Kellin Davenport's Story

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Eida & Alec

As Eida lifted the spoon into her mouth, the first thing she actually became aware of was the overwhelming sounds of her Aunt's boots crashing against the stairs; having been living with Alexis for as long as she could remember, Eida knew instantly that this was not a good sign. The lack of colour on her brother's face only confirmed it, really. They were both about to get one hell of a tongue-lashing. Alec practically threw his body out the doorway, only a second before Alexis entered the kitchen. Eida stood in complete silence as Alexis questioned her, before she shrugged her shoulders subtly, expression one of innocent fear. "Well... not now," she huffed, struggling to get the words out with a full mouth. Alec didn't bother contributing to the conversation. Instead, he turned and set the empty bowl into the sink, watching as his sister set her bowl down on the kitchen counter. It was a while before anyone said anything, but they both spun around to stare at Alexis when they heard the sound of glass shattering against the kitchen floor. In the next second she was gone, and the siblings were left stunned.

Another few moments passed by, with Eida making her way out of the kitchen just as an unfamiliar girl rang the bell in the lobby. Eida's eyes travelled to her almost immediately; she didn't recognise her from school. In this same second, one of Alec's friends entered and began to call for him. Eida lost interest pretty quickly, and instead turned towards the girl from before. Her grandmother wasn't around, and probably wouldn't come downstairs before this little encounter became awkward, so Eida simply stepped behind the counter. With her arms raised to rest her elbows on the wood, and her chin resting in her hands, Eida smiled. "How many I help you then, Miss..?" she asked, pausing. All the while, Alec had begun to walk towards his friend, a rather serious expression painted onto his features. He didn't bother sitting down beside her, but merely shot her a quick glance again. "We should go," he mumbled, temporarily distracted by the couple who came in, "before my weird ass family finds one more way to completely confuse and/or annoy me this morning." With that, Alec began to make his way towards the door, retrieving an umbrella from the holder to the side of it. He flicked the little tab once he was outside, and raised it above his head.

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Alex

Alex's gaze was dragged upwards from his desk as a sudden burst of power became noticeable to him suddenly. Not only that, but it was located directly in front of him. It took a while for Alex's mind to register that he was seeing his daughter, Alex. She must have teleported, or some other method of travel, because otherwise he would've sensed her coming down the hall. But, at that moment, her transportation as the least of his concerns. His daughter, his actual daughter, was stood before him, staring at him. Alex was silent under her stare, until a look of realisation crossed her features and immediately his own gaze travelled to the girl sat in the room. She didn't seem to phased, as she went back to reading her book quietly and without much fuss.

Alex released an audible sigh, but didn't speak for a while, until... "You're probably waiting for an explanation," he murmured, as his hands busily worked to set out pieces of paper, textbooks and other such items which had been provided for him upon accepting the job. He glanced briefly at one of the books and snorted his amusement aloud. Othello, one of Shakespeare's great tragedies, and thoroughly unenjoyable to read. "I'm not going to go into details," he continued, pausing briefly to examine a piece of paper which he lifted to his face, before letting it drop to the desk, "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 looked up then, an unsettling smile working its way across his lips. Every now and then, he would glance at the other girl, but she seemed to have placed some headphones in her ears, so Alex had no reason to hold back. Of course, there was another girl who had entered, but he could've sensed her power from a mile away. He ignored her greeting, too involved in his own conversation to bother replying.

"Anyhow," he started again, not giving Alexis the time to respond fully to the information which he'd admitted so willingly to her. Alexis was a special, special girl, and Alex needed her. Revealing every little detail right now would be a catastrophic error; she most likely wouldn't agree with him, and that would push them further apart. "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." Alex had - by this point - finished setting his desk up, therefore allowing him to pay full attention to his daughter.

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Kellin

Kellin was forced to loosen the grip of his thick arms as he felt Lexi beginning to turn under his weight. It wasn't until she came to be facing towards him that his hands instinctively moved to her hips, dragging her body closer to his and holding it there as she spoke. His eyes, which had previously been trailing her lips, flickered up to meet her gaze. A rather playful smirk slipped across his lips, though his stare was serious and a heavy frown still weighed upon his brows; the combination made him look almost menacing. As Lexi leaned in to kiss him, Kellin was more than prepared for the onslaught that was due to come. So absorbed in this kiss was he that he barely took notice of the fact that she was pulling away until he felt her teeth nicking at his lower lip, drawing out a throaty growl.

She was probably feeling proud of herself for that little move. Kellin wanted her; of course he did. Who wouldn't? Kellin's eyes opened and trailed her features once more, though this time his expression was one of utter frustration. Instead of catching on her lips, like his gaze usually would, it instead travelled down to her neck. One of the hands located on her lip flashed towards her hair, allowing him to grab a fistful of it in his over-sized hand. Still staring at her neck, he yanked her hair back, revealing it to him, whilst all the while shuffling them backwards until they hit the nearest wall. And, instead of biting into her like he thought would've, he fought against the urge and simply began to trail kisses from her jaw to the endpoint of the neck. Rather aggressively, Kellin released Lexi's hair and used the hand on her hip to shove her to the side. "Damn it," he muttered, raising a hand to touch his lower lip, his smirk returning so suddenly that he surprised even himself.

Glancing about, he huffed. "Is Logan around?" he asked, still keeping his smirk.

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Scavenger

Upon entering the classroom, Scavenger took notice of how boringly average the people around her were. Most of them weren't even supernatural, so she had no one to play with... However, she did manage to spot a few girls wandering about which caught her interest. Sitting on the desk, facing the front of the classroom, Scavenger playfully grabbed at a few of them that passed her by, eliciting a few stunned squeals. One or two of them moved instinctively to their boyfriend, who would give her a brief earful about boundaries before storming off again. Scavenger's only response was to laugh and shrug it off, before targeting the next girl with an even higher sense of eagerness than before. That was, until Scavenger's eyes caught sight of Ashley wandering through the doorway. With a devilish grin, Scavenger raised her arm and gestured as if to call her over.

"Well, look at you, attending college, being a good little girl," Scavenger cooed, mockingly. Upon closer inspection, Ashley didn't look too happy, but Scavenger was hoping to change that... Although, teasing her wasn't exactly the best way to go about doing it. "You okay?"

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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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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

---

---

---

---

Alexander

Alexander didn't smile at his wife's words. Any and all humour, or even good grace, had been robbed from him throughout the recent years. The reason he wasn't overwhelmed with complete joy was because a larger part of him thought that things really weren't better between them, and that they would never be able to return to the way they used to be. As he stared into Erieda's his eyes, he came to the realisation that they were ruined. Completely and utterly beyond the point of repair. Of course, he missed her; it would be a lie to state otherwise. Of course, he wanted to hold her and feel her embrace; she was beautiful. This reunion had sparked a lot of emotions, a lot of which were ones that made him want to pick his wife up and back her into the nearest surface, but these would fade. Soon enough she would discover his motives, and she'd turn against him. She'd refuse him her Realm, and would fight to the ends of the earth to keep it for herself. But Alex needed it. Soon enough, in fact, she would understand that nothing could be done for them at this point. Their relationship was void, but Alex was not one to give up easily, and he would keep his wife by his side. He wanted her, not just because of the bond they shared, but because he did not want anyone else to have her either. The thought alone would often clench his jaw and fuel his anger... his obsession.

Alexander continued to run his fingers through her dark hair, even as she bridged the gap between them suddenly. He refused to spend this situation more caught up in his own thoughts than focusing on Erieda, and the utter relief he felt that he had free reign to hold her and touch her as he pleased - within reason, of course. Absentmindedly, he forced a portal to open near their location, as his jaw pushed for a deeper kiss. It had always so that he would get quickly caught up in such activities with his wife. She affected him in ways he could not even begin to describe; this was evident at all times. Without her, he would have continued to murder uncontrollably, and to feel no remorse. However, instead, he tried his very best to change his ways for the better. This took a lot of strength, effort, and trial and error, but he was making progress. His love for Erieda was so strong that, after a while, nothing mattered to him but pleasing her, and being a good husband or father. During these thoughts, Alex noted only that he was shuffling Erieda backwards now, and it wasn't long until both of them were on the other side of the portal.

It was in this room of the hotel that Alexander and Erieda had 'spent most of their time'. His eyes opened for a second or two as he drank in the familiarity of his surroundings, and suddenly nothing else occurred to him. His entire focus was directed entirely towards Erieda. He wouldn't let anything slip through. Alexander broke away from the kiss slowly, and hesitantly, before his fingers found the bottom of her shirt. He pulled it upwards, before tugging it over her head and discarding it quickly. Allowing himself a moment or two to glance admiringly at her figure, Alex finally smiled, hands moving to her hips as he leaned in once more. Suddenly he felt slightly self-conscious about what she'd think when his bare torso was revealed. Not only was he caked in scars, from both battles and... other things, but there was the sigil on his arm, which had since ceased to burn and was now little more than a serious of fleshy pink - and clearly painful - etchings in his arm.

