The Deal with Monsters (aka the Awesome RP!)

[Greenie]

"It wasn't much of a dance," Nisha mumbled, heading straight toward the scent of the flowers. As small smile found its way on her lips, and she paused in her steps, taking in a deep breath. "I love gardens, especially roses... my mom used to plant them when she was still feeling well." She let out breath, ignoring the sounds her well developed hearing could pick up from inside the house. It wasn't hard to tell she found her father irritating, but she trusted him as well. He could take care of himself and whatever the hell was happening inside.

"I got a black thumb myself," she mentioned in an offhand matter, heading over to the nearest bush, reaching a hand out and petting the leaves. "So..." She turned around, eyes red and fangs elongated. "How about we get this done? Hopefully it's not too painful... for a big strong wolf." She smirked at that.

"Do you know where your father might be?" While Nisha and Tucker may have had other things to worry about, Nora had only one thing on her mind right now. She didn't wait for an answer as she started upstairs. It was strange, but in the little time she knew Amaria, she felt slightly protective of her. This girl was definitely pure and innocent, and something about Layla seemed strange to Nora. Maybe it was just the whole abandoning one's family and heading off without a care?

There were many rooms, like the one Amaria had taken her to earlier after she had taken a shower and worn the red robe. The thought just occured to her now that the lady whose robe that had been was now downstairs. Oops? Well, it was no real matter anyway. For now, finding Ravan was the deal. "Where's your dad's room, Amaria?"

Meanwhile, the usually carefree Laurent was having a hard time keeping his cool. Once upon a time he had quite liked Layla, but now he was having a hard time staying magnanimous. "Yes, I should come." He started after her, mouth drawn in a straight line, silent, though in his mind he was already sending a message to his friend. Unlike Nisha, he could speak telepathically, which was rather useful for situations like this.

"Sorry to cut your conversation with Luminous short, Ravan, but... Layla is here. And she is coming your way."​

 

[Spekkun]

"Hey, it's not about how flashy and exotic the moves are, it's about moving to the beat of the music." The concept was pretty simple for Tucker. He'd lived his life by how things sounded, his sense of hearing and smell were two of his greatest assets. If something sounded strange or dangerous, a sense of danger and a tinge of fear would spread throughout his body and he would head in the opposite direction. It was like his body had a mind of its own, and when it came to dancing it was no different. "As long as you're moving in a way you feel good about, you're dancing."

"I'm sure if you asked, the owners wouldn't mind if you took a rose or two. You can give em' to your mama." He suggested. "Maybe it'll help her feel a little better." He eyed the roses, nose twitching in that curious animal fashion. At the mention of a big, strong wolf, he turned to Nisha, returning her smirk. "Ah, what's a little pain, amiright? I almost lost my foot once, a little bite isn't nothin'!"

"Let me just get low enough so you can reach, unless you'd rather me hold you." He teased, unable to hide his snicker. In fact, he didn't even try to hide it.

"Uhh...he might be downstairs, entertaining the guests. He's very serious about that kind of thing." Amaria told Nora. She'd snapped out of her surprised stupor somewhat. "Papa's room is this way." She pointed down the hall, to the door on the left. "The last one, the very last one." Strangely enough, it had no corresponding door on the opposite side of the hall.

"Oh." Ravan spoke out loud. His surprise was dry, in fact it wasn't much surprise at all. One would think he knew she was going to appear if they didn't know him. "Thank you for informing me, my friend." He replied to Laurent. "Luminous...I must cut this conversation short. I have a visitor that I must tend to." He told the sheep, who was so busy ranting he didn't seem to be paying attention to the vampire.

Ravan turned around, his eyes catching Layla in an instant. Without much hesitation, he approached her, strides long but not quick. "Layla, hello again." He greeted. He was expecting to receive a similar greeting but instead was met with something of a timid and odd hug. He didn't return it, instead, he stood there, silent and looking down at her.

"Hello, Ravan. It is so good to see you again." Layla returned the greeting, though she didn't let go. The odd greeting didn't go unnoticed, however. Everyone, even the prattling demon sheep took notice of this strange display. No one ever did that before, not anyone but Amaria. And they knew each other too!

 

[Greenie]

Nisha nodded, deciding she would do just that. She didn't know about Ravan, but she was sure Amaria would be more than willing to let her take not one but a dozen roses when she next visited her mom. "Maman probably could use some other scents around besides..." she waved her hand vaguely, "all that hospital scent." Her nose wiggled a little, and she figured Tucker probably would have figured out what she meant. Being a werewolf probably gave him a stronger nose than she had.

She couldn't help but flush at the snicker, letting out a huff. "Oh, shut up," she replied irritably, though the irritation was more at herself for showing that she was someone easily flustered... again. It was obvious that the werewolf knew how to get her bothered and was using it to his advantage. "No need for either of that." She calmed herself down before taking hold of his left arm, turning it around so that the inside of his wrist was facing her. "Well, here I go, stop me when it gets too much."

That was the only warning she gave before biting down on his wrist, her fangs easily piercing through his skin. As the blood rushed into her mouth, her eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't expected the blood of a werewolf to be so strong and potent! After being hungry for so long, she didn't really have any control over her thirst, drinking heavily.​

*​

Nora looked to Amaria. "Entertaining, huh?" The idea of the impassive and stone faced vampire doing anything entertaining made her want to laugh, though she held it in. She didn't know why, but it felt like a tense sort of situation, having Amaria's mother suddenly appear after being told just the day before that she had left a long time back. "Alright, if he's not in there, we'll go back down. You first, I don't wanna go snooping..." She smirked without humor. "Who knows if there's some... forbidden rose or some s**t I'm not allowed to touch."​

*​

"You are most welcome," Laurent replied silently, his ice blue eyes looking rather cold at the moment. He moved back and away from Layla, instead walking over with similarly long strides to take place next to Luminous, patting the fluffy head. It was tempting and kept him from clenching at least one in a fist. If he had dropped a pin right now, the entire room would be able to hear it. His eyes wandered across the room. Nisha wasn't there, and he couldn't see Tucker either.

