Eden's Story

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Eida & Alec

Eida scoffed for what felt like the tenth time that morning, her hand instinctively reaching for the wet wipes she kept beside her mirror at all times. With a rather disgruntled expression, Eida wiped the makeup from her eyes and threw the wipe down in the bin, releasing a barely audible squeak of disapproval as she did so. It was, approximately, her tenth time trying to make it even on both eyes. Her crazy, irrational, perfectionist self had prevented her from simply 'going with it', as her brother called it. Speaking of her brother... Eida did a little twirl as she spun on her heel, eyes narrowing in on the limp form which lay lazily upon her bed. She scoffed, yet again, and threw the entire packet of wet wipes. They landed on his stomach, eliciting a winded grunt from the teen. His head lifted so that he could glance at her, before he released an audible sigh. "For the last time, I'm not doing it for you." She tilted her head to one side. "Okay, I'm not doing it for you again."

It was - at the very least - another twenty minutes before Eida was finally pleased enough with her appearance that she was able to leave the room. Alec trailed after her, cradling his arm with a flushed expression. Eida skipped down the hallway, her body practically twitching with barely-controlled glee. "Thanks for helping me out, bro!" she yipped as she made her way down the flight of stairs leading to the ground floor - or lobby - of the hotel. It was still incredibly early, all things considered, so when she threw herself into the kitchen for breakfast she wasn't entirely surprised that she found no one in there but herself and her quietly muttering brother. Alec made a straight line for the fridge, hissing as he lifted his arm to open the door. He pulled out some milk and threw it to his sister, who had already gotten the cereal. While she grabbed the bowels, he grabbed the spoons; they both set them down at the same time, and fought for the right to pour their cereal first, before doing so again with the milk mere moments later. This was a battle they faced almost every morning.

It wasn't until Alec tucked into his bowel that he realised they hadn't made a third for Alexis. He gave his sister a quick glance, which seemed to have sent the message well and clear. Eida scuttled off towards the door, swinging it open and swallowing a moment as if to brace her vocals for the onslaught they faced. "Alexis!" Eida called, hoping that the silence of the hotel would carry her vocals far enough. "You want a bowl of cereal? Or something?" Truth be told, she didn't even know what her Aunt happened to be doing at that time, but upon the checking of her watch she realised they had a little over half an hour to leave, so she didn't hurry. Gesturing to Alec, he used his back to keep the door propped open in case of a response, as Eida threw her spoon into her bowl eagerly.

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Alexander and Scavenger

"I don't know why you're so nervous," muttered Scavenger as her pale optics followed the older man who appeared to be pacing the room breathlessly. "She'll most likely just be happy to see her husband again." Alex halted. Though his expression was one of unfathomable passivity, his eyes were dark and hard as they shifted towards her; they settled for a few moments before wandering aimlessly on. Alexander didn't bother to utter a response. Too involved in his own train of thought was he that actual words were something of an impossibility. Lips twitching with the urge to move, Alex grumbled something incoherent, and continued on about the room, from one corner to the next. Scavenger merely shook her head, and threw her arms out in the air with a grunt as she attempted to drag herself up off of the arm chair.

They were in Alex's apartment at that time. It was a nice little place, although the only furniture - excluding the bathroom and kitchen - in the place was a bed and a chair, both located in the living area. Alex had to move ever since Scavenger decided to pay him a visit and ended up barrelling through the portal, onto his bed. He did not seem pleased about that. He'd proceeded to throw the bed through the doorway out of the room the following morning, but not after throwing her about the place first. He was a strict one, that Alex. Scavenger's gaze travelled to the doorway, which barely qualified as such. Upon trying to fit the bed through, Alex had realised that it didn't fit, and decided it was easy just to create a gaping hole in his apartment as opposed to dismantling the bed and building it again. An amused grunt filled the silence.

"We should go," Alex finally spoke, causing Scavenger's head to swivel around, pale eyes fixating on his face. His face lacked emotion, but his eyes held a hurt that could not be described with words. Huffing, she nodded and stepped forward a little, extending her arm. Alex, with an increasing sense of hesitance, did the same; their hands met but Alex's grip was practically non-existent, leaving Scavenger to shift her hand and curl her fingers around his wrist instead. In an instant, they appeared behind the school.

Both making their way around to the front of the building, they parted ways to prevent rousing suspicion. As far as the citizens of Parkwood were concerned, Alex and Scavenger were complete strangers. Teacher and pupil. Nothing more, nothing less. While Alex continued on down the hallway, Scavenger turned right at the first corridor and started towards her first class of the day: Maths. Alex had a class to teach, anyhow. English Literature, if he remembered correctly. Thankfully, he was able to make it through the hallway without encountering any of his family. Upon discovering the location of his classroom, Alex entered and set his case down on the desk at the front, clearing his throat. None of them were present, but no doubt they would begin to flood in once the morning bell rang. He just hoped he wouldn't get any of his grandchildren.

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Kellin

Kellin's dark eyes focused finally, eyelids peeling themselves open to reveal... absolutely nothing. His personal quarters in the Wraith Realm were caked in complete darkness. Therefore, even when his sight became clear, he could see nothing but the subtle outlines of his furniture. Groaning loudly, he shifted so that he could prop his upper weight up with his arms, eyes continuing to peer into the gloom for a further minute before he even made the attempt to move from beneath the covers. Padding slowly over to the windowless hole in the side of the building he'd been calling home for the last three years. It was a dreary little castle-type foundation; the outer appearance suggested that one punch from a supernatural being and the entire structure would crumble instantly. Reflecting upon this, Kellin barely held in a sigh. How pathetic...

