will find I can work and talk. I'm multifunctional like that." Pat said with a laugh "Lead me to your washer and we can take care of this."

“Wash me to your leader,” Klaus said with a chuckle. “If you need something to do, I will find small chores that need doing.”

Once the laundry was started, he led Pat back to the living room. “You will no doubt be pleased to know that I have ordered a new jacket.”

"Well that is good news Big guy. As the flowers suggest it was a time of mourning due to it and your arm suffering unnecessarily. But you did good. I'm sure the Captain would say as much. That crime scene sucked to have to photograph and catalogue. Not that I am allow to talk about it really. Stupid feds swooped in the next day and were all gimme gimme and snatched the case up. I'm still a bit freaked out about it. Thompson and Polanski....and The Captain. This Tarot Card Freak is really a piece of work.

Her face settled into a worried frown as she recalled the Zoo and almost dying in the Swan pond enclosure. "That could have been me added to that list of those that died or got really messed up."

“The captain was very specific about making sure the scene was secure, before bringing the crime techs in,” Klaus said. “She remembers what happened to you at the zoo. At this late date, I feel it is safe to relate that I found your fear enticing.”  He’d almost called it intoxicating but decided to go with the less powerful word.

"I had Robin tell me about that. I guess its the small with you guys as well as shifters. Which I mean it's weird I get it with shifters because they have such a strong sense of smell. But vampires? That was news, I thought you guys had noses on par with non-infected humans but I guess not or is it a more metaphysical thing?" Pat answered. "I'm glad you and the Captain made it out alive and had the sense to not call us in prematurely one scary vampire encounter was good enough for me. I just can't help thinking about the cases. If things had been different and you guys split up or if she went in solo you guys both likely would have been dead. Instead, because you partnered up you saved the Captain's life and she yours. Is it weird? Does it feel weird knowing a human saved you when normally compared to everything out there preternaturally , you know... we are so much weaker?"

“It isn’t the smell,” Klaus said. “The easiest way to describe it is to call it emotional radiation. It is like heat. We can feel it. The stronger it is, the more we feel it.   Certain other emotions work in a similar manner. Lust, for example. My bloodline is keenly aware of lust.”

He pondered her question about having his life saved. “It does not feel weird to me, to have the captain save my life,” he said. “If I was asked to pick who is most likely to have done so, she would have been near the top of the list. It is who she is, what she does. I admire the captain and that puts her on a short list.”

Pat listened, digesting his answers, and nodded. "Yeah the Captain and Sergeant Celes are inspo material even Tech wise I even look up to Goodfells too. Did they want to just do mainstream work they could have but nope they decided to step up and stuff that most of the guys in the station nope out at. I mean, they do take a lot of heat. And you do hear some stuff from others but its like you want to talk smack but you wouldn't step up to do their job so how can you criticize it or make fun of it. "

She cocked her head, looking thoughtfully at Klaus. "I think I'm going to hold off on giving you that gift unless you really want it now, because you're super sad and need a pick me up. But I wanted to do something nice for you. I've heard vampires don't really like physical gifts so much because I guess if you live forever you would accumulate an awful lot of knick-knacks but yeah when you get better text me when that hands fully back. Hopefully you like surprises."

"I would not describe myself as 'super sad'," Klaus replied.  "Neither would I wish to dictate when someone gives me a gift.  'I want it now' was something beaten out of me as a child.  It was a different time, when such things were considered normal. Wer seine Rute schont, der haßt seinen Sohn.  Spare the rod and spoil the child, essentially.  I do have a few things that caught my attention; mostly they are posters from my time in France, although many of the gifts I received at the birthday Brandy arranged have places of favour."

They are posters
"Well that's interesting so that framed picture box with the pressed dried flowers and the Marionette on the shelf they were gifts from the party if I remember correctly. Whats the story behind the puppet that looks like you dressed up for an American psycho cosplay?" She asked curiously. " I had wanted to ask during your birthday party but you were injuated with a ton of people that wanted your attention. "

"Unfortunately, I cannot explain.  There is a NDA involved," Klaus explained.  He couldn't exactly tell her the truth behind it; the truth would likely result in his execution.

Pat laughed  "Fine keep your secrets. Another question then. Do you mind if I made myself a cup of tea and have you ever been on a rollercoaster before?"

“Is that a Lord of the Rings movie quote?” Klaus asked. He wasn’t an expert on modern culture but he tried to keep current. Certainly Brandy and Cherry helped. “Feel free to make tea and no, I have never ridden a roller coaster. There were never any near when I was a child and as an adult I have never seen the point. There are more exciting things in the world than riding a small rail car over bumps.”  He was of course being facetious. He’d been on one in his teens and had quite enjoyed it.

Pats smile faded as she hurried into the kitchen to put the kettle on the stove.

She answered him her cadence a little fast and nervous. She hadn't expected him to think roller coasters were lame. "Yes it was Lord of the rings. I finally got around to seeing it.  Thurgar was shook when he found out I'd never seen it. Made me borrow his box set. He thought I was trolling him when I told him I grew up without a TV in my house. It was so... magical if you've not seen it... then it might be worth the watch."

“There are many movies that are essentially required viewing,” Klaus replied. “The Lord of the Rings. Star Wars. Many of the superhero movies, although you need to be selective. In the one hundred years of moviemaking, there are thousands of masterpieces. Of course some are best known for their historical value and not their message. The Birth of a Nation, for example. It was the first feature length movie. Literally the first. It was also a two hour recruitment ad for the Ku Klux Klan.  Don’t feel bad.  I also grew up in a house without a television. For different reasons obviously.”

Pat nodded. "I was at the mercy of my peeps to teach me the Pop culture things.  While my apartment I moved into wasn't full furnished, it does have a very large and heavy cube TV and a DVD player. Might as well use them, right?

“Might as well,” Klaus echoed. “And for the record, I have been on a rollercoaster but it has been a very long time. It is connected to my first kiss, so the memory was pleasant. It was, however quite a small rollercoaster. Those in existence now are much longer, much higher and much faster.”

Pat let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank god you were joking. I thought you were being serious. You have a really good poker face Mr. Adler. Obviously now you know my partial surprise had something to do with rollercoasters." She blushed just a bit "And as far as first kisses go that would be super memorable. So you would be up for something rollercoaster based still?"

“As long as it does not involve a looping rollercoaster,” Klaus said. “I understand the principle on which they function but I do not trust the application of these principle when my neck is involved. It is the the same reasoning by which I refuse to bungee jump or skydive.”

[LadyJallyn]

Pat grinned, he had seen her smile at work, but this was a smile that lit up her eyes with a light of intensity he could see her body tighten on the verge of vibrating. " Say no more! You are going to lose your mind but cause I have the perfect solution. At least I think I do!" She shot across the room leaving him to attend the kettle that was starting to simmer on the stove as she made her way back to the entrance of his apartment where she had hung her coat, bag and shoes.

It was with amusement that Klaus took over the supervision of the kettle. Pat was, it seemed, a roller coaster aficionado and lacked company. A new roller coaster must have opened and she had selected him as her companion to a new venue. He would do a little research once she was gone.

Pat came back with her bag slung over her shoulder. "Okay! Okay come with me." She said excitedly as she took his hand and walked him over to the kitchen table, pulling out a chair. "Sit, sit!" She zipped open her bag and when Klaus had sat her face sobered. "I'm sorry for geeking out, but I have to share this. Admittedly it might not be as cool but remember as a kid I had no TV growing up, and my fun factors were really low, so hopefully I don't disappoint."

Klaus watched as she pulled her phone out of the backpack and she paused. "Do you trust me? There might be a little touching involved but you need to keep your eyes closed."

Klaus chuckled and that warm trickle of power leaked out, tracing delightful little whirls across Pat’s skin. “My eyes are closed. All else is in your hands. Touch away, Pat.”

So it was not necessarily a new coaster. Perhaps it was a classic that she had always wanted to ride.  There were several in the city….

Pat stuffed the ear buds into her ears at Klaus's spoken consent as she opened up YouTube.  It didn't take long for her to find what she wanted, as she paused it and set it on the table. She pulled from her purse a headset. "Okay I'm going put something on your head now so don't freak out, and I'll try to be good about the hair." She said slipping it gently onto his head, her arms still covered with goosebumps as she explained what she was doing to put him at ease. She noted she really liked the smell of his shampoo as she leaned in to make sure  the straps were tight enough that the Vr headset wouldn't slip off his head. So what you are going to see is VR Video its shot in 360 degrees  so you can look around at any angle and see something new. "

Klaus nodded. “I am aware of the  concept but have never tried it,” he said. “I will try not to throw myself out of the chair or break any furniture.”

Pat was exceptionally solicitous, almost too careful about not violating his personal space. He’d need to show her that his personal space wasn’t an issue. His bloodline had a way of taking such concerns and demolishing them utterly.

"Like I said I was introduced to this a couple of months ago and I can't get enough of it. It's so cool. So you let me know when you are ready and you can get to experience what its like to ride Kingda Ka which just happens to be the worlds biggest roller coaster and you get to experience it during the day or your eyeballs will." Pat eagerly explained "Mind you it short as it is with all roller coasters. But if you like it we can definitely show you some more. The real treat will be when you get your hand back and I show you how to play vr video games you need two hands for the ones I want to show you.."

“Here I was thinking you were going to take me on a rollercoaster as a surprise,” Klaus said. “This is certainly not that. Congratulations, Pat. You have indeed surprised me and this is a rare thing. Bravo. Kingda Ka sounds like it might be Indian or Pakistani. It does not sound American or European. Am I close?”

He hoped his eyes could handle the brightness of daylight. It had been a very long time. He was able to deal with the elevated light in theatres, when they showed daylight or even the sun. This seemed potentially different.

Truthfully it was over almost as quickly as it began, the whole thing only took a minute to watch for Klaus.

Unplugging the aux cord she gently slid the head set up off his eyes. "Thoughts? Would you like to see what 360 sky diving looks like?"

“If I breathed, I would be breathless,” Klaus said. “My limited experience with rollercoasters certainly left me ill prepared for the world’s largest. If there is a potential for me to experience sky diving in the safety of my own kitchen, I would be a fool to pass it up.”

It was an interesting concept; safe danger or at least the illusion of danger.  He could see the appeal, especially to one who was as sheltered as Pat had been.

Pat was happy to feed Klaus video experience after video experience.  He experienced sky diving. Coral reef diving with sharks in the Bahamas and Bungee jumping off a bridge in south America.

Klaus's kettle began to sing and Pat jumped to pull it off the stove top just as there was a knock at the door. "Your leopard friends maybe?"

“Quite possibly,” Klaus said. He wasn’t aware of how much time had passed. It had been an astonishing experience. He set the headset aside and, with surprisingly wobbly legs, stood and headed to the door.

Shay and Lincoln stood down on the side walk when Klaus made his way downstairs to see who had knocked.

Pat took the time to make herself a cup of tea. She wasn't sure who was at the door or what they liked to drink. It took a few attempts to locate where the tea was but Pat found some tea that was bagged and not loose leaf and put the strawberry midsummer dream tea bag into her mug and then poured in the steaming water.

“Lincoln.  Shay. Welcome.  Please come in.”  If they thought it odd to be invited inside by a vampire, neither of the leopards showed it. They followed Klaus upstairs.

“This whole building yours?” Lincoln asked.

“Yes,” Klaus replied. “The bottom floor is for business. I live in one of the upper apartments, Brandy has the second and the third is used for storage.”

“If you ever want to start renting out that third upper unit, let me know.”

Klaus gave Lincoln a wry smile. “Do you really want to live upstairs from a professional BDSM dungeon?” he asked.

“I’ve lived in worse places,” Lincoln answered.  He smiled at Pat.  “Now who is this vision of loveliness?”

Shay gave a cough that was at least partially a growl. “She is a friend of Klaus’s,” Shay said. “And we are here for a reason.  That tea smells lovely. Would you mind making me a cup?”

“Pat, these two are Lincoln and Shay.   I spoke of them earlier.  Lincoln and Shay, this is Pat, one of the crime scene techs with the Seattle police. She is lending a hand while I recuperate and is currently introducing me to virtual reality.”

"Hey-o nice to meet you. The kettles still warm if you know what sort of tea you want. Wait you said you wanted what I have...." Pat said in way of introduction as she watched the two shifters cross the room with what she could only describe as a form of grace. "Did either of you really want that or something else? Like do you have a fave a pref?"

Shay pointed to Pat’s cup. “I wasn’t kidding when I asked for a cup of what you’re a drinking, unless it is the last of that tea.”

“I’m a coffee guy, but I’m good for now,” Lincoln answered, his tone certainly changing after the chastisement from Shay.  He was here to be food, not to hunt for amusement.

"Okay, one strawberry Midsummer dream coming up and let me know if you want sugar with that, ma'am. And for you sir coffee? But not right now, I did spy a couple packs of the single serve instant coffee is that something you would drink I know some people are really quirky about what they consider coffee and what they don't. I'm not forcing you to drink any of it or what not but if you would like it I can put it off to the side for you. " Pat said as she started making Shay's drink.

“Instant is fine,” Lincoln  answered.  “Any kind of coffee is fine. Except hazelnut. That shit is craptastic.”

“And black is fine for me,” Shay said. “Did you want to go first, Lincoln, while Pat puts the kettle back on for your coffee?”

Lincoln shrugged. “I’m easy.”

“But not cheap,” Klaus said. He gestured towards the living room but not before grabbing a first aid kit from the cupboard. “Shall we?”

Pat paused after pouring the tea, "Uh- Ummm -Uh.... She blinked looked like a fish out of water, her heart rate rising as her face turned pink. "Should- Should I like go outside for a bit to step out... You know privacy."

“They’re going into the living room. Or maybe the bedroom,” Shay explained. “Stay here in the kitchen with me and you’ll be fine. You can watch when it’s my turn, if you’re curious. I’m a little surprised that your friends with a vampire and don’t know the drill.  It can be intimate, it can be clinical. It all depends on who and how. I enjoy feeding Klaus. He’s got a very nice bite, when you’re getting rolled. Small fangs. Very sharp. Quick and easy.” Shay shuddered slightly. “But not cheap.”

Pat blushed harder. "Ah I see. Ummm Mr Adler and I are co workers so I've not really seen him or anyone else thats like him eat. Born and bred in Utah maam. We don't get his kind down there too often. Take into account my dads a preacher, even less chance to meet a vampire. So... Yeah he saved my life at work and we're friends now. Right? We are friends, Mr Adler?" Pat made a face "Well anyhow I thought he would be sad I was there the night he lost his arm, so I had come over to see how he was doing and maybe cheer him up with some distractions. I was showing him 360 VR vids he had never seen em before. They're pretty amazing. It be so cool for them to shoot movies like that."

“The problem with shooting movies like that is how hard it would be to remove the cameras, plus you’d need something going on in the back 90 degrees to make it worthwhile. You’d probably get certain directors putting in special cameos or Easter eggs they’re called sometimes, something you have to look for and watch for. You’d need to watch the movie four times, one time looking in each direction and most of the time nothing is happening.  But then director A walks past wearing a red hat, like he does I all his movies or director B has some random couple making out behind a tree during an action scene. Does that really make the movie better?”  Shay shrugged. “Maybe. But I doubt it. It is an interesting idea though.”

"If I could have seen Lord of the Rings in 360 I would have lost my mind, maam. Even if it was concentrating faces. I'm a camera person, I mean I film and video crime scenes, but the curiosity is there.  I love photography and videography, they are definitely a passion of mine. " Pat explained as she fished the tea bag out of the mug and passed it to Shay. "If you want to sweeten it you will need to I left it sugar-free because strawberry vanilla tea."

“No sugar is fine. And yes, the scenery in those movies is definitely stunning.” Shay smiled. “If I had the chance, I’d definitely fly to New Zealand to see it all for myself. Sadly, my kind are not welcome there. Google Earth is not the same.  You should go, if you get the chance. Many people don’t realize the freedom they have until it is taken away.  My husband and I always talked about traveling but there was always something else. Children. Home repairs. Always something. And then he was gone and I was infected.  The chance was lost. So if you have the chance, take the chance. Otherwise you may lose the chance.”

"I'm sorry for your loss. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to lose a significant other." Pat said meaning every word. "Maybe I can do NewZealand someday but it won't be anytime soon. I just moved here and then there's my student debts. Maybe I can try for the trip between having those getting paid off and before I meet the right guy that thinks I'd make good wife material.   I have time so long as I don't die on the job."

“Thank you,” Shay said. “There is not a day that goes by that I don’t miss him. He was my Boo.  The children are all grown and don’t need their mother any more, especially one who gets furry on the full moons. Fortunately there are young leopards who need to be mothered. The newest one, Kai, for example. He’s barely an adult and the poor dear has been thrown into a very different world from the one he knew.”

"Oh." Pat sipped her tea. "If I'm being honest, I really haven't had any contact with anyone that is umm lunarly challenged? The police have the contact with the Liaisons, I mostly cover normal crime scenes unless they need an extra pair of hands. But it's good you guys take care of each other rather than having to do it alone I would think."

“Unlike vampires, who tend towards independence and group together for mutual benefit, lycanthropes are pack animals,” Shay explained.  “We seek out each other’s company for something less quantifiable than simple comfort.  It feels right to be with others of your own kind. A lone vampire is fine. A lone lycanthrope is miserable. We need others. Vampires don’t.  It is why you will so often see lycanthropes touching each other. Fingers on an arm as they move past. An arm around a waist or shoulder when they stand beside each other. Holding hands. Vampires don’t do that to the same degree. They are slightly more tactile than humans but lycanthropes take it to a whole other level. We gain comfort from it in a way no others do.”

Pat nodded eating up the knowledge. It was one of the reasons she liked talking to Klaus she learned so much with each encounter. It seemed to be true with shape-shifters too. "I hope I'm not being too weird. I do find the whole metaphysical community to be a bit of a mystery, an enigma. I do hope to go back to school to learn more."

“You have an honest desire to learn,” Shay said. “It’s not like you have a furry fetish and just want to learn about us to make your fantasies more realistic. And yes, there are a lot of people out there. Some go as far as to try and talk lycanthropes into infecting them. It is nowhere near as sure a thing as becoming a vampire.  You could get mauled by a lycanthrope and survive uninfected but badly scarred. Or you could get a bad shot or a small scratch and you end up infected. But let me tell you this; no sane person chooses this.”

"OH, I certainly don't doubt it. No offence. You guys certainly stand out as different. If Mr, Adler hadn't told me you were were-leopards, I wouldn't have known, but would have noticed you just move really pretty like maybe you were dancers or something." Pat confessed.

“The term you are looking for is graceful,” Shay said with a smile. “And thank you. There is a very distinct way that shapeshifters move. Some are better at hiding it than others. It is a way to identify us in a crowd and that is not always a good thing. There are places in America where it is still legal to kill us if you can prove that we are shapeshifters and you can find a way to describe the situation as one where you felt threatened and they don’t question that description particularly closely if the victim is a shapeshifter. Easy way to prove it is cut off a hand and look for the fur inside.  There have been a few cases where they didn’t find fur and the police were left looking a little corrupt when they let their cousins walk away.”

Pats eyes widened "Holy crow that is messed up just hack a hand off and check for fur? That doesn't sound like something I'd expect to hear in my country. Like maybe over seas or something but yes That is super messed up. So why do you choose to donate, if you don't mind me asking? Doesn't it feel weird being food for someone?"

“There are a lot of reasons,” Shay answered. “The money is nice but it isn’t a prime motivator. The main reason is I like taking care of people. They need to eat and I can donate regularly without fear. I was a blood donor before I was infected. This is similar. At first it was indirect, just like a blood donation but eventually I decided to rip the bandaid off and just go direct. Rolling was something I wasn’t expecting to be such an interesting experience. At first I just went with it but when I became an Alpha, I discovered that I had to allow it. It takes a strong vampire to roll me against my will and if they do, it’s illegal.”

"So how often can you donate? As someone fresh out of School I did it to make a little money but it was something I could only do once every other month. " Pat explained.

“Shapeshifters regenerate quickly,” Shay said. “Some more quickly than others.  The average shapeshifter can feed two vampires in any given evening. So over a hundred times more often than the average human. If they could filter the virus out of our blood, we could end the blood shortage overnight. Sadly, you have an extremely high chance of getting infected from a shifter’s blood, so it’s not safe.”

Pat nodded "Less competition with the vampires and blood banks. I've noticed they pay pretty good for a donation. Nice way to snag an extra forty bucks a month to donate . How often can you guys donate... to the vampires since the blood banks won't take your blood?""

Shay smiled. “Did you miss the twice a night comment?” she asked. “Weaker shifters, weak subs, can only donate once a night but we can do it every day. Klaus’s pomme de sange, his primary donor is a wererat. She feeds him almost every night. My understanding is that the nights she miss have more to do with scheduling than with fatigue. Most vampires prefer direct donation but some are willing to drink from a straw as it were.  The tube end of an IV needle. Then there is the bagged blood. You need to be far down the totem pole with no resources of your own to go that route. It’s the vampire equivalent of a soup kitchen. It will keep you alive but you really shouldn’t worry about where the food came from.  Would you be a dear and freshen up my tea?”

Pat listened intently, the whole scene was a little surreal. She touched up the tea for Shay "So why is there a fancy name for donors and so you deliver blood every night to vampires. Doesn't it hurt? Or being a shifter, don't you ever feel like it's predatory to be bitten and have someone eat you? Just curious. Do you guys hang out after you donate or is it a case of okay I'm full you can go now? Sorry I feel like a fish out of water right now. Not really my scene and I'm not trying to yuck anyones yum so hopefully I'm not putting my foot in my mouth."

“I get the feeling that you ask a lot of questions when you come across something that fascinates you,” Shay said. “Fancy name?  As the vampires. I know the name and that it offers some protection but that is it. Does it hurt?  Depends on the vampire Klaus has, as Brandy puts it, dainty teeth. The rolling also takes the pain away and replaces it with pleasure.”  Shay shifted slightly in her chair. “Some people never get over the predator prey thing. That is why Morvan refuses to donate. He says he’s the top of the food chain. Yes, I donate every night. It is part of my job.”

"I do ask a lot of questions. My pops thinks It's too much, but obviously that isn't entirely true because he saved up to send me to school. Yeah, I don't think I could do it. Too scary, too dangerous.  I tried donating a couple of times back in uni for blood drives, but I'd always feel woozy after. I guess not everyone's a good fit for the donor life." Pat said as she settled down, pouring a tea for herself.

“There are perks to donating to a vampire,” Shay said. “The rolling is amazing.  Like sex but not as messy.”

"Then I guess Mr. Adlers a lucky guy to have a pantry packed full of  willing donors. If bagged blood is the lowest  tier. Like boxed wine. Direct donations from humans would be screw cap wines and shape shifters are high tier fancy french wines. " Pat laughed. " There's no reason for me to add my low tier boxed wine to the market because things look pretty good on this end and the market seems to have enough wine as it is. Wait I was supposed to be a screw cap not a box I think. Yes screw cap if I was ever to entertain the idea of a direct donation."

“Can’t say that I’m a blood connoisseur,” Shay answered. “But I’ve turned into something of a wine snob. Enhanced sense of taste and smell means you get fussy over things that you used to enjoy. No more boxed wine for this girl.”

Pat nodded and sipped her tea. "I guess it would change a lot." She felt a bit like a fish out of water being the only non preternatural on the scene as she ruminated on if she could just call it a night. She would wait until Klaus came back out after his feeding and then head out. She could offer to come by next week if he needed any more help.

“Not going to lie, it makes a straight man question things,” Lincoln said, as he and Klaus emerged from the living room.

“I’ve been told that before,” Klaus answered. “Getting rolled is pleasant. Getting rolled by one of my bloodline can border on being sexually pleasant and it has nothing to do with sexuality. You enjoy being rolled by me. Raoul would enjoy being rolled by Arianna.  It’s just a component of the roll. You’d likely find the Beastmaster’s line’s rolling appeals very strongly to your inner Beast.”

“Any of his around?” Lincoln asked.

“Possibly,” Klaus said. “It would be rude of me to disclose exactly who.”

Lincoln nodded. “Not your tale to tell.  Got it.”

“All done?” Shay asked.

“All except the healing,” Lincoln answered. “Already clotted.”  His eyes found Pat for a moment, then returned to Shay.  “Enjoy your tea?”

“And the conversation that accompanied it,” Shay replied.

"There's more if you want to help yourself.  But I think I should really head out. I didn't realize the exact time and I'm sure you guys want to catch up with Mr. Adler and hang out. " Pat  hurriedly over explained as she made her way over to the couch to pack up her things. "After all I mean I had come over to give a hand which I did do. Then I sorta over stayed and everything else was just me being indulgent and showing Mr. Adler Do-hickeys and likely me over talking and stuff."

She began to blush as she packed up her VR set. She nervously cleared her throat as she tried to not appear too awkward, though part of her felt like she had leaped off that precipice with the arrival of the were-leopards.  "D-Did you want me to pop by next week to help you with anything Mr.Adler or are you good?"

Klaus nodded. “I would very much enjoy both the company and the assistance,” he said. “Did you need a hand with anything?  I can at least offer you one, if there is too much for you to carry.”