Hm... Although he was unsure what to make of their disappearance, he was glad at least Nisha wasn't here; he knew she hated drama, even if it didn't involve her.​

 

[Spekkun]

"Hospital smell....igh." Tucker wrinkled his nose at the thought. The smell was bad enough for anyone with a human nose he was sure, but for someone with a more sensitive nose, it was pure agony, hell even. "You should definitely bring her some roses, regularly even. And air freshener for the days that roses won't be enough." He was half serious, half joking.

The werewolf gave another snicker at her flustered expression. How he enjoyed poking fun with the vampire girl. "I'm sure I'll be fine, you couldn't possibly dra-" He paused the moment she sunk her teeth into his wrist. It hurt, that was for sure, but the pain was reminiscent of pricking yourself but much more noticeable.There was a brief but intense moment of pain focused on such a small area, followed by a drawn out, uncomfortable feeling. He wouldn't say he liked the feeling, it was just bearable.

But alas, he was glad he stopped his bragging. He could feel himself weakening as the time went by, which was unfathomable considering how big he was. He would let her feed for a few minutes, it was hard for him to judge when she'd be satisfied considering he didn't know how filling blood was nor did he know how much would satisfy her. After awhile, he gently thumped her head with his index and middle finger, "You satisfied?" He asked her.

*​

"Well...you know...! He's a good listener." Amaria told her, chuckling a bit. She always imagined it was because her papa had a hard time talking to people with the way he was. Most people talked about things that engaged them, made them laugh or smile, or things that upset, saddened or irritated them. Her papa didn't seem to feel any of those things, and so, he would listen to everyone else describe it instead. To her, it was kind of sad.

"Ah, a beauty and the beast reference." The vampire girl giggled a little bit. "Yeah, maybe not a rose...just more pictures I think." She paused for a moment, looking at Nora and Avery. "I kind of want to see more of those pictures." She knew she wasn't supposed to snoop, and she never really did. But she decided she would this time. "Maybe I'll find something about my mom too."

*​

"Gr." That short grunt was the only sound Luminous let out, at least of irritation. The sheep kind of liked being pet, though he would never admit it. Especially not to the vampires in the room currently. While Ravan might not tease him about it, he especially felt the party animal that was Laurent would definitely mess with him about it. "What do you make of this?" He asked Laurent.

Ravan raised a hand and gently pat her head. He didn't want to hug her, he didn't think it would be appropriate really. "You may let go now. I didn't expect to see you here. This is a rather inconvenient time." He looked around the room, taking notice of the room looking at the two of them. "I have guests."

"I know, but I felt like if I didn't come tonight, I wouldn't have come at all," Layla told him, shaking her head. She did release him slowly, letting out a deep breath. "I decided I had to come back, to regain what I left behind." The way she said it sounded sincere, but there was hesitation in her voice. Was that the right way to talk about what happened? Probably not.

 

[Greenie]

Nisha felt the thump and immediately pulled away, lips still red with blood, a couple of drops dripping down the sides of her mouths, looking like she was ready for a Halloween party. "Uh... yeah, yeah, of course!" Suddenly embarrassed at how she hadn't been able to control herself, she turned away, licking at her lips and catching all the stray drops. "Uh... thanks. Sorry if like... you know, I took too much." She suspected she may have, seeing how she wasn't just satisfied at the moment but also feeling rather lethargic, like one did after a very good meal. In fact, if she wasn't at a party with her father, she would have dragged herself away to find a place to sleep.

When she was composed enough, she turned around to face Tucker. Her eyes were once more brown, all traces of red gone now. "Are you alright?" She couldn't have him collapsing or anything like that. Even if she was a vampire and much stronger than the average person, she was still barely over five feet tall and she was positive that Tucker was seven feet or more. "You're not gonna fall over or something, are you?" She frowned a little, though it wasn't at the werewolf. "S**t, seems like Laurent is pissed or something." She gritted her teeth a little, unsure what to do. "Should we go back in there? Or... somewhere else?"​

***​

"Hard to find good listeners in the world," Nora remarked, "so honestly that's a good quality. Lots of times people don't really have anyone to talk to at all cuz others won't listen." She herself wasn't too much of a talker; it was sort of normal not to talk when you had no family and had been on the run for a while. "And yep... I may have watched quite a few Disney movies as a kid." Now here was an interesting subject to talk about in the future. Did Ravan and Amaria have movie nights? Were they into animations or perhaps action adventure with superheroes?

"Hm... you're right, I bet there'll be pictures, people always take pics at parties..." She looked toward the door before looking back down the hall they came from. "As long as your dad doesn't get pissed off at us..." She'd bet he'd be mre preoccupied with the newcoming intruder though, and besides, he hadn't seem fazed at all earlier with the red robe.

With that in mind, she opened the door before stepping back. "You first, Amaria."​

***​

Laurent took in a breath, holding it momentarily before slowly letting it out in a cold sigh. I honestly do not know what to make of it. I have not been upset in a long time, years in fact, but at this moment I am barely containing myself. Luminous would know that blond Nordic vampire hadn't always been the peaceful party animal that he was now; shedding blood had been something he would do without a second thought. Who does she think she is? How can she just return and wish for all to go back to normal? There was a slight tinge of red growing in his icy blue eyes.

Laurent removed his hand from Luminous' before stepping forward to support Ravan, even if it was with his silence.​

 

[Spekkun]

"I'm fine," Tucker gave her not one but two thumbs up, "As big as I am, I can afford to lose some blood here and there." He wasn't going to pass out, but he did feel light-headed. For now, he would walk slowly, not that he'd do any running at this party anyway. It wasn't like they were doing anything physical but dancing, and it seemed like he was done with that for the time being. "I just gotta remember the golden rule; size usually betrays one's appetite." He teased, poking her lightly.

