Sunday Montez's Story

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Alex remained still as Erieda laughed, a little unsure what to make of the situation at first. That wasn't a good laugh, he knew, and he could only imagine what she was going to say afterwards. Slade was back, after all, and so that must have meant Erieda knew. He hadn't anticipated how how shortly his son would return to full life; if he had, he would have added a sigil. But, at that time, sigils were the least of his problem, as his head swung to one side from the impact of Erieda's slap. Scavenger was up on her feet in a second, but Alex held his hand out behind him as if to steady her in her place. His eyes moved to Erieda, who was now speaking; her vulgar language surprised him more than her knowledge of his affair. He wasn't used to it, in all honesty, but he was all too familiar with being yelled at.

As she continued on, listing all the possible wrongdoings of his life during and after Scavenger's life, Alexander brought a hand up to his own face and pinched the bridge of his nose, looking more annoyed than guilty. It wasn't until Erieda began threatening Scavenger that Alex bothered to lower his hand and look up at his wife. He heard Scavenger scoff at the threat, but she was showing no sign of movement, so he decided to leave her be for the moment.

Alex's eyes met with Erieda's, and he took a sharp breath, remaining quiet for a moment or two. "My actions were careless, I know, and I am so far beyond redemption by this point that giving you excuses would be futile," he started. "However, I do owe you an explanation, and I-" he was interrupted. "You don't owe her anything," Scavenger growled, crossing her arms over her chest. She looked to Erieda. "He didn't do it for the sake of fucking another woman." She went to continue, but she was cut short when Alex's palm sent her flying across the apartment. She hit the wall with a crunch, and her body crumpled to the ground. She didn't get back up.

"I did not do this to hurt you," he continued after a moment's pause. "I mean, Gods... You're the only woman I have ever wanted to be with. You're my wife." He wanted to move forward, to place a hand on her arm or shoulder, but he knew that the last thing Erieda needed was to be touched, so he kept his distance. His eyes, however, stayed steady on hers. "I had been away from home for so long. We were both away, fighting our respective wars. I gave into temptation; that's all it was, although Scavenger had fooled herself into believing that her mother and I were in love." He looked over his shoulder at the limp body on the other side of the room, slumped over but still partially leaning against the wall. "When she informed me that she was pregnant, I... didn't know what to do. I felt I couldn't abandon the child, but I was so terrified that it would ruin us... so I kept it a secret at first. I went away for weekends at a time, and visited her frequently." He raised a hand to his forehead once more. "As much as I wanted to keep it from you for the sake of our marriage, I thought you should know... But it took me so long to decide, that I felt too much time had passed. The secret was growing bigger and bigger with each second that I didn't tell you."

"I understand if you wish to leave... if you wish to end this. I wish you wouldn't, though there's little I can do to stop you..." He moved back a bit, and took a seat on the arm of the sofa. "But please, if nothing else, remember that there is nothing I regret more in this world than this. All of my betrayals, all of my mistakes... They don't even compare... I am truly sorry, as worthless as those words might be to you now." Finally, he looked away from his wife, and steadied his eyes on the ground. If she left the room then, he didn't want to see it.

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While Slade had listened to Sunday's question, he had not given himself enough time to answer the question before he teleported. Within the second, they were outside of the hotel and away from the cover of the forest. It wasn't too dark out yet, he realised, or at least much less so than he'd thought. His eyes found Sunday as she released a laugh, and oddly enough he found himself smiling at her reaction. When she asked if they could do it again, an idea popped into his head and his smile widened into a grin. "Better yet," he said, "I could try teaching you. Any time you're ready, just let me know... It, uh..." his voice trailed into near silence as he noticed her hand was still wrapped around his own, but he quickly picked up his sentence again with a smile after deciding not to point it out. "It might be fun!"

He cleared his throat, and looked towards the hotel door. "And, to answer your previous question, a date can be many things... It depends on the person, and the situation. Most of the time, you take a person on a date because you like them and you want to get to know them, whether it's to build meaningful relationships or just for a bit of fun." With his other hand, he gave her a gentle pat on the shoulder. "You don't have to worry about tonight. Alec's a nice guy; he'll take care of you."

With a smile, he led her inside.

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As Alexis spoke the name of the song, Alec nodded and found his fingers already settling in their positions, hovering a little bit off the strings as he waited. He'd memorised all of their songs well enough to be able to play it without preparation, so he felt fairly confident in his ability to get through the party list with no errors. Alexis continued to speak about Sunday, and Alec listened, but he did not bother to give a response. At least, not without leaving a few moments of delay. "She barely knows me either," he muttered, shaking his head in mild disbelief. There was no way Sunday could put her trust in him so easily; if she had been abused like he'd thought, surely she'd be smarter than to throw her trust around. He was dragged from his thoughts when Alexis mentioned something about an audience, and he looked up expecting to find their first attendee, but he was instead greeted by his Uncle, and Sunday. Speak of the devil.

Smiling, he gave Slade a wave with his free hand, before letting it drop. "Hey, guys. We were just about to do some sound checking, and a quick rehearsal." His eyes fell on Sunday briefly, but he quickly looked away. It had been only moments since his conversation with Alexis about Sunday's... past, and suddenly he thought of nothing else than all the things she might've been through, if his assumptions were correct. The images in his mind made him sick to his stomach. He turned to Alexis so quickly that even he was surprised by it, and he paused for a second before blurting out: "Hurry it up, would you!"

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"Better yet," Slade said, "I could try teaching you. Any time you're ready, just let me know... It, uh..." He said, trailing off a bit, but went on once more. "It might be fun!"

"Oh, I love it! Thank you!" She chirped, gripping his hand gratefully. "And, to answer your previous question, a date can be many things... It depends on the person, and the situation. Most of the time, you take a person on a date because you like them and you want to get to know them, whether it's to build meaningful relationships or just for a bit of fun." He said and Sunday blushed. "You don't have to worry about tonight. Alec's a nice guy; he'll take care of you." He said and she smiled, as they entered the hotel.

It was then that she saw Alec and Alexis, she grinned his direction, a lot less nervous then she was, although a blush still reddened her cheeks under his gaze. "Hey, guys. We were just about to do some sound checking, and a quick rehearsal." Alec said and Sunday smiled, before turning her head up toward Slade, whose hand she still held, normally she would have shrunk away by now, she felt safe with Slade, and it didn't even cross her mind. "Hurry it up, would you!" Alec said while Alexis who was fiddling with something that Sunday didn't understand, she rose her middle finger up at him before walking around the thing and grabbed ahold of a long stick with a round bit at the end.

"Okay, so, We're gonna do one song, but we're still sound checking so if we stop at some point that's why. We need to make sure that everything sounds good," she said, her voice loud as it echoed around the room, looking at Sunday, she wore a grin, which made her look pretty. Sunday nodded. "Take a seat," she said and Sunday did as she was asked, nearly dragging Slade with her.