Lincoln almost spoke up but a look from Shay ensured his silence.

Pat blushed a bit harder, "No-no. I'm good." Internally, she was chiding herself for thinking half the things that had popped into her mind, but the homoerotic images of Klaus and his male donor were firmly entrenched and not going anywhere. She managed to get everything into her backpack, her hands shaking only just enough to give her the smallest of hassles as she managed to finally close it."

Pat lingered with the bag slung over her shoulder as she tried to appear calm cool and collected, hoping she was passing but secretly freaking out on the inside. Her face felt hot. She likely was sucking at any form of seeming like she was fine. Shifters had really sensitive noses. She had heard as much from her workmate Robyn.  Did the were-leopards know she had thought pervy thoughts. She hoped not.

She cleared her throat, "I think I got everything." She said, licking her lips nervously. "I can shoot you a text with what day I have free next week and I can come over to help you with whatever chores you need help two handing."
Pat gave Klaus a quick side hug. "Do feel better and enjoy your night with friends."

She made her rounds, shaking Shay's hand. "I hope the tea was good it was nice to meet you." she hurriedly shook Lincoln's hand  bowing her head slightly. "And you too, sorry I'm in such a rush. Another time, and I'm sorry if I'm being super weird.  I don't have much exposure to preternatural folks, you're sort of my first direct were-leopard encounter. I'm making it weird aren't I I'm sorry if I am."

“In a very cute way,” Lincoln said. “It’s all good. You’re giving us positive nervous vibes, not freaking out because I’m in danger vibes. It’s not weird. It’s natural. You will get used to us in time. Not sure how long we’ll be feeding Klaus, so consider it your lucky day if some of us are here when you visit next.”

Pat nervously laughed. "Yeah okay! Sure, sure ,sure! Still ... I'm going to take my spare wheeling butt home. You all have a good night. Oh and Mr, Adler, I'll be in touch. I promise to definitely text you which nights might be open if you want to VR some more or just want help with incidentals." Pat made her way to the hallway and slipped her shoes on and saw herself out down the building. The cool air was a welcomed sensation as she made her way down the street into the night. On a scale of one to ten, she wasn't sure how disastrous it was, but if she went off what everyone had said, it hadn't been a complete crash and burn.

[Maxx]

Nov 12th Archangel Industries- 6pm -Thomas and Adam

Adam sat in the lobby of Arcangel Industries as he had asked for one Thomas Malone. The crew cut ginger haired man nervously waited looking shabby in his track pants and over sized jacket. It was worn for warmth not style.

Thomas had been straight with him about what to potentially suspect when dealing with vampires on the night he and his brother and brothers friends had been kidnapped. Malaki had waved him off as not being really relevant but he still wanted to make sure the man hadn't had a change of heart so he had been hot on the trail of trying to find his pets missing items.

Morbid curiousity had consumed Adam into learning more about Thomas and through some detective work. He had found himself here at the company despite Thomas having not given him a sur name. He figured the showing up at work to pass on news wouldn't be seen as a faux pas hopefully as scanned the lobby in hopes of spotting the helicopter loving vampire.

It was half an hour before Thomas could work his way to the lobby. He was wearing his black security uniform, complete with flak vest and what was essentially a utility belt. There was a holstered Glock at his hip. He smiled cheerfully when he saw Adam. He extended a hand. “Mr Kray,” he said in greeting, using Mr to convey respect for the poorly dressed man, so the other staff would not treat him like a second class citizen. “Welcome to Archangel Tower. What can I do for you on this fine November evening?”

"Krayton, Sir." Adam said rising to meet Thomas and shake his hand. "My appologies for showing up without a heads up but my phone had a bit of an accident. I just wanted to pass on the news that I found it sir, the violin as well as the retro backpack."

“Krayton.” Thomas smacked his forehead. “My sincere apologies. No worries about the lack of a heads up. Excellent work. Come with me. We’ll stash this in the security office.”

Once they were heading towards the elevator, Thomas continued. “Once we’re done there, we can head to the cafeteria. You can get something to eat and we can discuss whether you want to put an application in here. Sucks that things happened the way they did because if we had met before, your benefits from working here could have paid for your brother’s meds. There is still a chance that we can do something for him. Just need to dangle a new toy in front of Malaki.”

Adam held up his hands in placation. "Oh this backpacks mine. I don't have the things I just know where they are. Didn't have the cash to buy the items. Barneys Jewelry & Loan is holding them." Adam explained as he paused at the elevator not wanting to lead the vampire on despite the offer of a warm meal. "As for Ronnie he likely isn't doing too hot. With the meth habbit he has and with no meth where he's staying he's likely a hot mess. Not that your pal cares..."

He shuffled nervously "If you want the pack and the violin they said they could do both for like Four fifty. Apparently the backpacks vintage but a big enough group of folks would doll out one fifty on it but if I wanted the violin he could knock off fifty from the price if we bought both a small discount for the pack. He wont budge on the violin thats a solid three fifty.

Thomas stopped. “In which case we go to the cafeteria first. Unless this place is closing soon. If they’re closing soon, we go to the garage and we’ll hit the drive through. Unless you want to wait for the cafeteria. It is worth the wait.”

Thomas hit the elevator button for the parking garage, then pulled out his phone. “Hey, it’s Malone. Taking a car and running out on a quick errand. Should be less than an hour. No, nothing fancy. Just a set of wheels. Yeah, that works. Thank you much.”

When he hung up, he looked at Adam. “Coming off meth will delight Malaki. It will also help your brother, believe it or not. Once he’s clean, maybe he can get the help he needs. So, about the application? I interview the candidates and we do have a few openings.”

Adam nodded unsure what to say to Thomas on the Malaki front. But he was willing to follow the vampire. The past several days had been rough for Adam. Returning to his encampment he discovered his stuff had been thoroughly picked clean except for his tent and then empty backpack. He had of course tried to figure out who had taken his stuff and a fight had ensued. It was how his cellphone had gotten damaged. With the squat spot no longer friendly he had to move on and spent his time looking into the city pawn shops hoping he could find any of the items that Thomas had rattled off. "I can put in an application, but it seems a waste of time to slot in a human when you have vampires and were-critters to cover everything. Compared to that I'm nothing special."

“Who do you think watches this place during the daylight hours around the full moon?” Thomas asked. “I’ll give you a hint. Not shapeshifters and not vampires. Besides there are people who don’t want to have to deal with either, so having humans on the crew is pretty much mandatory. And don’t kid yourself. You have got a lot going in your favour. You’re smart and I don’t care about education. Facts can be taught. Intelligence can’t. You have good instincts, which are also hard to teach. The boxes you don’t tick, we can help you fill in. We can even provide housing. Two bedroom, for when your brother finally gets shot out by the latest system that is abusing him. For what it is worth, I’m not in favour of Malaki’s torture porn attitude but he’s a lot higher up the food chain and there isn’t much I can do to stop him. All I can do is make my opinion known and see if that has an effect. Usually doesn’t. But if you have a job here, all he can do is piss up a rope. Employees are off limits. If your brother cleans up, maybe we can find something for him. Cleaning staff. Not glorious but it pays the bills.”

Adam nodded slowly as he followed Thomas "Everything you are laying down makes sense. How long do you think he will hold my brother before he gets...bored? Is there really a good chance that he will let Ronnie go? He is terrifying, really all your- friends are."

“Some put on a better game face than others,” Thomas admitted. “And Malaki is a scary mutherfucker. Ronnie didn’t kill anybody but he did damage something a vampire valued, so he’s going to hurt but he shouldn’t die. No promises. But chances are good. What condition he is in when he comes out the other side? There are laws but they can be stretched and old vampires have had to work around them for centuries. Let’s just say they know how to get those laws to squeak.”

"I don't doubt that for a minute." Adam said with a shiver. "I've seen and heard enough to last me a lifetime. I wasn't a fan of Ronnie's friend choices. He wasn't always this bad, losing pops and then being in the system did a number on him, and then I wasn't there for him through any of that. It changed him. It isn't me making excuses for him, what he did wasn't cool. You should never harm a woman or kids, basic code right there. I guess we wait and see, and hopefully he comes out the other end okay. Or as okay as things can be, if that makes sense."

“Counselling is part of the benefits package,” Thomas said. “Do you have a driver’s license? Easier to get there when the driver knows the way, rather than the navigator?” Thomas waved at a guard and grabbed a set of keys off a rack labeled ‘MOTOR POOL’. He clicked the fob and a black Chrysler 300 beeped in response. “Automatic, in case you can’t drive stick. Although we do have some classics, because old vampires like old shit.”

"As I said the night I met, I used to drive the big wigs around. So yes, I can drive. " Adam said as he looked over to the vehicle. "You sure you won't get in trouble for slipping out while on duty?"

“I told them I was going to run an errand. There are some advantages to being at the top of the ladder,” Thomas said. “Delegating is one of them. And if anybody objects, consider this your interview and evaluation.”

"Well I didn't know there was going to be a driving test but here we are. Jump on in and let's roll out, Sir. Won't be much of a test since we aren't on a proper driving course but I can display that I know how to obey the traffic laws." Adam said sliding into the driver's seat as he started up the vehicle.

They eased out of the parking garage and Adam let out a low whistle. "She's a nice ride. Going to be a buttery smooth ride, I suspect. She handles nice, how's the acceleration on her?" He asked as he slipped out into the traffic.

“Obeying traffic laws is primary,” Thomas pointed out. “If you get assigned to the driver’s pool, we’ll see how you handle evasive maneuvers. You’ll find out about acceleration if you feather the gas pedal too much. She’s got a big engine in her.”

"Come to papa." Adam said nodding and smiled. It was the first time Thomas had seen that. Apparently, Adam liked to drive. That was a good thing to know.

“Be gentle with my girl,” Thomas said with a chuckle. “Don’t want her getting too excited. What time does this place close?”

He contemplated sending Malaki a text letting him know about locating K’s belongings but thought better of it. Best not remind him about Adam until they had the violin and vintage bag in their hands.

"I'll treat her right. It's not too far from OHM Nightclub off Second Ave and South Washington." Adam said as they drove. It wasn't going to be too long of a drive from the Tower which was really fortunate.

Thomas Googled Barney’s Jewelry & Loan. They would be open for another two hours. “Lots of time,” he said. “Did you want to hit a drive through before we get there?”

Adam shook his head no. "I'd rather see this through first, and I noticed your cafeteria is open 24/7 while I was waiting for you to show. I can wait. The mission comes first, Sir."

“Mission comes first.” Thomas chuckled, nodding. “I had a feeling about you. I just had a feeling. You’re going to do well here, Adam. Once you’re hired, I won’t cut you any breaks, not that you would expect them. Once you sign on the dotted line, anything after that you will have earned for yourself. We’ll treat you better than Uncle Sam did. You put your ass on the line for the US? You pay your money and you take your chances. You put your ass on the line for us? We pay the money for you to take the chances. You’ll probably never even draw your gun. Baton and taser see more use than your sidearm.”

"Understood, and that is reassuring. I've had my fill of blood, but I could get used to this." The ginger haired man replied as he hit the brakes and avoided hitting a kid that whizzed across the street on an electric scooter. Worst idea to have brought those goddamned things into the city for people to ride. They think they're untouchable." Adam groused as he hit the horn.

“I hear that,” Thomas said. “Of course they’ve been saying some variation on ‘kids these days’ since Roman times. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Hell, I can remember being a snot nosed little shit who thought I knew what was going on. Sure as shit, I did not know what was going on.”

"Hell, I don't know what's going on even at my age, clearly. I guess time brings clarity or some other sage bullshit new age affirmation." Adam said as he finally saw they were close to the store and eased into a parking spot on the street.

Thomas put the magazine back in his Glock, before getting out of the car. It was illegal in Washington state to have a loaded weapon in a car, even with a permit. “Let’s do this,” he said.

A few minutes later, they were back in the car with the violin and the bag. “Good thing you were there,” Thomas said. “Bitch was gonna call the cops on me because I was armed and black.” He pulled the magazine out of his gun again. “Like the uniform saying ‘security’ didn’t count for shit. Racist mutherfucker.”

"Sadly, it is still a thing." Adam said ruefully as he started the engine and began driving back to the Towers. "I take it you got things from here and you can get it back to where it needs to go without me."

“I can,” Thomas said, nodding. “I will make sure it is known how they were found but not until after you’ve signed the paperwork. Nobody fucks with my MIBs.”

"That there is more than enough motivation to sign on the dotted line." Adam said grimly. "Hopefully all your job interviews don't go down the same way."

“Better than the ones with punk ass kids who think they should be running the place, without putting in the time,” Thomas answered. “I’ll take one of you over ten of them. I don’t give a shit whether their Grandpa is a vampire that’s worked in Accounts fucking Payable for twenty years. Get a job in the fucking mailroom.”

Adam couldn't help but laugh. "You aren't wrong, but it's good you give chances. You won't regret it."

“I give chances where they are deserved,” Thomas corrected. “You know the old saying. Fool me once. Oh, that reminds me. Gotta warn you. You know what a Selkie is?”

"Uh...No. I ain't even gonna try and bullshit my way around what that is. Is it preternatural? Some sort of witch? A Hexer? Or something. I'm not up to speed on all that. They had vampires in serbia guess they're everywhere and there's shifters and back. But yeah I can't say I know Selkie." Adam said.

“It’s a type of fae. Irish or Scottish. We have one on staff. hospitality, not security. He has some kind of magic that he can’t turn off. Women love him, which is why he’s in hospitality. Dogs bark at them, including were-dogs, which is hilarious to watch, because they can’t stop. Big problem is the way men react. They hate him as much as the women love him. Actually had a vampire attack him in the elevator once. So you need to watch out for a guy that makes you want to take a swing and you need to keep an eye out for other guys that want to take a swing at him.”

"R-right so hypothetical question besides radioing in for muscle hell the hell am I supposed to stop a male shifter or vampire from you know wanting a piece of him. I mean wouldn't I just be all shrugs, let god sort it out?"

“You would remind them that what they are considering carries the death penalty,” Thomas answered. “There are cameras everywhere. Witnesses aren’t required. Not to mention buddy can turn into a couple of hundred pounds of muscle and blubber, so he’s hard to hurt. You can resist the urge too, except under extreme circumstances. He’s bleeding. It’s the full moon. He’s fucking your girlfriend.”

Adam snickered. "Hmm. So he suffers from punchmouth. Remember to remind them they has so much to live for, gotcha."

“It will all be covered in the training,” Thomas said. “Park on the third level. We didn’t use enough fuel for them to need to top it up. Any vehicle under three quarters gets filled up.”

Adam did as instructed, and Thomas and him sat down to go through his application form in good time. Adam sighed, "So wander by in a week to see if I made the cut since I'm down a phone, Sir, or you want to play this a different way?"

“Considering that I do the interviewing for security, we just need to figure out when you start,” Thomas said. “You will need a mailing address and a bank account. If you have issues with either, we can work that out but they need to be in place before I can issue a job offer letter. I can loan you a phone until you can replace yours. A post office box is acceptable, especially if you are going to be living on site. That has the additional advantage of having you on hand for any emergency, which means more hours, which means more money. You know the drill. We provide uniforms. You will be starting by the end of next week.”

Adam paused, "The address and the PO box will be an issue until I have money." He frowned, unsure how to get around that.

“Just go to a post office and rent a box for the month,” Thomas said. “I can float you the cost of it temporarily.”

"If you can float then it can be done." Adam said slowly, "I'll of course pay you back. The phone should help too. The SIM card in the phone I had wasn't damaged so if you have a loaner that should help with staying in contact."

Thomas pulled out a pair of wrinkled twenties and a ten.  “If it costs more than that for a month, they are fucking robbing you,” he said. “And let me grab you a phone. Screen might be cracked but it’s not like you’re going to be looking at fine detail through it.  If you need anything else, let me know.  Text me the address when you get it, I will add it to the paperwork and I will have an offer letter for you asap.  Then we’ll get you in, get you measured and start your training.  Anything else you need?”

Adam shrugged. "At the start you did mention food? If that is still on the table, I wouldn't say no to a bite to eat at your cafeteria? You know to put something in the tank before I head back to the shelter to see if they can give me a bed for the night. It will be good to get off the streets before the snow comes. Winters here aren't pretty, Sir."

[Maxx]

Nov12th 7pm Malaki- Home Sweet Home- Malaki and K


There was a light knock at Kay's bedroom. A muffled, now familiar voice spoke through the door. "Miss K? Master Malaki would like to know if you'd care to join him in the music room for an evening snack." Ashton waited patiently on the other side of the door as he rolled down his sleeve that was up from feeding Malaki minutes earlier.

Kay had settled into the new place as best as she could. It still didn't feel real, like one wrong thing said or done would have her current reality pop like a bubble. She still wasn't sure about living with the vampire and his employees, but so far nothing bad had happened. She was slowly on the mend, although her broken fingers were holding her back from really doing any serious work at the manor.  She had of course still done what she could to help. That day, while they still had light, she had helped hold the collection bags and helped fill them with the fallen leaves from the trees. With it now being almost halfway through the month, all trees had finally given up their last leaves, which meant it was time to collect them to ready the grounds for winter. It had taken most of the day to do so, since the property that Malaki resided on was a good two acres in size. An admirable sized property to own given that it was inside the Seattle city borders.

The knock on the door made her start.

"Coming." She called as she rose from her bed as Kay cracked the door and looked up seeing Ashton, Malakai's older male human butler standing there.

She tensed involuntarily. "Yes? What can I do for you? Do we have more chores?" She asked anxiously.

Ashton offered a polite smile. "Master Malaki just wishes for your company should you wish to give it." He leaned in a little. "He is hoping to bribe your answer with tea and sweets." With a small chuckle he pulled away once more, giving the skittish girl her space with most of his presence before a slow gentle finger poked her forehead between her eyes. "There is no right or wrong answer by the way. Don't think too much into it," his hand pulled back to him.

"If Music man wants a visit who am I to say no." Kay said as she opened the door. "He doesn't expect me to get changed into anything fancy,” she said looking down at the track suit she was wearing. "Does he?"

"Not in the slightest. You could wear a garbage bag, no scratch that thought he would care. Rephrased as long as you are comfortable, he would not care. Do you wish for me to escort you, or do you remember the way to that room?" Ashton asked.

"I can manage. No need to escort." Kay said. "I mean the house is big, but it isn't that big."

Ashton nodded. "Glad it is becoming more comfortable to move about the house. Have a lovely evening Miss K." Ashton stepped aside before turning and moving down the hallway.

Kay could hear the sounds of a piano growing louder as she approached the room.  There was a small fire crackling in the fireplace. Between the two red wing back chairs was a small table with a plate of petit fours and a small teapot. Malaki was sitting behind a baby grand piano on the opposite side of the room fingers moving deftly across the keys. His face scrunched up at every wrong note or missed key. It was obvious either he had not played for a very long time or was trying to learn something new. The music stopped as he noted Kay's presence in the doorway. Warmth spread across his face.  "Evening Kay. How are you feeling?"

"Hey Music-man no need to stop on my account. I didn't know you played piano, you only ever played flute on open mike nights," Kay said as she stopped short of sitting down at any of the chairs, opting to stand behind one instead. She thought about holding onto the chair but stopped because they looked expensive.
She appreciated the illusion it gave her of being able to shield herself in some small way, as she reminded herself that he had asked a question. "I'm doing alright, sore, but you know, healing a bit more every day."
She felt self-conscious due to the black eye she still sported, which was starting to shift from that dark ugly blue and purple into shades of dark green and yellow mixed with ruddy purples. She licked her lips nervously as she shifted from foot to foot. "I helped Ashton with the yard work today. Your lawn's now been raided and removed of all...what did Ashton call it? Ung... Leaf litter? I'm trying my best to make myself as useful as I can even with you know..." She waved her hand that had the splinted broken fingers. "The limitations."

Malaki chuckled. "Thank you. I am sure Ashton appreciated the help. You can sit if you want. Cakes and tea are for you if you want a snack. As for the piano, I don't really play. Most instruments I have played or learned through my time. None have really stuck other than the flute. My fingers work on muscle memory by this point. But for others it isn't that simple, and the small miscalculations can become irritating." His face screwed up like the thought of not being able to do something flawlessly as distasteful.

"So, with the attack on leaf litter complete what is next on the agenda?"

"I get it. Nailing a piece can feel really good. It’s the difference between a coin tossed in my case or people not doing that because they heard a sour note." She nervously sat down, perching on the very edge of the chair as if she was afraid her very presence was an affront to the expensive furniture, as she let out a nervous chuckle. She noted the tiny fancy cakes noting how pretty and fancy they had been decorated. They likely cost close to ten bucks a pop or more depending on where he got them from.  "I'll take the tea and snacks to go, maybe? I don't want to accidentally spill or get crumbs on anything.  As for the agenda, I don't know what you mean exactly. Like, what else do you want me to do task wise? If you want me to clean something or do something tonight, I'll get to it and try my best. What do you need doing?"

Anxiety began to unfurl in her belly as it whispered into her mind that she needed to earn her keep, or her ass would be out on the street. Of course, helping with leaves like a small child wasn't much, and she should have known that. She closed her eyes and gently rubbed at them as she told herself to chill out and mentally touch grass. "Did you want to set up a chore or errand list for me? I mean... Obviously you are likely super busy with stuff, so if you don't want to, do you want me to ask Ashton to do it for you? I know this isn’t a free ride and I will make good on it, it's just I can't give you 100% yet and I'm sorry for that."

Malaki shook his head. "It is okay Kay. I have all the time in the world. You'd be surprised how much I can get accomplished while I toil at the little joys of life. If it made you feel more at ease Ashton could draft a chore list if you'd like. Is there a hobby you'd like to take up? A new instrument or perhaps reading by the fire would be preferable? Though I do not think I own any books a young woman would enjoy. Oh, it never occurred to me. We did not get you a television for your bedroom, did we?"

"It's okay, I don't need a television. Eventually maybe I'll get my phone back, but my mom used to say TV rotted your brain, so no worries. You've let me crash here, that's more than enough. I just don't want you thinking I'm a leech. If you don't care about chore lists and stuff, I'm good with not having them, but I just need to make sure you and I are good. I don't want to wake up and out of the blue hear that I need to pack my shit and GTFO you know what I mean? As for picking up anything new, I don't know how successful I'm going to be at much of anything until my right hand and these fingers heal. I can't even google it because I don't have a phone to do that, so I'm taking it day by day. The pain's less than when I broke them, but I did notice while out helping with the leaves that listing things and trying to use the hand too much caused things to really act up." She rambled nervously. "I really hope things heal up soon I would love to get back to playing my violin if it ever turns up. If not, I guess I work hard and just get a new one once I can afford it.  Playing always made things suck less. I might never get a chance to go pro like my mom because schooling is really expensive but it’s something I've always been passionate about. Kind of like you and your flute music you know?"

"I have no intention of kicking you out." He waved his hand in front of his face. "So, because you like pulling your own weight and to not be in debt with me I have a task for you. For the next two weeks, accompany Ashton or his mother Anastasia to the grocery store. Following that you shall help then cook meals. Feel like you can do these tasks? If your things are not recovered by then we can grab you a new phone for completing the task, acceptable?" He titled his head quizzically.

Kay nodded "Yeah that’s fair." She sniffed slightly looking at the treats on the plate and then back to the vampire. "So I'm not sure if its rude or not but like can you tell me what your sister was like. I apparently look a bit like her minus the crazy hair, but I was kind of curious."

"Sure thing." Malaki got up and moved to the wingback chair opposite Kay. He took a seat and smiled. "Let them eat cake Kay please enjoy them." Malaki sunk into the chair. His eyes shut as the silence stretched on between them. He was struggling with both the topic and the memory.

"Clara, she..." he trailed off. "She used to make me flower crowns." He let out one puff of air out his nose in a soft laugh. "We were so poor that she always wanted to make me a proper one, but I told her the ones she made of wheat were special. Just for me. She told me I looked like an angel with a halo and all." His eyes opened slowly shifting to the flame dancing in the hearth.

"If it hurts too much, you don't have to share." Kay said as she poked at one of the cakes and licked the chocolate from her finger, feeling guilty for asking. "I just thought she had to be a pretty amazing person if you still..." Kay sighed and made a face. "It might sound cheesy, but I'm not meaning to be an ass. But you know because you keep her in your heart still. I never asked how old you were, but clearly you think of her a lot I guess."

Malaki smiled at Kay. "I am old. Memories fade like sand through an hourglass. The pieces that have hung on are ones of misery and pain. Like an old black and white movie reel stuck on a loop." He shifted in his pulling out an old bone flute around his neck that he began to fiddle with.

"However every now and then something or someone comes along. They flip that hourglass. A face in a crowd, a giggle heard like a lyric above a sea of noise. Those old movies briefly change to something happy. The latter is a welcome change. With you around it is the little memories that I thought were long forgotten that come back to me. I can't express how grateful I am for that."

Kay smiled shyly unsure of what to say. It was profound and deep, and how could she answer it and not make the moment seem cheap. "Maybe once I heal up, and I can look into getting on YouTube to research finer exercises for physio, maybe once that's taken care of, I can play for you if you would like that. Heck, perhaps a jam session if you're down for that. I know you've taken a risk by having me here, with me being a minor and all that. Maybe once I'm not so I can't be forced back to where I come from, I can share more with you, but just know I do appreciate it."

