Welcome to Gaia! ::

Anita is Sauron….

Deep in the underground fortress of the ‘Circus of the Damned’ the necromancer Anita Blake gathered together those men who had, at one time or another, fed her ardeur. To each of them she gifted a ring as a sign of their place in her esteem.

To the race of vampires, ancient, powerful, photophobic, she gave five rings.
Byron, “Um, thanks duckie.”
Jean-Claude, “Ma petite, it is lovely.”
Damian, “Your bidding, my master.”
Asher, “It matches the radiance of your eyes, when they’re not doing that dead soulless look.”
Requiem, “It is lovely.”
Jean-Claude, “Why is it tingling?”
Anita, “Nothing, absolutely nothing. It’s just so I can...um…keep track of you, for your own protection.”

To the race of weres, strong, willful, occasionally furry, she gave four rings.
Jason, “Cool.”
Richard (glaring), “Just what I always wanted a team ring.”
Nathaniel, “It matches my pearls, it’s a little tight though.”
Anita, “It’s supposed to go on your finger.” Rolls her eyes. “Strippers.”
Micah, “Thank you, no one’s ever given me a present before,” sniff, “I’m just so touched,” sniff, sob. “When I was forced to live with Chimera-”
Richard, “Oh, give it up Micah, no one really cares.”
Nathaniel, “Oh, I like the tingling.”
Anita, “You’re finger Nathaniel, you’re finger.”

But in secret another ring was forged and into this ring Anita, the Dark Necromancer, poured all her power, her metaphysical beast, the ardeur and her will to rule them all. One by one the preternatural races fell before her (and right into her bed). And that is why the characters are turning into pale copies of their former glory. Their life forces were drained by the ardeur feeding and now mindless puppets that bend to her will.

With these nine rings the Dark Necromancer created a cadre of warriors totally devoted to her will, enraptured by her body, and slaves to her passions.
Richard, “Yeah, whatever.”
Anita, “Excuse me?” she murmured in her darkest tones.
Richard (totally overcome with remorse and guilt), “Oh, I am so sorry darkest queen. You are all that is good and kind and I am a base lycanthrope man-slut.”
Anita, “That’s more like it. Twenty lashes.”
Nathaniel, “Oh, me, me.” (Jumping up an down)
Anita (scowling), “For the Ulfric not from him. Sit down in the comfy chair and take off the silver bracelets.”
Nathaniel, “Ohhh.” (Slumps into corner.)

But unknown to the Dark Necromancer, a last army of women and…um…more women rose up against her. Determined to free those men conquered by the ardeur.

Jessica Arnet, “Follow me and we shall save the men from the evil influences of the Dark Necromancer sugar-mama.”
Gretchen, “Evil woman has stolen my deepest love. I will free you, beloved.”
Jessica, “Okay, Gretel come down.”
Gretchen, “It’s Gretchen.”
Jessica, “Fine.”
Sylvia, “I’m in. Let me near that character-mangling woman and I’ll rip her throat.”
Jessica, “Easy, there. We’re not even sure she can be killed.”
MoAD, “Okay, chicks, like, here’s the plan. The little necromancer has, like, tied herself to four guys. So, like, duh, if we kill any of them, they’re all in trouble.”
Jessica, “I know we shouldn’t have taught her English by watching the 80’s movie marathon.”
Sylvia, “All right. So which guy do we kill to take down the tris? Nathaniel?”
Jessica, “Absolutely not. Jean-Claude.”
Gretchen, “I will kill you if you lay a hand on him? Richard?”
Sylvia, (Glares at Gretchen). “Damian?”
Jessica, Gretchen, MoAD, “Sure” Okay” “Dudette, sounds like a plan.”

So, late that night at Dance Macabre, Sylvia and Jessica start dancing with Damian, large glasses of Holy Water in their sports bottles, and….

Anita, (eyes suddenly open in horror) “They killed Damian.”
Jean-Claude, “Oh, ma petite, quelle horreur.”
Anita, “The pain. The soul-rending pain.”
Nathaniel, “UUUGGGHHH. Pain, and not the good kind.”
Anita, “What can we do?”
Jean-Claude, “There is only one way to stop this.”
Richard, “Oh, wait, let me guess. Group therapy? Sing-a-long? No, could it be…sex?”
Jean-Claude (frowning), “Mon ami.”
Richard, “Don’t start with that placating, mon ami, bit.”
Jean-Claude (long suffering sigh), “We must bind another in Damian’s place and cement all our bonds with group sex.”
(Requiem starts inching unobtrusively to the door. Asher sneaks behind the coat rack. Graham checking to see if anyone wants some snacks is dragged back out by Meng Die.)
Micah (waving hands wildly), “Oh, pick me. Pick me.”
Anita, “Any volunteers?”
Micah (jumping up and down), “Me. Me. Pick me.”
Anita, “Asher. I can see you.”
Asher, “Merde. Yes, Anita?”

Anita sprawls on the bed, revealing that her panties do match her bra. Oh, how nice. Nathaniel writhes beside her, auburn hair spilling onto the ground. Jean-Claude, crawls next to them, his dark hair spilling across the pillow, eyes filling with blue fire. Richard sits gingerly on the edge farthest from them, his foamy hair bristling like Medusa. Asher spills out from behind the coat rack. Anita beckons him closer.