[Alexis then turned, rose a hand with some sort of thing in her hand, making music play. Alexis turned and began to sing, leaving Sunday in awe.

Naughty, naughty, naughty
We like to party
I know you hate it 'cause
I flirt with everybody

Naughty, naughty, naughty
We just wanna party

Naughty, naughty, naughty
We like to party
I know you hate it 'cause
I flirt with everybody

Naughty, naughty, naughty
We just wanna party
It's all about fun and games
Until I hurt somebody

[Porcelain Black]
Definitely not an angel
But I'm not that evil, you know
I'm just so addicted
To beautiful people, uh oh

I'm getting sucked into the night
I'm out ahead and losing control (Oh no)
Get me wrong and get me right
You know that I can never say no (Oh no)


Naughty, naughty, naughty
We like to party
I know you hate it 'cause
I flirt with everybody

Naughty, naughty, naughty
We just wanna party
It's all about fun and games
Until I hurt somebody

Uh oh uh oh uh oh
So whatcha gonna do about it
Uh oh uh oh uh oh
So whatcha gonna do about it


Definitely kissing a stranger
Then leave his ass later, you know
Can't help that I'm attracted to danger
You can't be my savior, uh oh

I'm getting sucked into the night
I'm out ahead and losing control (Oh no)
Get me wrong and get me right
You know that I can never say no (Oh no)


Naughty, naughty, naughty
We like to party
I know you hate it 'cause
I flirt with everybody

Naughty, naughty, naughty
We just wanna party
It's all about fun and games
Until I hurt somebody

Uh oh uh oh uh oh
So whatcha gonna do about it
Uh oh uh oh uh oh
So whatcha gonna do about it


Uh oh uh oh uh oh
I know I said that we'd stay home
Uh oh uh oh uh oh
Kiss and watch a boring show
Uh oh uh oh uh oh
Oh hell no, I gotta go


Naughty, naughty, naughty
We like to party
I know you hate it 'cause
I flirt with everybody

Naughty, naughty, naughty
We just wanna party
It's all about fun and games
Until I hurt somebody

Uh oh uh oh uh oh
So whatcha gonna do about it
Uh oh uh oh uh oh
So whatcha gonna do about it

So whatcha gonna do about it...
So whatcha gonna do about it...

Sunday looked at Slade and grinned. "She's amazing...."

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If nothing else, Alex was relieved that Erieda had not turned and walked out. However, that meant there was more for her to say, and he wasn't so sure he could continue to cope with the questions. The guilt was eating him apart from the inside, more rapidly now than it had over the past nineteen years. He couldn't even look up as she spoke and questioned him further; he couldn't look her in the eye anymore.

Her words were true. Erieda had never been unreasonable where his mistakes were concerned. He'd done so much before and after this particular mistake. He'd physically harmed her, and threatened to leave his child before it had even been born. He'd killed his own daughter, acted insensitively upon telling her of her friend's death, joined the Remei and fought against the Fae in the war. He was sure there were countless other incidents, but he couldn't remember all of them off the top of his head. Even recently, when he disappeared - granted, he still didn't believe that was his fault - and couldn't even visit her to tell her that Slade was alive, to some extent.

When Erieda continued on, Alex found it increasingly more difficult to keep his composure. He knew his wife was a desired woman; the Queen of Fae was bound to be sought after by many, men and women alike. However, he had never feared that she would be unfaithful, not for a second. "Because you're strong, and genuine, and decent. All of the things that I have never been." He took a long pause as he fought to raise his head and look her in the eyes. There were tears forming in his own, but he did not let them fall. He would never. "In the War, the Remei were only used in special circumstances. We did the jobs that others were too 'good' for, the sort of things that still keep me up at night. Those were dark times. It wasn't just a case of fighting a war with other soldiers; we were assassinating the innocent for a cause I believed to be true," he explained, standing up again. "I have never been more ashamed of what I did, to forget about all of that... I welcomed the chance to."

Running his hands through his hair, he shifting his glance for only a second, but suddenly he felt much less nervous about looking her in the eye. "I wanted you, Erieda. No one else. But you weren't there. You left, and in that year before I joined the Remei, I waited each and every day for so much as a visit, but there was none. I never questioned your desire to fight for your realm, but... the same way you have felt over the past few years is the exact same way I felt when I heard nothing from you." He paused. "I joined the Remei... I guess because I wanted to strike back. The War had taken you from me, and I wanted it to end. I never knew what I was truly signing up for. And I know that doesn't excuse my actions, but I want you to know that I didn't just up and do this for the hell of it. I was hurting, much more than you ever knew I could."

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Alec was just happy that he didn't have to talk to anyone, though he couldn't really explain why he was suddenly feeling so anti-social. As Alexis began, so did he. He focused not on Sunday and Slade's reaction to the music being played, but instead on his own movements. He kept an ear out so as not to fall out of time - which would most likely result in embarrassment, followed by some scolding. He wasn't in the mood for that at all. He would only look up occasionally, his eyes skimming over Sunday's face for a second each time before he averted his gaze.

She's still holding my hand, Slade thought, a worried expression settling on his features as he stared down at their locked hands for what felt like the longest time. He would always make sure to avert his gaze when anyone looked his way, no matter who it was. He knew he should have appreciated the fact that the girl who looked like she might blow away in the wind was suddenly so comfortable around him, but he couldn't help feeling like it was a little inappropriate for her to have gotten so attached to him in such a short amount of time. Slade had always been anti-social and although he'd gotten much better at hiding his desire to avoid speaking to or touching other people, there were moments when he just felt like picking them up by their ankles, spinning a bit, and seeing how far they could fly before crashing to the ground.

Still, when Sunday looked up at him, he met her gaze and offered her a warm smile. "Yeah, she is, isn't she," he agreed, before standing up from his seat and moving towards the kitchen, but not without first giving Alexis a thumbs up. "You sound awesome," he commented, "but I'm just going to go get a drink... Sunday, you want one?" he asked, looking at her.

Eida had only bothered to come downstairs when she heard the music playing. Before that, she had spent a little while getting ready for the party, though she didn't think she'd really stick around for too long. These things always had a tendency to go terribly wrong, especially when her family were involved, and besides, she would much rather have been relaxing in her room than in the middle of all that chaos.

Skipping down the steps, she was not at all surprised to find only a few people in the room. Her brother, her Aunt, her Uncle, and that Sunday girl that everyone now seemed rather interested in. Offering a sweet (but fake) smile, she took a seat where her Uncle once was. He mentioned something about a drink, and of course he only offered Sunday one. Leaning back a little, she fiddled with the rips in her jeans, and gave a bright smile to anyone who looked her way. Such was her nature.

She figured, while she was there, she might as well watch their rehearsal.

