Shadowess

Denix Vames - July 9, 2021 "I guess but I don't know if I could even help. We barely know each other." ,said Jean. --- When Vincent entered the precinct, he watched some of the faces of the officers show fear. He laughed at what he had done. "Hello gentlemen." Travis was following behind Malone. He looked around before keeping his eyes on the floor. Nervous about being in the precinct. Shadowess - July 9, 2021 Hannes was a little confused by Jean's words and wondered if it was because of their slight language barrier. "Uh...sorry. I mean, Bianka will show you the way to the hall for the trial because I won't be able to walk you there myself. She can help you settle in and get used to things here while I'm not around." he explained then offered him his arm. "Come." he smiled at him. "You can meet my cousin properly this time." --- Malone pushed Vincent into the holding cell and locked the bars behind him. "Sit down and shut up!" he barked at him then turned and looked at Travis. He gestured towards his desk a little ways away from the holding cell. "Take a seat." he said in a more gentle tone. He, himself sat down and logged into his computer. He opened up a programme that he would log Travis's statement on and printed a couple of blank sheets from it for him to write on. "Here, I'd like for you to write on here as much as you can about what you remember. Take your time. It's important that it's as accurate as you can remember, ok? Can I get you anything in the meantime? Some coffee or water?" he gave him a pen. Denix Vames - July 9, 2021 "Oh." Jean followed him. --- Vincent said, "What's the matter officer? You've got the cold shoulder?" Travis pulled out drawings showing an almost scene by scene of what happened to his parents. From them being thrown out of their beds while a gun was pointed at their heads, to them being in the living room on their knees, and to them being gutted. A child was around the corner. Watching. The second to last drawing had Vincent standing near the child who was now holding the camera. Taking a picture of the scene as tears ran down his cheeks. The last drawing had him alone with his dead parents. Tears poured from him after the last drawing. Shadowess - July 9, 2021 They walked to Bianka's house and Hannes knocked on her door. After a minute or so, the door opened and Bianka smiled at them. "Hannes!" she said then looked at Jean. "And one of our newest vampires! Welcome Home Jean." she said excitedly then gestured for them to follow her as she walked into her house. "Come in! Come in! I have your gift all ready for the celebration! Are you excited?" she asked, looking back at Jean after standing next to two large, neatly wrapped boxes. "There is, of course, a gift here for Racheal as well. It's tradition to welcome turned vampires with a celebration and gifts." Hannes smiled and looked at Jean as well after following him into Bianka's house. "You will have to wait until the party to open your gifts." he then looked at Bianka with a more serious expression. "Have you heard about Niko?" Bianka's smile slipped and she nodded. "I saw his punishment by the King...It was difficult to watch." she said quietly. "The Guards are trying to get the trial done quickly. I will have to leave for the meeting very soon. Would you mind showing Jean to the hall for the Trial?" "Of course." she nodded. "That would be fine...Are you alright, Hannes?" Hannes was quiet for a moment and frowned as he looked away from them. "I should go back to our home and wait for the meeting to be called. Shouldn't be long now." he changed the subject then turned to Jean and wrapped his arms around him. He kissed him slowly, lovingly, before letting him go. "I'll see you after the trial." he then gave Bianka a playful smile. "Please don't embarrass me while I'm gone." "No promises." Bianka smirked and Hannes grinned, shaking his head a little. "Meet us here when the trial is over, Hannes. Whether we celebrate or mourn, we can at least have some venomed blood together." Bianka then said and Hannes nodded as he headed towards the door. --- Malone clenched his fists but did his best to ignore Vincent. Instead, he focussed on Travis as he watched him take out picture after picture. Each one more disturbing than the last. When he reached the last one and began to weep, Malone picked up the box of tissues from the end of his desk and offered them to him. "I'm sorry you went through that." he said gently. "Would you mind if I photocopied these? I'm also going to need you to write down what happened in your own words. These pictures give a good idea but they can still be misinterpreted in court." While Malone was busy dealing with Travis, David walked into the station in a pin-striped suit while holding a brief case. He walked over to the holding cell and glared hard at Vincent for a solid minute before Malone noticed him. "Hey! Get away from him! He's dangerous!" David turned calmly and rose a brow at Malone before looking back at Vincent and saying loud enough for Malone to hear him; "My name is Kieran Mccall. I'm a lawyer. Has this officer read you your miranda rights? and would you like me to represent you?" Malone's face turned a little pale and his pupils shrank in rage. 'Fuck! A lawyer!' he thought. Meanwhile, David was projecting thoughts of his own to Vincent. 'Play along. We'll talk properly later.' Denix Vames - July 10, 2021 Jean brushed his fingers over the presents but he did not attempt to open them. "I know I'm supposed to feel at home but I can't the trial off of my mind. I'm sorry." --- Vincent walked over to the bars. He smirked. "Do you really think you're talking to Vincent? You have it all wrong, Mr. Mccall. I have taken over him." Travis nodded. He began to write down his statement. Shadowess - July 10, 2021 David squinted at Vincent and studied him for a moment. Meanwhile, Malone had gotten up with the drawings in his hands to photocopy them. He'd been watching them carefully the entire time. "Why would anyone want to represent that monster?!" He said out loud, glaring at David's back. David turned to look at him, his expression was serious. "Because I believe this man is criminally insane." he answered. "And therefore is not fully in control of what he says and does. I will be representing Mr Hayes from here, pro bono. I'd like to speak to him in private as is his right to council." Malone was shaking out of anger, worried that this lawyer might be able to get Vincent's sentence reduced. "That man is dangerous! I don't think it's a good idea to leave him alone with anyone. I could have an officer sit in with-" "Are you trying to deny this man his right to council?" David interjected and Malone's face turned red. "-N-no." he grit his teeth. "Fine. I'll show you to one of the interrogation rooms but I'm going to handcuff Vincent to the table." "Fine by me." David nodded and Malone sighed heavily, setting the drawings back down and placing a gentle hand on Travis's shoulder. "I'll be right back. Don't worry, we've still got him. You just keep writing your statement, ok?" he said gently then let go of him as he turned back to David and Vincent. He walked over and David stood out of his way. "Step away from the bars." Malone barked at Vincent and would wait until he'd move before opening the cell door. He'd then take him by his arm and walk him to one of the interrogation rooms with David following behind them. --- Bianka gave Jean a sympathetic look. "Maybe it'll be easier once the trial is over?" she suggested. Unlike Hannes who occasionally struggled, Bianka seemed to be fluent in the English language. "Would you like a drink? I have some bottles of blood here if you're thirsty." she offered then gestured to one of the large, cosy looking couches. "Feel free to relax. So, other than the trial, how are you finding it here? I imagine it's quite a bit different than what you're used to." Hannes had been right about how quickly things would be moving. As soon as he'd reach his own home, he'd see Sven and the two warriors rounding the corner again to walk towards his home. Hannes hadn't even managed to lay his hand on the door handle when he saw them coming. "Is it that time already?" he asked in German and Sven nodded. "We're gathering all the guards and warriors to hold the meeting now." Sven replied, speaking in German as well. Hannes nodded and followed Sven. Denix Vames - July 10, 2021 Travis frowned but nodded. He took a tissue and wiped some of his tears. Vincent took some steps back. He smiled at Malone as he was being escorted to the room. Once he was handcuffed and alone with David, he chuckled. "Hello David. Unfortunately for you, it looks as though you wasted your time here. Vincent will stay in this body while I roam the city. Doing what I love." He winked at him. --- Jean nodded. "Thank you." He accepted a bottle. Taking a few sips before sitting on the couch. He nervously smiled. "It's definitely a lot different. This feels like some place a tour guide would take people to and talk about the architecture. Not to mention the people living in it. They have that, you know? Showing people old ruins." shadowess - July 10, 2021 Once Vincent was alone with David, Malone walked back to Travis and picked up the drawings once more. "Sorry about that. I'll photocopy these now and then we'll go over what you've written." he said to Travis before walking off towards the photocopier. After a couple of minutes he'd return and hand the original drawings back to Travis. "What a day! First I happen to bump into a wanted serial killer in the street and arrest them and then one of his past witnesses sees us and comes with us to make a statement! Despite the unfortunate circumstances, you gotta admit, that's pretty lucky." he smiled at Travis. "At least now we can make sure that man gets what's coming to him, right? Now then, let's take a look at what you've got." he said as he nodded at Travis's statement. In the interrogation room, David leant against the wall opposite Vincent and studied him carefully. "Is that right?" he answered then glanced up at the security camera before looking back at Vincent. He was willing to bet it was recording sound as well. Which would mean his cover was blown anyway now that Vincent had called him 'David'. If he was lucky, he could just put it down to the ramblings of a mad man. Still, David was uncomfortable with being watched while they spoke so he clicked his fingers behind his back and the camera short circuited, giving off an electric 'popping' sound before the little red light went out. "Tell me, if you're not Vincent, then what do I call you?" --- "The world has always shown a fascination for the things that are old." Bianka nodded as she sat in an armchair near him. "Do you like it here?" she asked him, tilting her head a little then smiled and added; "It's ok, you can be honest." Denix Vames - July 10, 2021 Travis put the drawings back in his bag. He handed Malone a quick sketch he had made of the officer as a way of thanking him. He shyly looked down. His statement would describe what had been on the drawings but would also add the fact that Vincent had him take photos of their corpses. Telling him that he was an artist in the making. And then Vincent left to let him cry over his parents. Vincent enclosed his hands. Resting his chin over them as he grinned. "Insanity." --- Jean frowned. "Well, I don't feel strange sometimes. Or scared. I don't know what else is going to happen. It seems like ever since I came along, I've been bringing in so much trouble." shadowess - July 10, 2021 Malone blinked at the sketch and smiled a little. "Uh, thank you." he said, visibly flattered. "This is really good! Do you draw for a living?" he asked before putting the sketch down on his desk and picking up Travis's statement. The more he read, the angrier and more disgusted he felt. "That bastard..." Malone growled quietly then nodded at Travis. "Thank you. This will really help to get him put away. "Fitting." David said in an unimpressed tone. "Now then, enough of this nonsense. I will not allow you to hold Vincent prisoner for another minute." He said quickly as he pushed himself away from the wall and gripped Vincent's shirt. Vanishing with him and causing the handcuffs to clatter onto the table, empty. A second later, they'd appear in Hells Cells were David would shove him into one and lock the bars shut behind him. "It's clear now what needs to be done." David said as he stepped away from the bars, out of Vincent's reach. "I need to pull you two apart and place one of you into a new body...seeing as Vincent is the innocent one and has a family to take care of, I think it would be easier to give him the new body. At least then he won't be a wanted man anywhere he goes. I'll deal with you once Vincent is away from you and safe." David turned away from him and sighed before disappearing in search of a fresh body for the spell. A minute after he left, footsteps echoed down the prison as a male with short, brown hair and dark green eyes approached Vincent's cell. He regarded Vincent for a moment before leaning against the bars and smiled at him. "Hello there." he purred. "I couldn't help overhearing your situation. Perhaps you'd like some help escaping once you're all... you?" --- Bianka shook her head with a small smile. "What happened with Niko and Racheal was unfortunate but it was not your doing. Give it time. Let things settle down and you'll see that this place is a perfect home." she said reassuringly. "I think such a hectic arrival would make anyone anxious but I promise you, you are safe here. Not only that but you seem to have captured the heart of a highly respected Guard. So if anything, you're safer than anyone." she chuckled. "Before you arrived there were quite a few men and women trying to impress Hannes but he just never seemed interested. We were beginning to wonder if he was interested in romance at all." Denix Vames - July 10, 2021 Travis nodded at the question of doing art for a living. He blushed a little before moving his arms to show how big the precinct was. Then he pointed at a paper and made a motion as if he were drawing. Asking if he could draw out the precinct. "Hey!" Vincent ran up to the bars. He tried to pull them off. He glared. "You bastard! I'll fucking kill you!" He smiled at the stranger. "I think I'd like that." He cupped his chin. Looking into his eyes. "You're quite the looker." --- Jean blushed. "Uh....Um....Is a Guard here like a King or something? I never thought his position was so important. I don't really know much about vampire culture. Sorry." Denix Vames - July 10, 2021 (forgot to ask but did you want to choose Vincent's new look. and if so, who's your reference?) shadowess - July 10, 2021 (That's alright. I don't really have anything in mind for the body David would find if you wanted to choose one.) Malone hesitated and glanced around. "I guess it wouldn't hurt for you to draw what you see. I won't be able to let you draw out the whole building though." "Thank you. You're quite the stunner yourself." The male winked and smiled. "My name is Donnie and I don't know about you, but I kind of miss being the kind of Demon that we're known for. I miss the screams. Carving bodies open. The blood. The look in the sinner's eyes as they lose all hope. There's a sort of... beauty in it... Do you know what I mean?" --- "Don't worry! You're still learning. No one expects you to know everything right away." Bianka said kindly then thought for a moment on how to describe their system to him. "He's not a King but they are the highest power when a King is not present. Which, up until recently, had been for centuries. There are always four of them and they must all agree on the same thing before making any changes or rulings...Unless a King is present, in which case the King get's the final say. One Guard watches over one quarter of the castle and it's people. They're responsible for ensuring the people in their portion are safe. Mainly from hunters who might try to breach their section of the castle. Guards only change when one Guard dies or is disgraced. Then a vote is held for the vampire who will take their place. Only a Warrior can become a Guard. Once a new Guard has been chosen by the people, they will watch over their section until they either die or are disgraced and on and on." Bianka paused while she picked up a glass of blood that she'd had on the table next to her since before Hannes and Jean had arrived. She took a sip of it and looked back at Jean. "Warriors are the second highest authority next to Guards. They enforce the laws and can arrest vampires for breaking them. All Warriors answer to the Guards. There are other jobs in the castle too. Such as the Caretakers who ensure the Castle is always clean, the Garden is taken care of and anything broken gets fixed. The Observers who patrol the castle grounds at night and raise the alarm if they see hunters approaching...There's more but I'm sure that's a lot to take in already." she chuckled. Denix Vames - July 10, 2021 Travis frowned. He decided to only sketch his desk. So he began. Insanity moaned at his words. Rubbing his own crotch. "It's like music to my ears!" --- Jean drank some blood. "That's definitely a lot. But thanks for telling me." Denix Vames - July 10, 2021 basically this Attached Image shadowess - July 10, 2021 (Looks good to me ) Malone watched him for a moment quietly then turned his attention to his computer monitor where he began typing out Travis's statement word for word in the document he had open. Donnie watched him with a smirk and bit his lip. "I think you and I could have a lot of fun together." he purred then looked around warily as though listening for something. "He's coming back." he said hurriedly then caressed Insanity's cheek. "I'll be close. Waiting for the right moment." he said before vanishing. A minute later, David would reappear with a pair of angelic handcuffs in his hand. "Bring your hands up to the bars. Don't try anything stupid." he said sternly. --- "It's no problem. It'll take a little time but you'll get used to things here." Bianka nodded. There was a knock on her door and Bianka glanced at Jean before getting to her feet and answering it. She spoke with someone at the door for a minute before closing it and walking back over to Jean. "It'll be starting soon. They're spreading the word now so that any vampire who wants to witness the trial has time to get there before it begins. Are you sure you want to be there?" Not too far away from Bianka's room, Joel knocked on Elimar's door to inform them as well. Meanwhile another warrior knocked on X's door. While this was happening Gregor and Lukas walked into the dungeons to Niko's cell. Niko was sat in the middle of his cell, staring down at the stone floor when they'd come in but as he heard his cell being unlocked, he knew it was time for his trial. He wondered if it was daylight outside. Would he get very far if he attempted to run? Or would he run straight into the burning rays of the sun? The forest isn't far from the castle. If he was fast, he might just make it to the shelter that the trees provide. He didn't know what would happen if he stayed for the trial but given what he'd gone through already, he wasn't hopeful. The way he saw it, he could either die painfully as a free vampire or die a painful death as a prisoner...or worse.

shadowess - July 8, 2021 Oscar smirked and bent down to kiss Leo's neck. "The perks of being a dragon." he chuckled. "Just you wait-" he purred as he took hold of Leo's shorts and started to pull them off him. "Things are about to get so much hotter." he bit his lip while looking intensely into Leo's eyes. He removed his own clothes then leant over Leo again, wrapping an arm around his waist to lift his hips. As he did, his whole body warmed up and he pressed himself against him, kissing him deeply. (Private Time.) --- Sven nodded and glanced at Joel who just finished writing the last sentence. "Hannes! You can come back in." He called out. Hannes stepped back into the room and looked between them all a moment before walking over to Jean and taking his hand. He kissed him on the cheek then turned his attention to Sven. He'd heard everything, but the point of him leaving the room wasn't so that he wouldn't hear what was said. It was so that his presence wouldn't effect whether or not Jean answered honestly. Feeling like the conversation is private can be helpful in encouraging people to be truthful. "Thank you, Jean. Your input is more valuable than you think. Now, Hannes." Sven looked at Hannes. "I need you to tell me what happened when you had Niko arrested." "I had been relaxing here with Jean when Lars knocked on my door to tell me what was happening between Niko and Elimar. Apparently he'd been passing by and heard the commotion. I ran from here to Niko's house immediately...I called upon Gregor and Lukas on my way there to assist me." Hannes sighed. "What I saw when I arrived...Racheal was crying on the bed with cuts across her feet. Elimar had Niko pinned down. He had similar cuts across his face. Niko had a broken nose and was holding a rod...which he had been using to hurt both Racheal and Elimar. I had no choice at that point. What had happened was more than clear...and Niko didn't deny what he'd done...so I ordered Niko's arrest." There was a pause and Sven regarded Hannes with a sympathetic expression. "That wasn't easy for you." he observed. "No...Niko begged me not to...but I simply couldn't allow his abuse of Racheal to continue. It was wrong and had to be stopped." Sven nodded and there was another brief pause. "Had you suspected him of mistreating her at all up until that point?" Tears stung Hannes's eyes as he slowly shook his head. "Not at the time now. Looking back now...I realise there were things I missed that I should have picked up on..." "You can't blame yourself, old friend." Sven said gently. "You two were close friends...which meant he knew how to hide things from you in particular, better than anyone. You are not responsible for his downfall. Only he is to blame." Sven looked over at Joel who nodded at him to say he'd finished writing down everything. "Alright, I think that about does it. As I said, we're trying to hold the trial as soon as possible so will call on you very soon, once everything is set. We're also thinking of holding the welcome celebration after the trial so that we all have something good to look forward to." Sven said to them while Joel packed up his things once more. Joel handed one of the parchments to Hannes who nodded and looked at it with a small smile. Sven then looked at Jean and gave him a kind smile. "Welcome home." he said. Joel and the other warrior echoed his words to Jean, both of them smiling at him before all three turned and headed for the door. Once they were gone, Hannes sighed then turned to look at Jean. He smiled a little at him then unrolled the document to look at it proudly, as if admiring a painting. "Do you think we should frame this?" he chuckled. --- Viktor swallowed hard out of nerves, unable to take his eyes away from his. He could feel his heart beating quickly and the butterflies in his stomach. His mouth dried up and he found himself too nervous to speak. His cheeks turned pink. He'd never felt like this before. Hell, he'd never dated before. His parents had always been so strict and had sheltered him for most of his life. He didn't know what to do or say. What if he messes it up and makes an idiot out of himself? What if he was reading this wrong and Bryce was just trying to be a friend? Should he just come right out and say he likes him? That he thinks his eyes are the most beautiful he'd ever seen? But what if he thinks Viktor weird for saying that? What if he doesn't like him back?! God, Viktor wanted to kiss those lips so badly but he didn't know if it was the right time. Although only a second or two had passed since Bryce spoke, it felt like minutes to Viktor as he tried to gather up the courage to say something back. --- (Oooo! Alrighty ) Rueben Malone had transferred from LAPD to the NYPD just a few months prior. Although he wasn't new to the job, he was new to this city and was trying his best to fit in. In the years that he'd been on the force, he had heard of Vincent Hayes and frankly was glad he had gone missing earlier in the year. No one really knew what happened to Vincent but most assumed he'd died. Maybe a grieving relative of one of his victims finally caught up to him and dished out some justice of their own? Malone wouldn't mind if they had. But today, Vincent Hayes was not one of the things that had been on Malone's mind when he started his shift. In fact, Malone had just been thinking of how quiet things had been so far as he walked down the street towards his favourite coffee shop. So far, the most that had happened today was that he'd had to give a few rowdy teenagers a stern talking to when he'd caught them about to spray paint the side of a building. That was it. That was all the excitement he'd gotten all morning. After a few minutes in the coffee shop, Malone stepped out with a latte in his hand. He started walking down the street and took out his phone to quickly check his messages. Just like his morning, his social life was quiet too. Sighing, he looked up in time to see Vincent, having almost walked into him. "Oh, sorry." he said absent mindedly as he stepped to one side to let him pass. He'd take maybe two more steps before he realized where he'd seen his face before. Holy shit! That was Vincent Hayes! The latte dropped from Malone's hand as he spun around and took out his taser, pointing it towards Vincent. "DON'T MOVE! DON'T TAKE ANOTHER STEP!" he ordered. His mind raced and so did his heart. Was he really about to arrest the infamous serial killer? Just like that? What was he doing out and about in plain view? "GET ON YOUR KNEES, PUT THE CAMERA DOWN AND PUT YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEAD!" Denix Vames - July 8, 2021 Jean's tears continued to fall as he wrapped his arms around him. He kissed him slowly. "I want to see it every time I walk here." --- Bryce placed a finger on his lips. "I already know what you're thinking and don't worry. I'll let you know what I'm thinking." He cupped his cheek and kissed him. --- Vincent grinned. "Officer please. Let me take a picture of you. You look quite handsome. Wouldn't you be honored to be pictured by the infamous Vincent Hayes?" He walked over to him. Shadowess - July 8, 2021 Hannes smiled. Despite how difficult it had been to talk about Niko and the upcoming trial, seeing that Jean was just as happy about the document as he was cheered him up a bit. "Then that's what we'll do." he said proudly, letting go of one side of the document so he could wrap an arm around Jean's waist. He leant his head against Jean's. "I am happy that you came into my life, meine Geliebte." --- Viktor held his breath when Bryce placed his finger on his lips. He watched him nervously as he spoke and could feel his heart beating even harder. Then Bryce's lips touched his and Viktor stiffened for a moment before melting into it. He closed his eyes, simply enjoying this new feeling and the way his kiss sent excited shivers through him. When the kiss broke, Viktor opened his eyes and looked into his. Without a word, he lifted his hand and caressed Bryce's cheek, finding him utterly beautiful. He leant forward and gently pressed his lips against his once more, wanting to be close to him. Wanting to know him. --- Malone's eyes widened a little at Vincent's apparent confidence. He really was mad! He was even more disturbed by the killer's interest in him. "I'm warning you! GET ON. YOUR KNEES! NOW!" he ordered and when Vincent wouldn't listen, he'd fire the taser at him. Denix Vames - July 8, 2021 "Me too." Jean frowned. "But what about the trial? Am I allowed to be there?" --- Bryce brought his hand to his thigh as he slipped his tongue into his mouth. Moaning into the kisses. --- Vincent's eyes widened. He hadn't expect Malone to actually pull the trigger. He dropped the camera as he collapsed. It broke when it hit the ground. "NO!" He reached out to the broken camera. "My work! What have you done?! My work!" shadowess - July 8, 2021 Hannes's smile slipped. "If you want to be there. You have the choice of witnessing what happens. Because I'm a Guard, I have to be there to pass judgement...What happens to Niko depends entirely on whether all four of us Guards can agree on one specific outcome...unless..." Hannes hesitated and bit his lip. "We haven't had a king attend a trial in centuries...I wasn't even born when the last Blood King lived within our walls. But the law is the same now as it was back then...Blood Kings have the highest authority. If the King has another idea in mind for a punishment, then the Guards are automatically out-ruled...and it would seem Niko has already met the wrath of this King once..." Hannes's was worried for Niko's fate. "Before the trial starts, the Warriors and Guards hold a meeting to go over the information we have first. That way there is no confusion as to what happened and the final ruling can be as just as possible. Niko would have a chance to have his say..." Hannes sighed. "I supposed he'll have to write down what he wants to say now...and whether he shows any remorse might have an effect on the final outcome of the trial...he won't get off without punishment completely mind you, but it might not be as severe if he shows he is willing to change his ways and that he is genuinely sorry for his actions." --- Feeling Bryce's tongue slip into his mouth, Viktor shivered and couldn't help moaning a little. His hand moved up to feel his hair, gently running his fingers through it. He felt his hand on his thigh and felt more excited shivers run through him. Viktor moved his other hand to Bryce's chest. He wasn't really thinking anymore. Just acting on what his instincts told him to do as well as following Bryce's lead. Every fibre of his being told him that this felt right. --- Malone snatched up the camera. "I said hands behind your head!" he snapped impatiently. Denix Vames - July 8, 2021 Jean nodded. "I understand. But if the King already punished Niko then does that mean he's going to....kill him?" --- Bryce moved him so that he was laying on the couch. Being on top of Viktor, he brought his hands under his shirt. He lifted his shirt up and began to kiss all over his chest. --- Vincent glared. "You bastard!" He pulled out his knife. He stood and reached out. Attempting to stab him. Shadowess - July 8, 2021 Hannes's lip quivered as tears threatened to fall from his eyes. "Possibly." he answered honestly. "or...Blood Kings can do something far worse...they can destroy souls..." he quickly shook his head. "I don't want to think that that might be a possibility. It seems too severe...even for the kinds of things Niko was doing. I want to believe that he can be saved." --- Viktor let Bryce move him and felt a thrill when he moved on top of him. He moaned when he felt Bryce's hands on his skin, under his shirt. He then moaned a little louder, letting out shaky breaths as he tilted his head back while Bryce kissed his chest. He lifted a hand up to grip the arm of the couch tightly, biting his lip. He'd never felt like this before and he didn't want it to stop. --- "Shit!" Malone tried to move out of the way quickly. The knife scratched his arm, making him recoil and drop the camera again. His heart was pounding as he jumped back, away from Vincent. "Enough!" This time Malone took out his gun and aimed it at Vincent. "Put the weapon down or I'll shoot!" he warned. He then reached for his walkie to call for backup. Denix Vames - July 8, 2021 "A Blood King can do that? That's insane!" ,said Jean. --- Bryce kissed his neck. Leaving marks. He pulled his pants down. "I'll be gentle." (private time) --- Vincent chuckled. He let the knife go as he raised his hands. "Whatever you say officer. After all, I'd hate to get blood on my suit." Denix Vames - July 9, 2021 (so i was thinking of having someone being allowed to confront Vincent for killing his parents right in front of him. his name would be Travis Bones and he's mute cause of the trauma so he can only draw to tell. He's an adult now and I would be playing as him. you could have your officer character react to whatever Vincent says to Travis or some other character if you want. thought that would be cool) shadowess - July 9, 2021 Hannes nodded with a worried expression. "Yes...According to legends anyway. They are the Gods of Vampires, meine Geliebte. This is why we must obey them." he caressed Jean's cheek. "But we should not fear them either. They are our leaders. If they did not take care of their subjects, they'd have no one to worship them. Only the wicked and those deserving of their anger should ever fear a King." --- Malone watched Vincent warily, his hand on his walkie as he hesitated to call for backup, seeing as Vincent was no longer putting up a fight. A small bead of sweat ran down the side of his face. He knew the kinds of horrors that this man was capable of and didn't trust him for a second. On the surface, Malone seemed brave and in control of the situation. But deep down, he was terrified of this particular murderer. He got an awful feeling that Vincent was up to something but seeing as his knife was on the floor, he couldn't see how he'd be able to do anything other than comply. Keeping his gun trained on him, Malone took out his handcuffs and walked around Vincent, moving to grab one of his wrists to handcuff him. "Don't try anything stupid!" he warned. (Sounds interesting How are they going to bump into him?) Denix Vames - July 9, 2021 Jean hesitantly nodded. "If he wants to be there, the Vampire King, then who will tell him? Or does he always know everything?" --- Vincent smirked. "Handcuffs? How sexy." (i was thinking like now lol) Travis Bones had been walking down the street. Looking around as he was trying to find the next idea for his drawings. Everything he wore was black from head to toe. (also i know the new profile pic ill have wont be a total black outfit but we can just pretend) His eyes widened at the sight of Vincent. He nervously walked over. Catching the attention of the officer. He raised his hands before slowly pulling out a drawing from his messenger bag. Showing a drawing of two people being dead on the ground. Having been gutted like a fish. It was a woman and a man. He pointed at the drawing then himself and then Vincent. Hoping the officer would understand. Shadowess - July 9, 2021 "One of our Warriors will deliver a message to him so he can attend the trial if he wants. Our history records state that Blood Kings would know of major events without needing to be told but it is good manners to inform them anyway." Hannes replied. He then sighed and rubbed the side of his head. "If they are trying to hold the trial as quickly as possible then I don't think it will be long before the pre-trial meeting is called. They would only need to have asked us, Racheal, Elimar and the vampires I mentioned some questions to gather all the information. I suppose I will need to just wait and be ready to leave at any time." --- (Lol it's cool) "Shut up!" Malone snapped at Vincent. He'd put his gun away while he tightened the cuffs around his wrists. He then looked at the man who approached them and immediately stood between him and Vincent while keeping a tight hold on Vincent's arm and holding his other hand up to stop him getting any closer. "Stay back, this man is dangerous." he warned him then watched as he pulled out a drawing. His eyes widened when he watched Travis point to the picture, himself then Vincent. "Are you a witness to one of his murders?" he said then turned to glare at Vincent. He looked back at Travis and nodded. "Come to the precinct. Your statement would help to put this man away for good." Denix Vames - July 9, 2021 Jean held his hand. "I'll come with you. I want to be there by your side." --- Vincent said, "Travis Bones. It's been a long time since we met. The last time I saw you was when I was killing your parents." Travis's face went pale. He clutched the drawing. "Have you ever thought about getting into photography?" Travis looked away from him. Nodding at the officer that he would go with him. Shadowess - July 9, 2021 Hannes gave Jean's hand a gentle squeeze and he kissed him tenderly. "Thank you, Jean. It means a lot to me...You won't be able to come to the pre-trial meeting but the trial will be held in the hall. I'll ask Bianka to guide you there. The castle halls can be a little like solving a maze sometimes." he chuckled. He glanced towards the door, wondering how quickly the meeting might end up happening. He was willing to bet Sven had paid Racheal a visit before them because of her being so close to Niko. Which meant it wouldn't take him much longer to see to the other vampires who were involved. "Perhaps we should pay her a visit now?" he suggested. --- "I'm not the type who believes in police brutality but you're sure as hell making it difficult to not beat you into the ground." Malone growled at Vincent angrily. He then turned back to Travis and nodded. "Alright then, let's go." Having walked here, Malone didn't have his car nearby. So, they would have to walk to the Precinct. Thankfully, it wasn't a far walk. He kept his grip on Vincent's arm tight and started walking him towards the station. Although he was still very wary of Vincent, particularly with how calm he seems, Malone felt a little proud. He was the officer to finally arrest the serial killer that had eluded so many officers before him! --- Being wanted for murder as well, Theo had found it easier lately to just stay in his wolf form whenever he wandered the city. He had been skulking around a nearby alley when he'd picked up Vincent's scent. He'd been following him at a distance for sometime. He'd watched him find the body and although he knew Vincent hadn't done the killing, he had been deeply disturbed by the sight of him taking photos of it. What was he doing? Why had he relapsed back into the Vincent he'd known when they'd both been together? He had a family now! Why was he risking throwing all of that away?! Worried for him, Theo continued to follow him until he started walking on the street. Theo remained in the alleys and kept up as best he could until he heard Vincent crying out over his broken camera. Theo found a small walkway between buildings that was close enough for him to watch unseen as Vincent was arrested and confronted by a past witness. Once they all walked away towards the precinct, Theo whined with his ears back as he retreated back into the alley where no one else would see him. He transformed back into his human form and covered himself with his hands. "David?" he called out, hoping to help Vincent however he could.

Denix Vames - July 7, 2021 Leo's cheeks went red. He bit his lip. "Well, I've thought long and hard about this for a while now but...." He looked at him. "I want to become a cop and retire from the CIA." --- Elimar pricked his finger with the pen then signed his name on both papers. He smiled at Sven and nodded at the chair. "Go ahead." --- Bryce shrugged. "The usual. Are you hungry by the way? I've got some leftover pizza in the fridge." shadowess - July 7, 2021 "Really?" Oscar blinked and studied Leo's features for a moment before smiling at him. "If that's what you want, then of course I'll support you." he wrapped his arms around his waist and kissed him. "Maybe we could call Will later, see if we could get the ball rolling?" he then looked uncertain. "What about Allie? You think she'll be ok?" --- Racheal watched Elimar sign the papers and smiled a little. She supposed this was official now. She still felt a little sad that things hadn't worked out with Niko but considering what he'd put her through, maybe this was for the best. At least Elimar seems to be much kinder to her than Niko had been so far. "Thank you." Sven sat down and sighed. "I know this is going to be...uncomfortable for you." he said to Racheal who looked at him curiously. "But we're going to need you to tell us everything about what living with Niko was like. The King has taken interest in this matter so I cannot stress enough how vital it is that you be absolutely honest with me today. Do I make myself clear?" Racheal frowned and hugged herself but she nodded. "Good...Now, it's important to note that any violence within the first day of your turning is not counted in the trial. This is because, due to our old law, the likelihood of a human fighting back when being turned was very high. So, violence within that first day was permitted for the sole purpose of preventing that human from being a danger to themselves, their maker and anyone else they might cross paths with during that time. You were turned while this law was still in effect so, regrettably, we cannot use anything he did to you during that time against him. However, and I want to make this absolutely clear, anything he did to harm you after that day is inexcusable! So, with that in mind, I want you now to list all the ways Niko has hurt you since you were turned. Take your time." "Uh..." Racheal glanced at Joel who had opened the book and had a pen at the ready, watching her with a serious expression. She looked at the ground as she thought back on her short time with Niko. She shook a little at the memories and her voice quivered as she spoke. "H-he'd only hurt me when we were alone. He said it was to punish me for things I'd done wrong. To make me a better vampire. He's choked me...punched me where the bruises would be hidden by my clothes...wh-whipped me..." her voice broke a little and she had to stop to take a breath. "It's ok." Sven said gently. "You're safe now." He hesitated before asking his next question. "Niko wasn't just a maker to you, was he? You two were...together. I'm so sorry to ask but did Niko ever...force himself... onto you?" Racheal shivered and closed her eyes, letting a couple of tears fall. Her grip on her arms tightened a little as she nodded slowly. Sven glanced at Joel who was writing notes furiously then looked back at Racheal. "How many times, Racheal?" She didn't answer immediately. Trying to calm herself down enough to answer. She wiped the tears from her eyes and sniffled, taking in a few deep breaths. "Th-three...n-not including...the t-two times right after he turned me...I-if I tried to tell him I didn't want it...he'd call me ungrateful...then he'd choke me and-..." Racheal covered her face and wept. Sven looked at the second Warrior by the door. "Could you fetch us a couple of bottles of blood?" he asked quietly and the warrior nodded before leaving hurriedly. He then looked back at Racheal with a sad expression. "I'm sorry, Racheal. We're almost done here and we'll leave you to rest. Just one more question for you then we'll move onto what happened when Niko was arrested." Sven rubbed his chin a moment, clearly uncomfortable himself with having to ask this next question. "Have you had any signs of...pregnancy, yet? Or would it be too early to tell?" Racheal stopped crying for a moment to look at Sven in surprise at the question. She let out a sigh of relief and wiped away a couple of her tears as she shook her head. "I'm on contraception. Before he turned me, I had an injection that I get once every three months. It prevents pregnancy." Both Sven and Joel seemed relieved by this news. They had enough to deal with without Niko trying to use a child to gain sympathy. "Remarkable. This is a new thing the humans have?" Sven asked and Racheal shrugged. "It's been around for a few years but I guess to you guys it might be new." she answered honestly. Sven nodded with a small smile. "The wonders of human inventions..." he chuckled "Thank you, Racheal. You can rest a moment." he then looked at Elimar, opening his mouth just as the second Warrior knocked on the door and came back in with the bottles. Sven looked at the warrior then nodded towards Elimar and Racheal. The warrior walked over to them and gave them each a bottle before stepping back to stand by the door again. "Now then..." Sven said, looking back at Elimar. "I'd like you to tell me everything you know about what happened leading up to Niko's arrest. Tell me everything that you heard and saw." --- "That'd be great. Thanks." Viktor nodded with a smile. He glanced around the dinky apartment and looked back at Bryce. "I'm guessing this is a lot different than how you used to live?" he asked. He scratched his head a little, nervously. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I kinda imagined you in some kind of Victorian mansion or something." he chuckled. Denix Vames - July 7, 2021 Leo sighed. "I'll talk to her about it. The entire family will of course be getting a new bodyguard but I'm not sure how she'll react. She probably won't like the idea. That's for sure." --- Elimar drank some of the blood. "Rachael was walking down the hall. She seemed lost. She told me that she was hungry so I took her to one of our storage rooms. Giving her a blood bag. I led her back to her home once she was done. Me and Niko had a 'friendly' conversation. Once I walked a bit far, I could hear her crying as he was hitting her with a rod to her feet. Overwhelmed by the sounds, I knocked the door off and fought him. Then Hannes came along." --- Bryce walked to the kitchen. He grabbed the takeout pizza from the fridge. "I did have a mansion but some bitch burned it down. Now, I live here." He set the box on the coffee table and opened it. It would be cheese pizza. Shadowess - July 7, 2021 Oscar nodded and kissed Leo's neck. "I'm sure she'll be fine. If a change is what you need then she'll just have to accept it." he said gently. --- "It was a good thing you acted. Who knows how much longer Racheal would've had to suffer in silence." Sven nodded. He then looked at Racheal. "May I ask, why were you wandering the halls alone? Had Niko not been providing you with enough blood?" Racheal hesitated, looking at Elimar for support before looking back at Sven. "I...snuck away." she admitted. "That's why Niko was...'punishing' me when I got back...he'd told me to not leave the room without him." "So, why did you?" "I needed to talk to X...I mean...the King...Before I was turned, I was a-..." "I know who your family were. That doesn't matter now. Go on." Racheal seemed relieved and continued. "I knew a location of where my family were breeding werewolves to farm their venom...I wanted to make amends for my past so I gave him the address so that they could be rescued." Sven nodded in understanding. "I see. You were just trying to do the right thing...I'm guessing Niko wouldn't have understood?" "He didn't want me to talk to anyone else unless he was there...and I felt too ashamed to tell him what I needed to do." "You have nothing to be ashamed of. You did the right thing." Sven said. He looked at Joel who finished writing up the last part before looking back at him and nodding. "Thank you both for your time and I'm sorry that we had to put you through that again. We will be paying Hannes and Jean a visit next to get Hannes's side of the story as well as have Jean sign the document as well. With any luck, we should be ready to hold the trial tomorrow evening. Earlier if we can. We'll let you know. Of course, now that we've gotten this information from you, you are not obligated to attend or make any statements during the trial if you do. Those decisions are entirely yours to make. I'll let you both rest now." Joel packed up the pens and closed the book. He picked up one of the parchments and handed it to Elimar. "This copy is yours." he said then nodded at Racheal with a kind smile. "Welcome home." he said gently and Racheal smiled a little through her tears. He grabbed the other parchment and the book before following Sven and the other warrior out of Elimar's house. The three of them then headed towards Hannes's home. Once they were gone, Racheal wiped away her tears and sniffled a bit before drinking some of the blood from the bottle in her hand. --- Viktor frowned. He felt a little angry that someone would burn anyone's home to the ground. "That's awful! I'm sorry to hear that...Did they ever get caught?" He sat on the couch and kept his eyes on Bryce as he reached for a slice. "Thanks." Denix Vames - July 7, 2021 Leo smiled. "Thank you." He kissed him. --- Elimar placed the copy in his drawer. He walked over to her. Placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's alright. You're safe now. No one will ever hurt you again." Jean sat up. He covered his chest with the sheets. He had heard the knocking. "Hannes? What's going to happen this time? The last time there was knocking, you had to...." He wiped away his own tears. Worried about the next situation. --- Bryce sat next to him. "I kind of deserved it to be honest. I use to be a dick. Did some really fucked up things before. And I know who did it but I'm fine with them. I don't really care as much as I did before." shadowess - July 7, 2021 Oscar kissed Leo back and smiled into the kiss. He kissed him again slowly, savouring the feeling of his lips against his. "Do you want to pick up where we left off last night?" he whispered with a smirk and kissed Leo's neck again, nibbling lightly on his skin. --- Racheal looked at Elimar for a moment and tried a small smile at his words. Her lip quivered and she leant her head against his shoulder as her tears slowly rolled down her cheeks. "What do you think will happen to him?" she asked quietly. For Racheal, her emotions were a little complicated. She knew now that Niko had never loved her and she feared him. But a small part of her still cared about him and wished that he'd been a better person. Hannes sat up and looked towards the living room. Unlike the knock he'd heard last time, which had been hard and hurried, this one had sounded slow and relaxed. He turned to Jean and gently pulled him into his arms to comfort him. "It's alright, meine Geliebte. Not every visit is a bad one." he kissed his forehead and smiled at him. "Let's get dressed and find out." he then let him go and got out of the bed, picking up his clothes and putting them on. Once they were both dressed, he'd walk with him to the living room and answered the door. "Ah, Sven." Hannes greeted him with a smile then spotted the parchment in Joel's arms. "Are those what I think they are?" "They certainly are, old friend." Sven answered and Hannes stood to one side to let him in. One he and the two warriors were inside, he closed the door behind them. Hannes then walked over to Jean and wrapped a hand around his waist. "They're just here to register you, Süsser. It will make everything official. You'll be a member of our community and I'll be documented as your maker. They need to do this before they can arrange the ball that I told you about." he explained briefly while Joel unrolled the parchments and took out two new pens, handing one each to Hannes and Jean. "Like this, Jean." Hannes said and showed him how to use the pen by pricking his finger then signing his name on his sections of the parchments. "I'll need you to sign here and here." Joel said to Jean with a small smile, pointing to his parts of the register. Sven stood by until they were done then looked at Hannes. "I'm also here about Niko." he said sombrely. Hannes's smile slipped and he looked at Sven seriously. "The King has taken an interest in his trial..." he continued then hesitated before informing him; "And...he had also already issued a punishment to Niko...publicly." "What?" Hannes's eyes widened, his face turned pale. Sven nodded with a grave expression. "It would seem the Kings warning to him in the hall wasn't just something he said to quiet him... He paid Niko a visit in his cell and removed his tongue. He then had Niko forced to watch as he ate it. He was whipped severely anytime he tried to look away." Hannes covered his own mouth, feeling sick. He leant against the mantle of the fireplace, feeling responsible for what had happened to one of his oldest friends. "I'm sorry, Hannes. I know you two were like brothers and that this is upsetting." Sven said sympathetically. "That's-..." he sighed. "That's not all. Because the King has an interest in this case, we're working to get this trial started as soon as possible. For that to happen...we have to question all those involved." He looked at Jean for a moment before looking at Hannes. "Would you mind if we spoke to Jean alone for a moment?" Hannes lowered his hand from his mouth and looked at Sven in disbelief. "You don't think I'd-?!" "You need to trust me on this Hannes." Sven interrupted him, his expression just as serious. "I don't like it either but Janik and Natali were insistent on conducting this specific interview themselves. I think you and I both know why." Hannes clenched his fists and looked hard at the ground but nodded. "Good. Then I'll need you to leave us alone for a minute while I ask Jean some questions. If you have nothing to hide then you have nothing to fear." Hannes hesitated, shaking a little but he walked over to Jean quietly and kissed his cheek before walking into the bedroom and closing the door behind him, leaving Jean with Sven and the warriors. Sven sighed and looked at Jean. "The King will likely be looking into all of this, so I need you to be honest with me. At any point, after the day you were turned, has either Hannes or Niko hurt you in any way?" he asked plainly. He then held up a hand. "Believe me, I don't like asking that question but it's very important that we record exactly what you have to say for the trial, so that your words cannot be twisted to mean something else. Do you understand?" Sven was telling Jean to be careful about how he answered without directly telling him to be careful about how he answered. That what he had to say might also affect whether Hannes would end up going down with Niko or not. --- Viktor ate some of the pizza in his hand as he listened to Bryce. When he finished speaking, Viktor lowered his eyes to the pizza thoughtfully as he swallowed what was in his mouth. "I think I get that. I wasn't exactly a good person before I changed...My parents tried to make me into a killer...they almost succeeded. When they were killed I was hellbent on living up to their name..." he shook his head. "I'm glad I didn't." he smiled and turned his head to look at Bryce. "Turns out, I actually like the supernatural world..." he grinned. "You can meet some really interesting people when you accept them as they are." Denix Vames - July 7, 2021 Leo moaned. He smirked at him. "Gladly." He brought his hands under his shirt. Feeling up his hips as he slipped his tongue into his mouth. Kissing him passionately. --- Jean hesitantly pricked his finger before signing. His eyes widened at the idea of being away from Hannes. He was more so shocked by X's punishment. He covered his mouth as tears rolled down his cheeks. "Hannes would never!" He glared. "We had our ups and downs in the beginning but he's been a good man to me! A wonderful lover!" He turned away. "Niko....I was always afraid of him but he never laid a hand on me." --- "I guess so. I did meet you." ,said Bryce. Shadowess - July 7, 2021 Feeling his hands moving over his hips, Oscar moaned into the kiss. He matched Leo's passion and gently pushed him down onto the bed, climbing on top of him. He took off his shirt and threw it to one side before sprouting his wings. He kissed him deeply again and slipped his hand under Leo's shorts. He then used his powers to warm up his hand. Not hot enough to burn him but warm enough to give Leo a new kind of thrill. His wings began to vibrate at a low frequency. --- Joel wrote his notes in the book and Sven nodded. "I understand." he said gently. "Thank you for clearing that up. You say you feared him but he never laid a hand on you? Did he threaten you at any point to make you fear him?" --- "M-me?" Viktor blushed and grinned. "Nah...I'm not that interesting. I'm just some idiot from Germany. You though...You've really lived!" Viktor's eyes lit up as he looked at him. "I have to admit, I find you...f-fascinating." he said shyly, feeling his cheeks grow a little hotter. Denix Vames - July 7, 2021 Leo moaned louder. "Holy shit! I didn't know you could do that." --- Jean shook his head. "Just seeing him was already threatening enough. It's like I knew something wasn't right about him but I couldn't put my finger on what." --- Bryce laid a hand on his knee. He looked into his eyes. "The same goes for you." Denix Vames - July 8, 2021 Vincent had disappeared. He stole a camera from a shop. He went all over the city. Taking photos of animal's corpses. Something inside him had awoken. Something that became alive somehow. The crystal necklace had been thrown out and stepped on. He found a human corpse and took a photo of it. He walked down the street as he held the camera. An officer noticed him. (mind playing the cop? by the way I'm having it where Vincent's insanity becomes a separate person but can still overtake his mind sometimes. Kind of like with Parker when he was dealing with River in his head.)