The scarlet-haired teen grimaced slightly as she tried to find the right words and felt that she was coming up short. "I don't have the fancy words like you do. And that is going to be an ongoing thing, likely. At some point, I do want to finish my schooling, but I can't have my name hit any databases in case it flags something. I'm not going back home. It's not like I’m there as a criminal. Might be listed as a missing person definitely, but yeah, I choose this over living there. I mean living here right now is a massive upgrade from living on the streets, so I don't want to mess this up."

Malaki tucked the flute back under his shirt before getting up from the chair. Slowly he closed the small distance between himself and Kay placing one large hand atop her head. His smile was soft but slightly bitter.

"You worry too much. I think you've got issues with trust." He pulled away speaking as he went to sit back in front of the piano. "You still live with the ghost of people you needed the most that let you down. Not uncommon, in fact it’s disgustingly frequent. But Kay, I hope you know you can talk to me. You can let your skeletons scream. I promise mine are far worse." He let out a small chuckle as he began to play a soft tune on the piano. "Let me be clear. You are not a burden to me. Have a great rest of your evening Kay. I'll let you get back to whatever it is you were doing. Please do not forget the cakes. I will look into that phone we discussed later."

"Trust is hard. And I know I'm a little messed up.  Practically every adult in my life has done things to make me not want to trust and then living on the streets, there are a lot of shady people there. I'm not perfect and I've done some things in the past I'm not proud of, but I will try to work on this. Just know it will be slow and I might mess up occasionally," she said, her voice soft and a little shaky as she took the plate and headed for the door since it was clear she was dismissed. She paused, looking to the vampire. "Umm thanks again for giving me a shot and for the cakes I'm sure they will taste amazing. There's enough to go around to share with the others so I'll take this back and make sure everyone gets a little sample. Thanks."

Kay left the room with her plate and wondered if she had also taken the teapot and cup with her. Would it be rude to go back and take it with her or at least back to the kitchen? Or would he tell her she was being a weirdo worrying about it. Surely it would be cleaned up but that would mean more work for Ashton and whoever was tasked for cleaning the room.

She sighed, turned around and returned to the room slipping in. "Don't mind me just going to take this too, sorry for intruding she said quickly as she put the cake on the tray that contained the cup of tea and teapot. With everything gathered, she made her way to the kitchen.

Once in the kitchen, she set things down on the island and tore into the small chocolate treat not bothering with the small fork and licked her fingers clean. She looked at the other cakes on the plate and frowned. The part of her brain that was used to life on the street was whispering to eat everything, but she shook her head. She didn't have to wolf down food because who knew where the next meal was coming from. She found the plastic food wrap and put it over the cake. Taking a sticky post note from the fridge, she wrote on it a Treat for Ashton and crew and put it back into the fridge.

Hours later when nothing or no one else stirred, Ashton  made his way down a corridor turning into an office. The typical office furniture decorated the room, but Ashton stopped in front of the wall to wall book shelving. Like something out of old mystery novels he pulled a book off the shelf revealing a latch allowing him to pull it off the wall. Ashton walked down the dimly lit set of stairs. He pulled open a large heavy oak door where Malaki sat inside with a thick musty text.

"She's a good kid." Ashton stated drawing Malaki’s attention towards him a brow raised. "Sorry Sir yes that was obvious, and we will strive to keep it that way. Is there anything else I can do for you this evening?"
Malaki sighed, closing the text. "Why do you feel the need to do that?"

"A form of respect and selfishness to hear you speak. I will go check in with our other guest. 'Til the morrow." Ashton turned and left the elder vampire alone.

[Maxx]

November 13 6:30 PM - Ramone calls Sebastian
It had been almost two weeks since their seance in the cemetery.  Ramone wasn’t entirely certain that he’d brought Andrew home with him. Certainly, he had the occasional feeling that Andrew was there, but he wasn’t too entirely certain that he wasn’t trying to convince himself.

For the first few days, he’d kept Andrew’s medal on his nightstand. After that, he’d found someone to build a display case for it. The plaque read

IN LOVING MEMORY OF ANDREW McKAY
Werewolf - Olympian - Friend

Ramone picked up the phone twice, setting it back down each time. The third time, he finally dialed the number for BITTEN.  “Hey. Good evening.  Is Sebastian Roberts available?  It’s Ramone Valenzuela.”

It was a short wait before the phone was picked up. "Good evening Ramone, Sebastian speaking. I take it this call is to touch base. I have held up my end of things so whenever you have the free time let me know?"

"Yeah," Ramone said.  "I'm trying to figure out whether Andrew came home with me.  How can you tell if you've got a ghost living with you or just an old noisy house?  I'm hearing things but that might have been there all along and now I'm just listening for them.  You know what I mean?  And am I supposed to treat him like a regular guest?  I'm out of my depth here."

"That can be tricky without being able to personally check, and I wouldn't dream of coming over to inspect given your history. Why don't you come over, I do have a drive here for you of our recorded session. Bring your medal and your cellphone, and we could discuss it over a coffee?"

Ramone looked over at the medal. “Will that work?  Is he attached to the medal?  I’ve tried the phone thing, but it made no sense.  Give me an hour and I can be there.”

True to his world Ramone showed up to the well-lit little cafe. There was some comfort to know that the only vampire he could smell on scene was Sebastian and that the little shop had over a dozen people inside enjoying drinks as they entertained themselves with cellphones or chatting with friends.

Sebastain emerged from the back rooms as he brought in two boxes of cups for restock passing them to a coworker. "Thanks Wren you can get these restocked now that were going to experience a little lull. If you need me, I'll be..." He looked to Ramone "In the back booths? Or My office?" Clearly letting the massive werewolf determine where they were going to have the meeting.

“What is the appropriate venue for this sort of conversation?” Ramone asked. “Andrew would have said out here, rather than out back.  He liked watching people.”

"Either is fine for me. The office gives you more privacy, whereas the back booths do have a privacy partition you could have eavesdroppers if their ears are good. The back booths are where we have live donors go, not that you are one, but given your history I wanted to give you the option of a space that wasn't primarily designed for such things to put you more at ease." Sebastian explained.

“Yeah, let’s avoid donorville,” Ramone said.  He patted the bag he was carrying. “Sorry, buddy. No people watching for you tonight.  Maybe we’ll go to the park later.”

The office Ramone was led to wasn't fancy, nor was it very large. It was slightly larger than the interrogation rooms you saw on TV shows. It wasn't decorated in a boastful way. If anything, it was devoid of anything interesting to look at.

It held the same lime green paint as the outer shop, a simple wooden desk, a laptop, a file cabinet, first aid kit, fire extinguisher and two guitar cases tucked into the corner beside Sebastian.

"I know it's a bit small, but it does offer privacy and isn't a place where anyone drinks blood." Sebastian said as he offered Ramone a seat as he slid behind his desk. Reaching behind himself to the leather jacket dropped over his chair, he pulled out a thumb drive. "Your copy of the Halloween session as promised. There are time stamped notes for you in there, document wise, as well as the smaller snippets that were pulled as singular files for the EVP's that were caught. It took a little longer than I would have liked to put it together but considering it's a hobby and I have responsibilities here; I've done what I can. Hopefully it brings you some peace."

“It’s not me I’m worried about,” Ramone said. “It’s Andrew. If he’s sticking around because he feels the needs to protect me, I want to know how to let him know that he doesn’t need to. He was the bodyguard to the head werewolf and that isn’t me anymore.”

Ramone sank down into the chair. He looked like an adult sitting at a grade school student’s desk. “Is there a way I can talk to him?  I tried the phone thing. It didn’t make any sense.”

"Alright, things with Ghosts are weird.  I'm not an expert but here's what I can say, and maybe it will give you some peace of mind. Two weeks ago, we called him up, and he had a good chat that would burn a lot of spiritual juice on his end. If he made the jump to that medal, he's likely recouping. Your boy drained my derrière way more than I thought possible so, if he was able to move real estate with what he took, I'm going to say if it was possible to do so he likely did..." Sebastian began as he reached into his desk to slip on a pair of sunglasses to put the werewolf more at ease.

Ramone watched the vampire don the sunglasses, unaware that it was for his benefit. He assumed they were glasses that helped Sebastian see spirits.

“So, he exhausted himself and needs to rest up,” Ramone said. “Got it. Is there a way to feed him energy?  I mean beyond lightning storms?”

"It's not so black and white Ramone. I really understand the desire to see your friend be set to rest but he will go on his terms if he's ready. As to if he is in the coin I don't know. Carrying it on your person at all times might work better. Or he, if possible, might have detached and attached to your home. I couldn't say without inspection and given your past, I can't see you being alright with inviting me into your abode even if you could snap me like a twig or revoke the invitation. What I could do on the next time I have a night off from work, would be to check the cemetery to see if Andrew is still there. If not, it would mean he passed on or took haven in your coin or attached to you or one of your friends. But that normally has signs..." Sebastian explained calmly. "Would a coffee soothe your nerves a bit?"

“I’m not nervous,” Ramone said, perhaps a little too forcefully. “It seems like instead of answers, I’m ending up with more questions. Not your fault. It’s just a lot more complicated than I thought it was going to be. Thanks for trying.  I appreciate the effort.”

"You just are putting off these very rushed vibes. And you can't really rush the dead Ramone. Would keeping the office door open make this more comfortable? I'm trying to make this as easy as possible for you. Sunglasses so you don't have to worry about eye contact and letting you choose where we sit to talk about Andrew and your concerns. Are you sure you wouldn't like a coffee? If caffeine would key you up too much, we have hot chocolate and tea? We can then go over how these phone apps work. Show me which one you've downloaded because there are a large amount to choose and some are completely useless." He said trying to be helpful.

“I’m not rushing,” Ramone said letting his irritation leak into his voice. “Can’t rush the dead. I get that. Done deal. I am no longer rushing. And I’m fine. Stop trying to get me to drink something. I don’t want anything to drink.”

The werewolf’s Beast had its hackles up, more because of Sebastian’s attempts to be a gracious host than because he was a vampire.  He pulled out his phone.

“I downloaded a couple of the apps. According to one of them, I’ve got the spirit of a serial killer possessed by a demon living in my hall closet. According to the other, my place is empty.  So yeah, both are useless in completely opposite ways.”

Sebastian nodded "Understandable, many are made for the entertainment of children looking for spooky thrills." He explained trying to ignore the were-wolfs irritation. "Let’s have you delete those apps shall we and see if we can get you set up with something. You don't mind spending a small fee for something that isn't a free app, do you?"

“Depends on how small the small fee is,” Ramone answered, as he deleted the two apps. “Are these add to your phone bill fees or grab a credit card fee?”

"A one-time credit card fee." Sebastian answered promptly.

The phone in Ramones hand dinged. The drop-down notifications showed it was Josie who had been making a habit of texting around the same time when they weren't together.

JOSIE: This Break Time I miss your face message is brought to you by, me.

“Well, let’s get it downloaded,” Ramone said. He ignored the text ping. If it was important, they would call him.

"At four bucks it won't break the bank." Sebastian said as he walked Ramone through the app store to download the SpirtTalker App. "With that downloaded, you have half of what you need. The apps can spit out false positives, but this one by far has been the most accurate for me. When you go back to listen to the Halloween session, you still be able to hear the apps compared to some of the EVP's we caught. While not exactly word for word what is spoken, the spirit and intention of the message is there. For the next part, you would do good to invest in something that isn't a phone app. There are a few options out there on the market so you can cross compare since you can't speak to or see ghosts directly. You find both the app and the spoken word generator are saying the same things, it means you are likely in business and not dealing with false positives. I use an Ovilus device, but at almost eight hundred dollars you might want to gravitate towards something with a lower price point like the Spirit Chat box. It has 10550 words in its dictionary so it's a sound option. It just lacks the other modes that the other device doesn't have like true false mode, phonetic mode, draw mode, as well as energy and proximity modes."

" My device I use has a limited dictionary of- "He paused to remember, "I think it was 2050 words but phonetic mode. However, if you are in contact with a spirit that can figure out how to work the device it can generate whatever words it wants and that is why I use it. But again, the Spirit Chat device doesn't have those other modes, but the robust dictionary makes it a good buy at around the three-hundred-dollar mark. It does have a screen that's large, easy to read and does store the words up on it for you to look at later. And before you ask, no I don't have stock in any of these items, it's personal preference of the user and how much you want to invest as to why I am tossing these options out on the table."

Ramone had been silent for several seconds, so Sebastian rose from his desk to open the small window in the office hoping to let in some of the board walks oceanic air into the room to perk the were wolf up some, without annoying him with questions.

“Fresh air.  Good idea.”  Ramone sighed. “Not going to lie, halfway through that my brain went to the Windows circle of death. I’m going to rely on your expertise. And if things work well with the cheaper one, maybe I will get to Oculus. No, wait, that is the VR thing. Ovulus? That thing. Start with the Navajos spirit talker and invest more if things go well. Unless you think the Ovulus is a better choice right out of the gate, with money not being an object. “

"I would say the Spirit chat box is a good option for the price point. If you want to build up your collection fantastic, you can do that. And if your friend moves on, you can resell this stuff. Some models are really sought out since they are produced in such small batches." Sebastian said glad to see the air had breathed some life into Ramone. "Anything else?"

Ramone paused, considering. Then he slowly shook his head.  “No, I think we’re good. Don’t rush it. I’ll probably have eight million questions the minute I walk out or ten seconds after dawn.”

The werewolf stood, towering over the vampire in the small office. He extended his hand. “Thank you.  You’ve been very patient and very helpful. I haven’t had the best history with vampires and dealing with you has been one of my more positive encounters.”

Sebastian slowly rose, closing and locking the small window. "Well, I'm here all night as they say, and you have my cell number.  Text or call at your leisure. I hope this brought you some clarity. In the meantime, try keeping the coin on you and see what happens. Keep a journal of any little changes you might notice."

“Clarity. And hopefully closure,” Ramone answered. “Keep the medal close and keep a journal. Got it. Thanks again.  And for even reaching out in the first place. Hopefully we can help Andrew find some peace.”  He looked at his phone. There was a text. Probably from Josie. She usually texted around this time if she wasn’t busy.

"In the end we all deserve a little peace. I'll see you out then." Sebastian replied as he opened the office door.

With luck Ramone would have some more precise results once he could cross reference with multiple tools.
“I will let you know,” Ramone said. The corner of his mouth twitched. “I will try not to ghost you on this.”
As he walked to his SUV, he pulled out his phone.

WOLF DADDY:  Was in a meeting.  Hopeful I didn’t waste your break. Miss your… face… too

[Maxx]

Nov 13th 6pm Archangel Industries- Nigel and Carmen

Carmen let out a delighted laugh as she and Nigel snuggled on his couch watching the antics of Satan.
"I freely admit you didn't disappoint; your cat is highly entertaining and a thing of beauty. Such beautiful coloration." She watched as the cat wandered around in circles with a cardboard box stuck on its head and laughed again. "Though it is abundantly clear that the girl's awkwardness does bleed through into the cat, or perhaps it was the catnip from earlier?"

“It is the catnip,” Nigel said, chirruping to catch Satan’s attention. “He is usually quite agile.”  He didn’t want to use his ability to call cats to bring the cat to him; he wanted it to come of its own volition because it knew he was going to help, rather than because there was no choice. “He frequently acts out, likely because of a lack of stimulation.  Would you perhaps be open to accompanying me when I take him for a walk?”

"Oh! I think I could be persuaded. My lovelies need a walk as well. My bitches had their litters, the paperwork to get them back into Italy is going to be a whole process, but yes, an evening walk sounds well. Do you think that- Satan can get along with a few dogs walking in his proximity?" Carmen asked, tilting her head as she sat up straighter, the prospect of a mini adventure intrigued her.

“He will likely think that he is the toughest animal on the block, with utter distain for your dogs and yet he will choose not to prove this superiority by provoking them. I think we should be fine. And if not, I can control him.”  Nigel chirruped again, patiently waiting for Satan to come closer. “Besides, given his current state, he might not even notice the dogs.”

Carmen nodded "That might be the case if you decide to leave the box on his head."

Satan backed up quickly in an attempt to free himself whipping his head back and forth, tail lashing about angrily ignoring Nigel's calls.  Carmen watched curiously "I still find it interesting that you opt to not use metaphysics to train him." The marbled cat let out a muffled yowl before drastically plunking down on the office floor. Head tilting for a brief moment before blindly panning the room.

“I am attempting to win loyalty, rather than compel obedience,” Nigel said, as he stood. “Come here, Satan.  Let me fix that for you.”  He made deliberate amounts of noise as he approached the large cat.  “Let me get that box for you.”

"Do you really think trying to win loyalty over forced compulsion makes a difference? Or is this due to it being more complicated with your American consent laws. I'm honestly curious since I normally compel my dogs. As time goes by, they don't resist, and it becomes second nature. They accept that I am their master. Their adoration comes in time. Having them from when they are birthed lessens many of the aforementioned challenges. I of course reward and spoil them when time permits. I'm not certain what I would do if I found a were-dog that met my expectations." Carmen asked as she watched Nigel pull the box from the cat’s head.

“Having the ability to command and control cats does not necessarily extend to lycanthropes,” Nigel said as he reached out to touch Satan. “It does in this case, but it is not a guarantee. You may not be able to affect were dogs. And yes, the laws do play a major factor. Use of vampiric power on an unwilling victim is a felony that warrants the death penalty.”

"And how do your laws prove this if it is done behind closed doors? I've not met many were-dogs. The ones I have met, were controllable. I've taken a page from your book and have held out on claiming one as a Beast to call. What will you do with this one? Win over beast and woman to finally get you Beast to call or pass and hope another springs into being." Carmen could not help but smile as the free cat bounded over to the couch and perched on the back of it looking down at her before it began to groom itself.

“I try not to get in the habit of breaking too many laws behind closed doors,” Nigel said, clearly being facetious.  “I would rather have Katherine choose to join me of her own free will.  It would be taxing to compel Satan’s loyalty.  With true loyalty comes a willingness to go above and beyond and if I was to grant her immortality, I would want to know that I would not be fighting him for all eternity.  This is my only opportunity, because Katherine was created. She is unique.”

"So how long do you hold out before you say enough is enough? A year? Five? Ten? I recall you telling me she was fond of Maria, but not so much yourself." She said, rising to her feet readying to go as she texted for her two bitches to be brought down to the lobby leashed and ready to have a short adventure. “It is a good thing you like the occasional challenge."

"I will try to win Satan within the next five years," Nigel said.  "That should give her enough time to discover that she is alone in the world.  Once her remaining family has passed, Maria and I will be essentially all she has left.  She will come to us in the end."

"I'm surprised at the soft approach. No disrespect is meant. As my mentor you taught and shaped me. Studying and learning from Ceasar's Dark Horse was a privilege. But I remember your teachings to be more Machiavellian when dealing with others. You've changed tactics opting for a velvet glove over the iron gauntlet. Do know if her family isn't long lived due to genetics or are you assuming that they might have an accident?"

Satan finished with his grooming jumped off the couch and made his way to the double doors of his office now that the stress of the entrapment was mostly forgotten.  Rising onto haunches the cat swatted at one of handles a few times.

“Caesar’s Dark Horse.  Now there is a name I have not heard in a long time.”  Nigel smiled. “There are times where the velvet glove is to be used. There is also the limited chance that she is not unique. If I could find a stronger cat, I would certainly prefer it. It would be similar to finding a wet dog chihuahua. Would you bind it to yourself for all eternity or would you wait for a Cane Corso?”

He extended a hand to Carmen. “Shall we take in the night air?”

"We shall. I am sure wrangling a cat for a walk is going to be entertaining." She mused.

True to that fact Carmen had enjoyed watching Nigel chase the cat around the office at preternatural speeds. If the cat enjoyed walks it was clear it did not like the harness Nigel had to wrestle the cat into. The clear winner for the evening however was Nigel. He was faster than the cat even if the cat had great cornering speed and a certain unpredictability to it. In the end it was Maria who helped sooth the speckled cat, and it wasn't either long before the vampires made their way out into the night air, Carmen with her two bitches and Nigel with his cat. Two of her were-wolf bodyguards trailed close by.

There were of course many who gave the pair curious looks and had the gall to snap photos and ask what sort of breed Satan was.  But in time they got away from the people and made their way to a park that evening where Carmen visibly relaxed. "Is it always like that? The people clambering up to you to ask questions and take photographs? I don't know how you put up with it. How does one get any peace around here unless you shut yourself in?"

“It depends on who you are,” Nigel said. “I have been the public face of the vampires in Seattle for many years, so I am something of a celebrity. Satan of course draws attention for his size and coloration. You being with me will draw attention in most places. There are, of course, less public venues but it is rare to find an American vampire who is not an attention whore.”

Nigel clicked a button on the leash handle, allowing Satan more range. “He will find a tree he likes and attempt to jump to one of the lower branches,” he predicted. “He has yet to figure out that the leash works vertically as well as horizontally.”

Satan padded silently through the grass ignoring the dogs as they sniffed about.  Eventually he froze eyes large and focused on a tree as he began excitedly chattering at a leafless maple that was home to several squirrel nests.

Carmen paused to watch. "Oh my, isn't he quite the hunter tracker."

“I believe the proper term is murder hobo,” Nigel said with a chuckle as he unclipped the cat’s leash. The harness remained on, but Satan was now free to commit his atrocities against the unwary squirrels.   “Do your dog’s enjoy raw meat?” he asked. “There may be some available very shortly.”

"Murder Hobo? Goodness gracious me..." Amber eyes watched as the cat took to the tree with ease. "My dogs do on occasion. Do you ever marvel or frown at how hard English is? I struggle because there is so much slang. The English speaking on my security staff do try to help. Hobo... a vagrant, murder, to end a life usually violently.... you put the two together and... " She watched as the cat crawled up onto a branch tail twitching as the rest of the body stilled. "It's bizarre because your cat has a home. But I do agree on the murder part. Your cat has keen hunting instincts."

“Satan likes two things,” Nigel said. “Catnip and murder. In this case hobo refers not to a vagrant but simply to one who does.  Murder hobo. One who does murder.  English can be difficult to keep up with, I agree. Even when one is fluent, the vocabulary changes. It is likely the same in Italy. My Italian would be a few decades out of date.”  He placed a hand on Carmen’s arm. “You see the way his tail is moving? He’s going to creep up, rather than pounce.”

"You read him like a book." Carmen whispered as she stood beside Nigel, slipping an arm around him to rest her hand on his hip, her head against his chest. “I suppose the same can be said in Italy, but a lot of English has also bled into the language. It seems very had to escape, so it seems a good time to learn it.”

The black and white cat slid along the branch on his belly, inching closer to the squirrel's home.   “He’s a cat,” Nigel said. “I read them all like books.”  He too put his arm around Carmen. “I have missed you,” he said. “And I miss Italy. Perhaps one day I will be able to visit.  We can terrorize Venice one night for old time’s sake. One wonders if they still talk of the Night of Howls.”

Carmen laughed softly. "Sadly, anyone that could have shared that story is dead unless they are like us. I've missed you too. You seem really happy here. But that is to be expected when you have many fewer vampires that can dictate what you can do. I am one of Caesars dogs and I owe that to you. Had you not taken me under your wing, I would have been less than that, likely a dead and discarded pawn. At least now I am one seen semi favorably. Enough so to be allowed to come here to visit so I shouldn't complain. But the freedom you must experience...Ah... I can only dream of such things."

Satan sprang into action, slamming his paws against the nest as there was an explosion of leaves that flew into the air, along with fur and the screams of confused squirrels. A small family rained onto the ground, their winter home demolished.

“You would never have been a discarded pawn,” Nigel said. “Others would have seen what I saw. It might have taken a little longer, but your assets would have been recognized.  I am grateful that I was able to help turn you into the powerful woman you are.”  He chuckled at Satan’s antics. The slaughter was about to begin, as soon as Satan realized his claws were empty. “The black one with the crooked tail. I think that will be the sole survivor.”

Satan flew off the branch, pouncing on one squirrel as he picked it up and shook it before tearing off after a very large, fat grey one.

Carmen shook her head, amused at the chaos as she watched. "So you say, but there are many vampires that don't appreciate the fairer sex still.  Our uses are rather limited unless you have the power to back up your claims and to silence the naysayers. Is your Master here in Seattle harsh and cruel? Or do you like working under him? Do you ever wish you had someone else running the show? Back home one could hardly imagine that anyone except the council could or would ever come to Italy to dethrone Caesar."

“There has only been one moment when I was concerned,” Nigel confessed. “I was asked where my loyalty would lie, should there be a dispute between the Master of the City and the Arctic Wolf, because I have had a longstanding friendship with the latter.  I know on which side my bread is buttered as they say. Waylon is a fair master. I do not know how things will change, now that he had stepped from the shadows. Perhaps I will still be running things, only this time I will not have the target on my back.  If I needed to leave the city, I would ask Caesar if he had an opening in a heartbeat. Perhaps he would have use for one who knows the ways of the New World.”  He licked his lips at a sudden spray of blood. Satan was certainly not failing to entertain this evening. “Now imagine this without the catnip slowing him down.”

