It's Called Being Human [Open; Full] lit.-adv

[FearlessLemur]

Salem waited for her to respond, unsure what that response was going to be. He was still laying on his back, and she leaned over, resting her cheek on his chest. "I know. It just never feels like a good time to ask. Besides, I wasn't sure if by asking I would upset you."

"I don't know how it'd feel to rehash everything. Not good, obviously, but I wouldn't try to kill you for kissing me like I did before . . ." Salem said, unsure if he was kidding or not, himself. He hadn't thought it had been very funny. He'd nearly shifted, nearly ripped her apart for kissing him. They had used to tease each other incessantly, and one day it had gotten more serious than normal, and he'd overreacted big-time. But he had had time to sort through things, just like she had.

"And the same goes for you. Heaven knows I have lots of things you must be curious about."

"This is true." Salem said. He'd just recently learned her real name was Elizabeth, god knew what else she hadn't told anyone. He hadn't been forthcoming with details from his past and what his pack had done, but both their pasts were just that—past. And yet, for the both of them, what they had and hadn't done shaped who they were right then, and Salem wanted to know more about Akasha just like she had wanted to ask about Gwen . . . but neither had.

"But we can talk more about all this later." Akasha said. Salem made an agreeable noise in the back of his throat as she propped herself up, looking down at him. He smiled, and was rewarded with a few kisses, which turned into more than just kisses. He hadn't wanted to leave their little oasis, either. Salem felt like napping afterwards, but he refrained from dragging Akasha back under the covers with him . . . mostly because he had worked up quite the appetite that morning. He'd been hungry before, but now? Ravenous. Akasha got up out of bed, pulling him with great effort to his feet, and headed to the shower. He sighed, grabbing his clothes out of his room and going into the bathroom when she was done, getting a quick shower and getting dressed in his usual jeans and flannel, with a black shirt underneath the blue and black plaid. He smirked and grabbed a little woven bracelet she'd gotten once, with a wolf-charm on it, and slipped it on. He had originally been annoyed by her buying him things, but he secretly had kept it all that time.

Before he actually left the bedroom, his phone beeped at him, reminding him of a voicemail and missed call he had yet to listen to or see. He clicked open his phone, putting it to his ear. He was expecting it to be Octavius, since it had been made from Octavius' phone, but it was Desmond. "Salem, I wouldn’t be calling if it wasn’t important." Desmond told him. Obviously. "This concerns the safety of Octavius and my child so I wish to speak with you in private," he told the wolf. Salem cursed. Octavius was in danger? God, why couldn't he have one day . . . Sighing, Salem dialed Desmond's number and got an answering machine.

"Stopping by later so you can tell me what the hell you're talking about. If you're the reason he's in danger, so help me, I'll rip you to shreds like I planned to when I hadn't met you yet." Salem said, hushed, in case Akasha came walking upstairs. She didn't. Salem paced back and forth for a moment, then rubbed his face and plastered on a neutral expression. Salem eventually made it down to the bottom floor of the apartment, and found Akasha cooking food enough for an army, half of which already sitting out on plates. He grabbed two of them and started shoveling it into his mouth, wondering if Elias was ever going to come back. They needed to go vampire hunting and Salem needed to talk to Desmond about whatever the ******** that message had been about. He was clearly pissed, and he probably needed to tell Akasha.

"Something is wrong." Salem said, as if it hadn't been obvious by his face. "Desmond called from Octavius' number and left some cryptic message last night about him and the baby being in danger. I'm going later to ask what's going on. You coming with me?" Salem asked. He already knew she would be. If it was their fishboy, they were going to go. No matter what. That kid was family. "It's probably best Octavius is kept out of the loop. Whatever reason Desmond had to call me was probably a good one." Salem paused, shoveling the rest of what he was going to eat into his mouth, leaving quite a bit for Akasha. "I want to talk with Elias first; he needs to come with me later so I can teach him something important. And I have a feeling both of them are going to want to know what's going on," Salem said, though unbeknownst to him, both of them already knew because Amber had been the one to enlighten his Holiness, Desmond Blake.

[FearlessLemur]

"Let’s get downstairs then," Desmond said. They held hands as they descended, but then Desmond wanted Octavius to hang back and he did. Seeing the two people from his dream—vision; his vision—was very weird. He hadn't seen either of them before just then in real life, but it was like he knew every single contour of their faces already, being stuck in that goddamn vision. And seeing the tall one nearly die . . . well, there were four heartbeats in the space in front of Octavius, one of which his daughter's . . . so one was missing. Octavius was about to say something, but he held back as Desmond began speaking.

"Demon, we meet again." Desmond said evenly. Octavius still stayed back, not sure what the tall one was. A vampire? If he was, Octavius probably smelled really good right around then. Octavius frowned, but again, said nothing. He wasn't sure what he was, after all. "You are looking . . . better." He said. "Come in, both of you. We shall discuss whatever business you have inside." He said then stepped back. Mistake number one. The tall one stepped through first, leaving the demon to trail behind. The tall one looked to Octavius and Octavius barred his sharks' teeth at him, cautious, but a second later, once Desmond had stepped into his line of sight, it wasn't Octavius he was latching onto, but Desmond. "What the fu—" Desmond's expletive was cut off by the bite, and Octavius let out a cry. The demon was frozen in shock, and it all happened too fast for them to do anything about any of it. Tristan was flung off of Des onto a couch, and Desmond scrambled, trying to get his legs under him and failing.

He was gripping his neck, and Octavius knelt beside him as the blood gushed through his fingers, covering the hand and wound with his own, threads of healing going from one to the other. The skin knit together, bleeding stopped, until all that was left was a bruise—nasty one—and two tiny puncture wounds. His leg was probably feeling better too; Octavius had channeled a little energy to that as well, since he knew that the worst could be healed easily in Desmond's neck. It was a minor wound, given the capabilities of the . . . vampire. What an unusual vampire he was, though; normally they couldn't stomach anything that tasted like their own blood, which Desmond's would have . . . "Curse you Leviathan, Repentant Demon," Desmond spat out using the demon’s full name. "Allowing me to invite a freak of vampire into my house without warning was not the way to get on my good side!" His said angrily. Octavius kissed his temple, hugging him close. The demon was near his vampire thing now, and snarled at Desmond.