Denix Vames - July 6, 2021 Vincent stood against the corner of the room to let the nurses do their work. He clutched his arms as he watched them place Elliot on the bed. When they were done, he walked over. He caressed his cheek before kissing his forehead. "Elliot...I'm sorry that I didn't make it time." He held his hand. --- Will nodded. "Please." --- Leo bit his lip. "I'll try to tolerate them." shadowess - July 6, 2021 River nodded too and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'll wake you up as soon as it's over." he reassured him then set to work. He concentrated on Moving Will's mind into a dream while he stretched himself out with Will's body, taking control. He'd gasp awake and look around the room before looking at Parker who was still leaning against the wall, apparently waiting for help. "Will?" Parker said nervously. "Are you alright?" "Not Will..." River replied as he got to his feet and stumbled a bit, finding his balance. He took in a deep breath and closed his eye, taking in the fresh air. Parker blinked at him. Confused at first, then his eyes widened a little at the realisation. "...R-River?" River nodded and opened his eye to look at Parker. He smiled. "Hi, Parker. It's nice to talk to you again." "...Again?" Parker rose a brow. "We've never met." "Yes...we have...we'll get into that later. How's your arm?" "Hurts...I think I hurt my shoulder...but Will-?" "He's...taking a little break until these fireworks stop. I said I'd help you in the meantime...let me take a look." River walked over and took Parker's arm in both his hands to look it over. He noticed the odd bulge in his shoulder and clicked his tongue. "Ah..." "What?" "It's not broken but this is going to hurt like hell." "What going to hurt?" "I'm going to have to reset your shoulder. Here, sit down." Once Parker was sat down and comfortable, River held his arm in one hand while placing his other hand over his shoulder. "Are you ready?" "Not really..." Parker answered nervously. "I'll give you to the count of three, ok?" Parker nodded and took in a deep breath, mentally preparing himself. "Ok..." "Alright...One-" He rapidly pulled Parker's arm while pushing on his shoulder, snapping it back into place and causing Parker to cry out in shock and pain. "What the hell, man?!" Parker snapped. "Three." River chuckled then laughed as Parker slapped his arm. "Hey man, take it easy. This is a 'rental'!" he joked. "Asshole!" "Yeah, but how does your arm feel now?" Parker moved his arm around, flexing his fingers and bending his elbow. "Better..." he admitted before grumbling "You're still an asshole though..." "Yep." River smiled and looked around at the door on the floor. "I suppose I could make myself useful and fix that before the boss man wakes up." Parker watched him as he walked over to the door. It was strange talking to someone else in Will's body. "How do I know you?" "I was you...at one point..." River answered simply while picking up the door. "Sorry by the way...I was a little loopy when I was in your head..." "In my-?..." Parker thought for a moment and River turned to watch him with a small smile. "Yeah...You'd see me in your dreams sometimes...even in your reflection. That was me...the energy that made Will into a Blood God...that used to make you a Blood God too until I was forced to leave you. Long story short, Hades kicked my ass...who knew that kid had so much power, right? Anyway, he said he'd let me live as long as I swore to only use my powers for good...and well...here we are." Parker was left staring at River with his mouth hanging open, trying to fathom what he'd just been told. River set to work on fixing the door. After a little while, Parker got up and made himself some coffee to try and keep himself awake. He brought a blood bag over to River and offered it to him. River looked over his work, nodding at it in approval before turning to Parker and taking the bag with a small smile. "Thanks." he said as he bit into it. He nodded at Parker's coffee. "You sure you wana drink that? You look pretty tired." "I wana be awake for when Will wakes up." Parker explained and River nodded understandingly. "Fair enough." "So...you're in Will's mind usually?" "Yep." "So, you see and hear everything he does?" "And feel everything too...if he gets hurt, I get hurt. So, you know...it's in my best interest to keep him safe, if that's what you're wondering." Parker hesitated and scratched the back of his head nervously. "So...when me and Will-?...Do you-?" his face turned red, unsure of how to phrase the question and River's face also turned red as he clocked on to what he was getting at. "Oh! No...I mean...well...yes, but I tend to tune it out...I can slip in and out of dream states in his head." he tapped the side of his head. "So, usually I just dream up my own scenario where those feelings make sense...That way, you guys still get your privacy." River averted his gaze from Parker who was also looking around the room awkwardly now. River faked a cough into his fist to break the awkward silence and nodded towards the tv. "You wana watch something to pass the time?" he suggested and Parker smiled with a nod. "Sure." They then each sat on separate chairs while watching the movie 'From Dusk Til Dawn'. The movie was close to it's end when River glanced at the window, noticing that he hadn't heard any fireworks for a while. He glanced at Parker, who was still fully engrossed in the movie, and debated saying goodbye. He smiled to himself, not wanting to disturb him and figured that he'd be happier to just have Will back. He settled into the chair until he felt comfortable and closed his eyes. He focussed on trading places with Will, placing himself back into his subconscious while pulling Will's mind back into the figurative driver's seat. He'd then work on gently waking Will up. --- Oscar frowned. "I'm sorry, Leo. I didn't know where else to put them." he said, worried he'd made him angry. He moved to hold his hand. "They really have improved though and, I swear, they're trying their best to become good people. They just need a chance. If they fuck up then I'll take full responsibility." Denix Vames - July 6, 2021 Will slowly opened his eyes. He frowned when he looked at Parker. "Parker....I'm sorry. I should have kept control of myself. I shouldn't have lashed out like that. It's because of me that you got hurt." --- "If they fuck up then I'll rip their guts out." Leo sighed. "Let's just go already." shadowess - July 6, 2021 Parker's eyes snapped from the movie to Will and they widened a little at his words. "Will?" he asked hesitantly then shot to his feet and ran over, wrapping his arms around him to hug him tightly. "It's ok! I'm fine! River reset my shoulder. It was just a dislocation, nothing major." he said. His exhaustion making him a little more sensitive than usual, he couldn't help the tears that rolled down his cheeks as he continued to hug Will. "I know you didn't mean it! We'll work on it, ok?" he cried into his shoulder. --- Frowning, Oscar nodded and teleported them to the mansion where all would be quiet and still. No one else was awake yet. Denix Vames - July 6, 2021 Will hugged him back. He sobbed into his chest. --- Leo walked as he looked around. He raised a brow. "The fact that it's quiet usually doesn't mean anything good." shadowess - July 6, 2021 Parker ran his hand through his hair, stroking the back of his head as he held him. "It's ok. It's ok." he whispered softly, then moved back to look at him. He wiped away his tears. "It's been a hard day...I think we could both use some proper sleep..." Parker especially. He currently had dark circles under his eyes. Even though Will had just woken up, his body technically hadn't actually had much rest either. "Maybe after we get some sleep, we'll be able to think a little clearer?" --- "Oh, c'mon Leo." Oscar let out an exasperated sigh. "I get you're wary, but I'm telling you, they've really changed! They're probably just sleeping. It is still pretty early in the morning. I mean, what do you want me to do? Go wake them up and get them to show you they're not bad?" Oscar was right. In one spare room, Rickster was sound asleep with his arms around Ricky. Atma was still asleep in a second spare room. Denix Vames - July 6, 2021 Will nodded. "Yeah. You're probably right." He let Parker take him upstairs where he laid under the covers. Once Parker would join him, he would pull him into an embrace. Keeping him close. He kissed him. "Sleep well." --- Leo crossed his arms. "Let's just go to bed. I've had a long day." shadowess - July 7, 2021 Parker cuddled up to Will and kissed him back. "You too." he whispered and closed his eyes. Within seconds, Parker was asleep. --- Oscar sighed and headed up to their bedroom without another word. Although they'd only just woken up, Oscar lay on the bed facing the wall. He understood why Leo would be annoyed about them being here. He understood why he would be suspicious of them after everything they'd done. But he was annoyed that Leo seemed to struggle when it came to trusting Oscar's word. --- A pair of Warriors followed Sven to Elimar's house. One of the Warriors held a thick black book with yellowed pages, a couple of rolled up bits of parchment tucked under his arm and a couple of pens. By now, a message would already have been delivered to Hannes regarding the trial and the celebration to welcome new vampires. Sven's next stop would be Hannes and Jean, but for now he needed to speak to Racheal an Elimar. He knocked on the door and waited patiently for an answer. --- Meanwhile, Viktor had not long woken up and was sitting on the bed. He was staring at his phone and biting the nail on this thumb nervously as he debated sending Bryce a message. He hoped the guards here wouldn't check on him for a while but he debated making it look like he was still in the room by stuffing towels and pillows under the bed sheets in case they did. It was a childish tactic but hey, if it could fool his own parents on several occasions then who knows? He typed out the text and stared at it for a couple of minutes. He debated deleting it and forgetting about it. Why would someone like Bryce want to hang out with him anyway? But he really did find him fascinating and wanted to know more about what his life had been like. He held his breath and tapped the 'send' button, then immediately started to worry that he wouldn't get a text back. His heart beat a little harder and he stared at his phone, wondering if he'd just made an idiot out of himself. The text read; 'Hey, it's Viktor. The guy from last night. Do you want to meet up sometime today? I don't know many places here but I don't mind coming to meet you wherever. I'd love to hear more about you.' Denix Vames - July 7, 2021 Leo slipped out of his clothes until he was in a shirt and shorts. He laid on his side and placed an arm over Oscar. He kissed his neck. "How's everything been by the way? Is that new job of yours pretty easy or what?" --- Elimar, fully dressed, opened the door. "Greetings Sven. What's this about?" --- Bryce texted back, 'Hey Vikey. I would love to hang out with you. You can come by my place. I'm at home right now. Just think about me and you'll be there. <3' Bryce's new home would be Parker's old apartment. Shadowess - July 7, 2021 Oscar took Leo's hand and brought it up to his mouth to kiss it. He sighed, relaxing into Leo's arms when he kissed his neck. He couldn't stay annoyed at Leo. "It's definitely different." he answered. "It can be challenging but...I guess I can see why David does it. It's tough but seeing people turn themselves around and do good things for others is kind of...rewarding." he smiled. "You know when I helped you out at the diner? Turns out Ricky had gone for a walk while I was gone. He could've done anything. He could've gone right back to being his old self but do you know what he did? He helped the first homeless person he came across. Gave them his food and let them stay in his room for the night. That's not even the craziest part..." Oscar turned his head to look at Leo. "The homeless woman turned out to be Atma! Last I heard, David was taking care of her." --- Sven smiled pleasantly at Elimar. "Hello Elimar. We just need to add Racheal to the registry so that she will officially be a part of our community. We've brought the relevant paperwork. We er-...we also need to ask Racheal a few questions about her time with Niko. For the trial. It seems the King has taken a personal interest in Niko's trial so we need to do everything that we can to make sure we have correct information and get things moving quickly. I know this won't be easy for her, but it is necessary." --- Viktor read the text and beamed. He jumped up from the bed excitedly and ran into the en suit bathroom to make sure he didn't look, or smell, a mess. He ran back into the bedroom and stuffed the bed to make it look like he was still sleeping in it. Double checking his reflection in the mirror, he smiled and closed his eyes, thinking of Bryce. When he opened them he looked around himself curiously before smiling at Bryce. "Hi." he said nervously. Denix Vames - July 7, 2021 Leo's eyes widened. "Really? He did all that? And Atma's back?" He shook his head. "Man, this sounds crazy." He sat up. "I guess he really has changed." He nervously played with his fingers as he looked down. "Oscar? There's something that I want to tell you. I'm hoping that you'll stick by my decision." --- "I understand." Elimar walked over to Rachael. He gently shook her shoulder. "Rachael? Sven needs to talk to you. It's important." --- The apartment had been cleaned up. Bryce was sitting on the couch. Watching some cooking show on TV. He smiled. "Hello." He stood and gave him a hug. "It's nice to see you again. How are things?" shadowess - July 7, 2021 Oscar sat up as well and looked at Leo curiously, if not a little worried by his last few words. "What is it, Leo?" he asked gently. --- Sven and the two Warriors had stepped into the house and stood by the door. Considering this would be a private and sensitive conversation, one of the warriors had closed the door behind him. The other warrior walked over to the nearest desk and placed the book and parchment down. Racheal blinked her eyes open and looked up at Elimar before looking around at Sven and the Warriors. "What's going on?" she asked quietly. "We'll need to ask you a couple of things too, Elimar." Sven said. "So, you might as well stay in the room." He leant against the wall then looked over at the Warrior to see if he was ready with the paperwork. "First things first, Joel over there has a couple of documents for you both to sign. It is our registry, how we keep track of all the vampires who come to live in our castle. It also serves as a sort of 'birth certificate'. You will get a copy for yourself to keep once we're done. Considering Niko is no longer your protector, Elimar will be signing in his place. So, although Niko is the one who blooded you, Elimar will be your maker on paper." Joel unrolled the parchments and placed the pens down on the desk. "I'll need Racheal to sign here and Elimar to sign here on both copies." he said, pointing to the relevant areas. Racheal got to her feet and walked over to the desk, picking up one of the pens. She looked at the parchments but couldn't read the German words. She looked at where Joel had pointed to her part and she went to sign on the line but stopped when no ink came out. Joel couldn't help chuckling patiently. "Sorry, we forgot to say. These aren't ordinary pens. All of our official documents are signed in blood. The tip of the pen is a needle. Prick your finger with it, then sign." "Oh..." Racheal blinked and took a closer look at the end of the pen. Sure enough, it had a sharp point. Hesitantly, she pressed it into her index finger and flinched a little when it broke the skin. The pen seemed to absorb the small amount of blood that came out and she took the pen away from her cut to look at it again. There wasn't a single sign that any blood had gotten onto it, yet the ink reservoir inside the pen had turned red. She then moved to sign on the line again and this time, the pen worked. Her blood being used like ink from inside the pen, she signed her name neatly on the line. She did the same with the second copy then gave the pen back to Joel who nodded at her with a smile. "Very good. Thank you." he said as he offered a second pen to Elimar. Once Elimar would sign, Sven smiled at them both. "Now that that is taken care of, we can start arranging the welcome celebration. I think sooner would be better than later, yes? Something to look forward to after all the nastiness that has happened. We'll hold the ball the night after the trial. Now then...onto the more difficult subject." Sven walked over to a nearby chair and gestured to it. "May I?" he asked Elimar. --- Viktor hadn't been expecting the hug but he welcomed it, hugging Bryce back. "You too." he said a little shyly but his eyes were lit up happily as he let him go. "Pretty good. You?"

shadowess - July 5, 2021 Amelia paused and looked down at Neva sadly. She became worried for Vincent, knowing how much Elliot meant to him. She worried for him like he was a member of her own family. "Charles, can you comfort Neva for a little while? I'm going to try and call Vincent." she said quietly and let go of Neva's hand. "Go and sit down sweety, I'll be with you both in just a moment, ok?" she said to her gently then walked towards the bedroom while taking out her phone. She prayed his number was still the same as she dialled it and waited for him to answer. --- Parker awoke with a start and for a moment, he had no idea where he was. Then he blinked and looked around at the room before looking down at Will who was crying onto his chest. Alarmingly, he had no memory of getting back to the house. He jumped a little at the sound of fireworks outside then realised what was happening. He wrapped his arms around Will and ran a hand through his hair. "Hey, it's ok. I'm here." he said softly. --- Oscar got up as well, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. When they were both ready, they'd head into the kitchen where Brian and Heather were sat at the table. Brian had an empty plate in front of him with nothing but crumbs left of his breakfast. A half filled cup of tea was also in front of him. He looked up from his phone when Leo and Oscar entered the kitchen. "Hope you both slept well." he smiled. "There's toast if you'd like some or we have some cereal. Help yourselves. The kettle has just been boiled too, so feel free to make yourselves some tea or coffee." "A brew?" Oscar grinned. "That's the one!" Brian chuckled. Heather had a half drunk glass of orange juice on the table in front of her and was still munching on some cereal quietly while watching cartoons on the tiny tv on the kitchen counter. She was wearing a school uniform which was a dark blue sweater over a white button up shirt, with blank pants and polished black shoes. Brian also seemed to be in some sort of uniform, wearing a green shirt with black pants. A logo on his shirt read 'ASDA'. Denix Vames - July 5, 2021 Charles nodded. He sat next to Neva on the couch. Wrapping an arm around her. Keeping her close. "It's going to be ok." --- Vincent answered the phone. "H-Hello?" --- Will breathed heavily. Hearing the gunshots in his head. A flash of River's face appeared. "Why won't they stop?! I just want them to stop! Stop with the damn fireworks! Those bastards!" His skin became red. His wings sprouted. His horns grew. His red eye glowed. He growled. --- Leo cringed at the sight of their clothes. "I'm glad I grew up without having to wear uniforms." He grabbed a bowl and dumped some cereal. Pouring some milk before digging into the dish. Shadowess - July 5, 2021 Neva hugged Charles as she cried. "I want my daddy..." she sobbed softly, wiping at her eyes. --- Amelia breathed a sigh of relief when Vincent answered the phone. "Vincent, it's me. Charles told me what happened, is he ok? Are you ok?" --- Parker watched Will change and jumped a little when his wings sprouted. His horns poked his skin a bit but Parker was more worried about Will. "Will! Listen to me! It'll be ok! We can get through this!" He shivered a little nervously when he growled but he kept his arms around Will, still trying to comfort him somehow. "Yeah man, try to calm down." River added. "It's not like the people setting them off know what you went through. They're just trying to have a good time!" --- "What, never?" Brian asked with a raised eyebrow. Oscar chuckled. "Me neither..." he said as he walked over to the toaster and put some bread in. "Lucky for some." Brian laughed. Denix Vames - July 5, 2021 Charles gently rubbed her back. "I know. I know. You'll get to see him soon. You just have to be patient." --- Vincent's voice still sounded broken. "I don't know. He's in surgery. I don't know what's going to happen. I don't even want to look at my book. I feel so lost, Amelia. I don't want to lose him." --- Will got out of Parker's hold. He walked over to the door. Gritting his teeth. --- "Well, we lived in different times. I honestly don't even know how old I am." ,said Leo. Shadowess - July 5, 2021 Neva hid her face in Charles's shirt as she continued to cry. "I'm scared." --- Amelia listened to what Vincent said and the way he sounded and she felt awful that she couldn't be there to comfort him in person. She walked over to the bed and sat down with a sigh. "Take a deep breath. It's going to be ok." She said gently. "I don't think you'll lose him. You wana know why? Because even if he doesn't pull through, he'll end up in Heaven and just like Jasper and Beau, I think he'll just end up coming right back to you. Maybe even with wings. The guy is so pure, I reckon the big guy upstairs would give him wings on the spot!" she chuckled. "You won't lose him because he loves you and that kind of bond is difficult to break...even in death. Don't forget, we're fortunate to be what we are and to know what we know. Besides, he's stronger than he looks. He'll fight with everything he has just to keep what you both have now. No matter what." Amelia paused and looked at the ground sadly. "I wish I could give you a hug right now...Being away from you all is harder than I thought it'd be...I miss you all..." she shook her head, blinking back tears. "Vincent, if you ever need someone to talk to or somewhere to go, you know that you're always welcome here, right? Back in Hell's Library...when I said I think of you like my brother...I meant that. So, don't go thinking that you're alone, ok? I'm here for you." --- "Woah! Hold on, pal!" River said, running over to stand in his way. But, of course, Will just walked straight through him. "Will! C'mon, man!" "Will!" Parker shouted, alarmed by Will's current state of mind. He darted over to the door and stood in front of it, blocking Will's path. He tried to think of how to stop Will, but he struggled to come up with anything quickly from already being so damn exhausted. "Stop it! Just stop! This isn't you!" --- "Blimey!" Brian blinked as he looked at Leo, unable to imagine not knowing how old he'd be. Oscar hesitated while spreading butter onto his toast, then looked thoughtful. "I have no idea when exactly I was born...but my first visit to Earth was during the sixteen hundreds...I appeared in Amsterdam...picked up the Dutch language pretty quickly and even learned how to build a few ships...those were weird years..." he laughed. "So, I guess if we're going off how old we are based on our first day on Earth, then I guess I'd be about three hundred and eighty years old...give or take..." Brian's jaw dropped. "Wha-wait. First day on Earth? Where are you from?" Oscar blinked and froze mid-spread. His face turning a little red as he turned to look at Brian then laughed nervously. "Um...down under? and...not the Australia kind of down under..." he said carefully, not wanting to frighten Heather who didn't seem to be paying attention to the conversation anyway as she watched the Road Runner foil another of Cayote's schemes on the tv. 'Hell?' Brian mouthed, looking surprised and Oscar nodded. "Don't worry...humans got the stories about us wrong...mostly..." Oscar then said as he finished buttering his toast and took a bite. "A-and you?" Brian turned to Leo. He didn't seem frightened. More curious than anything. Denix Vames - July 5, 2021 "Don't worry. It's going to be ok. Your father is going to make it. I just know it." ,said Charles. --- Vincent nodded. "Thank you. I'll keep that in mind. How's Neva by the way?" --- Will pushed him aside. He knocked the door off of its hinges. --- "Well...." Leo held up fingers as he said, "I was experimented on by ADIEU so I'm basically part, Angel, Demon, Vampire, and Werewolf. They had plans on putting Fairy and Devil DNA in me but it never happened. They were trying to make me into a super soldier for their sakes." shadowess - July 6, 2021 Neva started to calm down, taking some deep breaths and still hugging Charles but no longer hiding her face in his shirt. Amelia got to her feet with a small groan and waddled quietly over to the door, peaking through to look at Charles and Neva. She smiled sadly at Charles then walked back into the bedroom. "She looks a bit calmer now. She'll be alright, Vincent. She's a tough kid. We'll try to keep her distracted with some cartoons and ice cream or something like that. When Elliot is out of surgery, you guys take your time and just make sure you're both ok before you come and get her, ok? There's no rush and she's safe with us." --- Parker flew to one side, not standing much of a chance against Will's strength. He hit the wall, fell to his knees and groaned, holding his arm. "Will, stop!" "How are you even doing this?!" River demanded. "I stripped your powers!" thinking quickly, River reached out within Will's subconscious and tried to take control of Will's muscles, forcing them to stop moving. "Stop it! Enough is enough!" he snapped, now trying to pull Will into unconsciousness. --- Brian frowned. "I see...Sorry for bringing that up...I'm glad they didn't get their way though. You seem like a nice couple." Brian then checked his watch and jumped to his feet. "We should get going. Don't want to hit traffic. Come on little miss, time to get in the car! Cartoons off." Heather groaned and Brian shook his head a little, picking up the remote with a smile and hitting the off switch. "Now please." Jumping off her chair in a huff, Heather put on her coat and headed out of the door to wait by the car. Brian also pulled on his own coat, making sure his keys were in his pocket before turning to Oscar and Leo. "Do you guys need a lift anywhere? I'd be happy to drop you off." Denix Vames - July 6, 2021 "Alright but I think it would be best if she can possibly visit Elliot when he's in bed. Not straight away but I just want her to know that Elliot's alright." ,said Vincent. --- Will's eyes widened. His form went back to being human. He collapsed. Having passed out from River's strength. --- "There's no need to. We can teleport. Actually, I think we've been here long enough. Thanks for letting us stay overnight. It felt good to be back here." ,said Leo. He held Oscar's hand. He smiled at Heather. "Take care. Both of you." He looked at Oscar. "We're going back home." shadowess - July 6, 2021 Amelia smiled with softened eyes. "Of course. I'm sure everything will be alright. You know where we are if you ever need us and you've always got my number." Nurse May had been sat next to Vincent while he spoke on the phone. She didn't mean to eavesdrop but it seemed like he was much calmer now than he had been earlier. She looked up in time to see Doctor Evans poke his head into the room. He looked at Vincent on the phone then nodded at the nurse. She nodded back and placed a gentle hand on his arm, giving him a kind smile before getting up and leaving the room. The doctor stepped into the waiting room and waited patiently for Vincent to end his call. --- Parker looked at Will in confusion when he changed back. He watched him pass out and stared at him for a moment, breathing a little heavily. Glancing out of the front door, it didn't look like anyone else had seen what had happened. He ran over and tried to drag Will over to the couch but then he yelped and quickly let go of Will, holding onto the arm that had hit the wall earlier. A sharp pain had shot down his whole arm from his shoulder and Parker was left sucking air in through his teeth for a moment until the pain eased off. Great...he couldn't tell if his arm was dislocated or if he'd fractured something. He leant against the wall and wracked his brains for a moment. "Anyone able to help me out here?" he called out, not sure who would be available right now to help him. Meanwhile, River had forced Will's mind into a dream state where he pushed him down onto a replica of his couch and stood over him, glaring. "What the hell, man?!" he snapped. "I tried reasoning with you. Parker tried reasoning with you. You hurt Parker, you ass! Calm your shit down!" --- Oscar smiled up until Leo said they'd be going home and he suddenly remembered who else would be there. "Um, actually. Do you mind if we take a walk before we go home? There's something we need to talk about." His cheeks turned red and he scratched the back of his head with mild embarrassment. "Totally slipped my mind until just now, sorry." he looked back at Brian and Heather and nodded at them. "Thank you though, it was nice visiting and you've been very kind." Brian looked between them hesitantly before shrugging. "Alright. You're both welcome. Take care of yourselves." he said as he headed out of the door as well. He'd wait outside for a moment to see if they'd be walking out with him before locking the door behind them and heading to his car. Denix Vames - July 6, 2021 "Thank you. I have to go now. I'll talk to you later." ,said Vincent before he hung up. He looked at the doctor. "Is Elliot...?" --- Will sobbed over his hands. "I just wanted the sounds to stop! I didn't mean to hurt him! This is all my fault!" The living room became total darkness. A crime scene appeared. Showing where a body had once been. A badge on the floor sat there near the blood. It read River Balconi. Gunshots echoed. --- Leo raised a brow. "Sure." They headed out of the house. "Is it something bad that you need to tell me?" shadowess - July 6, 2021 "He's fine." Doctor Evans answered immediately to settle Vincent's nerves. "In fact, he has been incredibly lucky. The bullet missed all of his organs and there were no complications during the surgery to get it out, so everything went very smoothly. He'll feel worse for wear for a few weeks but as long as he takes things easy and gets plenty of rest, he should heal up pretty quickly and be back to his old self in no time." The Doctor gave Vincent a sympathetic look. "I understand this will have been quite a traumatic event for both of you and that you'll be eager to see him as soon as possible. He's currently being cleaned up and settled into a room. He'll still be asleep for about half an hour to forty-five minutes, until the anaesthetic wears off, but you're welcome to wait in his room until he comes to. I'll show you there now. He'll be brought in shortly." The Doctor would then walk Vincent to the room which was currently empty and gesture to a chair. "Make yourself comfortable. It shouldn't be long now. Let us know if you need anything." he said before leaving Vincent alone. It would be another ten minutes before four nurses wheeled Elliot into the room. One of the male nurses looked over at Vincent. "You might want to stand back to give us some room." he said gently. They then set to work, gently transferring Elliot from the gurney to the bed and hooking him up to a couple of monitors as well as a Saline drip to keep him hydrated. There was already a blood bag hooked up to his arm to replace what he'd lost after the shooting and during the surgery. The nurses carefully checked everything to make sure it was all in working order before leaving the room. --- River watched Will sob then looked around at the changes to the room with a frown. He sighed heavily, glancing at the ceiling. They could still hear the fireworks. He pulled Will into a much deeper sleep and the gunshots slowly faded away. He clicked his fingers and forced their surroundings to change back into his living room. He sat on the couch next to Will and looked at him. He leant forward and rested his elbows on his knees, clasping his hands in front of him. "You lost control. I know you didn't mean to and that you didn't want to hurt anyone. I know..." he said gently. "and Parker knows it too. This is just one of those things that we'll all need to work on together. You went through something horrific and painful. I can feel that...So, it's not like you can just switch it off when something like this happens...but we can take steps to help you to cope, alright?" he sighed and looked around the room. "I think Parker is going to need some help...before you passed out, it looked like he was in pain. With your permission, I could put you into a safe, quiet part of your subconscious...like a dream...have you ever had a lucid dream? It'd be like that. So, you can control what happens in the dream to some extent. While you're there, I'll take over your body and help Parker deal with his injury until the fireworks stop. Would you be ok with me doing that?" --- Oscar walked a little ways with Leo then stopped and looked at him a little nervously. "...Uh...I'm not sure. Depends on how you see it, I guess..." he stammered, uncertainly and scratched the back of his head. "So, you know I've been doing redemption work with David, right? Well, he put me in charge of seeing to Ricky's redemption. Part of that was also helping to convince Rickster to join the programme too. See, he's been locked in a cell in Hell until he's less of a danger to others. Every day I've been escorting Ricky to the cell to try and show Rickster that, even though he's locked up, he's not alone. It worked...It was slow and he was really freaking stubborn but he eventually came around and we were able to let him out of the cell...On top of that, Ricky's been making a lot of great progress...you wouldn't recognise him now, he's changed that much." Oscar then hesitated before saying the rest. "I left them both at the house. They're both still doing the programme but they're also alive now. I told David about them and he's probably already met up with them to make sure they're behaving. Considering we haven't heard anything from David, I guess they haven't done anything wrong...I just wanted to make sure you knew they were at the mansion before you went back there. I hope that was ok."

Shadowess - July 4, 2021 Tom smiled at Nate and nodded. "I'm nervous but there's only really one way to know if it's something I'd be into." --- David looked thoughtful. "Ah...I see." he had hoped that mer-people would be able to shift back and forth from a human form like wolves could but he guessed it wasn't the same rules. "I guess you'd like me to take you to the shores nearest Carter's office then?" --- Racheal opened her eyes and nodded, realising she was tired. "I think some sleep would help..." she glanced around the room. "Where did you want me to sleep?" she asked, not assuming he'd let her sleep in his bed. Maybe he had a spare room here that she hadn't seen yet? --- Touched by his words, Hannes kissed him back. He looked into his eyes when he said he'd die for him. "Jean..." he whispered and kissed him again, more passionately. He wrapped his arms around him, pulling him close to him and slipped his tongue into his mouth. His kisses became slow but deep. --- The parents carried their children. The children were given priority when it came to the beds that they had. The alpha placed a hand on the Werewolf Agent's shoulder and smiled at him with a thankful nod. "This will be fine. Thank you for all you've done for us. If we can ever help you in some way, we would be happy to." he said before walking to his pack and rounding up the wolves who had no children. Following his lead, they all shifted into their wolf forms and huddled together to sleep on the floor while the parents and children took the beds. The wolf woman with the hazel eyes lay on one of the single beds with her son in her arms. All the wolves soon slept soundly. Meanwhile, no longer restricted or in lockdown, Layla had awoken early to take a walk. She walked out of the facility and into the woods. She was trying to remember the earliest parts of her first transformation. She was still a little tired but she struggled to sleep in the beds at the facility under those florescent lights. She ran her hand over low hanging branches playfully as she walked through the forest. Smiling as she remembered how free she'd felt in her wolf form. The wind as it blew through her fur when she ran around. She liberating yet unifying feeling that came when she howled with the other wolves. She heard the sound of running water and followed it curiously until she walked into an otherwise well hidden clearing. In it's centre was a small pond. Water dropped from the short cliff on the other side, creating a little waterfall. The rocks covered in vines and moss. There was a break in the trees overhead which allowed the sunlight to shine into the clearing, highlighting the greens of the leaves, grass and moss. As well as the crystal blue of the pond water. The little area was so beautiful and peaceful. She couldn't resist the urge to take a dip in the water. She stripped down completely and carefully folded her clothes, placing them onto a nearby rock before slowly stepping into the pond. She'd gasped at how cold it was but her body quickly adjusted to the temperature as she walked further in. Smiling, she headed over to the waterfall and half stood underneath it, allowing the water to fall over her shoulders and the back of her head, wetting her hair. She felt utterly at peace here. --- Janik had been one of the spectators on Niko's punishment. Once X vanished, he motioned for the Warrior to come to him. "Inform the other Warriors of Niko's trial as well as what has happened here. When you're done, tell the other Guards that Janik is calling a meeting to discuss the upcoming trial. We should do everything we can to not keep our King waiting for justice." The Warrior bowed his head before leaving the hall hurriedly. Janik soon followed, heading to the room that the Guards usually use when calling a private meeting. --- Nurse May looked at him sympathetically and nodded. "I'll see what I can find." she said before leaving them to it. Neva hugged Vincent tightly, worried so much about Elliot that the temperature in the room they stood in started to dip. Only a few minutes later, the nurse returned with a couple of cups of water for them and a colouring book with some crayons tucked under her arm. She set the cups down onto the little table in the waiting room then put the book down as well with the little box of crayons on top. The book had mostly floral patterns inside. "I hope this is ok. It's all we've really got." she said. She stood and looked at Vincent and Neva. "Is there anyone you'd like me to call for you? Maybe someone that could watch your daughter for a while? or that could be here to support you?" Denix Vames - July 4, 2021 "Then we should do this in a room. Wouldn't want to get you electrocuted to death." Nate held his hand as they walked upstairs. Heading into one of the bedrooms. "I can make the electricity from my hands. Don't worry. I know the limits of a taser so I won't go too far. Just let me know when you want to stop, ok?" He kissed him before placing him on the bed where he caressed his hips. Slipping his tongue into his mouth. He placed a hand on his arm and zapped him when he stopped kissing. --- "Yes please." Galiel looked at Sebastian and Carter. "I guess this means I'll be seeing you two real soon." He winked at them with a wave. "Bye bye!" --- "Why in my bed of course. And we don't have to do anything. I thought I should clarify that." ,said Elimar. --- Jean moaned. He pressed himself against him. Placing his hands on his hips. Becoming lost in the lust, he tilted his head back. Letting him kiss his neck. Moaning somewhat louder. He felt like jelly in his hold. --- The Werewolf Agent nodded. "I will keep that in mind. Enjoy your sleep." He left the room. --- Vincent had set Neva on a chair in front of the coloring book and crayons. He covered his face as he was sitting too. He was visibly shaking now. "Is this what I did to those families? All those horrible things that I use to do...." He broke down. Sobbing as he couldn't say anything any longer. Feeling like no one would be there for someone like him. Shadowess - July 4, 2021 At Nate's suggestion of going to a room, Tom became even more nervous. But his nerves were soon eased when they got to one of the bedrooms and Nate told him he could let him know if he wanted to stop. He tried to relax in his kisses and moaned at his touch. When the kiss broke, Tom felt the shock and gasped. His body tensed momentarily and he breathed a little heavier when the volts eased off. He felt his senses heighten a little from the adrenaline and he suddenly understood why some people incorporated pain into their pleasure. If they felt the rush from the adrenaline then they'd feel the pleasure all the more. From a little punishment, came reward. He smiled and kissed Nate deeply, feeling his chest and hips. Moaning from the excitement and the intensified sensations. He laughed a little when the kiss broke, his eyes lit up as he looked at Nate. "Do it again." he whispered and bit his lip a little. --- David looked over at Carter and Sebastian as well. Sebastian had stood up and wrapped an arm around Carter's waist, smiling at him happily. "We'll see you when you get home. I hope you both enjoy the rest of your holiday!" he smiled at them then turned back to Galiel. "Alright, prepare yourself. This can be a little jarring on one's first jump." he said before teleporting them. He was waist deep in the water so that Galiel would be comfortable upon their arrival. "Here we are. You know...There's a library I could visit which has a lot of spell books. I bet I could find something to help you shift into a human at will if you'd like? That way you could come and go between land and sea as you please." he suggested. --- Racheal's cheeks turned red when he said she'd sleep in his bed. She was glad that he was respecting her enough not to push himself onto her. This only made him more alluring to her though. She stared into his eyes and opened her mouth to reply and hesitated before saying shyly. "I-...I don't think I'd mind if we did." she admitted then immediately looked away, wondering if she'd crossed some sort of line. "I'm sorry." she said hurriedly. "I shouldn't have assumed-...I'm sorry." --- Hannes gripped him gently but tightly. His passion taking over as he kissed Jean's neck, grazing his skin a little with his fangs. He lifted Jean into his arms and carried him over to the bed where he gently threw him down before jumping on top of him and opening his shirt roughly. He kissed Jean's chest, working his way down to his stomach. Then kissed his hips, taking his time with each kiss. Running his fangs lightly over his skin and sucking a little with every kiss he made. He then ran his tongue up from his stomach, all the way up to his neck, kissing there again. While kissing his neck, Hannes unbuckled his belt and pants before slipping his hand down them. --- Nurse May didn't quite know what to do or say. Neva had picked up a crayon with one hand and was wiping her tears with the other, trying her best to focus on the colouring book instead of what had happened. the nurse walked over to the chair next to Vincent and placed a gentle hand on his arm. "I know who you are..." she said quietly, still in a gentle tone. "I don't know what's happened in your life to lead you to this point but I can see that you're not the man you once were. Your energy is...different. I can't sense any malice in you." She removed her hand and watched Neva colouring for a moment. "Is there anyone you know that you'd want to be here with you? Family? A friend? I can at least ask them if they'll come." Denix Vames - July 4, 2021 Nate smirked. He zapped him. --- Carter smiled as he waved. "Goodbye! Take care!" Galiel looked at his new surroundings. "Wow! It's so different here!" He smiled at David. "That would be amazing! Thank you." He hugged him tight before kissing his cheek. --- Elimar smiled. "That's alright. I know that you've been through a lot." He took some of his clothes off until he was in a somewhat formal sleepwear. He laid on the bed. --- As Jean continued to moan, he wrapped his legs around him. His chest rose. He gripped the back of his head. His hot breath hit his lips. He kissed him again. --- Vincent hesitated before saying, "Amelia and Charles but I don't have their numbers. I don't even think they have phones. M-Maybe I could call Charles somehow?" He bit his lip before speaking again. "Charles? Please come here." Charles appeared. He nodded at him before looking at Neva. "I read your mind already and I understand. We will take care of her for as long as you need your space. I promise." shadowess - July 5, 2021 Tom gasped again, his body tensing again. Then he relaxed and kissed Nate once more, slipping his tongue into his mouth and moaning as he let his hands wander over his body. --- David laughed nervously when Galiel hugged him and kissed his cheek. He hugged him back then let him go and tried to fix up his suit as best he could, despite it being soaked now. "You're welcome." he said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have quite a bit of studying to do. Goodbye for now." he said before vanishing. --- Racheal looked away out of manners when Elimar started getting undressed. Once he was laid down and seemed comfortable, she looked at the bed. She didn't have any other clothes with her, so she supposed she'd be sleeping in what she had for now. Shyly, she lay down next to him, on her back and stared up at the ceiling. She was tired but she'd been through so much that her mind was still racing and it was difficult for her to relax. --- Hannes moaned and smiled into the kiss, losing himself utterly to Jean. He took his hand out to grip Jean's hips as he pressed his against them while they kissed. His hands then gripped his pants and began removing them. --- Neva stopped colouring and looked up when she heard Charles's voice. She looked at Vincent, knowing she was going to be going with Charles and Amelia for a little while and she got up, running over to hug her father. "I love you, daddy." she cried. Denix Vames - July 5, 2021 Nate moaned into the kisses. He stripped himself and Tom before sprouting his wings. Getting for the ride of a lifetime. (private time) --- Galiel waved. "Goodbye!" He began to swim about. Exploring his new home. --- Elimar had soon fallen asleep. Exhausted from earlier. --- Jean gasped out the words, "Hannes....Oh god....Hannes....!" Overwhelmed by the passion, he reached for Hannes's pants. Attempting to pull them down. --- Vincent knelt to hug her. "I love you too. Please don't worry. Elliot will make it. He's a strong man. Your father wouldn't leave you." He kissed her head before letting her go to Charles who held her hand. Charles disappeared with her. Appearing in his own home. Once Vincent saw Neva leave, he covered his face as his sobbing grew more louder. Almost like cries of pain. --- Will gasped awake when he heard the loud booming of fireworks. He had completely forgotten what day it was. He clutched his head as he breathed heavily. Recalling the bomb from the flower shop and the gunfire that he dealt with many times in the past. Tears dripped down his cheeks. He was shaking as his eyes widened. Shadowess - July 5, 2021 Hannes kissed Jean's neck again, kissing him roughly enough that he could feel Hannes's fangs but gentle enough that he wouldn't actually break the skin. He moaned, feeling Jean pull on his pants and he too pulled on Jean's pants. Both of them removing each other's clothes while continueing to caress each other and kiss each other passionately. Once they were nude, Hannes flipped Jean over so he'd be on his hands and knees on the bed, then leant over him. A hand reached around his hips as he whispered into Jean's ear. "Ich möchte dich so glücklich machen... Meine Geliebte...Meine wahre Liebe!" (I want to make you so happy...My love...My one true love!) (Private Time) --- When Charles left with Neva, Nurse May frowned as she watched Vincent's breakdown. She wasn't sure what to do or say, not really knowing him well enough to make any comments. So she simply stayed in the chair next to him quietly and gently pat his back. --- Amelia had been resting on the couch with a book propped up on her very round belly when Charles had vanished. When he reappeared, she looked up and was surprised to see he'd brought Neva with him. She was even more surprised to see how upset she looked. Amelia immediately got to her feet and waddled over as quickly as she could. She knelt down and pulled Neva into her arms, cuddling her. "Hey, it's ok." she said softly as Neva started to cry again. "Aww sweet thing! Come on, let's go and cuddle on the couch for a bit." she groaned as she struggled to stand back up and when she managed it she took Neva's hand to walk her over to the couch. She looked back at Charles worriedly as she walked. "What's happened?" she asked quietly. --- Parker had just about managed to make it home a few hours before the fireworks went off. It had been a little risky. He'd almost nodded off behind the wheel a few times but he'd just about managed to keep himself awake enough to get himself home. He'd sluggishly walked in and collapsed on the couch, too tired to go any further than that, and had fallen asleep immediately. Parker was so exhausted that he slept like a brick though the fireworks, snoring lightly from the awkward angle that he'd landed on the couch. 'Huh...fireworks...' River said, waking up along with Will. River was then quiet for a moment as he realized what was going on. 'Hey man, it's ok. Breathe...' the image of River appeared in the room, kneeling by the bed and looking at Will sympathetically. "Focus on me. Deep breath in. Slow breath out. You're here. You're home and you're safe, ok?" River then glanced around the room momentarily and seemed a little concerned. "Hey, wasn't Parker supposed to be back by now?...he looked pretty tired, you don't think he crashed at the office for the night, do you?" --- Brian knocked on the door of the bedroom that Oscar and Leo were sleeping in. "Hey guys, good morning. There's breakfast on the table. I'll be heading out to drop Heather off at school in about an hour so I'm going to need you guys up, dressed and ready to go for then." Oscar groaned and slowly blinked his eyes open to smile at Leo. "Good morning handsome." He kissed Leo's head. He could smell the coffee and toast coming from the kitchen. Denix Vames - July 5, 2021 At some point, Vincent's cries were soon quieter. --- Charles whispered into her ear, "Elliot got shot shot. He's in surgery right now. Vincent looked worse than her when I saw him. He's very devastated about the situation." --- Will hopped off the bed. He ran downstairs. Heading to the living room where he found Parker. He shook him. "Parker! Parker!" When he would wake up, Will would wrap his arms around him. Pressing his head against his chest as he sobbed. --- Leo smiled. "Morning." He kissed him. He sat up and stretched. "We'll be right here! Thank you!"

