RPG Shinigami Dance

[SunfallE]

[FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"][CENTER][B]Searching For Truth[/B][/CENTER]
Lucia had Ruby chase Terry and Fiero off when they showed up. She was willing to tolerate their presence for Ruby’s sake, but not when she was busy. Lucia had made [I]that[/I] mistake before, letting them hang around when she was busy with some experiments one time. Just thinking about the memory was enough to make her groan.

They had literally bombarded her with so many questions that she had chased them off within a few minutes. Obviously they didn’t understand the concept of not interrupting her while she was working. Since then, they had learned to ask Ruby if they could hang around. Otherwise, she would have made a point of telling them to never return.

“[B]You almost done Lucia?[/B]”

“[B]Yeah.[/B]”

She needed to make some changes to the last square of cloth she had treated. Running her spiritual energy through it had produced results, but it needed further testing and tweaking before she could put it into use. Lucia started taking down the cloth squares and then froze when she felt the [I]oddest[/I] stirring.

“[B]Lucia![/B]”

The cloth slipped through Lucia’s fingers and fell to the floor. [I]What…?[/I] She turned sharply to look at Ruby whose fur was standing on end.

“[B]Lucia![/B]” Ruby exclaimed again. “[B]Someone is using powerful magic![/B]”

[I]I’m feeling magic?[/I]

Lucia hurriedly snatched up her communicator and started scanning. “[B]Which direction Ruby.[/B]” She demanded.

“[B]To the south, it’s the…[/B]”

“[B]…same direction the others went.[/B]” Lucia finished for her.

Her eyebrows furrowed as she narrowed the scan to cover in that direction, her left fingers flying over the controls as she input commands. The moment she had it, whatever the hell it was, she started a secondary scan to hunt for any transmissions in the area, on the off chance she might pick up on something.

“[B]What’s going on?[/B]” Ruby cried as she landed on Lucia’s shoulder and peered at the screen.

“[B]I have no idea![/B]” Lucia shot back, even as she made adjustments to the data she was saving for analysis. If what she was picking up on was magic, it would help her build her program for tracking that later.

Short bursts of something started coming over her communicator. Lucia tilted her head to the side. It was hard to make out since it kept breaking up into long bursts of static. The few times she could hear something, it was impossible to make out with all of the interference.

The only thing she could sort of make out was something that sounded like "Daah Reese" or "The Dah Reese." She couldn’t be certain though. And then, the readings died off, along with the transmission she was recording.

A thought crossed her mind and Lucia sat down at her computer. Would magic strong enough for her to pick it up even at this distance have been noticed by the humans? She imagined that it would and she began to send out queries for new information going up in that area.

“[B]Do you know what happened Ruby?[/B]”

Ruby shook her head. “[B]No, I could feel it, but I’m not close enough to tell what it did.[/B]”

[I]What in the world is going on? Did Phaidra do it?[/I] She started tapping the keys on her board absentmindedly while she waited for some of the searches to come back. [I]No, that can’t be right. She didn't do anything like that when we were fighting that vampire the other week.[/I]

“[B]What are you going to do?[/B]” Ruby asked her when she had been silent for a while.

She shook her head. “[B]If I can’t find anything else, I’ll analyze the data and then call the others.[/B]” Lucia continued searching for a while and then moved on to other things, her program would let her know if something else came up.

A while later, something did, but it was not what she expected. For the longest moment she just stared at the report on the news about an F5 tornado in Nevada. It took seeing the images being relayed by the humans showing the destruction for her to snap out of being surprised.

“[B]Holy hell.[/B]” Ruby finally managed.

Lucia waited for it to repeat so she could record the transmission. Then she sent a message out to everyone. She didn’t know how long it would take them to get back, but she wanted them to come by the moment they returned. And for good measure, she shot off a message telling her ‘keepers’ that she wouldn’t be able to handle any assignments that evening.

[I]What the hell is going on?[/I][/COLOR][/FONT]

[Horendithas]

[center][color=#4b0082][size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][b]Brought to Light[/b][/font][/size][/color][/center]

[color=#4b0082][size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Of all the people for Nathan to send to their aid, why the hell did it have to be Gavrie and Karl? It was bad enough that they had gotten themselves trapped in the first place, but the thought of being lectured by those two was enough to make Adrian wish he could just slink off and hide somewhere. He couldnâ??t though; his screw-up had gotten them in a lot of trouble.

[b][i]-It wasnâ??t just you Adrian.-[/i][/b]

Adrian didnâ??t bother to reply. More than anything he wanted to know what Gavrie was saying to Karl, but he didnâ??t dare get close enough to eavesdrop as they made their way back home. Gavrie was acting calm, but Adrian was getting the impression that he was furious.

He wanted to say something, but couldnâ??t bring himself to do so, even when they got a message from Lucia shortly before they got back to the city. Adrian just showed Gavrie the message when asked and nodded when Gavrie indicated they should all go there immediately.

[b][i]-Stop blaming yourself Adrian.-[/i][/b] Astera admonished him. [b][i]-Thereâ??s no way you could have known what would happen.-[/i][/b]

Adrian just sighed and made for Luciaâ??s place with the others. He was unsurprised to realize that Nathan, Isen and Chris were already there, waiting for them. Nathan was leaning up against one of the walls with Isen to the other side while Chris was perched on one of the odd chairs in Luciaâ??s main room.

There was something odd about Nathan and it took Adrian a moment to realize that his right hand was wrapped up in what looked like one of Chrisâ??s bandages that she wore. Adrian hadnâ??t seen that before so it had to have happened when the two stopped whoever was coming to aid the vampires that had ambushed them.

He was momentarily distracted when Gavrie took a moment to introduce himself to Lucia and Ruby when she bluntly asked him who he was. Adrian glanced back at Nathan who was calmly watching.

â??[b]What the hell happened to your hand?[/b]â? He asked without thinking, interrupting Lucia who glared briefly at him.

Nathan just grinned and said, â??[b]Oh nothing.[/b]â?

â??[b]He punched a comet.[/b]â? Chris corrected him.

â??[b]Oi, donâ??t be telling tales.[/b]â?

Chrisâ??s eyes narrowed and she reached over and poked Nathan in the side, hard.

He jumped, shying away, and gave her a reproachful look. â??[b]Hey! Is that any way to treat someone whoâ??s hurt?[/b]â?

Chris grinned. â??[b]What was that little brother?[/b]â?

Nathan mumbled something that sounded like [i]oh nothing[/i] before grinning back, eliciting a laugh from Chris.

â??[b]Right,[/b]â? Lucia muttered, taking over again. â??[b]Anyway, I wanted to ask you all about this.[/b]â? She had her screen on and replayed the news of the F5 tornado in Nevada.

â??[b]Considering that there was no storm in the area and I picked up powerful magic coming from that direction, perhaps you all can explain just what the hell happened.[/b]â? She crossed her arms across her chest and stared directly at Nathan, as if it was his fault.

â??[b]We had nothing to do with that,[/b]â? Adrian answered her.

â??[b]It was Chris and her familiar,[/b]â? Sarvel interjected.

â??[b]How can you tell?[/b]â? Lucia asked her.

Sarvel tilted her head a bit. â??[b]Because I could feel it. The aura from the magic matches.[/b]â?

Lucia looked to Phaidra who nodded, and then to Chris, who just grinned and said nothing, reminding Adrian of Nathan once again.

â??[b]Fine, what happened, start from the beginning.[/b]â? Lucia demanded.

It took a moment, since all three started at the same time and then settled on first Phaidra, then Alex and Adrian explaining. Adrian didnâ??t miss the slight change in Nathanâ??s and Gavrieâ??s expression when Alex and he both mentioned that they felt like the vampires had been toying with them.

The only thing Adrian didnâ??t know was if it was for sport, to wear them down before doing them in, or for some other purpose. Neither one was a pleasant thought, though the second one was far more disturbing. Regardless, the whole thing bothered him, a lot.

â??[b]I see,[/b]â? Lucia finally said when they were done. She turned to her computer and pulled something else up.

â??[b]I also picked up part of a transmission from the same area. Thereâ??s not much to it since it kept breaking up.[/b]â? She played the parts where one could clearly hear what sounded like â??Daah Reeseâ? or â??The Dah Reese.â?

â??[b]Hunh,[/b]â? Alexâ??s eyebrows furrowed. â??[b]Why does that seem like I should know what it is?[/b]â?

Adrian had to agree, it did seem oddly familiar for some reason, but he couldnâ??t place it either. He turned to look at Nathan, but his expression was neutral. He looked back at the others as they speculated over what it meant.

He was still attempting to place it when he overheard Gavrie talking softly to Nathan, a bit of an edge to his voice.

â??[b]Iâ??d like a word with you Nathan, alone if you donâ??t mind.[/b]â?

Adrian turned in time to see Nathan nod before moving to say something to Chris.

â??[b]Iâ??ll be back in a bit Karl, keep Adrian and Astera company if you donâ??t mind.[/b]â?

Karl snickered at Adrianâ??s pained looked before answering Gavrie affirmatively.

Adrian stifled a groan as he watched Nathan and Gavrie leave, unless he was lucky and the rest of the group hung out for a bit to discuss things, heâ??d end up being stuck with Karl until Gavrie got back. He tried to hide his irritation, but from the look in Karlâ??s eyes, he knew he was fooling no one.[/font][/size][/color]

[Sabrina]

[FONT="Tahoma"][CENTER][B]Scattered Reminiscence[/B][/CENTER]
After telling Lucia what she knew and answering the few questions that were interjected by either Chris or Nathan, Phaidra had commandeered one of the plush chairs and sank wearily into it. A moment later, Sarvel settled down in her lap, equally as tired.

It was much worse than when she had fought that vampire with Lucia and Ruby. Maintaining the shields to keep the other vampires out, in spite of the constant assaults, had required a lot of energy. It was an unavoidable drawback since they didn?t have the time for a more complex spell.

Phaidra was listening to the others when she caught herself starting to trance without meaning too; she started when Alex mentioned that he felt like the vampires had been toying with them. [I]Toying with us? That was toying? Is he serious? [/I]

Sarvel lifted her head and gave Phaidra a curious look. She smiled reassuringly before looking back to Alex who had finished. Her heart sank when she heard Adrian echo the same sentiments that Alex had. It didn?t make any sense to her, why would the vampires bother to toy with them? It felt like the answer should be obvious, but she was too tired to put it together.

Phaidra didn?t recognize the phrase from the recording either, though like Alex said, it did seem as if she should know it and she wondered why. She caught herself starting to drift again when she realized that Nathan and the other Reaper was leaving. A moment later, Chris and Isen followed suit.

To her surprise the other werecat, Karl, after giving Adrian an odd look, helped himself to the sofa. [I]I wonder why he?s staying instead of going with the others.[/I] Phaidra thought about asking, but decided against it. She hadn?t been close enough to hear what Gavrie had said to him and it was none of her business anyway.

Phaidra turned her attention back to the conversation, startled by what she heard. ?[B]Wait did you just say that the person behind this is called Shou Jian?[/B]?

?[B]I did,[/B]? Lucia answered her. ?[B]Why? Do you recognize it?[/B]?

Sarvel snorted. ?[B]Someone thinks a bit too highly of themselves.[/B]?

?[B]Explain.[/B]? Lucia demanded.

?[B]Shou Jian was one of the powerful vampire lords from the war. One of the leaders of the Jian clan.[/B]?

Alex frowned. ?[B]Oh, right. I thought they were wiped out though.[/B]?

?[B]They were,[/B]? Sarvel confirmed. ?[B]So it?s rather pretentious of them to assume that name[/B].?

?[B]Hunh.[/B]? Alex sighed. ?[B]Anyway, I wish I knew why that transmission sounded so familiar.[/B]?

?[B]I?ll be returning to the capital in a few days, I can look it up in the library while I?m there.[/B]? Phaidra offered. ?[B]I can also check the records for the war.[/B]?

?[B]If you don?t mine, please do.[/B]? Lucia said. ?[B]Now, unless there was something else, I think we?re done.[/B]? She looked to the group and then continued when they shook their heads. ?[B]If I get anything else, I?ll let you know.[/B]?

?[B]You know,[/B]? Adrian said as the others got up to leave, ?[B]Since we?re done here, there?s no reason why you can?t go join the others Karl.[/B]?

Karl grinned and stood up. ?[B]Oh no, I still need to go over your [I]lovely[/I] little performance back there with you.[/B]? He smirked when Adrian stiffened.

?[B]Fine.[/B]? Adrian snapped back before whirling and taking off, with Karl close behind.

Phaidra stared at the spot where they had ghosted through the walls, wondering what that was about. With a mental shrug she put it out of mind and left. [/FONT]

[Rachmaninoff]

[CENTER][B]Falling Down[/B][/CENTER]
?[B]I know what you?re thinking Alex and you can just stop it already.[/B]? Nall huffed as they ghosted into their apartment. ?[B]There?s no way you guys could have known the others would show up like that.[/B]?

Alex didn?t answer and instead stretched out on the sofa, lacing his hands behind his head before resting it on the small throw pillow. A moment later, Nall had landed on his chest and settled down.

?[B]I?m serious Alex.[/B]?

?[B]I?m not thinking about that.[/B]? He answered, but Nall didn?t look convinced. ?[B]Nall, I?m worried that they really[I] were[/I] toying with us.[/B]? Alex looked up at the ceiling.

?[B]We spent all this time getting training and what good did it do us?[/B]? He fought to keep the frustration out of his voice and failed. ?[B]I couldn?t manage to hit a single one.[/B]"

?[B]Alex?[/B]?

?[B]Yeah, I know. Getting mad doesn?t help. It?s just annoying as hell to have worked this hard only to fail.[/B]? He groaned. ?[B]It feels like I?m right back where I started with the Count.[/B]?

He fought the urge to get up and smash something. Getting angry would solve nothing. Nathan had been there when he explained that it felt like they were toying with them. Unlike Patrick, he knew Nathan would take his concerns seriously. He forced himself to relax, taking in a deep breath and letting it go.

?[B]So what do you want to do?[/B]?

?[B]Nothing. We need to talk to Nathan.[/B]? He frowned slightly and looked back at Nall. ?[B]He?s off with that other guy. I'll just wait and talk to him when we meet again for training.[/B]?

?[B]What about that recording, don?t you want to work on figuring it out?[/B]?

?[B]Not right now. I mean, Lucia already is and Phaidra said she?d check the library when she goes back.[/B]? Alex motioned for Nall to move, sitting up once he had.

?[B]I?m still coming up blank on what it means anyway.[/B]? He said as Fiero and Terry practically flew into his apartment. [I]Oh lovely. Just what I don?t need, the chatter boxes.[/I] He groaned inwardly. Not that he didn't mind visiting with them, he just didn't feel like it at the moment. With a small sigh, he smiled politely at the two sea dragons.