"Excuse me! You still owed me anyway! And I just fed Tristan— I've never made a vampire before— I swear I had no idea—. . ." He trailed off, shaking his head and righting the couch, reaching out and touching Tristan's cheek, wiping a bit of blood off his chin and then putting his finger into his mouth. His eyes burned red and Leviathan shook his head. "God dammit, Tristan, you should've told me how bad the thirst was before we got to the front door. It's nothing to be ashamed of." Leviathan said.

"Wait . . . You made him a vampire? I thought other vampires could only make vampires?" Octavius asked, stating the obvious. Leviathan looked at him, and smiled. He had strategically sat on Tristan's lap, putting a barrier between him and Desmond.


█████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████

[FearlessLemur]

The door was opened to reveal the merman huddled in the shadows near the stairs, and Desmond's home still quite empty, seeing as the other demon had destroyed it quite spectacularly. "Demon, we meet again." Desmond said evenly. "You are looking . . . better." He said, looking at Tristan for a moment. Leviathan smiled, and went to say what they were there for, but Desmond was speaking again, and Leviathan didn't have any time to react to any of the events that happened. "Come in, both of you. We shall discuss whatever business you have inside." He said then stepped back. Tristan accepted the invitation and entered the home, looking at Octavius, noticing the oddity of his body shape and also the awkward number of heartbeats in the room. Leviathan was worried for a moment that the mer smelled good to him, but he didn't—Desmond did, as he found out a second later, when Tristan launched himself at Desmond. "What the fu—" Desmond's expletive was cut off by the bite, and Octavius let out a cry. The demon was frozen in shock, and it all happened too fast for them to do anything about any of it. Tristan was flung off of Des onto a couch, and Desmond scrambled, trying to get his legs under him and failing.

He was gripping his neck, and the mer knelt beside him as the blood gushed through his fingers, covering the hand and wound with his own, healing him. Leviathan was focused on Tristan, looking him over for injuries, but found none. Tristan was just pissed. Oh, God, could this have gotten any worse? "Curse you Leviathan, Repentant Demon," Desmond spat out using the demon’s full name. Leviathan winced and hissed involuntarily, then winced again at his own reaction. "Allowing me to invite a freak of vampire into my house without warning was not the way to get on my good side!" His said angrily. Octavius kissed his temple, hugging him close.

"Excuse me! I had no chance to tell yo—you still owed me anyway! And I just fed Tristan— I've never made a vampire before— I swear I had no idea—. . ." He trailed off, shaking his head and righting the couch, reaching out and touching Tristan's cheek, wiping a bit of blood off his chin and then putting his finger into his mouth. The blood didn't taste all that great to Leviathan, but evidently it smelled good enough to send newborn Tristan into a feeding frenzy. Duly noted. His eyes burned red and Leviathan shook his head. "God dammit, Tristan, you should've told me how bad the thirst was before we got to the front door. It's nothing to be ashamed of." Leviathan said, leaning and kissing Tristan as Octavius looked between them, obviously confused by the whole situation.

"Wait . . . You made him a vampire? I thought other vampires could only make vampires?" Octavius asked, stating the obvious. Leviathan looked at him, and smiled. He had strategically sat on Tristan's lap, putting a barrier between him and Desmond.

"That's why we came here today; because I made him." Leviathan said, leaning his head back to nuzzle Tristan. He couldn't have allowed the man to die. Leviathan held Tristan's hands on his waist, watching Desmond closely. "He couldn't drink human blood; I needed an idea for an alternative and was going to ask for a tiny bit to test of yours anyways." Levi said. "Remember that favor I kept of yours?" Leviathan prompted. He was still miffed about the witch using his full name; it was a sore spot, since he could be literally puppeted if the witch was strong enough and the proper ritual conducted. ******** if he was going to tell Desmond his own specific ritual, though. The witch might be able to figure it out but he certainly wasn't going to help. "Now, if you're quite finished bitching about our entrance, I'd like to be introduced to your cutiepie over there and the babe inside him." Leviathan said. He smiled at the mer, and the mer helped Desmond to his feet, making sure he was okay before letting go.

"Desmond you're not going to really kill him are you?" Octavius whispered, though of course both Leviathan and Tristan could hear. Octavius put a hand on Desmond's arm, silently pleading for the witch not to continue on his furious rampage. Good. Leviathan liked Octavius and knowing another supernatural gay couple would be nice, especially if one of them was a powerful witch like Desmond . . .

[Inuyasha_roxs_08]

Outfit


Akasha notices the bracelet around his wrist. She smiled at him. Akasha had gotten that for him at some point and he had never worn it. At the time he had been annoyed at her for giving him a gift. Sadly enough, her memories of her own past were starting to fade with each passing day. Soon she would be like a normal human and have to really think to recall things. Even so, she could remember that bracelet and found it humorous he decide to wear it now. Now that they were a couple; that is.

Salem was distracted. She could tell even as he shoved food into his mouth. He had come down the stairs with no smile or glow to him. Moments before he had been smiling from ear to ear. Something was wrong. Should she even ask? Akasha decided to wait for him to say something before she asked. Akasha sat next to him and slowly ate some of the food. Her stomach was getting used to eating human food. But no matter what, she doubted she could ever eat as much as Salem.

"Something is wrong." She looked over at him. Akasha knew he wasn't talking about their relationship. "Desmond called from Octavius' number and left some cryptic message last night about him and the baby being in danger. I'm going later to ask what's going on. You coming with me?" She about dropped her fork as she choked on her food. Finally she swallowed and drank some water to help out. She wondered what kind of danger Octavius was in. Had she still been a vampire, she could have sense something was wrong. She had once tasted the mer's blood and therefore had a connection to him. Now that she was human, she couldn't feel his soul around her. "Nothing could keep me from going." She frowned and found she had lost her appetite.

Akasha was weak now. A perfect time for someone to target Octavius. What could she even do? "It's probably best Octavius is kept out of the loop. Whatever reason Desmond had to call me was probably a good one." He finished eating and she got up to put the leftovers away. Akasha was in full worried mode. Octavius was like her brother and she would give her life for his. "I want to talk with Elias first; he needs to come with me later so I can teach him something important. And I have a feeling both of them are going to want to know what's going on," She looked at him. If he wanted Elias, did that mean vampires were involved? Her nails dug into the counter top and she sighed.