Kellin fought to turn his entire form around, pushing himself to walk towards the bedroom door. It swung open immediately, revealing a portly man in his late fifties, standing perfectly still with his head lowered. To either side of him stood a girl; pale-skinned, tall, plain-faced and shapeless. They, too, held their gaze to the ground, their hands clasped together in front of them. "Sir Davenport," the middle-aged man practically cooed, tipping his over-sized body forward. The action caused Kellin to move backwards, lest the man's balding head slap into his bare chest. He didn't think he could prevent the general awkwardness of such a situation from turning into anger. He really didn't want to have to kill this man; he was a fairly good servant, as far as they went. Annoying and jiggly as he was, he served Kellin well. "Don't call me that," the younger man replied, turning once more and padding into the centre of the room. "Come on in, Jerry. Upon command, Jerry did just that, the two younger girls trailing silently behind him, eyes still down on the floor. They were new, as far as Kellin knew, but he shrugged it off.

After about an hour had passed, Kellin had been fully washed and dressed. He wore a button-up and some jeans; his usual attire. Standing in the middle of his room once more, Kellin was left with nothing to do. He'd refused his grandfather's command to return to school, but he was not altogether denying that returning to Parkwood on the whole was necessary to their plans. Releasing a short huff, Kellin sat extended his arms and splayed his fingers out into the empty space before him. He squinted his eyes closed as a heavy concentration overcome him. A trick he'd learned ever since meeting Lexi was to pinpoint her exact location, and use it to travel through the Realms. Upon picking this up, he'd quickly tried it out on Alexander and Scavenger (even though neither of them got along too well). As a black space opened up in front of him, a mischievous grin slithered across Kellin's lips and pulled them back to reveal a set of white teeth. He hopped through.

Upon entering Mark's Mansion, the first person he took notice of was Lexi. He took this opportunity, with her back turned to him, to run up nearly silently and wrap his arms around her from behind, nuzzling her neck almost ravenously. "Miss me?" he teased.

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EDEN

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Eden had woken up early that morning. Like a child she was excited for her first day of school...well college but same basic principle. Having woken up just before sunrise had left Eden if plenty of free time after she got ready and organized, well if you consider stuffing her textbooks and notepads into her shoulder bag organized. With all her free time Eden had started unpacking her belongings, her new apartment still bare excepted for her furnishing. It didn't have her own personal touch yet, the things that really made a home her home. Plugging her earbuds into her phone Eden put the small speakers in her ears and cracked the tunes, dancing around as she got to work. By the time she had to leave Eden had emptied out all the boxes and had laid everything out on the floor, all her dishes and kitchen supplies was put away and her bathroom stuff was also put away.

Checking her phone Eden saw the time and jumped up from her place on the floor while removing her earbuds and pausing her music. She then grabbed her bag, wallet and keys before leaving her apartment. She halted just outside her door, her hand shooting up to her chest where the cool crystal pendant symbolizing her birthright rested. Her fingers gripped the pendant tightly as she set a small pray to her deceased mother. Even now five thousand years later Eden still loved her mother and prayed to her everyday. Then with a deep sigh she started on her journey though it didn't take Eden long to walk to Parkwood College, the morning sun warm and bright reflected Eden's happy mood. Once she was on campuses Eden made her way to her first class since she already had her schedule. The English Lit classroom was practically empty except for a few people, a man and a dark haired girl. Child like excitement filled her at the chance to meet new people and maybe make friends.

"Good morning" Eden chirped happily. Even with her happy mood Eden could sense the somewhat dark aura these to gave off but she decided to ignore it, thinking maybe they were just having a lousy morning.

It was quiet for a moment, the two of them just starting at each other before her father decided to speak. "You're probably waiting for an explanation," He said and Alexis laughed sardonically as he moved thing around on his desk, which only pissed Alexis off even further. "I'm not going to go into details," He began and Alexis just crossed her arms. "but the last three years have been... interesting. I came to a realisation, it would seem, that this world is terribly divided... This world is a horrible place of war, of death and destruction. I think you'd be proud to know your old man is working to change that." He said and grinned in a way that made her uncomfortable. She didn't know nor care what the hell he was talking about.

"Anyhow," He said, continuing . "I'll pop by the hotel today for a little visit, if you'd like... I do hope your mother hasn't missed me terribly."

Alexis gaped at him. "You're kidding right? Missed you?"She said, her head cocked in confusion, something she got from her mother. She looked at the girl the one with the book and the other that had just entered. " Yea, Get out." she told them both. The light haired one looked new and it was likely she didn't know who Alexis was, nor how dangerous her mood could be, but the other one did, and she got up and left without a word.

She turned back to her father. "She's been a fucking wreck, Dad. You left...after Slade died....You remember, the one that was born with Symone. Which seems to be the only one you fucking care about..." She said, turning away. "She goes to give grave everyday, that's where she is right now....hoping he'll come back, but he won't, we all know that, but since her fucking husband left, she had no one but me, to help her with her grief, and frankly I don't know how to help her....She needed you, I needed you and fucking bailed. But After three years, you'll 'pop' by later....Thanks for that." She said, feeling pressure behind her eyes. She'll be damned if she cried though. "Ya know even Symone came a few times, just to check on us, but not you..." She and turned her head toward him. "Fuck the world, The world doesn't even know you, it doesn't need you....We do, I do."

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Alex

Alex didn't quite know how to respond to Alexis' response, although he'd half expected her to be so incredulous about his passivity towards abandoning them those three years ago. Still, he remained completely silent as she told the blonde who had entered to leave. Scoffing a little, he gave a glance towards her, but said nothing in objection. He feared doing anything to the contrary would only worsen his daughter's mood, and that was something Alexander always tried to avoid. Often times he would think that her temper was even worse than his own, which was saying something. As, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Alexis turn back to him, and his eyes widened for less than a second before his brows lowered in a frown. He was trying his best to stay focused, but it was becoming a much more difficult task.

As Alexis continued on, Alex found himself becoming more and more confused. After Slade died, he repeated in his mind. After Slade died? That wasn't how he recalled the events at all. In his own mind, Slade had died one year after he'd disappeared. In actual fact, Slade had come looking for him after some time, furious, to see why Alex had abandoned his wife. It was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time; Slade has overheard a conversation which he really shouldn't have, and while Alex was entirely prepared to explain himself, Scavenger was not. She cut him down one night as he walked around in the forests surrounding the hotel, and taken his body for good measure. She'd claimed she'd done it for Alex, to preserve his secret, but he was furious. Not long after, before the body began to decompose, he ordered one of his best Necromancers to bring his son back; Alex had never been a fan of Slade, but at the end of the day they were family.