MoaD (bursting into Jean-Claude’s Anita’s inner sanctum, “Ah, ha. Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisit…EWWWWWWWWWW.”
Jessica, “Oh, dear God!”
Sylvia, “I feel sick. Are feet even supposed to go there?”
Jessica, “That’s not a foot. I don’t think.”
Gretchen (hesitant), “Jean-Claude?”
MoaD, “Wow. That’s just wrong. And I thought Belle was a sick puppy.”
Jessica, “How many people are…AUGH, that’s Nathaniel. What’s he…”
MoaD, “Well, little human, that’s called-”
Jessica, “I figured it out, thanks. I think maybe we should just…leave.”
Sylvia, “I’m with you, Jessica. And I thought Raina had some scary tastes.”
Gretchen, “Can you see my Jean-Claude?”
Sylvia, “See that thigh? Now follow it back, then across two bodies and under the blond hair. Isn’t that Jean-Claude?”
Gretchen, “I think so, maybe.”
(Jessica notices a gold ring sticking out from under the bed, gleaming in the candle-light. It seems to be calling to her, beckoning. She quickly grabs it and stuffs it into her pocket and backs away from the squirming figures on the bed.)
MoaD, “Oh, chickies. Come on, let’s go out for some ice cream sundaes. My treat. I’ll tell you about the time I seduced King Nebuchadnezzar. Now, there’s a story. Those crazy Babylonians, did they know how to party…”

MoaD, “So then I told Nebbie, what his place needed something to make it totally rad. Really, like, freak out his enemy. I suggested a huge garden of, like, hanging decomposing bodies. Grab some peasants off the street and string ‘em up.
Jessica (pushing her bowl of ice cream away), “Um, he didn’t go for it?”
MoaD, “As if. Oh, like, he went with the hanging garden part, but, like, without the bodies.”
Sylvia (exchanging a worried look with Jessica), “How disappointing.”
MoaD, “I know!”
MoaD turns back to her sundae, continuing to eat with relish. A grim silence descends. Suddenly, a lithe form sneaks into the ice cream parlor and sits in their booth.
MoaD, “Hey, who are you?”
Meng Die, “Listen. I haven’t much time. Did one of you take the Dark Necromancer’s ring?”
Jessica (with a worried frown), “Well, I found this ring under her bed…”
Meng Die (seizing her hand), “Listen, that ring is the source of her power over her men. You must hide it from her. She is frantic now, searching for it. She was sent out the nine in search of it and of you. Be careful. And above all else, never put it on. If you do they will be drawn to you and the dark power of the succubus will flow in your veins.
MoaD, “Hey chickie, like, take a chill pill.”
Sylvia, “Why are you helping us?”
Meng Die (with a resigned sigh), “I came here to serve Jean-Claude, not that egomaniac, nymphomaniac, necromancer. And I worry that she will steal my lover from me.”
Jessica, “Why? She already has more men than she knows what to…well,” (remembering what she saw in the bed) “I mean, I guess she knows what to do with them, but how can she possibly want more.”
Meng Die, “There is no end to her hunger. Besides, Graham is a new sexy male character, he helped her out in a dangerous situation and he has not yet fed the ardeur. He is ripe for the plucking. Please, I must hurry back, and make sure he has not yet left my bed. Hide the ring. I will give you more instructions when I can.”

They all look at each other, stunned. MoaD pays for the check, flirting for a while with the cute guy behind the counter. When they finally make it back outside they hear a horrible shrieking sound from overhead. Jessica throws herself behind a car, gun ready. Sylvia looks around, claws out. Gretchen snarls. MoaD gapes.

MoaD, “Dude, now there is something you, like, don’t see every day.”

They all look to see what she’s pointing at. High in the sky is Asher, flying, with Nathaniel riding on his back, long auburn hair trailing behind him. Jessica is transfixed. Oh, the beautiful violet eyes, wide shoulders, long, luxuriant hair. She finds herself reaching for the ring. If I put it on, he will come to me, he will stare lovingly into my eyes. To be wrapped in a blanket of auburn-”

Sylvia grabs her hand. “Don’t do it,” she hisses. “You heard what Meng Die said.”
Jessica blinks, her hand falling away from the ring. “I know. It was…”
Sylvie, “We’ll stay with you. I promise. It looks like our job isn’t over yet.”


Back in the Circus of the Damned.

Anita, “What do you mean, you can’t find it?”
Jean-Claude, “Ma petite. I have looked everywhere. I told you that you would lose all sorts of things in a shag rug. I lived through the 60’s, I know of what I speak.”
Jason (walking in with a huge wrench), “I searched through the entire plumping system. I found a pair of silk panties torn to shred, a pair of handcuffs and bottle of Viagra, but no ring. Sorry Anita.”
Anita screams in rage, metaphysical beast clawing at her from the inside.
Jason, “Oh, no, not again. It’s someone else’s turn.” He leaves.
Micah runs in, sword at the ready…um… “metaphorical” sword at the ready.
Anita screams again, writhing on the carpet. “AUGH, it’s been fifteen minutes without sex. Take me, you hot stud, **** me, **** me when I’m still tight. Now, **** me, **** me.”
Jean-Claude (heavy on the sarcasm), “How could we possibly resist, with you spouting such touching endearments like that.”
Micah crouches down on the floor and starts crawling toward her like he has muscles in places human’s don’t. Anita’s eyes widen with a hungry look.
Jean-Claude saunters away.
Anita, “You can’t leave. One man is not enough to satisfy me.”
Jean-Claude stares pointedly at the door. Requiem walks in. “You called.”
Jean-Claude points over his shoulder, “You’re up.”

One hour and a pint of blood loss later…

The ardeur is sated, for the moment.

Asher and Nathaniel walk in, followed by the rest of the nine. Nathaniel slumps on the ground and hands Asher a comb. Anita is momentarily stunned at the sight of Nathaniel’s hair. It is a huge tangled mess, sticking up like a beehive and then spilling down his back in knotty waves. He looks like he got thrown into power lines during the flight. Asher yanks the comb.
Nathaniel, “Ow! Do it again.”
Asher, “I told you to braid it before we started.”
Nathaniel, “But I love the feel of it flying behind me like a cape. I felt like superman. Ow! Ohhhh.”
Anita stomps over, “Well, did you find it?”
Asher, “No, we circled the city over and over again, but not even a glimmer.”
Nathaniel, “There was that little tingling feeling over the ice cream parlor.”
Asher, “So you say, but I didn’t feel it.”
Anita (a speculative look), “Hm, maybe Nathaniel is more sensitive. You know because of where his ring is…”
Asher, “stuck?” he added helpfully.