"Then we should find Elias and head over to find Desmond now. I don't like any of this." She bit her lip. "If he called you, then it has to be serious." It was clear Desmond hated everyone that loved Octavius. That included Salem and of course Akasha. Akasha went upstairs a moment and then returned to Salem. She had shoved a knife into one of her black boots that was hidden unless you were really looking. In her hand she had a small caliber gun that she was checking out. It was loaded and ready to go. "Don't worry...I know how to use it." Very much so.

Akasha had learned to shot a gun years ago and was a good marksman as well. The bullets inside the gun were nothing special. She would need to get silver ones made for werewolves and find something to work against vampires. But this would work for now. Akasha slipped the gun into her other shoe where it was hidden like the knife. If they ran into trouble, she could hold her own. Even so, she knew Salem would try to protect her.

With that done, she stood there lost. She wanted to go now to find out if her fish stick friend was alright. Now that Salem had said something, there was no way she could relax until she knew for herself. What if they couldn't find Elias? Akasha bit her lip again and tried to sit down. She was waiting on Salem to either get Elias home or find out where he was.

[shadow tempyst]

Tristan licked his lips, tasting the remainder of the witch’s blood on his lips. It wasn’t purely demon like Levi’s, but there was something dark a twist of human and demonic taint. His eyes glowed without control, not like he really knew how to turn it off. He stared over the couch at Desmond, the mer joining his side. The witch was fumbling, blood leaking out from between his clamped fingers. He was trying to stand but couldn’t get his feet under him. The mer was doing something about that, Tristan being able to see the wound knit itself from where he stood. Damn. He liked this man’s blood.

“Curse you Leviathan, Repentant Demon,” Desmond spat out apparently using Levi’s full name. Tristan could honestly admit he hadn’t known that before. Tristan heard Levi hiss, the demon having neared him. “Allowing me to invite a freak of vampire into my house without warning was not the way to get on my good side!” The witch said, venom dripping off his words. Tristan could read his face from across the room. If there was a stake ready and available the witch would take him down old cheesy movie style.

"Excuse me! I had no chance to tell yo—you still owed me anyway! And I just fed Tristan— I've never made a vampire before— I swear I had no idea—. . ." He trailed off, shaking his head and righting the couch, reaching out and touching Tristan's cheek, wiping a bit of blood off his chin and then putting his finger into his mouth. Levi didn’t seem to like the taste all that well, unlike him. "God dammit, Tristan, you should've told me how bad the thirst was before we got to the front door. It's nothing to be ashamed of." Levi said, leaning and kissing Tristan as Octavius looked between them. Tristan pulled back once they’d kiss his mouth opening to say something but the mer was quicker to speak.

"Wait . . . You made him a vampire? I thought other vampires could only make vampires?" the mer asked, stating the obvious. Levi looked at him, and smiled. They now sat on the couch where Levi sat on his lap like a pleased cat. A pleased cat that was also acting as a shield because it looked like Desmond still had death on his mind.

"That's why we came here today; because I made him." Levi said, leaning his head back to nuzzle Tristan. Levi held Tristan's hands on his waist, watching Desmond closely. "He couldn't drink human blood; I needed an idea for an alternative and was going to ask for a tiny bit to test of yours anyways." Levi said. "Remember that favor I kept of yours?" Levi prompted. Desmond scowled. "Now, if you're quite finished bitching about our entrance, I'd like to be introduced to your cutiepie over there and the babe inside him." Levi said. He smiled at the mer, and the mer helped Desmond to his feet, making sure he was okay before letting go.

The witch’s scowl deepened when the mer was mentioned and the . . . baby? Tristan had gotten caught up in the blood lust but now it dawned on him that there was another heartbeat. Male mers had babies? Wait, two males had a baby?! He had definitely not been taught that in sex ed. Desmond’s face faltered when his mer helped his rise to his feet but he managed to stay up right though he had a hand firmly placed on the wall, his shoulders hunched slightly.

"Desmond you're not going to really kill him are you?" the mer whispered, though of course both Levi and he could hear. The mer put a hand on Desmond's arm. It was a silent plea for peace. He seemed . . . good for the witch. Which was good for them in the long run.

Desmond whispered something into the air, it sounded like another spell. Then he whispered into Octavius. This time they couldn’t hear the trickle of voice from the other side of the room. The spell must have muted them. Desmond kissed the top of Octavius’ head then looked towards Levi and Tristan. “My name is Desmond Blake, I’m unsure if you were aware of that fledgling. I’m a blood magic, a death dealer. This here is my fiancé Octavius, a merman and in his womb is our child.” Desmond said evenly. “Now what is it you need exactly?” He asked. Tristan looked to Levi.

[shadow tempyst]

Skylar thankfully appeared after a pause. Asa’s eyes settled on her fox form. It was elegant and beautiful were his was dominating and harsh. She dragged out what he could only assume were her belongings then stretched and yawned. She must have been sound asleep before he’d taken out that hunter. "It seems I let my guard down." She said, her voice drifting into his mind. "You should leave before more come." She sighed and shifted into her human female form. She was wearing what she had been the night before. Odd. She collected her belongs as he shook his head. Why would he leave her? Damn her for thinking that. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and he pulled it out, having not paid attention to Skylar getting hers out.

I know <3

His lips twitched into a smile as Sklyar got up and slipped her phone into her pocket and slung her bag over her shoulder. "Why are you here?" She asked. "You should be heading to work. Not saving poor little me." He noticed the bandage on her arm and his eyes narrowed. What had happened when he’d left her last night?

“I was here to watch the sunrise.” Asa said simply. He didn’t go into lengthy detail about what it meant to him. He’d missed it anyways so it didn’t really matter. Skylar went over to the man that was out cold. She placed a hand on the man, a soft glow coming from her palm and fingers. It seemed like she was removing his memories or wiping them clean, maybe she was washing him of their presence? He couldn’t be for sure but it was probably for the better whatever she was doing. “I wanted to see it before I went to work. I didn’t expect you to be sleeping on the beach and I wouldn’t have known if not for the hunter roaming about.” Asa said.