[Allamorph]

[center][font=Arial][b][u]Carry On[/u][/b][/font][/center]

[font=calibri]Outside the building, Gavrie stepped around the corner, slightly more out of sight; Nathan followed and leaned against the wall while the other appeared to mull over his choice of words.

When Gavrie spoke, he was looking out over the lake.

[b]â??They didnâ??t recognise it.â?[/b]

[b]â??Recognise what?â?[/b] inquired Nathan.

[b]â??The recording.â?[/b]

[b]â??Right. What about it?â?[/b]

Gavrie turned around then, and Nathan read irritation masked below the controlled surface.

[b]â??Nathan, when you showed up with my student, I didnâ??t question anything you said or did. But youâ??re telling me that you have been working with these people for almost eight yearsâ??â?[/b]

[b]â??Thirty-six,â? [/b]interjected Nathan. Gavrie stared at him, amazed.

[b]â??...thirty six years,â?[/b] he had continued finally, [b]â??and they still donâ??t even know who you are!?â?[/b]

Nathan raised his eyebrows, frowned cheerilyâ??which looked very strangeâ??and shook his head.

[b]â??Christ,â?[/b] breathed the rugged man. He made to speak again, paused, and abandoned the effort to look back out at the lake.

It was a pretty lake, Nathan thought. Not a backyard pond, like he had initially imagined before his first visit, boring and giving off the general impression, as most ponds did, of being plopped unceremoniously in a hole to take up space, but an actual lake, sprawling for miles with complete disregard for any sort of property lines. Luciaâ??s warehouse was actually on an artificial jetty, the edge of her â??deckâ?? ending in a concrete dropoff straight to the water below and bearing faint markings of what had once been a dock for commercial vessels, though the pier itself had been dismantled some time ago. The water was probably fairly clear, but the depth and the high chance that the lake floor was covered in algae-smeared rock successfully ruined any sort of visibility.

There was an island a few miles out, a large sandbar that had managed to snag some topsoil and sprout a small grove of trees out of defiance. Nathan briefly considered checking it out. He wondered if Lucia had ever felt the same, and if she had acted on the feeling.

[b]â??Tell you what,â?[/b] he said at length, since Gavrie appeared unlikely to continue conversation in favor of quietly fuming. [b]â??Iâ??m hungry, soâ??â?[/b]

[b]â??No youâ??re not.â?[/b]

[b]â??No Iâ??m not,â?[/b] Nathan assented, [b]â??but I like to think that I am, and therefore you are, too. So I say we take a walk down to this place I know and discuss things over dinner.â?[/b]

Gavrie, unmoved, said, [b]â??I donâ??t eat.â?[/b]

[b]â??You drink tea.â?[/b]

Gavrie hesitated, but faced with this pronouncement, and an amused and rather arch stare from his blue counterpart, resignedly gave in.

[b]â??Excellent!â?[/b] said Nathan. [b] â??Itâ??s after six, too, so they should have live music already going; you wonâ??t be disappointed. Just follow me andâ??ack!â?[/b]

The rest of his instructions were lost as he reeled sideways, accosted by a white blouse and capris.

[b]â??Nathan!â?[/b] exclaimed Chris cheerily, latching firmly onto his arm. [b]â??I was just informed you were going to dinner.â?[/b]

Her brother managed to appear besieged. [b] â??...how,â?[/b] he asked tentatively.

[b]â??A little birdie told me.â?[/b]

Nathan cast about and spotted a trio of phantom white seagulls wheeling over the deck a few stories up.

[b]â??You!â?[/b] he said dramatically, affecting indignation. [b]â??You spy! I shall have you hanged.â?[/b]

A sound like leaves rustling in the wind came from nowhere in particular; the air spirit was laughing.

[b]â??How?â?[/b] returned Chris, darting a conspiratorial glance at Gavrie. Gavrieâ??s eyes were partially glazed.

[b]â??I . . . do not know,â?[/b] Nathan answered. He waggled a finger at the air. [b]â??But I shall find a way. Anyway. Away!â?[/b] He gestured. [b]â??That way.â?[/b]

They went that way. Gavrie might have preferred to fly, but he had no choice in the matter. Nathan and Chris both were engrossed in meaningless sibling banter as they walked, and Isen appeared unlikely to break away or interrupt. They proceeded down the sidewalks in that manner: the twins in front with linked arms, marching goose-step occasionallyâ??though this occasion was abruptly terminated by Chris shoving her younger brother into a shop window; and the assassin and the werecat walked side by side behind them, each glowering at someoneâ??s back.[/font]




[center]------------------------------

[font=Arial][b][u]Questions[/u][/b][/font][/center]

[font=calibri]The group was met by a very surprised Gerry Miles.

[b]â??Whoa, well now, whatâ??s the occasion?â?[/b] he exclaimed, while Nathan offered an equally surprised [b]â??What are you doing at the hostess box?â?[/b]

Gerry chuckled. [b]â??Well now, itâ??s a busy night. Tiff and Eileen and even the new girl have each got at least five tablesâ??actually I think Eileen has seven right now, but weâ??ve been like that since about four this afternoon. Third day in a row, too,â?[/b] he beamed.

[b]â??Looks like word is getting out about the place,â?[/b] remarked Nathan.

[b]â??Seems so,â? [/b]nodded the owner. [b] â??But you didnâ??t tell me, what is this? Double date?â?[/b]

[b]â??Yes,â?[/b] Chris chimed in. She waved her hand around the group. [b]â??Sheâ??s with him, heâ??s with me, and we two are just family.â?[/b] In the back, Gavrieâ??s eyes began to glaze again.

Gerry aimed a thoughtful finger at the twins. [/font][font=calibri][b]â??[/b][/font][font=calibri][b]Hold on,â?[/b] he began,[/font][font=calibri][b]â??[/b][/font][font=calibri][b]...siblings?â?[/b] At Chrisâ??s gleeful nod and Nathanâ??s wry expression he laughed. [b] â??Well now, you had to be. You look well enough the sameâ??except for the blue of course,â?[/b] he added quickly, [b]â??and Iâ??d have known that humor anywhere. I knew youâ??d been in town a few years,â?[/b] he told Chris, [b]â??but I had no idea you were related to this joker. Why didnâ??t you tell me?â?[/b]

[b]â??You didnâ??t ask,â?[/b] replied the twins in unison. Gerry shook his head.

[b]â??Anyway, Iâ??m sure youâ??ll want a booth, but youâ??ll have to wait about fifteen or twenty minutes for one to open upâ??â?[/b]

[b]â??Actually I think that one there will be great,â?[/b] Nathan interjected, pointing to an open four-person table near the lounge area, still laden with empty plates and glasses.

[b]â??Uh.â? [/b] Gerry looked dubious. [b]â??Are you sure? I meanâ??â?[/b]

[b]â??Just for tonight, Gerry.â? [/b]

The owner reluctantly agreed, giving Nathan a sideways look, and the party was soon seated and engrossed in their menus. Or rather, the twins on one side of the table were engrossed in their menus, while Isen and Gavrie on the other contemplated the silverware. The air of the restaurant was filled with the chatter of patrons; a band was packing up in the lounge area, making room for the following group.

Nathan glanced up when woman stopped at their table, and in a half a second his cheerful smile had frozen.

[b]â??Hi, Iâ??m Candie and Iâ??ll be taking care of you tonâ??â?[/b]

[b]â??I donâ??t know who you are,â?[/b] Nathan said happily.

[b]â??â??ight .â?[/b] Her smile froze, too. [b]â??...um. Oh, yes, Iâ??m new here,â?[/b] she offered, recovering quickly.

[b]â??Oh. Great! Then Iâ??d say to make sure you learn a lot of the faces around here. Like, me, for instance. Or that guy in booth two.â?[/b] Nathan gestured.

[b]â??...oh,â?[/b] said Candie. [b]â??And, um, you are?â?[/b]

Nathan told her. Gavrie lifted his eyebrows.

[b]â??All right!â? [/b] Apparently sensing an opening, she produced a pen and a pad of paper from somewhere behind her. [b] â??So what can I get for you tonight?â?[/b]

[b]â??Shrimp scampi,â? [/b]said Nathan and Chris together. Candie blinked; Nathan and Chris stopped and looked at each other, then added in unison, [b]â??Make that two.â?[/b] Gavrie asked what teas the place had and settled for green, and Isen requested, very adamantly, a sixteen-ounce steak, rare, and the largest hamburger they had, to everyoneâ??s astonishment and mild consternation.

[b]â??I donâ??t know much about your speciesâ?? anatomy,â?[/b] she remarked coolly, [b]â??but I at least used to have a stomach;â?[/b] to which Nathan offered a reverent [b]â??good lordâ?[/b].

When the waitress had left, obviously relieved, Gavrie fixed Nathan with a long stare, which Nathan smugly returned, hand on his chin. They kept at it even when Candie returned with beverages, and the girls had just begun furiously exchanging glances when the assassin broke the silence.

[b]â??You told that waitress your name.â?[/b]

Nathan shrugged. [b]â??She asked for it.â?[/b]

[b]â??You told her your whole name.â?[/b]

[b]â??I did not. I told her my current name.â?[/b]

[b]â??Thatâ??s not the point,â?[/b] said Gavrie, irritated. [b]â??You told a person you donâ??t even know your name, and you wonâ??t tell the people who work beside you.â?[/b]

[b]â??It doesnâ??t mean anything to her.â?[/b]

Gavrieâ??s brow knit together. [b]â??I was going to say the same,â?[/b] he said slowly, [b]â??to the opposite effect.â?[/b] He leaned forward and folded his arms on the table. [b]â??Your people know almost nothing of what they are doing. They are ignorant.â?[/b]

[b]â??A product of their environment,â?[/b] returned Nathan evenly.

[b]â??You could be changing that.â?[/b]

[b]â??Iâ??m working on it.â?[/b]

[b]â??Youâ??re crippling them!â?[/b]

Nathan smirked at the accusation. [b]â??Am I, now?â?[/b] he challenged. Gavrie opened his mouth to reply, and paused to consider his words.

[b]â??You are dangerously close to losing them,â?[/b] he said at last. [b]â??They may be fairly equipped to handle themselves in a fight, but they are mentally unprepared for what theyâ??re facing. You have everything you need to prepare them. Why donâ??t you?â?[/b]

[b]â??What purpose would it serve?â?[/b] asked the blue man.

Gavrie sighed. [b]â??It would make them more cautious,â?[/b] he answered. [b]â??They need to know who they are fighting so they donâ??t do anything reckless like they did today. It would keep them alive.â?[/b]

[b]â??It would cripple them.â?[/b]

Gavrie stared at the man, dumbfounded.

[b]â??You think,â?[/b] he managed, incredulous, [b]â??that withholding critical information from them is doing them a [i]favor?[/i]â?[/b] When Nathan nodded, Gavrie looked like he might have an aneurism.

[b]â??I believe,â?[/b] offered Isen suddenly, [b]â??that what my partner is trying to get at is that telling the children everything we think they need to know might do more harm than good.â?[/b] At the assassinâ??s inquisitive look, she continued.

[b]â??We all know who the Jian were. We all saw firsthand what they were capable of, and how far they would go to gain dominion over the preternatural. I heard tales of what was done to those of my people they captured, and know some of what happened to yours.â?[/b] She sipped at her water. [b]â??But we knew non of it when we started. Everything we know now we learned during our war and afterwards. We fought against them because they struck at us, and we won because losing was too terrible. These children no longer have the choice to flee from the battle now, but it will seem like they still do, and if we introduce doubt and fear of this magnitude to them now there is no way to tell if they would press on or back out. Doubly so if we tell them who we are.â?[/b]

Nathan nodded. [b]â??I donâ??t want these guys to end up depending on us in the future. What if Shou isnâ??t the end? What if another takes his place in another few hundred years? And what if weâ??re not around to save them? Shou Jian is completely out of their league. For us heâ??s an even match, but for them....â?[/b] He shook his head. [b]â??Thereâ??s no way. But if we tell them thereâ??s no way, theyâ??ll believe it. [/b]

[b]â??Right now they donâ??t know what theyâ??re doing is almost impossible, and itâ??s allowing them to win. Sure, telling them who theyâ??re up against might make them more cautious. But it also might cow their spirit. And I donâ??t want them to get arrogant because they have us on their side. Right now they think weâ??re good. If they get it into their heads that weâ??re undefeatable, what might that do?[/b]

[b]â??I donâ??t want to take that chance,â?[/b] he finished. [b]â??When they find out afterwards that they helped topple one of the remnants of the War, then they can be awed. Right now itâ??s better if they just see their opponent as another Count. A little more competent,â?[/b] he allowed, [b]â??but no less threatening.â?[/b]

Gavrie crossed his arms and stared at the corner of the table.

[b]â??I understand,â?[/b] he said. [b]â??I donâ??t like it, but I understand. I wonâ??t volunteer any information.â?[/b]

[b]â??Good,â?[/b] said Nathan.

[b]â??I wonâ??t dodge questions if they ask,â?[/b] Gavrie cautioned, [b]â??but unless they ask directlyâ??â?[/b]

Chris gasped suddenly.

[b]â??â??Walk Of [i]Life![/i]â??â?[/b] she squealed as the three jerked their heads around. [b]â??I love this song!â?[/b]

[b]â??Uh,â?[/b] said Nathan, watching his sister start grooving in her seat and singing along. [b]â??Okay.â? [/b] He shrugged at Gavrie, who looked genuinely besieged. [b]â??At least the foodâ??s here.â?[/b]

Gavrie glanced up.

[b]â??So it is,â?[/b] he affirmed, reaching up to help distribute the plates.

Nathan, both plates of shrimp in hand, sent Isen a peculiar look.

[b]â??Are you singing?â?[/b] he asked, visibly stunned.

[b]â??I am allowed to like Dire Straits,â?[/b] she retorted with a smug grin, and proceeded to viciously attack her sandwich.[/font] Edited October 10, 2012 by Allamorph

[Horendithas]

[center][color=#4b0082][size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][b]Wake Up[/b][/font][/size][/color][/center]

[color=#4b0082][size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Adrian wished he knew how long Gavrie would be gone. He wasnâ??t going to say it, but he didnâ??t want to be stuck with Karl hanging around. Not that he didnâ??t like him but his condescending manner was enough to make him want to punch holes in the nearest wall. The entire time he had worked with him, on the other side, not once had he ever been pleasant or polite.

[b][i]-Adrianâ?¦- [/i][/b]

[b][i]-Donâ??t Astera.-[/i][/b] He stopped her, knowing full well what she was going to say. It wasnâ??t necessary. He had screwed up and there was no point in trying to sugar coat it. He sighed.

[b][i]â??As much as I hate his lectures, heâ??s usually right.-[/i][/b]

He started to head for the walls to his apartment and then changed directions when Karl indicated they should go to the roof instead. He didnâ??t bother to ask why; he just settled down and took a seat when Karl did. Adrian surveyed the city and waited.