There’s a loud crash behind them as someone falls off the bed. Micah slowly comes to his knees, a dazed expression on his face. “Did you feel the way our beasts curled around each other like that. It is so rare to feel that with another-”
Asher, “Yeah, it’s sooo rare that you feel it every freaking time you feed the ardeur.”
Micah sulks. “You’re just jealous.”
Asher rolls his eyes.
Anita, “We need to keep searching. Asher you go back out with Nathaniel, Jean-Claude can take Richard.”
Richard, “There is no way in hell I’m going to fly around-”
Anita, “Okay, fine, Mr. I’m-a-screaming-heterosexual. No flying on Jean-Claude.”
Richard (frowning), “Anita’s you don’t understand what it was like to be forced-”
Byron, “I do.”
Jean-Claude, “As do I, mon ami.”
Requiem, “I do, as well.”
Nathaniel, “Me to.”
Micah, “And me.”
Anita, “I thought you said, chimera never, you know…”
Micah (looking around quickly, his face reddening), “Well, I mean, not when he was crazy and sober. But crazy and drunk,” sniff, “it was more than I could bear,” hiccup, “the humiliation…”
Richard bangs his head against the wall in frustration.
Anita, “Fine, Micah will you go with Jean-Claude?”
Micah (cheering instantly), “Oh, of course, whatever you need.”
Richard, “There’s a shocker.”
Anita, “Requiem, Byron, can you fly?”
In unison, “No, no. Absolutely not.” As if to emphasize his point Requiem jumps up and down a few times. “See, no flying.”
Anita, “I wish we still had Damian around. Shame about the holy water.”
A soft croak comes from the corner, “I’m not dead yet.”
Anita, “Right well, I’m sure he won’t last out the night. Everyone else out. Fly my pretties, Fly. Ha ha ha.”
Byron whispering to Requiem, "I swear, I'm going to have daymares about The Wizard of Oz now. And I really like Judy Garland."


Jessica’s Apartment.
Sylvia, “Nice place you have here.”
Jessica, “Um, thanks. Do you know why Mom and Gretchen are hanging out in the hall?”
MoaD, “You have to invite us in, chickie.”
Jessica, “Oh, sorry, come in.”
Gretchen, “So, any idea where to hide this thing.”
Jessica looks around her spotless apartment. “I’m not sure. Maybe under the mattress. I could lock it up with my guns, maybe.” She turns around and lets out a small shriek of surprise at a person floating outside her window. Her hammering heart comes back under control when she realized who it is.
“Malcolm?”
Malcolm moves closer, “Please. I must speak with you. It’s about the,” he lowers his voice, “ring.”
Jessica turns to the other women, “Should we let him in?”
Sylvia shrugs, “As far as I know, the Dark Necromancer hasn’t gotten her claws into this one.”
Jessica, “Okay, come in.”
He crawls through the window and gets caught in the latch. Jessica and Sylvia unhook his coat and he tumbles onto the floor.
Gretchen mutters, “Elegant entrance.”
Jessica, “So, what do you want?”
Malcom, “To help you. The Dark Necromancer must be cleansed from the earth. The one ring must be destroyed.”
Jessica, “But, how?”
Malcolm, “That ring was forged in the fires of the Kitchen of the Damned. Only there can it be unmade. You must take it deep under the Circus of the Damned, to a small corridor off the main entry room. Once there you must travel down a tortuous flight of stairs until you reach the lowest levels of the Circus. From there you must evade, Cerberus, Lycanthrope Guard Dog of the Damned, then left at the statue of Adonis….okay, look I’ll just draw you a map.”

A few hours later…

Jessica, “Hm. I think we’re going to need some help with this.”
Sylvia, “I think I can help.”
Gretchen, “Me too. Just wait here while we make some calls.”

A few hours and another pint of ice cream (courtesy of Mom) later…

Sylvia, “The new recruits have arrived. Jessica, this is Lillian, our wererat doctor, Cherry a were-leopard and Vivian, another were-leopard. Also we have, in the red shirts, werewolves Cannon and Fodder.”
Gretchen, “I brought Hannah, and Meng Die says she’ll help us once we get inside.”
Jessica, “Wow, you guys really came through. Um, who's that.”
Sylvia, “We found him lurking around outside.”
Ted, “Just call me Ted, ma’am. I brought a few toys I thought you might like.”
Ted drops an enormous sports bag on the table. “We have here your exploding garlic grenades with silver shrapnel, holy water balloons, uzi with an expanded clip, rocket launcher, and a good old fashioned, sawed-off shotgun.”
Jessica, “Wow, um. Thanks. Maybe the shot gun?”
Ted, “Good choice.”
Jessica, “Okay, are we ready?”
Sylvia, “Do you have the ring.”
Jessica, “Yeah, here in my pocket. So how do you want to do this? In the front door?”
Lillian, “There used to be underground passages into the Circus, but they have all been closed up. There is a back door, and it is normally only guarded by one man, the Black Knight. All we have to do it get past him and then we are in.”
Ted, “Works for me.”
Lillian, “I have one favor to ask you though, Jessica.”
Jessica, “Of course, what? The Dark Necromancer is holding my king, Rafael hostage in the Dungeons of the Damned. He would not cede to her the power over the rats so she is keeping him there until he weakens and submits.”
Cherry, “Dungeons of the Damned, Kitchen of the Damned. Not what you would call a creative group with the naming.”
Hannah, “Not really. We tried some different names, but Micah kept getting confused so we had to change them all back.”
Jessica, “Sure, no problem Lillian. Rescue Rafael and destroy ring.”
Lillian, “Thank you.”