Skylar came closer and gently took the jacket he had yet to offer to her. She slipped it on after shifting her bag, then snuggled herself into his body. "What a night I had." Skylar directed him towards his shop though he barely acknowledged that fact. Because on the way she explained what had happened the previous night: the hunters finding her out at the hotel, being shot at when fleeing, and then sleeping out on the beach. It angered him despite it not being his problem. A long time ago, any mention of hunters sent him reeling and he’d help anyone in need. Then it got to the point where he simply told people it wasn’t his problem. He the hunters weren’t hot on his trail then he didn’t give a damn, but, then there was Skylar . . .

"Seems my morning will be just as eventful." Skylar said. Asa could tell she wasn’t up to her chipper self. She was tired, weak even. "There are hunters crawling around all over town I bet."

Asa stopped her just outside the jewelry store, turning her toward him. “Skylar, I can see you’re stuck with the idea the hunters have come because of you, but I’m the one who has put you in danger.” Asa said firmly. “From the moment I lost the last remaining member of my family I have been hunted. I can even point and name some those bastards out. Their ancestors nearly killed me.” Asa grasped Skyler’s shoulders, leveling his face with hers. “By the way some have taken a liking to you means whatever hunter was on your trail has probably joined up with the others. The society has flagged Boston which means we are all in danger.” Asa said grimly. “You may try and do something rash to get them your trail or mine but it won’t work.” He stood back and shook his head. “Just be careful alright?” He asked, squeezing her shoulder before dropping his arms. He turned away from her. “I’ll see you around,” he said evenly and then walked into the store. He didn’t have to have his jacket so she could keep it on her.

[Inuyasha_roxs_08]

< Girl - Boy >

Outfits:
Female Skylar
Male Skylar


Skylar felt him turn her towards him. She looked up into his serious eyes. “Skylar, I can see you’re stuck with the idea the hunters have come because of you, but I’m the one who has put you in danger.” He said to her in a firm voice. “From the moment I lost the last remaining member of my family I have been hunted. I can even point and name some those bastards out. Their ancestors nearly killed me.” As he grasped her shoulders, he leveled his face with hers. “By the way some have taken a liking to you means whatever hunter was on your trail has probably joined up with the others. The society has flagged Boston which means we are all in danger.” He was right, but it didn't make her feel any better. She had only added to the chaos in Boston. She frowned. “You may try and do something rash to get them off your trail or mine but it won’t work.” Again, he was right. She knew that. No matter what, Asa would be in danger. Skylar sighed and let him back away from her.

“Just be careful alright?” She nodded slowly and look at her feet. "Okay..." He turned from her and she went to follow, but his words stopped her. “I’ll see you around,” Skylar felt like a lost puppy. She wanted to follow him into the store, but knew she shouldn't. Even with his jacket she suddenly felt cold. Asa's words had stung, but did not shock her. The hunters would always be a threat here. They always had been, or at least she assumed so. Asa had brought his own hunters here and now she added hers. It wasn't her fault or his. Nothing she would do or could do would ever help. But how could she stay here knowing she was going to be in more danger than before? How could she leave Asa behind? All her life she had been running ever since she saw that man killed and stole his face. Maybe she shouldn't run anymore.

Skylar looked into his shop. If she walked in there now, that meant she could never go back. She would be accepting the risk of the hunters. Asa. Asa was worth the risk. She didn't know why, but she needed to be by his side. Skylar had been drawn to him the moment she saw him. And that first kiss. Even now the thought was making her smile. ******** it. You only live once. Skylar went into his store but walked past him and to the employee bathroom. In there she washed her face, checked her now healed arm, and changed into fresh clothing. Skylar paused to regain herself. Slowly she was getting back her color and her energy. She found a place to stash her belongings and came out to go to his side. Skylar got his arms though his jacket and buttoned it up. "You've put me in no more danger than I was in before I came here." She smiled and let her fingers linger on the buttons, looking up at him. "Unless you are going to count yourself as being dangerous." She gave him a grin. "Because you are very...very...dangerous." She leaned in and kissed him gently. "And very much worth the risk of me sticking around."

Skylar snickered and started to clean the glass tops to his cases, trying to ignore the pull of all the sparkling treasure. How could he, a dragon, work around all this? Wasn't he just as bad as her as wanting any and all treasure. She tore her eyes away and looked at him. "That is...unless you rather I leave." She liked to think she already knew the answer to that. Asa wouldn't want her to go. Right? It almost seemed like he was ready to just let her go moments ago. "But we could team up. More power in numbers...right?" She put the cleaning stuff away and smiled at him. If he wanted her to stay or go, she had to hear it from him. If he told her to go, she would...but be very sad to do so. Chances are she wouldn't really go, she would most likely stick around and make sure he was safe. If Boston was already screwed, it wouldn't matter if she stayed or not.

[shadow tempyst]

Pissed was definitely an understatement in this case. Desmond could have burned the vampire to ashes if it wasn’t for his wound causing his throat to be wet with blood. It was a disturbing feeling and he knew that the wetness would only garble his words if he tried speaking, especially shouting a spell of that level. He had enough blood on the floor though to cast something real nasty, but Octavius drew his attention away from his revenge scheming. Octavius placed his hands over the one of Desmond’s that was death gripping his neck. He felt the tingle of Octavius’ magic. The soft warmth as his neck knitted itself back together. He slowly removed his hand, then prodded the skin and winced. The bruising there was probably god awful.

"Excuse me! I had no chance to tell yo—you still owed me anyway! And I just fed Tristan— I've never made a vampire before— I swear I had no idea—. . ." the demon trailed off. Right, because getting your head nearly gnawed off your neck was a good balance to the deal they had . . . not! Desmond gritted his teeth, still sitting on the floor, his hands sticky with his own blood and his clothes ruined. It definitely wasn’t the first time by any means. The demon tasted his blood seeming to find nothing good about it. There was a reason as to why. "God dammit, Tristan, you should've told me how bad the thirst was before we got to the front door. It's nothing to be ashamed of." The demon said, leaning and kissing Tristan as Octavius looked between them.

"Wait . . . You made him a vampire? I thought other vampires could only make vampires?" Octavius asked, stating the obvious. Leviathan looked at him, and smiled. The two now occupied the couch where Levi sat on his lap like a lap animal.