â??[b]You can stop pouting already,[/b]â? Karl ignored the sharp glance from Adrian. â??[b]I didnâ??t bring you here to lecture you.[/b]â? He hesitated slightly, â??[b]just because youâ??re about as graceful as a double-decker bus, doesnâ??t mean I need to point it out.[/b]â?

â??[b]And yet you just did so anyway. Just what the hell is that supposed to mean?[/b]â? Adrian snapped before he could think the better of it.

â??[b]Adrian![/b]â? Astera interjected. He ignored her outburst.

"[b]Well?[/b]" He demanded when Karl didn't answer immediately.

Karl finally turned and looked at him. â??[b]I thought it was obvious. You lack real experience, something that training canâ??t fix. You donâ??t need me to tell you that.[/b]â? He smirked a bit before turning serious. â??[b]What I do want is for you to tell me what you [i]really[/i] think of that whole affair.[/b]â?

Adrian looked away, thinking about it for a moment before he finally replied. â??[b]When we went with Nathan to stop some vampires from dealing with other reapers, it was clear that they intended to kill them.[/b]â? He took a deep breath and let it out, â??[b]some of them couldnâ??t even stand after what had been done to them.[/b]â?

He looked back at Karl, â??[b]This time they had plenty of openings to do some serious harm or even take us out and yet they did nothing. Every action they took was designed to keep us pinned down and wear us out, nothing more. Even when one slipped through our defense and rushed Phaidra, and Astera and I channeled so we could stop him, the blow aimed at her wasn't lethal.[/b]â?

Adrian folded his arms across his chest not bothering to explain that he hadnâ??t realized that the blow aimed at Phaidra wasnâ??t lethal until [i]after[/i] he had used Asteraâ??s ability. It had all happened so fast that he had acted on instinct, believing that their intent was to kill.

â??[b]It doesnâ??t take a genius to realize that they set us up. Weâ??ve been harassing their lines of communication and interfering with their activities. The others were doing that before I even returned to Earth. If I was Shou, and some unknown group kept managing to interfere with my operations, Iâ??d want to find out more.[/b]â?

â??[b]So you think they were trying to capture your group?[/b]â?

â??[b]I do.[/b]â? Adrian said firmly. â??[b]They could have taken us out long before you and the others arrived. Why else would they bother to send reinforcements? They didnâ??t need them. If their goal was to simply wipe us out, they could have done so.[/b]â?

â??[b]What if youâ??re wrong?[/b]â?

Adrian snorted, â??[b]It doesnâ??t matter, even if they were going to eventually kill us like they did with the othersâ?¦[/b]â? he trailed off. â??[b]We still need to be more cautious.[/b]â? He finally finished.

Now it was Karl who snorted. â??[b]Youâ??re dealing with Shou, [i]idiot[/i]. Just being cautious wonâ??t be enough. He didnâ??t manage to stay hidden all this time by being stupid.[/b]â?

â??[b]We donâ??t know that![/b]â? Adrian protested. â??[b]You heard Sarvel, they were wiped out. Itâ??s probably just some imposter using the name.[/b]â?

â??[b]Oh?[/b]â? Karlâ??s eyebrow shot up. â??[b]You saw the body personally did you?[/b]â? He grinned at Adrianâ??s irritated look.

â??[b]Why do you always have to be a jackass?[/b]â? Adrian demanded crossly. â??[b]You know I wasnâ??t around back then. That was nearly two thousand years before my time.[/b]â? He glared at Karl, ignoring Asteraâ??s attempts to get him to calm down.

â??[b]Iâ??d be happy to be a little nicer, if only youâ??d try to be smarter.[/b]â? Karl mocked. He raised his hand, cutting off Adrian's retort.

â??[b]Let me see if Iâ??m getting this right.[/b]â? He tapped his fingers on the part of the building he was sitting on. â??[b]You werenâ??t around for the war, you didnâ??t even recognize the name when told, and yet you blindly trusted someone telling you that they were wiped out?[/b]â?

Karl leaned forward, his expression grim. â??[b]That kind of sloppy thinking will get you killed.[/b]â?

â??[b]And just what kind [i]wonâ??t[/i] get me killed?[/b]â? Adrian replied sarcastically.

â??[b]Always assume the worst. Assume that it really is Shou and prepare accordingly. If youâ??re wrong, it doesnâ??t hurt anything. But if youâ??re stupid enough to think otherwise, youâ??ll land in something way over your head and either end up dead or wish you were dead.[/b]â?

â??[b]And I assume you of all people would know.[/b]â? Adrian snapped at him again.

Karl sighed slightly, resigned. â??[b]I would actually. If you had bothered to take the time to learn about vampires and the war, youâ??d know why.[/b]â? He turned away and looked back at the city.

â??[b]Anyway, go and get some rest or pout, which ever suits your mood. Just donâ??t go wandering around the city without telling me.[/b]â?

Adrian stiffened, refusing to rise to the bait as he struggled to keep his anger in check. â??[b]You think it really is Shou.[/b]â? He stated flatly.

â??[b]I do.[/b]â?

â??[b]Why?[/b]â?

â??[b]Weâ??ll discuss it once Gavrie returns.[/b]â? Karl ended the discussion.

Adrian resisted the urge to destroy something. It was clear to him that Karl was done talking for now. With an inward groan he resigned himself to watching the city with Karl until Gavrie returned.[/font][/size][/color]

[Sabrina]

[FONT="Tahoma"][CENTER][B]What Now?[/B][/CENTER]
Phaidra was glad she didn’t have to go far to get home. She was tempted to make use of the bed and actually take a nap, but her mind was racing and she knew that unless she forced it, she would not fall asleep. She had already rested enough when she had accidentally tranced at Lucia’s place, which had taken the edge off of her weariness.

So she raided the kitchen and made some Lavender Tea instead. As if sensing her inner turmoil, Sarvel simply stretched out on one of the chairs and patiently waited for her to finish. It wasn’t until Phaidra finished up the second cup of tea before she finally pushed it away and turned to Sarvel.

“[B]You know what concerns me most, right?[/B]”

Sarvel raised her head and nodded, “[B]We are not supposed to use magic in a manner that attracts the attention of humans. A spell, like the one that took care of the vampires, will have shown up on the monitors. The humans already noticed it.[/B]”

“[B]Exactly. I’ve been careful to avoid magic like that, but what if it happens again? What if we have no choice?[/B]” She sighed. “[B]The only time I’ve ever used magic in that manner was back at the school, under carefully prepared wards to keep it from affecting anything.[/B]”

Sarvel waited for her to continue but Phaidra sighed again and changed the topic.

“[B]And I thought the vampire Lucia and I ran into was bad.[/B]” She hesitated briefly. “[B]Would it bother you if we head back tomorrow? Instead of working on recipes until our next assignment, I’d like to check the records at the school for anything related to the magic used during the war.[/B]”

“[B]What about what Lucia wanted us to check?[/B]”

“[B]We can still check that after returning and taking care of our assignment.[/B]”

Sarvel shrugged. “[B]Fine by me if they approve it.[/B]”

“[B]Right.[/B]” Phaidra pulled out her cellphone and sent off the request. [/FONT]

[Horendithas]

[center][color=#4b0082][size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][b]Troubled Mind[/b][/font][/size][/color][/center]

[color=#4b0082][size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Gavrie almost felt like giving up. He didn/t completely agree with Nathan and yet at the same time, he could also see why he was doing things the way he was. The sounds of music and people chatting brought him back to the present for a moment. If he wasn't so pressed for time, he might have actually enjoyed the atmosphere of the restaurant more, but he was too busy questioning Nathan to determine just what, if anything had been done to prepare the kids to deal with Shou.

Nathan didn't seem at all bothered by the questions and readily filled him in. Bit by bit his answers quieted his irritation. He may have not told them who they were facing but it was reassuring to learn that Nathan had been training the other reaper Alex, and now had him working with Adrian. But that didn't cover the other one, Phaidra or their tech girl, Lucia who had recently requested help, according to Nathan.

"[b]It sounds like you have more to cover than you have time for,[/b]" Gavrie observed as their waitress returned with the change from their bill and left it on the table before heading off.

"[b]I would need to ask Karl, but if he agrees, he could take care of training your tech girl while I finish up the rest of my assignments.[/b]"

Isen's eyebrows shot up at that statement.

"[b]He could get her up to speed in everything but spiritual based attacks, and since I expect to be Earthside for a couple of years, he could help her long enough to make a difference.[/b]" Gavrie offered.

"[b]That's rather fortunate.[/b]" Nathan replied.

They all seemed slightly surprised, something Gavrie understood all too well. Though he got the impression that Nathan was pleased with it, instead of alarmed.

'[b]Whenever I take on a serious student, Karl handles most if not all of the training for the first couple of years.[/b]" He elaborated. "[b]He oversaw Adrian and Astera's training for nearly three years while I took care of other stuff.[/b]'

Gavrie leaned back a bit in his chair. "[b]I'm sure I don't have to explain how the Mark seals his ability to change.[/b]"

Nathan shook his head.

"[b]Right, so back during the war when we first started working together, I made sure he got training, whenever possible, to make up for that. Karl took that training and then modified it to teach himself what the others couldn't. Since then Karl has always worked with me when I train anyone.[/b]" Gavrie grinned slightly, "[b]He's more than capable of holding his own and after that little display of power earlier, you're going to need someone who knows what to look for to help keep the kids out of trouble.[/b]"

"[b]You're certain he would agree to this?[/b]" Chris interjected.

Gavrie nodded. "[b]I would be surprised if he didn't.[/b]" He looked away for a moment and then turned back.

"[b]There's something important I need to tell you though, in regards to Karl and myself. I would have told you sooner, but I've taken care of so many assignments during and after the war that until earlier today, I had forgotten about it.[/b]" He trailed off frowning slightly. "[b]It has to do with how Victor was saying that Shou is the type to hold a grudge.[/b]" He trailed off again, thinking on how to approach it.

"[b]You all know that Shou's father and brother were assassinated right?[/b]" The others nodded. "[b]Well... though I wasn't the one who actually dealt the blow to his father, I was a part of the team involved. And when it comes to his brother Tsu, I was the one who killed him.[/b]"

Isen stared at him blankly for a moment and then interrupted him when he was about to continue. "[b]Wait, so you're saying that Karl was Marked by the Jian clan?[/b]"

Gavrie nodded. "[b]I am. Shou's brother Tsu, was well known for the experiments he would conduct on other races. It was decided, by the Council, that such perversions could not be allowed to continue and I, along with two others, were sent to deal with him.[/b]" He folded his arms across his chest. "[b]Later on, both of my teammates were ambushed and killed by vampires. I was on the other side, taking care of stuff for the Council at the time so I was unable to get definite proof; but I believe Shou was behind it.[/b]"

"[b]Is that how you met Karl?[/b]" Nathan asked.

Gavrie nodded again, momentarily startled by Nathan's insight.

"[b]Anyway, I'm quite sure that Shou hasn't forgotten that I killed his brother Tsu, and I'm fairly certain he knows that Karl is my partner.[/b]" He took in a deep breath and let it out. "[b]Even if he doesn't know about Karl, he would recognize the Mark. I'm sure others in his current employ would as well.[/b]"

"[b]Oh? What makes you say that?[/b]" Nathan leaned forward slightly.

"[b]Some of the vampires, who were sent to deal with the children, had the same mark on their chests.[/b]" Gavrie explained. "[b]I doubt any of them were more than a few centuries old, if that.[/b]"

"[b]Ah, so they're still using a mark of loyalty then."[/b]

"[b]Yeah.[/b]" Gavrie placed his hands on the table and stretched his arms a bit before pulling back."[b]Anyway, I really need to get going so could you see if your tech girl has time for us to stop by after I pick up Karl?[/b]"

Nathan nodded and pulled out his cell phone as Gavrie stood up to leave.

"[b]This is where I'm going to wander off,[/b]" Chris stood up with a smile and knowing glance in Isen's direction. "[b]Catch you later.[/b]" She nodded politely to Gavrie before leaving.

Gavrie waited semi patiently while Nathan and Isen exchanged pleasantries with a few of the patrons they knew there as they meandered towards the exit, and then finally, to Gavrie's relief, they were outside. After the crowded atmosphere, the cool evening air was surprisingly refreshing. They halted for a moment while Nathan called Lucia.

"[b]So, what did she say?[/b]" He asked when Nathan was done.

"[b]We can come over any time this evening.[/b]" He tucked the phone back into the pocket of his blazer. "[b]I have a few questions for you so if you don't mind; we'll come along with you.[/b]"

"[b]Sure, I hope you don't have a lot though,[/b]" Gavrie said as he took to the air. "[b]I am behind schedule after all.[/b]"

"[b]Shouldn't take too long,[/b]" Nathan assured him, and to his relief, it didn't. By the time they got to where Karl was sitting on the roof of the apartment building where Adrian and Astera were staying, he was finished.

They hadn't even quite landed when Adrian was already up and moving to intercept them, clearly agitated. Karl just lazily stood up and waited to see what Gavrie was going to do.

"[b]Gavrie,[/b]" Adrian started the moment he had landed, "[b]I need to talk to you.[/b]"

Gavrie sighed inwardly, "[b]I'm sorry Adrian, but I don't have time.[/b]"

"[b]But..."[/b]

"[b]I was pulled from an existing assignment,[/b]" Gavrie shot a quick glance at Nathan who was nonchalantly looking elsewhere. "[b]So it will have to wait.[/b]" He said firmly.

Adrian looked down, crestfallen. He finally nodded. "[b]Okay.[/b]"

"[b]Let's go Karl.[/b]"

Gavrie waited for him to nod before taking off, heading for one of the other buildings in the city. He still needed to actually talk to him first. Once they were well out of Adrian's ability to sense them he landed on the roof of the closest building. Karl shot him and the others a puzzled look.

"[b]Don't we need to get going?[/b]" Karl was confused.

"[b]Yes, but I'd like to know if you'd be willing to stay in the city and help with training while I take care of the rest of our assignments.[/b]"

"[b]Oh? Who did you want me to work with?[/b]" His eyes flickered briefly to Nathan and Isen who were waiting, and then back to Gavrie.

"[b]Their tech girl Lucia has requested training. However Nathan is already working with Alex and he has him working with Adrian.[/b]"

"[b]Ah, I see. So other than basic training,[/b]" his tone became slightly sarcastic, "[b]I assume she has none at all?[/b]"

"[b]Unless she's worked with the humans, I believe that is the case.[/b]"

Karl snorted disdainfully. "[b]Even if she has, that won't prepare her for dealing with someone like Shou.[/b]"

He turned to address Nathan. "[b]I assume that you or someone else will take care of spiritual based training once I'm done?[/b]" Nathan nodded.