Back in the Bedroom of the Damned…

Richard, “Chess?”
Anita, “No.”
Richard, “Checkers?”
Anita, “No.”
Richard, “Parcheesi?”
Anita, “No.”
Richard, “Want to watch a musical?”
Anita, “That was totally uncalled for. Reminding me of the wonderful time we had together like that, really rubbing my face in it. No, none of the other men like musicals, are you happy now? Feel better after picking on me? Huh?”
Richard, “Damn it, Anita. It was just a question. Do you want to just pace until they get back?”
Anita, “Why don’t you help them look, you cruel uncaring b*****d?”
Richard, “Fine, anything to get out of here. I’ll be in the Mall of the Damned, on my hands and knees looking for your precious ring,” he yelled over his shoulder, slamming the door behind him.
Anita slumps down on the bed, tears welling up in her eyes. Damian sits up in the corner, her tears instantly vanish in a look of annoyance.
Anita, “I thought your were dying?”
Damian, “I’m feeling better.”
Anita, “Well, you’ll be dead by morning. Just lie back down and accept death gracefully.”
Damian, “No, really I feel fine. I think I’ll just get up now-”
Anita throws a shoe at him and he flops back down in red hair spilling around him.
Jason wanders in. “Well, we haven’t had any luck, Micah stopped by your house and searched everywhere, but he said he couldn’t find it. He did bring this back for you, saying you might want it.”
Anita, “Sigmund,” she fairly shrieked, flinging herself at the penguin. “Oh, wonderful, Siggy, never abandoning me in my moment of need. See Jason, Micah is the perfect man. He knows what I want even before I do.”
Jason, “Uh, yeah,” he mumbled backing to the door, “I’m going to help the Oompa Loompah’s look for the ring down in the Chocolate Factory of the Damned.”


Outside the Circus Door stood a tall man clothed head to foot in unrelenting black. He held a shield in one hand and a broadsword in the other.
Jessica, “Move aside.”
Nothing.
Jessica, “I said move aside.”
Still nothing.
Ted, “Move or we will move you ourselves.”
Silence.
Jessica, “Do you think it’s a statue?”
Sylvia, “No, someone’s definitely in there. Vampire, I think. Smells kind of musty.”
Jessica, “I guess we’ll just walk around him.”
Knight, “None shall pass.”
Jessica, “Excuse me?”
Knight, “None shall pass.”
Jessica, “Then I guess I have no choice but to fight you.”
The Knight readies his sword, swinging in wide arches to demonstrate his superior skill with the blade. Around and around and around the blade twists…BAM!
Knight, “You shot me!”
Jessica, “Now will you move aside?”
Knight, “No.”
Jessica, “I shot your arm off.”
Knight, “Tis but a flesh wound.” He picks up the sword with his other arm…BAM!
Jessica, “Now move!”
Knight, “No. I am the Black Knight. I have never been defeated. Come over here and I will show you my power.”
Jessica (rolling her eyes), “You don’t have any arms.”
Knight, “I’ll get you.” He starts kicking at them, ineffectually.
Jessica shoots off his legs and they start to tromp around him.
Knight, “Come back here, cowards. I’ll bite your kneecaps, rip off your legs with my teeth. Oh, sure, running away are you. Not brave enough-” BAM
Jessica, “Thanks.”
Ted, “No problem.”

Ted starts to lay C4 chargers around the door with great expertise. Jessica’s eyes narrow.
Jessica, “What exactly did you say you do for the living Mr…”
Ted, “Ted, just Ted. I never did say what I do.”
Jessica, “Hmm.”

A few minutes later the door explodes and falls to the ground.
Jessica, “Damn that was loud enough to wake the dead.” She looks at the door for a second and then starts laughing that slightly hysterical laugh of the nervous. “Dead, vampires, loud enough to wake the…” she looks around at their blank faces. “Okay, maybe it’s just me.”

They fall into formation, Cannon and Fodder in the front of the group, and every else following in pairs. The climb down the long stairs is hampered by the MoaD’s constant stops to fix her shoes.
Gretchen, “I told you not to wear the heels.”
MoaD, “But, they’re like so totally awesome. And listen to that wonderful clinking noise they make on the stone.”
Ted, “We’re trying to make a stealthy entrance here. The clinking shoes are not heling.”
MoaD rolls her eyes, “This from the man who blew the door off. Yeah, like, that was quiet.”
Ted glares at her for a minute before continuing down the stairs.
They round the final bend and BAM, BAM. Cannon and Fodder drop to the ground, blood blossoming on their red shirts. Ted motions everyone back, he goes to his knees and falls around the corner, two quick shots out of his gun before he hits the ground.
Ted, “Clear.”
Jessica peaks around the corner, gun ready. “Wow. Good shot.”
Lillian hurries forward, “This way before someone comes to investigate. There’s a small tunnel that should lead us around the main entrance room. Quickly, I hear someone coming down the stairs.”

They all climbed into a small tunnel. Lillian and Jessica stayed near the entrance to see who was coming down the stairs.
Asher, “Listen, you tell Jean-Claude that Knight’s dead and I’ll talk to Requiem about increasing the guards. It looks like someone managed to break in. Nathaniel, are you listening?”
Nathaniel gazed around, his brows drawn together in concentration. “I’m not sure. I feel something.”
Jessica closed her eyes, the warm vanilla smell wafting around her. The ring, a soft voice whispered. Put on the ring and you can have it all. The power, the men… She felt her hand move against her will. Her fingers closed around the ring. A painful grasp of a hand around her wrist stopped her. She opened her eyes to see Lillian giving her a stern look. Jessica nodded in understanding.
Asher, “What is it?”
Nathaniel. “It’s gone now, but for a second, I thought I felt it.” He shook his head. “I’ll find Jean-Claude.”