The werewolf took a look at the party and then shook his head. "I don't know, that is where the life of the party is. But, if a party animal like that is angry it might be best that we leave it be. It could get pretty awkward in there." He didn't like awkward, could you blame him? He only hoped that the party wouldn't die as a result of tensions running high in the house. A part of him was curious as to what had irritated the vampire though. "I leave the choice to the lady." It was her father after all.

*****​

"Yeah, you're right. It's hard to find someone to listen because everyone wants to talk." The vampire girl nodded her head. She didn't think anything bad of people who didn't listen, however. In part, because she never had a lot to talk about herself, but also because she kind of understood that everyone had problems, and could be hard to set your own problems aside to help people with others. "It's been a long time since I've seen that movie. I once asked papa what he thought about a movie we watched and he said it almost made him want to laugh." She snickered a bit. Maybe movies and books were the keys to getting an emotional reaction out of him?

"Alright...!" Amaria stepped into the room, no hesitation whatsoever. She immediately began digging through her father's stuff, being careful to remember how everything was placed the best she could. "I don't think he'll be upset, but he might tell us we were rude." She truly did think it wouldn't be a problem. After all, she was trying to find answers to a very important question. It was ironic though, that even though her father seemed incapable of showing emotion that he decided to keep her mother a secret from her. And though she hadn't realized it herself, it was bothering her, nagging at her subconscious.

"Oh...!" She pulled a picture, placed in a wooden frame, from the closet, raising it above her head. "I got one!" She cheered, being sure not to be too loud. The picture and the environment it was taken in looked old, incredibly old. It was taken in front of a house that was lit not with electric lights but lanterns instead. There was no color, the entire thing was black and white. Easiest to make out was Ravan, he looked not too different than he does now, wearing a long white shirt and a black vest over it, a tie around his neck and a smile on his face.

The most peculiar thing about the photo wasn't that he was smiling, but that the obvious reason he was smiling was that his arm was placed around a woman, a woman who very clearly resembled the woman that had shown up and claimed to be Amaria's mother just a few minutes ago. She was smiling too, wearing a frilly dress. "That's her...!" Amaria couldn't quiet her voice this time. To her, this meant she was clearly being told the truth. That woman was her mom! It was weird seeing her father with a woman though. Weird enough that she had to voice it. "It's weird seeing him with a woman...but it's cute! He's also old!" The photograph had to have been taking around the 1950's, maybe earlier than that.

*****​

Luminous watched Laurent, silent for a moment. He was actually hating himself on the inside. Laurent was angry and Luminous wanted him not to be? He was supposed to a demon, a devil dammit! "All these connections..." He mumbled. No wonder he didn't have his sons respect, or at least that's the reason he came up with. Still, he walked to Laurent's side as well, listening in on the conversation.

"I didn't think you would return. When you left, I was sure you left for good." Ravan was so sure that she wouldn't return in fact, that he didn't think of her much anymore. It wasn't like before when she had first left. Back then, he kept her things as a memento of sorts, because he couldn't let go. But now, they were there simply because they were. "This could complicate things. I've not spoken to Amaria of you."

"I could tell." Layla stepped back for a moment. "I don't think she believed I am who I said I am." It was funny, in an ironic way. She wasn't a part of her daughter's life, something her before had come to terms with. "But now she can get to know me." She had a grin on her face now. But that grin was lost when she glanced at Laurent. She opened her mouth, about to say 'You're still here..', but she kept the snide remark to herself. Best not to irritate him anymore, he already seemed to be now. "It's...nice, to see you haven't lost any of your friends." She said instead, an uneasy smile on her face. Maybe playing nice would improve his mood more? She had anticipated Ravan would make things awkward enough, but it was downright scary with Laurent.

 

[Greenie]

Nisha thought about it momentarily befor letting out a small sigh. Her father didn't often get upset, so if something was getting him so on an edge, then maybe it was a good thing if she stuck around. He always seemed to cool down when she was around anyway.

"Come on Tucker, let's get back in there." At least she had this big lug of a man to converse with... if she was lucky she wouldn't end up blushing any more than she already had. She did wonder why no one had ever told her that werewolf blood was rather fulfilling. In hindsight, it did make sense, seeing how werewolves were pretty much the anti-vampires, or at least that was what modern culture implied.

Mwahahaha, I am becoming stroooonger with the blood of both vamp and wolf! The silly part of her mind giggled at her thought, the rational part told her to shut up and get on with doing what she had to. Without realizing, she took hold of Tucker's wrist and led him back to the party. It wasn't hard to find her father in the crowd, seeing tall frame and golden hair... and the scowl on his face.

"Oh boy..."

Laurent relaxed the look on his face, replacing it with a humourless smile that left his eyes as cold as ice. "Well Layla, I am the kinda of person who is loyal to my friends... whether it is a week, a month, a year, or a thousand... and the latter here is probably the correct answer. I was not only Ravan's friend, but yours as well, if you recall. That is, until you left without a word." He lifted his hands. "Granted, this is a spat between lovers, so I will let you two talk. But do not for an instance think I will allow you to disrupt my friend's life, or your daughter's."

He looked in Ravan's direction before nodding his head and excusing himself. "Luminous, my dear fellow, how is the family? How is Cole? Still as rebellious as ever?"

​

***​

Nora quickly looked down at the photo that was shown. She blinked as she recognized both the man and the woman. She had to admit it was strange to see a smile on the man's face. They both looked pretty much the same as they did now, just... happier. This picture was clearly old, judging my the colour, making her wonder how long these two had been together before Amaria was born. Not just that, but was Amaria really as young as she portrayed herself, or was she in fact actually older than Nora? It was hard to tell with vampires.