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"Yeah, she is, isn't she," Slade said and Sunday beamed. It was rare that anyone ever agreed with her. "You sound awesome," Slade said to Alexis who gave a wink in return, as she began fiddling with the equipment. "but I'm just going to go get a drink... Sunday, you want one?" he asked, and Sunday cocked her head. "A Drink? Yes, please." She said and noticed Alec's sister, Eida. She smiled at her. She thought it was a good thing to do, to offer Eida one as well. That's what her etiquette book had said.
"Hello, Eida, would you like a drink as well?" she offered, being polite as possible. She liked it here, and she wanted everyone to like her as well.


After Slade and Sunday left, Alexis walked up to Alec and nudged him in the side "Dude, you're losing your girl to an older man..." she teased, though she knew Slade wasn't that guy, but for whatever reason, Alexis wanted to see Alec with Sunday. It was probably the Fae in her, that she hated most days, the Fae in her made her do very out of character things such as this match maker thing she's doing. Alec was lucky he was only part, although Eida, that girl was all fae most of the time.

"Go for it, Seriously, You might actually like it."she said, though honestly, she'd never really been much for romance, people rarely stuck around her long enough for that to even be possible. There was a few guys she liked in the past but her temper drove them away, that probably didn't help her suddenly matchmaker urge, to see someone who wasn't that different from her, find something she could never hope to find.

"Damn My Faery Heart...."

---

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Alex was confused, to say the absolute least, and the kiss that Erieda placed on his lips - however soft - didn't help in the slightest. Neither did her following actions help to clarify why she'd felt the need to kiss him; she made it seem like, while there was still some inkling of hope left for the two of them, she wasn't going to offer it on a silver platter to him. He understood that, but as she 'blew away' in her typical Erieda fashion, these thoughts didn't help him against the much darker ones crawling their way into his focus.

"She will not leave me," he hissed, allowing his fingers to curl into his palms, hard enough that - if he were mortal - he'd have drawn blood. "I won't allow it."

"I'd be careful, if I were you," spoke a voice, dark and distorted by the mask he was wearing. His presence, while clear, was muted somehow, and it didn't take Alexander long to work out that it was a clone. His mind, however, was in all kinds of places in that moment, so he didn't do much besides just... standing there. "You know as well as anyone that acting out right now will only push her further away."

Alex nodded, slowly, as if the world around him was suddenly in slow-motion. He might've cried, but he didn't see the point.

"We need to act now," he finally said, his eyes finding the darkened figure on the opposite side of the room, standing like he didn't have a care in the world. He had his hood pulled up over his head, masking the upper half of his face, while the lower revealed a mask most resembling some sort of 'demonic' skull. These items, he had come to realise, were so that he could hide his appearance.

Anonymous shook his head. "We are acting as quickly as we can, Alexander," he said, sounding almost as if he meant to reassure the wreck of a man standing before him. But he rarely had the time or effort for such nonsense. "First, we will befriend your sister, Syrid. Through her, we will become closer to Alexis. We will keep doing this for the other family members. Find someone they're close to, recruit them, and use this to ally them to our cause. Soon enough, when we have the larger majority of her family won, only then may we act against Erieda." It all made sense to Alex, but as the 'mysterious' figure continued on, Alex lowered himself to the floor and wrapped his arms around his knees, which were pulled to his chest. His eyes stared blankly at the wall.

"I wish to be left alone," he whispered, and so Anonymous complied.

---

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Bertoldo

Recruiting was especially easily in Parkwood, Bertoldo concluded, as he wrote the name and address of the tenth supplier that day. His numbers weren't where they needed to be for an ideal blood supply; for every one hundred vampires in his Clan, he had to have at least 300 hundred humans willing to be their dinner. With regards to Vampires, he was up in the thousands. It wasn't easy and it wasn't favourable work for the Head Vampire, but that was the way things were run. We never kill our victims, and we never coerce them into supplying, his father's words echoed in his mind, as they often did whenever he felt like giving up on his search.

Stepping out of the alleyway at the same time as the girl - who he now noticed was wearing a rather disarrayed barista's uniform - he offered her a smile and a kiss on her knuckles, before she took her leave. His father never said anything about using other means to gain followers.

As he walked forward, he looked down to button his shirt up, and didn't notice the caramel-skinned woman until it was too late to prevent walking into her. "Forgive me," he said immediately. Without even looking at her, he had already gathered a deep sense of emotional hurt radiating from her, which he drawn to immediately, like a moth to a flame. It wasn't until he'd inspected her a little closer that he realised who she was, but she looked... lost, almost, like she didn't quite know where to place herself.

His Coven dealt in information, which he would sell to anyone who was interested in knowing. But that was only part of the reason he knew Erieda's face. She was Fae Queen; there wasn't a Supernatural being alive who didn't know and/or desire her. His own interest had been piqued.

"I have to say," he spoke, his accent almost unrecognisable, while his eyes trained themselves on her. They were only a meter or so away from each other now. "Of all the people I expected to run into in this town, I least expected it to be you. Queen Erieda, the Unkillable." He draped one arm across his lower torso, whilst the other extended outwards; all the while, he lowered himself forward in a bow. This, understandably, drew a few glares in his direction, but that mattered little to him. When he stood, he was wearing a subtle smirk. "It is a pleasure."

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---

Eida turned to Sunday as she spoke, and after a second of delay, she nodded her head. "Mm, sure," she said, a smile spreading across her lips, before looking at Slade. "I need something strong. Wanna be on my ass by the end of the night," she continued, knowing that Sunday wouldn't understand what she meant by that, whilst Slade stood shaking his head in disapproval. He left regardless and, better yet, he took Sunday with him. She assumed that was so that Sunday didn't ask any questions, and Eida didn't have a chance to answer.

Meanwhile, Alec glared at Alexis when she nudged him, and shortly afterwards he pulled at the straps and lifted the guitar over his head, before setting it down against an amp. "See if I care," he growled in response to his aunt's teasing. He paused, before a look of realisation mixed with anger cross his face. "And she's not my girl!" Walking a few steps away from Alexis, he took a seat on the floor, close enough to the wall that he could lean against it. That made Eida laugh, but she didn't comment. For the time being.

Alexis continued, and Alec shook his head. It seemed like this was going way too far, way too quickly. He'd only known her for a short while, but people were acting like the two of them were meant to be. Their personalities didn't even mix that well, not as a couple anyhow. He felt more like her protector than he'd ever feel like her boyfriend. She was cute, yeah, but way too ditsy and childlike. "This is fucking ridiculous," he spat, "I mean... I'm not going to make a move... not until I know that I'm 100% interested."

"I think you already like her," Eida interjected, before having to swiftly dodge the phone that was flying towards her head. The smile stayed on her face. "What? It's not my fault you don't hide it well."

Alec looked at Alexis with hard eyes. "Do you see what you've created?"

---

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"Mm, sure,"she said,smiling causing Sunday to smile. "I need something strong. Wanna be on my ass by the end of the night," Eida said and Sunday cocked her head but no sooner had she opened her mouth, Slade took her arm and lead her out of the room.