The Vampiress rubbed his hip. "I understand the given name now. I thought it a little over the top at first, but watching him and hearing your stories, it is a name that suits."

Carmen's dogs watched as Satan sprinted off after his next squirrel target as the dogs sniffed at the blood in the air whining softly. "I've not encountered the Arctic Wolf personally, my status in the vampire world isn't at a level where he would give me a place except perhaps as a bed partner. I never found that an appealing job and was quite happy to work my way out of that particular chapter of my unlife. You would come to Italy rather than rule by your friend's side? I delight in that answer, but I have to ask why would you give up all this freedom? Do you miss Italy that much?"

“It is the degree of familiarity,” Nigel said. “My association with the Arctic Wolf is long past and was far more savage than this new world permits. We were conquerors and I have found the wholesale spilling of blood has lost its charm. Now the Arctic Wolf surrounds himself with children and I have never been a fan. Besides, Italy would require a sharper edge and returning to it would bring back a part of me that does not get to see many stars here. Do you think your dogs would be interested in a treat?  Satan revels more in the kill than the feast.”

"No disrespect to your current city but Italy and its cities do hold their charm. The oceanside ones have always been sought after to rule.  Should you decide you want a change of scenery please let me know."
She let go of Nigel to let her bitches approach the dead squirrels that Nigel's cat was dispatching.

“Old World charm they call it and for good reason.”  He watched as a skinny squirrel with amazing cornering abilities led Satan on a merry chase.  “The architecture is unmatched, even centuries later. The art….”  he gave a chef’s kiss. “And of course the women are without peer. Let the Americans worship their pasty blondes. Give me a woman with dark hair, dark eyes and a fire in her soul.  Yes, Carmen, if I found myself without a home here, I would return to the Old World. To the true courts. We grow lethargic here, where we can walk the streets openly and yet are forced to endure the ridicule and scorn of lesser beings. I long to be feared, Carmen. I miss it.”

"It is very different here. The photos, the curiosity from our prey. The lack of hunters and also the amount of vampires. To hear there were seven hundred in this city alone?  Pure insanity, if I can speak in earnest. How does one decide who they gift with the dark kiss? I'm still trying to figure it out. They all can't be as I was born. Born of an accident having crawled from a pile of corpses my neck not properly broken." Carmen said quietly.

“Some come to us and ask, although I do not think it is a gift for the asking,” Nigel said. “Yes, there are seven hundred. The majority work for Archangel but it is not a requirement. I have recently rewarded my pomme for twenty-five years of loyal service with the gift of immortality.  One of our accountants opted for immortality to stave off death from brain cancer. Some are chosen. Some are accidents. The accidents frequently lead to the death of the sire because if there is no permission, it is a crime. There is one human who serves as the legal executioner.  His name is Father Domenic Sozio. He is at the same time a Catholic priest, federal marshal and court appointed executioner of vampires, shapeshifters and other preternatural beings that are considered unsafe to imprison.”  He leaned over and kissed the nape of Carmen’s neck. “I am very glad your neck was improperly broken. You would not be here otherwise.”

"As am I overly joyed that you took me on as an apprentice despite being a woman.  I can remember Caesar giving you the option to reject me openly. The surprise that was had when you said yes. Such suppressed ecstasy. Should you decide to come down please do so, Caesar would love to pick your brain about America and would find your were-cat to be a great source of amusement." Carmen gently kissed the side of Nigel's mouth, enough for contact but to not leave lipstick behind as she whispered. "You could cement things with Katherine as well without all the complications that stem from living here."  The sound of another squirrel letting out a death cry echoed through the park. Carmen shook her head focusing on the here and now.  "Are you not worried the cat will attack any humans?"

“Not while I am here,” Nigel answered. “Neither does he seek larger prey except for me.” He chuckled softly and moved closer to whisper in her ear. “That suggestion justifies every moment I spent teaching you. And where are those who mocked you? Certainly not in as auspicious a place as we find ourselves now.”

Carmen let out a delighted shiver. The praise was something she savored "Such praise..." She softly whispered, "I thank you. You were a phenomenal teacher.  Even the wild cat pays you heed despite it not truly being collared."

“And yet I lament that I can only control cats,” Nigel said. “If I could expand it. Civets. Servals.  Tiny steps larger that would eventually lead to a bigger cat. Ocelot.  Lynx. Perhaps even one day tigers or leopards.”

"The question you need to ask yourself is do you let this moment pass in hopes that a few hundred years from now that you can do this, or do you seize the moment now and hope as time passes that you can grow the power base as a thrupple? Questions I need to ask myself as well. As long as there are witches, we will have more were-dogs. I choose to wait because I want a strong one, even if it means I am currently weaker than my betters. I have however told myself there is a time limit to this being finicky.  If I haven't found my perfect were-dog in a hundred years, I will settle for less than. If I come across something that is close to perfection, I would consider that as well." Carmen said, staring up at the night sky.

“There are two in the city that I am aware of,” Nigel said. “I will arrange a meeting. Harry and Rufus.  Harry is a hereditary; I’m not certain about Rufus. You would need to talk to Noah. And yes, I am aware that I may never get another chance.  Have you considered finding an appropriate candidate then finding a witch to curse him?  Weredog made to order.”  Nigel pointed. “Look. The one with the crooked tail has decided he’s safe on that branch. I’ve seen Satan jump twice that high.”

Carmen smiled softly as she tracked where Nigel pointed. "I had thought about that but much like normal lycanthropy there is no guarantee that a skilled man will grow into being strong. It's almost like the curse is designed to keep them weak so the rest of the community can have at them. Thus, I do understand your frustration with having to decide."

“I’ve always thought the strength of the dog would be based on the strength of the witch placing the curse,” Nigel said. “A powerful witch could create a Pomeranian or a Rottweiler as they preferred.  But finding a hereditary weredog?  You would have a loyal family of them in time.  Perhaps that would be a better choice.”

"Yes, it seems rather random maybe you have better ties with the witches here, and they are willing to openly work with you but in Italy, you know how it is, everyone wants to be separate unless you can strong-arm them or entice them. " She said as she watched Satan spring into the air and snatch the squirrel from the branch, ending the killing streak.

“If he had been less foolish, that squirrel would have lived,” Nigel said. “Much like the witches. They seem to think they are outside our grasp, only to turn around to find us emerging from the shadows, too close for them to react.”  He chuckled. “You remind me of the old ways,” he said. “You should have come to visit sooner. I am realizing how soft this country has made me.”

"If I have stirred things and reawaken them, take to heart that, with this second awakening, many of those that you keep company with are likely still walking through the night eyes wide shut. Embrace that knowledge, it might be of value to you,” she counselled. "Though I do see the appeal of living in this wonderland playground where the laws protect, and the sheep throw themselves before your feet. If you keep your wits and don't succumb to the sweet excess, you could do much to stake a claim and claw out a handhold in this country, of that I have no doubt. The issue is doing so with finesse and not attracting the attention of the mortals. Your Master had an interesting idea to let you be in the public eye, but I can also see why some old ones would be unhappy to see this ruse working for him."

Satan came back with the head and de-gloved portion of the crooked tailed squirrel as he threw it down on Nigel's shoes. He licked his blood-stained maw as if he expected accolades for ridding the park of part of its squirrel population.

Nigel stroked Satan’s head. “Well done,” the vampire crooned. “So many dead.  So much blood. You did a fine job.”  Praise was something Satan understood; Nigel was well aware of that. He picked up the squirrel, sniffing it thoroughly, before holding it out to the big cat again. “A fine piece. You should enjoy it.”

The cat took the dead animal and scooted back up the tree that had multiple nests. The vampires watched as the cat flung the remains as it landed on one of the squirrels winter homes.

Carmen let out a soft amused snort as she watched the cat begin to groom.

“He does indeed have a unique approach to life,” Nigel said. “One wonders if he is going to purge this tree or whether he sees his task as complete.” Perhaps the disturbed nest would disgorge its population. Perhaps they would remain hidden and escape Satan’s wrath.

"I assume we will find out shortly." Carmen replied as the pair watched Satan climb up higher after several seconds. "In regard to the were-dog visitation, besides the no feeding from them unless they allow for it, what other rules should I be aware of? "

"One of the Were-dogs is part of another vampire's entourage," Nigel explained.  "Have you met Noah? He's here because he managed to convince the Master of the City that he has value, which protected him from the Arctic Wolf's wrath.  He won a rigged poker game and absconded with a young were-swan that was intended to be a future gift to the Master and used her to buy favor.  He also managed to arrange for an alliance with the local werewolves that put wolf blood on the menu, at the cost of barring Master Volkov from the city for twenty years.  He's been spending his summers here, to avoid the midnight sun.  Noah has a bad habit of annoying vampires more powerful than he is but somehow managing to find a patron who can protect him.  I suspect his days are numbered but he seems to have the Devil's own luck.  The other were-dog is free and therefore subject to the protections of American laws.  In other words, treat him as if he were your equal, even though he is not."

"Interesting. So how many vampires are there on this list? I'll take a mental note of the fact one of the dogs is in fact a part of an entourage. He's not a Pomme, is he?"

“At least three,” Nigel answered, pointing to himself.  “Obviously he is rather reticent about revealing the other names on the list, but it includes his sire, whoever they are. As far as I am aware, Noah has no pomme. He has no human servant, and he has no animal to call. One would not consider him a candidate for mastery if not for his ability to manage an entire coterie of different types of shapeshifters, including a lion, a tiger, a leopard, a mated pair of wolves and the dog. He had a bear, but she decided vampire politics was a little too intense for her and went home. That seems to be another element of his mystery. They are with him out of some form of loyalty, rather than compulsion. They all seem to owe him some debt or other and it seems to rarely involve actual debt. Rufus is an exception, because Noah essentially bought him from his previous employer, who used him as a ringer in dogfighting.”

"From what has been gleaned from other vampires the angry master is common enough. But he must be very young if he has no powers that set him apart from normal vampires aside from being able to sustain his spark.  So, he tricked a rather older vampire so I can understand this dislike there. No vampire likes to have egg on their face and for that to end up out in the public eye. So, what did he do to anger you and the Arctic Wolf and gain you as enemies? I pity the fool. " She said softly as the large cat smacked another squirrel nest sending leaves and squirrels flying.

Nigel went to speak several times, frowning each time.  "I cannot quite put my finger on it," he said finally.  "I would almost call it jealousy but that isn't it.  He has this ability to pull luck out of his ass.  Right place, right time.  Gaining success in places where the reward does not merit the risk.  Achieving things that he has no right to achieve in the timeframe involved.  He had a treaty with the werewolves in weeks after arriving in the city for the first time.  People trust him almost instinctively and that is what makes me not trust him.  He's playing a game where only he knows the rules and he's too young to be having this much success against people who have played similar games longer."

"Perhaps he uses a talisman or spell of some sort? My knowledge on such things is rather limited but we do have adages such as the luck of the Irish. And there are apparently creatures out there like jinn and fey." Carmen offered as she took Nigel's hand giving it a gentle squeeze as they watched Satan pounce on the fleeing squirrels not bothering to properly dispatch them.

"Oh, he's not Fae.  We have one on the payroll.  He's restricted to interacting with female guests, because the men want to punch him in the face."  Nigel watched as Satan smacked a half-stunned squirrel with one paw and when it changed direction, smacked it with the other paw.  "As far as I know, the use of magic by us is very rare.  If it turns out that is what he's been up to, I'll personally tie him to a flagpole and set up a camera to record the sunrise."

"Perhaps he is not a magic user himself but has found others to give him an edge.  You speak of him having incredible luck and his dealings with others going positively. If you think it is unnatural and beyond his ability due to age, what other conclusions are there other than outside influences, or you happen to be incorrect, and he has a natural affinity for being a likeable individual.  I met him once while out with Malaki. Although we didn't have much conversation that evening. Maybe I can look into him more deeply to draw my own conclusions on why he is so liked or disliked by those he meets."

"He does have some interesting associates," Nigel said nodding.  "Although magic among shapeshifters is slightly more common than among us, it is still rare.  Do not allow my bias to affect your opinion.  You should learn to despise him on his own merits."

Carmen let out a delighted laugh. "Oh my, he has gotten under your skin. He is but a child. I don't remember you disliking the young ones so intensely. Perhaps it is just a case of you spend so little time with the younger ones now that you have your glass tower and cultivated distractions, that they seemingly annoying you more. May I ask if you have tried to work past your resentment? If he is a new denizen of your city, should you not try to put him to work and use those talents? Would that not be better to use his abilities to improve our vampiric holdings in the city so that our kind thrive more and gain better advantageous foot holds?"

“He’s not staying,” Nigel said. “He’s searching for his animal to call. He might return if he finds it quickly enough, to entrench himself within the next twenty years. If he does return, I will put him to good use, but I will not protect him from his own folly.”

Carmen listened "And how is the local vampire youth in this city?  The vampiric population dwarfs what you would find in any Italian city. Do you have any whelps that would be worthy to study under you? With your population sitting close to the 700 mark if that is accurate, you must have to have a handful of up and coming contenders."

“A handful with promise,” Nigel replied. “Many who would not have survived their first nights in Europe. The Schoolmaster teaches them to survive here, where we are legal. Were our status to change, I suspect his lessons would not serve them particularly well. Perhaps I should speak with the Master and see if he would find value in teaching those who are worthy some of the old ways.  Just in case.”

"Do you worry that they could repeal legal status for our kind? I can't see this as sustainable if the vampiric population continues to grow. Blood wise, there is going to come a day when there is a strain. Blood banks and hospitals must be in competition and have to see our existence as direct competition. I worry that you have put yourself into a position where your face is well known now, disappearing into the shadows if this country decides to change its stance on vampires should be concerning." Carmen said as she gently linked her arm through his as the continued their evening stroll.

“Of course I worry,” Nigel said. “We are not so secure in our place that we can think ourselves safe and secure. The humans gave us these rights and they can take them away. I can rely on my power to protect myself and those I care for. There are cats everywhere in this country and where there are cats, I have reliable allies.”

"That is very reasonable. So, if you lost legality you would still choose to remain in this country," she mused.

"I was here before we became legal.  I would be quite comfortable if our status was revoked."  He smiled.  "I might also be open to returning to Europe.  I have not forgotten the old ways.  I might be a touch soft at first, but a decade would have me back to my old self, much to the chagrin of those who thought my softness went to the core."

"Do you have concerns over the number of vampires traversing your city? Do you not think that you might need to have a cleansing? Such things happen in Europe from time to time and our numbers are much smaller, though I suspect the overall quality of the vampires residing within is superior. If one needs a large amount of shock troops they can be made, but the punishment for making without authorization by your city ruler is great. Do you have anything in place for that? Or is that why you have the large numbers you have?" she asked as she watched Nigel's cat climb another tree in the distance.

"Sadly, the law protects those vampires.  We cannot purge, although there are some that need to be expunged.  We can only hope that they improve enough that they will be able to serve in a crisis."  Nigel chirped at Satan.  "There are some who have potential that they refuse to realize, and the law prevents us from taking the necessary steps."

"It must be frustrating to have so many restrictions holding you back from taking care of business. Is it honestly worth the legality of existing amongst the humans, or do you secretly wish for the days before all of this?" Carmen asked as she watched the black and white speckled cat sprint back to Nigel to drop a decapitated squirrel head down at Nigel's feet. "The view from your tower certainly is nice, but how do you go about making the children grow and realize their potential if there is no whip or stick. Do you really just offer carrots?"

The pair converse for another half hour until Satan got tired of hunting squirrels. Nigel called the large cat back and clipped onto the leash again the pair of vampires made their way out of the park. "You do know I'd love to help you. Should you think of a vampire that could benefit from some time at the Italian courts, I could be persuaded to make sure we have space for an extra coffin. " She said flashing him a smile as they approached the entrance of the park.

"Is that space for an extra coffin in addition to mine?" Nigel asked with a chuckle.  "Because you make a compelling argument.  I would like to visit the old places, with you at my side.  You bring back many fond memories.   I will need to think about who would most benefit from exposure to the old ways.  It would need to be someone who has a degree of power, so they would not be crushed, as well as a nature that would absorb the lessons that they were being taught.  A lesser master perhaps or one who had potential to become one.  I will discuss it with Waylon and see who he suggests.  In the meantime, how have you found America?  Existing openly, without needing to put the fear of our wrath into those around us?"

"Last night was interesting. I was invited to an intimate gathering being held by one of this cities blossoming Masters. An incubus from Belle’s line. I was intrigued to find out Seattle seems to be home to several young Master vampires," Carmen explained. "As for space on the plane if you wished to come back with me, I would make space. I could understand the desire to potentially come along to keep watch on your selected protégé. Given my choice, I'd be over the moon if you were to accompany us back to Italy. By all means bring Maria and your Cat."

[Maxx]

Sat Nov14th 10pm -Malaki and Ronnie

There was no way for Ronnie to tell time in the underground sealed room.

Ashton saw to him at different times of the day to bring him meals, hydration and basic meds.

It was during Malaki's meal that Ashton had reported in that Ronnie was in poor condition. Withdrawals had wreaked havoc on the boy. He was rarely eating or drinking without it coming back up. Ronnie had recently found the energy to bust the rooms light and claw at the door until his fingernails tore leaving his hands bloody and sore.

Ronnie did not hear Malaki approach until the door began to open. Light poured in from behind the lean vampire making him physically more menacing.

"Tsk tsk. Destroying my property will not do." It was unclear if he was talking about the light or Ronnie himself. With a graceful step backwards, Ashton entered the room moving to replace the light bulb.

The light hurt his eyes as he backed up into a corner as he trembled. Partially due to being naked, the room wasn't freezing but it wasn't warm. Partially due to low blood sugars as the food that was provided lay mostly untouched and partially because... well fear. He wasn't sure where he was and why he was here.

He made the softest of noises, a failed attempt to speak, his throat was too sore, lips too cracked and dry from the stress of licking at them and chewing at them.  He had thought that it would be easy to rush the door and escape, but every time the moment came, he had balked.

Even now he didn't have the energy to do much as a voice chided him and another person the one that normally came to bring him his food for the day entered to change that light. He wasn't sure what was worse the light always being on or the darkness he had been sitting in.

Ronnie looked up at the man with the two-toned hair before just curling up and giving him his back. Hope wasn't something he had much of. How long had he been in here? It had to be weeks?  Then again maybe it had only been days. Most people ate three times a day? Or were they only feeding him once a day or every few days? He wasn't sure nor was he sure that the food was safe to eat. A few attempts had been made but nothing stayed down.

The time down in the room had done things to Ronnie. The first was a detox to his body of the illicit drugs he liked to sample. The food provided was healthy as per Malaki's request and had the additional benefits of being garlic free. Ashton was just thoughtful like that.

It has come as a surprise that the teen would turn down the food. He normally turned down the beverages as well unless it was soda pop in a sealed can.  If that wasn't provided Ronnie removed the top of the toilet tank and would occasionally drink the water from there. "Home please." Ronnie whispered into the corner.

Ashton was emotionless as he moved towards the curled form in the now lit room. He said nothing but his touch was incredibly gentle as he tried to manipulate Ronnies body in a way to inspect his hands. Words would fall on deaf ears both the boys and his masters.

"Oooh home. This is your new home until I deem it so." Malaki leisurely entered the room.  His presence a stark contrast to the gentle man beside Ronnie.

"Please. You hear that Ashton, he is aware of the word. I wonder how many times the girl pleaded, begged or whispered that word into the void inside her head. How odd you think invoking please could help you here." Malaki looked to the untouched food. "Worse than owning a cat." He clicked his tongue. "I suppose we could always strap him to a chair and IV some fluids into him. It would let me practice my rigger skills it has been a long time. Be a lamb Ronnie and let Ashton look at those hands. Do not think I will not put you in a straitjacket if I must." Malaki grinned maliciously.

Ronnie wasn't following everything, it was confusing, but he offered hands as he squinted against the harsh light in the room. His throat was raw from the screaming he had done. Why he was locked in this room was a mystery due to Malaki's earlier mindfucks. Ronnie just knew he had been locked up for what felt like an eternity, but this two-toned haired man was a new addition to things. His stomach twisted and churned in on itself as Malaki entered the room. He showed his hands to the old man, proving he had nothing hidden in them as he nervously felt himself back into the corner of the room as the pale vampire approached. He wasn't sure why, but the man made him feel very unsafe despite having done nothing more than speak. His heart beat faster, and he shivered slightly trying to do his best to look small and nonthreatening, his head lowered to look at the concrete floor.

Ashton’s gentle touch was warm as he tended to Ronnie’s fingers and hands. His gaze shifted to Malaki who scoffed.

"Fine. Do not look at me that way. We will increase the heat, but he will not receive clothing. If left to his own devices I refuse to allow him to water board himself on his own vomit." Malaki crouched down drinking in the boy’s fear. He didn't have ability to sustain himself on others fear or the nose of a shifter, but it was palpable all the same.

His mouth opened slightly scenting the air in an animalistic manner. He sighed as he shot unraveled back to a standing position. "This will not do. How ever will we play our games in these conditions. Hydration should be our focus. How do you feel about an I.V. bag? Would you like to feel hydrated?"

"No thanks." Ronnie murmured as he winced when Ashton poured Hydrogen peroxide on his infected fingers. His mouth was dry, talking felt like a chore and currently he was trying hard to not whine like an injured dog from the first aid he was getting from the old man. "Why so this? Ransom? You picked a shitty target for that, I ain't got anyone."

"Oh no, you see I have the perfect target because you have no one. Well, there is that pesky older brother, but I digress. The fact you have devolved into this state is a tad disappointing for all the huffing and puffing you do. I suppose I'll have to chop that one up to the drugs. Have you always liked picking on the weak Ronnie?" Malaki asked casually as he examined his fingernails. It was not long since they tasted blood and the sensation of tearing flesh. But they yearned for it and so did Malaki. There were good points to their kind coming out of the shadows and for awhile it was the most interesting thing to happen in years. Human law came alongside it however, making an already long life dull and boring.  It would seem Klaus had gotten a good position, at least he still got to have a little sanctioned fun.

"I usually don't start fights. But I do my best to finish them. Quash beefs as soon as you can." Ronnie replied as he stayed curled up on himself.

"So dear Ronnie this quashing of beef. This is by any means necessary? Including dragging other people into said beef that had nothing to do with the situation? Or is that only when someone hurts your pride?" His once disinterested glance at his fingers turned artic while it shifted to the coiled form. Part of Malaki wanted so desperately to end the boy’s life here and now.

Ashton pulled away slowly standing to his feet. He glanced to Malaki with a raised brow. "Sir, if you over load his brain in this fragile state it could not be fatuitous."

Malaki sighed. "Fine, answer me this Ronnie. What type of beef deems multiple men to beat, rape and leave a young girl for dead?”

Ronnie thought about it. "Stealing from me or anyone else on the street that ran with me would do it. Mad disrespect might do it too.  Ratting someone out to the popo, that gets you in deep shit. You need street cred and for peeps to know they can't be hustling or disrespecting you or your crew. You let that slide and then everyone thinks you a chump.  Then you get played."

"Well in that dear Ronnie. I feel madly disrespected. You and your crew picked the wrong person to play with." Malaki’s voice shifted adding many minced phrases and wording. "So, I suppose I should quash my beef with you and yours as soon as I can based on your logic." Malaki closed the gap between him and Ronnie in a blink his voice quivering with rage as he spoke with purposely exposed fang.

"But you see Ronnie I have nothing BUT time. Time, I intend to take again and again and again." Malaki pulled back slowly as he restrained himself taking in a habit like calming breath.

"Alas I do not wish to play with broken toys. So, get better Ronnie. I so wish to quash my beef thoroughly." Malaki’s words were cold and detached.

"Fix him Ashton. By force or restraints if you must."

Ronnie paled as he spotted the fangs. A silent internal struggle of rage and panic swept over him as he tried to find words and say something clever. However, the words didn't come as he was chilled to the core. Malaki's rolling had muddled his memory enough that he couldn't connect all the dots, but he knew enough that he had a pissed off vampire in the room with him.

He wanted to snarl that the laws of the streets didn't pertain to this vampire who clearly had enough money to have a hide-out to house him in and a person to watch over him and to 'take care' of him.

He waited until the vampire wasn't in the room as he finally found a voice and muttered that the vampire didn't know shit.

Ashton let out a sigh as he stood and began to clean up. "It's because he knows shit that you are in this situation. Alas it is not my story to tell. Keep the spark kid. Any requests of something you will eat? I will tube feed you if I have to and I think neither of us want that." Ashton asked as he moved towards the heavy door.

"Chef Boyardee beefaroni?" Ronnie asked. The food that had been pushed on him had been a little strange and not anything he had wanted to try. But the canned pasta was a mental comfort from back when he was a tiny child in the single digits before his life had gone to shit. It was familiar, nostalgic, and comforting.

Ashton stopped on the threshold "That can be arranged. Cold or hot?"

Ronnie lifted his head looking confused. "Who would eat that cold. Warm right? It's got meat in it. You have to cook it."