In any case, however, there was the obvious question. "I wonder why she left," she muttered. "I know you can't tell much from a picture... but they clearly look happy, and they were together for a long time." She shooked her head a little before looking to Amaria. "Your father must've spoke to you about her, no?" It seemed impossible to her to just drop a person out of their life. Memories always remained.​

 

[Spekkun]

Tucker nodded his head and followed her back into the estate. Despite the music the room seemed much less lively than the garden outside (which it ought to be, considering many of the monsters indoors were some form of undead). Most partygoers, those who knew Ravan only on a surface level were trying their best to ignore the awkward reunion between the seemingly soulless vampire and his old lover. But those who were close to him watched the scene closely, only looking away to whisper briefly to each other.

"Man…" The werewolf scratched his head, his foot tapping on the floor in response, "What a party night." He truly hoped that the event wouldn't be ruined but he couldn't complain too much. The party had been fun for him so far. "I guess we're going right over there, huh?" He asked her, spying her father talking to a sheep. It was right next to the cause of all the tension but at least he'd have a better idea of what was going on. He didn't know Ravan as much as Luminous or Laurent but he knew him enough that he had some concern. Besides, he had one more joke to make. "Man, we've only been together for one night and you're already introducing me to your father. I must be pretty charming."

Ravan was silent for just a moment, his lips sealed shut and his face emotionless as always. He had to think about what was best for Amaria. "I believe it would be better I make sure everything is okay with you before I let you into her life. When you left, things were simply on the decline, and now that you're back they most definitely will not be where you would like them to be." He believed that it would be best for Amaria to get to know her mother at least somewhat. It must have been weighing on his daughter's mind for some time. He just needed to make sure it was safe for her to do so. "You do seem different if it's any consolation." He added.

For the briefest of moments, Layla's face twisted into a frown, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared. "I see. I understand and I accept." She let out a sigh, hands falling to her sides and fingers drumming against her legs. "It's for the best, and I'm not going to say no to any chance to be a family again." She then smiled. "I guess I can use this time to repair my relationship with you instead. Perhaps your friends as well." She surveyed the room, but her gaze stopped on Laurent.

"There is no need. I was neither angry nor upset when you left. It was simply the way things were." Ravan assured her. It was a blessing, had he been the way he was before he would have been miserable. But of course, if he was still that way then none of this would have happened in the first place. But Ravan wasn't one to cry over spilled milk. In fact, Ravan wasn't one to cry at all. "Please, help yourself to the refreshments." He motioned to the table and with that, he walked away from his former lover.

Luminous let out what he believed to be a groan but was so obviously a bleat. As long as his frustration was noticeable he wouldn't complain, however. "The boy drives me mad I tell you, mad! All the child does is…party! Not only is he never around but when he is he constantly disrespects me!" The demon-turned-sheep had no idea how contradicting his statement was. He honestly felt like stomping his hooves around in irritation but he had more class than that.

"He'll refer to me with demeaning nicknames like 'lamb-chop' or 'big ol' ball of wool'. In fact, just the other day he told me I was nothing but a loser! Like I asked to be this way!" It had been a source of tension between the Luminous and his son for awhile now, his sheep body. Luminous only wanted Cole to be the demon he once was, if not greater, but now that he was a sheep Cole wanted almost nothing to do with his 'lame old man', not to mention he'd gotten a taste for some aspects of human life. In reality, Luminous just wanted the respect of his son and for the time being, he wasn't getting it.

*****​

Amaria-Anna shook her head no rather quickly but paused halfway through. "Well…kind of. I could ask and he would tell me things here and there but for the most part, he would recommend that I should try not to think about her. He said he didn't want me to feel any pain." But that was difficult for her, her mother was literally where half of her came from, how could she just not think about it?

She stared at the photo for a few moments before a giggle escaped her. "I tried to get him to smile once. But nothing I did could get him to, so I just asked him to smile and he did. It looked absolutely nothing like this." The smile in this photo was genuine and showed how he felt, but when he did it for her it was devoid of any such honesty.

She let out a sigh and kept digging through her father's stuff. She found more photographs of her parents, each one as genuine as the first. She gave them a brief look before going back to her search but there was one photo that made her pause completely. It was of Layla, sitting in a chair in a very different looking but recognizable backyard, the same backyard that Amaria herself had turned into a garden. Standing next to her with a smile was Ravan, his hand on her shoulder. But what made her pause was the baby being cradled in her mother's arms. "That's me!" Unless she had another sibling she didn't know about, that had to be her.

Amaria could have stared at the picture forever but there was a burning desire in her belly to find more pictures of the three of them. She had every intention to take them to her room tonight, she wouldn't be leaving them in this closet. As she fished through what seemed to be a ridiculous amount of photos, books, and papers, she would come across just three more pictures of herself and her parents, but she eventually came to notice that as she got a little older the faces of her parents grew less bright, dimming more and more until neither of them were smiling. She seemed to be about just about one year old in the last family photo. Her mother wasn't smiling at all and her father now looked entirely the same as he did today.

It would have been a completely depressing photo had it not been for the smile on young Amaria's face. The next photo she pulled was just of her and her father, the two of them digging in the dirt. "Mm…" Amaria couldn't keep the disappointment out of her voice. Just what the heck happened? Her family fell apart before she could even form memories of them?!

 

[Greenie]

Nisha has been somewhat nervous and worried seeing the expression on her father's face. Now that she thought about it, hadn't Laurent and her mother both been friends with Layla as well? No wonder he was as pissed as he was, both for Ravan and Amaria's sakes as well as his own and Radha's. She knew her parents didn't get close to too many folk; there was always the prejudice of her mother being a human, that too a sickly one, that drove monsters away.

Of course all these thoughts seemed to disappear with Tucker's last comment. Face now light red (as a certain Donut would say), she scowled in his direction, arms quickly crossed over her chest. "You really do have an ego as big as you are." Continuing to grumble under her breath, she stalked forward, pushing through the monsters who had once again began to dance and mash, heading in her father's direction.