Karl turned back to Gavrie and shrugged. "[b]Okay, I'll do it. I'm also going to assume you want me to keep watch.[/b]"

"[b]Yes, I do. And I'd prefer it if you don't enlighten the kids on just who they're really facing.[/b]"

"[b]What?[/b]" Karl exclaimed. "[b]Why?[/b]"

"[b]Let's just say that for now, I agree with Nathan's assessment that knowing just who they are up against, could work against them.[/b]"

"[b]Just like how they don't know who Nathan really is?[/b]" Karl quipped.

Gavrie stared at him.

Karl matched Gavrie's stare with one of his own before he finally gave in with a sigh. "[b]Alright, if you think that's for the best, I'll keep my mouth shut, for now.[/b]"

"[b]Thank you[/b]." Gavrie said simply. "[b]Now, we really do need to get going.[/b]" He turned and looked at Nathan who with a simple nod, turned and headed for Lucia's apartment.[/font][/size][/color]

[SunfallE]

[FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"][CENTER][B]House Guest?[/B][/CENTER]
Lucia tried working on the recording she had after the others left, but the interference made it next to impossible to get more than a word or two scattered throughout the recording. Without the rest of the sentence to put it in context, she couldn?t get any meaning out of what had been said. Only the one peculiar phrase was of any interest, since like the others, she too felt like it was something she should recognize; but its true meaning eluded her.

She was about to start writing up yet another program to filter the transmission even more when a chime indicated that she had an incoming call. It wasn?t often that she actually got a call since most of what she did was done via messages and file transfers. Lucia picked up the communicator and stared at the screen. It was Nathan, puzzled, she answered it.

?[B]What did you want?[/B]?

?[B]Oh, just something in regards to your request. I?m on my way over.[/B]?

[I]Request?[/I] For a split second Lucia was lost and then she remembered. ?[B]Fine, I?ll be here all evening. Anything else?[/B]?

?[B]Nope. See you shortly.[/B]?

Lucia put her communicator back on the desk.

?[B]I wonder if he?s going to set you up for training sessions.[/B]? Ruby mused.

Lucia shrugged, ?[B]Who knows? I certainly hope so. I?d rather not have to deal with vampires like that again. I don?t know enough.[/B]?

?[B]It?s gonna cut into your time for research,[/B]? Ruby pointed out.

?[B]I know that![/B]? Lucia snapped crossly. ?[B]I?m sure it won?t be much different than what I already did with the humans.[/B]?

?[B]Lucia.[/B]?

?[B]Sorry Ruby,[/B]? she turned and offered her a tiny smile. ?[B]I shouldn?t be taking my frustrations out on you. I don?t know what will be involved, but I?m sure we?ll work it out.[/B]?

Ruby stretched lazily, sat up and smirked. ?[B]You know what I think?[/B]?

Lucia just stared at her since Ruby had that devious look she got when she was about to poke fun of her.

?[B]I think that from now on, every time you snap at me, you should have to get me fresh fish.[/B]?

Lucia folded her arms across her chest and stared at Ruby even more. ?[B]You know, if you want to get something, all you have to do is say so.[/B]?

Ruby harrumphed. ?[B]I did, but [I]you[/I],[/B]? she dragged the word out. ?[B]Were ignoring me like always. Anyway, it?s too late now since you told them we?d be here. I?ll remind you tomorrow, when things are open again.[/B]?

?[B]I?m sure you will.[/B]? Lucia said dryly before turning back to work on her program.

It didn?t take her long to prepare another one for attempting to filter out the interference and recover more of the transmission she had picked up. She set it running and was just starting to review the data she got from the disturbance caused by the magic, when she felt Nathan?s aura rapidly approaching.

It didn?t surprise her that Isen was with Nathan, but why were the other two, Gavrie and his familiar Karl, with them? She glanced at Ruby who was already sitting up on the desk and looking towards the door.

She readily answered the door when they knocked, ushering all of them inside. She wasn?t quite sure how to approach the topic and turned to Nathan once she had shut the door, a questioning look on her face. She glanced over at Gavrie and Karl who were standing to the left of Nathan and Isen, and then back to Nathan again.

?[B]Is this about the training I asked for?[/B]? She said impatiently, not really giving Nathan time to say anything.

?[B]It is.[/B]? He nodded towards Gavrie, ?[B]He?s the one to talk to.[/B]?

Confused, she looked back to Gavrie. ?[B]You?re being assigned to this area?[/B]? She couldn?t think of any other reason why he would be able to do so.

?[B]No.[/B]?

?[B]Then how??[/B]? She started to ask even more confused.

?[B]Karl would stay in the city and oversee your training.[/B]?

Lucia was surprised. [I]Familiars can do training? Since when? And stay in the city? did he mean with her? Surely he didn?t, did he?[/I]

?[B]Uh? you mean with Adrian and Astera?[/B]? She ventured, though she got the impression that he did not.

Karl snorted, ?[B]They?re not the ones who need training.[/B]?

?[B]But?[/B]? Lucia looked to Karl, not sure how to explain.

?[B]You do want training don?t you?[/B]? Karl pressed.

Lucia nodded, hesitantly.

?[B]Then what?s the problem?[/B]?

?[B]I have quite a bit of work?[/B]? She started to explain.

?[B]So?[/B]? Karl interjected. ?[B]It?s not like the training would be done here, there?s not enough space.[/B]? He smirked slightly. ?[B]No one is going to bother your equipment, if that?s what?s worrying you.[/B]?

That wasn?t it either, but Lucia didn?t know how to explain that she didn?t want any company at all. She glanced in Ruby?s direction, but she was too busy shaking from holding back laughter and carefully avoiding her gaze.

?[B]You do know that I have a smaller form like your dragon correct?[/B]? Karl said when Lucia didn?t saying anything for a minute. "[B]So it's not like I'll take up much space.[/B]"

?[B]I know that.[/B]? Lucia almost snapped as she looked back at Karl and Gavrie. ?[B]That?s not the issue.[/B]?

?[B]Then what is? Either you want the training or you don?t.[/B]?

?[B]Of course I want it.[/B]? Lucia said through clenched teeth. ?[B]I just figured we?d be setting up appointments for sessions every couple of days.[/B]? She resisted the urge to tell them to get lost when Karl laughed at that.

?[B]Did you really think a few sessions a week were all that you need?[/B]? Karl?s amused look vanished and he shook his head. ?[B]I?ll be the judge of that.[/B]?

Helplessly she looked to Nathan and Isen, but he looked amused by the whole thing. Somehow, she got the feeling that this was how Nathan was handling her request. If she turned it down? She looked over to Ruby who was still shaking from holding in her laughter.

She sighed inwardly and turned back to Gavrie and Karl. Realistically, she couldn?t afford to pass it up. She already knew that any request to return to the other side would be ignored. They wouldn?t even let her return to check the library for information on vampires. The one time she had tried, they had refused the request, telling her she already had the info she needed.

?[B]Fine, so long as you're careful around my equipment, you can stay here.[/B]? She finally managed.

?[B]Good[/B],? Gavrie clasped his hands together. ?[B]Now that that?s settled, I need to get going.[/B]?

?[B]Wait,[/B]? Lucia called out as Gavrie and the others turned to leave.

?[B]How long will this take?[/B]? She asked when Gavrie turned back.

?[B]Is she serious?[/B]? Gavrie asked Nathan, his eyebrow raised.

Lucia stomped her foot angrily. ?[B]Of course I?m serious, why else would I ask?[/B]?

Gavrie frowned in an almost comical manner. ?[B]I guess she is,[/B]? he said to Nathan before giving her his full attention. ?[B]Serious training takes at least a decade, if not longer.[/B]?

?[B]What!?[/B]? Lucia exclaimed.

?[B]You didn?t think it was going to be easy like basic training did you?[/B]? Gavrie asked her.

Lucia opened her mouth to reply and then closed it.

?[B]How long it takes will also depend on what, if any training, you?ve had besides what they currently dish out. I will be Earthside for a couple of years at the very least. After that, you?ll work out the rest of the details with Nathan.[/B]?

Lucia wanted to protest, but how could she? If what the others had said earlier about the vampires toying with them was true, she knew she lacked the skills to survive a serious fight. If Adrian and Alex, who were both, quite a bit better than her, didn?t feel up to the task?

?[B]I see.[/B]? She finally said.

?[B]Good, because I really do need to get going already.[/B]? He turned to Nathan and Isen and with a brief nod, took off, ghosting through the closest wall, a moment later, Nathan and Isen followed suit.

Lucia turned to face Karl? now what? [/COLOR][/FONT]

[Sabrina]

[FONT="Tahoma"][CENTER][B]Deviled Eggs [/B][/CENTER]
Phaidra tucked her cell phone in her pocket and stood up before taking the dishes over to the sink. It was oddly comforting to lose herself in the simple task of cleaning up from the tea and putting everything away. She started to turn to head back to the main room and stopped, when another thought occurred to her.

“[B]What are you doing?[/B]” Sarvel asked her curiously.

Phaidra just smiled to herself as she started pulling out the stuff for making appetizers. It wouldn’t take her too long and it wasn’t like she had to worry about the others going to bed. It helped that she had been around them long enough that she already knew what kinds of foods they liked.

“[B]Oh, so you’re going to take everyone snacks again. Are you going to stop by Adrian and Astera’s place too?[/B]”

“[B]Of course, I don’t know what they like yet, so I’ll just take a little of everything.[/B]” Phaidra answered. “[B]I meant to ask them earlier, but I forgot.[/B]”

“[B]I don’t suppose you have any shrimp in there.[/B]” Sarvel said wistfully.

A small chuckle escaped Phaidra’s lips. “[B]Of course I do.[/B]”

Once she was finally done, it didn’t take her long to divide everything up into separate containers for each person. When it came to figuring out what people liked, Lucia had been the hardest. Even now, she was still a little standoffish. The biggest thing that kept her returning was the feeling that in spite of Lucia’s withdrawn nature, she actually did enjoy the company.

“[B]So who are you going to visit first?[/B]” Sarvel inquired as Phaidra finished tucking the containers in a silver catering carry case.

“[B]How about Adrian and Astera?[/B]”

“[B]I figured you’d visit Lucia and Ruby first.[/B]”

“[B]Normally I would, but Lucia was saying she had some questions about magic, so we’ll visit her last.[/B]”

“[B]Ah, I see.[/B]” Sarvel hopped out of the chair she had been sitting in.

“[B]You know,[/B]” Sarvel said as they started to head out. “[B]It probably wouldn’t hurt to check everyone’s schedule so we can set up a time to go over what everyone has learned. Now that they’re seriously trying to stop us, we need to be more cautious.[/B]”

“[B]I know. I was actually thinking about that.[/B]” Phaidra took to the air once they were clear of the building. “[B]This makes the third time we’ve run into a trap. We need to rethink how we respond to the information Lucia obtains. This time, we were lucky that Nathan and the others could help us, but we can’t afford to rely on that.[/B]”

“[B]Did you have something in mind?[/B]”

“[B]I’m not sure. That’s why I think we need to discuss it with everyone.[/B]” Phaidra replied. “[B]Should we always stick together? Would it be better to hold off on investigating locations for a while? I just don’t know.[/B]”

She shrugged slightly and dropped the subject when the building where Adrian and Astera’s lived came in view. “[B]Anyway, I hope they don’t mind unexpected visitors.[/B]”[/FONT]

[Allamorph]

[center][b]Deeper[/b][/center]


[font=calibri]Just after dusk, a dark-haired man was reclining in a posh office chair in a building across the continent, distracting himself from his studies with sights of the evening city stories below. The river of red and white from the freeway stretched across the entirety of his windows, and the surrounding buildings had begun their nightly light show.

The scene never ceased to hold his attention. He could watch it idly every evening, and often did so when required to spend long hours alone, much like tonight. Its continuous flow was subtly mesmerising, and the illusion of constancy it generated let hours pass unnoticed. It cleared his head like no sleep could ever hope to do.

He sipped idly at a tumbler of amber liquid and gazed down a row of busy intersections, noting the delicate timing that kept the flow steady in all directions and reflecting on the changes time had brought to the world he had known for so long. Such a setting would have been unthinkable centuries agoâ??and just so, such work as he was doing now would scarcely have had any results in his masterâ??s old era. But time had changed his enemy, too, and they no longer held themselves so distant from their charges.

A few of his opponents he knew already. Or knew of, to be more precise; his master had a long memory for even the smallest of slights, and to warriors of such renown he had dedicated personal artifacts to be ceremoniously destroyed when he was certain that justice had come to them.

But the others among them were new to him, younglings fortunate to be sheltered by their companionsâ?? presence and skills. It was these who interested him, and so he worked this evening, gathering all of his resources to learn what he might of his prey.

A sound from the computer on the mahogany desk behind him attracted his attention. He swiveled around for a passing glance, then sat forward and stroked his chin.

[b]â??Hmm.â?[/b]

He studied the images on the screen for a few long moments, convincing himself of the results. A result so close to the initial query was startling; he hadnâ??t expected an easy catch. Curious, he entered a series of keystrokes into the computer and leaned back, watching the information begin to assemble.

His master would be pleased.[/font] Edited May 16, 2012 by Allamorph

[Rachmaninoff]

[CENTER][B]Stopover [/B][/CENTER]
Alex opened up his cell and looked at his schedule. His next assignment was in an hour. He snapped it shut and got up off the sofa.

?[B]Time to go?[/B]?

?[B]Yeah.[/B]?

He was halfway across the room when he halted and then turned back to head for the door instead. He had told her, more than once, to simply come in if he was around, but Phaidra always knocked first.

?[B]I wonder what she wants.[/B]? Nall settled down on his left shoulder.

Instead of waiting, Alex opened the door before she could knock. He grinned at the sight of her catering bag as he invited her in. The only time she brought that, was if she had something for him and sure enough, when he turned back after shutting the door, she was getting into the bag.

?[B]You don?t have to do that.[/B]? He told her. ?[B]Not that I?m complaining,[/B]? He added on hastily at her slight frown. ?[B]I just don?t want to take advantage of your cooking skills.[/B]?

Phaidra laughed as she pressed the container into his hands. ?[B]If I didn?t want to do it, I wouldn?t.[/B]? She assured him with a smile. ?[B]After what happened earlier today, I thought everyone could use a little something.[/B]?

Alex looked at the container wistfully. ?[B]I think I?ll save this for later, I have an assignment in just a bit.[/B]?

?[B]Oh. Is it alright if I stop by later then? I wanted to discuss some stuff with you.[/B]?

?[B]I still have some time, if you want to come along, that is.[/B]? Alex offered before he motioned for her to follow as he put the food away in the small fridge in his kitchen. ?[B]I could use a walk to clear my head.[/B]? He explained as he shut the door and looked back at Phaidra who nodded.