"I don't understand?" She said as she was going out the door. "What does that mean and what are we drinking?"

At the same time, Alexis watched her nephew with a cheeky grin. "See if I care," he huffed and Alexis chuckled."And she's not my girl!" He said walking away from her and sitting on the floor "Riight." Alexis said nodding, Eida started laughing which just pissed Alec off even further.

"This is fucking ridiculous," he snapped, causing Alexis to arch an eyebrow "I mean... I'm not going to make a move... not until I know that I'm 100% interested."

I think you already like her," Eida interjected, but Alec tossed his phone at her head, which she dodged thankfully. "What? It's not my fault you don't hide it well."

"Do you see what you've created?" He said, pointedly and Alexis smirked. "Just callin like I see it, Nephew, since she walked in, you barely kept your eyes off her, and anytime she looked at you, you looked away, and if you didn't have even a residue of feelings for her, you wouldn't be so pissed off now, I've accused you of many things over the years, and if you really didn't do them, you would just say and be done with it." she said matter of factly. "Besides, she's clearly got a thing for you, maybe it's a girl thing to notice, but she's differently got it bad for you."

---

---

Bertoldo found his smirk widening at the sound of Erieda's chuckle, but straightened both his back and expression when she began to speak, as a sign of respect to her position more than anything else. She was a Queen, after all, and Bertoldo had always been raised with old-fashioned values. To him, chivalry and respect were important.

Although he thought his purpose was clear, he found himself parting his lips to speak and explain his situation. "We're running low on willing suppliers, I'm afraid," he started, his eyes trailing various people who were walking past them. He didn't want to speak too boldly about their supernatural affairs; he did not live in an area where mortals were not aware of his origins, so it was taking quite a bit out of him to remember where he was. He found himself becoming uncharacteristically worried, so his voice was semi-quiet. "I only plan on being here a couple of days, at most, so you need not worry about me picking away at the town's population," he joked, a warm smile settling upon his lips, but it faded shortly afterwards into an expression of mild concern, mixed with curiosity.

He paused for a moment, as if he was trying to pick his words very carefully. He did not want to offend Erieda, after all. This was one of their first meetings. "Forgive me for being intrusive, My Lady, but you seemed... upset about something. I could sense it all the way from across the street," he started. "Not that it's my place, but if there is anything I can do, please do not hesitate to ask."

---

---

Alec was getting pretty tired of being around his family in that moment. He just wished Amorie were around, so they could go off together and get away from all the mayhem. She'd always been good for that; distracting him when he thought he was going to snap at one of them for real. She wasn't around at that time, and he just thanked the Gods that he wasn't in a really bad mood that day, 'else he would have flipped out.

As Alexis continued to speak about Sunday, he could feel his fingers digging into the fabric of his jeans at the knees. As much as he hated to admit it, the things she was saying were sort of true, but even he didn't understand why he suddenly felt so defensive. He was absolutely sure that he didn't have feelings for Sunday, that much had been made clear, but more often than not when accused of something he would usually just shrug it off and move on; he had, for some reason, found it necessary to argue back. He was wishing he hadn't, then maybe he wouldn't have his family getting on at him about it.

"I know she has feelings for me," he hissed, as if it was just common knowledge and he didn't need to be reminded of it. "I'm not fucking blind, I can see it too! But I'm betting she falls for just about anyone who doesn't smack her around the face when she smiles at them." He knew that was a low blow, and he was surprised that the words had even left his mouth, but - as usual - instead of apologising, namely to Alexis, he just wanted to get out of there. Standing up, he straightened out his outfit and began walking out, but he turned before reaching the stairs. "You should learn to leave well enough alone," he said, his voice monotonous. Then he left.

---

---

Slade pulled Sunday into the kitchen, and closed the door behind them. He was planning only to get himself some water, but he felt he had to give Sunday the option of choosing her own drink. Opening the door to one of their many over-sized fridges, he pointed to one of the shelves, where bottles and bottles lay stacked on top of each other. All fizzy drinks. Nothing alcoholic. Sunday didn't need to be any more hyper or on-edge than she already was. Just thinking about it made him shudder; it'd be chaos.

"Don't pay any attention to Eida," he said, a warning tone in his voice, as he set up three glasses. As he filled his own up with water and waited for Sunday to make her choice, he continued on. "She was talking about... alcohol. It's an intoxicating substance; it's not good for you and, trust me, you don't want any. Unless you want to 'end up on your ass', as she put it." He let that sink in for a moment, before he turned. "Made your choice?" he asked, wearing a smile.

---

---

"Don't pay any attention to Eida," Slade told her, and that was not the first time she was told this but she liked Eida, she smiled alot. "She was talking about... alcohol. It's an intoxicating substance; it's not good for you and, trust me, you don't want any. Unless you want to 'end up on your ass', as she put it." He told her and Sunday nodded. "Then I shall not drink it." she proclaimed and then turned to the crates of drinks. She leaned inside the cold thing and tapped her chin, some of the bottles were clear, brown, but the only that caught her eyes was the orange one. "Made your choice?

Sunday smiled and nodded. reaching inside. "I like this one, it is a pretty color" She said with a smile and took the bottle. She scanned the bottle, and reached for the top, she turned her nose up and tugged at the top but the metal ridge, slit her finger. "Ow! she yelped and slammed the bottle down, sending glass and soda everywhere "Accursed thing!" she said, her brown eyes, glowing red now, as blood bubbled up from the cut. She was Fae, so she would have healed from such a small cut, but her mother marked her so that she wouldn't heal, it made the pain last longer when she sent her down for punishment. Sunday looked away ashamed, he as Fae, he must have thought it odd that she didn't heal.

---

---

Bertoldo gave a modest yet subtle shrug at Erieda's comment. Of course, he knew of his own Clan's skills better than any other; they were skilled in most Vampire-related powers. Empathy, telepathy, charm. Bertoldo in particular had spent many a century developing such powers for situations just as these. However, most of his power - much like the rest of his clan, which consisted mainly of new recruits - came primarily from age. And he was the oldest member. He was at least glad to know that all his time and effort had not gone to waste.

As Erieda confessed to him her worries, he found himself hanging on her every word. It was rare that a frown ever settled on his brows, but these were special circumstances, and so he allowed it. The crease that was formed between them was unwelcome and alien. War was never a good thing as far as he knew, and while he was most definitely sure that Erieda did not start it, he couldn't help but wonder who did. He wanted to question whether it was against her specifically, or if it targeted enough people that Erieda felt she must get involved, but he held his tongue.