"Then it shall be. Rest now." Ashton said as he closed the heavy door behind him leaving Ronnie alone with the hum of the fluorescent lighting over head out of the boys reach after the echo of locks stopped. It was not long after that Ronnie felt the gentle breeze of warm air touch his exposed flesh. It would seem the heat had finally been turned up.

[Maxx]

November 17th Wererat Moving Day

“I’ve got a box here with no label,” Mike called out. “Looks like kitchen stuff. Smells like about six different people so I have no idea who it belongs to. Who uses Corel with a blue flower pattern?”

“Just about anyone who uses Corel,” Tony responded. “Set it by the entrance. Someone will likely recognize it.”

“Sounds good, Boss,” Mike said.

“Bunk bed for the Chandler twins,” Don called out to the former veteran who was organizing the loading of one of the final trucks.

“Left side, as close to the front as you can get,” Tony answered.  “Use it to brace that chest of drawers. We’ve still got half a truck but that doesn’t mean we can afford not to pack it tight.”  He made a note of the added item on his clipboard. “How many trips to get the whole thing?”

“Two more,” Don replied. Having something to do, to take his mind off his recent losses, had done wonders for his mood.

“We’re ahead of schedule,” Tony said, nodding in satisfaction. “Okay, what’s next?”

Adalyn came out with a box in her arms. "I have a box of board games here. It was in the community room so, I guess we can divide it between the families with kids who aren't video game fans." She said with a bit of happiness in her voice even if it felt a tad flat to her.


"Aren't we leaving any of that for the people who are staying?  Joseph, Philip and Carl are planning on staying," Mike said.  "A couple of others too.  They've been down here too long. been homeless too long."

"I understand that," Tony said.  "Hell, I could have been in that boat, except for Lillia and Nick.  It's why I'm going to be staying to keep an eye on them.  They trust me.  Birds of a feather and all that."  He looked at the box.  "Better leave it here.  They'll need something familiar, after everyone's gone.  Change is hard on some."

"Change is hard for most. " Lillia said, joining them.  " But fighting against it just makes it worse.  It will come whether we like it or not." She looked tired, little lines of worry and weariness creasing her red rimmed eyes.  She had been cleaning out Nick's room, and it was obvious she had been crying while doing it.  " How's it coming? Any problems?"

“Unlabeled boxes has been the worst of it,” Tony answered. “Carl had a panic attack and changed.  I was expecting it. We fed him some hamburger and he’s holed up behind the water purifier. He’ll settle down when all the activity is done.”

“He’d probably appreciate you checking on him,” Mike suggested. “I’d place his freak out a little higher on the problem scale than an unlabeled box.”

"I agree. I'll go make sure he's alright. I wish he would move with the rest of us, but I do understand." Lillia said, taking a moment to brush up against each of them both physically and metaphysically. " Be back shortly."

Adalyn nodded and moved back to the common room to return the box of games. "I can always stop by on my way home from work with supplies for you guys," she offered.

“Appreciated,” Tony said. “We could use some TP, although it is not critical. Fruit and veggies are a little thin. There will likely be some complaining but I’d rather not have to deal with a bunch of wererats coming down with rickets or scurvy.”

"No problem, and I'll make sure to pick up some kerosene for the hurricane lamps and heaters in case you lose power," Adalyn offered as well. "I'm sure the snow will be coming soon enough.  Actually, let me go make sure that they didn't pack up all the mummy bags," she muttered.

Lillia poked her head into the space behind the water purifier. "Hey Carl. I heard you're having a rough time.  I know it's difficult dealing with so much change all at once." She moved to the wall and slid down to sit against it, patting her lap.  "Here, put your head on my lap," she said, waiting for him to scoot over to her before continuing.  " I can't fix everything, even though I wish I could.  That's not the way things work.  All I can do is try my best to help," she said, wrapping him in her Beast and stroking his fur.  "Try my best, and hope."

Watching Carl emerge from behind the water purifier was heartbreaking.  He was literally trembling with fear, but he clearly trusted Lillia enough to do as she asked.  Or perhaps he was afraid to disobey.  It was hard to tell.  He was making small noises as he lay there.  Lillia could feel the agitation in his Beast when she touched him.  It seemed like his Beast was running in circles, looking for a safe place and not finding one.  Lillia's lap was safer.  Behind the water purifier was safer.  But no place was safe.  Not right now.

Lillia was quiet for a moment, her fingers running through his fur until a drop of wetness landed there too.  Crying. Again. She had been holding it inside as much as possible, trying to be the pillar for them all as their world turned upside down, but really she was the same, broken hearted, scared, desperately trying to cling to something to regain that feeling of safety.  "I'm sorry," she whispered, hugging him against her.  " I'm so sorry."

Carl curled in tighter, almost burrowing in to Lillia’s body. It took a long time for the trembling to subside as they sat there in their mutual grief. Carl was by no means a strong rat and he was prey to wild swings of emotion that he couldn’t control, nor could he afford the medications that might have helped. His shifter metabolism made determining a proper dosage virtually impossible, so he generally just hid from society. Finding a family with the rats had helped some but his emotions rode him more fiercely than his Beast. He felt things far stronger than most.   That included his love and respect for Nick and Lillia. He felt her pain as keenly as he felt his own and snuggling was his only way to help her.

"Ah, aren't we a mess?"  Lillia half laughed, rubbing her cheeks free of tears.  "I know this is hard for you, and I wish I could change it all.  Nick and I.. We made mistakes.  Mistakes have consequences.  Unfortunately, in this case our mistakes have hurt those we care about the most, and for that I am so terribly sorry.  Still, I believe that Astrid is a good queen, and one that is more experienced and wiser than I.  And even though I no longer have that title, I will always do everything I can for you, and all of our brothers and sisters.  We are a family.  Always."  She kissed the top of his head and stroked his ears.

Carl’s trembling lessened, although it didn’t stop. It seemed to be coming in waves: shudder, still.  Shudder, still. He nuzzled Lillia’s face, trying to help wipe away her tears. The whiskers tickled.

Lillia gave a little laugh at the tickle, burying her face in his fur and breathing deep.  His anxiety was a sourness in his musk, making her sigh.  "I love you all so much," she said softly.  "I really do."

Carl couldn't speak in return, but his actions were louder than words.  He nuzzled Lillian's neck and shoulders, then, with his teeth gently around her wrist, tried to pull her back behind the water purifier.  In his own way, he was trying to protect her.

She let herself be pulled. It wouldn't hurt to humor him for a while.  Perhaps it would even act as a salve to her broken heart. Already she was working to direct the grief towards more productive avenues, after all. Soon she would have the chance at revenge.

The two rats, one in human form, one in rat form, tucked themselves behind the water purifier.  Lillia wasn't sure how long they were there.  It could have been an hour.  It could have been less.  Eventually, Tony stuck his head into the room.  "Lillia?  The last load is packed.  How is Carl doing?"


Lillia looked up.  "Better, I think. Still not good, but better." She continued stroking Carl's furry head.  "Are you staying here or going to help unload?"

"I'm what's left of the security here," Tony answered.  After Lillia lost her crown, she'd also lost her bodyguards.  Tony wasn't happy about it but like the soldier he was, he'd done as he was told.  It didn't stop him from wanting to protect her.  What had started as something akin to infatuation had morphed into far more paternal feelings for the young healer.  "You staying the night?"

"I can, if it will help.  " She said softly.  " I can't be everywhere for everyone, but I can be here tonight if you like."

Tony smiled. Lillia would always be his queen. “I think Carl would like that. I’ll grab a blanket and a pillow for you. Unless you rat out, it will be a little cold, even cuddled up to Carl like that.  Did you want to see if you can get him to come out to the common area?  We could all cuddle. It would probably help everyone. What do you say, Carl?  Cuddle puddle?”

Lillia smiled. “Now that sounds wonderful," she said.  "Come on, Carl. Let's make ourselves a nest to cuddle in."

It took a small amount of coaxing, but Carl eventually allowed Lillia to wriggle free and followed her out of the cramped space. He stayed very close to her, brushing her often as they made their way to where the other remaining rats, the outcasts, holdouts, the lost and the found, were gathering.

Lillia settled in the middle of the space so that anyone who wanted to cuddle close could. It was a definite that by the next morning they would all be a pile of limbs, both human and rat, and that was alright. In fact, it was more than alright.  It was good.

There were, in the end, ten of them cuddled together in the common area. Carl had stayed in rat form and Tony had joined him.  Joseph and Philip had elected to remain in human form. Mike had stayed with them, while Don, in his rat form, had done one last wander through the place that had been his home after being kicked out by his biological family.  He too eventually settled into the pile, burrowing in beside Mike and Lillia.  By that point Carl had drifted off into what seemed to be a dreamless sleep.

Humans would never be able to understand the extent of soothing that physical touch can have.  They were too busy trying to prove that they were independent to remember that even though they are hard wired to live in groups.  That wasn't a problem for lycanthropes usually.  Their animalistic side reminded them of the safety and comfort in numbers.  That was what they all would miss the most by having to move out of their warren.  Certainly, they could all come together for full moons and parties as they had previously, but it wouldn't be the same.  She decided then that it would be worth it to look into an arrangement that would allow at least some of them to live together in a large enough group to feel right.  The leopards had a farmhouse where several of them lived.  That wasn't a bad set up at all, and when discussing the move, there had been some talk of maybe being able to create a commune of sorts, which Lillia liked the idea of.  Astrid just wanted them out of the underground, so she would likely be happy enough if Lillia could find someplace for them to be.

That was something to work on later though.  For now, she wrapped her Beast around those that gathered around her like a shield against the odd quiet of a place that had been like its own city beneath Seattle.  She would miss it almost as much as she missed Nick.

Adalyn watched the group gathering into its cuddle puddle as Tony called it. She sat in silence for a few minutes before she got up and went towards the kitchen area.

As was her new ritual at night she settled herself on a stool that had been left for those staying behind. From her pocket she fished out a silver-colored zippo. For a few minutes she just flicked it open and closed, before she lit it and held it steady.  It was in this quiet moment of the night that she placed her arm over the open flame and let the fire lick at the tender flesh of her arm.   
She grit her teeth so that she made no sound and counted the seconds off in her mind until she'd made it a minute and had nasty blister forming from the burn.  Then she got up and went to the sink and ran some cold water over the burn just to ease the sting, before she returned to the main room and snuggled next to Mike.

“You know I can smell that, right?” Mike whispered, in a voice loud enough only for Adalyn to hear. It wasn’t impossible to whisper around shifters. It was just difficult, especially near those in full rat form. “It’s not healthy.”

Adalyn nodded her head against Mike's shoulder. "I know, but it's the only way I know I can still feel something. Today was rough, and I'm really in a fuzzy and warm place with the new monarchy," she said just as low.

“So, you don’t feel anything?” Mike asked, touching Adalyn’s cheek. “Not even annoyance at me for being such a dick all the time?”  His other hand was on her waist, just making contact so that his Beast could touch hers. He knew he was weaker, FAR weaker than she was, but he firmly believed that it was the subs that supported the Alphas, while the alphas were busy protecting the subs.  Nick had taught him that, after he’d deposed the old king who thought that the subs were there to serve, and the Alphas were there to be served.

"All the time," she returned as she felt his beast touch hers. "But...hell I don't really know how to explain it. Take today, everyone had felt something about the packing, Don is pissed at the world right now. Lillia's dealing with having to move all of us, play peacemaker, and mourn for her lover. Me... nothing...like I'm in a cocoon."

“Maybe you should talk to someone,” Mike suggested. “A grief counsellor?  Feeling nothing is worse than feeling like shit.”

"I know, but I don't want Astrid to have her fingers in the pie," Adalyn confessed, it wasn't that she liked or disliked the other woman, but having to deal with the knowledge that Astrid would know that she need mental health help rankled.

“What pie? I’m confused.”

Somewhere in the pile, a sleepy voice said “Mmm.  Pie.  I like pie.”

"It's a metaphor for being in someone's business and controlling it in some form or fashion," Adalyn whispered and stilled as the sleepy confession was heard. "Maybe we should continue this talk later when folks aren't eavesdropping in their sleep."

“I know what it means,” Mike said. “I can’t see why you’d think she was getting in your business. It’s not like she’d sit in on the sessions.  And yes, we are going to talk about this later.”

Adalyn nodded again and moved in closer. She tried to find an answer as to why she felt the way she did about Astrid as she drifted off to sleep.

[Maxx]

Nov15th-the-awakening- Hospital Suki.

Suki sat at the campfire with her headphones on and her father's discman in her pocket as she slid another marshmallow onto her stick and held it over the dying fire. Razan had been put to bed, since he was too little to stay up as late as her.  The night was overcast but had held out. Not too far away, her mother Hannah and her father Hiro sat at the picnic table playing cards. She listened to the pounding beat of the song in her ears and the echoy voice as the lyrics flooded her senses.

Don't look don't look the shadows breathe
Whispering me away from you
Don't wake at night to watch her sleep
You know that you will always lose
This trembling
Adored
Tousled bird mad girl
But every night I burn
But every night I call your name
Every night I burn
Every night I fall again

She turned the marshmallow over and gasped as it burst into flames, and quickly pulled it out o the coals to blow on it to put the flame out. She peeled the blackened skin from it and ate it before licking the sticky, sweet sugar from her fingers. Camping really was nice, even if she hadn't mastered making a perfectly golden marshmallow yet. She would get it right before she was told to go to bed, she mentally promised herself. Patience was the key her dad had explained. Practice made perfect.

She bopped her head to the music, happy her father had trusted her with his discman and had let her listen to his music, despite it maybe not being to her taste and too grown up. Again she had taken that as a challenge to like this loud music which was not the norm for their household. As the chorus repeated, she bopped her head as it beat grew on her and the lyrics repeated over again.

She put another marshmallow on the stick, her sixth one since she had been left to entertain herself quietly, as she once again stuck her stick near the coals. This time a few inches higher as she whispered slow and steady. The song finished and looped back to the start, she had lost count that weekend of how many times she had listened to the song. Ten? Twelve? Twenty times, she wasn't sure definitely enough that she had changed the batteries in the discman once.
The wind blew softly that evening as the crickets sang, and young Suki sighed as the marshmallow almost upon being considered perfect slid off the stick onto the coals where it burst into flames again. .

She let out a soft groan of frustration. She reached out for another treat to try with and paused as she noted she had felt a drop of rain hit her face. Suki reached to wipe away the rain, only to notice it wasn't water. Her hand had come back stained and smeared red.

She looked at her hand, realizing it was too large to be her hand, she thought. It was a hand that belonged to a grown up. She rose to stand, the music still playing in her ears, and noted that a fog had begun to roll into the camp. It was tinged with darkness, almost black.

"Mom? Dad?" She called out but noted her voice didn't sound right. She slid the headphones off her ears as her brown eyes darted to the picnic table and she called out again. "Mom? Dad?"

The fog had overtaken the picnic table, and she was correct, her voice sounded strange to her ears. She looked around, noticing now that the fog had encroached the campsite fully and had almost corralled her so she was standing in a twenty-foot radius as if the campfire was the only thing keeping the dark miasma at bay.

"I'm dreaming, aren't I?" She whispered as she reached out to place another log on the fire so it wouldn't burn out. There was a moan from the fog. One of anguish and pain even as the music from the discmans ear phones sat around her neck.

Every night I burn
Waiting for my only friend
Every night I burn
Waiting for the world to end
Just paint your face the shadows smile
Slipping me away from you
Oh it doesn't matter how you hide

She could hear the sound of dragging as it got louder and closer. She felt herself grip her roasting stick tighter until a single pale and blood stained hand broke through the darkness, and her mouth ran dry as the fingers dug into the dirt. She could hear the slow, deliberate dragging continue.

Seconds passed that felt like minutes, before the fog birthed a visage from the dark. Pale and bloody, as if covered in sweat or a bloody water. Blue eyes shone like cobalt Christmas lights as the blond hair tousled and wild danced in the wind that wasn't dispersing the fog,

The face was so familiar as she tried licking her lips as she watched the man's face open their mouth, eyes still glowing and fangs now evident. "Adler?" She asked, her voice cracking.

"Suki you have to get out. Leave here." He gasped, his words a whispered warning. "Only the dead reside here, leave now. It's too dangerous."

She blinked and started as she heard Klaus scream and his face and body were jerked back into the darkness as a feral growl erupted from the dark followed by the sounds of rending and tearing and Klaus screaming.

Suki screamed in terror and confusion as well.

There was an explosion of light and pain as she screamed. She squeezed her eyes shut, the light was so bright as she heard the sound of hissing air and something on her face and the sounds of rapid footsteps.

Two hours later Klaus heard his phone ping letting him know he had a message. Certain tones were preset in his phone and this was one of those, he hadn't heard since Halloween.

CAPTAIN N: News of my death have been greatly exaggerated. Tell me you survived Adler and didn't get put down by the police back up.

Klaus responded immediately.

ADLER: Reports of my death are accurate, assuming they are from 1946. I was able to convince them to feed me rather than execute me. The presence of Mr Crosby was certainly a help. It is good to hear from you. I was worried that you were not going to recover.

CAPTAIN N: Cleared of coma status two hours ago. Officially off ventilator but certainly not at 100% far from it.  After a barrage of questions once they took the vent out the damage sustained is far more than expected, recuperation is going to take some time. I dreamt about you tonight. Can you fill me in on what I missed. Everything is very hazy. We did put it down right? It didn't recover and escape?

ADLER: You put, I think, four bullets in it, including a head shot. It was very dead. It ate one of my arms. Literally swallowed it. Morvan and Mr Crosby were able to keep you alive until ambulance got there. You did well, captain. You fought to the bitter end.
ADLER: Do you remember me telling you to shoot me if I came for you?  I am very happy to report that the bullets you put into me were when I was trying to hold onto that thing and not because I tried to eat you. It was far closer than I would have liked. May I say I am very pleased that you are awake?

CAPTAIN N: Like wise to find out you aren't permanently dead. Good to hear we put it down. Things are still a bit foggy. Hoping it might come back with time. Glad to be alive as well, but everything hurts. Pain is the primary thingthat is a constant. Texting trying to distract from it. They are offering drugs, but I am abstaining due to needing to reach out. Make sure you were good. Your Arm? You still down and out or you recouped?

ADLER: Slowly growing back, thanks to a steady diet of wereleopard. Yes, I realize the irony. The expert says I should have it back in time to hang Christmas decorations. I suspect she was being facetious.

ADLER: Are you permitted visitors?  This would be easier to discuss in person.

CAPTAIN N: Ventilator tube being pulled out has speaking a bit hard to do right now. If one handed typing is too hard, you do know the phones have voice to text to make life easier. Won't keep you too long. Besides the welfare check the reason I reached out is because I need you.

Suki blushed as she realized after hitting send that could be construed a few different ways.

She quickly added.

CAPTAIN N: To do me a solid. And I can trust you. If you are good enough to run an errand perfect, if not can you relay to Morvan and I can get you two to help me.
Things inside are getting restless. I need to Animate soon or I worry something in the hospital could potentially decide to give up being peacefully dead. Last thing I need is Zombie fetuses or someone's great gran deciding to zombie walk around.

CAPTAIN N: Things I need. My kit. It's in my front closet at home or in the trunk of my car. Maria has a set of my car keys and if they aren't there Morvan can get into my home if my brother doesn't want to help. Currently he's stormed off because not even 2 hours out of my coma I've decided to dive back into my devil's work. I also need a live chicken. And to find me a dead cat that you can bury close to the hospital so I can bleed off this build up. Can I count on you Adler to do this solo or team up with Morvan to make this happen for tomorrow night?


ADLER: I will need Morvan at the very least to use the shovel. Digging one handed is difficult. I will get him to reach out to your brother if your kit is not in your car. He will likely be better received, seeing as he has a pulse.  Are you certain this will not take too much out of you?  Do we need to reach out to your animation employer for assistance?

CAPTAIN N: really isn't physically demanding that I've noticed. Besides the doc here already forced me to walk around the hallway once with a nurse to make sure my legs work. The circle that I need to cast won't be that big the only assistance I might need is someone to lean on.  Not likely able to raise the dead  if I'm stoned on painkillers so Im holding off for now. So after the ritual and the animal is put to rest you guys are more than allowed to wheel me back up to my room and have them give me the good drugs. After that I will be a good patient at least for another two weeks when I have to do this again.

ADLER: I will coordinate with Morvan. One small dead animal buried near the hospital. I will try to find an area that is not too public.

ADLER: perhaps you should also give Morvan the heads up that I will be contacting him.

Suki sighed as she read the message. She really didn't want to. Learning she had been in a coma for two weeks meant the cat was out of the bag. It meant she was likely going to have to have a very uncomfortable conversation. Why had she told him to only give it a day or two, she should have told him to wait longer before venturing up into the attic.

Sadly, what was done, was done and there were no take backs.

CAPTAIN N: I'll let him know, give it a half hour before you contact him. You have his number? I guess Brandy could provide it if you don't have it to call and ask if he would help. If he refuses, perhaps we could substitute Brandy in his stead if he refuses. I don't want to put too much strain on anyone.

ADLER: I have many of the leopard numbers. All the donors plus upper management.  I don’t see why he wouldn’t help but I will prepare contingencies.

CAPTAIN N: Thank you, Adler, I appreciate it, truly. I will see you a couple hours after sunset then. Morvan usually finished his work days around five to six so meeting up once he is done somewhere close to here is ideal. The less I have to walk or be pushed about via a wheelchair the better. I don't want to push too hard since I'm still figuring out how broken my body really is. The damage is extensive but the doctors are impressed with how much I've recouped while I've been under.

ADLER:  You are tougher than you realize. And seriously, I am glad you survived.

CAPTAIN N:  Thompson was a good, seasoned tough cop with many more years under his belt than I had. Polanski was strong and fit.  I got lucky, Adler and brought you for ride along. If I hadn't brought you or you had insisted this didn't feel vampire enough and decided to turn back and head home, I'd be just as dead as they were. Thank you for humouring me and coming along.

ADLER:  It was the vest. It made all the difference. Sorry if that made you laugh. See you tomorrow night.

Once he’d sent the text, Klaus called Morvan to set up the acquisition, burial and subsequent animation of a dead animal.

Suki didn't text Morvan immediately. Instead, she lay there trying to find the energy to do so. She hurt, the phone felt as heavy as a brick, and the bright light in her room was giving her a headache. When the nurse checked in on her to see if she needed anything, she asked for a cup of crushed ice and some ibuprofen for the pain. They had of course offered her morphine but she shook her head explaining it wouldn't do much for her headache.

Razan had also come back from his cool down walk and hunt for coffee. Saving her voice she answered Razan in mostly yes and now answers on the paper pad by her bed and Suki wrote out that her friend Morvan would be coming by the house to pick up something for her.

When pressed why he couldn't, she simply wrote. 'My animators kit'

Razan sighed and frowned, "You should be resting and not wanting to play with dead things." He said sounding frustrated and tired. "I'll be back tomorrow morning with some of your things if you want to put together a list of things that don't involve anything witchy. This metaphysical nonsense is going to be the death of you. Not even a full day out of a coma and you want to play with the dead. You almost died! If you can't be bothered about dying, perhaps I shouldn't care either."

She did just that watching her brother leave, feeling a little sad as Rzan shut down emotionally as she felt his walls come up shutting her out some. Would they ever see eye to eye on things?

To Suki's delight, a half hour later she had received her ice cubes, meds for the headache and the nurse had even brought her a popsicle. She ate the popsicle, thankful for the coolness as it soothed her sore throat. It came as a surprise to find out that removing breathing tubes would cause her discomfort. They never mentioned that in the TV shows or movies.

With a sigh she picked up her phone to  start a Text convo she really didn't want to have...

Morvan hadn’t expected a call from Klaus to contain any good news but the news that Suki had awakened was far better news than he expected. He promised to have a dead animal buried near the hospital parking lot, which would be easily accessible. He certainly was not expecting a text from Suki….

Suki read the message and sardonically smiled, shaking her head at the Typed reply. It felt fitting considering the last thing she had him read was the letter in her attic. It felt ironically proper to start things off where she had left them. There was a dark humor there. She was sure Klaus would have seen and appreciated it. She hit send.

SUKI:Morvan, if you are reading this, things have likely taken a turn for the better, and I am not dead...

MORVAN: Not dead is a huge relief. You were in bad shape last I saw you. Seriously I was worried. Your brother wouldn’t let me in to see you. I was going to sit by your bed and read to you. Good thing I didn’t have to decide whether I thought you would prefer Harry Potter, Game of Thrones or Wheel of Time.

SUKI: Still digesting since I only woke up a couple of hours ago. Haven't read any of those books, by the way. I don't do much Sci-fi and fantasy.  I reached out to Klaus to try to set something up and he will likely be contacting you for details if you are free to assist and wish to see me tomorrow. I won't lie in the fact that I'm still in rough shape. Walked around the floor, did one lap, so I can do limited walking. Hope this isn't too awkward, so don't feel obligated to help if you are too upset. Did you want to air out anything before tomorrow night when Adler is around?

MORVAN:  Yeah he called.  Don't worry about walking.  We can borrow/steal a wheelchair or I can carry you. Let's get you healthy before we worry about anything else. Do you really need to do this a day after you woke up?