Denix Vames - July 3, 2021 "Nah. I'm going back to work. They're going to need me there." Will clutched his head. He leaned against the wall. "Ok. Maybe I won't go. There's no way in hell I'm going to deal with another seizure. Guess I'll be heading home." He sighed. "I feel so worthless. This is stupid." Harley's eyes widened. He bowed. "I had no idea. I'm sorry." Nate raised a hand. "It's cool. We don't really want people to kneel anymore to us. That was in the past when God was being an egotistical bastard. Now, he's a lot more chill." "Oh. I see." Harley stood. "Then I guess I'll be going. I'll help out if anyone needs anything." "Thanks but I can take care of myself." He nodded. He left the house. --- The merman, Galiel, was swimming around the ocean. He had long black wet hair. His eyes were brown and his skin was dark. He had a vibrant blue tail. When he saw David appeared, he smirked. "Well hello sailor." He winked. Carter stood from the chair he was sitting on. "Hey David. Long time no see." Carter seemed to be a lot more happy. It looked as though he had been sleeping a lot more without any problems. In fact, his figure looked more healthy unlike before when he was a bit on the unhealthy skinny side. --- Elimar caressed her cheek. Looking into her eyes. "Yes you do. You deserve a second chance. Everyone does." --- (i actually never read that series before) Jean clenched his fists. He seemed determined. "I want to see his trial. I have to show him that he doesn't scare me anymore. I know that now." --- X said, "You're quite welcome." He caught the eyes of the woman. His cheeks turned red as he smiled. He checked his watch. "If you'll excuse me, I'm running late. I have to be somewhere. I'm sure my agents can take care of this now." He disappeared. The Werewolf Agent stepped forward. "Is anyone hungry? What do you all need? We want to make sure we make you feel right at home." --- X appeared at the dining room. He sat once someone pulled his seat back. After the cover was lifted, he took in the scent of the cooked tongue. He licked his lips. "It's been so long since I've had such a delicacy." He nodded at the vampire near him who poured a glass of blood in his cup. He drank a sip before digging in to the dish. When he took a bite, he smiled. "My compliments to the chef." He never took his eyes off of Niko. --- (Yeah sure. That'd be awesome) Elliot looked up at the sky. "Let's see uh...." His eyes widened at the gun. Then he glared. "What the hell do ya think you're doing?!" He grabbed the gun. "You-!" It accidentally went off. The bullet went into his right side. Blood splattered. He fell back. His hat jumped off. Vincent turned to the gunfire. "ELLIOT!" shadowess - July 3, 2021 "You're not worthless." Parker said, walking around the desk to him. He wrapped his arms around Will's waist. "You just need some rest, that's all. Everyone does. Otherwise we'd all be robots." He smiled at him. "Why don't you go warm up the bed?" Parker smirked and kissed him slowly. "and I'll be there soon to join you." 'Aaaaand I'm just guna give you two some privacy.' River said before retreating into Will's subconscious. Tom watched Harley leave then smirked at Nate. "Where were we?" --- Sebastian was resting on a lounger. A parasol over him. Pair of black sunglasses on and his usually pasty, pale skin had been replaced with a lovely, bronze tan. He wore nothing but swimming trunks and a thin ropey necklace that had a small shark tooth on it. He smiled at David and gave him a little wave, looking utterly relaxed. David immediately regretted not changing his clothes before appearing on the beach. Still in a full suit with the sun blazing overhead, David was soon sweating. He glanced at the Galiel and blinked. "You must be the merman that Parker mentioned." he said and looked over at Carter. "Carter! Sebastian! You're both looking well! I'm guessing this holiday was just what the doctor ordered, then?" --- Racheal looked at his hand then looked up at him to see him looking into her eyes. She felt something then and it left her feeling confused. She didn't move, nor did she move his hand away. Did she like this? She wasn't sure if she was really feeling something or if she was just desperate to feel something else after all the pain she'd just gone through. Was she just looking for a distraction?...would she really care if she was? While she was trying to fathom what she should or shouldn't be feeling, she listened to what he said and a couple of tears dropped down her cheeks as she kept looking at him. "I want to believe that." she whispered. Then a determined fire seemed to light up in her eyes, though she was still shaken and fragile. "I'll do better. I'm going to earn my place here." --- (It's pretty good. The whole series is called Cirque Du Freak. I read them all when I was a teen. But yeah, take my word for it, the system I've used in the castle is very similar to the system they use in the books.) Hannes blinked and looked at Jean in surprise. "You were scared of him?" he asked then lowered his gaze to the ground. "How much more did I not notice? I am a failure of a Guard!" --- The woman stared at X with an expression of wonder and she continued to smile at him as he cuddled her child, kissing his forehead. She blinked when he'd vanished and smiled to herself, her cheeks turning a little pink. The Alpha looked over at the Agent and nodded. "We're hungry and tired after the change. We will need some food and some sleep." --- Niko's expression shifted between glaring at X and looking terrified of him. When the cover was lifter, Niko cringed and turned his head to look away. Immediately, the Warrior to his right whipped his back and simply said "Watch." Niko had jumped, gasped and cried out. His eyes snapping back to X, tears rolling down his cheeks. He breathed a little heavily and could feel a little of his blood trickle down his back from the fresh cut. His shirt being sliced open from the impact of the whip. He watched X start to cut into his tongue and he gagged, shutting his eyes. Another whip. This time, from his left. "Watch." Niko had cried out again and forced himself to open his eyes, looking reluctantly at X and watching him eat. Breathing heavily, he clenched his fists. Feeling furious, disgusted and hopeless all at once. He tried to scream at X. Tried to call him a 'Bastard' and a 'Monster' but his words were unintelligible, gargled roars. Every time X took a bite, Niko turned away or closed his eyes. Every time he did he'd got whipped from one or both sides. The Warriors simply repeating the word 'Watch' in a monotone way. By the time X would finish his meal, Niko would be on all fours and shaking violently. His eyes fixed on X. He'd fallen silent, the only noise coming from him being his ragged breaths and the occasional quiet groan. His back had been whipped so much that some of his blood had splattered from the whips across the stone floor on either side of him. The back of his shirt was torn completely open and almost all of his back was covered in ugly, bloody lashes. --- The male's eyes widened when Elliot grabbed the gun. He hadn't expected him to fight back and without meaning to, his grip tightened on the trigger. He watched Elliot fall then heard the other male shouting. Neva had jumped and turned her head when the gun went off and her eyes widened, seeing Elliot fall to the ground. "DADDY!" The man panicked and rounded on them, pointing his gun at Neva. "Wasn't supposed to go like this! I can't go to jail! I can't have you blabbin'! I'm sorry!" he pulled back the hammer but just before he could pull the trigger again, something large and furry tackled him to the ground. The gun went off and the bullet hit a nearby tree. He felt something sharp clamp around his arm and he screamed as the wolf bit into him and tossed him around, forcing him to drop the gun before letting go of him. The male whimpered and looked up at the wolf who growled at him angrily, baring it's bloodied teeth at him. It's heckles raised defensively as it stood it's ground, snarling at the robber threateningly. The robber hesitated, too pumped on adrenaline to feel the venom start to burn in his veins. He then tried one last attempt to grab his gun but the wolf was faster and pounced on him, wrapping his teeth around the man's neck, biting down hard then jerking his head to one side rapidly to break the man's neck. Letting the man's body drop, Theo turned to look at the family. To look at Vincent. Barely able to bring himself to look into his eyes. Neva had jumped off the swing as soon as it had slowed down enough and she was clinging to Vincent's legs fearfully. To try and show Vincent that he wasn't a threat anymore, Theo sat down and put his ears back submissively. He looked over at Elliot and whined, wishing he'd reacted faster to stop him from being shot. He didn't want Vincent to lose what he has. He deserved to be happy. Denix Vames - July 3, 2021 Will smiled into the kiss. "Sure thing. Stay safe now." He headed out of the house and got into the cruiser. Driving it back to the precinct where he would take his regular car. Taking himself to his home where he got into his boxers. Laying in bed as he fell asleep. Nate inched his hand under his shirt. Caressing his hip. He leaned his forehead against his. "I believe we were about to try something new?" --- "Yep! That's me!" Galiel waved. Carter said, "You bet. It was all Sebastian's idea. Honestly, I'm glad I took this vacation. I haven't taken one in years. Although, I'm not too sure if I look good in tan. I feel like those douchebags from Jersey Shore." --- Elimar leaned his head against hers. "You already have." --- (oh alright) Jean placed his hands on his shoulders. "No, you're not. You're doing your best. That's all anyone could ever ask from you. You shouldn't expect yourself to know everything." --- The Werewolf Agent nodded. "We'll bring you some food right away." He left the room. Several agents came back with platters of raw meat. A variety on a moving tray. They set the plates in front of the chairs that were there. Glasses of water were near the dishes. "I hope you may all enjoy." He set a basket of smaller meats in the middle. --- Once X finished his meal and drank his cup, he walked over to Niko. He knelt. "I hope you've learned your lesson. Because the next time you so much as pinch someone, I will take your eyeballs next and use them for a martini like olives." He dipped his finger in the blood that was on the ground. He sucked it off. "Tasty." He stood. "You can put him back in his cell. When's the trial going to start?" --- Vincent kept her close. He ran over when it seemed like the situation was safe enough. He went to Elliot's side who groaned. He slightly lifted him off the ground. Elliot was clutching his wound. "Elliot! Stay with me!" Tears ran down Vincent's cheeks. "N-No problem...." ,said Elliot. Vincent turned to the wolf. His eyes widened. "It's you. Theo!" Elliot groaned. He flinched at the burning pain. "Neva! Grab my arm! We're going to the hospital!" ,said Vincent. He nodded at Theo. "Thank you." They soon appeared in the hospital. Vincent lifted Elliot off of the floor. "Help! Somebody help me! My boyfriend's been shot!" shadowess - July 4, 2021 Tom shivered excitedly and smirked, biting his lip. "Well then, what are we waiting for?" he purred, both excited and nervous about what they were going to try. Meanwhile, Parker finished adding the latest updates to the paperwork then headed downstairs. He barely looked up at Nate and Tom as he walked past them, his eyes were now burning because he was so tired. "See you later guys..." he said sleepily as he headed out and climbed into the car. He yawned and turned on the car, starting to drive towards Will's home while straining to keep his eyes open. --- "I-...can't say I'm very familiar with that place." David said uncertainly with a smile. "But the tan does look good on you both." he nodded. Then he turned to Galiel and knelt by the water, extending a hand for him to shake. "Nice to meet you. My name is David...Forgive me, I don't mean to be rude, I'm not familiar with mer-people. Are you able to come out of the water at all or-...?" --- His words left Racheal speechless. He leant his head against hers and she shivered a little at how close he was to her. Her cheeks turned pink. But she didn't pull away. She felt confused again. She knew she was feeling some form of excitement from him being so close. She found his words and his gentle manner to be touching. Comforted by his kindness. At the same time, she felt guilty for wanting to be close to him. Even though she now knew that Niko had only been using her and hadn't actually loved her, she still felt like she was betraying him in some way. She feared what he would say or do to her if he ever found out that she'd felt something for someone else. Still, she didn't move away. She relaxed, resting her hand on his chest and closing her eyes. Simply enjoying the quiet moment and the comfort Elimar gave her by simply being there. --- Hannes smiled tearfully at Jean and caressed his cheek with one hand while running his other hand through his hair. "But I'm supposed to protect you, meine Geliebte...it is my duty to notice these things." he bowed his head a little and his shoulders shook as he sobbed a little. "To think I trusted him!" --- The wolves didn't waste any time. They'd never seen so much food in one place before and after their transformations they were all very hungry. The children were the first to dig in. They ran up to the tables and climbed onto the chairs, grabbing at the meat and eating ravenously. The adults chuckled at the children before following them, helping them to fill their plates instead of just shovelling the food straight into their mouths and getting them to sit down on the chairs instead of standing on them to reach over the table. The adults then helped themselves, filling their own plates and sitting next to the children, chatting excitedly with each other about their escape and what their new lives might be like. Before long, every last bit of meat had been eaten and the wolves relaxed at the table. Some of the parents had to hold the little ones as they struggled to stay awake in their chairs. --- Niko's shackles rattled lightly from how much he was shaking. He watched quietly as X got up and walked over to him, recoiling a little fearfully when he knelt next to him. X's new threat made Niko whimper pitifully but he was too terrified to look away from him now. Not wanting to be whipped again. After having been forced to watch him eat his tongue, Niko had absolutely no doubts that X's threats were not as empty as he'd first assumed. When X moved his finger towards the blood on the floor, Niko flinched. He then cringed as he watched him taste his blood from the ground, shivering violently at the thought of him drinking his blood. All vampires here knew that being drained by a Blood God meant certain death. More than that. The destruction of the soul. So the idea that X might want to do that to him made Niko all the more terrified of the man. The Warriors nodded, moving forward to unshackle Niko before carrying him out by his arms towards the dungeon. A third Warrior in the room had taken the whips from the first two Warriors then bowed to X and answered his question. "Sire, trials usually start a day or two after the arrest. To give the Guards and Warriors time to gather and share information regarding the crime or crimes." --- Theo nodded at Vincent in reply before watching them disappear. Once they were gone, he stood up and looked at the body of the robber. He growled a little at it then turned around and cocked his leg, relieving himself on the body's head before running off into the bushes, rather proud of himself. As soon as Vincent shouted in the hospital, nurses came running over. Within seconds, Elliot was moved onto a gurney and wheeled into a surgery room where he would be sedated while the surgeon worked on removing the bullet. Neva was shaking and crying, still clinging to Vincent's leg. "Is daddy going to be ok?" she cried worriedly. Nurse May walked over to them once Elliot was on his way to surgery. "Perhaps you two would be more comfortable in the waiting area?" she suggested in a gentle tone. "We'll let you know how he is as soon as we know anything, alright?" she said to reassure them. "In the meantime, is there anything that I can get for you? Some water? A coffee?" Denix Vames - July 4, 2021 Nate frowned. "Are you sure about this? I don't want to make you do something that you don't want to do." --- Carter chuckled. "Good. Keep it that way." Galiel shook his hand. "Yes and no. I can be out for a few minutes but after that it's a bit hard for me to breath." --- "Would you like to sleep now? Can I get you anything?" ,asked Elimar. --- Jean cupped his cheeks. Making him look into his eyes. "You were close friends. No one could have ever known that this would happen." He brushed some of his tears off with his thumb. "Please Hannes. Don't blame yourself for this." He kissed him slowly. Holding on to those lips before kissing him again. "I still love you. And I would die for you." --- "Now, if you all follow me, I will take you to the resting room." ,said The Werewolf Agent. He led them to where their pack had been before. There were many beds and some flat beds. "Sorry for not having enough to go around but we'll try our best to bring enough beds for everyone in soon." --- "I see. That's good to know. Then I shall respect your rules. I'm going to my house. Goodbye for now." X disappeared. --- Vincent picked her up. Holding her in his arms. "Daddy will be alright. He's a fighter. He just has to make it." He nodded at Nurse May. "Some water would be nice. And can you give my daughter something to do? I don't want her....thinking about this." His grip on Neva was shaky as his voice sounded like it was breaking.

Denix Vames - July 3, 2021 (forgot to include this) Harley hesitated before nodding. “Fine. I won’t try to kill anyone. And for your information, I was trained by my late father.” shadowess - July 3, 2021 "Seriously?" Tom chuckled. "Your father?" Parker rose a brow. "Wait...so, is hunting a thing in your family too? Should we be on the lookout for Poe hunters as well as Steinheil ones?" Parker exchanged a worried glanced with Will. How many more families out there, are secret hunters? He scratched the back of his head and glanced around the room. He was going to have to update that paperwork as soon as they were done here! He looked back at Harley and nodded. "Alright. We'll arrange some way for you to see your brother. Give us a day to make arrangements." he glanced at the window. "The sun is coming up soon anyway so we're better off waiting until this evening. In the meantime..." Parker shrugged and looked at Will. "I duno, what do you think? Should we let him go? If he breaks his word the CIA would be all over his ass anyway. Especially if we let them know he was a hunter, they'll likely keep tabs on him to make sure he doesn't go hunting again." --- Racheal nodded and wiped away more of her tears. "Thank you." she said softly, glad that Elimar seemed to be kind. She looked up at him again. "If I'm staying with you now...if I'm to serve you...what sort of things would I need to do for you?" she asked curiously. With Niko, it had been more like having a boyfriend than a master. The only things he'd ever wanted from her involved the bed. She wondered if that kind of behaviour was standard between new vampires and their makers or if Elimar would just expect her to clean and do odd jobs for him. --- Hannes ran his hand over Jean's hair and closed his eyes. "You don't have to say anything, meine Geliebte. I just needed to hold you...for you to hear me..." he moved back so he could rest his forehead against Jean's, looking into his eyes. "Just having you with me is all the comfort I need...my sweet man..." he said softly and caressed his cheek. "I'm sorry to hear about your brother." he then said, letting him know that he'd been listening. "If you would like to talk about it, I'm here for you." --- The second X appeared in his cell holding a knife, Niko found his words but they were not clever explanations for why X should be letting him go. He was far too panicked for that. "Please no! Please! I'm begging you!" Then X grabbed him and he tried so hard to resist. Trying in vain to keep his jaw shut but X had a more powerful grip than any vampire could achieve. He gripped X's arms, trying and failing to push him off. When X grabbed his tongue, Niko's panic hit the tipping point and he started screaming and desperately trying to pull away. His screams became less fearful and more agonised as X sliced through his tongue. With the tongue being one of the toughest muscles in the body, it wasn't exactly a single, clean slice either. When X let him go and appeared outside of his cell, Niko dropped to his knees. His screams having died down to a whimper as he held his trembling hands over his mouth in shock. He couldn't completely cover his mouth with his hand, due to the blood pouring out. It was gone. The only hope Niko would have of having a tongue is if he had his own placed back into his mouth and allowed to re-attach. So, if X cooked and ate the tongue as he'd said he would, Niko was never going to be able to speak again. He watched helplessly as X gave the order for his tongue to be cooked then sobbed, looking at X pleadingly when he said he'd force Niko to watch him eat it. Niko groaned, sobbing and rocking back and forth a little while shaking his head. He crawled over to the bars hurriedly and stared tearfully at X. He tried to beg him for mercy but his words were just gargled noises. Hearing the noise he was making, Niko groaned again and rested his head against the bars, sobbing. "As you command." one of the warriors said and they walked away. Niko desperately reached an arm through the bars, reaching for his tongue as they walked away with it and let out a frantic cry. --- "What's a penguin?" one of the children asked. Layla was glad to be wearing clothes again. She, the other wolves and agents however, felt thoroughly exhausted after their changes. The agents split up to return to their normal rooms to rest up while the werewolves were shown around and taken somewhere where they could rest as well. --- Neva listened to her fathers and looked between them as they each spoke to her. She wiped her tears and sniffled, feeling a little better knowing that she wasn't losing her family. She hugged them both and cried softly, clinging to them. "I love you both, too!" she cried. Denix Vames - July 3, 2021 "I'm guessing that's not your cup of tea." ,said Nate. Harley shook his head. "My father only started hunting after he lost our mom. She was killed by a vampire. Police said it was a maniac who believed he was one. But my dad didn't buy it. He wanted to know who did it. Then he taught me. He never mentioned this to Jean because he labeled him as a worthless ally." He was surprised at first but thought for a moment. "The CIA huh?" He nodded. He stood from his seat. "Then I'll accept the new laws. After all, I am an officer. I may not like the rules but that doesn't matter when it comes down to enforcing them." "We'll still make sure they know about you." ,said Will who uncuffed him. Harley massaged his wrists. "I don't expect you not to." --- "All I ask of you is to learn our culture. That is all." ,said Elimar. --- "Thank you but...." Jean glanced off. "I rather not think about the past." He looked back at him. "Instead, I want to focus on the future. Our future." He bit his lip. "And I'm tired of being weak. I want you to teach me how to fight. I always get pushed around. It's time that I stop it." --- "Your wound will heal. If you want to bring up the idea of having a new tongue then we need to talk about your attitude. You can think your words and I'll hear them." ,said X. --- The Werewolf Agent pulled out his phone to look up a picture of a penguin. Once he got it, he showed it to the child. "That's a penguin. They're birds that can't fly but live in extreme cold." --- Elliot and Vincent smiled. "Now, what do you want to do? We can do whatever you want today. Just the three of us." ,said Vincent. (so i feel like nothing happens to Elliot and I was thinking of someone randomly attacking him. like a robber who's trying to take everything from his pockets. you can pick any kind of basic weapon. also have him be injured, not killed. might as well give some plot for these characters) shadowess - July 3, 2021 "Technically, I wouldn't know. It's not something I've ever thought about trying." Tom admitted. His cheeks turning a little red despite his amused smirk. Parker nodded. "The vampire responsible must've been a rogue. While most vampires try to live in harmony with humans, some can still be pretty bad..." he said honestly. "Just like humans. There's the innocent...and the not so innocent. That's where the CIA and Carter's Agency comes in. We take care of the criminals when it comes to the supernatural. With any luck...in time..." Parker looked at Will and smiled. "We won't have to keep any of this a secret anymore and the police will be able to get involved." he then shrugged and looked back at Harley. "Hell, the hospital is already doing it. They've started training their staff to tend to both human and supernatural ailments. They're really good at being subtle about it, too. So that the human patients don't freak out." --- Racheal lowered her gaze to the bed slowly. "Oh..." she said quietly, though there was no hint of disappointment in her tone. She was simply surprised. Surprised that he didn't expect her to do anything other than learn. That he wasn't immediately spouting rules along with threats of punishments for breaking said rules like Niko had done. She wasn't sure how to feel about this. One the one hand, she felt like a weight had been lifted and that, for once, she was safe. On the other hand, she couldn't help wondering if this was somehow too good to be true. That it was some kind of trick or a test. She was so used to Niko's abusive habits that she was hesitant to relax. Thinking things through and feeling much calmer than she had a few minutes ago, she nodded slowly. "Alright." she said quietly and glanced back up at him. "I'll do my best." she tried a smile. She was still worried about Niko but there was nothing she could do for him right now. Now, she had to focus on her new life with Elimar and just pray that Niko's sentence isn't severe. She looked down at her feet and saw the lashes had reduced to small scratches. Her feet were still a little sore but she bet she'd be able to walk on them now. Albeit, with a bit of a limp, but she'd still be able to walk. She swung her legs around to the side of the bed and stood gingerly. She winced but she remained on her feet. Sighing, she looked at the ground sadly. She opened her mouth a little then closed it, still trying to make sense of everything. "H-he..." she hugged herself. "He wasn't supposed to hurt me..." she said slowly, as if telling herself. "...he said it was for my own good...to teach me how to behave...because he loved me...but he wasn't supposed to hurt me...was he?..." she looked up at Elimar tearfully. "Why did he hurt me?" she whispered. Although she was looking at Elimar, she was still talking to herself. Asking herself the questions that she'd been too afraid to ask herself while in Niko's care. For once, since Niko turned her, she was thinking for herself. "...Did he love me at all?...did he really care?" tears slowly started to roll down her cheeks. She recalled their meeting in the alley. 'Your family owe us this much!' she remembered Niko saying as he'd pushed her against the wall, trying to unbuckle her belt. Recalling the event, Racheal realised that if Jean hadn't decided to run back, Niko would likely have just had his fun with her before killing her. She shivered, her breath caught in her throat and she lifted a hand to her throat, remembering Niko biting her there three times to sedate her. She closed her eyes, struggling to breath as she began to accept reality. "He hates me!" she gasped. "He didn't turn me because he loved me! Or because he was trying to 'save' me! He just wanted to get back at my family! Oh, God...Oh, God! I'm such an idiot!" Racheal covered her face and began to weep. --- Hannes was taken aback by Jean's words but he took him seriously. He caressed his cheek and moved some of his hair from his face as he thought it over. Finally, he nodded. "If you want to learn to fight, then I will teach you. First, we will get Niko's trial out of the way..." Hannes then smirked. "And the ball. Then we will start a training routine to build up your skills." Hannes seemed thoughtful for a moment. "There is a training regime specifically for the Castle Warriors. Perhaps you'd be interested in that? The Warriors are sort of like the human police. They watch everything in the castle to make sure everyone is safe. They know all of our laws and have the authority to arrest law breakers on sight. Warriors all answer to the Castle Guards." --- Niko couldn't believe what he was hearing. He stared at X for a long moment. His mouth agape while blood continued to drip down his chin and onto the dungeon floor. He wanted to rage. To slam his fists against the bars and just scream angrily at X for taking his tongue. But he didn't dare for fear of losing any other appendage. He gripped the sides of his head and looked down at the blood splattered stones while rocking back and forth, groaning and sobbing. He couldn't think straight in that moment. The only things he was able to focus on was the pain in his mouth, his missing tongue, his overwhelming fear of X as well as the fear of what else might happen to him. He was suddenly filled with regret. But rather than regret hurting Racheal, he regretted turning Racheal in the first place. He regretted not killing her as soon as they'd caught her in that ally. He blamed his entire downfall on her and the rest of the Steinheils. He was angry and hurt that Hannes would throw him away like this. Furious that they hadn't gotten the revenge they set out to get. Furious that Hannes had so easily accepted the news laws imposed on them all by humans. In this moment, he hated him just as much as he hated Racheal. Given half the chance, in his current rage, he'd likely attempt to kill either of them if he saw them. Hell, why not kill Jean while he's at it? Niko was fairly certain that Hannes had only become soft because of his love for Jean, anyway. So, by that logic, Niko also blamed Jean. Niko was so willing to blame everyone else but himself for everything that had gone wrong for him. --- The rest of the children scrambled to get a look at the phone as well. "It looks weird!" one child giggled. "What's a bird?" Another child asked. "What's all that white stuff?" A third child pointed to the ice in the background of the picture. Even the adults looked curious. The questions would make it apparent, very quickly, that none of these wolves had ever stepped outside of that warehouse. None of them knew how to read and had never been shown any sort of images from the outside world. They were even intrigued by the phone that the Agent held in his hand. Some even struggled on how to put clothes on, being so used to being naked all the time. Every little thing was new and mysterious to them and they all gravitated to the Werewolf Agent, recognising him as one of them and trusting him to show them how to live in this strange new place. --- (Sure. I could write in a random 'throw away' robber.) Neva smiled and wiped at her tears, resting her head on Vincent's shoulder. "Can we go to the park again? I like the swings." Denix Vames - July 3, 2021 Nate caressed his thigh. "Would you like to?" Harley walked over to the door. "Then I'll try my best to accept things as they are." "Want me to give you a ride back to the precinct?" He shook his head. "I can do that myself." He headed out of the office. He walked downstairs. He glanced at the two on the couch then turned. "So, what are you guys? Vampires too?" --- Elimar sat next to her. He wrapped an arm around her. "Niko never cared about anyone but himself. He's a selfish man." --- Jean nodded. "I'd like that." He frowned. "Do I have to be at the trial? I've never been to your kind of trial before. I don't know what will happen." --- "I see that you still haven't learned. Oh well. We'll see how things go during your trial. Bye for now." X disappeared. --- X appeared. He read their minds. "Ah! I see." He clapped his hands. They all appeared in a large meeting room. "This will be your classroom. A place where you will learn everything that you all have missed. We will hire private tutors to come here and teach you all. We will also provide raw meat to everyone when it is meal time. And you will start living with our pack. Is that alright with everyone?" --- (cool) Vincent smiled. "Of course." He stood. Elliot did the same. He touched his arm. "Are you ready dear?" Once she agreed, they would appear at the park where the playground was. He brought her over to the swings. Setting her on one of them. Elliot stayed some distance. Able to see them from the side. He smiled as he watched Vincent push her on the swing. Shadowess - July 3, 2021 Parker sighed and rubbed his forehead tiredly. "Guess I have more paperwork to do..." he said and sat down at the desk. "I can meet you at home if you want to get some rest. Shouldn't take me too long to update these reports." he said to Will then suddenly stood up. "Shit, I almost forgot! David?" he called out and David appeared in the room. "Everything alright?" he asked and Parker nodded. "Yeah, Would you mind meeting Carter and Sebastian in Thailand? Apparently there's a merman that wants to join our team. He just needs someone to bring him here." David rolled his eyes with a smile. "If I started charging you lot for all the times you asked for a favour involving teleportation, I'd be rich!" "Oh, Ha! Ha!" Parker laughed sarcastically and David chuckled, shaking his head a little before vanishing, heading off to Thailand. Parker then turned to Will and chuckled a little. "Oh, and er-...Carter asked if we could set this merman up with someone. Apparently he's pretty lonely." Tom bit his lip a little and looked up at Nate. "I guess we could give it a try." he said softly, blushing. He then looked over at the officer that came down the stairs and spoke to them. Tom pointed at himself with his thumb. "I'm a Daywalker Vampire. New breed apparently. Tom, by the way." he then pointed to Nate. "and this is my boyfriend, Nate. He's an Arch Angel." Tom smiled, always proud when talking about the man he loved. --- Racheal leant against Elimar, crying into her hands. "I really thought he loved me...That he saw past who I used to be...where I came from...of course not! He hates me! He hates me and he's right to! I don't deserve love! I don't deserve to be happy! I don't even deserve to have this new life!" --- (Mate, I just now realised how much the functionality of this castle has been inspired by Darren Shan's Vampire Rites...I haven't even read those books in like 10 years and after typing this post up was like 'hmm...this seems awfully familiar...' lol) Hannes bit his lip nervously and walked over to the fireplace which currently wasn't lit. He looked into the blackened and charred logs of wood that were left in the firebox opening. He frowned while contemplating the trial to come. "It's not mandatory for ordinary vampires to attend, though they can if they choose. Warriors act as jurors so they have an obligation to be there. The Guards are the judges. Our words are final." Hannes paused for a long moment, staring hard at the logs. "I don't know what will happen. Things have changed...If he is guilty, we may have to call upon the German authorities instead of punishing him ourselves like we're used to." he shook his head a little. "I need to speak with the other Guards before the trial...discuss this with them...and I just know that Natali and Janik are going to argue that we should stick to our traditions...they're so stubborn and stuck in the past..." --- Niko looked up when X vanished and screamed with both anguish and fury. Several minutes would pass, in which Niko would continue to rock back and forth, sobbing. Occasionally letting out an angry roar and lashing out at the bars before going right back to crying and rocking. Hearing footsteps, he looked up to see the Warriors returning to the dungeon and marching over to his cell. Both of their faces were expressionless, trained not to show the slightest bit of mercy or even emotion to law breakers. Niko watched one of them unlock his cell and he shook his head, knowing why they'd come. He backed away from them with a horrified expression as they entered his cell. They each grabbed one of his arms and dragged him to his feet, forcing him to walk with them towards the dining hall. He dug his heels into the ground again but it was no use. They pushed him down in the centre of the room and shackled him to the ground as they had been ordered to do. He looked around and saw that a few vampires who had caught wind of Niko's punishment had slipped into the hall to spectate in silence. Shaking, humiliated and frightened, Niko looked at the Warriors and saw that each of them were now holding a short whip. His eyes widened at the sight of them and he looked at the Warriors questioningly. They had been ordered to make Niko watch. So, their solution to him closing his eyes or looking away would be to whip him until he looked again. He turned to look ahead of him and saw a silver plate with a lid over it at the main table. A single, ornately decorated chair in the centre of the table, where the plate was. A vampire stood by the table, holding a bottle of blood at the ready, like it was wine. Niko groaned, feeling tears stinging his eyes once again at the sight. He didn't even need to see it to know it was there. He could even smell it and it was enough to make him gag. --- The wolves all gasped and jumped, looking around them in alarm when their surroundings suddenly changed. They listened to what X had to say then they all looked towards their Alpha who was looking around the place curiously. He nodded to the other wolves to show them they could trust this man before turning to X. "Thank you. This is more than we were ever expecting." he said sincerely, speaking for the first time since arriving at the facility. His voice was deep and gruff. One of the children had been a little spooked by the sudden jump and he clung to a woman's legs. She picked him up and cuddled him. Both of them had mouse-brown hair. The woman had a kind and warm smile as she turned her head to look at X. Her hazel eyes glistening a little as she smiled. --- (Actually, just remembered something I was meaning to do but never found a chance to work it in naturally xD Would you mind if Theo gets involved? I figured he'd been watching the family in secret to make sure they were safe as a way of making it up to Vincent for all the crap he put him through.) Neva giggled as Vincent pushed her on the swing. At first, the man in the long, tattered coat and woolly hat just seemed like any ordinary passer by. He saw the family in the park and saw Elliot standing off to one side. It was risky but it was the early hours of the morning, no one else was around, no cops and he was desperate! He walked around the park as if just passing by then stopped when he reached Elliot. He stank of booze and other substances. "'Scuse me, pal. Do you got the time?" he asked Elliot in a friendly tone then while Elliot was busy trying to find out the time, the male pulled out a gun and kept it close to his side, his coat hiding it from view, so Vincent and Neva wouldn't be able to see it. "Don't do anything stupid. Empty your pockets and give me all your cash." he said quietly, in a threatening tone.

Denix Vames - July 2, 2021 Nate smiled. "Yes and it's still fucking awesome." They walked over to the couch where they sat there. He snapped his fingers. The movie appeared in the screen. "I already know! And I know what happened to him! He's being used right now as we speak!" Harley stood. "You bastards!" He ran at Parker but stopped in his tracks when Will tased him. He cried out before falling over. "Enough! Now sit down and listen to us!" ,said Will. Harley caught his breath. "Never..." --- Elimar got off of Niko. He slid against the doorway. Sitting there. Exhausted from the situation. He nodded. "Yes, I will teach her. And I will protect her." He made himself stand. He walked over to her. Picking her up and holding her in his arms. "You did nothing wrong. It is Niko who has harmed you. We do not abuse one of our own. Whatever he told you was false." --- "First, we have to find out where the bedroom is." ,said Gary. --- The Werewolf Agent walked over to the puppies. He wagged his tail and barked happily. --- "What should we do?" ,asked Elliot. "Let's just try, ok? Try to deal with obstacle." "But what about what you've done? Will we ever tell her?" "I don't know. Let's just wait that out." He nodded. "Ok." They walked upstairs. Vincent stopped him. He pointed at her door. Elliot covered his mouth. Shocked and worried that she had heard them. They headed to the door. Vincent gently knocked. "Neva dear? May we come in?" Denix Vames - July 2, 2021 Jean nodded. "Please stay safe." He got dressed after a moment. Getting into his regular clothes. He slightly opened the door. Poking his head out as he heard the commotion. "Hannes?!" (wanted to write this in but totally forget to lol) shadowess - July 2, 2021 (lol No worries) Tom settled onto the couch with Nate, resting his head in the rook of his shoulder while laying a hand on his chest. He watched the movie with a small smile, content where he was. He glanced up at the ceiling when he heard Harley getting tased. "Oof. Sounds like this guy is in for a long day..." he commented then looked back at the TV. Parker rose a brow and then stepped away from the wall, taking a hurried step away from Harley when he ran at him. He watched him getting tased with a frown and waited until he caught his breath before sighing. "What do you mean 'being used'? You're jumping to conclusions, Harley. We've checked up on Jean and he's perfectly safe. Happy, even. What I don't understand is, why you've chosen to become a hunter? Who trained you? The Steinheils? Because not only are they wrong about vampires, they've been murdering innocent people, yes PEOPLE, for centuries and it's time for that to stop. I mean, if vampires are supposed to be as bad as the Steinheils believed then why haven't you been killed or turned yet? Hmm?" Parker questioned him with his arms folded. --- Racheal looked at Elimar as he lifted her up and she looked back at the door where Niko had been dragged out moments before. She shook her head a little, tears rolling down her cheeks. "N-no...that can't be...H-he loves me...He said he loves me...he wouldn't lie to me..." Hannes sighed sadly and looked at Elimar. "He seems to have done quite some damage to her. This might take some time and patience." he said to him in German before looking at Racheal and shaking his head, speaking to her in English. "I'm sorry...But I don't believe that he ever really loved you. I'm sorry that I didn't see it sooner..." Racheal shook her head some more, refusing to look at either of them. "N-no...no! You're wrong! He loves me..." she cried, sounding a little heart broken. "H-he said- he said he was going to marry me...that we'd make a family...he made me and gave me his name...I'm Racheal Bernbaum!" "Nein, Racheal...That was false, too." Hannes said gently. "The Blutgeschmack, the tradition he used to turn you, does not require you to take his name. That was just something he imposed on you...at first I thought it was because he wanted to give you a clean slate upon entering your new life...but now I see that he was just being possessive over someone he considers to be his 'property'." "N-no..." Racheal cried softly, closing her eyes and turning her head away from Hannes, hiding her face in Elimar's shoulder. "You're still Racheal Steinheil." Hannes said then lay a gentle hand on her shoulder. "But you're not one of those monsters. You're still one of us and we'll do everything we can to help you recover." Racheal was quiet for a moment before looking at Hannes worriedly. "Where have they taken him?...What's going to happen to him?" Hannes hesitated to answer, but after what she'd been put through, she deserved to know. He removed his hand from her shoulder as he spoke frankly to her. "In striking you and intentionally causing you pain, Niko has broken a very sacred law...as well as his vow to keep you safe...He's been taken to the dungeons where he will await a trial. He will be judged by myself and the other three castle guards... Rulings for this kind of thing can vary. In the past, some vampires have been banished while the more dangerous vampires have been tossed out into the sun and locked out." Racheal's eyes widened and her face turned pale. "That's barbaric!" she gasped. "That's how we've always done things." Hannes shrugged. Racheal thought quickly. She was desperate to save Niko somehow. Still believing that she was in love with him. "N-no! You can't do that!" she gasped then she remembered. "That's not how the law works anymore! You have to hand him over to the German authorities! Or X! You don't have to do your own trials anymore! They'll judge his actions and lock him away if he's guilty!" Hannes blinked then his eyes widened. In the heat of the moment, he'd forgotten that they were no longer on their own in the world. That there were laws outside of their own. "Fine." he nodded. "I'll contact the authorities. In the meantime however, Niko will remain in the dungeon and you will go with Elimar. He is to be your new teacher and protector." "What?! No! Niko is-!" "Niko is a criminal and an abusive, conniving wretch! You are better off without him! Now, you will go with Elimar and I will not speak anymore on the matter!" Hannes snapped, momentarily losing his patience. Racheal didn't reply this time. She turned her head away from Hannes and quietly sobbed into Elimar's shoulder while thinking about how Niko had been with her. Hannes frowned, realizing what he'd done. It wasn't Racheal he was angry at, it was Niko. He opened his mouth to apologise but then sighed and looked back at Elimar. "I'll leave you to take care of her. Come to me if you need anything." he said sadly before turning and leaving, heading back to his own home. He spotted Jean looking out of the door and couldn't help smirking at his curiosity and concern. "I'm alright, meine Geliebte." he tried to reassure him, although his voice broke a little as he approached the door. He walked inside and closed the door behind him before pulling Jean into his arms and hugging him tightly. Running a hand through his hair while crying into his shoulder. He couldn't ever imagine treating Jean the way Niko had been treating Racheal. The very idea of striking him hurt Hannes to his core. --- Alex gave Gary a lustful smirk and took his hand, taking him to the staircase. "Then let's start looking." he grinned. --- Layla sniffed a couple of wolves from the other pack who sniffed her back in greeting. She was happy to meet so many other werewolves during her first turning. There were even puppies! Layla was amazed that the werewolf children turned too but thinking about it, she wasn't exactly sure what she'd been expecting. They sure were adorable though! She watched happily as the Agent played with them. Finding it amusing when the puppies ran at him at full speed to chase him when he'd barked at them. All of them trying to tackle him, biting at his ankles and fur playfully. The Alpha from the other pack remained laid down and watched contently, happy to relax and watch the others while waiting for the sunrise to change them all back. --- Neva didn't answer. Not wanting them to see her crying. She kept her face buried in the pillow and threw the blanket over her head to hide herself under her covers. Denix Vames - July 2, 2021 Nate wrapped an arm around him. He chuckled. "I guess getting tased isn't his kink." Harley's face went red. He stuttered as he spoke, "It's cause I've been smart. They haven't caught me yet." Will took the prongs out. Harley flinched. He was surprised to find himself being helped to the chair. "Look Harley. Whether or not you want to believe that your brother is happy is up to you. But he is. And you should meet his boyfriend." Will frowned. "I was like you in that moment. I lashed out at them. I almost killed one of them." He set the taser on the desk. He placed his hands on the wood. Keeping his back facing him as he held back tears. He sighed. "I'm not proud of what I did but I know now that these are good people. They always have been." Harley lowered his head. "I haven't talked to him in years. I kept checks on him when he joined the force. I was surprised to find out that he was a cop. He use to hate the police. He would talk shit about them and break enough laws to get himself noticed by them. When I became a cop, he yelled at me. Told me that I was a traitor to my own family. To him. He said how corrupt they were. I argued back. Said that he was worse than them. That he wasn't even my brother. We went our separate ways after that." Tears fell. He shook as he sobbed. He lifted his head to look at Will who now faced him and Parker. "Please! I just want to see him again! To let him that I didn't mean what I said back then!" --- Elimar nodded. "Come. Let me show you your new home." He carried her down the hall. They soon made it to the door which he carefully opened. Once opened, he placed her on the bed to rest. "Make yourself comfortable." He closed the door. Jean placed his hands on his back. He gripped the back of his shirt. He shut his tearfilled eyes. "It's ok. It's going to be ok." X appeared in front of Niko's cell. "I had a feeling that you would do something stupid." He smiled. "I guess that means I'll have tongue for breakfast." --- Once they found a bedroom, Gary would pick him up and kiss him passionately. Placing him on the bed where he took his pants off. He soon stripped himself too. He kissed his chest then got lower to his thighs. "I'll never let anyone hurt you." (private time) --- The Werewolf Agent laid on his back. He gently placed his paw on them. Sometimes biting their fur but not too hard. Or licking them. --- Vincent nodded at him. He opened the door. They walked over to the bed. "Neva, we're sorry if you heard any of that." He sat at the edge of the bed. He placed a hand on her arm. Elliot stayed close to him. "We're not going to leave each other. We could never do that." "Yeah. We just gotta talk about some things. That's all. Ain't nothing to it. We still love you." ,said Elliot. Shadowess - July 2, 2021 Tom chortled at Nate's comment. "Please tell me that's not really a thing!" he laughed, unable to imagine anyone getting off on being electrocuted but then again...there were a lot of strange fetishes in the world. "Smart?" Parker chuckled. "You got handcuffed and taken into custody by one!" 'Heh! I was guna say that!' River chuckled. Parker then listened to what Harley and Will had to say with a small frown. When Harley begged to see Jean, Parker walked around to face Harley while sitting on the edge of the desk. "We could probably arrange something...but first things first...One; we need to know that you're not guna go out and kill any vampires. Two; You're going to tell us everything you know about vampire hunters. How you got into it, who trained you, everything and finally...and this one might come as a bit of a shock to you but you need to know so...prepare yourself, ok?" Parker sighed again before just coming right out with it. "Your brother is a vampire now, too." --- Racheal wiped away some of her tears and looked around his room shyly. She looked down at her feet, her lower lip quivered at the sight of the red marks across the bottoms of them. She could see them healing slowly but seeing what Niko had done to her was a little jarring. She moved a trembling hand to one of her feet and placed a finger near one of the cuts, recoiling and sucking air through her teeth at the sharp pain. She looked up at Elimar nervously, not sure about how to feel about the arrangement of him being her new protector. She wondered what Elimar would expect of her as his pupil and she also wondered if she would ever be reunited with Niko. How would she even feel about that? --- It took Hannes a couple of minutes to calm down. He took several deep breaths but didn't let go of Jean, finding comfort in their embrace. "He was my friend...I've known him since we were children...I thought I knew him... he's become so angry...so hateful...I don't recognise him anymore..." Hannes cried. "He was hurting her...this whole time, he was tormenting her behind closed doors...he was supposed to be her protector...How can this happen? How did I not see it?" he shook his head a little and swallowed. "But I see it now...He doesn't love her...she was just a trophy to him...A literal 'fuck you' to anyone named Steinheil…He's messed with her head so much that she doesn't understand what he did wrong...he was caught red handed whipping her raw and she doesn't understand what he was doing was wrong!" --- Niko had been digging his heels into the ground as the warriors dragged him into the dungeons. He'd been screaming death threats the entire way until he was thrown into the cell and locked inside. He shot to his feet and ran at the bars, holding on to them as he yelled at the warriors who would now stand guard over him until either a trial was called or they would be given a break by the second set of warriors...whichever came first. "Idiots!! Don't you see what's happening?!" Niko raged in German at them. "Our traditions! Our laws! Our religion! Our very way of life is in danger! They will strip it all from us! You'll see! They'll have us abandon everything that makes us who we are! Then there'll be no place for our people in the world! We need to put a stop to this! We need a new leader! We need-!" Niko then jumped and shot back, away from the bars in surprise when X appeared. His face turned pale at his words and his mouth opened and closed a couple of times as he failed to speak for a minute, out of sheer terror. "N-no...no, there n-needs to be a trial! Y-you can't-! You can't just-! You can't-!" his words failed him as he backed up in the cell until his back hit the wall. He looked over at the warriors for help but they'd both knelt as soon as X entered the dungeon. Both of them bowing their heads as low as they could. Niko knew he was in trouble and that no vampire here would help him. Not one of them would ever defy the word of a Blood God, even if it went against their own laws. Because to this particular group of vampires, a Blood God's word had a much higher authority than their mortal laws. His eyes snapped back to X fearfully. He was sweating, his heart racing and he was trembling. He shook his head at X, trying to think of someway of talking himself out of the trouble he was in but the only words he could muster were; "Y-you can't-!" --- At some point in the early hours of the morning, as if they could sense it despite not being able to see outside, some of the wolves from the other pack let out short, rhythmic howls. It almost sounded song like. Immediately, the puppies stopped playing with the agent and ran over. Some of them running so fast that they toppled over each other clumsily but quickly got back up, shook themselves off and continued to run towards the wolves. The wolves then encircled them, blocking any view of them from the other wolves. At first, Layla was confused by this but then she felt a tingling sensation rush through her body. This was it. They were all changing back! Of course! Those wolves were the children's parents and they were guarding the children as they changed back. Which made sense, considering the wolves were at their most vulnerable when they were mid-turning. A few minutes later, Layla shakily got to her feet from her hands and knees. Now a completely naked human woman. She tried her best to cover herself with her hands, feeling her face grow hot from embarrassment. She glanced around and saw that where the alpha male had been, there now stood a very muscular male, with black hair that reached his waist and deep brown eyes. He didn't seem the least bit ashamed or shy about being completely nude. In fact, non of them did. She watched as he turned and walked over to his pack, going from person to person to make sure they were all alright and that they'd changed back without any issues. She looked over at the agent and chuckled shyly. --- A sniffle could be heard from under the covers and Neva's broken voice came through, sounding so fragile and concerned. "Talk...about what?" she cried. Denix Vames - July 2, 2021 Nate smirked. "You're missing out." Harley's face went pale. He was shaking more. His mouth gaped open. Shocked by the news. "J-Jean...? But-" "He's doing fine. His boyfriend is helping him learn how to be a vampire. How to control the animal instincts. They drink from blood bags these days. Human blood that people willingly give to vampires. A lot has changed. You really missed out." ,said Will. --- Elimar placed a hand on her shoulder. "You may rest for as long as you need to. Let me know if you need anything." --- Jean frowned. "I'm sorry. I don't know what to do but say I'm sorry. My brother always knew how to make me feel better but he's....gone. We weren't close enough to stay together I guess." --- X held out his hand. "Give me a knife." When one of the guards did, he appeared in Niko's cell. He gripped his jaw. Forcing his mouth opened. He grabbed his tongue once it was out. "You should have thought about that before you disobeyed me." He cut his tongue off. He appeared near the guards. "Stand up." Once they did, he handed the tongue to one of them. "Cook this for me. When it is done, place him in shackles so that he can watch me eat it at the dining room." --- The Werewolf Agent smiled at her. He clapped his hands. "Alright everyone! Now, we don't have normal clothes here so suits will have to do for all of you. Even the little ones. Looks like we're going to be looking like penguins for a while. But we'll buy normal clothes for everyone soon. Come this way now." He led them to the changing room where he did his best to give them the right size of suits. --- Vincent pulled the covers off. He lifted her up. Holding her in his arms. Elliot sat next to him. "We're not going to break up or leave each other. It's just that sometimes parents fight or argue. But we talked things out. Everything's fine now." ,said Vincent. "It's normal for pops to get mad sometimes but then we get along just fine. Ya get it?" Vincent poked her nose. "So you see? We're not going anywhere. We still love you." He kissed her head. Elliot wrapped an arm around her. Giving her a tight hug.