It had been a while since the sun had set and in spite of the late hour, the streets were still bustling with traffic. The night air was cool and even over the city lights one could see stars in the night sky. It was peaceful and relaxing. One could almost forget the events that had happened earlier, almost.

?[B]So, what did you want to talk about?[/B]? Alex asked once they were heading down the street. He tucked both hands in his pockets. ?[B]If you?re wondering about getting together with the others, the days I can do so will be the same as before.[/B]?

?[B]Well that?s one of the things I was going to ask. The other?[/B]? She pushed her glasses back with her right hand. ?[B]I was wondering if you know what kind of foods Adrian and Astera like. I tried asking him but he just shrugged it off and said anything was fine.[/B]?

Nall snickered. ?[B]He would. What did Astera say?[/B]?

?[B]Ah? She didn?t really say either, though they took what I brought over.[/B]? She paused for a moment as they crossed the street. ?[B]I can?t tell if my visiting bothered them or not either.[/B]?

?[B]Heh, I wouldn?t worry about that.[/B]? Alex reassured her. ?[B]If he didn?t want you around, he would tell you. Adrian is pretty blunt about stuff like that. In that respect, he?s kind of like Lucia.[/B]?

Phaidra laughed. Sarvel just swished her tails and said nothing.

?[B]As for food, I?ve seen him eating at one of the little cafés near his place. Every time, he always had something different. I?ve also seen a few things in his fridge. A jar of sliced green olives and another one of dill pickle slices. I think they?re for Astera since she?s the only one I?ve seen get into them.[/B]?

He thought about it for a moment. ?[B]I do recall seeing some other vegetables, but I don?t remember what. He?s also had some cocktails out when I?ve been over. I believe it was whiskey.[/B]? Alex shrugged apologetically. ?[B]I?m afraid that?s all I know.[/B]?

Alex turned the corner, the building that was his destination was at the end of the street. ?[B]Was there anything else?[/B]?

Phaidra shook her head. ?[B]No. Thank you, that helps. So what kind of assignment do you have this time?[/B]?

?[B]It?s an older woman in her nineties. She?s been sick with pneumonia for a few weeks now. In a bit, the strain will cause her heart to stop.[/B]?

?[B]Ah, I see.[/B]? Phaidra liked those kinds of assignments the best. Human lives were so short that it almost seemed like a waste to send them on if they were still considered young.

?[B]I?d better get going; I still need to visit the others.[/B]?

Alex came to a halt. ?[B]Okay, just let me know what day and time you guys finally decide on.[/B]?

Phaidra smiled. ?[B]I will.[/B]?

Alex watched her and Sarvel take to the skies before turning back to face the building.

[SunfallE]

[FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"][CENTER][B]Uncertainty [/B][/CENTER]
Lucia didn?t even know where to begin once the others had left. She hadn?t even known it was possible for familiars to train reapers. In her admittedly limited experience it was unheard of. She was wondering if it was even possible, but Karl?s serious look and slight smirk told her that if anything, he believed in his ability.

?[B]Why don?t you take a seat?[/B]? Karl motioned to the sofa, ?[B]The first step will be to go over your schedule and determine what you absolutely have to do, like your duties as a Shinigami.[/B]?

Lucia glanced at her equipment and sighed inwardly before opting to sit in one of the lone chairs facing the sofa instead. Once Karl settled on the sofa she did as he asked; briefly touching on the activities she did outside of her regular assignments. She was fairly certain that most of what she did, he would consider unnecessary.

?[B]Seems to me that you can put all of that aside for the time being.[/B]? He commented, echoing her thoughts.

?[B]I figured you?d say that.[/B]? Lucia replied crossly. ?[B]I can halt my own personal research, but the other for tracking down the vampires, I don?t agree.[/B]?

?[B]Oh?[/B]? Karl?s smirk reappeared. ?[B]Are you saying you?re ready to face them as you are?[/B]?

?[B]Of course not.[/B]?

?[B]Correct me if I?m wrong, but aren?t a lot of processes done by today?s technology automatic, even for the humans?[/B]?

?[B]No, you?re correct, but they still need input?[/B]?

?[B]And since you?re nowhere close to being up to facing your opponent,[/B]? Karl smoothly interrupted her, ?[B]There?s no reason why you can?t limit the time you spend each day on that, correct?[/B]?

Lucia sighed openly, ?[B]No there?s not.[/B]?

?[B]You also seem to have a fairly extensive lab already, is it really necessary to keep doing more part time jobs for the humans?[/B]?

?[B]Yes it is.[/B]? Lucia leaned forward without even realizing it. ?[B]I?m sure you know that we are limited in what we?re allowed to do technology wise. Keeping the equipment I have upgraded with the best humans have to offer, isn?t cheap. I no longer need to work as much as possible like I did when I first started, but I still need at least three or four large projects a year to fund upgrades to what I already have.[/B]?

?[B]Fair enough,[/B]? Karl conceded, ?[B]So long as the bulk of your time is reserved for training.[/B]?

?[B]That shouldn?t be too hard,[/B]? Lucia explained further. ?[B]I have a main contact who keeps me posted on potential work; he knows that I can?t have a set schedule other than to set things up.[/B]?

?[B]What do you mean by set things up?[/B]?

?[B]Anytime I accept a job, I usually have to go in and talk to whoever is in charge. How long it takes depends on the company. If it?s an affiliate I haven?t worked with before, it takes longer since they have to set up the paperwork. It?s rarely more than a day or two though.[/B]?

?[B]What about after that?[/B]? Karl inquired.

?[B]I set my own hours so I can do it whenever I wish.[/B]? Lucia smiled slightly. ?[B]Human technology is rather primitive so preparing a program to their specifications doesn?t take very long.[/B]?

?[B]Okay, we?ll cover that when it comes up, unless you?re already on an assignment.[/B]?

Lucia shook her head. ?[B]I?m not, but my contact knows I want something within the next month or so. One of the computers I got when I first started needs to be replaced soon, what I?m looking at for a replacement, isn?t cheap.[/B]?

Karl stood up and shrugged. ?[B]Like I said, we?ll cover that when the time comes. In the meantime, since your next assignment isn?t for another twelve hours, we?re going to check out potential locations for training purposes.[/B]?

?[B]Now?[/B]? Lucia stared at him incredulously.

?[B]Yes now.[/B]? Karl looked amused. ?[B]That?s more than enough time for us to pick a location and for you to show me what you know how to do.[/B]?

?[B]But?[/B]?

?[B]Didn?t we go over this already, about whether or not you wanted training?[/B]? His eyebrow shot up as if daring her to say otherwise. ?[B]Once I have a better picture of what you really need, then we can determine how much time you can spare for other stuff.[/B]?

?[B]Oh.[/B]? Lucia stood up. ?[B]Right, that makes sense.[/B]?

?[B]Good. Now, let me explain to you what we need to look for in terms of space?[/B]?

Lucia resisted the urge to sigh again as she listened to Karl?s explanation and then started thinking of places that might suit what he was describing. [/COLOR][/FONT]

[Sabrina]

[FONT="Tahoma"][CENTER][B]Sounds Like?[/B][/CENTER]
It wasn’t the first time that Phaidra had dropped by only to find someone gone. She had done, like she always did, and merely put the containers in their fridge and left them a message so they’d know it was there. She supposed she could have called first to make sure they would be there, but that took the fun out of surprising them. She got the feeling that Nathan and Lucia didn’t mind.

Now all Phaidra had to do was wait for the others to reply to her inquiry as to what day would be best to get together. She was in no hurry, not after what happened the other day. She and Sarvel were more than content to go back to their regular duties. She still needed to prepare the set spells that Lucia wanted for her apartment.

It shouldn’t be too hard to set up. Once she finished gathering information from the library on their side, she could return and go about implementing it. She could have set up something similar to what she had collapsed that one time, but that could have unexpected side effects that would physically damage Lucia’s lab.

So instead she was going to create a set spell that was vaguely similar to what the Vampire had. She would set up one at each corner of Lucia’s abode. Now that she had been around vampires more, she knew what was needed to set a trap that would trigger upon detecting their presence. The trick would be to make it so it wouldn’t react unless a vampire actually entered her place. It wouldn’t do to have humans seeing a vampire destroyed by magic in plain daylight.

“[B]You finished yet?[/B]”

Phaidra looked up to answer Sarvel, “[B]Almost. How about you[/B]?”

Sarvel hopped up and took a seat on the monitor next to the one Phaidra was using. “[B]I was right; the records clearly state that the Jian clan was wiped out.[/B]”

“[B]So it’s an imposter.[/B]”

Sarvel nodded. “[B]They probably used the name to gain influence.[/B]”

“[B]What about that odd phrase Lucia wanted us to check out?[/B]”

“[B]To be honest,[/B]” she tilted her head to the side, “[B]I have no idea where to begin. I tried doing a search based on what it sounds like, but that didn’t bring anything up.[/B]”

“[B]I was afraid of that.[/B]” Phaidra replied. “[B]I wish I could remember why it seems like I should know it, then I would know where to start looking.[/B]”

Sarvel just flattened her ears.

“[B]Anyway, as soon as I’m done here, we can head back.[/B]” [/FONT]

[Allamorph]

[center][b]5150[/b][/center]


[font=calibri][b]â??You look awfully thoughtful.â?[/b]

Isen glanced at her partner, who was regarding her with a raised eyebrow. With a snort, she rolled her eyes.

[b]â??Can I not permit myself a private thought?â?[/b] she inquired.

[b]â??No.â? [/b] Nathan smiled happily. The werecat shook her head.

[b]â??The assassin allows the Marked One command over others. I was merely ... considering this fact.â?[/b]

[b]â??Jealous?â?[/b]

Isen ignored her partnerâ??s needling smirk. [b]â??I need no status to sooth my ego,â?[/b] she said simply. [b] â??It is just a passing curiosity.â?[/b] She sent Nathan an arch look to indicate the topic was closed.

[b]â??Whatever,â?[/b] Nathan surrendered. He made a wry face and slid through the door to his apartment. [b] â??I was justâ??HOLY CRAP PIE!â?[/b]

Nathan intercepted the pastry projectile with a sudden jerk, gingerly sweeping it around himself in several dexterous passes and one hand-switch, and slid it onto the bar on his left.

[b]â??Should have joined the Globetrotters,â?[/b] chuckled Chris, leaning on the armrest of his couch across the room. Her expression darkened. [b]â??We need to talk.â?[/b]

Nathan started. [b]â??About [i]pie?[/i]â?[/b]

[b]â??No,â?[/b] Chris said, [b]â??about the kids.â?[/b]

Nathan looked confused. [b]â??They donâ??t like pie?â?[/b] he asked.

[b]â??No!â?[/b] his sister exclaimed. [b] â??Weâ??re not talking about pie!â?[/b]

[b]â??Whatâ??s wrong with pie?!â?[/b]

Chris reappeared beside him and belted him with a cushion.

[b]â??Good Lord,â?[/b] she said as he picked himself off the floor. [b]â??One track mind.â?[/b]

[b]â??Three point one four one,â? [/b]retorted Nathan, throwing up his arms to ward off another whack. [b]â??Ack! I surrender!â?[/b] Chris ignored him, pummeling mercilessly.[/font]


[center]--------------------------------[/center]

[font=calibri]The pillow fight over, Nathan sat in the chair across from his chess set, industriously removing the dents from his hat. For a brief second he caught himself wishing the French vampire were around to share a match, and immediately chastised himself for such weakness.

[b]â??So you wanted to talk about...,â?[/b] he prompted.

Chris nodded. [b]â??Escalation.â?[/b] When she was satisfied she had her brotherâ??s attention, she continued.

[b]â??Itâ??s the typical way war works,â? [/b]she said. [b]â??A guy bullies you, you either find a bigger guy or improve yourself, or else you have to take it. One side comes out with more guns, the other comes out with a bigger gun. You kill someoneâ??s brother, he kills your family, you kill his village.â?[/b]

[b]â??Youâ??re telling me this like I donâ??t already know it,â?[/b] said Nathan.

[b]â??No, Iâ??m telling you this to remind you that you do know it and are ignoring it.â?[/b] Chris toyed with a dagger. [b] â??They know who we are now. They know exactly who we are, and they know weâ??re coming after them. What do you think their next move will be?â?[/b]

The blue man looked skeptical. [b] â??You saying I should be worried? Like we canâ??t handle what they throw at us?â?[/b]

[b]â??No,â?[/b] Chris sighed, [b]â??Iâ??m saying you should be worried about the kids.â?[/b]

[b]â??Seems like I just had this conversation....â?[/b]

[b]â??Whatever they throw at us we can probably handle,â?[/b] Chris went on, staring her brother down. [b]â??But whoâ??s to guarantee that theyâ??ll take their big guns and shoot at us? What happens if Alex gets caught in-between? Or Phaidra?â?[/b]

[b]â??So, what, then? You want us to run for cover and wait for this to blow over?â?[/b]

[b]â??Thatâ??s not what Iâ??mâ??â?[/b]

[b]â??No, that [i]is[/i] what youâ??re saying, Chris,â?[/b] Nathan spat. [b]â??And itâ??s not gonna happen. What [i]will[/i] happen is weâ??ll make sure the kids [i]donâ??t[/i] get caught in something they canâ??t handle, and in the meantime weâ??ll be making sure they [i]can[/i] handle it!â?[/b]

[b]â??Youâ??re missing the point, Nathan.â?[/b]

[b]â??The hell I am! Iâ??m not about to start tiptoeing around just because my enemy [i]might[/i] try harder to kill me!â?[/b]

[b]â??Not might, Nathan. Will.â?[/b]

[b]â??Whose side are you [i]on[/i], here?!â?[/b]

[b]â??Whose do you think, Nathan,â? [/b]interjected the werecat from the kitchen.

[b]â??Trey was my friend first, Nathan,â?[/b] added Chris.

The shinigami stared at the girls for a long moment, unable to form words.

[b]â??You have no idea,â?[/b] he said at length, his voice cold. [b]â??None. Donâ??t even talk about him to me.â?[/b] He replaced his hat. [b]â??Now if youâ??ll excuse me Iâ??m going to go be productive somewhere.â?[/b][/font]



[center]--------------------------------[/center]

[font=calibri]Isen waited until after her partner had left to speak again.

[b]â??Did you really want to rile him so badly?â?[/b] she asked.

Chris sighed. [b]â??I donâ??t know,â?[/b] she said. [b]â??Iâ??m just trying to make sure he doesnâ??t go and do something rash. Heâ??s right about the kidsâ??he said nothing to Gavrie tonight that I didnâ??t agree withâ??but I can still feel the resentment deep down, and itâ??s making him arrogant and short-sighted. I donâ??t think he understands our fight as well as he thinks he does.â?[/b]

[b]â??In what way?â?[/b]

[b]â??Um.â?[/b] Chris gestured to the chess board on the table. [b]â??Like, take this. My brother is one of the best strategists I know, and his ability at the game shows it. He knows how everything moves together, and can see how an opponent is thinking far ahead of time, sometimes even before the other person has decided to think that way.