Lillian, “That was close. Follow me. It’s a mile through the tunnels. Here Jessica, Ted. You’ll need the hard hats.”




In the Bedroom of the Damned, the debriefing…

Jean-Claude, “We’ve gone around the entire city twice, ma petite, we cannot find the…oof.”
Jean-Claude fell to the ground under Anita’s considerable weight.
Anita, “The ardeur needs to be fed. NOW!”
Asher, pulling on Anita’s arms, “We really should have a debriefing first.”
Anita’s eyes filled with libidinous intent, “That is exactly what I was thinking…”
Jean-Claude tries to pry Anita’s fingers away from his pants, “No, no, not that kind of debriefing.”
Anita moans, ripping at his clothes, “Now, Jean-Claude. I have to be fed now! You too, Asher, down, now.”
Jean-Claude (a pained sigh), “Okay, fine. Just easy with the nails this time.”

Jean-Claude, Asher and Nathaniel all gaze down at Anita’s supine form.
Jean-Claude, “What exactly did you put in the biscuits?”
Nathaniel, “Thorazine. Mostly I just throw some prozac into the dough, but today I thought we needed something a little more serious.”
Jean-Claude, “I can’t believe I did not think of this before.”
Richard, wandering into the room, “What is that horrible noise? Oh, Anita’s snoring.”
Jean-Claude, “You don’t have to worry about whispering, Nathaniel drugged her.”
Richard, “You deserve a medal. Now what.”
Asher, “Peace and quiet.”
Richard laughed, his smile dimmed suddenly. “Quick, hide her, I hear Micah coming.”
Jean-Claude, muttering sotto voce, “Isn’t he always?”

They quickly throw a blanket over her and toss her under the bed.
Micah enters with a pair of tennis rackets. “I thought maybe I’d do something to relax for a while. Have any of you seen my balls?”
Richard, “Did you ever have any?”
Micah frowns, confused, “Yeah, just last week I was playing with them.”
Jean-Claude barely manages to suppress a laugh.
Asher makes a choking sound.
Richard, “Check with Anita, I’m sure she has them.”
Micah, “Oh, okay.” He trundles out.
Richard, “God, it’s just too easy.”

Cerberus

Jessica, “What the hell is that?”
Sylvia, “Cerberus. Lycanthrope Guard Dog of the-”
Jessica, “Right, got it. It’s gigantic. Should we just shoot it?”
Ted, assessing the situation, “We, could, but a chamber this small. It’s going to be really loud. We might as well just scream where we are.”
MoaD, “I have an idea.”
Before anyone could react, MoaD leaps out of their hiding place and heads to Cerberus. He snarls, he growls, his hackles go up, he…
MoaD, singing, “If you leave, don’t leave now. I can’t wait a single daaay.”
Jessica, “What the hell is she doing?”
Sylvia, “Singing. I…I think she’s putting it to sleep.”
Moad, “ninety-nine red balloons go byyyy.”
Ted, staring at Cerberus with surprise, “It worked.”
Jessica, “Keep singing, Mom. All right everyone, just sneak out that other door.”
Sylvia, “Remind me when this is over to get her some new CD’s.”
MoaD, “You spin me right round round…”

They all scurry out of their hiding place, dash across the room and out the far door into another long, dark hallways. Lillian motions for them to follow. They had not gone a hundred feet when they hear voices coming toward them.
Voice 1, “And then I said, ‘I don’t care if he’s double-jointed, why can’t the rest of us get some advertising.”
Voice 2, “I know man, but he’s the boss’s pet. What can you do?”
Lillian, “Quick, hide in here.”
Lillian opens a door to a room on the right and they pile in.
Cherry, “Where are we?”
Lillian, pulls out a small flashlight. It moves over bottles of vanilla shampoo, vanilla conditioner, vanilla body wash, vanilla shave gel, vanilla body wax, vanilla massage oil.
Jessica, “I’m going to guess, Nathaniel’s spare room.”
MoaD, “Wow. Talk about, like, totally overdoing it.”
They took a few moments to stare around them.
Lillian, “Okay, the voices are gone. Hurry. There’s another set of tunnels that lead further underground, they s

Bedroom of the Damned

“Damn, she sounds like a band saw. I just thought you guys always looked exhausted from the hours of sex,” Jason said.
Richard shook his head. “Think again. Snores like a drunken sailor.”
“Ouch.”
Byron peaked his head around the door. “Is it safe?”
“Out cold,” Richard answered.
Byron smiled and bounced into the room, wrapping an arm around Jean-Claude. “Hey sexy.”
Jean-Claude smiled his warm seductive smile. “Bon nuit, mon canard.”
“Aw, I just love the little sobriquets you come up with for everyone,” Byron laughed.
Asher gives Jean-Claude a raised eyebrow at the name.
“Wait a minute, what happened to you just doing Anita and Asher?” Richard asked, glancing meaningfully at the arm nestled around Jean-Claude’s waist.
Jean-Claude gave them his gallic shrug. “What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her. Besides, I’m working me way through the alphabet, Anita, Asher, Byron… She’s not the only one that has an ardeur to feed.”

Nathaniel curled up on the edge of the bed, wrapping himself in the hair, vanilla saturating the room. “Do you think she’d notice if we just got her another one? I mean it was just a gold ring, right?”
Jean-Claude raised an eyebrow. “That made our fingers’ tingle? No, I don’t think so.”
Nathaniel’s head perked up. “What did she do to the rings?”
Jean-Claude gave him a patient look. “Nathaniel, the rings are enchanted. Don’t you feel it when she speaks, the almost painful desire to okay her will?”
“A little,” Nathaniel said hesitantly, glancing around the room. “But I always felt that way, even before the ring.”
“Ah, you probably did. Let us just say that she has turned us all into submissives with the rings, but without the One Ring she cannot control us anymore,” Jean-Claude explained.
“So why are we looking for it?” he asked.
“We aren’t. Only you and Micah are.”
“Oh,” he said, crestfallen.
“Don’t look so dejected, Nathaniel. It’ s just that the rest of us would like to have some free-will again,” Richard said kindly.
“I understand.”