"Thankfully I do not have to worry about such disrespect," Laurent was mentioning, trying not to chuckle and further infuriate the demon sheep more than he already was. "Perhaps it is different with girls? Nisha never gave me any sort of trouble, though I do admit she is a little reclusive now. But look at Amaria, such a sweet child she is..." His eyes darkened momentarily as they looked in Layla's direction. "I would have thought I'd find Cole at a party, but I suppose night clubs and raves are more his - Ah, Nisha, ma petite!" His face lit up seeing his only child, eyes brightening as he grinned down at her. "I hope you are enjoying yourself! And... Tucker? Well, I am glad to see you are making friends, Nisha!"

"Oh... yeah..." Nisha looked to Tucker. Friends? More like she had just taken a drink of his blood. She had to admit though, it might be nice to have the werewolf as a friend.​

******
​

Nora looked at the photos alongside Amaria Anna. She had to admit it was a damn shame that Ravan had lost his smile somehow; he had looked quite animate and for lack of a better word alive due to it. What on Earth could have caused him to become the emotionless husk of a person he was now... No, that's not true. Despite everything, he did genuinely love his daughter.

However, it wasn't long before she had stopped giving the photographs more than a passing glance, focusing her attention on Amaria instead. It was clear enough to her that looking back at these old memories was having more than just a nostalgic effect on the young vampire. Nora could only imagine it was due to the drastic change in the expressions of her parents as the photos became more and more recent.

"Hey..." She put a hand on the vampire's shoulder, unsure what else to say at that moment. She didn't have parents anymore, but when she did, even if times were tough, they managed to share a sincere smile or two no matter how tired they may have been.

"You're old enough," she finally continued after the moment of silence. "They're you're parents and you deserve to know, whether it may cause you pain or not... because I can tell that having no knowledge is as painful for you."
She lightly squeezed Amaria's shoulder. "I know we still don't know each other too well, but if you need support, I'm here."​

 

[Spekkun]

"Hey, my ego isn't as big as me!" Tucker sounded a little offended as he followed her, though the expression on his face would indicate that he was otherwise pleased. "I'd say its slightly bigger? That way I have something to lean against when I get tired of standing so tall." The werewolf coughed a bit, not to clear his throat but to wipe away the growing smirk on his face. Ah, seeing her blush sure was fun.

When he was greeted by Laurent, he plastered a big ol' grin on his face and flashed the vampire a double-thumbs up. "Hey Laurent, how's it going? Talking to uh…what did he say it was now…little ol' lamb-chop here, eh?" He reached down and patted Luminous on his head, snatching his hand back to avoid being bitten. "Whoa! Someone isn't in the mash mood." He tutted, his grin having mutated into a smirk. "I'm just messing with ya."

The sheep grumbled, shaking his head. "You youngsters…no respect for your elders, I swear…" A part of the demon-overlord had realized that, had he simply stopped expecting people to treat him the same way as when he was a giant demonic….demon, he wouldn't be as upset as he was now. But it was hard to fall from the top of your game and have no way of getting back, it was all he had! "Guess you've been talking to Cole." He bleated, annoyed.

Layla watched them for a moment, debating on if she should say anything to Nisha. It might rile Laurent up, as fun as it would be. Ravan was done speaking to her for the time being as it were. She wished she could assume he was thinking about her, but she highly doubted it. She knew he wouldn't be excited or upset to see her, but she still had hoped that perhaps there would be some sort of a reaction.

"Hello, Nisha." She greeted the girl with a smile of her own. "Nice to see you!"

*****​

Amaria looked away from the photos and to Nora. Maybe she'd seen enough of them for now, her mood had plummeted far enough already. Burning curiosity had been replaced by a strange combination of fear and sadness, one she'd never felt before. She was afraid that she was the downfall of her parent's relationship, and perhaps even her father's stone-faced demeanor.

What scared her just as much as the idea that it could be confirmed by asking her parents, but Nora was right. Not knowing was eating her up inside, she had to know why her mother left. She wouldn't be satisfied just snooping through old photos, and she couldn't leave it be. It would eat her up inside.

"You're right, I have to ask." She wiped at her eyes a bit, an attempt to stem the tears before they formed. The action did stop them from truly streaming, but now her eyes and between them were glossy and moist from the water. "I do deserve to know." She had always asked her father and he almost always brushed it off, giving her a roundabout answer or outright telling her when she was older. Now she was older.

"Thank you, Nora." She gave the woman a smile and a genuine one at that. Her words helped ease what she was feeling, something she was grateful for. "Thanks for helping me." She decided to push the photos back into the closet, save for two; the ones that showed a sharp contrast in her parent's demeanors since her birth. "Maybe I'll ask after the mash is over…" She didn't want to make a scene. She knew her father wouldn't, but she couldn't guarantee that she wouldn't, or her mother for that matter.

 

[Greenie]

Nisha couldn't help but literally face-palm when Tucker spoke of his ego. Now this was a guy who reminded her a little too much of her father. Speaking of she glanced Laurent's way. Maybe she was wrong and her father wouldn't be able to stand the werewolf. That would make things interesting indeed... especially when she let her dear Papa find out she'd taken a nice drink of said werewolf's blood.

Of course, Murphy's law was never in her favour. Laurent seemed to chuckle at Tucker's joke name for the poor demon lord, though he did wag a finger in the younger man's direction. "Now, now, a little respect for our dear Luminous. The poor fellow has more than just woolly burden on his shoulder." He patted his friend's head, enjoying the softness, though he pulled his hand away before the sheep could realize what happened. "Cole is just in his rebellious stage of life, Luminous. He will realize soon enough... even if it is a hundred years. And what really is a hundred years to someone like you and me and this whole gathering? We have eternity to entertain ourselves. Perhaps you, my dear Luminous, should join Cole on his adventures one day."

It was a little difficult to take her father seriously when he talked like that. Nisha let out a sigh, ready to return to her usual wallflower status by the wall near the buffet table- she was sure she had seen a chocolate fountain- but her contemplation was interrupted. She blinked, looking to Layla, a little surprised that the vampire would come talk to her.