While he reflected upon these events, Alex barely noticed how his daughter prattled on. It was only when his eyes came into focus that he noticed the distressed expression she held on her face, and he could've sworn she was about to cry. But, no, that wasn't Alexis. She didn't cry; she got angry. Her finishing sentence was enough to curl Alex's fists into tight balls, but he immediately unclenched and shook his head slowly, eyes lowered. The world doesn't even know you, it doesn't need you... The words replayed in Alex's mind like a broken record. When he raised his head again, his eyes were dark and muted, as opposed to their usual stunning blue. He tried his best to push past it, but the words left his lips before he could stop them, though he managed to dull them down into a hollow mutter. He repeated them, once... twice... His eyes refocused and found Alexis', and it was upon this that he took a breath, before exhaling a soft, drawn-out sigh.

"Slade's not dead," he finally said, lowering himself down into his chair with hesitant, jittery movements. "Well... He is, but not entirely... You see, when I discovered that he was murdered, I was outraged. I... brought him back, from the dead. Or, a Necromancer did." He paused briefly. "It was explained to me that Slade would be able to walk around and act like he normally did, but for a long time he wouldn't be able to leave the Realm he'd been resurrected in, or even communicate with those from another Realm. He was, at the time, in the Wraith Realm." Alex leaned over his desk, pressing his hand to his forehead as another disgruntled sigh broke through his pursed lips. He shook his head some more, before glancing up. He lifted himself up almost immediately and walked around the desk until he was facing Alexis properly. "You must understand... I never meant to hurt anyone. Leaving was not my intention... It was not my choice," Alex continued, visibly shuddering upon the last few words, as if merely recalling the memory of the events which he endured was painful enough to side-track him. Regardless, he persisted on with strained, uneasy vocals. "I love you... I love your mother... And I'm here now. I'm..." He glanced about. "I'm here."

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Alec

Alec held the umbrella above his head, huffing as he eyed the grey skies and rain which threatened to completely ruin his day, more so than his family already had. He waited until Amorie stepped through the door and joined him to start on forward. Craning his neck around to listen to her as she spoke, Alec snorted his amusement aloud, having almost forgotten what this girl did for a living. Being the Grim Reaper, he had once thought, must've been a pretty cool job, but after meeting and befriending Amorie, he was beginning to change his views on that. He'd heard often of her sleepless nights and awkward encounters, and he was not shy about admitting that he felt somewhat bad for her. But, at the end of the day, Amorie seemed like a cool girl. He flashed her a subtle smile, nodding. "Oh, yeah, sure thing. But, eh, not here... At yours?" he asked, but his smile quickly dropped as he noticed that she'd stopped, and he did so too. Turning around, he finally caught sight of what had halted his friend. A girl, around his age, stood in the rain... Was she... She was wearing a Gothic Lolita-styled dress. How odd.

When the unknown girl peeped a greeting, Alec offered her a distant, effortless smile which he would usually give to new people, a stark contrast to the playful grins and obnoxious smirks he would shoot at his closer friends. Saying nothing at first, his eyes trailed her outfit once more, and he cocked his head to one side in a way that suggested curiosity, though his eyes were cold and disinterested. "If you're looking for a place to stay, my sister's dealing with customers inside. But, regardless, you should get inside, lest you catch a cold... Why the hell did you leave the house in a dress on a day like this?" he continued on, keeping his vocals soft as possible, even though his question was rather intrusively forward. Extending his arm, he reached for her hand, aiming to pull her under the umbrella until she answered. He gave a quick glance to Amorie, almost as if apologising for the distraction on their journey to the school, before focusing once again on the girl.

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Scavenger

Scavenger nodded absentmindedly at Ashley's response. Even though she didn't truly believe it, she was in no position to pester the girl. Despite being her superior in terms of Remei ranking, she had found it incredibly hard to give her orders, now and in the past. There was just something about this girl that caught Scavenger off guard every time she saw her. It was odd, and incredibly hard to put into words, but it was there and it was real, albeit slightly confusing. Running a hand through her black hair, she gave out a short huff.

Scavenger's eyes settled on Ashley's movements as she shifted to lean against the desk, which caused the short-haired girl to smirk slightly. "Because, my dear, we're Alex's eyes and ears around this place now," she replied, having leaned in and settled her voice into a hushed whisper. "Which, in a lot of ways, makes us the important ones." Scavenger leaned back after a few moments and gave a wink to the dark-skinned girl stood before her, eyes glinting with a mischievous playfulness that she held only for Ashley. Releasing an unintelligible sound, Scavenger positioned her hands behind her, allowing her to lean back a little; she finally allowed her eyes to wander away from Ashley's form, having spotted another girl walking through the door. This one, she thought, was interesting. Giving a playful growl as she passed by, Scavenger once again attempted to reach for the girl, and was not surprised to feel her hand being slapped away, though the girl did not look at all frightened or even shocked. Scavenger gave a laugh, while the girl took her seat only a few desks away.

"Gah, the girls here are usually so timid," she remarked with a sigh, shifting her gaze back to Ashley. "This sucks, though... I knew Alex was going to send you, but I wouldn't even have to be here if Kellin ever bothered to do his damn job properly." She absentmindedly flicked some rubber shavings from the small area of desk near her hand.

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Slade

Each and every day, Slade began to feel sensations; whether it was a tingling in his fingertips or the prick of a blade against his skin, every single feeling gave him reason to believe that his Life Tree was healing his deceased form, and slowly returning him to life. Today, he knew, was a particularly special day for everyone. They'd all gone back to Parkwood. Being the naïve little creatures that they were, they had no real clue that Slade had quite recently recovered the ability to open portals. It was only today that he'd actually managed to stick a hand through without feeling like his skin was on fire and mere seconds away from blistered. Today, it felt normal... He was becoming normal again.