They are interrupted by the appearance of Micah, still holding the tennis racket, and sans the balls. “I can’t find Anita anywhere.”
“Have you checked in sub-basement D,” Jean-Claude suggested smoothly.
“Sub-basement D? I don’t think I’ve ever been there.”
“Our Dark Queen has recently set up a firing range there. Perhaps you could find her and bring her back,” Asher added.
“Oh, um, of course. Hey, what’s that noise? It sounds a lot like the melodious notes of Anita-”
“I’m redecorating. They’re using a band saw in the other room,” Jean-Claude interrupted.
“Okay. I’ll see if I can find her.” Micah left.
“I didn’t know we had a basement D,” Nathaniel said.
“We don’t even have a sub-basement A, but it will keep him occupied.”

A series of tunnel with the Circus of the Damned.

“Sounds like the guys aren’t thrilled about the Dark Necromancer having her ring back again,” Jessica remarked, as they wandered further away from the bedchamber and the overhead conversation within.
“Well, all except your little love-muffin,” Gretchen said.
“Hey, leave her alone,” Sylvia snapped.
“No, she’s right. Even if I do destroy the ring, Nathaniel will want to stay with her.”
“Oh,” Sylvia soothed. “It’s all right. You never know, he might get tired of her. Don’t give up yet.”
“All right ladies…and Ted. We have to exit the tunnel, run down the hallway and into another tunnel at the end. The other tunnel slopes down, so once you reach it, just jump in and slide,” Lillian explained.
“We should take it one at a time,” Ted suggested.
“Okay, Cherry, you go first.”

One by one the women (and Ted) ran down the hall and into the far tunnel. It all went smoothly until it was Jessica’s turn. She was the last one running down the hall when, SLAM, she found herself pressed up against the wall. She caught sight of Lillian’s legs vanishing into the tunnel and then she was alone.

“Hey, don’t I know you?” Micah asked.
“Um, I’m a friend of Nathaniel’s,” Jessica said, glancing down. As she did she caught sight of Micah’s ring and the feeling to put on her own ring was overpowering. Without anyone to stop her, Jessica reached into pocket and pulled out the One Ring and slid it on her finger.

Micah’s eyes changed. They turned darker, hungry and Jessica had a terrible feeling that she had just made a huge mistake. She grabbed for her ring, trying to pull it off her finger again, but Micah had pressed her against the wall. He pulled a bar of soap out of his pocket and stuffed it down the front of his pants.
“What are you doing?” she snapped.
“Soap makes a great lubricant,” he murmured, licking along her neck.
“EEW, stop that! Lubricant? What the hell are you talking about.” Jessica squirmed.
“You want me. I know you do.”
“Are you insane? Look little man, just let go now. OOOOW. You bit me,” she yelled.
Micah looked at her, confused. “That’s supposed to make you go all passive.”
“Passive? You bit me and I’m supposed to just collapse in your arms. You are crazy.”
“But it’s always worked before,” he said, his tone still baffled and a little wounded.
“Oh, has it? And just how many women have you forced like this before,” she bit out, her eyes narrowed in rage.
“Forced?” His eyes widened in shock. “No, it’s more like persuasion. I can taste your need.”
"My..." Jessica’s eyes narrowed further. She kneed him in the groin, and felt the bar of soap snap. Micah appeared surprised but not hurt.
“Why did you do that? You could have injured mini-Micah.”
“Because you’re a…”

Jessica never had a chance to finish her sentence because Micah’s head jerked around. Like all the way, exorcist, around. He dropped to the ground to reveal Meng Die standing behind him.
Meng Die stared down at his body contemptuously. “Should have considered creating a society for better understand between lycanthropes and vampires.”
“Uh, thanks,” Jessica said.
“No problem. You must hurry, though. Follow the others into the tunnels. Go.”
Jessica spun around and jumped head first into the tunnel.


Bedroom of the Damned…

“Well, guys, I have good news and bad news,” Richard declared as he stepped into the room.
“What is the bad news?” Jean-Claude asked.
“Micah is dead.”
“And the good news?”
“Micah is dead.”
“Ah.”
“Are you sure?” Nathaniel asked, sudden tears filling his violet eyes.
Richard reached out into the hall and pulled Micah in, holding him up by an arm. They all looked at his head, hanging like a rag doll. Richard shook him once, as if to demonstrate the lack of bones in his neck. “Unless he can heal this, I would have to say, yes.”
“Oh.” The tears started spilling down his cheeks.
“Nathaniel,” Richard said, dropping Micah unceremoniously on the ground.
“It’s just that he and Anita were the only family I’ve ever had,” he cried.
Richard grabbed Nathaniel by the arms. “Look. You have to stop thinking that those two are treating you like family. Listen, I’m taking you home to my house for Thanksgiving and you can see what a real family is like.”
Nathaniel’s face lit with wonder. “Really?”
“Yes, really.”

A mumbling on the bed cut off the touching scene before anyone else burst into tears.
“Damn, she’s starting to wake,” Jean-Claude said.
“Someone’s going to have to feed her,” Asher commented.
“No, are you serious?” Richard asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
“We draw straws, loser has to stay here?” Jean-Claude suggested.
“Works for me.”
“I’ll stay.”
“Oh, no Nathaniel. One looks at your tear-streaked face and she’ll know something’s up. You’re coming with us so we can hide the body somewhere. Maybe you can make some more biscuits.”
“Yeah, just remember to lace this group with strychnine,” Richard muttered.