"That's why we came here today; because I made him." The demon said, leaning his head back to nuzzle his vampire. All the while the demon watched him closely; which was wise, because Desmond reeked of anger, blood, magic, and death. Bad combination. "He couldn't drink human blood; I needed an idea for an alternative and was going to ask for a tiny bit to test of yours anyways." Leviathan said. "Remember that favor I kept of yours?" Leviathan prompted. Desmond scowled. "Now, if you're quite finished bitching about our entrance, I'd like to be introduced to your cutiepie over there and the babe inside him." Levi said.

Desmond’s face stiffened into one of determined anger. Octavius helped him to his feet and only let him go when he was sure he wasn’t about to teeter over which is how he felt. He was incredibly light headed. He placed a hand on the wall nearest, keeping himself steady.

"Desmond you're not going to really kill him are you?" Octavius whispered, though of course both Levi and he could hear. He didn’t like them listening in. Octavius put a hand on his arm. It was a silent plea for peace. Desmond sighed.

He whispered a spell into the air, feeling the energy leave him as the magic took effect. Then he turned to Octavius. “He is a piece in this chess game Octavius, but a demon and its vampire must know there place in house. It is right for them to be fearful, but I won’t kill him unless it comes to it.” Desmond said, knowing the two across the room couldn’t hear them. “I must protect what is mine.” Desmond said evenly. His hand caressed Octavius swollen stomach and the form inside shifted then the witch kissed him before pulling back and uttering a counter spell as he turned to face the demon and vampire. “My name is Desmond Blake, I’m unsure if you were aware of that fledgling. I’m a blood mage, a death dealer. This here is my fiancé Octavius, a merman and in his womb is our child.” Desmond said evenly. “Now what is it you need exactly?” He asked. His expression was fierce and his posture had straightened. There was time for weakness later.

[FearlessLemur]

The shielding was working. That, and the mer's coaxing was getting Desmond out of his I-need-to-kill rut. Once the mer had asked his questions, Leviathan was quick to respond, and his change of subject, of course, pissed of Desmond. What didn't piss of Desmond? Good Lord, that witch had a stick up his a** if anyone did. Leviathan smirked to himself, but then frowned as Desmond struggled to stay standing. He wasn't in tip-top shape, that was for sure. Leviathan glanced at Tristan, the frown not fading. He needed to be less self-conscious about the thirst; Leviathan could handle small doses, and if he could tide Tristan over, then he would. Levi looked to Desmond, who had his hand on the wall to keep from toppling over, his mer hovering near his shoulder to make doubly sure that didn't occur.

"Desmond you're not going to really kill him are you?" The merman whispered, though of course it could be heard by both vampire and demon in addition to the witch whose ears it was meant for. Not responding directly, Desmond whispered something into the air; it was a spell—one meant to silence his speech, and his lover's. He spoke to Octavius, before touching his stomach briefly and kissing the top of his head, muttering the counter-spell.

"My name is Desmond Blake; I'm unsure if you were aware of that, fledgling. I'm a blood mage, a death dealer. This here is my fiancé, Octavius, a merman, and in his womb is our child." Leviathan smiled.

"Bet they didn't teach you that in sex-ed." Leviathan said, making Octavius blush furiously but giggle. Tristan couldn't blush, but if he could, Leviathan supposed he might have. The joke only seemed to, of course, irritate Desmond. "Cute," Leviathan finally responded. "As I'm sure you've figured out by now, Octavius, I am Leviathan and this here is my vampire, Tristan. Most call me Levi, since my real name . . . well, let's just say I like Levi." Leviathan said, winking. Octavius hesitantly smiled, glancing at Desmond. He probably hadn't had any good experiences with demons—who had, honestly? And Leviathan had just killed that one that had haunted the witch's home . . . both of their home.

"Now what is it you need exactly?" He asked, as they lapsed into silence. Tristan looked to Levi, since he was apparently the man with the plan. Leviathan shrugged.

"Already got some of your blood, thank you," Leviathan said, moving on quickly before Desmond could change his mind about murdering Tristan. "Now I'd just like your vampire hit-list. If your blood works, I'm pretty sure theirs will too and obviously my blood doesn't cut it for him right now." Leviathan paused, letting what he wanted sink in for a moment. Levi looked to Tristan, smiling. "And I'd also like to talk to whoever it is who funnels you information about if this has ever happened before." Leviathan said, looking to Desmond. "I thought I heard somewhere it was some faerie?"

"It is—" Octavius stopped talking when Desmond shot him a look. The mer shrugged. Leviathan wondered who it was. He'd heard through the grapevine some faerie and a witch had gone on a rampage through the underground of the supernatural community on the hunt for fae, but he sincerely doubted it had been Desmond. But maybe the faerie, who already worked for one witch, had worked with the other? Leviathan shrugged. Octavius raised his brows, expecting Desmond to tell them what he could and do what he could to help. Unbeknownst to Leviathan and Tristan, Octavius thought this was the best way to keep the 'pawns' in proper play.

[FearlessLemur]

Octavius supposed he should've seen it coming; usually vampires didn't like the taste of witch blood; it tasted too much like their own. Which was why, he thought, Desmond decided to step in front of him when it became clear Tristan wasn't human—to vampires, merfolks' blood tasted divine. "That's why we came here today; because I made him." The demon said, leaning his head back to nuzzle his vampire. Cute. Octavius hesitantly smiled, seeing the tenderness between them. In his dream, or vision as Desmond insisted he call it, they had been mad for each other, one refusing to let the other die lest he be without him for a moment . . . at least, that was what Octavius had read. It seemed to be true, even if he had romanticized it a little to be more like his and Desmond's relationship.

Because Desmond wasn't allowed to die. His soul was bound to Octavius', and the witch owned his everything—heart, mind, body and soul. But that was a different matter. Octavius lost his smile and glanced at Desmond; he could feel the weakness, pain, and murderous anger barely held in check . . . not a good combo. "He couldn't drink human blood; I needed an idea for an alternative and was going to ask for a tiny bit to test of yours anyways." The demon said. "Remember that favor I kept of yours?" The demon prompted. Desmond scowled, and Octavius raised a brow. What favor did a demon have of Desmond's? Hadn't they just gotten rid of a demon? "Now, if you're quite finished bitching about our entrance, I'd like to be introduced to your cutiepie over there and the babe inside him." Leviathan—at least that's what Octavius seemed to remember Desmond calling him—said.