Staring at the portal before him, a grin broke out across his lips, brightening his features. It was an odd thing, smiling... He hadn't done so in such a long time that it felt a little unnatural. Part of him wondered whether he was even doing it right. Shifting his gaze right, he stared curiously into the mirror of his bedroom within the Wraith Realms main Castle. Yup... you look like a maniac right now, he thought, seemingly to himself. He relaxed his features, letting the unintentionally crazed grin drop from his lips. Before he knew what was happening, his legs were carrying his entire weight towards the portal. Only a few seconds later, he was being pulled through.

He felt the cold air of the human Realm hit him like a brick, and he tumbled backwards slightly. The portal by this point had closed, and so he was at no threat of being pulled back through. He could smell the rain lingering in the air, but he was in the forest so he was shielded from the moisture that threatened to dampen his hair and clothes. He could sense home. He knew he was near the hotel. Turning around, he spotted an all-too-familiar figure, sat down by what he quickly realised was his Life Tree. Figures the portal would've taken him straight here. But, that was the least of his worries. "Mom," he blurted, vocals cracking a little as if he was experiencing a strong flurry of emotions. Happiness, relief... sadness. She looked so broken, even from here. "Mommy," he repeated, his legs failing under him. He dropped to his knees.

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Kellin

Kellin's eyes were focused on Lexi as she spoke, his single-minded desire corrupting every single muscle of his body. Oddly, he reminded himself of a lion, crouching in the tall grass as it watches its prey. A predator, waiting for its dinner ever-so patiently. As she continued to speak, Kellin failed to grab onto the words, and so they did not register in his mind for the longest time. The only thing he took real notice of was the way she moved closer and trailed her finger down his chest, but moved away before she reached his waistband. He had half a mind to grab her there and then, but he had a feeling that she wanted to continue on playing her little games for a bit, so he patiently obliged. That was, until she turned to walk away, and Kellin heard himself growling, low and teasing, as he started to follow after her.

It was then that Logan's voice became audible to him, and he snapped his head around to shoot the lad a glare. Again, much like a lion who had been interrupted during its hunt, and almost cheated of his prey. But this lion was a persistent one, and so he immediately returned his focus to Lexi, a visible shiver running down his spine as her laugh filled the silence. This time, he didn't stop walking; he moved towards her with his usual Vamp-like quickness and grabbed her by the hips once more, but instead of pushing her to a wall like he thought he would have, he slid his hands around and down the back of her legs, gripping onto them as he lifted her up and positions them around his waist. He then immediately wrapped his thick arms around her waist and sent his lips crashing into hers, unsteadily climbing the stairs as he did so.

Part of him knew that Lexi wouldn't have minded the rough, forceful nature of his desires, but this entire deal was still new to him. He'd spent the larger majority of his teen life bedding ordinary mortal women, and so suddenly not having to hold back was strange. Part of him didn't want too hurt her too much, and other parts of him were animalistic and cruel in their intentions. As he reflected upon this, he quickly registered that they were moving down one of the hallways rather quickly, and he burst through a random door. It probably wasn't the room Lexi had initially suggested, but that mattered little to Kellin. Entering the room, he finally released his grip, pushing her by the hips off of himself and onto the bed. His eyes were cruel and lacked humanity as he stared down at the blonde, still growling.

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Eida

Eida almost chuckled at the girl's awkward response as she finally offered up her name. Elena, she repeated, how lovely. As the girl's next question came, Eida simply nodded her head, choosing not to comment on her nervousness. "The only one for miles," she replied. Lifting her elbows off of the counter, she flipped open the book which sat - old and dusty - in front of her. When she found the page she was looking for, she reached for a pen from one of the pots, but didn't write anything just yet. As the girl spoke of her need for a place to stay, Eida lowered the pen to the book and scribbled Elena's name in one of the free spaces. As such, she completely missed the smile offered to her, and only glanced up once Elena continued on. "Ah, no worries. I don't judge," she said, though her words mixed with a gentle chuckle as a soft smile worked to lift the corners of her lips. "But, yeah, sure. You're welcome to stay here for as long as you need. And, uh, we can sort the payment out when you leave..." Eida continued on, though she quickly realised that the girl's focus had been placed elsewhere, so she simply turned to retrieve a key from one the hooks on the wall behind her. It was a small thing, golden, with the number '5' engraved into it.

When Elena asked for her name, Eida smiled brilliantly, setting the key down on the counter in front of the girl. "My name is Eida Iris," she replied, her tone cheery as she flopped backwards into the black computer chair. "My grandmother owns this hotel," she continued on, hands finding their place on her knees as she spoke. She thought briefly about her grandmother, Erieda, who was most likely sat near Simon's Life Tree, as she often did. Eida worried about her grandmother, in all honesty, but had gone with her a few times just to keep her company. Alexis took care of her, mostly, but Eida helped out when she was needed. This train of thought came across as an absentminded stare. It was only upon refocusing that something painfully obvious occurred to her, and it caused her to stand up again and peer curiously over the counter. "You didn't bring any luggage?" she asked, her tone suggesting that she was suddenly quite wary, though her expression remained passive.

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EDEN

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Eden was a little shocked at the girl's rude response and didn't move as she watched another girl scurry out of the room. The girl sent off and dark angry aura but it didn't frighten Eden but by the looks of it the man and the girl really needed to talk things out. So with that thought in mind she left to give them privacy. 'Well looks like I'm not going to English Lit today, next class I guess' Eden thought to herself before sighing and walking to her next class.

Reaching the next class Eden saw there was more people here then her other class and a small smile lite up her face. A dark skinned woman and a short haired woman caught her eye as Eden saw the short haired one try to grab at a passing girl. But it was the dark skinned one that really grabbed Eden's attention. 'She's this generations Dragon Princess, how interesting' Eden thought, curious to see what she was like since Eden had only heard rumors of the current Royal family. With a smile she scrolled up to the two.