â??But a lot of the time he canâ??t see the same for real life stuff. He never got into political machinations, and doesnâ??t have a lot of guile. And as a result he often canâ??t see how people are moving when he canâ??t see them directly. Iâ??m just afraid the Jian are going to try something that he wonâ??t be looking for, and then I donâ??t know how heâ??ll take it.â?[/b]

[b]â??I see,â?[/b] said the werecat. [b]â??Still, you also know how sore he is concerning his mentorâ??s death.â?[/b]

[b]â??I had hoped that time would have taken an edge off it,â?[/b] Chris admitted. [b] â??I didnâ??t think heâ??d hold onto the grudge for this long.â?[/b]

[b]â??It is a daunting task to keep him calm sometimes,â?[/b] Isen remarked. [b]â??Fortunately, I have had a long time to practice.â?[/b]

Chris glanced up sharply, but saw nothing on the werecatâ??s face.

[b]â??I guess I see your point,â?[/b] she said slowly. [b]â??But weâ??ll see, right?â?[/b][/font] Edited May 16, 2012 by Allamorph

[Horendithas]

[center][color=#4b0082][size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][b]Red Stars [/b][/font][/size][/color][/center]

[color=#4b0082][size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Adrian didnâ??t mind agreeing to get together with the others to discuss how things were going in regards to the vampires they had been tracking since their first encounter with the Count. They had often done so before that incident, if only to see how the other was doing. He had a tendency, back then, to skip out if he didnâ??t feel like it, but that was a trend he wasnâ??t going to allow anymore; and not because he was certain that Gavrie would box his ears if he did.

Phaidra and Sarvelâ??s place was strikingly different than Luciaâ??s. Instead of the haphazard collection of misfit furniture and slight hint of dust, Phaidraâ??s place was meticulously clean, warm and inviting. The hardwood floors, earthen tones for the walls and hardwood furniture all fit together perfectly.

The bottom floor was empty but the second level was graced with several antique sofas, a circular hardwood table with chairs and small professional kitchen along the far wall of the large room. He could see several other rooms at the end of the hallway that went back. One looked like it had office furniture and another had a large cherry wood bed and dresser. It took him a moment to realize that there was a faint aroma of pine trees prevalent throughout her abode.

[b][i]-The magic and auras here are so perfectly balanced.- [/i][/b]Astera mused. [b][i]â??Her wards are designed to smooth out any inconsistencies.-[/i][/b]

[b][i]-Oh?-[/i][/b]

[b][i]-Normally youâ??d be picking up on the discord created by human technology, but this is filtering it out. Itâ??s likeâ?¦-[/i][/b]

[b][i]-â?¦back home.-[/i][/b] Adrian finished for her.

[b][i]-Yeah.-[/i][/b] Astera agreed. [b][i]â??I didnâ??t realize Phaidra was that skilled at magic.-[/i][/b]

[b][i]-So itâ??s difficult to do?-[/i][/b]

[b][i]-Yes and no. I could do something similar on a smaller scale for myself, but I would need to be in a fairly pure place to begin with. Creating one in a city, or near one as large as this, is more difficult. It would help, but it wouldnâ??t be as balanced.-[/i][/b]

[b][i]-So youâ??d still pick up on the discord.-[/i][/b]

[b][i]-Yes. But once we entered her place, I canâ??t feel it anymore, at all.-[/i][/b]

Adrian nearly laughed out loud. [b][i]â??You just felt the urge to stay here.-[/i][/b]

[b][i]-Sorry.-[/i][/b]

[b][i]-No need to apologize.-[/i][/b] He soothed her.

He didnâ??t mind the thought after all. Fairies did stay away from humans for that reason. Their existence, if they werenâ??t a familiar, depended on the tranquil harmonies of nature. No fairy would ever live close to a city like this, the pollution and discord would be painfully distressing and, over time, could kill them.

He offered a slight nod to Phaidra and Sarvel after she thanked them for coming. Alex and Nall were already situated on one of the large sofas. He had barely taken a seat when he felt Lucia and Ruby approaching. A split second later he pulled back in surprise.

[b][i]-What the hell? Why is he here?-[/i][/b]

He resisted the urge to stand up when Lucia, Ruby and Karl entered the place. Lucia didnâ??t even bother to say hello and instead, sank wearily into the other sofa. She looked like she wanted to lean back and close her eyes and sleep. Karl, after glancing briefly in his direction, ignored the questioning look Adrian had as he took a seat next to Lucia.

â??[b]Why are you here?[/b]â? He demanded bluntly.

Karl smirked slightly. â??[b]Does it matter? I have my reasons.[/b]â?

â??[b]I asked Nathan for training.[/b]â? Lucia interjected resignedly. â??[b]Karl is taking care of that.[/b]â?

Adrian resisted the urge to snerk since that explained why Lucia looked so tired. â??[b]Well since youâ??re here,[/b]â? Adrian stared at Karl. â??[b]Why donâ??t you tell them why you think Shou Jian isnâ??t an imposter?[/b]â?

â??[b]Uhâ?¦[/b]â? Sarvel spoke up. â??[b]We checked the records on the other side. They state quite clearly that the Jian clan was wiped out.[/b]â?

Adrian looked at her and then Phaidra who nodded. â??[b]Sheâ??s correct. The records also indicate that no further trace of the clan, in the following cleansing, was ever found.[/b]â?

â??[b]Butâ?¦[/b]â? He started to protest.

â??[b]Didnâ??t I say that if you had bothered to read up on the war with the vampires, youâ??d understand what I was talking about?[/b]â? Karl shook his head. â??[b]The main gist of what I was getting at was that to take your enemy lightly would be a foolish mistake. Whether or not it really is Shou, at this point, is moot.[/b]â?

Adrian didnâ??t have an answer to that and yet Karlâ??s guarded expression and manner of pretending the conversation didnâ??t happen puzzled him. Why would he have said it if he didnâ??t believe it? Karl never spoke to him unless he had something important to say. He never engaged in idle banter or discussion with him.

He absentmindedly tuned out the discussion, letting Astera keep track of everything and occasionally interjecting a thought or two, since he was too distracted by wondering why Karl side stepped the request to explain why he thought it really was Shou.

Most of what they were talking about he agreed with anyway so he didn't have anything to add. Holding off and making sure to coordinate everything with Nathan and the others was the logical thing to do.

Though if they were going to do that, there was no reason why he couldnâ??t make a trip to the other side and check things for himself. Who was to say that Phaidra and Sarvel didnâ??t miss something? He made a mental note to send a request as soon as they were done.

â??[b]So are we agreed then?[/b]â? Phaidra was saying. â??[b]Weâ??ll hold off for now and should something come up, we wait until everyone has responded before going to deal with it.[/b]â?

â??[b]Fine by me.[/b]â? Adrian agreed with a shrug. â??[b]I have some other things Iâ??d like to take care of anyway.[/b]â? He shot a quick glance at Karl, but he was still ignoring him as if he didnâ??t exist.

Adrian started to move to get up and stopped when his cell buzzed. He pulled it out and opened it up to take a look at the message. His eyebrows shot up in puzzled surprise. [i]What theâ?¦?[/i][/font][/size][/color]

[Rachmaninoff]

[FONT="Trebuchet MS"][CENTER][B]Looking Glass[/B][/CENTER]
?[B]You seem pretty relaxed, Alex.[/B]?

Alex just grinned at Nall in response. Sure he was still feeling annoyed over what had happened, but felt different than it did before. This time he already knew that Nathan would help him work on his ability to fight. He still had sessions with Adrian and Astera to look forward to as well.

Whoever this Shou Jian was, they didn?t know where he lived or even who he was. If necessary, they could simply hold off on doing anything while they worked on improving their skills. It helped that nothing had happened as he carried about his usual duties since that day.

?[B]Don?t we have a meeting at Phaidra?s place in a bit?[/B]? Nall reminded him, interrupting his train of thought.

?[B]Yeah, as soon as we take care of the triplets we?ll head over.[/B]?

[CENTER]-------------------------[/CENTER]
Alex really liked Phaidra?s place, even though he couldn?t quite put his finger on the reason why. It didn?t seem that different from anyone else?s place, it was just easy to take a seat and chat for hours without even noticing that time was passing by.

The meeting went how he expected it would, with them all agreeing that holding off and making sure to fully coordinate before moving against the vampires again, was the best course of action.

There was only one question he had remaining, and that was to wonder why he had never heard of familiars being able to train before. Not that it mattered; it was a passing curiosity and nothing more.

After all, the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. If one had the ability to train, it shouldn?t matter if they were a Shinigami or a familiar. [I]I wonder if there are others like Karl who can train. [/I]

The sound of his cell indicating he had a message caught his attention. At the same time, Adrian's did the same thing. Alex wasn?t surprised to get a message from Nathan but the content?

[B][I]Meet me in St. Louie, baby, meet me at the fair.[/I][/B]

?[B]What the hell is that supposed to mean?[/B]? Adrian exclaimed. He looked over at Alex, ?[B]Did you get the same thing I did?[/B]? He showed him the screen.

?[B]Yeah.[/B]? Alex reached up and scratched the back of his neck. ?[B]Hunh? I?m not sure.[/B]?

?[B]What is it?[/B]? Phaidra asked.

?[B]Nathan sent us a message, but it doesn?t make any sense.[/B]? Adrian told them the message. ?[B]I?m assuming it has something to do with training, but that doesn?t give a time or a location.[/B]?

Phaidra shrugged. ?[B]I have no idea what it means either. What about you Lucia?[/B]?

Lucia snorted. ?[B]Since when does Nathan ever make sense?[/B]? She stood up. ?[B]I need to get going, I?ll let you know if I find anything.[/B]?

Alex nodded. ?[B]Thanks.[/B]? He stood up once she, along with Karl and Ruby had left. He closed his cell and put it back in his pocket. ?[B]I wonder if he means the fairgrounds in the city.[/B]?

?[B]Then why not say so from the very beginning?[/B]?

?[B]I don?t know. Why don?t we go and take a look? If he?s not there we can always call him.[/B]? Alex grinned. ?[B]It?s on our way anyway.[/B]?

?[B]True.[/B]? Adrian agreed.

?[B]Catch you later, Phaidra, Sarvel.[/B]? Alex said by way of farewell.

?[B]So,[/B]? he started once they were clear of the building. ?[B]I was wondering if you knew that familiars are capable of training.[/B]?

Adrian laughed. ?[B]Of course, Karl was one of my trainers when I went back.[/B]?

?[B]One of them?[/B]?

?[B]The other was Gavrie, since Karl is his familiar.[/B]?

?[B]Oh, I see. Are there more who can do training?[/B]?

?[B]I don?t know.[/B]? Adrian glanced over briefly, ?[B]Why do you ask?[/B]?

?[B]No reason, I was curious. I didn?t know it was possible.[/B]?

?[B]Neither did I.[/B]? Adrian shrugged again. ?[B]I do know that Gavrie and Karl were involved in the War with the Vampires. Just as I also know training back then was a hell of a lot better than it is today.[/B]?

?[B]I would hope so.[/B]?

?[B]I know so.[/B]? Adrian said firmly. ?[B]I?ve seen Nathan and Gavrie spar before. I?ve learned a lot since then, but at the time, I could barely keep track of their movements, they are [I]that[/I] skilled.[/B]?

Now that would have been something to see. Someone as skilled as Nathan in a spar with him? Just thinking about it was enough to make him grin again. His phone buzzed and he opened it to see another message, this time it was from Isen.

Alex laughed. ?[B]Looks like I was right, we?re to meet him at the fairgrounds.[/B]?

Adrian rolled his eyes. ?[B]Please tell me that messages like that aren?t the norm.[/B]?

Alex laughed again. ?[B]No, they?re not.[/B]?

?[B]Good.[/B]?

A few minutes later they were at the deserted fairgrounds. They landed in the center and looked about for Nathan since his aura was nearby. But there was no sign of the blue Shinigami.

?[B]What is he doing on the roof?[/B]? Astera exclaimed.

Alex turned around and looked up. Sure enough, Nathan was standing on top of one of the closest buildings. [I]What is he doing up there?[/I][/FONT]

[SunfallE]

[FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"][CENTER][B]I?m Not Asleep?[/B][/CENTER]
Lucia quickly took care of her only assignment for the day, a middle aged businessman who had been in a lethal car crash. It had been both amusing and slightly annoying when he attempted to bargain with her in order to remain on Earth. She had wondered briefly what he would think of the next phase since it was nothing like he expected.

The passing thought was lost as she hurried back to her place. Tired or not, she only had so much time for herself now and she couldn?t afford to waste a single minute. At least Karl either wandered off just out of sight or kept out of her way when she worked in her lab.

He didn?t bother her with pointless questions or interrupt her when she was doing something either. A trait she could appreciate since she was already greatly annoyed with losing so much time to training. To lose even more of what little free time she had, would have been too much.

It pained her, after a while, to realize that she couldn?t seriously object anymore. She felt like a fool when Karl explained why human limitations prevented them from being able to effectively train her. What she had learned was useful, but flawed. Humans simply couldn?t keep up with a Shinigami. As a familiar, Karl could, and she could no more keep up with him than anything.

From basic hand to hand combat, to working with her scythe to attempting to predict and counter a foe?s moves? by the time they were done each day, she was so weary it was all she could do to stay awake. She wanted nothing more than to curl up and sleep and yet Karl seemed unaffected by it.

It was slightly maddening. Lucia knew she had a lot to learn, but she hadn?t realized just how profound that gap really was until now. Even if she was doing her best, even if she tried her hardest to keep up, she just couldn?t. And unlike the humans, if she messed up by falling back on what Karl had told her she had to unlearn, he would take advantage of that mistake to send her flying.

Lucia knew he was holding back, but it was still humiliating to realize just how weak she really was. No human had [I]ever[/I] been able to land a serious blow on her. Karl did it as if it was as easy as breathing. He never hit hard enough to seriously hurt her, but it still made her aggravated. Bit by bit, with each session, her hopes for finishing the training quickly was shattered.

?[B]You?re such a dork Lucia.[/B]? Ruby?s mocking voice surrounded her. ?[B]I told you that you needed real training, but you refused to listen.[/B]?

Startled, Lucia whirled around, but the main room was empty.

?[B]You never listen to anyone.[/B]? Ruby?s voice continued. ?[B]All you do is whine about being forced to be a Shinigami, you?re always thinking about yourself and no one else.[/B]?

Puzzled, Lucia looked for Ruby. She couldn?t feel her aura? [I]where is she?[/I]

?[B]You don?t even care if the others die, do you? Your work is more important than your friends.[/B]?