SUKI: Its hard to explain. Likely something like how you feel very close to the full moon. I can feel a metaphysical pressure. I'm already a week overdue. Need to take 2 raisings a month with pets to let the pressure subside. Don't want anything potentially coming back to say hello. There are a lot of dead people in hospitals...Doc's say I've healed up well over my time in coma. If I can walk a lap around the ICU wing, I can walk a summoning circle. Once it's done I'll rest up no more antics for another two weeks. Cross my heart.

MORVAN: Don’t want you stressing your pudding. You haven’t eaten in two weeks so you aren’t as strong as you think. Anything you want me to smuggle in as snacks?

SUKI: strange but no? Maybe a Matcha tea latte with almond milk? I'd feel better if we could rip the bandaid off now instead of making me stew. But I get it if you want to wait. I've made you do that since Halloween ????

She closed her eyes while she waited for the phone to vibrate in her hands. The texting was helping with not focusing directly on the pain.

MORVAN:  I’ve had time to stew. You did the right thing. I was in no place to be a father. No education. No job. I’m in a better place now but that is now. And children are not safe around shifters on a full moon.

SUKI: I've sat on things for a long time, but I figured you had a right to know in the end. Holding onto that was horrible. Now you understand why I shied away from the compliments and praise. Do you still think I'm a great person? Do you still want to try to rekindle anything, or have I proven to be a hypocrite now that the curtain has been peeled back? Razan said I was a monster when I did it. But what do you think? I tried my best but it wasn't enough. Certainly I am not winning any parenting awards.

MORVAN: your brother is a fucktard. He was probably adopted.

SUKI: He wasn't. We can talk about it more if you want now or later. I'm guessing if I've woken up chances are I'll be walking out of here and not end up dying. We are through the worst part. I just wanted you to have an option on showing up tomorrow night and to talk things out beforehand if you had some choice things you wanted to say.

MORVAN: you need to focus on healing.  We can talk about things we can't change later after you get released.

SUKI: As you wish. I'll leave things to you and Adler, then, and get some rest. Despite being awake only a few hours, I admit I'm exhaustedt. You will need to get the keys from Maria to get my kit if it is locked in the car. Razan said if it's in the house, you can knock and ask for if it. Sorry I can't remember if its in the house or the car, but I will see you guys tomorrow. Thanks for hearing me out.

MORVAN:  Maria if it is in car. Razan if it is at house. Fingers are crossed that it is in car because I think your brother hates me because I exist. Not even sure he knows I’m a leopard.

SUKI: He isn't stupid so it is possible. Dad I'm sure was sensitive and I am as well so maybe he is picking up vibes. Or he looked at you did the math. Only male showing up that isn't a cop and he clocked you as my potential baby daddy. ????

MORVAN:  he did ask if we were having sex. I told him it was none of his fucking business

Suki groaned  "Of course you did."

SUKI:You know if you responded with the f-bomb... yeah he definitely thinks it's on. Perfect.

MORVAN: it is none of his fucking business. I told him we were friends. Mentioned the koi pond. Told him I knew you from work. I doubt he is aware of the liaison program.

SUKI: I know just giving you the heads up. You likely wont have to deal with him any time soon. Don't worry about it I will deal with him. I'll see you tomorrow night. Until then.

MORVAN:  See you. And if he gives me grief, I will be polite and not pee on his shoes. If he asks again, what do you want me to tell him, since telling him to fuck off seems to be the erong answer.

SUKI: The choice is ultimately yours. Just let me know what you end up sharing so I can steel the defences should it be something he doesn't like. There is no correct answer but you are right he shouldn't pry.

MORVAN: Will figure it out when the time comes. See you tomorrow.

[Maxx]

Nov16th Monday - 630pm - Morvan- Klaus- Suki
 
When the elevator doors opened, both men knew they were on the ICU floor without reading the sign. The smells in the air gave it away the only areas where the smell of blood would be stronger was of course the ER. Mixed with the smell of blood was of course the cleaning agents, medicines, and the smells of infections . Occasionally there strong hit of perfume or cologne from loved ones who were visiting. Klaus could feel it as they walked to the nurses station to ask what room Suki was located in. There was a cool sensation that lapped against his ankles as tendrils of coolness tried wrap and climb their way up his leg. He had to check twice just to make sure there wasn't something physically there. Despite it being cool it wasn't painful or unpleasant, but trying to precisely address the sensation was difficult. It almost tickled, his mind going back to when he was young a mortal to what it felt like when he swam in that 9ne lake and he had to swim past the seaweed plants to make it out to the diving platform. As a child one tried to not think about what might be lurking in the underwater weeds.

It was a new sensation. Klaus had been in hospitals before, although visits were not frequent. He had never felt this before. He had an idea as to why… After confirming Suki’s room, he looked at Morvan. “I suspect that we are doing this in the nick of time, as they say,” he said. “Equally, I suspect that you are not aware of why I am saying so, because you are fully alive. There is an odd sensation around my ankles, which is remarkably difficult to describe. I think the captain’s energy has started to reach out, looking for a place to go and it is investigating me as a potential outlet.”

“Because you’re dead.”

“Because I’m dead.”

 “What happens when you try to animate a vampire?” Morvan asked.

 “Nothing as far as I am aware, although I suspect the term ‘nothing good’ would fit the situation.”

 Morvan stopped at the appropriate door. “Do you need an invitation?” he asked as he knocked on the frame.
“No,” Klaus answered. “Neither do I need an invitation into a hotel room. No one is actually living there. It would be different in palliative care, where patients are long term or nursing homes where rooms have permanent residents.”
"Come in, Morvan and Alder." Suki called despite not seeing them in the doorway from her bed, she could feel thre presence of a vampire. Razan snorted as he looked at his sister laying on the bed and to the doctor as Suki signed a clip board on her bed table.

"This is beyond stupid." Razan growled.

"And I've explained why it needs to be done to you and the doctor. It won't be like I am out all night. I know the risks why can't you see that what I am doing tonight isn't selfish it's for the safety of this hospital and everyone in it." Suki sighed.

"And what I am saying is you don't even know if any of that could happen. You are so addicted with this magic shit that you can't even stay in bed and focus on healing. You have a problem and those freaks are feeding into it." Razan said his voice rising.

Suki passed the clip board back to the doctor. "In and out shouldn't be more than an hour, if anything feed off I'll immediately stop. No pushing."

The doctor nodded. "I've explained the risks, and you've signed the waiver saying we are not at fault should your condition worsen. We are done here." He explained, his tone neutral as he slipped out of the room past Klaus and Morvan.

Razan glared at the two men that entered the room as he saw the relief in his sister's eyes as she looked at the suitcase that contained her animating kit. He shook his head in disbelief. "You are on the precipice of loosing everything, Suki. Your health, your family, your friends, everything. I can't in good conscience be here for this."

"I'm not forcing you to be here. But thank you for bringing me some clothes. In time, you will understand I'm not crazy Razan I'm really not. Somethings you just refuse to understand because they are so alien. I hope when you go down you can cool down and come to understand things better once you have slept on them."

"Like hell I will." He muttered as he pushed past Morvan and Klaus escaping the room’s confines.

 Suki sagged back into the bed looking exhausted dark circles framed her eyes and she looked pale, except for a mild flush across her cheeks. Morvan could tell she smelled angry. "Gentlemen.” she greeted them as she looked up at them. “You had no issues finding the kit it would seem. How are you both holding up?"

“Beyond an odd sensation around my ankles and an itch on a wrist that does not exist, I am doing well,” Klaus said.

Morvan watched Razan go. “Maybe you should try explaining it like a full bladder. You can either let it out in a controlled manner or it’s going to come out when you least want it to, with potentially disastrous results. Or maybe something involving money.” The wereleopard Raj was doing a remarkable job of holding onto his emotions. The fact that he hadn’t crossed the room and wrapped his arms around Suki surprised him. “Other than the obvious, you’re looking good,” he said. “Now where would a guy find a loose wheelchair around this place? The lady has an appointment with a raccoon named Rocky.”

"Wheelchairs are out in the hallway. Of course the Doctor advised against this, but I assured him I was in good hands with the selected escort." Suki said as she pushed back the covers and grabbed the sidebar of the bed to sit up. She was wearing a long button-up black dress as she edged herself to the end of the bed and grimaced sucking in air. "We have a chicken waiting outside as well I hope?" With care she managed to get out of the bed without help as she slipped on a par of sandals. It wasn't the best choice for enduring the November chill, but it was the easiest clothing she had in her wardrobe to dress herself and move about in. She watched as Morvan retreated to the hallway to seek out a wheelchair as she leaned against the bed one hand steadying herself with the bed's side railing. "It really is good to see you alive. You've recuperated better than expected." She said, looking at the vampire's arm that stopped at the elbow. "I apologize for the weird feelings you might be picking up, Shielding has been exceptionally difficult."

“I thought perhaps it was you,” Klaus said. “Other than those who already have a connection with death and those with psychic sensitivity, I doubt many would feel it. Yes, we have a chicken outside. Morvan suggested catching a pigeon but I talked him out of it, on the off chance it would die of fright. This one seems well on its way to the same fate. It is still breathing when last I saw it but it fainted twice on the way here, amidst a flurry of clucks.”

“Henrietta does not do well around preternaturals,” Morvan said as he entered with the wheelchair. Your chariot, my lady.”

Suki nodded. "Animals rarely like anyone of a preternatural persuasion because they can feel that you are predators on some innate level that most humans miss." She motioned at the hanger on teh wall that contained a scarlet and white artic fleece zip up and was thankful when it was handed to her and she put it on. With care, she eased herself into the chair. Reaching out she touched Morvans forearm, "Be careful of the bumps please. Docs say I've healed faster than expected, but I'm still being held together with a bunch of stitches staples and a few muttered prayers on the inside and out." She said with a soft forced chuckled that she regretted instantly. Her fingers curled involuntarily as the pain hit. "Sorry no jokes allowed so sayeth the ribs."

“No bumps, no jokes,” Morvan said with a nod. “I will keep my mouth shut and drive slowly. I can’t swear there will be no bumps getting on the elevator or leaving the building but I do have duct tape if we need to do quick repairs before we can get you back inside.”

“Beyond your kit, will you need anything?” Klaus asked. “I assume they are not permitting you solid food?” He held the door open, then moved swiftly to secure an elevator. When Morvan arrived, he assisted in making sure there was as little disturbance of Suki as possible. “Being undead has its advantages,” Klaus said, after the doors closed and the elevator had started moving with only the gentlest of bumps. It was not a particularly fast elevator. “At the very least, we tend not to bleed to death. I am very pleased that you did not bleed to death, captain.”

Morvan chuckled. “I’m Morvan, you’re Adler. I call her Suki, you call her captain. And yet you are probably a closer friend. Bizarre, bizarre.” There was no heat in his tone. He wasn’t complaining that Suki was closer to the vampire than she was to him; he was simply making an observation.

“It is the nature of the relationship,” Klaus answered. “The captain and I have a professional relationship that started from a point where I was not entirely trusted. It began formally. Why the dynamic changed as trust grew, the form of address did not change.”

"Food was had today. A basic consume broth and some crackers and some fruit juice. It stayed down all afternoon. " Suki said as they entered the elevator and she nodded as Klaus and Morvan spoke. "Honestly it would feel weird to call him Klaus, unless he indicated it preferred it. It's habit, he's covered me on so many crime scenes, he gets called by surname like the rest of my task force despite not being on the payroll. Perhaps its bias because I don't do that for the other liaisons. Most prefer first names if not its more formal. Calling him Mr Adler is equally weird. He's Adler that's all because of my address the others have leaned towards it too. Thurgar calls you Katmandu its a term of affection endearment? There's a fondness there, every cop on the team has a preference for which liaisons they like to work with. Even if we try hard to keep things as neutral as possible."

“Family Man may stop calling me that,” Morvan admitted. “I was pretty rough on him when he tried to explain away what happened with Seren.”

Suki blinked as they rode the elevator to the ground floor. She was missing something. She closed her eyes trying to think through the pain. Adler had mentioned were-leopard being ironic in his recovery. Morvan had mentioned Seren. She let out a low exhale "Seren? She was found?" She leaned up to look over at Morvan and Klaus, the pair backlit by the garish ceilings fluorescent light.

Morvan blinked. “I guess they didn’t tell you. That thing that almost killed you was Seren. Crazy as it sounds. She was some weird combination of leopard and zombie or vampire. She was long dead by the time I got there, like days dead. I don’t know how they made her take a hybrid form or how she could see or how she could fight like that, because she couldn’t do any of that before she was taken. That was what Thurgar and I were arguing about. There is no way she Alpha’d up in that short of a time and could suddenly do all that. Whoever did this juiced up her body something festive and put somebody else in the driver’s seat.”

Suki sagged slightly in the wheelchair her voice soft "Oh... I'm so sorry Morvan." Her brow furrowed as she glanced towards Adler. "So Mr. Brick is still out there. We didn't put him down." An sigh escaped her as she fought to calm herself as she gripped the armrest. God damn it. We went through all of that for nothing she bitterly thought. "So that was what was pinging on the radar that night. I thought we had-" She frowned looking back to Morvan. " Never mind. I'm sorry you had to go through that with Thurgar and for you finding Seren the way you did." She swallowed hard forcing the anger down despite the fact that it was bubbling just under the surface. She wanted to scream and lash out. What would the point be there was no one to fight and hurt that deserved it. She white knuckled the chair and it was all she could do to not angry cry. It was certainly a mood at that moment and if it happened it would just piss her off more because Adler and Morvan would think she was weak and fragile and having a mental breakdown. It was bad enough they had to see her stapled and duct taped together on a wish and a prayer.

“Mr Brick has been deprived of one of his major assets,” Klaus pointed out. “The resources required to hold and somehow vampirize a wereleopard, even a weak one, cannot be discounted. You may not have beheaded the dragon but you have certainly severed a leg. It is a wound not easily recovered from.”

“Says the vampire who has three or four time the arm he had the last time I saw him,” Morvan pointed out. “Limbs have a habit of growing back around here.”

"We will see if Brick is a Hydra or if we struck a blow. I feel the cost was too much if he's not been removed from the board. Let me guess Feds have taken over everything and we are sitting blind and in the dark now?" Suki could feel the tension collecting in her jaw as the doors opened and she was wheeled out into the main floor of the hospital lobby.

“You still have a piece on the board,” Klaus said. “A major one, in fact. The FBI are working with a certain Father Marshall Domenic Sozio. He is a past master at bumping heads, having honed his skills against his Bishop. I am an eyewitness, as are you. Morvan and Mr Crosby were first on the scene. There are still pieces on the board. You will not be blind for long.”

"I guess they're will be descending upon me tomorrow or soon after." Suki shrugged. "I can't get mad that the feds are here. This vampire is being a total shit. They likely have brought in the big guns. If Sozio gets to run with them we will hear about somethings perhaps. As long as they can nail this bad guy to the wall I don't care who or how he's caught."

“If there is any way, I will attempt to keep a hand in,” Klaus promised. “And if all else fails, as a federal marshal, father Sozio can elect to deputize, if he feels there is need. I suspect if this happens, he will reach out to your squad first, because he knows their capabilities.”

Suki nodded in agreement but knew she wouldn't be tagging in on that fight any time soon. Knowing and being okay with it were not the same things. The cool evening air hit her lungs as she could smell the bay in the far distance and the damp fallen leaves that littered the ground. "Smells nice out tonight." She said shaking up the conversation turning it towards something lighter and less frustrating.

“It does,” Morvan echoed, not wanting to ruin Suki’s attempt at improving her mood with his description of what he was smelling. “There’s a hot dog vender out by the front of the hospital who wasn’t there when I got here. Want some solid food when we’re done? Or do you want to just drool while I eat one in front of you?” He pointed towards the back of the parking lot. “Last greenery island. Not far from the post with the ‘S’ on it. Felt sort of appropriate. Should be the only place with freshly turned earth. Or relatively fresh anyway. I did it last night.”

"Have a hot dog for me, I'll pass. Likely too rich for me this early into the game." Suki answered. As she was wheeled deeper into the back parking lot as Morvan filled the silence and the blond vampire carried her animator’s suitcase. She cast a look over her shoulder to Morvan " You drove out here last night after our conversation? You must have had no sleep between finding the animal, diving into Seattle, burying it and then driving back home for what? A couple hours to power nap? Thank you."

“It’s not like I would have had time to do it after work,” Morvan said, shrugging. “And don’t worry. I had a cat nap. I’m good to drive.” He stopped near where a small swelling of the soil indicated that something had recently been buried there. “Do I dig it up or is it part of the animation that it rises from the grave like something out of a horror movie?” “It needs to be dug up,” Klaus answered. “The magic simply animates the corpse rather than loosening the soil. If there was a coffin, we’d need to open that as well.” “No coffin,” Morvan said, shaking his head. “Just an old plastic shopping bag. Didn’t want it leaking all over my truck.” He pointed towards where his truck was parked. “Just in case we needed more tools than we had. And for when I have to take Rocky to his final resting place because I don’t think they want him left here.”

"It should be good." Suki interjected. "Maybe for people, never done people, just pets Adler, but I've never had the need to dig them up. My first animation, my cat had no issues digging themselves out of a three foot deep hole." She looked to Morvan "How deep did you go?"

“Couple of feet,” Morvan answered. “Probably less. Foot and a half maybe?” He kicked at the dirty, trying to remember. “Didn’t go below the top of the metal on the shovel.”

"We should be more than fine. This both your first time watching an animation?" Suki asked suddenly aware she had never preformed her side gig in front of anyone she knew. Those that knew her knew her a Captain Neubasato and not Suki the animator. It really was a strange juxtaposition. She realized she was having a little emotional dissonance with the fact that both men standing there were people that she could trust but at the same time it was strange having them present while she performed this ritual. The animating kit now sat open in her lap as she reached for the grave ointment. Some called it corpse paint. She unscrewed the cap on the jar and the familiar and comforting scents of rosemary, sage, thyme, cinnamon, and clove hit her senses. They were standard herbs and oil added to the ointment besides the grave moss that was added. She personally liked to add to the pre-made ointment a little lavender, rose, juniper, and peppermint oil for a bit of an extra protective kick, plus it added a little tingle and glow to her skin afterwards.

Morvan shook his head. “Never seen one,” he said. “It has been some time for me.” Klaus said. “I was still alive.” It was, he recalled, an attempt to find where an old miser had concealed his fortune, having taken the answer to the grave. “ I suspect the technique had not changed much over the years.”

Suki nodded, "Stephan, my other boss at the animation office, says there can be a little difference between ritual's sort of personal touches and occasional flourish, but it is pretty much the same thing. Create a circle kill and animal call upon the spirit to come back off the returned dead blood to show thanks and as your offering, and then you get your dead people time or in my case animal time. If either of you doesn't want to watch, I get it. I really only need one person close by in case I falter and trip over my feet to catch me. I do at least two of these a month and I still think and find them weird, so I won't judge if you don't want to sit in. Her eyes flicked between the two men, and she still felt off about having to raise the dead, but the peculiar factor was better than not raising the animal and someone coming back from the dead. Adler was more aware of her odd little quirks metaphysically than any other person out there besides her white light worker. She herself wasn't an animator, but she had helped Suki accept the gift and how to shield and embrace her talents rather than running from them.

She met Adler's eyes for the briefest of moments, wondering at what moment had she decided he was a friend despite being a vampire. Likewise, she had never expected to strike up any kind of friendship with a vampire, and yet here he was. Furthermore, she never honestly thought Morvan would give her the time of the day once he learned that she had put their child up for adoption. Yet here he was helping her, rather than telling her to go to hell. Would seeing her work the ritual creep him out? Why was she so worried and self-conscious about raising a dead animal tonight, anyhow? Did it really matter if they found it weird and creepy? Anyone that knew, judged her for it or had turned their backs and walked away. Perhaps the reason she was freaking out was because Morvan and Klaus were some very few individuals she still had in her life that hadn't judged or walked away. She didn't want to be alone, not if she could help it. She undid the first few buttons on the top of her dress so when she had to put on the ointment over her chest and heart that it wouldn't be all over the outside of her dress. She began to apply the ointment with sure and steady hands. At least some things were still muscle memory for her. "I'm going to need that chicken really soon, however."

Morvan produced a cage that held a white hen that had puffed up its feathers to make itself look bigger. Having realized that it couldn’t escape Morvan, the chicken was fully prepared to fight him. “One chicken, no waiting,” Morvan said as he set the cage beside Suki’s wheelchair.

“Perhaps it would be best if Morvan assisted,” Klaus suggested. “I am not certain how your mystic circle will affect me. It may spit me out at an inopportune moment.”

"Honestly Adler I have no clue either so I figured you could sit on the outside and just make sure we don't end up with hospital security wandering into the scene and trying to break it up. I wasn't expecting to be practising magic on the property, but the fact we aren't driving or walking blocks away is of comfort. Less strain and jolts to the body which I really appreciate. You said the animal's name was Rocky?" She asked as she finished putting on the last touches of grave ointment, as she pulled her hair into a ponytail and looked at the chicken.

“Rocky Raccoon,” Morvan said, nodding. “Unlike his more well-known cousin Rocket.” He moved closer to Suki. “You just need to tell me what I need to do. The closest thing to animation that I ever did was one of those flip drawing in a thick book.”

Suki nodded, "I just night need you to lean on as we walk the circle. Are you going to be okay when I slit this guy's throat, and we do this because there is no getting around the blood. It's an unfortunate part of the ritual I have to take a life to give something some small semblance of life for a short time, and we need the blood to cast the circle. If it is going to be too much, Adler could just walk to the outside of it for support. I wasn't sure which one of you would be the best choice for this. But keeping Adler on the outside seemed safest if he chose to do this. He might react less to chicken blood, as it really wouldn't be super appetizing since it isn't human blood. On the other hand Morvan I won't need to worry about you being in the middle of the circle, but your inner beast is likely going to start drooling and decide I rang the dinner bell."

Morvan gave Suki a sour look. “I’m a fucking Raj, Suki. If I didn’t take a bite when your entrails were trying to be extrails, I’m sure as shit not going to lose it over a chicken getting its throat slit. I control the Beast, except during the full moon. I’m not going to drool on you. I mean really, I figured you’d give me more credit than that. Leslie? Yeah, you’d probably have an issue. But me? Come on.”

She felt a surge of anger when Morvan snapped at her, hot and very much wanting to fight. She grit her teeth and did her best to not let it loose as she rose from the wheelchair a little too quickly, feeling something inside her tinge painfully. She winced but ignored it. Opening the cage, she quickly jammed her hand inside. The chicken let out a squawk and began to fight back, aggressively pecking at her hand part of her brain wanted to fling the animal to the ground, but that would be pointless. She had a job to do. Fine Morvan was the untouchable infallible holiest of were leopards. Heaven forbid, she tried to be considerate and run on the basic frame that blood was bad. She started the rituals she called on her power, focusing on that and no more determined than ever that she was going to walk this circle unaided. Klaus could feel the magic swirl and form into something more tangible than a miasma tic mist as the coldness intensified and Suki with her own blood beading up on her hands. The chicken had got in a few good pecks while fighting back, it struggled as she brought the knife to its neck slashed at the animals' throat. Both men could hear the slight aggressive growl as she bled the chicken as she walked the circle and called for Rocky the Raccoon to rise once more.

Morvan watched. Her growl caught him by surprise. He certainly hadn’t expected it. She’d passed the full moon without changing; that was the litmus test for shifters, no matter what the medical test said. She wasn’t infected. So why was she growling like that. If all animators growled like that, he was pretty sure there would be fewer animations. Klaus had never considered himself particularly mystically gifted but he could FEEL Suki’s power growing more solid. He wondered briefly if it would be rude to ask to lick the blood from her hand when all was said and done. Then again it would probably be clotted and dried. He’d been willing once to lick it from a concrete culvert in the middle of a construction site. A little clotting wouldn’t be much of an obstacle compared to that. He felt the circle close and just like that, he could not feel her power any more. It was probably a good thing that Morvan was helping her. The magic felt oddly enticing…

The earth began to pulsate and bulge as the earth began to roil. Suki cast the chicken onto the ground a little more forcefully than was needed as her brown eyes settled on the earth/ She leaned down to offer the creature blood. Lord knows there was enough of it, she had almost decapitated the chicken. She just had let Morvan get under her skin, and it was immature, she knew that, but she couldn't shake the hot anger that danced in her belly. It was a surprise when the raccoon by passed her offering of Blood and instead flew out of the dirt still caked in dried blood but looking surprisingly whole and spry. It dove at Morvan and began to savage his leg as it clawed and furiously bit and snarled. Suki tried to call the animal back and to force it back into the grave but it wasn't obeying.

“The fuck!?” Morvan cried out, kicking the raccoon back. “Fuck I think Rocky was fucking rabid!” The animal tumbled several yards but when it stopped rolling, it scrambled back onto its feet and made a bee-line for Morvan, charging the wereleopard like a thing possessed. “I don’t think it is supposed to do that!”

"No it's not. " Suki said her words crisp and precise. "I'm guessing this guy's not someone's loved pet and you instead opted to find and bring me roadkill? Please tell me you didn't kill it."

"He walked out in front of the truck," Morvan replied, watching the raccoon come closer. "I took it as a sign. You don't find fresh road kill quite as often as people think."