---

---

Syrid & Alec

Syrid's greyish-green eyes watched the younger being with idle curiosity as visible signs of relaxation became apparent to her, and she offered a slight, almost delicate smile, saying nothing for the longest time. As the girl questioned her motives, yet again, Syrid shook her head in subtle yet decidedly noticeable movements. "I have not yet been given the need to do so," she replied, her shoulders twitching upwards in a shrug. This was true; Syrid felt no need to harm the child. However, she made a point of suggesting, rather vaguely, that this could be subject to change. She could often change her intentions like the flick of a switch. So long as the child's timid nature remained, Syrid was comfortable.

It was the next question that caught Syrid off guard slightly, and brought about an incredibly faint sense of confusion. She was struggling to understand how the girl might have familiarised herself with Syrid, even if only slightly, when this was their first physical encounter. "Curious," she murmured, stepping back a ways to seat herself softly on the end of the bed, hands placed into her lap. She held her chin high, and her back straight, though her eyes fluttered closed as if she was entering a deep state of thought. "Family ties?" she suggested, before shaking her head slowly. Her eyelids shot up, revealing irises of a muted colour, more grey than green now, but lacking the glow which came with the natural usage of her powers. She hadn't consumed enough during her last meal to access anything but a mild, tickling vibration of some odd connection between herself and the girl, whom she had previously assumed was a complete 'stranger', to use mortal terms.

Having given up on attempting to delve deeper into the question posed to her, Syrid released a low and audible breath, but not quite a sigh or a huff. Just a short release of breath. As her gaze flickered back to the girl, she felt a smile gracing her lips and features almost immediately. "I'd like to know your name, child," she spoke, her vocals raspy yet warm and inviting in a way that could not be described with words alone. She shifted her arm only slightly to pat the tips of her fingers against the patch of bed beside her, gesturing for the girl to join her.

It was then that another unknown figure began to rattle with the door handle, before pushing it open completely and entering. Alec stood there, out of breath and - quite frankly - dumbfounded beyond words. Lips parted slightly, he released an unintelligible murmur, before pressing two fingers to his forehead. Syrid watched the young male with a blank expression at first, before she released a gentle yet brilliant laugh, returning her hands to her lap in one fluent motion. As their eyes met, Alec frowned, but Syrid merely continued to smile. She turned again to the girl. "It seems your dinner has arrived," Syrid spoke, standing rather gracefully. "I shall leave you to your sordid little activities." And, seemingly in that same second, she was gone from the room. Better yet, gone from Parkwood.

Alec huffed. "Dinner?" he questioned, raising a brow. Suddenly he didn't feel so bad about leaving her in the first place.

---

---

Kellin

Kellin was, at the very least, relieved that Lexi was tired of all the weirdness and generally violent yet sexual actions, and was instead lifting herself upwards for them both to move closer to the bed, clearly responding the slight nudging of his head in that direction. He followed her willingly, feeling almost like a pet eager for a treat. No doubt she had long since clocked onto this idea; if there was one thing he knew Lexi absolutely loved, it was being in control over him. She liked to play her games and tease him, and he went along with it only because he had nothing better to do with his day. He'd rather be reduced to a sexual plaything than to be sexually inactive and, quite frankly, bored. Still, he hated it. He wanted nothing more than to shift the roles of their little arrangement, which he no doubt would at some point, but for now he was content with being lead about. And so, when she pulled him closer, he complied by kissing her back, and he smirked against her lips when he felt the sudden change in the position of her hand.

---

And so, we fade...

---

Kellin pulled his jeans up his legs and proceeded to zip and button them up completely. He hadn't even offered Lexi a side glance since they had finished their activities. He was done with her for the day, and he held no shred of doubt that she felt the same way about him. However, it was not a lack of interest which sparked his sudden desire to get as far away from her as possible, but an obvious stubbornness and all-round bitterness for the way in which Lexi had forced him to feed, to bend to her will. He hoped to all the gods that she'd had fun, because he sure as hell hadn't. It was, by far, the most bizarre experience he'd ever encountered with Lexi. He knew she was bat-shit crazy, but not quite to that extent... Now he was oddly wary of her, and he was not opposed to stating openly that he despised her a little. Not that they'd gotten along particularly well in the first place, but this had just gone way too far. Kellin had been pushed to his limits, and it'd take a while to recover.

Pulling his shirt over his torso, Kellin released a loud huff, before turning towards the door and leaving without even glancing over his shoulder. "I'll see you whenever," he called, lifting his arm in a half-assed gesture of a wave. He hadn't waited for her to respond before forcing a portal to open before him; he stepped through and allowed it to close behind him in that same second.

---

---

---

---

Alec really didn't mind that Sunday had placed her head on his shoulder. To him, it was merely a sign which suggested she was comfortable being so close to him, even after his entire Fae-like burst of emotions. He found himself being quite appreciative of her forgiving nature, but it worried him a little. While he no longer felt he had to keep his Fae nature under lock and key, he couldn't help but feel concerned that others would take advantage of her willingness to forgive and trust. It made her vulnerable, and he didn't like to think about the sort of people who'd target her for that. He'd have to make sure nothing like that ever happened. He owed her as much.

Alec was dragged out of this train of thought when Alexis' voice became audible to him. She appeared from somewhere in the crowd, seemingly out of the blue, and complained about some kind of performance they were supposed to be doing. It had completely skipped his mind truth be told, but before he could open his mouth to respond, she had already caught herself on all the... touching. He found himself blushing wildly as she turned and left, and the fact that Sunday was staring at him didn't help him in the slightest.

Remaining wordless for what felt like the longest time ever, his cheeks had a chance to cool down some before he finally looked down at Sunday. "Well," he started, pausing briefly. "That just happened."

Deciding it would be better for his mood if he didn't pursue Alexis, Alec returned his attention to Sunday. At that moment, spending some nice time with the girl was at the top of his priority list, and since Alexis seemed to be willing to compromise on performances as such, he didn't see why that couldn't happen. Smiling down at her, he shifted his arm so that it was dragged over her shoulder. In doing so, he pulled her a little closer. He didn't feel awkward about it any more, at least while the teasing members of his family weren't around, but he kept reminding himself of what this actually was: the beginnings of a strong friendship, with some very confusing romantic feelings involved.

"I'm going to get some drinks," he said. "My gut is telling me that you don't really need more Orange Soda; you're already on a sugar high," he joked, leaning in a little closer to jokingly whisper: "Although, I won't tell anyone if you don't." Still with his arm draped over her shoulder, he led her towards the kitchen.

---

---

Alexander didn't have it in him to be offended by Erieda's reaction to his state of being. That was the one thing about physical pain, he figured: it distracted him from whatever had been going on, and how hard he was finding it to look Erieda in the eye after all that had been said and done that same day.

When asked if he'd been drinking, his initial eaction was to scoff at her inability to focus on the basic facts of the encounter. He was numb all over, except for the migraine that pounded against his skull, he was disoriented and unable to focus, and most obviously, he reeked of whatever alcoholic beverage that had been hidden in Scavenger's bag. While his knowledge on such substances was limited at best, the one thing he knew for certain was that it was strong enough to have such an effect on him.

Looking at Erieda, he was half-tempted to make some sort of comment, along the lines of, 'is it really that obvious?', but the words hitched in his throat before he'd even parted his lips. Erieda's hand was moving towards him, and when it made contact with his head, he shuddered, unable to move. His eyes found her face, but they seemed to be unable to focus, and it was in that moment that he realised how blurry his vision actually was, when compared to the heightened sight he gained from being a Supernatural being.

There seemed to be a long moment of silence - though it may have only existed in his own head - before Erieda persisted with another question about his intentions at that time. It was understandable; as far as she knew, he might've just been drunkenly wandering round the forest. It only worked to remind him of how little she knew about the War, especially with his part to play in it.

Gesturing around himself, he mumbled something painfully incoherent for a second or two, before coming to a conclusion. "I have business in the area," he finally said, his words coming out much slower than he'd intended them to be, and there was something in his tone of voice that suggested he didn't even know why he was there. He seemed to have forgotten, much to his apparent confusion. "I did not wish to disturb the party, you see," he continued, before suddenly dropping his voice to an urgent-sounding whisper, "so, I'm hiding." Lifting a finger to his lips, he released a 'shh', then shortly afterwards let his limbs drop to the ground, going limp by his sides.

It was then that Kellin appeared through the trees, slowing his run into a jog, and then he slowed to a stop. He was flanked by a she-wolf, who hung back a little bit as Kellin drew closer to Erieda and Alex. His eyes flickered from Alex to Erieda, then back to Alex in the space of a couple of seconds, as if he didn't want to say something he wasn't supposed to around his grandmother. "She has arrived, Sir," he finally said, giving a small bow as a sign of respect to the General, much as he hated to do it.