?[B]What are you talking about Ruby?[/B]? She stood up, angry at the accusation. ?[B]I [I]am[/I] frustrated, but why would I ask for more training if I didn?t care?[/B]?

?[B]Lucia.[/B]?

?[B]What.[/B]? She replied shortly, irritated.

?[B]Lucia![/B]?

?[B]WHAT?[/B]? She demanded crossly. ?[B]And dammit Ruby! Why are you hiding from me?[/B]?

?[B]Lucia, Lucia, Lucia.[/B]? Ruby?s voice echoed around the room.

Everything began to spin and with a start, Lucia found herself sitting in one of the plush chairs in her place. [I]What the hell? D...did I fall asleep? [/I]She looked at the crystal communicator that was resting in her lap. She had been working on something when she sat down.

Lucia picked it back up; she turned it on only to see that she had been asleep for two hours. She didn?t even remember falling asleep. With a groan she turned it back off. She had less than an hour before the next training session. She looked over at the red dragon that was curled up in her own chair, fast asleep. Lucia smiled slightly. She should have known it was a dream; Ruby never took that tone of voice with her.

She stood up and walked over to where Ruby was. With another smile she reached down and gently scratched her ears, smiling even more when Ruby stretched in her sleep in response to the caress. Then she turned and walked over to her desk. She didn?t have enough time to much research, but she did have enough to quickly check her programs that were hunting for information. [/COLOR][/FONT]

[Allamorph]

[center][FONT=Arial][b][u]Masterâ??s Apprentices[/u][/b][/FONT][/center]


[font=calibri][b]â??Hello, boys!â?[/b] exulted the blue man, waving his arm in a wide sweep. [b]â??Did you miss me?â?[/b]

[b]â??Who spiked [i]his [/i]coffee?â?[/b] muttered Adrian out the side of his mouth.

[b]â??I think itâ??s a quote from The Mask,â?[/b] Alex offered in the same low tones.

Adrian rolled his eyes. [b]â??So you planning on telling us why you dragged us out here?â?[/b] he called, not bothering to mask his irritation.

[b]â??Sure thing, soon as you get up here,â?[/b] came the blithe reply. [b]â??And bring your better halves with you. Youâ??ll be getting to work with them again today.â?[/b]

The four spirits floated up to the buildingâ??s summit and settled on the roof; Adrian crossed his arms and leaned on an air unit.

[b]â??Right!â?[/b] said Nathan. [b]â??Today itâ??s time for target practice.â?[/b]

[b]â??Again?â? [/b] Adrian looked less than thrilled.

[b]â??Oh nonono,â?[/b] the blue man replied,[b] â??this is different. This requires flying.â?[/b] He grinned broadly.

[b]â??I have set up little energy nodes around the city that, once triggered, will produce one of the target circles weâ??ve been using. These nodes keyed to each of your auras. Some will activate when only one of you approaches a certain distance from it, others will activate for both of you.â?[/b]

[b]â??So we fly around finding and shooting circles, then,â?[/b] said Adrian. [b]â??Sounds easy enough.â?[/b]

[b]â??Ah, but Iâ??m not finished.â?[/b] Nathan grinned again. [b]â??Not only will I be timing you on how fast you can find all of your targets, but each target will only remain active for a small time window. If you donâ??t hit it fast enough, itâ??ll disappear, so Iâ??m also going to be checking how many you manage to hit.

â??Theyâ??ll feel like this.â?[/b] He waved a hand at the air. Nothing happened for a moment, and then a circle unfolded into existence about a foot away from Nathanâ??s right side. He put a fire bullet into its center and it collapsed.

[b]â??Your familiars should be able to sense those nodes better than you can. Theyâ??ll be your spotters while you search, so listen to them if they say something.

â??Your time starts now. Go.â?[/b]

Adrian blinked. [b]â??So wait....â?[/b]

[b]â??Go! Git!â?[/b] Nathan ran at him, and he took off, with Alex following behind him.

As they flew off to begin their search, Nathanâ??s voice drifted to them from behind.

[b]â??Try looking in different directions!â?[/b]

[center]--------------------------------[/center]

[b]â??Tsey have progressed tsat far?â?[/b]

The man nodded, though his contact could not see the motion.

[b]â??Yes,â?[/b] he said. [b]â??The synchronisation is still sketchy for them, but it shouldnâ??t be long before they manage to reconcile it. After that, all thatâ??s left is immersion.â?[/b]

[b]â??I must apologise,â?[/b] said Victor suddenly. [b]â??I know tsis must be hard on you.â?[/b]

[b]â??It isnâ??t.â?[/b]

[b]â??If you insist.â?[/b] The vampire paused. [b]â??How long do you tsink tsey will need until tsey are ready?â?[/b]

[b]â??If they havenâ??t figured it out by First Watch, Iâ??ll be surprised,â?[/b] said the man.

[b]â??Mmm. Tsree weeks. We will be tstarting a good ways behind, tsen.â?[/b]

[b]â??I thought that was what you didnâ??t want happening.â?[/b]

[b]â??You cannot rush tsings of tsis nature. Otserwise you risk catastrophic failure. And [i]tsat [/i]is not an option.â?[/b]

[b]â??Very well, then. I will be in contact soon.â?[/b]

[b]â??[i]Au revoir[/i].â?[/b]

The screen flickered to black, and the man stood, pulling the cowl of his robes up over his head. He paused to check for other auras nearby, and when he felt it was clear he stepped through the wall and into the lighted hallway.

He navigated the Capitolâ??s halls quickly, his head downcast, assuming the persona of a Monitor between assignments. Most Monitors spend their time sleeping or reading energy patterns in unlit seclusion, and as such disliked light in large doses, so his furtive posture, which otherwise might have raised suspicion, went largely unnoticed by those he passed in the halls. The guise went so far as to divert attention away from the shock of blazing orange hair that managed to protrude from the cowlâ??s cover, and which otherwise might have drawn passing eyes by its color alone.

He achieved his destination quickly, and the Capitol swallowed him again.[/font] Edited May 16, 2012 by Allamorph

[Rachmaninoff]

[FONT="Trebuchet MS"][CENTER][B]Target Practice[/B][/CENTER]
?[B]What good will looking do if some of them won?t even trigger until we?re close enough?[/B]? Adrian grumbled. Alex didn't bother to answer since it didn't sound like Adrian was truly complaining.

?[B]Alex![/B]? Nall called out just as one of the circles materialized to the right. He fired off a ball of spirit energy, hitting it dead center and causing it to collapse. To the left, Adrian and Astera veered off to take care of one that popped up, keyed to his aura.

It was much easier than Alex expected as they flew around the city taking care of the random circles, at least at first. With both Nall and Astera finding them much quicker than he could, it didn?t take long to dispatch their targets. But then the timed ones, in addition to the ones that required both of them to hit them, started showing up.

?[B]Goddamn stupid?[/B]? Adrian cursed under his breath when one they both had to hit materialized. ?[B]It?s on the other side of the building![/B]? He made for it at top speed with Alex close behind, only for it to collapse just as they cleared the building.

?[B]Damn! Where?s the next one?[/B]? Adrian looked about.

?[B]That way Alex![/B]? Nall called out. Alex took off at top speed, only for it to collapse before he could get there.

?[B]Just how many did Nathan set up?[/B]? He hovered in midair for a brief moment before he took off again in the direction Nall indicated. Adrian and Astera weren?t that far off as they continued to hunt through the city for the circles.

?[B]Over here![/B]? Astera?s voice rang out just as one for him appeared in the opposite direction.

[I]What the..? How are we supposed to get both?[/I] On instinct he shot a ball of spiritual fire off at the one in the distance. Without waiting to see if it hit or not he made for where the others were, barely getting there in time to hit and collapse the circle with Adrian.

As they continued, Alex winced every time they failed to hit one of the circles. The idea had seemed simple enough, but the timing was terrible. Some of them, to him, seemed impossible since they practically required him to be in two places at the same time.

?[B]Is that all of them?[/B]? He asked a while later when it seemed like no more were appearing. Before someone could answer, movement caught the group?s attention as yet another circle vanished off in the distance a bit, they had wandered in the wrong direction and missed it entirely.

?[B]For the love of?[/B]? Adrian gripped as they made for the location to hunt for any others they might have missed. ?[B]Did he spend all night setting those damn things up?[/B]?

Alex shrugged, "[B]Maybe?[/B]"

Adrian made a scoffing noise. "[B]I just wonder how the hell he expects us to know when we're done.[/B]"

Alex didn't have an answer for that. He just kept hunting instead. They had already covered close to two thirds of the city. By his calculations they had missed close to a third, if not more, of the circles. [/FONT]

[Horendithas]

[center][color=#4b0082][size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif][b]In The Shadows[/b][/font][/size][/color][/center]

[color=#4b0082][size=3][font=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Karl didnâ??t care for Luciaâ??s taste in furniture or rather in this case, lack of taste. The stuff at Gavrieâ??s place though simple, still at least matched to some extent. Her lab, as it were, was a disordered and visually jarring place. It had one saving grace, the outside deck. The simple table and chairs out there were equally mismatched as the rest of her apartment, though.

However, the view of the lake and the small island further out was actually rather nice-looking. When Lucia and Ruby were working in her lab or off doing assignments, he would change back to his smaller form and sprawl out on the sun warmed deck. Unless she ventured off rather far, he stayed out of her personal space when they werenâ??t training.

He knew perfectly well that when Lucia requested assistance from Nathan, she had no clue what she was getting into. There was a lot more to training than warm up exercises, doing drills and working on sparring and techniques. Karl had done enough teaching over the millennia that it wasnâ??t too hard for him to get a grasp on what each student needed.

In this case it was an invasion of personal time and space no matter how much Lucia thought she wanted it. Just seeing how irritable she got after falling asleep a few times was more than enough to tell him that his instincts in that respect were dead on. She had her way of doing things and anything that got in the way annoyed her, a lot.

Karl didnâ??t mind though. He liked working with people who werenâ??t burdened by understanding what the Mark on his face meant. It was much harder to establish a teacher student relationship with someone who knew. He understood why, since as far as he knew, he was the only one to survive with his sanity and will intact. It didnâ??t make it any less annoying though.

It was almost time for the next session and he lazily changed back to human form. Lucia was already waiting with a resigned expression on her face when he ghosted into her place. There was something he needed to talk with her about first. It was better to discuss it now so she could use the training to work off the irritation it was bound to cause.

â??[b]Before we head out, thereâ??s something I need to talk to you about.[/b]â? He resisted the urge to smirk at her guarded expression.

â??[b]You know itâ??s a given that the vampires are looking for your group, yes?[/b]â?

She nodded cautiously.

â??[b]So why are you needlessly drawing attention to yourself by passing Ruby off as a cat whenever you interact with the humans?[/b]â?

Lucia frowned. â??[b]I hide the fact that she has wings.[/b]â?

â??[b]Let me put it to you another way. How many humans have you seen with pet cats that stay on their shoulder and never misbehave?[/b]â? He folded his arms and raised his eyebrows.

â??[b]Iâ?¦ None.[/b]â? She finally admitted.

Karl allowed a hint of a smile through. â??[b]Vampires are aware that Shinigami have familiars and can see them even if humans cannot, yes?[/b]â?

â??[b]Of course. But I would know if any vampires were around.[/b]â? She protested.

â??[b]Can you stop the humans from telling them that a woman with long blue hair always came to work with a cat perched on her shoulder?[/b]â? He challenged.

Luciaâ??s mouth dropped open.

â??[b]There is no reason [i]whatsoever[/i] for you to insist on having her visible when you work for the humans.[/b]â? He admonished her. â??[b]Ruby can be with you at all times by staying invisible to human eyes, so all youâ??re doing is leaving a trail of people who would remember seeing you here in this city.[/b]â?

â??[b]Youâ??re needlessly endangering everyone,[/b]â? He continued harshly. â??[b]Just as you use their Internet and other means to track the vampireâ??s movements, they will do the same to find clues to where your group is located.[/b]â?

Luciaâ??s mouth snapped shut and she stared at him for a long moment, looking chagrined. â??[b]I hadnâ??t thought of that.[/b]â? She finally admitted. â??[b]I wonâ??t do it anymore.[/b]â?

â??[b]Good. Now, letâ??s get going. We have a lot to cover today.[/b]â?

He took off immediately with Lucia and Ruby close behind. It didnâ??t take them long to get to the location he had chosen for the training. Karl was not surprised to see that Isen was conveniently in the area again. She wasnâ??t close to their actual location, but she wasnâ??t hiding the fact that she was watching them, either.

She had been doing that since he started training Lucia. It wasnâ??t the first time he had been watched. Other than Gavrie and perhaps a few others, people simply didnâ??t believe that he really was free. There wasnâ??t much he could do about it. He knew that those who were Marked had been used by the vampires to help destroy or subvert the clans they came from.

He had never met another werecat or any free creature that hadnâ??t been subverted and turned into tools by the vampires. Those that remained, when the war had finally died down, had to be hunted down and destroyed. If not for Gavrie, he too would have been destroyed. Karl sighed inwardly and then put it out of mind as he started working with Lucia.[/font][/size][/color]

[SunfallE]

[FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"][CENTER][B]If I Were Human...[/B][/CENTER]
Lucia hated it when Karl was right. She wanted to object but once again, she couldn?t. So she simply agreed with him even though it galled her to do so. What else could she do? The last thing she wanted to do was alert the vampires as to where they were living. She already knew she wasn't prepared to face them.

She sighed resignedly. Was there nothing she did that was actually correct? It seemed like every time she turned around there was something new that she was doing wrong. Karl?s rather smug look didn?t help either. She knew it was childish but she wanted nothing more than to box his ears for it.

?[B]I?m sorry Lucia.[/B]? Ruby?s voice interrupted her thoughts. Puzzled, she looked at her and then wondered why Ruby looked so despondent.

?[B]Why are you apologizing? It?s not your fault[/B].? She sighed again as she followed behind Karl. ?[B]He?s right; it does make us stand out. I should have seen that.[/B]?

?[B]I?m sorry because I should have realized it too.[/B]? Ruby explained contritely. ?[B]I never thought about it either. I could have insisted that I stay invisible to the humans like the others do.[/B]?

?[B]There?s nothing we can do about it now, so don't be so hard on yourself. We?ll just be more careful from now on. Okay?[/B]? Lucia soothed her.

Though she had thought they already [I]were[/I] being cautious. How could she have missed something so obvious? That bothered her more than anything. What if she had other habits that made her stand out? Just thinking about it was enough to give her a headache. If she were human, she was positive that she would have one already.

?[B]Well there is a bright side to it.[/B]? Ruby said. ?[B]You won?t have to keep explaining or insisting that they let me in when you go to work.[/B]?

?[B]True.[/B]? Lucia agreed. ?[B]That will make it easier this time.[/B]?