"Good morning, my names Eden and I'm new to town. Its a pleasure to meet you both" Eden said polity to the two women. She placed her bag and books on a nearby desk and sat down, hoping that the two of them won't mind if she sat by them. Eden slowly drifted into thought, reminding herself to both visit that hotel and drop some of her resumes off around town. Then afterwards she had to go grocery shopping, finish unpacking. Eden mentally groaned at the list of things she had to do. Just another boring day.

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Kellin

Kellin's growl hitched in his throat as he spotted Lexi's sudden movements; she was now crouching on all fours, moving closer. Before he could even register what was about to happen, a grin broke across his lips and revealed a set of sharp fangs, slowly elongating. He sensed the confidence in her movements almost immediately, if the stare she was giving him wasn't already indication enough. He fought every instinct and urge in his body which told him to reach for her, which was a rather difficult task considering the circumstances. But, regardless, he managed to retain some of his self control, even if the low growl had suddenly returned again and blended into Lexi's snarl; his chocolate eyes watched her every movement as she leaned closer and unzipped his jacket with her teeth. Kellin, now unable to fight against his urges, wrapped his arms around her upper torso, fingers digging into her back as she leaned backwards, pulling Kellin - whose lips were now hungrily seeking hers - with her as she went. The next few moments were ones which Kellin pushed to the side in his mind, though he was pretty sure that when he felt claws running down his chest, Lexi was wearing less clothes than before. Deciding not to pick over this, he pushed himself away and shimmied himself out of his jeans, before quickly returning to his previous place between her legs.

Before he'd even had time to prepare himself, Lexi was flipping him onto his back, causing a brief expression of shock to flicker over his features, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared and was soon being replaced by one of eager desires. He felt his entire face becoming more and more flushed as she went on kissing down the length of his torso, and there was an audible, albeit incredibly short, whine of pure confusion when the kissing ceased and she leaned up again. The words which were spoken into his ear caused a shiver to run down his spine, and his body fell still as the implications of this finally settled in his mind. She's going to bite me... he thought over and over again. Believe it or not, he'd never let another person drink from him before; a little nibble every now and then, but never a proper bite. Make no mistake, Kellin would never have likened the situation to anything such a loss of virginity; the sole reason he was rigidly panicking was because Lexi was batshit crazy, it was painfully obvious. If she liked his Dryad blood, she'd tear his neck to all hell. That was something he'd like to avoid.

As a faint click became audible, Kellin had to crane his neck in order to be able to see who'd entered. When he realised it was only a made, he was not ashamed to admit that he was a little relieved, although the sudden lack of weight pressing down on him suggested that Lexi was not longer on top of him, and it was then that he glanced down to check for himself; when he saw nothing but empty space, he propped himself up and turned his entire weight around, his entire body going cold. In a mere second, Lexi had her jaw clamped around the woman's throat and, in one seemingly effortless movement, she ripped it straight out. The shock, much like before, was soon replaced with another sensation... He felt an odd tingle spreading over his entire body, originating in his throat. As his eyes spotted the blood, which was spewing all over Lexi's half-naked form, his eyes shifted a pale amber, and he soon found himself on all fours, a feral snarl sounding in his throat. He hadn't even acknowledged that Lexi was looking at him until he heard her voice, and he whipped his head towards her.

Urging himself forward, Kellin straightened himself up and left his weight fall from the bed, before he moved slowly towards the body lying on the ground and the woman still sat on top of it. Honestly, with the mix of emotions coursing through his body at that time, he didn't know which one to tackle first. Was he to feed first, and deal with Lexi later? She seemed to be suggesting it as she held her hand out for him; a gesture which he chose to ignore. He dropped to his knees and moved a hand towards the raw wound, catching some of the blood on his finger which he instinctively moved to his open mouth. His tongue flickered over it, and all of a sudden he was an entirely different person. His bloodlust had heightened to the point where every second he sat near the body without drinking was so utterly painfully. "You bitch..." he spoke, his voice coarse and evidently strained.

It wasn't until a few seconds after which that he lowered his gaping mouth to the deceased form lying below Lexi, and he clamped his jaw around it. It was messy. He didn't enjoy messy kills, but he was so unbelievably hungry at that point that he didn't really care. As he ripped into it a little more, he felt the blood gushing against his cheeks and neck, spilling down his torso when he moved to sit up. Mouth parted, slumped over and breathless, Kellin returned his gaze to Lexi, his expression void of all humour. Moving closer, he felt his right arm shifting to allow a hand to clamp around the back of her neck, holding her in place, whilst the other was running against her inner thigh. "You crazy, sexy bitch," he continued, moving his head towards her blood-soaked neck. His tongue, which was now making its way through parted lips, ran from the bottom of her neck all the way up to her chin, collecting as much blood on its journey as was possible, before he pressed his lips to hers once again. His tongue ran alone her bottom lip, almost as if asking permission to enter.

He wanted to move back towards the bed. He wanted to get to the main act. The thing he'd actually come here for. Not all of this crazy as fuck killing and bloodlust; although it was an added bonus, he felt as if this was going way too far and way too quickly. But, as he reflected upon this, he realised that he'd been asking for it when he initially pursued Lexi. At first she had been something of an enticing mystery to him; dangerous, sexy and able to show him a good time. But this... This was way beyond even Kellin's limitations. Still, he was here, and he might as well have stuck with it. Breaking away from the embrace, he nudged his head to one side, gesturing to the bed whilst still maintaining eye contact with the gorgeous blond in front of him.

---

---

Slade

As Slade felt his weight dropping to the forest floor, the first thing he became aware of was his mother's familiar voice shouting his name, and the shift in the air he felt as she rushed towards his collapsing form. Despite himself, Slade allowed a smile to fall upon his lips. Oh, how he'd missed his mother. Missed her voice, her smile, her motherly embrace. He knew Erieda had never asked to be a mother, and that it was all some horrible mistake having been impregnated by such a heartless monster, but all things considered Slade couldn't have asked for a better mother. All of this he'd had at least two years to reflect upon and fully appreciate. Sure, he'd been close to his mother in the past, but never before had he truly realised how much he was unable to cope without seeing her everyday. In seconds, he felt that all-too-familiar embrace around him, and he visibly relaxed under his mother's hold.