Back in the tunnels.

“What is that noise? It sounds like someone’s slaughtering a barnyard” Jessica said.
Cherry listened for a second. “That’s just Anita having sex. I guess she woke up.”
“But someone sounds like they’re being tortured…by a horse,” she countered.
Five pairs of knowing eyes turned to her.
“What?”
“That is what all the men have to go through. The tearing…”
“The blood loss,” Lillian added.
“Those weird animal noises,” Cherry said.
“Every day.” Sylvia shook her head. “I’m just grateful she doesn’t go for women.”
Jessica flinched as a sudden scream filled the air.
“That would be the climax,” Cherry said.
Ted winced.
“My God. I hope she doesn’t kill anyone.” Jessica had meant it only jokingly, but the sad faces around her told a different tale. “Has someone died?” she asked in a whisper, scarcely able to believe what she was asking.
Cherry nodded. “Zach, Caleb, Noah, Jamil. Then there was that human…”
“Ernie.”
“Yeah. It took us weeks to get those blood stains out.”
“But, I didn’t know they were dead. I thought they were just…”
“Missing? Haven’t heard about them for a while? Why do you think Jean-Claude and Richard keeping bringing new guys in? No, the Dark Necromancer wields the ardeur like a terrible weapon. She killed them all. Inadvertently, of course.”
“I never imagined…” Jessica said softly.
Lillian pulled her into a hug. “I know. But remember this, we all hold together and we will stop her. Come on. We’re almost there.”

Bloody Bedroom of the Damned…

“Well, that was, um…” Jason trailed off.
“Amazing. The best sex of your life?” Anita purred.
“Interesting.”
“Interesting?” She shot up in bed to glare at him.
He pasted on his best boyish grin. “Ha, Ha. Only kidding. No, it was great. Beyond great. Mind-blowing. Life-altering.”
“Good.” She curled back up against Jean-Claude.
Jason shook his head with an expression that clearly said, ‘What the hell was that?’
Jean-Claude shrugged. He gently nudged Byron, who lay sprawled at the end of the bed. “How are you?”
“I think she broke my back,” he moaned.
“Oh, Byron,” Anita said, laughing.
“No seriously. I can’t move.”
“It’s probably just a few cracked vertebrae. Try not to move around too much,” Jean-Claude suggested.
“Oh, did the little necromancer hurt the big bad vampire,” Anita practically cooed.
“Big bad vampire? I never even made it out of puberty, duckie. These are fragile bones here,” he complained. “Ow, ow, ow.” He pulled himself upright, barely. “I’m going to see if I can find that chiropractor. I should be getting hazard pay for this.”
Jean-Claude and Jason watched as Byron limped out of the room, his back bent side-ways like Quasimodo. “I knew there was a reason I didn’t like women.”

“Oh, here we are with some fresh biscuits,” Richard said, a huge plate in his hand. “Hungry, oh beloved, necromancer?”
Anita rolled over. “Not really.”
“Anita, you must keep your strength up, remember? Eating and the ardeur so you can keep the metaphysical gas tank full,” Jean-Claude chided.
“But that was just to maintain Damian and he’s dead now.”
A voice crawled out of the corner, “I’m not dead. I feel fine.”
Anita threw another shoe in the general direction of the voice.
“Fine. I’ll just lie here then.”
“Tasty biscuits.” Richard waved the plate under her nose.
“Aren’t you all supposed to be out looking for my ring?” she snapped, grabbing a biscuit.
“Well, of course. We’ve been doing nothing else all day,” Jean-Claude said.
“Oh. Where’s Micah?”
“He’s searching. Very diligently.”
“Keeping his nose to the ground, so to speak,” Richard added.
Jason snorted and then gave Anita ingenuous eyes when she turned to him.
“We should all join in the search as well.” They all beat a hasty exit.


In the Closet of the Damned…

“This isn’t working,” Jean-Claude muttered.
“Look, I did my part. I pulled the ring off her finger in the first place. You were the one who was supposed to destroy it,” Richard snapped.
“Well the damn thing did not vanish into thin air. It has to be somewhere,” Jean-Claude said, pacing back and forth between his hundred of pairs of pants and leather boots.
“I did exactly like you said, dropped it just at the edge of the bed.”
“I looked in the carpet and it wasn’t there.”
“And is that my fault,” Richard hissed back, eyes shimmering as golden overtones crept in.
“This is not helping,” Asher said reasonably. “We just have to figure out where the ring went. Someone must have taken it.”
“I could ask around,” Jason suggested. “See if anyone’s noticed it.”
“The last thing we want is for anyone else to have that ring. If they learn that they have the One Ring and then use it on us…” He let the thought trail off ominously.
“I’m out of ideas,” Jason said. “And really sore. Jean-Claude, don’t you have sweatpants here somewhere?”
“Oui, behind the bondage gear and stuffed penguins in the corner.”
Richard gave him an amused look. “Sweatpants? Why is it I’m having a hard time picturing you in those?”
“Since ma petite’s hungers have grown so…intense, I find that my normal clothing chafes a bit. The sweats are not so…confining.”
Richard stifled a laugh.
“All right, let us review what we know. The ring has gone missing. Someone later that evening broke into the Circus of the Damned, killing two guards and Micah. Based on the location of the attacks they are heading deeper underground.”
“To the kitchen,” Jason suddenly said, his eye lighting. “To the Kitchen of the Damned. Whoever has the ring is going to destroy it!”
“If you are right then we need do nothing. They go to the kitchen-”
“Wait,” Richard grabbed his arm. “Nathaniel’s in the kitchen. He’s the only one of us who might try to stop them.”
“Merde.”
They ran to the kitchens.