Octavius bent, helping Desmond to his feet, once the witch had regained enough of his faculties to properly stand alone. When Leviathan let the last few words slip from his mouth, both Desmond and Octavius' muscles stiffened; they still weren't used to people automatically knowing. Desmond placed a hand on the wall nearest, keeping himself steady. At the look he gave both the demon and vampire, Octavius' face softened slightly. "Desmond you're not going to really kill him are you?" Octavius whispered, though of course both Leviathan and Tristan could hear. Octavius had to say it loud enough for Desmond to hear, though, because he didn't have supernatural hearing like three out of the four beings in the room. Desmond clearly didn't like the two guests listening in, though, and reading the expression wrong, Octavius put a hand on his arm, thinking things were about to get interesting. They didn't. He sighed, and whispered a spell into the air, which apparently muted their voices to just near them.

"He is a piece in this chess game Octavius, but a demon and its vampire must know their place in house. It is right for them to be fearful, but I won’t kill him unless it comes to it." Desmond said. Octavius' shoulders relaxed, now that the lives of the two men across the room weren't in danger. He wasn't pleased that Desmond had been attacked, but he'd invested a lot of emotion into the survival of the two of them in his dreams—visions—and therefore didn't want that all to be for naught. "I must protect what is mine." Desmond said evenly. His hand caressed Octavius swollen stomach and the form inside shifted, causing a jolt to go through Octavius. The baby kicked again, making Octavius smile and blush slightly. Of course he had never been pregnant before—hadn't thought it'd happen for another hundred years, at least—and so even the small things were shocking and pleasurable. Desmond kissed him, then, before pulling back and uttering the counter spell so the others could hear them again. "My name is Desmond Blake; I’m unsure if you were aware of that, fledgling. I’m a blood mage, a death dealer. This here is my fiancé Octavius, a merman, and in his womb is our child.” Desmond said evenly. Leviathan smiled.

"Bet they didn't teach you that in sex-ed." Leviathan said, making Octavius blush furiously but giggle. Desmond wasn't all that amused, so Leviathan pressed on before Des could say something . . . or do something. "Cute," Leviathan finally responded. "As I'm sure you've figured out by now, Octavius, I am Leviathan and this here is my vampire, Tristan. Most call me Levi, since my real name . . . well, let's just say I like Levi." Leviathan said, winking. Octavius hesitantly smiled, glancing at Desmond. Octavius had caught the way Desmond had hurled his full name at him before—a weakness, perhaps? Hmm. Octavius didn't know how he felt about the demon; they had, after all, just recently gotten rid of a poltergeist-like demon from their home.

“Now what is it you need exactly?” Desmond asked, pushing the conversation along before any of them could get caught up in niceties. His expression was fierce and his posture had straightened. He looked more like the Desmond Octavius was used to, now. Octavius trailed his fingers down the inside of his arm, twining them with his witch's as Levi responded.

"Already got some of your blood, thank you," Leviathan said, moving on quickly before Desmond could change his mind about murdering Tristan. Close call, that was. "Now I'd just like your vampire hit-list. If your blood works, I'm pretty sure theirs will too and obviously my blood alone doesn't cut it for him right now." Leviathan paused, letting what he wanted sink in for a moment. Levi looked to Tristan, smiling. Cute. Octavius looked to Desmond—that one female, the one that had been obsessed with Octavius at the underground club thing—did he know who she was? Did he really have a vampire hit-list? "And I'd also like to talk to whoever it is who funnels you information about if this has ever happened before." Leviathan said, looking to Desmond. "I thought I heard somewhere it was some faerie?"

"It is—" Octavius stopped talking when Desmond shot him a look. The mer shrugged, and Octavius raised his brows, expecting Desmond to tell them what he could and do what he could to help. Unbeknownst to Leviathan and Tristan, Octavius thought this was the best way to keep the 'pawns' in proper play. Because if Desmond gave them a proper food source, then maybe they'd feel indebted, or at least friendly towards, Desmond and Octavius. And it never hurt to have fearsome friends, powerful friends. "Des?" Octavius prompted, squeezing his hand slightly.



█████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████████

[shadow tempyst]

The couple ate in mutual silence, both being basically starving. Between the two of them, they went through at least six salads plus many drink refills. Afterward, they hailed a taxi and headed back to his apartment. She hadn’t suggested hers and so he hadn’t brought it up. AS soon as they got there they fell asleep. Kalen dreamed in bliss. The cold was like an invisible beating every time he took a step outdoors so sleep came easy these days as well as sleeping or long periods of time. Illyria had risen early, but Kalen wasn’t disturbed. He briefly acknowledged her absence though, one brilliant green eye opening and taking in the empty spot on the opposite side of the bed before he flipped onto his stomach and went back to sleep.

He awoke the next time by Illyria’s chilled lips. "Rise and shine, Faerie." Illyria said, trailing her fingers over his chest. "We need to pay a visit to a few people. I was followed today; I think hunters finally figured out what I am." At first he didn’t fully process what she was saying. Then all at once his eyes snapped open and he rose up out of bed.

“Hunters? In Boston?” He asked. Hunters were . . . not a problem for Fae. Hunters were foolish humans who’d dedicated themselves in the dark ages to ridding the world of the beasts of myth. They knew a lot but also very little. They were ignorant in the existence of races outside of what they hunted. They spent years tracking down the last remaining beasts of a near nonexistent race. Even though the Fae were an ancient race they were far more trouble than it was worth. Kalen couldn’t deny it, he was.

Illyria had left the room to go and sit at the table. He joined her once he was washed and dressed in black slacks, a collared shirt and sweater. He fluffed his bangs with one hand as he sat down, accepting a delicious sweet from Illyria. “There haven’t been Hunters sniffing around here since . . .” Kalen thought back. He’d literally been here all his life since his forest had existed and been under his watch. “. . . since a chimera lived in my forest.” He said. Of course, now he didn’t because the Hunters had come and killed him. He looked to Illyria. “I won’t let anything happen to you.” He said, determined. “If anything you can always leave, but I know you have quite the little life made here.” Kalen said, not even throwing himself in there, because he did not want her staying because of him.