Alex seemed more stunned by the fact that he'd been found, as opposed to the fact that the plan was going into motion so soon into the night. "Oh, no," he gasped, sounding almost dejected, as if he'd made such an effort for nothing at all. Of course, everybody but him knew he hadn't actually been trying to hide out at all. "I've been discovered." Struggling a little bit, he managed to push himself onto his feet. One arm was pressed into the tree to keep himself steady on his feet, whilst the other suddenly shot outwards. "But no matter! Let us make haste, to the party!" he yelled. He seemed confident, suddenly, but the unexpected weight of his arm extending outwards made him lose his balance, and he fell forward. He didn't get back up again.

---

---

If there was one thing that Syrid could not resist, it was a good party. What made this gathering particularly special was that it included a large number of her family, which meant things were going to get very interested, very fast. Not only that, but the party was being thrown by Alexis, and Syrid had been growing increasingly more impatient with her affections for the girl. Tonight she would finally approach Alexis, and made the move she'd been waiting to make for years.

A smile slid across her lips as she eyed the door, which - aside from the countless teenagers - was the only thing standing between herself and her desired. Any other person might have felt nervous in her position, but as it was she felt more at peace than anything else. In all the world, she never felt as alive as she did when she watched Alexis. She could only imagine what it might be like being close with her. The thought on its own sent an excited shiver up her spine.

Making her way past three rather familiar faces (which she recognised as members of her own family - her niece and nephew), Syrid entered the party and instantly blended with the crowd, despite the fact that she looked some many yeas older than the people around her. Several of them tried stopping her to talk, but she ignored their advances and continued moving. She was determined and her focus could not be so easily shifted. Her goal was as clear as ever in that moment.

As she spotted the all too familiar teen, Syrid's eyes seemed to light up in the most brilliant way, though she supressed that the expression and replaced it with one mild confusion. Lifting a hand, she brushed it over Alexis' arm in a gentle tap, before she spoke. "Excuse me," she said, her voice unnaturally clear over the any voices and sounds around her. "I'm, uh, a little lost," she continued, sounding almost sheepish, as if the situation in itself was all too embarrassing for her. "If it's not too much trouble, would you mind directing me towards the kitch-... Woah, hey, aren't you the girl who was just performing?" While her tone of voice suggested she was in awe of Alexis, there was a mischievous quality to her eyes that she herself had not noticed, and henceforth had not been able to fully disguise.

---

---

"I have business in the area," Alex said and Erieda frowned. Business in the area, not to apologize, stop her from making her decision. Was he not paying attention? Or did he really not care? "I did not wish to disturb the party, you see," he said before shushing her which confused her even further. "Alex....?"
At that moment, Kellin appeared, followed by a she-wolf, causing Erieda to stand. She knew how the wolf was, but said nothing. She didn't want to kill Alexander's child, but she did take the life of her son, so it was hard not to.
Erieda's eyes went to Kellin. Did he know that that girl killed his father? She couldn't imagine that being the case, he was more dryad that he was Wraith, he took more after Simon, so she couldn't imagine him reacting well to such a thing. "She has arrived, Sir," he said and Erieda frowned.
"Not even a hello, Kellin?" she said bitterly before turning to Alex,who gasped suddenly.
"Oh, no," he said. "I've been discovered." Erieda shook her head, decided that whatever he drank was still coursing through his veins. He then tried to stand. "But no matter! Let us make haste, to the party!" He said before falling forward and unconscious.
"Alex!" Erieda gasped, and went to the ground for him, she looked up at her grandson. "Well, Come on then, help me get him up, and to own bedroom." She told the boy she would have picked him up herself, but he hadn't liked it before, and she couldn't imagine him liking it then, and if she were thinking she would have heard herself say 'our' bedroom, out of spite for the wolfling. She looked up at the wolf girl. "You are not welcome here." She said and gestured for Kellin to follow her.

Symone looked away from her son and Sunday. Sunday was a good girl, she knew that, and she knew that she truly loved Alec, for whatever reason but at the same time, she knew why Sunday was pursuing him, and it was killing her.
Clearly her longing gaze was noticed by her brother as he turned to her and asked Has he spoken to you at all lately?"
Symone sighed. "No, not at all...He still feels we dropped him and his sister on to someone else...." She said with a sigh. She thought was doing good by him. She did not what to raise them in the demon realm, or even the fae realm, she wanted them to have some semblance of a normal life, like she once had. Hell she didn't even want to be there, but she loved Dahvie much more then she loved life here and so she gave it up to save him. "Eida seems to understand, and I'll take that....He seems happy though?" She said, hoping that she was right about that, that she made the right choice. They would be different kids if they were raised in the demon realm and she was not sure she would have liked that.

---

---

Syrid wasn't quite sure what to make of Alexis' reaction to her question, or her presence as a whole. But, as per usual, Syrid found herself taking a rather passive attitude towards Alexis' cold interactions. Such was her nature, despite the fact that certain urges were scratching away at her mind, making it all the more difficult to keep her composure. She kept the smile upon her lips, though it was decidedly more faint than it had been previously. Several different responses flickered through her mind, like pages of a book, before she saw her own hand reaching forward and slamming it closed. No bullshit. She won't like that.

"I'm going to be honest with you," she said, whilst thinking: For the most part... Her hands found their way into her own back pockets. She didn't move any closer, but then again she really didn't need to. Most of the people around her were either too distracted by their own actions to care, Supernatural, or way too drunk to even be paying attention, so for a moment she threw out every single rule she'd ever heard about speaking openly in front of mortals. Because, in truth, she cared more about not pissing Alexis off, which hadn't been working out so well for her so far. "No, I wasn't invited, but I'm betting half the people walking around here weren't either. I can point some out to you from this spot," she said, giving a quick glance to a few people who just didn't seem to... fit. Much like herself, but more shady. She didn't look for long enough to realise that it wasn't because they were too old, or they had a different style. They were out of place in a completely different way. "They just weren't bold enough to approach."

On any other day, in any other situation, she would be more curious about these few individuals, who were stood completely still while the entire crowd around them was moving. But, at that time, she was too distracted by Alexis to care.

"I mean, if you don't like me being here, I'll leave," she said, as if it really didn't bother her in the slightest, though on the inside she found herself hoping she wouldn't be kicked out of Alexis' home on their very first meeting. That first impression, she imagined, would last for a very long time. "I just didn't realise I was going after the host," she continued, not wanting to chuckle for fear that her statement would not be well-received. Getting close to Alexis would be much more difficult than she'd thought. "Just say the word, and I'm gone."

---

---

When Sunday spoke about Orange Soda, like it was the best thing she'd come across in her entire life, Alec couldn't help but laugh quietly to himself. She was, without a doubt, the most adorable person he'd met so far in his life. Up until he'd met Sunday, Eida had always been at the very top of that list. But, with Sunday's cute yet incredibly amusing views on practically every aspect of human life, he could see Eida quickly losing her place. His eyes skimmed over her, and he gave her a lingering smile as she offered him an Orange Soda, and asked his own opinions on it. "It's alright," he replied, shrugging his shoulders ever so lightly, "but I've never had much of a sweet tooth," he admitted, running a hand through his fringe. He moved towards the fridge then, pulling out a bottle of Diet Coke.

Alec then gestured towards a couple of empty seats on the other side of the room for Sunday to sit, where they wouldn't have to talk loudly for fear that others would drown them out with their incoherent, drunken babble. He, however, was making his way over to a cupboard in the corner of the room, kept away from greedy hands by a pad lock, which worked for the most part, especially in a house full of pissed mortals. He pulled out a few thin sticks, which - after re-locking the cupboard - he presented to Sunday, warily. It was almost like he didn't trust that Sunday wouldn't bounce off the walls after consuming them.

"I really shouldn't be giving these to you, but... I'm kinda curious, so here," he said, ripping the top off of one of the sticks, and holding it out to her. "They're called Sherbet Sticks," he informed her, "you just tip it in your mouth, like this." He demonstrated with one of the packets he still held in his hand, without opening it first. Like he said, he didn't have much of a sweet tooth.

---

---

Kellin made no move to prevent Alexander from falling as he did. But, his inaction matter little anyway, as Erieda was the first to move to his aid. Kellin hadn't so much as flinched; he only shook his head at the inappropriate behaviour his General had displayed, his hand hovering warily over the blade tucked away in his belt, as it had been from the very first moment he'd approached the two of them. He didn't know where he stood with Erieda at the best of times. On one hand, they got along well enough considering he wasn't very likeable and she had the tendency to appear bossy (which he hated). He hadn't tried to rip her throat out at any point - not that he stood any chance of that in the first place - so she must have been doing something right.