“And this is why I stuck with animals, most owners don't decide to murder their pets. Congratulations Leopard Raj, Rocky has dubbed thee a murder hobo, and he won't stop until he gets his vengeance on you." Suki informed him, mildly amused at the tableaux. It was better than being so livid. "You want it to stop? Run to the truck and get your shovel. You will have to bash his brains in. There is nothing else I can do. He destroys you or you destroy him, Morvan."

Klaus watched silently. The firt animation he'd witnessed while still mortal had gone remarkably similarly. A prisoner had died during interrogation, without revealing critical information. He'd been brought in, in the hopes that his less brutal interrogation methods would be helpful. In the end, two guards and the other interrogator had been killed. "I assume that his use of your knife would taint it as a working tool?" he asked, as Morvan sprinted towards his truck. 

Klaus knew leopards were fast. He'd fought one just over two weeks ago. Seeing Morvan move, he would not have placed a particularly large sum on Morvan if he and the vampiric Seren had come to blows. Morvan turned, shovel in hand, to face the raccoon. For some reason, he was trying hard not to laugh.

"Karmic debt for being an ass earlier," Suki called out. "You should be able to run circles round it." She sighed suddenly feeling a little dizzy and fatigued as she wobbled slightly, Hands sticky from chicken blood but some of her own mingled with it. "I feel a little bad for the little guy murdered a second time in less than 24hours." She watched as Morvan brought the shovel down on the racoon hard enough to hear it still clang on the pavement.

“Are you in need of a steadying hand?” Klaus asked. Morvan needed no help against an angry raccoon, even if it was undead. Suki was barely a day out of her coma. Even if they both needed help, Suki would receive it first.

Suki nodded "I think the circle shouldn't be too much a factor. Its not on holy ground and as far as dead things go. Stephen's said my animating is funky and until I try people he can't get a perfect grasp of how much is going on under the hood. I've never animated anything over a year dead." Technically the ritual was ruined. She wouldn't be able to control the animal now that the head was paste. She took the vampire up on his offer to help steady herself. "Took more out of me than expected. Sometimes I wonder if I tried raising people if I'd have to do this less, " she murmured as she watched Morvan scrape the unmoving racoon off the asphalt.

"There is only one way to find out," Klaus said as he moved closer to Suki.

The shovel rang on the pavement again as Morvan hit the raccoon a second time. "Fucking thing is still moving!"

"Use the point of the shovel and cut the head off," Klaus suggested. "Have you bled off enough of your energy or do we need to find an animal that was not murdered? And what qualifies as an unmurdered animal? Is a sick dog euthanized by a vet a murder victim? Is it the animal's perspective that counts?"

"I think it is the intent. If you have the intent to do harm and cause death. Most animals I've brought back come to think of it died in their sleep by owner account, or they were sick, and it was sudden, some were of course old age. There had also normally been a few days ." Suki explained as she leaned on Klaus and watched Morvan continue trying to put the racoon down. "It brings up a good point. The animating pet thing is still fairly new to me. Maybe it has to do with if the animal spirit feels like it was done dirty. I'm not sure, but I should experiment with that some more. It could have been a case of it remembering its death and the spirit didn't have time to move on. If we have to do this again 3 days dead preferably not murdered. "

“Would birds be acceptable?” Klaus asked. “There are usually several found at the Tower, after hitting the glass. They aren’t as large as Morvan’s new friend but their death was not murder. I can ask the grounds keepers to keep an eye out.”

There was one final ‘Kerwang’ and the raccoon finally stopped twitching. “Jesus fuck,” was all Morvan said. “I’m going to need a bigger bag.”

Suki gave Klaus an appraising look. "I can honestly say I haven't tried birds, they're so little, but we could try. I'm not sure if I would need multiple chickens or if one chicken could raise multiple birds. It really does make me curious to experiment. At the moment, this feels like I've bled off some chaos and build up, that much I do know. I'm not sure if it will last two weeks. Maybe a week? It's hard to say. Experimentation will be the only way we can know for sure." She looked over to where Morvan stood. "You okay? Inside my kit I keep a black garbage bag to put my dead chicken in. I'm sure Rocky can also fit. You are more than welcome to both of the dead animals if you don't mind taking them home to use them for compost or other things"

“I’ve got industrial bags in the back of the truck,” Morvan replied. “I’m going to run Rocky through a wood chipper though. And if he still comes after me, I’m gonna burn him.”

“I’d also advise not eating him,” Klaus said with an amused smile. “Giving him access to your intestines is likely a bad idea.” He turned back to Suki. “Perhaps we will get lucky and it will be a hawk or a seagull,” he said. “Perhaps they will be large enough. Do you have a place where you’d be willing to bury them? Someplace a little more private than a hospital parking lot? And do the animals obey you or will I need to clip their wings?”

"In theory yes, they obey and tend to not be aggressive. Honestly, it's the first time I've seen one go crazy like that. I can only assume that is why Stephen is so insistent on us asking and when booking customers to have them swear they were not a murder victim. I can only imagine how bad it would be if a full-grown adult went berserk on a normal human, I'd be pretty powerless to physically stop that. The dead don't stop and can't be controlled until they have had their revenge. The only way to stop them would be to destroy the brain, which would mean carrying a gun with me to animations." She made a face at the thought of trying to put down a small animal, it would be a harder target to take out than an adult human zombie headshot wise. "Maybe I should but I think once I'm cleared to leave here I should invest in some more time at the firing range to work on my aim."

“I may join you,” Klaus said. “Having a firearm with me might have saved my arm and your intestines. I will need both hands so it might be some time before I can reasonably be expected to handle a weapon properly but rest assured, I am going to ‘get good’ as they say.”

"I look forward to the company." Suki said, giving him a thoughtful nod. She looked back to Morvan her anger had cooled, and she wasn't looking for a fight since she had bled off some of her energy. "I don't have a place to bury them sorry Morvan I just realized a blanked on giving you an answer. Normally the customers have me rebury the animals on their property, it was kind of why I was wondering if you would take them both up to the farm? It feels wrong to bury Rocky and the chicken here."

Morvan chuckled, looking down at his ruined pants. “No worries,” he said. “I will give them both the burial they deserve. And no, I’m not suggesting Henrietta for the next time we need to do this.” He pulled the thick black plastic bag off the roll and shovelled the raccoon’s remains into it. Then he came to get the dead chicken that had finally stopped kicking.  “You doing okay? Bled off enough mojo that you don’t need to worry? Ready to go back inside, so your doctor can stop pacing?” He looked at the knife and her pot of corpse paint. “Anything special need to be done with that or can it just go back into your car, after the knife gets washed?”

"Just need to clean up. There's wet wipes in the kit, so I can clean up. Normally I need to shower to get this off, but I think with multiple wash cloths we can get the rest of the grave paint off. I just need to make sure to avoid the bandages. I'm sorry for being so irritable, I guess the built-up power was making be really irritable. Normally I have much more patience than that," Suki replied as she stepped toward the wheelchair and grabbed the cloth inside to clean the knife. Once cleaned, she reached for the wet wipes and put them to her face. She let out a small shudder at the cool sensation at the wet wipes caressed his face and she rubbed her skin. "I think I need to sit." She said feeling drained.

“Then sit,” Klaus said. “We even have a convenient chair nearby, with wheels. And if all else fails, we will have a nurse clean it off for you. I suspect it will not be the strangest thing they have ever had to do.” Morvan chuckled. “We’ve all heard the ER horror stories,” he said. “Here, give me that. You missed a spot.”

Suki didn't protest as she sank into the chair the kit having been removed as Morvan fussed with her face. She closed her eyes. "Mmm impromptu parking lot sponge bath. Thank you both for the assist tonight. I'm very appreciative that you rallied."

“Anytime,” Morvan said. “Of course there may be exceptions during full moons.” “I may face difficulties during daylight hours but the sentiment is the same,” Klaus said. “I suspect your brush with death has made those who care about you realize how much they care.” Morvan looked at the vampire for a moment, then let the moment pass. He wasn’t going to get jealous over what he only perceived as Klaus expressing feelings for Suki. After all, Klaus had Brandy and Suki hated vampires. Except maybe this one… “Hey Klaus, question for you. Why is it that when people are talking about you, they all say ‘he isn’t like other vampires’?” Klaus chuckled. “It is either because they don’t know vampires or they don’t know me.”

"I think it's because he has retained some of that moral compass he had as a mortal. In time, it is said, most if not all vampires lose it. But maybe it is the social ties he has made outside the vampire community that makes him stand apart. Noah Knolls is the only other one I met that hasn't set my hackles up in my time as a cop. As far as percentages go that's about one percent of the vampires I've encountered that have had that effect on me. Still, out of the two, I'd trust Adler over Mr. Knolls hands down. He didn't have to volunteer to be my shield on Halloween, but he chose to have my back and protect me and in the end had enough restraint that I didn't have to shoot him. That counts for something. You both made sure I didn't die that night. I won't forget that." Suki said as Morvan paused from wiping her face and she looked to the both men and gently touched Morvan's hand. "It's been a hell of a night so far thank you for coming when I asked for aid."

[Maxx]

“Is this where I point out that Crosby helped?” Morvan asked. “He did chest compressions while I did the breathing. And get this. Crosby announced that he was actually the Master of the City and called out the Tarot killer. Told him to put up an actual challenge or GTFO. Blew my mind. Michael is pissed.” He looked at Klaus. “Did you know?”

Klaus shook his head. “I am not far enough up the food chain to be party to a secret of that magnitude,” he said. “I suspect the only ones who knew were Salvatore, Aguilar and the swans. I doubt that Deidra knew.”

"Wow he actually spilled the beans..." Suki said looking shocked. "When did that happen?"

“You knew?!” Morvan exclaimed. “November second. Nine PM. I am not certain whether what happened to us had any bearing but I like to think it was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” Klaus said, not mentioning that he too had been taken by surprise when he learned the news.

"If it helps it wasn't for very long and if I'm being honest I wasn't entirely sure about the confession. I wasn't sold 100% and ruminated on if it was a power play to have Waylon step up to be the Master since they weren't biting with Nigel. I walked away only sold 100% that Miss Betz was truly in love with Mr. Crosby and that it appeared to be mutual." She hung her head, looking sheepish. "Twenty percent of me wasn't willing to accept it. So it was kept off the record when I interviewed the swan queen and him. I did however jot it down elsewhere just in case something happened to me, if the cat's out of the bag now, I can remove that fact from my file of things that my next predecessor will need to know."

Morvan turned the wheelchair around. "Huh. I'm guessing he figured you needed to know. Is he still going to be one of the police liaisons?" "I doubt it," Klaus said. He didn't want to bring up the possibility that the liaison program might go down in any case. Suki's unit had taken a huge hit, leaving it understaffed. There was an equal chance that it would be back filled with rookies or potentially shuttered. If Klaus was forced to bet, he would bet on the latter.

"If there is a squad to come back to, If we have people that want to fill the positions. If the city and the Captain don't shutter the program, I don't know. I don't think it would be wise. It's asking for another out of town vampire to show up and use my guys as bait to get Crosby to react." Suki said and let out a sharp grunt as she shifted in the chair and paled sightly. "No sense running all what if's it will only drive me crazy. We just need to finish cleaning up here and then you two gentlemen can wheel me back up to my room. You are both welcome to stay and visit and talk or you can leave now that the heavy lifting is done. Not sure how well I will be able to communicate once I say yes to drugs, but an attempt can be made."

"You okay?" Morvan asked. "That sounded painful. Smelled painful too. Adrenaline spike. What more needs to be done here? Klaus and I can take care of it, if you are able to wait, otherwise one of us can run you back to your room and the other can stay and do the clean-up. Entirely up to you."

"Kit cleaned normally I'd close the circle with salt, but you've- yeah Rocky is paste, he isn't coming back. The knife needs a better ... cleaning, but we can do that in the hospital. I'm sorry, I'm just about running on fumes." Suki said. "Bodies on - I mean in your truck. Maybe fix the grass so it doesn't look unsightly or ... have someone twist an ankle because they step into the hole and then back to the room, drugs, and rest."

“I can fix this," Morvan said. "My bad for bringing Rocky Raccoon with authentic revenge action. Least I can do is clean up the mess. I've got some granular for the wet spots. Klaus can run you back to your room. I'll be up in a bit. Clean your knife before I turn your kit over to Maria. Easier to get it, if your brother sticks around and you are still in here on the mend." Morvan, it seemed, was feeling quite upset over having brought a murdered raccoon for Suki to animate.
"We will see you upstairs," Klaus said, as he began rolling Suki back towards the hospital entrance.

Upstairs Suki reported back in with the nurses and it didn't take too long to work on getting cleaned up. Wheeled into the bathroom Klaus ran the water and soaked the face cloths for Suki to use as she shrugged half out of her dress to clean up. It wasn't like she was flashing the goodies as she had gently cinched her dress around her waist, after she had unbuttoned it. She wore a bandeaux bra and her torso was covered with a medical compression bandage to keep everything from shifting too much as she healed. "So you've never witnessed an animation go right? I'm sorry you had to see that. I'm sure on the scale of traumatic things to witness, tonight wasn't likely to leave lasting scars." Suki sighed as she wearily rubbed at the grave ointment. "It wasn't my best work tonight. I appreciate the hand. And the offer to come back if I need to do this before they release me. If it helps Adler the birds can be kept in a fridge. They just don't animate well when frozen."

“Fridge, not frozen," Klaus said with a nod. Helping Suki clean up with only one hand was mildly frustrating but he tried not to let it show. "On a list of traumatic events, tonight does not make even the bottom of the list," he said. "No, I have not witnessed a successful animation. The raccoon was not as successful as the previously animated murder victim was. The outcome was of course blamed on the animator who, had he not been a respected member of Thule-Gesellschaft, the Thule Society, he might have faced execution himself. "

"I keep forgetting that the animator things, not as common as I think it is. Stephen was overjoyed when he saw me walk through the door. I'm the 4th animator he knows about that is in the city. " Suki made a face, "Mind you, the pet thing vs people thing makes things harder for him. But he says every dog has its day, so he's working with what I have. I might not be able to do people. I don't know. I've never really wanted to mess around and find out because I am or was a good girl church wise. Jury is out on that one still I'm still not sure where I sit with that. The nights still fuzzy but my crosses were not working the way they should have. I guess that is on me and a clear indicator that I'm on shaky ground with the faith."

Suki paused to look up at the tall German. "Did you mention any of that when you were interviewed by the feds?"

"I was very forthcoming," Klaus answered. "The way your crosses did not react to me, versus the way they flared up so brightly that they melted your vest, was a topic of apparent concern. They, of course were less than forthcoming with their reasoning as to why they were concerned. They were, as a group, quite astute. You would have liked the lead agent. Special agent Anika Diamini, although mini is not a word anyone would apply to her. She was, if anything an inch or so taller than I am. If what is left of her accent is any indication, she is originally South Africa. Picked up very quickly that I had a police background. Her questions changed at that point, from those you would use with a civilian to those you would use interviewing a fellow officer. She seemed pleased when I noticed the difference." Suki had probably had her first interview with the Feds or very soon would. He hoped it was the tall, black agent who came to do the interview. There was likely to be a recognition of ability between the two and Diamini would take Suki more seriously than a male agent.

"Appreciate the heads up." Suki replied as she heard the entrance of one of the nurses enter the room with a medication cart.

"Suki? Are you ready for your medication Miss Neubosato?" A male voice asked. Suki opened her eyes and gently ran her fingers over her skin. It felt clean. She gave the nurse a nod and mouthed a thank you to Klaus as the Nurse set up the IV bag. As he turned on the drip she felt nothing but then a warm rush as if she had been dipped into a vat of warm water that chased the majority of the pain away. Her whole body visibly relaxed and the tension and tightness on her face and brow lessened as she let a long sigh. "She should be resting. So wrap up your visit in 15 or less. She likely will be out by then." The nurse advised as he left.

"He underestimates my power." Suki replied speaking slower than she normally did but the words weren't slurred.

"Yeah but we have the high ground," Morvan said, as he entered the room. Klaus noticed that he'd changed his pants, likely to conceal the damage done by the raccoon. The hospital likely would have had a fit, had they been aware that the wereleopard had been bleeding only minutes earlier. "I'm guessing I missed the chance to visit." He leaned in and gave Suki a kiss on the cheek. "You get some rest. I'll drop by to see you tomorrow after work."

"No-no, no... You can stay warden said fifteen." Suki said. "It be terrible to send you both off without a proper hang rather than having you play nursing vanguard and undertaker. Unless you want to go? Tonight might have been a lot for both of you. If that is the case, I offer apologies and thanks for enduring my requests."

Morvan looked at the nurse, who nodded. "I can stay for a bit," he said, grabbing a chair. "You said you weren't a sci-fi or fantasy fan. If I was going to bring you something to read, what would you want?"


"Crime, mystery, or psychological thrillers." She answered lazily. "Company is always nice too, if you skip the books. I'll have to treat you boys to something nice after this. Think on it then share the ideas. You both did me a solid."

“Not sure about Klaus but a six pack of Coors Lite would do me fine,” Morvan said. Klaus raised his eyebrows.

“Silver Bullet. Interesting choice,” he said. “Morvan chuckled. “I found it kinda funny that it’s the brand I prefer,” he said. He took a Suki’s hand and squeezed it. “We can’t be here all the time, so books will fill in the gaps. Any authors you want me to avoid? Or should I wait until you’re a little more coherent?”

Suki gently squeezed his hand. "I know you're both busy. I'll hold off on visitation requests unless they feel necessary like tonight then..." She closed her eyes feeling emotionally overwhelmed. The pain had been making shielding hard. Apparently pain medication also didn't help. "I'll text authors later. If I remember it can give me something to do. " She paused and slipped her dress on properly fro. Wait to shoulders as she fussed with the buttons slowly. "I wish Razan and I could stop with the arguments and fighting. I worry I'll lose him."

“I doubt either of us would be able to make any headway,” Klaus said. “Although I understand your situation more than most. If I meet him here, I will ask to speak to him privately and see what I can do to make him understand. Sometimes family can be the harshest judges, because they know us best but expect more than we can give.”

Morvan said nothing. He simply sat holding Suki’s hand.

"You could try. You're more likely for him to probably whip it a crucifix and just be like eat IT bloodsucker. " she sighed and looked at Klaus. " You think with me having gone to school to have specialized in Preternatural Sciences would have helped with any biases he had but that is not the case. He hates what he hates and is not likely to change his opinion on things so I wouldn't stress over at Adler. "

“No stress,” Klaus replied. “If I encounter him, which is unlikely, if he is willing to talk to me, if I can convey the facts in a manner that he can understand and accept, I will do so. If any of those factors do not come to pass, I will be disappointed at having been unable to solve a problem for you but I will not see it as a source of stress.”

“Haters gotta hate,” Morvan said. “It’s like Lincoln talking a white supremacist into growing his hair. Possible but not too likely.”

"Yeah I suspect he will be asking Maria or me to cough up cash to send him back to New York for school. After all I am alive and no longer dying so why stay? I will likely be out of the hospital in a week or two if not sooner. So there is no point. It's his final year it be nice to not see him fail it and for me to have to scrape up enough money for an extra semester. I can't unless I remortgage the house."

“There are other ways,” Klaus said. “Perhaps he would look more favourably upon the community were it to assist him in pursuing his educational goals. You have enough on your plate. And if he questions my motives, you saved my life and I am trying to pay you back any way I can.”

“Nice,” Morvan said. “Play the debt of honour card.”

Suki smiled but shook her head. "Honour card. Yeah, I don't know if it comes to that I'll talk about it. But technically that might be considered taking bribes. Its not money going directly to me but a family member. It is a very generous offer, Adler. We can cross those bridges later."

“You do take your professional reputation very seriously,” Klaus said. “You are one of the great ones, captain Neubosato.”

Suki felt the heat rise to her cheeks. "I just take my job seriously. I want to be a good cop like my father. It's also what the city deserves. Too many stories out there about crooked cops and bad cops. I know they exist, but we aren't all like that. My Unit and I strive to show not all cops are bastards."

“You do a good job,” Morvan said. “Five years ago, no shifter would have called 9-1-1. Now, half of them know at least one of the cops on your unit by name.” He didn’t mention the two dead cops. Suki had enough to worry about without the reminder that she’d lost two good officers.

“Yes, I'm guessing I missed Thompson and Polanski's funerals. He was so young. Both of them were done dirty. I really hope the feds can do what I couldn't." Suki said looking weary.

Morvan didn’t say anything. If he did, it would likely reveal how much he wanted to get his hands on the Tarot Killer. Seren deserved a little payback. He would do everything in his power to avenge her. He owed it to her as her Raj. “I suspect being in a coma makes for an acceptable reason to be absent,” Klaus said. He briefly wondered what the result would be if a murder victim was animated after their killer was dead.

"Perhaps. I still feel like I owe it personally to send condolences to the family. I'll have to text Thurgar to see if we have a fund we've been collecting for the families." Suki said looking defeated. "Such a waste of life, all because someone wanted to be dramatic and try to call out the Master of the city from the shadows. Who knows if there is even going to be a challenge or if the perp has skipped town because the Feds are here? It's clear there is no care or concern for human or shifter life here. I do find it interesting that not a single vampire was harmed during this melodrama. You must have some serious rules about not harming each other on the down low in the social circles."

“There are none,” Klaus said. “This was meant to put pressure on the master so he would step out of the shadows. Pressure from his own kind would not be enough. Pressure from an entire city of angry humans, plus their leaders would be significant. This was all done to turn the humans against the vampires. Now that the Master is out in the open, he may face attack from humans. He may not. This vampire does not fear human reprisal. That means he is old. The level of power he has displayed indicates the same thing. He would have no issues rolling and murdering humans to escape justice. I suspect he fears the Federal investigators no more than he fears the local police and I hope that will be his downfall. Local jurisdiction hampered the investigation. The Federal investigators have no such limitation.”

"Are we still under the assumption that these scenes building up to Halloween had him nearby and watching and studying our response reactions. I never put that into any reports but we did touch base on that once Adler." Suki frowned again, her head feeling fuzzy as she forced herself to recall everything she could. "Did I play into their hands on Halloween night? God I hope I didn't?"

"If you did play into their hands, they were not prepared for you," Klaus said. "Or perhaps not prepared for us. We do make an effective team, captain. That evening was a Phyrric victory on both sides but ours has a greater chance to recover and with assistance from the FBI, the pendulum has swung into our favour."

Suki nodded slowly looking unsettled "It doesn't feel like a win. Your arm, my body, one of Morvan's most at risk subs. Part of me is starting to wonder if I woke from my coma nightmare or this is just the latest chapter. Or maybe its just the activity of tonight mixed with the pain medication." She closed her eyes and swallowed her mouth felt dry, eyes heavy. "Everything feels wet and warm and fuzzy. The fog and dark want to press me. I'm too tired to run all I can do is bare teeth and hope it's enough that I'm not dragged away either or eaten... when I'm interviewed. Sorry you two. I think I'm almost at my rope end." She managed to lift Morvan's hand and kissed the back of it.

“Hence the Phyrric victory,” Klaus said. “A victory at such cost that it is almost better to call it a defeat.”

Morvan squeezed Suki’s hand. “If you’re at the end of the rope, tie a knot and hang on,” he said. “If they give you a hard time during your interview, fake a relapse and then tell them to pound salt. You get some rest, okay? I’ll be back tomorrow to see how you’re doing.”

"Thank you." Suki said in earnest "I plan on playing ball. Who knows they might have better luck than we have. They do have a larger talent pool to draw on. They recruit the best of the best. We will be in touch. No need to drop by, we do have working cellphones. No pressure. Now you should go Morvan I'm sure your tribe is missing you."

[LadyJallyn]

November 17th - 10:00 am.  Rat Hunting Party - Meeting at Gonzales'

"So who all is in on this?" Don asked as he and Mike walked up to the door of the diner that catered to many of the rat population in Seattle.  Although the cooks could not be lycanthropes, many of the server were.  When the waitresses can bench press motorcycles and moved like greased lightning, the greasy spoon hosted fewer handsy patrons than most of their competition.

"Not sure," Mike said.  "All I know is we're rolling out at 11:00, to make sure that all the vamps are out for the count.  I wanted to be here early, just so I can have a shot at letting us tag along on the hen party."

There in a booth bathed in late morning sunlight sat a familiar messy bun of wavey hair. The table had an open laptop, papers in several small stacks and a couple building plans rolled out. A full carafe of coffee was 2/3rds done showed she had been there for a while. Abby knew that fighting was not her strongest asset but she was not about to let anyone go in blind and she could also drive the battle party. To anyone else she was doing her job. While infact she was doing both. Why would anyone plan a coup in plain sight that would be insane. And if anyone asked what the building plans she was looking at she covertly brought ones for a building being renovated for multi family housing.

The plans Abby was reviewing had little to do with family dwellings and more to do with underground tunnels. Shen Long had abandoned the tunnels near the rail yard but he was definitely showing a preference for subterranean dwelling. Seattle was a perfect place for it. Much of the city had been built over top of an existing infrastructure. Parts of it were even considered a tourist destination but other parts had been abandoned completely, until discovered by parts of the preternatural community. Nick’s lair had been part of it. So too was Shen Long’s.