Denix Vames - July 1, 2021 "I think we'll let him in anyway. It sounds important." Nate got dressed before heading to the front door. He opened it. Letting them in. Will escorted Harley upstairs and to the office. Finding it empty, he set him on the chair. He called up Parker. "Hey Parker? Apparently, Jean has a brother named Harley. He's a vampire hunter. I've got him in custody at Carter's office. Can you meet me there right now?" --- Elimar forced a smile. "You're welcome, Niko. Just be sure not to accidentally 'push' her or else you might accidentally receive a broken bone or two." --- Gary kissed his cheek. "Take your time. No one's telling you to read it. It's just there if you ever decide to. Why don't we do something else to take our minds off of all this?" --- X nodded. "We are grateful. You can enter any of these cars. There are limits to the space so someone will need to in other cars but don't worry. You will be back together once you reach our facility. It's where we train but also imprison the most dangerous criminals. So don't look through the cells. We'll try to avoid them." The agents opened the car doors to the backseat. Letting wolves in to the many cars that were there. --- Leo mumbled in his sleep but it was audible. A few tears left him. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. They made me. Ava.....Sky....." shadowess - July 1, 2021 Tom hurriedly got dressed as well and watched as Will took Harley up to the office. "Wonder what that's all about..." he then heard Will's voice as he spoke to Parker on the phone and his eyes hardened. "Oh." Parker had been dozing on the couch, waiting for Will to get home when his phone rang in his pocket. He woke up quickly and looked at it before answering. "Hey, what's up?" He listened carefully to Will and shot to his feet. "I'm on my way. I'll be there in five." he said before hanging up and running out to get into his car. He started it up and began driving towards the office. --- Although Niko had mastered the art of faking his smile, his pupils shrank with rage at the thinly veiled threat. He chuckled sourly and turned to walk back into his home, placing a hand on his door and looking back at Elimar. "I'll bear that in mind. Oh, and seeing as we're looking out for each other, you know, one 'friend' to another... you might want to be careful about where you go poking your nose. You could end up losing it." he then went into his home without giving Elimar time to react, closing the door quickly behind him. He locked the door and turned to Racheal who was watching him and fidgeting with her fingers nervously. Her eyes were tearful and she was trembling ever so slightly. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I know you said to wait here. I'm sorry." "Shhh, liebchen. Come here, it's alright. I forgive you." he said gently and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her. He waited until she'd calmed down a little. Until her heartrate sounded a little more normal and until she stopped shaking before speaking again. "But, you know I still have to punish you, right? You disobeyed me. I can't ignore that, liebchen." he said in the same gentle tone then broke into a wide, sadistic grin when he heard her whimper into his shoulder and felt her start to shake again. Quickly hiding his smile, he pulled away to look at her sadly. He cupped her face with his hands and wiped away her tears with his thumbs. "I don't enjoy doing these things to you, liebchen." he lied. "But I can't just let you get away with being disobedient, can I? Or you might turn out to be a bad vampire and what happens to bad vampires?" "Th-they're- they're thrown out into the sun..." Racheal answered in a horrified whisper, reconfirming the lie that Niko had fed her to keep her too frightened to fight back. "That's right. I don't want to throw you to the sun, meine liebchen. I love you...don't you love me, too?" "Y-yes! Yes, I love you!" Racheal sounded a little desperate to make Niko believe her. Not wanting him to discard her and leave her for dead. "Then I must do this. Do you understand? Now...a fitting punishment for walking off without permission...let me see...ah! I've got it. Lay on the bed, liebchen. On your front with the bottom of your feet facing up. And don't worry, I'll make sure you can heal before the ball." "Ball?" Racheal blinked. "Didn't I tell you? We always have a ball to welcome new born vampires into our home. It will be in yours and Jean's honour. Now, come on. On the bed." Racheal nodded and lay on the bed the way Niko had instructed her. Meanwhile, Niko pulled out a small, wooden rod from a cabinet and walked over to her, standing by her feet. "Try not to pull your feet away, liebchen. Each time you do, I'll add another strike." for a fraction of a second, he smirked before he began whipping the bottoms of her feet. --- Alex let out a shaky sigh, putting the photos down onto the nearby table. He turned and looked at Gary, caressing his cheek and nodded. He smiled a little and rested his head against his. "I'm just glad I still have you..." he kissed him tenderly then looked into his eyes. "I forgot to thank you...for saving my ass back in the woods." he smiled, running his hand through his hair. --- The wolves climbed into the cars. Some of them gently lifting the pups in with them. One of the puppies ran clumsily over to X and barked at him happily, wagging his little tail so much that his entire back end wagged with it. A female wolf stayed close, watching them carefully. The pup's mother. She looked up at X, her hazel eyes looking directly into his. 'Thank you.' the thought resounded in her mind before she moved forward patiently. She nudged the pup playfully with her nose then lifting him into her mouth as gently as she could, carrying him over to the car and jumping in. --- Oscar awoke to Leo's mumbling. He blinked his eyes open and looked at him worriedly. It was still very dark in the room. The sun hadn't begun to rise yet. "It's ok..." Oscar whispered, wrapping his arms around Leo and holding him gently, running a hand over his hair. "Leo, it's ok...you're dreaming...you're alright." He heard what Leo was saying and frowned. He wondered if there might be a way to reunite him with his family...even if it's only a short visit...so they could all get the closure that they needed. Maybe he could talk to Patience or Nate about it later...but he'd run the idea past Leo first. He didn't want to assume that something like that would be ok to organise. Denix Vames - July 1, 2021 Will tucked his phone away. Nate placed a hand on Tom's shoulder. "Tempting to beat the shit out of him, isn't it? I think we should go somewhere else. Leave them to it." --- Elimar glared at the door. He walked away. Halfway down the hall, he heard the noise. A fire in his eyes had lit up. He turned before zooming to the door. He yanked it open with great force. He hissed as his fangs sprouted. "I told you!" He grabbed a fistful of Niko's shirt and slammed him against the wall. "You bastard! That's not how you treat your life long partner! I'll punish you! I'll tell them all what you have done!" --- "No thanks needed. I would do it again for you. Any day." Gary kissed him slowly. He gently bit his bottom lip. His hands moved under his shirt. --- X smiled. He gently stroke the pup's fur. "You're welcome." Once the wolves were in the vehicles, the agents closed the doors. The drive there was a bit long but they soon reached the facility. With the wolves out of the cars, X stood in front of them. "Follow me. The wolf pack should be in their beds already We can meet them." He led them through the facility. Reaching the large room where the werewolves had been placed in so that they could keep them in check when they had first been turning. --- Leo's breathing calmed down. He leaned his head against his. He stopped mumbling. Shadowess - July 1, 2021 "And miss out on the action?" Tom smirked. "It is tempting, but I prefer not to get violent unless I absolutely have to." he took Nate's hand. "Maybe there's some way that we can help them with their case?" It didn't take long before Parker hurried through the door. He saw Nate and Tom and nodded at them in greeting before running up the stairs, heading straight into the office. He looked between Harley and Will before talking to Will. "Have you learned anything else?" he asked, wondering if Will had already started to question Harley. --- Racheal had been crying out and flinching with every strike of the rod. Each hit breaking her skin and leaving long, bloodied lashes across the bottoms of her feet. He'd only struck her three or four times when his door was torn open by Elimar. Before Niko could react, he was slammed against the wall. He glared at him while he was being yelled at and Racheal hurriedly sat up to look at them frantically. Tears had already been streaming down her face. "No! Please don't hurt him! I deserve it! I disobeyed him!" she cried. Niko grinned savagely at Elimar. "Should've kept your nose out, 'friend'." he growled before moving to strike him across the face with the rod that was still in his hand. "She is mine!" he attempted to strike him again. "I turned her! So she owes me for the next one hundred years! I will do with her as I please! How dare you break into my home!? How dare you try to tell me how to handle my servant!?" with each sentence, he tried again and again to hit Elimar with the rod. Hearing the commotion, a vampire passing by started running towards the East Guard's room to report the fight breaking out. The guard being Hannes. --- Alex moaned at Gary's touch and gasped softly when he felt Gary's teeth on his lip. He shivered excitedly and looked into his eyes before kissing him again passionately. He liked it when Gary was a little rough with him. He slipped his tongue into his mouth. He slipped a hand down to Gary's waist and felt his hip under his shirt. --- Layla stirred in her sleep. Still in wolf form, she yawned and lifted her head a little. Feeling irritated by the lights overhead. Her eyes then shot open and she looked around the room, realising they were no longer in the woods. Had they been brought back while they were sleeping!? She whined a little, missing the calmness of the woods at night. Her sadness was soon replaced by curiosity and wariness however when an entire pack of new wolves were guided into the room. There was a tense silence as each pack looked at the other cautiously. The silence was broken by the excited and curious puppies that then spilled into the room and ran around both packs, causing the agent wolves to jump away from them whenever they got too close for fear of somehow angering the parents in the other pack. The alpha approached them cautiously and sniffed at the air around them. He approached Layla and sniffed at her, making her whine nervously and dart over to the werewolf agent, standing behind him shyly. The mother wolf stood near the door, simply watching her pup from afar. Her tail wagging a little as she enjoyed watching her son playing, and the way he was blissfully & innocently unaware of the tension in the room. --- Oscar smiled a little, glad that Leo seemed calmer now. He gently kissed the top of his head and cuddled him while closing his eyes once more, hoping to get some more sleep before they'd have to wake up early the next morning. Denix Vames - July 1, 2021 "Only if he won't tell the truth. But I think they might have this. Why don't we watch something?" ,asked Nate. Will nodded. "He thinks the Steinhells are dead." "What?! They're alive? But how?" Harley tried to pry the cuffs. He glared at Parker. "You! You were claimed as missing! I knew something was up! Traitor!" --- Elimar lost his grip on him as he was being hit. He kept walking backwards. Blood spewed from his nose and lips. A few cuts were on his cheek. He tried to grab the rod but found it impossible. He took a chance and tackled him. He gripped his wrists. Keeping him from using the rod. He headbutted him. Jean sat up when he heard a knock at the door. He covered his chest with the sheets. --- Gary moaned into the kiss. He pulled his shirt off. His lips planted on his neck. Nibbling there and then kissing his collar. His hand wandered all over his chest. --- The Werewolf Agent walked over to the Alpha of the pack. He sniffed at him before sitting. He raised a paw as if to say hi. --- Elliot couldn't sleep after some time. He woke and went downstairs to the living room. Vincent followed him. "Why is this such a big deal? I was able to go out with you and her!" "Yeah! When no cops were around! Just face it, Vincent! She's better off with my family than here! She'd be more safe there!" "You don't know that! And we can make this work! I know we can! You just can't do this to me! Especially not to her!" Tears dripped down Elliot's cheeks. He took his cap off and scratched his head. "I don't know. I just don't want to live in constant fear anymore." Vincent wrapped his arms around him. Holding him close. He caressed his cheek. "You don't have to." Elliot looked at him before burying his face against his chest. Throughout the conversation, it was quite audible enough for Neva to hear. Shadowess - July 1, 2021 "Alright." Tom smiled. "Hey, have you ever seen Kill Bill?" "Yeah, and then I came back with amnesia for a while." Parker replied with a shrug, unphased by his outburst. He shrugged and took off his jacket, hanging it up before leaning against the wall and looking at Harley for a long moment, wondering where to even begin with this. He looked back at Will. "I'm guessing he doesn't know about Jean, yet?" --- Hannes sat up as well and looked at Jean. The knock had sounded hurried and there were usually very few reasons for vampires to call on him like this, and they almost always involve violence. "Stay here, my love. Where you'll be safe. I need to do my duty as a guard." he said softly and kissed Jean tenderly before flinging himself out of the bed and hurriedly getting dressed. He ran out of the bedroom and headed to his main door. After answering it and hearing what the vampire had to say, he ran out of his home and headed straight for Niko's house. As he ran, he called upon a couple of warriors to follow him. "Stop it! Please stop fighting!" Racheal shouted at them, crying. Niko ignored her and grunted when Elimar head-butted him. Hearing a crunch, blood burst from his nose and Niko knew it had been broken from the impact. He growled and struggled to wriggle his wrists free. Growing frustrated and angry, his own fangs sprouted and he let out a furious roar. Hannes ran into the room shortly after and saw the scene. He saw both Niko and Elimar covered in blood. The bloodied rod in Niko's hand. Racheal crying on the bed. Then he saw the lashes on her feet and his eyes moved slowly over to Niko with a mixture of silent rage and deep disappointment. "Niko..." he said sombrely then gestured for Elimar to get off of him. Niko would sit up and look at Hannes desperately. He quickly pointed to Elimar, lapsing into German. "Hannes, this vampire broke into my home-!" "Niko!" Hannes cut him off, his eyes lit up angrily. "You broke. Your vow!" he replied in German and gestured to Racheal's feet. "Upon giving Racheal our gift you vowed to protect her! That includes protection FROM YOU!" Niko glared at Hannes. "Oh, this is bullshit and you know it! First you abolish one of our oldest traditions and now you're trying to twist the interpretation of our laws-!" "Enough! Niko, enough...I cannot save you from this one...my friend..." Hannes shook his head sadly and Niko suddenly seemed frightened. Even a little desperate. "No...Hannes, you can't-!" "You've broken one of our most sacred laws..." "Hannes please-!" "I'm going to have you taken to a cell..." "Hannes, I'm begging you-!" Niko struggled for a moment as the warriors with Hannes had stepped forward and each took one of Niko's arms. "-where you will await trial for your crime..." "Hannes! You're supposed to be my friend! My brother!" "May the Blood King forgive you." "Hannes!!" "What's happening?" Racheal cried softly, unable to understand what was being said but was growing increasingly concerned with how frightened Niko seemed to be. "No! Hannes, you can't take me away from her! She needs me!" Niko pointed to Racheal, trying to use her to worm his way out of trouble. Hannes shook his head gravely. "She's not your responsibility anymore." He answered simply and Niko's face turned pale. "You can't-..." Niko shook his head. "You broke your vow, therefore she is free from your bond. Her one hundred year servitude to you is null and void. So, we will find a more suitable teacher and protector for her." "You son of a bitch! She's mine!!" Niko raged but Hannes ignored him and turned to Elimar. "You came to her aid, even though she was not yours to protect. Would you want to take her under your protection? To teach her how we should live? In peace and without fear of one another. All the things Niko failed to teach her." Niko's eyes shot to Elimar furiously and he shook his head. "Don't you dare! Don't you fucking dare! She's mine!! She'll always be mine! She belongs to me!" Hannes nodded at his warriors who proceeded to drag Niko out of his home, kicking and screaming all the way to the dungeons below the castle. "So, what do you say?" Hannes asked Elimar. "You don't have to say yes. I'm sure there are a number of other vampires who would be willing to take her in." Racheal had watched Niko being dragged away with a worried expression. She looked back at Hannes and Elimar tearfully. "I don't understand. What's happening? Where are they taking him? Niko?!" she cried and tried to stand up to follow him, momentarily forgetting about the lashes on her feet then crying out in pain and collapsing to her knees as soon as she tried to place her weight on them. "Is this because of me? Because I wandered off?" she cried to herself, beginning to blame herself for Niko being taken away. --- Alex gasped softly and shivered, moaning at every touch. He tilted his head back, enjoying everything that Gary made him feel. His own hands wandered over Gary's torso and up his back. He let one hand slip down to grip his ass. "Maybe we should go get more comfortable?" Alex suggested a little breathlessly with a smirk. --- The Alpha tilted his head at the Werewolf agent and assumed that this wolf must be the Alpha of the other pack. He sniffed at the air around him then nodded to return the greeting. He turned and looked at his own pack then barked at them before laying down to show that he was comfortable in the presence of these new wolves. This showed the other wolves that they could relax and greet the agent wolves without any fear. The rest of the pack approached the agents wolves slowly and sniffed at them curiously, getting used to their strange scents and becoming more and more comfortable with them. The puppies were still running around, chasing each other playfully. With only a few hours left until sunrise, each wolf was eager to see what the other wolves looked like in their human forms. --- Neva didn't move from her bed. Her eyes were open and staring into the darkness of her room. She'd heard Elliot and Vincent and although she didn't fully understand what they were talking about, she had a horrible feeling that she might lose one or both of her dads. She buried her face into her pillow and cried quietly into it, shaking a little. This was the first time she'd ever truly felt like part of a family. Like she had parents that really loved her and wanted her. The idea of losing either of them was far too painful for her to bear.

Denix Vames - June 30, 2021 Will glared. "Have you been hiding this stuff from your brother? How do you know all this?" Harley sighed. "I'm a vampire hunter, ok? Now, tell me exactly where he is so we can save him." Will held a death glare. He tackled him to the ground. Harley struggled against his strength. "Hey! What are you doing?! Get off of me!" "Harley Poe, you're under arrest for murder. I'm sure the CIA will love you." Will handcuffed him. "What?! They're monsters Chief!" He forced him to stand. "And that makes me one too? Huh?" "Wha-? Chief? You're a....?" Harley shook his head. He seemed defeated. "I can't believe it." Will took him to the cruiser where he placed him in the backseat. He drove to the precinct. --- This time he spoke in English. He shook her hand. "That's quite alright. I know what you're trying to say. It's nice to meet you, Rachael. My name is Elimar." --- Ricky got to the bed where he took off his clothes. Leaving himself naked as he got under the covers. "You'll understand once you get out there. It took me working just to see it all." --- Tears dripped down Gary's cheeks. He clenched his fists as he looked at the interior of this house. "Why can't I just be back with my friends? At my old home? Why do I have to change anything? It's not fair!" --- An agent zip tied the wounded guard's hands. He helped him up. X released the locks on the cages with a clap of his hands. Once the cages were opened, he nodded at the agent. The agent threw the guard at the wolves reach. X smiled. "We'll take you all back to your homes. We're the CIA and the government has changed for the better. First, I think you all would enjoy playing with your live toy." shadowess - June 30, 2021 'Dude...what a twist!' he then noticed the direction Will was driving in and piped up quickly. 'Don't forget, the other officers at your precinct don't know about the supernatural just yet. You take Harley in there in handcuffs and you're going to have a lot of questions thrown at you that you won't be able to answer. Take him to Carter's office and call Parker to let him know. He said he was doing paperwork there, right? Wonder if he's still there...' Another thought then occurred to River. 'Wait, he said he was a vampire hunter...you don't suppose he's dating or is married to a Steinheil, do you? Or maybe he just knows them? Worth an ask, don't you think?' --- Smiling, Racheal took her hand back after he'd shook it and she hugged herself a little. "That's an interesting name. I've never met anyone called Elimar before." she admitted, a little fascinated. This would be the first time she'd socialised with another vampire without Niko watching her every move. It felt...liberating. She felt a little guilty for thinking that but at the same time she reasoned with herself that Niko shouldn't mind her talking to the other vampires in the castle. After all, they're neighbours now! Her stomach growled and she blushed with embarrassment. "Sorry...I guess it's been a while since I had anything." she said shyly. She then quickly looked around and worried that she might have been away from Niko's house for too long. Then she realized that she didn't recognise this part of the castle, nor did she know her way back. "and it looks like I might have gotten myself lost..." she chuckled. --- Rickster got undressed as well and slipped under the covers with Ricky, wrapping his arms around him. He sighed and closed his eyes, resting his head close to his. "I'll take your word for it...Can't say I'm looking forward to it though." he chuckled. --- Alex was frowning, not exactly happy either. "Yeah, I'm not over the moon about staying in a house that belonged to a man, who didn't give two shits about me, thanks." David looked between them, not sure where to even begin with this. He looked at Alex and shook his head. "Your father cared." he said and Alex scoffed. "He did! He just didn't show it. Look..." He opened a nearby drawer and took out what looked like a couple of photos. He passed them to Alex and sighed. "That one is you..." he pointed to the photo on top which was from an ultrasound. "That one is Jessica." he pointed to another ultrasound underneath. "He wanted you. He wanted both of you... But Lucifer skewed his perception of weaknesses... he feared you would both be used against him by his enemies." David explained. "...Or that Lucifer would find out about you both and come looking for you like he has done with every other member of our family... He left you both and stayed away because he thought that was the only way to keep you both safe." Alex was speechless, unable to stop looking between the photos as tears stung his eyes. While Alex was looking at them, David turned his attention to Gary and walked over to him. He placed his hand on his shoulder and gave him a sympathetic look. "I know it isn't fair. Sometimes our lives are not easy..." he glanced around the house thoughtfully. "Stay here for now. Make yourselves comfortable...I'll see if there might be any way for you two to return home..." he then gave Gary a serious look. "But I can't make any promises, do you understand? I'll do what I can but you should prepare yourself for the worst...just in case." --- The guard groaned as he was pulled up to his feet, fully expecting to be taken prisoner. He watched nervously as the wolves were let loose then cried out fearfully when he was thrown down and referred to as a 'toy'. He got to his knees and looked at the wolves who were growling at him, encircling him. He was trembling as he looked from one wolf to another. The female wolves were walking towards the exit of the warehouse, nudging the puppies along as they did. The males were growling viciously at the guard. "P-please no..." the guard whimpered and when it seemed like the wolves were going to pounce on him, the largest wolf jumped between them and barked at the others to back off. He then turned to the guard and snarled, baring his teeth and moving towards him slowly with his heckles raised, eliminating any hope that the guard might have gotten from the intervention. "Oh, God. Please! Please don't let them kill me! Please!" the guard cried pitifully, liquid starting to soak through his pants, leaving a puddle on the floor underneath him. The wolf jumped on him, biting into his shoulder, causing him to scream in agony. He flung him back and forth savagely like a rag doll before letting him go and standing over him, growling loudly while the guard wept into the floor, gripping his shoulder which had been dislocated from the wolf's sheer force. He groaned, feeling the venom burning through his veins and expecting the wolves to finish him off. Instead, the large wolf barked at the others and began walking away to join the females and pups. The other males followed their alpha, apparently leaving this guard to a more merciful fate. Denix Vames - June 30, 2021 Will drove to the direction of Carter's Office. "Do you know anyone by the name of Steinhell?" "They're long gone and dead. Heard a group of vampires killed them all. Why?" He sighed. "Boy, have I got news for ya." --- "How about I get you some blood first? Come." Elimar guided her to a storage room where the blood was kept. He gave her a bag. "Here. I can take you back to your room once you're done." --- "I wasn't either but I think you'll like it. I don't mind helping out these days." Ricky touched his hands. "Good night baby." --- Gary nodded. He walked over to Alex. He placed his hands on his shoulders. "Alex? Do you need a moment?" --- An agent picked the guard up. Dragging him to a car which they placed him in the backseat of. The driver took him to the facility. X walked over to the pack. "Do you guys remember your homes? We could help take you all there if you would like." He poked at his head. "And say what's on your mind. I can read people's thoughts." shadowess - June 30, 2021 'Huh...wonder if he's talking about a different group of Steinheils to the ones we met...does he know how big that family really is? That they're not just limited to the US?" River asked. --- Racheal took the bag and smiled. Her smile then slipped a little when he said he would take her back to her room once she was finished. She felt a horrible sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach at the thought of going back to Niko. But she quickly hid her frown by biting into the bag. Inwardly she scolded herself for being ungrateful. Niko had given her a second chance and told her he loved her. So, he hit her now and then...and their relationship started off forcefully... that was just Niko's way of looking out for her, she told herself. She deserved it when he punished her...After all, she'd been a murderer before he came along...he was just trying to make her into a good vampire... 'Good or obedient?' she found herself questioning herself and just as quickly as she'd thought it, she shook it off and repressed it. Burying the thought as deep as she could. She finished the bag and took it away from her mouth, catching her breath a little after having been drinking almost non-stop. She smiled at Elimar shyly. "Thank you..." she said as she placed the bag into a nearby waste bin. "Um...I-I live with Niko Bernbaum. I don't suppose you know him or where his house is?" --- "Good night..." Rickster yawned sleepily. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep. --- Alex stirred, having been deep in thought. He looked at Gary tearfully then looked back down at the photos and shook his head. "How?" he looked up at David. "How do you know? Did he tell you?" David sighed and shook his head. "Damien didn't tell anyone how he truly felt. Ever. Not even the woman he considered to be his sister..." "Then how could you possibly know that he wanted me and Jessica?!" Alex demanded. "I only stumbled on this place recently...Looks like this was a permanent home for your father...a home away from everything...where he could be himself...by himself..." David looked around the place sadly. "There's a diary in the master bedroom. If you want to know what your father was really like, I'd recommend you read it at some point." David straightened his jacket and looked between them again for a moment. "Well, I'll leave you two to it. I can only assume that you've both had a trying day already and I should get going to see whether I can get you two home again. Take care of yourselves. I'll be back as soon as I know anything. Oh-! and, your father's credit card is in the bedroom too. Last I checked, it hadn't been cut off yet. I suppose there's no harm in using it to get yourselves anything that you might need." he nodded at them before vanishing, leaving them alone. --- The wolves looked at X and all of them thought near enough the same thing. 'Born here.' The alpha stared up at him after checking on the pups, his thoughts were a little more direct and clear. 'They've been keeping us here and breeding us for generations. They keep the males separated from the females until our numbers dwindle from either old age or sickness. Then they force us into a pen during the week of the full moon...when certain urges become difficult to control. They sedate us one at a time and extract our venom regularly. We don't know any other life. You're the first people we've seen who don't resemble our former masters.' Denix Vames - June 30, 2021 'Not sure but I''ll ask him questions later.' Will parked on the side of the road. He hopped out of the car and forced Harley to the front door of Carter's office. He knocked. "Parker? You there? There's something important that we need to discuss!" Harley struggled. "Let me go! You fucking bloodsucker!" "And here I was thinking that you respected your Chief." His face turned red. "Not when he's a monster!" --- Elimar frowned. "Oh. Him. Yes, I know where he lives. Come with me." He guided her down the hall. Leading her to Niko's bedroom. --- Gary wrapped his arms around his waist from behind. He kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry for upsetting you. We can stay here for as long as we need to. I'll be right here for you." --- "Then how about working for the Whitehouse? The pay is good. Enough to buy you all meat. The children would be well protected. Women and men can train under us. We already have our own wolf pack of agents. There are many supernatural creatures that work the government and we protect supernatural creatures. We welcome you all with open arms." ,said X. shadowess - July 1, 2021 'Yeesh. This whole hysteria the hunters have is pretty deep rooted, huh?' River commented. Meanwhile, in the building, Tom was relaxing on Nate's chest and could hear the commotion outside. He sighed and chuckled. "Never a dull moment, huh? You think we should let him know Parker's not here?" --- Racheal noticed the way Elimar reacted but remained quiet. She followed him and occasionally looked at him curiously, wondering if he and Niko didn't get along or something. She tried to take her mind off of Niko as they walked and she looked around the castle instead. "This place is beautiful." she commented. "I'm so grateful that I was brought here..." she looked ahead and began to recognise the corridors they headed down. They were close to Niko's home. Within minutes she could see his door at the end of the corridor. She felt nervous but her nerves soon turned to anxiety when she watched as the door flung open and Niko took two hurried steps out before coming to an abrupt stop. His eyes landing on her and for a fraction of a second she recognised the anger in his eyes before he looked at Elimar and his anger seemed to suddenly be replaced (or masked) by worry. His eyes darted back to Racheal and he smiled widely, rushing over to them. "There you are, liebchen! I was worried. Didn't I tell you not to wander the castle without me? It's so large that you could get lost so easily." he sounded relieved when he spoke to her but there was still a hint of irritation in his eyes as he stared into hers. "I'm sorry, Niko." Racheal said quickly. "I-I was just curious, that's all. Please don't be angry." "Angry?" Niko chuckled and shook his head. "Nein, meine liebchen. I was just worried that you'd get lost, walk through a wrong door and end up in sunlight." he gestured towards his home and Racheal took the hint that he wanted her to go inside. She glanced between Niko and Elimar nervously before bowing her head a little and walking quietly towards his door. Once she was behind Niko, she turned her head a little to look at them once more before going inside, wondering what kind of punishment Niko would have in store for her for wandering off without his permission. Niko looked at Elimar, maintaining his smile although it was a little strained. "Thank you for bringing her back to me, Elimar. I appreciate it." --- Alex blinked and looked at Gary in surprise. "You didn't upset me." he said softly. He looked back at the photos with a frown and sighed. "I just-...I don't know what to make of this, you know? All my life I believed he was just some asshole who didn't care about us..." Alex trailed off, deep in thought. He rested his head against Gary's and leant against him. "I don't know if I want to read that diary...I don't know if I want to know what he was really like...because maybe it's easier just to keep resenting him...to keep blaming him for the way things turned out with me, Parker and Jessica...I don't know..." --- Having spent their entire lives in cages with no access to education or the outside world, non of the wolves knew what the Whitehouse or 'pay' was. They didn't even know how to read or write. However, they did understand that they would be protected and that there was another pack that could possibly teach them how to properly behave in the world. Their trust in these people had already been solidified by their rescue, so they had no doubts about them. After briefly looking between the other wolves, the alpha looked back at X and nodded. 'We will join your people's pack.'

Shadowess - June 29, 2021 Tom moaned into the kiss, his hands slipping under Nate's shirt to feel his torso and hips. "Oh, Nate!" he moaned, "I hope you and I stay like this forever!" --- River didn't need to move to see what Will had just seen. He glanced down with a frown and sighed. "Does he have family looking for him?" he asked and scratched the back of his head thoughtfully. "If so, maybe you should find a way to contact Jean and get him to reassure them that he's alive and well? If he's all the way out in Germany then he could come up with any reason for being out there...new job opportunity, etc..." --- Hannes bit his lower lip and smiled at Jean. He lifted him into his arms so that his legs could wrap around his hips. He kissed him deeply while walking over to the bed and setting him down gently. He kissed his neck while unbuttoning his jacket and pants. Once his shirt was open, he kissed down his chest. Racheal was nervous as X answered the door. She stared at him for a moment, wondering if he really was some kind of God like these people think he is. She quietly held out the piece of paper for X to take. The address written on it was for a place that wasn't far from the diner she had fought the other Agents at, in the US. It was just one of many locations that the Steinheils used to keep werewolves locked up, so that they could farm their venom for their weapons. "You might want to get your people to check out this address." she said seriously. A slight quiver to her voice. "There'll be guards, so they'll need to be armed...but there are also innocent prisoners there, so they should be careful too." --- Rickster took a few deep breaths and held on to Ricky. "A human and a grim reaper...That's all I know...I didn't want to look into it too much...I just wanted to know if she was safe and happy...She is..." --- "Gary!" Alex screamed then covered his head with his arms when he saw the werewolf lunge at him. He then heard Gary's shout and looked up to see him tackling the wolf in his human form. Alex wasn't the only one who was surprised by this as the werewolf was so shocked by Gary's mid-moon transformation that he left himself wide open to Gary's attacks. As Gary's punches landed, the werewolf cried out and whined. He quickly scrambled to his feet, trying to regain control of the fight by aiming a bite for Gary's arm, wanting to rip at it to cause him pain. Just as he snarled and opened his jaw to snap however, he was struck across the face by a rock that Alex had thrown. "Don't you fucking touch him, you bastard!" Alex shouted at the werewolf angrily as he picked up another rock and threw it at him. "Fuck off!" he screamed. The wolf jumped back, away from Gary and Alex and growled at them both for a moment, debating trying again. Still weirded out by Gary's change and finding this to be far more hassle than anticipated, the werewolf decided against it and ran off into the trees with his tail between his legs. --- Layla barked at him, bucking him off her. Her tail still wagging, she mouthed at his mouth and neck and tugged on his fur lightly. She jumped away from him and jumped back again to mouth at him again while making playful noises, somewhere between half-barks and happy whines or groans. Denix Vames - June 29, 2021 Nate smiled. "Me too." He unbuttoned his shirt and nibble on his chest. --- Will read over the papers. "He has a brother named Harley Poe. Looks like he's an officer to but in a different precinct of this city. Maybe that's why Jean got into the police academy? Because of his brother. Seems like Jean use to break a lot of laws back then. Vandalism and public fighting. He even sold drugs." --- Jean moaned at his touch. He clutched his hair. His chest slightly rose. "Thank you. I appreciate this information. We will discuss another topic when I am available again. Tell everyone that I am busy at the moment." ,said X. He disappeared. --- Ricky knelt so that he was looking into his eyes. He placed a hand on his knees. "Rickster, if you don't tell her the truth or even talk to her, this is only going to eat you up inside. I know that from experience. Please at least think about what I'm suggesting?" --- Gary caught his breath. He fell to his knees before collapsing. Exhausting from fighting. There were a couple of bleeding scratch marks on his chest and arms. Some bruising was on his back. --- The Werewolf Agent tugged gently at her fur too. He then noticed his tail and tried to chase it. --- X had informed his agents about the location that Rachael had told him. Once the agents he would be sending with himself had their weapons ready, they drove to the location. Ready to take down anyone who attempted to harm them first. Keeping in mind that there were prisoners in the building. Shadowess - June 30, 2021 Tom moaned and tilted his head back, loving the way Nate made him feel. He ran a hand through his hair as he thought about everything that led them to this moment. The day they met. The way Nate had captivated him. All the time they spent together, Tom's love for him growing ever stronger. Their trip to France and their beautiful date. Seeing him all dressed up for the wedding. Tom's heart beat strongly for him and as he whispered the words "I love you." every fibre of his being felt this love with so much strength and purity. To Tom, all of these private moments weren't just sex, they were the most intimate displays of affection that they could achieve together. Bringing them closer to each other every time. --- "What?" River stared at Will. He walked over to the desk, even though he could already see what Will was reading, and looked at the file. "That can't be right...Jean? We're talking about the same guy, right? Nervous? Sweet? A little naïve?...I literally can't picture him selling drugs..." --- Hannes ran his tongue over his chest, up to his neck. He pulled away and took off his own shirt. He removed his pants and leant over Jean again, pressing his body against his as he kissed him deeply, slipping his tongue into his mouth once more. He ran his hands down his sides until they gripped both his pants and underwear. He stopped kissing him to look into his eyes. His own eyes full of lust and love. "Are you ready, Meine Geliebte?" "Uh..ok..." Racheal mumbled after he'd vanished and she looked around nervously. She didn't know anyone in this place well enough to just walk up to them and she was worried about how Niko would react if he awoke to find her not in his house. Still, she walked along the corridors, trying to find another vampire to tell them about X. --- Rickster was still hesitant but knew Ricky was right. He swallowed and nodded. "Alright..." he said quietly then looked at Ricky carefully. "You don't hate me, then?" --- "Gary!" Alex ran over to him, rolling him over so he'd be able to breath easier. He looked him over then hurried over to his backpack, pulling out some clothes and a blanket. He put the clothes next to him and did his best to wrap the blanket around him. "Man, this is crazy..." he cried quietly as he pulled him into his arms to cradle him. "But you saved my ass. God, I love you!" he kissed his head. --- (Zoomies xD) Wound up and over excited, Layla started running around when the agent started chasing his tail. She ran around the pack then disappeared into the trees momentarily before re-appearing, darting to the other side and vanishing through the trees again only to come back and do it again and again, her tongue dangling out of her mouth as she went. Simply loving how it felt to run as fast as she could and the way the wind moved through her fur. Eventually she ran back into the clearing with the pack and dropped to the floor, rolling onto her side and panting happily. --- The location was a metallic warehouse in the middle of the forest. Outside were five Steinheil guards patrolling the area while there were five more inside the warehouse to guard the 'stock'. With it being the full moon, the werewolves in the cages had already shifted into their wolf forms and were moping around miserably. To prevent unwanted breeding, they had been split up. The male wolves were in cages on the left side of the warehouse while the females were in cages on the right side. In total, there were at least thirty werewolves being held prisoner. A small portion of which, were only children. All of these wolves had been bred in captivity and didn't know anything about the outside world. Denix Vames - June 30, 2021 Nate held a loving expression. "I love you too." (private time) --- "I know. It's hard for me to imagine it but looks like he did. Guess I'll have to drive there and talk to his brother." Will stood. Once River was back in his head, he headed out of the precinct. Getting into his cruiser and driving to the next precinct. --- Jean moaned louder. Losing his breath to such a moment he loved between himself and Hannes. He nodded. "Always." There was a vampire roaming the halls. He had spiky red hair and wore a Victorian red suit with a black cloak over himself. --- "God no! Honestly, my family's done a lot of fucked up shit just like I did. I'm no better than you. But that doesn't mean we both can't change for the better." Ricky caressed his cheek. He kissed him. --- Gary slowly opened his eyes. His wounds were already starting to heal. Turning into scars. "Alex?" --- (lol) The Werewolf Agent ran around too. He soon stopped and flopped over. Panting. He got to a laying position and closed his eyes. Feeling tired. --- The few snipers that had been brought to the scene had all taken out the guards from the outside. The agents moved in. Getting to the door. Shadowess - June 30, 2021 River stopped the hallucination and watched quietly from within Will's mind. --- Biting his lip, Hannes pulled Jean's pants and underwear off, throwing them to one side. He removed his own underwear and pressed himself against Jean, running a hand over his thigh while kissing him. (Private Time.) Racheal spotted the vampire and her footsteps slowed as she wondered how to greet him or whether he'd understand her. She knew a little German but not enough to hold a conversation. She felt very much like Jean had felt, which was like she was some sort of outsider who might be unwelcome here. Particularly her. A vampire would only need to take one look at her hair and eyes to know she came from a family of hunters. Maybe they could see past that and see that she was one of them now? But there was no time to dwell on that thought as she approached him. She needed to speak up now or she'd lose her chance. "Um...Guten Abend? (Good Evening)" she greeted him nervously. --- Rickster kissed him back and sighed out of relief, holding the hand that was on his cheek. He glanced at the dark sky through the window then looked back at Ricky and smiled. "We should try to get some sleep if we want to be awake enough to help people tomorrow...be honest with me, what's it like? Taking care of other people." --- "Hey you." Alex laughed through his tears as he watched Gary's wounds healing, relieved to see that he was alright. "How do you feel?" he asked him worriedly. Several howls could be heard quite a distance away and Alex looked up warily. A few seconds later, more howls came from the opposite direction but they sounded far away as well. "Woah..." Alex was amazed by the noises and wondered just how many werewolves were in this forest. Or maybe there were regular wolves interacting with werewolves too? --- Howls erupted in the distance and Layla lifted her head. Her ears pointing in the direction the howls were coming from. One of the other wolves started howling too. Then another and another. Layla joined in, feeling united by the wolves song. When the howling eventually died down, she looked over at the agent and got up. She walked over to him slowly with her ears back and sniffed at him calmly before laying down next to him to settle down for the night. --- The Steinheil guards inside the warehouse hadn't heard the guards outside being taken out. Despite silencers being used, the werewolves inside had heard the shots and all of them became restless. They sensed something was happening that could potentially result in their freedom and not wanting to waste this chance, they all soon began to howl in order to cover up any noises that the agents outside might make on their way in. This also served as a distraction for the guards inside the warehouse, who they didn't understand why the wolves were suddenly playing up and were all too focussed on trying to get them to be quiet again. Not long after they started howling, more howls could be heard outside of the warehouse, far off in the distance. This further provided the agents the cover that they needed to act quickly without fear of being heard. Denix Vames - June 30, 2021 Will drove up to the precinct. He parked there and got out. Once inside, he asked the secretary for Officer Poe who was apparently a Captain. He headed to his desk where Harley had been updating something on the computer. "Captain Poe?" Harley jumped. He turned his chair. "Ah! Chief, what can I do for you?" Will bit his lip. "It's about your brother. He's not missing. He's in Germany." "What? Why? And how?" "He moved there with his boyfriend. Said that he needed to get a new vision in life." Harley shook his head. He stood. "That doesn't sound like him at all. We don't even have that kind of money to move so far. Just who the hell helped him? Who's this boyfriend?" "His name's Hannes Strassman." Harley's face went pale. His eyes widened. "Shit!" "What?" He grabbed Will by his arm. Dragging him out of the precinct. "Why the hell did you let him go with a vampire?" Will raised a brow. "You know about this stuff?" --- The vampire smiled. In German he said, "Good evening. How may I help you?" --- Ricky took his hand. Leading him upstairs. "Well, it was annoying at first. But then I slowly realized how fucked up things were for the poor people." --- "Hunky dory." Gary's eyes widened at the howls. He sat up. "Something's happening. We should go." He threw on a pair of jeans and a grey shirt that said, 'Off Duty' the infamous medical logo was between, and the bottom words said 'Save Yourself.' --- X clapped his hands. The door became nothing more than a shriveled rolled up metallic small ball which hit the ground. The agents moved in. Shooting on sight any guard. Shadowess - June 30, 2021 'How does he know Hannes is a vampire?' River questioned. 'Isn't the guy supposed to be from some old ass castle out there? Hey, what if Strassman is a famous vampire name, like the Steinheils are famous vampire hunters. But still, how does Jean's brother know about this stuff when Jean was clueless?' --- Hesitating but seeing his smile, Racheal relaxed a little. "I'm sorry...I don't suppose you know any English?" she asked. "I was told to let everyone know that X is unavailable for a while...that's the-...what did Hannes call him again? Vampyr- vampeerkern-..." she was trying to say 'Vampirkönig', which roughly translates to Vampire King. She sighed, giving up. "Sorry...I don't know much German...My name is Racheal, by the way." she held out a hand. "I think you guys would call me a 'new born'?" --- Rickster watched Ricky as they walked to the bedroom. "Oh?" he tilted his head a little with a small frown. "I don't get it..." he admitted, currently unable to see why they should care. Rickster had been poor before and he got himself out of it. Why should these people have it easier than he did? --- Alex got up and gathered up their things. He looked around briefly. "We already called on Nate to get us here. I don't want to take the piss and annoy him." he said quickly then thought. "David? Yo, Grandad, you busy?" he called out and David appeared, looking mildly amused. "Grandad?" "Alright, calm down old man. I just thought it'd get your attention." Alex smirked cheekily. "It did." David chuckled and looked around them, hearing the howls. "Want me to take you home?" "No..." Alex looked at Gary and sighed a little. "We need a new home...somewhere else." David frowned, looking between them for a moment then clicked his fingers. "Got just the place." he held out his hands for them both and once they'd take his hands, he'd teleport them to a nice looking house in a cul-de-sac. Somewhere in the north of England. It was fully furnished but everything was covered in dust as if no one had lived there in quite some time. David looked around with a small frown then looked at Alex. "This was your father's house, when he was alive. He's not going to need it anymore..." David ran a finger across a nearby cabinet then looked at the dust on his index finger thoughtfully. "It could use a bit of care but once it's cleaned up a bit, it's all yours." --- Seeing the door shift shape the way it did caused the guards some confusion. They were so confused and distracted by everything going on around them that they barely put up a fight once the agents moved in. Overall it had been a swift and clean operation. Once the guards were taken out, the wolves started jumping around, barking and howling for freedom. Most of them thankful and eager to get out of the cages. A few of them were scared and nervous about the sudden change, wondering if these strangers would harm them as well. One of the guards that had been shot coughed and groaned on the ground. Unable to think through his pain and the noise from the wolves. He gripped his side and weakly tried to crawl away from the agents.

Denix Vames - June 28, 2021 "Believe it or not, I'm starting to hate the space. I like being alone with him but I also miss hanging out with you guys." ,said Nate. He glanced at Tom. "No offense." --- 'The hell is that movie?' ,said Will. He looked over Raven. 'Nice change. I'm guessing that when I can teleport, you'll want me to visit Amelia so you can date Carol. Although, it's going to be awkward just standing there while you two are sort of alone.' --- "That's fine. I've never worn clothes like those before. I want to try them." Jean ran over to the closet. He opened it up. He looked at all the clothes there. "Wow! I don't even know where to begin." --- "Any room is most likely a bedroom. Just go upstairs and open doors. You'll fine one. Trust me." ,said Ricky. Once he was alone with Rickster, he walked over to him. He leaned his head against his shoulder. Smiling. "It's good to have you here." --- When Gary heard the howl in the distance, he transformed into a much larger werewolf. He growled and barked at the howl. "Protect!" --- The Werewolf Agent walked over to her. He sat across from her. Wagging his tail. He barked happily. Wondering if he could get closer to her. He walked slightly closer. Sniffing the air around her. Shadowess - June 28, 2021 Tom shrugged. "Non taken. I get what you mean. Kinda miss being part of the action sometimes." "Why don't you guys stick around for a while then? Stay in the spare room here?" Parker suggested. --- 'Nah, it wouldn't work. Like she said, we're not the same. I'm just your hallucination right now. Only you can see me. Whereas she is a literal fragment of her former self who is attached to Amelia..." River seemed thoughtful for a moment. "If there's a fragment of her left...I wonder if there's a way to bring her back? Like, put her back together or maybe even do what the guys did for Parker when they put Alex into another body..." He stared at the ground hard and folded his arms, very deep in thought. "I wonder...could I be put into a body too? Not like I am now with you...like Alex...but leave my powers with you? So, I'd just be human...have a chance at a life of my own..." he quickly shook his head and faked a laugh. "Nah, I'll bet it's not even possible. Just my luck, huh? Oh, and we are SO watching Drop Dead Fred when we get home." he beamed. "Otherwise, all my jokes are going to fall flat!" --- Walking over to Jean, Hannes wrapped his arms around him from behind. He found Jean's enthusiasm to be adorable. "What about this one?" Hannes suggested as he pointed to a fine, silver and black Victorian suit. "I think you'd look handsome in that one." --- Drying his hands, Rickster smiled. Although his smile was a little strained. He knew it was time to talk to him or he might not get another chance. But he worried what Ricky would think of him. Would he hate him? He couldn't possibly hate him as much as he hates himself. "You might want to sit down, Ricky..." he sighed. "There's something very important I need to tell you." When Ricky would sit down, Rickster would sit opposite him and fidget with his hands nervously for a minute as he tried to find the right words. "...I don't think you ever saw her...but there was a little girl that ran with me and my gang before Carter and his group killed us. She's in their care now...her name is Neva. I trained her to pickpocket and I'd send her out to steal as many wallets as she could every night...anything could've happened to her but I didn't care...I felt nothing for this child...she was just another tool for me to use at the time...I didn't even feel anything when she almost died...I ran, like a damn coward, and left her to die." Rickster covered his face, unable to look at Ricky. He felt absolutely ashamed. "The whole time she was in my care, I terrorised her. I hit her or yelled at her over the most minor provocations and barely fed her. But that's not the worst of it..." He pulled his hands away, revealing the fresh tears that had went his face. He sniffed, shaking his head and staring at the floor. "I'm a fucking monster...she's mine, Ricky...she's my daughter and I didn't give two shits about her!" he sobbed. --- Alex gulped as he strained to see through the darkness between the trees. He then jumped again and hopped away from the dome, whirling around to look at Gary. Shocked by his transformation, Alex took a step back nervously then paused when he heard the word in his bark. "Gary?" he gasped. He glanced around himself warily then stepped up to the dome, placing his hands against it to look at Gary. "Are you...you?" he asked, wondering if Gary was aware of what he was doing or if he was just reacting out of instinct. --- Layla had been cleaning her front paws and was mid-lick when she noticed the agent approaching her. She turned her head to him to watch him warily and put her tongue back into her mouth. She watched his tail wagging and her ears flicked in his direction when he barked. She watched him try to move closer to her and to show him that she was comfortable with him moving closer, she put her ears back while wagging her tail a little, watching him patiently with her head turned slightly to one side. Denix Vames - June 28, 2021 "That'd be great. Thanks. And we'll try not to make too much noise or scar you for life." Nate chuckled. --- Will frowned. He lowered his head as he looked at the file in his hands. "Is it selfish of me to say that I would miss you? I mean, if you could be free, I wouldn't stop you. I could never do something like that. It's just....You've been one of my voices of reason. You really helped me." --- "Ooh! Let me try that out!" Jean began to take off his clothes. Letting Hannes help him into the outfit. --- Ricky sat. He nervously waiting for him to speak. His face turned pale at the mention of a daughter. "Where is she now? I know you said, she's with them. But do you know specifically where?" --- Gary growled at the darkness. "Protect! Alex!" He started digging through the dirt until there was a big hole. He crawled under the dome. He soon stood near him. Keeping himself in front of him as a werewolf came out from the shadows. He snarled at it. (mind playing the werewolf?) --- The Werewolf Agent soon sat next to her. He gently rubbed his head against hers. Licking her cheek. Shadowess - June 28, 2021 "No promises, though." Tom smirked. Parker chuckled and shook his head. "No problem. You guys are always welcome here and I'd honestly be glad of any help you can offer. Seems like we're quiet for now though. Just as well, I feel exhausted." He neatly put the paperwork away in the drawer before getting up from the chair and stretching. "I think I'm guna head home. It's pretty late. Make yourselves at home, I'll be back in the morning." --- River looked back at Will and thought about what he said with a small frown. "You mean that?" he asked, looking at the ground thoughtfully. "I thought I just annoyed you." he shrugged. "huh...well, then..." he smiled and looked back at Will. "I'd be happy to stay. Besides, if I made myself human I wouldn't be able to manipulate my surroundings to suit my taste, like in the dream state, and where's the fun in that?" He looked thoughtful once more. "But maybe we could at least look into helping Carol...I mean...Even you must've noticed how she seemed, right? Like she was miserable...and no wonder. Going God knows how long without anyone able to see or hear you...not even the person you're attached to...must be Hell for her." --- Hannes helped Jean into the suit. After showing him how to set the Ascot Cravat, he took a step back to look him over. As he did, his pupils dilated in delight. "Meine Geliebte!" he gasped with a wide smile. "You look stunning." he walked over and gently turned him by his shoulders so he could see his reflection in the mirror. He kissed his cheek, and looked at his reflection in adoration. "Didn't I say it would look good on you?" --- Rickster shook his head. "No, and that's for the best!" he said hurriedly. "She's safer and happier where she is...besides...she doesn't even know... Her mother died giving birth to her and I wasn't around so she went straight into the system...when I find out about her, she'd already run away from another abusive foster parent...I took her in without telling her who I really was...told her to do everything that I told her, not to tell anyone about our gang and not go to the police or she'd end up back in the system...Then I went to the CPA and told them I was her father and that she was under my care so they'd stop looking for her." Rickster sniffled as he wiped away some of his tears and stared off at the far wall. "I didn't even know her mother that well...she was just some chick that I'd go to whenever I got...you know...'lonely'...Then she stopped answering my calls and when I went to visit her she'd moved...I guess now I know why...I got her pregnant and she knew what kind of father I'd be so she cut off all ties with me and ran... I don't even remember her name...Stacy...or Tracy...Lacey?...Stevens? No weirder than that...Steener?...Steen-...Stern-...Stein-...no, it's gone...fuck, I am such a fuck up..." --- Alex watched as Gary dug under the dome, not sure what to do. He took a couple of steps away from him once he was outside the dome, he then watched as he stood between himself and the new werewolf that came out through the trees. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of the other wolf. He could see it looking past Gary and eyeing him up. His face turned pale as he got the impression that this werewolf didn't have any good intentions. As he stepped more into the clearing, growling and bearing his teeth at Gary and Alex, Alex could see that his fur had some chunks missing and several scars across it's body. He also seemed to be alone and Alex wondered if this wolf was a rogue...regardless, he seemed to be a wolf with some experience when it came to fighting, considering all his scars and the fact he was still alive. Alex backed up against the dome, too frightened to think straight. The werewolf continued to snarl and growl threateningly at Gary as he prowled closer to them. --- Layla's tail continued to wag as he sat next to her. She sat up and rubbed her head against his as well. She kept her ears down submissively and moved her head a little so he could lick her. She sniffed at the blood on his neck and around his mouth and started trying to clean him up, licking at the blood on his neck. Denix Vames - June 28, 2021 "Sure thing. Just call us when you need us." ,said Nate. He turned to Tom. "What do you want to do first?" --- Will shook his head. "I never noticed but I'm sure we could ask David about it. I heard he's an expert in a lot of topics. This is probably one of them." He held a small smile. "Don't let me stop you from being free. I want you to be happy." --- Jean looked himself over the mirror. Brushing his hands over the material of the clothes. His eyes sparkled. "You're right! I look amazing!" He turned around to kiss him. "Thank you, Hannes! It means a lot." --- Ricky walked over to him. He placed a hand on his arm. "Hey, it's going to be ok. I know you did some terrible things but I did some terrible things too. That doesn't mean you can't make up for it. I think it's best if you tell her the truth. I'll ask David if he can be there so that they know that we're only there to talk. Just for you to say what you need to say. Rickster, you've got a family. I never did. Even when I was a kid, my parents were greedy bastards. And now they're gone because of it. But you? You have a chance here. You shouldn't waste it." --- Gary barked and stomped his paws against the ground. Making sure he knew not to get any closer. If he got too close, he would pounce on him. Biting at his neck and clawing at his chest. --- The Werewolf Agent happily wagged his tail. He rubbed his nose against hers. He allowed her to clean him up.. shadowess - June 29, 2021 Tom looked at Nate and smiled as Parker headed past them to leave the office. His mind kept going to one specific place while he tried to think of anything else they could do together. "Oh, I don't know. I guess we could watch some TV?..." 'washroom?' "Or we could go see a movie?..." 'washroom?' "It's a full moon tonight, I'll bet the stars look beautiful..." 'washroom?' "Or we could go clubbing?..." 'or washroom?' --- River smiled at Will. "I am happy, boss. I like helping you out..." he then shrugged and looked around the room thoughtfully, only really able to see the parts of the room that Will could see in his peripheral. "Though...not now but maybe one day...when you can handle yourself without me needing to give you advice...maybe then?" he looked back at Will. --- "It is my pleasure, Jean." Hannes smiled. He kissed him again, slowly and deeply. He held his hips as he moved close to him and slipped his tongue into his mouth. It was at about this time that Racheal had slipped out of Niko's house while he took a nap. She walked a little slowly down the corridors, limping a little towards the room where she could smell X's rich scent. She had a new, large bruise on her upper arm which was hidden by her sweater. After being humiliated in the hall, Niko had vented some of his frustration on her. In Racheal's mind, however, she blamed herself for annoying him while he was already in a bad mood. It wasn't so bad, she thought. At least she'll heal from it quickly. She held a piece of paper in her hand which had an address written on it. She approached the door nervously but reasoned with herself that this was the least she could do to redeem herself after hunting vampires during her human life. Hesitantly, she knocked on the door. --- Rickster shook his head a little and leant against Ricky for comfort, resting his head on his stomach. "But what if I mess up her life more? What if I see her and I still don't feel any love for her? Aren't parents supposed to love their children? She's better off without me...she's better off believing that both her parents are dead...she has a loving family now, anyway...she doesn't need me..." he cried. --- Alex watched anxiously. Face pale and trembling. Too frightened to move. He could hear his heart beating loudly in his ears. The werewolf snarled, baring his teeth. His heckles raised and it's eyes fixed on Alex. He moved forward suddenly and was met with Gary's attack. He snapped and clawed back at him savagely while growling and barking. He aimed a bite at Gary's neck, attempting to fling him around to throw him out of his way, determined to clear a path to Alex. Alex watched the scrapping wolves while lifting his hands to grip the sides of his head, fearing for his and Gary's safety. --- Layla cleaned the agent up, carefully licking the blood off from his neck, all the way up to his mouth. She wasn't the least bit shy or embarrassed about what she was doing, so far acting purely on what felt natural. When she was done, she licked her lips and rubbed her head against his again before jumping back in a playful way. She jumped to one side and dipped her front half down a bit while panting at the agent before jumping back up and hopping to one side again. She barked at him happily and mouthed at him playfully, pretending to bite him but putting no pressure behind it before jumping back and barking at him again with her tail wagging the whole time. The other wolves around them were either doing something similar with each other or napping. One wolf sat by a tree, absent mindedly gnawing on tree bark. Denix Vames - June 29, 2021 Nate smirked. "I think I know just the place." He lifted Tom off the floor before teleporting to the washroom where he laid him on the washer. His wings sprouted. He slipped his tongue into his mouth. Kissing him passionately while he unbuckled his belt. Placing his hand under his pants. --- "Then I hope it's soon. I like your company but I think it would be best for the both of us that we weren't mindfused." Will opened the file. He turned pale at the sight of Jean's smiling face. He was wearing his uniform with his hat on. The paperwork had him as missing. Will shook. "What do I do?" --- Jean moaned into the kiss. He whispered, "Make love to me like you did before." X opened the door. "Yes?" --- Ricky gently ran his hand through his hair. "Do you know who's taking care of her? I mean specifically who? Maybe we could talk to them." --- Gary yelped as he was thrown at a tree. He stumbled but found his footing. He watched the wolf run at Alex. "NO!" As he was running over, he soon stood between the wolf and Alex as a naked human. He grabbed the wolf by his neck. He threw him on the ground before pummeling punches into his face. --- The Werewolf Agent barked happily. He jumped around too. Following her playful behavior by putting a paw on her back like a hug.