Overcome with such sudden emotion, Slade couldn't fight against the violent sob which shook his entire body and robbed him of any energy he'd retained after his fall. He extended his arms and wrapped them around his mother, moving willingly with her as she rocked him back and forth. "Mom," he whimpered, seemingly in response to her words and the kisses she would place on his forehead. As she pulled away from him, Slade had no choice but to loosen his grip, although he couldn't bring himself to maintain eye contact with her for more than a few seconds before he felt more tears stinging his eyes. He looked instead at the ground beside them, still sniffling. He leaned into her hand as she began to stroke his face, eyes peeling themselves open as she began to speak again.

"I'm here," he repeated, finally looking at her whilst nodding in confirmation. "I would've... If I could've, I'd have come home sooner... I would have let you know that I'm alive, but I-... I couldn't. Fucking Necromancy tricks stopped me from opening portals or communicating telepathically, y'know." He paused for a moment or two, as if to let the information settle in his mother's mind, before he continued on. "No one would take a message to you, either. Wraiths are always so bloody difficult to strike bargains with." Leaning into his mother's embrace once more, he was beginning to feel more and more like a little child as opposed to the thirty-eight year old man he actually was. But he didn't care. "I owe dad for bringing me back... Apparently he went totally ape-shit when he found out. I... I asked him to carry a message, but all he said was that certain circumstances prevented him from travelling to or communicating with you for a while..." He looked at his mother, tears brimming once more. "Gods... I've missed you so much," he quickly blurted, lifting a hand to brush his thumb across her jaw.

---

---

Alex

Alex took a step back as Alexis began on again, and he realised that it would be much more difficult to work his way around her than he'd originally thought. The less human side of him despised how children could be so difficult, with all their petty little emotions and constant need for compassionate, fatherly love. Whereas the more human side of him wanted nothing more than to take his little girl into his arms and ensure her that he was worthy of her trust and attention. But, either way he chose to go about doing it, he needed Alexis, and if that meant being the apologetic, caring and truly emotional father she seemed to be seeking, then that was how he would have to act until he'd got his claws officially hooked into her. And so, as she went on and on about how hard it was to wait for him, Alex had an expression of pure understanding and sympathy painting onto his expression; noticeable enough, but also sufficiently subtle so as not to appear mocking or fake. A flawless performance, if he did say so himself. He would promise himself, at the very least, a proud smirk when Alexis' back was turned. But, for now, his entire focus went into making his little act believable. It was then that a thought crossed his mind... Am I even paying attention?

When he refocused again, he managed only to catch the last few seconds of her rant, and almost immediately his expression dropped. Despite everything, those were as far from his true feelings as were entirely possible. Sure, his daughter was born different, but if anything he had always favoured her for it. She was a truly special girl in more ways than one, and she was his daughter. His very own child. A little annoying at times, but still a product of his own creation. And, as such, he felt an urgent need to deny every single word exiting her mouth in that moment. "Alexis, no," he spoke, keeping his vocals soft but with an obviously urgent sense of denial; a reflection of his true emotions, no doubt. "Quirky as you are, and always have been, you are my daughter without question. You may choose to deny that I am your father; I know I'm as far from one as a person could possibly be. I have made a lot of really shitty decisions in my life, and I know that. I spent my entire marriage to your mother trying to make up for all those horrible things. This is not something that I want, but it is something I must do." Part of him wanted to take a few steps forward, and to wrap his arms around Alexis in a way that was comforting but not to over-step his boundaries.

"I should have come back straight away," he suddenly blurted. "I just...." Alex looked up, an expression of pure frustration settling upon his features and furrowed brows as if even having to admit this was something entirely unfavourable in the most disgusting of ways. "There a lot of things I am not permitted to speak of which have prevented me from visiting Erieda, from even communicating with her..." he continued. "Now that I'm back in Parkwood... I guess I just got nervous. It's hard to think I could be... but..." Alex stopped for a moment. "Please, take me to her... I... cannot locate her. My thoughts are too..." Alex's voice trailed into a gentle but decidedly incoherent murmur of seemingly gibberish.

---

---

Scavenger

Scavenger released a laugh at Ashley's response to her words, like it was a complete surprise that Scavenger hadn't been on the initial 'school party bus' to the mortal Realm. She was Alex's second-in-command. Had Kellin not bailed on his duties to the Remei and to Alex, Scavenger would most likely have been sent to keep an eye on Erieda, Alexis or another of the more important targets for the boss' plans. Being sent to attend school in the hopes of picking out small pieces of gossip here and there as a job for the novices and soldiers. This was known. And yet, here Ashley was, acting like the logic and information had completely skipped over her. Regardless, Scavenger didn't point it out. To do so would've probably only worsened Ashley's mood, which Scavenger often found herself trying to avoid. "I would have visited," the short-haired girl offered as a response, a gentle smirk tugging at her full lips. "Maybe would'a grabbed you and pulled you into the nearest broom closet for a little fun," she continued, deciding to give a short laugh afterwards to signal that it was only a joke.

It was then that an unknown - which wasn't too much of a surprise considering Scavenger knew absolutely no one - strolled up to the two girls so casually that Scavenger was only slightly taken aback by her confidence. After a second, Scavenger's smirk spread into a grin which reached both ears, and she pushed herself upwards shortly afterwards; her hands instantly fell into her lap, and began tugging at some of the rips in her skinny jeans absentmindedly, whilst glancing up at her occasionally as she would speak. "Mm... Eden, such a lovely name," she dark-haired girl remarked. To say that the unfamiliar blonde had caught Scavenger's attention was an understatement. Aside from Ashley, Eden was the only girl who hadn't tried to flee from her eager grip; not that Scavenger would ever be so forward with Ashley, but still... She forced her smirk to soften into a genuine smile. She held out her hand briefly for a shake. "Pleasure's all mine," she urged, lowering her arm once more.