?[B]Oh? So you accepted the assignment to do contract work for a new place?[/B]?

?[B]Yeah, I talked to my contact about it while you were visiting Alex and Nall the other day.[/B]? Lucia answered her.

?[B]I thought you were going to wait a bit before taking any assignments[/B].?

Lucia shrugged. ?[B]That was the plan, but this job is too good to pass up.[/B]?

She followed Karl down as he landed on the ground. She frowned when she realized that Isen was in the area, [I]again[/I]. It didn't make any sense to her why she was hanging about in the distance and observing the training.

?[B]Has she nothing better to do than watch you train me?[/B]? Lucia demanded crossly.

Karl just smirked slightly. ?[B]Why don?t you ask her?[/B]?

Lucia folded her arms across her chest and fixed Karl with a slight glare. ?[B]I figured you would know why she started doing that the past few days.[/B]?

?[B]The past few days?[/B]? Karl?s eyebrow shot up. ?[B]She?s been doing that since we started.[/B]? He shook his head slightly. ?[B]I?m going to have to work on your observation skills if it took you that long to notice.[/B]?

Lucia stiffened in irritation. [I]For the love of... [/I] How had she missed that Isen had been around? She resisted the urge to swear. [/COLOR][/FONT]

[Sabrina]

[FONT="Tahoma"][CENTER][B]Following A Line Of Investigation[/B][/CENTER]
It didn?t take Phaidra very long to set up the set spell in Lucia?s place. If anything she had seemed eager for the chance to do something else for a bit. It was similar to what the vampire they had faced had used, but at the same time quite different.

Phaidra and Sarvel were using a type of stone that was akin to the crystal material that made up Lucia?s communicator. Not because it was necessary but because for such a specific spell it made it easier to make it so it would only react if a vampire actually entered her place.

Anyone with a decent understanding of magic could potentially detect it and disarm the spell, so she made sure that both Lucia and Ruby knew not to depend on it. Unlike the ward that kept humans out unless she let them in, this would merely serve as a potential distraction should she need it.

Though any vampire caught unawares by it, especially if they had little magic knowledge, would be incinerated on the spot. That had been the other tricky part, making sure it didn?t set Lucia?s place on fire in the process. She thought she had it but without the ability to test it, she couldn?t be sure.

?[B]I would make sure to back up any information you have in case that should happen.[/B]? Phaidra told Lucia once she was done.

?[B]I keep a copy on my other communicator,[/B]? Lucia motioned to the one sitting on the work table. ?[B]A fire would not affect it. Since I make a copy of any new information and transfer it over every week, very little information would be lost.[/B]?

Lucia turned so she was facing the pair directly. ?[B]Thank you.[/B]?

?[B]No problem.[/B]? Phaidra smiled in response. ?[B]If there is anything else you?d like, just let me know.[/B]?

?[B]I will.[/B]? Lucia glanced in the direction of the deck. ?[B]I need to get going so, see you later.[/B]?

Phaidra nodded and with Sarvel in tow, headed back to her own place. She needed to finish writing up the notes for one of her current projects so she could send the info back to the other side. The school preferred regular updates even if she didn?t have much to give them.

This time she had plenty since stage one of making a ward that would create a neutral zone free of impurities was finished. Phaidra had originally thought it would take a lot longer to tweak the circle and ward design to create a more balanced atmosphere for her place, but since she was not the first person to do that kind of research, it had gone much quicker than she expected.

The only drawback was it required a lot more spiritual energy to maintain it than she would have liked. The one she set up for Lucia?s place could theoretically go a fifty years, if not more, without needing anything for it to keep functioning. This ward, by her calculations, would last all of perhaps five years provided no one tampered with it. Given time, she was sure she could improve it.[/FONT]

[Allamorph]

[font="Arial"][b][center]Antissa[/center][/b][/font]

[font=calibri]A chill breeze blew through the city's upper level. From atop her apartment building Isen savored it, face into the crisp wind, letting it bite at her nose and cheeks. The season was changing, and Isen welcomed it the same way as every year: outside on the roof, with a large mug of hot cocoa and milk.

Winter was the only season she truly enjoyed. It reminded her of her home before, in the forest taiga and steppes of Asia, when her people's only concerns had been hunting seasons and bickering about humans; before the shinigami had been anything but a passing curiosity; before the vampires had forced them to turn on their own for survival.

Before the War.

The shinigami had led the fight against the vampires, and Isen knew, as did all of the survivors, that without their strength the outcome would have been far worse. But the shinigami had fought a war of necessity, and very few of them ever saw it as any more than a long and irritating riot control. They possessed a safe retreat which the vampires could not broach, so they were never exposed to atrocities the vampires committed in a vain effort to mimic their spiritly nemeses. They never witnessed those of their own kind bent and broken and destroyed, or returned to the bereaved as time bombs, or loosed upon their former comrades-in-arms as hunters. They didn't have their lands conquered and ravaged, weren't driven into hiding or flight.

The black steel of the Jian came close to bringing the horror home to the shinigami. To learn that the only weapons to possess the ability to wound and slay them were forged from the essences of their people was vile enough to shake the strongest spirit. Isen herself had quaked when she had learned this truth. But then the War was all but over, and the horror was tempered by its swift subside.

The wolves the vampires had corrupted, breaking them down into mindless killing engines for their hunters' use, but her people were spared the physical nightmare in favor of a worse fate: total subversion. Those the vampires captured were marked in a ritual that sealed away their ability to shapeshift, trapping them as humans and binding them to the vampire who performed the ritual. Then they were tortured, often with magic, until their minds cracked and could be brainwashed. They were allowed to return to fair health and 'escape', and would return to their packs appearing haggard and tattooed but fineâ??until something triggered in their minds and they snapped, turning on friends and family with an unnatural strength and bloodlust.

After so long, her people had become wise to the markings and killed any who bore it on sight. It became a matter of honor, and families would demand the Marked be chained until a member could administer the fatal blow themselves. Isen's mother and two blood-fathers had died this way, killed by her oldest sister when she was too young to do so herself.

In response the vampires had taken to hiding the bonding seal on various places on the body. For a while that worked, and it wasn't until Isen's sister decided to search the corpse of one of the afflicted cats that the hidden seals were discovered. From that time onward the packs were automatically wary of anyone who had been absent for too long, watching them for signs that they were not themselves.

Isen's sister had taken full leadership over several packs by then, and had managed to capture a vampire and wring the details of their loathsome practices out of him before killing him. She had also developed a strong sense for when a packmate was or wasn't afflicted, and when one of Isen's blood brothers had been found to be Marked, it was her sister who encouraged Isen to request his death-blow.

Her sister had also been the one who granted the request.

After that, she had mentored Isen in detecting the Marked, and the sisters had become a formidable duo among their kind, up until the flight where Isen had met and joined her partner. Playing decoy for her pack, she had stumbled into a brawl between vampires and shinigami, and circumstance had thrown her and Nathan back to back.

But her sister had trained her well, and the lessons learned through painful error were not easily forgot, even after many thousand years. Isen had only to look at the emblem on the face of the assassin's familiar to know exactly what it meant: bound to Jian Tsu, second son of Shen Jianguo, one of the most prominent vampire lords throughout the war. The mark was on his face, meaning he had been captured early on in the Jian's endeavors, but even without the visual cue she could still feel the remnants of something wrong lingering around him.

Her constant watching had yielded nothing to lend credence to her suspicions, but still she watched, unable to completely give in. Even the assassin's words of assurance couldn't shake the anxiety that lurked in the back of her mind. There was one method she knew would provide her the answer she needed, but....

[b]"Yo."[/b]

She turned, startled; her partner was behind her, peering at her while leaning, almost tipping over sideways.

[b]"What'cha doin'?"[/b] he prompted. Isen chuckled.

[b]"Enjoying the weather,"[/b] she said, turning back around. She sipped from her mug; the drink was lukewarm now, but still rich and soothing.

The answer must have satisfied him; Isen felt him plop down on the edge of the roof, next to her legs.

[b]"Gain any deep new insights?"[/b]

Isen smirked and took another sip.

[b]"Yes,"[/b] she said at length. [b]"I think I have."[/b]

[b]"Cool,"[/b] said Nathan. He swung his legs from the roof.

[b]"...it[i] is[/i] rather nice out."[/b][/font] Edited May 16, 2012 by Allamorph

[SunfallE]

[FONT="Lucida Sans Unicode"][COLOR="RoyalBlue"][CENTER][B]Mask of Darkness[/B][/CENTER]
?[B]Are you sure you want to go alone?[/B]? Ruby asked wistfully.

Lucia nodded. ?[B]I?ve never worked for this place before so it?s likely to take most of the afternoon, if not longer, to get everything set up.[/B]? She tucked her communicator into her right pocket.

?[B]I don?t mind.[/B]? Ruby reminded her.

?[B]I know.[/B]? Lucia checked her other pocket to make sure she had the ID and other papers that she was often required to use. ?[B]I?ll see you later, Ruby.[/B]?

She offered her a small smile before turning and leaving their abode to head for her appointment. Usually she hated working with a new company. They always wasted so much time gathering information and getting her set up so she could get into the more secure areas of the building.

This time, it felt like a welcome break from the grueling schedule she was maintaining with Karl training her. Since they had started she had, on more than four occasions, been so exhausted that she had fallen asleep.

If she was lucky, she would be able to sneak in some work on her own projects while they made her wait. Either way, Lucia found herself looking forward to it, something she hadn?t felt in a quite a long time.

Once she was within a few blocks of the building, she landed and walked the rest of the way, meandering through the tall glass buildings of the city. Lucia paid little attention to the humans other than to weave her way through the crowds of people hurrying about.

It took her a moment to realize that the occasional odd glance she was getting was likely due to her attire. She was wearing long tan pants with a soft blue silk blouse that left the shoulders bare. Lucia had forgotten to grab a light sweater or shawl. She didn?t get cold after all.

Her destination was one of the larger buildings in the area, with solid glass walls that reflected the light from the sun in all directions. Lucia made for the main lobby doors without hesitation, the automatic doors opening upon her approach. She ignored the rich marble floors and plush chairs and made straight for the reception desk at the far back.

A smartly dressed woman looked up at her and smiled. ?[B]Can I help you?[/B]?

?[B]I have an appointment.[/B]? Lucia handed over her ID card.

?[B]Just a moment please.[/B]? She replied politely before turning her attention to the computer screen that was just below the top of the counter. Lucia just waited for her to verify that she was expected.

?[B]It looks like your contact is still in a meeting.[/B]? The woman handed Lucia her ID back before standing up, she walked around the counter and motioned for Lucia to follow her. ?[B]This way please.[/B]?

Lucia paused halfway through the motion of turning around to go and find a seat. She raised her eyebrow at the woman, questioning. But she was already heading to one of the closest elevators at a brisk rate. Lucia shrugged it aside and followed her into the elevator.

She was slightly surprised when they got off on the fifth floor and the receptionist took her through several doors that required a key card to access them. Lucia was wondering why she hadn?t asked her to simply wait in the lobby when they finally came to a small conference room.

There was a well polished hardwood table in the center of the room with plush chairs set around it. There were no windows but the lighting was bright but yet not too harsh. Along the far wall was what looked like a well stocked bar. Lucia?s eyebrow shot up when she realized that soft music was playing.

The woman smiled apologetically, ?[B]It might be a while. Would you like me to get you anything from the cafeteria?[/B]?

Lucia shook her head. ?[B]No, I already had lunch. Thank you though.[/B]?

?[B]Feel free to help yourself to the bar, if you change your mind and want something[/B],? she motioned to the small number pad and speaker attached to the wall next to the door. ?[B]Just press zero and that will ring my desk.[/B]?

Lucia nodded. The woman smiled again and then left, the door closing behind her. The sharp click of an electronic lock engaging could be heard, but Lucia tuned it out. She was used to the security that most companies she worked for had.

It was a bit unusual for them to take her back before the paperwork was done, but considering the receptionists offer to get her something to eat and placing her where she had access to anything she wanted to drink? it was obvious they were trying to pander to her so she wouldn?t feel slighted over being required to wait.

She chuckled at the thought and settled down in one of the chairs before pulling her communicator out. In no time Lucia was solely focused on one of her own programs. She would know when someone finally approached so there was no reason why she couldn?t put the time to good use.

A while later, Lucia looked up at the clock on the far wall, forty five minutes had passed and no one had come yet. She frowned slightly before looking back at her communicator. If they were going to take that long? she pulled up another program to access her lab. She hadn?t expected to have enough time to get that much work done, so she hadn?t bothered to transfer some of the data to her hand held.

Lucia started the program to connect to her lab and then frowned when it shot back a connection error, telling her that it couldn?t be found. Puzzled she tried it again and got the same results. [I]What in the world?[/I] How could it not find it? Unless someone had physically destroyed her lab, she [I]should[/I] have gotten something.

She tried connecting to something else only for it to tell her that there were no live connections within range. [I]That can?t be right![/I] She looked up from her communicator briefly before pulling up yet another program to scan the area. Other than the signature for her own spiritual aura and that of the electricity running the lights in the room and the lock for the door, there was nothing. She couldn?t even trace the source of that beyond a very short radius. It was as if the city didn?t exist.

[I]Wait? I can?t sense the humans either![/I] Alarmed she stood up quickly, knocking the chair over. How could the city and the humans vanish without her noticing? Lucia walked over and pressed the zero button on the number pad. A moment later the receptionist answered.

?[B]Did you need something Miss?[/B]? The woman?s voice was clear.

?[B]Uh, do you know how much longer it will be?[/B]? She stammered, confused by her inability to sense the woman like she normally could.

?[B]Just a moment and I?ll check.[/B]?

[I]What the hell is going on here?[/I] It was unlikely that her communicator was malfunctioning and even if it was, her ability to sense human auras wouldn?t be affected. She jumped when the woman?s voice came over the small speaker again.

?[B]It looks like they?re finishing up so it shouldn?t be much longer,[/B]? she said politely. ?[B]Was their anything else?[/B]?

?[B]No, thank you.[/B]? Lucia pulled her communicator out again to run another scan.

The results were the same. Within a short radius everything registered, beyond that was blank as if it didn?t exist. She was positive that she had been sensing humans just fine when she first got there.

An uneasy feeling came over her. It was one thing if her equipment didn?t work but not sensing humans? That was a problem she couldn't ignore. Until she knew what was causing it? she couldn?t stay there, job or not. She turned and ghosted out of the room. A moment later, as if passing through an invisible barrier, the normal sense of many humans around, came back.

Lucia sighed in relief and then pulled out her communicator. To her relief, it connected to her lab just fine. She looked briefly back at the building after clearing the outer wall. She had never heard of anything that would interfere with her communicator [I]and[/I] keep her from sensing humans. She made a note to ask Nathan about it to see if he knew anything and then headed for her place. [/COLOR][/FONT]