Denix Vames - June 27, 2021 "That's great to hear. Our vacation is going pretty well. We met a merman who tried to get with me but after talking to him, I think we've got yourself a new detective. He's said he's willing to report any strange happenings in New York so long as we can teleport him to the beach. His name's Galil." ,said Carter. --- Nate sighed. "C'mon Tom. We should go. It's clear that these guys are super sensitive about their culture." They disappeared. Jean clutched the back of Hannes's shirt. "If Parker wanted to know that I was ok then he would have called me. Why did he send those guys? And why can't he trust me? Ugh! He's so annoying!" --- Ricky began to eat. He smiled at the taste. "Thanks baby." His face went red as he listened to David. "Me? I've never done that before. But I guess it wouldn't be hard?" shadowess - June 27, 2021 "Wh-? Seriously? Mermen are a thing, too?" Parker was surprised but he beamed at the news. "That's awesome! I'll ask David or someone if they wouldn't mind picking him up then." --- Relieved when Nate and Tom had vanished, Hannes began to calm down. He heard Jean behind him and frowned. He turned around and hugged Jean to him, simply glad that he hadn't lost him again. "Let's not think on it anymore, meine Geliebte. Let's try to relax again." He moved to cup Jean's face once more, caressing one of his cheeks with his hand. "Is there anything I can get for you?" --- Rickster smiled at Ricky as he kept eating. He was quieter than he used to be but it was only because he currently had a lot on his mind. David smiled and nodded and Ricky. "Think of it as having Rickster for a work partner. You'll both be being monitored on your progress so make sure you're each looking out for the other." He glanced at Atma then looked back at Ricky and Rickster. "Atma here will be staying in the mansion, as long as Oscar and Leo are alright with it. I plan on talking to them as soon as they get back from wherever they are. She still doesn't remember her previous life but now that she knows who she was, she has the choice of whether or not to forget that information. She's chosen not to forget and to help our group however she can." he explained. Denix Vames - June 27, 2021 Carter chuckled at his response. "They sure as hell are. Also, maybe find a single guy who would be willing to flirt with him? He gets kind of lonely sometimes. Anyway, I think I'm going to hang up now. It seems like you've got everything under control. I'm honestly proud of you, Parker. You're just like my...." He cleared his throat. "Well, like my son. Forget about that comment. Sorry if I made you feel weird." Nate and Tom appeared in Carter's office. Nate shook his head at Parker. "Jean's alright but they don't even know that a Blood God isn't an actual god. As far as I'm concerned, the CIA agent hasn't done anything bad anyway." "Wait a minute. What was that? Parker? Is that Nate? Did he say something about CIA and Jean? Who's Jean?" --- Jean shook his head. He smiled. "You're all that I need right now." He placed a hand on his chest. He slipped a tongue into his mouth. Kissing him slowly. --- "Actually, I'm still the original owner of this mansion. Leo and Oscar don't get a say in the matter. I do. And I say that she can stay." ,said Ricky. He finished up his food. "So, when should we start with the Progamme for Rickster?" --- (sorry I didn't do this before. I'll just write the scene now if it's a good time.) Gary growled. He cried out as his body began to change from the full moon. He hid himself under the blanket. Writhing in pain as he clawed at the ground until there was a sudden wolf pup's bark. Gary, as a wolf pup, slipped from under the blanket. He began to run around happily as he barked. His tail was wagging. Shadowess - June 27, 2021 Parker grinned. "I'm sure we could find someone to keep him company." He then felt his face turn red as he heard Carter's comment and he felt his breath catch in his throat. He had to force a cough into his fist to be able to speak again, feeling tears sting his eyes as he blinked rapidly to stop them forming. "Uh-...it's- it's not weird. Thanks, sir. That means a lot to me..." he said then froze as Nate appeared and he felt his face turn a little pale as Carter overheard what he had to say. He rubbed his temples, thinking quickly. He had wanted to wait until Carter came home to update him on everything that had happened so that he wouldn't spend the rest of his vacation worrying or God forbid, end his trip early. He sighed and shook his head as he stared at the desk. "Yeah, Nate's just updating me on the welfare of a client. The CIA took over a case...actually, probably better to tell you this part now because it could help you guys to stay safe." he then said as it occurred to him that Carter and Sebastian wouldn't know who the Steinheils were. "So, it turns out there's a whole family of vampire hunters that go back generations. Looks like this family is pretty big and they spread themselves out worldwide over the centuries, originating originally from Germany. They're called Steinheils. I've only met a couple of them but they had very similar features, I'm wondering if it's a genetic trait. If so, it might make it easier to identify one if you run into them. White-ish blond hair and brown eyes. Be careful out there, boss. From what I learned, they like using wolf venom in their weapons." --- Hannes smiled back and moaned a little when he felt Jean's tongue in his mouth. He closed his eyes and held Jean close to him while kissing him back just as slowly. He ran a hand through his hair and when the kiss broke, he rested his head against Jean's. He was blushing as he bit his lower lip. "Süsser, you make me so happy." he said softly. He shook his head a little while looking into Jean's eyes. "I don't want you to have to serve me for one hundred years. But I would be honoured if you would be my beloved. I want you to be free to make your own choices. Be my equal and rule the East section by my side." He recaptured his lips and held on for a moment before breaking the kiss and looking at him once more. "I don't know if this would be too much or too quick. I can wait if you prefer but...Meine Geliebte...my sweet Jean..." he caressed his cheek. "It would make me so happy if we were to get married. For the first time, in a very long time, I feel complete." --- "Fair enough." David shrugged and Atma smiled at Ricky. "Thank you." she said quietly as she finished what was left of her breakfast. She was still very skinny but by the slightly healthier glow of her skin, it was clear that she had been eating and sleeping better since they'd last met. Rickster finished up his plate as well and quietly got to his feet, listening in on the conversation as he took his, Atma's and Ricky's empty plates to the sink to wash them. "Immediately." David answered with a nod then glanced out of the window at the dark sky. "Although, not right now. When you're ready, please begin the programme tomorrow. I'll have to leave to see to other souls in the programme but either myself or Oscar will be back to check in on you both." --- (It's cool, I thought the full moon might be another day off anyway lol) Alex jolted awake when he heard Gary's cries and he looked into the dome worriedly. He glanced up at the full moon and tensed. This was it. He looked back into the dome and prayed it would be strong enough to hold him. Even though he couldn't see him under the blanket, he could see him moving, writhing underneath it and he hated to see him in pain. He held his breath, not knowing what to expect but assumed he would soon be looking at a large, snarling wolf. Instead, he heard the small bark and out popped a puppy! Alex watched him running around in confusion and chuckled out of relief. And then he started laughing uncontrollably. "Oh, my God!...I wasn't expecting that!...holy crap!...I gotta say though,...you make an adorable puppy!" he said between laughs. -- The agents who had been turned stepped into the forest with the werewolf agent. Layla was among them and could sense that everyone else was just as nervous as she was. She knew that, after the pain of the transformation, she would black out and not be able to remember what had happened until she regained control of herself. They stood together in anxious silence as they waited until the moon rose high enough to start their transformation. All at once, gasps and cries broke out from herself and the others as they started to change. Layla dropped onto all fours and clawed the soil. She'd closed her eyes tightly, not wanting to see her body change. All she knew, in the next few minutes, was pure agony. When she was done transforming, she was laying on the ground. A little shaken but feeling the new energy coursing through her, she opened her eyes and looked around at the others. She stood and growled at one of the other wolves who had come over to sniff at her curiously, warning them that she wasn't comfortable with them getting close to her just yet. Though, she was curious about this pack she was in herself. When they took her hint and backed off, she started sniffing around her. Gradually getting used to all the new scents and warming up to getting closer to each wolf. Sniffing each of them to get to know them. Denix Vames - June 27, 2021 Carter's grip on the phone tightened. "Good to know. Thanks for the update. I'll tell Sebastian about this. Just stay safe. And if you need me to come back, just say the word and I will. Ok?" --- Jean gasped. A smile beamed across his face. He jumped on him. Wrapping his arms around his neck. "Yes! I'll marry you!" He kissed him. "I could never stand being away from you!" --- Ricky nodded. He stood from the chair. "I'm gonna assume the same place that I've already been to before." --- Gary ran over to Alex but bumped himself against the dome. He flopped over. He got up and shook his head. He barked again as he jumped on the dome. Putting his paws there. He happily barked. Trying to scratch the wall of the dome off so that he could be near him. --- The Werewolf Agent had transformed as well. He walked over so that everyone could see him. He lifted a paw. Pointing straight ahead and then slightly running so that they would realize that he wanted them to follow. He even barked just to make sure. Shadowess - June 27, 2021 "Alright, thanks Carter. Enjoy the rest of your vacation and say 'Hi' to Sebastian for me." Parker said before ending the call. He sat back in the chair and let out a heavy sigh. "Thanks Nate, thanks Tom...I appreciate you guys taking the time to do that. How've you guys been anyway? Feels like forever since we all just hung out, you know?" --- Hannes caught Jean and felt his heart lift as he agreed to the marriage. He kissed him passionately as happy tears rolled down his cheeks. "I love you! I love you!" He said between kisses as he carried Jean over to the bedroom. "We'll throw a huge party and a feast for the ages! Oh, my love! You've made me so happy!" --- David shrugged. "The assignment is simply to help the less fortunate. If returning to the soup kitchen is easier for you then by all means, do that." David stood as well and placed a hand on Atma's shoulder. "I'll see you again soon. Take care of yourself." he said kindly then turned to Ricky and held out his hand to shake. "Best of luck to the two of you. Hopefully, the next time you see me you'll be ready for me to sign you off of the programme altogether." he smiled. "You're certainly well on your way, anyway." --- Alex calmed down a bit but was still chuckling at Gary's antics as he watched him. He placed a hand against the dome, where Gary was. "Wow...I kinda wish I could hold you like that...I'll bet those teeth are just as sharp as any puppy teeth though...we'll have to watch out for that. I don't really fancy changing into anything different any time soon..." he said with a smile. He then chuckled again and shook his head a little. "I'm sorry...I know it's wrong but the temptation to baby-talk to you while you're like that is so damn strong." he laughed, laughing so hard that he fell onto his side by the dome, looking in at Gary. --- The wolves had barely noticed the agent at first as they all sniffed around at the ground and at each other. But when he barked, they all looked in his direction. Their ears perked up and facing his direction and they watched as he began to trot in one direction. They began to follow him, Layla catching up to him much easier than the rest. All curious to see where they were being lead. Denix Vames - June 27, 2021 "Will do." Once the call ended, Carter would inform Sebastian about everything. Nate chuckled awkwardly. "Yeah, I guess it has been. How's being the boss?" --- Will was irritated as he was doing paperwork. 'Can you believe this crap? The moment I tell my men about the seizures, they're making me stay in my office. Doing all this crap. And I can't exactly not do it or else they said they would make their i's really crooked which gets my OCD blood boiling.' --- Joyful tears ran down Jean's cheeks. He raised a brow. "Wait a minute. But do you have suits for the wedding? Are there clothes for the party that I could wear?" --- Ricky shook his hand. He smiled. Holding back tears. "Thanks, David." He suddenly frowned. "I'm sorry that I hurt you and Patience. Back before? What I did was awful." --- Gary started trying to dig a hole on the ground. He whined as he wasn't near Alex. --- The Werewolf Agent led them to a deer which he chased after. Once he took it down, he ripped its throat out. He began to eat some but not too much. Letting the others eat too. He nudged the deer to their direction. Shadowess - June 28, 2021 "Honestly? I kinda can't wait for Carter to come back." Parker laughed. "Now I see why he needed a vacation so badly...It hasn't even been a week and I've been shot and had a case taken off of me by the CIA..." "Could've been worse." Tom shrugged. "Sure, getting shot sucks- I know! but at least you survived and all our friends are still alive." "True..." Parker smiled a little. "So, how're you two? You've been away for quite a while too." --- River chuckled. 'Easy there, Boss. Don't go getting yourself wound up. At least it shows that they care about your health. Oh, by the way, seeing that Carol chick at the wedding gave me an idea and I've sort of been working on something...wana see?" River then tapped into Will's ocular nerves to make him hallucinate so that he could see a version of River in front of him while he was awake, even though he wasn't really there and couldn't interact with anything physical. 'I'm not really here. Just tricking your brain into thinking you can see me. Pretty neat, huh? Oh, and-' River then ran a hand through his own hair and changed the colour from Parker's red to a navy blue colour. 'There we go. Less chance of getting us confused if he's ever in the same room." he said, as if the red eyes weren't a dead give away already. 'Ohh my god! Dude! Do you know what this totally reminds me of? Drop Dead Fred! Ha! Classic movie..." --- Hannes beamed at Jean and gently set him down. "My wardrobe is just there, my love. Feel free to wear anything you like." He nodded in the direction of a large, wooden armoire. "Or we could go into the local town and buy you some new clothes? Most of my clothes might be a little... dated." --- David's smile slipped a little but he shook his head and continued to smile anyway. "Water under the bridge, Ricky." he reassured him while letting go of his hand. Rickster had frozen at Ricky's words and he didn't look up. He moved his head a little to glance in David's direction then quickly averted his gaze back to the dishes in the sink. "Sorry." he said quietly then continued to wash the dishes. David nodded at him. It was a start and by the looks of Rickster, an apology had not been an easy thing for him to give. It was a small gesture but it was a promising one. "Right then. I best be off. Take care of yourselves and I'll see you all again sometime soon." He vanished, leaving a somewhat awkward silence between Ricky, Atma and Rickster. Atma got to her feet and scratched the back of her head. "Thanks for breakfast. Which room should I stay in? It's pretty late." she asked and as soon as Ricky would point her in the right direction, she'd go off to that room to try and get some sleep, leaving just Ricky and Rickster in the kitchen. --- Alex chuckled at Gary as he started trying to dig under the dome. "Hey, don't do that. You'll get all muddy. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere..." he then jumped and shot to his feet when he heard a howl in the distance and he looked around in alarm, trying to see through the trees while keeping his back pressed to the dome. "Oh...right...I guess you're not the only person turning into a wolf tonight...let's just hope the other wolves out there are in control and friendly..." he said a little shakily. --- Excited by the chase, the other wolves helped the agent chase the deer until he had it cornered. When he began to eat and nudged the deer in their direction, Layla didn't hesitate. She moved forward and began tearing off chunks of flesh and eating it as if this was the most normal thing in the world. Only growling now and again when the other wolves started eating too close to her, warning them to give her some space. When she'd had her fill she walked away from the carcass so that the other wolves could eat as well and lay down near a tree. She began cleaning the blood off of her paws although she struggled to reach the fur closer to her neck and face.

Denix Vames - June 25, 2021 Will bit his lip. "I'll have Nate check on him." He got in the car. "Let's just go to the precinct first. I need to see what's been going lately. Get up to date with things." He thought for a moment. "You might have to tell Nate to check on him. I might get pretty busy." --- Leo sucked in some air. He whispered, "Maybe we should stop? Seems a bit unfair that I can't make any noise while we're doing this." --- Jean was shaking. He had seen them argue. Had jumped at the sound of X. He covered his ears. When he heard Hannes, he slowly put his hands down. He turned to him and nodded. "I'm fine. Just...spooked. I'm not use to this." "Forgive me. I will refrain from shouting unless it's necessary." ,said X. --- The agent nodded. "Enjoy your food. When you're done, just leave the tray out. Someone will pick it up and take it away." He left. Shadowess - June 25, 2021 "No problem." Parker nodded and started driving towards the precinct. "I should probably do some paperwork at the office anyway. Make sure everything is ship-shape for when Carter gets back. I'll call for Nate while I'm there. Give me a call when you're done and I'll come and pick you up." he pulled up outside the building and looked at Will. "Hope it's not too chaotic in there." he tried a smile, though he seemed a little tired. --- Oscar paused and looked at Leo. As much as he wanted him right now, he was simply glad to be spending this much time with him. He smiled and nodded. "If you want." he whispered and caressed Leo's cheek. "I'm just happy to be with you. We always have next time." he kissed him once more before rolling off of him to lay next to him instead. He wrapped his arms around him to hold him close and ran a hand through his hair while smiling at him, taking in his features and adoring him. He nuzzled his face against his and sighed happily. "I love you, so much." --- "I'm sorry, it didn't go the way I expected. But at least now they seem to understand what needs to be done." Hannes said to Jean gently then looked at X, shaking his head a little. "If you hadn't, I fear this discussion may have ended badly. I'm thankful that you intervened when you did. You are welcome to stay as a guest if you need some rest. I can escort you to one of the spare 'houses'." he then looked back at Jean. "And perhaps we should get some rest as well? I can show you the part of the castle where I live. You can stay with me if you'd like? Or we could find a 'house' for you, if you'd prefer not to live with me just yet. I want for you to be comfortable." --- "Thanks!" Viktor called after the agent and closed the door. He sat down at the desk and started eating. As soon as he took a bite, he eagerly ate the rest quite quickly, apparently feeling hungrier than he thought he was. He'd even drank up the glass of blood thirstily. He sat back in the chair and yawned, still feeling tired from such a long day and he hadn't had long to sleep earlier. He got up and took the tray to the door like the agent had told him to do and after setting it outside the room, he went back inside and lay on the bed again. Within seconds he was fast asleep again. Denix Vames - June 25, 2021 Will cupped his cheeks. "Get some rest when you're done with all that. And I'll try to take some breaks too. I promise." He kissed him slowly before smiling. "I love you. Stay safe." He got out of the car. --- Leo smiled. "I love you more." He soon fell asleep. --- "I guess being here for a couple of more minutes wouldn't hurt. They may need me at the facility but they don't always need me." ,said X. Jean nodded. He stood. "I wouldn't mind seeing your room." He nervously rubbed his arm as he blushed. "I'm honestly kind of interested." --- An agent grabbed the tray and brought it to the kitchen. Shadowess - June 26, 2021 "Alright." Parker smiled before kissing Will back. "I love you, too. Don't push yourself too hard." he called after him as he got out of the car. He would then watch Will walk into the precinct before driving back to the office. Once through the door he sighed heavily while leaning against it. "Hey Nate? Do you and Tom fancy taking a trip to Germany?" he called out. --- Smiling, it wouldn't take long for Oscar to fall asleep with Leo in his arms. Meanwhile, after a full day of non-stop action, Rickster was relaxing in the spare bedroom of the mansion with Ricky. He lay naked on top of the covers, coated in sweat, his legs feeling like jelly and still a little out of breath after yet another round of intimacy with Ricky. He was grinning and couldn't help chuckling. "I think...I'm spent..." he said between breaths. Of course, now that he'd gotten that out of his system and could take a moment to relax, he now had enough time to think a little more clearly and it occurred to Rickster, with some surprise, that he was on Earth...even though he was still supposed to be dead. "Wait..." he blinked and looked at Ricky. "I'm supposed to be a soul still...how did Oscar manage to get me to Earth?" Little did either of them know, David was currently waiting for them in the kitchen to answer that very question. He knew they'd need to come downstairs sooner or later for food so had made himself comfortable with a cup of tea. He was not alone either. Atma sat at the table with him, though she looked far less comfortable than David seemed to be. In fact, she was a little red in the face after hearing all those noises coming from upstairs. "We couldn't have waited anywhere else?..." she mumbled into her own cup of tea. --- Hannes nodded at X then smiled warmly at Jean. He offered him his arm then looked at X. "I'll show you to where you can stay first." he said before starting to escort them towards the East section of the castle. "If you'd like, we can reserve the spare 'house' for you for future visits. That way you'll have a safe place that you can rest in should you ever need it. You will always be welcome in this castle." he said to X as they walked. "The same goes for your people. Should they ever need shelter, all they need to do is ask. It is a large castle and we have plenty of room. Here we are." He stopped in front of a large wooden door and unlocked it before stepping in. As they walked in, he unhooked the key from the keyring he was holding and passed it to X. "I hope it suits your needs." he then said, allowing X to get acquainted with the room. The room itself was very large and they would soon see why the vampires refer to these rooms as 'houses'. Each room had been sectioned up and fitted to act as a house within the castle. They currently stood in the 'house's' living room. A door at the end of the room lead to a bedroom and en suite bathroom. To their right was a kitchen and small dining area. Each room was decorated with tapestries, large rugs, velvet and leather furniture. In the living room was a large fireplace with a beautifully designed mantle. Although the windows had been bricked over, someone in the castle had taken their time to carefully paint gorgeous scenery over the bricks to make it look like they could look out over a field of wildflowers. Blue velvet curtains hung over the 'windows' as well. "We'll leave you to rest. Thank you for all your help X." Hannes said with a smile. "Oh, and if you need anything let me know. I am the authority in this section of the castle. The safety and comfort of those living in this section is my responsibility." Hannes would then lead Jean out and towards his own home. They couldn't miss his door. Large, painted green doors with orange oriental poppies painted on each side. The vines that intertwined and connected the flowers were painted in gold. Hannes blushed. "I went through a bit of a painting phase..." he explained before unlocking the door and letting him in. The room would be similar to the room he had shown X only a little larger and with an extra bedroom which was currently littered with paints, brushes, easels and half finished paintings on canvases, almost all of them of fields on sunny days or flowers. He turned closed the door behind them then turned to Jean and smiled, letting him look around. "Not exactly the mighty vampire warrior's house..." he chuckled, blushing. Denix Vames - June 26, 2021 Nate and Tom appeared. They were holding hands. "What's going on now?" --- Ricky caught his breath. He chuckled at Rickster's comment. "I think that was the best experience in my entire fucking life." He slowly sat up. "I don't know. But maybe we should eat on it first?" He began to get dressed and tried his best to fold out the wrinkles from his clothes. --- X shook his hand after accepting the key. "Thank you. It's a wonderful room. I'll take up on your offer. The same goes for all of you. We have a facility as well that we have accustomed to it as a home to us since we work there practically everyday." He headed into the room and closed the door when the couple left. Tears formed in Jean's eyes. He covered his face as he quietly sobbed against the door of Hannes's room. "What if they don't want me here? I don't even know if I belong here. I saw all of them and I swore they saw me as a stranger. I don't think I belong here." He hugged himself. He lowered his head. "I feel like I'm in such a special place. That me being here makes your home tainted." shadowess - June 26, 2021 Parker hesitated at the question, getting the impression that they might be pushing their luck a bit with calling for Nate over every little thing. He sighed again, feeling like he didn't really have any options this time. "Just a check up on someone, to make sure they're safe is all. Long story short, one of the rookie cops was kidnapped, turned into a vampire against his will and raped. The vampire who did this to him was arrested by the CIA but now I'm hearing that the CIA agent took the rookie and the vampire to the vampire's home in Germany. To top it off, sounds like this CIA agent in question is a Blood God...The rookie says he's fine but...well, to say I'm feeling uneasy about all of this is an understatement...The rookie's name is Jean. The vampire is called Hannes and I have no idea who the CIA agent is." --- "Maybe I should get locked up more often." he said playfully and winked at Ricky. He got up as well, albeit a little shakily, and began to slowly dress himself. "Still, thank you...I-..." he frowned and paused for a moment before looking back at Ricky. "I don't ever want to end up back there...I don't want to give them a reason to put me back there...I'll do anything...All I could do in that cell was think and I did A LOT of thinking..." he scratched the back of his head nervously. "L-let's go and get some food first...then-...then we need to talk. I- um...I love you, Ricky." his face turned red as he said it. This being the first time that Rickster had not only talked to Ricky openly but actually admitted how he felt as well. "And...I want us to work...but before we can...there's something about me that you should know..." he hesitated then started for the door hurriedly, as if physically running away from the topic itself. "L-let's go eat first." --- Hannes's heart ached as he watched Jean and he hurried over to him while shaking his head a little and saying in a softened tone; "Nein, meine Geliebte! Please don't think like this!" He wrapped his arms around him and placed a hand on the back of his head. Holding him to his chest and kissing the side of his head. "Hush, sweet one. It is simply an awkward time. Any other time and my family would have immediately welcomed you with open arms. With the commotion with those agents and the emergency meeting, my family didn't have much opportunity to meet you properly, that's all. Just let the dust settle and we'll put together a more traditional welcome for you. You'll like it. It's all very festive. We usually have a bit of a party so that new family can relax while they get to know their new neighbours. Bringing in newly turned vampires is somewhat rare for us so we usually make a bigger deal out of it." he kissed his head again. "We can get dressed up. You could borrow some of my clothes if you'd like and we'll dance in the hall and drink venom blood. It'll be fun, I promise. For now though, lets just get you settled in. It's been a very long day." He ran a hand through his hair then pulled back to look into his eyes. He cupped Jean's face in his hands and wiped away his tears with his thumbs while giving him a kind smile. "I love you, meine Geliebte. Nothing in the world would make me happier than having you here with me." Denix Vames - June 26, 2021 Nate nodded. "Alright. We'll be there." They appeared in Hannes's room. "Is everything alright here? We heard a few things and decided to check up on Jean." --- Ricky's eyes widened at the statement. He smiled a little. "I love you too." He frowned when Rickster said the last thing. "Ok." He followed him downstairs. Heading to the kitchen. --- Jean nodded. "Thank you. That means a lot." His lips were close to his. "I love you too." He kissed him. Shadowess - June 26, 2021 Once Nate and Tom were gone, Parker headed upstairs to the office to make sure all the paperwork was organised and up to date. He wrote up notes on everything he'd learned about the Steinheil hunters as well as the what had happened between Hannes, Jean, Niko and Racheal. --- Hannes smiled into Jean's kiss, kissing him back slowly and tenderly. He then jumped and looked around in alarm when he heard Nate's voice and stared at the strangers in his home in confusion. He turned to face them while moving in front of Jean defensively. "Who are you?" "Just some friends." Tom answered, his smile never faltering. "Parker got worried and asked us to make sure everything was alright. Fancy place you got here." --- As they headed downstairs, Rickster thought on what he was going to tell Ricky. It wasn't an easy thing for him to talk about. He hadn't told a single soul for almost eight years and until now he'd always assumed it would be something he'd take with him to the grave...which, he guessed he technically did...thrice... "Ah! Finally! We were starting to run out of tea!" David greeted them as they entered the kitchen. Atma could barely look at them as she held her cup of tea in both her hands. "Good to see you again, Ricky." she smiled a little. Rickster had paused in the doorway and was staring at David warily. "You haven't come to take me back, have you?" he asked, trying to sound brave but his voice quivered a bit. "No, you can relax. I've come to get you enrolled onto the programme." David answered. Rickster seemed to relax a little as he headed into the kitchen and opened up the fridge. "Don't suppose you know how I'm on Earth when I'm dead?" he asked as he took out some eggs, bacon, mushrooms and cheese. "Oh, that's an easy one. Because you're not dead anymore." David smirked as he took a sip of his tea. Rickster paused and looked at him in shock then exchanged a confused look with Ricky. "In fact, you haven't been dead in almost a week now...Funny that you didn't notice..." "Wha-? Wait- Wha-? How?!" Rickster stammered, trying to fathom how this had happened. "When Ricky took the potion to bring him back to life, we also slipped some of the same potion into your food at around the same time. We knew you'd be coming out of the cell at some point so we thought we'd surprise you by bringing you straight to Earth when you were ready. Oh, which, while we're on the topic-" David took out two very small vials of clear liquid from his jacket pocket and handed one each to Ricky and Rickster. Each vial only holding about two drops of the liquid. He looked at Ricky. "I did a little research. Take that and you'll have a more normal life expectancy. So, you won't die of a heart attack at the end of this week-" "Die of a what?!" Rickster exclaimed and quickly pulled the cork off his vial before downing it. David wasn't phased by the outburst as he continued to smile at Ricky. "You've earned it." Denix Vames - June 26, 2021 Parker's phone rang. It would be Carter that was calling. Once he would answered the hear, he would hear, "Parker? How's everything at the agency? Is everyone doing alright?" --- Jean glared at them. "I don't even know you two." "But Parker knows us and I can assure that we only came here to check if you were alright." "Well, I am." "And what about the CIA agent that I heard about? Is he fine too?" --- Ricky smiled. "Thank you, David." He downed the vial before cringing at the taste. "Did you already eat? I was thinking since we're all here that we could have some breakfast together." shadowess - June 26, 2021 Parker answered his phone and smiled, surprised to hear from Carter. "Oh, hey boss. Yeah, everything's fine. We're all good here. How're you and Sebastian? Are you having a good vacation?" --- When Jean said he didn't know them, Hannes felt a little more defensive of him. When Nate asked about the agent, Hannes answered. "What concern is it of yours?" "Well, we heard he was a Blood God and apparently they're pretty well known for losing their sanity." Tom shrugged. "I will not stand for your blasphemy!" Hannes became irritated. "Please leave my home!" "Blasphe-what now? You know they're actually Devils and not Gods, right?" Tom rose a brow. "Like...there is an actual God but he aint a CIA agent..." "I will not hear it! Leave!" --- "If by 'eat' you mean drink practically a pantry's worth of tea? Sure." Atma rolled her eyes at David who chuckled. "I drink Tea for fun but I don't actually need to eat or drink anything. Thank you for the offer though. However, I can't speak for Atma." David said. "It's still weird being called that after being called 'Jane' for so long..." Atma sighed and David frowned at her. "I know...I am sorry that you went through that..." Rickster glanced between them awkwardly, not having a clue what that was about, before turning and continueing to cook breakfast. Making a bacon and mushroom omelette that was topped with grated cheese. Once it was done, he passed a plate to Ricky before setting another plate down in front of Atma. He then sat at the table with them with his own plate and began to eat quietly. "Thank you." Atma said and Rickster nodded without a word as he continued to eat. "Now then, in regards to your redemption. Ricky, I'd like you to help Rickster on his journey. I think he'd do well with someone he feels more comfortable with. Continue to do what you have been doing. Help the less fortunate wherever you can. I'll send Oscar every once in a while to check in on you both to report your progress." David said once they were both sat down.

Denix Vames - June 24, 2021 "Fine. I won't use my powers but I still need to work. I'm the Chief of Police." Will got off of the bed. "I know that you're worried but if I'm not around then who will lead these guys? Ya know?" --- Leo blinked out of his memories. He turned to Oscar and couldn't help but smile. He sat next to him. "I think my family would have enjoyed your company." --- Ben placed a hand over the one on his chest. He kissed her again. Savoring the moment. --- "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm in Germany. At the castle where Hannes lives. Everything's alright. The vampire family knows that they're free. And it looks like one of the CIA agents is a Blood God. But he's not trying to hurt anyone. He's like Will. A very nice person. Well, when he's not pissed off." ,said Jean. "I know all about the history sir. Now, you may all stand. And why don't I clean that up?" X clapped his hands. The broken glass and its puddle disappeared. "How about a new glass for Jean here?" --- An agent knocked on the door. Shadowess - June 24, 2021 Doctor Evans shrugged. "Look, I'm just here to give you information, advice and meds if you need them. I can't actually stop you from going back to work if that's what you feel is best. I just hope you don't burn yourself out by pushing yourself too hard. 'Cos that'd help no-one." He lay a hand on Will's shoulder and nodded at him understandingly. "Best of luck to you, Chief." he said before leaving the room to let Will make his own decisions. --- Oscar blinked at Leo's comment. "Me?" he asked softly then gave him a playful look. "Have you met me?" he chuckled and wrapped an arm around Leo. "Your family sound amazing. I'm sure I'd have gotten along well with them." he said in a gentle tone. --- A knock on the door interrupted their intimate moment and Jessica reluctantly broke the kiss to look over at the nurse who had just walked in and was looking at them a little awkwardly. "Um, sorry to interrupt. It's getting late and we're asking visitors to go home for the night so that patients can rest. You're welcome to come back in the morning." Jessica sighed and looked back at Ben longingly. She kissed him one more time. "Damn..." she chuckled. "Guess I'll be back tomorrow. Do you want me to bring you anything?" --- "Germany?! Wait, Hannes is with you?" Parker listened to what Jean said about the CIA agent being a Blood God and was shocked at the news. "So, wait, hang on..." he rubbed his temples as he tried to process what Jean had told him. "Alright, first things first, are you sure you're ok with Hannes there? You know...after what he did? All I'm saying is, just be careful. If he starts acting weird or possessive, get yourself out of there. Secondly, be extra careful around that CIA agent. I know Will isn't crazy but apparently it's super rare for Blood Gods to be able to keep their sanity...cos most of them can't handle how much power they have...I would know...I was one...and I went batshit insane." Hannes lifted his head to look at X and watched the other vampires slowly get to their feet when they were told it was alright to. The other vampires around them then started filing out, walking towards the hall to get themselves a seat for the discussion. The vampire who had dropped the bottle of blood nodded to X then hurried off to get Jean a new glass. "Then we should head into the Hall to get ready for the discussions. I'm certain our people will be more open to hearing what a Vampire King has to say...some of our people don't speak English, will you need a translator?" Hannes said to X. Hannes would then turn to Jean and smile at him. "You should join us in the Hall, too. This is your home now, so you have a right to have your say in anything that happens here." --- The knock woke Viktor up and he looked towards the door a little nervously. He hadn't interacted with anyone here since Leo had dropped him off and a small part of him worried that they'd noticed he'd vanished for a short time. Curious but cautious, he got to his feet and walked over to the door, opening it a little to look at the Agent on the other side. "Hello?" he said in a small, quiet voice. Denix Vames - June 24, 2021 Will nodded. "Thank you." He frowned as he realized he wouldn't be able to use his powers. 'Hey buddy. Looks like you're taking a break. Is that ok?' He began to get changed into his uniform. --- Leo leaned his head against his. "Oscar, I'm glad I met you." He kissed him. --- Ben's face went red when the nurse walked in."Maybe an energy drink? Preferably Monster." --- Jean frowned. "Everything's ok, Parker. Me and Hannes talked. And the agent you're talking about is a good person. Can you just stop judging people?! You're not my dad!" He hung up. He accepted the drink after putting his phone away. He took a sip. "Really? You want me to be at the meeting? Are you sure I'll even make the right decision?" X shook his head. "I know all languages." He followed them to the meeting room. --- "Are you currently hungry at the moment? I was told to check on you if you needed anything." ,said the agent. Shadowess - June 24, 2021 'Guess it'll have to be. Don't worry, I've already stripped your powers from you for now. Can't leave it around for temptation, can I? I'm still here though, if you need to talk and I'll be keeping an eye on things to make sure you don't get into too much trouble.' River replied. --- Oscar kissed Leo back, slowly and softly. He cupped his chin and looked into his eyes with a smile. "I'm glad I met you too." --- Jessica smiled and nodded. "Monster it is." she said. She kissed him once more, hanging on to the kiss for as long as she could before breaking away and standing up. "See you tomorrow." she said softly before turning and walking out of the room. The nurse had been waiting for her to leave and looked at Ben once she'd gone. "Let us know if you need anything. Try to get some sleep." she said before leaving the room as well. --- "Wha-? Hey, wait a damn min-! -Jean?" Parker looked at his phone in annoyance. He sighed heavily. "God dammit..." he muttered as he started walking to his car. There wasn't anything he could do for Jean all the way out in Germany but he can at least check on Will. Besides, it sounded like Jean could handle himself...for now. He got into his car and sent Will a quick text to let him know he was on his way back, before starting up the car and driving to the hospital. He accepted the drink after putting his phone away. He took a sip. "Really? You want me to be at the meeting? Are you sure I'll even make the right decision?" Hannes wrapped an arm around Jean and couldn't help grinning at his question. "Just say whatever is in your heart. The point of the discussion is that everyone gets to have their say. Or don't say anything and just listen, if you prefer to see how things work first. But if you want to speak up at any point, no one will look down on you for doing so." he kissed his cheek. "You're one of us now. This is your family and even when we don't always agree with everyone here, we all look out for one another. Come, we should get seated." he began walking with Jean towards the hall. Once in the room, they would see that it was a very large hall that most castles would typically use as either a banquet hall or ballroom. A crowd of vampires took their seats which were lined up and facing on end of the room where a long table was. There were four large wooden, and beautifully decorated chairs set behind the table for each guardian of the castle. A couple of vampires had brought out a fifth, equally beautiful chair for X and when it became apparent that Jean would be sitting with Hannes, a sixth one was brought out as well. Hannes guided Jean to the table and pulled out the chair for him to sit in while smiling at him. Once he was seated, he would then sit next to him. In the chairs next to them sat Natali, Janik and Sven. In the crowd, Bianka, Niko and Racheal entered the hall and took their seats with the rest of the vampires. Racheal was looking around curiously. When the room was full and the chatter died down a bit, Hannes stood and addressed them all in English, doing so for Jean and Racheal's benefit so that they could understand what would be being said. A vampire near their table stood and repeated Hannes's words in German. "Ladies and gentlemen. We've brought you all here to inform you of some changes to our way of life and to answer any questions that you might have about how this will affect us in the future." he paused a moment to let the vampire speaking German catch up. "Some of you were present when our guests arrived at the castle, so will know what this is about. For the rest of you, the human world know about us." he held up a hand to quiet the sudden chatter. "Don't be alarmed. They don't mean us any harm. In fact, they have put laws in place to protect our kind so that we can live side by side in peace. As you can see, we have a special guest with us right now." He gestured to X. "Yes, he is a Vampirkönig but he is also here to help us understand these new laws that we must now adapt to." He turned to X now. "If you wouldn't mind, perhaps you could say a few words?" --- Viktor hesitated. He was inwardly thankful that he hadn't been gone for long. Though at the mention of being hungry, Viktor suddenly realised that he hadn't had anything all day. He wondered if it was blood he was craving but it wasn't the same kind of hunger pain. It was more like the kind of hunger he'd felt as a human. Maybe being...whatever Leo was...he didn't need to only drink blood? Leo had said that vampirism was only a small part of what he was, so maybe they mostly relied on human food to live then? "Um, yeah actually, I am..." he chuckled. "Sorry, didn't realise until just now..." Denix Vames - June 24, 2021 Will sighed. 'Smary. Very smart.' He texted back to Parker, 'They're letting me go now. I'll meet you outside.' He headed out of the hospital. --- Leo placed a hand on his knee. He slipped his tongue into his mouth. Kissing him slowly. --- Ben nodded. He turned his head to the window and frowned. "I wish I could get out of here." --- Jean and X sat. Jean had finished the rest of his drink. Setting the empty glass on the table. He looked around at the people there. "I feel like I should have gotten dressed for this." ,he whispered. X nodded at Hannes. He cleared his throat before standing. "Hello everyone. It's good to see all of you. My name is X. I prefer to keep my name a secret due to my job if you don't mind. Anyway, I came here today in order to tell you all something. Every supernatural creature is protected by the laws. I'm sure you've heard of this from the german agents. Now, this does not mean you are allowed to do whatever you want. Human and Supernatural laws also keep many from breaking the rules. If you decide to murder, kidnap, forcibly turn someone, or anything of the sort then you will be arrested. The same will be done for humans as well. As you may or may not know, some humans dress like all of you and drink actual blood. Believing that they are vampires. I'm not sure how you feel about this but I thought you should all know. Moving on from that, you all have rights and freedoms. There are vampire clubs for your kind to go in and drink blood. Not to mention dance. The fashion nowadays is more modern but there are plenty of people out there who still dress Victorian. And all the eateries and shops in Europe have available dishes and products that contain blood. Some human food has been able to turn into safe-to-eat for vampires by mixing blood. Unfortunately, not too many. Still, you can buy blood without any problems. However, it would seem that the german agents brought blood bags as a gift so I guess you won't need to go into those shops until then." --- "What do you want to eat? The chef can make anything." ,said the agent. Shadowess - June 25, 2021 'Just looking out for you, man.' River chuckled. Parker drove into the parking lot of the hospital and texted Will to let him know where he was. He kept the car running and had a window down. As he waited, he worried over everything. About whether Will was alright. About Jean being all the way out in Germany with a man who abused him. About there being another Blood God out there. He was biting the nail on his thumb nervously as he thought about all of this while staring out of his window. --- Oscar supressed a moan when he felt Leo's tongue in his mouth. He didn't want to make any noise in case the little girl in the next room heard. But he kissed Leo back eagerly, matching his slowness while adding a little passion to it. He ran a hand through his hair then with the same hand, cupped his cheek. His other hand was around his waist, his thumb gently gliding over his hips. --- The vampires listening to X seemed fascinated and happy by what was being said. Though a few seemed baffled at the idea that some humans believe they are vampires and act accordingly. "Thank you." Hannes nodded at X. He turned back to the crowd and raised his hands a little. "Now, are there any questions?" "What about the vampire hunters?" One vampire called. "The law applies to them as well. It is now forbidden for humans to hunt our kind or any other supernatural creature." Hannes answered. "Until the hunters accept this law, these agents have been kind enough to guard our home to protect our us and our loved ones." Sven added, also standing. "We no longer need to live in fear of the Steinheils." "Can we trust the human agents?" Another vampire called out. "I trust them." Hannes nodded. "If Hannes says they're good, then I trust them also." Sven agreed with a nod. Natali and Janik did not answer. Instead, they gave each other a dubious look but said nothing. Niko then stood. "And what of our traditions? The ones put in place by our founder? Do you expect us to abandon those?" A look of irritation flickered across Hannes's features. He knew he was referring to the tradition they'd used when turning Racheal and Jean. By bringing up their traditions and religion, Niko risked forming a divide within the castle. What was he playing at?! Hannes thought carefully before answering. "Some of our traditions are outdated. For us to survive in this new world, we must adapt to it. Therefore, I propose that the tradition of Blutgeschmack should be abolished." As soon as he'd said it, the crowd was in an uproar. Almost everyone stood. Some vampires were shouting at Hannes for Blasphemy while others tried to argue with them that the change needed to happen. Niko sat back down slowly, smiling at Hannes. Racheal seemed frightened, being surrounded by angry vampires. Niko either didn't notice her fear or didn't care. Even Natali and Janik had broken their silence to yell at Hannes for the suggestion and both outright denied that such a change should happen. Sven tried to back up Hannes's statement and ended up in a very heated argument with Janik. Hannes knew this would be big news but he hadn't expected it to blow up in his face quite like this. Colour drained from his face as he looked around at all the angry vampires screaming at him. He didn't know what to do. "The Blutgeschmack is a crucial part of initiations! It is a right of passage! The final choice!" Janik had stood and was shouting at Hannes. "Choice? What choice is there to be had!? It is a farce and you know it, Janik!" Sven shouted back. "The second they taste that drop, their survival instincts take over! They don't get a conscious choice after that!" "Idiot! If they truly didn't want our gifts they would reject it regardless of what we do! Are we to be blamed if they regret their decision afterwards!?" Natali snapped back. --- "Um..." Viktor had to think. He felt awkward asking others to cook for him but it wasn't like he really had much choice and he'd feel rude to reject it now. "I guess something simple...maybe some chicken and mixed vegetables?" Denix Vames - June 25, 2021 'Yeah, I know you are.' Will walked over to Parker's car. He noticed his nervous features. "Hey. Is everything alright? If this is about what happened back at the house, I'm alright. Doc said that I can't use my powers for a while and to take it easy. Apparently, my seizures are from having too much stress." --- Leo laid a hand on his chest. Brushing over his shirt. He laid back. Letting him get on top before moving his hand to under his shirt. --- X's voice boomed. "ENOUGH!" The ground shook for a moment. Once everyone became silent, he cleared his throat. "Thank you. Now, I would like to make this clear. It is not necessary to turn humans into vampires anymore. Your secret is not a secret anymore. As we speak, there are vampires out there who have jobs. Vampires who work with humans. In fact, the public will already know about your home so that possible guests can welcome you to the new Germany. Let me make this clear that if you or anyone in this family forces someone to turn then you will be punished just as much as a hunter would be punished for killing a vampire. You will be arrested or executed depending on the case. Do I make myself clear?" X turned to Hannes. "I will inform the german agents to set up a signal nearby so that you can contact me through the phone. They will give you such a device and teach you how to use it." He looked at Niko with a hard expression. "As for you. I know what your plan is and I would hold my tongue if I were you. Unless of course, you want me to eat it in front of you while you squirm in pain." He smiled. --- The agent nodded. "I'll let them know." He left. At some point, he came back with the tray. Holding the dish which had a glass of blood on the side. He knocked on the door again. "Your food is here." shadowess - June 25, 2021 "Well, that's one less thing to worry about, I guess." Parker replied, relieved to hear Will wasn't ill and just needed to watch his stress levels. "I'm guessing River's keeping your powers under wraps until you're feeling better?" 'He knows us too well." River commented with a chuckle. Parker then sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Jean has gone to Germany with Hannes and some CIA agent." he told Will. Lowering his hand, he looked up at him worriedly. "Apparently the CIA agent is another Blood God...I warned Jean to be careful around both of them and he basically called me prejudiced before hanging up on me." 'Before you ask, the answer is 'no'' River said. 'I know you're guna be worried too but don't forget, you and Parker have other friends you can call on for help who also have powers. It doesn't have to be you jumping all over the place all the time. Delegate.' --- Oscar kept kissing Leo and got lost in his touch. As Leo laid back, Oscar moved over him while lightly pressing his body against his. One hand propped him up, over Leo, while his other wandered down to his thigh, caressing it while he kissed him deeply. --- The crowd quietened. Natali, Janik and Sven sat in their seats again. As X made it clear that no human was to be forced into turning, it became apparent to everyone that, regardless of what they believed, a Blood God considered their tradition of Blutgeschmack to be immoral. Therefore, they had no choice but to abolish it, like Hannes had suggested. When X addressed Niko next, a few vampires looked in his direction and Niko glared back at X. His face turned pale at the threat but he held his glare for a moment before averting his gaze submissively while shaking his head a little. As much as he hated being humiliated in front of the others, he was smart enough to know that he wouldn't stand a chance against a Blood God. Hannes looked at X with a relieved expression and nodded a little. "Thank you." he said quietly and took a moment to recompose himself as he looked back at the now somewhat sheepish crowd of vampires. "Are there any more questions?" he asked and when no one dared to speak he nodded once more. "Very well. You may all return to your homes now. This discussion is ended." Not one vampire spoke as they all stood and calmly but quickly filed out of the room. Niko had taken Racheal's hand and lead her hurriedly out as well, not daring to look back up at X or the others. Janik, Natali and Sven also left the room, returning to their portion of the castle. Hannes sighed then looked at Jean, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright, meine Geliebte?" he asked, worried that the tension may have frightened him. --- When the agent knocked again, Viktor opened the door and smiled at the tray. Particularly the glass of blood which he hadn't asked for but he'd appreciated that they'd considered his needs when sending it. "Thank you." he said with a nod and carefully took the tray from the agent, taking it into the room and setting it down on the nearby desk.