In its original form, it had featured narrow corridors and frequent pinch points. Who knew what Shen Long had done to it.

"You girls are looking a little lost,” Jen said, as she came up behind Mike and Don.

“You’re going to have to beat us until we can’t get up any more,” Don said, glaring at the woman who made him look small. “Both of us.”

Jen patted Don on the shoulder. It was gentle, friendly even. “If I think there are too many and the group will draw attention, I’ll be cutting you from the team first,” she said. “But if I can take you with me, I will.”

“She needs cannon fodder,” Cash said as she too joined the group.  “Danny is in the car,” she said to Jen.

Adalyn entered the diner and nearly turned right back around to leave when she saw Jen was leading the group. Her and the beefy rat woman didn't get along and they probably never would get along. But the part of her that knew Nick had been duped into the situation that had him loosing his life was all at the hands of Shen Long and she wanted her pound of putrid flesh from the long toothed bastard.

Jen saw Adalyn and waved her over. If there was any animosity, it seemed to be only on the smaller rat’s side. “I hope it won’t be just us,” she said. “Astrid was hoping that this would be a good bonding moment.”


“Bondage moments are always welcome,” Juno said as she too joined the group. Her blue hair was spiked and she wore a spiked collar, large enough to accommodate the thicker neck of her rat form. The large bag slung over her shoulder was as much gym bag as purse; it bulged with a wide range of objects, all of which were hidden from sight but most of which were intended to inflict damage.

“I hope this doesn’t get too messy,” said a smaller woman as she too approached the group. “I have to work tonight.”  She was glowering at anyone who was taller than her, who was pretty much everyone. Unlikely Morvan or Suki, she did not embrace membership in Team Tiny.

“We’ll have you home in time to shower and get to the club,” Cash said.

"I see just about everyone is here." Lillia said as she joined the rest of them. She did not seem surprised to see Mike and Don.  "I hope everyone is hungry "

“I could go for an all you can eat Chinese,” Jen said. “Although making sure we have some red meat in us before we go would be an unwise idea.”

“Way ahead of you,” said a waitress whose name tag read Sam. Her real name was Celine.  She was carrying a tray loaded with wings, ribs and cowboy steaks. “Astrid said to make sure you were running on all cylinders with fuel to burn.  And like the guy in Deadpool says, I wish I could come with you but I don’t wanna.  I’m a feeder, not a fighter.”

"Thanks C,” Juno said. She looked at Mike and Don. “Anybody thinking we need any of those mini-sausages tossed on the table?  I thought this was a girl’s only event.”

[LadyJallyn]

"They were Nick's best friends, outside of Lils here I say they have more than enough right to be here." Adalyn said softly from her place near Lillia.

Juno looked at Jen, who pointed to Lillia. “Her show. And yeah, according to Logan, they were his brothers, as close as blood, if not closer. If you insist, I’m willing to place serious cash on the fact that if that was the price of coming along, they’d both pay it in a heart beat.”

Mike nodded. Don reached for a butter knife. Ann stopped him. “They come or I don’t. Nick was mine before he was Lillia’s and these two stood beside him when he faced the king for the first time. They’ve earned their place here.”

Cash leaned over to Juno. “You going to try and tell Danny the same thing?” she asked and there was just the faintest hint of growl in her voice.

Juno threw up her hands in surrender. “Just asking. Jesus. Jump down a girl’s throat why don’t you.”

"Relax.  I knew Mike, Don, and Danny would be on the roster." Lillia said.  " Let's get fueled up for the fun, shall we?"

“Did you really know Danny would be coming?” Jen asked as she reached for a rack of ribs. “Oh this is going to be messy.”

“That just means you suck at eating… ribs,” Naomi said, with a look cast at Mike and Don.  “You gotta lick all the sauce off first.  Get into all the crevices.”  She picked up a rack of ribs that was almost dripping and, locking eyes with Mike, proceeded to start licking the sauce off with just the tip of her tongue.  “Know what I mean?” she asked.

Mike didn’t break eye contact. “I’ve had no complaints,” he said.

“There would have to be somebody to complain,” Don replied.

Mike was about to rise to their usual back and forth with a biting comment but stopped himself, because Don had just lost his partner and it was too soon to poke that particular wound.

“I’m sorry, did you say something?” It was a weak retort and Mike knew it.

“Now we know why he said he had no complains. More like he HEARD no complaints.  Deaf mutherfucker.”

“Assumptive asshat.”

“Stupid shithead.”

“Dickless wonder.” Mike still hadn’t broken eye contact with Naomi, who had cleared enough sauce off to separate two of the ribs.

Adalyn rolled her eyes at the two guys. She was used to the banter they had even if it was a tad lackluster for obvious reasons.

She plucked a wing from one of the baskets and started to nibble on it. Before popping the whole thing in her mouth and then pulling just the bones out; cleaned of it's skin and meat. "You think she's offering?" Adalyn asked her boyfriend.

“Offering?”  Mike pondered the question.  “No, I think she’s trying to teach me how to eat pussy. That is what she really meant when she told Jen she sucked at eating ribs.”

“Ah,” Don said.  “The ancient monthly misery vampire oral technique known as Stemming the Crimson Tide.”

“Gross!” exclaimed Ann.  “And suddenly I’m on board with leaving them behind.”

Lillia chuckled. "I would have been more surprised if you had left Danny at home actually. While I didn't know exactly, I had a strong inkling based off of previous interactions.  "

“Astrid prefers to let me handle Danny,” Cash said.  “Unless she has him herself.  He reacts best to us.”

“Can I ask what his deal is?  I mean, what is with the leash and collar?” Mike asked.  “Not meaning any offence.  I’m just curious.”

“He was like that when we found him,” Cash answered. “Pretty much feral and nonverbal. Still nonverbal but at least he can wash and dress himself now. Somebody definitely went through the trouble of leash training him. Not sure if you call that a good thing or not. Best guess is that he is either some form of autistic, severely brain damaged or maybe a combination of the two. Whatever it is, we’re pretty sure nobody can fix it. If it is physical damage, it happened before his infection, so there is no change of healing it, without cutting out a chunk of his brain and letting it regrow and anybody trying to do that to Danny is going to do it over my dead body.”

“Mine too,” Jen said.

“Line forms on the left,” Naomi said.”

"It’s highly likely that the virus wouldn't "fix" the brain. I imagine it codes itself to our mitochondrial RNA." Adayln said as she licked bbq sauce off her fingers.

“People grow limbs back,” Cash said. “One woman with a broken back that paralyzed her paid to be infected and it fixed her spine.  You can pretty much pay to get anything done in south east Asia.  If his brain had been damaged during his infection, it would have healed is all I’m saying.  Knew one guy who had half his head chewed off when he was attacked by a werewolf.  Grew part of his brain back. Had to learn to walk all over again. Neurons  were there but the pathways from the old brain weren’t reproduced when the new brain regrew.  Messed with the doctors because nerves aren’t supposed to regenerate.”

Lillia nodded to Cash.  " I was mostly blind when I was infected, but further damage to my eyes afterwards triggered them to heal back to what is considered normal for me.  If he has autism, then there would definitely be a base line that is normal for his body. But at any rate, it was easy to tell that he is important to you all.  I respect that."

“Depends entirely on whether autism is due to damage, faulty wiring or an attempted evolution,” Cash answered. “No one knows.  Certain forms of autism result in people incredibly gifted in certain fields. Music. Math.  Who says there is anything wrong?  Not me.”

Lillia shrugged. "No judgement from me.  Not with what I dealt with for just being albino.". She opted for a steak and sat to eat.

Abby had been utterly engulfed by her research that she didn't make sny move to make space for the incoming people. It wasn't that she was doing it to be rude she just wanted to make check twenty times over that she hadn't missed anything that could be a potential threat. She did not want to miss a single thing. Even looking into outside potential issues such as weather, sunset and sunrise times. Heck construction zones and even parking situations were not over looked. Abby knew all to well the suffering that could potentionally happen for details over looked first hand. It was something she wasn't keen on others having to experience.

She could feel tension build behind her eyes. The move or rather major bulk of it was settled. Those that refused to leave would be dealt with in due time but that had little to do with her. Abby had gone above and beyond to get things done. This would be the last  side project for awhile. Hopefully once it was over she could finally stop living off coffee and get some sleep. She left out a heavy sigh as she flipped between blueprints once again her other hand absently reaching for the coffee pot.

“You planning on joining the party?” the waitress with the SAM name tag asked Abby.  “Or are you just here to see them off?”

Abby leaned back. The plastics on the diner booth groaned as she shifted. "Getting things sorted to see them off. Be a responsable D.D. ya know? Unless asked specfically to join I'm not the best at keeping up with the young ones parties." Abby craned her neck to look at the group that was building in a different part of the diner. Turning back to her things she gave a small nod.
"I'll go join them C. And thanks I may of been a bit too much inside my head over here."

Abby took a few moments to clean up her plans and the table to make as little inconvience to Celine. Gathering her courage she took a deep breath in, slowly exhaling as she approached the group. Abby knew she was heading over to some people that were not her biggest fans but that was the least of their problems. She stood at one end of the table a smile on her face. "Good morning everyone. We all here?"

“Looks like everyone from our side are here,” Jenn said.

Juno waved.  She held up her bag.  “I brought the party favours.”

Cash looked at Lillia.  “You expecting anyone else?”

Willard entered the diner with a little hesitation in his step. He hadn't taken the switch over of upper management with the most grace but he hoped that wouldn't be held against him. Slowly approaching the table where the others had gathered he dropped the duffle bag he was carrying and smiled. "Is there room in this party for one more or am I going to be keeping the van company on this trip?" He briefly turned his attention to Abby. "We should talk when this is all over, " he said softly.

Abby turned to Willard. Her smile seemed to widen a little. "I do not know specifics but I see no reason you could not join the party planning conversation. I see no reason we could not continue a conversation afterwards." Abby nodded. She could not deny she had a primal attraction to the man so the fact he wanted to speak later caused butterflies in her stomach to stir.

Lillia raised an eyebrow, looking from Willard to Abby. "Well, isn't this surprising." She said. It wasn't obvious if she was talking about Willard's arrival or the apparent connection between him and Abby.  " I expected Mike and Don.  Danny also was an addition I generally planned for.  You, I was not expecting, Willard.  So tell me, are you here for your own sake or Ben's?"

Willard turned his attention to Lillia. "For everyone's sake Lillia. As long as Shen Long exists we all in danger."

[LadyJallyn]

Abbys eye twitched slightly but over all continued along with a soft clear of her throat.

"No argument there. Shall we finish eatting before getting to planning for the party. I've been looking at the floor plans for some decorating ideas that may bring better clarity to the over all presentation." Abby smiled with a small tilt of her head indicating the maps keeping her language friendly for non raiders to be oblivious to what was about to happen.

Willard turned back to Abby. "Food is aways good," he replied yet made no further moves toward the table being a little unsure if he was even welcome after Lillia had made her remarks.

Abby chuckled. "Yes, yes it is. Now stop being a weirdo and sit down will ya." Abby pulled a chair over towards the booth before gently gripping Willards shoulders repositioning infront of a chair and pushing him downwards in an attempt to get him to relax.

Willard felt a small shock go through him when Abby touched him, something akin to a static shock. He suppressed the urge to shudder as he took the proffered seat. He loaded up a small plate up with a variety of the available meats and ordered a root beer. "Are you joining us Miss Relo?" he asked Abby with his usual smile.

Abby took a chair and sat beside Willard at the end of the booth as well. "To an extent yes. I am more of a party planner then a partier unless asked otherwise. I know where my strengths lie and where they don't. I suppose I should have something solid in my stomach.  It smells way to good to continue with just coffee."

"Can I anticipate that you will be driving the party bus to this little shindig?"

“Going to need a big bus,” Jen said. “Going to be some dancing on the way back.”

"But of course. A responsible designated driver is a highly under rated position." Abby nodded. "That is true Jen. I don't think my bus can hold everyone.  Sadly my "bus" can legally seat 6 others only other than myself. Unless someone has precured larger transport?" Abby looked over the group.

"We could always try to rent a UHaul truck. Wouldn't be legal for anyone to ride in the back but what no one knows can't hurt us." Willard looked at Abby and pointed at the duffle bag he had brought with him. "You should keep that with you. It's contents might come in handy."

Don shook his head. “Motorcycle,” he said.
Juno nodded to her bag, chewing furiously and swallowing hard before speaking. “Party favours,” she choked out, before coughing so hard she turned red.

Willard pointed at his duffle again, "Personal protection."

“She brings the whips and chains and you bring the condoms?” Mike asked rhetorically.  “What do you classify as personal protection?  Kevlar doesn’t work so well when your neck and your ass are farther apart than they are supposed to be.”

"Bang Sticks," was Willards simple answer.

“Bang sticks,” Jen echoed. “As opposed to boom sticks. Sounds like a dynamite idea, as a parting gift.”

"Bang sticks,  as in those carried by divers to be used against sharks. Considering the theme for the party I thought them appropriate," Willard replied with a shark like grin.

Abby listened to the banter at the table as she consumed more coffee and sinful toasted bacon sandwich that she constructed with a side  toast and bacon.

Once everyone had had their fill Abby wasted no time unraveling the blueprint.

"As you can see our host has a lot of narrow hallways which could be problematic when spreading out decorations. Not to mention the amounts storage we need to work around." Abby pointed out the pathways with choke points and blind spots. "It has been a long time since our host has had people in their home. Who knows what hoarding tendancies they have picked up." Abby explained.

“His staff are all trained cleaners to some degree,” Cash said. “Lillia, I know you have some connection to the local Pard.  One of Shen’s staff is of particular interest to them and Astrid has asked, asked, not ordered, that we try to arrange a meeting. I have pictures, not that they will help if he’s out of shape. He’s not our host, so conversation with him might go a little easier.”

" Of course we can try and arrange a meeting. " Lillia said with a smile. " Morvan is a friend, and I do enjoy surprising friends."  Then she moved to lean over the maps, looking over them with interest.  " Show me where you think we should start, miss party planner."

Abby began to go over what they knew by the blueprints infront of them. She highighted exits, blind corners and small rooms that could be used for communication or storage. It was a detailed mini presentation and at the end of it her face soured.

"Again I can not stress how old these are. They were not the easiest to find either. Some hallways maybe blocked. Heck some new ones may even be made. It could be a real shit sandwhich. The variables are unsermountable." She pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Just need to get noses on the ground," Don said grimly.  "We can sniff out the ways they go in and out, the areas they avoid.  I'll head out on my bike.  Do some sniffing around the four most likely entrances.  I'll know the way in by the time you all get there,"

"You sure you want to do this solo?" Mike asked.  He didn't look happy.

Don looked at Adalyn.  "Pretty sure," he said.

Mike looked at Lillia, shrugging helplessly and imploring her to say something.

Willard studied the blueprints as Abby went over them. He made a few mental notes as to where the choke points might be and the most likely ambush locations. He also noted the approximate size of the rooms which would give an indication as to how many foes might be inside each one, how much room there would be to fight, and what forms might be usable in each. When Don spoke his head snapped up. "Make sure to try and stay down wind if at all possible. Might be a good idea to try and find some lesser used entrances. Give us a better chance of getting inside without being detected."

Lillia raised an eyebrow.  "No."  She said firmly, dabbing the side of her mouth with a napkin.  "You, you, and you."  She pointed to each of the trio of trouble.  "No solo running.  At all.  If you don't like it I will personally ensure you are unable to follow us.  Trust that I care enough about everyone here that I will break as many limbs as I need to if I think that will keep you alive.  Willard, your skillset is well suited for reconnaissance.  That is the reason I will allow your self invite to stand.  Find a partner or two .  As soon as everyone is well fed, we will be heading out.  Cash, I will leave Danny's role in your hands.  You know him.  "

Not about to argue Willard simply nodded. "What do you say Don, want to roll out and do a little scouting around? Mike? You want to come with or are you going to wait to get in on the action with the rest?" Although he wasn't as close to Nick as Dan and Mike they had still be friends and  he knew, to some degree,  the loss they were feeling.

“Sure,” Don said. “You, me and Mike. Problem with the lesser used entrances is that they might not go where we need them to go, which is why they aren’t used. I can rat out, see if I can spot any traps around the entrance and figure out how to disarm or disable them.”

Mike chuckled. “Sounds like we’re getting ready for a dungeon crawl.”

"That is exactly what we are doing," Willard responded with a grin. "I'm going to leave my personal protection devices with you," he said to Abby. "Do you know what a bang stick is? Have you ever used one before?"

Abby shook her head. "My skill set has not yet required that knowledge I am afraid. The closest I have to it is of the firework variety which I have only observed the after effects." She admited

"Crash course time. They are basically just a shotgun shell on a stick with a trigger. Typically they are made with either a 12 gauge or 20 gauge shotgun shell. These are made with 12 gauge solid slugs instead of the usual pellets. Using it is simple. Jab it into the target and pull the trigger. Unlike a standard shotgun you need to keep the shell in contact with the target when you pull the trigger, the tighter against the target the better. Soft targets, like the abdomine or groin, will suffice if you are trying to disable. Joints such as hips or knees are best for disabling and allowing you to escape.  Hard targets, like bone, are better if you are trying for a kill shot. Head, sternum, or spine are best. There will be some recoil but not as much as a regular shotgun and you should be able to handle it without any problems. These are 'one and done' weapons so once you use it there is no way to reload. You only have six of them so be judicious with when you use them. Your best option is to disable your enemy and book it to a safe location."

“I’ll take one of those,” Don said. “Just in case.”

"I have one more in the trunk of my car. We can grab it when we get to Disneyland," Willard told Don.

“They say that one of the skeletons in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride is real,” Mike said. “I wonder if we’ll be able to tell which one.”

“There will be signs,” Don said. “Shouldn’t be hard to figure it out. It won’t be moving and will be tucked away in a place where people aren’t likely to touch it accidentally.”

Cash chuckled at the pair. “Want one of us to go with them, Lillia or are you good with three of yours going to scout?”

Abby had nodded along as Willard gave her a crash course. It didn't seem too hard to use. part of her began to day dream a little of how it would look going up against someone's eye. She stood from the table packing up here things before fishing out her car keys.

Lillia looked at the three, mulling over Cash's question.  Mike and Don were notorious for being crack ups, but she knew that when it came to important things, they knew how to be serious.  They were good candidates for scouting party because they were low enough on the totem pole power wise that any guards would either ignore them or try to take them out or capture them for fodder.  Willard was strong enough to fight back if they encountered the vampires lackeys, and had the right kind of experience for the job.  "Mike and Don are fine as long as there is someone there to make sure they don't do something stupid like try and rush ahead.  Willard should be able to handle that.  Am I right, Willard, or do I need to worry about you as well?"

"I can keep my head on straight.  Do you want one of us to use Bluetooth to call you and keep you on the line while we scout so you have real time info?"

Juno snickered. “Now that sounds like a raid, not a dungeon crawl,” she said. “Having somebody throwing shade and bitching about newbs and lag.”

“Didn’t bring my headset,” Don said. “Or my wireless mouse.”  He jerked a thumb at Mike. “Will a wireless rat do the trick?”

"Yes, and yes."  Lillia said to both questions.   "Make sure your head's in the game everyone.  We may only get one chance at this.  Let's make it count."

“Head. Heart. Soul.” Don nodded. “This is the fucking Super Bowl and we’re starting the second half trailing by a single point. Other guys aren’t going to know what hit them.”

“Save some for the rest of us,” Jen said and, although her tone was jovial, it was clear that it carried a warning.”

“Less talk.  More walk,”. Mike said.

"Who's playing RTO?" Willard asked as he pulled his phone and a Bluetooth set from his pocket.

"RTO?" Mike asked, clearly confused.  "Raspberry Turnover?  Requested Time Off?  Return to Office?"

Willard laughed. "Military shorthand for Radio Telephone Operator. In other words, who is going to be the communication liason."

“Not me,” Don said. “Maybe Lillia, since she’s running the show.  Or did you mean Mike or I?”

"Which of us three? It doesn't matter who we pass the info onto as long as they don't play the children's game telephone with it."

"You're the Alpha, Willard.  Those two are your responsibility.  That means you go on the com.  The guards are likely the ones we dealt with previously, which means they are no pushovers.  Do not engage unless absolutely necessary.  If you are discovered, you will fall back to where backup is waiting.  I don't care if we have to Kite these bastards and take them down one by one."  Lillia said.



"Roger that. Get in, get the intel, get out. We don't engage unless our backs are to the wall with no other out," Willard confirmed. "You two got that?" he asked Don and Mike.

Mike nodded. “Loud and clear,” he said. Don gave a thumbs up. The two followed Willard outside.

“You got a cup holder I can drop these in?” Don asked, holding up his motorcycle keys. “Don’t want to lose these in some tunnel somewhere.”

"We'll lock them in the glove box along with our wallets and anything else we don't want to risk losing," Willard responded as he unlocked the mini van.

“You take shotgun,” Don said to Mike, as he slid into the back seat.

Mike nodded, surprised that his friend had yielded the coveted spot so easily. “I was going to g to call Rosa Park anyway,” he said.

“And not give up your seat.  Clever.”  It was the last thing Don said for a long time. Mike was almost as silent, until the three rats pulled over and parked. Willard could sense the turmoil inside the pair; Mike smelled mildly of fear. Don stank of rage, waiting for the moment to get unleashed. He was here to exact his vengeance, claim his pound of flesh. It wasn’t just for Nick. Shen Long was going to serve as Proxy for the Tarot Card Killer and Shen Long’s rats were going to stand in for the rats that took Seren.

“There will be blood tonight,” he said softly.

“Whatever you say, Inigo.”

"Remember the plan. We stick together. No body goes off on their own. If we are confronted we run. If we are forced to fight we go back to back to back, force them to come to us. Either of you two get yourself killed I swear I will find someone to raise you so I can beat your ass into oblivion. Any questions?"

“Do you know how much an animator costs?” Don asked.

“Get ‘em right out of art college and they will work pretty much for minimum wage,” Mike said. When Don just sighed and shook his head, Mike gave Willard a look. When Don was putting his keys and wallet in Willard’s glove compartment, Mike pointed to his eyes and then at Don.

He would be watching Don like a hawk.

"I wouldn't use an Animator. I would use a Necromancer. Those guys would do it for the fun of it," Willard replied with a smile. He gave Mike a small nod of understanding.

“Aren’t those they guys vampires hunt down and kill?” Mike asked. “Like, they legit go all Jihad or Fatwa or whatever it is and just go scorched earth on them?”

Willard shrugged as he took the car key off the keyring and tossed it, along with his wallet into the glove box. "Ready to get this show on the road?" he asked as he exited the vehicle.  He paused near the rear drivers side tire and knelt down. Pulling a magnetic key box from his pocket, he slid the car key into it and attached it to the underside of the wheel well.

“That’s the first place anyone looks,” Don said. “Where are we going to look first?”  He raised his face, sniffing the air.  “Too bad ratting out in public is verboten.”

" If they can a) reach it and b) wrest the industrial strength magnetic off the wheel well they are welcome to it."

“Easier to break the window and hotwire it,” Mike said. “Not that I know anything about boosting cars. If I remember the map right, there should be an opening  up that way, maybe fifty yards or so. Probably a manhole, given that it’s flat.”

"Hold up a minute," Willard said as he returned to the open drivers side door. Reaching down to the floor he pulled a latch and a pop could heard from the rear of the vehicle.  Opening the rear hatch of the minivan Willard moved a few things around and pulled a black case forward. He also grabbed a small duffel bag and tossed it to Don. "Your party favor." He opened the black case and retrieved a 9mm pistol from inside. Slapping a magazine into the butt of the gun, he chambered a round, made sure the safety was engaged and tucked into his waistband under his shirt. " You need anything?" he asked Mike. " I have another 9mm or a couple of daggers." While waiting for an answer Willard slipped his Bluetooth into his left ear, pulled his phone from his pocket and hit the speed dial for Lillia's phone.

“Who do I look like, John fucking Wick?” Mike asked. “I need something with less of a skill requirement.  Got a tire iron?”

Mike wasn’t remotely unarmed. He had a pair of brass knuckles tucked in his back pocket. He was far more familiar with them than with either of the options Willard had offered. He also had a carefully sealed package running the length of his spine as an ace in the hole…

"Tire iron it is," Willard responded as he closed the case and pushed back into trunk area. He tossed the trunk rug aside and pulled up the board that covered the area where the spare tire and tire jack was stored. He grabbed the tire iron and tossed to Mike. He put the cover board and rug back into position, closed the hatch and went to closed and lock rest of the vehicle.

"Ghostie here."  Lillia said, refering to what Mike and Don had called her the day they met, when she was so shy and skittish she had been draped under a hospital sheet.  "Location?"

"Comms check from the clown car," Willard responded. He pulled up their GPS coordinates and rattled them off. "We are aboutcto go spelunking so comms may get spotty."

There was indeed a manhole where Mike had predicted. It took shifter levels of strength to open it, which meant humans would not have been able to manage.

Once it was open, Don stuck his head in. “Very faint scent of rat,” he announced. “If they use this, it isn’t often. I think the scent is just being carried down the tunnels.”