As much as Scavenger really wanted to continue her conversation with Ashley, she felt she could not be completely rude to those around her on her first day at the College, lest she get a bad reputation for it. If popularity was any concern to her, which she felt it should have been, then she would try her very best to get on people's good sides. Polite conversation, it seemed, was an effective way of going about this. And so, with a soft chuckle making its way through her parted lips, she casually leaned forward. "What brings you to Parkwood then, Eden?"

---

---

Alec

Alec stared down at the stammering girl with eyes that quickly softened, releasing his brows from the weight of a frown and giving him a rather gentle, understanding expression. He suddenly realised that maybe grabbing her and pulling her forward was a bit too extreme. He should've known, in all fairness. He should have taken one look at the quivering girl stood before him and thought, maybe I shouldn't physically assault this one by dragging her about the place. However, much like Alec's usual self, such thoughts hadn't even crossed his mind. His movements were through pure impulse as opposed to careful, thought-out and logical decisions. Such was his way of life. It couldn't be helped.

Even so, when the he noticed the girl's eyes fluttering as if she was about to collapse, a sudden feeling of regret washed over him like ice-cold water, and his eyes widened slightly as she toppled. Almost as if on cue, this was when Amorie decided to start paying attention, and did what Alec could not; she grabbed her, and pulled her forward. Alec visibly cursed as the girl's body came crashing towards his own, and as the umbrella was taken from his grip, he opened his arms in order to catch her, grunting with the effort it took to keep her off the ground. As Amorie spoke, Alec shot the blonde a harsh glare, as if to say, you'll pay for this. Awkwardly, Alec shifted his arms around a bit, still attempting to keep her from slipping out of his arms, but it was like trying to hold a glass of water with grease-covered hands. Every way he bent to keep her upright, she seemed to find another place to slip. After a while of incredibly awkward flailing and grabbing off places, Alec had managed to position one arm under her upper back and the other under her knees, hoisting her up properly.

"Man... I didn't ask for this bullshit. Not today, of all days," he muttered as he turned, almost laughing at the way the unknown girl's limbs flapped about limply with the sudden movement. He was grateful, at least, that Amorie was holding the umbrella over his head. He gestured to her, signalling that he would walk forward, and kicked the door open with his foot. Making his way casually past the two girls stood with his sister, Alec made his way upstairs, found an empty room, and asked rather bluntly for one of the wandering staff members to unlock the door for him. As he made his way inside, the man flicked on a switch, to which Alec replied with a murmured 'thank you'. He laid the girl's unconscious form on the bed, over the sheets, and stepped back. After giving her a quick glance over, he grumbled incoherently to himself and walked out, slamming the door behind himself with enough force to have the walls around it trembling.

When he was downstairs again, he grabbed Amorie's arm - albeit gently so as not to cause her any harm - and pulled her eagerly out of the hotel. He just wanted to get away from all the weird shit. Just for one morning. As he started on his way to the school, he gave the blonde a glance. "So, about that sleepover..." he started, smiling.

---

---

Eida

It didn't take a whole lot for Eida to realise that maybe she shouldn't have been so intrusive towards the girl. She was clearly nervous; for what reason, Eida had no clue, but it was not her place to pry. Instead of pushing the situation further, Eida simply nodded, avoiding eye contact as leaned against the desk, which was propped up against the counter. As Elena presented a pouch, Eida was about to shake her hands and tell her that it was not necessary to provide such things, but curiosity overwhelmed her then and so she just stared, mouth parted ever so slightly. "Your secret is safe with me," she peeped, her voice quiet but hopefully still audible from such a short distance away. She continued to watch quietly as Elena proceeded to pull random items out of her little pouch, and Eida was drawing closer and closer to the conclusion that she should stop the dark-haired girl; Eida was starting to feel slightly bad about not saying anything at first. When Elena pushed some cash across the counter, Eida repeated her nod, though this time it lasted for a second or two. "We're not very expensive," she explained, a little hesitantly. "That will float you for a few nights, actually, Eida continued to assure the girl, before she spoke again. Eida made a small, unintelligible sound as the girl's voice cut short, and she followed her gaze to the blonde who had just entered.

Upon finally registering who the girl actually was, Eida's eyebrows widened to the point where even she was surprised that her eyeballs didn't pop effortlessly from their sockets. "Emily!" she practically squealed, applying sufficient weight onto her arms to propel herself over the desk in a graceful leap. She landed without issue and ran barrelling to the tall blonde, wrapping her in a tight hug before she had any chance to protest against it. Not that Eida thought she would, but still. It was no secret that Eida and Emily had been friends for some time, and neither was it hidden that Eida held a deep, unyielding affection for the girl. Such was evident in her quickly-spreading grin and poorly controlled glee. She was so involved in her reunion with her friend that she hadn't even noticed her brother shimmying down the lobby and up the stairs with an unconscious girl held in his arms. Loosening her grip, Eida stepped back a little bit, hopping up and down on the spot rather subtly. "You're back," Eida blurted, almost rolling her eyes at her own statement of the obvious. "How-... I mean... why? How long are you staying?" God, how she hoped it was for a while.

---

---

Scavenger had claimed to visit and pull Ashley away for some extra fun times. The laugh afterwards led Ashley to believe it was a joke. But if the dark haired woman actually pleased Ashley enough, she might have just let it happen. But she wasn't going to say anything. So far her day has been anything but awful. Scavenger was keeping Ashley from hating everyone and threatening the lives of people she does not care for. There was some silence between her and her Scavenger. It was almost the end of a conversation that could have also been the start of another. But a girl, whom Ashley did not know, approached the both of them. With a smile of innocence. The smirk that Ashley tends to only hold for Scavenger quickly disappeared. Ashley did not care for meeting new people. Did not care to get to know anyone. And did not care this girl, whose name was Eden. Scavenger on the other hand was almost pursing Eden. Engaging her in a conversation, that Ashley did not want to be a part of.