Denix Vames - June 22, 2021 "Son of a bitch! I hope it's not a tumor or anything else that's deadly seriously. That's the last thing that I need." ,said Will. --- "Me and my wife....We would measure our daughter's height to see how far she was growing. She was always excited to see herself go an inch up. The last time we checked, she was....4ft." ,said Leo. --- Ben slowly sat up. Leaning close to her. He kissed her slowly. --- Jean thought for a moment. He rubbed his eyes before unlocking the door and opening it. "Do you mean that?" --- "Sven is right. We and any other secret agency that's part of the government can arrest the Steinhells or any hunter. Depending on the circumstances, they can be executed or imprisoned. Generally, prisons for criminals who are wanted by the government will be far away from the public. Their cells have thick metal walls with barely any sunlight from the small window. We feed them but they are only allowed to leave the cell when they need to relieve or wash themselves. At all times, they are escorted by guards to ensure that they do not attempt anything. Should they try to harm or escape, they will be shot on the spot. As I have said before, the guards you will have will not hesitate to shoot someone who they see is attempting to harm you or your family." She winked at the others. "And you might get a perfect view of that execution. We also welcome you all to official executions when it is possible for you." --- "We should probably take this conversation in my office instead. I need to destroy that tape. Follow me." Bryce led him into the security office where he took the tape out. It burned in his hands until it was nothing more than a charred version of itself. He dumped it into the trash can then placed a new tape in the recorder. He sat on the chair. "Now, I use to sleep with a lot of men and women. I would hosts balls, go to plays, and sign autographs for adoring fans. Being rich was the highlight of my life. I even got to try new inventions first before anyone else." shadowess - June 23, 2021 River shook his head. "Try not to think like that. We don't know anything yet and the chances of it being a tumour are extremely low, especially for a Blood God." He then stood, staring at the ceiling while he listened to what was happening around them carefully. "Alright, I'm going to wake you up. I'll try and do it slowly this time, just in case. Ready?" He then went about trying to wake Will up gently. --- "That's big." Heather said, looking at the markings. She looked up at Leo and smiled at him innocently before turning around and running back over to her doll house to play. Oscar was leaning against the doorframe, looking in on them while still holding his cup. "Are you alright?" he asked Leo. --- Jessica sat on the side of his bed as Ben sat up. She kissed him back, savouring every one while lifting a hand to caress his cheek. --- Hannes looked at Jean when he opened the door. At his hair, the clothes he wore and the name tag. It all disturbed him. Was this what Hannes had driven him to?? Tear rolled down his cheeks as he nodded. "Look what I did to you..." he gasped. "Jean, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." he cried. "I should have been better... You don't deserve what I did to you...Such a sweet man...I don't deserve you." --- The Vampires seemed to like Selene's explanation, all of them being a bit more at ease with the idea that Steinheils would be either executed or rounded up to spend the rest of their days in a well guarded cell. Bianka approached Selene and held out a hand for her to shake. "Thank you. We greatly appreciate your help and understanding. Should you or any of your people need somewhere to stay, you are welcome within our castle." --- "Oh, yeah!" Viktor said as he remembered where they were and followed Bryce. He watched him destroy the tape then looked at him with fascination once more as he talked about his life as an Aristocrat. While in awe, he absent-mindedly sat in a nearby chair, never taking his eyes off him. "That sounds awesome!" He said with a smile. "What kinds of inventions? and were the parties as extravagant and beautiful as the movies and books make them out to be?" Denix Vames - June 23, 2021 Will took a deep breath. He nodded. His eyes soon slowly opened. --- Leo jumped at Oscar's voice. Not expecting him to be there. He took his hand off of the markings. "I'm sorry that you had to see me like that. Back in the kitchen? I feel like I worry you too much." --- Ben slipped a tongue into her mouth. Moaning at the now passionate kisses. --- Jean's tears fell. He threw himself into his arms. "I'm just glad that we both realized how fucked up things were. But it's alright now. I still love you. I realize that now. I know I do. It's not just some lie anymore." --- Selene shook her hand. "Thank you. The offer is much appreciated." She nodded at her agents. "Let's go now. I believe we've helped enough. Goodbye friends." The agents followed her out of the castle. Suddenly, vehicles parked at the castle. Out came the guards and the cases of blood bags they had brought. They stepped into the castle. Giving the vampires the cases. --- Bryce smiled. Feeling appreciated for once. "Well, I tried the first typewriter. And the parties I hosted involved some manners but when you have alcohol, you're going to do whatever you want. There were many fights and wild situations. But I enjoyed them very much. The decorations were unlike in the films but I did my best to make them look beautiful." shadowess - June 23, 2021 (Not sure where to go with Will. Not entirely sure where you're going with those seizures or if human doctors would even be able to figure it out. lol) --- Oscar shrugged, he was smiling at Leo with a softened expression. "Don't be sorry. I'm not worried." he stepped into the room and gave Heather a quick, kind smile before looking back at Leo and the markings. He wrapped a hand around Leo's waist while looking at them. "There's nothing wrong with remembering... They were your family. A huge part of your life. They're the reason we came here, right? So, you could remember them...and all those good times that you had with them." He looked at Leo, studying his expression carefully. "I know it's not easy either. That's fine too. You do what you need to do. Just know that you're not alone. I'm here for you. Ok?" he smiled then quickly kissed the end of Leo's nose. "I really wana say 'take your time' here, but your tea is going cold and Brian said Heather needs to go to bed soon..." he chuckled Then he chuckled even more when Heather looked up at him and complained "But I'm not tired yet!" "Hey, don't look at me! Your dad's rules. Not mine." Oscar shrugged at her. Heather stuck her tongue out at Oscar and he feigned shock before pulling a face and sticking his tongue out at her as well, making her laugh. --- Jessica moaned a little as well and rested a hand on his chest. She pulled away and looked at him longingly. She bit her lip while staring into his eyes. "I can't wait to get you home." she whispered with a smirk. --- Hannes wrapped his arms around Jean and cried into his shoulder, relieved to hear Jean tell him he loved him. He was just happy to be holding Jean in his arms again. He ran a hand through his hair, treasuring how soft it felt between his fingers. He kissed his neck then his cheek, not the least bit bothered about the tears he was kissing too. He left kiss after kiss on his cheek, his head, his neck and on his mouth before holding his face in his hands to look into his eyes. "I'll do better. I promise, I'll do better by you." He said, wiping away Jean's tears with his thumbs. "Meine Geliebte. My love. I swear to bring you nothing but love and protection. Always." "Barf..." Niko yawned and rolled his eyes. Racheal giggled and gave him a playful tap on the shoulder. Her smile quickly slipped and she looked away from him hurriedly when Niko then shot a glare at her. "Sorry." she whispered so quietly that it was barely audible. Just as quickly as Niko's glare had appeared, it disappeared as he looked around the room with a bored expression. Not even a moment later, the front door downstairs could be heard opening and closing before Parker called; "Jean?!" Within seconds, Parker was running up the stairs with his gun drawn but by his side, having no idea what to expect. --- Viktor smiled at everything Bryce told him. He tried to picture what it might've been like and what Bryce might've looked like back then. The smart, Victorian clothes he must've worn... Being home-schooled, Viktor's parents had made him read a lot of books as he grew. He remembered gaining a fascination for all things Victorian when he saw a depiction of the fancy balls and dresswear in one of the books that they'd made him study. "Wow...I wish I could've seen what it was like..." he said a little dreamily then blushed a little, realizing how he must seem in front of someone he'd only known a few minutes. "Um- I'm sorry." He said, getting to his feet. "I didn't mean to bombard you with questions like that...It's just-...I've never met anyone who lived through that time and-" he was about to admit his obsessions but stopped himself, not wanting to seem like some kind of creep. "I should probably let you get back to your work...I've wasted enough of your time already." Denix Vames - June 23, 2021 (oh sorry about that lol. Will's seizures comes from extreme stress) --- Leo smiled. "Alright. Let's go." He nodded at Heather. "Good night." He headed to the kitchen where he took his cup of tea. Drinking some. --- Ben smiled. "Honestly, I want to see what happens when I let you take charge." --- Jean smiled at the kisses. He glared at Niko when he heard his comments. "Let's leave before we make a scene." ,said X. He clapped his hands. All of four of them disappeared but soon appeared. They were now in the castle. --- Bryce placed a hand on his shoulder before he could leave. "You're not bothering me at all. Do you know how long it's been since I've told anyone my story? It feels great to hear someone ask these questions. Honestly, I love it. But if you have to go now then you can. Just remember what I told you. Imagine the place and meditate on it. Then you'll appear there." shadowess - June 23, 2021 Doctor Evans was looking over Will's charts when he noticed his eyes flickering open. "Ah, you're awake." he said, tucking the clipboard under his arm and walking over to the side of his bed. "How're you feeling? Any pain? Dizziness?" --- Oscar followed Leo out and waved at Heather. "Nighty-night kid!" "Good night!" Heather called after them. Once in the kitchen, Brian smiled at them and nodded a little. He drank the rest of his own drink before nodding towards a door, nearer the back of the house. "That's a spare room. Feel free to use it tonight. I'm going to get my daughter tucked in then I'll be heading to bed myself. I have to be up early tomorrow to get her to school before I go to work. Hope you don't mind but I'll need you guys awake and ready to leave at the same time." He pointed to another door. "That's the bathroom and help yourself to any food or drinks while you're here." he then headed towards Heather's room. "Good night, you two. We'll see you in the morning." --- "You won't be disappointed." Jessica purred, lightly tapping his nose with her own and hovering her lips over his. --- Niko smirked at Jean's glare, his eyes a little wide with excitement, seeing his glaring as some kind of challenge. The Vampires in the castle jumped when X and the others arrived in the castle. As soon as they realized Hannes and Niko were back, they began to crowd around them excitedly. Asking them where they'd gone, who these new people with them were and what had happened when they left to hunt the Steinheils. All of them were speaking only in German. Niko smirked at Racheal who was clinging to him while looking around nervously at all the new faces. "It's alright, liebchen. These are your new family. This is my home." Hannes held Jean to him and looked around at the other vampires while quickly wiping away his tears. He looked at Bianka who hurried over to him. "We're grateful for your safe return!" she said to him in German. "We have a lot to discuss. There are humans guarding us and providing us with blood!" "I know." Hannes said in English, making Bianka blink in surprise. "We learned about how much the world has changed while we were gone. We no longer need to fear the human world knowing about us. We no longer need to give humans the ultimatum of death or vampirism when they see us. We should talk about this in the hall with the other guardians. Have them and our people gather there. We'll begin the discussion in an hour." Bianka nodded before hurrying off to inform the others. Hannes then turned to Jean with a smile. "This is the castle I was telling you about. I am a guardian here. I look out for those living within the East section of the castle. That was Bianka...my only living blood relative now. She's a cousin on my mother's side. She was looking after my section while I was gone." "I live in the East section as well." Niko said then smiled at Racheal, taking her chin between his thumb and forefinger to make her look at him. "Or should I say, WE live in the East section. Come liebchen, I'll show you my 'house'. You'll love it." he began walking away from them, towards the East side of the castle, with an arm around Racheal's waist. "Do you need anything, Jean?" Hannes asked. "I know this might be a little overwhelming. We can get you some blood and I'll be happy to show you around after the discussion..." Hannes then turned to X. "Would you join us for the discussion in the Hall?" Meanwhile, back at the office, Parker had reached the top of the stairs to find no-one there. He checked all the rooms, moving from room to room quickly. "Jean?!" he called out. "Jean?! Are you here?!" his heart was pounding. He was getting no response from anywhere and he couldn't find him anywhere in the office. Starting to breath a little heavier, he ran back downstairs and out of the office to run around the building, looking for any signs that Jean might've somehow ended up in direct sunlight. He was relieved when he didn't find any ash but it still didn't explain where Jean had vanished to. He thought about what Jean had said then quickly took out his phone and selected re-dial on Jean's number. --- "Really?" Viktor blinked, blushing a little. He looked away from Bryce and thought for a moment, hesitating to leave. He'd spent the entire day in that room with nothing but his own thoughts for company. He was glad to have some time away and even happier to know he could talk to someone so interesting while he was out. Still, he was a little worried that they'd soon discover him gone and come looking for him. Maybe he should return for now, before they could miss him, so that he could come back another time? He looked back at Bryce. He didn't have any doubts that he found him to be utterly fascinating and would love another chance to spend time with him, talking about his life. He suddenly felt a little nervous but buried those nerves quickly so that he could ask; "C-could I see you again? Maybe get your number? M-maybe we could hang out when you're not working and you could tell me more about your life back then?" Denix Vames - June 23, 2021 Will slowly sat up. "No, I think I'm alright. Mind telling me why I've been getting seizures lately?" --- "See ya." Leo finished his cup and set it in the sink. He went into the spare bedroom. "My friends would come over sometimes before....They would stay here if they were visiting longer." --- Ben blushed. He brushed his lips against hers. "Something tells me I won't be." --- "Some blood would be nice." ,said Jean. He looked down at his pocket where his phone was ringing. He picked it up and answered. "Hello?" X nodded. "Of course. After all, it's technically part of my job so I might as well. But if we're going to have an honest and open discussion then I guess I might as well reveal myself." He snapped his fingers. The spell had wore off. Revealing his identity to be that of a Blood God. He was the only one out of two. The other being Will. --- "That would be just fine." Bryce wrote his number down and handed the note to him. "There you go. I look forward to seeing you again. We could plan a day together. Or a night. Whichever you prefer." shadowess - June 24, 2021 "Of course. We ran several tests and the good news is, it's not epilepsy or a tumour. You blood tests just came back and you seem to have a high level of cortisol. This indicates that you're under a large amount of stress. Believe it or not, stress can be a trigger for seizures. I'd strongly recommend that you take some time off of work to try to keep these cortisol levels down." "Don't do anything strenuous or anything that might be stressful for at least a couple of weeks. No teleporting for two weeks either. Using powers can also cause a lot of stress on the body. If you have another one and it lasts for longer than five minutes, you'll need to come back to the hospital. If it only lasts for under five minutes though, you'll be fine to stay at home with someone who can look out for you. Just make sure you're comfortable for the rest of the day." The doctor said after looking at his charts again. "If you need any pain medication, I can prescribe them to you now but otherwise, you're free to go home as soon as you feel ready. Oh, and a message was left for you from Mr Parker. He apologises for not staying and said he had to go back to the office to see to an emergency." --- Oscar finished his own drink and followed Leo after setting the cup down. He looked around the spare room curiously. He smiled at Leo, staying quiet while he listened so that Leo could reminisce without interruption. He walked over to the bed and sat down, watching Leo with a small smile. --- Their lips so close to each other that Jessica could feel Ben's breath on her skin, her cheeks turned pink. She could easily forget that they were sitting in a hospital room. It felt like there were only the two of them in the whole world right now. She caressed his cheek with one hand and ran her other hand over his chest, loving how close they were to each other. Closing her eyes, she gently pressed her lips against his once more. --- Hannes nodded and looked over at one of the nearby vampires who nodded back before running off. The vampire came back a few seconds later, holding a bottle of veal blood. They would be saving the blood bags from the CIA until their stock of animal blood ran dry. He poured the blood into two glasses and handed one each to Hannes and Jean. When Jean answered the phone, Parker sounded relieved; "Jean! Thank god. Where are you? Are you alright?" As soon as X revealed what he was, the vampires around him gasped and immediately fell to their knees, bowing to him. The vampire holding the bottle of veal blood dropped it in his shock. The glass smashed on the stone floor, creating a large puddle of blood under him. He also dropped to his knees, ignoring the blood now getting into his clothes and bowed so low that his nose almost touched the puddle under him. "Forgive my wastefulness, Vampirkönig!" he said fearfully. Hannes was taken aback but after his experience with Will, did not bow this time. "You're a Vampirkönig?" he gasped. He looked around briefly at the other vampires, then looked back at X and bowed his head. "Our people worship your kind as Gods. Our little civilisation was founded by a Vampire King centuries ago, when all that was here was forest. He gave us the laws to follow to keep us safe and that we lived by until now." --- Viktor took the note, excited by the idea that he could see Bryce again. "Thanks, I'd like that." he smiled and slipped the note into his pocket. He wasn't sure when he'd be able to meet Bryce again but now that he had his number he was sure they'd be able to figure something out. "I'll call you." he nodded then closed his eyes to help him focus. He thought about the bedroom at the Whitehouse where he'd spent most of the day and focussed on imagining himself being there. When he opened his eyes, he was looking at himself in the full length mirror again. It was that easy? He couldn't stop smiling. He took the bit of paper out of his pocket and looked at the number. Grinning, he slipped it back into his pocket and flopped down, onto the bed to stare dreamily at the ceiling. He then closed his eyes and tried to imagine being at one of the balls that Bryce had told him about. Imagining wearing a suit, drinking from fancy, crystal glasses and talking the night away with Bryce. Eventually, his imaginations became dreams as he fell asleep with a small smile still on his lips.

Denix Vames - June 21, 2021 Jean looked at the paper. He took it without saying a word. He soon called Parker. "Parker? Can you tell Will that I'm sorry?" His voice began to break as he sobbed. "I didn't know what I was doing! I didn't mean to hurt him! I'm sorry!" --- 'I'm still partially human in some way.' Will had sat on the couch. 'Which means I can still get sick. But I don't have Epilepsy so I don't know what this is all about. Why am I suddenly getting seizures?' --- "I'm Leo. I'm a CIA agent so your secret is definitely safe with me." Leo held a small smile. --- Ben laughed. "I'm sure you have." Once they were in the hospital, he frowned. Looking at his surroundings. "I really hate coming back here." --- X smiled as he held up a pile of Niko's clothes. "First, I'll let you and your girlfriend get dressed. It would be awkward to wear those prison uniforms when you're clearly not one." He handed him his clothes. He walked over to Rachel's cell. He knocked. "Everything's fine now. I've brought you your clothes. Just change into these and I'll unlock the cell. You four are going on a trip to your boyfriend's home. You're free now." --- The agents had left their vehicles and weapons. The female agent only brought her speaker. Leading all the agents into the castle. Once they were in a place that was dark enough for the vampires to come close to them, they began to greet them with gentle handshakes, hugs if they allowed it, and kind words. Introducing themselves as well. Doing their best to explain to them that the human world was completely different. That supernatural creatures were now protected as people as well. Shadowess - June 22, 2021 Parker was at the hospital when Jean called him. He'd been sitting in the waiting room while the nurses took Will to conduct various scans and tests. His lip had been stitched up and he'd been given local anaesthetic which had numbed part of his lip, giving him a slight lisp while he spoke. "It's ok, Jean." he said gently. "I'll let him know when he wakes up. But don't worry, we know you weren't yourself. Just try to relax for a while. We'll talk to you when we get back, ok?" --- "I wouldn't rule out Epilepsy. It's still possible to end up with that later in life." River said as he sat on the couch. "But I duno, man. This has got me stumped. Whatever it is, it only seems to be effecting you while I'm forced to just watch...What's changed recently that might've triggered them, do you suppose?" --- Brian raised his eyebrows for a moment. "CIA? You're a long way from home then." he commented. Heather ran past them to her bedroom where she began quietly playing with her dollhouse, leaving the door open. --- Jessica squeezed his hand as she followed them to Ben's new room. "I know...You'll be back out before you know it, and I'll be here every day to keep you company." she said gently. --- "Wonderful." Niko grinned as he took his clothes and began to get changed. Racheal shot up from the bed and ran over to the door as her clothes were passed through. "Really?! I can see him? You're letting us go home?" She sounded excited, her eyes a little wild. "Hurry up, meine liebchen! You don't want to make me wait, do you?" Niko called through the cells and Racheal hurriedly started to get changed. "N-no, Niko! I'm coming!" she called back quickly, the slightest hint of anxiety in her tone. Niko grinned and once he was dressed, he stepped out of his cell to join X and Hannes in the hallway. Not long after, Racheal knocked on her door. "I'm ready!" --- Stepping within the walls of the castle would be akin to stepping back in time. Tapestries and medieval style weaponry hung on the walls. Most, but not all of the vampires who greeted the agents wore dated clothing from a similar era. A few wore more Victorian style clothes while just one male wore a more modern outfit. At first, the vampires had been cautious. Being careful not to get too close but as they listened to what they had to say they became more and more comfortable with the human presence. A few curious children had run up to them to ask them questions, despite the words of caution from their parents. While turned vampires remained the same age that they turned, those who were naturally born aged at the same rate as humans up until they turn exactly twenty five years old. Scientists still have yet to figure out the cause of this phenomena. Additionally, until this age, naturally born vampires are a little more immune to sunlight (though they sunburn very easily. Even on cloudy days.) and don't require as much blood to survive, mostly relying on human food which makes it far easier for them to pass as human until they 'mature'. This is the main reason that even turned vampires can still stomach a little human food before it makes them sick. --- Viktor paced the bedroom he'd been left in. He'd been in there all day, wondering when Leo would come for him. He didn't dare step out in case he ran into his sister. That and also because he had absolutely no idea how to put his wings away. Occasionally he'd catch himself staring at them in the mirror across the room but then, who wouldn't stare at these beautiful bastards on his back?! He smirked and shook his head. He'd considered that anyone might think they were Angel wings from a distance but then you get a closer look and realize they're scales, not feathers. He sat on the bed, finding it a little overwhelming...thinking of everything that had happened to lead him to this moment. One minute, he's a trainee vampire hunter and the next he's...well...whatever he is now... He pulled up his legs to hug them, resting his feet on the edge of the bed. His wings automatically curved around him, as if to hug him. He smiled a little at the thought. Then closed his eyes. He wondered what became of his parents home...his parents. He could still see their bodies...when he'd left Helena in a safe place so he could go back to try and save them...blood covered the varnished wooden floors...covered the walls too. He shouted for them as he ran through then came to a dead stop in the foyer. He could still hear the ropes creaking...the blood dripping from their bodies. He looked up and saw them swinging from the second floor banister...upside-down...hanging from their feet. Their heads missing and a large hole in both their chests, where their hearts would have been. He hadn't lingered for long after that. Almost immediately, he'd turned tail and ran as fast as he could. He remembered throwing up in the woods before running again, back to his sister to get out of Germany. Viktor lifted his head from his knees and wiped away his tears. He then looked around him with confused horror. He wasn't in the bedroom in the Whitehouse anymore. He was home. Back in his parent's manor. It had been cleaned up and their bodies were gone. All that remained was damaged furniture and police tapes that read 'Do No Cross'. Viktor shot to his feet and began breathing heavily. He turned around and around with his hands on his head. How had he gotten here?? He'd only been thinking about it, he didn't actually want to be here!! He stopped and shut his eyes tightly, covering his face. He wanted to be anywhere else. Not here! Anywhere! He didn't know how to do it again, though! What if he can't do it again?! What if he's stuck here?! He'd rather be anywhere else right now! The Whitehouse, the CIA facility...Hell, he'd even rather be in that stupid grocery store he and Helena had visited that one time!- *Pop!* "Wha-?! No! How did I even do that?!" Viktor gasped as he stared at the canned produce on the shelves of the grocery store. He then realised that the lights overhead were off and there were no shoppers around him. The only source of light nearby was coming from the open door security office. Viktor held his breath and stared in the direction of the light nervously. That must mean the store is closed...They'd probably only just closed for the night...but this technically meant that Viktor was now breaking and entering...and he still had no idea how to teleport back out. He glanced up at the security cameras and became a little more nervous at the sight of the little red light on them, indicating that they were currently on and working. "Fuck!" he whispered. He tried very hard to teleport again. Trying to focus on one place but once again he struggled through his panic. He just couldn't think of any one place long enough to focus on it. Denix Vames - June 22, 2021 Jean nodded. "Ok but can't I see him now? I want to go outside. I don't want to be stuck having to go out at night." --- "I honestly don't know. I mean, what causes seizures anyway?" ,asked Will. --- Leo chuckled. "I guess I am." He looked at the bear. "I should return this to her. Excuse me." He walked over to her bedroom. He gently knocked on the door. "Hello. I was wondering if I could come in?" --- Ben smiled. "Thank you." They had Jessica leave for a moment so that Ben could change into a hospital gown. Once done, she was allowed back inside. "Now, I feel naked. This is awkward." --- X opened her cell door. "Does anyone know where Jean is? We'll need him for this trip." --- The female agent said, "My name is Selene. Is there a sort of boss around here? I just want to let him or her know about our guards so none of you get spooked. You see, we're planning on giving this property guards to keep intruders away so that everyone remains safe. Not to mention, we can provide blood bags. Humans these days willing give their blood in order to keep vampires hunger-less." --- Bryce appeared in front of him. "Oh my. I assume you barely got turned into whatever that is. But look, I'm a friend and I want to help. All you have to do is remain calm and think of where you want to go. Then you'll appear." He pointed at the camera. "And don't worry about that. I'll just destroy the evidence." He smiled. Shadowess - June 22, 2021 "Uh...hang on, let me check." Parker said and walked out of the waiting room to look outside. "I'd advise against it but I can't stop you right now so the best I can do is give you some advice; It's still a little light out but I think the sun is just under the horizon. I can't see it anyway. You might be safe but you might get a bit sweaty before the night cools off. If you feel too hot, get back inside immediately. Don't take unnecessary risks. Stick a finger or something out first to make sure it's safe." --- "What do I look like, a doctor?" River answered with a shrug. "I have as much knowledge about the world as Parker does...We're better off finding out from a professional but there's some stuff I read on the internet a while ago...Epilepsy, alcohol, high levels of stress and in some very rare cases...tumours. But, you know...internet...so take it with a grain of salt." --- Heather looked up at Leo and smiled, nodding. --- "I think I'd prefer it if you were naked." Jessica joked with a cheeky grin when she stepped back into the room. She had tactfully waited until they were alone, this time. --- Hannes thought for a moment and recalled the office that Will had taken them to. "I don't know." he said worriedly. "We had been taken to some kind of office before being brought here. We didn't see much of it, just one room." Racheal ran out of the cell and hugged Niko, who grinned at the attention. He stroked her hair soothingly and whispered private things into her ear, making her blush and giggle into his shoulder. --- The few vampires that had gathered looked between each other uncertainly for a moment. "We're more like a family here." said the vampire who was dressed in modern fashion. "No official leaders. We discuss things among the oldest vampires from each section of the castle; who are all here." He pointed to one of the males with short, black hair. "This is Sven, he watches over the north section." Next he points to a woman with long, orange hair. "Natali, she watches the west." then at a man who looked similar to the woman with the same shade of hair. "Janik, from the south and finally-" he now points to another female who had short, brown hair. "Bianka, who watches the east. She is currently filling in for Hannes who went out to hunt down the Steinheils after their last attack on our people." To say the castle was huge would be an understatement. Within it's walls, the sections of the castle had fitted every room to act as a 'home' to every vampire family living there. This meant that it's corridors acted as 'streets'. "We are relieved you will be providing safety from our hunters." Bianka said. "Though we've grown accustomed to drinking blood from animals that we hunt in the forest, we will gladly accept the human's donations. Our family is large and animals only go so far when it comes to feeding everyone here." --- Having not seen (or noticed) Bryce during his last trip to the grocery store, his sudden appearance in front of him had made him jump. So much so, that his wings shot back into him rapidly, almost knocking him forward in the process. "Huh!" he gasped. "That felt a lot weirder than I was expecting..." he commented then looked at Bryce, getting a good look at him for the first time. He suddenly felt a little nervous around him. His mouth felt a little dry. His heart was beating a little harder than normal but given what he just went through, that was understandable. Still, he was a little fascinated by this vampire that could apparently also teleport and was giving him tips on how to do it himself. "Um...Danke- I mean-...thanks." He said bashfully. "Wh-who are you?" Denix Vames - June 22, 2021 Jean sighed. "Fine." He moved his finger to under the curtains of the window near him. He cringed at the heat. Putting his finger back. "Looks like I'll have to wait a bit longer. This just isn't fair." --- "Damn it! Well, can you at least wake me up?" ,asked Will. --- Leo stepped inside. "Here." He placed the bear near her. "I figured I should return this." He walked to a corner of the room that had faded marks made by a knife. Almost as if someone was measuring a child's height. He brushed his fingers over them. "They're still here." --- Ben blushed. "Honestly, I didn't forget about that night." --- "Alrighty then. We're all heading there. Be ready everyone." X clapped his hands. They appeared near the door where Jean was talking over the phone. He could hear his phone. He knocked. "Jean? I'm X. I'm a CIA agent. Me, and the people you were with before are here to take you to the castle. Hannes feels bad. I promise." Jean jumped. He frowned. "I'll have to call you back. I have some business to take care of." He hung up. He glared at the door. "Go away! I don't want him anywhere near me!" X nodded at Hannes. "You might be able to convince him. Try your best to apologize." --- Selene nodded at them. "Well, I'm glad to meet all of you. The guards should arriving shortly with vehicles carrying blood bags to last you all years. Should you go empty on the supply, please let one of the guards know and they will contact us immediately." An agent whispered in her ear. Her eyes lit up. Surprised at the news. "Oh! I've just been informed about the Steinhells. "Two are dead. And it would seem that two have been imprisoned by the CIA. I'm not sure if there any more out there but we will still keep the guards here." --- "I'm Bryce Heathcliffe. I was once an aristocrat and now I'm a security guard which kind of sucks but honestly I don't miss the fame as much as I use to." shadowess - June 22, 2021 "I know, buddy. Just try to relax until we get back ok? We can talk about your options then-" Parker said then stopped to listen carefully as it sounded like more people turned up at the office. "Wha-? Wait, what business? Who's there? Jean?" he lowered his phone after Jean had hung up on him and he sighed. "Fuck..." he said under his breath. He hesitated for a moment before running out to the front desk to let a nurse know to tell Will that he'd had to go back to the office. He then left the hospital in a hurry. Having to get a taxi because he'd gotten a ride there from the ambulance. --- River looked around the room thoughtfully. "mmm...not right now. You hear that humming noise? They've got your head in a machine. My guess is to do some kind of scan. Best to wait until they take your head out of it." --- "Thank you." the girl said quietly then watched him walk over to the corner to look at the scratches in the wall. She picked up her bear and hugged it while walking over and looking at the marks. "What's that?" she asked curiously. --- Jessica grinned and bit her lower lip. Her cheeks turning pink as she recalled their night together. She walked over to his bed and took his hand in hers. "Me neither." she said softly. --- Hannes frowned at Jean's words. His heart ached at the thought of him being angry with him. He nodded at X then stepped close to the door, placing his hand on it before sighing heavily. "Jean..." he said shakily. He licked his lips and tried to keep his eyes from watering. "I was wrong...I-...I didn't mean to take advantage of you...or coerce you in any way...I told you why I did what I did...but it doesn't make it right and I know that now." He leant his head against the door and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry that I kidnapped you...I'm sorry that I changed you...I'm sorry if I made you feel that you didn't have any choice...that wasn't my intention...But Jean-..." Hannes bit his lip for a second before pressing on. "Those quiet moments we had when we were alone...I don't regret those. When I told you I would do everything I could to keep you safe and happy...I meant it...becau-because...Because I love you, meine Geliebte..." he stepped away from the door slowly, letting his hand fall away from it. "I won't force you to do anything that you don't want to do. Jean, I swear to respect you...whatever you want." --- "There are generations worth out there..." Natali replied, seemingly unimpressed that only two of the Steinheils had died. "Imprisoned?! They should be executed! Their family has been hunting our people for centuries! They've killed countless vampires!" Janik added, seeing the imprisonment as injustice. "Enough! These people have been kind enough to keep us fed and provide safety! Do not insult them by questioning their methods!" Bianka snapped at Natali and Janik. "Things are changing. Revenge might not be necessary anymore." Sven added. --- "Really?" Viktor asked, seeming to forget his current predicament for a moment due to his fascination. After all, it wasn't everyday you met someone who lived through that time period! "You were famous? What was that like? What was it like back then?" Viktor suddenly found himself brimming with questions.

Denix Vames - June 19, 2021 "I'm not too sure that I can talk to him. I'm willing to bet that the CIA are already questioning him. They'll probably get more out of him than I ever could." ,said Will. --- "Tea for me. Thank you." ,said Leo. He leaned his head against Oscar's. "My family were werewolves. I was the only human. I lost them to....ADIEU. That business is extinct now but the damage that they've caused has already been done." --- Ben frowned. "I'm sorry. I just felt fine so I figured why not leave already? I couldn't stand being cooped up in there. I wanted to work." He tried to sit up but found himself strapped to the gurney. "You have to understand, Jessica. I never meant to scare you like that." --- X's eyes widened. "Civilization?" He wrote something on his clipboard. "I'll have to notify the German government about that. Would you mind telling me the location to your group's home?" shadowess - June 19, 2021 "In all fairness though, it's not like you tried very hard." River commented. "Don't get angry with me for saying it but you did basically hand them straight over without much questioning. I mean, it was the right thing to do but you can't say you tried to question them when...really...you didn't. More like...barked demands and told Jean to stay away from Hannes like an over protective father lecturing his teenage daughter about her 'bad boy' boyfriend...Just saying..." Parker shrugged. "Then I don't know what else to suggest...Jean clearly isn't in the right state to try talking to him. Maybe we just need to give him some space for a bit..." --- His back turned to them while he made the drinks, the man froze up at the mention of ADIEU. For just a second, a pair of blue wings lit up behind him. Quickly recovering, he finished off the drinks and handed a cup each to Oscar and Leo. "I'm sorry to hear that..." he said as he picked up his own cup. "My wife died about a year ago... She managed to escape one of their facilities... She'd only been home for a couple of weeks before she died...I thought I'd never see her again after she'd vanished...she told me everything when she came back. She'd gone out to buy nappies...this was shortly after Heather was born...black van pulled up and dragged her inside...she was sedated then transferred into their facility...They'd sought her out because of what she was...there aren't many of us left...seeing just one of us in a single human lifetime is a miracle now...so as soon as they found out she was a fairy...she became a target. They experimented on her...I don't know what experiments exactly...she wouldn't say...she was so traumatised by it all and she felt guilty for missing so much of Heather's life...she'd have frequent night terrors and PTSD..." he swallowed and blinked a few times, looking out of the window, into the garden. "I guess she just couldn't take it anymore...Nothing I did ever seemed to help...She'd told me she was going out to get some shopping in...the police found her car in the local pond about an hour later...she was still inside..." He wiped away some tears then covered his mouth as he tried to compose himself. Sniffing, he stared into his tea as he lowered his hand. "She was pregnant..." he bit his lip. "It wasn't mine...it explained why she wouldn't let me hug her when she came back..." Oscar was glad he'd never been unlucky enough to suffer through what ADIEU could do. He was even more glad that they were no longer a threat. "I'm so sorry...that's awful." Oscar said, feeling both upset and angry. The man shook his head, wiping away more of his tears and looking back up at them. "But you said they're gone now? That's a relief." he looked at Leo. "I really am sorry for your loss. I know how evil that organisation was." The little girl had crept into the kitchen as they were talking. She saw the tears falling from Leo's eyes and she silently held her teddy up, offering it to him to comfort him. --- "Well, you did." Jessica responded simply, without looking at him. "Oh and-" she looked back at him, her eyes looking straight into his. "The paramedic didn't actually tell me anything...they couldn't, it would've been a breach of confidentiality. I'm not stupid. I'm pretty good at figuring things out. I got good at it when everyone close to me started leaving me out of things or lying to me. I get that you just wanted to come home and be able to work again but don't ever lie to me again...Not you, Ben. I get enough of that from everyone else..." --- Hannes hesitated. Fear flickered across his expression momentarily before he spoke. "Please...also let them know that the people they find are not dangerous or evil. They're just frightened. We have been terrorised by the Steinheils for centuries. So, they might react unpredictably when strangers turn up on their doorstep. Most vampires you'll find there just want to live in peace with their families." he took a deep, shaky breath to calm his nerves before he gave him the address to his home. "Harburg Castle...in Hamburg..." He then leant forward, looking at X imploringly. "There are children living there. Please, let them know." he said, worried that innocent lives might be put in danger because of him. He sat back and looked at his cuffs sadly. "I left my home to get revenge...The Steinheil family had been singling us out and picking us off when we went out to feed..." his eyes watered and he shook his head a little. "We hunted animals in the nearby forest...we didn't dare go near the human world...but they made us out to be murderers and killed us for crimes we did not commit!...My brother...and Niko's half brother...they slaughtered them...This was the last straw...So, myself and a few other vampires banded together to get rid of the Steinheil threat. We tracked them to their house...killed the parents but the brother and sister ran. Niko and I followed them here...to the US..." he shook his head again and tears dripped down his cheeks. "I don't care about revenge anymore." his voice broke. "I don't want to kill...I just want to know if Jean is alright...Did I really hurt him? I didn't want to hurt him! I really thought he loved me...Is it not real? Did I twist his mind somehow?! What have I done?..." he sobbed, clearly questioning himself and feeling a great deal of guilt. Denix Vames - June 19, 2021 Will turned away. Trying to conceal the tears going down his cheeks. He sighed as he pinched the brim of his nose. "I didn't even help at all. I just made things worse. I yelled at him. I was just so caught up in the moment. Hearing what those bastards did to him....It was hard to take it all in." --- Leo blew on his cup. He drank some. "Thank you." He set the cup on the counter when he saw her. He got to his knees and took the teddy bear. He looked at it for a moment before hugging it tight. Sobbing as he imagined the bear to be his daughter. --- Tears threatened to leave Ben's eyes but he held them back. "I'm sorry, Jessica. I should have never lied to you." He bit his lip. "And just to let you know, I'm making an educated guess that I might have a concussion." --- X nodded. "I understand everything sir. We will make sure the agents in Germany greet the vampires with a gentle approach and explain to them everything. We will advised to have bodyguards for the vampires in case there are any Steinhells left. Should any Steinhell come near your home, they will be shot on sight." He sighed. "Yes, you did tainted his mind but I can assure you that now that you know what you've done, things won't be as worse as you think they are. We will let you talk to Jean. In fact, we'll need you to convince your friend, Niko, that we mean no harm. Even Rachael can join. All four of you will be needed to let your family know that we only wish to help. Is that clear?" shadowess - June 20, 2021 Parker sighed and walked around Will before wrapping his arms around him, hugging him. "It's been a difficult day. Let's give Jean some space and try to rest for a bit. We'll come back later to check on him and contact Leo to see about letting him talk to Hannes..." he pulled back at pointed to his lip. "You don't suppose this'll need stitches, do you?" --- The man nodded then watched with a sad expression as Leo hugged his daughter's bear. Oscar's heart ached as he watched Leo sobbing and he knelt down as well to wrap his arms around him. Heather frowned, her own little eyes tearing up to see Leo so sad. Her eyes glowed and her purple wings light up behind her. She reached out and wiped away Leo's tears while saying "It's ok. Don't cry." A relatively weak aura emanated from her, providing a soothing effect to help Leo feel some form of comfort. The man sighed and shook his head. "Sorry, she's still learning how to control her power. Sometimes she does it without realising she's even doing it." he explained. --- Jessica's lower lip quivered for a second as she tried to hold back her own tears. She sighed and took his hand in both of hers, holding on to him. The paramedic, that had been sitting quietly next to her, nodded. "Yeah, you do. But don't worry, it's only minor. You'll just need some fluids and some rest for at least forty-eight hours. You know, if you hadn't have left the hospital too early you would've been getting out earlier than you will now." The paramedic gently scolded him. --- Hannes listened to X and was relieved when he said they'd be careful when approaching his family and that he could talk to Jean. Then he frowned when X told him he'd need to convince Niko to co-operate. He hesitated to answer. "I don't know about the girl but Niko might be difficult. He...hasn't exactly been himself since the death of his half brother... he's been...angrier...maybe even a little- how do you say?- deranged...unstable. Don't get me wrong, I was just as eager to get revenge on the Steinheils as he was but...he seemed to enjoy tormenting that girl far more than I expected..." Hannes looked at the table with a saddened expression. "He wasn't always like that. I hope he can be like the man he once was again..." he then nodded. "But I will try. If I can do something good, then I want to help." Denix Vames - June 20, 2021 Will studied his face. "Probably." He clutched his head. He took a couple of steps back. Getting away from Parker. "P-Parker....It's-" He suddenly collapsed and started seizing. "Will!" Jean ran to his side. He began to breath heavily as he didn't know what to do. "Will! What do we do?!" --- Leo sniffled. He began to calm down as he soon stopped crying. "Thank you." --- Ben sighed. "You're probably right about that." He gently squeezed her hand. "I love you. I should have never put you through this." --- "I see. Well, I'll have an agent contact the German government. You and I are going to be heading to Niko. I'll have you talk to him." An agent opened the door and placed Hannes clothes on the table. "I'll leave you to change. Just knock when you're done." X and the agent left the room. Shadowess - June 20, 2021 Parker's eyes widened as Will started having yet another seizure. He watched Jean run to him and he thought quickly. "Don't panic. Give him some space, make sure there's nothing around him he could hurt himself on." he said gently but urgently as he took his jacket off and rolled it up before placing it under Will's head. He gently turned Will's head to one side so he wouldn't choke of his spit or any vomit that might come up. He then looked at Jean "Call an ambulance. Don't worry. The staff at the hospital know about the supernatural. They're trained on how to treat us. Just don't open the door when they arrive. Leave that to me. Don't want you getting burned." He then watched Will carefully to make sure he would be alright. "Dude, you're actually starting to freak me out with this shit now. What's going on with you??" River said worriedly. --- Heather smiled at Leo then ran over to her father, hugging his legs. The man smiled down at her then looked at Leo and Oscar. "So, are you two on vacation? Because, if you need a place to stay, you can use the spare bedroom here if you want. Cheaper than a hotel and I honestly would mind the company." --- "I love you, too." Jessica said then she smiled at him cheekily despite the tears in her eyes. "And no, you shouldn't have you bloody idiot." she rubbed her thumbs across his hand. "Guess I'll just have to come up with a way to punish you for it when you eventually get home." she winked at him. --- Hannes nodded and watched the Agents leave the room. He quickly changed back into his normal clothes then took a deep breath. He wondered how Niko might react to him co-operating with the people that locked them up. Whether he might want to help them or if he would be difficult. His mind wandered to Jean and what he wanted to say to him when he saw him. He rubbed his face and shook his head to refocus himself before walking over to the door and knocking on it. Denix Vames - June 20, 2021 Jean nodded. He pulled out his phone and called for an ambulance. He zoomed upstairs into the bedroom so that he wouldn't get caught in the sun rays when paramedics were taking the now unconscious but not seizing Will to the hospital. 'I-I don't know what's happening!' --- "That would be wonderful." Leo stood. "I wonder if the marks are still here." --- Ben blushed. "Maybe don't mention this in front of the paramedic?" --- X opened the door. He guided him to Niko's cell. "You have a visitor." He stepped back. --- The germant agents drove several cars to the castle. One of them used a speaker to notify the vampire group. Speaking in german, she said, "Do not be afraid of our presence! We are the German government! We have come here to tell you all that supernatural creatures have the same rights and freedoms as humans do! You are all protected by the law! And we will give you all guards in order to keep you safe from the Steinhells should any arrive! These guards are ordered to shoot on sight if an intruder attempts to harm any one of you! Please friends! This is the 21st Century and supernatural creatures have been free for centuries now!" shadowess - June 21, 2021 As the paramedics strapped Will to the stretcher and wheeled him out to the ambulance, Parker ran upstairs to the room Jean had gone to. "Hey Jean, I'm going with Will to the hospital. I'll be back later to make sure you're ok. Help yourself to the blood bags in the fridge and if you need to contact me, here's my number." he called through the door before sliding a piece of paper, with his number on it, underneath it. River pulled Will's consciousness into a dream version of his house. "Try to calm down." he said while pacing a bit and thinking. He'd taken the shape of Parker, it being the only shape he was comfortable with for now. He clicked his fingers. "Back when Bryce had kidnapped Parker he took him to the club to negotiate with Amelia and Carter. Amelia had made an excuse for Sebastian not being there so he could flank Bryce later. She said he was sick and Bryce seemed to buy it. Maybe that's what's happening. Maybe it's possible for vampires and Blood Gods to get sick...but then, why don't I feel sick when it happens? I'm conscious through all of it..." Meanwhile, the paramedic in the ambulance had attached a blood bag to Will's arm to keep him 'hydrated' until they could run some tests at the hospital. They had also given Parker an icepack to hold against his lip until they could get him stitched up. --- "Marks?" The man questioned curiously. "Take a look." he then shrugged. "I've only been living here for a few months mind you so I've yet to notice anything like that." Oscar stood when Leo did. The man then chuckled to himself. "You know, it just occurred to me. I haven't even introduced myself. My name is Brian." --- Jessica giggled, her cheeks turning red. The paramedic rolled his eyes and looked away from them. "Don't worry. I've heard worse." --- Niko groaned, waking up and sitting up in the bed. He looked over to see Hannes enter his cell wearing his normal clothes. "How the hell did you convince them to let you out?" he asked Hannes in German. "By co-operating." Hannes answered in German as well. "They want you to help as well." Niko scoffed and hopped out of the bed, striding over to Hannes. "I see what you're doing." he said, nodding as if he'd just figured out Hannes's plan. "You've made a deal, haven't you? We do something for them, they let us go and we can finally get our reveng-" "-No." Hannes cut him off, staring at him stoically. "We can't keep chasing the Steinheils, Niko. All of that it over." "Are you joking?" Niko stared at him angrily. "We came all the way out here...They murdered Jonas...Hannes, they killed Richard!" "And we got them." Hannes said simply and Niko was taken aback. "Niko, the parents did the hunting. You saw how the brother and sister were when they fled the house...did they look like killers to you? We got our revenge. It's time to let it go." For a moment, Niko looked absolutely furious but he bit his tongue and turned his back on Hannes. He walked away from him a bit as he thought things through. Hannes watched him with a frown before walking over to him and resting a hand on his shoulder. "Niko, this is for the best. Our people will be safe-" "How?! We've always been hunted and we'll always be hunted!" "Not anymore." Niko turned his head a little to look back at Hannes. "What do you mean?" "The human world has changed far more than we thought. There are laws now...protecting our kind and any other supernatural being. The German authorities will be informed of our castle. They'll be told to approach carefully and to let our civilisation know about these new laws. Niko, they've said they'll protect our people from the Steinheils. Hunters are going to be a thing of the past." Hannes explained. Niko stared at him quietly, processing the information. "So, what do they want from us?" "To help our people understand that the humans want to help." Niko seemed suspicious. "And that's all?" he asked. He thought for a moment before turning around and staring at the Agent at the door, wondering if they understood what they'd been talking about. "I want my liebchen. I refuse to do anything for these people without her on my arm." Hannes smiled at Niko. "You've fallen too, haven't you brother?" Niko ignored him and walked past him, stopping a few steps away from X. "I want to see Racheal." he said in English. --- The windows in the castle had been bricked up for years to prevent sunlight from getting in. In Germany, the sun was only just setting. So, the vampires living within it's walls were not exactly rushing to answer the voice that boomed through the speaker. Still, the Vampires who had been left in charge felt they needed to respond in some way to let them know they'd been heard. After some debating, a little arguing and a few stifled yawns, the large main doors to the castle were opened by a crack. No one inside stepped out though as it was still too bright. The Vampires inside stood well back from the doors so as not to be struck by the light. This was a silent invitation for the humans to step inside to talk.