When she turned down his offer, Bertoldo's lips pinched together for only a second, before he forced a smile onto his features. "I could not make such a decision for the entire Clan," he admitted, "at least not right now. Since we are so large in numbers, I rely on a Council of Elder Vampires to assist in these decisions, and even after that we give the members a chance to contribute their opinions on such matters," he continued, speaking up a bit now that the streets seemed to have emptied a bit more. No one was stood in their general vicinity, at least. "But, if and when you find out more information about this war, and if you are fighting for a good cause, then I don't see why we couldn't ally ourselves with the Seelie Fae." He extended a hand, aiming to shake hers. "Until then, I will personally assist in any way I can. I cannot ask my followers to fight, but if I find out any information, you'll be the first to hear about it," he said, then smirked a little. "Free of charge."

---

---

Slade watched Sunday with an odd sense of curiosity as she pulled out an orange-coloured bottle and began to fumble with the lid. When she cut herself, it took Slade a second or two to respond, before he was moving towards her, but by that point she had already thrown the bottle down on the ground. He watched it shatter, and his eyes snapped up at Sunday with a disapproving glare, knowing that he'd have to clean it up himself before someone slipped over and got covered in small slashes. That, for most of the people in the lobby, would have been a mild inconvenience that would've healed within the minute. He paid little attention to her shout, nor to her eyes which were now shifting in colour, but instead focused solely on the cut which was still as open as it had been when it happened.

His mother had mentioned something about her being Fae, he recalled, so he was curious as to why she wasn't healing so well. It was only a small laceration, after all. Deciding not to pick it out, he instead reached for her wrist and pulled her along gently towards the sink, where he ran the cold tap and placed her finger under the flow of water, whether she protested or not. Even if the water didn't work either, it was always good to wash the cut. He looked down at her, his brows lowered into a frown though there was an evident sense of curiosity in his eyes. "It's only a small cut," he commented, turning back to turn off the tap after letting go of her wrist. Moving over slightly, he opened a drawer or two before coming across some plasters. He wiped some of the water off her finger, and wrapped a plaster around the cut as it was still bleeding, but not quite as much as it had been.

"You don't heal..." he said after a while. "Well, you should do, but... at human pace. That's strange," he continued, chewing on his bottom lip for a moment before asking, seemingly to no one but himself: "How is that?"

---

---

Eida wasn't as surprised by Alec's outburst as she should have been, but then there may have been something about the situation that she had missed before. When her brother left, she was instead more worried about Alexis and her temper. The comment, it seemed, had been directed at her and while it concerned someone else entirely, it was obvious that it had struck a chord within her. As Alexis began slamming her fist into the desk, Eida started forward until she was stood right beside her as she turned. "I know, Alexis, and to be honest, I wouldn't blame you if you dragged him down by his over-grown hair, alright? But, you have to keep in mind, Alec doesn't cope well with pressure," she said, trying not to raise her voice for fear that Alexis was in a bad mood; she was only trying to calm the situation down a bit. "If he's confused, he gets upset, and he acts out. It's fucking childish, and he knows that, but that's how he is and how he's always been."

She turned around and sat down on a nearby amp, pinching the bridge of her nose for a second before continuing on. "We were getting on his case, and he reacted badly. That's all it was," she said, letting her hand fall into her lap. "I think they just need to spend some time alone together, maybe? I know for a fact that he would never say that to her face. He's not that guy."

---

---

Sunday allow Slade to take her hand, he seemed to want to help, and so he let him, she was not afraid of him and probably felt the closest to him for some odd reason. She was quiet as he washed away the blood with the running water. That felt nice, all too often she was to lay there bruises and broken when she was hurt, this was soothing. "It's only a small cut," He said before turning off the water and letting her go. She held her hand to her chest until he came back with some bandages.

"You don't heal..." he said after a while and Sunday looked down at her feet. "Well, you should do, but... at human pace. That's strange," he said and Sunday blinked back tears. "How is that?"

"My mother made it so..." she said with a sniff. "When I made a mistake...she would have them hurt me....some of them, liked to cut me...she said that if I just heal then I wouldn't learn....so she marked me, on my back....in a rune that makes it so I do not heal..." She explained through tears. She didn't know why she told him this, but the words just kept flowing. "The first time, I'd broken her mirror...." she said and then with a gasp she realized she broken something else. She looked up at him, wide eyed before turning toward the mess she made on a the floor. She didn't mean to break it, it just hurt, it made her angry. She didn't want to make Slade angry, for breaking the bottle. She didn't want to go back.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to break it! Oh I'm sorry, don't be angry, please don't be angry, I'll clean it up, all of it! Please don't send me back, please, I'm sorry, I'll clean it." she gasped as she dropped to her knees and began picking up the broken glass piece by piece, as quickly as she could. She didn't want to go back,

---

---

Bertoldo took notice of Erieda's change in expression, namely how she seemed to be rather sceptical of his offer. He only thought he was being polite; of course, had she been anyone other than Fae Queen, he probably wouldn't have been so generous with his time. He had, after all, come to Parkwood only to find suppliers for his Clan, not to get himself involved in a war or two. He was going quite far out of his way, and it was only upon this thought that he realised why she was being a little wary. He knew how it must have looked to her, but he honestly hadn't thought about it until she'd suggested as much, and a playful smirk crossed his lips as he noticed the mischief in those stunning green eyes. When she asked him what he hoped to gain from her, he merely chuckled and, while their hands were still touching, he took the opportunity to move a little closer, so that they were only several inches apart. "Can't you just trust that I'm willing to do a nice thing for you?" he asked, though he was thinking of several things he might want from her in that moment. "But, if you're offering, I'll leave it to you to figure that out," he continued, his voice low and teasing. His pale eyes gave her dark ones a lingering stare.

But, of course, Bertoldo knew more about Erieda than he let on. However, it wasn't like he'd been snooping. It was common knowledge that Erieda was married, and her 'consort' was anything but friendly. As much as he might have desired Erieda's company, he was not willing to place his entire Clan as a target for the Remei, not without good enough cause. One sordid fling was not quite worth it, and so instead of pursuing anything right away, he stepped back, only holding onto her hand long enough to bring it to his lips, and give a harmless kiss to the knuckles, before letting go completely. Again, he straightened his back, and he reached a hand into his pocket before producing a plain white card, with an address printed in black ink in the centre of it. "Unfortunately, I cannot stick around to chat, much that I wish I could. I have a lot more people to... eh, recruit," he continued, sounding rather sheepish at that last part, though an amused smile brightened his features, almost as if he was mocking innocence. "Should you ever need my help, or even if you're just looking for some company, come to this address and ask for Bertoldo Ettore. Do not hesitate; my door is always open."

Bertoldo turned then, but not before giving Erieda a wink, and made his way down the streets, disappearing into the crowd as if he was never there in the first place, despite having the tendency to stick out like a sore thumb against mortals.

---

---

As Sunday explained, Slade felt the anger pooling in his stomach and slowly twisting his features into an expression of disgust for her mother's behaviour. Even his own father, who was the cause of so much misery in his life, was never so vile as Sunday described her own mother. It made him feel almost protective over her, like he owed it to her to keep her as far away from Victoria as possible. But he felt powerless. She'd already been through so much, by the sound of it, that the most he could do was to make sure that her suffering simply didn't continue anymore. If he could take it all back, he would have. And, besides, he'd already promised to keep her safe, in so many words. He may have been able to lie, but his word was just as good as any Fae. Everyone knew that.