However, as she looked up at him and issued out commands like she had any authority over him, he found himself becoming increasingly more angry. He hadn't shifted a single inch, up until the point where Erieda turned to insult Scavenger. The she-wolf stood as tall as him, at around 6ft, dark-pelted and sinister. Her black fur allowed her to blend in with the surroundings, but her amber eyes stood out above everything else. Kellin also turned, but where Erieda held anger and disgust in her eyes, Kellin's entire being suggested an uncharacteristic obedience towards the Remei Lieutenant. Again, as much as he hated the prospect of even being dragged into this ridiculous war, he still had a role to play just like everyone else, and he could only keep his place if he behaved.

Scavenger hadn't moved for the longest time, before her piercing optics turned from Erieda to Kellin. She gave a nod, and Kellin moved to assist Erieda, while Scavenger turned and made her way through the forest, her movements slow. Kellin walked forward and scooped Alex up in his arms, following after Erieda finally. The General gave a groan, but made no movements or other sounds. "Before you go making any assumptions," he said when he knew for certain that they were alone, "I know what Scavenger did. I don't know why she did it; I don't think anyone does," he continued, his voice holding a quality even he did not recognise as being common in his own tone. "They had to lock me in solitary confinement for a week or so before I calmed down enough for Alex to explain the situation, as vague as his explanation might have been." He exhaled slowly, before continuing. "I don't know how much you know about all of this, but... just be careful. The dude who hired us, the Remei... He's not messing around. He's got something big going on, y'know."

The only way he could justify even speaking to Erieda was by telling himself that, regardless of everything, he respected her. That much could not be denied.

---

---

Slade understood why Alec might have felt the way he did, though he could not relate. He could only imagine being in Alec's shoes; if Erieda had sent him off to live with another family member when they were going through some hard times, he'd be pretty pissed, but he wouldn't hold a grudge forever. Eida, on the other hand, was much less like him and Alec. She enjoyed living in the human realm. To her, it seemed that the prospect of an 'ordinary' life was even more exciting than some day ruling over a realm, or at least part of one - in his sister's case. The two siblings were as different as day and night. But, just like Sym and Slade had, they always looked out for each other.

When Symone asked him if Alec was happy, Slade hesitated for a long time, before shrugging. There was no way he could give a proper answer to that question. He'd only been around the better half of a day, and even though he'd been observing everyone from a distance, his limits stretched to members of the Remei as opposed to his own family. So, as much as he might've wanted to tell her that Alec was happy and well, he could not take the risk that his words weren't true.

"Alec is a complicated kid," Slade started, trying to be as vague as possible to avoid giving her false hope. The one thing he knew for sure, however, was exactly what he said next. "I think Sunday is going to be good for him; a good influence in his life. She cares about him, and he's willing to protect her. Despite being so different, they actually fit quite well together." Walking closer, he placed a hand on his sister's shoulder, and smiled at her. "But, hey, look on the bright side!" he chirped. "At least your children haven't devoted their entire lives to the Remei, like mine did." Though there was humour in his comment, everything he said was true. "Despite everything, they didn't turn out as bad as they could have."

---

---

"Before you go making any assumptions,"Kellin said after lifting Alex in his arms, and Scavenger disappeared in to the forest and even that was too close for Erieda's liking, Fae were even more territorial then the Lycan, and in the back of Erieda's mind, she hoped the girl found herself in a fairy ring, captured in Erieda's spell. She'd make her suffer for what she did to her son. Alex's or not."I know what Scavenger did. I don't know why she did it; I don't think anyone does," He said and Erieda looked at him. The boy didn't even know why the girl killed his father. He could have been up in arms ready to render her inert. "They had to lock me in solitary confinement for a week or so before I calmed down enough for Alex to explain the situation, as vague as his explanation might have been." He said and Erieda nodded, with a soft, barely visble grin. So he was, that was good. It was good to know that there was some traces of his father in him and therefore, traces of her. "I don't know how much you know about all of this, but... just be careful. The dude who hired us, the Remei... He's not messing around. He's got something big going on, y'know." He said and Erieda expression fell. So they were hired. Sunday called Alex, 'The General' which meant he wasn't in complete control, and he himself had a sigil, a leader wouldn't need a sigil to hid his own actions. A part of her knew that, but at the same time, she didn't believe he wasn't completely under his own command, but knowing this, there was a chance.

She could save this family yet.

She needed to see Jamie, perhaps he could find out who the Remei was working for, and if she killed him, then all of this would be done with. Cutting off the head of the snake, as it were.


Erieda reached out and turned Kellin to him, placing a hand on his free shoulder.

"Thank you, Kellin," She said and relaxed some. He did just tell her to be careful. "For what it's worth, I am glad to see you, I see your cousins everyday, it would be nice to see you just the same." she said and gave Kellin a smile and a squeeze on his shoulder.
She dropped her hand and grabbed his- whether he liked it or not- continued walking. "Come, this way, We can avoid the party and your father, if we used this short cut." she said, lead him right into a tree which was a like hidden boom tube, that lead right to Erieda and Alex's room. She didn't mind showing him, even if he wanted to tell, there was hundreds of trees surrounding the hotel, it would be impossible to find, and even if he could find it, he wouldn't be able to take anyone how didn't have her Fae blood, inside it.

"There, on the bed." she instructed gently and once he set Alex down, she looked at him with a gentleness in her eye she didn't have outside.

"I know you can't tell me everything, anything really, and you've devoted yourself to whatever cause the Remei have, so I know I can't change your mind, but just know that, you are welcome here, you have a family here, that no matter what, will love you, flaws and all." she said and glanced at her husband. She didn't know how long that extended to Alex.
SHe walked up to him and pressed a kiss to his head, again whether he liked it or not. "You are more Fae then you are anything else...but I'm sure you know that." She said and smiled.

---

---

"What'd you mean 'going after', I'm not really one to fuck with, I have a nasty temper... ask around," Alexis replied, and Syrid released a quiet laugh, seemingly to no one but herself. That was not new information to Syrid, quite obviously, but she didn't suggest that; her expression and general demeanour, however, indicated that she could probably have assumed as much, though this drifted pretty quickly and was replaced with a subtle smirk. "Well?" Alexis persisted, and it was only in that moment that Syrid realised she hadn't yet responded to the previous question/remark. Shrugging slightly, she cast a quick glance around the area, before her light eyes flickered back to settle on Alexis' face. "A girl's gotta eat," she said, her eyes glinting with an undeniable sense of both amusement and mischief.

The reply was vague for two reasons; the first being that it might've looked suspicious for Syrid to talk openly about her species and the supernatural without first 'discovering' that Alexis belonged in that world, and the second was that she wanted to make the comment appear as mortal-like as was possible just in case. "Totally my mistake, though," she continued, lifting her arms half in the air as if suggesting that she was going to back off. "Just thought you were pretty hot is all. Didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

---

---

Alec released a small laugh as Sunday tipped the contents of the Sherbet Stick onto her tongue, and it only became heavier as she squinted her eyes shut and shook her head, as if the motion in itself would rid the taste from her tongue. Clutching the other sticks in his hand, he pressed a hand to his stomach. "Mmm! It is sour, Alec! Why did you not tell me?" Sunday exclaimed, and Alec could only respond by shrugging his shoulders in the middle of his laugh, which was now fading; although the amused expression could not be so easily removed. It was another moment before he assumed Sunday realised there was a sweet taste, once you got past the sourness, and she seemed eager for more. Instinctively, he moved the other sticks behind his back, and held them there. She moved closer and asked for more, with such eagerness that Alec was forced to back off of his chair. His free hand was extended outwards slightly, in case Sunday decided to make a mad dash for them, whilst his other arm remained behind his back.

"Nuh-uh," he replied, still clearly amused by the situation, "I think you're done with sugar for tonight." Dropping the Sherbet Sticks onto the counter to his right, he moved quick enough that even on a sugar high she might not have been expecting what came next. Lowering his torso, he pressed his shoulder into her stomach while his arms extended outwards to grab a hold on her legs. Once he was correctly positioned, he pushed his body upwards, the movement of which would successfully sling her body over his shoulder. "You can have some more later, when you've recovered a bit from all the Orange Soda you consumed earlier," he continued as he made his way through the small crowd forming in the kitchen, which parted for him without much objection. Some chuckles erupted from around him, but he paid them no mind. His actions were his own business, after all.

Without listening much to Sunday's objections, if there even were any, he made his way through the party, passing by Alexis and another woman who he didn't quite know on the way, until he reached the stairs. Finding his own room was pretty easy, but he was half expecting people to have been in there. Much to his general content, it was empty. He shrugged Sunday off his shoulder, positioning himself near the bed so that she'd fall onto it, before he made his way over to the door and shut it; he turned the lock. Giving Sunday a warning glance, he made his way over to the bed and sat on the very edge, his back turned to her. "I figured you'd be easier to handle in an enclosed space," he said after a moment, gesturing with one arm to the limited space his bedroom provided. "Make yourself at home," he continued, allowing himself to slump back into the bed, one arm draped over his eyes.