"Oh... hey there uhm Layla..." She couldn't help the awkward pauses as she spoke. Luminous was one thing, one of her parents fancy friends was another. Unless it was Ravan- that man was almost comforting to talk to, what with the lack of emotion. "It's been like... what... uh..." She did a quick calculation in her mind. "Thirteen years, I think? Last time I saw you, it was my eight birthday. Amaria was just a li'l baby."

From his position, Laurent watched the two. The smile remained on his lips but there was an iciness in his eyes that had nothing to do with their colour.
​

*****
​

"Hey, it's no problem." Nora smiled at Amaria before stepping back, watching the younger vampire. "I don't know much about your father but it's obvious he loves you. I'm sure if he realizes how you truly feel, then he'll be there for you." She set Avery down on the ground, hopeful that the cat would behave himself and not get into any trouble.

"You're right about waiting 'til the Mash is over though. Looks like the arrival of your mother caused a little commotion. Besides... probably best for you and him to talk in private." She looked to the young vampire before sighing as she head for the door. She felt weary, as if she was carrying a burden even though she wasn't. It had barely been two days since she had arrived here, but it felt so much longer.

At least this wasn't her drama though. As terrible as it was to compare, Nora was glad that whatever was going on here was simply family problems and not a murderous psycho vampire. Even the thought of his beautiful face caused her to shudder inwardly.

"I might go to sleep," she mentioned as she put her hand to the door knob to open it. "If you want, maybe you should take a nap. It might help you. And the Mash will be over sooner."​

 

[Spekkun]

The finger wag served to illicit a snicker from the werewolf, one so strong that his shoulders rose and fell along with it. "Alright, alright, no more teasing from me." Hearing the grumbling sheep made him feel a tad bit guilty but that was eclipsed by the fun he was having teasing him. Alas, Laurent was right, Tucker was really young in comparison to the demon lord. So, he opted to offer some advice, not that it was his place to give any. "Maybe Laurent's right, partying is a good way to grow close to someone. Just look at things from his perspective for a moment."

The sheep had noticed someone pet him, but he didn't give much care as to whom. He had done enough huffing and puffing for the time being, if he did anymore his face might turn red and he didn't need that. Especially not here. "Perhaps I will…" He mulled it over, speaking his thoughts out loud. "I've got time and I suppose building a bridge in his direction would be better than trying to force him to do so in mine."

It was difficult for him to even form those thoughts. His kneejerk reaction was that a demon lord, no a father should not go chasing after his son for any reason, but it wasn't working out for him so far. Their relationship had been busted from the beginning, mostly because of the boy's mother, that was for certain.

"You've given me quite a bit to think about Laurent. Perhaps I'll try it your way. You and your daughter seem to be doing quite well…" He trailed off, taking notice of the look on the vampire's face. It was frightening how cold it was, despite the smile on his lips, and he loved it. Tucker. on the other hand, found it far less cool and more unsettling.

"You were so quiet and cute the last time I saw you." Layla's smile grew as she remembered 13-year-old Nisha. "She'd just been born then…my, you've grown up so much." She had to stop herself from taking a trip down memory lane, she didn't trust herself not to become lost in the memories and ramble on. "They say that when you live as long as I have what's a decade or two, but I feel like I've missed so much. You've grown into a fine young woman. You-" She stopped. She could truly feel Laurent's gaze on her and it almost made her shudder.

"It was nice seeing you again." She patted the girl's shoulder. "Enjoy the party, I'll be trying my best to." She glanced back at Laurent, Luminous and Tucker before whispering to Nisha. "Or are you having fun already?" It was a tease, her finger prodding the girl's shoulder.

*****​

"You're right. I can trust him to tell me the truth." Amaria stood up, dusting her clothes off. "I'm going to ask him after I wake up. The mash will probably go on until the wee morning hours anyway." It was funny, for all the horrible things people said about them (some of them being true), they sure loved their parties. Even though there seemed to be drama afoot, nothing was disturbing the party downstairs.

Avery seemed to be mildly annoyed at having to walk, making an irritable sound as he quickly ran after Nora, leaning against her leg. The cat earned a small laugh from the vampire girl. "So spoiled." She commented before looking at Nora. "Thanks again, for being here." She didn't know how else to phrase it, she was just grateful that the human woman was understanding and even sympathetic.

"I hope it's not too much, all of this." It had to be weird for her. She'd barely been here a few days and was dropped smack dab into the middle of some family drama, vampire family drama no less. Sure, she was here because of a deal with her father, but she rather liked the company and had hoped it would be a more pleasurable stay for her, however long it would be.

She would have to ask her father to do something nice for Nora, something she couldn't do on her own. The thought put a grin on her face, washing away her previous woes for the time being. Avery caught notice of her silent grin, his ears spreading in the opposite direction of each other. He was both, confused and annoyed.

 

[Greenie]

Nisha blinked but nodded, surprised but relieved by the abrupt end to the conversation. "What? He's just a friend-" Unless Layla meant her drinking Tucker's blood? Damn I hope I didn't forget to wipe it off my face or sommat... She could feel a prickling of what she liked to called 'pissed-off-ness' and turned around, just in time to see her father look away in attempts to pretend he hadn't been watching the two vampires converse.

"Dad, s'up? What's going on with her? Why's she back? Why're you so pissed? I can feel it so don't tell me you're totally A-OK."

She could practically hear Laurent trying to come up with excuses, though she didn't give him time to think them. "Whatever, I'm coming back..." She looked back to Layla, giving the older vampire a polite nod. "Uh, guess I'll see you again later. Enjoy?" She suspected Layla would, at least more than her.

Back with the others, she looked to her father once more, and then to Luminous. "What're you two old geezers gossiping about?"

Laurent, now relaxed as Nisha was back with them and nowhere near Layla, let out an appalled gasp. "Nisha, Nisha, Nisha. And here Luminous was praising me for raising you right with a decent set of manners. Oh dear."