When her expression changed to one of apparent fear, Slade reached out for her, but she was already rushing over to the broken bottle, begging and pleading as she attempted to pick up bits of the broken glass. Immediately concerned, he rushed over to her and stopped her by taking the glass out of her hand, simply worried that she'd cut herself more. If she didn't heal, then handling glass shards with bare hands was not a good idea in the slightest. Letting the glass fall to the floor once more, he grabbed her wrists and stood her up with him, before pulling her into a tight hug. She was short enough that he could rest his chin on the top of her head, which he did, but not before placing a gentle kiss there.

Pulling away, he held her by the shoulders, and lowered himself only so that he could look her dead in the eye. "Sunday, you never have to be afraid. Not of making mistakes and getting hurt, especially not of me," he said, trying not to sound too much like he was scolding her. He wanted her to feel safe around him. "I will never let that woman or those horrible people get their hands on you ever again. I promise you, I will protect you with my life, okay? You can trust me." Leaning forward, he pressed his forehead against hers for a moment, before pulling out a chair from the table in the centre of the room. He gestured for her to sit as he made his way over to the fridge, pulled out another bottle and opened it for her instead. Smiling, he passed it to her. "We all lose our temper. Trust me, I come from the Davenport family; I understand more about random bursts of temper than anyone," he joked, all the while the glass pieces gathered into a pile and lifted up in the air, seemingly disposing of themselves. "It happens."

---

---

Sunday didn't know what to when Slade came rushing over, grabbing her wrist, she closed her eyes and braced herself for a strike, but instead, she was pulled to her feet and then strong arms wrapped around her. Sunday was stiff in his arms at first, her eyes wide, but she relaxed once a soft kiss touched her head. He pulled her away, resting his hands on her shoulders, looking her in the eyes. "Sunday, you never have to be afraid. Not of making mistakes and getting hurt, especially not of me," He told her, firmly, but he was gentle at the same time. Sunday watched him wide eyed, full of tears.. "I will never let that woman or those horrible people get their hands on you ever again. I promise you, I will protect you with my life, okay? You can trust me." He told her before pressing his head to her, she closed her eyes. He was Fae, she could trust him, she was safe here. She said nothing, only nodded silently.

He then pulled a chair and gestured for her to sit, and she did as she was told. She sniffed and wiped her tears, as he came over with another bottle but graciously opened it for her with a smile. She smiled through the last of her tears. "We all lose our temper. Trust me, I come from the Davenport family; I understand more about random bursts of temper than anyone" He told her and the glass seemed to get up and throw themselves away. "It happens." He told her and she smiled, thought it faded some as she looked at the bottle, she could hear the liquid sizzling inside.

"I wish...." she started but stopped herself, she knew it was a foolish thing to think, but she wished she was apart of his family. He had a nice family, his mother was kind, his father was mean, but he had two sisters, and niece and nephew, that even though they teased each other, they loved each other. She wished she was loved like that.

She looked down at the bottle and rose it to her lips, tentatively, the bubbles in the bottle bursting on her lips making her giggle some before she tipped the bottle just enough to sip it. Something happened, she didn't know what but the liquid didn't seem to let being drunken because it sizzles and popped in her mouth, and burned a bit.

She turned her head from the bottle, but this time made sure not to drop it. "It burns...I don't think it wants to be drank." she said, blinking and rubbing her nose. "But it is so sweet, I like it." She said, but she was a bit afraid to take another sip.

Alot of people had showed up after a while, Sunday have had her third Orange Soda, as Slade had informed her. She found that her new favorite thing. She never tasted anything so sweet and after a while she'd gotten used to the burning sensation she got from it.

Despite her happiness, she was feeling a bit overwhelmed. There was so many people, a few commented on her dress, her hair and a couple of boy said how pretty she was. It all made her a bit nervous, thankfully, Slade was there to help if it got too much and it didn't help that she was a bit hyper, Slade said it was all the sugar in the soda, and she's had three so far.

She made her way toward the kitchen for another bottle when Alexis burst through the door. "Hey, have you seen the dipshit, we gotta be back on stage in like 10 mintues." She said and Sunday assumed she was talking about Alec. "I'm sorry, I haven't" She told her, with a bottle in her hand. "Have you had one of these, Orange Soda, they are the best ever!" Sunday said with a smile and Alexis looked at her strangely at first but then chuckled some. "Yeaaa... I have, Look, Could you find him for me, I have to get back to the party, if something get's broke, my mom is gonna lose it." She said and then paused when Sunday's eyes went wide. "Not literally, she'll just yell at me, and frankly it's annoying as all hell." She said and Sunday blinked. "I will find him, Alexis, " she said with a nod and went off to find him.

She searched and searched until she found him outside, by himself.

"Alec!" Sunday chirped, when she found him. "There you are, Alexis was looking for you, in fact, she told find you. You're meant to be back on stage in 10 minutes, What are you doing out here, all by yourself?" She asked, all in one breath, she was becoming very hyper.

---

---

Alec had complied where performing with his Aunt was concerned, as much as he really didn't want to be around her after what he said. He felt that he owed her an apology, but every time he felt himself about to say the words, he'd back out and go get a drink, or talk to someone else. He was already a little tipsy, but not quite drunk just yet. It spoke wonders about his inability to come out and say the things that needed to be said.

When they took a break from their performances, Alec took the opportunity to get out of everyone's way, and the only place he could think to do that was at the very edge of the woodland which surrounded the hotel (and most of Parkwood). With his hands in his pockets and his shoulders shrugged right up to protect his neck from the cold, he stared blankly into the gloom of the forest. Even with his enhanced eyesight, he could see little but the faint outlines of bodies, moving backwards and forwards. Some were quicker than others, but they all had one thing in common; they weren't, in any way, mortal. He made no move to approach; they probably had their own stuff going on.

All was silent around him, until he heard quick footsteps behind him and, shortly afterwards, Sunday's voice calling his name. He didn't turn around right away, his eyes trained on a blurry figure which had stopped. The way it stood almost suggested that it was stood facing him, watching him just as he was watching it. As Sunday shuffled closer, the figure turned and walked to the side, disappearing behind the cover of many trees. Alec watched it in silence, before he finally turned his head, painting a smile upon his features for Sunday's sake.

"Thanks for letting me know," he said after a while, his head shifting slowly back towards the forest. He remained quiet for several second, before exhaling a cloudy breath. "I needed to get away from everyone for a bit," he admitted, his hands moving out of his pockets. The cold air turned them red after being in the warmth for so long, but he paid that little mind, even as he stared down at them as if inspecting them closely.