“Who are we going to go see?” He asked. “Desmond?” He studied her for a moment. “The Asa fellow?” He asked.

[shadow tempyst]

Elias knew Amber could handle herself, especially with it only having been a couple minor scratches. That didn’t mean he didn’t feel sorry. He could have hurt her worse than he had. There would always be that fear. "Don't worry, Elias. I told you I'm not fragile. Look, see?" Amber took his hand, running it over her skin until it rested over the cut. Her eyes ignited and she whispered a single word, tracing his fingers alongside hers in the shape of a rune. He didn’t know much about magic. It had reanimated him and served in various other ways since then but he was no witch. He felt the warmth of the magic though and knew without knowledge of the different kinds of magic that this magic she was using was different then blood magic. Once the rune was drawn, the skin knit itself together, leaving a tiny pink line where one of the deeper scratches had been. She looked to him, and smirked. "Technically it was my fault anyway, Elias," Amber said, kissing his hand and biting the tender flesh of his palm. "I don't want you to always tread lightly around me," she told him, serious even as she smiled. "You're a wolf, and I understand that, and you." Amber leaned up, releasing his hand as she stretched her back popping.

Elias said up as well as Amber looked around them. He recalled what exactly had occurred, having lost himself in the bliss of love-making. Right. They had had a double date with Salem and Akasha. It had ended badly. His fault. Always was. He shook his head to himself as Amber spelled her dress back onto her bed, and conjured an outfit to her, as well as makeup she'd need. She also spelled something for him. Amber got up once their clothes were on the one table in the room, smiling at him. "Come on, let's get a shower. We need to go run a few errands for Octavius today. That is, if you want to come with me," Amber said. Ha, the other choice would be going home and that wasn’t about to happen alone. Salem wanted to teach him a lesson and he was going to prolong that as long as possible.

They both took quick showers and got dressed ready for the day to come. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving. Let's go find some place that has good breakfasts," Amber said, staying close to Elias. They were outside, having checked out of the hotel. "Where do you think we should go?" Amber asked.

“Hmm,” Elias pondered, “we could go to Flinnigan’s?” He asked. Amber shrugged. She didn’t know much when it came to where to go in Boston. She would eventually though, give it time. “Follow me,” Elias said, taking her hand. He led her some distance. It was chilly outside but as the sun rose it warmed up just enough for it to be tolerable for the average temperatured person. AKA not a werewolf who was warm generally all the time.

They eventually came across Flinnigan’s. It was a pancake house with just about every topping that could be slathered on a pancake. “When I moved here, my family would come here every Saturday.” He muttered, not even thinking about what he was saying. He’d never really talked about them with Amber. He opened the door for her to enter first then followed in after. Once seated and their drinks taken, chocolate milk for him, he decided to bring up their plans for the day. “So what errands must you run for Octavius?” He asked.

[shadow tempyst]

Asa wasn’t hoping for anything. He couldn’t ask anyone that. He had been alone for centuries and Skylar was a Kitsune. They weren’t exactly creatures meant for one another. He smiled at one of his co-workers as he took a place behind the counter. The door chimed behind him and he glanced toward the customer entering as he turned away. Was he surprise to see her? Relieved? Angry? He didn’t really know. More or less it was a mixture of them all. He had almost thought she’d turn her back and get the hell away. Sure they had had their fun but they both had their troubles. It was best to separate those. Then again, he didn’t want her to leave. Even though it had only been a day/night they had been through a lot together and it wasn’t going to stop the Hunters if they decided to split. He knew that very well. He had the same families following him since the dark ages. As far as anger . . . all these thoughts and emotions were pissing him off.

Skylar came in and walked past him without a word, escaping into the employee bathroom. When she came out she was in a fresh set of clothing and his jacket. She managed to get his arms through his jacket, pulling it up his arms and buttoning it. Well damn. "You've put me in no more danger than I was in before I came here." She said with a smile, letting her fingers linger on the buttons, looking up at him. "Unless you are going to count yourself as being dangerous." She gave him a grin. "Because you are very...very...dangerous." She leaned in and kissed him gently. "And very much worth the risk of me sticking around."

Skylar snickered and started to clean the glass tops to his cases. "That is...unless you rather I leave." She said. "But we could team up. More power in numbers...right?" She put the cleaning stuff away and smiled at him.

He sighed, pulling a wrinkle out of his jacket sleeve. “A very well can’t go into lengthy detail here,” Asa said, catching a look from a co-worker. This place had a quiet cast over it, the conversation low key. His lips twitched though into a half smile. “I’m glad you’re here. As annoying as you are,” Asa teased, keeping his voice low. “And for now on, you aren’t allowed to stay alone. You need the protection of a dragon.” He said.

The door to the store chimed once again and Asa lifted his gaze from Skylar to the door. “There he is! You were right!” the Fae said, pointing a finger at him. “I don’t know how, but you were,” he said again, though this time he said it to. . .

“Illyria, what are you doing here?” Asa asked. He sighed and then gestured for them all to go outside. He followed after them once he exchanged words to those on staff.

[shadow tempyst]

All the while Tristan felt Levi’s eyes upon him. He was unsure as to whether look over at him and meet his gaze head on or ignore it. He ignored it, knowing it probably wasn’t a good look he was getting. He had just attacked someone. God, he was so ******** up and this was only the beginning. Should Levi have let him die? At least he wouldn’t have taken a chunk out of this witch and almost made his unborn child . . . fatherless? "Bet they didn't teach you that in sex-ed." Levi said, making Octavius blush furiously but giggle. The mer definitely seemed the girly of the two. Where he assumed he was manlier then Levi. When he’d thought Levi as just a human he’d always thought on how the man could be such a girl. He liked that part about him though. Tristan made a face at Levi’s recent comment. He felt no warmth to his cheeks though, not like he usually did. Guess vampire freaks didn’t blush. The tease only seemed to irritate the witch, which wasn’t the least bit surprising. The only softness he’d shown had been towards that merman.