---

---

Kellin wasn't quite sure how to react when Erieda reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. Part of him wanted to enjoy the comfort that she brought, but another part was giving him a hard time for being so close to a potential rival. To Anonymous, it didn't matter that Erieda was Kellin's own grandmother, or the General's wife. Rivals were rivals; a complication on the path to their goals. Though, while he didn't offer Erieda a smile, he didn't shrug his shoulder away from her hand. That was something, at least.

"Thank you, Kellin," she said after a moment, and he found himself absentmindedly nodding along with her words, as if the situation in its entirety wasn't unusual for him. "For what it's worth, I am glad to see you, I see your cousins everyday, it would be nice to see you just the same." Kellin gave a shrug, but he did not respond aloud; his eyes, however, were hard as they settled on Erieda. My cousins are weak, he thought, at least when compared with himself. He had training and a decent position within their grandfather's army to prove that he was superior, where they'd rather have been scribbling notes taken straight from a teacher's mouth.

Kellin's lips pinched together as he felt Erieda's fingers giving his shoulder a squeeze, however gentle, and his only real response was to turn his head away, seemingly focusing on the route they were following. "Come, this way. We can avoid the party and your father, if we used this short cut," Erieda continued, leading the way to what he had previously thought was just an ordinary true, but what turned out to be a boom tube of sorts. "Awesome," he commented, though he did not receive a response, and so he moved towards the tree. He ended up in a bedroom, which belonged to Erieda and Alex. It was dark, but his Vampire senses allowed him to see well enough.

Upon direction, Kellin moved and allowed Alex's limp body to fall onto the bed at first, before he reached over and positioned him correctly. There was a small blanket folded on top of a thicker one, and he pulled it out from beneath Alex's legs to drape it over his body. The action resulted in a series of incoherent mumbles from the 'unconscious' man, and it took everything within his power not to laugh.

When he was finished, he turned to Erieda, who was looking at him with a gentleness to her gaze, which he had come to learn - in the past - was reserved mainly for her own blood. "I know you can't tell me everything, anything really, and you've devoted yourself to whatever cause the Remei have, so I know I can't change your mind, but just know that, you are welcome here, you have a family here, that no matter what, will love you, flaws and all," Erieda continued on, and Kellin couldn't hold eye contact with her for very long before he had to avert his stare to the floor. A large part of him was incredibly guilty for joining the Remei, but in truth he'd had no idea they would be involved in such monstrous affairs. Good as the end result would have been for the division of the Realms and such, the way the Remei were intending to reach their goals made him think that his choice to join hadn't been worth it after all. "You are more Fae then you are anything else...but I'm sure you know that."

It took him a moment or two, but Kellin finally looked up. "I do know that," he replied, his back straightening, "and I am proud to be Fae. I am proud, in many ways, to be your grandson. But... ever since I'd learned of their existence, I'd always wanted to join the Remei. I wanted to prove myself, and impress Alexander." He took a small pause, as if choosing his words very carefully. "I realised quite early on that I'd made a mistake in getting involved, but the sigil had already been placed. I'd already learned too much to back out. Stupid as I was, it's what I have to live with now." He thought about reaching out to touch her shoulder, like she'd done for him, but he decided against it and actually found himself taking a small step back. He appeared more tense and nervous than he had done before in the previous three years. This was a side very few people got to see, but it seemed to come out naturally as he was confessing what little information he could to Erieda. "I do not agree with Remei methods, and... while I will remain loyal to Alexander, I just want to apologise in advance for anything that I have to do. Were it my choice, I'd never hurt my own family, but..." he stopped suddenly, as if he couldn't find the words to explain.

---

---

Slade watched Symone carefully as she walked away from him, but he had been too oblivious to notice how discoloured she'd become. It was then that a clone version of Symone, which he was all too familiar with, appeared and pointed towards the original's back. "They weren't given the same choice I was..." she seemed to admit, and Slade could only nod in response. Of course, he'd already known. He knew more about the Remei and Alexander's 'devoted' followers than most people would've thought. But, even if he hadn't already been aware of his sister's participation in Remei affairs, he wouldn't have been too surprised. As of yet, they hadn't revealed themselves to be particularly sinister. And Symone had always been closer to their father than he had; it made sense if she wanted to stick with him, but in doing so she'd turned her back on Erieda, in a way. For that, Slade felt himself frowning, but he did not comment.

"You aren't...disappointed, are you?" Symone continued, seemingly worried by his reaction, which caused the frown to disappear from his features almost instantly. He didn't want their relationship to be torn apart by something as ridiculous as a preference for one parent over the other. They were better than that. "It seemed like a good idea at the time....I didn't know cost..." she continued, and his body moved too quickly for his thoughts to catch up. He caught her in another hug, his arms refusing to move from around her neck. "I don't blame you for making the decision to join the Remei, honestly," Slade replied, loosening his hold only slightly so that he didn't have to worry about choking her. "And neither do your children. I can tell you that for a fact." He gave her a brief smile. "I just hope you realise that we're on different sides now, and we may end up clashing more often than not. But, whatever happens, I love you, Sym."

---

---

I do know that," He said and Erieda smiled softly, she was glad for that. "and I am proud to be Fae. I am proud, in many ways, to be your grandson. But... ever since I'd learned of their existence, I'd always wanted to join the Remei. I wanted to prove myself, and impress Alexander." He said and Erieda nodded. She knew what it was like, trying to impress a commanding officer. She couldn't fault him for that. "I realised quite early on that I'd made a mistake in getting involved, but the sigil had already been placed. I'd already learned too much to back out. Stupid as I was, it's what I have to live with now." He said and Erieda looked at him, quizzically. Even Kellin knew it was a mistake but couldn't get out of it. Alex had the opportunity...once. "I do not agree with Remei methods, and... while I will remain loyal to Alexander, I just want to apologise in advance for anything that I have to do. Were it my choice, I'd never hurt my own family, but..." He said and Erieda finished for him.
"But you know we are likely to be on opposite sides of whatever war is to come and fighting will be inevitable." It pained her to say it and so she sighed.
"I'm sorry you've gotten involved in all this, this could of been avoid by both Alexander and I, if we just....nevermind, as I said, no matter, you are welcome here, and I'll always love you, you were my first grandchild. I remember, how small you were, and how terrified your father was to hold you," she said smiling at the memory.

"And you used to get into everything....there wasn't a moment's peace in this house when you arrived...and I loved it." She said chuckling. She smiled at him once more and touched his face sweetly, she could see his father in his eyes.

"He loves you too, he doesn't show it, he tends to take after his father that way but he loves you, never doubt it." She told him and dropped her hand. "Now go on, I can look after him. Get some food and then rest," She told him but not was a Queen, or a general, but as a mother, or in this case, grandmother.

---

---

A long moment of silence fell over the two of them then, as Alec lay facing his ceiling with his legs hung over his bed at the knees. He still had his arm draped over his eyes, as if to block out the light, but also because performing in general had a way of making him really tired. He expended a lot of energy, both with playing guitar and trying to keep up with Alexis' overwhelming stage presence. But, more than that, he found himself in a state of emotional distress more times than he ever bothered to paint a smile onto his features, and it was affecting him in all sorts of ways. At that moment, though, he wasn't angry or even stressed; he felt peaceful, being away from the party and in Sunday's company.

"Alec..." he heard her say, interrupting his thoughts. He lifted his arm out of the way of his eyes, but he was forced to squint slightly as the light bulb was right over the top of him. "Did you... want something?" she asked, and it was in that second that something snapped within his mind. His first reaction was to push himself off the bed into a sitting position, which he did, and to turn around and look her straight in the eye. He had the sort of look on his face that you only really see when you've accused a child of doing something naughty, though he also seemed offended by the question, as if it was beyond reason for her to think that he'd ever expect something like that from her. At least at first.

Remaining speechless for another moment or two, Alec shifted his body further onto the bed and turned so that he was facing her, his legs crossed in front of him. He looked down for a moment or two, before his eyes finally met with hers. "That's not why I brought you up here," he said after a second of delay, his voice almost uncharacteristically quiet. "I certainly didn't mean to give you the impression that I wanted anything more than to just be in your company," he continued, offering her a small smile, which did not reach his eyes. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't thought about making a move. Even if it was just a kiss, he'd be more than happy to keep it at that. He hadn't wanted anything more from her, and that wasn't something he'd ever do with anyone within the first day of a relationship.

A relationship..? he thought, and suddenly the heat in his cheeks became apparent with a subtle flush of red.