Finally turning his entire body around, he took a closer look at Sunday, and how hyper she seemed. He couldn't smell alcohol on her, but he asked the question regardless. "Have you been drinking? Did... did somebody give you alcohol?"

---

---

"Thanks for letting me know," Alec said and Sunday smiled as he did. "I needed to get away from everyone for a bit," He said and Sunday, nodded, it was alot but she had Slade to help her through it. In that moment, she allowed herself to look at him, she loved looking at him, he was like a dream sometimes, she was so used to looking at him through a soundless broken mirror, that looking at him now, was almost too surreal. She averted her gaze, still unable to sit still, she found herself shifting every so often. "Have you been drinking? Did... did somebody give you alcohol?" He asked, after looking at her. Sunday frowned.

"No, not at all, Mister Slade told me it was bad for me, so I will not. Instead, he gave me, Orange Soda." She said brightly, as she approached him, showing him her unopened bottle. "The top is a little tricky, I cut myself the first time, but Slade, he-he helped me, see" she said, showing him her bandaged finger. "You see, I do not heal, like normal Fae, my mother...she made it so, but it's okay now, because Slade, he told me, he would look after me, I do not ever have to go back there, he'll keep me safe." She said, smiling large. "He says he promised, and he's Fae so I know it to be true." She said, looking at him, "Isn't that wonderful, I do not have to worry about mistakes, or getting angry....I get angry sometimes, I can not control it, but he says that's okay, he does it too sometimes, so I do not have to worry about anyone hurting me for a mistake."

---

---

Alec listened to Sunday as she spoke, and it took everything within his power not to grab her lips and pin them together to stop her from speaking, at least long enough for him to tell her to calm down. Instead, however, his arms crossed over his chest and kept them there, his lips pursing as he realised what exactly it was that had gotten her so hyper. She hadn't been drinking alcohol, just fizzy soda. He should have guessed as much; she seemed to be more on a sugar high than intoxicated by alcohol. He should have been relieved by that, but he was more distracted by the way she talked so passionately about his uncle, like he was her knight in shining armour that rode up on a horse to take her away from all her troubles. Turning his head, he thought mainly about why his uncle would have even bothered. Sunday was not Slade's to take care of. She was none of his god damn business.

When she finished, he gave a disgruntled sigh. "Yeah," he growled, "Slade's so fucking great, huh." He knew he shouldn't have been taking it out on Sunday. The Fae in him brought about more feelings of jealousy than he would've cared for in that moment, and he hated feeling jealous. It rarely happened, if ever, and so the feeling was both unwelcome and completely alien to him. He didn't quite know how to handle himself, or how to suppress the urges that came with these feelings. He hadn't been warned about it; he had no preparation. Glancing at her, he was overcome with impulse.

Maybe Alexis wasn't so wrong after all, he thought, and foolishly allowed himself to take that as justification for what he did next.

He started forward and stopped just in front of Sunday; there was an odd sense of determination in his eyes that he had previously lacked as he stared down at Sunday, his height allowing him to stand just over her. He didn't care if he seemed intimidating. "He shouldn't be the one who gets to look after you," he blurted, his fingers curling into fists. "He's got no right... no right to just waltz in and act like a hero!" Looking down at the ground, he seemed unsteady on his feet, like he might lunge towards the door at any moment. His inner self was practically screaming at him to stop being so ridiculous, but he rarely ever listened. "It should be-..." his voice trailed, and his eyes shifted towards her, but they didn't seem to focus. "I'm sorry," he said instead, sounding dejected, and he walked past her, towards the hotel. He was needed elsewhere.

---

---

Since the beginning of the party, Slade had been by Sunday's side, watching her go through bottle after bottle of Orange Soda. While he didn't particularly want to go off and do his own thing because he felt out of place, he didn't fully appreciate that he was playing babysitter to a hyper teenage girl who needed to be protected from every curious man and woman that had even bothered to turn up to Alexis' party. It reminded him of his past, when he was just a teenager, and he felt the need to trail after Symone at every party to stop some overeager guy from getting a little bit too close. Only, Sunday was much worse, and much harder to keep track of, because every time he thought he'd caught sight of her, she'd be off again. It was like chasing after a squirrel. A very, very big yet painfully adorable squirrel.

When he saw her walking outside, presumably to talk to Alec, he finally allowed himself to sit down, his back leaning against the bar. He let out an exhausted sigh, raising a hand to his forehead as if there was any chance his immortal body would allow him to get a headache of any kind. He was glad for the time alone, at least, but it was not to last, as a familiar voice became audible to him over all of the chaos around them. His head, which had rocked back, was now snapping forward, his dark eyes finding the one person in all the world who would turn up to a college party dressed like she'd been plucked straight out of the Underworld. But her outfit was the least of his concerns. He stood up, and his eyes trailed over her face, taking everything in. He'd waited so long to see his twin, his other half, that he almost didn't believe it was real until Dahvie's face appeared in the crowd behind her. He didn't look so good, but he shifted his gaze back to his sister immediately.

As she pulled him into a hug, Slade found himself gripping her tighter than he'd meant to, but he didn't care at all. Out of all the people he had wanted to see - with the exception of his mother, of course - Symone was at the very top of the list, and there was nothing in all the world that could pry him from her before he was ready to let go for himself. He took in her smell, and the mild coldness of her skin that she'd most obviously gotten from their father, whilst he had inherited their mother's warmth. "I've missed you so much, Sym," he said after a long time of enjoying the silence, allowing him to focus on their embrace. "And I have so much to tell you, but... not here. Not now." He pulled back, and leaned in only to place a kiss on her forehead, like he'd been waiting to do for so long. He knew she'd probably pick up the sadness in his eyes, but he wasn't going to tell her anything until he was sure it was safe to do so.

It was then that his attention turned to Dahvie, and they both approached each other slowly, as if neither of them was sure how to act after not seeing each other for so long. There was a moment of terrible silence, before they collided with each other in a strong embrace. Dahvie said nothing. He hadn't said anything for as long as he'd been there. It was almost as if language itself was an unknown concept to him. "You look like shit," Slade finally said, leaning away, and Dahvie only laughed in response - but it was an emotionless laugh, distant and monotonous. Nothing like the Dahvie he knew. Deciding not to pick it out, he turned back to Symone, a frown forming on his brows.

---

---

"Yeah," Alec growled, "Slade's so fucking great, huh." He said and Sunday's eyes went wide. She didn't understand why he was so angry all of a sudden. he stood up and stood over her and Sunday just knew that she was going to be hit. She braced herself with her eyes closed. "He shouldn't be the one who gets to look after you," he said and Sunday's eyes sprang open, gaping at him. "He's got no right... no right to just waltz in and act like a hero!" He said and then looked at the ground, he looked as if he would run of at any moment.. "It should be-..." His words trailed off and his eyes found hers. "I'm sorry," He said and started off toward the door. Sunday turned, watching him walk off, with tears in her round eyes.