"Cute," Leviathan finally responded. "As I'm sure you've figured out by now, Octavius, I am Leviathan and this here is my vampire, Tristan. Most call me Levi, since my real name . . . well, let's just say I like Levi." Levi said, winking. Octavius hesitantly smiled, glancing at Desmond. Nervous little thing wasn’t he?

"Now what is it you need exactly?" Desmond asked, as they lapsed into silence. Tristan looked to Levi.

"Already got some of your blood, thank you," Levi said, moving on quickly before Desmond could change his mind. They didn’t need that happening. "Now I'd just like your vampire hit-list. If your blood works, I'm pretty sure theirs will too and obviously my blood doesn't cut it for him right now." Levi paused, looking at him with a smile. "And I'd also like to talk to whoever it is who funnels you information about if this has ever happened before." Leviathan said, looking to Desmond. "I thought I heard somewhere it was some faerie?"

"It is—" Octavius stopped talking when Desmond shot him a look. The mer shrugged. Tristan’s eyes narrowed as he looked in between the two then realized he didn’t have to squint. He could see perfectly fine. The witch seemed to be mulling over what Levi had said, while Octavius seemed to think it was a good idea to tell them. Why would he not? He did owe Levi . . .

Finally the witch raised his gaze. “Giving you the list is the end of our little deal,” he said, “but giving you the name of my informant will come in my favor and you Leviathan, will heed to my call when I ask for it.” The witch smirked, and Tristan stiffened, feeling Levi’s grip tighten around his waist. The demon wasn’t going to let him screw this up in worse than he already did.

[FearlessLemur]

It took the half-asleep Kalen a few moments to finally wake enough to realize what she had told him. Hunters, in Boston. They had probably followed Asa; they had been hunting him ever since she had found him half-dead and healed him all those centuries ago. Generations had grown up hearing about one of the last Dragons, and how he'd almost been eliminated. No one knew it was Illyria that'd healed him and unless they found them together or asked, no one ever would. If they were captured and tortured before being put out of their "misery" then perhaps they would be thoughtful enough to ask how their original plans had been thwarted, but Illyria wasn't planning on being captured. She had too much else to do, to live for. Kalen, for one. Boston, her home.

“Hunters? In Boston?” He asked.

"Yes, Kalen. Hunters. In Boston." Illyria said as she walked out of the room and sat. He joined her once he was properly prepared for the day.

“There haven’t been Hunters sniffing around here since . . .” Kalen thought for a moment. Both of them had lived a very, very long time. Remembering back that far got more difficult as days continued to pass. “. . . since a chimera lived in my forest.” He said, then looked to the unicorn. “I won’t let anything happen to you.” He said, determined. A fine sentiment, but sprites weren't all that particularly warrior-like. Illyria said nothing, though. She liked the idea of him protecting her, watching over her. She hadn't had something like that in so long . . . “If anything you can always leave, but I know you have quite the little life made here.” Kalen said. It was odd, him saying that he would protect her and then not even counting himself among reasons why she would stay. Why would she not want to include him? It was strange.

"I have . . . well, more like they have not encountered me since I met Asa. I have seen them, but they do not see me. I was careless, today. It has been too long." Illyria said, eyes dropping to her lap. She frowned, wondering how much of her life she was going to have to leave before it was safe again. Would she need to go home, back to her cottage, to avoid being seen? Her wards would probably protect her, but she didn't want to be a hermit anymore. She liked life in the city, as Kalen helped her to become acclimated. "I am not going to leave, Kalen. Not leaving my home . . . not leaving you either." She told him, looking up and giving him a tiny smile.

“Who are we going to go see?” He asked. “Desmond?” He studied her for a moment. “The Asa fellow?” He asked again. He didn't seem to want to bother with Asa, but at the very least Illyria needed to warn him he'd been found if he didn't already know. Illyria knew that Kalen was jealous of Asa, but he didn't need to be. Illyria and Asa had never been and never would be romantically involved.

"Asa, and then Desmond." Illyria said, getting up and grabbing her coat. It was still chilly outside even though it wasn't that frigid; it was a warmer day for Fall. "I have a feeling that Asa is going to be at a Jewelry store." Illyria said. Kalen looked at her dubiously, not believing that she could possibly know what she was talking about. Only because he still wasn't aware that Asa was a Dragon, and she intended to keep it that way for as long as was possible. "Come, Faerie of mine." Illyria said, motioning for him to follow her through the streets. They went to the priciest of Jewelry stores and didn't find him, but the second most popular in town was where he was. She could sense him before they even walked in, and smirked. Asa lifted his gaze, and Illyria's flitted from his form to . . . a woman's, next to him. Friend? Lady-friend, perhaps? Hmm . . . a Kitsune, though? Strange.

"There he is! You were right!" the Fae said, pointing a finger at Asa. Illyria smirked. Of course she had been right. In all the years she had known him, his habits had never changed. A Dragon never truly shed its scales. She, too, had become a creature of habit in Boston, and it hadn't helped either of them. "I don’t know how, but you were," he said again. Illyria beamed at him; she liked proving the Faerie wrong, even if it was simply to extinguish any doubts he had about her sanity, leading them on this tour through the city jewelers' shops.

"Illyria, what are you doing here?" Asa asked.

"We need to speak, Asa." Illyria said, the smile slowly slipping from her face. Asa gestured for them to go outside, for more privacy. The Kitsune accompanied them, and Illyria took Kalen's hand, smiling at her.

"Hello," Illyria said. "I am Illyria; who might you be?" she asked. The Kitsune had just enough time to answer before Asa emerged unaccompanied. Illyria took one look at him and knew that he was already aware. "A Hunter followed me in the city this morning, Asa." Illyria said. At his look of guilt, she softened slightly. He might've been the reason they had come so soon and in such numbers, but it had been bound to happen sooner or later. "I wanted to warn you, but I see you already know. I fear I have been too lax in my caution and so have you." She sighed, glancing at Kalen. "We're going to see a witch about protection. Strange circumstances pushed me into a deal where I offer my blood occasionally in exchange for continued existence, essentially." Mostly because of Kalen. He hadn't known her enough to think to protect her at the time, and so Desmond knew of her, and wanted to use her.

"Have either of you been hurt? Have you seen them, too? The Hunters, I mean?" Illyria asked, looking between the Kitsune and Asa.