Denix Vames - June 19, 2021 Tears burst from Jean. "Help me?! This bastard has Hannes locked up somewhere! He won't even let me see him! And now he's brought a lapdog to make things worse! Well, I don't need to take this shit from any of you! I'm leaving!" "It's not dark yet." "Well, I'll leave when it is!" "No Jean! You're going to stay here and let us talk to you! "Like hell I am!" Jean slammed Will against the wall. Surprising the Chief. "You're going to teleport me to Hannes and we're both going to go back home! Now!" --- Leo grit his teeth. "Millionaires? Those bastards don't deserve to live here. We were peasants when we lived here! So many of us! Struggling to survive!" --- "Oh alright. Then we can relax at home. Do whatever you want to do." Ben flinched a little at her touching his shoulder but tried not to show it. --- "How long are you planning on being outside?" ,asked The Agent. Shadowess - June 19, 2021 Seeing the way Jean reacted alarmed Parker. He rushed over to their side and placed a hand on Jean's arm. "Jean, you need to calm down! We can talk about this!" --- Oscar frowned. "Read on, Leo. This place became popular because of artists and academics. Likely people who were struggling to live but made their passions into their livelihoods. Because of that, richer people were drawn in and that likely caused the economy here to boom. Factor that in with this place becoming a tourist hotspot... Now even people who aren't rich, who live here, are living decent enough lives. I think some millionaires just decided to stay for the culture. They love this place so much that most buildings here have been preserved over time. Some places still had gas lighting up until recently." --- Feeling him flinch, Jessica was still worried. But if he was discharged then maybe he just needed some time to heal up? "I think relaxing would be good. Maybe we could watch a movie or something?" she suggested. "Right after we get you some Aspirin. I can tell that you're still hurting. You don't have to be so brave." she said gently. "I don't mind helping you to get better." --- Layla shrugged. "Until I don't feel so wound up, I guess." she sighed. "If I heard another Agent try to hit on me to relieve their urges, I swear I would've punched someone!" she shook her head and looked off into the forest. "Even when I was human, I didn't date colleagues. That's not guna change now that I'm a wolf. To hell with these stupid urges..." Denix Vames - June 19, 2021 "Get away from me!" Jean backhanded Parker. Making him stumble back. He grabbed his shoulders. Ready to knock his head against his. Will appeared between them. Taking the hit himself. "Stop this! Please Jean! Listen to us!" Jean shoved him. He raised his fists. "Just fight me already! I know you want to!" "No, I don't! I won't hurt you!" He smirked. "You're an idiot." He punched him. Will never responded. Jean tackled him to the floor. Punching him again and again but Will didn't dare strike. Forcing River to not respond. --- Leo skimmed over the pamphlet. "You're right. That's....amazing." He looked at the streets. "But everything looks so different. How will I recognize my own house?" --- Ben smiled. "Thanks, Jessie." He kissed her. --- The Agent chuckled. "Fair enough. I don't think I'm much of a romantic anyway. Lost my sexual interest after starting work here." shadowess - June 19, 2021 The strike had made Parker dizzy. He'd almost forgotten how strong vampires could be in comparison to humans. He felt a throbbing pain on his lower lip and knew it had been busted open. The scent of his half-devil blood quickly filling the room from this one tiny cut, although Parker would be oblivious to it. He'd been so dazed by the hit that he couldn't react or defend himself when Jean grabbed his shoulders. Then Will appeared and Jean hurt him instead. "Will!" Parker shouted, watching Jean hitting him and feeling helpless. River was on alert but every attempt he made to help Will defend himself was blocked out. "What the hell?! Dude! We have to do something! We don't have to kill him but at least knock him back or something!" Parker took out his gun and aimed it at Jean. "Enough! Stop it! Let him go!" he barked at Jean angrily. "Now!" --- Oscar shrugged. "Like it says, most buildings were preserved. Maybe they preserved your house too?" He took Leo's hand, kissing the back of it and smiled at him. "C'mon. Let's take a wander and see if we can't spot it." --- Jessica smiled as she kissed him back. It didn't take much longer for the taxi to pull up outside Ben's apartment. Jessica paid the fare then got out and opened the door for Ben. "So, what movie do you wana watch?" she asked as they headed up to his door. --- Layla smiled. "Well, at least I know one person who won't hit on me." she chuckled. "Still, it's a little worrying. I know I can trust the people we work with but this is all so new...and it's weird how overwhelming it can feel sometimes. To top that off, apparently our pheromones get stronger the closer we get to the full moon. So, if you're a wolf, your pheromones can make people who already find you attractive want to be with you even more. Even if they're not a wolf themselves...crazy, right? Supposed to be a survival thing from back when Werewolves were still a new species and they needed a way to repopulate quickly to make up for humans and vampires hunting them...I found it was interesting, to learn that wolf venom wasn't even a thing until their numbers got so low that they needed to evolve in some way to survive as a specie." she said while staring into the woods. She really had found wolf history to be fascinating. They'd gone through so many hardships as a race when it simply came to surviving that what they had accomplished was amazing. Denix Vames - June 19, 2021 Jean stopped and looked at him. "No!" Will got up. Standing in front of Parker with his back to Jean as his arms stretched out. "Don't hurt him! Please! This is my fault! I should have kept him from this!" Jean stood. "I don't need your pity! Just take me to Hannes!" "I can't do that. The CIA has him. That's out of my jurisdiction." "Then talk to someone who can!" --- Leo nodded. He held a small smile. "Ok." They walked around the streets until they came across small brown house that was similar to a cottage. He ran over to it. "This is it! This is my house!" --- "I think Mission Impossible. It's an action packed classic." ,said Ben. He limped his way to the living room before slowly sitting on the couch. He caught his breath. --- "I see you've done your homework. But I can assure you that we'll do everything we can to keep you all safe from each other's sexual advances. Protection is one of the solutions should our attempts be failures." ,said The Agent. Shadowess - June 19, 2021 Parker lowered his gun, looking at Will worriedly. "This isn't your fault." he said quietly then looked at Jean with hardened eyes. "You need to calm the fuck down." he said angrily. "We can't promise anything but I'm sure we can ask our friend Leo if you can visit him at some point. But first you need to stop for one damn second and realize that we're trying to help you. That we're just worried for you. Personally, I think this Hannes guy being as far from you as possible is for the best. You do not want to end up in the kinds of situations that I was put in. Believe me. But if you really have to see him, then at least take this small piece of advice; be cautious." --- Oscar looked at the house and tilted his head at it. "Cute little place." he commented then paused when the door opened. A little girl with dark hair, holding a worn out football, ran out then stopped when she saw Leo and Oscar looking at the house. She seemed hesitant and almost nervous. Her grey eyes seemed to glow as she quickly turned around and ran back inside. Just as she crossed the threshold, the faintest light flickered behind her in the shape of a pair of purple fairy wings. Then the door closed behind her and she was gone. "Huh..." Oscar walked over to stand by Leo, staring at the door. "Apart from Amelia, I've never seen another fairy...thought they'd all but gone extinct." --- "Sounds good to me." Jessica smiled as she headed to the medicine cabinet. She pulled out the Aspirin and passed them to Ben on her way into the kitchen. There she poured him a glass of water and brought it to him as well. She then sat on the couch with him and picked up the TV remote, setting the movie up for them to watch. "Let me know if you want anything else. I don't mind getting up to get it. You just focus on relaxing." she smiled at him as she sat back and relaxed. --- "I uh...I always found Werewolves to be fascinating growing up...My favourite movie was 'An American Werewolf in London'." Layla chuckled. "Not exactly accurate information but back then I didn't know that they were real. Fast forward to me getting a job with the CIA and I took every opportunity to study up on them in my spare time...So, I guess I'm not too pissed at becoming one." She then listened to the Agent saying they'd try their best to protect them from each other. "It's appreciated." Layla said with a smile and she sighed heavily, turning to look back in the direction they'd come from. "I guess we should head back before they miss us too much." she looked at the Agent and smiled at them. "Thanks for not dragging me back." she chuckled as she began walking back. "It was kinda nice to get out for a while and get some stuff off my chest. Say...I don't think we've ever actually spoken before, have we? I'm Layla." She introduced herself. "But you probably already knew that." she chuckled. Denix Vames - June 19, 2021 Jean glared at Parker before turning away. He was still pissed but didn't say anything. "I won't quit on you. No matter what, I won't let you down." ,said Will. Jean stayed silent. Will took the gun from Parker. "Parker, I'm glad you were ready to protect me but this is a different case. Please don't hurt him no matter what he does." --- "We should go tell her why we're here. I don't want her to think that we're trying to break in." Leo walked over to the door which he knocked. --- Ben took his pill and drank some water. "Thanks. I really appreciate it." With the movie playing, he could finally focus on something else besides the pain. Yet, at some point, he had to use the bathroom. "Pause the movie for a second. I've got to hit the bathroom." He forced himself to stand. Flinching at the movement. He limped his way over to the bathroom. --- "I know all the names of the agents I work but I don't mind an introduction. My name is....X. You can just call me X. I can't say my real name. Sorry." ,said X. shadowess - June 19, 2021 Parker was a little annoyed at Will taking his gun but he didn't say anything. He would talk to Will about it later but now wasn't the time. Instead, he huffed and walked away towards the bathroom to take care of his bleeding lip. Letting Will talk to Jean. --- Oscar followed Leo quietly, interested in seeing the fairy again. A man answered the door. Like the girl, had brown hair and blue eyes. He looked at Leo and Oscar curiously. "Uh, hello?" he said. Behind him, the little girl was peeking at them from her bedroom door. --- "Sure." Jessica picked up the remote and paused the movie. She watched him limp into the bathroom with a frown and sat patiently on the couch for him to come back, all while listening carefully to make sure he was alright. --- Raising a brow, Layla nodded. She knew the CIA had their secrets so she didn't press the matter. "Well, it's nice to meet you X." she said. It didn't take them too much longer to get back to the facility. Layla headed inside then turned to X and held out a hand to shake. "Thanks again. It was nice having someone to talk to. I should get back to my room now." she would then head back to the room where the other new wolves were staying. Meanwhile, Racheal had become quiet in her cell. She now sat on her bed and had had enough time to rationalise what had happened to her...by making up scenarios in her mind that never happened and convincing herself that they're real to make herself feel better. Hannes was sitting on his bed, lost in thought and Niko had stopped pacing in his cell. He was now taking a nap on his bed. Denix Vames - June 19, 2021 Will set the gun on the coffee table. He walked over to Jean. "Jean-" "Just leave me alone! You've already done enough damage!" Jean sat against the wall. Keeping his head down as he silently cried. Will sighed. He walked away. Heading to Parker. "Are you alright?" --- "Hello sir. I know this is an odd request but may we go inside? I use to live here with my late family and I wanted to see how things have changed since then." ,said Leo. --- After he relieved himself, Ben washed his hands. He turned the faucet off. He clutched his head as a migraine showed up out of nowhere. He grit his teeth. The world seemed to be turning black for a moment. He struggled to stay awake until he suddenly collapsed. --- X shook her hand. "Likewise. Hopefully, we can have another walk again." He headed to Hannes's cell. "Are you ready to talk now?" shadowess - June 19, 2021 "Fine." Parker answered shortly without looking at him. He flinched a little as he dabbed the cut on his lip with a damp towel while looking at himself in the mirror. "Yeesh. Maybe shouldn't have taken his gun off him..." River pointed out. "Just a guess at how he might be feeling...you're not his boss anymore and he's supposed to be in charge of whatever happens in Carter's office. I know you didn't mean to but you kinda undermined him when you did that...especially in front of someone that attacked you both." --- The man seemed hesitant at Leo's request. "It'd only be for a minute." Oscar said, trying to reassure him. The man looked behind him briefly before turning back to them and nodding, stepping to one side to let them in. He watched them carefully as they stepped inside, not taking his eyes off them. The little girl had gone into her room to hide. --- As soon as she heard the heavy thud of Ben hitting the floor, Jessica shot up and ran over to the bathroom. She tried to open the door, but of course, it was locked. She took a step back, looking at the door, determined. She kicked at it and bounced off. Stumbling back, she regathered herself quickly and kicked it again. The second time she kicked it, the lock gave and the door swung open. She ran in and knelt next to Ben, checking his pulse and his breathing. "Oh, you bloody idiot." she breathed, a look of worry on her face as she took out her phone and called an ambulance. When it arrived, she climbed into the back with him and watched him carefully as they were taken back to the hospital. --- Hannes looked up when X entered his cell then immediately looked to the ground before nodding. "Yes..." he said quietly. Denix Vames - June 19, 2021 Will frowned. He walked over. Placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry that I took your gun. I still see Jean as one of my own men. I didn't want him to get hurt even if it meant me being the one who gets hurt. I understand that you're in charge of this agency right now. I shouldn't have forgotten about that. I'm sorry." --- As Leo stepped into the house, tears streamed down his cheeks. He looked around. "It's....unrecognizable. So many things have changed." He covered his face. "I don't know what to think of this place anymore." --- Ben slowly opened his eyes. He groaned at the pain in his head. "J-Jessica? What's going on?" --- "Good." Two agents escorted Hannes to the interview room which they locked once X was inside with him. X sat on the other side of the table where Hannes was handcuffed to on the piece of metal for cuffs. "Tell me why you don't know about Europe's laws protecting supernatural creatures." shadowess - June 19, 2021 Parker looked down into the sink as Will spoke. He held the wet towel against his lip, trying to reduce the swelling. "It's fine." he sighed. He turned his head a little in Will's direction but didn't look up at him, still feeling a bit sore. "Maybe arranging a visit with Hannes might be a good idea...but I'm still not comfortable with it. If Hannes abused him then he's just going to keep poisoning his mind if they stay in contact..." he lifted his eyes to look at Will seriously. "I'd recommend talking to Hannes yourself first. Get him to tell you what his intentions were and whether he can become a good person. We'll have to be very careful with how we go about this. One wrong move could really mess Jean up...even more than he already is..." --- Oscar wrapped an arm around Leo's shoulders and gave him a comforting squeeze. He then looked at the man after glancing at the closed door behind them. "Uh, now that we can talk in private. Is that your daughter over there? We saw wings on her earlier." "Wings?" The man seemed nervous. "Uh-...she was probably wearing a pair of wings from an old Halloween costume. You know how kids are." he chuckled, though his eyes darted between his daughter's bedroom then back again. Oscar smiled at him kindly. "It's ok. We're not human either and one of our friends is a fairy...In fact, we thought your kind had pretty much gone extinct. Are there more of you out there?" The man relaxed a bit then looked saddened. "Not anymore..." he turned and walked into the kitchen, leaving the door open. He filled the kettle up with water and turned it on. While waiting for it to boil, he took out a couple of cups. "Would you like a brew?" he asked. "A what?" Oscar asked, unfamiliar with what the man was asking. The man chuckled and glanced back, looking at Leo while nodding at Oscar. "Definitely not English, is he?" he then looked at Oscar. "A brew. Tea, coffee or hot chocolate...hot drinks in general. Brew." "Ohh..." Oscar chuckled. "A coffee would be nice, thanks." The man nodded then looked at Leo. "You?" --- Jessica gave Ben a bemused look and shook her head at him. "We're in an ambulance. You passed out in the bathroom. This paramedic here was nice enough to let me know you'd walked out of the hospital without being discharged." She looked away from him in annoyance. "You frightened me, Ben. You lied to me and you frightened me." --- Hannes blinked at X. This was news to him. He had to think why such information hadn't reach him or his group of people yet. "I think because I am from an isolated civilization. We have lived in the same part of Germany for centuries, under the belief that we would be hunted if we didn't remain hidden. We have lived by the same laws and followed the same routine. It was only when myself and Niko came to the US that we learned that Blood Bags could be bought but even that seems to be in secret. We only learned that because a vampire we stopped to ask directions told us about it."

Shadowess - June 17, 2021 Hannes listened to the agent but didn't respond. He continued to weep, questioning whether or not he'd really hurt Jean...if he really loved him or had used him. He was consumed by self doubt and guilt. Niko had been locked in his cell and he paced around, glaring at the door. "Keep me in here like a damn animal?" he muttered angrily in German. "I will not stay here. I will not!" Racheal was still hysterical. --- Parker listened to Will as far as him saying some vampire had forced Jean to turn before raping him, resulting in Stockholm syndrome. He then tuned out, his face turning a little pale as Will's voice became white noise. He couldn't see the room anymore. Just a certain bedroom. And a certain face. River was also beginning to feel the effects of the venom that Will was drinking. "Dude slow down...I just know this will end badly if we both get drunk...I'm telling you now, I will not be held responsible for the fucked up ideas I put in your head if you get me wasted...speaking of wasted...Earth to Parker? Come in Parker?" --- Oscar blinked, dumfounded. "I-...I wasn't following you." Oscar said, taking a step towards him. "Ok, technically I followed you but not for the reason you think! I was going to surprise you while I didn't have any work to do myself...and if you were free I was going to suggest we go out or something...because we rarely get a chance to do anything together...but when I turned up all hell was already breaking loose and I saw those arrows heading towards you. What was I supposed to do?? Let you get hit?!" Oscar was hurt by the accusation but mostly he was worried that Leo had gotten the wrong idea and lost his trust in him. "I do trust you..." he said, crestfallen. "Leo, I do...I'm sorry. I was just trying to do something nice...spontaneous, you know?" Denix Vames - June 17, 2021 The Agent left. Leaving the suspects to their own thoughts. --- Will set the glass down. He placed the blood bag aside. "Parker?" He cupped his cheek. Looking into his eyes. "What's wrong?" --- Leo turned away. He awkwardly rubbed his own arm. "I'm sorry. I didn't know. I didn't mean to call you the bad guy in that situation. I just..." He sighed. "ADIEU really did a number on me. The effects are still there. I'm still not use to having a partner again. Having my freedom again. I love you, Oscar. Please don't think I'm trying to offend you." He looked at the crows that were flying by. "We have time now if you want to go somewhere." shadowess - June 17, 2021 Parker didn't react to Will calling him. But when he felt his hand on his cheek he flinched and mumbled "Don't-!" before seeming to catch his breath. Apparently he'd been holding it since he froze up. He looked around confused for a moment before finding Will's eyes and blinking at him. "Will?" he looked around again, as if making sure this was real. He was trembling. He lifted a hand to hold Will's to his cheek with a tight grip, his lower lip quivered. "I just-...I don't know..." he couldn't look at him as his eyes watered. He pushing himself into Will's arms, clinging to him while burying his face into his chest. --- Oscar listened to Leo and sighed. He looked up as well for a moment before stepping forward and taking Leo's hand in his. He rubbed his thumb over the back of his hand and looked at Leo. "I love you, too." he said softly. He thought for a moment. "I duno...is there anywhere you've always wanted to go?" he asked. Denix Vames - June 18, 2021 Will frowned. He gently rubbed his back as he ran a hand through his hair. "It's alright, Parker. Whatever situation you were in before, you're not there anymore. You're safe with me. I'll never let anyone hurt you." He kissed his head. --- Leo bit his lip. "Home. I use to live in London. I never had the accent but I lived in a village there with my family." shadowess - June 18, 2021 Parker clung to Will's shirt as he spoke and a couple of tears fell from his eyes. "I'm sorry...I thought I was over it...I guess I'm not as strong as I thought..." he said in a broken voice. --- Oscar nodded. "Then let's go to London." he said and a second later, they were standing in Trafalgar Square. It was bustling with tourists. Denix Vames - June 18, 2021 "Shhh. It's ok. Sometimes I think about River. We can't get over the past so quickly but we can try to move on. And I'm right here for you." Will brushed some of his tears. He kissed his nose. "No matter what, I will always love you." --- Leo began to tear up as he saw the city for what it was. He rubbed his eyes. "This place. It looks so much different than what it was back then. Something tells me I won't find my old home." --- Ben forced himself out of bed. He ripped the IV out of his arm. He threw on his uniform. With a limp, he made his way down the hall. Heading to the entrance of the hospital. Shadowess - June 18, 2021 Smiling a little at the kiss on his nose, Parker nodded tearfully while taking some deep, steady breaths. "I love you." he breathed shakily and looked at Will. "S-sorry...you were um...you were talking about Jean. Is he ok? Do you think he'll be alright in Carter's office on his own?" He thought about what he'd gone through with a frown and knew that if it had been Parker, he wouldn't want to be alone. But then again, he didn't know a thing about Jean other than he's a rookie cop so had no idea how he'd be handling it. --- Looking around at the enormous fountain, Oscar was thoughtful. He looked back at Leo with a sympathetic smile. "Who knows? Most structures in England have been around for centuries...just upgraded here and there to suit modern health and safety requirements. What part of London did you used to live in?" --- After having to go home when visiting time had ended during the night, Jessica had gotten up early, ready to go back to the hospital as early as she could so that she could see Ben. She had just reached the doors in the front entrance of the hospital when she looked up and saw Ben headed her way. "Ben?" she said, walking up to him while looking around curiously. "Have they discharged you so soon?" --- In the run up to their first full moon, the agents at the facility were going through a few, more subtle changes. They had all been given 'the talk' by the werewolf agent and learned that the next couple of days would make them all feel a little, well...frisky. He'd been sure to emphasise the need for caution for those who intend to act on their urges as it is technically the Werewolf equivalent of 'Mating Season', which meant that both males and females would become far more fertile than normal. Condoms had been handed out to all of them and the women had been offered additional birth control, such as pills, just to give them a little extra protection. Layla had pocketed the condoms she'd been given but turned down the birth control. She didn't need it. She'd been smart enough to have a coil inserted a long time ago. She was, however, growing tired of the males in the group hitting on her when their urges started to kick in. They were nice enough guys but she had a strict personal rule of never dating the people she worked with. She couldn't deny that she, herself, was beginning to feel the new effects but she was stubborn. Needing some air and to get away from the other agents for a while, she'd managed to slip out. She just needed a walk, she told herself. Just to wander somewhere and get some fresh air to clear her head for a while. She intended to go back when she felt a little better but for now, she started walking through the woods, listening to her surroundings and taking in the new scents. Simply letting her mind wander for a while. Denix Vames - June 18, 2021 Will sighed. "I don't know. I really don't. I barely know the guy. Maybe we should both check on him? Only if you're feeling ok." --- "It was a village but now I'm not sure where." ,said Leo. --- Ben's face went red. He nervously chuckled. "Uh Yeah they did. I'm all better now. See?" He kissed her cheek. "Now c'mon. Let's go home." He limped his way out of the hospital. He clutched his chest for a moment before taking a deep breath. Forcing himself to deal with the pain. "So, did you come here by taxi?" --- The Agent walked a bit from behind her. "You know, you shouldn't be out and about like this. At least not yet." shadowess - June 18, 2021 Parker nodded, although he was still shaking a little. "Maybe if he knew that I went through the same thing...maybe he'll be more comfortable with talking it out and dealing with what happened?" he suggested. "Huh..." River hummed. "Why didn't I think of that?" --- Oscar walked over to a nearby bench that had just become available. He patted the spot next to him with a smile. "Do you remember what the village was called? If it was in London it might've been upgraded to a borough over time but the name should still be the same." he suggested. "Or, if you can't remember, we could just see the sights? Take in some of modern London's highlights." --- Jessica watched him nervously, unsure of whether he was telling the truth. But why else would he have been able to change into his uniform and walk out so easily? Surely, if he wasn't supposed to leave yet, someone would've noticed? "Uh, yeah. I guess I should call them back, huh?" she chuckled. "I wasn't expecting you to be able to leave so soon or I'd have asked them to hang around." she took out her phone and dialled the number for the taxi, asking them to come back to the hospital. While they waited in the parking lot, Jessica looked at him carefully. "So, did they give you any pain medication to take or anything?" --- Layla jumped at the voice and turned around to look at the Agent following her. She shrugged and kept on walking, enjoying the sound of the leaves crunching under her feet. "I'm not hurting anyone and we've got at least a couple of days before the full moon." she smirked, glancing back. "Don't worry. I don't plan on running off or anything. I just needed some space to breathe...sort of felt like I was suffocating in there." Denix Vames - June 18, 2021 Will nodded. "Sure. I think that would make sense for him." He helped him stand. "We should compose ourselves first. Maybe take some deep breaths?" --- Leo sat next to him. He thought for a moment. "It was Hampstead. Hampstead was my village." --- Ben leaned against one of the support beams that were outside the hospital. He held up a fake smile. "Oh yeah. They just told me to buy some Aspirin. After a couple of days, I should be fine." --- The Agent followed her. Walking by her side. "I know what you mean. It's not exactly fun being cooped up in that building all day. Especially when I have to interrogate annoying suspects." shadowess - June 18, 2021 Parker smiled bashfully. "I'm fine. Really." he said, trying to sound more confident. "I'm ready to help." --- "You mean, as in Hampstead Heath?" Oscar asked. "I've never been there personally but I'm pretty sure I've seen it on a map before... Maybe we could catch a train there? Take a trip in the ol' London Underground." he winked. --- Jessica looked at him worriedly. "Ben, are you sure you're ok?" she asked as the taxi pulled up but she was hesitant about leaving just yet. "You seem like you're in more pain than what Aspirin can take care of...Maybe we should get a nurse to take another look at you..." --- Layla glanced at the Agent as they walked next to her. She was a little annoyed but she didn't say anything yet. She had wanted to come for a walk on her own, not have someone tag along to babysit her. "They been giving you grief? Or aren't you allowed to say?" she asked. They were quite far into the woods now. Not that Layla was worried. She trusted her colleagues and had a pretty good head for direction. She was confident that she'd be able to find her way back easily. Denix Vames - June 18, 2021 Will held his hands. He smiled. "Then let's go." They appeared near the bedroom door which was surprisingly opened. He walked over to find it empty. "Jean?" He hurried downstairs as he smelled blood. "Jean!" His eyes widened at the sight of him in a different set of clothes. Drinking out of a blood bag. Jean turned around. He wore a grey buttoned shirt, jeans, a pink tie, black gloves, and a brown jacket with his name, 'Jean Strassman knitted in yellow on the left side of his jacket. His hair had been cut a bit but was still somewhat long. Being on each side of his face. He wore no hat. He finished the blood bag. He glared. "What the fuck do you want? And what's this? A meal? I'm already full." --- Leo's eyes widened. "Really?" He held his hand. "Let's go then!" He seemed eager with a smile. --- "N-No, I'll be fine. Look! The cab's here. Don't want to keep them waiting." Ben limped his way over to the taxi. He got into the backseat. --- The Agent smiled. "I'm just tired of talking to them. Sometimes, I wish I could take a break but I'm the best agent for interrogation apparently." shadowess - June 18, 2021 Parker was taken aback by Jean's appearance and apparent attitude. "Um...no. My name is Parker. I used to be a cop too." he said, staying close to Will's side. He wasn't sure if Jean was currently unpredictable or not. "I er-...I got caught up in a similar situation to you a while ago...I was kidnapped by a vampire. He turned me against my will and...manipulated me...made me do things with him...for a while, I convinced myself that I loved him and would do anything for him. Then he left me for dead...I'm safe from him now and I was lucky enough to become human again but the damage he did...I'm still recovering from." Parker paused, swallowing nervously. "I thought you might like to talk to someone who's been in your shoes..." --- Oscar chuckled, getting up and heading towards the underground station with him. It wasn't as pleasant as he thought. The underground was crowded, hot and stank of piss in most places but at least they didn't have to spend long down there. The tube arrived fast and before they knew it they were climbing onto another train above ground after getting to the correct station, on the last stretch towards Hampstead Heath station. As soon as they disembarked, they could already see dated houses that looked like they had once been cottages. All had been updated to be more liveable in the current era but for the most part they greatly resembled the houses that once stood there. "This place seems nice." he said, looking around. --- Jessica hesitated but followed Ben, not wanting to leave him alone. The moment they were in the cab, they were being driven home. "So, I guess it's a lot of rest for you then when we get back, huh?" she asked. "Do you need me to do anything for you? Make you some lunch, maybe? Have you eaten anything yet?" --- Layla chuckled. "Brag much?" she joked as she came to a stop and leant against a nearby tree. "Well, I guess you're getting a break now. So, did you intentionally follow me out to babysit me or are we just a couple of Agents who are shit at sneaking out for a walk?" she asked playfully with a smirk. Denix Vames - June 18, 2021 "Hmph!" Jean threw the empty bag in the trash can. "Like I'd ever need a sob story from anyone." Will glared. "Jean, this isn't you. You're not acting like yourself. Just hear him out." "I am myself! I don't need you to bring your pet around to convince me otherwise!" "He's not my pet! And you need to stop acting like this!" Jean crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "Whatever." --- Tears ran down Leo's cheeks. He covered his mouth. Shocked by the change. "This place. I still remember certain things about it. I'm honestly surprised it's still standing." --- Ben wrapped an arm around her. "I'm alright, Jessica. I can do all that myself. Why don't I make us both something nice? It's the least I could do after everything I put you through." --- "Babysitting but I guess you're right. I've gotten myself a break here." The Agent looked around. "I never realized how beautiful this place was." shadowess - June 19, 2021 Parker felt uncomfortable. It seemed like whoever had turned Jean had really done a number on him. Parker wasn't so sure he'd be able to reach him. At least, not right now. But he had to try. "Jean, I get it. When I was with the vampire who turned me, I would've done anything for him. I -did- do anything for him. Some of those things will haunt me for the rest of my life. He made me kill people, Jean. We hunted, we tortured and we killed. But it doesn't have to be like that for you. You were lucky to only have been with the vampire who turned you for a few hours. I was stuck with mine for days. You have to hear me out here, we're trying to help you." --- Oscar had picked up a pamphlet about the town from the train station and was reading through it as they walked. "Oh, this place didn't just survive. It's apparently one of the richest parts of London...some millionaires live here." he said, passing the pamphlet to Leo. He smiled at him and kissed the side of his head, wrapping an arm around his waist as they'd walk. "So, do you remember whereabouts your house was? Maybe it's still standing." --- Jessica smiled and relaxed a little, resting her head on his shoulder. "Maybe later? I'm not really hungry." --- "I see..." Layla rolled her eyes. "So, I'm the agent who is shit at sneaking out. Got it." she winked. She looked around when they did but became a little uncomfortable. "I guess it is." she replied. She was wondering what this Agent was thinking. With her hormones running rampant, she had to be careful. She really didn't want to end up breaking that rule of hers. Even if the idea of a secret fling was a little thrilling to her, she really didn't want it to be with someone that she works with. It'd be even better if she didn't know the other person at all. No strings attached, just pure pleasure.

Denix Vames - June 16, 2021 "Could we possibly free Rickster from the cage? To me, it seems like he's gotten better as a person. Maybe we could put him in the program?" ,said Ricky. --- "Well, I'm glad you guys told me this but why are you bowing to me? Also, can you like stop? It's getting kind of weird." ,said Will. Shadowess - June 16, 2021 Oscar scratched the back of his head uncertainly. "I don't know...I'm not saying this to be mean but how do you know he's not just trying to manipulate you?" --- Hesitantly, Niko and Hannes got to their feet but kept their eyes averted from Will. "You are a Blood God. A Vampire King. Der Vampirkönig...Our culture worships your species as our...uh...wie sagt man... (How do you say...) Deity? We are very religious." Hannes said. "Holy shit, really?" Tom looked between them in amusement. "So you're like, a literal God to these people." he said to Will. Denix Vames - June 16, 2021 Ricky frowned. "We kissed. We talked for once. I know he's telling the truth. Please Oscar. You have to believe me." --- Will blushed "Now, I feel weird. Um...." He cleared his throat. "Look, we're going to take you two, Jean, and that woman to Carter's Office. The curtains will be closed and everything will be locked. We'll discuss the matter there. Jean, I want you to get dressed." Jean nodded. "Yes sir." He put on his uniform. "And can someone get that woman over here?" shadowess - June 16, 2021 Oscar still wasn't sure. He placed a hand on Ricky's shoulder. "Look, I'm just looking out for ya, man. You've come a long way since you started out on your path to redemption. I just don't wana see you fall into old habits if he hasn't changed." He then sighs and cracks his neck a little. "But, if you really think he's telling the truth then I guess we only have one way to know for certain. Alright, I'll let him out for you and we'll wait back at your old mansion for David to catch up to us and get him started on the programme. Ok?" He clicked his fingers and the key appeared in his hand. "Here. I'll let you do the honours then I'll teleport us." he said, handing the key to Ricky. --- Hannes also hurriedly put his clothes back on, having been naked the entire time as well. Niko quickly bowed then darted out of the room into his own room. There he managed to convince Racheal to come out from under the bed where she'd been hiding. They changed out of the bathrobes and put their clothes back on before walking back into Hannes's bedroom. Niko had his arm around Racheal's shoulders while she looked shyly between Will and Tom. Hannes walked over to Jean and took his hand, rubbing his thumb across the back of his hand. Denix Vames - June 16, 2021 Ricky held a small smile. He nodded. "Thank you." He ran over to the cage which he unlocked. Once the door was opened, he threw himself into Rickster's arms. Crying. "I missed you so much!" --- Will pushed everyone close to him. Once they were close enough, everybody appeared in the living room of Carter's office. "Now, I want you four to follow me. Tom, I'll let Nate know that you can go back." Nate appeared. Snatching Tom from the scene and disappearing. "Alright. Everybody else follow me." He led them upstairs to the office. He quickly texted Parker, 'Everything's fine. Easier situation than I thought. But we'll be busy for a bit. just relax at home.' shadowess - June 16, 2021 Rickster watched excitedly as Ricky opened his cell then caught Ricky in his arms. He was too emotional to speak so he expressed his joy by kissing Ricky deeply and passionately. The kissing rapidly escalated and Rickster's hands were moving all over Ricky's body. Oscar watched a little awkwardly, not really knowing where to look. "Uh...guys?" he said then when he didn't get an answer, he sighed and walked over to them. He gingerly placed a finger on Ricky's back and teleported them into one of the spare bedrooms of the mansion before leaving them to it, closing the door behind him. "Well, they're probably going to be a while..." he muttered to himself while heading towards the living room to play some games for a while. --- "Oh, alright then. Bye, I guess." Tom said just as Nate appeared and grabbed him before they vanished. Hannes and Niko followed Will up to the office. Niko still had his arm around Racheal while Hannes still held on to Jean's hand. Parker texted Will back; 'Ok, see you when you get home. xxx' Denix Vames - June 16, 2021 Ricky became lost in his touch. He jumped. Wrapping his legs around his waist as his arms were over his shoulders. He tilted his head back. Moaning at the kisses on his neck as he being placed on the bed. --- Will shut and locked the door. He sat at the desk where he folded his arms. He cleared his throat before speaking. "Now, you three will be going to the secret facility for questioning. As for Jean, he will stay as my officer. I'll just need to talk to David about the situation. I'll have him turn back into a human. I'll inform Leo about this." "Turn me back?" Jean's eyes widened. "But I don't mind being a vampire. And I don't want you to take Hannes away!" "Jean-" "No! I love him!" Will slammed his fists against the desk as he stood. Jean jumped. "You don't love him! He fucked with your head! Don't you see that?! They did the same thing to her too!" shadowess - June 17, 2021 So wrapped up in the moment and consumed by passion, before he knew it Rickster was carrying Ricky to a bed while kissing his neck. He eased him down and he started unbuttoning his shirt. Very quickly, he worked on undressing them both while continueing to kiss Ricky's bare skin. Whether that was his neck, his arms, his chest, it didn't matter to Rickster. Right now he just wanted to kiss him everywhere he could. Very soon, they were both naked and Rickster climbed on top of Ricky, slipping his tongue into his mouth again and moaning while pressing his body against his. (Private Time) --- "N-Nein!" Hannes gasped and shook his head a little, looking at Will fearfully. He looked at Jean, squeezing his hand gently then widened his eyes a little as Jean said he loved him. He knew he should let Jean go. That this was his chance to have the human life that Hannes had robbed from him but he just didn't have to strength to let him go. Even as Will accused Hannes of messing with his head, he just couldn't bear the thought of giving up Jean. "Meine Geliebte." He said tearfully, in a broken voice. He caressed his cheek. "I love you." he whispered then looked at Will desperately. "Bitte...Please...Please, do not take him from me. I beg of you. Let me take him to my home. I will do anything to make him happy. I will protect him. I have sworn this!" "Facility? What facility? What is he talking about?" Racheal asked Niko in a shaking voice while clinging to him. Niko wrapped both his arms around her and was glaring at Will defensively. He didn't care if Will was their King, he would not lose what he considered to be his property and be locked away in some cage like an animal! He looked at the locked door then at the curtains over the windows before glaring at Will again. "This is why you brought us here. To trap us somewhere familiar to you." he said angrily. "Knowing we cannot run during the daylight, Hurensohn! (son of a bitch!)" This outburst caused Hannes to look at Niko in alarm. "Niko! Achtung! (Be careful!)" "You can't do this! We have done nothing wrong!" Niko continued to argue. Denix Vames - June 17, 2021 Will's wings sprouted. His fangs came out. He tore the eyepatch off. Revealing his red eye. His claws appeared as his skin turned red. Horns grew from his head. He growled. Stomping towards Niko. "You turned two people without their consent! You manipulated them! You raped them! And now, none of them know what's right or wrong!" He wrapped a hand around his neck. Slamming against the wall. "You don't deserve to be given a second chance at all!" He rammed his arm into his chest, going into the wall. He forced his arm out. Leaving a gaping bleeding hole and letting Niko fall. He knelt by his side. "You wanna know how the fuck I became what I am? Because I had no choice! But that doesn't mean I'm going to turn anyone without their permission! I'm fine with what I am now! I am not fine with what you two have been doing for centuries!" He stood. Turning to Hannes. "And what I mean by facility, I mean the CIA because they protect creatures like us but they also maintain law and order. No matter what or who you are, rape and kidnapping is still a crime. Do you understand?" Jean began to shake. Tears dripped down his cheeks. He glared. "You're the monster here! Look at what you did!" "Get away from him! Now!" "No!" "You are banned from seeing him and that's final! Or else I'll fire you!" "Then I quit!" He ran out of the room. Heading to one of the bedrooms where he slammed the door shut. He threw himself on to the bed and sobbed there. Will sighed. 'Got any ideas, River? Couldn't really use the help.' shadowess - June 17, 2021 They were all in shock at Will's sudden transformation and as he stormed towards Niko, he kept to his oath and quickly pushed Racheal away from them to keep her safe from whatever Will was about to do. He gasped when Will grabbed his throat and before he could react he was pinned against the wall with an overwhelming pain in his chest. He heard Racheal screaming and sobbing. But his eyes were fixed on Will with a mixture of shock and terror. He could barely breath due to the wound and what was left of his lungs felt like they were on fire from lack of oxygen. He felt blood rushing up and out of his mouth. When Will pulled his arm out, he slid to the floor, still staring at him even as he knelt by him. In far too much shock to move or attempt to speak. Hannes had been watching him, just as shocked and terrified. Tears dripped down his cheeks while he watched helplessly as Niko slid down the wall, leaving a long bloody smear down it. His best friend since they were both turned centuries ago...if Will had struck him just an inch or so to Niko's left, he would have been done for. Although he hadn't died, he would suffer greatly as his wounds slowly healed from such tremendous damage. When Will turned to him next, Hannes trembled and took a step back. "B-but I didn't-...I- I-" He stammered, shaking his head a little. He then watched the argument between Jean and Will before Jean ran out of the room. "Jean!" He called but didn't dare try to run after him. Not after Will had made himself clear about Jean staying away from Hannes. He liked his chest where it was, thanks! Still, he stared out of the open door with a pained expression, wanting desperately to comfort Jean. He looked at Will, still shaking and shook his head once more while looking at him with pleading eyes. "P-please...I didn't...but h-he kissed me back...I wouldn't hurt him." he cried and lifted a hand to cover his own mouth as he wept. He began thinking through what had happened while he and Jean had been alone as he began to question himself. Was it possible that he'd managed to coerce Jean into sleeping with him without realising he was doing it? Hannes didn't know anymore. Everything was backwards to him right now. As if the shock of meeting your deity wasn't enough, imagine that deity then telling you that the rules you've been living by have all been wrong. "I-I'll go peacefully." he said finally, wiping some of his tears away. "P-please...can I at least say goodbye to him?" "Hmm..." River hummed thoughtfully. Taking in the scene for a moment. Of course, he'd already seen everything unfold but he took a moment to really pay attention to what each of them were doing. The girl was so traumatised right now that she'd huddled into the nearest corner, hugging her legs and rocking back and forth while sobbing. Before this, River had noted that she'd attempted to run to Niko but was so frightened of going near Will that she simply ended up having a breakdown nearby. Hannes was crying with the look of a lost puppy. Niko, understandably, was a bit too shocked to do anything but stare. "Honest opinion? You did exactly what I would have done...little shit needed to be put in his place. At the end of the day, sometimes you have to make difficult calls and this is one of those times. Just like any human criminal, they're always going to proclaim their innocence and protest their sentence. It doesn't mean they're right. Misguided? Maybe. But, right? No. Something fucky definitely happened between these four. Besides, as soon as Leo gets wind of these guys, he'd have them carted off to the facility anyway. Better to work together with Leo and it may even help these people become better for it. We'll have to be a bit more sensitive towards Jean and the girl though. They've obviously been through a lot already and..." River sighed. "I think they both might have Stockholm syndrome. This makes things especially difficult because they really believe that what they feel is real. If you try to force them apart, they'll only fight harder to stay with their abuser. Take it from someone who's experienced it..." River thought for a moment. "The girl is going to wind up going anyway, so I guess the CIA can take care of her. Jean though...if you want him to stick around willingly and be a cop again, maybe suggest that he can still visit Hannes? Who knows? Either he'll snap out of it eventually or they might actually turn out to really be in love. Either way, at least you'll know that Jean would be safe any time he visits Hannes, with all those security guards and all...You can't force him to take the cure though. If you did that, you'd be a hypocrite." Denix Vames - June 17, 2021 Will thought about what River said for a moment. He nodded. "Alright. Leo!" Leo appeared. "Take these three to the facility. Two of them are vampires who forced one of my men and this woman into becoming one of their own and raped them. The woman is a Steinhell." Leo glared at the woman. He nodded. "Good to know." He zoomed to each one of them. Handcuffing them with zip ties before placing them over his shoulder like a pile. He disappeared. Will sighed before stepping out of the room. He walked over to Jean's scent. He tried to open the door but found it locked. He knocked. "Jean? I'm not going to make you turn into a human." "Go away!" "You can still visit him. He's going to be somewhere safe while they question him." "You're lying!" "No, I'm not. And you don't have to work for me. You can be your own person. I'm sorry if I tried to force you into something. I just want you to know that what they did to you was wrong. Ok?" When he got no response, he frowned. "I'm going to leave the house. You can stay here for as long as you need to. I'll check on you later." He disappeared. --- Some of the agents had undressed all three suspects. Placing the prison uniform on them except for Niko who was in a hospital gown. Strap to a bed so that he could heal in peace with no one else in the room except for one agent. Hannes and Rachael were placed in their own cells. Leo texted Oscar, 'Where are you? I finally have time to talk.' --- Will appeared in the kitchen with a cooler of blood bags. "I'm home!" He placed the blood bags in the fridge. He took one of them. Pouring some of the blood in a glass before placing his fangs over the rim. Getting his venom in there. A few tears left his eyes as he down a shot. Feeling the effects of the venom already. He poured himself some more blood before doing the same process. He sighed. "This really is satisfying." shadowess - June 17, 2021 When Will identified Racheal as a Steinheil, she looked up and whimpered at the way Leo glared at her. She recognised him from the diner and knew she had a lot to answer for already when it came to the CIA. She was pretty sure a few of her arrows landed in some of their agents. She then glanced at Niko before shaking her head at Will. "N-no. I'm not a Steinheil anymore. I'm a Bernbaum now. Bernbaum!" she said shakily. She and Hannes then gasped as Leo handcuffed them then lifted them all. Hannes looked alarmed and looked at Will hurriedly. "No! I didn't get to say goodbye! Jean!!" he cried out before they'd all vanished. --- Niko sat quiet and motionless in the hospital bed, staring at the ceiling. His wounds had healed enough that he could speak again but he was still trying to process everything that had happened to him. Hannes was also quiet in his cell. He was laying on the bed, sobbing silently. Meanwhile, Racheal was frantic. She was banging on her cell door, crying. "Where's Niko?! I want to be with Niko! Please! Let me out! I don't want to be alone! I just wana go to Niko! Please!!" --- Oscar read the text and glanced towards the ceiling where Ricky and Rickster were making quite a bit of noise. He cringed. He couldn't tell Leo to come here. He shrugged to himself. Surely they'll be fine on their own for a little while? He teleported out of the mansion and into the local park before texting Leo his location. His heart was beating a little harder than normal. He wondered what Leo needed to talk to him about. --- "Take it easy man. I know today was hard but doing this too often can turn into a bad habit, fast." River warned. "Someone as powerful as you and in your position is better off trying to keep his head as clear as possible." Hearing Will, Parker hurried downstairs and saw what he was doing. "What happened?" he asked, worried. Denix Vames - June 17, 2021 With Niko fully healed, some of the agents changed him into his prison uniform and took him to a cell. Locking him there. The Agent walked over to Hannes's cell. "We won't keep you here for long but there are some things you have to understand before we let you all out. I will talk to each of you separately. Once we know that you won't attempt to commit any crimes again, we will free you all." --- 'I'll be fine.' Will downed another shot. "Leo's got them in the prison except for Jean. I let him sleep in Carter's Office." He slumped down to the floor where he poured himself another glass. More tears dripped down his cheeks. "But Jean's all fucked up now. He's got Stockholm Syndrome because of that sick fuck who raped him. Jean's a vampire now. Not even by consent. He was forced." He drank up his shot and shook his head. "I let him down. I promised I would keep everyone safe but I couldn't protect him. I should have told the precinct about what I am. About the people that live in this city. That they're not all human. So they could understand a few things. But maybe that would only scare them." He leaned his head back. Resting it against the furniture. "I don't know what to do anymore." --- Leo appeared. He walked over to him. "I appreciate what you did for me back at the diner. But I don't like the fact that you were following me. I would hope that you had enough trust in me. Unfortunately, it seems like you don't." He seemed heartbroken.