"You're such a drama queen," she muttered, shaking her head. "Honestly... I'm kinda thinking to head out."

"What? So soon?"

She only shrugged in reply. Parties weren't her thing, never were.​

*****
​

Nora had to think a moment. "Well, I'd be lying if I said it isn't," she admitted, lifting a shoulder in a shrug, though she smiled as well. "I mean, it's drama, but at least it's not the kind of drama where I end up having to run for my life, you know?" She had a room now, a bed, clean clothes, a secure how and strangely, friendly banter. Maybe not from Ravan, but Amaria certainly was nice to be around. It came at the price of her blood, it was true, but at least that blood wasn't from a gaping hole in her throat.

A yawn escaped Nora, and she hurriedly lifted a hand to stifle it. "Excuse me," she muttered once it was finished. "And by the way, don't worry too much about me. Your dad might be the more... impassive person I've ever seen, but he's given me a safe place." She uncharacteristically thumped a fist against her chest. "I can take a lot of crap. This is nothing."

Her smile wavered as another yawn attempted to overcome her restraint. "Looks like I'm really tuckered out though," she continued sheepishly. "I guess I'll catch you in... huh. Not the morning, evening?"​

 

[Spekkun]

"Thank you, you too." Layla gave Nisha and Tucker a small nod, a smile on her face. Though it was clear to her that Nisha didn't quite wish to talk to her, she was grateful not to be met with a glare sharper than any knife. It was nice catching up, even if it wasn't quite as pleasant as she thought.

"Old?!" Luminous was practically snorting steam, but eventually, he just sighed. "We're simply conversing about my son. He's about your age, you know?" Truth be told, the demon sheep admired Nisha's attitude. It made her difficult to approach, which made her, dare he say it, cool. It reminded him of the old days, when he too, was unapproachable.

"I dunno," Tucker piped up a little quickly, hiding a snicker, "He's a party animal, as crazy as that sounds coming from a werewolf at a party. The party scene isn't really her thing." Admittedly, he understood that was why she wanted to leave. It was a little disheartening to hear she was ready to leave, but hey, at least he got a good dance in.

"Parties gonna die without ya. I'll have no one to dance with." He whimpered falsely, given away by the cheeky grin on his face.​

*****​

"Oh, that's right!" Now Layla felt a bit ashamed. Nora's entire life was literally uprooted because she was stuck in an endless cycle of running so she could live so that she could run again. No matter what happened to Layla, she still had her papa, at least. She almost squished her own face in an attempt to push the shame away. "Sorry...thank you again, for talking to me."

A sheepish smile adorned her face as she nodded her head. "Oh yeah, you should get some sleep! The evening is when you'll see me!" She was something of an early riser, as funny as that sounded. The moment the sun started to set was the moment her eyes would fling open and she would stagger out of bed.

"Since I'll go to bed by the time you wake up, I'll leave something really good for you to eat!" It would be her way of saying thank you again, but it'd also keep her mind preoccupied during the time she was okay. She wasn't sure she wanted to go back to the party, which would likely begin to peter out in the next few hours. "Sleep well, Nora!"​

 

[Greenie]

"All parties have to die Tucker, it's the natural order of things." Nisha smirked slightly, though she relented enough to stay there for a few more hours until things began to wind down and even the nocturnal monsters were tiring from partying. It wasn't always that she met an amusing person who wasn't just a friend of her father's.

Eventually dawn began to close in. Laurent and Nisha big farewell to Revan, the former holding the polite handshake a little long as he eyed their vampire host. "I expect to know how things turn out," he muttered. "Keep me informed, and if I am needed, do not hesitate to call me." With that said and done, the vampire father and daughter duo set off for the night.​

*****​

Not too far away, in a street only a few blocks away, a man stood in a side street, arms around a woman who seemed rather limp, her head rolling to the side. It would be too hard for a passer-by to see with barely any light, but the woman's throat was ripped open, blood staining not only her clothes but the ground on which the man stood. An eerie smile lingered on his face.

I know you're close ​

*****​

Sleep was never easy for Nora, but tonight especially she found herself tossing and turning. Perhaps it was the music, perhaps the turn of events with Amaria's mother. Or perhaps it was something else entirely. One moment she was still, the next she was tossing and turning in bed. When she finally did manage to sleep, she saw him. He was smiling at her, that charming, disarming smile that once had her blush but now had her pale with fear, even in her dreams.

I'm coming. The words terrified her enough that she sat up in bed, eyes wide open as her heart raced in her chest. She knew she was safe here... or was she?

At least it was morning; the light peeking through the curtains was unmistakably sunlight. Letting out a shaky breath, Nora stood up, deciding there was no point in going back to sleep.​

 

[Spekkun]

The party did not last much longer after Nisha and Laurent took their leave. Sunrise was approaching quickly and the more light sensitive of the party-goers took their leave quickly. Luminous left shortly himself, having grown bored of being poked at or petted, and Tucker was one of the last people to leave, seeing the party through to the end. The appearance of Layla did not affect the overall mood of the party, thankfully.

When the sun rose Ravan was up to greet it. He did not retire to his bedroom after the part had ended and instead dedicated his time to clean the mess left behind from the party. A few of the guests had offered to stay behind and help but he assured them it wasn't something he couldn't handle. By the time Nora had awoken the place was back to normal, cleared of streamers, plastic cups, and empty snack bags.

But the reason he stayed up the entire night was not just to clean, but to think. Layla had returned and he wondered if that would cause him and his daughter any trouble. He couldn't tell if she was being genuine and, even if she were, he was unsure if that would, or even should be a deciding factor. Had she not shown up unexpectedly he might have prevented her from seeing his daughter at all and simply told her to leave. But now was not the time to cry over spilled milk.

Not that he could cry even if he wanted to.