The dark skinned girl would have much rather carried on the silence with Scavenger than make nice with Eden. But she sat there, examining the girl that was being pursued. She seemed normal enough except for the feeling that Ashley was standing before a dragon. Which left her curious to why she was getting that feeling. It must have been her own dragon trying to tell Ashley something. But she pushed the feeling away. Done with her examination, she took her attention away from Eden and Scavenger. When she was needed, her name would be called. But until then she was going to wait for Victoria to need her. Ashley glanced down at her phone and then looked back up. Nothing.

---

---

Amorie already knew that somehow, someway, Alec was going to get her back for this. But right now, their one concern was to get this girl inside. Walking inside the hotel, Amorie stayed in the lobby. There were two girls with Eida still. The blonde gave a smile and a wave to Alec's sister to be polite. But then she rocked on her heels, waiting for her friend to come back. If he was ever going to come back. For all she knows, he was going to stay until his mother came back to deal with that girl. But when the hotel walls shook and her chill went down her spine, she knew Alec was coming. The door slam was evident of that. She was going to comment something about him slamming the door, but he had dragged her out of the hotel. Amorie still had the umbrella up to protect them from the rain. They were headed to school and Alec brought the sleepover back up with a smile. The blonde raised an eyebrow and decided bringing up that girl and the door slam wasn't the best.

Linking arms with her friend the continued to school. "Well after school you can just come straight over. After you pack clothes and whatever else you might think you need." She said. Her father said no boys, but Alec wasn't just some boy. He was good friend of hers. "No family. No craziness. Movies. Popcorn. Well except for my occasional disappearance." That she had no control over and never will. Sometimes she is needed and she can't avoid the responsibility.

---

---

Nicholas examined himself for a bit to make sure that nothing was seriously damaged on him. But barely a scratch. It was just the impact of the fall that hurt. The person that he crashed into just stumbled a bit. He looked a tad frightened but that last but a second. He was honestly expecting the male to fall, but it was better he didn't. He asked if Nick was okay and he took hold of his hand to stand up. "I am fine." Nicholas released his hand and dusted himself off. That was when the male introduced himself as Logan. Looking back up, Nick admired his features. He was a very handsome man. Although Nick just moved here, he wanted a friend. Even if he was going to pursue this friend. "Name's Nicholas." He was a bit intrigued with Logan's accent. It was exotic sounding. In fact he wanted to hear the male speak some more. He took his skateboard back from him. Nicholas' wasn't very exotic. Though his hispanic background gave him the ability to roll his Rs and have an accent. He didn't speak the language. He wish he could have.

Nicholas did not think that Logan would come and help him with unpacking. It wasn't like Nick needed help. In fact he just wanted the cute company. But Logan said he would help and he didn't need food unless he was hungry. Unpacking wouldn't cause hunger. It would just require constant breaks due to how boring it could be. "So it's that house right?" Nick nodded and started leading the way towards his house. There was something dangerous about this that was tugging at the back of the Hispanics mind. He knew nothing of this stranger and he was letting him into his home. This is stuff his mother warned him about. "Beware of strangers, hijo" "Don't give it up to everyone" And other non sense like that. Nicholas was grown and his mother was still warning him about strangers. Strangers can become friends. Even if he was to heed his mother's warnings, he couldn't do that now. The cute stranger already agreed to come and help.

He got up to the door and unlocked it. Nick left the door open to signal for Logan to follow him inside. There were boxes all over the living room. There were even more boxes in the basement and in some of the other rooms. The only room that was completely unpacked was the kitchen. His bedroom still needed some work. All the furniture was set up, he just needed to put stuff on shelves. Nicholas tossed his phone onto the couch and turned to look at Logan. "As the guest I will let you pick where we start. The kitchen is the only place that is completely unpacked." He stated.

---

---

Amorie was completely tuned out to whatever was going on in the class. The game had her attention. That and her father. She was just wondering what he was doing and how important it was. He didn't leave her day often. This was rare. He never tells the blonde what he is doing so she is just left wondering. Out of nowhere the blonde let out a frustrated sigh and slammed her phone down onto the desk. She lost. She couldn't pick that phone up for a while. When she calms down, then she will play again. Until then, she needed another distraction or she will start bouncing off the walls. Amorie started tapping her feet against the floor not caring who it bothered. She closed her eyes and just tried to pretend no one was around. After a while, she couldn't hear her feet on the ground. When she opened her eyes, she was in some alleyway. In her right hand was a giant scythe. The blonde groaned. It was reaper duties.

Amorie pulled the hood over her head and turned to see who was dying. It was a teenage boy. He couldn't have looked older than her. He had shaggy blonde hair and almost looked like he weighed nothing. There was a bullet wound in his chest. Whatever had happened with him, it clearly did not end well. The reaper moved closer to him and it bent down. Reaching into the boy's chest, she pulled out his soul. She examined it. White with a few dark spots. Mostly he was a good kid and too see him like this made her sad. Another reason why Amorie hated her job. She watched all kinds of people die and she hated it. Mumbling a few words, the soul faded away. She had sent it to the angels. They would deal with it. Amorie waved a hand and she reappeared in the bathroom of her school. Checking the mirrors, she made sure that no essence of her true form was showing. Luckily it wasn't. She pushed the tips of her blonde hair off her shoulders and she headed back to her classroom, trying to think of an excuse to why she was in the bathroom.

---

---

Ashley could not think of an exit besides walking out. But since Alex was a teacher, he would figure out that she was blatantly disobeying his orders. And that wasn't an argument she was ready to deal with. Not right now. Maybe later on in the day when someone starts to seriously annoy her. Scavenger was still trying to talk to the blonde girls, whose name had already left Ashley's mind. So the dark skinned dragon took a seat in her chair. Put in her ear buds and turned the music all the way up. When she was needed, Scavenger would let her know. But for now, she doesn't want to be bothered. She doesn't even want to be at this cursed school. Glancing down at her phone, she sighed. No text. Ashley had hope that Victoria was going to need her. Although she doesn't know when, she just knew. But until then, she was just going to keep checking the phone.