"I won't do anything until you tell me that you're ready," he continued. "It's so important for this to work out that you trust me, and that you're comfortable with me. You don't have to be worried about me expecting too much of you, y'know. I'm not the type." Reaching over, he placed his hand gently over the side of her neck, his thumb brushing against her jaw bone. "I will always respect your boundaries."

---

---

"But you know we are likely to be on opposite sides of whatever war is to come and fighting will be inevitable," Erieda finished, where Kellin evidently could not. Nodding, more to himself than to anyone, he released a low, drawn-out sigh, as if everything about the situation made him want to deflate, merely so that he didn't have to deal with all the stress that had been piled onto his plate. "I'm sorry you've gotten involved in all this, this could of been avoid by both Alexander and I, if we just....nevermind, as I said, no matter, you are welcome here, and I'll always love you, you were my first grandchild. I remember, how small you were, and how terrified your father was to hold you," she continued. He listened to her every word, a sad smile slipping across his lips. He realised then that he hadn't looked up at her in a while, so he did, and the smile she wore made his own become more genuine, more real. "And you used to get into everything....there wasn't a moment's peace in this house when you arrived...and I loved it." The words made him chuckle, but it was hollow and somewhat forced. He was disappointed that he couldn't remember most of his own childhood. He'd unintentionally blocked it all out.

When Erieda touched his cheek, Kellin's breath caught in his throat, and he cleared it before it became too noticeable. "He loves you too, he doesn't show it, he tends to take after his father that way but he loves you, never doubt it," she said. If there was one thing Kellin remembered about the time in his life before the Remei, it was that he held a deep respect for Slade, his father. He just seemed so in-control, strong and generally much more like Kellin than he ever would've admitted. Slade was a good father; he wasn't a disciplinarian, but he wasn't careless either. However, where affection was concerned, he'd always looked more to his mother for advice and comfort. Ever since Slade's death, he'd been weak and temperamental. For that, Kellin put some distance between himself and his father. It just seemed easier that way. Dragging him from his train of thought, Erieda spoke again, holding an almost authoritative tone but it was gentle. "Now go on, I can look after him. Get some food and then rest."

Kellin nodded again, and moved forward to kiss his grandmother's cheek, before he took a step or two backwards. "Would that I could rest, but I've got... things, to do," he replied, his tone holding an almost warning quality as his eyes sought hers out, a conflicted expression settling on his features as his brows lowered into a frown, however subtle. "It was good seeing you, anyhow. Thank you for being so understanding about this... And good luck," he continued, a smile on his lips, but it faded even quicker than it had arrived, and he started past her. He stopped beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder once more. "Not that you'll need it," he joked, winking before he exited the same way he'd entered.

---

---

Erieda couldn't believe this girl wasn't healing, she carefully searched her body, claw marks and bruises, knife slices and broken bones. This girl was dying, right before her. She did not know how to heal her, not here and she wasn't sure she'd make it to Faerie, not if she had to move her, and teleporting would only make things worse.

"Victoria..." Alec spoke finally, making her blood run cold at the mere mention of her name. "she took Sunday, gave her to the Incubi... We didn't... we couldn't react in time. It was too late," He said, looking at Sunday, longingly, his gaze soft. "We went... after her. Slade and Symone took me there, but I didn't stick around. I had to get Sunday back." He said, slipping his hand under Sunday's soft, pale fingers, her nails chipped, some caked with blood and skin. She tried to fight them. Erieda, brushed her bangs from her face, revealing the girl's face. She was such a sweet looking child, it reminded her of Symone when she was young, sleeping in her bed, Erieda would watch them sometimes, Simon and Symone, as they slept, studying there sleeping faces, committing them to memory. She did the same with Alexis, to whom looked so delicate while she slept, Sunday reminded her of them. "That bitch must've done something... to prevent her from healing. She's Fae... She's supposed to be getting better, and now she's dying." Alec said, emotion thickening his voice. Erieda only nodded gazing down at the girl.

"Turn away a moment, Alec, I need to check her." she told him and waited for him to give them a moment's privacy before she gingerly, lifted Alec's coat, revealing pale skin, and checked Sunday's body, among the myrid of blood and old scars, there was a rune, scrawled on her shoulder blade. Erieda clicked her teeth. She never wanted to curse so bad in her life.

"Burn it all...." She hissed violently. "You were correct, there is a rune here, on her back, a Fae rune an old one, meant to make a fae mortal, but this was modified, so that she still had her other gifts, this blocks her Fae side, or atleast the magic." She informed him, before pulling the coat on to the girl again. "A...Alec...." Sunday cried, just over a whisper before she was unconscious again.

"M-mom....She's..." Alexis said still in the doorway. Ereida knew why she hung back, Alexis drew death like a magnet, the closer she got to someone that was dying, the faster the way and Sunday was already on the cusp.
Racking her brain, Ereida thought of the quickest way to get Sunday to heal. Fae magic was out of the question, the rune made it so, if she could heal her enough without it, then she could remove the rune, which would hurt like no one knew, but then she would be able to heal on her own.
then it struck her.

"I know, Darling, fetch Kellin, he should be close, he can save her."

Alexis wasted no time with affirmation, she took off down the stairs, careful not use her powers, the more she used them, the faster Sunday would die.

Once she was far enough away, she locked on to him, finding his location and teleporting there.

"Kellin, no time to explain." She said, grabbed his arm and teleporting him to the room.

Erieda looked up. "We need your help, she's dying, and you're the only one who can save her." She said quickly, knowing that if he was anything like his father, he would not like being snatched like she was sure Alexis had done.

---

---

Alec's eyes moved over Erieda's face for a second after she'd told him to turn away, and it clicked in his mind what she meant. Letting his own hand slip away from hers, he turned his entire body around to give them a moment's privacy, his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes trained on the wall. He waited for a while, before Erieda spoke. "Burn it all..." Erieda cursed. "You were correct, there is a rune here, on her back, a Fae rune an old one, meant to make a fae mortal, but this was modified, so that she still had her other gifts, this blocks her Fae side, or atleast the magic." Alec listened to each word, and he felt himself tensing. His anger towards Victoria was growing more and more by the second, but he had no mind for revenge; his main priority was assisting in Sunday's recovery. If he lost her, he wouldn't know what to do with himself. He'd have failed her to the highest extent. He wouldn't let that happen.

As Sunday spoke, Alec turned on his heel so quickly that it took a second or two for his eyes to come into focus again, before they fixed themselves on the girl's face. She'd already gone unconscious by this point, and he let out a huff, his hand resting over hers once more. "I'm here," he said, his voice eerily quiet, as he heard Alexis' voice from the hallway. He knew Sunday wouldn't hear him, but the words were not so much as to comfort her but himself. He was more scared in that moment than he had been at any point in his life.

Even as Erieda called for Kellin, Alec didn't look up for fear that Sunday would drift back into consciousness. He wanted her to know he was there, to feel his hand on her own and know that she'd soon be well again. He didn't quite know what Kellin would be willingly able to do, but Erieda seemed to have a good idea and he trusted his grandmother enough not to question her. Not that he could form the words even if it was his utmost desire to object. He had an idea, though. Vampire blood could heal.

Before he knew what to do, Alexis was returning, with a disgruntled Kellin pulling sharply away from her grasp. "What the hell do you think you're doing? You can't go around kidnapping pe-" his words caught in his throat as he spotted the girl on the bed. Or, more like, smelled her. The amount of blood leaving her body was enough to send any inexperienced Vampire into utter chaos. "What twisted game are you trying to play here, Erieda?" he growled, his hand finding the set of drawers behind himself.

"It's not a game," Alec answered for her. "We need your help. She's dying, and we need some of your blood, or we can't help her," he continued, an urgent sense of panic in his voice. Kellin wasn't moved by the display of emotion; he rarely cared for such things when the person had done nothing to earn his care, attention or patience. With a snarl, he finally turned his head away from Sunday, and he started towards the door, but a massive force was soon pinning him to the wall. Alec was shorter than Kellin, but stronger by anyone's standards. Kellin gave another snarl, and tried to push back, but Alec's forearm was too strong a force against his chest. That didn't stop him.

"Let me go, Alec," Kellin spoke, his voice low and warning, but Alec was having none of it. If anything, he pushed down harder, causing a pained expression settle onto Kellin's features. Alec's eyes brightened to the point where they almost glowed, and darkness spread began to spread down his arms and across his body like spilt ink. "If you won't give your blood, I'll just take it from you," he spat, returning the warning with one of his own. Kellin turned his head away. "Why the fuck should I help you, anyway? I'm supposed to be fighting against you, not healing your allies for you. I could get into so much shit for this, and do you think Alex would stop that?" Alec shook his head slowly, before he snapped his head up and his eyes met with Kellin's. There was no other way to get him to help. It had to be said, regardless of the consequences. "Because she's your sister, you dumbass," he hissed, finally backing up to allow Kellin some room. Not that he moved anyway. He just stood there, motionless but evidently sceptical.