Ravan decided that he should take things one step at a time. He would have to speak to her now, and Amaria-Anna undoubtedly would have questions for him, questions he should answer. What's more, he suspected that the whole situation might have made his house guest uncomfortable or awkward, that and a party with dozens of 'monsters'.

Recalling Nora, he trudged along to the kitchen to begin preparing a morning meal for her. While he was positive she could cook for herself, he ultimately decided that he would do so for her. It provided him with busy work, but it also ensured that he could keep her health optimum. After all, keeping her healthy kept Amaria-Anna healthy.

It was a simple meal, but a hearty one nonetheless. An omelet stuffed with veggies and a bit of melted cheese. The fragrance floated throughout the house, it's delicious smell filling many of the rooms. Though it smelled great, it did nothing to tickle his fancy. Not even a smile crept its way onto his face, nor was there at least a proud gleam in his eyes. He covered the plate loosely to keep any unwanted material from settling on the top. He was unsure when Nora would awaken, though he suspected that she would soon if she had not already.

He would wait for her to awake before he retired. He would have words with her, a small conversation in order to better understand her situation, and maybe answer any questions she may have about her own in the house. So there he stood at the opposite end of the kitchen island, waiting patiently in the dark without seemingly any idea of just how creepy it would appear.​

 

[Greenie]

It wasn't long before Nora left the bedroom and headed for the bathroom, clothes and towel in hand. After that nightmare, she wanted a nice hot shower to chase those memories away. Would that actually help her? She had no clue, but it didn't change the fact that she was sweaty and gross and would probably be all the better for showering anyway.​

​

Looking in the mirror had her frowning as she looked at how pale she seemed, the marks around her eyes dark and clearly showing lack of good sleep or a health lifestyle. Even as she showered she could tell that she had lost a little too much weight a little too fast. Well, at least you're not running anywhere anymore, she thought to herself as she shampooed her hair and rinsed it out.​

​

By the time she left the shower, clean and fully clothed in a t shirt and pair of jeans, Nora felt almost rejuvenated. The smell of cooked omelette had indeed wafted upstairs- her stomach growled and her mouth watered in response. Unsure who might have made that, she gingerly made her way down the stairs, ignoring the wetness from her hair dampening the back of tee.​

​

"WAH!" Certainly not expecting anyone in the kitchen, Nora couldn't help but let out a yelp and jump back, a hand to her racing heart. Was it him? The pure fear that shone in her eyes seemed to temper when she realized it wasn't him and was Ravan.​

​

"Oh, it's you." The relief in her voice was crystal clear. "I thought... never mind."​

 

[Spekkun]

"I am sorry that I startled you. It was not my intention." Ravan apologized to her. In hindsight waiting in the dark of the kitchen was perhaps not the best way to greet someone first thing in the morning. "I wished to speak with you so I was waiting for you to awaken." He explained to Nora before walking over to the light switch, flipping it on. His eyes did not flinch from the sudden illumination of the room, remaining open and as unwavering as his facial expression.

"Please, take a seat." He motioned to the island and the omelet that lay upon it. "I prepared you breakfast. A hearty one. You must eat well to maintain your health." Had he a heart, he might have felt sympathy for the human. She looked so sickly, so frail. If he did not help her take care of herself now then Amaria might not have a consistent food source for too long. She might die from having her blood drained so consistently or choose to leave in the hopes of preventing her death from happening. Neither possibility was desirable to him.

He took a seat at the island, across from the omelet and clasped his hands together, setting them on the cool granite. "I only wish to ask about your history, before I found you. I need to know if there is anything else I should worry about." He initiated the conversation, getting straight to the point. He realized he was being a bit forward, but he didn't care. He wasn't capable of caring. "So, if I may ask, what were the events that transpired that led to our chance meeting?"​

 

[Greenie]

"It's okay," Nora replied hastily, feeling stupid at having been so thoroughly freaked out when she should have known better. She nodded as she heard what Ravan continued to say, settling herself down by the island. The omelette smelled delicious and she knew she wouldn't be able to concentrate on what he wanted to talk to her about without actually taking a bite of it first.​

​

Without waiting, she took a bite, a smile coming to her lips as she chewed. Maybe the man didn't know how to smile, but it seemed as if he could cook; she had to award him a brownie point for that at least. She looked over at him as he asked about her, blinking at the question. Well, it probably made sense for him to wonder. It was a little uncomfortable and sudden though, especially after her nightmare.​

​

She took another bite of her breakfast, chewing thoroughly and thoughtfully as she formed what she wanted to say in her mind. "I told you there was a vampire after me," she finally muttered as she set her fork down and looked at Ravan. "He killed my parents and I've been on the run from him for a year or so. The only thing that's kept me safe is this." She reached under her shirt and pulled out a chain with an amulet, a plain white stone that didn't seem anything remarkable. "This lets me know when there are any non humans around."​

 

[Spekkun]

"I'm glad you enjoy my cooking." Ravan told her, though he didn't truly sound it. It was, by all accounts, a lie. He wasn't glad, he couldn't be, but it made it helped that she did. "Should you wish, you may inform me of things you like and do not like. I would like you to be at full health, but that does not mean you can't enjoy the food either." He was trying to be nice, especially considering how her smile seemed to fade. However it more than likely that his words didn't come across that way. He imagined it came across more deadpan and cold, but he didn't care to correct it.

He leaned forward to get a closer look at the white stone, peering at it curiously for a moment before leaning back. "A peculiar stone, but useful. At least it was while you were on the run. It will always be active as long as you live here, correct?" This only meant that he had to be more vigilant. If she was on the run then that meant the vampire was chasing her.

"He killed your parents and he is hunting you. why is that?" He asked her, not bothering to tiptoe around the sensitive parts of the information. "Is it something you or your family may have done? Some history? Or is he merely just looking to enjoy himself?" He wondered if she had the answers. If she did, then perhaps he could prepare better. If not, then he would make do without. "I only ask so that I may better keep you safe."​