She didn't know a lot of things, but she understood context, and jealousy. She didn't want to hope but everything he said, how he reacted, it all read as so. She didn't want him to feel like he didn't appreciate him, if it hadn't been for him, she would have never met Slade, and while she adored him, she loved Alec, of course she couldn't tell him that but she could tell him, she cared.

Without a second thought, she turned on her heel and ran toward him "Alec, Wait!" She said before she caught up to him, and threw herself around him. She closed her eyes and held tight, she was tense at first, afraid he would hurt her but when he didn't move, she relaxed and found herself taking in his warmth, the feel of him. He wasn't just an image anymore, he was real.

What happened next, she never expected. His hands came up, and wrapped around her body and Sunday's body warm.

She wanted to tell him, how much she loved him, for how long she'd dreamt of this day, but she couldn't, instead, she snuggled into his chest, and stayed quiet.

---

---

Alec turned when Sunday called his name, just in time for her to collide into him. He released a strained gasp, but he didn't push her away or yell at her for the surprise. He was genuinely just surprised that she'd do such a thing after he already jumped down her throat about Slade. It took him a long time, where in which he wasn't quite sure if he should quit while he was ahead and back out, or hug her back. He ended up choosing the latter, for a reason completely unknown to him. He put it down to not wanting to hurt her feelings, but another part of him wanted to stay there with her in that embrace.

"I'm sorry, Sunday," he said, lifting his chin from the top of her head to be able to look down at her as she snuggled into his chest. "I shouldn't have been so cruel... It's just... hearing you talk about someone else like that, it just rubbed me the wrong way." He took a breath, and exhaled it slowly, his hands ghosting up and down the space between her shoulder blades while his eyes stared straight ahead, into the forest, where one of the figures now stood right on the edge. He wouldn't mention it to Sunday just yet. "I'll never let it happen again."

"I just want you to know... You can come to me for support any time. I'll always be here to listen," he said after a few moments, his arms tightening into a squeeze as if to be reassuring, almost. It was then that he heard the door to the hotel opening suddenly, and he broke away from the embrace as gently as he could. Turning his head, he noticed his mother and father were there, no doubt reuniting with Slade. None of that was his business, and he didn't feel like being around his parents anyway, so he took Sunday's hand and led her past them without speaking a single word. To say that he'd distanced himself from them was an understatement if ever there was one.

---

---

Symone seemed to understand what his frown meant, which he appreciated, but as she explained the reason for Dahvie's sudden change in appearance, he wished he hadn't suggested wanting to know. To him, the mere thought that his 'death' was causing so much misery and pain when it wasn't even true, for the most part, was a punch in the gut. Suddenly, he didn't feel like being surrounded by a bunch of teenagers. He needed fresh air, lest he feel sick enough in his guilt to hurl over an innocent bystander.

Slade couldn't be more grateful as Symone took his hand and led both himself and Dahvie out of the hotel, stating something about a party beforehand. Neither Slade nor Dahvie laughed at the comment, but at least Slade offered a smile. Dahvie didn't really seem to react. He hadn't reacted to anything yet. Slade felt himself growing more and more worried, but still he kept his mouth shut.

As they left the hotel, the first thing he took notice of in the brief second before it all ended was Alec and Sunday, who seemed to be locked in a tight embrace; no doubt initiated by Sunday. Though Alec seemed to pull back suddenly, there was nothing about his expression that suggested he was embarrassed. His eyes focused on Dahvie and Sym, mostly, but he said nothing to them as he marched past. Slade let out an exasperated breath just before the door slammed shut behind him, and he continued walking.

There was a figure up ahead which stopped him in his tracks, but it was gone as quickly as he'd noticed it, so he said nothing. He only turned to Symone. "Has he spoken to you at all lately?" he asked, referring to Alec.

---

---

If you had asked Alex where he'd been for the past few hours, he wouldn't have been able to tell you. Not because the amount of alcohol he'd consumed was slurring his speech; he very much looked sober, although the stench radiating from his disarrayed form would give it away instantly. The problem was that the alcohol had rid him of his ability to think coherently, and to remember anything he'd done. He heard about people forgetting things after the alcohol wore off, but he seemed to be forgetting events even as they were happening. That was a good thing, though. If he couldn't remember what happened, then he couldn't remember how she'd ripped his heart straight out of his chest, put it back in for a second or two, and then ripped it straight back out again.

His eyes were dark as he watched the hotel from a distance, only moving closer when the two figures outside moved closer and closer to the door. It came to the point where he was stood right on the edge, but he made no move to intercept. Sunday was doing her job, as far as he was concerned, and it was working well enough. The boy liked her; that much was evident.

When Slade spotted him, however, he teleported away. He was the one who told Erieda. He was the reason she'd found out about his affair, and his child. While Alex was not excusing his own actions, he felt that maybe if he'd just left his son dead, none of this would be happening. Not one bit of it. He was so close to stepping out of the forest completely, but in that split second he'd decided against it. Murdering Slade himself would do him no favours where Erieda was concerned. He couldn't risk it.

He didn't know where he'd teleported to. He thought he was going to his apartment, but he might've just gone deeper into the forest. He heard a voice coming from somewhere, and it took him a long moment to realise it was Erieda before she spoke again to confirm his assumption. He didn't want to run from her, but he didn't want her to see him like this. He was a wreck, and he stunk.

But, instead of running, like he thought he would, he called out to her. "Well, aren't you smart," he spoke, his rough voice raised to a high enough volume that she would hear him and be able to pinpoint his location, while he took a seat on the ground, propped up against a tree he didn't recognise. He was getting a headache, he realised, and it had gone from mildly uncomfortable to blindingly searing in about two seconds. Groaning, he pressed two fingers to each temple and circled them.

---

---

"I'm sorry, Sunday," He said, looking down at her, she could feel his gaze, though her eyes were closed. "I shouldn't have been so cruel... It's just... hearing you talk about someone else like that, it just rubbed me the wrong way." He said and and Sunday looked up at him, hopeful. He was jealous, he did care and he wanted to be important to her. She hid her smile, though, it didn't last, as her lips parted as his hands trailed up her back, between her shoulder blades. Her knees were weak and it took all she had not to stand. "I'll never let it happen again." He said and she could only nod, with a soft smile. Her eyes falling to his lips as he spoke.

"I just want you to know... You can come to me for support any time. I'll always be here to listen," He said and she nodded again. Her mind wandering to what it would be like to reach up and kiss him.

She snapped out of it, and took his offered hand and followed him with a bashful smile. She saw Slade and looked away with a blush, but it faded when she saw the Morrigan and her consort, Alec's mother and father. Her heart raced but they moved past them, no one saying a word to the other.

Once inside, she leaned on her head on his shoulder.

"Dude, there you are, We should have been back on stage, and Your mom and dad are...." Alexis paused seeing the two of them and laughed. "Nevermind." she said and was off. Sunday looked at him and blushed.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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