Alec paid no mind to the reactions around him, if there were any. His entire focus was drawn to Kellin as he spoke. "Victoria murdered Tanya, your mother, and took her form before anyone could find out. She slept with Slade, and nine months later, there's Sunday," he said, trying to speak quickly for the girl's sake but with enough care and sensitivity needed for Kellin to be able to cope and take it all in, which he seemed to do pretty quickly. But he didn't seem angry, as Alec thought he might be, only confused. Without a word, he moved towards the bed and used one hand to keep her mouth open while the other arm he brought to his mouth at the wrist; he took a bite, and quickly positioned the wound over Sunday's mouth, allowing the steady flow of blood to slide down her throat, before pulling away.

---

---

Erieda listened as the two boys went on. Kellin was being difficult, but it wasn't until he mentioned Alex did she turn from Sunday, and her eyes cut daggers at him, she never struck her grand children, and she hardly struck her children as they grew, but at the moment, she could already feel her hand strike Kellin across the face, she didn't touch him. She hadn't time because Alec spoke, and said something that knocked the wind right out of her.

"Because she's your sister, you dumbass,"

The room went silent. That was it. That's why the girl reminded her so of someone, it was her own son. Her granddaughter. Looking back at the girl, how lay barely breathing on the bed, bleeding from places a girl should only bleed a twelve times out of the year. It was no wonder she could place the girls face, the rune blocked her Fae side, blocking what connected Erieda to her.
Erieda turned to Alec, wide eyed.

Alexis, seemed to blush, but not for her. "Holy shit..." Erieda didn't reprimand her for her language, not this time, not when she agreed.
"Victoria murdered Tanya, your mother, and took her form before anyone could find out. She slept with Slade, and nine months later, there's Sunday," Alec said, looking at the girl again.

Rage bloomed in Erieda's chest. Her grand daughter was laying here, dying in her arms and she was helpless to stop it. Simon was still in the Fae Realm doing the gods only knew. Silently, Kellin moved across the room, face bare of emotion. He rose wrist to his lips, and bite down. Blood rushed and he allow the contents of his lips to drip into Sunday's mouth.

They waited, silently, with held breaths.

Sunday's fingers twitched, then nothing, for a long while nothing. Erieda was becoming impatient, but she kept still, Alexis was shifting from foot to foot then she stopped and at the same, Erieda noticed the more shallows cuts on Sunday's face begin to close.

"It's working."Alexis said softly, her nether marks dulling but still giving her a soft reddish glow, she still stood by the door, keeping her distant but not wanting to leave.

Erieda nodded, looking at the girl. She wanted to reach out, hold her, cradle her, apologize for not knowing, not keeping her safe, she was Simon's daughter, she could see it now, she looked nothing like her mother. She could see how Simon's sharp eyes rested in her large doll eyes, his more chiseled features smoothed out and rounded in hers and she was small, like he had been when he was young, small enough that he looked younger then he was, Sunday...who knows how old she was, 16-17 perhaps but she looked like a child, especially now.

a small pale hand reached up, shakily, she grabbed Kellin's wrist, hard, her eyes springing open, but looking nowhere, she began to drink, feverishly. The Vampire blood, boosting her power, but his was laced with Fae blood, and she was a Siren, and it was addictive. Her wounds began to heal much more quickly as she held him there. Erieda, knowing better then to let this continue too much longer, took Sunday by the arm, before Sunday began a vampire as well, a few more sips and she would.

"That's enough, Sunday." she said, firmly, but her voice was soft as she took Sunday's arm, and easied her back, gesturing for Kellin to move. Sunday gasped, loud, and hard, springing upright, clutching her chest. Blood reddening her lips. She looked around as if everyone in the room were complete strangers, all but one.

"Alec!" She cried, crawling over to him in a haste, and clinging to him like a wet leaf on a boot. Erieda stood and remembered what Sunday had told her.

"I loved him all my own, and I wanted him to love me all his own.... The girl hadn't known, she hadn't know she and Alec were family, cousins , first cousins at that and if she was told before, it hadn't registered yet.

Erieda had to tell her, but she wasn't sure she should just then, perhaps if Alec told her, then it would be easier to handle, or better yet, Simon. Where was he? His daughter was dying, he HAD a daughter, yet he wasn't here, that wasn't like him at all. Symone, yes, but she took after her father, not that she faulted her for her choice, Erieda hadn't minded at all, she didn't mind raised Alec and Eida, she loved them, they were good kids and she understood that the demon realm was no place for them, Simon, however would burn down his life tree before he left Sunday like this, purposely, so something was wrong.

What was this about then? Why was Alec allowed to walk out of the demon realm with Sunday, if Victoria was there....It came to her then.

This wasn't about Sunday, it was hardly about the twins, though they were important. This was about her. Chances are, this was a trap, an elaborate one. One that would get her to break the accords, but why wasn't she told yet. Victoria would want her to know that something was wrong, that the twins were in trouble, and she would have done what she had with Sunday, parade the torture in front of her, daring her to break the accords, and yet nothing. The Fae like pride in her said that the Twins were fine, whatever thing she had plan for her, they were fighting back, making it hard, winning but still. Simon wasn't here yet, and it was taking too long.

Erieda looked at Sunday.

"Sunday, Darling, do you remember me? she asked her, and the girl nodded, clinging to Alec's chest as if she could hide inside him. "You're the Queen..."
"That I am, Do you know where you are?" She asked, and Sunday looked around. It took her a moment before she finally nodded. "The Hotel, Parkwood.." She said and then her eyes went wide as if it all came flooding to her at once. She moved away from Alec, and sobbed into her hands. Erieda dropped to her knees, and pulled the girl into her chest. "You are safe now," she said, and it was true. Fae could not lie.

"Mister S....I mean...My Fa...." Sunday spoke but stopped herself, as if calling Simon her father would just reaffirm that her love for Alec was impossible. "We'll find him..." She said softly and looked at Kellin.

Erieda knew that the girl had enough vampire blood in her that and new wounds would heal. "Sunday, I'm going to do something, but it is going to hurt, but it'll break you free of your mother's curse." She said and Sunday looked up at her. "Please."

"Sleep, my little dove, sleep and dream about your love, ,you will not budge, you will not stir, until I wake you, as you were" She whispered, barely audible to the others., and Sunday seemed to try to fight it, pulling away, before stumbling backward against the bed, Erieda caught her and cradled her against her chest, the girl lollied against her, going completely limp in her arms.

Erieda, then, slide her hand under the coat, and pressed a cool hand on Sunday's shoulder blade and focused.

Erieda was capable of many things, despite how often she wouldn't speak of it. She worked for the things she learned how to do, and rarely used the gifts she was born with. Magic. She had it, she had alot of it, now that she was Queen, she knew spells, enchantments, incantations and the like, but she rarely used it, until now, She palms began to glow, a soft yellow, then it became brighter and brighter, hotter and hotter. Sunday's body shook as the skin burned off her back but she didn't stir, Erieda's spell came forced her to stay asleep.

Erieda closed her fingers around the crispy skin and peeled it off like sticker, while the skin began to heal. She removed her hand from the girl's back, and whispered softly in her ear. "Come awake, my little dove, all the pain, replaced with love." She whispered and Sunday began to stir. Erieda carried her to the bed, and lay her on it.

She looked at Kellin and Alec. "Look after her, the both of you, but keep your distance," She told them, she was sure the last thing she wanted was to be surrounded by men, even if it was Alec.

"She needs you both," she said, but her gaze told Kellin, that he was her brother, he had to look after her and Alec....well he was her world, despite how it had been pulled out from underneath.

"Alexis, Prepare yourself for battle, You're going to the demon realm." Alexis gave a wicked grin that made even Erieda uncomfortable, but she knew her daughter had a lot of pent up engery, and she needed to let it out, and Alexis was neither Fae nor Wraith, as far as anyone was concerned, so she would'nt be breaking the Accords. "I have to see a few people..." She said and was out the door and down the hall to her bedroom. She walked right up to Alex and with slap, she woke up, and sobered him all at once. Her eyes daring him to do anything but wake up.

"Sunday is Simon's daughter...Your Granddaughter." She said, and hoping it was as muh as a punch to the gut to him as it was to her, if it was, she's rectify that. "Victoria...had her raped...it nearly killed her, thankfully, she's survived but it wasn't the first time........Tell me you knew nothing of this....of her torturing of a young girl, blocking her fae half so that she couldn't heal?" Whether he was lucid enough to understand anythings she said, she didn't care, she wanted answers, now and if he gave her that Sigil excuse, she'll make him burn....