Just outside the Kitchen of the Damned

“Mm, smells like someone’s baking,” Cherry whispered.
“Or Nathaniel drowned himself in vanilla extract,” Gretchen muttered.
“Listen, Ted. This would be a perfect time to spring Rafael. He’s at the other end of the hall. You, destroying the ring will be the perfect distraction for breaking into Rafael’s cell,” Lillian said.
Ted nodded. “I’ll take the doc with me, plus you two. The rest stay with Jessica. Give us two minutes then go in.”
Ted vanished down the hall with Hannah and the MoaD.
“Ready?” Sylvia asked.
Jessica nodded. “Now.”

They ran into the kitchen barreling right into Nathaniel. Jessica was stunned. She stared into his wide violet eyes, lost in their beautiful depths. He smiled, his whole face filling with a sweetness unlike any Jessica had seen…

Sylvia’s elbow jabbed itself into her ribs. Jessica gasped, the moment shattered. She turned back to Nathaniel, adroitly avoiding his eyes.
“Hi, Nathaniel. How are you?” she asked skirting around him to the huge fire blazing in the corner of the kitchen.
“Fine. What are you doing here?”
“Visiting. Learning more about vampires. Stuff like that.”
Nathaniel reached out and grabbed her arm. “You should leave now.”
Jessica tried for feminine wiles. She smiled. “But since I’m here, can’t you show me around the kitchen.” Just for good measure she batted her eyes.
“Is something in your eye?”
Jessica growled. It never worked. She fell back on plan B. The knee into groin plan.
“Ow.”
Nathaniel stumbled a little at the kick, but recovered way to fast and had Jessica’s arms pinned. This time Sylvia and Cherry joined into the fight. They wrestled him, but he kept his arms on Jessica’s. In the pulling and flailing, they smacked into the counter, knocking it over and sending flour everywhere.

Jason, Jean-Claude, Asher, and Richard ran directly into the cloud of flour.

“Dammit. I can’t see a thing,” someone yelled.
“Jessica are you all right?”
“He’s still got my arm.”
“Nathaniel, let go of her arm,” Richard yelled.
The flour started to clear. Everyone paused for a moment taking in the state of the kitchen and the flour coating everyone’s face and hair.
“She’s going to destroy the ring,” Nathaniel said.
“I know,” Jean-Claude replied. “Let her do it.”
“I can’t. Anita would not want me to-”
The rest of this words were cut off as Richard punched him. Nathaniel went down, taking Jessica with him. The ring fell from her hands and rolled. It rolled across the floor and right into the fire.

A blood curdling scream rent the air.
“Yes,” Richard exclaimed, breaking into an impromptu touchdown dance in the kitchen. Jean-Claude joined in, albeit with way more hip wiggling.

Once the dancing and butt slapping was done they all tromped back up to the bedroom…


Bedroom of the…Huh?

On the way back to the bedroom they ran into Rafael, Ted and the others. Rafael’s a little thin and pale from his months of captivity, but unharmed. Hannah and MoaD were supporting him and MoaD kept looking at him like a wonderful piece of candy. Good thing rats weren't her animal to call. Although Rafael looked like he was getting some serious sensual beckoning that he was steadfastly ignoring.

“What the hell am I doing here?” Anita asked, her head resting on her hands.
Jean-Claude stopped next to the bed. “What do you mean?”
“I remember going into the club to rescue Nathaniel…” Her eyes moved upward and she caught sight of Nathaniel leaning on Jessica’s arm. “You’re all right,” she said.
“Um, yeah.”
Richard grabbed her arm, “Which club?”
Anita’s eyes grew wide. “Richard,” she said breathlessly. “It’s been so long. I…”
“Which club?” Jean-Claude tried.
“Narcissus in Chains.”
Everyone froze with identical looks of disbelief.

“You remember going into the club with me?”
“No,” Anita shook her head, as if to clear her confused thought. “No, I met you in the club and then…wait then I saw Richard. And then it’s all a mess.” She stared around the room again, her face tensing at their looks. “Where’s my gun?”
“Anita,” Jean-Claude said in a placating tone.
“Don’t give me that tone. Where is my gun?”
“It’s in the nightstand next to you.”
Anita, keeping her eyes fixed on everyone in the room, reached into the nightstand and pulled it onto her lap. She left the safety on, but she had it firmly grasped in her hand…just in case.
“Do you remember Micah?” Nathaniel finally asked and received a number of murderous looks.
“Micah? No. Should I?”
Richard leapt up and did another victory dance around the room.
“Richard,” she said. “What is wrong?”
“Nothing, absolutely nothing.”
Catching sight of the floor, "What is Damian doing on the ground?"
"Feigning death," he muttered. "Can I get up now?"
"Yeah, I guess so."
Damian jumped to his feet, red hair falling sliding streaming spilling off his shoulders.
“I don’t suppose you have any inexplicable desire to have sex?” Jean-Claude asked.
“What now? I haven’t seen you in months and that’s your first question?” she snapped.
“So, no intense need to have sex with everyone in the room?” he reiterated.
“Everyone in the room? What the hell is wrong with you?” She glanced around. “I mean, Jason’s my friend, Edward-”
“Anita, you know it’s Ted to my friends,” he interrupted in a cool voice.
“Right. Ted, we would kill each other before that and Nathaniel… That would just be wrong in so many ways.”
Nathaniel slumped to the ground, a pained moan escaping his lips.
“Nathaniel, are you okay,” she said in a grumpy tone.
Richard giggled. “He’s fine. He had a rough day, but he’ll be fine.”
Jean-Claude smiled. “In fact, I think everything is going to be fine. But just to check, I don't suppose you would let me feed from you.”
"Feed," she almost screamed. "I'm not cattle, back off fang-boy."
Jean-Claude smiled. "I believe that we have the old Anita back."

There can't be any form of fanfic on her site, that's why.