Denix Vames - June 16, 2021 Ricky seemed excited when he heard Rickster's name. "Rickster. I want to see Rickster. But where are my clothes?" --- "Something's wrong! Jean, one of the rookies, texted me about how he's leaving. But he wouldn't quit like that. He always does everything by the book. Even if he was sick, he would still do his best to do the paperwork. He always checks himself in. This doesn't sound like him at all. I need to figure out what's going on. I have to go where he is." ,said Will. --- Jean mumbled in his sleep. He was shaking a bit. Dreaming of himself being trapped in darkness. Not knowing what was going on. He was still unsure with himself about being what he was now. He never wanted it but it's not like he could have escaped. His head turned. His hair had fallen over his face. Shadowess - June 16, 2021 Oscar smiled and nodded then looked around the room and spotted Ricky's clothes on the nearby chair. "Here. I'll step out while you get changed. Let me know when you're ready and we'll go see Rickster." he said before stepping out of the room, waiting just outside the door. --- "You think something happened to him?" Parker asked, jumping out of bed as well and pulling his pants back on. "Do you want me to come with you?" --- Hannes blinked his eyes open and looked at Jean with a frown. He sighed and reached up, gently moving his hair out of his face. He then sat up and kissed the top of his head tenderly before sitting with his back to the headboard, staring at the wall opposite the bed as he thought about how Jean had ended up with them. Admittedly, he was happy to have Jean with them but he wasn't a fan of how it had happened. He wished he could be as care free and happy as Niko was but that simply wasn't the way Hannes was. Tears rolled down his cheeks but he stayed quiet, the only noise he made being the occasional sniffle as he tried not to disturb Jean. This was supposed to be a simple mission. Find the Steinheils that had fled here and kill them to avenge their friends and family. That was it. That was all there was supposed to be to it. Now it had all gotten so complicated...and Niko...something about him had changed...he wasn't the same Vampire he'd known in Hamburg...he was colder...angrier...maybe even a little manipulative...Hannes worried for his friend's sanity. Having finished drinking the bag, Racheal lowered it and stared at it with a frown. Niko tilted his head a little while still watching her. "It's not what you imagined, is it?" he asked quietly. Racheal's eyes momentarily flicked over to him then back to the bag and she shook her head. "W-when you said I should drink, I thought-...I don't know what I thought." she answered. "You thought I was going to take you out hunting." Niko said, sitting back and resting his hands behind his head. "It's ok. We used to but there isn't any need to anymore. A detail your family seems to have missed over recent years." Racheal's lip trembled but she tried to hide her emotions. Niko sighed and glanced away from her for just a moment before looking back. "Come here." he said gently. Racheal looked at him hesitantly and Niko nodded his head to beckon her to him. Awkwardly and a little uncomfortably, Racheal sat closer to Niko who pulled her to him with one arm to cuddle her. Racheal stiffened, her head on his shoulder and her hand on his chest as she stared at the floor, a little confused and concerned. "It's ok to cry." He said after a minute of silence. "It's ok to grieve for the life that you can never go back to." he rubbed her arm comfortingly. "It's ok to be angry about the lies that your family have fed you, all your life." Racheal's eyes widened a little, having not expected his sudden shift in temperament. She was confused and uncertain about how she should be feeling. She wanted to hate him and be angry with him but his kind words and comforting hug made that difficult. Before she knew it, she was sobbing quietly into his chest while he wrapped his arms around her and rocked her a little while rubbing her back. "There you go, liebchen! Let it all out. It's ok. I'm here. I will always love you." he whispered into her ear. He shushed her gently and kissed the side of her head as she cried. While she was busy crying, he smirked, knowing he'd soon have her wrapped around his little finger. After a minute of her crying, he pulled away from her and cupped her face in his hands while looking at her sympathetically. "Ohh, liebchen. Everything will be alright. Hush now." he wiped her tears away with his thumbs. "I'm going to take care of you. You'll be happy with me, I promise. I'll never let anyone hurt you and I would never lie to you. Okay?" Racheal listened to him, looking at him with tearful eyes. She nodded and Niko smiled. "I love you, liebchen. Meine liebchen." He kissed her tenderly and this time, after freezing up briefly, Racheal returned the kiss. Gradually their kisses intensified until Niko lifted her back into his arms and carried her back into his bedroom. Not long after, the headboard of his bed would be rhythmically hitting the wall. Denix Vames - June 16, 2021 Ricky nodded. He changed into his regular clothes once Oscar was out of the room. He took a deep breath and rubbed his eyes. Trying to find some form of happiness within him. He soon stepped out of the room with his arms raised. "Say hello to Ricky baby! I'm back in action!" --- "No! I mean...." Will sighed. "The last time you came with me, you almost died. I need someone who's immortal in some way. No offense." --- Jean slowly opened his eyes. He had woken from Hannes's touch. He heard the sniffles and sat up. Turning his head to him. "Hannes? What's wrong?" He moved himself closer to him so that he was sitting next to him. He cupped his cheek and brushed some of the tears out of his eyes with his thumb just like Hannes had done for him. Shadowess - June 16, 2021 Oscar grinned widely at Ricky. "That's more like it!" he held out his hand. "Alright, let's go see Rickster." Speaking of, Rickster wasn't doing much. Not that he could if he wanted to. He sat against the far wall of his cell, staring off into space. Bored out of his damn mind. --- Parker frowned and his grip on his shirt, which he had just picked up, tightened a little. He averted his gaze from Will, a little upset but thoughtful. "Fine." he said reluctantly and sat on the bed. "Who will you take with you, then?" --- Hannes's eyes widened a little when Jean woke up. He looked at him quietly as he asked him what was wrong and brushed away his tears. He couldn't help smiling a little at the gesture and he lifted his hand to hold Jean's while looking at him. "You are such a sweet man, Jean." he said softly then frowned. "You must hate me, for what I've done to you...Please understand...my world is dangerous...I had no choice...it was to protect myself and Niko...The laws of my culture are clear. Any human who discovers us must either turn or die. For this reason, those we turn must become our servants for a minimum of one hundred years...it sounds like a selfish thing, and in some cases it is, but the original intention was so that New-Born Vampires would not be left alone in the world with no guidance. Which is why the law states that Vampire Masters must protect their servants and teach them everything they know." He swallowed nervously. "I was hoping you wouldn't come back when you ran...I could have turned a blind eye. You only saw us for a few seconds and we would leave no trace behind...so, even if you came back later with others, there would be no evidence that anything ever occurred there. It might have led to you questioning your sanity for a time but at least you could have continued to go about your life..." he bit his lip and shook his head a little, more tears falling. "But then you came back...and...Oh, meine Geliebte! I admired your bravery and spirit!" He chuckled a little. Then frowned again. "But you coming back made things complicated...now you would know for certain that you really had seen something in that alley...We could no longer allow you to leave...Do you understand?" He then lifted a hand to cup Jean's chin and looked at him imploringly. "But do not blame yourself. You were doing what was right. You were trying to protect someone in danger. A hero...it was just unfortunate circumstances..." He removed his hand from Jean's chin and brushed some of his hair back from his face, admiring him for a moment. "But I swear to make it up to you. I will take you to my home and do everything I can to make you happy." he smiled. "You will like it there. It is a beautiful place...just please...please don't hate me. By all means, be angry with me. But don't hate me." Denix Vames - June 16, 2021 Ricky took his hand. --- "David is who I was thinking if he's not too busy. Or Tom. Someone who has similar abilities like mine." Will frowned. He caressed Parker's cheek. Looking into his eyes. "I know you don't like this idea but I really don't want to see you the way I did like that ever again. Please. You have to understand." --- Jean nodded. He held up a blanket. Covering his chest. "I don't hate you. I understand now. You don't have to cry." He kissed him slowly. Shadowess - June 16, 2021 Oscar teleported them to Hell's Cells and as soon as he saw them, Rickster shot to his feet. "Ricky!" he seemed excited for a moment before coughing into his fist, trying to mask his enthusiasm. "So, you're back then?" he said, walking over to the bars. "How's 'helping the needy' going?" He tried to sound mocking but his heart just wasn't in it. "Worst. Actor. Ever!" Oscar announced in amusement while leaning his head back a bit. "Oh, quiet you! Aren't you supposed to be giving us privacy?" Rickster snapped at him and Oscar chuckled while holding up his hands as he walked towards the end of the corridor. Oscar walked just around the corner where he would still be able to hear Ricky if he called for him but otherwise wouldn't be able to see or hear anything that they do. He took out his phone and frowned at it. Still no word from Leo yet and with him being in Hell, he wouldn't get any messages or calls anyway until he went back to Earth. Once Oscar was gone, Rickster looked at Ricky desperately. "I'm going nuts in here, man. I need to get out! You gotta have a word with a Demon or something. I have to get out of here!" --- Parker sighed and held his hand. "I know, I know...and I do. Just-..." he bit his lip and stood up, wrapping his arms around Will. Hugging him tightly. "Just make sure you come back to me, ok?" --- Hannes was relieved when Jean said he didn't hate him and was touched by what he said, as well as his kiss. He smiled, running his hand through Jean's hair and kissing him back just as slowly. He looked at him, getting lost in his eyes while caressing his cheek when the kiss broke. "Beautiful soul..." he whispered and kissed him again. He hooked his arm around his waist and pulled him over him, to sit on his lap. There he simply held on to Jean's hips while slipping his tongue into his mouth. Denix Vames - June 16, 2021 Ricky frowned. He grasped the bars. "I'm sorry but they'll only let you out once they know you've changed." He leaned his head against the bars. "I missed you, Rickster. Your voice. Your kiss. Didn't you miss me?" --- Will smiled. "I will." He kissed him. He looked around. "David? Can you hear me? If you're not busy, would ya mind helping me out?" --- Jean moaned into the kiss. He lowered his blanket. Shadowess - June 16, 2021 After being stuck in the cell for so long, Rickster was desperate for any kind of contact. He leant against the bars and and pressed his lips against Ricky's, his hands holding his over the bars. When the kiss broke, he leant his head against the bars as well, keeping his face close to Ricky's as he began to weep. "Talk to them. Please, talk to them. I can't stay in here. I have nothing but my own thoughts and it's torture! Ricky, please!" he whispered. --- Still busy with Atma, David was unable to respond. Parker looked around the room, half expecting to see David pop in out of nowhere but it didn't happen. "Guess he's already got his hands full..." he said, looking back at Will. --- Hannes lifted one hand to caress Jean's chest. He kept kissing him slowly and deeply. He then lowered his other hand to momentarily grip Jean's backside before slipping it down a little further to feel his thigh. Denix Vames - June 16, 2021 Ricky's eyes widened at his kiss. Surprised that he had kissed him. He nodded. "I'll go try to talk to them. I promise." He kissed him again. Slipping his tongue into his mouth. Moaning into another kiss before their lips broke apart from each others. --- "Then how about Tom? Nate? Mind bringing your boyfriend here?" Nate appeared with Tom then disappeared. Leaving Tom there. "Good. Alright. So, I need your help. One of my officers has been kidnapped or worse. I'm sure of it. You and I are going to where he is. We'll fight whoever's got him." ,said Will. --- Jean's hot breath hit his lips as he moaned louder. He touched the hand that was on his chest. "Hannes. I want to see your home. I don't mind going to Germany at all. I want to be with you. Forever." shadowess - June 16, 2021 Rickster moaned into the kiss as well when Ricky's tongue caressed his. When the kiss broke, he looked at Ricky while reaching through the bars to caress his cheek. "Thank you." he whispered as tears rolled down his cheeks. --- Tom looked around a little confused for a moment after Nate dropped him off then looked at Will as he spoke. When he explained the situation he nodded. "Alright then, no time to lose then, I guess." "Be safe, you too." Parker said to them. --- Hannes looked into Jean's eyes when he spoke and he smiled and blushed at his words. "Oh, meine Geliebte." he whispered. He kissed his neck and chest. "Oh, Jean. You make me happy. I haven't felt like this in a very long time." he lifted him and gently lay him down, climbing on top of him. He kissed him deeply, caressing his tongue with his own while pressing his body against his and moaning a little. Denix Vames - June 16, 2021 Ricky smiled and nodded. He turned around. "Oscar? I'm ready to go." --- Will nodded. He placed a hand on Tom's arm. They disappeared. Jean brought his arms over his back. Moaning at his touch. Will appeared with Tom. He glared at the scene he was watching. "What the fuck?!" He grabbed Hannes. Slamming him against the wall. His hand wrapped around his neck. His fangs were out. His wings sprouted. "First, you turned him and then you raped him?! You sick fuck!" "Will?" Jean sat up. He covered his chest with the blanket. "Wait a minute! Hannes isn't a bad person." "What the hell are you talking about? Look at what he did to you!" "Maybe we can talk about this? I'm sure if you listened to him then you would understand." shadowess - June 16, 2021 Oscar put his phone back into his pocket and walked over to Ricky, holding out his hand for him. "Alright, man. Where to?" Rickster watched Ricky quietly and tearfully, hoping he'd keep his word. --- Hannes gasped and cried out when Will slammed him against the wall. He stared in shock as this apparent policeman, who had somehow appeared in the room, sprouted fangs. His eyes then widened more at the sight of his wings, his face turning pale as he gasped "Mein Gott!" This translates to 'My God!' which, while it makes sense in this situation to be shouting something like that, Hannes had actually meant it in the more literal sense. He shook his head hurriedly. "N-Nein! No! I did not rape him! You misunderstand! Please!" At that moment, alerted by the noise, Niko ran into the room having just barely managed to put his robe back on. "Was zur Hölle?! (What the Hell?!)" he exclaimed. Tom had rounded on him, watching him warily and expecting a fight but Niko's eyes were glued to the Blood God, his face having turned pale as well. "Es ist der Vampirkönig! (It is the Vampire King!)" He dropped to his knees and leant forward hurriedly so that his hands and head were touching the floor, bowing to Will. "Well that's-...interesting." Tom said uncertainly as he watched him. He then noticed the white-blond haired woman who had peeked through the doorway curiously. "Uh...hello there?" he said to her which made her jump and she ran back into Niko's room, slamming the door behind her. "Huh..." he turned to look at Jean. "What the hell is going on here, man?" Denix Vames - June 16, 2021 "Oscar? Can we talk privately for a moment? Let's not leave yet." ,said Ricky. --- Will let go of Hannes who bowed as well. Jean followed the same action. Afraid to disobey or disrespect. Will awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "Well, now I feel awkward. First of all, who are you guys and why did you kidnap one of my men? More specifically, why the hell did you turn him?" shadowess - June 16, 2021 Oscar rose a brow and looked between Ricky and Rickster for a moment before lowering his outstretched hand. "Uh, sure." he turned and walked with Ricky towards the end of the corridor, rounding the corner before turning to look at him. "What's up?" --- Hannes didn't dare look up at Will as he bowed just as deeply as Niko, but he answered without any delay, worried he would anger their God further. "I-it is the law in our culture. Where we are from, if a human witnesses vampires and their activities they are to be either turned or killed to protect the rest of our race." "He witnessed us capturing one of the Steinheil hunters. We had no choice but to bring him with us as well." "Wait, hunters?!" Tom looked at Will. "What did I miss?" "Our law also protects New-Born Vampires." Hannes pressed on, wanting to get their side of the story out as quickly as possible before more misunderstandings could occur. "For a minimum of one hundred years they must serve their maker and in return their maker must swear to protect and teach them." "Ja, I turned the Steinheil girl as well. Better than killing her. She has come to realise why hunting us is wrong." Niko said shakily.

Denix Vames - June 14, 2021 Gary blushed. "Me too. And maybe we'll finally get to sleep together again if you know what I mean." He winked with a chuckle. --- Hannes's lips sent shivers down his spine. Jean knew he should have been disgusted by that kiss but something in his head told him that this felt right. His eyes closed as he returned the kiss. Caressing his cheek. Shadowess - June 14, 2021 Alex chuckled as well. "I don't think there'll be any sleep involved in what we'll be doing together once you get out of there." he said then bit his lip playfully at the thought. "Maybe we could use some ropes again?" --- When Jean returned the kiss, Hannes smirked and kissed him again. Slowly recapturing his lips with his own and holding on to each kiss. He ran a hand over Jean's side while slipping his tongue into his mouth, moving his tongue just as slowly while caressing his. Denix Vames - June 14, 2021 "I think you'll need chains next time." Gary licked his lips. --- Jean moaned. He moved himself closer to him. He could feel Hannes's body. His warm chest. Their hips touched. His belt bumped against his. He let his sensual touches overtake him. Moaning a bit louder as Hannes kissed his neck. Shadowess - June 15, 2021 Alex smirked at Gary, staring at his lips. Seeing the way his tongue moistened them made Alex want to pounce on him. If only it wasn't for this damn dome... "Even kinkier." he grinned, bringing his eyes back up to his. --- This was going better than Hannes had expected. Jean seemed to be reciprocating without any need for force. Which was good. That's how Hannes preferred it. His hand wandered across his back while he moved his kisses down to Jean's neck. There was a little dried blood there from where Hannes had fed from him earlier, which he licked off while occasionally sucking on his neck. Every movement Hannes made was slow, gentle and deliberate. His hand moved down to Jean's hip, feeling the top of his belt before moving around to grab his backside. He moved his kisses up to Jean's ear, kissing the lobe and the top of his ear then moving his kisses back to his mouth, slipping his tongue in again. He paused and pulled back, looking at Jean with eyes full of lust. He caressed his cheek while biting his own lip. "Meine Geliebte, you are beautiful." he whispered before kissing him again, moving on top of him and unbuttoning his shirt to feel his chest. Denix Vames - June 15, 2021 Gary chuckled. "The only problem is that we need to find a pair of chains. I don't even know if any store sells those." --- Jean moaned louder. Overwhelmed his touch. His opened palms rested on the pillow near his head. Side by side. His chest rose a bit at his hands feeling him up. "Wh-Why do you keep calling me that? Meine....? What does it-?" He moaned again. Shadowess - June 15, 2021 "I'm sure we'll find some somewhere." Alex chuckled then looked at the bags he'd brought with him. He pulled out a blanket and wrapped it around himself before sitting next to the dome again, leaning against it so that he could be as close to Gary as possible. "At least it's not raining..." he sighed, resting his head against the dome. "We should try to get some sleep..." --- His moans were like music to Hannes's ears. He smiled at his question and knelt over him while continueing to move his hands over his body. "Meine Geliebte? My love." he answered in a whisper. He moved his hands to his belt, unbuckling it before moving a hand under his pants. "Süsser means sweetie." he moved down the bed and began removing his pants. "And liebchen is Sweetheart." Once Jean's pants were removed, Hannes stood at the end of the bed, smirking at him. He took his shirt off and unbuckled his own belt, dropping his pants to the floor. "Don't worry. I will teach you how to speak German. When our business in the US is concluded, I will take you to my home. To live in my castle and join our little community." he climbed back onto the bed and moved over Jean once more, kissing from his belly button upwards, towards his chest and then to his neck. "You never have to be alone. They will welcome you with open arms. I have so much to show you." He pressed his body against Jean's as he kissed him deeply. He hooked a thumb under his underwear and paused, looking into his eyes. "Are you ready?" he whispered with a smile. Denix Vames - June 15, 2021 Gary nodded. He laid down. Keeping his eyes on Alex. "Sleep tight." He winked. "And I love you." --- Jean blushed. He seemed embarrassed. "To tell you the truth, I've never done this before. I-I'm a....virgin." He turned his head away. Frowning. "I hope that doesn't make you mad." shadowess - June 15, 2021 Alex looked at Gary and smiled. "I love you, too." he said softly then adjusted himself against the dome, making himself comfortable before closing his eyes and doing his best to fall asleep. --- Hannes blinked, frowning. He let go of Jean's underwear and cupped his chin, gently turning his head back so he could look at him again. "Of course this does not make me mad, Süsser!" he said gently. "Everyone has a first time. It is nothing to be ashamed of or nervous about." he kissed his tenderly, letting the kiss linger for a moment. "I would be honoured to be a part of your..." he moved his hand to his chest, lightly running his index finger down the centre of his chest towards his stomach. "...sexual awakening." He gripped his underwear and began to pull them down, doing so slowly while maintaining eye contact with Jean. "You relax and just focus on enjoying yourself, meine Geliebte. I will take care of everything." (Private Time) --- Oscar awoke to his phone alarm later that morning. Having set one to get him up early so he and Ricky could set off and do more work. He changed his clothes before heading over to Ricky's hotel room door and knocking on it hard. "Wakey wakey, Ricky! A new day and more people to help!" Denix Vames - June 15, 2021 Gary fell asleep. --- Ricky was in the bathroom. Sitting near the toilet with the shattered pieces of the glass surrounding him. He had picked one up earlier. Cutting into his wrists and letting the blood drip from his wounds. He closed his eyes. Waiting for himself to die. Shadowess - June 15, 2021 Growing impatient, Oscar hammered on the door a little louder. "Ricky! Get up! We've got shit to do!" The noise woke up Jane who sat up hurriedly and looked towards the door then at Ricky's bed. Seeing him not there, she looked in the direction of the bathroom and saw the door closed. She got up and walked towards the hotel room door, opening it just as Oscar was about to knock again. He froze and stared at the frail, sickly woman he recognised as once being Atma. "Uh-!...hi...what are you doing here?" he stammered and glanced over her shoulder, trying to see into the room. "Where's Ricky?" "You must be Oscar." Jane said and smiled at him. "Ricky told me about you. I think he's in the bathroom." Oscar blinked at her, feeling awkward. He knew she wouldn't remember him but seeing her like this felt odd. She looked like she'd been through Hell and Oscar felt bad for her. Maybe they shouldn't have just left her to fend for herself... He walked into the room when she stood to one side and a familiar smell hit his nose. Blood. His eyes darted to the bathroom door and he ran over, knocking on it quickly. "Ricky?! What are you doing in there, buddy?" he called through and tried to open the door. "What are you doing?" Jane asked, alarmed. "I can smell blood. Ricky, open the door!" Oscar said quickly. "You can- wha-? How?! That's not possible!" Jane stammered, trying to comprehend what Oscar just said. "No time to explain!" Oscar ran back then hurled his body against the bathroom door, breaking the lock and forcing it open. "Ricky!" He ran over, ripping off parts of his shirt and tying them tightly around Ricky's wrists. "You idiot! What were you hoping to achieve?!" he scolded him. "Oh, my god!" Jane ran over to the phone, picking it up. "I'll call an ambulance!" "No time." Oscar said again, lifting Ricky into his arms and teleporting to Jane's side. He touched her elbow then teleported all three of them to the hospital. "Help!" he shouted to the nearby nurses who ran over. He glanced at Jane who had turned extremely pale and was staring around them in shock. "Oh, shit..." Oscar muttered as the nurses took Ricky away to see to his wounds. "God, I forgot. I'm sorry Atma..." Jane's eyes snapped to Oscar, her breath caught in her throat and her mouth opening and closing repeatedly until she finally found the strength to exclaim; "Is that my name?! Do y-you know who I-...I-..." She fainted. More nurses ran over, taking Jane to a room as well. Oscar's eyes widened, his face turning red as he watched them taking her away. "Fuck!" he gasped. "Um-..." He looked around, uncertain on what to do. Denix Vames - June 15, 2021 Ricky soon woke up with his wounds patched up. He slowly opened his eyes. "Huh? Where-?" He tried to move but found his ankles and wrists strapped to the bed. He squirmed in their hold. "Hey! Let me out of here! What's going on?!" shadowess - June 15, 2021 "You try telling me." Oscar replied, sitting in the chair near his bed and staring at Ricky. It had taken Ricky a little while to wake up and in the time, Oscar had checked in on Jane who also had yet to wake up but otherwise seemed fine. He planned on going back to visit her as soon as she woke up to explain a few things. In the meantime, he had gone to wait in Ricky's room for him to wake up. And he wasn't alone. Oscar had to report all of this to David, who was also in the room on the other side of Ricky's bed. He was leaning against the wall with his arms folded, watching him quietly a disappointed look on his face. "Dude, you were doing great. What happened?" Oscar asked. Denix Vames - June 15, 2021 Ricky turned his head away from them. He glared at the wall. "Like I need to tell you what's going on. You should have just let me die." He didn't want to admit the fact that he felt guilty for doing all the things that he did. That he wanted to kill himself because of it. He wished he could just tell them without feeling so vulnerable about it. Tears dripped down his cheeks. He struggled to get out of the straps. "Just let me go! I'll jump off somewhere! Forget about me!" shadowess - June 15, 2021 Oscar frowned, shaking his head a little. David stepped away from the wall and sat on the side of Ricky's bed. "What do you think would happen to you then, Ricky?" he asked gently. "I'll spoil it for you. You'll wake up back in Hell having achieved nothing." He shook his head and lay a hand on his. "Ricky, you are doing well. You are making tremendous progress!" he seemed thoughtful for a moment then smiled. "I think I know what's going on." he said knowingly. "I've seen it in some of the other souls who took part in this programme. It's perfectly natural for you to start feeling guilty or even depressed. Believe it or not, this is a good sign. It shows that you're learning from your past mistakes. That you are beginning to understand morality. That you're ready to take responsibility for what you'd done in the past. If this is the case then it also means that you are ready for the next step in the programme. Forgiveness. Before you can move forward and put the past behind you once and for all, you must learn to forgive yourself. This is the hardest step of all but we will do everything we can to help you through it." Denix Vames - June 15, 2021 "But I don't deserve to be forgiven! I don't!" Ricky sobbed as he squeezed his hand. Shadowess - June 15, 2021 David took a clean handkerchief from his pocket and wiped Ricky's tears away with it. "Of course you do. Ricky, anyone who is capable of learning from their past and wants to better themselves, deserves forgiveness." He said gently. "Look at me. I have helped murderers, rapists, terrorists, and worse to gain their redemptions. If they can forgive themselves and become better people then I believe you can as well." Denix Vames - June 15, 2021 Ricky hesitantly nodded. "But I don't want to be here anymore. Can I please leave? I hate hospitals." shadowess - June 15, 2021 David nodded but Oscar got to his feet. "First things first. What was Atma doing in your hotel room?" he asked. David blinked and looked at Oscar. "You didn't tell me you saw Atma." Oscar's cheeks turned red and he scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Uh yeah...she was in Ricky's room when I went to get him. When I found Ricky in the bathroom I kinda forgot she doesn't remember anything and...I teleported her here with us...and called her Atma...The shock made her pass out. She's currently recovering in another room." "What?! Why didn't you say something sooner?!" David jumped to his feet and marched out of the room, looking for her room. Oscar sighed, watching him go then looked back at Ricky. He walked over and unfastened the straps around his wrists. "Well? How did she end up with you?" Denix Vames - June 15, 2021 Ricky gently rubbed his wrists. He began to unstrap his ankles. "I don't know what you're talking about. She said her name was Jane. I gave her some money. Then I told her about this place that gives food to the homeless. But I knew it was closed so I took her to my room and gave her my soup. She suggested we eat together so we did. That's it. I didn't realized she was so special." He slowly got off of the bed. Finding his balance. Shadowess - June 15, 2021 Oscar listened to him then rose a brow. "You did that?...without any prompting?" Oscar broke into a wide grin and pat Ricky on the back. "Man, you really are on the right path! Nice one, bud!" he then frowned and leant against the bed. "Atma is her real name. See, there are these spirits who help Demons, Angels and Devils through their pregnancies. They're called the Spirits of Life but most of us just call 'em Midwives. Atma was the oldest one. She's been around since the very first living being was created. They can defend themselves but they can't kill anyone. Literally, any attempts would just fail. But Atma knew a way and she used it to kill a psycho Archangel who would've destroyed us all if she hadn't intervened...but the price for that was that she'd end up losing all of her powers, become a human and completely lose her memory. We all decided she deserved a 'retirement' so let her be in the hopes she'd have a happy, human life..." He covered his face with his hands, feeling awful. "We had no idea she'd end up like she is now...Seeing her in your room...The state she was in...God, we should've made sure she was alright sooner! We just hoped she'd have a simpler life...A happy, normal, human life...Not misery and starvation!" Denix Vames - June 15, 2021 Ricky frowned. "Maybe we could make her forget about this encounter? Buy her a house with my money and put her in a different city? We could give her a job. Just enough to help her." His cheeks turned red. He crossed his arms and looked away. "But ya know, it's whatever." shadowess - June 15, 2021 Oscar smiled at Ricky. "Maybe. I dunno. I guess it's David's call now..." He stepped away from the bed and headed towards the door. "C'mon. I'm sure David can handle it. What do you wana do until he's free? I guess we could sort of use this as free time to do whatever." Denix Vames - June 15, 2021 Ricky raised a brow. He shrugged. "I don't really know. I use to have....a lot of sex during my free time. Or I would gamble or drink. I honestly don't know what to do." --- Will yawned awake. He checked his phone. His eyes widened. "Oh no! God damn it no!" He hopped off the bed and threw on his uniform. Shadowess - June 16, 2021 Oscar thought for a moment. "Do you want to see Rickster? Or we could go back to the mansion and play some games for a while." --- Parker groaned at being woken up by Will's outburst and he rolled over, squinting his eyes open to look at him. "What's up?" -- At this time, Hannes would be sleeping lightly with his arms around Jean. Meanwhile, in the living room part of their hotel room, Niko grabbed a blood bag from the little fridge while Racheal sat on the couch. She was staring hard at the floor, shivering a little. Both of them were wearing the bathrobes that had been in Niko's bedroom. "Oh, liebchen. Don't look so down. I promise I will take care of you." Niko smiled at her, sitting next to her on the couch. Her eyes moved to the blood bag. Her stomach growled painfully as she hadn't been able to drink since she was turned. She then quickly averted her gaze back to the floor in case she annoyed Niko. Niko merely smiled at her and held out the bag for her to take. "You should drink some, liebchen." he said gently and she looked at him, then at the bag before reaching out for it. But then Niko pulled it away and smirked. "First, what do you say to me?" Anger and disgust flickered across Racheal's expression for a fraction of a second but she quickly hid it and looked at Niko while gathering the strength to say the words. "I love you, Niko. My master." She said quietly, as if the line had been rehearsed. Niko grinned and handed her the bag. "And I love you, too." he said and watched happily as Racheal drank quietly from the blood bag. "Drink up. We will go back to bed when you're done. We're going to need some sleep before tonight." he told her while stroking the back of her head as she drank.

Denix Vames - June 14, 2021 Nate snapped his fingers. The bag of raw meat and bottle of water appeared in front of Gary. "Just like that. Anyway, is there anything else he might need?" --- Kite moaned at the kisses on his neck. He smiled. "I can't wait." He soon laid on his back at the bed. Letting Cindy get on top of him. --- Jean tried to pull the cuffs off. "No! There's got to be another way!" He struggled to get away from Hannes. Trying to kick him away but the venom still left him weak. "I-I won't tell anyone about this! I promise! I'm sorry that I walked in on whatever you guys were doing! Please don't!" His voice was breaking. Sobbing, he said, "I'm just a cop!" shadowess - June 14, 2021 Alex looked at the food and smiled. "Thanks, Nate." He then thought for a moment while regarding Gary. "Maybe a blanket or something? It's probably guna get cold overnight. I duno, what do you think?" he asked Gary. --- Gently grinding her hips against his, Cindy kissed Kite deeply while removing his shirt. She ran her hands over his chest before sitting up and removing her dress. She went back to kissing him, moving her hands over his chest and down to his pants, starting to undo them then slipping her hand down them and pleasuring him. She would then kiss down his chest, across his stomach and kiss his hips as well. Slowly, while giving him a seductive smile, she pulled his pants off before grabbing the condom. "Oh, Kite." she grinned. "I'm going to really rock your world tonight!" (Private Time) --- Hannes frowned at Jean's attempts to kick at him. He grabbed one of his legs and applied a small amount of pressure while glaring at him. It wouldn't be enough to break his bone but it would cause a little pain and serve as a warning for Jean not to test him. "You are a human who has witnessed us. Not only that but you now also know the names of those who would hunt us. We are left with no other choice. You either join us or you die. Here and now." Racheal glanced over at Hannes and Jean while Niko was busy watching them. She couldn't let him be tricked into serving them as well! She looked around them. This looked to be a hotel room, which meant there was likely people staying in the rooms near them. People who could call the police. It was risky. They might resort to killing Jean in order to resolve their problem quickly but she had to try something. She started screaming as loudly as she could. "HELP! HELP US! SOMEONE PLEASE!" Niko's eyes snapped back to Racheal and he glared at her dangerously. "Quiet! You ungrateful bitch!" he growled and gripped her throat tightly, cutting off her airway. She gripped his hands, straining to breath while the pain from her turning continued. She stared at him, frightened as her face started to turn red. "Looks like I'll have to teach you how to respect your master!" he said viciously and let go of her. She gasped and coughed, trying to scramble away from him but he grabbed her by the hair and dragged her to her feet while she struggled to get her breath back. He dragged her into the bedroom and shoved her onto the bed. He then turned around, grabbed the door and smirked at Hannes and Jean. "Don't wait up." he winked with a wicked smirk and closed the door. Hannes shook his head at Niko with a smirk and turned back to Jean. "Now, where were we?" he said, leaning over Jean and baring his fangs, going for his neck. Denix Vames - June 14, 2021 "A blanket would be nice." ,said Gary. Nate snapped his fingers. A blanket appeared near Gary. "Thank you." Gary took the blanket. Wrapping it around himself. --- Jean flinched at the pain. He stopped trying to free himself. His skin grew pale again. He shook as he leaned his head back. Trying to get his neck away fro him. But it was only a good angle for Hannes to sink his fangs into. "Ah!" He shut his eyes as he felt the sharp pain. Then the venom hit. He bit his tongue. Holding back any moans that came only because of the venom and Hannes's touch. He clenched his fists. Shadowess - June 14, 2021 Alex smiled, happy to see Gary as comfortable as they could make him for now. He stood and turned to face Nate. Sighing, he walked over and hugged him. "Thank you...We all thank you all the time when you help us but I don't think any of us really say why... It means a lot to me when you do help us. Hell, you've been helping me since I was an absolute nightmare to deal with...You're a good friend, Nate...and I don't think we say that enough." He let him go and smiled at him. "When we move you better be coming to the house warming party." he chuckled. "But for now...I guess me and Gary are all set here if you wanted to get back to Tom and chill out." --- Hannes moaned when Jean's blood hit his tongue. He started drinking from him slowly, concentrating on making the experience pleasurable for Jean. He held the back of his head to keep him supported while his other wand wandered over his body. Over his chest, feeling his hips. He moved his hand around to grab his ass as well and felt up his thigh. When Jean's pulse began to weaken, he pulled away and took a quick breath. He then took out a small blade and made a small cut in his own neck. Hissing a little at the pain, he dabbed his finger in his blood and placed some of it just on the inside of Jean's lips. "Here. Doesn't it taste good?" he whispered, grinning at him. "I promise you, you'll enjoy it." he uncuffed Jean and pulled him onto his lap, confident that Jean was now too weak to fight back or run. He positioned Jean's head on his shoulder like Niko had done with Racheal. "Now. The choice is yours." he said softly while stroking his hair and holding him in a loving embrace. "Just know that I would love you for all time if you became mine. I would kill to keep you safe and your happiness would make me happy." Denix Vames - June 14, 2021 Nate smiled. "Alright. Just let me know when you need me. See ya guys later." He disappeared. Gary whistled a tune. "So, what do you want to talk about? I don't really know what to do now." --- Jean squirmed in his hold but it was barely a move here or three. He succumbed to the venom. He could smell Hannes's blood. "W-Why...? Please...." The blood mixed with the sweat on his lips. Going down his throat. It was something else overtook him. He brought his lips to his neck. Drinking up his blood without a choice. He gasped as he moved back. Feeling the unbearable pain in his body. "Wh-What's going on? It hurts....!" shadowess - June 14, 2021 Alex turned to look at Gary and his smile slipped a bit. He supposed there wasn't really a better time and he'd been putting it off for too long already. He walked back over to the dome and sat in front of Gary, looking down while picking at the grass in front of him, nervously. "Actually...there's something I've been meaning to tell you...and I should've told you about it sooner...I guess I just got scared of what you might think if I told you...I also didn't want to worry you...but what happened today...I realized I wouldn't forgive myself if I ever lost you and I hadn't been honest with you. I want to be able to tell you anything..." He brought his eyes back up to Gary's and hesitated. "I er-...I saw Bryce...a few days ago...nothing happened." he said the last part quickly, wanting to make that point clear. "He approached me while I was out jogging...he wanted to apologise for what he did to me. I think he just wants to be a better person...anyway, he just apologised and said goodbye. So, I think that's the last time we'll ever hear from him again." He lowered his eyes to the ground again. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner...I'm not entirely sure what I was scared of...I just know that I don't want to lose you..." --- Hannes moaned when Jean started drinking from him. He tilted his head back and let out shaky breaths, enjoying the feeling. "That's it!" he breathed with a smile. "Take as much as you need!" When Jean let him go, he looked at him and brushed some of his hair out of his face. "I know it does, Süsser." he said in a comforting tone. He then reached over to the glass that Niko had left on the floor which still had some of his venom in it. "The cells in your body are changing. This takes time and is quite painful. Here, drink some of this. It will not take the pain away completely but it will make it easier to deal with." he held the glass to Jean's lips. "I am here for you, Süsser. I will help you to adjust. Tell me your name. I am Hannes Strassmann, your loving master." Denix Vames - June 14, 2021 Gary frowned. He placed a hand on the dome. "It's alright. Ex boyfriends aren't easy to talk to. I would never think that you would do something wrong. And I'm glad you got to talk to him." --- Jean drank the venom. He cringed at the taste. "J-Jean. My name is Jean Poe. And you're not my boss. Will is. He'll know about this. People will know that I'm missing." Fear filled his heart as he realized he had talked back to him. "I-I'm sorry! Don't take me to a room too! I don't want this!" shadowess - June 14, 2021 Alex looked back up at Gary with tearful eyes and placed his hand on the dome as well, over where Gary had his hand. "Thank you!" he breathed. "You have no idea how much this has been fucking with my head...Ever since I saw him, I keep getting flashbacks of-..." he shook his head and looked away for a moment before looking back at him. "But I'm in a better place now! I have you and nothing else matters." --- Hannes glared at first but seeing him quickly apologise brought a smile to his lips. "Shhh, Süsser. I forgive you." he said softly, taking the glass from him and setting it down. "Unlike your new sister, you do not deserve such harsh treatment. You are an innocent man who simply got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Your outbursts are understandable. She is simply trying to cause trouble." He then gave Jean a warning look. "But do not think that I would not punish you if you misbehaved. You are mine now. For the next one hundred years, you are my loyal servant and I will either reward or punish you accordingly." Hannes kissed his forehead and caressed his cheek. "The pain will pass soon. I swore I would take care of you and that is what I will do. But you must work with me. It is impossible now for you to return to your old life but you are right, people will look for you if you are missing..." Without warning, he dove a hand into Jean's pockets and found what he was looking for. He took Jean's phone from him and stood up. Though he didn't look at the phone just yet, simply keeping it in his hand while keeping his eyes on Jean. "I will take care of your boss...Will, you said his name was? As far as he will know, you will have quit your job. It was too much pressure for you to handle. Now, on your feet Jean. You will need to feed soon." he looked at him and smiled kindly. "Take a look in that mini-fridge." he said, knowing there were blood bags in there that he and Niko had purchased shortly after they'd arrived in the city. "I told you we are not monsters. We don't normally hunt humans. We make an exception for Steinheil hunters because they're dangerous to our kind but usually we drink from bags. Take one when you feel hungry and bite into it." Denix Vames - June 14, 2021 Gary leaned against the dome. He held a small smile. "I wish I could kiss you right now." --- Jean hesitantly stood. He walked over to the mini fridge. When he opened it, his eyes widened. He grabbed a blood bag. His stomach told him to do it. So, he sank his fangs into the bag. Drinking up the blood. When he finished, he dropped the bag. "Why does it taste good? I don't want it too. I should have food. Like a burger. Can I please get one?" He reached for the doorknob. Shadowess - June 14, 2021 Alex pulled himself closer to the dome and leant against it as well, resting his head against it. "I wish I could kiss you too..." He looked up at the trees overhead and sighed. "It's a shame we can't see any stars from here...might've been a little romantic..." --- Hannes watched him intently with a small smile, finding Jean's eagerness to drink to be adorable. He then frowned when he said he wanted a burger and when Jean went for the door, Hannes quickly put Jean's phone in his pocket and raced over to him. "No!" he slammed the door shut again although it hadn't opened very much and pushed Jean into the wall, pinning him against it. "I'm sorry, Süsser! Did I hurt you?" he looked him over quickly before pulling him into a hug. "Es tut mir leid! (I am sorry!) The sun will be rising soon and it would burn you to a crisp, meine Geliebte! (My love)" He ran a hand through Jean's hair. "If you behave yourself then I will buy you a burger tomorrow night, I promise. You won't be able to have a lot because it would make you sick but you can still have a little. But you will still have to drink blood. Don't worry, you will get used to it. It's not as bad as it first seems." He took his hand and began leading him to the second bedroom. "Come now, Jean. You have had a long night. You should come and rest." Denix Vames - June 14, 2021 Gary's smile beamed. "There's plenty of stars in your eyes for me to look at." --- Jean gasped at the sudden force. He flinched as he hit the wall. A few tears left him. Without a choice, he followed him into the bedroom. "But I don't want to be here. Please. I just want to go home." More tears poured from his eyes. His knees became weak. He curled up on the bed. Sobbing as he covered his face. Shadowess - June 14, 2021 Gary's comment caused Alex to crack a wide grin and he shook his head in amusement, his cheeks turning red . "It's so cheesy but I love it!" he laughed, looking at Gary longingly. "I can't wait to be in your arms again." --- Hannes watched Jean curl up on the bed and cry. He sighed and took out a second blanket from the wardrobe, setting it on the end of the bed for a moment before taking out the phone and sending a text to Will, pretending to be Jean. The text would read, "I'm sorry but I won't be in work tomorrow. I realize now that I cannot handle the stress and have decided to pursue a different career. Thank you for the opportunity and I wish you all well." Once it was sent, he took up the second blanket and climbed onto the bed with Jean, laying next to him and covering himself with the it. This way they had a blanket each and he hoped that this would make Jean a little more comfortable. "There, there meine Geliebte!" he said gently, rubbing Jean's arm in a bid to comfort him. "I know this is hard..." he cupped Jean's chin and tilted his head up so he'd be looking at him. He looked into his eyes. "I am sorry that you got mixed up in this." he whispered to him, sounding sincere in his apology. "I want to make you happy. I hate to see you cry." he wiped some of Jean's tears away with his thumb. "I suppose it is not a secret now that I find you attractive. But I will not force you. I want you to want me." he ran his fingers through his hair while keeping eye contact. "I want you to trust me. You -can- trust me, Jean." he licked his lips while his eyes drifted down to Jean's lips longingly. "I just want someone to love. Is that so bad?" he whispered. Then, as if he couldn't help himself, he gently pressed his lips against Jean's in one single, lingering kiss.