---

---

Kellin gave an annoyed grunt as Sunday's hand rose up to keep his wrist in place. Allowing another to drink from him was not something he'd ever welcomed the thought of, especially when the person feeding off of him could possibly have been his own sister. Still, while the urge to push her away was strong, he remained motionless. That was until Erieda stepped in and removed the girl to prevent her from drinking any more. He pulled his wrist up to his mouth once more and ran his tongue over the wound, allowing it to heal quicker, all the while taking steps backwards until he reached the other side of the room. He had nothing more to contribute to this situation. He'd done his part, or so he'd thought in that moment.

Alec couldn't breathe as Sunday spotted him and clambered forward. She collided with his chest, and his arms immediately wrapped around her. He nuzzled the top of her head, his eyes shut tight, and he kept a firm hold around her, like she'd just up and disappear if he let her go again. Even if he didn't quite know where to place himself with his feelings for her, he was convinced that his overwhelming relief was as a result of her being family, more than anything. Biological or not, Sunday had found a place into everyone's hearts, and therefore she was a part of the family before such was revealed to be literally true.

Erieda began speaking to Sunday, and Alec finally allowed his eyes to open, his protective instincts kicking in. In his mind, he'd only just gotten Sunday back after he thought she would die, and so even Erieda was registered as a threat. Not much else seemed to settle in his mind, until Sunday broke away from his grip and turned instead to their grandmother, causing him to frown deeply and take a few steps back. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans to stop them from curling into fists, and kept moving backwards until he reached the window. He was not needed. Erieda had her now.

"Look after her, the both of you, but keep your distance," Erieda said after a long while, and Alec looked up at her with eyes that lacked emotion; he looked a lot like his father then. He understood why he had to keep his distance, but that didn't make it any easier. He wanted to hold her in his arms again, not leave her be. He waited until she'd left the room before he started towards the bed, and he kneeled beside it, his hand finding Sunday's to hold it gently. Much that he knew he wasn't going to listen to Erieda's words on keeping his distance, he still understood that he had certain boundaries, which was the only thing stopping him from lying beside her.

Patiently, he waited for her to wake up, not saying a word to Kellin, who seemed to still be keeping his distance.

---

---

During his time locked in the cage, despite having an entirely frazzled mind, Slade allowed himself a while to think about the recent revelations, the most prominent of which being that he had a daughter he never knew about. What made it worse was that he'd unknowingly allowed her to grow up in such a dark environment, with a mother who only sought to make her life hell. If only he'd found out sooner. He could've saved her a childhood of strict brutality and misery. The thought alone felt like a knife in his chest. But, despite that, he laughed. It was weak and hollow, yet sardonic. His own daughter had been used as bait to lure him to his possible demise.

But, of course. He expected nothing less of Victoria.

Slade was so wrapped up in his own train of thought, however faint, that he barely noticed anyone else entering the room until the all-too-familiar sound of metal on metal brought him to focus. He was much less Fae than his sister and, even though the raw iron had a devastating affect on both of them, he was able to shift his body slightly so that he could get a good view of the happenings around him. Through blurry eyes he saw several people engaging in what he could only describe as an amusingly short battle, before the winning side approached the cage and assisted him out of it.

Murmuring a 'thank you' to the people who'd helped him to his feet, he pushed away from them and stumbled towards Symone, who was questioning their rescuer's motives. Mimicking his twin's frown, he cast a quick glance at the woman and straightened his back. He said nothing for the time being. He doubted he would've had anything constructive to add either way.

---

---

Dahvie had been stood outside of the hotel for a long, long time, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his coat. His eyes, which were devoid of all life, were trained without focus on his surroundings. He hadn't bothered to follow his wife simply because they had all seemed to preoccupied to invite him along, and he wasn't going to go where he wasn't wanted. And so, with a huff, he tensed his entire body against the cold and lifted his shoulders upwards as if in an attempt to cover his ears, which were red.

A lot of things were happening around him. For one thing, Alec had come through the portal holding Sunday in his arms, and shortly after the partygoers seemed to have vacated the area. No doubt the two occurrences were linked somehow. Dahvie lacked the general interest to question his son, not that Alec would've stopped to give him the time of day anyway. So he merely continued to stand there, quietly, out of the way. Soon there was just silence, the only thing audible to him being the distressed thoughts of those in the Hotel.

He could feel the heat flooding to his cheeks then, and part of him was tempted to enter the hotel, but any plans he had or might've had were disrupted when he heard Alexis' voice just behind him, causing him to turn around and look at her. "What are you doing out here? By yourself, Symone ain't here?" she asked, and Dahvie moved his lips as if he was forming the words to begin his sentence, before she asked another question. "Why didn't you go with her?" Dahvie gave a shrug, his eyes drifting sideways as if the idea of focusing on any one thing was lost on him entirely.

"She just took off," he said, deciding to be honest with his reply. He paused for a moment, exhaling slowly as he turned back to where the portal once opened. "You're going to find her, then," he stated, already knowing the answer.

It was then that Erieda arrived, and Dahvie lost interest in their discussion pretty quickly. He only refocused when the conversation turned to him once again; Alexis was asking him to accompany her, and he nodded. Had he been in any fit state of mind, he might've acted flattered to have been invited after being left in the dark by his own wife. As it was, he gave no real reaction, only a subtle gesture of agreement. He waited for her to lead the way. She seemed to know where she wanted to go, anyhow.

---

---

Bertoldo had finished writing in his journal a long while ago, and had even spent a time pacing around his private quarters. He knew what he was waiting for - who he was waiting for - but the very act of admitting that to himself would have meant coming to the realisation that he was caught up on someone he'd only ever had one brief encounter with. That, as far as he could remember, hadn't happened a lot, if at all. He was a Vampire, and so he had certain cravings, but it was not so much intimacy that he desired; it was simply to be in her company.

Releasing a sigh, he lifted his hand to his forehead as if to soothe his mind and send the thoughts away. He probably just needed something to eat, and after his incredibly successful job of recruiting new bodies, he had no shortage of willing suppliers. All he had to do was step outside and look. He hadn't eaten in a few days; he'd been too busy to bother caring for himself.

As he started towards the door, there was a knock on the other side, and he didn't even see the point of asking what the sudden interruption was about. He caught the faint scent of Erieda's Fae smell lingering on his receptionist, even through the thick wood of the door. He'd forgotten how intoxicating it could be, and it only worked to strengthen the hunger burning in the back of his throat. As he opened the door, the receptionist explained that Erieda had arrived and asked to see him, and he couldn't find the smug little smirk that slipped across his lips then. "Bring her here, then," he said, stepping away from the door but leaving it open. The receptionist left, and a moment later returned with none other than the Fae Queen.

"Thank you," he murmured to the receptionist, who nodded and quickly left the room, shutting the door behind her. Bertoldo turned his attention to Erieda, who looked almost tense. A slight mixture of concern and curiosity caused his brows to lower only slightly, but he decided he would not point it out again unless she wanted to speak freely of what was obviously troubling her. "Erieda," he said as a form of greeting, his voice smoother than silk itself, "how may I be of assistance to you, my dear?"

---

---

The pain was gone, but she still hurt. Her heart, her soul, everything hurt. She should be happy. She should be, Simon was her father, he acted like it before she'd even known. She wanted him to be, but she hadn't realized what that meant. She couldn't love Alec, the way she did. It was wrong....just like she was. She wasn't supposed to be here, she wasn't born out of love, like everyone else, no she was born, made to be a tool, to use against him and it had worked. He wasn't here. The Queen was, or she had been. It was nice, being held by a real mother, someone who knew how to love. Sunday felt safe, like nothing bad was going to happen, while rapped in Erieda's arms...Her grandmother's arms. She wanted to be happy. She would be loved but the one love, she loved the most, she couldn't have. She could either be Victoria's daughter and love Alec, or Simon's daughter, and have the large family she'd always wanted.

Sunday's eyes opened to find Alec beside her, his hand closed around hers. She turned her head, meekly, and gave a small smile. She shouldn't love him, but staring into his cool grey eyes, she found it hard not to, even harder then before. He was there when she woke up.

She took a breath, her body feeling heavy and skin felt too tight. She never healed before. It was strange, the feeling. In a good way, she supposed but everything ached but didn't hurt. She wanted to think her grandmother for it, she would be able to heal all on her own now but it wasn't her who saved her, she could still taste the blood in her mouth.

She looked toward the door, to find the tall man hanging back. She was scared, she knew who he was, He worked closely with the General....Her grandfather....Did he know and not care? She doubted it.

She pulled the sheets over her body with a free hand. Erieda had tucked her in but still.

"Thank you.... She said, looking to both of them, her hand squeezing Alec's, she wanted to kiss him, but she knew it would be wrong, for many reasons. "You work with the General....I remember you." she said to the man afar. She couldn't remember his name at the moment, but reminded her of Slade--Her father. That thought made her softly slip her hand from Alec's and rest it on her lap.

"Why did you help me?"